Monday, November 28, 2005
Post Thanksgiving Bloat
Ugh.....burp.....fart...sigh....hiccup. What a vacation. Trav and I had the funnest time over these last 4 days - but holy god did we pig out! Oh my goodness.
Thursday was great - I didn't have to spend the whole day cooking because I wasn't making a turkey. The butternut squash soup was ok - I was debating on weather to just have the butternut squash roasted as a side vegetable or to make soup. Since we already had two side vegetables I made it into soup. First I peeled and sliced the squash into cubes, then put it onto a cookie sheet with a 1/2 inch water and 5 whole garlic cloves. Roasted that for 45 mins and it smelled SOOOOOOO good! It just filled the house with a wonderful warm scent. I took it out and it tasted so sweet and good - I should have just left it like that and ate it as a side dish. But I didn't. I followed the recipe and put it into the food processor with 3 of the roasted cloves of garlic (I used the other two to make garlic mashed potatoes) and made butternut squash baby food. It still tasted good - but still like baby food. Then I made it into soup by adding the 4 cups of vegetable stock. The recipe said to eat it with cheese and croutons mixed in - but that didn't help. We just didn't really like it. Roasted, yes - Soup, no. The lasagna turned out great - we ate it all weekend long. I used those no bake lasagna noodles for the first time - they turned out good but they were a bit difficult to work with only because my lasagna pan isn't quite 9x13 - it's a little less - so I had to break the noodles up a bit in order to make them fit. Next time - I will just have to remember to break them before I start. Oh but what a feast! We had made so much food I think I dirtied every dish in the house - literally. It was fun though.
We got a little greedy and had Trav's birthday on Thursday night instead of Sunday. We saw this program on the food network about cakes - and we just had to have some of Trav's birthday cake. So he decided to open his presents too. I got him the first two seasons of The Adventures of Pete and Pete - an old Nickelodeon show that was on when we were kids - he had seen an advertisement on TV for the seasons and he said he wanted those "SO BAD" So I got em'. Well turns out - he just wanted to Netflix them - "SO BAD" So we agreed to exchange them the next day. Then I got him a jokey gift - it was that new mouthwash that doesn't burn your mouth. As soon as it came out Trav wanted it because he loves mouthwash - but hates that it burns so bad. When I went shopping for Target stuff - I went to get the new mouthwash but realized it was freakin' $7.50 a bottle! So I compared - let's see big giant Target brand bottle of mouthwash for $2.50 - or - smaller bottle of new mouthwash that is more expensive than liquid gold? You do the math. So anyways - I thought that it would be funny to "splurge" and buy him the mouthwash for a gift. He liked it.
Friday - we laid around ALL DAY LONG - it was great! We needed to go and exchange Trav's gift - but there was no way I was going shopping on "Black Friday" - so we ended up not going until about 9:30 at night because I knew everything would be open until 11 on account of the holidays. So we got our sweats on and headed to Best Buy. Trav ended up getting a new computer game and then we went next door to Barnes and Noble and got him his poker book that he wanted. We stopped at the gas station on our way home and bought some snackies then just went home and watched TV until we fell asleep.
Saturday - We kinda laid around some more - I started cleaning a bit later in the day. I vacuumed and shampooed the carpet dusted and cleaned up the kitchen(except for the dishes), dining room, living room and spare room (which will soon be the purple craft room - more on that later). Then Simon called, He was in town for Thanksgiving and wanted to hang out with Trav and his friends before he left on Sunday back to Texas. So we ended up getting ready and going bowling with Simon, Tim, Becky and Stephen at this new bowling place in Brooklyn Park - it was really cool. I had never met Stephen's wife Becky before, but she was nice, she told Trav that I was really pretty. We bowled one game and then decided to call it a night at about 10:45. They were all going back to Becky and Stephen's place to watch movies - but they were movies we had already seen. So Trav and I went home and played poker until about 3 o'clock in the AM. Of course he won all the chips in the end, but he said that I did really well. He really is a great player - he knew exactly what I had for most of my hands.
