This and That

Well, it's only Monday and my brain is pretty much fried.  Mother F.  (Oh, man, I just realized that if I ever had a kid I could get people to call me Mother F!  Yesssssssssssss!)

This cat cracks me up.

But here's what's happening.

1. Right now I smell something bad and I don't know if it is the dog or my feet.  Maybe both?  Wait, I just pulled my foot up to my nose.  It was the dog.  Sadly, that's kind of a relief.
2. I don't care that Taco Bell's beef is not 100% ground organic true beef from some sort of magical talking cow.  Was anyone out there under the impression that their tacos and crunchwraps were all-natural or good for you?  I know that I go to Taco Bell when I want cheese that's squeezed from the same thing that caulk is squeezed from, and when I want bad service from people who are too dumb and too rude to get a job anywhere else.  When I want fancy, I'll go to an actual Mexican restaurant, or to Wendy's.
3. Oh, hey!  I just had a really good idea.  Taco Bell should serve margaritas.  No?  Not a good idea?  Shoot.
4. Matt finally got the HDMI cable to work on our tv and seeing news people's faces that up close and personal is kind of freaking me out.  I think I'll just squint my eyes from now on when we watch Hardball.*
5. I made the most delicious treat this weekend, a treat that I've been plotting for months (no, seriously) and that I can't wait to share with you.  It'll have to happen in stages, because it contains that much awesomepants awesomeness.  Put on your elastic pants and get ready, friends, because this one is just that good.

Okay, well, I'm going to go watch Jeopardy! with Matt.  (Read: yell out the answers .10 seconds after he yells them out just to annoy him.  Ha!)

*Oh, and no, I'm not drunk, but I kind of wish I was.

500th Post!

1. Yeah, that's a lot of posts.  As Matt put it, "I don't think I've ever done anything 500 times."  But, what started as a way for me to put pictures on the internet without cluttering other peoples' Facebook feeds has become a fun hobby, and something that's reconnected me with many people from way back when.  So that's good.  Thanks for reading, ya'll.  (Or, "you guys," which I apparently say too much, in a very white girl kind of way.  I get mocked for it at school, but it's all good, you guys.)
2. Me:  I think I want a glass of wine.  And I think I want you to get it for me.  Matt:  You do, huh?  Me: Yes.  Acts of service is my love language.  Matt:  Well, watching people talk about football on tv is my love language.
3. True Blood is fun this season, albeit a little crazy.  On last week's episode, when Bill put the IV in his arm and gave his blood to Sookie, I thought to myself, "Yeah, right.  Like it would happen that easily."  Of course, because the transfer of blood through the IV is what's unbelievable about the show.  And I'm about ready for Sookie to bite it.  Like, die--not chew.
4. I'm a pretty good speller.  So good, in fact, that I went to the county spelling bee twice when I was in middle school.  I do, though, get tripped up and second-guess myself when spelling certain words.  In one of the previous posts I wrote the word unforgivable and I couldn't remember (or didn't know) if I needed to but an e after the v.  So I turned to my trusty online dictionary, Merriam-Webster Online, to check myself.  And, get this, Webster is now trying to sell the dictionary.  They wouldn't tell me the definition unless I paid for the service.  Really, Webster?  Couldn't get by on the ad revenue?  Now I have to buy the new unabridged dictionary?  I'll just work on my spelling, thankyouverymuch.  (Or use one of the other myriad online dictionaries that are available for free.)
5. I wonder if thankyouverymuch is available in the unabridged version of the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary?
6. When I was in Baptist school in the fourth grade, we had to read a biographical story about Noah Webster, and basically about how God wrote the dictionary for him.  Webster was all "Jesus this and Jesus that, and 'Have you found Jesus yet?'"  I didn't know I was supposed to be lookin' for him. 
7. For the last month and a half or so, I have been trudging through some horrible family drama.  I'm trying to decide how much of that stuff I want to share on the internet.  Part of me wants to put it all out there, but another part of me thinks that it wouldn't be prudent at this juncture.  Maybe I'll just share it for the book I'll write someday, like Running with Scissors but way more fucked up. 
8. I'm not sure if I was supposed to hate him or not, but I LOVED Mark Ruffalo's character in The Kids Are All Right.  Also, I loved that movie with my whole heart and soul.  Matt and I talked about it in-depth for a very long time, and it took me back to the days early in our relationship, when we were in the same film class.  Only, this time there was nobody claiming that everything had just been a dream or that the characters were just conforming to societal norms.  (Oh, societal norms girl, how I loathed you. . .)
9. We ate Five Guys at 3:00 and I'm not even close to being hungry again.  I guess it wasn't so bad to eat there after all.
10. I am determined to drink a grapefruit margarita before the end of summer. 
11. Watched 12th & Delaware on HBO last night.  Wow.  Kind of makes me want to donate our entire savings account to Planned Parenthood.
Trailer
12. Friday Night Lights season finale was good, I thought.  Matt made a good point, noting that it was the first season finale that didn't have to be a potential series finale.  I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't seen it, but I thought there was a good balance between cliffhanger and conclusion.
13. I get ten free song credits with the Zune pass every month, but I am terrible at exploring new music.  What's your favorite song (either right now or in life)? 

