Comments (29)

By kilax, March 9, 2011 5:29 am

One of the things I love about living in the Chicago suburbs is the diversity of things to do, see, and EAT! If you’re open to new adventures, you’ll never get bored.

Okay, that is the good part.

Here is the annoying part. I live within close proximity to many different grocery stores – ALDI, Garden Fresh and Target (my favorites) as well as Dominick’s, Jewel (avoid if possible) – but sometimes cannot find the things I want to buy. So I have to ask my family to pick them up for me in Iowa.

In frickin’ Iowa!!!

HyVee is a grocery store chain in Iowa and other parts of the midwest, but not Chicagoland. They have a huge “health” selection with more vegan options than I have seen out here in Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s! What gives?! I thought we were supposed to be the progressive big city.

And funny thing, the product I often ask my mom to buy for me isn’t a vegan specialty. It’s Maple and Brown Sugar Malt-O-Meal – my go-to weekend breakfast treat.

We have Malt-O-Meal out here, but I never see that flavor! I found this ALDI imitation (Millville brand above) last weekend.

I made it Sunday morning with high expectations (still have to try the Chocolate).

Blech. It is NOT the same.

I just think it’s ridiculous that I have a plethora of grocery stores around me and cannot find some products. Seriously, we pick up items in Iowa, and sometimes even drive to Woodman’s in Kenosha, WI (which is actually closer to our house than Chicago).

And yes, we have tried talking to the grocers about carrying certain items. That never seems to work for us.

So… this kind of turned out to be a rant. Oops!

I will say, there are definitely many items I buy here that cannot be bought in Iowa. It just seems silly that I cannot find the simple things, like Maple and Brown Sugar Malt-O-Meal, here.

Are there any products you like but cannot buy near your home? What are they and how do you procure them?

We used to love the Nueva Cucina Mexican Rice Mix. When they stopped selling it at Target, we started buying it on Amazon! Since then, we have moved on to other rice mixes (and really, we need to make up our own). When I was at Whole Foods with Jen two weeks ago, I found the mix, but it was not the same. Good thing I only bought one box (when I brought it home, Steven asked why I didn’t buy more, ha ha).

Comments (14)

By kilax, March 5, 2011 7:36 am

I am having the most awful two days, technology wise.

• My netbook is operating really slow (think, dial-up speeds, takes 10 minutes for it to run at a normal operating speed – it needs more memory)
• My laptop is operating really slow (something is wrong with it)
• My website wouldn’t allow comments because I used the ≠ symbol
• I am getting “corruption” errors when I try to back up to the external hard drive
• My laptop will not open certain programs
• My laptop will not recognize certain portable devices when I plug them in to the USB ports
• The task manager is all messed up on my laptop, and does not show all of the menu options
• Despite continual “restarting” these issues do not go away

WHY does this sh*t piss me off so much? Seriously, I wanted to cry when I went to bed last night. I feel like something is wrong with me for letting these little things bother me so much.

I need help.

(How ironic that starting last night and until midnight tonight is the National Day of Unplugging. I think it is going to become the National Day of Destroying Your Personal Electronics for me.)

Comments (10)

By kilax, November 1, 2010 6:30 am

I’ve written this before, but here it is again – I am sick of trying to figure out people’s fluctuating moods and how to react to them. Seriously. We are each responsible for our own individual happiness. Make the best of things. Deal with it. I cannot stand the emotional roller coaster of trying to read and react to someone else’s mood as to not upset them.

Sorry to be vague, but someone in my life has been treating me crappy lately, because of their own stress, and I am just feeling worn down. I’ve already been kind of bummed out, and nervous about the upcoming holidays (when I am normally ecstatic) and being treated like crap doesn’t make me feel any better.

And I’m not looking for advice – just venting about it.

Here is what I want to do today – Data’s got the right idea.

Comments closed.

Comments (34)

By kilax, July 13, 2010 4:51 am

Does this crap work on anyone?

Our garden not only provides us with delicious produce, it also seems to be a huge feeding ground for mosquitoes. We tried to visit the garden on Saturday afternoon, just to see how things were doing, but were immediately greeted by a swarm of mosquitoes and had to head home.

We went back on Sunday just before 10:00 am, and sprayed OFF! on before going out to the garden. I also put sunscreen on (maybe that was the mistake?).

And just how many mosquito bites did I get?

