Checking In

Working on getting this blog better (how many times am I going to make that promise?) but for now, look at this adorable photo of my Husband with Buster my Ceil & Poppop's tiny Yorkie who loves him: 

Update

Well it has been an interesting few weeks I can tell you that much. Steev and I started our date & recipe jars and pulled 'stay in and cook a new recipe' and a spicy chicken curry weight watchers dish. The dish was bland, we decided that if it were s stir fry with some better spices and without the sauce it would be pretty great. So we are going to rework it soon.

We pulled for the next week a trip to the bamboo forest and a braised pork shoulder. We were all set to make it happen when Steev's doctor scheduled him for back surgery. We had pre-op appointments and the surgery was to happen in 4 days from the doctor's appointment. Needless to say - our date jars have been put on hold.

The good thing about that is we will be doubling up once he is healed - 2 adventures a week? Ok, I will take it!

What also has had me sidetracked, is the fact that my Aunt Fran sadly passed away earlier this month.

How awesome is that photo? Seriously, my Dad's sweater is ridiculous but that is my Aunt with her Husband my Uncle Matt (on the left) and my Father (on the right). Aunt Fran unfortunately faced many obstacles in this lifetime. When I was about 9 or 10, she was diagnosed with MS. As her body gave up on her, she did not give up on life. In fact, she was on the dace floor at my wedding! Something she hadn't done in years...

I turned around and when she was there I was overjoyed. Aunt Fran loved to dance, and sing and laugh - her body kept her from a lot, but in that moment it was not holding her back. 

About a year ago, Aunt Fran was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. Don't get me started. If any woman on this planet should be spared of such a thing, it should have been her. Because of the weakness developed by MS, the fight was not won. We lost her. 

It is so strange that funerals also create these wonderful memories. If you have a family like mine, we spend so much concentrated time together after a loss it is impossible not to feel ok for a little while. I think the only thing that gets you through something like this is each other. The funeral was hard. So hard. One of the most heartbreaking days I will ever experience. My Uncle said these beautiful words about his lost love - and he also made us laugh, just like she would have. 

The family I have is one of pure dysfunction filled with skeletons in every closet. A lot has happened to me inside of this family and it has hardened and angered me. I am working on letting go - and hopefully this year brings me and other family members peace because I do love them a lot. My cousins and I will forever remain close, because we promised, and because we keep our promises. 

It has been a doozy so far 2013. Steev is recovering pretty well, today I was supposed to pick up an extra shift at work but due to some kids being sick, and me being sick, I was told to stay home and rest. I love working for real people. 

I am hoping for my last W2 to come in the mail ASAP - Steev and I will file and then hopefully go buy our Prius C (SO EXCITED). 

Also, I think I am going to save up for the BOCES graphic design course, and web design courses - with us relaunching our Event Coordination business, these are skills I think I am in need of. 

Anyway this was a rambling non-cohesive post because I cannot wrap my head around a lot right now. Today will be filled with laundry and cleaning and then a meeting tonight. It is a much needed day for sure. 

The Lockout is Ending, But my Frustration is Not

When my husband texts me at 6 o'clock in the morning anxiety shoots through my body like lightening. I assume something terrible is happening since well if I text him any earlier than 10am ever it is an issue. But today, the text message read:

"Tentative Agreement Has Been Reached. Hockey is Coming Back" 

"Merry Little Christmas, Jesus was given the best gift this year"

Immediately I am overjoyed. The lockout induced depression that has been in this household has become unbearable. Normally, the NHL Season starts and the New York Rangers schedule sits proudly on our refrigerator. All plans made are around this schedule, and when I moved in with my Husband I kept a promise that I will never keep him from a Ranger game. Hockey is something we truly enjoy, and since 2008 I share in the love of the sport that my Husband so deeply has. Hockey is thrilling to me, the players in the NHL are true athletes. Who else can balance while skating backwards dodging hits while focusing on the puck? Nobody. And while my smile seems permanently strewn across my face an unsettling feeling creeps up into my system. 

