No Man Is a Failure Who Has Friends

(#17) Watch 25 Classic Movies

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
2. A Streetcar Named Desire

3. It's a Wonderful Life

Let me use this opportunity to dispel a rumor about myself. I have been unfairly classified as a "Scrooge" or a "Grinch" for one reason- I don't like Christmas music. It's more the incessant over playing starting in November that I don't like. But I actually love everything else about Christmas. Especially Christmas movies.

My adoration of Christmas movies began last year when I watched Miracle on 34th Street for the first time. There was just something about that movie- the idea that Santa could be real and just a regular guy, that miracles could happen if you just believe...it gets me teared up just thinking about it. And Ronnie got a special Christmas memory of his own when they brought all of those letters addressed to Santa into the court room and I literally went crazy with excitement. I believe I said something like "OMG the post office saved Christmas!!!!!!"

It's a Wonderful Life has the disadvantage of coming after Miracle and therefore being ruthlessly compared to it. And while it didn't quite measure up, it did have some of those joyful moments that you're never too old to appreciate.

Enter George Bailey, the man who can lasso the moon.

The man who always puts others' dreams before his own- his brother, his wife, his town. He's even willing to give up his life just so his family can continue to live comfortably. George is a good guy who just doesn't get any justice in the cruel world- until the angels step in.

Clarence the Angel (Second Class) takes a special interest in George's situation- divine intervention you might say- because all of George's friends pray for him. Because George has so many friends, from all those years of putting other people first. The angel keeps him from killing himself but it is the town who comes together to save George from financial ruin (which was not even slightly his fault). 

I was definitely swept up in the magic of George's situation, but I do have to say that there were some serious plot holes in the story. For example- when did George's friends have time to pray for him? They didn't even know anything was wrong until the very end. What happens to the evil Mr. Potter? He still has that $8,000. And most importantly- just because you replace money after you embezzle it doesn't mean you don't still go to jail for embezzlement. I seriously doubt bank auditors would be that caught up in the joy of the moment. 

Regardless of those issues, and of the ponderous length of this film, I really loved it. Movies like this one are great because of the shared memories that they give us, when we watch them and when we watch others enjoy them for the first time. Here's hoping the next 22 movies on my list are just as special!

Lentil Soup- It Tastes Much Better than It Looks

(#10) Master 25 New Recipes

1. Stuffed Peppers
2. Risotto
3. Polenta
4. Beef Brisket
5. French Onion Soup
6. Chocolate Chip Cookies
7. Lentil Soup

This recipe is largely based on one I got from my future father-in-law (that's fun to say!) and is one that Ronnie has been begging me to make for years. I've made lentil soup before but the recipe I used called for a lot of spinach which ruined it for me. This one was much simpler and much more tasty.

Ingredients:

1 lb lentils washed and sorted (take out any black lentils or anything else that doesn't belong)
1 onion diced
4 carrots diced
4 small or two medium potatoes diced
4 slices bacon diced
2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil and add the onions and carrots to the pan. After a few minutes of cooking, make a clear spot in the pan and add the bacon. (I had an issue here timing the bacon. Of course it cooks quicker than carrots or onions, but I did not leave it enough time to get crispy. If it doesn't get cripsy before you put the liquid in you can wind up with an unpleasant texture.)
2. Cook until the onions are clear and the carrots are starting to get soft.
3. Add the lentils and toss in the bacon and oily goodness until the lentils are slightly toasted- about two minutes. Stir frequently.
4. Add the stock and the potatoes.
5. Simmer for about an hour.

In the beginning it will look like this:

Here's a closeup of the lentils:

Notice the greenish-gray color of the broth. Don't be alarmed. This is how it is supposed to look.

After about an hour it will look like this. Then you will know it is ready:

You may also notice the unappetizing film that the broth leaves around the edge of the pot. This is also normal. I don't know what it is about lentils but they are very aggressive in their earthy color and texture.

Personally while I liked this soup more than I expected to, it wasn't my favorite. It has a very starchy bean flavor. In my opinion it just doesn't compare to say, my French onion soup.  Ronnie, however, seemed to like it. Just a little.

Forget Everything You Think You Know about A Game of Thrones

(#2) Read 25 Books

1. Room by Emma Donohue
2. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
4. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
    A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
    A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
6. The Shack by William Young

Book three will Blow.Your. Mind. I do not use this phrase lightly.

Remember how devastated you were when (SPOILER ALERT) Ned Stark was killed in book one? And how that changed the entire trajectory of the series?

Yeah, book three is a whole lot of that.

Throughout the book you have no idea how certain elements are going to turn out. Is Tyrion Lannister going to accept Catelyn Stark's deal and return her daughters? Is Arya Stark EVER going to make it to her mother? How is Robb Stark going to make up with the Frey's? Are the men of the Night's Watch going to make it back to the Wall in one piece?

