Planning for life ... what a joke!

I've been thinking a lot lately about life planning. I had a very clear plan when I was 22. I knew how the rest of my life was going to be, and I don't think any of it is turning out that way.

When I was 22, I thought I'd be married by 23. I was in a decent relationship and I sort of expected it to be my last. It wasn't. He shattered my heart into a million pieces a month after my 23rd birthday. In fact, on my 23rd birthday, I had a meltdown and explained to him that turning 23 and not being married was the first step to my entire plan unraveling. In retrospect, maybe that turned him away. Or maybe it was the other woman he was planning to marry. You know, it's the little things.

When I was 22, I planned to be done having kids by the time I was 30. Well, 30 is less than 9 months away and I can tell you unequivocally, I'm not pregnant and that is not going to happen. I have one, and my perfect family would include a second. Obviously, it won't happen by the time I'm 30, but maybe shortly thereafter? A conversation I need to have with the hubster.

When I was 22, I thought I was going to be a radio star. I thought I was just an up and comer and would be working for CBS or CNN radio in no time. Five months after I turned 23, I abandoned radio after losing my passion for it.

When I was 22, I thought I would have the perfect life. Don't get me wrong, my life is pretty good, but I thought I'd be in the kind of relationship where I didn't have to think about a budget. I thought I'd be marrying someone and we'd travel the world and drink wine every night and cook together. Let me tell you something ... real life is not like that unless you're my sister.

So I often wonder these "what ifs" about my life. What if Rodney hadn't shattered me. Would I be in Texas with him? What if I hadn't met Rob. Would I still be in Conway, Arkansas? (The answer is definitely no. Conway -- great town, dry county.) What if I had come right back to Jefferson City when I graduated. Would Rob and I have ever met? Would I still feel as disjointed here as I do today? What if Rob and I had stayed in Lincoln. Would we still have Alex?

And that's what it comes down to -- that perfect little boy. While he is tremendously energetic and trying at times, it all comes back to him. And he's the reason my "what ifs" never matter. Because every time he runs into my arms or says he loves me, my world is perfect again. On the worst days; on the saddest moments; he makes it all worth it.

So for now, life is what you make of it. Let what happened in the past shape you, rather than guide you. Learn from mistakes and love what you have. Too often, it's ripped from us in an untimely manner, so I hope each of you (and me!) can learn to appreciate the life before you with passion and remember the life behind you with fondness.

I have a confession ...

Why do women get so emotionally involved with the characters in the books we read?

I ask that after reading this article on Huffington Post where the author says she has cheated on her husband with Christian Grey, the dominating male in the Fifty Shades series that have taken women by storm. I found myself reading her article and saying "YES. I TOTALLY FEEL THE SAME WAY!"

I feel like I have cheated on my husband with Christian Grey. Two weeks after finishing the series, I still find myself thinking about the relationship between Christian and Anastasia. I compare myself to them and my own relationship to theirs. And it almost killed my relationship.

A week ago, after being on the road for work, I had an opportunity to spend a brief few days with Rob before I went back on the road for work. And I found myself begging him to be more like Christian. I wanted someone who was chivalrous and kind. I wanted someone who would turn off the sporting event to be with me and do what I wanted to do. And as I was saying things I really only meant to keep bottled in my head, I could see the hurt in his eyes.

I still want some of those things, but as I've been sitting and comparing my relationship to theirs, I realized I was too envious of the lifestyle this author created. And that's just it. It's just a creation -- a utopia for mom's across the country about which they can dream. It's a fantasy, and while I could debate the quality of writing with anyone (because honestly, it wasn't of the high caliber we see in most bestsellers), what E.L. James did with the characters made the book for me. E.L. James was able to find pieces of every housewife and mom in this country and put them into the book. And she was able to take the character of Christian Grey and turn him into the man every woman in America desires.

I didn't marry Christian Grey. I married Rob. He's a wonderful man and an amazing and caring father. (In fact, he's at home right now taking care of our sick son while I'm at work!) He has flaws, but we all do. So while I strive to be more like the strong woman I found in Anastasia, all I can really ask Rob to be is himself. Because in the real world, that's what really matters. I don't want my husband playing a role created by some author. I want my husband to be true to himself in all that he is. And if I'm half the wife I strive to be, that will be more than enough for me.

