Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Sedona Red Rocks

Wow, what a gorgeous place. I can easily imagine how someone who lives in Sedona would never want to live elsewhere. I mean, why would you ever move if you woke up to views like this from your window every morning?


My personal favorite, Snoopy Rock:


Anyhow, we had a promotional offer to spend two nights at Amara Resort and Spa for $169 + tax in exchange for sitting through a 90-minute timeshare presentation at the Hyatt nearby. They also offered us a $200 gift certificate to be used at any of a number of restaurants or spas in the area, so how could we pass it up? I decided it would be a perfect way to spend the weekend of Che's birthday, and it was.

The weather was cold (for Arizona!) but sunny and beautiful. Overnight temps were in the teens but the days warmed up to the 50s, which was perfect for strolling through the shops and galleries in uptown Sedona. The hotel was very nice, although there were some significant snafus that put a bit of a damper on the weekend, the biggest being that the hotel restaurant closed on Friday and did not reopen for our Saturday night dinner reservation, something we didn't learn until late in the day Saturday, or for our planned lazy Sunday morning room service breakfast. After speaking to the manager, though, the hotel did generously offer for us to return for another stay with dinner for two in their restaurant, their compliments. Nice! Looks like we will be headed back for my birthday weekend in February.

The timeshare presentation was fine. Our sales guy was a retired pilot now living in Sedona and working for Hyatt to "keep busy." Totally no pressure, and he was actually a lot of fun to talk to. His wife is a travel writer specializing in the Caribbean, so we shared lots of stories of travels in the Caribbean, and he gave us some great suggestions for future trips. And no, we did not buy (another) timeshare. Anyhow, I digress.

Saturday night, we went to Red Rock Fantasy at Los Abrigados, which is a festival of dozens of displays of holiday lights set up throughout the resort by local families. Visitors vote on their favorites - mine, of course, was the Snoopy/Woodstock display. Afterwards, we ate dinner at Joey Bistro at Los Abrigados, a pretty mediocre meal which left me even more bitter that the restaurant at Amara was closed.

Sunday was a lazy day at the spa at Sedona Rouge, which culminated in an hour-long couples massage for Che & I, compliments of our "free" gift certificate. He had a deep tissue massage while I enjoyed an oh-so-relaxing reflexology/foot massage. Afterwards, he admitted he has never understood why I love going to the spa with my girlfriends and spending an arm and a leg for a day of relaxation. Now he knows better. We're looking forward to doing the same when we go back in February.

Merry Christmas!

A day late, I know. We were busy hanging out with friends yesterday and having a grand time putting together a puzzle, something we haven't done in years. What fun!

Santa was much too good to me this year. Some of my favorites (there is way too much to name it all!) included this gorgeous travel/computer case from Brighton:



This adorable cat pen (to match the dog pen I already have):



And this great kitchen timer, which was MADE for me:


Thursday, December 20, 2007

My Neighborhood Market

If you knew my neighborhood, you'd think I was pulling your leg. The fact of the matter is, we live in a pretty sketchy part of town. Okay, really sketchy. (i.e. our next-door neighbor, who we were on a first-name basis with since we moved in three years ago, was convicted of raping a woman in the empty house next door to him after luring her there via a Craiglist ad - yeah, we learned about that when we saw the TV crews setting up shop in our front yard). Basically, during the residential real estate boom here a few years ago, they started plopping down nice, brand-new developments in the middle of what has always been a heavily industrial/agricultural part of town. And then they started commercial development around them, but for some reason, the area around ours has remained undeveloped for a long time.

And then finally a little shopping center down the street from us started opening its doors. First a Lowe's. Yippee for Che! No more 20 minute one-way trips to the nearest Home Depot. Not long after that, the Staples next door opened. Also nice. But the most exciting addition opened yesterday, and I am thrilled. It's our local Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market. Keep in mind that until now, the nearest grocery store was at least 15 minutes away. This market is right down the street. Close enough to walk if I want to (and it's on the loop that I frequently run, so I know it's almost exactly a half mile from my house). I have been anticipating this market for months and can't believe it's finally open. I've been reading the Fresh & Easy blog almost daily for updates on their stores and to learn about their concept, which impresses me.

We stopped in tonight to check it out, and I am in love. The size is comparable to a Trader Joe's, so you can be in and out quickly. ALL of the checkout lanes are self-check, which makes me soooo happy, although their clerks are there to bag your groceries for you. And the store is so bright and clean. Things are arranged very neatly, so it's easy to shop there. They have a GREAT selection of healthy prepared meals, so I can stop in and grab dinner (tonight was crab rolls - yum) instead of swinging through a fast food drive thru on the way home.

