__________

Two Years, Baby!

2009-06-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my two year wedding anniversary and two weeks shy of seven years of being exclusive, with one year of casual dating before that. So, I don't think either of us is going anywhere. As RA stated, we've learned to share the hammock. In two years, we've adopted a family of animals (including our newest addition: our neighbor's dog), bought a house, planted many things, and were even able to walk down the aisle toward each other again (bridal party)!

I love looking back over our first years together, but I enjoy looking forward to the next year even more. Travel (Wisconsin in 3 weeks and maybe Savannah, Georgia or Belize[!!!] later), a new nephew in two months, a rejuvenated backyard, a possible career expansion, no new animals, and no broken cars are all things I hope for in the next year.

Rookie Mistake

2009-06-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

So, the tomatoes. They have arrived. They are still mostly green, but they number well over a hundred.

I knew when I planted them they were too close together. "It's fine," I told myself, "it's an experiment, survival of the fittest and all that." Well, apparently, they are all fit. And fertile. And heavy. I let the ones planted closest together kind of slide on the staking schedule, thinking it would be fine if they kind of sprawled on one another. Well, weekend before last, I noticed they were sprawling right out of the bed, so it was time to resume tying them up. At least I tried. The last few days I have noticed the overburdened end of the bed looked... different. Wrong. I started poking around the vines and realized that the fruit had gotten so heavy that where I had tied the nodes to the bamboo stake, the string has slid down the stake to lay the vines right back where they were, on top of everything else. Obviously, since half the fruit on that side was now sitting directly on the soil, a solution had to be found. So, I am hoping to institute this:

From Random

I'll put up a before and after picture to see if it helps.

Now it's time for garden picture dump! Wooo!

Go big or go home....

2009-05-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

So, funny story. On the last day of detail, I got my truck stuck for the first time and saw my first snake. Luckily, the snake was just a black racer of which I only saw the tail end. But when I say I got my truck stuck, I mean stuck. As in, scared I had broken the axle stuck. Except, yay, Built Ford Tough.

Scene: perfectly dry and compacted dirt trail, winding around in the wilderness. I drive around a curve and over a stream, and WHAM! Nose into horn and flying of pens, pencils, empty coffee cups, and bug spray. This perfectly good road apparently has a rusted out culvert across the stream. After surveying the damage, I find that my left front tire has fallen through the road bed, suspended about five feet above the bottom of the pipe, and the truck is held up by the bumper and step bar. And there is no way I'm getting out of this.

So, I hiked back the highway and started the 3.5 mile trek up to the nearest house and flagging traffic that might have a cell phone with service (seriously, an entire county in which the largest nationwide network gets no service = rural). I get several polite waves back, but, while friendly, does me no good. Luckily, 2.5 miles in to my leisurely walk, a logging truck with a very nice driver pulled over and gave me a ride the 8 miles to the nearest town (in which I barely get service). Fast forward two hours, coworker has shown up, truck is winched out, no visible damage, and mapping is finished. My boss is quoted is saying, "Well, if you're going to get stuck, at least you did it right."
End scene.

Hopefully, I can add a picture later once my husband shows me how to download a picture from his old phone.

Also, tomatoes! Now I just need them to turn red. I tell them that at every opportunity.

From Random

Not working

Attack of the Killer Pollen

2009-04-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day in the history of my entire life that seasonal allergies have affected me so much as to actually bring down my quality of life. And not only did I feel weird, my eyes watered so much that my contacts came out, my left eye was so puffy that I couldn't see out of it, and not even Claritin cleared it up. So, while I am doing computer work and taking a break, here's a photo montage.

One of the areas I've been mapping in. Jealous? Don't be. The views were about the only nice part.

And it was spring, so the flowers were out. That was nice.

On the weekends, I found out my puppies like tomatoes.

From Random

And waffles.

Also, my garden exploded.

From Random

In this picture, you should be able to find three tomato plants, one parsley plant and one rosemary plant (top), four Swiss chard plants, fifteen spinach plants, and one hundred and thirty-three thousand kale plants. And this is after I thinned more than half of them. And this is only one quarter of the garden! For scale, the cell phone = 3 inches.

I also went to Lincoln, Nebraska.

From Random

Disregard the grimy hotel window. Facing 9th Ave, Cornhusker Stadium is just off to the left. It was pretty cold, as it was back in February.

And how's that for a photo dump? Actually, let's take this one step more and try out the video function.

2009-03-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

You know what will kill a blog? Two months of detail in a place that doesn't have internet access combined with not having internet access at your house.

So, at least for the next month, this blog will probably continue to be pretty quiet, but I do hope to put some updates up soon. I at least have to put up pictures of the killer kale that is taking over my garden. And now, back into land of no connectivity....

Who Are You Wearing?!?

2009-01-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

I hit a major writing block this week, but luckily RA of definitelyra.com agreed to interview me! It's meme time!

1. Why did you start blogging?

In the fall of 2005, I interned on Capitol Hill for a senator. There wasn't a whole lot to do, so after I had seen an article about her in The Washingtonian, I began reading amalah.com. It was the week after her son Noah was born, and I got hooked on reading her archives at work. Soon, I made my way over to misszoot and joyunexpected. Eventually, I wanted to start commenting on their posts, but it seemed a little creepy to me to become a regular commenter without them knowing anything about me. So, I started up this here blog in 2006, let it languish for about a year, then started it back up again. I think I started it back up as a way to be able to look back later at my early years with my husband, to keep everything in perspective, and, since my job sometimes requires a lot of travel, to keep him updated with my day to day life. Also, I love to talk, and I like to think people are listening.

2. What makes up a great weekend?

Well, it would have to be a weekend in the summer, because I hate the cold. A great weekend would probably entail my husband bringing some sushi home on Friday, a Saturday spent picking actual vegetables from my garden and cooking up some Italian, and a Sunday afternoon in the kiddie pool in the back yard, drinking a cold beer, and playing gin with waterproof cards with David.

3. What was the best gift you received recently?

I'm not going to include what I'll be getting for my birthday (tomorrow!) because I technically haven't gotten it yet. I'll say the cookbook my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas (Williams-Sonoma Classic, it's huge and has so many recipes I'm not supposed to be eating right now) and the vegetable bed that David built on Monday. Finished size: 16'x3'x15". I think I'll be able to fill it up.

4. If you could hire a personal servant, who would you choose?

I'm going to take this as type of personal servant, instead of a name of a person I want to work for me. It would probably have to be a washer-person. I absolutely hate laundry and will let it pile up until I'm reduced to going commando to work. And even when I get around to cleaning it, I will leave the clean clothes in the hamper basically until the clean hamper is empty and the dirty hamper is full again. David is meticulous about his laundry, though, so I try to do laundry at the same time as him so I have someone to motivate me to fold my clothes.

5. Which occupation would you try for a week?

I would love to try to be a teacher. I love kids and love science, but didn't want to commit to an Education major because I didn't know if I love kids that much. I get to talk to classrooms every now and again in my current job, and it is so much fun to expose children to new things. Through these guest talks, though, I learned could never teach junior high. I wanted to throttle those kids.

Disjointed

2009-01-13T12:31:00.001-08:00

- I'm down to 147!! Progress is being made. This is the first time I've been under 150 in at least a year. I've been working out here and there, but I wanted to see the number go down before it plateaued or came back up.

- Garden planning is still spinning around in my head. I need to measure how large I want the bed to be in order to make lumber or seedling determinations. Also, in order to see some harvest before June, I'm going to try an early crop of lettuce and spinach until planting the less cold hardy things in April.

- I've also got a few starter ideas for the yard/flower beds. We're going to put in edger blocks to keep the mulch in and, hopefully, the dogs out. Then I'd like to pull out the bedraggled mini boxwoods that are in there and put in some creeping phlox (which is evergreen in this area and blooms at least twice a year) in the front and something mid-size in the middle, maybe some azalea bushes or something. I would like to put a shrub that blooms through the summer, though, so maybe I'll mix and match (I don't really care for Encores). Also, the next few weeks are prime tree planting time, and I am so looking foward to putting in a Japanese Magnolia in the front yard. It will take some precision, though, as we have to judge the right distance from both the field lines of the septic system and the power lines.

- Is anybody that drops by here from the Great Plains area? I am going to training the first week in February and have absolutely no idea what to expect or what to pack. I don't have a parka, I don't own a scarf or snow boots, and I've never driven in snow. Am I completely up a creek?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2009-01-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am feeling very contrary this morning. It was cold, this has been a long week, and I stayed up way past my bedtime to watch the BCS Championship game (GO SEC!). Plus, I am tired of salads. I had some very filling and tasty salads this week, with homemade dressing, but I feel like a rabbit. Tonight: steak! I haven't weighed myself since Monday (153), so I'm not sure how much progress I've made. I'm stepping on the Wii Fit tonight, and I swear I'll scream if I'm not down a few pounds. But, back to the actual topic of this post...

This year I am starting an honest-to-goodness garden. I had a bucket garden last year that I started way late in the season, but with the moderate success I had (4 huge bell peppers, 3 tomatoes, and a sage and thyme plant that made it through the winter), I am very excited about this growing season. Between our local farmer's market, my coworker's fantastically abundant garden, and our own garden, we should be more than set for this summer/fall.

