"Glad To See You've Finally Committed To Working Here."

These were the words from the business manager in my office. He was happy to see me walking in to the office with a big bag of personal effects for my desk. And it certainly needed some personality...

See, my work desk has become a disaster. A gross, messy. dirty disaster. Cluttered. Dusty.



It basically consisted of all the crap I've accumulated in the year that I have worked there... Toys from McDonald's Happy Meals... Piles of papers I can't commit to shredding and recycling... Cardboard boxes from stuff I've ordered littering underneath the desk... Fingerprints everywhere on the desk top...

It was a mess. Was... Till I cleaned it up this morning.

I spent the first 30 minutes of my day shredding papers, throwing out toys, wiping down and disinfecting everything on the desk. Then I "styled" the desk... Travel books from home, fun toys I get from the search engines (like the magic "8" ball from Yahoo!), a bobble-head figure of The Husband, tulips in a crystal vase, a red Chinoiserie desk clock, Mrs. J. L. Strong desk calendar, Jay Stringwater frame, butterfly coaster, and two red Chinoiserie cache pots with plants.



It's much better!

So yes, I have committed to my job after a year. I brought a bunch of shit from home that will be a pain in the ass to trolley home.

Beauty Routines.

Now that I have gotten the evil hormones out of my system, my skin is really starting to clear up (knock on wood). But I recently found myself having to come up with three separate beauty routines...

One for morning. One for night. One for before Bikram class.

Morning Beauty:

I needed something gentle, but cleansing. I don't want my skin to be dried and flaky when I put on my make-up.

• Fresh Lemon Oil Cleansing Balm
• Blue Flame Purifying Toning Mist
• Philosophy The Present

Night Beauty:

I can be a little more aggressive before going to bed. No worries of flaky skin that people will see. I use a toner with alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) and an exfoliating moisturizer with salicylic acid.

• Phycisians Choice of Arizona Exfoliating Cream
• Fresh Lemon Oil Cleansing Balm
• Physicians Choice Of Arizona Smoothing Toner
• Philosophy Hope In A Bottle

Bikram Beauty:

I've learned that it's best to take my make up off before class starts. That way, I'm just sweating body water and not body water mixed with make up. After class, I just rinse my face with water.

• Fresh Soy Cleanser
• Astara Blue Flame Purifying Toning Mist

"Where Are There More Bros than Hos?"

If you're a straight single gal, you may be asking yourself this question. And The Boston Globe's answer to you would be, West Coast & Texas."



But Boston doesn't fair badly when it comes to an even distribution of the sexes. Our city only has about 1600 more single women than single men.

I still say dating in Boston is tough though. If I was single, I would move back to NYC. I wouldn't be afraid of the other 200,000+ single women there. Hell, that's where I met The Husband... Drunk in a bar in the Village.

Strawberry-Banana Pie.

I bought a ton of fruit this afternoon to make a fruit salad. I have so many strawberries leftover, I decided to make mini pies. Mini strawberry-banana pies!

Complete with a lattice top crust.



They look very yummy.

Cherry Blossom Green Tea.

It's Springtime... And I am patiently waiting for the weather to warm slightly and the trees to bloom white and pink. Till then, I have found something to tide me over.

Cherry blossom green tea!



Inside the pretty tin are beautiful silk bags.



And once brewed, the color is very "verdant."



I can't wait for warmer weather.

Healthy Dish For The Weak: Tex-Mex Tostadas.

Yummy!

I completely forgot that I had cooked a really tasty dinner earlier this week... Tex-Mex Tostadas.



I took this recipe from the latest issue of Everyday Food. I adapted it slightly:

• Instead of corn tortillas, I used small flour tortillas that I toasted in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
• I used mashed black beans.
• The chicken was spiced up with cumin and grill seasoning before I grilled it and sliced it.
• I used jack cheese instead of cheddar.
• The "salsa" is made from a quarter of a red onion, 10 grape tomatoes and corn.

I made myself two, but I was only able to eat one. The Husband agreed that this one can go in the "regular rotation" of meals.

"Style Is Like The Clap..."

Amen sister. I have got style! (But not The Clap.)

I Really Just Went In For The Cookies...

I went over to Motley on Tremont this afternoon. I went in because of the Girl Scout Cookies in the window. But I walked out with a bunch of stuff. Including a new pair of Havianas (flip flops), a soy candle (hmm - Blood Orange!), a few greeting cards and...

A really kick ass match box that you can refill!



I chose the Caramel Delights cookies to take as my "gift with purchase of $20 or more."



I think I chose wisely.

Happy Birthday Human!

Today is The Husband, "Human's", birthday. He is a savory 32 years old.

I know I write about Human "here and there" on the blog... But I think many of you might like to know a little bit more about Human, my husband. So here you go...

Facts About Human:

• He is 32.
• He is a Canadian. (From Toronto.)
• He works at a financial institution as an analyst.
• He is nearly 6'5".
• He has dark hair and dark eyes. We could easily be mistaken for brother and sister.
• His favorite color is blue.
• He plays street hockey every weekend with friends in Boston's North End.
• He likes basketball... And thinks football is pretty good. He's not all that interested in baseball.
• One of the reasons he married me was because I like to cook... And he can only "Forman."
• He once stuck a metallic bowl in the microwave to heat up some soup. He didn't understand, after he pulled the bowl out, why the soup was still cold. I then explained to him how microwaves work and why you don't stick metallic bowl in there.
• He lets me decorate the house however I want.
• He's the kind of fellow who does the dishes without having to be told. He also does laundry on instinct.
• He eats oatmeal every day for breakfast.
• He is impossible to buy birthday gifts for because he really doesn't want anything. I usually buy him clothes.
• He stays up till midnight, while I go to be at 10pm, watching ESPN and reading financial news on his laptop.

