Mondays Don't Suck

A long-time enemy of Mondays, I think I've finally come full circle today in realizing that Mondays are just another day of the week in the gift of life.

Probably because, since his return from the Caribbean adventure, Dylan has spent one day here, one day away, one day here, etc., etc in a pretty consistent pattern. And today was one of his day's here. So we started the day off with a 10:30am Monday morning showing of "Five Year Engagement," totally Dylan Miller-style. I remember teeming with jealousy when he'd head out to weekday matinees while I was working. So today I, too, got to experience the feeling of being one of only about seven people in the movie theatre. We also parked right in front. (The movie was good by the way, if not a bit on the long side.)

We followed the movie with lunch at Extreme Pita, then got the Ghost Armor (which I always confuse with Under Armour) fixed on both of our phones while we strolled around Kierland. Then he sat in the car while I browsed the new North Scottsdale Savers (and I came home with some thrifted treasures!), and lastly we loaded up on fresh fruit and other goodies at Costco before calling it a day.

We just got done lounging on our new patio furniture, enjoying a glass of red wine and reading the first two chapters of The Hunger Games together. This is not the first time we've read a book together, but he really encouraged me to see what the phenomenon was all about, and I wasn't about to do it alone. I'm not a big sci-fi or other-worldly fan, you see. I read the first two books in the Twilight series because I thought I was supposed to like it. Then I faced reality and realized I wasn't entertained by Bella or Edward at all and stopped after book number two. D and I read the first Harry Potter together, which I thought was completely lame, and I read Matched, which was only mildly entertaining to me. But so far I find The Hunger Games to be a little intriguing. We'll see where this takes me. And as for 50 Shades of Grey...holy saucy! Not my typical reading material, but the twisted storyline has me hooked.

Yesterday I spent my time hanging with my mom, Sumer, and her boys, then dining at The Good Egg for lunch with mom. Basically just taking my leisurely time to enjoy my family. My life has taken a complete 180 in the last few weeks, but I've never felt better.

Triumphant Return of Lu Day

In the last two weeks, today was only the third day that Dylan got to spend at home. And, somehow, he still managed to give me full rights to the day. I've said it before and I'll say it again...the man is a gem.

I've made it known that I harbor a slight (meaning huge) fondness for The Pioneer Woman. I don't really know why. I've never really cared too much about any famous movie stars, singers, or other entertainers. But this country girl, who spends her life as a blogger, photographer, homeschool teacher to her four children, book writer, Food Network Show person, and who has some serious skills in the kitchen, just sends me into total fangirl mode. I just love her normal-ness, and she does things that I like to do. So I guess that's why I love her.

Anyways, I told Dylan that she was coming to town for a book signing but that it was all the way out in Mesa and that I wasn't planning on going. (If you know me at all, you know I don't often travel out of my comfort radius to do much of anything). Then I told him that I had a dream that she had us out to her ranch, and she showed us around and cooked us dinner and stuff. And I think that's what made him think it might be healthy for my mind if I could just meet this woman. Like maybe it would put the weird obsession to rest?

So we spent an embarassingly long time in a high school auditorium today. First, arriving early to secure seats and purchase the cookbook, then PW gave a cute presentation, and then we waited, and waited, and waited for her to sign my book. Marlboro Man was there the whole time, and he also signed my book. They were both so friendly. And then on the way home, I told Dylan all about how they met and basically the whole story of her life, which I know because I read her novel last year.

We also went into Old Town to hit up the farmers market and then had lunch at Cornish Pasty before the book signing. It was Dylan's first Pasty experience, and he enjoyed it as much as I thought he would.

Luckily, D brought his Kindle. Here he is surrounded by his friends Doris, Gladys, and Martha. Obviously, it was a female-dominated crowd...but I was surprised how many lovely senior citizens are PW fans.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't Dylan's most favorite Saturday of all time, but I sure had fun seeing my favorite famous person in real life.

And while I'm fangirling, how much did you love Katharine McPhee's cover of "Run" on Smash last week? She is a talented performer. She, and also Taylor Swift, have legitimate talent if you ask me. (Not that I'm the authority on musical talent or anything.)

So I think that just about covers everyone I idolize right now.

Nighty night, friends.

