Helping Santa

Thursday night a huge box was dropped at our door. It was a 'Cookin' Kitchen' for a neighbor down the road. I called the number on the label and we got the box to the right apartment.

When I return inside, Joe says his package which was scheduled to be delivered that night shows that it's been delivered. Joe gets pissed. This isn't the first time FedEx has screwed up our delivery. He calls the customer service number. There's very little the poor guy on the phone can do. The next day Joe gets a call from a supervisor about making the delivery guy hunt down the package.

So, ready for the happy ending? Just like we helped get the Christmas present to the right address, Joe's package was dropped off by a fellow Soldier on Friday night. I was so hoping it would be returned to us. It restored my hope in humanity, at least for a little while.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Daydreamer

Christmas has arrived!!!

The tradition in my family is to wait to put up decorations until after my brother's birthday, which was yesterday. So today Joe dug out the tree, ornaments and wreath. It's so exciting to have it up. We only use it every two years, when we aren't in the middle of a PCS move or when Joe isn't deployed.

Bum

So on my way to school last evening, I was at a stop light when some ratty (presumably) drunk homeless bum stood up from his bus bench and stomped to the end of the sidewalk directly next to my car and started screaming while flipping me off... "Fuck you, you bitch! Do you hear me? Fuck YOU!"

So what do I do? Absolutely nothing, of course. I checked my locks and just stared at this man. The pickup truck behind me layed on his horn, even though we were at a red light. I assume he wanted the bum to leave me alone.

What did I want to do? I wanted to pull over and call the cops to report this drunk homeless bum harrassing cars passing by. But I have no idea if the police would care or do anything.

Do you think the cops would have cared? What would you have done?

Traitor Puppy

So Rigel is still in bed with Joe this morning. Joe rolled into town from MO at about 11pm last night. It was interesting to see what Rigel would do. We call him the Alert Puppy because he's hyper sensitive to any noise, as I suspect most yorkies are. Rigel and I had gone to bed at 9pm to get some sleep before Joe woke me up in the middle of the night. Rigel was up barking before Joe was even in the house. This is pretty good to know. We've never had any intruder situation, but it's good to know he would wake me up in time to shoot them (ha!).

It's awesome to see how much Rigel missed and loves Joe. He slept next to him last night. And wanted to lay right on him. But with the exception of his potty break this morning, Rigel has been on that bed with Joe. Also, Rigel is the laziest boy ever and loves to lay in bed.

Puppy Trot

Why do dogs wall with their hind ends slightly to the side?

Rigel doesn't do it all the time, bit sometimes his rear is just slightly to the right. We had a husky when we were younger. This dog ran basically sideways.

Any scientific reason I don't know about? I just figure his back paws were too excited to get somewhere.

Yogurt Maker??

I'll spare you the whole long story about talking to my mom. But basically it all came down to the junk our government is putting into our food. There was a girl in Japan who started her perod at THREE YEARS OLD because of the hormones in their food. My mother has a farm with chickens and will be getting goats soon. And I'm looking at starting a family soon. And researching what's best for baby. I fully intend on making my own baby food. My aunt made her own, it's not hard at all. And now there are machines out there that will be a big help.

But with the arrival of my mother's goats, I will have the ability to make my own yogurt and cheese for my children. My mom bought this for me today so I could get to practicing. I love yogurt and will enjoy making my own. There are different recipes and different ways to make yogurt, but it's basically chemistry when you get right down to is. I am so excited to get this in the mail!! Just wanted to share! http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/automatic-yogurt-maker/?pkey=e%7Cyogurt%7C3%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCHNoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Featured_Recipe_Rule-_-

Cream Cheese Filled Snickerdoodles

Yeah, they are as good as you think they will be. Delicious!! A friend on Facebook posted the link to these cookies-

http://cookiesandcups.com/cream-cheese-filled-snickerdoodles/

I saw the recipe and knew I had to make them!! There is A LOT of prep, but the final product is worth it.

These are the instructions with my small variations. You can see the whole ingredient list and all the pretty cookie pictures at her website.

1.Make the cream cheese filling by mixing the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. I used my hand mixer for this. (I didn't use a mixer, just a fork)
2.Cover the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3.Preheat oven to 400°
4.Cream butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy.
5.Add eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until combined.
6.On low speed mix in your flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set dough to the side.
7.In a small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon, set that aside as well.
8.Remove the cream cheese mixture from the refrigerator.
I did steps 9 and 10 a little differently. I made the first ball with these instructions, but then I changed it up slightly. For each cookie, I made a ball of dough, then smushed the middle down to make a disk shape. Then I put a small amount of the cream cheese mixture in the middle, and closed up the ball, sealing the edges.
9.For each cookie you will need 2 flattened balls of dough, 1 Tbsp each. (The flattened disk will be approx 2″ in diameter)
10.Place 1 tsp of the cream cheese mixture on top of one of the flattened dough disks. Then place the other flattened dough on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together to seal.

11.Carefully form into a ball and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a plate as you finish making each and refrigerate. Before baking the cookies they should chill for 15 minutes.
12.When the dough is chilled bake on a parchment lined baking sheet 2″ apart for 8 minutes.
13.Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Legacy

My family is selling my grandpa's house. They close on it today. It's not a normal house. My grandpa was an architect. He designed this huge strange house and built it in Van Buren, Arkansas. It's all concrete and glass. Very Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

My grandpa died in 1999, leaving my grandma in this huge strange house all by herself. I honestly never thought they would sell it.

But here we are. I haven't been to the house in many many years (due to this military life). But it breaks my heart that I cant go back to it, to visit my grandpa's house.

My grandmother is understandably having a hard time letting go. But as my mother told her, the house isn't Carl's legacy, as she pointed to the youngest grandchild, 17 month old Dara. Carl wouldn't care about the house. It's just a house. It's not the home it once was. Carl would care about his 10 grand kids and their futures. As we do with most architects, we personalize the houses they design, that they put all this effort into. But as my mother said, it's just a house. One design from his 40 years of being an architect. It's not him. And holding on to it wont solve anything. It wont bring Carl back, or bring us any closer to him. It's a sad day for the family. But instead of titling this post sad day, I titled it Legacy. Because that's the big picture I want to remember today. It's not the material possessions that matter. It's family. It's all about family. My grandpa started something BIG that has trickled down to all of us gradkids. I need to live my life to make him proud. I need to be his captain, always.

Movie Review: The Help

If you've read The Help, you must go see this movie! Here's the website's synopsis:

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed —even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

If I were you, I would read the book first. But I love to compare books to movies, usually to my disappointment. Everyone knows the only truly good book-to-movie couple, To Kill a Mockingbird. All other book-to-movie couples have to attempt to be that good. My usual problem with going from books to movies is the casting. It's a big annoyance for me. The latest series to do this is Twilight. Amongst other problems, their casting annoyed the crap out of me. I wouldn't have casted half of those people in their films. But no one asked me of course.

But I think they casted The Help excellently. I was kind of apprehensive of Emma Stone being Skeeter, but only minutes into the movie, Emma was Skeeter.

They of course left out a few parts of the book, but nothing too obvious. And it's hard to fit a whole book into a 2 hour movie. All in all, I loved it. Definitely a movie I will be buying.

