tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-207388572024-03-07T10:11:19.418-08:00__________Homemaker, Breadwinner, Vegetable Growing-Attempter, Weed Conquerer, Pet Yeller, Kitchen Owner; All Around Badass.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-72971043748567495762009-06-30T13:18:00.000-07:002009-06-30T13:41:34.628-07:00Two Years, Baby!<span style="font-family:arial;">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 <a href="http://definitelyra.com/2009/06/25/learning-to-share-a-hammock/">share the hammock</a>. 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)!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">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. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 450px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 600px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://idigmygarden.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2061" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-1636101974609462932009-06-08T07:18:00.000-07:002009-06-08T08:18:15.064-07:00Rookie Mistake<span style="font-family:arial;">So, the tomatoes. They have arrived. They are still mostly green, but they number well over a hundred. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">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, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">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:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><table style="WIDTH: auto"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6vXg0sCDtEBEGPOMELWrvA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMIZiGDNJ94i-HCXAMY8aqzO_KR90sZ3zNNb8pNL2wP56f1dJNdrKMMHhl5JcLch0JyhLxIVfv7wZXc_jRLUbuyWuUc3xzl8HuFnTno56-X-LIGzvEsdrYgdqAhSCbGy8paNs8w/s400/IMG_2949%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cheryl162/Random02?feat=embedwebsite">Random</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">I'll put up a before and after picture to see if it helps.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Now it's time for garden picture dump! Wooo!<br /><br /><table style="WIDTH: auto"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8vUJa-8G6fiqdHWO8Y6G6w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA94iNMHR_b-ms-QEuHf7TJ_yIOhwR3cjXUZKE19uIIabIZi8pSbaMdmVb9-4IFPtJUm9jXqdnjFWEjENWuo1mU-CvgxmBfxH_U1Rxylk55j0i8ZBIH7TNli5T29a_YaluCz5dHA/s400/IMG_2897%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table style="WIDTH: auto"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JVuEz9CKGw8FanMuNyER5A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRW9z_JzAsV94_IJndem0ywjffTw-X3MuJKtL4gF4T50Mx_irs3yIh1cXbhBclVlBccGO9ukN8q4YK14X4vVfZ53prviR9jOimZ_9FAFsGKNgM0D9OoGXObybshgVAcvCJ_rSkw/s400/IMG_2915%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table style="WIDTH: auto"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZuWjV1hmC5HBk5xWi8L4eg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEM3a9Ye8OBPcNqSSDMW7404fhdDDL76JrPfgmhqua3QmPVrig2aIImyM3eC5tSce5Rhsdf5hfEYp3xl9nMgT1QkCFjovCqsY3mzMcpo6Dgt85a7o4PsGf5mAh34zmWftb-cb5JQ/s400/IMG_2919%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dmAkemPImFMUjkrIBZ1Aag?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Muxdrw4Ik4hU7YYF6kRBEt2rGp40xCcrSwCBJLJVmN9yNPJMW7lejmaPJYu-IK66W3oNpe09w0saFugS_4vHG9PLuYgNk4JN85jB4y5EpbiktwVwdVFzZMrbbspfbkfZj8Vivw/s400/IMG_2928%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br /></span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-32493781129071749882009-05-21T17:35:00.000-07:002009-05-21T18:33:52.832-07:00Go big or go home....<span style="font-family:arial;">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 <span style="font-weight: bold;">stuck</span>. As in, scared I had broken the axle stuck. Except, yay, Built Ford Tough.<br /><br />Scene: perfectly dry and compacted dirt trail, winding around in the wilderness. I drive around a curve and over a stream, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">WHAM!</span> 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.<br /><br />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."<br />End scene.<br /><br />Hopefully, I can add a picture later once my husband shows me how to download a picture from his old phone.<br /><br />Also, tomatoes! Now I just need them to turn red. I tell them that at every opportunity.<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AvWDHKp_GPdVom24TfwMOQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxnaztFsWlolbjxCQpm96XwBxPds05IIk8fywVf-L-UjscKNPQBozyg0WW7pPv19cUCJzzQWkATOhS1ZFPlJ28TrygcOSxFOX4xxw_s4qk6XrCXaxDEhmWLO4h9oQTywEkifxeA/s400/photo.