Great Expectations

Sometimes I wonder if I expect too much.

I mean if I am sitting at home at night, especially on a weekend, I am most likely consumed with frustration because I'm not out doing something fun and exciting. I honestly have no cause to be bothered by that, I mean I have a ton of movies - I mean a TON - all of which I love...why don't I watch one of those? I have a stack of books that I want to read at least ten miles high, I should start reading one.

Alas, I am still not satisfied. I saw this video on Facebook and thought to myself:

"Self: he is so right! You have so much, and yet it is never enough. You need to get back to the simple pleasures in life."

So I was meditating on this tonight while watching my friends son, and some quality Finding Nemo, and I look over and he has removed the cushioned top off one of our storage ottomans and he is sitting inside it, laughing. Just laughing his head off, standing up, sitting down, standing up again, sitting down again. It was SO CUTE!

And I felt ashamed. If he could be so pleased with something so simple, do I really need so much to be happy too?

The answer is no.

Now I am not going to sell my belongings, give away my purses and shoes, and make my home in a hollow tree in the woods - that would be nuts...what, it is cold outside!

But I am going to be better.

I don't want chivalry to die, I just want it to be more observant

I may have mentioned in a past post that automotive issues and maintenance are not really my thing...but if you missed that let me say it now: I consider cars to be a necessary evil in this world.

Now my car has suffered a safety breach in the under the hood region, that is to say something is broken, which has resulted in the coolant leaking out of my car when I am not looking. I have every intention of having this actually fixed but for now I have been able to manage the problem by topping off my coolant when the light goes on telling me it is too low.

So Thursday night I left work and headed to the grocery store and on my way there my coolant light came on. After expelling a disgusted sigh I made a mental note to refill the coolant after I had done my shopping so that the engine had some time to cool off before I started poking around under the hood. Well I did my shopping and in the blinding setting sunlight I popped the hood of my poor little car and warily approached the cap of the coolant tank.

Here I think it is important to note that on the cap of the coolant tank it says that contents are EXTREMELY HOT and UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE.

So I twisted the cap ever so slightly to the left and listened until the sounds of escaping pressure subsided, I then removed the cap completely. Ugh! If you have ever smelled hot coolant (I am aware of how silly that sounds) you know that the odor rising to my delicate nose was not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. I then opened the coolant bottle-jug-thing and started pouring it into the tank.

While in the midst of this delicate procedure, I suddenly notice this random guy walking up to me and he says:

"You should have your engine on while you do that."

Um, there are very few things that I know how to do on my own with regard to car care, but I think this is one I can handle as it seems to have more to do with common sense than actual automotive knowledge - it is probably a bad idea to have the engine on when I am pouring liquid into this tank where said liquid is made hot in the process of doing its job when the engine is on.

So I look at him and in the politest tone possible I say:

"Oh no it's okay, I am just topping off my coolant."

He says again:

"Ya, you need to have your engine on for that. Why don't you go turn it on."

I am all for chivalry. If you see me stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire or an actually non-working car please feel free to stop and lend a hand, but at this point I was like; thanks for the offer to help, but I've got this.

I suppose he finally got it that I was not going to start my car, so he just gave me this look and walked away. I then finished adding coolant to my car, got in, and drove away - the entire time mentally shaking my head not really sure why he seemed so bugged when it was me who was being annoyed.

Was that the right reaction? I am just not sure, the entire episode kind of confused me to be honest.

So that is my story, and if you are in the mood to hear another tale of a man offering a woman help when she really didn't need it you should read this, and know that I wish my story telling skills were just as entertaining.

Another stop on the road to self discovery

WARNING:
This post may bother, worry, disgust, or horrify some readers. Adult supervision is advised.

When people ask what my favorite movie is, it kind of upsets me because I am completely unable to provide an answer. How could I possibly pick a favorite movie, I would no sooner be able to pick a favorite shoe in the Nordstrom shoe department.

Now this may be a round about way of saying it but if I had to, as in life or death decision/declare or get pushed into the volcano, pick a favorite movie of all time...I think it would have to be...

Ok, these two:

Funny Girl, and The Way We Were

So it isn't ONE favorite.

My blog, my rules.

Deal with it.

These movies have one major thing in common. Do you know what it is? I'll tell you:

BARBARA STREISAND

(Warning: proceed with caution)

I love Barbara! I do. I really do! Now I know that there are many out there who are unable to appreciate the wonder that is Barbara. Who cannot fully appreciate her trademark nails and eye makeup, and the way her voice makes the world just a little bit brighter, but I don't care. I love her.

And today I made an amazing discovery: Barbara and I have the SAME BIRTHDAY! I always felt that Barbara and I were linked somehow, now I know why. Just one more reason to love her.

So what is your favorite movie? I am always interested in expanding my movie repertoire and I would love to know what other people love watching over and over again, until the DVD is exhausted and racked with seizures that make watching it any longer impossible.

Share on dear friends, share on.

And then there were two...

The blessed cupcake book has a fraternal twin!

THE COOKIE BOOK!

I'm so happy.

Now although I am generally of the school that scoffs and sniffs at people rushing, pushing, thrusting and shoving Christmas into full focus before Thanksgiving...I have to say:

I can hardly wait for Christmas so I can make the AWESOME holiday cookies in this book!

In case you are wondering, I know I have a problem.

I can just feel my sister shaking her head at me from across town.

