Merry Christmas!

I had the most wonderful Christmas. I got to spend it with my parents and with Jeremy. After doing our family Christmas on the 24th in the am, we headed down to Houston for the meeting of the parents. Surprisingly it went really well. Everyone got along and they talked for hours. In fact we only played one game of apples to apples and the rest of the time they all just chatted away. I requested that Jeremy and I open our gifts alone in bed on Christmas morning, so Jeremy surprised me and brought in the little rosemary tree from the kitchen and put all our gifts around it. It was very sweet. In addition to other things he got me these two awesome gifts. First, a Mario Batali book. . I'm so excited to make all these dishes! Okay, well a bunch of them at least. Secondly, he got me this stoneware piece from pampered chef. It's a small stone plate and it's perfect for making bacon in the microwave. I know, I know, bacon in the microwave doesn't sound that great, but on this stone it comes out freaken awesome. Plus I'm sure you can make other yummy stuff on here. A great investment.

My parents got me a bunch of cool stuff including lots of Craftsman tools (which I desperately needed) and a reciprocating saw! Is it weird for me to be excited about this? They also sent me some flowers when they were in Hawaii. Here's a pic about some of them. Aren't they beautiful! They also sent me an orchid the week before. My house is now filled with all these beautiful flowers plus the rosemary tree and poinsettias from Christmas. My new years resolution is to keep them all alive as long as possible.

Finally I must show off some other cool stuff I got. First, I treated myself to a new knife for Christmas. It's a Ken Onion Shun 7" Suduko.












Also, I have to show ya'll these really cute spatulas from Williams Sonoma. My friends bought me this nice big one, because they know that I'd been looking for the small ones, which happened to be sold out all over Austin. It was really nice of them. (I have great friends). Then Jeremy found one small set (the only ones left in Houston) and got them for me (I have a great boyfriend too!).











Thanks to all my friends and my family and Jeremy for helping me have a wonderful Christmas. It was the best! Check out my flickr page for more photos of Christmas and dinner. But for now, I'll leave you with one more photo. These are the banana purses that I made for dinner last night. Mmmm, yummy!

Merry Christmas... 11 days and counting

The tree is up, the presents are wrapped, and the baking... well the baking has yet to be started. But it will be started soon! The unofficial baking list for this year includes chocolate chip cookies, mexican wedding cookies, peanut butter blossoms, kieffuls, cutout cookies, and butter cookies. Yesterday at the store I bought 8 lbs of butter, 56 oz of cream cheese, 48 oz of chocolate chips, a jar of peanutbutter, 10 lbs of flour, 2 bags of sugar, and a bunch of other necessities... oh yea 4 lbs of confectioner sugar! I'm so ready to bake! If you wanna help out stop by sometime this week after work... I'll be at home with the oven on!

Oh yea, here's a link to some of the Christmas pictures that Jeremy and I took this past weekend. I may try to touch them up in a little while, but for now, they're at least up. After taking pictures we went to this super awesome restaurant, Perry's Steakhouse. It's so delicious, I recommend ya'll check it out. Afterward we went over to Chelsea wine bar in Clear Lake and played some chess while we sipped on our wine. It was the perfect evening.

MS150, Christmas Prep, Worlds Best Cake???

Wow so much to blog about, but I'll try to keep it short. haha, yea right.

So the MS150 is coming up again in April and once again I'm riding from Houston to Austin. I'm super psyched this year because three of my friends are riding with me, one of who is from Atlanta! Yep, Tanner's making the trip to TX just for this ride. I need to get my training on now! So this is also the first time that I post here about donating to this wonderful cause. Yea, I know it's Christmas and most of us don't have a lot of extra cash on hand, but I'm gonna post this now and then again each month until the MS150 :) No I don't have any cool prizes or awesome contests to run like these guys, but I do have a wonderful cause. Did you know just recently a pill has been designed specifically to treat Multiple Sclerosis? It's the first of it's kind. And it was developed through lots of research, research that is funded through donations like yours. Did you also know there is a study being done to link MS to the veins that drain blood from the brain? Yep, there is current speculation that symptoms of MS are brought about when the veins in the lower part of the brain start to collapse or become blocked and the blood drainage from the brain and the spinal cord is reduced. They don't know much yet if this is a symptom or cause of MS, but research is being done in Italy and in the US to try to reopen these veins in people with MS, and they are seeing amazing results. Really, breakthrough technology. These are just two examples of how MS Research is really going somewhere. So if you'd like to help out with my ride, and help me out in raising money toward fighting this disease please donate HERE. Everything helps, even the little amounts!

