I can finally stop saying I never win anything

I've spent the majority of my life never winning contests.

Until now.

Because I won Courtney Chesley's TwIsTeD Twitterers contest!



The contest was easy; I simply had to tweet a statement to Courtney that began with, "I'm twisted because..." and then I was randomly selected as the winner. Go here to see how twisted the contestants are.

My goodies arrived in the mail the day I left for Colorado. Receiving the bracelets was an exciting event, not only because I love getting mail, but also because Courtney packaged her handmade bracelets in Popcorn and Peanuts bags. How fun!

She also included a couple of surprises: a TwIsTeD pin and a fortune-teller fish that you "...place in the palm of your hand and watch it begin to move, wiggle, curl up or flip off your hand all by itself!" Though really the thing more-or-less tells you your mood (jealous, passionate, etc).

(SIDE NOTE: Since the instructions do not specify "remove fish from bag" an airhead friend of mine tried it with the fish in the bag, which meant it did nothing, which gave him a reading of Dead Fish. Doh!)

You can buy Courtney's bracelets by visiting her page on etsy.

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Listening to: Man Man - Doo Right
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My Version of the Big Salad

I haven't written about food in quite a while, but I have been on a major salad kick, eating one for dinner almost every night. And when I make a salad it's a serious affair because I really pile on the toppings. My salad is a meal on its own; technically it's a meal that I rarely ever finish.

Because I use so many ingredients, I like to cut up my vegetables as soon as I get home from the grocery store. I keep each one in its own container and at dinner I turn the counter into a buffet.

So what goes into this ginormous salad?

- Spinach
- Carrot shreds
- Deli lunch meat - turkey or chicken
- Red Pepper
- Portobello mushrooms
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Purple Onion (or red, whatever)
- Cauliflower
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Bacon Bits
- Croutons
- Parmesan cheese shreds
- Ranch Dressing (sometimes cottage cheese)



For a drink, I recommend Oberweis Milk. If I eat something for dessert it's been watermelon, watermelon, watermelon. However, if you're up to it and you would like something on the sweet side, try making this Butterscotch Cookie Bar that Kim recommends.

How do you make a salad? Do you have an interesting technique or use random ingredients? Please share! It's only a matter of time before I burn myself out on this meal.

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Listening to: Reverend Horton Heat - Spell on Me
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Meet the neighbors

After work on Monday I went to check my mail and apparently, my neighbor didn't expect anyone would be walking through the hall. As I passed her open apartment door, I spotted her sitting on the toilet.

We made eye contact.

So, yeah. My neighbor pees with not only the bathroom door ajar, but her apartment door open as well. Interesting.

I wonder what her name is?

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Listening to: Regina Spektor - Après Moi
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Burnin' down the house, err apartment, whatever

You probably don't remember how I tend to burn myself. Or maybe you don't know how I tend to be absent-minded sometimes, about important things.

There was that time I went to bed with the oven on... and didn't realize this until the next morning. Seriously, you go to make one lousy pizza, decide you aren't hungry, and before you know it it's the next day and the oven is still blazing.

Sure, that was years ago. But in the last week I've um, done two very dumb things. First, I put a candle a little too close to one of the mini-blinds in my bedroom. Yeah, that particular blind now features 'smoke damage'. I totally underestimated the power to that candle's flame.

And then, wait, should I really admit this? Oh, what the hell, I've written about worse. This began one evening in very recent days. I took a shower sometime after 10pm, probably closer to eleven. Maybe an hour later I straightened my hair. The next day when I got home from work I noticed my straightening iron was STILL on.

How am I an adult? Seriously?

Does everyone do this sort of stuff?

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Listening to: Mike Jones - Got it Sewed Up
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Most Boring Update Ever

The only furniture in my apartment is my bed and two folding chairs.

I'm not complaining, I'm just noting the fact that for two weeks I've spent a lot of time sitting cross-legged on the kitchen floor while eating.

It's been awhile since I've had no reason to complain. I'm working, the people are great and I'm liking my new job; I finally am living alone (yes!) in a two-bedroom apartment where both my dog and cat are with me; I'm meeting lots of new people; I'm exploring a new city; and again, I'm living alone! I feel incredibly privileged to do whatever I want, whenever I want - that's priceless.

You know what isn't priceless? Internet service. So I must give many mahalos to the kind neighbor who is kindly sharing their WiFi connection. The signal is very strong, full power regardless of where I am in the apartment, so thanks to whomever it is that's saving me 60 bucks a month.

Otherwise, the most noteworthy event of recent times: I completed Year One of my 365 Project! Although I haven't been as creative as I was in the first half of my project, and I did miss four days total, I'm glad that I was able to stick it out despite all the crazy things that have happened.

Hopefully in the next few days I can post some sort of year in review, but for now, here are the milestone days:

Day 001: A day late



Day 050: Abnormal Psychology



Day 075: This is what I look like in the morning: Naked. Wrapped in a blanket. Slouched over. Drinking coffee.



Day 100: I'm still not in the best of spirits AND I have to go the DMV today - for the second time this week.



Day 182 (half-way!): I was really into Cheez-its that week



Day 250: I'm sick; don't look at my face



Day 300: Otis and Me



Day 365: ONE YEAR!!!



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Listening to: White Rabbits - I used to complain now I don't
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Rude Awakening

Earlier today I sent out a quick twitter announcing that I awoke to a stranger in my apartment. Nothing bad happened, but it was freaky nonetheless.

Yesterday was incredibly busy. I woke up at 6:30 in the morning, drove one hundred miles to my parents, packed and loaded my mom's ford escape, went with my dad and brother to my storage and loaded up as much as we could fit into my brother's truck and drove a hundred miles back toward my apartment. We unloaded the boxes, set up my bed, then I drove one hundred miles back to my parent's house, switched vehicles, drove to my brother's, then he and I drove about fifty miles to Fort de Chartres to visit family that was camped there. After about two hours, we drove fifty miles back to my brother's and then I drove a hundred miles toward my apartment. Along the way I stopped to pick up a few items so I could clean my tub and then take a shower.

After five hundred miles of driving, the next thing I knew it was four in the morning. I passed out, totally exhausted, and suddenly it's the next day and some dude is opening my bedroom door and I hear him holler, "OH SHIT" and then he disappeared.

I laid there for about three minutes trying to wrap my mind around the situation. I assumed it was one of the guys who owns my apartment building, but damn, I never even heard my apartment door open. So I crawl out of bed, totally dazed, completely tired and utterly surprised.

I then get dressed because, well, I was sleeping naked. I go out the front door of the building and there are two dudes standing next to a truck and the one guy immediately says, "Oh my god, girl, I am SO sorry! We were sent by Kelly, she lived in the apartment before you, to pick up an entertainment center and a bed. When I walked in I thought there was quite a bit of stuff still in the apartment. I didn't see the entertainment center and the front bedroom was empty, so I headed into your room to get the bed."

All I could say was, "I'm glad I was home because I would've been pissed if I came home and my bed was gone."

He replied, "Yeah, because I would've taken it. And it's a good thing you were covered up, huh."

Yeah, it's a good thing.

That stranger didn't feel comfortable handing over the keys because they technically weren't his, so he still has the keys to enter my building and my apartment. I called my landlord and he has neither returned my call nor changed the locks.

Talk about a rude awakening. Scary.

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Listening to: Neil Young - Southern Man
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