No Title

I could not come up with a title for this post. Mainly because it’s not really about anything in particular (like a majority of my posts. lol), I’m mostly just bored.

Christmas went pretty smooth, it was a nice day and I really enjoyed it. I got a few CDs that I wanted and there seemed to be a common theme to them…Check it out; Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Score, Angel: Live Fast, Die Never and Anthony Stewart Head’s Music for Elevators. See the theme? Amanda and me got some Borders gift cards from Kens mom, which was nice, we both love Borders. I also got a $100 gift card for restaurant.com. We didn’t do much for New Years, I think we mostly just played World of Warcraft and had a little champagne. Yeah, we’re wild like that.

Last week I managed to make $150 on some unimportant gold jewelry that I sold and this week I worked a couple of days so I made some unexpected money there too. Yay! Because of money problems I canceled mine and Amandas World of Warcraft subscriptions in December (should have done it sooner) when I said I did that (on some internet sites) some people would respond, “You should buy a game card, they cost $30.” Umm…If I had the money for a game card why would I have needed to cancel my subscription in the first place? Let’s use some common sense people, I said I canceled because I have NO money.  But since I just made a little money I renewed my subscription, but only for a month, mainly because I wanted to activate the authentication key that Ken bought me (so there is no way my account can get hacked)…And I get that awesome vanity pet, the core hound pup.

I had been playing the beta for Star Trek Online, I liked it, but it also drove me crazy. Ken wanted to get me the game and a subscription but I don’t want him wasting the money, getting it for himself is one thing, but there is no need to double that expense…the game is $70 or $80 (?), and the life-time sub is $240.  I’m just not that excited about the game, I was until I actually played it. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, but not enough to justify that expense for it, it just seems like a waste of money to me.

I’ve already planned our Valentines Day meal. We always have dinner at home for Valentines Day after the disaster of the first Valentines Day that I was out here, when Ken thought it would be nice to take me out to eat…But he didn’t think to make a reservation, and even if he did it would have been miserable trying to eat out. People were insane! All the places we stopped at were crazy busy and at one place some jackass pushed me, glared at me and even swore at me…All I was doing was standing there trying to stay out of everyone’s way…I was like, “WTF?” but I managed to keep my ‘Boston temper’ in check, I figured it’s not worth it, besides his girlfriend looked mortified by of his actions. I can not see how all that insanity could make for a nice romantic night out…So I told him to just take me to a store and we’ll buy some steaks that I can cook up, which was what I had originally wanted to do anyway. This year I’ll be making lasagna (which I haven’t made in forever), a Cesar salad and an English triffle for dessert.

I guess that’s about it. Gonna spend the weekend cleaning and stuff, but I’m hoping to head to Borders tomorrow to veg out and read some graphic novels, like the “Angel” one I started reading. Then after that head to Dunkin Donuts to get us all our drinks; I get a dunkachino, Ken gets a white hot chocolate and Amanda gets the hot chocolate. I don’t get drinks at the cafe in Borders anymore, too expensive.

Holidays and things

I can’t believe Christmas is almost here!

I tried, and failed, at getting Ken one more gift (I was only able to buy him one this year). Though I did find something for him, it was just something I gave to him right away since it was a Christmas stocking and I wanted to hang it. We had been talking the last couple of Christmases how Ken was the only one who does not have a stocking that represents his personality/interests, he just had a ‘generic’ Xmas stocking, so when I was at the mall and saw a “Star Trek” stocking I just had to get it for him! In the end even though I could not find him another gift, at least I found him that. Amanda has a “Naruto” stocking and I have a “Nightmare Before Christmas” one…

While we were at the mall looking around Amanda bought me a pair of earbuds for my mp3 player, and they were Nightmare Before Christmas ones! She’s so sweet. But I’m surprised she didn’t wait until Christmas to give them to me. She also got Ken a little something, but I told her to give it for Christmas.

