Home

Talia's Tales

Storyteller extra-ordinary

Journal Info

Name
Julie Daigle

View

Navigation

Advertisement

January 30th, 2010

Cheap Stand Mixer

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
Reposted from the cooking lj group:

http://www.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=316942&BannerID=PD677&PartnerID=LINKSHARE&LinkshareID=RvEiSnI7NyY-KivTeFtdR4r.EttHnU8nsQ

Macy's marks down the KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Classic Stand Mixer from $299.99 to $199.99. Shipping is free via code HOMEFREE and there's a $20 mail-in rebate, meaning your final price is $179.99.

Just passing on the info as an FYI.

January 13th, 2010

On Fashion

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
So I saw an ad for Kohl's last night. The women were wearing tight pants and big huge shirts/dress-things. I thought, "Ok. I remember that style. We called it - THE EIGHTIES." Then I paused and thought, "Or the 16th Century."
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs32/f/2008/206/3/6/Prince_Humperdinck_by_suburbanbeatnik.jpg

Modern fashion wants to bring back The Princess Bride? I'm all for it.
Tags:

January 7th, 2010

Emergency Menu

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
I stumbled across this and thought it may be useful to many people.

The "$40" menu (which is now $70 in 2009) - one week of food for 4-6 people
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

and the "$70" menu (which is $84 in 2009) - one week of food for 4-6 people
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/70dollarmenu.htm

How to save the most money? Drinks from concentrate and making your own bread. You don't need a bread machine - just time (as I'm now learning...)

Now - there's a reason they're called the 'emergency' menu. This is not the best tasting, nor the best for you... but you'll get all your vitamins.
Don't forget to buy seasonings and sauces at the dollar store, kids. Where else can you get a giant bottle of ketchup for a dollar?!
Tags:

January 4th, 2010

Christmas was delightful, as usual. After work on the 24th we traveled to the McKeever house and ate ribs, played charades, and drank. The 25th we opened family presents, I learned how to make chicken and dumplings, and Matt and I made it home to pass out.
The 26th - we joined my family for breakfast at Andy's. Then my father and I hijacked the kitchen to make spinach lasagne and baked ham. Mom was not happy that we 'ruined her plan'. But the food turned out great. The gift exchange was warm and heartfelt, which is something I love about my tiny family. Sure we all know we're going to exchange sweaters... but the conversations and old family stories can't be captured by anything else. We capped the evening with Jon's birthday cake - this year from Around the Clock, of all places. Say what you will about my first high-school dive... they've got a damn tasty bakery. If you live anywhere near Crystal Lake - try their chocolate cake. I promise it's worth your time.
The 27th was a surprise from my folks - we all went and saw Blue Man Group! It was hilarious, as always. Not much as changed since I saw it many years ago. There were parts that I did not remember, but I can't be sure if they were new or my memory simply did not recall. /shrug. Either way, we had a great time, didn't get blocked in the parking lot, and I got to show Matt the stores on Clark and Halsted that I once frequented for more... ahem... exotic purchases. We rejoined the family at Fuddruckers (had to wait while my brother lost and then found his wallet in the theatre). I forgot how freaking huge those burgers are. We left overly stuffed and a bit in pain.
Four days, two families, all Christmas. /content sigh

