Healthier Boneless Chicken Wings

Sorry for the lack of recipes, my sister finally had her baby, and we had to go visit, and then of course we got a little lazy. She is so adorable, and easy going (from what we witnessed). So excited to be an aunt! She is going to be a spoiled little girl!

Aside from the major life event, we have started cooking again. I didn't post my beef soup recipe that I made with the leftover juices from our BBQ ribs, but I don't really have a recipe, because I just went all out and kept adding things without keeping track of what really went in. I just went with what I thought tasted right. And lots of veggies and cubed steak! With one missing recipe, here is a good one to make up for it. We actually found inspiration from another blog: www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/09/25/oven-fried-homemade-chicken-nuggets-and-boneless-buffalo-wings/

So a thank you goes out to this blogger for inspiration, we only changed her recipe a little to fit what we could find at the store, and what was around the house. Our sauce on the other hand, we like to play around with a bit.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts
1 Bottle Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2-4 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cups Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (divided)
2 teaspoons onion powder (divided)
2 teaspoons garlic powder (divided) + pinch for the sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt + pinch for the sauce
2 teaspoons cumin (divided)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper (divided) + extra for sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice
3 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup spicy bloody mary mix (weird I know)
1 large jalapeno

Here's how to put it together:

Chicken Prep:

Add the yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and cumin to a gallon freezer bag. Also add half of the black pepper. Close the bag and mix it together with your hands until it looks evenly mixed. Be careful not to eat any when you open it, it smells like it has the makings for a pretty delicious chip dip!

Cube your chicken equally so they cook evenly. Put your chicken cubes into the bag, seal, and mash them all together to get them all evenly covered. Put them in the fridge to sit for 30 minutes. While you are waiting, prep your sauce and panko breading.

Breading:

In a pie pan, or shallow bowl, add your bread crumbs, and the remainder of your seasonings. Mix evenly with your favorite utensil. (I used my hands!)

Pre-heat your oven to 350. When 30 minutes are up, press your nuggets into the bread crumbs to cover and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Leave at least 1/2 inch between each piece for even cooking. Bake until golden brown. Well, as "golden" as panko can get. Ours were more of a "whitish gold." Ours took 20 minutes.

Sauce:

In a food processor, pour the whole bottle of Frank's Red Hot, your maple syrup, agave nectar, lime juice, spicy bloody mary mix, melted butter, and jalapeno. Blend until all chunks are gone. Add remaining seasonings to taste.

Spin your finished nuggets in your sauce, add some bleu cheese dipping sauce, and enjoy! If you have celery, it doesn't hurt to have as a side dish to help with some of that spiciness. If you have tried any of our previous recipes, you know they will be spicy!

Spicy BBQ Ribs Continued

What else did we do with our leftovers? Probably the most obvious option, BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches! We took the remainder of our shredded pork, tossed it in our favorite BBQ sauce (Stubb's Spicy BBQ) and put it on croissants. But we couldn't just make them that simple. We made homemade onion rings in our fryer with a beer batter mix, which I am unsure of what type it was, but any will do. We then layered the onion rings on top, the covered those with a slice of cheddar cheese. Popped them in the oven at 350 for around 20 minutes, and voila!

Since we had the fryer heated, and we are obsessed with our new mandolin which we got for Christmas, we had to make tiny french fries with our baby reds. Not the healthiest of meals, but a satisfying option for leftovers.







Here is the final product:

Spicy Green Curry

You may notice this trend quickly, so I will go ahead and point it out, we love spicy food. A month or so ago we had heard that the Sriracha plant had closed temporarily (hopefully) but we weren't too worried about stocking up and we still had half a bottle at home. Well, last week at work, Shawn heard a rumor that bottles of Sriracha were selling on EBay for some high prices, and that all of the stores were running out. So what did we do? Panicked. Instead of looking into the rumors, we headed to one of the Asian markets, because who would look there? Of course the grocery stores would run out first! And when the first one we checked didn't have any, that made us a little more nervous. Once we made it to the Asian market, we decided to explore a little and see if there was anything else we could use. Well we found the inspiration for our latest creation...green curry paste! Here's how we did it:

