Life has been rather busy lately.
Two weeks ago, Jeff and I went to my Christmas party for work. I was dreading it, but we put on our happy faces and went. I made the most delicious brownies ever. No joke. In fact, they were so good that they were all devoured and Rosa scraped all the extra off the pan. So, when I took the pan home, there was no denying that she'd drug her finger all over it to pick up the bits of brownie that stuck to the pan.
On the bright side, we each put in $3 to play the game "Left, Right, Center" and Jeff and I ended up winning the jackpot - $48. Not bad!
I got a necklace and earrings from Rosa, a jewelry box from Jen, two movie passes from Dominic, coasters, and an adorable tea cup, matching saucer, and pack of flavored tea from Kamisha. Not to mention a big box of chocolates from one of the participants. I thought those were all very sweet gifts.
That night, we were invited to go to Jen's house for her Christmas party, but we already had plans. Jeff's friend was getting out of the AF, so we went to his little party. It was kind of fun. I finally met his troop, Angeles and another girl named Melody. I really liked Melody, so I invited her to our Christmas Eve dinner - since she was new in town and a single mom of two kids.
The work week was short - thank God! I got done an hour early on Wednesday and only had to work for two hours on Thursday because we had a low census and Eva had to send people home. Then, I had Christmas day off.
Wednesday night, I cleaned the house and got what I could ready for Christmas Eve.
When I got done on Thursday, I raced home, baked a pumpkin and a cherry pie. Then, I started to set up and cook dinner.
People started showing up at around 5:30. We had Angeles and her boyfriend, Denise and her two kids, and Melody and her two kids. It was nice. I made white chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice. Jeff made shredded beef tacos. It turned out really well.
My mom wanted me to open my present from her and Dad on Christmas Eve, so I did. I about wet my pants when I saw that they sent me a KITCHENAID STAND MIXER!! I don't think that anyone can really understand my obsession with them. I am so happy! I can't wait to use it. :)
Thankfully, everyone left before 9. We were absolutely worn-out!
Jeff actually woke up before me on Christmas. We brushed our teeth, started some coffee, turned on the TV to the channel with the fireplace and Christmas music, then we opened our gifts.
It was a great Christmas. Jeff got me a bamboo pepper mill, which I have really wanted to buy.
Also, I got a Rachael Ray garbage bowl. That was an awesome gift because I've been wanting one. Sure, I could just use the garbage can, but I never think to grab it until I've already opened the chicken package and there is poultry juice dripping all over. So, the garbage bowl was absolutely perfect for me.
He bought me the movie "Julie and Julia." It is adorable. I have been walking around the house saying, "bon appetit" and "boeuf bourguinon" for the past three days now.
My favorite gift from him was a magnetic spice rack. It is the coolest thing ever and I'd been planning to just make one myself since they are kind of pricey. He saved me the effort. :)
Lastly, he got me an AeroGarden with the seeds to start an Italian herb garden. I love it!
I got him rudder pedals for his game, Aces High 2, the movie "Step Brothers," because he loves it, some Jack Daniels, a hat, and Whiskey Stones (little stones that you put in your drink in place of ice - so they don't melt and water down your drink), and some underwear - because they are practical and he needed them. :)
His brother got him some shirts, some stickers for his Jeep, and a gift card. Then, of course, my parents sent him a ton of cheese and sausage, which we have been enjoying. :) He still has more gifts coming from his family.
We were both very happy.
I made biscuits and gravy with sausage and eggs for Christmas morning breakfast. Then, for dinner, we went to his friend Amanda's house. We had a really nice time there. We watched the movie "Four Christmases," which turned out to be pretty funny. Except for the fact that my dear lover, Tim McGraw, looked like white trash in the movie. Oh well.
Saturday and Sunday we just lounged around and watched movies and Dexter. It was perfect.
He took me to Macaroni Grill for dinner last night since he had a gift card. Ugh, I have some working out to do. I am happy to report, though, that I survived Thanksgiving AND Christmas with a less than two pound weight gain. That is astonishing for me. Say what you want, but I am very proud of myself because sweets and I go together like bread and butter. I couldn't resist them. However, I worked out as often as possible.
This week, I have Friday off. Yay! We are going over to the King's house on New Year's Eve to play games and snack. It should be fun. They are nice people.
Tomorrow after work, I am supposed to go to Le Cordon Bleu to meet with the admissions office to see about attending school there. It is just an option. I decided that yes, I could be a nurse and make pretty good money, but would I be happy? Doubtful. I've had my fair share of health care. It is time for me to move on and find something that I'm passionate about. I just want to be happy.
So, we will see what happens with this. Hopefully not another disappointment when it comes to financial aid.
I'll keep you posted though.
Adios!
12.28.2009
12.11.2009
Oh, and I almost forgot...
If you happen to know how to change the template of a blog, could you please do it for me? I've been trying, but to no avail. It's way past the season of bees.
'Tis The Season To Be Jolly...
Last weekend Jeff and I really didn't do very much.
I have absolutely no recollection of Friday night. What the hell? Am I losing it? Perhaps. This is going to bother me. Oh well, carrying on....
On Saturday morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn. Why? Because my body doesn't believe in sleeping in anymore. It is unfortunate. I'd love to snooze until 11:00 just once.
I woke Jeff up because he had a ton of homework to do, and he asked me to make sure he was up by 7:30. Then, I brewed some coffee for us to sip on. I have never been a coffee drinker, but lately I've been enjoying an occasional cup. I think it is just because of the cold weather, though.
I know what you are thinking, but let me tell you! It does get pretty nippy here! There was a high of 50 today, and I had frost on my windshield this morning! Plus, it rains during the winter. Cold rains suck. The only thing that I like about winter is the snow on the mountain tops. I'm still waiting for that, though.
Anyway, I had no ambition to go to the gym, so instead I went to Walmart for a few baking supplies. I had most of the stuff, so that was nice.
When I got home, I decided that maybe it would be wise to make the cut-out cookies in advance - so that we didn't have to make the dough, wait for it to chill, roll it out, bake the cookies, wait for them cool, and then decorate them - on top of the other cookies that I had planned.
Some day I will have a kitchen with two ovens. Yes, yes, I will. Ooh, and maybe a second refrigerator and freezer. Of course, I'll also have ample counterspace. Then, I will just stay home all the time and cook and bake to my heart's content. Ahhhh, I can dream.
Focus, Ashley!
I got all the sugar cookies baked. It took awhile and a lot of patience with the dough, but they turned out well. :) I'm so proud.
Saturday night was the Christmas party for Jeff's squadron. I guess that it is typically a very fancy affair, but this year is was not. In fact, it was in one of the AMU's hangars AKA a big garage for the jets. Classy, eh? A lot of people were disappointed, but I was quite content with the casual style. I don't really own many clothes to begin with, let alone dressy stuff! So, that saved me a bundle. Hallelujah! Other than being cold, I had a great time.
We sat with the Thayer's and the King's. They are both younger couples, each with a toddler, and I like them a lot. They had snacks (including Hershey's Kisses - both cherry flavored and with almonds! Yum.), they served us Mexican food (while it may not have been the best and a lot of people compared it to previous years, I was quite happy with it!), and they had an ENDLESS supply of FREE Diet Pepsi!! Well, amongst other drinks. I enjoyed myself and was glad that I went.
Afterward, Jeff was invited to an Irish Pub to drink. He had to get up early to do more homework, so he said we would go for one drink and stressed the fact that he had stuff to do in the morning. Surprisingly, the guys were understanding. However, we never made it to the Irish Pub. Instead, the guys changed the plans and we went to The Coyote Cabaret AKA The Shitty Titty AKA a strip club. Excuse me while I go say three Hail Marys.
I was lucky enough to join these guys on one other trip to "The Tit." This is the only one that I have been to, and let me tell you this: it is a doozy! Basically, they hire anyone. By anyone, I mean just that. ANYONE. They have girls of all shapes and sizes. Mostly in the shape of round, though. The guys do not go there because it is a good show. They go there because it is a bar, it is right across from base, and because it is like a wreck that you can't take your eyes off of. We left early.
When we got home, I made the peanut butter balls, so that they would be chilling in the fridge until I could dip them the next day. Then, I mixed up the dough for the peanut butter blossoms, stuck it in the fridge, and called it a night.
I woke up nice and early on Sunday, went to the gym, showered, enjoyed some coffee, and started working on my cookies. I whipped up some frosting for the sugar cookies. Then, I rolled out all the balls from the peanut butter cookie dough, so that I could bake them.
Nicole arrived around 12:00. She helped me make the Buttery Almond cookies. Then, we decorated, and decorated, and decorated! The first five-dozen were a blast, but by the end I decided that I would be cutting next year's recipe in half! The outcome was so delicious, though, that by next year I will probably decide that it was well-worth the effort, and I will fall back into the trap of decorating E I G H T dozen sugar cookies. Next year I won't have Nicole, though. They are leaving for Colorado in March.
Once we finished that project, she had to leave. So, Jeff and I dipped the peanut butter balls together. It was fun.
I sent some cookies home with Nicole, sent Jeff over to the neighbor's house with some, enjoyed some for myself, and sent the rest to work with Jeff for his entire AMU to enjoy. They did just that. So, I must say that it was time well-spent. :)
Work, work, work...what can I say about work?
I can't stand our activity therapist. She is driving us all up a tree. She sits in her office all day. That is her job. She used to help us on the floor and interact with the participants. She used to even do the most important part of her job. You know, come up with new activities and schedule them. For the past few months, though, all she has done is locked herself in her office and done nothing. In fact, recently WE have been coming up with all of the ideas and she just plays it off like she is the brilliant mind behind the crafty ideas.
She complains that she has so much work to do, but everytime we turn around she is texting, smoking, or in the kitchen eating. She also loves to hand her work off on us because we have so much time to file her papers for her. When she isn't doing those things, though, she enjoys harrassing the staff-especially the kitchen worker because she spends so much time in there. Most of what she says goes in one ear and out the other. We all know that she is just being a witch and that most of what she says contradicts what our REAL supervisor says. So, we choose to ignore her.
She is always hounding my dear Rosa. Finally, she became so fed up with it that Rosa said something this week at our staff meeting. It was a failed attempt to make our work environment more pleasant. Now, the activity therapist has it out for Rosa and has been chasing her around yelling at her all week. It breaks my heart because Rosa is the kindest, sweetest, hardest-working woman ever.
I wasted way too much energy typing all those words about her. I just get so fed up that I could scream or cry. Normally, I just cry because I don't have the balls to stand up for myself.
This weekend will be pretty boring. Tomorrow there is a Festival of Cheer that I might go to - if my friend Nicole decides to take her kids. Then, I think that I will whip up some pasta and homemade bread sticks for dinner - since I have everything on hand. On Sunday, my supervisor invited me to visit her church. I don't really want to go because I'm a scared little chicken, but I will go anyway.
Next weekend is my work Christmas party with just the HPP staff. I am making a chocolate cake from scratch. I'm so excited. :) If it is tasty delicious, I will post the goodness.
We don't have any official plans for the holidays, but I am pretty sure that we will have a small meal here and invite some of the people that don't have plans. I sure wish that we could be home, though. Maybe another year.
I have absolutely no recollection of Friday night. What the hell? Am I losing it? Perhaps. This is going to bother me. Oh well, carrying on....
On Saturday morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn. Why? Because my body doesn't believe in sleeping in anymore. It is unfortunate. I'd love to snooze until 11:00 just once.
I woke Jeff up because he had a ton of homework to do, and he asked me to make sure he was up by 7:30. Then, I brewed some coffee for us to sip on. I have never been a coffee drinker, but lately I've been enjoying an occasional cup. I think it is just because of the cold weather, though.
I know what you are thinking, but let me tell you! It does get pretty nippy here! There was a high of 50 today, and I had frost on my windshield this morning! Plus, it rains during the winter. Cold rains suck. The only thing that I like about winter is the snow on the mountain tops. I'm still waiting for that, though.
Anyway, I had no ambition to go to the gym, so instead I went to Walmart for a few baking supplies. I had most of the stuff, so that was nice.
When I got home, I decided that maybe it would be wise to make the cut-out cookies in advance - so that we didn't have to make the dough, wait for it to chill, roll it out, bake the cookies, wait for them cool, and then decorate them - on top of the other cookies that I had planned.
Some day I will have a kitchen with two ovens. Yes, yes, I will. Ooh, and maybe a second refrigerator and freezer. Of course, I'll also have ample counterspace. Then, I will just stay home all the time and cook and bake to my heart's content. Ahhhh, I can dream.
Focus, Ashley!
I got all the sugar cookies baked. It took awhile and a lot of patience with the dough, but they turned out well. :) I'm so proud.
Saturday night was the Christmas party for Jeff's squadron. I guess that it is typically a very fancy affair, but this year is was not. In fact, it was in one of the AMU's hangars AKA a big garage for the jets. Classy, eh? A lot of people were disappointed, but I was quite content with the casual style. I don't really own many clothes to begin with, let alone dressy stuff! So, that saved me a bundle. Hallelujah! Other than being cold, I had a great time.
We sat with the Thayer's and the King's. They are both younger couples, each with a toddler, and I like them a lot. They had snacks (including Hershey's Kisses - both cherry flavored and with almonds! Yum.), they served us Mexican food (while it may not have been the best and a lot of people compared it to previous years, I was quite happy with it!), and they had an ENDLESS supply of FREE Diet Pepsi!! Well, amongst other drinks. I enjoyed myself and was glad that I went.
Afterward, Jeff was invited to an Irish Pub to drink. He had to get up early to do more homework, so he said we would go for one drink and stressed the fact that he had stuff to do in the morning. Surprisingly, the guys were understanding. However, we never made it to the Irish Pub. Instead, the guys changed the plans and we went to The Coyote Cabaret AKA The Shitty Titty AKA a strip club. Excuse me while I go say three Hail Marys.
I was lucky enough to join these guys on one other trip to "The Tit." This is the only one that I have been to, and let me tell you this: it is a doozy! Basically, they hire anyone. By anyone, I mean just that. ANYONE. They have girls of all shapes and sizes. Mostly in the shape of round, though. The guys do not go there because it is a good show. They go there because it is a bar, it is right across from base, and because it is like a wreck that you can't take your eyes off of. We left early.
When we got home, I made the peanut butter balls, so that they would be chilling in the fridge until I could dip them the next day. Then, I mixed up the dough for the peanut butter blossoms, stuck it in the fridge, and called it a night.
I woke up nice and early on Sunday, went to the gym, showered, enjoyed some coffee, and started working on my cookies. I whipped up some frosting for the sugar cookies. Then, I rolled out all the balls from the peanut butter cookie dough, so that I could bake them.
Nicole arrived around 12:00. She helped me make the Buttery Almond cookies. Then, we decorated, and decorated, and decorated! The first five-dozen were a blast, but by the end I decided that I would be cutting next year's recipe in half! The outcome was so delicious, though, that by next year I will probably decide that it was well-worth the effort, and I will fall back into the trap of decorating E I G H T dozen sugar cookies. Next year I won't have Nicole, though. They are leaving for Colorado in March.
Once we finished that project, she had to leave. So, Jeff and I dipped the peanut butter balls together. It was fun.
I sent some cookies home with Nicole, sent Jeff over to the neighbor's house with some, enjoyed some for myself, and sent the rest to work with Jeff for his entire AMU to enjoy. They did just that. So, I must say that it was time well-spent. :)
Work, work, work...what can I say about work?
I can't stand our activity therapist. She is driving us all up a tree. She sits in her office all day. That is her job. She used to help us on the floor and interact with the participants. She used to even do the most important part of her job. You know, come up with new activities and schedule them. For the past few months, though, all she has done is locked herself in her office and done nothing. In fact, recently WE have been coming up with all of the ideas and she just plays it off like she is the brilliant mind behind the crafty ideas.
She complains that she has so much work to do, but everytime we turn around she is texting, smoking, or in the kitchen eating. She also loves to hand her work off on us because we have so much time to file her papers for her. When she isn't doing those things, though, she enjoys harrassing the staff-especially the kitchen worker because she spends so much time in there. Most of what she says goes in one ear and out the other. We all know that she is just being a witch and that most of what she says contradicts what our REAL supervisor says. So, we choose to ignore her.
She is always hounding my dear Rosa. Finally, she became so fed up with it that Rosa said something this week at our staff meeting. It was a failed attempt to make our work environment more pleasant. Now, the activity therapist has it out for Rosa and has been chasing her around yelling at her all week. It breaks my heart because Rosa is the kindest, sweetest, hardest-working woman ever.
I wasted way too much energy typing all those words about her. I just get so fed up that I could scream or cry. Normally, I just cry because I don't have the balls to stand up for myself.
This weekend will be pretty boring. Tomorrow there is a Festival of Cheer that I might go to - if my friend Nicole decides to take her kids. Then, I think that I will whip up some pasta and homemade bread sticks for dinner - since I have everything on hand. On Sunday, my supervisor invited me to visit her church. I don't really want to go because I'm a scared little chicken, but I will go anyway.
Next weekend is my work Christmas party with just the HPP staff. I am making a chocolate cake from scratch. I'm so excited. :) If it is tasty delicious, I will post the goodness.
We don't have any official plans for the holidays, but I am pretty sure that we will have a small meal here and invite some of the people that don't have plans. I sure wish that we could be home, though. Maybe another year.
11.28.2009
Home Sweet Home
Jeff and I just got home about an hour ago or so. We unpacked all of our stuff, started some laundry, showered, and Jeff is now on his way to pick up the Tobster. We miss the little devil. :)
We had such a great week! I left at 10:30 on Tuesday. By the time I got through the construction traffic on Grand Ave, made it to the parking garage, and went through ticketing, it was already 12:30. That was perfect because I had less than an hour and a half to wait.
I was super hungry, since I had only eaten yogurt. So, I treated myself to a ham and Swiss sandwich from Paradise Bakery. After I ate, I went through security and sat at the gate waiting to board. Time flew right by.
The flight was only 2 hours and 15 minutes, which was so nice. I got to DFW right before 5. Jeff, his dad, and his sister picked me up. We went straight to Jason and Ruth's house.
I was glad to finally meet Ruth and Jack. Jack is completely in love with Jeff It is really cute.
Ruth's parents were visiting from Spain. So, we all went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Gloria's. It was very good.
