Barn Photos....

Silly Dog Jive.....

The Barn Itself....This is where I lived.
Rosie, who was having none of getting her photo taken.

All the hay for the horses.  Yes, I walked in my high heels out here.

Enjoy the Laughs

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Photos of Round Two: How Sweet It Is!

Bridget, Shannon, I & Kim decked out in ZAG gear and celebrating the WIN.

Yes, we are #1!

The very best display that I have ever seen. 

The Team at Half-Time.

Ray, Matt & I at half-time.

Kim and Shannon sporting some awesome bulldog tatoos.

Luck Held out for One More Round....

Yesterday morning I woke up with a text message from my friend Ray stating that they had a ticket for Round 2 for me.  You see their friend got sick and couldn't make it to the Gonzaga vs. Western Kentucky Game.  I could not believe my luck. Little did I know that I would be witnessing one of the closest basketball games of my life.  I arrive the Rose Garden at 2 pm yesterday giddy at a chance to watch not only our basketball game, but also the UW vs. Purdue game.  I left the Garden at 8 pm exhausted, hoarse and thrilled.  I was there when Gonzaga defeated Western Kentucky in a close game made it to the SWEET SIXTEEN!  

Once the win was secure the ZAG fans in Portland celebrated in true fashion.  As a basketball fan, I couldn't have asked for more.  Oh, did I mention that I watched UW lose right before our game. Talk about perfection.

The next game is on Friday against UNC Tarheels and if the team that I know and loves shows up, we have a very good game ahead of us.  I plan on recovering my voice at some point in the next day or so. Until then, I plan on enjoying this sweet victory.

GO GONZAGA! G-O-N-Z-A-G-A!

The Hero of the Day!

Gonzaga's Demetri Goodson, center, is hugged by teammates after scoring the winning shot against Kentucky during the second-round men's NCAA college basketball tournament game Saturday in Portland. Gonzaga defeated Western Kentucky 83-81. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Round 1 Photos!!

Right before getting into the arena.

The Bulldogs ARE Battleproof.

Claire, Spike & I

Sue and I at the social.

The Beer that Started it all....

A Bulldog Can Beat This Right?

The Mascot for WKU, our opponet tomorrow.  I have no idea what it is, but a Bulldog can beat it....right?

Round One: Recap & Photos

Yesterday started all too early for me.  Just couldn't sleep.  Remember Christmas Day morning when you try to keep your eyes closed just another 10 minutes in order no to annoy your parents?  That was me yesterday... I woke up at 8 am ready to take on the day full of basketball.  

After fueling up with both coffee & food, and some mighty fine beer samples at lunch (See the photo below.) we headed to the Alumni Pre-Game Social at the Oregon Convention Center.  Everything a true ZAG needs: a photobooth (like the kind a a circus or fair), free shirts, the cheerleaders & band...food and more beer.  Surrounded by my "people" I was in heaven.  The best part?  Being surprised by Shannon & Barney at the social.  I turn and all of a sudden they were there.  Talk about good Zag karma.

Off to the game, in a mist of fans from all across the country I was quickly reminded that this is the BIG Dance: NCAA.  The game that counts for everything.  And then, I got nervous.    I became the worst version of myself.   I became the uber fan.  As the game progressed, I didn't see a moment of joy or completion until 13:00 left on the clock (in the second half no less) did I see the team that I know and love finally show up.  The playing at the point to the end was beautiful and clean and actually fun.

After our game completed in a big W (thank you very much) we decided to stay and watch the following game Illinois vs. Western Kentucky.  Well, here is another highlight of my day: sitting 3 rows behind the basket.  Here's how: Travis (my darling and lovely friend) is the coach for the Seattle University Cheerleading squad and is close to the GU cheerleaders.  They invited him down to sit with them to watch the final game of the day.  Being the friend that he is, Travis brought me along. 

I ended my day three rows behind the basket at NCAA game.  Not a bad way to spend my night, right?

Tomorrow the ZAGS play Western Kentucky and the most  ridiculous mascot in NCAA.  If we thought a silly kangaroo was bad, wait until you see tomorrow's mascot.

