Tunetastic Thursday - Boyce Avenue featuring Fifth Harmony "Mirrors"

Back to your regularly scheduled program...

I've been hearing about the YouTube Video Music Awards for a while now. But I kept forgetting to vote. Honestly I was a little daunted by the number of songs I would have to watch for some of the categories. Thankfully, YouTube had snippets of the songs that I could listen to and judge from. The only downside to voting is that you have to share either on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter. I did Google+ just because I don't follow many people and many people don't follow me. Sorry friends, you just got music video spammed.

In looking through all the videos, I stumbled upon a cover by Boyce Avenue. Now, when "Mirrors" first came out, I listened to it about fifteen hundred times in a row. Ryan was not happy. Especially because after about the fifth time, I become a duo with Justin and we're singing together. When I found Boyce Avenue's cover with Fifth Harmony, we became Boyce Avenue and Sixth Harmony. Love it. I hope you do too.

If you've never heard of Fifth Harmony (which if you've never watched X Factor is probable) they have a couple songs out - which, as a warning, are catchy - but have done a few collaborations including this one. Thus far, I haven't included any covers, even though I think Iron and Wine's version of "Love Vigilantes" is better than New Order's, but I like this version a lot.

Do you have any songs where you enjoy the cover better than the original? If you ask my husband he'd say he likes Marilyn Manson's "Tainted Love" over Soft Cell's version. I can't say I agree, but I'll give props to Manson for a pretty good cover. What do you think?

AOP, C&B, PI, PPE and Acronyms Galore

Sometimes, work just gets me down. It could be the fact that I get up and the sun hasn't yet. Waking up to sunless mornings is such a drag. I mean, if I'm up, the sun should be up. Am I right?! 

This week of work has been hectic. I work in the finance department at a chemical plant. Not only is it year end, planning time, it's apparently also time to take inventory. You can imagine my delight at the prospect of staying late on Friday and possibly going in on Saturday to finish up. 

For the past month, I've been working with leaders across my division to confirm headcount in their sectors - please pardon the business jargon. Oh lord, that rhymed. Anyway, for weeks I've been hounding people to get me their people and final numbers. In turn I give them an estimate of employee costs for next year's plan. Of course, I get a file yesterday from the second to last group. I had to wait until all groups were done in order to finish the last and final group. Now, on top of that I had to figure out what heads are being added, reach out to human resource people, and beg/plead for estimates on these new heads. That email went out today asking for it tomorrow...I will remain hopeful that they all come in. After I get all the information back, I have to put it into my massive spreadsheet and spit it back to the leaders in the form of a number. They'll then use it as part of their operating budget that's due Monday. Now, I mentioned inventory right? That's Friday. Which, if you're doing the math, leaves me just tomorrow to receive, analyze, and provide data back to the leaders. Good thing I have the formulas all set. I'm hoping that with the final touches and proper numbers dropped in, I'll be pivot tabling like a maniac and spitting out 2014 costs like a professional watermelon seed spitter. More than likely, it'll be another late night.

Friday morning, I'll be there bright and early at 7:45 to start counting until the cows come home. Except, it'll be later than that. Which means I miss Troy Night Out. HUGE BUMMER. BOO. BOOOOO. I literally passed on going up North this weekend (for my sister-in-law's 30th birthday), passed on going to New York City this weekend (with free hotel room), so that I could go to Troy Night Out. Then I'm told that I should plan to stay on campus until midnight...getting out earlier is just a happy coincidence. Shoot me now, please. To top it off, because I work in a chemical plant, we have to take necessary precautions to protect ourselves. This means safety glasses, work boots, hardhat, and lab coat. Not that I'm complaining - whatever keeps me safe, I'm just going to be drop dead sexy. Especially with my safety glasses over my glasses. Oh and if anyone asks, my name is "Andrea" for the day, as that's what my new lab coat says. 

Is it bad to say that I live for the weekends? Although, maybe not this one if I have to report in Saturday morning.

