Did you know...
...that I cut 4 inches off my hair last weekend on a whim? It's now to my chin in the front and shorter in the back.
...that Steve and I are making homemade pizza tonight and I'm so excited to eat so many sauteed mushrooms that about 1/3 of them will actually make it on my side of the pizza?
...the Colorado Avalanche is my favorite professional hockey team?
...Vancouver Canuck's are my least favorite team? Technically, the Avalanche's hated rivals, the Detroit Red Wings should be, but I can't help it.
...I got a cheap-o bubble gum dispense as a white elephant gift at my office Christmas party? It's on my desk and I put salted peanuts in it.
...I also have 2 mugs of candy on my desk? One is Miss Chatterbox and contains Kisses, the other is Miss Sunshine and holds Skittles. Steve gave me the mugs.
...I'm going to school for a Masters of Taxation? It's the only such program in the state of Utah.
...I recently went to San Antonio with Steve? You should if you read the blog regularly. :)
...we're planning a trip in May and may go to Disney World? I've never been to Florida - it's the big selling point as I'm not really big on amusement parks.
...I'm slowly losing the weight I put on at Christmas? I'm down 4 lbs!
...yellow is my current favorite color? It's so friendly and sunny and hopeful.
...I miss my mom? Luckily, she's coming for a visit in February!!!
...I'm currently suffering from seasonal depression? No sunshine for weeks on end does that to me. (And possibly lingering effects from a miscarriage???)
...I have a greyhound named Sadie? She's a crazy, wonderful, silly dog who always makes me feel loved when I get home from work. She is at the door even before Steve to welcome me home.
...I love mushrooms sauteed in butter? Mmmm. I can't wait for dinner tonight!
...I'm a Ute, a Thunderbird, and a Wildcat? Someday, I'll probably add to that list.
...I want to be a professor when I grow up? Most likely an Accounting professor, but maybe Economics.
...that we're planning on going to a Denver Broncos game this fall? They used to be my least favorite team, until they signed Peyton Manning, my football crush. Now I cheer for them because I want him to do well. Yes, Steve knows and doesn't care. He's a good man.
...I used to like the 49ers until the coach was a big, fat jerk to Alex Smith (a fellow Ute alumnus). That said, I can't cheer for Ray Lewis and the Ravens, so I guess I hope the 49ers win the Super Bowl this Sunday. Lesser of two evils, I guess.
...my husband is cheering for the Cowboys this weekend? He doesn't believe in cheering for any other football team. That's loyalty, people.
...I've never owned a pair of cowboy boots? Are they comfortable? They don't look comfy, but I wouldn't know since I've never even worn a pair. Maybe someday...if we move to Texas?
...that as I saute sliced mushrooms I'll also be dipping raw mushrooms in ranch and popping them in my mouth? Mmmmm. Good thing it's time to go home, so I can eat me some mushrooms!!
Have a good evening, everyone!!
Showing posts with label minutiae. Show all posts
Showing posts with label minutiae. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, September 24, 2012
Trending with Julie
Do you tend to get hooked on things, almost to the exclusions of other things?
I certainly do. I've had a pysch eval, before my lapband surgery, and OCD was ruled out, so I know it's most likely a normal tendancy that most people have to varying degrees. Luckily, my degree is Economics.
And Accounting.
Anyhoo, this post is dedicated to the Trends in my life right now. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy these things.
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've always enjoyed a good cookie, regardless of the flavor. This Spring, needing something sweet to eat, not wanting to go buy anything and not having a lot of ingredients, I made peanut butter cookies - the only recipe for which I had all the ingredients. I really enjoyed baking and eating them, so I decided to buy some chocolate chips and try baking them. Well, I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies practically every week (or every other week, depending on how long a batch lasted) this Summer. On our cruise to Alaska, I fell in love with these little, crunchy chocolate chip cookies and ate a few dozen probably. Now that I'm working full time and going to school, I don't bake cookies as much as I did, but I still make them sometimes and I certainly eat them whenever I can.
2. Salad. I liked salad before my lap band surgery but didn't really eat it that often. After my surgery, though, lettuce was a big problem for me. It got stuck and created a horrible blockage that usually ended in an unpleasant scenario. So, I stopped eating lettuce. I'd pick it off hamburgers and sandwiches, would let Steve eat my house salads at restaurants, and we never bought lettuce. I'm not sure when I started taking a few bites of salad before turning it over to Steve, but it started happening more frequently. Recently, I've been on a real big salad kick. We've started buying heads of lettuce and lots of veggies/cheese/ham to put in the salad. I like mine with ranch, Steve likes noncreamy dressings. I'm eating a salad right now. It's delish. After my tummy tuck, I had my band almost completely emptied due to complications. I've had it filled again, but it's a lot looser than it was pre-tummy tuck, so as long as I eat slowly and carefully, I don't have any unpleasant endings.
3. Belts. Pre-tummy tuck, I never used a belt. They got in the way and were sometimes quite uncomfortable. Now, however, most of my pants, including those I have bought since losing my tummy, are too loose and fall down too low if I'm belt-less. So, I hardly ever go without a belt. I only have a couple, so I'm itching to go shopping to buy some new ones!
4. Yellow. I paint my toe nails, and sometimes my finger nails, yellow and love it! It's such a fun, friendly color. I also painted our sitting room yellow and it really makes me happy to sit in there with a good book or puzzle or just to take a nap. I'm hoping to paint more rooms in our house different shades of yellow. For years, I've been looking for a yellow necklace. It would give a burst of color to an outfit, but I haven't found one I like yet...there's not a lot out there, unfortunately. At work, we have door signs that we put outside our doors to say why we're aren't in our office (Lunch, Meeting, Errands, Sick, Vacation, etc.). Mine are yellow. I chose them. They are cute.
5. Puzzles. I haven't done one since I started working, but my fingers are itching to start a new one. I'd only be able to work on it on Sundays - my self-imposed day off from homework (unless I was unable to do homework on Saturday due to plans that couldn't be scheduled for another time). Puzzles are fun. They make my mind work but in a relaxing way. And, when you're finished, you have something pretty to look at that you "created".
6. Pinterest. I am a huge recipe collector. I have magazines and books full of recipes, some that I'll never make but that look yummy or interesting. I like Pinterest because I can peruse tons of recipes and not spend a dime. I've made many recipes that I found on Pinterest, and also discovered a food blog that I really like, Chef-in-Training. Her recipes aren't complex or time-consuming, and Steve and I have enjoyed almost every one. So far, my favorites of hers are the Greek Chicken Gyros and the Chicken Fajita soup. Oh! And the Chinese Chicken Salad! I could have eaten it every meal for a week, it was soooo good!!
7. Glasses. Eye glasses to be precise. For the last couple months, I've worn glasses instead of contacts because of a contacts prescription that I didn't like. It was the brand of contacts; they made my eyes hurt. The store wouldn't substitute the brand I normally buy because it wasn't on the doctor's prescription. I didn't have time to go back to the doctor, so I returned the contacts and am just wearing my glasses. Luckily, I like my glasses. My eyes feel better than they have in a long time - the doctor told me I've been wearing contacts too long every day and he could see a slight indention in my eye ball because of it! The things I dislike about wearing glasses is 1) smudges - I get them all the time, b) inclement weather - I either take them off and can't see or wear them and still can't see, c) they get in the way when snuggling with Steve, and 4) I can't wear sunglasses while wearing my glasses. Still, it's fun to have a new look.
8. Milk in the A.M. Lately, I take a glass of milk with me to work every morning. I've always liked milk but rarely drank it pure, usually I prefer it with chocolate syrup mixed up with it. I'm not sure why I started drinking milk with my breakfast, but I started running behind while getting ready, so I started taking my glass to go. And, it isn't just any glass out of my cupboard. It has to be one of the three red glasses from my grandmother's kitchen or one of the three red, plastic, cheap glasses we bought for when small children come over for dinner. These are my milk glasses. I don't take even a little sip of the milk until I'm seated at my desk. Sometimes I will have eaten breakfast, other times (most frequent) I eat breakfast at my desk as well. Milk. It does a body good.
9. Gym Time. Speaking of something that does a body good, I've been going to the gym 2-3 times a week. Weber State allows employees 3 hours of release time to do wellness-type activities. These 3 hours are paid for and don't need to be made up by skipping lunch or staying late. I had chosen to do yoga 3 hours a week, but it didn't work out. My stomach hurt too much and the room was so hot I almost fainted the first day. So, now I go to the gym and walk/sometimes jog around the track and do a little weight training. It's a nice break in the day and is especially nice since 2 of the three gym days are days I have class in the evening and so can't go for our nightly walks with Sadie. I've noticed the weight creeping up on me (see number 1 on this list!) so this time at the gym could prove to be very useful in keeping it where I want it to be.
That's a good enough list for now, I think. Now you know what I've been liking nowadays. What's been trending with YOU?
I certainly do. I've had a pysch eval, before my lapband surgery, and OCD was ruled out, so I know it's most likely a normal tendancy that most people have to varying degrees. Luckily, my degree is Economics.
And Accounting.
Anyhoo, this post is dedicated to the Trends in my life right now. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy these things.
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've always enjoyed a good cookie, regardless of the flavor. This Spring, needing something sweet to eat, not wanting to go buy anything and not having a lot of ingredients, I made peanut butter cookies - the only recipe for which I had all the ingredients. I really enjoyed baking and eating them, so I decided to buy some chocolate chips and try baking them. Well, I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies practically every week (or every other week, depending on how long a batch lasted) this Summer. On our cruise to Alaska, I fell in love with these little, crunchy chocolate chip cookies and ate a few dozen probably. Now that I'm working full time and going to school, I don't bake cookies as much as I did, but I still make them sometimes and I certainly eat them whenever I can.
2. Salad. I liked salad before my lap band surgery but didn't really eat it that often. After my surgery, though, lettuce was a big problem for me. It got stuck and created a horrible blockage that usually ended in an unpleasant scenario. So, I stopped eating lettuce. I'd pick it off hamburgers and sandwiches, would let Steve eat my house salads at restaurants, and we never bought lettuce. I'm not sure when I started taking a few bites of salad before turning it over to Steve, but it started happening more frequently. Recently, I've been on a real big salad kick. We've started buying heads of lettuce and lots of veggies/cheese/ham to put in the salad. I like mine with ranch, Steve likes noncreamy dressings. I'm eating a salad right now. It's delish. After my tummy tuck, I had my band almost completely emptied due to complications. I've had it filled again, but it's a lot looser than it was pre-tummy tuck, so as long as I eat slowly and carefully, I don't have any unpleasant endings.
3. Belts. Pre-tummy tuck, I never used a belt. They got in the way and were sometimes quite uncomfortable. Now, however, most of my pants, including those I have bought since losing my tummy, are too loose and fall down too low if I'm belt-less. So, I hardly ever go without a belt. I only have a couple, so I'm itching to go shopping to buy some new ones!
