la vida steffa

Overheard in the office...

2011-11-16T13:32:00.003-05:00

Steph: Abigail!

Abbie: Stephaniegail!

S: Wait, how did you know that Gayle is my middle name?

A: Huh? Oh, ya know, I just figured that about you.

S: No, really... It's my middle name. My name is Stephanie Gayle.

A: Wait, what?

S: Yep, my grandma's name is Gayle too.

A: Oooooh?! Really. Every time someone calls me "Abigail," I add gail to their name.

Every once in a while things work out so perfectly.

Best Time-Wasting Ever.

2010-12-09T08:45:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Greg for sharing this.

A piece of Americana...

2010-11-04T13:42:00.005-04:00

So when I was little (for a brief moment), I wanted two things: to be Miss America and to be a Rockette.

Hey, I was really little. The teen angst wasn't even a glimmer yet.

Fast forward to now, I know a Rockette! She went to our high school, and she is a fabulous dancer with loooooong Rockette kicking legs!

Well, anyway, she had a couple extra tickets to their dress rehearsal... and I got to go! It was fabulous. Radio City Music Hall is impressive - huge and beautiful. Those girls are soooooo talented and athletic. Seriously, they make the high kicks look easy, and I assure you that I did try, and no, they are not easy.

And if you were wondering - YES, this did totally get me into the Christmas spirit... which is WAY weird because that normally doesn't happen until 12/23.

Anywho, sorry for the bad/blurry photos and the bad video, but that's all I have... and I don't have the energy to write up a real review, so this will have to do.

Angy asked for it...

2010-10-27T19:33:00.005-04:00

Sorry, sister. You probably didn't want a political post... but this is just too much.

Have you heard of Clint McCance? He is a school board vp in Arkansas who made some seriously hateful comments about gay people/kids on his personal FB page. In response to Spirit Day (a day last week to show solidarity against bullying), he said that he would participate only if "they all commit suicide."

Now, I don't know what world this man is living in... but I'm living in a world where every life matters, every life counts... Celebrating suicide and/or hoping that an individual (let alone an entire population) commits suicide is disgusting, heart-wrenching and sad... horribly, horribly sad. Further, he said that he enjoys that "they often give each other aids and die." Wow.

Clint goes on to say that he would disown his own child if he/she were gay. He would "run them off;" they would not be "welcome in [his] home or in [his] vicinity."

I understand that he has the right to his opinion, but he is an elected official who affects children's lives. If he would run off his own children, what would he do to others' children? What would he sit by idly and watch others do to gay kids that were not his own?

He has the right to say such things. I am not condemning that right... But I would hope that most parents (whether or not they believe in gay marriage) wouldn't want such a man influencing their children's school.

I believe that homosexuality is not a choice. I know that you may not. I can handle the fact that we do not agree on that. I cannot handle that there are people who not only believe that homosexuality is chosen but then choose to be hateful and hurtful and teach others to be hateful and hurtful. That is one of the saddest circles of life ever. Hate begets hate. Cruelty begets cruelty.

This breaks my heart. Where is the compassion for others?

Why I don't like roller coasters...

2010-10-08T08:50:00.000-04:00

Duh!

Gross.

2010-10-05T14:16:00.004-04:00

Disturbing.

And people wonder why I think cooking is important.

I don't know that I'll ever eat another chicken nugget. Yay!

It gets better.

2010-10-01T08:34:00.005-04:00

High school is rough. Kids can be cruel.

But life definitely does get better.

This month, there have been numerous suicides of kids who were bullied for being 'different,' for being gay. As Ellen put it, 1 life lost in this senseless way is a tragedy; 4 lives lost is a crisis.

So Dan Savage started the It Gets Better project. Celebrities - gay & straight alike - are posting videos about how high school can be difficult, college can be difficult... but that life inevitably will get better. The world is changing; people will become more tolerant.

What a great idea. From someone who is not gay but but has always marched to the beat of a different drummer, it does get better. As you move on through life's stages, you find your little place in the world.

I can only imagine what it is like being a gay student... but it is true that the bullies won't last.

It definitely gets better. Life got better in college. Life got exponentially better after college. Though there will always be challenges, life continues to get better every single day.

It gets better.

2010-10-01T08:34:00.001-04:00

Yep, yep... Another funny video.

2010-09-24T14:48:00.002-04:00

I never really liked Rashida Jones, but she really is growing on me... She's had to work very hard ever since she came between Jim & Pam.

But this definitely sealed the deal.

The other day...

2010-09-15T08:05:00.002-04:00

Someone may have accidentally left the milk out for 8 or 9 hours.

The next day, Someone may have accidentally forgotten to tell Someone Else that the milk may have gone bad until after Someone Else had already used the milk.

Someone Else may have been mildly ill that day.

(Someone may be me. Someone Else shall remain nameless.)

Sad to see her go...

2010-09-07T17:11:00.003-04:00

Sadly, SNL is losing Jenny Slate after just one season... Yes, she dropped an f bomb on her first episode, but who wouldn't be nervous?!

Anywho, I'm mostly sad b/c I'm not sure how I can go forward knowing that there will never be a new doorbell/car horn skit. Sad, sad, sad. I will miss my favorite entrepreneus, TinaTina...

Router, Netflix! Bunsen Burner, Bubbles, It's Alive!

Let's all mourn the fun & fancy doorbells & car horns.

What to say about this?

2010-09-07T14:26:00.003-04:00

Best part? Clearly her singing "oooh."

It's a dog... in a dress!

2010-08-24T20:43:00.003-04:00

No, really. This photo had me in tears. That is not a dog dress. That is a little girl dress... on a dog. HAHAHAA!

Have you ever perused PeopleOfWalMart.com? If not, you should... except not. I feel guilty when I gawk for obvious reasons. The site is mean-spirited - all about making fun of patrons of my least favorite store in the entire world.

Yet somehow, when I scroll through, I crack up. Fortunately, I don't look that often.

Just for fun...

This lady is in bright green and in AZ, which is pretty funny... What's funnier is the caption:

I don’t really see anyth……oh wait, there she is! I see her! She was blending in with the Mountain Dew; which is something I never thought I would say about a neon green beverage.

Pop Tart Love

2010-08-24T18:07:00.004-04:00

Oh Em Gee.

I must visit Pop Tart World. Can I get a "YUM?"

Seriously, I have no idea why Pop Tarts would need a storefront location... but I don't really care either. Pop Tarts are always delicious.

I may have to convince my husband to go with me, but I'm sure that it'll only take a bat of the eyelash and a sad smile.

Pop Tart World, here I come!

Are you kidding me?!

2010-08-23T09:10:00.002-04:00

Holy guacamole!

This guy can jam.

Important News...

2010-08-13T09:03:00.006-04:00

I went on a real roller coaster.

As in - a 105 foot drop, corkscrews, loops, dangling feet and speed.

This may not sound like big news to you, but for me, this is HUGE. I am not a roller coaster person. First, the feeling of falling to my most-certain death is not appealing. In fact, it's terrifying. Second, every year (or so it seems) someone dies on carnival/fair/amusement park rides. I'm all about living on this earth in my same, well-maintained body forever... or at least as long as humanly possible. I like it here, so I do not find the need to take chances that could end in my death.

Sure, I drive a car, but I don't want to drive. I moved to NYC thinking that I'd never have a car again, but cruel fate forced a car and the required task of driving upon me... So don't play the "roller coasters are safer than driving" card with me; it won't work.

Third, I sort of have a traumatic history of being forced or coerced or manipulated onto scary rides. When I was maybe maybe 10, my Mom took me to Disneyland (yay - thanks Mom!). The day was great until I was FORCED onto Splash Mountain. Splash Mountain doesn't even have seat belts. Those who choose to go on Splash Mountain clearly have a death wish, and you cannot convince me otherwise. I bawled hysterically through the entire wait in muppet-singing line hell. My mom, clearly frustrated with my chicken-like fear, exclaimed, "Stephanie, you are making it seem like I beat you." Beat me, she did not (thanks Mom!), but force me down a 52.5 foot drop, she did. My dear Mom meant well, though. She hoped that I would get over my fear of such things, but the anxiety of it all was just too much for little ol' me.

It's just too bad that she hadn't forced me on Space Mountain because that one changed me a little bit when Paul convinced me to ride it when I was 17. What you can't see, you can't be afraid of... right?

Anyway, at least my Mom was well-intentioned. My other, way-more-traumatic experiences come from my mal-intentioned cousin, Jason. Said cousin was most times like the big brother I never had. He was cool and funny, rebellious and MANIPULATIVE. He could get me to do whatever... anything (including but not limited to anchoring his fake news show). Since my dad lived in or around KCMO for most of my childhood, each summer we would head to Worlds of Fun for our share in the worldly fun. I will admit that while I've never enjoyed rides, I've always enjoyed a good amusement park - Worlds of Fun, Disneyland, Castles n' Coasters... heck, even Peony Park while it was around. I enjoyed bumper cars and rock'n'roller rides (where you sit in a car, and you go around a track forwards and backwards at not-so-top speeds while listening to painfully loud pop music or bad hip hop), but more than that, I loved the food - cotton candy, frozen custard (Custard's Last Stand at WoF), fried bread...

Anyway, back to it. Each year, Jason would try to convince me to go on a scary ride that he would dub as not-so-scary. I believe the first year it was a tube water slide. That, I admit, was fun. After that, each experience became more terrifying until either I stopped believing him or until we stopped going (I can't remember). He convinced me that the Monsoon (with a HUGE 50' drop) went "slow, just 8 knots per hour." First, he went with a low number (8). Second, he went with a unit of measure that I did not know (knots). This made the ride sound harmless and made me look gullible (guilty). As soon as the not-so-secure bar was down and the boat was clicking upward, Jason looked back from his seat in front of me and said, "I lied. It's really fast and scary." Cue hysterical tears.

The worst of his manipulative terror came when he convinced me to go on the Timber Wolf. This is your classic, Steph-should-never-ride, wooden roller coaster. Somehow Jason made it sound like an It's A Small World rip off. This was my first real roller coaster experience - one that I never asked for nor desired. I remember later hearing the story of the two girls who tried to switch seats before the big drop who plunged to their deaths (as it turns out, only one died - per Wikipedia). Had I known this, none of Jason's antics would've worked, but I was young, naive and unknowing of the future fatality. The worst part of the whole incident was when I asked Aunt Colleen or Jason to ride with me. "No, I'm riding with my mom," Jason exclaimed. Pansy. I had to ride by myself - except not by myself. Instead, I rode with a man MUCH larger than me - so much so that when the bar came down to our laps, it only came down to his, and I had to sit through the more than 2 minute ride wondering if I would slide out. Not cool, Jason. Not cool. I'm pretty sure I cried through the whole life-altering, petrifying ordeal yet somehow managed to come out alive vowing NEVER AGAIN.

