Surprise!

I hate surprises.

 

When I was a kid, the standard refrain from roughly Halloween on was, “Wait until you see what you’re getting for Christmas!” I’m convinced that’s what’s turned me against surprises. 

 

I should probably clarify a bit. I don’t mind being surprised (with good things, of course) when I have no idea it’s coming. 

 

My mother sent me a text message yesterday: Your father has a surprise for you.

 

It’s these surprises that drive me crazy.

 

me: Is it a pony?

mom: Nope.

me: Is it a baby sister?

mom: Do you want a baby sister?

me: Absolutely not.

mom: No more guesses?

me: A puppy?

mom: No. But only because Sushi would NOT appreciate that at all.

me: True, not false.

 

This morning my father emailed me, telling me I would really like my surprise. I emailed him back and asked whether it was a winning lottery ticket, since I already knew that it wasn’t a pony, a baby sister, or a puppy. He said it wasn’t a thing but that I’d really like it, and if my brother knew what it was, he’d say that I’d like it too. 
Grr.

ahhhhhhh

I have to say, I am quite relaxed.
Arrived in Texas yesterday to temperatures in the mid-70s. Delightful. It was about 34 degrees when I left Chicago.

 

This morning I got up, lazed around a bit and went for a run (my knee is currently feeling pretty good…fingers crossed that it stays that way). When I got back I iced my knee, had some breakfast, and lazed around some more. I eventually took a shower and got ready for the day. I looooove vacation. My hosts just phoned–they’re on their way back and when they get here we’re going to slap on some sunscreen, grab some hats, and head to the Wildflower Center for lunch and a walk-around.

 

I think an afternoon nap is probably in the cards.

good things and a letter

+My new camera came in the mail the other day. I wanted a point and shoot for those times when it’s neither practical nor desirable to carry around my big DSLR.

 

+My new pillows came the other day. HEAVENLY.

 

+I got a thank you card for a presentation I did back in January…along with a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card.

 

+I was one of the winners of Aromaleigh’s drawing for full-sized set of their Spring eyeshadow collection. This is not something I ever would have purchased for myself. 

 

+It’s finally Spring Break! I have a very full weekend and I need to get ready for my trip to Texas (where it will be in the low 80s instead of the 30s and 40s).

 

 

Dear ________,

 

I get that you were hotter in your younger days. Who among us wasn’t? I get that you would like your old body back, get that you used to have a six-pack, get that men literally fell at your feet for the chance to get a glimpse of your amazing self.

 

I also get that you are on a constant mission to (a)keep reminding everyone of the above and (b)solicit comments about how you were hot then, you’re still hot now, et cetera.

 

Here’s the thing: It’s getting a little old. 

 

People will always tell you you’re beautiful/gorgeous/flawless because they are nice and nice people do not tell you to stop fishing. But it’s getting a little old.

 

Thanks.

Mrs. Angry

I’m renaming Mother Nature. Her new name is Mrs. Angry.

 

Getting to church this morning was an adventure. My power went out at some point…I woke up too early and looked at the clock, only to see 12:00 blinking at me. I set the alarm on my phone and wiggled further under the covers, trying not to think of what I might see outside.

 

Once I looked outside, I said some words.

 

I’m glad I put the car in the garage last night. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere otherwise (plus I’d have to scrape off my car, which is on my list of things I don’t like to do). When I came back from church, I couldn’t get into my garage. No, they hadn’t plowed. That would have been nice. The garage is a little bit uphill and it just wasn’t happening. So I pulled into a parking space. Hm, wait. That’s not entirely accurate. I *tried* to pull into a parking space. I couldn’t get all the way into the space, so I backed up to try it again. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, either. I *tried* to back up. Not happening. Since I was mostly into the space, I just left it there and I’ll shovel it out later if I need to go somewhere. 