To celebrate his birthday, I am taking him to a movie this afternoon, and to dinner afterwards. Afterwards, we'll come home and probably watch ESPN.

Is It Ass Or Is It Vulva?

I decided to go out for sushi with friends tonight after work. We hit up Ma Soba in Beacon Hill. I had never been there before, but it was quite good.

I didn't order off the sushi menu, even though everything looked delish! I chose to go with coconut shrimp and crispy egg noodles. (It was amazing!)

All of my friends, though, went with sushi. They ordered a bunch of sashimi and sushi pieces... And even ordered a hand roll and some maki rolls. But there were two pieces of sushi that made me ask something...

"Don't you think that sushi looks like ass?"



They all pondered it. The two girls agreed. And then one said, "It looks more like tongue."

The male in the group said he thought it looked like "vulva." That made me laugh and ask...

"Is it ass or is it vulva?"

One of the females responded with, "I don't eat vulva. No offense to all my lesbian friends. I prefer it to be an ass."

I agreed with her.

The male at the table piped up...

"I actually prefer it to be vulva."

When I got home, I showed the above picture to The Husband...

"It's definitely more vulva," he concluded.

I guess there are no winners here folks.

Sometimes....

You just gotta laugh at stuff. You gotta laugh your ass off... Because people finally realize karma's a bitch.

How I Spend My Work Day.

I have had a lot of people, both at work and in my personal life, tell me they don't really understand how I spend my day at work.

"What do you do at work all day exactly?" asked The Husband.

I can understand his curiosity... He spends all day meeting with CFOs from companies and staring at excel charts building financial models... My work day is certainly way more fun than his. But recently, even people in my company are curious as to how I spend my day.

"There's a saying," one co-worker said to me, "that the person who goofs off the most in the company is probably the person least likely to get fired. This is because they are also the person who usually brings in the most of whatever that business needs. (Money, Traffic, Etc...)"

So as you guessed it... I am the one in the office who is cracking the jokes. I also am a bit quirky and will ask random questions out loud to anyone listening. But really, I am a master of multi-tasking. And I don't think people realize that. So here's some insight into how I spend my day lately:

1. Get into work. Start computer. Wait five to 10 minutes for it to warm up and log into everything.
2. Pull paid search reports for previous day.
• Check all paid search engines.
• Pull revenue and traffic numbers.
• Project what spend and traffic will be for the rest of the week and rest of the month.
• Analyze keyword traffic for previous day. Adjust bids or day-part as needed.
3. Pull organic search traffic and revenue numbers for previous day.
• Organize by engine and top keyword data.
• Project traffic and revenue numbers for the rest of the week and the rest of the month.
4. Run organic search rankings reports.
• Run ranking tool. (And it takes FOREVER to run.)
• Organize data and will in tracking sheet. (Also takes forever... Tracking sheet lives on a remote server that takes about five minutes to open and five minutes to save each time.)
• Analyze data to see if there are any immediate concerns or opportunities, and brain storm solutions.
5. Put together feed for something SEO-related
• This has been taking a lot of time lately. It should be off my list of things to do next week, as it will be done.
  
6. Attend meetings on search growth
• These are exciting. But I have quite a few of them lately, and they prevent me from getting things done sometimes.
  
7. Check-in with co-workers on what they are doing.
• See if there's anything I can help them with or that they can help me with.
  
8. Uncover problems with site or metrics.

So you see, my job sounds very "technical." But it's really not. And I think my co-workers think it is.

I also think some of them forget that there is only one person doing search marketing. I do both the paid search and the organic search. So I am kind of all over the place and may not seems as devoted to one area or as busy. (But that's far from the truth!) And I have to be really, really good at multi-tasking. I have about eight active things going on at once.

At most other companies, there is one person who focuses on the organic search and one person who focuses on the paid search. I LOVE doing both. And I refuse to have it any other way. But I have finally admitted to my boss that yes, I do need another creative person in here helping me. Hopefully that will happen soon.

One of my co-workers thinks that I am actually a "super genius" who can do things very fast... And that's why I seem unstressed and relaxed all the time. I appreciate the "super genius" award... But truly, my job isn't hard. There's just a lot of components to it. And there are a lot of things that are just out of my hands.

I affect change where I can. And I try to keep the workday fun and full of laughter. Hopefully they all appreciate it.

If they don't though... They should just tell me to "shut the hell up."

Motley Has Girl Scout Cookies!

I was walking past the Motley store on my way home from my facial this evening... And I saw something delightful in the window...



It's blurry (sorry, phone camera)... But displayed in the window are boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes of Girl Scout Cookies!

I have not had any of these in nearly four years. I may have to head over to Motley this weekend and see if I can snag some. I can make Thin Mints myself... But I would love to pick up some Caramel Delights!

Croc "Cyprus" High-Heels.

Oh. No. They. Did. Not.

But yes, my friends, they in fact did.

Crocs, the maker of those shit-tastic shoes that I despise on anyone over the age six, has come out with high-heeled Crocs.



I must resort to the five Ws (and one H) method I learned in journalism school to dissect this...

• Who the eff-ing hell is going to wear these?
• What the hell is someone thinking if they wake up in the morning and choose to put these on?
• Where would one wear these crap-tastic contraptions?
• Why would someone find these attractive enough to wear?
• When would one wear these shoes? (Are they for "date night" or are they for "fancy gardening?")
• How the hell will I ever be able to take someone seriously if they wear these things

Weekly Poll: Gary Coleman vs. Emmanuel Lewis.

I am open to suggestions for the weekly poll we do here on the OCG. This week's poll is brought to you all by Bon-Fier.

"What percentage of americans confuse Gary Coleman and Emmanuel Lewis?"

