Playlist: May 2014

As the month of May comes to a close, I realize that it's been an extremely emotional month for me.

One of my close friends in town found out she was moving to Florida a few months ago when her husband accepted a position there.  Although he left in mid-February, she hung around here, working and trying to sell their house.  Oh, and spending pretty much all of her free time with her friends, of course.

Then one day in early May she decided she'd had enough.  We all knew this was coming, but she basically just had to give up on selling their house herself and left it in the hands of a realtor.  We had a going away party at a mutual friend's house and then she was gone.

That mutual friend (who is one of my other closest friends in town) had also been applying for jobs elsewhere.  About a week or so after the first friend left Omaha, this friend told me that she'd gotten a job she really wanted ... In Washington.

I'm honestly excited for both of them to start new adventures.  I think the moves will be good for them for many reasons.  But on the other hand, this selfish part of me is like, "Noooo!  You guys can't leave!!!"  These girls are the ones I spend the most time with, and it's going to be weird not having girl's nights with them on a regular basis.

On top of that, my grandpa (who has been sick for quite a while) broke his hip and was on a steady decline after being admitted to the hospital.  I got constant updates from my mom, but it was really difficult to be so far away from my family during that time.  After a month in the hospital, he was released.  He passed away the next day.

I bought a last minute plane ticket and flew back to my hometown for the funeral.  I was able to spend a few days there with my family, which would have been much nicer if the circumstances had been different.  It was tough because I spent a lot of time with my grandparents throughout my life.  My grandma passed away 5 years ago, and when he died, things just seemed so weird.  There was this huge void in our family.

If I'm going to be completely honest, I spent a good portion of this month crying.  Everything just sort of piled on until it was too much.

This month's playlist theme is based on the shittiness that was May 2014.  All of these songs are either obviously about death or simply seem to be (in my opinion, anyway).  This will probably be one of the most depressing playlists I'll ever make (which is actually saying a lot because I absolutely love really depressing music).  Hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway.

Click on the link below to listen to this playlist.

http://grooveshark.com/playlist/May+2014/98229072

Tasty Tuesday: Creamy Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that today's recipe is one of our favorites.

That's saying a lot, considering it's:

1.  A pasta dish (I can never have enough pasta.  Eric, on the other hand, typically prefers rice or potatoes to pasta.)

2.  Vegetarian (It's not truly vegetarian because it uses chicken broth, but you could easily swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make it vegetarian.  I like meat, but I like to have meat free meals once in a while.  Eric also likes meatless meals, but would choose a meat-based meal probably 9 times out of 10.)

This is a ridiculously delicious and addictive meal.

I've made this several times since we started living together back in 2011, even making it once when my mom flew in to stay with us a couple of years ago.  It's always a big hit, and even writing about it now makes me crave it.

This is one of those recipes that was perfect as is.  I usually at least make a few slight adjustments, but I've been making this as written since I first tried it, and there was honestly nothing I could improve.  If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.  (Or even if you do believe me, try it for yourself.  You will thank me later ... Though your waistline may not.)

Creamy Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

A recipe from Cassie Craves.

Ingredient List:

• 1 box rigatoni
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp low fat margarine or butter (I always use low fat margarine)
• 3 cloves garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 1 cup pesto
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

So simple yet so good.

Instructions:

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

3.  In a medium bowl, toss the grape tomatoes with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

4.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and pour the tomato mixture on it.  Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes.  (The tomatoes will begin to burst when they're ready.)

5.  Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the garlic, cooking over medium heat for 1 minute.

6.  Add pesto to the skillet and mix well.

7.  Stir in the cream cheese until it's completely smooth and melted.

8.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese and chicken broth, adding sea salt and black pepper to taste.  Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat.

9.  While the sauce is simmering, add the rigatoni to the boiling water.  Cook according to package directions until al dente and drain.

10.  Add the drained pasta to the skillet, and toss with the sauce until coated evenly.

11.  Remove the tomatoes from the oven and add them to the pasta and sauce, stirring a couple of times until everything is mixed together.

We usually have a simple green salad with this, but we were out of both lettuce and spinach the last time I made it, so we opted for asparagus.  It wasn't a bad side dish, but it doesn't necessarily "belong" with this meal.  Something that does belong with this meal?  Wine.  (Especially my favorite, Reisling.)

Crawling Back To You

But I'm going to say them anyway.

