tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:26:12 +0000friendschicagofoodmusicrunningfamilycatchildhoodpoliticsbaking is lifebikebirthdaychristmasloveworkEaster/Birthdayaccomplishmentsartarts administrationbakingcatmareschristmas friendsfilmguilty 90s pleasuressummertheatretimtravelClaire DanesEducationHairIntroduction.JOKINGTVUSA USAamerican girland living beyond our means.animalsapartmentawesomenessbachelorettebearbeginning moving closurebling blingblubbooksbreakdownbusinessbuyscakecareercat vomitcatscincinnaticoffeecook outcorporate hungerdancingdesigndogdogs catsdrinkinge-maileconomyetsyfamily reunionfargofelinesfood friendsgeneticsgo go a bee gograpefruitgreen poopsguns and shoeshaircut deathhalf marathonhalloweenhelp pleasehill billy teethholidayhomehomeowkrin loveinsightsintriguing interviewjazzjobs cats feeling inadequatejudgementlet the love shine inlistmamamapquestmarathonmathmeme childmoneymoviemovingmoving and shakingmusic childhoodnameneighborsolympicsoperaouchovariespartyprojectpublic transitradioreading runner's world latelyreal politicsrecapreciperocking too hardsavingsneezes and gangstersswimtattootelevisionthere will be bloodthrow uptoo much unisomupdatevacationweekendwinterwrath of godyoungTruth of Ruth <p>A public blog about personal success and failure.<p></p></p>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2064065961774137148Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:57:00 +00002011-12-19T23:14:29.803-05:00friendsWe walk into the party in a repurposed movie house. We immediately take survey of the room and crown ourselves queens of all things. We proceed to make party friends (don't tell us your names, let's just dance next to each other for three hours. Yes? Yes.) who are lovely and very sweet and probably about seven years our junior. Nice kids.<br /><br />I, of course, AM SELECTED to compete in best costume contest, but am knocked out in the first round, which I blame on knowing NO ONE in the room, because the winner did not have a beehive or fur. Or a vintage purse. She was tiny and wearing something that looked like a stewardess outfit.<br /><br />At one point, we looked down on the dance floor and realized one of our beehives was leaking panty hose. We ignored it.<br /><br />At the end of the night, Liz led us to The Paradise (which had been at only hours before for dinner) without question or discussion. Then we went home and slept in our make up.<br /><br />The next morning, when I work up Liz with a fresh glass of Crystal Light, she admitted it was her that was spreading panty hose everywhere. She also admitted she had assumed it was Dana and had been silently judging her hair for being so unreliable.<br /><br />UGGG. My friends. So great. Thank you.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibiz59HukM4SP11kKHBIhXgEDxcjD6eefCpmprk1tGttbPTHM7JIUdwiNhpEA0ju_j6LZ4dY291d6bWv_H9ROjCszqBA4rVf5WkvaWb0eXoKYmku3R0lV6d2DMFg2buXADBJGO2wG1Q/s1600/407393_10101429584358420_13939724_74897339_1833225420_n.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibiz59HukM4SP11kKHBIhXgEDxcjD6eefCpmprk1tGttbPTHM7JIUdwiNhpEA0ju_j6LZ4dY291d6bWv_H9ROjCszqBA4rVf5WkvaWb0eXoKYmku3R0lV6d2DMFg2buXADBJGO2wG1Q/s320/407393_10101429584358420_13939724_74897339_1833225420_n.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688055108609603906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPCxmUR4rBDxCWZq4X3EEU0pjbxkgheA47vV7U_UHtD-V9AUzBdaWXj7s86_lyyKNcPTDXGHaXyizFhucPk7GYwsNo8Hyeb2OYVu6lTA-UXaPXNh8BXcRSNNp_PmHgUZV8SsXPE9Rcg/s1600/398723_10101429586244640_13939724_74897353_644220549_n.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPCxmUR4rBDxCWZq4X3EEU0pjbxkgheA47vV7U_UHtD-V9AUzBdaWXj7s86_lyyKNcPTDXGHaXyizFhucPk7GYwsNo8Hyeb2OYVu6lTA-UXaPXNh8BXcRSNNp_PmHgUZV8SsXPE9Rcg/s320/398723_10101429586244640_13939724_74897353_644220549_n.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688055101252370642" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNZqpQExZusfZTw6wnDV4yEvnCjYW-lMmx8yai6WPrQPE5p3hwLH18NQDfQ4hEDc8U6eRJsvCmyF20TePhElVsAvjaMgevuOS3Ti6ovC_C2PXC-9k4c2AO-_vqNFdJyOW25RlrCcsDA/s1600/396701_10101429586603920_13939724_74897356_698240973_n.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNZqpQExZusfZTw6wnDV4yEvnCjYW-lMmx8yai6WPrQPE5p3hwLH18NQDfQ4hEDc8U6eRJsvCmyF20TePhElVsAvjaMgevuOS3Ti6ovC_C2PXC-9k4c2AO-_vqNFdJyOW25RlrCcsDA/s320/396701_10101429586603920_13939724_74897356_698240973_n.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688055096740107426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6s7kv16FG9xrIZkuyUgYgRP_-mUYNTPjq46x0UlgJWOcMlKAI5gTkqJwdToOciJ-e85TnvhFn-duozCuJwdvpyIRGCqcuSmRDlnbAALWU73Qgem4uQ8KUCHmbnYq5kZdZGR5GANjlRA/s1600/376011_10101429583784570_13939724_74897334_1511332749_n.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6s7kv16FG9xrIZkuyUgYgRP_-mUYNTPjq46x0UlgJWOcMlKAI5gTkqJwdToOciJ-e85TnvhFn-duozCuJwdvpyIRGCqcuSmRDlnbAALWU73Qgem4uQ8KUCHmbnYq5kZdZGR5GANjlRA/s320/376011_10101429583784570_13939724_74897334_1511332749_n.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688055099044832338" /></a>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/12/mad-men-in-madison.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-8588533064605477815Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:02:00 +00002011-12-18T19:15:02.375-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI00WpGSlGSDsLf3zKdF1GM1fjwXR-_l325rWmvfF5YSW5aB85eFSIQWqKHgWugnfn5LLNpQwFZKYT3eN4XC5V8B7a1Df0fn_UpJyhMKPBK__XBVVeqhJfei_WrI1qF-_uz5Hc2q-baA/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI00WpGSlGSDsLf3zKdF1GM1fjwXR-_l325rWmvfF5YSW5aB85eFSIQWqKHgWugnfn5LLNpQwFZKYT3eN4XC5V8B7a1Df0fn_UpJyhMKPBK__XBVVeqhJfei_WrI1qF-_uz5Hc2q-baA/s320/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687623548472958994" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeCdFZVR2raNJ_QYvwdCg9cKV-vvXFkUTdeSzN4s8mEoFHbADU0V585fWl-bQX0YKCCFycKtZSBVrQN7ePoN55VeQYXS2gOfWpuJUI3mbXvsFYI2NtU-TgHfWzZduNS0X9L9TT7kSnQ/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeCdFZVR2raNJ_QYvwdCg9cKV-vvXFkUTdeSzN4s8mEoFHbADU0V585fWl-bQX0YKCCFycKtZSBVrQN7ePoN55VeQYXS2gOfWpuJUI3mbXvsFYI2NtU-TgHfWzZduNS0X9L9TT7kSnQ/s320/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687623544966054946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDKN8M3HeFiU4QvdT3j9LS3x8NqlOAuenTS_2vLhx6g4MvYMLl7BNvBSvih1rME6SZiC0-NH5rG0sy1aZT2E2dv1xY7ZVi0Qr_3TjujGmQsqgUoVCSYebA-iQB06htQjA8_Qp0Mbykg/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDKN8M3HeFiU4QvdT3j9LS3x8NqlOAuenTS_2vLhx6g4MvYMLl7BNvBSvih1rME6SZiC0-NH5rG0sy1aZT2E2dv1xY7ZVi0Qr_3TjujGmQsqgUoVCSYebA-iQB06htQjA8_Qp0Mbykg/s320/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687623540128667858" /></a><br /><br />Spent Saturday morning eating 14 of the 15 chilis at the Empty Bottle to raise funds for Graze. Pretty great. We also listened to Cains & Abels. Liked them.<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3130453783/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true"http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/12/graze-chili-home-companion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2933147643359301942Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:30:00 +00002011-12-11T23:32:30.783-05:00running<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQdguN8lDdqEH6yRCATsC3n5RpXOKfXgvBrG1ED3ALspyYtIUOzmB7xHfzbruN6gV6eHmHxprSF_sE0F8DHgnO1CpX0RWkeVF7zCnpS4kFUc0T6R_oA5C4cugVmJD3LbaNTZ9UldE1A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.52.52+AM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQdguN8lDdqEH6yRCATsC3n5RpXOKfXgvBrG1ED3ALspyYtIUOzmB7xHfzbruN6gV6eHmHxprSF_sE0F8DHgnO1CpX0RWkeVF7zCnpS4kFUc0T6R_oA5C4cugVmJD3LbaNTZ9UldE1A/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.52.52+AM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685090497512698946" /></a><br /><br />I ran a trail race yesterday. It was in southwest Chicago at the Pulaski Forest Preserve, where they have real lakes, trailes, and trees. It was snowy and my running partner Stacey was concerned she would lose a few toes, but since I'm a graduate of Hebron, North Dakota's Hunters Safety Classes, I've learned all about that (I also know how to move a loaded weapon safely over/under a fence) and assured her a 8k would not do any major damage. <br /><br />The selling point of the trail race was this: three trails. All are less than 6 miles, more than 4. Each trail is labeled as either easy, medium, or hard. Pick a trail. Everyone finishes together, no matter which trail you picked.