If I ruled the world

The other day Cheryl gave us some insight into what the world would look like if she ruled it. I particularly like the idea of bringing back "please" and "thank you" and children wearing shoes.

I can think of lots of great things that can’t really be changed (like ending rain during rush hours and making ice cream and pizza a healthy, acceptable meal).

But regarding the things that could actually theoretically be changed, I find most of my frustrations with the world deal can ultimately be linked back to two concepts: Be respectful and responsible.

Yes, I know being an adult can suck sometimes. But you had the first two decades of your life to pull the young, immature, and the “I didn’t know any better” cards. Now it’s time to take responsibility and be a respectful member of society.

But to be more specific:

• When getting on/off the metro, do not push, shove or run to the available seat. Also, when you see a pregnant woman, elderly person, person with a small child, person with disabilities/injuries, etc., offer them your seat. It’s the right thing to do. You won’t die if you stand during your commute to work. If you have a legitimate reason to need the seat, fine. Don’t just push everyone out of the way and then play on your BlackBerry the whole time so you don’t have to make eye contact with that old woman who should really have your seat.

• If you don’t want to walk up the escalator, please stand to the right. Leave the left side for those people who are in a rush. And definitely don’t stand in the middle taking up the WHOLE step.

• Don’t throw trash on the ground. Yes, I know I’ve done this at times. But really. Find a trash can. Or even better, when appropriate, a recycle bin.

• While yes, I agree it’s nice when boys open doors for girls. But it doesn’t ALWAYS have to be that way. Walking into a building and there is a boy (or anyone for that matter) coming behind you, hold the door for them.

• When approaching an elevator, if the doors start to shut do not run and throw your arm to make them pop back open. Let the people peacefully take their elevator ride, and wait the 30 seconds for the next one. (Please note that I do NOT apply this concept to public transportation. You never know when the next bus/train will arrive.)

• Blogger would like me type a blog posting in word and then copy and paste it into the blog function. I like working in Word. You make this difficult.

Things My 24-Year-Old Self Does That My 16-Year-Old Self Would Hate

Another blog topic from Secret Society of List Addicts: Things My 24-Year-Old Self Does That My 16-Year-Old Self Would HATE.

• Wear my hair curly - When I was 16, my hair was always straight.  I hated it curly.  I used to think it looked like a lions mane.  

Me with curly hair

• Wear Dresses - I hated dresses.  I hated skirts.  Now I can't get enough of wearing them.  In the summer.  Even in the winter.   
• Eating tomatoes - I refused to eat tomatoes for the first 23 years of my life.  Like if I had the option of regular or white pizza, I ate the white pizza.  I wouldn't eat pasta once it touched sauce - if you rinsed it off I could taste the sauce. Now, I love tomatoes.  I add them to everything.  I even get a little mad when we are out of tomatoes in the apartment and I can't add them to whatever I'm making.  
• Not wearing Uggs every day - I remember being happy when my tiny little feet had FINALLY grown to whatever was the smallest size Ugg made.  I'm talking back in the day.  Before it was "trendy" to wear them with Juicy Jumpsuits and miniskits.  Before the celebrities were sporting them all of LA and NYC.  I wore Uggs every day.  Usually clogs, but I was also a big fan of my boots.  They were a staple in the closets of those in my hometown.  Now, I rarely wear my Uggs. Apparently, I've moved on.  

Ugg Black Tasman.  My first pair of Uggs. 

Photo credit: www.halloweencostumes4u.com

mystery box challenge

As you may remember, earlier this month I discussed joining the Mystery Box Challenge. 

Well, I didn't exactly enter.  After Val's comment about the blueberry/maple cupcakes, I had to try and make them.  As I said before, I'm still perfecting the recipe.  But, I never got around to creating my own cupcake based on my childhood.  And I never entered Val's idea. 

But just because I didn't enter, doesn't mean you shouldn't check out all the cool cupcakes that DID take on the challenge.  Flav-R-Ice Cupcakes?  That sounds spot on for childhood memories.  I used to love playing baseball while eating those things.  I also think the cheeseburger cupcake is really creative.  Check it out.  And maybe next month I'll enter!

Expiration Date

Like Jess, I've also always been a compulsive expiration date checker.  I would always eat/drink things up until their date.  And then you couldn't convince me to touch it with a 10 foot pole.  It was like on the magical day stamped on the bottom of the carton, a "make food bad" fairy zapped the food and made it no longer edible.

Every late summer/early fall, I find myself checking expiration dates more and more often.  Not to see if they have gone bad, but to see if they expire on my birthday.  Don't ask me why I care what goes bad on the most celebrated day on my calendar.

Today, I was debating making cupcakes.  I walked over to the fridge to see if we had all the necessary ingredients.  Butter, check.  Brown sugar, check.  Eggs, check.  Milk, hmm.  what's this I see?

Happy Birthday to Me

I guess I'll have to start looking for things that expire on my wedding date soon!

Bad decisions I habitually make

So I stole this topic from one of my favorite blogs: Secret Society of List Addicts. 

Bad decisions I habitually make:

• Waking up late - When I was little, boy was I an early bird.  I would wake up ridiculously early.  Some point in high school, I got tired of always being the first one awake (and the first one to fall asleep), and so I just taught myself to sleep late.  Now that I'm an adult, sleeping until noon is no longer acceptable.  But sometimes, it just feels so good.
• Ice Cream - what do you mean a pint of ice cream isn't a single serving?
• Making leftovers, and then eating them - When preparing dinner for the night, I always think "oh perfect, I'll make enough to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow."  Then I  eat my dinner.  all of it.  leftovers included.  And then I don't have lunch for the next day.  fail.
• Sleeping with lots of blankets - Doesn't matter if it's 90 or 30 degrees out, I always want lots of big fluffy blankets wrapped around me.  Even though I get hot and kick them off in the night.  
• Thinking little hair clips and bobby pins will hold my hair - I always try and do my hair up in something cute/fashionable/profession with hair clips and bobby pins.  Note to self: these things will NEVER hold my hair for more than 10 minutes.  Never have.  Never will.  Stop trying. Embrace your thick hair of curls. 