They're also very eco-friendly. They're committed to constructing green buildings, with LED lighting and lots of skylights and windows for natural lighting. There's in-store recycling for plastic, plastic bags, aluminum, glass, and paper. Their parking lot has bike racks and a number of reserved spots for hybrid vehicles. They also provide, free of charge to customers, reusable and recyclable shopping bags. Oh, and as part of their grand opening celebration, they were giving away free bouquets of fresh-cut flowers. I took home these nice tulips and irises:







Oh, and best of all? Their prices are great. Pretty comparable to TJ's. And they also carry a good selection of conventional products, so I can get my fresh produce and hormone-free meats and dairy at great prices, and still satisfy my Coke fix and Che's addiction to Post Honey Bunches of Oats in one fell swoop. Hopefully, more often than not, this is the only stop I will have to make for my weekly grocery shopping. Yippeeeeeee!

Seriously, I have not been this excited about a grocery store since Central Market in Austin. Don't get me wrong, this is no Central Market. NOTHING compares to Central Market. But considering what's around me, I am damn happy to have the Fresh & Easy and actually can't wait to do a full blown shopping trip there this weekend.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Christmas Poll

Che & I spent a wonderful weekend in Sedona celebrating his birthday, but since my trip report is not quite ready to post (which reminds me I still haven't posted my Grand Cayman report - yikes!), I'll leave you today with this Christmas poll, which I stole from my friend Emily's blog, (and which she lifted from elsewhere).

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. I love wrapping paper but I'll resort to cute gift bags if I have an odd-shaped gift. I suck at wrapping things that aren't shaped like boxes.

2. Real tree or artificial? None. I love Christmas, but I don't decorate for it.

3. When do you put up the tree? See Response to No. 2.

4. When do you take the tree down? Again, No. 2.

5. Do you like eggnog? No, naaaaasty.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A red bicycle.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope. No. 2.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My parents. They have everything or they can get it for themselves. They are SO hard to shop for.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My husband. He's basically a 12-year-old when it comes to receiving gifts. For his birthday, he got a kite and loved it. He was trying to guess his Christmas gift (unsuccessfully) on our drive to Sedona, and among the things he got excited about (for no reason since he's not getting them) are a pogo stick and a metal detector. Sigh.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? ?? A set of Christmas kitchen towels. Since I don't decorate (see Response to No. 2), I have no use for them.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Sometimes a little late, but I do send them.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Charlie Brown Christmas.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas ? Usually after Thanksgiving.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Does donating a gift to Goodwill count? If not, no.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Nettie's Bennie wafers. YUM.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? No tree (let's see, how many times can I reference Response to No. 2?), but if I were to have a tree, I would opt for clear lights. So elegant.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Do They Know It's Christmas?

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Depends. This year, staying home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Of course.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? No tree (you know the drill), but I definitely would not have an angel and would probably opt for something other than a star as well.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Che's family tradition is to open one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning, so that's how we try to do it, but I usually want to open them all on Christmas Eve.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Santa Baby, the worst song ever recorded.

23. What I love most about Christmas? Buying presents.

24. Favorite Christmas Cookie? The classic, beautifully-decorated sugar cookie.

Thanks, Em!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Happy Birthday, Baby Bear!

Thirteen years ago today, our sweet baby boy was born. We got him about 8 weeks later and called him Nacho. A fitting name, once you get to know his silly personality.

Happy birthday, baby.









Nacho and Abbey (circa 2000):

Beagle Buddies:

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Pre-Holiday Blues

It's been a rough couple of weeks, but now that I am almost recovered from a sinus infection, I am trying to get back into a routine. The house feels so different with Abbey gone; we hadn't even realized how much the "life of the house" she was until she was no longer here. It's very quiet around here now. One evening as I pulled into the garage after work, for a split second, I wondered why I didn't hear her barking, like she always did when she heard the garage door. For that split second, it's like I had forgotten that she was gone. My eyes trick me sometimes into thinking that I see her around the house. When it hits me that she's gone, it feels like my heart is breaking all over again. I know these instances will come from time to time, and that they'll get less frequent as time passes. But right now, the pain is still very raw. I miss her so much my heart hurts some days.

So in an effort to get into the holiday spirit a little more, I decided I wanted to bake Christmas cookies this year, something I haven't done in several years. After scouring recipes and cookbooks and holiday magazines, and making a list of a dozen different cookies, I scrapped the whole list and decided just to do my sugar cookies (which Che loves). I thought it would be more fun to really get into decorating them NICE this year, instead of slapping on some red and green food-colored icing and calling them good. But then I found this recipe on the Cooking Light board for Meyer lemon ricotta cookies and couldn't pass it up. My Meyer lemon tree is brimming with fruit, some of it starting to come ripe, plus it was a good excuse to buy dragees, which are so pretty and festive. I'm still planning to make sugar cookies, just not tonight.