While Hockey is Returning, You Will Not See Me at a Game 

My frustration started during the Playoffs last year. The Rangers were amazing. They were playing like we haven't seen in a long time and it was so exciting. Every game my Husband sat in the same spot watching our team as they did us proud, or not so proud. I will never forget the devastation that was caused by their loss to The Devils in the final rounds before The Cup. I was working, wearing my jersey in the middle of the mall talking to fans who stopped by to check to see if I was streaming the game at my post. I got home just in time to watch the game close out our fighting season and my Husband hung his head, went into the bathroom and shaved off his mighty playoff beard. The problem I had during this time was the fact that Playoff tickets could only be afforded by businessmen and tourists - true fans couldn't even sit in the 'blue seats' for the prices asked. We splurged on many trips into the Garden, in fact I did some rough math. Last year for the 2011-2012 Hockey Season, between my Husband and myself,  around $2,000 was spent on Hockey Tickets & Merchandise. This number is so high because of our splurging on The Winter Classic which obviously meant so much to us since it did top my Top 100 of 2012 list. We went to the NYR & NYK Double Header at MSG, a few games including one that lifted our spirits as we mourned the loss of Nanny (The Rangers killed the Panthers 6-1 on December 11th 2011. Nanny, a fan, never got to see the Blueshirts play at the Garden, this meant the world to us). And even with sentimental value we spent more than we could afford on a sport we loved just for the pure enjoyment we got out of it. 

And what did this estimated two grand get us? A f@*%!ing lockout. 

It almost seems silly when you detach yourself and realize how much you emotionally invest in sporting events and music. Even when I defended Jack White for his September RCMH Shows I had to smirk at how much we really take pride in things that we do not even participate in. I hit my head on walls when I stand too close to them, do you really think I can skate? No. My Husband can shoot a puck and strum a guitar but he isn't getting paid what these guys get paid. I have a serious issue when the fans, who make not nearly what the athletes or musicians make are the ones shelling out the dough and getting a cat fight in return. While in this Lockout, my best friend and fellow NYR fan reminded me of a prominent scene in one of the best movies ever made: 

It is true, is the NHL going to pay my credit card bills for the tickets I charged? Is the NHL going to apologize for showing that while I thought they were the only professional sports league left not fueled by green but by heart that I was wrong? Are they? No. They're not. The Rangers got robbed of a promising season, and fans got robbed of the escape they crave. 

Will I continue to buy knock off jerseys? Yes. Will I continue to tune in especially when this lockout is a distant memory (until Bettman pulls this shit again in 10 years)? Yes. Am I so over the moon excited to hear Mr. Sam Rosen's voice again - IT'S A POWER PLAY YES! Am I saddened and disappointed by millionaires fighting will billionaires? You bet your ass yes. 

But, I am leaving this entry opened ended as I will probably blog about The Rangers as the season progresses. I follow too many Hockey Blogs and get too invested in the games to not lend my two cents from time to time - when Twenty Something Stephanie gets a makeover as a blog in the upcoming months there will be a specific section for my Rangers loving. This entry is not filled with the facts and statistics I have been obsessing over because you will be able to find all of that elsewhere. When I have a Hockey specific section be prepared for me to throw those numbers at ya, this is meant for pure opinion - I will not be buying a ticket to MSG to watch the boys fly - I just can't. Because while King Hank is amazing - he isn't going to pay my bills is he? While I look forward to going back to see The Rangers in the famous arena, I am locking this season out and will be enjoying from home. 

With that said, LET'S GO RANGERS!

(is it too early for this shit? haha)

Nice to Meet You 2013

I woke up this morning actually feeling different - 2013 will be a year that I prove a lot to myself. I am really hoping I am up to the challenges I have put in place for myself, but I believe that I can. 

A lot of people ask me about my resolutions, this year I am keeping them to myself, but I will share the resolutions that Steev & I have put in place for ourselves. 

2013 marks 10 years that Steev & I are together. In April, we will celebrate 10 years of becoming a couple. Living together for the past 4 years & being married for 1 has brought us to face many new obstacles but together we have been able to overcome it all. 

So, to make light of all of the mess life has thrown at us, we have chosen to have some fun. Instead of being bored, we have decided to be excited. Instead of beating ourselves up for being unhealthy, we have decided to explore food!

We took 2 of our many Mason Jars and each wrote out 26 dates & recipes to pick out every week and experience together. I don't know his dates or recipes, he does not know mine, so every week we will be looking at something new! The dates range from old favorites to places we have never been before and only a few could involve food (we decided). The recipes was really fun, we took down our many cookbooks and picked out 26 ones we wanted to try. I picked a lot of Weight Watchers and Vegan Recipes (to mix it up) with a few Top Chef indulgences. I am really curious to see what he chooses. 

At the beginning of each week we will choose one paper from each and then pick a day of the week to follow through. This is something I am really looking forward to in 2013.

This blog will be going through a makeover also - I am purchasing Photoshop within the month and when I teach myself some tricks this blog will become a big kid blog! 2013 will be a fun year to document, project 365 will continue on my Facebook, and our weekly dates and recipes will be documented on here. 

Happy 2013 Everyone - What are your resolutions?