Enjoy the photos everyone.... :) 

GO ZAGS GO!

The Prized Tickets

Be Jealous...be very jealous.

I am One of the Lucky Few

Somehow, some way I was able land tickets for today's game against the Akron Zips in Portland, Oregon.  On Selection Sunday I told myself that if the zags get Portland I would go tickets or not...through the magic of Stubhub.com me and a few other committed zag fans will be joining me for the Madness today.  To say that I am excited does not begin to cover it.  This is my first NCAA tournament since I stopped working on ships.... then to be able to go to one of the games at a very "home court" advantage scenario...what more does a girl need? 

Look for updates, photos and more tomorrow as I fill everyone in on today's game.

GO ZAGS GO!  BEAT THOSE ZIPS!!

Problem Posting?

Is it my lack of posts causing my low number of comments or is there a techincal error?  If you have submitted a comment to the blog, it wont automatically post as I have to moderate each comment/post.  That might be why you are not seeing instant gratification when comes to the posting... 

Even the President Does It...

Are you not buying to the Madness of March? You might be the only one. Even President Obama did a bracket.  Hmmm...Gonzaga at Sweet Sixteen, not bad. :) 

Although President Obama does have UNC taking GU out of the Tournament in the 3rd Round, who know...anything is possible, right?

 Have  you filled out your bracket yet? If not, click here for a printable version. 

Yes, I am Knitting a Blanket.

The barn life is finally getting to me.  I am knitting a blanket.  Yes, a blanket... what the hell am I thinking?  This thing is going to take 5 years to complete.  Grrr.... nothing like a challenge, right? Oh well.  Below you will see the yarns as well as the progress of where the blog is currently at. 

My Poor Yaris

My Sunday Morning Sucked….

I woke up yesterday to a fresh blanket of snow falling on the ground.  Hooray.  Mother nature threw a wrench in the plans for me, apparently winter is not quite over yet.

Well, I had a shift at the Banana Republic store in downtown Spokane at 12:15, so I got moving and ready to walk out of the barn at around 10:30.  (It doesn’t hurt to be super early, right?)  So as my little Yaris was going down the hair pin turns she decided to go straight rather than turn so she landed in an embankment.   Fantastic, right? Now bear in mind that this is a road that approximately 75 vehicles travel down per day….and to top it off on a Sunday morning.  What a great way to spend my morning. 

Fortunately, I wasn’t injured (TG for seat belts) nor was my car or my shoes.  I had to use both hands to open the car door with a heavy push.  I know that I am not the strongest person, but it was slightly scary.  The car was sitting very precariously on the side of this embankment.

I called 4-1-1 for a tow truck and of course I went to an answering machine (remember, Sunday morning?) Then at that moment a 4-runner drove by with a man and his girlfriend who were willing to give me a ride back to the barn in order for me to call a tow (and stay out of the cold.)  These Good Samaritans saved me from a good cry session in the middle of the country. 

Long story short, I called a tow and then my friendly barn neighbors Bob & Jane to see if they could drive me back to my car so I could wait it out.  1 hour later my Tow Truck had arrived, this 60 year old man looked like my knight in shining armor.  

I thought the scary part would be getting out of the car, but Ron told me I had to get back into my little Yaris to turn the wheel!! What?  Are you serious?  He looked at me blankly and said, “Yes, I am serious.  Your car is not going anywhere….it is winched to my truck.”

Right.  Okay.  I climbed into my car nervously following his instructions, “Left. No, your left.  Hold it there.”  Five minutes later, my car was free from the embankment with mud, snow and debris but overall unharmed in the process.

Lesson learned: When it says 20 MPH that’s what you should go.

And to prove my point, I included photos....

Oh, in case you were wondering being early to work actually got me in the long run.  Because my car was stuck on the side of a hill, I missed my shift.  Talk about ironic.

Spring is Finally Here!!

The snow is melting and although the grass is mucky being here on these beautiful sunshine days reminds me of how beautiful Spokane can in fact be.

My days with wildlife spotting is hardly over however.  The deers are out and about, and although I haven't had an collisions with these fine animals I have had numerous close calls....with fog, snow and ice all as factors in a potential crash.  Thank god my Yaris has managed to go here and there without hitting any deer. 