Ruth's parents invited us to Tenerife for our honeymoon. They will provide us with an apartment and a car for two weeks, if we pay for our tickets, food, etc. We are very seriously considering it!
We visited at Jason and Ruth's house for a bit, then we headed to Grandbury - where we were staying. I believe the drive was around an hour, maybe a little more.
I stayed at Stuart and Leigh's house with Jeff and Katie. They are the nicest people in the whole world. I was given the grand tour of their 130-year old home, named the Nutt House after the original owner. They also told me some ghost stories. It was absolutely gorgeous. It still had a lot of the original furniture, books, etc in the home. We were actually the last people that would ever stay at the Nutt House because next month, the Historical Society is taking over the property and it is becoming a museum.
We sat around and talked for a bit, but it was kind of late by the time we got there, so we went to bed soon after arriving. Katie and I were supposed to share the kids' room upstairs, but it was creepy and neither of us wanted to stay in there. So, the first night, I slept in what used to be the dentist's office, and Jeff slept on a mattress on the floor.
On Wednesday, I was taken over to Mz. Grenner's (Jeff's grandma) house to meet her. She told me how much Jeff bragged about me and my cooking/baking. :)
Jeff, Katie, his dad, Stuart, and I went to eat at the Nutt House Hotel. It was pretty good food. Katie went to visit some friends, so the rest of us spent the day running errands in an attempt to get ready for Thanksgiving.
Since more people were staying there that night, Katie and I had to stay upstairs.
We sat in the living room and listened to the guys play guitar and Katie sing.
I was the first person to go to bed, so Jeff went upstairs with me until I fell asleep. As I was dozing off, I hear what sounded like splashing. I opened my eyes and asked Jeff what the noise was - hoping I was hearing things. He said he didn't know, so we flew downstairs. It turns out that when they run the dishwasher, the upstairs bathroom drain bubbles. Phew!
I was still spooked, so I slept in the dentist's office until Katie went to bed. Jeff slept on the floor with us.
On Thanksgiving morning, Jeff (Leigh's brother) and I were the first one's up. I got ready right away and had some coffee. Stuart got up shortly after us. When Leigh got up, I helped her around the kitchen with her brother. Then, Mz. G showed up to help. We did a lot of talking. It was really fun.
People started showing up at around 10. We ate breakfast casserole and fruit. Then, visited and got more of the cooking done. I met Jeff's cousin, Anne, her husband, Carl, and Carl's sister, Christy. I loved them.
Jason, Ruth, Jack, and Ruth's parents all came as well. Their was a big crowd. It was nice.
His entire family was really funny. I laughed so much and felt very comfortable and welcome there.
When all the kitchen stuff was done, Jeff and I went behind the house and picked some pecans to take home.
Right before dinner, we all gathered on the porch for a toast. Then, we listened to Leigh's brother (I think he is a minister) read a verse from the bible and Mz. G say Grace.
The food was so delicious. It was all very different from what I'm used to. Leigh made some sweet potatoes, and I actually liked them. I have never liked them before.
After dinner, we sat in the dentist's office and played Rockband: The Beatles Edition.
Jeff, Spencer, Chris, Jason, and I stayed up pretty late. I think it was around 1:30 when Jason left and after 3 when we went to bed. We just sat in front of the fireplace and told spooky stories.
Jeff and I slept in until around 10 on Friday. Katie brought us breakfast from Whataburger. Jeff and I got ready and walked around the square for awhile. Then, we had lunch at some little place.
Jeff's dad had us come home early, so that we could go say our goodbyes to Jason and Ruth. Katie was spending time with her mom, so it was just Jeff, Spencer, Mike, and I that went there. We hung out for a little bit and had some dinner. Then, we said our goodbyes and left.
Saying goodbye made me cry. It was harder than I thought it would be.
I went to bed early, but didn't get very much sleep.
The others stayed up super late.
We got up at 5:30 and left a little after 6. I cried when we said goodbye to Mike, Katie, Stuart, and Leigh. Stuart and Leigh are planning to come to the wedding, though.
They are great people.
On the way to DFW, we dropped Leigh's brother off at the train station. We got to the airport a little early, so we got a small breakfast while we waited.
Jeff and I slept most of the flight. We were sad to leave, but glad to finally get home!
Jeff plans to go to Tennessee in May or June for Katie's graduation, but Mike told him not to. He said that he should save his money for the wedding. We will see what happens.
Everyone kept telling Jeff how much they loved me, which meant a lot. When we were leaving, Stuart told me that we don't have to be married to be a part of the family. I am already a part of the Kelley clan.
Anyway, it was a terrific week. Yes, I would have loved to be with my family, but I'm glad to now have more family members to spend time with. :)
We had such a great week! I left at 10:30 on Tuesday. By the time I got through the construction traffic on Grand Ave, made it to the parking garage, and went through ticketing, it was already 12:30. That was perfect because I had less than an hour and a half to wait.
I was super hungry, since I had only eaten yogurt. So, I treated myself to a ham and Swiss sandwich from Paradise Bakery. After I ate, I went through security and sat at the gate waiting to board. Time flew right by.
The flight was only 2 hours and 15 minutes, which was so nice. I got to DFW right before 5. Jeff, his dad, and his sister picked me up. We went straight to Jason and Ruth's house.
I was glad to finally meet Ruth and Jack. Jack is completely in love with Jeff It is really cute.
Ruth's parents were visiting from Spain. So, we all went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Gloria's. It was very good.
Ruth's parents invited us to Tenerife for our honeymoon. They will provide us with an apartment and a car for two weeks, if we pay for our tickets, food, etc. We are very seriously considering it!
We visited at Jason and Ruth's house for a bit, then we headed to Grandbury - where we were staying. I believe the drive was around an hour, maybe a little more.
I stayed at Stuart and Leigh's house with Jeff and Katie. They are the nicest people in the whole world. I was given the grand tour of their 130-year old home, named the Nutt House after the original owner. They also told me some ghost stories. It was absolutely gorgeous. It still had a lot of the original furniture, books, etc in the home. We were actually the last people that would ever stay at the Nutt House because next month, the Historical Society is taking over the property and it is becoming a museum.
We sat around and talked for a bit, but it was kind of late by the time we got there, so we went to bed soon after arriving. Katie and I were supposed to share the kids' room upstairs, but it was creepy and neither of us wanted to stay in there. So, the first night, I slept in what used to be the dentist's office, and Jeff slept on a mattress on the floor.
On Wednesday, I was taken over to Mz. Grenner's (Jeff's grandma) house to meet her. She told me how much Jeff bragged about me and my cooking/baking. :)
Jeff, Katie, his dad, Stuart, and I went to eat at the Nutt House Hotel. It was pretty good food. Katie went to visit some friends, so the rest of us spent the day running errands in an attempt to get ready for Thanksgiving.
Since more people were staying there that night, Katie and I had to stay upstairs.
We sat in the living room and listened to the guys play guitar and Katie sing.
I was the first person to go to bed, so Jeff went upstairs with me until I fell asleep. As I was dozing off, I hear what sounded like splashing. I opened my eyes and asked Jeff what the noise was - hoping I was hearing things. He said he didn't know, so we flew downstairs. It turns out that when they run the dishwasher, the upstairs bathroom drain bubbles. Phew!
I was still spooked, so I slept in the dentist's office until Katie went to bed. Jeff slept on the floor with us.
On Thanksgiving morning, Jeff (Leigh's brother) and I were the first one's up. I got ready right away and had some coffee. Stuart got up shortly after us. When Leigh got up, I helped her around the kitchen with her brother. Then, Mz. G showed up to help. We did a lot of talking. It was really fun.
People started showing up at around 10. We ate breakfast casserole and fruit. Then, visited and got more of the cooking done. I met Jeff's cousin, Anne, her husband, Carl, and Carl's sister, Christy. I loved them.
Jason, Ruth, Jack, and Ruth's parents all came as well. Their was a big crowd. It was nice.
His entire family was really funny. I laughed so much and felt very comfortable and welcome there.
When all the kitchen stuff was done, Jeff and I went behind the house and picked some pecans to take home.
Right before dinner, we all gathered on the porch for a toast. Then, we listened to Leigh's brother (I think he is a minister) read a verse from the bible and Mz. G say Grace.
The food was so delicious. It was all very different from what I'm used to. Leigh made some sweet potatoes, and I actually liked them. I have never liked them before.
After dinner, we sat in the dentist's office and played Rockband: The Beatles Edition.
Jeff, Spencer, Chris, Jason, and I stayed up pretty late. I think it was around 1:30 when Jason left and after 3 when we went to bed. We just sat in front of the fireplace and told spooky stories.
Jeff and I slept in until around 10 on Friday. Katie brought us breakfast from Whataburger. Jeff and I got ready and walked around the square for awhile. Then, we had lunch at some little place.
Jeff's dad had us come home early, so that we could go say our goodbyes to Jason and Ruth. Katie was spending time with her mom, so it was just Jeff, Spencer, Mike, and I that went there. We hung out for a little bit and had some dinner. Then, we said our goodbyes and left.
Saying goodbye made me cry. It was harder than I thought it would be.
I went to bed early, but didn't get very much sleep.
The others stayed up super late.
We got up at 5:30 and left a little after 6. I cried when we said goodbye to Mike, Katie, Stuart, and Leigh. Stuart and Leigh are planning to come to the wedding, though.
They are great people.
On the way to DFW, we dropped Leigh's brother off at the train station. We got to the airport a little early, so we got a small breakfast while we waited.
Jeff and I slept most of the flight. We were sad to leave, but glad to finally get home!
Jeff plans to go to Tennessee in May or June for Katie's graduation, but Mike told him not to. He said that he should save his money for the wedding. We will see what happens.
Everyone kept telling Jeff how much they loved me, which meant a lot. When we were leaving, Stuart told me that we don't have to be married to be a part of the family. I am already a part of the Kelley clan.
Anyway, it was a terrific week. Yes, I would have loved to be with my family, but I'm glad to now have more family members to spend time with. :)
11.24.2009
Happy Turkey Day!
I just figured that I'd do a quick update before I head off to the airport. I fly out at 1:50 PM. Thankfully, the flight is only 2 hours and 15 minutes long. THAT I can handle.
A few weeks ago, Jeff and I put an offer in on the house we are living in. The owners have to short sale it because they can no longer afford the mortgage, but they don't want to foreclose. They are asking about $95k for it, which is an amazing deal. They bought it two or three years ago for over $200k. The cost of a mortgage payment would be about $200 or more LESS than we are paying for rent. This is going to be a long process, though. The banks take their sweet time on short sales, so we aren't expecting to hear back from them for a good 8 weeks or more. If we get the house, we will stay here for a couple of years. If we don't, we have discussed living on base once we are married. It's just a waiting game.
The wedding planning is....going. I still haven't decided on the dresses for the bridesmaids. I THINK I know what I want, but that changes daily. Most of the big stuff is out of the way, at least. Now, I just have to figure out all the little stuff. Piece of cake, right? Ha.
Two weeks ago, Jeff and I went to my annual employee party. I think that we were both less than thrilled to be going, but to our surprise, we actually had a good time. The dinner was delicious! Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing, hot buttered rolls, green beans with almond slivers, salad, and peppermint ice cream. Yum, yum! We won several prizes - nothing special, but we never win anything, so we are easily excited about stuff like that. Then, we danced the night away. Embarrassing, I know. I had to face those people the following Monday....
The next night, Jeff and I participated in the Light the Night walk to help raise funds for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. It was fun. We took Toby, who is the most annoying dog to walk on a leash. Good Lord. I wish that he would get the hang of it.
I made some delicious French Onion soup a couple of weeks ago. It was really good, but Jeff was unimpressed. That is the first dish of mine that he didn't like. I could have eaten the whole pot, though! His major complaint? He didn't like the soggy crouton in the soup. Apparently he has never had French onion soup before! That is the best damn part. He doesn't like broccoli, cauliflower, black olives, coconut, and now French Onion soup?! What am I to do with this man? Those are some of my all-time favorites. :(
I took Jeff to the airport this past Saturday. His cousin, Brian, was getting married later that night. So, he flew out bright and early Saturday morning. Toby and I have just been relaxing and enjoying the quiet around here.
Last night I dropped my dear doggy off at our friend Amanda's house. She wants to get her two-year old son, Brayden, a puppy, so she is using Toby to test the waters. I'm a little worried, though, because her house is brand spanking new and I am afraid that Toby is going to "go" in her house. Her sliding door is much, much taller than ours, so our doggy door didn't fit. Toby is used to coming and going as he pleases. Now, all of a sudden he has to wait around for someone to let him out. She works all day, so I suggested putting a baby gate up in the hall, so any accidents can simply be wiped up.
I am both nervous and excited to go to Texas. Yes, I am excited to meet his family, but at the same time, I may die from a fatal heart attack. A- That is a lot of people for me to meet all at once. 2- Questions! There WILL be questions for me to answers. My heart is racing just thinking about it. I don't like to feel interrogated. Nor do I like to answer questions that require me to say more than yes, no, or maybe. I'll play 20-Questions all day, just give me time before asking me to abridge my autobiography for you.
I am very much so looking forward to the food on Thanksgiving. I'd kill for some of my mom's stuffing or purple stuff, but it looks like that will have to wait for another year. This year, I am eating Thanksgiving: Texas-Style.
Happy Thanksgiving!
A few weeks ago, Jeff and I put an offer in on the house we are living in. The owners have to short sale it because they can no longer afford the mortgage, but they don't want to foreclose. They are asking about $95k for it, which is an amazing deal. They bought it two or three years ago for over $200k. The cost of a mortgage payment would be about $200 or more LESS than we are paying for rent. This is going to be a long process, though. The banks take their sweet time on short sales, so we aren't expecting to hear back from them for a good 8 weeks or more. If we get the house, we will stay here for a couple of years. If we don't, we have discussed living on base once we are married. It's just a waiting game.
The wedding planning is....going. I still haven't decided on the dresses for the bridesmaids. I THINK I know what I want, but that changes daily. Most of the big stuff is out of the way, at least. Now, I just have to figure out all the little stuff. Piece of cake, right? Ha.
Two weeks ago, Jeff and I went to my annual employee party. I think that we were both less than thrilled to be going, but to our surprise, we actually had a good time. The dinner was delicious! Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing, hot buttered rolls, green beans with almond slivers, salad, and peppermint ice cream. Yum, yum! We won several prizes - nothing special, but we never win anything, so we are easily excited about stuff like that. Then, we danced the night away. Embarrassing, I know. I had to face those people the following Monday....
The next night, Jeff and I participated in the Light the Night walk to help raise funds for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. It was fun. We took Toby, who is the most annoying dog to walk on a leash. Good Lord. I wish that he would get the hang of it.
I made some delicious French Onion soup a couple of weeks ago. It was really good, but Jeff was unimpressed. That is the first dish of mine that he didn't like. I could have eaten the whole pot, though! His major complaint? He didn't like the soggy crouton in the soup. Apparently he has never had French onion soup before! That is the best damn part. He doesn't like broccoli, cauliflower, black olives, coconut, and now French Onion soup?! What am I to do with this man? Those are some of my all-time favorites. :(
I took Jeff to the airport this past Saturday. His cousin, Brian, was getting married later that night. So, he flew out bright and early Saturday morning. Toby and I have just been relaxing and enjoying the quiet around here.
Last night I dropped my dear doggy off at our friend Amanda's house. She wants to get her two-year old son, Brayden, a puppy, so she is using Toby to test the waters. I'm a little worried, though, because her house is brand spanking new and I am afraid that Toby is going to "go" in her house. Her sliding door is much, much taller than ours, so our doggy door didn't fit. Toby is used to coming and going as he pleases. Now, all of a sudden he has to wait around for someone to let him out. She works all day, so I suggested putting a baby gate up in the hall, so any accidents can simply be wiped up.
I am both nervous and excited to go to Texas. Yes, I am excited to meet his family, but at the same time, I may die from a fatal heart attack. A- That is a lot of people for me to meet all at once. 2- Questions! There WILL be questions for me to answers. My heart is racing just thinking about it. I don't like to feel interrogated. Nor do I like to answer questions that require me to say more than yes, no, or maybe. I'll play 20-Questions all day, just give me time before asking me to abridge my autobiography for you.
I am very much so looking forward to the food on Thanksgiving. I'd kill for some of my mom's stuffing or purple stuff, but it looks like that will have to wait for another year. This year, I am eating Thanksgiving: Texas-Style.
Happy Thanksgiving!
11.03.2009
Happy Birthday To Jeff! :)
What's new? Not too much, but I shall blog anyway.
On October 25, Jeff and I decided to watch "The Haunting in Connecticut." Lame. Anyway, just as the dead kid sits up in the Priest's (or Minister's?) backseat, the doorbell rings. It is my next-door-neighbor. She came over to tell us to check our backyard because she heard a noise and went outside to investigate. She had just put down grass seed earlier in the day and in the mud were footprints that did not belong to her. When she came out, the person jumped the cement wall.
I was freaked out. First, a "scary" movie and now a weirdo in the neighborhood. Fan-freaking-tastic! Of course, it was a Sunday night and Jeff had to leave for work in less than an hour. I did not sleep much that night.
On Friday, I dressed up in one of Jeff's old uniforms for our Halloween party at work. They were big, but I didn't want to go spend money on a costume that I would only need for work. Everyone loved it, though.
Jeff went out with his friends that night to celebrate Halloween. He dressed like a German pilot from WWII. He looked pretty spiffy. He wanted me to join him, but I had no desire to dress like a two-bit whore and prance around a bar. So, I stayed home and cleaned and prepared the stuff for the party.
I was up until about 4:00 AM getting stuff ready. Thank God that I did it the night before! On Saturday, I went to the gym, got home, decorated Jeff's cake, and started to clean up the kitchen. I finished just as our friends, Beau and Nicole, were arriving with their kids. So, I ran through the shower really fast.
We probably had somewhere between 15 and 20 people come to Jeff's birthday party. It was a nice turnout. There were so many babies! I went trick or treating with Nicole and her kids, but not for long. It was hectic, so she decided to turn back.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the cake, which was a relief. I don't have any experience making cakes outside of a boxed mix and a can of frosting. So, making my own was fun, but I was nervous that it wouldn't be that great.
For his birthday, I got him a gift certificate for a massage because he needs one and I got him a 20-round Ruger magazine clip for one of his guns. He loved it!