You think these are the important questions for several hundred pages. As it turns out, though, these questions are irrelevant. Because what actually happens changes the meaning of basically everything else that has happened to this point.

As I said in my review of Clash of Kings, what I love about this series is that Martin develops characters so complex you can literally never predict their next move. This still holds true. The most evil characters turn out to be the ones you are rooting for, and ones you had high hopes for turn out to be quite useless, for one reason or another. And the question of who really should be King of the Seven Kingdoms turns out to have an even more complicated answer than you originally thought.

Also the fantasy elements really become central to the plot in this book, and things get really freaky. I expect more of the same in book four.

Basically what I'm saying is if you haven't started reading this series yet, what the heck are you waiting for???

25 Seems Like a Good Age to Get Engaged

If you look back at the list you will see that I left my last list item open for whatever might come my way.

I can't imagine anything that can happen in the next five months that can trump this one. I'm engaged! And let's be honest- I was hoping it would happen this year.

The ladies out there probably understand that there are a million reasons why this was an important step for me, even though Ronnie and I have been in a committed relationship for so long. First of all, I am not one of these modern women who don't think that getting married is important. It is. Next, the pressure of all my girlfriends and coworkers asking me when it was going to happen. Then there is what the engagement signifies to the rest of the world. "Boyfriend" could mean anything. "Fiancee" is something that people take seriously. Even if we don't get married right away (which it is looking like we will wait until 2014), we are taking an important step forward. 

Many of you have heard the story, or some details of it at least. But for those of you who haven't: It started (on my end) the Monday before Thanksgiving with me hitting a curb in my brand new car and popping two of the tires. I called Ronnie, expecting him to be furious (after all it was a brand new car...and the accident involved me and a curb). His reaction was a little puzzling. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Don't be mad. I got a flat tire. 

Ronnie: Oh...is that it?

Me: Yes...?

Ronnie: Well did you try to change the tire?

Me: Do I look like I know how to change a tire?

Ronnie: Well did you look at the spare tire?

Me: (Lightbulb...he is hiding something in the spare tire.) No I didn't look at the tire. Let me turn my back and call the insurance company while you "look at the spare tire."

Having been together for over six years at this point, I was of course expecting the proposal at any time. Also, just from knowing him for this long, I can kind of read him like an open book. He however had no idea that I suspected anything. 

Day before Thanksgiving: Ronnie wakes up at 5 am, telling me he can't sleep because we are at his parents' house and not in our own bed. Interesting.

Thanksgiving Day: Ronnie chews his Aunt's head off for saying "Congratulations" even though she was referring to a football pool that Ronnie and I won. Doubly interesting.  

Black Friday (the day of the proposal): Ronnie insists that we go for a walk for me to get more steps (we are having a contest at work). I tell him okay, lets walk around the neighborhood. He says no, lets go on a "nature walk." I begrudgingly comply. 

We drive to a place around our parents' houses called Gring's Mill. It is a very gorgeous and very mild late November day, with the temperature around 50 degrees, and yet the perpetually too-warm Ronnie insists on wearing his winter coat. I tell him he will be too hot, he will be uncomfortable, we will be walking around...still he insists.

At this point I know something is up. And I am about 75% sure that that something is a ring in the pocket of his coat. 

For some reason I then decide to give him a hard time. I continue asking him about the coat until he tells me that "the lining is cooler" than the outer wool. I feel the lining, watching his face for a reaction as my hand approaches his pocket. (He admits that he thinks I did touch the ring at this point). I complain about something or other, I ask him when he wants to turn back. Using a white lie ("I don't think we can go that way") he leads me to a little rock landing near the creek, under a bridge. 

He says, "I had an ulterior motive in bringing you out here." 

I say, uttering the words that will now live in infamy: "You're stupid."

He didn't know that I knew! That's what I meant. Poor choice of words I guess.

Yes ladies, he did get down on one knee. He opened the ring box and I assume he asked if I would marry him (who the hell knows, it is such a crazy moment) and I assume I said yes. He says I hesitated but I'm pretty sure I was just mesmerized by the diamonds.

Even after six years (or maybe especially after six years) there is a lot of pressure placed on this moment. It would have been very difficult for Ronnie to pull off anything that would have surprised me. And my reaction was much less dramatic than what I'm sure he had pictured in his head all this time. But in the end all was as it should be: two people sharing a private moment, making one of the most important decisions of their lives. That's what matters. He asked and I said yes.  

And to all the critics out there whose response was "It's about time!" I have to say this. Maybe he took a little longer than we expected. But he said that he wanted to wait until he found the perfect ring. And that's exactly what he did.