There I said it....

New Blog..

2009-09-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

This will probably be my last post on this blog.

To make things simpler since I changed my email, Dan and I have decided to do a combined blog so feel free to follow us there at AMANDAN.

Here is a quick update
Wedding was Wonderful. Honeymoon was great. Adjusting back to work. We are moving this week to a new apartment. Will post pics of everything soon!

There he said it...

2009-09-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

I really couldn't say it any better...So I won't try...
READ THIS!

6 more days...

2009-09-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

until I am a McCurley and on my way to Iceland, and most importantly no more wedding planning!!!!

Flotsam and Jetsam

2009-08-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

***SPOILER ALERT***If have not seen Project Runway or The Project Runway All Stars, STOP here!***SPOILER ALERT***

Last started off the first season of Project Runway on Lifetime. I must say I was a little nervous, but it was AWESOME.
First I watched the project Runway All Stars and I will admit I was mad Daniel won. I did not like his stuff as much as Korto's...She is amazing, I wish she could make me some dresses. I also loved the green dress by Sweet Pea.

Ok on to Project Runway Season 6...
Lindsay Lohan was a judge, and I am not really sure why...The first challenge was a good one, make a dress for any red carpet event you choose, and there was already a "not enough time to finish/my model is worthless" moment. Also looks like we have a few people who have not been to fashion school and love to constantly remind us of the fact.
Looks like we already have some strangies to keep us entertained, Malvin, Ari (well not anymore) and the man the had a break down already former meth addict Johnny, whose dress I did not think was that great. Kim thinks that the judges wanted to avoid another breakdown/Tim Gunn heart to heart and said they liked it.
What do you think?

I really didn't like all the top dresses at all. Usually that happens with me though, I always like stuff in the begging that doesn't win. Th designers I like always stay in the middle until halfway through. Last night my top three favorites were: Shirina (the picture is not the best, but I loved the back) , Gordana (so fun), and Irina ( i love lacy vintagey stuff):

Sew(ha), who are you rooting for?

Scrunchie Socks Can Only Mean One Thing....

2009-08-17T18:37:00.001-07:00

Time to do laundry....

Blah....

2009-08-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ever hate everything in your closet? I need a wardrobe makeover....

There were no boas, no crowns, no party buses,

2009-08-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

And most importantly no Penises. That's right, I had my bachelorette party a week ago. And yes, it was not annoying one. It was really great to see my friends in college and bring Kim to Iowa! We got our nails done, had a great sushi and went out and about in Iowa City. Lots of girl talk and drinks! It was a great night and I would not have wanted it any other way. I am so thankful my friends went to all the trouble of planning and organizing the whole thing! It was a blasty and I wish I could do it every weekend.

I was really nervous about having a bachelorette party, because all the ones I have see around town the bride is obscenely drunk, wearing veils with condoms in them, carrying a giant inflatable penis around, wearing a a suck for buck shirt with life savers sewn to them, boas, crowns, and other obnoxious shenanigans going on. I honeatly don't understand why there are penises everywhere at these parties either. Can anyone shed some light on this?? I did not want to be ap art of that, first of all it is extremely annoying, second, tacky and third I think it is a little disrespectful to the groom. It just isn't for me...Anyways my party was not like that we dressed up and went out. We did see a bunch of other parties though... Good Times!

Thanks again to all who made it possible! You are the best friends a girl could ask for!

The wedding is less than a month away!!

Crafty Like a Fox...

2009-08-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

I know I have been blogging about how I should get a hobby or do something besides sitting on my couch staring at screens (TV and Computer) all night.Good news, I have taken up crocheting and making paper beads and dabbling in a little painting. It is really good to take a break from wedding planning and mindless drivel on the television and hours wasted on facebook. Actually I used to really get into crafts when I was younger. I was a friendship bracelet machine and owned literally every color of floss there was. I also made a lot of beaded jewelry in high school. I also did a lot of lanyard making. Then in college I just sort of quit doing crafty things. I must say it is really nice to start getting back into do something I enjoy. I do workout 4 times a week. Is it a good stress reliever? Yes. Is it good for me? Yes. Do I enjoy it? NO.
So, how did I finally find my way back to crafts? We have been spending a lot of time in Michael's and JoAnn's getting stuff, and I always look around to see what else is going on there. Also, a few weeks ago, Jamie, Katie, and Derek came to visit us. It was a lot of fun and it was GREAT to see them. We went to the North Market one afternoon and outside they had a bunch of little tables set up with jewelry and crafts. We found some really cool necklace charms made out of scrabble tiles. It reminded me of when I made toothbrush bracelets. And the spark was ignited....
I once started teaching myself how to crochet, but then got distracted and stopped. I have decided to pick up where I left off.
Crocheting reminds me a lot of making friendship bracelets and maybe this is why I am whizzing through the learn how to crochet book. Maybe it really isn't all that difficult?!? Dan is excited because he will finally get a stocking hat that will fit his head.
Dan has also been painting lately. Here are his two latest pictures. I think they are pretty good.
Also, now I have started visiting craft stores again. I went to one today and it was super cool. It is called Wholly Craft. There were so many cool things there. I wanted to buy them all! I love having handmade stuff because it is so unique and there is story behind it. I know most people that read this are not in Columbus, but if you like artsy, handmade stuff you can go HERE, a lot of the people who make things for Wholly Craft sell stuff on here too!

I am really excited to get finally start making things like blankets, hats and dog sweaters! Now I have something to do on my way back to Iowa next weekend!!
That's enough screen time for me, back to my yarn!

Heaven Forbid...

2009-07-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

everyone could have the health care they deserve. Man, what is wrong with our government? Trying to look out for and help people...But I guess that's not what community is all about according to my favorite person Bill O'Reily...LAME

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday!
Nothing much going on here, mostly wedding stuff...Good news is, while Dan was at work today I got ribbons cut and tied and the majority of the center pieces done. Exciting stuff!! (See why I don't blog much?)
You can keep updated on wedding details HERE!

T-3 MONTHS

2009-06-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

The invitations came!! This is getting very real, really fast!

I'm so excited, I'm so excited!!!

Speaking of Saved by the Bell...Have you seen THIS?

You're Hired!

2009-06-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

This is the ultimate RESUME Enjoy!

Ulterior Motives

2009-05-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

I love to people watch, I could do it all day! This may be why I get sucked into reality TV shows so easily, and can stand to watch Extra! while I am working out. I really like to see what makes people tick, and why they do the things they do.
My cubicle buddy (also my MOH) and I have invented a new game which we call Ulterior Motives...and it is pretty much what you guessed it would be. We watch people and listen to conversations throughout the office and try to figure out ulterior motives...
It is pretty entertaining actually ( and maybe a little lame, but it helps make the work day more interesting....
My favorite is when people try to get you to ask them about something, so they can talk about themselves. For example, "I can't believe no one asked me what I ordered us for lunch today." (yes this actually happened to me). As you may, or may not know I really am not huge fan of small talk with people I don't know that well. So when someone came over and plopped themselves on top of my desk and said "I can't believe no one asked me what I ordered us for lunch today." I responded " Weird!" Then I realized what was going on. The conversation starter wanted me to ask what was ordered for lunch, so their efforts could be validated...Since I didn't give the appropriate response by asking the conversation went stale fast, and I caved. I asked....Luckily, the convo was cut short by a phone call. Lunch was pretty good though!
There are other ulterior motives as well, like getting someone else to do a task for you: change the printer cartridge, draft a document, get you something from the kitchen.
Politicians, celebrities and everyone else use them all the time too. It is an interesting way to read the news articles about current events.

I used my own UM this weekend by getting Dan to try on wedding bands by picking a jewelery store that was next to Whole Foods. And yes, it worked. =]

A WEAK defense...

2009-05-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my sermon for the week...
Since November, Dan and I have been members at a gym about 2 blocks from our apartment. One of my favorite parts about working out at the gym is getting to watch ET or Extra while running away the miles on the treadmill. I find that in doing so, it makes running less painful. Now that the paparazzi and celebrity gossip hungry are sick from the Octo-Mom binge, Mario Lopez and Mark Steines have moved on to new material. Besides the Jon and Kate Plus 8 Drama, they have been buzzing about Carrie Prejean. The sad thing is that "real" news has also been buzzing and covering this story CONSTANTLY.
Carrie's 15 minutes started when she answered a question about "opposite" marriage. I really care less how she answered the question, even though it was hauntingly Palin-esque, meaning, really "pagenty" and rambling. I may not agree, but I do realize everyone is going to have a differing opinion on this matter until the cows come home. She does make a good point saying she has the right to exercise her freedom speech, as do I, that is why I continue to write in this blog.
My annoyance comes up with her most recent controversy. Apparently Miss California has some scandalous (nude) pictures popping up all over the internet. Again, this isn't what bothered me so much. I am more appalled about her fake boobs as a gift from the pageant, than the pictures. I am not going to look at them so it won't bother me...
What bothers me is the defense she used. How she couldn't be in the wrong because she is a good christian (whatever that means, I also have some issues with the term "good Christian"). This bothers me because it is a total cop-out. I think it is pretty sad that because someone is a Christian (a good one at that, it means they should be let off the hook and it is ok to look the other way. The reason you are under scrutiny is because you are a Christian and messed up big time, which all Christians do. SO you shouldn't be claiming you are too good to do something, say you messed up and that you are sorry for it, and hope others can learn from it. Don't point your finger at the photographer and say you were taken advantage of, step up and take responsibility for your actions. EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES, especially Christians, and I feel that at times Christians are under more pressure to preform because "practicing what you preach" is key. No one who committed murder will hear the verdict not guilty because his attorney's main defense is "He's a Good Christian". In my opinion the beauty of being a Christian is making mistakes and owning up to them, learning from it, growing from it, and knowing that you can be forgiven, not using cop-outs to be let off the hook. Being a Christian also puts you under a microscope and people watch everything you do, so you better be ready to explain yourself.
Just because someone says they are Christian does not make them a good person. This is why it bothers me when someone says "I'm a good Christian." It's not true, we are all sinners and pretty rotten underneath it all. If we were truly "good Christians" there probably wouldn't be a need for Jesus, which defeats the purpose of Christianity. I am by far, far from perfect. I know it is wrong for me to single out a person, but I am sick of hearing this weak defense. That is they way I see it anyway.

A Good Quote

2009-05-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

C.S. Lewis

Friend Request

2009-04-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

Be my(and Dan's)friend on Netflix!!! Click HERE

I am excited to see what you're watching, and aren't you a bit curious to see what we're watching??!?

