Things I've Meant to Write...

I've had some bits & pieces of thoughts over the past few weeks. Things I want to remember because they either a)make me smile or b)might make you smile. Things that remind me that, yes, we DO live in a sunny, funny world if we stop & look for it.

--ok, so about 3 weeks ago, I was having a stress-filled grocery store run. There are many reasons why it was more laborious than even the routine trip:

a)I'm preggers. Did I mention that yet? Oh, because I will like 46 more times in this blog alone. You see, I don't know if this happens to EVERYone, but my sense of smell is so heightened right now that the mere cracking of the refrigerator door sends whiffs to my nose that often make me lose my appetite. And I throw things out BEFORE they expire. So the grocery store is an extremely, shall we say, sensory experience. I find my gag reflex gets excercised well there, particularly walking past the bakery or the produce (don't ask why, I don't know!)

b) This was my third trip to a grocery store to find the ONE thing I wanted. I wanted, no I NEEDED snow crab legs. And everyone had king crab, but Noooooooo, not snow! So, finally found some (sub-par) legs & also grabbed a 12-pack...of root beer, silly! So juggling this in line & the guy in front of me is talking brilliantly fast in Spanish on his cell. He gets off & IMMEDIATELY grabs my 12-pck and sets it on the conveyor. Didn't even say a word. I felt so touched by this...I was honestly about to judge him (cell phone talkers in line? arrgghh) and he instead shed a bright spot on my mini craving/crisis and actually made me feel like humanity as a whole just scored a big, fat point. I thanked him. He smiled & in perfect, dialect-free English: "Man, I can't stand that when I'm holding something heavy in line!" He waved to me & left. Not a flirty wave, a kind happy wave. I told the cashier (as she punched the crab leg code into the register) that he just totally made my day.

---I was sick in bed on my official first day of my second trimester, which was last Friday. And that was supposed to be a "crossing of the threshold" of sorts. I've heard rumors--nasty, false rumors--that you SUDDENLY, magically feel 110% better when you hit trimester dos. Ok, so I have a nasty head cold & my husband is outta town instead. He was gone for 4 days floating the gorgeous Buffalo River with his BFF and his fiance. It was a trip that I was to go on with them (they wanted us 4 to do an engagement trip with them) but when I got preggo we decided that me in remote, cell phone-free locations canoeing and camping was not the best idea. Did I mention I also have high anxiety & am a hypochondriac? So...barely getting to talk to Tan & wishing I was there. On the flipside, once I got well, it was kinda fun to suddenly have all this time to myself...going to sit at coffee shops & being silent for hours. I know I can do that whether my husband is in town or not, but there's something totally different about truly being "on your own" for a few days. I had a very rich, independent, long singlehood...so this side of myself is super fun to revisit.....but I missed Tanner a ton & I was almost NERVOUS the night he was to come home. I didn't want to bombard him. I just cooked him a little dinner & planted a wet one on him. (He looked hot & rugged & tan after his Tom Sawyer-esque adventure). And I'll end there, I promise, but it reminds me that I love BOTH sides of myself....the cooking wifey and the adventurous solo chick. Never wanna lose either one!

*I have more vignettes about the life & times of a grad schoolin', baby-growin', newlyweddin', guitar-slingin' gal from Okie City...but it's bubble bath time for this kindergarten-teaching (my current clinical assignment for my autism program) gal & my feet ache for the warm (yes, only warm) water! I'll return again, my lovlies!

~That Curl Girl

Rainy Sunday Fun

I just polished off some chicken tacos from Chili's-To-Go. It may be our 5th take-out meal in 3 days. Yes, the stove & fridge (& really most of the kitchen wares) are located in the dining room right now. But I ain't complaining....Tanner is doing a killer tile job in there right now. Woo hoo! Been waiting for this one. :)

I played at the lovely Chapel Creek Winery for most of the afternoon yesterday. Amazingly mild temps of 75-ish the whole freakin' time! Nevermind the wind, I can't complain. A lovely afternoon, including a cruise home with the top down, and then found Tanner and Kevin working so hard on the huge task that is the kitchen. And Kevin...he just gives of his time like that. He has to work weekends, but he arranged to work Sunday (today) so that he could help tile Saturday. The boy will pitch in like that for us all the time. Generous friend!

The motivation to clean & arrange things in the house today is very very slim. Rainy Sunday= reading & facebooking in bed. Yeah, I said it. I need to be honest with my little blog & just say that my name is Lisa Curl and I am addicted to Facebook. The hope would be that I actually do plunge into this book more. I am on page 57 of "Water for Elephants" and it's just not workin' for me. Anyone read the whole thing? Give me some reviews.

Ok, off to eat grapes & lay around!!

Church Girls...

