Great... Another Holiday

When you're young, you think the world is a beautiful place.  When I started to get older I remember looking at my mother and informing her the world was ugly.  Everyone is so worried about social appearances we forget who we really are. Holidays are the worse. Families who would normally be broken send out perfect Christmas cards, or pictures with the Easter bunny.  We all become the Cleavers.   But I am no exception.  I always feel pressure around the holidays to make my outward appearance look perfect.  I bake and stress over what to wear to family functions, try to make everything look pristine.

This holiday, I am stressing over the tiniest thing.  This is the first holiday my boyfriend and I have been together, thus its the first family function I am attending.  As if being intimidated by this wasn't enough, we are going to church.  Now the last time I was at church was before my grandmother had to go into assisted living (easily 3 years ago).  I have never been baptized or anything, so I don't take communion.  I am freaking out about this.  His family is religious and I love that, but what will they think when I don't go up for communion? And I hate the looks I get at church when I don't go up.  People look at me and judge, like "Oh look at her, shes older and hasn't devoted her life to God, doesn't come up for communion... ugh."  This is the number one reason I stopped going to church, I can't stand judgmental people within the churches.  Plus, I'm more worried as to what his family is going to think...

But wait, there's more! Just 3 short months ago, I was at my own family Christmas with my ex fiance and step son.  Then 3 months later, surprise! I am here with my new boyfriend.  What does that look like? How do I explain that?  This is the one reason I can't stand holidays.  I may be considered in my family as Mrs. Claus around Christmas time, but the actual holiday parties and what not, I just can't stand.  I worry for weeks about these things.

 I just pray that everything goes well, not like y'all won't read about it.  But before I forget to mention it, Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate it! I know it's a few days early, but in case I forget to mention it, now I can say I haven't forgotten.  No go dye some eggs and eat your chocolate!

The 5 Year Plan

I had to sit back and re-evaluate a few things this morning.  And I'm not going to lie, I like where the next few years are looking to go.  I always like to have a 5 year plan, this one is more like a 15 year plan but you get the idea.  

After much searching for a job, 2 have become very apparent that I might receive them.  Which is good.  Both are at least an hour away, which means I can break my lease here and move back closer to home.  I moved so far away from my support system, I don't know why I ever thought that would be a good idea.  Plus I know the boyfriend would be happier to be closer to friends and family as well (and maybe cut that 2 hour commute down a bit as well).  

Once I get back into the area I am going to transfer to IUN and go for my Bachelors of Applied Science Degree in Radiologic Sciences.  After I acquire that I can become a basic X-ray technician and go to medical school in Chicago.  Thank goodness for the South Shore and the L so I can just take public transportation.  After that it's time to dominate my MCATS, and then off to a 3-7 year residency at hopefully a Chicago hospital.  Yet again, still going to cut money by the wonderful public transportation.  During my residency I will become ABR certified and officially become a Board certified doctor.  After my 1 year fellowship, I will be able to proudly say I jumped through every hoop possible and have taken my education as far as I can.  I will be Lauren Pleasant, M.D., and can finally be something of which to make my family proud.  

The only variance would be if I get into the former of the two jobs I applied for.  In that case I can go to school for my RN with tuition reimbursement (come on, who doesn't take money for college?) and then after that go to medical school for Radiology.  Fun fact, you don't have to get your Bachelor's degree in anything remotely close to what you will be going to medical school for.  If I get this route, then I can work as an RN all awhile going to school for my career.  Exciting stuff, isn't it? Lots of schooling, yes.  But you can ask the boyfriend, I'm lame and sit here and research the human body and learn about scans for fun.  Yes, I study for fun.  I'm weird, its okay to say it, I have come to terms with this fact.  

My life took a nose dive for the worse 2 months ago, and I am glad to say that after scouring over my old 5 year plan, I think I can excel in this course.  I just hope to have the backing of my family and friends.  This is why I think everyone should have a 5 year plan, or just goals in general.  Besides giving you hope for your future, you can better assess your life with them.  I mean who knows, y'all could be reading about the life of the woman who finds the groundbreaking cure to Alzheimer's with her extensive research and scans of the human brain, or who finds a better way to implement ionizing radiation in cancer treatment.   

