Christmas is all around us

If I truly wanted to, I could tell you about everything that has happened since my last post and you could be sitting here for at least 10 minutes reading a very long, very entertaining story. Instead, I'll give you the abridged version, which will consist mostly of bullet point highlights (not in any particular order) and might only take you 5 minutes :)

• sending out the most awesome Christmas cards ever, that my friend Lisa made here
• introducing Meagan to dear friends at the brew brew (I love that my friends all get along, what an awesome blessing.)
• on a second excursion to the brewery with Colleen and Sandi, having the most precious waiter on his first night and also receiving the best drunk voicemail. ha.
• opening presents with tags like the one pictured at right
• seeing Raquel and the amazing Brace family and having a sleepover like high school. this of course included a trip to the tattoo parlor. not for me, yet.
• having brunch with Colleen at Arnies (also pictured) and going to the mall the day before Christmas. two firsts.
• installing a programmable thermostat successfully! go me!
• laughing so hard I cried at the Christmas Eve service at church. so good this year, and always so wonderful to see my long lost church family.
• watching all of my favorite Christmas movies
• snow
• a lovely though short visit with the Bordenkirchers
• two impromptu dance parties within days of each other with different people. what a blessing again that I have friends that dance.
• sleeeeeeeeping.
  
  

So that was Christmas and everything leading up to it. It's been a good end to a so-so year, which makes me hopeful for 2010.

a GLEEful week

What a week! I think I could write about something enjoyable happening each day but for the sake of you, my readers, I won't.

This week has been a lot different than last. On the outside it looks similar, but on the inside, it's so much different. These are things that brought a smile to my face this week that I won't elaborate on:

• Dexter with friends
• Mario on the Wii and we all suck, ha
• Sharing dinner and life
• Christmas party at work and my work family
• The girls from high school and our annual gathering!
• Decorating my moms' tree (pictured ---->)

Now onto my most enjoyable events of the week....

Wednesday, sweet Wednesday. I love you. You bring me joy in the form of days off, friends and Glee. This week you brought me a whole party, a dress up party. And it was glorious. I had a moment when I was getting ready to be Rachel Berry when I realized I have the best friends in the world. I mean, it takes a special group of people to dress up for a TV show.

And we went all out, as you can see :) So fun! I won't bore you with more about this though, onto the next: Friday and the point of this all, Martini Night.

So Friday I enjoyed a Christmas party all day at work and then after work I joined up with some friends to see Christopher Williams with Jon Troast at the Park Theater for a great, live concert. Great music and talented artists make for a wonderful experience. After the concert we traveled over to 84 East. I had forgotten how different going on a Saturday is compared to a Friday. The atmosphere is completely different, mainly concerning the DJ they have playing music on the makeshift dance floor. Buuuuuuttt, without said DJ, we wouldn't be able to call a song for the night, and once it's played go to that silly little area and dance. Which is what we all did, to Billie Jean. Though I never need a drink to dance, because I'll dance to anything, anywhere....well mostly, we ordered a shaker of Tropical Storm. An intense mix of coconut and pineapple that comes out blue and is actually quite strong. I'm giving it a low 6.8 only because this is the first drink that made me flush and since that's painful, it was potentially given a low score. On a better day maybe a 7.2, it's very tropical tasting.

So here's the Martini Night Recap:

persons in attendance: Amy, Katie, Jenna, Brian, Adam, Dwight and partly Jon

drinks had: Tropical Storm

favorite quote: "it's not dark enough to dance the way I want to dance..."

