Halloweenie

Since Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, this weekend is the unofficial party weekend for those throwing/going to Halloween parties.

Luckily, I married a man who LOVES to dress-up and think of funny/creative costumes.  Since we've been together (6 years, going on 7!) we've only been a couples costume once! (and it was a bit controversial!)

So here's a look at our costumes from some of years together.  

Uma Thurman from Pulp Fiction (complete with needle in chest) & Jesus

Michael Vick & his injured dog.  (Hindsight, a little controversial)

So this year I insisted on a couples costume since Kevin actually won't be working at the bar (yay!) and we have not done a couples costume since we've been married...

We had originally decided to be Happy Gilmore (me) and Mr. Larsen (Kevin), he's the tall deep-voiced one time boss of Happy Gilmore whom Happy shoots in the head with a nail gun & Shooter McGavin's golfball lands on... but Kev didn't think that costume would be appropriate for school on Wednesday (Halloween) since the shirt he would be wearing said "Guns don't kill people, I kill people".  Smart move, husband.

Kevin emailed me a photo at work..."What do you think?"  It was the Swedish Chef from the Muppets.  I thought that would be great!  But what would I be?  I know! A Chicken!

Yeah, So I am currently constructing a chicken costume from a 5XL mens white T-Shirt, yellow leggings, and red pumps (Thanks, Mom!).  We will see how well this comes out but honestly, it's all about having fun getting dressed up and enjoying your time with friends!

I'll post photos once the costumes are on and looking good :)

Oh! and Rudy is going to be a chicken too!  The costume lasts about 5.2 seconds on before she starts flipping out! Hah.  

My Halloweenie :)  She LOVES it.

Day Off

I took the day off today after waking up ridiculously late (7:30am) and me and Kevin BOTH needed to hop in the shower.  I was already planning on taking a 1/2 day so I just extended it to a full day.  The plan was to grab lunch and catch up with one of my oldest and dearest friends who recently set her date to be married!  So exciting :)  But unfortunately, both her kids are sick and she can't get away from the sick babies in good conscience.

So, I'm left with an entire day home with Rudy Girl.  Wish I could say I'm planning something exciting to do but I'm just going to clean this house from top to bottom and get as much laundry as possible done.

But first, here's my partner in crime for the day...

My pretty girl :)

Kevin and I had a fairly busy week including eating out of the house THREE days this week (we started to really limit our time going out to eat).  Tuesday we went out to the "G Bar" the lounge portion of the delicious Giumerello's in Haddon Twp.  This restaurant is within walking distance from our house so no need to worry about too many glasses of wine & driving.  We had a yummy meal together to celebrate another one of Kevin's grad school classes finishing.  I am beyond proud of my husband...he has been tirelessly working towards his graduate degree for school administration all the while working full-time as a teacher and a bartender on the weekends.  My boy knows how to hustle. (and he looks cute doing it too).

Wednesday night saw us going on a triple date with two couples.  We went to Melange in Haddonfield -- it is a BYOB which I love because you can bring a big bottle of wine and not worry about being charged $8.00/glass :)  Melange was a Lousiana/Southern Cooking "Fusion" (I despise that term) place.  I had BBQ Shrimp (spicy, salty, yumminess) as an appetizer and then I gobbled up some Shrimp & Cheese Grits (featuring some mushrooms, onions and sun-dried tomatoes).  My dinner was scrumptious!  Kevin had the Jumbalya and said it was amazing.  We even all had dessert (a rare occurrence for me), I had bread pudding w/ a Bourbon glaze - YUM!  A wonderful night spent with friends, it truly doesn't get much better than that.

Thursday was my cousin Shane's senior night for his high school soccer team.  Shane's 2 older brothers are away from home (1 is at school in NY and 1 is living in a hut in NH, yes a hut) so my aunt had sent an email out about this senior night to see if anyone in the family/friends would be up to coming to watch.  Of course my family said yes (Shane is like my youngest brother instead of cousin) and we braved the not so awesome weather to watch Shane be escorted onto the field by one of his teachers and then walk my Aunt & Uncle down the center of the field while Shane's words of thanks were read aloud over the PA system.  It was very nice and I know it meant a lot to Shane and my Aunt & Uncle that we came to show our support.  Kevin and I could only stay for the first half but when we left, Shane's team was up 3-0 and Shane had assisted BEAUTIFULLY on the first goal.  I took lots of photos - tried to get some action shots - it is amazing (and makes me feel old) that he is a SENIOR now!  Where did the time go?

