The LIW Small Talk Thread

[TooPatient]

I think you can use any kind of chocolate kisses. I just got the normal milk chocolate Kisses. Do you like dark chocolate? I LOVE LOVE LOVE dark chocolate!

My favorite is around 72% (preferably Scharfenberger) but I will also go for 65%-82%.
Milk chocolate is okay. White chocolate (which is technically not chocolate...) is okay. Dark chocolate is

 

[TooPatient]

Morning

It is Monday and my midterm is tomorrow

but...
My mom will be back from Hawaii tomorrow.
The yard is looking better. (we pulled weeds, cut grass, and watered some stuff)



BG -- Your weekend sounds nice and that food looked yummy. (I checked your other thread )

 

[Jessie702]

Morning Ladies ....How was the weekend. I havent checked other threads, gotta say hi to my Hons first

 

[beezygal]

I think you can use any kind of chocolate kisses. I just got the normal milk chocolate Kisses. Do you like dark chocolate? I LOVE LOVE LOVE dark chocolate!

My favorite is around 72% (preferably Scharfenberger) but I will also go for 65%-82%.
Milk chocolate is okay. White chocolate (which is technically not chocolate...) is okay. Dark chocolate is

I only like dark chocolate. around 72% is the best! 86% is ok too. I love Ghirardelli. I couldn't find it in Canada until recently. It's expensive here, so I'll just buy them when I'm in Bellingham.

 

[Jessie702]

I think you can use any kind of chocolate kisses. I just got the normal milk chocolate Kisses. Do you like dark chocolate? I LOVE LOVE LOVE dark chocolate!

My favorite is around 72% (preferably Scharfenberger) but I will also go for 65%-82%.
Milk chocolate is okay. White chocolate (which is technically not chocolate...) is okay. Dark chocolate is

I only like dark chocolate. around 72% is the best! 86% is ok too. I love Ghirardelli. I couldn't find it in Canada until recently. It's expensive here, so I'll just buy them when I'm in Bellingham.

Dont a lot of Nutrisants says its better fro you heart wise?

 

[blacksand]

Posting here because it really isn't important enough to justify a new thread, but I am SO EXCITED: our trip to Orlando is booked! I cannot stop thinking about it, and I'm crazy excited. I've never been to Disney, and now I get to go there and ALSO to Universal for Harry Potter world, which looks incredible, AND I get to spend time with my favorite cousin/future matron of honor, whom I miss terribly, and my boyfriend will get a chance to bond with her, her husband and my aunt and uncle, since he's only met them once or twice. AND maybe, just maybe, I'll even get a proposal while we're there. I'm trying not to think about that too much, but it would certainly be wonderful. It fits right into the time frame we discussed..... That aside, I spent half the day yesterday watching online videos of the various attractions we're going to see and looking up restaurant menus. I am a nearly-30-year-old small child, literally squealing with delight watching these videos. I cannot wait.

Can you tell it's been a while since I had a vacation?

 

[Jessie702]

Congrats Black. That sounds like so much fun. When are you going? Ive never been there either. How many days. K, need details.

 

[beezygal]

Too: good luck on your midterm tomorrow
Jesse: morning!!!

how are your weekends?

 

[blacksand]

Congrats Black. That sounds like so much fun. When are you going? Ive never been there either. How many days. K, need details.

Not until October. That's the sad part. No idea how I'm going to contain my giddy excitement until then. I am already annoying my coworkers.

 

[Jessie702]

LoL...its okay Black. I know the feeling. SO and i are going to Az in Sept to visit my fathers grave and im so excited because im actually going back, i havent been there in 6 years, and we are taking the doggies. So its a mini roadtrip. Than in October, we too are going to try and attempt a trip so Orlando. He is from Miami, and we went there a year and a half ago, and now he wants to go up there to visit his uncle. LoL......might bup into each other at the airport.