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cheryl162/Random02?feat=embedwebsite">Random</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Not working<br /></span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-42110346027031723432009-04-28T13:17:00.000-07:002009-04-28T14:49:07.294-07:00Attack of the Killer Pollen<span style="font-family:arial;">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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6HFDkqLDvUqUZmRvQhqv5TpZkFuWfLr6kIf3S5ZLE029jLBytxwsSIQwGaT8-BcbCA1jsplVxCz9cLvutr6VjEDLX8hMyo6zO_51B96qD2eGT9BxbwXl4iK1jymbpY-5YAYcFQ/s1600-h/IMG_2807.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6HFDkqLDvUqUZmRvQhqv5TpZkFuWfLr6kIf3S5ZLE029jLBytxwsSIQwGaT8-BcbCA1jsplVxCz9cLvutr6VjEDLX8hMyo6zO_51B96qD2eGT9BxbwXl4iK1jymbpY-5YAYcFQ/s320/IMG_2807.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329840478457891890" border="0" /></a>One of the areas I've been mapping in. Jealous? Don't be. The views were about the only nice part.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqoJvS4cX5nEFC9-O4E7xC-ePQdmNru0ptBmtghB2yzawG98vtE_hc9IFbpgrD1Tm_GIg8UTp5y-Km2wl24rZd_JQIz7NDqcUGGYSKPlpub1XMXxkWcDyaJiMbraAjToN0XdT9g/s1600-h/IMG_2861.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqoJvS4cX5nEFC9-O4E7xC-ePQdmNru0ptBmtghB2yzawG98vtE_hc9IFbpgrD1Tm_GIg8UTp5y-Km2wl24rZd_JQIz7NDqcUGGYSKPlpub1XMXxkWcDyaJiMbraAjToN0XdT9g/s320/IMG_2861.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329842979078521618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">And it was spring, so the flowers were out. That was nice.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On the weekends, I found out my puppies like tomatoes.<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GE5XawTQQQFzjgjdtru_wg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zR7WzH_UTq7b9WJ0e-H9Iyf2B5PtF6i9LDSvSI6AlO3JXYuyc7qYllp2y1qmqXaEu4iVee5eeT-rFLnVmMG2mizwkMTt90WOLIw0FKdJy4BLoysUUUIXlz0v-AMElbRYgkhN9w/s400/IMG_2869.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cheryl162/Random02?feat=embedwebsite">Random</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />And waffles.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgziI9j8QHnUbLkHX3XFftgNoJ5sP5UrcbV6ZNDVtiAAFaqHffd0-ovdfEQEUEQysbQNGzvKzcMSf4t2v40lnu9qXoTaUrRsVpKQUcorBgGROziEVC5JuMpW96jxiMm2i08Nscg/s1600-h/IMG_2889.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgziI9j8QHnUbLkHX3XFftgNoJ5sP5UrcbV6ZNDVtiAAFaqHffd0-ovdfEQEUEQysbQNGzvKzcMSf4t2v40lnu9qXoTaUrRsVpKQUcorBgGROziEVC5JuMpW96jxiMm2i08Nscg/s320/IMG_2889.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329847516014137586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Also, my garden exploded.<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/r1buvAvp5SiFJp_oTGtwjQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh578i4pZ2FaPQNcQGkm7YsFVDTI6Oq1OB5O0v_ZUPyKpgf09XBiZiwHwT2Mg7o-Fv4RxgPlA_9z5vIcxOBunBqriMdsm20jbmkYbdWhGKPpi3dmgNeOAbPh8zc5JT7x0l8FQnVSQ/s400/IMG_2887%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cheryl162/Random02?feat=embedwebsite">Random</a></td></tr></tbody></table>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.<br /><br />I also went to Lincoln, Nebraska.<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kj86EAIC3Jxb7fyp1t8Zwg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-ao5-lb5dC8U65RUfzYKnXSr1KzIvsr66Ysk9pck_Hz2EPIVw0JKxbB8fwDr_mIAwasmtMHJZSWmiDOW5Pq2DSWV5ikPmK4HZkRUZBVuiveAVh3m48AWYPQpWUQ2_7TL8dD6dQ/s400/IMG_2778.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cheryl162/Random02?feat=embedwebsite">Random</a></td></tr></tbody></table>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.<br /><br />And how's that for a photo dump? Actually, let's take this one step more and try out the video function.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyqQNHpSzrp7cfck4sX_oiSz7d7bAWvVsLyQ6PM-B9m4QKIRyVrQjNidEdszRo2VZ_JvRHW9mtPHXc' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-42742235248450434412009-03-31T08:52:00.000-07:002009-03-31T08:55:26.870-07:00<span style="font-family:arial;">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. <br /><br />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....</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-72505234884713248202009-01-22T06:35:00.000-08:002009-06-08T08:19:38.721-07:00Who Are You Wearing?!?<p><span style="font-family:arial;">I hit a major writing block this week, but luckily RA of <a href="http://definitelyra.com/">definitelyra.com</a> agreed to interview me! It's meme time!<br /></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><p><br />1. Why did you start blogging?