Wading in Big Shoes

House Hunters Winternational

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:21:00 +0000

I've been away from you guys for way too long, and I know it. I've been itching to write and tell you allllll about my life, which hasn't been too out of the ordinary these past few weeks, but noteworthy in at least the smallest amount.

[By the way, have you checked out my recent Awesome Mitten post? Click here to join me on a weekend stroll through Detroit. :) ]

Anyway. As I was saying.

Remember when I told you guys about that house Brad and I put an offer on? Well, it's no more, sadly. I mean, the house is still there, but the offer/contract/whatever was on all that paperwork has evaporated. Long story short: we had the inspection, there was a lot of repair work to be done (and a lot of money to be spent), we put in a counter-offer, and the homeowners didn't budge. So, we walked away, and that was that.

Now, it appears as though we are back to house hunting. All over again.

Guys, if life was an HGTV show, we could have all of this knocked out in a weekend. Three choices--bing, bang, boom--voila. New house, and probably a free, brand-new TV hanging on our living room wall. But we'd probably have to move to Canada.

Us with our dream home that doesn't exist. Probably best, since I'm no architect.

Real life isn't like that, though, and I know we're in good company when it comes to house-hunting anxiety. In fact, we have several friends who are going through the same thing, have been through the same thing, will go through the same thing soon (and don't know it yet) . . . it's just inevitable. But, I guess that's good news for the seller's market, even though I wish it would've held off just a few more months so we could find something that wasn't immediately snatched up by fifteen other people. ;)

We're thinking of building a house. I dunno. Maybe. Some people say to go for it, some say to avoid building at all costs. I have to admit that I'm kind of leaning in the direction of the first option, although the amount of available, empty lots around southeast Michigan seems kind of limited and scattered. Also, I kind of don't want to rent month-to-month for another half of a year while we're waiting for our new place to come together. But at the rate we're going, month-to-month may be inevitable, regardless of whether we choose to wait on a new house or wait on a "perfect" old house to fall into our laps. We'll see.

For now, it's a race to see which will actually happen first--finding a new place, or the arrival of spring in Michigan. I've been wearing my winter coat since October, so I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up with two new houses and a few cars before it's tank top weather again (fingers crossed that my sarcasm doesn't become reality).

Where do you guys stand when it comes to building a new house from scratch? Is it worth it, or would you rather renovate something that already exists? I'd love to have your input!

MIA: Easter, Bunnies, and ALL the Things Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Happy Easter! - Love, all us chicks.

So, I know I've been lacking in the blogging department for the past of couple weeks, but I have a good reason for that. Or--reasons. Basically, lots of stuff has been going on, and while it's kept me busy (and temporarily away from you good people), it's all worth sharing.

Excuse #1: I got a new job.
Yes! It's true. Many of you know how long and hard I've been searching for an on-site job, because as nice as it is to work from home, I have a strong need for face-to-face human interaction on a daily basis. And for those of you who were wondering, yes--it will be a marketing/advertising/I-knew-there-was-a-reason-I-went-to-college type of job. So, I am very fortunate and very blessed. God's definitely tested my patience, but He's been good.

Excuse #2: I went home for Easter.
Whenever I go home to visit my family for holiday breaks, I always bring my computer. And my camera. And yes, I mentally write out everything that happens to me as a precursor to creating new posts for you all. But then, life happens, and suddenly there's people to visit, eggs to dye, dinners to attend, and sunshine to bask in. Then, I remember: vacations are pretty nice. They're also worth enjoying and devoting complete attention to, so I hope you will all forgive me for postponing my return to reality. :)

Above: Carolyn and the Easter bunny.
Okay, just a regular bunny, but this one's cuter and has fuzzy feet.

Excuse #3: We got a house. Almost. Kind of. Sort of.
Actually, we put an offer on one, and it was accepted (whoop, whoop!)--but it's a short sale. For anyone who's not House Hunters-obsessed, this basically means that the bank has a final say in what we pay and when/if we can move in. Technically, they could keep our paperwork in a stack of forms that never see the light of day, but at least we're a little closer to getting away from a life of shared walls and grumpy neighbors. Please and thank you.

Now, if you'll be so kind as to excuse me, I'm going to go do more grown-up things, like putting dishes away or re-potting my houseplants. Really, I'll probably just be eating leftover ramen noodles and dancing around my living room to obnoxious Taylor Swift songs, but I thought I'd give you all the alternative image just in case you were expecting to imagine me as the super adult that I am.

Hope you all had a great Easter, as well--enjoy your weekend! :)

Brand of the Moment: Threshold by Target

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:05:00 +0000

Lately, I've been loving the look of Target's new home brand, Threshold. It seems that everywhere I turn these days--the inside cover of a magazine, a web video, or a TV spot--there's that familiar pop of spring and color. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, here's a look at the amazing fold-out ad as featured in this month's Real Simple magazine:

The first two pages of the ad open outward from the middle on both sides (see the crease down the center where the two pages meet?). The effect is as if the reader is opening the front door of the house to reveal what's inside.

Above and below: The first and last two pages of a four-page, connected fold-out.

A beautiful afterthought:
Closing the fold-out leaves the reader with two pages to linger on before leading into the magazine.

Of course, when Target's most recent Threshold commercial popped up on my TV the other day, I immediately knew what it was for. I have to admit that I've been a little slow to pin down Target ads since JC Penney's rebranding initiative last year put the two companies into very similar visual categories, but the compilation below carries over seamlessly from the print version.

Ourrrrr house . . . is a very, very, very fine house . . .

I actually realized the other day that one of my throw pillows (and possibly my bedroom comforter) are Threshold brand, and I've been mentally debating over whether or not to get a Threshold rug I saw in the store a few weeks ago. I knew Target's stuff was getting prettier . . . somehow. I didn't think such a wonderful thing was possible.

What do you think of the new Threshold brand? Does it set Target further apart from the competition, or is it just one more store line to you?

Metal Mining in the Mitten

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:50:00 +0000

For Christmas last year, my mom bought my dad a metal detector. It wasn't really a surprise, since my dad had spent weeks (or maybe months) dropping not-so-subtle hints for the toy, but he was thrilled by the gift nonetheless. Since December, my parents have been scouting their back yard, making weekend trips to the beach, and combing empty playgrounds in hopes of finding a few lost treasures. So, of course, when they drove up from Virginia for a visit last week, we had to see what types of hidden gems Michigan had to offer.

