Soncy

My mother is hysterical. She doesn't take shit from ANYone. She is a tough cookie and a hard ass. She is also one of the funniest women I know. She is tough and sincere. And she will fight for her kids. But she will also let us fight for ourselves if we ask her. She is teeny tiny (compared to me) and absolutely gorgeous. She isn't overly touchy-feely (my dad takes the cake on that one). But she is incredibly sentimental. She expects the best you have to give and god forbid if you let her down. She holds trust at the highest value. My mom. She gets hurt very easily. She also has a hard time holding her tongue. But she is fair. Incredibly just. The things she could have, would have, done with her life is she had been born with the opportunities I was lucky enough to see. She would have been an world-class athlete. She would have run multi-billion dollar companies. She would be rivalling Hillary right now. She is just incredible. I am going to miss her like crazy. We'll still talk on the phone all the time and I am sure we will be back and forth between the coasts a TON. But right now we set up plans to go to the ballet. Or to have dinner. My mom kicks ass.

Man, I am on a roll! Last night I made a yummy salad that I can't stop thinking about!

I was looking for fiddlehead ferns but couldn't find them so went with:

• warm portobello mushrooms
• lightly roasted sweet red peppers
• grilled asparagus
• toasted pine nuts
• pancetta
• sundried tomatoes
• mixed greens
• (and a tiny bit of parmesean)

The vinagrette was meyer lemon olive oil, balsamic, marjoram, salt, pepper and dijon mustard.

I served it with super warm fresh crusty bread from the local bakery and a glass (well, B and I drank a bottle) of CMS.

DEEEElish!

In an effort to talk about something besides the move, what car to buy, the wedding, other people's weddings, travel plans and work (which is pretty much the extent of my vocabulary these days), I am changing things up here a bit and telling you all about the meal I cooked on Saturday night that also served as lunch and dinner yesterday.  It was terrific (if I do say so myself)!

On saturday, after a VERY long day of volunteering with the kidlets and being covered in paint, glue, ribbon and craft paper, M and I decided to forego the original plan of meeting some friends to watch bball and instead go to the gym and then cook dinner and watch the games at home. Not having consulted any of my recipes or evaluating the fridge for contents before we left, I bought all of the ingredients we would need for said meal, with a little bit extra in case M was still hungry at the end (boys and their appetites, I swear!).  I decided to make turkey burgers with broccoli, and my brussel sprout and sweet potato combo.

To keep the turkey moist while grilling, I mix into the ground turkey whole wheat panko breadcrumbs with salt and pepper, 1/2 of a minced shallot and a handful of chopped flat parsley and then knead that together with egg whites. While that sat, I chopped up two sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks and cleaned and quartered the brussel sprouts. I put the sweet potatoes in a bowl with paprika, chilli powder, salt, pepper and a VERY slight coating of olive oil and mixed those around until evenly coated. While those sat, I chopped the broccoli and put it into the steamer just ready to be turned on (when the time was right). I heated two pans with enough olive oil to coat the bottom and then browned only  what was left of the shallot. Once light brown, put in the sweet potatoes into one (on med-hi) and covered and then put the brussel spouts, cut side down, in the other (I actually use a mixture of half regular olive oil and half meyer lemon olive oil for the brussel sprouts) -- I do not cover my sprouts. While those cooked (I stirred them here and there allowing for the pan sides to sear) out of the turkey mixture I made two burgers and put the rest of the ground turkey in the fridge to be used at another time. I coated one of the burgers in this super spicy/peppery rub that M loves and left the other plain for me. I then heated the grill pan and got the burgers started. Just before the sprouts are finished, I douse them with a little bit of balsamic vinagrette. It browns them up deliciously. Once the potatoes and sprouts were cooked through, I transferred the sprouts into the same pan as the potatoes and mixed them together (I find that combining the green with the sweet potatoes really lightens up the potaotes and keeps them from "mashing"). In the pan that had held the sprouts, I added an inch of water and put my bamboo steamer full of broccoli on top. About this time I turned the burgers and added the ezekhial buns to the grill pan. Using a left over meyer lemon, I douced the broccoli and the brussel spout/sweet potato mixture. Voila! Dinner! (I dressed the buns in a mustard/plain yoghurt combination)

The next day for lunch I made a hash using the leftovers! I browned the the left over turkey mixture then added the left over sweet potato/sprout mixture then covered with the rest of the egg whites and turned and cooked it through.  I also added sumac and some additional paprika and a bit more chili powder. I then made a plain yoghurt and spice sauce for the hash. Voila! Lunch!