<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amalah.com">amalah.com</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.misszoot.com/">misszoot</a> and <a href="http://www.joyunexpected.com/">joyunexpected</a>. 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.<br /><br /><br />2. What makes up a great weekend?<br /><br />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.<br /></p><p><br />3. What was the best gift you received recently?<br /><br />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.<br /></p></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><p><br />4. If you could hire a personal servant, who would you choose?<br /><br />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.<br /></p><p><br />5. Which occupation would you try for a week?<br /><br />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.</span> </p>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-87680579322715742462009-01-13T12:31:00.001-08:002009-01-13T12:31:56.475-08:00Disjointed- 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.<br /><br />- 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. <br /><br />- 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. <br /><br />- 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?Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-5091654005588701962009-01-09T09:43:00.000-08:002009-01-09T13:18:37.032-08:00How Does Your Garden Grow?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... <br /> <br />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.<br /> <br />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. <br /><br />So far, the list of plants to be included is as follows:<br />- peppers<br />- tomatoes<br />- spinach<br />- lettuce<br />- broccoli<br />- kale<br />- squash<br />- assorted herbs: thyme, oregano, basil, sage, parsley, chives, and dill<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-34004733215458869862009-01-05T12:07:00.000-08:002009-01-13T12:33:18.643-08:00Getting All Resolution-ed UpSo, 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. <br /> <br />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!<br /> <br />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 <a href="http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com">website</a> that puts together a whole bunch of recipes broken down by phase.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />5. Start cooking vegetarian-ly once or twice a week. This should help with both items #1 and #2.<br /><br />6. Conquer homemade hollandaise sauce. It always comes out funny. Though this may be in direct contradiction to item #1.<br /><br />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.)<br /><br />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!)<br />Keep up writing on this here blog.<br /> <br />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.<br /><br />Happy Freakin' New Year!Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-72450066224166796202008-12-31T11:54:00.000-08:002008-12-31T11:55:16.311-08:00A Very Good YearBefore 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.<br /><br />• I made sure I was not passed over for training or field work, and thus ensured a raise.<br />• Lobbied for and got said raise.<br />• Found a very cute and very affordable house to start our home in.<br />• Got to a good place with my parents and my sister.<br />• Came up with the best present ever for my in-laws.<br />• Got all insured.<br />• Won a lawsuit on my birthday.<br />• Fattened up two dogs and a kitten.<br />• Restarted writing on this here blog.<br />• Found out I’m going to be an aunt next summer!Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-68002365775190258882008-12-22T08:56:00.000-08:002008-12-22T09:01:07.238-08:00Random• 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.<br /><br />• 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.<br /><br />• 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.<br /><br />• 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.<br /><br />• I was told I was beautiful by the quik-lube oil change guy last week. He still charged me $40. <br /><br />• I made these <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=426411">empanadas</a> for an office party Friday. They were fantastic and not too hard to make. They definitely stood out among all the dips and candy.<br /><br />• 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.<br /><br />Merry Christmas to all, and to all, many cocktails!Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-60317705032853826842008-12-17T09:47:00.000-08:002008-12-17T09:50:36.783-08:00Eight Days Until Christmas!