Am…musings

Last weekend, D and I went to the Cardinals game. Saturday, I met one of his brothers and a few of his friends for the first time at the Missouri vs. Illinois Arch Rivalry Game (me and eight guys, including two of his nephews). For both occasions I was hoping to find cute team shirts so I could show my spirit and still look stylish … not a crazy request for a date or for meeting the boyfriend’s family and friends.

Yes, I admit it … I need to lose a few pounds (ok maybe more than a few … no doubt thanks in part to the pretzel fairy). And while I’m not exactly overjoyed with my body, I still like to show off my curves. Of course, there are plenty of cute, sassy sports shirts out there, but for heaven’s sake, I’m not sure who they are made for. I swear the extra large in one of the brands made exclusively for women looks like it might be a regular size medium … and cut for someone with absolutely no chest whatsoever.

Being a crafty girl, I took matters into my own hands. I tried two options … first attempting to cut a fun (but shapeless) t-shirt into something more stylish. With direction from the tattooed Kat Von D, I started slicing on an old paint-splattered shirt. With a little more practice, I think the results would have been super cute, but not really appropriate for an afternoon football game (and I wasn’t even going for the crazy backless thing in Kat’s video). I definitely want to try it again though.

Next, I headed to my local craft store for iron-on rhinestone letters (and then … even though I hate to admit it … I headed to Walmart where I found them for half the price). I used a black shirt from last season in case the results weren’t stellar. It’s not too difficult, but a little nerve wracking … so no photos of the process. But I think it turned out well …

Last year, my birthday post was about dreading 37 … because of what I didn’t (and still don’t) have … a husband and kids. While I’m not overjoyed about 38, I’ve grown tired of worrying about what life is supposed to be. Honestly, if I could do it over again, I’d have to think long and hard about changing much … if it meant giving up any of the amazing experiences I’ve had and wonderful people I’ve met along the way.

To replace the dread this year, two recent blog comments … one from a friend since second grade (via Facebook) and one from someone I’ve never met (who has a blog I’ve been enjoying) … inspired me to make a list of the things I’m grateful for at 38 …

1. The love and support of and for the people in my life, including my family, my friends, my neighbors and D (Both of the inspirational comments were actually about D … basically to take it one day at a time and be thankful for each one. For an over-thinker like me, it’s not always easy, but I’ve been taking it to heart since they were posted.)

2. A job that I love … possibly the first I’ve had that I don’t dread heading to every morning … and that challenges me, as well as my wonderful coworkers and colleagues.

3. My ability to take pleasure and see the wonder in the small things in life … from playing with Chewy in the hose to experiencing a good coaster to watching my food processor slice a cucumber in about a nanosecond to seeing more than 20 deer playing in a farmer’s field (D’s family’s).

4. My health … it’s nothing to take for granted as I quickly approach 40.

5. The means to live comfortably in a cute little house with a car to get me around.

When I blow the candles out today, I’ll wish for many more days of gratitude.

The vegetable garden’s been looking pretty good, but I didn’t feel like I could officially consider myself a gardener until there were actual veggies. After diagnosing a problem with one of my plants as over-watering … in the evenings no less, D admonished me to stop watering so darn much. (D is the boyfriend by the way … seems so impersonal to keep calling him “the guy” or “the boyfriend,” but I’ll let him keep a little privacy.)

Because I wasn’t watering there was no real reason to go out there until today when I staked the tomatoes (with stakes D made for me … by hand … with a power saw … awesome and hot!!!). I also had to re-route a few pumpkin and cucumber vines that are trying to take over the world. And here’s what I found …

Now I’m officially a vegetable gardener!

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog. Unfortunately, the momentous occasion has stirred up a bit of writer’s block. Normally, when the block hits (as it has on several occasions over the year), I just refrain from blogging until inspiration strikes. Today, I feel the need to say a little something nevertheless.

I can mark the day with two new additions (albeit temporary) to Kit Drive … momma birdie’s babies have hatched. At this point, they are pretty small, a little shriveled and spend lots of time hiding under mom so pics aren’t very realistic … not to mention that she’s still letting me get super close to take a peek at the “kids” and I don’t want the camera to freak her out.