Pet PEEve

2009-04-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

I know I let of things get to me...And now it is time to add another one to the list.
This annoyance takes place in the public bathrooms at work. Whenever I go to to the bathroom at work I usually pick a stall that is far away from the door and not next to anyone. Most of the time I am the only one in there. However, it seems like whenever someone else comes in they pick the stall right next to mine. I thought it was just because the stall next to the one I usually go to is everyone else's preferred stall. This is not true. I have tried other stalls, and more times than not someone ends up right next to me. I don't know why it bothers me so much but it is kind of nice to have some alone time during the work day, but it always gets interrupted. It is not enjoyable for me to be in stall with stage fright! I am always tempted to ask the person why they had to go right there. Maybe I should next time. I just don't understand why if there are a lot of other open stalls, why you would pick the one right next to someone else...Can anyone shine some light on me???

Also, I did get a promotion at work. I am pretty excited! Let the new tasks and responsibilities begin!

True Beauty

2009-04-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

Lately there has a been a lot of buzz about the Britain's Got Talent Susan Boyle. The unlikely overnight sensation to reach global stardom, partially in part because of You Tube. By looking at her you would never guess this women would have the gift of such a beautiful voice. She even impressed Simon.
A lot of people are writing how she has become a big inspiration to them. I am about to do the same, but not because of the reason you may think. Yes, I do believe she is the poster child of following your dreams and anything can happen; however I am more impressed with her self confidence and self esteem. Every time I open up a a magazine or watch TV, I am ambushed with tirades of weight loss pills, tips for plastic surgery, how to get the body you always wanted and so on. Not to mention all the negative coverage on celebrities that may have gained some weight... I always try to avoid feeling inadequate but when it is a constant reminder, it is hard not too. Luckily, I am comfortable with the fact that most of these people are airbrushed and they don't even look like that in real life. I can't help but wonder how it is affecting millions of teen girls, and soon, my nieces. SO how does this relate to Susan Boyle? Well after she had hit it bog time, she was interviewed over and over again. There was one question that I thought was completely out of line, and if someone asked me it, I would probably never come out of hiding. An interviewer asked if she would like a makeover or if she wanted one.
I cringed when I heard it. But Susan answered truthfully and said no, why should I? I think if I wasn't in my work break room I would have stood up and cheered. She new she was talented and she was happy with who she is. I don't see that very often anymore. We live in a society where we are trained to pick out our flaws and fixate on them until we correct them instead of embracing them. A society where aging gracefully isn't really an option. I hope others saw this as as an inspiration too. WE are all beautiful and we don't need to look like barbie to think so.
It was relief to see that some people are happy with who they are. This is the definition of true beauty.

Fancy!!

2009-03-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

These are some things that tickle my fancy!

These guys make me laugh! I never get sick of them =]

Cardigans! It is true, Mr. Rogers was on to something here! You can spruce up a regular old t shirt by throwing on one as well as add another layer to your look. When your office runs the air conditioning all year round you learn to love them!

FUNFETTI CAKE!
It is DELICIOUS! I love rainbow chip frosting too! I wonder if I can use this for my wedding cake...

Surly Girl
This is a bar in Columbus. If you haven't been here, now you have a reason to visit! I just had the pleasure of going here on Friday. They have an awesome menu that is vegetarian friendly and also includes a spicy peanut butter and banana sandwich(which I ordered, YUMMY!). Also it has beer brewed by women! I hope I get to go back soon!

Hiking Boots
I can't wait to start hiking again =]

Cheap Happy Hours on Fridays!
-Need I say more?!?!

Mario Party Video Games
I love the min games and the fact you don't have to have a lot of skill to play. But boy does it make me mad sometimes....

Ida Maria- I like you so much better when your naked!
A great song that I cannot get out of my head!

Soccer
It is warm out so we can play outside again =] It is an awesome workout, plus I actually understand the game now.

Shopping in My Closet
I like going through my closet putting together new outfits. Almost as fun as shopping and a lot cheaper!

Staying off the phone/computer...
It is something I am working on but, I save myself so much time at night when I am not in front of the computer constantly. Plus I spend most of my work day on both, it is nice to get a break!

And now for things that are not so fancy...
Two and a Half Men---> best comedy in America?? really?!?!
People angry @ Obama...He didn't start the fire!
Dick Cheney-if we ignore him, he will go away...
Grown women STILL obsessing about Twilight and who are VERY serious about it...
The media's obsession over OctoMOM. Maybe if we ignore her, she will go away...
The LAME finale of John and Kate Plus 8...look for the spin-off next season John Minus 9...

March MADNESS!

2009-03-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

My name is Amanda and I am a bracket-ohlic. (That sounded so much cooler in my head). It is true I am one of those people you probably hate who is completely obsessed with my bracket. I started out strong and now I am starting to fade. It is disappointing, but I still love the tournament, the heartbreaks and big breaks. I used not care about college basketball so much, until I started making brackets, now I am invested. You ma see me getting angyy and even yelling at the TV. I have had yet to shed any tears over a loss or win for that matter!

How is your bracket doing??

On to more Madness!!
SO lately I have cut back on shopping to save for the "BIG DAY"* but I am pleased to announce more and more designers are starting to design for stores where WE can shop. I was pleased when Vera decided to do Kohl's, but I am even more excited that Alexander McQueen is jumping on board. I can only hope DVF is next :)

And Even MORE Madness...
There is a guy that goes to my gym.(I promise this gets better) I see him almost everytime I am there. He looks like Gene (Yes bandanna and everything) from Wet Hot American Summer.** There are signs all over the gym prohibiting cell phone use; however, he continues to talk on, not one, but two phones throughout his workout. The weirdest thing about this is that he carries his TWO exact same phones around and talks on them while he works out. Very weird and of course it drives me nuts! I know he sees the signs, but I guess Gene is above the law! I had to get that off my chest, I feel much better now!

*Less than 6 months until the Wedding! I am super excited and I hope you are too!

**If you have not seen this movie, you really should. My reference would be like 30 times funnier...

2009-03-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

I admit when I first got Twitter, I wasn't that into it. But now I am OBSESSED. Dan got me to make an account awhile ago, and now I cannot stay away from it. Twitter is pretty much like a facebook status, in which you can let the world what is going on with you in 140 characters or less. I find it much more fun and less time consuming than Facebook. Granted you can't look at people's favorite movies, pictures, or pages plagued with useless applications, but you can get a quick tidbit of what is going on with them. I also love Twitter because you can follow just about anyone-including Joel McHale, Britney Spears, Barack Obama (and the list goes on).
I am wondering if my favoritism towards conciseness comes from my training at Capital Law School...
Anyways, I am not the only one who thinks Twitter is they way to go as far as networking sites are concerned. Facebook is going to change their format to copy them and there are more people tweeting than Facebook stalking....
If you don't have an account, make one and let me know what you think. I admit it did take me awhile to warm up to it, but as more of my friends join and as I find interesting people, I cannot stay away.
So give it a try and TWEET your heart out!

Lousy Smarch Weather!

2009-03-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I made a full recovery and am up and kicking once again. I am going to blame my sinuses and the ever changing weather on that one!

Feb was a good month for me! My best friends from college came to visit as well as my best friend from Milwaukee. It was great to see them but now I am reminded of how much I really do miss them.

There really isn't a whole lot else going on here. Dan and I are thinking of Iceland for honeymoon. I am actually super excited about it!

Ok so here is my rant for the day-maybe not so much a rant but a great idea...I think the people that constantly talk just to hear themselves, and constantly whine so the world feels sorry for them while they are at work, should have to listen to themselves all day long through headphones and hear how ridiculous they are so I don't have to....There I said it!

Let's go to the movies...

2009-02-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

Dan and I went to Slumdog Millionaire finally on Friday! It was really good, there were some parts that were hard to watch..but I loved loved loved it! Of course it made me feel horribly guilty, but it made me experience every emotion and I loved that. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do!
Which brings me to my next point. What is people's movie etiquette? Yeah, I know i am picky, but seriously it is bad...

1. When the theater is pretty empty, is it necessary to sit DIRECTLY in front of or behind someone. The answer is NO. If there is room, please respect the personal space of others. Thank you.

2. We are all watching the movie and are hearing and seeing the same things you are. There is no need to repeat quotes or state the obvious of what is happening. I am glad you are enjoying the movie, but keep it to yourself.

3. Movie times are posted for a reason and the don't change. I understand everyone once in awhile you might be running late. But please, do not walk up and down the stairs on the side aisle discussing loudly where you are going to sit. Take the first seat you find and take it. Also, you probably don't have to sit by all of your friends at the movie, if there are 10 of you and theater is packed, it is ok to separate. You are there to watch the movie not chat with your friends.

4. I know movies are great places for dates, but please save the PDA for after. If I can hear you making out over the movie, you should probably leave and get a room.

5. If you do end up having someone sit directly in front of you or behind you. Please be kind and don't put your feet on their seat. And if you are in front of someone please do not knock your seat into the person behind you's knees. Thank you!

Thank you for hearing me out!!

Now on a lighter note, I saw this and it looked like fun and I had some time to kill while Dan corrected tests!

1.Pick 25 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess. Tag 20 of your friends.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.

1. No, she gets a special cologne... It's called Sex Panther by Odeon. It's illegal in nine countries... Yep, it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.

2. It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.

3. I love them redheads!

4. It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. I've outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers mind you, I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you old man

5. You can't do this to me, I'm an AMERICAN.

6. Oh, no, we're not asking you to lose weight. That would be illegal. We just want you to be healthy, by eating less. So go home, weigh yourself on a scale, write than down. Then subtract 20 from that number. And weigh that. Yeah.

7. Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?

8. Like I'd marry you! You'd be the meanest wife ever, okay? And I know that you weren't bored that day because there was a lot of stuff on TV, and then 'The Blair Witch Project' was coming on Starz and you were like 'I haven't seen this since it came out and if so we should watch it' and then 'but oh, no, we should just make out instead la la la'

9. At least you'll never be a vegetable - even artichokes have hearts.

10. When I was growing up, I knew I was different. The other girls were blonde and delicate, and I was a swarthy six-year-old with sideburns.

11. Pandora can't go back into the box - he only comes out.

12.---: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.
----: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.

13. What's normal? Those damn Dawson's River kids, sleeping in each other's beds and whatnot?

14. I'm very drunk and I intend on getting still drunker before this evening's over.

15. ------: Well, Brian, this is a very nutritious lunch. All the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry Mr. Rogers?
------: Uh, no. Mr. Johnson.

