Just in case

I keep the weather for multiple cities on my iPhone. You know, just in case I decide to pick up and go tomorrow.
NYC, Paris, London and Hamilton (Bermuda).
I like to be prepared.

A Rainy Day

They say that when it rains, it pours.  And typically I've found that to be true.  Oftentimes when the really annoying sort of bad news comes, it comes in waves.  Exhibit A - last week in the life of Imperfect Christine.  I had to have the steering column replaced on my car, had a really rough, trying week at the office and came home from Saturday morning errands to find my garage filled with water leaking from my water heater.  Suffice to say that the moments of joy were few and far between from last Monday to this Monday. 

But through it all, I knew one thing.  While it was an incredible inconvenience to be car-less last week and to be acutely monitoring the water situation in my garage with a rotation of a few crappy towels (thank goodness I kept my towels from college and found them in the attic!) to sop up the mess, I knew one thing - I could pay for these repairs with a little thing called the rainy day fund, aka a savings account.  My parents trained me young to prepare for unplanned expenses and I'm so grateful they did. 

While I don't intend to be overly preachy or charade as a goody-too shoes, I do highly recommend that everyone consider such an arrangement.  Most banks offer a variety of savings account options, with many being free of service charges.  Heck, you can even keep an envelope of cash between your mattress and boxspring.  Knowing that you have a little financial padding can truly ease the burden of a situation wrought with angst and stress.

Musings 002

Do you ever find music that speaks to you?  Maybe it's an album or a song or a ditty.  It doesn't have to be something terribly profound, but I always seem to find a song or album every now and then that just literally moves my soul.  I've been listening to music a lot more than I have in the past recently.  Chalk it up to some longer days and nights at the office and some very detailed assignments that require a lot of concentration.  All through school, I used music as background noise to help me focus on homework or studying...I guess old habits die hard.

So you're obviously wondering (ok, maybe not) what music I'm going to discuss in this post.  Florence and the Machine's new album, Ceremonials.  It's haunting.  I imagine it pulsing through the halls of an old stone church.  There is one song that feels religious to me.  It's the first track on the album which is on repeat in my home tonight.  It's called "Only if for a night."

As I've become older and maybe a little bit wiser, I've been more aware of the relationships I have and what they mean to me.  I've also realized that relationships don't have to last forever and they may exist for a specific reason at a specific point in your life.  Friendships fade.  Lovers leave.  People die.  That may be a negative outlook, but it's reality and that's ok.  And while I'm not sure of the writer's intent with this song, I think the lyrics speak to anyone who has lost someone, whether that be a metaphorical or physical loss.

Then I heard your voice as clear as day, 

And you told me I should concentrate, 

It was all so strange, 

And so surreal, 

That a ghost should be so practical.

I can't explain it, but this just explodes in my mind.  

A Toast to Sunday Brunch

I'm a big breakfast fan.  It's probably my favorite meal, but unfortunately that little pesky thing called a job keeps me from a legit breakfast most days.  So I can typically found over my stove on a Sunday morning.  I believe in a wholesome Sunday breakfast, spent with full mugs of coffee and the Sunday paper.  It's practically a ritual for me.  It feels good for the soul and it feels good to spend some time with loved ones and/or the news.

So this Sunday, I poked around my fridge and cabinets for some ideas.  After noticing a chunk of fancy scmancy sourdough still in fridge, I decided on French toast.  While I believe in Sunday brunch, I also believe in good bread for French toast.  You just shouldn't use some old white bread for this....it's just not right.  Find a bakery or heck, buy a nice loaf of French bread from your grocer's bakery department.  It will do.

What you'll need

Christine's French Toast, makes 4 slices

• 4 slices sourdough, about 1/2 inch thick
• 1 egg
• 1/4-ish C milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg

Break egg in a shallow dish and beat well.  Add milk, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Beat well.  Place sliced bread in the dish to absorb the liquid, turning over once.

Let it soak up all the eggy, milky deliciousness!

Heat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat.  Cook the toast for about 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Doesn't that look fab?

TGIF!

Oy, what a week it has been!  Yes, you guessed it, highly imperfect!  From car troubles to some exceedingly long nights at work, it's tried my patience to the hills and back.  I'm tired and not super enthused about life right now.  But it's Friday and I am slightly renewed knowing that I'm not going to be calling a colleague or a friend to get me someplace I need to be.


Available at Sephora



I've got a lot to look forward to this weekend - a Friday night at my favorite restaurant with a dear friend, watching the Pats kick some Broncos tail on Saturday and helping a friend with wedding planning on Sunday.  And next week, I'll be leaving on a jet plane for a little place called paradise.  It may be for work, but it will be a welcome respite from my gray, carpeted cubicle walls.  Hope is on the horizon!

