"Saturday, March 20, at approximately midnight is the official first day of spring for 2010 in the Northern Hemisphere (Vernal Equinox)." So why was I able to take the above picture this morning? Very crazy weather here; his past week it was high 60s and gorgeous. Now.... snow. At least our dog, Renn, had a very fun time bouncing around in the snow like a bunny rabbit this morning. He enjoys running through snow drifts, sticking his nose all the way down to the grass while little snow-cicles stick to his face, and generally becoming one with the snow while I laugh on the other side of the leash.

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I often let coupons guide my buying decisions at the grocery store. Lately, I've let certain commercials/plugs guide that as well. I love Kroger for groceries, by the way. And, if you have a Kroger plus card, you can create an account online at their website. By doing so, you have access to bi-weekly/monthly rotating coupons that you can load on your plus card. The coupons will be taken off your bill automatically at checkout. I've done it. It works. The one downside is they generally don't have a lot of coupons on things that I use. But I have found one or two that were helpful to me.



Now, I'll move on to the critique. The first product that is new that we recently tried is Yoplait Smoothie found in the freezer section.
Christopher and I have tried the tropical mix (shown) and the strawberry banana mix. Both are delicious. It does make two servings as stated on the package. We use our Magic Bullet to make one serving at a time using the Magic Bullet blend cups. It only takes one half cup of milk for each one, blend, and done. The price tag is a bit high I suppose (I can't remember exactly, maybe $3.20 or something like that), but for the convenience of having what you need in one bag I think it's worth it. We'll definitely buy and eat this again.

Product number 2 under review is Simply Potatoes. We picked up this item on special in the refrigerated section of the store. I'm not sure where you would see it regularly, but on this trip, it was out in the center with their sale items. Anyway, as I intended to make us a big breakfast on Saturday morning, we picked them up and tossed them into our cart.
As you can see from the photo, they brown pretty well. And, overall the cooking time is as stated on the package. I did find it a bit different working with unfrozen hash browns. As far as instant potatoes go, I've always been an Ore Ida gal. What I like about these is that they are definitely not oily, and I didn't even use as much oil as suggested on the package. What I did not like was the taste. They were pretty much the blandest potatoes we'd ever eaten. If you prefer not to eat frozen potatoes, I'd say just get a whole potato from the produce section and make your hash browns that way. We will not be buying this product again.

Last critique of the day: Folgers Black Silk coffee. I bought this because of the coupon. The store had marked the price down by a dollar, and the coupon was for a dollar - so I figured it was a good time to buy at two dollars off the regular price.
The verdict is this stuff is just plain good. Prior to this tasting, I was a fan of Maxwell House and would always go to that before Folgers. However, Black Silk may have made me a convert. I like the full flavor of the coffee without the bitterness that some dark roasts have. I do recommend it, and we'll definitely get this one again.

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When Christopher and I moved into our current apartment, we really wanted to lower our total monthly expenses and enjoy our apartment to its fullest. So far, so good. One bill we decided we could certainly live without was our cable bill. At our previous apartment, we paid for a bundle package (phone, TV, internet). As we rarely used our home phone compared to our cell phones and the TV packages included more than we needed, we decided it could go.



We've found that we don't even notice not having a home phone. If anything, we prefer it to having one. Solicitors are by law not supposed to call cell phones, whereas they can call home phones all day every day if they wanted. Although we tried to remove our number from call lists, we still managed to get daily solicitation calls. No bueno. The peace and quiet is worth not having a home phone for unlimited local calls.

As for cable, we did think we would miss it pretty terribly. We have quite a number of shows that we enjoy on a regular basis, and we like watching TV together just to spend time with each other without going anywhere. However, cutting the cord was really easy. Now, we set up subscriptions (no cost) on Hulu.com, and we watch all our TV on the internet. This works well for us because we simply use our TV as the computer monitor. In the case where the show we want to see isn't on Hulu, we can almost always find it on the network's website.

