FYI on food expirations...

Milk will keep in your refrigerator one week past the sell-by date.

Eggs stay fresh for three to five weeks after purchase. Store the carton in the body of the refrigerator instead of the door and they stay fresh longer.

Bananas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days. The skins will turn brown, but the fruit will stay fresh.

Bread should be stored on the counter for up to a week. Storing bread in the refrigerator causes it to become stale faster.

Steaks and ground beef that have turned brown but have been in the refrigerator less then five days are safe to eat, and just as tasty.

(From Redbook, my dentist office waiting room reading.)

That special something...

Do you ever see couples that just seem especially in love?  They seem supremely comfortable within their own skins, and within their "couple-ness", but they also don't seem lazy and complacent, they seem to really enjoy their lives and their relationship.  They seem content and excited at the same time.  They celebrate positives and don't let negatives get to them.

I've seen couples like this, and I always hope that we can turn out like that.  That's not to say we aren't basically like that now, but of course we're not perfect.  When I see couples I really admire, I ask myself what they have that makes them so great - what's that special something?

I am sure there are lots of special somethings about successful couples, but I really think I know what one something is - the ability to laugh at yourself.

I see couples all around me who take themselves so seriously.  We all have flaws, and if we aren't able to laughingly admit that, we'll never be very happy.  I am no where near perfect.  But I know my flaws, and I can laugh at myself, and that makes me a much happier person.  For example, I know my tendency to expect a LOT of my friends, and therefore to have less friends.  And sure, that makes life hard sometimes.  But when my expectations are met and exceeded, I am really joyful.  It's a flaw of sorts, but I don't dislike myself, and I have to laugh at myself when I might want to take myself far too seriously.  Wes is still learning to laugh at himself.  When I see a couple that knows they're not perfect as individuals or as a couple, but they can smile about their bumps in the road, I know they're strong.  That's a special something, in my eyes.

Blossoms.

Last weekend I took myself on a little excursion to the Southeastern Flower Show.  I think I may take up serious gardening when I retire (a very long time from now) because it's so nurturing and calming.  I learned I really love several flowers:

Camellias

 

Hyacinth

 

Ranunculus

 

Dahlias

 

Garden Roses

 

Peonies

Thinking about these gorgeous flowers all amaze me.  They come out of the DIRT.  You have tiny seeds in dirt, and you get this amazing variety of gorgeous blossoms.  It seems like magic.  It's strange that we don't consider how amazing this is every day - a small miracle.

And small miracles are happening all around me, as the trees and flowers are starting to bud.  Since it's so early in the year, I am hoping we don't have any more frosts/cold snaps, because all the beautiful plant life will die off again.

I was pondering that in the car today, and thinking of times in my life when I could really FEEL myself growing, blooming out, and turning my face to the sun.  Cold snaps always come, and we may feel a little dead, but in truth, our emotions are much like the blooms above.  When they do bloom again, they always seem more beautiful than the last time.  I wonder about people who get hurt so badly that they never recover - that's so sad I don't even want to consider it - like a plant who will always come back, until its roots get killed, and then it's never right again.

Plant metaphors are a little overused, but it was on my mind today.

I hope my emotional blooming looks like a ranunculus. :)

It was a good year for movies...

In fall of 2010, I felt like we were having a weak year for movies.  Besides Inception, nothing had really "wowed" me.  But toward the end of the year, some really great films came out, and I was impressed with the results of the Academy Awards last night, since no one film swept everything.  It seemed like all the Academy voters appreciated all of the films, and that's a good thing.  

I can't verbally explain a logical reason why I agree with The King's Speech winning what it did (Best Picture, Leading Actor, Director, and Original Screenplay), but I feel in my gut that it really deserved all of those awards.  It was such a subtle film, but I somehow KNOW it was great quality work.  Christian Bale definitely deserved Supporting Actor, Natalie Portman definitely deserved Leading Actress, and Melissa Leo definitely deserved Supporting Actress - all on the money.  

I was impressed that Alice in Wonderland won Art Direction and Costume Design - I worried that people wouldn't take the film seriously, even though it was so incredibly creative.  And I really thought Inception would get totally passed over (the Academy doesn't always take blockbusters seriously, either), but was glad it won Cinematography, Sound Editing/Mixing, and Visual Effects.  

I can't really speak to Adapted Screenplay, because The Social Network won, but I didn't read the original.  I do know it surprised me, with Winter's Bone and True Grit being such strong originals.  The Social Network also took home Best Original Score, and it DID have a really original score, though it wasn't the prettiest-sounding. I was surprised to realize the lead Nine Inch Nails guy was behind it...interesting.  

Overall, a really good year for movies, and I think most of these awards were well-deserved.  Here's hoping next year is even better!

Loyalty

I honestly think true loyalty in friendships is a lost art.  I feel like I remember a time when to be a friend was to be loyal - to dislike anyone who harms a friend, to not try to "remain neutral" if a friend gets hurt, etc.  But these days, it's all about self-preservation. I struggle with this.  If someone hurts my friend, I take it personally.  I don't hang out with that person.  I don't try to remain "neutral", because it doesn't really work. 

