Freezer cooking- I'm having some issues.
My freezer is full (organized full. Neat little piles of labeled bags lying flat full). It's so full that I actually had to eat some of the meals sooner than planned because I couldn't freeze them.
I also had to do some cooking later on- like instead of eating a delicious formerly frozen tuna casserole, we'll be eating a fresh one.
This means I'm going to be cooking after work. After working out. I hate cooking after work after working out.
Ugh. I need a chest freezer... Too bad Mike's car had to go to the shop. It's a Monday.
Showing posts with label Imperfect Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imperfect Life. Show all posts
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
One Hell of a Ride
So there I was- it's 2 in the morning and I'm just getting in from babysitting. Mike had left for work about an hour ago, so the house was for me and the pets. I get in. I get ready for bed. I plop down.
It's important to note our mattress is currently on the floor of the spare room while we paint the master.
I lean over and feel the air vent, just to see how hard it pumps in that room.
And I feel cold air.
WTF, people?
The pilot light is out. In both the heater and hot water heater. Yuck. I've never relit them, and Mike is at work. I call him up, and he proceeds to fail at giving me instructions. By the end of the call I'm in tears (I'm tired, and cold. Don't judge.) and still without heat.
After a few minutes talking to my uncle, I somehow miraculously make a lighter heat the whole house. Woohoo! heat again. Back to bed with the promise to my uncle that I will call the energy company on Monday.
Monday- I call Duke. Duke Energy. They promise to be out within 3 hours to check the pressure on our line. That was 1 pm. I tell Mike to be ready.
I get home at 5:30. No Duke. At 6:40- still no Duke. I leave for the gym. Mike and my mom are at the house.
He shows up around 7 ish. It's important to note that up to the point of his arriving, there had not been a single instance of "I smell gas". NONE. So he comes, and checks, and turns the gas on in the garage for a teensy bit of time to check it. He can't find a problem. He leaves.
I come home at around 8:40. I open the garage door and WOOF! Huge huge huge smell of gas attacks me! So I turn the car off (duh) and run in the house freakin' out like. No, no. Everyone tells me it must not have aired out from when the tech was there.
So we leave it. And then around 9:15 I take Romeo out. The garage has been open since I got home. The smell of gas is more evident. It has floated into the yard. It's still strong in the garage. I tell Mike, who goes out and confirms "I hear a hissing sound".
BAD BAD BAD, right?
(This is where I resist the urge to say "to be continued" because you probably are dying to know the rest).
I call Duke (don't call Duke. Call 911. I've learned my lesson.) And they say to leave the house, but not the premises (it's 20 degrees outside). They'll be there in no more than an hour. The tech can't call us when he gets there, so we have to be outside waiting for an hour??? Really??? I have small pets. I'm cold myself. No.
So we went to my aunt's, and after 30 min I call to check the status. They say that all they can tell is that it's been reported and the tech will be out within the hour. They don't know where he is or when he'll be there. Lovely. There was a little screaming and yelling at them, and I asked for the manager "I can have them call you back". Fine. Hang up and head back to the house to sit in a running car during a gas leak. That the tech caused (he turned it on to check it, but didn't turn it all the way off).
We get back to the house, and no one's there. So I call again. "Our records show he was there at 10:02 and couldn't find any problem." LIAR! It is now 10:22. So you are telling me, that the tiny amount of gas let out at 7 was able to waft and get stronger from 7 to 9:15, but then miraculously disappear by 10? We went up to check.
The hissing had stopped, the smell was almost completely gone- the guy flat out lied. He showed up, realized a mistake was made earlier and that no one was around, fixed it, and left saying nothing was wrong.
And that supervisor? Never called me back. Nope. Nuh-uh.
I hate our energy company. They lie. They have no customer service. The "plan" to follow for a gas leak contradicts itself. Their technicians are too incompetent to know to turn the gas all the way off after checking it. I could have exploded when I opened the door or, ya know, parked my car in a GAS FILLED GARAGE.
Guess who will be getting an angry letter from me.
It's important to note our mattress is currently on the floor of the spare room while we paint the master.
I lean over and feel the air vent, just to see how hard it pumps in that room.
And I feel cold air.
WTF, people?
The pilot light is out. In both the heater and hot water heater. Yuck. I've never relit them, and Mike is at work. I call him up, and he proceeds to fail at giving me instructions. By the end of the call I'm in tears (I'm tired, and cold. Don't judge.) and still without heat.
After a few minutes talking to my uncle, I somehow miraculously make a lighter heat the whole house. Woohoo! heat again. Back to bed with the promise to my uncle that I will call the energy company on Monday.
Monday- I call Duke. Duke Energy. They promise to be out within 3 hours to check the pressure on our line. That was 1 pm. I tell Mike to be ready.
I get home at 5:30. No Duke. At 6:40- still no Duke. I leave for the gym. Mike and my mom are at the house.
He shows up around 7 ish. It's important to note that up to the point of his arriving, there had not been a single instance of "I smell gas". NONE. So he comes, and checks, and turns the gas on in the garage for a teensy bit of time to check it. He can't find a problem. He leaves.
I come home at around 8:40. I open the garage door and WOOF! Huge huge huge smell of gas attacks me! So I turn the car off (duh) and run in the house freakin' out like. No, no. Everyone tells me it must not have aired out from when the tech was there.
So we leave it. And then around 9:15 I take Romeo out. The garage has been open since I got home. The smell of gas is more evident. It has floated into the yard. It's still strong in the garage. I tell Mike, who goes out and confirms "I hear a hissing sound".
BAD BAD BAD, right?