To Do List: 3/27/2008

Things to do March 27, 2008:

1. Research cleaning services. It's time to finally cave and hire a cleaning lady after threatening to do so for three years.
2. Clean up desk at work. It just does not reflect my personality in its current state. It needs to be more neat.
3. Run 20 minutes at the gym in the morning, after training session. Run 20 minutes after work as well.
4. Take out garbage.

Getting A Redesign!

Great news! (Well, at least I am excited about it!)

I've decided to give On Common Ground a "make-over". I've only just signed an agreement with a company to have them work on it. But In the next few months you'll see a new look over here.

I've been using this same Blogger layout for over two years now. It's time to update things and personalize it a lot more. Make it more sophisticated. Ya know?

I'll write more about the redesign when I have details. But this should be exciting.

$5.40 A Gallon For Gas?

Dizamn... I am glad I don't own a car. And I am glad I don't live in Gorda, California!



Holy crap! How can anyone afford to drive?

I Refuse To Share EVERYTHING In A Marriage.

The Husband, Human, is a shady character.

Let me elaborate...

Saturday morning, The Husband lazes in bed till nearly 10:30am. He then gets up and quickly gets ready. He is out the door by 11:10am to make it to the North End for his weekly ball hockey game with friends.

I had been up for about four hours by the time he left. But I didn't bother putting in my contacts or getting ready. I mean, I like to lay around in my PJs on Saturday mornings sometimes.

By the time he leaves, I am ready to shower and get dressed for my day. I shower, wash my hair, put on my make-up... Then I go to put my contacts in. And that's when horror sets in.

The Husband and I both wear contacts. We both use the same type of case to keep them in. However, you can tell the difference between the two cases because mine is MUCH cleaner looking. His is scratched and cloudy. Mine is pristine.

I reach for my pristine contact case and pull out the contact cage. And I see that there are no contacts on either side of the cage. They are missing.

"That's funny," I say. "I know I put them in here last night."

I even check my eyes by putting on my glasses to make sure that I indeed did not sleep with them in and was still wearing them. They weren't in my eyes. And they weren't in the case. Where could they be?

That's when I thought, "Maybe this is Human's contact case. He leaves the solution in it. I dump mine out as I put my contacts in. This is a pristine case, but maybe he got a new one... And maybe he accidentally picked up my contact case to take with him to hockey... thinking it was his?"

I quickly dash to the phone and leave Human an urgent message on his mobile...

"Hi! I think you took my contact case with you when you went to hockey. Please be very, very, very, very, very, very, incredibly, extremely careful with the case. I do NOT have any more contacts and need to get replacements next week."

He came home in the afternoon assuring me he did indeed have a contact case on him with contacts in it. He pulls the case out... And horror once again sets in...

It's HIS dirty, old contact case! They weren't my contacts in it! They were his!

"But wait," I said. "If yours are in there... Then are you wearing mine?"

He starts putting a hand over each eye, one at a time.

"Hmm," he said. "It's possible."

"No," I screeched. "It's bloody fucking likely."

"That's okay," he said. "We can just disinfect them and you'll be able to wear them again."

"Um, no thanks," I said. "I won't even share a toothbrush with you. I don't want your eye essence in my eyes."

So I had been stuck wearing my glasses since Saturday. I managed to find time today to go and get fitted for new contacts. Thank God too... I had to work out in them this morning with the trainer.

Lifting weights and running with glasses ain't easy people.

Tuesday Morning.

My alarm goes off at 5:20am. I pop up out of bed. I stumble to the bathroom. I brush my teeth. I pack my make-up bag. Done in there.

My eyes are more awake at this point. I head into the dressing room and pull clothes to wear for work today. (I went with some Raven jeans, a Vince trapeze top, Vince grey cardigan and red Jimmy Choo flats.) Then I throw on my workout clothes and slip on my trainers. I give my fingers a burn as I try to tightly pull the laces of the shoes.

I bring my make-up bag and clothes to the living room, where I toss everything into my skull and crossbones gym bag that I bought at Jasmine Sola over two years ago. (It's the only thing I have ever bought from there that didn't fall apart.) I pack my heart monitor and water bottle into the bag as well. And then I remember, "My iPod!" and pack that too.

I slip on my Winter coat (silently praying I won't need it much longer), and wrap my green scarf around my neck twice. I head out the apartment door, and go to lock it up... But then I remember The Husband is still sleeping in bed, ignorant of what it means to get up early to work out... So I decide to leave it unlocked.

I hed down the stairs and open the front door. It's not as cold as I expected. But a coat and scarf are still very much a good idea. I begin walking towards the gym. I tuck my iPod buds into my ears and turn on my iPod.

But there is no sound coming into them.

I flip over the iPod and try to call up the on-screen menu. A warning that my iPod battery is about run out comes up.

Damn.

Working out at the gym after my training session isn't going to be much fun if I don't have music.

"Should I bail on the extra workout?" I ask myself.

I decide not to. I am trying to be a better and healthier person these days. Well, at least on Tuesdays. I go back to being an unhealthy bitch on Wednesdays.

Cake Of The Week: Cinnamon Sour Cream Cake.

Rep-re-sent!

Today's cake is the same as the week before last... Cinnamon Sour Cream.

This flavor appears to be a big hit in the office. This morning, when the FedEx guy dropped the box off to me and I unwrapped it, there was a standing ovation from some people when I announced the flavor.

Then I punched the crap out of the cake. And a few pieces of pecans on top of it crumbled to the sides.

Yes, there has been some damage done to the cake. But that won't prevent me from punching it again next week.

Lots Of International Travel.

Wow... I hadn't realized how much activity my passport was going to be getting in the next few months....

I have three international trips in the span of about seven weeks:

• Cabo from April 17th to the 21st
• London from April 25th to May 2nd
• Tuscany from June 6th to June 14th

Excellent!

