November hodgepodgery

Wow, I was one busy little bee in November but I still managed to get some major things accomplished. So let's get started!

4. Pay Katie and David back

Yes, I finally paid my sis and step-dad back after all these years. $750 later...I feel a TON of relief. Now I just have to start chippin' away at that chunk I owe my mom... ;)

8. Read 12 books (7/12)



This month I finished Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, which is appropriate since the movie came out and is doing extremely well at the box office. I absolutely LOVED this book and thus I asked for the remaining three of the series for Christmas.

10. Cater a cocktail party

Katie and I hosted a harvest cocktail party at my parents' house the weekend before Thanksgiving and it was a total success and such a blast to plan, organize, and execute. Together we prepared Spiced Mixed Nuts, Crackers with Brie & Fig Spread, Butternut Squash & Apple Soup, Cranberry-BBQ Meatballs, Fried Ravioli with Pumpkin Dipping Sauce, and Pecan Pie Bars & Pumpkin Bread. The guests loved the food which made me so happy I may have to do it every year!













13. Eat at one new restaurant every month



Well I didn't technically eat at a new restaurant but I did get to do something I've wanted to do all year and that's try the brunch and infamous Bloody Mary at Bayou. So Nate and I headed there one lovely Saturday morning and I got the Chicken & Waffles and a Blackened Bloody Mary. Both were amazing. In fact I even ordered a second Bloody, and I can honestly say it's the best in the city.

15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month

This month I donated $5 to the Hunger Task Force through the food drive Kohl's is running Nov-Dec. I also donated $25 to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.


So I only have one month left to tackle this list and it's no secret that I'm not going to get it all done. But the holidays are meant to be enjoyed so I'm not going to bust my hump to do 478727 things. I'm definitely going to try my best to get as much done and be proud of the accomplishments that I do achieve.

Happiness

I haven't blogged in a million years and it's not yet time for my November hodgepodgery entry. So what's the dizeal? I guess I just want to remember this moment. Today is just one of those rare days where everything feels perfect. Even having to wake up at 5:45 to get to work by 7:00 had it's own cozy element. At first I thought, it's dark and cold and thus very unnatural for me to be awake. But once I was up, took a shower, shared a tender goodbye with my shmoopy and hit the road, I felt this sense of serenity. I made a little side trip to pick up some blueberry Krispy Kremes for my co-workers. It felt good to do something nice for the people who have been busting their asses with me all week. And once I was here, everyone was in that mood where, even though our eyes were barely open, we were supercharged and ready to get some shit done. So I got some coffee and breakfast, put on Kanye West's "Paranoid", and got in the zone. And everything, for the first time in a long time, feels in its right place.

October hodgepodgery

Okay I feel like I kinda slacked off this month, but that's cool. I did accomplish the one thing on my list that was the most daunting, and that meant everything.

13. Eat at one new restaurant every month

Well let's see, this month I ate at several new places. Nate took me to Samurai, a sushi restaurant in Glendale that was wonderful. And the techno Happy Birthday music was just icing on the cake ;) I ate at Fat Abbey with the fam and had the most delicious blackberry turkey sandwich and sweet potato fries. We also went to a lot of great places in Galena, Il...my favorite being One Eleven Main which had probably the best mac n cheese I've ever tasted.

15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month

This month I donated $30 to the Amputee Coalition of America. I was inspired by a storyline I saw on ER last week. One of the doctors was in a really horrible accident and lost both his legs. He came back in last week's episode and had been given prosthetic legs. He and another doctor actually went for a jog in one of the scenes and it was amazing to me. And speaking of jogging...

22. Run a 5K



Yep, I actually ran a motherfucking 5K. It was the Lakefront Discovery Run and I finished it in about 33 minutes. Yeah, I can't believe it either. But it was one of the single greatest experiences in my life especially because I had my family and Nate there to congratulate me afterward. I really have to thank my step-dad for all the advice and encouragement throughout the year. I couldn't have done it without him :)