Another week, more traveling and no crafts

You know, when I took this job, I really thought I was going to be able to craft a lot more. Not so since it seems like I'm living out of hotels these days.

Really, it hasn't been that bad, but this week, I spent two days on the road and three more days exhausted and just trying to catch up on life and work I missed because I spent two days on the road. Next week will be a real test for me. I am working all weekend at my part-time job, because I love it, and then leaving Monday morning for a three day/two night trip to Kansas City. By Thursday, when I'm waking up in my own bed, I'm going to be grateful for my crappy mattress that desperately needs replaced, but at least it's in my home, in my room.

On to the good stuff. I didn't take any photos this week, which I know, is very surprising. I was in Springfield at the Hilton Garden Inn. The thing about Springfield that outsiders don't understand is their friendliness. We were traveling with a colleague from St. Louis who was amazed at the kindness of the staff at the hotel. We told her it's just a Springfield thing. Total strangers say hello as they are passing on the street. People hold doors open for everyone and then ask how their day is. It's a Springfield thing. And it's part of the charm of the city. It's not a small city by any means, but the people make it feel like your hometown. Well, except my hometown, where everyone is all consumed with government and make no effort to be kind to strangers, but that's another blog for another day.

The Hilton Garden Inn was incredible. It was a brand new property that was eco-friendly and was very well designed. The rooms were clean and spacious. I generally like more light than I had in my hotel room, but it was still a hotel room and lights are still generally minimal in hotel rooms.

My only real complaint about the room was the bed. I know everyone is going to these "sleep number system" type beds, but that was the most uncomfortable bed I have ever slept in and I had a mattress once that sunk so deep I thought it might be a water bed. I woke up several times in the middle of the night. I'm hopeful that my other Hilton property stays aren't quite so bad, but I have a feeling that all Hilton properties have the same beds.

The food in Springfield was wonderful, as always. As I was looking for a Starbucks on Yelp, I realized that Springfield has more unique restaurants than any city in which I've ever lived. There are the typical chain restaurants, and some that aren't quite as typical, but then there are a ton of places that are unique to Springfield. Ebbett's Field is one of those places. In college, I loved eating at the Ebbetts Field on Walnut. In fact, if memory serves, the weekend of my cousin's wedding, we went to Ebbetts the night before to drink. Seriously, memory could be an issue that weekend as I seriously thought I was dying with a 103 degree fever and a severe infection in my throat, but I'm pretty sure I still remember that night.

They've opened a south branch of the restaurant known in Springfield for its sports memorabilia. I had the monterey chicken sandwich -- a seasoned chicken breast (a little heavy on the lemon pepper) topped with provolone cheese and served with fries and a pickle. Their fries were covered in parsley and were delicious. I do wish one of the two had been served with a condiment. The chicken was a little dry and the fries just needed something. Maybe ranch dressing or honey mustard would have pulled the meal together nicely.

My second night in Springfield, I had Maria's downtown. I was with an old friend (he's not old. Our friendship dates back to 5th grade.) and the atmosphere was perfect. We were sitting by the front windows which overlooked downtown Springfield. The room was large enough and had great acoustics, so we were able to carry on a conversation without feeling like we were shouting. And the food was pretty good. It was Mexican and I've never had a cheese enchilada I didn't like, so I was pretty happy with that one. The chicken enchilada was topped with some white sauce that was almost gritty. I think it was supposed to be a cheese sauce, but it didn't have the intense flavor of cheese most cheese sauces have.

The best way to describe it -- the sauce when making a homemade mac and cheese and you've added too much of the milk mixture and not enough cheese. I'm still not sure about that sauce at all. It really wasn't great.

Overall, here's how I would rate the stay:

Drive (50 to Union and then 44 to Springfield): A+ This drive is gorgeous. Long, but gorgeous.
Hotel: B+ The friendliness of the staff and the delicious Pinot Grigio I had delivered to my room made up for the uncomfortable bed. I can sleep when I'm dead.
Ebbett's Field: B- It really needed a condiment with the sandwich or the fries. Dry on dry just isn't good.
Maria's A- In reality, I was able to remove most of that sauce from the enchilada without too much work.

