AnythingButAli

Flashback Friday

2011-12-09T15:24:00.001-06:00

Been awhile since I've done one of these, so here we go!

This is my first documented visit to Santa. Sorry it's blurry, I'm working on getting a copy scanned. I'm 1 year and 3 months old in this photo and I'm just about as red as my little overalls. To be fair, this Santa looks a little dead behind the eyes...like he's not really into it. Shame on him!

Ho Ho Ho!

Gobble Gobble!!

2011-11-22T16:04:00.001-06:00

I am officially calling it a work week here in about 15 minutes--I'm off until next Monday and am really looking forward to some down time.

My mom and I are taking a little road trip to the booming metropolis of Casey, Illinois. It's about 6 hours away--so nothing too crazy.

In honor of Thanksgiving I thought I'd share some fun turkeys with you. I absolutely love hand turkeys and would totally make them if people wouldnt look at me like I'm crazy.

I guess I could also let you all know what I'm thankful for this year (and every year):
--My wonderful friends and family (my friends pretty much are my extended family)
--Good health for me and those close to me
--A good job
--A warm place to call home
--A fat, black and white cat that also helps keep me warm and entertained

Just to name a few...I'm thankful for so many things in my life, it's hard to put them all into words. I hope the same is true for you!

And now... the hand turkeys!

In case you wondered about hand turkey parts...

Some other options for your hand turkeys...

Yeah, this one is a class act.. sweet hat!

Umm, is it just me, or is this a chicken with colored feathers??

The perfect hand turkey :) Gobble Gobble!!

Have a wonderful holiday!!!

Tuesdayness

2011-11-15T15:25:00.001-06:00

I dont have much to talk about today so I am just going to post some links to nifty things I've seen lately. It's been a hectic day--we are shooting a holiday e-card at Avila (yay!) and I am already getting pumped for the KU-UK game tonight. I'm also going to get my "hair did" tonight before I head home, grab some leftovers and watch the game.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!

Oh!! By the way, this is post #100!! YAY!!!
1. Retro Headsets
Are you worried about radiation from your cell phone? No? Me neither. But, if you are and want another option, try these Retro Headsets by YUBZ. I think it's kind of silly to plug in a headset to your cell phone, but whatever floats your boat. They come in solids and some fun artsy prints. I am looking forward to the day I see someone walking down the street talking on one of these things. Isnt one of the points of cell phones that they are small and fit into a pocket or purse? Doesnt the big ass headset defeat the purpose?

2. Faux Taxidermy
You dont know how long I've been looking for a faux taxidermy rhino head! All this searching and it turns out I could have just made one.

3. Un-ugly Powerstrip
How ugly are powerstrips? They are so utilitarian and boring. Not anymore!! Check THESE out! Finally I can plug my shit into something more pleasing to the eye--available in Zebra, Leopard, Skulls, and Roses. Aww... pretty.

4. Stitchy...
I have been eyeing these things for quite a long time and have finally decided to take the plunge back into cross stitching! I dont need to pay for these kits because I'll be making up my own for some very special people in my life. Watch out, you might be on the receiving end of an awesome Alison Original!

Happy Tuesday! Go Jayhawks, and Amen for my stylist : )

Dearest...

2011-11-14T13:23:00.006-06:00

Normally I don’t aim my posts at a particular individual but today I am making an exception…This post will only make sense to one person—everyone else can disregard.

Dearest Jared,

I just wanted to say thanks for a few things:

-Thank you for FINALLY meeting me last week. It’s only taken 6 years to wear down your resistance and make you stop avoiding me.

-Thank you for picking a bar with an abundance of the most annoying Raiders fans ever.

-Thank you for saying our server looked like Garth from Wayne’s World, which not only made me want to watch the movie(s), but also made me want to burst into laughter every time she came to the table. And just keep in mind that you were like 8 ounces ahead of me…And yeah, I might just be a label peeler.

-Thank you for calling me an asshole. Because of this, you will be the recipient of something very special this holiday season.

But, most of all, thanks for not being a douchebag and for a great evening! It’s always nice to reconnect with someone from your past (however sketchy it may be) that you’ve never actually met and have it not be weird. Thanks for not being a sketchy mofo, J-Mo!

Aww, aren’t I nice? There, now you can’t say I didn’t blog about you!

Pants Off Dance Off

2011-11-13T12:17:00.000-06:00

Sorry, this isn't about me with no pants on.

The saga of my pants continues…. Today I forgot my belt and I am having issues keeping my pants up. I’m not totally afraid they are going to fall down or anything—believe me, I have enough ass-ets to hold them up, if you know what I mean. Still, they are pretty baggy to begin with since they are dress pants. They fit perfectly everywhere else except my waist so a belt is necessary. I cannot walk from my office to the bathroom without having to hike them up a bit (ok, way more than a bit). I don’t want them to sag so much it looks like I have the longest crotch in the world, but if I hike them up and roll the waistband down…holy camel toe.

I think maybe this is a sign that I need to spend a little bit more time shopping for clothing. Gone are the days of just picking something up and knowing it will fit just fine…even if it doesn’t I’ve always just been able to put a belt, cardigan, safety pin, something to make it fit a little better or not look so lazy.

Ugh…this is the part of growing up and having a real job that sucks. I wish I could go back to wearing khaki pants and a red shirt (or black pants and a white shirt at Starbucks) at Target. I’ve often said I’d do that job again if it meant working with the guys (and Sara) I used to work with and make the salary I make now. Those were some good times…probably the best I’ve had at a job. Ahh, memories. Isn’t it funny to think about things like that? Where you met some of the friends you have now and how far you’ve come.

Let’s take two of the guys I used to work with…Bret and Joey. Back in the day they could be found laughing at some phallic bread during the closing shift. Better yet, putting that bread on the prep trays and having it baked the next morning (with chocolate chip enhancements). Or perhaps humping inanimate objects? Posing the Starbucks plush toys into inappropriate positions? Where are these two now? Joey is an accountant, married to Jen, and is one of the best fathers I’ve ever seen. Bret works in management for Macy’s, is married, and has 3 of the cutest little boys I’ve ever seen.

But believe me, they are still the same guys from our Target days…just not in front of the kids.

Ohhh and just in case you don't believe me... here is the photographic proof of the plush orgy (click to enlarge and look closely). Shame on you, Joey.

Go-To Gift

2011-11-10T10:11:00.000-06:00

Hello, strangers!

Have you ever found a gift that you just want to share with everyone? Well, since a lot of my friends are have babies, thinking about having babies, or getting ready to have babies, I found an awesome go-to gift that I’ve already given twice.

These books are hilarious!

I chose to give them to new parents-to-be with good senses of humor. I generally don’t like being limited to buying gifts off a registry so when I found these on http://www.perpetualkid.com/ I couldn’t resist! (you can also get them on overstock.com/o.co for a little bit cheaper but I’d recommend checking out Perpetual Kid for all the other fun stuff they have available!)

I don’t need to go into lot of detail about why I love these books so much…the pictures below say it all. Enjoy!!

It's All in the Jeans

2011-10-20T16:53:00.000-05:00

This post is about jeans. My love-hate relationship with jeans. In my opinion, which I love to share, it should NOT be hard to find jeans to wear…but it is.

As a female, I have found it increasingly more difficult to find jeans that fit and look decent on me. Maybe it’s because I’m overly picky, or maybe I just want my jeans to do miraculous things for my body like make me look thinner or make my ass look good. Either way, I don’t think I’m asking too much.

Before my trip to Florida I went on the hunt for some jeans to wear…with no luck. Here’s how the trip went…I had searched online to see if the stores in my area carried the type of jeans I wanted (dark wash, design on the pocket, not super $$$). I found quite a few pairs at Macy’s, somewhere I have never shopped for jeans, so I figured I’d try them out. I went to the store and searched for literally 30 minutes just to find the jeans I’d seen online. When I finally did find them they only had sizes that were HUGE and only in super long or super short lengths. Really? I felt a twinge of defeat but I decided to continue the search elsewhere in the store. After another 40 minutes, I gave up. The twinge of defeat was a full-on defeatist attitude. I was pissed.

Then I decided to head to my stand-by jeans store, Old Navy. What a waste of a trip. I was trying to avoid Old Navy jeans because they don’t fit my waist, are typically too long, and make my ass look big and flat—no thank you. But I was optimistic and found a couple pairs to try on that were the type I was looking for. As I tried them on I found that they were all too long and the pockets might as well been on the sides of my thighs. Ugh! I did find that I am ok wearing the “short” length. Not gonna lie, that made me a little upset. I don’t think I’m “short” but apparently jean manufacturers think I am. I left Old Navy jeans-less but did get a cute top.

Across the parking lot I spotted Maurices. I’d seen some cute purses and tops there a while back and thought I’d give it a go. If I wasn’t buying jeans that day, I’d at least get some cute shirt to wear to work. I walked in and it was like…jeans heaven. Who knew? Well, probably people who shop there regularly, that’s who. I was skeptical but grabbed about 5 pairs to try on…in different washes and lengths, just to be sure.

Ummm, pretty sure I could have bought about 8 pairs of jeans that day, but I limited myself to 2 really good pairs. I love them. They even make my ass look pretty decent, if I do say so myself—not to mention leaving with a smile on my face and a bit of my self-esteem back. It’s funny how finding something that fits well and makes you look good has a big impact on your attitude and self-esteem. I have NEVER found a pair of jeans that has the right length AND fits my waist (without that huge gap in the back). I don’t even have to wear a belt. I really am in Jean Heaven…I went back and bought another pair on Sunday.

This may seem like a frivolous post about shopping, but it’s deeper than that. I do think guys have it so much easier in the shopping department…not having to worry about boobs and curves as much, but also, men don’t seem to let the fact that a pair of jeans “didn’t fit” wreck their self-esteem or their whole day. I’ve watched enough What Not to Wear to know I shouldn’t let clothing affect my mood, but it’s hard not to, ya know?

It’s just denim…it’s just denim. I just have to keep telling myself that.

15 Days

2011-09-14T10:33:00.000-05:00

Welp, it's that time of year again. Time for me to celebrate my birthday! Even though 31 isnt so much of a milestone birthday, I have a feeling this is going to be one of the best birthdays ever.

The day before my birthday a group of my closest friends and I are going to the JOURNEY concert!!! If you know me, you know I LOVE Journey! A few years back a group of us went to see Journey and Def Leppard and it was definitely a memorable experience--just ask Jen and Sara... : ) So I am super excited to go to the concert this year. It's Journey, Foreigner, and Night Ranger. What a line up, right? We are all sitting in the same row in the back so we can be as crazy as we want without angering other concert goers. The best part of the whole thing? It was a surprise set up by my two of the best people I know, Jen and Sara. I have the best friends in the world!

I haven't made plans for my actual birthday yet, but I assume I will be spending some quality time with Kevin.

The day after my birthday I am actually heading to Florida--it was a VERY last minute decision but I am heading to visit some family and friends down there. I've never been and am very excited. I'll be hitting up Royal Palm Beach, Tampa (for Busch Gardens!) and Jacksonville. Any recommendations?

Below are some pics from my various birthday celebrations...sorry for any embarrassment these pictures may cause (mostly to myself).

Who doesn't love the wind blown look?

We are such good dancers...

Jason (middle) doesnt always look this angry.

My girls (minus a couple)

Line dancing is always a bonus!

No, we do not need plates...cake and martinis...yum!

Who knows...

This is Darcie and my boyfriend, Kevin, doing some prom posing on my 30th last year.

Flashback Friday!

2011-09-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been awhile, eh?

After the move and getting settled, things finally started to pick up at work so I havent had a lot of time to blog. I also chose not to get internet at my apartment so I can only blog from my phone or work.

So here's my flashback for the day. This is a picture of me when I was a toddler. It's one of my favorites (and sorry if I've shared it before) and I am feeling this way today. It pretty much sums up my sassy/sarcastic personality...I knew who I was at such a young age :)

Sorry for the fuzziness--it's a picture of the picture. I can't find my scanned copy.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Shopping Spree!

2011-08-05T12:57:00.000-05:00

Since I moved out of my old apartment early, my landlord gave me a refund for the half of the month I wasn't living there--nice, right? I also got my full deposit back! Needless to say I had some extra moolah burning a hole in my pocket. I still have most of it, actually, I'm saving up to fix m y car (finally) so a huge chunk of it went to that fund. But, of course, I did some shopping of the online variety and received most of it yesterday! Who doesn't love deliveries? Pizza, babies, packages...lovely.

So what did I buy? Well, let me show you!

I love, love, love Sephora and have been a loyal shopper for many years. I've been waiting on this beauty to go on super-sale so I could justify buying it.

Pretty, huh? It has 45 eye shadows, 15 lip glosses/lipsticks and 6 blush options. That black box in the middle of the blushes is a travel case--you can put in up to 6 (I think) of the eye shadows/lip gloasses and 2 blushes and take it with you. How convenient. I like to play around with makeup but hate buying it so I splurged! Although, it wasnt much of a splurge since it was on super-sale : )

I also bought some bright green eyeliner, plumping mascara, bubble bath, and a cute (pink with white polka dots) nail file with a little case (it was $1!). I got my 3 free samples that you get with every order as well as a deluxe sample because I had 100 points, there was also a promotion running to get a bottle of the new Escada summer perfume. Lovely!

I mentioned my Slush Mug earlier this week and I am happy to report that it totally works:

I got it from Perpetualkid.com--I highly recommend you at least go browse the site. They have so much fun stuff! I ordered the Slush Mug in stylish Teal and also got some other stuff. I can't go into too much detail because the other things I got are gifts for an upcoming baby shower but I'll share them soon. So funny.

I got a little surprise when I opened the box from Perpetual kid, too:

How funny is that? It's a finger puppet and my cat loves it.

The last item I got were these beauties:

Sexy, kinda.

Before I moved I made a huge donation of my old VHS tapes. Sadly, I had a ton of them and lost a lot of my favorite movies that will need to be replaced on DVD. A friend of mine turned me on to the site http://www.newtownvideo.com/ where you can buy pre-owned dvd's (and sell them, too). I have a couple movies from them and I've had no problems with them at all. I'm slowly rebuilding my collection and would rather save as much money as possible by buying used items. I only bought 3 movies this time...don't laugh.

I said dont laugh! Everyone that knows me should know that I LOVE Spice World--I've even made some brave male friends of mine watch it. : ) I love Beetlejuice, too, and I always miss Home Alone when it's on during the holidays. So, shh.

Next on the list?

And last but not least, I bought some stuff from Old Navy--nothing fancy. I'm disappointed because one of the skirts is WAY too short and one of the shirts has two holes on the back. Boo. So I'll be returning them and probably doing some in-store shopping to replace those two items.

I'm online-shopped out! But the upside to all of this is that my bank account did NOT take a big hit at all. I've always been proud to be a bargain shopper!

Things I Like (for now)

2011-07-28T15:39:00.002-05:00

Well, it's Thursday. One more day closer to the weekend! YAY! I'm pretty tired this week so this entry isnt going to be too exciting and wil lbe full of fun links for you to explore. Oh, you want to know why I'm tired? I stayed up WAY too late catching up on Dexter Season 5 and for two nights in a row my cat decided it would be a good idea to sit on my bed and meow VERY loudly for NO reason. Then when I wake up she looks like this:

(she's saying "how dare you wake me up when I'm in the midst of my beauty sleep. It's too bright in here!")

