Celebrating Spring

It's official...spring is finally here!  It may not be a national holiday, but it is a good enough reason to get outside and celebrate, especially when the weather is as nice as it was this weekend.  80 degrees and sunny in March = perfect.  After officially deciding that I was taking off of work last Friday, I formulated a mental game plan: productive Friday morning and once errands and workout were out of the way, nothing but play for the rest of the weekend.  Wanting to make the most of spring and do something fun and unique, I started a search for spring traditions, the results of which were widely varied.  After pondering numerous options, I decided against burning my socks (they already disappear in the laundry...I can't afford to burn them voluntarily!), serving a dinner consisting of seven dishes that start with 'S', and wasting eggs on something that with a little patience can be done on any day of the year.

Instead I created my own celebration, beginning with basketball viewing on Friday.  In my mind March Madness is a perfectly legitimate reason to enjoy a beverage during the week....at noon.  Or in the event you gave up alcohol for Lent (yes, I did), to watch your friends enjoy a beverage.  Then off to the next patio with friends for another delicious water and finally home for pizza and a movie for a relaxed birthday celebration.  Saturday and Sunday brought added fun along with added physical exertion.  Nothing says spring like a trip to the driving range, a sun tan (if after 20 minutes of sun redness sets in counts, anyway), and a friendly uber-competitive game of kickball. 

On Sunday the "I think I'll plant some flowers" turned into a five hour overhaul of my back patio.  More photos to come once the flowers are all in bloom. 

 

Before



After: there will be a lot more colors soon!

As it turned out my spring celebration consisted of mostly standard activities that combined to be very productive and tons of fun.  But of course I couldn't resist trying my hand at a traditional spring equinox tradition...and it worked!

All Things Green

Quick: How many green things can you think of associated with Saint Patrick's Day?

Here's what comes to my mind:

• Shamrocks
• Leprachauns
• Green snakes
• Beer
• Irish Spring soap
• Green eggs and ham (ok, so not really Irish, but it's a green novelty)
• The Chicago River on St. Patty's Day

In addition to today being Saint Patrick's Day, it is also my friend Cori's birthday!  Cori and I lived together a few years ago.  Just imagine: 4 cats, 2 dogs, a fish, AND 2 girls.  This scenario certainly had the potential for craziness but it was actually the MOST fun I have ever had living with someone!  Cori is a great friend and there is always fun to be had when she is around.  Happy Birthday Lucky Lady!  :)



Birthday girl  = Pretty lady in the middle!



A Method to the Madness

Since New Year’s, this is the week I have been looking forward to most.  Spring Break, St. Patrick’s Day, and the beginning of March Madness all in one…a total trifecta!

I don’t know what it is about March Madness that I love so much.  Maybe it’s the first signal that spring is right around the corner.  Or that baseball season and live horse racing are within reach.  (Not into baseball or horse racing?  Not to worry.  Only 171 days until college football begins.)  Perhaps it’s really just the sheer excitement of filling out a bracket knowing that this is the year my bracket will be perfect.  Not only will I win the office pool, but I will be lauded in the media for my unbelievable ability to pick all the right teams.  Ok, so maybe the latter isn’t too realistic, but I do still love filling out a bracket each year.  Everyone has a different method and if you are still up in the air on your selections, I’ve listed a few March Madness Methodologies that may help you narrow down the field.  

Dedicated Fan Method: Follow all NCAA basketball games from pre-season action through conference tournaments.  That’s right, five straight months of watching 181 Division I teams play a countless number of games.  Follow that up with a daily dose of SportsCenter, post-game wrap ups, and membership to various team message boards to keep up with all the insider info.  If you are employed, have a family, and/or didn’t start preparing in November, this method isn’t for you.

Play the Odds:  Inspired by Vegas, let the odds be your guide.  Check out articles like this Bracket Advice from Gambling Experts and make your wagers.  The numbers don’t lie…or do they?

Extreme Selection: Pick all the upsets where all sixteen seeds make it to the Final Four and one of them takes home the title.  Seeing as a #16 team has yet to defeat a #1 team, this scenario is highly unlikely to actually occur.  An extreme method for sure, so I recommend only if you enter a pool that weights points based on the winner’s seed, not just awards points for a win.  Not recommended if you have a lot of money on the line.

Which Color Looks Best on Me:  Similar to the “Which mascot do I like best” method.  Pretty self-explanatory; for each matchup, think team colors (or mascot).  Whichever you prefer, there’s your winner.  Note: This method is only for use by females.  Guys, please, PLEASE do not use this method and if you do, admit it to no one.

Interested, Not Involved: This is my preferred selection method.  It consists of 2 minutes, a peripheral knowledge of the season’s standings, and a gut feeling.  Gut feeling, you ask?  It’s not always on target but who picked #13 San Diego to edge out #4 Connecticut in the first round of the 2008 tournament?  This girl. 

My thought- you could sit and deliberate for days.  But who has that much time?  Pick ‘em and move on…the tournament is about to start!

Happy picking and good luck!

Boring Blog

So I had an enlightening conversation today that went something like this:

Reality Steve: Do you like watching paint dry?
Me: Of course not!
Reality Steve: Ok, well why do you think someone else would like reading a blog about the paint in your bedroom?
Me: Um, I don't know.  Point taken.

No, the conversation wasn't with THIS Reality Steve, but someone who opened my eyes to the reality that this blog is about as less exciting than watching paint dry.  I get it now: just four posts in and this blog is total snooze fest! 

Wake up Dad!  I promise it will get better!

If I'm not going to post anything worthy of being read, what's the point?  Not one for quitting, I'll forge on, attempting to find something funny, entertaining, enlightening, etc. to post and on a more frequent basis, starting....now.

I ate lunch at Wok Hay today and deliberated for several minutes before narrowing it down to three potential dishes.  Even at that, I had a question for the waitress.  "Are the noodles in the pad thai long and difficult to eat?"  What?!?!  What was I thinking asking such an absurd question??  Thankfully the waitress was extremely good-natured about pointing out the ridiculousness of the question: "They're just regular noodles, so no, but I can bring you a knife if you want."  Three days on the job and already she knows the secret to being a successful server: Funny waitress + fun lunch = big tip

Make your own pad thai (using whatever length of noodles you want!) courtesy of the Food Network. Paula Deen's Pad Thai

What a Difference a Day Makes

What a difference a day (and a coat of paint) makes!  Last weekend my parents came to visit and they helped me with some small projects around the house.  

My handyman aka Dad

Before

This weekend I decided to take on a bigger project: I painted my spare bedroom- trim, walls, closets, everything.  It was also a good time to clean out a closet and get rid of a lot of "I'll never wear this" and "This doesn't even fit anymore!" clothes.  The room looks significantly better than it did before but still has a long way to go before the room is really "put together."  



During

 

After