P.S. I know I owe Dylan big time for this day. If the tables were turned, I'm not sure I would have had the patience...or such a pleasant attitude. I'll have to do something like go to an airplane museum or a concert of some little-known indie band with him to make up for it.

Rainy Day Schedule

It seems as though the world associates a rainy day with glum and sadness. That is, unless you live in the desert. It's so refreshing to have days like these! I always welcomes a break from the constant sunshine and heat, which to me is so monotonous and becomes very exhausting. I even wrapped my iPhone in a Ziploc and went on a jog in the mud and rain.

(The above photo also reminds me that I am excited for us to hopefully get some backyard landscaping in the near future.)

I'm back at feeling 100% after pretty much being a waste of space yesterday. I did some work in the morning, then vacuumed until I felt my stomach churning again, and then I have no idea what I did until date night at Ajo Al's with Jess and Nora. What a fantastic catch-up session we had. I finally was able to meet Viv, Jess's fancy new Prius V, and we managed to stay put in our booth for an hour and a half. For the queens of 45-minute dinner dates, that might be a record! And somehow, we started our own little mini one-time book club. We all had different friends recommend to us 50 Shades of Grey (thanks, Elaine and Jean!), so we will read it and compare notes at our next get-together. There's nothing quite like spending time with girlfriends, and now that I'm a free agent, I must make it more of a priority.

Recovering with puppy kisses

Ronnie-dog watching this week's episode of Smash with me while I try to beat a fevery, run-down kinda feeling.

"Okay Lu, time to get up and get ready for your dinner date," says Dylan.

Dylan dropped me off at dinner while he did some errands, and then I stopped with him at the airport to stock up the plane.

I never knew I could manage to stay so busy when starting with an empty plate. Gotta do a little work, babysit a nephew for little bit, head into town for some errands, and then do my Photoshop homework so it doesn't ruin my Saturday morning, as it has for the past 12 weeks or so. And then...guess what? I am WORKING tomorrow, as in at the pharmacy for a full eight hours. I know. One day in two weeks. Rough stuff. Even though going there every day did not bring me complete and utter happiness, I am glad to get back just for a few intermittent shifts here and there.

Happy Thursday!

Please help me decide!

I did not factor into the living room re-do equation the fact that my current coffee table would not look so great with the new sofa, so here I am scrambling to find the right one at an affordable price. I am thinking something kinda mid-century modern or else industrial looking. But I never trust myself to know what looks good. These are some ideas I've been toying with. Please send any and all opinions!

And then, of course, because I'm always drawn to things with lots of color, is the bright blue trunk. I'm just unsure about all of these!

Here's the sofa again, just so you can picture it all.

Thank you my stylish friends.

He's Baaaack

My first Monday off from work (Monday of last week), I awoke to a 4:00am alarm and said good-bye to my other half. He's been cruising around the Caribbean ever since, except for a small intermission to attend the wedding over the weekend. So his homecoming last night was very welcome.

I am not in any way complaining about his absence. The man was working, which is more than I can say for myself. But, typically, working for him means a quick stop in at the airport each day, a bunch of texts and phone calls, and maybe one or two over-nighters a week.

Though I am no stranger to being on my own, it's definitely a million times nicer to have him back home. Especially since I've been spending so much time in our house. So here we are catching up on TV, doing laundry, assembling patio furniture, cleaning floors, and recovering from an episode of my body violently rejecting its stomach contents all night long.

Yeah, it could have been a peaceful night had I chosen a dinner different than the Mexican food leftovers from lunching with the ladies on Monday. It probably didn't help that my to-go container sat unrefrigerated in my car while I ran errands the whole afternoon. I did, however, keep my entire breakfast shake down about an hour ago, and so I think I am on the mend.

So, here's the haps 'round this place.

1. Cleaning out the house means getting rid of old books. I decided to be adventurous and list any book worth more than a dollar on Amazon. So far I've sold one. We'll see what comes of this.

2. I spent the afternoon at my sewing teacher's house (AKA our old friend, Bart) on Monday and started another tote bag. This one will be lined. Oh, the luxury. Then we went to lunch with mom. Lunch stayed down just fine, but the leftovers for dinner last night was where the real problem came into play.

3. I dug up some tools to arrange stuff on the walls in the house. And then I did some actual arranging and hanging.

4. Had a reason to dress up smart yesterday. I've been dying to wear this linen kelly green skirt. It served me well for my hour of hard work.

