Reality Check: A Rose Ceremony Won’t Make You Happy

Perhaps its deja vu, or maybe I’m just realllllly fed up with this subject, but this post (mostly rant) feels all too familiar to me.  I apologize if I’m boring you with redundancies.

WTF is up with The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise???  I get it, these people crave 15 minutes of fame and the chance to be seen on the arm of a hottie (not in all cases so hot), but COME ON.  Admittedly, I am a die-hard fan of trash mags.  I love them and the normalcy that strikes me when reading about all the Hollywood drama.  However, lately I find it almost painful to give into the shiny, glossy lure. And all because of one OVER DONE topic:

Vienna.

UCK! Typing her name conjurs a teensy bit of vom.  #1 have you SEEN her? (I’m sorry, its not very ‘southern’ charming to be rude, but I’m conflicted by my natural tendency to be honest *bless her heart* (in the South if you say that before or after a jab, you’re covered) hehe), #2 do we care? #3 are we surprised?? only like 1 couple out of 400 have even remotely stayed together #4 legit, have you SEEN her?  (sorry, I’ll move on).  I mean we all knew it was going to end.  Didn’t we move on to watch that Ali girl he rejected ‘find her own rose lover?’   As if that isn’t enough, we have to be tortured with that ex Hooter’s biotch clogging up our gossip rags and blogs! No one cares, go home, go back to Hooter’s, I don’t care—just stop hogging my guilty pleasure with your tragic love FAIL of ‘he wouldn’t sleep with me’ and other yadda yadda I don’t give a sh*t sob stories.  Seriously, you’re not cute (sorry, I know I promised, it slipped) and from what I read you have no real personality so why in the world would you think I would care.  Also, you went on a reality show on live television looking for love.  Who’s the fool now.

I thought so. So take that Vie–what was her name again??

Awesome things that hail from my birthplace…

I know many have stereotyped KY as a result of various comedy skits, rumors, ignorance, etc and so on…  I’m not denying that SOME are true, as I’m SURE is the case with every state.  To name a few:

-no teeth

inbreeding

-stupid

-redneck

-blue people

-we fry everything in lard (only the good stuff )

-yadda yadda yadda

You should realize that every single state has its own band of characters.  Despite the teasing at times, I love my upbringing and my inability to correctly pronounce ‘fly swatter’ (its sounds like ‘flask water’  and I can’t do anything about it, ask Mr. PC), and I love the roots that have made me who I am.  More importantly, this post is to indulge those who throw jeers with something truly awesome that has hailed from my home state (outside of the best basketball team ever, GO BIG BLUE!, and obvi the bourbon, horses and women)——THE KFC DOUBLE DOWN!

And, according to reports, it’s here to stay!  I actually tried it, why would I not, afterall, I needed to check out all the hype.  And, aside from the fact that I could barely stomach half, it was quite tasty.  I do not think it is wise to frequent this type of feeding, but go ahead, kick your boots off and have a taste!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Kentucky Fried Chicken!

2010′s Decisions That Just Happen to Be Made in January

For those who have loyally followed our Southern Fried lives since last January (by the way Happy Birthday to our blog!!!), you may recall my utter trepidation of New Year’s Resolutions. Yes my heart is beating a tad faster just thinking about them.  But alas, if you’re going to change anything in your life (or make “decisions” as I like to say), then I suppose a great time to do it is when everything is new…new year, new decade, new third number in the 20 sequence, etc. etc. So without further ado, here are the Darlin’s decisions that just happen to be made in January.

#1. No one said that the previous year’s decisions couldn’t carry over…yes I’m still deciding to lose that last 12.

Yes it’s true.  While I have made a conscious effort to eat healthy and exercise regularly (hey I haven’t gained weight), I have not busted my butt quite enough to trim off that last dozen (kinda brings ‘baker’s dozen’ into a whole new light).  However, I have gotten this year off to a good start with regular workouts and lots of veggies, fruits and lean meats to satisfy my palette. I just have to remember that the key to everything is moderation. As long as I maintain moderation (especially with my sweet tooth), I feel certain I can attain this in 2010.

#2. Keep in touch.