favorite moment: most awkward group dance ever

a category 5

just write about life. give a simple rating on a drink. that's all i have to do. yet sometimes, this seems so hard. i don't feel like a natural writer. i can talk about anything and nothing until i'm blue in the face but when i have to actually write it out, i draw a blank. since this is one of those days, where i don't really feel like doing this, and i just want to use small letters and no capitals, i'm going to compact all the love i have for this day into a short(for me) post.
a category 5 hurricane is nothing to mess with. it's an unfortunate occurrence. you can predict when it's coming and make preparations but in the end all you can do is bunker down and wait for it to pass. hope and pray that when you open your eyes things are recognizable. i feel like i've been in a lot of situations like this lately. i can think of three right now, and though they're over and i made it, and i'm probably even stronger and more confident after, it sucks when you're going through it. and my point of this rambling is to recognize that martini night is not about alcohol. to me anyways. it's about the people and the conversations. it's about having people in your life you can sit at a table with week after week and never run out of things to talk about and if you do, it's a comfortable silence. it's about sharing life with all the good parts and the hard parts. and being there when someone is going through their own "category 5". though i didn't pick it because of all this, looking back, the Category 5 was a perfect choice for this week. it's possibly too many things blended together so i'm only going to give it a 6.7 after really thinking about it. it doesn't stand out to me, but i know quite a few people that have enjoyed it, so i could be completely biased on this one...as opposed to all the others you know ;) so thank you to jenna for sharing an evening of easy conversation and also to the second waitress that has brought me my menu without me asking. milestone.

Peanut Butter Pizza Pie

It actually exists. The title that is. It's not at all what I'm talking about but as soon as I wrote it out I wondered if it was real and low and behold, it is. And it actually sounds kind of tasty. Moving on...

November has been kind of nuts. It still doesn't compare to October but it's running a close second. So far this month I have:

• joined my mother and stood for 5 hours with drunk middle aged hooligans to watch The Boss


• joined Team In Training again, for yet another half marathon


• celebrated Merry Gobblemas with the most amazing family ever


• moved


• bought a dyson. (this one deserved a period)


• overslept on black friday


• gotten a flat tire


• watched two movies, UP and The Blindside, and cried at both


• attended two martini nights, which leads me to this past weekend:

I always love martini night, there has yet to be a time when I have left thinking I just wasted my time and money with crappy people. It just never happens. I especially love it when there is a small group with GREAT conversation or a larger group with lots of laughter and just shared moments. This weekend was the latter and it was a wonderful evening. I feel like I was able to catch up on everyones' lives, share a few things myself :) and enjoy two very delicious martinis. First off was the Pomtini coming in at a tasty 8.5. It was mainly graded down to the fact that though it's a strong flavor and not so much on the sweet side as it is tart, somehow this drink tastes too much like pink grapefruit, which is also tart, so you'd think they'd let the pomegranate dominate like it should but moving on to the Sour Patch Kid. I'm actually giving this an 8.5 as well. Delicious and not too sweet or sour, a perfect mix. I would have liked this one with the sugar rim but we did get it out of a pitcher so I could be misjudging it anyways. I think next weekend I'm going to give one of the wintery flavors a shot, since it's going to be collllllldd. Stay tuned, I think it's going to be a good one.

London Bridge is falling Down

Do you ever feel like you're getting pulled in one too many directions. I picture myself as Stretch Armstrong and you know that after a while, one of those limbs, those connections is going to break. The hard part about it is that rarely are you getting pulled into multiple directions you don't want to go, most of the time it seems it's all stuff you normally enjoy and have fun doing, but when you pile on too many things, the pile will always topple. Always. So what do you do when you notice the unbalance...the leaning...the breaking...? I've been thinking a lot lately about how I handle certain situations. Some I feel I probably need to handle differently yet others I couldn't be more pleased with the turnout. Sometimes I think that being an adult just sucks. But most of the time it's just fine :)

I have to apologize for the ridiculous amount of time between this post and the actual night I'm recounting. Life, for sure, is crazy, but I am going to give the best recap of the evening I possibly can. After not having felt well I decided to skip a dance party...gasp!!! I usually like to have plans, to know what I'm doing at any given time so not going dancing opened up a whole night with no ability to make plans, I just had to go with it. It turned out well. Amanda, Amy and myself took a tour of some downtown art galleries and their punch competition, scored ourselves some awesome homemade hats, spiked punch, warm punch, good snacks and even some movie filming. Jenna joined and we proceeded to martini night. We were then joined by Julie and Katie and I proceeded to try two drinks for the evening. I was only going to do one but I got so hungry I had a thick second. That sounds gross just typing it but I'll start with that one, it was the Strawberry Cheesecake, which actually has sour cream in it. I was hesitant and thought it could go horribly wrong but it was actually a bit delightful. Rating wise a 7.3 but that is saying a lot for a drink that has a nacho topping in it. The first drink I had was the Sunset. It's so pretty, they pour the grenadine in after so it drops to the bottom. You have to remember to mix it a bit otherwise you get a lot of alcohol and then a lot of sugary red liquid. This drink receives an 8.2 with its' presentation giving a few tenths higher than taste alone. Overall it was a good evening, filled with amazing women and random events that I couldn't have planned better if I tried, and I think sometimes that's the lesson.
Thanks for joining ladies :)

