Missing the boat.

This past week I was out of town training some new staff at our satellite location. Most of my time out there was spent training but on the last day of my trip, I attended an open house for a company that we do work with. This company happens to employee this guy who, well, hmmm...let's start from the beginning...

I met this guy when he worked for another company that I do work with. He was in charge of a project that they were using our services for. Because of some bad scheduling on their end, they started this project without really knowing what they were doing or what they needed. And this guy was relatively new at the job so he needed help. Because of this, I spent a lot of time on the phone with him. Most of it was totally professional but it got to the point where he was calling me at home or on the weekends to help sort stuff out at the last minute. As lame this sounds, because I realize we had a totally professional relationship, I almost missed talking ot him when their project finally got organized and we were no longer talking all the time. Anyways, at that point I had only met him once in person for a very brief period of time. He was my age, cute and, as I learned in all of our conversations, funny and seemed like a cool guy. So I might have developed a little innocent crush on him. The kind that you have a guy you know nothing will ever have anything with, but you still can't help but be attracted to him. Shortly after this project was completed, he left the company and went to work for a different company that we do work with as well. Since then, I have talked to him once or twice but just for quick work-related things.

Anywho, he worked for the company that was having the open house. And I was (maybe) a little excited to see him again and try to find out if he was maybe single, because he always seemed kind of available, but it never came up and I had no idea. But you know, I am always trying to keep my eyes open because I am sick of being single. So I go and I'm talking to some other people and finally make my way to where he is and we start talking and having a good time, talking about college and living in Reno and moving back there (home to him) and this and that and, auuuugggg, he was so cute and such a cool guy. A few other people join the conversation and it somehow gets around to someone else's trip to Mexico in April. The he says he is going to Mexico in 2009 but doesn't seem too excited about it so I probe for details (because, if you all haven't figured this one out yet, I don't understand people who don't like to travel). Then he says "Well, it's for my wife's friend's wedding." FUCK FUCK FUCK! He wasn't even wearing a ring! Another one? Seriously? You've got to be kidding me?!?!?!

So I left for home feeling totally dejected. It honestly had nothing to do with this guy specifically because I barely knew him, it just has to do with the fact that every guy I know that is around my age, cute, funny, attractive and seems like he might be a possibility is fucking married or engaged. It left me feeling like I totally missed the boat. In college I has some fun, but honestly got totally wrapped up in school and now I feel like I may have missed my chance for finding someone. In reality, I know this is totally (well, maybe not) absurd because I am sure there are a ton of great guys out there, but how can I not feel totally left in the dust when every guy that I start to notice is taken? If nothing else, if they are married, can we maybe pass a law that causes all married men to get a stamp on their forehead's that says so. This way, right from the start, I will know they are off the market.

The Soundtrack of your life...

This morning I was out walking my dog and I was listening to my Ipod. I thought I would do a list for my post tonight of 5 random songs on my Ipod, and why they are there. I have tons of songs that are on there because I bought the whole CD, but I have those random songs that I choose to download for whatever reason. So here we go...the 5 random songs from my Ipod and why I have them:

"Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton - I have always loved this song. One night I was just hanging out at home and it popped into my head, it was just one of those songs that I HAD to download.

"Take Me There" by Raschal Flatts - I like Raschal Flatts but just downloaded this song the second I heard it, I think it is such a good 'falling in love' song.

"At Last" by Etta James - Again, a great romantic song. For a single chick, I sure have a lot of sappy ass music.

"Red High Heels" by Kellie Pickler - Can there be a better single girl song?

"Into the Night" by Santana (featuring )Chad Kroger - This is an amazing song, by an amazing artist. I could listen to this song over and over again.

So tell me, what are 5 songs from your Ipod and why are they in your list? Do they hold a memory, do you just think they are great songs, did you get a free download and have never listened to the song (I have a few of these!)?

Going out of town.

So I am, yet again, going out of town. I will try to blog while I am away, but I wouldn't expect too much from until Saturday.

