Roundup

I had an awesome weekend. How about you?

First of all, this was the first news story I saw today. Nothing election related, no countries being invaded... just super happy cute picture time.



Also, this Saturday I went to Barnesville, MN for the Potato Days festival. Where I ate too much potato-themed food (dumplings and potato cookies both = awesome). Then on Sunday Tyler and I had a lovely date where we played mini golf.

Our adventure in pictures...



And we're off

Lots of concentration here

Our balls are hugging... heh.... (yes, I'm 12 years old)

I grew rather fond of my little pink ball. I shall call her Petunia...

Tyler is stressed for the journey up Mount Doom the volcano

PETUNIA!!! COME BACK!

Phew, all safe again.

Sunday evening we also saw The Dark Knight. Tyler had already seen it but I was beginning to feel like everyone every where had seen it but me. I really did enjoy the movie and for a summer action flick I left the theater with a lot of heavy thoughts on the mind. I read a lot of politics into the script. There are many questions brought up regarding terrorism and consequences -- for example the morality of spying on people with technology to catch the bad guys. Try and tell me that's not ripped from the headlines. Also, in one seen Batman is standing in rubble and the way it was shot I just thought, wow, Twin Towers...


Heath Ledger's performance was just astounding. I cannot believe that was him. He was lost in that role. I think his portrayal is one of the most frightening characters on screen ever. That night I actually had nightmares about the joker. But how he transformed made me mourn again that we lost such a talented actor and a young man/father in his prime.

I have to talk briefly about the stunts as well. Just unreal... that's all I can say. Usually I can take or leave fighting sequences, unless they are exceptional (for example in the movie Serenity). But this was new, interesting and exciting to watch. Good movie but a PG-13 rating was completely off base. This was an R film all the way.

Now it's back to the weekday blues. Thankfully the long weekend is ahead. September is shaping up pretty nicely. I've got some quick weekend trips planned, visiting home and grandma and the like. But Tyler also got us tickets for a Twins game -- I've never been and I'm pretty excited! Any tips on what I MUST do? I am thinking hot dog + beer + loud rousing chorus of "take me out the ballgame."

Some things that have been on my mind lately:

- I love onions. I especially love onions on my subway sandwiches. But when I eat them I have onion breath for 2 days straight --even after flossing, brushing and gargling. What gives?

- I bought some lip gloss that was billed as "infallible" for 6 hours. It's a hoax. Don't buy it. My lips have been ... "fallible" for the last 5 and a half hours.

- Why do I go shopping and then a day later find awesome coupons? I am seriously considering taking clothes back and immediately re-buying them. That's allowed right?

- I have a bee in my bonnet. I want to buy new bedding. I don't know why. But those stupid Macys catalogs call to me. I find myself gazing longingly at 500 thread count sheets. I think I've been watching too much HGTV because I'm convinced that new bedding is necessary to "create a spa-like retreat." Nevermind that one freakin' bed skirt is $99 -- that doesn't make me feel tranquil at all.

Is it Friday yet?

Bliss

There are certain things I remember with starling clarity.

Too many of those moments are about humiliation or hurt, but I also recall some very happy moments in my life.

A few days ago, I decided to make a kettle of German knoephla soup. Knoephla is probably on my list '5 favorite comfort food' meals. I have made it so often that I don't need to think while doing it and I've gotten much better at making it. I can get the dumplings plump, the seasoning right and I've quit scorching the milk! I have a problem scorching things as I tend to be impatient.

Anywho. I had a nice kettle of knoephla and Tyler and I took a bowl to the balcony and ate under the stars. It's that time of summer where the nights are very cool and a bowl of hot soup is heaven. There was a light breeze and no bugs and we had found some random music channel on the TV playing opera. Yes, it's definitely a weird combination but I would say it was perfect.

We had one of those conversations that makes me forget we've been dating for four years. It's still new and exciting and romantic. Sometimes I'm amazed that we still have so many things to talk about. I hope we're still in love and eating under the stars in 40 more years.

I told him that this was one of those moments I hoped to remember forever. I felt calm (so rare for someone with an anxiety disorder), safe, and I was loved and warm. I got to thinking about other moments in my life where I had that. It was a fun exercise and I'd recommend trying it yourself-- very much a 'count your blessings' sort of deal.

*I remember laying outside in my grandparent's backyard on an old quilt. My grandpa gave me a butterfly net and I was trying to catch something. We ate strawberries together that we pulled out of my grandma's garden. He told me, "They taste better with a little dirt on them."

*I remember in 6th/7th grade, it was fall and my mom took me to Menards. She bought me some of those clear stickers for my bedroom window. It was Winnie the Pooh characters playing in piles of leaves. Later when I was in my room applying them, I had the window open and could smell fall (the smell that is part cold air, leaves and part chimney smoke). My mom called me out to the kitchen and we had slices of banana with honey, toast and hot cocoa. Just an average day, nothing special but she and I were very happy.

*I remember taking a trip to St. Louis. I was in a hotel room with Laura and Rehema (exchange student from Tanzania, Africa) and we were laughing so hard that we were gasping for air. I think it had something to do with the Swahili word for 'butt' being "taco."

Those are just some of my moments. I hope I have years and years to create more. But life is a fleeting thing and we have to try and create bliss moments wherever we can.

In other bliss-related news, I have a new fave show... Tyler found out that our TV pulls in channels like National Geographic that we didn't have before. I started watching "Cesar Millan: The Dog Whisperer." And I LOVE HIM. This youtube clip shows part of a show I watched the other night. Observe what happens when Cesar tries to acclimate Gracie, the puppy with a chicken (who Gracie wants to eat). The chicken has an interesting reaction...

I laughed for 10 minutes straight when I saw this clip... literally had tears. That poor bird!!



My idea of bliss -- naptime ;)

So true

This commercial made me cry

Disney for the day

A quick one today...