Shane in action on the "Pitch"              //            My Uncle, Shane and my Aunt

So a busy and fun week had here at our humble abode - looking forward to a fun/relaxing weekend.  Hopefully going to see the author Justin Cronin speak on Saturday in Philadelphia :)  Can't wait to start reading "The Twelve"

Podcast Obsessed

I work at a job that requires me to sit at a desk.  It stinks!  Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day can (sometimes) make the day drag!  About 3-1/2 years ago I stumbles upon something called a Podcast.  iTunes features them right along with music, movies and TV shows.  I started out by listening to the few (free) Ricky Gervais Show podcast episodes that were available.  Unfortunately for me, I was joining up with his show WAY too late (it had ended maybe a year before I started listening) so I only had a few archived episodes to listen to.  What I did gather from listening to Ricky's show was that I was not opposed to listening to people talk while I worked!  In order to quench my thirst for more podcasts to listen to, I started browsing iTunes for ideas.  On the side of every genre page (music, TV, movies) you'll see a top 10.  I took a look at the top 10 podcasts and realized I had to narrow down the genre I wanted to listen to.  I decided to go with the comedy genre since I enjoyed it so much with Ricky Gervais' show.


I found several shows that peaked my interest (including Doug Loves Movies and Comedy Bang Bang (formerly Death Ray)) but one in particular I've listened to religously since I first came upon it -- it's called 'Never Not Funny' (NNF website) and it is hosted by Jimmy Pardo.  He is a comedian out of LA and his style/take on things is so honest and hilarious it's hard not to smile the ENTIRE time you listen to his show.  He's joined by a producer/co-host Matt Bellknap and a rotating 3rd guest (usually an LA based comedian) each episode.  There is also an "intern" Dan Katz and videographer Elliot Hochberg (position originally held by Andrew "AK47" Keonig, RIP).  


This show is just some people sitting around a table talking about whatever comes into their heads.  There's no formula, no predictable segments, or stupid drop-ins.  It's simply, just perfect.  Since season #3 the fist 20 minutes are available for free through iTunes with the entire episode/season being available through a paid subscription.  I've been paying since season 3 and there was absolutely no hesitation on my part to do so.  This show is priceless to me and I gladly pay two times each year when a new season comes out (the seasons are 26 episodes long).


If you happen to stumble upon this post and are willing to give it a try, you won't be disappointed.  Jimmy is an amazing comedian who just talks and "finds the funny" in any situation.  Check it out!


Other mentionable podcasts:

• "Who Charted?" with Howard Kremer and Kulap Vilaysack 
• "Doug Loves Movies" hosted by Doug Benson
• "Rock Solid" hosted by Pat Francis and Gary Lucy (and Matt Bellknap)
• "Comedy Film Nerds" hosted by Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini

4th of July Fun

4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays (there is, without a doubt, a strong correlation between the 4th of July and the fact that my birthday is on the 7th but I digress...)  I love the BBQs, parades and most importantly the fireworks!


This year the 4th fell on a Wednesday.  Pretty much the worst day of the week for a holiday to fall on because most people had to go to work the next day (me included...)  So I decided to get my partying in as early as possible.  What's the best way to do that?  Why, by having a brunch at my house, of course!

Rudy Girl being all patriotic.  So regal, that one.

So I invited over some of our closest friends as well as our immediate families to come have some breakfast cocktails, some light brunch fare and to watch the (weak) parade that passes the bottom of our street.

 Getting the drink station ready.  This is a photo before I put out the Bloody Marys (yum)

 I bought some buntings from the Christmas Tree Shop (only for them to be way too big for our windows) so I put them on the mantle!

 My brother keeping an eye on Rudy for us.

