The miscellaneous adventures of Stephanie.

I'm going to Florida today. Those of you who know me might assume I am simply visiting friends, as yes, I did used to live there not so long ago. But really, where would the adventure be in that? Instead, I am going there for a date. That's right, a somewhat blind date 1600 miles away. I love my life.

Happy Thanksgiving.

While not typically the favorite holiday of vegetarians, I am excited about Thanksgiving this year for a number of reasons:

1. rtrax (okay, and Mike) - enough said.

2. It's [also] Andrea's birthday! As I am quite thankful for her, that works out quite well.

3. The day (for me) formally welcomes the "holiday season", which I love. This year's celebrations will take me to Menomonie, Tampa, Minneapolis, Madison, and Portland. Thank you, holiday season; I am so anxious to see people I care about, and this means I will very soon!

4. Me, Lindsay, and baking. Autumn cookies and pies, oh my.

A very happy Thanksgiving to my [4] readers. Safe travels!

Marshfield-ism

Only in Central Wisconsin:

A hunting show was on two of the four TVs at the Y last night.

Pardon me while I jump on [the bandwagon].

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.

1. Wrapping paper or bags? Definitely bags. Can you carry on wrapped gifts? Unlikely.
2. Real tree or Artificial? No tree for me, thanks. Someday... That was an easy out though, I suppose - if I had a tree it would be real, from a local farm (for a few years, anyway).
3. When do you put up the tree? 1st weekend in December.

4. When do you take the tree down? On or just after January 1st.
5. Do you like eggnog? While my instinct is to say no, I'm not sure I've ever tried it. Katy H and her love for soynog has almost convinced me to try that, however.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? When does childhood end? I guess that's a more philosophical question. I got some good stuff the year I was 17 - does that count? If not, I'm with Ashley - who remembers this? And that, my friends, says A LOT about all the money that goes into gifts.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Uncle J, no question about it. Thank goodness for this year's white elephant.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Owen, hands down.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Um, no.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, though I'm not that excited about it this year. What happened to my enthusiasm? Oh, I remember - it died with my social life.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I've also received some things from the givers of Ashley's dip set.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Love Actually, without a doubt.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I think I will be buying 3 presents this year - I've got time.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can recall.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Carol's cookies.
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, preferably white.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? For now - travel. Eventually... we'll see.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes, though really I am also distracted by the word "reindeer's". 1) It's "reindeer", not "reindeers", and 2) learn to use the apostrophe.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Definitely star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The bitter Midwest weather.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and silver/white.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? More cookies, please.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? It's a secret - I'll let you know if it works out.

And I was off to such a good start...

It's been awhile now, so let's recap: I went to see Amos Lee last week (how cute is he?). I was unfamiliar with his opening act and was pleasantly surprised; Priscilla Ahn is ADORABLE. Her song "I Don't Think So" is basically the soundtrack to my life at the moment - you should check it out. All in all, a great show. Definitely worth the 5 hours in the car [on a Monday] - I am so young and carefree (or maybe crazy?). So the concert was good, the date part of it not so much. Oh well.

In case it hasn't been mentioned (it's even worth mentioning again, if it has) - I am playing in a pool league. I am so very Wisconsin. While this in itself is amusing, the best part is that I'm not actually good at pool. My teammates have changed my shot in an effort to better me... we'll see. All I can say is that it's a good thing my partner is good :) But come April (can you say "longest season ever"?), I'm going to rock. Maybe I'll start hustling people.

In case you've forgotten, it's cold here. The weather forecast for tonight has it in the teens (and "feels like" single digits - I am not ready for single digits!). Snow has started, which in itself is okay, since I actually like snow. It's just that along with snow comes Midwest winter: -30 windchill, frostbite advisories, and the like.

Can someone nicely inform Bryce that we are not friends? I did not sign up for that. If I do not respond to his random text messages, I am not a bad person.

On a more pleasant note, I am considering getting my PhD. While I initially thought I was done with school, it's sounding more and more tempting. Maybe graduate school is like childbirth - after awhile you forget how painful it was and end up going back for more? That was a very strange analogy.

Does anyone else see the irony in me dating someone from Florida? Could my timing be any crummier?

T minus 38 days until Portland.

Google is so clever.

Happy Election Day!

On a happier note...

Fun things I have planned:

1. Election night fun with fellow Obama fans (go, Barack!).
2. Thanksgiving with rtrax in Menomonie.
3. Pool and volleyball - for months! Two things I definitely never thought I would play "competitively".
4. Random concerts. Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis... wherever (except at Tiny's).
5. Two nights in downtown Minneapolis, courtesy of work.
6. A week in Portland with friends and family.

As promised.

Based on recent events:

5) Anyone who spends more time on their hair than I do. I'm jumping to conclusions, I realize, but still.

