Juice, Glorious Juice

Remember grade school, when you were standing in a lunch line with a pastel fiberglass tray? You were likely shuffling alongside a dingy semi-gloss wall of cinderblock, plastered with posters about Being all that you can be, or how to save someone from choking on a Salisbury steak, or the wonderful info-graphic that we are all supposed to live by: The Food Pyramid.

You had seen said Pyramid a million times by the age of 10. Even so, when you get to the front of the lunch line, you pile your tray high with fries, pizza, an over-sized chocolate chip cookie, and maybe some iceberg lettuce with carrot shreds, with a generous heap of ranch dressing. If you didn’t bring a packed lunch to school, then you were pretty much guaranteed to be biting off the top of the pyramid as well as nibbling off a bottom corner. The poor neglected middle.

Some of us get older, then fatter, then wiser, and we learn that to feel good, and survive, we need to take the whole pyramid into account. I don’t claim to eat a perfect pyramid everyday, but I am trying to eat more fresh stuff when possible.

It is also nice to try and get vitamins from somewhere besides a pill.

Hence, I have welcomed a new buddy into my home. Meet the juicer:

Best fruit I have drank. (drunk?)

Tutorial on Wine Box Stabbing

The last time I went tent camping was on the beach in Mexico in the middle of July about six years ago. Our supplies included a truck, a flatbed trailer, two matches and a white bathing suit. It was my first trip with Justin and his sister, Jenny. Lots of fun, but MAN ALIVE, we were so ill prepared. I am now wiser, and know how to prevent mornings like the infamous wake-up-in-120-degree-tent-no-shade-dirty-thirsty-hateful-crawl-from-tent-into-only-shade-under-trailer-morning.

Although the beginning of that day may go down in my personal history as the most unpleasant outdoor experience ever, the shower following the trip was nothing short of heaven. My poor white bathing suit went directly into the garbage, and I was the proud new owner of not a tan line, but a DIRT line. Yep.

Last weekend, we decided to brave tent camping once again. This time, we brought hummus and an airbed. Not a fan of hummus? Try the gourmet salsa or spicy black bean dip. The breakfast burritos are amazing, and the chili hits the spot. We had a large cooler for every 1.5 people. There was bug spray, blankets, tablecloths, and ample firewood. We had chairs, games, drinks, and my favorite: WATER.

The best necessity that came along on the trip was probably Amber’s cowboy boots:

How cute is the Amber-sized tent? This picture was taken at the first campsite, pre-kick out.

So yes, we had two campsites. The first was at a really nice private campground outside of the Indiana Dunes State Park. Just as everyone had arrived, and air-beds had been inflated, the park ranger shows up. When does this ever happen? We were not a bunch of  high school kids in the woods with a keg. Some of us hadn’t even opened a beer yet!! Yes, there have been many times when park rangers probably should have shown up—about ten years ago wherever Justin and his friends were at during the months of June–August.

But COME ON. We brought hummus. AND BREAKFAST BURRITOS. The average age was 28, not 18. And a family dog was on site. We are not troublemakers here. Just look at this face:

Hummus.

Burritos. At Breakfast. LOOK OUT.

So when the rangers showed up, they lectured us like a bunch of teenagers for having alcohol at a campsite. Then they forced us to dump it all in the woods. THEN, the ranger holds up a box of wine, and STABS IT with a KNIFE, and 20 bucks of perfectly good Black Box waters the Indiana Woods. Brilliant.

Blechk. afjdslfkalfkja.

Camping got a whole lot better in the morning when we packed up and relocated to a place where we were allowed to have beer with our beanbag and euchre. How daring of us.

Perishable!

When I get a package in the mail from my mother-in-law, it is sure to be full of goodies. When the words PERISHABLE OPEN IMMEDIATELY are written across it, the goodies are top notch.

Oh, the anticipation that goes along with this label.

Best package ever.

Needless to say, making dinner has been really fun the last couple of nights. I would have taken pictures of the dishes, but we devoured it too fast.

All of this yummy produce was grown in Donna’s Garden. And most of it has been eaten already.

Squids May Overtake Owls

A few years ago the plagues started.

Not plagues of locusts, but sparrows. EVERYWHERE you looked was trendy sparrow jewelry and tattoos and t-shirts and what-not. The trend was hot, until it got too mainstream, now a sparrow necklace is considered lame and dated.

Then the woodland creatures rose up shortly after. Deer were kings. If the deer were screen printed as a silhouette, even better. LOTS of deer everywhere, and the occasional squirrel or two.

Then the wise owl swooped in to take over your pillows, jewelry, and kitschy curtains. The owl is one of the most pervasive of the trendy animal plagues. EVERYONE was doing it. It is still happening today. Cause let’s all admit, there is something very intriguing about those little guys. The Renegade Craft Fair even uses them in their logo:

The Renegade huge this year, and I had the pleasure of browsing the millions of booths with these fine ladies:

Journey's "Open Arms" comes to mind.