4. Yellow. I paint my toe nails, and sometimes my finger nails, yellow and love it! It's such a fun, friendly color. I also painted our sitting room yellow and it really makes me happy to sit in there with a good book or puzzle or just to take a nap. I'm hoping to paint more rooms in our house different shades of yellow. For years, I've been looking for a yellow necklace. It would give a burst of color to an outfit, but I haven't found one I like yet...there's not a lot out there, unfortunately. At work, we have door signs that we put outside our doors to say why we're aren't in our office (Lunch, Meeting, Errands, Sick, Vacation, etc.). Mine are yellow. I chose them. They are cute.
5. Puzzles. I haven't done one since I started working, but my fingers are itching to start a new one. I'd only be able to work on it on Sundays - my self-imposed day off from homework (unless I was unable to do homework on Saturday due to plans that couldn't be scheduled for another time). Puzzles are fun. They make my mind work but in a relaxing way. And, when you're finished, you have something pretty to look at that you "created".
6. Pinterest. I am a huge recipe collector. I have magazines and books full of recipes, some that I'll never make but that look yummy or interesting. I like Pinterest because I can peruse tons of recipes and not spend a dime. I've made many recipes that I found on Pinterest, and also discovered a food blog that I really like, Chef-in-Training. Her recipes aren't complex or time-consuming, and Steve and I have enjoyed almost every one. So far, my favorites of hers are the Greek Chicken Gyros and the Chicken Fajita soup. Oh! And the Chinese Chicken Salad! I could have eaten it every meal for a week, it was soooo good!!
7. Glasses. Eye glasses to be precise. For the last couple months, I've worn glasses instead of contacts because of a contacts prescription that I didn't like. It was the brand of contacts; they made my eyes hurt. The store wouldn't substitute the brand I normally buy because it wasn't on the doctor's prescription. I didn't have time to go back to the doctor, so I returned the contacts and am just wearing my glasses. Luckily, I like my glasses. My eyes feel better than they have in a long time - the doctor told me I've been wearing contacts too long every day and he could see a slight indention in my eye ball because of it! The things I dislike about wearing glasses is 1) smudges - I get them all the time, b) inclement weather - I either take them off and can't see or wear them and still can't see, c) they get in the way when snuggling with Steve, and 4) I can't wear sunglasses while wearing my glasses. Still, it's fun to have a new look.
8. Milk in the A.M. Lately, I take a glass of milk with me to work every morning. I've always liked milk but rarely drank it pure, usually I prefer it with chocolate syrup mixed up with it. I'm not sure why I started drinking milk with my breakfast, but I started running behind while getting ready, so I started taking my glass to go. And, it isn't just any glass out of my cupboard. It has to be one of the three red glasses from my grandmother's kitchen or one of the three red, plastic, cheap glasses we bought for when small children come over for dinner. These are my milk glasses. I don't take even a little sip of the milk until I'm seated at my desk. Sometimes I will have eaten breakfast, other times (most frequent) I eat breakfast at my desk as well. Milk. It does a body good.
9. Gym Time. Speaking of something that does a body good, I've been going to the gym 2-3 times a week. Weber State allows employees 3 hours of release time to do wellness-type activities. These 3 hours are paid for and don't need to be made up by skipping lunch or staying late. I had chosen to do yoga 3 hours a week, but it didn't work out. My stomach hurt too much and the room was so hot I almost fainted the first day. So, now I go to the gym and walk/sometimes jog around the track and do a little weight training. It's a nice break in the day and is especially nice since 2 of the three gym days are days I have class in the evening and so can't go for our nightly walks with Sadie. I've noticed the weight creeping up on me (see number 1 on this list!) so this time at the gym could prove to be very useful in keeping it where I want it to be.
That's a good enough list for now, I think. Now you know what I've been liking nowadays. What's been trending with YOU?
Monday, July 09, 2012
Sleeping Troubles
I used to pride myself that I was an excellent sleeper. Yes, it took me awhile to fall asleep at night, but once I was out, I stayed out until morning. Little did I realize how precarious my sleeping rhythm truly was.
Sure, there were the odd sleeplessness occurrences. I distinctly remember three times when I suffered from insomnia. The first time was my first year of college, in my dorm room at the University of Utah. For over a week I couldn't stay asleep once I finally managed to fall asleep. I discussed it with my mom and she did a little research. She called me back awhile later with her findings. Sometimes if one does other things besides sleep in one's bed - like doing homework, reading, watching tv - then your body fails to treat your bed like a place to sleep. I started doing less on my bed (which had been doubling as my couch, especially since it was smack dab in front of my roommate's tv) and soon I started sleeping like myself.
The other two times occurred much later and were only separated from each other by one year. Both times shared something, I was stressed and didn't realize it. Stressed about a decision or more precisely, the direction my life was taking. Both lasted about two weeks and didn't end until I realized the cause and started to do something about it, even just to acknowledge the stress that I hadn't felt but my body had.
These three times were nothing compared to the eye-opening experience of sharing a bed with a man. I swear I didn't sleep well for months! Every time he turned over, I woke up. If he got up to use the bathroom, I was awake by the time he got back into bed. The man thought I was a vampire who never slept because he never saw me asleep. It was at this time that I realized that I wasn't a naturally gifted sleeper, I had just been lucky enough to have the right sleeping conditions for myself for a long time.
Steve taught me the meaning of a true sleep genius. The first time we shared a bed, after we said good-night the guy was asleep in 5 seconds flat. And not just a light slumber. I was able to get out of bed, grab a snack in the kitchen, eat it in bed, and read a little without him so much as change his breathing. I was impressed.
Nope, I am a light sleeper. I mean this in two ways, actually. First of all, I don't sleep soundly at all. Like I said, any movement would wake me up. Same goes for any sound above that of a distant train horn and any light brighter than a dim night light. Steve bought a new alarm clock just for me since at first I didn't have a night stand on my side of the room and was always asking him the time. This new alarm clock could project the time on a wall or even the ceiling. It was pretty handy. And pretty bright. I couldn't sleep with it on, so it had to go.
However, I need light in order to sleep. Looking back on my life, I realize that most of the time, there's always been some outside light source that gently lit up my bedroom (a street lamp, lights from a nearby business, etc.). Steve, having to sometimes work nights and so sleep during the day, likes to have heavy curtains that make the bedroom feel like it's permanently midnight on a starless, moonless night. Turns out, I get night terrors. I'm 35 years old and I get night terrors. If a room doesn't have a teeny bit of light in it, I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat terrified out of my mind over something or other. So, we bought a night light for our bedroom. I'm 35 years old and I have to sleep with a night light. Hence, the other way I'm a light sleeper. On our cruise, the first two nights, I woke up so afraid that I started moving what little furniture existed out of my way so I could get out of the room. We finally started leaving a table lamp on and covering it with multiple towels and jackets (because it couldn't be too bright).
Lately, I can't sleep through the night. I'm finally (after over a year of marriage) getting used to sharing a bed. We have the right amount of light and the temperature is perfect (I decided this post was getting too long to go into my temperature requirements and figure they're pretty standard - not too hot, not too cold). I don't feel overly stressed about what's going on in my life; in fact, I'm quite pleased with my life and some of the changes that have been happening and that are about to happen. However, I can't sleep past 3am without waking up. At first, I had to wake up then to take my next dose of pain killers after my surgery. Now, I wake up having to pee like a race horse. I used to be able to sleep through the night without using the facilities. The worst part is that once I get back in bed, I can't go back to sleep. I know that a huge part of that is the inability to get comfortable. I have to sleep on my back with my head and knees propped up with pillows. If I try to shift to my side, within minutes my stomach muscles throb then become really painful. I'm not used to sleeping on my back nor sleeping without changing positions. And I'm sore. Usually not in pain, thankfully, but almost constantly sore. Tight may be a better description. Like my stomach muscles and skin are being continually stretched. It makes sense, given the procedure of the surgery, but it can wear on me sometimes - usually at 3am.
Fortunately, I know that like the times in the past where a good night's sleep has eluded me, this time will pass. Someday, I'll sleep again. If nothing else, I've learned that I may not be a naturally gifted sleeper genius like Steve, but I do learn how to find my way to sleep eventually.
Thank Heavens!
Sure, there were the odd sleeplessness occurrences. I distinctly remember three times when I suffered from insomnia. The first time was my first year of college, in my dorm room at the University of Utah. For over a week I couldn't stay asleep once I finally managed to fall asleep. I discussed it with my mom and she did a little research. She called me back awhile later with her findings. Sometimes if one does other things besides sleep in one's bed - like doing homework, reading, watching tv - then your body fails to treat your bed like a place to sleep. I started doing less on my bed (which had been doubling as my couch, especially since it was smack dab in front of my roommate's tv) and soon I started sleeping like myself.
The other two times occurred much later and were only separated from each other by one year. Both times shared something, I was stressed and didn't realize it. Stressed about a decision or more precisely, the direction my life was taking. Both lasted about two weeks and didn't end until I realized the cause and started to do something about it, even just to acknowledge the stress that I hadn't felt but my body had.
These three times were nothing compared to the eye-opening experience of sharing a bed with a man. I swear I didn't sleep well for months! Every time he turned over, I woke up. If he got up to use the bathroom, I was awake by the time he got back into bed. The man thought I was a vampire who never slept because he never saw me asleep. It was at this time that I realized that I wasn't a naturally gifted sleeper, I had just been lucky enough to have the right sleeping conditions for myself for a long time.
Steve taught me the meaning of a true sleep genius. The first time we shared a bed, after we said good-night the guy was asleep in 5 seconds flat. And not just a light slumber. I was able to get out of bed, grab a snack in the kitchen, eat it in bed, and read a little without him so much as change his breathing. I was impressed.
Nope, I am a light sleeper. I mean this in two ways, actually. First of all, I don't sleep soundly at all. Like I said, any movement would wake me up. Same goes for any sound above that of a distant train horn and any light brighter than a dim night light. Steve bought a new alarm clock just for me since at first I didn't have a night stand on my side of the room and was always asking him the time. This new alarm clock could project the time on a wall or even the ceiling. It was pretty handy. And pretty bright. I couldn't sleep with it on, so it had to go.
However, I need light in order to sleep. Looking back on my life, I realize that most of the time, there's always been some outside light source that gently lit up my bedroom (a street lamp, lights from a nearby business, etc.). Steve, having to sometimes work nights and so sleep during the day, likes to have heavy curtains that make the bedroom feel like it's permanently midnight on a starless, moonless night. Turns out, I get night terrors. I'm 35 years old and I get night terrors. If a room doesn't have a teeny bit of light in it, I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat terrified out of my mind over something or other. So, we bought a night light for our bedroom. I'm 35 years old and I have to sleep with a night light. Hence, the other way I'm a light sleeper. On our cruise, the first two nights, I woke up so afraid that I started moving what little furniture existed out of my way so I could get out of the room. We finally started leaving a table lamp on and covering it with multiple towels and jackets (because it couldn't be too bright).
