25 Random Things

So, I put this up on my facebook page, but many of my readers don't have facebook, or may not even be my friend on facebook (you should friend me though if you're not because I would love to know who my fan base is, also I don't bite, I promise)


25 Random Things

My reasons for doing this are three-fold:
1) I am bored, an 1.5 hour left at work and my charge is happily playing with her books
2) I enjoy talking about myself :)
3) Gives you insight into my world

So, here goes:

1) I realized the other day while I was showering that I have to use both soap and shower gel. The soap makes me feel clean, the shower gel makes me smell pretty. One without the other is like not even getting a shower at all. And, I realize shower gel does clean one's body, but in my brain it doesn't.

2) I used to live in Asia (Korea) and Europe (Germany). While growing up I sometimes hated being out of the country, but now it makes me feel cultured. In fact, I still sometimes think I AM German.

3) When I was little, I forced my parents to say "Good night, I love you, see you in the morning" about 10 times (for serious) before tucking me in at night. I thought that if they didn't say it, they would die in their sleep. Don't believe me? Just ask the siblings.

4) My dad told me that Jesus was coming back to the earth, for some reason, in my seven year old mind, that meant that he would look the same way coming as he did going (bloody and gross). I also stubbornly believed that he would come when I was in the shower, and I would be the only one who knew of his return. Thus, I showered like any self respecting 2nd grader would shower...with the curtain open.

5) Weight Watchers effectively changed my life around for the better, but has subsequently ruined it as well. By that I mean, I can no longer look at food without thinking of "points". It used to be fun trying to figure out how I was going to fit my meals into my points for the day. Now, it's pretty much sucking my will to live.

6) I cannot wear anything without smudging, tearing, dripping, smearing, or getting something on it...within the first 24 hours. It's a mathmatical improbablity. As hard as I try I will never look as polished as the people in the J Crew catalogue.

7) I get a medium cinnamon iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts every morning before work. I add one tablespoon of sugar-free hazlenut cream to it. It costs $2.01. The workers see me pull up to the store and begin making my drink before I am even in the building. (This would be cool if it weren't for the fact that there are many other customers they do this with).

8) I have a fish I named Dunkin (see Number 7) that has become very important to me. I may cry when he goes belly up.

9) I am addicted to Splenda. I keep a stash in various places. My car, my pocket, my kitchen, my purse, my dresser drawer. When I lived with my brother and his family, my sister-in-law actually had to HIDE her Splenda so that I wouldn't use hers.

10) I went to college secretly to get my MRS degree. I did not get one.

11) My best friend Tori and I share a brain. Quite literally, we have thought the same thought, at the same moment, even when we are hours apart. We normally find out later that we had the same idea at the same moment in time. It is no longer cool. It's just normal.

12) Speaking of Tori, I love to go to Williamsburg with her and her family. Mostly cause I get my own room with my own bathroom. I have never actually had my own bathroom (I have always shared one) so I love that I can wake up and shower without disturbing the rest of the house. It makes me feel like a princess.

13) I desire to live an extraordinary life, but have found that I get stuck in the midst of a mundane existence most days. Therefore, I try to make the most normal of situations, completely fun, random, memorable and out of this world. Just ask anyone close to me.

14) In college, Tori and I would pretend that we were from England and walk around the video store talking in our best British accents.

15) I love popcorn. I eat it every day. 1

16) My boyfriend Dan is the most charming, wonderful, kind man I have ever known.

17) I have a terrible fear of clowns. Because my reaction to them is so dramatic sometimes, people think I am faking.

18) I think I have ADHD, OCD, and various other diseases and disorders.

19) My commute causes me to feel anger like I have never known. Words escape my mouth that I would never think to say in a million years.

20) I learned the importance of flossing and visiting the dentist regularly when my wisdom teeth started breaking in my mouth. Ouch.

21) I missed college and my college friends so much after we graduated, I actually fell into a mild depression afterwards.

22) I love to run. Even if it's raining or 30 degrees outside, I will run. Now that I belong to the gym, the elements don't matter, but I enjoy it. I wish I had more time to committ to it.

23) I love to bake and cook. Decorate and shop. Eat and sleep. Run and veg.

24) I want to own my own bakery called "All About Sprinkles".

25) You think this is random... I have a blog that I created a few months ago that I would like to believe will one day become internationally known. It goes into greater detail about how random my life really is...www.jennybsocalledlife.blogspot.com

Clearly you already knew about the last one, but that's what I wrote on my facebook page, so I kept it as is. Alright. Hope that give you more insight into my head.

