Friendship Meatballs

My very dear friend, KM introduced me to a version of these delectable meatballs a few years back after a particularly rough day.  We shared this meal with her family, and I witnessed what will quite possibly go down in history as the most hilarious dinner conversation to date.  Between her little sister crying hysterically fretting over the orange peppers in the sauce and her mother bantering about how her eldest daughter never cooks and of course, the amazing meatballs...it was just the medicine I needed at the time.

I have attempted to recreate this meal a few times.  I am overwhelmed with joy that last night, I succeeded.  I have officially decided to dub them Friendship Meatballs.

When I'm buying the ingredients at the grocery store,

when I'm delightedly mixing them together with my bare hands,

when I'm boiling the bowtie pasta because any other shape just isn't the same,

when I'm adding orange pepper to vodka sauce which plays on the sweetness of the meatballs [& friends]

I am reminded of the blessings of friendship.

And it warms my heart.

I only wish I had written down measurements... I will do my best to guess if you please, pretty please, do yourself a favor and cook these up to share with your dearest friends.  You won't be disappointed!

Friendship Meatballs
3 string cheese sticks
2 eggs
1/4 cup (ish) Catalina dressing
1 tbsp. sugar
1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 1/2 - 2 cups breadcrumbs (maybe?)
oil for pan
box of bowtie pasta
jar of vodka sauce
1 orange pepper

Set out ground turkey so it has time to warm up (15 minutes??).  Your fingers will thank you.

Cut up the cheese sticks into about 6 chunks per stick.  Put in freezer.

Beat eggs and mix in Catalina dressing, sugar and garlic.  Set aside.

Mix (with your hands!) ground turkey, gradually adding breadcrumbs.  I kept mixing until it felt "right," like it is saturated with the breadcrumbs.  Helpful, I know.

Get really dirty by mixing in the Catalina/egg mixture.  Squishy!

Wash hands, retrieve cheese chunks from freezer.  Form meatballs around the cheese.  I shot for about 1 1/2in - 2in diameter.  Big meatballs.  Arrange on plate;  I made 13 meatballs, but you can switch that up depending on size.  Put meatballs in fridge.

Cut up orange pepper and add it to vodka sauce; start warming on stove.  Also, start boiling pot of water.  {I trust you know how to boil pasta...}

Put oil in the largest pan you have and warm it up on medium-low heat.  Add meatballs, cover and rotate every 4ish minutes, until you've browned 4-5 "sides."

Pasta, meatballs, sauce, serve, enjoy, call your best friend & tell her you love her!  Then, pack up leftovers to share with your favorite coworker at lunch the following day. :-)

PS - next time, I'll remember to take a picture!

It hasn't been thaaaat long...

I'm back in the game. :-)

Since I last blogged, I fit in not just one 5k, but two!

First was a run in West Chester, benefiting Safe Harbor of Chester County.  It was very hilly...and I was not prepared for the hills!  I finished at just over 33 minutes, which included a short pit-stop due to some malfunctioning shoelaces.  I'll take it!

Then, this past weekend, we ran in the e-race epilepsy run at the Philadelphia Zoo, benefiting the KARE Foundation.  This was really neat because as we turned corners, we got to see different animals along the way!  I was able to knock off over 2 minutes and finished at about 30:40.  Woo!

Possibly my favorite thing about doing these runs is that when B finishes, he runs back through the course, finds me, and runs with me until the finish (again).  He pushes and encourages me to finish strong and it is wonderful to have that support--not just in the races, but in life.  I guess you could say we make a good team!

What has been keeping you busy lately?

5k Challenge!

For a while now, I've been contemplating different goals as it pertains to my running.  [Originally I really hoped to do the Broad Street Run, but registration was closed by the time I hopped onto a computer.]  My brainstorming for a reasonable goal is likely due to a combination of the following:

     a) B is a cross country coach in the fall and a track coach in the spring
     b) I may or may not be shedding for the wedding, or at least trying to
     c) I really enjoy running, but sometimes lack the motivation required to get off my tush

[http://www.annsrunningcommentary.com/]

This is where you, my loyal readers, come in!

Goal: I will run at least ten six 5k runs before our November nuptuals.  Maybe I'll even through in an 8 or 10k run or two in the mix.

Your job: Suggest some good races [in the Greater Philadelphia/Wilmington area] for good causes for me to support.  Tell me about the cause and why it means so much to you.  If it fits into my schedule, I will be there.