These are some things I've been enjoying lately:

Perpetual Kid--lots of fun stuff to browse through. I bought this yesterday for myself (can't wait to get it!!) and some funny things for some friends of mine who are expecting twins in September. Check out the Bacon Love section and the Cat Butt items. Something for everyone!

The Bloggess--hilarious blogging. I'm particularly fond of this entry, which went viral..easy to see why.

Passive Aggressive Notes--always entertaining. Be sure to look through the archives. While you're there, take a look at Lamebook, Regretsy and Winning at Everything.

Poorly Dressed People--I look at this first thing in the morning when I get to work. A lovely way to start the day (and to check that I didnt make the list).

On another note...how does this happen?

My finger this morning. I have no idea how this happened but it hurts. A lot.

The Move

2011-07-20T11:12:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to sugar coat it, the move sucked. Big time. I never want to move again...if I do, it wil lbe when it's much, much cooler.

My mom came up to help with the move and some fantastic friends came to help throughout the day. I'll start from the beginning...

It was only supposed to be 95 degrees last Friday when I moved. That means the heat index was about 105-ish. Mom got to town a bit earlier than expected (she swears she told me she'd leave home around 7...but it was suppsoed to be 8 and I always remember things like that correctly) so she came with me to drop off my cable boxes and donations to the library and Goodwill. It felt good to get rid of all that stuff and to know it woudl be used again.

Then we went to pick up the U-haul and get started filling it up. My friend Megan came over at noon-ish to help with the couches since I didn't want to kill my mom (I have big couches). We couldnt get the sliding glass door out all the way and my couch was too big to fit through one side of it or the front door. Lovely. The day was starting out horribly. So Megan left to go back to work and I was frustrated and wondering how we were going to get the couches out. Well...I took some aggression out on the other side of the sliding glass door and it finally came out. Hallellujah! Little did I know that was NOT the last issue we'd have with the couches.

Mom and I loaded up the couches and as much as we could in the U-haul before heading to KC. We made our goal of hitting the road by 3 to avoid any sort of traffic. Solid plan that totally worked.

As soon as we got to the new apt we started taking out the little things blocking the couches and bed, etc. Two other fantastic friends, Sara and Joey (husband of Jen) came over to help. I cannot tell you how EXTREMELY THANKFUL I was to have their help. Mom too, she said she probably couldnt lift anything heavier than the overnight bag she brought. I can't blame her. It was so nice to have some strong, fresh legs to help move things in.

We got most everything in with no problems...until we tried getting my larger couch into the apartment. Not happening. We tried putting it on end...nope. Turning it a certain way...nope. At one point I asked my friends and mother to be honest, "does this even look feasible?" Their answer was a resounding "NO!" so back on the truck it went. I donated it to Goodwill along with a sofa table and lamp--someone will love all three, I'm sure.

Not gonna lie...I am sad about the couch. It was so comfy and broken-in. Oh well, I will just have to get a chair or something else in addition to the love seat, which is fine for now.

There was some bloodshed. Joey, Sara, and I all worked on getting the bed frame set up. Yes, it took 3 people, two with master's degrees, to figure out the stupid bed frame. Welp, we put the two pegs into the two holes you are NEVER supposed to use, apparently. We could barely get it together and once we did and realized it was wrong, we couldnt get it apart. I said screw it and planned to attack it later with a hammer. Somehow during the struggle Joey injured himself and got blood all over the place (kidding...I found my bandaids in time to stop the bleeding).

After abandoning the bed frame we got everything else into the apt and called it a day. Then my lovely boyfriend came over...AFTER all the heavy lifting was done...and took us to dinner at Gates BBQ. YUM :)

Ugh.. mom and I had to return the U-haul the next day and get the rest of my stuff out of my old apartment so we did that early on Saturday so we'd have time to relax and go to the grocery store, etc. Again, not gonna lie, the second day was probably worse than the first day. It was about 10 degrees hotter and, even though we had less items, our bodies were just not handling it well at all. But we finished...thank goodness.

We relaxed a bit, went to the store, ate and I took a nap before heading to the NKOTBSB concert (that post is next).

Some pictures to share...living room before and after:

And I had to share this one of Kitty... she HATES being put in her carrier but I had to do it to take her to the U-haul. She meows so loud...like I am hurting her...but as soon as I open the carrier and let her out into the vehicle, she's fine. She climbed right onto this seat next to me and just sat there the whole way to the new apt. My little co-pilot. BTW..she has always been good in cars. She sits in the passenger seat and usually goes to sleep.

Checking in

2011-07-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

Here's the update on the moving situation...

To do:

~~--Finish packing kitchen items (pots/pans, wine glasses, tupperware, mixing/serving bowls, non-perishable food items)~~

--Clean kitchen and make sure everything is out of cabinets **one cabinet left!

--Finish packing dining room/living room loose items in storage bins (holiday items, crafts, etc)

--Break down dining room table

~~--Go through bedside table/shelf; toss old magazines, etc.~~

~~--Go through/pack bathroom items~~

~~--Wash bedspread and bed skirt, cloth shower curtain, finish other laundry~~

--Clean bathroom

~~--Take Chris' old dresser (what's left of it) out to the curb along with all other trash~~

~~--Fold and pack all sheets/towels to take on Thursday~~

~~--Buy more duct tape and new vinyl shower curtain~~

--Patch hole (made by exterminator)

--Sweep/mop all floors

--Clean out cat box and scrub down

--Take donations to Goodwill

--Return TV boxes/remotes

--Take desk out to curb and put big ass "FREE" sign on it...if it doesn't sell.

--Get the hell outta Dodge :)

Accountability

2011-07-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

So...I've been meaning to pack for the last month. I've used it as my excuse to get out of all sorts of situations--but now moving day is only 3 days away and I've only packed about 9 boxes. Granted, a lot of my things dont need to be put in a box. My clothes, for example, will be put in the trunk of my car (which will be packed with other small items from my bathroom and bedroom that are a pain in the ass to move anyway) and taken to my apartment Thursday after work.

I get my keys and sign the lease on July 14 (Thursday) so I am going to take a load of crap over after work just to get it out of the way. I've always found that moving clothes and little things is the worst part, so I'm loading my car up to maximum capacity and will avoid 5 o'clock traffic while I unload it at the new place. I need some accountability so I'm going to make a list on my blog so I can check in and check off some of these things. I've been a slacker, but that is not an option this week--I want everything packed and ready to go on Friday morning. Although, I am quite proud of my donate pile and my trash pile! Donations are going Friday morning and the trash pick up is tomorrow!

To do:
--Finish packing kitchen items (pots/pans, wine glasses, tupperware, mixing/serving bowls, non-perishable food items)
--Clean kitchen and make sure everything is out of cabinets
--Finish packing dining room/living room loose items in storage bins (holiday items, crafts, etc)
--Break down dining room table
--Go through bedside table/shelf; toss old magazines, etc.
--Go through/pack bathroom items
--Wash bedspread and bed skirt, cloth shower curtain, finish other laundry
--Clean bathroom
--Take Chris' old dresser (what's left of it) out to the curb along with all other trash
--Fold and pack all sheets/towels to take on Thursday
--Buy more duct tape and new vinyl shower curtain
--Patch hole (made by exterminator)
--Sweep/mop all floors
--Clean out cat box and scrub down
--Take donations to Goodwill
--Return TV boxes/remotes
--Take desk out to curb and put big ass "FREE" sign on it...if it doesn't sell.
--Get the hell outta Dodge :)

So yeah, not much to do :)

Here is my mountain of boxes. I should have taken the photo from the other side, it was much more impressive from the other angle.

Creepy Crawlies

2011-06-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

Okay.. July 15 cannot come fast enough for me. I am so ready to move (but not to do the work) out of my current apartment. To make matters worse, the insect/bug situation is escalating rapidly. In the past year I've found 2 slugs, one gigantic and the other about half as small, climbing my living room wall. GROSS. How does a slug even get into my apartment?

Since I've been moving things and cleaning out from under my bed, in my closet, and everywhere else, I've also come across several spiders--one of which was big, gross, and in my bed. I'm hoping it just happened to crawl under my covers after moving a storage box out from under my bed. I HATE SPIDERS! HATE HATE HATE. I FREAK out whenever I see them and am afraid that they will jump on me and bite me.

I'll admit I've totally used a vacuum to suck up the little buggers but I'm to the point now where I just hit them with a shoe as hard as I can and scoop them up with about 10 layers of toilet paper.

Last night after brushing my teeth I happened to look up and see this on my ceiling:

I'm not going to lie, I effing FLIPPED OUT. Wouldn't you?! So I did what any freaked out female would do--I grabbed my hairspray. Unfortunately, I only have non-aerosol at my apt. It didnt even reach the ceiling--the centipede was unscathed. You know what's funny...it actually came out as a spritz of hairspray, but you know that shit comes out in a stream when I want to use it on my hair (I dont use hairspray often).

So I went searching for something else...the first thing I found was some carpet stain remover that had spray settings for "spray" and "stream." I set it to stream and doused the ugly thing with it. Then I moticed it was leaving streaks on my wall and I thought it was taking the paint off. And you know what else? The thing was still clinging to the ceiling--I was pissed.

I didnt want to take the paint off the wall so I went into my room, grabbed a black ballet flat and my water bottle (another streaming spray bottle) and headed back to the bathroom. I relentlessly sprayed it until it fell off onto the sink counter, smashed it with the shoe, and scooped the remains up with some TP and flushed it down the toilet.

I felt all gross and like something was crawling on me for the longest time after that. And you bet your ass I checked my bed for spiders and/or other nasty things before I got into it.

Now that I've relived the story...I kinda feel like I have bugs crawling all over me. I hate that.

My advice? Start with the water bottle...it wont strip paint off your walls :)

My Tanning Disaster

2011-06-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

It's been a couple weeks since this happened but I wanted to document my self-tanner disaster...

I am a pale gal. I used to tan so easily then, after a few bad burns, my tanning ability was gone. I've tried tanning at a salon but ended up with a rash and super itchy skin. So, what's a ghostly gal to do? Try self-tanning at home, of course.

I am not a fan of the creams and lotions out there but have been hearing good things about Tan Towels so I finally went to Beauty Brands and picked up a couple. They are cheap and apparently good so why not, right?

I went home, took a shower, and shaved my legs in preparation. I didnt plan on putting it everywhere since I'm not going to be in a bathing suit anytime soon and just needed some color on my face, arms, and legs. I got the large full body "towel" (they are pretty much just oversized moist towlettes with the tanning stuff in them) and started applying it as directed (in a circular motion) over the areas I wanted color. It was really easy and the smell was quite pleasant.

I washed my hands and let my limbs dry--of course the color doesnt come instantly, it takes 2-4 hours to reach full color so I got dressed and headed up to Kevin's house. Later that evening I was admiring the job I had done and it truly did look pretty good. It was a subtle tan and didnt look orange or fake.

Upon closer inspection I realized I made one of the biggest self-tanner mistakes, I applied it to my feet, ankles and knees a bit too heavily. Oops. I held up my feet to Kevin, who just kind of laughed and looked the other way. That was my cue. I immediately got on my phone to google how to get it off asap. The majority of sites said to apply baby oil to your body, wait 30 minutes and then take a soak in the tub.

No baby oil. I wondered if crisco would work? I decided against trying it. After reading though a ton of sites, all of which saying the same thing, I decided to just go soak in the tub. Just before I went to turn the water on something caugh my eye in the search results. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I knew Kevin had a small stockpile of them so I grabbed one and headed to the tub.

I really had no hope that the magic eraser would work but went ahead and started rubbing it on my feet. Amazing thing happened...the orange came off!! Can you believe it?

Magic Erasers truly are magic! I was ecstatic. I didnt have to scrub hard and was looking normal in no time.

So..moral of the story? If you do use Tan Towels, go light around your joints/feet/etc..or have a Magic Eraser handy!

Abbey Road

2011-06-27T11:39:00.001-05:00

Did you know you can watch a live streaming video of the Abbey Road crossing?

Check it out--oddly addicting.

It's funny to see how many people try to immulate the famous Beatles photo:

Flashback Friday

2011-06-24T10:11:00.000-05:00

Finally participating in Flashbak Friday :)

Since I am moving in 21 days I've been cleaning out all my old storage boxes. I am being pretty ruthless and tossing a BUNCH of stuff. I hit the jackpot last night and found some old "publications" from 3rd and 4th grade:

(check out the awesome computer technology used to create this literary work of art!)

I also found this awesome game called Digital Diamond. It belonged to my brother but I totally stole it because I loved the sounds it made and when it lit up. the first picture is how I found it (covered in dust) and the second is after a cleaning. Love it! (ps, it's from between 1978-80)

I'm totally going to get some batteries over lunch and fire it up!

And, in case you wanted a wallet-sized photo of me as a junior in high school, I found these.

This is the only reason I like moving...cleaning stuff out and finding lost treasures like these!

Happy Friday!

Ridiculous

2011-06-23T13:25:00.000-05:00

Wanna know what's ridiculous? Women who put on makeup while driving. I'm not talking about a leisurely drive at a slow speed, I'm talking about the lady in a blue Toyota Camry with a firefighters tag and Gamma Phi Beta sticker driving 80 on K-10 putting on her makeup--while swerving between the lanes carelessly.

This whole commuting to work thing has opened my eyes to even more crazy drivers than I'm used to but this one topped them all.

I've seen women putting on blush or powder in their cars but this lady was going all out. I'm going to assume she was late for work and didnt have the chance to put it on at home, but still, it was scary. She started out in front of me putting on her foundation then moved over so I could pass her and shoot her a disapproving look (which she didnt see because she was focused on herself in her rear view mirror). Then she moved on to eye shadow and started picking up speed and ended up right behind me so I could see every move.

She put on eye liner next and then stopped for awhile when she nearly swerved right into a semi. Then...and here's the kicker...she pulled out an eyelash curler and went at it. I'm not sure why it enraged me so much but I just couldnt take it. This is really immature and a bit dangerous but I totally brake-checked her. It's not like I slammed on my brakes making her almost hit me, I just hit my brakes once for a second to make sure her eyelash curling was interrupted. Plus, if she hit me it would have been her fault--she was clearly not paying attention and was driving carelessly--I would have about 5 witnesses, including the semi she nearly side-swiped.

She looked away from the mirror and I got in the other lane--she then passed me and finally stopped applying the make up...well, maybe until I was out of view.

GRRR! It just makes me mad that there were no cops around to see it. The road I take to work in the morning is notoriously bad for many reasons and drivers like her are definitely one of them. My point? Effing pay attention when you are driving.

PS--this is not her...but it easily could be. This lady was probably not going 80 MPH.

TV Picks

2011-06-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

I love my DVR! With my new commuter schedule I get home and just want to veg out or go to bed early so it's great to have a DVR to record all the TV I miss while being lazy or sleeping.

One of my absolutely favorite shows starts up again this Sunday and I highly recommend you watching it. I'm sure they'll have some sort of marathon on before the new season starts. Are you on the edge of your seat wondering what show it is???

It's...Drop Dead Diva!!!