This week I will be making chocolate chip, snickerdoodle and gingerbread cookies! I will also be making some apple crisp, which is really yummy with vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup. I also want to make some sort of bread, maybe a cranberry one and pumpkin. Our Christmas dinner will simply be brown sugar ham, mashed sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and dinner rolls then after we eat we’re going to watch the movie UP.

The day after Christmas we will all go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie that is coming out, then maybe we can go and hang out at Borders for a bit since I don’t do that much anymore and after that head to Dunkin Donuts where I usually get a Dunkachino, Ken gets a white hot chocolate and Amanda gets a regular hot chocolate. Normally I would get a caramel latte at the cafe in Borders, but I simply can’t afford those right now, so Dunkins it is. heh

Ken’s birthday is coming up on the 31st, and I’m planning on making him lasagna (which I haven’t made in forever) and of course I’ll bake him a cake. I’d like to get him a present, but first I have to sell my old gold jewelry (stuff from ex) and see how much money I can make from it. I wish I had thought to bring it on my recent trip to the mall, but I am lame and forgot all about the stuff. *sigh*

Recently we all watched The Lord of the Rings trilogy together. It took us six days since we watched the extended versions and decided to watch each one a half at a time. I love those movies and always feel sad when I am done watching them. It was Amandas first time seeing them, she liked the movies, except for the part with the huge spider (I forget the spiders name), her reaction was hilarious. lol Me and Amanda have also been watching Christmas movies on hulu, it reminded me of when we spent this past Halloween watching Halloween movies all day on the Disney channel (Halloweentown ones & T*Witches). I love watching movies together!

Anyway, looking forward to having a nice, relaxing Christmas…And of course looking forward to the food. mmm food…This blog post has made me really hungry…I should know better than to write about food.

Japanese Recipes

Me and Amanda were making an AsianFoodGrocer.com wishlist on Amazon using the universal wishlist button…We were bummed out to find that the Melon Pan (bread) was out of stock. I guess that means I will just have to start making it on my own, unless they get it back in stock…But I would still like to try making my own. So I searched the net and found a recipe that sounded like the Melon Pan we had been buying (there are different ways to make it). Then that lead me to find more recipes of things I thought we should try. Hmm…I seem to be on a Japanese food and snack kick, thanks to Amanda.

Below are the links to the recipes I thought we would try…A lot of them come from the same site, I was quite happy to find that site, very convenient to find a lot of the stuff that we wanted to try in one place!

Melon Pan (bread)
Kushi-Dango (skewered sweet dumplings)
Oyakodon
Curry Rice
Tonkatsu (pork cutlet)
Gyudon (Beef Bowl)
Yakitori
Omurice
Nikuman (steamed pork buns)
Anman

Of course I am not going to make all those at one time. They are just things I will try out from time to time! Can’t wait to start making them! The only things I have ever made before were very basic things, such as Tamagoyaki and Onigiri so I look forward to new foods to make, as does Amanda (she likes to cook too).

Great, this post made me hungry…My tummy is grumbling. heh

Japanese Snacks

Obviously if you live in Japan it’s a lot easier for you to get some Japanese snacks, but I live in the states and out here if you’re lucky enough you might have an Asian grocery store in your area that might carry all sorts of goodies, but not everyone has that, and even if they do sometimes they don’t carry a whole lot. That’s where one of my favorite sites comes in, Asian Food Grocer, I just got a package from them today…

They sell a lot more than just snacks, but so far that is all I have ever bought from them. I found their site sometime in 2006 or 2007, up ’til that point the only Japanese snack I had been able to find at local places, like the mall or Walmart, was pocky. When I first started to search online for places that sold Japanese snacks I kept coming up with sites that only offered items in bulk, I had no desire or reason to buy in bulk, and the very few places that I didn’t have to buy in bulk charged outrageous amounts of money for shipping so when I happened upon the Asian Food Grocer site I was pleasantly surprised.