(This is where I resist the urge to say "to be continued" because you probably are dying to know the rest).
I call Duke (don't call Duke. Call 911. I've learned my lesson.) And they say to leave the house, but not the premises (it's 20 degrees outside). They'll be there in no more than an hour. The tech can't call us when he gets there, so we have to be outside waiting for an hour??? Really??? I have small pets. I'm cold myself. No.
So we went to my aunt's, and after 30 min I call to check the status. They say that all they can tell is that it's been reported and the tech will be out within the hour. They don't know where he is or when he'll be there. Lovely. There was a little screaming and yelling at them, and I asked for the manager "I can have them call you back". Fine. Hang up and head back to the house to sit in a running car during a gas leak. That the tech caused (he turned it on to check it, but didn't turn it all the way off).
We get back to the house, and no one's there. So I call again. "Our records show he was there at 10:02 and couldn't find any problem." LIAR! It is now 10:22. So you are telling me, that the tiny amount of gas let out at 7 was able to waft and get stronger from 7 to 9:15, but then miraculously disappear by 10? We went up to check.
The hissing had stopped, the smell was almost completely gone- the guy flat out lied. He showed up, realized a mistake was made earlier and that no one was around, fixed it, and left saying nothing was wrong.
And that supervisor? Never called me back. Nope. Nuh-uh.
I hate our energy company. They lie. They have no customer service. The "plan" to follow for a gas leak contradicts itself. Their technicians are too incompetent to know to turn the gas all the way off after checking it. I could have exploded when I opened the door or, ya know, parked my car in a GAS FILLED GARAGE.
Guess who will be getting an angry letter from me.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Out with the Old?
I'm not really sure where to begin with this. How about a quick "about me".
I grew up on a farm in a small town. We had maybe 2,000 residents. My high school might have had 400 kids in it. My graduating class would have been around 95, maybe. Now, not to be overly critical, but my education while in this small town left something to be desired. I was at the head of my class (I would have been valedictorian), but when I moved to a bigger city school, with lots more kids and programs and opportunities, I found that I was majorly behind.
Enter facebook. While most of my friends on facebook are from more recent encounters, such as college and beyond, I still keep in touch with high school friends.
Unfortunately, some of them aren't what I'd call "friends" any more. There have been things done and said in the past, and honestly I'm a little surprised THEY haven't gotten rid of me because of, heaven forbid, my inter-racial marriage. (I do in fact know at least 2 or 3 of them are absolutely 100% against this). Anywho. Friends who aren't friends. Yeah, but we were at one time, right?
But now that we're adults things are different. We disagree. Mainly on politics. I KNOW! You don't have to tell me "you should just not discuss politics" or "Well, they are entitled to their opinions". I understand. I'm friends with a lot of people who disagree with me on politics, actually. Including one of my closest friends. We either agree to disagree and not discuss it at all, or we choose to have a wonderful, respectful debate. It's quite fun, actually, and it keeps me up-to-date.
But other friends, specifically those who are less educated and from my old town, are less than nice. They post things that are actually insulting to me, claim things like "Liberals don't support the military". They call names and spread hate. And as much as I would like to argue with them, you just can't argue with people who just refuse to accept even basic fact. They hear things, but don't check the facts. Then they are disgusted with something taken so out of context it's unbelievable. These are the types of things I see.
Now, please don't think I'm being judgmental. I'm really not. I've tried. I've tried reasoning, and even ignoring. But I find that every day they find ways to bother me. And I'm not judging their lack of education. I do see it as a reason, though, and I think it's really sad. But what can I do?
I want to know about their babies (3 on the way, with others growing up). I want to hear about their family (2 of them are in Afghanistan). I want to stay in touch. But I just can't take it.
So what would you do? Do you remove the old and move on? Do you say something? Even though they have the right to say whatever they want (and I don't think it would go over well)? Or do you just grit your teeth and deal with it. I just can't decide. I love these people, and it breaks my heart that they can be so negative without knowing the facts or even trying to know the facts (seriously... facts. Not opinions or even projections or estimates. Plain and simple, proven facts.)
Advice requested. Please.
I grew up on a farm in a small town. We had maybe 2,000 residents. My high school might have had 400 kids in it. My graduating class would have been around 95, maybe. Now, not to be overly critical, but my education while in this small town left something to be desired. I was at the head of my class (I would have been valedictorian), but when I moved to a bigger city school, with lots more kids and programs and opportunities, I found that I was majorly behind.
Enter facebook. While most of my friends on facebook are from more recent encounters, such as college and beyond, I still keep in touch with high school friends.
Unfortunately, some of them aren't what I'd call "friends" any more. There have been things done and said in the past, and honestly I'm a little surprised THEY haven't gotten rid of me because of, heaven forbid, my inter-racial marriage. (I do in fact know at least 2 or 3 of them are absolutely 100% against this). Anywho. Friends who aren't friends. Yeah, but we were at one time, right?
But now that we're adults things are different. We disagree. Mainly on politics. I KNOW! You don't have to tell me "you should just not discuss politics" or "Well, they are entitled to their opinions". I understand. I'm friends with a lot of people who disagree with me on politics, actually. Including one of my closest friends. We either agree to disagree and not discuss it at all, or we choose to have a wonderful, respectful debate. It's quite fun, actually, and it keeps me up-to-date.
But other friends, specifically those who are less educated and from my old town, are less than nice. They post things that are actually insulting to me, claim things like "Liberals don't support the military". They call names and spread hate. And as much as I would like to argue with them, you just can't argue with people who just refuse to accept even basic fact. They hear things, but don't check the facts. Then they are disgusted with something taken so out of context it's unbelievable. These are the types of things I see.
