A Giant Blarg!!!

This week has been brought to me by the letters A R R R G G G

You know those weeks when it is nothing major but little things just drive you insane....

Like a slight annoyance about a grade...weird stuff at work...no time...

Yep....

Dumbledore and I do not Care...

An Update (accidentally put this on my other blog first)

School is back in session so my blog has become a bit sparse I admit. With two seminar style courses (one with a heavy reading list for the first half of the semester) and outside activities...my schedule has been a bit full, but I have spared anyone the freakout moment yet, nothing has occurred that would equal crazed level of panic.

I did want to discuss something of importance to me today, even if it does not reach the people who it is meant for..who would not care probably even if they did read it because I have learned that the internet is just a place to bark at others who do not agree with you.

Voting is a right here in the United States, it is actually a foundational part of our country's make-up and therefore it should be something that we as a society take very seriously and work diligently to ensure that ALL people have every opportunity possible to participate in that process, but for some reason...here in the US, we like to really try to make voting hard and that is confusing to me (really it is not, I mean I get it...but I am going to take this from a positive...let me explain angle today). 

As Americans we should want every single eligible person to have the opportunity to cast their votes to sway the tide of government, in a free society like ours...that right is paramount because it is how we, the average people...illustrate our support or disdain for the work being done in our name in Washington or our States. There are people who would like to make that hard for others...hell the other day I saw a clip of someone advocating tests again (please see the civil rights movements to understand why that sort of thing is disgusting).

People in the United States have been arrested, beaten, tortured, and MURDERED in order to vote and please understand creating long lines or closing polls to those who may work or have schedules that prohibit voting on Monday-Friday is a bad thing. It does not hurt a single person to have polls open every day of the week... it does not hurt anyone to work towards universal suffrage not just as a legality, but as a truth. 
It makes our country more representative of those who occupy it.

If that scares you...then you may need to re-evaluate what sort of government you want to live under, I am sure there are some less than liberated dictatorships who would love to have you.

*steps off soap box*

Being Stubborn

I do not buy into food fads and diet trends usually. I spend a lot of time working towards exercising every day and coupling that with attempting to eat better and with school beginning again three weeks ago, the processed foods sneak back in the diet and suddenly, I find myself getting sick after eating...often.

I do not believe I have any sort of gluten allergy, I can eat bread without any problems, but processed or sugar heavy foods... destroy me. 
For example, I made pancakes this morning and almost immediately after eating them I felt ill.  I am trying to figure out if it is a sugar thing, I do not eat a ton of sugar, but if I do eat something horribly sweet in a large quantity...it gets me ill every time and I am thinking some of these processed foods have just hidden sugar in them
It is so hard to pick and choose at the grocery store and maintain a budget so this food issue is really bugging me.
I bought a lot of fresh fruits and veggies this week... so we shall see, obviously the pancakes are doing horrible. 

What is up with the Founders?

Why is it that the "founders," you know...those guys who put together the United States' first governments (yea..remember...there were two) are portrayed as being pretty old... when in truth... they were not?

In 1776

James Madison was 25
Thomas Jefferson 33

If you look at portraits of them (granted most of their portraits come in the 1790s or after the Revolution)... they look a great deal older.
If you rely on the way they are portrayed in film...they all look well over mid-twenties and early thirties for sure.
What is that about?
Were they that weathered by life and stress in the Colonies that they just looked older or do we find comfort in portraying our leadership with more age and experience than they actually had?

Just found it odd...this is what I do when I read for class... I get stuck on the smallest and most insignificant thing. 

Coffee Review : Deathwish Coffee's Valhalla Odinforce Blend

I enjoy a dark cup of coffee on a daily basis.  I do flavor it with a bit of cream and some sugar and I know to some that is sheer blasphemy, but my cup...my kitchen, deal!

Today I tried Deathwish Coffee's Valhalla Java Odinforce.

who would NOT try this coffee?

When I opened the package, I did get a hint of chocolate so I was worried it would be flavored, but it was not...just a nice, smooth and dark coffee that tasted pretty lovely with a little dollop of cream and a sugar cube (at least I go light on the extras). I feared it would be overly dark, but it was nice...it was perfect and I really liked it.  It was a bit pricey, so I will not get it every time, but it is great for a coffee treat.

Get it here

Random Acts Controversy?