Click on the title above...great article!

Very interesting. I do believe that it makes a few solid points...and any female raised in the church at all, like me, probably relates.

I think us females have to really work to overcome this "passive aggression" that we are taught is virtuous from a young age.

Sun-day

Yes, it is a very sunny Sunday. And even though the barometer crept back up to the high-90s range...we got a little "teaser" fall for a few days and there's no going back. Everyone 'round here is in the autumn-football-raking spirit. Bring it on, I love it! I'm not even a huge sports fan, but the idea of football starting up excites me. Heck, I am a proud UCO Broncho these days so I just may go to a game this season.

Speaking of, my aunt gave Tanner and me Redhawks tickets for tomorrow night. That should be fun! Hope it's not hot hot hot heat. ;)

(English lesson #24: "Tanner and me" is correct. If you ever doubt that rule while writing, drop the first name and then say it: "My aunt gave me...". You are welcome).

Yesterday...good times. Lunch with Lindy & Nova. These girls are just, plainly put, wonderful. I feel like I learn how to be a better human just being in their presence. Get down to it, you could say that about all of my nearest/dearest. If there's one thing I'm smart about it's this: surround yourself with people who inspire you to be better yet also love you wherever you are at. I thank God (quite often, actually) that He put peeps like that around me. They are family to me.

After our long, laughter-filled lunch, I met Tanner at my mom's house. Lindy joined us. Believe it or not, I don't go there often. When I head to Edmond to see the fam, I often end up at Amy's because my mom is always there babysitting. ;) So, it's almost like a time warp when I go. Lindy felt the exact same way. Being that from kindergarten to 3rd grade she walked over to my house (yes, back then little ones could walk a block or two without a crime worry...) at least 2 times a week. My mom has always kept a very immaculate and very cozy home. I am so glad she didn't sell the place, as she almost did shortly after the divorce. Anyway, Tanner and my bro raked leaves and us 3 girls sat in the front room and chatted. It was fun. My mom has always lit up around Lindy, which I love. My mother needs that!

Then I made a short jaunt to Amy's and not too soon after...I was exhausted. A very social day for me. Yet very fun. I am truly a "people" person (except when I'm not) and people give me energy. Relationship is key.

32

It's August 26th. Day after my birthday & I can look back already and say this birthday was, hands-down, the best birthday ever. Nevermind that I had to go sit through a 3-hr night class before I could go to dinner, this birthday rocked. And I don't have time to go into details, gotta get ready here in a second to return to UCO for more learnin'.

And the party ain't over yet! I love that I have some seriously awesome gal pals that are big on showering friend's birthdays with dining out. I've got a birthday lunch Saturday, a Red Cup brunch Sunday, and 2 other birthday lunches next week. Yes! Thank you, thank you, friends! OH, and Gena, I'm not forgetting to mention the creme brulee. That is our little special treat for birthdays that we've been squeezing in the mix since college. :)

~from your older-not-so-wiser CurlGirl

Just keepin' record...

I want to remember this "season" in my life, so although there's not too much to write home about, gonna blog about what is going on the past couple o days.

Well, let's see...tonight I played in the Bricktown Unplugged Festival. All proceeds go to the Alzheimer's Association and I love that! Sunday is the last day; that's tomorrow, peeps. So ya got one more day to check it out and Travis Linville is tomorrow afternoon. He rocks! (my plug to my 3 loyal readers...)

So, I had fun, didn't think I did super hot because they were filming & that always makes me overanalyze my lyrics, my tone, etc. But Kevin claims it's the best he's ever heard me. (He's a also a very loyal friend, so who knows?)

Tan & I used one of the last restaurant.com coupons we'll probably ever have (thanks, Steve & Laura!) because there seems to be a hitch with most of them these days. "Oh, sorry, we don't take those anymore..."

But they took it at Brix & we dined like royalty on a Chili's-esque kinda tab. Not that Brix is fancy cuisine. It's a frickin' sports bar with about 30 TVs and about 15 Lazy Boys....seriously. But they do make a delicious steak so we both ordered the best they had.

After that we mosied over to the Mantel. My friend Camille Harp was playing. And I mean friend in the sense that tho we don't get to see each other outside of gigs often, we always have great conversation when we do & I think she is a genuine, fun gal with a beautiful voice to boot. We didn't stay long...Tanner felt stuffed. The stuffed where ya just wanna hang out at home in your pjs. :)

What else? I start my classes this week. I am so pumped to finally have my advisor/department chair for an actual class. This woman is about as golden as they come and I can't wait to learn from her. She has her heart & her head in the right place when it comes to child advocacy & I have a feeling she is going to teach me so very much. I also start a class called ABA that I anticipate will be very hard. It begins a 5-class group that I will do over the next two years that specifically explores autism. I'll be getting a specialization in it when all is said & done. I'll also be serving clinical hours for the class. I'm nervous about that. I feel very comfortable with the population I've been serving for a while (teens, home life strife, mild disabilities, social/life skills-centered) but elementary-aged autistic children will be a new experience for me.