My weekend actually sucked. Im not gonna lie. Friday Night the boyfriend and i ate out for dinner. Well we must have had some bad pork, because our stomachs were upset all weekend. Aunto Flo came to visit, and shes not leaving . Than saturday he goes to work. I am about to leave the house,a nd guess were my keys are? In his car, on the other side of town, 25 miles away. *sigh*, so i stayed home witht he doggies, and ate chicken salad, eclairs, cuz Flo, and had a couple of Margetias( It was hot). So he coems home, has a headache, but we try to nap anways to go out. As we are getting dressed, i turned on my curling iron. Hes blow drying his hair, and decides to move my curling iron. Guess which part he grabbed before i could tell him no. Yes, the hot part. He RAN down the stairs, but ice on it, and said some not nice words to my curling iron. Needless to say, that was our night. I ran to the store to get some Tea Tree Oil for when it blisteres, and some Aloe. I also got him his favorite cookies and some milk. Now, its bed time, and the cramps attack my stomach, back and some other parts. So we are laying in bed, he has a hurt hand, and im waitting for my lady insides to come out. Sunday we went to petsmart, and got the doggies new collars, and tags, and the turtle a new rock. We ate left overs and than tried to go out again last night. ( Its his saturday night) We went out for a bit, and than came home, had a bite to eat. Well i shuldnt have done that, i had heartburn in the middle of the night for HOURS. I get up, and get dfressed for work. We are going to attempt to go out to eat dinner tonight. We heard of a New Orleans style resturant, so we are going to check it out tonight. That and he has a gift cert. to it. Hopefully, we have no mishaps tonight. Im kind of surpise he wants to go tonight, seeing how are weekend went. BUT at least we always have stories .

Sorry it wasnt the short version, but thats as short as i could get it

http://www.rhythmkitchenlv.com

 

[beezygal]

Black: Disney / Univerisal Studio. YEAH! I'm excited for you!

Jessie: sorry about your weekend. I didn't do much other than the anniversary dinner/fireworks. Yesterday, bf had to work all day. I was just home watching tv with my mom. It was quite relaxing, Then bf came over and we went out with a group of my friends for dinner. Two of my friends are back from Hk. They're working there now. It was good to see them again. Auntie Flo sucks. I get bad cramps every month. I have presciption drugs. I'm off to teach now. Later!

 

[TooPatient]

Black -- Yay! You can annoy us with details all you want . I love hearing about other people's vacation plans.

Jessie -- First the oatmeal then this... Ick. Hopefully tonight goes better (and auntie leaves you alone soon).


Let's see...
My weekend started Friday night slicing my finger open on a sharp piece of metal, dinner was late and a lot more rare than ideal. Then Saturday we sat in the sun on the deck eating Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra (OMG -- how could I have NEVER had Ben & Jerry's before?!?!) for brunch, sandwiches of leftover meat for dinner. I read an entire book (okay, so it was Clive Cussler but it still counts as a book). Lots of petting cats and playing with the dog.
Sunday was coffee outside in the sun on the deck followed by French toast for breakfast. Yard work, laundry, dishes... Yummy pasta salad with a chipotle vinegarette for dinner. New episode of Top Shot.

So, mixed weekend. Some good, some not so good but overall nice.

 

[Jessie702]

Thanks BG...have a good day. Its nice you could watch some tv and spend time with friends. Spending time with friends can help a lot.

Thanks Too...o wow. That sounds like a mixed weekend. Im so sorry about your finger, but at least you did do some relaxing. Relaxing is Good. Also, left overs is good too. Hmmmm . Hehe, im praying for Flo to leave. She has worn out her welcome.

So what you cooking for dinner tonight? Since we are going out, im trying to decide what to wear. I think im leaning towards my purple cap sleeve dress and simple, low black pumps. Hair up since its hot and Muggy. What do you think.

Seaking of weather, How is yours? We are hot and muggy here. Its going to be like 105 with 20 % chance of shower, humidity is at 20% too. BLAH...i hate being sticky. Tommorow it goes down to 101 with 40% chance of rain and the same on wedensday. I hate summer

 

[TooPatient]

Sorry... Our weather is absolutely perfect today -- 75ish, not humid, bit of a breeze (plus airconditioning everywhere I have to be today)

Your purple dress sounds nice. Is it a darker purple or lighter? (I assume darker since you're doing black shoes)
How fancy of a place are you going?