A Friday full of food

Last Friday was a great day for food in my house. I had a morning meeting at Yanis Coffee Zone in Jefferson City, and let me just say, it was the best omelet I have ever had in my life. The business associate I was meeting was running late, so I took the opportunity, and great weather, to drink a white mocha and eat Yanis' veggie omelet at one of the tables sitting on the sidewalk of downtown Jefferson City.
I didn't ask, but I am 99% sure that omelet was made in a cast iron skillet. I say that because the bottom of the omelet was seasoned perfectly with a mix of seasonings one can only get using a pan that holds seasonings in its grooves.

It was also the largest omelet I've ever seen in my life, and a perfect way to start my Friday.

For lunch, I had my Friday usual -- a veggie sub (without mushrooms) from Sub Shop. It was great as always. No need to ever review that. I recommend them to everyone I know.

Then Rob and I headed to Columbia for a date night of movies and dinner. We had some time before our first movie was set to begin, so we were looking for places to eat on Yelp when Jazz caught my eye. I'd been to Jazz before, though it was years ago, and I'm fairly certain the location has changed. We, once again, took advantage of the great weather and sat in their patio area.

Jazz is located in the same shopping center in Columbia as Macy's, and, as the lady on the phone had to tell me because we couldn't find it, it's three doors down from Dick's Sporting Goods. She was right and we found it easily once we were actually looking for it in the right place.

I started my night with an Abita Purple Haze. I think this must be my favorite beer on Earth, and not just because it tastes like grape soda -- though, I do love a grape soda now and then.

The first time I had a Purple Haze was at Jazz, many years ago, when I didn't drink much beer. In fact, I had probably only tried Natty Light, Coors Light and Bud Light back then. Can you tell I'm a light beer drinker?

However, the first time I went to Jazz, I had graduated college and was home for a weekend to see my friend Allison. We had planned to go to dinner and out with friends afterward. I don't remember what we were celebrating, but I do remember we were celebrating something. I was not an experienced beer drinker like I am now, and back then I preferred a mixed drink over beer any day. Purple Haze was the perfect mix of the sweetness one gets from a mixed drink, and the carbonation of a beer.

Since then, I've had beer from all over the world. I regularly get the sample packs from Hy-Vee and enjoy them. I still think Purple Haze is my favorite beer, though. When I'm out, in general, I drink Blue Moon or Michelob Ultra, but neither can hold up to Purple Haze. It really does taste just like grape soda.

On to the better part of the meal.

I chose Jazz specifically because it was a Friday. Rob thinks he's Catholic and won't eat meat on Friday's, and most years, I suffer through that with him, but I just couldn't handle it this year. I don't know how my sister hasn't eaten meat for the last six weeks. Trying to come up with six vegetarian meals is like pulling teeth most years for me, let alone six weeks worth.

Rob ordered, as expected, seafood. Cajun Fried Shrimp, specifically. He paired it with sweet potato fries and two (that's right, TWO) hurricanes. Good thing we were going to two movies to sober him up!

I ordered the blackened chicken fettuccine, which was divine. I mean, seriously, I could have seen angels eating that dish. I could eat it every day and still be happy, though I won't because I'm not driving 30 miles for fettuccine every day! The chicken was cooked in cajun spices and blackened on the flat top (or grill, but the level of blackening told me it was a flat top). The sauce was a mixture of cream and cajun seasonings mixed with finely chopped fresh herbs.

It was delicious. So, if you're in Jeff City, head to Yanis Coffee House. Get a great coffee and a delicious Mediterranean omelet. If you're in CoMO, Jazz is amazing. It's casual, and, when the weather is good, sitting in their patio area is great.

I know some of you are waiting to hear a bad review from me. I have a lot of travels coming up, so maybe it will happen, but for now, I'm eating great food and loving it.

Weight loss rewind

Remember a few months ago when I said I planned to lose a substantial amount of weight by the time I turned 30?

Yeah, I'm not doing so well on that front. It's my fault because I let life get in the way of cooking and eating healthy foods, but not anymore.