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Firm Tofu
2-3 Tbs Coconut Oil
1-2 Tbs Soybean Oil Mixed with Sesame Oil
1/4-1/2 cup Green Curry Paste
1 tsp Chopped Basil
1-2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
2 stalks Sliced Celery
1.5 Sweet Onions
2 cups Peas
3-4 Cups Spinach or Kale

Fried Tofu:

In a wok, melt enough coconut oil to cover the bottom. I probably used 2-3 tablespoons. Heat the oil, then add your pieces of tofu however you prefer to cut them. I did triangles, even though most of them fell apart into chunks when I mixed them into the curry sauce. Next time I will use firm tofu instead of sauce. Anyways, fry the pieces until they are golden brown on each side and set aside on a paper towel to absorb the oil.

Curry Sauce and Vegetables:

1. Pour out remaining coconut oil. Dispose of it however you prefer, you won't be using it again. It does solidify at room temperature, so you may not want to pour it down the drain.
2. Pour 1-2 tablespoons sesame mixed with soybean oil. The recipe on the side of the curry paste recommended soybean oil, but all we could find was the mix, and it turned out wonderfully. 
3. To the oil, mix 1/4-1/2 cut green curry paste depending on how powerful you want it to be. We probably used closer to 1/4 cup, and next time I will probably go closer to 1/2 cup.
4. Heat and mix them together to make more of a sauce so the paste is no longer chunky.
5. Add half cup of coconut milk and continue cooking on low.
6. Chop onions, mushrooms, and celery and add them to the sauce with peas and spinach or kale (we used a mix).
7. Mix in with the sauce and add the remainder of the coconut milk, with a quarter can of water. Add 1 teaspoonful chopped basil, 1-2 teaspoonfuls red chili flakes (to your heat preferences), and some salt and pepper to taste.
8. Cover and let simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes or until all vegetables are soft and fully cooked.
9. Add in the tofu, mix, and let sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes to rewarm tofu and cook off some excess liquid.
10. Serve over rice or noodles and enjoy!

Spicy BBQ Ribs

This weekend I finally had a Saturday off work, so we decided our dinner could have a more time consuming prep. What did we decide on? RIBS. How did we decide on that? We passed some awesome looking ribs at Costco and had to buy them. So we dug through for the smallest pack we could find, because we were only cooking for the two of us. Smallest size at Costco...just short of 5 lbs. That's a lot of pork. After 6.5 hours of preparation, they were fantastic. So tender, they fell right of the bone and melted in your mouth. Here's how we made them:

In the crock pot:

Rack of Pork Ribs

2-3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon San-J Brand Sweet and Tangy Sauce

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

1 full chopped sweet onion

Cover with lid, and cook for 6 hours on high setting. Do NOT open the lid. They will smell delicious, and it will be tempting, but DON'T do it! You will be glad you didn't when they are finished.

In the oven:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove ribs from crock pot and place on baking sheet, or in any pan you think they will fit nicely in depending on how big your ribs are. The pan choice isn't really important, we just had a baking sheet sitting cleaned in the drying rack, so we went with that. Smother your ribs in your favorite BBQ sauce (our favorite being Stubb's Spicy BBQ Sauce). Bake for 20 minutes. Then, enjoy! 

What did we do with the delicious au jus left over in the crock pot? Saved it for soup stock. If it turns out, we will post our recipe. It I don't forget of course. I don't seem to be the most reliable blogger so far, but I'm working on it.

And the leftover pork? Of course there were leftovers, the two of us couldn't take down 5 lbs of ribs in one sitting! The next morning after yoga, we warmed up the pork, made some scrambled eggs with onions and jalapenos, and made pork breakfast tacos. Very easy and satisfying breakfast. Sorry, we were too hungry to think of taking pictures of these bad boys. Also, we still have enough leftovers for sandwiches, or something undetermined.

1. Saute your onions and jalapenos with some salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper and olive oil.
2. Add your eggs and scramble together.
3. While doing 1 and 2, warm your leftover pork.
4. Warm your tortillas if you prefer them warm. (We definitely do!)
5. Plate your tacos with eggs and pork.
6. Add shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream (we prefer Greek yogurt to sour cream, but that one is up to you).

