December 2010
1 post
1 tag
the standard to live up to
We had a delicious lunch at The Standard in Albany, NY the other weekend. It was like stepping back in time. I felt like I was in an episode of Mad Men. Visit the website and check out the gallery to see what I mean.
For such an exquisitely decked out ambiance you’d think you might pay an arm and a leg for the actual food. Not so. There were some items on the menu that we pretty pricey,...
November 2010
3 posts
1 tag
pinot grigio
My next foray into the world of wine was Cavit Pinot Grigio 2009. Overall I was very pleased with this wine. It is a very pale straw color, and it appears almost clear toward the edges of the glass when I tip it. It looks almost watery in appearance. No sediment is visible. To me it smells somewhere between sweet and dry.. maybe halfway between the two. It smells of berries, vanilla and has some...
1 tag
trying new eateries...
This afternoon I went to the Gateway Diner in Albany, NY for lunch. (Pic above stolen from their facebook.) I had seen this diner a few days ago while I was traveling about town, and it looked like a nice place to experiment with. I really love the outside decor - very retro 50’s looking. The inside is charming too. I understand it was recently redone, coming under new ownership. I ordered...
1 tag
Teefies
I went to the dentist today, after 2 years away. I don’t much like the dentist, but it is a necessary evil that must be done, right? I came away with two cavities (one supposedly is HUGE!), and I need to have one tooth crowned where it chipped last year. I also have a little bit of begin-stage gum disease. I may have to have a few of my teeth scaled, or get the bacteria scrapped out below...
October 2010
8 posts
1 tag
Slammin' Salmon
Another salmon! Why is salmon the most popular fish to serve? I got herb encrusted salmon at work today and it was ok. Not great by any means. I don’t like salmon that much I guess, I like milder fish better. The herb encrusted part of it was yummy because well, the herbs were yummy. But there was a nasty bottom (fat maybe?) to the salmon that smelled like my 10th grade dissection of a shark....
1 tag
chardonnay yay!
Last night we tried a small bottle of Alice White 2009 Chardonnay. This wine is a light golden color - the color of straw.
It seems to be a little watery and translucent. I see little bits of sediment, but I think it may be stuff that was on the glass before I used it because I didn’t rinse it (ewww).
The chardonnay smells dry, sharp but light, a bit flowery. Maybe citrus? And something...
1 tag
ouchie
Sorry for the scary closeup of my ear and hair. I didn’t know I had that much hair on my face lol.
I got my cartilage pierced (again*)! I decided to go one day last week. It hurt! But it only lasted for a second. I went to a piercing parlor in town and looked around, feeling really uncomfortable. Finally a guy named Buzz came up front and said hi. He seemed nice, and all the piercing...
1 tag
shirazalicious?
Ok I’m on a roll with wine. This time it is a small bottle of Alice White 2008 Shiraz. I’m drinking it while watching St. Elmo’s Fire. Nice combo, hehe. Does anyone think I am cheating by going with all the small bottles? Like getting my goal over quickly, or something? I don’t see it that way… This is my way of getting a quick overview of different kinds of wine to...
1 tag
joe's pizza!
I almost forgot to write this! A few weeks ago I went with my family to Joe’s Pizza Place and Restaurant in Rotterdam, NY. It is a cozy, family run establishment, and there were pictures all over of the family members when they were young.
We were immediately seated and continued to sit for at least a half hour before we were waited on (only after one of our party signaled a waitress...
1 tag
white zinfandel
I went crazy at the liquor store last night. I bought 8 or 9 little bottles of wine (about 187 ml each).
The first we broke open was the Sutter Home 2009 White Zinfandel. It is a beautiful light rose color, and the clarity is clear. I love it when the cold wine sits in the glass and it gets condensation on it.
It’s slightly dry but not as dry as the Pinot Noir we had the other week....
1 tag
delicious tilapia
Went to Outback Steakhouse and ordered the Fresh Tilapia with Pure Lump Crab Meat. I snagged a picture off of the internet to show above. Note that instead of the asparagus (which would have been yummmm) it was served with fresh spring veggies (which was pretty good too.) The dish on whole was very good, and I would get it again. The tilapia itself was very mild and didn’t have that strong...