Sometimes when I think about the things I want to share on this blog, the idea of actually writing those posts terrifies me.  I'm not necessarily ashamed of these things (though I guess if I'm being completely honest, in some cases I might be at least a little ashamed).  It's just ... Hard to write about certain things.  To actually admit that I can be a real fuck up.

Yet here I am, ready to share something really personal.  Part of me just wants to share this because it's something I imagine quite a few people can relate to.  Another part of me wants to share it because I think it could potentially help someone who may be dealing with the same sort of thing.  And then there's the part of me that just decided sharing really personal shit is something you should do on a personal/lifestyle blog.  (That's what this is for the most part, right?)  I mean, I enjoy reading these types of posts on other blogs ... So maybe I should just swallow my fears and put it all out there for everyone to see.

When I was 20, I ended my first really serious, long term relationship.  I almost immediately moved into yet another relationship.  This one wasn't as serious and ended just a few months later.  And then something crazy happened, something that hadn't happened in about 5 years: I was single.  And it was weird.

Not long after that, I reconnected with a friend from high school.  He was one of those guys that I'd talked to pretty much every day when we were younger not just because I thought he was cool and interesting, but also because I thought he was cute.  (Yeah, I know ... This statement is terrible coming from someone who truly believes that men and women can just be friends.  But in this case we couldn't just be friends.  And I will continue to prove this point as this post goes along.)

This friend and I quickly went from simply reconnecting (as in, "Hey, I haven't heard from you in a long time.  How are you?  What have you been doing?") to having really intense 4+ hour conversations every night.

And then, just as suddenly, we found ourselves in a relationship.  I don't really remember being all, "We need to DTR," but somehow we both knew what was happening and we were both okay with it.

And for those who don't love the show Awkward (a show that I'm totally addicted to even though I'm almost 30 and therefore should have much more refined TV show taste):

Image courtesy of www.thecampuscompanion.com.

And since we're on the topic of my love for Awkward, I'll go ahead and throw this in here as well.  You know, since I took the 2 seconds to search for an image to define "DTR."


























Okay ... Getting back to the actual point of this post.

That relationship was probably one of the most intense relationships I've ever been in.  I think I was in a permanent haze of sex and stimulating conversation.  It was wonderful and terrifying and I just completely allowed myself to get lost inside this private place known as "Us."

And then ... He broke my heart.  To say I couldn't handle it would be a huge understatement.  I've struggled with depression for much of my life, and this sent me into one of the worst downward spirals I've ever experienced.  I just completely lost my shit.

But instead of taking steps to move on, I dwelled on our relationship and what could have possibly gone wrong.  I just couldn't let go, and, if we're being completely honest here, neither could he.  It became this awful emotional rollercoaster between the two of us.  We continued hanging out and sleeping together for a long time after things ended ... Way too long.

The problem with all of this (besides the obvious) was the fact that nothing ever got resolved.  One day he just decided, "Oh, by the way ... I don't want to be in a relationship with you anymore.  I'm still in love with you and trust you more than anyone else in my life.  But I don't want to commit."  (I paraphrased a bit, but that was, in a nutshell, what he said to me when we broke up.  He was in love with me but he didn't want a commitment.)

And me, being the dumb 21 year old I was at the time, just allowed things to pretty much stay the same between the two of us.  I don't mean we were fuck buddies or even friends with benefits ... I mean that we were in a relationship without being in a relationship.  (Sound fucked up?  It was.)  Literally nothing changed between us with the exception of our Facebook relationship statuses (yes, Facebook was around way back in 2006) and the way we referred to one another in conversation.  (He was no longer "my boyfriend" but "T" ... I'll keep his full name out of the blog.)

Obviously, though, something had changed ... It was just never properly dealt with.  I remember crying to him about how I felt about the whole thing and telling him that I didn't understand how he could say he was still in love with me (and mean it!) but refuse to work through whatever commitment issues he had in order to be together.

I eventually just had to tell myself that he obviously just wanted to, for lack of a better way of putting this, have his cake and eat it too.  He knew he could have me whenever he wanted in whatever capacity he wanted because he knew how I felt about him.  He could have the "girlfriend" when he wanted that, but since I wasn't still officially his girlfriend, he could do whatever he wanted.

And that included fucking other people.  (I know he did this because he was at least honest enough with me to tell me when he did it.  Yay?)

