How I Spent My Unplanned Furlough (or What I Did While the Government Sucked) - Week 1

Week 1 (let's hope there's no Week 2...)

Day 1 - spent most of the morning kinda freaking out with M, thought a lot about money and missing paychecks, etc. I then made mental lists of all the places we should go since we now 'have the time'. Thank you Congress :-(
Oh, then crossed off half the places in my mental list because they've got the word "National" in their name and that means they're CLOSED! Then made mental list of all the things that needed to be done at home (cheap and/or free).

Day 2 - Marathoned Parks and Recreation, Season 5 - Thank you Netflix for releasing this on October 1st. I totally feel that it was done to help all of us in the NPS... I might be overthinking that but whatever. Oh! I also spent some time cleaning the house... Maybe if I had a furlough once a year, the house would be cleaned once a year? M came in late in the evening and was wrecked from a long day. To end our first official "furlough day" (yesterday was technically our day off), we watched some stand-up comedy and fell into blissful, allergy-pill enhanced sleep.

Day 3 - M worked on his book, so I Facebooked. Reading all the NPS friends and family posts about whats happening to them kinda got me down, and pissed. So M and I went for a nice long walk by the Rio Grande with Lennox. The sounds of the riparian area, mixed with the crisp fall breeze really helped. Later, after a lot of Champions of Norrath, we cooked a nice fall dinner of lemon risotto and champagne, and settled into a romantic evening with 28 Days Later. (Fall is the perfect time for scary movies!)

Day 4 - Went hiking in a STATE PARK! Franklin Mountains State Park encompasses the whole mountain that splits El Paso into East and West sides.

Thank you state parks for not shutting down at the same time as our federal parks did... that would incite a riot among hikers. Afterwards, we decided to hit a cheap date spot and went mini-golfing :-)

Day 5 - Woke up early (8am, but for the first time in 7 days) to hit the Saturday Arts & Farmers Market in downtown El Paso. I ALWAYS miss this market. Every Saturday there are posts all over Facebook taunting me about the fun being had at the market while I'm at work. Later that afternoon, M and I caravaned out to Carlsbad to spend the weekend. Driving through Guadalupe Mountains NP during the shut-down is bittersweet. I know the natural forces aren't shut-down, the indigenous animals don't listen well to our federal government. I'm sure they're enjoying the quiet, peaceful void of humans. I want to be out there with them.

We went to a going away party for a co-worker... of course, she can't move to her new job until the govt reopens...
We closed the day with The Omen. (we're doing all scary movies for October)

Day 6 - Woke up realizing that the boys don't have winter jeans that fit them... Hit Walmart before the church crowd showed up. (i seriously had to remember what day it was. this no-work thing messes up your internal calendar) Played Words with Friends for the first time in several days. I now realize that I mostly play this at work... sorry WWF friends. We went for a family+dogs walk to enjoy the early fall afternoon and play at the playground.
The scary October movie of the evening was Insidious, which scared the crap outta me. I may have hidden my face in a pillow for over half the movie, but that just tells you how scary it was. Fantastic evening flick! (Can't wait for the second one!) We also watched a family-friendly Percy Jackson and the Olympians with the boys. It was pretty good too. :-)

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas; part 1

Ok, yeah its been a month since my last post.  Sorry, I've been sick, busy, and sick again!  No, my sickness is not due to Black Friday madness and the nausea caused by witnessing those extreme levels of consumerism.  My sickness was bacterial, then viral, and now both. :-(

Today's post is all about my efforts this year for a greener Christmas and holiday season.  This year I'm trying to make my own decorations, give greener gifts and use greener packaging.

So first, lets start with the self-made decorations...  Now I'm not Martha Stewart (evil!) so my DIY decorations most definitely look DIY.  Whatever...  its the thought that counts, right?

Cork Tree found on Etsy

I'd love to have made this one and have a Christmas tree but alas, I haven't drank enough wine yet!  This gives me something to aspire to for next year!

from Emma Lamb

Crocheted garland instead of that tin foil metal stuff that kills vacuum cleaners and probably the environment.  (sorry mom!)  I haven't made this yet but I'm thinking it'd make a great present for someone.
Here's the link if you wanna try making these yourself... 