We decided to go to Lakeshore Park, which I think used to be the old Walled Lake Amusement Park site (or at least part of it). Initially, my parents found the usual--bottle caps, empty cans, and some spare change. Not really anything to write home about, but that didn't deter them from continuing.

That's my mama, looking for gold. Or pennies.
And don't worry, the ground was nicely filled back in.

Brad, trying to read the letters on a partially-disintegrated bottle cap.

Personally, I was more interested in leaving the 30-degree weather behind and going home to curl up under a blanket, but preoccupied my time by taking pictures of little details around the park. Well, and by hopping around and burying my face into the front of my coat.

My parents went back to the park (without me) the next evening, and decided to stay in town an extra day once they started finding piles of dimes. Unfortunately, we woke up the next morning to find a snow-covered ground, but after a day of mental and physical pacing, my dad deciding that the snow had melted just enough for the start of another search. In reality, I don't think the snow had melted at all, but hey--when you're that excited about something, why let a few inches of frozen water stand in your way?

Luckily, the third excursion was worth the wait. My parents ended up finding handfuls of dimes (enough to buy a nice dinner) and an interesting lapel pin, among other trinkets. The verdict is still out on this one, but my parents reasoned that if the site they were on was once part of the old amusement park, then all those dimes may be leftover from an old coin-toss carnival game. Makes sense to me, unless some random soda machines used to occupy the spot. I think a little more research may be in order for this one. If you're an expert on local history and/or the old amusement park site, I'd love to learn more--feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. :)

In the meantime, if you'd like to read more about my parents' metal detecting excursions and see photos of their recent finds, you can visit their blog right here.

I hope you all have a very happy Tuesday!

Caffeine

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:14:00 +0000

You would think that coffee and dancing would be a great combination.

BUT I FEEL LIKE I JUST GOT OFF OF THE GRAVITRON.

I'm currently emerging from a very strange dishwashing/Kinect-playing/online shopping/wall-washing coma. I'm pretty sure all of that stuff just happened. And I can barely keep my fingers on the laptop keys. I'm still typing, ~~write~~ right? I hope I didn't charge anything to the credit card without realizing. I'm pretty sure I've updated my Facebook status about thirty times in the past two hours.

Anyway, it's almost the weekend, so I think we should open up a forum of fun for this afternoon. Meaning:

What's distracting you today?

I mean, if you're here, I assume you're up for killing a little time. Not that this blog is unimportant or anything (let's see how much deeper I can dig myself into this area of self-flattery, shall we?).

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to tell me which videos, memes, or Pinterest projects have caught your eye lately. Right down there in the comment section, or if you wanna get fancy, over on my Facebook page.

I know, I'm a terrible influence. Don't worry, you can wait until after you send that important email if you really want to.

In the meantime, I'm going to try to figure out if I remember how to make a sandwich. Seriously, I should not be allowed to consume any type of moderately-caffeinated coffee on an empty stomach. I'm going to go run laps around my house now.

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P.S. - Did you catch last weekend's post on The Great Michigan Food Experiment? Check out my first post as a contributing writer for The Awesome Mitten here!

Primary Colors and Plastic Towers

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:26:00 +0000

Brad and I had been wanting to visit the LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition exhibit at The Henry Ford ever since it opened in November, but leave it to us to wait until February to go (on the last afternoon the exhibit was open, mind you). The upside of visiting the exhibit so late in the game, however, meant small crowds on a quiet afternoon. That, to me, has the makings of a relaxing trip.

Towering Ambition boasted a display of intricate LEGO buildings, all replicas of structures from across the United States (and a few from overseas). I can't imagine the amount of time that it would take to build a similar structure of my own, even if I was a LEGO mastermind, but surprisingly, most of the toy towers were architecturally adapted and created within a matter of days.

A LEGO replica of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building (you can watch the assembly here).

Ford Field (one of my favorites).

Tributes to NYC (Left: The Empire State Building; Right: 2 World Trade Center)

The Chicago Skyline

Details

Fallingwater

Just outside the exhibit was a play area for kids to build their own LEGO creations. I kind of wanted to get in on the fun, but decided to leave the germs to the kids and just take pictures. Plus, I didn't want to make anyone feel bad--nobody can construct a multi-color box quite like me. Except for maybe every other kid in this room.

Craftsmanship. Sometimes, I wish the whole world was made up of these colors.

This one was probably my favorite.

Do you guys miss LEGOs? Were you a technical builder, down to the last plastic wheel or propeller, or more of a master color-brick-maker, like me?

Or maybe you never actually gave up the hobby . . . that's okay, too. Brad still has all of his LEGOs in a plastic tub in our basement, but shhh--you didn't hear it from me.

The Novice Branches Out

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:56:00 +0000

It's okay--nothing's wrong with the screen on your computer/phone/tablet/whatever you use to surf the Internet. That really is a picture of Brad and me on snowboards. And we really used them. Yep, me included.

I can hear my sister laughing all the way from Virginia.

I don't exactly know what got into me, but a few weeks ago, I kept getting invitations to all these cool places to do cool things that I had never tried before. One of them, obviously, was snowboarding, and instead of shying away with my normal, "Yeah, I think anything requiring athletic ability might kill me" tendencies, I said yes. Totally optimistic. Sounds like me.

I would like to preface this story by saying that overall, I had a good experience. I had fun hanging out with friends, and I was proud of myself for trying something so foreign to me.

But . . . I think it's safe to say that I won't be turning pro any time soon.

Have any of you ever been snowboarding? It's difficult. Well, some parts are. The whole flying-down-the-larger-than-life-bunny-hill-faster-than-I-want-to thing is pretty easy, granted you can make yourself slide down the hill in the first place. It's the steering part that's hard. And the stopping part.

Brad, adjusting his board/boots.
That's me in the background, pretending that standing up while having no control over your ankles is empowering.

Also, for those of you who are snow sport novices like me, let me explain the way a "bunny hill" works. See, in my mind, I imagine . . . well, basically, a bunny hill. Something about two feet off the ground with nothing but flat all around. In reality, a bunny hill is a really tall hill (not too steep, I suppose, but it looks like it from the top) with nowhere to stop or level off until you get allllll the way to the bottom. By the time you level off, though, you're out of room and there's nothing but icy ditches that will knock you down and tear up your backside when you purposely fall over to stop the uncontrollable speed. I like to think of it as a scary, upright sledding experience.

When you want to go back to the top of the bunny hill, you don't take off your board and walk back up. No, that would be crazy (and tiring). Instead, there's a constantly-moving, pulley/rope contraption that you hold onto while still standing on your snowboard. Just hop over from wherever you last fell, say a quick prayer, and grab on.