<br /><br />I ran, and it was pretty fun for the first mile! We ran right through some mountain biking trails that were rocky or toppled over with trees or branches, and were so skinny it was impossible to pass people unless you really committed. We basically ran up and down the side of a hill in varying zig zags (where we saw one lone paint ball competitor), and then ran another easy 3-4 miles on an open trail that dusted from snow on Friday. Then WOOOOOOOOO the finish line with bottles of water and bananas.<br /><br />The race was sponsored by Red Bull (with arm warmers from Saucony as the swag, pretty <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixSqL16vL6uqQc7p9qFUtlFOtTGzebn31SOq1IsNgFP7Wz4KHfWKEVWRivDvS2qkUp7PNr8YZNiOWZah65bWB9ceGpJc5DZpGkjJyxdx-4R6AyXUybd54lnr8pxAFJNklBnDxd_pzZXFc/s400/kara_gloves.jpg">Goucher-some</a>) so there was PARTY MUSIC PUMPING LET'S DANCE AND DO SCARY-SOUNDING THINGS TO EACH OTHER kind of music. The MC kept asking finishers which trail they ran, and what they thought ---- "easy" finishers thought it was hard, "hard" finishers though it easy...<br /><br />...because all of the trails were the same length and degree of difficulty! WHAT? Was the purpose of the race to lose the trust of the two hundred or so people that already paid you thirty-five dollars? Success, Red Bull. <br /><br />Regardless, I ran, I got to have psuedo-road trip talks with a new friend on our 30 mile drive, and now my calves are sore from that mile of up-down-up-down-right-right-left-right-A-A-B running. Also, it was really gorgeous, and great to get out of the city. That night, Tim and I went to the casino in another Chicago suburb, and then came home and baked some challah, which we gave to our neighbor Patrick as an advance treat for cat-sitting. Not bad.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRAOHvuWTUI553vZfTza-KGtQ6gmmLOtYJCnMVphZvT_Zh9GfF8E-zvK_ZxVJpdBZSfTNAmLC430UyWwkNXrC_SpqpPirtUTcAdtKFO49QBov11V6qYElD5JckNEZyMo1bo32KReHUA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.53.33+AM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRAOHvuWTUI553vZfTza-KGtQ6gmmLOtYJCnMVphZvT_Zh9GfF8E-zvK_ZxVJpdBZSfTNAmLC430UyWwkNXrC_SpqpPirtUTcAdtKFO49QBov11V6qYElD5JckNEZyMo1bo32KReHUA/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.53.33+AM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685090519631312674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBkYefEFD_6WZcnqJynwERb2oqcHllGrFFJjdxQpCPVck0DlbxZli-MvuW8ClRrI0KaLlkZQmjlpk1xEAylmdLAwjxqW9pvsR9PByyxnbCl1h2TCl3aDofHH9DihzAuePtRMmJ_uy6A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.53.21+AM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBkYefEFD_6WZcnqJynwERb2oqcHllGrFFJjdxQpCPVck0DlbxZli-MvuW8ClRrI0KaLlkZQmjlpk1xEAylmdLAwjxqW9pvsR9PByyxnbCl1h2TCl3aDofHH9DihzAuePtRMmJ_uy6A/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.53.21+AM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685090507564209394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoP5h_dByY-dUonuCwxaDmtjEW3e1FeJI2z9S0v7zP36pwMEVnlaFcGPeI8IPp09OzyumG6jmfdShXfTDYp5UGJJEsFrE-4RhxuNS3P8vpSlnJcf7i3WfT9tReg476BXyhAnPVpn7Lw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.51.15+AM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoP5h_dByY-dUonuCwxaDmtjEW3e1FeJI2z9S0v7zP36pwMEVnlaFcGPeI8IPp09OzyumG6jmfdShXfTDYp5UGJJEsFrE-4RhxuNS3P8vpSlnJcf7i3WfT9tReg476BXyhAnPVpn7Lw/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.51.15+AM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685090487773955778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxYwxvTk7V74tfaQXrI0ZReVNn_QSnKiB2_OS1gpUgXAnSnxqcQ6dj8vSn6Kg151OuovSHU34tE90ni91aF5PXZ76jksiLx1lzptF1zJnEmpamBb3rs3ANV-TL7XSatUvNmI0UnJWjg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.52.08+AM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxYwxvTk7V74tfaQXrI0ZReVNn_QSnKiB2_OS1gpUgXAnSnxqcQ6dj8vSn6Kg151OuovSHU34tE90ni91aF5PXZ76jksiLx1lzptF1zJnEmpamBb3rs3ANV-TL7XSatUvNmI0UnJWjg/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.52.08+AM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685090478342143154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6z6VToKhhrNxJTvN_S2a2Fcu-Q6h9gKE-T_j8x8yBG64F-egQjFnf_6wziT3KctxAGEoc84JEQZWfLUxAidNvyh_By79VMasCvtQqq9LzIfvGU-hvZcnrbZK6zxcngcY-hz63w6t6Ig/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.53.43+AM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6z6VToKhhrNxJTvN_S2a2Fcu-Q6h9gKE-T_j8x8yBG64F-egQjFnf_6wziT3KctxAGEoc84JEQZWfLUxAidNvyh_By79VMasCvtQqq9LzIfvGU-hvZcnrbZK6zxcngcY-hz63w6t6Ig/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-12+at+3.53.43+AM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685090967269088626" /></a>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/12/getting-ready-for-2012.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2912474665090668766Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:18:00 +00002011-01-29T13:26:18.014-05:00friendsparty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuhFn6LxoaDNWyj6ReIHnqR7GZHmwZPOc_aRYv4pHrSlndUK4WPApJt2YutEZvHiFEYaRYn32Dzxhrowg9b7jveCpKin4HzwDoVyknMHs62rAgpL4ogLoDlnhAV34TizTmnxI7KgYJQ/s1600/DSCF1719.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuhFn6LxoaDNWyj6ReIHnqR7GZHmwZPOc_aRYv4pHrSlndUK4WPApJt2YutEZvHiFEYaRYn32Dzxhrowg9b7jveCpKin4HzwDoVyknMHs62rAgpL4ogLoDlnhAV34TizTmnxI7KgYJQ/s400/DSCF1719.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567675058181884450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxWF6sYm5nM-FFGY2BHEG7zTqQdVHLtOnIBFPjujDGdqY6S8LNRAekzcwGeKbSTaXX2lUyqZg9NVaRXlLKEHHnbD3hdjnAIVmh6iFyKh4_4QpjBuua0bPajWV9rWfY_M0Yx8_0RkF4g/s1600/DSCF1718.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxWF6sYm5nM-FFGY2BHEG7zTqQdVHLtOnIBFPjujDGdqY6S8LNRAekzcwGeKbSTaXX2lUyqZg9NVaRXlLKEHHnbD3hdjnAIVmh6iFyKh4_4QpjBuua0bPajWV9rWfY_M0Yx8_0RkF4g/s400/DSCF1718.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567675048092620066" /></a><br />Tonight is my spelling bee party.<br /><br />I, at the moment, am ill prepared. I have numbers for participants and a bell to ring for correct spellings.<br /><br />Left for preparation:<br />(clean)<br />put spelling bee welcome banner together<br />hang/string numbers<br />set up "spelling room"<br />veggie dip<br />buy ice, ingredients for rum punch and teetotaler drinks<br />get big cooler from the basement<br />open windows<br />make italian deli roll (liz and james are coming, they demand pizza burrito)<br />buy a prize for the winner<br />take out recycling<br /><br />Photos to come. I love Saturday.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/tonight-spelling-bee-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2528075409055288797Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:22:00 +00002011-01-23T00:00:02.108-05:00You know what I'm missing? A nice cup for my coffee cream. It's like a prom dress for half and half.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWuxv_4AO2KDgeehgvERD8aA16MBtepEOAOJqkHp4m04U0p8Is6a1VbJQ8CiMYm_N0IAoS1cjX-y77O27Fm-xaAPTGLmE9PV2MK2tPyAjoKTMX7DiGlQOgKxA83JzIw2lwjIvUflnJA/s1600/creamers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWuxv_4AO2KDgeehgvERD8aA16MBtepEOAOJqkHp4m04U0p8Is6a1VbJQ8CiMYm_N0IAoS1cjX-y77O27Fm-xaAPTGLmE9PV2MK2tPyAjoKTMX7DiGlQOgKxA83JzIw2lwjIvUflnJA/s400/creamers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565240850211648786" /></a><br /><br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/54818557/vintage-squirrel-creamer-pitcher?ref=sr_gallery_33&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_tye=all&ga_page=15">Vintage Squirrel Creamer Pitcher</a> (for my sister-in-law, Liz)<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66058481/vintage-ball-creamer-picher-green-usa?ref=sr_gallery_27&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=4">Vintage Ball Creamer Picher Green</a><br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/63682119/shawnee-puss-n-boots-pitcher-creamer?ref=sr_gallery_27&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=13">Shawnee Puss N Boots Pitcher Creamer</a><br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/64420662/sleek-modern-porcelain-pitcher?