And never again remained for a very long time. In high school, I rode the small, red roller coaster (the Patriot) at Castles n' Coasters a few times - each time realizing more and more that roller coasters were not for me. Once in high school, I convinced myself that I could go on the Sea Dragon ride though Paul tried unsuccessfully to convince me otherwise. We sat in the least-scary first row, and as soon as that pirate ship started to move, the tears flowed. Paul has always been wise beyond his years.

How he convinced me to get on Space Mountain, I'll never understand. I'm sure that Mike had a hand in that, as well. But as soon as we got off, I said, "Let's go again!" When they went on Splash Mountain, however, I knew better. Ha.

Anyway, back to present day. I went on Hydra: The Revenge... twice. I said to Paul as we boarded the second time, "I hope I don't poop my pants." Fortunately, I did not. I am not sure that I will ever have the gall to do it again, but it was fun on that day in my 28th year. Mind you, when we visited Dorney Park last year, I watched Hydra over and over and over again trying to get my nerve up. I left the park after a day of fun still disappointed in myself and my fearful, paranoid ways. So how did I get there this year? Somehow and I have no idea how, I just said, "Let's go on White Water Landing" (same as the Monsoon). As we ticked up the hill in our boat, I clung to the lap rest, eyes closed, chanting daily affirmations about coming out alive and saying to Paul, "This was a bad idea." With my eyes closed, as we dropped, somehow I thought we were going backwards. I came out alive and wet with a huge sense of pride... I even said, "Let's go again" even though I knew that I wouldn't have the nerve.

Later, I watched T, D & P ride Hydra with that same sinking disappointment as Dorney Park '09. Then before the end of the day, I said, "Let's go." Darshin wouldn't have it; Hydra made her feel sick. Trevs was done with coastering for the day, but Paul was a trooper. As we were strapped in, I kept saying, "I can make it through a minute of anything." Little did I know that Hydra was about 2 1/2 minutes.

I survived. And then I asked to ride again.

(Wow, this was long... but no doubt riveting.) (P.S. I am aware that I am wearing an almost-identical outfit as when we went last year. Same swimsuit, same tank top, different shorts. In my defense, it would've been exact had my board shorts not been lent out. I believe that I deserve a shopping trip.)

Flamingo Cloud

2010-08-09T18:35:00.003-04:00

What have you seen in your clouds lately?

Old Friends...

2010-08-02T16:36:00.004-04:00

I was lucky enough to see two old friends this past week (Chelse & Courtney). While I saw Courtney just last fall, I hadn't seen Chelse in 9 years (since her high school graduation). So often it happens to lose touch with old friends who were once so frequent and important in my life, and yet I'm always meeting new people and having new adventures and take each day, month, year... so dwelling on the older, less frequent people in my life is few and far between regardless of how much I care for said friends (oh, and I care a lot). Over the last month or so, I've thought about old buds a lot, as I heard some tragic news...

Unfortunately, an oldie but goodie of mine passed recently. I've known Jake for many years - since high school. We rocked out at many a show together. He was quite the drummer; he dated my high school bestie for a looooooong time. He was smart and funny. He recommended my first tattoo artist (the bassist in his band). He played in one of the quintessential Phoenix punk bands of the time (Jedi 5)... plus multiple bands with said high school bestie and her sister... plus a bunch of other bands, too. He wore Dickies and Chucks the entire time I knew him. One year, he helped me bring Halloween to Paul by decorating his driveway with pumpkins and other not-so-legally acquired lawn ornaments (too bad Paul & the Ess fam weren't amused by our stunt). Yes, yes... He was one of the good ones and only 29, too. So many good years to go.

He and I had kept in touch via Facebook and Myspace over the last few years, so I always knew to a small extent what he was up to... Now, while I wish that our messages back and forth would have been more frequent (more than just 3 - 5 times per year), I can't help but think of how lucky I am to have known Jake. He'll go down as one of my favorites in life... even if I only knew him for a short while; he was that kind of dude.

Miss you, bud.

Best song ever...

2010-07-29T20:41:00.006-04:00

Written, performed and recorded by our buds, the Van Watsons.

and be impressed with my movie-making skills... Silly Blogger doesn't allow you to upload MP3s.

Haaaaaaa!

2010-07-16T09:31:00.002-04:00

Gotta love Funny or Die!

Idiots with Zoe Saldana & Kate Bosworth from Zoe Saldana

Birthday Victory!

2010-07-11T21:55:00.007-04:00

See, Melissa really loves Spain!

No, we didn't really paint our faces. I played around on picnik.com... But M&M really did paint their faces.

Melissa, I really do love you. You're a special girl with a special place in my heart... but there comes a time in a friendship when the first "argument" must happen. I'm just glad that I undoubtedly won this one. Better luck next time... Not. (OtherMichael, you're just fortunate that I do not have a blog address for you, otherwise I would have linked you with a similar message.)

Enough rubbing it in her face. Spain won. It.was.amazing. Seriously, both teams played well, and we definitely felt Holland's pressure... But the better team certainly came out on top.

Best.Birthday.Ever.

And not just because Spain won (though that's a large part). Paul and I shopped around Manhattan on Saturday and celebrated a day early with lunch at the Shake Shack (year number three for my birthday - I smell tradition!). Fantastic! Saturday night was spent with L&O... And I was allowed to open my birthday present early - baby lappy! If you're wondering which Paul chose, you can see the gem here. I'm blogging from the couch as we speak from my sparkly new toy (yes, sparkly - black with midnight blue sparkles)!

Today was spent in front of the telly watching the footy match - nerves racing, heart pounding. During the game, I screamed/squealed so loudly and so often that my early-in-the-day light headache turned into a throbbing one by the evening. Boo.

Still, fantastic birthday. Thanks for all the well wishes. I feel the love, for sure.

Oooooole, ole, ole, ole!

2010-07-09T15:38:00.007-04:00

That's right... Spain made it to the final World Cup on my birthday. Oh, what a birthday it'll be.

Sad, though, that little Melissa thinks that her silly Holland team will win. Sorry, Melissa... Not gonna happen. I still love you even though you wish me sadness on my big day.

¡Viva España!

p.s. Even the octopus knows!

And how was yours?

2010-07-06T10:58:00.006-04:00

Somehow, this is one of our only photos together on the 4th...

Our weekend was just lovely. Plenty of action yet somehow relaxing.

We watched some amazing World Cup games (¡Viva España!). We ate some delicious foods. We took lovely strolls - through lower Manhattan, atop T&D's building, through the Atlantic. We shopped (just a bit) - shorts and basic tees for me, new shoes for Paul. We helped our buds (and lived up to someone's surname) by sanding a ton o' wood for a set of DIY bookshelves... even with power sanders (and his son - haha!), this was an exhausting (and super-dirty) task. We checked out baby-lappies (yay for an upcoming birthday) and visited some tourist spots (Irish Hunger Memorial & Ground Zero). We swam in the Atlantic and napped on trains. We ate some delicious watermelon yogurt at Pinkberry (which I normally don't like, but it's watermelon... with watermelon chunks and watermelon puree!!!). Yes, you could say that we were busy.

Here are a few photos from the lovely, long weekend.

Now, we're on to my favorite week of all time... Wahoo. The countdown may or may not have begun a week ago, and it may or may not have taken some restraint to not share it on here.

I'm ridiculous. What's new?

2010-06-17T13:07:00.004-04:00

From my crappy cell phone camera.

Remember how my middle name should really be Grace? I am the world's least graceful individual, and I find new and interesting ways to prove this daily.

Some days, I just walk into walls and poles, spill liquids and foods or trip over concrete. I do one of these things every single day. Every.Single.Day. I am not exaggerating.

Some days, I take my graceless-ness to entirely new levels. I wish that I could conjure up some old memories, but I block most of these instances out. Maybe you have some memories that you'd like to share.

But today, I'd like to share an experience from yesterday. Yesterday, I pulled off a very public moment of humiliation - go me!

I had a meeting in Manhattan. I waited for the train to pick me up, and as usual, I stood close to the end of the platform for no good reason. I pulled out my Blackberry, and voila, like magic, my phone jumped from my hands and onto the track... probably 6 feet below me.

Now, had this been my crappy, personal cell phone, I would've just pretended that it never happened. I probably would've said to the person standing next to me, "Look, some idiot dropped his cell phone! Looooser!" I would've gone about my day and gotten a new phone. Our "New Every 2" just came around, so I'm due a new phone anyway.

But nooooooooooo, I had to drop my work-provided, brand new Blackberry Tour... my lifeline to email, work stuffs, facebook, bbm. Bad news bears. Double bad news since my Blackberry had just been replaced thanks to a software problem, so I really couldn't afford to destroy said new phone.

So once the bad boy jumped, I gazed down at the tracks and started cracking up. There was my pretty bb split into 3. Panic set in as I imagined the train sucking up the phone and spitting it out demolished as the train sped away. I went into the station, told the attendant and was told to wait... so wait I did. Only for 30 minutes, though, which seemed short to me. All the while, passersby passed by and chuckled at my foolish dilemma.

My knights of rescue exited the train wearing their bright orange MTA vests, very inconspicuous... Thanks. One hollered, "Is it you?" with a chuckle. I confirmed his suspicion and asked that he not judge me. And then he saved the day by walking down on the tracks to retrieve my phone.

When he brought me the pieces, I immediately inserted the battery and affixed the back... all the while praying to anything and everything (Oh, almighty Grilled Cheese...) that my little bb would work. I chatted with the MTA Hero for a moment... in that brief moment, he pegged me, "You're not from New York, are you?" I hear this statement-question frequently. My attempt to fool him was half-hearted, as my concern was with my little bb, so he saw right through me. "You from the south?" "Well, I grew up in Arizona but was born in Nebraska." "Ooooh, I see." On any normal day, I would've said, "Oh, I see? What's that supposed to mean?" But I was just too grateful to be sarcastic to my train-track-walking savior.

We parted ways, and I checked my phone. It didn't work - argh. It showed signs of my aforementioned software problems. I brought it home and gave it time.

During this time, I called the colleague that I was supposed meet with to let her know that I wouldn't make it... so we discussed over the phone. While chit-chatting about my most recent flub, I looked down and saw a wondrous thing occur - my little bb came back to life. All of the sudden, Paul's face smiled up at me, and the little red light blinked with urgency to alert me of a new message of sorts (bbm or text or email or gmail).

Huzzah, I say! This is potentially one of the dumbest things that I have ever done... but the only real consequence was the public humiliation I endured while waiting as the train passed me 10 times, and the new hordes of subway-riders watched me wait and wait and wait some more (and heard me blabbing to Paul, Donella, Angy and Larry about the events that just occurred on my crappy cell phone while trying to find a contact number to tell my colleague that I wouldn't make the meeting).

Oh, and I guess that there's the consequence of blogging it for all the world to see... Alas, it take much more than this to embarrass me. Sometimes I wonder if anything could embarrass me.

