Good at being Green

I think I've talked before about the personality indicator that we took when I was at Girl Scouts.  Basically, it places you in one of four color groups for both your primary personality and your secondary personality behaviors--how you act when threatened or under stress.  I'm a yellow (a standard cheery, people pleaser) and, when stressed, a green (super detail-oriented, among other things). 

I've mentioned several times over the last couple of weeks that I've been kind of stressed (a lot of things going on at work, and most of them seem to flow through my office in one way or another.  I'm sort of ready to have a break from the busy-ness!).  Well, J commented last week that I was definitely in green mode, and he was totally right.  Something I noticed about myself a couple years ago is that I can pop in and out of green, but that when I'm in stress mode for several weeks (and thus, in green mode for a while) it takes a while for me to bounce of it. In fact, even when I'm not at work, I'm still green.  Take yesterday, for example.

It'd been probably two weeks since I'd had a day completely free of work in some way or another, and I was very excited about a day off.  I slept in until I woke up on my own, curled up in bed and watch Martha Stewart, generally just enjoyed a day to myself.  And I organized.  I sorted piles, I rearranged a kitchen cabinet, I cleaned out my nightstand.  I can assure you, those are not yellow traits.  I secretly love days like yesterday.  I'm generally not the most organized person, but I really love it when I am.  I love the whole idea of having a place for everything and having everything in its place, and on those rare occasions when a green JE happens upon a free day, I love the result.  And I kind of wish that happened more often.

Oh, and I ended up at chuch for a meeting Monday night, so the streak continues.  I have DAR at the end of the month, though, so this can't last forever. :)

Another Manic (lead in to) Monday

This weekend was almost as crazy as last weekend, but I'm still hoping that it's leading into a calmer week (not calm, mind you; I'm not crazy enough to think that!).  Friday night I helped set up for the ECW purse sale at church (if you're in Central KY, I urge you to bookmark this link and mark your calendar for next year!).  There were hundreds of purses there to be placed on tables that filled the parish hall.  I even found a gorgeous vintage wicker purse for $8.50!! 

Saturday, I got up and headed out for my monthly DAR meeting, where we had a wonderful speaker from the Dry Stone Conservancy.  These folks promote the preservation of Kentucky's trademark stone fences, and the speaker was just amazing! While I was at my meeting, J was busy around the MP, ensuring that I came home to a clean kitchen and (my favorite) a flag flying out front!  Our flagpole blew down during a storm last fall and it is so nice to have it back up!

After my meeting, I met J and a friend of his from high school for the third annual Incredible Food Show.  We've been every year, first to see Bobby Flay in 2009, then to see Giada DeLaurentis last year.  This year, the Voltaggio brothers were the featured chefs, and while they aren't "television chefs" and so had a very different demonstration, they gave a ton of useful cooking tips.  We really enjoyed them, but were a bit worried that the show seemed smaller this year.  We really hope it isn't going downhill already.  After the show, we met up with a couple J went to college with (the husband also knew the high school friend).

Sunday involved an early morning at work, followed by church, followed by an afternoon visit to to a pumpkin patch with half a dozen on our St. R children and their parents.  By the time I got home, I was exhausted, and I am definitely looking forward to a quiet Monday!

Fitness Check: October 7

The whole TGIF (Thank God it's Friday) thing takes on less meaning when you don't work a Monday through Friday schedule, but I'm thankful it's Friday just the same.  It's been a long two weeks, and while next week will be a little harried, it won't be as bad as these last two.  I'm definitely on the downhill slide into Advent when (according to the church ladies) things will ramp up again!

This week's First Friday Fitness Check is mostly fiscal, but our fiscal fitness efforts are leading to a nice physical fitness bonus--keep reading for that!  Week two of of the $50 grocery budget and $25 combined restaurant budget went really well.  In fact, we only spent $35 on groceries this week, including "big ticket" items like milk and juice.  Of course, we're still working our way through all of the meat I bought last week, so we saved on that!  J made an awesome chicken tortilla soup on Saturday that has lasted us both really well. 

