Tuesday 5: Baseball, books, and BRINNER!

Chilaquiles!!

1.  I successfully made chilaquiles for supper this evening.  It is traditionally a brunch item, but I need brinner in my life!  Especially some bomb af chilaquiles!  However, it made me realize that my small city only has a couple of Hispanic/Latin markets.  Traditional chilaquiles (red sauce) are made with guajillo chiles.  These are flavorful, mild chiles.  You buy them dried and then pour boiling water over them to soak for 15 minutes.  They are also topped with yolky eggs, my favorite!  My husband is crazy and only likes hard cooked eggs, so I had to make a couple for him.  It was a winning recipe and Rick and my stepson Daden loved them.  Bonus:  I get the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!  Mmmmm...chilaquiles.

2.  I have not been doing so well on the whole weight loss thing recently.  I have gained back a lot of what I lost.  Partly because I couldn't afford my trainer anymore, which led to zero discipline.  I am part of a Facebook group of alumni from my alma mater that is focused on health and fitness though.  We are currently reading a book called "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst.  I couldn't wait for the person in charge to catch up with the questions and stuff, so I went ahead and read the whole thing.  I finished it today.  If you are a Christian, this is a great book to help you focus on weight loss as a spiritual journey and not just as a weight loss journey.  It focuses on self-discipline, which can be great for weight loss and help you increase in holiness.  I loved that perspective and am going to do my best to focus on that and also to pray, pray, pray.  Which to me is something that helps in so many areas of life.

3.  Next up is Jenny Lawson's "Furiously Happy", which I have heard nothing but good things about.  I also have Martin Short's memoir, "I Must Say" and Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island".  I discovered a new way to get ebooks along the way.  It's an app. called Overdrive.  You log in to your public library account through the Overdrive app. and choose books available on their site.  Then, you can download it as a regular ePub book or in Kindle format.  I have a Kindle, so when you choose that, it sends you to Amazon, where you log in and download the book.  It's amazing!!  And Free!!  Did I say FREE?!?!  I meant it.  Also, you can get lots of NEW books on it and place holds.  I currently have holds on the new David Sedaris and Chrissy Teigen's cookbook.

4.  Baseball is back baby!!  I can't wait to see how my WORLD CHAMPION Kansas City Royals do this year.  Dang, it feels good to say that!  They are amazing and really just such a great team, because they are a true TEAM.  Four of the players who are really good friends, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Salvador Perez, and Jarrod Dyson even did an awkward family photoshoot!

L to R:  Cain, Perez, Hosmer, Dyson

5.  I interviewed for a new position last Wednesday.  This new position would be in a different state department, as a medical trainer for Elderly and Disabled Medicaid.  They only interviewed 3 people!  Eek.  I thought I had a pretty good interview, but it's so hard to tell.  Of course, I haven't heard anything about it yet, but I know they were checking my references.  I would love this because it is truly what I want to do, but I do enjoy my current position and my current supervisor is amazing.  It's always hard to leave one job that you love for another that you hope to love, but aren't sure about.  Although, in this case, my direct supervisor would be someone who is a friend.


Have a great week everyone!!  Lob some ideas my direction, because I am failing miserably with thinking up my own.  Yes, I've tried idea generators, but I can't seem to find something I like.  Hmm...maybe I should just start jotting down my dreams.  I have some crazypants dreams!  What do you think?

Tuesday 5: Take me out to the ball game

In the midst of MLB Division series right now and finding I am quite enjoying the matchups so far this year. There are some great storylines going on this year, too.  Disclaimer:  I am a sports nut, particularly the NFL and MLB so if you aren't,  you may not love this one.

1. Watching the Cubs - Cards game 4 right now. By now, I am sure you have heard that Back to the Future predicted the Cubs win it all this year. How crazy is it that they are as close as they are to making a movie's sub sub subplot come true? I wouldn't mind another I-70 series, but I would love to see the Cubbies there instead. ETA: Cubs just won. WTG Cubs! Good luck in the NLCS!

2.  As you may have surmised, I am a fan of the Royals. And yes, I have been a fan since I was a kid and grew up watching their games on TV and listening to them on the radio. I really, really hope they make it back to the World Series, but we have a tough game ahead against the Astros.  It was so hard to just get occasional updates at work when the magical comeback occurred yesterday. I didn't wear my Royal blue shirt that day and so now I cannot wear it tomorrow.  I am that superstitious,  yes.

3.  As a fan of baseball, I hated Chase Utley's super late, super high, tackle/slide at Tejada in the Dodgers - Mets game this weekend. There is no need for that. Yes, he may not have intended for Tejada to be injured, but he did get injured. An apt analogy is that someone speeding 55 in a 20 MPH school zone may not intend to hurt someone, but driving recklessly can still get someone hurt.  For that reason, and the fact that the Dodgers are basically trying to buy a ring this year with all the dough they spent, I am hoping the Mets win their game tonight.

4.  Toronto, I don't know what to say. I liked you at one point, but then Josh Donaldson started acting like a petulant child and my give a shit button started shorting out. Fix that, cuz I truly like Tulowitzki and your city.

5.  Finally, I just have to say that I have followed baseball on and off forever and it really is such a great sport. I am not a fan of the emphasis on homer hitters and homerun-friendly ballparks, but I can understand it with this younger ADD generation.  I will never forget Kirk Gibson pumping his fist,  rounding third after hitting a homerun while injured, John Smoltz stealing home in one of the many 90s era Braves postseason appearances, or the shock and tragedy of the earthquake that hit before the 1989 Bay Area World Series. If you love it like I do, you really should visit Cooperstown. It's amazing. George Brett's pine tar bat is there, as are all the greats. If you can't make it there and live near KC, get down to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It is nothing short of awe inspiring.

Baseball is in my blood and there's nothing to compare with the sound of the crack of the bat, the smell of peanuts and cotton candy, the taste of ice cold beer, the feel of a weathered glove, or the sight of a beautifully executed double play.  If you love it like I do, get out there and absorb it all. Root, root, root for the home team and enjoy the playoffs! Go Royals!