My hubby has finally found the perfect Valentine's Day present for me: build my raised bed. Since we only have about 1/3 third of an acre of arable land right now and no real hard-core gardening tools (greenhouse, tiller, etc.), we decided to build a raised bed in a pretty unusable strip of ground between the driveway and the house. It's going to be right outside the kitchen door and will be bookended by gardenia bushes, so, hopefully, lots of pollinating going on.

So far, the list of plants to be included is as follows:
- peppers
- tomatoes
- spinach
- lettuce
- broccoli
- kale
- squash
- assorted herbs: thyme, oregano, basil, sage, parsley, chives, and dill

If I have room (doubtful), I'd like to include tomatillos and zucchini. In the buckets from last year, I want to grow mint, garlic, rosemary, and onions.

These are all very lofty goals, and once space is considered, I'll probably be cutting back on something, but I can't decide what. But, hey, dream big. And of homemade spaghetti sauce.

Getting All Resolution-ed Up

2009-01-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

So, last year, I said, "No resolutions, I never keep them, it's something I should be doing anyway," etc, etc, ad nauseum (sp? Google doesn't do Latin). And what did I accomplish last year in the way of personal betterment? Zip. Yes, I cooked, but I always cook. Yes, I bought a Wii Fit, but, much like always, it has been languishing under the sofa.

So, this year, I'm going to write them here where I can see them and come back to them at the end of the year. On with the listing!

1. Get in better shape. I've only lost about five pounds so far, and I'm pretty sure the holidays destroyed that progress. Yesterday, I started the South Beach Diet, which my parents accomplished and lost a combined total of 70 pounds, so I know it works. I've already found a pretty awesome cooking website that puts together a whole bunch of recipes broken down by phase.

2. Be better with money. We have some lofty goals for this summer, and even with the 2.5% competitiveness raise I'm getting, it's going to take some work. But, with Dave Ramsey and Quicken's power combined, we shall freaking rock the savings account. Also, the closet. With all the clothes I'm going to buy.

3. Freaking learn how to decorate a house already. My husband and I have realized that we actually have to start watching HGTV this weekend. The horror.

4. Do laundry in a more timely manner. I have a tendency to let it pile up, both clean and dirty. Of course, as I say this there are 2 hampers of clean clothes waiting for me at home. Ugh.

5. Start cooking vegetarian-ly once or twice a week. This should help with both items #1 and #2.

6. Conquer homemade hollandaise sauce. It always comes out funny. Though this may be in direct contradiction to item #1.

7. Use locally grown vegetables when they're in season. They just taste so much better and are usually cheaper than the grocery store. I'm attempting to accomplish this by starting my own vegetable garden and utilizing the two local farmer's markets. (Damn, now the only day I get to sleep past 6 am is Sunday. It ain't the day of rest for nothing.)

8. Finish my two sewing projects. I'm about 1/32 through both of them. I need another writer's strike or something. (SAG, I didn't mean it! You can work it out!)
Keep up writing on this here blog.

God, I sound so old, don't I? Sewing, gardening, cooking, laundry... Gag me with a spoon. Oh, I've got a non-old resolution: Get my good-ass jeans back from my aunt and wear them and heels more often. Because I totally don't have a workplace where that is inappropriate work attire. Nope.

Happy Freakin' New Year!

A Very Good Year

2008-12-31T11:54:00.000-08:00

Before I announce my resolutions for the next year (and subsequently set myself up for failure), I am going to give myself a pat on the back for a year pretty well done.

• I made sure I was not passed over for training or field work, and thus ensured a raise.
• Lobbied for and got said raise.
• Found a very cute and very affordable house to start our home in.
• Got to a good place with my parents and my sister.
• Came up with the best present ever for my in-laws.
• Got all insured.
• Won a lawsuit on my birthday.
• Fattened up two dogs and a kitten.
• Restarted writing on this here blog.
• Found out I’m going to be an aunt next summer!

Random

2008-12-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

• The TSO concert was a lot of fun, and, of course, rocked my socks off. I have never before seen an electric flying V violin. Note to the female singers: I know you’re trying to portray a rock image, but please rethink your costume choice. I do not need to be able to see up your skirt as you squat on top of a tier pulling on a high note. Nice black thong, btw.

• My office is dead today, and I still don’t have enough leave for me to be comfortable taking off the whole week. Due to the deadness and lack of coworkers, I brought my sewing to work with me. Don’t judge me, there’s only so much internet surfing you can do.

• Speaking of sewing, I have crossed the line of sanity, I think. In an effort to be crafty, I am embroidering my dogs’ names on stockings. I want to do stockings for David and me, but I didn’t come up with the idea until this weekend, which would definitely not be enough time to complete before Christmas. I’m justifying the stockings with the reason of “practice.” That’s why I am embroidering “Ginger” at work in metallic thread. Practice.

• We have gotten all our presents purchased and David is wrapping them at home right now, because my present-wrapping looks like the work of a fourth grader. The only stress is if the presents that we ordered last week will be here by the time we need to leave Wednesday.

• I was told I was beautiful by the quik-lube oil change guy last week. He still charged me $40.

• I made these empanadas for an office party Friday. They were fantastic and not too hard to make. They definitely stood out among all the dips and candy.

• We are furnishing and replacing stuff in our house piece by piece, and it’s starting to finally feel like ours. We still have great need of wall decorations, but slowly, this house is less of a place to stay and more of a home and sanctuary. Next on the list: a new mattress. And, damn, those are expensive.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, many cocktails!

Eight Days Until Christmas!

2008-12-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

I have found the secret to maximizing your holiday enjoyment: get your significant other a present they have to share with you. Taking them out for dinner and a movie, getting them a really awesome electronic that goes in a common area (ex. new desktop computer, new Blu-ray player, new piece of furniture, etc.), or taking them on a mini-vacation are all things they have to do or share with you. In my case, I got my husband two tickets to go see Trans-Siberian Orchestra tonight. Not only is TSO one of his (and my) favorite groups, I’m getting a dinner of sushi and a night in a hotel out of this whole deal. Pretty good for his Christmas present, isn’t it?

In other news, apparently I rock at picking out presents for people, or David is either really terrible at thinking of ideas or really lazy. I like to think it’s the first option. I know it’s not laziness, because he’s going to be scouring stores this afternoon to look for the last two presents. This is after I picked out his parents’, sister and brother-in-law’s, grandparents’, two sets of aunts and uncles’, two cousins’, another cousin and his fiancée’s, and his friend’s present. (Wow, that is a lot of apostrophes. I hope I used them all correctly.) And they all kind of rock, by the way. So if you don’t know what to get for a loved one, just ask me. I’m the Gift Whisperer.

And as an addendum to last week’s post, Alex disappeared yesterday morning and scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know how attached I was to my dogs until I thought one of them might be gone. We don’t have a physical fence, just an electric one that keep them in during the day and when we’re gone overnight, so there’s always the possibility of them getting hit. We live on a very rural road (there’s only a house or two past us), though, and they don’t chase cars, so I was never too worried about it. More so, I was worried about them getting shot or attacked. Perils of living in the country. But luckily, she was waiting on the back porch when I got home and was very grateful for the turkey pepperoni in her bone. I’m definitely not looking forward to the “look up and they’re gone” aspect of parenting. This is why my parents kept me on a leash. A lavender one.

Meet my dogs...

2008-12-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is Alex.

I adopted her as a graduation present for my soon-to-be-husband in May of 2007. We were told that she is a Lab/Pit bull mix, but, except for her whappy tail, she has absolutely no Lab in her at all. Instead of fetching, she prefers to go get whatever object you threw and then run away from you, grunting all the while in ecstasy as you chase her. Alex hates getting wet and refuses to retrieve things that are thrown into ponds. If the ground is wet, she actually prances a little bit to keep her paws from getting too wet. She is extremely friendly and has never met a dog or person she doesn’t like, including the owner of the dog down the road that latched onto her throat and missed killing her by fractions of an inch. Alex still wags her tail at him when he comes by. She’s apathetic about cats. She has the absolute worst smelling farts, and she likes to expel them in her sleep. She grits her teeth when she eats crunchy things, so she looks like she’s either smiling or constipated when she eats dog biscuits. She is super fast and does not turn on a dime. She greets me every night with something in her mouth (it could be anything from a rock to dead mouse to the neighbor’s son’s boot), tail wagging, and grunting and whining for all she’s worth. She does not like to come when called; instead, Alex likes to head for traffic. She does not like celery. She puts her nose up to the vent while in the car and snots all over it. She is knee-high and thirty-five pounds. She ate the moss out of my amyrillis pot last night.

This is Ginger.

We picked her up as a “free to a good home” in the paper in August of 2007 as a playmate for Alex. She was absolutely spoiled rotten when she came home with us and had to be retrained that dogs do not sit on the couch, eat off the table, or drink out of our glasses. We think she’s some sort of Terrier/Hound mix. Several people have told us she looks like a hunting dog. She points at leaves, it’s pretty cute. She loves to jump in water and will choose to swim across a pond instead of finding away around it. She sounds like she is possessed by demons when she rolls around to scratch herself. She likes to sleep across my legs when we let her on the bed. She can catch treats mid-air from almost any starting position. She can follow commands from across the yard if you have a piece of food in your hand. She likes dark beer. She still growls at the owner of the dog that attacked Alex. She takes a while to warm up to new dogs, and usually won't play with them unless she feels left out by Alex. She is extremely protective of Alex, yet sometimes tries to protect us from Alex. She and the kitten are good friends; when the kitten was new, Ginger and she would sleep together every night. They still share hay occasionally. She is fairly timid in new situations, but will follow Alex anywhere. She heels very well. She plays fetch very well, in that she waits for Alex to go get the toy, then steals it from her to bring to us. Her jaw extends from her face when she's play-fighting (think Alien). She will eat anything. She is also knee-high and thirty-five pounds. She attacked and was frightened off by the self-opening trash can lid last night.

