Latin dinner and dancing

Our ward consists of many different cultures. A couple of our friends are from Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. They decided to show us all a little Latin fever with some good eats and sweet moves. A group of us met at a restaurant and dance club called Los Arrieros. It was a great place. The music was way too loud, but that's all part of the experience I suppose. I was sitting by my friend who's husband is from Colombia and I think she went on a mission there too, so she told what what I should get to get a good taste of Colombian cuisine. We tried a creamy passion fruit drink, an appetizer of a plantain, guava, cheese baked thing that KC picked out. They also had Dominican dishes, and some well known Mexican. I wanted to try something new so she told us to try the platter you see here. It was definitely enough for two. I'm not sure what's it's called but it was very good and very different. There was beef, pork, beans, rice, a fried egg, fried plantains, a slice of avocado, and a corn cake of some sort. We liked all the flavors. A little different than we're used to. We worked off the great food with a little dancing. We tried to pick up a few steps from our native friends. We mostly just did our own thing. There are a couple pictures, but they are pretty embarrassing so I'll spare you. I did have my new red heels on, so maybe those covered up any imperfections in my dancing abilities. It wasn't too crowded which was nice. They bring out a live band at midnight or something, but we were gone before then. They make you pay $20 per person if you want to dance to the live music. We were fine with the music that was being played. They even had a Latin soap opera playing, but no one could really hear it. We had a great time with our friends. Maybe next time I do a themed dinner weekend, I'll try the Latin Flava. I'll have to get some recipes from my friends. And then I'll make KC dance with me after to get the whole experience. I'm sure our apartment will feel like just like Central America. Adios Amigos.

He's more afraid of me...

I stepped out of the shower this morning to a big, brown, harry, spider starring right at me. I haphazardly wrapped my towel around myself and scrambled to grab the Hot Shot bug spray from the closet right next to me. The spider disappeared under the door to the hallway, where the floor conveniently has the same hue as my eight legged friend. I tried to keep an eye on it as it scurried to a small stack of things in a corner and disappeared again. I had to start lifting things up just waiting for it to jump out at me. My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking and my hair was dripping onto the floor as I waited for it to make itself available to finish the task I was determined to do. And then I looked down to the middle of the open area where I had been looking and there it was, as if from mid air, like it wanted me to hot shoot it away. So I took my first shot. . .and second and third and, well I sort of lost count. I just kept shooting andhe just kept going. I'm sure the first was enough, but I didn't want to let this guy get away. It ran behind the closet doors from out room that we have propped up in the hallway. I even shot it as it went behind them. It came out the other end accompanied by a conglomeration of dust (emarrassing for me) stuck to it's little poison soaked exoskeleton. It's crawling then became slower and uneven and I knew my job was done. It was really a pitiful sight. This was a pretty big spider. The kind that seem bigger (I'd say about 2 inches) when sprawled and crawling around, but when dead, curled up, and upside down, are a lot less intimidating. If you look closely in the picture you can see it's little footprints in from the moisture of the poison. I am sorry to any of you wouldn't-hurt-a-fly people, but this is my domain, and I will do what I will to protect myself-or KC will when he is home. So I had a substantial area of my hallway covered in bug poison and and culprit in the middle of it. So I scooped him and said farewell in the garbage can, rubber gloved myself and scrubbed the area thoroughly. Then I went to buy more sticky traps to put in every corner. When I was in the car another smaller member of the spider family crawled along the inside of my windshield. No fun. Maybe with the new cleaning chart I made for myself, Ill be more thorough in my checking of the nooks and crannies. The bugs are going to feel more welcome here with the warm weather. You may think I overreacted about this situation, but a spider that big in an apartment so small can be quite alarming. I really don't like spiders. They are worse than snakes in my opinion. My computer is acting weird so I better post before something happens. Pictures to come.

3rd Year Mark!

Today as I was walking home from work I was observing the beautiful blossoms that have revealed themselves this week. I was really enjoying them and I had one of those flash back moments to the first day I was here in Maryland. As Dad and I were nearing Cami's house (my living quarters at the time) after the long three day drive from Utah to Maryland, I was welcomed to this new place with such beauty. It was almost as if the blossoms were assuring me that I had made the right decision to make such a change to my life. Then, I was thinking that since these blossoms bring back such fond memories of that time, I'm probably nearing the actual date I arrived, and that day happened to be today! March 28, 2004 was the day my life really took off. I had a week to settle in and prepare for my first day of school--touring the campus (very small at the time. They have since expanded.), finding a good commute in this crazy place, unpacking, becoming acquainted with the nephews I was living with, etc. It was so exciting for me. It was quite a distance from home, but somehow this situation was easier than being at USU for the one semester I endured. It was hard to leave Mom and Melody crying together on Mom's bed as we departed at 5:00 am, but as soon as my tears quit, the adventure began. Cami made my room such a great place for a young adult to live. I had never had my own room before that. Crazy, huh? It was a fresh start to my humble life. I was ready.