Now, please don't think I'm being judgmental. I'm really not. I've tried. I've tried reasoning, and even ignoring. But I find that every day they find ways to bother me. And I'm not judging their lack of education. I do see it as a reason, though, and I think it's really sad. But what can I do?
I want to know about their babies (3 on the way, with others growing up). I want to hear about their family (2 of them are in Afghanistan). I want to stay in touch. But I just can't take it.
So what would you do? Do you remove the old and move on? Do you say something? Even though they have the right to say whatever they want (and I don't think it would go over well)? Or do you just grit your teeth and deal with it. I just can't decide. I love these people, and it breaks my heart that they can be so negative without knowing the facts or even trying to know the facts (seriously... facts. Not opinions or even projections or estimates. Plain and simple, proven facts.)
Advice requested. Please.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Health Insurance Dilemma Solved
To see part 1 of this post, simply go here.
So where were we? Oh yes.
The dilemma was the group plans at work don't match our needs or financial means. BUT we can't switch to an individual plan because what if our situation were to change in 9 months (because it seriously most likely... will)?
Then my mother, the genius, had one of her brilliant ideas that for some reason I didn't think of. Not sure why, because once I saw it, it made perfect sense!
I will get a plan for myself through work. And only for myself. It's HSA eligible, so I can start that up as well. And then, for Mike, we will get him his very own individual plan (because obviously he won't be getting pregnant). And sadly, Mike's plan is better than mine (by a lot. His deductible is half of mine with all the other benefits remaining the same) and it's only $3 more per month than what I will pay for mine.
So problem solved. We don't have a crazy $6,000 deductible and we are only spending $3 more per month. And, since I'm not changing plans, there is no worry about a "what if" situation- it's covered. Plus, since Mike's plan is HSA eligible too (Health Savings Account for those who aren't up on those things), we can both use my HSA. Simple. Affordable. Nicely covered.
Yay. Now we can go hurt ourselves without the worry of not knowing what's covered/what's not. And if YOU have any questions, by all means. I can answer them. I probably know health insurance policies better than some who sell them. No joke.
**Insert "I can't wait for the Healthcare Reform Act to fully come into play" statement. Pregnancy as a pre-existing condition? That's just shitty. (And we'd qualify for a credit (I think)!)"
So where were we? Oh yes.
The dilemma was the group plans at work don't match our needs or financial means. BUT we can't switch to an individual plan because what if our situation were to change in 9 months (because it seriously most likely... will)?
Then my mother, the genius, had one of her brilliant ideas that for some reason I didn't think of. Not sure why, because once I saw it, it made perfect sense!
I will get a plan for myself through work. And only for myself. It's HSA eligible, so I can start that up as well. And then, for Mike, we will get him his very own individual plan (because obviously he won't be getting pregnant). And sadly, Mike's plan is better than mine (by a lot. His deductible is half of mine with all the other benefits remaining the same) and it's only $3 more per month than what I will pay for mine.
So problem solved. We don't have a crazy $6,000 deductible and we are only spending $3 more per month. And, since I'm not changing plans, there is no worry about a "what if" situation- it's covered. Plus, since Mike's plan is HSA eligible too (Health Savings Account for those who aren't up on those things), we can both use my HSA. Simple. Affordable. Nicely covered.
Yay. Now we can go hurt ourselves without the worry of not knowing what's covered/what's not. And if YOU have any questions, by all means. I can answer them. I probably know health insurance policies better than some who sell them. No joke.
**Insert "I can't wait for the Healthcare Reform Act to fully come into play" statement. Pregnancy as a pre-existing condition? That's just shitty. (And we'd qualify for a credit (I think)!)"
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The big fat stinking thing called Health
Insurance...
Health insurance. Stinks. Hard. Core.
So my company's open enrollment for health insurance is going on, and our plans start Feb 1.
Do you remember the dreaded first for us? Or maybe the awful summer we had? Yeah we have learned a LOT about health insurance in the last 8 months ish.
So I found out, after learning the hard way, that the insurance plan I picked (I had 3 choices) really did not match our needs. AT ALL. It was bad. Real bad.
And it was so sad, because I think if I put a little more thought into it, and had taken it seriously, I could have figured this out when I chose the insurance... And we wouldn't have had to face the financial repercussions that we unfortunately had to deal with.
We survived, by the way. But think of all the things we could have done with the extra money we would have saved!
Anyways. So we are in open enrollment, and Mike and I have decided we HAVE to switch insurance. But there's a glitch. There is a really nice HSA choice. If you're an individual. For a family, it's cheap, but it would really hurt you financially if you have medical needs up around 5,000 to 6,000.
So I was frustrated, and I was a little unsure of what to do. We had looked at individual plans outside of what my job offers. But the maternity clauses wouldn't go into effect for 9 months. What if... ya know?
To be continued...
Health insurance. Stinks. Hard. Core.
So my company's open enrollment for health insurance is going on, and our plans start Feb 1.
Do you remember the dreaded first for us? Or maybe the awful summer we had? Yeah we have learned a LOT about health insurance in the last 8 months ish.
So I found out, after learning the hard way, that the insurance plan I picked (I had 3 choices) really did not match our needs. AT ALL. It was bad. Real bad.
And it was so sad, because I think if I put a little more thought into it, and had taken it seriously, I could have figured this out when I chose the insurance... And we wouldn't have had to face the financial repercussions that we unfortunately had to deal with.
We survived, by the way. But think of all the things we could have done with the extra money we would have saved!
