I'm constantly reminding myself of the pros and cons to life as a renter. As much as I want a house (desperately! who wants to help fund our down payment?!), there are times that I'm just as happy not to be in total control...
I came home from work yesterday and found out that sometime on Monday night, our kitchen drain backed up :(
PRO: Call the landlord! Make him fix it, and not have to pay!
CON: Do it on the landlord's schedule, not mine.
I called our landlord at 5:30 pm last night and left a message...and waited, and waited, and waited. I called again this morning at 9 am, and was told that he'd make a call to the plumber.
I waited again...at 12:30, I called him AGAIN, and was told that they'd be here "sometime this afternoon." So I took the afternoon off. (Sidebar: I was supposed to go to the Gateway Center for Giving's Annual Meeting luncheon today, and since I was STILL WAITING to hear from our landlord, I had to miss it to be around for home stuff.)
Well, it's 2:30 pm now, and the plumber, Robert, is here. He has got to be one of the nicest men in the world, and keeps saying "ma'am" which makes me think he's Southern. Since our ghetto kitchen has a wacky configuration (our dishwasher is under the sink, so it only has a 1/2 top rack...seriously), this job is apparently a little trickier than most. Go figure!
Miss Bailey's pretty nervous about all the weird noises. She's really curious, and has been nothing but sweet to Robert (who's not all that interested in her), but seriously, she's shaking like a leaf at all the equipment! He's using a snake (is that the right term?) right now to go through the pipes, and she's pushed up against me on the couch, under my arm.
I have to say, I'm almost happy to have an afternoon off since it's been so nutty lately. I hate to take vacation time for it, but it's nice to spend some quality time with the Bailey Bear...
On another note, I have to say I'm not surprised to hear that John Edwards has dropped out of the Presidential race. I'm not necessarily happy about it, because I have a lot of respect and admiration for him, but unfortunately, his two Democratic "history-making" main opponents were able to steal any real attention away from him. I'm curious to see which way the race will turn, and whether Edwards will endorse either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton (if he makes an endorsement at all). Also curious to see whether Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kansas) will be the first pick as the Democratic running mate. She did this year's Democratic Response to Monday night's State of the Union address. Captivating...
Current Addiction: CNN
Keep an eye out for more pics of Miss Bailey!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Weekend Recap
THURSDAY
Mr. P's 28th birthday. My folks offered to take us out to dinner to celebrate, and Mom decided we'd go to Robust , a little wine bar in Webster Groves just west of Straub's on Lockwood. It would be a fabulous place to go with a friend for a quick drink, and the food was wonderful, but as is with many tapas restaurants, portions are small and not quite filling. A satisfying evening could quickly break the bank! Unfortunately, there was a private party in their back room, which left little space for the other customers (it's pretty small!) and our wait was going to be over an hour. We each had a glass of wine and a cheese or meat plate. The Delice De Bourgogne is a French cheese similar to brie that I highly recommend, and the crab cakes are to die for!
Anyway, since the wait was so long and I refused to eat at the bar (c'mon, it's a special dinner, table, please!), we headed down the street to Cyrano's, which was where Mr. P had wanted to go to dinner in the first place! I love the atmosphere there - it's a bit eclectic and whimsical, but comfortable at the same time. Since it's one of my favorite restaurants, I can't really say much without being biased, so I'll just mention that my personal favorite is the Open-Faced Lobster Club :) Dessert is a can't miss here, from bread pudding (an acquired taste, to be sure) to these awesomely enormous ice cream dishes. Check out the menu - if nothing else, it's a fun stop for dessert on date night!
FRIDAY
Mr. P was working, so Miss Bailey and I took it easy for the evening.
SATURDAY
Miss Bailey went to her second puppy training class, where she was wonderful! (Of course, it doesn't hurt to have 1)a well-behaved puppy, and 2)a food-motivated puppy!) We were practicing "heel" and the three other puppies were asked to go back to their seats while I had to prance Miss B. around the room. As proud as I am, I still don't want to be teacher's pet! Later in class, Mr. P had to practice with her alone, and someone actually grumbled behind me "Star of the Class" - I was so annoyed that there truly might have been steam coming out of my ears. Oh well. Get over it. I need a bumper sticker that says "My Dog is an Honor Student at WGAH" - but more on training in another post.
