my 2009 list

Okay, much like cat pictures [which I admit I love], the last thing the internet needs is another Top 10 list at the end of the year, or really at any time of the year. This year the lists are particularly rampant, because it's the end of the decade. If I sat down to write a Top 10 list, odds are I wouldn't be able to do it. It's like writing a paper with a minimum word or page count: you just end up bullshitting to meet the minimum [trust me, I've got enough experience between AP classes, university honors classes, and nursing school care plans to know].

So what do you do to combat this? Simply write, with no inhibitions, no quotas, no worries about editing. Without further ado, things I've learned and loved this year. Some are serious, some are silly.

• Don't put things off. Make no bones about it, I am a procrastinator, and it's come to bite me in the ass this year, whether it's having to write my RN staging narratives with a splint on my hand, or racing around Casa de Megan cleaning up evidence [of sloth, naturally] when Mama Z springs a surprise visit on me. Now, will 2010 show that I have learned from this? Most likely not, but maybe I'll start doing the dishes and laundry a little more often :)
• A kittycat can be very expensive, especially when he has recurrent urethral obstructions [special needs kittycat!], but the cost of the surgery is quickly outweighed by the unconditional love, the entertainment, and the sheer adorableness that is Mr. Tux. I don't regret one cent of the money I spent on my little furball!
• Beat poetry, and poetry in general.
• Family can be embarrassing, uncouth, and country, but when everything is stripped away, they're still family. {Missing you and loving you Uncle Wolf}
• Don't let other people control you physically or emotionally. I've spent over a year rebuilding my ability to trust and to love. Love does not do that. Love does not strip you of those abilities, physical and emotional control does. Love does not create fear, or make you do things you don't want to, or fly into rages.
• A true friend is someone who appreciates the stupid things about you--like old man laughs, "trick or trout," the movie Babe, and a slight obsession with the color PINK! Time can go by, but the foundation of a true friendship won't crack. [love you JOB]
• It's okay to take a day off!
• AAA is a good thing to have [obviously I mean the roadside assistance, not the medical emergency. Just thought I should clarify. Abdominal aortic aneurysms are very, very bad. Very.]
• We really take our opposable thumbs for granted. I spent 2 weeks in a splint because of a sprained thumb on my dominant hand, and still have residual pain and limited function. You use your thumbs for everything, from brushing your teeth to tying your shoes to typing and writing! And forget nursing, I was stuck on light duty...and even then you need your thumb!

peace and love,

m

penne with Brie, mushrooms, and arugula

Don't be scared off by the ingredients--this is another very simple recipe!

Ingredients

• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• salt and pepper
• 8 oz Brie, cut into 1 inch pieces
• about 2 large handfuls of arugula

Steps

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When draining pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the water. Return pasta to the pot.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions, tossing occasionally, and cook 2-3 minutes.
• Add wine, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to the mushroom mixture. Cook until mushrooms begin to brown, about 5-6 minutes.
• Toss pasta with the Brie and reserved pasta water until the pasta is coated. Stir in mushroom mixture and arugula.
• Enjoy with leftover wine from cooking!

This is a tasty way to try arugula--the nutty sweetness of the Brie is a nice balance to the peppery bite of the arugula. It's good to have a large bowl on hand so you can easily toss the pasta with the Brie. It would have been difficult for me to do it in the pot I used to boil the pasta.

peace and love,

m

merry christmas, i made it home!

The weather cooperated enough for me to make my short trip home on Christmas Eve. Thank goodness I did not ruin Christmas! It actually rained the entire way on Thursday...now I know what Christmas in Seattle is like ;) The trip back to MKE was a little slippery as the rain started to freeze, but it wasn't too bad. I made it back in plenty of time to be on call but not be called in, hooray. Other members of the clan were not as lucky, as Dani in Iowa and Grandma Z in Norwalk were both snowbound for the holiday. Boo.

It was a very nice Christmas. Continuing our tradition stemming from the time the priest blamed the world's trouble on women, we did not attend Mass; instead, we enjoyed a tasty pepper pork roast, cheesy hashbrowns, crudites and hummus, homemade bread, and dessert. The boys made oyster stew [Mom and I shuddered in disgust]. Dinner was followed by the opening of one gift [a jewelry stand for me] and then we watched Inglorious Basterds. Eh. We'll just say Quentin Tarantino continued his tradition of gratuitous violence and lack of character development. I went to bed after that, the boys stayed up and watched Terminator 3. Seriously, who let Dad pick out the movies this year? The other ones were The Hangover and something equally as silly.

