Two Transportation Things

I just thought I might share some random things that happened to me yesterday.

1. The bus driver told me not to walk in front of the bus, it is not safe.

First please take a look at Diagram #1

I ask you, how the hell else am I supposed to get to the bus? I mean while I understand he meant the fact that I had walked so close in front of the bus but still, I had reasons for that. I mean I would not have had to walk so close in front of the bus if the Moron on her cell phone had not stopped blocking the crosswalk. See instead of walking in the crosswalk like normal I passed behind the Moron's vehicle and therefore my path to get to the bus put me closer to the front of the bus. So according to the Almighty Bus Rules I had passed within some arbitrary amount of feet in front of the bus and therefore deserved a tongue lashing. Though the lashing was polite, eerily so in fact. I tried to tell the driver that I knew I walked in front of the bus, but I had to walk around the Moron on her cell phone whose vehicle we could both clearly see was in the middle of the crosswalk. He just repeated his mantra about it not being safe to walk in front of the bus, somewhat robotically, obviously expecting me to have used my supernatural powers that allow me to walk through solid objects like cars. I pointed to the lady again and got the same exact reply. At this point I did not feel like arguing with the robot bus driver any longer and found a seat.

But my real question is how the hell am I supposed to get to the bus without walking in front of it?!?!?! I walk in front of the bus every day to get on it. No other driver has ever robotically told me to not walk in front of the bus. Also we were sitting at a freaking RED light and I knew the bus was not going to be running me over for at least another 20 seconds, the flashing crosswalk lights told me so. And also it is obvious the bus driver still saw me, I mean he had to see me to tell me to be safe. So really what was the point of telling me it is not safe to walk in front of the bus when I obviously have to walk in front of the bus to get on it, and also the fact that you saw me and would not have run over me just for the hell of it, and also that the little red flashing hand that gives me 20 more seconds to cross the street had not even started flashing and I was already across the street! What was the point other that to say it with so much sugar in your voice and repeat yourself twice just to annoy the freaking hell out of me and make the end of my day frustrating. Why bus driver did you feel the need to be such a nice asshat and ruin my ride home?

2. People who work on Hummers do not always drive Hummers.

I was driving by the Hummer dealership on my way home and saw an employee leaving for the evening and he was not driving one of these

Instead he was in fact driving something more like this.

I have no idea why this made me laugh so very hard, it just did. And yes he was an employee, or at least I am pretty sure because he was in uniform. Though it might have been a uniform for some other job, and he was just a guy in a crappy car looking to improve his manhood by purchasing a Hummer. Either way, the visual it created was freaking hilarious.

I hope you have more hilarious transportation encounters than annoying ones today!

What to Eat, Sometimes...

I love when reading other blogs gives me ideas for new posts of my own. I was reading Kaila over at Shooting-A-Bird and her post about what a boy eats just made me laugh out loud. It reminded me exactly of the Penguin's picky eating. Her son, the Great White Lizard Hunter and the Penguin are both picky eaters with the added quality of randomness thrown in. I mean it is not necessarily the food that is the problem but rather the form of the food or the combinations.

I present to you some fine examples of just how random the Penguin's eating habits are.

Nacho Cheese: Yes
Jalapenos on Nachos: No
A bowl of Queso: Yes
Queso with Jalapenos in it: Sure, probably won't even notice them
A Cheeseburger: No Way!
Cheese on a Taco: Not even!
Cheese on a Sandwich or Wrap: Nope!
Cheese Steak sandwich from Waffle House: 1 Slice of Cheese
Cheesy Potato Skins: Yes
Cheese on a Baked Potato: Not really
Sour Cream on my Scalloped Potatoes: Has to have it!
Sour Cream on a Baked Potato: Not so much
Sour Cream on Potato Skins: Definitely
Sour Cream on a Taco: No Way
Stuffed Potato's with lots of Sour Cream and Cheese: Awesome!
Mac & Cheese: Not really
Pasta Alfredo: Loves It!
Raw Broccoli: Yes, Please!
Raw Cauliflower: With Ranch!
Cooked Broccoli or Cauliflower: No Way
Raw and Cooked Onions: Yes
Raw and Cooked Bell Peppers: Raw Please