And then there was still some of the hash left over so I reheated the hash and added some spicy salsa. I then spread some of the yoghurt spice sauce on tortillas, scooped the rest of the has into the tortillas, wrapped them up and put them on the sandwich grill making yummy little burritos for dinner (with the rest of the broccoli!). Voila! DINNER!

I got three BIG meals out of that one purchase. It was good in the tummy as well as good to my checking account.

I wish I had remembered to take pictures...

Oh my god. I am SO much better today. M and I went out to dinner with my dad last night and just sort of talked it out and my dad was REALLY comforting (business wise) and was being so helpful. The meal was awesome and the wine AMAZING. And then we went home and watched bad television and snuggled and didn't talk about anything. Such a relief.

And today is basketball, basketball, basketball! WOOO!

M's alma mater is playing mine at 3pm. We both have "appointments" outside the office. :)

Wheeeeee!

I am FINALLY feeling better. No fever, no sore throat...only a little bit of swollen gland gnarliness. Sleeping most of the weekend (yay drugs!) was extremely helpful though I had to miss something that I had been terribly looking forward to. I had been in a nasty mood for most of last week because of my stress levels combined with the sick and today I came in smiling...a HUGE change.

I brought to the jeweller today the bracelet that M's mom gave me to wear at the wedding. She thinks she may be able to get it to fit me. I am THRILLED! It is one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry I have owned (not to mention sentimental) and was so sad to think that I wouldn't have been able to wear it (currently, it fits me like a handcuff on a death row convict...a/k/a TIGHT). And while in there I looked at a new setting for my engagement ring and a band. I think I found the right one. She sent me home with it (after all, she has my bracelet...so it isn't like I will run off with it :) ) so that I may show M and see if he likes it. It is more than I had planned on spending, but I think it will be worth it in the long run. I laughed when she described my current setting as "insane" and prone to disaster.

On a completely different note, I've realized that giving up cheese for lent may have been a silly idea. As my diet is already so limited due to my food allergies (and hopes for general health), avoiding cheese has become DIFFICULT. I've managed to do it so far...but really, my options are pretty much limited to salad and veggies and fruit for the next 5 weeks+. And yes, I know there could be worse things, but my protein levels are low (I can't eat eggs or chicken or nuts and try to only eat beef and pork once a week at the very most for environmental reasons) and my options are basically tofu/soy based products (yum, but also often high in salt or cooked in combination with carrots/veggie broth), turkey (surprisingly not as plentiful as you would think...unless you go to the deli counter which often means high salt levels) and fish (my main source of protein right now). A slice of american cheese (and yes, I know...AMERICAN?! I'm allergic to mold so am not supposed to eat aged cheeses) was often a quick snack for me before a game. I'm sure I will get more creative as the weeks pass, but I want to make sure I don't get bitchy and tired :)  I think what I may do is make some small turkey burgers that i can freeze and then have ready to pop in the microwave before a game...little flattened turkey meatballs.

M and I decided to go to my parents' house for the weekend since they would be away and we would have the place to ourselves. So relaxing, etc. After deciding that, we ended up inviting a few friends over to watch the game in their "new" tv room (big screen, comfy couches, fancy schmancy bar, poker table). Because of that, my relaxed weekend mode turned into full on entertaining mode! Haha, I am so predictable.

The menu
* fish tacos (whole wheat panko encrusted tilapia with cilantro and cumin and lime) on ezekial sprouted tortillas
* hot wings (both seitan and boneless chicken) with ranch dressing
* Turkey satay (same thing as chicken satay except with sliced turkey breasts)
* cilantro pesto and goat cheese crisps (the cilantro pesto didn't turn out as well as I would have wanted...but with the goat cheese it was awesome...killed a bit of the bitterness)
* sweet potato "fries" baked with chili powder, paprika and cinnimon
* rolo/pretzel bites
* mango guacamole and tortilla chips
* veggie platter with cheese and crackers

Good god, was it yummy. I wish I had taken pictures of the food because they looked as flavorful as they tasted. :) Nothing makes me happier than seeing M wolf down the food I prepare. Isn't that so f*ing domesticated?! hahaha...