Manolo Blahnik Spring Assortment: Going Camo.

I'm not really feeling the Spring assortment of Manolo Blahniks this year...

I mean, what's up with the camouflage theme?

Campari Suede Mary Janes



D'Orsay Peep-Toe Pumps



I wouldn't pay over $500 for a pair of camo Manolos. Would anyone? Not for a pair that aren't very versatile.

London Calling.

I've worked at my company for about 14 months now. (Wow... That's actually quite a long time for me!) And in that time, not once have I had a legitimate opportunity to visit our home office in London... Until now.

From April 25th through May 2nd, I'll be in London for a conference and to hook up with our UK office and meet people there. I'm very excited to be going. I haven't been to London since a business trip I took there back in February 2003. So it's time. And I get a good solid week there too!



Yay!

Colorstrology.

I came across a fun little site this weekend... Colorstrology.

It tells you what your Month and Birth Date colors are. It's a different type of personality assessment, based on astrology and color.

My color for my birth month, April, is Cayenne...



It says that people born in April are "passionate" and "energetic." The color represents courage and strength.

My color for my birth date, April 12th, is Geranium.



It describes me as being "articulate," "dynamic" and a "communicator." It tells me I have a talent for communicating and writing, that I am creative, and that "travel" and "publishing" are two areas that suit me.

How funny.

Easter Sunday Dinner.

This is how I do it up and roll out on Easter Sunday...



Yes... You can believe your eyes... That's a hotdog with potato chips. This is what The Husband and I had for dinner tonight.

We were actually quite pleased with it. We haven't had hotdogs in a really long time. And it was so sunny out today, but too cold to grill on the deck... So we decided to bring "Spring" to us by grilling with the Forman Grill inside. And what goes better with hotdogs than potato chips?

It was divine.

Margarita Cupcakes!

We are celebrating the boss's birthday tomorrow at work. To honor a significant b-day for him, I offered to make margarita-flavored cupcakes as a surprise. (Really though, I love any excuse to cook and try out a new recipe!) He's told us before that he likes tequila. And since I love baking, I figured there had to be a recipe out there on the Intertubez for cupcakes with tequila in them.

And there certainly is! The best Margarita Cupcake recipe I found was on a site called Bakespace. To make it you needed margarita mix, tequila and an orange liquor...



You make a small pitcher of margarita cocktail, and you only pour two-thirds of into the cake mix. Then you drink the rest over ice.

So it's a recipe with a cocktail built in for you to drink while baking!



They turned out beautifully...



Though I haven't taste-tested one yet. And I did make a few cupcakes without the margarita in them, in case I have some people in the office who don't want to "drink."

I can't wait to try one of the alcoholic ones tomorrow. Could be a total hit or a total failure. But it's got alcohol in it... So I am gonna guess they will be a hit.

Stix: Not Just A Schtick.

Wow!

Over my loss of Bamboa, the new restaurant in it's place, Stix, is quite good. Quite good indeed.

I got to Stix about 30 minutes before our reservation. My two friends and I wanted to meet before hand to try out cocktails. I went with the Seasonal Ciprinhia. I didn't realize it would have grapefruit juice in it. (Which I loathe.) It was pretty good though. I wouldn't order it again, but it was tasty.

Once we made it over to our table, we spotted another table with a cheese plate. We were immediately inspired to order it, along with various "stick plates."

The cheese plate included a blue cheese, a double creme brie and a goat cheese. It was very dreamy. We ordered a bottle of temparanillo to go with it.

The "stick plates" we ordered included various pieces of meat on sticks and included: lamb, tuna, duck and shrimp. They were all delicious.

As I finished my meal, I mentioned that Stix would be a great place for someone who is on the Atkins diet. There were very few carbs on the table... Only the toast for our cheese plate.

I do recommend Stix. My experience was good. The food was great. Our server was on top of things. My only hesitation in recommending the place though is that there are very few options for vegetarians.

Healthy Dish For The Weak: Irish Oatmeal.

I was out from about 3pm yesterday sipping wine till almost 8pm. Then I went to dinner on Newbury Street and had another glass of wine along with some gourmet mac and cheese.

I woke up at about 3am this morning feeling like I was gonna puke. (From roughly five glasses of wine over seven hours?) So I needed something sturdy and filling for breakfast.

I chose to make irish oatmeal...



Irish oats... Raisins... Almonds... Cinnamon and some cream. Yummy.

Now I must go to the gym and run.

City Bag.

Oh.... Holy.... Hell....

So, I have been craving a Balenciaga City Bag for quite some time. What I'm not craving, though, is forking out my deteriorating American dollars for one. (And really, would Balenciaga really want to accept a crap currency?) So, since I can't have a Balenciaga... I needed to find an alternative. And I think I may have found one...

The Foley + Corrina City Bag.



Isn't it gorgeous? And only a quarter of the price of the Balenciaga City Bag.

Short List Of Reasons To Live, 3/21/2008.

Here are this week's "Short List Of Reasons To Live":

1. Going to the gym tomorrow to run. (Haven't ran in a few weeks.)
2. Going to yoga tomorrow afternoon.
3. Going out with friends for dinner tomorrow night.
4. I get to bake margarita cupcakes for my boss's birthday on Monday.
5. I am thinking about hitting the Burlesque Expo on Sunday.

Does "Human" Get Angry?

A few co-workers and I were just chatting about martinis. I said that I drink them on the rocks, with a twist. My co-workers both like them straight up, with olives.

"They say gin actually makes people angry when they drink it," one of them told me.

"Really?" I asked.

I don't know if I can believe in that though... Most of the time when The Husband, "Human", and I go out for dinner, he orders a Coke. There are times though when he will order a gin and tonic though.