What are some of the downsides to your job? Do you have any? (If not, please don't make me jealous and say so.) What's the BEST part of your job?

In case you're wondering what the acronyms I listed are:

AOP - Annual Operating Plan

C&B - Compensation and Benefits

PI - Physical Inventory

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

Good Things to Come

Ryan is quickly recovering from his wisdom teeth removal. While I made him a delicious potato chowder, he quickly realized he wanted "real" solid and warm food. He was eating popcorn chicken and waffles two days after the surgery. Soon he'll be back to his old habits and snacks. I'm sure he can't wait.

Last weekend, I raided my parents house again for something to upcycle. I found a french provincial night stand that I plan on painting and possibly distressing. Be sure to look out for that blog soon. It may continue to be a a night stand but there's a chance it's being changed into something resembling a wine cabinet. Although, my mom did warn me that whatever I do to this one, when she finds it's mate, I'll have to redo the other one in similar fashion. We'll see where it ends up.

I also have an old soda crate that I stole saved from the basement. It has probably 30 years worth of dust, grime, and oil stains on it. All it needs is some extra quality time with a mouse sander. I however, need to remember to use a face mask. Blowing my nose afterwards was slightly horrifying when the tissue is pretty much black. I've spent about 30 minutes so far and will probably spend another 30 sanding it again. Then I'll give it a good hose down and put an extra special stamp on the side.

Last, but not least. Ryan has the beginning of his keezer. Don't know what that is? Well, I'm kind enough to let you know that it's a freezer, modified to fit kegs in it. So Ryan can finally begin to keg his beer. However, since we bartered this bad boy off craigslist, it's not the prettiest freezer among the bunch. Needless to say, I have a plan for it. Ryan's vetoed the idea of a bead board jacket but we'll figure it out together. THAT blog will most likely not be up for a while. While I'm sure we'll be kegging soon, I don't have enough time to make it look pretty right now.

So I hope you're sticking with me. Do you have any projects going on right now? What's keeping you busy?

The Toothless Wonder

Ryan, my husband, had surgery today. Up until about a month and a half ago, he didn't know he had wisdom teeth. I know that sounds weird, but his mouth is teeny tiny. He had to have like five teeth pulled when he was younger just so the rest of them would fit well. So when we switched dentists, he found out he did indeed have them (only two though, the others are still MIA) and they were impacted. One referral to an oral surgeon later they came back and said they needed to come out.

Now, I had my wisdom teeth (all four - all impacted - all but one broken apart) removed when I was 16 and a senior in high school. My birthday's weird so I graduated when I was 17. My surgery also helped me figure out the hard way that I'm allergic to hydrocodone. Cold sweats, feverish dreams, and passing out did my body good for the one pill I took. Then I switched over to extra strength tylenol the rest of the week. But for me, recovery was good. All the ice cream I could eat, no school for a week, and lots and lots of sleep. (I'm a big fan)

If you're unfamiliar with this young adult(ish) right of passage, first, congratulations on having a huge mouth and excellent dental genes, second, you can't eat solid food for like five days. For normal people this doesn't prove to be a problem. For Ryan...

Ryan doesn't like ice cream, pudding, jello, or popsicles. He sort of likes applesauce but only if it's mine and when it's really chunky. So today, as I'm feeding him pain pills (hydrocodone - imagine that) I'm also trying to stuff him with applesauce. Hard drugs on an empty stomach makes for an upset stomach. We made a trip to the store last night in anticipation of what he'd like. We walked away with ice packs (designed for lunch bags), a hot water bottle (at my insistance), and frozen pizzas (because we like to keep them on hand). He didn't want soup, he didn't want pudding, and I couldn't convince him with anything else. So right now, he's sitting on the couch, where he's been since we got back around 9:15 this morning, drinking black (cold) tea, and watching television. 

He's put up a fight about taking his pain medication, took a bite of applesauce, refused any other food, only to then request bread and butter, to then dislodge a clot and give up eating said bread. Men...I swear. But I love him, and I'm sorry he's in pain. My wallet's also sorry those wisdom teeth showed up on the dental x-rays. However, in less than two weeks, he'll be eating chicken and potatoes, potato chips and pizza, and drinking a cold, tall one. He'll be fine. If he makes it that long.