Giveaway over at Modern Meets Traditional

Hey everyone! I just wanted to share a giveaway I found out about over at Modern Meets Traditional. Shanon Renee makes these signs. Arent they awesome? You can read the story and enter the giveaway on her blog HERE.

Choices

I've had a thought rolling around in my head for a week now. I don't know how to write it down without sounding arrogant and snobby though. But Joe and I saw something yesterday that really spurred this thought. Here it is.

So yesterday, Joe and I went grocery shopping. As we were leaving the parking lot, we saw a man standing at the stop sign, with a cardboard sign, begging for money, with a CIGARETTE in his mouth. Lately, there has been a few people there, a small red-headed woman, a thin man with a sign that says his wife just had a baby and needs money for food. But this guy really set Joe off. Begging for money when he can afford to smoke cigarettes! As some of you know, Joe joined the Army for the paycheck. So he starts his same rant about how if this man was truly desperate, he could join the Army and work for his keep. I know jobs are limited, I have a hard time job searching with a college degree, so I can only imagine how hard it is if you only have a high school diploma or a GED. But as Joe says, McDonalds is always hiring.

So what set this whole thought in motion last week, I was headed to class and drove past a group of men that seemed homeless to me. All their worldly possessions in a shopping cart. Sitting on the side of the road. Just sitting there.

So when I ran this thought by Joe, his response was that many people have worked very hard to get me to where I am now; me, my parents, Joe. My parents raised me to have motivation and lofty goals. They also paid for my undergraduate education. But I did the work. I made good grades and stayed out of trouble. And now I'm paying for graduate school, paycheck to paycheck, and working my ass off on classes 24/7. And Joe is making my dream possible by paying for our life with his Army career.

Many of us can jump to conclusions about people. I know I do, sadly. But have you ever wondered what happened to these people to lead them to that bench, with that shopping cart, with that sign begging for money? Joe had many opinions; convicts that cant get a job, drug addicts that cant keep a job, people that just don't care to better themselves and therefore become the nothingness of society.

My parents have always told me and my brother to make smart choices. There's ALWAYS more than one choice, so I should make sure I decide what's best for *me.* I'm not going to lie, I tried pot in college. I drank before I was 21. I dated a few people before I met Joe. I'm not a saint. But I always made sure I was doing something that would be beneficial for me, or at least not crater my whole existence. I dont know where my life could have took that turn for the worse. No matter what, I cant imagine standing by a Safeway begging for money.

My father quotes the movie Robin Hood, with Kevin Cosner. At one point, Robin Hood is down and he asks Morgan Freeman what to do now. And Morgan responds, "Get up, move faster." That has been the family motto for as long as I can remember. Get up and do something. Nothing gets accomplished by just sitting there, waiting.

A friend brought up a good point though. How much do these beggers collect while they are standing by that stop sign? Minimum wage here in Colorado is $7.36/hr. Do these people collect more than that an hour??

The one where I rant about the neighbor's "chaweenie"

We got new neighbors a few weeks back. They got a puppy this weekend -- A chaweenie... the husband says in his very Southern drawl.

Of course this is the first red flag (the chaweenie part, not the Southern drawl). Let me tell you the sad saga that is this dog's life.

This chihuahua/dachshund mix is from a place called "Pet City." I have never heard of this local pet store, but apparently they sell dogs. Lovely.

This dog weighs UNDER 1 and a half pounds. At first I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking the dog was maybe 7 to 8 weeks old. No. This lady told me this dog is 3 months old! No way. Just not even remotely plausible.

Oh, AND it wont eat food. She said she's tried everything, dry food, wet food, people food, chicken and rice. Tell me what healthy 3 month old dog wont eat chicken and rice! She's currently feeding it puppy formula from an eye dropper. I asked her if she had taken it to a vet yet, since it wouldn't eat and whatnot. Of course not. Her mom "raises" yorkies and told her what steps to take. Of course the dog has "low blood sugar," although I'm not sure how she knows exactly since the dog hasn't seen a vet. And she's feeding the dog nutra-cal like it's going out of style.

Now, let's compare my 4 year old, 6.5lb, papered, well-bred, pure-bred yorkie to that, shall we? When we got Rigel at 8 WEEKS old he was 2lbs. And ate like a little pig! He was all puppy belly.

Anyone with a small puppy knows what nutra-cal is and the dangers of low blood sugar with a small puppy. But Rigel never needed it.

So let's say you have a 3 month old puppy bought from a pet store that is seriously underweight and refuses to eat. Wouldn't you take the thing to the vet???

Am I completely off base here with the size and food thing?? Let me know. My mother in law has two miniature Dachshunds. We saw these dogs as puppies and they weren't this small. And they had hearty appetites too. They were fully grown by the time there were about 7 months old. Rigel was at his current full grown weight at about 6 months.

Thankfully, this pup seems to be full of energy. When I brought Rigel outside on his leash, this puppy, Cooper, bounced right over to us and wanted to sniff my little monster. Cooper wasn't fearful of this 6lb dog sniffing him either. I hope this little one is nursed back to health soon and starts to eat something. Joe thinks the dog is under 4 weeks old to still need puppy formula from an eye dropper. I dug Rigel's baby scrapbook out (yep, that's what I said) to do some comparison. We have pics of him at 2-3 weeks, when they still look like little rats, and 5 and 6 weeks when I went to visit Rigel when he was still with his mom. His baby book says he was weaned at about 4-5 weeks old. This whole situation makes me so sad and angry. I'm glad the puppy is out of the puppy mill, but super annoyed that these neighbors didnt know better. And still wont take him to the vet!

Our little flash mob

Everyone is talking about these flash mob things. Even my cousin was in one at his university.

I have to share my little flash mob story. A fellow classmate left her purse in the room before class when her cell phone went off. It was the Spider Pig Simpsons song, of course we all knew it! We decided to start singing it when she walked back in. And in unison, we all started...

Spider pig, spider pig, does whatever a spider pig does. Can he swing from a web, no he cant, because he's a pig. Look out!

It was so much fun and make us all laugh pretty hard.

We sing a similar song in our house about a spider dog... : )

Wordless Wednesday

Daddy's Girl

Just before prom, 2001

When my little brother was born

The day they brought me home from the hospital

I LOVE YOU DADDY!

And it's pink!! ;)

I've been wanting a netbook for a while now. But last Thursday tipped the scales and I realized I needed a laptop during class. I have a laptop but it's huge and a pain in the ass to haul to class, which I did have to do for a whole 9 weeks for a class that required a computer.

I spend two days researching computers, talking to friends online, my father, and the IT guy at work. I get home Friday and Joe tells me that he'd prefer if I just bought a Sony Vaio. And quite frankly, that was my first choice, but they arent the cheapest netbooks. But they also come with 4GB of memory and the best... um... speed (can you tell I know very little about computers?) But thankfully I know many many people with an opinion and knowledge of most electronics.

Okay, and I know what you're going to say, the same thing Joe did...... it's pink. Yes yes yes. It's pink. But it comes in 2 colors, pink and silver. And I could have the pink one for no extra cost. And I think it's so cute!!