We played Catch Phrase, which was a lot of fun with the big group of people. Of course, the girls won. No surprise there. :)
The last of the people left around 2 AM. We were dead tired. I was hoping to sleep in on Sunday, but no such luck. Instead, I was up around 8. I went to the gym, came home, showered, and relaxed.
Jeff and I went to Rio Mirage for his birthday dinner. It was delicious, as usual. :)
Our friends Beau and Nicole had an in-home interview with the people from "Super Nanny". They are one of five families in the running from the Phoenix area. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them! :)
Anyway, that is all I know for now. I should probably head to work. F-U-N!
On October 25, Jeff and I decided to watch "The Haunting in Connecticut." Lame. Anyway, just as the dead kid sits up in the Priest's (or Minister's?) backseat, the doorbell rings. It is my next-door-neighbor. She came over to tell us to check our backyard because she heard a noise and went outside to investigate. She had just put down grass seed earlier in the day and in the mud were footprints that did not belong to her. When she came out, the person jumped the cement wall.
I was freaked out. First, a "scary" movie and now a weirdo in the neighborhood. Fan-freaking-tastic! Of course, it was a Sunday night and Jeff had to leave for work in less than an hour. I did not sleep much that night.
On Friday, I dressed up in one of Jeff's old uniforms for our Halloween party at work. They were big, but I didn't want to go spend money on a costume that I would only need for work. Everyone loved it, though.
Jeff went out with his friends that night to celebrate Halloween. He dressed like a German pilot from WWII. He looked pretty spiffy. He wanted me to join him, but I had no desire to dress like a two-bit whore and prance around a bar. So, I stayed home and cleaned and prepared the stuff for the party.
I was up until about 4:00 AM getting stuff ready. Thank God that I did it the night before! On Saturday, I went to the gym, got home, decorated Jeff's cake, and started to clean up the kitchen. I finished just as our friends, Beau and Nicole, were arriving with their kids. So, I ran through the shower really fast.
We probably had somewhere between 15 and 20 people come to Jeff's birthday party. It was a nice turnout. There were so many babies! I went trick or treating with Nicole and her kids, but not for long. It was hectic, so she decided to turn back.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the cake, which was a relief. I don't have any experience making cakes outside of a boxed mix and a can of frosting. So, making my own was fun, but I was nervous that it wouldn't be that great.
For his birthday, I got him a gift certificate for a massage because he needs one and I got him a 20-round Ruger magazine clip for one of his guns. He loved it!
We played Catch Phrase, which was a lot of fun with the big group of people. Of course, the girls won. No surprise there. :)
The last of the people left around 2 AM. We were dead tired. I was hoping to sleep in on Sunday, but no such luck. Instead, I was up around 8. I went to the gym, came home, showered, and relaxed.
Jeff and I went to Rio Mirage for his birthday dinner. It was delicious, as usual. :)
Our friends Beau and Nicole had an in-home interview with the people from "Super Nanny". They are one of five families in the running from the Phoenix area. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them! :)
Anyway, that is all I know for now. I should probably head to work. F-U-N!
10.27.2009
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
I became obsessed with this bread after my friend's mom gave me a baggy of starter. It got to be too much for me, though, because I never gave away the starter and didn't know that I could cut down on the "feedings" to produce less.
Recently, I started craving it again, but had no idea how to get a hold of some of the starter. I started searching online and found a recipe to make my very own starter. I was so excited.
Here is the recipe that I followed the first time. You will wind up with about four cups of starter on day 27. I kept one cup in a glass jar, so that I can keep it alive. Then, I baked the other three cups. With one cup, I made pumpkin bread, with the second cup, I baked lemon poppy seed bread, and with the third cup, I made the traditional Amish bread. This will make SIX loaves.
However, now I am going to cut down on my feedings. I will only add 1/4 C each of flour, sugar, and milk. That way, I can just bake one cup and save one.
I doubt that any of you will be interested in doing this, but I just love doing it. Plus, the results are SUPER tasty! It really isn't as daunting as it seems. If you forget to stir it for a couple of days, it isn't a big deal. If you happen to be going out of town, you can refrigerate it and ignore it for up to a week.
PS- all that stuff about not using metal is crap. Use whatever you have.
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
Combine ingredients in a large, deep glass or plastic container. Cover lightly. If the container has a lid, leave it slightly open, or place a piece of cheesecloth over the container and secure it with a rubber band. Store at room temperature.
Stir every day for 17 days.
On the 18th day do nothing.
On the 19, 20 and 21, stir.
On day 22 stir and add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir again.
On days 23, 24, 25 and 26 stir.
On day 27, add 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1 cup sugar. Stir. You should have about 4 cups starter. Give 1 cup each to two friends and keep the remaining two cups for yourself.
Use one in Amish Friendship Bread recipe (which follows) and use the other to keep the starter going.
When you give away the starter, include these instructions:
How to keep a starter going:
Do not refrigerate and do not use a metal spoon when stirring.
On day 1 (the day you receive you starter) do nothing.
Days, 2 3, and 4, stir or squeeze the bag.
On day 5, stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
Pour mixture into large glass mixing bowl; cover lightly. Mixture will rise.
On days, 6, 7, 8 and 9, stir.
On day 10, stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk and stir. Give 1 cup each to two friends, keeping one cup to make the bread and one cup for your starter.
Amish Friendship Bread
1 c. starter
1 c. oil
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
3 eggs
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. nuts, chopped
1 lg. box instant vanilla pudding
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. In a small bowl, make a cinnamon and sugar mixture to sprinkle inside pans. Reserve some.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into prepared pans. Sprinkle some reserved cinnamon and sugar mixture on top.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.
To freeze: wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.
Tasty Pizza Dough
I found this recipe on Cookin' Canuck's site. It was super easy to make and absolutely scrumptious! It is something that we will definitely make often. :)
Pizza Crust
1 package dry yeast
1 cup warm (105-115 degrees F) water
1 tsp honey or sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Cooking spray
Flour for kneading and rolling
Pour the yeast into a large bowl. Add water and honey, and stir. Let the mixture sit until foamy bubbles appear on the surface of the water, about 10 minutes. Add the flours, salt, and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray, place the ball of dough in the bowl and lightly spray the surface with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let the dough rest in a warm, draft-free room for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. After 1 hour, the dough should have doubled in size. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle. Place it on a cookie sheet or pizza paddle. If you are using a pizza stone, place it in the 500 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cover the dough with desired toppings and either place it in the oven on a cookie sheet or slide it from the pizza paddle onto the stone.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
Makes one 12-inch pizza.
10.25.2009
Just Me Being Honest!
It's Sunday night. I have absolutely no ambition to go to work tomorrow. Last week was terrible. I know that I'm not the only person in the world that hates their job, but I honestly don't know how much longer I can do it. It's getting worse and worse. My supervisor just keeps bringing in new participants.
There are mornings when I get there and there are already 25 people and several days when we have over 30 for the day. That is insanity. In the dining room, we are really cramped for space. Staff can hardly even walk around. At what point will she stop and realize that there are TOO MANY people?! We fight every day to people able to seat everyone. The noise level is too much. Everything we do is wrong. It is much too overwhelming. On Thursday, I was so stressed that I came home and bawled my eyes out to Jeff.
We have two rooms for activities. Both rooms have an activity scheduled in it at any given time and my supervisor doesn't want all the participants in one room. She wants them spread out. However, the other day one of my coworkers decided that instead of doing her activity, she'd dump ALL of the participants off on me so that she could sit on her ass and do paperwork. Excuse me?? The room I was in didn't even have enough seating for everyone. I wanted to deck her. I am not there to do her job, too. She has special time set aside at the END of the day - when there are less people there - for her to do paperwork. She already does way less than we do. Now she is just pushing it.
I sometimes complained about working as a CNA because my supervisors ran us thin. We were always understaffed. If State had known how short we worked at times, we could have been cited, or worse. It was hard work. However, I had coworkers that I could turn to for help and support. We were a team. Aside from that, I actually liked what I did. I actually looked forward to going to work most days. I don't have that at work now. Being a CNA was physically taxing, but I'd take that over a mentally and emotionally taxing job anyday.
I will no longer being taking care of people after this job. I am done, worn out, and COMPLETELY over it. Working with the elderly was much more rewarding than what I do now. Everytime I take the participants on an outing, some stranger will stop me to tell me that I'm a "saint", or something like that. No, I'm not. To be completely honest, I hate my job and I'm pretty sure that my supervisor knows it. I've been miserable there for about 8 or 9 months now. I have really done my best to try to hide it, but it is the same thing day in and day out. I think that the happy, bubbly facade that I've been wearing is starting to become see through, the thinner my patience wears.
I probably sound like a terrible person for saying that, but I challenge all of you to just give it a whirl. Some of you are probably MUCH better people than I am and would find it to be the best thing ever. I suspect that after enough time, though, that a lot of you would know exactly where I'm coming from.
I won't be going anywhere anytime soon, though. I haven't seen any job openings that I qualify for. I pray everyday. I pray for both a new job opportunity, as well as the patience that I need to make it through another day at work. I pray to become a better person. No answers yet. I'll continue to send them out, though. Eventually He will answer, right?
---
I had a really good weekend. Well, except I overdid it all weekend with food. Big time! I feel fat and sluggish. Ugh. I hate this feeling. Next weekend won't be much better, what with Halloween AND Jeff's birthday. I will be good this week, though.
Last Sunday, I made homemade pizza crust with a recipe that I found online. It turned out really well. It is something that we do frequently. However, I think that the next time we will let it bake just a few minutes longer. I will post the recipe on here, I think - in addition to anything else that I try from now on.
I made banana bread this week, since I had everything on hand and I got free bananas from work. I sent it to work with Jeff. He loved it.
It is really nice to have all the baking ingredients that you could possibly need around the house. Yesterday we made homemade waffles with another recipe I found. They were really good.
Today I made oatmeal cranberry cookies.
Tomorrow I get to bake my Amish Friendship bread that I've been waiting 27 whole days to make. I will be making pumpkin, lemon poppy seed, and the traditional Amish bread. That will make a total of six loaves! I'm sending half with Jeff and freezing the rest for a later use. :)
Jeff leaves for Texas on Saturday the 21st. His cousin is getting married. I fly out on Tuesday the 24th. One day of work that week. Thank God! I'm really scared to meet his family, though. :|
On Friday, Jeff and I just bummed around the house. On Saturday, he did yardwork, while I cleaned up the house. Then, we went out to eat at Bayrischer Hof, a German restaurant right down the road from us. It was really good! We had a party of about 20 people from his flight. It was fun.
Today we did nothing. I slept in. We watched "Confessions of a Serial Killer" (that Jeffrey Dahmer interview) together - even though I've seen in at least two other times. We fell asleep and took a nice, long nap. I woke up in time to watch ALF. :)
Tonight, Jeff is making Crawfish Etoufee, something that he had in Louisiana and has been dying to make for me. I made homemade cornbread with a recipe I found online. I hope it is good.
That is all I have to say for now. I'm not sure what we will do for his birthday, but we will have fun!
Love,
Me!
There are mornings when I get there and there are already 25 people and several days when we have over 30 for the day. That is insanity. In the dining room, we are really cramped for space. Staff can hardly even walk around. At what point will she stop and realize that there are TOO MANY people?! We fight every day to people able to seat everyone. The noise level is too much. Everything we do is wrong. It is much too overwhelming. On Thursday, I was so stressed that I came home and bawled my eyes out to Jeff.
We have two rooms for activities. Both rooms have an activity scheduled in it at any given time and my supervisor doesn't want all the participants in one room. She wants them spread out. However, the other day one of my coworkers decided that instead of doing her activity, she'd dump ALL of the participants off on me so that she could sit on her ass and do paperwork. Excuse me?? The room I was in didn't even have enough seating for everyone. I wanted to deck her. I am not there to do her job, too. She has special time set aside at the END of the day - when there are less people there - for her to do paperwork. She already does way less than we do. Now she is just pushing it.
I sometimes complained about working as a CNA because my supervisors ran us thin. We were always understaffed. If State had known how short we worked at times, we could have been cited, or worse. It was hard work. However, I had coworkers that I could turn to for help and support. We were a team. Aside from that, I actually liked what I did. I actually looked forward to going to work most days. I don't have that at work now. Being a CNA was physically taxing, but I'd take that over a mentally and emotionally taxing job anyday.
I will no longer being taking care of people after this job. I am done, worn out, and COMPLETELY over it. Working with the elderly was much more rewarding than what I do now. Everytime I take the participants on an outing, some stranger will stop me to tell me that I'm a "saint", or something like that. No, I'm not. To be completely honest, I hate my job and I'm pretty sure that my supervisor knows it. I've been miserable there for about 8 or 9 months now. I have really done my best to try to hide it, but it is the same thing day in and day out. I think that the happy, bubbly facade that I've been wearing is starting to become see through, the thinner my patience wears.
I probably sound like a terrible person for saying that, but I challenge all of you to just give it a whirl. Some of you are probably MUCH better people than I am and would find it to be the best thing ever. I suspect that after enough time, though, that a lot of you would know exactly where I'm coming from.
I won't be going anywhere anytime soon, though. I haven't seen any job openings that I qualify for. I pray everyday. I pray for both a new job opportunity, as well as the patience that I need to make it through another day at work. I pray to become a better person. No answers yet. I'll continue to send them out, though. Eventually He will answer, right?
---
I had a really good weekend. Well, except I overdid it all weekend with food. Big time! I feel fat and sluggish. Ugh. I hate this feeling. Next weekend won't be much better, what with Halloween AND Jeff's birthday. I will be good this week, though.
Last Sunday, I made homemade pizza crust with a recipe that I found online. It turned out really well. It is something that we do frequently. However, I think that the next time we will let it bake just a few minutes longer. I will post the recipe on here, I think - in addition to anything else that I try from now on.
I made banana bread this week, since I had everything on hand and I got free bananas from work. I sent it to work with Jeff. He loved it.
It is really nice to have all the baking ingredients that you could possibly need around the house. Yesterday we made homemade waffles with another recipe I found. They were really good.
Today I made oatmeal cranberry cookies.
Tomorrow I get to bake my Amish Friendship bread that I've been waiting 27 whole days to make. I will be making pumpkin, lemon poppy seed, and the traditional Amish bread. That will make a total of six loaves! I'm sending half with Jeff and freezing the rest for a later use. :)
Jeff leaves for Texas on Saturday the 21st. His cousin is getting married. I fly out on Tuesday the 24th. One day of work that week. Thank God! I'm really scared to meet his family, though. :|
On Friday, Jeff and I just bummed around the house. On Saturday, he did yardwork, while I cleaned up the house. Then, we went out to eat at Bayrischer Hof, a German restaurant right down the road from us. It was really good! We had a party of about 20 people from his flight. It was fun.
Today we did nothing. I slept in. We watched "Confessions of a Serial Killer" (that Jeffrey Dahmer interview) together - even though I've seen in at least two other times. We fell asleep and took a nice, long nap. I woke up in time to watch ALF. :)
Tonight, Jeff is making Crawfish Etoufee, something that he had in Louisiana and has been dying to make for me. I made homemade cornbread with a recipe I found online. I hope it is good.
That is all I have to say for now. I'm not sure what we will do for his birthday, but we will have fun!
Love,
Me!
10.15.2009
I'm Back.
Wow, it has been forever! In fact, the last time that I wrote was while Jeff was TDY in Louisiana. I stopped writing when I received news of Owen’s health problems and flew to WI. I was more concerned with keeping up with April’s blog about my nephew than I was writing about the trivial problems of everyday life here in AZ.
So much has happened, but I’m going to sum it up for you.
The weekend after Jeff returned from LA, we went to a retirement party for his good friend, Bayer, who he met in Italy. It was a fun night.
A couple weekends later, we went to the Arizona Science Museum. It was a place mostly for kids, with some neat stuff for adults. I’d love to go again to go to the planetarium. It was super cheap to get it and was something fun for us to do. The most exciting thing for me was the scaled-down version of Lego Land. What it had to do with science, I’m still trying to figure out, but that is okay.
After the museum, we took the scenic route home. We went off-roading for several hours to a place called Crown King. It is literally in the middle of nowhere, atop a mountain. The population was literally about 10 people. They managed to keep open a chapel, a bar, and two little shops, though. It was a really neat place. So, we decided that we would go camping there. Jeff invited several of his friends, but we were going no matter who could make it.
The next weekend, Jeff, a guy named Wasson, Al, his two kids and myself camped overnight there. Jeff let me drive, which was so much fun. We ate at the little bar, and enjoyed beer from mason jars. It was soooo Podunk, in fact, that even Toby got to come eat with us.
Labor Day weekend, Jeff and I went to San Diego. We left early on Saturday morning and arrived around 12. We went out for lunch at a small Mexican restaurant. Then, we went and walked by the ocean. He was so excited for me to see it. It was amazing.
Jeff took me shopping for something nice to wear.
We went back to the hotel and got in our suits, so that we could go swim. We played in the ocean for a bit. Then, decided to go get ready to eat somewhere nice.
On our way back, Jeff made me stop at this little cliff that overlooked the ocean. We had been there earlier to take pictures, so I didn’t understand why he asked me to take more. Well, until I heard him call my name. I turned around and he was down on one knee. It was the sweetest moment in my entire life! He had picked out a beautiful ring for me. I could write forever about this, but I'm sure no one except Jeff and I really care that much. :)
We couldn’t wait to tell everyone the news. The next few hours were filled with texts and phone calls. We were in heaven. Due to all of the excitement, we ended up leaving too late to go where we wanted to for dinner. So, instead we went to an Italian restaurant. We shared a bottle of wine and had some pretty good food. The waiter gave us a free box of the restaurants chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
The next day, we went kayaking on the ocean. It was so much fun; I’d highly recommend it to anyone. We didn’t even tip over!
We got dressed and walked around for a little bit. We saw the USS Midway. It was closing, though, so we couldn’t go inside. Another time.
We were going to go to Sea World, but I opted not to. We plan to go back before we leave AZ, though.
We went out to eat at Fidel’s Mexican Restaurant. He had eaten there when he went to San Diego in March to visit his cousin and brother. He raved about it. I got a crab enchilada. OMG! So tasty!!
We were very sad to leave San Diego on Monday morning. The drive home was fun, though.
Not much else has happened with us. We are having fun and doing a little wedding planning when we can. We set our wedding date for August 7, 2010. :)
My mom is coming in January to visit. I can’t wait!
