Unintended Consequence of Traveling Alone: Selfie Abundance

Amsterdam was awesome. The city was beautiful, the people friendly and the food (for the most part) delicious. It was a great work trip and I was really lucky to be able to go. The only thing that would have made it even better was if Chef was able to go. Maybe if I'm lucky enough to go back to this conference I'll plan far enough ahead to bring him along too.

Anyway, one of the things I learned after looking through my pictures was that I apparently took a lot of selfies. I think this was mostly because I was alone, vain, and have been taking them before they went digital and had a name. I literally have hundreds of pics from holding the camera out in front of me all my life. So it really is no surprise that I have selfies galore from the trip.

Since I had them, I thought I'd tell the story through myself. Or my selfies.

This was right outside of the Anne Frank House. It was touching and amazing. And no photos allowed inside. 

Me and a piece of art at the Rijks Museum. I wanted a Rembrandt selfie or a selfie with Van Gogh's self portrait,
but they were always busy with crowds.

Selfie with a Kendra, my DC co-worker on our last night

Last Dinner selfie. I have to say that the tablescape was prettier than any wedding I've been too (sorry, friends)

"I'm on a boat" selfie. We getting ready to glide through the canals with champagne.

Selfie with my NYC colleague, Ed, while we made some pastries and chocolates.

Not technically a selfie because my hands were full. Here I am filling chocolates with a ganache.
Chef would've been so proud. 

Again, not a selfie, but me and another DC colleague Amaris making Dutch Apple Pie (of course)

So, I went to McDonald's. So what. After 4 days of meals with 10 ingredients per dish, you'd probably want a cheeseburger too. Plus they're a client, so that's technically just doing my job, right?

This used to be the Capitol building in Amsterdam
but the prince decided at one point it was too nice to be government and took it over. It was pretty sweet. 

Some large statue that someone told me was important.
There were always people gathered around it, so I bought in. 

Maybe it's Not So Bad

Yup. I'm loved. Thank you!

Let's be frank: Working on your birthday sucks no matter how great your job is.

But that being said I am having a terrific birthday so far. My friend Meredith made me the BEST. CAKE. EVER. I'm one of those plain people: white cake with white butter cream icing. It's a challenge to showcase talent with that, but she did. Meredith made me a Tahitian vanilla cake with coconut custard filling--mixing my favorite desserts--white cake and coconut cream pie. And she got an assist from Alexis. (As an aside, the coconut cream pie is from Dick Clark's--grandma's recipe is still the best. If you find yourself in Princeton and hankering for pie, go with Coconut Cream every time. You're welcome).

Tasted even better

Anyway, I am still at work (yes, I'm blogging at work but it's my birthday and I finished a lingering project today so I can celebrate with a 5 minute post--I'm not billing time for it).  Getting ready to head home where Chef is preparing a home cooked steak dinner, but not until after I make my annual Sephora trip. I always go in on my birthday so I can get my free gift. Yes, I'm one of those. Plus I got some birthday gift cards burning a hole in my pocket.

More posts to come from my further celebrations on Friday and Saturday. It's not been so shabby so far.

Women and Politics

I did many things over my little break from work last week. I hung out with Chef, ate way too much, watched movies, got used to using my authoritative voice to get the Xbox One to obey my commands ("Xbox Watch TV!"), and watching tons of movies and TV.

I finally (and almost sadly) am now caught up on Scandal. It was watching this current season that I stumbled upon a monologue so well-written that I thought I was watching a different show. (The show is fairly well-written, don't get me wrong, but not a lot stands on issues per se). Oh and Lisa Kudrow delivers it like a bad ass so bonus for that.

I Just Can't Shake this Apathy

The last few days I've been struggling with a debilitating case of apathy. Okay, fine. It's not debilitating, but it's certainly not been fun. I have no idea why this hit me or if I'm just moody, but here goes.

I could care less.

Chef and I went shopping this weekend (typically one of my favorite things to do). I got to play "navigator" an could choose our destinations. But I didn't get all that excited and I ended up not buying myself anything. I couldn't muster the enthusiasm to get excited about clothes, or purses or even-GASP- shoes. I used not feeling well on Sunday (which I legitimately didn't) as an excuse to do very little.

I have enough energy and care to propel myself through my routines. I still get up and run. I make my daily to do lists at work and cross everything off before I allow myself to be done for the day. I try and watch what I'm eating (but I let up on that when I'm apathetic too).