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=18">Sleek Modern Porcelain Pitcher</a><br /><br />5. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65868920/yellow-homer-laughlin-creamer-circa?ref=sr_gallery_15&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=6">Yellow Homer Laughlin Creamer</a><br /><br />6. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65724373/vintage-fire-king-jadite-creamer?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=7">Vintage Fire King Jadite Creamer</a><br /><br />7. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65474638/vintage-moderntone-creamer-hazel-atlas?ref=sr_gallery_34&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=9">Vintage Moderntone Creamer Hazel Atlas Glass Company</a><br /><br />8. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/55676833/retro-cream-pitcher-red-and-silver-line?ref=sr_gallery_40&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=9">Retro Cream Pitcher Red and Silver Line on White</a><br /><br />9. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65377784/bird-sugar-and-bud-creamer-ceramic-set?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=creamer%2Bpitcher&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=10">Bird Sugar and Bud Creamer Ceramic Set</a>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/creamers-please.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2253961953900522674Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:16:00 +00002011-01-21T00:31:10.525-05:00musicLong day at work on Wednesday. Tim offered to pick me up, so I met him at the red line Fullerton stop. We headed back to Logan Square and Tim shouted "HEY THE RECORD STORE IS OPENNNNN!" We pulled a u-turn and headed in.<br /><br />We've been without a stereo received for...our entire marriage? We had wandered into this same record store last fall and there were several receivers available, and we'd always been meaning to go back.<br /><br />So we headed in. The place was bigger, painty-er, and had about four times the stock it did last time. It was a whole new store, but with the same sign it had last time: Logan Hardware. We spent about 30 minutes talking to "Jim," the owner, who walked through all these different receivers; really, I just listened until they said something like "channels" or another term I still remembered from the MSUM music department.<br /><br />We ended up getting on the high end receivers, and then wandering into a back room that said "STOP. You may enter if you have purchased $10 today..." or something like that. Guess what was back there? ARCADE GAMES. FOREVER. There were all the games Tim had played growing up, and one pinball game for me. There were completely free, and you could play for as long as you liked. Pretty fantastic.<br /><br />BUT THAT'S NOT THE WEIRDEST PART. I was telling a fellow colleague about the cool arcade stuff, because she also lives in Logan Square but apparently only goes to one restaurant. She recommended I talk to another colleague who "really liked records." To prepare for this conversation, I googled the shop and found out that...<br /><br />the guy who had sold us our receiver, the owner of the shop, was this guy named Jim Zespy. <br /><br />Jim Zespy grew up in Fargo. Tim knew him growing up, and I met him in 2002 in my then-boyfriend's apartment. He was a pretty well regarded recording engineer, audiophile, musician, etc. Just WEIRD. Especially because when Tim walked into the arcade, he immediately exclaimed that the games were exactly the ones he had played growing up in Fargo. Duh. Cause that's what this guy based his collection on. Just weird.<br />--------------------------------------<br /><br />Also. This tid bit. When I finally had the conversation with my colleague (a beautiful young lady who owns a cat, has worked for classical music organizations, complains of having too few bookshelves), I mentioned that we should exchange music sometime. And she said, oh, do you have a specific type of music you like? Cause I like everything, but I really love hard core and metal.<br /><br />...<br /><br />...<br /><br />...<br /><br />UH...are you serious? I said. She went on to tell me (as we complained about how both of us don't see enough music anymore) that the only concerts she'd seen lately... <br /><br />was Rob Zombie...<br /><br />with Korn...<br /><br />...in Indianapolis...<br /><br />IN 2010.<br /><br />Pretty much made my day.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/record.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-1502832763786859232Mon, 17 Jan 2011 03:28:00 +00002011-01-16T22:51:36.251-05:00foodfriends<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5362684216/" title="braid by Ruth Ruthie Ruth, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5362684216_5696f6bbcd.jpg" width="374" height="500" alt="braid" /></a><br /><br />This is my new hairstyle. I think it looks cute. Tim hates it. He would prefer I didn't leave the house looking like this. I think it looks nice and Nordic. We've agreed to disagree.<br /><br />Other places where I have conceded to Tim: his demand for more beef stroganoff in our lives. I have a great recipe that hailed from my great aunt Clara, on the Mische side (which i am strongly resembling in the photo below). This morning Tim and I went to our local grocery store: where the produce is cheap, the meat section is diverse, and speaking English is optional. I was browsing in the pre-wrapped beef area, and the butcher offered to help me find something. I'm always game for advice from the experts, so I told him I needed a cut that was thin and good for pan frying.<br /><br />Hmmm...says the bilingual butcher. He takes in the breadth of beef choices he has in front of him and then grabs a package. Here, you want this, and he hands me a tray of thin cut, very marbled meat labeled "Boneless Top Blade Steak."<br /><br />This? I ask.<br /><br />Yes, yes, this is the best, he says. This is really the best, it's tender and very good for you. And it's on special right now.<br /><br />I must have looked a little quizzical, like, hey, what are you, you trying to pawn this discount meat on me? Hm? <br /><br />So he says, This is baby foot.<br /><br />HUH? I say.<br /><br />You know, baby food, when you make baby food with beef, this is the beef you use. It's really the best. Really good, really tender.<br /><br />Ohhhhhh. I say, Okay! And we just cooked up that beef and it really was the best stroganoff I've had in a long time. Tender, and just the right texture for baby foot.<br /><br />Here's Tim and I at our friend Dana's fabulous birthday party last night. I spent most of the night showering Yitzak the cat with attention. When we arrived, I couldn't stop saying Merry Christmas! instead of Happy Birthday! or Nice to see you again! <br /><br />Happy Birthday, Dana! You're the tops.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5362665410/" title="ruth and tim. fuzzy photo by Ruth Ruthie Ruth, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5088/5362665410_745375da30.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="ruth and tim. fuzzy photo" /></a>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-is-my-new-hairstyle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-7234679510349844166Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:49:00 +00002011-01-15T10:49:46.505-05:00<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5356804295/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5246/5356804295_9caa3facea_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5356804295/">lazy saturday morning.</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/truthofruth/">Ruth Ruthie Ruth</a></span></div>Yay for Saturdays! Coffee, craft projects, public radio on my new ipod on the ipod dock...the house is mine until 4:30 PM. Then it's Napland, and Tim is lord.<br clear="all" />http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/lazy-saturday-morning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-5706370523201172574Fri, 14 Jan 2011 04:51:00 +00002011-01-13T23:56:58.206-05:00Two things I've been meaning to google:<br /><br />1. Donating old contact lenses.