There's a girl in my current class with this netbook. It's a big plus that I've been able to see it in person. It's the perfect size too. Not 10 inches, like most netbooks. And not 14 inches, which is just too big (my current laptop is 15 inches wide anyway). This girl said her husband, a computer guy, picked it out for her, said it was what she needed for class. Like I told my IT guy at work, I'm surfing the net and writing notes in class. I might work on a PowerPoint on it. That's it, I'm not doing espionage. My main thing was battery life. But as Joe said, batteries have powercords, it's memory and speed you need to think about. Just plug the darn thing in. I guess he's right.

I cannot WAIT to get this thing!! It probably wont make it here by the time my next Thursday class rolls around, but that's okay. I'm leading the presentation next Thursday so there wont be much time for notes anyway. And on that note, I need to get working on my presentation. :)

Flirty Girls

Flirty girls -- my newest pet peeve.

I am 27 years old. Married. And very friendly. Joe says I can make friends in a Wal-Mart pharmacy line. And it's pretty true. I like to talk to people.

But I've met a few ladies recently (and not so recently) that seem to flirty with everyone. And when I give them the look (because they are married, their husband is deployed, the person they are flirting with is married, etc,) they tell me it's just because they are friendly. Well, I whole-heartedly disagree.

My mother has told me since the day I was old enough to understand - Be a person first, be Sara first. Then be everything else, woman, wife, mother (someday). But you have to be a strong individual first to get anywhere in this world. My mother is an architect. There are only 11% women in the field. I've met a couple others. But most people don't know any female architects. My mother walks onto job sites and has to be even better, even more professional, than the male architects to play the male-driven game in the South. I also have an aunt who is a PhD astrophysicist. Same thing. These are the female role models I've had growing up. Smart, strong, independent women.

So the flirty women, the ones that bat their eyelashes at every guy they see, really annoy me. You can have a conversation with a male without flirting with him. You really can. You can be friendly without acting like a middle school child with a crush on every person with male genitalia.

On a related note, I also know some females that believe you have to be a bitch to get your way. Also completely wrong and fairly inappropriate. The very first time I heard someone say this I was in high school and on a job site with my mother. Some female interior decorator said it. My mother turned to me the moment that woman left and told me no one respected her and she was horrible to work with because she was always in some defensive bitch mode. Talk about a good example for a impressionable teen. I currently hear this from female Soldiers. (Yes, I understand I am not and will never be a female Soldier, but I've heard my husband talk about them enough to know a good female Soldier, whom everyone likes and respects, from a bad one, whom no one likes and they all want out of their unit.) The job has to be similar to any other male driven field. You don't get far "acting" like a girl.

So I guess the take home message here is that most women annoy me you can act friendly and professional without being a ho or a bitch. I wish more women understood this.

Play a game with Megan Dub-Yuh! #3

Let's play again!! Come on guys! Run over to Megan Dub-Yuh right now! Takes just a few minutes to link up!





Megan's question is:
Now that it is swimsuit season and everyone is heading to the pool or the beach do you wear a 1-piece or 2-? What type of SPF do you use?

I've had the same black and white one piece for a few years now. I used to have a green tankini that I just loved, but I think my mom stole it when she got her Jacuzzi.

I haven't been swimming in the day light (just in the jacuzzi at night) in years. I'm not sure I even own any real sun screen, just the usual moisturizer I use daily. But when I liked in AR and went to the lake, I'm sure I used sunscreen. But I'm lucky enough to usually tan, not burn. But here in Colorado, where the sun is SOOOO close, I burn if I'm outside too long.

Evolution

I thought I had gotten away from the uber religious people when I left Arkansas. For a person like me, growing up in the bible belt wasn't a fun thing. Most religious people don't bother me. You believe what you want. I'll believe what I want. Unless you are a teabagger trying to take away my rights, I just don't care what you believe. When you start to push YOUR religious beliefs on ME, whatever it is, then I will care, loudly.

When I started grad school, I was in many classes where we had some very good debates, I could share my views, and others could too, in a very healthy way. We are all adults. No one picked a fight. No one acted offended. It was very refreshing for this Southern girl. Psychology is a science. And one of my favorite things about science is that there are very specific ways things have to be proven, over and over, repeatedly.

But something happened last night that had the whole class, all ten of us, plus the professor, completely dumbfounded. I'm in a Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior class taught by a women with a PhD in neuropsychology. We've met twice so far and I LOVE this class. I could totally be a neuropsychologist. It's just fascinating. In true grad school (read: nerd) fashion, when we come into the class, we start talking about the chapters even before the professor comes in the room. I walked into a conversation from a few people, one being someone we will call John. "When I became a Christian, I said to myself, John, you can't be having sex with everyone you meet." I sat down and the conversation continued. This particular male has been in two of my other classes. His specialty is sex addiction. He talks about it ALL the time. Every presentation he gives, every example he cites, and apparently he once had a problem with it himself. So as the class is filling in, and the professor starts to set up her laptop, she asks the class what we thought of the reading. And John says he found a "fault" in the text. I read the chapters and didn't find any typos or missteps, so I was quite curious about what I could have missed while I was reading. So John quotes from the book: "Evolution has encased the brain in a rock-hard vault of bone, wrapped it in layers of tough membrane, and cushioned it in a viscous bath of cerebral spinal fluid..." (the full quote is located at the bottom of this blog). And we all wait for the punch line. And John doesn't let us down. He asks the class... "So before evolution, did people have soft skulls? That makes no sense at all. The book is just wrong about this one."

And the whole class just stared at him. Even the professor. What do you say to someone that obviously has NO grasp of what "evolution" really is?? John goes on to say that the Cro-Magnon man had a hard skull, so that once again proves the book wrong. And that Adam and Eve didn't need evolution and neither does he, he just doesn't "buy" into it. The professor is an older woman, probably 55 to 60 years old, and very German, her accent rocks. The look on her face was humor, as I'm sure she thought he was joking for a moment, then shock and finally a blank stare, a poker face if you will, something good psychologists have honed as to not offend or give anything way to their patients. She finally says that the fallacy he is stuck in is that we -- the planet, humans, animals, plants, etc --have evolved over billions of years... not only 6000. And that he needs to think of the evolution of the brain from when it started.... billions of years ago. Well, this really pissed John off. He mumbled some inaudible things and the class started.

How does one get to be a grown man without taking a basic science class? I was a biochem major for 3 years as an undergrad and had many religious classmates that still believed in evolution. The woman that works in my apartment complex office asked me a few weeks ago if I believed in evolution. When I told her yes, um.. of course I do, she told me I needed to take another look. These people confuse the shit out of me. What do you MEAN you dont believe in evolution? You REALLY think that poof... Adam and Eve appeared, looking just like we do now? REALLY??

Here's a link to a video one of my friends posted the other day. You HAVE to go watch this video. I cant get it to embed in this post, so I'll post the link instead. http://youtu.be/IguW9xHd2qo

"Evolution has encased the brain in a rock-hard vault of bone, wrapped it in layers of tough membrane, and cushioned it in a viscous bath of cerebral spinal fluid. These protective shields post particularly difficult challenges for scientists who would like to observe human brain activity directly." - Gordon Bower

Play a game with Megan Dub-Yuh! #2

Another game from Megan Dub-Yuh!!
What is one wedding gift you LOVED and display proudly and one NOT SO MUCH (maybe you regifted or have it hidden in the hall closet)?

