What's Good for the Goose....

Crab Rangoon

2010-08-31T17:53:00.001-07:00

I made crab rangoon tonight all by myself....and I don't mean I went to a Chinese restaurant and bought it. I actually followed a recipe, made the filling, stuffed the wontons and deep fried the suckers. I'm pretty sure this was my first experiennce deep frying anything. I used a wok to cook them. Here is the recipe I followed. Looking at it now I see that it yields 48 crab rangoon! Well holy crap. I did notice that I was making quite a bit...I didn't use all the filling...but 48 is a little much...I used over half of the filling and I probably had 15. Maybe I was stuffing them really full.

Anyway, it was a success!! It tasted really really good. Typically when I buy crab rangoon, it tastes good but the outside is a little chewy. These were the crispiest crab rangoon I've ever had!!

It was fiddly putting the crab rangoon together and I wouldn't make this every week or anything, but it's definitely a good thing to know how to make for parties or special occasions.

FaceTime

2010-08-31T04:40:00.000-07:00

I recently upgraded to the iphone 4. Last night I got to try Face Time video calling for the first time. That's where you can video chat if two people have the iphone 4. My brother in law in Alaska has the iphone 4 so I called him last night. It was really great! It was fun to be able to see my two little nieces. I think the 2 year old especially enjoyed herself. As you know, not only can you point the camera at yourself, but you can flip it to point the camera looking away from you too. So I got to give them a tour of my apartment and let them see my cats which they enjoyed too. All in all a great experience, and well worth the money just for the feature, especially if you have family living far away that you don't get to see very much!

Jogging

2010-08-26T04:35:00.000-07:00

Got back into jogging last night. Hadn't really jogged since the 5K I did in May. I went with my friend Becki (Bamboo) who just had gastric bypass surgery 9 weeks ago. In 9 weeks she has lost 76 pounds, freakin amazing!!! Last night we went to the Y and she decided to give jogging a try. She downloaded a Couch to 5K app on her phone and followed the directions...I think she jogged for a minute and walked for 2 minutes or something...anyway, she did it!! I know it wore her out, but I couldn't be more proud of her. I also jumped back in full force. I pushed myself to pretty much jog the whole thing. I stopped briefly for water breaks but then went right back to it. If I counted my laps right, I'm pretty sure I jogged the 5K in 42 minutes, which I'm quite happy with considering I hadn't been jogging at all. We are doing a 5K in October, so hopefully I'll be able to shorten that time. I would be ecstatic if I could do the run in 35 minutes.

My iphone 4 also came last night! woot! I need to go to Best Buy tonight to have a screen protector put on it and I'm waiting for a case I bought for it online to come in the mail and then I'll be all set. It works so much better than my 3G which was basically obsolete after the 4.0 software upgrade.

I also plan on watching Twilight tonight. I read the first book and am on to the second. My thoughts on this series are that I don't much care for the writing style of the books and don't find Stephanie Meyer a particularly good writer, but the story is good...so I guess I'll put up with the writing. I'll update on what I think of the movie.

55% Dixie

2010-08-19T04:30:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting quiz that I got through an email.  I have lived 
in the Midwest all my life.
I'll be curious to see what your answers are, especially if 
you live places other
than the Midwest.  Like maybe Canada??  
Please post your answer in the comments section.


Click on link below:
The Yankee or Dixie quiz



http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html

i iphone junkie

2010-08-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

I have to go to work in 5 minutes, but let's see if I can get a quick post in. I just had a conversation with hubby about the iphone 4. He's known for a while that I have wanted one ever since I did the software upgrade to my iphone 3G and now my phone sucks! Anyone else have this problem. Apps crash all the time and some apps won't even run it's so bad. The problem is that I had to get hubby on board with spending $200 for a pretty new iphone 4 even though I already had an iphone. He finally said it was ok to buy one this morning. Yippee!!!! I have to wait until Thursday but then I can have my new phone. Has anyone had any problems with the new phone? Hubby wanted to make sure the new one would be ok too....I told him that I think the bumper fixed the call dropping issues and that I hadn't heard about any other problems. Is that true? I hope so, because I can't keep living with my crappy 3G.

I am way behind on podcasts from This American Life which I like to listen to on my phone at work. Currently, that app won't even run on the 3G. I also like to listen to Pandora and the 3G spends so much time buffering that that app is pretty useless too.

Let me know your reviews of the iphone 4 please!!

New Favorite Books

2010-08-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, I am the type of person that goes through phases with reading. I'll have a stretch where I'll read every night before bed and go through several books in a few months. And then I'll have periods of time where I don't read at all. I guess the latter was more the case when I was in school and there were already textbooks I was reading all the time so why would I want to read for pleasure. Now that I have more time on my hands I've been reading again. I'm a huge Dean Koontz and Stephen King fan, so of course whenever they come out with something new, I'll read them. But I've been trying to broaden my horizons a bit. I started reading Nora Roberts "Bride Quartet" series. I borrowed the first 3 from my mom. I read the first one which I liked well enough but wanted to move on to a different genre. So, what did I choose next?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!!

I ABSOLUTELY loved it!!!!!! I had been hearing talk about this series for a while, so I wanted to know what all the hype was. Well it lived up to the hype I think! I agree with others out there that it was slightly hard to get into the first book, but man, once you got to the meat of the story, it was great! So, I immediately moved on to "The Girl Who Played with Fire". I'm still reading that one. I would say i'm 3/4 of the way through. It's an interesting story, but based on how far along I am already, I wouldn't say I like it better than the 1st book. I'm even thinking about seeing the movie that was taped in Sweden where I would have to read the translation....I dunno though. I hear they are coming out with an American version, but that we shouldn't expect to see anything until 2012. It's really kind of depressing that the author died. I think he could have had a fabulous career.

Books that I have bought that I still need to read:

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (obviously)
Twilight - yes, I finally bit the bullet and bought it to read
Freakanomics
Harlan Coben - Hold Tight, new author I'm going to try
David Baldacci - The Winner - new author I'm going to try
Dean Koontz 2nd Frankenstein book
Dean Koontz 3rd Frankenstein book

so that's quite a list considering that I only read before I go to bed at night, and half the time that consists of me getting through a few pages and the promptly falling asleep. Do you have any good books (current, not classics) that I must read??

Are you there Blog, It's Me Margaret (ok Goose)

2010-08-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hey bloggers - is anyone still paying attention to lil ole goosey goose? I know it's been forever since I've been on here. Basically since the wedding and getting a job, it's true that I haven't been making it a priority. And I guess that's ok because it's my blog right....but there is a little part of me that feels bad in case anyone is wondering what is happening in Goose's world.

To be honest, not all that much. I'm still working..duh! I've also found a new love for ZUMBA!

Do any of you zumba? It really is fun. I got into it by taking a class at my gym at work. The teacher there is great! Really upbeat and we dance to a mix of tradionally latin inspired zumba and current hits. A few we dance too regularly are "California Gurls", "I Like It", and "Low". The sad part is that at work, zumba is only offered once a week. So then I looked into taking more zumba classes. My YMCA offers classes 4 nights a week, at different times of course. The downside is that I have to pay those fees on top of what I already pay at work....but maybe it's worth it to do exercise that I enjoy.

The other big news is that my husband got into PhD school. It's really exciting for him and it's something he's been wanting for a while. The downside is that school is 2 hours away from where we live now. And it looks like he'll need to be down there at least 4 days a week, at least for the coming year. So we got him a little studio apartment to live in while he's down there and then he will come home on the weekends. That part really sucks. I like spending time with him all the time. I'm not one of those girls who likes her alone time. For the most part, I would always rather be hanging out with people than not. So, that will be an adjustment to have him gone Monday - Thursday and home on the weekends. I hope I get used to it OK.

This week is a good trial run for that though. He went on vacation with his family. I tried to go too but couldn't get off work. So I've been alone since Saturday and E doesn't come back until Monday! Prognosis so far is that is kinda sucks and I miss him....but I guess I'm getting by.

Did any of you catch my Judy Blume reference in the title :-)

so anyway, I have a feeling that blogging is going to come back into my life since I will be alone a lot more often and have nothing better to do.

a few professional pics of the wedding

2010-06-27T05:49:00.001-07:00

hubby and his GQ pose

Bamboo and me

Wedding and Honeymoon and other updates

2010-06-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been back for a week now...but you know I'm a blog slacker these days. I wanted to let you all know that my wedding and honeymoon was AWESOME though!!! My wedding couldn't have gone any better. Everything went according to plan. The party was awesome and everyone had a great time. That's all you can ask for really. Let me see if I can find a wedding picture for you. I'll be getting all my pictures from my photographer on a cd, but I don't have that yet. Let me see what I can find...

the happy couple

here we are walking into the reception

giving my speech. That's Bamboo on the left

first dance...our song was "Everything" by Michael Buble

finally a chance to relax

I'll post better pics once I get all my pictures on cd. Our photographer was AMAZING. She took some great shots, (these are all shots from friends) and really helped the day go smoothly.

Next up was the honeymoon. We went to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and stayed at a Sandals resort. We had a blast!!! We went to Dunns River Falls which is a waterfall you climb up in a human chain and we swam with the dolphins which was my favorite event of the whole trip. We splurged for some professional shots at the resort as well as all the pics I took on my own. I'll post a bit of both to give you an idea.

the beach looking out on the pier

Dunns River Falls

waiting for dinner (you get dressed up for dinners) and the food is amazing!!!!

getting to know an iguana at Dolphin Cove

ok...here are a few professional shots

And on top of all that excitement.....

remember the job that was open in my department? Well, I finally got the job!!!!! I had a couple more interviews when I came back from the honeymoon. Now this week I'm just waiting for my background check stuff to go through and I should be able to start on Monday!! Woohoo

Also - you know how Eric didn't get into any PhD schools, well apparently he had put a school down for his second choice when he was applying to another school in the same system. So that second choice school contacted him asking him if he would be interested in going there. It's 2 hours away, but I think we could make things work in the short run. He is at the interview as I'm typing this.

It would be pretty awesome if everything worked out the way we wanted. We've been waiting for all this for a very long time, but it seems like things are finally falling our way.

I'm Married

2010-05-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

I GOT MARRIED TODAY, WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wedding Weekend

2010-05-27T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been a while. Today is my last day of work before my fabulous wedding weekend!! It think I have all the preparations in place. Tonight I just have to start packing for the weekend and honeymoon. Tomorrow I have to pick up a couple thinks to take to the state park where I'm getting married and I have to pick my grandmother up from the airport. I can't believe it's finally here! This is bound to be one of the funnest times of my life coming up :-)

In other news, work sucks. I applied for an external position in the same department I've been working in for a while now. The place I work at has a rule that contractors can't work there for more than 18 months, and I'm at my 18 month mark. I applied to this external position 3 weeks ago, and I had hoped they would be able to do interviews and make decisions by the time my contract date was up...but NOPE! So, even though it's very likely that I'll get the position because I've already been at the company for 18 months and am already doing the position they are hiring for, I still have to pack up my desk and leave. And it kind of complicates things that my wedding and honeymoon are in the mix, because now I'll have to wait to hear about the job until after I get back from all that. Just aggravating!!!!

I'm going to try and not think about all that this weekend and the week of my honeymoon...but we'll see how that turns out. I'm sure family and friends are going to be asking about my job situation and I'm going to have to tell them. Hopefully it will at least have a happy ending though!

bloggy scare

2010-05-04T05:17:00.001-07:00

So yesterday it looked like my blog was taken down....I couldn't get to it, it was like it didn't exist....and then I tried to get into my google reader and it said it was temporarily deactivated because of suspicious activity. I changed my password...so hopefully everything is working ok now....I know I haven't blogged much lately, but I didn't want to be shut down!!! at least if it's not on my own terms.

Anyway, you'll probably be hearing from me a bit more in the coming weeks. I was able to apply for the job at work that I've been waiting to apply for over a month now! Hopefully I'll get an interview this week or next and will have the job in a couple weeks. That would be the best wedding present ever.

Then, of course, my wedding is coming up. We are 26 days out, can you believe it!!! I think everything is taken care of...I just have to wait for the day to get here.

Then it's Jamaica!!!! So there is a lot going on in the next month that I would love to share with you all.

Don't forget about me, I'm still here!!!

Words

2010-04-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not creative enough to make these up myself, but I thought I'd post for your enjoyment

ADULT:
A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the
                             middle.

BEAUTY PARLOR:
A place where women curl up and dye.

CANNIBAL:
Someone who is fed up with people.

CHICKENS:
The only animals you eat before they are born and after
they are dead.

COMMITTEE:
A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

DUST:
Mud with the juice squeezed out.

EGOTIST:
Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

HANDKERCHIEF:
Cold Storage.

INFLATION:
Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

MOSQUITO:
An insect that makes you like flies better.

RAISIN:
Grape with a sunburn.

SECRET:
Something you tell to one person at a time.

SKELETON:
A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

TOOTHACHE:
The pain that drives you to extraction.

TOMORROW:
One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.

YAWN:
An honest opinion openly expressed.

WRINKLES:
Something other people have,
similar to my character lines.

Running

2010-04-08T04:05:00.000-07:00

I was pretty proud of myself yesterday. As you know I'm training for a 5K. So, the app that I'm following wanted me to run for 25 minutes straight! I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do it, but I gave it a shot.....and I did it! It was hard...and I had to keep telling myself "one foot in front of the other". I made it probably 3/4 of the way around my neighborhood loop which is 3.4 miles. A 5K is 3.2. So, I'm almost there but not quite. From here on out the app wants me to be running longer distances and not mixing in walking with running....so hopefully over the next month or so, I'll get a little faster and will eventually be able t run the whole thing!

I also bought some new shoes last weekend to keep me motivated. I was having some foot pain and was wondering if it was the shoes...so it gave me an excuse to get some good ones. I got the Mizuno Wave Creation 11. They were actually advertised in Fitness Magazine as the best running shoes to get. I decided "what the hell" and went for it! Here is a picture.

So far I love them!! My feet were still kind of hurting the first time I wore them...but I think I just need to stretch better...and the soreness probably wasn't a function of the shoe. Yesterday on my run everything was fine except my feet were a little numb...I'm not sure if the shoe needs to stretch or it was just because I was running more than I have before.

I was also thinking while I was running....I don't know how people can't lose weight by running...you really do work your whole body. My legs were definitely feeling it, but so was my core...in fact my back was getting a little sore half way through...but I think maybe that's just because it wasn't used to me running for so long...so hopefully...not that I'm running longer distances, I'll continue to see weight loss results.

Are you guys runners? Why do you like it? What keeps you motivated to keep going?

Updates

2010-04-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I've posted hasn't it!! Have you guys missed me?? I can't even say that a lot has been going on...I just haven't been in the blogging mood and continue to have things to do at work which is a good thing.

First, it's my birthday!! I am the ripe old age of 29!! Ok...now we can move on to other things.

Eric didn't get into school :-( Which is a major disappointment obviously. For now he is going to start looking for jobs around here. On a positive note.....there is a job opening in my department that I have a really good shot at getting. I'm just waiting for the opening to go external so that I can apply for it. If I get it, it will make our lives a lot easier....so fingers crossed on that. I'm hoping I can apply as early as next week. If I don't get it, then I think Eric and I are going to start looking for jobs all over the place.

Bamboo thrw me my bridal shower last weekend on the 28th. It was amazing!! There were fun games, great people to hang out with, and of course a few gifts to open. I wish I had pictures to post. I was so busy having fun that I actually didn't take any with my camera.

We are starting to get wedding presents coming in before the wedding. We decided to open them as we get them....it's been a lot of fun opening all the packages and being able to start using some of the awesome stuff we registered for.

I'm continuing to train for the 5K on May 8th....slowly but surely I'm running longer distances.. I've had some trouble with my foot hurting right below my ankle...but I've been told that might have to do with my calf and that I should stretch more. I bought myself some new running shoes which makes me more motivated. Plus this gorgeous weather helps to motivate me to get out there too.