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 <em>with you</em>. 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 <em>his</em> Christmas present, isn’t it? <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-89433574816448146292008-12-05T12:13:00.000-08:002008-12-05T12:40:25.891-08:00Meet my dogs...This is Alex. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSOcCsFm93CT08R3pmWcw1lWW51hn0D5YZGvUYgm8SNbhkP0WvKebSrV9dD3N-rCIs6XFLHZJdBk28BtXzR7-sRqV5590lfqT6gPzmdQehMHtIciGyzw8D962ZCt7gtiQqPr3lw/s1600-h/smile.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSOcCsFm93CT08R3pmWcw1lWW51hn0D5YZGvUYgm8SNbhkP0WvKebSrV9dD3N-rCIs6XFLHZJdBk28BtXzR7-sRqV5590lfqT6gPzmdQehMHtIciGyzw8D962ZCt7gtiQqPr3lw/s320/smile.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276402763954223442" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /> <br /><br />This is Ginger. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraHjpa7YdiYHtO2rdVONhVp_RhvfKCScMeKAhTn783y1NPjXbBBX4O2Nz1oY-_eC49RW3vaJb3s73U-ell2BIxYDjbntCRUWoM_HLuOnBvkePlSJR-ksQjtrQ_O_k5KkM9n0IQQ/s1600-h/Ginger.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraHjpa7YdiYHtO2rdVONhVp_RhvfKCScMeKAhTn783y1NPjXbBBX4O2Nz1oY-_eC49RW3vaJb3s73U-ell2BIxYDjbntCRUWoM_HLuOnBvkePlSJR-ksQjtrQ_O_k5KkM9n0IQQ/s320/Ginger.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276404446341113058" /></a><br />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.<br /><br />They are very good buddies.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprP9hS69x5xB4KcXuaeh3GGeV_MN9wuZo856bplC847a5gESm_zpFqCeeCUDZ4hesVU0sCc_gBurQSTHzuCmoPjtlVj1munJUJJQM4Pj1BZVOLiub_fIaFO-eyhL7roxQcr4KNg/s1600-h/both.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprP9hS69x5xB4KcXuaeh3GGeV_MN9wuZo856bplC847a5gESm_zpFqCeeCUDZ4hesVU0sCc_gBurQSTHzuCmoPjtlVj1munJUJJQM4Pj1BZVOLiub_fIaFO-eyhL7roxQcr4KNg/s320/both.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276407540015236610" /></a>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-46611412612427348942008-11-30T08:59:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:04:03.600-08:00I am thankful for...- finally living in a house that doesn't become unbearable after two nights of no heat and lows of 25 degrees<br /><br /> - my oven that heats my living room when the heater doesn't work<br /><br /> - my husband, who broke the heater trying to install a timer to keep me warm in the early mornings<br /><br /> - 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<br /><br /> - my dogs, who lick my toes while I attempt plank position on my Wii Fit<br /><br /> - 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<br /> <br /> - Sephora, who has just sent me a $15 off coupon, just as my crappy face wash is running out<br /><br /> - 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)<br /><br /> - woot.com, who sold us a great BD player for $145 with shipping<br /><br /> - Croom's resignation<br /><br /> - the fact that neither my nor my husband's income will be affected by the economy<br /><br /> - 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.)<br /><br /> - finding a church in our new community<br /><br /> - 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<br /><br /> - the Christmas season!!Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-67448038384474380322008-11-20T14:24:00.000-08:002008-11-21T07:02:35.228-08:00You're a Mean One, Mr. GrinchI 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.<br /> <br />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. <br /> <br /> <br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I really dislike the top guy in this agency. He is the definition of asshat. Or maybe just a Grinch.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-2064556842068449132008-11-14T11:46:00.000-08:002008-11-20T08:59:35.862-08:00Is a wolf-whistle really all that flattering?I made <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1059982">this</a> recipe Wednesday night, and it was awesome. I accidentally left the peas in the freezer, but it was still yummy.<br /> <br /> <br />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.<br /> <br />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.<br /> <br /> <br />But, then again, it was nice to hear that somebody thought I looked nice. Maybe it was the new hair. Conundrum.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-4992457786726596762008-11-12T12:59:00.000-08:002008-11-12T13:23:13.699-08:00New Haircut!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcbVv2eLKlxkJ2jy96HYWjMTsMf3C5dRvUbksaZldrWZI6jwxrI0bOCwM_JVkRwKy4TYMZk_XPMeZoQK52FZZowI2x5tLseM308CQvql9Q2KuGw4pBx3F_r2pX_Q5_ysTYkeiqw/s1600-h/259785091_8f1820e14c.