LOVED: We have quite a few wedding presents still out in the house, frames, lamps, a cookie jar, etc. But I think my favorite decorative item would be the Willow Tree figurine my mom got us. It was the "cake topper" but wasn't on the cake. We had a nontraditional deconstructed cake. My other favorite thing would be the Keurig my grandma got me. NOT SO MUCH: Someone in Joe's family made us what looks to be a handmade quilt. It's the oddest quilt I've ever seen. And it smelled like a burnt cigarette when we opened it up. I started coughing and sneezing instantly (thankfully, they weren't there to witness that). After we paid to get it dry cleaned, I put it in our "extra bedding box" and forgot about it.

Now head over to Megan Dub-Yuh and link up with your own blog post!!

Play a game with Megan Dub-Yuh!

Head over to Megan Dub-Yuh to play her game!! This week is..... dumb roll please...

Show me a picture of what you looked like about 10 years ago!

This is a Glamour Shot pic from my Senior year of high school. I was 17 years old. I was so embarrassed to take this pic, but my mom was there to encourage me to go outside my comfort zone.

Free time???

I asked my professor last night how long a thesis would take. Well, I'll need about a year. So if I want to graduate in April 2012, I need to get on this! I have a plan now. I know what I need to do to get started. And I have a pretty good idea for a thesis topic.

Work.

School.

Thesis.

Marriage.

Family.

Oh boy!! Did you know that there is an 80% chance that you will get a divorce while in grad school? Compound that with Joe's Army stats. Oh boy!! I told Joe that last night. He just laughs. He says I'm stuck with him. And I'm in school so that he can get out of the Army. He says I have all his support so no worries.

My prof asked me if I had kids. When I said no, he laughed and said I was fortunate. My mom was in grad school when I was little. I don't remember her not being there. Plus my dad is awesome. But I guess it's good I don't have a baby to juggle on top of everything else.

And consider yourself forewarned, I'll be needing LOTS of participants for my study!! :)

Getting to know you...

My bloggy friend Megan over at Megan Dub-Yuh wants to know more about her followers. You should answer her questions too!! I would love to learn more about YOU too!!

Here are the questions:
1. How would you have described yourself in High School?

2. When you don't feel good what do you always want to help make yourself feel better?

3. When you go to bath shops what type of flavors do you gravitate towards? Flowery, foods...

4. When at a bar what is your drink?

5. If you go to your closet right now what do you think is the predominant color in it?

My answers:

1. I was a super nerd until my senior year. I graduated a year early and I was fortunate enough to fall in with a GREAT senior crowd. Here's a great example: Joe and I attended the same school since my 3rd grade. He didnt know I existed until that last year. Oh, and our graduating class had about 80 people in it. In a very small school, I was a nobody. I had friends, but we werent popular or class clowns. I was the nerdy smart kid, straight As, band geek. :)

2. When I dont feel good I want to crawl in bed with a good book.

3. I like lots of different scents. My Scentsy collection is reflective of that. Most of my bath sprays are flowery though, japanese rose blossom, lilac, midnight blossom, stuff like that.

4. I either order a Midori Sour or a Sex on the Beach... depending on who I'm with ;)

5. Black, by far!

Almost ready

Joe made a comment that really made me laugh today.

Rigel and I were "fighting" with his toys. He ran over to get a drink of water then jumped on the back of the couch. Once in a while he will burp and spit up a little if he doesnt let the water settle in his tiny belly. As the tiny amount of clear dog spit slowly rolled down the back of our leather couch, I stopped it with my hand and told Joe to grab a towel. Joe's first reaction was to jump out of the way or stop it with a fairly nice blanket on the couch. While Joe was watching me wash my hands, he said that maybe I'm ready to be a mom since my first reaction wasn't to jump out of the way of the nastiness. I just had to laugh. Babies are FAR grosser than a little dog spit! :)

The end of an Era

I've been getting this feeling lately like something is ending. It's hard to describe. I get this "hurry up" anxiousness about everything- classes, work, time off. That everything is about to end or change.

And I would LOVE that!

But Joe still has two years in the Army. I still have a year left of school. Nothing is ending, nothing I can pinpoint anyway. Some of the "hurry up" feeling is left over from the deployment. I felt the same way about that, the days need to FLY by so I can see Joe again. It's the same feeling but on a much larger scale. The days need to FLY by so we can start our new life together, sans the military.

I tell myself to relax and slow down. Enjoy life. Enjoy this unique time in our lives. But that idea just depresses me. I can't stand feeling stagnant. I need to feel like we're going places, going towards the bigger goal... whatever that may be.

Maybe everything is sort of ending. Joe's Army career. My school. My twenties. Our single life. We plan to move home and start a family in a few years. I'm 27. Maybe this is the end of an Era.

On to bigger and better things! But here's to slowing down, taking a breath, enjoying the scenery. Life is short, I cant be rushing through it.

Where everyone knows your name

Rigel in my parents' house in AR. That is his very own wine box stair so he can look out the window.

I am so excited to say that we're going home to visit soon! Joe, Rigel, and I haven't been to Arkansas since November 2009. I have a cousin that's over a year old who I've never met. I never even saw my aunt's pregnant belly. I have to finish up this term and the moment Joe goes on block leave, we're hoping in the car and heading to Arkansas. I'm taking a week off of work. It's going to be a real vacation. With a little house hunting and a dentist appointment (I LOVE my dentist, I wont go to anyone else). Throw in 12 hours in a car with Rigel and Joe and this should be a blast!! :) But Rigel is very excited to see his Grandma Jo!!

I guess I'm just a planner...

A local tv station out here in Colorado just did a story that got my attention and irked me quite a bit.

They had a group on that was having the "largest baby shower" to benefit the community that couldn't afford baby necessities. The woman on tv actually said that "babies come on their own time" and some families can't afford all the things babies need.

Wait... WHAT??? REALLY??? WTF???

There is a reason I don't have a kid right now. I can't afford it!! I'm in school. Joe is about to quit his job, literally. If I was an irresponsible twit, I'm sure I would have a kid by now. But babies will come on MY time, not their own. I'm on birth control. When I was sick and on antibiotics, Joe and I took other precautions because antibiotics sometimes mess with the pill. A baby SHOULD NOT be a surprise.

Condoms are cheap. Many health centers, including Planned Parenthood, will give you birth control for very cheap or even free - I know the one in my home town does. But beside all of that, if you can't afford birth control, how are you going to afford a baby??

There is no reason the government or any other organization should be supporting you because you got knocked up and can't afford diapers. Don't get knocked up!!

I was in line at the grocery store the day before Easter. The woman in front of me had a toddler in her arms, two young kids standing next to her, and a newborn in the shopping cart. And she was paying with food stamps. And the thought crossed my mind - if you can't afford the kids you have, why are you squeezing out more?? Why are our tax dollars paying for your food? Stop having babies!! I know the government has these handouts for help and support. But this woman will never get on her feet if the mouths to feed keep multiplying. I'm not saying you can't have as many babies as you want, go for it. But don't expect the handouts.