I am currently booked for a June 4 run at the Philadelphia Zoo.  All proceeds raised will help fund research and support for families dealing with Epilepsy.  Information can be found here!  Thank you, KZ for sharing this opportunity!

Beyond that, I'm really counting on you to make recommendations and perhaps even join me for a race or two!  Thank you in advance. :-)

Have a wonderful weekend celebrating with the mothers in your life!

Just under 2 (with varying amounts of 0's)

I noticed an interesting trend today.  There are...

Just under 200 days remaining until I marry my best friend.

Just under 2 working days left this week.

Just under 20 things on my to-do list for the up coming weekend. (yikes!)

Just under 2 months until my dear friend, K, walks down the aisle.

Just under 200 items on our registry. (that I cannot stop tweaking!)

Just under 20 things on my grocery list.

Just under 20,000 smackaroos owed to the fine lenders who helped me pay for my education.

Just under $20 left in my wallet.

Just under 2 minutes until I head to the gym for my lunch break.

Random, I know, but I thought I'd share.  What are you up to on this fine Thursday that I earlier today mistook for a Manic Monday? :-)

Springtime!

The past few days have been filled with several reminders that spring is here...to stay this time!

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/bouquetdebamboo/5553561324/]

    1) Shorts and flip flops
    2) Football catch...in daylight...at 7:30PM
    3) Painted toenails
    4) Sipping on lemonade
    5) Thunderstorms & pouring rain
    6) First Phillies baseball game of the season (tomorrow)
    7) The smells of mulch & budding trees
    8) A fresh coat of pollen on my car...everytime I get in it
    9) Burgers and corn on the cob
  10) Cool grass between my toes

What are you favorite things about this beautiful season?

I wish I may, I wish I might...

...find a decent pair of simple, black pumps that are not crazy high stiletto-platforms!

My trip to the mall yesterday was devastatingly unsuccessful in finding shoes fit for...walking?  Is that so much to ask??



Reality Check

At the conclusion of an incredibly fun mini-vacation to St. Louis, MO (more on that later), B and I found ourselves in quite a pickle.

If you've been paying any attention to the news, you've likely heard about the level EF4 tornado that blew through the St. Louis airport on Friday evening.  Our original flight home was scheduled for early Saturday morning, so we were awoken by an even earlier phone call indicating that the airport had been shut down and our flight canceled.

And thus commenced one final and unexpected adventure for our trip: getting home for Easter.

We quickly got ourselves ready and packed, called the airline to reschedule our flight out of a nearby airport (a mere 250 miles away), and made our way to the concierge to find a rental car.  This step proved to be nearly impossible.  We went through the list of nearby rental companies, all of whom said they had no cars available...until the very last name on the list.

Next, we hopped into a cab and were on our way to a car rental place near the airport.  And we stood in line for over an hour, knowing we needed to be on the road 5 minutes ago, in order to make our flight out of Indianapolis.

Finally on the road, we made the realization that Indianapolis is an hour ahead of St. Louis.  Meaning we just lost another hour.  Not to mention the downpours we faced for the first hour or so of the journey across Illinois.

After stopping for lunch, and basically admitting defeat, we called the airline to see if there were any later flights as it was looking very unlikely that we would make the flight.  There were no seats left, so we set out to make this flight with all deliberate speed.

In record time, we pulled into the airport parking lot with 15 minutes until take-off.  I called the airline once more to check if the flight was still scheduled for an on-time departure.  It was.

B grabbed both suitcases, and we made a mad dash for security, and again to the gate (Home Alone style).  There were approximately 3-4 people sitting in the seats, and no airplane to be seen.

The very nice ladies at the counter informed us that our plane had just left Philadelphia, it's origin.  The flight back to Philly was delayed for another 2 hours.

Taking a breath for probably the second or third time all day, B and I found our way to a bench at the gate.  Yes, we had made it, but I was fuming.  How could the airline not have known that this flight would be delayed?  I called more than once to check it's status, and I was not pleased.

Just then, a man dressed head-to-toe in camo, walked by.  He was on the phone with his wife explaining that as long as the plane takes off by X time, he would still make his layover so he can spend the next 4 days at home before going overseas later this week.

That really helped put things in perspective, and actually made me feel quite grateful for how well the day was going.