16. No, not I! Aright, she started it, aright? Because she was like "I hate my job, I'm gonna burn this mother down!" And I said "You better not... you better not!"

17. If I could only have one food for the rest of my life? That's easy, Pez, cherry-flavored Pez. No question about it.

18. When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer.

19. Neil! I wanna party with you! I WANNA PARTY WITH YOU!

20. It costs more to have someone born than to have someone killed!

21. Listen to me. I need to you say the line. I need you to say "I will piss on the bones of your ancestors"...

22. Sand is overrated. It's just tiny, little rocks.

23. Hey cowgirls, see the grass? Don't eat it.

24. Three dimes, a hundred dollar bill and 87 ones.

25. My apologies. I have a nephew named Anfernee, and I know how mad he gets when I call him Anthony. Almost as mad as I get when I think about the fact that my sister named him Anfernee.

Ugh!

2009-02-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to write about. My life is not that exciting right now and is consumed with all things wedding-planning oriented, so I am not going to bore you with that...

The weather is starting to warm up and I am super excited about that!

Also I am so happy that I am going to have some friends come out and visit me, FINALLY! Abbie and Alexis are coming on the 20th and Talitha and Darren are coming the 27th. Ever since I have moved here I feel like I have missed out on a lot of things with my friends and that my friendships have gotten weaker because of the distance that has been put between us...Stupid OHIO! I guess that is life though. I am very glad to see my friends again =]!

My attempt at a T Shirt!

2009-01-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

In light of all the Office T-shirt making going on-I have to decided to jump on board!
My shirt is based on the episode when Michael hits Meredith with his car and when Dwight goes to visit here in the hospital. He says,"As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is to put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive we could power a small fan for 2 days. You tell me what's unethical."

Here is the shirt:

Click here to vote: http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/photos/gallery#item=59499

A new found love!

2009-01-25T17:56:00.000-08:00

I know I may be a little behind the times, but recently I have become acquainted with podcasts!
I love them because they help work go a little faster, plus they make me laugh, and they actually teach me something.
The reason why it has taken me until now to listen to them is because I thought they cost money...oh boy was I wrong!
Currently I am listening to:
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! I love it because it is smart and witty and catches me up on news events.

That's What She Said-This podcast talks about episodes of The Office. I like it because it plays clips of the show. The hosts really tend to over analyze everything on the show-but I still do find it entertaining and interesting.

Stuff You Should Know- I love this podcast because I learn a lot from it. They cover topics from redheads to exorcism to bootlegging.

Legal Lad's Quick and Dirty Tips-These are short little lessons about law-probably not interesting to everyone but I like it!

60 Second Psych-Only one minute long-but super interesting!

Mugglecast-This one is for Harry Potter Lovers. I haven't listened to it yet but I have it on my i pod ready to go for this week!

What podcasts are you listening too??

Here comes another one...

2009-01-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

25 things unimportant about me - write your info. then pass it on to 25 of your friends

1. I have a crazy memory. I can remember random events, quotes, and people's names. I can't remember faces though, and I often forget what people look like if I haven't seen them in awhile!

2. I get emotionally invested into movies, TV shows, songs, etc. very easily. I think that is why it hard for me to watch very violent movies...

3. I absolutely do not like it when people dye their hair red. It also really bothers me when people ask if I dye my hair....You weren't born with it for a reason....

4. I like ugly things, shoes, purses, socks, and jewelry-because I know no one else will have it.

5. There are a lot of noises that drive me CRAZY! Chewing, chomping gum, nail clippers, Styrofoam, whistling, silverware on plates...I think I have hypersensitive hearing.

6. I like watching college sports-I am even starting to get mad when my team doesn't win....

7. I like expensive jeans. I believe they are worth the money. I cannot wear any other jeans (ie Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle) because I can tell they are not as good of quality and they don't fit as well.

8. I am not good at small talk. It makes me nervous and I am always thinking about what to say next and hoping the person can't see through how really uninterested I am...

9. I feel horribly guilty about a lot of social justice issues, even though I don't have much control over it. For example I will not shop at Wal-Mart because of sweatshop labor, and I still feel guilty about ever shopping there. Same with clothing stores, when I find out I shop at stores where there are bad working conditions my stomach drops....it makes me feel bad both emotionally and physically...

10. I am horrible at foreshadowing and predicting endings of things...I did NOT see that coming!

11. Ever since I moved to Columbus I have gotten horrible road rage-I cannot stand that someone else's slow/horrible driving is wasting my time!

12. I used to practice red carpet interviews, Oscar acceptance speeches and other things famous people do when I was little. I still like to strike a red carpet pose every once and awhile!

13. I really don't like the Dave Matthew's Band-I think they may be a little overrated...

14. Most Christmas songs annoy me. Especially Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time. I get annoyed when I hear Christmas music before Thanksgiving.

15. I still make wishes on falling stars and when the time is 11:11

16. I usually won't let big SUVs or cars with W04 stickers cut in front of me in traffic! (Sorry!)
17. I love True Crime stories! Dateline, 48 hours and Anne Rule books will always win me over!
18. I like looking over at other people in their cars at red lights and seeing what they are up to!

19. I still want to go to Africa someday and promote AIDS awareness.

20. I always wanted to have a makeover-like on what not to wear and am curious what they would do to me!

21. I have a hard time figuring out what my body shape and face shape are....Also I don't know if I am 5'8 or 5'9...

22. Sometimes I feel unexciting and inexperienced because I haven't left the United States, I crossed the border into Mexico once-but I really don't count it.

23. I don't like jazz music all that much...

24. I hold myself to what I consider pretty high standards and often hold others to these standards. I guess you could say I am judgmental or critical. I am aware of this fault and continue to work on it daily.

25. One of my biggest fears is being completely alone or lost and no one can find and not being able to get myself out of the situation...Or being another person that just disappears and not having anyone know what happened...

I'm just here for a check up!

2009-01-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

I have been consumed with wedding planning and other boring things and to spare you all from having to hear about it-I haven't blogged in awhile.
Dan and I are getting most of the plans nailed down and I am super excited-only 8 months to go! We are still trying to think of where to go on a honeymoon...Any suggestions?
As far as my resolutions:
1. To keep working out regularly-I am still working out at the gym and I am enjoying it! Also when I went to try on my dress before I bought it-I had to try on a size smaller-because it was too big!!
2. To go to bed earlier-I am also keeping up with this one-I still think I am more of a night person and I don't know if this will ever change!
3. To reconnect with the great outdoors, by hiking, camping etc.-I am waiting for things to warm up a little bit before I attempt this one-I will keep you posted!
4. To recycle more/waste less-Dan and I bought recycling bins and reusable grocery bags- we are being more conscientious of what we buy and use and what can be reused..
5. To get my wedding planned with as less stress as possible-So far so good!
6. To keep thinking of resolutions.... I want to read more (any suggestions?), Watch less TV (I am working on it), Be better about blogging (I will try I promise)...

That is all for now!!!

It's gonna be a Happy New Year!!

2009-01-04T17:24:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009!!
I had a great Christmas and New Year! I got to go home to Iowa for a few days and despite the Iowa weather spoiling some of my plans, it was a great trip! For New Year's Dan and I went to a friend's house and had a laid back but super fun night. My birthday included, dinner, friends and going to a bar, it was also a great time!
I loved all my presents this year, but one that was my favorite was my Phyllis mug. She is my favorite from The Office.
Dan got me another great gift for my birthday. He got me a CD from the band The Stars and a t shirt the designed for The Yellow Bird Project, which all the proceeds went to a women's domestic violence shelter. I thought it was a great gift. Another site that does something similar is TOMS SHOES for every pair of shoes you buy the donate a pair to a child. I am thinking of doing it for me and Dan. I love the idea that buying something for me helps someone else out-I think I am going to work on that more this year...
Speaking of changes for the new year, here are some resolutions:
1. To keep working out regularly
2. To go to bed earlier
3. To reconnect with the great outdoors, by hiking, camping etc.
4. To recycle more/waste less
5. To get my wedding planned with as less stress as possible
6. To keep thinking of resolutions....

Let's Get Physical!

2008-12-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

I joined a gym and have been utilizing it pretty well. It is in a great location only 2-3 blocks from our house :). I just need to learn how to use the weight machines a little better! Anyways my new favorite part of working out is watching MTV while I run on the treadmill and pedal the bikes! That's right, they play MTV there, the pain of being so out of shape is drowned out by the mindless epsiodes of MADE, True Life, My new BFF, and Next.
Also another motivation for me is my workout playlist which includes-Womanizer by Britney Spears-which is annoying at first but grows on you and is fun to work out to...
Which leads me to wonder what other people are listening to when they work. I try to guess, and it is kind of a fun game!

What is on your workout playlist??

UPDATE!!!

2008-12-04T19:34:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful! Dan and I went to visit my sister Erin, Doug, Molly and Nora!! It was so much fun. I am glad I have family close to me. Sometimes it gets lonely out here! I am also happy to have gotten to spend time with my sister and her family. Thanks guys, I hope to see you soon!
While we wee there, Erin took a bunch of "engagement" pictures for us. THey turned out great!!
See for yourself!!

Oh, we also set a date: September 12, 2009 in Cedar Falls-put it on your calendar!

It happened in the Kitchen!

2008-11-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Alright, alright...I am finally posting about the engagement!

Monday,November 17, was our three year anniversary. I was at bible study until 9 and when I came home to Dan. When I got home there were a dozen roses on the counter and Dan was chopping away and getting supper ready. I felt bad because we already bought each other gifts a week ago and I didn't really get him anything for the actual day. Dinner was wonderful it was pasts with vodka cream sauce, wine, and tiramisu for desert. After supper we were standing in the kitchen and Dan got down on one knee and said will you marry me. And I said yes of course! It was sweet and perfect.
Was I surprised? A little but, as you may know I hate surprises and Dan doesn't really keep secrets all that well. I was surprised in the way it was done and that it was on a Monday night!
The ring is beautiful. Dan did a great job picking it out! It is an Emerald cut in a single setting. The band s white gold. Our camera is not good quality, good thing I asked for one for Christmas. So once I get my lovely sister to take a better picture I will post those :).

There really are no real plans yet, once there are I will let you all know!
Thanks for all the well wishes, I am truly blessed to have such great friends!

Raindrops On Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...

2008-11-11T20:53:00.000-08:00

These are a few of my favorite things :)

(I know there is a lot of blogging going on tonight, but our Internet wireless router is not working right and this is the first time I have been on in awhile and I don't know when I will make it back again).

