Food, Random thoughts

Lemon Cake Batter Blondies

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The title really says it all.  And I shouldn’t publish this yet, but I’m going to ANYWAY, so if you are reading this and going to the same barbeque (barbecue) (oddly windows live writer doesn’t have a problem with barbeque but I LOST a spelling bee on that word so I know it’s barbecue) (or bbq) (squiggly red underline) then the surprise is spoiled.  If you are going to the same barbecue likely you’ve had regular cake batter blondies before, since I like to make those on occasion. 

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This morning Jen and I were going to run 11 miles, that’s two loops around the Park.  I did a lot of things right—I ate well the night before, I got plenty of sleep, and I woke up with a bit of a sore throat.  Allergies…I hope (I really don’t want to be sick right now)…and it killed the run.  After about 7 miles I was in serious trouble (I am such a lousy running partner, I’m sorry Jen!) and Jen pointed out I had been breathing really loudly the whole way, and she was pretty concerned about my ability to finish the run.  So we made an executive decision to turn around.  8.6 miles rather than 11, with some walking…even when walking I was having a lot of trouble breathing.  Ugh.  3 weeks until the half, this does not bode well for a PR.

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So I came home and decided to bake.  I didn’t want to go to the store though, unless I had to, so I had to mix up my recipe a bit.  I had lemon cake on hand…and I thought lemon cake would be amazing.   It is.

Lemon Cake Batter Blondies (adapted from Girl Meets Life)

1 box lemon cake mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (start with less, then add more if needed)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Mix together, add to greased pan, bake for 30 minutes at 350.  Try not to eat them all at once.

Yeah, that’s it.  Delicious!  I’ve eaten just one or two, depending on how you want to count it.  Might be three soon, but then I promise I will bring them over to my friend’s house.  Nobody wants to write "entire pan of blondies" into a food diary, not even me.

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I also spent over an hour on my taxes, something I’d been dreading.  It wasn’t so bad—I’ve got all my research done and now I’m ready to input into the program.  I’ll do that another day (tomorrow…?).  I also did laundry and I’ve been chugging water and G2 like there’s no tomorrow (the way my throat/head feels there might not be).  Technically now it should be practice time but I may just need another day off from the violin.  I leave for SC in one week, but showing up injured isn’t going to help me play better.

Now I’m going to go back and insert random pictures into the post.  Keep that in mind. 

Random.

Random thoughts

Wine Press Concert

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Last night was our concert at the Wine Press that I’ve been telling you about.  I was super stressed out about it for two main reasons: I had agreed to speak about a piece, and I was playing a solo piece from memory.  However, it went fantastic (overall) and I feel SO great for having risen to the challenge.

I learned that I really love to be a comedian.  My talk was full of jokes, primarily off the cuff.  I don’t know if it was any good, but people did laugh, and honestly, I love the feeling of a room full of people laughing at me.  Wait, did that come out wrong?

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Warming up at home.  My neck muscle looks pretty strained…I need to think about that.  Isn’t the dress awesome though?  I can’t wait to wear it again.

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My trick was to write the music on the inside of my eyelids.  That way I didn’t actually have to have it memorized.

My friend April took a couple pictures during the performance:

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This is during the Prokofiev Solo Sonata (also for Unison Violins.  Think about that.  In fact, I suggested to the audience they imagine another dozen violinists playing along with me, clones of myself.)

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Me and Laura during the Martinu Duo.  We had very similar shoes (I saw her wearing hers and I was inspired to buy a pair of my own.)

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Jen, Laura, Valentina, and me.  Doesn’t everybody look gorgeous??

All in all, it was a great evening.  We had a good crowd (shout out to Suzanne and Michelle for coming out!) and I hope people come back to our future concerts. 

Next Chamber Project St Louis concert is on April 13 at the Chapel.  Lots of good stuff, including Brahms Clarinet Quintet and a repeat of the Martinu, but with a different violist since Laura will be due around then—it’ll be with my husband Chris.  Mark your calendars!

Running

Who likes to play dress up?

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This race was a lot of fun last year, and I’d love even more friends to come out and run (and hopefully it’ll be less rainy.)

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Oh, and it should go without saying, but if you don’t at least make a valiant attempt at a costume of sorts I probably won’t speak to you until a few weeks later.  Who’s in??

Random thoughts

Never need an excuse for shopping

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But it’s nice to have one!  Today I made plans to shop with my friend Laura.  My excuse was I had shoes for this weekend’s concert but I needed an outfit.  Since I plan to stand for everything (an unusual occurrence) I thought it might be nice to get a new spring dress—something I could wear for this weekend and then wear again for other stuff like dinners out, symphony concerts, or whatever comes up!  Laura wanted to go to Baby Gap.  (And I’m not going to lie.  I did too.  I haven’t had a real excuse to do that since my little sister Carrie was born, and I don’t recall ever going to Baby Gap then…don’t get excited though mom.  I want to see my abs first 😉 )

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Lovely old St Louis streets (on my way to pick up Laura).

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My rule for today was that I wanted to match these shoes (which are lighter than they appear here), and ideally get something with a nice spring color, not black, and also I wasn’t allowed to buy purple clothes since I have enough.  Note:  I have these shoes in black and wanted to get another pair after wearing them for a wedding and LOVING them.

But the other colors weren’t available anymore on Zappos.  I lucked into this pair the other week at either Marshall’s or TJMaxx (for less than half) and was SO excited.  I am pretty tall and Chris is not, so I don’t like to wear mega heels around him…also I don’t like to wear mega heels anyway because then I just tower over everybody.  But heels do make your legs look better…this pair is the perfect height, not dowdy, and is also pretty darned comfortable.  (I believe they also come in red…I should do some research.)