It was so weird, though.  He really didn't have to tell me what he was doing with these other girls.  I wasn't his girlfriend ... He owed me no explanation.  But it was almost like he felt he had to talk to me about it.  It was like a confession or something.  And, to make it even weirder, he'd tell me about it and then say things like, "I kept thinking about you, though," or "It wasn't like it is with you."  And I'd get pissed and say things like, "Well, then maybe you shouldn't be fucking other people," or "Oh really?  It wasn't like it is with me?  Of course it's not like it is with me because it's not me."

So how did I move past all of this?

As I said, I had to tell myself that he really wasn't this amazing guy.  He was just a guy who wanted to get laid.  A lot.  By a lot of different people.

He may have cared for me at one point, but he certainly didn't by the end.  And it was up to me to be strong enough to step away from an obviously toxic situation.  I feel like it could have gone on much longer than it did if I'd allowed it to.  But one day I was just like, "You know what?  This is bullshit.  I would rather be alone forever than remain in this constant state of confusion and heartache."

I had to realize that I was worth more than that.  This was really difficult for me because I've always had a lot of self-esteem issues.  So it wasn't this empowering "I am a fabulous independent woman!" kind of moment.  It was more of an "I just ... Can't.  I can't do this anymore," kind of moment.  But that's okay too.  The end result was the same.

I'm not sorry that I went through this.  I wish I'd been strong enough to break away from our fucked up situation sooner, but I'm not sorry that it happened.

I'm not sorry because it forced me to see him differently.  (Which subsequently led to the "What the hell was I thinking?!?!" clarity that only exists when you're truly over someone.)  It also forced me to see myself differently.  I'm not saying that I suddenly became this overnight:















What I am saying is that I was able to recognize that maybe I didn't need him to be happy.  Maybe I could be happy by myself.  And maybe one day I'd find someone who appreciated me and truly loved me.  Someone who actually wanted a relationship.

And you know what?  I did.

Things I Should Like But Don't: Part 2

Earlier this month I posted the first installment in a series I like to call "Things I should like but don't."  That post can be found here if you're interested.

Today I'm going to share yet another thing I should like but just ... Don't.

Image courtesy of en.wikipedia.org.

I love Charlie Kaufman.  Love him.  I will watch anything as long as his name is attached to the project.

Adaptation.?  Awesome.

Synecdoche, New York?  Wonderful.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?  One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful films I've ever seen.

Being John Malkovich?  One of my favorite movies of all time.

Human Nature?  Sucked.

I wanted to love this movie.  I really did.  I mean, Charlie Kaufman wrote it and Michel Gondry directed it.  (This is the same team that produced the amazing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.)  The plot sounded interesting (could I expect any less from Charlie Kaufman?), and I expected a blend of dark humor, the absurd, and an overall unique viewing experience.

I saw this movie several years ago, so it's not really fresh in my mind.  I will say, though, that I remember being bored as I watched it.  I also remember wanting to shut it off several times but thinking, "No ... It will get better."

It never got better.

Sorry, Charlie Kaufman.  Don't worry ... I still love you.

Tasty Tuesday: BBQ Turkey Meatballs

I almost feel ridiculous sharing this recipe today because it's just so easy.  I found the original recipe on Pinterest when I was searching for things to do with some ground turkey we had on hand.  I love meatballs, so when I saw this, I knew I had to make it.

I didn't change the original recipe that much.  To be honest, there really wasn't much that needed to be tweaked.  Meatballs don't require a ton of ingredients to be delicious (though that's not to say I don't appreciate unique flavors in a meatball!).  It's a great, simple dish that could easily be served as an appetizer or as a main dish.  (I served it for dinner over rice with a side of mixed vegetables.)

With just a few simple ingredients, these turkey meatballs come together quickly and taste amazing!

BBQ Turkey Meatballs

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Sugar Dish Me.

I added even more BBQ sauce after adding the meatballs to some rice.  Delicious!

Ingredient List:

• 1-1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• 1/2 cup white onion, diced into fairly small pieces
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup BBQ sauce, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil

This is the BBQ sauce I used in this recipe.  It was smoky with a hint of sweetness and a bit of a kick.

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  In a large bowl, add all ingredients (using only half of the Panko breadcrumbs at this point) except the olive oil and BBQ sauce.  Mix everything together using your hands.

3.  Slowly add in 3-4 tbsp of BBQ sauce, combining with the meat mixture using your hands.  Because the BBQ sauce will make the mixture pretty moist, you'll want to add in the remaining Panko breadcrumbs at this point, mixing everything together thoroughly.