Encore! I just love these ladies. I like how all Andrea's gestures remind me of an old italian grandpa. Get this woman a cigar.

So, back to the plagues of trendy animals. As I was saying, the owl trend is still going strong, but the really cutting edge crafters have abandoned it. The next hot thing?

Squids.

Octopus as well perhaps, but they had a brief moment in the spotlight in ’08, and didn’t overtake the owls. There are still a few around, but squids seem to be the new hotness.

Review: South Andersonville Organic Lemonade Stand

If I am walking home from my train after work, there are likely a number of things swimming around in my head. These range from personal financial issues, lists of things that I need to take care of, what to make for dinner, and the many creative projects that I would like to kick-off at some point. And sometimes I’m thinking about babies, kittens, and cupcakes. All these things can distract me from just enjoying what is going on right at that moment.

But then again, there are certain scenes or happenings that I come across during my day which can instantly pull me out of my jumbled mind and shoot me straight into the here and now.

The bills, lists, and worries are gone in a second, and suddenly all I can think about is LEMONADE. HAND SQUEEZED ORGANIC LEMONADE. And the cookies are on sale! FREE cookies with purchase of LEMONADE! The owner of the stand obviously recommends the cookies by evidence of chocolate smudge on said owner’s chin.

Norman Rockwell, eat your heart out.

The lemonade was a bit pricier than other stands in the neighborhood, but I would dare say it was worth a dollar. The hand-painted sign and the bright colors of the tablecloth and umbrella really set the mood. And a free cookie?! Yes. This wasn’t any powder-and-water or from-concentrate lemonade, either. It was the real thing.

Sidenote: The owner has a striking resemblance to the subjects of one of my favorite photos. (Scroll down to yellow tutu princess)

Apologies to Summer

I feel bad about jumping the gun on Fall excitement. Amber reminded me to enjoy what we have right now. And that picture of me in the parka with the duck face makes me cold.

Then there was last Thursday’s farmer’s market on Daley Plaza. Summer, this is where I really started to regret wishing for fall. Because the produce is so ridiculously abundant, that they have stopped trying to contain it in cute,tidy bushel baskets. They are likely just backing up dump-trucks full of locally grown goodness and depositing GIGANTIC HEAPS OF AWESOMENESS under the various seller’s tents.

The huge pile of multi-colored fresh peppers made me want to do this:

Weeeeee!

Jumping into a pile of ripe edibles in public is frowned upon. So I restrained myself. But look how lovely they are:

Peppers! And baby Vidalia onions! These roast up into a perfect marriage that would pair nicely with some italian sausage.

What's this?

Disapproving Squirrel has been let out of his lengthy timeout. He was allowed to play in the onion patch, but his attitude clearly needs a bit more adjustment. He didn't show proper excitement for the peppers, so was not allowed near them.

Sunflowers that look like saffron-colored marigolds. They are so heavy that their necks are slumped. Such a strange posture for a really happy looking flower.

Effort

In an effort to cultivate a nighttime habit of regular postings, I would like to present a bit of lameness that took all the energy I could muster this evening:

That is supposed to be an animated gif. Not sure if that will post correctly. (click on it?) Apologies to anyone with epilepsy, allergies to fat felines, or the aversions to deliciously fluffy blankets.

The idea of curling up in that blanket when the weather gets crispy and leaves get crunchy makes me want to shut down the computer and bake a loaf of bread right now.  The warm bread would then be eaten with a bowl of homemade chili and chased with a hot brandy cider. I kind of want a hay ride and pumpkin donut as well. That’s right, Fall is coming. It is second only to Spring in favorite-time-of-year-ratings. Winter and I are still not speaking because of last year’s treacheries, and Summer is a bit lazy and damp.

I am looking forward to that date with my fuzzy blanket. Porpus Boley will surely join me during Autumn cuddle fest 2009 without hesitation. Coziness is just around the corner. It’s about to be spooning weather.

Right now though, I am still trying to eat as many fresh things as possible, while things are still growing. This perfectly blue colander that was just given to me by my observant Mama makes washing the dirty fresh things way more fun than my boring old strainer did. Thanks, Mom.

Six Day Weekends? Yes. Please.

Are you one of those people who have never been to Lake Michigan? Just so you know, it isn’t really a lake/pond. There are waves, beaches, and you can’t see the other side. If you have been to a “sea” or a “gulf” then you should expect something more along those lines when you go to the Great Lakes.

I grew up fairly close to Lake Michigan. So I didn’t give it much thought and just assumed that it was normal to live in the middle of the U.S. and have access to thousands of miles of coastline. Not so much. Just think of Iowa for a second…

…did you just fall asleep and then wake up with keyboard marks on your face?

It is because Iowa has no beach.

However, Michigan does. See:

Here is Grandpa on the dunes. He is quite the daredevil, as you can see. Sign reads "Fragile Dune Area Please Keep Off"

So if you have never been there, and you don’t already live on the coast, I would highly recommend a visit to the Great Lakes. Stay in Michigan. Spend some of your money there. They can use it these days.

