welcome to elaney!

Okay, so by popular and frequent and somewhat forceful request, we’ve agreed to appease the curious readers among us and tackle some issues that come with the attraction/pre-dating stage.  Now, this is Cyber Monday.  So that fact that we are forfeiting Cyber Monday deals to accommodate our loveless readers just shows how much we care.  So get ready elaney girls and guys…it’s the first annual elaney dating week. 

First Issue:  How do you show eHim / eHer that you care?  According to eMum, “you just give him that look in your eye…that look that says it all.”   And we have to agree that eMum is right on the money, but we want to know what everyone else thinks!   How do you get to know someone without being too forceful?  How do you have a crush in the internet age?  How much e-search (online research) is too much?  So the first question of elaney dating week is:  “if you have a crush, what do you do to make it known without making it known?”  You are welcome to post annoymously, but you must identify your gender.  Let’s hear it ladies (and fellas).

Outlook for the rest of the week:  best first dates, holiday gifts for new relationships, what to wear on a first date and what a guy wants you to wear on a first date, and more!

dum dum dadum dum da da da da dadum…It’s Black Friday!!  The biggest shopping day of the year.  If you’re just recovering from you 4:30 am Target run, hope you got the best $5 toaster out there.  If fighting with soccer moms in sweatsuits isn’t really your thing, check out all the great Black Friday deals you can find online! 

“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”  ~G.B. Stern

Thanksgiving is here!  And at elaney, we believe that Thanksgiving is such a wonderful idea.  A whole day to just think about all of the blessings in our lives, good friends, good food, impossible but loveable families…so great!  So while elaneymedia is not meant to be a lovefest (let’s try to keep this sort of cool folks), what are you grateful for in 2009?

Even if you are still sporting hippie long hair, there comes a time in every young woman’s life when you have to bring a little more to the table at Thanksgiving by bringing a little more to the table.  A few years ago – we were given our Roberts woman lifetime assignment.  And…it’s pretty easy.  And will impress even the most discerning of Southern eGrandmums.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled cubed, and boiled until tender
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heated milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Preparation:

Two years ago we swore off the hippie long hair.  Despite being a bit Marsha Brady about long hair for most of adolensence, two years ago we said goodbye and turned our nose up at all people “hiding behind their hair.”  Then we made a big deal about how long hair was so over.  And short bobs were so in.  Well…..we have the itch again.  The hippie long hair itch (no eMum, we will not get the hippie skirts out with the hair.  Yes you mentioned how you feel about hippie skirts.   Yes we’re sure).  But here’s the question (or hair’s the question, if you will)…how old is too old to channel your inner Marsha Brady??  Can we still do it?  How many more long and chop cycles are left??

Read Same Kind of Different as Me yesterday. Have now assigned it to all the interns.  Cried so hard on the plane that nice seatmates inquiried as to emotional state.  Have to rethink the positioning of elaney now.  Read SKODASM in the meantime.

“If you’re not first, you’re last.”  – Carter Woolfolk, On marathons

The first marathoner was a Greek messenger named Pheidippidies who ran 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news of the victory over the Persians.  The story goes that Pheidippidies called out, “Rejoice!  We conquered!”  Then he keeled over and died.

Fast forward to the present, marathon running is a pasttime for many Americans.  Even celebs are doing it.  Marathon running has a crazy subculture that goes along with it and is just one of the many things that make it entertaining.  Why do we like it?  It’s cool to have so many facets tested in a span of 4 hours: physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional.  And it’s just fun…so if you want to track elaney and Reader Grace in Philly:  check us out here!  Here’s to hoping we see Katie Holmes!