Everyone, everyone, everyone. Mercury is in retrograde. So while your life is feeeling like it is about to explode, and emotion is bubbling over the edge of the pot, wait it out. We'll be out of retrograde sooner rather than later :)

Ok, people. I must ask you this: How is it possible that I drink four each of the following every single day at the office and yet I usually only pee three times (when I first wake up, when I get home from work and just before I go to bed) with some rare exceptions???

(water on the left, tea on the right...grape for size perspective)

Nutter is in labor. She is about three weeks early but this is what the doctors anticipated due to her early dialation and other medical issues attributed to the pregnancy or otherwise. 

I will have a new niece or nephew VERY soon!

As aprehensive as I am about Nutter being a mother (she has NO idea what she has gotten herself into...and I don't even mean that sarcastically. She actually has no idea. Didn't read a single book or do any research. I had to put together a list of supplies she would need for the first few weeks so that her douchy husband could go out and buy them), I am SO excited to have a little squeezable baby! WOO HOO!

M and my dad are betting boy and I am betting girl. We'll see who is the winner!

It drives me crazy that my large foot size, long legs and food allergies SEVERLY affect my desire to live more greenly. I do much of what I can, but I seem to have a lot of unavoidable and unchangeable barriers in my way. I have found that most of the eco-friendly products I have come across utilize nut and coconut oil (apparently coconut oil is NOT a hard to renew resource...damnit). And most of the clothes that are made in an environmentally sensitive way (in a style I like) are not made for tall women. And I hate that I couldn't be a non-meat-eater very easily. Not being able to eat peas and carrots and tomatoes and egg yolks is a SERIOUS hinderence on those desires. My choices are incredibly limited. Though, I have to say, it has made me MUCH more creative.

This week, after having gorged myself on bread while on vacation, I have tried to not eat carbs. I've been pretty successful. But I noticed that I was eating a lot of meat and fish.  Most meals involved fruits and veggies but, because the boy is a hungry boy, had to supplement with meats to fill him up. Not using rice or pasta or potatoes or bread or beans (M is NOT a fan of beans) to hearty-up the food definitely pushed me in the meat direction. So I made cauliflower puree (with paprika and mushrooms) and brussel sprouts and broccoli and asparagus and stirfry. But boy needed more. I defrosted some turkey breasts and grilled those up and got some angus chunks and sauteed them in red wine and made some fish tacos (lettuce wraps) with pomogranate guacamole. So, we were able to stay away from the carb-heavy foods but the veggies alone just didn't cut it.  I need some suggestions for low-carb filler food that don't kick my ass allergy wise. OH! I just thought of one, I need to make some spaghetti squash!

Also, keep an eye out for eco-friendly cleaning products that don't have any nut or coconut. :)

wanna hear something cool? my mom, a justice of the peace, just received a call from who she described as the sweetest young man asking her to perform a wedding ceremony this afternoon... to his partner of ten years! just so awesome.

so, what has been going on with me...

* i was just away for a very long weekend in the carribean celebrating the engagement of a good friend of both M and myself.
* we are having a small family and bridal party engagement party this weekend (read: for 80 people) at my parents' house and the logistics of figuring out the needs of both sides of our family is dizzying (yes, i know...get used to it)
* nutter has been on bed rest since thanksgiving (due early january) ... and i wish that was the only drama that surrounded her
* M will probably be layed off in january so we are thinking about our options including me quitting my job if he finds one in SF (yes, this is a recurring theme...but until his job is kaput, it is just a theory)
* we've found a location for the ceremony (reception was set ages ago) but the minister may have an issue with M's agnosticism. he said he didn't in our initial phone call (and even said something along the lines of spiritual beliefs do not transcend love) but the paperwork he sent for the pre-cana type stuff signals otherwise.
* M and I have made a deal that if I can get to a 3rd grade level in his native language, he won't have an issue with me baptising our kids (he doesn't have an issue with me being religious but doesn't feel it is right for either one of us to push our beliefs on our child(ren) and I tend to agree with him but, at the same time, to me baptism is not declaring religious belief but allowing for the choice later in life - pre-confirmation, etc..). He has also agreed to learn a bit more about being a Pisky and coming to some of my services so he can experience it a bit more.
* I have been incredibly unmotivated at work lately. i am not sure if it is because there isn't a lot going on which is giving me time to slack or if it is because i am just not loving my position right now.
* because of the incredible amount of baguettes and croissants and cheese and wine we consumed last weekend, M and i are on a no-bread until saturday diet. i feel absolutely stuffed with bread...delicious, crusty, soft bread.
* i got my christmas tree last night and i just LOOOOOVE it! i need to pick up some yummy christmas-y candles now.