I spell it Grey

Sometimes when I'm writing these, or even when I am thinking about what I'm going to post, I picture myself as a narrator, much like Meredith in Grey's Anatomy. I feel like I am walking you through an episode of a show I call My Life. Sometimes it's a comedy and sometimes it's a drama. Right now my life has a lot going on, to the extent that I really don't know what happened to the month of October, and this episode has hints of both genres, though I'm only going to highlight the comedy.

In the midst of the busiest October I've ever lived through, I had the opportunity to sit down with some very dear friends and enjoy some martinis. And enjoy them we did. I would like to first say, if you're with a couple of people and you can all agree on one flavor, go for the pitcher, it's fabulous. We started with the Raspberry Lifesaver which I am giving a 9.5. Amazing, great flavor and it masks the alcohol very well. Our second round was the Red Appletini which I am giving a 9.8. Frankly put, it's delicious. This picture is proof.

So who has heard of the saying "you wouldn't join a club that would have you as its member"? Anyone? I hadn't either but Sandi so graciously brought this to my attention a couple months ago and we brought it up again this evening, after talking about a few different scenarios we're all going through. It's basically like this: you really want to join this group, so you apply, and you pray about it and then you're accepted but you realize, you don't want to be in a group that just accepts you. We're complicated individuals and sometimes do really dumb things, and I think this is one of them. But we all do it, and when you take a second and think about it, I can almost guarantee you've been there, because it applies to a lot of different areas of life.

I was doubting my ability to carry out this blog for the full year but after this past night, I realize that I need this. I need something to look forward to. I need the company, the atmosphere, the freedom, the conversations, the laughter, the tears, the tears because of the laughter and the support. And most of all I look forward to looking back at these posts and seeing the memories and the growth. :)

Evening Re-cap:

Quotable quotes: Amy - "SPINACH DIP AND CHEEEEEEEPS!!"

Sandi - "Not me and my hand but you and your hand"

Me - "I just did the 90/10 with the lamp..."

Jenna - "It's not gossip, we talk about him all the time."

Drinks had: Raspberry Lifesaver and Red Appletini

Rinse. No repeat.

When I first had the idea to start this, I honestly did not think that it would be this difficult to fit in a martini every weekend. I realize now, after almost two months, it's much more difficult when you're also counting on others to make it possible. I don't think I've quite reached that coveted solo status yet. There is just something about going to the bar alone that is not in the make up of my bones. However, I have decided that if that time ever does come, I have to get the Lemon because it's pure vodka and I'm sure it will make me seem awesome and hard core, like, "yeah, that's right, I'm at the bar alone and I like my martinis without frill." And realistically, I do like the frill, they can be quite pretty. My point with all this, is this: this is an open invite to join me. We can talk about anything you'd like, even emotional booty calls, like last night. That's right, you read it right. If you aren't familiar with what I'm talking about, which I'm sure most people aren't, take a quick 3o seconds and follow this link. So now that you know what I'm talking about, I'm going to twist it. I feel a common variation is the reversed ebc, if I may. For my example, I'll use Jack and Diane (who by the way, had Jack done this, there wouldn't be a ditty about them, because Diane would have been a smart woman and left) for lack of better names. So this is what happens: Jack "calls" Diane, repeat, repeat, now Diane thinks there could be something, Diane thinks because she's giving so much emotionally there is a connection, but wait! Jack talks about someone else, Diane is confused, and rinse and repeat.

I know it's not the best example but I can't put peoples' names in here without their approval so it will have to do. A good song about this would be Melt My Heart to Stone by Adele, maybe that'd be a better example. Do guys know they do this? Because I can count on more than one hand people I know that have gone through situations like this, and that's just not right. That's why I say, Rinse. No repeat. Stop going back. Be rid of it, it's not healthy.