Dinner tonight? Either leftover pasta salad (cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, fire roasted bell peppers, green olives, & scallions in a vinegarette (chipotles, cilantro, parsley, scallions, shallot, garlic, champagne vinegar, lemon juice))
or maybe tacos made with the rest of the leftover roast from dinner the other night.
Depends on how we feel when we get home.
Lunch was fresh baked blueberry muffins so we'll probably go for some pasta salad first and then maybe tacos?

 

[Jessie702]

awwwww MAN....i need to come up to washington. That sounds so amazing!!!

It is a darker purple, but it has a bit of satin around the cuffs and bottom. Really cute. I think the place is fancy. Ill post a link....and tell em what you think.
http://www.rhythmkitchenlv.com

Ooo..i vote for tacos. That sounds so good. even though im kinda of mexican food out, that sounds so yummy. Goodness, your like a good cook. I need to like borrow all of your recipes. LoL...

 

[TooPatient]

awwwww MAN....i need to come up to washington. That sounds so amazing!!!

It is a darker purple, but it has a bit of satin around the cuffs and bottom. Really cute. I think the place is fancy. Ill post a link....and tell em what you think.
http://www.rhythmkitchenlv.com

Ooo..i vote for tacos. That sounds so good. even though im kinda of mexican food out, that sounds so yummy. Goodness, your like a good cook. I need to like borrow all of your recipes. LoL...

I can't get the menu to open on this computer, but it looks pretty fancy. Your purple dress sounds like it would fit for fancy or med-fancy (maybe even less formal?).

Tacos are easy.

I cut up leftover roast (or steaks or chicken) and use that for tacos.

leftover meat
1 onion diced
1 clove of garlic (fine dice or minced)
olive oil (about 2 Tbsp)
1/4 to 1/2 cup drained canned dice tomatoes (or 2-3 fresh diced)
1 fine diced chipotle
handful of chopped cilantro
splash of lime juice (probably 3-4 Tbsp)
fresh ground cumin & corriander (possibly a bit of ancho chile powder depending on spicing of meat)

Sautee onion on medium heat until nearly caramalized. Add garlic. Cook until garlic barely starts to turn color. Add meat. Stir. When it begins sticking (and it will...) add a bit of the tomatoes and the chipotle. Once meat is heated a bit and pan is deglazed, add remaining tomatoes & cilantro. When tomato liquid is reduced and meat is heated, add lime juice and reduce heat to low. Spice as desired.

I usually serve with rice and black beans. Fresh lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a slice of lime to the side. (can be made in 20 minutes or less -- especially if you use canned tomatoes and the meat is cut ahead of time)

 

[Jessie702]

Thanks Too.....purple dress it is.

Goodness, that sounds so good. Like, i might be making that tommorow, and dropping some off to the SO for Dinner at work. Goodness....okay, now i want tacos. Did you come up with that on your own?

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks Too.....purple dress it is.

Goodness, that sounds so good. Like, i might be making that tommorow, and dropping some off to the SO for Dinner at work. Goodness....okay, now i want tacos. Did you come up with that on your own?

FI and I each added our own touches to it until it came out how we like it. (He added corriander, I added tomatoes...). The amount of spices changes each time depending on how the leftover meat was spiced.
Basically, we had leftover roast one day and had to do something with it -- too much to just toss, not enough for sandwiches.

The real trick is to just add a little spice at a time until you get it "right". The first few times were okay, but after a while you get the amounts figured out.

Oh -- and NO MORE than ONE chipotle.... no matter how manly your SO is... more than one and you'll both regret it (can you tell I've tried it with 2?)

 

[Jessie702]

LoL....I can tell.

Actually my SO doesnt do spice well so i would probabaly add half of what you call for. He is SUPER Senstive to spice, even black pepper is enough to make him need 2 cokes! and i like spice.