4.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

5.  Shape the turkey mixture into meatballs, dropping them in the skillet in batches.  (I'm going to be really honest here ... None of my meatballs were uniform in shape and size.  I kind of suck at that.  My recommendation is to simply decide how many meatballs you'll need and how large you'd like them to be, and eyeball it from there.  I ended up with 17 meatballs, many of which were pretty large.  The original recipe stated it makes about 36 meatballs.  Obviously that's a huge difference!)

6.  After adding the meatballs to the skillet, roll them around a bit to brown them on all sides.  Once each batch of meatballs is browned, remove to a baking sheet (I lined mine with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray for easier cleanup) and repeat until all meatballs are browned.

7.  Spoon the remaining BBQ sauce over the meatballs and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked through.  (I cooked mine for 18 minutes.)

As I said earlier, we served these meatballs as a main dish over rice with extra BBQ sauce and a side of mixed vegetables.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

I wasn't sure if I wanted to do an official "Mother's Day post" today, but I decided that I probably should because you know what?  My mom is pretty awesome.

My mom actually is a cool mom, though.  Seriously.

My mom and I have always had a close relationship.  My parents divorced when I was pretty young, and my mom never remarried.  I'm an only child, so it's been just the two of us for most of my life.  We like to compare ourselves to the Gilmore Girls, though we're slightly less witty and my mom didn't get knocked up at 16.

Okay, we have slightly less amazing hair as well.

I often wish we lived closer, though.  I moved out when I started college at the ripe old age of 18.  I still came back to my mom's house during breaks (and the occasional weekend), but I was pretty much gone.  After college, I moved back in for about 2 months until I found full-time employment.  She then helped me move into my very first "big girl" apartment.  I was completely on my own (no roommates or anything!) for the first time in my life, which was incredibly liberating ... But once in a while I still needed my mom.

Now we live 1000+ miles away from one another, so it makes it that much harder when I feel like I need her.  Of course we can talk on the phone, text, email, whatever ... But it's not the same.

On the other hand, it makes our visits that much better.  We don't get to see each other that often, but when we do, it's always a lot of fun.  Her last visit was for my wedding in November (it seems like such a long time ago now that I'm writing it down!), and it was so great to have her here.  (Though I really doubt she would have missed it!)

My mom and I in the bridal suite before the wedding.

My mom is amazing because she taught me to be strong and independent.  She always encourages me.  She makes me feel important.  She has always been the one constant in my life ... The person I can turn to when I need a shoulder to cry on, excellent advice, or just someone to talk to about, well, anything.

I hope that one day I can be such a great mom.

Sometimes I Just Don't Feel Like Growing Up

If you're wondering why I edited the shit out of this picture, it's because I feel awkward putting pictures of myself on this blog.  I do it anyway because that's what bloggers do if they want their audience to connect with them and see them as "real people."  But I still feel awkward, and it's somehow a little easier to post something like this when I'm slightly less IN YOUR FACE.  (But only slightly.)

This year I will turn 30.  I still have a few months of my 20s left, but I'm basically 30.

I don't know why this seems so terrifying to me.  Maybe it's because I'd always hoped I'd have everything most things figured out by now.  Maybe it's because I pictured a very different life for myself at this age.  Or maybe it's because I realize that I should probably just get my shit together, suck it up, and become, for maybe the first time in my life, a real adult.

I know, I know.  I make it sound as though I've just been breezing through my 20s without a care in the world.  That's not true.  Not at all.

Here's the thing ... I'm actually a pretty responsible person and have been for all most of my life.   (Okay, if I'm going to be completely honest with myself the years 20-22 were kind of ... Exciting.  That's probably the nicest, least offensive way to put it.  I mean, I wasn't a complete trainwreck or anything ... But I could be a bit of a hot mess at times.)

But now?  I'm not perfect by any means, but I always make arrangements to either stay with a friend or get a ride if I've been drinking.  I work hard at my job, which is something I really enjoy but probably won't discuss much on my blog for privacy reasons (I'll share a lot of things, but there are some things I just don't feel comfortable talking about in much detail).  I'm in a relationship that has almost hit the 7 year mark (though we've only been married for a few months), and there's now talk of starting a family and buying a home within the next year or two.