Regardless of everything else, we had a really fun trip.  We were not hurt in the storm.  We were able to find open seats on a flight home.  We were blessed with one of the last cars in St. Louis.  We received countless texts from family and friends, making sure we were safe.  We made the flight.  And we would make it home in time for Easter.

***
What are you grateful for on this gorgeous Monday afternoon?

We're going to...

...Missouri??

[http://www.vpsphotography.com/]

Yep!  B and I are packing our bags and heading to St. Louis, MO for a few days.

I have very much enjoyed people's reactions to this news.  I realize this is a fairly random destination, but it's still amusing.  People want to know why we're going to Missouri of all places.  Well, here it is, our top 5 reasons to going to St. Louis:

1) On short notice, it was one of the most affordable places we could have chosen.  The runner up was Providence, RI.

2) We're big baseball fans and think it'll be fun to see another city's stadium, even if the Phillies will not be in town.  [Going to LA was just a biiiit  beyond our budget.]

3) I haven't taken more than 4 days off since starting my big girl job in September, so even though this will only be a 2-3 day trip, it has given me something to look forward to.

4) There are plenty of things to do in St. Louis--and many of them are free!  Although the Arch is not one of the free attractions, going to the top is on my bucket list.  No better time than the present!

5) Why not Missouri? :-)

Bon Voyage!

Have you ever been to St. Louis?  What do you recommend?

The library

Yesterday, I left the office a few minutes early because I mistakenly thought it was warm outside, and I wanted to enjoy some sunshine while there was still daylight to be had.  Bright blue skies can be quite deceiving!

Upon realizing that it was in fact frigid and maybe it wasn't such a hot idea to stand at the train station shivering, I ducked into the library to browse.  You see, I recently designed--all by my onesies--and began a new knitting project that is very near and dear to my heart.  I cannot wait until it is complete and I can share with you!  That in mind, I was determined to find a book or two about knitting so I can teach myself some new patterns.

Side note: libraries sort of scare me.  When I delve deep into the seemingly never-ending stacks that reach far above my head, I become totally & completely anxious.  There's the overwhelming stench of books, that I'm tempted to breathe in, but since the books are mostly extremely old, it's sort of a musty smell, and so maybe I should be holding my breath instead to avoid a sneezing fit.  And . it . is . so . quiet. Quiet enough that I can hear myself breathing--ah!  I'm supposed to be holding my breath!  It's an awful lot to endure just to get a book.

[http://allthoselittletthings-.tumblr.com/]

It's a miracle I was able to navigate my way to the appropriate section and shelf I was so eager to find.  I briefly sorted through the options and walked away with two great finds I am certain will satiate my hunger for new knitting techniques.

I skimmed through them on the train ride home and am looking forward to scouring them this weekend if time permits.  B and I will be taking a mini road trip to help my brother and sister-in-law move into their new home.

[so excited!!]

My New Best Friend

As someone who doesn’t get home at night until 7 o’clock, I absolutely love walking in the door to the smell of a home-cooked meal.  The last thing on my mind at the end of a long day is what to make for dinner.

That is why I have befriended the crock pot.

I bring you, Chicken and Sausage Cacciatore

1 lb. Italian sausage, cut in 1’’-thick chunks
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1’’ pieces
1 large green bell pepper, cut to preferred size
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, sliced in rings
2 cups tomato sauce
Italian seasonings

Layer cut vegetables in crockpot.

Cover with about 1 cup of tomato sauce.

Top with meat.

[I had originally taken a picture of this...but it was rather fowl--ha--so I'll spare you the raw details]

Cover with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with your favorite Italian seasonings.  I also added some black pepper for good measure.  And there's even a little pink peeking out for your enjoyment.

Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.  Remove cover during last 30 minutes of cooking, stir, and leave cover off to allow sauce to thicken.

Meanwhile, cook up your favorite pasta—B and I will be having whole wheat rotini.

Serve and enjoy!

...can't wait to see what will be waiting for me when I get home tonight!!

Stubborn

Once I put my big, puffy, four-layer winter coat away, I have such a hard time convincing myself to bring it back out when Mother Nature decides to be flaky.  And by flaky, I mean snow-flaky.

My fall/spring jacket has gotten much use in the past several weeks as it has been rather mild.  Last Friday, temperatures in the Philadelphia peaked somewhere in the mid-70s.

Too good to be true?  Of course.

I should have known that finicky March would live up to its reputation.  When I left the house this morning, I was greeted by a freezing cold, misty precipitation that, along the way to work, managed to change over to snow.