Lately, I can't sleep through the night. I'm finally (after over a year of marriage) getting used to sharing a bed. We have the right amount of light and the temperature is perfect (I decided this post was getting too long to go into my temperature requirements and figure they're pretty standard - not too hot, not too cold). I don't feel overly stressed about what's going on in my life; in fact, I'm quite pleased with my life and some of the changes that have been happening and that are about to happen. However, I can't sleep past 3am without waking up. At first, I had to wake up then to take my next dose of pain killers after my surgery. Now, I wake up having to pee like a race horse. I used to be able to sleep through the night without using the facilities. The worst part is that once I get back in bed, I can't go back to sleep. I know that a huge part of that is the inability to get comfortable. I have to sleep on my back with my head and knees propped up with pillows. If I try to shift to my side, within minutes my stomach muscles throb then become really painful. I'm not used to sleeping on my back nor sleeping without changing positions. And I'm sore. Usually not in pain, thankfully, but almost constantly sore. Tight may be a better description. Like my stomach muscles and skin are being continually stretched. It makes sense, given the procedure of the surgery, but it can wear on me sometimes - usually at 3am.
Fortunately, I know that like the times in the past where a good night's sleep has eluded me, this time will pass. Someday, I'll sleep again. If nothing else, I've learned that I may not be a naturally gifted sleeper genius like Steve, but I do learn how to find my way to sleep eventually.
Thank Heavens!
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
April Updates
I had a good April. It's always such a lovely month. I enjoy watching the flowers pop through the earth and for color to be re-introduced into my world. I love the cessation (hopefully) of snow and enjoy the rain as long as there are a few days of sunshine in between storms. Even if it does snow, at least I know that it won't last long and the snow will melt quickly, if it sticks at all.
I didn't have the best of months as far as goals went, quite frankly, but I'm still pleased with how my month turned out. Here's the rundown:
School. Is over! My last day of classes was Thursday, April 12, since I only had Tuesday/Thursday classes. The final for my Auditing class was actually the weekend before that, so after class on the 12th I was done with that class. I took my remaining two finals on Friday the 13th (scary?!) so was completely done with school by 10:30 that morning. It felt great! It feels even better now that I know that I earned straight As for the semester. Woohoo! I worked 4 hours a day the following week with Friday the 20th being my last official day until Fall semester. I have agreed to work a few days here and there up until June to cover my coworker's vacation days, which will be nice. I'll get a little extra income, will get out of the house, and can read for 6 hours because I imagine it's going to be pretty slow. In other school news, I received a letter on April 30th announcing that I have been accepted into the Masters of Accounting program! I'm not overly surprised because I get good grades and had a good test score, but it's still nice to get the confirmation and can now move forward with registering for classes. Yay!
Summer Trip. We accomplished the two big things I wanted to get done with regards to our trip. We booked our shore excursions and we applied for passports. My passport didn't actually expire until next year, but with getting married, I needed to get it updated. Steve has never needed a passport, so he had to get a brand new one. We finally were able to get into the post office (by appointment only) and get everything turned in. I'm actually quite pleased with my passport picture. I figure that anything now would be tons better than my old one! I'm also really pleased about the shore excursions we have picked out. I really didn't want to sit in a tour bus/truck/train for hours on end to look at pretty scenery. That's all okay for a bit but gets old quickly. We're going to go on a zip line over a forest, go to a salmon bake, tour a salmon hatchery, river raft, and a couple other things I can't recall at the moment. It's a good mix of active and not-so-active. I'm really excited.
Journaling. Fell apart this month. I'm totally out of the habit. It's sad because there were a lot of things that I would have liked to record, silly things that don't mean a lot but that I'd like to remember. Like the time I was so tired and jokingly asked Steve to carry me into the bedroom. He picked me up and carried me all over the downstairs turning off lights, shutting blinds, locking doors before finally depositing me on the bed. It was so silly and fun and I was laughing the entire time. It's moments like this that I want to capture and that don't get captured if I don't write daily or close to it. So, I'm recommitting to this goal. Now that I'm not in school and not working, I may try switching the time I write to the mornings instead of at night. We'll see what works.
Exercise. I'm bummed that I didn't meet my goal of exercising 100 miles in April; however, I know I still exercised every day, sometimes twice a day or more, so it's not as bad as it could be. Seriously, having a dog and not having a yard is good for my health! That's why my mileage is down - I walked most of the month and only rode my bike a couple times. It was either too chilly to ride my outside bike or I ended up going for the evening stroll with Steve and Sadie instead of riding my inside bike. No matter, I know I got in a lot of exercise, so I'm okay. This month, I'm going to get back into a routine of riding my bike every morning. The past two weeks have been crazy (plumber, painting, etc) but starting tomorrow I'm going to ride my bike every week day. That should really help out my mileage numbers. AND I really enjoy it.
April exercise totals: 1775 minutes (29.5 hours), 82.5 miles - mostly walking
Second dog. Isn't going to happen. In a way, I'm disappointed because I was really excited about getting another greyhound. However, I'm very proud of myself for recognizing that I couldn't do it and accepting it instead of feeling guilty and doing it anyway. And being miserable. It was hard for me to admit that I wasn't happy with a second dog (it totally wasn't the dog, it was me), but now we know that two big dogs isn't a good idea for us. Other people do it easily, not me. And you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm really enjoying having Sadie and that's good enough.
Summer To-Do List. Since I'm not in school and not working, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish this summer. In April, I accomplished three things - I planted a garden (with Steve), put together a puzzle, and painted the sitting room. Technically, I didn't finish painting until today, but I started on April 30th, so I'm counting it for both months. :) Some of the items are really easy, quick things and others may take more time, but all of them are things I've wanted to do for a long time so am happy to have some time to work on them.
Other. We took a trip to Cedar City for Easter and had a great time seeing my family. Wish Jason would have been able to be there, though. I finally managed to hook up with my cousin, Cassie, and heard all about her trip to Peru. It's always fun to hang out with her. And, I heard wonderful news about one of my best friends getting engaged! I'm so excited for her!
The highlight of the month was my one-year anniversary of being married to my wonderful husband, Steve. In a way, I can't believe we've been married for a whole year. In a way, I can't believe that I haven't been married to him all my life. He's my best friend.
Yep. It was a good month. I love this time of year.
Hope everyone has a wonderful May!!
I didn't have the best of months as far as goals went, quite frankly, but I'm still pleased with how my month turned out. Here's the rundown:
School. Is over! My last day of classes was Thursday, April 12, since I only had Tuesday/Thursday classes. The final for my Auditing class was actually the weekend before that, so after class on the 12th I was done with that class. I took my remaining two finals on Friday the 13th (scary?!) so was completely done with school by 10:30 that morning. It felt great! It feels even better now that I know that I earned straight As for the semester. Woohoo! I worked 4 hours a day the following week with Friday the 20th being my last official day until Fall semester. I have agreed to work a few days here and there up until June to cover my coworker's vacation days, which will be nice. I'll get a little extra income, will get out of the house, and can read for 6 hours because I imagine it's going to be pretty slow. In other school news, I received a letter on April 30th announcing that I have been accepted into the Masters of Accounting program! I'm not overly surprised because I get good grades and had a good test score, but it's still nice to get the confirmation and can now move forward with registering for classes. Yay!
Summer Trip. We accomplished the two big things I wanted to get done with regards to our trip. We booked our shore excursions and we applied for passports. My passport didn't actually expire until next year, but with getting married, I needed to get it updated. Steve has never needed a passport, so he had to get a brand new one. We finally were able to get into the post office (by appointment only) and get everything turned in. I'm actually quite pleased with my passport picture. I figure that anything now would be tons better than my old one! I'm also really pleased about the shore excursions we have picked out. I really didn't want to sit in a tour bus/truck/train for hours on end to look at pretty scenery. That's all okay for a bit but gets old quickly. We're going to go on a zip line over a forest, go to a salmon bake, tour a salmon hatchery, river raft, and a couple other things I can't recall at the moment. It's a good mix of active and not-so-active. I'm really excited.
Journaling. Fell apart this month. I'm totally out of the habit. It's sad because there were a lot of things that I would have liked to record, silly things that don't mean a lot but that I'd like to remember. Like the time I was so tired and jokingly asked Steve to carry me into the bedroom. He picked me up and carried me all over the downstairs turning off lights, shutting blinds, locking doors before finally depositing me on the bed. It was so silly and fun and I was laughing the entire time. It's moments like this that I want to capture and that don't get captured if I don't write daily or close to it. So, I'm recommitting to this goal. Now that I'm not in school and not working, I may try switching the time I write to the mornings instead of at night. We'll see what works.
Exercise. I'm bummed that I didn't meet my goal of exercising 100 miles in April; however, I know I still exercised every day, sometimes twice a day or more, so it's not as bad as it could be. Seriously, having a dog and not having a yard is good for my health! That's why my mileage is down - I walked most of the month and only rode my bike a couple times. It was either too chilly to ride my outside bike or I ended up going for the evening stroll with Steve and Sadie instead of riding my inside bike. No matter, I know I got in a lot of exercise, so I'm okay. This month, I'm going to get back into a routine of riding my bike every morning. The past two weeks have been crazy (plumber, painting, etc) but starting tomorrow I'm going to ride my bike every week day. That should really help out my mileage numbers. AND I really enjoy it.
April exercise totals: 1775 minutes (29.5 hours), 82.5 miles - mostly walking
Second dog. Isn't going to happen. In a way, I'm disappointed because I was really excited about getting another greyhound. However, I'm very proud of myself for recognizing that I couldn't do it and accepting it instead of feeling guilty and doing it anyway. And being miserable. It was hard for me to admit that I wasn't happy with a second dog (it totally wasn't the dog, it was me), but now we know that two big dogs isn't a good idea for us. Other people do it easily, not me. And you know what? I'm okay with that. I'm really enjoying having Sadie and that's good enough.
Summer To-Do List. Since I'm not in school and not working, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish this summer. In April, I accomplished three things - I planted a garden (with Steve), put together a puzzle, and painted the sitting room. Technically, I didn't finish painting until today, but I started on April 30th, so I'm counting it for both months. :) Some of the items are really easy, quick things and others may take more time, but all of them are things I've wanted to do for a long time so am happy to have some time to work on them.
Other. We took a trip to Cedar City for Easter and had a great time seeing my family. Wish Jason would have been able to be there, though. I finally managed to hook up with my cousin, Cassie, and heard all about her trip to Peru. It's always fun to hang out with her. And, I heard wonderful news about one of my best friends getting engaged! I'm so excited for her!
The highlight of the month was my one-year anniversary of being married to my wonderful husband, Steve. In a way, I can't believe we've been married for a whole year. In a way, I can't believe that I haven't been married to him all my life. He's my best friend.
Yep. It was a good month. I love this time of year.
Hope everyone has a wonderful May!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Spring Break 2012
It has been 6 years since I've had a Spring Break and even then I still had to work, so it wasn't really a true break. Not this year, baby! Since the student health center is closed when the university is closed, I'm free as a bird this week!
My break started at 1pm last Friday. Since Steve was able to get off work earlier than we thought, I asked to leave work early, too, and since I work for the most generous, amazing people, they said yes. I rushed home, helped Steve finish loading up the car - including Sadie, and we headed for Cedar City. Other than an accident in Provo, which slowed us down quite a bit, the drive was easy and we made it to Cedar in pretty good time. Starving and craving steak, Steve and I invited Mom to go to dinner with us at Ninja. I love Japanese hibachi restaurants and the steak there really hit the spot for me. Mom had never been, so I was even happier that we went there.