<br />We have a whole box of 2013 expiring contact lenses that are no longer good enough for Tim or I's depleting eyes.Turns out, I need to send them to our local Lion's Club. Cool!<br /><br />2. Insuring Tim's instruments.<br />A two musician household we're acquainted with recently got broken into at noon. On a weekday. They took a guitar, an amp, a bass clarinet, and a laptop. I tried googling "insurance to insure instruments," and found a REALLY informative website that gave me some really great information the <a href="http://www.insurancefreefaq.com/insurance/35825-insurancefreefaq.html">FQA section</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I'm getting a trial guitar. Many population recommended Marsh Insurance, but I'd freshly approaching to obtain some different opinion. Who are you next to, why and own you ever have to trade name a claim? </span><br /><br />Thanks, internet population that we are next with!http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/les-google.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-7036689881287345590Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:06:00 +00002011-01-11T18:07:53.402-05:00Least favorite thing: toe rings.<br />Close runner up: a "french pedicure." It just makes your toenails look long.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/least-favorite.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2178516881660636376Mon, 10 Jan 2011 06:11:00 +00002011-01-10T01:14:50.735-05:00my cat is snoring under the table right now.<br /><br />(breath in) shue.<br />(breath in) shue.<br />(breath in) shue.<br /><br />CAT SNOOOOORT.<br /><br />really cute.<br /><br />i saw i missed your call today, and i wanted to tell you it was because i was in the middle of practicing my new hairdo: the crown of braid, which i learned on the internet and tim doesn't like, but i really do because i can't actually DO my hair any other way. i do not have a topsy tail, although grampa mische made me his version of a topsy tail---electrical wiring topped off with a glue bottle cap. jealous? ask aaron, i'm sure he can give you the details.<br /><br />WELL. my new goal is running three days a week! and i've succeeded for two weeks in a row. pretty great? also, tim and i are still playing racquet ball, which is really fun and i think he let me win our last set. but he still laughs at how i try to incorporate the defensive shuffle into my game, and how sometimes when i try to run out of the path of the ball, i run directly in front of the ball. ha ha ha, isn't it funny? also, last time we played i hit my own legs with my racquet. okay, i'm laughing out loud now, cause that was really funny.<br /><br />how are YOU? archie's tummy time looks like it's paying off. is the acid reflux stuff going away? how is your running going? how is aaron the baron doing?<br /><br />we love you guys very much, and i've already made it a goal to get out there again this fall. and you know what that means. IT'S A GOAL!<br /><br />okay, so really, i have been on the south beach diet for about 10 days, and then on friday i was like, i can't eat any more vegetables or lean portions of meat! i'm going to go crazy! so on saturday i had pizza and greek yogurt (call the cops), and today i had brunch with friends and got something called the sweet n' salty pancake platter, which involved pancakes with bacon bits. NO COMPLAINTS. but i also accidentally had about five cups of coffee.<br /><br />10 HOURS AGO. and i'm still pulsing with caffeine.<br /><br />okay, forcing myself to go to bed now.<br /><br />tim is home! he was out jazzing it up.<br /><br />ruuuuuuth<br /><br />p.s. i'm going to post this on my blog as my first up date of the year. i think it pretty much encapsulates, you know, ME. on caffeine. at midnight.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2011/01/e-mail-to-kate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-4540260547535671917Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:33:00 +00002010-10-30T12:33:30.464-04:00family<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5129071112/" title="kate's photo by Ruth Ruthie Ruth, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1152/5129071112_39d37416ef.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="kate's photo" /></a><br /> <br /> Claudia and DJ. Out of all my friends and family members, I'm on the phone with them the most frequently and for the longest stretches of time. My favorite part about calling them is the salutation section of our conversation. It goes something like this:<br /> <br /> Ring, ring, ring, ring...<br /> <br /> Mom/Dad: Hello?<br /> Me: Heeeeeey!<br /> Mom/Dad: HEEEEYYYYY! Ruuuuuuth!<br /> <br /> It makes me smile every time. Once, my mom gave me this weak <i>hey</i>, and I panicked. After refusing to admit what was wrong for several minutes, Mom finally admitted that...her flower seedlings just weren't coming along as planned. Thankfully, these are the low points I hear about from them.<br /> <br /> My parents did not meet in college. My mother was already working as a medical technician in Grand Forks, ND, and my father had just returned from the Air Force, having already finished ag/forestry school (right?). My mother was working with Gail Meberg, who set the two up as two young people that were new or sort-of-new to town. They met for a date (perhaps a picnic?) and decided they would be friends, and just that. <br /> <br /> My mother moved to Mountain View, CA, and when my dad decided to attend an (aviation mechanics?) school in Oklahoma, he surprised his own parents by decided to drive to Oklahoma by way of California. Heh. From there, phone calls continued, and my parents decided to get married.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5128432371/" title="DJ and Claudia Wedding Portrait by Ruth Ruthie Ruth, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/5128432371_a3e541ed01_b.jpg" width="1024" height="427" alt="DJ and Claudia Wedding Portrait" /></a><br /> <br /> They lived in Oklahoma for a bit...and decided Alaska would be the right step. My mom never said why they chose Alaska, but if you ask my dad, he'll tell you it's because they were as far away from their parents as possible. The mission wasn't to get away from their family, but to become two people that relied on each other and no one else. When Tim and I moved to Cincinnati after our first year of marriage, I knew my dad was really proud of us for taking on the same challenge. It makes me a little weepy to think about my dad being proud of the relationship Tim and I have built.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5128421189/" title="tim and ruth wedding portrait by Ruth Ruthie Ruth, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/5128421189_3b10da7e8e.jpg" width="500" height="238" alt="tim and ruth wedding portrait" /></a><br /> <br /> I haven't heard a ton of stories from my parents about their time in Alaska. They lived there at least seven years, if not more, because they had all their kids up there and we lived there until us twins were two. The only story my mother told me from their child free life was about going on a boat ride with friends and having to walk on the log bridge to a dock---I pictured single logs stringed together at the end with a rope strung along side as a hand rail. Mom said she completely panicked----she walked out a couple leg lengths and then froze and couldn't move no matter how hard she tried. A few people had to go out and get her, and it was really hard for me to picture my mom not being able to conquer anything; I've never seen my mom fail. Which might also explain extreme disappointment over seasonal seedlings.<br /> <br /> If I could say anything to my parents today, it would be to apologize for years 12-18 of my life. I'm sorry for all of those typical under-developed frontal lobe/teenage things I did, and thank you for forgiving me over and over. Also, to thank them for pushing me to study music. I love you both so much, and thank you for your support and surprises.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/10/post-4-your-parents.