May 26th

On July 9th of last year, T and I ventured into SF City Hall to buy our marriage license. We were in a hurry because we were rushing to check out the Bocce Cafe for the Rehearsal Dinner before making it on time to introduce our parents for the first time (eek!) over a wonderful dinner at the Spinaker in Sausilito. We entered the building and I started to get a little bit nervous. It began to hit me. T and I were getting married! My partner, my roommate, and my best friend and I were finally going to be a legally recognized twosome. Wow. We headed up the stairs and passed a small wedding in progress. Two brides were joining together, surrounded by a joyous group. T and I went upstairs, handed them our paperwork and took our oath. It was a much more emotional experience than I had anticipated and after we left the office, we paused outside and hugged while the tears of joy fell. Waiting their turn in line, two men watched us with a knowing smile. They congratulated us and I knew that they were feeling the same thing as I; excitement, wonder, and overflowing love. It was at that moment that I was so proud of my home state for recognizing the rights of people to join together with the loves of their lives, and make the ultimate commitment of marriage, no matter what the sex of the participants. I was so happy to be sharing this big step with gay couples all over the state. Now, less than 1 year later, I am sad for the big step backward that CA has taken. However, I am hopeful that the people will wake up and this injustice will be made right. For info about the fabulous drawing that has taken the place of my photo for today, check out the work of Sara at http://stinkerpants.com/blog/

May 25th

Note to self: If it says to use heavy cream, don't use light cream! Although it's not light and fluffy enough, it's still delicious and the birthday boy was thrilled!

After a small frosting mishap, here is the final product!

Today is a wonderful day. At 11:02 pm, 33 years ago, my amazing husband was born. 24 years after that, fate had us at the same place in Las Vegas and 8 years after that, I married this man, who has made me so happy over the years, who has challenged me to be the best version of myself, and who has loved me unconditionally. I am truly the luckiest girl in the world and I found the perfect way to show him how much I love him: Peanut Butter Cake. (He's obsessesed.)Check out the recipe here. Above are all my supplies, Cuisinart mixer, pastry tips, and my Dunking Donuts iced coffee. On the stereo; MXPX.

May 24th

And...everybody's a winner! We tried the Peekskill Brewery, a cool little place along the Hudson. They had 9 beers on tap and I'm proud to say that we tried them all. The one on the far right was our favorite.

Aw, sweet victory...and sad defeat. Oh well, off to the bar!

My blurry loss...we were tied through 8 and then I was leading, but I choked towards the end. Now I have to pay up.

I was watching my perfect shot...we're tied!

T is very focused on the third hole.

Today was our first mini golf match of the season! It was indeed a grudge match, our rivalry was left to fester over the long, snowy winter. I was the big winner last summer...

May 23rd

Not only did we actually remember our recyclable grocery bag, but we used the scanner for the first time! We scanned our items as we went and downloaded it at the register. It didn't actually save any time but we had fun with it.

May 22nd

So, it's the Friday, the end of a very long week. What better way to celebrate than strawberry shortcake for dessert! We're free!

May 21st

Tostada Salad with Tomatillo Salsa (from Williams Sonoma Vegetarian Cookbook)

1 can of black beans

1 C corn oil

6 corn tortillas

2 C coarsley shredded jack cheese

1 small head of romaine lettuce

Tomatillo Salsa

Drain the beans. In a frying pan over low heat, warm the corn oil. When it is hot, slip a tortilla into the oil and cook until golden and crisp, 1-2 minutes. Using tongs, remove from the pan and transfer to paper towels to drain.

To serve: Place each tortilla on a plate. Distribute the beans, cheese, lettuce, and salsa evenly over the tortillas. Garnish with avocado, sour cream, or lime wedges.

This is delicious!

May 20th

With warm weather approaching, I broke out my Williams Sonoma Vegetarian Cookbook. I wanted to try some of the cold salads and this was my first victim. Delicious! I did cut way down on the garlic because it calls for 4 cloves, which seemed overwhelming.