Anyways. So we are in open enrollment, and Mike and I have decided we HAVE to switch insurance. But there's a glitch. There is a really nice HSA choice. If you're an individual. For a family, it's cheap, but it would really hurt you financially if you have medical needs up around 5,000 to 6,000.
So I was frustrated, and I was a little unsure of what to do. We had looked at individual plans outside of what my job offers. But the maternity clauses wouldn't go into effect for 9 months. What if... ya know?
To be continued...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
100 posts?
Today is my 100th post (ok, so 2 of those aren't published yet, but who's that specific?)
I did a bad thing last night.
I introduced my mom to 16 and pregnant, and as luck would have it the show was Leah's (from teen Mom 2) so I have also introduced her to Teen Mom 2. I admit I really hate the show. While I enjoy 16 and pregnant because it has a purpose and serves that purpose well, I think Teen Mom just exploits the problem and really just makes it worse by saying "you're a teen mom! let's make you famous for screwing up!".
But none the less, even though my mom was extremely irritated with how immature some of these girls were, she was hooked. That motherly instinct kicked in (which I swear is the only reason we love shows like these) and sure enough she wanted to see what happens to these girls.
It's officially a guilty pleasure, I think.
I did a bad thing last night.
I introduced my mom to 16 and pregnant, and as luck would have it the show was Leah's (from teen Mom 2) so I have also introduced her to Teen Mom 2. I admit I really hate the show. While I enjoy 16 and pregnant because it has a purpose and serves that purpose well, I think Teen Mom just exploits the problem and really just makes it worse by saying "you're a teen mom! let's make you famous for screwing up!".
But none the less, even though my mom was extremely irritated with how immature some of these girls were, she was hooked. That motherly instinct kicked in (which I swear is the only reason we love shows like these) and sure enough she wanted to see what happens to these girls.
It's officially a guilty pleasure, I think.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
For 2011
I'm not normally a person to make New Year's Resolutions, because quite frankly we usually don't keep them. BUT. This past year I noticed that I was just sorta going through life and getting really comfortable with routine and my every day life. (read: boring). SO this year I have 2 resolutions: to live life with more purpose, and to leave my comfort zone more often!
For example. I plan on signing up for the Warrior Dash today.
Also on the list this year?
Goals for us:
Mike wants a full time job. He's expecting a call for an interview in the next week.
I want to get a lot of grad school in (I start in 9 days).
Run the Warrior Dash (and some other 5k races).
Attend a wedding! My brother will have a May wedding. :)
Goals for the house:
We need to cut down a tree... Sadly...
If Mike gets that nice full time job we just might get new windows!
I want to re-do the master bedroom and the project room. We're thinking natural earthy tones in the bedroom and I like the idea of bright colors for the project room (since later it will eventually be a baby's room).
Hang a clothes line! We have a huge nice backyard. Time to make use of it!
Landscape- I want a garden in the front yard, and I hate our bushes!
Project list-
Window treatments for the bedroom
Bottle Chandelier
Laundry Organizer
Sewing Cart
Message Center at the door (Can't decide which one I like best)
Knit several projects and open an Etsy shop??? Or maybe just get my Christmas gifts done early. We'll see!
Happy 2011 y'all!
For example. I plan on signing up for the Warrior Dash today.
Also on the list this year?
Goals for us:
Mike wants a full time job. He's expecting a call for an interview in the next week.
I want to get a lot of grad school in (I start in 9 days).
Run the Warrior Dash (and some other 5k races).
Attend a wedding! My brother will have a May wedding. :)
Goals for the house:
We need to cut down a tree... Sadly...
If Mike gets that nice full time job we just might get new windows!
I want to re-do the master bedroom and the project room. We're thinking natural earthy tones in the bedroom and I like the idea of bright colors for the project room (since later it will eventually be a baby's room).
Hang a clothes line! We have a huge nice backyard. Time to make use of it!
Landscape- I want a garden in the front yard, and I hate our bushes!
Project list-
Window treatments for the bedroom
Bottle Chandelier
Laundry Organizer
Sewing Cart
Message Center at the door (Can't decide which one I like best)
Knit several projects and open an Etsy shop??? Or maybe just get my Christmas gifts done early. We'll see!
Happy 2011 y'all!
Winding Up 2010
2010 leaves much to be desired, to be very honest. Personally I can say I have detested this horrible year, and I can't wait for it to be over. But I must admit- there has been a lot of growing and a lot of learning who my (and my husband's) true character is.
Here's a quick recap of the year, bloggy-wise and non-bloggy-wise.
January- We moved into our house!!!!!
February- Mike was unfortunately transferred from his "temporary" full time position to a "permanent" part time position. Blah, but I have to say it was expected. Either way it kind of put a damper on our economics.
March- A friend of mine actually moved in with us. Technically. She'd actually been living with us since January, but it was only temporary... until it became permanent.
April- I started my blog and told you all about our Wedded Bliss. I also learned that diamonds can indeed break.
May- I told you about our Mothers Day and then about learning to use Iphoto.
June- I told you our awesome news about making new traditions. I also discovered that I detest translating, but I love libraries.
July- I was mostly sick. But I learned I could endure several weeks of constant nausea.
August- I unfortunately shared the bad news. And then I lost my Grandpa. August is a really bad month in our family. But I learned my own strength, and that when needed I can survive just about anything.
September- I shared the things that made me happy. I discovered that getting away is not the same as running away. I witnessed the Running of the Weiners. I described Football in our house. And we remodeled our beautiful office.
October- I shared important shit- like what the freak are Fast Flats. And how to budget your money. And that thing about loving myself, which I indeed think I have learned. I also applied for Graduate school.
