It might be my new favorite patio drink

This weekend, when buying some beer for the guests, I stumbled upon Blue Moon's Spring Ale. I enjoy Blue Moon, but what is this spring ale business? Intrigued, I bought a six-pack. Well, it was a hit. It is a very spring/summer tasting beer that is very refreshing. The type of beer that you want to drink while sitting out on the patio, enjoying the weather with your friends. The perfect cure for cabin fever. The ale is infused with exotic Kieffer lime leaves and lime peel.

My only lingering question is...do you serve it with an orange, lime or both?

Flying by the seat of our pants

The forcasted weather this weekend put a wrench in the plans. My mom and brother came to Chicago on Friday night with the plan to head to Wisconsin on Saturday for Jill's bridal shower. The predicted storm kept up in Chicago. So, Josh had his own shower and opened Jill's gift. He used some of the dish towels he received as Karate Kid headbands.


All settled in to the apartment, we set up for a 3 hour game of Monopoly where the master(Josh) was dethroned by the two ladies in the family. We had a good time with lots of laughs.

Megan and Stabes were shopping all day. When they returned that night, we all got together and played cards for hours. Even though our travel plans were ruined, we had a great time hanging out together and laughing so hard that we spit water out.

more things you are absolutely dying to know about me

1. How old will you be in five years? 30...wow, i'll be old
2. Do you think you will be married by then? probably not
3. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? nothing in particular
4. Who was the last person you called? Megan
5. Who was the last person to call you? Mel
6. Do you prefer to call or text? texts are annoying but i don't really like to talk on the phone.
7. Do you have any pets? yes.
8. What were you doing at 12 last night? probably just getting home from work
9. Are your parents married or divorced? happily married
10. When is the last time you saw your mom? i get to see her tomorrow!
11. What color are your eyes? blueish green
12. How many states have you lived in?2
13. How many cities/towns have you lived in? 6
14. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet? bare feet or flip flops. i don't like being constricted
15. Are you a social person? usually
16. What was the last thing you ate? broccoli
17. What is your favorite ice cream? i don't really like ice cream, but occasionally some vanilla bean or mint chocolate chip
18. What is your favorite dessert? peanut butter rice crispie bars
20. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich? I'd have to go with grape, but didn't eat pb&j until last year.
21. Do you like coffee? yessss
22. How many glasses of water do you drink on an average day? at least a gallon
23. What do you drink in the morning? a big glass of water
24. Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone? depends if they have annoying sleeping habits, like hogging the bed or covers
25. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? not really
26. Do you know how to play poker? yes
27. Do you like to cuddle? ha ha, not really.
28. Have you ever been to Canada? Yes and then i couldn't donate blood for forever because of that SARS business
29. Do you eat out or at home more often? probably home, i love to cook
30. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? yes. several people, including aaron.
31. Do you want kids? probably
32. Do you speak any other languages? yes, i speak stacey very well
33. Have you ever gotten stitches? nope
34. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? nope
35. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool? i love all water
36. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? any as long as it is an exit row. i've got long legs.
37. Do you know how to drive a stick? i learned on a stick but haven't driven one in years
38. What is your favorite thing to spend money on? hmmm
39. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7? no, i am not a big jewelry person
40. What is your favorite TV show? grey's anatomy, except tonight's episode was sooo unrealistic. d-u-m-b
41. Can you roll your tongue? yessss
42. Who is the funniest person you know?everyone in my family is pretty funny
44. What is the main ring tone on your phone? i don't know but it sucks
45. Do you still have clothes from when you were little? i have a t-shirt from 4th grade that is till wear sometimes
46. What color is your bedroom door? white
47. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth? always
48. Do you sleep with your closet doors opened or closed? no, because it is a walk-in...they would be closed if it was the foldy kind of doors, though
49. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of killer bees? a bear
50. Do you flirt a lot? no
52. What is your favorite food? SUBWAY
53. Can you change the oil on a car? no
54. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? no
55. Have you ever run out of gas? no
57. Do you read the newspaper? not often enough
58. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? no, they all expired in dec and i didn't renew
59. Best comedian? ellen
60. Do you watch soap operas? no...they turn your brain to mush

My new obsessions

So, I go on kicks of loving things and consuming a lot of them until I tire of them and find a new obsession.


Here are my two new favorite things.



1) All natural ChapStick brand chapstick. It had mango butter and shea butter and keeps your lips extremely soft. While it is $1.47/tube and my other favorite chapstick is the vanilla mint at $.99/tube, this is worth the extra $.48. Ha ha, I just a money comparison on ChapStick...I might be the world's biggest dork.

2) Spicy chicken patty Boca burgers. They remind me of Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich but much healthier and it's a yummy meatless alternative for those days during Lent when I can't eat the meat.

Apparently, I do not exist

At http://www.howmanyofme.com a person can search to see how many people share their name in the US.

When I typed in my name, this is what I was told.

There are 167,982 people in the U.S. with the first name Stacey.
Statistically the 357th most popular first name. (tied with 4 other first names)
90.18 percent of people with the first name Stacey are female.