 Cute parade idea..

JKFM

After we had our parade fill (it lasted MAYBE 15 minutes total?) we headed back inside for a visit with our friends and had a couple more cocktails before proclaiming the brunch a success.

Our next stop was my Uncle Bill and Aunt Chris' house for a Pool Party/Birthday Party for my Grandpop.  We have one every year around this time for his birthday (late June) and this year they decided to hold it on the 4th.  It was a blast hanging out with my family in the pool (very hot day).  We laughed, drank, ate and took fun photos with each other.

A great time was had by all!  I did keep reminding my dear husband that I HAD to see fireworks before the night was through.  Luckily I married the best guy ever who threw caution to the wind and SPED home in order to catch our neighboring town's fireworks display.  We missed probably about 10 minutes of the 40 minute display but it was great!  We pulled over and parked the car and then laid a towel down on the grass and watched the fireworks together.  Quite magical if you ask me.  After the fireworks were over, we headed home and went to bed after a busy but very fun day!

Didn't get very many photos of the fireworks -- but they were gorgeous!

Concert Goers

In whats becoming a more and more rare occurrence for me, I headed to two concerts in one week this week!  Both of them I got to enjoy with my brother, Pete!




First up was Eric Hutchinson (Eric's website) at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia (WCLive).
I saw Eric for free about 6 years ago in the upstairs restaurant portion of World Cafe Live.  It's a very cool venue, having a couple of areas for concerts.  The stage downstairs is where we saw Eric this time and even for being the larger room to see someone in, it was still intimate and fun!  After grabbing some pre-show beers and watching 2/3 periods of Flyers playoff hockey at a bar around the corner we headed to the show and Eric took the stage 5 minutes after our arrival (perfect timing).

Eric doing his thang!

He plays feel-good music that makes you want to dance and sing along.  His band was clearly having a blast playing with him especially his bass player.  That guy didn't stop dancing!


At one point, the band left the stage and Eric played an acoustic cover of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears".  It was an excellent rendition.  He also played a mid-song tribute to MCA by playing a piece of "Sabotage".


We had a great time and for a Sunday night, it couldn't get any better!






The 2nd show I saw this week was at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, in Philly.  I went with my brother, Pete again and we saw Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros!  

12 people up on that stage including TWO drummers!

Hard to pin down their style of music.  It's fun to dance to and at times can bring out your inner hippie!  Pete and I agreed they can certainly play and with so many people on the stage it was amazing how they all coexisted and the harmonies that they were able to create.  Their song "Home" was very popular thanks to a You Tube video of a girl and her father singing it (see that here)  Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are a band worth giving a listen. (to get started: "Home" // "Janglin" // "Man on Fire")






I love living so close to a major city-- it allows me to see such great artists when they come to town!

Sup, Philly? <3

And They Called it...Puppy Love

Just a quick post (you deserve more than that after a month of being away!) but I need to start making dinner and it's already 7pm!  Rudy and I just enjoyed a play 'sesh' outside, basking in the later sunlight available this time of year and the super-nice temperatures we have right now in South Jersey!


I snapped a few photos of her over the past week, figured I'd share them now.  Enjoy :)

Napping with Mommy...

outside enjoying the beautiful day

 She saw a squirrel...

Recipe Love: Jalapeno Popper Dip

I absolutely love to cook.  I love making a mess in the kitchen creating yummy things for Kevin, friends and family to try! (I hate cleaning up that mess but if the food is yummy enough I can sometimes coax Kev into cleaning up, hee hee). I'm not a good baker and tend to shy away from dessert making.  Baking is too precise of an art and I'm not one who likes to follow a recipe.  


Recently via Pintrest (AKA: the best website ever) I re-pinned a Jalapeno Popper Dip and tried it on some unsuspecting family members at a party.  Pintrest took me to Brown Eyed Baker and her amazing website! (Note to Self: cruise Michelle's blog again for more recipe ideas!)