Seriously, if you haven't watched this show, you really need to. It's on its 3rd season (you can catch up by reading about it or watching full episodes on the site (link abvove). It's addicting, not going to lie, and I LOVE the premise of the show. Seriously. Watch it. It's on Lifetime : )

Other shows I'm digging:

Toddlers and Tiaras (of course). It started last night with a head-to-head battle between Eden Wood and Mackenzie the annoying (the name I gave her). If you've watched it in the past couple of seasons you'll know what I mean. It's crazy that this little girl (Mackenzie) begs and cries for her "ni-ni" (paci) and wont get ready for the pageant without it. She's 5.

GRR! My last two picks didnt show up! I'll post them tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday: Piggy

2011-06-15T10:34:00.002-05:00

Oink oink!

The Perks

2011-06-14T13:51:00.000-05:00

My new job has some perks! A lot of them, actually, but this one was unexpected. We have an annual auction that includes silent auction items and a live auction. Obviously I wasnt a part of this year's celebration but I still get to partake in one of the perks.

The prize? Box/suite tickets to the NKOTBSB concert at the Sprint Center in KC!! For those of you out of the loop--NKOTBSB is the super group of boy bands, bringing together New Kids on The Block and the Backstreet Boys in one concert. *swoon*

How did I get so lucky? My boss was talking about the prize winner/highest bidder (the total prize was 12 tickets in the suite, food, beverages, etc) and mentioned that the assigned schmoozer couldn't attend and needed my boss to fill in. Overhearing this, of course, piqued my interest and I declared "if you need someone to go with you I'm happy to do it." I was (mostly) kidding but thought I'd give it a shot. After lunch my boss came to my office and told me to block off the night of the concert so we could go. SCORE!

NKOTBSB here I come!

Well Hello!

2011-06-10T15:41:00.000-05:00

Now that things are starting to calm down in my life I can update my blog! I have some back-tracking to do but that wont happen until tonight at the earliest. I have an awesome 80's party to tell you about and shwo off some awesome pictures--side ponytails galore!

For now I will just start with the big changes.

**My new job**
I started my new job on June 1 and it's been great so far! I know I'm still in the honeymoon phase but I think I will enjoy it a lot. I'm the Annual Fund Coordinator at Avila University, which is a private catholic university in KC MO. It's a pretty awesome place and one of KC's best kept secrets. A lot of people dont know much about us but I will help change that :) (let's not tell them I'm the worst Catholic ever.)

I got my own office with a frosted glass desk. Needless to say, I feel VERY fancy and important. I just need to do some decorating and it will look a little bit more like "me".

Those are some pictures of my office--the first is looking in (duh) and the second is the view from my chair. You'll notice a lot of purple, which isnt my first choice because I'm a Crimson and Blue gal, but Avila's colors are purple and gold. As long as it's not for K-State, right?

**New Apt**
When I got my new job I didnt anticipate moving into a new apartment for a loooong time (I HATE moving) but after discussing it with Kevin and realizing I didnt want to continue to live an hour apart, and, not to mention, commuting requires that I fill my car up with gas a couple of times a week, I decided to start looking for an apt.

Sara and I went to look at a 1 bedroom apt last Saturday in Red Bridge, which is about 5 minutes from my new job, and I loved it. I actually turned in the paperwork, put down the deposit and am scheduled to move in the 2nd weekend in July. I cancelled my other apt tours and am happy with my decision. I did a bunch of research on apartmentratings.com and found this place to be the highest rated complex I've ever seen. 91%. That's pretty much unheard of. I was skeptical but after going to look at the apartment I've determined it's the perfect place for me. Perfect amount of space, DOUBLE GIGANTIC closets in the bedroom and I can paint an accent wall in the living room.

There it is.. isnt it lovely and quaint? I agree. Mine is the one on the lower level. I could have chosen the 2nd floor but who wants to move furniture up stairs? Plus, we had to take my sliding glass door off completely to get my couches into my current apt, who wants to try that on a 2nd floor apt? Yeah, didnt think so.

Oh, and btw... it's gettin' hot in KS :)

Oh, and I need to clean my car...it's getting a bit dusty. Dont judge.

That's al lfor now.. more exciting updates later! Happy Friday!!

Yay--Junk Food

2011-06-06T09:48:00.002-05:00

...that isnt so junky after all:)

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/healthy_snacks/

Where Have I Been?

2011-06-01T16:20:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the interruption in blogging! I've been wrapping things up at one job, starting another, apartment hunting, and trying to keep everything under control.

I'll be back by the end of the week... I promise!

Don't Be Hatin'

2011-05-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

...on my fabulous life...
Here's some of the awesome things I've been up to : )

Easter 2011--Kevin, his nephew Brett, and his GIANT Easter Egg (courtesy of me, thankyouverymuch)

Doing some crafting...I made this cute sign for Megan's new niece, Berkley, who will be gracing the world with her presence in June. So.Much.Pink!

Buying water...lots of water. Oh, wait...it's not mine! Kevin has a ~~slight~~ major addiction to VitaminWater Zero...this picture doesnt even begin to do it justice. He cleared the shelf.

Getting attacked by a giant eagle? Yes...just a day in the life... Well, this picture is particularly funny to me and Kevin (and Mike, too, now that he is in on the Joke). Before I even met Kevin (product of online dating) we were talking on the phone and I decided to tell him I had a giant eagle tattooed on my back--from shoulder to shoulder, with an American flag somewhere in the mix. HE BELIEVED ME. Hook.Line.andSinker. Ohhh silly Kevin. Anyway, this was taken last Friday.

What have you been up to lately?

Flashback Friday: Video Memories

2011-05-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

Ohhh, what fond memories I have... and now they are caught on video!

First of all, who doesnt love some Whitney at high volume while riding in a car? It was a rainy night and we were on our way to Charleston, South Carolina, to celebrate Sara's bachelorette party in style! Our driver, Russell (the love muscle) was enjoying the ride...and we actually thought he was drinking--not so safe, Russ. A good time was had by all...too good a time to document on video.

Let's do this again...soon!

Testing...

2011-05-10T13:29:00.000-05:00

I'm testing some things today... namely posting videos. Nothing exciting here : )

Teaching my nephew how to cheer for KU (even though his daddy went to K-State

To be fair, I tried the K-State cheer too...he wasnt feeling it.

Flashback Friday: Mom

2011-05-06T13:31:00.000-05:00

In honor or Mother's Day I chose a photo of me and my mom. This was taken last spring in Bennett Springs, MO on a trip to visit my brother and nephew.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM! (and to all the other wonderful mothers I know!)

Bubbles

2011-05-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

So get this... I was thinking of the best gift to get for Jae's 2nd birthday when I had a flash of genius: I wanted to get her the new Crayola Colored Bubbles!

What a glorious idea! I had given her some bubble toys for her 1st birthday, so why not continue the tradition. I had been at Walmart the day before my glorious idea so I figured I would just run up to my local store and get some the day before the party.

Easier said than done, my friends.

The store in Lawrence was out so I tried Target...no dice.

I was planning on going shopping in KC on Saturday and had to stop by Toys 'R' Us to pick up the rest of Jae's gift so I planned on grabbing them there. Nope, try again.

On to the next store--Target in Olathe. Negative, Ghostwriter.

By that point I was so frustrated that I needed to indulge in a little retail therapy for myself, which did not end well either (really, I can't find anything good at Old Navy? WTF!?). At that point I sent a text to Jen and Joey and told them I was heading over to visit and see if I could help out with any of the party decorating.

After doing some crafts with Jen and figuring out the plan for the rest of my day with Kevin, I decided to try one last Target on the way to Lee's Summit since I can usually find things there when I have no luck other places.

I went back to the toy section and sure enough... there were no effing colored bubbles to be found. They did, however, have Jelly Belly scented bubbles. No thanks.

I felt completely defeated. Did everyone in Lawrence, KC, and Lee's Summit just now see the commercials for the bubbles? Was there a rush on bubbles? I was just annoyed, tired, and ready to call it quits. I did go to the Old Navy in Lee's Summit and have to say...I love them. I can ALWAYS find something there and the people are very nice.

So, that brings us to the day of the party. There are about a million Wal-Mart's, or Wal-Markts as Kevin and I like to call them, on the way to the J's house so I figured we could just stop and try one last time at the one store I didn't try the day before. I was hopeful.

We walked in and I made a bee-line to the toy section where I found an entire aisle filled with bubbles, bubble blowers, bubble wands, etc. The one thing missing? Crayola Colored Bubbles. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! There was a small child in front of where the colored bubbles should have been and I almost threw her out of the way so I could investigate further. I didnt. I waited until she left the aisle.

I almost threw a tantrum, let me tell you. Seriously? Every store is out of them? But then I saw it...the distinctive cap of the elusive Crayola Colored Bubbles bottle. Eureka! One bottle! Perfect! And, as luck would have it, they were green, my favorite color (and Jae's mama's favorite, too)! There must be a God. I grabbed the bottle and practically RAN to find Kevin.

We got back to the car, I threw the bottle in some tissue paper and we were off to the party. I was super exicted to try them out so after the gift unwrapping was done and the party moved upstairs I took them outside to do a test run. I was probably more excited than anyone else.

I pulled off the plastic safety packaging and opened the bottle.

The effing bubbles were purple instead of green.

The Cat's Outta the Bag!

2011-05-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

Meow!

Okay, not really. My cat is most definitely not in a bag. My secret is out...I got a new job : ) Not that it was too much of a secret because it seems like a lot more people knew than I had told personally. Good news travels fast, I suppose.

I'll be leaving my current job of 3.5 years (raising $ for fraternities and sororities) and taking a job at a small, private Catholic University in KC MO. I'm excited but also nervous--I know how to do my current job and know what to expect on a day-to-day basis. It's tough to leave that security to go somewhere new and unfamiliar. Not to mention they hired the WORST.Catholic.Ever. I was never "confirmed" and I havent been to Catholic mass since I was a junior in high school.

Another thing...at my new job, Wednesdays are "Purple Days." Everyone wears purple to show their support of the University. Well, if you know me, you know that while purple may look good with my green eyes, it's most certainly not my favorite color. I'm not much of a K-State fan but I suupose I can forget my past associations with the color now that I'm getting paid to wear it.

It was a very hard decision for me to leave my current job. I love the people I work with and we do a lot of awesome things as a company. Where else can you thank a co-worker with a case of beer brought to the office? I do love it here and will miss it terribly, but I think it's time to move on. Plus, absense makes the heart grow fonder, right?

My new purple adventure begins June 1--wish me luck : )

Oh, and here's a picture of my cat...just in case you were still wondering if she's in a bag.

Flashback Friday--Special Edition!

2011-04-29T08:44:00.002-05:00

I have been waiting all month to share today's photo! Today is Jaelynn's 2nd Birthday!! If yo udon't already know, Jae is the daughter of two of my very best friends, Jen and Joey. I cannot believe it has been 2 years! It amazes me how fast children grow but I probably wont know until I have one of my own just how true that is.

I was lucky enough to get a call that Baby Jae came into the world on April 29, 2009. Naturally, I went to see her as soon as I could. Simply precious. I was so happy for the J's (Joey, Jen, and Jae!) and I am so glad they are still in my lives and allow me to take part in the milestones of Jae's life--like the 2nd birthday shindig this weekend!

Here is my first picture with Baby Jae from two years ago today:

And the happy parents:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T11:45:00.000-05:00

Okay... I'm pretty much never wordless. I don't have any fun pictures to share so I'm just going to share some funny things that don't really need words to show how they are funny (to me at least):

(I don't like Monkeys.)

April Showers Bring...(edited)

2011-04-26T17:06:00.001-05:00

May CRAZINESS! I was just looking over my calendar for the month of May. Let me tell you, it's jam-packed.

April 30: (not technically May, but close enough) Kevin and I have tickets to see The Color Purple. It was part of my birthday present that I finally get to redeem :) I'm excited about it and especialyl excited to see the newly-renovated Midland Theater !

May 1: "Baby" Jae's 2nd Birthday Party. Jen knows how to throw a great party and I'm looking forward to a good time...not to mention shopping for the perfect gift. I can't wait! (I also can't believe that she is 2 years old! Where does the time go!?)

May 6: First Friday. UMB is sponsoring First Friday at Glaspur Gallery (171 7 Walnut, KCMO--In the Crossroads Art District). The gallery will feature artwork by individuals with disabilities from The Whole Person. Admission is free and I encourage you to come check it out (plus there will be free wine and cheese!)

May 7: Kevin and I will be road tripping to Manhattan (KS) to attend the wedding of one of my co-workers, Holly. I plan on wearing some sort of KU gear... Holly went to KU but is from Manhattan and her hubby-to-be is a Nebraska super fan.

**I cannot believe I forgot to add an event on May 7! My lovely friend Necia's birthday party is May 7 as well. She just so happens to be pregnant with TWINS!!! So we will be celebrating for 3 before heading to Manhattan for the wedding!
May 8: Mother's Day, of course! I hope you have something special planned to celebrate your mom :)
May 14/15: Something is going on this weekend, but I cannot recall what it is. That could be a problem.

May 21: Taking a girls trip to Wichita for an 80's party at a friends house. I couldn't be more excited about this and CANNOT wait to show off my outfit and, more importantly, my hairstyle. It's going to be EPIC! Get out your frosty blue eyeshadow and krimper, ladies, and watch out, Wichita!

May 27: I cannot divulge any information on what's going on this day........ But I'll be preparing for a long weekend to celebrate Memorial Day, that's for sure!

Whew...it seems like May is going to fly on by...what are your big plans?

I have...

2011-04-25T16:18:00.000-05:00

...a secret! I can't wait to tell everyone. Hopefully I can share later this week.

I May Just be Insane...

2011-04-22T13:56:00.000-05:00

I have so many DIY/craft projects swimming around my head and I think I finally want to start getting crafty again and finally open my own Etsy shop. What will I have for purchase you ask (I'm not going to lie...I accidentally typed aks and considered leaving it--feeling a little ghetto today)? Well, this is where the insanity sets in.

I made a Bow Board for my friend Jen and her daughter Jae, who just happens to almost always have a bow in her hair (or, she did at the time). It was a first attempt and I'm pretty sure I can make them a lot better.

I've also made custom baby wipe holders that I want to tackle again with scrapbook paper and fabric.

Don't ask me why, but I also want to try to make some cute shower curtains. I found a tutorial that maes it pretty easy and you can use any fabric! I find it difficult to find cute shower curtains that don't cost an arm and a leg so I want to give it a whirl.

I have a slight obsession with buttons at the moment, too. I want to try to make some earrings, rings, and cute picture frames with some awesome buttons I have.

I havent been able to sell any of my candle-making equipment so I'm taking it as a sign that I should keep making candles--I'll probably sell those too.

Thoughts? Am I completely nuts? I just feel very creative right now for some reason.

Flashback Friday

2011-04-22T11:32:00.002-05:00

Guess what? Not only is today Flashback Friday, it's my 65th post :) Happy Friday everyone and Happy Easter!

It's a pretty gloomy day here in Lawrence, KS so I picked a photo that pretty much sums up where I want to be today (and every super nice day in the spring).

This is me and my co-worker, Dave, enjoying our annual company day at the K (Kauffman Stadium). I believe this was my first year with the company so it was just about 3 and a half years ago. The entire staff gets the day off to head out to a Royals game and, of course, tailgate before the game. We have BBQ from Oklahoma Joe's (yum) and enjoy washers, cornhole, and drinks before heading into the stadium to watch the game. I love this picture because it was a perfect day and everyone had a great time--I definitely wish I were there right now--or that it was at least as nice out today as it was that day.