Oh New Year's. Oh, ouch. Ctef and I finished 4 bottles of champaigne together. Yes, that's right. Four. Bottles. Prior to that I had 3 beers while experimenting with steak and cast iron pans. The steaks were a tad rare for my pallet, but they were delicious. Everyone else enjoyed the hell out of them. We played poker - I drank and lost. This is not new for me. :)
Then we fell into the hot tub and continued drinking. And drinking.
I was ordered to check the time - and happily discovered that there were 19 whole seconds left before we were supposed to shout Happy New Year. We didn't *quite* make it out of the tub in time. So our toasts were a bit late... and I don't think anyone actually kissed anyone else. Hell, even *I* forgot the kiss until Matt and I stumbled up to bed. At 3am.
The dog, by the way, just watched us all night as if wondering what the hell happened to her people. "At least," she thought, "they gave me half a plate of steak for dinner." The cat ignored us. It's what cats do.
I woke up at 8am to let the dog out, as predicted. I was still very, very drunk. I had the presence of mind to drink a bottle of water, give the dog a new rawhide bone and return to bed.
I then woke up at 1pm. That's right. 1pm. I felt like dying. I, in fact, wanted to die. That way I wouldn't have to sit on the bathroom floor and worry about throwing up. Matt, bless him a thousand times, drew me a warm bath so I could relax and get clean. While in the tub I felt a little better, but that all went out the window when I got out again.
The consensus from everyone in the living room was that I looked like death warmed over. I sat in the chair and ignored the smells of their pizza lunch. The thought of food made me sick. I tried drinking water and felt sick. Even the dog was frightened to jump up on me - though I did invite her. /pout. All I wanted was a hug. I'm pretty sure we watched Ghostbusters 2 on tv, but I was mostly trying to calm my headache and my guts. I felt well enough at 4:30pm to start cleaning. We were finished and out of the house a little after 5pm. Back home - Raven was happy to have dinner and curl up in her bed and pass out. Matt and I followed shortly thereafter.
Saturday - I bought our own cast iron pan from Kohl's. Then I played Dragon Age: Origins. Until 1:30am.
Sunday - I played DA:O until the last possible moment before church. Addicted? Why yes. I am. I met Ctef at Woodfield for lunch and Malanka shopping. Ctef WINS this year - she found my dress for $23. Floor-length emerald/teal greek drape. Hooray for discounts! She then took me into the tea shop and I spent the rest of my budget on tea. Yup - more on tea than on the dress. I've got my priorities straight. We returned back home to bake pretzels and try a new cheddar cheese soup. The soup was flavorful, but thin. We're going to decrease the liquid a bit and see if that helps. As I have the leftovers today we're going to see how well it reheats. And yes, we made preztels. They're stupidly easy to make - and delicious. Since they only rise for 30 minutes and bake for about 10 minutes - can have a full tray of pretzels in an hour. That's awesome. I just had one for breakfast with my tea. It was divine. It's only a matter of time before I start coating them in cinnamon-sugar for sweets.

Somewhere in there I also put together the first teaser video for RenQuest2010 - pending approval. I'm not really happy with how it turned out, but I'm dealing with a crippled computer in terms of the windows programming... and you'd be surprised how much difference a font can make.

Matt tells me that there are 3 or 4 games left before Changeling will be over. I'm got a much better grasp as to where 7th Sea is going to end. By my estimate, we'll be done in May. Just in time for me to truly freak out about RQ. Good planning on my part.

So for now I'll drool in anticipation of my delicious lunch, and daydream of playing DA:O, and try to outline RQ2010.

Cheers!

PS - regarding my music: the song has the lyric "You have to study alcohology." Which, I feel, is rather relevant to my Thursday night escapade.

December 31st, 2009

The end of 2009

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
On Jan 1st, 2009 I woke up next to my fiancee because the dog jumped on our faces.

On Jan 1st, 2010 I will wake up next to my husband because the dog will jump on our faces.


Oh sure, lots and lots of things happened in 2009. But that's the best change of the year.

Awwwwwww.
Tags: ,

December 23rd, 2009

Reading and Sea Monkeys

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
This past Saturday was the first meeting for the 2010 season of RenQuest. While there was no physical writing of any type of script, we all got on the same page regarding our goals for the season. This = good. Next step - create a presentation for the Powers That Be to approve the plan.

Saturday night was the Varankey extravaganza. Who knew that sweet-potato was such an AWESOME filling? I had a delightful time. :)

Sunday I sat my happy rear on the couch and read "The Seventh Gate" from cover to cover. It has been a LONG time since I dedicated a whole day to reading. It makes these reading days all the more special now.

Monday and Tuesday I finished reading The Order of the Stick. And now I remember all the D&D jokes that I'd forgotten while being away from the game for so long.
I also scripted two teaser videos for RQ... but they won't do me any good unless I can get these bloody video files converted into something usable. Grr.

Today? (Yes, I'm still at work) I've hatched a packet of sea-monkeys. Yes, yes I have. Everyone else has a plant on their desk. I will have sea monkeys. Thanks, Shane.

I'm also re-reading Soulforge by Margaret Weiss. I figured since I've read everything else they've written in the past year I should embark on the other novels as well. I'll find inspiration somewhere, I swear.

December 17th, 2009

168 bottles

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
You know what's awesome about working for Coca Cola?
Cheap Coca Cola.

After hauling 168 bottles (24oz) into my trunk this morning... let's see just how quickly Matt drinks diet coke. It's supposed to be a 2-month supply.
Ha!
Tags:

December 16th, 2009

Regarding Knives

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
pistol-wink
"They should be sharp enough to cut the virtue off of Jesus."
- LJ user 'stonefinder'
Tags:

December 14th, 2009

Tastefully Simple

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
For those of you that adore the dips I make - or love the soda bread - or drool over the Parmesan biscuits... wouldn't you like to win free food?