I'll leave you with this little nugget for a Friday evening...Bobbi Brown gel eye liner in the pot is ah-ma-zing!  Get thee to a department store and buy some - totally fab!

Perfect pizza

I'm a big fan of pizza.  I mean big.  The more I think about it, the more I'm realizing that pizza might be one of my top fav foods.  Like maybe top 3.  It's so awesome - you get all the food groups with enough junk food-ness to be super satisfying.  Tonight I made a seriously awesome pie.

Yea I know it doesn't exactly look perfect, but let me tell you it was delish.  It consisted of Trader Joe's pizza crust (hmm you're probably really thinking I'm an undercover PR person for them with back to back posts on their products), some baked chicken breast (of the boneless, skinless variety, sliced very thin), Williams-Sonoma artichoke and garlic pizza sauce and freshly grated Parmesan.  That's it - 4 ingredients and you're done.  

If you've never tried this pizza sauce, by golly get thee to a Williams-Sonoma and buy it immediately!  It's delicious.  I think I got about 4 homemade pizzas out of the jar.  It's pretty garlicky so if you don't like the stuff, stay away.  You can use it somewhat sparingly since it's very strong in flavor, meaning more pizzas.  Hooray!

Oh Trader Joes, I love thee

I am a big fan of Trader Joe's.  I love that they have reasonably priced organic and unique foods.  I have been known to play Supermarket Sweep on the wine and cheese aisles...literally!  I can think of a handful of occasions when the cashier has asked if I'm having a wine and cheese party.  Um, not exactly ma'am...I'm a single gal who works really hard and enjoys her cheese and wine!  I also love their frozen and semi-prepared foods.  They're a godsend for a busy, working gal. 

Today, I tried a new frozen "meal" - the Eggplant Parmesan stack.  As I had a work from home day while my car was in the shop, I "made" myself a nice, hot lunch.  Let me tell you, this thing was seriously delicious!  I love eggplant - I buy them in bushels (okay, not really) at the farmer's market in the summertime.  This did not disappoint - some mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, tomato slices and very lightly breaded eggplant...totally delicious!  While maybe not the lowest in calories (I think it was 420 for the entire meal), it was really fulfilling and good for a chilly January day.

*I was not compensated by Trader Joe's to write this post....it's my honest opinion.  But Trader Joe's, if you want to put me on the payroll, bring it on!

Imperfection - 001

The first of one of my "columns"....on imperfection.  Today was imperfect in so many ways...I mean hello, it's Monday after all!  I came home from work to quickly drop off my things and decided to run some errands.  I've been long overdue to renew my passport and needed to get a new picture so I figured I would swing by CVS on my way to the grocery store (read: no breakfast food in the house and no coffee filters will very likely result in a VERY unhappy morning).  As I bee bopped out the house before 6pm (read: very early for me to be home and out and about), I thought what a productive Monday evening I would have.  I should have known better...as I got into my car, I got a weird error message about the steering lock and it wouldn't start.  I looked through the manual for a resolution and immediately called my Dad.  After trying a few things to no avail, I stomped my feet (literally), yelled some obscenities and started to cry.  Yes, I am 30 years old and still throw temper tantrums....mind you, there was no one to witness. 

I did some quick research online and realized my little ride likely required a ride to the dealership for a repair.  After calling AAA and hearing that my membership only covers a 5 mile tow (for real?!) and that I would have to pay $50-ish to have it towed to the dealer (enter more rage in my heart), I started frantically texting a friend to whine and complain.  Hey, misery does indeed love company!  Another moment that definitely highlighted my singlehood - no buddy to share in my misery.  After a quick pep talk from my darling friend, I was back in business, mentally and emotionally speaking.

Source

The tow guy came and successfully got my car out of the garage and over to the dealer.  After the ordeal, I sat at my kitchen bar eating some leftover Chinese food and sipping a beer and I realized that while that was a big imperfection in my day, it wasn't the worst that could have happened.  Luckily, I have the financial means to have my car repaired and have a few buddies who live close enough that I can get a ride to work.  It really wasn't the end of the world even if the inconvenience felt like it.  I can get by with some tea tomorrow morning and a granola bar for breakfast.  I called my Dad to apologize for being curt with him as he tried to come up with ideas to resolve the steering lock issue.  And then I promptly kicked back on the sofa with my sweet pup to unwind from this evening's excitement. 

Imperfect Christine, signing off for this time.

Musings - 001

I'm not too big on new year's resolutions, although I genuinely like the idea of goal setting.  I'm a pretty goal-oriented person so that concept resonates well with me.  The newness of a new calendar year is a nice clean slate with which to work. 

