January 29th 2012

January 29th 2012

Ok so the last two weeks have also been very boring.... however, my classes have started and that in itself scares me daily.  I have to meet new people and talk to people I don’t know... it is one thing of life I am not comfortable with.  And I have learned quickly that most college-aged men, don’t want to start conversation the first or second week of classes.  So when my professors say, “Talk to your neighbor about this....” and on either side of me are men... there is no small group discussion.  So needless to say, I need to work on that.

I did try more new foods.  I know.  This isn’t going to be a blog about food, but I grew up in a meat and potatoes home and then married a man who liked spicy and the spicer the better.  Now being back at mom and dads, my taste (yes the pun is purposeful) for adventure in the food department has been non existent.  

I made this wonderful Snickerdoodle bread with Cinnamon chips.  FANTASTIC.  I have a friend at work who makes Snickerdoodle cookies all the time.  I saw this recipe, thought of her and made if for her return from Mexico.

I also made Artichoke Hummus.  I have come to like hummus as a spread on bread.  It makes a very good sandwich. 

With school starting, I didn’t have a lot of time to do more crafts, but I did make another canvas of another of my daughter’s senior pictures.  :)  I think this is addicting and someday will have a wall of canvas’s. ;) (lol)

Oh yes the best part of my last two weeks... I surprised a very good friend Tammy and attended her son’s last home swim meet.  I haven’t seen either of them for quite a while and knew that the swim season was coming to an end.  My friend Tammy likes to plan way more than I do and so surprising her was a bit unnerving to me.  She was so happy to see me and we had dinner together after.  We are going to a movie on Monday together for some quality time.

One thing that I have been thinking about but haven’t done because it scares me a lot, is to ask this guy I know for a drink or something.  Everyone dislikes being rejected and I find that I lose a small bit of confidence each time I am rejected.  So maybe later this year......

Hopefully next writing I have more exciting things.  Like killing a spider (a big one not one of those wimpy little things) or something more exciting than trying a new food.

Take care and thanks for reading - Have an amazing week! (or two!)

Megan 

January16th 2012

Ok, this week was slightly unimaginative.  It was more about trying things that I haven’t tried before or things I am not comfortable with.

I made Banana Bread with Nutella - which was amazing :).  So much so that I made a second loaf this week.  I made a loaf for myself and one for my friend Beth who has three girls who don’t eat bananas.  The loaf I gave them was gone in two days! 

My daughter is a senior in high school this year and she had her senior pictures taken in October.  I only ordered four pictures, but I really like the ones that I did order.  I have been wanting to create a picture canvas for a while....and so I took the 8 x 10 that I ordered and did!!!  I turned out to be easier than I thought and it looks exceptional.  I have never used Mod Podge before and I was nervous about totally wrecking the picture and making a big mess.  (see above picture)  :)

I love to listen to my iPod while walking through the halls of UWGB, but I dislike the tangled earbuds.  I found a website blog that wrapped the earbuds in yarn with a crochet stitch.  I have never crocheted so this was an interesting project.  It looks OK, I would do it again but the real tell will happen when I take them to school and try them out.

I also started using the weight machines at work after my shift.  The gym in the basement has about twelve weight machines and I like to use four of them - for my arms.  The first night was easy because there wasn’t anyone else down there.  The second night (which is at nine pm) there were three other people down there!  Working out with others is not my favorite thing.... even though I am there to get in shape.... I still feel judged.  I did use the machines though and went back a third night too!  Can’t wait to get my arms in shape.

A friend’s birthday was on Friday the 13th and she was having a party at The Sardine Can - a local bar.  She would be the only person I would know there.  Walking into a bar by myself when I only know one person is a big deal to me.  I do not like bars usually to begin with and when I have to go alone....well it scares me.  I have been very good at talking myself out of going to events that are at bars.  It just isn’t my setting.  I told my friend about my challenge for this year and she was very excited to be a part of it.  No one from my work team was going to be there, they were all going home so I went alone.  I walked through the crowded bar alone and found my friend’s party.  She was happy to see me.  I had one drink and then went home.  I was uncomfortable the whole time, but stayed about thirty minutes.  I was glad I went, but it also reminded me that sometimes it’s OK to let things scare you.  I really do not like crowded places and adding intoxicated people just makes my responsible core shudder. 