My family rented a house with a view of the lake for labor day. It was a three generation gathering, so that meant that we all make and eat these:

Here they are all lined up and ready to be boiled. I can't spell the name of them, but we call them "Bien-churs"

My Uncle Craig rolls out the dough

Mom helps put the filling in the dough. We call this "bowing" for some reason.

Most of the my time was spent lounging around and walking the beach or giving photography and Photoshop lessons to my brother, who has a ridiculously nice Canon. Some more ambitious family members went for runs and multi-mile bike rides. Others gained 4 lbs over the weekend. All in my face. Here are a few more captures of the most relaxing 6-day-weekend I have ever had: (full set here)

My Precious

I am one of the lucky ones. I have health insurance and I am not ill. I am not going bankrupt because I am sick. I am not stressed out about paying doctor bills. Most days, I take this for granted.

I rarely have to go to the doctor, but in the last two months I have made it a goal to get fully checked out just to get a picture of my overall health.

The following visits have been crossed off the list:

• Dentist (complete with x-rays)
• OB/GYN (ugh)
• Dermatologist (skin cancer screening)
• Doctor (physical and blood tests)

Turns out that everything is healthy from head to toe. I even got a special call-out on my blood test results congratulating me on by fabulous cholesterol levels! Who would have thought? So, yay! I can keep on keeping on—wait, what’s THIS?!! I have weird freakishly high liver enzyme levels? The doc is concerned?!? Wants more tests done?! WHAT? This kind of thing doesn’t happen to me. What if I have a serious liver problem? This is where my mind spun out of control with hepatitis theories, other what ifs, and transplant scenarios. Gah!

Luckily, the new tests came back today and it turns out that my liver is normal after all. I ran around the house like a kid hopped up on pixie sticks when I found out that I am still healthy. Even though nothing was actually wrong with me, I promise never to take my health for granted again. (Theory: Lifting weights caused all this ruckus with the enzymes.)

Love your liver! This is my friend, Joe Davis. He likes to dress as the Liver Man and then shows up at marathons and hockey games to encourage people to love their livers. Doesn't he look lovable? Click the image to learn more about liver love.

It may seem wrong to post a link to the American Liver Foundation followed by a wine collage. Yeah, maybe. But I was thrilled to have some wine to celebrate my liver victory. This rioja is my new favorite.

Everything about today was pretty awesome. Besides getting the clean bill of health, I had the day off. And it was sunny. This means that a nap on the porch floor with Porpus was mandatory. Justin’s job search for next year is going really well. He has great things to report everyday. Exciting times.

AND, it was our 3rd wedding anniversary! It seems like we just got married yesterday, but I feel like I have been with Justin for a million years. Not the kind of years where you are staring at the clock every two minutes to see when class will get out—but the kind where you have lost all sense of time because you are really caught up in something. You forget that clocks exist at all. Maybe that is why I am always running late to everything? I love where we have been and love where we are going together. I could write a lot of other mushy things, but I feel like I have done that quite a bit lately. Let’s just talk about jewelry instead.

Yes, that says "March 27, 1903" on the interior of the band. It is the date of Justin's Great Great Grandpa's wedding. Also inscribed in the band is "JNB 9-03-06" (our wedding day). I love how old this ring is. I love the rose gold color. I love that Justin felt weird when I took it off his finger for the photoshoot.

Mine nests inside perfectly. My precious.

Mourning Glory

Can someone tell me how to be a morning person AND a night owl?

…No one?

I think this may actually be impossible. If you come across such an anomaly of a human being (robot?) please put them in touch with me immediately. I’m in trouble over here.

Writing posts at night is just not happening. I used to post everything in the morning before work, and felt great about it. Now I just feel lame.

What happened to my mornings? The gym. Oh, how I love my new gym. The running on cement every morning had turned my knees into gravel–LOUD, CREAKY, PAINFUL gravel. So no, I never made it from my couch all the way to the 5k. However, I am alright with that because instead of my morning runs, Justin and I have been making it to our gym in Andersonville before the sun even hits Clark street. I feel great. One of my goals is to be able to arm wrestle Michelle Obama and not lose in the first 2 seconds. Arm wrestling me is on top of her list of her priorities. Surely.

So even though I am getting in shape and feeling healthy, my blog life is really suffering. I am going to have to move it up a spot on my nightly list of priorities. “Falling asleep on the couch before 9:30 p.m.” will have to move down a notch. 10,000 lame points have just been awarded to me.

So if you have any ideas that would help me that don’t involve methamphetamines, that would be swell.

I have a lot in common with the morning glories that climb the fence near my train. Here is how they look before lunch.

And here they are around dinner time.

On a happier note, my friend Randy just got a job in Chicago and is moving here! He will be a fine addition to this great city. Here he is showing the proper way to smash/eat an over-sized burger with way too much grease. Welcome to Chicago!