Ridiculous Requests

The other night Brad and I were talking about gift giving and I was telling him how I think it's ridiculous when girls expect their boyfriends to buy them things like David Yurman jewelry or really anything that costs hundreds of dollars. I also said that if he is going to spend that kind of money, I would like a plane ticket to somewhere I have never been. HOWEVER. I found one thing that is now making me eat my words. I want this.

The Garmin Forerunner. I know it sounds ridiculous to spend $300 on a running watch, but this thing is amazing. It wirelessly tracks your mileage, speed, heart rate, and records your course! So cool.

However, so as to not go back on my word, I think I will just save up and buy it for myself... although I will probably end up buying a few more plane tickets first...

One thing I am going to buy ASAP the new North Face Refraction Jacket. It keeps you warm in cold weather and breathes enough to wear it in hot weather (only needed when it's raining). It's waterproof, blocks wind, and has reflectors on it for my night runs. Only $100! I think I found it for $60 online though. I will report back after I try it out.

Gold Peak Iced Tea

Dear Gold Peak Unsweetened Iced Tea,

Thank you for your fresh brewed flavor, your caffeine providing qualities, and the fact that you are zero calories. I love you.
xoxo,
Kenj

I love...

I've had a pretty rough week or two at work, which has made me pretty negative. And I am still noticing all the great things happening to me and to those around me, but somehow I'm so much more vocal about the negative. SO I'm returning to an old favorite, listing some recent things that

I love....

...warm days, wearing flops to walk the dog, and fresh, cheaper fruit.
...that my sister is almost out of college and moving to PHILLY! Just a 30 min drive away.
...old friends, new friends, friends I've been counting as "transitional" friends, and the recent realization that they too, are my real friends.
...baseball season! (PHILLIES!)
...that I have lived without cable for about three months now and am surviving just fine.
...eating fresh basil, and growing fresh basil in my windowsill.
...skype - because I can talk to my "Canadian" brother.
...waking up early, and not getting out of bed until at least an hour later.
...OR morning runs, morning yoga, morning dog walks.... MORNINGS.
...Mary's on Lincoln and Shallcross (She not only now knows me by name, but the name of my dog, my mother, my sister and my boyfriend.)
...growing up but still feeling (acting) like a kid.
...James Brown dance parties with my siblings and cousins.
...my siblings and cousins.
...wedding/bachelorette/bridal shower planning for amazing friends.
...google.com ; I can live without TV, sure, but google? Not so sure...
...that I'm 25 and still have no idea how my life will end up, that I have nothing planned, and the fact that rather than scaring me, that excites the hell out of me.

Great Music, Great Lyrics

I've been finding a lot of great new music lately, thanks to friends, Pitchfork.com, Pandora.com, and WXPN.

Mumford and Sons is a recent find, they were a "suggested video" on YouTube... and I love them now. They're a band from London who have an old-timey sound. It reminds me of something I'd like to hear on a ship or next to a campfire.

Currently I'm listening to them at work though...

Check them out, this is what I'm imagining is the single: Little Lion Man.

Soup and Brussels Sprouts

On this rainy Sunday night I decided to make soup and brussels sprouts for dinner.

Here is my chicken and veggie semi-spicy soup. I make a veggie soup just about every two weeks now and it's never the same. This time I decided to forgo the noodles and added some potatoes instead.

Making soup reminds me of living with Sammie, who makes the best potato leek soup you will ever have.

Here are my brussels sprouts... A little olive oil, a shallot, a clove of garlic, and a little shredded Parmesan cheese.

It bothers me that "brussels" ends with an "s" and is then followed by a word with the same letter.

Brussels sprouts remind me of living with Haley. She made them a lot better than mine turned out... I had to add a lot of pepper.

Friends You'll Have Forever

On Friday I drove down to Bel Air, Maryland to see my best friend from college, Kendall.

Kendall and I became friends through the random roommate lottery at the University of Delaware. However, she was not my original roommate assignment. I was supposed to live with a girl named Dina who I had never met, but rumor had it that she was a terrible bitch. So when Kendall called to say, "Hi! I'm your new rooommate, Kendall," I was ecstatic!

We kind of agreed that they must have switched us just to screw people up when the met us. "Which one is Kendra? Which one is Kendall?"

Our schedules never seem to mesh so we hadn't seen each other in about six months... a planned visit in February was ruined by a snowstorm. So I decided it was worth the drive for dinner.

Kendall took me to a restaurant called, "The Lodge." It's ski-lodge themed. Some of the booths are actual chair lifts. Very cool. It was great to catch up with a friend that I hardly get to see, but one that I know I will be seeing for the rest of my life.

This is the size of the "cups" they give you at the Lodge. I'm a little disgusted (yet I drank all of that chemical-infested Diet Coke... and loved it).

Funny Little Interpretation

Searching old entries on one of my favorite sites (see link to right - A Smart Cartoonist) and came across this:

Funny, huh?