Garbanzo Salad with Olives and Herbs
(Makes 6-8 side dish servings, recipe slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian Cookbook)

2 cans garbanzo beans (or use 1 cup soaked and cooked dried beans)

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T fresh lemon juice

5 T olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 T chopped mint

1 T chopped basil

1 T chopped thyme

1 T chopped rosemary

1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives (or use 1/4 cup Kalamata olives and 1/4 cup green olives)

1/4 cup chopped green onion

Drain garbanzo beans. In large plastic bowl, wisk together balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add chopped herbs. Blend in drained beans, then gently stir in chopped olives and green onion. Let sit so the flavors can blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

May 19th

T's Fantasy Football Trophy arrived this afternoon and he was so proud! His team, the Lou Roe Fan Club (a cookie to anyone who knows the origin of the name) finished with an 11 and 5 record. I won my league the year before but I didn't get a bobblehead!

May 18th

Dear Co-Irker, I'm very sorry that you were laid off today and I feel terrible that you were a victim of this crappy economy. I wish you only the best and feel badly for my previous post (with this same photo.) I'm also very sorry that I'm the only one left standing at work and my life just got a lot more hectic right before our busiest time of the year. However I am grateful to have kept my job and because of that, I harbor a little bit of survivors guilt.

May 17th

Our house hunt has become a condo hunt. I think we stumbled into a horror movie with this one! The third bedroom looked like a storage locker; it was stuffed from floor to ceiling with boxes, and broken furniture. I'm not sure where the kids slept. There was evidence of a child living there however; dirty, skid marked underoos were on top of the laundry basket! What the picture doesn't show is the car parked on the lawn. Next!

May 16th

I had a fabulous Saturday! T was working and I went to NYC and saw my beloved friend S for the first time in months. We saw Rupert Everett and Angela Lansbury in a Noel Coward farce, A Blithe Spirit on Broadway. After laughing hysterically for two hours, we had a light dinner and lots of drinks! I had a ball and T picked me up at the train station (where I had a ticket waiting on my windshield. Grrr) because I couldn't drive myself home. It was wonderful to see S and we're going to do it again soon.

May 15th

We were hotly anticipating Angels and Demons and it's finally out! And it was fantastic. I loved the book, and really liked the movie. It was a huge improvement over DaVinci Code, a book I really liked and a movie that I found disappointing.

May 14th

Mold in the shower. Yummy! T and I have sprayed it with every chemical we can find, but it just won't die.

May 13th

"Days in the Life of our Hovel. " Otherwise known as: our apartment. This is the clogged up sink...after it had finally drained. We called our landlord and he should be coming to fix it tomorrow. We've also found 2 huge honeybees buzzing around our bedroom on 2 separate days. Hello, Mr. Landlord? This apartment is toxic and disgusting! Thanks, T&A

May 12th

Last year during baseball season, T talked to CableVision more than he talked to his own family, because the baseball package rarely came in clearly. This is his first phone call of the season to complain. Normally when he complains, they take money off of our bill. Last year, I think we only paid for half of the year. The fun part of this call tonight is that they called him Mr. H...my last name! Hmmm, I think there might be something to that!

May 11th

So, I drove a boom today. The back yard was being resurfaced and I got to help move the equipment out of the way. My company rents these babies, and normally I sit at a desk but today I got to be a part of the action. Don't mess with me, I am one tough cookie!

May 10th, Happy Mother's Day!

I'm breaking the rules today by posting 2 pictures, but I need to pay tribute to my amazing mother who I am missing more than usual today. Even with 3000 miles between us, she is always with me. She is my go to person when I need advice and the first person I call when I have great news. She is also the first person I call when I have a problem. She is an inspiration to me and I am proud to say that since this photo was taken almost one year ago, she has lost several sizes and close to 40 pounds. Mom, I love you and could not be more proud to be your daughter!