There are 0 people in the U.S. with the last name Lens.
This name is not found in our database, this means the name is relatively uncommon. what this means.

There are 0 people in the U.S. named Stacey Lens.
One or both of the names you entered were not found in our database.

So, in conclusion, neither me nor my family exist.

Hot pink plates for DWI offenders

In Arkansas, you may be issued hot pink license plates starting with the letters DWI if you have 3 or more DWI convictions.

My question is...why do they have their license?

love is love

"Love is love." --Stacey L

When Megan was asking me for relationship advice once, she asked me for an explanation about love. I told her that love knows no time limit or situation and that "love is love." Megan immediately made fun of me for saying "love is love." Anytime someone brings up the word love, we just look at each other, laugh and say love is love.

Well, Mel told me tonight that the Gap has stolen my quote and put it on a shirt.

BST LVR

Today I was stuck in traffic behind an SUV that has the liscense plate BST LVR.

I immediately thought, Best Lover, that is kind of egotistical. Then I thought, maybe that isn't what it stands for. Here are some other thoughts...

Bust Lover
Beast Lover
Best Lever
Best Liver
Bust Liver

Any other thoughts?

i'm a mess

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of good oral hygiene.

I love to brush my teeth and have tried most toothpastes on the market. I qualify it as a winner if it does a good job cleaning and whitening, tastes good, and feels like a party in my mouth.

There is a slight problem, though. I get toothpaste everywhere! I frequently walk around when I brush my teeth. Almost daily, I have toothpaste on my mirror, counter, face, in my hair and on my clothes(once I even got it up my nose). It's not like clumps of toothpaste, but splatters of the foam. The problem is that I brush my teeth with my mouth open...and I've tried to do it with my mouth shut, but it just doesn't work out for me.

Just get the visual of me being such a happy mess every morning, walking around brushing my teeth with white dots everywhere.

Happy Birthday Dad

I hope this year is a little easier to swallow than whatever you are trying to swallow in this pic. Have a great day, dad, love you! Go Hawks!

Congrats Mom

My mom just learned that she can receive early retirement in June. So....she's retiring. Who know's what she will do with the next 30 years of her life. Dad...put away the duct tape...ha ha ... I love you mom... you've worked very hard for many years.

If there's a God, I'll get this for Valentine's Day

There are a lot of things I don't like about Valentine's Day, but not having a "valentine" isn't one of them. There are so many bigger problems in the world that it greatly annoys me that people get so upset about this "holiday." I am also disturbed that people waste so much money on meaningless and generic gifts. Everyone gets candy, jewelry, stuffed animals(seriously, does anyone want one? no) and flowers, where is the thought in that?

If you really want to set me off, call me bitter. I am not bitter. I just don't really care about the holiday. No one calls me bitter when I don't celebrate Flag Day. In fact, it's my dad's brithday, which is way more important to me.

Anyhow, enough of the ranting. This was forwarded to me in an email from a friend and is an absolutely hilarious Valentine's gift. Serenading Sausages. Any day of the year, I would want a sausage to sing to me.

40 tons of cow intestine spilled over interstate in WI

I saw this a few days ago, but thought I'd share. Totally gross.

The trucker was messing with his mp3 player, swerved and tipped his semi carrying 40 tons of cow byproduct including bones and intestines.

Confessions

1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be? my grandpa
2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? yeah
3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? it depends
4. Do you take compliments well? no
5. Do you play Sudoku? occasionally
6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? yes.
7. Do you like to ride horses? very much so
8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? horse back riding camp
9. What was your favorite game as a kid? elbow tag, softball or volleyball
10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, what would you do ? Be flattered, but say no.
12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you? yes
13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued? it's all so time consuming
14. Use three words to describe yourself? stubborn, caring, smart
15. Do any songs make you cry? nope
16. Are you continuing your education? always
17. Do you know how to shoot a gun? yes
18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed? anybody else still in there
19. How often do you read books? Quite often.
20. Do you think more about the past, present or future? i am in constant analyization of all three
21. What is your favorite children's book? hmmm, i like a lot of them
22. What color are your eyes? blueish greenish...i think
23. How tall are you? 5'11"
24. Where is your dream house located? in a very naturey area
27. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth? can't say that i have
28. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden? wow, it's been a few years
30. Where was the furthest place you traveled today? i didn't go anywhere today
32. Do you like mustard? Yes, i just started liking it in the past year
34. Do you look like your mom and dad? very much so
35. How long does it take you in the shower?. if i am running late for work...5 min, if i don't have a time limit it is about 15-20 min...i love to be in water
37. What movie do you want to see right now? Blood Diamond
39. What did you do for New Year's? drove back to the city
40. Do you think The Grudge was scary? what is The Grudge?!?!
42. Do you own a camera phone? no and i don't want one
44. Was your mom a cheerleader? she was always cheering me on
45. What's the last letter of your middle name? H
47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? 3-8
48. Do you like care bears?. i did when i was little
49. What do you buy at the movies? a diet coke or an ICEE
50. Do you know how to play poker? yes
51. Do you wear your seatbelt? always, unless I am in the back seat
52. What do you wear to sleep? well, my favorite thing as a kid was footie pajamas
53. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Does Ragbrai count? Oh we do hold the World Record for crookedest street. I think the electric guitar was invented there. We were also a stop on the underground railroad and there are lots of cool old houses downtown with the hiding places in them.
54. How many meals do you eat in a day? it depends on how busy I am
55. Is your tongue pierced? No, that's bad for your teeth
56. Do you always read MySpace bulletins? never
58. Do you like funny or serious people better? I love to laugh
59. Ever been to L.A.? no
60. Did you eat a cookie today? omg. yes. it was a girl scout samoa. best cookie ever. why did you have to remind me that they are in the apartment? i might have to eat another.
61. Do you use cuss words in other languages? no. i generally don't cuss unless i am really tired or mad.
62. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? i like to share music
63. Do you hate chocolate? no, but i don't really like milk chocolate. dark is the way to go
64. What do you and your parents fight about the most? we don't really fight...but my dad and i do like to argue about who is a bigger nerd...he definitely is
65. Are you a gullible person? not usually
66. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy? um, no. those people annoy the crap out of me.
67. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what would it be? i don't know. i am very happy doing what i do.
68. Are you easy to get along with? some people think so, some think i am very difficult
69. What is your favorite time of day? anytime that is fun time