A lot has happened since and I am proud to say that I would never take back the decision I made 3 years ago to come here. I love the life I've developed here. I've met so many amazing people in my professional and personal lives. I graduated from L'Academie de Cuisine in the Pastry Arts Program and with it came great opportunities and unforgettable memories. I met my crazy awesome husband who constantly makes me happier to have made this decision. I've learned countless things about myself through trials and times of joy. I've become closer to the family I do have here. (Cami can take some of the credit for my position if she wants. She helped my find the school and opened her home to me for as long as I needed.) And great things continue to happen. It has had it's share of difficulties. Being so far from my the rest of my family has been tricky. Especially from Melody. We always thought we go through everything together. I guess we still are, just with a couple thousand miles between us. Our cell phones have served us well.

I'm not sure how much longer well be here before life takes us somewhere else, but I'll always carry the fond memories I've created. I really found out who I was here, and I'm sure there is still a lot to learn. I can't wait to see what happens next.

BTW, pic above was taken about 2 years ago and lots of you have seen it before, but it's one of few blossom pictures I have. That will change this year.

Kiss

The scenario: KC and Emily desire a little something sweet after a garlicy dinner not wanting to overdue it since they are planning to get ice cream later. KC swiped a few chocolate kisses from Matt and Cortnie's candy dish last time he and Emily were there and put them in their candy dish which has just become empty--3 coconut (new and very delicious), and one original. They each had a coconut. Now they both want another kiss.

Emily: Oh there's only one coconut, you can have it.
(She starts to unwrap the red foil as KC dashes to her side.)
KC: Yoink! You can have the coconut one.
Emily: Honey!...Oh...okay. (she smiles) Thanks. (she likes the original just fine, but it tickled that KC knows she loves coconut and really wanted that one. It's all very dramatic.)

Weekend of Asian cuisine

For some reason when I was grocery shopping on Friday I decided that this weekend I was going to make some Asian dishes I've been wanting. So we had a weekend of Asian Delights. It started on Friday night with Thai Chicken pasta with peanut sauce and vegetables. It was very rich and quite an indulgence. We especially enjoyed the bean sprouts. They have a great crunch.

On Saturday I made Egg Drop soup and egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce to dip. I am really enjoying using tofu more in our meals. I don't use it that often, but enough to appreciate it. There was some in the egg rolls. I remember my mom used to hide tofu in some of the dinners she made and I would get so mad. Now I use it willingly. I was also excited to use my set of dishes I bought a while ago. I've been waiting for an occasion and this was it. Otherwise they are just a decoration in my apartment.

And to finish off this ethnic weekend, I made the very popular Asia cabbage chicken salad or whatever you want to call it, complete with ramen noodles and everything. I think they are just a replacement for real wontons, which I could've made with the leftover egg roll wrappers, but I thought the traditional recipe would suffice it being fast Sunday and all. It was much quicker this way. Really authentic I know. But, we had leftover egg rolls anyway. I like them too much I think. KC put his finger in the picture of the salad because he said I needed to spruce up the pictures a little besides just the food. Does that look spruced to you? I have taken many pictures of food over the years as a reminder of what I liked or want to make again. Sometimes I forget. I tried to get one of him with the food, but he kept making weird faces (on purpose) so he didn't make the cut. Oh, and when I was re-heating the egg rolls in the oven, they got a little dark as you can see. Whenever I make something a little darker than planned, KC just says "that's not burned, that's flavor." He's sweet. I'm sure there's a point where that flavor is a little overpowering. Luckily these egg rolls didn't get to that point.

Anyhow, I think I've been wanting this type of cuisine because we have yet to find good Chinese food around our house. Not just the regular hunan whatever I see on every ghetto strip mall, but a great Chinese restaurant that I wouldn't be embarrassed to refer people to if they asked us. I really want to know more about this type of food. I would like to make it in its original form, how they would be made in their homeland. I made the simplest and most well know recipes out there, so I have a long way to go. But it's a start, and we got our Chinese fix for a while. I hope it's for a while because I could eat egg rolls for breakfast lunch and dinner if I allowed myself to. I know I always blog about food, but I can't really help it. One of these days I'll find another hobby I like just as much as cooking, but until then, I'll continue to blog about my culinary adventures.