The only catch (for me, at least) is the McDonald's Monopoly Game.  I have a bit of an addiction to those little paper game pieces that come on (among other things) their medium Diet Coke.  I've easily spent half my restaurant budget at McDonald's this week, two thirds of that on Diet Cokes.  I've never won anything from those little pieces of paper, and likely won't this year either (but I'm half way to a million dollars!).  Last year, when I took the bus tour of the DAR Schools, I stood outside our bus after every McDonald's stop collecting pieces off the ladies' drink cups.  If a collection of game pieces culled from every McDonalds in the southeast United States can't win me anything, a collection of game pieces culled from every McDonalds in southeast Lexington isn't likely to win anything either.  I get that.  I also get that I've got a touch of OCD for making things neat and orderly and complete (you should see me with a fresh bag of M&M's) and that for one month out of the year, I can at least try to complete the McDonald's Monopoly Board. 

Now to reward you for that frightening foray into my head, I'll move on!  I mentioned an unintended physical fitness consequence of our fiscal fitness efforts--by reducing the amount of food I'm eating out, I've lost a few pounds in the last two weeks!  My portion sizes at home are always smaller than out (aren't everyone's?), and odds are I'm eating better stuff, too!  Even without exercise this week, I'm thrilled to see a little downward movement on the scale!

So how was your week?  Any luck eating less and moving more?  Are you as crazy about the Monopoly Game as I am?

Thankful Thursday--October 6

I'm having a bit of a rough week, and it's a bit tougher than usual to be thankful.  I'll leave it to you (because I know you're out there, even if you don't comment!)--What are you thankful for this week?

Single Barrel Goodness

Remember the other day when I told you about our weekend?  I held back on sharing pictures so I could use one for today's post.  This one, while easily the worst quality picture, is my favorite.  On our tour, we went through the bottling facility for Buffalo Trace's small batch and single barrel bourbons.  Here, they actually opened a barrel and emptied it in front of us.  So cool!  I think these barrels were filled in 1993. 

Chocolate Chip Chiffon, redux

Remember a couple weeks ago when I showed you a picture of a cake I made last year for a fellow parishoner at St. R?  In a funny turn, the parishoner's husband called me last Wednesday morning and asked if there was any possibility I could make a cake for her birthday this year (it was last Monday this year, and he thought she'd be extra suprised to receive a cake two days later).  If you did the math in my parenthetical there, it means I committed mid-morning to delivering a cake early-evening.  In the midst of my busiest week yet at this new job.  Crazy may come to mind...

Anyhow, this parishoner's mother made chiffon cakes for birthdays in her family.  She always had chocolate chip chiffon, and last year I tried my hand at one.  Well, I ended up with chocolate, chocolate chip, which was well-received but not quite right.  Of course, this year I tried to correct that, but my chocolate chips all settled to the bottom (which became the top and was covered with a chocolate glaze).  I guess we'll have to try again next year to try to get it right! 

Here is a picture of this year's attempt.  Luckily, it was still well-received!

Weekend Woundup

Sorry, I couldn't resist the Elmer Fudd reference.  I was considering "weekend wipeout" since that's how I feel after this weekend, but decided to go with Roundup (or rather, Woundup) instead.

J and I had an awfully busy week last week and that just rolled right into an even busier weekend.  After being at church Thursday night, we headed to Frankfort Friday night for a fundraiser at Buffalo Trace.  Buffalo Trace, if you don't know (how could you not know??) is a bourbon distillery.  They make a variety of Bourbons, like large batch Buffalo Trace to small batch or single barrel varieties like Blanton's or Eagle Rare.  We took a 'hard hat' tour of the distillery followed by a guided tasting and lesson.  It was tons of fun, and J and I had a great time!

Saturday I ran into work for a few hours to try and catch up.  Turns out more people drop by the church on Saturdays than during the week, so it wasn't quite as productive as I'd have liked.  That afternoon, J and I watched a movie and took a nap before heading out again for this month's game night.  The boys were victorious in our game of Cranium Turbo, but we girls put up a good fight and kept the game close!

We were back up early on Sunday morning as October is J's month to coordinate breakfast/coffee hour at church and I had more work to do before church.  I didn't actually make it to a service today, but did manage to catch communion 'on the fly' before heading out again to set up for our church Gala.  We held it at Equus Run Winery this evening, and I have to recommend them for their beauty and yummy wines!  I, of course, picked out cute shoes to wear.  That was a huge mistake as I spent most of the evening on my feet.   I'll be paying for that decision for a few days, at least!

So there you have it--our super busy weekend.  See why we're wiped out?  I'm hoping it will be a quiet day around the MP (or at least a quiet morning!).