Our little mini car. I smile every time I see this car (or any Mini) because I think they are so cute.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Thinking...or not
Feel like I'm dying. Got 2 1/2 hours of sleep last night if I'm being optimistic. What is with the sunday night lack of sleep marathons?It's getting old. It's like I decided that the best way to get sleep on Sunday nights is to lie down in a road and get run over by 500 trucks. My huge, puffy eyes and pounding head testify that this is probably what is happening.
Cat barfed all over this morning too. Kitten decided that it was interesting so she would stick her head under cat's mouth while the barfing commenced. I was nauseous all the way to work. I have a paranoia of throwing up in the first place and this was just flat out disgusting.
Temperature at 7 a.m. when I left: 89. Temperature when I got to work: 101. Burning hot. Yesterday was our first monsoon aka thunderstorm/dust storm. Astounding.
I am completely wiped today. I feel like crap. CRAP. Ugh. I can't believe I am expected to actually think today. I am struggling to grasp how that will be even remotely possible.
I am having one of the best hair days ever and traffic was great on the 10 this morning. Two of the most rare phenomenons occur and I am barely coherent enough to celebrate them. In a couple of hours I might get out of this groggy sleep, run over by 500 monster trucks stage...once my green tea kicks in, I drink a diet coke, and then buy a huge iced tea at lunch. But I don't believe there is any hope for my puffy black and blue eyes today.
I am just going to remember today for what it really is: a HUGE reminder of why I don't have kids and why I don't want them anytime in the near future. I can't deal with no sleep and then barfing on top of that. And kid barf is WAY worse than cat barf. And so are feedings in the middle of the night as opposed to just not sleeping. So, I guess it isn't all bad after all.
Update two hours later: Hair looks like a pile of you know what. Guess the great hair day was only good for 3 hours. I never have good hair days anymore...I just want it to GROW so I am not cutting it. I haven't had it cut since March because even when I tell them I want a TRIM they chop it. So, today is bad hair day #209. And the day gets better by the minute...
Update #2, four hours later: Just sounded like a complete jackass. One of my managers came over to talk to me. Don't talk to one of your managers/bosses if you are a complete wreck and have no idea what you are thinking. Because then you will have no idea what you are saying. So, this made me blush and I turned beet red. So not only was I sounding like an idiot, I also looked like an idiot (my bad hair day #209, my bloodshot and puffy eyes and my red as crap face, arms, neck, etc). Good lord. I probably look like I am on some kind of drugs. At least I told him that I was going on 2 hours of sleep because "I just couldn't sleep." Because I'm sure he really cared to be my sleep doctor or psychologist for a second. Way to go, Jenn. You are so cool it's unbelievable.
Update #3: Afternoon went smoothly. I apologize to anyone who reads this for being so grumpy today. I know I am kind of wimpy but I seriously feel like total crap whenever I don't get sleep. It's weird, I guess. I do have the world's biggest headache right now and I am starving. And I am crossing my fingers that there are not piles of cat puke on the floor when I get home. That, I do not think I could handle. It really has been a pretty good day... just kind of foggy. That's how I feel when I am really tired. But work went well, my hair ended up looking ok in a ponytail (awesome that I can finally pull it back into a ponytail!), and I'm really happy...just tired.
Cat barfed all over this morning too. Kitten decided that it was interesting so she would stick her head under cat's mouth while the barfing commenced. I was nauseous all the way to work. I have a paranoia of throwing up in the first place and this was just flat out disgusting.
Temperature at 7 a.m. when I left: 89. Temperature when I got to work: 101. Burning hot. Yesterday was our first monsoon aka thunderstorm/dust storm. Astounding.
I am completely wiped today. I feel like crap. CRAP. Ugh. I can't believe I am expected to actually think today. I am struggling to grasp how that will be even remotely possible.
I am having one of the best hair days ever and traffic was great on the 10 this morning. Two of the most rare phenomenons occur and I am barely coherent enough to celebrate them. In a couple of hours I might get out of this groggy sleep, run over by 500 monster trucks stage...once my green tea kicks in, I drink a diet coke, and then buy a huge iced tea at lunch. But I don't believe there is any hope for my puffy black and blue eyes today.