And of course it is back-to-school season...which also means birthday season! I've already got a double date on my Bday night (after I get outta class at 7:15!) and my friend Sarah just asked if she could treat me to sushi the night before...well, of course!

I've read so many books this summer, and as soon as I finish this post up, I'll start a new one tonight. Just finished a suspense-filled book called "Secrets of Eden" and although it was well-written throughout, I felt the author let me down at the end. It was the whole "let's twist this just to twist it" kinda ending that I didn't feel was warranted due to the lack of any decent foreshadowing. Now I'll read a no-brain, summer romance just to say goodbye to summer. Of course it is called, "A Summer Affair." (yes, I know you must underline for book titles; I loved that portion of 6th grade English...but I just don't care in the blog. Capeesh?)

The last 4 books I've 'rented' have all been librarian recommendations. I figured there is no one better to ask! I tried to verbalize the types of books I was looking for. But that is like trying to describe your "perfect man" long before you've ever met him (yes, cuz we all find someone perfect in the end, right? heehee). You really have no idea what you are wanting until you dive in & invest some of your time/energy.

And unlike life partners, you need not settle for one book. Read several at a time for the rest of your life if you want! :)

~That CurlGirl

Tom Ka Gai

Who is this Tom guy, you ask? Only the one antidote I turn to when my tummy is giving me trouble. The "chicken soup for my digestive soul," if you will. Tom completes me.

No, Tanner need not worry...I, of course, am merely talking about a type of coconut milk soup that I have been having quite often this summer. Actually, during the school year as well! I have had the great fortune of working literally smack dab in the Asian district of OKC the past 3 years....thus I feel safe to say that I can tell you the best place for Thai, the best Pho in town (in orders 1, 2, & 3), and which buffets actually give you the best bang for your buck (and are MSG-free!). So, Tom Ka Gai became this thing that seemed to creep it's way into my diet. I swear to you it has healing powers. ;)

So, tonight I decided I'd make it from scratch at home. And I also added the twist of using all organic and/or free-range ingredients. While buying all the ingredients organically was costly on the front end, over the long haul....it's gonna be cheaper this way.

I am not going to pretend that I am some all-organic gal. If you hang around me at all, you know that that is NOT true! However, I've had to reshape some thinking this summer. Considering I almost had surgery but changing my eating habits, along with a medication, has literally helped me "dodge that bullet," I will go online now to say that I hope to research & learn more about the food I eat. I'll never swear off soda totally. I'll never claim to be process-free for life. But I can make small changes. And I truly believe food can BE our medicine for many, many things. My hope is that in the next 4 months I will not need my medication for my acid reflux and gall bladder at all, merely because I am not putting tons of toxins into my body. Have you seen "Food, Inc"? Crazy, crazy stuff... I digress...

So with thanks to the knowledgeable staff at Forward Foods, the lovely Asian District, and my husband (who wonders why it smells so funky in the kitchen now), I present to you the link to a soup recipe that proved to be a winner. I just ate a steamy bowl & LOVED every bite.

click for recipe

I also read some of the feedback/reviews before making it. The first review has great advice. He/she called this recipe a "mock" Tom Ka Gai, and I believe it. Or, rather, we should call this "Tom Ka Gai for Beginners/Whities Such As Me." I imagine the Real McCoy has at least 10 more secret spices in it.

I, along with others, wanted more lime.

(I tell ya, someday I hope to write a cookbook with "lime" in the title.)

So I doubled the lime part. It was maybe a tad too much. I also added more coconut milk than the recipe called for, only because I wanted more in volume---I predict I'll have this for lunch over the next 4 days or so.

I cut back a tad on the tumeric. Research the health benefits of this Eastern spice & you will want it in there even though it does take the color from a pure white to a golden yellow.

I also am not a huge cilantro fan, but found it was just not gonna be complete without adding it at the end. Oh, and the only other "tweek" I did was instead of vegetable oil, I used coconut oil. That was merely my preference because of my sensitive digestive system.

If you aren't ready to plunge into this recipe, go to your favorite Thai place & order a bowl. See if it is love at first sip for you the way it was for me. It may not be your thing...heck, Tanner grilled a juicy steak while I made this soup because he is not a fan of most of my Eastern obsessions. ;) But that is one of our many yin/yangs and the reason we work.

Just let me know what you think with a lil' old comment if you do try this recipe!

~That CurlGirl