November- I began freezer cooking. Which I love, by the way. I also confessed mydesperate need for a dayplanner. Oh, and did I mention? I made a freakin' turkey!!!!!!!
December- Mike turned a quarter of a century, and I am finally able to say that I have found what makes me happy. Oh, and I have registered for my first semester of grad school. :)
And by the power vested in me, and speaking for several others, I say "Goodbye 2010!!!! We've learned our lessons. Now it's time to move on. May we never see the likes of you again!"
Here's a quick recap of the year, bloggy-wise and non-bloggy-wise.
January- We moved into our house!!!!!
February- Mike was unfortunately transferred from his "temporary" full time position to a "permanent" part time position. Blah, but I have to say it was expected. Either way it kind of put a damper on our economics.
March- A friend of mine actually moved in with us. Technically. She'd actually been living with us since January, but it was only temporary... until it became permanent.
April- I started my blog and told you all about our Wedded Bliss. I also learned that diamonds can indeed break.
May- I told you about our Mothers Day and then about learning to use Iphoto.
June- I told you our awesome news about making new traditions. I also discovered that I detest translating, but I love libraries.
July- I was mostly sick. But I learned I could endure several weeks of constant nausea.
August- I unfortunately shared the bad news. And then I lost my Grandpa. August is a really bad month in our family. But I learned my own strength, and that when needed I can survive just about anything.
September- I shared the things that made me happy. I discovered that getting away is not the same as running away. I witnessed the Running of the Weiners. I described Football in our house. And we remodeled our beautiful office.
October- I shared important shit- like what the freak are Fast Flats. And how to budget your money. And that thing about loving myself, which I indeed think I have learned. I also applied for Graduate school.
November- I began freezer cooking. Which I love, by the way. I also confessed my
December- Mike turned a quarter of a century, and I am finally able to say that I have found what makes me happy. Oh, and I have registered for my first semester of grad school. :)
And by the power vested in me, and speaking for several others, I say "Goodbye 2010!!!! We've learned our lessons. Now it's time to move on. May we never see the likes of you again!"
Monday, November 15, 2010
Menu Monday- Freezer Cooking Round 2
And couponing round 1.
So, in recap, the freezer cooking worked SWELL! So I thought I'd give it a go again, only this time for 3 weeks (to close out the month).
So, step 1- I decided to try couponing as well.
It was a miserable failure. For various reasons-
#1- I don't have newspapers. Only the circulars they deliver every now and then.
#2- I dropped a few of my coupons in store... Oops.
#3- My printer decided to turn satanic and spew out 200 pages of coupons, wasing tons of ink and paper. Along with time and dignity... How does that look when I tell husband I'm trying to save money? Oh and the coupons... They were repeats. A lot of them.
#4- I gotta learn my grocery stores.
Step 2- buy groceries. MISERABLE FAILURE
I went to 4 stores. FOUR. That is like... way too many, people. I first went to Aldi. I've heard raves. I was disappointed. I think it might just be my aldi, though, so I'll probably research and try again. They barely had anything. I spent $14. I then went to Meijer. Again, raves on prices. And cheap chicken. I was actually able to buy most of the items I needed. And in truth, I think I saved money merely because of Meijer. But either I don't know the store well (I don't) or they just suck sometimes because they didn't have some certain items I needed. Like egg whites. Or Bob Evans Mac N Cheese. And Green Peppers (who sells produce without green peppers? Maybe I missed them somewhere). So the remaining 2 stores (walmart and kroger) were my solution to the missing items.
It was a frustrating day, but I will improve. And if I had more than 3 coupons I probably would have saved more. In the end I was still over budget, but by way less than normal.
So step 3- Prepare. I passed this with flying colors.
I made a list of all the food that needed to be made. I marked off items that had to be made fresh the day of. I then made 4 lists of what needed to be done- prep work, cooking (stove top), baking (oven), and assembly. In each one I numbered them in a reasonable order. Then, I took my 4 lists, and combined them into 1 big list in a numbered order. I tried to guestimate how much time each would take and lay out a plan that wouldn't overwhelm me at some points but leave me waiting on a timer at others.
Step 4- execute. And execute I did. It was smooth, easy, and QUICK! 3 hours for 3 weeks (not counting thanksgiving!).
Menu:
Monday- Maple Glazed Chicken with rice, carrots, and green beans
Tuesday- Spaghetti with rolls, corn, and peas
Wednesday- Leftover spaghetti
Thursday- Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, and Green beans with a mushroom gravy
Friday- Leftover pork chops
Saturday breakfast- Cinnamon Rolls, Eggs, Fruit smoothies
Saturday- Leftover pork chops (we love this meal. It's our fave).
Sunday breakfast- Biscuits, eggs, sausage (or bacon)
Sunday dinner- Pot Roast, Potatoes, Carrots
AND I'm linking up here. Sorry this post is so long!
So, in recap, the freezer cooking worked SWELL! So I thought I'd give it a go again, only this time for 3 weeks (to close out the month).
So, step 1- I decided to try couponing as well.
It was a miserable failure. For various reasons-
#1- I don't have newspapers. Only the circulars they deliver every now and then.
#2- I dropped a few of my coupons in store... Oops.
#3- My printer decided to turn satanic and spew out 200 pages of coupons, wasing tons of ink and paper. Along with time and dignity... How does that look when I tell husband I'm trying to save money? Oh and the coupons... They were repeats. A lot of them.
#4- I gotta learn my grocery stores.