Maybe it's the change that scares me.  It's not like I'm turning 30 and everything is staying the same.  I'm turning 30 and some major life changes are going to follow.  And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not always sure I'm ready to make these changes.

Buying a house?  It will be nice to actually own something, but it's a lot of work.  It can be expensive and time consuming to keep up with everything.  It makes living somewhere more permanent.  I mean, we're not opposed to staying where we are, but there's so much out there ... I like the idea that if one (or both) of us were given the right opportunity, we could move without much difficulty.

And then there's having a baby.  I was never one of those women who longed to be a mother.  In fact, it was one of many reasons my first serious relationship ended.  He wanted kids.  I didn't.  My feelings have changed to some extent, but I can't say that I'm not apprehensive about the whole thing.  Having kids changes things.  And sometimes I'm afraid that I'm just not ready for things to change.

The point here is this: I've mostly turned into a responsible, productive adult with a lot going for me and a lot to look forward to.  But turning 30 (and experiencing the major life changes that will likely go along with it) seems like it will solidify this whole adult thing.  And that's scary.

Tasty Tuesday: Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, and Broccoli with Rice

I'm always looking for relatively quick, simple, filling dishes to make during the week.  I feel like weekdays can get pretty hectic between work, going to the gym, any appointments we may have, and just life in general.  The last thing I feel like doing after a busy and/or long day is cooking an elaborate meal.

Enter today's recipe.

With a little chopping help from my husband (a.k.a. my sous-chef), this dish came together pretty quickly.

A testament to Eric's fabulous chopping skills.

This recipe is so simple but so good.  As I said, it comes together pretty quickly (always a plus!), it's very filling, and, as an added bonus, it makes a ton of food.  I'm always attracted to recipes that will make enough for leftovers.  It's nice to have them on hand for nights that I don't feel like cooking anything, or for a better and more satisfying lunch at work (versus, say, a Lean Pocket or peanut butter sandwich).

I didn't alter this recipe that much this time around.  And while this meal was delicious as is, I do plan to play around with the flavors in the future.  I already have a few ideas, so don't be surprised if something similar pops up again on this blog!

I've mentioned before that my photography skills are not that great.  Case in point: the shadow in the top left corner of the skillet.  Hopefully it still looks appetizing.

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon, and Broccoli with Rice

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on kevin {&} amanda.

Ingredient List:

• 12-14 slices bacon, diced (I used turkey bacon to lighten the recipe up a bit, but feel free to use whatever you like)
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 cup white onion, diced
• 1 package frozen broccoli florets (They don't have to be completely thawed, but I wouldn't toss them straight into the skillet from the freezer)
• 1 1/2 cups long grain organic white rice (Any long grain white rice should work)
• 3 cups water
• 2 10 oz. cans Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 3 cloves garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 2 tbsp low fat margarine or butter (I used low fat margarine)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1.  Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until crisp, stirring occasionally.

2.  When the bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the skillet.  (I just placed it on a plate and set it aside until I needed it.)

3.  Add 1 tbsp of olive oil (you may skip this step if you use regular bacon and have some fat/grease left in the skillet) and the diced chicken to the empty skillet.  Season with 1 tbsp each of sea salt and black pepper.  (I know that sounds like a lot of seasoning, but it doesn't overwhelm the other flavors when everything is mixed together.  If you don't want to use that much, cut it down to whatever you're comfortable using.)

4.  When the chicken is completely cooked through (this should take 5-8 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken is and how small the chunks are), remove it from the skillet and add it to the plate with the bacon.

5.  Add the long grain white rice, water, and a pinch of sea salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer according to the instructions on the rice package.  Remove the saucepan from heat once it has simmered for the recommended time.  (The time will likely vary depending on what type of rice you use, but I would allow at least 15 minutes for simmering.)

6.  In the large skillet used to cook the meat, cook the white onion and broccoli over medium high heat.  Stir occasionally, allowing the broccoli to become tender and the onions to caramelize.  (This should take about 10 minutes.)

7.  Add the garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

8.  Pour in the Ro-Tel (with the juices!), rice, chicken, and bacon, stirring well to combine.  Keep warm on the lowest heat setting.

9.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour slowly.

10.  Add the chicken broth and stir until well combined.  Increase the heat to high and allow the sauce to cook until it's nice and thick.

11.  Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until melted and a bit of sea salt and black pepper to taste.  (I just eyeballed the amount, so add whatever seems appropriate to you.)