5. Somebody has some assembling to do. That someone is not the same person who gathered the small collection of tools in photo #3.

The house cleaning has come a long way, too. But I still have so much to do! I told Dylan that once I'm all done, it'll be time to start over where I began because it's taking so long that everything will be dirty again. I really only put in a couple hours of work each day, which may be the problem. Darn that pre-school attention span of mine. Anyways, I cannot wait to show you the before and after pictures. It will scare you.

Despite the whole barf illness, my day started off great. I received a FaceTime from my 2-year-old nephew at 7am so he could tell me that he had orange juice in his sippy cup. (Too bad for him, my ugly barf face was what was staring back on his iPad.) I have a feeling it will end just as great, too.

Scenes from the weekend

It was a big weekend around here...Shawn and Elaine tied the knot! It was so much fun to be a part of the celebration. Dylan, Max, Kristin, and Elaine's best friend, Barb, made up the wedding party, so I was fortunate to be able to tag along to the rehearsal dinner and Sunday brunch in addition to the wedding celebration.

Wasn't it a beautiful setting?!

The happy bride and groom

Time for boots!

The loveliest of ladies.

The lucky groom.

Max giving the toast, with Dylan on the assist.

We did not plan this.

Something about weddings makes the guys want to mosh.

Starting to fade? Not these Palmers!

Our group really knows how to make things rowdy at a wedding. Because we don't have any more nuptials to celebrate in the foreseeable future, we are hoping to find an excuse to get dressed up and party together. Any ideas?

Congratulations, Shawn and Elaine!

Sneak Peek

The living room is not done. But we just finished doing some heavy lifting, and I wanted to show off the progress thus far.

We need some better-looking coffee and end tables, for sure. And the pillows need some help. Also, can you see how we have some big things leaning against the wall behind the couch? Those need to go up, too. (They've been sitting there for weeks...we are lazy.) And I need a yellow or blood orange throw blanket. Seen one anywhere lately?

But don't you just love the rug? And the couches are so deep and comfy. We are both feeling a little rough after having a great time at the S&E wedding last night, and we were looking forward to cozying up on the sofa for a movie. But then I decided to Scotch Guard the chair, and now we're hunkering down in the office avoiding fumes. Silly me.

Also, off topic completely, we just turned on the AC for the first time. We're usually able to get away with waiting till May because our house is completely shaded on both sides by our huge patio. But it's just too dang hot out right now.

And lastly, isn't the desert just beautiful with everything in bloom? Here is a shot of our palo verde out front. It's very yellow, and very full of bees. And it's making a big mess, but we understand that nature must do its thang. Respect the tree...and the bees- they're very important for pollination.

Stay tuned for the progress on the living room. And for pictures from our great weekend celebrating Shawn and Elaine!

Humor me, please

I am writing this post for a selfish reason, which is actually why I write every post (because I like to, and that is all I care about). Tonight's selfish reason is because I desperately need to stay awake for 25 minutes plus 55 more minutes to the airport. What the heck else am I supposed to do that will keep me awake other than write? Except run...and it's too dark for that.

Last night I rewound Parks and Rec four times because I fell asleep half way through. Four times...at 9pm! I never did make it to the end. I had to finish it this morning when I woke up unprovoked and for no apparent reason at 5am. So you see why this, at 10pm, is a struggle of monstrous proportions for me.

So shall I tell you a little bit about my week? Okay, then. I've been alternating jogging with hiking Pinnacle Peak in the mornings. Even though hiking is by no means considered low impact, I feel that it gives my weary joints the break that they desperately need. So I, along with what seems to be the entire senior citizen (or otherwise slow-moving) community of Scottsdale, enjoy a mildly rigorous early morning hike every other day or so.

Pretty, huh?

I've been filling my days with lunch and happy hour dates, cleaning (yes, still), the tiniest little bit of shopping, and small amounts of actual work, among other things.

Tonight was the rehearsal dinner for Shawn and Elaine. I had to fill in for groomsman Dylan because he was somewhere in the air between Turks&Caicos-->Miami-->DFW-->PHX. The dinner was at Tonto Bar and Grille...and WOW, it was awesome. The food and the setting were both perfect.