I love these American Apparel socks and shirts. I had to buy the socks for my Halloween Costume. And even though they were pricey..they were super comfortable. I guess I know, no small child made them...But their owner is a little creepy/sketchy...anyways I think the deep v shirts are my favorites :)

BOOTS!!! I never thought I would say that, but I love the new boots I have recently acquired! I recommend everyone get a pair! They keep my feet warm :)

Scarves!! They are perfect for my cold office space!

Tights! Target has them for cheap and some cute styles, they are also perfect for my cold office space. Maybe I will be brave enough to try leggings sometime. I said MAYBE.

Orange Tic Tacs- I ate a lot of them when I was Paulie Bleeker. Now I know why he can't get enough.

Panera-I can't get enough You Pick Two Combos. It isn't the best food I have ever eaten, but it is the perfect weather for A bowl of soup or salad or sandwich. It always hits the spot.

MGMT, The Killers, The Envy Corps, and The Black Kids, etc....Great music and when any of the songs play on my iPod,; it makes me HAPPY!!! If you want to know what songs I am digging on my ipod right now, ask me...Maybe I will blog about it later!

Dan's Wallpapers...I love them and the office ones crack me up!! They always brighten my day!

The 10...

2008-11-11T20:03:00.001-08:00

Inspired by my friend's post. I have decided to make a list of boys as well. THis was hard for me to make...I don't really have "type" but I think we can gather I love good senses of humor and smart asses :). We all know I love my Dano, but he is exempt from this list...

1) Mark Ruffalo- He always plays, the sensitive, caring, funny boyfriend...He is from the Midwest, Wisconsin to be exact, so that in itself is appealing. Also he is Handsome, but not too hot. He also is scruffy and has a hairy chest :)

2) Ryan Gosling- After I saw the Notebook, he was on my list....

3) David Villa-Someone started making me watch soccer, I realized it wasn't so bad after all. Especially when the players for the team I like look like Orlando Bloom :)

4) Iker Casillas-see #3

5) James Franco- Ever since Freaks and Geeks...He was hilarious in Pineapple Express too :)

6) Andy Samberg- He is HILARIOUS

7) Paul Rudd- Also Hilarius and he plays jerks so well....I love his white man dance..

8)Conan O'Brien-Probably one of the funniest people EVER. Plus he graduated from Harvard so he has brains too!

9) Brandon Flowers- He is the lead singer from the Killers, he is a little odd, but it is kind of hot. Plus he is very talented.

10) Seth Rogen- In my defense I liked him on Freaks and Geeks. He was a smart ass and something about that was very appealing...

Halloween!

2008-11-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Well since my last couple of posts, my costume changed a little bit. I went as Paulie Bleeker from the movie Juno. My co-worker went as Juno. It was a great costume and we got a lot of compliments. A lot of people said I looked a lot like Bleeker, I am not sure how to take that...

It was a cheap costume and I think it turned out well.

Now Dan's costume is a little harder to explain, but I will try. There is a phenomenon on the internet called Rick Rolling . In short, it is a bait and switch prank. You click on a link expecting to see something and then the Rick Astley video "Never Going to Give You Up" starts playing. Last year for April Fool's You Tube 's prank was RickRolling everyone by having the featured videos all go to the Rick Astley video.
So Dan came to the party in a poorly made ghost costume.

After a half hour, he played the song and took of the sheet and became Rick Astley.

On the way to the party, he came up with the idea to buy Rolling Rock beer and change all the Os to Is (Rolling Rick). But it was too late...Maybe next year Dano!

Twins!

2008-10-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know this is is a post right after another one, but my oldest sister told me to do it! And speaking of sisters...Mine are twins. Which got me to thinking the other day, is there anyone out there who looks like me? I have had people tell me I reminded them of so and so...Do you have a non-relative twin?? According to a lot of mine and Dan's friends, I remind them of Kristen Schaal. You may know her from The Daily Show and Flight of The Conchords. Do you see a resemblance?

In a previous post I talked about my Halloween costume. I think I am going to have two this year, which I will post about when I have pictures! But Dan and I will probably go with the theme, famous redheads of the 80s! I won't spoil Dan's costume, but I am going to be Molly Ringwald.

I am super excited put this costume together!

Besides looking like each other...I always thought my sisters looked like Melissa Joan Hart.

If you want to see who you look like you can go HERE.

Who do you look like??

Dream Job!

2008-10-17T14:37:00.001-07:00

It is FRIDAY!!!! When I was younger, I could never really relate to Loverboy's song, "Working for the Weekend"-but it really resonated with me this week. I am very glad it was Friday!

Today I was thinking, what would I would my dream job be? What would I do if I could do any job? I thought a bit and came up with a few options...In the fashion world-I think it would be fun to source fabrics for designers to wear. So I would go around and pick out textiles/fabrics from different vendors. Also another job would be to be a stylist who picks out outfits for a cast of a show or movie.

Another job I think I would like is to pick out the music for movie soundtracks. I love music and I love making mixed cds (even though it isn't cool to make cds anymore. In college I wored on the radio and loved making play lists. I think it would be fun.

Obviously, these are probably careers I would never pursue but it is fun to think about when days are slow at my current job =)!

So if you could do anything what would you do???

OctoBRrrrr!!

2008-10-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Things have been going good lately, and as a result haven't been able to update as much as I would like. I cannot believe it is October already-even though it still feels like summer here. I remember when I was little and October was cold!!!

Dan's dad came and visited this weekend. It was a lot of fun we went out to eat adn to a festival in Grandview.We also love to have visitor's (wink).

Anyways I have been reading my friend's blogs and this ONE has inspired me to write a little bit about Halloween, which is also one of my favorite holidays.

The other day I was driving and I saw some decorations that put a chill down my spine...not because they were supposed to be scary. It was like a witch doll, but very cartoonish looking and a mummy and they were hanging lifelessly in the tree. It really creeped me out. So here is a tip when decorating...let's not hang bodies from the trees...
Also I love costumes! You may (or may not) remember past (recent) years as a fem-bot and a girl gone wild. In middle school I won contests for being a Ty beanie baby and a Hershey kiss. And this year work is doing a contest, but I am coming up with costume (?) block.
I thought I could be Meredith from the office...and put a bat on my head and carry around a big gulp. But not everyone watches the show...Any suggestions??
Our friends are also excited about having a party this year- so Dan and I need to come up with something good...we have a few ideas, but maybe you have more? Oh and Raggedy Ann and Andy is out of the question...

The Bomb.com

2008-09-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Well, it was another crazy week. It was really getting off to a great start, especially after a week of no power. On Wednesday, I was driving to work and for once was having a great day. I was going to get to work a little early and have a great day. I tried to pull into the driveway and there was a firetruck blocking the way so I had to turn around and go in the side drive. I got out of my car and walked to the building, only to meet my co-workers walking out. I didn't see or smell any smoke. So I thought, ok this is a gas leak or something. All of the surrounding buildings had emptied out as well. More and more people were beginning to show up and no one knew what was gong on. Then there was a buzz in the crowd and we discovered a patrolling officer found a suspicious package in the parking lot and we were waiting on the bomb squad to come. I guess they had a robot ad dogs and everything, but I missed it because I was standing on the right side of the building. Everyone was on the phone with someone trying to see if it was on the news or if the knew anything. After an hour of waiting we come to find out, some men in that work in another building are part of a band. They often practice after hours, and they forgot to pack their guitar pedals and left them in the parking lot...

It will be interesting to see what next week brings...

On a lighter note, Dan and I went to Swell Season on Monday night. It was a concert by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the people who one the Oscar for Best song for the movie Once. It was wonderful! I loved it!

I did, however, find myself becoming easily annoyed with people. People talking loud during the opening band, people wandering around and trying to find their seats in the dark because they couldn't get there on time...Shocking, right? I know I am picky when it comes to chewing, chomping, and whistling, etc. But I am finding myself to become more easily annoyed with people lately. I used to love most people I met, but now it isn't the case. Maybe I am less naive and more jaded?? Who knows...

I've got the power!

2008-09-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

It all started a week ago when I was enjoy a lazy Sunday. I was doing laundry and watching the Office. Then the wind started blowing and my power was going on and off for about 3 hours in 10 minutes surges. Then at 5:20 it went out and did not turn on again...until Friday. It was a mess. Traffic lights were out, tree branches were all over the place, and people were running wild looking for open stores with candles, flashlights and batteries. Luckily I had batteries and flashlights on hand. My stove is gas so I was able to make pasta, soup and other things like that. I read a little before bed and then I hoped the power would be on in the morning...It wasn't and I drove to work to find out it was closed as well...Tuesday I went back to work and was able to charge my phone there. On Wednesday I had to throw my food out and clean the fridge. I was able to watch a little TV because my co-worker gave me a hand held TV. Thursday I picked Dan up from the airport and on the way home the traffic lights and businesses just blocks away from us had power. I was so excited until I saw your building and it was still dark. It was devastating. Finally when I came back home from work on Friday we had POWER!!! It was quite the experience but once I got into a routine it wasn't so bad. I guess now I can say I survived Hurricane Ike :)

Also I found this WEBSITE. Here are some results:

Sunday Funnies!

2008-09-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Also in case you cannot wait until September 25. Here is a teaser for the office!

You can see more previews and webisodes HERE!

In Case You Missed it...

2008-09-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

I must say SNL was pretty funny last night!! Here are few highlights in case you didn't get to see it.

The first two make fun of commercials:

And this was the opening sketch. Tina Fey looks exactly like Palin!

My favorite sketch was during the weekend update when Andy Samberg made fun of Cathy form the comics. But unfortunately I couldn't find the clip!

Happy Sunday!

Make it Work!!

2008-09-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

As you may know this last week was Fashion Week. Project Runway's show was today! You can go HERE to see the collections of the designers and read reviews. I won't say anything else because I don't want to spoil it for those who like the suspense of surprises. IF you want to see other collections go HERE. I love Zac Posen, Diane Von Furstenberg, Roberto Cavalli, and Anna Sui (I love the crazy color, pattern combos) just to name a few.

Speaking of Project Runway, this is it's last season on Bravo and next season it will be on Lifetime. This is an email between a co-worker and myself predicting what it would be like...

I wrote: I hope it isn't too Lifetime like...

Her response: you mean...only women designers and the challenges would be to create looks for the following: that your husband has left you for a younger woman, that your child has been abducted by your evil ex, that you are valiantly fighting cancer and win, that you are tragically fighting cancer and lose, and for a group collection that you are dressing characters from Nora Roberts, Daniele Steele, etc...

