Rock Lobster

OMG it's been 20 years since I've gone to Red Lobster. Holy cow. I begged my parents to take me there after we went and saw Curly Sue in 1991. (There are now activities I can say it's been 20 years since I've done. Ugh. Skip Its can also be added to that list.)

Well today, the unknown leave of absence ended.

Scott was gifted a gift card for his birthday from his grandma and today we went for lunch.

We started with Ceasar salads and their complimentary cheese biscuits.

Eh to the biscuits. If I'm going to indulge in carbs, regular rolls do it for me.

His order: linguine with shrimp, lobster, and asparagus.

Unknowingly thematically dressed.

My order: lobster pizza.

Super tasty. I just finished it for dinner.

We both enjoyed our meals, and the place was hopping. I will say the median age was probably 65. The lobster tank took me back to my youth when I'd go grocery shopping with my grandparents and I distinctly remember the seafood counter always used to have lobsters. Can't say I've seen them in a long time.

We'll probably go back in another 20 years.

Vanity in the Home

What do 20somethings with no children put on their walls? Clearly not pictures of our cat everywhere, so that leaves us-wedding, trips, other weddings, etc. I have to think that our guests must think we love ourselves.

I'd love to acquire more art, but there is something about photographs of a great memory that make me smile as I see them.

We have a great piece from our friends Rob and Kerri they gifted us from our wedding:
Additionally, we have this wedding gift that I plan to use to coordinate the rest of our master bedroom.

Other than that, it's our mugs everywhere. And it wasn't until recently as I was cleaning the toilet bowl that I realized how awkward this picture is for our male guests. It should probably be swapped out for art.

Tastebuds Changing

I'm feeling the effects of aging. I know people will roll their eyes at that seeing as I'm still under the 30 mark, but it's true, and I would guess natural.

The most noticeable are simply what I like to eat. Until recently-huge pasta fan. Pour some pasta on me-any meal. I don't hate it now, but if Scott hasn't noticed, it's not made it into one of the weekly meals in a while. Part of me is limiting the carb intake the other part of me is just not satisfied with it. I'm becoming unintentionally picky.

Other items I hated as a kid and welcome in my life now-mustard, olives, mushrooms, salad, and nuts-which is shocking. However, nuts are not permitted in my sweets. Brownies and cookies (I haven't gone off the deep end here) are always better sans nuts. I like a satisfying, chewy bite. No crunch.

I've also felt the effects of my body craving really good quality food-simply fruits and vegetables. My coworker, Leah who brings a salad everyday, is probably crying with joy upon hearing that her finger shaking at me is getting somewhere.

I forgot my lunch yesterday and where I live--there are AMPLE options for lunch. More and more I just don't want a) to spend $10 on a sandwich and b) don't want the sandwich anyway. Generally, I make my lunch-string cheese, apple, carrot sticks, almonds, etc. I'm not trying to eat diet food but it does satisfy me and I don't feel disgusted with myself after. It does require planning and because of the Father's Day parties last weekend my shopping trip was unusual and I did not plan for the week's midday meals, so next week should be better.

The other body changing factor-my skin. It's actually regressing. I've felt like a 13 year old as of late. Not cool.

And lastly, I can never be the wino I once was. Mom and dad, rest assured, your daughter is no lush, but I could enjoy several glasses of wine without feeling the effects. Now? Two glasses and you better sip 'em slowly Erin.

This and that.

Every week I remark to anyone with a functioning ear "I can't believe it's (fill in the date!)" I think it began January 31 and has continued. Seriously, where has the year gone? It's almost July.

We really need a vacation. So if you have any ideas about where to go for a week's time I'd love to hear them. Right now my top picks are Savannah, New Orleans, Julian (a little more local), or somewhere I can fall off the grid and hopefully have a mojito. I have seriously dragged my feet updating my passport post marriage so suggestions need to stay in the US.

Last weekend I had a whirlwind Father's Day celebration, akin to Mother's Day. I do think it's smart doing it back to back, but there are drawbacks. The first being that I am a bonehead and bought a fridge without an ice maker because I didn't think we had the connection. Well we do and it just dangles, taunting me each time we have to refill our ghetto tray. Secondly, I am taller than my fridge, which makes engineering storage for parties of 18 rather tricky. But, we get 'er done. Having my mom's side over was really fun, and of course we got to give everyone a house tour. Good times had by all. My mom left her camera and I tried to steal the photos on it, but alas, I do not have the same USB cord.