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-5338370744124360887Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:45:00 +00002010-10-28T10:48:08.470-04:00friends<p>Yes, I know I'm behind. I apologize for this oversight, but pledge to make it up in quickly posted, soft-baked posts.<br /> <br /> <p>My first love.<br /> <br /> <p>Instead of the expected thing, which would too embarrassing for me, I'll write about my first friend love: Ashlie.<br /> <br /> <p>Our friendship blossomed in the third grade when we both realized how many similarities we had: neither were contendors for the most popular girls in the room, yet we were not picked last in gym. We both loved reading, and our fathers owned airplane hangers next to each other. We both grew up on farms. We both started listening to The Beatles together, played reed instruments in band, and went Trick or Treating together the year it was so snowy my dad had to drive us and my brother Aaron in his giant pick up. Yay for Ashlie and me!<br /> <br /> <p>We had our differences, (she was in the Girl Scouts, I was in 4-H; she was 7th Day Adventist, I was Baptist) but our friendship didn't start drifting until our freshman or sophomore years. We were friends in the classroom, but I started dating and getting in more trouble outside of class. It's funny (sad, not ha ha) that I don't remember losing this friendship, just realizing years later that it was gone. My family moved my junior year of high school, and I probably only have seen her a couple times since then.<br /> <br /> <p>My sophomore year of college was my feminist year of awakening, and I started thinking about that friendship I had lost track of. I tracked Ashlie down via e-mail (she was at a different school across the state) and we re-connected a bit, but I sent her a copy of Fear of Flying and never heard back from her again (that's funny ha ha).<br /> <br /> <p>Our mothers kept in touch so I've gotten updates---we're friends on facebook, and I've seen photos of her and her daughter. I hope they are doing well and having fun and singing Beatles songs together. I miss having that friend to discover new music, books, and hide YM magazines with, and I can't imagine what a boring mess I would have been without her.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/10/post-3-your-first-love.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-357633104424056118Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:26:00 +00002010-10-17T22:47:19.187-04:00nameDay 2: Meaning behind your blog name.<br /> <br /> My name is Ruth. For as long as I can remember, I've been the only Ruth in my peer group. When I was in kindergarten, I wanted so badly to be named something a little more hip; specifically either Jennifer (which I for some reason connected to the color pink) or Stephanie (which I connected with the color purple). The only Ruths I knew were the elderly ladies at the Senior Citizen Center in town that had a wicked cool doll house in the display window. My friends had great names like BreAnn, Adonia, Ashley, and Emily. I was named after a readable book of the&nbsp;Bible (four short chapters). I would have preferribly been named after any member of the Baby-sitters Club except for the one named after my mom, which I was always confused about.<br /> <br /> My brothers started running cross country at the next college town over, and there was a girl named Ruth on the team. Who was this Ruth? She was quiet, blond, and calm. She had a teammate named Penny. Wow, a pretty, tall, athletic girl named Ruth! I though. Look at that! Maybe it is a couple steps up from Esther (or Gladys, Mildred, or Henrietta). Today there are three Ruth's in my life: a Ruthie who works with me, a Ruth who works with me (we like to greet each other loudly and frequently), and Ruth, a friend of a friend that I recently went on a bicycle bakery tour with (she is pretty awesome and also likes baking as much as I do).<br /> <br /> BUT. I named this blog Truth of Ruth because when I was a kid, I had a serious problem with lying to my mother. WHO DID THIS? was easily answered by NOT ME, which really meant YOU CAN'T PROVE IT WAS ME. One time after getting caught in a lie/denial, my mother looked and me and said (in some way) "Your name may be Ruth, but you are far from the truth." <br /> <br /> I laughed at her.<br /> <br /> And then she laughed a little, and said, "No! I'm serious. You are are not a truthful person." When she walked away, and the shaming worked. It worked! I'm not saying I didn't continue my mischievous scheming as my frontal lobe continued to develop through the nice ripe age of 19, but at a certain point I realized that my parents deserved the truth, and I deserved to tell it.<br /> <br /> So there. I hate lying, but I've learned to really like my name, and here's what you'll find at <a href="http://thetruthofruth.blogspot.com/">thetruthofruth.blogspot.com</a>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/10/day-2-meaning-behind-your-blog-name.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-3316679970252610743Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:00:00 +00002010-10-15T14:02:02.436-04:00listIntroduce:<br /> I have been living in Chicago for a little more than two years with my husband Tim. We live in the wonderful neighborhood of Logan Square. I like to bike, but Tim doesn't. We are proud cat parents of Mimi and Birdie, who we got off Craigslist in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> Recent picture: This is not me (which I think is the assignment), but a cake that I made for my friend Kaye's 80th birthday (ha! just kidding).<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/5082161953/" title="kaye's birthday! by Ruth Ruthie Ruth, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/5082161953_4aaa3f1215.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="kaye's birthday!" /></a><br /> <br /> 15 Interesting facts.<br /> 1. Weekend plans: karaoke with colleagues, jazz with husband, volunteer work with the <a href="http://www.artsbiz-chicago.org/">Arts & Business Council</a>. I wish it included something more like <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/19/bollywood-dance-classes-d_n_168134.html">this</a>.<br /> 2.Three siblings, including one twin brother, and four siblings in-law. I love my parents and in-laws and feel incredibly lucky to have them in my life.<br /> 3. Married: August 20, 2005, age 23.<br /> 4. Doting aunt of five little nephews and one neice (Leah, Ben, Adam, David, Henry, Archie). Notice none are named after, say, a charming and influential person named Ruth. Yet.<br /> 5. Favorite theatres in Chicago: <a href="http://www.steppenwolf.org/">Steppenwolf</a> & <a href="http://thenewcolony.org/">The New Colony</a>.<br /> 6. Favorite food/drink in Chicago: <a href="http://www.piecechicago.com/flash/index.html">Piece Brewery and Pizzeria</a>.<br /> 7. Own a piano, Rhodes stage piano, and Rhodes keyboard. Would like to own a Rickenbacker bass someday.<br /> 8. Rent an apartment with a long hallway.<br /> 9. Love to pick up some Newberries for relaxing reading.<br /> 10. STILL reading <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Karamazov"><i>The Brothers Karamazov</i></a> after the book club picked it last June. If I had not already made it through <i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> at the insistence of my sister, <a href="http://moderndayjane.areavoices.com/">Liz</a>, I might have bowed out.<br /> 11. Sang at each of my sibling's weddings.<br /> 12. Most recent purchase: table that seats up to 10 for $60 off Craigslist.<br /> 13. Most recent friend visit: Gwen and Linda in Madison, where I learned my new favorite nick name for Bismark, ND (Skidmark).<br /> 14. Most recent Chicago discovery: $1 cheese pizza slices at the <a href="http://boilerroomlogansquare.com/">Boiler Room</a> on Tuesdays with any drink.<br /> 15. Upcoming expected house guest: Ryan from Minneapolis, October 14-22.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/10/day-1-introduce-recent-picture-15.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-1670524809204068749Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:20:00 +00002010-10-14T13:30:31.206-04:00updateKaye has been been launching a constant reminder campaign that I should start writing in this site again. I've been taking a break because I've been doing some subtle job searching and didn't want to show up on any google searches.