I am just going to remember today for what it really is: a HUGE reminder of why I don't have kids and why I don't want them anytime in the near future. I can't deal with no sleep and then barfing on top of that. And kid barf is WAY worse than cat barf. And so are feedings in the middle of the night as opposed to just not sleeping. So, I guess it isn't all bad after all.
Update two hours later: Hair looks like a pile of you know what. Guess the great hair day was only good for 3 hours. I never have good hair days anymore...I just want it to GROW so I am not cutting it. I haven't had it cut since March because even when I tell them I want a TRIM they chop it. So, today is bad hair day #209. And the day gets better by the minute...
Update #2, four hours later: Just sounded like a complete jackass. One of my managers came over to talk to me. Don't talk to one of your managers/bosses if you are a complete wreck and have no idea what you are thinking. Because then you will have no idea what you are saying. So, this made me blush and I turned beet red. So not only was I sounding like an idiot, I also looked like an idiot (my bad hair day #209, my bloodshot and puffy eyes and my red as crap face, arms, neck, etc). Good lord. I probably look like I am on some kind of drugs. At least I told him that I was going on 2 hours of sleep because "I just couldn't sleep." Because I'm sure he really cared to be my sleep doctor or psychologist for a second. Way to go, Jenn. You are so cool it's unbelievable.
Update #3: Afternoon went smoothly. I apologize to anyone who reads this for being so grumpy today. I know I am kind of wimpy but I seriously feel like total crap whenever I don't get sleep. It's weird, I guess. I do have the world's biggest headache right now and I am starving. And I am crossing my fingers that there are not piles of cat puke on the floor when I get home. That, I do not think I could handle. It really has been a pretty good day... just kind of foggy. That's how I feel when I am really tired. But work went well, my hair ended up looking ok in a ponytail (awesome that I can finally pull it back into a ponytail!), and I'm really happy...just tired.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
GO TO THE DENTIST!
Even if it's the last thing you ever want to do, go to the dumb dentist! I had not been to the dentist since November 2003 when I went in April of 2005 to one of my clients in Des Moines. I had found a giant hole in one of my teeth a few nights before I went. It didn't hurt but it was big enough to stick my tongue in. I did not have dental insurance because up until this point in my life, I had ZERO cavities. I didn't even know if this hole in my tooth was a cavity. Does anyone want to take a guess at how many cavities I had? 11! And two fillings were days away from being root canals (the first one-the giant crater- he actually told me that he would have to do a root canal on. The second one was so close that he saw my bloodstream. I should have bet on something on those days, that's how lucky I was).
I have always taken good care of my teeth. I brush twice a day and floss. And I don't eat candy! And I chew sugarless gum. And I don't drink any coffee or much soda (just the occasional half a can to feel the bubbles!) So I was absolutely mortified and shocked to find out my teeth were going to crap. Part of it was due to the fact that I didn't go to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning for over a year. Another part is due to the fact that when I was little my dentist put a sealant on my teeth which had been slowly chipping away and as a result a significant amount of decay was underneath (so, more advice: don't get sealants or put them on your kids). Another part is due to the fact that my mom relentlessly told me to get dental insurance but since I had never gotten a cavity, I didn't see a need to pay $1200.00 a year for it. So, I was cursed because she told me I should have insurance but I didn't.
So, I have paid for all of my dental work out of pocket. I have already paid about $500 and today I got such a nice piece of mail from my lovely dentist: an invoice in the amount of $1,100.00. And I also had to buy special fluordie toothpaste and a prescription of amoxcillian. I had to take 2000mg of amoxicillan before every appointment because I have a heart murmur. Taking FOUR horse pills and then an hour later spending two hours in the dumb dentists chair with rubber damns (yes they are really called that) and pliers sticking out of your mouth IS NOT MY IDEA OF FUN. And it is not fun either to barely be able to talk because your freaking mouth hurts so bad when the torture is over. And you can't feel your face. Or your tongue. Or your lip. Or your ears. But the four teeth you had filled are throbbing. You may be thinking I am sounding like a complaining wimp but you hold your mouth open wider than it wants to go for two hours at a time, 3 times in a week and proceed to do things to your teeth that involves tearing them apart and putting them back together. THEN come and talk to me. So, screw all dentists and screw teeth too. They all suck. BUT YOU BETTER GO. Because you will hate your dentist a whole lot more if you don't go than if you go. Trust me. I learned from experience.