And before I forget, I thought of one big misstep (literally) from college... one that nobody I know was there to witness. Freshman year, second semester I took the huge beginning-Psych course with 499 other kids in the Social Sciences building. I hated the class; when I went, I sat in back so to be the first to exit. Well, one day, I jumped out of my seat, ran to the door, through the hallway and then down the stairs. I was the first one out... with 499 college kids following me. On the second or third step, something happened, and I tumbled the rest of the way down. It wouldn't have been so bad except that 499 kids watched as I tumbled. A few came over to dust me off and ensure my well-being... but most just chuckled and kept on walking. Awesome. That's what you get for never going to class... that and a C. (Good thing I retook the class senior year... Boo-yah, A!)

(I searched the interweb for a photo of the Social Sciences building to show the steps but no dice.)

I wear my sunglasses...

2010-06-08T17:13:00.003-04:00

Driving to Baltimore last week, I heard a random country song... Something about - if I could go back and just say yes to whatever my dad told me to do, I'd do it. You know the whole adage - parents are always right. Blah, blah, blah.

As it turns out, the adage and the unnamed country singer are dead on.

For years, my mom has told me to get prescription sunglasses. For years, I have worn sunglasses over my regular glasses... and have looked classy while doing so, no doubt.

That is until this year. I am a grown up. I have prescription sunglasses... And, by golly, my mom was right. These new sunglasses have changed my life. I feel like a normal person.

The cherry on top of this 'my mom was right' sundae? I told our friend, Trevor, about my new sun specs, and he went out immediately and purchased some... Guess what? Within five minutes of wearing, his life was changed too.

The moral of the story: prescription sunglasses are all that, a bag of Ruffles with ridges and a bowl of sour cream and onion dip. If you wear glasses but not prescription sunglasses, you're missing out!

3 Years of Awesomeness...

2010-06-01T12:25:00.005-04:00

Happy Banan-iversary to my dearest. 3 years as Mrs. Paul. Life is great.

Holla!

Fish Yum?

2010-05-27T14:57:00.002-04:00

(Yes, these photos have nothing to do with the post, but aren't they darling?)

It's not really a secret that I'm not a fan of fish. My dislike of the heart-healthy non-meat-to-vegetarians started way back when I was a bebe. My dad used to take us fishing... for catfish (or dogfish, as my sister wondered).

Catfish is not the most delicious of all fish, or at least this is what I thought as a wee-one. My dad was smarter than the average dad, though. He bribed me often with Dairy Queen treats; if I didn't eat my fish, I didn't get my DQ treat. Terribly cruel but extremely effective! Angy wasn't as bribe-able as I was, however, and I remember a couple of times when she was refused her delicious frozen treat... "Not I," said the Steffa! If dessert is involved, I am sooooo there.

Anywho, my mom then went through a health food phase when I was in high school... This meant that we ate a ton of lemon chicken, but she also tried to introduce fish into our diets. I must admit that I hurumphed a TON about the fish, but my sister pushed the level of hurumphing... (Seriously, do you remember that Angy & Mom? That was the most intense teenage tantrum that I've ever witnessed.)

Back to it, I still don't like fish as a rule... but Paul and I really try to eat healthfully, and fish is a great way to do so. Soooooo, lately I've really tried to find fish recipes that work for my picky-palate.

I bring to you two recipes from Food Network online... There would be three, but the salmon recipe was too salty, and salmon is still on the 'icky' side of the fish world.

Fried Cod with Cole Slaw - First of all, with 'fried' and 'cole slaw' in the title, how could this dish not be delicious? The cod's all right, too...
Tilapia with Green Beans - Yums x 10. We made this last night, and it's not only super-easy, but it's also super-delicious. How in the world did I choose this recipe? I must've been on drugs at the time... Tomatoes + Fish = Not-a-normal-Steffa-Dish, but I really chose well. Prep time is about 15 minutes (trimming beans, halving tomatoes), and cook time is about 10 minutes. Ridiculously easy and super fresh tasting.

Even my once-picky sister would love these recipes... Though I must admit that she converted to fish-lover-dom years before I did. She even likes salmon, which is still a huge stretch for me.

Clearly, my life is mildly boring/busy-with-boring-stuff right now... as this post is a stretch.

On a more exciting note, we're heading to Chi-town next month to see our precious nieces... Awww! The only thing that could make the trip better would be if our presh nephew were there too!

2010-05-11T18:25:00.008-04:00

So little to chat about, so I keep sharing videos... Videos of things that you could most definitely find on your own. Oh well. I apologize for not posting and for the post that's about to happen...

I'm on day 32 of Project 365. Let me tell you - it's tough! Holy guacamole! I totally didn't realize how easily I would forget about taking photos... on a daily basis. Seriously, I look at the peeps who are 100+ days in, and I'm impressed beyond belief. We'll see how far I get. So far, I've only missed 3 days, which means that some photos were taken on the same day... GASP! Sue me; I'm doing my best here!

Hmm, what else? We saw Date Night. Hilarious! You should see it. We also saw Betty White on SNL... Hilarious! You should see it, but be warned that it's a tad risqué. Kind of surprising considering that she's 88 1/2 (which is mentioned 88 1/2 times during the episode... or 3 times, whatever).

Ooooh! I'm totally trying to practice guitar more frequently. Let's just say that Project 365 is going better than the guitar practice... Such is life of a lazy person. That said, Paul and I had our very first jam session together on Saturday night (aka - my very first jam session ever)! It was SO ridiculous. We wrote some amazing lyrics. Seriously, it's a shame that our songwriting did not begin much earlier; we'd be millionaires by now.

Oh well, watch out world - S&P is comin' atcha! (Not to be confused with Salt-n-Pepa of the late-80s! ... Nor salt and pepper of the kitchen table!)

And by "amazing" lyrics, I'm sure you realize that I mean amazingly funny. Funny is good, though... Right? And by "amazingly funny," I'm sure you realize that I mean amazingly funny to me and probably no one else... except maybe Paul... but probably not even him.

Hmmm. I'm really stretching here to get some life deets to you, but it's tough, as my brain is not functioning at this moment.

We've had some amazing dinners this week... No, really. You should try these recipes. This chicken sounds all fancy schmancy, but it's actually super simple. We subbed sliced shitakes for the hard-to-find-and-pay-for morels. Next time, I'd go for the cheaper-and-easier-to-find pearl onions instead of the cipollinis... but the meal is YUM. We paired this and this together, and the results were mind-exploding delicious (hm, maybe that's why my brain isn't functioning)! Seriously, the tomatillo-avocado salsa is drinkable on its own. And if I haven't pushed this recipe on you yet, then shame on me... Best lasagna evs! (Yes, I shorten the word ever.)

Most of you know (because most of you were there) that we were in AZ last month for a wedding. It was warm and lovely, and we were able to spend some time with all the fam, which was a plus and a half. While at delicious Macayo's (send salsa, please), my mom (who is amazing, btw) was not very hungry... so she ordered one street taco. It was hilarious when that one bite-sized taco was presented to her... not as funny when typed out and blogged about.

All right. Nada más. Steffa, out.

Ha! Hilarity this Saturday...

2010-05-06T10:39:00.001-04:00

Oh, I cannot wait to see Betty White on SNL...

Offending Odors Are No Match...

2010-05-01T10:58:00.001-04:00

Want to strengthen your relationship? Look no further...

Dear Arizona, You make me sad.

2010-04-30T08:30:00.006-04:00

Fortunately for me, SNL Weekend Update makes me chuckle.

Once-Dearest Arizona,

I am disappointed in you. Seth Myers & Weekend Update say it best. Watch at the 27 second mark.

Without Lovity-love, Steffa

Dearest Everyone Else,

How is Kristen Wiig such a comedic genius? Seriously, she's amazing. What great advice for hassle-free travel.

With Lovity-Love, Steffa

Last night and a new project...

2010-04-10T10:44:00.003-04:00

Last night was odd to say the least. Eight people in search of a restaurant is never a good idea. We ended up at an over-priced 'eh-of-a-place. On top of that, there were some mild not-in-a-good-way fireworks between a couple people (not us) and then a discussion of whether not discussing religion and politics can be fruitful (I say yes... Do you want to get me started?).

After dinner, I needed food, as the dinner restaurant had small portions and not the most appetizing of descriptions, so Paul and I headed to our favorite chocolate establishment to enjoy a late night dessert...

And enjoy we did.

This time around, we opted for the Brownie Sundae with Vanilla Ice Cream. While we both agree that the Banana Split is superior (bruléed bananas, people!), the Brownie Sundae was yummy to the max. There is just something so delectable about their hot fudge.

Thank goodness for that fudge, too... It turned an 'eh-night into a YAY-night!

So onto my new project. My bestie, Melissa, roped me into a new photo experiment - Project 365. For the next 365 days, we will both post a new photo from each day onto our Flickr sites (which will show up on our blog sidebars). We're starting today, so unfortunately my delish photos from last night don't count... You can read about the larger project here, but for Melissa and I, our goals are to become better photographers and to share more lovely moments (I think... Really, we've barely talked about it.). Sometimes my photos will be taken with my fancy and expensive DSLR, while other photos with my amazing point & shoot... But don't be surprised if many-a-photo come from my smarty-pants-phone because, really, I can't always have a camera with me... or can I?

Today's photo will be uploaded later today, once I take it... This project will require a diligence and dedication that I am unsure if I possess... I guess we'll see.

Ben Folds is the man...

2010-04-08T20:54:00.006-04:00

So I heard about this ChatRoulette thing sometime ago... My darling dear doesn't think it's such a cool thing, but I gotta admit that I'm quite curious. Not curious enough to try it myself or anything, but I still wish that I could've been at a recent Ben Folds show to experience the brilliance that is Chat Roulette + Ben Folds. One dude is even on the can... Hilarious!

For the record, I love Ben Folds, and this makes me love him that much more. What talent - to be able to improv piano tunes and song lyrics... Amazing!

Love this.

2010-03-26T12:05:00.002-04:00

I hope to be like this guy when I grow up.

Please tell me that you watch 30 Rock...

2010-03-10T22:43:00.005-05:00

OMG. This is REAL?! I thought that it was just James Franco's kooky character on 30 Rock...

Who knew that body pillows could be so lovable?! Maybe I need a Kimiko.

Sunshine Brings Giddiness

2010-03-09T15:30:00.004-05:00

Seriously, my mood has elevated ten fold since last Friday... As the temperature goes, so goes my mood. 63 degrees and sunny in early March?! Who could ask for more?

Anyhoo, I'm blogging because I'm positively peachy. I have no news; I have yet to edit together our latest sledding adventure videos... So really, this blog is dedicated to how awesome the weather is in NYC today. Sure, by the weekend, the temps will be back in the 50s and rain will pour down, but for the time being, the skies are clear and the sun is shining.

Boo-yah Phoenix - you are currently in the low 50s with rain.

