Flowerboxin'

I have flowers! This isn't on the '30' but still wanted to share. Picked out some annuals at Home Depot last week and planted them in a 36" window box. I decided on yellow and purple Pansies (one of my favorite color combos). Ideally they'd be hanging over the railing on my balcony, but that's on hold until I find suitable brackets. I initially bought these railing brackets but we couldn't get the brackets and flower box to stay securely against the railing. It appeared fairly certain that a medium wind gust would land the flower box atop my neighbor's car. When I went to return the brackets I ended up in a 15-minute convo with a sales guy who suggested I drill holes and fasten the box directly to the rails. I may end up jury-rigging a bracket but first I'm gonna try and find a ready-made solution. I found this Railing Flower Box Holder on Amazon and might just order it if I can't find something similar in a garden store this week. If any of my plant/flower-savvy friends/readers have a suggestion for me I'm all ears! Pictures below so you can see what I'm workin with!

Flower Box's Temporary Home On The Table

Purple & Yellow Pansies

A Subtle Shade of Purple

A few of the '30' are on my 'imminent' list. There's get back on the diet wagon, walk over to the Jewish Museum of Maryland, and paint a wall of my house. As I've mentioned before, even after 4 1/2 years all my walls (with one exception) are still "builder grade" white. The one exception is my power room on the main floor which is a light shade of yellow. It was a messy shade of red for a while after my one and only attempt at painting. It was disastrous hence the "clean up" job which was completed by a professional painter. My failed solo painting attempt really discouraged me from doing my own painting. That being said, I need some color in my life. I don't want to go crazy with paint, after all I tend to be a bit ADD when it comes to decorating, but a little color never hurt nobody. My plan is to start small and paint one wall (with the help of some paint-savvy friends). I think I've settled on the wall behind my bed (see below). I'm stuck on a purple. I'm contemplating both light shades and dark shades. Initially I considered a dark purple (plum) for an accent wall behind my bed and a lighter blue on the other walls. However, I've decided to paint just an accent wall and leave the others white. I'm leaning towards a more subtle purple, perhaps lavender or lilac is the most accurate description. I've put a couple of the samples below. I know it's hard to look at paint on a computer, but if you feel so compelled please chime in and let me know what you think.

Front View

Corner View

Behr Wildflower

Behr Lilac Rose

Juno Beach Evening

A few photo's from last week's Florida vacation. We celebrated my dad's 55th birthday with dinner and the beach.

stroll along juno beach

enjoying the evening beach breeze

charlie loves the beach

 

my awesome parents

Deidra & Music 4 More Make the BBJ

Big congrats to one of the my best friends in the world, Deidra Stevens, who was profiled this week in the Baltimore Business Journal. For those of you unfamiliar with Deidra's non-profit, Music 4 More, I encourage you to check out this profile, visit the website, friend us on Facebook, and come out to the next event. I'm so excited that Dede is finally getting the recognition she deserves. I'm so proud to be on the Board of Directors and elated to see the spotlight on the charity.

Living Social FAIL

I'm a Groupon-fanatic but I just recently signed up for Living Social. Yesterday, I got this Shenandoah Valley "deal" in my email:

$329 for a 2-night (weekday only) stay in the Shenandoah Valley (plus $60 dinner credit and $15 in gift certificates) doesn't sound so bad. I decided to check it out since visiting Shenandoah and photographing Skyline Drive is one of my '30'. But when I clicked "Find Out More" and went to the website for the 'By the Side of the Road Inn' I discovered they offer "Hot Deals" including the EXACT SAME DEAL for $149/1 Weeknight or $248/2 Weeknights. 

The $248/2 Night stay through the Inn's website includes a $60 credit to the same restaurant as the Living Social Deal and includes a bottle of wine. It does not include the $15 in "extras" but last time I checked $15 does not equal $81.

Not impressed Living Social. Not impressed. Always do your research. The good news is I discovered a potentially way fun 2-day getaway, purchased directly through the Inn of course. Or I could suck it up and just go camping...

The State Debate

As you know (or not), 1 of my '30' is to visit 1 of the 10 states I haven't been to yet. Here's the "need" list:

1. Alaska
2. Arkansas
3. Hawaii
4. Iowa
5. Louisiana
6. Michigan
7. Mississippi
8. Oklahoma
9. Nebraska
10. North Dakota

Now the big question. Where should I go?  

I've already nixed Hawaii and Alaska off my mental list. They are the most economically impractical. Never say never, but I'll say unlikely.