I guess that's about it for now....I'll keep you all posted on the job front!!

scentports

2010-03-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

You know Scentports from Bath and Body Works. I used to love them. I think I originally started buying them because they had my favorite scent Eucalyptus Spearmint as a Scentport but not as a wallflower.....I had one scentport for a good few months and then all of a sudden it stopped heating. So, I thought it was a fluke and bought another one....same thing happened. I saw some reviews online and realized that I am not the only one this was happening to. I also noticed that they started making Eucalyptus Spearmint as a wallflower scent. So I called up the store by me, and they said they are discontinuing Scentport and I could bring them in as well as the unused refills and exchange them for wallflowers. Well that's pretty awesome! I was planning on going to Bath and Body Works this weekend anyway...so it makes me happy I can save a little money.

Do you use wallflowers, what's your favorite Bath and Body Works scent?

It's Been a While

2010-03-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

since I've updated....sorry bloggers. I just haven't felt like it. Anyway here's what I've been up to.

Let's see...I think I mentioned the 5K I'm training for. Well yesterday, I skipped ahead on the app and decided to try week 4. I had only previously done week 1, but I was on the treadmill at work and wanted to see what I could do...turns out I can definitely run longer than 60 seconds at a time which is what week 1 has you doing....so yesterday I tried to see if I could do week for outside (since we all know running outside is harder than on the treadmill). Week 4 has you run for 3 minutes, walk for 1:30, run for 5:00, walk for 2:30, run for 3:00, walk for 2:30, and run for 5:00...well guess what, I did it! I felt like I was jogging at a grandma's pace, but then I decided it was still probably faster than walking...and anyway...it doesn't say how fast I have to jog...so I was pretty pleased.

I tried to motivate myself to get back out there today but it's cold and dreary and I just didn't feel like it...besides...technically I only have to do this 5K app thing three times a week.

Next, the scoop on phd schools....so far we've heard from 2 and they have both been "no". Very disheartening....but we are still waiting to hear from Houston and Springfield, both choices we would be happy with....so it's more waiting....I really don't want to have to deal with Eric not getting in. I know he will be really disappointed, plus I don't think he really thought about having to look for a job....so keep your fingers crossed for us.

I'm still on my healthy snack food kick as well. I came across a website today called Nuts Online...but they have so much more than nuts....I probably spent a good half hour just browsing all the yummy stuff they had on their site. I finally decided to go with chili bits, wasabi bits, and Ultimate Malted Milk Balls...here is a picture
Don't those look freakin amazing!! I was a little bummed about 2 things...one is that they gave serving size in ounces...hello.....I don't know how many ounces a handful of chili bits are and I don't have a scale to weigh things (although its on the wedding registry). The other bummer was that shipping was $9! Seems kinda high to me and I don't really feel like I'm saving money....but ultimately I bought stuff that I can't find easily in stores, so hopefully it will be worth it...we'll see.

Wedding update: invitations got sent out, tiara was bought, pearl hair pins were bought, practice hair updo session has been scheduled....things are coming along!

Checkout Time by Dr. Grumpy

2010-03-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

Dr. Grumpy had a really good post the other day about quality of life...I think it's something everyone should think about in terms of themselves and family members they love. Because I think this is an important topic, I'm not just linking, I'm reposting....but I'm going to link to the post too because there are a lot of interesting comments. A lot of people agree with Dr. Grumpy!

Checkout time

I'm sure I'll get flamed by somebody over this post, but I've been stewing over this for a few weeks, and just want to say it.

I haven't ever saved a life. No doctor has. We may prolong the inevitable, but we don't save anyone.

We aren't immortal, and weren't meant to be. We die. All things do. Plants, animals, even stars.

Death is as much a part of life as birth.

And yet, at times people chase medical science as if we have immortality in all our gadgets and pills.

Why am I writing this?

A few weeks ago I had a hospital consult on a horrible, awful, sad case. Lady in her 60's with advanced cancer. It had spread through every organ of her body. Brain, lungs, bones, liver, intestines. You name it.

She'd had surgery. And radiation. And chemotherapy. Established treatments. Experimental treatments. Alternative treatments. Her husband had taken her to every major cancer center in the U.S. (using YOUR insurance premiums, of course). And every single one told them there was no hope. So he fired them and moved to the next center.

She landed at my hospital, somehow. Sick as shit. Ended up a ventilator. Tubes in every orifice. Comatose from every body system failing. Suffered a bleed into the brain. Seizures. You name it.

We health care people have seen this stuff a million times before. But my readers who aren't in the field may not have. And trust me, this situation happens A LOT. More than you'd ever believe. The media leaps onto cases like Terri Schiavo as if they were rarities, but in reality cases like this are frighteningly frequent, every day, in every hospital in the country. Really.

And of course, her husband is beyond denial. He's not a bad person, just hears only what he wants to. He has the room covered in family pictures and religious symbols. He tells me his family is hoping for a miracle, and knows it will come.

So who is he REALLY doing this for? Not for her. To the sad shell of what was once a beautiful, vibrant woman what he's doing is more likely some form of torture. She's gone, sir. Elvis has left the building. But he won't hear that, no matter how many doctors, in innumerable ways, and many times, tell him.

Ask yourself: How do you want your life to close down?

How many of you said you want to die incapacitated in a hospital bed, with plastic tubes in your urethra and butt, and down your throat? And another one in your nose? And maybe a 5th one in your abdomen, going directly into your stomach? With IV lines going into veins in both arms, the few veins that haven't already collapsed from repeated IV lines in them. And the tube in your throat keeps forcing air in and out. Does that sound like a comfortable way to end your days?

I'm not, by any means, arguing against critical care. Some people end up like the above, with a realistic plan of recovery. And many do. I'm talking about people where this is done with absolutely no goal other than to drag life out for as many seconds as possible.

And so back to my lady. Me and 4 other docs (neurology, cardiology, pulmonary, renal, and oncology) had a 1 hour meeting with husband and his grown kids. We told them this was futile. That what we were doing to her was prolonging her suffering. They all listened. They accused us of being "too negative". The next day they transferred her to another hospital. So I have no idea what happened after that.

Beyond human suffering and reason, let's look at this in the cold hard facts of money. Yeah, I'm sure you Sarah Palin fans will accuse me of putting a price on human life. But hell, your insurance company already does, whether you want to believe that or not.

This woman's care has cost at least a million dollars here, likely a hell of a lot more. I'm pretty sure this family's premiums don't cover that, and I know they aren't wealthy. So the money is coming from their insurance company, which is YOUR premiums.

So let's say futile care for this woman cost $1.5 million dollars. Would that money be better on helping treat people who had a more reasonable chance at recovery and significant quality of life? Maybe several?

Yeah, this is a slippery slope, and there's no easy answer as to where you draw the line. The military deals with this in battlefield or disaster area conditions, where you put your resources to those who are salvageable, and letting those who aren't die. But you can't say that in the polite world of modern medicine.

But for all the controversy over the phrase "death panels", ask yourself this- are they so unreasonable? In a case like this, should, say, a panel of 3-5 certified doctors in oncology, with no ties to the patient or the insurance, objectively review the the data and say "Stop this madness"? Or maybe determine further treatment would be beneficial?.

If they decide it's futile, I'm not saying that treatment should stop, but at that point the insurance company can end it's involvement and the entire financial burden falls on the family. I suspect that when they realize realistically how much futility costs to torture a loved one, they'll let her go.

Money, unfortunately, is a finite resource. You have to pay hospital staff, and drug costs, and facility electric bills, and supply bills. In a perfect world I could support my family and care for patients for free. But I have a mortgage and kids and bills, too. As do the nurses and other hospital staff.

Balanced against this finite resource is human suffering. Which is infinite. And you can't keep paying unlimited need with limited resources. In any situation.

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2010-03-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

Rant: Eric heard from Colorado about the PhD program and it was a no. So now he is nervous about the other ones...we have 3 to hear back from.

Rave: I decided to sign up for the Fat Ass 5K that will be happening in my hometown on May 8th. I have never really thought running was my thing, I usually prefer biking, so we'll see how this turns out!

Rave: I'm glad there is a Couch to 5K app for the iphone. It will give me intervals to do 3 times a week so that in 9 weeks I can work up to running the entire 5K!

Rant: I definitely can't start training today because I am already freaking sore from Turbo Tone yesterday and cycling today.

Rant: I already like what I'm doing at the gym, so I'm going to have to fit in the running workouts after work or on weekends.

Rave: At least it is slowly warming up and getting lighter outside!

Rave: I'm going out to dinner tonight with a friend I haven't seen in a bit. It will be nice to catch up.

Rant: A coworker in my department got fired the other day...it seemed out of the blue to me, but I don't it was. I think it ultimately had to do with her performance. My boss pulled me aside to let me know I'd be picking up some extra work and I mentioned something about how long I would be there...and he pretty much said the end of May would be it for me. WTF?? I know I'm hitting the stupid 18 month rule but still...might there be other opportunities, like an open position in your department?? Hello?!?!?

Rant: Hopefully I won't have to deal with the above rant anyway because we'll be moving when/if Eric gets into school anyway!

Rant: I HATE the waiting process of hearing with Eric is going to get in places or not!!

Wow...lots of rants this week! I promise it really hasn't been that bad of a week...

Happy Hour Friday

2010-02-26T04:30:00.001-08:00

it's Happy Hours courtesy of the one and only Bambs!!

I'm happy that the bridesmaid dresses came in and I got to see them in person last night! The color is beautiful....my wedding party is going to look amazing. I am so excited!!

I'm happy that I have another fun weekend planned: tonight I'm going to Davids Bridal to order another bridesmaid dress for a great friend who will be in my wedding. Her wedding is in September. And we are going out to eat at Olive Garden. Then tomorrow I work, and then down to Fast Eddies again for a friend's 21st birthday. Then hanging out with a grad school friend Saturday night!!

I'm happy that the weight lifting classes I took at the gym this week definitely seemed to work. I've been sore all week. Today it's my back...probably because we did that superman move...where you lay on your stomach and lift your chest and your legs....try it sometime.

I'm very happy that Bamboo told me about a new app for my iphone. It's call Daily Burn. It tracks your calories...there are a lot of sites out there like that...but this one is connected with another app called Food Scanner. You just scan the bar code on any food and it puts the nutrition information into your phone. You can then tell the app how many servings you had. BRILLIANT!!!! No more figuring that shit out by myself....I'm lazy that way and always thought that was the biggest pain in the ass about counting calories. Maybe that app will help me stay on track with my diet. Since I'm pretty sure I'm throwing myself under the bus by working out and then eating too much crapola!!

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2010-02-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

courtesy of LMB

Rave: My work load has really picked up at work...I'm busy almost all the time now. I'm helping a coworker to redesign all the training websites, so it's a pretty big project. I'm so glad my coworker is letting me become so involved.

Rant: that does me though, that I'm spending waaaay less time reading and writing blogs. I still want to keep posting a few times a week though.

Rant: I had to go to 2 stores to find the right battery I needed for my garage door opener tonight. First I went to Target, but they were out. So then I went to a local grocery store, and that was after I had already been to the cheaper grocery store to actually get my groceries.

Rave: I tried a new workout at the gym. It is called Turbo Tone. It's offered on Tuesdays. I wanted to see if it would be better than what I was doing on my own with the weight machines. It was. I felt like it really worked me...and I'm sore today to prove it....so I'm definitely going to keep going back!

Rave: I'm bummed Turbo Tone is only offered once a week....but tomorrow I'm going to try Hard Core...although I think that's much more abs focused whereas Turbo Tone was a whole body workout.

Rant: I've been doing really good with working out, but I haven't been doing well with eating. I'm trying to eat healthy snack foods, as I mentioned on my previous post, but then I feel like I can eat 2 or 3 of those snack foods, which probably defeats the purpose....and I'm always starving after my workouts...which makes me even hungrier!

Rave: I'm actually eating dinner with E tonight! He's had to work late the past 2 nights, but we will be able to eat dinner together tonight. We're having tacos, one of my favorite meals!

Rave: I have fallen in love with the Weight Watchers and Skinny Cow ice cream products...they are a tad expensive though.

Rave: I should be able to see what the bridesmaid dresses look like in person this weekend. Bamboo's dress should be arriving tomorrow!! I really hope all my bridesmaids like them and they fit!

what are you rantin and ravin about?

healthy snacks

2010-02-22T16:38:00.001-08:00

I found a new snack that I am in love with. I'm not sure it's for everyone, but I love it. A coworker introduced me to it and she was nice enough to pick me up some this weekend. I'm sure you are all dying to know what it is. It is roasted Nori. Nori is the stuff they wrap around sushi. So if you like sushi you might like this. You can get this at amazon or any good asian food store I would imagine.

This is not the same brand, but I bet it tastes almost the same. I have spicy teriyaki and it is just delicious. So it comes in strips and it's crispy. The best part about it is it's only 10 calories per strip. So I can eat a bunch and it won't hurt me!

I also bought some other snacks today. I don't know what the deal was, but after spinning today I was STARVING! So I went to the store tonight to pick up some other snacks. Here are a few things I got.

I also got a couple kinds of granola that looked somewhat healthy including a chocolate granola I can't wait to try. Oh...and I bought some string cheese. That's also a great snack. So there you have it. Are there any healthy snacks you love and can't live without? Please share!

p.s. in other news, the bridesmaid dresses shipped today. Yippee!

2010-02-19T04:23:00.000-08:00

I'm happy that this is the first time I'm using Bambi's new logo. It's pretty freakin awesome....I do love a good martini....especially if it's dirty.

I'm happy Eric has his interview today...I can't wait to find out how it goes (it's not until this afternoon).

I'm not happy that he is leaving me for tonight though. I have to stick around and work in the morning. Boo!

I'm happy that I figured out what I'm going to do for bridesmaid gifts....but that's all I can really say because a couple bridesmaids read my blog!!

I'm happy that I have continued to be busy at work...oh and I got extended until the end of May, which is really good, because we will definitely know about Eric by then.

Lady Gaga's Bad Romance has been stuck in my head all week....that song makes me happy!!

This video I saw on facebook makes me happy! If this were my 5 year old, I would be ecstatic if she acted like this

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2010-02-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

courtesy of Little Miss Blogger

Rave: Eric got an interview for PhD school. It's for a 3rd choice school (in our hometown, which I'm not sure I'm thrilled to go back to), but that's ok. Any interview is good!! Hopefully we will continue to hear from other schools.

Rave: I got recognized at work through our email recognition program. Basically you can fill out a little Excellence First award acknowledging when someone has done a good job on something. It feels good to get recognized and to know that people appreciate the work that I do.

Rave: I ate at Pappy's Smokehouse for lunch today. If you ever get to the St Louis area, head downtown and try Pappy's BBQ. It is amazing. Adam Richmond from Man Vs. Food visited it when he was in St Louis.

Rant: I had Pappy's BBQ for lunch today. I've been working out diligently at work, but haven't made the best choices when it comes to food. There is a little devil on my shoulder always saying "hey you just worked out, you deserve a treat!" I know that is the wrong way to think, but I just can't help it!

Rave: I feel like I'm almost at a breakthrough for being in the 170s with my weight. That will be a big accomplishment for me. Hopefully it will happen this week.

Rave: I bought these cuties at the store the other day, they are small manderin oranges. They are a perfect little snack size and quite tasty!
what are you rantin and ravin about??

Happy President's Day

2010-02-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Today is President's Day and I am off work! Whoo hoo, Yipee!!! The bummer of it though, is that I had to take mandatory PTO. WTF is that about?? And actually I don't even get PTO through the company I work for (remember I work through a temp agency) so I have to take my vacation pay if I want to get paid at all. Basically parts of the company get it off so they decided everyone needed to take it off...but they wouldn't give it to us as just a holiday...stupid stupid...anyway, I means I get to chillax at home today.

My weekend was good. I went up to my hometown and went to a basketball game at the school my father works at. Then we went to a new restaurant that had hibachi. So they coooked our food right in front of us! It was tasted awesome and it was cool to watch the chef do his thing.