"You mean you want a 'Sapphire and tonic,'" I correct him, and inform the server.

When he drinks these gin and tonics though, he doesn't get angry. He doesn't even get drunk. In fact, I've only ever seen him drunk once... And that was right before Christmas when he went to a holiday wine tasting party for work. He came home at midnight, after I was asleep in bed. And I woke suddenly to him peeking his head into the bedroom and staring at me.

"Jeeb-us, Human!" I screeched. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Oh," said Human. "Sorry."

He then went on to talk about himself in the third person...

"Human's number one!" he proudly proclaimed. "Human drank every glass of wine he was given in the wine tasting! Human took down 12 glasses of wine! Human's number one!"

"You drank 12 glasses of wine?" I asked, wanting a confirmation. "Are you drunk?"

"Yeah baby!" he said. "This is me drunk!"

"Yeah..." I said, "I don't like 'drunk Human.' He's creeping me out."

So I know that wine, which The Husband never drinks, gets him drunk. But the gin and tonics do not. And they certainly don't make him angry.

In fact, I can't recall when I have seen The Husband angry.

I don't think Human gets angry.

Weekend Plan: Hitting The Stix.

As Restaurant Week winds down here in Boston, a few girlfriends and I are hitting a newer restaurant tomorrow night for dinner, Stix.

I was slightly disappointed when the restaurant that used to be in this space, Bamboa, closed down. They had the most excellent Strawberry Ciprihana. And I thought the whole "Stix" schtick was going to be "lame." I mean, from what I understand, most things there are served on "sticks." It seemed limiting to me.

But, I've heard good buzz about it. And when a friends suggested we hit it for Restaurant Week, I figured, "Why not?" Then she told me about the "lounge" it has, which we are going to hit up before dinner... And it actually sounds like it has a cool vibe.

The Official Filthy Rich Handbook?

The rich have their own handbook?



I guess so. Inside it covers the dilemmas the "rich" have to deal with, including:

• Maybach or Hummer? (Easy! Extended Hummer Limo!)
• How to name your house. (I call mine "The Shit-Hole." Yes, it is hyphenated.)
• The top 10 charities to give to. (I like the charity of "me.")
• Top rehab centers for rich people. (Lately, I think the top "rehab center" for the rich has been prison. Or Cedars-Sinai mental ward.)

I think I will pick this up in the event that I become obscenely, personally rich.

Boston Burlesque Expo.

A fun thing I might try to catch this weekend... The Great Boston Burlesque Exposition.

In particular, I am interested in seeing the Vintage Fashion Fair. The Costume Exhibit sounds like it could be really inspirational for thinking up some new ways to add "flair" to Spring fashion.

Pork Chops Marsala & Butternut Squash Ravioli With Brown Butter Sage Sauce.

Decided to indulge in a sophisticated meal this evening... Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce and pork chops Marsala...



Delicious! Haven't made pork chops Marsala in YEARS... And have never made the ravioli with brown butter sage sauce.

A Bad Marriage Is Worse Than Being Single?

Time to scare all the single people out there into getting married again!!!!

Don't know if you all have seen this article on how marriage quality affects your blood pressure... But the first sentence of the article really irked me...

"A happy marriage is good for your blood pressure, but a stressed one can be worse than being single, a preliminary study suggests."

Since when is being single a bad thing?????

Of course, I do agree with the article (and this shouldn't shocking to anyone) that a bad marriage will take it's toll on your health. And it's not worth it to be married just to be married... You have to be able to be happy with the person you're married to. And just being "married" ain't gonna make you happy.

I don't think people should rely on marriage as a way to be "happy and healthy." I say, "Rely on your self. Know how to be happy with 'you.' Make 'you' your priority in life. Everything else will fall into place once you do that."

A marriage should add to your happiness... Not be the sole reason for it. And I feel the same way about children. Just because you have them doesn't mean you will magically be "happy" and have "purpose" in life. They should enhance your life. Not be the sole focus.

Vegan Food Rally In Downtown Crossing...

There is a vegan food rally going on in Downtown Crossing right now. A speaker is using a microphone to give information on eating vegan... And they are handing out vegan food from a stand.

I wish I had my camera with me today. So far, it's been peaceful... But I'm sure someone is dying to throw a block of cheese or a Big Mac from McDonald's at them.

The Spring Equinox And Freaking Out About The Winter Solstice In 2012...

It's the Spring Equinox today... So I will definitely be going to yoga tonight. It officially became spring this morning at 5:48am... Though the weather here in Boston tells a different story...



While researching the Spring Equinox, I uncovered something that really freaks me out (in a good way): the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2012 hits at exactly 11:11am.



Now, I am really into Numerology lately. And I have read books and researched the significance of the year 2012 according to the Mayan Calendar. (Which has been argued to predict a number of events throughout history.) Not that I will bore you with the details (which are interesting but very take a lot of focus to consume)... But the gist of the significance of the the year 2012 according to the Mayan Calendar is:

"... it is conjectured that this may represent in the Maya belief system a transition from the current Creation world into the next."

- Wikipedia 2012 page

What this means, according to some, is this is the date predicted by the Mayan Calendar for the world to end.

I HOWEVER DO NOT BELIEVE THAT. (Just making that clear.)

I do believe this date (December 21, 2012) is significant, and I think the Mayans were on to something. I believe that this is a date when we will see some kind of energy shift in the Universe. And, based on my research in Numerology, the number 1111 (and 111) is a very "high energy" number.

It's a good number. A positive one. The messages associated with that number mean things like "energy is positive" and "you are being told to focus on the positive things and what you want and they will come true."