Arboretum

Also when the parents were here, we went to the US National Arboretum. We went there when KC's parents were here, when Melody and Jonny were here, and it's always delightful. It is a huge (446 acres to be exact) area in DC that is for researching plants, and creating a lot of the plants that you see all over the country. A lot of plants were first bred there. There are also themed gardens, and a pond with colorful fish that you can feed. We really love the herb garden. There are many different areas to drive to throughout. You don't have to walk through the whole 446 acres. You can drive to the parts you want to see, and it's totally free. Parking and everything. Although, if you want to take the tram tour in the warm months, it does cost a little. We found it helpful but it isn't necessary if you can just read the info yourself instead of being informed by a guide. Anyhow, it is quite a nice place to go. It's the most open of an area that you'll see in this congested area of DC and it very relaxing. When we went to the area where they had planted all of the state trees, we even saw what looked like a family gathering of some sort. It is just a neat place to go, and less than 5 miles from our house. My favorite part is the Bonsai museum. It is full of a bunch of miniature trees that are trained to stay small from decades, even centuries or training. It's an art form. They look like normal trees, just smaller. They even change leaf color in the fall, and have blossoms in the spring. I just love looking at them. There's something almost magic about them. I'm want to go to the Bonsai show in the spring where they give demonstrations on how to train them. You can even buy one that someone has started. We saw someone selling them in a kiosk in the mall once and they were "young", about 10 years old. They are pretty expensive because so much work goes into them. I think I would be too afraid I would kill it after so many hours of care. They are so fascinating. The columns that KC and I both took pictures in front of with our parents are the original columns used on the Capitol but were not able to support the larger than anticipated iron dome. They have recently (a little over a decade) been placed here. Pretty cool. I am happy to accompany anyone who would like to tour the Arboretum. We are excited to go when the Azaleas are in bloom. We hear it's spectacular.

Why why why!!

This is too long, and has probably turned out sounding like a pity party for me, but I'm trying to see if others can possibly relate. I just don't understand how people can be so inconsiderate. Why must I always act so pleasant to other people while they feel free to do the opposite to me? Of course I know that answer to that. I don't want to stoop to their level. I just encounter so many different personalities each day, it can get pretty frustrating. I never know what I am going to get when I come face to face with the new mother in her most vulnerable state. A lot of moms are excited and happy to do the minimal tasks I ask her to do (sign a simple consent form, and provide a few pieces of information), but others make it seem like I asked them to give me a lock of their hair. They act like I am their enemy and they sometimes treat me like it. I know that this is a special time for them, but I think it's okay to interrupt their watching of Jerry Springer, or People's Court to take their babies first picture, which they said they wanted. They have an option. I don't interrupt them when their sleeping, in pain, or with a member of the hospital staff. I know that those things come before pictures. I can usually be in and out of a room rather quickly, helping the mom through the whole process and answering her questions thoroughly to make sure she feels good about this experience. I wouldn't want to be the one to ruin this precious time she is having with her newborn. I have even helped change clothes, diapers, called nurses for them, found out answers to questions that are not related to my job at all, took pictures that they are happy with (sometime they demand retakes because for the silliest reasons) sometimes in broken Spanish, while I'm sweating from their 100 degree room temperature and all with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. That's not to say that the second I step out of the room my smile doesn't turn right upside down. Why can't others put their problems aside for a few minutes to make the situation enjoyable for the people around them? I just don't like it when someone throws me off my groove making this whole process longer and more difficult than it needs to be. I have become a person who finds the fastest and least motions way to do everything, like my dad. This whole rant was triggered by an experience I had today with a couple. They just didn't have a lot of consideration for me and I'm sure others that they encounter each day. I was as nice as I could be and took pictures exactly how they wanted them, and still it took me a whole hour to be done with them. They decided they had to take a phone call, they changed the babies clothes as slooooooooly as possible, decided they wanted retakes, etc. Some people just think that the world owes them a favor and they can act rude to everyone in their path to get it. Of course, there are people daily who act completely opposite. I have met mothers that have been extremely sweet, helpful, and I have even made friends with some of them for the short time they were in the hospital. This job can be very rewarding and easy. Dealing with all these people just makes me realize how much of an impression our attitudes have on others and it makes me want to always put my best face on wherever I am. I am learning a lot, not only about the whole hospital experience when I have a baby, but I'm leaning a lot about myself and my true character. That's why we are all so different, so we can learn from each other. I hope I can keep up this smile, even if it's fake, when I'm in a situation I'm not exactly happy with.