You know what kind of wild life I just don't "get"?  Squirrels.  Carrie Bradshaw said it perfectly when she said, "Squirrels are just like rats but with cuter outfits."  Walking to work today I was admiring the bright beautiful morning when I almost ran into a squirrel.  Seriously.  It just ran right into me.  Almost colliding with a potential rabid animal (this Michael Scott's "fun" run) made me squeal just like a little girl.  Great way to start my Friday, right?

Do I have to mention GO ZAGS at WCC this weekend?? I am ready to watch some pretty sweet basketball...all to lead up to the NCAA! 

Woo-Hoo, A New Update!

This is going to be a long post, as it is LONG over due.  (I know it is bad when I am getting phone calls from people asking for blog updates.  Wow, I feel so loved and popular.  Thanks Bridget for reminding me!) 

So let's see what is the new news from Spokane and the Barn?  First and foremost I am still knitting in fact I am knitting a blanket.  Why? Just  for a new challenge.  I keep telling myself that a blanket is just a large scarf.  I found a pattern on a knitting website to which I belong to (yes, I am a knitting nerd) and I thought I would give it a shot.   I will have to take photos and let you know how it all goes.  So far, so good. I figure it will be done by the time a friend of mine has their first child.  (Note: At this time, none of my friends are expecting.... so I have at least a year to finish this thing out!)

The basketball season is coming to a close, at least for home games it is.  Tomorrow marks the last game of the season at GU and of course I have tickets.  The game should (note the word should) be a cake walk, but Senior Night is always my personal favorite of the season.  Then the team is off to Vegas for the WCC tournament.  Now, I have to let you know I have received much criticism for not attending the tournament in Vegas.  To set the record straight, I have way to much fun in cities without 24 hour Chapels, Casinos and Buffets. If I went to Vegas I would return to Spokane married, broke and 10 lbs heavier. 

The snow is finally melting here in Spokane which allows me to wear my beloved shoes without fear of snow or muck all over them.  I have not resorted to feeding animals in my high heels however as it is still slightly unpractical. Trust me....

February has been full of trips and visitors as well for me.  I headed to Seattle for Caroline's birthday as a surprise President's Day weekend and we were all able to see the Lion King as a family.  (For anyone in Seattle....the show was AMAZING.  It is still running. Go and see it.... You will be happy that you did.)

The week following, Ray came to visit me for the basketball game on Feb. 21st against Pepperdine.  We had a great time including watching Slumdog Millionare.  (I went to see it before it won best picture.  What a psychic, right?) If you have not seen it yet...go and do it this week.  Alone or as a date, it is a fantastic movie.   One of the best I have ever seen. (And I have seen quite a few movies...)

Another development is I am participating in Gonzaga's Relay for Life April 3-4 and would love friends and family to consider supporting this great cause. Each of us, directly or indirectly, has been impacted by cancer in our lives.  

This walk will allow me to celebrate the lives of those individuals who are survivors and how blessed I am to have them still in my life.  This walk will also allow me to remember and honor those who have lost their lives to cancer, especially my grandmother who passed away when I was only 2 years old. 

I know that times are tough, but $10 is better than nothing.  Consider giving up your lattes for one week and donate to an excellent cause.

To Donate and Help me Reach my Personal Goal, Click Here.

 

I Am Not 21 Anymore

It is 4:30 in the afternoon and I am waiting for my morning coffee to kick in.  That is how tired I am.  Why you may ask, my dear and gentle reader?

 

***Deep sigh***

 

Three words: Young Alumni Weekend.   

 

***Another deep sigh***

 

Essentially a handful of a couple hundred young alumni descended into Spokane this weekend for reliving the good old glory days with beer, wine, shots & of course a basketball game over the course of two days.  

 

Lesson learned: I am not 21 any more.  In fact, I feel about 45 right now.  It's not that I drank a huge amount of alcohol, because I didn't (since I had to drive back to the barn a-okay and that is a 45 minute drive.) it was because I stayed up until 3 am both nights…. My old ass is tired today!

