Tag: award show season

Snowy Weekend Things

Lauren1 Comment

You guys, you should have seen the grocery store on Friday!  We left work early to do our usual Friday night shopping trip (I am officially the antithesis of fun) and it was INSANE.  A million people, out of everything (and by everything, I mean bananas and spinach) and check out lines that looked like they were winding through the entire store.  It was like Y2K!  Except that I didn’t grocery shop back then so I have no idea what Y2K was actually like and except that it was just a snow storm everyone was bracing for, not some massive technological shut down.

We fully intended on going to the movies that night, but we got word that the new brewery down the street — yeah, because two other breweries within walking distance and A KEGERATOR IN OUR LIVING ROOM weren’t enough — had just opened, so change of plans!  They do this “guest brewer” thing where regular Joes can come in and brew with a professional and then have their beer served in the taproom.  I can’t decide if that’s cool or dumb but the beer I had was great!  The Peach Cobbler taster however… I took one sip and couldn’t imagine taking another.

IMG_7123Saturday was my nephew’s birthday and somehow he is SIX YEARS OLD.  When the heck did that happen?!  Before driving into Longmont, we went to our coffee shop and looked at pictures from the day he was born.  Whoa, we all look so young!  But now, 6-year old Gennaro has a bunch of school friends, wants to grow out his hair and wear ripped jeans and is too cool for Joey and I.  Though Joey was granted permission to join the exclusive laser tag group.  Three adults against all the kids: 23,000 points to 5,000 points.  I mean, way to take it easy on them, guys.

IMG_7125

After the party, we grabbed lunch (“I love Chipotle, Chipotle is my life”) and finally went to that movie.  American Sniper!  Okay, look, I was kind of preparing to hate it.  I think war movies are incredibly difficult to pull off, especially when you’re talking about recent war because it’s just kind of a sensitive subject and I don’t think it’s easy to represent that stuff in a way that will please everyone, but you know what?  I actually really liked it!  I didn’t agree with any of the criticism I’d heard about it and I thought it was very well done.

IMG_7149

It was full-blown blizzard status when we got out of the movie, so we drove home, parked it on the couch in our pajamas and stayed there for the rest of the day/night.  I think we watched something like 85 episodes of Friday Night Lights.  Give or take.  And though I was expecting and kinda hoping to wake up to 16″ of snow, I think we got about 5″.  Wah wah.  But snow days and Sundays call for fun breakfasts!  Is it weird that I’ve been dreaming of breakfast tacos all week?  Wait, don’t answer that.  I made us each some, plus pancake minis, strawberries for me and sweet potato home fries for Joey.  More breakfasts like this forever, please!

IMG_7130

I was kind of dying to break a sweat and seeing as we couldn’t use snow as an excuse not to go to the gym, we headed there mid-morning.  For real, I left my phone there and didn’t realize until we were home.  Who puts their phone down on a table to put their jacket on, then leaves it there and doesn’t notice?  Probably the same person who leaves their purse at restaurants and doesn’t notice.  I’m blaming Oscars excitement for my lack of focus.

IMG_7138

IMG_7143

I made us this way-too-extravagant-for- just-two-people spread of Oscars viewing snacks and though we crushed that bowl of veggies, grapes, nuts, figs and popcorn, I swear we didn’t eat all of that cheese.  That Cambozola was a recent Bon Appétit recommendation and it was like a blue cheese-brie hybrid that tasted totally awesome.  How often is one allowed to eat cheese and crackers for dinner?  As for the actual Oscars.  Kinda meh, don’t you think?  NPH’s jokes didn’t seem to be hitting the right note (I personally thought they were too short and hard to catch) and everything in general just wasn’t that memorable.

Oh and Joey and I tied on our Oscars ballot.  I picked Birdman for Best Picture so I’m calling myself the winner, though.

IMG_7148

This is our forecast for the rest of the week.  Pray for us!

Weekend Things: The Start of the Kitchen Remodel

Lauren2 Comments

Ladies and gentlemen, an ode to my husband who single-handedly installed our new kitchen sink this weekend!

IMG_6980

To say I’m in love (with the sink, but also with Joey) would be a huge huge understatement.  Long story short, we finally got around to ordering new countertops last week and they’re coming to measure tomorrow so the sink suddenly needed to be installed and more importantly, level.  Sounds easy, but when your house was built in 1908, nothing is really level.  Look, I don’t know how he does it, but he always gets it done.  And THE SINK.  Would you just look at it?  I’ve never been so excited to do dishes in my life.

IMG_6964

IMG_6993

In other weekend news, you know you’re 25 and married when you do your grocery shopping on a Friday night and look forward to staying in to eat dinner in your sweatpants and watch TV.  Oh wait, that’s what I do every night.  Did you know John Mayer hosted the Late Late Show for three days last week?  Yeah, as in a singer/musician with no hosting experience was running the program.  IT WAS THE BEST.  Those of you who aren’t crazy Mayer superfans probably don’t know that he is FUNNY, but seriously, he is.  Also, he had a “Croon Cam.”  Nuff said.

IMG_6994

Saturday, when Joey was starting the kitchen work — hey, for the record, I did help carry out the old countertop/sink — I was extra excited that I had a massage and facial scheduled.  And they both felt so amazing.  I had a half hour between appointments, so I took myself out in the miserable 70 degree weather and enjoyed some reading in the sunshine.  I’m in the middle of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness and it is extremely fascinating and well-written.

IMG_6976

IMG_6992

My mom bought me an amazing orchid and this is what happened when I tried to drive it home with the windows rolled down on the highway.  I thought the highway was just really dirty, then I looked over and realized it was all the soil from the plant.  Oops!  But it was actually pretty funny and it also forced me to vacuum out my car, which I’ve needed to do for… uh too long anyway.  And now my orchid is living a happy life in my bedroom and I’m determined not to kill it.

P.S. Please note that bag of cookies in the first picture, that my mom also gave me.  White chocolate chip oatmeal, mmmmm.

P.P.S. We rented The Judge on Saturday night and while I liked the movie, I didn’t think anyone individually gave an Oscar-worthy performance.

IMG_6996

Totally wasn’t going to get all hopped up on caffeine yesterday, but Joey suggested we take a walk to our favorite coffee shop and who am I to argue with the person who gave me the farmhouse sink of my dreams?  Followed by a day of feeling anxious, distracted and irritable.  Oh and pretty sure I didn’t sleep last night.  Fun times!  After consuming this, I took myself to the gym.  It was sunny and in the 60’s but it was also WINDY and I’m such a baby about the wind.  I mustered two whole miles before calling it quits.

IMG_6989

When I got home, Joey and I cleaned ourselves up and went to lunch!  I am forever torn between my desire to cook in my own kitchen and to try all the amazing restaurants we have in Denver.  Dining out won that day.  We went to the Slotted Spoon which is a meatball restaurant that offers subs, pastas and salads using those meatballs.  I got a chicken meatball sub and I kept getting an occasional taste of…dirt?  I think it was just some herb in the sauce that my taste buds weren’t liking — Joey thought I was crazy — but otherwise, we loved this place and I already want to go back.

IMG_7011

When we got back home, Joey proceeded to hook up the actual plumbing for the sink and I proceeded to wash two days worth of dishes in the bathroom sink.  Such fun!  Not.  And then I somehow cooked dinner without countertops or running water in the kitchen.  I’m magic!  But it really wasn’t so bad.  And I can sum up the rest of our night with one word… Grammys!  I tweeted all the tweets and probably don’t have any followers left.  I couldn’t help it!

What did you do this weekend?