The first challenge will be to create a look that goes from dropping your kid off at school to visiting your sister at rehab/jail/hospital to the grocery store to after school soccer game and fine dining at the pizza shack.

Michael Kors will be replaced by whoever is in charge of Jones New York now and Nina Garcia by the editor of Womens Day or Redbook.I originally put Liz Claiborne but then I remembered that Tim Gunn is now the Chief Creative Officer so it should start to get better.

It made me smile!

This is most certainly true....

2008-09-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

This is a post I have been working on for some time and I finally decided to post it...

As most of you know I grew up in small town Iowa and I raised in a small-town Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I was very active in my church growing up and took all the church's teachings to heart. In this time, I also harbored a great appreciation for Martin Luther. This man, if anything, has taught me to question and to keep questioning the church and dedicate living my life for my faith in and the love of God.

I would be lying if I said I still agreed with ALL the things I learned in church growing up, however I feel this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I still agree with some things I learned.

My spiritual journey has been a crazy one, as I am sure most people's are. When I got to college I became a little less associated with the church. I began to think a lot, about why we are here and how does my faith apply to my life on Earth. For example, what should I study, how should I vote, and most importantly what would Jesus want me to do. Granted I did not go out and buy a WWJD bracelet.

I spent my summers in college at Camp EWALU, and I believe this where my eyes and heart were opened the most. I believe because I was opened to new experiences and different points of view. I learned from the campers that faith can be simple and should not be overly complex. My thinking is along the lines of, why make it more complicated than it should be? This just becomes more confusing and less easy for me to follow when every little thing is analyzed. There really is no need for it. I honestly believe Jesus wants us to love God and our neighbors and to love and take care of one another. I honestly believe it can be that simple, however mankind (me included) has a long way to go before that can happen. I m guessing that is why God has other rules and provisions for us. :)

I do believe there are times when our religion and faith can be used against us to manipulate or control our ways of thinking. There are people in this world that will sadly use whatever they can to stay in control and in power. This does not just happen with Christianity, it happens across the board.
I know liberals are often associated with being God-less and immoral. I however do not see it that way at all. I believe Jesus was probably more of a socialist than anything. He definitely was not republican and probably not a democrat either.
Why do I believe this?

Jesus' main message isn't to look out for yourself and just your family. It is to help those in need, that the meek will inherit the earth, to be humble and thankful, not to worry about money. These are things I worry about everyday. I am far from perfect, but I am working on it! I believe there is a huge group of people in this country and around the world that are at a huge disadvantage and I am failing at doing my part to help them.

Last year, while I was dong my year of service with LVC, I learned a lot from the people of the city. I had some clients with amazing faith. I couldn't believe how they clung to their faith. It would have been easier to turn their back on God and religion, but they didn't. They thanked God for what they still had. I also was amazed in how concerned they were with helping others, even while they were in the middle of their own tragedies. This is one of the most amazing things I have experienced. It helped me realize what is important and that I can help others.

I understand people work hard for what they have and want the best for their families. I understand it is important to conserve values and traditions. I understand that not everyone should have the same things and some people do not work as hard as others. I understand we all have gifts, talents and different life experiences. I just don't understand why we can't help each other out. How are we going to get anywhere if we keep watching our own backs. We are only as strong as the weakest person.

I recently joined a bible study, called BSF, and am looking forward to what will be revealed to me this year. I am very excited because we don't talk about denominations and talk about the bible and what God has revealed to us through his word.
My faith is ever growing and opinions are ever changing. Who knows this post could be irrelevant in week. But for now this what I know to be true, to me it is most certainly true.

I am Politic Vegetarian

2008-09-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

It's true. I do not eat red meat when it comes to politics. I understand that is how the game is played and blah blah blah. But when your strategy is to mock and make fun of component, I really have no respect for you and am not going to listen to anything you have to say.

I am going to leave this one to the pro. Enjoy!

The Creepy Van Man

2008-08-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so in a previous entry I wrote about my experience running and said I would give more detail on that later...Well it is later...

I decided since I was done with school, I should start running again. I must admit I felt really good the first day back, but the next two days I was sore and not that excited. It is a lot like the New Balance Commercials, I am in a Love/Hate relationship with running. In High school running was my life. I loved it and I was pretty good at it. In college, I didn't have state meets to look forward to and I didn't want to make the time for running. I would start but the excitement didn't last long. I was once again excited about running, I felt good and had a lot more energy throughout the day and it was good time to just think and be by myself.

Two weeks ago I was in love with running. I had not looked forward to running in a long time, and for once I thought I finally got back into a healthy happy relationship with it.

That is until a very stupid ignorant man ruined it for me...
It was a Thursday and Dan was teaching a night class, so I thought I could run to the park and be done before he got back. The Park is about three blocks from my house. It has tennis courts, the library, trails, softball/baseball fields, and soccer fields, and much much more. It is a very busy place and I usually felt pretty safe. I would go a little way on on one of the trials but I was never really alone. There were bike riders and other runners and walkers that passed frequently. I never wear my ipod running outside and I am always aware of what is going on around me. I did not have my phone though.
Anyways I finish my run and I go to an open field to do strides. It is a cool down that involves a little speed work. Anyways it is about 70 meters from the road. There was a guy taking pictures of trees right by me and a baseball game starting about 200 meters from me.
I was wearing an over sized tshirt and shorts. I was resting between my strides and I hear someone yell HEY SEXY. I looked and saw a white van driving by. I was like ok it is just a nasty jerk. This, unfortunately was not the first time I have had this happen ( I am sure other girls can agree, it is not that unusual to have happen anymore). So I kept running across the field closer to the baseball game. This time I look over and see the van drive by the other way and slam on his brakes. This time I was like IS THIS FOR REAL? I started getting closer to where the people were and then I saw the van come back again and pull into the parking lot between me and the baseball game. He was driving very slowly and I could feel the creep staring at me...I could not see him, just the shadows that covered him and that is is what creeped me out the most. I didn't have my phone and I couldn't see his license plates. I honestly didn't know what to do. I didn't want to act afraid, because that is what creeps feed on and I did not want to lead him on in anyway. Luckily there were people getting folding chairs out of their car so I started walking towards them and the van drove away.
I was so angry because now I was afraid to walk home because what if I got followed. I stayed by the baseball game for few minutes and went home. I stopped about every 6 steps to make sure I was not followed.

When I got home and started to think about what just happened, I got pretty scared. Before I was really just angry.

I am still pretty mad, because now I do not want to run there or by myself. It took away my freedom to be comfortable of my surroundings and be able to exercise by myself. Maybe I am over reacting, but if that guy was weird enough to do that, what else was he capable of?

I know that if my son ever treated a woman like that he would not be happy about that decision.

I hope that he is not harassing other people there, because it really is a neat park. Hopefully I can find somewhere else to workout soon. I miss running! And as much as I love Dan, it is hard t run with him, because he have different paces and different styles of running. Also every time he runs with me I am reminded how my alone time was taken from me because of some stupid dickwad.

I know self defense and I know not to get into cars with strangers. But that doesn't mean I am prepared for every situation, and that is what scares me

La LA LA La Obama

2008-08-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a little more Obama love-even if you aren't his biggest fan you should still check this out. It is pure Daily Show genius!

Also if you missed the speech: you can watch it or read the transcript HERE!

WOWzA

2008-08-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

Obama gave a mighty good speech. I feel motivated, excited, and inspired.

All I can say is bye bye Georgie Boy, don't let the door hit you!

SHORTER and SHORTER!

2008-08-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

I am talking about my hair. I got it cut again, and yes it is shorter than it was before. I think I like my hair better shorter. It is a lot easier for me to handle.

This is my hair a year ago

A side view

Behind the ear

The front view

Besides my haircut, life isn't too exciting here. My graduation is tomorrow and then I will officially be a certified paralegal, and let me remind you there are few in the country that are certified through the bar association. But sorry folks, I still cannot give out legal advice.

Dan has started his official break and will be going to Spain in a few weeks. Next weekend we will be traveling to Milwaukee to see Talitha and Darren. I will also get to help at the courthouse with restraining orders as well.

I am also trying to start new hobbies with my free time. Any suggestions? I am going to try sewing again. I did start running, but after a run in with a creepy man in a van am not to keen on going anywhere by myself for awhile. (I will write more about that later). Dan and I will hopefully think of a workout for the both of us to do soon. I also joined a soccer league and our team is called the Vampire Penguins, I am really excited and am hoping to meet some new people and learn a little more about soccer...But now that I have more free time I am looking for new things to try, so please let me know if there are any hobbies you enjoy doing that I could try.

Cat-fight

2008-08-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

Are women socialized to compete with each other?
It is becoming a real problem ladies!
I am constantly flipping through TV shows in which there are a gaggle of women who are fighting each other to fight over some rich man. Sorry to break it to you honey, but there is probably a reason why he is trying to find "love" on a television show and still single....
Anyways, the show title my be different but the theme is the same across the board. One man, 13 desperate and catty women fighting with each other to win his approval. I think the thing that upsets me most is the women are not unattractive or unintelligent-for the most part- but they are dangerously desperate. A good friend of mine once told me desperation is like a bad perfume-everyone can smell it form miles away. How true and brilliant is that? Then those who are dangerously desperate wonder why no one wants to be around them or why they always end up with duds...it is a never ending vicious cycle.
My advice to putting an end to it- it raising our daughters to be confident, independent and smart. And our sons to respect women who display these qualities. It is not cute to be Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson.
I guess I am just annoyed with watching women throw themselves at men, and sacrificing dignity. When did become acceptable to dis other women and our own integrity to fight over a man? This didn't just start yesterday- girls have been catty with each other for a long time. Anyone remember middle school? I just wish this wasn't acceptable behavior and that we as society would stop rewarding it by putting it on TV and continuing to encourage women who act this way. Let's be friends and not catty with one another. Let's help each other out and not compete. Let's encourage one another and not sabotage one- another.

So ladies- let's take off our gloves, stand tall and walk on by- he is not worth it.

Ooh Garfield!

2008-08-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Check this out it pretty funny! Garfield minus Garfield It makes me smile!

Funny Girl!

2008-08-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know if many of you watch Last Comic standing, but I am pleased to announce a female finally won! Iliza Shlesinger a 25 year old woman is now the Last Comic Standing. I was so happy I think I literally had tears in my eyes. And why is this such a big deal you may ask?? Because I believe comedy is one of the toughest places for women to be taken seriously. I bet you you are thinking, taken seriously in comedy? Is this girl crazy? And the answer is yes I am, but comedy is unfortunately a hard row to tow for women.