Over 100

• 50+ on my butt and hips
• 15+ on each shoulder
• 10+ on each arm and leg
• A few stragglers on my face

I itch so bad.

And the ones on my butt? Visible lumps though my work pants. Awesome.

Believe me, I tried to take a picture of the damage to show you how awful it is, but the only ones that show up well are on my ass. And yeah. It’s gross without the bites, so I’ll leave that picture on the camera.

I told my mom about this and she suggested I wear a loose long-sleeved top instead of a tank top. Yeah, that would work for the few I got on my shoulders, but what explains the 50+ on my butt and hips? Okay, okay, I do understand that is the largest area and therefore, probably the easiest to feed from, but… it was obviously covered when I was working in the garden, and that did me no good!

Mosquitoes have always been really attracted to me, but this is just ridiculous.

Do mosquitoes like you? What do you do avoid them?

I was reading up on mosquitoes and learned some interesting facts:

• Mosquitoes go through four life stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult (imago). The first three stages are aquatic and last 5-14 days. The adult life can span 1 week to 2 months. Males typically live a week and females live about 2 weeks in nature, reproducing as much as possible.
• Adult females lay their eggs in water – which can be salt-marsh, a lake, a puddle, in a plant, or even in a bucket of sitting water.
• Male mosquitoes typically feed on nectar and plant juices, but the females need to obtain nutrients from a blood meal to produce eggs.
• Mosquitoes prefer some people over others becuase their sweat has the preferred mix of carbon dioxide, octenol and other compounds.
• Mosquito bites become visible and irritable because of the body’s immune reaction to the binding antibodies to antigens in the mosquito saliva (whatever THAT means!).
• Mosquitoes carry diseases and parasites that cause millions of deaths each year. So if you don’t hear from me tomorrow, you’ll know why! Just kidding – most of these deaths are in other countries (Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico and a lot of Asia).
• Dragonfly Nymphs will eat mosquitoes at all stages of development, and are quite effective in controlling populations. Bats will eat mosquitoes too, but less than 1% of their diet consists of them.

Comments (63)

By kilax, March 25, 2010 5:42 am

Thank you all for being so nice on my confessions post yesterday. I didn’t mean to be so dramatic, but what the hell? I’ve been feeling shitty, and I might as well lay it out there. Reading all the comments made me instantly feel better, especially knowing so many of you can relate. I may cut back on posting a bit, but we’ll see how that goes. This is one of the “fun” things in my day!

So, I had a post about an article I read on self-defeating behavior written for today, but I am going to save it for a rainy day. Instead, you get to read a RANT. Yay!

My theory: when someone you see on a regular basis doesn’t take your interests seriously, they are telling you that they just don’t care about you.

Example? Oh, let’s just say you are vegan (this is just an example, remember). And you have explained what “following a vegan lifestyle” is to someone – not eating eggs, dairy, honey, avoiding animal remnants in clothing and body care products to the best of your ability.

Yet, you repeatedly get questions like this from this person:

• Can you eat raisins?
• Can you eat bread?
• Can you eat tomatoes?
• Can you eat corned beef?

Really? Really? I can eat WHATEVER I want, but remember, I told you about this vegan lifestyle I try to follow…?

How hard is it to understand? Half of the questions are serious, half are done for an audience. Sure, I will be the butt of your jokes, no problem… but all you are doing is telling me that my decisions don’t matter to you, that you don’t respect me, and that you think this interest of mine is stupid.

Think about it. It doesn’t have to be about what you eat. It can be about anything you are interested in – running, knitting, telling Chuck Norris jokes, biking, racing, working on your car, baking… when people don’t take your interests seriously, they don’t care about you.

And that’s fine. It really is. I don’t want everyone I meet to care about me, especially what I eat (because who cares what I eat?). Just please. Don’t be so obvious that you don’t give a shit about this interest of mine.

What do you think? Have I lost it? Or can you relate? Do you know anyone who doesn’t take YOUR interests seriously?

I understand that not everyone will be interested in the same thing as me. I sure as hell am not interested in the same things as many other people. But when they talk to me about them, I try to listen, remember what they said, and ask follow-up questions that make sense the next time they bring it up. Even if it is something I really, really, really don’t care about…

Comments (45)

By kilax, March 11, 2010 5:45 am

I am so sick and tired and of saying the same things over and over.

It is mostly reminding people of things they can’t do, should do, or I told them to do, and they didn’t do (and now the shit’s hit the fan, go figure).