Kids, the rope was my least favorite part.

The first few times I tried to hold onto the rope, I fell over. Okay, no big. Stand up and try it again. Eventually, I made it about halfway up. Then, I fell and couldn't figure out how to stand up. Fortunately, a slightly grumpy lady (understandably so, since I was in her way) with her kid in tow shouted out how to push myself up. I succeeded, then tried some more. More falling than progress, of course. Lots of lying in the snow and pitifully accepting assistance from our friend, Lynn, who somehow pulled me to my feet (I thanked him by landing my board right on his feet).

Miraculously, I made it about five feet from the top of the hill a couple of times--but at that point, the hill had leveled off and no matter how tightly I gripped, the rope just swished through my hands and I stood there, immobile and useless. The solution? let go of the rope, turn around, and just snow board down from there. And from that point on, I took the cheater's way out and carried my un-attached snowboard up the hill. Of course, this just winded me even more and made everything take three or four times as long. But I didn't have to use the rope.

Yeah, guys . . . I'll meet you at the top . . . eventually . . .

And, side note: snowboarding will make you ache for days. As lame as it sounds, I honestly yelped a little for the rest of the weekend any time I had to extend my arm more than a few inches. Pain can make you feel like a champ, though, even if 98% of it is just caused by being a fraidy-cat who carries her board up tall hills.

---

So, yeah. On to less-dangerous new experiences.

That same weekend, Brad and I went out to dinner with some friends for Ann Arbor's Restaurant Week. Basically, Restaurant Week is an event where local, upscale restaurants offer special, multi-course dinner menus at a flat rate of $28 per person. We chose The Earle, a classy, downtown restaurant that was packed to the brim with the weekend dining crowd. Being the newly-adventurous person that I am, I decided to go for something that I had never eaten before: duck.

Quack, quack.

Duck is interesting . . . it almost has the consistency of beef, yet tastes like dark meat chicken. Brad liked it more than I did, but I was glad to try it nonetheless. Next time, I might go for a chicken dish or the amazing salmon puff that my friend, Laura, ordered.

I think there's one thing that's difficult to argue, though, and that's the fact that chocolate is always good. Here's a little shot of the mousse I ordered for dessert:

Yeah, man. I probably could have just eaten a huge bowl of this and walked away satisfied.

I'm grateful for random bursts of courageous energy, but sometimes, you just need an old favorite at the end of the day. And that, my friends, is why God made chocolate.

How adventurous have you been lately? Are you fearless by nature, or do you have to give yourself a little kick to try things that are out of your comfort zone? I'd love to hear what crazy/amazing things you've been up to!

Snow Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:26:00 +0000

Living in Michigan in the winter is like living inside of a snow globe. On days like today, the whole world looks like it has been given a little shake, and we look out our windows and watch fluffy, white flakes swirl in circles around us. When it's over, the trees look like they're covered in powdered sugar and everything else is glazed in ice. It's not much for picnic weather, but it's something special to gaze at, that's for sure.

The past week or two have been one snow day after the next, and while it's somewhat of a hindrance to get anywhere (the roads are all a big Slip 'n Slide), I can't help but feel like I'm eight years old again and wishing for more.

If you're lucky enough to have the perfect amount of snow where you are, go outside and play. You can always fix some soup when it's time to go back inside.

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P.S. If you have a couple extra minutes, I'd love for you to check out Pure Michigan's latest blog post--I'm the author! It's all about Michigan's amazing capital city, and can be found right here.
Then, share it with all of your friends, co-workers, neighbors, your hairdresser, the guy down the street . . .

Being a Girl in the Age of Professional Football

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:44:00 +0000

Now, I know I'm more than a stereotype, and I have nothing against members of the female species who enjoy a riveting sporting event, but when I gear up for something like the Super Bowl, I have different priorities in mind. Instead of crossing my fingers for red or purple teams, I'm making cupcakes (apparently, this is becoming a tradition). Instead of watching ESPN for pre-game predictions, I'm reading online stories about what Beyonce and the other two members of Destiny's Child might be singing during the halftime show. And . . . I think it goes without saying that I'm mostly excited about which commercial is going to make me LOL for the longest amount of time (but this last one might be everyone else in America, too).

For Football Extravaganza: XLVII Edition, Brad and I went to a Super Bowl party hosted by our friends, Ben and Katie. It didn't take long for the genders to separate--boys stayed downstairs to watch touchdowns, and girls went upstairs to . . . play Monopoly. Our game lasted about as long as the Super Bowl did, but we did take TV breaks for commercials and halftime entertainment. In the end, I missed a few ads, but nothing the Internet couldn't catch me up on this morning.

Laura, Renee, and Katie during our Super Board Game (ha--see what I did there?).
Renee beat us mercilessly at the game, but we still like her.

How did you all enjoy the big game--did you eat any good variations on chicken wings or decorate in your favorite team's colors? I'd also love to hear what your favorite part of the show was: the Ravens' close win, the huge "lights out" moment (click here to see how Oreo and other brands rocked the power outage), Beyonce singing like a single lady, or the ads? Let me know!

That Time Brad Made All the Cool Things at the Car Show

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:28:00 +0000

Yessss. Auto show time. An exhausting, yet dazzling event that's suited to both car fanatics and people who just drive cars (or people who just like shiny things). Naturally, a perfect set-up for Brad and me.

Being the intermediate Michigander that I am, I did notice this year's show was strikingly similar to last year's. Lots of the same themes and branding decor pointed to nearly identical setups in some cases, but I like interactive dance displays and electronic decor as much as the next person--regardless of a few repeats. If we're supposed to recognize Volkswagen by its disco/party image, or Lincoln by its retractable ceiling decorations, then they're doing what they need to do. Although I was drawn to some of the newer things as a result, I also got the chance to spend a little more time on some areas I didn't get to see in full during the 2012 show.

Particularly swoon-worthy was Ford's technology/product integration. In addition to live tweet and merchandise displays, the company provided free "Blue Oval Cards" to encourage engagement and track customer preferences. In short, I could swipe my card at any Ford car station and have digital brochures sent to my online account, as well as play product-related games to be entered in big prize giveaways. And no, I haven't won a car yet, but I'll keep you posted if anything comes up. ;)

Clockwise, from top left:
Tweet wall at the Ford exhibit, the Ford Blue Oval card, "Higher or Lower" game, and the Ford Focus swipe station

Switching gears a little, I have to brag a little on Chevrolet. Mostly because--oh, hey, look--Brad helped create this truck! Say hello to the 2014 Chevy Silverado:

It's like a grown-up science fair project.

