Where did I find such natural beauty?

At a rest stop. Can't you just smell the pine scented cleanser?

Trader Joe, how do I love thee?

Okay, most of you know that I am certifiably obsessed with TJ's. I wander the aisles like a kid in a toy store, loading up my basket with things I probably don't need but HAVE TO HAVE and I read and re-read the Fearless Flyer like an inmate with only one porn mag. Some things are so good they make me want to cry (bruschetta topping in the fresh veggie section, I'm looking at you!), and even when something is a disappointment (blue cheese stuffed skirt steak, where did we go wrong?) I can easily get a refund that makes it almost all better. So from time to time I'm going to bring you updates on my best new finds, such as:

Strawberries & Creme: Completely un-fucking-believable people. Frozen cream-filled, white chocolate dipped strawberries from heaven. The description sounded amazing but for some reason they sat in my freezer for a couple weeks before I finally broke into them. I don't know what in the hell I was waiting for, but I'm glad it arrived last night and opened me up to a whole new world of fruity delight.

They come 16 to a box and I believe the box was reasonably priced at less than $5, so two boxes would be a cheap but lovely addition to any party (such as Shelley's this weekend, to which I will certainly be bringing them). Each is individually wrapped in a sweet little white and green envelope, just right for a quick treat to reward yourself for doing the dishes, finishing a project, or whatever other excuse you can come up with. And at only 90 calories each (35% fat) they are practically low fat and guilt free!

You need to let the strawberries thaw on the counter for about 10 mins according to the package instructions, but let me tell you that is a damn long time to wait. Still, it is advisable unless you have teeth of steel or stone or some material that doesn't conduct cold very well or your dental pain will overshadow your enjoyment. The strawberries themselves are good, more like a fruit ice than fresh fruit but still yummy, but we all know it is really about the cream right? And you will not be disappointed my friends, it is luscious, there is really no other way to describe it. Tastes like sweetened condensed milk mixed with happy clouds. I want to buy 100 boxes of the strawberries, scoop out all of the cream filling, and take a bath in it. Trader Joe, will you marry me? You had me at the cream filled center, but then you had to go and totally knock me out with the white chocolate cap you use to keep the filling in place. I know there is much debate among chocolate purists, but I think that white chocolate is a delicious and valid member of the chocolate family, even if there is no actual cocoa relation. And besides, I enjoy that slightly waxy texture. But if you are completely insane and really can't accept the white chocolate I would recommend a hot fudge dipping sauce to cover the taste.

So in summary, Strawberries & Creme get a resounding approval. I would say they are probably in my Top 5 TJs purchases, but that would mean I would have to pick four other favorites and then any product that didn't make it would be jealous and it would be a mess. Try them soon people, you will thank me.

Mmmm, I can't believe I am stuck at work for another 5.5 hours before I get to go home and have another one. Or four.

Apartment--check!! Sorta

Okay well I'm all approved to move into the Franciscan Apartments, which are actually three blocks closer to Trader Joe's than my current place, yay! BUT!

Because they can only hold a unit for two weeks blah blah blah and I want the place on December 20th, I really can't pick my specific apartment yet unless I want to start paying in early December. Which I don't. So now I just have to sit tight for a couple weeks and then go see what they have available at that time. That will hopefully be just the sunny first floor unit I want, but to get absolutely technical it could be nothing at all. Did you know you can give your 30 days notice and then totally take it back any time you want??!

I'm not terribly worried about them having nothing, and I'm sure this two weeks bullshit is just designed to pressure suckers like me into getting nervous and taking a place earlier than they had planned. I just really wanted to have my full address sooner rather than later so that I can get on with the important business of moving: cable (with DVR, woo hoo!), the evite for all of your wonderful help, the free magazine subscriptions, etc. Oh well, I guess that I will just have to wait.

THANK GOODNESS I'M SUCH A PATIENT PERSON!!

My heart, she is breaking...

Which Sublime song are you?

My results: None-you're not cool enough to listen to Sublime anyway.

Considering I had the 40 oz to Freedom album on continuous play for pretty much all of 1997, I would like to disagree, but who can argue with an online quiz?

Firefox--I wish!

To those of you who have suggested a different browser, thanks but I'm stuck with what I've got since I'm only online at work. We can't download anything ourselves and our IT group is too busy trying to keep Windows 97 running to actually consider anything created in this century...

Unhappy Friday

I just called the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer peeps to make sure they got my resume and the lady said "Oops! I didn't know that job opening was still on the website, the position has been filled!" Argh. So I guess my dreams of getting the first job I applied for may have been a little unrealistic :-( Back to the drawing board, but at least this time it is with a semi-updated resume...oh and Julienne and Ann, I fully intend to take advantage of your resume reviewing skills at some point in the near future...

What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?

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The same middle name, ha ha.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

I totally forgot about my blog

Oops! I switched over to using Netscape rather than IE and so I'm working on repopulating my "recentlty visited sites" list and I just caught this one...so did you miss me?

Just going to spew some random stuff I guess, here goes:

Is anyone having trouble with Yahoo? My account is super slow and is always telling me there is a problem accessing my mailbox, etc. I've tried it from a number of computers and that was the reason for the switch to Netscape (which seemed to help a bit), but it's not looking good. Yahoo, how could you fail me again?!?? Well I hope it works out, but consider this your reminder to use the beverly.ingram@gmail.com address.