The last time I made DIY ornaments I was 7 and was making a gingerbread man that my mother hides on the back of the tree every Christmas.

from Twig and Thistle

Then there is this super-simple pine cone garland.  I got my idea from Twig and Thistle and set out to make my own.  The best part of this DIY is the hiking to procure best pine cones!  I started this last winter, picking up pine cones around my apt complex while walking my dog.  I even got my niece and nephew in on the search.  Then while hiking up in Cloudcroft, my nephew and I found larger pine cones.  Many cones were discarded because I'm picky and only want pretty, unsmooshed ones.

I don't have a hole punch so I used a hot burned match to melt holes in my ribbons.  This was done on Thanksgiving Day and if you know me you know I'm drinking wine on that day.  (Not that I don't normally drink wine, but that day its practically mandatory!)  So I'm drinking my wine and realize that I really shouldn't be playing with fire and melting things while buzzed.  So I sacrificed; I quit drinking and sobered right up.  That's dedication!

Here's what I did with the cones, hot matches, superglue and sparkly ribbon I found on sale.

Not perfect but festive!

Made my own bows with superglue

from Kojo Designs

I also made a tea wreath, like this one.  For mine I used a pizza box lid, my stash of tea, clothespins.  I covered the pizza box with leftover shelf liner paper and painted the clothespins with sparkly nail polish.  It now hangs year-round in my pantry, tempting me with lots of great tea.

Sorry, no photo because I'm lazy and sick....

from New England Design
and Construction

For next year I'm thinking a tree made out of a tomato cage and lights!  So festive and I can reuse the cage in the spring.

And who needs the real tree for the real tree smell?  At Bath and Body Works, I found candles to do that job.  Evergreen, Balsam and Fireplace!  They are strongly scented so I don't even have to burn them, just leave them out.  My whole house smells like Christmas without dragging a poor helpless tree from its roots.  Although, who doesn't just love the opening scene from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation where they go out to cut down their own tree, carry it home on the roof of the car only to let a squirrel loose in their living room.  My favorite holiday movie!

Alright, happy holiday decorating!  Next time I'll discuss green gifts and green packaging.  It'll be epic!

For the Last Time, Vegetarian Means NO FISH!

Whew!  It's been a busy month for me, and a quiet month for my readers!  Well, this will be a quick post full of cussing, so get ready.

I've been full-on vegetarian for almost a year now, and before that I was a "becoming vegetarian" for several years, and I'd like to share one small word of advice to everyone out there in the world...  Vegetarians DON'T EAT FISH!  We don't eat any meat and fish is a meat.  Religious-types can go F*** themselves if they don't believe that fish is a meat.  Any self-proclaimed vegetarians out there that say they "still eat fish" can also go F*** themselves.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word meat as "the flesh of an animal (especially a mammal) as food".  ( I just love that qualifier especially a mammal!)

Yahoo Answers - when asked why fish isn't considered a meat gave the best answer I've seen "Because people are idiots"  HAH!  I totally agree.

So now, even if you happen to believe that fish is a vegetable or some other shit than meat, understand me when I say: Restaurants that say something is vegetarian and it has fish in it are bullshit.  Who are they to impose some ridiculous ideology on their customers?!  What's next?  Will they only serve diet items to fat people?!

I was at El Charro in Tucson the other night, having a lovely evening with friends when I spotted this on the menu...

Competely Unacceptable!

After questioning the waitress, I ordered some truly vegetarian tamales and what was hopefully some veggie refried beans (my trust is shot with this chain).  The food at El Charro is great however I've given chef Carlotta Flores a piece of my mind.  Maybe she should hang a banner outside her stores proclaiming only religious-types should eat there? Or that vegetarians/vegans aren't welcome?

Shame on you El Charro!  Shame on you chef Flores!

Go ahead meaties vs. veggies, discuss!