1 tag
not so good
Last weekend my sister purchased another wine; Opihi Valley Pinot Noir 2003. This wine is definitely dry, waaaay dry. I don’t like it as much as the riesling I had before. It’s a beautiful maroon color. Clear (not cloudy). Brilliant (not dull). By the way, I am using this website to learn the basics of tasting wine. No sediment. It seems to be medium bodied. After swirling it around...
September 2010
6 posts
1 tag
surprisingly good
I bought my first bottle of wine tonight. I was in the mood for chicken korma, so I looked up what kind of wine would go best with a creamy dish. Riesling was recommended, so I stopped by the wine/liquor store and found 2007 George Müller Riesling. When I checked out the woman at the cash register said, “Ohh George Müller, my favorite!” So I was happy I had picked semi-well.
I have...
1 tag
a story
I started writing a short story about my experience in the hospital earlier this year. It’s hard. I feel like I will get into a zone, but the zones are very short lived. It seems to take a lot out of me.
But I will press on. I must!
1 tag
this is my crazy brain
This has been going pretty well, partly because if it wasn’t I think I would be in a ditch by now. I loooooove my pdoc, I wish she was my therapist. (She partly is.)
1 tag
going to my therapist
This has been rough going. For a while it was smooth sailing, but the last month not so much. I will get back into it though. I thought I might try to find a different one (again), but now I think I will stick with my current one for a while.
1 tag
Salmon at work
I have been meaning to write about this for some time. I ordered salmon at work one day. It was nice, not great, but nothing objectional. I brought it back to my desk, and then everyone was asking, “Who ordered the fish?” I said to them, “It was me! And yes, now I am one of those people!*” Ugh..
*Meaning the people that stink up the office with smelly food.
1 tag
Divorce is final!
Divorce is done! It was finalized on July 20th of this year. Next step, name change.
June 2010
4 posts
1 tag
filling my piggy bank
I started saving money for each goal that I have completed. It is a nice monetary reminder of successes. I am up to $50 so far :)
it's all about the hair
I’m trying a lot of hair stuff. And I’m getting some results. I mean I definitely see differences in how the products make my hair look and feel. But I haven’t come across a product that does what I want to my hair. I want my hair to look shiny and not frizzy. I hate the frizz. I tried Straight Sexy Hair Smooth and Seal Spray, Chi Silk Infusion and Garnier Fructis Sleek and...
1 tag
mahi mahi
Over the weekend I went to the Cheesecake Factory with my parents and ordered the grilled mahi mahi. I have never had mahi mahi before, and it turned out to be pretty good. I think I like it better than salmon, it seems to be milder tasting. I liked the texture and taste. I ordered it with asparagus amd mashed potatoes (not spinach like the picture above).
Image of the Cheesecake Factory...
1 tag
the one where i fail to catch broccoli in my mouth
I have always wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant, and sit at a hibachi table. I think I did once when I was very little, but that doesn’t count, I decided. I met a friend at Hana Japanese Steak House in Albany for dinner and we both had the sirloin steak hibachi dinner. We were both starving so we finished our entrées down to the very last bite. At one point while preparing the food...
April 2010
4 posts
1 tag
Another salmon...
For Easter I went with my family to a brunch buffet at a local hotel. I chose to put salmon on my plate in the buffet line instead of chicken. That was a mistake. I had to throw most of it away.
Well in reality, none of the food at the buffet was that good, so I can’t really judge the salmon there as a representative of how salmon is supposed to taste (or smell).
I am taking to beer more...
1 tag
I can cook an egg
I’m not a cook. I’m a food warmer-upper. I want to get at least a basic idea of how to cook basic stuff. I am currently in the first section of this book, which is all about eggs. I learned to poach an egg! (kind of, hehe)
I already knew how to fry eggs, scramble and hard boil them, but this book is so basic that it goes over even the simplest things, which I like. I am kinda sick...