I love being in Cedar City. It's funny to me that for years and years all I could dream about (besides a dark handsome stranger who fell madly in love with me) was leaving Cedar and living almost anywhere else. Now, I miss it. A big part of that is being able to hang out with my family, but it's not just that. Cedar is my hometown. I know it, even though things change, I know where to find things, what streets can get me where I'm going. And, I have history there. I like driving around with Steve and telling him stories from my past. Cedar is a part of me.
We spent a few days in Cedar, having a grand time! I even got to go to lunch with some good friends I haven't seen awhile - thanks ladies! Yesterday morning, we packed up and took a quick trip to St. George to go to my bariatric surgeon's office for a band fill. It was so warm and lovely that I wanted to stay there the rest of the week. Instead, we headed for home and arrived around 3pm, giving us the rest of the day to unpack and relax from our fun trip.
So, what are my plans for the rest of my break? Unfortunately, since I didn't study at all the first half of Spring Break, the rest of the time will be pretty study-intensive. I am taking the GMAT (the exam to get into WSU's Master's of Accounting program) on March 24, so that is what I plan to focus on, but I also have a few things to work on for my actual classes, especially my online class.
When I'm not studying, I'll be walking Sadie, blogging (not a lot, but a little), cooking, thinking about what to plant in our patio garden this year, and maybe even reading a very little bit. So I wasn't too tempted to spend too much time on that last item, I stayed up late last night finishing the book I started in Cedar.
Even though I'm spending most of my time studying, it feels great to have a few days off - no work, no classes. After Spring Break, there is only 4 weeks left until finals week, then it will be Summer! No classes, no work, and no studying! And it will be warm weather!! Aaaahhh. Those will be the days. All I have to do is work hard and get through the next few weeks. Piece of cake!
Mmmmm. Cake. I don't have cake, but I do have girl scout cookies! Excuse me while I go grab a few to help me get through the next few hours of studying.
Happy Wednesday!
My break started at 1pm last Friday. Since Steve was able to get off work earlier than we thought, I asked to leave work early, too, and since I work for the most generous, amazing people, they said yes. I rushed home, helped Steve finish loading up the car - including Sadie, and we headed for Cedar City. Other than an accident in Provo, which slowed us down quite a bit, the drive was easy and we made it to Cedar in pretty good time. Starving and craving steak, Steve and I invited Mom to go to dinner with us at Ninja. I love Japanese hibachi restaurants and the steak there really hit the spot for me. Mom had never been, so I was even happier that we went there.
I love being in Cedar City. It's funny to me that for years and years all I could dream about (besides a dark handsome stranger who fell madly in love with me) was leaving Cedar and living almost anywhere else. Now, I miss it. A big part of that is being able to hang out with my family, but it's not just that. Cedar is my hometown. I know it, even though things change, I know where to find things, what streets can get me where I'm going. And, I have history there. I like driving around with Steve and telling him stories from my past. Cedar is a part of me.
We spent a few days in Cedar, having a grand time! I even got to go to lunch with some good friends I haven't seen awhile - thanks ladies! Yesterday morning, we packed up and took a quick trip to St. George to go to my bariatric surgeon's office for a band fill. It was so warm and lovely that I wanted to stay there the rest of the week. Instead, we headed for home and arrived around 3pm, giving us the rest of the day to unpack and relax from our fun trip.
So, what are my plans for the rest of my break? Unfortunately, since I didn't study at all the first half of Spring Break, the rest of the time will be pretty study-intensive. I am taking the GMAT (the exam to get into WSU's Master's of Accounting program) on March 24, so that is what I plan to focus on, but I also have a few things to work on for my actual classes, especially my online class.
When I'm not studying, I'll be walking Sadie, blogging (not a lot, but a little), cooking, thinking about what to plant in our patio garden this year, and maybe even reading a very little bit. So I wasn't too tempted to spend too much time on that last item, I stayed up late last night finishing the book I started in Cedar.
Even though I'm spending most of my time studying, it feels great to have a few days off - no work, no classes. After Spring Break, there is only 4 weeks left until finals week, then it will be Summer! No classes, no work, and no studying! And it will be warm weather!! Aaaahhh. Those will be the days. All I have to do is work hard and get through the next few weeks. Piece of cake!
Mmmmm. Cake. I don't have cake, but I do have girl scout cookies! Excuse me while I go grab a few to help me get through the next few hours of studying.
Happy Wednesday!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Did You Know...
I love writing these posts. This time, I'm throwing in some stuff about my hubby because a) it's harder coming up with stuff about myself and 2) there's many of you who don't know him very well and this will help you get to know him better. So, did you know...
...I hate when nail polish starts to peel off? It seriously drives me crazy. Like right now.
...I have chubby knees?
...Steve has a chipped front tooth? He's had it since he was a kid.
...I think Steve's chipped tooth is sexy? I do.
...Spring Break starts on Saturday and I'm soooo ready for a long break?
...Steve is a Master Sergeant in the Air Force?
...I wear a Weber State t-shirt every Friday?
...Steve's favorite football team is the Dallas Cowboys?
...I have always disliked the Dallas Cowboys?
...I'm taking the GMAT in 2 weeks? No, I'm not ready.
...I'm 5 ft 6 3/4 in tall?
...Steve is 6 ft 4 in tall?
...Steve doesn't have a favorite cake, cookie, color, or candy bar? Weirdo.
...Steve worked at a hardware store before joining the Air Force?
...I was voted Most Eligible Bachelorette at my 5-yr high school reunion? There were maybe 10 of us who qualified. More like 5. I got a king-sized candy bar.
...tardiness (in others and myself) is my biggest pet peeve?
...I crave BBQ ribs about once a month? Goodwood in Riverdale has excellent beef ribs. Mmmm.
...Steve loves to fish?
...I'm working on writing a series of children's books?
...Steve doesn't like to eat mushrooms or peas?
Well, that's it for this time. I hope you learned something interesting about us. Or, at the very least, that you weren't bored to tears.
Have a great day! I hope it's sunny and warm wherever you are and that you're able to spend some time outside enjoying it!
...I hate when nail polish starts to peel off? It seriously drives me crazy. Like right now.
...I have chubby knees?
...Steve has a chipped front tooth? He's had it since he was a kid.
...I think Steve's chipped tooth is sexy? I do.
...Spring Break starts on Saturday and I'm soooo ready for a long break?
...Steve is a Master Sergeant in the Air Force?
...I wear a Weber State t-shirt every Friday?
...Steve's favorite football team is the Dallas Cowboys?
...I have always disliked the Dallas Cowboys?
...I'm taking the GMAT in 2 weeks? No, I'm not ready.
...I'm 5 ft 6 3/4 in tall?
...Steve is 6 ft 4 in tall?
...Steve doesn't have a favorite cake, cookie, color, or candy bar? Weirdo.
...Steve worked at a hardware store before joining the Air Force?
...I was voted Most Eligible Bachelorette at my 5-yr high school reunion? There were maybe 10 of us who qualified. More like 5. I got a king-sized candy bar.
...tardiness (in others and myself) is my biggest pet peeve?
...I crave BBQ ribs about once a month? Goodwood in Riverdale has excellent beef ribs. Mmmm.
...Steve loves to fish?
...I'm working on writing a series of children's books?
...Steve doesn't like to eat mushrooms or peas?
Well, that's it for this time. I hope you learned something interesting about us. Or, at the very least, that you weren't bored to tears.
Have a great day! I hope it's sunny and warm wherever you are and that you're able to spend some time outside enjoying it!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Rough Edges
Last night, Steve spent a few hours upstairs putting together a desk for me. Now that he's home in the evenings, we thought it would be good for me to have a place to do homework away from the distractions that he causes by just being himself and me loving him so much. Hence the new desk.
While he worked on assembling the desk, I sat downstairs doing homework. And giggling every so often. The man is pretty good with tools and following directions, but things didn't seem to be going his way last night. Every so often I could hear him ranting about the stupid instructions or drawer or whatever. Sadie would look at me each time he got loud, seeming to ask, "What is he doing up there?"
My husband is an ammo trooper with the AF. These men can cuss as good, or better, than any sailor you could imagine. Not being a cusser myself, it has been a little shocking at times, but it's something I don't bother to worry about too much. These men are also some of the best men I've ever met, especially my husband. Steve swears less than some of his friends but definitely could match them if he so desired.
So, imagine my surprise when the words that were coming out of his mouth last night were "fudge", "darn", "shoot", and other nonsense words instead of the stream of profanity that could have been. It made me realize that, without ever talking about my dislike of profanity, I have had an impact of Steve, me and my non-cussing family and friends. Some of his rough edges are becoming smooth.
He's not the only one in our relationship that has rough edges. While walking Sadie today, I thought about some of my own rough edges that Steve is smoothing out. Poor guy, I think his job is harder than mine; my rough edges are complicated.
In my favorite book, Fahrenheit 451, the old English professor told Montag about how he had been a chunk of wood when he was younger that had slowly, in time, become more refined, smoother, by his involvement with people and with learning. It's one of my favorite parts of the book, one that I think about often as I see how I have been refined by the people and experiences in my life. It gives me hope that someday I'll be a polished, smooth piece of wood instead of the chunk of rough edges I am.
While he worked on assembling the desk, I sat downstairs doing homework. And giggling every so often. The man is pretty good with tools and following directions, but things didn't seem to be going his way last night. Every so often I could hear him ranting about the stupid instructions or drawer or whatever. Sadie would look at me each time he got loud, seeming to ask, "What is he doing up there?"
My husband is an ammo trooper with the AF. These men can cuss as good, or better, than any sailor you could imagine. Not being a cusser myself, it has been a little shocking at times, but it's something I don't bother to worry about too much. These men are also some of the best men I've ever met, especially my husband. Steve swears less than some of his friends but definitely could match them if he so desired.
So, imagine my surprise when the words that were coming out of his mouth last night were "fudge", "darn", "shoot", and other nonsense words instead of the stream of profanity that could have been. It made me realize that, without ever talking about my dislike of profanity, I have had an impact of Steve, me and my non-cussing family and friends. Some of his rough edges are becoming smooth.
He's not the only one in our relationship that has rough edges. While walking Sadie today, I thought about some of my own rough edges that Steve is smoothing out. Poor guy, I think his job is harder than mine; my rough edges are complicated.
In my favorite book, Fahrenheit 451, the old English professor told Montag about how he had been a chunk of wood when he was younger that had slowly, in time, become more refined, smoother, by his involvement with people and with learning. It's one of my favorite parts of the book, one that I think about often as I see how I have been refined by the people and experiences in my life. It gives me hope that someday I'll be a polished, smooth piece of wood instead of the chunk of rough edges I am.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Yellow Stripe
Yesterday, after arriving home from work, I took Sadie on our daily afternoon walk. The weather was warmer than I had expected, and I enjoyed the walk immensely despite the rain.
Actually, the rain helped make the walk so enjoyable. Sadie and I walked the path along the Weber River, and the smells of trees, grass, dirt, undergrowth, and water seemed magnified by the rain. I felt peaceful, energized, and happy while we walked along, soaking up the sights, smells, and sounds of the river and its surroundings.