Louisiana appears the most practical in terms of a) finances and b) fun. New Orleans is the only city on my "need" list (outside of Hawaii) that I really want to visit. It's a Southwest city and I think I have a free ticket. I LOVE SOUTHWEST. Have I mentioned that? Now, if I want be really efficient I could go to the Syracuse-Tulane football game on October 8th. That would also cross the Syracuse Football Game off my '30'. I know Tulane football isn't a sexy choice but sometimes one must choose function over fashion, right?

Know what's really ideal? Caps vs Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. That's what I call a great reason to visit Michigan, but I'm not holding my breathe. Another option is to visit Chicago (one of my favorite cities) and just drive to Michigan for the heck of it. You know, take a picture at the "Welcome to Michigan" sign for this blog and then turn around. Not that I have anything against the state that produced Silent Bob...

Kinda bummed that, aside from the Tulane game, the Orange and Ravens did not give me any options to cover both a "need" state and a game. The Ravens' 2011 regular season road games are all in "been to" states and Tulane is the only school that the Orange play in a "need" state. Even the Terps failed to give me any options.

Might as well nix North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Mississippi right now. I have zero desire to plan a special trip to any of the above. My dad thinks it's possible we drove through Nebraska once, but since he really can't remember (and he remembers almost everything) it's probably safe to assume it's still needed. My best friend went to grad school at Iowa. I kept wanting to visit (mostly to see her, but also to cross Iowa off the list), but she really really disliked it there and didn't want to subject me to the area. Now the only reason to go is Dyersville, but not sure that's worth a special trip (don't tell Ray).

Probably safe to nix Arkansas too. I actually do want to visit the Clinton Presidential Library but it's not a top priority. Louisiana and Michigan are higher on the list.

The only reason I haven't nixed Oklahoma is because I'm into any state with endless stetsons and cowboy boots. I'd love to catch an Oklahoma high school football game. I wish I actually knew someone who lived in Oklahoma.

In all likelihood, here's what's going to happen. One of these days a $39 Ding fare will pop up (to Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Detroit, Omaha, Jackson or New Orleans) and I'll book a last minute 1-nighter. That being said, if you have any reasons for me to visit one of the 10... Holla!!!  I'm very open to friend and reader recommendations and suggestions.

Twilight Revisited: Fresh Outlook, Stale Taste

I watched Twilight again. Took 2 attempts to make it through the full film (fell asleep the first try). I thought maybe I'd enjoy it more now that I've read the book. Wrong. Movie was actually even worse that I remember. My point? None other than criticism of poor adaptation. Let's just say you won't see any 'Team Edward' or 'Team Jacob' stickers on my bumper anytime soon. Tis all for now.

Winner Winner Turkey Dinner!

I cooked my first turkey!!! It was relatively painless, minus the mid-dinner bloody nose/busted lip (which had nothing to do with cooking, I'll explain later). Since it was just 3 of us (plus the dog) for dinner my mother bought a little guy (11.5 lbs). I wanted to try a turkey injection. My mom had never done an injection before so we experimented. I selected an uber-low-calorie Goya Mojo Criolle marinade. I love love love Goya products. It was not coarse so I figured it wouldn't get stuck in the injector. The injector was conveniently on clearance at Target for $.98. Bonus! I used one side of the kitchen sink as a turkey wash. Got a little grossed out with all the raw mess. I was pleased though that the gizzards were all wrapped up (I assumed they were just loose in there) though I definitely gagged when I pulled out the turkey neck. The worst part was cleaning out of the inside. My mom suggested I run my fingers through the ribs to get out all the gunk. I tried to get moms to do this, but she gave me the "no way" look and I just went for it. For the injection, I used about 1/2 cup of the Goya marinade. I made 2 injections in each breast and 1 in each thigh. Also poured some extra inside and on top. I think ideally you'd let the marinade sit, but not this time around. Used a little butter and lots of Goya Adobo seasoning (my idea) and paprika (mom's usual) on top. Even though my health-nutty family usually doesn't do stuffing, I really wanted to stuff the turkey so I did that (just easy Stovetop). 
I put the turkey in an oven bag in a pan (my mom makes it in the oven bag because it's "less messy"). Stuck it in the 350 degrees oven. According to Reynolds the turkey is supposed to reach 180 degrees which should take about 2 1/2-3 hrs for 12-16 lb. I figured 2 1/2 hours for this one. The turkey didn't have one of those pop out things on it so I used a temperature fork that I bought my dad for father's day circa 1995. Apparently it hasn't been used since 1995 because the batteries were totally corroded. Fresh batteries solved that problem. I basted the turkey twice during cooking. At 2 1/2 hrs I put in the temp gauge and it said 160 so I let it go longer. Well, after 20 more minutes it was 189. Not sure if I read the thermometer wrong the first time or if it just got really hot really quick but I def dried it out a little.