As a sidenote: It is amazing what dentists can do now. I was worried I would have an icky mouth full of metal. But no sir, I had 'cosmetic' fillings, meaning they are all white. You can't even tell I have fillings. It is amazing. My dentist actually told me that he thinks of it as artwork and that before he became a dentist he dabbled in art. He must have thought I really cared. Getting white fillings is NOT WORTH getting a cavity.
I have always taken good care of my teeth. I brush twice a day and floss. And I don't eat candy! And I chew sugarless gum. And I don't drink any coffee or much soda (just the occasional half a can to feel the bubbles!) So I was absolutely mortified and shocked to find out my teeth were going to crap. Part of it was due to the fact that I didn't go to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning for over a year. Another part is due to the fact that when I was little my dentist put a sealant on my teeth which had been slowly chipping away and as a result a significant amount of decay was underneath (so, more advice: don't get sealants or put them on your kids). Another part is due to the fact that my mom relentlessly told me to get dental insurance but since I had never gotten a cavity, I didn't see a need to pay $1200.00 a year for it. So, I was cursed because she told me I should have insurance but I didn't.
So, I have paid for all of my dental work out of pocket. I have already paid about $500 and today I got such a nice piece of mail from my lovely dentist: an invoice in the amount of $1,100.00. And I also had to buy special fluordie toothpaste and a prescription of amoxcillian. I had to take 2000mg of amoxicillan before every appointment because I have a heart murmur. Taking FOUR horse pills and then an hour later spending two hours in the dumb dentists chair with rubber damns (yes they are really called that) and pliers sticking out of your mouth IS NOT MY IDEA OF FUN. And it is not fun either to barely be able to talk because your freaking mouth hurts so bad when the torture is over. And you can't feel your face. Or your tongue. Or your lip. Or your ears. But the four teeth you had filled are throbbing. You may be thinking I am sounding like a complaining wimp but you hold your mouth open wider than it wants to go for two hours at a time, 3 times in a week and proceed to do things to your teeth that involves tearing them apart and putting them back together. THEN come and talk to me. So, screw all dentists and screw teeth too. They all suck. BUT YOU BETTER GO. Because you will hate your dentist a whole lot more if you don't go than if you go. Trust me. I learned from experience.
As a sidenote: It is amazing what dentists can do now. I was worried I would have an icky mouth full of metal. But no sir, I had 'cosmetic' fillings, meaning they are all white. You can't even tell I have fillings. It is amazing. My dentist actually told me that he thinks of it as artwork and that before he became a dentist he dabbled in art. He must have thought I really cared. Getting white fillings is NOT WORTH getting a cavity.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Does anyone know anything about fire alarms?
Ours keeps beeping. The maintenance guy was SUPPOSED to fix it today but it looks like all he did was put it back on. Because I just got home from work and it IS STILL BEEPING. I woke up this morning because I was having a really weird dream about playing some game and the beeping sound meant I was winning...and I won alot! Then I realized that the beeping was real. Not to mention, REAL annoying. Tim and I figured it was the battery but when we took it down we didn't see a battery anywhere. So, now we are back at square one since the maintenance guy can't even fix a stupid fire alarm. I seriously feel like we are in a hospital and in the next room there is someone whose heart beat is being monitored (it sounds like one of those obnoxious machines although in hospital scenarios, the beeping is ACCEPTABLE). Arg. If only I was smarter about household stuff.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Perhaps one of the more funny conversations I've overheard in a while...
This happened when I was out at a client's today right when I returned from lunch...
(Cute old man-imagine someone like your great grandpa): "I really need some kind of painkillers right now."
(Girl): "How about Tylenol or Advil?"
(Old man): "No, that's not the one I'm thinking of. It starts with an 'm.' Midol?"
(Different girl who YELLS this loudly enough that the whole office can probably hear): "WHAT'S THE MATTER, JOE? YOU GOT CRAMPS?"