I love that my future husband (dude, i HATE the term fiancé...it sounds so pretentious. and betrothed isn't much better. so i normally say "former boyfriend, future husband" :) ) is super concerned with our wedding. he is constantly asking questions about whether we are doing enough, on top of things, talking about it enough. it is really sweet.  i feel a little badly that i am not as vocal about the wedding as he...but i think a lot of it is because i am worried that if he knew ALL of the details, he may go into wedding-related shock and freak the f out. :)

We registered on Sunday. It was relatively painless and pretty fun! ...if only because we did some research beforehand so didn't have to spend a thousand hours in the store.

Also, M and I 'fight' well. We may spend about 20 minutes in a huffy mood if things don't go our way, but mostly we talk things out, explain why we are upset, change them if we can and then kiss and make up. Personally, I try not to hide my feelings in order to get him to ask about them. If something is bothering me, I tell him. Otherwise (as I learned in every other relationship in my past) I tend to feel victimized and unnoticed. But how in the world is the partner supposed to know something is bothering me if I go about my business as if nothing is wrong? And then blow up at him? Yeah, doesn't work well.  So if I nip the problem in the bud, things flow a lot better.

Friday night he threw out that he had decided to go play golf with his uncle on Sunday. On Monday I had asked him to put aside three hours on Sunday for me so that we could bust through the registration thing. He had agreed and so it had been on my calendar. The golf thing totally pissed me off. And not because he was playing golf, but because he blew me off (yes, I know. girls understand this...boys think it is about golf). So, I told him. And got all huffy for a bit. And he was trying to figure out ways to do both. And I said to him, "M, I am going to give you a hint right now. The best way to fix this situation is to say, "Shoot, I'm sorry I screwed this up. When is your schedule open to do this another time. I will find a time that works." And he laughed, repeated it back to me and we figured it out. The way I see it, we've gotta give each other the tools to make our relationships better instead of expecting the other person to figure it out on the their own. Now, some may say that a good partner should KNOW what is wrong and how to fix it simply by being a good partner. But in my mind, the only way to grow with someone is to work with them, figure out what makes them tick and what works and doesn't. And it isn't a set playbook, either. I've got to constantly keep him updated on what is working for me. And I want him to do the same back. Keeping the conversation going instead of turning the conversation inward and sulking is the key for me. I never did that in the past with Teo or with anyone else. I kept my mouth shut and tried to not rock the boat. Clearly that didn't work and this is :)

Here's the thing. The reason I am proud to be an american today has nothing to do with the election outcome. The reason I am proud is that, no matter HOW they were voting, my friends voted! If I am correct, I can only name one person that didn't vote and that is because they missed the deadline for voter registration. And not only did my friends vote, they were emphatic that EVERYONE voted. It was astounding. People who have never in their lives cared about politics were reaching out to others to care about this election as much as they did. THAT is what makes me proud that I call this country home. It is as if the entire country woke up to the smell of coffee and came downstairs to see who was making it. People took their lives into their OWN two hands by pulling that lever, whichever way they pulled it.

Oh, and I am also glad my vote won. :)

cannot stop crying. so happy. so proud.

My co-worker? The one who for the past year has constantly tested my patience and forced me to close his door at least once a day so I didn't have to listen to him bellow in broad generalizations and relish in the criminalization of liberal minded folks? Has decided that he doesn't want to vote this year. HE. WILL. NOT. VOTE. THIS. YEAR.

Why?

Because he doesn't want a woman in office.

YAY! I just LOOOOOOVE sitting next to him.

(but I am kind of glad he isn't voting ;) )

I know. I know. It has been ages since I have posted. But lord almighty I have been busy. Many, many trips (FL, SF, CT, MV, etc.) and lots of activities. M and I are moving along quite swimmingly. I finally met his dad and his brother yesterday. Its amazing how much they look alike. And he was absolutely sweet. And his little brother is a cherub...all dimples and giggles and sparkly eyes. And M is really good with him...things like that make me so psyched for when he and I have kids.