Luckily when things like this happen, it starts a trend a hopefully soon women will be seen as funny and not as woman trying to be funny.

In college I was in an improv troupe and I loved it. That is until, we had a battle with the gender issue. The girls were constantly being put in roles they were not happy with and the guys continued to dominate the scenes. I don't think they were doing it purposefully but it was happening. It was frustrating because we could be more than a skank or a ditz, but never got a full opportunity to display it.

I have heard from other girls in comedy groups that the same sort of things happened. I find it very sad, but luckily there are more and more women breaking through and creating a path for all of us.

Luckily I do have some great comedic role models: Gilda Radner, Jane Curtain, Amy Pohler, Molly Shannon, Anna Gasteyer, Kristen Wiig, Tina Faye, Kelly Kaling, Angela Martin, Jenna Fischer and the list goes on and on. When I was younger one of my many aspirations was to be on SNL, because of these women. I believe without them I would not have had the funniness and inspiration to have dabbled in comedy and improv.
Unfortunately I have fallen out of the comedy scene, and there aren't a lot of opportunities in OHIO. Hopefully some day I can get back into the groove, like Stella. Until then I will continue to be inspired by the women who make me laugh!

Speaking of women who make me laugh, check out Dan's blog.

DONE!

2008-08-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

That's right I am done with school. I got my grades and it is official I am a Certified Paralegal! Now I have nine more hours a week I get to decide what to do with. The year went quickly but I know for sure I won't be going back to school anytime soon. My graduation is officially Wed August 27th. Then I will be DONE!

Another thing I am DONE with is the ridiculous games politicians play. Please stop hitting each other under the belt and tell me what you are going to do for me and the rest of the people in this country. Yes, we all want change, but what are you going to do to make that change??? Also why are wasting your time and money slinging mud at your component?? We get it, you don't agree on topics and you think you would be a better president. Now set an example and put your money towards more important things and quit wasting my time...

And now I am DONE with this post!

IOWA: The Motherland

2008-07-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend Dan and I had the pleasure to drive to Iowa for one of my best friend's wedding in which I got to be a groomsmaid. It was a loooong drive, but luckily my dear sister Erin lives in Bloomington and lets us crash at her place.
We left Columbus later on Thursday night, ran into some construction delays. Long story short we arrived in Bloomington at 2:30 in the morning, which mind you, is 3:30 our time.
The next morning we got to hang out with Erin and Nora, it was a lot of fun and we hada great food and conversation. Then Dan and I left for Moline. We checked into the hotel and went to the rehearsal dinner. Which was followed by great food :).
Afterwords we hung out in the hotel. I just really wanted to sit in the hot tub and when we got down there, 15 teenage boys were occupying the tub. I did go in for a little bit but left when it got too awkward.
The next morning I got up and met the girls to get our hair and makeup done. We went to Capri (the hairschool). It was a good time, I was happy with my hair and make up.
We went to the church and got ready and then the wedding followed. We went to the reception which was at a vineyard in Colona, IL. It was so much fun. It was a great laid back wedding. I got to see people I sued to work with at camp and some I went to school with. I had a great time and am so thankful I got to be a part of it.
Sunday morning we left Moline and met my roommate from college, Sarah, at a McDonald's for a quick cup of coffee then off to Eldora. We hung out with my parents and my best friend from before preschool came to visit. It was good to be home again. Again Dan and I enjoyed good food and conversation.
Then we went to Ankeny and to Des Moines to see my other sister Steph and Dan's Mom and my best friend from high school Troy. We went to Steph's for food and again had great food and conversation with Jay, Steph and X. That little boy is too cute. Dan and I left to meet up with Troy. After that, we went to Dan's mom's house. It was really good to see everyone and hang out.

The next morning we went out for breakfast and spent the day hanging around Dan's moms and then we met Dan's dad for late lunch/early supper with his dad. We went to Mustard's, which is a really good restaurant. The day was filled with great food and conversation.
We drove to Erin's house that night and woke up the today and headed back to Ohio.

It was a great trip and I am glad I got to see everyone. We did miss a lot of people, but hopefully we will catch them soon. It made me realize how far away we really are from everyone! I hope someday to be a little closer to home. Thanks to everyone that made time for us-we are lucky to have such wonderful friends and family!
To see pics of the weekend click HERE and HERE!

World's Worst Blogger

2008-07-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am being a little over dramatic-but I am horrible at blogging. The good news is, I will be done with school in two weeks and will FINALLY have more time/desire to blog it up!
Let's see not a whole lot has happened..story of my life...I am busy with work and school, just trying to keep my head above the water!
I got a car and glasses.
Dan graduated with a Masters from OSU. It was the HOTTEST graduation ever. 96 degrees in the hot sun from 11:30-3:30. I got a nice sun burn too. It was a good ceremony, just very hot. Dan's mom and dad came to visit, and we went out all over Columbus. I als got ot hear Brian Williams speak, it was really amazing. He mentioned about using blogs to discuss issues that are important to us. Something I think I will start dong very soon.
In the beginning of July Dan and I went to Bloomington to my sister Erin's for Nora's baptism and my dad's 60th birthday! It was a lot of fun to see everyone and hang out. I like that is is a shorter drive than going all the way to Iowa as well. All my nieces and nephew are growing up so fast. It is also a nice reminder that i may not be at the point in my life where it is time to have children. It was great time, great food, great company and GREAT fireworks....
Last weekend Dan and I went to King's Island, an amusement park in Cincinnati and had a blast! We went on some rollercoasters and rides and to the water park to the Wave Pool. It brought back pleasant memories of family vacations to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun.
Well now that school is about done my goal is to have my blog updated frequently with rantings and ravings for you to enjoy!

Until then let these pictures satisify your hunger!

Is it June already??

2008-06-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Busy. That about sums up my life since the last post. I guess I could say a lot of new things have been popping up my way too!

Two weeks ago I got a new car- a 2009 Toyota Corolla and it is silver. I must say it is a new found freedom. No more relying on my b/f to tote me around Columbus. I have not taken any pictures, but here is on off the internet-it looks the same!

Pretty Impressive huh!

Also-I have a new niece-she is adorable and her name is Nora Nicole! I cannot wait to meet her. I am so looking forward to seeing my family in a month!

The Sex and they City movie finally came out, and I was not disappointed by any means. I went to the midnight show, and saw it again on Saturday. It was really cute, makes you want to shop and really makes you miss your friends.

I got a good review at work the other day- so I guess work is gong well. I cannot wait to be done with school. Speaking of which Dan finally graduates this weekend and I am so excited!

I'll update more later!

My struggle....

2008-05-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

"...And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

This is probably one of my favorite verses. And Today I felt inspired to write about my eternal/internal struggle.

I have been writing light, airy, fun entries lately, but not today. Everyday I wake up and I begin to struggle. I always want to do what is right-what is best for everyone. I try to watch where I shop, support those who are need, and think of ways to better the environment and world so we can all enjoy it. This is something important to me because I believe everyone deserves to be treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Though I may never know what it really is like to struggle and suffer- I do know no one deserves to live this way.

What am I talking about??? I am talking about everything- from Sweatshops to Racism, from Global Warming to Domestic Violence, from Homelessness to War.

There is so much going on in our world every day, it makes reading the news hard. Playing off my previous post, the world is need of a makeover!

We all know my hate for Wal-Mart, but lately I found out Target may not be much better. The website knowmore.org gives information on different corporations who really don't care about much except making a profit. This really upsets me because, I think I am doing something good and find out I am doing just as much harm. So why does this continue to happen? Because we allow it to. Sometimes it is easier to pretend it doesn't go on, or to ignore it. I think if we DEMAND a change and settle for nothing less-there can be a change. I could write for years about how evil Corporate America etc. is but I think we all know that.

My challenge is to fight ignorance and learn about where you are getting stuff or how it is made. I bet you will be surprised.

I know you are thinking I am fighting something that is much bigger than me, but I am sick of what is going on. I need a change and I hope you do too!

This is how I will act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with my God. I know there are different plans for all of us, what are yours? Or more importantly,What does the Lord require of you?

Makeover!

2008-05-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

That's right, I need(ed) a change. The snow and cold are gone, and it is warm and sunny now. The end of the school year is getting closer and closer. Everything is changing around me in my environment, so I decided to follow suit and give my blog a makeover. I also got a new email address.

Speaking of makeovers, I watch a lot of TLC's What Not to Wear, and I always wonder how they would make me over and how much fun that would be to get fashion tips and money to shop. Though I wonder if I would agree with the hosts or just go and do my own thing...I did get my hair cut last weekend and am pretty pleased with it, considering all I did was tell her I wanted it off my neck this summer and she could do whatever she wanted.

Here are some pics:

I am excited Winter's makeover Spring is here! I cannot help but wonder what summer has in store for me.

Buckle up!

2008-04-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Alright boys and girls time for another fun and crazy ride of catch up in my fantastically mundane life- you better buckle up!

Dan's dad came to visit last weekend and it was really good time, except I was sick for most of it. On Saturday I could barely talk or swallow, my throat was really sore and swollen from sinus drainage-yummy! I am much better now though. It was good to have a visitor and it looks we may have some more for Dano's graduation.

Dan passed his masters exams and was accepted onto the PHD program. He is still deciding if this what he wants to do or not. He found a job at a univeristy he was really excited about, but it is in Bloomington, Indiana...Other than that it is just the same old with him-busy busy busy with school.

I am good, work is good and school is almost done. I start my new and final quarter in two weeks!! I have a professor right now that I highly detest and cannot wait to never see him again. We all know how it goes when I don't get along with teachers....

I am also very highly disappointed in the election fiasco that is consuming our nation. I am hoping it doesn't drag on much longer it is pretty ridiculous! In fact it is very disheartening....but don't get me started-because I could talk for hours about it....maybe I will write more on it soon.

I hope everyone celebrated Earth Day!

What's Up?

2008-04-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my little update! Last weekend Dan and I went to Illinois to see Erin, Doug, and Molly. It was wonderful to see them and we had a really good time. Molly is quite the character and really loves Ariel! Hopefully we can get back soon to see them.

Dan had his exams this week, so things were pretty low key and not too exciting. He is done with one part and has two more to go! He will be done this Friday! I am pretty excited about that.

The weather here has been wonderful and I have started exercising again and learning how to play soccer. This weekend has been nasty weather-wise though...