(Old man is now the shade of a ripe tomato. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone blush so much. I guess he is perhaps from the era that didn't publically address 'feminine issues.' He really probably is that old so I guess I can see why he was so embarrassed): "JJEEESSUUUSS CHRIST. Advil will be fine." (and quickly heads out the door).
Maybe you just had to be there but it was all I could do from laughing out loud. I was proud of myself for ducking my head, biting my lip, and only manging to let a small laugh out. It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway, though, the whole office was busting up. Poor guy.
(Cute old man-imagine someone like your great grandpa): "I really need some kind of painkillers right now."
(Girl): "How about Tylenol or Advil?"
(Old man): "No, that's not the one I'm thinking of. It starts with an 'm.' Midol?"
(Different girl who YELLS this loudly enough that the whole office can probably hear): "WHAT'S THE MATTER, JOE? YOU GOT CRAMPS?"
(Old man is now the shade of a ripe tomato. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone blush so much. I guess he is perhaps from the era that didn't publically address 'feminine issues.' He really probably is that old so I guess I can see why he was so embarrassed): "JJEEESSUUUSS CHRIST. Advil will be fine." (and quickly heads out the door).
Maybe you just had to be there but it was all I could do from laughing out loud. I was proud of myself for ducking my head, biting my lip, and only manging to let a small laugh out. It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway, though, the whole office was busting up. Poor guy.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
7-13-05
Today is the scariest day of the whole year. Normally I am not superstitious. When I used to play in golf meets or tennis matches or swim in swim meets, I never had any weird superstitious thing that I did that you sometimes hear about with other people (like wearing dirty underwear because it's your 'lucky' pair). But I really hate the numbers 13 and 7.
This is a pretty new development...as in it only started at the beginning of college. But now I won't leave my car or house if the CD I'm playing is on track 7 or 13. If I'm working out I won't stop if I'm in minute 7 or 13. If I'm on the treadmill, I can't touch the settings in minute 7 or 13. I almost didn't want to buy the Mini Cooper because even though when we got it the odometer said 9 miles, on the official papers, they wrote 13. (I justified buying it though because it was REALLY 9 so apparently the people just couldn't read). So, yes, this is weird.
I have no idea why all of a sudden I got so quirky about these numbers. The only thing I can come up with is this (in all of its nerdiness): I dated a guy my senior year of high school up through the beginning of college. His favorite number was 13. Mine was (you guessed it!) 7. We kind of drifted apart when we went off the college and I always felt pretty bad about that. And of COURSE the numbers were the sole reason why we didn't work out, right? We didn't have ANY real issues that caused us to not be together. Stupid numbers.
It made sense to me back then as stupid as it sounds now and the idea has just kind of always stuck. So now I guess it is a rather bad habit. I'm not like one of those weirdos that hides in their house on these superstitious overrated days. I am just cautious. But I do have to say that this day has been weird in one sole way: I think this is the dumbest post I have ever made. Forgive me today, tomorrow will be normal again.
This is a pretty new development...as in it only started at the beginning of college. But now I won't leave my car or house if the CD I'm playing is on track 7 or 13. If I'm working out I won't stop if I'm in minute 7 or 13. If I'm on the treadmill, I can't touch the settings in minute 7 or 13. I almost didn't want to buy the Mini Cooper because even though when we got it the odometer said 9 miles, on the official papers, they wrote 13. (I justified buying it though because it was REALLY 9 so apparently the people just couldn't read). So, yes, this is weird.
I have no idea why all of a sudden I got so quirky about these numbers. The only thing I can come up with is this (in all of its nerdiness): I dated a guy my senior year of high school up through the beginning of college. His favorite number was 13. Mine was (you guessed it!) 7. We kind of drifted apart when we went off the college and I always felt pretty bad about that. And of COURSE the numbers were the sole reason why we didn't work out, right? We didn't have ANY real issues that caused us to not be together. Stupid numbers.
It made sense to me back then as stupid as it sounds now and the idea has just kind of always stuck. So now I guess it is a rather bad habit. I'm not like one of those weirdos that hides in their house on these superstitious overrated days. I am just cautious. But I do have to say that this day has been weird in one sole way: I think this is the dumbest post I have ever made. Forgive me today, tomorrow will be normal again.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
A great week!
