What We're Eating

I don't usually post recipes here (heck, it seems like I don't "usually" post anything here anymore), but we've been eating such delicious things on the cheap recently that I just have to share. Here's a small sampling:

Spinach quiche

Mexican Shepherd's Pie

Black Bean with Chicken Salsa Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Beef Nacho Casserole

Slow Cooker Beef and Veggie Soup

All soooo good.

Girl Power! (Brought to you by "Alias")

We don't do things half way in our house. Or rather, I don't do things half way and I drag everyone else along with me.

This applies to pretty much everything. When I decide I'm going to workout I DO IT ... because otherwise, why bother? And I don't just do it that day. It becomes a lifestyle (sometimes a short lived one, but whatever).

And when I watch a show on TV I am absolutely dedicated. We don't do week by week series (unless I can't avoid it. Case in point: Glee). We do TV on DVD.... and we do ALL of the episodes we can get our hands on before moving on.

This has a unique effect on how I operate because TV isn't really meant to be watched that way. When you sit and watch Jack Bauer once a week you probably escape unscathed. When you watch complete seasons of it for hours at a time (while obviously multitasking something else because no way am I just sitting and watching tv like that) all of the sudden you are on the look out for terrorist activity and speak in forceful sentences.

"24" attitude is the least of my concerns (mostly because I don't really like marathon watching that .. or you guys would be in trouble).

At the moment I'm watching "Alias," season 1. And boy do I have a lot of girl power to show for it. I would totally round house kick you in the face right now if you tried to shoot me in the head. AND I would look really hot while I did it. I also have the Jennifer Garner/Sydney pouty/intense/concerned look down to a science. That's what you'll see right before I kick you.

When I watch a lot of episodes of the "West Wing" I talk faster and I FEEL far more witty than normal. I also use a lot of cultural references that may or may not be accurate -- but you have no idea because I sound so smart!

If "Gilmore Girls" is on the menu I make about the same amount of witty remarks as when watching West Wing, but with a lot more sarcasm.

And, finally, the pièce de résistance: "Friends." This is, by far, the show I have watched the most and over and over and over again. ... and so much so that I no longer take on qualities of the characters. They are just built into my subconscious. (Wow, that's sad to say). I would like to say, for the record, that I just take on the wit and humor and NOT the slutty sleep-with-tons-of-people and porn-jokes aspects.

My overarching point: if I assault you with my intense girl power, blame J.J. Abrams.

Because There's Not Enough Drama ON the TV ...

... we need drama WITH the TV, too.

Remember how I ruined the TV by touching it? And then bought another one. And how that one was broken when it arrived?

Late last week another new TV arrived -- this one to our house (instead of, like the first one, to the store). Luke said he'd make sure it, too, was not broken before accepting the delivery. He took a quick peek in the box, and everything seemed to be in order.

It wasn't. When we took the TV all the way out of the box it was clear -- this one was broken too.

WHAT THE CRAP?!

What are the odds of both the original TV and the replacement TV being broken when they arrived? WHO is the person dropping our TVs?! And WHY does crap like this happen to me?

So here we were, after a month, still without a TV. Luke had even missed his most anticipated football game because the new broken one arrived the day afterward. And calling Walmart and canceling the whole thing wasn't really an option ... there's no way we'd be able now (AFTER the Christmas sales) to find a TV for that price and that size. No way at all.

But I was determined in the heat of the moment to never, ever deal with Walmart again, particularly on the subject of TVs. And since we couldn't order a replacement for the replacement anyway since they were out of stock, we went ahead and bought a 10 inch smaller TV for just under what we paid for the bigger one.

Uuuuugh.

Meanwhile, Luke doesn't feel like our new, much smaller TV is big enough. Since he is the sports watcher I can't blame him. Small TVs don't bother me. So we are going to hold on to the smaller TV with the plan of MAYBE returning it IF they get the bigger TV in stock and can send it not broken before the return time is up. Or something.

Maybe the third time is the charm?

*Groan*.

New Year and That Stuff

I looked back at last December/January and was very disappointed in me to see that I hadn't bothered with my typical New Years post. There are some things that should just continue, ya know? And the fact that my husband had JUST come home from war -- not an excuse.

Without these posts HOW am I supposed to look back and say "look what I did that I said I would do!"

Answer: you can't.

Most of my goals this year are related to triathlon. Last year I did my first three races -- this year I'm looking to do four, plus a half marathon in June.

Right now I am eyeing 2011 races for late April, mid May, June (the half marathon), July and hopefully something in the fall. We also will do the Army 10-Miler in October (yay!). I want to do four triathlons, at least.

I've already started the year off with a training bang. ... or finished the last year off with one? Or whatever. Either way we did a 5 mile run on Friday, core work at home Saturday (stupid gym was closed! What gives, MWR?) and I did an 8 mile solo run Sunday (after which I literally could not move all day. I mean, standing in church was a serious problem). This morning I swam 2,000 meters.

It would really help if this head cold would go all the way away.

Here's to looking hotter in my running tights by the end of 2011. I mean, really ... those things are amazing to wear but I cannot imagine that I look good in them.