I mean it's right there.

ugh I am the worst promise-keeper when it comes to blogging.  Guys it's hard to blog every day during finals AND the Olympics. 

recently I reviewed my list of states I’ve visited.  I don’t really count layovers unless I had like a meal and a nap at the airport … I do count driving through them  though-  I’m not a professional list maker or anything. 

 It’s my list, go easy on me.

anyway… this is my list and if it’s crossed out, I’ve been there. 

Alabama    Alaska    Arizona    Arkansas    California    Colorado    Connecticut    Delaware    Florida   

Georgia    Hawaii    Idaho    Illinois    Indiana    Iowa    Kansas    Kentucky    Louisiana    Maine    Maryland

    Massachusetts    Michigan    Minnesota    Mississippi    Missouri    Montana    Nebraska    Nevada   

 New Hampshire    New Jersey    New Mexico    New York    North Carolina   North Dakota    Ohio   

 Oklahoma    Oregon    Pennsylvania    Rhode Island    South Carolina    South Dakota    Tennessee    Texas 

   Utah    Vermont    Virginia     Washington    West Virginia    Wisconsin    Wyoming

“what?!!!!!  You’ve NEVER been to New York, Boston OR Chicago???”

Nope.  I know, right?

pretty soon we are leaving for our vacation in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan which means I get to cross three more states off my list….

*ugh.. I just noticed I misspelled "Wisconsin"... but it's too much work to change it. 

I’m hoping Matt will agree that we should go home a different way (this way) and cross 3 MORE states off my list and maybe just maybe stop in Chicago for like lunch with Oprah or at least a picture?  I mean it’s RIGHT there. 

also... round of applause for my awesome state-drawing (tracing) skills...

nerd alert

last night we went to the new Target near our house (!)

because I needed a notebook and that was, of course, the only place I could get one.  It is school-supplies shopping season, and I was SO excited that I had a reason to go back to the big school supply section of the store. 

the day my mom would take us to Target to buy school supplies each year easily rivaled Christmas for my favorite day of the year.  I loved it so much.  I loved looking through the ads every Sunday of the summer so that I would know when it was "time", I loved imagining what I would get, I loved picking stuff out, and I LOVED taking it home and carefully organizing it and re-organizing it 314 times before the first day of school.  I loved it like I love whales and Jayhawks. 

without fail, I always immediately went for the $24.99, 13-subject, 12 lb. notebook or $60.00 Trapper Keeper first... but my mom would gently re-direct my attention to the $0.69 notebooks-I-could-actually-lift bin and I would then realize those were just as magical, because I could choose my colors.

she explained why the box of 1,000 crayons was superfluous and cumbersome, and why 3rd graders didn't each need their own stapler or day planner... but she did always let me choose a few Lisa Frank folders and pencils.  (If you don't know who Lisa Frank is, you are not a girl born between 1980-1987 and I feel sorry for you)

I was a little sad last night when I had my annual realization that I will never be an awkward 9 year-old who has to make the impossible choice between kittens and unicorns again... but Matt was patient with me while I wandered around and eventually chose my regular black notebook.   I was also sure to show him the things I would choose if I was 9 years-old today.

I am SUCH a nerd.  I really hope at least one of my kids turns out to be as nerdy as I am so we can peruse the school supplies while Matt and the other kid/s hang out in the toy section. 

what can I say?

I love a photo booth at a wedding.

no shame.

chapped nose

Our internet is being dumb , so I have to phone blog which leaves a lot to be desired.

I have a summertime head cold and have used no fewer than 12 million "Kleenex" today.

things I forgot to blog about.

oops.  realized a few minutes ago that I missed a couple days.

maybe a bunch of pictures will make up for it?

when we helped with wedding decoration crafts on the 4th of July.

 when we got to our hotel and Quigs discovered acetone leaked and melted her clarisonic to a dress.

 when a bunch of pretty girls went to see BoyzIIMen.  (SO GOOD!)