Sunday - Trav's 24th birthday! Simon called again and wanted to go out for lunch before he had to go to the airport. We were planning on going out that night for birthday dinner anyway,
so we just made it birthday lunch instead. We went to Olive Garden and Becky and Stephen came with. We were all eating nicely and talking about random crap. Then Becky starts talking about the Thanksgiving meal itself saying that the only thing that is good for you is the Turkey. I let that one go. Anyone who knows me - knows that, seriously, I RARELY let things go. But that didn't phase me that much. She's new, that's her opinion, and she is obviously misinformed. So I just kept my mouth shut - but she did not. She kept going on and on about how carbs are pure sugar and that it's not good to eat them because "it's like shooting pure sugar into your vein" and your body can't Handle it. Let me just remind you that we are at the
Olive Garden and each and every one of us - including Becky - is shoveling large portions of pasta and bread sticks in our mouths. Yeah.
Becky is a nurse, she's our age, tall, skinny, Plain Jane - no makeup kinda gal. Very serious and to the point.
She kept going on and on about carbs and how bad they are for our bodies. She was telling us what she eats and that she buys I Can't believe it's not butter Spray - because it's "so good", and the white Sara lee bread and the Sara lee bagels she buys because they are so high in fiber. All the while - I am sitting there keeping my mouth shut - just waiting for her to shut up. Because again - she's new and well she doesn't know what she's talking about. So finally she makes a comment that I just can't let go. She says "Eating meat is better for you than eating none at all."
Alright - that's it. Time to put this bitch in her place. So firmly but quite nicely I interrupted and said - "No, that's not true" I stated that being vegetarian or vegan is one of the best things that you can do for your body. And that Trav and I started this - to try it - and see what we thought because I had semi-high cholesterol. And it worked. Trav has lost about 30 lbs and I have lost almost 20 - solely by cutting meat out of our diets. Your body makes it's own cholesterol - all animals do. Your body does not need any more cholesterol. So any animal products you put in your body - that's cholesterol you don't need. I continued to tell her that her butter spray is pure Trans fat and only one molecule away from being plastic. All while I'm saying this - she is agreeing with me and saying "oh yeah, that is true." Your damn right it's true. I have no problem with what other people eat and I don't even have a problem if you have a problem with what I eat - what I do have a problem with - is some thinks she knows it all girl that I just met - telling me that what I'm eating is so horrible - WHILE WE ARE ALL EATING IT! I don't go around arguing about things - or stating things that I have no knowledge of. So yeah, nice meeting you, Becky.
After our lovely lunch, Trav and I went to see Walk the Line, it was really great. Enjoyed it very much.
We tried - yes we really did try to get some more cleaning done - but we wanted to enjoy the rest of our vacation - not doing anything.
Posted by Katrina ::
1:27 PM ::
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Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Thanksgiving at the Bean's
What do vegetarians have for Thanksgiving? Well let me fill you in - and no it's not a flippin' Tofurky - ishkabible!
The Menu for tomorrow will be:
Salad
Butternut squash soup
Alfredo lasagna with spinach
Mashed potatos and gravy
Vegetarian Stuffing
Cranberry sauce
Roasted carrots
and either green beans or corn
and all this for just 2 people and 1 spoiled chihuahua!
So anyone reading who would like to come to dinner - please feel free - we would love to have you.
The only catch is - you have to know where we live.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Have a great long weekend - Say Happy Birthday to Travis on Sunday!
Posted by Katrina ::
4:04 PM ::
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Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Review
Harry Potter, oh how I love thee.
We saw the movie on Friday night - it was great! So awesome to put pictures to the words. Except - they left SOOOOOOOOOO much out of the movie than there was in the book. The First 3 movies were almost exactly like the books - granted the first three books were about half the size of the 4th, 5th and 6th.
They did a great job - don't get me wrong. But I believe if someone went to see the movie without reading the book first - they would be really confused. That's all - and since I had read the book - I knew everything that was happening - they changed a few things in comparison to the book as well. I give it an overall B- . Because they left out so much and it went really too fast.
I think I'm going to read the 4th book again and then see the movie about 7 more times.
After the movie, Trav and I went to Caribou - I got a caramel apple cider and he got his usual Hot Cocoa. Then we went to this new Chinese place by Cub - it's called Chin's Fresh China Wok. It was so good! They have great spring rolls and this sauce for the cream cheese wontons that I now cannot live without. Tons of vegetarian options and all the food was really fresh. Good Good Good.