I was a little bit worried at 1 am on Sunday night that my week would be bad... Tim and I had the alarm set for 5:30 a.m. and I didn't think that we would EVER fall asleep. Turns out, we only did get about 3-4 hours. And if I don't get at least 7 hours of sleep a night it is the all out biggest struggle to be at least be 50% coherent the next day. So I was stressed...there is nothing worse (for me) than starting a Monday with so little sleep. And I don't drink coffee. And I sit all day. So I basically consider myself screwed when I am tired and grumpy.
And boy, was I grumpy. And tired. I worked on a client all day yesterday (Carl's Jr. aka Hardee's in the midwest) and NOTHING would work out. So frustrating. Here's where the story gets better. At lunch I left in a storm of tiredness and frustration. I went to Baja Fresh to buy a huge iced tea...hoping it would give me the second wind I needed. Well, when I went in the guy said, "With a smile like that, it's yours free." I was floored. Granted, it was only like $3.00 but he also gave me a compliment! It was a definite pick-me-up when I needed it most. I love it when people are nice. And last night I did some weight training which I haven't done in a while...it felt so good! But then I ate a bowl of ice cream which probably negated the workout, but it was excellent so I didn't really care.
Then today we were on location at Carl's and still nothing would work. So I was somewhat frustrated again but less so because I wasn't as tired. I got stuck in traffic going to and from work but it was ok because I saw a cowboy jamming in his pimped out car, I saw the most ridiculously tricked out new mini-van, and I stayed in front of a guy the whole way home simply because he was cracking me up with how much he was rockin it out in his car...I have never seen such an animated person in their car. Total amusement the whole way home.
THEN, when I get home I had an email from one of my former co-workers at Denman, from several of my friends and one from my brother. I love getting emails! My brother's was hysterical because he told me that today when he was working he saw one of my old boyfriends from high school who looked absolutely ricidulous (yes, he is one of those boyfriends who when we broke up, I wished all the worst for him. Probably don't anymore but he still isn't my favorite person). So, very funny. And it was sunny and clear today. And I am going to eat some more ice cream tonight just because I want to. And maybe I will eat some peanut butter too. And then do some workouts to offset my splurges...maybe. And Tim and my cats are the best things in the world (yes, even better than ice cream, peanut butter, and sunny weather). The end.
And boy, was I grumpy. And tired. I worked on a client all day yesterday (Carl's Jr. aka Hardee's in the midwest) and NOTHING would work out. So frustrating. Here's where the story gets better. At lunch I left in a storm of tiredness and frustration. I went to Baja Fresh to buy a huge iced tea...hoping it would give me the second wind I needed. Well, when I went in the guy said, "With a smile like that, it's yours free." I was floored. Granted, it was only like $3.00 but he also gave me a compliment! It was a definite pick-me-up when I needed it most. I love it when people are nice. And last night I did some weight training which I haven't done in a while...it felt so good! But then I ate a bowl of ice cream which probably negated the workout, but it was excellent so I didn't really care.
Then today we were on location at Carl's and still nothing would work. So I was somewhat frustrated again but less so because I wasn't as tired. I got stuck in traffic going to and from work but it was ok because I saw a cowboy jamming in his pimped out car, I saw the most ridiculously tricked out new mini-van, and I stayed in front of a guy the whole way home simply because he was cracking me up with how much he was rockin it out in his car...I have never seen such an animated person in their car. Total amusement the whole way home.
THEN, when I get home I had an email from one of my former co-workers at Denman, from several of my friends and one from my brother. I love getting emails! My brother's was hysterical because he told me that today when he was working he saw one of my old boyfriends from high school who looked absolutely ricidulous (yes, he is one of those boyfriends who when we broke up, I wished all the worst for him. Probably don't anymore but he still isn't my favorite person). So, very funny. And it was sunny and clear today. And I am going to eat some more ice cream tonight just because I want to. And maybe I will eat some peanut butter too. And then do some workouts to offset my splurges...maybe. And Tim and my cats are the best things in the world (yes, even better than ice cream, peanut butter, and sunny weather). The end.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
A year ago this month, we were just moving into our new townhome (which we thought was pretty much the biggest mansion in the world compared to Tim's old apartment and the various Lamoni homes we had both lived in) and we had both just started new jobs- mine was the first 'real' job either of us had gotten and Tim's was just a supplemental job while he finished grad school. But these jobs meant one thing that we had never known in our college years: We had MONEY independent of our parents! It was such an amazing feeling. Independence is so great.