Okay I am tired of thinking of these, but I am sure you get the point by now. My Penguin is a picky eater to say the least. I remember when I first met him how confused I was by the randomness that applied to consuming cheese. But eventually I figured it out, sort of. I have to say he is at least open to trying new things. Even if that means he will not order it for himself, but rather take a bite of mine. During our first few months together I kept trying to get him to go out and eat pasta with me but was never successful. Then one day at Chili's I tried the Pasta Alfredo. He took a bite and liked it so much he ended up eating more of my meal than I did. When I met him he also did not eat sour cream, but obviously that has grown on him too.

I think that I am now starting to understand why he is so picky about things. It is not necessarily the food, but the texture. He likes raw vegetables but not cooked ones because then they are mushy. He likes cheese and sour cream but not on a sandwich or anything like that. And honestly I get the texture thing. I don't mind eating chips and a sandwich together but do not even try to put lettuce on my sandwich that still has the crunchy part in it. I do not care what people say, the white/core part of lettuce is bitter and too crunchy for me. Texture is definitely something I understand. So I suppose we all have our preferences when it comes to food. Though some people are a little weirder than others...

Anyway, that was my randomness for the day. It may be a little difficult to find foods for picky eaters, but it is possible. If someone served you your favorite foods rather than something you refuse to eat, won't you be happy? I know I get frustrated when someone close to me, who I know I have told numerous times about my dislike for something, offers and/or serves it to me anyways. And conversely when someone remembers my dislike for a certain food or drink I am quite flattered. So while learning and remembering someone's food preferences can be difficult, it's worth it to make them feel comfortable. I think that we all try to remember the likes and dislikes of our loved ones.

So happy Love Thursday everyone, I hope someone out there loves you enough to remember the things you hate.

16 Things

I have noticed lately that a few bloggers like hokgardner have been posting 16 random things about themselves. Since I am not cool enough to be tagged and hokgardner invited everyone to tag themselves I think I will.

So here are 16 completely random things about me


1. I fret over minor decisions but make big ones without thinking. Such as the time I changed my undergrad major one day, or the time I accepted a job in another state...


2. I was the youngest graduate in my Master's Degree Program at the age of 23. I graduated from undergrad and grad school in December both times.


3. I live alone for the first time in my life, and I left my family and boyfriend behind in another state to be here. Needless to say, I drive home often.


4. I like cooked onions, but not raw ones.


5. I got a new cell phone a year or so ago but still use my 5 year old one instead because it has a better battery life and I can charge it in the car easily.


6. The boyfriend and I like to go camping. We went 4 times last year. We tend to get sunburned whenever we go, and you think we would have learned to bring sunscreen by now.


7. My favorite candies are those with caramel and chocolate. I have recently rediscovered Milky Ways and I am in trouble...


8. I tend to eat food in cycles. I get cravings for something and will eat it every day for a week or so and then not again for months. Also my cravings are for crunchy, salty, cheesy, and other adjectives rather than a specific food.


9. My boyfriend once ran over my foot with the car. Amazingly it did not break and all I had was a really funky bruise. It is fine now, except sometimes shoes fit one foot fine and hurt the other, which makes finding shoes all the more difficult.


10. My favorite colors are Black and Blue. I do not however like being Black and Blue.


11. Caffeine gives me headaches rather than making them go away. I dearly would like to drink coffee and coke more often...


12. I have 2 tattoos. The first one I still love, the second I settled for and I will have it removed or added to later on.


13. My hair is turning grey already, I am only 25. My mom greyed really early too. I told my boyfriend about my grey hair a year ago and he told me he didn't care, he has been balding since high school, and he could care less about our hair. He makes me comfortable and I know it will be good to grow old together, even if we do age prematurely.


14. I am a really good shot with a gun. During summer camp I achieved some of the highest rankings there were, I even shot a smiley face once. One time I out-shot an old boyfriend and he got pretty mad, I am glad the current boyfriend thinks its cool that I can shoot.