My parents also gave me an amazing surprise present this weekend. There is a local artist in my hometown that does drawings using just pen. He has drawn a lot of the well known buildings in town. Well, my parents hired him to do a drawing of their house, the house I grew up in. It's an awesome old Victorian house built in 1904. So my parents have the original and they gave my sister and me copies of the drawing. It's so awesome to have a neat drawing of the house I grew up in from an original artist. He did a fantastic job!

I also picked out what I want the judge to say at our wedding ceremony and E and I met with him briefly...so that is all coming along.

AND...I went to see Avatar in 3D. Avatar was amazing!!!!! I would highly suggest anyone go see it. I don't really think there are any other movies out there like this one. Now, the 3D part is not so amazing for me. I was born almost blind in one eye. So seeing out of one good eye is all I have ever known...what this means though, is that 3D effects don't work for me :-(

So, it kind of bums me out that 3D movies appear to be the up and coming trend since I won't ever get to experience it. I was thankful that the 3D glasses at least made the screen look normal for me instead of a bit blurry...that would have really sucked!! I'm not sure if everyone will enjoy 3D movies though...my future mother in law said it was starting to make her sick when it was so 3D in the fighting scenes....apparently the 3D effect is much better when you sit closer to the movie screen than when you sit farther away....in case you want the most out of your 3D experience.

anyway...go see Avatar...it's really good, even when it's not in 3D.

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2010-02-10T16:02:00.001-08:00

Rave: I finally got my computer access back at work! I think I may have mentioned that yesterday. I was having withdrawl from not being able to communicate with friends through email...

Rant: I have been pretty busy at work which means I haven't had time to check blogs at all!

Rave: It's actually not such a bad thing since it's so often that I have nothing to do.

RANT: E's car wouldn't start this morning.....I hate it when stuff like that happens...I don't think it's just the battery since all the lights come on...what a pain in the ass. And now we have to figure out how to get him to where he needs to be the next two days.

Rave: I hope to be all caught up on LOST by tonight include the 2 episodes that have aired of season 6. Sometimes I just sit there and wonder how the writers are able to concoct such a story!

Rave: E and I are going home this weekend to visit my parents and talk a little more about wedding stuff. We'll also be meeting with the judge who is going to marry us. And maybe I'll get to see a little more of the bead work on my dress....not sure about that part yet.

I guess that's it for me...what about you?

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2010-02-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't been in the blogging mood lately. Plus this past weekend was pretty busy. I did have fun though. E's brother and sister in law came down and we all went to a Blues game which was a lot of fun. A lot of drinking was done over the course of the evening. Then E and I went to a superbowl party on sunday and a lot of eating was done....I swear we fried everything you could think of to fry (someone at the party bought a fryer with them)...so we fried mini eggrolls, chicken wings, toasted ravioli, taquitos...there might have been something else too! Anyway, it was all good, but very bad for my diet.

I'm also trying to catch up on Lost. I think I have 5 episodes from season 5 left and then I'll be caught up! Season 6 is waiting for me on my DVR.

I've been busy at work, plus work has been a pain. I'm sure I've told you I'm a contractor right? Well, my boss didn't get an email about extending me in a new place in the system, so I got kicked out of the system the 1st of February. So that meant my badge didn't work to get into the building and I no longer had access to my email. It was such a pain in the ass. And it took a good full week for it to get straightened out! I finally got my access back today, and of course had all these emails waiting for me of things people wanted me to do, so then I looked like an ass for not returning their emails....oh well...what can you do.

Well, I'm off to watch some more Lost! Enjoy your evening!

HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR: 2029

2010-02-04T16:13:00.000-08:00


  
   Ozone created by
   electric cars now
   killing millions in the
   seventh largest
   country in the world,
   Mexifornia, formerly
   known as California .
  
   White minorities still
   trying to have English
   recognized as
   Mexifornia's third
   language.
  
   Spotted Owl plague
   threatens
   northwestern United
   States crops and
   livestock.
  
  
   Baby conceived
   naturally!

   Scientists stumped.
  
   Couple petitions
   court to reinstate
   heterosexual
   marriage.
  
  
   Iran still closed off;
   physicists estimate it
   will take at least 10
   more years before
   radioactivity
   decreases to safe
   levels.
  
   France pleads for
   global help after being
   taken over by
   Jamaica .No other
   country comes
   forward to help the
   beleaguered nation!
  
  
   Castro finally dies at
   age 112; Cuban cigars
   can now be imported
   legally, but President
   Chelsea Clinton has
   banned all smoking.
  
  
   George Z. Bush says
   he will run for
   President in 2036.
  
  
  
   Postal Service raises
   price of first class
   stamp to $17.89 and
   reduces mail delivery
   to Wednesdays only.
  
  
  
   85-year $75.8 billion
   study: Diet and
   exercise is the key to
   weight loss.
  
  
   Average weight of
   Americans drops to
   250 lbs.
  
  
   Global cooling
   blamed for citrus
   crop failure for third
   consecutive year in
   Mexifornia and
   Floruba.
  
  
   Japanese scientists
   have created a
   camera with such a
   fast shutter speed
   they now can
   photograph a
   woman with her
   mouth shut.
  
   Abortion clinics now
   available in every
   High School in
   United States .
  
   Senate still blocking
   drilling in ANWR
   even though gas is
   selling for 4532
   Pesos per liter and
   gas stations are only
   open on Tuesdays
   and Fridays.
  
  
   Massachusetts
   executes last
   remaining
   conservative.
  
  
   Supreme Court rules
   punishment of
   criminals violates
   their civil rights.
  
  
   Average height of
   NBA players is now
   nine feet, seven
   inches with only 3
   illegitimate children.
  
  
   New federal law
   requires that all nail
   clippers, screwdrivers,
   fly swatters and
   rolled-up newspapers
   must be registered by
   January 2030 .
  
  
   IRS sets lowest tax
   rate at 75 percent.
  
  
   Floruba voters still
   having trouble with
   voting machines..

Post Secret - The Wet Spot

2010-02-03T15:52:00.001-08:00

Since my rapture post went over so well, I decided that I should start doing a series on Post Secret postcards. If by chance you are unfamiliar with what Post Secret is, it is a blog where people send in secrets about themselves on postcards. I find it fascinating the secrets people have and are willing to share when it is anonymous. You can check it out here. New secrets are posted on Sundays. I'm not going to say it will be a weekly series, because sometimes there might not be any secrets worth commenting on. I'm going to try and stay away from secrets about affairs or other stuff that I think is just not cool...but I did find one for this week.

This secret made me laugh. I mean the person who sent this in is so considerate don't you think?? "Haha Sucka....You're getting some, but you're getting the wet spot too!!" Which also begs the question....Do you think the secret was sent in by a male or female? At first I thought female...but maybe that's because I am a female. And what about when the person doesn't initiate sex....they just have to suck it up and sleep in the wet spot?

Whatever happened to changing the sheets? Then neither person would have to sleep in the wet spot. What's that? You just want to roll over and go to sleep...? Well then you're lazy and you deserve to sleep in the wet spot.

I believe condoms might help alleviate this problem as well....just sayin....

Post It Note Tuesday

2010-02-02T16:14:00.001-08:00

want to join the fun?

http://wigflip.com/superstickies/

Gym Rat

2010-02-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

It looks like I will be becoming a gym rat. After all, I plan on going to the gym every day at work. Hopefully I will see results fast because of this. I don't think I shared with you readers how last week went though. I lifted weights on Wednesday of last week. I had one of the personal trainers create a whole routine for me to do since I'm going to lift 2 days a week. Last weeks schedule was weird because I was still testing things out, but I plan on doing cycling/spinning on Monday Wednesday and Friday, and lifting weights on Tuesday and Thursday.

So my routine for weights are as follows, lunges with bicep curls, chest fly, seated row, pullups, triceps (on a cool pullup machine that holds your weight, so you only have to lift what you can) squat and chest press, 2 ab exercises....I think that's everything. So wednesday we had to fiddle a little with how much weight I could handle on each exercise...well I think I did a little too much on the pullup machine...I'm pretty sure that was the culprit because I was really struggling with it...anyway, the next day i was SO SORE....like the most sore my arms have ever been in my life. Seriously, Thursday through Saturday I was just ultra sore. It was most sore right where my elbows bend...I'm sure it had something to do with where the bicep connects...but man, I couldn't even extend my arm out all the way....I was basically going around holding my arms at 90 degree angles all day....it sucked so bad! I put a heat bag on my arms saturday and I'm not sure if that helped or not, but sunday they definitely felt better, so I'm going back to weights tomorrow. I really hope my arms don't kill me again on wednesday.

as far as cardio goes, I'm enjoying it. I think it's much better for me to take a class than just do it on my own. If I'm in a class, I feel accountable for myself....basically I don't want to be the only one stopping, or not going fast, or whatever. And the music they play keeps me motivated...although if I worked out on my own, I'd listen to my own music. I had a different instructor today because I went at a different time, and I think I like her better than the one last week...and the music was way better. Not just techno beats, but songs I like remixed. So...that's the story folks. I'll keep you updated on how weight lifting turned out tomorrow.

ok...my warped mind...just thought about gym rat, which made me think about hood rat...so then I needed to urban dictionary hood rat. In case you don't know..this is what a hood rat is..

A girl who sleeps with various men in the neighborhood. Usually noticeable via her slacking standards of personal care.

then I was thinking...wasn't there some chant..."hood rat, hood rat, hoochie mamma!" anyone know that...??? or did I just make that up LOL!!!

Go, Go Now

2010-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hey my lovely followers, today I'm guest blogging at Love Everyday Life.

I will admit, it's kind of a rant...but it fits right in with what Becky has been ranting about too...so show some bloggy love and go visit!

MERCI BEAUCOUP MES AMIES!!!!!!!!!!!

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2010-01-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

Rant: I got turned down for two jobs today. Both recruiters said I didn't have enough training / facilitation experience. They both also said that the market is saturated with a lot of people who have great experience. I seriously don't know how I'm ever going to get the experience I need if there is always someone better than me out there.

Rant: I took on a consulting opportunity and now I'm kinda wishing I hadn't. It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be!

Rave: At least I get paid good money for the consulting job. I'm sure it will be worth it in the end, plus it's good experience.

Rant: I don't even know if I want to pursue a career in training...but I feel like it would be so hard to switch to another area. I would love to do recruiting, but I have even less experience in that, so again, it's hard to get a job when you don't have the experience.

Rave: I joined the gym at my work, as I think I mentioned before. I think it's going to be really good for me.

Rave: I'm sore from joining the gym at my work!

Rave: I went to Target tonight and splurged on myself a little. I hadn't gone shopping for myself in a while. I got two tie dyed shirts, 2 bras, and a sports bra! Woohoo!

What are you rantin and ravin about?

How do you hold the wheel?

2010-01-25T15:44:00.000-08:00

I seem to be on a kick about driving posts lately. Probably because I'm trying to think about what I'm going to write on my blog on my drive home...thus I'm thinking and driving and it all gets jumbled. Anyway...you know when you learned to drive how they told you to hold your steering wheel at 10 and 2 if you were looking at the face of clock. Does anyone actually do that??? I guess there have to be some really safe drivers out there who hold the wheel like that or maybe they find that position most comfortable. Not me! In fact, as soon as I got done with drivers ed I started driving with one hand. It's just way more comfortable...unless there is a need for 2 hands, like if it's really windy or something. Anyway...I drive with my left hand and hold it at about 7 when you are looking at a clock. This is the most comfortable position for me...although depending on the car, I might hold it at 6 or 8, because it really depends on where the holes are on the steering wheel. Usually my right hand is resting is on the arm rest. But if I'm in a car that doesn't have an armrest, I'll just rest it in my lap. Interestingly, I'm right handed...so I sort of think it's weird that I decided it was most comfortable to drive left handed...but I guess that's the small part of ambidextrousness (is that a word?) in me.

How do you hold the wheel??

How Goosey Got Her Groove Back

2010-01-24T05:42:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow starts the first day of me getting my groove back....into exercising. I've decided I'm going to exercise at work!! It's nice that there is a gym there and I've never taken advantage of it before. It's not free, but the price is really good. I'm going to take classes during my lunch hour. They have two classes that I'm interested in. An Active Yoga class on Mondays and Wednesdays and Cycling on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I haven't decided if I'm going to exercise Fridays or take that day off. Maybe I can fit in some strength training Fridays although hopefully yoga will help me with that. I'm really excited about the cycling..it should be just like a spinning class which I've always wanted to try but have never done. Actually, that's not true. I went to one free session that the Y offered to see if I would like it. The one I dropped in on had these 2 ladies who had been spinning forever. The instructor was just like...just go at your own pace. These ladies were crazy!!! OMG I died at that class...but I do think it will be good.

Of course there are positives and negatives about working out at work. The positive is that it will break up my boring day. The negative is that I will have to shower at work. But, they do have very nice locker rooms and they already provide shampoo, conditioner and shower gel! I did go out and purchase a new arsenal to take with me to work though...new moisturizer, make up, that sort of thing so that I can look fabulous after my workout.

Do any of you work out at work or have you in the past??

Six Word Saturday

2010-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

CauseWorld App for Iphone - Get It!

Life in the Fast Lane

2010-01-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

So...it has really come to my attention over the last few weeks that I really am a road rager. Not only do I get pissed off when people cut me off, tail me, drive too slow you name it...more importantly, I love to drive fast. What does this mean??? This means that in rush hour traffic I strategically search for the fastest lane. I have it down to a science, although it is never exact. I know that on the way to work, when I hit the bridge traffic in St Louis, I should stay in the middle lane and only move to the far left lane when we begin to merge with other traffic. Unless of course there is a big semi in the middle lane and then there is no shot of that lane moving fast because everyone likes to cut in front of the slow moving truck....although when it's my turn to cut in front of them I love it!!

On the way home, when I get on the highway, I end up having to merge over quickly because the lane I merge onto is an exit only lane off the highway....and of course there is already traffic backed up when I get on the highway so I end up having to squeeze into spaces which I have gotten pretty good at if I do say so myself. Anyway, the trick on the way home is to get to the far left lane as soon as possible as it seems to be the one that moves the fastest.

Now...I like to think I'm good at the fastest lane game....but it doesn't always work out to my advantage...and then I get pissed when the other lane is flying by me. So, I'll switch lanes, and then other other lane will fly by....UGH...I HATE IT!

Basically I feel like the guy from Office Space at the beginning of the movie. Watch because this is me!

Amazing Home Remedies

2010-01-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

So this might be kind of guy oriented...but I thought they were funny....

AMAZING SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES: > > 1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING > VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE > TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE > YOU CHOP. > > 2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE > TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK. > > 3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE > SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR > A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE > PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER. > > 4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU > FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE > BUTTON. > > 5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. > THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH. > > 6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT > TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE > WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE. > > 7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE > GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

Hooray!!

2010-01-20T15:43:00.001-08:00

I must be doing something right on here since I just received a blog award! My Life in Purple bestowed upon me the I Heart Your Blog Award. I love that she gave this to me because she hasn't been a follower for very long. I think she was sucked in by my rapture post though :-) This award goes to blogs that you love to read.

So, without further ado...here is my award!!

be sure to check My Life in Purple Out!!

I really don't know who to pass this on to. There are a lot of blogs I love to read. You even have a special section in my google reader! And if you are a follower of mine, I love you even more! So please feel free to take this and make it your own. If you are reading this, you are most likely following me, therefore, I love your blog!

Take It!!

Don't be Shy!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2010-01-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

I was about to sit down and write a Monday post until I realized it was Tuesday...that's much more fitting since I was just going to babble on about random thoughts anyway.

The wisdom teeth extraction went quite well. The procedure was easy and I haven't been in a lot of pain. I even went out to eat over the long weekend twice.

Going out to eat was not good for weight loss. Why is it so damn easy to fall off the weight loss train? Seriously, one misstep and you are up a pound of two and yet it takes at least a week to get that pound off! It's not fair and I'm whining!!

Eric and I were totally productive this weekend. We completed our registry shopping. It was fun for the most part, if not a little tiring. It's exciting to think about all the new stuff we might be getting!