This week in class I had to act like I was a jury member for voir dire. It was a lot of fun, and my class really enjoyed it too. It really made me miss doing improv, maybe I will get back to that someday.

I have been a little homesick lately too. I really miss my friends from school and Milwaukee. Hopefully I will get to see them soon. I don't mind the people here I have met, I just miss my old friends and close relationships.

Other than that, nothing worth noting here!

These make me laugh!

2008-03-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

What's the deal with...

2008-03-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Me forgetting to post on my blog?? I guess I just forget to keep it updated, plus there isn't much to update on!

I got a new laptop, because Dan's desktop died and there was no way we could share a computer. I love it! It is a white 13 inch macbook. It is very nice and I enjoy having my own computer! So I guess it is official, I am a mac girl!

Easter was pretty low key here, we spent the day watching the NCAA tourney and had supper at Buffalo Wild Wings! By the way my bracket is doing horribly, but I do love March Madness.

Work and school are still going well, nothing to exciting to report on here...Oh I worked on my first Saturday ever today. I got some overtime for helping archive cases! It was only two hours so it wasn't bad.

Let's see...Dan took me to the second City Touring Improv Troupe last weekend. I must say it was very funny and I miss performing a lot. It also inspired a very good Halloween costume! I cannot wait to try it out.

Well that is about it for me...I'll write more later! ( I promise)

Buried in SNOW!

2008-03-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of updates, but there has been a shortage of exciting and fun in my Ohioan life. Pretty much I get up go to work, go to school (or do homework), go to bed and repeat.

Last week my friends from Milwaukee, Talitha and Darren, came to visit. it was a blast, we showed them the sites of Columbus and ate a lot of good food. We also bought American Idol Karaoke, which is a lot of fun. The microphone judges your pitch....It is a little hard, but a lot of fun and is pretty funny!

On Friday and Saturday Columbus got dumped on with snow. About 20.4 inches to be exact, but this morning, I looked out the window and could see slush and pavement on the roads. A lot of things were closed and canceled including my Saturday class,which means I got to sleep in.

Other than that not much is going on here. Dan has finals this week, which mean this quarter will finally be over! And I am just doing the same old!

That does it, I am eloping!

2008-02-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

It all started last Saturday when I went and got a bridesmaid's dress for m best friend's wedding. I had to get the dress by myself because everyone is in Iowa. I was thinking this will be fast....HA! I went to David's Bridal, and when I got inside it was like an instant feeling of stress and anxiety poured over me. I looked through the dresses and found the ones I liked and went to try them on and low and behold I had to meet with a consultant before I could try them on. There were a bout 50 people in this tiny little store. Bridesmaids fighting bout what they think looked best, crazy mothers of the bride, a bride and groom fighting, and a bunch of crazy consultants. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least.... Anyways I did find the dress I wanted, and got it ordered and got the heck out of there!

Now, it is very possible that I am over reacting, but I would like to have my wedding day be more than a circus fiasco! When I got in the car the first thing I told Dan was that I am eloping! But I think there is some time before I have to figure all of that out!

It bothers me how much the industry sucked the fun out of the wedding day. That's all I will say about that for now.....

To see the dress that caused all the fiasco click here.

Last night we saw Be Kind and Rewind, it was very funny. I recommend it!
We also saw A Pursuit of Happyness and it was good too, a little depressing though.

I passed my classes last quarter, and I really enjoy my current classes.

Life is good!

(Anyone else watching American Idol?)

It's sew Time!

2008-02-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

I am done with my 2nd quarter of school, which means I am half done =] and I have time to catch up on the blog!
It seems like everyone is getting snow, but we are mostly getting lots of rain and warmer weather.
Also, THIS is fashion week and I am pumped! You can go here and look through all the shows you want and make a profile and you can save your favorite pieces. I love Badgely Mischka, Ana Sui and Phillip Lim....however the lines are really drab this year.I spent a lot of time on there yesterday. The Project Runway show was this morning at 9...You can see everyone's lines...Be careful if you don't want to know!
Because of the writer's strike and our new Netflix subscription Dan and I have been watching a lot of movies lately. My current favorites are Once and Little Miss Sunshine.
Unfortunately that is all that is exciting here!!
This makes me laugh!

Publish Post

Always the Bridesmaid!

2008-01-28T15:01:00.001-08:00

1.
2
3 4

At the end of July I get to be in my best friend Eric's wedding! I am super excited and I get to stand on his side, so I guess I am a groomsman! Anyways Laura told me that she doesn't care what dresses we get as long as they are black! I haven't tried any on, but here ones I like! What do you think?? I need some feed back!

Yikes!!!

2008-01-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty busy lately, unfortunately I am busy with things that aren't too exciting! Last weekend I got to go back to Iowa, and though it was very cold, I am glad I got see everyone! Also it was a great to hang and catch up with everyone, the little ones are growing up fast. Last night was Dan's birthday party and I am still recovering, can't party like I used to I guess....

That is about it, I just thought I would update....
I will write more later this week, when I am not so busy!

First Post of the New Year!

2008-01-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Yikes, I am falling a little behind on my posting....

Well let's see I had a pretty nice Birthday, thanks for all the notes, cards, calls, thoughts and prayers I got on my birthday! It means a lot to me that I have such an awesome circle of family and friends! I am glad I will finally be getting to see you soon.

For my birthday Dan and I went to dinner at P.F. Changs...i love it...try the mushu pork it is yummy! We also went to the movie Juno- it was cute and witty and it is worth seeing. We also saw Walk Hard-which is funny!!!

Dan got Guitar Hero and we have been playing it, but I am not as good as him, so I watch him play a lot...I should put up some pictures soon!

Other than that not a whole lot is gong on. the big championship game is on..and right now OSU is not doing too good!

Whate are your digits..errr..I mean Letters?

2007-12-25T11:59:00.001-08:00

ISFJ - "Conservator". Desires to be of service and to minister to individual needs - very loyal. 13.8% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

When I worked at camp along time ago I took the Myers Brigg test and it tells you four parts of your personality. i really like taking quizzes and I had some time to waste so decided to take it again. About five years ago I was an ENFP, and a year ago I was an ESFJ, and the last three times I have taken it on different websites I have gotten ISFJ...crazy! However, my exroversion and Introversion scores are very close. I think a lot of it might have to do with me moving around so much, it is harder for me to open up to people and lately I would rather stay home than go out, and honestly I have gotten used to spending time with just me! It is pretty interesting to see how your personality is made up of and is pretty insightful! Here is another test you can take online.

So what are your letters?????

Things I find Amusing!

2007-12-24T20:52:00.000-08:00

Well I have had some time to waste lately so here is my list of the month!!!

I really like my Ipod it helps work go fast and keeps it entertaining...my favorite artists that play in no paticular order: Shakira, Journey, KT Tunstall, Donavon Frankenreiter, Rilo Kiley, Jack Johnson, Envy Corps, Bon Jovi and the list goes on....

Really stupid show on MTV and VH1...The X-Effect is on right now and I cannot stop watching it.

Target! I love that store....

The sweaters at Old Navy.

Dark Nail polish-I just got my nails done and I love how it looks.

The Office-the only good thing about the strike is that I can catch up on what I have been missing all this time.

The Sex and the City Movie Trailer, I cannot wait until MAY!!!

Banana Peppers, I put them on everything! Yummy!

That is it for now.....

My my my!

2007-12-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

I am seriously going to try to blog more....
Well this will officially be my first Christmas all alone in a place I am not too familiar with..hopefully I will survive!!! Dan left for Iowa today, and I have to admit I was fine until after work when I realized I was going to be alone, but now I am doing much better...
Last night we had our Christmas and it was very nice!! I got some good presents and I think Dan liked his too! However, today his flight was delayed until tomorrow at 6:30 in the morning, so hope fully he will make it home!
Work is going well, I am learning a lot and taking in a lot, and I will tell you this much- I am not going to let my self go into debt! scary stuff!

I think I will be making it home to Iowa in January, which is great because everyone will be home..However I was subpoenaed to be in court hearing in Milwaukee with something that happened at work before I left (in July). Unfortunately, it is happening around the same time I want to go home ...So hopefully it will all work out! All right that is all from me for now!!!

Working Girl

2007-12-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well my first week of work at my new job is done and now I am about to start week two.

My first two days of work were orientation, which was nice because i wasn't just thrown in the pit to fend for myself. The building I work in is very nice and open. The cubicles are round and open and there is artwork on the walls. I have my own desk with a computer that has two screens, a printer, and a label maker. I have to bring in some pictures and things to decorate it!! I am pretty excited. The building also has a gym and a nice cafeteria!

I work in the service department, making sure people are served with the complaints. It is very interesting to me and I like it quite a bit. I work a lot on the computer, so we can bring in our ipods and headphones! It is a very casual place so we can jeans too! Pretty nice!

So, so far so good! Since I just started work and we aren't open on Christmas Eve, I am going to be staying in Columbus for Christmas, but Dan will be in Iowa! So that will be a weird holiday, but it is ok because i got time off in January so I can come home when everyone else is home!

Last night I had a Christmas party with 4 of my friends from class and it was a lot of fun. on the 14th, my work will be having a party at the Hilton hotel! I cannot wait!

That's my update!

And I am DONE!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my last day at Applebee's which was exciting and I must say I am feeling relieved!! I start my new job on Monday and cannot wait to get started.
Here are some things I learned working as a server:

1. Tip generously because most people don't and it get frustrating 20% is a good start! Working for $3.43 and hour doesn't add up very fast.

2.Being rude and difficult to your server really doesn't accomplish anything.If anything it makes you look bad. If you don't like the restaurant or are a picky eater and you don't want to tip-eat at home!

3. Don't ignore your server when they are trying to talk to you. It is our job to see if everything is OK....don't get mad or annoyed! Again if you don't like it eat a home!

4. If you don't like the food tell your server right away don't eat it all and expct to get a free meal....

5. We know when people are coming in, trying to get free food......

6. It's Applebee's, you probably aren't going to get the world's finest dining! The menu has burgers and fries nothing too fancy Sorry!

7.Make sure if the server ask if you need anything else to say everything you need at one time. It is frustrating to keep running around for you, especially when there are 3 tables all doing it at the same time!

Ok that is it! I will remember this experience forever and I know I will never look at restaurants the same way again!

Black Friday!

2007-11-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanks to everyone for the thanksgiving cards and messages, I miss you a lot and hopefully will see you soon!

Dan and I had 2 friends over and we all cooked and ate together, it was a lot of fun! We still have a lot of left overs...We also watched Home Alone- I love that movie.