Dylan's last flight should be touching down here soon, and then he gets to do it all over again on Sunday, except in the reverse order, to continue with the Caribbean craziness. But we are SO excited for the wedding tomorrow.

And so here I am, and with perfect timing to head to Sky Harbor and swoop up Mr. Miller.

What is your favorite movie?

I never know how to answer that. I'm not much of a movie buff, and I don't often get wrapped up in any movie enough to watch it more than one time. My theory is, you only live once and there's so much out there to do and experience, why would you see the same show twice? But with that being said, there are a couple movies that will always make me smile, even on repeated viewings. "Love Actually," duh, and also "Home Alone." And today I was reminded of another favorite from the Macaulay Culkin era..."My Girl." Any flick about regular people in a regular life (not that "Home Alone" is real true-to-life or anything) is my kind of flick. And comedies, too. "Old School" and "American Pie" will both hold a special place in my heart for years to come. What about thrillers, action/adventure, or Academy Award winners? No thank you. As I look at the list of Best Picture winners since 1990, the only two that I've actually seen are "Forrest Gump" and "Titanic."

So if you're a fan of regular-people movies and also, Macaulay Culkin was your third-grade crush, head on over to Design*Sponge for a sweet dedication to Thomas J. and Vada Sultenfuss. I may just have to spend one of these leisurely summer days catching up on some old movies...

P.S. Stay tuned for upcoming pictures of my new living room. The furniture delivery people just left, and I finally have my new sofa and chair! However, the new sofa is sitting back-to-back with the old couch right now. Being that my husband has been island hopping around the Caribbean all week and I don't possess the upper body strength to move a sectional couch by myself, we currently have seating for about 20 people in the living room. But we'll pull it all together this weekend while he's here taking a (short) break from his tropical adventure.

P.P.S. The new furniture came from Z Gallerie, and I always accidentally tell people that it's from Z'Tejas. It's really an issue for me. Does anybody else have that problem? I think it's a testament to the fact that I have Chambord Margaritas and cornbread on the brain All.The.Time.

To hear kids laugh

A few years ago, I'd have described myself as "not a kid person." But then everyone I knew had babies, then those babies became toddlers and more babies showed up. And it's been really delightful to see these small people grow up...especially because I'm not the one who has to clean up their messes, change their poopy diapers, feed, bathe, clothe, and spend a ton of money on them. I am the proud auntie of four nephews, and I've had such a great time with the eldest lately. Hearing him talk and seeing him dance, play, and interact is awe-inspiring. And I LOVE to make him laugh!

I snagged these photos directly from The Palmer Post.

I'm the only adult that I've ever seen actually get in the bounce house. Can you imagine the enemies I'd create if I was responsible for that thing bursting? Reminds me of that scene in Love Actually where the little girl says, "I hate Uncle Jamie" in her cute British accent.

Cooking for Two

I've been a pasta making machine lately, thanks to an old cookbook that I recently rediscovered. It's called Cooking for Two, and it was given to us as a wedding gift. I highly recommend it if you run a household of two and you're sick of making a normal recipe and then throwing away half of it by the end of the week because everyone gets tired of the leftovers and then it goes bad. I don't recommend it, however, if you're not interested in making a pasta (or other type of meal) that requires many steps and creates a mountain of dirty dishes.

Tonight I made an Asian themed pasta, and it was scrumdiddlyumptious (sp?). Here it is.

Cut up a carrot, cucumber, yellow (or red) pepper, scallions (that means green onion), and then cilantro. And don't make fun of how I am clueless when it comes to cutting up veggies.

Cook, shred, and throw some chicken into the bowl.

Cook noodles and toss with some oil (supposed to be sesame oil but that stuff is spendy, so I went the olive route). Also, some type of Asian noodle is recommended, but a substitution with spaghetti was considered permissible.

Combine.

Pulverize the following things in a food processor to make the world's tastiest sauce: soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, brown sugar, hot sauce, sesame seeds, minced garlic, and fresh minced ginger root. And also hot water. (I may be forgetting an item or two.)

Toss it all together, and enjoy!

This was actually the least labor-intensive pasta that I've made out of three in the last couple weeks. But they've all been a five out of five in my book, so it's worth the effort. My tastebuds also had the pleasure of meeting several other tasty dishes that I've cooked up this week, including quinoa mac and cheese, cheesy potatoes in the slow cooker (to be paired with my brother's delicious flank steak and grilled veggies), and birthday cake. I am staying well-fed with all this leisure time, there's no denying that.