This morning, I started a diet rewind. I am going back to the healthy eating that had me shedding pounds quickly. I haven't made terrible choices lately with food, but the ones I have made certainly weren't great.

I started with a shake this morning by Yoplait, adding in a banana and a container of black cherry Greek yogurt. So far, I'm not hungry by 9:30 like I usually am, but I'm still sipping on this super thick shake. Next time, maybe only half a container of Greek yogurt.

I have a Bistro salad from WalMart for lunch and 6 strawberries for an afternoon snack. In retrospect, I wish I would have also brought a couple pieces of string cheese to go with the strawberries. Maybe I can convince my husband to bring those by on his way to work.

Otherwise, I'm going to start weaning off the soda. I had been having two Diet Dr Peppers each day, but I'm going to try to get off the pop completely. I am trying cold turkey, but we'll see how tired I am this afternoon before I make that final decision.

What are your great diet suggestions? I will get bored quickly, so I'd love recipes and recommendations for great foods/drinks that you enjoy, but that also fit a new healthy lifestyle I am trying to re-embrace.

On the working out front, I'm getting back to the YMCA to start walking again. I won't be able to go in the morning with my new work hours, but I plan to go each afternoon after work, time permitting, and then take a class or two if I can handle it. 

A mid-week meeting at the Lake

I had a mid-week meeting at Lake of the Ozark's earlier this week. The nicest two days of the year, so far, were spent at Camden on the Lake, which was an amazing resort.

I have so much to blog about regarding this trip. The room, the food, the lunch the next day ... all, and I mean ALL, are blog-worthy.

We'll start with the room. Camden on the Lake is the newest Resort at Lake of the Ozarks. It sits right on the shoreline, and houses H Toads. It is in the same cove as Shady Gators.

A quick rate search on their website shows off-season (current) rooms costing between $149 and $216 per night. If you go for a conference, the rates are likely to be considerably cheaper. Mine was.

Now to the good stuff, my lakeside grand suite truly was lakeside. From my balcony, it almost felt as if I was on top of the water. It overlooked most of the cove and in the distance you can see Shady Gators. This photo makes it look pretty far away. It wasn't. Most could probably park a boat at the hotel and swim their way to Shady Gators without being out of breath.

The room itself was split into two rooms. A hallway separated the two. The linens were soft and the down-filled (or down-like filled) pillows put me to sleep in no time. A television is mounted to the wall over a dresser, and the room holds a sitting chair, desk and two side tables.

As an aside, I know many who hate hotel beds, but when you're staying at a hotel like this one, it's like heaven. I seriously felt like I was floating and the pillows made it even better. I can't tell you enough that the extra money one pays for a hotel with a nice bed is totally worth it.

Now that we've talked about the bedroom, let's talk about the fact that this room had a tv in the bathroom, a fireplace and a kitchenette where I could have made any dish that didn't require an oven.

On to the food!

H. Toads has a limited selection, but I didn't hear anyone say a bad word about anything they ate the entire conference.

For lunch, I had a southwest chicken wrap that was flavorful and filling. The wrap was southwest cream cheese, chicken, lettuce and other veggies in a herb tortilla. My dining mate had their shrimp salad with a crab cake. She raved about it, as did a dining partner during dinner. Both said it was filling and delicious. I, as many of you know, don't eat anything that ever lived in water, but if I did, I'm sure I would have loved it, too.

For dinner, I had the pasta primavera pictured here. It was good, but I definitely prefer a cream sauce over a garlic butter sauce. I need a little bit of substance beyond butter. It also had mushrooms in it after specifically asking for no mushrooms. It was, however, light and flavorful, which was needed on a day when it was 85 outside, even as the sun was setting. The chicken was cooked perfectly, as were the vegetables and pasta. And the garlic bread was completely divine.

My real highlight of the conference, though, was lunch before I came back to Jefferson City. It was a chance for great conversation with a good friend, and great food in a place I least would have expected it.

Sadly, I took no photos of Wobbly Boots or the food I ate, but all of it was delicious. So delicious that I brought the leftovers home for my husband so he could experience this wonderful food.

Collin suggested we start with a wings appetizer. The wings had Wobbly Boots homemade sauce, tasting almost like a chipotle bbq. They are smoked, rather than baked or fried, which made the meat fall off the bone.