Jalapeno Moscow Mules

So, once again, I have fallen off the blogging train. After thinking about it, only slightly, I have decided to change my aim a little. How am I surviving pharmacy school? I have an awesome boyfriend, who shares my love of cooking and trying new things, while taking over when I get too swamped with school and work. So here is the first of what (cross your fingers) will be many of our own recipes and some fun little tricks for people on the go.

Jalapeno Moscow Mules

Vodka Infusion:

1.75L Vodka (we used Svedka, but it doesn't really matter)
1 good sized jalapeno
Slice the jalapeno lengthwise and drop it in the bottle. Let it sit overnight, and presto! You have delicious spicy jalapeno infused vodka! Couldn't be much easier. If you like it spicy, leave the seeds, if not, clean them out first.

Moscow Mule:

1-2 shots of jalapeno vodka
1 shot lime juice
plenty of ice
Fill your copper mule mug (or other glass) with ginger beer
g
arnish with slice of lime

I hope I have made this pretty foolproof for you. So delicious, you will want to make them all of the time!

New Direction; Apologies for the Previous Lameness

Ok, so I had come to the realization, quite some time ago, that my blog was pathetic. It had no vision, and lets face it, the year spent living with my parents was not by any means worth reading about. So, I stopped writing, forgot I had a blog, and now, much much later, realized I have a blog, and should do something with it.

I am in the final stretch of my first year of pharmacy school. Had I blogged about my admissions process, I may have had some interested readers. But, I didn't. I could have blogged about transitioning into a graduate school program. But, I didn't. I have left my page dormant, and now it is time to get things moving again. I am unsure of what direction I am going to take, but my life is very much different from when I last posted.

1. I am in a completely different town. (Still in Iowa)
2. I am a P1 student at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy
3. I live with my wonderful boyfriend, and our amazing dog, both of whom were not in my life as of my last posting.

Only 3 big changes I can come up with, but hey, at least I don't live with my parents anymore ;)

So what is the biggest thing happening for me right now? I just spent my entire day trying to teach myself about antibiotics and feel like I have only absorbed about 1/3 of the material for my exam tomorrow afternoon. You may think, antibiotics? Not to bad. Well let me break down the complexity of antibiotics briefly:

We are focusing on 3 broad mechanisms for action. Within those 3 sections, there are several classes. Within each class, there are many specific drugs, some with several generations dividing them even further. Every class has its own specific way of working, its own ways of building resistance in the bacteria it is meant to deplete, and several ways of being toxic to our bodies.

So, I got to spend a lovely, 70 degree, sunny day, sitting inside at my desk studying with one major thought in mind... Only 3 weeks until summer vacation. What then? Work full time, rotation in Colorado, and maybe a little extra vacation we are in the early stages of planning. Any suggestions?

Long Time No Blog

Well, it has been over a month since my last entry. Apparently blogging has not been a priority. Things have been quite busy in the meantime. Mary's wedding was a blast. I had such a great time, and am so glad I was able to share in such a special moment. I wish them all the happiness in the world.

Work has been brutal. People have been yelling at me for a couple months now, and its all starting to take its toll. It has been subsiding now that I am trained a little better. But, as with any job, you will always have a few cranks in the bunch. With Thanksgiving coming up, I must admit that I am thankful to at least have a job in this tough economic climate. I will be running the Turkey Trot with some family and friends this Thursday. GOBBLE GOBBLE. We were going to do costumes, but as is life, we were too busy to get it together. Regardless it will be a good time, and a great workout to prep for some holiday feasting.

I have submitted my pharmacy school applications, and all I can do now is wait and pray that the admissions committees like what they see. The deadline is Dec. 1 so hopefully I will hear something soon after. I have been getting quite nervous though. I have been looking for back up plans and have found some extremely interesting graduate programs that I would be happy to apply for if I was not offered a spot in one of my pharmacy schools. But, lets cross our fingers that I don't have to worry about that.

Living at home has been a bit lonely, I haven't had time to make friends like I thought I would. I have made a few, but haven't really had time to get out with them. I guess its probably for the best if I will be moving in August, but I really miss my old life and my friends that go along with it. We keep i touch, but I cant wait to head out to Colorado in a couple months and see everyone again. Hopefully my next entry wont be so far from now, but what can I say? I'm a busy girl!