15. I am not fussy when it comes to my appearance. I can usually be out the door in 5 minutes or less and it kind of annoys me when other people take so long.

16. I really like bowls. I have at least 5 large mixing bowls at my apartment and probably 8 at the house in Baton Rouge. I am not sure what is is about a good size bowl, but I keep wanting to buy more and I clearly do not need any.

So there you have it, 16 completely random things about me. I hope it is at least somewhat interesting to you or makes you laugh at least once. Feel free to tag yourself and let me know 16 things about you.

25 and Feeling Fine

Today I am one quarter of a century old. Yes, today I turn 25. So it really is a New Year for me, a whole new year of life.

I have to say I am in a pretty good place right now. I am happy with the way my life is going. 2008 was a pretty good year but I have a feeling 2009 will be better. I don't feel like doing any reflecting really or over-analyzing of anything, I just want to be happy where I am. So far I have been successfully happy. That is really my only goal/resolution for the year; I want to be happy. I want to start making the best of everyday situations and having a more relaxed attitude. I want to say no to things I would rather not do and focus only on what is necessary and beneficial to me and my family. I am going to focus on the positive and try to block out the negative. I really just need to make myself take the time for myself. I am going to make it a point to just sit down more and let other people take care of things. I am going to make the most of peaceful, content moments.

Even though I know this won't last the whole year, it probably won't even last for the next few weeks, I am going to be happy right now in this moment knowing that I want a good outlook on the year to come.

Here's hoping you and yours are off to a good start as well.

Bang, Pop, Crackle, Fizz

Happy New Years Eve!

All I Want for Christmas...

All I want for Christmas is the two things I said I wanted and didn't get.


That makes sense right?


Did this happen to anyone else? Does anyone else feel kind of gypped right about now? Did anyone else go through months of trying to find the right presents for their family because they knew it would make people happy? Did anyone else not even get what they asked for but rather got something useful and boring, or nothing at all? Did anyone else watch people open presents from you and scream with joy and then open your own present and go wtf?


Yeah that was my Christmas. I feel kind of bad for complaining about what I did get. I feel downright grinchish. I mean I know that there are plenty of people who could not afford presents for Christmas this year. I wish everyone had the chance to have a wonderful Christmas. I am sure plenty of people would absolutely adore the things I got. And actually I do like the things I got, I like them bunches. I just... well... I wanted what I asked for or something else fun and present-like. Some things are great and while you want them, you do not want them to be your Christmas present. Birthday maybe, but not Christmas. I mean granted I do like to cook and so the cooking items I have gotten for the past few years have been quite useful. But there is just something about opening a really big present on Christmas morning only to find a pot inside, woo hoo. I mean now I am all ready to go and slave over the stove and fix a huge meal in my wonderful new pot, thanks let me get right on that for you.


Am I wrong to think Christmas presents should be fun? I mean I know I said I needed a pot like that, but I hadn't actually asked for one. (And yes hypocrite that I am I bought someone a pot for Christmas too, but to be fair he had mentioned wanting one and I got him other gifts as well to offset the boringness of the pot as a present.) I went through a lot of trouble trying to find gifts for my family that were practical as well as fun. I even helped family members figure out what to get each other and bought those things too! Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, I love giving, I love finding the right presents for people, I have a good time doing it. I just wanted at least one cool, sparkly, fun, laugh-out-loud kind of present. And yes I know I may not be the easiest person to buy for, but gift cards are awesome! And this year I actually did have a list of things I wanted, and I showed them to people in person so they would know exactly what I was taking about and where they could get a good deal on it. I even showed them to more than one person to up the odds on actually getting what I wanted, and yet nada.


I am not totally bummed, and this post is not meant to sound like me complaining at all. Actually the Penguin and I had decided that we were going to go shopping for each other after Christmas and try to get some good deals. We just didn't find any good deals on the stuff we wanted. He is actually in the process of trying to get me the camera I wanted at a really good price and I am excited about that! And I need to take him shopping and get whatever it is that he wants this weekend coming up.


