2 meat, or not 2 meat

are there such things as 'halfzies'?

i mean... there are onezies for babies.
and i am pretty sure in some movie or show episode there is a line where someone says something to the extent of "there aren't any halfzies. onezies take-zies always make-sies".
(i am most likely totally wrong on that line... correct me with the truth, but i take pride that i, against much of my parent's wishes or knowledge, grew up in front of the television & remember nearly everything i saw ;)

But really, can you be a half-zies? a partial? a switch hitter to an extent?


Over the past few weeks i have become somewhat of a vegetarian.
Somewhat meaning, that while i claim to have this astounding love for meat- but yet i realized i ate or craved it rarely! (keeton clan please do not disown me just yet)

I found myself ordering the vegetarian burrito at Qudoba bc the chicken & beef took away from the flavor of the cilantro rice. Or having carryout from the Thai place by my new town home with spring rolls and pad Thai with extra bean shoots & scallion. And even watching the clock on my computer screen lower corner... just waiting until the appropriate time when i could go warm up the leftover brussel sprouts i brought in on a bed of mashed potatoes!

Since when did i become that person that people ask if you are on a diet bc of the foods you eat?

i am not on a diet. i love food. but is the food that i eat telling other people something about me that i have failed to hear for myself?

It is by no means that i shy away from meat. Like i said... if asked, i would still answer a very loud "GO MEAT" as those in the Hillshire Farms commercial do.
But as i peruse my daily food blogs and then continue on to the seasonal rotating menu's of my local eateries... i notice that while the pan seared duck breast is what caught my eye, it is the black trumpet mushrooms, braised radishes, melted leeks, and caramelized shallots that make or break the deal for me.



I heart food... i read about it, i watch about it, i talk about it, i EAT it.
my appreciation for food is beyond the norm.
But can a self proclaimed foodie also be a partial vegetarian? a HalfZie?

almost famous

Many of you (if not all) have met, seen pictures of, or heard numerous stories about Shae. She was my college roommate and continues to be one of my closest friends.

She also continues to be one of the most composed people i know.
She on many occasions has, merely for our own amusement, pretended to sneeze on all the unknowing strangers around us or fake nearly vomit on herself without ever losing her cool ;) and, as she often says, would have had many more opportunities to giggle on the inside if I had not ruined it by giggling on the outside... oops.

Last Thursday... after our weekly arousing game of Catch-Phrase, Shae & I ventured out to meet our friend Scotty at an 'after party' of sorts for a performer that had just completed her show. (Ya see... Shae had seen her once before on Mtv and knew of her stage performance going on that night in Indy... and was disappointed that due to our prior planned game night- she was unable to attend the show) It is here, that Shae met the match for her straight face: Mini-Britney.

(And the term mini-Britney came from the source herself... the small in stature Britney Spears impersonator!) www.mini-britney.com

Should she approach her? Should she play it cool? Could she dare to get a picture to document the evening? How is one to know what is appropriate!

Granted our encounter was not quite that of celebrity status... but it prompted me to think, what would your reaction be if you came across a personality that is quite a bit more known that your own?! ;)

would you get an autograph, take a picture, slyly snip a lock of hair?
Or maybe play it 2-cool-4-school and give a slight smile to the star... acknowledging that you know who they are... but that they are on the same level as you?

I think that the reaction would directly relate to the person in passing.
I can see that your head nod might be my screaming moment. or vice versa.

It turns out that on our slightly eventful evening, Britney approached us! While it was on her own doing she came our way... it was not without the prompting of Scotty because he knew we were not close to nailing down our plan of attack.
While never breaking character, Mini-Britney went on to offer up her business card & strategically place herself in pictures with us so that she continued to best carry on the Britney Spear persona.


Shae & Britney (in her finale costume... meant to strike a strong resemblance to 'her' most current cd Circus)


Me, Scotty & Britney. (Her matching outfit: intentional. Our matching outfits: NOT) ha

25 things

nearly everyone now has facebook... i mean, what was once a playground for embarrassing pictures and inside jokes amongst my closest friends, has now become something so big that i can keep up with my young cousins, my older cousins, my cousin's kids, my cousin's high school friends who i met once while visiting over summer in the 4th grade & the parent's of my friends!
Ya see, the sucker has become so addicting that my company feels it neccessary for me (and for all my fellow coworkers) to be blocked from it while in the office.