Survival Run

This evening I tried to run out at Swiss Valley nature preserve. What I remember as a nice 2 mile loop with hills and flat stretches through fields was nothing of the sort. Because of all of the rain that Dubuque got this summer, the trails were washed away, bridges were missing, and parts were still a bit flooded. First I tried the way I though was right, but thought that there was no way when I saw the flooded plain. So I tried another, but after running for about 5 minutes, I realized the trail wasn't going to be turning around anytime soon. So I went back and braved the swampland. After treking through giant mud puddles and running up a rather large hill, I realized that that too was the wrong direction. So again I braved the swampland. While running, I somehow managed to get a bug right in my eye. And how it burned. I was almost immobilized. It was starting to get dark and I realized I needed to get back to the car. With a watering eye, and muddy shoes I kept running. When I got back to the point of frustration, which was already midway through the 2 mile loop, I realized that the bridge leading to the right path was missing. So, I made my way across the creek. Somehow I managed to leap across and keep myself dry. The once smooth, grassy path, was rocky and uneven. Finally I made it to the woods and found the all to familiar hill that 4 years ago had kicked my butt into walking the rest of the way to the car. But not today. I kept going because I was starting to get worried. Yes, I had my pepper spray bracelet, but you never know if anyone or anything is in the woods. And then a deer darted across the path in front of my scaring the crap out of me. Thats when I really took off. And when I made it back to the car, I was so relieved, because then it started to sprinkle, and I realized that if I had screwed around any longer looking for the right path, I would have been stuck in a rainy dark swampland in panic mode. Lets just say, I will not be revisiting that trail until next summer when they have a chance to make some repairs.

Sick Weekend

Well its been quite a while since my last entry, but I have finally started working and trying to get myself into a routine. Since Carson and Madison have been back at school, I havent had much to do during the day but unpack, run, and watch tv. With no money, and friends with jobs and school, it gets old pretty fast. Its great not feeling so useless. I've started working at the pharmacy, and my coworkers have all been great so far. Pretty welcoming and helpful. All I've been doing so far is counting pills, but this week, I get to move on to some more thought stimulating areas. I have also been working for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the suites. That should turn out to be good money, and the girl I work with is pretty cool. Nothing too exciting happened this weekend, since I've had a pretty bad cold the entire time. Madison's birthday was Friday, and poor girl, mom was in Minneapolis, Carson got to go to the Wisconsin Dells with a friend, and Nicole and I were working. Just her and dad for her birthday. But luckily, sick or not, I was able to stay with her for the rest of the weekend. Yesterday while she was at a friends party and I got to veg on the couch the impossible happened. Spice World and Austin Powers were on tv!  Aside from that, nothing too exciting happening yet. We have family coming over tonight for Maddy's birthday, so maybe that will be eventful. Or not, but there is potential. New work week starts tomorrow.

Settling In

Getting settled isn't quite as easy as I'd anticipated. Partly because I don't want to be settled in, and also because my time is being bombarded by the rest of my family. Yes, its exciting for Carson and Madison to have me back, but I think they really underestimate just how long I will be here this time. We had a fun weekend though, and I would have rather spent it with them than cleaning and unpacking. This morning I finally got my lazy butt out for a run. It felt great, aside from some knee pain. When I got home I was determined to get some work done on my room so I decided to pump some Enrique. Well, that was a failure because I ended up booty shakin around my room instead. Time for a new plan of attack I suppose. I will let you know how it works out.

The Move

I made the big move Friday and Saturday. I made it to Ames an hour earlier than expected. I think the fantastic CD that Sarah made had me zoned out and cruisin along. But somehow I feel like  I stopped for gas much less than normal as well. Its like an hour of driving and a tank of gas just disappeared somewhere along I-80. When I got to Ames I stayed with Mary and Trevor, which was fantastic because it has been so long since I had seen them. All of this wedding talk was getting old on the phone and computer. I needed some real face time. Bridesmaids dresses have been decided on as well, and I am excited to wear it. Luckily she chose lapis, a color I can wear pretty darn well if I don't say so myself. But we didn't spend too much time with wedding stuff, and just hung out and had a good time. Watched some YouTube videos, drank some beer, tried to play f the dealer. It was great to finally sleep in a real bed again. Although it did take a while to fall asleep because I was too comfortable after spending the last month on an air mattress, Vegas excluded.