Joe and I went to school with a girl that had 2 kids before she graduated high school. She used to brag that she got money from the government because she had kids and wasn't married. And she's still barefoot and pregnant on her front porch in the middle of Arkansas getting a monthly handout from the government. Maybe that was her dream. I can't even comprehend the idea of doing nothing and thinking taxpayers should support you and your hungry babies. But like I said, I'm not an irresponsible twit.

Nook Discoveries!!

Because of my awesome Nook, I have discovered the author Amanda Hocking. She writes paranormal romances. If you liked the Twilight books, you will like these too. I read her first series, the Trylle Trilogy, and fell in love with her writing style. I'm currently reading the 4th book in her My Blood Approves series. This series is about vampires.

If you have a Nook, these books are all under $3 from Barnes & Noble. And some are lendable so let me know if you'd like to borrow them. :)

Water for Elephants -- spoiler free

I went to see Water for Elephants last night with a friend. I was actually surprised that I enjoyed the movie ... and Robert Pattinson's performance.

The movie made me cry and laugh and then root for an elephant. It was really cute. I highly recommend it. The summary on IMDB says "A veterinary student abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet." But it's SO much more than that!! But I'm not going to spoil it for anyone.

I was genuinely shocked that I enjoyed Robert Pattinson's performance. The first thing I ever saw him in was of course Twilight. After reading all the books, all of the characters were VERY disappointing to me, with the exception of maybe Jacob. Joe and I both though Bella and Edward fell way short of the books. And WTF is up with Kristen Steward?? She cant act.. AT ALL. And completely butchered the part of Bella. And I was never that girl that swooned over Edward. I'm a Team Jacob girl. But I also thought Pattinson didnt do the part justice. So when I walked into the movie theater last night, I wasn't expecting much.

But I must say, I walked out of the theater a big fan of Pattinson. This movie completely changed my mind about his acting skills. Joe says that Edward, the character, must just suck and Pattinson did his best. I completely agree. I was smiling with Pattinson's character and noticed that I believed his acting. I believed he was happy or sad or enraged. His smiles look genuine, not mass produced. I really liked him in Water for Elephants. Anyway, go see the movie!!

Awesome clock!

Just wanted to share my lately discovery.

Credit Cards

Well folks, I finally gave in. Joe got a credit card this week. We're 27 years old. And we need to build our credit up. And Joe thinks this was the best idea ever. Since I was able to walk, my mother has told me how awful credit cards can be. People get in over their heads. Interest is outrageous. Why on Earth would a person need a line of credit? If you want something, save up for it and then buy it. And for my 27 years on this Earth, this is what I have done. And it's worked out pretty well for me. Until we wanted to by a new car. I had a job. Joe was a SGT in the U.S. Army. And we couldn't get a loan on a 2006 Honda Accord for less that 18% interest. My parents offered to co-sign with us and all was okay. Except that my *always independent* husband felt bad having to depend on someone else to co-sign.

So now looking at our future, getting ready to ETS and move home and buy a house, he's obsessed with our credit scores. And he applied for a credit card.

I told him it was his job to keep up with it. We would NEVER not pay the monthly amount so there's no interest to pay ever. And we would only use it for gas and groceries.

So we went to the grocery store the other day and when Joe got ready to pay.... he pulled out the debit card. Debt isn't something either of us want. We just paid off the car! And I have no idea why Joe thinks this is the best way to build credit. We decided the credit card would be only for gas. So I used it this morning. I was the first to do so. And Joe said he would go online and pay it off as soon as it hit the account.

I was talking to a co-worker today and she told me that they had a credit card for emergencies. Another told me that she and her husband put everything on it and then just pay on the bill at the end of the month. Another friend told me she only puts school related items on it, like tuition and books. I must say, given the recent government shutdown scare, it's nice to think we have a small back up plan now. Nothing beats our savings, but we really don't want to have to tap into that if all hell breaks loose.

Do you have a method to your credit card? What have you found works best for you and your family?

Dinner with babies

I had a great time with two of my girlfriends last night. We went out to dinner, much needed girl time for all of us. The other two ladies have kids, one has a 5 year old and a 2 year old. The other one has one 2 year old. I was sitting at dinner observing their parenting styles. When their babies would scream or get upset, they reacted completely differently. But they both looked at me and smiled, "Just wait until you have a 2 year old." I'm sure parenting isn't easy. I've been around kids all my life. I'm the oldest of 10 grand kids, I've babysat since I was 14. I lived with my Aunt and Uncle and her two young kids while I was in school. But no, I've never been a parent. But I have some great parenting role models, my mom and dad and all my aunts and uncles. My father would NEVER allow me to throw my mac & cheese or run around a restaurant. Both my brother and I were very well behaved kids. And get this... we weren't spanked as kids. I was spanked once when I was about 7. I was oldest enough to know better and I probably deserved it (even though I still tell my mom I didn't). But they never spanked us when we were small. And it feels like this is the go to method for many of my friends AND my husband. He was spanked as a kid. And he thinks this is the only way to discipline children. I might not be a mom yet, but I have read a lot about child development and the way the human brain develops in a child.

But Joe says to me, "What do you do when your 4 year old son sticks aluminum foil in the light socked?" What the hell is your 4 year old doing with aluminum foil? Every kid gets into stuff and there will be plenty of accidents, especially having Joe's demon spawn. But my mother has always told me, you just have to be smarter than your 5 year old. We were smart kids, Joe was a smart kid. When we did something stupid, my father would laugh at us. Or mom would say she was disappointed in us. Having my parents' approval means the world to me, it always has. Disappointing them, even a kid, wasn't an option. I just have to figure out how to parent like my parents did.

So if your 2 year old decided to throw their mac & cheese while in public, or your 5 year old ran to the bench and laid down and stated kicking the chair behind him, which someone else is sitting in, what would you do?

Sexual Orientation

I went home last night with a big smile on my face. My neuropsych class went over a chapter about reproduction and sexual orientation last night.

I'm going to paraphrase something my professor told me. Keep in mind she studies the human brain for a living; neuropsychology, and the physiological bases of our behavior. While you and I are not experts in this field... She IS an expert.

She said that from a purely scientific stand point, no one can argue that sexual orientation isn't related to your brain chemistry. Enough research has been done that no one disputes this fact in the scientific community. Now.. she also said that you can put whatever "religious spin" on it you want, but that doesn't outweigh the scientific results. She said point blank, science has proven that sexual orientation isn't a choice, it's just how your brain has developed.

Isn't that refreshing to hear someone finally say that??

Now we all know "religious people" don't listen to science anyway, so I doubt there will be much impact. But it makes me smile that there is a group out there that fully understands that someone doesn't make this choice, that it is truly who they are, how their brain functions, who their brain tells them they are. They aren't wrong or sinful. They just are. They are homosexual like you are heterosexual. Isn't that wonderful news!?!?

I WANT it Wednesday

Joe has decided that he REALLY needs this leash. Although, we think it was an April Fool's joke. Bummer.

100 Facts about ME (part IIII)

This will be the last installment. Hope you all have enjoyed the facts! I know I had fun reading many others and even laughed at some of my own. It proved much harder than I originally thought.

