huh?

I have been oh so very absent from the blogosphere lately. And I miss it. I couldn't even tell you the last time I looked at The Pioneer Woman or Thrifty Decor Chick. So behind!

I don't even have anything good to write about. I just wanted to tell you all that I'm alive.

I helped launch a new product line. It's called Money Express. You've never heard of it.
I have used twice the normal number of minutes on my cell phone. Or maybe three times... I hit the "twice" mark last week.
I bought a pre-paid phone.
I "posed" as a latina for an ad.
I baked a quiche.
My sister cleaned my house for me when all the cleaning companies in town were booked. You wish my sister was your sister.
I traveled to Florida, South Carolina, and Tennesee.
I bought a turnip and told the grocery store lady it was a parsnip. Or maybe it was the other way around.
I chopped a rutabega. And whatever that other thing was that I bought.
I went to the world pray-me-air... that's french for premiere... of Tom Sawyer (the ballet) at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center.
I planted more tulips.
I killed my mums.
I bought a pair of skinny jeans. And wore them in public.
I lost my luggage on a non-stop flight.
I slept in my contacts and my eyes have not forgiven me.
I stayed at the KU v. K-State game until the 4th quarter. Took some dedication.
I mistakenly used whipped cream instead of whipping cream. Big difference.

Just par for the course, ya know? Not that I've ever played golf, but I think that's what that means...

What am I even saying right now? I should stop while I'm behind.

Check back later. I'll have pictures for you or something.

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the calm before the storm

I never went back and added more to my last post. Apologies.

In short, it was a rough work day. On Friday I referred to it as running off the back of a treadmill. You're trying really hard to go forward with force, but the machine is faster and throws you off the back and you fall on your face. Yeah. It was one of those days. May be exaggerating a bit, I am a girl after all, but it was crummy.

And then I got reeeeally nervous thinking about the next few weeks of launching this product and how I need to do more and how I need to do better. I've got to earn my keep and add value.


This was all on the tails of last week's sermon on Philippians 4:6-7.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 

but in everything by prayer and supplication 

with thanksgiving 

let your requests be made known to God. 

And the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Thanks, Paul (and Redeemer Fellowship) for this reminder.

So I finished The Help, good book by the way, and picked up my Bible and "Calm my Anxious Heart," a favorite from college, and am heading off to Tampa in the morning.

In the meantime, someone please bring hubs some nutritious food on Monday and Tuesday, would ya? I'm afraid he'll eat Mickey D's for 6 straight meals...

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a career developing day

In the words of my client:

"I think today was a career developing day for you."

How is it not even 5:00 yet? More to come.

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what Ghandi said

Ya know what ruffles my feathers? Poor customer service. Ooooo boise do I get upset quickly. 

I think this originated from a family that has collectively spent a large number of years in the restaurant industry. If your steak isn't right, you say something. If the server is snotty, you tell the manager. Oh you don't? Well I do. 

See I am of the impression that companies really do care about their customers. They want them to be served and to be happy and to come back again and again. Because that coming back again and again means $$ and more $$.

A few weeks ago I was getting my hair cut and they had a sign up. A quote by Ghandi:

"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. 

He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. 

He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. 

He is not an outsider to our business. He is part of it. 

We are not doing him a favor by serving him. 

He is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so."

This week at work is Customer Service week. And sure enough this morning one of the VPs sent out that same quote as a reminder to us of how we ought to view our customers. As a client server it was very challenging. In a good way.

Which brings us to tonight, my friends. Tonight I went to World Market. I am late everywhere I go, so I arrived at 8:50. They close at 9:00, but I knew what I wanted so I knew I'd have time. Here's where the story goes sour. I walk up and there is an employee standing at the door. It's one of those automatic doors that at the end of the night they pull together to close it manually. 

Well she was standing in the door, half way-closed already, and as I got closer she just glared at me and said "two minutes." 

Being the definant person that I am, I said "It's 8:50, don't you close at 9:00?"

"Yes, we close at 9:00... you have two minutes."

"But my clock shows 8:50."

Are you ready for this?

"We don't go by your time, we go by World Market time." 

I would like to tell you that I graciously said "okay, thanks" but what I actually said was "why don't we compare watches when I'm finished shopping, mkay?" Not my proudest moment, but that's what I said.

I was partially really peeved cause another associate at that store had closed early two weeks before and when I went to the door they just stood on the other side of the door with their arms closed waiting for me to walk away. Butt-heads. Well I stomped around the store for three minutes, just to spite the woman, thinking about what Ghandi said.

Here's the lesson folks. Or lessons.

1) Be nice

2) Don't be late everywhere you go.

3) Write an email to grouchy lady's boss.

and last, but most important

In the context of serving one another, Jesus said: 

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." 

Matthew 25:40

And that is way more convicting than what Ghandi said.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Have you ever made risotto?
Wait, back the truck up.
Have you ever eaten risotto?
Please tell me you have. Eaten it and made it. Cause it's delish. One of my top most favoritest comfort foods.

I feel obligated to tell you that risotto isn't good for you. Not bad for you like mac and cheese with sausage, but just not great for you cause it's just pasta and cheese and stuff. Anyway, you still need to do it. Not all the time. Just, you know, enough of the time.

Remember how I told you my sister and her bf like to cook and they are really good at it? Well last year for my birthday they made me Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto. It was soooo good. And I was craving it this Sunday. So I made it. And would you believe I even remembered to snap a few quick pics along the way? You can thank me later.

Also, aside from the fact that risotto isn't that great for you, it is also pretty laborious to make. Not hard, just takes a while. So on a beautiful fall afternoon it was a purrrfect way to spend a few hours.

First, you take the graham...
Just kidding. But I love that scene. Name that movie!

First you borrow a dutch oven from your sister and her bf because they have two and you have none.

Being bitter is not step 2. Being grateful is step 2.

Step 3 is slicing and dicing (less the dicing) up a butternut* squash and roasting it in the oven for 40-50 minutos.
I meant to type butternut but I was moving too fast and typed buttnut and thought it was funny. But then realized in the context of a lesson on food it wasn't funny. But then told you about it anyway.

Then saute the onions in a pat o' butter. There's garlic in there too I think.

Meanwhile heat up a lot of chicken broth. You know the phrase "a watched pot will never boil?" That's why I didn't take a picture of heating up the broth.

Then add the arborio rice. I know it seems weird to add rice to a dry pan, but just do it.

Moving right along... (this is where it gets tedious, so that phrase was intentionally ironic or something) begin adding the broth, 1/2 cup at a time until the broth is absorbed. This will take a long while. Do this with your right hand and with your left hand make banana nut muffins. 

The pot will get deeper, and creamier, and more lovely. 

Cutting to the chase now. Eventually you'll skin and chop up the butternut squash and toss it in along with some loverly seasonings including fresh sage and plenty o' parmesean reggiano. The recipe calls for spinach but I left it off. I've had it both ways and they're both great.

In summary, enjoy. 

Oh, and don't forget to take the muffins out of the oven before they burn!

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