1 tag
A Beer I Could Tolerate
Corona isn’t that bad. It’s not yummy, but it’s not disgusting either. I could probably drink a whole bottle of it even. I love the smell of it. It’s the stereotypical beer smell, which I like.
So beer is progressively tasting not as gross. Is this because I am getting used to it, or because I keep trying beers that appeal to me more?
1 tag
Pictures
I got some pictures developed. And when I say some, I mean 540. Pictures from the last 8 years or so!
I am enrolled in MyPoints.com (which really is worth it - if you join let me know, I will invite you and we both get points :) and ordered the pictures through two of their affiliate shops. So I get the pictures plus extra points for gift cards. I spent about $110 total. Not bad for 8 years of...
March 2010
6 posts
1 tag
Unpacked.
This is done! Only took 3 months. This is the whole reason I have this list of goals. What takes a regular person a week to do, takes me 28 years. But at least it’s done…
This weekend I will finish the organizing the paperwork bins, etc.
1 tag
followers, eek
Darn you! I thought I was done with the Honda link thingee.
Thank you for your kind words jagjeetpradeep, I will look into that Honda music link again :)
1 tag
New Specs!
I got new eye glasses a couple of weeks ago. I had the old ones about 2.5 years, and I could tell my eyes were outgrowing my prescription. I was squinting a lot.
These new glasses I got are a little less funky than the old ones, meaning the color isn’t at crazy, but they are still fun. They are two toned - it’s officially called rose/pink. The front is kind of brownish and the...
1 tag
Unpacking...
I unpacked all the bins from the move! Now they are strewn across the living room. Just need to stack them all together and straighten things out. The only things I need to do is unpack a few more boxes and bring some appliances into the kitchen. Oh, and my big suitcase full of books. This week I will do it…. Maybe even tomorrow. And yes, I found my sneakers, and the shaving cream :)
1 tag
the big "D"
I sent in my statement of net worth (finally), and now I am waiting to hear from the lawyer. I will have to go in to her office and sign papers, and then the papers will be served to my ex. The lawyer said it would take about 6-8 weeks once it gets to the courts. Today my ex and I went to close a joint banking account. It went alright. I will breath a sigh of relief when this thing is all settled...
1 tag
Feeling Good
I am reading the book, Feeling Good, by David Burns, MD. It was recommended to me by a friend a while ago, and I am just recently digging into it. I am not one for hokey pokey self help books, but when they come recommended and supported by many people who’s opinion I respect, I’ll give it a try. I really, really like what Burns is talking about in the book. It strikes me as true on...
February 2010
11 posts
1 tag
Safety First!
I got the Life Hammer for my car, and some heat blankets. Hope I never need to use them! A friend of mine helpfully reminded me to not store the Life Hammer in the trunk. :P
1 tag
Whiten Teeth
Here is a before and after comparison. Of course these pictures were taken in different kinds of light, so an exact comparison is not possible, but the light is similar enough to get the general idea.
I can see a tiny bit of difference, not a whole lot, but something maybe. If I want to go further later on I may whiten them again in a few months. We’ll see.
1 tag
Beer Beer Beer
Uhhh… beer is so nasty. This beer is slightly less nasty than the Heineken, but only because it doesn’t really taste like anything, except for the aftertaste, which is nasty mcnasty.
What other beer should I try? What is like the best beer to drink?
1 tag
Living Will
Last weekend I had my sister Kim sign the forms, and tonight I mailed copies out to my parents and all of my sisters. So that’s that!
I will probably update them when my last name changes.
1 tag
Order Some Fish
I ate the Grilled Salmon Burger at Red Robin tonight.
It was ok. I wouldn’t mind eating it again, and I wouldn’t mind not eating it again.
The whole reason I am doing this fish thing is not necessarily to eat healthier (although that wouldn’t hurt), but to expand my palate and try new things. (I also know that this salmon burger isn’t really the most healthy way I could...