I ordered some jewelry for my cartilage piercing...I was so looking forward to getting it because I was really excited about one of the earrings I ordered. Well, the earring I was most excited about was wrong! grrrr. They should have sent me a ring with a tanzanite jewel and instead they sent me a ring with a pink jewel...the pink is kinda cute, but not what I ordered. The website says it doesn't take returns...but this is their mistake!! So, I'm going to call tomorrow and see what I can find out. I'll be pissed if they don't send me the one I actually ordered though.

I'm thinking about moving my wedding indoors. I wouldn't have to rent chairs for outside and I wouldn't have to worry about the weather. But I've always wanted an outdoor wedding....

what do you guys think? Do you think it's safer to plan for indoors?

2010 Wish List

2010-01-16T04:21:00.000-08:00

1. One habit you'd like to break totally:
I still bite my fingernails...it's a bad habit I've had since highschool and can't seem to break.

2. One person you'd like to get to know better:
any of you bloggers!

3. One random act of kindness that you'd like to make a habit this year:
I'm bad about calling friends randomly....I really should reconnect with them on the phone more

4. Something that you'd like to own by the end of 2010:
a house!!

5. Something that you'd like to get rid of by the end of 2010:
all the excess baggage on my body!

6. One change you'd like to see in your life in 2010:
I'm really hoping Eric gets into school somewhere and we get to move!! It will be like starting fresh. I can look in a new job market and maybe have some success on that front too!

7. One thing you'd like to memorize in 2010:
it's not going to happen, but if I remembered all my important financial information, like credit card numbers and account numbers, I'd never have to look them up when I was ordering things online!

8. Something that you'd like to improve on in 2010:
working out....maybe one day I'll enjoy it and want to do it

9. Something new you'd like to learn in 2010.
I'm thinking learning how to cook new recipes is always a good idea.

10. Something you're looking forward to this year.
getting married and going on our honeymoon is sure to be the best event of 2010!

11. One thing you're going to make sure DOESN'T happen this year.
I don't want to be unemployed again, but I can't promise it won't happen.

13. One place you want to visit this year.
Jamaica!

14. One thing that you'll move from 2009's to do list to 2010's to do list.
uh...lose weight, get a good job, get a house hopefully....those are the biggies!

15. One old acquaintance that you'd like to reconnect with this year.
there are a few old friends that I would like to reconnect with...we are friends, we just don't see each other enough is all.

Wisdom Teeth

2010-01-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

I'm getting my wisdom teeth (just the top) pulled tonight, so I'll probably look like this after surgery.

Hopefully, it's not too bad of a process. They said will give me a little of the happy gas. Hopefully it will be all rainbows and butterflies after that! Luckily I'll have 4 days to recooperate. I'm taking off Friday and Monday is MLK day.

Rapture Letters

2010-01-14T06:00:00.001-08:00

continued from yesterday...

So luckily, when you get taken up to Heaven by Jesus, there is a site who will send letters to all your non believer friends. Obviously people will be wondering where you have gone off to!!

taken from raptureletters.com

After the rapture, there will be a lot of speculation as to why millions of people have
just disappeared. Unfortunately, after the rapture, only non believers will be left to come up with answers. You probably have family and friends that you have witnessed to and they just won't listen. After the rapture they probably will, but who will tell them?

We have written a computer program to do just that. It will send an Electronic Message (e-mail) to whomever you want after the rapture has taken place, and you and I have been taken to heaven.

How is this accomplished, you might ask. It's a dead man switch that will automatically send the emails when it is not reset.

If you wish to do something now that will help your unbelieving friends and family after the rapture, you need to add those persons email address to our database. Their names will be stored indefinitely and a letter will be sent out to each of them on the first Friday after the rapture. Then they will receive another letter every friday after that.

This rapture letter service is FREE and will hopefully gain the person you send it to an eternity in heaven.

I'm still not quite sure how this free service is supposed to work. And it's a little upsetting that my friends and family who don't have email still won't know where I'm at. They should offer a snail mail service too. Also, a letter will be sent every Friday after the Rapture happens....so my non believing family and friends will be bombarded with emails for the rest of their lives???? That sounds like Hell if you ask me!!.....but maybe that is the point..... :-)

Rapture?

2010-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

So today I was reading through PostSecret and saw this postcard.

So then I thought to myself...."WTF is Rapture???"

So then I went to my trusty Wikipedia to find out what Rapture was......so apparently, your pets aren't coming with you to heaven or something and quite a few people are a little worried about this. Well have no fear. There is a website that will help you!!! postrapturepets.com

Please review the following if you want your pets to be safe while you get transported to wherever Jesus wants to talk you.

Pet Sitters

You should have multiple back up sitters available in case your primary
sitter is taken up in the Rapture. back up sitters? really?? so basically your back up sitter isn't good enough to get into heaven.
You'll also need some kind of system to alert them that you've been taken
up. You'll probably need to have some kind of prepayment plan, since you
won't be around to write checks. just leave a buttload of money sitting on the table..I'm sure your pets will be juuuust fine.
For advice on picking a pet sitter, check out Evaluation

Pet Food

You'll need some kind of auto dispenser as well. The Rapture and
Tribulation times will be very chaotic, so something with a battery backup
may be a good idea.
This should only be needed for a short time assuming you've made other
arrangements for them through a sitter or friends.

Clean Water

This can be an automatic watering system, or something as simple as
leaving a sink or the bathtub water running.

Permanent Care

Pet sitters are a temporary arrangement at best. You should arrange with
as many of your friends as you can to have them adopt your pets when you
are taken. You should agree to take theirs if they are taken up and you are
not, just in case. I guess your friends aren't being taken then? What does that say about your friends?

Contacting Friends and/or Sitters

You'll need some way to let people know you are no longer around.
Presumably, everyone will know that the Rapture has occurred, but just in
case, here is a site that should help.
http://www.raptureletters.com/ - oh fear not...this will be tomorrow's post!

I'm sorry, but is this for real????? These people will just be Taken by Jesus? And yet...they are still worried about their pets here on earth? It just seems a little recockulous if you ask me.

But I don't mean to offend you, my dear readers....so, if you believe the Rapture is coming, more power to you...and contact me...I'll take care of your pets .....just make sure to leave some money on the table :-)

Post It Note Tuesday

2010-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Decided to try this whole Post It Note thing. Thanks McGillicutty for link to the website. I never knew how people were creating them.

Threading

2010-01-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

First I want to say thank you to my 3 new followers! I had been stuck at 27 for forever and now I'm at 30. 30 is such a solid number! Thanks!

Today I want to talk about threading. What is threading you ask? Well, I'm specifically talking about eyebrow threading. Have you heard of this? This is yet another way women can experience pain for the price of beauty. It's a different way to clean up your eyebrows and it's supposed to be awesome...or so I had heard. It's an ancient Indian technique where you use thread to remove the hair. Here is a video on it.

Anyway, I had heard about threading and noticed that the mall in my hometown had a threading kiosk. I was back in my hometown this past weekend and decided to give it a shot.

My conclusions about threading vs waxing:

It's a very fast process, although waxing is fairly fast too.

Threading is definitely not pain free, but it's a slightly different feeling. With waxing, all the hair is being ripped off at once. Obviously, not the best feeling in the world. With threading, you feel the string on your face and then it sort of feels like plucking. So, if you don't like plucking, this is probably not the option for you.
I think it's quite possible that you can get your eyebrows shaped better with threading because they can be so precise with it.

So anyway, it was a neat experience and I was happy with the results, so I think I would do it again.

Have any of you experienced eyebrow threading?

My Engagement Story

2010-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hey guys - I'm doing my first guest blog today. Eyegirl at Life as Eye See It is on an awesome vacation right now in the Caribbean. She will be getting married this year just like me and she wanted people to post about love, marriage stories, engagement stories etc. while she's gone So, go check out my engagement story!! It is pretty sweet if you ask me. And check out the other guest bloggers too!

Happy Hour Friday

2010-01-08T15:52:00.001-08:00

Wow, it seems like it's been a while since I've done one of these. I guess because I haven't been posting too much over the holidays.

First off, I'm happy that my job got extended!!! A coworker of mine really pulled for me and basically said that she would be completely overloaded if I left. So, now I get to help her with some projects and stay until the end of March! What is strange though is that I still have to transition some of my other work over to one of the permanent employees. Boo! Basically that means I'm still going to be bored for the most part, but at least I have a job!

I'm happy that my fiance and I get along so well. It's one thing to be married and living with each other. But I'm realizing that a lot of relationships are really not as good as what they might appear to be from the outside. It is soooo important to have respect for your significant other. We both have that, and I'm thankful for it.

I'm happy my dr's office called to remind me about my yearly exam! It seems like I have always had to remember on my own. It's nice to have it scheduled early. And I'm super happy I will still have insurance for said exam.

This week I have been really happy with my Honda CRV. It's a 97 that my parents got for me after I graduated college. It really has been so reliable for me and it makes me feel safe when it's snowy and gross and I have to drive 30 minutes to work every day. Seriously, buy a honda! They are great cars.

I'm happy I found musicians for my wedding ceremony!! We are going with a violin and a cello. I'll be hearing some of their work next weeeknd when they get to mini audition for me. That's one more thing I can check off the to-do list. I'm thinking of having the bridesmaids walk in to Spring by Vivaldi. I haven't decided about me yet. I really like Canon in D, but it seems like that's pretty typical.

Do any of you have any suggestions for nice wedding ceremony songs played on Violin / Cello?

Joke of the Week

2010-01-06T15:56:00.001-08:00

A family is at the dinner table. The son asks his father, "Dad, how
many kinds of boobs are there?"

The father, surprised, answers, "Well, son, a woman goes through three Phases.

In her 20s, a woman's boobs are like melons, round and firm

In her 30s to 40s , they are like pears, still nice but hanging a bit.  After 50, they are like onions".

"Onions?"

"Yes, you see them and they make you cry."

This infuriated his wife and daughter, so the daughter said, "Mom, how Many kinds of 'willies' are there?"

The mother, surprised, smiles and answers, "Well dear, a man goes Through three phases also.

In his 20s, his willy is like an oak tree, Mighty and hard.

In his 30s and 40s, it is like a birch, flexible but Reliable.

After his 50s, it is like a Christmas tree".

A Christmas tree?"

"Yes --- dead from the root up and the balls are just for decoration."

Joke of the Week

2010-01-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

A family is at the dinner table. The son asks his father, "Dad, how
many kinds of boobs are there?"
>
> The father, surprised, answers, "Well, son, a woman goes through three
> Phases.
>
> In her 20s, a woman's boobs are like melons, round and firm
>
> In her 30s to 40s , they are like pears, still nice but hanging a bit
> After 50, they are like onions".
>
> "Onions?"
>
> "Yes, you see them and they make you cry."
>
> This infuriated his wife and daughter, so the daughter said, "Mom, how
> Many kinds of 'willies' are there?"
>
> The mother, surprised, smiles and answers, "Well dear, a man goes
> Through three phases also.
>
> In his 20s, his willy is like an oak tree, Mighty and hard.
>
> In his 30s and 40s, it is like a birch, flexible but Reliable.
>
> After his 50s, it is like a Christmas tree".
>
> "A Christmas tree?"
>
> "Yes --- dead from the root up and the balls are just for decoration."

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2010-01-06T04:47:00.000-08:00

Rant: I have been behind on blogging. There is just not enough time in the day sometimes to do everything I want to do. And yes, if I made blogging a priority then it would always happen, but sometimes I don't. And then I feel guilty about it, but that's stupid because it's my darn blog!

Rave: Bridesmaid dress are ordered!!! One of my bridesmaids found a deal online from a legitimate source. I'm glad they were able to order them a little cheaper. I hope they look nice!

Rave: We are doing more wedding planning this weekend, specifically, we are going to the rental store to check out what we need to rent. Once I do this, I can figure out exactly what I want to do about flowers.

Rave: I have a meeting with my manager today. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get another extension which is awesome. Even just a couple months is better than nothing!

Rave: I'm still doing yoga and haven't given up on it yet.

Rant: The video I've been doing is 50 minutes and sometimes I don't feel like working out that long.

Rave: I love that it's a new year of tv season. I'm excited for the new season of Biggest Loser and American Idol.

That's what I'm ranting and raving about today. What about you?

Yoga

2010-01-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

The other day, I decided that I want to do yoga. When I get a thought in my head about something, it consumes me and I want it now!!! I spent an hour on Amazon browsing the yoga dvds that were there and trying to decide which one might work for me. But then someone reminded me that I could get fitness dvds from netflix!! Why didn't I think of that!! I had even gotten a fitness dvd from netflix before (30 Day Shred before I ended up buying it) but I forgot I had done that. Anyway, they have a few that are instant and then they have a much that are on dvd. So, I have done a couple of the instant ones. They one I did yesterday was called "The Trainers Edge: Long and Lean Yoga" with Baron Baptiste who I guess his a famous Yogi dude. It was challenging, but I liked it so I'll definitely try it again. Anyway, hopefully this is what I'll look like after I'm yogafied.

so, do any of you do yoga? It seems like there are a lot of different kinds of yoga out there, who knew! I'm not into the meditation relaxation crap....I think I more enjoy what they call Power Yoga. A lot of strength and flexibility moves that flow into one another.

Do you guys do yoga? If so, what kind do you enjoy? Are there are dvds you suggest I try?

Christmas presents!

2010-01-01T06:47:00.000-08:00

So, I've been meaning to blog about this, well since Christmas, but Father Time has gotten the best of me. Anyway, without further ado, here are some of the Christmas presents I got this year!

One of my favorites is a handmade quilted bag I got from my mom. She made it in purple to match my wedding!! I told her she could sell this on Etsy. Would you buy them??

I also got an awesome new camera, but I'm am realizing that the quality of picture is better than my old camera which makes the file size larger. What does this mean? It means it takes forever to load to blogger :-( Anyway, here is my new camera.

I also got a new crock pot and a crock pot cookbook. I believe I told you I made cheese steak. It turned out great!!

One of my favorite authors is Dean Koontz and I decided I want his whole collection, I already have a bunch, but I asked for some that I didn't have.

I got an I Tunes gift card which I used to buy Timbaland Shock Value II.

I got a environmentally safe water bottle

and I also got an awesome iced tea maker

and Band Hero which I'm excited to play!

I also got some movies and a nice pink sweater...but I'm not going to post those. So, there you have it, I think it was a successful Christmas / Hannukah!!

What were your favorite Christmas gifts??

does anyone know how I can reduce the file size of my pictures? it really pisses me off how long it takes. it means I'm not going to be able to take blog pictures with my camera if it's going to be so slow. I'll just have to take them with my iphone I guess.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-12-29T15:59:00.001-08:00

Stacey the Random Cool Chick mentioned that today is the last Random Tuesday of the year. I wouldn't have that about that, but so true!!

To be honest, 2009 hasn't been a great year. I feel like I have accomplished nothing professionally. I guess personally it has been good. I was in my best friend's wedding which was a blast, and I have had fun planning my wedding.

I think 2010 is going to be a much better year though. I will be getting married in 2010 so that makes it better already.

My computer is running really slow right now...i'm not sure what the hell is going on, but I don't like it one bit. I'll have to run ad-aware when I'm done with this post.

I got a crock pot for Christmas and I'm testing it out tonight. My first meal in my new crock pot will be philly cheese steaks. It smells amazing. I'll let you know how it turns out!!

I got my wedding invitations in the mail today and they are fabulous!! It's a good reminder that the wedding is finally coming up!!

I really wanted to take pictures of the stuff I got for Hannukah and Christmas and share the pics with you all. I may have some time tonight to take a few pics. I'll try and post those tomorrow.

I spent a good portion of today applying for jobs...somehow I don't think I'm going to hear back on any of them.

I lost 5 lbs over the past 2 weeks and it was over the holidays. I'm pretty proud of myself! I didn't feel like I did an excellent job of staying away from the bad stuff. I guess eating right and exercising is working!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-12-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

Eric ordered some new video games for the PS3. One of them was Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. I'm not much into those types of games, but it's actually pretty fun. It always irritates me that he is so much better at these types of games though. I got stuck in a certain part and was trying to figure out what to do for a good hour I think. The next day, he got to the same part (we are playing separate games) and he figured it out in a few minutes...grrr!!