Schmoogie came over after our class, and was pretty bummed. After working at a rocky relationship for quite some time, it looks like it's finally over. I hesitate to be too happy, because it hurts so much to see her so sad. Whether they end up back together or she finds someone else who's perfect for her, I never like to see her upset, and I felt absolutely helpless.
Saturday evening, Mr. P and I did a joint birthday dinner with his cousin G (they're 1 year, 4 days apart) and G's wife, A. A has always made me nervous, but the evening might have been a breakthrough...
The four of us met at Bar Louie in Kirkwood for a quick drink before heading to Citizen Kane's for dinner.
G picked the restaurant - apparently it's one of his favorites. While the steak was wonderful, I don't expect to go back anytime soon. The experience did not live up to the hype, and for an expensive meal, I simply expect better...both food and service.
After dinner, we headed to Llywelyn's Pub in the Central West End.
Grand Beauty was playing upstairs - they're friends of G's (he used to fill in for the bassist), and it was the perfect end to a wonderful evening.
FYI: they'll be at Old Rock House next weekend, and Llywelyn's in both Soulard and the West End coming up soon.
SUNDAY
We met Schmoogie at the Boardwalk Cafe for brunch - she seemed like she was doing alright. I worry that I may be more heartbroken than she is, but out of love for her. Does that make sense?
Relaxing afternoon, and a quick stop at GAP - I finally bought some new jeans that fit both my big arse AND my tree trunk thighs! I'm about as bottom-heavy as it gets (my mom calls it "sturdy") and pants-shopping - jeans in particular - is always an absolute nightmare!
Anyway, it's been a crazy-busy few days, and I'm happy to take some time off. Doesn't look like that's going to happen for a while - we've got plans tomorrow night, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and most of the next two weeks! Hope everyone's doing well - check out some of the above places if you ever get the chance :)
Mr. P's 28th birthday. My folks offered to take us out to dinner to celebrate, and Mom decided we'd go to Robust , a little wine bar in Webster Groves just west of Straub's on Lockwood. It would be a fabulous place to go with a friend for a quick drink, and the food was wonderful, but as is with many tapas restaurants, portions are small and not quite filling. A satisfying evening could quickly break the bank! Unfortunately, there was a private party in their back room, which left little space for the other customers (it's pretty small!) and our wait was going to be over an hour. We each had a glass of wine and a cheese or meat plate. The Delice De Bourgogne is a French cheese similar to brie that I highly recommend, and the crab cakes are to die for!
Anyway, since the wait was so long and I refused to eat at the bar (c'mon, it's a special dinner, table, please!), we headed down the street to Cyrano's, which was where Mr. P had wanted to go to dinner in the first place! I love the atmosphere there - it's a bit eclectic and whimsical, but comfortable at the same time. Since it's one of my favorite restaurants, I can't really say much without being biased, so I'll just mention that my personal favorite is the Open-Faced Lobster Club :) Dessert is a can't miss here, from bread pudding (an acquired taste, to be sure) to these awesomely enormous ice cream dishes. Check out the menu - if nothing else, it's a fun stop for dessert on date night!
FRIDAY
Mr. P was working, so Miss Bailey and I took it easy for the evening.
SATURDAY
Miss Bailey went to her second puppy training class, where she was wonderful! (Of course, it doesn't hurt to have 1)a well-behaved puppy, and 2)a food-motivated puppy!) We were practicing "heel" and the three other puppies were asked to go back to their seats while I had to prance Miss B. around the room. As proud as I am, I still don't want to be teacher's pet! Later in class, Mr. P had to practice with her alone, and someone actually grumbled behind me "Star of the Class" - I was so annoyed that there truly might have been steam coming out of my ears. Oh well. Get over it. I need a bumper sticker that says "My Dog is an Honor Student at WGAH" - but more on training in another post.