So to make this blog less about nothing. I will share a little secret...

I am 90% sure that a photo of my hands is in the Weezer photo book that came with my Wuggie. You can call me crazy, but those definitely look like my hands making the flying w (=w=) at the Halloweezer show. I know what you're thinking - uhm, those look like someone's hands making the flying w. But look closer.

Look at the crooked middle fingers and the overlapping pointer finger... And the crooked ring (My ring is never centered on my finger. Don't tell me that yours ins't either b/c I'm not looking for reasons to think those are not my hands.) Also, the black sleeve and clear-coated nails... I was definitely wearing black and had painted my nails clear.

It's me, riiiiiiiiiiiiiight?!

Más Nieve

2010-02-27T11:12:00.011-05:00

We searched for sleds, as promised... to no avail. Instead a friendly gentleman at a sporting goods store offered us a cardboard box. "We'll take it," I said.

Cardboard by itself is not the fastest of sledding vehicles... Throw a garbage bag over it, however, and you're in business. Why Abby had a garbage bag with her is another thing altogether, but needless to say that good times were had by all.

SNOW STORM! YAY!

2010-02-26T16:02:00.009-05:00

Paul's hat last night

Up to this point, I have missed every huge snow storm NYC has had in the last 2 years. That's pretty impressive. Somehow I have traveled through each snow storm but not once was a flight cancelled or delayed due to weather. Strange how that works.

Outside our window

Anyhoo, I have been saddened by missing all the white, powdery funness. I only ever get to see the snow in its dirty, crunchy, icy stage... until last night.

I traipsed around Manhattan all day yesterday in the grossest slush ever. Seriously, I was wet and cold yet still enjoying the city. Then last night, we traveled to a friend's apartment for his birthday. Said friend lives a fifteen minute walk from the nearest train, and I'll tell you - those were some of the worst outdoor moments of my life. The slush was still coming down; the wind was still blowing, and I was cold and wet and tired. Ew.

Fortunately, the gathering was jolly fun. When the time came to leave, I decided to call a car service... Only no cars were available. Grrr. So instead, we hoofed it back to the train station. But, see, a miraculous thing happened while we were partying it up - the slush turned to powder and lots of it. Inches upon inches of white, powdery funness. The funness that I always miss. The entire walk to the train, I jumped and skipped and ran up stoops and threatened to make snow angels and jumped some more. I enjoyed every moment thoroughly.

At the subway station with our friend, Abby

Then we hopped aboard the train (choo choo), and I became exhausted. So when we arrived at the shuttle train, I knew that I would rather take the shuttle than walk the half-or-so mile home... But of course, the De-Icer was on the tracks, not the train, so we had to walk anyway.

Instead of walking, though, we fought our sleepiness... We skipped and jumped and ran... so much that we were out of breath and giggling like bebes. Then I tripped; I fell; I ate it... "It" being snow obviously, and it was the best fall of my life. It was soft and powdery and cushiony. I am a klutz, and oh, how I wish that every fall could be so pain free and fun.

A different view

Since I was already all snowy, I decided to go for it, and I made a beautiful snow angel on Franklin Avenue around Dean Street... and then Paul did too because he's fun and the best hubby ever.

Today we're going to find sleds... or something to work as a sled. I even plan to build a snowman. His name might be Rupert or something British like that because I want my snowman to be dignified and cultured. Maybe I'll even make a snowball and throw it at some unsuspecting sap who will then fall over in fits of laughter.

Oh, I love the funness of snow.

Snow flakes keep fallin' on my head...

Presenting... What I've been waiting for...

2010-02-25T16:31:00.005-05:00

It's finally here! My mom surprised me with my very own Wuggie, Wuzzie or Weezer Snuggie (whatever you want to call it). Yes, yes, yes, this was my Christmas present, but apparently Weezer didn't anticipate so many orders.

Seriously, Snuggies are long. Who knew?!

Which, how could they not?!?! Seriously, the second I saw the Wuggie on the Weezer site, I melted. Truly, this thing is something to behold... Unfortunately, though, I have yet to receive my copy of their latest album, Raditude, which gives me a saditude. (Get it? SADitude, like a sad attitude or raditude. Oh, I'm funny.)

New Haven and then some...

2010-02-23T17:09:00.010-05:00

Since returning from our short stint in Spain, I have been a terrible blogger. (In case you forgot, please let me remind you: We lived in Spain for 3 months in 2007, and it was glorious. I struggled with domesticity and loneliness since I lacked employment, but I wouldn't trade in those 3 months for anything... Really, I would like at least 3 months more. Or possibly 5 years more - of Spain life, not domesticity and loneliness.)

I blame life. Seriously, unemployment added to life in a foreign country resulted in quite a number of stories to tell. From learning to cook to daily walks along the Mediterranean, it is true that I had two things required for a frequently updated blog - content and time... Partner that with crippling loneliness, and you had yourself one packed LaVidaSteffa.

Now, however, I have a job, internet at home and an unlimited cell phone plan. While it is true that I don't use my cell phone to call loved ones often enough, the job takes up enough of my time to limit my daily adventures. Plus, I've already kind of learned to cook. No, really. I can cook... well. Very well, even. That said, I cannot improvise, but I can follow the most complicated recipe. But let's be honest: reading about my follies in the kitchen was much more interesting than reading about my successes in the same arena. These days, there's more success than folly (though I did use twice the amount of chicken stock in a recipe a few weeks back).

Wait. Where was I?

Oh, yes. Things that limit my blogging.

Facebook is a huge problem. See, excess time spent on the internet (of which there is much) is spent on Facebook. To be more specific, I am mildly obsessed with playing Bejeweled on Facebook. Bejeweled is far more entertaining to me than blogging, so I leave my blog cold and alone for two weeks without a second thought.

Blogging these days just isn't as much fun. I find myself wracking my brain for content. Even though my life is super-exciting, I just doubt that most of it would be exciting to blog about...

As evidence:

This past Saturday, Paul and I headed up to New Haven, CT to visit the Yale campus. While we are both Harvard fans, the Yale campus has some great architecture and history, so we made the trek. The day was gorgeous - 52 degrees, people! While at one of the museums (designed by Lou Kahn - Paul should be so proud that I remember this), we had the surprise and delight of being serenaded by a lovely singer and pianist... I might be 80 years old, but this was a sweet surprise. (I tried to post a video of said musical surprise, but Blogger didn't cooperate.)

We snuck through a door that took us into dorm courtyard - Trumbull College to be exact. Why can't all places be so... uhm, how do I say this eloquently? castle-like. Seriously, I'm a Wildcat - blah, blah, blah, but Yale (and Harvard and Princeton...) has an amazing campus. So European and castle-like. Very Harry Potter, come to think of it. I should've gone to Hogwarts, but I digress. We snuck into Trumbull College only to find the courtyard's mascot - The Potty-er. I do, in fact, wonder what in the world the designer of this "mascot" was thinking... or rather what he was doing while designing said mascot.

We ate lunch at Louis' Lunch (made famous on the Travel Channel's Hamburger Paradise), which takes the honor of inventing the hamburger in 1895. You heard correctly; the hamburger was invented in CT (though this is mildly contested on Wikipedia).

Anyhoo, we waited in line for 45 minutes and ordered 1 Cheese Works (tomato & onion), 1 Cheese Tomato (just tomato), 2 bags of Dirty Potato Chips and 1 order of Potato Salad. The food was delicious, albeit slightly overpriced, and I learned that even I can enjoy a fresh tomato on a burger, which is super exciting and noteworthy for myself but not necessarily for my blog... (Crickets. See, not interesting!) Louis' Lunch is serious about their burgers, though... don't ever ask for ketchup or else you'll be booted. Their burgers are the most delicious plain because they're still cooked in the original grills from 1895. Boo-yah.

Before leaving our CT adventure in the dust, we stopped by the water to check out the LI Sound (body of water between CT and Long Island) and glimpsed a distant Long Island, cattails and a pretty lighthouse that cemented just how awesome the Northeast is.

Anyway, our day was super-fun, but I couldn't think of a way to write about it that would describe just how much fun it was... which led me to think about how I used to be a decent blogger... which led me to our awesome time in Spain...

Nerdy Jump Ropers, Hip Hop is for...

2010-02-05T15:33:00.002-05:00

... anyone except you, really.

MTV Shows

America's Best Dance Crew started back up last week on Mtv, and I'm pumped. As Shanda knows, I love some hip hop dancing. The show hasn't really gotten going yet, as the crews are performing regionally for a chance to make it to the national competition (aka 'the meat and potatoes' of the show).

Last night's performers were pretty rad! Especially Saltare, the jump ropers. Seriously, their skills are incredible. Unfortunately for them, they are nerds who lack any swagger. I don't care how many times Lil' Mama (rapper and judge) calls the crew 'gangsta;' the truth is that they're not. They're dorks, in the non-hip sense of the word. I love their enthusiasm and style; I just wish their cheerleader facial expressions were covered by censorship fuzz and their voices were covered by anything but their voices... How about nails on a chalkboard?

Really, if this weren't a hip hop competition, I'd have no problem with their non-gangster, non-swaggin' demeanors... But c'mon! We're talking about Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew (longest show title in history?). We're talkin' JabbaWockeeZ and Quest Crew...

Anyway, watch the video if you want to lose all self-esteem. These are some talented dweebs.

Doppelganger... Schmoppelganger!

2010-02-02T09:09:00.003-05:00

At least that's what I say. Someone, somewhere decided that it's Doppelganger Week on Facebook. That is to say that everyone's posting photos of their celebrity look-alikes. Ever since seventh grade when one person likened me to a Gelfling, my doppelganger has been a sore subject. Seriously, why can't I look like a person instead of this non-human, puppet-thing?

So I decided to take matters into my own hands this morning... I present to you my human doppelgangers (according to some strange website)... Well, kind of. None of these ladies resemble me... but I'll take it b/c they're all better looking than that dang thing... even if only b/c they're human (pronounce it without the H for added effect)!

Hmmm... Faith Hill & Anne Hathaway? What a combo, I am!

If I'm honest, though, there is one movie character that many have likened me to. And I say movie character b/c it is not the actress per se, but the actress during the particular timeframe of the movie that I am likened to... Rebecca De Mornay. So-called friends of mine always clarify with, "Not the old, Hand that Rocks the Cradle Rebecca De Mornay. Rather, the young, Risky Business Rebecca De Mornay."* Which is to say, the prostitute Rebecca De Mornay. Thanks guys... but I'll stick to Faith Hill & Anne Hathaway.

*24 years old during RB, 33 years old during HTRTC.

I must have...

2010-01-27T18:17:00.003-05:00

Seriously, how can I not want this top? My birthday is coming up in 6 months, so now's the time to start saving. What a deal, at only $75... and I'd be at the tip-top of fashion.

Sometimes I miss Alicante...

2010-01-27T16:21:00.006-05:00

Though, I could lose the memory of destroying the Jenga game for all...