The Silverado in blue.

Apparently, months and months of hard work can turn out incredible results like this one, as well as the GMC Sierra. I am/was so proud of this boy, I had to take about a zillion "mom photos."

Standing next to one of his latest projects, the GMC Sierra.

Engineer I am not, but general observer of things I most definitely am. These trucks were massive, gorgeous, and quite a lot to be proud of. Basically, everyone should go buy one right now. And that is my completely unbiased assessment.

The remainder of our four-hour visit was spent admiring new trends (a lot of blue and matte paint finishes), new spins on old favorites, and completely rejuvenated body styles/everything styles. One of the most attention-grabbing new designs was the new Corvette Stingray, the drool-worthy talk of the NAIAS. Take a look at that bad boy.

One of our favorite stops was the Camaro/Hot Wheels section, where visitors raced toy cars and received free, limited-edition Hot Wheels of their own just for playing. There was also a photo booth right next door, but the line was pretty long and we were getting pretty tired around the time we passed by. I did envy the yellow sunglasses they were passing out, though.

Life-size Hotwheels at play.

Right before heading out, we made it downstairs for the second level of exhibits, something we did not get to at the 2012 show. In this area, commercial vehicles, an indoor race track, and tiny cars were all the rage. Urkel would be so excited.

If you have any photos of your own from this year's auto show, I'd love to see them (and, of course, your stories and comments are always welcome)! Just visit my Facebook page to join in the conversation. I'll also have a whole album of additional photos from the 2013 NAIAS for you to browse through, so head on over and I'll see you there!

A Lesson in Cold (Or Numbers. Or Whining.)

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:20:00 +0000

Okay, Michigan, I get it. It's cold.

It seems that sometimes, optimism only goes so far. Sure, it's great to bundle up on chilly, winter days and remind yourself, "Hey, it could be worse," and move on. Just pretend it's Christmas every day--nothing a few layers and some gloves can't cure.

But then, Michigan decides that it's not impressed with your bright outlook on life, and goes ahead and slaps you in the face with some frigid air. An "arctic blast," as it's called around here (I've heard/used this term several times before and it's sure to pop up again).

"Take that, you little southerner," Michigan taunts. "I can do far better than a daily 19 degrees." And all of a sudden, it snows every day, the wind chill brings the mid-day temperature of 0 down to -15, and you start seriously questioning whether or not you'll ever leave the house again.

The wind just carried some snow off my back deck in a manner that mimicked a wintry sandstorm. I'm a little intimidated.

To my credit, the quick change in temperature is a little extreme, considering the fact that all of the sculptures at the Plymouth Ice Festival this weekend were starved for a chill and hanging on for dear life (more on that in an upcoming post). Now, it's the coldest weather southeast Michigan has had in years. This is all so sudden, Winter. So sudden.

You should see the pile of outerwear that's hanging out in my living room--discarded after a weekend of leaving the house, coming back into the house, switching coats for warmer coats and Topsiders for boots . . . I'd put it all back in the closet, but it's a bit overwhelming. Plus, I'm sure I'll need half of it for when I go out later.

Tell me it gets better. Tell me that instead of finding my car with its door handles frozen and tires deflated, I'll soon develop a mentality that distracts me from impending frostbite. Or at least tell me your own winter stories so I can be entertained during all of this.

Maybe this gives me the excuse to get that new coat I've been wanting. After all, I can't have too many now. Obviously.

Movin' on Up

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:58:00 +0000

We are buying a house.

Oh, not now . . . I haven't prepared you all for that, have I? I mean, soon . . . this year. We hope.

In reality, we've just started looking for a place and are dipping our toes into that whole realm of house hunting. Truth be told, it hasn't really sunk in yet. We have so much more to do. But we've gotten started! Wheeeoooh. *Commence congratulatory remarks and pats on the back*

This is not where we're moving.
Brad's and my first house, right after we were married . . . we were there less than two months due to the short time frame between our wedding and our moving day. We did not own a lawn mower, so please excuse the yard.

At present, our world is slowly shifting into that state of being where we're immersed in online listings, watching too much House Hunters and Property Virgins (I know they're not real, but give me this one), and becoming bestest friends with out real estate agent (I mean, he seems like a cool-enough guy). We've looked at a few places in person and are going back for more this week. Put that on your to-do list and check it right off.

What have I learned so far?

- Um, that foreclosures give you a lot of home for your money, but it takes a lot more money if you wanna use a lot of that home.

- If you want to make your house-viewing appointments, you have to start making dinner right after you eat lunch and hope your husband shows up on time to eat it. Otherwise, you'll both starve and end up eating take-out to calm the hangriness (see: "hangry").

- Viewing prospective homes at night helps in avoiding crowds, but can be sort of creepy, particularly when a home has no electricity and/or random sewing tables sitting in the corner.

I'm obviously a total newbie at this, so if any of you have tips or stories about first-time home buying (or choosing/buying a house in general), feedback is welcome. And you know you'll be hearing more from me along the way.

Holiday Nights

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:53:00 +0000

Holiday Nights was just about the cutest little event I've ever been to. I heard about the whole shebang last Christmas season (2011, to clarify), but by that time, it was too late to get tickets or plan around our travel itinerary. This year, however, I wasn't going to miss out on an evening of colonial carolers, lights, mulled cider, or Model-T rides. No, sir. Not when it set up a perfect excuse for me to wear my new hat.

Brad and I got to The Henry Ford about 20 to 30 minutes before the event began, and the lines to get in were stretched wayyy beyond the front gates. I wanted to shop in the meantime, but Brad was smarter than me and pointed out that if I left for the gift shop, I'd lose my spot. So I waited. And other than the fact that I had to hop around a little to fend off the chilly night air, it wasn't so bad. Before we knew it, things were up and running, and the lines flowed inside to a magical, Christmas-themed evening.

Since we'd visited Greenfield Village just a few weeks before, Brad and I had somewhat of an idea about the park's layout. This meant high-tailing it over to the glass shop (Brad's favorite), where we huddled inside a toasty room and watched artisans do their thing with lava-like concoctions. The theme of the night was glass candy canes, which the glass blowers created as they stretched hot, spiral-patterned glass across the room in strands that miraculously never broke.

Candy canes in progress. This strand of hot, molten glass would eventually be cut into several, small pieces and twisted into cane shapes before being cooled and sent to the Greenfield Village gift shop.

