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

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

I haven’t had much time to blog lately, hence my brief hiatus. However, I did attempt to blog last week, but the computer froze up on me, and I lost my entry. It was long-winded, and I was too lazy to retype it. So, I will now give you a condensed version of the past couple weeks.

Work has been so-so lately. I love the participants, but feel like my co-workers all hate me. I never see Rosa anymore since she is only on-call and they don’t need her. I miss her a lot. She saw that I would bust my ass while the others more-or-less sat back and relaxed.

Since she has been gone, I’ve begun to feel more and more like everyone at work thinks that I am worthless and/or stupid. They talk to me like I’m an idiot, which pisses me off. Maybe I am 30 to 40 years younger than them, but that means absolutely nothing. I watch them all day at work and can’t believe how dumb some of them really are. You throw a wrench into their routine and you’d think the world was coming to an end. I can see the most logical solution to most of their problems, but whenever I have offered my advice, they act like I’m insane for suggesting something or they simply don’t understand what I’m saying. So, I’ve given up. I just sit back and enjoy the show when they run around like chickens with their heads cut off.

For a bit there, I was really worried that I was going to get fired. My supervisor was never around to see the wonderful things that I was doing. Instead, she always showed up when I wasn’t doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I was always the one to get yelled at - even when I wasn’t acting alone. Most of the time it wasn’t my fault - I was just following the lead of my lovely co-workers or doing what they told me to do.

However, about a week and a half ago, I was serving food and I overheard our activity lead, Gertie*, yelling at Frita* for something. Frita said, “I quit. You’ve been yelling at me all day.” The ladies came into the room where I was serving food and starting bickering. At first I thought that they were joking around, but it started to get a little heated and I heard Frita say, “It’s not fair for you to compare me to Ashley because I’m not her!”Gertie told Frita that she should be more like me because when I’m on the floor she never has to worry – she knows that things are being done. She said that she was going to tell Viola* the same thing. I was so embarrassed that I left the room. Later on, Gina came and apologized to me and told me that she thinks that I go above and beyond and all this other nice stuff. I was flattered, but worried that my co-worker would be even ruder to me than she was before. I also worried that she would tell the others and that they would be out to get me.

So far nothing has changed, but I feel more confident at work. I was very relieved to find out that Gertie thinks so highly of me because I like her the most at work. She’s really good with the participants, and she is always giving me new ideas. I love when she works the floor with me.

Jeff and I picked my mom up at the airport on Saturday night. We came home and sat at the table for awhile talking before we went to bed.

On Sunday, we went out for breakfast at Denny’s before Jeff had to go in for work. My mom and I went shopping while he was gone. She bought a ton of groceries. She made spaghetti, macaroni salad, and tuna melts for us throughout the week. I was in heaven!

On Monday, we stayed home most of the day, but went to Whataburger for dinner. For the rest of the night, we just watched TV and looked at stuff on EBay. Jeff’s best friend, Joe, was in town on TDY. Jeff decided to have a cookout on Tuesday. So, Mom made the macaroni salad since we planned on being gone on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, we went out for lunch at Red Robin. I’d never been there before, but thought that it was pretty good. We went to Wickenburg to Vulture Gold Mine and took a tour. It was really neat. Jeff grilled brats to go along with the macaroni salad. It was so good! Mom and I watched American Idol.

On Wednesday, I had to go back to work, which was no fun at all. Such is life, though. We went to In-N-Out Burger for supper. Mom loved it. It’s too bad that they aren’t in Wisconsin! After dinner, we watched the American Idol results show. I was very disappointed to see that Adam guy stay. I can’t stand him.

Thursday night, Mom made tuna melts. Delicious! It has been so long since I’ve had them. I got her hooked on Food Network this week. :]

On Friday night, we took her to Olive Garden. Then, we watched the movie “Australia” before calling it a night.

We woke up at 6:30 on Saturday morning and got ready to leave for the airport. It was sad to see her go. The week flew by! I had a great time with her. There is so much more that I could write, but it's 11:00 PM and I'm so tired that I can hardly think straight.

Jeff, Joe, and I went hiking after that. I wasn’t expecting a difficult hike, so I didn’t wear hiking boots. It wasn’t until we were walking to the Camelback Mountains that Joe told us how difficult of a hike it was going to be. It wasn’t as bad as Angel’s Landing, but it was hard. We didn’t eat breakfast or bring any kind of snacks. We were unprepared. There were parts where there was no trail and we were just climbing rocks. It got really steep in some spots. We made it though! I will post pictures on Facebook soon. I was pretty sore today!

Last night, Jeff had some friends over. He grilled carne asada. I went to sleep early. I was wiped out. I actually fell asleep talking to Allie on the phone. Oops.
Today Jeff and I went out for lunch at Pizza Hut, and then we went to Cabella’s. Jeff still had a gift card from Christmas time, so he bought a TomTom with it. I’m so jealous! :]

We went to see the movie “Taken”. It was so good! If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it!

Anyway, that is about all that I know for now. I will try not to let it go so long between blogs next time.


*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the magnificent people that I work with.