As 2011 wore on and inched closer to my 30th birthday (it was in October), I found myself really looking forward to a new decade and feeling contemplative.  I had set some goals for myself before that birthday...some public and some private.  I truly felt awesome as I approached that day.  I realized that I finally found myself (yes that is totally cliche) and was totally comfortable with whatever age I was.  I hit my stride at work, made some big changes in my life, renewed some friendships and felt on top of the world.  I looked forward to that day in the same way that some look forward to a new year.  It was a clean slate, a new number in front of my age and most of all, I was totally ok with it!  So while I'm not setting resolutions, I'm still looking to 2012 in the same way that I looked to my 30th year...with hope, excitement and a fresh start.

While many are focused on health and weight loss with the new year, I'm focusing on other things in the forefront.  Don't get me wrong, health and fitness are a big part of my life, but that won't change with the new year.  Back to my 30th birthday...I was frustrated with my weight last summer and finally bit the bullet and went on a real diet.  I lost 14lbs before my birthday and I've kept it off.  This year, I basically want to continue that trend and stay healthy.

My focal points for 2012....

Source

1. At the office - Be a thoughtful leader and grow in my new role.  Provide thoughtful guidance, keep an open mind and an open door policy with my colleagues.

2. On the road - Travel someplace new.  Maybe Italy.  Maybe a new island (I do have the beach on my mind).  Maybe a new city in the US.

3. In the kitchen - Try new recipes.  Make use of the gadgets I have in my kitchen.

4. For my psyche - Find ways to fulfill my interest in healthcare.  Diversify my volunteer experiences. 

5. For my soul - Forgive.  Be patient.  Express empathy.  Be open minded.

I wish you the best on your new year whether you make resolutions, set goals or just roll with the punches!

Run, mama, run!

Today, I'm cheering on my speedy mama as she runs through Walt Disney World on her third half marathon!  A little less than a year ago, I convinced her to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon with me and she's definitely caught the running bug.  I'm really impressed that she continues to train and love running.  And for someone who professed that she wasn't sure she is capable of running 13.1 miles, she sure has changed her tune!  Go, mama, go!

I've gone to the dark side

After 30 years of playing on a PC, I bit the bullet and bought a Mac.


Swoon!

I love it!  It's purty, it's easy to use and it syncs all of my apple products.  As my father said, the iphone was the gateway drug and I'm now onto harder things like the crack pipe!

Adventures in Plumbing

My kitchen faucet has been leaking and my bathroom toilet has been running.  Alas, it was time for Pauline the Plumber to make her appearance at my home.  I took a few lessons from my days as a mechanical engineer and cracked open my home improvement book for a few pointers.  Oddly enough, plumbing is one of my favorite home improvement chores.

I started with the toilet and expected a quick tweak would solve the issue...I was wrong!  After failing to successfully get my toilet to completely stop running after adjusting the float height, I realized there was something wrong with the internals of the existing float assembly.  So I was off to Lowe's for some replacement parts.  I replaced the float assembly, overflow tube and flapper with new, plastic parts...judging from the black ickiness on my hands and in the tank water, I don't think the previous parts had been replaced since my home was built in 1968...blach!  About an hour and a half later and success!

The kitchen sink was another story.  I tried a few different ways to remove the existing stem valve and replace it, but I could never find the right part.  I called my Dad for advice (read: moral support).  He suggested replacing the entire faucet.  Aha!  Another good idea to get the endless dripping that was testing my patience and the depth of my pockets to pay my growing water bill.  I crawled under the sink to try to loosen the nuts holding the faucet in place.  Harrumph!  They were corroded and impossible to turn.  I think a muscle man must have tightened them last time.  After a few contorted attempts to loosen them, I threw a mini temper tantrum on the floor of my kitchen.  I decided it was time to call my neighborhood plumber who does great work at a reasonable price.  Sometimes you have to know when to call it a day...

In all, I was 2 for 3 of my plumbing projects today.  I also cleaned out the trap on my bathroom sink to help it drain better.  While I didn't solve all of the issues, I am feeling good about my successes!

Magazine love

While I love to read a great book, I'm also a big fan of magazines.  They're good for the gym or for those nights when I don't have the mental energy to invest in a novel.  I've reevaluated my subscriptions and am sharing a few of my favorites for various occasions...

Why now?

Why a new blog?  Well my friends, I love blogging, but I wanted a fresh start.  I was ready to move on from an old moniker and think out of the box a little bit.  I look forward to sharing my thoughts, my adventures at work, tales of success, travels and of course, my imperfections.

Happy New Year!

There really isn't anything like a fresh calendar page to make you feel fresh, free and dream big for the new year ahead!

Planner from Kate Spade