6) Anyone who uses the term "darkie". Enough said.

Revelations.

1. It is never a good idea to go to Tiny's. Please remind me of this.

2. I have never felt so alone. Ever.

3. I need to leave WI. Soon.

Sugar cookie fun!

So I discovered the best sugar cookie recipe (in my new autumn cookie cutter set, no less) and feel I should share. So simple, yet so delicious.

Wilton Roll-Out Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
  
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add 1 cup at a time to butter mixture, mixing after each addition.

3. Do not chill dough.

4. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 in. wide and 1/8 in. thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use.

5. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

The truth hurts.

This list has been brewing for quite a while. It's time to be honest with myself (and, in turn, with my blogging audience). While some may take offense, I feel I present clear arguments for the following.

I can't date:

1) Anyone who drives a truck [as their primary vehicle]. Seriously - does it not appear super machismo to anyone else? If you don't need to be hauling or transporting anything, get a car (or at least some sort of SUV?). The "my truck is bigger than your truck" attitude doesn't do it for me. If a truck-driving man out there would like to explain it to me, I am all ears.

2) Anyone who uses the word "supper" (or, for that matter, "vehicle" in place of car/truck). I just can't do it - sorry, Wisconsinites.

3) Anyone who cannot grasp a vague understanding of what I do. I'm pretty good at putting it into lay terms. If after spending an evening together you simply look at me and state, "so you're a scientist?", we're probably not meant to be.

4) An über Republican. As with the "supper"-sayers, more power to you - I just don't get it. You are more than welcome to hang out with Steve, but count me out.

... to be continued.

Dear "John"

This is a formal request for closure. Okay, not so formal, since it's on my blog, but you get the idea.

Enough with the minimal effort at prolonged communication; I'm an "all in" kind of girl. If you're done with whatever we were doing, could you just let me know? I'm quite capable of handling the rejection [in a silently sad sort of way]. But the indecisive-whatever it is you're doing isn't working for me. Time to show your hand, sir.

Hooray for trips to Maryland!

Eight days from now I'll be in the company of one of my favorite people, something that happens all too infrequently. How wonderful is it that work travel conveniently combines with pleasure? Thanks goodness for that. I am counting down the days (okay, let's be honest - the hours) until this quality girl time ensues. The fact that this also occurs on my birthday is an added bonus. I can't wait!

In other news, my lack of motivation is at an all time high today. Is there a medication for this? Or perhaps the only solution is a career change? Why do I seem to have such a problem with this? The big picture of my job is very interesting, but I've discovered that I really dislike many of the day to day tasks. That's a problem.

Finally, my pool team played at the Eagles last night. That is something I NEVER thought I would say. Ahh, Marshfield.

Rant

I am almost 27. I accept this. While I've come to terms with where I am in my life, I cannot help but wonder if perhaps I am destined to be alone forever awhile. Though tempting, "forever" was just a touch too bleak. Anyway, now that I am officially part of the dating scene (yuck), I am realizing that others in the post-divorce situation are perhaps hesitant to form relationships again. I've run across this in the newly divorced (understandable) and the not-so-recently divorced (come on, people!). I am a relationship kind of girl; I used to think this was a good thing (okay, I still think it is a good thing, but it sure is making things difficult). I crave commitment! I know this can be frightening, men, but I promise I am very nice [and smart and funny and wonderful, if you must know]. I'm going to have to ask you to stop with the mixed signals. Seriously; I can't take it anymore. I am too young to abandon dating altogether, but you're about to push me over the edge.

?

Only I could not know how I fractured my wrist. Oops.

Day 2

Back-to-back posts - so far, so good.

1. I am still, on occasion, attempting to grab my 20's by the balls. (I told you it was like the last year didn't happen)
2. One of those occasions was last night.
3. Spontaneity is exhausting.

If I were Conan...

this would be when I'd bound onto the stage, arms raised, amid ruckus applause. But I'm not, so let's not make a big deal of my return to the blogging world, okay?

I almost waited until 10/18 to post anything, just so I could pretend like the entire year never happened (that about sums it up), but decided that if I felt like blogging I probably shouldn't wait. Who knows when the feeling might strike again, knowing me?

I apologize for my disappearance from the blog... things weren't so good, and who wants to write (or read) about that? But now? Well goodness. Between Palin and my humorous forays into the dating world, I have material for months!

So where was I? Ah, yes: realizing that my move to America's heartland might not have been the most thought out, brilliant plan I've had. Oops. Professionally, a superb move. However, there've been some setbacks personally as liberal idealism collided head-on with... Marshfield in general.

So I'm back [ruckus applause]; prepare yourselves for good reads - I swear I couldn't even make this stuff up.