They are very good buddies.

I am thankful for...

2008-11-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

- finally living in a house that doesn't become unbearable after two nights of no heat and lows of 25 degrees

- my oven that heats my living room when the heater doesn't work

- my husband, who broke the heater trying to install a timer to keep me warm in the early mornings

- my Wii Fit, which keeps me accountable and has the newly discovered feature of timing my running in place while I watch the news during my early mornings

- my dogs, who lick my toes while I attempt plank position on my Wii Fit

- my family, who decided it was too much trouble trying to get together for the holidays, leaving me with three days of pajama-ed football and Wii

- Sephora, who has just sent me a $15 off coupon, just as my crappy face wash is running out

- all the lovely animals that gave up their lives for this weekend, including crabs, pigs, chickens, turkeys, cows, and maybe a deer (I think I may throw some leftover sausage in something)

- woot.com, who sold us a great BD player for $145 with shipping

- Croom's resignation

- the fact that neither my nor my husband's income will be affected by the economy

- our ability to take advantage of the current economy (house was a foreclosure, gas bill has been halved, prices have started to drop, retirement mutual funds are basically on sale, etc.)

- finding a church in our new community

- being able to cuddle up on my couch with my fur family and bowls of already-made chili, jambalaya, and chicken soup for the next two weeks

- the Christmas season!!

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

2008-11-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

I really do love my job. I get along really well with 98% of my coworkers (except for that one person who felt the need to exclaim "I don't see how you eat that! Ugh!" anytime I brought in sushi or ethnic food; luckily, I don't run into them much anymore). I have good benefits and decent pay. I work in a nice office (sorta, more on that below). I have a flexible schedule. I have a big truck that I don't have to fill up on my dime. My field interests me and keeps me in nature.

That said, there is a lot of frustration and dumb-ass-observing that goes along with my job. I was hired last year, and last week, I was finally given a direct line supervisor. This office was supposed to be staffed and functional four years ago. A state-wide project manager hasn't been in place in two years, and little chance of one for at least 4 more months, if not longer. Due to these two circumstances, I have been pretty much sitting on my hands for over a year. And I drive an hour one way to surf the internet. I have done probably five months worth of real work, and that's stretching it. The office that I've been place in is one room with two other people where we are supposed to have the three office suite down the hall that has actual storage space. The consolidation of three separate region offices has left us with no idea where documents or maps are, and relying on another agency's good graces to store stuff.

Most of this is small stuff I can deal with. But, today, the shit has hit the fan. All annual leave from tomorrow until January 3rd was canceled due to "exigency of public business." Actually, it's due to a poor business plan and poor training and poor follow-up from as far back as five years ago. I understand duty to the taxpayer, but this is excessive. I'm not going into the details, but this reaction is overkill. This doesn't affect me so much, as I have no annual leave, but three of my coworkers have been pole-axed. One guy now has to drive six hours on Thanksgiving Day with his family of five, instead of spending four days with his family. Another has 200 hours of use or lose leave that he can't use, not to mention his non-refundable plane tickets. The third has to deal with several counties of severely morally-depleted employees who are very hard workers and are now being punished for that, not to mention missing out on spending time with his two-year-old daughter. I definitely don't want to be in his shoes.

So yeah, the holiday spirit has leached right out of this office. I've already planned an office lunch for the day before Thanksgiving, now I know I'll have plenty to feed. I'm also planning on trying to bring in cookies and snacks for the guys that will be working ten or twelve hour days. Maybe this won't be as bad as it seems now, but I'm not holding my breath.

I really dislike the top guy in this agency. He is the definition of asshat. Or maybe just a Grinch.

Is a wolf-whistle really all that flattering?

2008-11-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe Wednesday night, and it was awesome. I accidentally left the peas in the freezer, but it was still yummy.

This week, I got the chance to help out with an Future Farmers of America Land-judging competition (junior high and high school). Along with picking out the pit sites and making the texture calls earlier in the week, I got to stand around and make sure no one broke any rules yesterday. I actually got to hiss at some kid, "There is no talking while scorecards are still out." I felt like such an authority figure. I really wish I had pushed my sunglasses down on the end of my nose while saying it.

It was a lot of fun for me (I got to talk about soil, and people were forced to listen to me!). I was outside all day, got to eat hot dogs and deer sausage for lunch, and got to chum around with some coworkers. After the scores were announced, I went out with one of the teams and their advisor to give them some pointers for next year's competition. More talking about soil!! Woot! It was team of high school guys, and I actually think most of them retained some of what I said. As they were driving out and I was walking away, though, one of the guys leaned out and whistled at me. I have to admit, at first, I was flattered. It's nice to be appreciated. But then, as I was driving home, I started to think maybe I should have reacted more negatively than a dismissive wave. When I'm walking down the street, I hate when random old or skeevy or both guys catcall me. I would have never dated a guy that got my attention by whistling at me. Except for this one really cute soccer ref... Anyway, maybe I should have said or done something to remind that kid that 1) I am an elder (yeah, I'm only 22, but I have a hard enough time getting people to take me seriously, shouldn't I be trying to reinforce that to a high school kid?), 2) I was in a position of authority at the time, and 3) women in any position are not there for you to ogle, stopping being such a Neanderthal, dude.

But, then again, it was nice to hear that somebody thought I looked nice. Maybe it was the new hair. Conundrum.

New Haircut!

2008-11-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

So I finally got over my fear of change and got a new haircut. For years I've worn it straight, one length (everynow and again I would get some long layers in front), and long.

Now, I have bangs! First time since 7th grade, and they definitely look better now. I do actually have to spend a few minutes on it in the morning, but it's not too bad. (You'll have to excuse the just cut-ness, it's not that flat normally.)

For my next experiment, color! I'm thinking of either a warm brown gloss or auburn low lights.

It's the Hap-Happiest Time of the Year...

2008-11-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but visiting my cousins' this weekend evolved into us breaking into Christmas classics such "Santa, Baby" to keep the baby smiling, even though all we knew were bits and pieces of the chorus. It was amusing listening to the non-word version of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" accompanied by baby giggles.

Well, the dreariness has passed for the time being, and the air is crisp, cool, and blue. All the leaves are changing and we're actually getting some color and hang time with them this year. Usually, it's green, brown, on the ground. And fall is over. We've had at least two weeks of changing colors and it's actually kind of nice.

This year with the economy being what it is, my family has decided not to do Christmas presents. We're just going to spend a nice meal together and watch some football (SEC!) and play a board game. I still want to get my sister a little something, but it definitely helps out with the furniture fund, having to buy presents for just one side of the family. My parents are probably going to institute "no presents for Christmas" for perpetuity because they weren't really big into gift-giving to begin with. Instead of gifts, we eat. For every holiday. The spread for four people has gotten out of hand before. I think the last turkey we did was 19 pounds. For four people. We had turkey soup and turkey pot pie from the frozen leftovers for 3 months. It was awesome. We haven't discussed the Christmas meal yet, but I know I'm doing duck for Thanksgiving. And maybe some sort of oyster dressing. It just seems like duck and oysters go together, doesn't it?

In the Great Get Healthy of 2008, there has been moderate success. According to Wii Fit, I have lost 3 pounds with no major dieting and better food choices (forgetting the cookies that my husband has been baking non-stop. Will power, I needs it.) and almost daily exercise. I may not make my 10 pounds in one month goal, but I do feel like I could easily stay at this weight, which is the real goal here. To become more fit and a smaller size in a manageable manner. I'm owning the strength training at abs and lunges (also, the Super Hula Hoop) and can now do 2-3 military style pushups (weak, I know, but it's better than none). So goal = semi-accomplished.

The next big challenge? Losing more weight over the holidays. Since I love the food, I guess I'll be Wii-ing my ass off this time next month.

A case of the blahs

2008-11-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

I feel depressed. Not really, but enough to give me a headache and make me whiny. I shouldn't feel this way because my job is finally picking up for a few weeks and soccer season is over so I get to see a lot more of my husband, but I do. I think the underlying reason for it is because I need a vacation. I'm trying not to use any of my annual or sick leave just in case family planning decides to go awry, and am building up comp time to use in lieu of leave. I haven't built up very much yet, and that is frustrating. For the last month or so, not only have I not been able to take more than a few hours off, my weekends have been very full and the next few don't seem to be any different. They will be a little more relaxing, hopefully, with getting together with family and friends, but still. I want a weekend in my sweats to clean and organize and decorate and cook. I keep hoping that maybe things will slow down, but then something "fun" comes up every time. Like this last weekend. I was left to my own devices, to do what I want, but of course, I think driving an hour to a football game will be "fun." Not. Not only did we lose, but only three people I was interested in seeing were there, the tailgate that I made brownies and cookies for never materialized, I got blocked in, and my cold got worse. And it was my idea. And then I complain, because I am an idiot. Maybe December will be different. (Yeah, right, I know.)

At least election season is over now, so my TV will return to its normal state. I do have that to look forward to.