12.  Once the cheese is completely melted, pour the sauce over the chicken/bacon/rice mixture.  Stir well to combine.

We actually didn't have any side dishes with this meal.  Since it has meat, starch, vegetables, and a little bit of dairy, it didn't seem necessary.  Yet another bonus: everything you need for a filling dinner comes from one main dish.  I call that a win.

Sorry, I'm No Carrie Bradshaw

I'll still try to give you some relationship advice, though.  Maybe some of it will even be good.

In the last couple of months, I’ve been approached by at least two different friends for relationship advice.  When this happens, I feel several things at once:

1.  I’m glad that this person trusts me enough to share some of the most intimate details of their life and relationship.

2.  I’m flattered that they think I might have some insight that can help them figure out their issues.

3.  I wonder how they see my relationship with my husband.  Does something about it make me seem more qualified to answer their questions and give advice?

4.  And finally, sometimes (not always, but sometimes) I feel a little overwhelmed.  What if I tell them exactly what I think and end up inadvertently hurting them?  What if I give them bad advice based solely on the one side of the story I’m hearing?

Despite any reservations I may have, I actually enjoy giving relationship advice.  I like feeling as though I’ve helped a friend out in some way (even if the only thing I end up doing is listening to them vent).  I also like the fact that discussing this sort of thing allows for a lot of sharing.  I’ve been accused once or twice many times of oversharing, and this is one of the only times in which it’s actually acceptable.  I’m not saying I start telling them every detail of my sex life or all the things that make my relationship work (or, conversely, all the things that caused my previous relationships to fail) … But I do share personal stories that they might find helpful in their particular situation.

But here’s the thing … I’m not sure I’m really qualified to give relationship advice.  I don’t know everything there is to know about making a marriage (or even a dating relationship) work.

Here’s what I do know:

1.  I’ve been in 3 serious relationships.  One of them ended in marriage.

2.  I’ve been in several not-so-serious relationships.

3.  I’ve dated casually.  This really wasn’t my thing.

4.  I’ve broken at least one heart.

5.  I’ve had my own heart broken.

There’s probably more to add here, but that’s enough for now.  The point is, I’ve been around the block a few times.  And I (mostly) mean that in the least slutty way possible.  I may not be Carrie Bradshaw, but I do have some experience to draw from.  So while I’m not going to sit here and say I give the best advice in the world, I think there’s something to be said about the fact that many of my friends have come to me for relationship advice over the years.

And I like to think that maybe some of my advice was helpful.

Things I Should Like But Don't: Part 1

I wrote a post on my last blog listing 5 things I should probably like based on my personal tastes and interests but, for whatever reason, don’t.  I really liked the way it turned out, so I’ve decided to recycle the old post (and add in some new things as well).  I know that’s probably considered lazy blogging, but I’d rather keep interest and attention on this new and (hopefully) improved blog instead of linking to my old one.

Instead of making a list today, though, I’m going to chop the original entry up.  If I don’t, I feel like it could get really long and overwhelming.  There are a ridiculously large number of things I could add to this list, but I’m sure no one feels like reading a novel when they click over to a blog.  Over time, I’ll be covering my original 5 things, as well as any new things that come to mind.
In this first installment, I’ll be covering something I really should like if I ever want to be a successful blogger.  That something is Twitter.

Image courtesy of blog.twitter.com.

I use Facebook (though I’m not a very active user).  I use Pinterest.  I even blog.  But I don’t use Twitter.

I signed up for a Twitter account a long time ago.  So long ago, in fact, that I honestly can’t even remember the username I selected for myself.  I’d heard only positive things about it, and I’d read that it can be an invaluable networking tool in many cases … So I figured I should jump on the bandwagon and use it.

I think I literally signed in one time (and tweeted zero times).  I poked around a bit, trying to figure out what all the fuss was about.  I guess I never figured it out, because I thought it seemed ridiculous and boring.

I realize that Facebook has unfortunately become much like Twitter with the news feed and status updates.  People love to post about what they had for breakfast, what they’re doing later, and things that are of a much more TMI nature.  (Seriously, some things are just better left unsaid!)  I think that’s what I didn’t like about Twitter in the first place.  Everyone seemed to want to post bigger, better, more interesting things so that people would want to follow them, but no one was really saying anything at all.  (Although the 140 character limit might be partially to blame there.)

@twitter #notafan

At least I’ve got the lingo down … I think.