I recently read a news article about an incident where a Starbucks in Florida had a line of people...over 300 I think who kept paying it forward...essentially, buying the next person in line their drink and thought, wow...that was nice.  I've had it happen to me once at the coffee shop, the person in front of me... for no reason other than being nice, paid my tab and it was pretty cool.
So... the controversy came from a blogger guy (who has a reputation in the town) read about this as it was still going on...got in his car, drove the the starbucks, and intentionally stopped the line because he felt it was wrong or stupid or something...
He even insinuated that Starbucks had started it as an advertising ploy or something like that... really odd to me.
Anyway...
He got all hot and bothered because the barista at the window...was telling the customers that the person before them had purchased their drink and asked if they wanted to continue the gesture....obviously "pressuring" the person to do so or I don't know...suffer the wrath of the Starbucks employee??? Who knows?  Sounds like a kind of dickish thing to do if you ask me but...anyway...
People got involved in some overwhelming unnecessary internet debate over the dumbness of random acts and how it doesnt really help anyone and its some first world way of making someone feel  noble.  My problem with this is... no one is trying to save the world by purchasing the customer next in line a cup of coffee, they are just being nice.
What is wrong with simply just being nice?
Why do we have to make it an issue?

I am on a sub-reddit where the entire object is to randomly buy someone something from their Amazon wishlist...for no reason, other than sometimes its really cool to get a little something for yourself.  I've never gifted anything expensive...usually its 5 dollars or less, but it does feel good and it makes someone else's day a bit brighter.  

I wonder why the internet has to make everything an issue... I wonder why the internet just makes people feel they NEED to hit that respond button of they even have an inkling of an opinion different than the one they are reading.

I really have had to stop talking on most social media because of this....people are disrespectful, nasty, rude, and refuse to even acknowledge someone else's views or understanding of something might have validity. 
half the time I see false facebook memes or horribly incorrect information and just shake my head now because in the world of social media scrutiny, the facts have no bearing if those facts interfere with how someone thinks...even a free cup of coffee from a stranger is wrong if it interferes with someone else's worldview. 

Lazy Weekend

I want it to be fall... I really do.  When Adam and I went shopping for our "day out" to celebrate our annivery... I picked our orange roses and all I want is fall to get here... just a few degrees cooler...a nice breeze... turning leaves.
I do not even really get hot, but it is like 100 degrees outside.

To move along fall... I planted my fall flowers at the post.

alternated with red and yellow mums and some marigolds in the center

I would go buy a Pumpkin Spice Latte if I thought it would help....

Please cooler weather, wind breakers...breezes... revisit this place before I melt.  I know my title for the blog today is lazy weekend...but I have a lot to do, I just feel lazy and sluggish and tired. 

A Tea Party

My love affair with all things British (apart from their politics in Ireland lol) enabled me to host a small gathering of ladies for a tea party. We had a lovely time and unfortunately...we had such a good time, I was unable to take any photos...I forgot LOL. 

Though...I did get a "before" photo...

before the food was laid out, my small table decor

The Menu consisted of:

(all freshly made)

Tea Sandwiches-

-herbed goat cheese and turkey

-cucumber with dill and cream cheese

Buttermilk Scones-

-Fresh Lemon Curd

-Clotted Cream

Shortbread-

-traditional scottish

-pecan

(Both made by a friend who attended)

Vegetables and dip

and

Macaroons... with chocolate yummm!

We had two types of tea

-English Breakfast

-English Afternoon

and it was amazing.  I loved having friends over and everything turned out perfectly.

(Lemon curd is a pain)

I am planning another, probably close to Christmas with a breakfast theme  :)

Yep

And when people ask me why I want to leave and move away so badly... mark the night I had to call the police because our insane neighbors got into a screaming match in the front yard in the middle of the night...throwing each other's belongings from the house and threatening to kill each other....

I hate this place. 

A Few Things...

We visited Charlotte, North Carolina this week for the Liverpool vs. A.C. Milan game.  Charlotte has a lovely and artistically diverse downtown that I really enjoyed. Their modern art museum looked really awesome and they had a variety of uniquely decorated public park areas for people to enjoy. Because the day was overcast and uncharacteristically cool for the Summer, it was a nice day to spend walking around before the game.  

One of the Random outdoor Art scenes in Charlotte

On top of lovely scenery we also enjoyed some pretty tasty food.  First, we had lunch at an Irish pub called The Ri Ra. The place was overwhelmingly packed to the walls with hundreds of Liverpool fans watching other football matches before the game (we even had some authentic Liverpoolians {is that even a word lol} try to bond with us in a drunken happy stupor).  I of course had Guinness and shepherd's pie...because yea...

this stuff was fantastic

The match was equally amazing.... I've not had so much fun in a long time and I have really grown to love the sport because of its rich history and tradition... I adore it. 

Me about an hour and a half before the game...yea we got there early, the game had 69,300 in attendance

All in all, after a 2 - 0 win, we had an amazing time and really enjoyed ourselves.