This has potential to be a girl power post but it also could have been the Razzmopolitan talking which I would give a 7. It has a good flavor but the quick aftertaste burns a bit. I followed it with the Fuzzy Wuzzy (which immediately takes me to the rhyme but drink wise is similar to a Fuzzy Navel) which I would give a 7.8 because the orange juice makes you think it's healthy. I have to start going to a decimal rating system because I like it better than the first but it was not an 8. I can't just go giving everything pretty and tasty a high score, I have to be fair. You know, because clearly people are going to go to 84 East after reading this and use my rating system to figure out what to drink. Ha. And I'd hate to give them a false rating.

So that's it for now. Next weekend is the big race so I will only be drinking water. See you in two weeks :)

martini night or martini weekend?

Whew. What a weekend. I would like to warn you, this could be the longest post you'll ever have to read, but it will be worth it I'm sure :)

Let me start with Thursday. My first Art Prize experience. Though a quick outing, Amanda did a great job of giving me a thorough tour of downtown and some great outdoor art installations. Which then prepared me for Friday. This is how Friday went and what I enjoyed most:

Toilet Tricycle Race put on by the Dufala Brothers, Ahhhh-mazing!

Phone call from Jeff then seeing his brother Joel randomly on the street. Enjoying a White Peach Bellini Martini from my first trip to Republic, which I'd give a 9. Running into the Shingledeckers on Cherry street and having a small world moment (which really I had all day, and kind of all weekend). Taking a second trip through WMCAT (awesome building. can I work here please?) and seeing Rex and Monica Rainey. Holla, PHS! Finding my new favorite quote "do the right thing every dog-gone day of your life" under a massive table and chairs. Getting a ride back to Amanda's for a sleepover :)

This is how Saturday went:

I finished what felt like a very long 13 mile run with a less than satisfactory feeling at the end both mentally and physically. Hello, blisters and weird hip pain, I don't want to be friends anymore, please leave now. Could this be from the 5 hour jaunt across Grand Rapids I did last night? Oh well, that won't happen again. And I'll certainly eat dinner the night before too. And then maybe I'll be able to follow it up with an actual nap instead of laying in bed dreading the fact that I have to work for 5 hours that night because someone doesn't know how to do their job. Let's just say Saturday wasn't my favorite but I made it through with only minor irritations. But not to worry because Sunday brought the following and redeemed the day prior:

a church service that couldn't have been more tailored to what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. T-Pain, Akon and Kanye, enough said. A trip to Dunkin Donuts, mmm coffeeeeeee. Taking a personal day from work so I could heal both mentally and physically from the day before (it worked). Checking out all kinds of art with Adam and Jenna. Meeting up with Colleen and her parents, you wonderful Nelsens, you. Also meeting up with Jeff and Joel DeBlaay and Face, who I will call Face forever because I can. Running into my Aunt Bonnie in the middle of 20,000 people. Finally visiting ActiveSite and seeing the Rainey's again. The Old Federal Building, I love you. Parsley Mediterranean Grille, I love you too. Seeing Rob Bell and his adorable family. Making Amy call into work because of car trouble I caused, ha. Not meeting up with Missy and Dan (this was disappointing, don't take this wrong) which led to a wonderful phone conversation by the B.O.B and reminded me of why Missy is so wonderful. More back and forth across the city which included my first visit to Founders and witnessing the consumption of quite possibly the most disgusting beer ever (who puts chocolate and habanero peppers in a beer, it's gross already!) Thai food for dinner at XO with Amy, Joel L and Amanda and my second martini for the weekend, the classic Peach, which I'd give an 8. One to begin the weekend and one to end. There was so much to see and do, to take in, to process. And I came out alive and inspired. I don't know about what yet but I'll let you know when I do. God brings hope through despair when we need it the most and sometimes He does it with a weekend like this. Thank you to all who were a part of it.

I've been sitting here for probably about 5 minutes trying to figure out how to begin and this is all I came up with. I have no zip today but I'm trying to get past it. Besides, it's not about today, it's about Saturday. And Saturday was a good day. I didn't have to work. It's the strangest feeling having a day off that most people normally have off. I didn't know what to do. I'm so used to filling up my time, it was wonderful to just sit and chill and not get a thing done. And then it was time for the usual.