The rain was probably light enough to warrant not using an umbrella, but I've fallen in love with my most recent, so gladly brought it along. It is the kind that curves down enough to actually protect my head from precipitation - if I hold it down so my head almost hits its top, its tips go past my shoulders - and it doesn't threaten to blow away or go inside-out with every gust of wind.
Now, you may be wondering how I'm able to see where I'm going if the umbrella curves down so much. Good question. It's clear, see-through, I mean! So, my head/face is nicely protected and I'm still able to see everything around me, which on a beautifully rainy day such as yesterday was quite a blessing.
The cherry on top, though, is the yellow stripe around the bottom of the umbrella. What a great color to contrast with the gray, rainy day. It brought me simple pleasure as I looked through my umbrella at the world around me.
Yes, that's Sadie peaking in underneath.
Simple pleasures are the best and easiest to enjoy - have you ever noticed?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Wonderful Weekend
Who doesn't love the weekend?
Well, there are kids in my classes that don't because that's usually when they a) work, b) do homework, c) both. That said, who else doesn't like the weekend???
I certainly do! This past weekend was particularly enjoyable. Here's what went into such a nice, productive, enjoyable two days: (pretty much ranked in order)
1) Tons of time with Steve. Now that he works 3pm to 11pm during the week, I really treasure the time we have together on the weekends. We have so much fun together; laughing, talking, playing games, even just walking the dog. He's definitely my best friend and I love him so much!
2) Shopping. It used to be that the thought of going from store to store for any reason (though especially clothes shopping) was enough to make me want to hide under my bed until the threat went away. However, with dramatic weight loss came more enjoyment while clothes shopping and with marrying Steve came more enjoyment with all other kinds of shopping...as long as we're doing it together. He and I have similar shopping preferences - where we like to shop, how long we like to look at things, when we're absolutely done, etc. - so the experience is pretty pleasant. AND, we got almost all of our Christmas shopping done!!! BEFORE THANKSGIVING! That is a record for me. In addition to Christmas presents, we also bought my brother's wedding present and birthday presents for my mom and niece, AND I bought some presents for Steve while he was sleeping (he worked until 6am that morning). I have 2/3 of the money left for him, so I still have some shopping left to do, but it feels good to have the rest done so early.
3) Food. Saturday night we ate at Olive Garden. Normally when we want Italian, we go to a nice little restaurant in Ogden called Rovali's that has excellent food and service. However, I spent last week craving OG for some reason (the salad??), so we went there mid-shopping. I enjoyed my stuffed rigatoni and chicken immensely! Sunday morning, I made a delicious quiche from stuff in my fridge - bell peppers, onion, chicken, bacon, two types of cheese, eggs, and half-n-half. It was definitely the best quiche I've made - and I make pretty darn good quiches. I loved every bite! Later Sunday, I made meatloaf and garlich mashed red potatoes. The meatloaf was so juicy and flavorful and the potatoes were creamy and buttery. Mmmmm. I love the satisfaction that comes with making delicious food!
4) My hair. My bangs are still too short, but they aren't as short as they were. I can look into a mirror and not cringe. I don't care if some think it's shallow - when you think you look good, you feel good. This weekend I finally felt like I looked good again and I noticed the added spring in my step as we walked around stores.
5) Football. All of my college teams won (Weber, SUU, Utah, and Steve's UCLA), my NFL team won (Detroit Lions), and my fantasy team stands a decent change of winning if my remaining player doesn't tank tonight. Even if he does, I'd rather my real teams win and my fantasy team lose than vice versa. Here's hoping for a win-win though!
In short (haha), nothing spectacular happened this weekend, but I really really enjoyed myself. I truly believe that most of life is made up of small moments that could be easily overlooked if you're not paying attention. It's better to get every ounce of enjoyment from those moments (they can be pretty packed!) than wait for the big occassions that can be awesome but are usually pretty spaced out, too.
Well, there are kids in my classes that don't because that's usually when they a) work, b) do homework, c) both. That said, who else doesn't like the weekend???
I certainly do! This past weekend was particularly enjoyable. Here's what went into such a nice, productive, enjoyable two days: (pretty much ranked in order)
1) Tons of time with Steve. Now that he works 3pm to 11pm during the week, I really treasure the time we have together on the weekends. We have so much fun together; laughing, talking, playing games, even just walking the dog. He's definitely my best friend and I love him so much!
2) Shopping. It used to be that the thought of going from store to store for any reason (though especially clothes shopping) was enough to make me want to hide under my bed until the threat went away. However, with dramatic weight loss came more enjoyment while clothes shopping and with marrying Steve came more enjoyment with all other kinds of shopping...as long as we're doing it together. He and I have similar shopping preferences - where we like to shop, how long we like to look at things, when we're absolutely done, etc. - so the experience is pretty pleasant. AND, we got almost all of our Christmas shopping done!!! BEFORE THANKSGIVING! That is a record for me. In addition to Christmas presents, we also bought my brother's wedding present and birthday presents for my mom and niece, AND I bought some presents for Steve while he was sleeping (he worked until 6am that morning). I have 2/3 of the money left for him, so I still have some shopping left to do, but it feels good to have the rest done so early.
3) Food. Saturday night we ate at Olive Garden. Normally when we want Italian, we go to a nice little restaurant in Ogden called Rovali's that has excellent food and service. However, I spent last week craving OG for some reason (the salad??), so we went there mid-shopping. I enjoyed my stuffed rigatoni and chicken immensely! Sunday morning, I made a delicious quiche from stuff in my fridge - bell peppers, onion, chicken, bacon, two types of cheese, eggs, and half-n-half. It was definitely the best quiche I've made - and I make pretty darn good quiches. I loved every bite! Later Sunday, I made meatloaf and garlich mashed red potatoes. The meatloaf was so juicy and flavorful and the potatoes were creamy and buttery. Mmmmm. I love the satisfaction that comes with making delicious food!
4) My hair. My bangs are still too short, but they aren't as short as they were. I can look into a mirror and not cringe. I don't care if some think it's shallow - when you think you look good, you feel good. This weekend I finally felt like I looked good again and I noticed the added spring in my step as we walked around stores.
5) Football. All of my college teams won (Weber, SUU, Utah, and Steve's UCLA), my NFL team won (Detroit Lions), and my fantasy team stands a decent change of winning if my remaining player doesn't tank tonight. Even if he does, I'd rather my real teams win and my fantasy team lose than vice versa. Here's hoping for a win-win though!
In short (haha), nothing spectacular happened this weekend, but I really really enjoyed myself. I truly believe that most of life is made up of small moments that could be easily overlooked if you're not paying attention. It's better to get every ounce of enjoyment from those moments (they can be pretty packed!) than wait for the big occassions that can be awesome but are usually pretty spaced out, too.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Finding Passion
I am a romantic. I always have been, though I do my best to temper it with a healthy dose of pragmatism whenever possible. All my life I daydreamed about finding my true love, the man I'd love with all my heart and spend the rest of my life with. I didn't neglect my life waiting for Prince Charming, but I was always on the lookout for him - even those years when I was totally against ever getting married.
It's amazing how much mind space and time has been opened up now that I have found the love of my life. Some of the time I spent daydreaming about finding Prince Charming has now been channeled into thinking about Steve and our future together, but there's still quite a healthy chunk of time leftover. I find myself spending more time thinking about the other aspects of my life that, though never neglected, certainly weren't in the foreground of my thoughts. Things like my career and what to do with my time when not at work.
I'm realizing more fully that my life lacks passion...not in the romance department, but in every other one. I'm grateful to have a job, don't get me wrong, but I'm not enamored with it. It's a dead end job with no potential for advancement and it's not really what I want to do with my life - it lacks challenge and definitely is beneath my potential. So, I'm wracking my brains trying to decide what I'd like to do for a career. It's not very easy. I never had an idea of "what I want to be when I grow up". I definitely learning what aspects of a job appeal to me and what don't. Ideally, I'd like something that could eventually enable me to be my own boss.
Anyway, that's a subject for a complete and substantial blog post. I'm also realizing how little passion I have for any hobby or extracurricular activities. I enjoy doing several things; cooking, hiking, walking, reading, tennis, but I don't necessarily feel PASSIONATE about any of them - even cooking, though that's definitely the closest one. I talked it over with Steve a few nights ago and he suggested trying some new hobbies. I may not be cut out for passion in my hobbies, I may just be too lazy to care that much about anything, but I figure it's worth a try. If nothing else, I'll have a little fun.
The first thing I'm going to try is gardening. I'm actually pretty excited about trying it. Steve and I don't have a yard, but we have front and back patios that would be ideal for potted gardens. I anticipate having a good time planning what to plant, spending time with Steve picking out pots and soil and then spending the spring, summer, and fall maintaining our garden...oh and enjoying the fruit of our labor! I'm not known for my growing skills, but I plan on researching how to care for the plants we choose and really spending time nurturing them.
I'd also like to start biking. We're going to buy bikes when the weather turns warmer and we have a great biking/walking path really close to our home. In fact, I'd also like to try rollerblading again! I have art supplies I bought with the help of my friend, Doug, but have always been too busy (and scared) to sit down and paint. I'd like to try my hand at painting. I may be horrible, but there's the chance of finding something I'm passionate about. You never know! We're also getting a dog in a couple months, so that will be fun and interesting. Steve thinks maybe I'll be good at dog training. We'll see. And maybe this winter, when the weather turns bad again, I'll take up sewing. My mom once hinted that she may give me her old sewing machine and if she does, it may be fun to start sewing fun projects like curtains, pillowcases, and maybe even skirts...if I get decent enough.
At any rate, I feel good about what life has to offer. I am blessed to be in love with the most wonderful man in the universe. I have a decent paying job. And, I have the means and opportunity to explore the offerings of life. Life. I guess that is something I'm passionate about. I love living. I love my life.
I'll do my best to record my attempts at these hobbies, successes and failures. Hopefully there's more successes than otherwise. And, hopefully you have passion in your life. If you do, I'd love to hear about your passions!
It's amazing how much mind space and time has been opened up now that I have found the love of my life. Some of the time I spent daydreaming about finding Prince Charming has now been channeled into thinking about Steve and our future together, but there's still quite a healthy chunk of time leftover. I find myself spending more time thinking about the other aspects of my life that, though never neglected, certainly weren't in the foreground of my thoughts. Things like my career and what to do with my time when not at work.
I'm realizing more fully that my life lacks passion...not in the romance department, but in every other one. I'm grateful to have a job, don't get me wrong, but I'm not enamored with it. It's a dead end job with no potential for advancement and it's not really what I want to do with my life - it lacks challenge and definitely is beneath my potential. So, I'm wracking my brains trying to decide what I'd like to do for a career. It's not very easy. I never had an idea of "what I want to be when I grow up". I definitely learning what aspects of a job appeal to me and what don't. Ideally, I'd like something that could eventually enable me to be my own boss.
Anyway, that's a subject for a complete and substantial blog post. I'm also realizing how little passion I have for any hobby or extracurricular activities. I enjoy doing several things; cooking, hiking, walking, reading, tennis, but I don't necessarily feel PASSIONATE about any of them - even cooking, though that's definitely the closest one. I talked it over with Steve a few nights ago and he suggested trying some new hobbies. I may not be cut out for passion in my hobbies, I may just be too lazy to care that much about anything, but I figure it's worth a try. If nothing else, I'll have a little fun.