Why is this information not sinking in?

Really, on Monday, I had a discussion with someone reminding them about a certain protocol (that we had already discussed in January and December).

They broke protocol on Tuesday.

So I remind them again.

And again.

And again…

I just get so infuriated!

Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just me? Do you ever feel like you are stuck on repeat?

I am wondering if I am not clear enough, or if people just… don’t listen. Or, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt – maybe they are just really forgetful.

Either way, it’s such a waste of time for me to be constantly repeating things.

Sorry to be so vague!

Comments (60)

By kilax, February 10, 2010 5:50 am

Sometimes, no matter what you do, you feel like it is never enough.

It’s not enough to…

• eat quaker oats for breakfast, it should be steel cut oats
• use pre-milled flaxseed, you should mill it yourself
• drink enough water to stay hydrated, you should be drinking filtered water
• make your own homemade wheat thins, if they still have sugar in them
• try to limit your sugar intake, if you are still eating regular sugar
• try to eat a healthy diet, you should also be fasting
• sprout your own beans, if you aren’t sprouting the right ones
• eat produce, if it’s not organic

(No, this isn’t about other bloggers.)

I do what I can. I am not perfect or trying to pretend I am. I eat processed foods. I struggle with overeating. I think I ate 20 oreos when I got to Iowa on Monday. I am pretty sure I will be eating my way through this sadness over my grandpa’s death.

But with all of that being said… I don’t feel bad about who I am. I am trying. I am trying to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s a bumpy journey. It’s even bumpier when you try to share it with people* who only want to tell you what you should be doing differently.

It’s funny. I am around people who don’t think about this stuff at all (they don’t exercise or watch what they eat) but I am the one getting all of these “suggestions.” Why talk to me? Why not talk to someone who is not doing ANYTHING?

And the thing is, if someone lectures me for a long time, basically telling me how to live my life, I’m not really going to buy into anything they are saying if they can’t back it up. I’m not. So, a tip – know what the hell you are talking about.

So what if I like cock soup?! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!
(Just kidding… it has chicken fat in it)

*Not everyone reacts the way I am describing, obviously.

Comments (30)

By kilax, January 23, 2010 9:14 am

I didn’t want to talk about this, but it has become ridiculous.

I have gotten viruses from visiting websites hosted by blogger/blogspot on December 20th, January 20th, and again this morning, January 23rd.

I am reading the blogger/blogspot site in google reader, then click on the post title to leave a comment, and when then post opens in a separate tab, a “virus scan” pops up that is actually the virus.

My sweet and patient husband has had to reformat both my large laptop and baby laptop already and now will have to do it again.

NO MORE.

This is extremely infuriating.

If you have a blog hosted by blogger/blogspot*, I will not be leaving comments on your site anymore (unfortunately, half the blogs I read are hosted by blogger/blogspot). I will be reading, and maybe send you an email with my comments.

Until I figure out what the hell is going on.

I should not be getting a virus just from clicking over to leave a comment on someone’s post.

Comments (15)

By kilax, November 9, 2009 5:22 am

… to ask the neighbor kids to stop hanging on the tree in our yard and breaking the young branches off?

… to ask the neighbor kids to quit playing IN THE STREET and yelling at cars?*

… to ask the neighbor kids to stop scratching on the back of the large residential mailbox with sticks?

I am not a parent. So, parents, ANYONE in fact, please call me out if there is any reason why I should just let these kids do their own thing.

I just wonder… why do their parents not worry about them playing in the street? Or defacing public property? Or ruining our already pathetic looking neighborhood trees?

Why do I have to be the neighborhood bitch?**

*One time, Steven bribed them to get out of the street by giving them fresh cookies.
**We’ve had to ask these particular neighbors, and others, unfortunately, to please turn down the loud music they blast out of their open garages in the middle of the night.

Comments (19)

By kilax, September 2, 2009 6:38 pm

Do you ever wish you could just stop someone in the middle of a sentence and say to them, “I DON’T CARE!”?

You know, to those people who are always yammering on about the same old crap to you? Or yammering on about some new crap, who knows. The point is, you are sick of hearing them go on… and on… and on…

Especially when they never listen to you to begin with.

Of course, I have people like this in my life that I am not really at liberty to talk about here. So I’ll ask all of you to tell me your best stories instead! Please rant away, if you’re in the mood…