How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Oh what a day I had today!  I worked my 12 hours last night and decided that I wanted to go to church this morning.  Mile Hi Church is the most amazingly inspirational place of worship I've ever been.  I've attended services at many different churches throughout my life, but this is, by far, my favorite and I really look forward to going when I am able.  Today would have been my dad's 63rd birthday, and I'm not sure if that compounded my desire to travel to Lakewood or if I just felt the need to be inspired.  It's actually a bit of both, along with being able to see my Earth Angel and BFF Cindy and sharing in the magic of the day's message.  The sermon was titled, "Simple Acts, Ample Blessings."  In a nutshell, it was just a reminder that if you give selflessly to others, whether in the form of your time, money or whatever you can offer, you will receive blessings in ways you couldn't imagine.  There were some amazing examples of everyday people doing what they could do to enrich the life of another and I was moved to tears.

Afterwards, I purchased a CD of the day's service and we went outside to chat for a bit.  Cindy was talking about the retreat she wants to open, as well as maybe sending me to Hawaii for training with Doreen Virtue.  I really like the way she thinks!!!  Her dream is to open a holistic retreat that offers wellness services of all kinds:  massage, counseling, spa services, readings, etc.  She's already proclaimed that I'll play a part in this wonderment.  I'm very excited to be contributing to people's well-being, especially in this day and age when everyone seems to pack so much into their lives that they forget to take care of themselves and end up falling into dis-ease.

Speaking of packing alot into one day... we then went to Olive Garden for lunch.  We were seated at a small table and it was peaceful...until Gramps and a couple of Hens were seated next to us.  None of them could hear, so essentially, they were shouting at each other throughout their conversations of who has recently died and 'kids' these days.  What I'd hoped would be a relaxing meal turned into an opportunity for me to showcase my sarcasm.  Bad Stephanie!  Fast-forward to the eats-->  My brother chose chicken alfredo pizza and I ordered parmesan crusted tilapia with Italian vegetables and angel hair pasta in a lemon butter sauce.  I dove into the salad and indulged in only one bread stick.  I then picked around my entree and ate until I was satisfied, not stuffed.  I actually think my fish was a little underdone, so that helped keep my appetite in check.  Next stop:  grocery shopping.  After a pretty uneventful trip around Wallyworld, my wallet was $27 lighter (not well thought out on my part) and I was feeling a bit zombie-like.  I still wanted to get my hair cut (using my $5 off coupon) before I went home and got horizontal on my knock-off Tempur-pedic.  Have I mentioned yet that it was hotter than the hubs of Hell outside?  Good gravy, I was sweltering wherever we went!  And getting back into a hot car after each stop was really draining what little energy I had left.

To that end, we rounded out the day with an impromptu stop at Dairy Queen for a frozen treat.  I ordered a small Oreo blizzard and enjoyed each red plastic spoonful.  That is, while trying not to breathe through my nose because some kid shit their pants and their mom was too busy talking to change the damn diaper!!!  I was able to keep my blizzard in check and we came home.  I changed out of jeans and into shorts before assuming my position on the couch.  I clicked on the football game and turned on the crackbox.  It wasn't long before I shut both off and drug my worn-out self into my bedroom and collapsed into bed.  I had been awake for more than 24 hours and I had had enough; it was time to get sideways!  I was awakened 1.5 hours later by my phone ringing:  it was Grandma.  She has been a bit late getting home and wanted to call us.  I called her back (so she wouldn't have to pay for the call) and we chatted for a bit.  She said Fishing Tournament went well and they decided to hold the festival again next year.  All in all, everything was fine on at both homesteads, so we cut our call short.  I told her I love her and I'll talk to her again next week.  I proceeded to fall back into slumber for a couple more hours.  And here I am!

Today's proposed agenda and some randomness

Working nights really wreaks havoc on my body.  I came home Thursday morning after the most hellish night and slept for about five hours.  I went back to bed around 9:30 last night and peeled my body out of bed around 3 this morning.  I got a shower, got dressed and placed my ass in the divot I've worn in the couch.  Sooo...I made some cheesy scrambled eggs and wrapped them in a flour tortilla.  I want to make rigatoni later with homemade marinara and ground turkey.  Lots of fresh garlic, red peppers and onions to make the sauce thick and chunky.  I'll provide some porn shots to accessorize this post later.

And here they are:

The money shot:

Final product:

It turned out really well!  When we were kids, mom used to make rigatoni using ginormous noodles.  Yes, mine were large, per se, but I really miss those specific noodles from my childhood.  Not that they tasted any different; it simply reminds me of a happier time, when life was easy.  My marinara is simple and fresh-tasting.  It's adapted from a recipe of Rachael Ray's.  My interpretation is:

• one 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• one 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• Italian seasoning
• minced garlic
• chopped onion
• salt
• pepper
• EVOO
• crushed red pepper flakes

You can add whatever meat and veggies you choose.  I chose red bell peppers because the poblanos and cubanelles looked sickly in every store I went to and I didn't want to put green bells in.  I also contemplated a jalapeno or Anaheim pepper, but they were also under the weather.  I guess it's not pepper season.

We've talked about going to see "You Again" at the theater tonight.  It looks like it'll be pretty funny; Betty White makes me laugh so hard!  I watch her TV show, "Hot in Cleveland" as well and just laugh.  I used to think she was related to me.