<br /><br />But this summer was wild and relaxing and fun and not nearly long enough! And if I could say that there was one constant theme to summer 2010, it's illustrated very well in the photo below (and it rhymes with <span style="font-style:italic;">zest hair</span>):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/truthofruth/4931607162/" title="Seriously, that's how he wore his shirt ALL SUMMER. Button it up, Stine. by Ruth Ruthie Ruth, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4931607162_3746892550.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Seriously, that's how he wore his shirt ALL SUMMER. Button it up, Stine." /></a><br /><br />But let's just do this thing. I love seeing my sister's updates, updates from my friends, and I miss hearing that my mother-in-law is reading and hearing about the little ups and downs in the lives of the Chicago McBerg-Stines (see how I did that?).<br /><br />So, I'll take Kaye's advice and try to stick to this schedule.<br />Its the 30-Day Blog Challenge. Tomorrow, October 15th will be Day 1.<br /><br /><br />Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts<br /><br />Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name<br /><br />Day 3-Your first love<br /><br />Day 4-Your parents<br /><br />Day 5-Your siblings<br /><br />Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy<br /><br />Day 7-Favorite movies<br /><br />Day 8-A place you've traveled to<br /><br />Day 9-A picture of your friends<br /><br />Day 10-Something you're afraid of<br /><br />Day 11-Favorite tv shows<br /><br />Day 12-What you believe<br /><br />Day 13-Goals<br /><br />Day 14-A picture you love<br /><br />Day 15-Bible verse<br /><br />Day 16-Dream house<br /><br />Day 17-Something you're looking forward to<br /><br />Day 18-Something you regret<br /><br />Day 19-Something you miss<br /><br />Day 20-Nicknames<br /><br />Day 21-Picture of yourself<br /><br />Day 22-Favorite city<br /><br />Day 23-Favorite vacation<br /><br />Day 24-Something you've learned<br /><br />Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs<br /><br />Day 26-Picture of your family<br /><br />Day 27-Pets<br /><br />Day 28-Something that stresses you out<br /><br />Day 29-3 Wishes<br /><br />Day 30-a picturehttp://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/10/re-org-re-start.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-7790323280282816082Sat, 08 May 2010 14:28:00 +00002010-05-08T11:06:13.847-04:00cincinnatirunningMy friend Rita and I conquered all and ran the Flying Pig half marathon in Cincinnati last Sunday. On Friday, two of Rita's friends that had been training in their own cities came down to Chicago. Actually, only one came. The other, Rachel, lost her wallet on Friday and wasn't able to leave the city until her bank opened on Saturday. Then, once she got to Bucktown, she had to turn around the drive their other friend back to O'Hare, because she was having a series of panic attacks.<br /><br />OH MAN. This makes that fact that Tim forgot to schedule our trip to Cincinnati and we didn't get to leave town until 3:30 PM (it's a five hour drive to Cincinnati, plus an hour for the time change) seem so minimal. Also, Rita's mom saved the day and picked up all of our race packets. So Tim and I pulled into Rita's house to pick up my race stuff at about 9 PM ET. I have never wanted to give Rita a hug so badly. I was stressed out, but I couldn't imagine what she and her friend had been going through. <br /><br />Thankfully, Rita's parents had prepared an amazing meal of pasta and salad and Italian sausage. We weren't going to join them at their late dinner, but once we saw it we were though...weelllllllll. Maybe just a plate or two. Rita's dad was hilarious, and we got to see Rita's sister's dog, Arrow, who has doubled in size.<br /><br />Anyway, I went back to the hotel and Tim went out to meet some friends. I took a couple over-the-counter sleep aids, prepped the bathroom for my 5 am (that's 4 am internal clock) wake time, and hit the hay.<br /><br />I woke up at 5, made a peanut butter and banana sandwich, and pinned my bib on. Rita called, waiting outside in the car, and i ran down and noticed that the 100 women that were there to fight cancer AND run a marathon all had rain gear on...OH. IT'S RAINING. HUH. Didn't really plan for that...and realized, I didn't really plan for ANYTHING. I had only a technical shirt and shorts and nothing else to wear or layer with. A nice lady in the hotel gave me a garbage bag.<br /><br />We hopped in the car, drove to the race and parked. At the first line of porta-potties I suggested we do the Kate Nydam method of "early and often." While waiting in line, Rita met this interesting woman. She was probably closer to 60 than 50, and decked out in full "If I wear enough pink, I'll defeat cancer single-handedly" gear, including an almost blackish-purple lipstick, hat, shirt, rain jacket, shorts, socks, fanny pack, and shoes, all covered with a large clear poncho with special plastic shoe covers for her sneakers. This is the best illustration of the "matchy-matchy" athletes my brother Aaron has always warned about staying away from at races. The three of us were more wearing "huddled masses" gear, shivering in the rain. I ducked into the porta and the lady started quizzing Rita and Rachel.<br /><br />"Where is your hat?!" she screams.<br />"I don't have a hat," says Rita.<br />"Are you running or walking?" Lots of doubt in the voice here.<br />"I'm running the half marathon," says Rita. To which, the purple-lipped woman almost explodes.<br />"DID YOU EVEN TRAIN?" <br /><br />Poor Rita. This lady tried to crush her confidence, but we carried on and headed for the Bengal's stadium, where runners were stretching and trying to stay dry. About 15 minutes to start time, having not warmed up (muscle wise), we headed for the starting line in rain that I'd say was a good 6.5 out of 10. The Race Director assured us that all dangerous weather was past us, so the race started. <br /><br />Even though it was raining, it was about 75 degrees out once the sun came up (mile 2, at least). It continued to rain but by mile 6 it had about stopped. We all lost each other past mile 2---the first couple miles of the race take you over several bridges, up and down, and around a weird, non-scenic part of Cincinnati where you're most likely to be if you have a UPS package that is being held for ransom. Then it rolls back around through downtown and up to Mt. Adams. Did you hear that? MOUNT. Miles 5 through 9 are pretty steady climbs with a few flat stretches through in for breaks. However, when it's slowing everyone down instead of just you, it feels pretty good. And at the top of Mount Adams in a beautiful park, you get gorgeous views and an all-male barbershop singing group to cheer you on. <br /><br />The rest of the race is really beautiful, especially after mile 9, when everything is downhill. I cut about 30 second off each mile past mile, and it felt great to be past those hills! This was the first race where I actually had a watch on and was checking my mile splits. And when the marathon and half marathoners split in Walnut hills, I was actually feeling so good I though, yeah, I can do this. And the Chicago this fall.<br /><br />Anyway, we finished! And then we actually found each other! It was amazing. Rita's parents came down to see us run, which was so sweet of them! And Rita's mom was inspired to do the run herself---which I think is the biggest impact of the race. That's why I started to run---watching people run the Fargo Marathon in its first year.<br /><br />Here are Rita and I at the finish. I finished in 2:01:51, not so great, but not terrible after skipping a month of long runs. And Rita finished her first ever (and hopefully not last) half marathon in 2:10! Yay for Rita! I can't wait to run a victory run in Chicago with you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmieZ7tHA1yXMneXx3bLpt7rY0ISGhS-rqYTKuPoJdAvtVW1TQyojoFCDgGauVhN0yZWugzVzYZmMLqxodgbYTHdEx1c2iXU97fsSeKkhhGiLzXt1o7g3yd139Nr2J3hSydP8B1MYkQ/s1600/101E_0407.