Switching it up

Well my little blogger friends, as you know I'm constantly dying for change, so I've decided to put my money where my mouth is - or rather, my blog.

That's right, kiddos, there's about be a change up in hizzle. 

You may have noticed that my bio at the right has changed recently. 

No? Okay, well now you know.

Starting next week, Encounters of the Human Kind will no longer exist as we know it. But don't get too upset yet, I'm not gone for good.

What's actually happening is that the name will be changing, and we'll all be heading over to a new domain name. One I actually own.

See, I am putting my money where my mouth is!

So, here it is - my new blog name: Raves and Reviews

http://www.ravesandreviews.com

This move is highly appropriate as I've already been providing rants, raves, and reviews on a regular basis (yes, of course rants are included. check the tagline). So the switch is less about changing focus and more about building a site around what I've already been doing.

Because really, when was the last time I actually posted about someone that I met - especially someone that doesn't skydive. Besides, that's what Skydive Chick is for (my uuber cool blog about skydiving).

In essence, this doesn't affect y'all as much as you might think. Blogger will continue to be my platform. It'll still be me and my smart mouth, everyday, providing the same opinionated crap as always. But hopefully now, you'll be able to take away some good, bad and ugly of everything I consume and encounter on a daily basis.

See, I'm doing this for you. My dearest readers!

And of course, if there's something you're curious about but don't have the guts to try or buy, let me know. Odds are, I'll do it and give you the rundown.

Now, in theory, given that I'll be exporting the contents of EHK to the new site, Blogger is supposed to continue directing y'all who visit recentencounters.blogspot.com to that domain, but I'm not all that trusting of how the interwebs might actually function with this change. So...if you have me bookmarked, or I'm in your Google Reader, now is the time to add the new domain.

Please and thank you!

Of course, until that time comes I'll be banging this into your head, a la LiLu and her recent move.

Hope y'all are as excited for this change as I am. It's bound to be an enlightening experience for us all.

So keep coming back for my raves and reviews, and of course, some rants in my typical cynical fashion, as a 20-something consumer.

Cheers!

-A

Moe Knows

Coming hot off a post about Fatty McFatterson Jr. I found it appropriate to talk about my most recent encounter - with food!

Last night after accompanying the SO to pick up his new car, he took me to Moe's Southwest Grill as a "reward."

And let me just tell you, it blew my mind!

For those who are not familiar, Moe's is a quick casual restaurant similar to Chipotle and Qdoba, a make your own burrito type of joint. Of course, they have tacos and quesadillas and nachos too. But let's talk about my burrito experience, shall we?

The SO'd been talking about this place for a while now, saying how much better it is than Chipotle, that there's a lot more variety, but I didn't believe it till I saw it.

Not only can you choose toppings like black olives and jalepenos, but they even have free chips and a salsa bar. YEAH!

So when your burrito isn't spicy enough or you want to try a different salsa with your FREE CHIPS, it's all there for you.

On top of that, their sour cream is a lot thicker and their queso is delish! It's made with one of those white cheeses, tasted like Chihuahua. 

Here in NE Ohio they have one in Avon and in North Olmsted, but I highly recommend you look them up in your area. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Cheers!

-A

p.s., I don't feel bad about chowing down last night after completing my third EA Sports Active workout. I'm gonna kick this 30-day challenge in the ass!

A few reviews

In the last few days I've had a chance to try out some new products that, I must say, I either loved or hated with a passion.

And since I care dearly for all my readers out there, I wanted to share my experiences with y'all so you can know what to expect if you find any of these products being added to your wish list.

Let's start with the one overly-negative experience and get that out of the way.

Mariani Dried Cherries by Far Away Foods - after picking these up at the store on a whim (I read somewhere recently that dried cherries have lots of antioxidants and have been dying to try them) I took them home to enjoy by the handful. After popping one - just one - in my mouth I bit down HARD on a cherry pit! 

Now, let me just say that when I was a kid this same thing happened to my dad, only it was with an olive that should have been pitted, and he had to have a root canal because he cracked his tooth. 

Today, I'm in pain. But of course, I looked at the back of the package and there's a small-print warning that, due to machine pitting, there may be remnants of pits left in the snack. 

So, they covered their asses, but I'm still pissed none the less, and will only be buying Sunmaid brand in the future!

(If you see these in the store, back away slowly and save your teeth!)

Now, onto greener pastures, shall we?

