This and That

Hey there!  Happy 2012, peeps.  I hope your year is starting off swimmingly.  Ours actually is, which is good considering that I spent most of the last two days of 2011 being an emotional, horomonal sissypants.  (My hypothesis is that the boy was going through a massive growth spurt, which made me uncomfortable, gigantic, and brought with it a surge of horomones that left me a sobbing mess.  If you have proof that that's not what happened, then I don't want to hear it because it's the only way I can explain myself without admitting to be a complete psychopath.)

So we've got some catching up to do, don't we?

1.  Mitch is still the cutest dog who's ever lived.  He's been polishing off the last of the homemade dog treats that we made in Virginia for all of his dog friends and cousins, which means that Matt and I have been finding little cheesy flax-seeded biscuits buried in blankets and couch cushions all around the house.  Right now he is barking at sassing me because Matt is watching football and Mitch hates football.  He'd rather go lie in his dirt spot, which is currently a mud spot because it's raining.  Seems fitting, since I just made our bed up with all white linens.

2.  I love this commercial with my entire heart and soul.



3.  I also love these Asian Turkey Meatballs with my entire heart and soul.

4.  Matt is a crazy ellipting fool.  Did you know that?  Did you know that after he implemented a self-improvement plan a year and a half ago he's been the incredible shrinking Matt?  And that every time we see someone we haven't seen in a while they say something along the lines of, "Oh, wow, Matt!   You look great!  What is your secret?  Amazing!  Oh, hi, Mandy."  It's extra fun now, you know, now that he's knocked me up and I'm getting fatter by the second.

5.  Oh em gee!  I totes forgot to tell you that my former almost fiance Matty Fraker who owns the cupcakery in Richmond, Frostings, was on Cupcake Wars tonight.  It replays on Tuesday at 8 p.m., so if you have the chance you should totally watch it.  Shoot yeah, Matty!



6.  Have you watched Downton Abbey?  If you haven't, you totally should.  It's pretty and smart and a little bit soap opera-y but not stupid.  AND, it's on Netflix Instant, so you have no excuse not to watch it.  There are only 7 episodes in the first season (oh, silly British television's short seasons), but season 2 begins again soon.  Plus, it has the handsome Matthew Crowley who is handsome and has a nice accent and looks good in a tuxedo and is also handsome.

7.  Not really doing any New Year's resolutions this year because I'm a little busy gestating a human, and all I really want to do is get through the year without being a psycho.  So that's my resolution: not to be a psycho. Shecky says that saying not to be a psycho is too definite and possibly unattainable, so I should actually make the resolution to be less of a psycho.  Either way.  My goal is for the crazy to be on the decline.  How's about that?

8.  Our New Year's Eve was pretty lame, even by our homebody standards.  Matt had to work, and I was in such a foul mood that I went shopping with a scowl on my face, so I went to Publix and bought a no sugar added reduced fat cheesecake (which was surprisingly good) and some sugar-free Jello (can you tell I have a glucose test fast approaching?).  I ate half of the cheesecake (it was a little one), and still felt like an angry troll, so I decided to take a nap around 9:00, in the hopes that I would wake up a better person.  Surprisingly, it worked.  I woke up when my neighbors started setting off fireworks at midnight, ate a bowl of booze-less Jello, and Matt and I watched Downton Abbey (seriously, go watch it now).  So the 2011 part of New Year's Eve sucked, but the 2012 part was pretty nice.

So that's what's going on here.  Was crazy, am not crazy now, hope not to be crazy in the future.  Dogs are cute and cheesecake is delicious.

How is your 2012 shaping up?

This and That

You're getting a whole lotta random right now, partly because I'm pretty sure that I severely damaged my wrist while scraping glue for the Lagoon, partly because today I've consumed about 400% of the sodium that a normal human should in a day, but mostly because I spent 10 hours in a car today (and I even drove for four of those hours, which is unprecedented!). 

So here's what I've got for you on this lovely, sweltering Monday morning.

1. We're currently in Manassas, visiting family (and maybe IKEA, even though there's not actually anything that I need there, so maybe that's a bad idea) before we take the next leg of our trip.  But if you're in Savannah, don't get all excited, thinking that you're going to rob us while we're away.  Our friend Cris is housesitting/dogsitting, which means that Mitch will be spending his week with his best friend Reilly. (Don't rob Cris, either.)

2. While Mitch is cuddling with Reilly on the couch, I'll be hanging out with this guy.  Have I already mentioned that (like, two million times)?

[source]
3. Also, we also have plans to go to Citi Field to watch a Mets game.  David Letterman will probably go with us.  Actually, I think he may be a Yankees fan.

[source]
4. Speaking of baseball, you may need to listen to this story by Michaela Murphy.  It was a recent story featured on The Moth Podcast, and it's pretty great.  Maybe I cried a little?

