Ida

So hurricane Ida is wreaking havoc on my favorite place on the planet. Lots of rain, violent winds, and storms are hammering coastal Carolina and Virginia Beach. You know it's not good when the weather channel is broadcasting from Nags Head, NC.

Sadness. This precarious little piece of beach is so fragile being basically a strip of sand in between to bodies of water (and one being the Atlantic Ocean!). One day it will erode away (I know all about it-I did a huge project on beach erosion in the Outer Banks for my 5th grade science fair!). In fact, the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras (one of the most famous in America) has been moved back several times due to the beach eroding away. For many years you couldn't even climb it as a tourist because it was so dangerous.

I will say, though, it's always crazy to see the houses that get torn up in these storms. Some of them are literally steps away from curling waves on a calm day, so when the storms come and the waves are gigantic, these little cottages don't stand a chance. Several years ago after Hurricane Isabel, my family and I came upon a home that was missing the entire back wall! But, you could still see inside to the kitchen bedrooms, etc. Crazy.

The houses weren't originally built that close to the water, but over time, the hurricanes have brought the water that close to the houses.

This is the house from Nights in Rodanthe. Many people believe it will be one of the next ones to be demolished by storms.

I've always wanted to save up so that I could one day buy a house in the Outer Banks, but hurricane season is the reason I'll probably never be able to afford it-insurance!

Veterans Day

I remember one summer when my parents took my sister and I on a tour of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on our way to the beach. I was absolutely mesmerized. I couldn't fathom how frightening it would be to engage in head-on combat, knowing odds are pretty good you might die. Of course, I've always been interested in history, but I couldn't believe so many men had died there-right in the field where I stood. I still would love to visit other Civil War battlefields, mostly because I am a huge dork.

As the saying goes "one death is a tragedy, one thousand deaths is a statistic," it's hard to grasp the real cost of our freedom in America. I rarely consider what a huge sacrifice veterans have made, whether or not they were injured or killed in a war. So, it's fitting to have a day to commemorate just that.

Though, I must say, it'd be much nicer to do this from the comfort of my home and not at work!

I guess I will be wearing a pants suit to court Friday.

I was nearly done with my 5 mile run this morning. Six houses away from my own where I could finally stop and stretch when BAM, I was on the ground. Ankle twisted. Knee and hip throbbing. Shorts torn at the hip (fabulous!). And of course, a gentleman was getting into his car for work and witnessed the entire thing.

Usually, I trip because I am clumsy. This morning, though, I tripped because of a huge pot hole. They cover my street. And the man who witnessed my fall said he has tripped over the exact same pot hole several times.

I realize the city of Cincinnati has some budgetary problems. But, fixing streets inundated with pot holes should be a priority. It's dangerous. I'm willing to bet the flat tire I had earlier this year is a result of the condition of my street.

You better believe I'm sending a letter. It's already drafted. :) (I did not take pictures of my hip bruise/cut as it would be highly inappropriate for the public. But, I assure you, it is worse than my knee.

At least the Steelers won last night.

Easy Peasy

This has just been "one of those weeks" where I find it hard to muster up the energy to cook dinner for myself. I bought all the ingredients to make this italian sausage soup I have made previously, but when I got home last night after 3 very long work days, the thought of chopping onions, garlic, carrots, celery, etc. was not too appetizing (no pun intended).

I will blame it on Daylight Savings Time because now when I leave work it's nearly dark, and completely dark by the time I pull in my driveway. Heck, I'm ready for bed!

Anyway, instead of picking up a frozen pizza or fast food, I decided to make something quicker than soup with the ingredients I had...and it was DELICIOUS. I must also add that I find something very de-stressing about cooking after work. So here's what I made, and I'm guessing you already have the ingredients on hand!

Easy Pasta Supper

2 Cups dried rotini (this is about half a regular box of pasta)
1 can cannelini beans (I always keep these on hand, delicious in soups, italian dishes and great for making hummus too!)-drained and rinsed
1 can diced italian style tomatoes
Some sweet italian sausage (I used 2 sweet italian turkey sausages from jennie-o I had leftover, just removed the casing)
1 tablespoon or so dried basil (if you have fresh, I'd use about 1/4 Cup)
Parmesan cheese

In medium pot, boil water and cook pasta according to directions on box. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium high heat, brown sausage, breaking into crumbles. Once browned, add in beans, basil and tomatoes, and heat over medium low heat until heated through. Drain pasta and add pasta in with sauce. Toss to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

YUM.

Signs I am rapidly aging.

1. I am working on an appendix for a brief I need to file. I have to alphabetize the list of cases I used in the brief. Throughout the afternoon I've been repeating "a, b, c, d, e, f, g..." in a sing-song voice. Because sometimes I can't remember whether g comes before or after h.

2. I am 99% sure I spotted a gray hair today. I yanked it out and attempted to investigate it, but simultaneously I triggered the hand dryer and it blew away. I am crossing my fingers it was a fluke.

Yikes.

Happy Halloween!

I am looking forward to passing out candy and having a relaxing weekend with nothing really planned. Those are the best, right? I'm going to try really hard not to eat half of the candy that I pass out. I remember being a kid and trying to sneak candy out of the Halloween stash my parents would get for the trick-or-treaters...I always got caught!

My favorite Halloween costume growing up had to be the year I went as this space woman. I had this fantastic silver suit with a sparkly sequined belt and headband, plus glittery face powder. It was fabulous.

My least favorite Halloween costume had to be the year my mom dressed my sister and I as mimes when we were in kindergarten. I wanted to be a princess. My mom was quite the feminist...a princess costume would've gone against all that! :) My mom was in charge of the theater department where she taught school, and she just thought mimes were so cute and original. At our school Halloween Party, we had to tell everyone what our costumes were and I lied and said I was a princess. Ummmmmmmm... a princess with white face paint and black teardrops on her face. I still can't live that one down with my family.

What were your favorite/least favorite costumes growing up? Katy, I hope you share the story about the year you were a cave woman...just saying. ;)

Early bird gets the worm.

I heard Christmas music on the radio this morning. 93.3 FM. A little early, I'd say.

But, yes, I listened to it the entire drive to work.