The drive from Ames to Dubuque was a bit brutal. It rained the entire way, and my windshield wipers are not the greatest. But as I entered to house I was "greeted" by my two golden retrievers. My legs are still scratched up today! Then came the family and we had a nice lazy day watching Rango and Rio. I had never seen either, and am already thinking about when I will watch them again. Rango isn't the greatest movie for kids, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rio, is just wonderful for everyone. And of course I enjoyed it more when I realized that Nigel, the bad bird's voice was done by Jermaine from Flight of the Conchords. Fan-freakin-tastic! Now today I will spend my morning unpacking and doing laundry. Until after lunch of course when we get to go water skiing and jet skiing. Time to get my butt moving so it doesn't take two weeks to move in!

Last Weekend in Colorado

Friday night we had my going away party. It was a cowboys and indians theme, that turned out to be a cowboy bar crawl. We all looked pretty good, and started at Jenny and Jess' place with some champagne and pink flamingos. We started at Connor O'neils and did some dancing because they had a live band. That was the meeting place for everyone, but we ended up moving on to the Sundowner before most of them could get to us. I hate the Sundowner, but didnt want to go too far, otherwise I didnt think Beth and her crew would find us. Then we hit the Pub. Thats where I lost track of the evening. Too many goodbye shots and drinks were given to me at that point and the rest becomes flashes. But at least I didnt get too emotional.

Saturday night we did the Denver Patio Ride. It was absolutely fantastic! It is a 16 person beer bike that takes you to several bars in downtown Denver. We went to matchbox, the retro room, and 1up. At the Retro Room, we had their signature shots, the dill pickle shot. WOW, it tasted like pickle juice, but was pure vodka. DELISH! Taylor of course looked like he was going to cry, because he hates anything that includes vineager. 1up is a pretty cool bar as well. It is an arcade bar, and it has so many of the games from when I was little, and when my parents were in high school. It even has ski ball and giant jenga. When the ride was over, we tried to do the bars downtown, but since we had started so early, we headed home around midnight. But not without stopping at Tom's Diner for a french toast milkshake. Heaven in my mouth. Since we lost most of the group slowly throughout the night, I never hit an emotional moment. As long as I keep telling people I will see them again before I go, I avoid the actual goodbye until the very last moment.

denverpatioride.com

CHIPPENDALES

I have decided to give these very special men their own post, because they are just so wonderful. The Chippendale's, aside from the creepy looking one, are ungodly hot. Their bodies are sculpted to perfection. And honestly their performance is so amusing, and lets face it, HOT, I really don't care if any of them are gay or straight. They are amazing performers and deserve some true recognition. On my previous Las Vegas adventure, we saw Thunder From Down Under... Chippendale's WIN. Saturday night could have been one of the most entertaining nights of my life thus far. Jenny, Sarah and I, drunk off of our signature drink, The Pink Flamingo, were not prepared for the awesomeness that show would throw at us. Not only were they amazing, but Jeff Timmons, from 98 degrees was the emcee!? What?! That was a surprise! You always kind of wonder what happened to all of the more obscure members of the boy bands. Well, Jeff Timmons, in my book, you have succeeded. Also, not to sound too creepy, but I got his shirt. That's a highlight in my world, especially since he was my favorite 98 degree when I was a little teeny bopper. Of course we paid the $20 to sit on their laps and take our pictures. You would have to be crazy not too.

Since we had to pregame quickly, and rush over to see our beloved Chippendale's, we ordered delivery on the cab ride back to the flamingo, and returned to the room for calzones and more pink flamingos. Sarah almost didn't make it out, be we forced her. We went to Chateau in the Paris Hotel to see RayJ, but realized how lame it was and left before he came out so I could get my roulette on. I only lost $20! Pretty legit for playing about an hour on a $10 table. Jenny had never gambled, so on the way back to the room, we hit the slots (Sarah was in bed). We chose a Lord of the Rings themed machine, complete with creepy sound effects and vibrating chairs. Bizarre to say the least. But we played our dollars, and since neither of us really understand how slot machines work, we went back upstairs. We burnt out a little earlier the second night, which was probably for the best because we had an 11.5 hour drive ahead of us in the morning.