What this entire post is leading up to is the fact that I went out and bought myself a present that I absolutely adore. Since I did not get it for Christmas and pretty much knew it wouldn't be happening for my birthday either (my birthday is in a week) I went ahead and bought a little something for myself. I went shopping the day after Christmas and my mom was going to meet up with me later in the day. I had plans to show her what I wanted again and ask her if she would buy it as a late Christmas/Early Birthday present. I knew she would get it for me but I just couldn't wait. I walked in the store just to check and make sure they still had one, and then like magic it was on clearance. I mean seriously on clearance, at like 1/3 of the normal price. And it was the last one they had, and it might not be there later if I came back for it. So I bought it! And when I told my mom she said Yay! Merry Christmas! tell me how much it was and I will pay for it. So bonus! It was not only 1/3 of the price, it is actually going to be free for me, and I feel good about saving mom the money. I am so happy about my purchase! And trust me if you got such a great deal on the ring you have been wanting for months you would be happy too.


See? See how gorgeous it is! I love it! It is getting sized as I write this and I can pick it up in a couple of days. I am very happy with it. I might even wear it on my left hand just to mess with people! But probably not.

So I hope you got all you wanted for Christmas, even if you have to go out and buy it for yourself!

P.S. If you like the ring too, I got it for $62 at the store in the mall. I am not promising it will still be on sale for that price but that is much cheaper than the website price right now!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you and yours are having a wonderful holiday. I know that I am having a good time. I know I have been so wrapped up in the holiday preparedness and excitment that I have not been around lately, but that is not such a bad thing. In fact I have been quite happy. The food, family, friends and fun have been pretty darn good. I hope you are happy wherever you are, with or without the internet. Enjoy what you love.

Merry Christmas!

Snow!!!

It snowed here in Houston last night!

I can't believe it, we never get snow this far south. I am also quite jealous of my friends and family back home in Louisiana. The penguin reported 4 to 5 inches of snow in our yard and I was not there to see it, or play in it, or make a giant snowman, or anything. I so would have done all those things if I had a yard full of snow! Boohoo for me.

See this is a picture of the state capitol building in Baton Rouge.

I am still loving the inch or so I got here in Houston but I wish I could have been home for what was happening in Louisiana. And for you people up north, do not rain on my parade. I have lived in southern Louisiana my entire life and only seen snow once when I was like 5 years old and even then you had to roll up the entire front and back yard to even think about making a snowman. This is exciting for me! So I went outside once the snow started collecting on the ground and made a snowman for the first time in my life. Isn't he cute!

Yes, seriously, that is the first time I have ever made a snowman or played in the snow. I had no idea what the snow would feel like or how soft it would be. I mean I even tried drawing in the snow without realizing it wouldn't make straight lines. How was I supposed to know that?

I do like the effect the jagged lines made though.

So while it is not Christmas yet, it sure does feel like it. I had a wonderful time playing in the snow. I would never want to live where it snows a lot, but I enjoyed my one white night.

Green and Fuzzy

This year I decided to be all earthy and try to grow my own tomatoes and cucumbers. I think those are my two favorite veggies and it is so much cheaper to grow your own. Plus my dad eats more tomatoes than I do so I knew when they started ripening like 20 at a time they would not go to waste. That is how I came to have cucumber and tomato plants on my porch. I suppose if I had been smart about it I might have put them at the house where they would get more sun and rain, but I knew I would be at my apartment to water and care for them. So I chose plants that said they were good container plants. I planted them and was creative with the stakes and climbing devices I used. I gave them good soil and miracle grow snacks with plenty of water. And they started growing, and Growing, and GROWING. The plants got huge! There was a caterpillar who decided the young tomato plants were yummy but I caught and disposed of him before he did too much damage. The tomato plants continued to grow, well over the height of my current cage contraption and I had to lean them up against the wall. The cucumber plants were making so many darn yellow flowers I thought I was going to have a bazillion of them. And the tomato plant made a modest 6 flowers or so, but that was okay it was still early.