Next week doesn’t look to be super exciting....but who knows... I do start school again and that always brings big changes!

Megan

January 8th, 2012

January 8, 2012

This week was full of food things, and yet some days were just normal.

I made guacamole hummus - hummus has never been my favorite food item, the word “chickpea” is silly to me.  When I waitressed I had to put “garbonzo beans” on the salad bar and I thought they were yucky.  Recently, I have found a passion for all things avocado, mostly though guacamole.  So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it.  I love it!!!!  I shared it with my friends, Michelle and Beth (and little Gracie), and they both enjoyed it as well.  It will make great lunches when school starts again.  

I also started my own Kombucha.  My friend Michelle has been doing this for about 2 years and she has been after me to drink it more.  I am “scared” of Kombucha - or booch - because of the floaty, bacteria things that it contains.  I cannot drink a bottle of it straight up.  I need to have it strained.  I like it, I know its good for me and I know that I need the floaty, bacteria things - I just have a hard time with the bacteria.  So I have a batch brewing in the basement now.  :)  It should be done Monday or Tuesday.  

I also had to ask my parents if it was ok to brew Kombucha at home .... rather, their house.  My parents are somewhat selective as to what I am allowed to make or do in their kitchen.  Asking them to let me brew Kombucha was “scary” in itself.  After I had thought it through and figured out where a good place to keep it was, I had more confidence and obviously it is ok because I have a batch brewing.

I also bought yarn for a project with my earbuds.  I am going to do that next week. More to come on that one.

I also bought the supplies I need to create a canvas of my daughters senior picture.  My one small Modge Podge project is incased in glass so....this will be interesting.  The first part of the project is sitting now.... I don’t like to ruin pictures which is why this is “scary” to me.

So not everyday will I be conquering spiders or large messes.  Each day will bring small differences or changes that I will have to be optimistic about and learn to adjust.

Megan

January 1, 2012

As the New Year was approaching, I was trying to figure out what kind of resolutions I should make.  You know, work out more, eat better, spend quality time with the family, and save more money.  Well, as in years past, I thought those were very trivial and usually by the end of January they have been forgotten and no completed.

I thought about creating a list and making sure I posted it somewhere so I could see it everyday and that would help me accomplice the resolutions.  

Then as I was trying to fall asleep last night I realized what I needed to do.  I need a motto to live by.  Since change and courage have been my motto for the last three years unofficially, I thought this would be good:

“Do one thing that scares you every day”  Eleanor Roosevelt

and this too:

“What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail”  unknown

They have a similar meaning and theme.  So as I got to thinking hard about this at, oh about three am, I am skeptical that I can do one thing each day that scares me so I thought if I could keep track and hit, say, two hundred and seventy five things, it would be a good year.

Things like kill a spider, coast on my bike down a big hill, run during a walk, tell someone that you want to spend more time with them, tell a friend that they haven’t been a friend in a while, reach out and tell someone I don’t know that it will be better, offer to do a presentation at work or school.  There are plenty of possibilities.

Starting a blog is one.  So today I did accomplish one thing :)  My goal is to write down my “scary” things and post them weekly or every other week.  Blogging scares me because there are so many out there and who cares what I think anyway?  I am just an almost middle aged college student with a daughter who will go to college this fall who has changed her whole life in the last three years.  Really, why would someone want to know what scares you and how you accomplished something every day or every other day?  

So I hope that this can be at least funny for some and meaningful to others.  If I end up inspiring you to accomplish “scary” things or attempt things that you would not normally attempt, great!  :)

Happy 2012   Megan