What part of NO MEAT -

Don't people understand?
I knew it, I jusssssssst KNEW IT. As I was sitting in a small cafe on main street in good old, Litchfield, MN, I sat down to a generous menu of nothing but dishes containing, yours truly, meat. For the past 2 years, I have been on a fish only, pescatarian, diet. I love it. I have always been extremely picky with meat and have slowly just eliminated most of it from my diet. Fish, on the other hand, is still OK in my mind. Back to my story: I decided on the Farmer's Omelette, consisting of SAUSAGE, cheese, diced peppers, tomatoes, onions and mushrooms - pretty much YUM, without the meat. Sooo, when it came time to order, I EMPHASIZED to the waitress, to say the least - that I didn't want meat in any shape or form on my omelette. Unless she is legally deaf and/or blind, I know she got the point. But did she really?

FLASHBACK: A few months ago, I was at a Perkin's in Minneapolis and ordered the Everything Omelette and also elminated the meat option. Gobbled down most of it, until I came to the last 3/4s and noticed a couple of pieces of ham. Believe me, if I had tasted it, I would have noticed right away. 2-3 pieces of meat was on it, at the most - I SWEAR, they do that just to spite me.

So, the whole time I was sitting there, I just kept thinking, there is going to be damn meat on my omelette. Food was served, checked around my plate and it looked fine - got about half way through it and GAHHHH, ham. WHAT THE HELL. I give up. Even if I did eat meat, the omelette I ordered had SAUSAGE in it. Unwritten rule #1: If you suck at listening, you will make a horrible waitress - find another job! In the past I have been too nice about this, chefs (aka high school dropouts in small towns) need to realize that people can get pretty sick from even accidently consuming different forms of meat, especially if it's been years since they have eaten it. I made my dilemma known to the same waitress that took my order - she felt bad and told me she'd give me 10% off. UGh. GEE THANKS! :/ If I get the shits from this omelette, miss ma'am, I'm payin' you a visit.

hot n funnnnnn

Love the indie style,

Not sure I feel the same about the song.

Check it outtttttt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6ZfA5QZDHY

black friday..

is for the crazies.

Black Friday, to me, is like going to an amusement park and having to wait in line for evvvvvvvvverysingleride. For 5 hours. It's just SOOO not enjoyable. I don't get the rush - I just want to punch people - acting like a pack of carnivorous wolves, awaiting that big old, juicy steak that is the giant 50'' plasma flat screen. OK, so maybe I am exaggerating a little..I take that back. Because I am nice, I accompanied my little brother on a trip to Walmart at 12am on Black Friday. The items that he wanted to purchase were, of course, not on sale - typical guy - but he wanted them right that night. Turns out he was given false information - that one of his sought after PS3 games would be half off - mmmmNOPE. AnyWHO, we got our goods and headed to the front of the store to wait in a massive line. The place was PACKED, which is a bit suprising for the small town of Litchfield, Minnesota, but I'm sure everyone in the 30 mile radius thought it would be worth their time to check it out. My sister took off on a trip to St. Cloud (about a 40 min. drive from Litchfield) at 3am and came back with nothing but boxes and a free snow globe. OOOoooAhhhhh. Nah, this girl would rather be sleeping. I have come to discover a veryyyy interesting personal trait of mine. After being involved with retail for a decent amount of time, I realize that I expect the best customer service, or else I get annoyed ppppreeettttyy easily. If you're not good at it, you shouldn't be doing it, bottom line. If I'm going to be pumping my money into a store, I don't want to be trampled, ignored, pushed, held-up, stressed or running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Props to those of you that ventured out on that evil, yet financially stupendous day.

Is it the hat?

A lot of people hate this hat. It angers a lot of people, just the sight of it. -Uncle Buck

I still get sad when I think about how John Candy is no longer with us - along with another one of my favorite funny guys, Chris Farley. Either way, this post can be dedicated to both of them crazy mofos. Since the hat that I borrowed from my granny's closet has currently gone MIA, I've started wearing one of the boy's hats (I generally enjoy stealing pieces from his closet, from time to time). I wore the faux fur bomber to the grocery store one day and couldn't believe all of the stares I got at a suburban Rainbow foods (in Plymouth, MN). . but the worst part is, I'm not quite sure if they were positive looks or whatthehellareyouwearing?! looks. Interestingly enough, since having been living downtown Minneapolis for the past 3 years, I have not been too concerned with what I am wearing. I like to switch it up a bit and wear something that draws attention, be it good or bad - tell me which girl doesn't. I challenge you to do the same, besides, it's always fun seeing people's reactions. In the meantime, share this tender moment with the ones you love over Turkey day, and remember to bust out your ugliest hat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT-fj8buujA&feature=related

Corporate Pedofilia

I tuned into Nightline, a couple of weeks ago and was infatuated by the segment that was done on Corporate Pedofilia. The idea is that these large, retail powerhouses are targeting tween girls (ages 9-12), based on what their celebrity idols are wearing (Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, to name a few). One of the main reasons why these companies signal out this age group, is simply because they have a very high disposable income - be it the result of allowances, babysitting, birthdays or other holidays - they got that dough, and more importantly, they LOVE spending it (to the tune of $43 billion, annually). Of course, young women imitating celebrities has always been the case, but compare the celebs of then to now. My mind wanders back to the contrasting times of innocence and Judy Garland - it's hard not to think of what the future has in store for our impulsive society. By observing what has been and what is now, it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly what is to come with teen/tween celebrities and their youthful styles, whether they are appropriate or not. One thing we know for sure, however, is that retailers will keep benefitting from celebs and their always contagious styles that move fluidly - as they are funneled from adults, to teens, to tweens, to children, to toddlers, to infants.
For your enjoyment, a look at teen celebs from backintheday to today.