Also in better news, my husband has discovered how to program the coffee maker. And the angels sang "Alleluia."

I think my brain is shaking...

2008-11-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

I am officially a government employee, as I now drink coffee most mornings. I don't even drink it to wake up, I like the taste of it. *Gasp!* But, I have discovered that unless I actually need a caffeine jolt, 2 cups is the max I can handle. This from the person who used drink cappuccinos at 9 pm. Not anymore. I'm actually noticing my train of thought bouncing from topic to topic. And not in any logical order at all. In the past 30 seconds, I've covered Thanksgiving plans, gardening ideas, dinner plans for tonight, and random thoughts about work. I tried to do an online training course, but I am having no luck at all keeping focused. I keep clicking away from this document, as a matter of fact. At least I haven't progressed to my hands actually shaking.

BTW, I heart the whole "Fall Back" thing. I leave for the office pretty early (6 am, usually) and there is nothing that depresses me more than leaving in the dark only to come home in the dark. Plus, I hate waking up in the dark. It is so hard to get going with the sun not even up yet. Add in that my husband sleeps much later than me usually, and you get me stumbling around in the dark and trying to put an outfit together by guessing what color everything is based on what shade of gray it is. That doesn't always work. I guess it helps that I really have no fashion sense. Brown shoes with a black belt and shirt? It's what I'm wearing today!

I just found out that Miss Zoot has the exact same feelings as I about this.

Also, this weekend, I got everything done on my list except changing out clothes (because it is 40 when I leave for work and 80 at lunch time) and decorating (because my husband reminded me that I can hear him shouting when he gets back from Georgia). I feel mighty productive.

Singles' Night

2008-10-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, as of 7 am this morning when I left for work, I will not have a husband present until late Sunday or Monday. A little bit of me is excited, the other (majority) bit of me is kinda sad and lonely. Except for the occasional training or conference session, we don't spend that much time apart, so it'll be a bit of an adjustment, but it's not really the him not being here that bothers me, but the me not being there. David plays on an intercollegiate club soccer team, and they have regionals 14 hours away this weekend in Georgia. I'm not able to make it due to expenses and taking time off of work, and this makes me sad. I hate that I'm not going to get to be there to cheer for his team from the sidelines and embarrass him with my catcalls. I hate that I'm not going to be there to either congratulate the whole team if they do well or buy them all beer if they don't. It's just such a passion of David's that I hate not being there for a major part of it. Although, if they end up doing well, nationals is only an hour and a half away, so that's pretty lucky. I should just stop whining about it and plan my girly weekend.

So, boyless activities for this weekend:
- Wii Fit Hula Hoop with no one laughing at me.
- Going to a MSU football game where I actually go into the game instead of just tailgating.
- Starting a composting bin.
- Making calls about decorating that can't be vetoed, because you know what? I can't hear him yelling that he doesn't like picture ledges all the way from Georgia.
- Getting a vacuum! And actually vacuuming! (I never thought I'd be excited about vacuuming until I didn't have one for a month and a half. My carpets are disgusting.)
- Eating popcorn for lunch and dinner everyday.
- Changing out summer and winter clothes.
- Wii Zelda with no one making fun of my karate moves during sword fights.
- And, of course, putting goop on my face and relaxing in the tub.

Any other suggestions?

The Whole Body Image Thing

2008-10-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

As witnessed here and here, I am constantly trying to motivate myself to get into better shape. Part of this desire is a feeling of inadequacy, remembering what I used to be able to do. As a child, I attended the requisite dance school and was just generally really active. In junior high and high school, I channeled this into track and soccer. Track soon fell by the wayside, but I loved soccer. I was decent at it and one of the fastest girls on the team. My senior year of high school, I applied to attend the Air Force Academy and was accepted, but chose not to go. And then everything just stopped. I played a few intramural and club soccer games here and there, but was so disappointed by how out of shape I was, the game was just not the pleasant experience I wanted it to be. Six years ago, I could run two miles in 16 minutes (hey, I never said I was awesome, just that I could do it), do fifty sit-ups, and thirty push-ups without even wiping myself out. Now, I struggle with one push up. It is a major accomplishment if I make it through one mile. And this depresses me. And I don't like being depressed, so I want to change this.

Another part is my husband. He is incredibly supportive and loving and has never said anything about my weight. Because he is also smart. But, he is also incredibly active. An avid soccer player, he is constantly running 5 miles and biking 25 miles to stay in shape for games. I want to be able to do some of that with him. Now, I know I will never be able to keep up with him, because at 6'4", he has freakishly long legs, but maybe we might be able to take the dogs for a jog together without me clutching my side in pain after five minutes. Plus, I can't let him be the pretty one.

Then, there's my job. My job supposedly requires equal field and office time. Currently, it is all sitting on my ass time, but soon, hopefully, my days will be filled with hiking hither and yon. I like that my job keeps my activity up, but I'd also like to keep myself in shape so I can get my job done in noticeably quick time.

There's always the family-expanding idea, too. I'd like to be healthy and relatively active during any and all pregnancies. Plus, when said baby does arrive and grows a little, I'd like to be able to keep up with it.

And, lastly, there's the vanity issue. I've never really kept up with my weight, just how my clothes fit and felt. At 5'9", I've always been able to hold a little more weight than what most of my friends announced was their target and still been happy with myself. And that's what has jolted me into my latest attempt to downsize. I visited my sister this weekend and stepped on her scale just to see. 162 stared back at me. I have never been that high. I don't feel that heavy. I didn't even notice that my clothes had gotten much tighter. I still thought I was hovering around 145-150 pounds. But I hate that number. I am not happy with it. And once I started to think about it, my body shape has changed. I have stomach rolls sitting down now. I have dresses that I don't wear because they're hard to zip. Same with pants. I even have some beautiful custom-made business wear that I haven't worn in 3 years because the buttons and seams pull. My wardrobe revolves around 3 pairs of "curvy-fit" jeans. And I didn't even notice. Or was in denial. Yeah, it was probably denial. I don't want to be in denial anymore.

So, with the purchase of a Wii Fit and the use of the yoga mat and balance ball that has been sitting my house for a year now, I am trying to make a change. I am changing my eating habits to cut out junk food and keep food like chex mix and granola bars at my desk for cravings between meals. I am eating smaller portions. Coming from a family that's dinner time motto was "Eat everything on your plate" this is taking some actual effort. I'm checking to see if I'm full halfway through a meal, if I'm actually still hungry or if it's just "it's so good, I want to eat more." I'm aiming for 15-30 minutes of workout time everyday. When we get some money saved up, I'm going to buy a bike. I'm doing triceps dips and squats at my desk. I am cutting back on butter!!

And you know what? I've lost three pounds!! My goal is 10 pounds in one month, and that's one of the biggest reasons for the Wii Fit. It allows me to keep track of everything and get some nice, computerized, non-judgey feedback. My overall goal is to get back to 140, with one 135 being my dream goal. And I want to be able to do 10 push-ups without the help of a forklift.

Has there been anything that you've noticed has helped to keep you focused? Different types of goals or different methods?

The Update

2008-10-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

So, in the year and half that I've neglected this thing, a lot has changed. I did graduate (cum laude, even!), gotten married, gone on a honeymoon, got a job, adopted two dogs, my husband has found a kitten, we bought a house, the old cat ran away, and I love my life.

As opposed to how I used to feel, I am satisfied with my life now. I mean, I want a baby, but not right now. Well, maybe right now, but not with pay and leave being what they are. I like my job. I love my job when I am able to fulfill my job description, but since I have no supervisor, it's been kind of boring lately. I even like my husband, which is a good thing. And since I have job security (I work for The Man) and am just starting on saving for retirement, even the stock market deciding to be schizophrenic is going well for me. I was able to buy an affordable starter home because it was a foreclosure. Plus, gas prices just went down! Woot!

Please don't hate me because the universe decided to time some things right for me (finally), I am just making a concious effort to be optimistic. I've made a decision to tell myself every morning "It is a good day." Now, it may or may not be, and I'm sure there are going to be some surly posts here, but believing it's going to be a fine day for even 15 minutes before something goes wrong should save me a forehead wrinkle or two, right?

BTW, my landlord was a giant douche. He killed my crepe myrtles and honeysuckle bush. Bastard.

I'm Back!

2008-10-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

I know everyone was waiting with bated breath.

I'm going to restart blogging. I doubt anybody that use to read me still has me in their blog feed, but maybe. Hopefully it will stick this time. I love reading through other people's archives, hell, I had fun reading through my own today, so I'm hoping to continue this as a way to keep my memories fresh.

Please to enjoy!

Love/Hate Relationship...

2007-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

I love my house, I really do. And I have the feeling my landlord is a good guy. But, why, oh, why can't he be a good guy to me? It takes forever for simple stuff that should have been fixed before I ever moved in to get finished. The windows were painted shut (um, safety hazard much?), and David and I had to go in with a putty knife two weeks after he said the painter would be here to open them. And so many more things. Then, today, after I've put in 2 weekends and more than $300 in plants and spending 2 days ripping out dead boxwoods, he came by to look at the door knob. I mentioned that I was going to be taking most of the bigger plants out whenever I leave (some 2-3 years later, at least) unless, of course, he decided to take a cut out of the rent. That's fair, isn't it? He was like, "Sure, take them, just put something back in it's place. Actually, I wish you hadn't taken the shrubs out to begin with, but oh well." ??? He told me when I first moved in that I could take them out, not to mention that they were dead. Gah. Please, dude couldn't you cut me some slack? You're the president of a bank for crying out loud. But don't worry, I'll put something in there. Something horrible looking, don't worry. It just sucks cause now I know there's no way I could get him to grind out the other dead shrubs. I think I'll replace my beautiful juniper and tea olive with some leggy something that won't grow there. Revenge!