Today was an interesting day at work- the power went out so we could not serve the guests and had to close. The good news is I got to go home early, the bad news is no tips....I guess that is why it is called Black Friday!

Last weekend was Dan and my 2 year anniversary. We went out to eat and I got a Ipod Nano!
It is very small and I always think I am gong to break it but I like it.

I am so excited to start my new job, I went in last week and signed the acceptance letter and took a pee test. Now I just have to wait until Dec. 3rd to start!

Also I got some Christmas shopping done. I took some names off a tree at work that had foster kids names and what they wanted for Christmas on them. We have the presents ready and hopefully they will enjoy them!

Tonight we watched Rocky Balboa and it was good. I recommend it!

I think that is all that is new with me! I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Everything is coming up Milhouse!

2007-11-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

It is official! I got a new job with Manley Deas and Kochalski! I will be working in the service department and I am very excited! I think I will be making about $30,000 a year- which is a huge step up! I am excited I will be done with Applebee's too!

I am still not sure what my plans are for Christmas once, I know I will let you all know!

This Saturday ( Nov. 17th) is Dan and my 2 year anniversary and w have a lot to celebrate! I hope everyone is doing fantastic!!!

Think of me on Thursday!

2007-11-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for keeping me from getting to down! I have some good news, I actually have a job interview with a law firm that deals with bankruptcy and foreclosure =]! The interview is Thursday @ 3:30 ( that is 2:30 for you central time zoners). The website is here Keep me in your prayers and I will keep you posted!

PICTURES!

2007-10-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I last wrote! Sorry! There really isn't anything new or exciting to write about! I have sent out about 8 resumes this last week so hopefully something will come through for me soon! I am starting to get a little down, but I know I am going through this for a reason, I just hope I find out why soon. I really didn't do much for Halloween, but that is ok! We rented some scary movies and went out to eat with some friends, so no costumes this year-maybe next year! I will write more later =]! FINALLY! We took pics of the apartment!

The long awaited apartment pics!
Click Here!
Pictures of Life in Columbus so far!
Click here!

And it goes like this....

2007-10-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

So, I had my first bad day at work! But I made it through and I have to go back tomorrow. I don't think I was made to be a waitress. Luckily, I sent out my resume to a couple places, so hopefully it will turn out alright.
Things have been a little stressful for me lately, I am not making a whole lot of money and it is constantly y on my mind. I try not to worry about it, but we all know how that goes.
I am trying to stay positive and hopefully things will start to come around soon. Never once in my classes in college did I hear a professor say, hey life is going to suck for awhile why you are trying to make it....But I don't know if I would have listened anyway.

School is good and I like it a lot! Hopefully I can find a job as a paralegal someday =]!

On a Brighter Note: I won a TV from Applebee's ( it is 42 inches), but I haven't gotten it yet...Hopefully I will before I leave there, it would be a nice consolation prize!

Also here is a list of 5 things I love:
1. Count Chocula- yummy!
2. Veggie Burgers- you can buy them in the freezer section- they are good!
3. I just started watching The Office and it is pretty funny!
4. Sarah Jessica Parker's Line- Bitten- cheap and fabulous!
5. Going on walks at night for coffee breaks =]

p.s. Is anyone else watching Heroes??!

Welcome To AppleBees

2007-10-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written on here in forever, but I have been busy busy busy with school, socializing and, leaving and starting jobs.

School is going well, I am working on a memo and it is hard, but I am getting the gist of of it and have been working away on it all week my goal is to be done with it tonight and to edit and correct cites on Thurs and Fri and hand it in on Sat! It is just a rough draft so I am not to worried about it!

Well, I am officially done with my job which means no more work blogging. It was a good experience, and I know that may not be the place for me after all. My boss was interesting but she did send my resume and a letter of recommendation to the Attorney General's office- so that was nice. We had pizza and I got flowers on my last day, which was very nice and thoughtful!

Yesterday was my first day at AppleBees, which was interesting. I am happy with the schedule because I feel it works better with school. The environment there is laid back and fun, so I am sure it will be good for the time being. I watched a lot of training videos and shadowed people. Tomorrow I will start my second day of official training! So wish me luck!!!

Last weekend I went to my first Buckeye's game at a bar with Dan and some friends from my class. It was pretty wild! The fans here are intense! If you don't believe me come visit on game day!

Dan and I have been pretty busy and haven't seen a lot of each other lately so tonight we are gong on a date =]! I am excited! Hopefully things will slow down and we can post pictures of our apartment soon!!!

Sorry this blog is dry, I just wanted to give a quick update-maybe something more interesting soon!

Now- back to my paper!

Fall in Line!

2007-09-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

I took this quiz today and thought it was pretty intersting...also I want to know where I came from, because I am pretty sure my score is very different than the rest of my family...

Take The Test HERE

I got 10 which is the same as Hilary...ha!

Nostalgic!

2007-09-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know what is, but the nostalgia is strong this week. Maybe it is the fall weather, or maybe it is the fact I have time to sit around at work and think. I am gald I have the memories of my friends, family and fun! Lately I have been wondering where has all the time gone? It feels like I should still be finishing up my senior in college, but that was 2 years ago already.

Does time fly by this fast your whole life or does it ever slow down?

I like Columbus, but sometimes it is hard being out of the loop of my friend's shenanigans and get togethers, but I am making my own friends and settling in just fine here.

It is interesting where life leads us and lets us settle down before picking us up and making us replant our roots somewhere else.

Things I find amusing part 2

2007-09-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is my list for the month =]!

I made it more user friendly!

I really like Maroon 5's new album- especially their newest single: Wake Up Call! I can't stop dancing when I hear it!

I LOVE The Soup with Joel McHale. Best Week Ever comes in second! Both very funny shows which poke fun at the pop culture news events of the week!

Shows that didn't get a fair chance because they are too smart for tv:Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks! The only problem with Arrested Development is you should watch all the episodes in order and if you miss one it might be confusing. Each episode plays off the one it follows. Seasons of AD are $20 at traget!

This is my favorite scene ever:

The freak of nature that is Chris Crocker---> he has clips all over You Tube, the famous one is him crying and defending Britney Spears...

Which brings me to Britney Spears' Comeback, it was like a train wreck I couldn't stop watching it. I must admit I thought the song was a little catchy!!

IKEA even though the customer service isn't the best...

And Wikipedia! You can find almost anything on there!

Last but not least the Marmaduke bashing blog, it is quite entertaining and is updated regularly!

to be continued....

Off Roading

2007-09-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Here I am at work counting down my last 60 minutes. I have had quite a bit of time to reflect on just about everything that has been going on.

Lately life has been a little weird for me. In my whole life I have seen must of my friends and family take the paved path that is set before them. I always I thought I would too, graduate, get married, find the job of my dreams, and have a family etc. However, I have gotten way off track. At first this used to bug me a little bit, I don't like surprises or not knowing what's coming next. I like things to be safe and predictable, however life has been so much the opposite lately.

Never in my life did I envision myself living in Ohio, going back to school, or working interesting jobs...But here I am...I am off that paved path and I am off-roading it!

I may not be married, I may not be working the jobs I am most qualified for, and I may seem like I am out wandering around without a plan or map. BUT, I am doing the best I can, maybe I will find a shortcut to the final destination, or maybe I will have a few detours along the way. Either way this is MY life and I am only going to live up to MY expectations.

I am starting to realize my path may be a little dirty, scary, bumpy, and often times a little bit lonely. But I am embracing it and learning it is just fabulous!

Strangely Fascinating!

2007-09-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

The job search is moving slowly...but maybe something will come up soon! I still try to apply to one everyday....keep praying!

On a lighter note:

This is too funny! It is a Gorilla playing the drums to Phil Collins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbLr2NEV_7o

ROAD TRIP!

2007-09-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was spent driving all over the Midwest to visit friends and family! Dan and I logged on 1450 miles in 4 days! It was great to see everyone, even if it was brief, and we are both grateful to everyone for making time and room for us!

We got the privilege to play Karaoke Revolution, which is very hard when you are tone deaf!
We were also introduced to Wii! It was fun and not mention a good workout!
These movies are funny!
Wii Parody:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns
Wii Rejects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9vbJJE3i6U

(that's us playing cow race)

(we box)

Our apartment is still unorganized, but hopefully we can catch up on it this week! Then I will post pictures!

Also after the trip we can confirm that: Big Girl's Don't Cry-Fergie, Hey There Delilah-Plain White T's, Who Knew-Pink and Rockstar-Nickelback- are the most overplayed songs on the radio =]!

Things I find amusing part 1

2007-08-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

This picture!

The new web phenomena : http://www.lolcats.com/ I don't understand why it is so big...It is weird, but makes me laugh that people spend time making their cats say such weird things.

The show the Singin Bee, it is obnoxious but the people in the audience are FUNNY to watch. Also Dan and I saw one of the singers in the band from the show, Tom Satori, at a bar in CBUS he was pretty good!

Pandora Radio- I don't remember the website, but it works great in the workplace...you put in the artist you like and plays songs from that artist and similar artisits.

Cereal with Chocolate in it- Life and Special K

The video game Starwars Batttle Ground-I love it!!!!! Also Mario SmashBrothers!

Our weird neighbors, what will they do next??

Getting my haircut at a new salon- I loved it! Lucky 13 is the name of the salon!

to be continued....

I'm a little rusty!

2007-08-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Ok...I don't have any more excuses to not blog. So here I am =]! I had to make a new site because my old one isn't working, or maybe it is the computer...

I am in Columbus and in our new apartment FINALLY! We, Dan andI, moved everything ourselves. And let me tell you, that sure was an experience. It is interesting figuring out the other person's quirks and habits, especially when they are used to living alone, but it isn't that bad.

School is going well, I really enjoy it! I am keeping up with class discussions and am learning alot. It is har for me to talk in legalese, but you don't have to do it much! My class is intersting, a big range in ages and there are a few characters in there. It is entertaining to say the least.

Work is a different story, I really don't do a whole lot and get paid well for doing it...My boss is neurotic, stuck in her ways, is nosy and likes to have religious/political discussions.However, I don't reallly agree with her she just assumes everyone does, because as we know she is right, so why wouldn't we. =] She also makes julia ( the girl I work with) and I to do a lot of manual labor. She tried to get me to crawl up a crappy ladder and irefused 4 times before she let it go...But, work is work. Hopefully something will open up soon!

Dan and I are making our trek to Iowa tonight! I am excited, hopefully we will get to see everyone!

That's all I have to say about that =]