EA Sports Active for Nintendo Wii - I avoided Wii Fit like the plague, mainly because of availability and cost, (oh and that little fact that you have to own up to how much you actually weigh and stuff on that little board...) but at a minor $59 bucks on Amazon, I decided to give this at-home workout game a chance. Last night I took it for a spin. To my surprise, the 17 minute "easy" lower body workout I participated in about killed me. 

If you see me walking funny today, it's because my quads are killing me. Damn you inventor of squats. You suck! But this product certainly doesn't. It was a fun and challenging workout. I can't wait to test out another workout - once my legs are back from their current Jell-O-like state.

Special K Protein bars (strawberry) - I found these by accident, needing to pick up a little something on the way to skydiving a couple weeks back. Not only are they delicious, but they aren't the type of protein bar that sits like a brick in your stomach. And the texture isn't grainy at all. 

(These come in three flavors, all delish I'm sure!)

These have become my standard breakfast, skydiving or just heading to the office. It's what I should have eaten instead of those two cupcakes today (follow me on twitter for more stupid updates like this @ashleymead).

What products have you tried out lately?

Cheers!

-A

A pathetic, sniffly sight

I am not a crier. Anyone who knows me well, knows this. In fact, in a recent conversation, I couldn't recall the last time I had a good cry.

Well, that time was tonight when I finished this book. I broke down in huge, heaving sobs (trust me, it's as attractive as it sounds) when Randy started talking about his family - more specifically, his daughter. And let me tell you, I'm still feeling the effects of this chapter and fighting back the tears.

He noted that when his daughter was born he immediately became an official member of the "Wrapped Around My Daughter's Finger Club."

I've always liked to think that my dad was a member of the club, too. That there was just something special about being his daughter. Let me tell you from 24 years of experience, there is.

Growing up, I was always the girl with the cool dad. He was an athlete, a comedian, a motivator, a friend, a supporter, and he seemed to know everything about everything. Even now, he's still very much all of those things.

He's the reason I spend so much time single - no guys can even come close.

(It's just screaming daddy's girl, isn't it?)

For all these reasons, there's this soft spot for my father that I just can't explain. Reading Randy's description of the short relationship he's had with his daughter that's coming to an end, I can't help but get all weepy. Honestly, I don't know what I'd ever do without my dad.

It makes me hate living even this far from him - and makes me think that I should really visit home more often. Gets me to thinking about being a better daughter...I know I was a pain in the ass growing up, and I probably still am now. 

Thanks, dad, for putting up with my crap! It means more than you'll ever know.

How's that for a mushy start to your Monday?

Highly recommend The Last Lecture, if you haven't read it already.

Cheers!

-A

Long-awaited weekend

Martin Luther King weekend is great - an extra day off followed by a four day week. What more could you ask for, right?

Well, this weekend was nothing shy of interesting. Yeah, we'll go with interesting.

Friday I was a roller coaster of emotion - and for someone who typically peaks at the mildly irritated stage, because let's be honest, life's just too damn short to spend it pissed off, it was quite an exhausting day.

Luckily, one of my favorites in the entire world came into town on Saturday making everything instantly glorious. 

Everyone needs a friend like that - someone who can show up and instantly put a smile on your face, someone who knows so much about you and just 'gets' you. What can I say, I wouldn't know what to do without her. 

We spent the weekend touring the Cleve. Well, as best you can in the dead of winter.

Eating and drinking were some of the highlights. From enchiladas at El Jalapeno to gluten-free pancakes (for my little glutard) at The Original Pancake House to some of Cleveland's finest like Sushi Rock, drinks at 806 and brunch at Grumpy's we got our fill of the tastes of Cleveland.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Oh and we can't forget about the lovely Saturday afternoon nap followed by the MSU/Illinois game - Spartans came out on top, baby - and a trip to the theater for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Which, by the way, is fantastic - doesn't seem nearly as long as it is.

And what about my extra day off, you ask? Well, between errands, laundry and the weekly run outside - hey, I had to burn off the extra calories somehow -  it's been pretty productive. And it's all helped me keep my mind off how much I already miss Jenn. *sigh*

Now, it's back to the grind - a little more rested and spiritually rejuvenated. 

How was your extended weekend?

Cheers!

-A

Lexington hotel experience

Okay, so we're only in the first week of November and I've already broken my promise to take advantage of NaBloPoMo and write everyday.

Post FAIL!

