Monthly Archives: February 2012

Tonight I had the most wonderful coffee date with my most wonderful friend Allyson. It was absolutely beautiful out – the kind of beautiful that makes you realize just how lucky you are to be alive beautiful – so we sat outside at a pretty little park bench on the hip Hyde Park Square, in front of a picturesque lawn of soft green grass and a stone fountain, and we drank coffee, watched the sun set, and talked and talked and talked – about life, about our significant others, about apartments, about jobs, about theatre, about acting, about auditioning, about money, about frustrations, about joys. It was so nice! I love good friends. They make life’s daily frustrations seem so much less significant and the good things in life – friends and family – seem so much more important. Now Ted and I are enjoying the Daytona 500 Nascar race and a home-cooked meal of carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and smoked pork. Just happy to be home, together.

I’m so thankful that a great, easy day today made up for such a hectic Sunday. Even though I had the day off on Sunday, I spent the entire day designing in-depth lesson plans for five theatre classes, creating numerous worksheets for said classes, writing a 13-page script, and starting the process of finding and filling out a massive slew of legal documents for our future – wills, various powers of attorney, etc. It was busy and insane and so un-relaxing, but I feel extremely grateful to be so busy because it means that I’m employed, full-time, in theatre. The script, by the way, is kind of awesome. I’m really proud of it. Ted helped – his creativity makes me so happy! Yesterday I did get some reprieve though. Ted and I slept in a little, went to mass together in the morning, and took a fun little drive to the fish store to visit the fishies and see about maybe getting one. It was such a fun break from all the work. I’m so lucky to have such a great husband!

In other news I’ve decided that I really should be going to school at the Academy of World Languages instead of working. That place is awesome. The school got a fruit & veggie grant that allows them to bring in a different fruit or veggie from countries all around the world for the kids to try for snack everyday. Last Wednesday’s fruit was the ‘lemon plum’ from Chile. It is a juicy, sweet fruit that is similar to a pear in shape and color, but tastes totally different. It is only available in the United States in the month of February. So awesome!! Also, because the kids come from all over the world and speak all these different languages and have all these different cultural influences, the kids are super creative, which I love! For one of the plays we are writing with them one little third grade boy suggested the most incredible character I have ever heard of:

A super galactic kicking karate cow who uses mind control ice cream called “brain freeze” to control his subjects.

Seriously. I about died of sheer joy. It was all I could do to NOT leap and laugh out loud! Such an amazing character! So I’ve been really enjoying this part of my job lately. Also of importance is Ted’s broken shoulder blade. Oh, yes. Broken shoulder blade. A few weeks ago he got injured while at work (oh, theatre, the risks we take for you!), so the medical costs and care are being covered by worker’s comp and our insurance, but no wonder his shoulder has been so sore for the past two weeks! Poor guy! :-(

And because I like pretty things, here are some Piperlime dresses I’ve been stalking lately. Maybe when the money gods show up one day, right?

What have you been up to lately?

Because I haven’t posted one lately, you had to know this was coming…

My Sancho is the sweetest, most handsome little boy in the whole entire galaxy!

Just look at that scrunchy little face snoozing!!!!

HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY DENY HIM ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING HIS LITTLE KITTY HEART DESIRES!?

Gah!! I can hardly stand it!!

Why, oh why, are you in Texas sweet cat, whilst I waste away in Ohio without you!?

I’m sorry, but this outburst, though absurd, was truly absolutely necessary.

And long overdue.

Also (and on a totally unrelated note), do you know what these are?

Cedar.

Ye, we ordered cedar planks.

For the making of smokey cedar plank salmon. With candied walnuts.

Lent just got crazy delicious.

(I do realize that this has nothing to do with the true meaning or intention of Lent.)

Also,

(Click to enlarge)

I made this.

Because I’ve seen a million of these out there, on FaceBook, for every profession under the sun,

but nothing for what I and my colleagues do.

So I decided to take a cheap shot and make one.

I don’t have credit links for the images, sorry. I fail on that one.

But I do really love the last picture.

That’s me most nights, by the way. Ask Ted.

Because I guarantee every actor spends an inordinate amount of time in bed, up at all hours of the night, applying for jobs, updating resumes and cover letters, reading script after script after script, memorizing lines, doing character analysis, reading, studying, researching, and in general, working their tail off.

Plus it’s funny.

And glamorous red carpet appearances is exactly what my students think I do.

I’m not kidding. They really do.

(I do not, by the way.)

Le sigh.

And last but not least: Indulgence.

I forgot to mention that last weekend was “All You Can Eat Ribs” weekend at Montgomery Inn.

Look at who I married.

Ted – The Rib Master.

You know we were there. Early. With bells on. And bibs.

He stopped at two full racks.

I have no pictures, I’m sorry.

But it was kind of epic.