Life in Six Words or Less

I came across this meme (thanks to the trusty "More From BlogHer" sidebar that has introduced me to more blogs than I can count...or possibly read) on the blog titled A Wealth of Semi-Useless Information. I love the title!

Anywho...

Life in six words or less…

Here’s how this one works:

1. Write your own six-word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play. (This last step is optional.)

____________________________________________________________________________________

So here’s my life in six words or less:

Shit this is hard...no, that's not it, although it could be...this is really hard to come up with a memoir that is six words or less...


So I started writing this blog at about noon today...it is now 9:30pm. And I just got done with a cooking class. A CREPES cooking class (this loosely translates into "A 'food of the god's' cooking class"). I LOVE crepes! In light of my recent culinary experience, I have finally decided what my memoir is going to say....

Great Food, Great Friends, Great Life.

I am so cheesy (and strung out on crepes!).

As a side note, I am watching American Idol wrap up and I want to shove David Archuleta off a cliff, I hate him!

If you read this post, you are officially tagged. I am so lazy.

Community Supported Agriculture

Most of my life I have had home-grown produce of some sort or another gracing my dinner table. My parents have always had a garden in the backyard (that grew as much as I did over the years, from a small plot in the sunny corner to a small farm that takes up almost half of their backyard). A few years back, my sister finally decided what she was going to do with her life. She discovered her passion for food and for supporting local agricultural efforts. Her love for organic agriculture and her passion for helping the people that provide these products took over her life. In turn, this meant that on every trip home, in addition to an entire carload of dirty laundry, she also brings boxes and baskets of great, homegrown, organic produce. Between my parent's home garden and my sister's bi-annual produce deliveries I have made a conscious effort to buy as much organic and locally grown produce and products as my meager budget can afford. Thanks to my sister I've been aware of CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, programs for many years but just recently learned that the Reno-Sparks-Tahoe area has a CSA program.

For those of you not familiar, CSA consists of a group of individuals who pledge support to a farm’s operation. In doing so, the growers and consumers provide mutual support and sharing of the risks and benefits of food production. Members of the group, through the purchase of membership fee's of some sort, help cover in advance the costs the farmer will incure throughout the season and, in turn, will share in the harvest throughout the growing season. A downside is that you also share in the risks of farming and, on occasion, may be affected by reduced harvests due to disease or bad weather, but in general you will be graced every week with a box brimming with fresh produce. By providing the money directly to the farmers, the farmers receive better prices for their crops, gain financial security (ensuring you will have great produce next year!) and have to worry less about marketing and distributing their products.

Most CSA programs work by forming relationships with local producers and farmers to provide a relatively consistent supply of seasonal produce. Many also provide, on demand or special order, special products such as: honey, cheeses, meats and herbs. The variety of produce that you get varies from region to region, and season to season. You have little to no say to what you actually get in most CSA programs, but you are ensured to receive fresh, generally organic, locally grown produce. Most CSA programs provide you with a plethora of recipes on how to convert those formerly unknown veggies into a steamy, yummy meal. A downfall of the CSA programs is that tropical fruits and veggies are not available, so don't expect any banana's or pineapples in your box...that is unless you live in Hawaii!

For more information I found a few websites to help you on your way to supporting your local farmers and providing yourself with tons of fresh veggies!

In the Reno-Sparks area, the local CSA program if offered by Great Basin Community Food Co-Op and runs from June to October.

Depending on location, your local CSA may run year-round.

For information about a CSA program in your area, you can visit the following websites:
Local Harvest
Land Stewardship Project
Green People

When did Wal-Mart get their family values?

