dear mr. chipotle

last night i sent an email to "mr. chipotle:"

dear mr. chipotle,

a little over 4 years ago, my taste buds were TRANSFORMED the second Chipotle's chicken taco landed on my tongue. ask anyone who knows me, i've not been the same since. before moving from indiana to florida to be near my sister, my VERY FIRST inquiry to help with the decision process was "where is the nearest Chipotle?" what can i say? i know where my priorities lie.

in florida, my nearest Chipotle is a half hour away and while the food and experience that Chipotle offers is TOTALLY worth the drive, i'd be able to eat a whole lot MORE Chipotle if i didn't have to spend so much money on gas. PLUS, i'd be able to introduce MORE closet fanatics to the delicious flavors that i have come to love so much.

since you've already stated that my backyard is out of the question, though i'd duel to the death any neighbor who would DREAM of complaining, i suggest the following two locations: here OR here.

both locations are near a hospital, offices, residential communities, a community college, and other unsuspecting restaurants who need a healthy dose of competition.

your (presumed) biggest fan,
stephanie watson

i will notify you as SOON as i get a response back. =)

five things

41. once i forgot how to spell the word "of." i tried the letters "uv" but i knew they were wrong and i couldn't for the life of me remember HOW to spell it!

42. i think eric from the little mermaid is HOT.

43. i hate the sound of skin being pulled off leather.

44. i met my best friend in 8th grade.

45. from the ages of 7 - 13, i was the neighborhood's notorious "lightning bug killer." dun. dun. dun.

who's YOUR inner toon?

have you ever found yourself identifying with a cartoon? or at least wanting to be JUST LIKE one? well, with as many cartoons as i have watched myself, i'm surprised it's taken me THIS LONG to find my "inner toon."

i'd like you to meet mine, ASTRID, from how to train your dragon:

she's a fabulous viking who is strong but feminine, fierce yet gentle, and the best DRAGON fighter in the training class. chello, who WOULDN'T want to be her?

needless to say,
'how to train your dragon'
is my newest addition to my dvd collection. =)

c-h-i-p-o-t-l-e

i'm thinking of getting a tattoo... what do you think?
(grinning like a fool)

i've been robbed

once you've tasted of chipotle, the morning after is the longest you'll have to wait in order to know just how strongly your body will react to such delicious foods. it's no mystery. even south park has taken notice. but if you feel as strongly about chipotle's menu as i do, those effects are inconsequential and not even worth a second thought. after a few trips to the place that has single handedly ripped your PRIOR favorite restaurant from it's cozy #1 spot, you start to realize that an immunity can be had and you REJOICE by treating yourself to yet another delicious burrito.

case in point: i've been robbed. i've been eating chipotle for over 4 blissful years now and have built up quite the resistance to it's spicy flavors. i've been to chipotle ONLY three times this week and every time i've been burned. the first time i thought it was a fluke. but THREE times? not a chance. someone has stolen my immunity and i want it BACK!

"that envelope thingy"

this clip from the big bang theory has a special place in my heart:

falling up

last night after work, i made my way to my sister’s house, as my routine has been for the last, oh... year and a HALF. it’s funny; i pay rent on a house that has lately become my personal (and very large) storage unit. i don’t mind. i enjoy every minute with my sisters, franklin, and eva. =)

natalie and i spent the entire evening reading shel silverstein's book "falling up" to eva. the WHOLE book. if you've never heard of mr. silverstein before you are certainly missing out on some very hilarious and very witty poems. his books are for EVERYONE to enjoy. and that’s just what we did.

one of my favorite poems from his book falling up:

Long-Leg Lou and Short-Leg Sue
Went for a walk down the avenue,
Laughin’ and jokin’ like good friends do,
Long-Leg Lou and Short-Leg Sue

Says Long-Leg Lou to Short-Leg Sue,
“Can’t you walk faster than you do?
It really drives me out of my mind
That I’m always in front, and you’re always behind.”

Says Short-Leg Sue to Long-Leg Lou,
“I walk as fast as I’m meant to do.”
“Then I’ll go walkin’ with someone new,”
Says Long-Leg Lou to Short-Leg Sue.

Now Long-Leg Lou, he walks alone,
Looking for someone with legs like his own,
And sometimes he thinks of those warm afternoons
Back when he went walkin’ with Short-Leg Sue.