You CAN! By visiting here!

Win a Tastefully Simple prize pack @BargainsRock http://bargainsrock.com/blog/?p=2368

Love!

December 10th, 2009

Hilarious

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
This is my new favorite website for shirts. Ever.

http://www.snorgtees.com/index.php

Bacon - what CAN'T it do?!

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
http://www.theagitator.com/2008/08/16/how-to-baconify-your-bourbon/

It's pronounced "ba-CON-ify".

December 9th, 2009

Snow

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
thunk
2.8 inches is not 8-14 as predicted. We'll survive down here.

I'm NOT looking forward to the wind tomorrow. Possible -20 degrees with the wind chill. It's going to turn all this lovely rain into lovely black ice. Fantastic.

We probably should have put the plastic on the windows this weekend. Here's hoping that we can get it to stick tonight.

December 8th, 2009

MagiQuest

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
Lombard, IL. Just by Schaumburg for those unfamiliar with Chicago 'burbs.
Feb/March 2010.

It looks like a combo of Wizard's Quest (the game up in the Wisconsin Dells) and RenQuest. Or, rather, what would happen to RenQuest if we stopped using live actors.

http://www.magiquest.com/press_releases/MagiQuestLite%20and%20online%20game11-13-09.pdf

As a player, I'll go. As the RQ writer... I'm wary, you know? Big companies tend to eat smaller ones. And we worked hard on our product. :(

December 7th, 2009

GRRRRR

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
That's the first email I received this morning from my counterpart down in St Louis.
To all my co-workers: You make it REALLY hard to embrace the Christmas spirit when you continue to perform stupid deeds despite my reminders not to do said things. Really, I've been telling you this for a year now. Knock it off. Please.

December 2nd, 2009

Oh, Matt

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
So two nights ago as I was making the video for "The Hymn of Lady Tso" Matt inquired: "So has the really bad fanfic started?"
Truly innocent I asked, "What do you mean?"
He grinned, "I mean the strange stuff. You know - "In the dungeon with Lady Tso" or something."
At this point I was so horrified that I couldn't stop giggling.
But he kept going, "You know the 'Yes, Mistress! I'll be your Disciple!' thing. It hasn't happened yet?"
I was laughing so hard I couldn't reply.
He then threatened to write it himself. I told him if he did, it wouldn't be only me who killed him. I'm pretty sure Katie would drive up and kill him. Twice.

Just sayin.
Tags:

November 30th, 2009

The Bucket List

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
Aaaaaand an email quiz:

Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. This is for your Entire Life!

(x) Shot a gun
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Alaska
( ) Been to Cuba
(x) Been to Europe
( ) Been to Las Vegas
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been on a cruise ship
( ) Served on a jury
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Played cowboys/girls and Indians
(x) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
( ) Gone snow skiing
(x) Camped out under the stars
(x) Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away?
(x) Are or have been Married?
( ) Children?
(x) Have/had a Pet?
(x) Been skinny dipping outdoors
(x) Been fishing
(x) Been boating
(x) Been water skiing
(x) Been hiking
(x) Been camping in a trailer/RV
( ) Flown in a small 4 seater airplane
( ) Flown in a glider
( ) Been flying in a hot air balloon
(x) Been bungee-jumping or sky-diving
(x) Gone to a drive-in movie
(x) Done something that should have killed you

1. Nickname? yule-tide carols (by Matt only)
2. Mother's name? Claudia Sue
3. Favorite drink? Riesling
4. Body Piercing? Ears only
5. Tattoos? Never
6. How much do you love your job? I love that I'm hired!
7. Birthplace? Philadelphia, PA
8. Favorite vacation spot? Nags Head, NC
9. Been to Africa? No
10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? no - but I have done chips and dip
11. Ever been on TV? Several times
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? Two
13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 2
15. Favorite number? 3
16. Favorite movie? Cyrano de Bergerac
17. Favorite holiday? Christmas
18. Favorite dessert? Anything I can bake myself
19. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In a house with a backyard
20. Furthest place you will send this message? Utah... if my brother still reads this
21. Who will respond to this the fastest? probably no one
Tags:

Avatar Quiz

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
I distract myself from finishing the November RenQuest Update with this quiz! Muah!

