Catching up

I’ve gotten so caught up in the Blog Every Day in May challenge (gosh, I’m sick of typing that) that I’ve totally neglected all of my regular postings. When was the last time I did a Weekend Recap, a Courtney Confessions or a Things I Love Thursday?

It’s been awhile.

So, just to give you all an update on my life outside of the blogging challenge, it’s pretty much business as usual. I’m just as pumped for summer as the next person, but I gotta be honest, it’s already a little TOO hot for my taste. I’m not complaining (actually, I am), but we kind of skipped over the “breezy warm spring” season and made a quick leap into “oh my gosh, why does the air feel so hot and wet?” phase. 

The uber warm temperatures are already impeding on my running. I’m an afternoon/early evening runner most nights of the week, but there is still plenty-o heat to go around at 5:30 p.m. and it makes me feel sluggish. I’ve already developed a rather leprosy-looking heat rash from my Garmin watch.

The sunshine masks a lot of the rashes little bumps. Blech!

 Have I mentioned that I sweat a lot? Cuz I do. 

Softball is going pretty well, both as a player and as a coach. I’m really enjoying my time with the little ones, but Maria and I have already gotten the “WHY ARE YOU SUCH TERRIBLE PEOPLE AND WHY DO YOU HATE MY PRECIOUS CHILD!?” comments from a parent. 

All parents think their 8 year-old is the next Jennie Finch and how dare we bench their child who is much more content to stand in the outfield picking dandelions rather than actually paying attention? I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened (overbearing parents come with the coaching territory), but it didn’t faze me nearly as much as I thought it would … which surprised me. I guess it’s because I went into coaching knowing I wasn’t going to please every player and every parent every time and just stopped caring.

My own softball-playing is going … okay. Is “okay” the appropriate term for half good/half bad? It’s not terrible, but it’s not great either. My batting average is actually quite awesome this year, but my fielding is leaving something to be desired. It seems like it can never be both; one aspect of the game always comes at the price of another. I psyche myself out for every line drive that comes near me. It’s embarrassing and REALLY annoying. 

Since Clay’s and my week nights are pretty much promised to softball until mid-July, I’ve been utilizing our slow cooker quite a bit. I solicited the help of my readers (thank to those who responded!) for new Crock Pot recipes and the ones I received have NOT disappointed! 

Skinny Taste's taco chili was pretty darn good, but I think my current fave is the chicken and barley vegetable stew from Iowa Girl Eats. 

Taco chili over rice. (And a Stewie Griffin glass)

Chicken and Barley Veggie Stew. (All of the best food looks like vomit.)

While it’s definitely a recipe better suited for winter, I can’t get enough of it this week! It’s hearty and filling and unbelievably healthy! The sweet potatoes and carrots practically melt in your mouth and the kale? A great way to get the hubs to eat his leafy greens. Though it took forever and a day to find barley that wasn’t of the quick-cook variety, it was well worth the trouble.

Clay and I both finished our classes for the spring semester. I received a 97% in my food sanitation and safety class and I'm fairly certain Clayton got a B in his anatomy class. Considering how many terms that boy had to memorize, I am beyond impressed!

We took a cooking class together two weeks ago for something fun and couple-y to do. It was a "picnic dinner" that consisted of braised pork shoulder, shredded and served over a pretzel roll. (Have you ever had a pretzel roll? Up until that day, I hadn't either. Now I want one on my person at all times because they are DELICIOUS.) We also made a batch of both German and American potato salad to taste the differences. German potato salad is warm and heavily saturated in vinegar and everyone knows good ol' mayo-infused American tater salad. (I had every intention of snapping a few pictures of what we cooked, but we devoured it before I even had a chance to think about grabbing my camera. Oops.)

As for the world of Joebizzles, he's doing just great, too! I was shocked and shamed to learn that he ate his own poop last weekend, but other than that, he's peachy keen and loving all of his extra walks outside!

Nothing bothers this dog. Not even eating his own poop.

What have you been up to?