My First Turkey

It was still tasty. I could definitely taste the injection. Stuffing was good too. Add in some sauteed spinach, mushrooms and garlic and it's a complete meal. Another '30' checked off! And now I won't be so scared when it's my turn to host Thanksgiving dinner. 

So where does the bloody nose come in? Between my parents' patio (where we were eating) and the house there is a wall of huge sliding glass doors that slide to open the whole wall. The sliders are usually open when we're home. I went to walk inside to get ketchup and I think I was distracted by the Caps-Lightning game on the TV because next thing you know BOOM. Glass is vibrating in my face and there's blood gushing out of my nose. I was in a total daze for a couple minutes with blood dripping down by face and hands. My mom said she initially thought I fell into the glass and hit my head. The first thing I asked in my daze was whether I had broken my nose. I poked around the outside of my nose and there was no pain, just soreness, thankfully. An hour of ice and my nose doesn't look nearly as bad as it initially sounded. My dad said the blood down the glass looked like a crime scene. Awesome. It's been over 48 hours since the "incident" and aside from a little sensitivity on my nose there's no obvious signs of having walked smack into glass. And I didn't break the glass. So there you go. Turkey dinner = pass. My attempt to be less of a klutz = fail. Thankfully the latter is not one of my '30'.

Twilight Conquered

After 6 long weeks I've finished Twilight. I could actually write a quality dissertation on the relationship between Bella and Edward, but alas this is a blog, not an educational adventure, so I'll keep it brief. The good news is that the book was enjoyable and, unlike the film, I didn't fall asleep every time I went to read it. In fact I'm planning to watch the film again now that I've read the book. It was a good read especially considering my usual distaste for fantasy. I enjoyed the attention to detail in the storylines/history (conversion to Vampire, sixth senses) of each of the Cullens. There were a few things in the book that I didn't like. I felt some parts were really rushed, while others were given extensive detail. Also, I have trouble believing that Bella, even experiencing true love for the first time, would become such a different person. She makes reference to the fact that she doesn't even recognize her 'new self' which eases me, knowing it was in the plans. I also have trouble with Bella going along with everything Edward says/does. I understand it in terms of her infatuation and love, but she is so so quick to be ok with his lifestyle and the concept of vampires. Based on her early actions I would have bargained that she'd have more trouble coming to terms with (and believing) that the Cullens are this fantastical coven. I'm surprised she doesn't make more references to going a bit crazy. You're probably thinking, Manda, this is just a book. Yes, I understand, but it's a book with which people are absolutely obsessed. I kinda get it, and have to look past my disinterest in fantasy, I'm much more of a realist, but for what it's worth I'm glad I read it. I'm almost mad at the filmmakers who ruined the whole series for me ahead of time. Perhaps when I watch the film again, now that I've read the book, I won't find it so inconsequential. As far as reading the other three, it's not in the immediate plans, but never say never. Another '30' down.

The '30' Takes A Vacation

At the Caps-Panthers game...

With Dad at Caps-Panthers on 3/6/11

Reading Twilight...

Twilight in the Sunshine

Cooking a turkey...

11 lbs. Smallest Turkey Ever. Gotta Start Somewhere.

Pucks, Purim & Palm Trees

Sweet Seats

There's something congenial about hockey in palm trees. Perhaps I would have been cursing the "soft ice" had the Caps walked away in defeat. Thankfully, I got to witness a quality win that propelled the boys in red (ok, white) to the top of the SE division. Caps 3, Panthers 2. And of course I get to cross one of the '30' off my list. And walking out of the game into 80 degree weather and palm trees was very serene. 

Neuvy in Net

My father is a Panthers season ticket holder so we already had tickets (In the 400s) for the game, but we actually used one of his clients' tickets which were 9 rows off the ice. They'd be big money if we were in Verizon Center. The truth here is that the lower bowl was 1/2 full at most, and I'm fairly sure most people in the lower bowl had tickets for the upper bowl and just moved down. My aunt, uncle and little cousins met us at the game (they got 4 people in for $20 total) and there were plenty empty seats next to us. Sundays are 'Family Fun Day' at Panthers games. The MC announced this before the game, then immediately introduced the Panthers Ice Dancers who did their routine. I found this extremely awkward family friendly. 