Deep down, inside of me. . .

there is a bad girl.

I know, HA HA, right? I am now dangerously enthralled with the raunchy, yet ever-so-entertaining, reality tv show - The Bad Girls Club. I recently tuned in and now, it is one of my guilty pleasures and I'm not quite sure why. I have always strrrrongly disliked most girls like the ones featured on the show. However, I am drawn to it, probably because they are so unlike me. You know the saying, opposites attract, well, I'm thinkin' that's what's going on here. It is also a GREAT reminder of the right ways to handle situations, looking classy as opposed to trashy, especially when you find yourself in a predicament. Jon has become slightly concerned that I might start becoming a bitch, so to speak. Hmmm, he, of ALL people should know that myself and every other woman in this world has at LEAST a little BITCH in her. ;] Go GET'em.

R-rated deliciousness.

coffee.

chocolate.

ice cream.

Threesome of the century.

Caged Bird Syndrome?

I am having a mid-mid life crisis. Sort of. Sometimes I just feel like I'm stuck. I know my potential and I'm a huge planner - which is why it gets frustrating to be dissatisfied. Don't get me wrong, I have SO many things going for me right now - but I want more. A challenge. Something else to look forward to. I climbed the mountain to graduation pretty quickly and now I'm craving a new obstacle. My way of defining this term is not similar in anyway to sites like Urban Dictionary, as the definition goes, "When one is caught in the boring part of a relationship and they feel trapped and want to leave the relationship but they cant." Partly because it's totally a focused on a different dynamic of life, in my case, but mostly because I made it up. My definition of the term is more concerned with life, in general. Feeling a little trapped in your current environment, moreso in relation to physicalities - like mn. I have a job now, but it's one of those stepping stone jobs. Although I am learning a ton, It's not what I want to be doing at this point. I know, I'm 21, just graduated and we're in a recession. Blah, Blah, Blah - it's hard not to dwell on that, but sometimes it's more true than false. In the meantime, I am applying to corporate jobs, that will provide me with tuition reimbursement and a ticket to bigger, probably better, things.

addicted.

to caffeine?
I rarely drink pop, with the exception of this past week.
At work, they were trying to get rid of some pop, which was getting close to the expiration date. So, I thought, why not? Plus, it was a tiring week of hosting mostly every day and those clients can be quite demanding, so I needed the pick-me-up. Thursday, I was pop-free and decided I really wasn't in the mood for coke another day - annnnd, after talking with my co-worker about how the acidity in coke can do some considerable work on metal and the aspartame is actually pretty harmful to your body - I opted out. Within an hour later and around the usual caffeine-fix time, I started getting a headache for no apparent reason and felt pretty drained. I took a couple of advil and a half hour to an hour later - it was still there, which is also unusual. Feeling experimental, I grabbed a pop, finished about half of it and felt fine. WHAT?! Could a caffeine virgin really become hooked that quickly? I'm thinking so.
According to http://www.caffeinedepence.org/, common withdrawal symptoms include:
Headache
Fatigue
Sleepiness/drowsiness
Difficulty concentrating
Irritability
Depression
Anxiety
Flu-like symptoms
Impairment in psychomotor, vigilance and cognitive performances

BABIES

the movie.

Anyone that really knows me, could probably acknowledge that I've had baby fever ever since I was, well, a baby - as I played with my little dolls. It's definitely not something that I want at this point in time, but when that day comes, I will be soooo ready. Yesterday, I finally got the chance to watch the BABIES documentary and I was absolutely astonished by what I saw. The movie followed four, different babies, from extremely unique areas around the world: Mongolia, California (mmm not so much), Namibia and Japan.