 

( A bit of wedding stuff after the jump: )

Anyway, lots going on! Work is busy...busier than I would have anticipated. I am working late most nights and then working from home on the weekends. Obviously, since I work in finance, everything is up in the air right now. M doesn't know how much longer he will have a job as he fears his BIGCOMPANY is going to smash his entire department since they are non-revenue generating. Blech.

I am tentatively optimistic about tomorrow. I can't wait to find the results.

I've been thinking about changing the name of this place. For no other reason than Soncy reminds me of Teo (haven't heard THAT name in awhile, huh?!). Well, and as much as I like the word and its definition, "Voice of Reason" and "Factotum Extraordinaire" sound just a bit more on point.

Why "Voice of Reason"? Because this woman in my office completely relies on me to be just that to her. It is hysterical. She'll come over to my desk once or twice a day and say the most ridiculous things (but completely serious) knowing that I am going to have something to say about it. It is like she wants me to talk her off the proverbial ledge. Yes, I am reasonable. And definitely pragmatic. Even-keeled, perhaps. But lord almighty, I am not her shrink :) Nor am I her nutritionist. Or her trainer. Or her stylist. But fuck if I am not her voice of reason.

"Factotum Extraordinaire" has been my joking title at work for some time now (it is actually typed up and taped onto my monitor). And just this week, I was given two more hats to wear. I may have mentioned that my work nemesis got canned a few weeks ago and how happy that made me (his g-d delegating ass can go bother someone else with his awful c0sby sweaters, old-man leather sneakers and inability to do anything by himself). Well, they aren't hiring someone in his place and instead are divvying up his job among a group of five. We five have been laughing since we found out that this won't change our job one bit because he had already passed on these duties long ago (hence his nickname, the Delegator).

Unfortunately, one of the jobs of his that I must take on is something that I had "out grown" at work. This was something that I was doing before my current position and responsibilities and hand handed over to him when I moved up. I am annoyed that I have to be dealing with this again. I am hoping that I will be able to leverage into a promotion and raise. We'll see.

For the past few weeks I have been squinting more than usual...so much so that M was making fun of my furrowed brow. So I decided to go the eye doctor.

Guess who has glasses:



Funnily enough, I actually still have near perfect vision (20/15) but I guess I have developed an astigmatism (probably due to too much computer screen time) and it is messing not with how I see things, but how I LOOK and focus on things. So strange. 

The prescription is barely anything. I guess the purpose is to aleviate the strain I was causing my eyes and head not change the clarity of what I am seeing. The best news is that I only have to wear them at work for now.

So every month, just before I get my period, I go through this three or four hour time frame of jumpiness/stilted conversation. My brain isn't quite on top of things and my hands move a little too fast.  Almost like I have had WAY too much caffeine. I don't get angry at people but I tend to speak more shortly, if only because it is the way my body is moving, my attention span. It is SO weird. And then it goes away. When I get the pains, I can take advil. When I get the migraine, I take an excedrin. Alas, there is nothing to take for jumpiness besides things that I am not prescribed ;) (valium, muscle relaxors, illegal substances...)

So, so jumpy.

I'm just happy I am not one of those angry PMSers. My sister A is a raging beyotch for the whole week leading up to her period. I kind of (silently) think that she may just use that time frame as an excuse to let her true inner bitch out. I can only remember Nutter having three or four periods in my life, so I am guessing her pre-bleed isn't that bad. But when your entire life is topsy turvey, I am guessing I wouldn't hvae noticed anyway ;) My mom was/is pretty even keeled. I think I take after her. Heh.

I am sitting in my annual investor meeting watching the last presentation be presented. It is almost over. I have spent at least three nights a week for the last month at the office past 11pm. And I have been working most weekends pretty often both days. I am exhausted. And I can't wait to place my ass on the couch with my boy and put my feet up with a glass of wine. I need it. I want it. M has been asleep in bed before I have gotten home and I've left in the morning before he was up pretty much every day. I'm looking forward to having a little fun with him :)

Speaking of, I think he and I have agreed to, um, take a few months before the wedding and not... Well...do it. His idea. I think its cute. Plus, it will be fun to tease him! Haha.