Brad mentioned that he could've spent the entire evening watching the glass artisans, but I had plenty of other items on my agenda. So, it was off to explore the grounds, where we made our next stop at the line for free Model T Ford rides.

Zooming through Greenfield Village with our driver/tour guide.

If you've never ridden in an old Model T, I highly recommend it. Granted, you can only fit about three or four people in the car, but the light, swift feeling you get as you float by pedestrians--nearly pushing little, old ladies off the street--is one of a kind (I can assure you that no one was hurt in the process--at least not during our ride).

After we had gotten our fill of 20th-century road rage, Brad and I strolled around Greenfield Village, taking in the decorations, sights, and smells of the season. The night was cold, but there was no wind, making for . . . well, a perfect evening, really.

An old Ford sitting out front of the Model T ride area.

Inside the Wright Brothers' Home. The rooms were decorated for Christmas, all in authentic styles for the time period.

Mrs. Cohen's hat shop, decked out in Christmas decor.

Charming shop window.

Silent Christmas movies were projected directly onto the Tintype Studio building.

This film was a silly, Santa-themed flick. A small-scale sleigh and reindeer were part of the mix.

More carolers, singing atop a lovely gazebo.

In one particular spot of town, there was a small bunch of creepy characters donning masks and frilly, festive attire. They didn't talk, and their main job seemed to be intimidating passersby. I didn't get very close, but watched a couple of them sneak up on unsuspecting pedestrians.

That photographer is very focused, what with Terror staring him down and all.

The star of the night, though, had to be Kris Kringle himself. Perched atop a balcony on the Robert Frost home, Santa spent the evening waving to crowds of spectators and calling out the names of actual children who stood below. I don't know how he did it . . . must have been Santa magic. He also had a few reindeer in tow, but the pick of the herd seemed a little tired and unimpressed by all our cooing and picture-taking.

". . . And I see Jennifer, and Brad . . . hello there!"

Eventually, we mustered up the courage (okay, I was the only one who was nervous) to go ice skating on the outdoor rink. It had been years since I took a pair of blades to the ice, so I wasn't expecting much. Which is probably a good thing.

The ice rink. Dun dun dun.

We laced up our skates and waddled out to the rink, which was choppy like snow from the constant crowds. And then, my premonitions came true: the ice was slippery, so I held onto the railing like a little girl. You know what, though? I didn't really see anyone else doing much better, except for maybe that one kid with a hockey helmet who sped around us all, rubbing in our feelings of inferiority. Long story short, people were wiping out right and left, so I kept my composure and slowly scooted around the rink. Once. And I laughed a lot.

Cell phone pictures, because we were smart enough to not take the camera out of its bag while we struggled to stand on the ice.

Near the end of the night, Brad and I joined hundreds of other people in gathering around the town hall for a Christmas carol sing-along and grand finale. Everything started out cheerful, just music and milling about, when suddenly, a series of bell tolls rang out, and we looked across the village green to see a mob of lantern-carrying townspeople advancing towards us. The whole thing was very reminiscent of the mob scene from Beauty and the Beast.

Blurry photo to drive home the intensity of the mob.

Great news--the mob didn't turn into a real-life Walking Dead scenario! Rather, the townspeople met up with the rest of us 21st-century time travelers and joined in the festivities by proclaiming a celebration of Christmas and leading us in more caroling. Then, the fireworks started and we all just stood there being happy and enjoying life.

Fireworks over Greenfield Village

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, Holiday Nights was over. We made one, last stop at the gift shop before leaving to pick up a few Christmas gifts (if you're looking for unique, Michigan-made or Michigan-related souvenirs, this is a great place to browse), then rolled out with the rest of the crowds. I can not emphasize enough how great this experience was . . . and the fact that there's so much going on during the event just makes it possible to return year after year to see more (I still have to try some roasted chestnuts and go on a horse and carriage ride!). I think I must be destined to memorize this village like the back of my hand.

Have any of you visited Holiday Nights recently or in years past? How about something similar? Let me know in the comments! :)

Celebrating the Old, Celebrating the New

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:21:00 +0000

New Year's Eve with my sister, Carolyn, and our friends, Olivia and Sidney

To usher in 2013, my sister and some of our friends decided to throw a Mad-Men-themed party, and of course I couldn't refuse the invitation. Dressing in our sixties-best, we turned back the clock and channeled a mix of our inner-housewife/female-empowered selves. Truth be told, I don't think we really knew what we were doing, but at least we looked good doing it.

Brad and our friend (and party hostess!) Ashley rigging up the Super Nintendo. Important stuff.
(Brad's not dressed up because we all knew he'd spill food on his new shirt.)

Olivia and her prized Jell-O mold.
She's hoping you won't notice that it fell out of the bowl into a visual form similar to that of zombie innards.

Carolyn, growling as usual.

I think she's up to something.

Fraaaannnnds.

Putting on our pretty smiles.

... And letting our real selves slip out.

After the longest game of UNO known to man (I lost by one card), Carolyn, Brad, and I jetted back to ring in 12 a.m. with my parents and Ryan Seacrest. Quite possibly a good thing for me, since I had a cold and lost my voice before the ball dropped in New York. In my NyQuil-induced stupor, I wondered if Americans west of the eastern standard time zone were jealous of our time advantage, how cranky I was going to be while spending the whole next day in a car, and why Fergie never wears pants. Then, I fell asleep, and Brad and I miraculously managed to pack everything up and make it back to Michigan by 10:30 the next evening.

At the moment, I'm extending my celebration of the new year by enjoying my still-standing Christmas tree (I may or may not have added more ornaments after we got home the other night) and using this new year as an opportunity to look at the world around me in a more positive light. I've already resolved to keep in contact with more people and seize the moment as it comes, and I'd say I'm off to a pretty good start. I also have a few errands to run, but I think those can wait just one more day. ;)

How did you all welcome 2013? Any big plans for this year?

Christmas Catch-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Happy New Year's Eve! I know I've been a little quiet lately, but I've been having a great couple of weeks celebrating the holiday season with family and friends. From Michigan to Kentucky, to Virginia and places in-between, I've celebrated the Christmas season with loved ones and am now getting ready for the season finale (so to speak) of ringing in the new year. I'll be back soon with more stories for you all (I still owe you a Holiday Nights post!), but for now, you can catch up with an Instagram summary. Enjoy!

Above: A carousel and Christmas tree (along with street vendors and a festive outdoor market) adorn downtown Northville during the holiday season.

