Well So much for New Year's Resolutions

I commute on public transportation two hours every day. I don’t mind it and its nice not to drive, but sadly, I get horrible motion sickness when I read. I’ve been reduced to listening to books on my Kindle, it’s passable but not the same as using the own voices in my head. Not that I listen to voices in my head mind you.  I do check the books out. I do stuff them in my backpack and I do try to read on the bus every week.  

My reading life has suffered. And So….

Books I’ve Checked out of the Library and Not Read in 2014

 

Doctor Sleep: A Novel by Stephen King

I read “The Shining” I loved it. I watched the movie, I’ve stayed at the Stanley Hotel, I know and love Stephen King.  Stanley Kubrick!! What happens to the Torrence Family and REDRUM?!! I’m destined never to know.

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Edsel, Robert

I’ve lied to my friend that recommended this book to me.  I told her I loved it. Hiltler SUCKS! Art ROCKS, I haven’t even seen the movie.  I watched the trailer like 20 times does that count?

Sweet Tooth: A Novel by Ian Mcewan

Cambridge student Serena Frome’s beauty and intelligence make her the ideal recruit for MI5. The year is 1972. The Cold War is far from over. England’s legendary intelligence agency is determined to manipulate the cultural conversation by funding writers whose politics align with those of the government. The operation is code named “Sweet Tooth.”

Serena, a compulsive reader of novels, is the perfect candidate to infiltrate the literary circle of a promising young writer named Tom Haley. At first, she loves his stories. Then she begins to love the man. How long can she conceal her undercover life? To answer that question, Serena must abandon the first rule of espionage: trust no one.

Once again, Ian McEwan’s mastery dazzles us in this superbly deft and witty story of betrayal and intrigue, love and the invented self.

I copied the above from Amazon this books sounds like a great James Bondy type book and I will have to recheck it out. 

I will check out all these book again, but alas will have to  wait my turn behind everyone in King County that want to check these books out.

Cheers!

Went to the Seattle Aquarium on MLK day, so I'm just posting pics of that

These are my coworkers from the Seattle VA. It was a beautiful day for an outing

 

Week 2 2014

Here is this week's pictures of our dinner on 1/4

I love Japanese and no one does it better than Izumi's in Kirkland

 I had the sushi and tempura combination and Craig had the Tako Sunamono (octopus salad), Spicy Tuna roll and Yellowtail. Yum.

We saw a WWII movie called "Age of Heroes" it was not very good. If you have a chance to ignore that movie do so.

This week's book is: Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple a book set in the PNW

I liked it somewhat, but  rich whinny Northwest peeps come on I see them every day!

Oops forgot to publish week 2, but here is week 3:

Went to see the Princess Bride on the BIG SCREEN! It was awesome! the AMC theater in Lynnwood is running classic 80's movies this month and the weekend of the 12th it was The Princess Bride. I loved it and had never seen it in the THEATER, I recommend this experience for everyone.

My book this week was:

Apothecary Cocktails

by Warren Bobrow

It was mainly an instruction manual on how to make drinks, but  it did not cure what ails me.

here's the pictures for this week

Fell on my knees on a Sunday Stroll, I thank you very much.

 

 Craig brought me Roses home for no reason.

One last fun fact

The Seattle Seahawks my favorite professional football team made it to the SUPERBOWL.

WAY TO GO HAWKS!

 



2013 recap by Craig Breedon

This is what Craig put down on Facebook January 1st.

"Good 2013. Went to Iceland, Quit a Job, Went to Vegas for a Mini Family Reunion, Drove to Mt Rushmore, Got Married, Went to Victoria, Got a New Job, Went to Vegas again Looking forward to 2014."

That was pretty much it. Except I didn't drive to Mt. Rushmore or quit my job, but I did do the other things.
And Officially I am Mrs. Breedon now. Weird. But it says so on my driver's license so it must be true.
Here's a wedding pic:

Mans and Gosia are the witnesses and my friend Gwen from work married us in our living room. It was fun, we had cake and champagne.

So, I've decided my goal this year will be one post, one book, and one pic a week. On Sunday's I'll recap it all.