 

[TooPatient]

The air (HVAC) unit on my office building went down (again...).

It is now 78 degrees (climbing about 1 degree every 10 minutes right now) and humid.

I'm calling it a day and heading home to study.

See you all tomorrow. -- enjoy your dinner Jessie

 

[Jessie702]

Drive Safe and have a good night. Dont study too Hard.


Calling it a day too. Talk to you ladies tommorow

 

[beezygal]

LoL....I can tell.

Actually my SO doesnt do spice well so i would probabaly add half of what you call for. He is SUPER Senstive to spice, even black pepper is enough to make him need 2 cokes! and i like spice.

My bf can't handle any spices at all. He will be sweating like a waterfall if he eats just a little bit of hot stuff. On the other hand, I LOVE LOVE spicy food.

 

[Trekkie]

LoL....I can tell.

Actually my SO doesnt do spice well so i would probabaly add half of what you call for. He is SUPER Senstive to spice, even black pepper is enough to make him need 2 cokes! and i like spice.

My bf can't handle any spices at all. He will be sweating like a waterfall if he eats just a little bit of hot stuff. On the other hand, I LOVE LOVE spicy food.

I love spicy food too! My bf used to think he liked it spicy - then he tasted what I consider spicy. He now says he likes things mild!

Luckily he doesn't get offended when I add chili to food he's cooked...

 

[TooPatient]

Jessie -- How did dinner go?

Trekkie -- Sounds like a fair compromise. We've got the opposite problem. He likes stuff really spiced (not necessarilly spicy, but lots of spice, spicy is good too though) and I prefer more mild. I've gotten used to spice (both ways) and can handle more than I did when we first met, but I still usually try to do a bit milder for me. (like for tacos I fine dice an extra chipotle and mix it into his salsa that is served to the side)


Midterm went okay... I think... I hope......
She hopes to have them graded and ready to go over with us tomorrow so I guess we'll find out then
Funny thing is the stuff I thought I'd forget and really struggle with is the stuff I got pretty easy on the exam and the stuff I had practiced and was sure I'd do okay with is the stuff I really struggled with and think I missed

 

[Jessie702]

Jessie -- How did dinner go?

Trekkie -- Sounds like a fair compromise. We've got the opposite problem. He likes stuff really spiced (not necessarilly spicy, but lots of spice, spicy is good too though) and I prefer more mild. I've gotten used to spice (both ways) and can handle more than I did when we first met, but I still usually try to do a bit milder for me. (like for tacos I fine dice an extra chipotle and mix it into his salsa that is served to the side)


Midterm went okay... I think... I hope......
She hopes to have them graded and ready to go over with us tomorrow so I guess we'll find out then
Funny thing is the stuff I thought I'd forget and really struggle with is the stuff I got pretty easy on the exam and the stuff I had practiced and was sure I'd do okay with is the stuff I really struggled with and think I missed

Morning Ladies

Too- I really hope you did well on your mid-term. Im sure you did fine, but ill keep fingers crossed for you. Half the term is down now, just another half to go.

Dinner was really good. We almost missed our reservations due to traffic, but we got there on time. It wouldnt have matter either way since it wasnt busy. We got a apptizer sampler, well he did. LoL... It came with Fried oysters( it was really fishy.) Fried gator tail( its just okya, would have been better if i ate that before the oyster) Frog Legs( didnt even touch) and crab balls( didnt touch) than we had a salad, and i had the chicken and spicy sausage jamabaly...my favorite. He had fried cat fish with green tomatoes( super yummy). We had LOTS of left overs. I had a drink, very tasty. Mardi Grais Punch, ive tasted that before while in New Orleans. The only thing that was missing from dinner was Coffee and Beignets.... Hmmmm.... So dinner was really yummy. VERY pricey. Good thing we both had cash on us. LoL. Than we took a look at their banquet hall, and we both agrued we liked it. So i even snuck some venue looking in too. Overall. Good food....but it makes me miss new Orleans.