It's okay, I know it's just jealousy.

Inspiration for a new project

Guess what, guess what, guess what!

I got a new cookbook last night, but not just any new cookbook: Martha Stewart's cupcake book.

Isn't it beautiful?

Now I know that there are some out there that do not approve of Martha, but I love her. All you have to do is look past her obsessive compulsive nature, and deplorable wardrobe, and what you will find is a marvelously creative woman with a talent for making beautiful and delicious things.

Anyway, my love of Martha led me to the realization that I needed her cupcake book in order to be happy. This book holds 116 cupcake recipes, some filled and some frosted, some glazed and some dipped, and I intend to try them all.

Now while this idea may sound vaguely familiar, especially if you have been to a movie theater in the last few months, I assure you all that I am not stealing the idea from dear Julie - I will merely share with you my failures and successes as I work my way through this entire cookbook. I also have grand and glorious plans to purchase a new battery for my camera so that I can even provide some pictures for you.

That's it. I just wanted to share my great happiness in my new cookbook with you, and warn you ahead of time that at least one more "new cookbook" celebration post is in this blogs future.

But that is all I will say for now.

The Bubblewrap Chronicles

First of all I feel it necessary to admit, declare, confirm, proclaim, note, and divulge, that I HATE moving! Hate. Did you hear me? I said HATE!

You may remember the previous gripe on the subject of house hunting and moving, but now I can safely say that I had no idea what I was talking about! My past moving experience has been fairly limited, my first moving adventure was when I was 4. We moved to the house I completed my childhood in, and although I am sure it was very traumatic - the level of stress I suffered was relatively minimal...given the fact that I was 4...and that it wasn't across the plains...in a covered wagon.

The next move was from said childhood home to Utah. While most definitely traumatic, the whole boxes, clothing, housing thang was really the least of it. I am generally a stiff-upper-lip-kind-of-girl, but leaving the nest proved emotionally strong enough to crack even my steel facade. From there I did switch apartments in the complex I live in, but that wasn't a real move.

But this, this is insane. I have been working all day, and all I have succeeded in doing is making piles of shtuff that need to be transported across town! So here is my thought, I am thinking that I could adopt the Bedouin lifestyle and only own that which can fit on my camel's saddle. Huh, huh? What do you think? I mean that does mean that I would have to abandon the retail world, except for the occasional bazaar we pass, and that I would probably never have an occasion to wear my favorite cow-skin pumps again...but it could be fun.................ok even thinking about it is freaking me out!

Fine! Back to packing. UGH!

Cupcake Love

A couple of weeks ago I went on a magical journey to a beautiful and happy place. In this happy place I ate (okay devoured) some AMAZING cupcakes.

I had read about The Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery here in Provo from one of the many food blogs I like to read. I decided to check out their website and not long after that I resolved to visit it, and soon.

Finally the day arrived. My brother in-law was off fishing with his dad, so my sister and I staged a very important and scientific taste test of six of The Sweet Tooth Fairy's cupcakes.


Let me introduce you to the gang (clockwise from the top left): Double Fudge, Toasted Coconut, Lemon, Peanut Butter, Black & White, Red Velvet.

The Double Fudge cupcake had a delightfully dark chocolate cake with a dark and dangerous fudge frosting, all topped off with a Maraschino Cherry. I love Maraschino Cherries, don't know if I have ever mentioned it before, my sister thinks I am sick.

Toasted Coconut I think was my favorite, all of you "Chocolate is KING" people out there settle down - I am not jumping ship. Although I do love me so me chocolate anything, the Toasted Coconut cupcake was so complex and thrilling that it has to be given top billing. The cake was white cake, but it was dense like a yellow cake, then the frosting had the delightful flavor of coconut and almond all topped with the nutty toasted coconut that added color and texture to the whole experience.

The Lemon was out of this world! So often when I eat or bake "lemon" things it seems like the flavor just isn't all there. That wonderful sensation when you eat something so lemony that it makes you pucker, in a good way, many times seems like it is missing. Not in this little beauty! The cake is dense and filled with lemon zest, as is the frosting. The frosting is covered lightly in sugar and is topped by a quarter of a lemon to add to the lemon motif. Refreshing and rich at the same time, I think this one was my sister's favorite.

Originally we had saved the Peanut Butter one for Tyler, he love anything PB, but since he was not equal to the task of dispatching the entire cupcake on his own Lisa and I were there to lend a helping hand, we are oh so self sacrificing that way. The cake was dark chocolate with a peanut better frosting and topped with chopped up Reeses cups.

The Black & White was a brilliant contrast, hence the name, the cake was the same dark chocolate as the Double Fudge, but it was topped with the almond/coconut frosting that topped the Toasted Coconut cupcake. So simple, yet so impressive.

Last but not least the Red Velvet. Here I must add that I don't quite get the draw of Red Velvet cake, I mean all it is is chocolate cake colored red after all, nevertheless people are always going on about it. This cake was very moist and was barely able to support itself when weighed down by the heaving Cream Cheese frosting, but the chocolate/cream cheese combo always gets me, and I could not think ill of the little blushing cupcake.

All in all a very educational and low fat adventure but if you are looking for a little treat, check out the Sweet Tooth Fairy Bakery in Provo, your taste buds will thank you.

P.S. I found this shirt that I think I need-

I kinda love it, what do you think?