Being the smart, educated people that we are, after the first paycheck we decided we needed to get rid of the conglomeration of gross college furniture and buy a new bedroom set. So we spent well into the thousands of dollars after our first paycheck on a bed, two nightstands, and different decoration accents to go into our new room. We realized pretty quickly that along with this newfound money also came newfound expenses (that our parents wouldn't pay!) We experienced our first big reality check when we saw the credit card bill for the furniture, paid it off in full and then had to pay off all our other bills on top of it. We then realized that we had about $400 in our checking account, so after that shock of our first instance of not really thinking things through (budgets were stupid then), we never really finished our bedroom. It remained pretty bare last year (except of course for the bed and two nightstands).
So yesterday, we decided that now is the Time. Time to finish our room... FINALLY. (It's not that we never wanted to finish it before-after we built up some savings, but it was always hard to justify finishing it in Des Moines since the nearest Crate and Barrel was 400 miles away and as we found out the first time, shipping costs as much as another piece of furniture...) We couldn't believe it this spring when Crate and Barrel brought back the EXACT same line of white furniture that we had bought last year... it was so awesome! (It's the Newport collection-if you were wondering).
Since we have unpacked here, a dresser has been a necessity. When we moved we scraped all of the rest of our junky college stuff except for a desk and a coffee table... so our 'dresser' right now is about four huge piles of clothes in our room. It has made the room look less empty, so if you need space fillers, just throw piles of clothes all over...it really works! And it's so fun every day looking for the tank top you SWEAR you saw yesterday when you were digging the day before for the pair of pants that you SWEAR you saw the day before that... it's been like a treasure hunt every day... and if you want to be late to work EVERY SINGLE DAY, this is the way to do it. I keep expecting a prize every time I find the coveted piece of clothing I have spent 20 minutes looking for. I might actually be a little sad to lose this FUN experience once we actually have an organized bedroom... at least our dresser is backordered so for another three weeks I get be as excited as a kid at a birthday party when I run across an article of clothing I haven't seen in two months because it's been playing hide and seek with me.
Being the smart, educated people that we are, after the first paycheck we decided we needed to get rid of the conglomeration of gross college furniture and buy a new bedroom set. So we spent well into the thousands of dollars after our first paycheck on a bed, two nightstands, and different decoration accents to go into our new room. We realized pretty quickly that along with this newfound money also came newfound expenses (that our parents wouldn't pay!) We experienced our first big reality check when we saw the credit card bill for the furniture, paid it off in full and then had to pay off all our other bills on top of it. We then realized that we had about $400 in our checking account, so after that shock of our first instance of not really thinking things through (budgets were stupid then), we never really finished our bedroom. It remained pretty bare last year (except of course for the bed and two nightstands).
So yesterday, we decided that now is the Time. Time to finish our room... FINALLY. (It's not that we never wanted to finish it before-after we built up some savings, but it was always hard to justify finishing it in Des Moines since the nearest Crate and Barrel was 400 miles away and as we found out the first time, shipping costs as much as another piece of furniture...) We couldn't believe it this spring when Crate and Barrel brought back the EXACT same line of white furniture that we had bought last year... it was so awesome! (It's the Newport collection-if you were wondering).