 

Ugh.

contest

I use mineral makeup from Aromaleigh. Love it.
They’re having a contest to win their Spring eyeshadow collection–exciting! If you’re interested, you can check it out here.

April Fool’s

My brother is the funniest person I know. 

 

We went out for dinner tonight. I don’t remember how it came up, but he decided that he needed to track down a broken iPod…on April 1st he’s going to go to the gym, strap on the iPod, and go swimming. 

 

What’s even funnier is that not only does he come up with stuff like that, he’ll actually do it.

-insert clever title here-

My posting has been spotty and superficial as of late. Basically because Himself reads my blog and since we’re on the outs I didn’t want to post anything too substantial. We were friends first and I’m hoping to remain so…lately that has been improving, so I’m a bit more comfortable here, too.

 

I’ve started running. What’s that? Oh, yes, I HAVE completely lost my mind. Thank you for asking.

 

Running on a treadmill is boring, but it’s better than running outside when it’s really cold, raining, or dark out. I bought myself an iPod shuffle to alleviate the boredom. Turns out it’s still boring, just with a soundtrack. Then it finally got warm enough to run outside (52 degrees = perfect running weather). Great! Maybe it won’t be so boring! Well, it’s less boring than running on a treadmill, but still mind-numbingly boring. Alright, let’s figure this out. Why does it suck so bad? I determined that listening to music was too mindless…I needed more on which to focus. Aha! I had a few comedy routines in my iTunes…presto! Today’s run was great! I tried to refrain from laughing out loud when I was in earshot of other people…I didn’t want the men in white coats to cart me off…

Weather and S&E

Am I actually posting about the weather?
Yes, I believe I am.

 

It was SIXTY-TWO DEGREES TODAY!

This is very exciting to me.

 

I spent some time outside and I didn’t wear a jacket. Love that. I went out to dinner and I wore sandals. Love that too!

 

I realize this isn’t going to last. It’s supposed to drop into the 30s next week, but for now, this weather is a gift.

 

This past Saturday marked the beginning of my 5 Saturdays in a row of solo & ensemble fun. I’ll be judging on 4 of the Saturdays and accompanying students for one of them. I also have a Thursday evening judging gig. 

I think I’m a pretty nice judge. The whole point is to encourage the kids as musicians, not scare the living crap out of them. That being said, sometimes they cry. It’s not my fault! This weekend will be interesting. I have mostly piano events, several string solos (Class C viola solos…someone just stab me in the eye now), and 2 Class A String Ensembles. Um, news flash, people…I AM NOT A STRING PLAYER. I’m not entirely sure how this happened. It is what it is…and it’ll be fine.

Chicken & Wild Rice Chowder

2 C. sliced carrots

½ C. chopped onion

½ C. chopped celery

2 T. butter

3 T. all-purpose flour

2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) chicken broth

2 2/3 C. cubed cooked chicken breast

1 pkg. ready-to-serve long grain and wild rice

¼ C. half and half (can use fat-free)

1/8 t. pepper

 

In a large saucepan, sauté the carrots, onion, and celery in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, rice, half and half, and pepper; heat through.

 

Yield: 4 servings

 

 

I couldn’t find ‘ready to serve’ wild rice, so I just made it according to the package directions before adding it to the soup.

 

This stuff rocks my world.

It feels like I did every day twice this week.

How exciting is my Friday night:
-grocery store on the way home
-started baking bread
-went to the gym while it rose
-finished baking bread
-organized my pantry

I am living a life of wild excitement, let me tell you! Tomorrow I’m going to make Chicken and Wild Rice Chowder for lunch (to go with my freshly baked bread)…woot!

I’m just excited because I don’t have to get up at any particular time tomorrow. Starting the 28th, however, that’s all going to change…I’m judging at solo & ensemble festivals for 5 Saturdays in a row. That means early Friday nights and even earlier Saturday mornings. It always seems like such a good idea when contracts get mailed out…and then the alarm goes off at the butt crack of dawn…