Let's get to the Pointe

I hate being sick.  I literally curl into a ball and do not want to do anything for the rest of eternity.  This would explain why I haven't posted anything in a few days.  I was being a baby, sleeping for many hours a day, wishing my mom was here to take care of me, and longing for some lemon rice soup (and I'm still game if someone wants to bring me it!).  But getting back to the real topic today, has anyone every wished they could turn back time and finish something you started? I'm talking dream wise.  I walked away from ballet and recently I am craving to go back.  Let rephrase that, I have been wanting to go and get back into ballet since I quit.  I had goals of getting into the Joffery ballet.  Now since I realize this is not a realistic goal, I just wish I could get back and get into pointe shoes.  If you didn't know what pointe shoes looked like...

Now let me elaborate on something.  I began ballet at a young age, I want to say I was five or six.  I was long and tall and determined to get pointe shoes.  But you can't get pointe shoes that young.  You have to train your legs to be stronger and your feet to be stronger.  But above all, you need your ankles to be stronger.  I mean have you ever seen how the ankle sits when you're in pointe shoes?

Does that look comfortable to you? Nah, I didn't think so.  But I wanted it more than anything.  I tried and tried and practiced in my room.  No, I practiced in my room, down the hall, in the bathroom, while making a sandwich; at any given moment I was in one of the positions (starting positions for a dance) or practicing my  round de jambes 'a terre anywhere.  It was something I wanted beyond belief.  Not only did I dance for my company, but I joined another company.  Some years I was practicing for two recitals at once.  I was in the Northwest Indiana Youth Ballet Company.  That was a big deal to me.  I busted and busted and was finally feeling confident in my dancing.  

And then a big whammy hit.  I was bounced from class to class at my original company.  This class was to easy, this one was too hard, this one is too easy again, so on and so forth.  The hard part was it was a recital year.  So each time I got moved from one class to another, I had to catch up and learn their dance up to where they were, and then a week later I would be moved to a new class and have to do it all over again. It was so frustrating, I couldn't do it anymore. I quit.  After 12 years of dancing, I walked away.  

Now that was 4 year ago, and it kills me everyday that I don't dance.  I have been trying to convince myself to get back into dancing.  I'm terrified I won't remember how to do it.  Or like the boyfriend asks, what am I going to do with it? I'll never be good enough for the Joffery Ballet Company, so why would I restart my passion?  Maybe it is attitudes like that, that hold me back from trying to branch out and just do it.  I'll have to look more into it out here, but I do want to get back into my passion... not matter what the other opinions are.  

There's a woman for that!

I don't have girlfriends.  I have about 5 that I really talk to on a regular basis.  The rest of you are acquaintances.  I don't even have a group of girls who I hang with.  I can't stand being friends with other women.  For some reason I don't get along with girls.  I don't know if it was because I was raised by my daddy who taught me to spit and play softball and not shed a tear (I'm not good at that last one), or what is was, but I just genuinely don't get along with them.  It's not for lack of trying.  I have been really close with girls I have worked with before.  But outside of work, I never see them, or try to.    Why am I so anti-social to my own gender?  I see cliques.  And those are just waste of air to me.  I can't stand women who gossip behind other's backs.  They are competitive to always look better, appear better, and most of all, have the better men.  I can't even explain them accurately.  But if you have ever seen Mean Girls, there you go.  

I have a theory.  We girls put more thought into things and analyse more than men do. Guys are laid back and don't care what their friends do or "If Becky, like, totally macked on him last week," as long as it doesn't affect them.  Girls tend to care, or at least put in their opinion in EVER SINGLE MATTER.  Even if their own life isn't involved, or a family member, or a friend, or a friend of a family member.  This causes friction, which leads to debate, which leads to a blow out fight.  Men just don't care.  They would rather talk about sports... or whatever guys talk about.  Plus, guys joke around a lot.  I mean they poke fun at their guy friends, and they don't take offense.  Sorry women, but you know we have thin skin.  If we hear another girl say anything about us, we take it as an insult and get on the defense.  What do guys do? Let it roll right off.  They have other things on their mind, like how the Blackhawks are still in first over the Ducks by 3 points. 