But amidst all the new applications, gifts, and bumper stickers it has- there is one recent time consuming post that i really do like. the list of 25 things about me... or 25 things i hate.

I opted for the 25 things about me list...
rules are: make a list of little known facts about yourself. post it as a note attached to you. then tag at least 25 of your friends. Once they are tagged, they then are 'required' to take the same action by drafting their own list and continuing the chain.

I'll admit that i didn't develop my list out of fear that i would have bad luck for 7 years bc i broke the chain letter... I did it bc i thought it would be fun to have to think about the little things that make me me, and not you. sooo enjoy...


1. I love to cook.
2. Even more so, I LOVE TO EAT!

3. I am addicted to craiglist.com. If there is anything you need, want, or are just curious about-
I know where in the city it is, and for how much.
4. I am a natural redhead. I have NEVER dyed it, and claim I never will… even though I am
considering a Hott streak for one side ;-/
5. Chewed gum weirds me out. Yes, I know… but it is not equivalent to a fear of buttons!

6. I am not a big fan of my own legs, yet I have dresses out the wazzooo.
7. I expect 20+ family members gathered together at every holiday, or it just doesn’t seem normal.
8. I am addicted to texting. To new people that I meet it could come off as obsessive or over kill, but it’s just my way of having contact with the outside world while at work, and in general.
9. If I could only have 3 foods for the rest of my life, they would be: eggs, beef & cheese.
10. I have never really been on a vacation where I was able to just relax by the beach.

11. I build an outfit from the bottom up… around my shoes & pants.
12. I only recently played my very first video game… and that is only if Rock Band & Wii Fit count.

13. I am very proud to say I HAVE NEVER, and WILL NEVER smoke a cigarette.
14. I am a rerun addict.
15. I love music. Might not be a wealth of ‘fun-fact music knowledge,’ but I can nearly every occasion sing along to any song I hear.

16. I am a giver. I want the people around me to feel they can always expect me to help… whether they ask for it or not.
17. I have 3 computer monitors on my office desk… all of which are larger than the television I have in my place.
18. I have a list of 10+ sites listed on my favorites list, all of which I visit constantly throughout the day: craigslist, fee-me drink-me, windy city westy’s, whowhatwear, Goose the market, indy downtown… to name a few. I am an internet junkie.
19. I pride myself on being a very independent woman. Yet I believe that there is “The One” who god made just for me, and he will make me that much better of a person when we are together.
20. I was a cheerleader in Junior High only because that meant you got to wear your wind suit/uniform twice a week and that was an extra 15 minutes I would get to sleep in the morning.

21. I am a Quality Timer & Simple Acts of Service type of lover; from the ‘5 Love Languages.’ Everyone should read this… you will learn a lot about yourself, and others.
22. I love being small.
23. I LOOOOVE TO LAUGH. and have often been told that my laugh, or 'cackle' as some might say... can be heard across the room or blocks radius.
24. I have many layers that take me time to let you see.
24. I only TRULY BECAME ME when I transferred to ISU.
25. I hold my friends very close to my heart.

and so it begins...

5 days a week i sit at 3 large computer screens and play with numbers. or so says my business card.
for those that know me... 5 days a week i sit at 3 large computer screens and often times, continue my search for the internet's edge where one would just fall off.


Amidst my electronic adventures I have come to find particular sites that tickle my fancy. Those such sites have been placed on my favories list.
The list consists heavily of food, fashion & family. and of course... god's gift to me, craigslist.
Each day, i can sadly say, that i visit all of my favorites at least 5 times each.
And it was while taking my 3rd trip to my sister's WindyCityWesty's blog site this morning before 10am that i realized... y not start my own blog?


As my info says, I am a young single woman attempting to be independent in an unknown city.
My closest family members are 3 hours away.

(while improving) I am horrible at talking on the phone and text isn't the best form of communication for which to tell about exciting news or your average day.


So here goes... my attempt at posting my personal thoughts & daily lessons for all to see.