76. I wanted to be an astronomer when I was little. I still have star maps and huge binoculars and posters of the moon.

77. After 3 years of school, I decided I didnt want to be a biochem major after an 8 hour lab in the bottom of the chem building. When I went to lab it was nice and sunny. When I left 8 hours later it was snowing... in Arkansas. I decided at that moment I didnt want to spend the rest of my working career in the basement of a building missing out on life around me. It was the best career move of my life.

78. I love brussel sprouts.

79. I am addicted to lotions.

80. Joe and I have decided to have a baby in 5 years. I'll be 32, but I think we'll be in a very good place to bring another life into the world.

81. I love cards. I love making them. I like buying them. I like recieving them. I have boxes of cards in my house waiting for birthdays and special days.

82. When I was a kid, me, my brother, dad, uncle (dad's bro) and his kids used to go for 2 week long camping trips. I wish I was as carefree as I was then.

83. I hope I can be as good as my mother was. I have fears that I wont be.

84. The last spelling test I ever took I got one word wrong. It was- husband. I'm a horrible speller.

85. I have one niece.

86. I hope to attend a Sarah McLachlan concert one of these days.

87. I HATE crowds. I hate standing where others can touch me. I have a very large personal bubble.

88. I am NOT a hugger. I dont like people I barely know to touch me. I'm not one of those people that hug other people either. There have been 3 times in my adult life where I have gotten up to hug and comfort another person (that wasnt a family member) and I remember then very clearly.

89. I no longer stand at the Pledge of Allegence. When the words ring true again for this nation, I might reconsider. Indivisable? Liberty and justice for all? Like hell. And while we're at it, lets take it back to it's ORIGINAL wording!

90. I met David Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney and the dog that plays Eddie on the set of Frasier. We watched a taping when I was out in California on spring break when I was 19 years old.

91. I went to Las Vegas when I was 19. We stayed in the Stratosphere. The ONLY place that carded me was Hard Rock Cafe.

92. I am a hard core pro-choice advocate. My body, my choice. Your body, your choice. It really is that simple.

93. I grew up in the South, but some people think I have an accent while others dont. I do say some words just like my mother, like pie and why. My accent gets very strong if I'm home or even on the phone with my mother.

94. One day I really hope Rigel is a certified therapy dog. He loves people and is a great cuddler. He would love to sit in someone's lap while they talked to us. Or walk through halls greeting everyone with that cute little wagging stumpy tail. We would visit nursing homes and veteran's clinics. We started to work towards it in Arkansas, but then I married Joe and had to move.

95. I have a serious pet peeve about people that dont use their binkers. 96. I'd much rather be camping than at the beach.

97. I love rainy days. I miss Arkansas storms.

98. I lived in Kansas for 2 years and never saw a tornado, but had two pretty serious close calls.

99. Joe says I can make friends in a check out line at Wal-Mart.

100. I one big wish is that I can get a great job when I gratuate with my Masters and Joe can go back to school when he ETSs and doesnt have to worry about going to school AND working. We can move home, buy my aunt's house and start a family.

Rain Rain, go away!!

I joke that it never rains in Colorado Spings. It rained today. LMAO!!

This is the pic Joe took of the windows before we covered them up with plastic garbage bags. ALL three windows are completely smashed, the back two, as you can see, are gone. The Safelite repair guy will be out in the morning. I cant drive my car at all. As soon as I open the driver's side door the whole window will come crashing down.

Lovely Colorado. This is the 2nd time I've had to replace a window in 3 months. But at least the insurance will cover some of it this time. I love my GEICO insurance!

Have you entered Canines & Cadences Grand Blog Re-opening Giveaway?

My friend Bethany over at Canines and Cadences is having a huge giveaway in honor of her new blog and it's grand re-opening. Click HERE to check out her new blog!

Bad Business?

I go to a local salon here. I have a fabulous hair stylist and an awesome woman that does all my waxing. On Tuesday the waxing woman quit. So instead of calling me to tell me she is gone, the salon called me and pushed back my appointment until they could find someone else to fill her spot. No reason was given, they didn't even tell me the woman had quit, just that they needed to push it back a week, no big deal. So last night I learned that this friend had quit. And I think it's fairly annoying that I wasn't alerted about the change. My appointment was for a brazilian. So I'm supposed to walk into the salon and *surprise* someone I've never met is going to wax me "down there"?? I don't think so!

So what are your thoughts? I know the salon doesn't want to lose my waxing business, but should they have told me about the change of personnel? I think their omission of the change is enough for me to follow my friend to her new salon.

100 Facts about ME (part III)

51. I am a fool when it comes to Rigel. I will buy him the best food and treats no matter how much they cost. But when feeding a 6lb animal, the good food lasts quite a while.

52. I own a lemon tree and I hope to have a tea tree soon.

53. I'm not a big fan of alcohol. I'll have a glass of wine once in a while, but I'd rather have water or tea. I don't like the way it makes me feel.

54. I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, not even a puff.

55. Joe and I have a spoon collection, inherited from his grandmother.

56. I've never broken a bone (knock on wood).

57. I want 2 kids, twins would be okay, they run in Joe's family, his mom is a twin.

58. Rigel is the first dog that has been all mine. As a kid, we had a husky named Kodiak Copper Chef Bandit Edward Minden, called Cody for short, then lots of outside cats. My parents now have an Airedale named Arlo and a German Shepherd named Max.

59. I've been called for jury duty 7 times, 5 while I was in college, then 2 more since Joe and I have been traveling the world and unable to attend. But I cant wait to actually sit on a jury.

60. Favorite tv show of all time was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, yeah, I was that 14 year old girl. But I can watch Friends reruns over and over again.

61. My birthday is January 20th. My family's birthdays all fall in ajoing months, Dad - October, Mom - November, Brother - December, Me - January. Joe's is in July.

62. My absoulte favorite resturant on the whole planet is Wiederkehr's Resturant in Altus, Arkansas. I miss it when I cant go for my birthday. It would be my hypothetical "last meal".

63. I have a pill phobia.

64. I also dont like elevators and will avoid them at all costs.

65. My brother and I were named after a scanning electron microscope, our initials were SEM, before I got married.

66. The shortest job I've ever had was for about a month at a florist. I loved that job, the people were awesome and the place always smelled like roses, but the manager was a drug addict who was so hard to work for.

67. I don't have any tattoos.

68. The first thing I ever won was a 50 gallon aquarium with a wooden stand. I entered a drawing at a pet store when I was about 6. The next day we got the call to go pick it up. It's still in our family.

69. I'd rather be cold than hot.

70. I've been in 3 weddings beside my own, bride's maid in 2 and candle lighter when I was a little kid.

71. I love sushi. I could eat Japanese food everyday.

72. I don't like celery because of the stings.

73. I dont eat mushy vegitables but I'll eat just about any veggie raw.

74. I LOVE movie theater popcorn and will go watch scary movies with my husband just so I can eat some popcorn.

75. Nothing is more soothing than a cup of hot tea and someone rubbing my head.

100 Facts about ME (part II)

I hope you all are enjoying the facts. I know I'm enjoying reading about everyone else. It's kinda cool to know the fun little things about people I know online but have never gotten the opportunity to meet in person.
Part 2: Megan @ MeganWrites.com has everyone's blogs linked.
The next 2 posts will be posted as follows:
Part 3 - Thursday, March 31
Part 4 - Tuesday, April 5

26. I have a BA in Psychology and I'm working on my Masters in Psychology, but I NEVER want to do therapy. I'm a research kind of gal!