I seriously want to be friends with girls.  I have tried so hard.  But are their any other girls like me? I'm obsessed with the Chicago Blackhawks (could you tell from earlier?), I like to shoot guns and my bow, talk about cars, play softball and run, go to the local honky tonk, and just sit back and relax. I mean men are only 50% of the population, what about that other 50%? That's a crap ton of people. Especially when that 50% of the population has myriad things in common with you like, I don’t know… periods; career challenges; family woes; traveling; contraceptives; cooking food or its inverse, burning food; reading; drinking until you can’t see straight; falling into or undoing all of the stereotypes hoisted upon young girls; leering eyes; dating; figuring out whether you want to be a mother or not; and my most favorite commonality, whatever it is you share with men. Like watching sports? There’s a woman for that! But where are you??

A chick flick sounds nice....

“Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80’s movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80’s movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason. But no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life.”
-Emma Stone, 'Easy A'

But honestly, who could have put it better?  What has happened to all the cute couples? Like Noah writing Ally 365 letters, Han Solo fighting through it all and winning Princess Leia, Tom Hansen still loving Summer Finn even though she chose someone else, Jack giving Rose the floating door, Ron and Heromine's hidden love, no one puts Johnny's baby in a corner, Johnny and June, Romeo and Juliet.  Okay, not Romeo and Juliet.  They were a bunch of hormone crazed teens who end up killing themselves.  Way to go Shakespeare.. but the rest of them are still in.  Every woman dreams of the iconic couples we all see in chick flicks and movies alike.  

But who really does this stuff?  I have NEVER had a cute picnic planned out for me, come home to roses on the table, lay in a field and star gazed, turned around to find a guy have written out names in the sand on a beach with the sunset in the background.  I mean this couple here is way too cute... how does this stuff happen?

Romance has never found me.  I don't believe this stuff happens.  When I was proposed to, my ex was kneeling in our bedroom in his work uniform and asked me in the voice of Daffy Duck.  Cheesy? Yes.  Romantic? No.  I have never had that guy who just sends me flowers because he is thinking about me, or buy me jewelry because he thought of me when he saw it.  Quite frankly, I'm glad I haven't.  This sets the expectations so much higher than they should be.  I know there is no real Noah, or Jack, or any of the other fictional loves.  But I'm also in reality with the fact that there are guys out there who are just as much of a gentleman as those men. I don't need 365 letters, but a cute note on the bathroom mirror? Hell yes I'll take take that!  Who needs that huge Disney proposal? I'll take a day out fishing and mudding and you kneel in the mud and ask me.  I don't need a ritzy restaurant  cook for me and I'll swoon.  

I think we need a reality check into what is romantic. Because clearly, this crap doesn't actually happen in real life. Or maybe it does and I'm missing out on it. 

Nah- this crap can't really happen.  But if someone wants to come up to me while I'm sitting at a table with my parents and proclaim, "Nobody puts baby in a corner!" and start up a flash mob, I'm okay with this.  

Really, cue music now. 

Can I be 8 again?

Why as little kids did we want to grow up? I remember wanting to move out and wanting to be on my own.  Why did I ever want that? I hate having to be responsible.  Apparently I thought that a magically little fairy would come and clean my house for me and make me dinner.  I moved away for college and my place was never clean, dishes were never washed, clothes were clean but that's because I'm obsessive compulsive about clean clothes.  I must have been naive to the world about bills and the amount of money it takes to live.  

I was spoiled a little when I first went away to college.  I made bukoos amount of money and didn't have really any bills.  I'm talking like a grand a week income and maybe one hundo going out a month.  Yea, I was spoiled.  But it also blinded me from reality.  Growing up I must have thought the money fairy went and deposited money into my mother's wallet.  I remember when we would ask for McDonalds as a child and my mom would make us ask Mr. Wallet.  She would even make him talk back. Take that Geico, your money stack doesn't have anything on Mr. Wallet! 

But in all reality, I never realized how much money my mom would spend on food and such.  I always thought everyone could afford it.  We would go grocery shopping every week and spend almost $200 on food, then get to go to McDonalds as a treat.  I knew my parents made good money, but I never realized how well off we were.  My entire town was made up of people within the same income bracket range, so looking around everyone had the same things.  It just made me feel like that's how it was supposed to be.  But then reality hit when I came home from college.  The rude awakening I wish I could go back to sleep and forget.