The first thing I'm going to try is gardening. I'm actually pretty excited about trying it. Steve and I don't have a yard, but we have front and back patios that would be ideal for potted gardens. I anticipate having a good time planning what to plant, spending time with Steve picking out pots and soil and then spending the spring, summer, and fall maintaining our garden...oh and enjoying the fruit of our labor! I'm not known for my growing skills, but I plan on researching how to care for the plants we choose and really spending time nurturing them.
I'd also like to start biking. We're going to buy bikes when the weather turns warmer and we have a great biking/walking path really close to our home. In fact, I'd also like to try rollerblading again! I have art supplies I bought with the help of my friend, Doug, but have always been too busy (and scared) to sit down and paint. I'd like to try my hand at painting. I may be horrible, but there's the chance of finding something I'm passionate about. You never know! We're also getting a dog in a couple months, so that will be fun and interesting. Steve thinks maybe I'll be good at dog training. We'll see. And maybe this winter, when the weather turns bad again, I'll take up sewing. My mom once hinted that she may give me her old sewing machine and if she does, it may be fun to start sewing fun projects like curtains, pillowcases, and maybe even skirts...if I get decent enough.
At any rate, I feel good about what life has to offer. I am blessed to be in love with the most wonderful man in the universe. I have a decent paying job. And, I have the means and opportunity to explore the offerings of life. Life. I guess that is something I'm passionate about. I love living. I love my life.
I'll do my best to record my attempts at these hobbies, successes and failures. Hopefully there's more successes than otherwise. And, hopefully you have passion in your life. If you do, I'd love to hear about your passions!
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Living without TV
Today, I'm not going to watch tv at all. In fact, I have a new plan involving television in my life.
Last month, I watched more television than I had in the past year. Not having a job, I'd wake up, turn on the tv, grab something to eat for breakfast, then pull out my laptop. I'd apply for multiple jobs online while watching Food Network shows by the half dozens. Then I'd go for a walk (sometimes, not often enough), shower and get ready, then watch tv while eating lunch. It would take me awhile to pull myself off the couch, but eventually I'd go out and apply at establishments in person. I'd get home about an hour before Steve got off work, so I'd watch more tv. Ofttimes, Steve and I would watch a show or two at night, too. In short, I watched a lot of tv!
Now that I have a job, I know my tv viewing will decrease substantially, but I also have two days off during the week. I can totally see myself sinking into the television abyss and not doing anything productive on those days until Steve gets off work. I don't want this to happen, so I'm experimenting with not watching tv on my 2 week days off (Tuesdays and Thursdays).
What are my plans? Here's a list of some things to do instead of watching tv:
1. Exercise. This past month, I've kind of gotten out of my exercise habit. Since I credit exercise with most of my weight loss, this isn't a good situation. So, I am rededicating myself to exercising every day and am going to start keeping track of my exercise again since that really helps me.
2. Write. I am not terribly ambitious about my writing. I will blog a little more and work on a novel I'd like to write. It would be awesome if something came of it, but really, at this point, I'd just like to say I finished a novel. I have the title and the basic story outline, so we'll see how it goes.
3. Clean. The apartment isn't exactly a mess, but I'd like to clean something every day I have off. That way, the apartment stays clean and I get back in the habit of cleaning. It's funny how many habits I've lost over the past year - too busy having a social life. *smile*
4. Explore. There is a lot of this area that I don't know and this is a great time of year to explore it. The leaves are beginning to change colors and everything is beautiful. I'd like to drive around, go on some hikes I've heard about, try different restaurants, and see all there is to see.
5. Read. Let's be honest...this is what I'm really looking forward to doing the most. I love reading. I have a long list of books people have recommended to me and am excited to finally have time to start reading them. However, reading can be even more addicting than television, so if I start spending all my time reading, I'll have to start limiting my reading time. So, I'll be judicious...as much as I can be. *grin*
6. Wii. Though using the tv, this isn't the same as watching tv, since I'll be up and moving around. Steve and I love to play tennis and bowling on the Wii and I always beat him. Always. However, he started practicing and is getting a lot better. He's almost better at tennis than me (he kicks my butt in real life) and he finally is figuring out his throw in bowling, so I have got to step up my game. This will probably be the least-chosen activity, but it's definitely something to turn to when I need a little something different.
I'll still watch TV in the evenings with Steve, if that's what we decide to do, but we have so much fun doing other things, that I'm not worried about us spending all our time together in front of the tube.
Mostly, I want to live life, not watch fake people on tv live theirs. So that's what I'm going to do!
Last month, I watched more television than I had in the past year. Not having a job, I'd wake up, turn on the tv, grab something to eat for breakfast, then pull out my laptop. I'd apply for multiple jobs online while watching Food Network shows by the half dozens. Then I'd go for a walk (sometimes, not often enough), shower and get ready, then watch tv while eating lunch. It would take me awhile to pull myself off the couch, but eventually I'd go out and apply at establishments in person. I'd get home about an hour before Steve got off work, so I'd watch more tv. Ofttimes, Steve and I would watch a show or two at night, too. In short, I watched a lot of tv!
Now that I have a job, I know my tv viewing will decrease substantially, but I also have two days off during the week. I can totally see myself sinking into the television abyss and not doing anything productive on those days until Steve gets off work. I don't want this to happen, so I'm experimenting with not watching tv on my 2 week days off (Tuesdays and Thursdays).
What are my plans? Here's a list of some things to do instead of watching tv:
1. Exercise. This past month, I've kind of gotten out of my exercise habit. Since I credit exercise with most of my weight loss, this isn't a good situation. So, I am rededicating myself to exercising every day and am going to start keeping track of my exercise again since that really helps me.
2. Write. I am not terribly ambitious about my writing. I will blog a little more and work on a novel I'd like to write. It would be awesome if something came of it, but really, at this point, I'd just like to say I finished a novel. I have the title and the basic story outline, so we'll see how it goes.
3. Clean. The apartment isn't exactly a mess, but I'd like to clean something every day I have off. That way, the apartment stays clean and I get back in the habit of cleaning. It's funny how many habits I've lost over the past year - too busy having a social life. *smile*
4. Explore. There is a lot of this area that I don't know and this is a great time of year to explore it. The leaves are beginning to change colors and everything is beautiful. I'd like to drive around, go on some hikes I've heard about, try different restaurants, and see all there is to see.
5. Read. Let's be honest...this is what I'm really looking forward to doing the most. I love reading. I have a long list of books people have recommended to me and am excited to finally have time to start reading them. However, reading can be even more addicting than television, so if I start spending all my time reading, I'll have to start limiting my reading time. So, I'll be judicious...as much as I can be. *grin*
6. Wii. Though using the tv, this isn't the same as watching tv, since I'll be up and moving around. Steve and I love to play tennis and bowling on the Wii and I always beat him. Always. However, he started practicing and is getting a lot better. He's almost better at tennis than me (he kicks my butt in real life) and he finally is figuring out his throw in bowling, so I have got to step up my game. This will probably be the least-chosen activity, but it's definitely something to turn to when I need a little something different.
I'll still watch TV in the evenings with Steve, if that's what we decide to do, but we have so much fun doing other things, that I'm not worried about us spending all our time together in front of the tube.
Mostly, I want to live life, not watch fake people on tv live theirs. So that's what I'm going to do!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sick
I'm sick. I have been for a little over a week. Last Sunday was pretty bad but then I started to feel better, so I had a pretty nice week. Saturday, I started to feel sick again but I thought it was due to walking around in the heat at the Salt Lake farmers market. I love the farmers market, by the way. It is full of fresh veggies and fruit, wonderful breads and cheeses, crafts, honey, and pretty much anything you could ever want! It's fabulous and Steve and I tend to spend a couple hours there whenever we go. By the time we left, I was feeling pretty wilted, so he took me to get a fresh cookie and orange julius at Gateway mall. I felt much better so didn't think much of it. However, Saturday evening, I was in full-blown sick mode. Sigh.
Sunday, Steve insisted I relax, so we pretty much just hung out and watched television (mostly football) all day. At one point, I really wanted to make salsa using the wonderful ingredients we'd bought at the market, so I started to chop veggies while Steve ran to get tortilla chips. I had done most of the chopping, Steve was waiting patiently at the computer (near the kitchen), when I started to feel a little dizzy. I decided to just keep chopping since I was almost done. Bad idea. I felt myself start to pass out and almost chopped off my thumb. Fortunately, I just took a big nick out of my thumbnail. Also fortunately, Steve saw me sway and rushed to grab me as I fell backward. He lowered me to the kitchen floor and held a cold, wet towel to my forehead as I recovered. I felt like I was going to throw up, so we stayed in the kitchen until I didn't feel nauseous any more.
Finally, I felt a little better, so Steve carried me to the couch and held me tight. My hands started to shake and feel tingly. Steve explained that it was probably adrenaline caused by the experience. I was pretty shaken up, but slowly, I started to feel better. Steve asked how much water I'd drank during the day...none. So, he started pumping me full of water and I really settled down. He pretty much babied me the rest of the evening. I don't usually like to be babied/nursed when I'm sick, but it felt nice when he did it. It felt good to know he cared and wanted to make sure I was ok.
Have I mentioned lately how wonderful he is??? He's so wonderful and I love him so much!
Today, I'm just resting and applying for jobs online. I'm nervous about money, but I have to have faith that something will come along. Hopefully soon. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, Steve insisted I relax, so we pretty much just hung out and watched television (mostly football) all day. At one point, I really wanted to make salsa using the wonderful ingredients we'd bought at the market, so I started to chop veggies while Steve ran to get tortilla chips. I had done most of the chopping, Steve was waiting patiently at the computer (near the kitchen), when I started to feel a little dizzy. I decided to just keep chopping since I was almost done. Bad idea. I felt myself start to pass out and almost chopped off my thumb. Fortunately, I just took a big nick out of my thumbnail. Also fortunately, Steve saw me sway and rushed to grab me as I fell backward. He lowered me to the kitchen floor and held a cold, wet towel to my forehead as I recovered. I felt like I was going to throw up, so we stayed in the kitchen until I didn't feel nauseous any more.
Finally, I felt a little better, so Steve carried me to the couch and held me tight. My hands started to shake and feel tingly. Steve explained that it was probably adrenaline caused by the experience. I was pretty shaken up, but slowly, I started to feel better. Steve asked how much water I'd drank during the day...none. So, he started pumping me full of water and I really settled down. He pretty much babied me the rest of the evening. I don't usually like to be babied/nursed when I'm sick, but it felt nice when he did it. It felt good to know he cared and wanted to make sure I was ok.
Have I mentioned lately how wonderful he is??? He's so wonderful and I love him so much!
Today, I'm just resting and applying for jobs online. I'm nervous about money, but I have to have faith that something will come along. Hopefully soon. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Softball
I joined my work softball team on a whim. Last Spring, while watching the softball games of various friends and family members, I thought how fun it would be to play softball, to be a part of a team, run, hit the ball, move my body. Someday, I told myself, someday. Well, when the email went out inviting employees to join the co-ed team, I found myself responding. I attended the team meeting and got nervous, big time. These people could play...one of the gals is one of the softball coaches at SUU (where I work), which isn't intimidating at all. I told them I'd try my best but that I had never played on a team before so please don't expect too much.
