Safety First

Me: “I texted you an address. Just in case I disappear and no one knows where to find me, I want someone to have the address.”

Roommate: “Right. Where are you going?”

Me: “My counselor’s daughter’s small group.”

Roommate: “And you’ve got a bad feeling…?”

Me: “Well, it is more common sense. I’m driving 45 minutes to a stranger’s house. Someone should know where that stranger lives.”

Roommate: “Huh. Well, have fun!”

And I did.

Mujadara

Guess what’s left when you can’t eat wheat, soy, high fructose corn syrup, or dairy and meat prices are on the rise?

Yeah, not much.

But today I decided to try and make mujadara–a Middle Eastern dish consisting mainly of lentils, rice, and fried onions. I found the recipe here. (Though disclaimer, my dish didn’t look nearly as good!)

For sauce I made zhoug, a spicy cilantro and jalapeño sauce. I used the recipe here. (I also promptly got jalapeño juice in a papercut I wasn’t aware I had and MAN does that still burn!)

The end result was yummy but I feel like I ate it wrong. I think it would be better if eaten with peta bread or crackers rather than a spoon.

Considering my usual proclivity for messing up recipes, though, I consider this one a success.

Freezer Down!

Well, folks, my roommates and I woke up to a room temperature fridge this morning. The good news is that we have two fridges so we salvaged some and got it into cold storage. The bad news is that our landlord is notorious for not getting on top of broken appliances.

Updates to come, I’m sure.

Wardrobe Success

There is something to be said for a friend who does makeup, roommates who pull together a wardrobe, and a co-worker who takes headshots.

Roommate Wardrobes

I had a roommate in law school who used to say the number one reason she lived with roommates was for alibi verification. Personally, I have roommates for their wardrobes.

After growing up with 2 sisters and a mom the same size as me, I simply can’t get used to a solo wardrobe.

Now today, I rolled home brain dead and informed my roommates that I need an outfit for a talk I’m giving tomorrow. A talk that will be seen by, oh, several thousand people potentially. Did they have suggestions?

They had suggestions.

They chose my outfit, furnished my jewelry, and advised me on makeup.

Sooooooo much easier than when I lived alone!

Baked Cucumber

Roommate 1: “AMY GOT CUCUMBER ON HER PIZZA!”

Roommate 2: “As a New Yorker, I find that sacrilegious. Why did we let her move in?”

Roommate 1: “Because every apartment needs a chaotic roommate.”

For the record, cucumber is weird but works with the mozzarella cheese on pizza. Maybe not with tomatoes.

Marry Me (2022) Review

Marry Me (2022) is a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez (playing a famous popstar…basically, herself) and Owen Wilson (as a single-dad math teacher, but also basically himself.) You can watch the trailer here.

Short version: Lopez plans to marry her musician boyfriend in front of several million of their fans but moments before taking her vows, learns he has been cheating on her. Impulsively, she looks out into the crowd and grabs the first guy with a “Marry Me” sign she sees. Turns out, he’s a nerdy math teacher who was holding the sign for his friend. She decides to embrace her impulsive decision and make the marriage work.

The movie asks many questions about the nature and purpose of marriage, love, and intentionality in relationships. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really answer those questions. The story plays out with all the cliches you would expect, which is a pity. Despite the suspension of disbelief required, I think the plot had promise.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t really live up to it in any regard. The amount of boob and butt on display (especially considering this is supposed to highlight an ‘older’ couple) was an incredible turnoff. The lyrics and accompanying dance numbers were often offensive and sacrilegious. And the internal message of the story is confusing, as a clear themes gets ignored or undermined a few minutes later.

Maybe a 2.5/10 from me?

Your reaction to this movie will probably mirror your reaction to Jennifer Lopez performing at the Superbowl. If that wasn’t your cup of tea, this movie certainly isn’t.

Marry Me (2022)

I saw the new romantic comedy Marry Me in theaters today.

My friends say I am not allowed to call it trash so….

Full review to come tomorrow after I have had time to think on it.

Tiny Churches

I’ve visited some tiny churches in my time but today was a notable one: I counted 7 adults (including myself.)

It has the illusion of size, though, because there were 6 kids.

Two Years

Today marks two years since we lost Grandma Bea. And those years were 2020 and 2021. The world really hasn’t recovered from the loss!