Saturday - I got SO much stuff done! I dropped Trav off at work,I opened a new checking account at my credit union, transferred the title for the smashed car, did my target shopping, went grocery shopping, put the groceries away - then picked up Trav. Good gracious I was busy.
So I pretty much just laid around the rest of the weekend.
Yesterday - Trav and I went to see Wedding Crashers at the $2 theatre - yeah, not as funny as everyone made it out to be. I would say it was moderately funny.
Anyways - that's my review I'll hopefully write more tomorrow.
Posted by Katrina ::
3:52 PM ::
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Friday, November 18, 2005
Two words: Harry Potter
I am so excited! It's today, it's today! T- minus 2 hours and counting! Woo Hoo! It's Harry Potter Day - It's Harry Potter Day! OK I'm done - I just had to get that out of my system. I only wish that I had my Gryffindor scarf now - so when I wear it to the movie theatre - everyone will know which house I'm in.
Yeah. I know, I'm a huge dork about this stuff, but It's so cool - I just love it.
Sooooo yesterday wasn't so bad in the snow - none of it stuck to the ground so no problems driving and I made it to school mostly on time. The only think that sucks now - is the car is being a poop again. Every time we come to a stop light or stop sign - the engine starts puttering (I just made up that word) and then the car sometimes dies. It's died 3 times in the past two days. Tom said that his car was doing that and it ended up being the EGC belt - whatever that is. Something to do with emissions. All I know is that's a $100 part - alone. Craptastic.
As far as the other car goes - State Farm called and they did total out the car - they are giving us $695 for the damages - after my $1000 deductible. So at least we will get our money back. But we still don't have a second car.
everything happens for a reason - everything happens for a reason - everything happens for a reason.
They are paying for all of the tow charges and storage fees - and they gave me and extra $130 for the loss of use of a vehicle. I'm not complaining there.
Trav's B-day is in 2 weeks - he'll be the big 2-4 - and then I will too 12 days after that.
I already got him his presents - he has no idea what they are - but I remember him seeing them and saying that he wanted them REALLY REALLY BADLY. So I got em'. I can't wait for him to open it!
He thinks its a book that he wanted- but it's so not. If he wants me to, I can take the (blank) back and get him the book - it would be way cheaper :) hee hee
Tuesday night Brittney and I went to a hip-hop dance class in uptown - It was SO flippin' fun! Such a good workout - and we learned a whole choreographed dance. We are planning on going again next week. If anyone (*cough*, Stacy, *cough*) wants to come with us - they are more than welcome to. :)
Wednesday - I was bad and played hookey from school - I emailed my teacher and let her know and she emailed me back the assignment due next week so it was just like I was there. I had so much stuff to catch up on - I needed to pay bills and refill my prescription. It helped to stay and get all that done.
Trav and I went to dinner that night at Olive Garden. Our waitress was - lets just say - obese. She was very nice and a very good waitress. After she finished telling us the special - she offered us a free sample of chardonnay - I declined - Trav said "Sure". So she checked his ID - she looked at it - then looked back at him - and she said " Let's see, yeah, that looks like you without a hat on" Then she giggled and walked away to retrieve his free sip of wine. As Trav proceeded to put his wallet away he smugly and jokingly stated " All the big girls love me". I just shot him a look that said "Oh really, so you are saying I'm a big girl?" He immediately was like "NO - not YOU- I meant - I mean - no - I - aw crap" I thought it was hilarious and told him that I was going to write about it in my blog :) He's embarrassed. I love You, Guy!
I love my Thursday class - the teacher is great, his regimen is so easy to follow, my classmates are very open and they are all so very different - it's just great. AND the teacher said that at the end of every semester he takes his students out to pizza! and this semester it's on MY birthday! YAHOO! Free Davanni's on my b-day - HELLO!
So about me looking like a lesbian yesterday - I totally did. I had on black shoes - baggy khakis (but they are only baggy cuz I've lost weight - so that's a good thing) and a blue button-up shirt. I wore my hair down - but it was all flat. I was totally butch.