Also epic is the entire case of samoas girl scout cookies that somehow ended up in my car after the girl scouts held their 100th anniversary celebration at the museum center (my weekend job) on Saturday.

I have no idea how they got there.

Mmmmm….samoas.

(via)

I’m sharing a few with Ted. He’s sharing a few with me.

What can I say? Never did a more delicious cookie exist than the samoa. And that we can agree on.

Before you freak out, I intend for these to last us until next year.

Or at least until Tuesday.

Maybe.

Thursday night we had tickets for opening night of Into the Woods at CCM. By 5 p.m. I’d taught four theatre/acting classes at three different Cincinnati schools, all conveniently located way the heck across town from each other. I was exhausted, hungry, and in need of some good grown-up time when I met Ted at 5:30.

We opted for a leisurely dinner date at an atmospheric, upscale gourmet pizza joint nestled near Ludlow in the heart of the Clifton, Cincinnati’s gaslight district. We’d never been to a Dewey’s before, but we certainly will be back. The dough (which you could see being tossed and spun from the view-all kitchen windows) was soft, hot and flavorful, the list of ingredients was extensive, fresh and intriguing, the atmosphere was cozy and a bit eclectic, the service was impeccable, and the salads were phenomenal. While the calzones were delicious, full of flavor, and felt healthy rather than greasy, the salads were the real winners of the night. We both agreed we’d go back just for them! We also hear that their cocktails are divine, but we were too wrapped up in our eats to bother with the wine and cocktail menu.

I feasted on a Harvest Salad of fresh field greens tossed with boursin cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), figs, applewood smoked bacon, and honey apple cider vinaigrette. It was one of the tastiest, freshest salads I’ve ever had. My calzone was stuffed with goat cheese, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Ted, of course, was mortified by my choice of “weird and gross” ingredients. He opted for the classics – a Caesar salad with freshly baked crouton slices and a sausage mushroom calzone. He said both were wonderful as well.

After dinner we went back to CCM where we met our friends Nick and Linda for Into the Woods. The show was great and the special effects they used made the show extra fun to watch but I seriously could not take my eyes off the costumes. Talk about a bad case of envy! I literally drooled every. single. time. Cinderella came onstage in one of her two fabulous ball gowns. I must have told Ted at least nine times during the show that I needed her dresses – even the beige/blush colored one (and we all know how much I hate pink) and I demanded that he steal them for me after the show. Surely the costume shop will not miss them. SERIOUSLY. I tried to find a picture of them for you, but no luck. Alas, we always enjoy CCM’s musicals. The talent is so good it’s literally ridiculous. I’m still talking about the awesomeness that was Evita nearly a year and a half ago.

Did you get a date night this week?

{1} Striped dresses

{2} Love Never Fails shirt

{3} Neutrals

{4} DIY Jersey bracelets

{5} Bright trouser socks

{6} Simple spring frocks via Piperlime

{7} Pretty studs

Ready for “not winter” over here!

Because I apparently have the immune system of a preemie, I’m sick…again. If you’re counting this is about the 5th cold I’ve had since late November. My question is, where is the damn cold vaccine!? Because I need it pronto. I’m thinking my poor health this year is NOT due to the insane number of kids I work with every day (because I worked with an insane number of kids every day in Texas) but rather to the Ohio allergens and Cincinnati-area strains of viruses my body has not accustomed or built up an immunity to yet and the rapid climate changes we’ve been experiencing all season. Either way, I’m over it. When you work four jobs – most of which are hourly and therefore you are paid for being present – and when you work in professional theatre and teach children and don’t have the option to bring in a substitute when you’re feeling under the weather, you don’t quite have time…at all…to be sick. I’ve spent the past three days in bed and I still feel awful. I have stocked up on multi-vitamins and Emergen-C packets to hopefully tide me through the rest of the school year until I can figure out a permanent fix to boost my shoddy immune system.

In other news, I made Hungarian chicken paprikash with spaetzel tonight for dinner. Several years ago my parents hosted some Hungarian friends at our house for a while. Georgie (not her Hungarian name, but her chosen American name) made the world’s most delicious homemade spaetzel (kind of like dumpling noodles, but she made them from scratch) with chicken paprika. I remember it being out of this world amazing. Later we took a two-week trip to visit them in Hungary and to visit my brother and his family in Germany. In Hungary Georgie cooked more delicious meals and they took us out to eat at a lakeside restaurant that served the most phenomenal Hungarian fish stew in individual cast iron kettles. It was divine. Lately I’ve been thinking about all of Georgie’s delicious cooking and really had a craving to savor some of those flavors again and introduce them to Ted. Because I’m sick and not skilled enough to make spaetzel from scratch, I bought the store bought stuff – which was a very poor substitute for Georgie’s authentic spaetzel, but it worked nonetheless. And though the chicken paprikash wasn’t exactly like Georgie’s, it will still pretty good and did it’s job to help ease my craving. My next cooking projects will be Rouladen and Hungarian Fish Stew.