I know... It can easily sound flimsy to you. There are a lot of skeptics out there. I used to be one. But since going to acupuncture last year, I have seen a lot of things that have changed my beliefs a little. These things include:

• My dreams. Holy crap have I had very vivid and message-driven dreams in the past year. Most have to do with spirituality.
• Number sequences... I am seeing the same number sequences repeatedly every day. There is a belief that these are messages of spirituality that are being send to someone.
• More clearly hearing inner-dialogue. (AKA: hearing a voice inside my head). It's not some random voice... It's my own voice. But there have been multiple times this year where I will hear (in my voice, in my head) someone say something to me. Like the time last Summer when I got up to go the gym for a training session one morning. And the voice inside my head said, "You shouldn't bother going. Your trainer won't be there. She overslept." I ignored it. My trainer had never missed a session. But when I got to the gym, she indeed wasn't there. She had, in fact, overslept.

There's other stuff too... Those are just a few examples.

I don't know exactly what to expect in terms of the "energy-shift" I think will happen at the end of the next Mayan Calendar round in 2012... But it is a good thing. And I think that due in part to the fact that the Solstice that year hits at 11:11am.

I don't plan to do anything in anticipation of this date/event. I only intend to keep living my life with an effort to make me happy... And healthy... And strong...

It's Usually Me Who Gets Blamed For Things Not Being Productive Around Here...

But the CEO of my company (who sits near me) just made the following comment...

"Wow, it's so quiet today with out Mr. Sportz here."

"Yeah," I said to him. "This proves that he is the disruption in the office, and not me. He's gone, and it's quiet. He's the one that causes the break in work-flow. You should really talk to him when he gets back about this. You should do something about this."

I occasionally like to throw co-workers "under the bus" when they're not in the office.

Healthy Dish For The Weak: Blueberry Banana Smoothie.

I know... I haven't posted a "Healthy Dish For The Weak" in a while. Sorry!

This morning I got up and was in the mood for blueberries. However, I did not have time to make the delicious blueberry pancakes I made on Sunday from scratch. Instead, I decided to improvise and make smoothies for The Husband and I. (I never make him breakfast during the week. This was a treat for him.)

I didn't have a recipe handy for the smoothies... But really now, smoothies are quite simple. You don't really need a recipe. Here's mine, from the top of my head:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 banana

Put in a blender, with the blueberries on the bottom (so they get pulverized first), and mix for 20 seconds.

Yummy!

Ending My 30-Day On Day 6.

Good times.

Sorry to disappoint people... I decided to end my 30-day Bikram Yoga challenge today. I made it through 6 days this time around.

Why? Well, between work and getting sick I just don't have the time to commit to going every day during the week. At least not right now. I thought I would. But I was wrong.

I may try again in May to do it.

This time around, many of the challenge practitioners were getting pledged money to donate to a charity called "Karma Is Action." It's a wonderful charity that helps children with life-threatening diseases, as well as environmental causes.

I made a flat donation (in lieu of rounding up pledged donations) to the charity through their Pay-Pal link. If you're interested in learning more about the charity, or making a donation, you can visit their site.

Note though: If you do decide to make a donation, please add a note that you are making this donation for "Bikram Yoga Boston Home Studio."

The charity wants to keep track of which studios are generating which donations.

My New Motto...

My co-worker recommended a new motto for me today:

"I have come here to kick ass and chew bubble gum. Looks like I'm all out of bubble gum."

Hmm... Taco Bell!

My boss, Mr. Sportz, is in San Francisco for the week. I plotted with one of my co-workers to head over to the Cambridgeside Galleria to pick some Taco Bell on an extended lunch break.

It was a brilliant decision. And it only took me 43 minutes to get there and back with our lunch. In fact, I decided to go ahead and pick up tonight's dinner while I was there. So I get Taco Bell for lunch and for dinner. Steak soft tacos for lunch... Crunchy tacos for dinner.

Could there be anything more wonderful than Taco Bell in this world?

Cake Of The Week: Pumpkin Cream.

We got a new cake this week... One we had never had before... Pumpkin Cream!



It has some kind of creamy frosting with chocolate jimmies on top. It does not look or smell particularly good. I will most likely not be eating any of this cake.

I did, of course, punch it. And I even bounced the box with my knee (like you do with a soccer ball) before I opened it.

After I opened the cake and put it in the kitchen, a co-worker and I discovered last week's cake in the freezer. It was in no box, and it had one of the kitchen knives frozen to it.

Why someone put it in the freezer without covering it, I do not know. Did they think someone would actually eat it once it had been in the freezer, uncovered?

Peep Show.

It's Easter this weekend. I bring you this picture (from LOLCats) to get you pumped for the holiday...

Random Monday Tidbits...

Been so busy at work, and been exhausted from the yoga that I don't have the energy to put together a fully "thought-out" post this evening... So I am just putting together a list of random things currently on my "yoga-stoned" mind...

1. I think I am over my coffee habit. I can't recall when I last had a decent cup.
2. My ass is shrinking. My husband noticed it over the weekend. He commented on it. He said it in such a nice way that I didn't feel the need to betch slap him.
3. I don't understand why The Husband does not like "Gossip Girl." It's a pretty awesome show.
4. I'm too tired to wash my hair tonight. It will have to wait until tomorrow morning.
5. I think the economy is far worse off than I originally had thought it to be. This is not good. I'm too afraid to spend money on stuff. (I still think I am to blame for Starbucks having to close some stores.)
6. Today's St. Patrick's Day. I don't celebrate it. Ever. I just don't see the point.
7. I am craving Taco Bell. I may have to make a special trip tomorrow at lunch time.

That's it. Time for bed now!

Everyday Shoes.

Some one wrote in this weekend wanting recommendations for some "cute, flat, black everyday shoes." They needed to be casual, and not too pricey. They also needed to be comfortable-enough to wear throughout the entire day while getting errands done.