Alright - I gots to go now - I will try to write tomorrow so I can fill you in on my review of Mr. Potter and his fiery goblet.
BYE!
Posted by Katrina ::
1:31 PM ::
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Thursday, November 17, 2005
snow = poo
this will be quick - but at least I'm posting - a promise is a promise.
its snowing out and I hate driving in the snow. I hope I make it to school ok - and mostly on time.
I look like a lesbian today - more on that tomorrow.
more on Trav's comment at dinner last night tomorrow too.
Brittney and I went to a hip hop dance class on Tuesday night - it was a blast.
gotta go to school - wish me luck - bye bye.
Posted by Katrina ::
4:07 PM ::
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Wednesday, November 16, 2005
please forgive me
I know I know - I promised I would post and I will. I just can't beleive how busy I am when I actually work! Geez! So yeah - haven't had much time to post on account of working - and having shorter days here ( I've been leaving at 4:15 for school).
Anyways - I really do try to do it everyday - I got a lot of stuff caught up today so I should be able to post a big-un tomorrow.
Posted by Katrina ::
7:31 PM ::
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Friday, November 11, 2005
Still loathing the whitetail population
I ended my post yesterday a little but abruptly because I had to leave for school. Sorry bout that.
So I'm going to meet with my insurance agent today - she wanted to sit down with Trav and I to make sure we are all on the same page regarding my policy - and I'm pretty sure she wants to sell us life insurance now that we are married.
My Aunt and Tom just called me - they were on their way to the cabin for the weekend and they stopped in North Branch to see if my car was still there and to see if the insurance people had been out there yet. Yes and No. The car was still there - and the insurance people haven't shown up yet. So my insurance agent is going to get an earfull. No way am I getting screwed over with this crap. I have been a customer of her's for over 5 years - and have never had to file a claim before. I have paid that company over $8,000 in that time for my insurance - they can give me back the flippin $1500 for this car. Bitches.
Yeah - Trav and I are almost over the disappointment of losing the car. Almost. It still makes me a little queasy to think about. Not to mention I'm horribly frightened to drive in the dark now - I keep thinking one is just going to jump out. Last night on the way home, out of the blue Trav says "Look out, there's a deer!" When there wasn't one. I almost peed my pants - and was this close to punching him in the face. What a turd.
I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason - now I just have to figure out why.
My Grandpa (not the one who just had the surgery) said to me last night "That's the same type of luck I have, if it was raining whores, I would get hit with a lesbian"
Nice, Gramps.
On another note - Grandpa is doing great! He's been doing so excellent they are sending him home today! I think that Trav and I will go up there for Thanksgiving this year to visit him - My Aunt and Tom are thinking of going up too - so we can all spend it together.
I'm planning on getting pictures taken of Me, Chelsea, Kyle and Brittney and Connor for my Grandparents for Christmas. I think I will do that when we go up too.
So long for the weekend - I will be sure to keep everyone updated and restart my questions again next week.
I'm out.
Posted by Katrina ::
10:39 AM ::
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Thursday, November 10, 2005
I hate you, Bambi.
Wow. It's been quite a while since I have posted. I have been so freakin busy with work and homework. I have been neglecting my blog.
So since the last time I left a little personal note - I was just about to finish my Harry Potter book. Well I did and I loved it. I am so excited for the Goblet of Fire ( 1 week and 1 day away!!!!). I get a boner everytime I think about it.
Anyways since then, Halloween has come and passed - I was going to make Carmela a Bat costume (cuz she loves fruit - we were going to have her be a fruit bat - hee hee - ahhh shut up - I know she's a dog), but I didn't have time for that either. Crappo.
The day before Halloween, I had lunch with Jessica and Macy - It was SO nice to see Jessica again - and meet her little miss :) I'm visting them this Sunday at their house in Becker. Yay!
This last weekend, Erin and her babies came down to visit - Maisie is getting SO big! She loved her Auntie Trina - we talked all weekend and smiled at eachother :) even though she is just 3 months old! Connor and Britney stayed over at my house too - so Meaghan and Connor played together - and with Carmela (although I think that they enjoyed it more than Carmela).