This week's book was Mike Tyson's "Undisputed Truth". It was okay, and I hope it all ends well for him. I couldn't finish it though, I wanted to but I checked it out of the library and 21 days later it disappeared from my Kindle. I got 75% of it read. All of the middle bit is about sex, drugs, rap and being a thug, and  it took me a while to trudge through that, well maybe if  I had had the book another 2 weeks, I could of gotten to the redemption part. I do hope there's a redemption part or else he is a sorry sick SOB. I can't fathom such an existence, whom am I kidding, I can see it, we are the mob, we build someone so high just to watch them tumble. I guess he wins today he is still standing.
Mike 1 MOB 0
Still I did not enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. so it gets 3 out of 5 stars.
See Ya Next week.


 

Sorry, due to awsome movies, I will be unavailable this Fall

Release Date
10/5    Taken and Pitch Perfect
11/9    Skyfall 007
11/16  Twilight Breaking Dawn #2  and Anna Karenina
11/23  Life of Pi
12/14  Hobbit
12/21  This is 40
12/28   Les Mis
I guess I should go rent space @ the Theater

so going to make this! gathered clutch tutorial

Noodlehead: gathered clutch tutorial: A huge thanks to Dana and Disney for doing such a great job of rounding up all sorts of wonderful mother's day projects!  Materials n...

What was your high school mascot?

In honor of the end of summer, and college football, I present:

The Top 10 NCAA's Most Confusing Mascots

10: Keggy the Keg - Dartmouth College

9: Why is Rowdy Raider a wolf and not a Viking? - Wright State University

8: Lil' Red (Big Boy Burger w/gangsta hat) - Nebraska University

7: Nittany Lion - Penn State

6: Zippy (kangaroo)- Akron University

5: Crimson Tide (elephant)- Alabama University

4: Gorlok (?) - Webster University

3: Billikin (?) - St. Louis University

2: Big Red (?) - Western Kentucky University

And my favorite...

1: Cardinal (color, bird or tree?)- Stanford

Brandy Plum Sauce on the hottest day of the year

My co-worker Aurea has a plum tree and the birds are getting at them  so she brought some to work and wanted me to make her a tart or a cobbler for Monday. Of course today was the hottest day of the year (at least 90 degrees) and there was no way I was going to turn the oven on. So instead I made some brandy plum sauce and bought pound cake to take to work

The sauce is a piece of cake. 

Cut plums add 1/2 cup of sugar 1/4 cup of water 1/4 cup of brandy 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon cook for 15 minutes and BAM sauce is cooked. 

enjoy

Lisa’s Creative Corner: La Belle Vie Stationery Box/Set

Lisa’s Creative Corner: La Belle Vie Stationery Box/Set: Here is another project that I made for the Accessories Presentation at the Close to my Heart Convention. This is a “book box” with a sta...

A 52oz Manhattan

So, I've had my Woodinville Whiskey Barrel for a while and wanted to change it up a bit so I'm going to share the recipe for what's sitting in it.

Take 18 oz of the best red vermouth out there

Add 32oz of the best whiskey  

 2 oz bitters

 mix add cherry and enjoy!

I'll keep you posted on how it ages

I'm thinking it only gets better b/c on day 1 it's delicious



New Year day 2

So these are my resolutions of  the new year I figure if I write them down somehow magically they will happen!

1. Exercise more. This one I have actually done something about. I bought a livingsocial groupon for $30 for a month of bootcamp and tonight was my first night at Total Sweat Fitness with Al and let me tell you that he's as tough as he looks :) I will be going on Mondays and Wednesdays and every other Saturday all this month, It will be fun b/c it will be with 4 of my awesome girlfriends. During the workout today, I had to lie down two times, I think it must have been all the booze I consumed this past week that brings me to resolution #

2.  Drink more water less alcohol. For this one I have gotten the old water bottle out and am now carrying it around. So far I've been good about the less booze, I only had a small glass of an old champagne yesterday (had to drink it before it went flat).

3. Clean the house regularly. I follow flylady and she has helped me and my clutter. Lately though I've become lazy, I did shine my sink and two loads of dishes, her Baby Steps are the way I have become organized.

4. Read more books. Santa got me a Kindle for Christmas, came with Amazon Prime and King County Library System set up and have already devoured two books. On the other hand I have wasted loads of time playing around with said Kindle and so I come to resolution #

5.  Master my electronics (not the other way around). I waste so much time, everyday online and my computer is one hot mess.The only setting on the camera I know is AUTO, and oh my new kindle...I don't think this resoulution will get done at all, but I will try.

6. Loose weight.  Still doing The Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise. It's still working

7. Walk three to four times a week. I have a tredmill, a dog, and I get two fifteen minute breaks at work, this one should be easy right?