I can not wait for Thursday afternoon to get here. Work this week has been sooo boring!!

A friend of mine who works for Accenture referred me for a position there today. As much as I would hate to travel that often, I think it would be really good experience for me. But who knows what will come of it.

I moved up to Level 2 in 30 Day Shred. In some respects it almost seems easier, but maybe that's because I can only half do a lot of the routines...haha! Maybe I should move back down to Level 1! I guess I'm sort of enjoying it...although I'm really not a fan of working out at all.

My parents made it safely to Alaska yesterday. I'm sure they will have a good time visiting my sister and their granddaughters.

I get emails about computer games from Big Fish Games. I used to be a little addicted to computer games. Now blogging and tv take up more of my time. Anyway, they have a new Where's Waldo game. I used to love hunting around for Waldo. If you like it too, you should visit www.findwaldo.com and look for him any time you want.

well...I guess that's all for now!

CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY CHALLENGED...

2009-12-21T06:24:00.000-08:00


  
   1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?
  
   2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are
  
   3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas
  
   4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
  
   5. Manic - Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores
  
   and Office and Town and Cars and
  
       Buses and Trucks and Trees
    and.....
  
   6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me
  
   7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire
  
   8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout,
  
   Maybe I'll Tell You Why
  
   9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy -
  
   can I have a chocolate, why is France
  
       so far away?
  
   10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - - - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle
  
   Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
  
         Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
  
   Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
  
         Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
  
   Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
  
         Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
  
   Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle
    Bells,

Question of the Week

2009-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm stealing Little Miss Blogger's Question of the week...except that I'm not doing it on Thursdays, I just want to know your opinions because I've been wondering for a while.

For all of you bloggers out there that have TONS of followers and therefore, TONS of commenters, do you really read them all? Do you care if 50 people tell you that it was a "great story" or if commenters just say the same thing over and over?

I'm just curious if it just gets to be a bit overwhelming in your inbox or if you really read them all. Be honest!! I know for me, I will have thought of a comment, but then i start to read them and see that 20 other people just thought the same thing I did and so I don't comment because I think you don't care if one more person tells you the same thing.

SO, you bloggers who get a ton of commenters know who you are, I don't want to have to call you out. Please respond! Thanks!!

Dog Humor

2009-12-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Hour Friday

2009-12-18T15:36:00.001-08:00

I'm really happy it's friday....this week has been tres boring!

I'm happy I get to go wedding cake shopping tomorrow. I've been waiting for this adventure for a while!

I'm happy that we ordered the wedding invitations this week and that I got such a great deal on them!

I'm happy that I think my mind is in the right place to be able to lose weight. It really helps that I have a deadline. A Wedding and a Honeymoon are pretty darn good motivation.

I'm happy Tommy found a home!! Check out Barb's blog for more info on him.

I am happy there are people out there who will help hurt and abused dogs. And I'm happy there are people out there that will foster these dogs and also give them forever homes. Sometimes I really wish I could help like other people can. Stupid allergic fiance!

I am happy that I am going to try out 30 day Shred workout number 2. It will probably kick my butt, but I feel like taking on a challenge.

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2009-12-16T15:39:00.000-08:00

courtesy of Little Miss Blogger

Rave: today started out great because it was a jeans day at work. I went to work today in a University of Alaska Fairbanks hoodie that I got from my sister for Hannukah and jeans. You can't be that!

Rant: I started doing 30 Day Shred again and my legs are Farking sore! I have done it for 2 days in a row and tonight will be day number 3. I don't know if my poor legs can keep up with this!

Rave: I am hoping to be able to order my wedding invitations tonight and got them at a fabulous price at 75% off!!! I'm ordering them from Vistaprint.com Check them out sometime, I think they have great prices, especially when there are sales!

Rave: We are going wedding cake shopping this weekend. I am so excited!! I'm thinking about something like this but without the big bow on top. I would use some other kind of cake topper. What do you think?

Rant: the scar picture from the other day that I took with my new camera is a much larger file that other pictures. Maybe that's why there are problems uploading it...what is that about and how do I fix it?

Rave: we had a holiday party at work today and FREE beer and wine were served!

Rant: I caved and had some desserts and other little finger food at the holiday party

Rant: not to be negative about free gifts, but this week is secret santa week at work. We get and give 4 $1 gifts and 1 $10 gift. So far I have recieved silly putty and 2 spinning light up tops....WTF!?! I'm not 5 and I don't have any kids!! Please find me some adult $1 gifts like some candy or a mug or something. What the hell am I supposed to do the silly putty and a spinning top? I am going to be aggrivated if all I get is little stupid toys all week.

Rave: I ordered a popcorn tin from the Boyscouts that a coworker was selling at work. I got cheese, caramel and chocolate delight....their popcorn is amazing and not even that bad for you!!

Rant: I gotta go let Jillian Michael's kick my ass again.

What are you rantin and ravin about?

Survey Fun

2009-12-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

I stole this from EyeGirl.

TEN HOW'S:

How did you get one of your scars?

My best scar is on my foot. I was 2 months premature and they were pumping me up with fat when I was just a tiny thing. The IV slipped out of my foot and caused a chemical burn on my entire foot. It didn't do any lasting damage to the nerves or muscles which they were concerned about. But it left a pretty rad scar. It's faded over the years but you can still definitely see it I think. What do you guys think?

uggggghhhh....blogger won't upload my freakin photo! I'll post it once blogger stops acting stooopid.

How did you celebrate your last birthday?

I can't remember honestly. We probably went out to eat and that's about it. Birthdays have been pretty low key the last few years.

How are you feeling at this moment?

I'm procrastinating from doing the 30 Day Shred but I WILL be doing it today!

How did your night go last night?

We drove back to E-ville from a weekend of being at home. I played on the computer for a while and then I went to bed.

How did you do in high school?

Pretty well, I was a good student

How did you get the shirt you're wearing?

I just got it!! I mean literally today! I just put on the new University of Alaska Fairbanks hoodie that my sister gave me for Hannukah.

How often do you see your best friend?

I see one fairly regularly as she lives in the same town as me. Although we don't hang out near as often as I would like even though we live in the same town. 2 other best friends I don't see nearly enough. But they will all be standing up with me at my wedding!

How much money did you spend last month?

More than I should have, I'm sure.

How old do you want to be when you get married?

Well, it's not a hypothetical anymore. I will be 29.

How old will you be at your next birthday?

29

NINE WHAT'S:

Your mothers name?

Mom

What did you do last weekend?

I honestly can't remember. Check the blog, I'm sure I blogged about it.

What is the most important part of your life?

Family & Friends

What would you rather be doing?

Laying on a beach

What did you last cry over?

It's actually be a little while, but my best guess was that it was over not getting a job or something related to that.

What always makes you feel better when you're upset?

Eric or if he's not around, my kitties

What's the most important thing you look for in a significant other?

Compatibility.

What are you worried about?

Finding a God Damned Job!!!!! I'm pretty sure I'm getting laid off January 15th unless somehow I can swing another extension.

What did you have for breakfast?

Scrambled eggs with cheese from work.

EIGHT HAVE YOU'S:

Have you ever liked someone who had a girlfriend/boyfriend?

Guilty.

Have you ever had your heartbroken?

I've never really had my heart broken, I've definitely totally fallen for someone who didn't have the same feelings for me and that is pretty sucky.

Have you ever been out of the country?

Yes, China, France, England, Mexico (just across the boarder), Canada.

Have you ever done something outrageously dumb?

Guilty.

Have you ever been back stabbed by a friend?

The friends I was hanging out with in 7th grade pretty much dumped me as thier friends. And I didn't do anything wrong. That hurt, but looking back it was totally for the best. They were definitely a bad influence.

Have you ever had sex on the beach?

the drink? ;-)

Have you ever dated someone younger than you?

about to marry him!

Have you ever read an entire book in one day?

I get bored with reading....it's possible at some point in my life I have, but not likely.

SEVEN WHO'S:

Who was the last person you saw?

Eric

Who was the last person you texted?

Eric

Who was the last person you hungout with?

Eric

Who was the last person to call you?

Dick - very random. He never calls me, but he wanted an address.

Who did you last hug?

my dad

Who is the last person who texted you?

Eric

Who was the last person you said "I love you" to?

Eric

SIX WHERE'S:

Where does your best friend live?

2 live in Illinois, one lives in NY

Where did you last go?

the grocery store. Damn healthy food is too expensive!

Where did you last hang out?

the future in-law's house yesterday.

Where do you go to school?

I went to Bradley University undergrad and SIUE gradschool

Where is your favorite place to be?

I love the beach

Where did you sleep last night?

In my bed at home

FIVE DO'S:

Do you like someone right now?

Of course.

Do you think anyone likes you?

yes

Do you ever wish you were someone else?

Nope. so far so good

Do you know the muffin man?

Yes, he lives on Drury lane.

Does the future scare you?

no I'm looking forward to it. There is so much I still want to accomplish!

FOUR WHY'S:

Why are you best friends with your best friend(s?

Because they are awesome. Duh!

Why did you get a myspace?

because everyone else was doing it....but I dont use it anymore.

Why did your parents give you the name you have?

hey, I wrote about that here!

Why are you doing this survey?

I think I mentioned above, I'm procrastinating from exercising. And I feel bad I haven't blogged in a few days, and I'm sure you guys miss me!

THREE IF'S:

If you could have one super power what would it be??

Flying would be cool

If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you?

Yes!!! I would take the recruiting job that I turned down when I first got out of school because I didn't think it was enough money. BAD mistake....haven't found a real job since.

If u were stranded on a deserted island & could bring 1 thing what would you bring?

Eric

TWO WOULD-YOU-EVER'S:

Would you ever get back together with any of your ex's if they asked you?

Nope.

Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love?

Absolutely.

ONE LAST QUESTION

Are you happy with your life right now?

For the most part...again, the job situation kind of stinks.

Happy Hour Friday

2009-12-11T05:39:00.001-08:00

I'm happy that there is a potluck lunch at work today. I am bringing peanut butter cup candy and cracker candy. I hope people like them!

I'm happy we are going home this weekend to exchange presents with my parents. I get more excited to giving than I do receiving. I think I have some pretty good presents for them this year.

I'm happy I've decided to lose weight and I really think it's going to stick this time. I have a goal in mind to keep me motivated which always helps. I want a bikini body by my honeymoon which will be in the beginning of June. Who wants to go to Jamaica and have to cover up the whole time? Not me!!

If I do lose the weight, I hope they will be able to take in my wedding dress enough so that it fits!! - not so happy about this, sort of nervous actually. It's already too big for me as it is.

I'm happy with my highlights (even though you can't see them very well in the pic, I tried..)

What are you happy about??

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-12-08T14:26:00.001-08:00

I was at the dentist today and while I was getting a magazine to read while my mouth went numb, a toddler (one of a set of triplets in for their first dental visit) decided my room would be a safe haven where he could go to the bathroom. I came back and there was this little dude who had pooped and peed himself. I really felt bad for him. And he didn't want to leave. His dad came and got him and they moved me to a different room :-)

I am getting my hair colored tonight. I get highlights of reddish brown, dark brown and light brown. I think I'm going to change it up a bit and get my highlights on top just a tiny bit thicker than what I've done in the past. I know, I'm such a rebel.

I just started season 3 of Lost. As my good friend Dick would say "Shit's getting raggedy!"

when the dentist gave me novocain today it apparently decided it wanted to crawl up the side of my face. My eye even feels a little numb. WTF?

I am done with holiday shopping! Woohoo. (except for the secret santa gift exchange, but I'm almost done shopping for that too!)

I'm going home this weekend to exchange presents with my parents. They are taking off for Alaska (where my sister lives) in a week or so. I'm excited I get to open presents and I'm even more excited to give cool presents.

I'm hoping that while I'm home, I will be able to see some of the bead work that is getting done on my wedding dress. I hope I like it!

What are your random thoughts?

That Time of the Year

2009-12-07T04:36:00.001-08:00

Stole this from Eyegirl...just too funny.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

December 1
TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23rd at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue. There will be lots of spiked eggnog and a small band playing traditional carols...feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus to light the Christmas tree! Exchange of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Patty Lewis
Human Resources Director

----------------------------------------------
December 2nd
TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that, Hanukkah is an important holiday that often coincides with Christmas (though unfortunately not this year). However, from now on we're calling it our "Holiday Party." The same policy applies to employees who are celebrating Kwanzaa at this time. There will be no Christmas tree and no Christmas carols sung. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Patty Lewis
Human Resources Director

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December 3rd
TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
Regarding the anonymous note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table, I'm happy to accommodate this request, but, don't forget, if I put a sign on the table that reads, "AA Only," you won't be anonymous anymore. In addition, forget about the gifts exchange-no gifts will be allowed since the union members feel that $10 is too much money.

Patty Lewis
Human Researchers Director

----------------------------------------------
December 7th
TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
I've arranged for members of Overeaters Anonymous to sit farthest from the dessert buffet and pregnant women closest to the restrooms. Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with the gay men; each will have their table. Yes, there will be a flower arrangement for the gay men's table. Happy now?

Patty Lewis
Human Racehorses Director

----------------------------------------------
December 9th
TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
People! People! Nothing sinister was intended by wanting our CEO to play Santa Claus! Even if the anagram of "Santa" does happen to be "Satan," there is no evil connotation to our own "little man in a red suit."

Patty Lewis
Human Ratraces

----------------------------------------------
December 10th
TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
Vegetarians! I've had it with you people!! We're going to hold this party at Luigi's Open Pit whether you like it or not, you can just sit at the table farthest from the "grill of death," as you put it, and you'll get salad bar only, including hydroponic tomatoes. But, you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them right now...Ha! I hope you all have a rotten holiday! Drive drunk and die, you hear me?

The Bitch from Hell

----------------------------------------------
December 14th
TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery from her stress-related illness. I'll continue to forward your cards to her at the sanitarium. In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of
the 23rd off with full pay.

Happy Holidays!
Terri Bishop
Acting Human Resources Director

This Girl Is...

2009-12-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

Following RxBambi and Fidgeting Gidget, who followed Julochka and Spudbaloo

THIS GIRL IS....

...white citrus not warm vanilla sugar

...impatient and can't wait to figure out her future

...wondering if she will ever figure out what she wants to be when she grows up

...beaches and sun, not mountains and cold

...wishing she had more motivation to eat right and work out

...in love and counting the days until May 30, 2010

...an animal lover, but especially a dog lover

...a doer not a thinker

....a planner, not spontaneous

...a movie lover more than a book lover

...a crier at movies and tv shows

...thankful to have an amazing family

...diamonds not pearls

...silver not gold

...thrillers not romantic comedies

...anything but country

...tea not coffee

...salty not sweet (usually!)

...ready to buy a house and settle down!!!

What are you???

The List

2009-12-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

So, I got this idea from Sarah over at That's What She Said It's a list of celebrities that you would be allowed to play around with while committed. I would never ever cheat on E with a celebrity...but here are a few guys that I drool over and would totally let goose me if you know what I mean.

Eric Dane -HOT...this is why I watch Grey's Anatomy. (Yikes, I just read he was in a sex tape scandal, not good.)

Ryan Reynolds - hello abs

Shemar Moore - makes every episode of one of my favorite shows, Criminal Minds, that much better.

James Mardsen - I fell in love with him as a teenager. He was in a tv show I watched. But I looked him up on IMDB and can't find it .

anyway, those are a few... I think Brad Pitt is hot...but so does everyone else, so I'm excluding him from my list.

Anyway, earlier I was having a brain lapse on hot actors (who does that??) and so I typed in hot actors in Google. This guy came up.

Are you kidding me?? Michael Cera?? He may be funny...but he is NOT cute. Nor is Seth Rogan.
Just because they can make you laugh does not mean they are hot.

What celebrities do you dig?? Do you think Michael Cera or Seth Rogan are hot?

Goose a winner?