Stupid people who don't realize people are poor. Bah.

2007-04-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

I've never done a TV show post before, but I just had to this time. I'm watching The Amazing Race: All-stars right now, and there are just come crazy things going down. In the previous season, I hated the Beauty Queens, Dustin and Kandice, and never had a problem with Charla and Mirna. I now 180 that opinion. I just can't believe that Charla and Mirna get so upset that no one speaks English in Poland. I've traveled to a few foreign countries and have never felt offended that people speak their native tongue and don't speak mine. If you know you're going to France, freakin' learn "Do you speak English?" (Parlez-vous anglais). It's not that hard, it's in the back of the travel guide. I guess this upsets me so much because it just backs up the "Stupid Americain" viewpoint that the rest of the world holds, and I've been on the receiving end of that prejudice before. Also, Mirna's weird accent that just shows up. Plus, she hates on Charla all the time.

About Dustin and Kandice, they're actually pulling ahead because of brains and know-how, unlike their smugness and "I'm pretty, help me" attitude they had previously. And I love that pretty girls are smart. This maybe just editing, but I still love it.

And for whoever stumbles across this blog: what do you think of getting a friend of mine's band to play at my wedding reception? What are your views on a cover/college-rock band in that situation. They're fun and actually talented, but do you think that would be tacky? Most of the guests will be 20-25, but there will be your usual parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

2007-02-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

The weather really is fantastic down here. Clear blue skies, 70 degree temps, light breeze. It just makes me want to run around with no shoes on.

Sorry about the extended absence, but I had (and may still suffer from) the most severe case of writer's block. I still don't think this entry will be that interesting, but hey, we'll roll with it.

So, I got engaged. That's the big news, obviously. Also, my parents have started talking to my fiance pretty cordially, so that's an improvement. I'm graduating in May, another biggie. And I'm talking to people about jobs. It's interesting, to say the least.

Actually, I'm gonna expound on that last one. Most of the jobs I'm going for are university-research / government positions. Pretty tame stuff. There is one major problem, though. Both the U.S. House and Senate decided in mid-November last year to cut out early and go home and campaign. One small problem, though. They had yet to pass appropriations for fiscal year 2007. So, instead of actually doing their job, they just extended the appropriations from 2006. That might be okay, except for the fact that they left out all the earmarks. If you didn't know, earmarks are where all but the basic infrastructure funding comes from. What this has to do with me is that I've had three different potential bosses say, "Your resume looks great, your transcript is impressive, I've got the work for you, I just don't have the money to pay you." I'm sure you can imagine how frustrating that is. Grrr. Stupid fuckheads on Capitol Hill. I know, I've worked there. There are some nice people, but 80% of the people in those marble halls? Total fuckheads.

*Breathe* Serenity now.

But besides that, I've also moved into a new place. It's cute and brick and has narcissus blooming all around it. And hardwood floors. And central heat. And more than 300 square feet. It's awesome. I'll post some pictures as soon as I get around to taking them. My cat is loving it, what with all the careening around corners and under furniture on all the shellac. It's quite amusing, even when she slams into the dining room table at full speed at 3 am. It's endearing, I swear.

I can't think about anything else, so we'll call it a post.

Yay for spring!

Yesterday was the best day ever.

2006-12-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

You might not believe me, but it was. Crab legs were on sale and yummy for dinner (no cooking) as was the hollandaise sauce, my D in Organic Chem 2 was changed to a C and I don't know why, my sister's soccer team won while playing 3 men down, and last night:

(Please excuse the wierd thing my pinkie is doing in that picture.)
Squee!! And it was a total surprise too. David says I stopped breathing for about 10 seconds. Isn't it gorgeous? The sly dog has had it for two months and I had no clue. And for extra sappy sentiment, he got it from the same jewelers that his dad got his mom's engagement ring. Okay, well I'm gonna go stare at it some more. Merry Christmas!! Eat something sopped in gravy for me!

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas!

2006-12-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

Call me weird, but it's just not Christmas until Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" comes on the radio. I know it's not a classic, but I just love to belt that one out in the car. Definitely a cure for traffic-inspired anger. And guess what? I heard it just today. Woo!

So, with the advent of that song and the fin of finals (I'm gonna pass! D stands for Diploma!), Merry Christmas to all! I've already got almost all my shopping done (I Heart Amazon) and it's finally turned cold. The only thing that sucks is that there's not much to be done at work. This might not sound like a problem, but I am rapidly running out of search strings. I might start bringing DVD's to work. And nothing makes it harder to get out of bed than the fact that once you do get out of bed, you're going to be bored out of your gourd for 8 hours. But, Beerfest has been released and drinking games need to be planned.

And, speaking of alcohol, I have come to a very tough realization: I need to watch how much I drink. I lose my grip on reality, and it's not pretty. And my boyfriend should not have to deal with that. Moderation is the key here. I do not need to drink everybody else under the table. It's not needed, and it's not cool. I just need to say this out loud (or type, whatever, it's out there).

Okay, enough with the heavy. The Dress is ordered and will be here in a few months!! As are bridesmaids' dresses! So excited! Florists are being called! I will be excited about the mundane because otherwise this whole wedding planning thing is a crock of shit! And non-mundane: registry picking-out (maybe that's the term)! Presents! We're (I'm) thinking Belk's and Target. Does that sound right? Is registering at Target tacky? I knew one girl who registered at Walmart, but her bridesmaids wore camo kerchiefs as tops and denim skirts, so I don't know. Help! I don't know how to do this!

And just for good measure: !!!!!!

It depends on the type of life and the quality of the pancakes...*

2006-11-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

For soccer fans, Eric Idle fans, and anyone who needs a bit of a giggle...

Oh, and I've got photos of the dress up. W00t!

*You should all go see Stranger Than Fiction. Right now. It's awesome. I'm serious.

Dun dun dunnn.....

2006-11-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry to be all "I have imploded" *crickets...* but the usual 3rd quarter exam schedule snuck up on me. Well, not really, I knew it was coming but proceeded with the usual denial followed by a week of 20 hours at the library freaking my shit out.

Anyhoo, Mrs. Flinger was right. It did all work out. What had happened breaks down as follows: I got some bad advice from a professor and dropped a class that turned out to be required and only offered once a year. My advisor decided to be a douchebag and use the situation to get an undergraduate research project out of me (to use as a substitute for the class) for another opportunity to get published. I went to the department head and when I saw my advisor in class on Tuesday, problem solved.

The reason I reacted as badly as I did was because David and I have always said we wanted our degrees and at least one of us with a real job when we got married. So, my panic-fueled brain immediately jumped to the conclusion that this one class would convince David to demand that we wait another 7 months to get married. I was also supposed to drop off a hefty non-refundable deposit that evening for the reception hall, so there was that added pressure too. David was an excellent boyfriend and patted my hair, said "Honey, you go drop off the check; I can't wait to be married to you," and brought a bottle of rum and Streetcar Named Desire over to watch. *Sidenote: Getting tipsy and recreating the "Stelllaaa!" moment may cause your landlords to look at you a little shiftily.

So, only a little crying at work and at breakfast the next day, but having my boyfriend's extremely Southern Baptist dad say "Your advisor sounds like a jackass," and his mom nod agreement completely made my day.

And, yay, here's the dress. I actually look a ton better in it cause I actually have boobs and don't look like a coked-out socialite. This dress makes my waist look oh so tiny and the material is drool-worthy. I seriously told my aunt, "Wow, this dress even makes my hair look pretty." Plus, I'm getting it for 20% off cause it's last season's. I have photos from trying it on, but I still don't have the cord to connect my phone to my computer, so maybe I can get those up later.

Also, everybody go congratulate Cagey! Woo!

There's beauty in the breakdown....

2006-10-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

I should be in full-on freak-out mode, but I think my brain has temporarily shut down. Short and sweet, I may not be graduating in the spring. If I don't graduate, the wedding may be put on hold. If my wedding is put on hold, I may curl up on your floor and cry. Not only did I find the dress this weekend, my aunt offered to let me use her absolutely gorgeous veil, the deposit for the chapel has been paid, and I'm dropping off the check for the reception site this evening. Everything finally comes together, only to have one absolutely important stitch fall of the hook. So how do I react to this, you ask? I went and got some Mickey D's and wrote a blog about it. Very productive.

The title is from Frou Frou's "Let Go."

Boredom! At the Office...

2006-09-29T11:47:00.003-07:00

Fall Break has started and I, once again, am not going anywhere but work, so a long rambling post ensues...
______________________________________________
Even if no one's wondered, I feel the need to explain my url. It might be stupid, but there's a story behind it (of course). [Sidenote: My cubicle-sharer person just farted. Ew.] My concentration for my Bachelor's is Agricultural and Environmental Soil Sciences. Random, I know. Well, a basic class for this is Soils. Duh. So anyway, one of the professors for this class is a total hardass who really knows his shit. On the first day of class he always asks, "So, what is soil?" And, inevitably, some person who didn't get the memo to sit down, shut up, and pay attention in this class raises his/her hand and answers some form of "Well, it's broken down rock and plants and dirt and stuff." And, every semester, this professor proceeds to get on his soapbox and berate the entire class for thinking soil and dirt are the same thing. "Soil is not dirt, dirt is what you clean out from between your toes!"

