Stache envy

I guess working for the past week and a half put me into a routine and now I’m thrown off since I really have nothing to do. But that will change tomorrow…..for two days at least. My friend got me a two day gig doing some data entry at an office right near my house so that will get me out of the house for a bit. I pondered riding my bike over there but then I got images of Jim Halpert riding his bike to The Office resulting in a very sweaty (rawr) Jim.

I think I will take the car instead because I’m sure no one wants to see me in spandex. And you sure as hell can’t pay even me to look at myself in spandex. So yes, the car will be the best option for now.

Today, I’ve been keeping busy with lots and lots of tv thanks to the Boca Raton Public Library!

Check out all those titles! I went in there yesterday morning and they have pretty much every show known to man. I like to think of myself as a TV buff but there were tons of shows I’ve never heard of. And they have Alias and Lost, my need for everything JJ Abrams is now complete.

I decided to give veggie products a chance again after my “beefless tip” mishap on Friday night.

Morningstar has never steered me in the wrong direction and I thank them for that. I usually get their black bean burgers but have heard wonderful things about the Tomato & Basil Pizza Burgers. I cooked one patty on the stovetop along with some zucchini stripe then places over a bed of rice and my new favorite hummus.

I found a mustache while making dinner.

Dinner was sausage and peppers and while cutting the peppers, I noticed a few in mustache form ala Mr. Pringles. Nothing wrong with that for I am all for the mustache….on a man that is. I’m Italian so I don’t need any help in that department. And for you other mustache lovers out there, check out some famous mustaches, I love that they have a few of the characters from the Muppets on there. But I gave up the pepper and started to cook instead. I threw the peppers in a pan and let cook with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Took the peppers out, let the sausage cook then added the peppers back in.

I added a jar of sauce to the sausage and pepper mixture and let simmer. I wasn’t a huge fan of this sauce, I found it to be bland. To compensate, I added some minced garlic, oregano and basil in an attempt to give it some kind of kick to the tastebuds.

Threw on top of some spaghetti and voila, dinner was done.

Great meal and there was a lot leftover for more meals this week! I usually only cook sausage to make meatballs so this was a simple and quick alternative to that (and less messy of course because rolling out greasy sausage in your hands is not clean kitchen friendly)

Since we supposedly have a hurricane coming later this week, I wanted to get a bike ride in since I wasn’t sure if I would be able to later this week. I say supposedly because they hype it up so much down here and most of the time it ends up turning or downgrades to a lower category hurricane. When Hurricane Andrew hit, we really weren’t affected too much but Hurricane Wilma did a lot of damage to our house. Thank God FEMA had finally gotten their act together for that one.

Oh yeah, the bike ride. I felt like Forrest frickin Gump tonight! Except that I was biking and I’m not slow (unless I haven’t had any coffee). I wasn’t planning on a long ride but ended up going for almost an hour through both sketchy and nice parts of Boca (yes, Boca Raton has a few sketchy areas)

Now for a daily dose of cute

You’re welcome.

Another day, you know the rest

It was quite lonely today. Really the only people in the office are the owner (who is on vaca) and receptionist who is “training” me and goes on vaca tomorrow. I use the term training very loosely since there isn’t a lot to learn. I answer the phone and take messages. Easy enough right? Not when they stick me in an office with no phone. That’s right no phone computer or even chair, good times. They finally brought me a chair and with that they gave  me some work. I was so excited to use this little brain o’ mine and was ready to give my all to the filing, stamping and places labels on files chores they gave me. Too bad that only took 15 mins to get through. At least I wasn’t alone, I had a rubber duck to keep me company.

Because every office should have a rubber duck yes? Don’t worry I haven’t gone Castaway-mad yet and started talking to him. But there is six more days left on this assignment so let’s not rule it out.

Hmmmm…what could I do next? I needed to me challenged and think a little so I contemplated if my shoes were really black like I thought they were to match my skirt or brown like the sole is.

After much debate (umm with myself) I decided they were black. Hope I’m right because I’ve been rocking them with black capris and skirts! Lunch was another lonely one….in my car. I don’t believe they have a lunch room here (or they haven’t shown me) and I wanted to get out of the office and possibly see the sun but not be in it so it was me and a salad.

Things didn’t get steamy between us however I added grated parmesan to the salad which made a world of difference. Who knew?

When I got back, I read  my latest issue of Ray Ray  in hopes of some inspiration for meals because my cooking been pretty much non existent this week.

It worked however it left me wanting to eat my own hand since I was starving.
And can we just say holy airbrushing skills batman? She is one of those people I can’t watch on tv but I love her recipe books, magazine, etc. Like Giada, she has become too animated and a wee bit obnoxious over the years and as her fame has risen.

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When I got home, I was ready to chow down but remembered the whole lack of cooking thing going on. So with that, I had nothing prepared except chopped veggies and salad mix and today is not a day I wanted to double down on salad. My parents said they would go out for me if I wanted to eat out and I am not one to turn down a free meal so we got in the car and went to Pei Wei. I ordered my standard tofu pad thai and the portion size seemed a lot bigger compared to the one in Charlotte.