Sunday morning, hangovers in check, we headed out of Vegas and about 14 hours later, after several food, gas, and melon stand stops, we made it home. The stand still traffic on Vail Pass also didn't help, but we made it safe and sound, and pumped for the next trip!

Las Vegas

This weekend, I took one of the greatest trips of my life. How we didnt think that it was a good idea to do this before now is beyond me, but it was amazing. We left Boulder Thursday night and had an interesting run in when we got to Grand Junction. Of course we took the most difficult route possible to find food. After a good 20 minutes of trying, we almost decided on a place called Weinerschnitzle, until of course we saw the pictures on the drivethrough menu, then we booked ass out of there as fast as possible. Luckily, we found a Village Inn about 2 seconds down the road. Total redemption for our almost Weinerschnitzle mistake. Something creepy about Grand Junction: we saw 4+ old ladies walking around with carts/bags alone, at 1am. Weird, and unneccessary. We finished up the drive in Green River, Utah. Nice little Holiday Inn Express, although the sheets felt extremely worn, and kind of gross. Sleep was needed, so we got over it pretty fast. The next morning we hit the road and passed through canyon lands. Beautiful!

We made it to Vegas around 1pm, and went straight to the Fashion Show Mall. Stupid name, great stores. I guess it all evens out. We got some good jewelry, some coffee, and then we were able to check in at THE FLAMINGO! Great deal, great location, and a lot of pink. What girl could resist? Jenny had never been to Vegas, so we did our lap around the strip, and got the giant Eiffel Tower margaritas from the Paris Hotel. Delicious, yet total gut bombs. After about half we felt like death and had to dump them out. We saw the strip and thought dinner would be wise...umm not when the portions are 4x larger than a normal portion. We powered through, and to the room to go out. With the help of our giant champagne bottle, we got the night going and headed to The Bank in the Bellagio. Almost immediately we were creeped on by some guys that didnt understand what we were doing when we continuously inched away from them. Surprise, maybe we wanted a girls weekend, and didnt want to be humped across the dance floor. Soon after, we were invited to join some men who had a table reservation and bottle service. Of course we were going to join them. Free drinks in Vegas will save you near $100/night! We got our dance on for a while, the headed out and had a little playtime in the Bellagio garden. Jenny had never seen it, so we had too! Of course we ended up licking the Liberty Bell. Who wouldnt?If I knew how to rotate the picture, I would. Sorry.

To continue our evening, we met some French men on the moving sidewalk, and they convinced us to come and check out The Cosmopolitan. The Cosmopollitan is beautiful, with crystals hanging everywhere. Its like a magical wonderland. But lo and behold who did we see there? JOHNNY DRAMA! I heard that familiar voice and looked around. And there he was! I started yelling, "Jenny! Jenny! Hurry up! Its JOHNNY DRAMA!" It took her a minute to realize what was happening, and then she saw him too. Now, we kept our distance because we arent much of celeb chasers. But Drama is only the second best character on Entourage (a mon avis), second only to the great Ari Gold. The rest of the night is a bit blurry, but I dont think we stayed out too late, because Jenny lost her feet and we werent about to send her back to the hotel alone.

The next morning: Death Hangover

But, we did go the The Sugar Factory for breakfast and it helped a bit. Probably my favorite restaurant in Vegas. But really, $22 for a lolipop with a bedazzled stick...Really? I dont care about Kim Kardashian, therefore, I dont care if she has a picture of herself eating one of the lolipops. The Flamingo pool could be better. The amount of lounge chairs was a bit pathetic. We ended up paying  $20/chair to sit, with no view, no eye candy, and the smell of vommit. Do you think that helped the hangovers at all? NO. But the pool was refreshing, and it was nice to have some time in the sun, so we stuck it out until I felt like I would vom in the pool. Redemption by nap. Then we went and ate, and realized if we were going to make it to Chippendales on time we had better get our butts moving. For the speedy pregame, we made our signature drink of the trip, and now, forever because it was delish!