Not very heavy, and certainly not enough to accumulate even a dusting, but it was snow, nonetheless.

The weathermen are forecasting similarly chilly mornings for the next few days, some with the threat of more snow, but I’ll be better prepared.  I’m stubborn and still refuse to bring out the aforementioned winter coat; instead I will be donning a handmade cowl for warmth.  That’s right—I’ve been living up to my promise.

How is Mother Nature treating you?

SURPRISE!

Isn't it beautiful?!

I could not be happier with my new blog design, compliments of Annie over on wattlebird!  She did an amazing job transforming my mess of ideas into something incredible that really represents me & my hopes for this new venture of mine.  This was just the does of inspiration I needed!

Thank you, Annie!

[I'm still working out my vision, so please bear with me in the coming weeks as I add more details]

Have you missed me?

My life has been a bit of a whirlwind the past several weeks--constantly moving from one thing to the next.  The good news is, I am alive and well and eager to take on whatever life throws at me this week. :-)

***

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to see a lovely group of ladies--ladies who I could not imagine being without on my wedding day.  We sent our men off to a movie and ducked into a dress shop to try on bridesmaids dresses for the big day.

I asked the consultant to grab sample gowns in the styles [I thought] I liked, and we wasted no time getting into them!  I guess you could say it was a fairly standard visit to the salon.  For the most part, I was able to quickly determine which dresses were potential yesses and which were perfect candidates for the no pile.

The first few dresses were tolerable, and in fact the very first dress we tried ended up making it to the finals.  I stumbled into trouble when in came to the dress I had loved the moment I saw it.  I had already determined in my head this would be the dress--it would be amazing.

I'm sure you can guess where this story is headed.

Due to some unexpected and unfortunate issues with the layering of different fabrics, I was stuck.  Stuck because the image I had in my head was so very different from the reality staring me in the face.

Ultimately, the dress found itself among the no's, and I found myself back at the drawing board, pouring through catalogues.

Feeling mildly defeated, I asked the consultant to once again grab some dresses, this time in styles I never thought I would have my girls try.  SURPRISE--it worked.  I did some final comparisons and came to a final decision.  I even had my picture of the bouquet I found and love held up to the dress to ensure it was the *perfect* match.

:-) It was!

[Had I learned my lesson the last time I was there selecting my gown, I likely would have done things in reverse this time around.]

-Melanie

PS I have a wonderful surprise for you, coming soon!

I am obsessed with...

...diced tomatoes!

I'm not sure how or when I decided I could not live without this particular canned good, but that detail is not important.

What is important is that a can or two of diced tomatoes can come in handy when deciding what to make for [a quick and delicious] dinner for two.  We're talking 15-20 minutes.

For instance, last night B and I whipped up a delicious casserole-esque dish comprised of:

1: Cut up sweet sausages
2: A box of macaroni and cheese
3: Half a bag of frozen broccoli
4: Two cans of diced tomatoes
5: Appropriate seasonings

[This was quite possibly one of our most delicious concoctions yet!]

What's great about these casseroles, among other things, is that they are flexible.  Last week we used:

1: Chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
2: Penne Pasta
3: One package of frozen spinach
4: Two cans of diced tomatoes
5: Shredded Italian cheese blend

Are you seeing a pattern yet?  We've also tossed together:

1: Ground turkey with a finely diced onion
2: Box of Rice-A-Roni
3: One package of frozen peas
4: One can of diced tomatoes
5: Appropriate seasonings

Next time you're stumped on dinner ideas, take a look in your cabinets/fridge.  If you've got:

1: Meat [I bet shrimp would be incredible, too!]
2: Grain
3: Frozen or fresh veggies
4: Diced tomatoes--of course :)
5: Cheese/seasonings

You are well on your way to cooking up a delicious meal!  Bon appetit!

Engagement Photos!

One Sunday morning, Bill and I woke up and decided we really wanted to make cookies!  Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that spontaneous, but we certainly had oodles of fun!!

All photos were taken by the wonderfully talented K.  She did an incredible job and we are thrilled to have her stand by on our big day this coming fall!

Enjoy a few of our favorites!!

  

After enjoying the delicious cookies, we headed outside with Jack, who we now affectionately call, "Proposal Puppy."

Bring on the wedding plans!!