I dropped off my application for the apartment I'm interested in yesterday and guess what? The rent went DOWN since a week and a half ago! The price is now exactly right (it's the same as my WC apt once you factor in the move-in bonus and the $100 I'm supposedly getting from rent.com for using their site), so I'm really excited. Should find out by early next week if I got approved, wish me luck! One weird thing though is that I won't be able to use the gate buzzer (not planning on having a house phone and they can't link it to my cell since I have a 925 number), so people will have to call me and I can run out to let them in. Thank goodness I just bought a nice new bathrobe that can pass for outside clothes!

Oh, last weekend was great by the way. Went horseback riding with Julienne and some others on the beach in Daly City on Saturday, it was completely gorgeous and fun. THANKS JULIENNE AND ISABELLA! Hope we can do it again! Sunday was a first: went to a Japanese bath house in SF with some of the girls and we all hung out naked. Matt got Haydee a gift certificate for her birthday last month and she was kind enough to invite me to join her. It was oddly liberating to be taking a shower in the backyard of a house in the middle of the city, and the weather was really nice so lying on the deck was a treat. THANKS HAYDEE AND MATT!

I finally sent my first resume out, and I really hope I just get this job so I can quit looking ha ha. It sounds terrific; it is with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and it is mostly getting people involved (presenting to organizations and stuff) and supporting participants in their training and fundraising, plus working the events. It is a nine month contract position, which would be kind of neat, or could be totally crazy ha ha. Unfortunately, no idea what it pays. Why don't companies just list the freaking salary and save everybody time and annoyance!??? I'd say "What does it pay?" is a job seeker's number one question anout 98% of the time, so why do they bother with this "competitive salary" bullshit? And of course if you ask too early in the process they get all huffy. Oh well, I need the interview practice anyway so I'm sure I'll go on a few that turn out to be way below my minimum. It is totally ridiculous what they pay in the non-profit world (I have seen positions requiring masters degrees that start at like 37K), but at least we get personal satisfaction or some shit.

Blogger's spellchecker sucks. I mean how can I trust it is it doesn't even recognize "blog" as a word? Excuse my misspellings please.

Okay, those are my major issues at the moment, and if that's all I've got I guess life ain't so bad :-)

In the spirit of stealing blog stuff from your friends...

Here are some baby porcupines from Haydee. If an apartment allows cats these would probably be okay, right? I want a baby porcupine! I want to carry one in my purse!

UPDATE: Word on the street is that these might be baby hedgehogs. Not as pokey as porcupines? Even better!

What's new with you?

Okay I keep getting questions like "New job what?" and "Moving where?" so I guess I haven't filled everyone in on where my life is at right now. So in a nutshell:

Most of you know I've been ready for a new job for ages but now that it really is time to look I am totally slacking so I doubt anything will happen until the new year. I've been here for five years and on the plus side, I am now vested in the retirement system, but I am also thoroughly sick of this joint and need to move on. It is pretty nervewracking since I haven't done this whole thing since the post-college job hunt but I suppose that's life. I'm looking for something charitable but it doesn't necessarily have to be at a charity. I'd be happy to work in a community development type program at a corporation, since I've never really been in the private sector. But at this point I'm not going to be too picky. As long as it pays at least a decent chunk more than I'm making now and will look good on the resume in a couple years, I'll take it. Wish me luck!

And my latest excuse for not looking for a new job is the fact that I'm moving at the end of December. I'm sure all of you who have partied on Pond Isle will be sad to hear it, but the roomies are going their separate ways at the end of the lease and I just don't have the strength to take on more strangers from Craigslist. I'm actually pretty sad because I love that house so much and I've been so happy there. But I know that the majority of the happiness comes from spending time there with you all, and so hopefully I can convince you to drive a couple extra blocks to come see me at my new place. I've got a great apartment picked out right around the corner from where I am now (even closer to Trader Joe's, yay!), but I think I want to check out just a couple more places before I make the final decision. I'll let you know when I do, because that will determine the schedule for the LAST PARTY at the old place and the MOVING PARTY for the new place!

So that's where I'm at. I'm pretty stressed, and having to deal with all of this stuff over the holidays is lame, but hopefully things will be nice and settled in time for 2006! HOLY CRAP--2006!

New category: Cute things my nephews say

Sorry guys, I've gotta do an adorable kid bit. Most of you know that my nephews Zach (almost 6 yrs) and Nathan (almost 2 yrs) are the loves of my life, and they crack me up in some way almost every time I see them. Like last night:

We're having dinner for my mom and my sister's birthdays and we're talking about my dad's recent hunting trip and what he is doing with the deer he slaughtered mercilessly (yeah, I know, but at least he eats it). So among other things he is having salami made, which caught Zach's ear. "Salami?" he says. "It's deer salami." my sister tells him. And Zach replies, "Dear salami, I love you."

How cute is that? Or do you have to be a completely infatuated aunt to get it? Does it help if I explain that that is what he always writes in birthday cards (substituting Aunt Bev, Mommy, Grandma, etc. for salami)? ANYONE? BUELLER?

Contest ends in 5...4...3...

And the winner is NOBODY! You obviously don't know me at all :-(

They all sounded like great suggestions, but my very favorite sandwich is corned beef. It's not just for St. Patty's leftovers anymore folks! And first runner up is a nice french dip, mmmm mmm. Now we could quibble over deli vs. diner vs. breakfast sandwiches, but I really don't want to see things sink to that level.

So the winner by default is Walt, because spaghetti carbonara is my favorite pasta, and so the Quizno's chicken carbonara might be worth a shot. And no, this contest was not fixed at all, Walt and I are just right there as usual. Thank you all for your participation!

Not so secret contest

Okay, I'll buy a sandwich for anyone who can name my favorite kind. There is one super correct answer, and one that I will take if nobody comes up with my number one.

Julia, grilled cheese was a good guess, and would have been correct in1983.