27. Joe and I are only 6 months apart in age. He is in fact the youngest person I ever dated.

28. I get motion sick in planes and boats. Found this out on a 12 hour flight to France. Not pretty.

29. My very first car was a 1992 Honda Accord. Now we own 2 Hondas, a Pilot and an Accord.

30. I refuse to watch sports on tv, but I will go to actual games.

31. I LOVE baseball, but HATE football.

32. I played the clarinet for 4 years.

33. I own a violin but don't have the first clue how to play it.

34. I was a biochemistry major for 3 years as an undergraduate student.

35. I'm obsessed with loose leaf tea, especially jasmine white tea.

36. I've had two surgeries, one oral surgery when I was about 16 and my gallbladder removed when I was 26.

37. Favorite movies: Sabrina (the one with Harrison Ford), Twister, The Blind Side, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Young Frankenstein.

38. I collect Disney movies.

39. I hate to cook but I love to bake. I'm a horrible cook, but I can bake just about anything.

40. I hate to drive. I would have a driver if I could afford it. Seriously.

41. I've read ALL of the Babysitter's Club books.

42. I LOVE getting mail!

43. If all goes as planned, I will graduate with my Masters April 2012.

44. I inherited my green thumb from my dad. He can grow anything. I'm almost as good as he is.

45. I was captain of the flag line in band for 2 years.

46. I used to be painfully shy. I got over it.

47. I'm allergic to all cats and most dogs. I'm also allergic to down and wool.

48. I have a soft spot in my heart for penguins.

49. I eat kiwi fruit whole, fuzzy brown skin and all. And it freaks my husband out.

50. Stated I have been to:
Get your map here: http://www.epgsoft.com/VisitedStatesMap/VisitedStatesMap.html

100 Facts about ME (part I)

I started this on Twitter, but many are posting them on their blogs so I will continue it here. Megan @ MeganWrites.com has everyone's blogs linked.

The next 3 posts will be posted as follows:
Part 2 - Tuesday, March 29
Part 3 - Thursday, March 31
Part 4 - Tuesday, April 5

1. I have a fake tooth.

2. I'm a horrible speller but hate typos.

3. I have a time problem. I can never be late. In fact, I'm usually early to a fault

4. I love my dog more than I like most people.

5. I have rather large feet for a girl, size 11 shoes.

6. My mom is 5'4". My dad is 6'7". I'm 5'10". I'm taller than some men in my family.

7. I am shamelessly addicted to all things Glee. And I'm sad that I miss it every Tuesday.

8. I don't eat steak.

9. I have a one year old cousin I've never met, but hopefully will in May.

10. I am the oldest cousin of 10 on one side of the family and the oldest & the only girl cousin on the other side.

11. I HATE socks. I hate shoes. I wouldn't wear either ever again if I didn't have to.

12. I was born in Tempe, Arizona.

13. I have lived in Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and Colorado.

14. I'm been to Canada, England, France, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany.

15. Joe and I went to the same school in a town with 3,000 people for 9 years but didn't meet until we were seniors in high school.

16. My father is an inch too tall to be in the Air Force, I could have been a military brat!

17. I have lived in an apartment for the last 10 years, through college and while Joe has been in the military. I'm ready for my own house!!

18. I love white tulips.

19. My mother and I planned my wedding in 4 months, since the Army had different plans for Joe and I.

20. I drink an inordinate amount of water. I always have a water bottle by my side. I'd pick plain water to drink over just about any other beverage.

21. I'm an obsessive list maker. Joe makes fun of me for it.

22. I was a Girl Scout for 11 years and earned my Silver Award.

23. I graduated high school a year early.

24. I wanted to be an astronomer when I was little.

25. I love doing laundry. I especially love folding towels.

Tell me your story about... EDUCATION

My friend Megan over at Megan Dub-Yuh had an awesome idea about everyone sharing their positive education stories. They are all linked from her blog.

I've had a many good teachers. But three GREAT teachers come to mind. They were all high school science teachers. I'm from a VERY small town in Arkansas. Education is not considered all that important. Football is FAR more important than the grade you made on a science test. But these three teachers were true professionals. I have no idea what there were doing teaching in lil ol' Paris, Arkansas, but I am very lucky that they were. Mr. Varnell - physical science, Mr. Patterson - biology, and Mrs. Siebenmorgan - chemistry and physics.

I was one of the only girls in Mr. Varnell's class. Remember that huge static ball? Well, of course they needed a girl with long hair to test it out. :) I stood on the platform and touched the giant metal ball as my hair raised up on all ends. It was by far my favorite class up until that point. We did crazy experiments with very simple chemicals. It was a lot of fun, even for the football players in my class.

Mr. Patterson taught biology. I had 139% in that class because he had to give out so much extra credit for most people to pass the class. We grew plants and dyed carnations. And did a bug collection. I had a lot of fun in his class.

Mrs. Siebenmorgan changed my life. She signed me up for the challenges through the University of Arkansas. She pushed me harder than any other teacher I ever had. She saw my potential and BOREDOM and put me in a class a grade ahead of my own, where I ended up meeting and getting to know Joe, my husband. She was a fantastic teacher, but fun at the same time. She influenced me to be a chemistry major in college. I was a biochem major for 3 years, until I found my true path in education. But oddly enough, that biochem background has been more than helpful even in psychology, since much of psychology has to do with the body and brain and the chemicals that make each of us function. It was just meant to be.

On a less positive note, my mother in law is a 4th grade teacher. She says that it is truly a thankless job. Oddly enough, there was a skit on The Colbert Report just the other night about how great the GOP thinks teachers have it, with their $50,000 a year incomes and lavish benefits. I don't know where *these* people teach, but my MIL makes far less than $50,000 and cant afford health insurance, EVEN THOUGH she is a college graduate. She works 24/7, grading papers and influencing the young minds of this country. And she cant afford health insurance?!?!

I worked as a special ed para in Kansas while we were stationed there. I vowed to myself I would NEVER be a teacher. With such little pay and the absurd politics that went along with that administration, it wasn't worth it. The administration, mainly the principal, treated the teachers like children themselves. I'm told that not all schools are like this, but some obviously are.

But after that experience, I have such great respect for people that have decided to dedicate their lives to teaching.

I've said it before and I will say it again, there is something VERY WRONG with this country while Soldiers and teachers make very little while actors and athletes and Charlie Sheen make millions of dollars a year. WTF people??

B&N Free Friday NOOKbook

Did you know that Barnes & Noble gives away a FREE NOOKbook every Friday? Even if you dont have a Nook, you can download them for free and read them online. They are WHOLE books, not samples. And usually from different genres. I've gotten the free books for about the last month now just to have a good library on my Nook.

Thanks Barnes & Noble!!

New Blog Design!!

Isnt my blog looking awesome now?!!?

I have Aly from Bridge Work Blog Design to thank for that. She is amazingly talented and so easy to work with. She was so patient while I changed my mind about colors and fonts and backgrounds.