-Melanie

A Note about Kindness

Did anyone else notice that just about everybody was in a pleasant mood yesterday?  I don't mean coworkers, family, or friends--though I also don't mean to say that those closest to me were in particularly bad moods--but I encountered more kindness yesterday from [near] strangers than I think I ever have.

I had a delightful conversation with a new security guard in my building.  He was glad to see some warm weather for a change and on a high following an engagement photo session this past weekend.  He is anxiously awaiting his wedding day this summer, and thrilled to be planning the celebrations alongside his beautiful fiance.

When I went to the gym on my lunch break, the student worker behind the check-out counter was handing out encouraging words to patrons.  Having convinced myself to get to the gym for a quick run, yet still hesitant that a 25 minute work-out would actually be worth it, this was the exact motivation I needed.  I was officially bursting with energy and excited to hop on the treadmill.

After work, I headed to grad class a bit early.  I sat down near a classmate, and we chatted about the assignment due, the upcoming quiz, and the class in general.  We joked around a bit and simply enjoyed each other's company.  What a lovely way to pass the time before a lengthy 2 1/2 hour class.

Following class, I raced to the subway so that I could meet up with my Mom and Nan downtown.  As luck would have it--and it usually does--I missed the train by approximately seven seconds.  A fellow commuter came up right behind me with a funny comment about how "it always happens to him, too!"  While we waited the few minutes for the next train, we swapped stories about how Murphy's Law has played a role in each of our lives.

When I finally arrived at Nan's building, I was greeted by an extremely friendly doorman.  He is familiar with our family, and made sure to comment how lovely we all are.  When he phoned Nan to let her know I had arrived, he referred to me as her "wonderful granddaughter."  If that's not the sweetest thing, I don't know what is.

[http://www.etsy.com/listing/57990050/fruitful-life]

All of this combined with countless happy moments with my loved ones made for quite a wonderful day.  And for a Monday, I'll take it.

Happy [belated] Valentine's Day!

-Melanie

Knitting

I really enjoy knitting.  It's fun, relaxing and productive.  Above all this, what I like most about knitting is that it is an on-going activity.  There are always new patterns to learn, new items to make.

Regrettably, I have met few of my goals when it comes to knitting: I have not learned how to make socks, I never completed the blanket I was working on, and I haven't mastered certain techniques.

[http://vascular.tumblr.com/page/2]

Well...here it is in writing:  I will get back into the swing of knitting.  I will make use of my hour-and-a-half daily commute.  I will put a measurable dent in the massive stockpile of yarn that has done nothing but grow over the past few several months.

I will hold myself to these goals.

Blessed

As the youngest of five children, it is quite easy for me to recall the horrible ways my older siblings would torture me—not that I hold a grudge or anything.

At Thanksgiving dinner in the city, we, along with our cousin C, would play an annual game of hide and go seek.  This was one of my favorite childhood games, [I was the smallest and could hide more easily] and I looked forward to it all year long.  The rest of the clan looked forward to it for other, much crueler reasons.  Namely, when they decided they didn’t want to play anymore, [weird how I was always “it” when the decision to be done was made] they would break the rules by hiding out in the fire escape, a spot deemed off limits as it was technically not part of the apartment.  After searching and searching for what felt like 3 hours to my 5-year-old mind, I would go crying to the adults.

It gets better!  Eventually, I caught on to this little game inside the game.  I began to suggest [prematurely] that we should all hide in the fire escape-haha!  The elders never appreciated this when it was my idea.  Year after year, they would insist that we continue playing…playing until it was my turn, so they could hide in the fire escape without me.  So I cried.

If I could count the number of times I was thrown or pushed into our backyard pool or into the Chesapeake Bay, I would retell each one now—but I can’t, so I won't.  I’ll just tell you that it was more times than I knew there were numbers for when I was little.  And I cried after at least 85% of these scarring incidents.

Have you ever been dropped, head first, onto a slate floor?  I have.  It hurt, and I cried.

I was wildly creative as a child.  Unfortunately, my creativity was stifled at an early age [not from a head injury].  As youngsters, the five of us decorated our basement floor with a Lego town, featuring a fire station, gas station, pizza joint, and marina.  Additionally, we each built our own houses and boats.  My favorite part was that we got to name our boats.  What was mine called, you ask?  Honk-Honk-Comin’-Through-Please-Bab-ay! [Exclamation point included.]  Well, this was far too creative for my siblings.  They refused to call my boat over the [imaginary] walkie-talkies.  When I would call them on their totally mundanely named boats, they would ignore me.  So, I’d retreat from the basement, crying.