Farewell Parents!

Well, we had such a great time while mom and dad were here, as you've read. It's sad to see them go, but I'm sure it won't be long until we see them again.

On Monday a few of us got to do some sightseeing in DC. It's funny that I live about 2 miles outside the border of Washington, yet the only sightseeing we do is with out-of-towners. It's nice to get a little push to remind me of the great things I'm so close to and should visit more often. We started with a the Bureau of Engravings that was out of tickets for the day. We had a similar situation with KC's parents and his dad ended up staying in line for over and hour to make sure we made it in. This time we weren't so lucky. So we headed toward the Washington Monument, which was also out of tickets. What were we thinking getting there after 10:00 am. We still took our pictures, and were on our way to the Lincoln Memorial. It ended up to be a little bit of an experience besides the usual awe that comes with the massiveness, and inevitable humility you feel when you read the Gettysburg Address and think of what happened in our country. As we started up the numerous steps, the security guard began somewhat forcibly telling everyone to head out of the monument, down the steps, and onto the street. As the people were filing out, I noticed an officer with a dog sniffing the garbage can and other place on the monument. Dad found out there was a unattended sleeping bag somewhere so they were taking all precautions. It wasn't 10 minutes before they let us back in, so we ran up the steps like little kids trying to be the first in line, just to get pictures without anyone else in them. It was kind of fun. Then we were going to go to the Museum of American History, which was closed for renovations until 2008, so we went next door to the Museum of Natural History. I have only been to the one in New York, and I remember really liking it. This is probably my favorite museum in DC. We even saw an IMAX about Lions. It was so cool. I really would love to have see the one on Sharks that they played right before and after the Lions, but it will give us an excuse to go back. They also play Night at the Museum there on the weekends that I really want to see get a group together to see. We then had an appointment to tour the Capitol Building, which was guided by a Utah State University intern. I took a picture of this painting on the ceiling of the Rotunda. She told us a lot about it and I wish I could remember it all. You can read about it if you'd like. The art was so amazing in there.

Even though I have done most of these things many times before, it is aways a new experience with the different people that are with me and the different thoughts that come into my mind as I visit the amazing sites. I don't know that much about politics, and I embarrassingly don't know as much as I should about our nations history either. Living here has really helped me to know where I stand of these things and to strive to learn more. I hope I can take more advantage of this opportunity while I still can. We can't live in the tiny apartment forever. By the way, the last picture was only added because as we were taking the overdone pose of holding a building that was far away in your hand, I said loudly, "look, I'm holding up the White House", which should not be said around tourists or anywhere in DC. We chuckled for a few minutes about that.

Tea and Scones

For my ward's Relief Society birthday party we had a fun tea party where we were asked to wear hats. Besides cowboy and baseball hats, I only have a bright pink hat that I bought on our honeymoon cruise gift shop and I hardly ever find occasions to wear it, so I thought I would use this opportunity. I talked my mom into coming with me and we had a fabulous time. The woman in charge is a chef and always makes fantastic food for our Relief Society gatherings. Not your typical Mormon recipes we all know and love. She made crustless spinach quiche, salmon and cucumber tea sandwiches, ginger almond biscotti, and chocolate dipped strawberries. There was also a huge cake that we all thought we were too full to eat, but managed to take a few bites of the cake we could find underneath the mounds of buttercream. I offered to make some tea desserts since I used to make them daily, and it sounded fun. I made some pistachio, raisin scones, and strawberry shortbread cookies dipped in Chocolate. I made them a couple days ago and froze them. I baked them off this morning so they would be fresh. We went a little early to help set up. Mom and I arranged the food on plates and tiered platters. The tables we set so beautifully with a huge pots of cute Voila flowers, and several sets of detailed cup and saucer tea sets. There were also a variety of nice herbal and fruit teas. There was even sugar cubes and honey for those who so desired. I wish I'd taken a picture of the whole room because it really transformed the cultural hall into a very elegant tea party setting. We had lovely conversation, and mom joined right into the chatter, even though she didn't know anyone there. I was glad to have her there with me. It was a wonderful St Patrick's Day morning and after we helped clean a little, we were happy to be on our way to see our cute husbands waiting for us at home. We brought them a nice variety of tea party treats. From the picture, it looks like I'm the only one wearing a hat, but there really were several ladies wearing a variety of different hats, so I really didn't stick out too much with my bright pink accessory.