I’m sure that I’m forgetting a ton of stuff, but that is okay. You get the gist.
So much has happened, but I’m going to sum it up for you.
The weekend after Jeff returned from LA, we went to a retirement party for his good friend, Bayer, who he met in Italy. It was a fun night.
A couple weekends later, we went to the Arizona Science Museum. It was a place mostly for kids, with some neat stuff for adults. I’d love to go again to go to the planetarium. It was super cheap to get it and was something fun for us to do. The most exciting thing for me was the scaled-down version of Lego Land. What it had to do with science, I’m still trying to figure out, but that is okay.
After the museum, we took the scenic route home. We went off-roading for several hours to a place called Crown King. It is literally in the middle of nowhere, atop a mountain. The population was literally about 10 people. They managed to keep open a chapel, a bar, and two little shops, though. It was a really neat place. So, we decided that we would go camping there. Jeff invited several of his friends, but we were going no matter who could make it.
The next weekend, Jeff, a guy named Wasson, Al, his two kids and myself camped overnight there. Jeff let me drive, which was so much fun. We ate at the little bar, and enjoyed beer from mason jars. It was soooo Podunk, in fact, that even Toby got to come eat with us.
Labor Day weekend, Jeff and I went to San Diego. We left early on Saturday morning and arrived around 12. We went out for lunch at a small Mexican restaurant. Then, we went and walked by the ocean. He was so excited for me to see it. It was amazing.
Jeff took me shopping for something nice to wear.
We went back to the hotel and got in our suits, so that we could go swim. We played in the ocean for a bit. Then, decided to go get ready to eat somewhere nice.
On our way back, Jeff made me stop at this little cliff that overlooked the ocean. We had been there earlier to take pictures, so I didn’t understand why he asked me to take more. Well, until I heard him call my name. I turned around and he was down on one knee. It was the sweetest moment in my entire life! He had picked out a beautiful ring for me. I could write forever about this, but I'm sure no one except Jeff and I really care that much. :)
We couldn’t wait to tell everyone the news. The next few hours were filled with texts and phone calls. We were in heaven. Due to all of the excitement, we ended up leaving too late to go where we wanted to for dinner. So, instead we went to an Italian restaurant. We shared a bottle of wine and had some pretty good food. The waiter gave us a free box of the restaurants chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
The next day, we went kayaking on the ocean. It was so much fun; I’d highly recommend it to anyone. We didn’t even tip over!
We got dressed and walked around for a little bit. We saw the USS Midway. It was closing, though, so we couldn’t go inside. Another time.
We were going to go to Sea World, but I opted not to. We plan to go back before we leave AZ, though.
We went out to eat at Fidel’s Mexican Restaurant. He had eaten there when he went to San Diego in March to visit his cousin and brother. He raved about it. I got a crab enchilada. OMG! So tasty!!
We were very sad to leave San Diego on Monday morning. The drive home was fun, though.
Not much else has happened with us. We are having fun and doing a little wedding planning when we can. We set our wedding date for August 7, 2010. :)
My mom is coming in January to visit. I can’t wait!
I’m sure that I’m forgetting a ton of stuff, but that is okay. You get the gist.
7.15.2009
Miss Independent
Well, here is my attempt at keeping up with my posts.
On Saturday morning, I didn't get up early enough to do my 30 minutes of cardio before water aerobics, so I just did my class and called it a day. It's fun and a nice change of pace, but I just don't know how much of a workout I am actually getting. That is why I try to do a bit of cardio beforehand. Nothing too strenuous, though.
I took Toby to get his nails trimmed and filed because they are driving him mad. He constantly chews on them. Taking him to PetSmart is no small feat. He cries the entire time because he is so excited. He doesn't walk well on a leash and tends to run circles around me. I pick him up when I am able, but when I'm trying to shop or pay the cashier, I have to set him down. He is a handful in public. Next time, Jeff is coming with me. Also, since it is only $18 to get him bathed, nails trimmed, face and paw fur trimmed, and ears cleaned, I will splurge and do that for the little guy. I paid $16 to have his nails trimmed, filed, and his ears cleaned. I'll sport the extra $2 to pamper him. It'll be a little bit extra for the filing, but only a couple more dollars.
I went over to my friend Kathy's house to work on my resume. She is currently working at two different law firms. However, one of the two offered her a full-time position, so she is resigning from position at the other one. She told her boss about me - since she is looking to hire another assistant. Her boss requested that she have me put in my resume.
While I was there, Al grilled us burgers and chicken brats stuffed with spinach and asiago cheese. I only ate a burger, since I'm trying to watch my portions, but the brats looked pretty good.
We also swam in their new pool. And by "swam", I mean floated around on noodles and chit-chatted. It was fun.
I went to the gym on Sunday morning. I had planned on stopping by Nicole's house, but got busy at the house and didn't make it. I feel bad, but maybe this weekend?
So far, the work week is going by fast. Thank goodness!
On Tuesday, while I was on my break, I got a call from the lawyer at the law firm I applied at. We set up an interview for Tuesday the 21st. I'm excited. I know that it is a long shot, since I really have no experience, but it is worth a try.
It is only going to be a couple days a week, but once she hires the other lawyer, she will likely need me more. Even if she doesn't, that is okay, too. I just want to get my foot in the door somewhere else. Plus, a little experience in a new field would be a great thing for me.
Right out of high school, I took my CNA course and started working. At first, I loved it, but I soon came to realize that I can't do it forever. I'm too young to hurt in the places that I did after working an 8-hour shift. I don't want to kill my back. It is a very important part of the human body, and I plan to take care of mine. I don't want to get stuck in a field and not be able to get out of it - especially one that has caused me nothing but stress. When you take care of people for a living, it does take a toll on you both mentally and physically. I lost focus on myself and became a very stressed-out, negative person. At this job, I've been able to take control of my life a little better. However, I still want to try something new.
I've talked to Jeff a few times on the phone, but we mostly text. I really miss him. I'm glad that it is almost Friday. That means, ONE MORE WEEK!
This weekend, I might go to Kathy's and am hoping to see Nicole and maybe watch a chick-flick with her. :)
My mom got me a subscription to Paula Deen's magazine. I'm super excited!
Oh, and I haven't received mail at all this week, but noticed that some of the mailboxes where hanging wide-open. Thankfully, not mine. Anyway, today I went to check the mail and was surprised by a brand-new box with a letter on it stating that someone had vandalized the old one -resulting in a replacement box. It gave the address to the post office where we could pick up our new keys.
I drove there and waited in line for a good 20-minutes. The line hardly moved, but the guy about 8 people in front of me got up to the counter first (obviously) and told the man the situation. He must have lived on the same block as me. They told him that they just replaced the box that afternoon, but hadn't returned yet with the keys and they would not be available until tomorrow. That would have been a nice thing to have listed on the sign they posted on the mailbox!
Anyway, I am going to go eat some dinner now. I am hungry!
I will post again sometime soon.
Love,
Ashley
On Saturday morning, I didn't get up early enough to do my 30 minutes of cardio before water aerobics, so I just did my class and called it a day. It's fun and a nice change of pace, but I just don't know how much of a workout I am actually getting. That is why I try to do a bit of cardio beforehand. Nothing too strenuous, though.
I took Toby to get his nails trimmed and filed because they are driving him mad. He constantly chews on them. Taking him to PetSmart is no small feat. He cries the entire time because he is so excited. He doesn't walk well on a leash and tends to run circles around me. I pick him up when I am able, but when I'm trying to shop or pay the cashier, I have to set him down. He is a handful in public. Next time, Jeff is coming with me. Also, since it is only $18 to get him bathed, nails trimmed, face and paw fur trimmed, and ears cleaned, I will splurge and do that for the little guy. I paid $16 to have his nails trimmed, filed, and his ears cleaned. I'll sport the extra $2 to pamper him. It'll be a little bit extra for the filing, but only a couple more dollars.
I went over to my friend Kathy's house to work on my resume. She is currently working at two different law firms. However, one of the two offered her a full-time position, so she is resigning from position at the other one. She told her boss about me - since she is looking to hire another assistant. Her boss requested that she have me put in my resume.
While I was there, Al grilled us burgers and chicken brats stuffed with spinach and asiago cheese. I only ate a burger, since I'm trying to watch my portions, but the brats looked pretty good.
We also swam in their new pool. And by "swam", I mean floated around on noodles and chit-chatted. It was fun.
I went to the gym on Sunday morning. I had planned on stopping by Nicole's house, but got busy at the house and didn't make it. I feel bad, but maybe this weekend?
So far, the work week is going by fast. Thank goodness!
On Tuesday, while I was on my break, I got a call from the lawyer at the law firm I applied at. We set up an interview for Tuesday the 21st. I'm excited. I know that it is a long shot, since I really have no experience, but it is worth a try.
It is only going to be a couple days a week, but once she hires the other lawyer, she will likely need me more. Even if she doesn't, that is okay, too. I just want to get my foot in the door somewhere else. Plus, a little experience in a new field would be a great thing for me.
Right out of high school, I took my CNA course and started working. At first, I loved it, but I soon came to realize that I can't do it forever. I'm too young to hurt in the places that I did after working an 8-hour shift. I don't want to kill my back. It is a very important part of the human body, and I plan to take care of mine. I don't want to get stuck in a field and not be able to get out of it - especially one that has caused me nothing but stress. When you take care of people for a living, it does take a toll on you both mentally and physically. I lost focus on myself and became a very stressed-out, negative person. At this job, I've been able to take control of my life a little better. However, I still want to try something new.
I've talked to Jeff a few times on the phone, but we mostly text. I really miss him. I'm glad that it is almost Friday. That means, ONE MORE WEEK!
This weekend, I might go to Kathy's and am hoping to see Nicole and maybe watch a chick-flick with her. :)
My mom got me a subscription to Paula Deen's magazine. I'm super excited!
Oh, and I haven't received mail at all this week, but noticed that some of the mailboxes where hanging wide-open. Thankfully, not mine. Anyway, today I went to check the mail and was surprised by a brand-new box with a letter on it stating that someone had vandalized the old one -resulting in a replacement box. It gave the address to the post office where we could pick up our new keys.
I drove there and waited in line for a good 20-minutes. The line hardly moved, but the guy about 8 people in front of me got up to the counter first (obviously) and told the man the situation. He must have lived on the same block as me. They told him that they just replaced the box that afternoon, but hadn't returned yet with the keys and they would not be available until tomorrow. That would have been a nice thing to have listed on the sign they posted on the mailbox!
Anyway, I am going to go eat some dinner now. I am hungry!
I will post again sometime soon.
Love,
Ashley
7.10.2009
Now I've Gone and Forgotten Everything!
Oh, gosh. I’ve gone and done it again. I waited too long to blog, and now I can’t remember a thing.
I’ll do my best to fill you in. Not that what I do matters much, anyway, but I just like to update you on the recent happenings in the life of Ashley.
I went to see the movie, “The Proposal” the weekend that it opened with my lovely friend, Nicole. I really liked it. We went to a matinee. It was super-packed, but mostly with older women.
Nicole invited us to have dinner at their house, but Jeff and I already planned on going to Arriba Mexican Grille for dinner that night. Whenever we go, I find myself eating the refried beans and the rice even though I am beyond full. So, this time, I asked for a to-go container and took it off my plate right away. I was so full after the enchiladas. I’m glad that I didn’t eat the other stuff. You may be wondering why I didn’t just ask for two chicken enchiladas instead of the meal. I would gladly have done that, but it was like $2 extra that way. So, I just boxed up the beans and rice and left it on the table for them.
Afterward, we went and walked around the mall for awhile. I went to Victoria’s Secret because I had a gift certificate still that my friend Denise had given me for my birthday. I could just never justify spending so much money on a bra. I’m cheap. However, I will NEVER buy a crappy bra from Wal-Mart again! I spent less than $50 on two bras! Even AFTER the gift card, I got more than 50% off. I’ll hit that place up anytime there is a sale and I need a bra! The ones I got are amazing. And the girls? They’ve NEVER looked better.
One afternoon, we went out for lunch at Pizza Hut and split a calzone. It was pretty good. Afterward, we went shopping at World Market because I still had the gift certificate that Jeff’s dad got me for Christmas. They had a lot of neat stuff, but I ended up buying a really nice six-quart Dutch oven. It was originally $70, but it was on sale for $10 off. So, I ended up paying only $10 for it after all was said and done. I was pretty happy.
One Sunday night, Jeff took me to Bronco Billy’s Pizza. I’d never been there before, but it was REALLY good. I’ve found a new love for thin crust pizza. I don’t like when it is crunchy, though. As far as frozen pizza, though, I’m still a thick-crust fan.
Jeff’s friend, Wes, moved back to Florida since he is out of the USAF now. So, we went out for dinner with him and some of his friends on a Wednesday night before he left. It was a pizza place called Grimaldi’s. It was also REALLY good. This place was apparently just like the pizza in Italy. I’ll have to take their word for it.
Jeff and I both thought that La Piazza al Forno was better, but just by a hair.
We went and saw “The Hangover” together. It was pretty damn funny.
We joined Netflix, which we love. It is so much cheaper than Blockbuster. I rent a movie of my choice and he rents one of his. Then, we watch them together on the weekends.
I went through my closet and tossed all the clothes that are too big for me. It felt so good.
I’ve had a couple of binge days this month. I don’t know what triggered the first one, but yesterdays was brought on by two things: PMS (ever since I moved here, I’ve been super hungry right before I get my period. I don’t know why the sudden change.) and the stress of Jeff leaving for two weeks. It was ugly, but I have moved on now, and won’t beat myself up. No, sir.
I dropped Jeff off at base at 6:30 this morning. I got teary-eyed, but didn’t bawl like I was expecting to. It didn’t really hit me that he was gone until he texted me this afternoon to say that they had landed. I will take advantage of my alone time, though. I will clean like crazy and dance in my underwear. Oooh, and sing to myself and watch tons of chick flicks. Yeah, it will be a good two weeks.
This week at work, we lost two employees: a bus driver (who crashed the brand-new bus) and the oldest lady that I worked with. I was hoping that it was going to be the lazy one, but no such luck. Honestly, I want them all to go – with the exception of my two supervisors – but all good things come to those who wait.
Rosa, my favorite lady to work with, finally got hired! She was only working on-call before, and I hardly saw her. That was a blessing for me! I have someone who will be willing to help me, that is fun to work with, and sees that we work with a couple of crazy women.
Prior to that, I had Eva and Kamisha. Eva is very honest with me about things and I love her so much much. She always takes action and isn’t afraid to say stuff to them. Kamisha is the best supervisor I’ve ever had. She is approachable and actually makes things happen when there are complaints. I’m not used to that at all! I try not to bother them – unless absolutely necessary because they have a lot on their plates right now.
I just got off the phone with Kathy. She told me about a great job opportunity. I’m going over there tomorrow to work on a resume. It’s probably a long shot, but I’m going to take the chance! I’ll fill you in at a later time.
For now, I really have to pee, and I’m getting hungry. Time for dinner!
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the much-anticipated three-day Fourth of July weekend! Silly me. On Friday, Jeff and I went to Paradise Bakery together. It is like a better version of Panera, in my opinion. To be fair, I've only been to Panera one time, but I didn't like it. Anyway, I got a ham and swiss sandwich with a fruit salad. Jeff got a cranberry and turkey sandwich with some kind of rotini pasta. It was tasty.
Afterward, we drove to Lake Pleasant and took a gander. He wanted to find a good fishing spot there.
After he was content with a location, he saved it on his GPS, and we went off-roading. It was so fun! It started to DOWNPOUR, thunder, and lightning. So, we stopped for a bit and just enjoyed the rain. It's amazing how much you really miss storms when you never have them. We were in a wash, though, so we had to leave before it flooded.
We went home for a bit, then we went to base and bowled. Jeff doesn't like to bowl, but I've been asking him for a bit. I can't even get him to bowl on the Wii! He had a lot of fun and kicked my butt! It was a really good deal. We paid $16 per person for shoes and unlimited cosmic bowling. I'm glad we went.
On the way home, it started downpouring again. This time, it was much worse. So, we parked on some backroad and just enjoyed the storm. It was beautiful to watch at night.
On Saturday morning, I went to the gym. I look forward to workouts on Saturdays because I get to see Rosa at water aerobics. She is actually the person that suggested LA Fitness to me. Amen! After class, we sat in the sauna and talked. We lost track of time and ended up staying in there for an hour! It was nice, though.
I got ready at the gym, then went to the store to pick up some things for Aiden's birthday party.
I made the dip that April makes. It was good. Jeff liked it a lot. I think everyone did.
I had a nice time at the party. I met Nicole's friend from school. She was really nice and funny.
Amanda was there with her baby. I got to hold her a lot. She is so tiny and cute. I love her! All the ladies stayed in the house for the most part with the kids while the guys sat outside and bullshitted. We were there until about 10:00 or so, maybe a little later.
On Sunday, we slept until 1:30. I needed it. Even on the weekends, I'm up around 7. I had planned on spending the day cleaning, but that went out the window. Instead, I went to the gym, came home and showered, did laundry, then we went to Wal-Mart. I was pretty cranky. PMS. What can I say?
I'm updating this three hours after my original post, by the way. I just got done watching "27 Dresses", and I loved it! Very cute movie.
Jeff called me and I cried like a baby. I miss him and his phone is dying. He only has a car charger, but the vehicle they are using doesn't have an operational plug-in. He's going to buy a charger as soon as he can.
He told me that they got uber lost trying to find their hotel after work today. It took them 45-minutes. He is sharing a room with Brian, Denise's boyfriend. I guess the hotel is super ghetto.
Apparently, it is hot and muggy there. It was 114 here today. I'll take that over humidity anyday!!
He is going out with all of the guys tonight. He is supposed to have tomorrow off. I guess that he is going to be working almost all of the other days that he is there, though. He MIGHT get one other day off. Poor guy. He just never gets a break.
Love,
Ashley
I’ll do my best to fill you in. Not that what I do matters much, anyway, but I just like to update you on the recent happenings in the life of Ashley.
I went to see the movie, “The Proposal” the weekend that it opened with my lovely friend, Nicole. I really liked it. We went to a matinee. It was super-packed, but mostly with older women.