Long story short, I was out on my own with no assistance from mommy or daddy.  I realized how much a dollar really could buy you (or not).  I busted my ass waiting on tables for waitress minimum (let me tell you what, $2.13 and hour doesn't buy you much) and not profiting anything.  My job was a half hour away and my tips barely covered my bills and gas to get to work.  Not to mention the work to upkeep a house. Ugh, working eight hours to come home and clean more! No, the desire was not there.   How does anyone get this done?  I then understood why my mom divided up chores to me and my sister to do, because she didn't feel like doing them.  Bills became a huge thing and I felt like I was stuck under a boulder that I could never get out from under.  Why did I want to be free from my parents house? Rent was paid, utilities paid, food was always there, I had it so easy!  If I could go back to living under my moms house and only had to focus on school and cleaning a bathroom- you bet your ass I would go back to that!  

I hate having responsibilities.  I wish I could just go back to being 8 years old and just organize play dates with friends.  Now I'm juggling job interviews and trying to find find a source of income.  I wish I could get rid of all my bills and debt.  I feel like the boulder is getting bigger.  I hate cleaning, laundry, and trying to figure out finances.  Anyone want to take over the responsibilities? I have laundry to do, and dishes.... and cleaning.  I hate being a grown up. 

Crazy ex...

Have you ever had that one ex who you are SO glad that you left?  Miranda Lambert has a song about being a "crazy ex-girlfriend," but in all reality there are some people who just can't take being left.  From stalking your facebook, to actually stalking you, they get creative in their crazy ways.  I think we all have had an experience of the crazy ex, more extreme then others.

Personally, I have dealt with crazy ex multiple times.  Maybe I'm attracted to their crazy, or I'm just too blind to see it.  Either way, in the end I wish I could just go into the witness protection program to hide from them. One ex would sit and stalk my twitter account, waiting for me to say something, anything, and then proceed to tweet things directed towards me.  It started with trying to make me jealous with tweets like, "They sweet sound of dogtags when you're getting it, and shes not,"  to just tagging me in tweets asking if I missed him.  This is also the same guy who had his friends tag me around at school to watch my every move.  After I got out my phone would be blown up with questions like, "why were you talking to him," or "why did you wear my favorite shirt today?"  I've had the crazed drive by everyday at random hours done to me.  Presents sent to me months after we have split.  My current favorite (that is sarcasm at its best) is an ex who tried to sabotage my current relationship.  He took creeping to an extreme level by finding my boyfriend on facebook, messaging him, and lying.  Drama is one thing I can not stand, and you can bet your ass he will never try to mess with me or a relationship I am in again.

However some of my friends have had to deal with some extreme cases as well.  One friend had an ex block her car into the driveway so she couldn't leave, like forcibly making her stay would change her mind.  Another threatened suicide with a knife at their throat, saying if they didn't stay they would kill them self.  I have had friends who have hidden out at my house because their ex was staking out their house, or sit in the school parking lot across the street waiting for her to leave her house. This same friend I had to do a drive  by pick up just to get her away from the ex.   I have saved friends from being trapped into rooms by their ex, being pushed and shoved around and swung at.  I have cold cocked a friend's ex before.

I hope none of my exs think I have ever been the crazy ex.  I truly hope not.  Because some of these people should maybe think twice before dating.  Or maybe see a shrink.  Or maybe we should start doing a psych evaluation before dating someone.  I'm not sure which one, or combination would result in less crazy exs... but please don't let friends become the crazy ex.  When they are on the verge, slap them with the reality of the situation, and maybe rethink your friendship... they are crazy and all.  

Get down with the sickness....

I lay in bed tonight struggling with something that I have been struggling with for more than a year now.  It’s something that I think a lot of women my age go through. At least I hope they do and I hope that someone has some great advice for me.

It’s a little something called “baby fever.”

Baby fever... I'm talking serious baby fever to the point you have an entire board on pinterest filled with cradles and DIY toys, picking colors for the nursery walls, looking at onesies at baby stores, baby names have long since been picked out. But in case this isn't blunt enough for you, here are 7 ways you might be infected with the fever, the baby fever...

1.) The neighbor has a kid who cries all.the.time. Normally, that would bother the fudge out of you, but with baby fever -- it just makes you ache to hold him.

2.) it's always on your mind and it is a frequent topic of conversation in your house. Not only the baby fever, but all things baby and raising kids.