Here's the newest toothless wonder. If he wasn't so damn handsome, I'm not sure if he'd last the week. Good thing he is. 

Food for thought...Best Damn Stuffing Ever

I feel like this is sacrilege. This recipe is worth a gold mine and I'm publishing it for free. For all the world to read and use. But truly, it would be a disservice if you went without this recipe before Thanksgiving. Because once you've tasted this, you won't make another type of stuffing. EVER. AGAIN. I used to be an extremely picky eater (like creamy peanut butter and grape jelly on white bread everyday for lunch for my entire school career) and I never liked stuffing. Then my mother-in-law made this and the hubbs insisted I try it. I did. And then, then I was hooked.

Here's what you need to impress everyone you'll serve it to:

3 medium russet potatoes
1 large loaf of white bread (a few days old and stale)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (diced)
6-7 stalks of celery (diced)
1 pepper (green, pablano, what have you - diced)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1+ can chicken stock (if you're having turkey, use turkey broth!)
3 Tbsp Bell's Seasoning

Ready to start this? I am...and I just had it.

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Wash down your potatoes to remove any dirt left on them. Then cut them into 1 inch cubes and set to boil on medium heat. No peeling required.

Step 2. While the potatoes are boiling, cut up all your veggies if you haven't already. In a large pan, add garlic, onion, celery, and  peppers along with that stick o' butter. Let the butter melt down and simmer veggies on medium heat.

Step 3. Step away from the stove and rip up that whole loaf of white bread. Put the pieces into a large mixing bowl. Take one can of chicken broth (or turkey!) and pour it over the bread. Fold the combo until there is no broth at the bottom of the bowl. The bread will reduce down a lot.

Step 4. At this point your potatoes and vegetables should be ready. If you celery is still a little crunchy, no worries, it's great in the stuffing. Drain the potatoes and remove to a medium mixing bowl. Turn off the vegetables and add these to the potatoes.

the pan should still have butter at the bottom make sure to remove that to your mixing bowl

Step 5. Mash those all together! You're basically making an incredibly chunky mashed potato. Be careful because this is extremely hot, especially if you're using a mixing bowl that's as thick as a stocking.

Step 6. Add your mashed potatoes to the larger mixing bowl with the bread. Fold the mixture until well combined.

Step 7. Add the Bell's seasoning and mix again until well blended. Add more chicken stock until the mixture resembles a pudding texture. Then we're ready to bake.

Step 8. Remove stuffing to a large casserole dish. Add more chicken stock on the top to form a "puddle." Cook uncovered for 60 minutes.

Step 9. The stuffing should be a nice crusty brown. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to cool before serving. Then enjoy. I won't even stop you when you throw away all your other recipes.

Just as a side note, this is best with the actual drippings from the turkey. But when it's not Thanksgiving, you make do with what you have.

Do you have any recipes that you swear by? What's your favorite recipe when you have a dinner get together?

Tunetastic Thursday - Gavin DeGraw "Best I Ever Had"

This song is so catchy. Ask my husband, he'll tell you. We were in the car the other day and it was playing on three different stations almost one after the other. Of course, the channel stayed there. Each. Time. But after the first time, I'm not allowed to fist pump. Because that's all I want to do when this song comes on. Of course not being allowed to fist could be because I do it against Ryan's arm. It pretty much looks like I'm having a seizure with a huge goofy smile on. It's pretty entertaining if nothing else.

The lyrics are a little kooky in the beginning but I like the chorus. What do you think of the tune?

Wonderful Wednesdays - The Good Bite Kitchen

As I mentioned yesterday, the hubbs and I recently went to Lake Placid. While looking up restaurants for the big birthday dinner, there was one 5.0 star restaurant on yelp. The Good Bite Kitchen. Unfortunately, it was only open for brunch and lunch. So no dinner dice. Fortunately, we were there Sunday morning for brunch. The food is described as innovative vegetarian. And I was really impressed. It's literally in a side hallway on the main strip in town. They put thought into pretty much everything here. Right down to the menu board, which changes daily.

can anyone say genius?! i love the butcher paper!