Nicole invited us to have dinner at their house, but Jeff and I already planned on going to Arriba Mexican Grille for dinner that night. Whenever we go, I find myself eating the refried beans and the rice even though I am beyond full. So, this time, I asked for a to-go container and took it off my plate right away. I was so full after the enchiladas. I’m glad that I didn’t eat the other stuff. You may be wondering why I didn’t just ask for two chicken enchiladas instead of the meal. I would gladly have done that, but it was like $2 extra that way. So, I just boxed up the beans and rice and left it on the table for them.
Afterward, we went and walked around the mall for awhile. I went to Victoria’s Secret because I had a gift certificate still that my friend Denise had given me for my birthday. I could just never justify spending so much money on a bra. I’m cheap. However, I will NEVER buy a crappy bra from Wal-Mart again! I spent less than $50 on two bras! Even AFTER the gift card, I got more than 50% off. I’ll hit that place up anytime there is a sale and I need a bra! The ones I got are amazing. And the girls? They’ve NEVER looked better.
One afternoon, we went out for lunch at Pizza Hut and split a calzone. It was pretty good. Afterward, we went shopping at World Market because I still had the gift certificate that Jeff’s dad got me for Christmas. They had a lot of neat stuff, but I ended up buying a really nice six-quart Dutch oven. It was originally $70, but it was on sale for $10 off. So, I ended up paying only $10 for it after all was said and done. I was pretty happy.
One Sunday night, Jeff took me to Bronco Billy’s Pizza. I’d never been there before, but it was REALLY good. I’ve found a new love for thin crust pizza. I don’t like when it is crunchy, though. As far as frozen pizza, though, I’m still a thick-crust fan.
Jeff’s friend, Wes, moved back to Florida since he is out of the USAF now. So, we went out for dinner with him and some of his friends on a Wednesday night before he left. It was a pizza place called Grimaldi’s. It was also REALLY good. This place was apparently just like the pizza in Italy. I’ll have to take their word for it.
Jeff and I both thought that La Piazza al Forno was better, but just by a hair.
We went and saw “The Hangover” together. It was pretty damn funny.
We joined Netflix, which we love. It is so much cheaper than Blockbuster. I rent a movie of my choice and he rents one of his. Then, we watch them together on the weekends.
I went through my closet and tossed all the clothes that are too big for me. It felt so good.
I’ve had a couple of binge days this month. I don’t know what triggered the first one, but yesterdays was brought on by two things: PMS (ever since I moved here, I’ve been super hungry right before I get my period. I don’t know why the sudden change.) and the stress of Jeff leaving for two weeks. It was ugly, but I have moved on now, and won’t beat myself up. No, sir.
I dropped Jeff off at base at 6:30 this morning. I got teary-eyed, but didn’t bawl like I was expecting to. It didn’t really hit me that he was gone until he texted me this afternoon to say that they had landed. I will take advantage of my alone time, though. I will clean like crazy and dance in my underwear. Oooh, and sing to myself and watch tons of chick flicks. Yeah, it will be a good two weeks.
This week at work, we lost two employees: a bus driver (who crashed the brand-new bus) and the oldest lady that I worked with. I was hoping that it was going to be the lazy one, but no such luck. Honestly, I want them all to go – with the exception of my two supervisors – but all good things come to those who wait.
Rosa, my favorite lady to work with, finally got hired! She was only working on-call before, and I hardly saw her. That was a blessing for me! I have someone who will be willing to help me, that is fun to work with, and sees that we work with a couple of crazy women.
Prior to that, I had Eva and Kamisha. Eva is very honest with me about things and I love her so much much. She always takes action and isn’t afraid to say stuff to them. Kamisha is the best supervisor I’ve ever had. She is approachable and actually makes things happen when there are complaints. I’m not used to that at all! I try not to bother them – unless absolutely necessary because they have a lot on their plates right now.
I just got off the phone with Kathy. She told me about a great job opportunity. I’m going over there tomorrow to work on a resume. It’s probably a long shot, but I’m going to take the chance! I’ll fill you in at a later time.
For now, I really have to pee, and I’m getting hungry. Time for dinner!
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the much-anticipated three-day Fourth of July weekend! Silly me. On Friday, Jeff and I went to Paradise Bakery together. It is like a better version of Panera, in my opinion. To be fair, I've only been to Panera one time, but I didn't like it. Anyway, I got a ham and swiss sandwich with a fruit salad. Jeff got a cranberry and turkey sandwich with some kind of rotini pasta. It was tasty.
Afterward, we drove to Lake Pleasant and took a gander. He wanted to find a good fishing spot there.
After he was content with a location, he saved it on his GPS, and we went off-roading. It was so fun! It started to DOWNPOUR, thunder, and lightning. So, we stopped for a bit and just enjoyed the rain. It's amazing how much you really miss storms when you never have them. We were in a wash, though, so we had to leave before it flooded.
We went home for a bit, then we went to base and bowled. Jeff doesn't like to bowl, but I've been asking him for a bit. I can't even get him to bowl on the Wii! He had a lot of fun and kicked my butt! It was a really good deal. We paid $16 per person for shoes and unlimited cosmic bowling. I'm glad we went.
On the way home, it started downpouring again. This time, it was much worse. So, we parked on some backroad and just enjoyed the storm. It was beautiful to watch at night.
On Saturday morning, I went to the gym. I look forward to workouts on Saturdays because I get to see Rosa at water aerobics. She is actually the person that suggested LA Fitness to me. Amen! After class, we sat in the sauna and talked. We lost track of time and ended up staying in there for an hour! It was nice, though.
I got ready at the gym, then went to the store to pick up some things for Aiden's birthday party.
I made the dip that April makes. It was good. Jeff liked it a lot. I think everyone did.
I had a nice time at the party. I met Nicole's friend from school. She was really nice and funny.
Amanda was there with her baby. I got to hold her a lot. She is so tiny and cute. I love her! All the ladies stayed in the house for the most part with the kids while the guys sat outside and bullshitted. We were there until about 10:00 or so, maybe a little later.
On Sunday, we slept until 1:30. I needed it. Even on the weekends, I'm up around 7. I had planned on spending the day cleaning, but that went out the window. Instead, I went to the gym, came home and showered, did laundry, then we went to Wal-Mart. I was pretty cranky. PMS. What can I say?
I'm updating this three hours after my original post, by the way. I just got done watching "27 Dresses", and I loved it! Very cute movie.
Jeff called me and I cried like a baby. I miss him and his phone is dying. He only has a car charger, but the vehicle they are using doesn't have an operational plug-in. He's going to buy a charger as soon as he can.
He told me that they got uber lost trying to find their hotel after work today. It took them 45-minutes. He is sharing a room with Brian, Denise's boyfriend. I guess the hotel is super ghetto.
Apparently, it is hot and muggy there. It was 114 here today. I'll take that over humidity anyday!!
He is going out with all of the guys tonight. He is supposed to have tomorrow off. I guess that he is going to be working almost all of the other days that he is there, though. He MIGHT get one other day off. Poor guy. He just never gets a break.
Love,
Ashley
6.15.2009
Lord, Send Opportunity Knocking!
Not much new to report here.
Jeff filled out his dream sheet for bases in May and the cycle closed today. He didn't get orders, so he erased his list - so that he can focus on school.
On Saturday, I went to the gym and did the Aqua Fit class with Rosa. Then, relaxed in the sauna.
When I got home, we went to Chili's with two of his friends. After that, we went to the shooting range. I learned how to shoot two of his guns. I suck, but I had a lot of fun!
After that, the guys went fishing and I went to Nicole's house for a few hours. I left around 8:30 because I was getting super tired.
Jeff started feeling sick at the end of the week. He was in really rough shape yesterday. I had an earache and a sore throat, but feel better today.
Yesterday, when I got home from the gym, we cleaned the house and went grocery shopping.
I've been doing really well with portions and watching what I eat. In fact, I lost four pounds this in the last month! I've been craving a burger and fries, so I worked it into my meal plan yesterday. It was so worth the wait and the hard work!
We rented "Revolution Road" because I wanted to see it when it was in theatres. It wasn't bad, just not what I was expecting. I was kind of disappointed.
I hate my job and am looking for something else. It is awful there. I'm miserable.
Jeff and I decided that once I reach my goal weight, that we are going to go to San Diego together to celebrate. My goal is to stay between 140 and 145. I'm at 150 right now, so it won't be long! Probably another couple of months! :)
This weekend, I am going to go do something with Nicole. I'm not sure what yet, but I'm sure I'll have fun.
Toodles!
Jeff filled out his dream sheet for bases in May and the cycle closed today. He didn't get orders, so he erased his list - so that he can focus on school.
On Saturday, I went to the gym and did the Aqua Fit class with Rosa. Then, relaxed in the sauna.
When I got home, we went to Chili's with two of his friends. After that, we went to the shooting range. I learned how to shoot two of his guns. I suck, but I had a lot of fun!
After that, the guys went fishing and I went to Nicole's house for a few hours. I left around 8:30 because I was getting super tired.
Jeff started feeling sick at the end of the week. He was in really rough shape yesterday. I had an earache and a sore throat, but feel better today.
Yesterday, when I got home from the gym, we cleaned the house and went grocery shopping.
I've been doing really well with portions and watching what I eat. In fact, I lost four pounds this in the last month! I've been craving a burger and fries, so I worked it into my meal plan yesterday. It was so worth the wait and the hard work!
We rented "Revolution Road" because I wanted to see it when it was in theatres. It wasn't bad, just not what I was expecting. I was kind of disappointed.
I hate my job and am looking for something else. It is awful there. I'm miserable.
Jeff and I decided that once I reach my goal weight, that we are going to go to San Diego together to celebrate. My goal is to stay between 140 and 145. I'm at 150 right now, so it won't be long! Probably another couple of months! :)
This weekend, I am going to go do something with Nicole. I'm not sure what yet, but I'm sure I'll have fun.
Toodles!
6.09.2009
Adventures in the Land of the Mormons.
Jeff and I had a great time in Utah. On Thursday night, we had a lot to do before Jeff went to his math class, so I hurried home from work. We did a few things around the house. Then, took Toby over to Al and Kathy’s house –where he’d be staying while we were gone. On the way home, we stopped at Burger King for some dinner. Then, ran into Wal Mart for a few last-minute purchases.
Jeff set out all the clothes that he’d need, and I packed them since he had to leave.
I woke up around 5:30 on Friday and got ready. I woke Jeff up at about 6:45 because people were supposed to arrive at 7. Al was on time, but the others were late – and not ready.
I went to get Al, Jeff, and I breakfast and coffee while we waited.
One couple, Patrick and Denise, came wearing hiking boots and didn’t have walking sticks. Idiots. The narrows is a water trail. Therefore, common sense would tell you to bring shoes that didn’t hold water in. We’d been stressing the point that a walking stick is highly recommended – unless you wanted to spend the entire hike on your ass because the current could get pretty strong.
When Wes showed up, we went to Wal Mart to meet Brian and Denise, who were picking up some odds and ends. I don’t understand why no one had all their stuff. I forgive Al for not having walking sticks, though. He wasn’t going to get any, but since we were already at Wal Mart he figured that he may as well.
The couple with the hiking boots couldn’t find shoes at Wal Mart, so we left.
Brian and Denise stopped for gas after we left Wal Mart. Again, WHY? They knew they were driving to Utah. Why didn’t they fill up the night before?
The drive up there was long, but fun. Jeff, Al, Wes and I rode in the Jeep. Al talked the entire way there, while Wes slept. Al is a really nice guy and so smart. I enjoyed listening to him.
We stopped in Page (I believe AZ) for lunch at Burger King. We kept going, while Pat and Denise ran to Wal Mart for shoes. He found appropriate ones, but they didn’t have any in her size, so she bought water shoes that are mean for a pool. Not a good idea.
We got to Zion around 4 or 4:30, I think.
We went to the same campsite as last year. We set up our stuff and sat around the fire. It was fun.
Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that only the people that road with us brought ample amounts of food. The others brought a couple of things to snack on, but that is it.
I brought trail mix, Nature Valley granola bars, bread, cheese, diet Pepsi, and some 100 calorie packs for myself. Jeff also brought food. On night one, we were going to have potato soup and I was going to make us some grilled cheese with the sandwich thing we got for the campfire. I didn’t mind sharing the soup – since we had a gallon of it. However, the bread and cheese were supposed to last me two nights and I wanted to have some to take home.
Al also brought stuff for grilled cheese, but his cheese was gross, so I told him he could use mine. As soon as I started to make them, everyone wanted one. So, I made everyone a frickin’ sandwich before I even got to eat. Asses. I was annoyed.
The next day, I had to give away some of my snacks because people are idiots. I wouldn’t mind normally but NV granola bars and trail mix are kind of costly.
Plus, Jeff gave away some of his MRE’s (meals ready-to-eat). Everyone has access to them at the BX. Why the hell didn’t anyone else get them?
Jeff doesn’t mind sharing, but I do. That trip cost us a lot of money and to have to support everyone else (the people that didn’t ride with us), in addition, really irritated me. Maybe I’m just a bitch?
On Saturday morning, we left later than we had planned for the trail because people were diddly-farting around. Then, as we were about to leave, Denise came to tell us that her husband’s BMW got stuck in the sand. 1) Who brings a BMV camping in the middle of nowhere?! 2) Why the heck was he driving through the sand anyway? It was the opposite way of where our campsite was. The guys got him unstuck. Then, we were on our way.
We stopped at Chevron on the way to go to the bathroom. While I was there, I was sooo excited to be able to buy cheese curds. They don’t sell them in AZ. Al was picking on me for it – until he tried them. Then, he insisted on stopping at a gas station on the way home to pick up a bag to take home. I got another bag, too.
It was cloudy out with a chance of rain and the water temperature was only 62 degrees. Brrr! I wore a bathing suit, tank top and shorts for the hike because you needed clothes that would dry quickly.
The water was cold, but nothing that we couldn’t handle – since it was only supposed to be about mid-calf high most of the way with some areas that were waist deep.
Al and Wes took off right away. The rest of us stuck pretty close together.
Within the first 10 minutes, the current knocked me on my ass. Some people had to come help me because the current was pushing me downstream. About 5 minutes later, we were walking and I could no longer touch. I could hardly breathe because the water was soooo cold!
After that, I took off my tanktop because it was soaked and cotton doesn’t dry very quickly.
The hike was not tiring at all. It is a 16-hour hike, but you need a permit to go past the 5-mile mark because that involved camping overnight and some difficult stuff.
We planned on doing the entire 10-mile roundtrip, but when we reached the rock called “Wall Street” (it looks like that corner building in NY with the big screen on it) we turned right instead of left. The water was way warmer down there, which was so nice. After awhile, we reached a dead end. So, we turned around.
It started to get cold and I told Jeff that I didn’t think that I could go much longer – especially after being in warm water and having to go back into the cold. It was getting windy and was about to rain.
We took a vote and people wanted to keep going. Jeff was willing to turn around, though. In fact, I think that he wanted to. Just as we started down the other side, we heard Wes yell Jeff’s name, so we stopped.
As soon as Al saw me, he could tell that I was freezing to death. So, Jeff, Brian, Denise, and I decided to head back. The others kept going, though.
My arms and hands were turning purple, I couldn’t feel anything below my waist, and I was shivering. Jeff had us stop so that I could eat an MRE – since they are warm. There was a duck that was stalking me for food. She came right up to my feet. It was cute.
I dreaded going back into the water after lunch. Jeff gave me his sweater because mine was soaked.
There was no way to avoid the water since we were in a canyon. There were very few spots of dry land along the way.
We hustled back, though. It finally started raining when were were about ¾ of the way back to land. We made it 6 of the 10 miles, which wasn’t bad.
I changed into warm, dry clothes at the visitors’ center. Then, we waited for Wes, Al, Pat, and Denise to finish.
We didn’t have to wait long, though. They didn’t finish either. Denise and Pat turned around about 100 feet after leaving us because her shoes started to fall apart.
Al and Wes didn’t make it the whole way because it got way more difficult after “Wall Street.”
Brian and Denise were back at the campsite before we even left. They texted us to say that Chevron had no firewood and we were out. WTF? They couldn’t go elsewhere?! So, of course, we picked some up.
The campfire felt so wonderful that night! Jeff and I went to bed early. We were wiped out.
It rained overnight, too. So relaxing!
We woke up at about 6:30, got ready, made breakfast, packed up, and headed out. The ride home seemed long, but we had fun. We stopped in Flagstaff for lunch at Arby’s.
We got home at about 4:30, unpacked everything, ordered a pizza, and watched “Lost.” It was good to be home, but I missed my dog. Jeff picked him up on Monday morning after work.
Jeff now works the overnight shift. We will see eachother more now, which is good. He goes on TDY from July 10-24. I’ll be home all by my lonesome. I’m a little nervous, but I will survive.
I start my cake decorating class tomorrow night from 6-8 PM. I’m so excited!!
Until next time….
Jeff set out all the clothes that he’d need, and I packed them since he had to leave.
I woke up around 5:30 on Friday and got ready. I woke Jeff up at about 6:45 because people were supposed to arrive at 7. Al was on time, but the others were late – and not ready.
I went to get Al, Jeff, and I breakfast and coffee while we waited.
One couple, Patrick and Denise, came wearing hiking boots and didn’t have walking sticks. Idiots. The narrows is a water trail. Therefore, common sense would tell you to bring shoes that didn’t hold water in. We’d been stressing the point that a walking stick is highly recommended – unless you wanted to spend the entire hike on your ass because the current could get pretty strong.
When Wes showed up, we went to Wal Mart to meet Brian and Denise, who were picking up some odds and ends. I don’t understand why no one had all their stuff. I forgive Al for not having walking sticks, though. He wasn’t going to get any, but since we were already at Wal Mart he figured that he may as well.
The couple with the hiking boots couldn’t find shoes at Wal Mart, so we left.
Brian and Denise stopped for gas after we left Wal Mart. Again, WHY? They knew they were driving to Utah. Why didn’t they fill up the night before?
The drive up there was long, but fun. Jeff, Al, Wes and I rode in the Jeep. Al talked the entire way there, while Wes slept. Al is a really nice guy and so smart. I enjoyed listening to him.
We stopped in Page (I believe AZ) for lunch at Burger King. We kept going, while Pat and Denise ran to Wal Mart for shoes. He found appropriate ones, but they didn’t have any in her size, so she bought water shoes that are mean for a pool. Not a good idea.
We got to Zion around 4 or 4:30, I think.
We went to the same campsite as last year. We set up our stuff and sat around the fire. It was fun.
Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that only the people that road with us brought ample amounts of food. The others brought a couple of things to snack on, but that is it.
I brought trail mix, Nature Valley granola bars, bread, cheese, diet Pepsi, and some 100 calorie packs for myself. Jeff also brought food. On night one, we were going to have potato soup and I was going to make us some grilled cheese with the sandwich thing we got for the campfire. I didn’t mind sharing the soup – since we had a gallon of it. However, the bread and cheese were supposed to last me two nights and I wanted to have some to take home.
Al also brought stuff for grilled cheese, but his cheese was gross, so I told him he could use mine. As soon as I started to make them, everyone wanted one. So, I made everyone a frickin’ sandwich before I even got to eat. Asses. I was annoyed.
The next day, I had to give away some of my snacks because people are idiots. I wouldn’t mind normally but NV granola bars and trail mix are kind of costly.
Plus, Jeff gave away some of his MRE’s (meals ready-to-eat). Everyone has access to them at the BX. Why the hell didn’t anyone else get them?
Jeff doesn’t mind sharing, but I do. That trip cost us a lot of money and to have to support everyone else (the people that didn’t ride with us), in addition, really irritated me. Maybe I’m just a bitch?
On Saturday morning, we left later than we had planned for the trail because people were diddly-farting around. Then, as we were about to leave, Denise came to tell us that her husband’s BMW got stuck in the sand. 1) Who brings a BMV camping in the middle of nowhere?! 2) Why the heck was he driving through the sand anyway? It was the opposite way of where our campsite was. The guys got him unstuck. Then, we were on our way.
We stopped at Chevron on the way to go to the bathroom. While I was there, I was sooo excited to be able to buy cheese curds. They don’t sell them in AZ. Al was picking on me for it – until he tried them. Then, he insisted on stopping at a gas station on the way home to pick up a bag to take home. I got another bag, too.
It was cloudy out with a chance of rain and the water temperature was only 62 degrees. Brrr! I wore a bathing suit, tank top and shorts for the hike because you needed clothes that would dry quickly.
The water was cold, but nothing that we couldn’t handle – since it was only supposed to be about mid-calf high most of the way with some areas that were waist deep.
Al and Wes took off right away. The rest of us stuck pretty close together.
Within the first 10 minutes, the current knocked me on my ass. Some people had to come help me because the current was pushing me downstream. About 5 minutes later, we were walking and I could no longer touch. I could hardly breathe because the water was soooo cold!
After that, I took off my tanktop because it was soaked and cotton doesn’t dry very quickly.
The hike was not tiring at all. It is a 16-hour hike, but you need a permit to go past the 5-mile mark because that involved camping overnight and some difficult stuff.
We planned on doing the entire 10-mile roundtrip, but when we reached the rock called “Wall Street” (it looks like that corner building in NY with the big screen on it) we turned right instead of left. The water was way warmer down there, which was so nice. After awhile, we reached a dead end. So, we turned around.
It started to get cold and I told Jeff that I didn’t think that I could go much longer – especially after being in warm water and having to go back into the cold. It was getting windy and was about to rain.
We took a vote and people wanted to keep going. Jeff was willing to turn around, though. In fact, I think that he wanted to. Just as we started down the other side, we heard Wes yell Jeff’s name, so we stopped.
As soon as Al saw me, he could tell that I was freezing to death. So, Jeff, Brian, Denise, and I decided to head back. The others kept going, though.
My arms and hands were turning purple, I couldn’t feel anything below my waist, and I was shivering. Jeff had us stop so that I could eat an MRE – since they are warm. There was a duck that was stalking me for food. She came right up to my feet. It was cute.
I dreaded going back into the water after lunch. Jeff gave me his sweater because mine was soaked.
There was no way to avoid the water since we were in a canyon. There were very few spots of dry land along the way.
We hustled back, though. It finally started raining when were were about ¾ of the way back to land. We made it 6 of the 10 miles, which wasn’t bad.
I changed into warm, dry clothes at the visitors’ center. Then, we waited for Wes, Al, Pat, and Denise to finish.
We didn’t have to wait long, though. They didn’t finish either. Denise and Pat turned around about 100 feet after leaving us because her shoes started to fall apart.
Al and Wes didn’t make it the whole way because it got way more difficult after “Wall Street.”
Brian and Denise were back at the campsite before we even left. They texted us to say that Chevron had no firewood and we were out. WTF? They couldn’t go elsewhere?! So, of course, we picked some up.
The campfire felt so wonderful that night! Jeff and I went to bed early. We were wiped out.
It rained overnight, too. So relaxing!
We woke up at about 6:30, got ready, made breakfast, packed up, and headed out. The ride home seemed long, but we had fun. We stopped in Flagstaff for lunch at Arby’s.
We got home at about 4:30, unpacked everything, ordered a pizza, and watched “Lost.” It was good to be home, but I missed my dog. Jeff picked him up on Monday morning after work.
Jeff now works the overnight shift. We will see eachother more now, which is good. He goes on TDY from July 10-24. I’ll be home all by my lonesome. I’m a little nervous, but I will survive.
I start my cake decorating class tomorrow night from 6-8 PM. I’m so excited!!
Until next time….
6.04.2009
Utah or Bust!
I just wanted to write a quick blog, so that I don't get too far behind before I blog again. I hate having to try to remember what I did. Plus, it is really hard to work up the ambition to write when it has been so long. :)
Last weekend, Jeff and I had a lot of fun. On Saturday, I went to the gym in the morning. Jeff slept pretty late because he works some pretty crappy hours now. So, we ate a late lunch together. Then, we went to Taco Bell for dinner on the way to Al and Kathy's house. We hung out there for a few hours. There were quite a few people there, so we all just sat outside talking.
Kathy is working on a degree in business through the University of Phoenix. She was telling me how inexpensive it is and showed me how the online classes work. She gave me a list of the degrees they offer. I won't be considered as an independent in the world of college loans until I'm 24. It is worth a shot next year, though. :)
On Sunday, I went to the gym. When I got back, Jeff and I went and ate lunch at Ono Hawaiin BBQ. Then, we went shopping for camping stuff.
Afterward, we went to Amanda and Anthony's house to celebrate Anthony's birthday and the birth of their second child, Alana. She was so adorable.
The food was to die for. I don't remember exactly where he is from, some island near Guam. Their cooking was like nothing I'd had before. We had ribs, rice, some chicken dish, and a couple other things. It was also my first time having REAL coconut. :)
When we got home, we ate some popcorn and watched "Bride Wars". I thought that it was cute.
The week flew by. Thank the Lord. When I got home from work today, Jeff and I took Toby to Al and Kathy's house. Kathy is going to watch him while we are in Utah. We ate dinner at Burger King, then went to Wal Mart for a few last minute items.
Jeff had to go to class, so he set out all of his clothes, and I packed. Wes and him are going to pack up the Jeep tonight. We are going to try to be on the road no later than 8.
Jeff said that the drive will take about 7.5 hours, but I swear it was longer than that when we went in October.
I'll blog and post some pictures when I get back. :)
Last weekend, Jeff and I had a lot of fun. On Saturday, I went to the gym in the morning. Jeff slept pretty late because he works some pretty crappy hours now. So, we ate a late lunch together. Then, we went to Taco Bell for dinner on the way to Al and Kathy's house. We hung out there for a few hours. There were quite a few people there, so we all just sat outside talking.
Kathy is working on a degree in business through the University of Phoenix. She was telling me how inexpensive it is and showed me how the online classes work. She gave me a list of the degrees they offer. I won't be considered as an independent in the world of college loans until I'm 24. It is worth a shot next year, though. :)
On Sunday, I went to the gym. When I got back, Jeff and I went and ate lunch at Ono Hawaiin BBQ. Then, we went shopping for camping stuff.
Afterward, we went to Amanda and Anthony's house to celebrate Anthony's birthday and the birth of their second child, Alana. She was so adorable.
The food was to die for. I don't remember exactly where he is from, some island near Guam. Their cooking was like nothing I'd had before. We had ribs, rice, some chicken dish, and a couple other things. It was also my first time having REAL coconut. :)
When we got home, we ate some popcorn and watched "Bride Wars". I thought that it was cute.
The week flew by. Thank the Lord. When I got home from work today, Jeff and I took Toby to Al and Kathy's house. Kathy is going to watch him while we are in Utah. We ate dinner at Burger King, then went to Wal Mart for a few last minute items.
Jeff had to go to class, so he set out all of his clothes, and I packed. Wes and him are going to pack up the Jeep tonight. We are going to try to be on the road no later than 8.
Jeff said that the drive will take about 7.5 hours, but I swear it was longer than that when we went in October.
I'll blog and post some pictures when I get back. :)
5.27.2009
Slacker...
Okay, okay, so I haven’t exactly been keeping up with my blog. It’s pathetic when April posts more frequently than I do! I just lack the ambition to type out an entry.
So much had happened, but I will keep this as short and sweet as possible.
We picked Allie and Cole up from the airport on Saturday the 9th. Her plane was delayed a couple of hours, but she still got here early enough to eat dinner with us. We took her to Arriba. She loved it!
Arthur didn’t recognize me, but by day two or three, I did finally hear him say my name. :)
We took Allie and Cole to several different restaurants. I ate way too much that week and didn’t exercise nearly enough.
Cole was obsessed with Jeff’s Jeep. He'd scream at the garage door, “TRUUUUUCK!” He cried every time someone went to the garage or Jeff left, and he wasn’t allowed to go out there. When we did let him go, though, he’d attach to the Jeep like a magnet and spent a ton of time in the driver’s seat playing. It was so cute. I wish we could’ve given him more rides in it.
I worked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday that week, so we didn’t do a whole lot. We took Cole to the park, but he didn’t like it. We also went to a few stores and went for a nice long drive around the area.
On Thursday, I drove them to Wickenburg – just to see it. We were supposed to go over to my friend Nicole’s house so that Cole could play with her three kids. However, her oldest son ended up coming home early from day care with a fever.
On Friday, I went to the DMV to switch over my title and registration. First, though, I had to get my vehicle tested for emissions. I found out that my gas cap failed the pressure test, so I had to get a new one and then retest. Thankfully, the retest was free. About $160 later, my stuff was finally switched over.
Jeff got done with work early on Friday since they didn’t have to fly. They had a picnic on base, but since Allie was in town, I didn’t go. Hopefully next time!
Jeff went out that night for a couple of hours with some guys from work. Allie and I ate ice cream and watched a couple of movies before I went to pick up Jeff. Then, we ate some super nachos and rolled tacos from Fredrico’s for a midnight snack.
On Saturday we went to the zoo. It was a ton of fun. It is pricey to get in, but it is huuuuge! I also went there last Friday for work. In both trips, I still haven’t seen everything. That is how big it is!
I got to touch all sorts of funky creatures. The highlights were touching the sting rays and petting a giraffe. Giraffes are my favorite animal, so it was like a dream come true for me. :D
On Sunday, we got everything together so that we could drop Allie and Cole off at the airport. I was so sad! We ate at Burger King on the way.
Allie cried when we dropped her off. I really had to fight the tears. It’s hard watching someone walk away knowing that it will be months before you see them again. :(
I had a really fun weekend. On Friday, I made homemade sweet and sour chicken with brown rice. A healthy version, though. It was really good.
On Saturday, Jeff had to go into work for a few hours because someone in his flight got a DUI and when that happens, everyone gets punished.
Prior to the DUI, Jeff brought up that they should buy a van so that everyone can carpool – to ensure that there are no DUI’s. Jeff’s friend from work owns a business selling cars on the side and purchased a 2006 15-seat van the next day for like $1,500 at an auction. All the guys are going to pitch in about $100 at most to pay for the van and maintenance. It can be used for any outings. I think that is cool.
We got a lot done in the yard. We had wraps for lunch. Then, we went to Lis Doon Varna for dinner with his friends. We went to see the new Terminator movie. That is the only one I’ve seen and don’t think that I need to see anymore. He liked it, though.
Afterward, we were invited to go to another bar called McDuffy’s, but we went back to LDV because they have live music. The Waters were there. They were so good. The lead singer sounded a lot like Natalie Merchant.
On Sunday, I dropped Jeff off near base so that they could go tubing. It was supposed to be an all guys trip, so I wasn’t going to go. However, on my way to the gym, Jeff called me and asked me to come along. A few of the guys brought their significant others, so Jeff wanted to have me there. There were seventeen of us packed in the 15-seat van.
We drove an hour to get to the Salt River, but the cops had the only two roads to the tubing placed blocked off because of “traffic.” So, we turned around.
Instead, Jeff and I went swimming at Eddie, Greg, and Andrew’s house with Kevin. Then, we went to another pool party. We had so much fun.
We got up early again on Monday. A few of the guys decided not to go this time, so we only had 14 people come with. It was more comfortable this way! This time we were actually able to go tubing. It was a five-hour float. It was so much fun – even though my skin is fried after two applications of sun block. My legs are super swollen from the burn. So bad, in fact, that my scars from my stitches are actually protruding. They feel like they could burst.
At one point on the river, there is a cliff that you can jump off of. It is not very high up at all. We stopped because a couple people from our group wanted to do it. However, there was a drunk guy scaling the side of the cliff above the jumping point. We have no clue how he even got up there because it is a pretty smooth cliff with few things to step on or hold onto. He was probably close to 300 feet up and was motioning for people to move out of the way, when he slipped. Rocks started falling. Then, he completely lost his balance, fell into a cactus, and landed flat on his back in the water.
People, including a guy from our group swam to help the guy. I guess that he was unconscious when they got to him. Thankfully, there were cops patrolling the area that saw this. It took a good five minutes or more to get the guy to the other side of the river. He was awake, but not coherent. An ambulance and I think even a med flight showed up for him. That is exactly why people shouldn’t drink on the river. Idiots.
We leave for Utah on the fifth to go hike the narrows in Zion National Park. Most of the hike will be through waist deep or lower water. I’m so pumped! We are going to camp there Friday and Saturday night and drive home Sunday morning. I really can’t wait!
Anyway, I think that about covers it for me. I’ll write soon. :D
So much had happened, but I will keep this as short and sweet as possible.
We picked Allie and Cole up from the airport on Saturday the 9th. Her plane was delayed a couple of hours, but she still got here early enough to eat dinner with us. We took her to Arriba. She loved it!
Arthur didn’t recognize me, but by day two or three, I did finally hear him say my name. :)
We took Allie and Cole to several different restaurants. I ate way too much that week and didn’t exercise nearly enough.
Cole was obsessed with Jeff’s Jeep. He'd scream at the garage door, “TRUUUUUCK!” He cried every time someone went to the garage or Jeff left, and he wasn’t allowed to go out there. When we did let him go, though, he’d attach to the Jeep like a magnet and spent a ton of time in the driver’s seat playing. It was so cute. I wish we could’ve given him more rides in it.
I worked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday that week, so we didn’t do a whole lot. We took Cole to the park, but he didn’t like it. We also went to a few stores and went for a nice long drive around the area.
On Thursday, I drove them to Wickenburg – just to see it. We were supposed to go over to my friend Nicole’s house so that Cole could play with her three kids. However, her oldest son ended up coming home early from day care with a fever.
On Friday, I went to the DMV to switch over my title and registration. First, though, I had to get my vehicle tested for emissions. I found out that my gas cap failed the pressure test, so I had to get a new one and then retest. Thankfully, the retest was free. About $160 later, my stuff was finally switched over.
Jeff got done with work early on Friday since they didn’t have to fly. They had a picnic on base, but since Allie was in town, I didn’t go. Hopefully next time!
Jeff went out that night for a couple of hours with some guys from work. Allie and I ate ice cream and watched a couple of movies before I went to pick up Jeff. Then, we ate some super nachos and rolled tacos from Fredrico’s for a midnight snack.
On Saturday we went to the zoo. It was a ton of fun. It is pricey to get in, but it is huuuuge! I also went there last Friday for work. In both trips, I still haven’t seen everything. That is how big it is!
I got to touch all sorts of funky creatures. The highlights were touching the sting rays and petting a giraffe. Giraffes are my favorite animal, so it was like a dream come true for me. :D
On Sunday, we got everything together so that we could drop Allie and Cole off at the airport. I was so sad! We ate at Burger King on the way.
Allie cried when we dropped her off. I really had to fight the tears. It’s hard watching someone walk away knowing that it will be months before you see them again. :(
I had a really fun weekend. On Friday, I made homemade sweet and sour chicken with brown rice. A healthy version, though. It was really good.
On Saturday, Jeff had to go into work for a few hours because someone in his flight got a DUI and when that happens, everyone gets punished.
Prior to the DUI, Jeff brought up that they should buy a van so that everyone can carpool – to ensure that there are no DUI’s. Jeff’s friend from work owns a business selling cars on the side and purchased a 2006 15-seat van the next day for like $1,500 at an auction. All the guys are going to pitch in about $100 at most to pay for the van and maintenance. It can be used for any outings. I think that is cool.
We got a lot done in the yard. We had wraps for lunch. Then, we went to Lis Doon Varna for dinner with his friends. We went to see the new Terminator movie. That is the only one I’ve seen and don’t think that I need to see anymore. He liked it, though.
Afterward, we were invited to go to another bar called McDuffy’s, but we went back to LDV because they have live music. The Waters were there. They were so good. The lead singer sounded a lot like Natalie Merchant.
On Sunday, I dropped Jeff off near base so that they could go tubing. It was supposed to be an all guys trip, so I wasn’t going to go. However, on my way to the gym, Jeff called me and asked me to come along. A few of the guys brought their significant others, so Jeff wanted to have me there. There were seventeen of us packed in the 15-seat van.
We drove an hour to get to the Salt River, but the cops had the only two roads to the tubing placed blocked off because of “traffic.” So, we turned around.
Instead, Jeff and I went swimming at Eddie, Greg, and Andrew’s house with Kevin. Then, we went to another pool party. We had so much fun.
We got up early again on Monday. A few of the guys decided not to go this time, so we only had 14 people come with. It was more comfortable this way! This time we were actually able to go tubing. It was a five-hour float. It was so much fun – even though my skin is fried after two applications of sun block. My legs are super swollen from the burn. So bad, in fact, that my scars from my stitches are actually protruding. They feel like they could burst.
