Adventure!

Now that it's getting cold here, it's the perfect time to head to the warm and sun!  Tomorrow, I'm off to Texas, land of the BBQ, Tacos, and great music.  Oh and lots of other wonderful sights to see and things to do.  I've been waiting all year for this trip and I cannot wait!  

While I'm adventuring - and eating LOADS, I'll be off line.  

Have a fabulous week and I'll see you next Wednesday, probably a bit heavier thanks to all the tacos : )

Halfway There...

1. Attend an Orioles, a Ravens and a Caps game.  - Once again, the only thing that may hamper this is the fact that Ravens tickets are insanely priced! - Been to all 3 this year!  Thank goodness for an employer that raffles off tickets on a regular basis!
2. Complete a Web Design course.  I'd really like to figure out Photoshop! - Planned to take this summer but vacay got in the way.  And teaching myself has been quite the arduous process...
3. Make a vegetarian meal using veggies from the Baltimore Farmer's Market.- Nope, I think I may have missed my window on this one.
4. See "An Act of God" on Broadway with Jim Parsons and "Something Rotten" with Christian Borle. - Halfway done - saw Act of God, and have plans to see Something Rotten in December when I go up for the day.
5. Shoot Manual as opposed to Auto with my camera.  - I have 2 big events this year that I'm attending, and I'd really like some AWESOME photos of these events.  I need to at least master inside, in the dark photos and outside constant motion photos. - Done!  Not really as happy with the photos I took in manual in England vs. the lovely ones I took in auto, but I'm getting there.  Thanks to Manual I was able to actually see what I was photographing at the SPN Con which was mostly in the dark, so at least there's that!
6. Try Yoga. - On the itinerary for Texas this week.
7. Watch "House of Cards" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" -  basically all the cool things that Netflix has in development.  Oh and "Arrow" - Gotta love Netflix! - LOVED Kimmy Schmidt but couldn't really get into House of Cards.  Haven't even tried Arrow yet but I'm loving Stephen Ammel on line so I think I really need to start.
8. Read the feminist classics - "Yes, Please" and "Bossy Pants." : ) - Complete!  And adored both, as well as "Is everyone hanging out without me?" by Mindy Kaling!
9. Tea Party with Scottish Shortbread and finger sandwiches. - Nope not yet : (
10. Attend a Music Festival - I already know I'm going to ACL so that's sort of a cheat. - ACL's this week!
11. Pig out at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, NY. - Unfortunately, Brooklyn is a lot further away from Manhattan than I realized, but hopefully this will be accomplished in March when I have another weekend in NYC scheduled.
12. Get a manicure - this is all based on whether I can stop biting my fingernails.  That's the issue... - Done!  Even managed a pedicure too.  Not really a fan of either, but I will admit the pedicure lasted a whole lot longer than the manicure did!
13. Re-open my Etsy shop. - Nope, and I'm feeling super guilty about it...
14. Eat at Parts & Labor in Baltimore. - Nope, but I did try Family Meal
15. Visit the Smithsonian - I've only ever been to the Natural History & Air and Space Museums. - Done!
16. Puffy Tacos in San Antonio, Migas in Austin, Tea in London and Chocolate in Brussels. - Chocolate in Brussels, Tea in London, but missed the puffy tacos in SA however, I did have Migas there, so maybe it cancels itself out...
17. Day trip to Philadelphia - I've never seen the Liberty Bell. - Nope not yet
18. See a Sing-along or a Quote-along at the Alamo Drafthouse in VA. - Haven't been any good ones.  I'm patiently waiting for something really good, like a Grease -sing along!
19. See an author talk - preferably Neil Gaiman, but I doubt he'll be back in boring old Maryland any time soon. - I saw Bryan Voltaggio speak at Baltimore Book Festival.
20. Complete a charity 5K. - This will most likely not entail running.
21. Craft/Write/Create for at least 3 hours each week. - I'd say I'm pretty much accomplishing this one.  It ma not be exactly 3 hours a week but there are definite weeks that average way more than 3 so I think it averages itself out.
22. I will take a chocolate tour of Brussels - home of the world's best chocolate.- Best tour EVER!
23. I'll see at least 2 shows in NYC and London. - Act of God in NYC and another in December, Hamlet and Measure for Measure in London
24. I'll see the Alamo and resist the urge to say  "I'll remember the Alamo!" - Half way there, I totally had to make the joke.  Doesn't everyone?
25. I will drive on the M5 in England, and remember to always drive on the left. - Never had to.  Luckily my friend was way more brave than I was.  Of course that means, I can't actually cross it off my list.
26. I'll see a concert or 2 - preferably a country concert in Austin. - Darius Rucker & Mumford and Sons, and definitely at least 4 more this weekend at ACL.
27. I will see the cliffs of Dorset - where Hardy and Miller solved the Latimer case on Broadchurch. - Nope, we never made it there due to some threat of some serious rain that never came.  Ugh!
28. I will geek out at the Supernatural convention - I know this is a geeky thing but I'm so darn excited to see this in person rather than just on YouTube! - Totally the best way to spend a weekend!
29. I'll see Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet on the West End, and resist the urge to jump his bones. - Saw him and resisted, even though he's so dreamy.  However, not my favorite Hamlet - it has to be said.
30. I will add one day trip to the list of fun places I'm going this year.  I'd like it to be somewhere new, but there aren't many new places around here within driving distance. - Haven't managed this one yet.  I've been to Alexandria and OC, but those are the normal places.  I just need to find somewhere new!
31.  I will stand in line for Franklin BBQ - I'd like to think I have the patience, but honestly I think I'm more likely to try the Salt Lick instead. - On the agenda for this trip, but I did try the Salt Lick the last time instead and it was yummy!
32. I will hoard all the children's books from all the great cities I'll travel to.  I certainly hope my future children like to read, because they'll have quite the library when I'm done : ) - Seeing as I bought 24 books (6 of which were kids books) on the last trip to England, I feel that I'm accomplishing this one without much work.