And Short-Leg Sue strolls down the street
Hand in hand with Slow-Foot Pete,
And they take small steps and they do just fine,
And no one’s in front and no one’s behind.

give me an "A!"

every wednesday evening since last october, i have found myself in the middle of about 40 kids, screaming my head off in complete and total excitement as our high commander (our one and only, mike eisenman) calls for order to begin our AWANA club meeting. for those who are unfamiliar with the club like i was, AWANA is an acronym that stands for "approved workmen are not ashamed" which is taken from second timothy 2:15. the main emphasis of the program is to encourage, teach, and inspire our young people to memorize God's Word. our AWANA night is an outreach for kids from 1st through 5th grade and each night contains a few basic essentials: opening prayer/announcements, song time, bible time, handbook time (where the kids work on memorizing verses), and GAME TIME. that’s where julie and i come in.

game time and the AWANA game circle is my domain. i was BORN for it. sure when i first started i was TOTALLY nervous about getting in front of kids (yes kids) and directing the games but THANKFULLY julie and cobie were there to make everything go smoothly. we play lots of games; beanbag games, balloon games, and even the classic AWANA relay games. i try to put emphasis on competing hard, while keeping a good attitude. and i encourage good sportsmanship and the importance of both winning and losing with graciousness. these are not easy lessons for those who are competitive (like myself), but slowly some of these character traits are sinking in. i thoroughly enjoy the perks of being the game director: wearing and using a whistle, utilizing the "5 count" to keep the kids on point, pretending to view an instant replay of controversial calls, and being entertained by the kids as they compete along with their leaders.

i have truly been blessed to be part of the AWANA mission and i can’t wait for tomorrow night when julie gets to unleash her relentless whistle blowing skills on the unsuspecting saplings. okay, okay, she’s not that bad.

i am. muahahaha...!

thanksgiving = nesting?

what is it about the thanksgiving holiday that makes my nesting instinct kick in to overdrive? i think it’s my procrastination, that’s what. i’m not a fan of being in the kitchen, so when i needed a serving platter, i all of a sudden had an overwhelming urge to haul everything out of the cabinet and reorganize it. i’m SUPPOSED to be making stuffing, but instead, i now have an organized cupboard to gaze upon. not to worry, i’ll leave the cupboard door open and perhaps that will distract everyone from the fact that THERE IS NO STUFFING! i really don't think that's gonna work though.

alright, back to the kitchen i go to ACTUALLY make some food, like my fabulous mashed potatoes. but not without first saying "happy thanksgiving to everyone!"

e.l.f.

i've been trying for a month now to make this little angel smile at me. it doesn't matter that she's only a few weeks old; i want to make her smile NOW. (patience in the inward parts) i spend almost every day with my sister and eva (sorry mama!) and i love every minute of it. the day she starts to recognize me will certainly be one to remember.

i love you little elf!

konnichiha!

remember when i said that i've never eaten japanese food? well NOW i can say that i have! i went to kazu's sushi the other night and tried my hand at a BUNCH of foods i never knew existed. i had a bento (a japanese word for a boxed lunch with individual portions of food), some deep fried vegetables, and white rice, of course. i ate ALL of it with chopsticks. i was SO proud of myself. i EVEN ate the sushi! (also never had that before.)

(my bento.)
(sushi packed with some FABULOUSLY hot wasabe.)
(saki... that sorta, kinda, maybe affected me. hahaha.)
(all done! and boy was i STUFFED!)

200+

i can't believe it.

i've had over 200 posts within the last year and a half.
me! the haters of all things "blog."

i certainly was never one who desired to blog about my opinions. i simply wanted an easier way to stay in contact with my peoples from home. when you're with someone everyday, its easy to share all the meaningless and trivial things that happen to you during the course of a day. and its simply out of the question to call up everyone and say "hey! an old man just zipped through here on a motorized scooter!" i may love talking on the phone but come on! i'd rather just put it out there and if someone wants to read it, they can. and i think it has worked. my "blog" is more of an extention to my 140-character-limit tweets. i can only say so much about an old man scooting through the parking lot in 140 characters.

i hope you have enjoyed reading this

just as much as i've loved writing it. =)

guilty as charged

i understand that my absence has caused "MANY" people, such as yourself, a LOT of grief for not being able to laugh at someone who is MORE ridiculous(ly good looking) than themselves and for that i SINCERELY apologize. who am i to take such a gift away from you?

while i have been without a computer for a couple months now, i would NEVER dream of insulting you with such a pathetic excuse... FALSE! yes, i truly have been without a computer, but i know that it is NO excuse in this day and age. instead, i will simply list out my activities over the last two months as PROOF to you JUST HOW BUSY i have been:

this summer i’ve been so busy with...

eating,
sleeping,
working!
graduations,

baby showers,
shower singing,

alligator chasing,
office relocations,
home renovations,
chipotle shopping,

game director duties,

wicked sweet concerts,
bedroom redecorating,

urban outfitters oogling,
baby supplies shopping,
starbucks mug soliciting,
updating essential documents,
freaking out over being an AUNT!
learning IMPORTANT life lessons,

and..... shoot. i know there's more but i just can't rembmer it all!