 

Other lesson learned: Us GU alum (no matter how “young” we are), know how to have one good time!  Catching up with friends from college will always be one of my favorite things to do…

 

In that spirit, I want to invite alum of GSBA/GAB for a very unofficial reunion coming up this spring.  You see, the Activities Board is bringing 2-time Grammy nominated Death Cab for Cutie on April 24^th.  Could you imagine a better or more fun reason to return to Spokane for the weekend?   I mentioned it to a handful of alumni buddies who were in town this weekend for the festivities…. And there seems to be a great interest!

 

For more information on the show itself click here.  I will probably make a Facebook group or something so be on the lookout!!

Talk about reliving the college glory days.  

Rumor has it....

I have to share this story with all of my handful of barn blog fans.

Being in Spokane, I am reminded how small this city is...and how small the Gonzaga community is. I was out last weekend with Shannon & Barney at Jack and Dan's and as I met people for the first time they would mention the Barn Blog and how I feed the animals in high heels! Normally this internet stalking would make fairly nervous, but that is what you get then you have a blog right?

Instead of fighting the rumor mills regarding my choice of shoes in my new country living habits, I will embrace them. Besides, it's more interesting....right? The next time I meet someone for the first time I will in all honesty, pretend that I actually do in fact feed the animals in high heels.

It will be great if for nothing more than the looks of surprise on peoples faces.

My Fans Have Voted Mamma Bobko...

And an overwhelming 90% of the votes are leaning towards you coming to visit me for a game!! (Okay, so maybe it is only 10 people, but still... numbers don't lie!)

Spokane can't wait to have you as a guest Mom. The game on February 19th is yours. You don't want to disappoint fans of the barn blog do you?

Two Months at the Barn....

And I am still alive. Thank God.

I have two new barn living stories that I need to share with my handful of devoted readers.

First, and I don't want to sound too sappy or emotion, but have you ever seen the dark canvas of the winter sky? After a long and draining day at work, there is something about stepping out of my car with absolutely no sound to look up and see hundreds of stars in the sky in breathtaking. Something I had never seen before. Of course I have spent time gazing at the night sky in the summer, but my winters have always been spent in the city with lights and well, distractions. Quickly I am reminded that this universe is much bigger than you or I. The stress of the day melt as I turn to feed the two horses and chat with Jive the dog.

(And just to clear something up, I do not feed the horses in my stiletto heels. Although I would personally love to, but not quite practical.)

Second barn story.... Now I have to ask, what is with me and smoke alarms? Over the past week I have set off the smoke alarm in the barn twice. (For some reason, I am reminded of my adventures on the high seas, don't ask me why.) Now, I wasn't trying to cook a new amazing recipe, instead I was trying to simply light a fire. Either it was the ashes or the air but the fireplace was not having any of it. Then, all of a sudden the smoke alarm went off... I opened windows, turned on the fans and grabbed extra blankets to keep warm. I think things are going to be a-okay from now on as I am fully prepared with a strategy: fans/windows/sweatpants. Done and done.

As for tonight & this weekend: I am off to the game (potentially the game of the YEAR!) in about an hour. And as for this weekend, Shannon & Barney are joining me for Gonzaga vs. USD. Barney has never been to a game in the Arena and did I mention that it is the Homecoming Game? And that the Bomb Squad is performing? Sounds like a combination of perfection.

I will post pictures from the game here as well as Facebook.

Do I need to mention......

GO ZAGS!

Record Snowfall at Gonzaga

The following is a little slideshow I put together with the photos from the record snowfall last December. Can you spot your favorite GU places underneath all the white stuff?

Here Comes the Brackets....

This is from one of my favorite ZAG sites: http://www.slipperstillfits.com/
(If you haven't already....check it out and then add it to your favorites!)

Bracketology 2.0: Well Hello, UW

by BuffZag on Jan 27, 2009 5:43 PM PST

Wouldn't this match up just make your day?

In our second installment of Slipper Still Fits' Bracketology, we put the Gonzaga Bulldogs as the four seed in the Portland region. One of our largest movers, the Washington Huskies finds itself as the five seed in the same region. I think that the tickets for that game would sell out within five minutes. But in all honesty, as we sit right now, this is a very realistic scenario because the Huskies are leading the Pac-10 and the Zags are playing some great basketball.