Thank you SO much Aly!!!

Far Away

Nickelback

This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know,
you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know,
you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

So far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know

I wanted
I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and, never let me go

Biscuits Gone BIG Time!

I woke up this morning thinking about scones. My mom used to make them for me. The recipe we use was initially a cranberry-orange scone. But we use the base for our alterations. SUPER easy!! But you have to be prepared to get your hands dirty. :)

Scones

Combine:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Cut in one stick of butter (1/2 cup). You can use a pastry cutter if you have one, and can find it in your messy kitchen. If you dont, or cant find it, the easiest thing to do it use your fingers. Break up the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly.

Add 2/3 cup milk or buttermilk. I dont care for buttermilk, and never have it in my house. Milk works just fine.

Add 1 cup dried cranberries.

Stir until just moistened. Dont work it too much.

If you want the wedge shaped schones, turn out onto a floured surface, knead a couple times so it all stays together and pat into an 8 inch disk. Cut into the traditional wedges. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, about an inch apart.

If you dont want to do all that, not really that hard, but slightly messy, just scoop the batter out with a spoon and place on a lightly greased baking sheet, about an inch apart.

Brush with milk and then sprinkle with some sugar.

Bake at 425 degree for 15 minutes, or until the tops are as golden as you like them.

Alterations, today I didnt have an orange, so I just left that out of my cranberry scones. And then I made lemon poppy seed scones. Omit the cranberrys, of course. Add the zest of one lemon and the juice of half of that lemon to the mix. The other half of the lemon can be used to brush the tops of the unbaked scones. I also added a pinch of poppyseeds. Not too many, just enough to know they are there. If you want the scone SUPER lemony, you can always add more lemon juice.

You can add anything to this basic recipe, chocolate chips, nuts, any dried fruit, apricots are very good, let your mind wonder!

Dog food snob

I am so happy to see Wellness finally advertised on tv! Finally a decent dog food reaching the masses!!

As many of you know, I got Rigel during the massive dog and cat food recall at the end of 2007. I went from a fairly sheltered pet owner to a pretty well informed dog food snob. Rigel came to me eating Pedigree. I promptly switched him to Nutro Ultra. It was the best thing I could find in my area. And it wasnt on the recall. Only months later, the store stopped carrying that particular brand. So I went back to my research. I found that I could now get something called Wellness in my area. And it's a GREAT food!! There are many good foods, just like Wellness, that dont cost an arm and a leg, especially if you have a small dog that doesn't eat much.

My problem with most of the dog and cat food commercials on tv is that they are fairly deceiving. As humans, we need a balanced diet, meat, dairy, grains, etc. But as dogs, they need a completely different food profile. And most people just dont think about it. I used to be one of those people that thought that of course dogs needed grains, wheat is good for us, why not for dogs?? Well, that is completely wrong! Dogs successfully thrive in a grain free diet. In fact, most dog foods are full of grains just as a low cost filler. And do absolutely nothing for the health of your pet.

For the life and health of your pet, I seriously suggest you look into your dog food. Just a little research could do wonders for your dog.

Nook Discoveries II

New books I've found!

I'm 30 pages into The Perfect Husband and it's already a great read. Some interesting language, def an adult book. But I can tell it's gonna be good! It's labeled as a "FBI Triller."





I finished Switched this morning. It's probably a teen book, but I liked it nonetheless. It's about a trylle, or a troll, but not the trolls you normally think of. There are two more in the series. I've already downloaded them. Switched and the 2nd book are lendable, let me know if you'd like to borrow them. :)

To Kill A Warlock, a Paranormal Urban Fantasy (Book 1 of the Dulcie O'Neil Series) by H.P. Mallory is awesome as well, also a quick read. Not my favorite H.P. Mallory book, but I'd recommend it if you want a fun cute book to read. It's also lendable.

timing is everything

Joe asked me a question the other day.

Where do you think you would be if we hadn't gotten married?

We talked about it for a while. But it got me thinking about all of the events in a person's life that lead them to a certain moment. I laid in bed that night and thought about all of the things that had to happen perfectly for me and Joe to get together, the many times Joe and I did date, and then the last time, where Joe and I just knew we belonged together. Do I believe in fate and destiny? I don't know. I don't not believe in them. But I think that life can give you opportunities, but it's our job to capture that moment. I'm not a very religious person, many of you know that already. But it feels like there have been some times in my life where I have been pushed, or at least very slightly directed, to a certain result.

Big picture:
My family had to move to Paris, Arkansas, as did Joe.
I had to be born at a very specific time.
My parents had to get together.
Their parents had to get together.
My grandfather had to join the army and be in Germany to meet my grandmother.

It snowballs from there.

But on a more personal level, I had to be the person I was to wait for Joe. To know he needed time and space to become the person he is now. One relationship had to end, for ours to begin. I was in a philosophy class with a guy that reminded me so much of Joe. He made me miss Joe. I had to get a MySpace account (yeah, I found Joe that last time on MySpace) which I wouldn't have done unless my brother had joined a band and they had started blogging about their tour on MySpace. I remember driving home one afternoon determined to find Joe online, or at least call his mother. I just had to find him. There was this very loud determined voice in my head screaming at me. And come to find out, he had found me on MySpace only days after I had made my account. We were searching for each other. Coincidence? Fate? Destiny? Love? I don't know what to call it. I just know that the web that captures just our relationship was so tight. If anything had happened differently, I wouldn't be married to him today. It's an interesting thought. Are we soul mates? Looking back, I've never been the girl to regret anything. I don't jump with both feet first very often; I'm very cautious about the decisions I have made in my life. But I know Joe and I were supposed to be together. I think about how many times the universe pushed us together. How many opportunities we were given to get it right. How many people come and go in a lifetime, but Joe was always a constant in my life.

There is a quote in the movie The Notebook when the main character is proposed to: "She agreed with all her heart but couldn't understand why, at the moment she said yes, Noah's face came to mind." This quote has always given me chills. I have a sneaky suspicion I would have had a similar thought if I had fallen in love with a different man. Even while I was dating someone else, and I had completely lost touch with Joe, I would think about him all the time.

On January 20th, 2007, Joe was walking towards my apartment building. Rigel was just a puppy. I was leaning over my couch staring out the window, watching him walk down the sidewalk and up the stairs. I turned to Rigel and told him that I wanted to marry Joe so badly. Not 10 minutes later we were engaged. He proposed to me on my birthday. With the perfect ring. In the perfect words. And in that moment, I wasn't thinking about anyone other than him and our future.

In a very odd set of conversations as a teen, my mother and I decided that this life (if we just happened to had many lives as humans) was to inspect, perfect, become very well versed- in patience and tolerance. As I was looking back at the moments that brought me to the place and person I am today, this long forgotten thought popped back into my head. And it made me laugh. Army wife. ARMY. wife. Going through a deployment. My current existence is the epitome of patience and tolerance. How did my mother know, all those years ago, I would be a constant student of patience and tolerance as an adult? Is it possible that you are given tasks in life that prepare you for the future? The other guys I have dated. The path I took in college. The way I was raised. It's all led me to where I am today. And I wouldnt have it any other way!