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcbVv2eLKlxkJ2jy96HYWjMTsMf3C5dRvUbksaZldrWZI6jwxrI0bOCwM_JVkRwKy4TYMZk_XPMeZoQK52FZZowI2x5tLseM308CQvql9Q2KuGw4pBx3F_r2pX_Q5_ysTYkeiqw/s200/259785091_8f1820e14c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267883075628267810" /></a><br />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. <br /><br />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.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOSJpRqzCZo7FhR9a_BQaVeG0TH0YWX3sY3SYg62mwTkoXNhfOgvF62z125egCWxJdan8JpZWpRbEQs9p9AkuipmnF6vb0AiGGu22ZXKgyrC8ri7mNOq0NJok7ZI26irZx2yhVA/s1600-h/IMG_2650%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="float:top; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOSJpRqzCZo7FhR9a_BQaVeG0TH0YWX3sY3SYg62mwTkoXNhfOgvF62z125egCWxJdan8JpZWpRbEQs9p9AkuipmnF6vb0AiGGu22ZXKgyrC8ri7mNOq0NJok7ZI26irZx2yhVA/s200/IMG_2650%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267884133850871282" /></a><br /><br />For my next experiment, color! I'm thinking of either a warm brown gloss or auburn low lights.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-42137487828574871412008-11-10T10:37:00.000-08:002008-11-10T10:51:24.272-08:00It's the Hap-Happiest Time of the Year...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhml8BYmH9KRDu1gs0cU9r9Hp6azqwXUta4wTW0WavhGeyBdg1Ru6X4labvJEPNC2Ctkj1Z7qjKTzrMTV7pn0om6oEYcg-ruSUb3DyF5xmtRJ2GtlRHthh9-BtJoJ424j_tNr7QSg/s1600-h/Random+013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhml8BYmH9KRDu1gs0cU9r9Hp6azqwXUta4wTW0WavhGeyBdg1Ru6X4labvJEPNC2Ctkj1Z7qjKTzrMTV7pn0om6oEYcg-ruSUb3DyF5xmtRJ2GtlRHthh9-BtJoJ424j_tNr7QSg/s320/Random+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267103007456006338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEWdt2CWxHu2P4zhZ0TwUBt6dqYKuwADJBybny7JEvqAs057U7ZkYS5InSjA8ymOoVr_MOjo0cX7dtu3kvbjxtm3e2F7ubnSQPoFTPrwCgN5GhKVGL_1R7w4BRKY1o-rxiEAIXQ/s1600-h/Random+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEWdt2CWxHu2P4zhZ0TwUBt6dqYKuwADJBybny7JEvqAs057U7ZkYS5InSjA8ymOoVr_MOjo0cX7dtu3kvbjxtm3e2F7ubnSQPoFTPrwCgN5GhKVGL_1R7w4BRKY1o-rxiEAIXQ/s320/Random+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267102996371263426" /></a><br />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. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-39404673015057452982008-11-05T06:19:00.000-08:002008-11-05T09:10:11.693-08:00A case of the blahs<span style="font-family:arial;">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.)<br /><br />At least election season is over now, so my TV will return to its normal state. I do have that to look forward to.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Also in better news, my husband has discovered how to program the coffee maker. And the angels sang "Alleluia."</span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-4700394859203581972008-11-03T09:05:00.000-08:002008-11-03T09:09:04.112-08:00I think my brain is shaking...<span style="font-family:arial;">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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />I just found out that <a href="http://www.misszoot.com/2008/11/03/ive-got-a-theory/">Miss Zoot</a> has the exact same feelings as I about this.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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 <em>when he gets back</em> from Georgia). I feel mighty productive.</span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-52680024523186160532008-10-30T12:23:00.000-07:002008-10-30T13:15:58.859-07:00Singles' Night<p><span style="font-family:arial;">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.<br /><br />So, boyless activities for this weekend: </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />- Wii Fit Hula Hoop with no one laughing at me. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />- Going to a MSU football game where I actually go into the game instead of just tailgating.<br />- Starting a composting bin.<br />- 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.<br />- 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.)<br />- Eating popcorn for lunch and dinner everyday.<br />- Changing out summer and winter clothes.<br />- Wii Zelda with no one making fun of my karate moves during sword fights.<br />- And, of course, putting goop on my face and relaxing in the tub.<br /><br />Any other suggestions?