Sorry y'all, but I'm going to pass off the blame on this one to Lexington.

Yesterday was spent in Lexington, Kentucky for a client meeting. And let me tell you what, that little trip made me realize just how much I miss the South. The hospitality, the pace, and apparently, the hotels!

We arrived in town fairly late on Tuesday night - more accurately, Wednesday morning - so I didn't have much of a chance to take advantage of all this hotel had to offer, but it was amazing.

The DoubleTree in Lexington is absolutely incredible! You walk in to an open atmosphere with a quaint, French feel. Upon arrival you are treated with warm chocolate chip cookies - which you better believe I managed to devour before my shoes were even off.

The three room suite that greeted me was phenomenal! With two flat panel TVs, a king size bed, and a Jacuzzi bathtub I was in heaven. Express checkout - which is always a plus for busy business travelers - and a USA Today awaiting me outside my door made for a pleasant morning.

I'm considering a trip down to Lexington again in the near future just to take advantage of these amenities.

My only complaint is that the pillows were not up to par on the comfort scale, but I managed to sleep like a rock regardless.

Thanks, Hilton Hotels for making my stay so fabulous. And if you're ever in Lexington, consider the DoubleTree for your stay. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Cheers!

-A

Pizza Tuesday

To break up my four day work week - because, yes, I'm heading back up to Michigan this weekend for more football, tailgating, and fall festivities - I went out for pizza and rented a movie.

No, not by myself, this was that second date I accepted recently, but I'll get to that in a minute.

We went to a place called Danny Boy's that in the year and change that I've lived here have never even heard of. And let me tell you, it's the best pizza in town. Sorry all you Angelo's fans, Danny Boy's takes the Emmy in the pizza category. In fact, I'm sitting here eating it cold for breakfast as I write this. There's nothing like cold pizza for breakfast.

Dinner was followed by renting a movie. This was difficult - I haven't heard of 90 percent of the movies out there right now. We ended up with Forgetting Sarah Marshall as we had both heard it was funny. Though I have to comment, there were a significant number of nude scenes - male nude scenes - that I wasn't prepared for on a second date. Thankfully, it takes a lot to make me feel uncomfortable. A LOT.

Regardless, I give the movie a B+, good, but it didn't quite live up to the hype.

Now, about this whole dating thing. I realized last night I have no clue what the heck I'm doing. Given that the last time I really dated was in high school, I'm completely out of the loop when it comes to the "rules of dating."

You know, all those stupid social norms of dating like kiss on the third date, or whatever (at least, that was how it went in high school).

So I'm looking for a little guidance on this one - I'd at least like to know what to expect. What exactly are the rules of dating in your 20s?

I just don't get it.

Cheers!

-A

Come back

Oh what I would give to have the weekend back.

This one was one of the best I've had since my return to the Midwest.

Intrigued? I hope so, because I'm going to tell you all about it!

This weekend was one of those rare fall weekends where I stuck around town. Fall is a great time to travel and go back home for tailgating with friends and college football watching with my pops, but it was wonderful to have a lazy couple days to myself for a change. Though it was a fairly active lazy, if I do say so myself.

Friday night was sushi date night - and not with my girlfriends this time. I actually went out on a date.

*gasp*

I know! Stepping out of the comfort zone, ladies and gentlemen.

What's even better...I accepted a second date with him for later this week. I'm just as shocked as you are.

Ultimate laziness ensued on Saturday. Sleeping in, running a couple errands, watching movies alone in my apartment all afternoon, a quick workout and some Saturday night grocery shopping. Yep, I'm that cool.

A late night trip to Target was the most beneficial as I picked up a few pumpkin spice and Glade apple cinnamon scented candles. These things are amazing - the scent fills the entire room (highly recommended)! Now my apartment constantly smells of fall and I love it!. I can't wait for my trip to the cider mill next weekend for some apple cider and pumpkin donuts...mmmmm.....

Sunday included brunch with a long lost girlfriend, a trip to a local national forest with a friend for some hiking and photography, cleaning my apartment top to bottom (I even vacuumed the couch cushions) and finishing the weekend with some yoga.

And now, sitting here at the office preparing for a hectic four day work week, I can't help but look back and wish that I could do it all over again.

A great weekend indeed.

Aside from Alexa, who's weekend was also awesome, and CC who managed to carve out an entire day to herself, anyone do anything exciting this weekend?

Cheers!

-A