In this week: Portland State, Mississippi State, Penn State, LSU, Texas A&M-CC, Vermont, Holy Cross, Bethune-Cookman, Northern Iowa, Buffalo

Out this week: Arkansas, Notre Dame, Albany, Weber State, American, Hampton, Stephen F. Austin, Miami (OH), Stanford, Wisconsin

Here is the link to our first version of bracketology...

The play in game will be Alabama St. v. Bethune-Cookman

East	South	Midwest	West
Boston, MA	Memphis, TN	Indianapolis, IN	Glendale, AZ
Philadelphia	Dayton	Greensboro	Greensboro
1 Pittsburgh	1 Oklahoma	1 Duke	1 Connecticut
16 Austin Peay	16 Holy Cross	16 Play-In Game	16 Robert Morris
8 Tennessee	8 Virginia Tech	8 St. Mary's	8 Ohio State
9 Davidson	9 Villanova	9 Baylor	9 Florida State
Portland	Boise	Boise	Portland
5 Purdue	5 Clemson	5 Butler	5 Washington
12 USC	12 Miss. State	12 BYU	12 VCU
4 Syracuse	4 Memphis	4 Illinois	4 Gonzaga
13 Portland State	13 George Mason	13 Western Kentucky	13 Northern Iowa
Minneapolis	Kansas City	Miami	Miami
6 West Virginia	6 Minnesota	6 UCLA	6 Kentucky
11 Penn State	11 UNLV	11 Siena	11 LSU
3 Xavier	3 Arizona State	3 Michigan State	3 Texas
14 Long Beach State	14 Buffalo	14 Texas A&M-CC	14 VMI
Minneapolis	Philadelphia	Dayton	Kansas City
7 California	7 Florida	7 Kansas	7 Georgetown
10 Missouri	10 Dayton	10 Miami (Fl)	10 Utah State
2 North Carolina	2 Wake Forest	2 Louisville	2 Marquette
15 Cornell	15 Vermont	15 North Dakota St.	15 E. Tennessee St.

The idea of UW playing Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament makes me want to die, just a little bit. I would LOVE to see that game.....almost my dream. It would be the perfect chance to show what a silly mistake UW made when they decided not to play GU anymore (when the record was 7-1 Gonzaga) for a more nationally recognized program.

Again, check out this blog...it's all student ran and researched and one of the best ones out there.

My Mom is Afraid to Vote

My mom has yet to vote on if she should attend a game with me or not! I spoke with her yesterday and she even told me that she was afraid to check my blog to see what the numbers are. Silly Mom. I told her at the time, the votes were highly in her favor to come over and join me...maybe she didn't believe me.

MOM--- I have a ticket with your name on it. Come to Spokane & the barn!

Shannon & Barney's Wedding Blog....

From their wedding Sept. 27th, the photographers posted a handful of images of Shannon & Barney's wedding. Below is one of my personal favorites....



To see them all on-line click here.

Many Congrats again guys and I can't wait to see you both this weekend for GU vs. San Diego!!

Who Misses This??

Students camping out for seats for Thursday nights game..... did I mention it is 27 degrees outside? In the middle of the day!

There are already 34 tents set up with seven people per tent. This game is already building up to be similar in anticipation to the UW games of old and the WSU game last year. I love it.


GO ZAGS!

Results of the First Poll....

It looks like I will be learning how to cook while drinking. Now that is something that I can put my full effort into as it combines two of my favorite to things: eating & drinking!!

Sorry Shannon that Snowshoeing didn't win...maybe we can try when you come to visit in two weeks.

Make sure to vote for the new poll in an attempt to convince my mom to use some of her many airline miles to come to Spokane and join me for a game. Did I mention that her birthday is Feb. 20, the day after the LMU game? How much fun would that be?

A Successful First Visit…..

On Friday Kim arrived in Spokane to be my first official guest at the barn. What a whirlwind weekend we had. From visiting all of our favorite eats….the GU bookstore for almost 1 ½ hours as well as Jack & Dan’s…. we were running on empty towards the end of the weekend. (Or at least I was….)