The verdict?  Yummy and multiple requests for the recipe! Most people could not figure out what type of dip it was -- which I was happy for since when some people hear "Jalapeno" they decide not to try it because it might be spicy.  The recipe calls for (6) fresh jalapenos but they did not overpower the dip or make it too spicy to try.  Instead the peppers left a slightly spicy aftertaste to the dip.  Like I said, most people couldn't figure out the dip and were guessing artichoke dip, crab dip (this one I didn't get! Seafood, really?).  Anyways, everyone was pleasantly surprised to hear it was jalapeno dip.  I served it with Multigrain Tostitos Scoops (yummy, yummy) and it was all eaten.  Sounds like a hit to me!


I'll post a photo next time I make it so you can see how mine turned out!.

Jalapeño Popper Dip (via Brown Eyed Baker, see link above)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 30 minutes

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
8 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped up
6 jalapeños, minced (if you can’t get fresh, substitute a 4-ounce can diced jalapeño peppers, drained)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, bacon, jalapenos, garlic, cumin and cheddar cheese in a mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish or 9×13 baking dish.

3. Combine the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and melted butter in a small bowl, tossing with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened. Sprinkle evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips, crackers, vegetables, etc.

It's a Dog Eat Dog World...Rudy's 1st Post.

Our 4-legged lady, Rudy Huxtable Greway recently had a fun adventure with her best buddy Mr. Wilson.  


One of my best friends Ashley was looking for a doggy play-date the next time she was in town for Wilson and Rudy Girl.  I had heard about a dog park not too far from my house and suggested we check it out.  Boy oh boy, what a fun time these pups had!


We headed over to Timber Creek Park in Gloucester Twp., NJ -- it's right off of a main drag so it's very easy to get to from just about anywhere in South Jersey! (The 51st state)

Timber Creek Park Info

So when you arrive at the park you must keep your dog on a leash but a short walk away you are at the gates leading you into the dog park.  Both Wilson and Rudy were beside themselves pumped for just the parking lot.  I told them "It's like being excited for the Disney World parking lot!".  

We made the short walk through the woods to the dog park gates, got our pups in there and the energized awesomeness ensued.  Wilson, being the older of the two, kept a watchful eye on Rudy Girl who, overstimulated at best, was following any pack of dogs she could find.  We were able to make one lap around before we put them back on their leashes and took a hike through the woods.  There is a pond/small lake as you walk which two labs were having fun playing in.  

Overall, an amazing place to take your dog and the best part of the whole thing was that Rudy was so sleepy afterwards Kevin and myself were able to get a lot done during the day :)

Rudy, checking out the many smells (I'm sure)

Rudy & Wilson, off on an adventure!

The Verdict

I want to get a shirt that says "I survived Jury Duty 2012".  


Just kidding.


The last time I checked in on this lovely blog, I was sitting in the "holding area" for all the people that were called into the Hall of Justice to serve as possible jurors.  I was completely unaware of the process after that because all the people I spoke with (including Kev) said "Oh, you NEVER get called up to a courtroom"; "I was dismissed by lunch!".  Well for me? No such luck.  My juror number was called around 10:30am along with 64 others.  We were guided up to a courtroom, handed a pencil and asked to take our seats.


The judge came in ("All Rise!") and explained we had the possibility of serving on the jury for this case which would be a criminal case (as opposed to civil).  We were handed sheets asking us a series of questions regarding our opinion.  Juror numbers were called, and when your number was called you were asked to have a "sidebar" with the judge, the prosecutor and defense attorney.  You were then asked about your answers to the questions on the sheet and some open-ended questions, all by the judge.  After hours of excusing/dismissing people from the jury box, my number was called.  I spoke with the judge as the two lawyers listened in and gave my honest opinion/answer to whatever he asked.  I clarify that this was my honest answers because so many people say "oh! You have jury duty? All you have to do is lie and say you can't serve on the jury because you are <enter ailment> <police officer you know> <etc.>"  I wasn't interested in lying to a judge about some affliction or association that would "affect" my ability to be fair & unbiased while listening to the case.  So, I was chosen to sit in the jury box.  Lawyers (both prosecutor and defense) are allowed to dismiss jurors up to 10 times for whatever reason (they don't have to disclose).  After 1 1/2 DAYS we finally had 14 jurors for the case. The next 1 1/2 days were spent listening to testimony from witnesses and hearing closing arguments.  


