Another Soggybottom Weekend

It seems that every weekend this spring/summer it had rained, and I don't mean a slight drizzle. And it just so happens (as it does in summer) that a lot of my plans have been outdoors. That is why I've hashtagged this summer #soggybottomsummer.

Friday was my coworker's birthday. This particular coworker gives me a ride home from work almost every day, so you know I had to do something special for her. Unfortunately the office was more than half empty, but those of us who were here enjoyed the ice cream cake I got for her. I also got her a Fandango GC and a card.

Saturday I was planning on stuffing my face with lobster-infused goodness down at Bradley Beach, but it was raining steadily for more than half the day, so I nixed that plan. Even lobster in the rain did not sound appetizing. We stopped at a diner where I had what I call the "Fry-fecta": fried chicken sliders, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeno poppers. Nom. 

I had purchased lawn tickets to see Matt Nathanson/The Fray/ Train at PNC Bank Arts Center back in January. I love Matt Nathanson and Train. The problem, of course, was that it was pouring rain. Luckily, covered seat tickets were still available, and Blue purchased them at the last minute. *Phew.* There was still about a mile walk to/from the parking, and you had to go "outside" to go to the bathroom and vendors, so we were definitely soaked and soggy-bottomed, but at least we didn't have to spend the whole time in the rain. 

we made it!

Isaac Slade (of the Fray), Pat Monahan (of Train) and Matt Nathandon

Making fun of the people around us: girl almost falling over her friend, man sleeping next to us, and the gaggle of preteens behind us

Seasonal "bottoms up" pic

Isaac Slade made his way into the crowd (and close to us!), The Fray, and the guys again

Has this summer weather been leaving you with a soggybottom or put a dent in your plans? 

Friday Favorites

Yayyyyyy to one of the last Fridays I'm working for a while! I decided I'm just going to take off Fridays from now until late July, because summer. I'm super excited to stuff my face with lobster-infused food tomorrow at Lobsterfest on Bradley Beach, NJ, and then go see Train/ They Fray/ and Matt Nathanson at PNC Bank Arts Center. Tickets are still available! I have 2 extra tickets for the lawn that I'm trying to sell because Blue wanted to get "real" seats in the covered area since it may rain and she's tired of having a soggy-bottom too.

So if you are in NJ and want the tickets, let me know. Now on to this week's favorites!

Favorite Song:  Matt Nathanson- Modern Love

Favorite Google Search: "what animal will follow each other off a cliff"
The answer was a lemming. I forgot why I was asking, but why I know that about them, but there ya go.

Favorite Reads:

• Utah college creates a texting lane. That's kind of genius considering walking texters really grind my gears.
• This list of 10 foods not to eat on a first date... geared towards men. Best part? I've met this guy. He's actually my ex's college buddy. Small world.
• I know how much people love their subscription boxes. I just heard about this new one called Owlcrate. Every month is features a new YA novel, along with other things related to the novel. Definitely worth checking out if you're into YA! 

Favorite Purchase: I got this little beauty through Shopbop earlier this week. It was totally an impulse buy, but such a steal. Normally it's $68, and I got it for $35! I also got cashback because I used Ebates. I seriously love that site.

Kate Spade Fairmount Square Slim Bee Wristlet

Favorite Food: This amazing blue crab mac n cheese from Pennsylvania 6. So. Freaking. Good. 

Favorite Pic: Last night I saw Lucinda Williams at Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park. She was pretty good! Unfortunately I couldn't get any decent pics of her, I think because of the stage lighting. But Blue snapped (and used special effects) to get this one. 

Favorite Funnies: 

30 Min Dinner: Chicken Avocado Burritos

This dish is healthy, easy, and actually takes closer to 10 minutes to make if you have cooked chicken on hand. And it's yummy!

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used Perdue shortcuts since I had it, and just used it in strips)

2 Tbl cilantro, chopped 

1/2 C Mexican cheese blend (or mozzarella)

One avocado, diced

4 burrito size tortillas 

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Mix your chicken, cheese, avocado, and cilantro. 