8. Stick to a budget.

9. Don't sweat the small stuff.

10. Set an example

Those are the top 10 here's the rest.
Be better to the dog. Continue to Volunteer. Smile More. Remember Birthdays.  More Sex, better sex. Get a life. Be a best friend. Listen better. Start a garden. Keep a journal. Be more assertive. Balance the check book. Plan a vacation. Learn a new sport. Make and send more holiday cards. Write more letters. Turn off the television. Be Happy. Meet new people. Be entertaining. Eat more vegetables. Make peace not war. Be a better photographer. Say Thank you. Be friendly to strangers. Be a better artist. Just to name a few.




.

Chanukah day 2

Chanukah day 2
Went out for some drinks at Malt and Vine had the Hebrew Vertical Jewbelation it was delicious plus a Gyro and Fries got home lit the candles opened pressie #2 it was the Nicki Minaj Pink Friday CD, and the Craig got ABC's the Lexicon of Love.

What did I do for Chanukah day 1?

Put on your yarmelke, it's time for Chanukah. Hope you all had a nice Tuesday.

Do you ever have one of those days where 30 things happen but when someone asks; I dunno, I don't really remember? Well that was me today. Excited about it being a holiday, I got home wrapped Craig's pressie (a bottle of Namaste beer from Dogfish Head), made a delicious shepard's pie. Got the "Hebrew Hammer" all ready. My pressie was the Sherlock Holmes movie. Yeah...
Then my poor baby got home in a funk because he had a guy at work die of a heart attack today. Can you believe it? Poor guy, his name was Jay, he was a round 50 yrs old. You wake up just like any other Tuesday, take a shower, go to work, a girl gives you a cookie, your arm starts hurting, you tell your co-workers you don't feel well, go sit down, fall down and you die. That's it. The end. I really don't know how to end this story. I mean. How do you recover from a co-worker keeling over? God Bless Jay and I hope he's in a better place.

Merry Christmas and plenty of Walking Dead this New Year

Just posting this for my friend Sheila

Bubbling Asian Fondue From the Sunset Magazine Febuary 2000 issue

Makes 4 to 6 servings



Ingredients



•4 to 6 cups bite-size vegetable pieces (choose 2 or 3—asparagus, broccoli, green beans)

•1/2 pound boned, skinned firm-flesh fish such as halibut

•1/2 pound sea scallops

•1/2 pound shrimp (31 to 40 per lb.), shelled and deveined

•Asian broth

•Sauces (choose 3 or 4)

•-Chutney yogurt

•-Cilantro mustard

•-Ginger-soy

•-Wasabi cream

•2 to 3 cups cooked rice


Preparation


1. In 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 to 3 quarts water to a boil. Add vegetables. Cook until they turn bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain; immerse in ice water until cool; drain again.

2. Rinse fish, scallops, and shrimp; pat dry. Cut fish into 1/4-inch-thick slices, about 2 inches long. Cut scallops crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise. Arrange fish, scallops, and shrimp on a flat dish.

3. In a 3-quart metal chafing dish or pan over high heat, bring all Asian broth to a boil. If using a 2-quart fondue pan, fill halfway with boiling broth (keep remaining broth hot; cover, and set over lowest heat on a range).

4. Set container on an alcohol or canned solid-fuel flame or an electric burner set on high heat. Arrange vegetables, seafood, sauces, and rice near pan.

5. Spear foods, 1 piece at a time, with fondue forks or thin skewers (metal or wood) and immerse in broth. Cook vegetables until they are hot, and seafood until barely opaque in thickest part, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Dip hot foods into sauces and eat. As liquid evaporates in pan, add more boiling broth, using all.

6. After vegetables and seafood are consumed, ladle remaining broth into bowls and add rice to each portion. Eat with spoons.



Asian Broth

Yield: Makes 6 cups

•6 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

•1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

•6 slices fresh ginger (quarter size)

•1 or 2 dried hot red chiles

•2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed

In a 2 1/2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring to a boil chicken broth, green onions, ginger, red chilies, and garlic. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift out and discard ginger and chilies.



Sauces



Chutney Yogurt

•1/4 cup finely chopped mango chutney

•1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

In a small bowl, mix chutney with yogurt



Cilantro Mustard

Makes About 1/2 cups

•1/2 cup reduced-fat or regular mayonnaise

•2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

•1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

•1/2 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, cilantro, mustard, and sesame oil.



