2018, I guess.

I suppose the first thing I should do is update my pictures.  But I like these pictures of my 20 year old self... so it won't be the first thing I do.

Hey, guys.

Tortilla Soup

This is not going to be a food blog, but I needed to post this recipe because it follows my three rules of a really great recipe.

1. All ingredients can be found at Aldi.
2. Everything gets thrown in and cooked in the crockpot.
3. It's delicious. (Being delicious is the most flexible rule, if you want me to be honest).

http://www.skinnymom.com/2014/07/22/skinny-crock-pot-chicken-tortilla-soup/

Also, I will let you in on a secret.  Most recently my muffin tin has become a my most useful kitchen tool because I can create "soup pucks" and other small sized frozen servings of things. "Soup pucks" (I should have trademarked this name before posting) are my convenient and cheap way of freezing soups. 

I doubled this recipe and it almost didn't fit in my crockpot.  But it did, because I made it fit and also because I didn't put the last 1/4 cup of chicken broth in because it wouldn't fit.  And now the only thing easier than making this soup is going to be defrosting it for lunch in my Corningware travel soup cup. Because I'm a genius*.




(*It took me three times before using the spell checker to help me spell genius correctly. I kept spelling it the same way, every time. Oh, irony.)

Life Rules

I have some rules that I try to follow in life. 


Rules I Follow Most All of the Time:
Get a kart at Target. (even if I'm "just getting a ......")
Don't read the comments on online articles. (Especially adoption articles.)
Keep my reusable grocery bags in the car.
Do not touch the phone while driving.
No McDonald's. Being hungry is better than the feeling after eating McDonald's.
Wait for it to be on sale.


Rules I am Trying to Follow Most of the Time but I am Still Learning to do Better:
Don't pick up random books at the library. Stick with recommendations or NYT Best Sellers.
Listen to my brain. (Instincts, etc.)
Interact with people. (You know, at the checkout lane instead of just standing there.)
Have a "next book" in mind while reading current book.
Be nice. (Including saying nice things to people even if I think "enough" people are saying them).


Rules I'd Like to say I'm Following but I'm Not, and Hope Will Move Up in the List:
Eat more vegetables.
Exercise.
Don't be afraid of "failing" and just try.

Do creative things somewhat regularly.

Ew.

I tried to type "I was traumatized BY a cat noise..." And I typed MY so what happened was that I typed "my" and "cat" in the same sentence which is gross. 

Commercials

According to commercials:

Happy meals will extend childhood

Every walker that walks will save one cancer patient, 1:1

Commercials are dumb. 

Miming While Driving

I'm a mix of proud of myself and ashamed.

As I was driving home there was a car following me TOO CLOSE even by Chicago-land standards.  Then I noticed she was texting.  So by the time I turned left and she was going to straight, I was a little upset.  Upset enough, apparently, that I tapped my horn.

Let me clarify that I did really (hardly) tap the horn.  I mean, I'm kind of surprised she heard it or looked up.  My horn is weak.   If I actually laid on the horn, you would laugh because it actually sounds like it is sick or the horn-battery-that-doesn't-exist is dying.  So there is either real real quick burst or real quick burst or a quick burst so as to avoid being laughed at or confusing people (what is that weird dying noise??).  As we all know, GM hardly recalled the ignition problem, so I'm assuming they aren't going to recall my horn...

Anyway, I was upset enough, apparently, that I tapped my horn and she looked up.  I mimed and mouthed "texting?"  She was like "yea" smiling and nodding like, "texting is the best, right?"  And here I wish I would have modified my mood, therefore modifying my behavior.  She wasn't a jerk. She wasn't out to kill us all.  Just making a super stupid (and illegal) decision.  But I was angry, I was in the domino line of upset and mean, and I just mouthed "stupid.  It's stupid." While, I think, having a disgusted look on my face.

And then I refused to look over again.  Longestredever.

And then I thought about it THE WHOLE WAY HOME.

-I both wish and don't wish that we lived in a culture that was more openly and comfortably monitoring the social behavior of strangers.
-I love that thehusband is really good at being decent to all people, even when he's upset.
-I wish I looked at all people and always saw the person that Jesus loves.  Always. In all my moods.
-I wonder if driver's ed in Chicagoland teaches: leaving space between the car in front of you, picking up speed during turns, and using turn signals.
-Maybe I saved that girls life! Maybe she doesn't think I'm a huge jerk. Or maybe she's going to drive super recklessly now that I mouthed "Stupid" at her (twice).
-Am I super old and crotchety?
-Do I want to do this more? Less? (Less being NEVER. Ever. Except to friends, who I do monitor sometimes.  Love you all....)
-You are both not important enough to have to text while you are driving, and too important to text while you're driving.
-Worrying about how mean I was.  All things considered, though, I mouthed "Stupid" at her twice... I should be able to sleep tonight.
-Dear texter, if you're reading this, not calling YOU stupid.  But texting and driving is stupid. Please stop.
-Also embarrassing (and hypocritical) is that it took me the law to completely stop even though I knew it was completely stupid before the law.  So, thank you, law.

Simplifying complexities

I think it's cool that the world is complex, and that people are SUPER complex.  Sometimes I find it entertaining how, as SUPER complex human beings, we try to simplify things.  We make simple comments towards complex issues.  We forget difficult parts of nice things and focus on the nice part of difficult things.  (Or vice versa... see how complex this is??) Although we, as humans, have had two emotions co-exist together- it seems weird and almost needs a conscious effort to consistently remember that about ourselves or others' situations.

Sometimes I think this is funny. Sometimes I forget the human tendency to oversimplify.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed.

Isn't life great?