 

[TooPatient]

Glad to hear the food was good. A nice treat every once in a while is fun, relaxing, and just nice.


Midterm should be okay. It certainly helps that she does partial credit and gave an extra credit problem too.

 

[beezygal]

Morning ladie!!!

At least you guys' SO can eat a little spicy food. Mine cannot AT ALL! Sometimes, it's not even spicy and he could tell there's a tiny little bit of spice in it, he'll sweat like mad.

Jessie: Good that your dinner is good.

Too: I'm sure you did alright.

 

[TooPatient]

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Just a warning for you ladies, it DOESN'T get less stressful after you have the ring.

Don't get me wrong, the ring is nice. Knowing you're getting married is wonderful.

But....
Aaaaah!!!!!


We haven't even hit the point where family argues about guest lists or gift registeries or anything like that.

I'm just....
I don't know... Torn.

You ladies are the only people I can really talk to about this. I don't want FI to feel like he isn't good enough or something and I don't want to talk to my family about budgets and stuff (since they aren't paying for anything and actually suggested combining with the backyard fish-fry...).

My logical side is saying that $10,000 - $15,000 is A LOT of money. Couldn't we just skip the reception and do the most basic of ceremonies and use the leftover money for something "useful" like my tuition (not loans, we've been paying cash each quarter), paying the car off, getting my pilot's license, remodeling the kitchen.... You know -- stuff that would be more than just a day that we could enjoy for a long time.

My other side is saying that $10,000 - $15,000 isn't all that much in the long run and since we aren't doing any loans or anything there won't be interest and there will be stock distributions, bonuses, and more for savings next year (and all of the years after). And I have wanted a pretty, fluffy wedding from the time I can remember (4? 5?) and even though FI has already "had a wedding" it really didn't reflect him at all and I'VE never had a wedding and this will be my one and only chance (since I don't plan to get divorced and I don't like the idea of renewing vows with a full out wedding-ish thing).

I mean, if we save and put the money into something "useful" we'd have something tangible that we could always have and enjoy (nice kitchen, no more car payments (for some number of years anyway), a license to fly our airplane, an airplane that is put together instead of a heap of parts). But would I be okay with that? Would I resent whatever the "useful" thing was that meant I didn't get a wedding with FI?


Sorry for the vent. That's been building up for the last few days and I just had to get it out somewhere.

 

[Jessie702]

Thanks BG... im glad my SO isnt the only one wwho cant do spice.

Thanks Too...it was one of the best meals ive had in a LONG time.

Too- awww Hon. I am so sorry your family is stressing you out. I sometimes wonder if we ladies think about how much stress we will have we have the ring, and the real planning begins. I know i have, but i wont know fully until the time comes. HONESTLY, you should do your wedding the way you want. I understand the logic behind, we could use the money in better ways. Thats my SO logics, and i agree, but than i also agree with you and saying this is your ONLY wedding. Thats my standpoint on spending the 10 Grand. Is it possible for you to either just do a cocktail hour and Hor-Desvours, instead of a meal. Or better yet, do you want to maybe elope, a nice tropical place, with you, your SO and than maybe a bridesmaid and groomsmen. ( that was my orginal thought for a wedding.) I am so sorry you are stressed, but ive vented and ranted here a lot, so pleas eknow we are always here if you need to vent.

Let me ask you Too- what would be your IDEAL wedding. When you think about it, dont think about the money part, or your SO, but you. What is the perfect wedding day to you? Maybe sitting and thinking about, and being a bit selfish, might help you in your decison making.

 

[beezygal]

I'm sorry about that Too.

I know it is very stressful to plan a wedding. I already told my bf many times that once we're engaged, we'll probably have lots of arguments. I told him we'll try to conpromise and won't let anything come between us.

I understand what you mean by using the $$$ for something more useful. My bf wants that to. Maybe he doesn't understand how important it is for me. I guess you really have to talk to you FI about it. He's going to be your husband soon. There's nothing that you cannot discuss with him. Tell him how you feel. *HUGS*