Sunday night I had my in-laws over for Father's Day part II. Again, good times had by all. I don't know what family gatherings were like before Mason was around. Clearly we just sat around staring at each other quietly over dinner.

In honor of these visits I made a "quick stop" at Home Depot for potting soil. Yeah right. The produce aisle is the new hardware store is the new garden section. $40 later with herbs, succulents, and flowers in tow, I headed home. Yeah I probably spent too much but I can say that basil may have just been bumped as favorite herb to mint. I'm putting that fragrant little herb in everything, especially lemonade. See mojito craving above.

Speaking of plants, I also bought a great arrangement of peonies at Trader Joe's. It's the simple things in life. I have no photo as it's been so crazy and they are now dying, but they were a gorgeous shade of magenta and really brightened the living room.

A few other firsts-we had our friends Virginia and Shawn over for dinner Tuesday night. Virginia is pregnant and vegan which made for a challenge in dinner plans-however, a challenge I wanted to take on. We feasted on artichoke and bean crostini (Parmesan ok'd by V, and I kept some crostini sans proscuitto), tofurkey sausages with hummus, bell peppers, onions, on pita bread, as well as a garden and fruit salad. Shawn made silken tofu mud pie. Pretty tasty and most of all, good time had by all.

Last night Scott went to his first yoga class with me. There were times I could not look at him because I knew I would snort-not because of anything he was doing, but rather what the teacher was asking us to do. This particular teacher utilizes some interesting breathing techniques to say the least. His favorite part-being able to stretch his shoulders and reach his hands around his back and touch his fingers, on both sides, whereas I am unable to do it on my right.

Now as the week ends we have plans to celebrate Rob and Kerri's birthday this weekend and I'm off to Ashley's baby shower on Sunday. Seriously, it's almost July???

TMI

There are days when I feel like I put too much out there. Like the day when a scammer posing as my credit card company wanted my birthday to verify the account, though "there was no negative activity," yet they had my full name and last digits of the card number. That's pretty unsettling.

I'm on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Four Square, work in a public position (though non-government-i.e., i have NO pension) and I've definitely Googled myself. I understand we live in a digital age and its not as if I can wipe the Internet cache clean, but I do even second guess this blog sometimes. Do we put too much out there? Am I handing identity thieves my life on a silver platter? I don't think I'm that important on the web, but it certainly would not be hard to piece together my resume with a few searches.

I don't plan to change anything at this time, as I'm not sure it would solve anything. Am I alone in this? I might just be at an unusual level of crazy right now.

Weddings and Whatnot

The last wedding on our social calendar (at this time) was this weekend, another high school friend couple tied the knot: congrats Ryan and Ruthie!

The groom awaiting his bride.

Here she is! Super fabulous and quite fashion forward.

Gratuitous picture of Scott's new suit, looking quite sharp.

Newlyweds!

High school reunion-5 of the 16 that I know.

The dancing at this trumped anything I had up my sleeve. Serious moves. I'm talking bridesmaids doing the worm. I was shocked and yet entertained. Good times.

Our new tenant is moving in tomorrow so today was full of back breaking yard work. I am trying to convince Scott to go to Red Lobster tonight (thanks to his grandma for the gift card for his bday-perk of marriage, side benefit!) as I really am not up to cooking or dish washing tonight.

And with that, I congratulate Ryan and Ruthie and also reflect that 9 years ago today I graduated high school. Scott asked me what I would tell my old self and it would be to properly pronounce "niche" which in my grad speech I said "neesh."

It's the Great Garlic, Oliver

A shoot has been protruding out of my flower bed for months. Painfully I've waited for it to bloom while the poppies and ranunculus have come and gone, and now the dahlias have made their debut. Still nothing from this frondy shoot. I was thinking it might be a type of palm for a while.

This week, while watering, I got a little closer and saw a bulb...was it an onion? I finally decided to dig it up and low and behold, it's a head of garlic. Who knew? I surely did not plant this. We've had surprises come up in the garden from the previous owner(s) but this vegetable is certainly a first.



My burners need a major cleaning. Don't judge.

(With Oliver for perspective-it was actually a grocery-store sized head. Not elephant garlic, but your generic Ralph's garlic.)

I hope he comes back next year.