Which Avatar: the Last Airbender Nation do you best fit into?
Your Result: The Earth Kingdom
 

Congratulations! You are an inhabitant of the Earth Kingdom! The people of the Earth Kingdom pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working. They have a strong sense of duty. They are givers and are concerned about the welfare of others, especially the young and the old. They strive to be responsible and trustworthy. They have a strong work ethic and respect the rules and hierarchies of society. They are often prosperous and have great respect for the institutions of society. Their strength is in their diversity, drawing such strength from their ability to obtain different perspectives on life. They ultimately seek stability and are always prepared for the worst.

At their best they are accepting, adaptable, agreeable, balanced, belonging, concerned, concrete, considerate, consistent, dependable, dignified, diplomatic, easy-going, forbearing, friendly, mediators, peaceful, prepared, prosperous, steadfast, supportive, thorough, and tolerant. At their worst they can be aimless, ambivalent, boring, conforming, dispirited, doubtful, downcast, dull, fatalistic, indifferent, lazy, leery, masochistic, monotonous, passive, permissive, pessimistic, reluctant, self-deprecating, stubborn, sluggish, uninvolved, and unmotivated.

The Air Nomads
 
The Water Tribe
 
The Fire Nation
 
Which Avatar: the Last Airbender Nation do you best fit into?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz
Tags:

November 23rd, 2009

The Hunt Begins

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
We've officially decided to purchase a house in Illinois.
Rejoice with us.

I have spent most of today looking at properties - realized that all the good kitchens are in expensive houses - and have discovered that people DO, in fact, post pictures of the inside of their homes where the walls are moldy or the outside of the house where their car is missing tires.
Fantastic.

We will raise toasts during Thanksgiving dinner to honor the good hunt. May we find the beast and slay it with a low APR.

/viking hunting horn blows

November 18th, 2009

2nd recession

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/ap_on_re_as/as_obama_economy

No shit, really?
Spending a lot of taxpayer money to fuel half-planned stimulus things might be a bad idea?

/headdesk

Oh, and by the way, thanks for DECREASING my withheld taxes despite my insistence that you can keep the same amount. I even checked the boxes, assholes. Now you're going to peg me with a check that I OWE for next year. Great.
Because working three jobs isn't enough to pay for some other people's healthcare. GUESS WHAT! I still work three jobs and don't HAVE healthcare. I'm MARRIED and still don't have healthcare. My taxes pay for YOUR drugs. So go jump off a cliff the next time you claim we should all have affordable healthcare. I haven't seen a doctor since 2003.

WHY is a flat tax percentage so difficult for people to agree upon?!

November 16th, 2009

Roman Ruins and cleaning

Add to Memories Tell a Friend
The murder mystery party DID, in fact, happen on the 7th. (Has it been so long since I've lasst written?) I had a mighty fine time. Food was good, company was awesome, and the game was ridiculous. The Country Inn and Suites is FANTASTIC. I'm so glad they swug us a deal - those rooms would be expensive otherwise.
That's three hotels now that have given me a discount because I've called them on the phone. THREE! In different states and everything. Goes to show that the internet is a great starting place - but nothing beats speaking to the manager.

We did not go to WindyCon. (sadface)
Finances are stupidly tight in November - thanks, insurance - and now that I'm an offical employee of Coke I'm not sure when they'll send me my first paycheck. I hope it's at least this month.
We did completely scrub out the bathroom and the bedroom. I also (finally) finished cleaning the costume closet in the office - now I have to figure out what to do with the random electronics sitting on the floor.
We'll be pulling the kitchen/living room apart next weekend and putting it all back together in anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner. Supposedly my parents are brining the dogs this year. Now that the office is clean - we actually have room for them. It should be wildly amusing.

Since my last update - one writing project for RenQuest is up on the site. One has been canceled due to legal reasons (and that was going to be the largest and most awesome). And I finished the third - and was promptly told that we couldn't post it yet and could I write a different part?
Sure, I said. So I started over and have one page done. /sigh
But these are characters that I know very little about - so I'm making a lot of things up. I'm keeping the integrity of the game, but it feels really strange writing for other people's characters.

A thought just occured to me: one year ago they would have been MY characters. Now that they've been brought to life and taken in wildly different directions... they're not mine anymore.
What a strange concept this is. huh.

With that boost of confidence - I shall endeavor to be productive!

PS - why does livejournal at work think that I'm in Germany? It's a good thing that I've memorized all the buttons. Otherwise I'd never be able to navigate the pages.
Powered by LiveJournal.com