Okay, you might not think that's so funny, but what I decided to do with this information is. At a party not so long ago, I had imbibed a little much (read: 1/4 of a fifth of Jack Daniel's) and it being a college party, someone asked me my major. I proceeded to tell him, and he responds with "So, you, like, study dirt?" "No, you idiot! Soil is not dirt!" I replied, quite vehemently. I then told him why and the importance of soil at great length and volume before someone wandered over and saved this poor guy by telling me there were shots in the next room. (There weren't.) So, people tease me about it all the time now. Hence the name, a little self-deprecating inside joke. There you go.
______________________________________________

I'm revisiting my high school to stay the night with my sister tomorrow. I went to a magnet boarding school. Pray for my sanity.
______________________________________________

I've started wedding dress shopping! I'm actually going to do some more tomorrow with my sister. So far, I've found one I love. And it's on sale! Woo!!
______________________________________________

I've got a flickr account now, but I don't have a camera or a cord for my camera phone yet, so stuff will get put up very slowly. But don't let that stop you from checking it out!

That's all I can think of for now, have a great weekend!!

But... you don't have to take my word for it...

2006-09-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this for the last few days, and the ALA's Banned Books Week (brought to my attention by Miss Zoot) makes it seem a little more relevant.

Do you have any books that you read over and over again? I have a few that I swear I've read about ten times. My paperback copy of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged has lost the cover, a few of the first pages, and the binding, but I go back to it time and time again (it has a great storyline about social welfare and capitalism). I tore apart my Gone with the Wind about 7 years ago and I'm afraid to read the copy I have now (a gift from my Granddad to my Grandmom in 1946, when he got back from overseas). There's something about a good book and knowing what's going to happen, but then realizing you've forgotten this or that part and that small page or two totally changed your interpretation of the story. Or, like with The Chronicles of Narnia, coming back to a great story that you've gotten wrapped up in since you were a kid.

Besides the three mentioned, my repeat reads include:

Harry Potter (of course, baaa)
To Fly and Fight: Memoirs of a Triple Ace, by Bud Anderson
The Wheel of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
Flags of Our Fathers, by James Bradley
The Memphis Belle: Home at Last, by Menno Duerkson

How about you? Is there a book that you always take on a plane or keep on your beside table?

I'm bored and haven't posted in a while, hence...

2006-08-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Stolen from SecondhandTryptophan

Checklist Meme

Just bold the things you have accomplished in your life.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River - or was it the Colorado River?
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

55 out of 150 = 37%, not so good, but I'm young yet.

Attention, everyone!

2006-07-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have never loved a popular song more than this....

Every woman, girl, man, and boy needs to see this. I think I now have a girl crush on Pink.

Peace out and love your body!

Paragraphic updatedness..

2006-07-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, I definitely do not have the hang of Organic Chemistry. But, yay!, only two more weeks, and I am so done with this. Well, at least until Organic 2 in the spring. Oh, my, I may just collapse into a twitchy seizure before this whole college thing is over with. (Which, woo!, only 8 1/2 more months!)

Yesterday was my four year anniversary of officially dating my boyfriend. It reminded me over and over again why I love him. We went to the water park and ran around like 10-year-olds and smooched behind tubes and noshed on nachos and people-watched and raced down the slides and held hands and were all-around the people I normally gag at. It was awesome. They always say it's the good times that get you through the bad times, and if yesterday is any indication of our good times, I have the ultimate faith that we can get through anything. Plus, he took me into a jewelry shop to get my ring finger sized! Say it with me: SQUEEE!! I know it'll be some time yet, but still, progress!

I've gotten some input on the wedding issues, mainly as a result of my last post, and now it seems much more manageable. I'm still having to tell myself to calm down or I'll annoy myself right out of an engagement. Hopefully, we can roll with whatever comes up with a short engagement. Actually, I know we will, it's just a matter of how much I'll freak out and piss people off. Wanna come watch?

So, that's about all that's up with me. I'm off to see if I can still kick soccer ball without falling down or majorly injuring myself.

Oh, crap! I forgot all the fun stories from this weekend and how I injured myself. Well, material for another day.

Type A, much?

2006-06-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this with I know I need to chill the fuck out, but it's just one of those days.

My boyfriend and I are planning on getting married next summer after we both graduate. I don't have a ring yet, but as we've been dating for four years and he won't take me out to dinner because he's "saving up for the ring," I know it's coming sometime in the foreseeable future.

I am now starting to get a little worried about the whole wedding thing. Since we're not engaged yet, I don't feel comfortable researching venues or menus or flowers too deeply. But, I feel the need to start planning something. I'm not sure if my parents are going to be paying for this due to a slight (read: I've spoken to my father about five times since Christmas) falling out. Neither David nor I make a lot of money, and I don't want to ask his parents for help. I mean, I would be fine getting married on a beach or at the university chapel, but I don't know if that's what everyone else wants, and if they don't, I need to be figuring out my budget pretty soon, since I'm the one that's going to be paying for most of this.

And though I love my boyfriend very, very much, if he tells me again "Weddings aren't that hard to plan," I swear I might scream. If this turns out to be an actual church and reception wedding, I am overwhelmed at all the stuff I will have to take care of myself. If someone would just give me some idea of which way to head, this might not be so scary, but it's still pretty open-ended and I just hate this feeling of not knowing anything. I'm very flexible when plans change and can be very spontaneous, but I can't stand knowing there is this big thing looming and there are no plans. I mean, it's not like I'm going to get the big chance to explore churches and restaurants if we have it at his hometown three hours away since I'll still be taking fucking classes until a month before. I want it to be all nice and pretty and shit, but if I don't get some kind of concrete response before Christmas, I'm putting an advertisement in the paper, "We're getting married this day and this time here. Be there or be square. BYOB." And that's how everyone will find out about it, parents and all.

Stupid Southern weddings and traditions and trying not to piss everyone off and not having any money and people with no opinions.

This is all venting and this is why I put this thing up, to save on the therapy and not yell at the cat.

So it comes to this...

2006-06-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Everywhere else in America it's summer, but in my household it's World Cup season. My boyfriend is an avid, avid fan (one of the biggest selling points for his apartment is that it gets the Fox Soccer Channel... seriously) and I have been known to wave a few flags of my own, so our lunch breaks are now scheduled around the midday game. I went to his apartment at 9 am on Saturday to do laundry, only to find him awake and fully tuned in. This from a man who yells at me if I poke him before 10:30. It's amazing what this sport does to my boyfriend and the rest of the world. If you come by his house anytime a game is on, the only language you hear is a combination of grunts, groans, "oh"'s, and yells. Sort of like a weird orgy. It's pretty funny. And on that note, U-S-A! (Even though we're sucking this time around.)

And a short work-out update:
Since the last post, I have determined the gym is not for me. It just isn't. But I have found running in the early morning is. Something about my circadian rhythm or sleep schedule or something, but I'm less tired and get more energized if I wake up earlier and get slightly less sleep. And, it's something I'm able to stick with. Over the last week and a half, I've gone running six times. That might not sound like a lot, but for me, queen of get bored and go home, this is amazing. I'm actually looking forward to running tomorrow. It makes me feel better about myself. Now, I'm probably not going to see any weight loss because I tend to see exercise as a reason to eat more, but maybe I'll get my legs in shape, and if I can do that, it is all worth it. I miss my legs from high school, as I'm sure we all do. I danced and played soccer, so my legs were fabulous. *sigh* Maybe one day. (Yeah, right) Well, we can all hope and dream.

Since I've gotten my first Organic Chem test (ugh) out of the way and am starting to get the hang of things, maybe I can keep this thing up a little bit more. Here's hoping!

After writing this, I now crave Doritos...

2006-05-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

As many members of the blogging world seem to be doing lately, I am once again tackling the gym. Due to stress, exams, and overall laziness, the funk class venture trickled down the drain of things-I-really-don't-care-about pretty quickly, even though it was a lot of fun. The gym might be starting that class up again this summer, but I'm scared there will only be five or six people in it. It's a lot easier to gyrate around like an idiot when you can hide in a mass of seventy girls. So funk might be off the list. But, the godforsaken treadmill is still around. I hopped on that one all full of vim and vigor yesterday. Twenty-five minutes and 1.75 miles later, I fell off the back end and hoped no one would step on me while I tried to figure out if my lungs were still attached. But, I will not let the scale at the doctor's office win! I will be back this afternoon! Maybe! If there aren't too many people there! Because people, you have not known insecurity until you have been to a college gym. Not only can the girl next to you run a six-minute mile, she has a 4.0. See? She's studying biochemistry while she's got that machine cranked up to 7 on 4.5 incline. Jesus, some people need to get a life and discover Doritos and cable. And then you get the guys. You know, those guys. The ones with a 100 pound dumbbell in each hand, looking in the mirror to make sure that you see that they have these dumbbells in their hands. And look! They can lift them! Over and over and over! (You can almost here them going, "Hup, ho! Hup, ho," a la Family Guy.) And then they lean on your bicep machine and let you know the wrongness of your form. Hello? Do you see the spaghetti noodles I like to call my biceps? I'm glad I can grip the handles, let alone have proper form. And no, I don't want to meet you later for a protein shake. I have The Amazing Race and Doritos waiting for me at home. It's called having plans. You can't break those. And the best is the crazy religion and philosophy professors in the power yoga class. Holy mother, how the hell do they stick their toe there? And then hold themselves on one arm for 10 minutes. It is beyond me, I tell you.