UPDATE:  We're not going to see a movie at the theater.  I received my Netflix selections yesterday, so we're opting to view those instead.  Now playing:  "Date Night" and "The Back-Up Plan."  Good night, everyone!

Vita-Mix 5200

I've been wanting this piece of kitchen genius for quite some time, but the price tag has been the deterrent for me.  Although I have probably spent this much on lesser quality kitchen gadgets that I've broken or given away, it's a big pile of scratch to come up with at one time!

The reason I want one is that it will help me consume more vegetables (minus the mushrooms in the above pic *ack*) and fruits by way of the ever-popular smoothie.  I like v & f; I just don't find myself eating as many as I should.  I also figure if I get a few green drinks in me, it'll help me shed tons some poundage pretty quickly as well as get some much-needed vitamins and minerals naturally.  I'm not one to take pills and potions for my health, but it does need a major overhaul!

Is anyone feeling really generous and would like to gift me one?  :D  You know the girl's gotta try!!!  Does anyone have one and want to share the pros/cons of it?  Holla back, yo!  Uhhh...I'm definitely too cracker to pull that off *ahem*.

Signs that you must move on

Here is an excerpt from the article, "Signs That You Must Move On," written by Christina Frank:

How to know when he’s for real
Since it bears repeating, let’s review a few of the traits that will tell you unequivocally that a guy is into you:

• His actions match his words. He doesn’t just say he loves you or wants to be with you because he thinks that’s what you want to hear; it’s obvious by the way he behaves.
• He introduces you to his friends and family within a reasonable amount of time. This indicates that he’s increasingly serious about making you part of his life.
• His behavior is consistent. He's into you one week and then distant the next. His affection for you is something you can rely on.
• He tries to please you. Because he’s genuinely interested in you as well as your thoughts and feelings, he acts on that. He knows you love the color yellow, for example, so he shows up with a bouquet of yellow flowers.
• You don’t feel like you’re doing all the work, and you never find yourself making excuses for him. As psychologist Geraldine Merola Barton puts it, “The truth is, we always find time for the things we value. If he’s into you, he’ll call, period… no matter what.”

I sent him the e-mail last night.  I fully expect to not hear back from him, and I'm OK.  I know that I deserve more.  I found a very fitting quote (author unknown) for this situation:  "You get what you accept and you deserve what you tolerate."

A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  I cannot say that I'm not sad.  I've invested almost a year in this adventure.  While it was fun at times, it inevitably was not meant to be.

Thanks for nothing!

9Line was NO help at all!  After spending 20 minutes listening to the phone ring during several attempts to get some legal advice, someone finally answered and essentially told me I'd have to talk to a lawyer to see what my options would be.  Hello, numbnuts...that's why I called YOU!!!

I'm about to pop a capsule of fuckitol and chalk it up to a less-than-desirable renting experience.  I have to get ready for a fun-filled night at work; don't be jealous!

Pork green chili

It was fairly easy to prepare, but I need to change a couple of things the next time I make it.  First, I'll brown the pork in smaller batches so it gets some color rather than adding it all at once and, essentially, boiling/steaming it.  Also, I'll add about half of the 1/4 c. of chicken  bouillion the recipe called for, because it's a bit too salty.  Other than those couple of tweaks, it's a keeper!!!

The Verdict

In response to my request to be released from my leasing agreement, I was offered $67 for the inconvenience of maintenance not returning my page.  I'm going to talk to a lawyer tomorrow via 9line and see what rights I have.  The staff is so nonchalant around here and I bet if the place burned down, we'd still have to pay rent because our stuff was in our apartment at the time.  I was SO mad yesterday that I couldn't see straight and am grateful I was home alone to vent.  I certainly didn't want to yell at anyone out of frustration.  I'm (mostly) over it and resigned to the fact that we'll be staying in the bowels of the Titanic until February.

In other news, I forgot to post a picture of my latest work of art.  I put it on Facebook, but forgot my blog.

The paint is still a bit wet in this shot, but I really like it.  I call it 'Round and Round.'  On another creative front, I'll be making green chili for the first time today.  I sampled some that John brought to work and asked for his recipe.  He admitted that he just followed the recipe on the back of the green chiles he bought in the frozen food section of the grocery store, so I'm going to do the same thing!  Green chili is so versatile and can be a pretty healthy meal by itself.

Water, water...EVERYWHERE!!!

There have been FOUR water incidences in my apartment since May; four months after I moved in:

~1.  A hot water heater from the third floor blew out and water damaged our ceiling as well as bloated three door frames to the point of not being able to close said doors.

~2.  Our hot water heater blew out and soaked most of the carpeting in the apartment.  We were displaced for three days while five industrial-sized fans and a ginormous dehumidifier humped and impregnated our electric bill.

~3.  Water from a sink on the third floor was leaking for who knows how many hours and started leaking from the air conditioning vent in my bathroom.  The second floor apartment is vacant and I can't imagine how much damage it may have caused.

~4.  I discovered that my toilet sprung a leak when I woke up this afternoon.  I turned off the valve and put a towel down because the line is still dripping.

I paged emergency maintenance at 6:17 PM and have yet to receive a callback at 11:33 PM.  I will be at the leasing office first thing in the morning!!!

I really have no idea what to do.  I'd like for my lease to be broken so I'm able to move as soon as possible.  I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

Calgon

...take me away!  To a land where I'm not required to do anything but paint and read and write and sing and dance and laugh and love.

And take pictures.