For myself, other than showing Kim my killer fire making skills, was taking Kim to her first home game in the new McCarthy Arena. We arrived to campus with plenty of time to spare and after a hefty burrito at Sonic with a pint perfect Mac & Jack we headed to the bookstore….mandatory for any GU visit, right? Kim wanted something different than what she already had: a navy zip up sweatshirt. We could find nothing in her size or color that she was looking for. I got so bored that I actually read a Zag children’s book out loud….to no one. A few people looked at me strangely, and my quick response, “I have been here for nearly 45 minutes.”

After selecting the perfect outfits, for her parents….we found nothing for Kim we headed to Jack & Dan’s to take the edge off of our shopping headaches. I realized that people watching is something that Kim and I both have as a pastime, allowing us to judge in a pleasant manner. Zipping to the arena, we spotted that the other bookstore was open…and we headed in for a time cap of no more than ten minutes. (I would have had gone 100% crazy…one minute longer.) The second trip was successful and Kim was happy with her purchase… hooray!!

Off to the game…which was awesome, of course. We cheered and ate Kennel Corn popcorn. What more does a girl need? Other than pizza at David’s and a beer at Jack & Dan’s, not much. I wish I could say that Jack and Dan’s was full of the usual crowd…but it was like I had stumbled upon a weird hybrid of a bar that had sports memorabilia with older people in tight designer jeans. I actually felt young until the students showed up at midnight.

Overall great first official visit….. My next visitors to a game will be Shannon & Barney. Barney has never been to a game… the USD home on Jan. 31^st should be a good experience, don’t you think?

Go Gonzaga....G-O-N-Z-A-G-A

Pre Game Huddle....

At Center Court....

We look like an Alumni Poster...


PS--Yes, I knitted that scarf. I will be taking orders if anyone is interested in a GU spirit scarf. :)

Talk About a Slam DUNK!

Last night I was able to go to the GU vs Santa Clara game. I entered the sold-out arena of 6,000 fans with a little bit of fear and nerves. My team just had not been playing the way that I KNEW they could play. They had been messy and inconsistent. Missing rebounds, free throws and getting into massive foul trouble. After waiting in line for tickets, the last thing that I wanted was to be disappointed.

I wasn't.... and watching the Zags take Santa Clara to a 95-53 victory was a sweet reward for waking up at 3:30 to get tickets last Monday. I was on my feet throughout the game watching beautiful dunks and plays. My personal favorite? When the GU fans started clapping for the Santa Clara team when they made a basket towards the end of the game. (Talk about good sportsmanship....)

They outplayed Santa Clara at every point of play.... all I can say is the ZAGS showed up hungry and they were after a win.

And a win they got.


PS--- Want to see Browns amazing dunk? Click here.

Commenting Should be A-Okay...

Hi everyone,

I have been getting e-mails and voicemails about how difficult it has been commenting on my posts. I think I have fixed the problem, to make it easier on everyone to post on the blog! E-mail me at belindabobko@gmail.com if you are having any more problems....

Want to Come to a GU Game with Me??

I went to my first home Gonzaga basketball game on Saturday. I forgot how much fun it was!! I want to personally invite any of my alumni friends to consider attending a GU game with me as I get TWO tickets per game. Since I have to wake up super early in the morning (around 3:30 am, sometimes earlier....) there are only two rules for being my guest at a basketball game. Trust me, they are pretty simple:

1. You buy the dinner
2. And the beer

Think you can handle it and want in on the fun?? For anyone who has yet to attend a game at the new arena this is your chance!

Here are the games that are unspoken for:

• GU vs. St. Mary's Jan 29th
  
• GU vs LMU Feb. 19th
  
• GU vs Pepperdine Feb 21st (Sorry, this game has been taken by Ray!)
  
• GU vs South Carolina Upstate March 3rd
  

If you are free and can get here, please let me know via belindabobko@gmail.com. I would love to bring an alumni for every single game.....

Kim is my first barn and game guest this weekend. She will be watching the USF game with me on Saturday.

GO ZAGS!

Hunting? Really?