3.) So, you're out picking up some milk and eggs at the store in a hurry. You always make time to go and browse through the baby and kid clothes -- it's like you're drawn to it.

4.) Someone needs a babysitter and you are the first to jump at the chance to hang out with a baby or toddler. Free of charge just to get your baby fix.

5.) There is a constant nagging feeling that someone is missing. 

6.) Normally, your husband (or whatever they are) is the one to 'start the fun' in bed. Now, it's all you -- all the time.

And lastly....
7.) You're in bed thinking about babies and you just gently push out your stomach and pretend for a minute that there's a baby in there. Try and tell me you've never done it...


I am no where near ready for child and yet that is all I can think about lately.  I am young (yes mom, I'm admitting it), going to school, trying to start a career, and just starting out in a new relationship.  But through all of this, I can not get the thought of a baby out of my head.  Why?!!! Now that we’re on the subject, I’m not totally comfortable with the aftermath of having a baby, either. Suddenly, there will be a stranger roaming around my house. What if it hates me? What will we do together all day? Do babies like Netflix?  So while I am completely in love with the idea of being a mommy and doing all the mommy things... I'm scared shitless.  Maybe that's the comforting (I suppose?) reality of the matter. As bad as I want a child, I know that I wouldn't know the first thing to being a mom.  I mean really, what kind of mom plays dinosaur with their kid (or pseudo step-child)? 

Okay maybe a lot, but I still wouldn't know where to start. Plus who wants to spend their hard earned money on something that eat, sleeps, and poops? Oh yea and cries.... a lot. Or get little to no sleep because of said crying?  Or lose all time to themselves because they have a child now? Or no longer know the meaning to social life? 

Oh yea, me. Go Lauren. 

I need a hobby....

Military Significant Others

If any of you have ever been in my shoes, you know how much being a military SO (significant other) sucks ass.  There are bonuses, you gain about a hundred brothers who would fight for you no matter what happens.  Plus you get a brand new family, because not only are they all brothers, but the close ones are ALWAYS AROUND.  But with those bonuses, there are a bunch of downsides to it.  Now, my boy is in the Marine Reserves.  I know what a lot of you are thinking... oh he is only gone once a month and then you get to see them blah blah.  But no, it's way harder than it seems.  The Marine Reserves still deploy a lot, my boy specifically almost deployed 6 months ago.  I yea, I know they are only gone for those 3 days a month but during those three days I get no contact where as an active duty Marine gets to call people every night.  Unless they are deployed... that gets a bit hairier.  And for all of you wonderful dependapotamuses who want so badly to say horribly things to this, yes I do know what I am talking about since I have friends active duty in almost all branches of the military, as well as National Guard.  So I think I know just enough to be able to say this is valid.

If anyone is wondering what a dependapotamus is, that would be those wonderful military wives who don't work and think they have the same rank as their husbands (and let me inform you women, you are not your husbands rank... last time I checked you didn't go through boot and training .  They are the most uptight, self righteous bitches you have ever met.  They are the military wives that cause other military wives to shake in their boots.  You hear stories about these bitches, before you meet them.

And hey! All you military girlfriends! Don't be afraid of the military wives! Cause guess what, they used to be girlfriends too. And I know this should be simple logic but most times you forget. I have been a military fiance before and you somehow gain ten times more respect when you get a ring than those poor girlfriends.  But guess what? Most the time the girlfriends are the ones who sit through bootcamp and AIT/MCT or what have you.  They get shit on from the wives and dependapotamuses and still stand by their mans side.  So you know what, you go girlfriends! And I am not just saying that because I am one haha.

This has been my tangent filled rant on missing my boyfriend.  It was brought to you by PMS and the makers of Midol (seeing as the caffeine is making me stay awake...).  I need to stop typing...

now...

or now...

okay now.

Working again?

As a medical student, my schooling takes over my life. As will my eventual career; long hours, on call almost all hours of the night, stressful job loads, it literally will take over my life.  So I wonder what life would be like when I have children.  I have always had this dream of being a stay at home mother, but I also have dreams of being a radiologist in a Caner Treatment Center of America.  Large dreams, I know.  However, its one of those, 'you can't have your cake and eat it too' situations.  But it makes me wonder, how many women give up their careers to become a stay at home mom? I don't want to become that dog lady because she can't take on the stress load of children as well.

