This is who I am

Move along people. Nothing to see.

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

I have a job interview on Thursday evening. Other than that, there’s really nothing else going on in my life worth mentioning. Ho-hum.

Comments Off on Move along people. Nothing to see.

Posted in Life

Reading is a luxury

Posted on March 5, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

Annette posted a book meme that grabbed my attention. I find I spend my time wanting to read while I’m stitching and then wanting to stitch while I’m reading. I know there are audio books, but I just love turning the pages of a good book. I don’t know that I’ve ever listened to a book that I haven’t actually read.

Look at the list of (100) books below. Bold the ones you’ve read.
Italicize the ones you want to read. Leave blank the ones that you aren’t
interested in. (Movies don’t count.)

1.The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25 . Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) – this happens to be next up in my reading
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

I got up at 4:45 to swim this morning. I need to get up earlier if I want to continue doing this since I forgot about the the amount of traffic that’s trying to get on the base in the mornings when I return. Tomorrow is treadmill day. I’ve changed the orthotics in my shoes and am hoping I won’t be limping around the office tomorrow afterward since this will be the first full session on the treadmill since being released by the doctor.

Comments Off on Reading is a luxury

Posted in Fitness, Reading

Plans for March

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

I will be glad when March is over. I admit to getting a little tired of Kahuna’s training taking priority over everything, even though I understand why it is so.

I’m trying to get my act back together this month by making me the primary focus. I know it’s probably going to take some juggling to keep doing everything I want to do, but I’m going to give it my all. I’ve slacked off in a lot of areas lately, and I’ll be taking steps to get it all back under control.

I will actively look for another job.
I will get back to WW meetings, faithfully.
I will get back to eating better, faithfully.
- 1 free day a week. Period.
- 1 fully vegetarian day a week.
I will get back to the gym, faithfully, and build up to:
- Walk 3x a week
- Swim 3x a week.
- Bike 2x a week.
I will continue plugging away at my finances. I’ve divided everything out and know that if I continue on the path I’m on now I can easily be ready to retire on Kahuna’s retirement date, if I decide to go that route at that time.
I will continue to stitch in my stash as much as possible.
- I will get The Token framed. The fairgrounds has already notified me about this year’s entries.
- I will get my TSL patterns up for sale.
- This month’s stitching goals include:
  - Start stitchalong for Hannah Beeby
  - Next lesson on Ann Holewll
  - Page 5 & 6 on French Alphabet Sampler
  - if any time left over, start Flying Monkies

Comments Off on Plans for March

Posted in Fitness, Goals, Stitching

February finally coming to an end

Posted on February 29, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

Man this month has felt long to me. Then again I can’t believe tomorrow is March! The year is going okay, so far!

February’s Goals:

Stitching: Finish the 5th page of French Alphabet Sampler. Finish the 1st 3 bands of Ann Holewll; reveal what I’ve been up to. The reveal was Melissa’s birthday bourse and meal ;). I did finish 1-3 on Ann Holewll, but didn’t get the 5th page of FAS done because I took time out to stitch on a RR.

Fitness: Doctor appointment Feb. 4. Do whatever doc thinks is necessary to get myself back on track for my triathlon training. Maintain weight. The doc has me sleeping in a brace and wearing orthotics. I’m having some trouble with both and am working on it. Maintain weight! 😆

Professional: Continue working on personnel and accounting records. Slowly but surely. However, I have started actively looking for a new position.

Other: Continue to work 15 minutes reorganizing my home office. I did excellent in this until this week. I haven’t done anything. I’ll start back tonight though and continue into March with this. The room is looking a LOT better.

Comments Off on February finally coming to an end

Posted in Goals

Adobo Chicken

Posted on February 26, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

Just for sweet Sue!

This is the way I do it. There are thousands of versions of this since Adobo is to the Filipinos what Apple Pie is to Americans 😉

These quantities are more than enough for 4 large chicken thighs. I happen to love the “juice” after it’s cooked and will make extra rice and vegetables to eat the next day for leftovers.

1/2 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon minced ginger (not the powder stuff)

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

If you take the skin off the meat before cooking, be sure to leave it on at least 1 piece. You really want a little “fat” in this recipe. I leave the skin on while cooking and just toss it before serving.

If you’re in a hurry: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside while you cook the chicken. Put your chicken in a pan large enough to spread it all out. Add enough water to just cover, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 40 minutes*. Pour off the water, add the above mixture and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, turn the chicken, and cook for 20 minutes more. I usually cook my rice during the 1st 20 minutes, then let it sit the 2nd 20 minutes while I’m steaming my veggies.

If you’re not in a hurry: Mix all the ingredients, place your chicken in a slow cooker, pour the “juice” over it and cook it on slow for 6-8 hours. I do this when I’m cooking a lot of chicken and it’s great for when you’re using bone in breasts. Warning….the meat will be falling off the bone, and you’ll need to strain it so you don’t choke on a small rib bone – trust me on this.

I almost always serve steamed broccoli flourets with this.