2. Put the mixture in your tortillas, and fold in the ends.

3. Spray your electric grill. Cook on medium heat for 2-4 min, then flip and do the other side for 2-4 min. 

4. Serve warm. Enjoy! 

The original recipe says you can do this in a heated pan or griddle, but I just wanted to use my little counter-top grill since I hardly ever pull it out. Also, I was quite proud of the grill marks :)

That Time I Went to a Crawfish Festival and Ate Hot Dogs

I love weekends, but rainy ones when I have outdoor plans are not my favorite. Luckily the rain held out on Friday night. Blue and I headed to a local craft bar, Copper Mine Pub, that is closing this Friday. The place , which is small to begin with, was PACKED. Like, can't walk, can't move packed. Like, careful trying to turn around packed. And it seemed to be packed with older men (like late 50's-ish)... not my jam. We had one drink and headed over to another bar where my friend is a bartender. It was great catching up with her since I haven't seen her in 6 months.

Lots of craft beers on tap

The owner (right) and barback

On Saturday, we headed out to the Nolafunk Crawfish and Music Festival. We wanted to get there early, hoping to get there and get a picnic table before the rain hit. No such luck. It started raining when we were on line to get in, which took forever because it was probably the most disorganized shitshow I have ever experienced. We were in the first group to get there, and the event staff was definitely not ready for us. First, they attempted a bag check station, but the rules weren't set, and they were placing people's bags on the wet ground... what?? Blue kept her small bag on and put the poncho over it, since we "weren't allowed to enter with umbrellas." (You can imagine our dismay when an hour later we saw MANY people with umbrellas... grumble.) Then they let us in, and nothing was ready. No food, not the beer taps, not even the cashiers. We saw a huge tent so headed directly there to get a seat while we waited for the staff to get their shit together. Except... there were only bar style tables. No picnic benches, no seating whatsoever ANYWHERE. How the heck am I supposed to eat one of those big crawfish platters standing up, in the rain??? No, no no. It also didn't help that I also the "prep" area- those giant bags of crawfish sitting on cement blocks. I know they were getting steamed, so they probably would have been safe, but I just couldn't get past the fact that they were just sitting on those blocks. I stuck to hot dogs and beer.

Oh, and the music. Le sigh. We only stayed for one band, because they were pretty awful. They started out pretty cool, with them coming through the crowd with all the brass instruments, but then they started rapping. I know funk music, and that wasn't even funk- it was rap, and they even stopped playing the instruments for a bit in the middle of their set. Not a fan. We left after about 2 hours, soggy and irritated.

Set list, crawfish to be cooked, crawfish platters served, Pitchblak Brass Band

View from Governor's Island

Sunday was chill. Groceries, laundry, etc. I'm almost finished with Season 1 of Friday Night Lights, and I think I can officially say I'm hooked. We also started a puzzle. Oh, and Blue got herself an early birthday present- an Apple watch. It seems more like an accessory to the phone, because you have to be "within range" of it, but I guess it's good for checking and responding to messages on the run. Honestly, I'm not that techy to begin with, but I'm glad she finally got it. 

Blue and her new toy, drinks, poncho sadness, and the puzzle

Also, this is how I hope Summer will be, in a nutshell::

How was your weekend? Do you like crawfish?

Friday Favorites

Yayyyy finally the weekend! After a fairly boring week, I'm ready to get out and have some fun. Tonight I'm heading to a local craft bar that is closing its doors for good next Friday. I'm so sad to see it go- their selections were really on point! Tomorrow I'll heading out to Governor's Island for the Nolafunk Crawfish and Music Festival. Have you ever had crawfish? I watched a video on how to eat them, and I'm not so sure about this whole "head sucking" thing. (And yes, I did just chuckle at that... gotta get my head outta the gutter!) You can still get tickets here. Anyway, let's get it started with Amanda and some favorite from the week!

Favorite Song: The Weeknd- I Can't Feel My Face

Favorite Reads:
Um, I'm completely out on this arm hair trend. But seriously, why is this a thing??

For Game of Thrones fans, I know we're more upset with the ending than the fact that this season has ended. So many questions. Here is a different look at why it doesn't make sense. [CONTAINS SPOILERS.]