Blog Every Day in May, Day 22: A rant

Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel.
(a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband
or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

This topic couldn't be more aptly timed because I'm totally PMSing. And as any human being who's ever had a uterus knows, everything is irritating when you're on your period. Pants are irritating. My hair is irritating. The fact that other people exist this week is ESPECIALLY irritating.

As eager as I am to blow my b*tch wad, I'm not entirely sure what to rant about. My husband is already fully aware of what he does to irritate me, so there's no point in rehashing it for public consumption. Also, I would never complain about my irritants at work because I have class I'm scared of who might possibly read this. Plus, nothing at work is bothering me. 

All current events irritate me because 99% of the world's population is entirely too stupid and spends far too much time doing stupid things that harm far too many other people. 

Did I mention I'm PMSing?

Actually, I do know what I'd like to rant about and, after reading the above outburst, it might seem pretty ironic:

You know what really grinds my gears? Negative people. 

I absolutely cannot stand negativity. And people who are negative? I can't stand them either. 

Negativity breeds negativity and if you're sitting next to me being a total Debbie Downer and talking about how much your life stinks, it's going to rub off on me, too. It's highly contagious. It's like herpes. And I don't want your herpes. Don't suck me down into your sink hole just because you don't want to be miserable all by yourself.

Horrible, crappy things happen in life. Constantly. People get sick, people die, people lose jobs, people lose their houses, people get divorced. That's just part of the human experience and no one is immune to it. And yes, it does seem like some people get dealt worse hands than others, but life isn't fair and complaining about how you have it so much worse than other people isn't going to change your situation at all. And despite what you might think, someone else actually has it worse than you and would kill to be in your shoes.

Don't walk away from a conversation or a situation or an experience and immediately start combing through all of your beefs or grievances with it. Happiness is a state of mind, it's an attitude. Try to find the silver lining, look for the good in people. Look for the good in the hand you were dealt.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to rip my own skin off because I was so annoyed listening to someone else grouse about all of the bad things that happened to them that day. If you're only paying attention to the bad things in life, guess what? You're going to find a way to twist everything to make it bad because that's all you know.

Several months ago, Clayton lovingly pointed out that the rampant use of the phrase " such-and-such pisses me off" is a an emotional exaggeration. He'd catch me mid-sentence and say, "Did spilling a little bit of Diet Coke on your pants REALLY piss you off? Or was it just annoying?" Until he brought it to my attention, I never realized how negative the adjective was. My choice of using that word would make an annoying situation far worse than it needed to be, putting me in a much more agitated state than what was logically called for.

(My advice: Reserve the phrase "it really pisses me off" for something major, like when a car accidentally runs over your foot. Not for something inconsequential, like when your piece of pizza burns the roof of your mouth or you get cut off in traffic.)

Now, I'm not saying it's not okay to ever be angry or throw yourself a small pity party every now and then, but for Jiminy Cricket's sake—pull yourself out of it after a day or so. Maybe even after a few hours. Rant your face off in your diary or vent to a friend for 5 minutes, but then be done with it. Negativity, if given too much power, will consume you. 

Trust me, I'm not perfect at this either. I have sinking spells and bad days just like everyone else, but I want to be happy. I make a conscious effort to speak positively because, like I said, happiness is a state of being. It's a choice.

*END OF RANT*

Everything about this quote makes me think of Joe Dirt: "Life's a garden—DIG IT!" Heh.

Blog Every Day in May, Day 21: My favorite posts

Oh, thank heavens! An easy-ish writing topic today. Not that I'm complaining, but I was up too late drinking and my brain is on the fritz. Forming complete sentences today, I cannot.

I've been writing Notably Neurotic since, erm, 2009? No, that can't be right. I'd be way too down on myself if I've been at this for 5 years and STILL don't have much to show for it.

*checks archives*

DANGIT! I HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR 5 YEARS.

Well, there you have it. Good thing I haven't quit my job in order to pursue blogging full-time. Geeze.