They are, however, messy, which led to a lovely mess on my shirt I was wearing for work. Or maybe I caused the mess. Either way, bbq sauce on silk ... never coming out.

I had the brisket meat on a bun sandwhich. The brisket was tender, juicy and seasoned well. Again, a homemade seasoning if one is to believe the menu. I paired it with the mac and cheese, which was OK, but heavy on the cheddar. I prefer a milder cheese for my mac and cheese.

The real star of the meal, though, was the sweet potato fries. I had never had sweet potato fries, and I didn't order them, but Collin did, so I stole a couple. It was suggested that I dip them in honey mustard. THAT was the best suggestion of the day. Sweet potato fries will be my go-to anywhere I can get a side of honey mustard now.

All in all, a good conference with great company and great accommodations.

Restaurant Review - Prison Brews

I'm taking a page out of my sister's playbook today in my blog post.

There are a ton of great local restaurants in Mid-Missouri and I am going to start writing reviews of them.

This weekend, Rob, A and I went to Prison Brews in Jefferson City. I've been several times, but usually only for a drink or two ... never really for a full menu.

When we were deciding where to get lunch on our way home, I used my handy Yelp app to help me decide where we should go. I am fairly limited with Rob's undying hatred for Mexican food (when all I want sometimes is El Jimmys!) so I knew I had to find some place to accommodate both of us as well as have a decent atmosphere that would keep A entertained.

And I don't know how the weather was where you were this weekend, but here in Mid-Missouri, Saturday was gorgeous! In fact, the right side of my face got a little bit of sun during this lunch outing!

When we got there, they offered to seat us inside or out, and because it was so nice, we opted for outside. After they seated us, I wasn't sure we made the right choice because A couldn't see the Kindle Fire or the iPhone and seemed to be bored. He doesn't appreciate a nice day out like us adults if he can't run around and play in it! While the waitress was taking our drink orders, Alex made the comment that he wanted to color, which we have an APP for on the Kindle. I told him he couldn't because we couldn't see the screen outside. He wasn't particularly happy about that statement, but didn't throw the tantrum I thought he would, and in that moment, I was glad we were outside with the laid back diners.

When our server brought our drinks, though, she earned a place in our hearts. She brought a coloring book and crayons for A! He proceeded to color happily and tell everyone around us what he was coloring and that he was hungry. We were, too, and despite getting our order in after a group of six women sitting nearby who were seated after us, our order came very quickly. We were impressed.

Rob had a beer brat with the sweet potato fries. He raved for the rest of the weekend about those damn fries. I wish he raved about my cooking for days like that! He said the brat was also very good.

I had a bacon cheeseburger with cheddar cheese. It was divine. The meat was spiced just right and it had that nice grill char on it. I had regular fries, which had been seasoned with course sea salt and garlic. To be honest, I am clearly still raving about them today, so I shouldn't judge Rob for raving for two days.

Alex couldn't decide between corndogs and a cheeseburger (though I'm not always sure he understands the difference between the two) so we asked him as the waitress was taking our order. In that moment, he wanted a cheeseburger, so that's what we got him. It came with tater tots and applesauce. He seemed pleased with the choice. He ate all the applesauce, about half the tater tots and at least half the cheeseburger. That was the shocking one. He rarely eats the main part of the meal -- so much to the point that I have considered only giving him one dish at a time to make him eat more of the good stuff.

Rob also ordered a sweet tea with his lunch. He said it was good and not too sweet, which is why I usually get half sweet/half unsweetened when I get sweet tea.

I also had Prison Brew's micro-brew Honey Wheat. A lot of people say it tastes a lot like Blue Moon, and like Blue Moon, it is served with an orange slice. I think it's better than Blue Moon and one of Prison Brew's greatest asset along with the great atmosphere and creative dish names with it's proximity to the former prison (which is almost just across the intersection from the restaurant).

There many other dishes I wanted to try and if I were a true restaurant reviewer, I would have tried four or five other dishes on the menu. I didn't need to, though, to recommend everyone I know going to Prison Brews for any excuse for a good meal and a great beer. There's a reason this restaurant was named best small business in Jefferson City last year!