First, let me say that you'd think silver dragees are last year's Nintendo Wii or something, they're so hard to find. And when you do find them, they'll cost you an arm and a leg. And you might have to fend off someone else for the last one on the shelf. I managed to find the silver ones at the third place I stopped in today, and grabbed the last jar off the shelf while another shopper was browsing the display. You snooze, you lose. And then I proceeded to pay $15 for the measly 3.3 ounce jar. Ouch. Didn't know how far they would go, so I picked up a jar of pastel-colored ones too, which are the ones I ended up using for the cookies because I am selfish and decided to hoard my silver ones in the event that I can never find them again.

Okay, onto the cookie. This is a wonderful, soft, cakey, lemony cookie. The icing is more like a thick, rich frosting than a glaze. Eating one of these cookies is like eating the top off a frosted lemony cupcake. YUM. And the recipe is huge - I got 55 cookies from one batch.

MEYER LEMON RICOTTA COOKIES
Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or 1 teaspoon lemon and/or tangerine baking oil
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest, freshly grated*
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Glaze:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
Decorating sugar, silver dragees (small silver balls), optional
*Meyer lemons are available mid-November through early spring in specialty food stores. You will need 2 to 3 medium-sized lemons. Regular lemons can be substituted.

Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine butter and sugar in bowl; cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, ricotta, lemon extract (or baking oil), zest and juice; blend well. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; blend to combine. Add remaining flour in two parts, blending to combine between each, until a dough forms. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake until cookie edges are very light golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for a few minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack.

While cookies cool, prepare glaze by creaming together butter and sugar. Continue to mix, gradually adding juice until desired consistency. Decorate cooled cookies adding dragees or decorating sugar, if desired, before icing sets.

Recipe © 2007 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.




Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Sweet dreams, little little one

We are so very grateful for the ten wonderful years you gave us. You may have left our lives, but you will never leave our hearts.

Abbey Rhodes Princess
May 27, 1997 - November 21, 2007

Godspeed, little one.













Monday, November 19, 2007

Abbey Rhodes Princess

That was the AKC name we gave her when we registered her. Her mom was something something Queen, and her dad was something Rhodes something. Hence, Abbey Rhodes Princess, which turned out to be a nice play on words on the Beatles' album title (Che being a big Beatles fan). She was born on May 27, 1997, and she came into our lives about 10 weeks later. She will leave it much too soon.

Unfortunately, the news today could not have been worse. The ultrasound showed a massive lesion on her spleen which has already ruptured and begun to bleed into her belly. There are also lesions all over her liver and her lungs. The oncologist was nearly certain that it is hemangiosarcoma, which has a very very poor prognosis. Surgical and chemotherapy options would buy us only months at best, and that's assuming she could even make it through surgery. She is already very anemic and would require plasma and blood transfusions to even undergo surgery. If the surgery is successful, it would stop the bleeding from the spleen lesion, but it would be just a matter of time before the other lesions would do the same. In the end, we decided that prolonging the inevitable would be more for our benefit than for hers.

So, the oncologist (who was a wonderful, wonderful woman for whom I gained the greatest respect and admiration in the short time we spoke - I am forever grateful that there are people like her in this world) sent us home with instructions to spoil her rotten in the few days we have left with her. We will be lucky to make it through Thanksgiving before we have to make the very painful decision to let her go, a decision that will be made easier by the fact that the alternative is letting her basically bleed to death internally. If we make it through the end of the week, that will be plenty enough for me to give thanks for on Thursday.

Please keep Abbey in your thoughts and prayers this week. I am not ready to let her go, but I know I have to be strong enough to spare her any pain or suffering.

Friday, November 16, 2007

They say that bad things happen in threes.

I hope that means we're due for a run of good luck. Che took two of our dogs to the vet this morning. Brandy was due for bloodwork but Abbey has been acting strangely since we got back from vacation, so she tagged along. She normally is a vacuum and will eat anything (and everything) in sight but the past few days, she hasn't wanted to eat anything. Turns out that she has a large mass in her abdomen. The x-ray shows her spleen being three times the normal size. The vet thinks the mass is in her spleen, and there's no way to tell yet if it's benign or malignant. Worse, it could be on her liver and possibly inoperable.