Martha vs. Cookie Monster

Well, my lap top charger died the other day. We're talking sparks, exposed wires, and such. It was getting pretty bad. Needless to say, I have not been able to use my lap top since then. Only me. 

It snowed a lot last night and then iced over, so this morning I literally had to chop my car out of it's icicle cocoon. That was fun. I got to work on time which was nice, but now I have the dilemma of what to do with my charge.

I'm thinking it's a baking day. So, we are about to head into the kitchen to see what we can find. However, while I was looking for some fun recipes online, I stumbled on this you tube video. Please watch. And please enjoy.  By the way, it's stinkin' hilarious.

I was looking for Martha Stewart's Monster Cookie recipe (how I found this in case you were curious).

Meet the Fockel's

Well friends, I'm back. Sorry for the hiatus, but I took a little trip all the way to Wisconsin! Dan took me home to meet his family and to visit where he grew up and I must say it was a fantastic trip. It was my very own "Meet the Fockel's". Seriously. And while nothing ridiculous happened to me while I was meeting all the Fockel's and other extended family members, it was just as exciting for other reasons. I mean, I didn't catch any rooms on fire, or clog toliets, or even clumsily hurt any of the furniture (which if you know me but at all, you know I am prone to do such).

Days before we left, Dan kept sending me the weather forecast. It's "-7 degrees back home" or "it's starting to warm up and its now 9 degrees". Sheesh. I was prepared for the bitter cold, but it really wasn't too bad. Honest. Usually the cold only gets to me on work days when I have to leave my house before the sun is up and scrape off my car and am forced to be in the cold. Otherwise it's not too bad. Especially if you are prepared.

Speaking of prepared, I was ready to meet the Fockel's! But nothing could have prepared me to meet some of the warmest people ever. And I am not just saying that because some of them read my blog, either :) Honestly, I didn't realize that people that sweet existed!

We had a great time. Dan got to show me around the city of Milwaukee as well as his schools, where the Milwaukee Brewers play, and various other places he would go when he was younger. I simply love visiting places that have history. Growing up as an Army brat doesn't really afford you a place to have roots really. All my friends growing up are scattered over various parts of the world now. So, it was wonderful to see places that mean a lot to him.

So, yeah. I got to meet the whole family! They even graciously allowed me to catch the Raven's game, even though we lost. Boo.

And Sunday, quite literally, the whole family came over for a look see. They all wanted to meet me I suppose, and it was an honor to be there. Really.

So, all that said. I had a fabulous time and now it's back to the daily grind of life.

Hopefully, I will have something to report on soonish. Until then...

Toasters, Potter, and Yoga...OH MY!

So, two nights ago I decided to make an egg sandwhich. I go through these phases where I crave certain foods. Currently I am going through the egg sandwhich phase. As well as turkey burgers and Luna bars.

Anywho, so I put my bread in our toaster and leave the kitchen (I already made the eggs and was just waiting for some toast). You would think that one would need not to stand guard over the toaster. It's a pretty self-sufficient electrical appliance...


Not in Jenny's universe.


I hear the "pop" of the toast and go into the kitchen to retrieve the toast and step into a cloud of black, puffy smoke. My toast is charred and on fire!

What happened? I suppose something at the bottom of the toaster caught on fire, but I was not anticipating the scene I walked into.

Then this morning on the way to work, I was behind a car that had a plethora of bumper stickers on the back. Harry Potter stickers were all over and some of my favorites included:

I'd rather be playing quidditch
Expecto Patronum
Harry Potter for President


This last one is the one I would like to discuss. Is it wrong to think that Harry would make a better president than Obama? Or that if Harry were to be listed on the voter's ballot, I would choose a FICTIONAL CHARACTER to run our country!?

Then yesterday I decided to do some power yoga with Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser. As I am doing it, I am thinking that this isn't so hard. I'm not even breaking a sweat. I have done yoga before and I am ridicuously flexible, so this will be a cinch. Friends, this morning...upon exiting my bed, I could feel the pain shooting through every muscle of my body! Oy!

My sister-in-law even warned me that it would feel like you weren't getting a workout but just wait until the next day and you would feel it.

Anywho, randomness usually comes in threes for me. So, that's been my life since the last blog.

German Treadmills

I went to the MAC yesterday for the first time. For all of you non-Maryland folk, that's the Maryland Athletic Club. It's a gym. Or more accurately, it's a spa.