Since we have unpacked here, a dresser has been a necessity. When we moved we scraped all of the rest of our junky college stuff except for a desk and a coffee table... so our 'dresser' right now is about four huge piles of clothes in our room. It has made the room look less empty, so if you need space fillers, just throw piles of clothes all over...it really works! And it's so fun every day looking for the tank top you SWEAR you saw yesterday when you were digging the day before for the pair of pants that you SWEAR you saw the day before that... it's been like a treasure hunt every day... and if you want to be late to work EVERY SINGLE DAY, this is the way to do it. I keep expecting a prize every time I find the coveted piece of clothing I have spent 20 minutes looking for. I might actually be a little sad to lose this FUN experience once we actually have an organized bedroom... at least our dresser is backordered so for another three weeks I get be as excited as a kid at a birthday party when I run across an article of clothing I haven't seen in two months because it's been playing hide and seek with me.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Nostalgia for Iowa
I just ran across these pictures that we took of Iowa right before we left... I do miss a lot of different, unique things about Iowa but on the flip side I love just as many things (if not more) about our new home in Arizona.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Total Cali weekend and other exciting news
Tim and I just returned from a long weekend in southern california. It was so strange to just be able to drive to his parents house...it has always been so far away! It only took us about four and a half hours to get there so it was a really easy drive!
Saturday we went down to Newport Beach and had breakfast and walked around... funny thing is, we got SO sunburned. We have been so careful in Phoenix but our first day in California we fried without meaning to. Now we are just tan with some pretty funky tan lines so we might have to brave out the Phoenix sun just to even them out. Saturday night we went out to my favorite restaurant of all time, Rutabegorz. It was started 20 or 30 years ago by college students...everything they make is all natural and organic. It really is great!
We went to church sunday and got to see a ton of people we haven't seen in a while. Then we had a barbeque at Tim's parents house with some good friends-John and Mary Anne and Bobby and Kristina. It was so great to see them...we haven't seen John and Mary Anne since the wedding and it has been almost a year since seeing Bobby and Kristina. It's crazy that now we will be able to see them a lot more frequently!
We didn't do a whole lot for the fourth... we spent a good chunk of the day driving and then when we got home we spent approximately two hours doing something I would never wish upon anyone. I might post about it later but for now I think it is too disgusting to warrant writing about. Following this, we saw some pretty cool Phoenix fireworks but other than that, we had a pretty quiet night.
In other news, out of the job offers I received, I decided to accept a job with the larger firm in the valley (the one where I sounded like an idiot on the phone...although in retrospect I do think I overreacted a little bit). I talked to one of my previous managers at Denman and he solidified my thinking that a larger firm will give me more training and more career opportunities down the road. So, my first day is tomorrow and I think they are putting me out in the field already on THURSDAY! I am nervous about that because my audit work is limited but I guess it is my "training."
So today I am going to enjoy my last day off by going SHOPPING! I think I am going to go over to Scottsdale... There are so many cool things this season that I want to buy but I've been holding out until I knew we both had jobs...this moving business has been really surprisingly expensive and we even had an allowance! Then maybe I will go to the pool to try to even out my tan lines...
Saturday we went down to Newport Beach and had breakfast and walked around... funny thing is, we got SO sunburned. We have been so careful in Phoenix but our first day in California we fried without meaning to. Now we are just tan with some pretty funky tan lines so we might have to brave out the Phoenix sun just to even them out. Saturday night we went out to my favorite restaurant of all time, Rutabegorz. It was started 20 or 30 years ago by college students...everything they make is all natural and organic. It really is great!
We went to church sunday and got to see a ton of people we haven't seen in a while. Then we had a barbeque at Tim's parents house with some good friends-John and Mary Anne and Bobby and Kristina. It was so great to see them...we haven't seen John and Mary Anne since the wedding and it has been almost a year since seeing Bobby and Kristina. It's crazy that now we will be able to see them a lot more frequently!
We didn't do a whole lot for the fourth... we spent a good chunk of the day driving and then when we got home we spent approximately two hours doing something I would never wish upon anyone. I might post about it later but for now I think it is too disgusting to warrant writing about. Following this, we saw some pretty cool Phoenix fireworks but other than that, we had a pretty quiet night.
In other news, out of the job offers I received, I decided to accept a job with the larger firm in the valley (the one where I sounded like an idiot on the phone...although in retrospect I do think I overreacted a little bit). I talked to one of my previous managers at Denman and he solidified my thinking that a larger firm will give me more training and more career opportunities down the road. So, my first day is tomorrow and I think they are putting me out in the field already on THURSDAY! I am nervous about that because my audit work is limited but I guess it is my "training."