Favorite Wish List Item: How cute is this dress? I think it's perfect for work and drinks afterwards. It's also UPF 50! You can get it here.

Mott 50's Teresa Longsleeve Boatneck Dress

Favorite Quote:

Favorite Moments:
On Tuesday, my neighbor knocked on my door. Apparently they are moving at the end of this month, and they offered me their washer and dryer FOR FREE! Best part? It's already in the basement so I only have to move it about 5 inches over! I haven't had a washer and dryer in my place since I moved in, and have had to depend on my friend to take me to the laundromat whenever she got a chance, so this is awesome!

I mentioned before that I'm trying to organize my life. The other day I called the company that has my student loans to see exactly where I was at. They told me that I'm all good. I was confused, because I maybe haven't paid them in 5 months. They informed me that my loans were deferred until May 2016 because I was in grad school at least part time. BOO-YAH! Now I just need to decide whether I want to continue paying them the regular amount (taht would go directly to the principal) to get them down, or whether to save that same amount for a car.

Surprise flowers and Boston Market when I wasn't feeling well on Tuesday :)

surprise flowers

Favorite Funnies:

my lady anaconda-- #truth

What are you up to this weekend?

You Probably Don't Know

I realize I've never had an "About Me" page on my blog. That's because writing that section is weird. I mean I guess it shouldn't be, since as a "lifestyle blogger" I'm writing about myself, or at the very least about my thoughts, in each post, but it has always been an odd idea to write a short description of myself. Anyway, Helene created this linkup so we'd all get to know some little known facts about each other. Here are some things you probably didn't know about me.

- I still listen to my iPod.
Wherever I go, I see people who have earbuds using a phone to listen to whatever it is they're listening to. I still use my iPod, that I got about 5 years ago. I considered loading my music to my phone, but I have almost 2 thousand songs, and I'm not willing to use up that much space on my phone.

- I drink whole milk.
I prefer it. I drank 2% when I was cohabitating, but I could never drink it by itself, like in cereal. I LIKE FATTY MILK! So sue me.

- I drink a can of Coke every weekday.
Not Pepsi, not a 20 oz., a can. Everyday. My coworkers know this and judge me for it, but I don't care. If you want me to be functional after 3pm, give me Coke.

- I like my coffee sweet, and my wine red.
I can't drink coffee without at least 4 packets of sugar. And if you have red wine, I'd rather have that. My favorite is Shiraz, or Merlot, but anything red will do.

- I like beer.
Fancy drinks are ok, and I will have one on occasion, but usually I'd rather have a beer. Unless I'm at some sort of event (like a work event) where it is "less acceptable" for a woman to drink a beer.

- I like pop music.
Katy Perry, Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez...I just can't help myself. They grasp me with their catchy tunes every time!

- I love hard.
Real hard. And I am in love with the idea of love, even if I'm not so great at saying or displaying it. #romanticatheart

- I've never been into sweets. 

Desserts, candy and sweet treats have never interested me. In fact, I usually hate "dessert time" during a meal because 1. I'm already full 2. I don't feel like eating anything sweet and 3. If it's a social gathering, I feel like I have to have at least a little something just to be polite. I like some candy, like during a movie, and sometimes ice cream, but I can't say I crave either at any given time.

- I'm an Ambivert.

Most people who have just met me would probably consider me a "people person." I'm not. I can get along with people just fine, and if something or someone interests me, I seek to learn more. I'm great at work-related team projects, and am generally friendly. However, being around too many people for too long is tiring, and I don't like being in the spotlight. Talking in front of large groups of people makes me incredibly nervous. Here are some other traits of ambiverts. Are you one too? Find out here.

-  I'm not much of a planner (unless I'm going on vacation).
I've become more so recently because the people I've been with like to plan ahead, but it's not really in my nature. If I find out about an event I'm interested in and it's happening the same day, I have no reservations about going, even if I have to go alone. Vacations are a whole different story though, especially considering the length of the vacation. If it's on the shorter side, I like to plan everything out so I can see as much as humanly possible. 

What are some things I probably don't know about you? 