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmieZ7tHA1yXMneXx3bLpt7rY0ISGhS-rqYTKuPoJdAvtVW1TQyojoFCDgGauVhN0yZWugzVzYZmMLqxodgbYTHdEx1c2iXU97fsSeKkhhGiLzXt1o7g3yd139Nr2J3hSydP8B1MYkQ/s400/101E_0407.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468914556040001490" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(Rita is the tiny blond in the white shirt and black pants in the center)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq69X2SQEIlwF-6lo50pdCh2FtTZt5zgQwK15EOliVtdlNYyp2Q4BkXK6iIQM6rPPvtVj3o42x-zRlybexwJfXRm1aSbYs9tuvC27Zws_Zyht6Dgsq9zet-rPwQ4u-fzspqE7yk85mw/s1600/102C_8930-1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq69X2SQEIlwF-6lo50pdCh2FtTZt5zgQwK15EOliVtdlNYyp2Q4BkXK6iIQM6rPPvtVj3o42x-zRlybexwJfXRm1aSbYs9tuvC27Zws_Zyht6Dgsq9zet-rPwQ4u-fzspqE7yk85mw/s400/102C_8930-1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468914560751626658" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(I raised my hands in triumph---I really pushed the last mile)</span><br /><br />Oh yes, and after the race, I went to First Watch for breakfast, picked up $40 worth of take out from Ambar, and a cup of naturally white peppermint chip ice cream at Graeters. Tim had Skyline. We are great multi-taskers.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/05/flying-pigs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2629505473678097964Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:45:00 +00002010-04-20T14:00:29.426-04:00I started reading <a href="http://ask.metafilter.com/137148/What-clever-relationship-hacks-have-you-come-up-with">this post</a> about 20 minutes ago about people suggesting their own "relationship hacks," and was completely absorbed. Tim and I have been married for almost five years, and I'm happy to say that in the last few we've discovered our own hacks.<br /><br />1. Thank each other for everything. Sincerely. For example, do I believe that Tim needs to be thanked for taking out the garbage after I asked him to and give him a specific time frame? NO. But does it really matter, and will he be happier? YES. So I thank.<br /><br />2. Inside jokes. Tim and I have had epic car arguments. His father eventually took pity on us and gifted a GPS for Tim's birthday a few years ago. However, we had one EPIC RIDICULOUS fight where we pulled off a highway and Tim and I couldn't decide where to eat because I didn't want to make a decision. I became immediately 100% frustrated, and when Tim yelled WHERE. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO EAT. And instead of responding "Dairy Queen" or "Subway" or "YOU PICK" which is what I had been saying before, I made this incredibly dramatic, slow motion Vanna White move with my right hand to show him that the choice was his, and there were 10,000 Taco Bells in front of us just begging to be picked. So now whenever I am grumpy and not making any sense and freaking out, Tim makes the same slow motion, left to right QVC motion of "it's all in front of you, freak show," move. It makes us both laugh, and I calm down a bit.<br /><br />3. Also, Tim always suggest I eat when I am unreasonably crabby. He is usually right.<br /><br />4. We spend a lot of time apart in our own house. He sits in his office, and I work on my computer in the dining room---sometimes I watch Golden Girls in the living room and he watches zombie movies on his desktop. He doesn't drag me to jazz, I don't drag him to theatre. We're much, much happier this way. It makes our afternoons together feel like a date.<br /><br />5. Lastly, I realize that if I think "it's not a big deal, why doesn't he just ______________," (pick up his socks, put away the left overs, clean up the kitchen), I realize that it's NOT a big deal and just do it. It's just not worth fighting about (anymore).<br /><br />Love that Tim.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/04/relationship-hacks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2202374927051907800Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:13:00 +00002010-04-12T23:15:29.197-04:00Three cool things.<br /><br />1. I'm in Detroit for work.<br />2. I got a free upgrade because I was late to my car rental and drove this awesome Volvo. <br />3. I'm in Detroit. Woo hoo!http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/04/detroit-rock-city.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2990027429962650218Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:43:00 +00002010-03-28T13:32:48.083-04:00bakingcake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSH7wpF7Hcp0aUv-IBwPBGI73fLnAJA_DrKkCsXhnxhBm-xSBbpJEFrna_dgRb4NFF8ayj0jdurHoSPJAJC5bAR2heoiw9S0U7hELmlbduucQAnS9w914l66n8vBknjDMrrAb_XsgANg/s1600/4470478758_ea3012d197.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSH7wpF7Hcp0aUv-IBwPBGI73fLnAJA_DrKkCsXhnxhBm-xSBbpJEFrna_dgRb4NFF8ayj0jdurHoSPJAJC5bAR2heoiw9S0U7hELmlbduucQAnS9w914l66n8vBknjDMrrAb_XsgANg/s400/4470478758_ea3012d197.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453726470444403906" /></a><br /><br />Stephanie and I took on another baking experiment. She wrapped up her new Kitchenaide and brought it over last Saturday to get a tutorial on using her brand new machine. I always get excited when I hear someone has a new Kitchenaide mixer. It's better than a new car because it requires no maintenance, but will continue to surprise you with its many talents and effortless adaptability. You can put veggie slicers, cheese graters, and meat grinders on this machine! On a daily basis! Or pasta makers. DOUGH HOOKS. They're just amazing, versatile machines. So glad I got to help Stephanie learn how to use hers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO6eMYQyBPoe583TpnDUHhrkt0rmwl8r6zBbasxg_KsekadEOeK5u_cCq_kYy4twilOtiKaGKLsL9Pyd1MWs5Krbiui8r3Aqg8k6EYUY9YtmUYPCpqvEqvNvbb169kozb6Aew0TS1Fw/s1600/mixer+and+cakes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO6eMYQyBPoe583TpnDUHhrkt0rmwl8r6zBbasxg_KsekadEOeK5u_cCq_kYy4twilOtiKaGKLsL9Pyd1MWs5Krbiui8r3Aqg8k6EYUY9YtmUYPCpqvEqvNvbb169kozb6Aew0TS1Fw/s400/mixer+and+cakes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453737035044907570" /></a><br /><br />I grew up in a house that has many things I now think "every" home needs: stairs, south facing windows, walk in closets, giant lazy susans, a cloak room, and a front porch with a large storage areas for basketballs, rags, cleaning supplies, and about 14 throw rugs. Not to sugar coat it---the house also lacked locks on the main bathroom door(s). Also, growing up in a small town, there weren't many class dividers. There were just people who went to church, and people that didn't go to church (it didn't matter which one). I don't remember anyone driving a fancy car or trying to appear wealthier than others. Now, looking back, I realize that my parents really knew where to put their money---music lessons and a Kitchenaide mixer. Oh yeah, and land. Did I mention we had our own gas tanks? That a truck would come out and fill for us? Man, our farm is AWESOME. <br /><br />Back to baking. Stephanie and I are continuing our baking lessons together, and last Saturday Friend Kaye joined us to try out a Lemon Layer Cake recipe from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/09/layered-lemon-love/">Smitten Kitchen</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMFdll42lUSHwwLVmgfdaDKdCb7OFyNTuxk4elioaEy3dwBj1PL40aoBnA6FmAKQciioUn5jKfa6BDN_tS_bXtKJe7K3XO7DwRrlxfMs3P-vX5DzPPXqqDMqn05U1VioqjCkPF6392g/s1600/Cake+frosting+curd.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMFdll42lUSHwwLVmgfdaDKdCb7OFyNTuxk4elioaEy3dwBj1PL40aoBnA6FmAKQciioUn5jKfa6BDN_tS_bXtKJe7K3XO7DwRrlxfMs3P-vX5DzPPXqqDMqn05U1VioqjCkPF6392g/s400/Cake+frosting+curd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453737039596067458" /></a><br /><br />Things we loved about this recipe: cake and curd. Scrumptious, simple, and really, really delicious. Also, Smitten Kitchen recommends placing a small amount of the curd on the bottom of your cake stand before you put your first layer on. I kind of doubted the need for this, but the visual effect on individual pieces of cake was really pretty once it chilled.