 I repeat: SO GOOD

 when the bridesmaids and bride got our nails did.

 when I made this face at work for my sisters.

 when I wondered why "Ike" is crossed out.... ?(I still don't know)

 another picture from ice cream with my homies day.

when I thought I was almost as tall as Neal in my tall tall shoes (and Matt's intentional photo bomb)

when I loved this pretty little cake and pretty little decorations at a decidedly very fun reception.

when we learned how to play speed monopoly and played THREE times in one night :)

when it took a lovely little army to dress a bride.

and then she was so pretty.

cheese

I had two very special weddings to attend today.  I am exhausted, so I just leave you with this:

aaaaaaaand frame-worthy.

w/ my homies

ice cream date

nbc

tonight we went to the wedding rehearsal for Travis and Alexis.  (Matt is a groomsman)

I plan to blog more about these fine people after their wedding on Friday, but anyone who knows Travis knows that he likes "Nightmare Before Christmas" more than whatever the normal amount would be.

so I thought their little cake they served after the rehearsal dinner was adorable and perfect for them

 oh and it was delicious too...and sort of reminded me of Hostess cupcakes (in a good way.)

no A/C

every day when I get home from work:

celebrating moo

tonight I took Moo and Dad to dinner for Moo's birthday.

she chose Mimi's

she opened her gift while they told me about their recent trip to visit Shellie (& family).

and I told them about my ancestry.com exploring and my Dad suggested I name our future kids after our just-discovered distant relatives, Harney & Dudley.

after dinner I took her to Sweet Tooth Fairy to choose a couple birthday cupcakes.

I like dinners with them and I like celebrating Moo.

what I learned tonight

while making shredded pork tacos with salsa verde (with photos*):

*I forgot to take pictures of the food when we were eating... so I had to get out leftovers for photos.

re: making shredded pork

-it takes a long time (3.5 hours at 350 degrees while sitting in a mixture of delicious things)

-it's called "pulled pork" because you pull it apart with forks when it's done.

re: salsa verde

-tomatillos come with husks and can be found near the peppers (not near the tomatoes).

-fresh cilantro is really cheap.

-it's best if you don't rub your eyes after de-seeding jalapenos.

-and if peppers somehow make their way under your fingernails... it burns.

re: corn tortillas

-no matter how hungry you are, these are best when warmed and filled with things, and not good for pre-dinner snacking straight out of the bag.  (I knew this one, but tested it.  gross.)

re: avocados

-nothing.  I already knew what I needed to know about avocados tonight.

these turned out pretty good, but not at all as spicy as I was anticipating (which was just fine with me.. I was just hoping for more spice for Matt and Molly.)

old food.

so... when you get married you're supposed to have cake.  I don't know why. 

probably because it's cake.

and then you're supposed to save the top layer to eat on your one-year anniversary.

my two minutes of google research taught me that the tradition was born when people were supposed to serve it at the party for their anniversary/christening of their first baby (oops).

anyway, my lovely parents saved the top layer of our cake and carefully wrapped it in twelve layers of foil and plastic, and kept it in their freezer for a year.  They delivered it to me on our aniversary, and it was all very romantic to unwrap it and defrost it and display it for when Matt came home from work.

 

 

and then we cut into it... and then I had 1.5 bites, and Matt ate one piece... it was sort of cute, and sort of gross, and then we looked at the other ten pounds of leftovers and then looked at each other and said
"now what?"

I saved a little because I felt bad throwing it away... but the rest of it went where one year-old food should go.

sad.  what a weird tradition.

gluttony

last night we had a most delicious/way too filling evening.

first we went to Settebello, and I ate this whole thing:

(matt was 50% proud of me, and 50% sadface because I usually give him my leftovers to finish)

then we gave ourselves a 26 minute break before we went to sub zero ice cream where you choose  your "base"( cream, yogurt, soy milk etc...), your flavor and your mix-ins, and then they use liquid nitrogen to freeze it right in front of you.

 totally gimmicky and totally delicious. 

the texture was really really good because the instant-freeze eliminates any icy-ness that traditional ice cream or yogurt would have, so it was really creamy and almost fluffy....? 

matt chose peanut butter in a waffle bowl, I chose amaretto in a naked bowl.  we were both happy.

(also the one on the right is a "small", so they give you a billion)

and then I laid on the couch and whined all night about my full tummy.

worth it.

but seriously

so now I'm going to make the impossible promise to blog something every day until August

go.