Since my overactive mind takes over most of the time, and the copious amounts of tangents it goes off on are infinite, it poses the question of 'do women who chose to stay at home ever feel like they sacrificed themselves?'  When I think of my life ten, fifteen years down the road I can't imagine not having a career.  But at the same time, I have tried to figure out how to be able to be a stay at home mom for the prime years of my child's life, and once they hit an older age go back to work.  How would I feel if I just gave up my career?  

I am amazed with women who can juggle it all.  Those women who can work a stressful and successful job, and yet be that mom who attends the soccer games and helps with homework.  I envy their organization, time management, and their ability to not become overwhelmed.  But at the same time, those women who did stay at home, have you ever contemplated going back?  Have you ever just felt like it would be easier to just work a 9-5 job?  The benefits of getting to stay at home are vast.  You get to see your child grow, you get to see the little things you would miss if you were at work.  You get to build a stronger bond with your child, as you are always there with them.  You could be the key element to their education, I know my grandmother is the single reason I read as much as I do because she used to read to me everyday as I was growing up.  But is it all worth it? I suppose it all depends on your values.  Are you a more work driven person? Or would you set it all aside to be with your family?

Like I said, I have a lot of questions with no answers. Sorry today was more of a sounding board than actual post.  Although it would be a very interesting conversation starter!

Heart to Heart with Oreos

Earlier today I felt ambitious  and was going to write about deep heart to hearts with your man.  Until I realized that I know about as much about men as I do cooking. I'm no Carrie Bradshaw (thank you for those who understand that one).  However, I did promise y'all that recipe for the Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes.  

This is what they looked like done... 

Ingredients:

42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped

2 pounds (4 8-oz packages) cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

This was how much batter I had after 12 in the oven. 

It literally makes 30 cupcakes.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

I know I have slacked the past couple of days on posts but I promise tomorrow I will spice things up instead of telling you what I made.  By the way, the cupcakes are rich, so be prepared with a glass of milk! 

Lauren does cooking!

Today I decided to take on a complete meal.  I will remind you I cook about as well as a toddler.  I'm trying to pack him lunches that are filling... plus it will save us money.  For the "appetizer" I just made a chopped salad of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, celery, and bacon.  Simple enough, so then of course I felt ambitious.   For the main part of the meal I made cheesy potato soup with bacon.  Because who doesn't love bacon? I could eat a whole pound by myself (yes, I love bacon that much)!  Now this recipe wouldn't have been too bad had it not been for all the chopping and peeling.  I doubled the entire recipe, but I will post the regular version of it.  It says total tie is 40 minutes, but plan for a little over an hour for all the chopping and peeling.  When it is all said and done, it does need a sprinkle of salt and pepper, but other than that I find it delicious!  I have to say though, be patient for it, it looks weird while you're cooking it, but it shapes up towards the end.  Just imagine my none cooking self trying to make this, all awhile cursing aloud.  Hopefully y'all like it, I'll add the Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes either later today or tomorrow.

Makes: 9 cups; Total time: 40 minute

COOK:
1	lb. thick-sliced bacon, diced
ADD:
1	white onion, diced (2 cups)
1	cup minced celery
1	Tbsp. minced garlic
2	Tbsp. all-purpose flour
6	cups peeled and diced russet potatoes (2 lb.)
1	Tbsp. dry mustard
2	tsp. paprika
STIR IN:
3	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1	Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1	tsp. Tabasco sauce
4	cups shredded sharp Cheddar
2	cups half-and-half
	Salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
	Minced scallions

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. drippings.

Add onion, celery, and garlic to drippings in pot and sweat over medium heat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook 1–2 minutes. Add potatoes, dry mustard, and paprika; cook, stirring to coat potatoes, 1 minute. Stir in broth, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, until potatoes are soft, 10–15 minutes. Coarsely mash potatoes, then stir in Cheddar and half-and-half until Cheddar is melted, 2 minutes. Remove soup from heat; season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne.

Garnish servings with bacon and scallions.

The sick spouse...

Have you ever tried to clean the house with a sick spouse at home? It is beyond impossible.  They turn into the most needy, blubbering, ball of helplessness ever.  They regress from an adult to toddler faster than Paula Deen can add butter to her cookies.  Try as I might, every time I go to get off the couch, he just moves his legs right back on top of me.  It's almost like he is trying to get me to be lazy today; which I would love to be!  However I can't afford to just lay here all day.  He keeps regressing back into his "turtle mode," which basically is him making a tent and laying here.  