Happy Friday!

Quickie

2011-04-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

Again, not going to lie...I kind of want one of these: (click on the photo to see the description)

What's Up With Bacon?

2011-04-19T11:50:00.000-05:00

Has anyone else noticed that Bacon is making a HUGE comeback?! (Not a comeback for me, I've always been a big fan)

There's maple-bacon doughnuts, "Baconalia" at Denny's, and the Bacon, Bacon, Bacon pizza at Papa Murphy's. I've noticed that Wendy's has applewood smoked bacon on their burgers (including the Baconator), and now Dunkin' Donuts has cherrywood smoked bacon on their new breakfast sandwich.

And what about the 2009 sensation Bacon Explosion? (complete with instructions on how to make your own!)

Just a bacon observation...anyone else noticing that bacon is EVERYWHERE these days?

Flashback Friday

2011-04-15T10:35:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of me and my mom. Who doesn't love a nekkid baby? I was a complete water baby and loved the kiddie pool we had. For the record, I am more tan in this photo than I have been in the last 5 years.

Flashback Friday

2011-04-08T10:07:00.001-05:00

Deciding on the flashback this week was tough. I went through a bunch of photos and realized it was around thsi time in 2009 that my brother and his girlfriend Michelle told us they were expecting a baby. (It was a littler earlier since the baby was due October 11) So this week I chose this picture:

My nephew Corbin was born prematurely on August 3, 2009. This is him getting his jaundice treatment (I believe) and it's one of my favorite pictures of him. He looks like a little Jedi fighter, doesn't he? It suits him because he is truly a fighter! I can hardly believe he will be 2 years old in August. Here is what he looks like today--I could just eat him up!

I am so proud of my brother and Michelle. They are wonderful parents and have been through a lot with this little guy. The whole family is doing great and I love them all so much!

Happy Friday!

A Quickie

2011-04-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to lie... I kind of want one of these.

Unspeakable

2011-04-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

I can't begin to tell you how angry this makes me... the updates are promising and I am glad he is doing better and getting stronger. I will NEVER understand how people can treat animals like this.

Warning: you will go through a wide range of emotions when you read this and see the pictures.

Patrick's Story

I am NOT Ashamed!

2011-04-03T22:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight on the drive home from Kevin's house, I had my iPod plugged in and was enjoying my music...then it happened....

You know what I'm talking about--a song comes on that you just LOVE (but forgot about) and you MUST sing along. But, you don't just sing along, you get really into it and start doing hand gestures and REALLY getting into it. Then you notice that people driving past you are staring and think you're completely insane--maybe that just happens to me :)

Well, this is the song that did it for me today:
It's All Coming Back to Me by Celine Dion

(sorry, my video link-up isnt working!)

I don't care if people look at my like I'm crazy for belting out this awesome song in my car. The windows were up so they didnt know it was Celine....I'd do it again (and probably will!)

What song makes you turn up the volume, forget you are in your car or what people might think, and just sing your heart out?

Flashback Friday

2011-04-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

It's so nice outside today that I just want to run out of my office screaming so people will think I'm crazy and wont mind if I come back....ANYWAY...this is Flashback Friday and the weather inspired me to post this picture of my brother and I back in the day--I was probably about 8?

We lived in the country and we had a creek in our back yard. There was a spill off where water would flow and we decided to walk down with our cocker spaniel, Dudley, and enjoy some splashing.

What I'd give to have that body (and the tan...since I'm so fair-skinned now) again! I do miss our Dudley. He was hit by a car and passed away when I was in 6th grade.

A New Approach

2011-03-29T17:01:00.001-05:00

Okay...some of you might remember when I blogged about starting the Couch to 5K program. Well, I've abandoned it. I don't really feel like a failure this time because I actually realized something--I hate running and nothing will ever change that. That being said, I need to do something to get my butt into shape before Kevin and I head to Italy. I'll be damned if I'm going to get winded and tired in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

So, starting April 1, and for the 90 days that follow, I will be following the Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis program. I got the materials last week and havent really had a chance to sit down and read through everything because I've been sick...and when I'm sick chugging Nyquil and my bed sound far more interesting than reading about an exercise program that's going to kick my ass. I did glance at everything when I opened the box. It comes with 4 DVD's, all of which are customized to my body type (dependent on the part of my body I gain weight on the fastest), an eating plan, a tape measure (cause EVERY woman wants to measure how much flab is on her arms, butt, and thighs, right?!), and a plan guide.

Let me tell you this... I've read the testimonials, watched the online videos, seen some before's and after's...it's not going to be easy and it may kill me, but I'm going to try my hardest to stick with it. The eating plan is pretty strict and I haven't sat down to plan out any meals yet, but I think that will be key. The workouts are rotated every 10 workouts and you work out 6 days a week. Sounds like fun, right?

I'm also going to do my best to track my progess on the blog...no pictures until I'm totally ripped and hot though, sorry. : )

Being Fat In America

2011-03-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

This article was pretty interesting. And please, while you're at it, take a look at the Heart Attack Grill's menu...notice the Butterfat Milkshake? And the kicker...if you are over 350 lbs, you eat for free. they have a scale in the restaurant just in case they have any doubts.

I know I am not the skinniest person in the world, but the fact that this place is a huge success saddens me.

Interpret This!

2011-03-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Usually I am pretty good about interpreting my dreams but last night's was a doozy! I really cant even begin to describe my confusion when I woke up. What are your thoughts?

The dream:
I was running a night club with my friend, Joslyn, in our hometown of Newton, KS. It was in the "outlet mall" (I use quotes because it's not so much of an outlet mall anymore) but we had REALLY thick Jersey accents with a touch of Russian (umm, I'm Polish/German and Joslyn has Swedish heritage) and really big hair, bad make up, etc. The place was packed and we were running auditions for a DJ so we decided to let them take turns. While the first guy is doing his DJ thing, a fight breaks out and I try to break it up and tell Joslyn to "go get the biggest security guy you can find!" She runs out and then the DJ, who has now taken the form of Jovany, an American Idol contestant who got kicked off a few shows back, looks like he's on drugs. I grabbed him by the shirt collar and look into his eyes and ask him if he's high. He tells me no but starts laughing and I yelll, "then why are you laughing?" he says, "because I have all these drugs in my shirt, but I'm not high."

Then I take him back to the back room to give him the talk about lying and doing drugs (drugs are bad, crack is whack, all that jazz). On the way back to the room there is a guy who has just a head and a pair of pants that came up to his chin, no torso, and his arms were his legs and his hands were his feet. (creepy!) The creepy hand man walked up behind Giovani and put a piece of paper on his head and made a fist with his hand-foot and hit him on the head lightly. (is that the punishment for doing drugs?) And then I woke up.

WTF???!!!??

By the way, this is Jovany:

Catching Up--February

2011-03-04T11:50:00.000-06:00

Again, I've let my blog slide... so today is a catch up post with mostly pictures. The end of February was semi eventful with lots of interesting weather changes. Gotta love Kansas!

I got to visit my good friends the J's (Joey, Jen, and Jaelynn) one Sunday evening and snapped a few pictures of one of the cutest little girls ever. Normally I can't get her to look at the camera but I was in luck that night...she came right up to me when I was holding the camera out and I was lucky enough to get this shot. She's so cute--especially now that she says my name. Hard to believe she's almost 2--it seems like yesterday when I went to meet her at the hospital!

She's a little Jae-hawk :)

The day the 2 J's became 3 :) April 29, 2009

The weather has been crazy here lately. Today there are thunderstorms, yesterday it was almost 70 degrees, and last weekend we had some crazy fog.

This was my view on the way home from Kevin's house last Sunday (2/27)

And the view of 3rd St. in Lee's Summit. What you can't see is the shopping center.

Backing waaay up, I made valentines day cupcakes for the ladies at work:

...and helped decorate for the Valentine's Day dinner at Brandon Woods:

That about does it... look for a post soon of Kevin's completed kitchen! It looks great... here's a sneak peek:

Movie Review: Waiting for "Superman"

2011-02-23T11:20:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Kevin and I were enjoying an evening at home and decided to rent some On Demand movies. We first watched Unstoppable, the movie about the "runaway" train in PA (justa side note...my cousin, Sherrill, was in the movie as an extra. I didnt see her, though.), and the second was Waiting for "Superman."

Neither of us had heard of it so we watched the preview and decided pretty quickly that we needed to rent it. I have to say, it was amazing.

If you are like me and have never heard of it, please check it out. It has to be one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. You can go to the movie website listed above but here is a pretty accurate description of the premise: "...a deeply personal exploration of the current state of public educaction in the U.S. and how it's affecting our children."

The film follows several families as they search for a better education for their children. I knew there was an education crisis in America, but, since I dont have children, havent really given it much thought. This film opened my eyes and let me tell you, the truth hits you like a ton of bricks, whether you have children or not. For most of the children in the film, their only shot at a better education is leaving the public schools they attend and head to charter/magnet schools or college prep academies.

The problem that arises is, because so many families want their children to transfer to these institutions, the admittance rate is extremely low. I think there were something like 730+ applicants wanting to get into the Harlem Success Academy but only 35 open spaces. The only fair way to decide who gets the spot? A lottery. Yep...a lottery. The names of applicants are put in a big hopper (or they are assigned a number and numbered balls are put into a bingo hopper) and pulled out at random. You can imagine the disappointment everyone but those extremely lucky 35 felt. It was heartbreaking.

The film also goes through public school statistics and the growing number of "drop out factories", which are public schools that simply push students through and dont give a lot of consideration to their education. One thing that really stood out to me was the fact that, in some parts of the country, kids are entering and moving through high school with only 7th grade understanding of Math and English. because the schools they attend are considered "drop out factories" their understanding/proficiency never imroves until, ultimately, they drop out.

I really don't want to go into a lot of detail about this movie--I highly recommend it and encourage you to rent it soon. (it's available on Red Box! C'mon.. it's $1. You WONT regret it.)

One thing I did take away from the movie was just how lucky I was to get the education I got growing up. Sure, not all my teachers were great, but the majority really cared about giving their students the best education possible whether they had tenure or not (another BIG issue in the film that simply amazed me). Kevin said that a lot of his teaches simply didnt care enough to teach and he was pretty much self taught and not prepared for college.

Definitely a movie to see--it will open your eyes to a problem that is not going away anytime soon!

My Adventures in Cooking: Valentine's Day Dinner

2011-02-15T21:36:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I've been trying to cook more, which is music to my boyfriend's ears since he does the majority of the cooking in our relationship. I've only cooked for him once (before yesterday)--to be honest it intimidates me. He's a really good cook and can find anything in the fridge/freezer and make something great.

For Valentine's Day I wanted to make dinner for him. As usual, I searched allrecipes.com for the perfect meal and found a couple options. The first was a breaded/baked chicken breast stuffed with feta, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes and the other was basil-tomato tuna steaks. I was pretty much set on the chicken dish but then, after reading the recipe a bit more, discovered there was a LOT of preparation and I just didnt have the time.

So...tuna steaks won. I was nervous because I'm not a big fish person and have NEVER made any type of fish dish. I was brave...I went to the store right after work to pick up all the ingredients, which were minimal:

2, 4 ounce tuna steak fillets (mine were a little bigger, I think) Lucky for me, they were on sale. I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated because I've never bought fresh fish before.

1 medium tomato, chopped

Fresh basil--I bought a small package in the produce section and pulled off 6-8 leaves and cut them into small pieces.

Mozzarella cheese (about 1/4 of a cup per fillet)

2 tablespoons olive oil

It's so easy...you heat up the olive oil on medium in a non stick skillet and turn set your oven to broil (high). Put the tuna fillets in the skillet and brown for 3 minutes per side, while they are cooking, prepare your broiler pan by spraying it with some pam, chop the tomato and basil into small pieces. Once the fillets are browned on each side take place them on the broiler pan, top the fillets with the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler (4-6 inches below) for 2 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Serve immediately.

I'm not going to lie, I was VERY proud of myself--they were cooked perfectly and Kevin loved it. I served them with a veggie medley (new potatoes, sugar snap peas, and red peppers) and was planning on rice but didnt have any (oops).

So, my advice? Don't be afraid to try things you've never cooked before--it might just turn out amazing!

It's No Secret...

2011-01-31T20:41:00.001-06:00

...that I hate running. Ever since 4th grade when our teacher signed our entire class up for the River Run in Wichita. We "practiced" running and it became something that I felt like I had to do--and you know how it goes when you're a kid, when you feel like you HAVE to do something, you don't want to do it. So it was just never something I enjoyed or wanted to do.

I've come to a point in my life where I want to be healthier and I want to make changes to my lifestyle. As much as it pains me, I think it's time for me to give running one more chance. It may kill me, but I'm going to try to become "a runner" or, at least a person who can run a mile slowly and not die.


Yes, this might be me...

This week I'm starting the Couch-to-5K program. The Lawrence Shamrock Shuffle is on March 5, which is about 1/2 way through the program and I figure it will be a good gauge of my progress. I'm hoping to actually do Brew 2 Brew this year with my co-workers instead of just talking about it.

I'll keep you posted weekly of my progress...we shall see what happens...

Kansas Day

2011-01-29T09:23:00.002-06:00

Today is Kansas' Sesquicentennial Anniversary, which is 150 years for those of you not familiar with the term sesquicentennial.

Here are some "fast facts" about the Sunflower State...learning is fun!

A ball of twine in Cawker City measures over 38' in circumference and weighs more than 16,750 pounds and is still growing.
A grain elevator in Hutchinson is 1/2 mile long and holds 46 million bushels in its 1,000 bins.

South of Ashland the Rock Island Bridge is the longest railroad bridge of its kind. It measures 1,200 feet long and is 100 feet above the Cimarron River.

At Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine waterbeds for horses are used in surgery.

Kansas won the award for most beautiful license plate for the wheat plate design issued in 1981.

Dodge City is the windiest city in the United States.

At one time it was against the law to serve ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas.

The first woman mayor in the United States was Susan Madora Salter. She was elected to office in Argonia in 1887.

The first black woman to win an Academy Award was Kansan Hattie McDaniel. She won the award for her role in "Gone with the Wind."

Kansas inventors include Almon Stowger of El Dorado who invented the dial telephone in 1889; William Purvis and Charles Wilson of Goodland who invented the helicopter in 1909; and Omar Knedlik of Coffeyville who invented the first frozen carbonated drink machine in 1961.

Smith County is the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states.

Amelia Earhart, first woman granted a pilot's license by the National Aeronautics Associate and first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean was from Atchison.

Dwight D. Eisenhower from Abilene was the 34th President of the United States.

Silent comedian Buster Keaton, of early film success, was from Piqua, Kansas.

The three largest herds of buffalo (correctly called bison) in Kansas are located on public lands at the Maxwell Game Preserve (McPherson), Big Basin (Ashland), and Buffalo Game Preserve (Garden City).

Fort Riley, between Junction City and Manhattan, was the cradle of the United States Cavalry for 83 years. George Custer formed the famed 7th Cavalry there in 1866. Ten years later, at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the 7th was virtually wiped out. The only Cavalry survivor was a horse named Comanche.

Wyatt Earp, James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok and William B. "Bat" Masterson were three of the legendary lawmen who kept the peace in rowdy frontier towns like Abilene, Dodge City, Ellsworth, Hays, and Wichita.