Then there never were any actual little cucumbers that grew from all those freaking flowers. Not a One! And of course no tomatoes either. So of course the next thing that happened was all the cucumber plants started dying, one by one. I had like 12 of them in there so I wasn't too worried until only 1 was left alive. But then it started to make flowers again, lots of flowers and I thought well this time I should get some cucumbers. Nope. Nada. Niet. So I let that one straggler die off too. By this time it was getting really late in the season for anything to happen and the veggies would have no chance to ripen before the first freeze. But the tomato plants were still so pretty, and so fragrant. So I kept watering them. And lo, they did make a few more flowers, but never any little green tomatoes. So when I realized it was definitely too late for them to get a chance to ripen if any tomatoes actually grew, I stopped watering them and just left them to die. See?

The dead cucumber plants are in the background and you can see how droopy the tomato plants are. And what do you think happened? Well they made more flowers of course! So I mumbled and cursed under my breath but I knew they wouldn't make any tomatoes.

Then this past weekend I walked outside to wash some clothes and noticed this

Do you see that! Do you know what time of the year it is? Don't they know its way too freaking late to even start thinking about growing! I wanted to scream. Instead I told the plant to just *&#% off. I mean come on! I couldn't get normal tomato plants like Barb from So The Thing Is, no I had to get some degenerate plants who are confused about what season it is. I mean notice that the date on this first tomato post of Barb's is July 29th and they are ripe already! Mine don't start growing till the beginning of December, never mind when they would ripen since we will never know. My plants decide to start growing during a time when the temperatures are somewhere near freezing. And I planted them early I swear! Green and fuzzy just does not work at a time when things need to be all warm and cozy because it is freezing outside. And they are fuzzy, which is quite amusing.

The Penguin just happened to be at my place when I told the tomato plant to *&#% off. I told him that next year I was putting the plants at his house so that they don't get all confused with their seasonal orientation. He told me I could do that if I wanted as long as I didn't blame him if he killed them. I guess I will have to wait until I have my own yard before I can have a decent veggie crop. Such is my life!

I guess you have to try and kill something before it fights back. But it is just too little, too late in the year...

P.S. Yes, I know I spell it tomato in singular form and tomatoes in plural form. I like the way it looks with the 'e' in it just not at the end of it. This is normal right?

Making a List...

Christmas is almost here! It feels like it is the day after tomorrow, though I know I still have 2 weeks to get ready. I have shifted into full gear Holiday Mode and can think of nothing but the prep work for the holiday and making sure we have all the presents and food and schedules ready. I am quite enjoying myself though. I tend to be one to make gifts that are useful rather than just buying random knickknacks, you know those ones no one wants and opens the gift already thinking about how long they will have to wait before they can re-gift it. So I am in the process of painting a picture for my future in-laws new home. I will post photos of it when I am done. I think it will be quite nice and I think they will appreciate it. I also usually make candles for presents. But this year I just don't feel as enthused about it as I normally do. I suppose that is because I have been doing it for a few years now and it seems like I should give something different this year. Plus I just feel like I won't have the time I want to be able and make them all. I might make a few, but not enough for everyone. I have decided instead to go with another home-made gift like mixes in a jar. I remembered something my mom used to make called Fireside Coffee. It is a hot chocolate and coffee blend which is absolutely yummy. I think I am going to get jars and make a few batches of the Fireside Coffee to give out this year. I tend to also have a few generic gifts waiting like some home-made cookies or ChexMix or something simple I can give out just in case we forget anyone.

So I have made my list and checked it more than twice. I am getting together all my supplies and starting to make all the gifts. It is times like this when I know I chose gift-friendly hobbies. Not to say that things like knitting are not good gift giving hobbies, on the contrary knitting is great for gift-giving, but you can tell by reading hokgardner, barb and madmad that you have to start way earlier than I have to be able to finish everyone's present in time for Christmas. My mother is an avid knitter and fiber enthusiast and every year I think maybe I should make a few scarves for Christmas presents this year, and then I don't. I love reading the knitting posts and quite admire the women who find the time and energy to make so many wonderful and individual presents. Maybe one day I will succumb to the forces that have so obviously claimed my mother, but for now I am happy with having her reteach me every time I want to make something.

I hope you are not too frazzled right now and your gift giving agenda is pretty simple.
I am off to make more presents!