anne's chit chat

Last summer when I first moved to St. Paul I was overwhelmed with the shopping possibilities. One afternoon, having already spent the day shopping, I ran into my good friends Amanda and Matt. Out of pure desperation I proclaimed that, “I couldn’t stop shopping!!”

When I drive down Grand Avenue in St. Paul and watch all the people milling around holding their respected shopping bags, I cannot help but get out and join in the fun! After spending the morning with my friend Amber (we have known each other since 5th grade) I thought I would make it home safe. I didn’t.

I attended a “Market” at Amber’s apartment complex; it was fun, booths from Mary Kay to Avon to Pampered Chef to various Jewelry retailers to the ever-reliable Tupperware! As soon as I saw the sandwich container and half an onion holder I couldn’t resist! I am a sucker for plastic containers (avoid heating anything in plastic though, it will release a poison called dioxin).

I am very excited to use my new sandwich container and I already had half an onion in my fridge that fit perfectly in its’ new holder. My other purchases of the day are not plastic in form, but rather various cotton blends.

As I type I am wearing my newest outfit and if I may say, I look great!!!

Every morning at 6:30 am I hear the same bird. It has a very distinct chirp and it seems that it occurs every 2 seconds. It is rather annoying and usually wakes me up (the few days I get to sleep in). Fortunately this bird only hangs around for half hour or so…maybe right outside my window is where she starts her day!

I just saw and heard a crazy bird fight in my neighbors pine tree. Four birds were in dispute and it ended with all but one flying out of the tree.

Jake and I were just talking and he remembers this funny story that we had both forgotten. Last summer my mom had a hanging flower basket right outside her kitchen window. Before she knew it a family had moved in and baby birds were born! It was exciting and we all wanted to look. Jake is super tall and he had the best view but when he started to actually approach the basket I got nervous. I told him that he shouldn’t stick his head in too much….I thought the baby birds would get nervous and think, “Who are you? You’re a giant!” I said this out loud to him and we both thought it was the funniest thing at the time!!

We just had a good laugh remembering it. I love to laugh.

I woke up at 5 am today. I drove to work and parked at the meter for free until 8 am. From 8-9:30 I had to feed the meter ($1.25 an hour). I left work at 9:30 am for home. 10 o’clock and ready to have the whole day to myself!

I make promises to myself. When I get up in the morning, during the day at work, when I am getting home from work. I say to myself, “I am going to get “that” done today or I am going to start “that” project today”…but why do those promises seem to take forever to begin?

Because I am a procrastinator.

It sucks to be a procrastinator. It always feels like I am in a hurry, running behind, have so much to get done ALL THE TIME. At times I feel paralized. Like right now. Yesterday the last line on my post was that I was going to do laundry and wash my dishes…well, nothing got done yesterday and I am still not doing it right now.

Oh well, at least I am not in school anymore. Even though I have laundry, dishes, and other projects to start, the stress I feel doesn’t compare to anything I felt when I was in school!

To all my friends and family that are in school right now—good luck!! Keep focused and do good work!!

In my little kitchen last night I was cooking up a storm of spaghetti meat pie and “chit chat” scones. Cooking with extremely limited counter space makes for a very creative activity. I use any available space…window sill, chair, top of the oven…I have to take advantage of my surroundings.

My friend Paige named the scones “chit chat” and boy oh boy are they something to talk about! They are really tasty.

I have come to really enjoy cooking and trying new foods. I still have a way to go with all that spicy food though (and cilantro). I don’t know what it is but…my taste buds just cannot handle it…I start to sweat and I get all red. It really is horribly uncomfortable. So I have come to just avoid those foods. However, I do realive that with practice I can learn to enjoy them more.

I have to do laundry today and clean up my mess from last nights explosion of dishes and measuring spoons.