Schmoogie came over after our class, and was pretty bummed. After working at a rocky relationship for quite some time, it looks like it's finally over. I hesitate to be too happy, because it hurts so much to see her so sad. Whether they end up back together or she finds someone else who's perfect for her, I never like to see her upset, and I felt absolutely helpless.
Saturday evening, Mr. P and I did a joint birthday dinner with his cousin G (they're 1 year, 4 days apart) and G's wife, A. A has always made me nervous, but the evening might have been a breakthrough...
The four of us met at Bar Louie in Kirkwood for a quick drink before heading to Citizen Kane's for dinner.
G picked the restaurant - apparently it's one of his favorites. While the steak was wonderful, I don't expect to go back anytime soon. The experience did not live up to the hype, and for an expensive meal, I simply expect better...both food and service.
After dinner, we headed to Llywelyn's Pub in the Central West End.
Grand Beauty was playing upstairs - they're friends of G's (he used to fill in for the bassist), and it was the perfect end to a wonderful evening.
FYI: they'll be at Old Rock House next weekend, and Llywelyn's in both Soulard and the West End coming up soon.
SUNDAY
We met Schmoogie at the Boardwalk Cafe for brunch - she seemed like she was doing alright. I worry that I may be more heartbroken than she is, but out of love for her. Does that make sense?
Relaxing afternoon, and a quick stop at GAP - I finally bought some new jeans that fit both my big arse AND my tree trunk thighs! I'm about as bottom-heavy as it gets (my mom calls it "sturdy") and pants-shopping - jeans in particular - is always an absolute nightmare!
Anyway, it's been a crazy-busy few days, and I'm happy to take some time off. Doesn't look like that's going to happen for a while - we've got plans tomorrow night, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and most of the next two weeks! Hope everyone's doing well - check out some of the above places if you ever get the chance :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Quick Pics...
Quick snapshot of life, I'll find more goodies later :)
I was a bit of an awkward child - and since I had such short, curly hair, people always thought I was a boy!
Me, Papa, and Pop at a Cardinals game (1986?)
Once my hair finally started getting longer, I did have a few photogenic moments! (Too bad I didn't have any front teeth!)
Sometimes I forget that when Mr. P met me, I was a redhead...that happened sometime between January and May of 2002. Maybe that's why he finally noticed me! My first trip to (Paris) Texas:
It's way too fun to go through old photos. As I get the hang of scanning and such, beware. I might come up with some doozies!
I was a bit of an awkward child - and since I had such short, curly hair, people always thought I was a boy!
Me, Papa, and Pop at a Cardinals game (1986?)
Once my hair finally started getting longer, I did have a few photogenic moments! (Too bad I didn't have any front teeth!)
Sometimes I forget that when Mr. P met me, I was a redhead...that happened sometime between January and May of 2002. Maybe that's why he finally noticed me! My first trip to (Paris) Texas:
It's way too fun to go through old photos. As I get the hang of scanning and such, beware. I might come up with some doozies!
We Met on a Bottle of Tequila...
Mr. P doesn’t remember the very first time we met in January 2002. He was too busy getting ready to go out! I remember stopping by his apartment with my friend Leah, who was dating his friend Ammar at the time, seeing Mr. P, and wishing he’d stay around to hang out with us for the evening. So since he doesn't remember, flash forward to four months later...
The second time we met was May 22, 2002 – his roommate’s birthday party. I decided to tag along with Leah again. (In college, we’d see each other about twice a year, so we didn’t really worry about who else was around – it was our chance to catch up.) About 10 of us walked from the apartment over to Applebee’s for dinner. Mr. P sat next to me (woohoo!) and ordered a beer…no food. I saw him eyeing my fries, and about halfway through dinner I offered him some. The F*@&er ate ALL of my French fries! (I guess I let him, though.) I got goosebumps every time our arms brushed against each other :)
After dinner, we all walked over to Schnucks. I walked with Leah, and told her I was going to marry Mr. P – she just laughed. We pushed the grocery cart full of booze up the hill to their apartment (such rebels, I know!) and Mr. P and I started doing tequila shots and telling jokes with the rest of the group. At one point, we were both done drinking, and sat out on the porch talking…before we knew it, the sun was coming up.