Can you believe it's almost Christmas already? Insane! Fortunately I have most of my Christmas shopping already done. However, the baking has yet to be started! This weekend it's time to go get the tree (yep, a real one), decorate it, and get ready for the family. Jeremy's house needs a lot of help before we're ready for company, so that's gonna be the weekend project. Next week will be cookie time! I'm hoping to make chocolate chip, drop a-pea's (butter cookies), cut-outs, peanut butter blossoms, mexican wedding cookies, and of course kiefuls! And lets not forget that it's Matt's birthday next weekend. Hum... I have some things in mind for that too :). And speaking of baking... I was recently sent this recipe for "the worlds best cake." Now, I'm not a huge chocolate fan, nor oatmeal, but it looks good enough to give it a try sometime. Plus I just like reading this guys blog, he's way funnier than I am. Check out that recipe HERE.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whew, what a whirl wind weekend... or should I say week! Last week was great because Jeremy got to stay in Austin for half the week (and the previous weekend) and then we both went to Houston together on Wednesday. (fyi - all roads leading out of Austin were horrible on the day before thanksgiving! it took me an hour to go 10 miles, yuck.) Thursday we had a great thanksgiving with 23 of our closest friends in Clear Lake. Did I mention that there were 7 pies for 23 people: 2 derby pies, 1 pecan cheesecake, 2 apple pies, 2 pumpkin pies. Too bad I left the rest of my apple pie in Houston this morning... now I have to wait until this weekend to finish it up. I also got the chance to do a lot of my Christmas shopping on Friday (aka Black Friday). Thanks to Ami for coming out with me so early to shop. Jeremy even came to meet me at the mall for a few hours, but he just wasn't as much fun to shop with. I think it's his plan to be grumpy when shopping so I stop asking him to come with me.

Also this weekend I made two cake pies. Well cakes really. Okay one cake and one cheesecake like thing. The cake was a chocolate sachertorte and the "cheesecake" was a nobake tangerine cheesecake both from my new chocolate cookbook. This is the second time I've attempted the same sachertorte. While it did come out much better than last week, I just still wasn't that impressed. My goal is to eventually make all the cakes/pies in the cookbook. Two down, many many more to go. (Tomorrow my coworkers will get to try out the tangerine cheesecake and tell me what they think. I think it's good, but I still prefer the baked kind).

For now I leave you with this recipe for buttered rum from the Clem's. Thanks for introducing me to this yummy drink!

HOT BUTTERED RUM

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups vanilla ice cream
rum
water
nutmeg

1. Combine sugar, brown sugar and butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted (6-8 min).

2. Combine cooked mixture with ice-cream in a large mixing bowl, and beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until smooth (1-2 min). Store refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen up to one month.

3. For each serving, fill one-quarter of a mug with mixture, add one ounce rum and three-quarters of a cup of boiling water. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Hueco Tanks!

This past weekend me and 6 of my friends (including Jeremy) headed out to Hueco Tanks in El Paso, TX. Man it's quite the drive, but totally worth it once you're there. Jeremy, myself, Brent, Mari, Neil, Jamie, and Eric all spent three days on this amazing rock. It was great. The first day we headed out on a guided tour through the Hueco Rock Ranch and hit up the East Spur. We warmed up on the boulders in the 'hard to kill' area and then spent some time on the 'black and blue' boulders. This was Jeremy's first real climbing trip, and he did GREAT! We finished our day on a V2 boulder problem called "the vulgarian." It was AWESOME! A bit of overhang, throw a heal hook, reach up, hit the top, find the ledge... waaaaay back there, pull the roof. Although I didn't send it this day, I was able to go back first thing Saturday morning and try again. After resting all night, I sent it on my first try... and second and third. Did I mention it's super fun?

On the second day, after playing around on 'the vulgarian' on the East Spur, we went to East Mountain with our guide and played around on 'moonshine roof'. It was pretty cool, but at a V4 it was really hard for me. Especially since it was a V4 roof. I could make the first few moves, but that's about it. Jeremy and I went off to a close area and played around on some V0 and V3's but at that point my hands were so shot we decided to just chill and watch. The last few hours of our day got rained out as we were heading to another warmup area, so it was pretty much a short day.

Sunday morning was super awesome. We all headed to North Mountain with Mari as our 'guide' and got on some AWESOME stuff. First we warmed up at the potato boulders (or something like that). Some great V0/V1 warmups in that area, and this stellar V0+ highball. It's pretty easy climbing, but it's facey and crimpy and about 30-35 feet high. I was very proud of myself for sending it, and I didn't even get too scared at the top. Jeremy took some great perspective photo's which you can see up on flickr (see link at bottom). After warming up we headed to "Nobody gets out of here alive." A stellar, and easily the most popular V2 boulder problem, possibly in the world. Or so I've heard. It was freaken awesome. So get this, you start with your shoulders on the ground, your legs in the air, and your feet wedged into this hueco. Then you do a reverse sit up to start. It's a 7(ish) foot roof that you pull for about 7 more feet of climbing on the face to top out on the boulder. I managed to get the first few moves under the roof, but couldn't bring my energy up enough to reach for the first hold on the face. No matter though, it was super fun. Thanks to Jeremy for taking all kinds of great pictures. We were pretty beat up after this but we all headed over to one last area to try to get on a few more easy climbs. First we checked out a climb called 'godiva' which I was told that I had to get on by our first day guide, Charles. Well let me tell you, this brings a whole other meaning to highball. Are you kidding me?!? This thing was more like a free solo up a 60 foot cliff. Okay maybe not 60 feet, but easily 40-45. No thank you. After skipping this, we went to the warmup boulders and played around a little more. At this point my feet were so swollen that I couldn't get my climbing shoes on and my hands hurt like death. Brent, Jeremy and I decided to call it a day and head back to Austin.

