The Camera Took No Adventure Today

Today I spent the afternoon with a close friend and her four month old baby. I love hanging out with them... and it's nice to get a little practice. My family is full of babies, but I only get to see them for such a short time. Little Danny is the first baby I have really hung out with on a regular basis. I love getting to see him grow but it is a little bittersweet. I have second cousins that I know less about. Granted, having four and five states between us is pretty good reason for not seeing them regularly, but it still makes me a little sad.

Tonight the Hubs and I are hanging out with another couple... we are sure to have a heated game of Trivial Pursuit. I am determined to have my husband on my team tonight. Somehow or another everytime we play this game he is on the other team. Fun at first, until he starts winning. No one talks more smack than my hubby when he's winning. It would be great for once not to be on the receiving end.

In June I am taking my first trip to Mexico. I am so excited that I am already planning my wardrobe. So the purpose of this trip, aside from pleasure, is to attend a wedding. The wedding is going to be a fairly formal wedding on the beach. Well, the ceremony will be on the beach, but the reception is going to be on a terrace. So outside, but in a place where I can wear heels. Thank goodness, I hate being without that extra four inches of height. When your height barely kisses five feet, you get a bit of a Napleon Complex I guess. So, now I am trying to design my perfect out fit for the wedding. It has to be breezy because it is June practically on the Equator, but it needs to be a little formal also. And would it be too much to ask for it to have at least a touch of vintage in it?

This is my current shoppers-fantasy-favorite. Nothing about it is Vintage, but it looks so edgy I had to fall in love with it. I hadn't realized that edgy-ness could cancle out lack of Vintage-ness. Naturally, in my dream world I would also own the Jimmy Choo shoes she is wearing with the Jean Paul Gaultier dress.

You can buy the dress and shoes here... if you want to give up both an arm and a leg.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Jean Paul Gaultier is a French fashion designer who never received formal training. He started by selling fashion sketches to established designers. He is known as the enfant terrible, or bad boy of French.

A Beagle and a Beach

Here is where today took us. A Goodbye to Long Beach Island.


This dog would do anything for food. Believe me.

A healthy fear of the ocean is good for everyone.

Just so you know, the second round of Breakfast Bread was an exceedingly monumental failure. I'm too irritated now to try again. At least until after I get to Florida and taste the real deal again. Normally when I eat Breakfast Bread I'm just eating to enjoy and have breakfast. This time I am eating with intent to replicate. I may also try to bribe a member of the Publix Bakery staff into giving me the recipe.

This time next week I will be rellishing the thought of one more full day and night in this little home. March 7 is fast approaching. Yesterday I thought it was three weeks away... it SO isn't.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Sharks attack some 50-75 people each year worldwide, with perhaps 8-12 fatalities, according to data compiled in the International Shark Attack File (ISAF). Although shark attacks get a lot of attention, this is far less than the number of people killed each year by elephants, bees, crocodiles, lightning or many other natural dangers. On the other side of the ledger, we kill somewhere between 20-100 million sharks every year through fishing activities.

Another Shot at Glory

They look better... but we all know the proof is in the pudding. Hmmm, is it okay to use an unrelated food euphemism when describing a food? I'll let you know how these puppies taste once I cut into them and whether or not the recipe is worth sharing.

Pre-cooked loaves... I had to get creative with the parchment. I went to roll out what I needed and all I got was a thin little strip. I made it work though.

Definitely shinier this time around... what do you think?

Today I am running errands and trying to get packed for a vacation that isn't happening for 3 weeks. If I waited to pack until after the move though, I know it would be disastrous. I'd rather be ready to go so that I can focus on setting up our new living space. I am more excited for the move each day. Although it probably won't set in until after I return from Florida and realize that I won't be going home to the cushy little condo I have now. It is sad, but I am too excited to make a new home for us to dwell on this one. We have nothing but good times ahead of us and I am ready to start our new adventure together. Here is what we have in our immediate future to get things started: boutique shopping with my Bestie in Baltimore (she has already left me a frantic message describing, in broken shopping English, that she stumbled on a Vintage shop with a great sale), Lithuanian and Ethiopian cuisine with Friends and a Father-Daughter day spent lurking around museums in Washington DC. I also have to put my nose to the Real Estate books. The Hubs and I only have 90 days, which is probably to about 80 now, to take and pass our Maryland Real Estate test or else our New Jersey Real Estate abstracts (a record of our education) will no longer be valid and we will have to re-apply. Did I ever mention I was a Realtor? I haven't been practicing in New Jersey for a while, just processing and running an office. After meeting and working with some Realtors in my office, I realized I need to get back in the game... not because of their inspirational sales skills, but more because they were morons.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Presidential pets have been a varied bunch: The Bushes had Scottish terriers, Woodrow Wilson had a tobacco-chewing ram and William Howard Taft had, fittingly, a cow. Did you know that John Quincy Adams, our sixth president, housed an alligator in a bathroom in the East Room of the White House? True story.