These are the local places where I’ve found Japanese snacks:
FYE and Borders/Waldenbooks both carry a small variety of Japanese snacks (various pocky, gummies, ramune, etc) Also, if your mall still has them, Suncoast carries snacks as well. Walmart carries ‘basic’ pockey (strawberry and chocolate), and they only cost about $1 a box.

If you were wondering, below are the price differences between AsianFoodGrocer.com and places like FYE…

Almond Crush Pocky AFG: $4.49 – FYE: $7
Ramune Soda AFG: $1.78 – FYE: $3-4
Glico Strawberry Pocky AFG: $.99 – FYE: $2
Kasugai Gummy AFG: $2.89 – FYE: $5

I know what you’re thinking; Shipping costs with AFG will probably make it equal to what they charge at those other stores…Not really. AsianFoodGrocer.com offers FedEx ground shipping of only $5, which is pretty darn cheap. Also, the fact that they have a lot  more to choose from, and not just snacks, makes it worth paying shipping. And some times you will find that AFG will be offering discounts on some items, or even 10% off your whole order.

To summon up: The best place to get your Japanese snacks can depend on what and/or how much you want to buy. If you are only buying a couple of things, and want it now, like a bottle of Ramune soda and a box Pocky then go to places like FYE, or if the only thing you want is some basic pocky, head to Walmart. But the best place to shop for Japanese snacks (and other things), in my opinion, is AsianFoodGrocer.com.

And because I know you were curious …My recent orders (seen in photo at top of page) from AFG consisted of:
Melon Bread
Hello Kitty Lottepie
Chocolate Fruit Gummy 4-pack (gummy flavors are: strawberry, orange, apple and grape)
Almond Crush Pocky
Strawberry Pocky
Strawberry Ramune soda
Strawberry filled Biscuits
Strawberry Chocolate
Not pictured:
Mango Ramune Soda
Strawberry Hi-Chew

There’s a bunch of strawberry stuff because they are stocking stuffers for my daughter and she loves strawberry flavored snacks and drinks.

No sleep = Blog post

Well it’s that time of year where I start looking for those seasonal jobs that should be available, I see places saying they are hiring for them, but they don’t seem to want to hire me for them. It’s pretty lame when I can’t even get one of those jobs. *sigh*

So yeah, money problems are getting worse. So as always the job I have now is not steady work, they need to have a race happening in order for there to be something for me to do. Though I understand from my boyfriend that his grandfather thought I would come into work even when there are none, not sure where this is coming from because not only is there nothing for me to do at those times, but they really can’t be paying me when they don’t have the money to (no race=no money). Kens grandmother commented one day, fairly recently, that they only need me the week before a race, which makes sense, so I have no clue what his grandfather is thinking. I don’t want to go there with nothing, or little, to do and have them pay me for it, even if I do need the money. I don’t take advantage of people like that.

Even though I have money problems I know something will work out, something always does. I have enough in my account to cover me for a couple of months, plus I have some gold jewelry I am going to sell (some stuff that was from my ex) then by the time that all runs out I should be getting my tax returns back. Hopefully though, within that time, I can find a more permanent job, even something part-time will do, as long as it’s weekly. As long as I make enough to survive then I am happy. And as crazy as this sounds I’d love to work for another school kitchen, I really liked that job. Plus it was nice having all those holidays off.

Christmas this year will be rather skimpy, like I assume it will be for a lot of people. I just ordered Ken and Amanda one present each from Amazon, and I think that is all I will be able to afford, but I just wanted to be able to give them something at least. And of course there will be stocking stuffers, I already ordered some for Amanda from Asian Food Grocer, some Japanese snacks that she loves. Speaking of Christmas, we will be putting up our tree and decorations later! yay!