So, I am off to do battle again. Wish me luck. And send ice. And whiskey. And Doritos!

I'm not in right now, please leave a message at the beep...

2006-04-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, it's finals season, so I'm a little preoccupied right now. Add that to reformatting my hard drive and forgetting that I don't have any of the driver cd's, and you get stress and a 3 week blank spot.
I promise I'll catch up as soon as I can, but I've got exams for the next 2 weeks so don't hold your breath. Send wine and smart thoughts my way, though!

Beeeeep.......

Updates in Bullet Form (because I am lazy)

2006-04-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

I did not get crabs on spring break, I ate them, and they were buttery delicious goodness.
I aquired my monthly sugar intake through a straw in the form of pina coladas in about four days.
The kitten is back and has twice since decided to vacate the premises via the window and come trotting back two days later.
She has also taken up biting my toes while I'm asleep to let me know that she's hungry. Her life might end rather abruptly.
The stress is less, but I have suddenly realized that there are four more weeks in the semester and then I'm a senior in college. What the hell am I supposed to do then? Graduate or some shit like that? Huh? Real world, what?
My boyfriend turned to me last night and, in all seriousness, asked, "So, have you given any thought to where we're going to live when we're married next year?" (Yes, I like bold and italics. And yes, I might have squealed a little when he said that.)
I'm in dire need of a puppy, but considering my status with the kitten, it's probably not the best idea right now.
My hair has been very flat lately, and I'm in angst.
I have rent, tuition, utilities, phone, credit card, and computer bills all due in the next 8 days. And my brakes are making a funny noise.
Spring Party is this weekend! Bring on the tiki torches and assorted fruity drinks!

Is there anything else you want to know?

Summer is finally here!!

2006-03-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right. The daily highs are 80 degrees and holding. We're finally done with the pathetic, gray, cold, damp mush that is known as winter in Mississippi. And, as we all know, Mississippi has about 4 days total of spring. The weather blows straight from freeze warnings (last week) to shorts weather (yesterday, which is good because I'm out of clean pants). Hopefully, there won't be any rogue freezes in May either. I love the South. Screw snow, bring on the humidity!

(Warning: Tangent Ahead!)

It's amazing to me that it is still actually snowing in some places and will continue for at least another month. How can people live with snow on the ground for more than half the year?!? I have seen real snow a total of three times in my entire life, not counting the little piddling two inches we get every three years (and we act like this), and you know what? It's cold. And wet. And you have to pretty much change clothes to get warm. Forget that. I am one of those weird things from the deep South that thrives in 90+ temps and 100% humidity. I can work and play soccer in it without batting an eyelash. Now, to set the record straight, you might not want to smell me afterwards, but it's still not that big a deal. But, please, Yankees should not try this down here. You will pass out. You will get heat stroke. I will have to take your wierd-accented ass to the hospital, and frankly, I'd rather just sit on the porch and drink iced tea with you.

All this said, I am the first person to complain the minute the temperature drops below sixty degrees. I put on three layers the second the thermometer hits 40. The entire state goes insane and closes down completely if there is any ice anywhere in the state. There is one snow plow in Jackson, and the garage doors got frozen shut the last time it was needed. Real smart planning there.

But, yay! It is volleyball and swimsuit season. It's warm enough to sleep with the windows open. Frozen cocktails are in order! Hooray for ass-sweat season!

So, yeah, about that...

2006-03-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

You might notice the lack of updates this last week. I swear, there were drunk posts. Then I sobered up and read them and realized they made no sense at all and deleted them. Seriously, the most you could glean out of it was that the Escambia Bay area homeless are really hungry. (Sidenote: New game! Hungry, Hungry Homeless! I am so going to hell.) But it was a mucho relaxing week and I got a tan and crab, so all in all it was a success.

I am now all out of fresh ideas.

My life is so glamorous...

2006-03-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

I am now learning the nitrogen recovery rates and pros of using poo as fertilizer. Doesn't that sound fascinating? Am I really sure I want to work in a field where poo is a major topic? Don't you think poo is fascinating?

Well, the kitten hasn't come back yet, but I still hear her jingle and meow every now and again, so I'm leaving out food and something is eating it. Maybe she'll decide I'm not that bad. I mean, how much does an animal hate you if it jumps out a second story window just to get away from you? I've considered getting a ferret as a replacement, but then I realized that would be like a $300 investment, and I'm just not ready to lay that much down for something that might decide it doesn't like me and escape down the sink drain. (Don't worry, I don't have a disposal.)

Oh my gosh, the stress! Three major exams and a major assignment due the day before spring break starts. This is definitely not a recipe for good skin and a relaxed Cheryl. I swear, don't these professors realize that I have to be in a swimsuit next week? Cortisol-related zits and weight gain will not sit well with me.

Speaking of spring break (stream of consciousness, anyone?), does anybody know of fun things to do in Pensacola, Florida besides the beach (and you don't have to be 21 to participate in)? I've never been down there in the free-time, vacation sense, so I'm not really sure what's available in case it rains.

And, hey, the hotel has free wireless, so drunk posts! And hungover posts! And sandy posts! Yay!

*This post was brought to you by boredom, hence the lack of an actual post.

This cat is of the Devil...

2006-03-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I definitely named my kitten well (Maleficent).

So, yesterday it's feeling fanfrickingtastic outside so I open the window and lay down to take a little nap. I don't have a screen on this window, but I think nothing of it because it's on the second floor and my kitten sits on the sill everyday watching the squirrels. So, I wake up an hour later and plop down on the couch to watch some American Idol. Another hour later, I hear a faint jingle. I suddenly realize that I haven't seen Maleficent since I fell asleep. Knowing her past history, I begin searching in the most random place I can think of. Behind the couch? Nothing. Under the cabinet? Nope. Behind the water heater? No! So I slowly begin to freak out. Then a bulb comes on. The window! I then realize that jingling I heard was outside. Yes, my six-month-old kitten jumped out the second story window and is outside where she has never been before. (Doesn't bode too well for my future children, huh?) Outside I go, food dish in hand, to try to lure her back. I caught a glimpse of her, but as soon as I tried to move to her, off she went.

So, for the second time in 3 months my cat has run away. I'm still holding out hope that she'll come back or someone will find her because she's got a tag on her collar. My pets hate me. Apparantly my duty in life is to adopt animals, fix them, and set them back into the wild, sterilized and fat.

Time sure does fly when you're sleeping...

2006-02-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, I suck at this whole updating thing. I blame two reasons. 1) I don’t have an internet connection at my house, and 2) I’ve had a lot of things going on. My being lazy has had nothing to do with my absence. No sir.

Well, I’ve realized something about myself recently. I have never been happy where I am right then at that point in my life. Don’t get me wrong, most of the time I’m not unhappy, but I always seem to be waiting for the next stage in my life. I can’t wait to be older, out of school, completely independent, etc. It’s been like this since I was little. Now, it’s “I can’t wait to get married, have a 9-to-5 job, get an apartment bigger than a refrigerator box, etc;” in short, be a real adult. I’m sure this is a common complaint among young adults, it just seems to hit me really hard. And then I wonder, will I ever be content where I am right then? But then I snuggle up with my kitten and some Jack Daniels and realize that even though this isn’t my dream, it’s pretty good for now.

But, on to more fun and interesting things. I hereby make it known that I am attempting to become a regular gym person. By regular, I mean 2 or 3 times a week. I shall start tonight by attending the “Funk” class. I shall whittle my middle and wiggle my jiggle all at the same time. Sounds fun, right? Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up with the sorority girls, cause man, do they go nuts on that gazelle-thing machine. So this is me putting it out there, because maybe I’ll stick to it if other people know about it. I even bought fluorescent orange Nike pants, in the hopes that dropping some money on this venture will make me want to stick with it.

Exploding Kittens...

2006-02-01T07:01:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't that be a kickass name for a band? I think so.

Now that my immune system has kicked the plague to the curb, I'm back. I didn't think all the hacking and loogies and brains running out my nose to be very good blog material. Plus, I was really, really whiny, and even though my boyfriend deals with it, I don't think the internet needs to hear it. But, on to cooler and less mucus-filled topics.

Ok, so I've got this new kitten. Her name is Maleficent (you know, the bad fairy from Disney's Sleeping Beauty). She's pretty and all black, and a bit of a sweetie. David bought her for me for Christmas to replace my cat that ran away. She is very cute and a little bit of a scaredy cat, and promptly got herself stuck in the wall the night I brought her home. No worries, we moved the water heater and dragged her out of there, but it was a bit of a harrowing experience, as for a day and a half I thought I had killed two cats in one week. But, as I said, it's all cool now, and she since has only gotten herself stuck in a recliner.

