Category Archives: Random Ramblings

Why I threw out my easy button

03 Wednesday Feb 2010

Posted by in Being Thankful, Children, life, Quotations, Random Ramblings, Taking Action, thoughts, work

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The Easy ButtonI once had an easy button on my desk. It was given to me by a former employee who turned out to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic, if you know what I mean.

At first it was cute, and at the end of every meeting or discussion, inevitably someone would push the button and we would all be entertained by the very polished voice of the “That Was Easy” man.

Over time, this button began getting on my nerves, to the point that I wanted to throw it at the next person who pushed it, because I realized that most of the time when the button was pressed it was not an easy situation – so it became more of a tool for sarcasm than anything else.

Fast forward a few months. My 8 year-old daughter was at work with me one day and she was busy setting up her space in an empty cubicle nearby. I was giving her items from my office for use on her desk, and one of them was the Easy Button. I handed it to her and looking a little annoyed she said,

Mom, haven’t I told you before that NOTHING is easy?

What could I say? She was right. So we threw it in the trash. And that was the end of my easy button.

My Local (Virginia) Thanksgiving – Success and a summary

27 Friday Nov 2009

Posted by in Being Thankful, Food, Go Green, life, make a difference, Random Ramblings

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I am so thankful for such a wonderful day. Great friends and family gathering around the table, where we went around the table to say what we were thankful for. I am blessed.

Dinner was by far the best Thanksgiving meal I have had in a very long time. The meal was fresh and full of flavor. It was a lot of work (since I was the only one cooking) but well worth it. Only a few non-local ingredients were used (see my summary below).

Farmers Market purchases (things I purchased last weekend at my local farmers market):

  • 13lb free-range, Virginia turkey – enough to serve 6 people, with a bit of leftovers
  • sweet potatoes – baked and mashed, with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg, tiny bit of butter and salt
  • Red potatoes – mashed with butter, milk and salt
  • Brussels Sprouts – tossed in olive oil, fresh rosemary from my deck garden, salt and pepper. Roasted until browned
  • Kale – sauteed onions, garlic and some bacon (not local) – then threw in 1/2 cup local white wine to de-glaze the pan, then chicken broth and kale
  • Onions & Garlic-  for just about everything
  • Granny Smith Apples – for deep dish apple pie
  • Apple Cider – used as part of the turkey brine as well as to drink
  • Eggs – for brushing the pie pastry
  • Sausage – for the stuffing.

From my deck garden: Fresh Rosemary, Sage, Thyme – all from my deck garden. I used these for the turkey as well as for the stuffing.

To decorate my table: I used some blue glass bottles with sprigs of sage, lavender, lemon verbena and rosemary (all from my deck). Beautiful.

Local beverages served:

Blenheim Vineyards 2005 Virginia Meritage

Barboursville Vineyards 2006 Virginia Chardonnay

Barboursville Vineyards 2006 Virginia Cabernet Savignon

Afton Mountain Vineyards 2007 Virginia Gewurztraminer – by far my favorite of the evening

Starr Hill Virginia Dark Starr Stout

Shenandoah Joe’s Coffee

Non-local ingredients: Salt, Pepper, Stuffing mix, chicken broth, flour, celery, walnuts, some spices, coca-cola

Traffic Sucks – except for when you have a party in your car

30 Friday Oct 2009

Posted by in Adventures, Being Thankful, Entertainment, Music, Random Ramblings, work

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Today I made the best of the horrific morning traffic in the DC metro area and had an old school party with myself in the car. Because I like to share, here is my playlist:

1. Jam on it: Newcleus

2. Don’t believe the hype: Public Enemy

3. Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll: ??

4. Knee Deep: Parlaiment Funkadelic

5. Summertime: Will Smith (Fresh Prince)

6. If I ruled the world: Curtis Blow

7. Changes: Tupac

8. More bounce to the ounce: Zapp and Roger

9. Nothing serious just buggin: Whistle

10. Paid in Full: Eric B & Rakim

11. Award Tour: Tribe called quest

12. Fight the power: Public Enemy

13. Last night the dj saved my life: Indeep

14. Me, myself & I: De La Soul

Things I love today

08 Wednesday Apr 2009

Posted by in Adventures, Being Thankful, Food, life, Random Ramblings

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My latest obsessions – reminding me that sometimes it’s the little things that bring big enjoyment out of life.

1. dwell magazine. Having always been obsessed with magazines – this is my latest craze. Full of ideas on architecture and interior design, all with a ‘sustainability’ edge. This magazine keeps me focused on how I want to live.

2. Fage nonfat strained greek yogurt. This amazing product packs a powerful nutritious punch while making me feel like I am enjoying a sinful and decadent treat. It is thick enough to spread on anything (close to cream cheese), I also have been known to pretend that this is whipped cream. I eat it with everything – berries, nuts, even cocoa powder. Six ounces is only 90 calories, 0 fat, 7 carbs and 15 grams of protein! It is a bit pricey (compared to run-of-the-mill yogurt) at about $1.79 for a 6 oz container, but well worth it for the enjoyment it brings to my life!

3. J-41 shoes. I now own 3 pairs and absolutely love them. Focused on “lifes adventures” these shoes are lined with Jeep memory foam – yes folks, it’s the stuff they line actual jeeps with! The soles have a roadmap in them that represents lifes adventures. While all of that is very cool – they are by far the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I love the Journey, Troy, and Barcelona .

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