So I posted the survey on the side-bar as a little joke to see what my friends & family would suggest as my new country hobby. Hunting was added as joke. Being a vegetarian, I don't really see the point for myself to shoot at animals that I have no plan on eating.

I have to ask....who voted for that?? I would rather spend my time drinking or even snow shoeing!

I have decided that enough was enough….

No more eating like a college student.

For years, my culinary solution has laid within once simple gadget: a can opener. That plus a microwave you can literally eat anything. Soups, Sandwiches, Oatmeal, Popcorn are just a few of my quick fix treats that I perfected… Now that I am living in a barn with plenty of free time, I decided that in 2009 I would stop eating like a college student. (Although it sounds like a resolution, it’s not…just a lifestyle change.)

No more grilled cheese sandwiches (unless it is a particularly rainy Saturday) or simple soups. I can read, and know how to measure…how difficult can this concept of cooking really be? From the library I got a great cookbook, “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” which in its 1,200 pages details how to cook an apple tart to making perfect Pad Thai.

Last night, I decided to attempt one of my favorite dishes: Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Walnuts & Blue Cheese. (Note: my new self-cooking idea has nothing to do with weight loss…purely comfort foods!) I considered that since there is no real restaurant for at least 15 miles from where I live, I should at least try to create some of my favorite foods.

Four pots, two pans and one hour later I had the most kick-ass Macaroni and Cheese of my life. Better than Icon Grill in Seattle by a long shot. I wonder, did it taste good because of the ingredients or because I made it myself? (It is a mystery that will never be solved…which came first, the chicken or the egg?)

Inspired by my first success, I made homemade Banana bread using Mom’s well-tested recipe. Talk about comfort food. I can tell you, there is nothing quite like having a slice of warm banana bread with tea as you watch a movie. It tasted just like Mom’s bread!

I am now batting 100%, which pretty good for this girl who can barely navigate around a kitchen. Next project: homemade lasagna…

I Spy a Stop Sign??

The Silly Dog Jive....

Happy New Year from this New Country Girl!

A week has gone by and I am still alive (just barley). First and foremost, I want to wish everyone near and far a very Happy New Year. I hope the first week of 2009 has treated everyone well up to this point…

As for me, the snow has stopped (for now) and now it is raining. So instead of having Winter Storm warnings, we are having Flood Warnings. Fantastic, right? If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.

Before I go into my crazy New Year’s Eve story, I have to tell you about the hell I went through yesterday. It was 7:30 am and I had every intention of going to work easy-breezy, right? Nope. My little Toyota Yaris moved literally two feet before getting stuck. I couldn’t go forward and I couldn’t go backward. I dug and scraped snow and ice for over an hour and a half. I threw in the towel with my car only 2 feet from the garage. Talk about having a case of the freaking Mondays. Later in the day I thought I would try again to move my blasted car into the garage. Again, nothing but frustration came of this. Near tears (actually, in all honesty the tears were running down my cheeks by this point) I was pleading to get my car into my garage safely before nightfall. Literally when I was about to give up for the night, one of my neighbors arrived in his white pickup truck. (It might have well been a white horse for all I cared!) He dug the wheels from the ice and helped push my car out then navigated back into the garage. I found out during the shoveling that he is a GU Alumni (a bball player as well), good to know the family takes care of each other----job hunting or digging out a car. I am indebt to this nice country neighbor. I think I will have to bake him and his wife brownies this weekend.

As for my New Years Eve and Day, I finished Harry Potter #7 for the second time…and had my very own Sex and the City Marathon. Normally this wouldn’t make me laugh, but one of the episodes I watched on NYD was entitled, “Sex & the Country”. When Carrie goes to Adian’s country house for the weekend in an attempt to be a better girlfriend. At the very end of the episode, Carrie had one quote that stuck out to me and made me smile ever so slightly, “City girls are country girls, with cuter outfits.”

Hmmm….. it makes me believe that I can do this. I have the resources to feed animals, use a snowblower or bake an apple pie all within me…I am just going to wear really great shoes when I do it.

My knitting project is coming along well. It should be finished by the time all of the snow is melted!

The View from the Backyard....

Hello Mr. Ed...

The Horses & Their Barn