UPDATE: 10/12/10 how could i FORGET!?! "assembling puzzling puzzles" that make you want to SWEAR. (scratch that last part....) =)

25

by now, you all know about my SICK HABBIT that i'm TOTALLY obsessed over. well..... i've added several mugs and i'm now up to TWENTY FIVE MUGS! (screaming wildly)

two of my most recent additions:

portland, oregon (thank you jason & galilee!)

and one of my FAVORITES from a city i CAN'T wait to visit, new york! (thank you mr. f!!)

birthday dinner for champions

i was gonna throw a birthday party for myself and head out to chuck-e cheese with all my "adult" friends but...... i didn't. INSTEAD, i had a nice little birthday dinner at my pastor's house. it was DELICIOUS. frank and pam are AMAZING people and i love having them in my life. =)

after dinner, the world celebrated with me as they shot of MILLIONS and BILLIONS of fireworks. ;)

twenty SIX!

i received this birthday card in the mail.

it made me smile.

because i already have those socks and shoes. =)

oh! and PROOF that i TRULY AM the favorite in my family... my dad wrote this note to me:

...OWNED. every SINGLE one of you. =D

foil LICKER

as seen on my chipotle cup...

"you can JUDGE ME if you want to, but I DON'T CARE. the little bit of SALSA and CHEESE and SOUR CREAM HANGING OUT in the bottom of my burrito foil after i'm done eating is MINE. ITS ALL MINE! digging down into those foil crevices is my tongue's favorite part of the day. even better is that every time i eat a chipotle burrito, the little SURPRISE at the bottom if my foil is DIFFERENT. i mean, sometimes its CARNITAS, the most awesome pork ever, and sometimes its CHICKEN or STEAK... SO FINE! i guess you can go ahead and call me a "FOIL LICKER". but that foil holds that ONE LAST delicious bite that i couldn't EVER think of throwing away. its like my BURRITO FLAVOR SAVINGS ACCOUNT--but its in a bank that won't ever need a BAILOUT."

HOW'D THEY KNOW THAT ABOUT ME!?

hip hip horray!

do you ever have one of those days where EVERYTHING is going your way?

today has been MY day. =D

mugs galore

i have been collecting starbucks mugs for a while now and there has always been an "unwritten rule" stating that all mugs placed in a collection must be from places you have VISITED. well as you all know, i don't get to travel much; so instead of buying a mug from every city i visit and having a collection of what... 2 WHOLE mugs, i changed it up a bit and added an "unwritten clause" stating a mug purchased FOR me from someone i hold dear could count just the same.

enter my cousin gregory.

i haven't talked to him in over 22 years. that made me... 4 years old the last time i saw him. [LOTS has happened since then. hahaha.] while my uncle soctt was visiting, he told me greg was on a business trip in las vegas (LAS VEGAS!!). i thought i'd take the prime opportunity to open up lines of communication once again by BEGGING him (greg) to get me a las vegas STARBUCKS MUG. not only did he get me a VEGAS mug but he threw in a SAN ANTONIO mug JUST because he's that AWESOME!

so NOW... i have SEVENTEEN mugs. 18--if you count my forged "tallahassee mug", purchased for me by a dear friend who didn't have the heart to leave the city without one. =)

even though all my mugs weren't purchased BY me in cities i have VISITED, they all still hold wonderful memories for me. and that's what counts the most. =)

my guardian angels

last night, my bro franklin and i headed down to the ritz in ybor city for an UBER DELICIOUS experience. it was LOUD and BRIGHT and SWEATY and AMAZINGLY AWESOME.

dudes. it was sick.

all i can say is... it was TOTALLY worth each and every one of the 5000 pennies i spent.

i took some videos with my blackberry but they didn't convey the true beauty of the experience so here is one of their music videos. =)

and here are some photos from the night: