Retroactive

Almost four years ago I filled out this list.  It's rather like a little snapshot of my life at the time, so I decided that it's probably time to do it again, as a lot has changed in those four years.  Lists are still my favorite and my best, though they are also my bane.

(PS: Let's not talk about how it's been four years.  FOUR!  I'm going to vomit.)  


8 TV Shows I love to watch* (I would say "like" after the first 4):

1. Battlestar Galactica
2. Firefly
3. Sherlock
4. Veronica Mars
5. Project Runway
6. LOST
7. Survivor
8. House Hunters/International

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Panera/St. Louis Bread Company
2. Thai Village
3. Cafe Rio
4. Bombay House
5. Imo's Pizza
6. Comalitos
7. The Blue Bayou
8. Tarahumara

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:

1. Gave a talk in church.
2. Made this strawberry cake (two thumbs up).
3. Finally watched the opening ceremonies, along with some diving and swimming.
4. Watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
5. Talked to the fam. 
6. Pitter pattered on Quinn.
7. Worked a little on some arts.
8. Made and ate this stromboli for dinner (also two thumbs up).

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Watching more Harry Potter
2. Our third anniversary
3. Going to Las Vegas at last
4. The Hobbit
5. Our cruise! (This deserves its own blog post)
6. Seeing Spider-man again (right, husb?!?!)
7. Pumpkin foods in the fall
8. More summer

8 Things On My WishList:

1. Sky High: Irresistible triple layer cakes
2. Spider-man! 
3. A shiny new tablet
4. A really long trip to England
5. A spot on Goodreads
6. A day at the beach
7. More Sherlock!
8. ...Spider-man?

This is the part where I tag other people to fill this out for themselves, but since I'm not the boss of you, fill it out if you like!  It's fun to read later.

*Drewbles and I couldn't decide if this means current shows or any shows, but I went with any shows.  Apparently most of the shows I love ended a long while ago...

Unfinished Tales

This blog has been going for eight years now.  Eight!  I'm amazed with myself.  It's definitely had its highs and lows, but looking back, I'm quite pleased with it.  In fact, recently I was reading old entries and laughing at how funny I was.  Oh ho, me!  So funny to myself.

Since blogger changed to its new format, I've realized that fourteen of my posts are only drafts.  When I looked at them more closely, I realized most of didn't even get past the title.  Some of the subjects I remember, some I don't.  But since I'm never going to go back and finish them, I thought I would record the titles here for posterity.  Then I can delete them!  *rubs hands*  So, here are the blog posts that might have been:

"A List of", from 2008. 
I labeled this "Twilight" but it's actually a (long) list of complaints about the third X-Men movie.  Just because.
 
"This One or That One?" from 9/11/2008
No clue.  But it ALSO has a Twilight label. 
 
"A Boy Named Coop" from 9/24/2008
This was a collection of tales involving a very amusing young fellow that I met my last year at BYU.  His last name was Cooper, hence Coop.  This also inexplicably has a Twilight label.

"Distance: I Shake My Fist at Thee" from  2/18/2009
Surely related to Drewbles and the miles that separated us at the time.

"Blog Blahs: I Have Them" from 4/22/2009
Pretty self explanatory. 

"Water: There's so Much" from 7/1/2009
Probably related to how Finding Nemo made me afraid of open water.  Also possibly involving the Titanic exhibit I went to around this time.

"Dueling Lists" from 9/25/2009
No idea.

"Autumn!" from 10/2/2009
I dunno, probably something about spring or summer.  Maybe winter.

"(Untitled post)" from 11/3/2009
This happened to contain Drew's resume.  Why not, right?

"A Story: Part 1" from 12/10/09
But WHAT story??

"2009:It's Over" from 2009
That's true enough.

"Unemployment: It's a Lifestyle" from 1/22/2010
A lifestyle so accurately depicted in the fine film Post Grad.  (...)  This was actually mere days before my unemployment ended.  Maybe I should have written it earlier...

"In Which We Go to England: Part 3" from 8/2/2010
This one was posted so who knows what it's doing in my drafts.

"For my Special Little Friend" from 1/23/2011
I started this after my precious little Rosie cat passed away.  Then it was too hard.

If anything can be learned from this post it is that since early 2011 I have published all the post I started.  Surely that means I have become a better human being, right?  Smarter? More mature?  Better looking?  Let's just say yes.

Who's Hungry?

We eat food!  Here is what we have been eating lately: 

Tilapia burgers with watermelon salsa and avocado
Confession: this was the first time in my independent adult life that I made meat burgers of any kind.  Who knew you could make them with fish?  I was kind of grossed out by food processor-ing the fish but the end result was well worth it.  The watermelon salsa was an excellent addition.

Asiago portobello burgers with roasted red peppers + balsamic glaze
I think my mushroom love has been pretty well established by now.  These were so fast, easy and tasty, plus the English muffin was an interesting twist.  I'll admit that every time I read the words "balsamic glaze" I just get out the ol' Newman's Own balsamic vinaigrette.  I enjoy making easy things easier for myself (usually).

Roasted strawberry, brie and chocolate grilled cheese
I like to think I'm willing to try just about any grilled cheese combination at least once.  And I like to think I'll be trying this one more in the future.  It's hardly your everyday grilled cheese but it's fun for a more celebratory occasion (like finishing moving).

Roasted tomato caprese grilled cheese
Remember that thing I said about balsamic glaze?  Yep.   

Reuben dip
While I cannot abide rye bread, I love all the other ingredients in a reuben.  This was a fun way to eat them.  I also tried this recipe and, while good, I preferred the stronger reuben taste over the cream cheese taste. 

Pizza dip
We MIGHT have had dip for dinner one night.  Actually, that is not true.  We had PIZZA for dinner, followed by multiple dips.  The series finale of Veronica Mars calls for such extravagances!  Anyhoo, good dip.  

New York-style bagels
Long ago, in the shadowy days of my youth, my mama made bagels.  They were delicious but I think she thought they weren't worth the work because we never made them again.  I've been haunted by the deliciousness of those bagels and finally I made some myself.  SO worth the work.   And actually, they weren't very hard or time-consuming either.  (In my mama's defense, we made many more bagels that day than I did, plus I don't have four kids.)

Peach and crème fraîche pie 
My latest pie endeavor.  Side note: I think I am finally getting the hang of making pretty-ish crusts!  This was a great summery pie that was actually fairly simple to make.  I took the make-your-own crème fraîche route and used the sour cream method.  I also tried the buttermilk method and...that attempt is still in the fridge, refusing to thicken.

Chocolate Quake Cake
Ah, quake cake.  So good I made it twice.  Sometimes I think about making just the frosting and eating it for dinner (along with some dips of course).

So, does anyone have any good recipes to share?  I don't use pinterest because, honestly, I am already prone to being overwhelmed enough in my life.  I don't need or want an entire internet's worth of recipes...but I'm always interested in personal recommendations.

Awesome Things, or, In Which I Ramble About Stuff

Have you ever been sitting in a public place and suddenly heard a sound like a tiny Godzilla cry?  That happened to me, just this very minute.  I'm going to take it as a sign that this blog post will be as epic as a gigantic reptile creature bent on massive destruction.

I like making lists.  I also like other stuff.  Sometimes these likes come together and I write a blog post dedicated solely to things I am currently liking a lot.  That's what this post is!  It has no other purpose.  

(Did anyone else read that last line with Aragorn's voice?  "It has no other master.")

Here's stuff I like lately:

The Amazing Spider-man!  I feel I should declare my love for it publicly, since people keep not believing me when I say it's my favorite movie of 2012 and I want to watch it everyday and I want to put Andrew Garfield in my pocket.  I (completely unexpectedly) loved it!  It's true.  It's true, I swear!

Strangeland!  I want to put this in my pocket next to Andrew Garfield.  He can keep pressing play for me.

Veronica Mars!  We just finished watching it recently (Drewbles had never seen) and every time I rewatch it I love it all over again.  And hey, Veronica would probably actually fit in my pocket too.  Two words: huevos rancheros.

Sherlock!  Need more be said?  I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of season 2 uponst my doorstep.

(We watched the second Sherlock Holmes movie the other day...I spent most of it killing Mephisto in Diablo II.  Need more be said?)

Summer!  I know summer has its sweaty inconveniences, but overall I think it has a lot of fun things to offer and this has been a great summer so far, full of fun and new things.  That said, I am very glad we have air conditioning--and a hearty supply of otter pops to keep Drewbles going.

Last and by no means least, is this beautiful thing:

Look at it big!  Giggle and flail over the anticipation!  Then put something awesome in your pocket.