Out to Eat: Sake and Mexican

My lovely friend Stephanie took me out for a movie (Crazy Stupid Love), and dinner at Fuji Jade Garden on Friday. Steph guided me in my first experience with sake. After I ordered my five different types randomly from the menu based on their number or name ("Joy" and "Black and Gold" I remember...something about a whale...) and nothing else, and then actually looked at the menu, regretted my decision and redid my order (I really didn't know what was going on), our samples arrived.  It was certainly interesting. Usually I make a face when drinking strong beverages, but it was different with sake. Oh, I made faces, but they were more subtle and out of my control, kind of a twitch. I guess it's just my sake face. 

A- Gekkeikan "Traditional" 

B- Momokawa "Pearl" Nigori 

C- Moonstone "Coconut-lemongrass" Nigori 

D- Hana "Fuji Apple" 

E- Haiku

Thank you miss Steph! Tonight I went with Steph and Emma to a Mexican restaurant, Rey Azteca, I hadn't been to before. It was tasty! They gave me just the right amount of food. And it is very...festive inside. Good food, good friends. The only downside was seeing the now closed dollar theater right next door. 

Today I got a nice good morning phone call from husband, worked out, got another job, completely missed the earthquake, discovered the kittens do not like the car no matter how they get to ride in it, visited the family, got a new movie in the mail from Netflix, thought it was Monday, and forgot if I was 22 or 23 years old. No joke.  

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Army Wife

Apparently being an Army wife means my clothing, accessories, car, and probably this blog should be adorned in such conspicuous things to clearly identify myself as such. So, here goes:

 

Yikes. 

Why does Army wife stuff have to look like this? The pink, the lips, the bold font because it's the Army paired with the wispy font because it's the wife (right?). Perhaps I haven't had this role long enough to feel so inclined to plaster myself with such sparkly reminders. Hopefully I won't reach that point any time soon, or ever. Pink camo isn't necessary to be proud, but I suppose I shouldn't knock it too much. Whatever works, you know? I still feel weird when people are extra nice to me or give me sympathetic looks because my husband is in the military and deployed at the moment, and I carry a military ID. I've gotten discounts places, which is really nice, but still weird. A flight attendant once somehow guessed I was going to visit my military husband and he showered me with thanks and extra attention. People tell me I deserve it, but I don't know what I have done to gain special treatment. It just takes a little getting used to, I suppose, being thanked for marrying the man I love. 

People are very nice to our soldiers, and I am very glad for that. They deserve all the thanks and kind special treatment that strangers throw their way. I've witnessed Kyle get bumped up to first class, receive "thank yous" from strangers (prompting a conversation between Kyle and I about how exactly one is to respond to that. You can't say "you're welcome." Saying "thank you" back seems odd. I suggested a polite nod and a smile), and heard stories of him getting meals paid for by other anonymous diners. It really warms my heart. My favorite thing I've heard was when Kyle and I were flying to Pittsburgh the weekend after we got married, and getting off the plane one of the flight attendants called out, "thank you for your service! And for marrying such a cute girl!" That one made me smile. 

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Monday Movie: The Change-Up

I saw The Change-Up a couple weeks ago with my good  friend Emma. It stars Jason Bateman. Of course I had to see it (I should do an Arrested Development post one of these days, huh). In the talk show circuits, both leads (the other being Ryan Reynolds) have poked fun at the movie's less than original plot of body swapping, stating however, that never has a rated R version been done, and this is a very very rated R version. So I went to see it expecting it to be quite crude and aiming to please with poop jokes. While there was certainly poop, cringing, and more breasts than Emma and I were expecting, it also had a heartfelt side, which was obviously that the two leads wanted their own lives back (for the right reasons, not just the initial panic early on of waking up in your best friends body) and realized things about themselves that could use some work. I'd say it was a pretty successful "remake" of switcheroo movies of the past, though it's not a movie I need to see again any time soon.