Boardwalk Empire

Monday Sunday night was the premier of Boardwalk  Empire on HBO. 

For those of you who don't know - its HBO's newest series that takes place during prohibition-era Atlantic City.  It's the story of "Nucky Thompson," based on real life gangster Nucky Johnson, and his reign over Atlantic City.  

Last night's episode was very good.  I won't go through the play-by-play.  The acting is really good and the cinematography is excellent.   Although what else would you expect with Martin Scorsese directing?  I'll definitely be setting my DVR for Boardwalk Empire. 

Ok, so it's pretty cool to watch it and see sets that look like home.  Because while Atlantic City has changed a lot over the past 90 years, somethings about a city never change.


Update: 9/21 - Glad to see I wasn't the only one who liked Boardwalk Empire.  HBO has already ordered a second season of the show.  

New Layout Design

Got tired of my old design.  Trying this one out for a bit.  What do you all think?  Let's see how long this one lasts. 

Long Week

Sorry for the lack of blogging.  Last week was really really long week.It started last Sunday, when we got an email from our building saying the power would be out hour an hour. 12 hours later, at 4 in the morning, we finally got our power back.  Needless to say, I didn't sleep at all that night. 

Now for some life updates:

Wedding

• Save the Dates: I was finally was able to pull together addresses so we can send the save-the-dates.  Benjamin should have his addresses soon as well.  Yay for checking this lingering thing off our plate!
• Alcohol:  While our caterer does provide bar services, we aren't required to use them.  Considering their bar pricing was outrageous, we have been looking for better options.  This weekend, we found our bar service.  Basically, we just need to check and make sure they aren't gonna overcharge us for glassware and then we can send in the check!  
• Invitations: We've narrowed it down to two invites.  Who knows which one we will pick.  You'll find out when it appears in your inbox. 

Life in General

• 10K Training:  This is still going on.  I'm not running quite as much as I would like, but I'm getting there.  This weekend Ben and I went for quite a long run.  It sucks, but was awesome at the same time. 
• Baking:  Last week I attempted the blueberry maple cupcakes that Val suggested.  They were fantastic!  I frosted 1/2 with the maple frosting, and 1/2 with cream cheese frosting.  Ben preferred the maple frosting; I liked the cream cheese.  I want to play with the recipe a little bit.  I think the batter needs more sugar and definitely needed more blueberries.  Next up: chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes

Farmer's Market

Maybe I was inspired by Val's most recent blog posting.  Maybe it was the fact that Ben and I have been talking about how much we miss going to Eastern Market on the weekends.  But today I decided to venture off and try the Crystal City Farmers' Market.

It was a cute little market.  The options are, obviously, not as plentiful as Eastern Market.  But it was a pretty good market! 

For $12.00 I got:

• two nice sized white peaches
• two yellow nectarines
• a large french baguette
• more spinach than I think i could ever eat
• an eggplant

Not sure what I'm going to do with the eggplant.  I'm not a huge fan.  But the guy who I bought the spinach from threw it in at the end for free.  I'm not sure if Ben likes eggplant.  Its not something we ever buy.

Ok, I'm gonna do it.  I'm gonna try the eggplant.  How should I make it?  If you were to make me my very first eggplant dish - what would it be? 

Labor Day!

To celebrate Labor Day, Ben and I traveled home for the long weekend.  We left Friday night (got in about midnight) and got back this evening.

Saturday we woke up and went for a run on the boardwalk.  Ok, so mine was more of a walk/run than a solid run.  But whatever.  We went from my house to Albany ave, and then ran interval sprints back.  It was just under 4 miles.  So at the end of the day, it was still a good work out.

We spent the night having a fabulous mommy-cooked dinner, playing cards and picking out wedding invitations.  Maybe.  We still have some samples coming in the mail, and the ones we picked were a little pricier than what we originally wanted, but they are really nice.  We have a few details to work out first, but if we got the ones we picked out Saturday night, I would be a very happy bride.

Sunday, Ben and I got up and went to the beach for a bit.  Then we headed over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for a wonderful celebration - it was my niece Shannon's birthday (she's FOUR!!!) and my cousin was home from California with her newborn, Delia.  Delia is such an adorable, well -behaved baby.  I'm so glad I got to meet the  baby!

Me and the birthday girl!!

Today, we woke up and headed to the outlets in Atlantic City.  I got some great tops and a skirt that I can wear to work.  Ben got some clothes too.  Very successful shopping trip on all fronts. 

How was your Labor Day?

Mystery Ingredient

As its just after the first of the month, Sweetest Kitchen has announced the Mystery Box Cupcake Challenge for September.

This month, the mystery box challenge does not focus on an ingredient.  Instead, it asks bakers to create a cupcake based on a memory: childhood.  Sweetest Kitchen writes:

"this month you will need to create a cupcake that is based on your favorite childhood memories – this could be a particular flavor, or perhaps your favorite childhood dessert"

I've decided to participate in this month's challenge.  Because making a cupcake based on a childhood memory sounds like such a fun, creative experiment.  I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make, but I've got some ideas floating around in my head.  

If you were to create a cupcake from your childhood, what would it be?