Hello!

I'm still kickin' over here! Afraid I'd get bored, I'd miss the social interaction of work, my feeling of self-worth would decline, I'd lack purpose, etc., etc? Not so much! Granted, it's only been two days, but with Dylan being very busy with work this week, not only have I been home, but I've also spent a lot of time alone. However, keeping myself entertained has never been a problem for me, and I've just been happier than a clam over here. (How very hermit-like of me, eh?)

So what does a person who doesn't work, doesn't have kids, and who spends most hours of the day alone do with their time? Not watch tons of TV and movies, despite what you may think. But I have caught up on some reading. I've been cooking and baking up a storm and going for regular jogs. I actually did do some work from home yesterday morning, and I've organized and cleaned three rooms of our house thus far (living room, office, and kitchen). Dylan and I are both totally messy and also possess some hoarder-like characteristics, so this has been no easy task. I took the dogs to the park and ran some normal errands, and last night we had a late celebration across the street for my mom's birthday. And I still have a to-do list a mile long. 

And for the next items on my agenda? I'm planning on being a touch more social for the remainder of the week, in case you were worried. And I want to fit in a hike or two and also get ahead on my Photoshop class. I've got some reading to for a trip I'm taking in a couple weeks, and I'm not even half way done with cleaning the house. And then there's all that fabric I've bought over the last few months, so I really want to sew something terrific, in addition to all those other crafts I've got lined up. And there's about a million books on my shelf waiting to be read. But I have NOT done any online shopping. Proud of me? You should be. 

So basically, nothing too exciting. And I promise not to bore you with the details of my every day, but weren't you just a little curious what a person like me does with her existence? 

A Child in the Trash

What kind of aunt puts their nephew in the recycling bin (with recyclables in it)?

If your nephew pointed at it and said, "Oscar's, Oscar's," you'd do the same thing, I bet.

Just Pooped (...as in I'm Tired)

It's been a full weekend around here. What did you think of that cold snap yesterday? I say soak it up while you can because the unrelenting heat will be here soon enough.

Saturday began with the building of the chicken fence. Our hens now have their very own little yard to roam. But, unfortunately for them, they have to stay inside the coop most of the time due to the predator danger. Can you believe a coyote can climb an 8-foot block wall?

I'm so excited to add a little garden to our yard, too. The garden bed arrived to our front doorstep this week, and once Dylan gets some time to build it and also bring home a trailer full of compost from Singh Farms, I will get something planted. In the meantime, I'll have to do some gardening research. I'm a total novice, and I know my timing is not optimal for planting...but we'll see what happens.

After the fence construction, I got ready for Elaine's Bachelorette Party. It's always fun to have a girl's night out, and it's so rare that we do, so I'm so glad Elaine gave us a reason to celebrate.

We started out with pedicures, and then we checked into our little casita across the street. After drinking a margarita and hoarfing down enjoying some chips and dip, we headed to Old Town for dinner at The Mission. I've been there before, but everything about our experience last night was top notch. We didn't even have a reservation, and we showed up at prime dinner time with a party of seven. They told us they were very happy to accommodate us, and while we waited, we received two margarita samples. Our service at dinner was terrific, and the food did not disappoint. If you haven't been, you should go.

Elaine, Kristin, and me waiting for our table.

We were seated on the patio. The atmosphere was great.

Seven girls, two car seats, and a stroller in a 4-runner. Our lift to the bars. Thanks, Erin!

Afterward, we hit up a couple bars in Old Town. It reminded me of the days of my youth...and made me feel not youthful at all anymore. But, it was fun to check out the scene and spend time with the ladies. I went to bed post-midnight...I can't even remember the last time that happened. Then, this morning we had a lovely breakfast at Over Easy, which was delicious and very reasonably priced. I cannot wait for the wedding next weekend. Elaine is going to look so pretty! (By the way, I stole these pictures directly from her blog. Thanks, E!)

While the mamas (and me, Elaine, and Michelle) were out partying, the dads (and Dylan) had a party of their own with the children and babies. So, Dylan and I are not feeling 100% today, but we've managed to get some chores done and just lay low around the house.

Strangely, I do not have a case of the Sunday Blues for once...