The public swimming pool at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City occupies half a city block and holds 2 1/2 million gallons of water.

Cedar Crest is the name of the governor's mansion in Topeka, the state capital.

Barton County is the only Kansas County that is named for a woman; the famous volunteer Civil War nurse Clara Barton.

The Arkansas River may be the only river whose pronunciation changes as it crosses state lines. In Kansas, it is called the Arkansas (ahr-KAN-zuhs). On both sides of Kansas (Colorado and Oklahoma), it is called the Arkansaw.

Civil War veteran S.P. Dinsmoor used over 100 tons of concrete to build the Garden of Eden in Lucas. Even the flag above the mausoleum is made of concrete.

Handel's Messiah has been presented in Lindsborgeach at Easter since 1889.

A monument to the first Christian martyr on United States Territory stands along Highway 56 near Lyons. Father Juan de Padilla came to the region with the explorer Coronado in 1541.

Hutchinson is nicknamed the Salt City because it was built above some of the richest salt deposits in the world. Salt is still actively mined, processed and shipped from Hutchinson.

There are 27 Walnut Creeks in the state.

There are more than 600 incorporated towns in the state.

Morton County sells the most trout fishing stamps of all the Kansas counties.

Fire Station No. 4 in Lawrence, originally a stone barn constructed in 1858, was a station site on the Underground Railroad.

The Hugoton Gas Field is the largest natural gas field in the United States. It underlies all or parts of 10 southwestern Kansas counties as well as parts of Oklahoma and Texas. The gas field underlies almost 8,500 square miles, an area nearly 5 times as large as the state of Rhode Island.

The Kansas Speleological Society has catalogued at least 528 caves in 37 Kansas counties. Commanche County has at least 128 caves and Barber County has at least 117 caves.

Kansas has the largest population of wild grouse in North America. The grouse is commonly called the prairie chicken.

Milford Reservoir with over 16,000 acres of water is the state's largest lake. The reservoir is located northwest of Junction City.

The Geodetic Center of North America is about 40 miles south of Lebanon at Meade's Ranch. It is the beginning point of reference for land surveying in North America. When a surveyor checks a property line, he or she is checking the position of property in relation to Meade's Ranch in northwest Kansas.

In Italy the city of Milan is 300 miles northwest of Rome. In Kansas, Milan is less than 25 miles northwest of Rome, in Sumner County.

Between 1854 and 1866, 34 steamboats paddled up the Kaw River (Kansas River). One made it as far west as Fort Riley.

In 1990 Kansas wheat farmers produced enough wheat to make 33 billion loaves of bread, or enough to provide each person on earth with 6 loaves.

Holy Cross Shrine in Pfeifer, was known as the 2 Cent Church because the building was built using a 2 cent donation on each bushel of wheat sold by members of the church.

Kansas produced a record 492.2 million bushels of wheat in 1997, enough to make 35.9 billion loaves of bread.

The American Institute of Baking is located in Manhattan.

A 30 foot tall statue of Johnny Kaw stands in Manhattan. The statue represents the importance of the Kansas wheat farmer.

The graham cracker was named after the Reverend Sylvester Graham (1794-1851). He was a Presbyterian minister who strongly believed in eating whole wheat flour products.

The rocks at Rock City are huge sandstone concretions. In an area about the size of two football fields, 200 rocks, some as large as houses, dot the landscape. There is no other place in the world where there are so many concretions of such giant size.

George Washington Carver, the famous botanical scientist who discovered more than 300 products made from the peanut, graduated from high school in Minneapolis in 1885.

The First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson was built in 1874 during the time of the grasshopper plagues. The grasshoppers came during the construction of the churches foundation but the pastor continued with the work. As a result, thousands of grasshoppers are mixed into the mortar of the original building's foundation.

A hailstone weighing more than one and a half pounds once fell on Coffeyville.

The Oregon Trail passed thru six states, including Kansas. There were no Indian attacks reported on the Oregon Trail as the travelers passed through the state.

Russell Springs located in Logan County is known as the Cow Chip Capital of Kansas.

The world famous fast-food chain of Pizza Hut restaurants opened its first store in Wichita.

Sumner County is known as The Wheat Capital of the World.
___________________________________________________________________
And here are some strange Kansas Laws:
Strange Kansas Laws
Rabbits may not be shot from motorboats.

Pedestrians crossing the highways at night must wear tail lights.

No one may catch fish with his bare hands.

The state game rule prohibits the use of mules to hunt ducks.

If two trains meet on the same track, neither shall proceed until the other has passed.

Strange City Laws
Derby
It is illegal to urinate on the side of a building.

Hitting a vending machine that stole your money is illegal.

Persons may not “screech” their tires while driving.

Riding an animal down any road is against the law.

Dodge City
It is illegal to spit on a sidewalk.

Lawrence
All cars entering the city limits must first sound their horn to warn the horses of their arrival.

No one may wear a bee in their hat.

Overland Park
One may not picket a funeral.

Russell
Musical car horns are banned.

Salina
It is against the law to leave your car running unattended.

Topeka
It is illegal to drive one’s car through a parade.
No one may sing the alphabet on the streets at night.

Spitting on sidewalks is expressing forbidden.

Snowball fights are illegal.

Dead chickens may not be hauled across Kansas Avenue.

The ‘Wild West’ is long gone it seems, for driving your herd of cattle through this town is now outlawed.

No matter how nice it may be, a pet Pit Bull is not allowed within the city limits.

No one may scream at a haunted house.

The installation of bathtubs is prohibited.

Wichita
One can be sent to jail for up to a year for making lewd comments over the telephone.

Don’t get carried away in the city parks.

One must get a permit from the city if they wish to take dirt from the airport.

Hopefully everyone in the city has a trash can, because dumping their waste in a city pool is against the law.

Before proceeding through the intersection of Douglas and Broadway, a motorist is required to get out of their vehicle and fire three shot gun rounds into the air. : )

Any person caught using or carrying bean snappers or the like shall upon conviction, be fined.

Catching up...

2011-01-23T21:01:00.001-06:00

It's definitely been too long since I've blogged and I do want to get back into the swing of things. It's been a busy 2011 so far and I've been busy at work and have had something going on EVERY weekend in January. I'm hoping for a slower February, but who knows!

This weekend was one of the best, period. One of my best friends got married and I was honored that she asked me to be a part of her big day. She was absolutely glowing and a gorgeous bride. I am so happy for her and her new hubby, another great friend of mine. I am blessed to have them in my life and excited to see what the future holds.

Pictures from the Rowden/Gardner extravaganza are posted on Facebook and will be on here at some point :)

Saturday Survey...(not exciting, sorry)

2010-10-23T11:20:00.000-05:00

If you were to attend a costume party tonight, what or whom would you go as?

Sweet Dee from Always Sunny, or Ms. Potato Head

What is your choice of toppings on a hamburger?
Mustard and Mayo if it’s just a burger I make at home—it really depends on where I’m getting the burger. If it’s the Burger Stand, I won’t need to put anything on it. Well, maybe their new Rojo Ranch sauce—yum!

When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
“Wow, I don’t look as tired as I feel!”

How much cash do you have on you?
$3 and some change.

Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
Chris

What is your favorite ring on your phone?
Backstreet Boys, “The Call.” Don’t judge me… this particular ringer only sounds when a specific person calls : ) She knows who she is.

What shirt are you wearing?
I’m wearing a grey tank top with black and white flowers on it and a purple cardigan. Yeah, I’m stylish today…working at “The Woods.”

Bright or Dark Room?
I’ll take dim, please.

What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping… or just getting to sleep.

What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
“Yeah. I just picked it up and tossed it back on the deck lol”

Where is your nearest 7-11?
Uhh, Overland Park?

What's a word that you say a lot?
Wonderful, Lovely, Perfect, and “like”

Who told you he/she loved you last?
My boo, Kevin, before he left for Greece.

Last furry thing you touched?
Some dust bunnies.

How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
Hmmm I guess I’ve been forgetting to take my meds, so none.

What is your current desktop picture?
I’m at my weekend job so it’s a picture of the flowers Kev sent me after our first month of dating. (hey—it was a milestone for me.)

What was the last thing you said to someone?
“I sure will” to a resident.

If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
I would choose a million bucks…with the money I’d be able to buy a plane ticket to anywhere I want…and not have to worry about getting hit in the face with bugs/bird poop if I were just flying around.

Do you like someone?
Umm yeah, I like a lot of people. What kind of question is this?

What was the last song that you heard?
"You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor. It was on a video someone sent me.

What's For Dinner--10-18-10

2010-10-18T20:01:00.001-05:00

And I'm back.

Sorry for the absence..it's been super busy at work and life in general. I'm sure you know what that's like. For awhile now I've wanted to blog about cooking--or, rather, my adventures in cooking. It's so hard to motivate myself to come home from work and actually cook something for dinner so I've been trying to be better about it and I'm going to start sharing my cooking adventures with you!

Over the weekend I went grocery shopping and picked up a 3-pack of cube steaks. I rarely have red meat but sometimes it just sounds yummy. I believe that means I need more protein. Far be it for me to deny my cravings. I had no idea what I was going to make with them but hey, I'm up for a culinary adventure!

I came home from work today and made up my mind... I wanted something like Chicken Fried Steak. Yum! I miss my mom's, for sure! No sooner had I made up my mind did I realize I was lacking some ingredients, namely the eggs. I don't like eggs by themselves so I don't usually keep them in the fridge. I didn't want to go to the store so I had to improvise.

I looked in the fridge and found some Dijon mustard and milk. BINGO! I mixed a couple of tablespoons of mustard with the milk to make something to dip the steaks into before dredging them in a flour/salt/pepper mixture. With any adventure, I was a little apprehensive but I pressed on.

I got my pan with about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom) heated up and was ready to dip, dredge, and cook. Pretty simple process here folks.

The outcome? Wonderful!

The camera on my phone is definitely not the best but it looks yummy, no? I am trying to add more veggies to my meals so I had a salad and some long grain rice with peas, carrots, and corn (one of the Steam Fresh frozen sides that take like 5 minutes in the microwave and steam in the bag--love them! So easy!) I think the veggies were done before the steak--they took about 4.5 minutes per side (if that).

I have to say, the mustard/milk combo gave the "breading" a little zip and made the steak a little more tender. All in all, a great experiment. I only made 2 of the 3 steaks so I could take one for lunch tomorrow and the other went into the freezer for another cooking adventure.

When I bought the steaks I also picked up an old standby, chicken breasts, so the next adventure begins later this week.

I Thought We Were Past This

2010-08-26T09:51:00.000-05:00

This story makes me very sad. I am bless to have very tolerant friends and family so it irritates me to no end that there are ignorant people in the world that would stoop to this level of disrespect and intolerance.

I guess my thought on the matter is if you really have a problem with a persons sexual orientation nd you feel it's going to affect their ability to be an effective legislator, then don't vote for them--no need to send death threats.

Grr... just annoying. But then again...he is a democratic candidate, living in Wichita, and works in Hesston. Big time Republican territory down there. I am proud of him for the way he reacted to the death threat and that it isn't making him reconsider running.

Drag U

2010-08-19T14:35:00.001-05:00

Has anyone else seen this show? RuPaul's DragU? OMG. Kevin and I are hooked and it's easy to see why by looking at these pictures, right?

Doesn't it look like a magical place?

They take women this like this:

And enter their vitals into the Dragulator:

And turns them into this:

Oh, have some fun...here is the link to the Dragulator! You Betta work!

Who wouldnt want to be taught the ways of a tranny by "professors" with names like Ongina, Morgan McMichaels, Raven, Pandora Boxx, and JuJuBee? Where can I sign up?

(L to R) Raven, JuJuBee, and Ongina

Corbin's Big Day!

2010-08-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

So, once again its been WAY too long since I've updated my blog...just a few things to share.

Who remembers this guy:

That's my nephew, Corbin. He just celebrated his 1st birthday...can you believe it? Well, here is a picture from the big day... you can hardly tell he was EVER 11 weeks early or that tiny.

BTW...I get that excited about cake, too.

Here are some others from the trip down to Newton (Kevin experienced it for the first time!)

Grandpa V and Corbin

Grandma V and Corbin

WTF Wednesday/June/July Recap

2010-07-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

I know...it's so NOT Friday, but I have been busy lately and didnt have a chance to post something on Friday last week--I figured it was too late to "post date" an entry. So we'll just do 2 this week :) WOOHOO.

so my WTF Wednesday is...WTF??!! How is it already July 14. Seriously, this month/summer has FLOWN by. (not that I mind, I'm not a fan of the heat and humidity the Kansas summer brings). today is one of the really hot days, I believe the heat index is about 110, which is really annoying. It's so humid that you kind of lose your breath when you walk outside--the air is just so heavy.

This month has been crazy but I've had a few WTF moment at my apartment, did some cooking/baking, and went to a 1st birthday party. No need to do a big recap, I'll just post pictures with captions :) Enjoy!

I just happened to look up one night and saw this thing on the wall above my patio door. I thought to myself (and probably said outloud to the cat) "Is that a SLUG?!" I got up to take a closer look...

Umm yeah, it's a slug. WTF?! I was just watching it move up the wall slowly and I was planning on taking care of it when he was lower to the ground but once he got to the top of the door he must have come out the way he came in, which really makes me question the integrity of the seal around my doors. Anyway, I didnt see him anymore and went to bed. I havent seen Slugo since.

On the night of July 3, I was in bed talking on the phone when I happened to see headlights in the parking lot (shining toward the east). normally I would assume it was just someone parking but they kept heading east toward our fancy barrier/parking lot containment system, aka railroad ties. Again I assumed it was nothign out of the ordinary and kept watching to see which one of my fabulous neighbors it was. Well, that didnt happen because the car just kept heading east OVER the railroad ties. I'm not really sure if they just thought, 'Hey, it's just a speed bump" or where they were headed (to the east is just the grass behind the next four-plex of apts and then their parking lot. Maybe they just thought, "Hey, its a shortcut." Either way, I couldnt help but laugh when their car went over the railroad ties and hearing the underside of the car, the chasis if you will, slam down on top of the tie. (Ask Kevin, I laughed out loud) They just kind of sat there for a moment probably wondering "WTF!" and I assumed they would get out and check out the damage or try to figure out what to do. Nope...they just hit the gas and drove the rest of the car over the tie. WOW.

I didnt really thinkg anything of it, just stupid people, probably drunk, until I went out to my car the next morning and saw this:

In the process of driving over the railroad ties they completely overturned them and left the rebar sticking straight up in the air. Btw...it's July 14 and no one has fixed them yet...the mowers just kind of moved them to the side to mow around them. Awesome. It makes me chuckle when I see them, though.

I occasionally work at Brandon Woods Retirement Community in Lawrence and the last time was on July 4th. I have always wanted to work that day at BW because they have a huge picnic for the residents and their families. An awesome Jazz band plays and they go all out with the food, which was absolutely delish this year. It was my first year of helping out and since I'm usually in charge of centerpieces for the special dinners/occasions, I was put in charge of the table decorations for the 4th. Nothing Fancy...but definitely patriotic. While I made them I was totally listening to the "Patriotic" station on my Pandora.

For the picnic they clear out the resident carports and set up tables--there was a great turnout and everyone had a great time. I do love working there for days like the 4th...not to mention the residents are the best!