My employers are members of this gym, so I have heard about it's many perks. I never thought I would ever walk through the entrance for various reasons, including:

1) I do not belong to said gym

2) I do not have enough in my bank account for said gym's monthly rate

3) I do not look like this...

Well, my wonderful employers signed me up for a week's membership so I could not only check it out, but also because I was working late one night helping out Eliza with Evie (since she's pregnant, she can't do too much at the moment) and she normally goes to the gym after work, so the three of us went.

It was like walking into a world I knew not existed. It was so chic. There was a coffee bar that sold starbucks, and a computer lab. There was a food counter and lush towels. Machine after machine. Rooms for classes. A day care center for Evie. There were pools and hot tubs. There was a gigantic locker room with showers, lots of counter tops and jars filled with cotton balls.

My treadmill, when I got on, yeah...it was digital and was writing things in German. German!! Ok, that was because I accidentally pressed the wrong button. But let's face it, the fact that it was even able to speak German is amazing. Also, each machine had it's own personal TV. That's right, so you can watch cable at your leisure. It just put my gym to shame!

I felt kinda like I was in one of those movies where the small town girl finally makes it to the big city and she's looking around with eyes big as saucers trying to drink in everything around her. And the camera pans around her, circling her from all angles!

Oh well. I do love my gym, a lot. I have no reason to change. But, it was nice to visit, if only for a little while.

All Things Irish

I attempted to put my pictures of Ireland at the end of this blog, but when you upload them, they automatically get uploaded to the beginning of the blog, so I am too lazy to move them all down. This blog, therefore, will be a bit backwards.

Bono created this small chain resturant called "Nude". It's like the Irish version of Panera Bread. Didn't eat there, but took a picture and thought it looked rather posh.
They call it "child minding" in Ireland, not "babysitting", so I thought this was a neat sign on the back of an Ice Cream Truck.

While I did not get to actually drive this car, I got very excited to be in it. I did however, get to sit in the passenger's seat of a van and it was the absolute oddest driving experience ever.

Me. At the Celli. It's an Irish Dance. We were taught some steps and we had so much fun dancing the night away. I must say I got pretty good. Also, I am wearing a hat someone (forget who) brought with them. It's rather silly, but so fun to wear!

This was a cute little fruit/smoothie/tiny grocery store in Greystone's where we stayed. It is called the "Happy Pear" and you know what? It did make me happy.

I love all things Irish. Did you know?



I have blogged about many things, so how could I have failed to report on my love for the Irish culture and people before now?



It's a shame. I am ashamed of myself. Really.



Anywho, I was listening to some awesome Irish rock bands in my car today and remembered watching a small clip of the Irish step dancers last night on hulu. Then I remembered my trip to Ireland in the summer of 2007 (missions trip through my sister's church). And I just got this sense of excitement! And I had to share it with you.



I don't know when this fascination started for me. Was it in grade school learning about the country's history?

Was it when I realized I am part Irish? (Which I have decided to make a huge deal about...I gotta be proud of my celtic roots!!!)


Was it when I realized I fell in love with an Irishmen?



Tricked you with the last one, I have never been in love with an Irishmen. Ah, except Liam Neeson, actor and Irish.


Was it when I heard some Irish music one day and realized that I liked bagpipes and celtic sounds?



Who can really say.



All I know is that my blood runs green.



When I had the amazing opportunity to visit the beautiful island, I stepped off the plane with my mouth wide open in awe and adoration. I don't think it shut closed until we landed back in DC. We actually flew over sheep grazing in meadows!! Just like you see in the quientessential movie clips or photos.



There were castles and old stone buildings, still standing after centuries of wear. There was lush mountain sides and cute little towns with cottages all in a row. There were even tiny houses built for hobbits! I swear. These houses were so small, you would have to duck to get through the door. And the houses were draped with beautiful flowers and landscape. Your thinking that's rubbish? Maybe I stumbled into a nice neighborhood? No, they just take such good care of themselves and their houses.



While there, I learned many things including:



people are more important than time (it;s the opposite in America), so chances are if you stop by a friend's house to "drop something off", you will be forced in for tea and cookies



driving on the road is interesnting to say the least



they are a very friendly people



their accents are ADORABLE



Until I can go back, I suppose the closest I will get to the country again is visiting Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, VA.

Which I love, by the way...

Mental Note

Note to Self:

Self,

Please remember to use the word innocuous today in a sentence.

Thank you,

Self

Welcome Inside Jenny's Head

You know, I was going to write a totally cool blog and I have seemed to have forgotten what I was going to discuss.



I suppose there are many topics I could mention here, as it is my own personal blog, but I find that unless I have some witty story to share, it's just not going to be fun for you to read, my devoted reader.