 Pink Flamingos:

Vodka, Gingerale, and splash of Cranberry Pomegranite Juice

(But only a small splash so you can get the lovely pink color)

Prep Work

Today is going to be a day of preparation. Preparing for our trip to Las Vegas this weekend, and preparing for the big move. Now, yesterday we hit a bit of a crisis on the Vegas front. Beth, who was led to believe she would have the time off at work for weeks now, was informed that she could not have the day off, and if she called in, to not return on Monday. Now what kind of company does that? Waits 3 weeks to inform you that you cannot have the time off, only several days before the actual trip. If they had already known, they should have given notice, because things are booked, and also her heart was totally in it. What can I say, we are all upset to lose her, and I am hoping she leaves that miserable place anyways.

Why do I want my friend to leave her job? Three reasons:
1) She is working as a legal aid for a tax firm, but studied marketing, and has no real interest in tax law.
2) A certain coworker irritates her endlessly to the point where she has been job hunting for weeks already.
3) Now that her mentor, boss, and friend completely sold her out, the bitterness will fester until she absolutely cannot stand being there any longer.
Yes it is selfish for me to say "quit your job and come to Vegas", but, in all reality, she will be miserable if she skips the trip and stays with that job. We are 22 years old, the perfect time to make mistakes. Financially speaking, she needs to have an immediate job lined up. But, we will see what she decides to do.

Other preparations needed outside of our little crisis:
Oil change for the alero, groceries, pedicure, and a few payments of the credit cards. Not too much for Vegas, but I think that getting my things a bit more organized to move is essential for today. As for now, its time to run the canyon so I don't have a jiggly bum in Vegas.

Muddy Buddy

Yesterday Jenny and I did the Boulder Muddy Buddy. It was amazing! I started out on the 1.3mi run and climbed over the first obstacle (wall with climbing pegs). Then biked another mile to the next obstacle, the marine assault course, a crazy inflatable obstacle course. When I went to run the next leg I found myself trudging through waist deep water before starting another 1.3mi run to the four different 4' walls that needed to be cleared. I then got on the bike again and rode to the next obstacle where Jenny was waiting for me to do with her. We climbed to the top expecting to slide into a pool of Noodles and Co's largest noodles, only to find the pool filled with pool noodles and no water. Pretty disappointing on that obstacle, not quite advertised properly. Also, after trudging through the lake, sliding wasnt quite the easiest thing to do. I then started on the last leg of the race. Another 1.3mi run to the finish. But before we could complete the race, we had to go through the water, drop off the bike, climb a rope to the top of the 20' wall, climb back down, and crawl through the 50' mud pit. After crossing the finish line, we ran into the Boulder resevoir to clean the mud off. Then, to the Noodles and Co. stand for some free mac n cheese, and then to the beer garden for some free Red Hook beer.

Even after we got home and showered, we were still finding mud everywhere. Do I feel bad about the mess? Not at all. This was one of the best ways to spend some of my last weeks with some of the best people I've ever known. Will I see Jenny again? Of course, we are already planning when we will do our next Muddy Buddy and where. But, even before that we are gearing up for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February. I cant worry too much about leaving my friends, because we already have plans set up in the upcoming months for when we are going to get back together. Running, although I may not be the greatest right now, has been a great way for us to lock down plans, and replace our heavy drinking habits of college life.

Night Out

Last night, after some frustrations, Beth and I went out on Pearl Street. We decided to pregame in the form of our sophomore year tradition: shots of vodka chased with grape kool-aid. Yummo. But, what was so easy, and went down so smoothly three year ago, seemed a bit more harsh now. After several, we decided to save money and walk to the sink. I love the Sink, I love the people that work there. Always a familiar face. After hanging with some of them for a while, we headed down to Pearl St. and went to Bacaro, which we soon realized was a bad move. After we went to Round Midnight for some dancing, and as per usual, the creepfest ensued. Guys perched on the edges, waiting to attack their prey. Obviously I couldn't see behind myself, but Beth and I were caught in a bit of a look and rotate to avoid the approaching vultures. When, of course I was caught, and she had nowhere else to move away to. We were stuck. Until finally, we had to use the bathroom excuse, and find a new bar. Instead, we went to Pizza Colore, and how wonderful that was! Delicious. Only two more weekends of fun before the big move. I need to take as much advantage of my time as possible.

Internet!!!

