why 30 rock is the best show ever

I totally missed this gem.

i want to go to there

it started snowing today, like really really snowing.
Californians, you have no idea!

but this photo is of Bern -- which wouldn't be such a bad place to visit, really.

**photos of Christopher's 30th birthday five-day extravaganza to come**

washington, schmashington!

**warning: crude, angry, but completely justified rant. hide your dogs, hide your kids**

Ladies and gentlemen, my friend, Dan Ra:

"1. republicans are assholes for wanting tax cuts for the wealthy when it ADDS to deficit. i thought they were all about fiscal solvency

2. liberals are asswipes for not understanding that obama HAS to compromise to get those tax cuts for middle class americans, which ADDS to the deficit. but tax cuts do add to economic growth in the SHORT term. there's absolutely no long term gain for tax cuts for middle class.

3. fuck the senate for pulling the DREAM act

4. screw government for never thinking long term health of america, and always wanting short-term political points"

Frankly, I couldn't have said it better myself.

today was the kind of day in washington that breaks my heart
so many inconceivable pitches and falls
and the whole time i find myself asking, am i on the right side?
i think it's a healthy question, but always a scary one to ask yourself.

this is what happiness looks like!

even the dos equis bottle looks happy :)

throwback!

ladies and gentlemen, I present to you (some of) the outreach editorial women -- jeannie, heather, and andrea. damn, this was a long time ago (December, 2006). i miss you guys. this was a cube formation ordained by God. i mean, look at how well coordinated we were!

these two ladies helped me navigate my first real job out of grad school. they walked me through each position as I made my slow climb up the ladder from intern, to staffwriter, and then assistant editor. without them, I wouldn't know half the things I know about being a writer and editor, namely because they are the best in the business! I can't tell you how amazing heather and andrea are -- i love them.

do you guys remember: book club? the icebox? lectio divina? the NOC? late deadline nights? encinitas? nordstrom rack? heather's kabobs? sushi making? scott's sinking ship powerpoint slide? hehe .... sigh. despite the bad, these were some good times.

thinking of both of you (and reminiscing about our alphabet Christmas tree) as we near the holidays!

horrible execution of a man

I love helen's commentary:

he is a really obnoxious korean guy

who eats pizza for brkfst

and pretends like he's really smart

and an alpha male cuz he works in commercial real estate

if he were hot it'd be dffrnt.... sad to say...

but he's kind of a loser

just watches sports center all day

annoying

nice at the core, but horrible horrible execution of a man

although ... I like to eat pizza for breakfast.

mmm hmmm

hello beautiful earrings

i need you like cooked food

there's been a lot of good eating in my life lately, as is always the case during the holidays. this year i decided to finally get over my fear of chicken and invited a few friends over for my first roast chicken.

let me be honest with you -- i was scerred. i kept mentally pumping myself up all day before the big roast. i re-read jamie oliver's recipe over and over and tried to walk myself through the steps one by one. then when it came time to go grocery shopping, i think my nerves created a mental block because i bought everything BUT THE CHICKEN! haha. i returned to the store, picked out my bird, and home I went to tackle the beast.

despite my nerves, the chicken turned out awesome. the hardest part was rinsing it out and rubbing it with salt and pepper -- with a whole chicken, you really get the sense that this was a living, breathing animal. there were some near-upchuck moments there, but i pulled it together. i felt a bit of a sentimental connection with the bird. thanks, bird, for providing some good eats for me and my friends.

without further ado, photos from the meal which included homemade bread, roasted potatoes, mac n cheese, a pear/prosciutto/arugula salad, delicious brussels sprouts provided by elizabeth d. r., and ice cream sandwiches for dessert (with homemade cookies of course)!

hello pretty bird!

chris carves as scott looks on

this bread never fails me

the complete meal, yum.

love the chocolate on the fingers Scott.

elizabeth and me savoring some after dinner tea

the monumental event required a group photo!

[editors' note: I cannot post photos of the apartment without acknowledging Cassie -- I hope this doesn't make you sad dear! we talked about you often as we noted all the things you left for me to use! we miss you.]

zero tolerance rule

"I have zero tolerance for self-inflicted drama."

BRILLIANT.

david crowder + lite brite = joy!

p.s.

did you know that my sister is absolutely amazing? please support her with prayer (or money) -- her name is very easy to remember: Uno.

also her birthday is coming up (Friday, December 3)! Leave a note on her blawwwg, I'm sure she will appreciate it.

jamie oliver, my new love

I like Jamie Oliver for his simple recipes, laid-back approach to cooking, and cute interactions with his children. His accent is rather cheeky too! What is it about British accents that makes even the phrase "pig's bum" sound lovely? Do Brits admire American accents? Probably not. (BTW I do a great British accent -- great because it's terrible and makes Chris laugh until he cries.)

Found this video via the Frolic blog and thought it was just so great. Looking forward to making Christmas pancakes for my family -- I don't really like pancakes, but my family does. So I will make them. And these are so simple! 1 cup bread flour, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, any add in you'd like, some butter in the pan, fry fry fry, serve serve serve. Thanks Jamie (and girls)!



I'm also interested in trying his roast chicken and chicken in milk recipes, which I've heard are pretty great!

In other news, my dream of visiting Joshua Tree is finally coming true! The Choi Clan will be going this December, before Christmas. It is so exciting folks ... my family is the greatest and we will have such fun in the desert. I'm looking forward to taking lots of photos so stay tuned :)