In the meanwhile, I continue to recover as best I can…

What have you been up to lately?

Ted and I aren’t big celebrators of Valentine’s Day.

I don’t expect flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals, an expensive dinner, or a card.

He doesn’t expect me to cook him a fancy meal or gift him a thoughtful present.

These are the kind of things we strive to do year-round for each other.

True, in our 3.5 years together he has never bought me a single bunch of flowers. But he has come home with a new pack of hairbands for me when he noticed I’d lost all mine. He has searched all of Michigan in late November for a new pumpkin for me to carve after a raccoon ate mine. He has surprised me the unexpected “just because” gift of something he knew I needed but wouldn’t buy for myself. He has unloaded the dishwasher, taken the trash out, folded the laundry, and threw in a pizza for dinner for us on nights when I’ve been swamped with work. And he does make me laugh every single morning with his weird voices and made-up songs while we get ready for work. I do all the same kinds of things for him – little surprises here and there, a dinner of all his favorite foods just because, running an errand for him when he’s busy, or making his lunch.

And it’s these little things that I love more than flowers and cards and all the Valentine’s treats in world.

But last night I got the best Valentine’s gift in the world – a night with my Valentine!

Ted was scheduled to work load-in until midnight, but he unexpectedly finagled his schedule to be home by 6:30 and surprise me with an evening together!

Of course, I ruined this surprise by taking advantage of his late work schedule to run some errands and not arriving home until 7…but the sentiment and our surprise evening together was the best gift I could have asked for.

We ordered in an extra large pizza to split. We drank wine and ate cupcakes. We watched TV and cuddled on the couch in our pajamas and played a board game.

It was perfect.

And isn’t that really what Valentine’s Day is all about? Spending time with the people you love and letting them know how much you cherish them? And you don’t need flowers or a fancy dress to do that.

Did you do anything special to celebrate with someone you love?

Happy V Day!

In honor of mushy love, I’ve compiled a list of my top three lovey-dovey Romance movies of all time!

(P.S. – For an extra dip of saccharine you should probably read this list accompanied by the sweet melody of Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story.”)

(P.P.S. And if you gag easily you should probably just skip this post altogether…killjoy.)

1.

“The Notebook”

OF COURSE.

As unbelievably cliche and girly and mushy and sickening as this movie truly is…it’s also my favorite movie of. all. time.

Knowing me, most people would not peg me as this kind of girl.

But, alas.

I was obsessed with this movie and watched it at least once a week when it came out in 2004, and I still love it to this day.

Plus I want Rachel McAdam’s entire wardrobe.

I even walked down the aisle to “On the Lake” – you know, that gorgeous instrumental song composed for the scene when Allie & Noah are in the boat and it starts to pour and she starts laughing right before the big rainy “It’s still not over!” steamy kiss scene.

Yep. I staked wedding aisle walk claim on that sucker instantaneously.

 Best love story ever.

Ideal for Valentine’s dates with yourself, a box of tissues, and a carton of malted milk balls.

Because no dude wants to sit through that crap for two hours with you.

Moving on…

2.

“Under the Tuscan Sun”

This movie kind of just wants t0 make you move to Italy immediately.

It’s romantic and funny and life-affirming and, of course, delicious because it’s Italy.

I like this one because it’s got all kinds of love – romantic love, family love, friend love, love of self, love of beauty, love of life, etc.

Share the love, people. Share the travel and share the love.

And finally…

3.

“P.S. I Love You”

Talk about a sob fest.

It is impossible to make it through even the first 1/16 of this movie with a dry eye.

You can only hope your S.O. would be so romantic, even in death.

Again, what’s with the travel?

Maybe it’s the combination of romance and travel that makes these flicks so darn appealing.

In the Romantic-Comedy category the clear winner is

“The Proposal”

While it’s technically a love story and can verge on romantic every now and then, it’s big selling point with us is that it’s laugh out loud funny.

Ted and I both think it’s hilarious.

We’ve watched it an embarrassing number of times for a rom-com.

Brilliant one liners.

And how can you deny the genius that is Sandra Bullock?

If you haven’t seen it, you really should give it a chance.

And lastly, in the I Hate Love and Romance and Therefore I Hate Valentine’s Day category my vote goes to

“All I Wanna Do”

If you’re not having any of that obnoxious love stuff then I would highly suggest grabbing some pals and popcorn and ice cream and sleeping bags and settling in for a night of laughs with this group of mischievous 1960s boarding school girls.

I love the casting and it’s a total girl power movie.

This is a definite go to for the down with love crowd.

Happy V Day, however you choose to enjoy it.

I hope you take the time to celebrate all the important loves in your life – family, friends, pets, coworkers, yourself, S.O.’s, and otherwise!