Step 2- buy groceries. MISERABLE FAILURE
I went to 4 stores. FOUR. That is like... way too many, people. I first went to Aldi. I've heard raves. I was disappointed. I think it might just be my aldi, though, so I'll probably research and try again. They barely had anything. I spent $14. I then went to Meijer. Again, raves on prices. And cheap chicken. I was actually able to buy most of the items I needed. And in truth, I think I saved money merely because of Meijer. But either I don't know the store well (I don't) or they just suck sometimes because they didn't have some certain items I needed. Like egg whites. Or Bob Evans Mac N Cheese. And Green Peppers (who sells produce without green peppers? Maybe I missed them somewhere). So the remaining 2 stores (walmart and kroger) were my solution to the missing items.
It was a frustrating day, but I will improve. And if I had more than 3 coupons I probably would have saved more. In the end I was still over budget, but by way less than normal.
So step 3- Prepare. I passed this with flying colors.
I made a list of all the food that needed to be made. I marked off items that had to be made fresh the day of. I then made 4 lists of what needed to be done- prep work, cooking (stove top), baking (oven), and assembly. In each one I numbered them in a reasonable order. Then, I took my 4 lists, and combined them into 1 big list in a numbered order. I tried to guestimate how much time each would take and lay out a plan that wouldn't overwhelm me at some points but leave me waiting on a timer at others.
Step 4- execute. And execute I did. It was smooth, easy, and QUICK! 3 hours for 3 weeks (not counting thanksgiving!).
Menu:
Monday- Maple Glazed Chicken with rice, carrots, and green beans
Tuesday- Spaghetti with rolls, corn, and peas
Wednesday- Leftover spaghetti
Thursday- Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, and Green beans with a mushroom gravy
Friday- Leftover pork chops
Saturday breakfast- Cinnamon Rolls, Eggs, Fruit smoothies
Saturday- Leftover pork chops (we love this meal. It's our fave).
Sunday breakfast- Biscuits, eggs, sausage (or bacon)
Sunday dinner- Pot Roast, Potatoes, Carrots
AND I'm linking up here. Sorry this post is so long!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Oops... Now I feel Naked.
I forgot my purse today.
Not horrible- it has my wallet, but I bring my lunch to work, so I don't need money. And if I get pulled over or have an accident, whatever I have my license number memorized (it's supposed to be a good trick). It has my ipod, but I carpooled today, so we chatted instead of listened to music. It has lots of other things that sometimes are important, but to be honest, there was only one thing that really really is upsetting me.
I forgot my dayplanner.
I'm a creature of habit. And I'm an accountant. I NEED MY DAYPLANNER! It has due dates. It has my checklist of things I need to get done. IT IS VERY CRUCIAL TO MY SUCCESS AT WORK!
THANKFULLY I'm an accountant. This means most of my job repeats from week to week, so... it's mostly memorized and I can do something with my time other than twiddle my thumbs.
But I still feel naked. Like I'm forgetting something. Like I'm going to freak out tomorrow when I have to remember what I did today and check things off my list.
It sucks.
Not horrible- it has my wallet, but I bring my lunch to work, so I don't need money. And if I get pulled over or have an accident, whatever I have my license number memorized (it's supposed to be a good trick). It has my ipod, but I carpooled today, so we chatted instead of listened to music. It has lots of other things that sometimes are important, but to be honest, there was only one thing that really really is upsetting me.
I forgot my dayplanner.
I'm a creature of habit. And I'm an accountant. I NEED MY DAYPLANNER! It has due dates. It has my checklist of things I need to get done. IT IS VERY CRUCIAL TO MY SUCCESS AT WORK!
THANKFULLY I'm an accountant. This means most of my job repeats from week to week, so... it's mostly memorized and I can do something with my time other than twiddle my thumbs.
But I still feel naked. Like I'm forgetting something. Like I'm going to freak out tomorrow when I have to remember what I did today and check things off my list.
It sucks.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Remembering and Supporting
Remember back in August when I told you about the awful tragedy(ies) that my family went through?
It sucked. But you know what else sucks?
I lost two followers that day. I break the worst news of my life online and two of my followers decide that whatever it was at that time, that was the tipping point, and they were done with me.
I honestly couldn't even tell you who they were, but seriously? It upset me a little. I blog because I want to connect. I want support. I want to know more people in this world, and I want to be able to share my opinions and stories with others.
Secretly, we're all attention whores. At least I am.
So I'm going to share something else with you, pretty much dead on the same subject, and I'm curious to see the reaction.
Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. That's a pretty long title, if you ask me. How about we call it Remembrance Day? A day to remember all of our babies. And by baby, it could be anyone from just starting off in the womb to a 57 year old son of an 80 year old grandparent. Because we are all someone's baby.
I lost my baby on August 16. I never got to see a face, or even a heartbeat. The only picture I saw was on the day we found out it had already left us. But the big shocker? I know a BAJILION women (and men) who have suffered the same loss. I just never knew it. Until this year I never knew there was an official remembrance day, or a tradition known as the International Wave of Light.
I think everyone should know. And don't sit there and say "Good God when will this woman get off her freakin' soap box about this and move on?". I guarantee you know someone who's suffered as I have. Or someone who's lost a son, or a daughter to some other fight- be a physical injury, an ailment, or just God's will.
At first I wasn't going to mention it. I'm not even mentioning it on my facebook. Most of my friends don't know what I've gone through, mainly because I can't stand being pitied. It's such a taboo subject, and everyone seems to think it should be forgotten in a matter of weeks. I was afraid to mention it even here, mainly because I want to be the funny happy blogger with the quirky attitude. I was afraid of losing more of my very small number of followers.
I'm not so poetic. So you should take a look here and here. These women write it much better and they even have a list. If you truly want to see the impact miscarriage and loss has, you should start there. The stories break your heart.