Anyway, I've been writing this blog for 5 years and that means that I'm bound to dump out a few decent posts every now and then. Not all blog posts can be gems, but sometimes I can't help but sit back at my computer with a smug sense of self-satisfaction because darn it, I just OWNED that post.

I find that my modest group of readers responds equally positive to my more serious posts as they do to my more ridiculous, nonsensical ones. I like that my blog doesn't have a specific niche. I tried to do the whole "I'm a health and wellness blogger!" but I bored myself to tears writing about the same kinds of things repeatedly and it only fed into my some of my eating issues. This blog is all over the place. Kind of like me.

Some of my favs/more popular posts on Notably Neurotic:

Why I Quit Taking Beyaz is still my most popular post to date, averaging a few hundred hits daily (and I wrote it almost 3 years ago)! Clearly I wasn't the only woman who suffered whilst popping that particular baby prevention pill and the post's high numbers prove that I'm not the only person who obsessively searches the Internet for medical advice. I've been all but banned from logging into WebMD.

Fart-inducing Taco Dip ranks high on my list of favorites, too. I don't do a lot of recipe posts because I find them to be mostly boring and I'm not all that imaginative (i.e. I basically regurgitate recipes I already know with a few variations), but I like writing them. This one was fun. And it's still a fantastic recipe.

I wrote Apparently I Have A Lot of Feelings on the Victoria's Secret 2011 Holiday Fashion Show during a weak moment when I let my love of carbs make me feel inferior to super models.

I received a lot of positive feedback in regards to my Mean Girls post. This post is one of my personal favorites because it reflects my true writing style and allowed me to speak on a very publicized topic that seems to plague my gender.

I can admit it: Sometimes I think I'm hilarious. Re-reading My Strange Addiction: Licks Cats still makes me giggle.

My relationship with Clayton is my absolute favorite thing to write about, and regaling the Internet with stories of our marriage brings me SO MUCH JOY. The Small Matter of a Scrunchy encompasses so much of what goes on between us.

The World's Worst Study Buddy, too.

I also love my Mini Marathon Recap, a post detailing my very first half marathon in October 2010. Re-reading that post is just a sweet reminder of where I started and how far I've come. I mostly like how I clearly noted I was so proud of myself for finishing my FIRST half marathon. Even then I knew I was the start of something good ... :)

Which Notably Neurotic posts are your favorites? (Stroke my ego, please.)

Blog Every Day in May, Day 20: Something I'm struggling with

*blows noise-maker and throws confetti into the air*

HAPPY MONDAY!

^^Fake it til' you make it, right? Maybe if I start throwing Mondays a big ol' party, they'll seem less horrible.

I did a lot of this on Sunday.

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty nice! It was so nice that I completely disregarded the Blog Every Day in May weekend challenges. I know, I know. Shame on me. But really, I couldn't locate the photograph I wanted to use to illustrate my post for Saturday (which was "share a story from your childhood". I had a great little soliloquy lined up about the time I was dressed as a bumble bee for Insect Week in preschool and got diarrhea and had to go home. But neither my mom or I could locate the photo of me in said costume and everyone knows that unless you have photographic evidence, it didn't really happen. Why I chose a story such as that to share, I have no idea. Trust me, I have plenty of happy childhood memories that don't include defecating in an insect suit. I guess I just wanted to tell you the story because I made a really cute bee.)

Sunday's writing prompt was to gush about your five favorite blogs. *Yawn* No thank you. I love tons of blogs and narrowing it down to 5 feels tedious and like I'm majorly picking favorites ... and homie don't play that.

But today's writing prompt? Sure, why not. I can let you in on a little bit of the ugly going on inside this brain of mine.

Day 20, Monday: Get real.
Share something you're struggling with right now.

Oh, honey, I am about to get SO REAL.

I'm a planner by nature. I can't even go into the grocery store without a detailed list of everything I need to buy, grouped by meal and categorized by aisle. Tossing grocery items into my cart all willy-nilly makes me sweaty and gives me a horrible feeling of not being in control.