Now, personally, I am not one to suffer in my shoes. I am not one of those girls who will walk to work in high heels and wear them all day. I usually wear Uggs (in cold weather) and flip-flops (in warm weather), and then change my shoes when I get to work. On the weekends, if it's not too cold out, I'll wear a pair of red patent leather Jimmy Choo flats.

In fact, the only time I will suffer in very fashionable shoes for more than an hour on my feet is when I go out with friends or The Husband for the evening.

I know what works for me... But what to recommend to a fellow gal, I know not. Here's my best recommendations for a pair of shoes that are black, flat, casual, not too outrageously priced and comfortable...

Cole Haan Nike Air Series
I have a pair of boots that are from this collection. They are awesome. They have nearly four-inch heels... And I can live in them for an entire workday. These are definitely a little on the pricier side... But they will last you a long time, and are made of high-quality materials. These are the ones I liked best...

Air Bria Perf Ballet




Air Reva Slip-On



Easy Spirit Shoes
Definitely on the more cost-efficient side, this brand is known for its comfort. Not designer, but still cute. These are the ones I liked best...

Sunup



Linsley

Two New Shows, They Both Sucked.

In the past week, I have had the displeasure of watching two new TV shows that seemed very promising. They ended up sucking more than anything else I have seen in a long time. Funny enough, both shows are on Fox.

The first show, Unhitched, is about a group of friends (one or two who are recently divorced) who like to hang out. They are all in their 30s, and live in Boston. This show was incredibly flat. As in, "It was flat-out not funny for even a second." I was reading in a magazine this weekend that the show's female lead, Rashida Jones from The Office fame, was drawn to the script because of how funny she found it to be.

I can only surmise that she must have been high on crack when she read the script if she actually found it funny.

The jokes in the script are not delivered well by the "talent" they have filling the roles. And I truly don't think the cast really flows together. The show was just bad.

The second show I caught, The Return Of Jezebel James, I was really excited about... It was written by the the chick who created the Gilmore Girls. It came on Friday night. I managed to get through the first 15 minutes before my husband begged me to change the channel.

"For the love of God," he cried, "Please change it! This is so bad!"

And he wasn't lying. It was very bad. Also flat, it just lacked in delivery. Such a shame too... Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose are the stars... And they are phenomenal actresses. But I can't envision this show getting very far. It's not funny.

I really hope the writers are now refreshed from their strike and are writing better shit. Cuz the current shit sucks.

Blueberry Pancakes!

I got up this morning craving pancakes. However, I had a problem: No pancake mix. No syrup.

What to do???

Bust out the cookbooks and improvise!

I found a recipe for pancakes in one of the dozens of cookbooks I have. I had all the ingredients but sour cream. So I decided to use vanilla yogurt in its place. So one problem solved. The pancakes were a "go."

Now the syrup... No maple syrup in sight. And I REFUSE to put honey on pancakes. (It's WRONG.) So I pulled out a bag of frozen blueberries from the freezer. I dumped a cup of them into a sauce pan with a few tablespoons of water. Then I added four tablespoons of sugar and got everything boiling.

Everything turned out great. They were so good!

Vince One-Shoulder Black Dress.

Man, I am so tempted today by this...

The one-shoulder black dress by Vince.



I am in love. And it's not an unreasonable price either... Hmm... I could see myself wearing it on weekends in the summer to go out for dinner. I could see myself wearing it in Italy in June. I could see myself even wearing it as early as next month, in Mexico.

Fantastic sandals and a really cool cuff for my wrist... Delicious!

Hmm...

UPDATE: I went to Saks Fifth Avenue and tried the dress on. It looks adorable... Except the only size they had was one size too small. It looked great across my bum and waist... But my boobs were a disaster. They looked like stuffed sausages. It was otherwise such a cute dress. And I am VERY tempted to order it in the next size up and have it shipped to me.

Dhanurasana: Bow Pose.

I had a dream last night... I was doing Bikram yoga in it... And I was able to easily and beautifully get into dhanurasana, the floor bow pose.



This is a pose that is difficult for me to execute. You have to use your butt muscles and leg muscles like crazy. You can't rely on gravity to help your back curve and push your legs up. It's pretty much pure ass you gotta rely on. You can't use your arm muscles. And you must keep your knees, legs and feet no more than six inches apart.

It's a difficult pose.

But last night, I had a dream that I was in Bikram class and something clicked in my brain. I figured out how to get into the pose and push my legs up very high.

"Very good Missus," the teacher said to me.

I wish I could remember what exactly it was that synched up in my brain in the dream to make me execute the pose so well. I must make some progress on this pose during this 30-day challenge.

If I Wasn't Worried About Money...

... And I could feel completely guiltless about indulging... I would totally pick up these things:

See By Chloe Trapeze Tank Dress



Alexander McQueen Metal Ring Sandals



Balenciaga City Leather Bag



But I can not afford these things. I am totally reflecting the mood of the rest of the country, and am being a reluctant consumer. And there is very little practicality in the above items.

Hell, though, even practical items are making me second-guess how much I actually need them. I mean, I paid almost $4 for a dozen large eggs from Whole Foods last weekend. About six months ago, they only cost me about $2.50. The cost of my every day needs is going up.

But it's still nice to dream about new clothes... Even if they aren't very practical.

Short List Of Reasons To Live, 3/14/2008.

I've been sick and feeling crappy the past week or so. I am happy the weekend is finally here... I intend to not be stuck inside all weekend like last. Here are my short list of reasons to live for today, 3/14/2008...