WTF Fridays--The Last 90 of my 20's

2010-07-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

This week's WTF Friday is a bit personal... I was going to post this on Tuesday, but got a little too busy to do it that day.

June 29 is a "special" day for me this year. Yep, it meant that I had 90 days left to enjoy my 20's. I'm not really afraid or nervous about turning 30. I think it's more about goals I set for myself when I was younger. I had planned on being married, maybe having a child, a great career, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love my life (for the most part) it just amazes me how things change from what I thought I'd be doing and where I'd be at approaching 30. It's ok, I can aspire to be "30, Flirty, and Thriving" :)

Anyway---I found this article by Andy Rooney that made me smile...enjoy.

Turning 30 by Andy Rooney

This is for all you girls 30 years and over....and for those who are turning 30, and for those who are scared of moving into their 30's! This was written by Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes Andy Rooney says:

As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?". She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women
friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.

The 1st Attempt at Being Crafty

2010-06-29T11:28:00.001-05:00

(unless you count the strawberries from yesterday)
You know how I said I was going to try to be more crafty? And remember how I said my first project was for Jen and Baby Jae? Well… here is it!
I saw this project on one of the new blogs I am following, Samster Mommy. I just love all of her crafty ideas and she gives GREAT tutorials (so much so that I, the not-so-crafty, feel like I can do the projects). Plus, Samster is simply adorable.

The idea came to me one day when I was visiting the J’s and noticed Jae’s bows EVERYWHERE. They are her “trademark” so naturally she has a ton of them. My mind flashed back to the Bow Board tutorial from the blog and I knew I had to try it. (check out Jen's Blog to see the evidence...Jae showcases her "trademark" in nearly every photo)

Here is the finished product. I am so lucky that Jen loves the color green as much as I do—originally I planned to do something entirely green to relish is my favorite color palette, but decided on some flowers and polka dots instead. I think it turned out great considering it was my first attempt—surely I will refine my skills the more I do. Now I just need my friends to start having more babies, girls to be exact.

Thank you to Samster Mommy for the great idea! I think Jen and Jae liked it—here is the finished product with bows galore.

Birthday Treats

2010-06-28T20:36:00.000-05:00

Today is Megan's birthday so, being the awesome friend/co-worker that I am...I made treats. I didnt want to just make/buy a cake or cupcakes so I was trying to think of something more creative and use my chocolate skills from back in the day.... Here are the results:

WTF Fridays...Seriously?! Baby Jorts?

2010-06-25T09:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry my recent posts have been so "baby-centric." I'm really not obsessed or anything--I'm nowhere near ready to have a baby--there's just lots of crazy stuff going on with babies lately!

I was watching TV last night and this commerical came on. I thought it was one of those joke commercials like on SNL circa 2003 (Thong diapers). (one of my FAVORITE SNL commercials, by the way) Nope. It's serious.

I think my favorite part was at the end when the song says "When it's number 2, I look like number 1!" Do babies really need diapers that look like jeans? Is it a hommage to jorts? Baby jorts? I predict a record number being sold in Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, and anywhere else adults AND babies run free with only their jorts on. It also gives new meaning to the Diaper Jeanie : ) (lame joke, I know)

Your thoughts?

"Crafty Crafts(wo)man"

2010-06-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately. The subject? Crafting. The outcome? I want to get crafty. I've already asked my mom if I could take her sewing machine off her hands and have several projects lines up/in my head.

I havent really ever done any major sewing projects, but how hard can it be, right? We shall see. I am going home in late July so I wont have the machine until then, but in the meantime I will start on some no-sew or sew-by-hand projects.

The first is something I am making for Jen (check out her blog...so cute). I cant really share many details because she's a reader and it would ruin the surprise. It's nothing major, but I think it will be cute. Plus, it's her birthday week : )

the projects I have swimming around my head involve some of the following:
--buttons (LOTS of buttons)
--bows
--zippers
--magnets
--old magazines
--hot glue guns
--ribbons
--faux flowers

I'll be posting pictures of my projects on my blog, of course. So stay tuned.

Father's Day--Dadisms

2010-06-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

Me and dad...I was always good at pouting! : )

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there!

I thought the best way to commemorate the day was by posting some "dadisms" from my father. :)

Dadisms:
"Blow some stink off of ya!"
"These shoes have been here for 2 damn weeks" (the amount of time they had really been there was irrelevant...it was always 2 weeks.)
"You KNOW better than that!"
"Come on, Alison, use your head."
"Yeah.....and?"
"Yu'ns" (you-ins, or youns) I never really understood this one. Must be an Ohio thing.
"Nobody can even look at you crooked."
"Put your sass on simmer."
"All you need is some natural grease" (I don't think I will ever forget this one--we were putting together a bamboo fishing rod and he wiped some oil/sweat off of his forehead and used it to grease the joints of the fishing rod....memorable experience.)
"Get that through your hard head!"

Dad also went through a phase when he said "Bollocks" a lot...like he was Brittish.

Happy Father's Day, dad : )

What are some of yoru favorite dadisms.

WTF Fridays--"It's a Baby....In a Bar."

2010-06-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Friday! I hope you are all as ready for the weekend as I am! I came across the topic for this week's WTF Friday in the Lawrence Journal World. It's a story about a mother who feels singled out because the she was asked not to bring her 11-month old baby into the establishment after 11 pm--a reasonable request, no?

Read the whole story here.

Now for my thoughts. I immediately thought of the movie Sweet Home Alabama. If you've seen it you know what I'm talking about and what the title of today's post refers to. If not...basically, when Reese Witherspoon's character goes home to Alabama and visits the local watering hole a high school friend of hers is there, with her baby because "she's still on the tit."

Which, conveniently enough, is another point from the article. The manager of the Bourgeois Pig (The Pig) in Lawrence supports a mother's right to nurse her baby in public places, but is concerned that, because the Pig serves coffee AND alcohol that other patrons would raise concerns that she is drinking alcohol while nursing her baby--a valid concern.

The aticle also raises concerns about criticism about parents who can't seem to give up their social lives when they have small children.

I can understand both sides...positive and negative. Personally, I wont be taking my children, regardless of their ages, to a bar after dark (important classification between a restaurant and bar/coffee house here, folks. The pig caters to alcohol-drinking patrons throughout the day but obviously it increases at night). I think other patrons have every right to be concerned about it--they see a mother and child surrounded by lots of people drinking alcohol, assumptions will be made regardless of their validity. I would probably do a double take. Once to make sure I am really seeing a mother/child at a bar after dark, and twice to make sure she wasnt drinking.

In my opinion (only mine) I do think she should re-think taking her baby with her to The Pig after 11. I understand that it's the place she and her husband met, blah blah blah, but really? Do you REALLY need to take your baby? Especially if she's nursing! Why isnt the kid asleep? Does she really need to get out that badly? If so, get a sitter. "Babysitters are expensive!" you say...so are drinks at a bar. Priorities, people. I'm sorry she feels singled out, but the other patrons are going to assume the worst and she is the one putting herself in the position to be judged--regardless of how unfair it is, people are ALWAYS going to judge with or without all the facts.

Anyhoo...what are your thoughts?

KU-AD to Resign

2010-06-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

awww.. Bye Lew.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2010/jun/10/kus-lew-perkins-set-resign-end-2010-2011-school-ye/

The BP Oil Disaster--the Magnitude Realized

2010-06-09T16:27:00.001-05:00

Hey kids...Hopefully by now you are aware of the BP oil disaster in the gulf. If you are like me, the reports they give about how large it is dont really mean much. I found this site that shows you just how big it is...if it were in your area.
http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/

Check it out--it should go directly to your area, if not just enter it in. Here is a screen shot of mine:

Isnt that is INSANE! It really makes it hit home what a HUGE ecological disaster this really is and that the effects will be felt for a long, long time. There are pictures on the site of the animals affected by the spill--so sad.

The Rollercoaster

2010-06-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

No--I'm not referring to another rousing trip to Worlds of Fun. I wish I were.

Anyone who knows me is probably aware that I am usually on a diet, trying to eat healthier, or starting a new workout plan. Well, I am at it again, it seems. For the last month or so I have felt entirely out of control with eating, sleeping, working out, work, and just life in general. Things are finally slower at work so I should have more time to focus on myself...but that hasnt happened yet.

I started taking BC last month and it has pretty much sent me on a rollercoaster ride with my eating habits (not to mention my hormones). I CRAVE/WANT/NEED to eat...anything...but mostly sweets. I HATE it. I am not sure where this insatiable sweet tooth comes from, but it is very frustrating to say the least. It's like I cannot get enough sugar. And, on top of that, I just can't seem to stop eating. period.

If you read my blog you know that I recently lost about 30 lbs. Thanks to the BC and stress, I've gained about 8 lbs back--which is not what I want at all. It's just so frustrating to me that I cant seem to get this under control and I honestly feel like it's making other parts of my life spin out of control, too. I'm reading this article right now about breaking the habit and taking control of the cycle...kind of interesting:

Breaking It Down
Once you've identified trigger factors, work out other ways to address them. Don't beat yourself up with every little lapse. Instead, focus on positive things you can do to replace or avoid overeating. Pay attention to how you feel when you eat certain foods; you'll start to notice patterns emerging (eating after a family argument, for example, or when you're bored, lonely or disappointed). Consider alternative ways to lift your mood when the urge threatens. Perhaps call a friend, go for a walk or see a movie.

Breaking the Habit
Here are some tips for winning the battle:

1.Take it slow. Crash dieting is more likely to end in losing control than a slow, steady loss of a pound or two each week.

2.Don't cheat yourself! Eat a sensible amount of food each day.

3.Allow occasional treats. If you don't totally cut out "forbidden" foods (such as those donuts that you love), you're more likely to stay on track, because deprivation often leads to overeating. Opt for low-fat versions of favorite foods.

4.Reward yourself for every win — how about a bath or a walk just to enjoy a sunset rather than a reward consisting of junk food.

5.Plan ahead to stay in control. Facing a big test or other ordeal that you fear will send you straight to the cookie jar? Try to keep healthy snacks around to nibble on instead, and exercise to offset your munching — and calm you down, too!

6.Share your feelings — sad, bad or otherwise — with family or friends.

7.Seek support from others trying to lose weight — family, friends or online buddies. They're there to help, and want to see you succeed.

8.Look to calming alternatives if stress is your trigger. Anything from deep breathing to yoga to arts and crafts could help. And don't forget: Exercise is a great tranquillizer. (It also reduces your appetite!)

9.Count to ten. Is overeating your way of coping with anger? Consider other ways of dealing with negative emotions, such as learning assertiveness techniques.

10.Find other ways to fill the void. If you typically overeat when you're looking for emotional nourishment; stop. Feed your spirit by caring for yourself as well as you can during times when you feel unloved, under-appreciated or unworthy. Be your own biggest fan and try to focus on your successes, not to the occasional lapse.
11.Be patient and forgiving of yourself. Long-established complex habits won't change overnight.

12.Avoid all-or-nothing thinking, such as "I've already blown my weight loss plan, I might as well finish off the box." Accept that you may go off the rails from time to time. So you've lost six pounds and regained three? It's important to congratulate yourself for the pounds that you lost. You're doing a great job!

I think this week is going to be a week to refocus my energies on getting back on track. I really hate feeling out of control, but there are other things going on in my life right now that are not helping the cause--when I get stressed or something isnt going right, I tend to eat...which just starts the whole cycle again. Back on the rollercoaster---I want to get off.

WTF Fridays--Felt Food?!

2010-06-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

So...apparently felt food is "all the rage" these days. Who knew? Not me, that's for sure. Last weekend I went to visit my good friends, the J's (Joey, Jen, and Baby Jae) for some fun in the sun/shade and just to hang out since it has been FOREVER since I last visited.

We enjoyed Jae's new water table--well, she enjoyed trying to get all the water out of it and sticking the mini water guns I brought over in her mouth to suck out all the water. After that we went inside to watch her make a mess with her dinner and then onto the fun stuff...testing this felt food phenomenon. Jen got a "sample" of some felt food from Etsy (check it out here she has some super cute stuff!) and wanted to test it out with Jae. She got the sushi pack, which contained three sushi rolls, two chopsticks, and a fortune cookie. I have to say, it's pretty darn cute--not to mention durable--we tried to take it apart and push out the middle of the sushi rolls with no luck. The sushi seemed to be a pretty good learning tool, too. Jae saw that Jen stacked the rolls up and when we knocked them down she stacked them right back up again and, when Jen was using the chopsticks to pick up the sushi rolls Jae tried to do the same. Perhaps Jae is just a genius... :)

Check out the "review" and some pictures from the day on Jen's Blog (there is a giveaway, too, but it might be too late to enter). I will post my pictures from last weekend later tonight since my camera and cord are at home.

RIP, SpongeBob!

2010-06-03T14:21:00.002-05:00

So, so sad...

Thanks Sarah (for the survey)

2010-06-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

...until I upload pictures from the weekend, this will have to serve as your entertainment...

1. If you were to attend a costume party tonight, what or whom would you go as?
I would go as Sue Sylvester from Glee or Sweet Baby Dee from Always Sunny?

2. What are your choice of toppings on a hamburger? And do you prefer gas or charcoal grilling?
Mayo, Mustard, Pickle, Tomato, Lettuce. I prefer charcoal, please.

3. You are chosen to have lunch with the President. The condition is you only get to ask one question. What do you ask?
I have no idea--I thought about this for awhile, too. Im drawing a blank.

4. It's your first day of vacation, what are you doing?
Sleeping in! Then enjoying my vacation to the fullest.

5. What is your concession stand must-have at the movies?
POPCORN. I think it's in my genes to LOVE movie theater popcorn. Thanks, mom!

6. Which do you dislike most: pop-up ads or spam email?
Pop-ups.

7. What do you think Captain Hook's name was before he had a hook for a hand?
Captain Normal? Captain Two-Hands? Ned?

8. Rock, paper, or scissors?
Scissors

9. How long was it from 'the first date' until the proposal of marriage? How long until the wedding?
For ??? Me? Well...approaching 3 months, we'll see how it goes

10. Which is worse, being in a place that is too loud, or too quiet?
Too loud, unless I'm in a really quiet room with someone chewing something crunchy--I would lose my effing mind!

11. What is one quality that you really appreciate in a person?
Honesty and a nice, dry sense of humor.

12. At the good old general store, what particular kind of candy would you expect to be in the big jar at the counter?
Jelly Beans? Good N. Plenty's maybe.

13. What is the most distinguishing landmark in your city?
The Campanile perhaps? Maybe just KU.

14. Everyone hears discussions that they consider boring. What topic can put you to sleep quicker than any other?.
How great your shopping trip was and how you just didnt spend enough money. Or any conversation where other people talk about spending money that I will never have.

15. How many times did it take you to pass your drivers test?
Do people really fail their drivers test? Why is this such a hard thing to accomplish? It just took me once.

16. If you had to have the same topping on your vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life, what topping would you choose?
Chocolate syrup or hot fudge.

17. What food item would need to be removed from the market altogether in order for you to live a healthier, longer life?
Cabbage.

18. You are offered an envelope that you know contains $50. You are then told that you may either keep it or exchange it for another envelope that may contain $500 or may be empty. Do you keep the first envelope, or do you take your chances with the second?
I'd probably take the chance, unless I really needed the $50.

19. If you had to choose, which would you give up: cable TV, or DSL/cable internet?
Internet.

20. What are you watching right now?
The Hills, it's just on in the background until the new episode of Toddlers & Tiaras starts.