16 and 2 halves - Complete
2 - Incompleteable 
6 - On the docket 
That just leaves 8 that I need to get moving on.  Not too shabby this year!  

Hurricane Schmuricane

While it looks like Hurricane Joaquin is battering the South, it really hasn't affected us up here in the North.  It's been raining non-stop and it's windy as all get out, but we've been very, very lucky so far.  

So what does one do in the face of a possibly terrible storm, when you've been stuck inside packing and cleaning all day?  That's easy.  You go out and have a yummy Italian dinner to celebrate the bestie's birthday then top off the night with Ice Cream cake and House Hunters International.  You know, you pretty much have the perfect evening!

PS: For those that are being hit with Joaquin's wrath, be safe out there!

Friday Five

1. The Ravens (FINALLY!) won!!!  And better yet, they beat the Steelers.  It's wasn't pretty or even particularly amazing, but what it was, was nail-biting and ridiculously stressful.  But seeing Justin Tucker's magic foot make that field goal in OT, was very, very sweet!  It's about darn time, boys.  Now keep up the momentum!

2. Possible new opportunities - and at risk of getting much too far ahead of things, that's all I'll say.  But yay for happy things for a change!

3. True Story...

4. This is creepily awesome.  Is it October 7th yet?

         
5. Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes: I'm in love with this super simple, super yummy dinner.  I'm usually not a sloppy joe fan, but when they have cheese and onions and taste just like a cheesesteak, they're pretty much the perfect dinner!

Will They Ever Win?

Seriously?! 0 and 3 for the first time ever in the history of the team. After this embarrassment, they're traveling to Pittsburgh to play their big rivals.  So I'm begging you guys, for the love of god, please just win, at least once.  I don't foresee a trip to the playoffs and I'm definitely not seeing a Super Bowl chance, but at least one darn win would be most welcome.  Especially in Steelers country playing against the god awful Michael Vick (as opposed to the god awful Roethlisberger...)  

At the moment, in the 3rd quarter, they're down by 6.  

So you know, I'm not thinking they're hearing my desperate pleas...Ugh!

Weather Warning Woes

Aside from the obvious typo in the title of this photo, this is pretty much the case this week. All sorts of weather people saying all sorts of weather things.  Here's where I have a problem.  One, I'm not such a fan of rain, wind and hurricane like conditions.  Call me crazy, but the possibility of a power outage for more than a few seconds, freaks me the heck out. Two, and most importantly, I have a trip planned to Texas next week and so help me god, if this darn storm messes up my flight, the weather gods are going to owe me some tacos!

What I don't understand about the storm is this.  I know science is slightly unpredictable, but isn't everyone who's everyone in the weather field, looking at the same darn swirling, raining, blowing storm?  How do so many people pick so many outcomes?  I've never really gotten that.  One hacker can break into a single specific computer across the world but a giant storm system stumps hundreds of weather people...WTH?!

Trivia Tuesday

~ As of right now, it's 10:30 pm, and it's been raining for approximately 4 hours straight.  It sucks driving in it even for something as fun as trivia.  It just needs to be said...

~ When Trivia actually counts for the season - as opposed to the few bi-weeks when we have themed rounds - questions can get super-duper hard.  I'm fairly certain we winged most of our guesses tonight; only sure of a few.  Luckily enough, in most cases (definitely not all) we're pretty good wing-ers.

~ Looking at a still from a movie and knowing it's Robert Mitchum and the movie is Bridge on the River Kwai are apparently a good way to get some points, but a bad way to actually be correct.  The dude that you swore was Robert Mitchum was not so much him - but hey, at least you got the question right, even if your logic was fuzzy...

~ Apparently, we need to watch more pageants.  This is the second week when we've missed questions on beauty pageants.  But then again, I think I'm ok with not knowing a darn thing about something produced by (or previously produced by) Donald Trump.

~ The Sopranos was the first cable drama to be nominated for a best drama emmy and was nominated by the WGA as the number 1 in their list of the top 101 most well-written shows. I so disagree with their findings.

~ Even when you get a category of Shakespeare, it's almost guaranteed they're going to ask you about one of his works that you've never read - like, for instance Twelfth Night.

~ When you and another team-mate guess the same answer at the exact time, go for it, even if you have nothing more to back it up than A Bug's Life.  Sometimes, you pull out a win. But don't get cocky.  There's not guarantee A Bug's Life will help you with the follow up question...