Rabbis vs Clowns in Intermission Broom Ball

There was also a Purim Party. This included a Purim costume contest at the 1st intermission. For those of you who went to Hebrew school or synagogue, you remember dressing up as Queen Ester, Mordechai, Haman, etc and waving the noisemakers, right? This nondenominational Purim party costume contest included Spiderman, Gumby and Darth Vader. It was humorous cute. They also had a Rabbi take the ceremonious 1st slap shot and the 2nd intermission included a broomball game of Rabbis vs Clowns. I love it!  
The Panthers look so small next to the Caps (especially Arnott). Our seats were on the side where the Caps shot twice. The view of the goal in front of us was excellent (which included Backstrom's goal and Semin's awesome GWG) but we could barely see the other goal through all the glass.

Caps Win in OT!

I'm used to sitting in the press box or in the high seats at Verizon Center and I forget there's actually a big benefit to height! Energy in the Bank Atlantic center was great last night. Much better than last season. The in-game entertainment is much improved which helps the overall atmosphere. We're spoiled by all the energy and show entertainment at Verizon Center that it can be a major let down at other venues.  The BAC is a quality venue so I'm glad they finally figured out how to make the game experience more exciting. Also helped that at least 1/3 of the BAC was full of Caps fans. When Semin scored the game winner (conveniently in front of me) the arena erupted in cheers. Good times. Another one crossed off the list. Now off to read Twilight by the pool, shop, and hopefully cook a turkey tonight.

Florida: The '30' Checklist

Just arrived in sunny rainy West Palm Beach! Some good news. A few months ago I "lost" the battery charger to my Canon point and shoot. I scoured my house, car and workspace to no avail. I've been using my SLR or Blackberry cam for the past few months. The SLR is awesome of course but it's not the most convenient to carry around, say, when you're snowboarding. And the Blackberry has a decent cam, but it's still a cell phone.  Welp, when I pulled out a suitcase last night tada camera battery charger right there. I guess I haven't had the charger for about 6 months. It's back, I'm happy, It's in my pocket. And now I can easy document the lofty '30' goals I have for this Florida trip. In an ideal world here's what's gonna get checked off this week...

Twilight - I WILL finish Twilight. I read another 70 or so pages on the plane this afternoon so I'm about halfway through. Tomorrow morning I'll be in the pool or under the palm trees reading. That's right.

Capitals Road Game - Tomorrow, 5 pm, vs Panthers! So excited. Our seats are 9 rows off the glass on the blue line at Bank Atlantic. Last year I went to the final Caps-Panthers game, but a) Ovi was suspended which always makes things a lil less exciting and b) it was mid-March and the Caps had already clinched the SE. I'm way more excited for tomorrow's game. Meaningful and I get to see the newbies for the 1st time. Plus it's Wideman's return. I guess that is something interesting to Panthers fans, if Panthers fans exist...

Cook a turkey - Turkey is in the fridge thawing (thanks, Mom!). The plan is to cook it on Monday night provided it thaws by then. I guess fresh turkeys aren't in season. This will be an adventure. I'm still creeped out by these gizzards I keep hearing about, but maybe this is a gizzard-free turkey. We shall see. I've been working on my poultry handling aversion. I have faith I'll survive this one. 

Be more patient - This was not originally in this week's plans however I think I get to cross it off the list tonight. I love Southwest, I absolutely do, and I had a great flight down here and I'm really not complaining but there was a screaming 2-yr old behind me for most of it. Normally, I would have been really really really irritated and annoyed. However, this more patient me just sat back and relaxed and didn't let it bother me much (helped that my iPod headphones are somewhat noise reducing). I was only a lil irritated. Does this count? 

Learn to drive stick - The likelihood of this happening this week is slim to none, but since none of my friends with stick want to teach me on their cars, I'm exploring alternatives. I considered having my mom take a manual car out for a test drive, get it off the lot, then teach me in some empty parking lot. Of course we'd have to kick the salesperson out of the car and hope they don't call the cops on us when the car isn't back within a reasonable time.  The other issue is that while my mom swears she can drive stick, she hasn't done so since the mid-70's when she had a Fiat X1/9. Right, I'm thinking the same thing. Some of the neighbors down here have fancy sports cars, maybe I could peek in and see if they happened to leave the keys in the ignition? Problem with that is my lawyer sister is not licensed in FL so it would cost me an arm and a leg when I end up in a ditch in a "borrowed car". I also considered finding out if any of the car rental places rent out stick cars, but I have a feeling they've already caught onto people like me and you can only rent automatic. I think I'm just gonna have to work on convincing a friend they owe me a favor and this is it.

Expect a bunch of posts this week, but for right now, back to vacation...