It is true that Hulu's quality is not as good as our HD cable used to be, but it is nothing that we cannot see past with a price tag of free.

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I know that things have been going on over the month of February and in the last 10 days or so since our(my) last post. However, it's been difficult to think of something to blog about. So, I think I'd like to take a moment to be mildly political. I do not wish for any of my dear friends and family to blog-jack this post and make all kinds of crazy rants in the comments section. No offense, just get your own blog. :D



Now that that is over (phew), let's talk about full body security checks at airports. The Wall Street Journal had an article last week about these newly minted machines that was quite informative (see article here). Now, the Wall Street Journal is not necessarily the best newspaper out there. It's full of right-wing, wishy-washy, and/or uninformative non-opinions at times. But at other times, I'm glad my work keeps the break room stocked with the daily rag.

This was one of those times. I had vaguely heard of full body scanners being implemented, but I really didn't have a notion of how that would work exactly. I think I liked it better when I didn't know. According to the article, the scanners take full body images of an individual that could potentially see doctor's-office-quality imaging (I'm talking all your private bits and love handles people); however, before the image is produced, a "privacy algorithm" modifies the image to a Gumby-like character and indicates if there is a potentially harmful item on said individual. Let's not be idiots, friends. If a computer hacker with enough knowledge wanted to undo the "privacy algorithm" and change the machine to record the anatomically correct images, don't you think they'd find a way? But wait, you say. These images/machines should not be networked. Well, the article states, "..seen by a remote operator who cannot see the actual passenger." This would presumably be the case for (1) security of the machine operator, (2) privacy of the passenger, and (3) diminishing of possible profiling. But it also means that the machine is networked. That's not comforting.

Also unsettling is the prevailing theme that this is the "final stop" with airport security. Far from the final stop, this is a dead end. Furthermore, I cannot even imagine the cost associated with production and maintenance on these scanners. Reliance on these measures will not curtail terrorism. Perhaps one would-be criminal will decide to attack a train rather than a plane. The only measures that will stop terrorism are pro-active ones, not reactive ones. For example, the US government maintains lists with the names of individuals who could or might be persuaded to consort with the country's enemies. When the x-mas day bomber made his failed attempt, the government had been forewarned by this man's own father who had told a Nigerian official about him. A decent proactive measure would have been to make sure to check out the father's claims and place his son on the no-fly list for at least a probationary amount of time. But that did not happen. One excuse is to say there are too many of such lists/databases. And some feel it is too great a cost to cross-reference and/or consolidate them. Would it be more costly than replacing every airport's current metal detectors with full body scanners? Probably not. In fact, the government could outsource the task to Google, a home-grown company. One would think they could come up with a comprehensive database that is easily search-able and user friendly for security personnel.

With all that said, I am willing to keep an open mind about the scanners, but right now I'm not a happy traveler. Mildly political post fin.

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This year I wanted to do something extra special for Christopher on his birthday. Usually birthdays for us are pretty low key with just a couple of friends over to the apartment for some finger food - or maybe just the two of us going out to dinner. So earlier in January, I started planning.



The guest list was about 20 people long, with 15 of those RSVP'ing yes. I'd say that's a pretty good turnout. I had thought about non-food related activities we could do (bowling, pool, darts, movies), but decided dinner was really the best way to have everyone sit down for a conversation rather than being split up into teams or using different tables, etc. Christopher's party started at Mattito's Tex-Mex restaurant. We had a long rectangular table at the back of the restaurant to ourselves. I had reserved a table about a month in advance (although, I think they take reservations the same week if needed). It would have been nice to have a private room, but semi-private suited us just fine. Dinner was lots of fun with excellent company and really good food. I ordered the tortilla soup, which is my MO at this restaurant. Christopher departed from his usual tamales and ordered the fajitas.
Trying to leave the restaurant was interesting. We were a large group paying separate tickets, and one waitress to help the 15 of us. She had struggled throughout the dinner it seemed to keep up with drinks and orders, but over all she wasn't bad. When it came time for the check, she failed. We had our check done incorrectly 4 times. After the third time, our waitress sent over someone else to hand us the latest version - also wrong. I grabbed the manager from behind the bar to help out, but when the two of us finally got back to our table, the waitress had just dropped off the final and correct version of the ticket. Since everyone was in good spirits, this definitely didn't ruin anyone's night, but it would have been nice to just get a correct ticket the first time.