Such good times!

Lensbaby!

2010-01-18T10:35:00.007-05:00

For Christmas, Paul & I gifted ourselves a Lensbaby for our camera. I'm sure that you're wondering what in the heck a Lensbaby is; unfortunately, I have no clue. All I know is that the thing is AWESOME! Seriously, it has selective focus, which is obviously super fun... Plus, it's 100% manual, and Paul bought this macro attachment for it, which allows us to get ridiculously close to anything... SO AMAZING.

Jewelry Box Stitching...

Water Can Spout

Skully from Calavera Cake Topper (Thanks Leann & Marina!)

Herby Herby

Herby Herby 2

Herby Herby 3

Door Knob

p.s. M&M, where are your Lensbaby photos?!

OMG - A Must Read for all...

2010-01-15T14:08:00.002-05:00

Melissa is hilarious. Read this to see why.

(Aren't they super cute? Maybe I should also remind you of the time we put makeup on him?)

I don't know much...

2010-01-15T09:07:00.002-05:00

... but I'm pretty sure that Pat Robertson is the devil. Or worse, maybe the devil is a combination of Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. Either way, their attitudes toward the Haiti earthquake are positively despicable. In brief, Pat Robertson is certain that long ago the Haitians made a pact with the devil, and this tragedy is their punishment from God. Rush Limbaugh, on the other hand, thinks that the tragedy plays perfectly into Obama's hand to get closer to the "light-skinned and dark-skinned black in this country." Rush obviously thinks very highly of the President.

Good work, fellas.

Nothing really to blog about...

2010-01-11T12:34:00.004-05:00

So I'll share some December 2009 moments...

Medieval Times with T&D

My wedding ring sparkling on the plane ride to Vegas

Visiting with my homegirl, Aiko, in Vegas

Rocking new p-jers on Christmas Eve

Skating with our presh nephew

Baking for my beloved's birthday

(Sorry for the use of the word 'beloved,' but without it, my alliteration would've been lost.)

2010 - Huzzah!

2010-01-06T17:51:00.004-05:00

(I do apologize for the terrible Photoshop job, but Alexis's eyes were closed in the one photo that was decent of everyone else.)

2010 kicked off with a traditional (a la NYE 2009) Crown Making Soiree. We added a couple homies into the mix since the traditional bunch have either moved, were out of town or just never lived here... (p.s. We miss you, Joanie & Ryan!)

Good times. Good times.

Some stats about the new year:

My first parking meter of 2010 also provided me with my first parking ticket of 2010.
I purchased my very first humidifier. Boo-yah, dry-furnace air!
We re-committed ourselves to getting in shape via the Wii Fit. I can already tell you that the outlook looks less-than-followed-through on my end.
After the clock struck midnight, and we were falling asleep... we realized that our air mattress had been stolen. Once awake on January 1st, we realized that our air mattress was not stolen. Good thing.

2010 is lookin' good so far.

Today is a special day...

2009-12-30T10:21:00.007-05:00

This would be the perfect time for me to recap 2009... There were some highs and some serious lows, but I'll save that for another day... maybe.

... Because today is one of my all time favorite days of the year. It's Paul's day. What a great guy to celebrate!

Happy 28th Birthday, Paul!

Let's all raise our glasses and say "YAY for Paul!" Three cheers for my dear!

Love you Dollface!

I'm bad at blogging...

2009-12-11T13:30:00.004-05:00

Out of three photos, this one somehow is the best...

Or I'm bad at remembering stories... b/c so much is going on, but I cannot think of anything to write about. Oh well. Thanks Mom for reminding me that you care to read!

I went to Chicago for work last week. The highlight was not the meetings, however (shocker, I know). My SIL & BIL were nice enough to host me for a night, so I could see my precious, darling, adorable nieces. They are the cutest around... and super cool too. E and I (as in me, not I, my baby niece) played some serious "Tag, You're It" (as she calls it). Plus, she told me that she loves me the most, that I'm her best friend and that I'm her favorite aunt. Obviously, I feel honored... She also told me that she's way smarter than me... too true, I said. One day when she grows enough to think such thoughts, I hope that I (my baby niece, not me) will feel the same about me too. Must up my game.

In other news, I head to Vegas next week for work. Fortunately, I was able to extend my trip for a night to see my bud, Aiko and her HUSBAND (yay!), Corey since I missed their Hawaii wedding. Oh, the fun times we'll have.... then I'll be off to Phoenix to enjoy some warmth (yay 60 degrees!).

There, we'll see the whole fam... most notably, our dear nephew T who is looking all too grown up in the most recent photos. I'm sure that he'll tell Paul how awesome he is because T sure likes Paul... Adorable? You better believe it.

Hmm. What else? What else? It's way too cold now, so I'm freezing at the moment.

Oh, and we wrote the biggest check of our lives last night, as we signed over the earnest money on our new digs... Actually, we didn't write the check; the attorney felt it would be easier if he wrote it, so Paul just signed it. Interesting. Also, interesting - Said attorney said "Fuggedaboutit" quite a few times in our meeting... Awesome. Oh, and he sat by Guy Fieri during a private dinner, and Guy kept saying, "I'm having dinner with Tony Soprano" referring to our attorney. Yep, we're in good hands.

Gobble Gobble Goo and Gobble Gobble Giggle...

2009-12-01T10:00:00.004-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. Best day of the year.

I noticed this year that Paul and I have created a Turkey Day tradition of our own... not cooking on actual Thanksgiving. Rather, we go to a friend's house for the big day and then cook for ourselves the following weekend. See, I cannot live without leftovers. Cannot.Do.It. ... But I also cannot imagine a Turkey Day of just two people; the day is all about bringing people together, so I will always forgo Thanksgiving at my house if it means spending the day with awesome people.

Also, we held our 3rd Annual Turkey Day Wii Bowling Championship... Paul won this year, which seems ridiculously unfair to our guests... but oh well. (2007 Champion - Cecilija, 2008 Champion - Joanie)

Oh, and in case you are wondering... the gravy graved; the jello gelled; the turkey turked; the rolls rolled; the stuffing stuffed; the potatoes mashed; the green beans casseroled... You could say it was a good day.

A few old faves...

2009-11-21T20:47:00.005-05:00

Sadly, Paul worked all day today, so after my homegirlie left (to see New Moon), I went through some old photos on the computer. What a treat.

And now I shall share.

We went to SF once, and it was awesome.

We went to the beach with M&M when we were in CA applying for visas.

On that same trip, we met G's new vespa.

And I posed for our new camera.

I visited Paul when he was in Madrid, and we visited Barcelona.

Paul turned 24 almost 4 years ago, and to celebrate, I bought a new camera for myself before taking him to sushi for bday dinner.

We went to the HPOE a month or so before getting engaged.

Paul was very adorable on that trip.

I was my crazy, normal self.

Get ready for it...

2009-11-21T19:38:00.004-05:00

It's my favorite time of year: ELF YOURSELF time!

Unfortch, I didn't save my videos from last year (which is sad b/c those made me lol, rotfl...), but I may just splurge this year once I find the perfect pictures. Until then, enjoy these of Paul, E, T, I & me! I love my little darling sobrinos!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

(Another one to come... but for some reason it is taking eons to load.)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I'm a professional.

2009-11-16T19:00:00.003-05:00

Don't try this at home. You might not be quite so successful.

Well done, Steffa. Well done.

(Get it? Get it?)

Three Wolf Moon + Twilight = How Could It Not Be Awesome

2009-11-16T15:22:00.003-05:00

Watch it.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

You'll thank me.

Fall Fiesta 2009

2009-11-16T11:36:00.010-05:00

Last weekend (as in 11.6 - 11.8), we rented a cabin up near the Catskills. We had a jolly-good time. Here's some proof.

Wha?!?!

2009-11-06T13:48:00.003-05:00

For reals? This is talent.

HalloWEEZER!

2009-10-29T11:54:00.006-04:00

I love Weezer... ever since '94 with the release of the Blue Album, and anyone who has visited a home of mine (before Brooklyn) should remember my huge W wall hanging. (Thanks Angy for buying said wall hanging and promptly handing it over.)

Terrible photo of me... but you can see the Weez on the wall.

Anywho, Weezer is playing a show in NYC on Saturday - Halloween! The second tickets went on sale, I snagged a pair - good thing, too, because they sold out super-fast.

... And then my friend called and invited me to a super exclusive 220 fan show courtesy of iHeartRadio.com. Unfortunately, Paul couldn't make it - so sad!

The House of Weez rocked a short set... kicking it off with a Rivers + orchestra rendition of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." THEN the full band did the unexpected and played "Why Bother" from Pinkerton; Weezer rarely plays anything from Pinkerton, so this was a treat. 2 new songs and 2 classics rounded out the set, and I'm now ready for the Hammerstein Ballroom Saturday night for my HalloWEEZER extravaganza!

... Oh, and I'm definitely considering purchasing a WUGGIE - the Weezer Snuggie, of course.

oh, and this is awesome for CSI fans... just click on the image to zoom and then proceed to chuckle.

We (apparently) Did The Mash!

2009-10-27T21:59:00.001-04:00

Best EVER!

Thanks Melissa!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Steffa-Effa!

2009-10-25T19:23:00.008-04:00

Linus: He'll come here because I have the most sincere pumpkin patch and he respects sincerity.

Sally Brown: Do you really think he will come?

Linus: Tonight the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch. He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world.

Sally Brown: That's a good story.

Linus: You don't believe the story of the Great Pumpkin? I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them. I thought little girls were innocent and trusting.

Sally Brown: Welcome to the 20th century!

My mom should love this post...

When I was maybe 13 or 14, my mom made the executive decision that we would no longer purchase real punkies to carve. She, instead, purchased a plastic, electric punkie that lit up all on its own... since Angy and I were old enough not to entertain ourselves with such childish (read: messy) tasks. Sadness filled our hearts. Angy loved carving the punkie, and she always cleaned the guts. I, on the other hand, loved the carving but refused to do any of the gut-cleaning. (For me, this brings to mind the story of The Little Red Hen but never mind that now.)

Somehow, and I really don't know how, my mom has never lived down this story. For Angy and I, we relive how ridiculously we acted as kids. For my mom, she relives the memory of the fake Christmas tree simultaneously.

Anyway, after many, many, many years... Paul and I carved a punkie tonight! Not only did I help carve the thing (the eyes & nose are courtesy of moi), but I helped gut it... AND I toasted the punkie seeds. DELICIOUS! (Lots of salt, thank you.)

Our Brooklyn buds, T&D, cleaned and carved alongside us. Paul & I actually bought a little punkie carving kit (this one), and within minutes (literally), all of the carving pieces broke. The only piece that remained intact was the gut-scooper - also known as the 'orange spoon,' also known as the 'least useful tool in the kit.' Oh well. Butter knives did the trick. Each punkie is a sight to behold. Much pride. Much pride.