I have another reason I need money, besides all the regular, “need to pay bills and buy food” stuff. Amanda needs some dental work done, stuff that will get expensive. I found a free clinic type of place, but I am not sure I can get her in there and I am not sure what they cover. You can only call them the first monday of every month (starting?) at 8am so I have to wait until December 7th to call. I also have a credit card that should be able to cover a lot of the stuff that she needs done. I just want her to be happy with her smile, so I’ll do what I have to. Oh, and we have to take her to the Boys & Girls club next week. I’m so glad that they have teen hours there, and so much for them to do and the help they offer with homework and job preparation. It’s great!

Now I know that I mentioned our car problems in previous posts, but I think I forgot to mention that sometime next year we will be looking into getting a Cube, Ken wants one real bad and it would be so much better than what we have now. OK, almost anything is better than what we have now. So a new car is another reason I hope to find a job soon!

I have so much on my mind, but I guess that’s about it for now I am finally feeling sleepy so off to bed with me.

Bento

Finally bought Amanda a bento box! I’ve had trouble finding one that was cute, came with a carrying bag and was inexpensive. In the end I went to ebay and found one for a total (w/shipping) of $20, It was pretty cheap and was just what we were looking for. While I was at it I found rice ball molds in the shape of a star and a heart (for only $1.75). Whenever I try to make onigiri they come out looking kind of pathetic. lol So I had to get something to help me shape them. They just both came in the mail today, that was fast! And the bento box came straight from Japan. It really is super cute, can’t wait to fill it up with some goodies.

Amanda is one of the pickiest eaters I know (Ken is another one) so her bento will be filled with the stuff she likes such as; Onigiri, Tamagoyaki and Yakitori will also put in some carrot and celery sticks as well as apple slices. I will have to hunt down some other bento food ideas that Amanda will like. And I won’t be getting all creative and making really cool looking bentos because it’s time consuming and I would probably just make it look bad. heh

The car issue

OK so last week I posted about what happened to our car. Well the next day after the accident Ken managed to get the passenger door to open, which I was very happy about. Yesterday him and his grandfather took the car to a shop to get an estimate of the damage…I forget at the moment what he said it came to but since it came to more that what the car was worth (as we knew it would) the car is considered totaled. Not sure what this means as far as what happens next, I’ve never had a problem like this before with a car. *sigh*

We also might have an opportunity to get another car because Brooke, Kens cousins girlfriend, might be getting more money at work and if she does they want to get rid of her car and get a new one. Eric, Kens cousin, said he would sell it to him for $5000. My only concern is that Brooke got into a car accident once and I have no clue if the car has problems. I really do not want to end up with another clunker. But if the car is in decent shape it would be a lot better than what we have now. I can just picture it…Quiet, 4-door, trunk, AC and so on. Sounds like a dream.

I should note that if Ken was not obsessed with spending money and charging up cards on all the latest technology we would probabaly be able to go and get a damn car without having to do it through family. But he spends a good thousand (for all I know more) a month to pay off all his computers (and mine and Amandas) and various other techy things. Geek.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm leaked

Update 8/21/09: Just announced at Blizzcon! It’s all true! YAY! World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

mmo-champion.com posted all the leaked info

I feel like it’s too good to be true, but it could be legit (mmo-champion, as far as I know, usually has reliable info) a lot of it would make sense. But I am trying not to get too excited about it in case it turns out not to be true….OK, I admit I am still geeking out over the stuff in that link. I can’t help it.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is the next expansion for World of Warcraft. Dark and forgotten threats that have long stayed out of sight have finally arrived on our shores, unleashing a cataclysmic event upon Azeroth and now preparing more nefarius plans to take it back.

One of the things I am most excited about and would love to see…

Worgen
The cataclysm has cracked open the Greymane Wall, finally revealing what has happened to the kingdom of Gilneas and its citizens. With the Worgen curse taken hold, they have found a partial cure, allowing them to retain their Human minds even when transformed. Venturing forth from Gilneas and seeking help from the Alliance, they have decided to join them, to combat the new threats of Cataclysm.