I had a martini night milestone this time around. The waitress didn't have to see my ID to get my menu. You know what that means don't you? Yes that's right, I'm becoming a regular :) I had decided since I was a bit behind that this week I would knock two options off the menu. I started with the Sun-Tini which felt very summery (and strong). I liked it but I'm giving it a 7. There just wasn't anything phenomenal about it. The next was the Fruit Loop which may have looked like sewer water(see picture to left) but I assure you, was no where close. You have to like melon in order to enjoy this tasty treat, consider yourself warned if you do not, and I give it a 7.2. Nice flavor but not for everyone, mainly those that don't like melon.

I'd love to be able to start a whole discussion on something intense that we talked about but there isn't anything to talk about. And by no means was this a disappointing evening. It was perfect. We laughed, we danced (in our seats), we enjoyed each others company. I hope I never forget how fulfilling just spending time with quality people is. Even if we do sit there and talk about cat costumes and flash mobs.

Nightly wrap-up:

Attendees: Jenna, Julie, Adam and the round table

Drinks had: Sun-Tini and Fruit Loop

Best moment: admitting I'm a Miley fan. ha.

my own two cents

This week I am going to cut to the chase. I took a gamble on the Money Penny and I feel I came out even. My actual rating would be a 6 though at first taste it received a 7. Amy, I'm sorry you didn't get a clear rating before you ordered :)

And now I'll share on my "you have got to be kidding me" moment. In the middle of my martini, which I was still trying to decide my feelings on, some friends walked in the door. Or maybe I would say acquaintances. (this was the moment) I just had to laugh because of the inevitable encounter approaching and I must say I'm slightly shocked at the other parties' reaction. I got acknowledged in a "oh, I think I knew you once...(walk away dramatically)" way. And then the other person says nothing. Now in a way I'm not complaining because it could have been drawn out but also, martinis don't like drama and neither do I. So it got me thinking about friends vs. acquaintances. I think the latter, for some reason, has a bad stigma with it. Like, if you're only an acquaintance that's a bad thing. Really? I think it's better than an enemy, or better yet a frienemy. It might be a difficult situation if somehow the friendship has moved to just acquaintances but it's most likely for the better. I mean come on, can anyone really stay friends with everyone they meet? It's impossible! Most of you can't even remember the name of your best friend from 4th grade. Ok, that's the end of my rant. Thanks for listening and as always, your thoughts are welcomed.

Nightly wrap-up
Martini: Money Penny
Attendees: Amy, Jenna, Oven, Kate, Lena and poor Jon :)
Best moment: fully enjoying the night and being in bed by 11 (totally not lame!)

be with who you're with

Oh martini night, you have been hard to visit with lately. I'm sorry, I will see you soon, I promise.

I did however visit elsewhere. On friday evening I attended the LaBarge/Lam wedding, which was wonderful, and took advantage of Boatwerks' Pomegranite Martini at the reception. Let me just state: either Boatwerks makes one heck of a strong martini or 84 East does exactly the opposite because that was one strong martini in a very large glass. Not that this rating counts but I would give this one a 7, flavorful but a heavy lime flavor coming through from somewhere....(note the large, but empty glass)

On to my next thought, which happens to be the subject line. Allow me to explain. We've all been there. We're hanging out with friends or family and think we're having a good time, there might even be people there we haven't seen in some time and then we notice that person, you know who they are, that's texting under the table. And they think no one notices?! Or worse, they don't care! I noticed this happening this past weekend. I'm not going to give actual people or actual stories but I think we can all think of a time that we were with someone but they weren't really there. They weren't present, their attention was elsewhere and you know what, I'd like to say that's rude. Just rude. I understand that there are times when you're at a very casual event or communication is necessary but what I'd really like is for you to be with who you're with. Period. And those are my thoughts on that.

the newest (old) trend

i love blogs because they're always there when you only have 10 minutes. this happens a lot and now instead of watching tv or feeling like i'm wasting time online, i can feel like i'm having a conversation, even if it is with myself.

my days off this week have been loaded with tasks to do. things like: go for a run, go to the post office, pick up some dr. peppers, find out your best friend is having a third child :) , paint, pack, take a mandatory break at the brewery. i feel like i've gotten so much done, which is a great feeling.