And please, please. I can't re-iterate this enough. I'm not upset. Or suffering. Even though I don't think we ever stop mourning our losses, I'm not still "grieving" as most people see it. I have moved on in my life. But I will always remember. Will anyone else?
It sucked. But you know what else sucks?
I lost two followers that day. I break the worst news of my life online and two of my followers decide that whatever it was at that time, that was the tipping point, and they were done with me.
I honestly couldn't even tell you who they were, but seriously? It upset me a little. I blog because I want to connect. I want support. I want to know more people in this world, and I want to be able to share my opinions and stories with others.
Secretly, we're all attention whores. At least I am.
So I'm going to share something else with you, pretty much dead on the same subject, and I'm curious to see the reaction.
Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. That's a pretty long title, if you ask me. How about we call it Remembrance Day? A day to remember all of our babies. And by baby, it could be anyone from just starting off in the womb to a 57 year old son of an 80 year old grandparent. Because we are all someone's baby.
I lost my baby on August 16. I never got to see a face, or even a heartbeat. The only picture I saw was on the day we found out it had already left us. But the big shocker? I know a BAJILION women (and men) who have suffered the same loss. I just never knew it. Until this year I never knew there was an official remembrance day, or a tradition known as the International Wave of Light.
I think everyone should know. And don't sit there and say "Good God when will this woman get off her freakin' soap box about this and move on?". I guarantee you know someone who's suffered as I have. Or someone who's lost a son, or a daughter to some other fight- be a physical injury, an ailment, or just God's will.
At first I wasn't going to mention it. I'm not even mentioning it on my facebook. Most of my friends don't know what I've gone through, mainly because I can't stand being pitied. It's such a taboo subject, and everyone seems to think it should be forgotten in a matter of weeks. I was afraid to mention it even here, mainly because I want to be the funny happy blogger with the quirky attitude. I was afraid of losing more of my very small number of followers.
I'm not so poetic. So you should take a look here and here. These women write it much better and they even have a list. If you truly want to see the impact miscarriage and loss has, you should start there. The stories break your heart.
And please, please. I can't re-iterate this enough. I'm not upset. Or suffering. Even though I don't think we ever stop mourning our losses, I'm not still "grieving" as most people see it. I have moved on in my life. But I will always remember. Will anyone else?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Menu Monday, sans groceries???
Have you ever just had an expensive weekend? One where you look at the budget on Monday and think "Holy freakin' crap what the H happened???"? Cuz that was us this weekend/today.
While Mike worked his tushy off this weekend- 2 shifts at one job, 1 at the other, unless you count Friday and then it's 2 and 2- Tangent, he put in his three weeks notice at the second job, and I couldn't be HAPPIER about losing a source of income!- I spent the weekend out. I celebrated a birthday Sunday night and met some really cool new friends. I spent all day Saturday at a golf outing for work and then ate dinner with the group. Sunday I meant to just have brunch with the best friend, but... Brunch turned into brunch, shoe shopping fail and then chatting our ears off until we realized "Holy freakin' crap it's 5:30 pm".
Needless to say, nothing was accomplished on the home front. And I spent way too much over budget this week. We bought a few last minute groceries, and our budget ran out.
So tonight, in order to keep with the budget, I plan on searching the cupboards for dinner ideas so I don't have to buy groceries. So far, this is what I have-
Monday and Tuesday maybe Wednesday?- Homemade Chili that I was supposed to make last week
Wednesday and Thursday- Soup from a can.
Friday- "Naked Spaghetti" and veggies. It's basically spaghetti noodles in parmesan and butter... SO unhealthy.
Saturday breakfast- Sausage, Eggs, Biscuits maybe homemade? (we gots breakfast food!)
Saturday dinner- Frozen pizza/whatever is in the freezer.
Sunday breakfast- Turkey Bacon, Waffles or pancakes
Sunday dinner- Pizza
HOPEFULLY the cabinets have a vast treasure-trove worth of food/ideas. I know we have some canned veggies at least. No fresh fruit though... But there might be some frozen... hmmmm...
Oh, and I'm linking up.
While Mike worked his tushy off this weekend- 2 shifts at one job, 1 at the other, unless you count Friday and then it's 2 and 2- Tangent, he put in his three weeks notice at the second job, and I couldn't be HAPPIER about losing a source of income!- I spent the weekend out. I celebrated a birthday Sunday night and met some really cool new friends. I spent all day Saturday at a golf outing for work and then ate dinner with the group. Sunday I meant to just have brunch with the best friend, but... Brunch turned into brunch, shoe shopping fail and then chatting our ears off until we realized "Holy freakin' crap it's 5:30 pm".
Needless to say, nothing was accomplished on the home front. And I spent way too much over budget this week. We bought a few last minute groceries, and our budget ran out.
So tonight, in order to keep with the budget, I plan on searching the cupboards for dinner ideas so I don't have to buy groceries. So far, this is what I have-
Monday and Tuesday maybe Wednesday?- Homemade Chili that I was supposed to make last week
Wednesday and Thursday- Soup from a can.
Friday- "Naked Spaghetti" and veggies. It's basically spaghetti noodles in parmesan and butter... SO unhealthy.
Saturday breakfast- Sausage, Eggs, Biscuits maybe homemade? (we gots breakfast food!)
Saturday dinner- Frozen pizza/whatever is in the freezer.
Sunday breakfast- Turkey Bacon, Waffles or pancakes
Sunday dinner- Pizza
HOPEFULLY the cabinets have a vast treasure-trove worth of food/ideas. I know we have some canned veggies at least. No fresh fruit though... But there might be some frozen... hmmmm...