Left: My attempt at ice skating during Holiday Nights at Henry Ford's Greenfield Village
Right: Gingerbread cookies enjoy a hot chocolate jacuzzi

Left: Santasaurus

Right: Unique finds at a southwest Virginia thrift store during a small-town day trip/gift exchange

Left: Santa slept in a little late on Christmas morning and got caught leaving stocking stuffers.

Right: Brad playing with Hotwheels cars on Christmas. He'll never be too old.

I'm off now to perfect my wardrobe and some cheese blintzes for a Mad Men-themed party I'm attending this evening (totally up my alley). I hope you all have a fantastic New Year's Eve and a very happy new year. See you in 2013!

Show Me Your Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 17:04:00 +0000

You know a good way to cheer yourself up? Looking at Christmas trees. I've enjoyed seeing everyone's photos online over the past few weeks, and decided to share one of my own today (after Instagram finally decided to stop being a colossal pain).

My little tree. It makes me happy.

The thing about Christmas trees is that it's really hard to make them look bad. Even if the lights and decorations are sloppy, there's something magical about that glow the finished product gives off. And your world suddenly feels as though you're living in a story book.

That's why I've decided to invite you (yes, you) and everyone you know to send me photos of your own lovely trees. Post them to my Facebook wall, tag me on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, or Instagram (@jbpics87)--whatever your fancy (but please, no photo links in the blog comment section, as you might be misconstrued as spam).

When you submit a photo, feel free to include your name and wherever you happen to be on this earth, and I'll do my best to share your photos on my Facebook page and (if I end up with enough) right here on this blog during the remainder of the Christmas season.

Sounds fun, right? Yup, I thought so. Now, get to snapping those pictures. I can't wait to see them all!

Tears and Trust

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:58:00 +0000

Earlier today, I was having trouble deciding on a new post topic. Would it be a silly story about my inept ability to function as an adult? Some Christmas-at-the-capitol pictures from Lansing? Or maybe some ramblings about themed Pinterest boards (that last one can be interesting, I promise).

And then, of course, I found out about the bad news in Connecticut . . . about an Elementary school in Newtown where several lives were taken earlier this afternoon . . . from faculty and small children alike. A sinking feeling came over me.

And I cried.

I prayed as I questioned why these things keep happening. Safe places--universities, movie theaters--and now, elementary schools. Small children who don't understand the world, or at least, not as much as the rest of us claim to. Innocence attacked and families shattered. Heartbreaking beyond belief.

And I realized that all I can do now is dry my face off and continue to pray and trust that everything will be okay for the people involved. And I hope you all will, too.

Greenfield Village

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Right around Halloween, Brad and I found ourselves back at the Henry Ford for a first-time excursion around Greenfield Village. The village was in its final weekend before closing up for Christmas renovations, so we took advantage of our time there and saw as much as we could in one afternoon.

For those of you who don't know, Greenfield Village is a beautiful, historic-oriented landscape filled with houses and businesses from various decades in American history. Original buildings, such as H.J. Heinz's (yes, of the famous "57") Pennsylvania home and the Menlo Park Laboratory (home to many of Thomas Edison's personal inventions and innovations) line the horse-and-carriage-traveled streets, while Model T rides are also available between individual sites across the village. I was particularly fascinated by the fact that so many prominent structures were just uprooted from their original locations and shipped to Dearborn, all residing so closely now for tourists to conveniently visit throughout the year. It's a step back in time, and a wonderful way to escape the stresses of present-day life.

Aside from walking, old-fashioned vehicles provide transportation within Greenfield Village.

Beep, beep! We couldn't help but wave at this friendly group as they drove by.

Not the original, but this building is a small-scale replica of one of Ford's original factory buildings.

Antique time pieces inside an old jewelry store.

Me, standing with ol' Tom Ed himself. Henry Ford, a good friend of Edison, actually commissioned this statue while Edison was still alive. It wasn't built, however, until 1949--years after both men had already died.

Greenfield Village is also home to several working trains, which are serviced in the on-site wheelhouse. We chose to walk for the entirety of the afternoon and didn't buy a ride pass, but lemme tell ya--the village was much bigger than I expected. By the end of the day, my feet were begging for a little relief.

Train stop right inside the entrance of Greenfield Village

Inside the wheelhouse--restoration and service city.

In addition to several historic preservations, Greenfield Village hosts a community of artisans who craft daily to demonstrate historical techniques to visitors. Some stand-outs include professional glass blowers and potters, whose handiwork is available in the village gift shop.

Inside the glass shop. The kilns looked like lava and were kind of threatening, but I adored this little horse.

And for a timeless treat, an antique carousel sits prominently in the confines of the village--a beautifully preserved piece of the early 20th century that children and adults continue to enjoy today.

Left: The antique carousel at Greenfield Village. Herschell-Spillman was the only company that created carousels with giant green frogs and animals clad in human clothing.

Right: I paid a quarter to view a short flip-card movie in this little machine, which I found next to the carousel.

Of course, no day would be complete if Brad didn't chase down some poor animal that he wanted to be friends with. Victim of the day: this little squirrel. Brad walked behind him for a few minutes, but the squirrel finally wised up and hopped behind a fence. Sometimes, I swear that boy is five years old.

Brad, trying to contract rabies in every way he knows how.

I am incredibly excited to say that we'll be returning to Greenfield Village next weekend for the annual Holiday Nights celebration, an outdoor festival that features old-timey carolers, fireworks, and other Christmas goodness. I'm mentally preparing myself for a cold evening outdoors, but I think hot chocolate and dressing like a character from A Christmas Carol might help sooth my concerns. Plus, it's Christmas. I don't think I can say that enough . . . it just makes everything better.

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend--let me know if you have any Christmas traditions (old or new) coming up that you'd like to share!

"That was really fun--let's never do it again."

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:04:00 +0000

GUYS.

THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS UPON US.

I'm really excited.

Of course, most of you are probably still digesting leftover turkey, but I've been more than ready for Christmas since before Halloween got here. I blame it on the 30-something-degree temperatures that smacked me in the face in late October (thanks, Michigan, I get it), but I refuse to be pushed around. It got cold, I was forced to bring out the scarf and gloves, and thus felt compelled to buy presents for people. It's all good. Well, I've actually barely started my shopping, but hey--at least my tree is up.

Because my living room is still in a state of decorating distress, you get a front row view of my tree! Enjoy!

I'm also really excited about this wreath that my mom made for me over Thanksgiving break. It's huge and I love it.

I actually kicked off my Christmas decorating last weekend while I was home with my family over Thanksgiving. It all started with a Home Depot flyer.