So, allow me to throw some randomness your way. Once again, this vessel may explode unless I start extracting useless information/memories/thoughts/opinions in your general direction.



I went to a Ravens game about a week ago. They were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars and the win placed us into the NFL Play-offs baby! After last season, it was nice to win some games this year. I would like to consider this the year of "redemption".



Timmy told me that many businesses are keeping their prices and skimping out on their goods. For example, ounces are a smidgen fewer in glasses. You get less food on your plate. How simply scandalous!



Welcome back to the Baltimore commuters. While I despised the fact that I was the only person working last week through the holidays, I did enjoy the lack of cars on the road and the drive home was positively exhilirating! I could actually get my car speeding into the double digits!!!! EEK! I found myself mumbling a bit this morning on my way to work when I saw all the heavy traffic (I was secretly hoping that people just stopped working all together and/or found various forms of travel). Then I brightened at the thought that this means I am now no longer the only person in America working! Wa-hoo.



I am starting to miss all my friends. Ok, not so much starting...as I am just continuing to miss them more and more. Whatever happened to our "let's all live on a cul-da-sac when we're married" idea? Hmm? It could totally work! I think a nice central location such as Baltimore would be perfect--o!



So, how about all the new TV shows starting this week, huh? I get a little ADD at the thought. I find myself needng to pencil it all into my organizer. Then I have to stop and remember that none of this is very important in the grand scheme of life! God is my God, not the bloody TV.




Ok, was that random enough for you? Welcome to my head.

This One's Just For Dan

But the rest of you might get a chuckle out of it as well, especially Tori! I meant to post this a while ago...

Parking Fiasco

This was just too funny not to share with you all...


I was driving my brother Timmy and his best friend Brock to the Raven's game on Sunday. Yes, I finally made it to a game!

Side Note: My brother likes to play "cool" with Brock. On a normal day, if Timmy were in my car we would be jamming to the likings of Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears (I'm not proud of that), and Fergie. When we got into my car, Beyonce was playing on my ipod. And my brother, having to play the cool card act goes:

"Jenny, I can't listen to this crap!"

Timmy. Timmy. Timmy.

Anywho, so we finally make it to the parking garage and Timmy tells me to try and back into a spot. I have never backed into anything, unless it was a garbage can or telephone pole, or something rather large that I should have seen and didn't. Therefore, I chose to never back into spots. It scares me. I might hit something. Or gulp. Someone. I have lived my life pretty well not backing into parking spaces up until now.

I digress.

So, I continue to drive and I am passing spot after spot because the garage is tiny, there are too many cars, and Timmy is in my ear saying "Back it in...back it in Jenny!" I'm starting to perspire at the thought. So, finally I can't take the pressure and I say, "Timmy, I can't back it in. You back it in!"

Timmy: "You've never backed your car into a space?"

Me: "Uhhh, no. So, if you want it backed in, you are going to have to do it yourself."

Timmy: "JENNY. YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME! You can do this. Now do it!"

AHHHH...so the pressure is on!! Eyes are fixed on my lack of finesse. Timmy breathing down my neck. Cars passing left and right. Pillars on both sides of the space.

But friends. I did it. In one go. Done.

I feel accomplished. Amazed at my ability and Timmy's...er..um...patience.

I Hate Goodbyes, But I Love Hello's!!

Goodbye 2008. I shall miss you most of all...not.

I am super excited for the new year.

Although personally, I use the month of September as my "new year". I guess it's because I was in school for 22 out of my 27 years of life, I have gotten into the habit of marking my fresh start in early fall.

Speaking of fresh starts, I find it rather ridiculous that people even make New Year's resolutions. And while I can understand the motive behind such a decision, and even applaude and encourage people in their endeavors, I just find it odd that we feel like we have to start "fresh" every year. Does something magical happen between the 11:59:59th minute and 12:00:00?? Besides having to relearn how to time stamp stuff, I just don't see the big fuss behind it all. Help me understand people!

And while I find it rather silly people feel the need to wait for this particular time frame, I find myself jumping in with both feet to the whole goal setting thing!! What can I say, I am a walking contradiction.

I am pretty sure 2009 is going to just be a life changing one for me. I am hoping that my lofty ambitions and crazy plans, not excluding opening my own cupcake cafe, running a half marathon, sailing off to New Zealand, and desiging/selling aprons (that's a new one),
will take effect this year!

So, strap on your seat belts blogging friends, it's going to ba a wild ride!!