I'm always amazed at how giving of their time and talents the woman of the church are. I know so many women who have so much going on in their lives and could easily rationalize a little church gathering as unimportant. They put so much thought detail into this tiny party that was over in about two hours. The women would've been just as happy with much less, yet they went above and beyond anyway. I find that a lot of my friends and family are the same way. I am always inspired to put more energy and love into the things I do, by watching those around me. It's nice to get a little push to be more giving and more creative with my time.

Revitalizing my warbobe

The other day I was trying to get ready to go somewhere besides work that required more than my smock and khakis. I was annoyed with all the old/hardly ever worn clothes I have taking up precious space in my tiny apartment. I decided that this is it, the day I will clean out and get rid of all and any things I didn't wear. What is the point? I know we all do this. We keep something on hand just in case. In case we lose/gain weight, in case we wear it with something that will cover up that tear or stain, in case it comes back into style, and the list goes on. I pride myself in being able to get rid of things with out thinking twice, but some clothes are really hard to part with. But I let that thought go today and have a garbage bag full of clothes to give to good will. Man, it feels good. Along with letting go of my old clothes, I am also trying to let go of the style that existed when I purchased those articles. Since mom is in town, I have used her as my shopping companion and she has proven to be good luck. Sometimes when I shop I feel like there is nothing out there that is in my price range, and a style that I feel comfortable in. I find myself buying the same t-shirts over and over, just different colors. Those have a purpose, but I wanted a little more variety. With mom I found a dress, several shirts, and two pairs of jeans that are seriously hard to find as so many girls know. And almost all were for pretty good prices. Sometimes even I believe you have to spend to get quality. They are also a little different style than what I normally look for, but it is a welcomed change. Lili would be proud. We went into stores that I usually walk right by to get to my three regular stores. It made shopping more fun rather than a chore which is what it feels like when you are trying to find something specific. I promised KC this is all I'm going to buy for a while. And I really mean that. I don't generally like shopping unless I know exactly what to get and exactly where to get it. I'm not the kind of person that shops and forgets what shes buys the next day. A lot of thought goes into my purchases and I really value the things I earn. Maybe that's why it's hard for me to get rid of them sometimes.

I know this post might sound superficial writing so much about silly clothes, but I think that by freshening up something you see everyday, whether it's clothes, rearranging the furniture, or making all new recipes for a week, it can really add a little bounce to everyday life. Changes are good.

Recipes from previous post

Here are the recipes that have been requested:

Irish Beef Stew

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil and it was fine)
1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 large garlic cloves, minced
8 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.) Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.


Makes 4 to 6 servings.(The recipes says it makes this many servings but I think those people may have big appetites since we made half this recipe and it would easily serve 4 people.)


Irish Soda Bread

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Of course there are numerous ways to make both of these dishes, as with all culinary creations. I usually search through several recipes of something for me to finally decide that the one I've chosen suits me best, but I took a leap with these. They were the fist viewed and I'm pleased. They are from the Epicurious website and they have a lot more fun Irish recipes I want to try. Enjoy.

By Mom's suggestion..

In light of St Patrick's Day coming up, I made the Irish Stew that mom always made for us. Not that she only made it on this particular occasion (it is delicious year round), but I remember this as the traditional Sunday clostest to St. Patrick's Day dinner, or something. Anyway, maybe that will be our tradition. I always like a food based tradition to help me think of something to make. I always like suggestions. My favorite part is the Irish Soda Bread that is a perfect pair with the stew--sweet enough alone, but good dipped in soup as well. I suppose next week is closer to the actual holiday, but I was in the mood this week. Thanks for the suggestion mom. We will be enoying the leftovers for the next few days.
I think it tasted even better today since the bay leaf has had more time to mellow. If any of you need recipes, I'm happy to share. I guess one of the main attractions to this holiday is green beer, which I had no idea existed until I moved here and heard about all hype and how many cops are on guard that night. Well, while other are getting drunk, we are enjoying stew.