"Turtle mode"

The mound of tissues that is growing might contend with the Appalachian Mountains at this point.  I guess I should know by now that I don't get anything done until he is at work anyways.  Anyone else have this problem? Where you try and try to get things done with your spouse home and yet never seem to achieve anything beside help to contribute to the same mess you're going to end up cleaning? Maybe its just me...

2 Kinds of Women

There are only two kinds of women in this world.  Those who were meant to be stay at home women, and those who were not.  However like everything in this world, of course there are those splendid little sub categories.  Yes, I'm referring to you soccer moms.  You try so hard to be like the same at home women, unfortunately you don't have us fooled. But these aren't the women I want to single out.  Spot light is on you, wonderful "high brow" stay at home moms!

Now let me define these women for you.  These aren't the moms you see chasing their kids around the park who look like they're thirty seconds from putting themselves in a time out with a bottle of Svedka.  Or the women you see walking through the super market in sweats and a t-shirt, begging the child in the cart to, "Please don't throw those carrots out of this cart. One more time Bobby I swear to..." They permanently adorn the look of a woman who desperately needs a night out on the town, away from their children. Sweats and sneakers are fine by them, and a pony-tail? They are the pros of throwing their hair up into one quicker than a child can eat a stolen cookie. No, these aren't the moms I am referring to.

These women are a whole new "super species."  I haven't quite figured out how they function.  I have no kids, and yet daily tasks such as shopping and cleaning can become too much for me at times.  These are the women you see out with their kids who are perfectly behaved, like they have shock collars on.  Their hair is always done, make-up always perfect, and their clothes? Always matched, pressed, and not just half assed picked and thrown on before Jimmy gets into something he shouldn't.  I refer to them as non-other than, the Stepford Wives.

I have no idea how you ladies do it.  Besides possibly really be made from mechanical parts.  But there is no other group of ladies I would rather like to punch than you.  You are the unrealistic version of me.  I wish I had time for all of that. But I am lazy and love sleep.  Make-up does not get put on unless I'm going somewhere to eat... that will cost me more than twenty dollars. Nice clothes? Yea, again with my previous statement about going out somewhere.  My real question is, how do you play at the park with your kids in that nice pleated skirt? I can't even walk in those heels you have on, and yet you're chasing after a toddler? How is that humanly possible? I want to tip my hat to you, however I am too filled with the overwhelming urge to push you over that stroller that I can not (I'm sure you have to be top heavy with all that hair spray, right?). 

Snow Dog

After everything that has happened to me in the past 2 months I have some how filtered into this category of a stay at home spouse.  I went from a striving medical student climbing the ladder to Chief Radiologist, engaged to an amazing man with a 2 year old son, to being a stay at home girlfriend to a carpenter with our little "dog child" Dani.  But through all of this, I am not too upset with the outcome of this yet.  

This is Dani, our "dog child."

This blog is all about my adventures from an up-and-coming career, to stay at home woman.  I can't cook worth a damn, but I plan on adventuring into the deep southern way of cooking.  Cleaning is also not a forte of mine, but I am going to try, and probably fail! I have so many things I am going to try and do while being this stay at home woman.  Hopefully I don't bore y'all to death!  

Last night we had a big snowfall, I think we got about 6 inches.  With the way our house sits, all the snow blew up against our door, blocking me from being able to open it up.  Naturally, our dog had to pee.  She was doing the bathroom dance the entire night.  Since the boyfriend doesn't get home until seven in the morning, we were trapped inside until then.  Thankfully, he got home a little earlier and shoveled us out.  Now this is Dani's first winter with us.  The snow is as high as she was, and after we got her on her lead, she ran out the door.  Now since we hadn't salted the porch yet it was a sheet of glass, which sent Dani skidding across the porch into the railing.  She scampered down the stairs and leaped into the snow and 'poof!' she was gone.  Now you have to imagine watching this excited little dog scamper down the stairs and just launch herself into this snow bank, then two second later she was gone.  It was seriously the funniest thing ever. Or the snow mustache she came out of the snow with was. Not sure yet.