This weekend I helped plan and attend a bachelorette party for a girl I work with. Part of the gift was a gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond, however we needed to add a little spice to it so we were going to stuff the bag the gift card was in with slutty, trashy g-string underwear. I went to Wal-mart to buy a plethora of slutty underwear (you know...the highly classy kind - 3 for $2.99) only to discover that APPARENTLY since the last time I really shopped at Wal-Mart (a whole 'nother story, but I hate Wal-Mart because (a)the second you walk through the doors of the store, you apparently leave your brain/manners in a basket at the door and (b) they are a horrible, horrible corporation that is causing the ultimate downfall of American society...but like I said, another story)...where was I??? Oh yes, since the last time I shopped at Wal-Mart, they have apparently stopped selling slutty underwear. I have some pretty trashy, slutty g-stings that I picked up for like $1.00 at Wal-Mart years ago. Now they only sell granny panties, cotton briefs and boy shorts, and a few thongs here and there, but not the ones that will cause a stir at a bachelorette party. Geesh, one more reason for me to hate Wal-Mart. That's what I get for being unfaithful to my long-term partner, Target. Ahhh, I love Target. Or at least I have since Shopko closed it's doors. For those of you not from the Reno-Sparks area, you will not understand my love affair with Shopko, but it was a store similar to Target, but so much better in my opinion. Anywho, I am done. Wal-Mart sucks for 3 reasons now: (1) everyone that works there/shops there is a raving idiot, or at least they are while they are in the store, (2) they are a horrible horrible company that is destroying independent business and supporting the importation of sub-par products and, essentially, indentured servitude at their foreign plants AND (3) they no longer sell slutty, cheap underwear. How are all the Gretchen Wilson listening red-neck girls gonna impress their cowboys if they can't buy slutty lingerie at Wal-Mart?

Was that random enough for ya'll?

The Mall

I hung out at the mall on Sunday. Not really by choice, more by necessity. Our local mall has a Sear's and part of that is they have a Sear's auto center. And my car needed new tires, so I dropped it off and they told me it would be 2-2 1/2 hours. F.U.N. So I went to the mall to return some items. Bad idea. I avoid the mall like the Black Plague! On the rare occasions I actually go to the mall, it's a quick in and out just to get my business done. I haven't "hung out" at the mall since I was in middle school. When I was in middle school, the mall was only about 4 blocks away. This meant, that as conniving teen agers, me and my friends somehow convinced our parents to let us walk to and hang out at the mall after school for a few hours. Apparently this is still the cool thing to do for teenagers. And on Sundays it is also, apparently, the most popular family bonding event. It was OVERRUN with families with screaming children, snotty teenagers and obligatory PDA couples. You all know I am single. Most days I still want children. After leaving the mall on Sunday I had myself fully convinced I NEVER wanted to have a child, that's how bad it was. Sooooo...instead of spending money I didn't have, or dealing with the screaming mass of people in the mall, I hibernated in the Borders Express. The quiet solitude of the bookstore. Ahhhhhh, it was like putting in ear plugs the second I walked through those florescent-lit doors. No more screaming children, no more snotty teenagers, just the crazy old man sitting in the corner whispering to himself. After perusing the bargain books, I found a quite little bench in the cooking section and planted myself for the next 2 hours. I looked at about a zillion cookbooks and then proceeded to buy "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan because I couldn't justify buying ANOTHER cookbook! I might have also bought a bargain version of a karma sutra book...because remember, I have no money! And it's not like I am getting any action, but at least when I finally do, I'll know what I am doing (or...well..at least the bargain bin moves!). But, the point of this entire story is: HOW COOL AM I? I hang out the mall all afternoon and where was I, not in the food court, not looking at expensive shoes, but hibernating in the book store. I am such a dork!

Another brief highlight from my trip to the mall. I had to return some bra's at Lane Bryant. As I was walking through the store, right past a set of dressing rooms, I hear the following conversation between husband and wife:

Husband (from outside the dressing room): "As long as it's not blue or green"
Wife (from inside the dressing room): "WHAT?"
Husband: "Huh, what. I didn't say anything."

Such a brief glimpse into the glory that is the male-female relationship but it was hilarious to hear the husband totally talking shit behind his wife's back, and denying every bit of it to her face.