At one point on the river, there is a cliff that you can jump off of. It is not very high up at all. We stopped because a couple people from our group wanted to do it. However, there was a drunk guy scaling the side of the cliff above the jumping point. We have no clue how he even got up there because it is a pretty smooth cliff with few things to step on or hold onto. He was probably close to 300 feet up and was motioning for people to move out of the way, when he slipped. Rocks started falling. Then, he completely lost his balance, fell into a cactus, and landed flat on his back in the water.
People, including a guy from our group swam to help the guy. I guess that he was unconscious when they got to him. Thankfully, there were cops patrolling the area that saw this. It took a good five minutes or more to get the guy to the other side of the river. He was awake, but not coherent. An ambulance and I think even a med flight showed up for him. That is exactly why people shouldn’t drink on the river. Idiots.
We leave for Utah on the fifth to go hike the narrows in Zion National Park. Most of the hike will be through waist deep or lower water. I’m so pumped! We are going to camp there Friday and Saturday night and drive home Sunday morning. I really can’t wait!
Anyway, I think that about covers it for me. I’ll write soon. :D
5.03.2009
Happy As A PIG In A Puddle...
Once again, it has been too long since my last blog. I really need to stop taking these hiatuses – so that I don’t have to write such long blogs when I do get the ambition. I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. I said TRY.
Last Friday, my friend Denise invited me to go out to dinner with her, Brian, her two kids, and her roommate. I was happy that she had invited me because I was pretty bored. Plus, it was just about my supper time anyway, and all I had planned was Ramen Noodles. Blech!
After about 6,000 text messages back-and-forth, we decided on a place to eat. They suggested The Elephant Bar. I didn’t really want to drive that far – it is about a 20-minute drive from my house – but figured that I could use a night out. So, I gladly agreed.
Brian lives just over one block, so we carpooled.
I’d never been there before, but had seen it when I was at Cheesecake Factory and Las Doon Varna (or whatever the Irish Pub is called that Jeff loves). It is actually a really nice place. It’s obviously covered in safari and animal print stuff, but it is beautiful inside!
I ended up getting a grilled barbeque chicken sandwich and a salad. It was pretty tasty. I’ll have to take Jeff there sometime. I had a lot of fun. I’d never met Denise’s roommate before, but she was really nice.
I went straight home after dinner. Thankfully, Jeff got done earlier than I was expecting. So, we got to spend some time together. We went to bed early because we had to be up and ready to leave by 8:00. We were going to pick up Brian and Denise and drive to Saguaro Lake (a little over an hour away) to fish.
Of course, we left a little later than expected. As always. We were running a bit behind because someone decided to sleep a little bit longer. It was no big deal, though, because Denise texted us around 8 to say that she was at Wal-Mart.
So, Jeff and I took advantage of the extra time and went to McDonald’s for breakfast. Jeff got a regular iced coffee. I’d been wanting to try one, but was too chicken to order an entire one (in case it was gross), so I tried a sip of his. I thought that it was pretty good.
We ended up fishing on some river off of Saguaro Lake. That spot sucked, though. We brought brats and grilled them. Yum! Then, after lunch we moved to a different location. That spot was a lot better and very relaxing. Still, we caught nothing. We didn’t leave until around 7, I believe. The sunset was beautiful with all the scenery there.
We were all starving by the time we got home, so we showered quickly and met up at Brian’s house. From there, we went to Rio Mirage for some Mexican food. It was so good! Denise ordered a gigantic drink called a green iguana. Needless to say, she was PRETTY tipsy by the time we left.
I’m pretty sure that we collapsed as soon as we walked in the door. We were worn out.
On Sunday, I went to the gym while Jeff had his nerd time. We cleaned the house and got all the yard work and laundry done. While I was cleaning, I started getting really bad cramps and felt nauseous. I ended up having diarrhea, but haven’t gone since. I'm seriously contemplating colon hyrdotherapy because this whole going once every one or two weeks has got to stop! I took laxatives three days in a row and nada! What the heck?
We didn’t feel like cooking, so we just steamed some rice and heated up some leftover chicken breasts that he had grilled and froze a few weeks ago. It was pretty good – even the second time around.
On Monday, I was still feeling like crap. In addition to feeling really sick, I had a terrible headache. We had a low-census at work anyway, so they let me go home at like 11:30. I came home, changed, and stayed in bed for the rest of the night with the laptop. That was it.
On Tuesday, I felt a ton better, but still had a headache. In fact, I STILL have the same damn headache. I’ve taken ibuprofen everyday, but nothing helps. This happens to me from time-to-time. In high school, my doctor prescribed me migraine medication for it, but I never took them because they knocked me out, which was a bigger problem for me than the headache was.
The rest of the week went okay. My job is torture, though. It is getting really stressful for me and the fact that I can’t stand my co-workers doesn’t help.
On Thursday, I was in the kitchen and when it came time for me to serve the meals, Bernice came and stood next to me. EVERY damn utensil that I’d put in the pans to serve food with, she took out and told me not to use them and the bitch replaced them with different utensils. I was annoyed because she just doubled the amount of serving utensils I’d have to wash. Plus, I AM THE ONE SERVING. I should be able to use whatever utensils suit my fancy. Bitch.
She pretty much pushed me out of the way and took over. I wanted to strangle her. Then, at dessert time, she switched my utensils again. I kind of wanted to stick them up her ---, but resisted the urge.
There is more going on, but I really can’t discuss it. Just know that it sucks, and I’m losing patience.
Jeff got home super early on Friday – around 5. So, we got ready and went to a pizza place that I saw on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” called La Piazza al Forno. OMG! It was delicious. For an appetizer, we got crab-stuffed shrimp that was on top of garlic bread. Then, we got one of their specialty pizzas called Piazza Blanco. It was garlic butter sauce, feta cheese, and basil on top of a thin crust. They make the crust from scratch and bake the pizza in a brick oven. We are definitely going back! Next time, we are trying the Mediterranean Pizza. I’m so excited.
On Saturday, I went to the gym while Jeff went fishing at a nearby pond. We went to McDonald’s for lunch, and then went to see the new X-men movie. I thought it was good – minus Ryan Reynolds, who has no business trying to pull-off that kind of roll.
Saturday night, we were invited to Beau’s house. Nicole was in North Carolina for a wedding, so Beau’s mom flew to AZ to help him with the kids. She made us dinner. We had fruit salad, asparagus, and shepherd’s pie. Also, we enjoyed some chips and homemade guacamole while sitting on the patio.
I had a good time. Beau’s buddy Nick was there. He is from Wausau. He was a nice guy. He sounded a lot like Dain Cook.
We stayed there until after 11 last night.
Today, Jeff and I had breakfast together. Then, I went to the gym, while he “flew” with his dad.
I was annoyed by the fact that my status on Facebook said that I’d eaten pancakes and was going to the gym and some girl commented saying that, “Ouch! That had to hurt.” When I told her it didn’t, she was like, “Really? Cause it’s bad for your body to workout on a full stomach.” It was three pancakes, not an entire Thanksgiving feast. Dumb fuck. Anyway, I 100% disagree with these morons that say you shouldn’t eat before a workout. Do you know how dizzy I’d get if I didn’t? Sorry, just had to vent.
Moving along. We completely skipped lunch today because we were busy. So, by about 3 we were starving! We went to Wal-Mart and got stuff to make kabobs. We marinated chicken in Teriyaki sauce, cut up bell peppers, red onions, and put whole grape tomatoes and mushrooms on the skewers. Along with those, Jeff grilled some corn on the cob while I made us each a nice, big salad. It was a delicious meal!
We watched “The Count of Monte Cristo” tonight. I must say that it was an awesome movie! Long, but really good. I was surprised. I thought that it would bore me.
We found some yummy ice cream sandwiches at Wal-Mart. I think they are by Blue Bunny. They are called Sedona. They are chocolate frozen yogurt inside granola cookies. They are like 190 calories. I hope you guys have them there because they are super delicious!
Anyway, life is great in my neck of the woods. What more can I say? Well, besides the fact that I am super excited for Allie and Cole to get here next weekend! :)
PS- tired of hearing about the Swine Flu. Ready for it to go away.
Last Friday, my friend Denise invited me to go out to dinner with her, Brian, her two kids, and her roommate. I was happy that she had invited me because I was pretty bored. Plus, it was just about my supper time anyway, and all I had planned was Ramen Noodles. Blech!
After about 6,000 text messages back-and-forth, we decided on a place to eat. They suggested The Elephant Bar. I didn’t really want to drive that far – it is about a 20-minute drive from my house – but figured that I could use a night out. So, I gladly agreed.
Brian lives just over one block, so we carpooled.
I’d never been there before, but had seen it when I was at Cheesecake Factory and Las Doon Varna (or whatever the Irish Pub is called that Jeff loves). It is actually a really nice place. It’s obviously covered in safari and animal print stuff, but it is beautiful inside!
I ended up getting a grilled barbeque chicken sandwich and a salad. It was pretty tasty. I’ll have to take Jeff there sometime. I had a lot of fun. I’d never met Denise’s roommate before, but she was really nice.
I went straight home after dinner. Thankfully, Jeff got done earlier than I was expecting. So, we got to spend some time together. We went to bed early because we had to be up and ready to leave by 8:00. We were going to pick up Brian and Denise and drive to Saguaro Lake (a little over an hour away) to fish.
Of course, we left a little later than expected. As always. We were running a bit behind because someone decided to sleep a little bit longer. It was no big deal, though, because Denise texted us around 8 to say that she was at Wal-Mart.
So, Jeff and I took advantage of the extra time and went to McDonald’s for breakfast. Jeff got a regular iced coffee. I’d been wanting to try one, but was too chicken to order an entire one (in case it was gross), so I tried a sip of his. I thought that it was pretty good.
We ended up fishing on some river off of Saguaro Lake. That spot sucked, though. We brought brats and grilled them. Yum! Then, after lunch we moved to a different location. That spot was a lot better and very relaxing. Still, we caught nothing. We didn’t leave until around 7, I believe. The sunset was beautiful with all the scenery there.
We were all starving by the time we got home, so we showered quickly and met up at Brian’s house. From there, we went to Rio Mirage for some Mexican food. It was so good! Denise ordered a gigantic drink called a green iguana. Needless to say, she was PRETTY tipsy by the time we left.
I’m pretty sure that we collapsed as soon as we walked in the door. We were worn out.
On Sunday, I went to the gym while Jeff had his nerd time. We cleaned the house and got all the yard work and laundry done. While I was cleaning, I started getting really bad cramps and felt nauseous. I ended up having diarrhea, but haven’t gone since. I'm seriously contemplating colon hyrdotherapy because this whole going once every one or two weeks has got to stop! I took laxatives three days in a row and nada! What the heck?
We didn’t feel like cooking, so we just steamed some rice and heated up some leftover chicken breasts that he had grilled and froze a few weeks ago. It was pretty good – even the second time around.
On Monday, I was still feeling like crap. In addition to feeling really sick, I had a terrible headache. We had a low-census at work anyway, so they let me go home at like 11:30. I came home, changed, and stayed in bed for the rest of the night with the laptop. That was it.
On Tuesday, I felt a ton better, but still had a headache. In fact, I STILL have the same damn headache. I’ve taken ibuprofen everyday, but nothing helps. This happens to me from time-to-time. In high school, my doctor prescribed me migraine medication for it, but I never took them because they knocked me out, which was a bigger problem for me than the headache was.
The rest of the week went okay. My job is torture, though. It is getting really stressful for me and the fact that I can’t stand my co-workers doesn’t help.
On Thursday, I was in the kitchen and when it came time for me to serve the meals, Bernice came and stood next to me. EVERY damn utensil that I’d put in the pans to serve food with, she took out and told me not to use them and the bitch replaced them with different utensils. I was annoyed because she just doubled the amount of serving utensils I’d have to wash. Plus, I AM THE ONE SERVING. I should be able to use whatever utensils suit my fancy. Bitch.
She pretty much pushed me out of the way and took over. I wanted to strangle her. Then, at dessert time, she switched my utensils again. I kind of wanted to stick them up her ---, but resisted the urge.
There is more going on, but I really can’t discuss it. Just know that it sucks, and I’m losing patience.
Jeff got home super early on Friday – around 5. So, we got ready and went to a pizza place that I saw on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” called La Piazza al Forno. OMG! It was delicious. For an appetizer, we got crab-stuffed shrimp that was on top of garlic bread. Then, we got one of their specialty pizzas called Piazza Blanco. It was garlic butter sauce, feta cheese, and basil on top of a thin crust. They make the crust from scratch and bake the pizza in a brick oven. We are definitely going back! Next time, we are trying the Mediterranean Pizza. I’m so excited.
On Saturday, I went to the gym while Jeff went fishing at a nearby pond. We went to McDonald’s for lunch, and then went to see the new X-men movie. I thought it was good – minus Ryan Reynolds, who has no business trying to pull-off that kind of roll.
Saturday night, we were invited to Beau’s house. Nicole was in North Carolina for a wedding, so Beau’s mom flew to AZ to help him with the kids. She made us dinner. We had fruit salad, asparagus, and shepherd’s pie. Also, we enjoyed some chips and homemade guacamole while sitting on the patio.
I had a good time. Beau’s buddy Nick was there. He is from Wausau. He was a nice guy. He sounded a lot like Dain Cook.
We stayed there until after 11 last night.
Today, Jeff and I had breakfast together. Then, I went to the gym, while he “flew” with his dad.
I was annoyed by the fact that my status on Facebook said that I’d eaten pancakes and was going to the gym and some girl commented saying that, “Ouch! That had to hurt.” When I told her it didn’t, she was like, “Really? Cause it’s bad for your body to workout on a full stomach.” It was three pancakes, not an entire Thanksgiving feast. Dumb fuck. Anyway, I 100% disagree with these morons that say you shouldn’t eat before a workout. Do you know how dizzy I’d get if I didn’t? Sorry, just had to vent.
Moving along. We completely skipped lunch today because we were busy. So, by about 3 we were starving! We went to Wal-Mart and got stuff to make kabobs. We marinated chicken in Teriyaki sauce, cut up bell peppers, red onions, and put whole grape tomatoes and mushrooms on the skewers. Along with those, Jeff grilled some corn on the cob while I made us each a nice, big salad. It was a delicious meal!
We watched “The Count of Monte Cristo” tonight. I must say that it was an awesome movie! Long, but really good. I was surprised. I thought that it would bore me.
We found some yummy ice cream sandwiches at Wal-Mart. I think they are by Blue Bunny. They are called Sedona. They are chocolate frozen yogurt inside granola cookies. They are like 190 calories. I hope you guys have them there because they are super delicious!
Anyway, life is great in my neck of the woods. What more can I say? Well, besides the fact that I am super excited for Allie and Cole to get here next weekend! :)
PS- tired of hearing about the Swine Flu. Ready for it to go away.
4.18.2009
I'm A Happy Girl.
I had the best day ever today. Jeff and I woke up at 8:00. We declared it a “Zero Calorie Day” – since we haven’t had one in weeks and I’ve been doing so well with my exercise and eating recently. Basically, when we have one of these days, no matter what or how much we consume, we are taking in zero calories and will not gain weight. We love these days.
We got ready and went to Coco’s Restaurant and Bakery. It is like a Perkin’s. I got my usual – a short stack of pancakes. Yum!
We went to Pratt’s Pet Store and “awwww-ed” at all the cute baby chicks, baby ducks, bunnies, hamsters, bearded dragons, turtles, and iguanas. Of course, I also “ewwwww-ed” at all the snakes, tarantulas, and other creepy things that I can’t understand why anyone would want to BUY much less OWN.
We went home for a few minutes before venturing off to Castles and Coasters. It is basically a small, ghetto Mount Olympus. We only went to play miniature golf, but couldn’t resist acting like big kids in the arcade. We had a really good time.
There is a large mall across the street from Castles and Coasters, so we went and walked around it for a good hour or so.
For supper, we went to our very favorite Mexican restaurant – Arriba Mexican Grill. Oh. My. God! It was HEAVEN! I can’t even describe how tasty this place really is. You will have to try it for yourselves.
We are just going to lounge around for the rest of the night and eat some ice cream while watching TV.
Tomorrow we are going to the gym together to work off the zero calories that we took in today.
Miss Allison Donna Marie Josephine Hendrix will be here three weeks from today. I’m so flippin’ excited! :]
Until next time, folks…
Love,
Ash
We got ready and went to Coco’s Restaurant and Bakery. It is like a Perkin’s. I got my usual – a short stack of pancakes. Yum!
We went to Pratt’s Pet Store and “awwww-ed” at all the cute baby chicks, baby ducks, bunnies, hamsters, bearded dragons, turtles, and iguanas. Of course, I also “ewwwww-ed” at all the snakes, tarantulas, and other creepy things that I can’t understand why anyone would want to BUY much less OWN.
We went home for a few minutes before venturing off to Castles and Coasters. It is basically a small, ghetto Mount Olympus. We only went to play miniature golf, but couldn’t resist acting like big kids in the arcade. We had a really good time.
There is a large mall across the street from Castles and Coasters, so we went and walked around it for a good hour or so.
For supper, we went to our very favorite Mexican restaurant – Arriba Mexican Grill. Oh. My. God! It was HEAVEN! I can’t even describe how tasty this place really is. You will have to try it for yourselves.
We are just going to lounge around for the rest of the night and eat some ice cream while watching TV.
Tomorrow we are going to the gym together to work off the zero calories that we took in today.
Miss Allison Donna Marie Josephine Hendrix will be here three weeks from today. I’m so flippin’ excited! :]
Until next time, folks…
Love,
Ash
4.17.2009
Not Much To Report Here...
but I will give you a quick update anyway. :)
Last weekend, Jeff took me shopping for summer clothes at the mall. I got some good deals because of all the Easter sales. I only got a few outfits, but will slowly build up my wardrobe. I, Ashley Marie, bought and fit into a size 10! No muffin top for this chicky. I was so excited! :)
We shared a pretzel at Pretzel Time and went and looked at all the cute puppies at the pet store. I was in love with all of them.
We went out to Buffalo Wild Wings for Rod's going away party. We had fun, but I started to get tired around 9. After all, that is way past my bedtime lately! The party moved from BWW to Brookside, a nice little club a few miles down the road. I didn't really want to go, but went anyway. I'm glad that I did!
I was walking to the bathroom and some guy started waving at me. I had no idea who he was, so I looked at the people sitting next to him. It was Eva from work and her husband. I was so happy to see them. They ended up hanging out with us and after the club closed, we went to their house and were there until about 4:30 or 5 in the morning.