All the President's Pastries

Today as I was cleaning my kitchen and listening to the Today Show in the background. I heard them talking about a clip coming up about the White House pastry chef. Everyone is so fascinated with the way the president eats I suppose. As it came on I recognized the voice of the Chef they were working with. It was Chef Roland Mesnier, the former White House pastry chef and last I heard he was back as a Pastry Instructor at the culinary school I attended, L'Academie de Cuisine. He also started the the pastry program there in 1979 and taught there until 1988 when he was hired at the White House. He spoke at my graduation and I have a signed copy of his cookbook Dessert University. He also has a book All the President's Pastries that I don't have. He seems a little hoity-toity as most french chefs are, but he is very talented and very famous in the culinary world all the same. He is the man next to my mom in the above picture. The other is a fellow classmate. It was taken a while ago. We had a nice talk he knows so much. It was just funny to see him on TV. I'm not sure why there is a new chef at the White House. The word was he retired, but I think there were some personality errors between the first lady and him. That was another speculation, anyway. I don't know the details, but when they hired a new pastry staff, they asked my school to submit some names for potential pastry cooks to work part time for parties and such if they needed extra help. My instructor took me aside one day and asked me if I was up to some extra hours at the White House if needed. I of course said yes and was flattered that he would ask me. I told a lot of people that I was considered and was pretty excited. It didn't end up happening, which really is for the best since that is the time that I started dating KC, but the opportunity to be on a list of only a few names was pretty exciting for me. KC warned me that I probably shouldn't tell anyone since it was probably not going to happen, but who could resist. It was funny, people kept asking me when I start there, and some people assumed that I had already started because I led them to believe it was a done deal. I was just excited. I want to clear up now, I was considered for a position, and never got it. At least it makes a good story.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Well, we did it. We made it through a whole year of this amazing thing called marriage. Man how time flies. It's weird to think of all the changes that have taken place and how I feel so seasoned to all of them already. I guess that's how you know it's meant to be.

So we decided to take a little getaway for a night to a little town called St. Michaels, MD. We had looked around at other places, but this town really stuck out. We stayed at the Harbour Inn in a jacuzzi suite. We had a cute balcony overlooking a doc and numerous boats. It was perfect. Better than we thought when we booked it. I tried to forget about my newly developed sore throat, and my continuing sinus problems. My throat drops and Day/NyQuil have been my constant companions these past couple weeks. I still had a good time despite this inconvenience.

St. Michaels is one of those towns that has antique stores all over the place that look like cute houses. I'm not into antiques, but it's fun to go to these small towns anyway. I like finding funny restaurants to eat it, and maybe stumble across some shopping along the way. I think someday, we'll retire in a town like that. I was quite jealous of the gorgeous houses I'd see across the water whenever I'd look. There are all a picture perfect with their own docks, and trees surrounding the other side. What a life.

After our breakfast at a cute little restaurant, we checked out of the inn and went to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. It was interesting and fun to see how boats are built and how the bay has evolved over the decades. It couldn't have been more perfect weather, and it was the grand opening for a new exhibit. They sold soup and bread in a grassy area and we partook. The cream of broccoli felt good to the throat. This is a picture of a lighthouse we walked through. It was so picturesque.

We had a great times, and the best part was that we celebrated a year of such happiness, and so many changes. We've learned a lot and still consider ourselves newlyweds since we know we still have a lot to learn. The traditional gift for the first year of marriage is paper, if any of you didn't know. I got KC and origami kit and I think that should keep him occupied until next year. A friend at the hospital printed me a list of all the traditional gifts for each significant year. Next year is cotton. It's silly, really. I think I've decided that ice cream should be added to every year as well. Sound good?

All I can say is that I'm a lucky girl to have a guy like mine. Sometimes, when I'm acting a certain way, or we're in a particularly difficult situation, I think of what it would be like if I didn't have someone as understanding, and exceptionally kind as he is. Not only to me, but to everyone he meets. Sometimes, even when we're watching TV or a movie, fictional or non, and someone is sad or something bad happens to them (as often happens in the media) he'll let out a little, sympathetic "oohhh". It makes me smile that he feels even for people he doesn't know, or might even not be real. I just know he'll always take very good care of me and our future family. There's much much more to say, of course, but the continuation might drag to all of you. I'm just happy to know that I can say countless good things about my husband after only one year. I can't wait to see how the list grows over the years.

When the moon hits your eye. . .that amore.

Well, I told you I would let you know what we made next. I know pizza twice in one week is not the best health choice, but my sick self wanted easy dinners. Since I couldn't taste it anyway due to my relentless sinus pressure, any food is fine, really. We made cauliflower, mushroom, and pepper pizza this time. I hope my sinuses clear up in time to taste the leftovers. Anybody else have favorite topping for us to try sometime? I usually use whatever we have on hand. Thankfully KC is not picky.