1. It's Mum's b-day today. I have to call her and wish her "Happy Birthday."
2. I get to pull at least one, if not TWO double days of yoga this weekend.
3. The new Elle magazine is out today. There may be a few others I can pick up this weekend and bury myself in.
4. With the new site having been out the door for a month now at work, I can finally de-stress a little from SEO-worry.
5. I seem to officially be off coffee. That is a reason to celebrate.
6. I have no laundry to do this weekend. That is nice, for a change.
7. Only five weeks till I leave for Cabo for vacation.

Inner Thighs And Inner Pain.

My inner thighs are so, so very sore.

I don't know how they got that way either. I woke up with them sore today. I didn't go to yoga yesterday. And I don't recall working them in my training session yesterday morning. So I have no idea why they are sore.

But, I guess, "no pain, no gain" when it comes to leg muscles.

Dear LOST...

I am so incredibly sad...

Why did you have to kill Jin?

He rocked. And his English was coming along quite well. You bastard.

XOXO,
The Missus

P.S. Great episode. This season really does rock.

Speaking Of Coffee... And Greasy Food...

Something is up with me. Between getting sick and this yoga challenge, my body is behaving weird lately.

What do I mean?

Well, first of all... I seem to have developed a severe distaste for coffee lately. Now, I weened myself off coffee a few weeks back. So I do not need it like I used to. However, I do love the smell and taste. And I can imagine myself enjoying the odd cup every now and then each week... Like the way I enjoy a glass of red wine.

However, the past two attempts I have made at enjoying a cup have left me feeling "ill".

"Why does coffee taste this way for me lately?" I asked this morning, while trying to enjoy a cup from Starbucks. "It has a faint hint of salami and cigarettes!"

My co-worker, who I was talking to, thought I was weird. But I insist to you, that is what it tasted like. And that is what it tasted like to me the other day when I got a cup. I couldn't finish more than a few sips of either beverage.

Then, I decided to get a chicken sandwich from Wendy's for lunch today. I was starving, and protein sounded quite nice. However, about 20 minutes after eating the sandwich, I had upper stomach pains. And 20 minutes later I was in a cab, on my way home. I had a few minutes to spare in the apartment before I got sick. So for some reason, I seem to be off greasy food too.

But I have shifted in what I am eating lately. Gone seems to be my craving for cheese and pasta. What I've been feeding on is yogurt and clementines instead. And cinnamon toast. I can't seem to think of anything more divine than cinnamon toast.

I will be skipping yoga tonight, for obvious dehydrating reasons. But I can easily make up tonight's class over this weekend.

Working Out With Coffee In Hand.

Over the past few weeks, I have begun to notice a disturbing phenomenon at the gym... People working out on the gym floor with cups of coffee in their hands.

Seriously.

I first noticed this right after the new year. I was by the free weights one Saturday morning and a person came up to one of the benches next to me. He grabbed some weights, and then leaned back and started doing some presses with them. After he finished his set, he leaned down and picked up what I thought was going to be a water bottle. But it was a Starbucks Grande sized coffee cup instead.

"Who drinks hot coffee while working out?" I thought.

But since then, I have seen other people doing it too. And not just in the free weights section. I saw someone on an elliptical machine chugging away from a hot coffee cup too. And then this morning, there was a chick jump roping near me and my trainer. She has a Dunks coffee cup near her.

"What's the deal?" I wanted to ask her. I mean, how can this be good for someone? It's just going to dehydrate you even more than exercise alone.

I can't see someone as being serious about their working out if they sit there and chug coffee while doing it. And I am starting to wonder if it's just people at my gym that do this, or if other have noticed it at their gyms too...

"BostonNOW" Is Run By Dumbasses.

Now... Seeing as I don't commute much (I walk to work), I don't have the DIS-pleasure of getting stuck reading the shit-tastic paper that is BostonNOW. Sure, I get harassed by their paper hawkers all the time here in downtown Boston. (Everyone does.) But I never really pay attention to what it says on the front page of their paper, as it isn't real news anyway usually.

However, today is a different story.

I learned this afternoon that the shitty-assed commuting newspaper, BostonNOW, is run by morons. Why did I reach this conclusion? Here's a snap shot of a piece of their front page, where they promo the "jump-to" stories on the inside...



When you first look at the piece circled in red, you might think there's going to be an article n the best place to buy jeans in Boston, Jean Therapy. BUT, when you read underneath the headline, you see that it's an article for that North End jean spot In.Jean.Ius. (Which, in my opinion, ain't a great place to buy jeans.)

Obviously, BostonNOW editors are slacking on their jobs. If they had properly copy-checked their front page headlines, they would know that Jean Therapy is a different store than In.Jean.Ius.

Though, I think their mistake could benefit my beloved Jean Therapy. I mean, because what people will remember from the headline is "jean therapy." And then they will go to Google and search "Jean Therapy Boston." And then they will discover the Kenmore Square store.

So who should be really pissed is that chick who owns In.Jean.Ius. People are probably reading the article and thinking it's Jean Therapy. She should think about firing her PR people.

BostonNOW will never be very "now"... Or "accurate" it seems.

It's Only Day Three Of My Bikram Challenge...

And already I am dreaming about it.

Last night, I had a dream that the FIERCE season four of Project Runway (which just finished last week) was still going on... But the challenges for the season weren't limited to only making garments... They included competing in Bikram Yoga pose-offs too.

Last night's dream starred Rami and Christian, from what I could recall. And after they were finished making their garments in the sewing room of the Parsons School, they had to go in the next room and do a series of Bikram yoga poses.

Rami didn't wear a shirt and had on short black shorts. Christian wore a tight black t-shirt and black biking shorts. Rami had a really pretty bow pose. Christian rocked the standing-head-to-knee pose.

Then I woke up.

My dreams for the past few days have been like that. I have no idea what they mean though.

Scrabble Word Of The Day: Ostosis.

Man... I am getting so much better at Scrabulous!



Sixty-six points, right out of the gate!!!