These days the problem is not her getting lost or stuck anywhere, it's her feeling the need to be everywhere in my apartment at once. David describes it as "exploding my house." And not only can she cover my aparment in 5 seconds flat, upstairs and down, she is very proud of this fact and proceeds to show me at 3 am just how often she can get from the couch to my pillow in 30 minutes. So this means at sometime between 3 and 6 am every morning I wake up to these noises:

• jingle, jingle, jingle (her bell on her collar)
• scratch, scratch
• thumpity, thumpity, thumpity (flying up the stairs)
• ploof, floopy, floopy floopy (landing and doing laps on my bed)
• rustle, rustle (playing with the hems of my hanging clothes)
• thump, thump, thump (careening back down the stairs)
• sching, king, ting ting (my blinds being slowly destroyed)
• scratch, scratch, rriiiip (i still can't tell if this is the scratching post or my couch)
• jingle, jingle, jingle

Repeat for the next 30 minutes.

It takes a toll on the sleeping, I can tell you. But, as soon as my alarm goes off, she curls in a sweet little ball behind my knee and falls promptly asleep. I think she has it in for my mental sanity.

Oh, and until yesterday she's been in heat, so in addition to the noises above there was much yowling and putting of the hind end on things. I mean, it's kind of hard to pet something that's waving it's butt at you.

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

2006-01-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

I love birthdays because they're the only days that are just about me. I've always used them as an excuse to have attention lavished on me. I will never let anyone forget my birthday. I'm that annoying friend who comes up to you in the middle of a party and be all "Guess what next Monday is! My birthday!" But I love them best because it's when you get to lavish attention on your loved ones. To spend a day making your favorite people know that you think they are the coolest, it's just so much fun. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love presents, but making other people happy with an awesome gift is just so much more fulfilling to me. I've been known to give David his birthday presents a week in advance because I just can't wait to see his reaction. Birthdays are even better than Christmas because it's all about you and nobody cares if you make a fool of yourself and get way too drunk or eat the entire cake by yourself. It's the perfect excuse for all most any kind of behavior: "Dude, why is that guy floating in the fountain wearing a crown?" "It's his birthday." "Oooh. Happy birthday, man!" "Why is that girl telling everyone there's an oil fund hidden in the house?" "Cause she's wasted because it's her birthday." "Oh, ok. Somebody make her a drink." (Not that I know anyone that these things happened to.) Cause birthdays are awesome and are all about you! Happy birthday to me and everyone else!

*Photo courtesy of Nick and all of his fantastic self!

Good weekend...

2006-01-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

You know you had fun when you have a great time, do some visiting, do some drinking, turn in for the night.... and then find out you apparently got drunk in your sleep and made a fool of yourself and couldn't operate doors.

But yeah, besides that, it was a fantastic weekend. And it's not over yet! I love holiday weekends, they're splendiferous. And since my boyfriend's frat house opened up yesterday, there are people in town to do idiotic things with. I'm one of those weird girls that would much rather hang out with guys than girls. Like, I even go out with my boyfriend's fraternity brothers without him, cause they're fun and he's a homebody. But now, I'm hungry and still a little tipsy, so it's off to lunch. Any suggestions?

Hi ho, Hi ho, It's off to work I go...

2006-01-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

So this morning I make the conscious decision to be late. But then, of course, I start worrying about how late I am and, oh my God, my boss is gonna be pissed and this was a stupid, stupid idea. I come racing into work a good thirty minutes late, sit down at my desk, and wait for my first task. I don't see my boss for TWO HOURS. I come to find out that the only thing there really is for me to do today is load and unload the dishwasher. ONCE.

I think my boss is trying to drop hints that maybe I could go home early today, but forget that! I'm gonna sit on my ass and suck every paid-to-sit-and-think-of-things-to-do-on-the-computer-hour I can out of this. Cause I'm sweet and considerate like that.

About me.. I'm a cake!

2006-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks Zoot!

LAYER ONE:
-- Name: Cheryl
-- Birth date: January 23, 1986
-- Birthplace: Hazlehurst, MS
-- Current Location: Starkville, MS (work)
-- Eye Color: Hazel, extremely green when I’m tired
-- Hair Color: Brownie-Blond
-- Height: 5’9” when I don’t slouch
-- Righty or Lefty: Righty
-- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

LAYER TWO:
-- Your heritage: Irish, Norwegian, English, and a lot of German, then some more random European for good measure
-- The shoes you wore today: Blue $20 sneakers from Payless, b/c I work with acid and I'm extremely clumsy.
-- Your weakness: good leather, chocolate, and anything that tugs at the heartstrings. Seriously, Hallmark commercials make me cry. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? Total sobfest
-- Your fears: Being a failure
-- Your perfect pizza: Pepperoni with Extra Cheese, lots of sweet sauce, with a crispy thin crust.
--Goal you'd like to achieve: Successful wife, mother, daughter and a kick-ass corporate consultant that makes major bank

LAYER THREE:
-- Your most overused phrase on AIM: So, what’s up with you?
-- Your first waking thoughts: I hate being up before the sun.
-- Your best physical feature: Either my eyes or my ass. I guess it depends on which way I’m facing.
-- Your most missed memory: All-day military airshows, sitting on a big blanket with my folks, eating lemon ices.

LAYER FOUR:
-- Pepsi or Coke: Coke, preferably made with Splenda
-- McDonald's or Burger King: Burger King, definitely
-- Single or group dates: group
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton, but has to be sweet
-- Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
-- Cappuccino or coffee: neither, Mocha Frappe with no-sugar whip from Strangebrew! (Can I get a free one now?)

LAYER FIVE:
-- Smoke: Mostly, no
-- Cuss: Cutting back
-- Sing: In the car at the top of my lungs, and lullabyes. See? The windows have to be up or you have to be half a sleep for my voice to be tolerable
-- Take a shower everyday: Yes, can’t stand not to
-- Do you think you've been in love: Yes.
-- Want to go to college: I am right now, and I can’t wait to get out
-- Liked high school: It had its ups and downs.
-- Want to get married: Can’t wait!!!
-- Believe in yourself: Most of the time, and if I don’t, I do a pretty good job of faking it.
-- Get motion sickness: Hardly ever, but a tilt-a-whirl right after steak-on-a-stick will definitely do it.
-- Think you're attractive: Most of the time
-- Think you're a health freak: Definitely not! Bring on the fatty red meat with carbs on the side! Except for like once a week, then I’m healthy.
-- Get along with your parent(s): Yep, love ‘em. (When they're not being totally irrational.)
-- Like thunderstorms: Yes
-- Play an instrument: I think I remember how to play the sax, and I can play the right hand part on a piano.

LAYER SIX:
In the past six months...
-- Drank alcohol: Oh, definitely yes
-- Smoked: Yes, but always with alcohol involved. No more stress smoking!
-- Done a drug: Only OTC
-- Made Out: Yep
-- Gone on a date: Yep
-- Gone to the mall? Yes; and out of 170 stores? Nothing! I hate malls!!
-- Eaten an entire box of Oreos? No, I can only take a few at a time, and I was always the kid who got in trouble at VBS for only eating the filling
-- Eaten sushi: Yes, and it’s fanfrickintastic
-- Been on stage: Nope
-- Been dumped: No, thank god those days are over with
-- Gone skating: Nope, but maybe next month
-- Made homemade cookies: No, and I miss them!
-- Dyed your hair: It is dyed, but I didn’t do it.
-- Stolen Anything: A Lindor truffle from the gas station. I do believe I was intoxicated at the time.

LAYER SEVEN:
Ever...
-- Played a game that required removal of clothing: Yep.
-- If so, was it mixed company: Yes, but I never lost
-- Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Omg, the stories and pictures that will never disappear, no matter how hard I pray
-- Been caught "doing something": There were suspicions, but never visual proof
-- Been called a tease: Yes, and it extremely pissed me off.
-- Gotten beaten up: No
-- Shoplifted: Yes
-- Changed who you were to fit in: Yes. In high school, but I realized that was stupid, though I still think that if someone doesn’t like me, it’s my fault.

LAYER EIGHT:
-- Age you hope to be married: 22
-- Numbers and Names of Children: 5 – I’ve got a list somewhere, but I can’t find it right now.
-- Describe your Dream Wedding: Getaway to New Orleans; as it was before the hurricane of course
-- How do you want to die: In my sleep, healthy.
-- Where you want to go to college: Currently toughing it out at the Old Main
-- What do you want to be when you grow up: Part-time corporate consultant that makes $1000 an hour. Keep your fingers crossed
-- What country would you most like to visit: España, but I need to work on my Spanish a bit before that.

LAYER NINE:
-- Number of drugs taken illegally: There is no record, therefore none
-- Number of people I could trust with my life: 4, maybe 5
-- Number of CDs that I own: non-burned? Like, 7
-- Number of piercings: 2, in the ears
-- Number of tattoos: none, but I have a pencil lead stuck in my hand
-- Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper? Besides honor roll stuff in school, probably 4 times
-- Number of scars on my body: More than I can count, and a lot of them are one on top of another.
-- Number of things in my past that I regret: Trying to impress people, was and still is my biggest character flaw. Causes way too much stress: good in the workplace, bad in a bar.

5 Weird Things About Me...

2006-01-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

Cause I was tagged by my sister...

I like to lick the seasoning off of Pringles before I eat them (one at a time, not the whole can, of course).
I find work much more enjoyable than college.
I enjoy hanging out with my parents just as much as with my friends.
I like opera. No, like, really like opera.
I get annoyed when people pronounce words from other languages wrong. It's not "Bi-locks-e" so why should it be "Mecksico"?

Well, there it is...

2006-01-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is new. Well, let's just try it out, shall we?