She is going in for an ultrasound on Monday, and in the meantime, we keep our fingers and toes crossed that (a) her spleen does not rupture before then; and (b) it turns out to be a benign mass that can simply be removed. Even though it's been more than five years since we lost our first beagle, Casey, to cancer, sometimes it still feels like yesterday and we are so not ready to go through that again.

Thank you to all my friends for your sympathies and commisseration on my injured foot and my lost job. But I can live with those things - they're nothing. I really really need my baby to be OK. Please send your good thoughts her way.



Thursday, November 15, 2007

When it rains, it pours.

So I was sitting in the urgent care clinic yesterday waiting for x-ray results to tell me whether my foot was broken (after a spill down some stairs at work) when I got the call that they had offered the job to someone else. I suppose I was supposed to feel better to hear that they thought I was great, and that I made it a very tough decision for them, but I don't. Mostly because I know just enough about the other guy's qualifications to know that I could do the job better. And more importantly, I'm sure I want it more. In any event, I will keep my head up and just keep looking. The right job will come along sometime.

And no, my foot is not broken. But from what I'm hearing, I kinda wish it were. I think it would probably heal faster. It looks like I have soft tissue damage, and I have to get an MRI next week to make sure there is no ligament or tendon damage. In the meantime, I can't put any weight on it so I have a lovely walking boot and crutches.

So much for getting back to the gym pronto after vacation. And speaking of vacations, I'll have a trip report soon.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Checking in from the Islands

It's Day Four in Grand Cayman, and the weather has been a total bust. It's been rainy (and when it's not raining, it's still cloudy), windy, and the seas have been too choppy for much snorkeling or diving. But hey, I'm not in the office so I'm having a blast.

Despite the mediocre weather, we've still had a great time and are looking forward to several more days of fun activities before heading home on Saturday.

The highlight of my trip has by far been the Cayman Turtle Farm:



Unfortunately, cloud cover has put a damper on our sitting-on-the-beach-with-fruity-drinks-in-hand-and-watching-the-beautiful-sunset plan. This was the closest we've come to seeing a sunset on the beach, last night:





Saturday, November 3, 2007

Goodbye Phoenix...

...Hello Grand Cayman! Well, at least for one week.

I know, you thought I was going to say that I got the job and am moving to Dallas. I wish. Hopefully by the time I return from a much-needed vacation, I will have that news. For now, I am still just waiting (after my second interview last week) and keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Easy "peas"y

Tonight's dinner was Hoisin Pork and Snow Pea Stir-Fry. Get it? "Peas"y? I know, I hate puns too.

This was delicious and super fast - on the table in less than 30 minutes, start to finish. It will definitely be making a reappearance on our menu in the future. I served the stir-fry over steamed brown rice.



Hoisin Pork and Snow Pea Stir-Fry
Cooking Light, November 2006

The slightly sweet, soy-based hoisin sauce is to Chinese food what ketchup is to American food. Look for hoisin and rice noodles with other Asian foods in most supermarkets.

4 ounces uncooked rice noodles or rice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and thinly sliced
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon honey
4 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
3 cups snow peas, trimmed (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and pork, tossing to coat. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, broth, hoisin, cornstarch, and honey in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Remove pork from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil to pan. Stir in peas, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Return pork mixture to pan; stir in broth mixture. Simmer 2 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in green onions. Serve pork mixture over the noodles.

4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup noodles and about 1 cup pork mixture)

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Mmmmm, mushrooms!

Like I mentioned, this month's Cooking Light has some great-looking "wild" mushroom recipes. And I had a bag of beautiful dried porcinis that my bosses brought me back from Italy last year that have been screaming to be used in something wonderful. Tonight's dinner definitely fit the bill, although it was almost a shame to grind such gorgeous, Grade A porcinis into a fine porcini powder. The rest I'm saving to go atop an elegant risotto or pasta.


Porcini-Dusted Chicken Scaloppine
Cooking Light, October 2007

This dish puts dried porcini mushroom powder to use as a flavorful coating for chicken cutlets. If fresh porcini or chanterelle mushrooms are available, use them for the sauce. Serve with steamed haricots verts and garlic mashed potatoes.

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced shallots (about 1)
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups sliced wild or cultivated mushrooms (about 1/2 pound) [I used a combo of porcini, shiitake, and oyster]
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley [I omitted]

Place porcini mushrooms in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Slice chicken breast halves in half horizontally. Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with porcini powder, shaking off excess powder.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken pieces to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until chicken is lightly browned and done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining 4 chicken pieces.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 3 cups mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add broth to pan; simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Stir in sour cream; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and parsley.