2009-12-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

So, I'm sitting at work, reading through all my blogs that I am still catching up on. I am reading through Next to Heaven's posts...and what do i see? THIS!!!! That's right folks! Goose here is a winner of a giveaway! First time ever for me!! Valerie from Next to Heaven was giving away a stupendous Thanksgiving giveaway for having reached 60 followers. If you don't follow her, she has a very cute etsy shop called Spunk & Sass Designs. She makes handmade jewelry. 1 lucky winner was going to receive a necklace and earrings not only for herself but for someone else as well! I'm not much of a necklace wearer so I'm hoping I can get two pairs of earrings.

So, I have perused her store and have picked out some really fabulous stuff. Here is what I hope to get.

Please check out Valerie's blog and her fun Spunk & Sass Etsy shop!!

HONK IF YOUR HAPPY!

I'm Back

2009-11-30T16:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, folks, I am back! Thanksgiving was a ton of fun as always. Good food, good drinks, good card playing, and most of all good times with family! But, of course, I forgot my camera at home, so I need to wait until my mom sends me pictures from her camera before I can post some of the festivities online. I forgot how boring work was while I was gone. It went so slow today :-( Have I mentioned how thankful I am to have you bloggers keeping me occupied at work!

I bought my first present for the holiday season today! My family is Jewish so we will be celebrating Hannukah with my family and Christmas with Eric's family.

8 days of Hannukah presents + 1 day of Christmas presents = me SCORING big time!

+ =

That's what came up when I looked for a Happy Goose Image.

Ok, not really. 8 days of presents is not quite what it sounds like it's cracked up to be. At least in my family it was 7 days of minor presents and 1 big present. But nowadays, I just ask for one big gift from my parents and that's basically what i get, which I'm fine with. When I was little, I did still celebrate Christmas, my mom converted, so she still wanted to have the tradition of Christmas and family time. We flew out to my grandmother's house every year to celebrate. But when she passed away when I was in highschool, that all ended. It was wonderful and I miss it a lot. But, I still get excited for the holiday season every year.

I do not jump on the Black Friday bandwagon. That business is just crazy. Although, I've been told the deals you can get are really quite good. So, I know what I'm getting my mom and I have a small idea for my dad, but I need to think of something else for him. Eric and I aren't getting each other much because we bought that grand tv for ourselves a few weeks back.

I'm finding that there is just not enough time in the day to do everything I want. Like blogging, watching new episodes of Lost, reading, playing video games....ugh...it's just too much. Oh well, what's a girl to do.

Turkey Recipe

2009-11-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I am going on vacation to New York for Turkey Day. I probably won't be blogging much, but I will leave you with this delicious sounding turkey recipe.

Ingredients:
1 whole turkey
1 large lemon, cut into halves
salt and pepper to taste
butter or olive oil, whichever you prefer

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Rub butter or oil over the skin of the turkey until it is completely coated.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you prefer.

Take a knife and gently separate the skin from the breast meat;
Slide lemon halves under the skin with the peel side up, one on
each side. This way the juice from the lemon will release into the breasts.

Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove cover and continue
to roast until juices run clear, basting every 15-20 minutes.

If you've followed these steps correctly, your turkey should
look like the one in the picture.

Bon Appetit!

HAPPY T-DAY EVERYONE!!!

The Cat Burglar

2009-11-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

So, I believe I mentioned before that E doesn't get me flowers much because the cats like to eat them. And I believe I also mentioned how on Thursday he brought me home some lilies. Here are the beautiful lilies he brought home for me.

So, the last few days, I have woken up in the morning to find puke on the floor. Usually there are a few leaves mixed in which is how I know one of the cats has been getting into the flowers. Plus a couple flowers have broken off the stems. I was never sure which cat was the culprit...maybe it was all 3...until now. Focker (name definitely appropriate in this case) outed himself.

He still has puke on him!! I have circled the area where the puke is...it's just a little more yellow than the rest of him. He also has yellow stains on his face, but those are a little harder to see. I don't know if he was rolling in his puke or what....but he is clearly the trouble maker. I'm not quite sure why he didn't clean himself up. It's kind of gross actually....but anyway. The mystery is solved. You would think if eating the flowers makes Focker puke every time, he would stop...but that doesn't seem to be the case. At least I know who to blame now.

Update: I just found puke on Tito.

That's not exactly in the right place. Maybe he was rolling in it with Focker. Hmmm...I still think it's Focker's fault...but Tito is no longer blame free.

What do you guys think?

Movies Movies Movies

2009-11-22T05:59:00.000-08:00

Today Eric and I are doing something a little crazy. Our movie theater in town has this deal called 5 Buck Club. You can send in your information to recieve a 5 buck club card, then after movies have been showing for a few weeks, they get put on the 5 buck club list, and they only cost 5 bucks. It's a pretty good deal considering movies full price are $9 or $10 bucks. So Eric gets sent emails of what's on the 5 buck club and this usually doesn't happen, but we wanted to see all 3 movies. So, we are going to make a marathon of it. 3 movies in one day! First we are going to see Couples Retreat.

Then we are going to see The Men Who Stare at Goats

Finally we are going to see Paranormal
Activity

So I hope we enjoy them! Have you seen them? Did you like them?

Thanksgiving

2009-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

So...I know I've said in a few posts now that I love Thanksgiving. I just think it's so great that I get to see so many people in my family that I care so much about. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I start looking forward to next year's Thanksgiving. Every year we travel to a different family member's house. This year Thanksgiving will be in New York. Little Falls, NY in fact. Thanksgiving for me consists of hanging out with family playing pinochle, drinking, eating tons of great food and desserts, more drinking... It's a good time. I switch between beer and martinis, a family favorite over the Thanksgiving holiday. Martinis are always made with gin (although to be honest, I prefer vodka) and there is literally just a splash of vermouth. This can make for a pretty interesting evening by the end of the night :-)

One of the host this year is D. He is a very dear family friend. This summer he had heart surgery, so it will be really great to see him. Here are some pictures of D and me over the years. We always try and take a picture with a martini in our hand. Some people have asked if he's my dad....just crazy. And he tells me some of his students (he teaches English at a small college) ask if I'm his wife!?! Seriously? Ewwww. But anyway, D is the greatest.

2008

I can't remember the other years...I really should have marked them..

this one is definitely quite a few years ago...don't I just look younger

That's all I can find. D has done a good job of keeping track of them all. Anyway, I went to his wedding when I was 2 years old...and we have been buddies ever since :-) I'm really looking forward to seeing him.

Happy Hour Friday

2009-11-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

I'm happy that last night E brought home flowers for me for no reason! I love that!! He brought home lilies. He must have been thinking about the wedding since those are the flowers I'm going to have :-)

I'm happy that it's almost Thanksgiving!!

I'm happy I get my engagement ring back tomorrow! I left it at the Jeweler last weekend to get cleaned and couldn't pick it up until this weekend!

I'm happy I finally organized my blog list. Now I have a "must read" folder. So, if I start commenting on your blogs more, it's because you are in my "must read" folder. Feel special. I finally did this because blueviolet talked about how she managed her blogs. Thanks for the idea!

This is not a happy thought, just a random thought...I need to start labeling my posts so that I can laugh at all the random searches that come up when people find my blog.

Rant and Rave Wednesday

2009-11-18T15:59:00.000-08:00

courtesy of LMB

Rave: I got my iphone cases that I ordered today. They are both cool in their own way. I got a chrome purple case and a checkered blue case. I also got a mirrored screen protector that I'm not sure I'm a fan of...but we'll see, I can always take it off.

Rant: Driving to work 20 miles away means that I feel like I'm getting gas every freakin week...I really do think it's almost that much. That sucks!!

Rave: At least gas isn't $4.00 / gallon like it was this time last year.

Rave: E is tutoring until 8:30 pm tonight which means as soon as I'm finished with this blog, I get to go and watch a couple more episodes of LOST, my new favorite drama

Rant: I think it's going to take me a while to get caught up on LOST, since I have to share the tv and E doesn't want to watch the show with me.

Rave: Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This is my favorite holiday because I get to spend it with all my family, mom's side and dad's side. I feel blessed that my family is so close like this.

Rant: My sister and her family won't be joining in the Thanksgiving festivities this year because she lives in Fairbanks, Alaska. Not sure how often she'll be able to join in on the festivities in future years either. Flights are really expensive when you are just going somewhere for a few days.

Rave: E got done with all his applications for PhD school!!!

Rant: Now the waiting game begins.

Rave: I am so excited for the prospect of being able to live somewhere new and exciting where maybe the job market for me would be a bit better too. Keep your fingers crossed for us that he gets into school somewhere awesome (Denver or Houston). Getting into school at all will be a big accomplishment though!

Writers Workshop

2009-11-15T05:07:00.000-08:00

I'm doing my first Writer's Workshop courtesy of Mama Kat. (this is a somewhat older prompt in case you are trying to find it) It's short, but may be interesting to some of you. And I'll do both my names :-)

The Prompt: How did you parents choose your name? What does it mean? What would you change your name to if you could?

My name is Dara. My parents chose names for my sister and me loosely based on names that were in the family. So, I had a great great grandmother (I think or maybe aunt?) named Dora and my mom's Great Aunt or something like that was named Debbie Dara....so there you have Dara.

It means "House of Wisdom" and of Hebrew origin (there is also a Dara of Celtic origin, but that's not what I was named after)

I wouldn't change my name. I love that it's unique. I often get comments that people say "what a pretty name, or how unique" which is nice. I was always the only Dara in my class and I have only met one other Dara. She came in for dog training when I was a trainer which I thought was so weird having to tell Dara what to do!

The thing I don't like is that it is ALWAYS pronounced wrong. I few people at work still pronounce it wrong, and I've been working there for over a year!! But I'm also bad about correcting people. I don't know why. I just don't like correcting them all the time. Anyway, my name is pronounced Dara like Sara. Not Dara with a soft "a" like father. So, I get tired of people always pronouncing my name wrong. And why do they do it anyway? No one has a problem with Sara, but when you stick a D at the beginning all bets are off I guess!!!

Because of my frustrations, I will not name my kids with a mispronounceable name.

By the way, I just had to look up the pronunciation of what "a" that was. I thought it was a long "a" but that would be like the "a" in able. A short "a" is like the "a" in cat. There is your English lesson for the day folks!

Ok, now for Goose.

I got the name goose because E used to call me a silly goose. So, at one point I put Goose on my banner for my cell phone. People saw that at work (pharmacy) and just started calling me Goose and it stuck!

Goose meaning - any of numerous wild or domesticated, web-footed swimming birds of the family Anatidae, esp. of the genera Anser and Branta, most of which are larger and have a longer neck and legs than the ducks.

I like having a nickname so I wouldn't change Goose at all :-) Interestingly, I seem to get avian nicknames. Ever since I was little, my mom has called me Bird :-)

So, there you have it.

Do you guys know anyone named Dara or Goose??

Six Word Saturday

2009-11-14T05:01:00.001-08:00

Excited!! Stephen King - Under the Dome

Happy Hour Friday

2009-11-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Otin and Bambi, check them out!

I'm happy it's Friday!! Even though E isn't with me tonight :-( he had to go to a conference in Chicago.

I'm happy that our PS3 Netflix CD came that will let us stream instant stuff netflix offers through the PS3. So, tonight I'm going to start watching Lost. Yay!!

I'm really happy that I finally decided what to do about bridesmaid dresses. Ultimately what worked out best was picking the color that I wanted and then finding the dress, not the other way around.

I'm happy that the girl scout cookies came in that I ordered, even though they make me fat, they are still delicious.

Like Bambi, I also ordered new Iphone covers and am excited to receive them in the next couple days.

I am happy I have dental insurance currently, which was the only reason I went to the dentist in the first place, but now the insurance company can pay for my cavities to get filled. It does mean I have to squeeze in all my appointments before my contract is potentially up though!

What are you happy about?

About Us

2009-11-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Valerie posted this on her blog and I couldn't think of anything to write about so I stole it. Since all of you are getting to know me more and more every day, I'm just going to tell you our names, if you haven't figured it out through reading other blogs. I'm Dara (like Sara) and my fiance is Eric. But you can still always call me Goose if you want :-)

1. What are your middle names?
Viola (named after my great grandmother) and Richard

2. How long have you been together?
5 1/2 years

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating?
technically we've known each other since I was in highschool and he was even younger! At the time though, I didn't like him. He was just my best friend's cousin and he would come over to their house to hang out with my best friend's brother because they were the same age. We didn't start hanging out until I came down to visit Bamboo when she was in college living with Eric.

4. Who asked who out?
haha...it soooo didn't work that way. I came down for a house party that Bamboo was throwing and we got to know each other a lot better that night :-)

5. How old are each of you?
I'm 28 and he's 25.

6. Did you go to the same school?
Highschool Yes. and then we went to the same Grad School.

7. Are you from the same home town?
Yes.

8. Who is the smartest?
We are both smart. Eric is really good at math and science. I'm more of an English / Writing type of person.

9. Who majored in what?
Eric got his Bachelors in Biology and is getting his masters in Microbiology / Immunology and is applying to PhD schools for that as well. I got my Bachelors in Psychology and my Masters in Industrial / Organizational Psychology.

10. Who is the most sensitive?
Me...I cry about stupid stuff.

11. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
I think to Sacramento for Thanksgiving one year.

12. Who has the worst temper?
I have heard that Eric's temper can be really crazy! There are definitely some stories from when he was younger...but I haven't ever seen a really big blow up. He still has the worse temper between the two of us though and he holds grudges longer...like he'll give me the silent treatment and could do it forever...which just annoys the hell out of me. Luckily we don't fight often.

13. How many children do you want?
Definitely 2

14. Who does the cooking?
Mostly me. He cooks if we're grilling.

15. Who is more social?
I would say I'm definitely more social and outgoing. Eric is pretty quiet at first and you have to hang out with him a few times before he really opens up. To be honest though, I think I'm the only one who has truely seen the completely goofy side of him that he has.

16. Who is the neat freak?
neither of us...although more him than me if I had to choose. But neither of us like cleaning much.

17. Who is the most stubborn?
We are both stubborn...but see #12 above....he can definitely be super stubborn when he wants to be.

18. Who wakes up earlier?
We are both early risers, but Eric wakes up earlier just on his own without an alarm clock. Many times he will be up as early as 5:30 am because he just wakes up and can't get back to sleep.

19. Where was your first date?
Again, no first date...our relationship didn't start like that. After the party (see #4 above) I started coming down to visit on the weekends and the relationship developed from there.

20. Who has the bigger family?
He does.

21. Do you get flowers often?
I used to get flowers pretty regularly which I loved! But the cats would always mess with the flowers, knock them over, try to eat them, etc. So Eric said it was a waste of money if we just had to lock them up in a room so the cats couldn't reach them....so I don't get flowers much anymore. If it's a special occasion, he will still get them for me though.

22. How do you spend the holidays?
We spend Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with his. I'm Jewish, so that part works out well.

23. Who is more jealous?
I think I tend to be more jealous about things.

24. How long did it take to get serious?
It took awhile....well sort of...going into it, I wasn't sure if we were just having fun or where it was going. But we kept seeing each other and it just grew from there.

25. Who eats more?
We both eat a lot. I should be eating less.

26. What do you do for a living?
Right now I work as a Learning Coordinator at a financial company....basically I do admin work. Eric is going to school. We both work as pharmacy technicians (which is how I know Bambi), but I'm down to working every other Saturday. Eric is a Teaching Assistant and tutors high school kids too.

27. Who does the laundry?
Right now, we both still do our own laundry and haven't really combined loads yet. I'm sure that will change at some point, but it's working just fine now.

28. Who's better with the computer?
I would say I'm slightly better, I have had more experience with different applications and how to do different stuff software wise. But he is better at fixing problems.

29. Who drives when you are together?
I used to drive all the time, partly that was because he had a crappy car. But he got a better car and I would say it's fairly even. But he doesn't like to do big city driving, so if we are going into the city, I almost always drive.

30. What is your song?
no specific song. We will be dancing to Michael Buble's "Everything" at our wedding.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Eric and I!!

Feelin the Love - learn a little more about me

2009-11-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

So, about a month ago, Little Miss Blogger gave me an Award, the Sugar Doll Award to be exact! I just love love love awards, they make me feel so special and make me feel like I belong in this blogosphere. Recently, McGillicutty passed this award along to me also, so I want to give them a big shout out and Thank You!!! Go check them out, they are awesome bloggers. Anyway, here is my beautiful award, and the associated task.