*If you’re using chicken breasts, you may have to cook the chicken a little longer to make sure it’s tender. You won’t have to worry about this in a slowcooker.

Comments Off on Adobo Chicken

Posted in Recipe

10/17/10

Posted on February 26, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

Kahuna’s old retirement date.

17,107,200 seconds

285,120 minutes

4752 hours

28 weeks

198 days

Kahuna’s new retirement date.

83,289,600 seconds

1,388,160 minutes

23,136 hours

137 weeks

964 days

Excuse me while I weep 🙁

Comments Off on 10/17/10

Posted in Life

Brain dump

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

Didn’t really know what to title this. It’s more of a “get it out of my brain” kind of post.

Friday’s car disaster is over. The rain didn’t let up much so I went out in the rain to cover it. Looked like a wet rat when I got back in the house and kept hot water going all day for Japanese milk tea. I didn’t watch the DVDs I have, but I did just about clear out the DVR and I got quite a bit of stitching done.

Saturday the sun came out enough that I could uncover the car, roll down the windows and remind myself over and over not to let it happen again. Of course, I also spent a lot of time looking out the window wondering if it was raining again. Kahuna had a 56 mile bike ride and we ended up going swimming later that afternoon, after he recouperated some.

Sunday it was raining, again. I was heading out the door to WW and discovered I hadn’t received my monthly pass, so I didn’t go. I found out after I called them that I could print one off. I could probably have figured that out earlier, but honestly I didn’t want to go out in the rain. When it slacked up I headed to the grocery store, but it was raining again when I got there and all the carts were soaked. It was an interesting experience seeing all the wet people and water on the floor everywhere while we shopped.

Kahuna had a 2 hour run and wanted to re-carb so we went out to pizza. We wanted to watch the NASCAR race, but it was raining north of us as well and the race was stopped. I turned the Oscars on and sort of listened while stitching and finishing laundry. I’ve seen so few of the movies, though, so it wasn’t all that great to me.

I finished up a RR I was working on plus I finished the 1st 3 bands of Ann Holewll.

I’m back on FAS and enjoying every stitch. I reworked one of the parts to include Bandit’s name and will do the same elsewhere for Harley. I’m working kind of weird on this page because of the rework and am keeping my fingers figuratively crossed that it works out.

I have errands to take care of after work today so am skipping the gym. Tomorrow I start back running, but since it’s for such a short period (15 minutes) while I get used to my new orthotics, I’m swimming too.

Making Filipino Adobo Chicken for dinner tonight. Haven’t had it in forever and I can practically smell it now. I made brownies yesterday. I’m getting back into my “homemaker” mode where I’m wanting to cook all the time again. One more reason I need to be a kept woman….can cook more!

Comments Off on Brain dump

Posted in Ann Holewll, FAS, NASCAR, Stitching

Tag, I'm it…again

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

I thought Carol was my friend, but she’s gone and tagged me. Obviously she doesn’t read my blog as often as I thought she did 😆

First, the Rules:

1 Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you
2 Post the Rules on your blog.
3 Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4 Tag 7 people and link them. Sorry, but this is not going to happen
5 Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Second, 7 weird or random facts about me:

1. I’m really good about not following the rules (see above!)
2. I could eat Mexican food 3 meals a day.
3. I could go the rest of my life and not eat pizza.
4. I was engaged to another man before I met Kahuna.
5. I’m a flybaby.
6. I was raised in Louisiana and I detest okra, unless it’s pickled.
7. I had a nanny.

Comments Off on Tag, I'm it…again

Posted in Life

Rainy days

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Terri | Comments Off

I am home today, because of a flooded car….again. I thought that whatever was wrong was fixed since it has not leaked with the last several rains we’ve had, but obviously I was wrong. I knew we were supposed to get *some* more rain and should have covered my car. But, we’ve had rain off and on for the past couple of weeks and my car hasn’t leaked so I didn’t cover it last night. So, dammit, I’m ticked off, but have no one to blame but myself, because now I feel like an idiot. While this does give me a long weekend, I really don’t want to spend the vacation time having today off, plus I had some things I really wanted to get done at work today. Dammit….again. If I can’t drive it to work, I can’t drive it to the gym. Damn, damn, damn.

I’m trying to get over the aggravation. I’m sitting here, dressed for work since I didn’t discover it was flooded until I went to leave. I need to change my clothes. The puppies will be glad I’m home so they can pester me since they don’t like to go outside and potty when it’s raining. They have pads down that they use, but they act embarrassed if they go on them when we’re home. It’s kind of funny, actually, because you can tell they really need to go, but don’t want us to see them do it! Then again, they might not be glas I’m home.

I have tons of DVR stuff to catch up on, and 2 West Wing DVDs to catch up on, and laundry to catch up on, and housework to catch up on, and stitching to catch up on. Whatever I do, I need to watch the rain so when it stops enough to keep me from getting soaked, I need to cover my car. Damn.

Comments Off on Rainy days

Posted in Life