Overall it was a great weekend and a wonderful first trip to Hueco Tanks. Our guide on the first day Charles, was great, and our North Mountain 'guide' Mari was super helpful. Thanks Mari! Without her we would have been lost for a while. Out of the 7 of us, Mari was the only one who'd been there before.

If you want, check out all the pictures on my flickr page HERE.

halloween, hueco, and football

Halloween has come and gone, but the pictures will be here forever! Or at least until they get consumed by other pictures on my flickr page. Once again Sean threw an awesome halloween party at his place and this year it was HUGE. Really, almost a little too big. There were people who said they were there and yet I didn't see them all night. Christen, Merrick, Lisa, and Vinny did a great job dressing up as KISS and of course won the costume contest. There was a large group that did Mrs. Packman, that was pretty cool. Check out my flickr page for all the pictures and costumes.

More excitedly than halloween though, is the fact that I FINALLY get to go to Hueco Tanks next weekend! YAY! Three days of the best bouldering in the world. Okay, I know three days isn't enough, but I'm just happy to get there. I can't wait! Check back for pictures in a few weeks.

One final note. Saturday Jeremy and I will be at boondoggles from 2:30 - 5:00 watching the PSU/Ohio State game. If anyone wants to join, you can find us there! We'll be watching as Penn State stomps all over Ohio State once again... i hope.

Where have our manners gone?

I've been noticing lately that the manners of people here in America have seriously gone to hell. People are rude, they're pushy, and everything is someone else's fault. Now, I'm sure we can all think back to times, perhaps even in the recent past, where we've been guilty of this. Being rude, too much in a hurry, too lazy to hold that door open for the person behind you. Maybe you weren't willing to let someone in front of you at that stop sign, or something that was just an innocent mistake really pissed you off and you over reacted? I know I have. But this goes even beyond these things, though they are at the root of our problems. Here are some things that I've noticed lately, that really annoy me. (in no particular order).

Passenger guy on my last southwest airlines flight. I am aware that you are 150 lbs heavier than me and you could kick my ass, but that gives you no right to cut in front of me in line. B11 is not the same as B07, and yes, they do have the number system for a reason. It's not "close enough" or "approximate." 11 is bigger than 7. I know you know this, so just get in line and stop feeling like you deserve to get in line before me.

Speaking of airlines. Here's two more. 1 - you are allowed one regulation size carry on and one bag to go under your seat. You know the rules so why don't you follow them? Do you think they don't apply to you, Mr. six ton duffel bag that you try to cram into that tiny space in the overhead so my bag doesn't fit? And you, Mrs. I have 3 bags and I don't want to keep any of them at my feet. And 2 - If you're in row 12 and I'm in row 11, I get to get off the plane before you. You cannot just push your way in front of me. Wait your turn.

And this one occurred while I was in the Holocaust Museum this weekend in Washington DC. There were 4 or 5 distinct adults, not children, but adults who were talking. And quite loudly for that matter. It's the Holocaust Museum people, have some respect. When I went there 10 years ago, you could hear a pin drop. Now I could barely concentrate on what I was reading with all the noise around me. Where have our manners gone?

And this one is just a general grievance. Servers at a restaurant. I'm perfectly fine with tipping you 20% for doing your job and making my experience pleasant. But if you are pissy, if you are rude, if you royally screw up my order, do not feel that you are simply 'entitled' to this 20%. It's a tip. It's called a tip, because we are tipping you for doing a good job. If I don't do my job, I don't get paid. It's that simple. Your job is to be pleasant and bring me my warm food. No, I do not think that you are below me in some way, but I do think part of your job is to be pleasant.

And those are just four things that I've noticed in the last few days. Perhaps this acceptability for rudeness comes from a sense of entitlement somehow? We all believe that we are entitled to this wonderful life and others should go out of their way to give it to us. The federal government should bail us out for our mistakes. We should sue someone just because they cough on us or look at us the wrong way. I think we all need to take a good look and remind ourselves every day that we are not 'entitled' to something unless we've done the work to earn it. And maybe if we'd pay a little more attention to those around us and just smile once in a while, the world would be a lot friendlier. So I encourage you, in the next day or two or three, to do something nice for someone you don't know. Open the door for them, say excuse me before you push your way through. Help make this world a better place.