<br /><br />Things we didn't like about this recipe: the need for a candy thermometer. Don't have one of those. So instead, we made a last minute decision to substitute another white, glossy frosting recipe from Amy Sedaris's Lady Baltimore cake. All glossy white frosting recipes are the same, right? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG62RK4r06wi-RN2aFBZkgfS9tXAHItcZdv041nV0rllOZ_incYyuFtUtIOJh1itUGOZ26TUEnGQAqXz7TM88yrTi0q_Ltt5MfSOptBoTzJqCQg-Jxr9zK09_BvGmodLyUMdcUSSb4w/s1600/stephanie+and+ruth+frosting+cakes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG62RK4r06wi-RN2aFBZkgfS9tXAHItcZdv041nV0rllOZ_incYyuFtUtIOJh1itUGOZ26TUEnGQAqXz7TM88yrTi0q_Ltt5MfSOptBoTzJqCQg-Jxr9zK09_BvGmodLyUMdcUSSb4w/s400/stephanie+and+ruth+frosting+cakes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453737052654727666" /></a><br /><br />Err...wrong. The frosting recipe we used ended up using twice the sugar as the recipe recommended by Smitten Kitchen. When we all tried a piece after watching the first half of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FYahzVU44">Precious</a> (we needed a break), the cake was still warm and somehow made the white frosting seem overwhelming. BUT, after chilling in the fridge for a few days and allowing a couple layers of white icing to slide off, the cake was awesome. Lesson learned---check the sugar content on your frosting. Also, both Kaye AND Stephanie refused to take cake home with them. I'm calling foul on this, because it's been my job to slowly eat this cake, piece by piece. This is how friends treat each other. They make them eat cake.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-friends-are-cute.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2399498705316868585Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:05:00 +00002010-03-20T17:05:41.345-04:00<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LWrUykkc-bs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LWrUykkc-bs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/03/counting-and-kittens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-9094516279887427705Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:17:00 +00002010-03-02T12:21:14.722-05:00cat<object width="416" height="374" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=health/2010/03/02/can.cat.cancer.warning.cbc" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=health/2010/03/02/can.cat.cancer.warning.cbc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="416" wmode="transparent" height="374"></embed></object><br /><br />Notice that the cat is named Sumo. Which again, would signal an over weight cat, not neccesarily orange, but she does bear a striking resemblence to the Meems. Also, this cat is from CANADA. Which means it has health care. Ha.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/03/more-of-cats-that-look-like-mimi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-6365929713660858895Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:34:00 +00002010-02-27T15:18:08.557-05:00food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOnBxybNjKh3Y1EClieFJmnPuBX5-QGq7LT_5WeLdt_aIIhBYfix4HhaUU5uvo4S-WLe3-pFFXGh82UiWdSloScwFFD40jQ5Ql90UJ5lkxIeVWLBKAWMsyW78Y_fTeQGIUwgrRyipnA/s1600-h/DSCF0495.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOnBxybNjKh3Y1EClieFJmnPuBX5-QGq7LT_5WeLdt_aIIhBYfix4HhaUU5uvo4S-WLe3-pFFXGh82UiWdSloScwFFD40jQ5Ql90UJ5lkxIeVWLBKAWMsyW78Y_fTeQGIUwgrRyipnA/s400/DSCF0495.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443018587804544178" /></a><br /><br />Jeremy and Rita came over last night. We told them we had cabbage, tofu, sweet potatoes, and onions. They brought over mushrooms, parsley, and wine. Jeremy is a much better cook than I, so I committed to making our little cupcake friend above. Jeremy and Rita committed to making cabbage roles, without knowing that when we said "cabbage," we meant "purple cabbage." Also, Jeremy later admitted that all along he was picturing lettuce wraps, not cabbage rolls. So basically, we're lucky we ate at all.<br /><br />Um, let's see...things we learned. Cabbage rolls take HOURS to make. If I was in a spelling bee and had to spell "parsley," I would definitely fall prey to the bell. Jeremy learned to cook with mushrooms. I learned that even if you husband turns down the oven down to 270 (!!!) in the middle of baking 12 mini souffles, those little souffles will be just fine so SORRY, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT I DIDN'T MEAN TO RUIN YOUR STUPID CUPCAKES ALREADY, says Tim. We also learned that boiling a purple cabbage turns the water a nice shade of window cleaner blue.<br /><br />Recipes used: Picadillo <a href="http://www.zimbio.com/Recipes/articles/8249/Picadillo+Purple+Cabbage+Rolls+Rosemary+Garlic">Purple Cabbage Rolls</a>, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parsley-Garlic-Butter-109355">Parsley Garlic Butter</a> sauce, and <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/chocolate-souffle-cupcakes-with-mint-cream/">Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes with Mint Cream</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpOwrSEGFQ3pOsIGnPQ-asRXA1TvjuAeLAWE2ReE2hgkDSxNvCE8er1H9dKRFLLlOdoEMOETTsY5fN_tPLoNK1zK9ydtHrwu8bqakpU1SBbmCbEXE6alIe8G2iWR-rTRLE8lnEQguMw/s1600-h/cabbage+roll+mosaic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpOwrSEGFQ3pOsIGnPQ-asRXA1TvjuAeLAWE2ReE2hgkDSxNvCE8er1H9dKRFLLlOdoEMOETTsY5fN_tPLoNK1zK9ydtHrwu8bqakpU1SBbmCbEXE6alIe8G2iWR-rTRLE8lnEQguMw/s400/cabbage+roll+mosaic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443018583370963394" /></a><br /><br />And then I took a nap on the couch. The end.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/02/1-cook-1-baker-perfect-for-one-kitchen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-3787341849188711503Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:29:00 +00002010-02-27T11:31:19.436-05:00childhoodI'm going to try and post some classic sesame every saturday, cause it makes me warm and safe. Here's to Lyle and Talbot!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jg_9oGt6AAQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jg_9oGt6AAQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />That's Talbot's wife, Melissa.http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-brunch-right-now-it-will-be-lunch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7542840203300101341.post-2709578999493813118Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:44:00 +00002010-02-25T22:56:12.960-05:00catWho cast my cat in "Shrek Ever After"?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltarOyxAlOVzbkYhXCxM4WQTHAjZEpOGCisAO3erIqeoctJc_4KqDyPs0F6Ym04LF3OGmOnjQT2zQVWE8Z_SeZGegg7cXEZGzDyfdIeLkgxXn563_lloOVMACKSwfhJ0NGl_Pqx2K7w/s1600-h/shrek4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltarOyxAlOVzbkYhXCxM4WQTHAjZEpOGCisAO3erIqeoctJc_4KqDyPs0F6Ym04LF3OGmOnjQT2zQVWE8Z_SeZGegg7cXEZGzDyfdIeLkgxXn563_lloOVMACKSwfhJ0NGl_Pqx2K7w/s400/shrek4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442394166098411954" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Uq8FJRn35vLHfNku62UNZN7-vTErhTRiDNSyQpltkaJMN0sB6T5ZyU9sZTMJB0TuCKo2bRXkX-cvKYaVoMsQNRJ934URykWk-DjHpoA8Wl4cQUFJtIaGEQdUcPGfxHtnp-shFGiuOw/s1600-h/cat+back.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Uq8FJRn35vLHfNku62UNZN7-vTErhTRiDNSyQpltkaJMN0sB6T5ZyU9sZTMJB0TuCKo2bRXkX-cvKYaVoMsQNRJ934URykWk-DjHpoA8Wl4cQUFJtIaGEQdUcPGfxHtnp-shFGiuOw/s400/cat+back.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442394169253075858" /></a><br /><br />Above is Mimi checking on something in the other room.<br /><br />Below? That's the Cat Loaf. Not to be confused with Cat Farm: both cats in Cat Loaf position on the bed. They look like haystacks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg45czU0Q-9Cs2Mx8YOb6k_HlnfV4oz8LkS26OmV5u2ulwa40vqI6-z-hLb4lkkQsfboKAJhQZ-e372Y4T_kSxFcroM-D6tFH_oGGZEd7qa_h2v4Y40_9zNhTPwrpER6h9lNcINllViw/s1600-h/cat+loaf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg45czU0Q-9Cs2Mx8YOb6k_HlnfV4oz8LkS26OmV5u2ulwa40vqI6-z-hLb4lkkQsfboKAJhQZ-e372Y4T_kSxFcroM-D6tFH_oGGZEd7qa_h2v4Y40_9zNhTPwrpER6h9lNcINllViw/s400/cat+loaf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442394171652916738" /></a>http://truthofruth.blogspot.com/2010/02/hey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)3