While the birds may not necessarily be worthy of the anniversary post, this certainly is …. the guy and I also met for the first time four months ago today. Given that this blog has witnessed several not-so-good dating stories in the past 365 days (here, here and here are a few examples), it seems fitting to mention how wonderful it is to be dating such an amazing man. Here’s a wish that I’ll be able to write great things about us 365 days from now.

All in all, it’s been a good year, and despite falling off the blogging wagon a few times, I have definitely enjoyed it much more than I ever expected at this endeavor’s launch.

Last night was my class reunion … my 20 year class reunion, but we aren’t going to dwell on that number.

Because he’s incredibly awesome, the guy agreed to go with me. I knew we’d have a good time because I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy just about anything if he were there. We did have fun, even with a few awkward moments like tackling the topic of how I introduce him … we landed on boyfriend, which I guess is appropriate after four months of dating. And despite our conversation, he was called “Amber’s husband” about a dozen times, which didn’t seem to faze him too badly.

It was only afterward that I was a little flummoxed … to tag or not to tag? That was the question. Most of my friends know I’m dating someone, but I’m not sure about his. Tagging the pics on Facebook sort of changes that.

I debated whether it was proper etiquette to ask him if he minded. In the end, I decided I was way over-thinking it, not to mention the fact that we looked good and I wanted to show off to my friends and his … so I just did it.

What do you think the right approach is when it comes to dating and tagging?

My coworkers have been jones-ing for dating posts. In the office, I’m the type that will share details when asked, but won’t just dish randomly. Typically, they get the scoop from the blog without having to ask, but lately … I haven’t been revealing much.

Much like my “only when asked” rule at the office, I have guidelines when it comes to blogging … basically I only write about my dating life when it’s in the dumper. For one, I think the stories are funnier. For two, it’s a great way to vent about bad dates (or ok dates with bad names). And most importantly, I believe the details of a new relationship are very personal … i.e. none of your business.

While the title above might give the appearance that this post is laden with scoop … it really isn’t. Sorry guys. Things are going well with the amazing guy I’ve been dating for a few months. But a friend, and reader, recently asked me for dating site advice. I’ve only used Match.com, and despite the fact that I met Mr. Amazing on Match, I can’t say that I was overjoyed with the overall experience.

Do you have any dating site advice to share … either from your own experience or maybe a friend’s?

The first time I cook for a date, I always feel a little pressure. The Forest Park picnic was no exception. I wanted to impress, but not go overboard. I also think it’s better to not get too fancy as I think most guys are meat-and-potato types.

I decided on steak sandwiches for the main course. I’m not a big steak eater and have never grilled one so I was a little nervous. I foolishly bought some crappy cut of meat, and at the advice of my friend Kelly put it in the freezer and ran to Costco for some really nice, tender ribeyes. I seasoned them with steak seasoning from my neighbors (one uses Canadian, the other uses Kansas City – the ingredients looked the same to me) and grilled them to medium rare. I then thinly sliced them and refrigerated them in an airtight container with an extra sprinkle of the seasoning and their juices. Right before we left for the park, I toasted some rolls, melted a mild white cheese on one half and spread mayo mixed with a little pressed garlic on the other half. When it was time to eat, I assembled the sandwiches with the steak, plus lettuce and tomato.

I also made pasta salad. It’s the second time I’ve used the tips from this Slate article and I’ve been very pleased with the results. This time, I used rotini, Reese’s jarred grilled artichoke hearts (they are awesome!), halved grape tomatoes, quartered pitted black olives, green onion, goat cheese, garlic salt, Penzey’s California Style Seasoned Pepper (awesome stuff!), olive oil and lemon juice.

For dessert, I served strawberries and double chocolate cookies from Trader Joe’s.

For an appetizer, I made a portabella mushroom dip somewhat from scratch. I want to try to capture the recipe so I’ll share a separate post on that soon.

I thought everything turned out well, and my date was very sweetly appreciative.