Mitch > Margaritas

A few days ago, Matt and I had endured a terrible day at work, and decided it would be fun to decompress in Mexico. And by Mexico I mean our favorite Mexican restaurant. We would have a couple of margaritas (they're two for one!), eat some chips, and get the anger and resentment out of our systems.

We decided to go home and change first. On our drive home, though, we saw a huge thunderstorm fast approaching. And we have a certain dog son, Mitchell Pancake, Mitchard Doggins (dog athiest enthusiast), who HATES thunderstorms.

So instead of heading off to Mexico, Matt and I comforted our son. The three of us retreated to the bed, our favorite place in the house. Mitch nestled between us, and we pet him and tried to make him forget about what was happening.

We held him and talked to him and tried to make him feel better. And we knew that our margarita plan was out of the question. Each time a huge crack of thunder would sound, Mitch would moan a pitiful dog moan. We'd then hold him tight and talk to him and pet him and scratch him and give him a bone.

We tried to make him feel better (and even entertained the idea that perhaps Mitchard Doggins was manipulating us into giving him so much attention). Eventually, he buried his little dog head and body under the comforter, and we all fell asleep. We didn't wake up until 9:00. (PS--Have I mentioned that I love my life?) No happy hour for Matt and Mandy.

I adore this dog, and so does Matt. And obviously, the well-being of the dog trumps our desire to drink cheap tequila (delicious, cheap tequila). I'm not angry at the dog for being upset and anxious, but I must admit that I was a little bitter about missing out on two for one margaritas in Mexico.

First the rash, then the opossum, then the almost black eye (to be explained later), and now missing happy hour?? Come on, dog. Still, though, I am obsessed. I can't stop talking about how cute you are or kissing your head or feeding you cheese. That's love.

Mexican Mondays!

Matt and I have added a new tradition to our Monday Fundays at the beach--margaritas. Margarita Mondays with Matt and Mandy. . . Mmmmmmmmm.

Yesterday we wanted a dinner that would complement our beverages, so I searched ole Martha's website for a fajita recipe. We ended up using a modified version of this fajita recipe, and it was both fun to make and fun to eat.

First, we needed lime juice. If you regularly juice limes, I highly recommend one of these little juicers. I'm not usually a fan of kitchen gadgets that have only one purpose, but this one is great, saves your hands, and doesn't take up that much space. It's definitely worth the $5-10 you'll spend on it. (And get a metal one instead of a plastic one--way better.)

What makes this particular recipe special is what Martha calls the "mojo de ajo". Apparently that's Spanish for "garlic sauce." The sauce was delicious and I want to try it over pasta next time.

You'll need some olive oil and fresh minced garlic. Let them simmer together. Mmmmm, smells so good. . .

After about 8 minutes of simmering, add red pepper, lime juice, and salt. Remove from heat. I want to drink that with a straw.

Here's where our modification came in. We wanted to grill the chicken and onions, but the recipe instructed to cook it all together in one pan. I used half of the mojo de ajo to marinate the chicken, and saved the other half for eatin' time.

I let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I cooked up the fatty parts for a dog named Mitch. There are starving dogs in Africa, you know.

Matt "The Master of the Grill" whipped up his famous grilled onions. (Toss them in olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked pepper--then grill with fancy grill wok.)

And then, when the time had come, he started to grill our chicken.

Last, heat up some fajita skillets, toss chicken and onions in remaining mojo de ajo, and go to town.

We served ours with sour cream, guacamole, cheddar cheese, and warm tortillas. Oh, and frozen margaritas. Maybe you didn't know this, but frozen margaritas are a remedy for sunburn.