1 tag
Living Will
A couple weeks ago I got a pamphlet from my health insurance company entitled Advance Health Care Directives. It was basically instructions on how to log onto their website and download NYS forms for Living Will and Health Care Proxy. This was perfect timing, as I was aiming to research living wills in the next few days.
I gave the whole situation some thought and decided to name my mom my health...
1 tag
Whiten Teeth
I finished my Crest White Strips! And I need to find my camera so I can post before and after pics!
I definitely see a difference, but they aren’t like perfectly white or anything. They look more white or less white, depending on the light in the room. In my upstairs bathroom they look spectacular! :)
1 tag
Honda Music Link
I am going to call this one done! I researched and found that the voice control system sucks, and there are other ways to hook the ipod up (including fm transmitter, which I have already tried with mixed results). I don’t have a visible aux port, and I don’t want to take out my radio to install anything.
What I want is a way to dock my ipod, and use it to control what I hear through...
1 tag
Beer
I bought some Heineken. Why, oh why do people drink this stuff? Blech. Well I just read online that Heineken is one of the worst tasting beers. Here’s hoping my next try will be better.
1 tag
Get Blood Drawn
I went last Saturday to finally, after 11 months, to get my blood drawn for both my doctors. Woohoo! It’s just regular blood testing, plus a testing of my thyroid. I will be interested to find out the results when I finally make an appointment with both docs… which is part of my other goals!
1 tag
Organ Donor
I enrolled in the New York State Donate Life Registry. I filled out the form and mailed it in a few days ago. I just now emailed all of my immediate family members about my intentions. I am on the list to give all of my organs and tissues that are needed for transplant and/or research. I also filled out the little form on the back of my driver’s license.
January 2010
8 posts
1 tag
No More Lates
Well, I had a week solid of being on-time, and that is good. The start of the second week I was late because of snow (that’s not an excuse, but it’s my excuse).
This kinda depressed me. In an effort to not sabotage my successes with depression, I decided to make the creteria in regards to latenesses be “1 full week (x100)” instead of “2 full weeks (x50).”
So...
1 tag
First Aid Kits
I decided to get a First Aid Kit for the car, but not for the house. I just picked up some first aid type materials for the house. I got one like the picture above, not a huge one because I don’t foresee me needing a huge quantity of first aid supplies for any reason… maybe if I start hiking in the summer I will think of getting a bigger one.
I also bought 2 fire extinguishers for...
1 tag
Organize Paperwork
In my first step toward organizing all my important papers, I bought this fire safe box for such things as passport, social security card, birth certificate, etc. Its the same as the picture above, but black. Wish I could have gotten the blue, it’s pretty :)
1 tag
Honda Music Link
When I bought my Honda in 2006, I got Honda Music Link ipod hook-up, to be able to hook my ipod right into the stereo system of the car. I soon realized that I couldn’t control the songs that play on my ipod through the car stereo controls. Which pissed me off.
It seems I went almost 4 years not knowing if I was out of luck or if there was a way to do this that I just hadn’t figured...
1 tag
Whiten Teeth
I bought Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal, and have completed two nights of it so far. It’s a 14 day process. So far my teeth aren’t too sensitive to the strips, which I was afraid of, and they stick pretty well. I have been doing it at night before I go to bed.
I’ve had yellow teeth for years, not VERY yellow, but enough to be a little embarrassing in pictures. Of course...
1 tag
Wall Calendar
I got in the mail on Wed. Jan 27. It came in the most enormous box! I put it up and started marking my on-times/tardies for work. So far I have a week of on-times. Here’s hoping for 99 more!
I also marked my first goal completed on the calendar. I really need to document these things with photos, so when I dig out my camera from the many bags I am still unpacking, I will snap a pic and...
1 tag
Wall Calendar
Well, may as well start with something easy. I ordered the wall calendar on Amazon, and it’s on its way. I won’t mark the goal “complete” until it actually gets here and I hang it up and write on it. I will be using it to help me keep track of the status of my goals, especially the weekly ones.
I’ve been not getting around to ordering the calendar for weeks, so it is...