Sick Day Confessions

Normally when I call out sick from work, I'm not sick. But yesterday, I really wasn't feeling well. Usually I'll try to rally even so, but it just wasn't happening. After calling out, I immediately felt better, but not that much better. At first, I started planning all the things I should do on my day off. But then my friend reminded me that I said I needed a F--k Off Day, so I should use that day to do nothing. I happily agreed.

First order of business, lay on the couch with my morning coffee (since I couldn't fall back asleep) with my book. #bliss

Consider showering... figure brushing my teeth is clean enough for the majority of the day. (I did shower eventually... around 5.)

Someone rings the doorbell. Normally I don't get a lot of visitors, especially in the middle of the day when no one knew I was taking off. So naturally, I rolled off the couch, practically crawled to the bathroom (just in case they could see me through the closed, curtained windows), and tried peek through the side of my bathroom curtain. See a FedEx truck. Realize that my neighbors must have ordered something, and sling myself back on the couch.

Get tired of reading, try to find something Netflix. Reminded that I really love having full control of the remote at all times.

Realize that while I haven't really done anything all day, it was pretty freakin awesome... and I don't want to go back to work tomorrow. Le sigh.

How do you spend your sick days? 

Not My Grandma's Meatloaf

Growing up, my grandma wasn't really around. She and my mom had a falling out about who knows what when I was young, and she didn't make an appearance until I requested so when I was about 15, but that's a post for another day. The point is, she didn't cook. And neither did my mom. I grew up in a family where the men did all the cooking. (Probably why one of the things on my partner wish list is that they must cook.) So I don't have memories of my grandma or mom's "famous" anything. I didn't even start learning to cook until I graduated college, when I had to in order to eat. I've never made meatloaf before, but I knew I liked it, so last week I decided to try to make it. And it was GREAT. I actually made this up using 3 different recipes, based on what I had on hand. So I present: Not My Grandma's Meatloaf. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 C milk
1 C dried bread crumbs
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl minced garlic
1 Tbl Italian seasoning
1/4 cup minced onions
1 Tbl Worcestshire sauce
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, divided
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper

Topping: 
3 Tbl ketchup
2 tsp Italian seasoning
(other half of the tomato sauce)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic 5 minutes, until onion is tender. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix the onion and garlic, beef, breadcrumbs, egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 of the tomato sauce. Gradually stir in the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture is moist, but not soggy. Transfer the mixture to a greased 5x9 inch loaf pan.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue baking 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining tomato sauce, ketchup and 2 tsp Italian seasoning. Pour over the top of the meatloaf, and continue baking 10 minutes.

Because all cooking goes well with wine

nomnomnom

served with potato salad and green beans,
because I was too lazy to make mash potatoes

Things I Learned This Weekend

Things I Learned This Weekend:

• Bingeing (and finishing) a show within 48 hours when you have been anticipating it for nearly a year will leave you with feelings of sadness and restlessness
• The word "bingeing" looks really weird, but it must be the correct spelling because otherwise it would say "Binging" and there is no Chandler here. 

"Litchfield Lemonade"

• When consuming large amounts of alcohol, do not use fancy glass cups that hold meaning for you, because you your friend may break it. And then your friend would feel really, really terrible about it. Stick to plastic.
• Kraft macaroni and cheese is still my favorite. 
• I have no qualms about eating canned chili, especially when it means more time to do what i really want to do, which in this case was continue to binge-watch. 

prison food: chili dogs and Mac n Cheese

• I still do not like pulp in my OJ. 
• Themed meals make binge-watching and eating more fun. 
• Explaining Pinterest to a noob is hard. "So wait- you just pin things and that's it? [Yes. It's a way to keep things you find interesting. And there's an add-on you can add to Chrome so you can pin anything from the web. And then you can organize it to like, vision boards you create.] Do other pinners get mad when you pin their stuff? [No, it's expected.] Oh... so what's fun about it? [Le sigh...]

Big Boo's Screwdrivers

• I like prosciutto in small doses.
• I also like stuffed chicken. This was the first time I tried it. 
• I require sides with almost all of my meals. I already knew this, but it was reinforced over the weekend. 

Prosciutto-stuffed chicken with spinach and pasta

What did you learn this weekend?