On Sunday I got a ride up to Duluth from Erin, She was going back home and I was going up to buy a used car from Stacy's sister and visit my Grandpa in the hospital. So we got to Duluth on Sunday night, I picked up the car and drove up to my Grandma and Grandpa's to visit and to show them the new (new to me anyway) car. Everyone liked it - they said it was a great car for the amount we paid for it - Stacy's sis Julie, was giving us an awesome deal on it - $500 for a 93 Ford Escort 4 door Hatchback. SWEET!
I stayed at Erin's that night and on Monday morning, I got up and went to visit my Grandpa, he had double bypass heart surgery. The surgery went great - they were done early and everything went very very well. I got to talk to him a little bit before I had to head out of town in the new car. He's doing awesome now - he's sitting up in a chair now and eating food. He's expected to go home this Friday or Saturday.
I left the hospital at quarter to 5 to meet Erin, Kate, Maeghan and Maisie mouse for dinner at Applebee's. We finished dinner at about 6:30 and I headed out of town.
I stopped in Barnum because I had to pee really bad - so I peed - talked to Trav before he left work and headed back on the road.
I was driving really really carefully because I just had a feeling that I was going to see a deer - so I was on the look out - brights on the whole way - not speeding - no playing with the radio or the phone. But I was still worried.
Just passed the Harris exit on 35 - I thought to myself - ok - well if something happens I can say I just passed the Harris exit on 35.
about 30 seconds later, I was in the left lane and a big doe jumped out from the grassy median on the left side, I braked hard, then swerved to the right, and the doe ran towards me and I smashed into her. The new car = totalled.
I pulled the smoking,trembling car to the left and immediately shut it off. Shaking and saying out loud to myself "That did not just happen. That did not just happen"
I dialed 911 and they asked me if I was ok - I said yes. They told me to get out of the passenger side and check the car to see if it was leaking fluid. I tried the passenger door and it was jammed shut so I couldn't get out. She said that was fine and just to stay put and a State trooper would be on their way out.
I called my Aunt Julie to tell her what happend - as I was talking to her - a heard another smash! Another car hit another deer in the very same spot as me! I was so shocked. They had to pull over to the left side (because I was on the right). They got out of the car, it was an old couple and they shouted to me "Do you have a phone?!" I took the phone away from my ear and held it up so they could see. The old guy shouted to me that he was bleeding.
So I called 911 agian and told them to send and ambulence too.
A nice guy named Steve, 30 years old, fresh from 18 months in Iraq, stopped to help us.
He steered the old couple's car over to the right side in front of mine - and then he pushed my car more over to the right so I could get out.
I got out and walked to the front of the car to look at the damage. The right front end was obliterated. There was no evidence of a head light ever being there, the radiator and everything on the right side was crushed completely. I was completely undamged. Just a but shook up.
The old couple's car was damaged about 1/4 of the damage on mine. We later found out that I hit the Doe and they hit the Fawn. The found both deer - I didn't want to see them but from what Steve told me - the Doe looked just as bad as my car.
The old couple had airbag injuries, they left in the ambulence, one with chest pain, the other with a broken hand.
I was just sick to my stomach because I had just bought this great car - for about half the price it was worth - and now it was gone. Totalled. All because a deer wanted to cross the road - in front of me.
What a waste of a car. I found out from the trooper that everything would be covered under my full coverage insurance so at least we will get our money back.
I have to fill out this report for the state - becuase the damage to the car is so extensive and
over $1,000.
I got a ride to Forest Lake from Steve, he was really great and he stayed there the whole time with me to help, he talked to the State Trooper and helped find the deer.
I thanked him so much for helping and staying the whole time. He said "Hey, If you were my sister, I would want someone to wait with you." Steve is going to Heaven for sure :)
Both cars were towed away - they had to crunch through the wreckage underneath my car just to get the brackets under the wheels. Nice.
Steve dropped me off in Forest Lake (Tom, My Aunt's husband and his brother Bill picked me up there) He asked me if I felt safe, I said Yes and told him that he would make a great State Trooper one day. What a good egg.
Posted by Katrina ::
2:43 PM ::
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Wow. It's been quite a while since I have posted. I have been so freakin busy with work and homework. I have been neglecting my blog.