The Tea Dance

Let me explain something to you about the women in my family...well, I guess not even the women, but primarily the women: we like our tea! Tyler despairs because I have completely taken over an entire cabinet with tea. He constantly pulls his hair out because I'm forever buying more tea.

It's genetic. Not the buying part, but the liking tea part. We all love it. Not sure why, as I don't remember drinking a ton of it growing up. But Mom always was.

Now, this thing we do with our tea is also genetic. I will tell you, this post was inspired by a Facebook status my sister left the other day and I'm going to repeat it here as I still giggle every time I think about it.

Making tea: (1) Heat water in microwave. (2) Promptly forget about it. (3) Remember when microwave won't stop beeping. (4) Water is now lukewarm. Reheat. (5) Put in teabag. (6) Get called in to the kitchen by Scott [her boyfriend] saying, "How over-steeped are you going for today?" (7) Add milk and honey. (8) Drink some. (9) Leave cup on kitchen table and walk away to work on your capstone. 20 minutes later... (10) Remember you made tea, go get it from the table. (11) Tea is now lukewarm. Reheat...

 And this is very much genetic. I do it too. My mother does it. I'm pretty sure my aunts do it, I know I've seen at least one of them do it.

Not only do we love us some tea, we also love us some tea dance.

Hope this made you giggle as much as it did me...

Ciao,
kc

Big Word Wednesday: Byzantine

Now, this word is for my papa. We were talking a couple weeks ago about my blog and he was saying how he liked Big Word Wednesdays. He suggested "Byzantine" as a word of the week. I laughed.

"Why Byzantine?" I asked.

"Because I was reading the other day and it popped up and I thought it was a really good word." he said.

My dad is pretty wise, and he's got a decent vocabulary -- he has to in order to keep up with my mommy. But he likes new words. I think it tickles him pink to find a new word and then use it. That must be where I get it from. It tickles me pink too.

Byzantine: [biz-uhn-teen, -tahyn, bahy-zuhn-, bih-zan-tin] adjective. of or pertaining to Byzantium. of or pertaining to the Byzantine Empire.noting or pertaining to the architecture of the Byzantine Empire  and to architecture influenced by or imitating it: characterized by masonry construction, round arches, impost blocks, low domes on pendentives, the presence of fine, spiky foliage patterns in low relief on stone capitals and moldings, and the use of frescoes, mosaics, and revetments of fine stone to cover whole interiors.
also: (sometimes lowercase) complex or intricate.

• The demand landed in the middle of byzantine negotiations that dragged on through yet another day.

• Efforts are underway to simplify the complex, byzantine system we've created to administer financial aid, and it's about time.

• The politics of world football have always been byzantine.

• Then you need to follow the byzantine instructions designed for trained professionals, not casual shoppers.

• The communications industry has long loved pricing models and plans that are as byzantine as humanly possible.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my papa will.

Ciao,
kc

Busy Day

All day today I meant to sit down and blog, but you know, it was hard to do! I kept finding one more thing that needed to get done, one more thing to capture my attention.

I woke up this morning with a scratchy throat and I was bone-tired yesterday. Not mentally, I could just feel the weariness in my bones all day at work. That didn't stop me from doing a bunch of stuff today, capping the day off with pumpkin muffins, chicken pot pie for a hungry boyfriend's dinner and red velvet cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting.

I managed to clean house, get some laundry done, and tidy my office. I also managed to get some design work done.

I would like to apologize that this post isn't particularly witty or well-written. I'm tired. And that bone-weariness is back. I am patiently waiting for Heather and co. to arrive, as they're coming to stay with us for a couple days to ski and enjoy Bend. Partly why I did the cleaning and the baking. Though I partly did that for fun.

Let me leave you with the recipe for the cupcakes because they are damn good. Not too sweet, just right. If I do say so myself. And I shall follow soon with pictures.

Promise.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
For the cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Now, I've given you the recipe a la the Food Network website. Copied word for word. Now, I read the reviews and every one said the recipe was a little greasy, so I only put a cup of oil in the cake instead of a cup and a half. They turned out delicious. I also did five teaspoons of cocoa powder instead of 2 just to make them a little more chocolatey. Scrumptious!

Enjoy!

Ciao,
kc

Big Word Wednesday: Staid

This week's big word is staid. It's a word I use fairly regularly in reference to one of my managers' personality. He's a great guy, very staid and dependable. We like him.

staid: [steyd] adjective. of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious. fixed, settled or permanent. indicates an ingrained seriousness and propriety that shows itself in complete decorum; a colorless kind of correctness is indicated.

•  He has a very staid personality.
•  They are a staid and uninteresting family.
• Staid middle age loves the hurricane drama of opera.