I have to tell you ten things about myself which you may not already know and then tag ten other bloggers to do the same.

1. I used to be a dog trainer. I didn't care what I studied in college because I knew I just wanted to do dog training after I graduated. I liked the actual dog training, but it was also connected with a kennel so I always had to come in on weekends to take out the dogs. Invariably, some dog or other had pooed in its cage and I had to clean it up. I got really tired of cleaning up poo so eventually left that business and went back to school. I'm really glad I learned all the skills I did with dog training though. I'm not sure I want to make it a career, but I like being able to help friends who have dogs. And maybe one day, I'll have my own dog to train.

2. I need to lose 40 lbs to be at my ideal weight, but I suck at getting myself motivated and love junk food. I am also not a fan of exercise. It doesn't help that my wedding dress is already too big, so it's not a good motivator in terms of having to be a certain weight to squeeze into my wedding dress. I'm hoping as I get closer to my wedding date, I'll have a mental kick in the pants. I would love to wear a bikini again for my honeymoon, but sadly, as of right, that still doesn't seem to be motivating me enough.

3. I was in a sorority in college and absolutely loved it. I am still best friends with a couple girls from my sorority and they will be in my wedding. My college years were some of the best years of my life.

4. My fiance is applying to PhD schools. He is looking at Denver, Houston, Pittsburg and our hometown as a backup. I would love to start a new exciting life somewhere. Going back to our hometown would not be my first choice in terms of location, but it would be nice to continue to be close to friends and family. Have any of you lived in any of the other places I mentioned? Did you like it / hate it? I'm excited for a potential change in our lives. A change of job market would also be good for me.

5. I still feel like I don't know what I want to do with my life. I haven't gotten a solid permanent job in the field I studied for grad school. I still feel like I failure for that, even if I can't do anything about this crappy economy. Sometimes, I think I will never find my "dream" job. Some people don't. I may be one of them. Even if I did get a job in what I studied in grad school, I don't think that is my dream job either.

6. I went to China to help a family friend adopt a baby when I was in highschool. It was an amazing experience to see how that process works and be immursed in such a different culture for a couple weeks. I'm not sure I would want to go back just for fun though.

7. I am a complete animal lover. Except for insects and creepy crawly things...who likes those.

8. I love medical mystery shows like Mystery Diagnosis on Discovery Health and like to read about neurological disorders like what Oliver Sacks writes about in "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat".

9. I was born 2 months premature which caused me to be blind in one eye. You'd never know by looking though :-)

10. I'm materialistic. It might not be the greatest trait, but it's true. I like to have stuff!

I really don't have ten bloggers to pass this on to. They have either gotten this award, or gotten lots of other awards lately. Feel free to take it as your own. Anyone who reads my blog deserves an award. I am also going to give a shout out to some blogs I follow that I really enjoy but aren't the award accepting type of blog. I guess what I'm saying is if they cared about awards, I would give it to them, but I know they probably don't, or it's just not that type of blog.

PostSecret
Mental Poo
Dr. Grumpy in the House
Cake Wrecks
FAST FOOD Pharmacy
Tales from Serentity Now Hospital
Advice and Humor from Mr. Condecending

It's the Little Things that Make me Happy

2009-11-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

So, if you are on Facebook than you probably know about Bejeweled Blitz, it's just like the game Bejeweled except that you have a minute to wrack up all the points you can. It's very addicting! Normally, my high score ranges in the high 100K, well tonight, I did something amazing.

I got 543,400 in Bejeweled Blitz!!! I've never seen anyone get that high of a score before on my friends list. The 2nd highest score on my friend's list is 303,900 which is definitely something to be proud of, but it's no 500K!! So, yeah, I'm proud. I just love friendly self imposed competition against facebook friends, don't you? haha.

If you guys are on facebook and want to share your RL information with me, I'd be happy to friend you. Then I can smoke you in Bejeweled Blitz too! ...just kidding...sort of... :-)

Let's Talk Music

2009-11-04T17:31:00.000-08:00

Fidgeting Gidget made this meme up and I love music so I thought I'd play along. You can play along too if you want!

Favorite Band: Maroon 5, although I don't really have a favorite band

Favorite Female Solo Artist: no one favorite, like Tracey Chapman, P!nk, Natasha Beddingfield, I actually don't have nearly as many female singers in my playlist as I do male

Favorite Male Solo Artist: no one favorite, love John Mayer, Phil Collins, Elton John, Billy Joel

Which genre of music do you listen to the most right now? pretty solid tie between Rock/Pop and current R&B/Rap....that's all I basically listen to

First concert? the Offspring!!

Most recent concert? Robert Cray Band

Favorite concert ever? Billy Joel / Elton John Face 2 Face Tour was awesome!!!!

Who have you seen in concert the most? How many times? I think Maroon 5 and John Mayer tie, both twice

First CD you ever owned? All 4 One

Most recently purchased CD? I rarely purchase cds much anymore, mostly just selected songs on Itunes

What was your "song" with your first love? didn't really have a "song" but for some reason "Break Your Heart" by Barenaked Ladies comes to mind...maybe that's why the relationship didn't last haha! He didn't break my heart though....I was sad at first...but so glad that relationship ended looking back.

What is/was your "song" with your current/most recent significant other? again, don't have a song per se, but will be dancing to "Everything" by Michael Buble at our wedding

Best break-up CD? don't have a strong opinion on this but Alanis Morisette Jagged Little Pill would probably be pretty good simply because "You Oughta Know" is on there

CD or CD's that never get old? Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane, John Mayer - Continuum, Tracey Chapman - Fast Car, Sublime - Sublime, The Offspring - Smash, O.A.R. - Any Time Now

What song makes you laugh every time you hear it? Put It In Your Mouth - Akinyele, very dirty, but very funny!!

If you've ever sang karaoke, what is your signature song? well, I don't karaoke often, I do remember one Christmas break going to the frat house and having a good time singing "Alcohol" by BNL

Did you have a class song in high school?? I'm sure there was, can't remember what it was though

What is the first song on your iPod if you randomly press play? "I'll Do Anything" - Jason Mraz

What song on your iPod is the most played? Viva La Vida - Coldplay

Song guaranteed to make you cry on almost any given day? songs don't make me cry

Most annoying song ever? dance songs that go on forever and ever I can't handle

Favorite new song? "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble, not sure how new it is, but it's new to me

If you're listening to music right now, what song is playing? T-Shirt - Shontelle

Are there any songs with really tough lyrics that you can recite by heart? Which ones? I used to be able to do "One Week" by BNL. I can do most of Hook by Blues Traveler

Favorite old school TV theme song? Fresh Prince of Bel Air of course!! "in west philadelphia born and raised on the playground is where I spent most of my days..."

Favorite Christmas song? no favorites....get tired of Christmas music quickly

Favorite MUSICal? My Fair Lady

Halloween Party 2009

2009-11-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

So the Halloween Party this year was a big success. My future cousin in law and his wife host it every year. There were a lot of great costumes this year. Unfortunately I suck at thinking about taking pictures but I do have a few good ones.

I was an Oktoberfest Girl and E was Hans from Hans and Frans, the SNL skit. It was cold outside so I wore leggings and boots!

Here are Hans and Frans together. They are here to Pump You Uuuup!! Frans (aka Jared, Bamboo's husband) looks like he has tumors...haha!

Here I am with the host of the party

This picture of E makes me laugh :-)

And finally, Mr. T was at our party as well.

The only downside to this annual event is that it is always outside, which can be fun, but it's often pretty cold by the end of October in Illinois. So, skimpy cute beer girl outfits are not always the best choice. Next year I think I'm going to have to pick something a little warmer. Although with the fires, I really wasn't too bad. Anyway, it was a fun night.

What were you all (or what were your kids) for Halloween??

New Haircut

2009-10-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

When I think of something I want, I want it now!! I'm so impatient. E doesn't like it because when it comes to holdiays and stuff like that, I usually have bought myself all the things I want already. Anyway, last night I scheduled a haircut appointment, I saw a stylist that I don't usually see because my stylist was booked until November 18th and I didn't want to wait that long! When I got to the salon, I had brought the pictures of the 2 styles I liked with me. I talked to the stylist a little about it and we decided to go with the somewhat longer cut, although I have mine cut a little shorter than in that picture. She said the first cut, while cute, was very high maintence and would work best with someone with straight hair. So, anyway....Here is the new do. My head is a little tilted, so it looks shorter on one side, but it's not. I'm quite happy with it!

Also, when I came home from work today I had a surprise waiting for me. Our tv came in!! It wasn't supposed to come in until Thurday. Somehow E managed to get it, put it all together and hook it up! He is tutoring so I can't ask him how he did it until later tonight. Here it is all set up though.

Well I'm starving (skipped lunch, work was hectic today!) it's time for me to get something to eat and veg out in front of my new TV!!! Enjoy your night Bloggers!

Hairstyles

2009-10-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

So, for the past week, I've been thinking about changing my hairstyle. I really like the look of the short bobs that are out there. I guess the hairstyle I have right now is sort of like a bob, but I've been wearing my hair curly for quite a while now, so it's harder to tell the style. It's so easy to wear it curly, but I'm thinking I might want to go back to wearing it straight. That definitely involves more work, blowdrying and straightening every day!, but I think straight hairstyles can look so much cuter. So, here is my hair style right now.

That's Bamboo on the left by the way. But this a recent picture of me. Curly shoulder length hair with some layers in it, that you can't see from the picture. Now here are some styles that I really like.
Actually, I found this picture on facebook. It was on the quiz "what kind of hairstyle should you have?" and my result was "a cute bob". Well that's what I want! I think this chick's hair may be a little shorter than I want to go, I'm thinking chin length, but I still think it's a really cute cut and color. Even though I wouldn't go blonde, but could do dark and light browns.

I also like this one, which is more similar to what I already have I think.

here is another angle

I'm also trying to decide if I want it inverted at all, where it's a little longer in front. I think a lot of times it can look too extreme though. So, anyway, that's what I'm thinking.

Also, I normally have been parting my hair in the middle, but I think if I got a cut like this, I would part it on the side...that seems to be the norm for these cuts.

Here's a pic of me with straight hair. That's E by the way, isn't he cute ;-) I guess that cut is similar to the ones I like above, I would just need to add some more layers.

So anyway, what do you all think? Which hairstyle do you like best?

Present for Us

2009-10-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well...E and I finally did it! We have been talking about it for a long time, but were unsure because of the money. Last night, we finally got a new TV and surround sound speakers! It's going to be so amazing. They had to order the tv, so we can't get that until Thursday, and we are going out of town next weekend, so I'm not sure when everything will finally get installed, but it's so EXCITING! This is going to be our Hanukkah, Christmas, Birthday, and Wedding present. But it's going to be AWESOME....so now you are probably wondering what we purchased.

We got a 50" Panasonic Plasma tv

We also got a new stand so that we can mount our tv, and now it will swivel which i think is pretty cool in itself.

Then, to spoil ourselves we got a Denon surround sound speaker system with receiver so everything will hook up into that main receiver which will be much nicer.

E will also be able to play his Playstation 3 hooked up to this huge tv and it will have surround sound too. How cool is that! And I'm going to be able to rock out on Rock Band and Guitar Hero and it will sound awesome. Plus, who needs to go to the movies when you can just rent blue rays and have almost the same experience in your home!

If you guys were local, I would invite you all over for a big blogger Movie Fest. Sadly you are not.

Guilty or Innocent

2009-10-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Lil Ms. Blogger's blog and liked it...so here goes. Feel free to participate if you want!

Guilty or Innocent?

You can only answer the question with Guilty or Innocent.

Asked someone to marry you? Innocent
Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Guilty
Danced on a table in a bar? Innocent I think...
Ever told a lie? Guilty
Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty
Kissed a picture? Guilty
Slept in until 5 PM? Innocent
Fallen asleep at work/school? Guilty
Held a snake? Guilty.
Been suspended from school? Innocent.
Worked at a fast food restaurant? Innocent.
Stolen from a store? Guilty.
Been fired from a job? Innocent.
Done something you regret? Guilty
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Guilty.
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Guilty.
Kissed in the rain? Guilty
Sat on a roof top? Guilty
Kissed someone you shouldn’t? Guilty.
Sang in the shower? Guilty.
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Innocent
Shaved your head? Innocent.
Had a boxing membership? Innocent.
Made a boyfriend cry? Guilty.
Been in a band? Innocent.
Shot a gun? Guilty.
Donated Blood? Guilty.
Eaten alligator meat? Guilty.
Eaten cheesecake? Guilty.
Still love someone you shouldn’t? Innocent
Have/had a tattoo? Innocent.
Liked someone, but will never tell who? Innocent.
Been too honest? Guilty.
Ruined a surprise? Innocent.
Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterwards? Guilty.
Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty.
Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Guilty.
Joined a pageant? Innocent.
Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? Guilty.
Had communication with your ex? Guilty.
Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Innocent.
Got totally angry that you cried so hard? Guilty.

Bamboo's Wedding

2009-10-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy at work, I haven't had any time to blog! Shocker I know. Anyway, the wedding this past weekend was a great time. Everything went smoothly, the ceremony was terrific, and the reception was a lot of fun. I love to dance so that is what I was doing all night at the reception. I'm pretty sure I got a good workout that night. NOW FOR THE BIG REVEAL, you finally get to see what Bamboo and I look like!!!! Here are some pics from the wedding!

The gorgeous bride
the dress from the back. I just love it!!

Goose and Bamboo
that pic kinda sucked. Here is a better one of us.

the bouquets. The florist was awesome. I'll be using her for my wedding too.

and of course the Bride and Groom!!

It was a great weekend. Bamboo was a beautiful bride! Now I just can't wait for my wedding!!!

this weekend

2009-10-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have been a slacker this week. For some reason, I just haven't found the time to do a lot of blogging. I have actually been busy at work the past couple days. Which is good for me, but bad for the blogging world

Good news though: I got an official extension on my work contract. So, now I'll be there until at least mid December. Yay!

This weekend coming up is going to be filled with fun, friends, and family. Bamboo's wedding is on Saturday!!!! I can't wait to stand up at her wedding as she gets married. As one of the bridesmaids, I'm also giving a speech. Bamboo and I have known each other for 14 years!! And we have been best friends the whole time. There is SO much I could talk about. In fact, every time I would think about what I would say, I would start to cry. There are just so many memories between us, all good. I can honestly say, I don't think we've ever gotten in a big fight. We rarely even have arguments. I think this is partly due to our personalities....neither one of us likes conflict...but, more importantly, it's because our personalities mesh so well. Anyway, I ultimately decided not to get too crazy emotional with the speech or else I wouldn't be able to give it...so I hope she likes it.

I will post pics of the event. Bamboo has a BEAUTIFUL dress. The bridesmaid dresses are awesome too.

The other thing that I'm excited about is that my parents are coming to the wedding. Bamboo invited them because we have been friends for so long. But I also met my fiance through Bamboo. E is Bamboo's cousin. So, this will be a great opportunity for my parents to meet more people in my soon to be extended family :-)

I hope everyone has a great weekend, because I know I'm going to! If you have time, stop on by Bamboo's page and send your congrats to her big day.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-10-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

I had to double check the day before I posted this because it doesn't feel like a Tuesday.

I am a worrier. Always have been always will be. I expect people to be home when they say they will. otherwise I WORRY. I think you got in an accident or something. E said he would be home at 6:30 and now it's 7:10. He is probably just running late, but he usually lets me know since he knows I'm a WORRIER. So, now I am worrying....and I hate worrying!

Um...honestly, those are the only thoughts going through my head right now. So that's all you guys get for now.

Are you guys worriers???

update: E came home. Yay! I'm just a big worry wart. It's one personality trait that I hate, but I've been this way since I was little.