</span> </p>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-47527745125812466362008-10-30T09:06:00.000-07:002008-10-30T09:12:17.336-07:00The Whole Body Image Thing<span style="font-family:arial;">As witnessed <a href="http://soilisnotdirt.blogspot.com/2006/06/so-it-comes-to-this.html">here</a> and <a href="http://soilisnotdirt.blogspot.com/2006/05/after-writing-this-i-now-crave-doritos.html">here</a>, I am constantly trying to motivate myself to get into better shape. Part of this desire is a feeling of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">inadequacy</span>, 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 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">intramural</span> 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.<br /> <br />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.<br /> <br />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.<br /> <br /> <br />There's always the family-expanding idea, too. I'd like to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">healthy</span> 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. <br /> <br />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.<br /><br />So, with the purchase of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Wii</span> 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 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chex</span> 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 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">triceps</span> dips and squats at my desk. I am cutting back on butter!! <br /><br />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 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Wii</span> Fit. It allows me to keep track of everything and get some nice, computerized, non-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">judgey</span> 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.<br /><br />Has there been anything that you've noticed has helped to keep you focused? Different types of goals or different methods?</span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-959605010866949772008-10-29T10:35:00.000-07:002008-10-29T11:11:23.537-07:00The Update<span style="font-family:arial;">So, in the year and half that I've neglected this thing, a lot has changed. I did <a href="http://soilisnotdirt.blogspot.com/2006/11/dun-dun-dunnn.html">graduate</a> (cum laude, even!), gotten <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/soilchica/sets/72157594304960650/">married</a>, gone on a <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/soilchica/sets/72157600794144707/">honeymoon</a>, got a job, adopted <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/soilchica/2290814075/">two dogs</a>, my husband has found a <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/soilchica/2290814883/">kitten</a>, we bought a house, the old <a href="http://soilisnotdirt.blogspot.com/2006/02/exploding-kittens.html">cat </a>ran away, and I love my life.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">As opposed to <a href="http://soilisnotdirt.blogspot.com/2006/02/time-sure-does-fly-when-youre-sleeping.html">how I used to feel</a>, 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. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">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! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">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?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">BTW, my landlord was a giant <a href="http://soilisnotdirt.blogspot.com/2007/04/lovehate-relationship.html">douche</a>. He killed my crepe myrtles and honeysuckle bush. Bastard.</span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-11158887185431773392008-10-29T10:31:00.000-07:002008-10-29T10:35:46.756-07:00I'm Back!<span style="font-family:arial;">I know everyone was waiting with bated breath.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">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.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Please to enjoy!</span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20738857.post-35134352668731904362007-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:002007-04-03T17:31:07.845-07:00Love/Hate Relationship...<span style="font-family: arial;">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 <span style="font-style: italic;">dead</span>. 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 <span style="font-style: italic;">dead</span> shrubs. I think I'll replace my beautiful juniper and tea olive with some leggy something that won't grow there. Revenge! <br /><br />Stupid people who don't realize people are poor. Bah.<br /></span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05958937420315953817noreply@blogger.com0