So, my phone broke - for no apparent reason. I went to open it, and it cracked on the hinge. Reminds me to see if my warrany just ran out - time for a free phone? Hmmmm.

Killed chickens this weekend - went much better than expected. I only had to pluck, not kill/gut. Should be set with chicken for a while. Next year I'll give the gutting a try...I'll bring a nail brush too to get the gunk out asap.

Interesting how possibilities completely change my outlook on things. le'sigh.

Follow-up to "this'll probably piss some of you off"

I found the below blog by facebook-stalking happenstance. The writer: a MUCH better writer than myself, and happened to cover the same topic as I did in a post titled "I will respect you only if you agree with me". And that was my point as well. For your review:

http://iwriteright.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/i-will-respect-you-only-if-you-agree-with-me/

the internet!

I am really enjoying learning new cooking techniques and terminology...so I thought I'd poke around on the internet to see if there's any way to get some sort of culinary education. THERE IS!

I just rediscovered a love of the internet. YAY free information!

this'll probably piss some of you off

but here's the deal.

I was thinking recently about comments other people make that could be considered offensive by me, but that I brush off because I believe people can have different opinions than I do.

I frequently get feedback that something I said offended someone. It occurred to me that if other people were as open-minded as they complain I need to be, they would be offended as infrequently as I am.

So basically, the complaint that my comments are offensive completely disproves your point that you're open minded.

And, the part that will piss some of you off: typically, other people = liberals.

I'm serious though. Perhaps not all conservatives do a good job of this, but I think I do a pretty good job of accepting "different strokes for different folks" and I don't think a lot of liberals do a good job of letting other people have different viewpoints than theirs! (To the point that I'm sure I'm going to get a comment about how closeminded this post is. ARGGGG!!!!)

Ps. When I run for office, I'm considering using this point as part of my platform.
Pps. I think I broke my foot today. It hurts a lot, looks like a hippo coming out the top of it, and I'm unable to walk on it. Why does this have to happen when my husband is out of town!? (This is just another reason I should not have gone to target today as it also broke my 2009 fast from Target....5 months is pretty good thought I think).

baking

Let me be honest. I am begininning to really like cooking, but I love baking. I've currently committed to making all of our bread from scratch. No more preservatives for us!

Anyway, I use the william's sonoma baking cookbook for some fun bread recipes, but I can NOT seem to get the dinner roll recipe to proof very well. I try forcing it with warmer air, I try giving it more time, I try letting the yeast dissolve a bit longer, but they still always come out more dense than I'd like. My next try will be a bit less flour than called for and possibly more yeast.

Does anyone have any other ideas? I can get wheat sandwhich bread to proof like nobody's business, but all white dinner rolls, no luck. I don't sift my flour, is that maybe it? Arrrrg.

Thanks!

i had an awesome title and i forgot it, dang.

I've had all these great blog-worthy thoughts the last day, and now that I open the box to start rambling them, they're missing.

One, that I remember, is regarding this weird time in life that I guess people are calling the "twenty-somethings". It's appropriate I suppose. The reason it felt blog-worthy was for a moment it occurred to me that this would be a time in life that I will one day look back at fondly and recall how it felt like I was straddling a deep chasm. One the one side there are my twenties - the start of which includes the last two years of college, a few moves, and a relatively easy workload. On the other side are the thirties - what appear to be full of the doom and gloom that appears when one becomes "old", brought on by the realization that work isn't always carefree and fun, life is rather serious, and kids really do change your life. And the reason I'll look back fondly at this time is that I'm sure the way I'm looking at the thirties will be rather humorous to me after I've lived through them and they're not really much different than living through my twenties.

Another item is the rate at which I use the library. The online option is fantastic and allows me to turn some librarian somewhere into my personal assistant. I search for the books I want online, request them to hold for me, and then show up once I get an email to find all the books I requested in my hold section ready for me to check out. How amazing and easy is that? I currently have about eight books checked out regarding how to be a manager, and two books regarding negotiations. I'm excited about one I just requested: "Eat. ShopTwinCities".

Another is something I would guess might be a little controversial. I recently found out about two people I know who are having an affair. I won't go into any detail, but the point I have to make is that I've found this information affects my opinion of both people. and that it suprises me that people think it shouldn't. Both were married before this started and now they're pursuing divorces. I now have little respect for either of them and my level of trust in their ability and integrity is erased. I suppose we're living in a world where this is rather commonplace, but why is it wrong of me to hope that we aren't?

Anyway, today is supposed to be the nicest day of the weekend, so I'm going outside.
Happy weekend all!

and, to just say,

i hate when people do things that they really shouldn't do.

this covers more than what I was initially irritated by (someone spending an hour re-typing a sheet we can't find the original to), so there's my current state: Grow a backbone people.

frustrated

Definitely not thrilled it's a Monday. Wishing I could get stuck in some sort of weekend groundhog's day event...no work, no stress. Wondering if I was an intern again I'd feel all the same sorts of excitement I did then.

Typed my new name without thinking today....not a first, but maybe. It's weird that I thought it would be all different to have a new last name, and really there's no different feeling at all. I thought there'd be a whole new persona I'd take on - but it's still just me. And switching back and forth really isn't odd.

I need a vacation where I don't just stay home but actually go somewhere. I'd also like my garden to actually start growing.

In other news, what about this flight to Paris that disappeared. Have they even released a passenger list yet?

Thinking I'll pull out the old rollerblades after work and take a spin around the lakes. Haven't done that in several years.

This post, fyi, is the epitome of rambling randomness. :o)