4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken pieces, about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Friday, October 12, 2007

"Wild" mushrooms that aren't so wild anymore

So it's been pointed out to me that the "wild" mushrooms in my dinner last night are not actually wild. I know, most "wild" mushrooms are now cultivated. But that's generally all I can find around here. That said, we are headed to San Francisco next weekend and have plans to visit my favorite foodie stop ever, the Ferry Building Marketplace, and I hope to bring home some REAL wild mushrooms from Far West Fungi.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Breakfast for Dinner

I'm not usually a fan of breakfast food, but I am a fan of wild mushrooms, and this month's Cooking Light had some fabulous-looking wild mushroom recipes. I picked up more than I needed at Whole Foods last weekend and decided to use the extras to make the Fines Herbes Omelet with Wild Mushrooms. It was a perfect high-protein, low calorie dinner, and I was surprised at how filling and rich it was. I'm not sure it will make our regular rotation, but it hit the spot this evening.




Fines Herbes Omelet with Wild Mushrooms
Cooking Light, October 2007


Chanterelle or oyster mushrooms would complement this omelet. Chervil is a traditional component of fines herbes; if it's available, add 1/4 teaspoon to the mix.


Cooking spray
3 cups sliced wild or cultivated mushrooms (about 1/2 pound) [I used a combo of shiitake, porcini, and oyster]
3 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream [I used light]
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) fat-free cream cheese, softened [I used light]
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
[I subbed 1 tsp dried herbes de provence for the chives, parsley, and tarragon]
4 large egg whites
2 large eggs


Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until moisture evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown. Remove from heat.

Combine 1 tablespoon milk, sour cream, cream cheese, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add mushrooms to milk mixture; stir well. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons milk, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, onions, chives, parsley, tarragon, egg whites, and eggs in a bowl; stir well.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spread egg mixture evenly in pan; cook 3 minutes or until center is set. Top with mushroom mixture. Carefully loosen omelet with a spatula; fold in half. Cut omelet in half.

2 servings (serving size: 1/2 omelet)

I stand corrected.

I'm rarely ever wrong but when I am, I'll admit it. I was wrong and jumped to premature conclusions. I got the call for a second interview this morning! I am SO excited, I can hardly stand it. Not at all excited about the timing of my interview, which coincides with two other trips I have the same week, but hopefully it will be worth it. The Senior Recruiter who called me this morning told me that my interviewer said he had a "great" interview with me by telephone on Monday. I thought it was good, not great, so I'm happy to hear that. Especially happy to hear that after the dream I had last night where the interviewer told me, in person, that I didn't get a second interview because I hadn't printed my resume on colored paper. :o Seriously.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Job blues.

I really really need a new job. And now that I've decided I really need a new job, it's making me REALLY need a new job, and soon. I still have yet to hear back about a second interview for the job I really want. I know it's only been two days, but given their hiring timeframe and the fact that it would require me to travel out of state as early as Monday, I think I would have heard by now if they were interested. Not to mention, I called (and left a message) this morning, and didn't get a call back in response to that. Quite honestly, I'm surprised they're not interested, as I am perfect for the job. I know, that makes me sound SO arrogant. But it's true. Anyway, I've resigned myself to the fact that I am going to get a ding letter in the mail anytime now. That just means I'm back to square one as far as looking, when I really wanted to be getting ready for an interstate move back home and to start my "dream job."

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

I love my personal trainer!

I have been working out with a personal trainer since April. I swore I would never pay someone money to kick my ass at the gym, but I started going in a last-ditch attempt to lose the final 5 pounds I wanted to lose to hit my "goal weight." And he ROCKS. Even though I haven't actually lost any weight since I started working out with him, I lost 6% body fat in 10 weeks. And that's worth every penny I pay him. He's been on vacation for the last two weeks -- and he'll be none too happy with me to hear that I completely ditched working out for one of the weeks he was gone -- but he is back today and I am excited! I also need to return the clothes I borrowed from him before he left, when I showed up to work out without a gym bag.

Monday, October 8, 2007

My foray into blogging

I decided to start a blog because I enjoy reading other people's blogs so much. Then again, they probably have a lot more interesting lives than me. I'm not sure yet what shape this blog will take -- probably just ramblings from me about my everyday life, which, as described above, consists most days of just working, working out, sometimes cooking, and trying to find a way to enjoy the simpler things in life.

My current interest is finding a new job. I've been in my current position for four years, and I'm completely and totally burnt out. Not to mention the hubby and I want to move back home to Texas. I had a phone interview this morning with a company I love for a job that was written for me. Now, the painfully long wait to hear if they want me to come down for a second interview next week. This is sure to be the longest week of my life.