T, my BIL and I took my MIL to the Mother's Day Brunch at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. http://www.hawthornehotel.com/ We found it last year and had a great time so we decided to go for it again. The scalloped potatoes were the hit of the day! We were thrilled to be able to celebrate my wonderful mother in law, who has welcomed me into the family with open arms and raised my husband to be the caring and sensitive man that he is. I'm very lucky!

May 9th

We had Sox tickets this afternoon but due to delays on the MBTA, we didn't get a chance to eat before the game. T bribed me with a trip to Kelly's Roast Beef on the way home. I'm a vegetarian but their grilled cheese and fries is one of the best I've had! T went with the famous roast beef, made famous by Good Will Hunting. Yum!

May 8th

Another weekend, another trip to Boston! We left straight from work and arrived at my MIL's house at 9:30.

May 7th

3 of my newest wedding scrapbook pages! It's a slow process, but I'm also cleaning out my wedding drawer, so it's sort of like cleaning...

May 6th

My dearest Co-Irker, Thank you for taking today off and giving me a break from your constant whining, and really annoying Pee Wee Herman style laugh. If I had to take one more minute of your incessent talking and mumbling to yourself, I would have run screaming into the street. I hope that when you return, the skin on your arm will have healed so I don't have to watch you pick at it all day and most of all, I hope that you will just be quiet and not feel the need to fill every silence with an inane observation or a stupid story. Thanks, A

May 5th

Will the rain ever stop?!?!

May 4th

T and I have been on a money saving kick for the last few months so when we found this cheese for our enchiladas that was under 2 dollars, we grabbed it. Well, we ate some today and realized why it tasted like plastic. It's imitation cheese. Our cheapness knows no limits! Soon after this photo was taken, this cheese like substance found it's way into the trash!

May 3rd

I don't exactly have a green thumb, but I'm working on it! I found the pot at Marshalls and the plants at Home Depot. I even bought a bag of potting soil and a pair of gardening gloves. I didn't realize that the pot would be too small for both plants, so I'll have to pick up another one. Maybe with yellow dots?

May 2nd

T was working his weekend so I met him for lunch at Panera, my first time there. I was impressed with my Mediterranean veggie sandwich, with hummus, cucumber, tomato, and feta cheese. I stopped for an iced caramel macchiato on my way home to slave away in our house. Laundry awaited my return.

May 1st

I decided that I needed some flowers. Flowers mean spring, rebirth and renewal. I spent some time in the garden center and found some inspiration.

April 30th

No explanation needed.

April 29th

This is a terrible day. We lost a dear friend today, a woman who was so full of life and love that I'm having a hard time comprehending that she has left us. Barbie and her husband Glen are close friends of my parents going back as far as I can remember. They are the kind of friends that became family somewhere along the line. She loved us as kids, always finding ways to sneak away from the adults to spend time with us. I remember a dinner party at my parents when I was young and had been banished to watch a movie. Barbie came in and laid on the couch with me and together, we watched Grease. She warned me to stay away from the Danny Zuckos of the world. She was one of the group of women that I have been blessed with, who have taught me strength, compassion, and love. Last July, she and Glen danced at my wedding. Last December, we spent Christmas at their house. And today, my father called to tell me that she was gone.

When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. ~Author Unknown

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~Kahlil Gibran

April 28th

This is a house I fell in love with on Tuesday morning and found out that an offer had been accepted Tuesday night. I threw up my hands and announced to T that I needed a break from this house hunting ordeal because I'm beyond frustrated. He agreed to take the reins for a while. Since I never saw this house in person, I pulled this photo from realtor.com.

April 27th

This is a typical barbeque for T and I. On the right, T's turkey burgers. In the middle, you see my veggie italian sausages. They're fabulous and even T likes them. Normally we slice bell peppers and zucchini, toss them with garlic powder and whatever other spices look good that day, and throw them in the grill basket. But corn was on sale this week, so on the left, we have corn on the cob marinated with this delicious recipe.