The four musketeers found particular pleasure in abusing my middle name—Joy.  They would chant things like “Happy, happy, NO joy” at me when I would cry.  Which would make me cry more.  They would go so far as to suggest that Mom and Dad should have named me “Melanie No-Joy.”  So, I would cry more.

As you can see, I cried a lot.  Probably more than your average pesky little sister.  [Perhaps someday, I’ll write about how pesky I was…]

Recent events have had me thinking about my relationships with my siblings.  Somehow, we have all come to a mutual understanding that no matter how much we tease one another, it is because we love each other.  I feel truly blessed to have each of them in my life, and appreciate that they have been by my side all these years—whether they were making me cry, wiping the tears away, or something in between.

I know that if I have a terrible week and need to get away, even for just a night, I can hop in the car, pick up an apple pie & brick of cheddar cheese, and go see D.  I know there will be a cold glass of milk, just for me, waiting when I arrive.

I can count on K for a nice dinner out and a place to crash should the weather inhibit my ability to get all the way home.  I can also count on her for a Celine Dion and/or Moulin Rouge soundtrack jam-out session.

I look forward to the many emails I receive from E on any given day.  Sometimes, it's close to 100...but even if there are only one or two emails because one of us [ha] is busy at work, the quick question or funny comment is always well worth it.

C never ceases to make me laugh.  Getting to hear his voice is always special, especially when it’s for the first time in several months, and he’s rambling in a drunken version of French [which I do not speak] from halfway across the world.

Love you guys.

-Melanie

A Victim of Love

If you're like me, you looove a good grilled cheese sandwich.  There's something about the warm, cheesy, gooey yumminess that is undeniably delicious and comforting.  Plus, it's so versatile [bacon, spinach, tomatoes, different cheeses, with a side of soup or salad...the list goes on], and thereby appropriate for any occasion.

Not surprisingly, the grilled cheese sandwich is high on my list of go-to comfort foods--right up there with Chinese food, mac-n-cheese, and warm brownies.  So, when B and I arrived home after a long week filled with family celebrations, holiday gatherings and a trip to Washington, DC, I took a quick look at the freshly homemade loaf of bread in my hand and knew exactly what we'd have for dinner.

I immediately begin cutting slices of bread (and perhaps nibbling on some).  Shortly thereafter, B came in from taking Jack for a walk.  He insisted that I give Jack a treat, so I assumed he had done his business and did as I was told.

I then went back to making the sandwiches.  I can't stress enough how hungry I was!  At this point, B started to acting...oddly.  He was pacing, looking from me-to the sandwiches-to Jack-and back to me.  He assured me that he was okay, simply exhausted, so I tossed the first sandwich onto the stove.

B suddenly "strongly urged" [he swears he didn't yell] me to look at the dog. 

Quickly and urgently, I knelt down to look at Jack.  An extra dog tag hung on his collar.  I squinted and read those four magic words, "Will you marry me?"

Stunned.

Tears streaming down my face, I turned around to face B who was down on one knee, holding a gorgeous ring out for me to see.  He stumbled his way through a quick speech full of the most wonderful things a girl could ever ask to hear.  I leaned over, excitedly exclaimed, "yes!" and hugged my fiancé long and hard.

[Moments later, I realized what had been left on the stove...]

**pictures to follow**

To Blog or Not to Blog...

For some months now, I’ve been debating whether or not I should attempt writing a blog of my own.  I enjoy reading what others have to say on a wide variety of topics and am generally intrigued by the whole idea.  However, when it comes to picking a title or a focus for my blog, it doesn’t take long for me to choose one of the following excuses against creating a blog:

1.      My life isn’t interesting enough

2.      People won’t understand my humor

3.      I’m too young and inexperienced to have valid opinions/advice

4.      It won’t be liked by anyone, and I’ll fall into a deep, dark depression over it

Well, as you can see, I’ve resolved these issues, at least temporarily, and am proud to welcome you to Melanie’s boring, unfunny, naïve, depressing Mark!

I don’t know where this blog will take me, but now that I’ve reached the completely arbitrary number of possible topics that I deemed an appropriate amount to build confidence, I’ll be off to a [minimally] mediocre start.

-Melanie

<insert hopeful face>