On Sunday, I made shredded beef tacos. They were tasty. :) Then, we watched "Band of Brothers."
This morning, after I worked out at the gym, I stripped down and wrapped myself in a towel. I locked all my clothes in my locker, but my padlock was acting funny. It kept sticking. I turned it a few times until it was working normally. Something told me to try to open the lock - just in case. Sure enough, it didn't work!
I tried to unlock it for a good five minutes or more before I broke down and asked a lady to find a staff member to break the lock. The scrawny front desk girl came with the massive lock cutter. She was having a helluva time trying to break it (thanks, Brinks, for making such heavy-duty locks!). She gave it her all for close to 10 minutes before she decided to bring in the big guns - one of the male personal trainers. How embarrassing! You can bet that my towel-clad self hid when she told me she had to bring a guy in.
It took her about five minutes to locate someone, but once she did, it literally took 1.2 seconds for him to break the lock. Thank God!
Humiliated, I proceeded to shower and get the heck out of there. I guess it happens a lot, though, from what the front desk lady was saying. Plus, two women in the locker room had it happen to them, too. Whew!
Work was fun today. We took the participants horseback riding, and I got to ride, too. :) Jeff was going to come with, but had to go into work early today. We are going to go another day, though.
Jeff applied for an opening in Florida. He has a good shot at it, so I will keep my fingers crossed for him. It's a better job that he has now.
He had weekend duty, but we are hoping that he doesn't have to go in because we had a date planned out. We will still do it regardless, but it'd be more fun to have the entire day instead of just a few hours. Oh well.
That's all that I have to say for now.
Last weekend, Jeff took me shopping for summer clothes at the mall. I got some good deals because of all the Easter sales. I only got a few outfits, but will slowly build up my wardrobe. I, Ashley Marie, bought and fit into a size 10! No muffin top for this chicky. I was so excited! :)
We shared a pretzel at Pretzel Time and went and looked at all the cute puppies at the pet store. I was in love with all of them.
We went out to Buffalo Wild Wings for Rod's going away party. We had fun, but I started to get tired around 9. After all, that is way past my bedtime lately! The party moved from BWW to Brookside, a nice little club a few miles down the road. I didn't really want to go, but went anyway. I'm glad that I did!
I was walking to the bathroom and some guy started waving at me. I had no idea who he was, so I looked at the people sitting next to him. It was Eva from work and her husband. I was so happy to see them. They ended up hanging out with us and after the club closed, we went to their house and were there until about 4:30 or 5 in the morning.
On Sunday, I made shredded beef tacos. They were tasty. :) Then, we watched "Band of Brothers."
This morning, after I worked out at the gym, I stripped down and wrapped myself in a towel. I locked all my clothes in my locker, but my padlock was acting funny. It kept sticking. I turned it a few times until it was working normally. Something told me to try to open the lock - just in case. Sure enough, it didn't work!
I tried to unlock it for a good five minutes or more before I broke down and asked a lady to find a staff member to break the lock. The scrawny front desk girl came with the massive lock cutter. She was having a helluva time trying to break it (thanks, Brinks, for making such heavy-duty locks!). She gave it her all for close to 10 minutes before she decided to bring in the big guns - one of the male personal trainers. How embarrassing! You can bet that my towel-clad self hid when she told me she had to bring a guy in.
It took her about five minutes to locate someone, but once she did, it literally took 1.2 seconds for him to break the lock. Thank God!
Humiliated, I proceeded to shower and get the heck out of there. I guess it happens a lot, though, from what the front desk lady was saying. Plus, two women in the locker room had it happen to them, too. Whew!
Work was fun today. We took the participants horseback riding, and I got to ride, too. :) Jeff was going to come with, but had to go into work early today. We are going to go another day, though.
Jeff applied for an opening in Florida. He has a good shot at it, so I will keep my fingers crossed for him. It's a better job that he has now.
He had weekend duty, but we are hoping that he doesn't have to go in because we had a date planned out. We will still do it regardless, but it'd be more fun to have the entire day instead of just a few hours. Oh well.
That's all that I have to say for now.
4.09.2009
After Much Anticipation, I'm Back!
It’s been awhile, which seems to be my opening line in the last few blogs I’ve written. I will try to be more diligent, but I’m not making any promises. I don’t have a lot to say and my time is consumed by other things lately. I have developed a routine, and my blog has kind of fallen by the wayside. It’s not that I don’t want to blog – because I do. After all, I love to read my old blogs and relive memories – I am just too lazy and find other things that I’d rather be doing.
Anyway, work has been okay. At last week’s meeting, I felt targeted by one of my coworkers. No matter what I do, it is wrong. She is always on my case. She said that people are sitting around in the kitchen instead of coming to the floor to help out and relieve people. She specifically mentioned the day before (when I was in the kitchen) and had all these bullshit numbers to back up her case. She said that at 10:00 there were 26 participants and two staff members and at 10:25 there were 29 participants and two staff members. Bullshit! I was on the floor with the other two ladies and two volunteers! I was particularly offended because I have NEVER sat down while in the kitchen – with the exception of when I was rolling silverware. I am always busy. My supervisor said that if it didn’t improve, she’d shift assignments – that maybe some people weren’t fit for the kitchen. That REALLY pissed me off. I am NOT going to work the floor five days a week without a break from the floor.
Anyway, I needed to talk to someone after my meeting. I feel more comfortable talking to the activity lead- I love her to death. So, I asked her if she had a minute. She pulled me into the staff room, and I no more than got two words out and I started crying. I told her that one of my coworkers is always yelling at me. I told her that she will tell me to do something one way and the next day yells at me because it’s wrong. I said that I’m trying my best and don’t know what else to do. I told her that I’ve kept my mouth shut since I started – thinking that it’d eventually stop when I got the hang of things- but it hasn’t eased up at all and I’m to the point that I DREAD going to work everyday. This isn’t the usual, “Ugh. I don’t want to go to work today.” I actually feel like crying on my way to work because I hate it so much and always feel like I’m going to get fired because I do everything wrong.
The activity lead immediately called my supervisor into the room and I had to tell her everything. She was pretty livid. She’s a really nice lady, but she doesn’t stand for anyone trying to control other people. She said that she is the only supervisor and the only person that has the right to say anything to anyone. She gave me a hug and told me that I’m a great worker. She said that she knew that this lady had a controlling side and was a little leery about that when she hired me because I am quiet and easy prey for people like her. So, my supervisor had a long talk with the woman.
Our activity lead told me that I’m the best worker they have and that the co-worker would always come and complain about me, but she would ignore her and go tell our supervisor all the positive things about me. I always thought that this coworker was their “star pupil”, but apparently I was wrong. My lead said that she is lazy and never works and that she is always trying to get people into trouble. That made me feel so much better!
I’ve been more confident at work and am no longer afraid of my coworker. She has pretty much ignored me since I ratted her out. It’s better that way. :)
Jeff started working swing shift a couple of weeks ago, so we don’t really see each other. He’s gone when I get home and I’m asleep when he returns. I miss him, but we will make up for it on the weekends. On the plus side, it’s so much easier to stay within my calories when he is not around. I’m not tempted to go out to eat or snack late at night.
Last weekend, we went to Culver’s with Brian, Denise, Jenny, and John. We were going to go bowling, but we ended up just going back to Brian’s house. Jeff went to the pub with some friends. I was supposed to go, but decided to stay behind. The rest of us went to Jenny and John’s house. They drank. I stuck to soda. We played “Catch Phrase” for a bit, but about thirty minutes after we got there, Jeff called me for a ride. All of his friends left him to go to another pub, so he was stranded. He came back to Jenny’s with me. We were there pretty late, but we had a good time.
On Sunday, I cleaned out my car and washed it. Jeff put some chicken on the grill and I made some long grain rice. It was sooo delicious!
We planted some flowers, tomatoes, and strawberries. They are all doing great, except the tomatoes. Toby dug them up. Brat.
Oh, and a couple weekends ago, we went to Jeff’s friend’s wedding reception. Since it was a quick wedding, they didn’t have a huge reception – we all just went to Olive Garden. It was fun. Afterward, we went to their house and hung out. We made ‘smores and talked all night. I was actually very talkative and got to know Jenny and John. I’m glad I did. They are so nice.
Today I was in CPR and First Aid class all day. I passed though and am certified. Yay! Things have really changed since I last took it in 2004. I’m glad, though, because the new way is less confusing and easier to remember.
I am still looking for the perfect short hairstyle. So, please offer some advice. I grew it out for almost three months – intending to switch to a long bob. However, my hair was so nappy at the ends that I couldn’t stand it anymore. I really wanted to chop it off, but ended up just going back to my same old bob because I didn’t know what else to do. Summer is coming and I’m sick of pressing my hair. Help!!
This weekend we might go on a picnic with friends for Easter. We are undecided, though. Otherwise, who knows what we will do?
I hope that everyone has fun at Maddy’s baptism. Take lots of pictures and send them my way!
Anyway, work has been okay. At last week’s meeting, I felt targeted by one of my coworkers. No matter what I do, it is wrong. She is always on my case. She said that people are sitting around in the kitchen instead of coming to the floor to help out and relieve people. She specifically mentioned the day before (when I was in the kitchen) and had all these bullshit numbers to back up her case. She said that at 10:00 there were 26 participants and two staff members and at 10:25 there were 29 participants and two staff members. Bullshit! I was on the floor with the other two ladies and two volunteers! I was particularly offended because I have NEVER sat down while in the kitchen – with the exception of when I was rolling silverware. I am always busy. My supervisor said that if it didn’t improve, she’d shift assignments – that maybe some people weren’t fit for the kitchen. That REALLY pissed me off. I am NOT going to work the floor five days a week without a break from the floor.
Anyway, I needed to talk to someone after my meeting. I feel more comfortable talking to the activity lead- I love her to death. So, I asked her if she had a minute. She pulled me into the staff room, and I no more than got two words out and I started crying. I told her that one of my coworkers is always yelling at me. I told her that she will tell me to do something one way and the next day yells at me because it’s wrong. I said that I’m trying my best and don’t know what else to do. I told her that I’ve kept my mouth shut since I started – thinking that it’d eventually stop when I got the hang of things- but it hasn’t eased up at all and I’m to the point that I DREAD going to work everyday. This isn’t the usual, “Ugh. I don’t want to go to work today.” I actually feel like crying on my way to work because I hate it so much and always feel like I’m going to get fired because I do everything wrong.
The activity lead immediately called my supervisor into the room and I had to tell her everything. She was pretty livid. She’s a really nice lady, but she doesn’t stand for anyone trying to control other people. She said that she is the only supervisor and the only person that has the right to say anything to anyone. She gave me a hug and told me that I’m a great worker. She said that she knew that this lady had a controlling side and was a little leery about that when she hired me because I am quiet and easy prey for people like her. So, my supervisor had a long talk with the woman.
Our activity lead told me that I’m the best worker they have and that the co-worker would always come and complain about me, but she would ignore her and go tell our supervisor all the positive things about me. I always thought that this coworker was their “star pupil”, but apparently I was wrong. My lead said that she is lazy and never works and that she is always trying to get people into trouble. That made me feel so much better!
I’ve been more confident at work and am no longer afraid of my coworker. She has pretty much ignored me since I ratted her out. It’s better that way. :)
Jeff started working swing shift a couple of weeks ago, so we don’t really see each other. He’s gone when I get home and I’m asleep when he returns. I miss him, but we will make up for it on the weekends. On the plus side, it’s so much easier to stay within my calories when he is not around. I’m not tempted to go out to eat or snack late at night.
Last weekend, we went to Culver’s with Brian, Denise, Jenny, and John. We were going to go bowling, but we ended up just going back to Brian’s house. Jeff went to the pub with some friends. I was supposed to go, but decided to stay behind. The rest of us went to Jenny and John’s house. They drank. I stuck to soda. We played “Catch Phrase” for a bit, but about thirty minutes after we got there, Jeff called me for a ride. All of his friends left him to go to another pub, so he was stranded. He came back to Jenny’s with me. We were there pretty late, but we had a good time.
On Sunday, I cleaned out my car and washed it. Jeff put some chicken on the grill and I made some long grain rice. It was sooo delicious!
We planted some flowers, tomatoes, and strawberries. They are all doing great, except the tomatoes. Toby dug them up. Brat.
Oh, and a couple weekends ago, we went to Jeff’s friend’s wedding reception. Since it was a quick wedding, they didn’t have a huge reception – we all just went to Olive Garden. It was fun. Afterward, we went to their house and hung out. We made ‘smores and talked all night. I was actually very talkative and got to know Jenny and John. I’m glad I did. They are so nice.
Today I was in CPR and First Aid class all day. I passed though and am certified. Yay! Things have really changed since I last took it in 2004. I’m glad, though, because the new way is less confusing and easier to remember.
I am still looking for the perfect short hairstyle. So, please offer some advice. I grew it out for almost three months – intending to switch to a long bob. However, my hair was so nappy at the ends that I couldn’t stand it anymore. I really wanted to chop it off, but ended up just going back to my same old bob because I didn’t know what else to do. Summer is coming and I’m sick of pressing my hair. Help!!
This weekend we might go on a picnic with friends for Easter. We are undecided, though. Otherwise, who knows what we will do?
I hope that everyone has fun at Maddy’s baptism. Take lots of pictures and send them my way!
3.23.2009
In Short...
This will just be a quick blog, as I am super busy watching "30 Minute Meals." :)
Last week went by pretty quickly, which was nice for a change. Hopefully this week flies, as well.
Last Tuesday when I walked into work, Diane handed me a menu and told me they were ordering out for lunch and wanted to know if I wanted anything. I completely recognized the menu, looked at it as if it were something that I saw everyday, and said, "No thanks. I brought my own." Then, it hit me. "Holy crap! That was a Culver's menu!!" Yay! The one down the road finally opened. You can't even begin to understand the excitement that I was feeling.
Jeff took me there on Wednesday night. It was packed, but so worth it. It tasted just like I remember it, except the cheese curds weren't as crispy. Hopefully that was just a one-time thing. I got my usual - chicken tenders kids meal. Then, I followed it with my free scoop of vanilla custard. So good! Jeff got a bacon deluxe cheeseburger with cheese curds, and a Butterfinger concrete mixer for dessert.
Jeff found out on Tuesday that his brother was in San Diego with his wife, son, and in-laws. Plus, he's been trying to get to California to see his cousin before he deploys to Iraq.
Jeff wanted me to get off of work on Thursday and Friday to go there with him, but I didn't even want to ask because I knew what the answer would be. He was bummed, so he looked at one-way flights to San Diego for Friday night and wanted me to ride back with him Saturday. The flights were cheap, but not worth it for 12-hours in California. I told him to go, and that we'd go together another time.
He left Thursday morning. I did my usual - worked, went to gym, watched Food Network, and ran errands while he was gone. It actually wasn't too bad, but I was super happy to see him Saturday night!
On Sunday, we woke up early, so that we could leave for the air show by 7:30. We looked at all the jets, then ran home to get lawn chairs because we didn't think to grab them before leaving.
I don't think that either of us was expecting to be there ALL day, so we didn't bring sunscreen. It was VERY windy and sunny out, so by the time we left at 4, we were both burned to a crisp. Ouch! Aside from that, I had a really good time.
I tried all of the foods that Jeff got, but I did not overindulge. I was proud of myself.
We went home and showered, then left for Rod's house. He is leaving in April, so he asked if we could get together. He made some really delicious brisket. It was really nice to see him again. It's too bad that he is leaving! I'll miss him. He is a really great guy.
Tonight Jeff and I went out for Chinese. Our favorite Chinese place just became a German restaurant. What the heck?! Who craves GERMAN FOOD? Not I! So, we found a new one. :)
On Wednesday, I have to be at work at 6:30 for an all-staff breakfast. It is the mandatory quarterly meeting. I am thrillled. Not.
Anyway, I am going to give Rachael Ray my undivided attention now.
Ciao!
Last week went by pretty quickly, which was nice for a change. Hopefully this week flies, as well.
Last Tuesday when I walked into work, Diane handed me a menu and told me they were ordering out for lunch and wanted to know if I wanted anything. I completely recognized the menu, looked at it as if it were something that I saw everyday, and said, "No thanks. I brought my own." Then, it hit me. "Holy crap! That was a Culver's menu!!" Yay! The one down the road finally opened. You can't even begin to understand the excitement that I was feeling.
Jeff took me there on Wednesday night. It was packed, but so worth it. It tasted just like I remember it, except the cheese curds weren't as crispy. Hopefully that was just a one-time thing. I got my usual - chicken tenders kids meal. Then, I followed it with my free scoop of vanilla custard. So good! Jeff got a bacon deluxe cheeseburger with cheese curds, and a Butterfinger concrete mixer for dessert.
Jeff found out on Tuesday that his brother was in San Diego with his wife, son, and in-laws. Plus, he's been trying to get to California to see his cousin before he deploys to Iraq.
Jeff wanted me to get off of work on Thursday and Friday to go there with him, but I didn't even want to ask because I knew what the answer would be. He was bummed, so he looked at one-way flights to San Diego for Friday night and wanted me to ride back with him Saturday. The flights were cheap, but not worth it for 12-hours in California. I told him to go, and that we'd go together another time.
He left Thursday morning. I did my usual - worked, went to gym, watched Food Network, and ran errands while he was gone. It actually wasn't too bad, but I was super happy to see him Saturday night!
On Sunday, we woke up early, so that we could leave for the air show by 7:30. We looked at all the jets, then ran home to get lawn chairs because we didn't think to grab them before leaving.
I don't think that either of us was expecting to be there ALL day, so we didn't bring sunscreen. It was VERY windy and sunny out, so by the time we left at 4, we were both burned to a crisp. Ouch! Aside from that, I had a really good time.
I tried all of the foods that Jeff got, but I did not overindulge. I was proud of myself.
We went home and showered, then left for Rod's house. He is leaving in April, so he asked if we could get together. He made some really delicious brisket. It was really nice to see him again. It's too bad that he is leaving! I'll miss him. He is a really great guy.
Tonight Jeff and I went out for Chinese. Our favorite Chinese place just became a German restaurant. What the heck?! Who craves GERMAN FOOD? Not I! So, we found a new one. :)
On Wednesday, I have to be at work at 6:30 for an all-staff breakfast. It is the mandatory quarterly meeting. I am thrillled. Not.
Anyway, I am going to give Rachael Ray my undivided attention now.
Ciao!
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