Fuzzy, Cozy Socks

Of all the outrageous "fashion" items out there, those obnoxious fuzzy, soft, brightly-colored socks that one can wear to keep feet especially warm during the cold, fall nights has got to be the worst.

Two years ago, I was at a department store where - upon completing my purchase - the saleswoman put a pair of bright blue fuzzy socks in my bag.

"What are you doing?" I asked

"You spent over $80, so you've earned a free pair of socks!"

"I don't want them," I told her, removing them from the bag.

She looked puzzled. "But they're free," she said, putting them back in the bag.

"I said I don't want them," I insisted, re-taking them out.

"But. They're. Free." She put them back in the bag and smiled. "Take your socks. Have a nice day."

When I got home, I realized my feet were cold so I reluctantly slipped the hideous socks onto my feet. To my surprise, they were...warm...soft...amazingly cozy! I have worn and worn and loved those free, ugly sucks ever since, but they are really on their last leg. So, yesterday, when Andy and I were at Bed, Bath & Beyond, what did I see but a whole wall of fuzzy, cozy socks!

We picked out the most hideous pair, and they are now on my feet :)

Oregon 43, Dirty Dawgs 19

It was a great day at Husky Stadium this past Saturday - Oregon cruised to an easy victory over the huskies and continued their drive towards Pac-10 supremacy.  

We had an obnoxious fan or two (or two thousand); I was grossly outnumbered in my section (lots of pointing at other duck fans to celebrate touchdowns); couldn't stand the loudspeaker that would bark on third downs (the only noise created in the stadium); thought the announcer was quite disrespectful to the visiting team (us) in a way Autzen never is - but mostly just had a great time.

It was Charlotte's first game, too - other than a scary run-in with Donald, I think she had a good time!

Boring is a Dirty Word

Some events as of late have found me questioning my value as a girlfriend, a best friend, a sister, a daughter. What is it that I have to offer to these people, to deserve and keep their love and companionship? What do I bring to the table?

Questioning your core self is almost always an exercise in futility and self-loathing. Sure, it's a way to inspire self-improvement, but we so often overlook our redeeming qualities to dwell on the carrots and cucumbers that make up our less ideal traits (so - I don't think that idiom I just made up actually worked, but I will leave it in there. I think I was going towards "odds and ends" and fell short). I think this tendency arises from the types of events that inspire reflection. No one in their happiest moments, or when things are humming along, thinks "Hmm. Maybe I should take a step back and think about how I feel."

My most recent self-examination (that sounds more clinical than it was) has me wondering and fearing that I possess that most undesirable of traits: Boring.

I would rather be described with a whole host of foul and despicable adjectives than to be described as boring; much like I would rather be despised than affect indifference. Because at least i will have made an impression.

So - in an effort to examine this question more fully (and hopefully boost my lagging self-esteem), I will highlight the things I've done to see where I land. I've never been one for such introspection (and then go ahead and post it for all to read) but let's see how it goes, shall we?

"The College Years" 2003-2006

• Not much time to be interesting when you figure I graduated early while double-majoring with honors in Communication and Finance, but I did manage to be in a pageant (heck yes to the scholarship money); be in a parade; play in a rock band that recorded and played to decent-sized crowds; perform music therapy for dementia patients; have an internship as a freelance writer; present at an academic conference; and facilitate an undergrad communication course (grading papers sucks!)
  

"Transition Time" 2007

• Learned to rock climb; went to Prague; moved to Seattle; volunteered at a non-profit
  

"Seattle" 2008-present

• Pushed myself out of my comfort zone to make an amazing and diverse array of friends. The social connections I've made have probably pushed me the most and I'm so much better for it.
  
• Joined a community group that I have been with for almost two years
• Ran a half-marathon
• Explored this city and made it my own
  
• Got my motorcycle endorsement
• Received a promotion and am now working as a communication analyst in a job that was tailor-made for me
• Learning how to knit! (stay tuned - this is probably deserving of it's own entry)
• Got a bike!
• Am becoming a much better cook (got my eye on the PCC sushi class next)
• Recommited myself to writing and entered one contest that closes 11/1 and am working hard to finish a piece for a 11/30 deadline

So...what's next? I don't know. I think that all the activities and accomplishments one has are not capable of making the distinction between "boring" and "interesting." I think interesting people read a lot; explore the world around them; carry and communicate their own opinions; are willing to try new things; are good conversationalists; and then have that one unexpected fact or parlor trick up their sleeve.