Giveaway - not mine, but you should enter

2009-10-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

I just found this pretty awesome giveaway. I haven't really gotten too involved in entering giveaways, but I see that a lot of people are really into it. Anyway, Becky said that if I blogged about this giveaway, I could win an extra entry. So, I'm blogging about it. And if you enter and mention my name, then I get another entry on top of that! So check out this cool giveaway. It involves a Starbucks gift card, I mean who doesn't want that!

so anyway, you get this fun tote

PLUS

- a bottle of OPI's "I'm Not Really A Waitress," nail polish (to see the color, click here)
- a $10 gift card to Borders
- a $5 gift card to Starbucks (because really, what good is a fall day without a good book and a delicious drink?)
- and...a couple other things (all fall-related) that she won't quite reveal yet

so go check her giveaway out and mention me!

I Own A Robot

2009-10-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Litter Robot to be exact. I think it might be one of the best things I've ever bought myself! So what is the Litter Robot you might ask? Well, it's a litter box. Remember I have 3 cats. Here is a picture of my Litter Robot. It's a little dirty, yes, but that is because it is well used (and I'm too lazy to clean the outside just so that it looks pretty).

So, what exactly does it do? Well, the cats go inside and do their business. Then the globe actually rotates around the base. The loose litter is sifted through holes on the inside of the globe and the leftover clumped stuff drops down into a container on the bottom. The the globe cycles back around and the litter sifts back into the bottom of the globe. What does this mean? It means I never have to scoop cat poop again!!! I just fill the globe up with cat litter weekly and make sure the level stays full and then once a week, I dump the bottom container. That's right, 3 cats, and I only have to dump the container once a week! This saves me sooo much time! You can see I still have my yellow poop scoop, but that was from the old days. I never use it any more. If you are interested, I have linked the website. They have some good demonstrations of how it works. It is pricey considering you can get a basic litter box for $10, but I figure I am definitely saving money on the amount of litter I use, since I never have to dump the litter out completely, I just top it off every so often. And, the time and hassle it saves me is priceless! So, if you have multiple cats, I highly recommend the litter robot! I think I've had mine for 3 years or so, and I have yet to have any problems with it mechanically.

http://www.litter-robot.com/litter-robot-demonstration.aspx

I've also been thinking about getting automatic feeders for my cats. I'm hesitant though because I think I would really need to get 3 feeders for my 3 cats. I just don't think it would be practical to share one feeder. The reason I think an automatic feeder would be great is because they are so ANNOYING when it comes to feeding time. I feed them twice a day and they just go crazy when they think it's feeding time. I will feed them anywhere between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm in the afternoon when I'm not working (like today). Well it's 4:00 pm and they started whining at 2:00 pm. Seriously. They have pretty much been whining for 2 straight hours! If I got an automatic feeder, maybe they would learn that the food doesn't come from me anymore, but from the magic feeder. E doesn't think we should spend the money for 3 automatic feeders, but I'm really starting to think about it. Any thoughts on this from you cat owners out there?

Accents

2009-10-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

I was just reading A Nut in a Nutshell and she asked the question if anyone could fake an accent. I certainly can't fake any accents well. But, I LOVE certain accents. I was at work the other day and a man called in with a Delicious accent. I had to ask him where he was from and it was England, which I thought. Some English accents do sound a little different, I'm sure it has to do with where they are from. He said he used to live in London, but I don't know if that was where he was actually from or not....anyway, his in particular was just yummy! I so wish I was marrying someone with a British accent :-) I would want him to talk all the time! Australian (and New Zealand) accents come in as a close 2nd for me. They are pretty similar to British I think although if you asked an Aussie or a Brit they would probably not think so. Those are the main 2 accents that I swoon over. I really don't think any other accents are as neat, like german or french...just don't do it for me.

I also wonder if people with other accents other think American accents are sexy. Any of you with accents out there, do you love how Americans sound?

What accents do you love??

Music

2009-10-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

I decided to post something other than Happy Hour Friday today. Although what I'm posting about still makes me happy.

Music!!! I love music. It fills my car on my way to and from work every day. Mostly I play my ipod because I know it will be music I like. I wouldn't say I am totally eclectic in terms of my music selection. I don't really listen to classical or country or jazz. My favorite genre is rock n roll. All kinds of Rock, whether it be pop, classic rock, oldies, soft rock, I listen to all of that. I also have some dance tunes. That is what made me write this post tonight actually. The Real McCoy's "Another Night" came on my ipod....pretty old school huh? Do you remember that song? Anyway, hearing that song took me back to when I was reading the Green Mile at my grandmother's house one summer. Isn't it interesting, at least for me anyway, that just by hearing a song, it can bring with it a specific memory. Even if I have heard the song other times in other places, there always seems to be a specific memory associated with some songs, just by chance.

There is another song "Oh, What a Night" by the 4 Seasons, that when I hear it, I again think about another book I was reading long ago. I can't even remember the book now, but I can picture myself in my bed at my parents house reading that book. You guys probably think I always read and listen to music at the same time, but that's really not the case. Others songs will bring me back to experiences I have had with certain people, or make me think of certain friends. It's pretty amazing if you think about it. It's just a song. But once that song becomes associated with something else, it becomes so much more than a song. I guess a classic example of this would be first dances at weddings. I have chosen the song E and I are going to dance to as our "first dance" and now that song will forever symbolize that.

Does this type of phenomenon happen to you guys? What songs bring you back to a specific memory?

Something About Otin

2009-10-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

Blah Blah Blah Otin Blah Blah. Blah BLAH BLAH, blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blllllllaaaaah. Otin, blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah, BLAH blah blah blah, blah Otin. BLAH BLAH blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah! blah blah blah blah blah blah BLAH OTIN!!! Blah Blah.

I am still relatively new to the blogging world, but Otin was one of the first bloggers that checked out my blog. He always makes a point to read it and comments quite a bit too. I really enjoy his stories, I can't believe how good he is at those surprise endings. Plus, I think he might be the only guy that reads my blog. That gives him a lot of cred right there. And he has a crude sense of humor. I do too, so I think his comments are hilarious.

Thank you Otin for being a follower and commenting when you see fit. I see you commenting on almost every blog I ever find. I don't know how you do it, but somehow you find the time to be everyone's bloggy friend. So here's to Otin! Hip Hip Hooray!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-10-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

I got an advertisement email to be Levi jeans on Amazon. I don't think I would ever do that! I mean for Levi's?? That's one of those things where I can just go to the store, try some on, and buy them. Then I wouldn't have to wait for a package to come in the mail....so yeah...that's not so special.

I also got an email from Victoria Secret offering 2/$50 sweatpants. I looked and they are the yoga pants though. I haven't tried those, but I really love their boyfriend sweatpants. I'm thinking I should pass on this offer though, because I already have like 5 pairs of sweatpants from there and really how many do I need?

I picked up my bridesmaid dress for Bamboo's wedding. We are down to 11 days! Very exciting!!

I get to watch House tonight. I'm probably never going to be able to watch it on Mondays when it airs because E tutors on Monday nights and it's one of his favorite shows.

I really don't have too many random thoughts in my head today. I'll have more time for blogging tomorrow.

5 simple words

2009-10-05T04:46:00.000-07:00

I got the idea and words for this post from Little Ms Blogger.

Ms. B was given 5 words from another blogger and she did a post about the words she was given (which I've linked to above). She then offered to give 5 words to someone else. I thought it would be fun, so now I'm going to post on the five words she gave me. If you want to join in, tell me in the comments and I'll send you your own five words!

Wedding - I'm getting married May, 30, 2010 and couldn't be more excited about it. It's going to be so much fun!! I am having it at a state park by where I live. My best friends and family are going to be there, and it's going to be a party celebrating love. I can't think of anything better! It's still not all planned out yet, but I have a while yet. I am so so fortunate that my parents are helping me out financially with it. It really wouldn't be the party it's going to be without their help. As for my fiance, he is the best thing that ever happened to me. He makes me laugh every day. I'm serious when I say that. He is just a big goofball. I think it's so important to have laughter in a relationship. I am so excited for our future together. Plus we are going on a fantastic honeymoon to Jamaica which I'm super excited for as well!

Job - most of you know that the whole job thing has been a real struggle for me. Not finding a job in my field has been the single most frustrating, challenge I have ever faced in my life. I guess my life has been pretty low key, I know. I graduated in May, 2007 with a degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology. At the time I graduated, I wasn't applying to jobs vigorously because we were waiting to hear if E got into pharmacy school. He didn't. So, I don't know if my timing was off from the start or what. Everyone else in my class ended up getting full time permanent jobs in the field of I/O, which is like HR. I know I shouldn't compare myself to them....everyone's situations are different. But, I definitely do. I feel like the biggest loser in the job department. Not to mention the stress it puts on me financially. Now, I haven't been jobless since 2007. I had a couple internships and then I landed a contract job at a financial company in their training department. I worked there 6 months, got laid off for 4 months, and then they brought me back for phone support and minor project work. I'm supposed to be contracted until October 31st, but I'm hoping it will get extended. I am glad to have this job. It definitely helps pay the bills and keeps me from being bored, but I'm not being challenged at all. Plus there is no job security in it. It's not like having a full time permanent job which is everyone's goal and what I can't seem to manage to do. And I'm definitely jaded by the whole job search thing. I have gotten plenty of interviews. My resume is solid. I'm just not getting THE JOB. So every time I go on an interview, my spirits are raised, and every time I hear that I didn't get it, they come crashing down.

E is going to be applying to PhD schools soon. And honestly, at this point, I am just hoping my contract job will last me until the end of May. That way I can start fresh. Either he gets into school and I start applying wherever that is, or he doesn't get in, and we both start applying all over the country. That is my hope. I think I have worn out the St Louis market, and it doesn't like me anyway.

Happiness - I would say, in general, I am happy. There are times when the whole job thing brings me down, but that's really the only downer in my life right now. I have a great relationship and close friends that are here to support me. And basically, I am a happy person. I have never gotten into a really bad funk about the whole job thing, just cried some and then gotten over it. Tomorrow is another day. I am grateful that I have a personality that will allow me to do that. Plus, E was tired of me being a Debbie Downer, when there was nothing I could do about the situation. But, like I said above, I am going to work every day and making money, even if it's not the job I want to be in. Plenty of people are in that situation. I just don't want to feel like I'm wasting my time in terms of not gaining the right experience for getting jobs in HR in the future. But, I guess you can spin a job any way you want it. Anyway, I'm Happy for the most part. Check out my Happy Hour Fridays. You'll see, there is always something to be happy about.

I want to say quickly that blogging has made me really happy in terms of work. Seriously, you don't understand how boring work is. I don't have anything to keep my busy on a daily basis. I answer phones, but it's not like phones are ringing off the hook all day long. And occasionally, I'll have projects that keep my busy anywhwere from 10 minutes to a couple days. But for the most part, there is a lot of down time. Seriously, sometimes I wonder why they pay me to do this job, but that's not my problem. Anyway, as you just read, before when I was there, it was a different project I was working on, but I was still bored. I would try to pass the time reading Time Magazine website or basically any website that peaked my interest on a particular day. It made for some really long days. This time around, my friend RxBambi had started a blog, and I started reading it at work. Then I decided, hey, I could actually start my own blog! This has been such a life saver for me at work. You all really help me pass the time by being able to read and comment on your blogs on a daily basis. So, thank you bloggers!!

Travel - I love to travel! But strangely, I get nervous thinking about traveling outside the country by myself. I don't think I would want to do that. I want to travel with someone. Anyway, my family is spread out all over the country so in my life, I have been able to travel many places in the US to see family or just go on vacation. There are still places in this country that I haven't been to and that I would love to go to. San Diego being at the top of the list. Then, I would love to check out some of the national parks, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc that I have never been to either. I have been to England, France, and China, which were all great experiences, but there are plenty of other countries I would love to visit as well. In my life, I would LOVE to be able to go on an African Safari. If I had a bucket list, that would be on it. I would also love to visit Australia and go to Germany to meet my fiances family.

Traveling also makes me think of Thanksgiving. I would say almost 10 years ago, the whole family mom and dad's side started meeting up for Thanksgiving. We would travel to a different family member's house every year and have a big Thanksgiving with everyone. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because of this. It is often the one time each year that I get to see some of my family members. I am also just so fortunate that the whole family on both sides gets along and that we are able to spend this time together. I know this is not the case for a lot of families out there and I don't take it for granted. This year, we'll be going to New York :-)

Pet Peeves - I have pet peeves, but not too many. I definitely have driving pet peeves, which I'm sure I have blogged about before. Go check out Otin's post about driving, I agree with all the things he said. Honestly, I can't think of anything huge right now. Basically, when shit bothers me, I blog about it!

Whew...that took a while. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about how these 5 simple words relate to me!

Happy Hour Friday

2009-10-02T04:52:00.001-07:00

Once again, I'm very happy that I woke up early enough to post this morning instead of tonight. I always feel left out when everyone else has already done their daily posts for the day. I guess I just need to resign myself to the fact that I'm a night poster. I guess I could cheat and post a day ahead like Bambi and Otin do for Happy Hour Friday...but I think that might get confusing.

I'm happy that i think E and I are going to a movie tonight. Movies are always a good time. To be honest though, there hasn't been a lot that I have wanted to see in the theater recently. We are going to The Informant. E has been looking forward to that one for a while. And who doesn't like to stare at Matt Damon for two hours...even if he looks like a dork in this movie. Plus, our theater has a $5 club so once the movie has been out for a couple weeks, you can see it for 5 bucks!! We always wait to pay that price now. Who wants to pay $10 to go see a movie..that is ridiculous.

I'm happy that I think my halloween costume is coming today (Remember, fatty here had to order a larger size). Anyway, I've been obsessing about checking the tracking info and it says it was dropped off in the Lou yesterday, so I'm hoping that means I get it today.

Speaking of fatty, I have gained a few pounds and do not like the number I see on the scale right now. But, I know I've been eating TONS of crapola. We have 3 different bags of chips in the house right now. NOT good. I had 2 fajita burritos last night! REALLY not good. So, I need to tone it down for a few days I think. I just love the freedom of being able to eat whatever I want. And that is exactly what I don't like about trying to eat healthy. It is just NO FUN!!! Anyway, I digress.

Back to being happy.

There is a glimmer of a possibility that my contract could get extended at the company I'm working at. It's supposed to end October 31st. While my job isn't anything great, it would be awesome if I got extended because the money is pretty good. Enough for me to live and save a little and spend a little. So, I'm really hoping that happens. I probably won't find out for sure for a couple weeks, but the chances look fairly good.

I'm happy that I will be able to play more Guitar Hero 5 this weekend and I'm really happy E got the internet working on the Wii again. That means I can play around with all the online features. Yay!!!

Ok. Shower time. Gotta get ready for work a.k.a. another fun filled day of reading all your blogs!!

The Body Suit

2009-10-01T15:40:00.001-07:00

I was browsing through my Victoria's Secret catalog when I came across this

I had to stop and stare for a minute at what I was looking at. Did she tuck her shirt into her panties? Why would she do that? And, then I looked over to see what they were advertising and it said "Body Suit" so then I realized it really was one outfit, and they meant to do that!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?! Seriously, I have browsed through a lot of Victoria's Secrets catalogs and somehow have never come across this idiotic idea. Bloggers - do any of you out there own something like this?? I don't mean to offend if you do, but seriously, how hard is it to tuck in your shirt into your pants??? And without any pants on, the model just looks silly! You can't look sexy when it looks like you accidentally tucked in your dress shirt into your underwear. I mean, is this a time saver? I guess it saves you the hassle of your shirt getting untucked...but what if you have to go to the bathroom?? Are there 2 buttons to undo, like in little baby onsies? That would be hilarious! Or maybe there's a little hole in exactly the right place. Or maybe you just pull the panties to the side and hope you don't pee all over yourself.

Dear Victoria's Secret: I love your underwear and your bras, I LOVE your boyfriend sweatpants and live in them in the winter...well...to be honest, all your round. But, I think I'll pass on your lovely body suit. I'm OK with the fact that it will take me a few extra seconds to tuck my shirt in.

Sincerely,

Goose

Birds on a Wire

2009-09-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

My mom sent this to me in an email...if you are at all musically inclined, it's pretty neat.

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.