Although the environmental differences were eye-opening, the solid similarities that resonated throughout the relationships between mother and child were even more intriguing. It just goes to show that there really isn't a right way to raise a child. I felt that there was a definite presence of overstimulation among the babies living in both California and Japan. These mothers were also quite active - constantly teaching their babies (bringing them to singing/dancing groups, reading to them) - - everything that we, in civilized areas, consider to be normal and best. The Mongolian and Namibian babies were definitely my favorites. They were so content with being alone, were extremely independent, rarely whined or cried and discovered everything for themselves. The mothers were usually close by, but definitely weren't doting over their child's every move. Also, there were no doctor appointments, medicines or even baths on a regular basis. Growing up in America, I was a little digusted by this, at first - and felt sympathy towards the babies growing up in a more uncivilized manner. However, by the end of the movie, I changed my mind and the sympathy was, instead, felt for the little girls - who were growing up in concrete jungles and already resisting conformity at just months old.

the difference between

losing and misplacing.
Either way - they both suck.
In the past week, I have experienced a love-hate relationship with my common practice of organized chaos - of which I'm sure most can relate to. I may not be the neatest person, however, I can tell you exactly where any valuable, personal item is at any time. Which is why it drives me absolutely up the wall when something goes missing. About a week ago, I couldn't find my visitor parking permit anywhere - it's about the size of chapter book, so it's not like it's tiny. I always put it in either my car's glove box or our junk drawer. Of course, it happened to disappear the other day, when Jon's parents were here and needed to park on the street. After searching desperately for over a week (calling hotels, searching parent's cars, ripping apart my residence) I decided, I'll just go spend the $10 and get another one. After a few days and a couple of failed trips to the dept. of traffic/parking services - I was still out a parking pass. As I was emptying the dishwasher, I opened the cupboard right below my junk drawer (a cupboard in which I rarely explore), I noticed none other than, my effing parking pass. Turns out, my junk drawer was too full and when I opened it to get the pass, it caught and fell down to it's death. And mine.

simply obsessed

with Minnetonka Moccasins.

Ever since I bought my first pair of MMs last year (the black, 5-layer fringes), I honestly have not put them away and they have held up amazingly!

So, folks, it's that time of year again, and I am really on the hunt for another pair of shoes (or two) to rock for the entire year. :)

I cannot count how many compliments I have received on these boots and they are so me - a typical, modern day, hippie - not my words. Annnnd, i love fringe and always will. It's even more dangerously tempting, for me, because my uncle owns The Boot Shack - located in St. Cloud, MN and, of course, he's a dealer. . and if he wasn't, I'd convince him. Here are the boots that are currently on my wish list. Actually, I'm placing an order tomorrow, but only for one. for now :)

Tramper Ankle Hi Boot

Woodstock Boot

Front Lace Knee-Hi

These are the ones I'm getting first, within the next week - the problem is, I can't decide between the tan suede, or the dusty brown suede (the 2 on the left). . .since I already have black and the rusty orange wouldn't be my first choice, I'm steering away from the other 2. I know the gray pair would probably be easier to keep clean, especially in the winter, but something about the tan calls my name. hmmm, comments, suggestions? PLEASE?! :)

better than sex

CAKE.
Got ya, didn't i? haha.
As the previous post stated, the baby finally turned 21.
Since it was his birthday and I had been craving sweets, I decided to make him Better than Sex Cake (yes, that is the real title - and I'm assuming a woman came up with it) - quite clever, might I add.
It.was.delish.
Now, here is the recipe, so you can make it for a special occasion or cravin'.

Ingredients
1 (18.25 oz.) package devil's food/german chocolate cake mix
1/2 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz. Mrs. Richardson's caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 oz.) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
(I used 1 bag of Heath Bits - found by the chocolate chips!)
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
(I bought an 8 fl. oz. container of heavy whipping cream - no electric mixer, but soooo worth it!)

Directions
1.  Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits or poke holes (using the other end of a spatula) all over the top of the cake, making sure not to go all the way through to the bottom.
2.  In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits/holes; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm.
3.  Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

the love of my life

turns 21.
On October 29th, 2010 - my main man, Jon Barrick, was finally dubbed 'legal.'
Now he can go to the bars without using Jerod's ID ;]
So, here are 21 reasons why I love him just so darn much.
(thanks, hannah, for the idea ;] )

1]  Every time that I get out of bed (to get a drink, use the bathroom, whatever) he immediately rolls over to my side.

2]  He can always make me smile, even when I am extremely pissed off.

3]  He cannot multi-task, don't even try to talk to him when he's doing something else.

4]  He always listens to me, whether it's ranting, bantering or something serious - he's all ears.

5]  The first 2 months of living on our own, together, has flowwwwwn by and it's been even better than I could've imagined.

6]  He will eat anything I make - and whether it's good or not, he inhales it.

7]  He will never turn me down for an ice cream run - he knows I need ice cream. :)

8]  Everything he buys is fat free, but he is willing to buy double just because I want the REGULAR.

9]  He's a cuddle bug.

10]  He's usually always hot, whereas I'm always cold.

11]  He is always tan and I'm always pasty. it is what it is.

12]  He is such a gentleman - to anyone and everyone. MAYyyybe not on the ice. :)

13]  He'll leave me little notes when he's knows I've had a long day.

14]  He gets super into video games on the rare occasions that he plays, like Call of Duty, and doesn't realize that he follows the characters in the TV like a cat. :)

15]  He usually takes my advice when we're out shopping - which i feel like every man should anyway. ;]

16]  He calms me.

17]  He loves the bears at the zoo, mostly because his nickname is Running Bear.

18]  He buys me a drink on his 21st, just because.

19]  He brings out the kid in me & is always playing along with my goofy shenanigans.

20]  Older women flock to him - like he is their child or something.

21] He's simply my best friend.