After about a week off, we have finally gotten internet at the apartment! So exciting! So much work I can now get done from home instead of going to coffee shops and wasting more money just to use their internet. I finished classes last week, and life is wonderful without them. I have so much extra time to get to the gym, or do a nice scenic run during the day. Today I ran the canyon. Difficult on the way up, amazing on the way down. So beautiful, and today is a beautiful day in Boulder, CO. I am currently gearing up for the Muddy Buddy on Sunday. 6.2 miles half running half biking with obstacles and a mud pit. Sounds pretty great! Kind of nervous though, I've never done anything like this, and I worry that I am not in the best shape right now. Luckily, my friend Jenny and I are doing it more for fun than for competition.

Also, working on the Old Chicago Canned Beer mini-tour with my frien Beth. We have been doing the beer tour for almost 2 years now, and are determined to finish it together at the Boulder location. (Even if we have to work on it after I move and finish together later). I am not very excited to go back home. I am not ready to leave my friends and the life that I have built for myself behind. But, I guess opportunities are endless if you are looking for them, so one year to pay off some loans may not be the end. Just booked hotels for Vegas and my last big hoorah with the girls. Can't wait!

First Final

I have my first final of summer classes in just a few hours. I don't need to study too hard, because it is for my public speaking class, but as I would like all A's, I will put in some extra effort on this one. I've really enjoyed my public speaking class. We had a pretty good group. I have only had a few classes in my 4 years at CU that I have enjoyed. Public Speaking, Biology of the Cancer Cell, Embryology, Travel Writing, and French Phonetics. Pretty sad that you can graduate and only really truly enjoy that many classes. I guess I haven't really had many classes that  I have hated though, so it hasn't been too bad. Classes I have truly despised: Organic Chemistry (mainly because the professor was extremely arrogant), Biochemistry (just really difficult), and I suppose I wasn't the biggest fan of Calculus. But that was mainly because we had online assignments, and I find it very difficult to aid students when they are unable to get much feedback on their work. Oh, in the love category I left out Sociology of American Medicine-extremely interesting. It is sad that it is all coming to an end, because no matter how stressful my difficult course loads were, I always found a way to enjoy myself. Yes, maybe some semesters I partied a bit too much, and some maybe even a bit too little, but it all evens out.

So what is the plan for after finals? I am not sure to be honest. I'm thinking that this would be a lovely weekend to get out of Boulder and head down to Denver. The kids that I babysit are finally back from vacation so I get to spend a little time with them as well. Very excited about that, they have been gone for 3 weeks! Probably good,  though. I have been so busy with school and studying for the PCAT. I have trouble saying no when I am asked to babysit, no matter how busy I may be. I guess I just enjoy it so much. They are great kids, and I am truly going to miss them when I have to move. Time to get studying. Last set of finals at CU!

Work

If only I were staying in Boulder long enough to get another job, I would most certainly do it. Working at Buffalo Wild Wings for the past year has been interesting to say the least. I have met some great people, but haven't made a whole lot of money there. When I started, I was already a BWW trained server, but I understood the seniority deal well enough and didn't mind others moving up before me. But really? 9 months before I got to start serving, and only during the slow season? Who's idea was that? And even now, I still am getting wasted shifts. Last night for instance, I was a greeter. Since no one really comes to our BWWs, I pretty much got paid to stand around and watch shark week. Which is totally amazing because its only the greatest week in television! One thing I will not be sorry to leave behind is that sorry excuse for a job. You can give corporate and upper management all of the suggestions for improvement you like, but when it comes down to it, why would they take advice from someone who has been in the restaurant business for over 5 years? Seems silly doesn't it. The worst of it is when you have a culturally insensitive manager, who will readily voice opinions on race, religion, and other cultural beliefs that I find very offensive, but when complaints are sent to higher levels and no change occurs, you start to wonder if they even opened the surveys they made us fill out.

On the up side, I got off work pretty early last night and got the amazing idea to turn my little nook of a bedroom in the living room into an epic blanket fort...yes, a blanket fort. But, my roommates needed to get up early this morning, so I decided to wait. Good thing I waited, because purchase of an extra blanket will be necessary to make my fort the perfect size. Also, I like sleeping with my sheets, and don't want to lose them to the fort. When it is finally complete, pictures will be posted. Time to finish up my classes, more tomorrow morning.