it was nice to be at the brewery again too, there's just something about that place that just feels normal. plus you get to talk about things like what crazo church is behind all these "singles" signs bombarding the streets of holland and man scarves: the newest trend. according to their main page, apparently wearing a scarf is branding yourself. good to know. they also say the scarf is the new tie. interesting.

i'd like to elaborate further on the man scarf. is it a new trend or is it just coming back? take these pics for example:

old trend?

or new trend?

i think that proves my point. and i realize i didn't have a point. just more of a thought, that's it both new and old together. it's got me thinking what the next trend will be. i've noticed plaids are back. which to me means flannel but i'm not sure that kids these days even know what flannel is.....

anyways, i seriously hope the next trend is not this:

and a mental note for next time, this took way longer than 10 minutes...

Wedding Caketini AND Watermelon Jolly Rancher

Welcome to week 2.

It's been a long week. That being said:

I couldn't help myself. I had two. First off I had the Wedding Caketini in celebration of Brooke and Ryan who tied the knot on Friday. The actual flavor of the drink reminds me of something else, but I don't think wedding cake. If it weren't for the amaretto it'd obviously be a pineapple upside down cake instead but to the point, I give it a 6. I did enjoy it but it doesn't stick out as one I would like to have again this next year. For my second, I had the Watermelon Jolly Rancher. Isn't the name enough? We all know it doesn't taste a darn thing like something that's bad for you. I've had it before so I purposefully got it because it sounded good. It's definitely a 10. I don't even hesitate on that one.

So this evening was completely different than the last. Our conversations spanned many topics including: Funks: when you're in one, how do you get out?, Homosexuality: how's your gaydar?, Life: the new midlife crisis; finding your purpose and lastly, my favorite, Christian Playas: how to spot them and how to avoid them. I'm sure you can just imagine what was discussed. We laughed a lot and probably quite loud and there are some things that stay at the table :)

But really, my main question was how to get out of a funk? For reasons I cannot explain, I was in a funk on Friday. It's the worst feeling when you recognize it and you can tell that maybe others are picking up on it, but you still can't shake it! And then you get annoyed with yourself. I don't think I have a remedy except time and prayer. I think that's all I'll say on that matter. Anyone have other thoughts? I'm willing to discuss the other topics again too :)

Martinis had: Wedding Caketini and Watermelon Jolly Rancher

In attendance: Jenna, Amy, Sandi and Lisa H.

Favorite Quote: "Take a drink, and spit it out!"

The Adventure Begins Now

Hello blog world, I've missed you.

I haven't kept up a blog in a good amount of years. I'm a little bit worried that after 100 days I'm going to forget about you and leave you hanging. I will try my best though. My goal is to stick with this for one year. And during that year I will be reporting my opinions on the 45 martini's offered at 84 East, my favorite weekend hangout :) I'll also be sharing my thoughts on the conversations of the evening and life in general. One flavor per weekend minimum with a few extra weeks in case of holidays or other unforseen events should take me to next August 14th.
This whole idea came from the movie Julie & Julia. And of course my rating system stored in my phone of previous martini nights.

I started last night with the Coconut Raspberry. I LOVE coconut so I don't think it could have been bad. I gave it an 8 on a scale of 1-10 only because it tastes slightly creamy without actually being creamy at all. I was able to share the evening with Esther and Oven and it wasn't long after talking about the "dance floor" we began our topic of the evening: The Slow Dance. I began to explain my policy; I do not slow dance. I just don't do it. Of course I'm referring to wedding scenarios because I can't think of a situation where I would ever need to slow dance elsewhere. I think slow dancing is:
1) too personal
2) too boring
3) precious time to cool off and recuperate for the next batch of fast songs
4) something I'll do when I'm married
Needless to say, we had different opinions. I figured if I keep the policy and don't break the rules (which I did in the past and then the turnout made me feel worse, I should have said no!) then I don't have to worry about it. But what if you take a date they ask? Well, the date will already know the policy. This doesn't have to be difficult, I think it makes perfect sense. Does anyone else have this policy? Or a policy in general? I can't be the only one. I just can't be.
So this was day one. Or I guess night one. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topics or ideas of topics for next time. Most of all I'd like you to join me.
until next time,
miche