Ciao,
kc

Absenteeism

So sorry, so busy! And I only have time for a quick quick quick check in.

Last week, my back felt mostly healed and only twinged when I busted out an antsy 5 miler on the treadmill last Tuesday. I went carefully, easing into speed, starting at 12 minute miles and moving up, backing off when my back when "whoa!" I was only going to do 3, but I hit three and my legs said, "Don't stop! You haven't exercised in a week and a half! We need to move!" So I did five. Just to make my legs happy.

Because they are in charge.

I know you don't believe me, but it's true.

Yes, I let my body rule my life.

Particularly my appendages.

Anyways.

Last week, Tyler's best friend Jacob and his girlfriend came to stay with us for a couple days to ski and see Bend. Since my back felt okay running, I went boarding with them for a couple hours on Wednesday. Just for the record, as I hit the top of the first run I thought to myself, "This is either going to be just fine, or I'm going to hurt myself again and I'll have no pity from anyone because this time I have no one to blame but myself."

My back made it.

Granted, I only skiied two hours, mostly because Jacob's girlfriend was an uber-beginner and it took her two hours to get down the big bunny run and she was wiped after that. As I had gotten a bunch of runs in while she did her one, I offered to leave with her so she wouldn't have to sit and wait.

I thought it was a good idea, seeing as how I'd had such good luck with my back thus far, I didn't want to push it.

I lifted weights for the first time since my injury on Sunday, going easy -- using the 12 lb. bar instead of the 20 lb. bar for my squats and lunges, taking a page from Nutrition Nut on the Run and doing one of her HIIT to FIT uber leg workouts:

20 squats
30 lunges
45 second wall sit
x 3.

I interspersed the reps with some arms and water. It doesn't sound too hard, but the three or four times I've done that workout, I've left the gym going, "hmm...my legs are already sore," and then oohing and ahing for the next three days.

Back did okay, but it twinged. I took some advil and was fine. Haven't had any since Sunday, and I rocked another 5 miles today.

My running buddy is down and out with a knee injury, and her physical therapist hasn't given her a date for when she can hit the road again. I told her when her knee started to bug her to rest and ice it, as I know, from experience it's better to rest and get better than make it worse and drive the recovery time up up up. Did she listen? Of course not. Why would you?

Until you experience the aggravation of self-inflicted stupidity with injuries, you don't take anyone's word for it.

I know this.

I've done this.

See? Experience.

Now, I know better.

Sort of.

Now I have to run (not literally) because I have to get ready to go to Portland for a Stampin' Up craft party! So fun! And I get to see Heather! Hooray!

Ciao,
kc

Big Word Wednesday: Behemoth

There is a thing Tyler and I do that's super cute. We used to do it more often, when we were long distance and he didn't hear me use big words in context so often that he could pick them up, but we still do it now.

I'm his living dictionary.

If he hears a word he doesn't know or doesn't understand, he'll text me and say, "What does ____ mean?" And then I'll struggle to define the word that I've used correctly in the past but never had to define before. It's fun. It strengthens my knowledge of words and builds his.

As such, I'm tickled pink when he uses a big word. The big word of this week is behemoth. Tyler used behemoth the other day in reference to a lab that was one of the avalanche dogs in Steven's Pass, WA. He didn't use the word correctly, but I let him have it. I love that he tried.

behemoth: /bɪˈhiməθ, ˈbiə-/ Show Spelled[bih-hee-muhth] noun. an animal, perhaps the hippopotamus, mentioned in Job 40:15-24. any creature or thing of monstrous size or power.

• Every now and then, there is a mournful cry and a behemoth appears through the trees, rushing by indifferent to man and beast.

• It has also become the biggest company in the world by revenues, a behemoth that strikes fear in the hearts of rivals everywhere.

• But because they don't come in big-screen versions their energy use may compare well against newer behemoth sets.

• Every behemoth on the cover of the muscle mags is juicing.

• The carnivore snuffled the air as it approached the fallen behemoth.

 Keep using big words!

Ciao,
kc

Blogging Goal

My blogging goal is to post more than I did last year, because last year was just pathetic. You all deserve to read more than that!

I'm just checking in really quick. I've was busy as I convalesced from my back injury. (Can you see that word coming soon in a Big Word Wednesday?).

• I stamped up a storm for the short periods that I was able to sit up, prepping for a Stampin' Up party at the end of the month.
• I got some design work given to me (paying customers even! Thank you Shae Lynn and Kevin!)
• I worked on said design work
• I installed my new AppleTV which I am very excited about.
• And I slept.
• And ate.
• And watched TV.

Very exciting stuff.

I'm hoping to be running again by Sunday (we'll see what the PT says...I have to make that appointment...) and skiing by next week, but we'll see. I just wanted to check in with y'all and say hi!

Ciao,
kc