Wasabi Cream

Makes About 1/2 cup

•1 tablespoon wasabi powder

•1/2 cup sour cream

•1 tablespoon minced chives or green onions

In a small bowl, mix wasabi powder with 2 teaspoons water until smooth. Add sour cream and minced chives or green onions; mix well. Add salt to taste.



and lastly the favorite:



Ginger-Soy

Makes About 1/2 cup

•1/2 cup soy sauce

•2 tablespoons dry sherry

•2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

•4 teaspoons sugar

•2 teaspoons minced garlic

In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, sherry, ginger, sugar, and garlic

Dreaming of Key West

Had a lovely time last night with some awesome coworkers @ New York Pizza and Bar  the happy hour was a bargain and the food was so delicious I will definitely will be visiting the.m again, hopefully with the great gang from last night. Miss Kim, Ray, Vicki, Big C, and Wade.I had to rush outta there though to catch the Nutcracker at Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center. It was lovely seeing my friend Sheila's kids. So Cute. I had a very nice Friday night. So why is it that: 

Winter hasn't even started and already, I'm feeling that itch.

The "What the **** am I doing in another rainy, gloomy, depressing 30 degree Seattle day?" itch.

Problem is, besides the monetary one, travel time.

I can't stand airports, airplanes, and wait time.

I dread the claustrophobia of it all.  I can't bear not being able to escape. Where are the gd exits?

I would rather sit in my car, knowing I can always exit it. for 3 days then one 6 hour flight. I endure, because the reward of sitting at the pool with something slushy is all worth it.

Wanted to add a birthday picture for my girls at work

Turkey and Catch up!

Apologies about the lack of posts but I was very ill this week and today is the first day I don't feel like crawling under a rock. So where have I been for the past 10 days you may ask, well let's start with Thanksgiving; I woke up at noon, after drinking a half bottle of niquil the night before my lovely S.O. was finishing roasting the bird, Gosia was bringing mashed potatoes, green beans and desert. All that was left was the stuffing (dressing if your from Texas), gravy, roasted potatoes, and champagne. It was all delish, Craig did an awsome job with the turkey, it was perfect. of course you've all seen the Cranberry Sauce we had a wonderfull meal and we watched a movie after, but for the life of me I can't recall what it was. I loved my birthday pressie they brought overI know your jealous. It's the perfect size. I'll tell you more about my birthday and my weekend in my next post.  OH by the way Happy Birthday L! love you.

Oh My Core is Sore! Here are my Sunday Links

Last Night I went to see the new Twilight movie Breaking Dawn part 1. Loved it. Can't wait for part 2, I think I've changed from team Jacob to team Bella, she rocked it. Thanks to Nicole and friends for sharing this experience  and their real chicken, chicken strips with me.
I love going to the
Cinnebarre,
no children, no body's kicking your seat behind you. I also love that you can have pizza, chicken wings, and a beer.
In other news
So I ended my 1st week of Yoga with Vinyasa Flow.
I woke up @730 am for the 8am class, and I need a nap.
Still Can't decide what I like best yet, so I'm giving it another week check them out if you want to join click the link to
Woodinville Balance Yoga Studio
I am so sore, I can feel my shoulder blades and my ribs and every muscle in my tummy. Tommorrow I'm going to go to another class. I think.

after that I came home took a shower ate some
Raw Oats, then
off to the gun range, Craig and I go to
West Coast Armory in Factoria, shot my
Glock 19
I am getting better and better. If I point the gun to the middle of a zombies forehead I'll definatley get a cheek. I hit the middle of the target 4 times I'm not telling you how many rounds I shot, I'm thinking that by this time next year I'll be adequate. If I keep going every Sunday.

Got home had some chicken wings from
Romios
I sure have eaten alot of chicken wings this weekend.
Tonight I'll be watching my favorite show on tv right now
The Walking Dead on AMC want a Darryl Action Figure for Christmas
and of course the
Amazing Race

Just another gorgeous day in the Pacific NW

Guess what I was doing this Saturday morning @ 7am

So excited woke up @ 6:45 this morning got down to the Woodinville Whiskey Company. I thought who else would be this dorky to get up and in line @7am? Well here's your answer

Visit my album to check out the pictures.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117433807108405080034/20111119Whiskey?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLPurdLky5my3QE&feat=directlink





Waited an hour and a half in the cold. I should say in the f-ing cold.
 Was well worth it. Sampled it and got the t-shirt and my 2 bottles  autographed by Orlin Sorensen, Dave Pickerell, and Brett Carlile. I'll have to stop by and see them when it's not so busy...