We spent that entire summer together – I practically lived there (sorry, Pop)! There are some people in life that you can talk to and never get bored. Mr. P is one of those people, and his passion for life is what drew me to him (well, that, and maybe his eyes…). We’d stay up late discussing anything – art, economy, even the Oberweis dairy truck! I never got tired, and rarely (if ever) got more than three hours of sleep a night that summer.
When I had to leave in August to head back to Mizzou, Mr. P was getting ready to move back to Texas to be closer to his dad. I seriously considered moving there with him. There’s a picture of us from about 6am the morning we said goodbye – I was headed to school, and he was leaving for Texas the next day. It’s not a “good” picture, but neither of us has ever looked happier, or sadder, at the same time. We each had a copy, but have no idea where it is today. We did long-distance for a year and a half, then he moved back to St. Louis right before I graduated.
In 2005, we moved in together.
On May 22, 2006, four years to the day after we “first met,” Mr. P called my boss and arranged for me to take the afternoon off work. It was a Monday, so I decided to take the whole day to spend with him! He made me breakfast (mmm, bacon!), and in the afternoon sent me to the Face & Body for a massage and facial as an “anniversary present.” I got home to a clean apartment (!), our favorite song playing (DMB “Where Are You Going?” – our song from the summer we met), and the lights off. Mr. P was dressed up, grabbed my hand and led me into the bedroom. White rose petals and votive candles were everywhere, and he got down on one knee…
Here we are today, married, and I still haven’t gotten bored. Ammar was one of our groomsmen. For the most part, I’ve lost touch with Leah. Mr. P and I haven’t seen his two roommates since that summer. It’s amazing how much things can change, and how they still seem like they were intentional. It’s like this crazy roller coaster that I never want to end...
I need to keep an eye out for that picture. It makes me smile just thinking about it :)
(note: some details have been omitted to protect the guilty!)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Any Ideas?
I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted!
Then again, when I realize how busy the past month has been including work life, home life, and the inevitable holiday burnout, it doesn't seem like it's been that long.
Ultimately, I'm a bit fried right now. I'd love to come up with something exciting to blog about, but I keep drawing blanks.
Anyone remember the commercial with an egg in a pan - "This is your brain...this is your brain on drugs"? Forgive the crappy analogy, because this has nothing to do with drugs...but lately, the egg in my brain is leaning toward scrambled.
Wow. That was pretty lame. I'm open to suggestions...what would you like to know about me?
Then again, when I realize how busy the past month has been including work life, home life, and the inevitable holiday burnout, it doesn't seem like it's been that long.
Ultimately, I'm a bit fried right now. I'd love to come up with something exciting to blog about, but I keep drawing blanks.
Anyone remember the commercial with an egg in a pan - "This is your brain...this is your brain on drugs"? Forgive the crappy analogy, because this has nothing to do with drugs...but lately, the egg in my brain is leaning toward scrambled.
Wow. That was pretty lame. I'm open to suggestions...what would you like to know about me?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Homecoming 2008
I get to go! I get to go!
I've missed the past 4 Homecomings at Mizzou. Yep, that's every one since I graduated. Every. Stinking. One.
There's always been one obligation or another that has kept me from "coming home" to Columbia. This year, more than 9 months out, I'm planning on it, and I'm not letting anyone stop me. I'm dragging Mr. P with me (eh, he'll love it) and I'm getting my butt back to CoMO!
Courtney and Kelly have already planned ahead and booked rooms, so no walking from the bars to God-knows-where (although I've heard some wonderful stories). The P's are IN. And I couldn't be happier about it!
Now, time to decide whether or not we should try and get football tickets...
I've missed the past 4 Homecomings at Mizzou. Yep, that's every one since I graduated. Every. Stinking. One.