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We hit up a couple of stores, and I even tried on this as a potential bridesmaid dress.  (What do you think, Leslie?  The skirt is too full for my taste and makes me look like a 13 year old…but otherwise?)  and no I didn’t try on all those clothes, they just needed to clear out the dressing rooms.  You know, it gets so BUSY on Wednesdays during the day at the mall.

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We found this absolutely adorable onesie at Baby Gap on clearance.  Chris has a similar top but he has to wear pants with his.  I made an inappropriate joke about how that outfit would be excellent for date nights, what with the snaps around the bottom.

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I found a dress at Macy’s that absolutely fit the bill!  And I bought it.  I’ll get a picture on Friday of the whole outfit.  Anyway, shopping success!

Then we hit up Sephora.  Laura said she can’t buy clothes now but she can buy makeup.

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I broke my purple rule for some lip gloss.

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Not sure why that picture has to be sideways, but evidently it must be.  It tingles a bit and I presume makes my lips look enormous and full and truly luscious.

Deep Thoughts

Can you be addicted to Advil?

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First things first:  Chamber Project St Louis Concert this weekend!  I’m playing a movement of the Prokofiev Solo Sonata, the Martinu Duo for Violin and Viola, and Haydn’s London Trio no. 1.  There’s some other pieces on the program as well, and it will be a wonderful show.  Information below.

Dinner & Concert at The Wine Press
March 23, 5:00-9:30 pm
"Haydn meets Hendrix"
Enjoy a great meal followed by a great concert
Reservations required  314-298-9463 or
stlwinepress@gmail.com
$40 includes meal, wine and concert

Now for the regular blog content:

Ty Webb to Danny: "Do you take drugs, Danny?"

Danny: "Every day"

Ty: "Good. So, what’s the problem?"

(name that movie)

Chris and I were talking at dinner last night (that in itself is a shock, I mean, what, married people talking???) and I mentioned it occurred to me the other day that I had been taking Advil every day.  I’ve always taken a fair amount of medicine for headaches, but then I started taking it for various running aches and pains plus violin pains…and suddenly you realize you’ve been taking 2 to 6 Advil a day (well, really, generic, but same idea) for as long as you can recall.  Certainly for a couple of months.  I’m worried I’m addicted to Advil!  Is that possible?  I mean, surely I can’t be in pain all the time, right?  Plus, I’m guessing it can’t be GREAT for my body to take drugs every day…and it seems if I’m not used to taking it all the time, when I do take it it would be more effective, right?  (disclaimer:  am not a doctor)

So today I am going to try not to take any Advil.  I feel like if I can go one day without it, then I’m okay.  So far I’m okay.  My legs and "glutes" hurt, but nothing I can’t handle.  I will try to stay up on my caffeine and water consumption to fend off any headaches.  My stress level is pretty high, but it is (hopefully) balanced out by the fact that I don’t have any teaching.  In fact, I am going to the mall, and since it’s not Christmastime or the weekend, that is pretty unstressful (you know I hate crowds).

So, dear readers.  I need your support in the upcoming 12 hours…wish me luck in my endeavour to become "drug-free." 

Weather

Optimism

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I feel like this morning I was really turning into my mother.  I needed a day off running, but ate an obscene amount of chips and salsa the night before, so I wanted to get some sort of exercise.  But…the weather was just too pretty to go to the gym, so I decided a walk around the park was just the ticket.  And I took my phone to take pictures of how beautiful it was.

This reminds me of a moment in my adolescence where my mother was trying to get me to do something…she said, “It’s such a nice day!” and I recall my response of “Every day is a nice day here” and in my head I definitely thought that was a bad thing.

But here I am as an adult (a married lady, no less!) enjoying a string of nice days, remarking on them with everybody I know and pass, and making efforts to go and GET MY WALK IN.  And…take pictures for the blog.

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I love these pink trees!  I am not a plant person, I don’t know what they are (can somebody tell me in the comments?) but they are ubiquitous in the park and very pretty.

I started thinking about how when Chris and I move I want it to still be close enough that I can do all my short runs in the park.

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Not quite as spring-like in this photo.  I don’t know all the history of the park but I love all the little random (seeming) buildings.  I imagine people back in the past wearing old fashioned clothing, riding horses, or perhaps talking on really giant cell phones enjoying a day much like today.

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What sort of blogger would I be without a self portrait?  Besides which, I wanted to show off my new sunglasses!  I once said that I felt every outfit needed a touch of whimsy.  Now I can wear black socks on sunny days.

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Not sure why, but this tree made me think of Gondor.

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This was much prettier in person.  My camera skills are not the greatest 😉  And another gate…I love the random gates—did they used to have fences that continued?  Because otherwise they really do seem like a waste.

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The little castle at the side entrance of the park.

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Another pink tree.

It was a lovely walk!

I passed a few people I knew, and got passed by random people—one a runner talking on the phone, another a man wearing sweatpants and a heavy coat running who yelled at me to keep my elbows up.  I passed two woman sitting on a bench, one just sitting and her friend was on her side doing leg lifts.  I see so many characters—is that because these are the sort of people who are off work on a Monday morning??

Anyway, I apologize to my readers for the maudlin-esque tone of my blog recently.  I am feeling pretty good today and look forward to the week, so you can call off the men in white coats.

I hope it will be a more positive week and I feel like today is off to an awesome start.  I’m off to rehearse the Martinu duo for this weekend’s Chamber Project St Louis concert at the Wine Press in the Central West End (tickets are $40 and include dinner), then I have just a little bit of teaching—many students are on spring break in addition to the school I teach at, so it’s a very light teaching week.

What are you up to this week?

thoughts about violin, teaching, running, life.