There is no need to get into the specifics of the case.  For me, this was truly a learning experience and was enjoyable (I won't say "fun" because it really can't be).  My fellow jurors were nice people, there were some characters* but we got along, laughed while we were waiting for what seemed like forever in the jury room and ultimately made a cohesive/unanimous decision.


And hell, now I can at least say, "I've been on a jury".  I think that deservers a T-Shirt, at LEAST.


* Quick side note on the "characters" that were on my jury, well one in particular...


There was one 20 year old, skateboarder on the panel.  He was the biggest liar I may have ever encountered.  With that said, the "mom" type people on the jury ate him up with a spoon.  
Here are a collection of some of his "facts" about himself:

• He loves to skateboard
• He loves to BMX
• He loves to go on quads
• He loves to surf
• Surfing is better in New York
• He was addicted to acid, cocaine, marijuana
• He went to "juvey" for two years
• He's traveled to: Germany, Brazil, and Australia
• While in Germany he went on the Autobahn in his uncle's Ferrari and went 255 mph
• He's 20 years old
• He tried to have a skate park built in his town
• He demolished a snowboard while riding it (hard to do)
• He was in a coma for a month
• The Olsen twins haven't amounted to anything.  (cue their billion dollar empire)

Takes all kinds. Gotta love it.

Jury Duty

Well...1/24/12 has been keeping me on edge for about a month now...I got my summons to appear at the Hall of Justice in Camden, NJ for jury duty.  The only other time I had received a summons I was Juror #1 (woo-hoo) and was dismissed the night before when you call in.  


No such luck this year.


For the unaware about this area, Camden, NJ battles Detroit, MI every year for murder capital of the US.  Camden is where our county's court system is located.  I took mass transit down to Camden which puts you right next to the court house.  Of course you see your crazies/crackheads but none bothered me this morning.  Maybe they hadn't had their morning coffee yet.


Anyway, in true Jill form, I was a bit nervous about getting here on time/finding the right building/finding a seat/etc.  The list goes on in my anxious head.  Well I got here with 10 minutes to spare, found the right building, actually directed someone on where to go (I excel at seeming like I know what I'm talking about).  Also, I walked in with my best friend's future father-in-law, it's nice to know/recognize a face.  There are two other people from my town but approaching them would be a bit awkward.  I'm not looking to hold any conversations today...


One of my favorite things to do is people watch..This place is a gold mine!!

• The Executive: he/she brought her work with them, is making phone calls, sounding VERY important ("oh yeah, I'll get with Phil on that ASAP"), Dude, you are sitting in the basement with over 300 people. Phil's not getting with on anything for you today.
• The Oh Crap, I Didn't Bring Anything With Me Guy: There is a guy here with absolutely nothing to read, listen to, watch, NOTHING!  What did he think would happen? A magic show would be brought in to entertain us?  I feel bad for him.  As for me? I'm rockin' my mac laptop/my Nook/ my phone/ and a book.  
• The Old Guy:  I've only found 1 of these so far but he's napping right now.  An attractive younger woman sat next to him and he cracked a lame joke, offered her a newspaper then promptly fell asleep.
• The Old Ladies: Notice I said, ladies as in plural?  That's because these women didn't know each other before walking into the building today but they are sitting together and chatting about grandkids.  There's a chance one or both of them brought their latest book club book but they would prefer to chit-chat the day away.

With Kelly Ripa showing us the way right now, we seem to be in good hands.

And God Bless WiFi.

Six Years Ago, Today...

Kevin and I made it "official" that we were together.  Our courtship started at the end of November of 2005 and after a couple of dates and make-out sessions we decided to make our status official.  I remember being so very excited :)  For those of you who don't know, I had a very big crush on Kevin in high school.  Needless to say, 1/23/06 for me means, the day that my dreams came true. Corny but oh so true.

Happy 6 Year Anniversary KJ! I love you like WHOA!