The gray area creeps up when problems arise between people who are both your friends, and as much as we say "no one has to choose sides", people do end up having to choose sides.  It sucks.  It's not fun.  But it's life.  And someone always gets hurt.

This time around, I am the one getting hurt.  I don't say this in a pity party sort of way, but in an honest and appalled way - I don't have a single friend that I KNOW would be loyal for me no matter what.  I have some wonderful people in my circle of acquaintances, people I admire and really care about.  I'd be willing to stand up for them in a hurtful situation, but that sentiment is not really returned.  I examine myself in an honest way, and I can't see that the problem is within myself - I am far from perfect, but I try to consciously be a thoughtful and positive friend.  I know I have flaws, but I don't feel like being a bad friend is one of them.

So is loyalty simply a lost art?  Something that we consider old-fashioned?  Out-dated?  Juvenile?  Questions of the female heart (like this one) always remind me of Sex and the City, and no matter how many people may say it's a TV show and is therefore not realistic, I maintain the belief that women should have friends who will be truly loyal to them, instead of trying to stay "neutral".  Maybe I'm dreaming, but that seems right to me.  I need a Charlotte who will stand up for me when someone hurts me, period.

To own or not to own?

We have been debating lately about buying a house.  It is a superbly hard decision for us and I've had a mental list of pros and cons that I can now put down on paper (screen) pretty confidently.

Pros about buying a house:
1. Not dealing with landlords, as all the rules are annoying
2. Having more space and being able to alter it
3. More space for pets and we'd like another dog
4. Additional bedrooms, larger kitchen, etc.  
5. Being able to live in Vinings, where we would like to settle if we stay in Atlanta

Cons:
1. We would really not have extra money for traveling (at all) because we are both going back to school, paying off one new car and need another one after that's done, and need to pay for other grown up things, like dental work
2. Having to pay for all the extras - taxes, insurance, any renovations, maintenance and upkeep, etc. - in this regard, renting is great
3. Did I mention no traveling?  Yuck.
4. My biggest concern - my gut really doesn't feel like Atlanta is our forever home, so I don't think we should buy here and be tied to a house that we may not be able to sell, or may not be willing to lose money on.


I don't know where we'll end up, but because Atlanta doesn't FEEL like our permanent home, I just can't get past Con #4.  After a discussion about it, I think we're going to hold off and move into a nicer rental.  Sure, it will cost more and we'll be traveling less (rent is cheap now and allows us to save extra dough), but we won't be tied to the city and we may be able to move on if we need to.  


I wonder why Atlanta doesn't feel like "it" to me...I don't know for sure of another place that feels like "it" - but I want to find it.

So, for now, no house buying for us, and I feel perfectly OK with that.

One month in...

One month in to my 101 Goals in 1,001 Days - not doing too badly so far!

Start Date: Friday, January 7, 2011.
Conclusion Date: Friday, October 4, 2013.