I got more and more nervous, especially because playing kept getting put off; one practice was canceled, I couldn't make the other one, two weeks of games were canceled due to snow, so by the time our first game rolled around, I was sick with nerves. I don't know how to throw a ball and it had been over a year since I'd picked up a bat. And, friends and family were going to be in the stands watching! Sam, my ex, came up from St. George and gamely played catch with me beforehand, giving me pointers and plenty of encouragement.
Once the game started, I had a blast - I knew I would once I settled down. I play catcher. In this league, catcher is given to the worst player on the team...all I do is catch the ball when the pitcher pitches it. If a play is being made at home, I step out of the way and let the pitcher run up to take care of things. I don't care that I'm the worst player on the team. It's better than being in the outfield for two reasons; 1) I can't throw the ball, so if I was in right field and the ball managed to make its way to me, I'd have to throw it in and would look absolutely ridiculous and b) I'm in the game - I may not have a lot of responsibilities, but I get a hand on the ball a lot, get to practice throwing the ball (to the pitcher), and I get to chat with the umpire. I love it.
How have I been playing, you ask? Not too great, but not too shabby. I've had a couple hits, a couple strike outs, and made it on base one...I walked. My goal is to get on base due to hitting the ball and then to someday actually score. They aren't lofty goals, but they're mine and I like them.
My team is awesome. I'm one of three Julie's, which we all find terribly amusing. The guys on the team aren't as scary and demanding as I'd feared they'd be. They're very patient with me, give me encouragement, and give me high 5's when I do something even resembling a good job (like when I almost caught a foul ball). As a team, we laugh a lot and have a good time. And, we actually do a fair amount of winning, which is an added perk.
Two years ago, I would never have contemplated being on a softball team. Oh how my life has changed. I'm actually living it instead of letting it roll by like a twig in a stream. I'm doing things that I always held myself back from doing because of my weight. I love that my body can run, not very fast or for very long, but the feeling of the various parts of my body working in harmony to produce this feat is tremendous. I love when I swing the bat and can feel the power of my muscles in my arms and back. I'm about as graceless as a horse on roller blades when I throw the ball, but I'm getting better, and sometimes, every once in awhile, I throw it correctly and I can feel the difference. My body works and I revel in it.
I'll probably never be the best player on any team, but I love playing the game. I love being active and part of something outside myself. I love the sounds of the game; the ball hitting the bat, the Ump calling Strike (unless it's on me or someone on my team), the cheers of the people on the bleachers, and the kids running around laughing and having a grand ole time. I love the way my hand smells like my glove afterward. I love that my mom and friends come to the game to cheer me on. It's so cool to get up to bat and to have them rooting for me, even when I hit the ball right to the pitcher. I love putting on my jersey (#32) even though it's just on loan and I don't get to keep it. I love that my previously white(ish) shoes are now dirty from the red softball diamond dirt. I simply love playing the game.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Living with a Boy
I haven't posted in ages! Wow! I now realize how much I blogged at my last job.
Anyhoo, for those of you who don't know, I live with a boy. His name is Brian. We met at a friend's house, hit it off, ended up kissing at the end of the second night knowing each other, then he moved back to Illinois, then he moved back to Utah, then he was thrown out of the place he was staying with a friend, and, since he knew no one else in town, I offered to let him stay with me on a temporary basis.
That was the shortened version.
It's been almost 3 weeks since he moved in. During that time, my official roommate also moved in - she answered my craigslist ad and we'd arranged to be roommates weeks before this happened. She's really laid back and was okay with it when I told her about Brian moving in the week before she did. So far, we're a pretty happy family.
It's an interesting phenomenon living with a guy who isn't family. Oh, and before I go on, I should make it perfectly clear that whatever spark existed between us when we first met is no longer in play. We're just friends...nothing more! We haven't kissed since that night, not even held hands! So, don't worry!
It's kind of fun living with a guy. First, you can shock ultra conservative people. Second, he tells me I'm pretty a lot. And not in the "I'm trying to date you so I'm flattering you" way...just a matter of fact "you are a pretty person" way. It's very nice to hear, especially from a guy, even if you're not dating said guy. Third, guys think differently than girls. We end up having interesting discussions that are totally different than a conversation I'd have with a girl. And, he gives me insights into the male psyche, especially in regards to dating. Fourth, he keeps a sink full of dirty dishes...oh wait, that isn't a fun part. However, it's something I can live with. Heavens, I've mellowed out a lot!
I'm not saying I'd love living with any ol' guy, but I'm enjoying living with Brian. I hope his situation gets better so he doesn't have to stay with me, but only for his sake, not for mine. And, I hope that the next guy I live with is my husband and I have a ring on my finger. And, I hope it's relatively soon.
I'm just saying. :)
Anyhoo, for those of you who don't know, I live with a boy. His name is Brian. We met at a friend's house, hit it off, ended up kissing at the end of the second night knowing each other, then he moved back to Illinois, then he moved back to Utah, then he was thrown out of the place he was staying with a friend, and, since he knew no one else in town, I offered to let him stay with me on a temporary basis.
That was the shortened version.
It's been almost 3 weeks since he moved in. During that time, my official roommate also moved in - she answered my craigslist ad and we'd arranged to be roommates weeks before this happened. She's really laid back and was okay with it when I told her about Brian moving in the week before she did. So far, we're a pretty happy family.
It's an interesting phenomenon living with a guy who isn't family. Oh, and before I go on, I should make it perfectly clear that whatever spark existed between us when we first met is no longer in play. We're just friends...nothing more! We haven't kissed since that night, not even held hands! So, don't worry!
It's kind of fun living with a guy. First, you can shock ultra conservative people. Second, he tells me I'm pretty a lot. And not in the "I'm trying to date you so I'm flattering you" way...just a matter of fact "you are a pretty person" way. It's very nice to hear, especially from a guy, even if you're not dating said guy. Third, guys think differently than girls. We end up having interesting discussions that are totally different than a conversation I'd have with a girl. And, he gives me insights into the male psyche, especially in regards to dating. Fourth, he keeps a sink full of dirty dishes...oh wait, that isn't a fun part. However, it's something I can live with. Heavens, I've mellowed out a lot!
I'm not saying I'd love living with any ol' guy, but I'm enjoying living with Brian. I hope his situation gets better so he doesn't have to stay with me, but only for his sake, not for mine. And, I hope that the next guy I live with is my husband and I have a ring on my finger. And, I hope it's relatively soon.
I'm just saying. :)
Friday, April 09, 2010
Did You Know...
...the longest I've gone without coloring my hair (since I started in 1993) was 18 months?
...that I once went 5 months without wearing makeup (January to June 1999)?
...I can wiggle my nose like a rabbit?
...I went one month without eating meat? Just to see if I could do it. It was easier than I expected.
...that May 15th is my birthday?
...I only have one niece? She's my favorite niece and I'm hers.
...it's been 5 years since I've gambled in a casino?
...that the last time I gambled in a casino, I lost $500 (my own money, not previous winnings)?
...I'm planning on going skydiving this May/June?
...that "While You Were Sleeping" is one of my favorite movies?
...that I'm exactly 5 feet 6 and 3/4 inches tall? (measured a couple weeks ago)
...my current toenail polish color is pink?
...I used to bite my nails but stopped in 6th grade?
...I bought my first computer in February? It's a red laptop.
...I have freckles? If not, do you not know me at all???
...that one of my goals is to run a 5k this year?
..."only the boring get bored" is one of my favorite sayings?
...I have an 11-yr old sister?
...that I once won a print worth $650 and still haven't framed it and hung it on my wall?
...being stranded on a deserted island without contacts/glasses is one of my biggest fears?
...I've never karaoke'd?
...I love to turn nouns into verbs and force them to be past-tense? (see above)
...Spain is now #1 on my list of places I want to go? Cordova, Spain to be exact. Wanna come with me?
...that I wear a watch again after 5 years or more of not? I love knowing the time!!
There. Now you know everything there is to know about me! *wink*
...that I once went 5 months without wearing makeup (January to June 1999)?
...I can wiggle my nose like a rabbit?
...I went one month without eating meat? Just to see if I could do it. It was easier than I expected.
...that May 15th is my birthday?
...I only have one niece? She's my favorite niece and I'm hers.
...it's been 5 years since I've gambled in a casino?
...that the last time I gambled in a casino, I lost $500 (my own money, not previous winnings)?
...I'm planning on going skydiving this May/June?
...that "While You Were Sleeping" is one of my favorite movies?
...that I'm exactly 5 feet 6 and 3/4 inches tall? (measured a couple weeks ago)
...my current toenail polish color is pink?
...I used to bite my nails but stopped in 6th grade?
...I bought my first computer in February? It's a red laptop.
...I have freckles? If not, do you not know me at all???
...that one of my goals is to run a 5k this year?
..."only the boring get bored" is one of my favorite sayings?
...I have an 11-yr old sister?
...that I once won a print worth $650 and still haven't framed it and hung it on my wall?
...being stranded on a deserted island without contacts/glasses is one of my biggest fears?
...I've never karaoke'd?
...I love to turn nouns into verbs and force them to be past-tense? (see above)
...Spain is now #1 on my list of places I want to go? Cordova, Spain to be exact. Wanna come with me?
...that I wear a watch again after 5 years or more of not? I love knowing the time!!
There. Now you know everything there is to know about me! *wink*
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Today...
...I feel pretty. This gray skirt makes me feel flirty and feminine.
...I got stuck in my new coat. The zipper refused to go up or down. Eventually I pulled it (the jacket, not the zipper) over my head because claustrophobia was quickly setting in.
...I'm happy to see the sun again.
...my eyeliner tip broke off after I had applied it to one eye. There was none left in the "tube", so I had to MacGyver it enough to get some applied to the other eye.
...I'm going to play my new Wii for an hour. Must get better at tennis.
...I'm recuperating from putting on THREE Pampered Chef parties in less than a week. Whew!
...all I want to do is curl up with my book, a mug of hot chocolate, and a blanket. Right now.
...I'm temporarily forever giving up boys.
...is Thursday.
...I woke up in a really good mood. It had departed by the time I arrived at work. It came back, though.
...while riding my stationary bike, I'll watch my first ever episode of The Office, thanks to my cousins' advice and Netflix.
...is a lazy sort of day.
...I found out I get to be on the radio again in a couple weeks - November 16th, 9:10am, KSUB. If you're in the area that day, give it a listen. Click here to read about the first time I talked on the radio.
...I'm having a good hair day.
...I decided what I want to be when I grow up.
...I finally feel fairly comfortable/confident walking in heels again.
Today is a good day.
...I got stuck in my new coat. The zipper refused to go up or down. Eventually I pulled it (the jacket, not the zipper) over my head because claustrophobia was quickly setting in.
...I'm happy to see the sun again.
...my eyeliner tip broke off after I had applied it to one eye. There was none left in the "tube", so I had to MacGyver it enough to get some applied to the other eye.
...I'm going to play my new Wii for an hour. Must get better at tennis.
...I'm recuperating from putting on THREE Pampered Chef parties in less than a week. Whew!