But something didn’t taste right. I am all about the peanut sauce but there was too much on this and the environment was throwing me off. This Pei Wei was one of the loudest I’ve ever been to. We were sitting a table in the middle and I couldn’t even hear my parents talking across the table from me. I kept saying “Huh? I can’t hear you” and tried to have a few bites before taking the rest to go. I thought I was going to drop by the time we got home, I was tired, cranky and had a headache but powered through and went for a 5.2mile bike ride.

Who’s your favorite celebrity chef? Rocco DiSpirito all the way!

Anyone have some fun, work appropriate websites I can go to? I finally got a computer but am trying to not overdue it with the websites.

What I’ve realized this week

*I don’t like how the price of Dunkin Donuts coffee is increasing. At first, I thought I was going crazy because the iced coffee seemed to more expensive here than in Charlotte. But then I did a little research and turns out the price of their iced coffee and breakfast sandwiches at certain locations has gone up and may still go up. And of course, I think Dunkin has rockin iced coffee but not really a fan of their hot coffee. And vice versa for Starbucks.

*I have an unusual obsession with Mob Week

Mind you, they play movies that I’ve seen a hundred times. However, something about that it’s on for hours on end really excites me. I didn’t want Mob Week to end but of course, all good things must come to an end. Perhaps they should create a mob station? I would totally subscribe!

*I miss Lost. A lot.

‘Nuff said.

*As much as I complain about how hot is it outside and how I can’t wait for winter to be here, I’m going to miss salads come fall and winter. I’ve been chomping down on them a lot lately and eating a salad in the fall or winter just doesn’t do it for me.

*Bonding with mom isn’t so bad. My mom and I are close but not like Gilmore Girls close. I don’t tell her my secrets, indulge her with information about who I’m dating and admit, I can be pretty secretive with her. She is unemployed at the moment and wanted to go shopping to get out of the house and do something with someone instead of sitting at home alone. We  went shopping, had coffee and it was nice to hang out. I think I can definitely do it in small increments like three or four hours. Otherwise, we will likely kill each other.

*Once again, I need to cut myself off from all things Groupon. South Florida not only has one or two Groupon options, they have three! I get the emails for Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach daily and while that’s nice for saving money and trying out new businesses, I need to stop buying. I bought this Groupon awhile back when I lived in Charlotte for my parents to use and my dad insisted on my mom and I going for lunch the other day.

I don’t know how I have the ability to pick out places that are dead but we were the only table in there

It was a bit creepy but way better than being surrounded by noisy people. Our server told us that it picks up at nighttime and I can see why. Hello drink specials! And I noticed that they are all day drink specials so I guess if I have nothing to do and feel like a good day drinking session is in order, I know where to go.

Not only are the lunch items cheap, you get a salad with any lunch item

I got the chicken franchese and the chicken took up half of the plate

That’s what I’m talking about! More bang for my buck!

To top it off,  you get dessert with any lunch entrée!

It’s been too long since I’ve had a decent cannoli. The ones I had in Charlotte were pretty crappy but this here was the real deal.

*I love to spoil my dog

Lincoln isn’t having a dog party anytime soon since A) that’s ridiculous and B) momma has student loans to pay before throwing her non existent money towards a dog party. But that doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy a fun treat right? I got him a martini doggie treat and he scarfed it down, like momma like dog.

*I love riding my bike again! I usually scoff when I hear people say that once they find something they truly enjoy, it doesn’t feel like exercise anymore but I kind of know what they mean. I love going out there without a plan and seeing where I’m going to end up. I felt ambitious on Sunday and went for a four mile ride in the afternoon. I felt like I could have kept going but I underestimated how much water I would need. I rested for a bit then went out again that night for another four miles.

And that’s it…..for now at least. I’ve realized a whole lot more but I am just about dead to the world with a headache from hell. My sister has been in town so we have been going around non stop. She is getting married in October and lives three hours away so when she comes to town, she wants to get as much done as possible. Plus, on a happier financial note, I am going to work tomorrow! My friend is a recruiter and hooked me up with a week and a half long gig doing reception work. The girl is going on vacation next week and is going to train me the next three days and then I will be on my own next week. Get out of the house and get some extra cash? Sign me up!

What have you realized lately?

Tell me something fun going on with you! I am so behind with reading blogs, checking Facebook, etc.!

The house always wins

Yesterday, it was time to take on this beast.

Cleaning out a garage in August in South Florida is not good times. Especially after I couldn’t find out an outlet to plug in a fan orthe  boombox my parents have from the 80’s. Another reason I wasn’t excited was purely for vanity reasons.

I suck at time management sometimes. I dyed my hair and showered right before so I wasn’t stoked to get to cleaning but I was bored out of my mind and I’ve been intending on cleaning the garage ever since I got here. But before we get into that let’s talked Garnier HerbaShine.