143 weeks

35 months

2 ¾ years

1. Travel to Africa
2. Travel to Europe
3. Travel to Australia
4. Visit New York City again (with Wes, this time - maybe this year!)
5. Visit California once - DONE!
6. Snorkel decently - going to try in April on the Riviera Maya
7. Try 35 new Atlanta restaurants (15/35 - tried Local Three, Peter Chang's, Thumbs Up Diner, Corner Bakery Cafe, Full Cup, Holy Taco, Canton Cooks, Garrison's, Caffe Fortunato, Old Vinings Inn, Babs Midtown, La Pietra Cucina, Park's Edge, Spoon, Ceviche)
8. Attend 5 concerts (1/5 - New Kids on the Block in June!  Considering seeing Zac Brown, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts.  Would love to see Adele or Florence and the Machine, or even Lady Gaga, but they're all sold out.)
9. Attend 5 musicals/plays (2/5 - Oklahoma, A Chorus Line)
10. Visit 2 museums and actually look at things (0/2 - going to Fernbank in April?)
11. Get dental work done that I hate- DONE.  It was 6 hours in the chair, but I have a mouth of pearly whites that will last forever now - that's a good feeling.
12. Pay off 50% or more of student loans
13. Read 125 books (14/125 - 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, A Postcard from the Volcano, Winter's Bone, 1984, Mirage, Outliers, Blink, The Hobbit, Siddhartha, Ethan Frome, 54, 40 or Fight, Silk, Alas, Babylon, A Tale of Two Cities)
14. See 75 movies (15/75 - Blue Valentine, I Love You Phillip Morris, Winter's Bone, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I Am Love, 127 Hours, Somewhere, The Witches of Eastwick, The Ghost Writer, Jane Eyre, The Last Lions, The Adjustment Bureau, Animal Kingdom, Silk, Woman on Top)
15. Buy a new car for me
16. Workout an average of at least 3 times per week (gym, sports, other physical activity - with the combination of my Curves membership and The Biggest Loser Challenge on Wii, this is going better than expected - and with CurveSmart, it's even more motivating!)
17. Paint a picture I like enough to hang on the wall
18. Buy a bike
19. Improve at tennis
20. Find one beer-type drink I like
21. Begin my MBA courses, possibly finish them (done - started them!)
22. Take a wine tasting class - done!
23. Take a random road trip
24. Take an overnight trip alone
25. Take a weekend trip with a girlfriend - planned for June, beachin' it up on Amelia Island with Ann
26. Volunteer at least 5 times (0/5 - working on this, why are so many organizations impossible to work with?)
27. Write at least 5 snail mail letters (0/5)
28. Eat all breakfasts and lunch IN for one week (prepare them myself)
29. Play three video games with Wes (2/3 - played Wii Sports while snowed in, now we're doing The Biggest Loser Challenge together)
30. Take Macy to 10 different places for her to run/walk/play (3/10 - tried Piedmont Park - she wanted to walk with us and had little interest in the dogs...then we tried Lewis Park near Marietta Square, which was OK until someone brought in a pit and it attacked another dog, that was horrible. Did walking around the loop in the heart of Vinings, which is really nice.)
31. Give 5 “I saw this and thought of you” gifts. (2/5 - one for Amanda, I saw a wristlet at Express that just seemed like her, then I saw a candle for Kate that would add a nice touch to her new place in California)
32. Bake really good cookies from scratch
33. Go to the symphony
34. Go roller skating/blading
35. Go bowling
36. Hit golf balls with Wes - DONE.  We'll be doing this more - it makes me sore, but I'll get better...
37. Make at least three healthy snacks (1/3 - pumpkin spice muffins were delish!)
38. Acquire a new piece of gold jewelry - DONE!  Got a perfect dainty chain that I can add to or wear alone, love it.
39. Play trivia at least 5 times (2/5 - @ Harry's w/Wes, Laura, Matt, @Taco Mac w/Jeanne, Mark, Laura, Matt)
40. Host/go to a game night - working on this now.
41. Buy Wes a real grill
42. Buy new bedroom furniture
43. Buy some Waxing Poetic Jewelry
44. Move into a home I love and want to stay in for a few years - we've decided to go another direction, so I am changing this to finding a rental we really like for the next couple of years!
45. Take some vitamins that are good for me - DONE, but will continue (taking Biotin for hair/nails/skin, Saint John's Wort for falling asleep naturally, and C/Zinc/Lysine for immune system)
46. Clean out clothing and get rid of what I don’t wear (made some progress on this!)
47. Buy a filing cabinet and organize all our documents
48. Play three new board games (0/3)
49. Learn three new card games (0/3)
50. Ski once
51. Buy a bathing suit I feel really sexy in (got one - working on the feeling sexy in it part now!)
52. Go to an amusement park
53. Complete a puzzle
54. Pay off Wes's car - half way there!
55. Go to the beach - Mexico in April, AND Amelia Island in June, yay!
56. Make three new friends I really appreciate
57. Go dancing at least 4 times (0/4)
58. Plant something
59. Buy a lottery ticket
60. Do a pin-up photo session - working on this!
61. Go on a picnic
62. Rent a cabin and relax there
63. Go to the opera
64. Take a ballroom dancing lesson
65. Get a massage (done! I'll get more!)
66. Keep up with my blog
67. Go horseback riding
68. Play in the rain
69. Watch a sunrise and a sunset
70. Take myself on a date
71. Send someone flowers
72. Do karaoke
73. Spend a night in a local hotel just because
74. Spend a day in downtown Atlanta
75. Check out 5 new ares of the city (4/5 - explored the Marietta Square, realized I really like it and want to spend more time there.  Also did walking tours of Midtown and then Inman Park, and learned a good bit about both. And we've explored Vinings lots, and really like it!)
76. Check out 5 boutique clothing stores (2/5 - Festivity in Buckhead, like it a lot. Checked out Sand Piper in Vinings - nice stuff, little too pricey for what you get.)
77. Scan high school photos
78. Learn more about my ancestors
79. Try 75 new recipes (7/75 - Hearty Lasagna Soup, Bobby Lee's Chicken Pasta, Southwest Beef Stew, Turkey Chili w/corn and black beans, simple shrimp/butter/garlic pasta, Skillet white bean pasta with tomatoes and spinach, turkey sloppy joes)
80. Write 10 random thank you cards and send them (0/10)
81. Try 10 new mixed drink concoctions (2/10 - tried a homemade margarita that was just OK, decided I love capirinhas!)
82. Take a meditation class or yoga class - happening next week...
83. Attend a Falcons game
84. Visit a winery
85. Become CPR certified - DONE!
86. Take a Zumba class - DONE!
87. Go to a black tie/formal event
88. Go back to Disney World
89. Go to the Harry Potter Theme Park
90. Re-read the last Harry Potter book
91. Turn off cell phone for an entire weekend
92. Turn 30 and love it
93. Adopt a second dog
94. Give up French Fries for a month
95. Truly enjoy one of my birthdays
96. Anonymously help someone in need
97. Have a deep talk with someone
98. Take a yoga class
99. Allow myself to spend more than $300 on a fabulous pair of shoes or a bag - I would love a pair of Manolos, or a Marc Jacobs or Cole Haan bag...choices.
100. Splurge on a pair of True Religion jeans
101. Make another list when this one is done!