I hope to be someone like that. For as much as we all say "it doesn't matter what people think," the truth is: It does. True, incandescent happiness is only meaningful when shared. I hope those around me continue to want to share in that with me.

An Honorable Dining Experience

Last Sunday, the thought of cooking dinner and then cleaning the kitchen afterward was just really distasteful to Andy and I, so we decided to go out and treat ourselves to a nice dinner, since we hadn't had a real date with just the two of us since we got back from Victoria.

We ended up going to Il Fornaio, this great Italian restaurant in Pacific Place. The hostess was, to be perfectly frank, a little rude - the couple in front of us actually left due to her rudeness, and Andy and I were of a quick mind to follow. Then, the new hostess greeted us with: "You aren't in a hurry or anything, right?" and we definitely felt like perhaps we had made the wrong dining decision.

As she led us to our table, something was up with her demeanor. She seemed...evasive, over-polite, artificially cheerful...then, I realized she was leading us to a table with a deep red tablecloth (all others were white). "You've been chosen to sit at our table of honor!" she announced.

What is a Table of Honor, you might ask? Well, it is a wonderful place where they give you delicious free food. Melon-wrapped prosciutto...butternut squash walnut noodle dumplings...peach sorbet with champagne-soaked berries and marsala cream...yum! At the end of the night, Andy and I signed the Table of Honor guestbook, which was pretty fun to look through.

What a fun and unexpected evening we had :)

Watch what you...watch?

I no longer have cable television, which is fine (except during football season and on Wednesday nights, when I miss So You Think You Can Dance and America's Next Top Model), because Andy and I watch "good" television for free via Amazon Video on Demand (AVOD). Shameless plug: If any of you currently do NetFlix, then AVOD is for you.

However, AVOD does something that I was not aware of until recently - it sends the account owner an email when they've purchased something. Looking back, that makes sense, but I hadn't really thought about it until Andy came home from work one day and said, "You know, you should really just buy the whole season." I looked at him puzzled, and then he explained, "Everytime you buy an episode, I get an email. So, as I'm at work, in a meeting or something, I know when you're home and what you're watching." CREEPY...

Anyway, the next day (last Friday) I went home from work early and decided to watch a chick flick on my own time - at first not realizing that Andy would know. So, I purchase it and happily settle in to watch 'Bride Wars' until it dawns on me - Andy's going to know I watched this - and judge me!

Sure enough, about 15 minutes later, I get a text from Andy that says this: BRIDE WARS!?

Enough said. I should watch my purchases more carefully. Sigh...

Autzen Stadium - Ducks vs. Cal

Well, it was a great day to be a Ducks fan! Ducks 42, Cal 3. It was also Andy and the Pups' first game at Autzen, so I was glad the weather was so ideal. Lots of fun! I'd love to recap the game for you here, but about a million sports writers have done so already and, frankly, I'm lazy. Enjoy!

The Quest for the Perfect Fish Taco

Andy and I love fish. Andy and I love tacos. So, naturally, we are big fans of the fish taco. We tried making our own several weeks ago with just ho-hum results. Then, when we are on San Juan Island, we had the most amazing fish tacos from a taco stand and decided we would make fish tacos once a week until we could recreate or surpass their glorious flavor. They were filled with cheese, lettuce, a tomato/cilantro/onion mix, the blackened Cob had been prepared on the grill, and the chef had her own special sauce.

We tried this week to recreate the masterpiece, and, while pretty darn tasty, this is where we measured up/failed:

• Original: blackened, grilled Cob. Andy/Lindsay: Baked Cob with a Cajun rub. Win: Original
• Original: Slightly crunchy shell. Andy/Lindsay: Soft, flour tortilla. Win: Andy/Lindsay
• Original: Tomato/Onion/Cilantro masterpiece. Andy/Lindsay: Omitted. Win: Original
• Original: Secret Sauce (yogurt, hot sauce, cilantro, lime?). Andy/Lindsay: Secret Sauce. Win: Original, but just barely
• Cheese and Lettuce is a draw

So, we are not there yet, but I am confident the perfect fish taco is not far off. Maybe I'll post the winning recipe...and maybe I'll keep it a secret!