Me (looking at the Black Friday ad): "Carolyn! Look at this gingerbread house! It's so cute . . . it even has a little Home Depot guy!

Carolyn (being difficult): *Long stare* *Hides face to pretend she's not interested* *Smiles in silent admittance that she loves the Home Depot gingerbread house, too*

Fast-forward to the next day . . . I'm in Home Depot with my parents, Carolyn's off somewhere getting tires put on her car. There has been talk of Carolyn leaving town early to beat holiday traffic, but I will not let that stand. I find the best gingerbread house ever on a shelf near the registers, snap a picture, and send it to her with the words, "If you stay tonight, I will buy this to make."

Her response: "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YES!!!" (or something like that)

Later that night, we sit down to assemble this fine work of art. Growing up, we never really put together a real gingerbread house, but I figured that if people do this every day, two twenty-somethings should be able to figure out how to stick some cookies together with frosting. And that's where the real work began.

Left: My mom helps out with frosting the roof.
Right: Carolyn works some of her horrible magic to ruin the roof.

Guys, making a gingerbread house is really hard. When you open a pre-made kit, the cookies are bent to the point of almost breaking, the candy is stale, and the frosting sticks about as well as semi-malleable plastic. We soon learned that our creation might not turn out quite like the picture on the box, and craft time quickly turned into a Kindergarten project gone horribly wrong.

The frosting was so thick, it took forever to cover the roof. I'll give you one guess as to which side you think my mom and I did, and which side Carolyn took charge of.

I felt kind of bad for my mom, because the whole process was kind of reminiscent of being seven years old and not knowing how to build your own solar system. When Carolyn and I became useless, she took over. And we watched. And no one really wanted to decorate the gingerbread house any more.

"This sucks." - My mom

There was a lot of laughing going on at the kitchen table that night, but somehow we finished. Kind of.

"It doesn't look like the picture!"

Amputee down.

At the time, we thought this part actually looked a little better than the majority of the house.
Up close, it just kind of makes me want to throw up a little.

After doing all we could to make the ugly even uglier, we accepted our mediocrity and gracefully resigned our efforts for the evening. The eight dollars I spent on the kit? Totally worth it.

And in the end, I fixed our little mess the best way I knew how . . .

. . . I put a bird on it.

Veteran's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Source

I think Veteran's Day is one of those holidays that we often forget about. I don't think it's out of disrespect, but with so many "calendar" and "bank" holidays, anything other than Christmas and Thanksgiving often gets pushed to the side.

Yesterday, though, I had the honor of attending a special Veteran's Day service at church, which included story time with a (very sweet and personable) 90-year-old former Marine that fought in World War II. A self-proclaimed "farm boy" from southeast Michigan, this man told his story of leaving home at 22 to join the war, a journey that included a bout of pneumonia, struggles to catch up with his crew after being left behind while hospitalized, and ultimately, being shot in the head during battle on the beaches of Iwo Jima. To hear accounts firsthand from this man was both fascinating and heartwarming, and I left church feeling a strong sense of admiration for him and the other men and women (within and outside of our church) who have served and who continue to serve today.

So, happy Veteran's day weekend to all of you--whether you have engaged in battle, engineered military equipment, served the wounded, raised a flag, or merely served in your own way as a civilian or in some other type of public service. You are appreciated, whether or not you hear anyone express gratitude.

And to evvvveryone--keep on spreading the love! It's not just a bank holiday or three-day weekend, after all. Why not give a soldier a smile today? :)

Source

VOTE

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:57:00 +0000

That's me yesterday, standing on the front steps of the Michigan State Capitol. I didn't plan the proximity of this visit to coincide with the election, but it kind of happened anyway. And while I'll get back to more of my Lansing trip in an upcoming post, today is much too important for me to assume that I can distract everyone from what's going on in the United States today.

If you're 18, go out and vote. If you're 25, 42, 89, or 100 (or anywhere in between), go out and vote. Or have someone bring you a piece of paper (or whatever they're doing these days for people who can't get out of their houses), and circle names or fill in bubbles and vote. Remember, no one will listen to your opinions the rest of the year if they find out you skipped your duties today. So you might as well cover all your bases while you can.

And if it's any extra incentive, remember that you can usually use your "I Voted" sticker as a bargaining tool for things like free ice cream and coffee. But free perks usually taste better when you have that extra feeling of self-accomplishment built in, so . . . vote. No stealing stickers.

After all, most people don't get to live in a country where they can freely express their opinions, contribute ideas, and take stupid pictures of themselves in capitol building elevators. So, I think we owe it to ourselves and everyone else to take advantage of every right we're given--especially if it means preserving values that we stand for and believe in.

Say yes to silly faces. Happy election day, everyone.

It's Twitchcraft

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:54:00 +0000

I'm a firm believer that the best projects are accomplished through making huge messes. So, following that frame of mind, I'm considering my Halloween costume this year to be a great success. The downside? My living room and dining area are a wreck right now.

Because Halloween falls on my birthday every year, I like dressing up regardless of whether or not anyone else around me feels like doing so. Thus ensued my search yesterday morning for costume materials, delayed to the last minute because it took me until Tuesday evening to figure out what on Earth I was going to be. The final verdict? I decided to embody this newfangled social contraption that's most commonly referred to as Twitter.

My dining room table, covered in Halloween magic. I originally made a mask to go with my costume, but decided (after an hour and a half of meticulous feather arranging and glue gun burns), that it was way too much. Hit me up if you have plans to impersonate a peacock any time soon.

After some less-than-tragic angst over trying to figure out iron-on transfers (I made Brad help so I could blame him if it turned out badly) and a last-minute run to the drugstore for glitter, everything finally came together. Say hello to social networking in human form:

Voila!

Brad told me to make this face.

Despite the fact that the only people who saw my costume were 20 trick-or-treaters and a group of un-costumed friends we went to dinner with (most of whom probably just assumed I was an under-dressed flapper), I had a lot of fun putting together the outfit and playing dress-up. Plus, I'm sure that this t-shirt will get quite a few more wears, even after the picture starts crackling (I have a couple "I <3 NY" shirts that have previously demonstrated the inevitable). It's win-win, as far as I'm concerned. If anyone's planning a social media party, just lemme know.

See Ya Later, Tigers. Hello, Halloween.