I’m very grateful for the independent spirit that my parents instilled in me.  It has allowed me to go places and do things that I’d never do otherwise. There’s no telling where I’d be but for my willingness to step out on a limb all by myself.  But the downfall? Friends and family can easily slip through the cracks as I trek through life independently.  Being in a serious relationship has helped tremendously, as I am learning everyday about doing life with someone else and what exactly that looks like. But there’s no question that I’ve allowed loved ones to take the back seat of an extra-long, Duggar-esque multi-passenger van while I hum along in the driver’s seat, occasionally hollering over my shoulder to check in and see if everything’s ok. Add a boyfriend to the equation, and you get the picture…I’m in need of communication changes.  So this year I want to do a better job of keeping in touch with friends and family.  No, I may not be able to hang with the gals like I did in my single days (frankly I can’t stay up that late anymore), but I can make a better effort of calling, emailing and initiating activities with my pals.  And no matter what’s going on in life, Mom and Dad deserve regular calls. So take note, AT&T…I’m about to take mega-advantage of all those roll-over minutes I’ve been hording!

That’s it. I know it’s not much, but if I let the record speak for me, then I probably shouldn’t even have two on here.  Happy 2010!

-DC Darlin’

Enter the ’10s…my 10 reasons to be excited

A couple days ago I realized that not only are we entering 2010, but we are also entering a new decade.  Wow.  Remember the Y2k hullabaloo?  That seems so far ago to me.  And I lived in a town where everyone hoarded water and bread in preparation.  So much has changed.  The ’00s were good to me.  They gave me a HS diploma, a College education, a Master’s degree, a new life in Boston,  a wonderful, loving Mr. PC (hubby), a sense of who I am more than ever and now a new city to explore and grow.  All in all a pretty ‘meaty’ decade.  And then I started to think about all the things that the ’10s will bring my way.  A strengthened career, a home (hopefully on this side of the decade haha) and the joys of motherhood (or so planned), my 30th bday ( I anticipate this to be a rough one) and hopefully a world of other experiences I can look fondly on in the ’20s (will they also be roaring??).

Every year I set the same New Year’s resolutions, blah blah blah.  And every year I’ve given up (or most likely innocently forgotten) by mid January.  Some of them trickle through into Spring, mostly out of boredom with Winter.  But my track record isn’t so good.  I should feel awful about this, but on second thought when I think of all the things I HAVE accomplished throughout the years, I’ve more or less met all my goals thus far.  Maybe not in the year I’d set out to do so, but better late than never, right?  However this year, I whole-heartedly make a vow to stick with it.  This is a new decade, a fresh start.  I’m in a different place than ever before so now is better than never.  I’m in those few ‘selfish’ years that life allows.  No school, my career is settled in a place I’m happy with, my husband is well into his career,  we’re still writing a fat rent check, but its NYC so it counts, and we have no kids.  We are DINKS, and I intend to enjoy it while I can.  So without further ado, my 2010 bucket list:

1.  Explore more.  I live in NYC, arguably the greatest city in the world.  And although I’ve done a lot of exploring, I plowed right into work and routine when we first moved in.  So this year I will make a list of all those nooks and crannies I want to visit and get out and do so!  Weekends are for more than just laundry and grocery shopping.

2.  Make more phone calls.  I’m afraid I’m a victim of the technology rut. Basically, if you don’t text or email, you don’t talk to me too often.  There are lots of people in my life who do not participate in the techage.  For these people, and all those I love who deserve more than a text, I will make a valiant effort to call just to hear your voice.  Or even hand write you a nice note on occasion.

3.  Become one with Betty Crocker.  I love to cook, I always have.  So I will put down my excuses and seduction of ease by way of microwave and pick up the skillet!!  I’ve recently sent out a call to action to my friends and family and asked for their cherished recipes.  I will cook them all by years end.

4.  Write more.  In all facets.  I love to write.  Goodness knows I’ve neglected this poor blog.  Again, I will put down my excuses and tickle the keys more.  Its a nice release, creative or not, just to write and write about any and everything.

5.  Travel far and wide.  2010 might be a saving for coming years kind of year, but nonetheless there is a goal in mind.  We want to visit Israel and Egypt, a return to Turkey and South America.  My passport needs stamps.

6. Capture the moment.  For my 26th birthday my husband got me a camera small enough to fit in my purse because I never wanted to lug my big camera around.  And I never, ever remember to take it out of my purse.  This year I will capture the moments that mean most to me.  I will have a photo album–digital maybe, but an album no less.

7. Stop planning so much and live a little more.  Let’s face it, you’ll never take the planner out of me.  I love my date book, my bbery and making reservations and itineraries, BUT that is not what life is all about.  I will stop judging my life by where I think it should be and just live in the moment where it is.

8.  Enjoy my friends a little more.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my friends so much now.  But I need to set a little more time aside to travel and visit; to shop (ahhh shopping!!), chat and enjoy.

9.  Save for a rainy day.  Okay, hopefully for a sunny day.  In the form of a house.  And a nice vacation here and there.  And start saving for our future children’s education.  We are finally in a place where we can save something to be proud of, so this is the year.  Build a little nest egg for our future little nest.