21. How much is a gallon of gas in your city? What was the highest it's been?
$2.49

22. What kind of lunch box did you have as a kid?
Holly Hobby, if I recall correctly. Maybe my mom could tell me if that's accurate.

23. What would you rather have, a nanny, a housekeeper, a cook, or a chauffeur?
A cook

24. Would you rather be trapped in an elevator, or stuck in traffic?
Elevator.

25. Lets say a brick fell on your foot, and your kid is standing right next to you, what is your 'cleaned up' swear word? Well, if it were "my kid" it would be my cat and she doesnt give a shit if I swear.

WTF Friday (on Sat. Morning) Men's Jeans

2010-05-29T11:17:00.000-05:00

I am having a bit of trouble understanding what's going on with men's jeans lately. Seriously--skinny (super tight) jeans CANNOT be comfortable for the "package," can they? I wish I would have had a camera the other day to capture the complete wrongness of the jeans a guy was wearing. They were so extremely tight I really wasnt sure it was a guy. HOW THE F ARE THESE COMFORTABLE?! (and, might I note, the skinnier the jean, the bigger your clown shoes look.)

So wrong...on SO many levels!!!

Next up...over embellished jeans. This was a personal experience when we were out for Necia/Darcie/Amy's birthdays. I think they are a butt too much (pun totally intended). Guys, leave the embellishment to the ladies, please. I immediately thought this guy was a bit too metro and probably takes longer than most women to get ready. barf. Plus--what's the deal with crosses and all this "Affliction" crap? I get it, it's in style (and I must apologize to my BFF, Chris, who wears the shirts and has "Jesus shoes" :)) So does this guy think his ass is really worthy of TWO crosses? Talk about Idolatry--guilty. Hasnt he seen Dogma?!

WTF Fridays

2010-05-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

I’ve seen these things on other blogs: Wordless Wednesdays, Wondrous Wednesdays, Thoughtful Thursdays, etc…so I am going to try out my own thing—WTF Fridays. Each Friday (hopefully) I will post a blog about something that just makes me say WTF!?

The inaugural WTF Friday post is…..(drumroll please)…..

BIRTH CONTROL COMMERCIALS

We’ve all seen them, but have you ever turned to a friend/loved one after one of them was over and said “WTF?” I have. So here are my thoughts, feel free to share yours.

Taking birth control is just one of those things you have to do if you don’t want little ones running around. It’s not really THAT hard to remember to take a pill every day. The commercials for Nuva-Ring really crack me up. Maybe it’d because I’ve always secretly longed to be a synchronized swimmer, maybe not. I am of course referring to the commercial where the “old” birth control is represented by synchronized swimmers singing “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday….” Repeat (get it, you take it every day—yes, we get it). Then, one of the swimmers looks over and realizes there is something different…yes! A hot tub with only a few yellow bikini-wearing swimmers relaxing, so she decides to leave the routine and hop on in the hot tub because taking a pill every day is just. too. hard.

Personally, I don’t think it’s really that complicated. Do you brush your teeth every day? Then you can manage to take a pill right after doing that. I also like the new ads for Nuva-Ring—the ones where a group of friends are sitting around watching TV and the old ad comes on. One of the women starts singing the song and another asks “would you ever use Nuva-Ring?” Then another says, “I don’t even know what it is…” The woman who asked if they would use it chimes in, “It’s a monthly birth control ring…blah blah blah.” Yep, that’s exactly what happens when me and my friends get together.

Next up, Yaz. Don’t get me started on these commercials. I laughed when I saw the one where the women are at a “club/bar” and one of them is a doctor and she launches into a speech, complete with medical jargon, telling her friends about the benefits of Yaz, which helps with PMDD, not to be confused with PMS.

Right, like that would happen?

Then the new ads came out showing a bunch of different women in different scenarios. The one who changes her clothes in the car, another cutting bangs while sitting on her floor (uhh, bitch those are going to be some jacked up bangs!), and my favorite…the girl who willingly sits, FULLY CLOTHED, in a bath tub filled with water and bubbles. Seriously!??!!?!? WHO DOES THAT! If my birth control made me hop into a full bathtub I’m pretty sure I’d be making an appointment with my doc ASAP to get a different form of BC.

I want my birth control to help prevent pregnancy, not make me crazy—I am already crazy enough.

I could go on…but tell me some of your favorites! Oh.. who remembers the patch? I tried that once and it left the icky band-aid-esque black sticky residue that refused to come off. Ew.

What to Do While your Boyfriend is in Mexico

2010-05-20T20:12:00.004-05:00

My boyfriend (still kind of strange to say/type/think!) left for Mexico this morning...without me. To be fair, he made the arrangements when we first started talking and he didnt know just how AMAZING I was going to turn out to be :) so it's totally ok that he went without me...with 2 other women. I'm not bitter at all. (actually they are just good friends of his and are both married). He sent me an email yesterday afternoon letting me know he made it and that "the water is beautiful." Is it mean of me to want him to get a sunburn? (I'm totally kidding!! mostly)

So, what do you do while your boyfriend/husband/sig. other is out of town? I could go out every night, drink it up, party with friends or, I could do nothing at all. I think my weekend will consist of mostly the latter. Is that what married guys/or guys who live with their girlfriends do when their wives go out of town for a few days? Lay on the couch, be lazy, eat junk food, and be a bum? (or is that just what I do the nights I'm not with Kevin?)

I have told myself every weekend since I moved into my apt that I need to finish painting the damn thing! honestly, I only have the two bedrooms left and its so ridiculous that I havent finished--to be fair to myself, I picked out the paint color a couple months ago so.....ok no excuse. I am determined to finish is this weekend though. A few weeks back, my mom came up to visit and brought me her Wii/Wii Fit. I told myself I wouldnt hook it up until I was done painting so it's just sitting there calling my name.

IT WILL HAPPEN! I SWEAR! Here is my "to do" list.
--paint!! PAINT!! PAINT!
--Clean the apt (dust/vacuum/mop--which reminds me, I need to buy a mop!)
--laundry
--hang up the rest of my art/decorate my bedroom, including hanging up some curtains. Swanky.

What are you up to this weekend?

Today's Fortune

2010-05-17T19:59:00.000-05:00

I had chinese for lunch today and while it was delish, it also caused me some major discomfort later in the afternoon. My fortune said: "Tomorrow will be one of the best days at work for you." We shall see :)

What a Weekend!

2010-05-10T19:48:00.000-05:00

Last weekend...what....a whirlwind!
Friday night we went to see Chelsea Handler. What can I say? I love her! Chris Franjola opened for her and wasnt extremely funny, but Chelsea was :) (sorry my pics of Chels arent the best, I dont have a photo editor program at home. And, btw...it was about 40 degrees out that night and the show was OUTSIDE)

Saturday I went out to celebrate the birthdays of 3 friends: Necia, Darcie (also the green team AA at work), and Amy L. Had a great time and hope they did, too. Thanks, ladies, for being born and being a part of my life!!

Darcie, one of the birthday girls.

Necja, another birthday girl :)

And some randoms:

Adventures with K

2010-05-10T19:38:00.000-05:00

Kevin and I went shopping/looking for flowers to plant in his yard and I got a little camera happy. What can I say...they are pretty :)

So...someone has a sunroof and I really enjoy sticking things out of it, including my hand (sometimes when it's not even open) and my head.

Nice Shoes

2010-05-10T19:35:00.000-05:00

Arent they? This is my first pair of wedges and I have successfully worn them several times WITHOUT falling on my ass. Thank you, thank you.

I wore them out for girls night at the Eldridge (2-4-1 Martinis) and had a great time. Just a few random shots from that night...

It's like Christmas! :)

JOEL! (and other Manhattan adventures)

2010-05-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

This is late but, better late than never, right? My friend Necia and I ventured to Manhattan (ew) to see Joel McHale. Frankly, we are both mildly obsessed with him and think he's hot. This was Necia's second time seeing him and my first.

Definitely a great show--definitely recommend seeing him! Did I mention that he's hot? :)

Oh, so there are some other randoms in here. What's up with the signs for MLK in Manhattan? Do they really need to have a side view of MLK on the sign? ON EVERY SIGN? Anyone else find it ironic that its white?

While we were in Manhattan I made Necia drive past the PKA house since I do their newsletters/solicitations. Lovely. By the way... Cam from Modern Family (Eric Stonestreet) was a member of this frat :)

K

2010-04-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

Ohh the joys of Facebook! I guess I have always wanted to change my "relationship status" on Facebook but, because I've been single for the last oh....29 years (not to mention Facebook hasnt been around that long), I havent been able to.

Until this week. Yes folks, the perpetually single friend is not so single anymore! Yep, I'm doing a little happy dance on my couch...as well as I can dance sitting down with a laptop on my lap. Now that I have changed the ole status, everyone is asking, which I knew they would--isnt that the point of changing it?

In what started as my last attempt at online dating, I joined e-Harmony and actually paid for it. (eek) A few weeks went by and I was matched with Kevin, a guy who has an affinity for volunteerism, sarcasm, and unfortunately, Mizzou. For those of you not familiar with e-Harmony procedures, you have two options--you can go through the "guided commnication," which is like a question and answer type of thing. You cant send an e-mail until like, step 4 or something...its interesting. Or, you can skip all that crap and send someone an email right away.

Until I read Kevin's profile I had never really considered sending an e-mail right off the bat, but something about what I read made me want to learn more...soon. So I sent it and waited...and waited...and WAITED. Are you kidding me? What the hell is wrong with him? Why wouldnt he want to respond to me (yeah, I was feeling extremely confident about myself at that time)?!

I'm pretty sure a couple of weeks went by until he FINALLY responded. Let the e-mailing commence! So...long story short, we had an amazing first date and everything has been going so well that we made it "facebook official" this week. : )

I think I can safely say that he is a great match. So kudos to you, e-Harmony! He is the first guy in a long time that I feel like I can be 100% myself around...even when I'm being ridiculous or inappropriate, which you should all know is often. I'm pretty sure I havent laughed as hard or as much as I have in the past 5 weeks. Did we make it official too soon? Is it moving too fast? I can honestly say that I am scared sometimes, but I'm also excited and that is a good thing--I think I deserve it. So Kevin, if you are reading this, which I know you are. Thank you for the best 5 weeks I've had in a long, long time. I look forward to many, many, more! Oh, and good luck finding the peep this time!!

Paging Alison, Come in, Alison. This is your life calling...

2010-04-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

So, the other night I was sitting on the couch reading a magazine and all of a sudden I came to a realization about my life. Ever had one of those moments? It was like everything became clear and the next chapter in my life was determined--yep, all while I was sitting on my ass reading a magazine. Amazing things happen, folks.

Am I scared? Damn straight. I am also nervous, excited, and going to pee my pants. I think a lot of this "moment of realization" stems from the big 2-9. I have a lot of goals that I want to accomplish by the time I'm 30 and my birthday this year reminded me that I needed to get my butt in gear, which reminds me...when's the next night of crazy dancing with my girls?! Call me!

I turn 30 in 5 months and 23 days...things are going to start happening--I just hope I am prepared.

M.I.A.

2010-03-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately. I have been sick this week and the last couple of weeks at work have been picking up--newsletter season and all.

On Tuesday my team, the green team, went out for lunch to celebrate our first 25% (newsletters mailed). We went to the Yacht Club and talked a bit about the KU game. Low and behold Coach Self walked in and Janice waved to him like she knew him...he kind of did a double take and then walked up to where we were sitting just in time for Darcie to ask him if we could take a picture with him.

I love my team.

we're on a first name basis with "Bill" now :)

So, Why Can't I Tell?

2010-02-21T14:20:00.000-06:00

I guess in response to my last post about the Biggest Loser Challenge at work coming to an end, I have been thinking about how much I (or my body) have changed since July. I have never been as successful with weight loss until this year but the funny thing is...I can't tell.

I know it's pretty common for someone who has lost weight to still see the person he or she was before losing weight. I know my clothes fit better and that I have had to buy new things but really, some days I just don't think I have really lost 35 lbs. I hear the compliments and truly appreciate them but it's hard for me to take them when I can't even tell I look any different. Maybe I just need to hear it from people I haven't seen since the summer? I don't know--my brain/eyes just need to catch up with my body I guess.

May?

2-20-10

Somebody's Gettin' Hitched!

2010-02-20T14:20:00.001-06:00

On Friday, February 12, 2010 Mike Gardner FINALLY asked Sara to marry him. About time, eh? I am so excited it finally happened and can't wait to start helping her do all the fun wedding things!

Congrats guys! Love you both!

She didnt want something "ordinary." Love the sapphire :)

Even the cake was blingy! "Finally taking the plunge!"

A girl can dream, right? I think it looks great on you, Jas :)

The Results Are In

2010-02-16T12:34:00.002-06:00

I know all of you (all 5 people who read this) have been anxiously awaiting the results of the P&C Biggest Loser Challenge. The final weigh-ins were yesterday so, without further ado, here are the final results:

1st Place Dave 9.22% Weight Loss
2nd Place Alison 7.89% Weight Loss
3rd Place Doug 4.95 Weight Loss
4th Place Jerry 4.73% Weight Loss
5th Place Patrick 1.92% Weight Loss
6th Place Susie 1.03% Weight Loss

The total lbs. lost was 61.84 lbs.

So, I didn't win, obviously, but I did come in a STRONG second! I have to admit I am proud of myself for hanging in there with the guys. It's so much easier for guys to lose weight! Since July I have lost 31 lbs and for that, I am definitely proud!

So congrats to Dave, the Biggest Loser :)

Running and a Biggest Loser Challenge Update

2010-02-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

If you've known me for awhile, you should know that I LOATHE running, and have since my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Beckham, made us train for the Wichita River Run. Yeah yeah, we got new shoes from Nike for it and that was cool--I just hated that we HAD to do it. Plus, being a chubby girl, running was never really my thing.

Now that I've lost nearly 30 lbs its not only easier for me to run, I'm finding that I want to challenge myself and see if I can work my way up to a half marathon. It doesnt help that I work with a lot of people who regularly run and do half and full marathons. My ultimate goal is to do Brew to Brew with everyone this year.

Since I am NOT a runner I'm starting small with a 5K training schedule. I found a really good one from the Mayo Clinic--a 7-week training schedule that should be a good start. I want my first race to be the Lawrence 2010 Shamrock Shuffle, which is March 6th. Just enough time to get a good start on my training. After that I will be well on my way to running a leg in the Brew to Brew run on April 11. For those of you not familiar with the B2B, its a 44-mile run you can do solo or on a relay team (the way to go in my non-runners opinion). Wish me luck...

Many of you also know that I am participating in the P&C Biggest Loser Challenge. It has been interesting...this is the last week and I am going into it in 2nd place behind Dave. Last week Jerry came out of nowhere, leap-frogged Doug to put himself in 3rd place right behind me. Here's the breakdown:
Dave--6% body weight lost
Me--5.77% body weight lost
Jerry--5.2% body weight lost
Doug--5% body weight lost
Susie and Patrick--between 2 and 3% body weight lost.

So, as you can see, its a close race. I am proud of myself for hanging with the guys at the top since everyone knows its harder for women to lose weight. The final weigh in is February 12th or 15th--it was supposed to be Feb 12 right before the Annual P&C "Heartburn" (Valentine's Day Chili Cook-Off) but now that is in question and it might be rescheduled for the 15th..the weigh in, not the chili cook-off.