After dinner, most of the party-goers went back to our apartment for dessert and drinks. More good times were had by all, and we were even joined by more friends/family who couldn't make it to the restaurant. For dessert I had set out a birthday cake, tiramisu, candy, and homemade butterscotch oatmeal cookies. Sweet teeth were able to indulge.

Christopher had a great time, and I was super excited the party was fun for everyone. Since then, his birthday really hasn't stopped. He's received cards and gifts in the mail from people who couldn't make it to the party, or didn't send a card until later. And finally, today I was able to take him out to get my birthday gift to him - a grill. I sweated over website after website to try to find the best grill out there for what we need. Most all grill-fanatics say the Weber series for charcoal grilling is the way to go. However, I didn't know that Christopher was planning a switch to gas. So, we went out today to Home Depot to see what was available. After careful and long (emphasis on long) deliberation, Christopher decided to go with a gas grill. We had seen and really liked the Weber Performance charcoal grill - the look and size of it were perfect for our needs. But, it didn't come in a propane-ready version. So, we left Home Depot (as we couldn't make up our minds as to which one to buy), and we headed over to Barbeques Galore. This place has quite the variety of grills. Upon entering, we immediately started talking with Ray - the mild mannered BBQ salesman. He really was extremely mild mannered; it was actually sometimes difficult to hear him, he spoke so softly. At any rate, he really knew his stuff and helped us through all the options, price points, models, and pros and cons of all of the above. Christopher finally decided on a house brand propane grill called the Globe Cafe. They didn't have one in stock, so we ordered it today and should be getting it on Friday. I'm looking forward to the deliciousness to come!

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A well deserved congratulations to our friends and family who seem to be taking life by the horns! Pretty much every week someone passes along some good news about either themselves or someone else. That rocks. Due to all the wealth of happiness being shared by the people around me, I have been motivated to think more seriously about volunteering and what I can do to improve DFW. Below are some options...



North Texas Poodle Rescue. I have no idea why poodles would need to be rescued as they are adorable, loving family members. However, the reality is that many animals need care and love as they are regularly abandoned. I think I would quite easily open myself to the needs of the dogs (my co-workers call me the Dog Whisperer - well not all the time) and be able to help in many ways. Although, Christopher brought up an excellent point when we discussed this; I would very quickly see myself bringing home some puppies on a regular basis. Win-Win you say? Perhaps, but we are going to stay a one-dog family for now.

AFS. An excellent choice for volunteerism as I participated in this program myself as a high school student. We would not need to host a student; however, there are other opportunities to help out such as being a buddy/liaison to an exchange student, organizing events, and coordinating airport drop-off/pick-ups.

Church activities. An interesting idea as I've yet to call a church home in the area; although, I've visited a few. Generally, churches have many volunteer opportunities; however, some of them may require being in proximity to children. Since I'm looking to spread happiness, I may need to steer clear of the young ones.

Finally, I looked a bit into local area volunteer services. That could be anything from the local SPCA to the family center not too far away from here. Not really sure what I'd specifically like to do, but helping out locally is appealing.

I'll probably do a lot more research before I try to commit to something. In the meantime, I still would like to think I'm using my free time wisely. I also need to put some more miles on that library card of mine.

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Recently (within the last 6 months), I've become enamored with workout DVDs. They are so much cheaper than a gym membership, so much more convenient, and 100% user-friendly. I decided to review the three that I own/use. Perhaps I may persuade others that these little gems deserve some consideration.