...all I want to do is curl up with my book, a mug of hot chocolate, and a blanket. Right now.
...I'm temporarily forever giving up boys.
...is Thursday.
...I woke up in a really good mood. It had departed by the time I arrived at work. It came back, though.
...while riding my stationary bike, I'll watch my first ever episode of The Office, thanks to my cousins' advice and Netflix.
...is a lazy sort of day.
...I found out I get to be on the radio again in a couple weeks - November 16th, 9:10am, KSUB. If you're in the area that day, give it a listen. Click here to read about the first time I talked on the radio.
...I'm having a good hair day.
...I decided what I want to be when I grow up.
...I finally feel fairly comfortable/confident walking in heels again.
Today is a good day.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Surrendering
In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a very trendy gal.
I wear clothes that are classics - my style has been around since the early part of this millennium, if not longer.
My hair, though it changes length and color regularly, has never been styled like the "Rachel", the duck tail (thankfully!), or any of the other trendy styles throughout time.
I don't watch So You Think You Can Dance, The Office, or American Idol. (Though I've heard all of these shows are impressive. And, I AM trendy enough to watch ANTM!)
I don't have a facebook page or myspace account, nor do I twitter/tweet/whatever.
Blogging is about as trendy as I get, and even it has become pretty passe compared to facebook and twitter.
So, against character, I've gone and made my blog trendy (or at least trendier) by giving it a cute layout. At least, I think it's cute. I'm really into purple lately. I have a purple purse, my two favorite shirts and my favorite skirt are purple, I wear purple eye shadow (but not when wearing the purple shirts - I do understand the art of understatement), and now my blog is purple.
I like it. It isn't too trendy/cutsie. Just enough, in my opinion.
Anyway, happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend!
I wear clothes that are classics - my style has been around since the early part of this millennium, if not longer.
My hair, though it changes length and color regularly, has never been styled like the "Rachel", the duck tail (thankfully!), or any of the other trendy styles throughout time.
I don't watch So You Think You Can Dance, The Office, or American Idol. (Though I've heard all of these shows are impressive. And, I AM trendy enough to watch ANTM!)
I don't have a facebook page or myspace account, nor do I twitter/tweet/whatever.
Blogging is about as trendy as I get, and even it has become pretty passe compared to facebook and twitter.
So, against character, I've gone and made my blog trendy (or at least trendier) by giving it a cute layout. At least, I think it's cute. I'm really into purple lately. I have a purple purse, my two favorite shirts and my favorite skirt are purple, I wear purple eye shadow (but not when wearing the purple shirts - I do understand the art of understatement), and now my blog is purple.
I like it. It isn't too trendy/cutsie. Just enough, in my opinion.
Anyway, happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Winner!
This morning, hurrying to get ready for work because I got out of bed later than usual, I heard the radio hosts announce they were going to give away tickets to this weekend's rodeo. They were going to "act" out a scene from a movie, and to win you just had to call and say from what movie the scene came. They said the phone number, but I wasn't close enough to my phone and couldn't remember the number by the time I got to my phone. Oh well, I thought, I probably won't know the movie anyway.
Then they started the scene; it was the scene where Princess Leia is being held captive by the Empire and the skinny, oldish bad guy (Gov Tuck???) is trying to get her to tell him the location of the rebel base, she refuses, and they blow up her home planet, Alderan.
I couldn't believe how easy this was and kind of wished I would have been able to call in. They answered a line and no one was there. They gave the phone number again and I hurried to punch in the numbers on my phone.
Busy.
I hit redial.
Busy.
I hit redial again.
"Hello, what's your answer?" It was the male radio host! I was on the radio!
"Star Wars" was my reply.
"Correct!" shouted the female radio host, "You're the winner!"
"Wait a second" said the male, "Which Star Wars movie?"
"Oh honestly" sighed the female, "The Star Wars, that's what they call it!"
"The first one" says I, "Well, not the first one, the fourth one actually, but the one that came out first, so yeah, the first one, I can't remember the other name for it, but the one that came out in 1977."
Stop, Julie! You're totally rambling!
Mercifully, I stopped talking. The female expressed her admiration that I knew the year it came out. I was going to say that it's the year I was born, but was afraid to start down another rambling path, so instead just said thanks.
They asked who I was going to take to the rodeo and my mind blanked, so I said something stupid about not knowing, it depends on who wants it most, or something like that. Stupid!
They told me to hold on and they'd get my info, then a commercial started and the female host asked me my last name (they had asked my first name on air), my address, and my phone number then told me where and when I could pick up the tickets. I picked them up before work.
I've never won anything from the radio before. Honestly, it's something I've never even considered trying - I'm usually too lazy. Today, the stars aligned in my favor and the easiest contest known to mankind (honestly, Star Wars, who doesn't know every line from that movie? *smile*) dropped in my lap and I actually took advantage of the situation. And, luckily enough, I won something that I really enjoy. Rodeos = fun.
So, yeah, now I need to choose someone to go with. I'd really like to go with a certain neighbor of mine, but recent events make me a little timid to ask him. No, I'm not going to go into details. Fortunately, it's been resolved and I'm moving forward, slowly and timidly. Besides, I have tons of awesome people in my life, so there's an abundance of people from whom to choose.
Today is a blessed day. Much better than yesterday.
Woohoo for winning!
Then they started the scene; it was the scene where Princess Leia is being held captive by the Empire and the skinny, oldish bad guy (Gov Tuck???) is trying to get her to tell him the location of the rebel base, she refuses, and they blow up her home planet, Alderan.
I couldn't believe how easy this was and kind of wished I would have been able to call in. They answered a line and no one was there. They gave the phone number again and I hurried to punch in the numbers on my phone.
Busy.
I hit redial.
Busy.
I hit redial again.
"Hello, what's your answer?" It was the male radio host! I was on the radio!
"Star Wars" was my reply.
"Correct!" shouted the female radio host, "You're the winner!"
"Wait a second" said the male, "Which Star Wars movie?"
"Oh honestly" sighed the female, "The Star Wars, that's what they call it!"
"The first one" says I, "Well, not the first one, the fourth one actually, but the one that came out first, so yeah, the first one, I can't remember the other name for it, but the one that came out in 1977."
Stop, Julie! You're totally rambling!
Mercifully, I stopped talking. The female expressed her admiration that I knew the year it came out. I was going to say that it's the year I was born, but was afraid to start down another rambling path, so instead just said thanks.
They asked who I was going to take to the rodeo and my mind blanked, so I said something stupid about not knowing, it depends on who wants it most, or something like that. Stupid!
They told me to hold on and they'd get my info, then a commercial started and the female host asked me my last name (they had asked my first name on air), my address, and my phone number then told me where and when I could pick up the tickets. I picked them up before work.
I've never won anything from the radio before. Honestly, it's something I've never even considered trying - I'm usually too lazy. Today, the stars aligned in my favor and the easiest contest known to mankind (honestly, Star Wars, who doesn't know every line from that movie? *smile*) dropped in my lap and I actually took advantage of the situation. And, luckily enough, I won something that I really enjoy. Rodeos = fun.
So, yeah, now I need to choose someone to go with. I'd really like to go with a certain neighbor of mine, but recent events make me a little timid to ask him. No, I'm not going to go into details. Fortunately, it's been resolved and I'm moving forward, slowly and timidly. Besides, I have tons of awesome people in my life, so there's an abundance of people from whom to choose.
Today is a blessed day. Much better than yesterday.
Woohoo for winning!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Hair Cut
Long hair is beautiful...
...on other people.
On me, it's limp. And annoying. And the back always flips out in a very unbecoming way. I find myself putting it up in a ponytail or a clip in order to get it out of the way. When I start putting my hair up three times a week or more, for several weeks in a row, it's time for me to cut my hair.
So, I did.
Okay, so I don't think the before shot is very good. I was actually having a pretty decent hair day. (Oh, and I absolutely LOVE that purple shirt!) You'll just have to believe me that my hair wasn't looking good most of the time - especially the bangs!
I like shorter hair cuts. I think I look better, it takes less time to dry, and I use less shampoo and conditioner. Oh, and I can't do it in a ponytail any more. Pigtails, yes, but I try to avoid those since I think they make me look like I'm 9 yrs old.
That's it. Just thought I'd share. *smile*
...on other people.
On me, it's limp. And annoying. And the back always flips out in a very unbecoming way. I find myself putting it up in a ponytail or a clip in order to get it out of the way. When I start putting my hair up three times a week or more, for several weeks in a row, it's time for me to cut my hair.
So, I did.
Before
After
Okay, so I don't think the before shot is very good. I was actually having a pretty decent hair day. (Oh, and I absolutely LOVE that purple shirt!) You'll just have to believe me that my hair wasn't looking good most of the time - especially the bangs!
I like shorter hair cuts. I think I look better, it takes less time to dry, and I use less shampoo and conditioner. Oh, and I can't do it in a ponytail any more. Pigtails, yes, but I try to avoid those since I think they make me look like I'm 9 yrs old.
That's it. Just thought I'd share. *smile*
Friday, August 07, 2009
Something New
I readily admit to being a bit of an impulse buyer.
Not a completely out-of-control impulse buyer, just an occasional, when the mood hits impulse buyer.
I'd worry about it more if the mood "hit" more regularly, but it really doesn't. I can usually talk myself out of most purchases, so I don't spend a lot of money on a regular basis. Especially since I rarely even think of buying things. Especially not expensive things.
However, when I decide I want to buy something and it fits into how I perceive my life, I buy it. As immediately as possible.
Last night, I decided I wanted a new tv so I could put my old one in front of my exercise bike, and with that, the decision was made. Within an hour, I had purchased this:
It's a Samsung 26" Flatscreen TV. I've named it Norman. Just kidding! Who would name their television! Honestly!
It's really light-weight so easy to carry, which was important as I live on the third floor. It was also surprisingly easy to set-up and I was watching it shortly after arriving back home. It fits my home well - not too big and overwhelming, but big enough. I invited my new neighbors up to see it, and they approve. Now they want a flatscreen tv, too.
It's funny because I have NEVER wanted a flatscreen tv before. And yet, I now have one.
Life has a sense of humor.
Not a completely out-of-control impulse buyer, just an occasional, when the mood hits impulse buyer.
I'd worry about it more if the mood "hit" more regularly, but it really doesn't. I can usually talk myself out of most purchases, so I don't spend a lot of money on a regular basis. Especially since I rarely even think of buying things. Especially not expensive things.
However, when I decide I want to buy something and it fits into how I perceive my life, I buy it. As immediately as possible.
Last night, I decided I wanted a new tv so I could put my old one in front of my exercise bike, and with that, the decision was made. Within an hour, I had purchased this:
It's a Samsung 26" Flatscreen TV. I've named it Norman. Just kidding! Who would name their television! Honestly!It's really light-weight so easy to carry, which was important as I live on the third floor. It was also surprisingly easy to set-up and I was watching it shortly after arriving back home. It fits my home well - not too big and overwhelming, but big enough. I invited my new neighbors up to see it, and they approve. Now they want a flatscreen tv, too.
It's funny because I have NEVER wanted a flatscreen tv before. And yet, I now have one.
Life has a sense of humor.
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