The big difference is that the things maybe I only noticed are getting dropped. My outfits look pretty shabby and I haven't gone into my closet to try and restyle anything in a few weeks. My hair needs a recolor and my bangs are so long that they cover half my eyes. Don't get me started on my nails.

So I'm slumping. Any tips for how to get out of a slump?

Stuck in my head

What does it say to me that I have had the whistling song that plays behind Tate's murderous rampage stuck in my head for the last two days? (Tate from American Horror Story, not a real person). The song is called Twisted Nerve and has been used in many other movies, TV shows, etc. When I looked up the song (after Chef had sent me one version), I found this mashup that "RavenclawRose7" did on YouTube. It gave me chills and so I had to share. It creeps me out in that delicious way that the whole show did this season.  So my gift to you for the last post of 2011 is the gift of American Horror Story. You're welcome!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I had steak instead of turkey. Drank red wine. Took a bath with pumpkin pie bubbles. Watched football and chick flicks by switching inputs. Cuddled with my husband and kitties. Ate mac and cheese, stuffing and broccoli. Will eat candy and pie and watch American Horror Story. Not too bad a day.

It started with this conversation with Chef.

Me: I want to eat cookies and drink egg nog.

Chef: do it.

Me: I feel guilty.

Chef: Don't let it being only 10:30 in the morning stop you. It's Thanksgiving!

And that's another reason why I love him.

Hope your day was just as a awesome.

"My I Don't Have to Run-Day"

Mila hanging out before falling asleep.

Sundays are pretty awesome in general, but I have a feeling that this one is going to be super awesome--borderline double awesome. Here are some brief notes and some pictures to explain why this Sunday will rock:

• Had my best elliptical 5K time ever at 23 minutes, 44 seconds. Not too shabby.
• I'm an optimist, and while I'm in the bedroom watching football on mute (Bills vs. Cowboys and Falcons vs. Saints), I'm also listening to the Colts game. I think this might be the Colts week. (Chef is in the living room playing Skyrim).
• After the game is over, Chef and I will begin our Harry Potter extravaganza. All 8 movies are lined up and ready to go. We've got Carne Asada cooking in the crock pot and a plethora of candy waiting for us to consume in a Potter-craze.



Genghis before leaving to hang
with Chef.

• Being in the bedroom means that I get to hang out on the bed with some cats. Genghis even makes an appearance every once in a while before scurrying back to Chef.

Just was I was finishing up this list, Chef yelled to me "I guess you're having to listen to the game? It's not on?". "No, it's not on, but I'm listening to it and watching two others." He waited a beat and then said "Not too shabby a life, is it?"

That's it indeed. It's a great life.

Candy (from left to right): White chocolate macadamia cookies, candy corn, chewy Sweet Tarts, Cherry Twizzler Nibs,
Grape Nerds. (not pictured: skinny cow chocolate clusters, chocolate chunk cookies and sugar cookies with icing)

Pretzel M & Ms

Carne Asada filling the apartment with the savory smell of deliciousness.

They're starting to come out. . .

I realized this weekend as I was in New Orleans that my "ashley-isms" are really starting to come out in work settings. There's a typical grace period that happens when you're acclimating and with that comes the restraint of colloquialisms that have a background or only you think are funny. I can't even really claim most of these as "Ashley-isms" because I've blatantly stole the best of the best for my own use. I only originated a few, but all are starting to break the surface of every day talk.

I had a co-worker at a conference this weekend say "I'm not sure if it's the Southern coming out or if it's just your personality. Either way, you're cracking me up." I had another co-worker stop me three sentences after I had spit out a saying to say "Back up, did you really just say 'hitch in the giddy-up'?"

Yes. Yes, I did. Here are some others that have started coming to the surface lately:

• "Noodle", as in "Let me noodle on that and get back to you"- stolen from a previous supervisor Suzanne
• "Jazzed" as in "I get really jazzed about collaboration"-- I had hear it in use before but it wasn't until a previous supervisor, Erica, that I had hear it used in a context for work.
• "Hitch in my giddy-up"- meaning "Obstacle" not sure where I heard it but I did and I kept it.
• "Double awesome" because sometimes one awesome just isn't enough
• "Word", as in "I concur" --clearly not mine or anyone that I know, but I believe I pioneered its use in corporate situations and well past it's expiration date.
• "Howdy"- another overtly southern/ cowboy term that I think is more inviting than a traditional "hello"

I can't think of any other ones right now, but if you remember me saying something weird or have a saying I should start using, feel free to leave me a comment.