First up - So You Think You Can Dance, Cardio Funk
Pluses: (1) This DVD is hosted by some of the more popular SYTYCD contestants from the earlier seasons (seasons 3 and 4, I think). It's very enjoyable to see them again. They really seem to be enjoying themselves throughout the workouts, which helps me want to participate with them. (2) The warm up and cool downs are nice and lengthy with lots of stretching. I have actually seen a measurable difference in my flexibility due, in part at least, to the warm up and cool down exercises. (3) There are three different styles of dance featured: hip hop, contemporary, and disco. (4) Lauren (instructor for the hip hop segment) is a great instructor and could really make a career out of doing fitness DVDs. Hers is my favorite workout on this DVD.
Minuses: (1) Travis' segment (contemporary) is a bit disappointing simply because he's not a very good instructor, in my opinion. All of his queues are followed by "yeah?" So, he might say something like the following, "now we going to take three steps to the right, yeah?" (2) It's clear the dancers are doing their first fitness video ever, in some cases they mess up the lines or look awkwardly at the camera. (3) The music they chose to go with the workouts is just so-so.


Second DVD - So You Think You Can Dance, Tone and Groove
Pluses: (1) As with the other SYTYCD DVD, this one includes the same favs: Twitch, Dmitry, Lauren, Courtney, Katee, and Travis. (2) Three dancing styles are showcased on this one: hip hop, jazz, and cha cha. (3) Dmitry's Cha Cha is a serious ab workout, and the steps are challenging enough that it takes a some tries to get it right. I'm actually smiling almost all the way through.
Minuses: (1) The warm up and cool down segments are identical to the SYTYCD Cardio Funk DVD. A little more variety would have been nice. (2) The same awkward looks at the camera occur in this DVD as in the other one. Once these guys had a couple videos under their belts, I'm sure that would stop.


Third DVD - Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred
Pluses: (1) Her approach is very old-school, so all of the moves are familiar and very easy to follow. (2) She does not shy away from the good ol' jumping jack. I'm a fan of jumping jacks, and I completely agree with her use of them as full body cardio exercises. (3) She reminds viewers regularly what position their bodies should be in, where to hold their arms/legs, and how to engage the muscles. (4) The workout is compact - 20 minutes and you're done.
Minuses: (1) The introduction to the DVD is rather long and you can't skip it and go straight to the DVD menu. I find this a bit annoying. (2) The hook for this DVD is "lose 20 pounds in 30 days." I don't want to lose 20 pounds at all; therefore, I get a bit scared that instead of losing 20 pounds, I would bulk up due to the push-ups, etc that she has in the video. (As a plus though, for those people who want to lose 20 pounds, I can see how this video would really work if done every day for 30 days). (3) The warm up and cool down are a bit short for my liking.

There you have it. I do these DVDs 4-5 times a week. When I don't use them for a few days, I actually miss it and can't wait to do it again. I'm not even sure how long it will be before I tire of these and want to buy new ones. But I think I'll be set for a while yet.

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We're here again to keep everyone up to date on life in Watsonville... or Watsonland. Both are cool places. It's been just over one year since our return from Japan. What an amazing country; we can't wait to vacation there and revisit some of our favorite places while discovering new ones. The past year has been interesting in and of itself of course.



Major events include: my college roommate's wedding, a move into (and out of) an apartment, 12" of long hair pulled into a ponytail and cut off for charity, a new job, a promotion, new friends made, and innumerable day-to-day shenanigans.

2010 is looking like a bright year indeed. Another friend is now engaged, one has decided on a career path, one just bought a house, and the list goes on. For us, we are settled (finally) in an apartment that we love and think we'll stay in for a while. The longest we've ever lived in any one place is less than 2 years. Let's see if we can break that streak.

That's all for now. More updates to arrive in the very near future.

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