The restaurant is postage stamp size but all their dishes pack a ton of flavor. With nine bench seats inside it's tight. But with quick service and take out available you're not there long. You'll keep going back though!

Tuesday Traveler - Lake Placid, New York

A couple of Fridays ago, I turned twenty-six. Alas, I can no longer claim I'm in my early twenties. Because, really, it's all down hill from here. And as my husband keeps mentioning, I'm "nearly thirty." Ugh. Thanks for that one.

For the weekend, my husband whisked me away to beautiful Lake Placid. It was perfect with the gorgeous weather, great company, and changing foliage. We spent time in our cozy little cabin, perusing the shops on the strip, and having a dinner with our families, who I managed to con into driving to us.

Here's some of the photos from the weekend.

pretty much all scenic shots were taken from the rapidly moving car - ryan refused to slow down 

marcy - our adorable cabin at the north pole

home of not one but two winter olympics

antique shops were abundant

and nearly every store had something dead and stuffed in it - what the hell

saturday morning was absolutely wonderful - chilly, amazing light, full of good stuff

our camping "resort" had boats you could rent down by the river

we even saw some of the locals down by the water

the setting was really picture perfect that morning

two wineries (swedish hill and goose watch) offered tastings up there - yes, please

perfect segue into this decor piece - which stayed in the store...

then we found rubber band guns

no those aren't edible - those are hand crafted soaps - fancy

i truly wish i had bought the working elephant lock - i did get to bring one home

 though so it's still a win

ryan and his father look nothing alike...

yes, there is a store with a working waterfall in it - yes, it's also three stories tall

i wish my camera did the colors justice

just out of town you can see the ski jumps in the distance

i wish this was more clear - the grass had great texture and you can see the ski jumps

for a switch we took route 9 all the way home - a perfect drive home

Have you ever been in Northern New York? Ever been to Placid? We keep meaning to go take a tour of the Olympic facilities but never get there. Hopefully we'll be able to the next time we visit.

Happy October!

I can't believe I forgot to post this on the first! I'm so bad at this blog thing. On the other hand. I think this is one of my  best mash ups in terms of layout. The content is a bit of a jumble, but it's all about October. And there's so much more to it than Halloween!

October Printable Mash Up

Let me know if you have any suggestions for November. I think my husband is sick of playing the word association game with me. Ha.

My Kind of Luck

Ryan and I are up North this weekend. Up North, being Norfolk, New York, where he's from. Originally our nephew's birthday party was going to be this weekend and Ryan and his dad planned to play golf. Well, the birthday party got moved but it's just about the end of golfing season here. So we made the drive up last night so Ryan and Craig could play one final round. 

Now being in an apartment, we don't have the luxury of a washer and dryer. Rather than spend money at the laundromat, we either bring our laundry to my parents' house (when we're home) or up to Ryan's parents' house. 

Ryan and Craig are out golfing, Tammy's (Ryan's mom) at her flower shop, and I'm at the house with the dog doing laundry. In between loads I decided that the light and leaves would be great to snag a couple of pictures. 

I hook the dog on the lead out back.

I step outside.

I shut the door.

The back door is locked.

The front door is locked.

I have my phone, my camera, and the dog for company. Not to worry, I have the shop number. I give Tammy a call and she tells me where the hide a key is. 

I grab it.

I walk toward the back door.

I drop the key.

*sigh*

...I then spend the next ten minutes trying not to have a meltdown, talking to the dog, laughing at myself, hunting around in the grass.

I eventually found it and unlocked the back door. But never to forget my mission, I did take some pictures around their house. For your viewing pleasure:

these apples are absolutely terrible

how awesome is this barn? i love it!

sherman - my buddy who i got locked out with

How's fall shaping up around your town? Do you have some amazing colors coming out?