So today I am going to enjoy my last day off by going SHOPPING! I think I am going to go over to Scottsdale... There are so many cool things this season that I want to buy but I've been holding out until I knew we both had jobs...this moving business has been really surprisingly expensive and we even had an allowance! Then maybe I will go to the pool to try to even out my tan lines...
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Just when I was starting to build up some confidence...
I managed to RUIN no-bake cookies. For anyone that has never made no bake cookies, it is about as elementary as baking brownies from a box. All it requires is mixing and measuring. Most people probably had these perfected in fourth grade. Not me. Since I've had some time off, I've been trying to perfect my cooking. So today it was no-bake cookie day. Not only did I somehow manage to burn these (even though they are NO bake), I also ended up with a big hard glob of what looked like rocky mud.
I used to be a lot better cook than I am now...it's a really weird phenomenon. I really am trying to be a good cook and it's not that I don't want to cook (like my mom always thinks). I really do try and I am good at some things, on a CONSISTENT basis...consistency really is the key. I have made some really good way healthy recipes but Tim tends to gravitate towards the meat and cheese type of person. I don't mess with meat...lord knows what I would do to ruin that if I tried. He grills all meat we eat...the only thing I can do is brown ground turkey and bake chicken. And I can never make any of the healthy recipes again because they are so complicated that the second time around could prove to be somewhat worse than the first. Again, the consistency issue. [Also, it should be noted that I made no bake cookies two weeks ago and they were GREAT. Which is why I decided to make them again...because I KNEW I couldn't ruin them, right?] These are things that I can always make well:
1) Spinach artichoke dip
2) Spaghetti goulash stuff
3) Tacos
4) Oatmeal
5) Kraft macaroni and cheese (although I don't think this counts).
And by the way, I am don't even do well making cans of soup. I have a little bit of a microwave issue. As in, I always blow stuff up or catch it on fire...seriously, ask Tim. I caught a microwave on fire when I lived in the dorms at college because I was trying to heat up a cookie...who doesn't like WARM COOKIES?
So, someday I am going to be a good cook. But not today. Dinner tonight? Kraft macaroni and cheese with burnt rocky cookies. Yummy.
Update: I am not even joking about this, although I do find it slightly hilarious and I don't think Tim has stopped laughing at me since he's been home. I have never managed to do this before, but I somehow managed to make the macaroni and cheese extremely soggy...I really think I might be cooking cursed today. It's like macaroni soup-edible but kind of has a baby food texture. Chipolte, here we come!
I used to be a lot better cook than I am now...it's a really weird phenomenon. I really am trying to be a good cook and it's not that I don't want to cook (like my mom always thinks). I really do try and I am good at some things, on a CONSISTENT basis...consistency really is the key. I have made some really good way healthy recipes but Tim tends to gravitate towards the meat and cheese type of person. I don't mess with meat...lord knows what I would do to ruin that if I tried. He grills all meat we eat...the only thing I can do is brown ground turkey and bake chicken. And I can never make any of the healthy recipes again because they are so complicated that the second time around could prove to be somewhat worse than the first. Again, the consistency issue. [Also, it should be noted that I made no bake cookies two weeks ago and they were GREAT. Which is why I decided to make them again...because I KNEW I couldn't ruin them, right?] These are things that I can always make well:
1) Spinach artichoke dip
2) Spaghetti goulash stuff
3) Tacos
4) Oatmeal
5) Kraft macaroni and cheese (although I don't think this counts).
And by the way, I am don't even do well making cans of soup. I have a little bit of a microwave issue. As in, I always blow stuff up or catch it on fire...seriously, ask Tim. I caught a microwave on fire when I lived in the dorms at college because I was trying to heat up a cookie...who doesn't like WARM COOKIES?
So, someday I am going to be a good cook. But not today. Dinner tonight? Kraft macaroni and cheese with burnt rocky cookies. Yummy.
Update: I am not even joking about this, although I do find it slightly hilarious and I don't think Tim has stopped laughing at me since he's been home. I have never managed to do this before, but I somehow managed to make the macaroni and cheese extremely soggy...I really think I might be cooking cursed today. It's like macaroni soup-edible but kind of has a baby food texture. Chipolte, here we come!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
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