5. Matt's mom just gave him some really badass cast iron skillets for his upcoming birthday.  This means two things.  1.) Matt is going to be even more excited to cook dinner, which is good for me.  And 2.) I now have a great weapon should a murderer try to come into our house.
6. What the hell is going on with this heat?  Today while we were driving up here, the car's thermometer was saying that the temperature outside was between 110-118.  And that was while we were driving.  I mean, I know those skew a little high, but seriously.  My flip flops felt like they were melting into the pavement.
7. Right now I'm watching Cupcake Wars, and I think it's a bunch of crap that my Matt F. of Frostings didn't get on.  It's a sham!  Matty F., you'd be kickin' ass and takin' names!
8. I hope I don't see Olivia from The City during our trip.  If I did see her, I may have to go up to her and say, "Olivia, it's a bunch of crap that you're the new face of Elle.com!"  I'm sure that would mean a lot to her.  Ugh, I can't stand her!
9. Did I mention that we're going to see Letterman?
10. Did I mention that he's been on my list (see: Friends) for over a decade?

Our last trip was our relaxation trip.  This one is our adventure trip, and I'm so excited.  Who knows how often I'll be posting, what with all of the adventures and excitement, but I'll give it the ol' college try.

Happy Monday!

Cupcake Wars!

There's a lot that sucks about getting older (slower metabolism, loss of memory, gray hair, pain where there didn't used to be pain, etc.), but it's got its perks, too.

One of the greatest joys of getting older, to me, is watching my friends get older and, in the process, do amazing things. My friends have pursued their dreams, taken risks, and grown into impressive adults. They're doctors, and lawyers, and scientists, and teachers, and bakers, and small business owners, and parents, and writers, and people who work hard to make the world just a little bit better. My friends are smart and creative and challenge me to do better and be better.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that we've all grown so, but it makes me smile when I think about it.

One such friend is one I've mentioned here before, the other Matty F. that I almost married. Matty F.'s cupcakery, Frostings, is his own dream come true. I swell with pride when I see what he's done. (My body also swells with fat, because anytime I think about Frostings I want to bake, and then I do, and then I eat too much.) Matty's currently auditioning for Food Network's Cupcake Wars, and if you've got five minutes, you should check out his audition video. If you live anywhere near Richmond, you should go buy some cupcakes from him. (I will be there over spring break. Maybe we should all arrange a field trip?)

Best of luck, Focker!

Richmond It Is!

No, not really. Don't get your hopes up just yet, Mid-Atlantic-ers.

Let's rewind to Valentine's Day 2000, freshman year at JMU.

I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. I wasn't when I was single, and I'm not now that I'm not. I think it's pretty stupid, really. Plus, I'm not that into hearts or the color red, so, eh.

What I AM a fan of is boys who sing. (Lucky for me I married one of the country's greatest singer/songwriters, a man whose hits include "All I Need is a Mitchacle" and "Blinded by the Dog.") And even though I know it's cheesy as can be, I love me some all male a capella singing. Like love love.

And on Valentine's Day ten years ago, all of JMU's a capella groups put on a Valentine's concert. I went with a hoard of my friends (hoard of whores?), and we sat there for several hours with our eyes wide open and giant smiles on our faces, watching cute boys sing love songs.

My favorite group was Exit 245.


And thanks to the wonder that is Facebook, I've found a picture from that night. That guy in the middle, the one wearing the wings, the one my friends and I called "Wing Boy" for the next decade, his name is Jeff. Maybe I stalked him? Just a little?

But that boy all the way to the left? His name is Matty F. He was the first Matty F. that I almost married. (True story. Even though he doesn't really prefer the company of women, we almost got married during college in an attempt to get better financial aid and to be able to register.) That Matty F., the cute singing one who was sassy as could be, worked with me at BW3 and became one of my good friends. He called me Keaton (it was at the height of my Family Ties obsession), and we called him Focker (or sometimes we'd change the vowel).


Focker graduated from JMU and began a career in education, and after several years, decided that he hated it. So he decided to pursue his dream: to open a cupcakery, Frostings.


And I'm so proud of him! My own cupcaking obsession stems from my desire to go to Frostings every day. (Since I can't make the 8-hour drive every day of my life, I had to learn to bake. It's served me well--well, except for that whole "Wii Fit calling me obese" part.)


Check out Matty's apple cupcake! Focking amazing!



Okay, now here's why I have decided that the Matty F. that I actually did marry and I are going to be moving to Richmond. Tonight I went to Frostings website and saw this:

Forget Flowers... Surprise Your Love with Cupcakes and a Song

Cupid's Choice Cupcakes (choose half or full dozen)

Delivery to his/her home or office

Serenade performed by the Cupcake Duet

Personalized note card

Long stemmed rose

Valentine's Memory to Last a Lifetime

$49 (half dozen)

$59 (full dozen)

Supply is Limited

Email us for availability and song list

Soooooo, let me get this straight: cupcakes and singing boys? Would the cupcake duet sing "All I Need Is a Mitchacle"?

It's settled. We're moving to Richmond--by Valentine's Day. Maybe I do love this holiday!