Christmas Day brought more presents, the coveting of Dad's new camera by Mom, and the ever-popular family portrait complete with obscene gestures and forced smiles by the 11th take. Lunch was a tasty honey-glazed ham and garlic-cheese mashed garden potatoes. We played Scrabble after lunch, and then I headed back to MKE, where I reclined on the couch with a silly Mr. Tux for the rest of the evening.

Yesterday, I cleaned the entire apartment...you know, when the bug bites, there's no stopping it! Today I'm going to pick something to do for New Year's that does not involve Water Street, Jo Cat's, or Sheryl Crow [those are the only stipulations], and look up flights to NYC. <--my vacation to San Francisco is probably going to be changed to NYC because Grandma Z wants to go to Ellis Island, and who can deny the coolest 80 year old woman that opportunity?

peace and love,

m

greek pizza

While I was home in good old Monroe for a 24 hour Christmas, I perused Mama Z's magazines for new recipes to try. I came back to the 414 with a nice selection of future meals, completely full of strange, ridiculous things that I knew she would never try...one, because you can't buy some of the ingredients in a Swiss town of 10000 people and two, my Paw would never even think of trying them :)

After a grocery shopping excursion to Trader Joe's [can I just say how much I love this store and how willing I am to drive to Glendale to go there?], I made a few alterations to a recipe for Greek pizzas from Taste of Home, and the result was pure deliciosity.

Ingredients

• 3 pieces of Garlic naan [Yes, I'm using Indian bread for a Greek pizza--it's Indian-Mediterranean fusion!]
• 1 tbsp Trader Joe's feta dressing
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup drained, rinsed, and chopped artichoke hearts
• 1 chicken breast [I chopped, then tossed with salt, pepper, onion powder, and dill, then sauted in vegetable oil]
• sprinkle of dried oregano [the recipe called for 1/8 tsp, but I don't really like oregano]
• fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps

• Spread naan with dressing, layer with remaining ingredients.
• Bake at 400 degrees F until cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.
• Enjoy!

i'm a sucker for sweet stories...

...like this one! Can you believe that this sweet kittycat made it home 3 years later? You bet Mr. Tuxedo has a microchip...not that he'd ever go outside the comforts and safety of his [yes, his] apartment, let alone 2800 miles and an ocean away!

peace and love,

m

dan's birthday and other things

This past weekend was Uncle Dan's birthday, so he, Aunt Chris, Casey, and the parents came to MKE to celebrate. We went to the Old German Beer Hall where we listened to a polka band, drank beer, and made Uncle Dan stand in the other room to smoke his cigars! It was a fun night, even though I was on call until 11 pm and couldn't imbibe like a true Z family member should on a birthday...and by the time I was off call, I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open! I'm just not a person who can get up early and keep going all day long.

I also saw this wonderful Santa sheep that made my day. He has a goatee. hehehe.

I am slowly but surely getting my Christmas shopping done. I still have to find something for Mom, Grandma D, Sara, and Teresa. It's actually pretty amazing that I have a decent stack of gifts under my tree at this point in time. I'm usually the person running to the mall before leaving town for the holidays! I think I've just been in need of retail therapy this year ;)

In other news, I scheduled my first real vacation in over 2 years! This summer, my Mom and I will be headed to San Francisco for a week. I'm half-tempted to start planning it all tonight, but I'm absolutely exhausted. Plus, I'm on call yet again tonight...I'll be even more exhausted tomorrow!

My awesome TOMS shoes arrived today. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll get to wear them tomorrow, as it appears that it will be boot weather. They are uber-cute and the idea behind TOMS is wonderful--for each pair that is bought, they send a pair to a child in need. Plus, they say "make art, not war" on them...perfect for the cute, socialist, coffee snob that I am ;)

Time to hit the hay early, and hopefully not get called in overnight.

Peace and love,

m

BRRR

It's officially cold, as the snot freezes in your nose the moment you step outside.

peace and love,

m

joyeux

Something, something lovely, something sweet,

found me dancing in the shower.

Singing let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Sonrío,

A shy smile,

Thinking of a habitual smirk.

peace and love, m

december?!

It's December already?!!!!eleventy!11!!! Oh my goodness. I have no idea where the time went. Wasn't it just Halloween?

The exciting news is that I am officially out of the splint and back to work with no limitations. There are still some motions that hurt my thumb, like putting on my seatbelt, and I'm not supposed to use an open palm to push things...my doctor said no slapping, but punching is okay ;) I keep a large supply of ibuprofen at work so I can keep a steady dose of painkillers coursing through my bloodstream during the day.

The winter weather is finally here. It is chilly with a chance of snow today.

peace and love,

m