10.  Lose that extra 10.  Ah, why not, this is a list of resolutions right?  If weight loss wasn’t on it, it wouldn’t be complete.  I am actually off to a good start closing out 2009, I’ve started making healthier decisions and I want to further this. 

Okay, there you have it.  Check in and keep tabs on me.

2010!!

Office Wasteland

In honor of this New Year’s Eve which falls on a Thursday, meaning some of you onesies and twosies may actually have to work today, I thought I’d share this great article from WaPo that highlights those sparse few who have to endure the week between Christmas and New Years at the office.  Hilarious!

For the workers, it was a lonely holiday week at the office

Happy NYE!

-DC Darlin’

Tis’ the season for giving from the heart…OR from cyber space

Since I’ve been an “adult” and able to sustain on more than Raman, I’ve enjoyed adopting an angel from the Angel Tree every year.  Its a nice way to give back to someone who might not otherwise have a Christmas morning.  And because you are actually handling the shopping yourself, you are able to make sure they are well-stocked with clothing and of course have a few toys to enjoy on Christmas morning.

This year, I had a bit of trouble locating an actual Angel Tree to take an angel and shop for.  Granted, most of the time I am able to find these easily in suburban malls…but if you’ve ever been to NYC, you know that those are not really readily accessible.  So a few weeks ago when I started my search, I started to panic a bit because it was not as easy as I thought.

And then I found the JC Penney Online Angel Tree — (http://angel.jcpenney.com/).

This is an amazing and VERY EASY way to help out this season.  You can do all of your shopping online, in just a few minutes.  Information on your Angel is readily available, and they will ship it (FOR FREE) directly to a local Salvation Army near you (be sure to include your Angel’s ID so that all your gifts get to the correct child). AND, they even give you a promo code to receive a discount.

If you have 10 free minutes, and anything to spare this holiday season, check it out and please give someone a happy Christmas morning if you can.  I grew up with many blessed, exciting and warm/cozy holiday mornings, and what a great thing to share that with just one child if we can.

Happy Christmakkuh all!

No I Haven’t Forgotten How to Type, and Various Other Sundry Items…

Hi All.  Yes, I bet you thought we abandoned our blog forever, but fortunately for you, you are mistaken.  I know Big Apple Belle is getting settled into NYC, which for me would take a lifetime…but because she is so awesome, she should be back soon to share with us all her wonderful stories about life in the Big Apple.

As for me, I have had a few changes of my own that have occupied my time for the past couple of months.  Ok, maybe ONE significant change. In classic city-life fashion (and in complete abandonment of a few time-honored Southern traditions), my boyfriend and I made the decision to continue nurturing our relationship under the same roof…that’s right, we’ve moved in together!

Yes, this decision may come as a surprise to those who knew me as a super-conservative Southern teen. And it may even spark a bit of controversy by some. But all I can tell you is that we are having a wonderful time learning, loving and preparing for a very long future together. With each day comes a little more excitement, a deeper view of love, and yes, even a bit more maturity as we each learn what it takes to do ‘life’ together.

So what does ‘life’ currently entail?  Lots of stuff that we enjoy but some may deem “settled” (see previous post regarding the term here), including:

1. The Office: We recently discovered this gem and even signed up for Netflix so we can watch past seasons instantly (yes, it’s that good).

2. Cooking: This has always been something we love doing together.  We are constantly finding and making new dishes.  We even created a recipe blog, which I may discreetly share with y’all one of these days (I am anoynmous on here after all).

3. Crosswords: “Settled” defined.  Enough said.

4. The Gym: I’ve always been into staying fit, but it’s been fun (and motivating) to have someone to go to the gym with.

5. Football: This is one of our strongest bonds, believe it or not.  Whether it’s flag football or the SEC on CBS, we have a blast with football in the fall.  Now if I can just get him into basketball…

So if you’re wondering what I’ve been up to for the past couple of months…well there you go. “Life” hasn’t necessarily been flashy or action-packed. But it is full, and that’s all I can ask for.

~DC Darlin’

All Grown Up…Sorta

I had to share this, as I think this is absolutely fascinating!  If you’re going to miss out on many things we take for granted (roller coasters, adult clothing, etc.), it’s gotta be pretty cool to miss out based on the fact that you are the tiniest person in the world.  Am I the only one who thinks this is cool?…it may have something to do with my dream of finding a dog that stays a puppy forever.