Killin' time...

2009-10-24T17:35:00.003-04:00

As it turns out, I'm a teensy bit sick. Not flu-sick or anything... Just a hefty cough and a slight sore throat (and maybe a fever and dizzy spell here or there).

Anywho, today we had planned to go see Where the Wild Things Are since I've been going stir-crazy the past couple of days (sick girls stay home). Plus the CMJ Music Festival ends tomorrow, so we wanted to hit up an Au Revoir Simone show tonight. First, though, I convinced Paul to treat me to breakfast. About 3/4 into the walk, I coughed up a lung... then about 3/4 through the line, I felt dizzy; I thought that just maybe I would pass out right there and then... but sure enough, I hung on... Though the entire situation was embarrassing; I sat on wet chairs and ground; I lay my head on the counter as Paul stood in the waiting line. The owner inquired about my well being not only while we were in line but also while we ate. Paul made the executive decision that I am not yet well enough to be in public.

No movie. Boo.

Believe it or not, I feel far worse for Paul than I do for myself. For 1, he has to hear me complain about being slightly sick and then just seconds later reassure him that I am not sick. Plus, he lives for weekends... seriously. He gets down if we do not adequately fill up weekend days with amazing adventures. Today, though, has looked something like this (rather than the afternoon movie and evening rock show we had planned on)...

After returning from breakfy, I napped for a couple of hours, and my dear husband cleaned our apartment... including unpacking from our week in Phoenix. Isn't he a doll? And then, he let me make a grocery list for the week but refused to let me join him on the journey. He's a doll and then some, no doubt.

Anyway, he's been ridic-productive (and unfortunately for him, productivity that involves cleaning the house does not equal fun nor adventurous), while I have napped, read, played on Facebook... and now, while he's at the store, I'm blogging and sharing my new hairdo with ya'll... and coughing a little bit too.

Yep, it's true.

2009-10-22T18:43:00.004-04:00

We're weirdos.

Fall & Randoms

2009-10-13T11:11:00.010-04:00

Okay, so Blogger totally kills vibrant photos... Blurgh, I say. Anyhoo, Fall is in full swing in the northeast, so I thought I'd share. We've actually rented a cabin a few hours north of the city for a weekend in November. Can't wait to roast marshmallows and make ooey-gooey s'mores!

In other news, I saw Ivanka Trump on some terrible morning show speaking about her new book, and man, that lady is composed! Are we really the same age? I now realize why she's a gazillionaire and why, well, I'm not. (You know, aside from the whole gazillionaire-father thing she's got going on.) Does anyone want to invest in sending me to her Charm School alma mater? Or maybe I should start by reading her book... and practicing my ol' SAT vocabulary.

Aaaaannnnnd my bestie's Dad was on Glenn Beck (Blech, more like) last night. Word to having a celebrity in my extended family!

How can you not love these pups?!

2009-10-11T09:34:00.004-04:00

Seriously, Paul and I oooo'd and aaaaw'd over these commercials. Adorable.

Yeah, Diana!

2009-10-02T09:32:00.002-04:00

My new Diana F+ camera rocks in its plastic-lensed glory. Love it... Paul picked up the first roll from processing this week, and while they're not all awesome, I am dreaming of what I can create with my new dear friend.

Same Ol' Steffa

2009-09-30T16:55:00.003-04:00

I wrote this on Christmas in 1998. My friend, Brie, found it recently and knew that I would appreciate it, so she sent it to me... She also sent me a letter that Paul wrote to her that I'm forbidden to publish due to embarrassing handwriting... The handwriting is that funny.

Anyway, this cracks me up for so many reasons. It proves that I've always been the same combination of wacky, dramatic, happy and loving of Paul!

Enjoy... and try not to be too embarrassed for me.

Reliving Our Youth - One Punk Rock Show At A Time...

2009-09-18T21:28:00.004-04:00

Every now and again, a band from our punk-rock-teenagedom tours through NY. It's always hilarious b/c there's never a soul in the club under the age of 26... and yet we all rock out as though we're still 17.

Last night was one such night. A high school fave of mine, Face to Face, blew through NYC, and we were lucky enough to get tickets. I actually purchased tickets months ago - the day they went on sale to be exact... and Paul and I just knew that we were totally going to forget about the show until after it passed.

Fortunately, we didn't forget. Fortunately, I had my oh-so-lovely point-and-shoot camera, which took some sweet video. Fortunately, neither of us were injured, and the camera was fine too... even though I was elbowed on the top of my head, and my precious camera was accidentally slapped by some girl.

Many funny moments occurred... There's just something about a group of pushing-30s to late-30s and early 40s rockin' out to punk rock that just seems hysterical. I overheard and participated in many a convo about 'back in high school' and 'what was it - 1997 - or something?'.

But three things stood out for me, and I'd like to share...

I was never a mosh-pit-girl per se, but every once in a while I would jump into a more happy-go-lucky pit (as opposed to an angry pit). This really only happened during my most fave bands... Last night, I kept thinking, "Hmmm... It doesn't look so bad during this song." Or, "There's that slower part coming up." I tried to convince myself that it'd be okay, but some things kept popping into my mind that I never had to think about back in '97 (or whenever)... "I'd look pretty bad if I showed up to my meeting with a black eye tomorrow." "Hmm. I have to catch a flight on Saturday, and I have so much work to do tomorrow to get ready for a week off, so I really can't afford to spend time in the ER or in pain with a broken collarbone."
As I walked out of the venue, I heard a fella in a similar vein say, "Yeah, I totally wanted to crowd surf, but I have more expensive things in my pockets than I did when I was younger... Yeah, I didn't have credit cards back then. It was basically, 'Hey, Dad! Can I have some money?' So if I lost something back then, I could just ask my Dad for more money."
Face to Face is playing another show in NYC next week, and Trever Keith (lead singer) asked if anyone in the crowd had enough money to go to that show too... Pretty much everyone in the crowd cheered and raised their hands to which Mr. Keith said, "I love punk rockers with a bank account!"

That pretty much sums it all up. We've (mostly) all (mostly) grown out of the whole punk rock lifestyle - with the late nights, angst and crazy fashion sense, but we're all trying to keep it alive even if just one night a year when a fave band from high school comes to town...

My spare time...

2009-09-13T11:45:00.000-04:00

I may be the biggest time-waster ever.

A Laborless Labor Day (and then some)

2009-09-10T17:49:00.010-04:00

It wasn't a photogenic week for me.

Labor Day Recap

Paul had Thursday through Monday off because of the looooooooong hours worked the previous few weeks. I decided to join him on Friday with a pre-Labor Day vacation day. We enjoyed one of the greatest weekends in existence... it's true. We even celebrated by staying up late on Thursday!

Friday - Coney Island with some friends. You know what that means... Delicious hot dogs and chili-cheese fries. Mmmmm! Pat, Paul's co-workin' bestie, ordered a corn dog with sauerkraut. Didn't work out quite as he had planned (as I'm sure you can imagine).

See what I mean?

The very beginning of our Dorney Park adventure!

Saturday - Dorney Park & Wildwater Kindom in Allentown, PA with a friend. Paul and Brad rode vomit-and-death-inducing rides, while I took photos with my delightful point-and-shoot. I rode the 'kiddie' roller coaster, and I must admit that it was the most terrifying ride of my life... No, really. Anyway,there were 0 lines on the rides, and we figured out that everyone was at the water park... The water park was a blast (x10), but seriously, what fools - they could've ridden every single ride in less than an hour.

They rode this for me b/c I was obsessed with how deadly it looked.

They were literally facing the pavement on this - 90 degree angle for 175 feet. Can I get a "where's the vomit?"!

Seriously, the highest drop ever... Ugh! No thank you!

I was almost convinced to go on this ride. Maybe next time...

Admittedly, this is not my best photo, but c'mon, I had been wave-poolin' it up!

Sunday - A deliciously relaxing picnic in our one and only Prospect Park.

Monday - Fun times in Manhattan spending my b-day gift cards and a deliciously raucous picnic in T&D's 'hood park.

Sadly, the long weekend had to come to an end... soooooooo sad. But you know what follows a long weekend? ... ... ... A short week, of course! Can you believe it's already Thursday?! WOOOT!

Oh, and last night I prepared Chicken Curry for dinner... as in INDIAN food. How astonished are you? PLUS, T&D brought us awesome place mats from their trip to India, so the setting... er, table-scape was uber-authentic.

Lil' Frenchie...

2009-09-03T07:31:00.001-04:00

Poor lil' guy

French Bulldog Can't Roll Over - watch more funny videos

The Non-Diet

2009-09-02T20:08:00.006-04:00

(Aiko, we desperately need to take some new photos.)

Aiko & Corey will be married in 3 short weeks! That's 3 short weeks until Paul and I head to Waikiki - huzzah! The plan was for me to be in tip-top bikini shape by the time our beach vacation arrived, and seeing as how I've had 6 or so months to prepare, this should have been easy.

Too bad a) I'm lazy, b) I eat ice cream for a living and c) I have no willpower.

If I weren't lazy, I would have exercised like I had promised myself. If I did not eat ice cream for a living, I would not have needed to exercise quite as much. If I had willpower, I might know the difference between marketing ice cream and eating ice cream for a living.

Oh well. I'm round, and I've dealt with it. In the short term, though, I created a plan/non-diet to a) punish myself for being so lazy & weak-willed over the last 6 months and b) feel less flabby in 3 short weeks.

My regimen - a) be less lazy (which includes brisk walking a few days each week, crunches & girly push-ups), b) realize that I promote ice cream for a living - not eat it and c) dig deep in the depths of my being to find some willpower.

I am on Day 3 of no ice cream... Day 3 - in those 3 days, I have visited 8 or so ice cream shops - now that is willpower, my friends! Plus, I've done some brisk walking, crunches, push-ups and jumping jacks. Never mind the fact that I had 1.5 donuts on Monday plus 1 delicious mini-marzipan and some delicious chocolate pudding (that tasted like frosting - yum) yesterday... Just forget those because they don't count as ice cream.

3 days down and 18 to go...

Angeloober-Goober Came To Town!

2009-08-30T11:39:00.006-04:00

My dearest sister, Angeloogie, headed to NYC for the weekend. We watched "Hannah Montana the Movie" and rocked out pretty hardcore during "The Climb." Plus, we (kind of) learned a new line dance courtesy of our adored, Miley Cyrus.

We even watched "Bring It On - All Or Nothing." Definitely one of the worst movies of all time, but oh-so-perfect for sister watching.

We went to the MoMA and the Brooklyn Bridge. We dined at Shake Shack and Joe's. We traveled to NJ for a gallant night of jousting by the knights of Medieval Times.

All in all, it was a great weekend (despite the grey skies and rain).

Miss you sissy!

Evidence that you shouldn't let your sister fuss with your hair.