I'm hoping starting the 5K training tomorrow (Feb 8) will help with the weigh in.

So thats all.. Wish the Colts could have won the SB, but the right team won..way to go, Saints.

A small update...

2010-02-01T11:10:00.000-06:00

Since Thomas wanted an update on the weekend projects... here it is:

--get my oil changed (done)
--finishing paiting the dining room and bathroom (bathroom finished!)
--hang all my art/pictures on the walls (nope..)
--start some headbands (new project)(not even close)
--go bra shopping (in desperate need) (I wish... but not so much.)
--clean my apt (kinda... bits and pieces)
--laundry (started some, still some to do)
--start/finish my headboard project (sadly, no.)

Yeah, it wasnt much of a productive weekend. This past weekend wasnt so productive either. I worked on Saturday from 8-5 while feeling like poo and then went home and watched the KU/KState basketball game. Needless to say, I have no fingernails left and was a nervous wreck the entire game. Thanks to Megan who came over to keep me company and ate some pizza rolls, making me feel a little less like a fat ass :)

I will say, however, that I am still holding strong in 2nd place in the Biggest Loser Challenge at work. One more week left--the final weigh in is February 12.

I am trying to make it through the day today. My throat is killing me and all I want to do is sleep--but thats tough to do when you cant stop thinking about all the work that needs to be done. Blah!

Goals for the Weekend

2010-01-16T12:48:00.000-06:00

Well, here it is another weekend and I am completely exhausted. I woke up on Friday morning with horrendous stomach pains--yep, another gallbladder "attack." No good. I woke up at 330 and was sick until about 545, at which point I believe I fell asleep perched in "about to be sick" position hanging off the edge of my bed. Lovely. A lot of blood vessels around my eys burst in the process so now I have some new purple freckles until they go away.

I am also working this weekend at Brandon Woods, taking photos from Delta Chi and AGD at KU (Pancakes to Fight Parkinsons), and I have a ton of other things I'd like to get done before the weekend is over but I dont know if that will happen.

Here are my goals:
--get my oil changed
--finishing paiting the dining room and bathroom
--hang all my art/pictures on the walls
--start some headbands (new project)
--go bra shopping (in desperate need)
--clean my apt
--laundry
--start/finish my headboard project (super SUPER excited about this one!!! I am making a padded headboard like they do on all of the DIY shows--dont think it needs to be padded for any other reason that aesthetics people... my life isnt that exciting:))

Good luck to me, I guess. : )

Surrounded By Creativity

2010-01-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

Ive heard from many different people that in order to be successful you must surround yourself with successful people. I think the same is true with creativity--in order to be creative, or more creative, you must surround yourself with creative people. Luckily, I have some awesome friends who inspire me and make me want to be more creative in many different areas.

My friend/co-worker Megan is an amazing graphic designer. She just started a blog to showcase her talents--go check it out and keep checking back (since she just started it) and see if there is something that either inspires you to get creative or to hire her to create something fabulous for you! Megan is an amazing person all-around. She won our company's MVP award for 2009 and completely deserved it. She is also getting the "Big of the Year" award for Big Brothers Big Sisters. An MVP in all areas!

I often talk about "The J's" and most of my readers know who they are...but if not, I will tell you right now. The J's are two friends who I love dearly--Joey, who I met while working at Target, and his wife, Jen. I've been lucky enough to get to know them even more over the years and share in their special moments, including their wedding and birth of their first child, Baby Jae (Jaelynn). Jen just started a 365-Blog where she will document every day for a year in photos. Its great because a lot of the pictures are of the baby and I just cant get enough of her. Jen is also using the blog to learn more about and perfect her photography hobby.So, check it out and fall in love with her pictures!!! (and Baby J)

Oh...my Holiday Party date and one of my favorite people, Mike Lemon, is amazing! He inspires me to be a better person and tap into my talents to succeed in the things I do. Check out his website and watch his videos! He is using his talents to help others find their talents to steer their lives in a positive direction. So GO WATCH!! (his blog is also in my blogroll, so check that out, too

Over Christmas I was lucky enough to meet a friend of a friend of my best friend, Chris. Ryan teaches at Cowley County Community College and has a MFA. Even though I've known him for less than a month...he has totally inspired me to get back into the writing groove. Its no secret that I want to write a book and it just so happens that Ryan has a book published--buy it here. Its about the Coen Brothers (The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, etc...) I love them, as well, so if you do--buy the book.

These are just a few of the very creative and inspiring people I am lucky enough to know (more later)--Getting back to my idea for a book-- I need your help, dear readers and friends. If there are any stories or strange/odd/funny situations we have been in together please leave them in a comment. I'm trying to put together a book of short stories that are, of course, funny because, asyou know if you are a friend of mine, A LOT of hilarious, strange, and otherwise amusing things happen to me. Oh, and I am planning on segmenting the book into Middle/High School, College, Post-College, and Work.

I have some good ones in the works... the first of which is the "Just Touch It" incident. I am planning on posting a sample chapter on here for comments, but Im not sure Im ready for that step just yet. So--pretty please help me remember all the good/strange/amusing times :)

The Nitty Gritty

2010-01-11T12:39:00.000-06:00

You know that saying, "Let's get down to the nitty gritty?" (or something like that) Well, it's that time for me. As many of you know (if you dont, you're about to find out) that I am a participant in the Biggest Loser Challenge at my company. There are 6 participants; 4 men and 2 women. Currently I am in second place overall, having lost 4.33% of my body weight since the challenge began on November 13.

Not too shabby, eh? Well, second place definitely wont work for me. The leader is just about 2% higher than I am and I am DETERMINED to catch up and beat him before the end of the competition, which is February 13--so just over a month to kick his ass :) I am pretty happy that, as a female, I am keeping up with the guys! But, keeping up just wont do, I really want to win. I'm not going to lie--I could REALLY use the prize money (the entry fee was $50 and the winner gets the whole pot--you do the math)--by the time the challenge is over, and if I kick it into high gear, I will need the money to buy some new clothes, but mostly I'd like to use to money to help me get my car fixed. (big hole in my bumper thanks to someone in a not so awesome Ford Tempo)

So... here's the plan. I am going to get up in the mornings and do the 30-day shred (part of my New Year's goal anyway) and then get ready for work, after which I will head to the gym for at least an hour. I havent decided if I want to alternate what I do at the gym but I will probably do cardio on M-W-F and weights on Tu-Th. Although, our awesome company team, the Gold Diggers, starts volleyball on Friday. We are in the "power 3" coed league, which Im guessing means we are going to get our asses kicked.

I know my plan seems extreme, and it kind of is, but really, its only for a month and I really do want to beat the guys :)

Weekend Recap

2010-01-10T12:37:00.000-06:00

I had a great weekend thanks to some great friends... Saturday night I ventured to KC to celebrate Joey taking his last CPA exam. Joining in the celebration were: Sara and Gardner, Mike Dressler, Mike Lemon, Matt Mortensen, and of course, the J's (Joey and Jen...and a sleeping baby Jae).

I am not sure how long its been since I've woken up the day after a get-together with sore abs from laughing so hard. We played Mad Gab, which resulted in some hilarious things being said, such as:

"Jose Aiken"

"Cyndi Lopez!"

"Date a man working"

"Data man working"

and many, many more.

It's About That Time...

2009-12-30T12:33:00.000-06:00

It happens every year, to more people than just me, I’m sure. New Year’s resolutions…we make them and we inevitably break them. Well, this year I want that cycle to be different for me so I have made mine more like goals than resolutions—hopefully that will help me get them all accomplished.

The first deals with something a lot of people resolve to change or work on, weight loss. This year has been great for me, actually. Since July I have lost 25 lbs and am competing in the P&C Biggest Loser contest, which started on November 13 and concludes on February 13. My big goal is to lose at least 50, but I can’t really complain with losing 25+!

--To do a full 30 days of the “30 Day Shred” (Jillian Michaels workout DVD) a caveat of this goal is to do the workout at least 5 days a week (m-f) and have the weekends off.

--To have at least $1,000 in my savings account (or more)

--Volunteer more than I did this year/on a more regular basis. I really want to find a volunteer opportunity that I can participate in regularly. Maybe this will be the year I finally complete my application for CASA! I’d like to be a Big Sister, but not sure I have what it takes.

--Travel more! Since I will be starting my 3rd year at work I will have some additional PTO to use and I want to do some traveling. It’s always been a dream of mine to go to NYC so I want to do that this year (and before I’m 30, so it HAS to be this year). I also want to go to Charlotte one more time before Chris moves (if he does), and Chicago (again)! (Thinking about a trip for the big 3-0! But I’d love to go for St. Patrick’s Day!)

--Read more.

--Finally start the book I’ve been talking about writing for a couple of years now. I think I may actually have a working title now, though, which is a start!

--Be on time…for everything. I have a problem getting to work on time even though I live in the same city. I don’t know what my deal is, but I need to make some changes.

--Cook more! I have some awesome new cook books and want to try out some new recipes.

--Have people over to my apt more. Enough said on that one…

I don’t think any of these are impossible, which is another reason I hope I can stick to them and reach my goals!

So what are your resolutions?

Losing My Virginity

2009-07-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

Friday, July 17 is a day I will never forget. It started out like any other Friday; I got up, showered, and went to work–nothing spectacular. I was vaguely aware in the back of my mind that Friday evening I would lose my virginity at 28–shh, Im a late bloomer. As the day went on the reality set in and by the time work was over I was anxious, nervous, and kind of nauseated–is that normal? I imagine so.

Everyone has to, right?

The hour approached..was I ready for this? Is it really the right time? What if I get hurt, God forbid. I’ve heard stories… Well, regardless, the time came and I was on my way. That was the night I lost my virginity—my Worlds of Fun Virginity.

Yes, it may seem odd, but until that night I was a 28-year-old Worlds of Fun (WoF) virgin, laugh if you want. I have lived in Kansas for about 22 years and my family never made the trip to WoF in KC. I think we went to Joyland once and I got sick–that was the end of our amusement park adventures.

Necia picked me up and we were off to KC–once we finally made it to the entrance I felt like I was in the movie National Lampoons Vacation (a movie, might I add, that Necia had NOT seen…really?!), particularly the scene when they first arrive at WallyWorld and the parking lot is empty…they find a spot in the back “so they can beat the crowd at the end of the day” and run up to the front gate only to find that it is closed. I love that movie.

My stomach was filled with butterflies. You have to understand…I love rollercoasters, it’s the part before getting on them that freaks me out. I get really tense and my palms start to sweat–its not pretty. Waiting in line only freaks me out more–especially a long line. Let me set the scene for you…

We walked up to the line and it moves pretty quickly. The whole time I was looking up at the first big climb (that is REALLY high, if you havent been) and getting more nervous the closer the line moved. Well, we were finally up at the platform and this littel girl just starts bawling (no, not me) and saying “Why are you making me do this!?” Tears were just streaming down her face and she was NOT having it. I told Necia I was planning to act like that momentarily. We got in the car and the “Ride Ambassador/Operator” said “Watch out riders, cause Mamba is about to strike” stomp stomp hiss…for real? That was really lame.

The first climb was all I expected it to be and more. I freaked out… I was trying to hold my breath because the height and drops were making stomach turn and I couldnt even open my eyes. There was one point when I opened my eyes to see us going around a curve and the support posts getting closer and closer to our heads. Yeah, I shut my eyes again. I think that was the scariest ride ever for me. I needed a pair of “oops I crapped my pants” adult diapers. Good thing it was the first ride. After that it was gonna be easier, right? Ugh. I wish.

A couple of girls from work told me that the people watching was AMAZING at WoF–and if you know me, you know I LOVE to people watch (and make comments, of course). They were right. It was fantastic. Necia will have to fill in anyone I miss:

-We walk into the park and the first thing we hear from a little kid while we walked to Mamba was “It smells like farts” so that became the phrase of choice for me.

-while waiting in line for Prowler this guy was in front of us with CRAZY hair that he kept pulling on and making it stick straight up. He did this the whole time we were in line…when he wasnt grabbing his girlfriends ass. He was also dressed like a 12-year-old.

-Also in the Prowler line there was a rather tall black man in a ankle length kimono type thing with slicked back long hair. I hope the ride didnt mess it up.

-Probably the best were the little boy and girl we shared the car with on Spinning Dragons, the “baby coaster” as Necia called it…maybe there were like 4-year-olds riding it, but I swear those were screams of death coming from the ride. We got into the car and the little girl, who was probably 6, told us not to rest our heads against the back because it will stop suddenly and hurt, sure enough.. it did. Then Necia asked them if they had ridden the ride a lot. Im not sure if the little girl answered her, but the little boy looked at me in all seriousness and said “I have to pee.” Blunt, to the point…thanks for letting me know you might pee on me during the ride kid. I told him as we were on the first climb that I would try not to puke on him if he tried not to pee on me. He said ok. Necia and I laughed hysterically for the whole ride.

All in all it was a great trip. The rest of the coasters were great. Prowler, the new wooden coaster was cool because it was pitch black and all I could see when I did open my eyes were all the wood planks everywhere–kinda scary-cool. We also got to watch the fireworks from the coaster as we rode which was awesome.

I loved the Patriot–something about being seated with my feet dangling and feeling completely strapped in is comforting when you are flying through the air.

By the way… the catch phrase for the prowler was “Watch out riders, cause a black cat is about to strike RAWR…rabble rabble (or something). What I wouldnt give to be a Ride Ambassador. Thanks to Benjy (for his ticket) and Necia for taking my WoF virginity.

This is Why I Hate Monkeys

2009-02-19T13:01:00.000-06:00

Okay… so some of you might not know this…but I HATE monkeys. I usually list them on things I am afraid of in the form of rabid monkeys, but in general, I do not like monkeys. They creep me out…a lot. Especially when they are dressed up in people clothes. I find it disturbing that their DNA is only 2 matches away from ours but in those 2 little matches all sorts of crazy shit happens.

For instance, did you read this story about the “pet” chimp, Travis, that flipped out and attacked someone savagely? Well if not, here it is along with the frantic 911 call its insane. I guess Travis had been his owners “pet” for many years and just recently started acting strange and aggitated because he was suffering from Lyme Disease (which causes rage in monkeys as a damn symptom). I have so many problems with this story its not even funny.

-no one should have a “pet” monkey. They are wild animals, I dont care what you say. Just like any animal they can turn violent at the drop of a hat.

-Travis grabbed the keys and let himself out of the house…hello!? If he could take the keys and let him out of the house, what other keys could have have grabbed–I wouldnt have been surprised if he took the car keys and drove himself around.

-He attacked the woman unprovoked….and pretty much mauled her. Insane!

-the owner totally catered to him as if he was her child. I think she might have some mental problems. Yes, I understand that he was “all she had left” and if I were in her position…only with a cat, I would probably spoil her by getting her better cat food, there is no way I would make her lobster, steak, or let her borrow my car.

Grr! I just have a strong distaste for monkeys that people have as pets. The little ones with the diapers on, the biggers ones with people clothes on, the ones throwing poop at other monkeys or picking stuff off others and eating it. Gross. I dont know if I’ve gotten this point across….but I really dont like monkeys.

*shudder* I think if I had to choose a “worst way to die” would be to be mauled by a monkey.