World’s Shortest Person

~DC Darlin’

Not quite a New Yorker, but learning the ropes…

Okay, so I’ve officially been living in NYC for 10 days. I say officially because I was doing the commuting/crashing on couch thing for a couple weeks until my lease was ready.  There is a reason for this. I got a job!! This is exciting of course, albeit a bit earlier than expected. This has spiraled me into a whirlwind of very quickly taking on the city—but not without a few reflections along the way.  Below are a few things I’ve pondered, noticed, discovered and discussed so far along the way.

1.  The trash in this city–Don’t take that the wrong way, NYC is suprisingly a VERY clean city.  But it is amazing the amount of trash generated in this city. I get it, there are a gazillion people jammpacked into a small space, but  WOW! I’m telling you, if you don’t see the need to recycle then take a stroll down any street on trash day and think about where ALL OF THAT TRASH is going to go. And stay. Forever.

2. Don’t be fooled by the zilliongazillion cabs in this city, you still aren’t guaranteed to get one.  Certainly not at shift change. Oh no, NO ONE works the shift change. Shouldn’t the new shifters come on a little earlier just to cover the basis? Apparently not. And if its raining, just stop whining and walk it, you’ll get there faster and dryer than if you wait for a cab.

3. You can walk a long way when you’re terrified of the subway.  Why are there no maps in the stations? There are in major stations, but no guarantee.  Add in the fact that it all looks like goobldeglop to me anyway and you can see why I walk.  I’m learning. Hubstop rocks though.

4. Rent Control. I’ll say no more, but pick up on my annoyance.

5. McDonald’s delivers. Is this even possible? A fast, fast, fast, fast food. Imagine the caloric intake considering you don’t even have to WALK to get your food.

6. Time Warner is the devil.  I apologize to Comcast for hating it so much.

7. Duane Reed—what the hell is Duane Reed? And where is CVS???

8.  The amazing selection of restaurants. On ever corner. Of every street. Its overwhelming, but I’m so excited to explore.

9. How freaking cool is it that so many amazing things are one or two blocks away from my apt!?!?! (Sorry, I’m not over this one yet)

10. There are no buttons to push to cross the street. They just assume that a million ppl are waiting to cross so its automatic. Smart I know, but I feel like I’m doing something if I can incessantly push a button until it changes. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve smacked a pole out of habit.

Bonus 11. Sample sales. *le sigh*

That is my top 11 for today…I have a running list of ‘observations’ and I’ll post more soon. Night!!!

Closing the Door on the Summer of Bad News

Being in DC has provided, among other things, an outlet for the “need to know now and before everyone else” side of me to grow and thrive like wildfire in Southern Cal. DC is such a fast-paced, news-centric city and this Southern extrovert can’t help but get sucked into the madness. For instance if you rode with me to work every morning you’d likely be listening to C-SPAN radio, as it provides a thorough commentary from guests that, in many cases, are making legislation just an arms-throw away from me (I still find this so awesome even after two years of living here.  Yes, I am aware that this incredibly nerdy.)

Another news-junkie action I promptly enacted upon moving to DC was enabling my FireFox browser with RSS feeds from CNN.com, as well as signing up for Breaking News emails to come directly to my Outlook.  So not only can I peruse the latest headlines at a nano-second’s notice, but I also know the late breaking news before everyone!!!! (insert BWAHAHAHA here). And of course by everyone I mean anyone less of a dork than me. Luckily though, there are many out there, ignorant to the vital information that they need to know, and that I, the news junkie, can provide.

What I did not anticipate when I began my swift decline into media madness, however, was 2009′s incredibly dismal summer of bad news! Between Michael Jackson, Jon & Kate, murders of parents with 8 kids in the house, and psychos hiding children in their backyards for decades, this summer has been an insane wealth of unbelievably bad news. Last week, after catching myself being sucked in by a horrific story about a couple of kids in the UK who nearly mutilated other neighborhood children (don’t go searching for it, it isn’t worth it), I finally decided enough was enough. I was ending the summer of bad news.

Now, I didn’t go as far as to remove my CNN feeds (although I thought about it). But I DID actually subscribe to another…allow me to introduce you to HappyNews.com! HappyNews finds the GOOD stuff going on around the world and puts it in one place so you don’t have to sift through the sicko junk to find it. I decided to now go to HappyNews for my ‘fix’ and only open CNN for legit information (and ‘legit’ does not include herrendous murders, sicko kidnappers, etc.).  There are so many great things happening every single day, and I hope to make a habit of becoming a junkie about these stories, as opposed to the media shockers that can so easily suck me in.  So on top of an incredible Alabama football team, my new consumption of good news should lead to a Fall of Joyful Elation.

~DC Darlin’