Happy New Year

Taking a look back at 2008

Even though I would have liked to have completed more goals this year – I am going to cut my self some slack. 2008 has been a crazy busy year with plenty of ups and downs. But overall it was a decent year. Here is what I have managed to knock off my list in the year of 2-0-0-8

Goal# 3 – Buy a Coach Purse

Goal# 26 – Finish Sugar’s Bed

Goal# 30 – Get back on the dirt bike

Goal# 39 – Start and keep up with an Address Book

Goal# 40 – Learn to knit

Goal# 44 – Get in touch with an old friend

Goal# 46 – Finish the garden area in our backyard

Goal# 53 – Keep a potted plant alive

Goal# 58 – Get a promotion/new job

Goal# 63 – Get to work on-time for a week

Goal# 65 – Tell the ladies in my group, how much I appreciate them

Goal# 66 – Visit the Blue Bell Factory

Goal# 81 – Put new recipes in my recipe book

Goal# 83 – Try 5 new restaurants (5/5)

Goal# 87 – Take a Wilton Cake decorating class

Goal# 91 – Carve a pumpkin for the first time

Goal# 92- Make a new Friend

Goal# 93 – Go kayaking/canoeing

Goal# 95 – No TV for a week

Goal# 100 – Wear PJ’s to work

Goal # 101 – Get the house painted

My Sir Robbie Rob

Have I ever told you (my little virtual world) how lucky I am to have the most amazing husband in the world (yeah yeah mine is better then yours get over it). He is loving, caring, funny, sweet, gentle and of course damn good looking.

Being lucky enough to wake up next to the one I love, being able to feel the freedom to share everything my silly little mind thinks and to know that I am loved unconditionally is amazing. I love you more and more everyday and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together.    

Happy New Year Babies… and I hope 2009 brings us everything we have been wishing for.

I Love you!

Goal#11 – Twelve out of Twelve

Reading Eclipse marked my 12th book for the year. For someone who did not enjoy reading, this year has been a great eye opener and I have really enjoyed reading and plan on keeping it up. Eclipse was pretty good and it left you wanting more…

Edward’s soft voice came from behind me.

I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again. This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine–like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob–knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Merrrrrrrry Christmas

Goal#44 – Old Friend

Thanks to Facebook I am now in touch with one of my bestest of friends Secil. We had been out of touch for over 13 years and I have missed her so much. She found me on Facebook and I remember wanting to cry from happiness when I saw her message.

Our friendship started 17 years ago in an old apartment complex. They used to live in the apartment above us and would always have parties and play their music really loud. Well, I decided to grow ballz one day and head up there to tell them to STFU. But instead I found my self partying and dancing along with them and the rest has been history. She is one of the nicest, kindest, most caring people I have ever known and I love her like she is my sister. We definitely laughed a lot and have also had our share of tears. Leaving her (Turkey) was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but knew that our friendship would never be lost. She just got engaged and I have been throwing around the idea of really wanting to go to Turkey for her wedding and be there with her on her special day. The date is end of April, beginning of May (they are still working on nailing an exact date), so I will put my thinking cap on and try to find a way.

Anyway – this entry marks Goal# 44 off my list. 

Goal# 39 – Address Book

Well, I didn’t necessarily buy a new Address Book, but with the help of Gmail Doc’s and the Address Book that came with my sweet sweet Mac – I have managed to create and keep up with important numbers and addresses. I felt like this was a very important task to complete, because I tend to keep people’s addresses scattered all around the place and always end up asking them again for a reminder. I am hoping to keep up with my address book and hope and pray that my system won’t die.

Goal#11 Eleven out of Twelve

New Moon was good and it was a very quick read. However, at this point I think Twilight is still my favorite, but New Moon does leave you looking for more. So I am off to read Eclipse.

I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES…
For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning. . . .
Legions of readers entranced by the New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for the continuing story of star-crossed lovers Bella and Edward. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural spin. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

That’s worth gaining 10 lbs

There have been many places (and trust me I have probably tried most if not all of them) that called them selves Mediterranean Restaurant’s, and honestly I cannot say that any one of them even came close to what I was used to. So I kind of gave up on my search and actually started my attempt at cooking (ohhh and by now SRR was already in love with Turkish Food). I made Lahmacun, Cacik, Borek, Kofte, Coban Salatasi, Baklava…etc but it was never the same. It just sort of took the edge off, but left me wanting just one more hit – I mean bite.

Then we made the brilliant decision to move to Cary, NC (where before we moved, we were warned that we should learn how to cook at home, because the food sucked – or something like that) and with the help of SRR’s AWESOME office mate found out about Bosphorus. Even when SRR mentioned the name to me I was still very skeptical, until I saw the menu and felt like crying from happiness (yes, I know… I have a weirdly wrong relationship with food). That night we went and tried the food and I think I had a smile on my face for the next week (yes – good food makes me happy). They were playing Turkish music, the waiter was Turkish and spoke Turkish to me (which at this point I realized – I need to work on speaking it more often), the food was to DIE for and we walked out of there probably 10lbs heavier then we walked out. But before we walked out, the waiter told us about a Turkish Market (I think at this point I was fighting back tears of joy) and pointed us in the direction. Of course we had to go check it out that night and the place is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It’s like a little Turkey. They have pretty much everything that I have my mom bring me back from Turkey (hmmm you did not hear that from me) and much much more. I think I was that much more in love with Cary after this. They have an American – Turkish Association which I need to join and I think along with meeting many new people, it will also help me complete Goal #43 off my list.  

Holiday Eating Tips

I came across this today and had to share…

Please print out and carry with you in case you forget what to do.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And QUICKLY. It’s rare; you cannot find it any other time of the year, but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn in to an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a genuine treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later then you think its Christmas.
3. If something comes with gravy, USE IT. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask of they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim milk, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports care with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas part is to eat other people’s food for free. Lot’s of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. Yu can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Of if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”.