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Mad Men

After work today I did laundry and watched a few episodes of Mad Men for the first time (with some interruptions due to the storm). So...I can't tell if it's a good show or not, mostly because it initially made me quite upset. Probably because it is filled with things I do not like, namely: men cheating on wives (I also hate wives cheating on husbands), women who sleep with married men, and oh my gosh all the smoking around children (which I also saw a lot of down at Fort Hood. poison yourself but not your itty bitty children). The things the characters say made me cringe. Also January Jones talks like that every time I've seen her, as a character or as herself, so she bugs me a bit. I think I'm learning that my issue may be with the 60s, if that's what it was like, not the show. Though I'm discovering I love a nice dose of vintage, so it's fun to see the clothes and houses and everything! I will probably, maybe keep watching...I am guilty of quickly becoming addicted to shows, whether I particularly like them or not (why I try to avoid watching new ones).

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! I spent mine working, house sitting, cleaning up a bit, eating mango, missing Kyle terribly, and avoiding downtown at all costs (it was Penn State move-in weekend. yikes). 

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Lately according to my Droid

I got a new Ninja food processor; it works much better at making banana ice cream. but then it broke.

sleeps

downpour outside the theater 8/14
did I mention I live on a golf course?
sometimes they squish into their now too small for both carrier
State College sky by Beaver stadium 8:30pm 8/16
kittens
mango
study time with kitten
this chick is obviously not studying for the gre
porch
better question, you call this a fortune?
little old things
Haviland garden
KitCat
they don't call it a butterfly bush for nothing

- Mrs. M

Saturday cats 10

Then and Now

Huxley

Darwin 

Have a good weekend! 

- Mrs. M

Perfect Wedding Gift Idea

ours, his, hers decanter set from love and victory

I don't like hinting at gifts for myself, but I'll make an exception because wouldn't this be perfect for Kyle and I? Mostly Kyle, because he would do most of the drinking, but also for me, because I think it is cute and want husband to have nice gifts that he will love. I haven't gotten to the point of making a registry yet, but if I could, this would be on it. Or, maybe I will get it for Kyle for an anniversary gift? I have been known to get him a booze-related gift on occasion... alright, on several occasions. One way or another, I think we should own this. 

- Mrs. M

Feeling a bit Homeless

Remember when I said deployment wasn't too bad so far? Well, that was because I was able to chat with Kyle online most days. Yesterday was Kyle's last day with internet (well I got to chat with him a little bit earlier this morning. He keeps surprisingly having internet a little bit longer than expected, but I think it is finally kaput), with little knowledge of whether it will ever come back, whether he'll be able to call or contact me in any other reliable way. It puts me a bit into a panic. It wouldn't be so bad if there was reliable post back and forth; we've done that before (three months of basic and AIT, and that time he worked in the Adirondacks for the summer). I love letter writing! However, for my birthday all I asked for from him was a letter, which he sent in good time before my birthday (good husband), but it still has yet to arrive in my mailbox (bad postal service). Sooo... not sure if we will have communication at all, at least from him to me. I panic because obviously I will miss him so (so so so much. already.), but also communication is kind of essential for planning and figuring things out, especially when I need to know if he's coming back much earlier than expected so I know if I need to plan on moving to Texas earlier than planned. ...Which means I would need to find someone to sublet the apartment, leave my job, probably put wedding planning on the fast track because planning from TX for a PA wedding is not ideal, and figure out where we will live in Texas? Voi voi*. So, the panic. And the sad. Mostly for him, a little for me. I know we've been spoiled with this deployment so far, but it's still deployment. I know they say not to worry about things you can't control and don't know, but a) who are they kidding? and b) living in a constant state of things you can't control and the unknown (that is, living the military life) really gets to you after a year. Maybe it won't be as bad as it could be, though, and we will have some communication? No way to know... Stay safe, husband. I sure do love you. 

illustration by Mike Lowery

* Finnish expression. Kind of like "oh dear/sigh" but not exactly. I use it a lot, mostly in my head. "voi" also means butter. "leipä" means bread. "omena" means apple. "appelsiini" means orange. I could keep going...

- Mrs. M

Pretty Pictures

1. pretty motorcycle (thanks husband)

2. pretty nifty tape dispenser. I kinda see a whale. 

3. pretty sparkly

4. pretty tasty looking maple oatmeal scones

5. pretty sure I want a moose hat for future baby

6. pretty excited for autumn

7. pretty and refreshing ice cubes

8. pretty French, jolie mais oui

9. pretty different

10. pretty sweet & simple

photos from: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten

-From the desk of Mrs. Sarah McPherson