Why I <3 NYC

2009-08-24T20:06:00.003-04:00

We may have rude people, humidity, graffiti and litter... but c'mon!

Feelin' Good...

2009-08-24T11:52:00.004-04:00

I don't know what it is, but I'm feeling good and positive... such a change from the last month or two. Maybe I'm just super excited that my sister's heading to NYC on Thursday (super YAY), but I woke up at 6:55 today ready to move. I washed the dishes; I cleaned the shower; I made Paul's breakfy (well, found the cereal fixins and poured the juice)... Before 830, I was going through email and getting work done.

Man, I hope this optimism and positivity stays around!

(Yes, I've been a bit of a crank lately... Paul may not admit it, but it's true.)

(OR - how in the world did I forget about this - maybe it's b/c my dear friend Shanda wrote awesomely nice things about me... She's so rad.)

Our Friday night in Manhattan

2009-08-16T22:26:00.005-04:00

Friday night was interesting. When Paul arrived home from work, we were both itching to do something outdoors. The weather was beautiful, and seeing as how NYC has had the saddest summer ever, beautiful weather is not something we take for granted.

We threw ideas back and forth... Coney Island fireworks? Park Slope? Nothing really excited us... until I thought of this magical place that we went to last year. The city erected a pop-up park near the Brooklyn bridge as a viewing spot for a waterfall installation, and it was fabuuuu*. The park was right next to the water and offered decent food at a cheap (enough) price. It seemed to be the perfect mix of going out while keeping it low-key.

So I said, "Paul, is that park still there?" To which he replied, "No, it was just there for the installation." "Hmmm, that would be perfect." "Well, we could go down to South Street Seaport." (as I peruse the outdoor hot spot section in the Time Out New York) "There's Water Taxi Beach, and it has cheap food... Oh, but it looks like there might be some party thing with cover tonight." "Eh, we'll try it."

When he offered that last one up, he really thought it was a great idea. And it was... kind of. Of course, when we arrived, the door guy tells us that there's a $5 cover. We turn around and debate whether or not we should pay cover to sit on the sand with cheap food. Ten minutes later, we decide - sure, why not. Then the lady swiped our card for the cover... Nope, not $5 but $10 each! I was outraged; I don't pay cover for restaurants. That's absurd, and he said it was $5... "Well, before 8pm, it is $5. It's 822pm now." "Yes, but we were here 5 minutes ago*." "That would've been 817pm, so it still would've been $10." "I understand what you're saying, but he told us it was $5." Oh well...

So we go inside. At this point, I'm noticing that people are really dressed up to be going to a little outdoor park. That's when it hits me... Ooooooooh! This barricaded area is a bar-slash-nightclub! What?! My whole world shattered for a moment... but, but, but it's a beach... It's called Water Taxi BEACH.

Nope, I was wrong. Now, obviously there's no beach in Manhattan, but I wasn't thinking a swimming beach. I just pictured a little plot of sand with some river rocks forming a natural barricade between the water and the sand... Boy was I wrong.

Neon palm trees lit the sandy plot of land. A DJ spun some awful electro-dance tunes. Folks danced the night away... DANCING?!?! At a beach?! Oh geez. Obviously, we are not nightclub regulars. Wait, what? You say you didn't know that? Well, as the Beatles would say, you "should've known better."

Clearly, I should've known better.

So what did we do? We ordered some dinner at the little food shack (fish & chips for him, a hot dog and watermelon for me)... We sat down at a picnic table sitting on the fake (as in, non-naturally occurring) sand... I bobbed my head to the weird tunes. We chatted up some Germans sitting next to us; they knew it was a nightclub. Most importantly, we played cards for hours.

I have a feeling that the other clubbers thought we were off our rockers, but we had a good time (even after the $20 cover mishap), and I continued my HUGE winning streak at Deuces Wild.

*fabuuuu = fabulous. Say it with me - fabooooooo. Not fabU.

**Yes, I know that it had actually been 10 minutes, not 5, but regardless it was after 8pm when he told us of the $5 cover.

A career change is in order...

2009-08-15T19:47:00.008-04:00

Introducing the first SBS/PDS Productions short film...

Enjoy!

(Are you sad that I have a video camera yet?)

(I use the term 'short film' loosely here...)

Home Videos from Paris

2009-08-14T11:41:00.004-04:00

C'mon... you know you're laughing. We're a riot.

(If you're wondering why this took so long to post, it's b/c I had to figure out how to convert the AVI file to an MPEG.)

(Oh, and I'm sure that those riding their dear Segways have dignity too... they may have just misplaced it for the moment. No worries, I would so rock a Segway for a short time, and I would certainly make fun of myself while doing so.)

The Family... is a group of nut jobs!

2009-08-14T10:16:00.002-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Jeff Sharlet

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Spinal Tap Performance

Really?! Have you heard of this? I must read The Family. In the words of Miss Gwen Stefani, "This bleep is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S!"

Preach on, Mr. Sharlet!

Mom, shield your eyes...

2009-08-08T19:59:00.003-04:00

It has made a comeback...

(The Batman shirt from my seventh grade Savers shopping trip, that is.)

Another knife fight...n

2009-08-04T10:17:00.006-04:00

Last night while chopping onions for my delicious chili, I cut myself worse than I ever have before... OOPS. It kinda hurts, and it doesn't look so great either.

Man, am I a genius...

Know what I did after holding tissue to the cut to stop the bleeding??? C'mon, guess!

Nope, you're wrong; I did not go running down the street bawling and screaming, "OWWWWWW! I NEED AN AMBULANCE!" ... Rather, I kept chopping the onion... then the green pepper... then the garlic.

... And the chili was delicious!

(Super sorry for the grotesque photo, but I had to show you what we're dealing with.)

The Schizophrenic Weather of NYC

2009-08-02T13:10:00.007-04:00

NYC has failed to see a real summer this year. June and July had 2x the average rainfall... Nuts.

One never knows what to expect on any given day. The fortune tellers known to some as "meteorologists" cannot seem to get it right, as many days of the forecast have the icon that shows sun, rain and clouds... Clearly, they just don't know.

All day Friday was cloudy and rainy. Friday evening, the rain stopped, the sky cleared, and the streets dried. Saturday was gorgeous; the beach was packed. This was only our 2nd beach day of the year - sad, but we enjoyed it thoroughly. I awoke this morning to grey skies; the first word out of my mouth was, "NOOOO!" I decided to shut my eyes and fall back asleep. I kid you not when I say that with the lights turned off, our apartment (which gets A TON of natural light) looks as if it must be 9pm outside. I've never heard louder thunder, and, of course, it's raining. The sun will not shine today.

Friday night's beautiful sky... The clouds parted.

Saturday's sky - not a cloud in sight. Sunshine, oh how I love you.

The Weather Gods are not hearing my plea for real summer weather, and I hear that unless there is a HUGE warm front in August, the summer of 2009 will go down as the coldest on record. REALLY?!

Can I get a loud "UGH" from everyone, please?

Sunday - why are you so ugly?

Embarrassing x 10!

2009-07-27T18:36:00.003-04:00

7.26.09 6:28pm

So I was calling a bank's 1-800 number today when I accidentally misdialed.

The phone rang and then picked up. I expected to hear, "Welcome to XYZ Bank's Telephone Banking System. BlahBlahWahWahBlah."

Instead, I heard not words but sounds. Heavy sounds. Loud sounds.

...

It took me about two seconds to realize that those sounds were pretty much X-rated, and I must've accidentally called an erotic hotline or something. I about died.

To top it off, I misdialed by 6 numbers...

SIX. Numbers. No, not one, two or three... SIX. How is that possible?

You know how sometimes when you're typing on the keyboard and not paying attention, you start typing gibberish b/c your fingers aren't on the proper ASDFJKL; keys? Well, sometimes I do that with phone numbers.

This time, it was a big oops. Oops times ten, as I like to say.

Now, I think I should call Verizon to ensure that I'm not charged anything for my misdial, but I'm SOOOOOO embarrassed that I'm not sure I can man-up. The conversation will sound something like this:

Verizon: "Thanks for calling Verizon Wireless. How can I pretend to help you today?"

Steffa: "Hi, yes... I accidentally called a porn hotline today, and I want to make sure that I'm not charged for it."

V: Accidentally, 'eh?

S: YES, ACCIDENTALLY. The call was all of 5 seconds.

V: Yeah, I hear that one all the time.

-Click-

Guess I'll have to get over it and just call... this time ensuring that all of my numbers are correct before pressing 'Send.'

7.26.09 8:13pm

Just some cute photos from my new camera

2009-07-17T10:51:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the long delay in posts... I was on a business trip, so boohoo to that.

My birthday was fabulous, as I'm sure you can imagine... Paul and I did some house cleaning, some city-shopping for a camera case and some free-Slurpee-consuming.. Then our friends Donella & Michael took us out to a super delicious dinner where I got a fantastic birthday Banana Tart.

Just as an FYI - my new camera is awesome... It even has some tricks up its sleeves - including stretching and skinny-ing the image... YEAH!

After the birthday festivities, Sunday came quickly... I had scheduled my flight to Chicago to leave a day early, so I could visit my fave Dub clan. Baby Spicy didn't arrive while I was there, but I was lucky to spend time with my fave E!

Sorry for the lack of wit in this post... Maybe next week!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-07-11T12:28:00.003-04:00

Best "tissue paper" ever. Thanks M&M!

I love my birthday, and today is no exception. My dear hubby bought me the greatest little point & shoot camera ever! So exciting! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!

Lincoln

2009-07-10T15:56:00.002-04:00

Still going through the photos but thought i should share a few!

1 day 'til I'm 27!

10 Days...

2009-07-01T11:02:00.004-04:00

If you remember, last year I counted down to my big day starting from July 2nd. Do you remember? It seems somewhat inappropriate this year... and yet, I think, somewhat appropriate.

When I see someone dear to me struggling to hold on, I feel a strong desire to celebrate each day and to live each day as though it could be my last... And yet I don't feel like actually celebrating.

Fortunately, Paul and I are headed to my hometown this weekend, so the decision is made for me, and I won't have time to countdown for the next four days, so today will be it... 10 days until my 27th birthday!

But since you're already here reading this, I implore you to live each day to the fullest and celebrate & appreciate each and every day that you are given. It's important. I promise.

A brief thank you...

2009-06-30T08:44:00.003-04:00

When i was a little girl, i was outgoing and boisterous and sensitive... oh, so sensitive. All my parents needed to do was to say my name with a shrill tone, and I would be bawling. When the little ant died in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids," it was as if my lifelong pet passed on. When Harry was sent away in "Harry and the Hendersons," it was as if my mom was giving my own sister away. When I once got so angry with my sister that I threw a piece of very stale licorice at her (only I missed -probably on purpose- and hit a wall instead), I felt guilty and awful about it for years.

Stories such as these are plentiful in my history...

and not just from when I was a child or teenager.