And it would be about time that humans get to be hunters. Makes me think of the South Park episode, ‘Make Love Not Warcraft’, where Stans father says he is a human hunter, never mind the fact that humans can’t be hunters, he is obviously wearing the gear that warriors start out with. lol

The Bright Side

Things keep breaking and I think Ken is feeling a little stressed over it. He needs to be like me and look at the bright side!

The other day, which I already posted about, our car got sideswiped and we could not get the passenger door to open (this is piled on a bunch of other problems the car already has, also mentioned in my other post). The bright side: The car still works, it gets us places. If it didn’t we’d be really screwed. Thankfully yesterday Ken messed around with the door and it now opens again! Yay! We really do need a new car though.

Yesterday Ken said something about the toilet handle in our bathroom being too loose so he tightened it,  I had noticed it felt a bit ‘off’ as well…But later on Ken flushed it and the handle broke…So now we can’t use our bathroom (til we get a new handle). The bright side: We have 2 bathrooms.

My keyboard started acting all funky yesterday and can no longer be used. The bright side: Still had an old one laying around that works (though it is not as cool as my newer one).

But straying from the bright side of things, we have way too much that needs to be fixed/replaced and it can be overwhelming. Some of it are small things but when added to everything else it all seems to be too much. Here is a list of our stuff (excluding what is mentioned above)…

Need to…
get tiles for bathroom wall because of water damage (which has caused mold problems).
replace a doorknob.
replace a bedroom door because of a hole.
patch up a wall with a big hole.
fix another wall that has water damage.
figure out how to clean the hot tub, it is a mess.
stain the deck.
fix, possibly replace, the backdoor (sliding glass door).
fix the broken light post in our yard.
get rid of the horrible weed problem.
eventually replace the kitchen floor, due to a spot that is burned.

We just do not have the money to do anything, even some of the simplest do it yourself projects so we certainly can’t hire people. It sucks. Where is that bright side again? I forget. heh

I am probably forgetting stuff and will end up adding to this list another time. *sigh*

I need a break. Haven’t been to the bookstore in forever and unfortunately Ken works this weekend. I just want to go there to relax and unwind while doing some reading (of the books/graphic novels that I can’t afford).

Update (8/18):
We fixed the toilet handle the next day and while we were at the hardware store we also bought a new door knob for that door I mentioned. Though it is still not put in, at least we have it. lol

Always something *sigh*

The car we have isn’t the greatest. I know nothing about cars so I can’t give you details or explain why things in the car do what they do but this is what I can say…It is loud. No point in trying to talk while in it and I don’t even know why he bothers to put on the radio. The AC does not work, I can usually deal with that but there are just some days I feel like I am dying in that car. The trunk is ruined, somehow, and it is impossible to put anything in it so when we go grocery shopping we have to pile everything in the back seat (of a 2 door car, so it is very annoying) and it stalls in rain puddles, which we usually try to avoid but sometimes we just can’t. Like a couple of weeks ago as we were going home for lunch we hit some water we could not avoid, had we been able to keep going straight home, which was right around the corner by that point, we would have been fine and the car would have stalled in our garage and dried out by the time we’d have to go back to work…But no, that would be too easy. Instead there was a lot of traffic (which was unusual) and we had to stop and we stalled right in the middle of the road. Thankfully a very nice man helped us push it off the street and out of the way and then Ken pushed it on his own towards the house while I steered…Poor Ken, he over did it.

So to make things worse; today while we were at work Kens grandpa was leaving to head out somewhere and he sideswiped our car. The passenger side is destroyed and we can’t open the door.

Well I can say this much for the car, it is still running. Which is a good thing since we have no money and public transportation is pretty much non-existent out here. But the whole not being able to open the door thing is a pain in the ass. Maybe I should just keep the window down and slide into it like they did on The Dukes of Hazard.