There's always been one obligation or another that has kept me from "coming home" to Columbia. This year, more than 9 months out, I'm planning on it, and I'm not letting anyone stop me. I'm dragging Mr. P with me (eh, he'll love it) and I'm getting my butt back to CoMO!
Courtney and Kelly have already planned ahead and booked rooms, so no walking from the bars to God-knows-where (although I've heard some wonderful stories). The P's are IN. And I couldn't be happier about it!
Now, time to decide whether or not we should try and get football tickets...
The first Homecoming football game, MU vs. kU, 1911.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
As Promised - Comfort Food!
For those who know me, they also know that I can't get enough of Southern cooking. (If you're not a fan, you should probably stop reading NOW.)
Mr. P had planned a meatloaf, but something was wrong with the ground beef, so on to Plan B: chicken-fried pork tenderloin, dirty green beans, and biscuits. YUM :) Plus, he made gravy in the cast iron skillet - if it's your thing, it doesn't get any better than this!
I've decided to grace you with my awful picture of our horrible-for-you-but-oh-so-good dinner. Mr. P says it looks like a smile - I guess he's right, but our ginormous plates are partially to blame.
Note: Some of you might be a little confused..."Hey, that looks like green bean casserole!" And you'd be right, except in my family, they're called 'Dirty Green Beans' - I honestly didn't know what a green bean casserole was until after I met Mr. P! I really did believe that everyone knew about Dirty Green Beans...guess I was wrong :)
And for dessert...Cranberry-Orange Bread Pudding. There are no words...Mr. P did this on a whim with a leftover French loaf, and I think it might be one of my new favorites! Almost better than Cyrano's, if I do say so myself:)
Bottom line: never marry a Texan who can cook if you're not a fan of food, particularly Southern comfort ;)
Mr. P had planned a meatloaf, but something was wrong with the ground beef, so on to Plan B: chicken-fried pork tenderloin, dirty green beans, and biscuits. YUM :) Plus, he made gravy in the cast iron skillet - if it's your thing, it doesn't get any better than this!
I've decided to grace you with my awful picture of our horrible-for-you-but-oh-so-good dinner. Mr. P says it looks like a smile - I guess he's right, but our ginormous plates are partially to blame.
Note: Some of you might be a little confused..."Hey, that looks like green bean casserole!" And you'd be right, except in my family, they're called 'Dirty Green Beans' - I honestly didn't know what a green bean casserole was until after I met Mr. P! I really did believe that everyone knew about Dirty Green Beans...guess I was wrong :)
And for dessert...Cranberry-Orange Bread Pudding. There are no words...Mr. P did this on a whim with a leftover French loaf, and I think it might be one of my new favorites! Almost better than Cyrano's, if I do say so myself:)
Bottom line: never marry a Texan who can cook if you're not a fan of food, particularly Southern comfort ;)
Coming soon...
I'll be the first to admit that I've fallen off the face of the Earth for the past week or so...something about the holidays and exhaustion, perhaps?
Mr. P is in comfort-food mode, so I'll try to get a post up later this evening about our fabulous meal tonight :)
Schmoogie is finally back in the States, and I couldn't be happier - it's awesome to have her back in town and just a short drive away!
Miss Bailey is being a puppy and becoming more curious - I've found her under the couch more often than not lately. Just wait until she gets too big to crawl under there anymore!
I'm not in charge of much when it comes to dinner, but still have a couple of obligations tonight. Hopefully I'll be back later!
OH! And Happy New Year! No resolutions for me this time around - just keep plugging away and see what happens next, I guess...
Mr. P is in comfort-food mode, so I'll try to get a post up later this evening about our fabulous meal tonight :)
Schmoogie is finally back in the States, and I couldn't be happier - it's awesome to have her back in town and just a short drive away!
Miss Bailey is being a puppy and becoming more curious - I've found her under the couch more often than not lately. Just wait until she gets too big to crawl under there anymore!
I'm not in charge of much when it comes to dinner, but still have a couple of obligations tonight. Hopefully I'll be back later!
OH! And Happy New Year! No resolutions for me this time around - just keep plugging away and see what happens next, I guess...
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
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