As I grew into a pre-teen and then teenager, I was awkward... painfully awkward. Rather than manage through those years gracefully, I chose to embrace my awkward qualities and enhance or highlight them. I grew to be more outspoken and opinionated even if many times those two qualities got me into trouble... which is when my sensitivity emerged, and it never failed to do so.

During those oh-so-formative years, I wore boy clothes that were 87x too big and studded jewelry (too tough for words), listened to punk rock and still put myself and my elaborate opinions out there... Sometimes this went over well, and other times, it did not.

When I would head back to see my family for the summer, my style & attitude didn't go over so well. My family didn't seem to like my affinity for ill-fitting clothing, metal adornments and rebellious tunes. We would get into discussions turned arguments about my 'style.' They would make cracks... Always, always, always it would end with me crying and walking away because while I'm tough on the outside, I'm ridiculously sensitive everywhere that counts. I can only handle so much of anything (good or bad), and then I start crying.

In all my life, there was one family member who I could always count on to turn the other cheek, to be the bigger person, to be the grown up. Aunt Brenda. She always left her judgements at the door (if she even had them, which I highly doubt); she always made me feel normal while others wanted to prove my weirdness, as if to exorcise it out of me. She embraced me as the underdog and always challenged me to rise above and not let it get to me... even if that wasn't possible. She is quite possibly the nicest and most accepting person that I will ever know.

She will never sit down until all in a 5 mile vicinity are fed. She will not rest until all dishes in the house are clean - even if it's not her home, even if she did not eat, even if the party is celebrating her. She will never ask for something to be done for which she could do herself... though she will tirelessly do for others that which they can do themselves.

I have a good family, and I am not discounting that nor am I ignoring my great fortune in life. Those years, those arguments, those moments all helped shape me into who I am... I am still tough and outspoken and opinionated... probably more so. I still know that those attributes aren't always appreciated. I am still overly sensitive which can make those attributes sometimes hard to bear... and I will still cry when Harry is sent away or when the ant is killed... and I will always feel terribly for hurting someone's feelings.

Aunt Brenda helped shape me into who I am. I hope to comfort people the way she always has. I try to be as selfless and kind and giving... even if more often, I fail. I aim to be as accepting and kind to others as my Aunt Brenda has always been.

Aunt Brenda, I am thinking of you.

p.s. For those family members who are feeling left out, I assure you that you have meant more to me than you can know...

When it rains, the game gets delayed!

2009-06-24T10:42:00.004-04:00

Oh, to be living in New York... For the last 6 weeks, living in NYC hasn't seemed all that glamorous. The skies are perpetually grey and rainy, and to be quite frank, I'm over it. Some people claim to enjoy rainy days, but I think all of those people are nuts (and must live in Phoenix). Cloudy skies and rain make each day seem drab and gloomy. Plus, I hate soggy feet, and since I only have snow boots, it's just too warm to wear them in the summer rain.

That said, it's finally warm here. FINALLY. Seriously, we had more 50 and 60 degree weather this spring than one can take. I'm ready for the beach, weather gods, so let's stay consistent with the 70 - 85 degree weather now and finally let the sun shine.

Anyway, last night was the first time in the last 6 weeks that I have actually enjoyed the rain. We decided spontaneously to go to a Mets game. We had nosebleed seats, just 2nd row from the top, but there were 7 of us, and you can't really expect to get 7 seats together close and cheap at the last minute. Well, I thought it was going to rain, and a couple of the peeps said, "No, it's not going to rain." The second we stepped out of the subway station, it started sprinkling. Still, I heard, "This isn't rain. It won't really rain." Pretty early on, it was pouring so much that the game was delayed... but we didn't care b/c we had our seats were covered! Sometimes it pays to have nosebleeds! It was awesome; I had never experienced a rain delay (AZ doesn't see a lot of rain), so I was able to experience the delay while staying dry.

To top it off, for once, I was RIGHT. That's right; no one believed that it would rain... but the writing's been on the wall for 6 weeks, and I just wasn't buying the 'partly cloudy' skies. I knew that the day would come, and it feels good to be right for once. Granted, Paul didn't really commit to a side, so he's still always right, but I get this one. Yeah!

Oh, and the Mets lost big time. C'est la vie.

Why I love Taylor Swift...

2009-06-17T08:15:00.006-04:00

Truth be told...

2009-06-16T18:28:00.005-04:00

There are very few upsides to traveling for business, but seeing the Dubs in Chicago is mosdef at the top of the list. I get to see this little face in less than a month... if only Mr. T (the other moustached bebe from the infamous paris post) could join us!

Anyway, onto the truth that needs to be told... I'm lazy, like really lazy. As in, laziness is probably my biggest flaw (though I have very few, obviously). Paul and I take hundreds and hundreds of photos that never see the light of day. We shoot 'Raw,' which means that the camera doesn't process the photos at all (even though it's digital) - no white balancing, no color correcting, no whatever else shooting JPGs does for photos.* This means that we have to go in and manually process our photos, but processing takes time and effort and energy... and as previously mentioned, I am VERY, VERY, VERY lazy.

To prove my case, I will provide some hard evidence.. These photos of the Dubs were taken last Labor Day weekend. That's almost one whole year. Sheesh! There are still a good 300 photos from that weekend that were never processed... and most of them never will be; it's a sad reality, but it's true. Same with my mom's visit - how many photos did you actually see? 20 or 30 out of 200? And Paris... don't even get me started on the 860+ photos that may never be touched.

I blame digital cameras... No, really, I do.** Thanks to digital cameras, Paul and I are photo-taking-happy. Just push the little button then load it onto the computer. We should shoot only in film... then we would be far more choosey with our photo snapping than we are now... then I would feel far less guilty about picking and choosing which photos to process... or we could just shoot JPGs, but Paul has a real aversion to this, and I can certainly understand. Oh, the difficulties of trying to do the right thing!

On a happy note, I do get to see little E in just a few short weeks... Huzzah!

*For a brief explanation about Raw files, go here.

**My second biggest flaw is not taking accountability for my flaws. Ha. Just kidding.

p.s. If you're wondering why I have suddenly started capitalizing correctly, it's because Paul said that he's better with punctuation than I am. I respectfully disagreed with him, even though he is better with grammar overall. During the punctuation discussion, he reminded me that I never capitalize letters, and even though this is an aesthetic choice for me, I have decided to be more proper... So here goes nothin'!

a trip to the dentist. dun dun duuuunnnnnn!

2009-06-15T15:12:00.006-04:00

no cavities.

aren't you proud?!

i sure thought so.

this was my first dentist visit in almost 2 years... and i eat more ice cream than anyone i know, so i just knew that i had at least one cavity. as it turns out, my dental hygiene is 'impeccable.' no, really. the dentist said so. i'm a champion brusher & flosser. i was even offered a new toothbrush and a huge magnet with a calendar and a big, toothy grin printed on it.

things have definitely changed since my last dentist visit... or at least this dentist was less ghetto than my last two dentists. i can't even begin to tell you how afraid i was of my last two dentists - one in tucson, one in phoenix. seriously, this dentist showed me my x-rays on a computer screen. who even knew that was possible?! plus, instead of using the little scraper, he had this high powered water gun that he used to clean my teeth... very strange to say the least. the worst part about it was that by the time the dentist was done, my face was soaked with water and saliva.

ew.

but i have no cavities, and i'm a tooth-care-taking rock star!

(photo credit - my iMac. amazing teeth credit - me, of course.)

time out!

2009-06-09T10:36:00.003-04:00

in the midst of all things crazy, a few moments of serious awesomeness come shining through... i would like to share.

paul's parents visited us. we had a marvelous time and ate some seriously delicious grub.

my work approved the budget for me to take a continuing education class at nyu - using public relations as a marketing tool. sounds awesome to me!

we have 0 plans this weekend. seems insane to think, but i'm really excited!

a saved by the bell reunion?! it appears that all of my dreams may come true. if you have any love for sbtb, you really must watch the video...

moustaches ARE cute!

2009-06-04T18:41:00.010-04:00

it's been a rough week... and then today, my company let some ppl go.

(if you know the name of my company, please refrain from saying/typing it.)

i'm safe, but i'll tell you what...

our parents might be banned from visiting.

when my mom & tony were here, paul's work let some ppl go. now that his parents are here, my company's on the chopping block.

coincidence? ... actually ... if i'm honest ... yes, probably.

(but it's more fun to be superstitious and conspiracy-theoristy.)

anyway, the only actual souvenirs we bought in paris were for our darling little people - nuestros sobrinos - e & t. today, i was pleasantly surprised by these photos. how adorable are they and their little moustaches?!?! i know - too cute for words. soon, we'll have a new sobrina. we can't wait for her to show her little face (c'mon 7/11!)!

fortunately for me, i had these kiddos to cheer me up!

2 years and a gajillion to go!

2009-06-01T18:34:00.002-04:00

happy banan-iversary to my dear hubbs-a-lot!

(got the 2 rolls from my fisheee back... wish i woulda' taken more! more to come!)

tomorrow - 6/1

2009-05-31T11:57:00.008-04:00

two years.

phoenix. cabo. la. rocky point. alicante. basel. zurich. dublin. nyc. dc. san juan. aguadilla. chicago. boston. vegas. paris. philadelphia.

(give or take a couple.)

lots of laughs. lots of funny faces. lots of kissy faces and kissies. lots of travel. lots of steffa silliness. lots of paul knowledge.

lots of s&p dance parties.

lots of good stuff.

good times. best two years yet.

wolves? they're boss!

2009-05-27T21:39:00.004-04:00

and by 'boss,' i mean 'cool,' 'rad' or 'the most.'

my good friend este posted this link on his facebook, and i am unsure that i've ever laughed so hard at reviews on an amazon.com item for sale... that is to say that i've never laughed at the reviews on an amazon.com item for sale.

please, if you know what's good for you, read the reviews. you just might cry from laughter like i have.

and yes, it's true: women flock to men in wolf clothing.

okay... more photos!

2009-05-26T17:31:00.006-04:00

i've been told that 3 photos don't cut it... so here are a few more.

p.s. my life is awesome!

the land of baguettes...

2009-05-26T15:34:00.004-04:00

the trip was as amazing as you would imagine... but more on that later. here are a few photos to hold you over until i have time to really go through our 900+ pictures. needless to say - there were many a baguette sammy, many a croissant, 2 sunsets in front of the eiffel tower, visits to 3 uber-important museums and so much more.

in less than 24 hours...

2009-05-19T23:20:00.004-04:00

we will be on a plane to PARIS!

excuse me while i practice my french...

huuh huuh huuh
fromage
baguette
un, deux, trois, quatre
huuh huuh huuh
mon cherie
toilette
enchanté
huuh huuh huuh

well, that ought to do it!

next time you see me, i'll be wearing a béret!

(p.s. how funny is it that when i searched photos of paris, one came up from nationalterroralert.com, which just happens to belong to my old boss. ha!)