Party in my mouth

There is a short list of things I love so much that I qualify them as a party in my mouth.

I've found another to add to the list.

This morning I was talking to my brother on the phone as he was on his way back to work from a hearing and stated that he might stop at Quizno's for lunch. My mind immediately leaped to Miss Vicki's lime and black pepper chips. Normally, I don't eat regular potato chip(i'm a baked kinda girl), but these are my exception. I had originally heard about them from a co-worker who raved about them. So, on my next trip to the Q, I got me a bag.

Wow! Bam! Party in my mouth. What a great flavor combination. Black pepper and lime. Love it.

Well, I asked my brother if he had ever tried them and he said that they were "epic" and then he asked me if they qualified as a party in mouth...and they do.

Stephen Colbert inspired ice cream

Americone Dream is a new Stephen Colbert inspired ice cream flavor. It is vanilla ice cream with fudge covered waffle cone pieces and a carmel swirl.

Man's best friend can now enjoy a cold one

According to the February 5 issue of TIME magazine, a Dutch pet shop owner created beer for dogs. You can buy a bottle of Kwispelbier, a beef-flavored beer for $2.14. The creator's inspiration can from wanting to enjoy a beer with her Weimaraners after going hunting.

Purchase of the month

When I was at Target the other day I saw this great little mug. It is smaller than a regular coffee mug but larger than an espresso cup. It's the absolute perfect size for a mug of tea. When made the water to tea ratio is perfect with one tea bag. The best part...it was on clearance for 74 cents. How fabulous is that?

I have been drinking hot tea(decaf) like crazy since.

Yep, I get excited about the small things.

Da Bears, the single life, and my day off

#1. The Super Bowl.
I enjoyed watching Bob Sanders and Dallas Clark play for the Colts as I spent much of my undergrad following them as Hawkeyes. The Colts deserved the win.

#2 A note to the men of Chicago
Today the Chicago Tribune reported that single women outnumber single men in Chicago by 217,372. It's a fairly interesting article. It also reported that 58% of today's college students are female.

#3 Tomorrow is my first day off in 13 days
I can't wait to have the day off tomorrow. I planned to work on projects around the apartment and bumming a bit. Bumming might soon become a requirement as I started to feel sick at work tonight and had such a bad sore throat by the time I left that I could hardly talk or swallow. My tonsils are at a +3! At least it gives me a reason to drink more hot tea....mmm.

News in medicine

Texas orders STD vaccine for all girls


Mentally ill in Switzerland could win right to die

This is just bizarre:
Family of dead soldier gets his sperm to impregnate stranger

Brrrr

Ok, this weather is ridiculous.

Right now it is 5 above with 20 mph winds giving us a wind chill of -16.

I really don't want to leave my apartment. That is just too cold.

On the homefront

My new obsession is Oats and Peanut Butter Fiber One granola bars. They are so delicious and don't even taste healthy(they taste like my mom's peanut butter rice krispie bars, one of my all time favorites). I walk around handing out bites to people and everyone loves them. People at work asked me to buy them boxes and bring them to them at work, ha ha. Since they are new on the market, introduced to me by Jenne, I want everyone to buy them so they stay on the market.

I have been craving really spicy foods lately. What is the deal with that? Any mudphuds out there care to explain that one to me?

The Super Bowl this weekend and I am very excited for two reasons. One, football. Two, I get to make a lot of fun food for the party. I love any reason to cook.

This post was not intended to be focused on food, oops.

"Doctor, is that an iPod?" "Yes, I am using it to record your heart and lung sounds."

A new stethoscope with a recorder and an iPod attachment can record any sound that comes through the stethoscope. I don't know how many hospitals or doctors will be running out to buy these, but it is a cool idea.