Relaxing with My Breakfast Bread

My attempt at breakfast bread was a little disappointing. I admit, if I had never had Publix Breakfast Bread before, I would probably be pretty happy with it... but my tastebuds have known the truth. It needed twice the fruit, maybe more, twice the nuts and an egg yolk wash on top to make it shiny. I also think it needs brown flour... or maybe brown sugar instead of molassas, which just made it yellow. I will have to experiment. It helps that I will be in Florida in a couple of weeks where I can read the label with the ingredients listed for me. Until then I will just have to keep tweaking the current recipe. As soon as I master it, or get close, I will be sure to share the recipe.

The loaf before baking.

The final product. It just doesn't glow like the Publix kind.

Here is a photo I took out and about.

Today's Useless Trivia:

Drying is the oldest method of preserving food.

Lashing Thine Self with a Wet Noodle

I know... One hundred lashings for not posting yesterday. Today I do penance.

On my list of to-do's today is to attempt to make a loaf of breakfast bread, a delicious morning treat I am privvy to when I visit the Hubs' parents in Florida. It is from a grocery chain called Publix, and until we tried to find the recipe online I had no idea just how popular it was. Publix must know what a good thing it has because they do not give the recipe to the public(s). Click here to see a picture of this in all its wholesome goodness. I'll post later today for you all to judge how close I get to that.

I have another to-do today that cannot be revealed as it is part of a TOP SECRET project. Only after the project has been completed, given and received will you get to see!

Today's Useless Trivia:

Two 2 oz. slices of Publix Breakfast Bread contain a full serving of fruit.

A Busy Day and a Deep Sleep

Today went by faster than I could have imagined. I awoke this morning feeling well-rested and rejuvinated. For whatever reason I slept better last night than I have in two weeks. I still had crazy dreams though... something I had plenty of this past week. Last night's is a little blurry.. there was a giant purple octupus and an appearance from Robert Downy Junior. Dream interpreters chime in any time.

After coffee was errands and a trip to Subway, followed by an afternoon with the In-Laws and a decadent dinner at one of our favorite Restaurants. It's Italian, priced well and comical in it's portion sizes. The leftovers from my meal alone will be dinner for both me and the Hubs tomorrw night. I had homemade pasta ribbons with grilled chicken in a basil cream sauce topped with toasted pinenuts. Outstanding. I am still feeling full as I type this to you now... and I love it.

Last night I had the pleasure of playing a rousing round of Dominoes with some great friends. Don't judge... Dominoes is an addictively fun game. You begin with rolling eyes and end asking, "So where did you buy this and how much was it?"

At the end of the evening as we were putting on our coats and finishing up our conversation, we somehow digressed to the coasters sitting on the kitchen table. Four glass coasters, thick and rectangular with a photo frame built in. "Mommy, Daddy, Baby and Doggie," my friend suggested. But her husband had a better idea.

This, I'm sure, would always add to dinner conversation with guests.

Tomorrow a little R & R and a little wedding chat with a friend. I love weddings. Especially when I get to take part in some way.

Today's Useless Trivia: For Glove:

The original title of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice was First Impressions.

Twofer

So today you get two posts because I forgot to publish the one written yesterday.

Today is a big day for me, as it is my last day in the office. I don't feel like it will set in until Monday though, I'm usually pretty elated on Friday's because of the weekend, so today feels no different. I couldn't let today go totally unnoticed though, so I had fun with my pics today.

I already received a good-bye call today from someone I look up to and respect. Words of encouragement are a little more meaningful when they come from someone you don't expect.

Speaking of words of encouragement, I just want to say hello to my second Mom... aka Mom-in-law. She was diagnosed with breast cancer this week, which is never good news. I am insisting on not crying. I know she has probably done enough crying for us all, so I have to stay smiling and make sure she is doing the same. So Mom, this one's for you. I promise to blog every day for you... I know you follow closely and I know you enjoy reading. So it may be a small contribution, but I hope it helps lift your spirits if you are feeling low. I love you!!!

Today's Useless Trivia:

Source of the name "Indiana Jones": it was the name of producer George Lucas' pet Malamute. Dogs rule!