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:34:00 +0000

Today's a rather sad day for Tigers fans, but perhaps not of the surprising sort. After all, those first three World Series games against the Giants this weekend were kind of a premonition for Detroit's--um, hiccups--against San Francisco, an all-too-clear road to the unfortunate end of baseball season in the Motor City. I caught most or all of each game, grumbling and whining the whole way through. Well, maybe grumbling and whining more during games two and three. For the first, I was still hopeful that we had a great shot at winning despite our rocky start. And the fourth game--well, I just kind of froze in sad disbelief as the so-called "battle of the bullpens" turned into a sad sweep. A sad sweep that would, ironically, mirror our success in the ALCS against the Yankees (in reverse, of course).

Brad and I drove through downtown Detroit on Saturday night before Game 3 started.
The city wasn't packed, but was certainly bustling and busier than I have ever witnessed while in the D.

Finally got my photo of this guy.
The Spirit of Detroit, decked in Tigers attire in honor of the 2012 ALCS Championship and World Series.

Oh, well.

I'm over it. At least in the sense where I'm not ashamed to wear my Detroit shirt in public or slap an ol' English-D sticker on my car window. Or do this:

That's right. I made that. All. By my. Self.

To help numb the baseball-induced pain (and appease my appetite for fun, Halloween-related activities), Brad and I carved pumpkins during game four. For someone (me) who has only ever free-handed silly, snaggle-toothed faces, this was a big deal for me. And sure, I didn't finish my design until baseball season ended, but I'm still pleased with the outcome. Now, I just hope these little works of art can make it through Wednesday without being ravaged by our monster raccoon.

Brad, testing out the glow quotient of his jack-o-lantern.

All kinds of American car love.

So proud.

Now, I'm on to other pressing matters, like whether or not I'll be able to put together a costume by Wednesday.

I know you all are on the edge of your seats. Throw me some suggestions while you're teetering there, will ya?

Baseball: Playoff Fever and Tiger Mania

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Who's watching the Tigers game right now? Are you as neurotic about it as I am?

Baseball's so ingrained in me at the moment, I almost typed "Tigers" with an @ symbol just now. That's one of the side effects of constantly live-tweeting about one topic, folks. I apologize to you non-baseball fans who follow me on Twitter.

For the past few weeks, I've been in baseball-mode . . . almost a baseball frenzy. It started out with the excitement of not one, but two teams to root for--the Orioles and the Tigers. Detroit for obvious reasons, and Baltimore because it's my dad's team and I grew up watching my parents yell happy or not-so-happy things at the TV whenever an O's game was on. To quickly catch you up on the situation: The Orioles used to be really good. Then, they weren't for a while. Then, this year--pow, bam--they're kicking butt and taking names. They made it all the way to the ALDS round of the playoffs, but barely got snuffed out by the Yankees. And so, it's time for my dearly-beloved Tigers to take revenge and shut New York down.

The downsides to my baseball mania? I've sort of developed an inclination to yelling at my TV. And pulling my hair out. And clapping really loudly when I'm in a room by myself. As a result, my hands hurt, and I feel a little crazy sometimes. And, whoopsie . . . I may or may not have missed a couple (all) of the presidential/VP debates so far . . . but it's worth it. Politics should not be discounted, but I prefer to be optimistic in life and watch things that keep me awake, not put me to sleep. In the meantime, I'll take my election facts in an unbiased, read-only format, thank you very much.

Election? Sorry, my TV's been tuned into TBS for half a month now.

So, with Game 4 of the Tigers vs. Yankees series now in its third inning, I'm signing off for now to fuel my new habit, and crossing every finger that tonight will be the night that Detroit officially sweeps New York. A 56-inch TV, embroidered baseball cap, and box of Cracker Jacks--I think I'm all set.

Ode to the Grocery Store

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:50:00 +0000

First, let me begin by saying that this is not really an ode. I just like the way the title sounds.

SECOND: I made a pizza last night. And I did more than just open a Red Baron box and set my oven timer for 20 minutes. Granted, I discovered that making my own pizza is really easy, especially when pizza dough and pizza sauce all comes in ready-to-use packaging. But we won't let that ruin the joy that I've acquired from my first Italian pie-making adventure, will we? I think not.

To my surprise, I found shopping for ingredients to be much more of a pain than actually cooking my (say it with me in an Italian voice) pizza pie. Granted, I did decide to run my dinner errands at Wal-Mart, but any grocer should carry green peppers. And more than one package of pepperoni.

Then, we have check-out lines. Now, I'm a proponent of self-scan aisles--in moderation. It's the point where there are six out of fifty-seven lines open, four of them self-scan, backed up into the clothing section to the point where there's a barricade across half of the store, that I start to get irritated. And, of course, no one seems to know how to ring up their own items.

So, I'm standing in line, grumbling under my breath at the old ladies and people on their cell phones who obviously have no regard for humanity because they're taking their sweet time and don't have the common decency to learn how to bag their own bread and shampoo. I'll show them how it's done when I get to the front of the line, I vow, and glide to a register when it's my turn to set a shining example of what a courteous, self-scanning-patron should look like.

Then, like a bad dream, time slows down and everything goes horribly wrong. All bar codes disappear into the folds of inferior packaging, and I wave items all over the scanner, wondering why the computer can't recognize a single thing I swipe over that red light. The electronic produce inventory doesn't know what a zucchini is, so I start pushing random vegetables on-screen so I can just be charged for something and get on with my life. Next, I wrestle with a defective batch of plastic bags as I try desperately to open just one. I mentally promise to shove everything in the same sack if I manage to conquer static electricity, then commend myself for being environmentally-friendly in the process. Fewer bags is better, right?

Meanwhile, a very loud, Russian woman is yelling into her Bluetooth headset, something about . . . eh, I don't know what it's about, because it's in Russian. This happens more often than you might think.

Then, the card swiper. It's easy enough to get used to, particularly if you've grown accustomed to regularly buying food, clothes, etc. in public places . . . you know, things to help ensure your survival. I have yet, however, to meet a card swipe machine that is exactly the same as one in another store. Signature or no signature, credit button or cancel/enter, buttons and screens and digital prompts telling you to get help from the cashier when there's clearly none around. When there is a cashier/moderator available at a self-scan, that's the time when you start to wonder: "Wouldn't this have been a lot faster if you were helping me out from the beginning?"

Miraculously, after five minutes of arguing with the computer and wondering how I actually got to the point where my receipt rolls out of the machine, I grab my things and go. No goodbye from store employees, and only a 80-percent confidence level as to whether or not I correctly paid for everything I'm leaving with. But if an automated voice thanks me and I have a lady pushing me out of the way with her cart to be next in line, I'm going to assume that I'm done. Adios, supercenter. Time to dodge all the bad parking-lot-drivers and go home.

And that . . . is how I made pizza.