That being said, I've made a lot of plans for my life. I've never approached my future with a "We'll just see what happens!" attitude. No way. Eff that. Remember when I shared how terrified I am of having regrets? That fear plays a major role in my obsessive need to always have a plan. I want all of my bases covered, I don't want to leave any stones unturned.

My plan after college was to become a big shot creative director at a lucrative advertising agency, but after I learned that working in the advertising business sucks up all of your time and your soul, I had to recalculate. My nasty experience in advertising may have been devastating at the time, but it ultimately revealed that my true passion was writing and a new plan was born.

Clayton and I have talked extensively about our future and our plan was for him to finish school and land a decent-paying job that would allow me the luxury to be a freelance writer whilst pimping out my personal essays and short stories. Our ultimate goal was for Clayton to have a career he loves so that I could stay home to write and raise our children.

We also talked about starting a family around the time I turn 30.

For you math whizzes out there, 30 is only about 2 and a half years away. And guess what? Clayton isn't any closer to deciding what he wants to do with his career and I'm not any closer to making a living off of my writing (though every little bit from my freelancing projects has helped).

It's not for a lack of try on either of our ends. No sir! Clayton and I are hard workers; we don't believe in hand-outs. I'm not the kind of chick who sits by idly and expects opportunities to just drop in my lap.

The reality of the world we're living in is that it's not easy to do what you want to do. Just because you want something doesn't mean it's possible, no matter how hard you try to get it. The economy sucks. Jobs, especially the kind that coincide with what Clayton wants to do and pay well, are very few and far between. We don't have the luxury to go without money for the sake of pursuing a dream. A few recent occurrences has all but flipped Clayton's career aspirations upside down and we both feel like we're back at square one.

And that's what I've been struggling with. It seems like my carefully thought-out plans may not be so. When I worked exclusively from home a few years back, I had never been happier. The home had never been cleaner. I'd never felt more organized or relaxed. I never felt more fulfilled. And I want that again.

And honestly, it makes me both angry and sad. I'm sad because I might not get the life I really wanted for myself and I'm angry for the same reasons because goodness know, we are TRYING. My dream was to write and be a stay-at-home wife until the time came to pop out a few little ones. Then I would be fortunate enough to be with them during the day until they were old enough to go to school.
As Clayton said while we were out walking the dog after dinner last night, "You never know what can happen in 2 years." And he's absolutely right. We have no idea what is in store for us or what God has in mind. We only know that it's going to happen exactly as it's supposed to happen. And for the girl who likes have a plan at all times, that is torture.

Perhaps the new plan should be getting comfortable with not having a plan?

What are you struggling with right now?

Blog Every Day in May, Day 17: Your favorite picture of yourself

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

This photo has to be my absolute favorite picture of myself. It seems a bit vain to like a picture of your own face, but I honestly don't think I've ever seen myself looking cuter (AND MY HAIR HAS NEVER LOOKED THICKER) or  happier. When I die, this is the picture I want displayed next to my casket.

Not this one:

Okay, back to the good photo.

This picture was taken by my beloved husband on our very third day of being husband and wife. It was snapped just after sunset on the balcony of our hotel room in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We were on our honeymoon and the wave of emotions sweeping over me that entire week could only be described as euphoria. From the ceremony to the reception to waking up together that first morning as an official married couple to venturing out of the country to spend time alone on a beautiful beach with my soul mate—it was all breathtaking and beautiful.

When Clayton and I get lost in reminiscing, as couples are wont to do, I always find myself repeating the same sentiments. I will never, ever in a billion lifetimes forget how I felt when I woke up on the morning after our wedding. I rolled over on the scratchy white sheets in the hotel room, looked at the sleeping man who I could now call my husband and was overcome with joy. Never in my life had I ever wanted anything more badly than to make a life with this man and now that the time was finally here, the moment was really real, I couldn't even comprehend it. 

That's what this photo captured for me (that and a BANGIN' tan). It captured all of that anticipation, contentment and joy. I can't look at this picture and NOT smile because it feels like just yesterday. Even four and half years later, I still find myself feeling giddy that I'm Clayton's wife.

I hope you have a very happy Friday!