This was my first time using this brand and I wasn’t completely impressed with it. I liked that it only took 10 minutes to set but when I saw the conditioner I was put off a bit.  I’ve dyed my hair a lot and the conditioner has always been in a tube with a cap not in a packet like this.

 

 

I got the hair dye for $4 so all in all it was a good deal except for the conditioner (yes I am that cheap and use the conditioner afterwards when I travel). I won’t let my ADD take over this post,  so let’s get back to the garage. I found all types of stuff. Memorabilia, crap, art. And when I say art I use that term very loosely. Mostly due to this gem

How effin creepy is he? When I saw this I immediately jumped then starting laughing nervously then I turned away because I couldn’t look at him anymore. But then I turned back around since I feared he would jump out and kill me ala Chucky in Childs Play

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I took the “art” out onto our patio and asked me dad what creepy Buttons was doing in our house. He said that it has been with our family for awhile and could actually be worth something. Let the research begin! I wonder if we can photoshop Buttons into family photos since he “has been with our family for awhile” In no time, I had the garage more organized that before. There is still work to be done but now there is actually a walk way without rusty nails on the ground.

 

 

Tiffany1 House 0

After some shopping and a nap, we made our way to Benihana.

I’ve never been to the bar area at Benihaba before so this was a treat. We used to go there when I was a kid at get the hibachi cooked at our table and it was always a big deal. So when my dad told me we weren’t going for hibachi, we were going for happy hour sushi, I was on it like white on rice.

They have an awesome happy hour special including specialty sushi rolls, nigiri, appetizers and drinks in the lounge and bar area. We walked in and there was only one other party sitting in the entire restaurant so we made our way to the bar and grabbed a seat.

$4 Cabernet, don’t mind if I do!

I started off with seaweed salad

I was enjoying it until I got the bottom and hit some frozen seaweed. There was ice right on them. ick. But then again, it was only two bones so it wasn’t a huge loss. Then the rolls came out. I was so stoked not only for the happy hour special on sushi but also because I was reunited with one of my loves—the Las Vegas Roll!

I used to order the Las Vegas roll all the time when I lived in Phoenix and was disappointed when I didn’t see it on the menu anywhere in Charlotte. Plus, I never really knew what was in it so I couldn’t request for them to make it. All I knew was that it was spicy, fried and tasty, just how I like my men.

I also got the Caterpillar roll which was amazingly fresh

But still, the Vegas roll won my heart with it’s rich and tangy flavor (not to mention it’s neat presentation)

Since I already won against one house, I decided to try my luck out at the Isle Casino

You know because I can total the take casino for all that it’s worth at the $.02 slots. Hey, I’m a frugalista and I’m not going to sit around blowing my money when chances are I’m not going to win but it doesn’t hurt to try. In a perfect world, I would like to just sit there and wait for a guy to approach me who then gives me some of his money to play with and then win thousands which he will then tell me to keep since I did a good job. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to happen with outside of Vegas…..or at the $.02 slots Apparently, I really need to lower my standards.

Guess what????

I didn’t win. Not one cent, it was worse than my last visit to a casino at the Horseshoe in Hammond, Indiana. At least they checked my ID when I walked into the Isle so that made me feel better about myself and skin regime.

House 1 Tiffany 0

But I won at something else. I went on a great five mile bikeride once I got home (and had some coffee beforehand since I don’t need to be pedaling under the influence).  I could barely sleep last night because my legs felt like cement and the booty is ahurtin today!

Does your state have happy hour specials?  We didn’t have them in North Carolina and my next location must have happy hour specials. This is non negotiable!

If you gamble, what’s the most you’ve ever won? I used to frequent Vegas a few times a year when I lived in Arizona and I believe the most I won was $600.

Murray

EEEEEEK!

Good eek, of course!

I’m so happy and it’s all due to Murray.

No, Murray isn’t Matilda’s boyfriend. Murray is my bike from high school and was brought back to life on Monday, sporting two new tires and all (but who knows Matilda may want to go on a ride with me)

I used to go on bike rides all the time in the summertime when I was younger. Some of my best memories are riding over to the beach, which is about five miles away. My friends and I would head over there in the morning and spend the entire day at the beach. We would ride back in the late afternoon, stop for a snack then get home and was wiped out. I really miss those days where I could just hop on my bike, enjoy the sun and splash like I didn’t have a care in the world.

I went for a bike ride the other night just to test it out since I haven’t been on a bike since forever ago. And wow, my butt has always been big but that seat hurt. I pedaled on and made my way around the neighborhood, just like I did in high school. I went around for 20 minutes since I didn’t want to overdue it but it felt so good to be out there again! I am going to start riding more often and my goal for the end of the month is to make my way back to the beach again. I had no issue doing this in high school but I was much younger then and much lighter so at least I have something to strive for.

And I’m excited to pimp my bike out. First thing will be a bell

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I totally want the sumo wrestler!

Do you ride a bike?

Any tips for me?