Oh, and I'm linking up.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Wedded Wednesday- Loving Yourself
Have you visited The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans yet? Oh no? Well, I highly recommend it. They are fabulous women working on a project that we could probably all use a little more of- our health.
What the caha does that have to do with Wedded Wednesday? They posted a new challenge for the month of October. I've yet to agree to it, but I plan on it. Right now, actually.
The challenge is to love yourself. OH MY GOOD GRACIOUSNESS! That's asking a lot from me. That is NOT sarcasm my webby friends.
Still- What the double caha- I made it up, and I like it. It's meaningless, which means non-offensive -does that have to do with Wedded Wednesday?
My husband is a wonderful man. He truly is. He's pretty honest, too. But probably the most frustrating thing for him in our relationship- me. I can't take compliments. I hardly give them. I'm quick to find flaws and errors and problems without even noticing the blessings, the achievements, or the hard effort which is sometimes the whole point. I'm a very very very strong willed perfectionist. I used to see it as a good thing, but the older I get I'm starting to see that I might be wrong on that. Ironic, no?
Something I think a lot of people fail to see in successful relationships is the fact that each individual involved loves themselves. They have a healthy life because they care about their own interests/achievements/goals. This is NOT to say that they love themselves too much. That's possible. It's just that they realize they are just as deserving as the other of their own dreams, goals, interests, time, etc. It's extremely important in a relationship. Otherwise you have the problem that my husband and I sometimes have to face. So here's my huge confession and seriously- I recently told one of my best friends about this not more than a month ago......
Ihate don't love myself.
Ok, really?.......... Maybe..... Hard to believe because I'm so freakin' awesome on my blog hahahaha!... I hide it well. Those closest to me probably know the truth i.e. my mom, my best friends- especially the one I talked to- and my loving husband. I have a hard time finding this so called middle ground. I don't like being hard on myself, and logically I know that I do a lot of things really well, and if I don't I honestly try my hardest or have good intentions. But if I'm nice to myself I feel that either a) I come off as conceited, selfish, egotistical, narcissistic, or just plain self-centered. How many of those words are redundant? or b) I feel like I just sacrificed something more important, like maybe doing something for myself replaced doing something nice for my husband, who deserves it more. And secretly, I really really really care what others think. Logically, I don't understand why the crap it even matters at all, but the fear of what others think is really a big problem for me. Why??? See? I think my own faults are logically, well... stupid and unjustified!
But I'm working on it. It's very difficult, though, because I see a lot of failures. I graduated last year and expected life to be more. I'm not even working with my degree. I don't honestly enjoy my job, but I can't change until after Mike is settled. I don't really even like my house. The result of having a desk job has added to a problem I NEVER had until recently- weight gain. I gained a good solid 20-25 pounds after leaving band and graduating. I obviously had the recent issue with pregnancy. I have time management issues. Ps I think the laundry buzzed and I forgot...Damn caha.
All of these- and they aren't allcompletely my fault -I really had a hard time saying that...- are things that I see as flaws. I nit-pick. I see all the problems. I have a hard time getting past them because I can't imagine life being ok, good, right without fixing all those little imperfections.
So here is my pledge. I'm telling you here and now. I'm going to change. I'm going to start loving myself. I am going to accept compliments. I am going to believe the compliments and stop finding excuses for why someone is giving them. I'm going to find one positive every time I see a negative. I am going to fail. I'm going to be ok with failing. I'm going to make a mistake andtry not to cry laugh at it.
And also? I'm going to do the things that make me happy, and work on things to get me healthy again. But Lynzie, you are healthy! Actually... eh. Most laugh when I say I'm fat. I'm not, ok? I know. But I have some areas that I don't like, and I want to stay in the healthy weight range. Believe it or not, I'm actually very close to being overweight. I'm going to work on it. Not because I have to. Because I want to.
And the rest? I'll get there. But it's ok if it takesone, five, ten years to do so. Hell, Caha- I can still be having babies in 10 years, so I have plenty of time, right?
I'm so right. ;)
PS- After re-reading this post, I come off a lot harsher than I realized... While it's all true, I seriously think it sounds a lot worse than it is. I'm still sane enough to be happy. And I realize life isn't going to be perfect- hence the title of the blog. The general fact is life isn't perfect. It's the specifics that get me. And the first step- accepting my faulty perfectionism. Because it's ok to be a perfectionist. :)
What the caha does that have to do with Wedded Wednesday? They posted a new challenge for the month of October. I've yet to agree to it, but I plan on it. Right now, actually.
The challenge is to love yourself. OH MY GOOD GRACIOUSNESS! That's asking a lot from me. That is NOT sarcasm my webby friends.
Still- What the double caha- I made it up, and I like it. It's meaningless, which means non-offensive -does that have to do with Wedded Wednesday?
My husband is a wonderful man. He truly is. He's pretty honest, too. But probably the most frustrating thing for him in our relationship- me. I can't take compliments. I hardly give them. I'm quick to find flaws and errors and problems without even noticing the blessings, the achievements, or the hard effort which is sometimes the whole point. I'm a very very very strong willed perfectionist. I used to see it as a good thing, but the older I get I'm starting to see that I might be wrong on that. Ironic, no?
Something I think a lot of people fail to see in successful relationships is the fact that each individual involved loves themselves. They have a healthy life because they care about their own interests/achievements/goals. This is NOT to say that they love themselves too much. That's possible. It's just that they realize they are just as deserving as the other of their own dreams, goals, interests, time, etc. It's extremely important in a relationship. Otherwise you have the problem that my husband and I sometimes have to face. So here's my huge confession and seriously- I recently told one of my best friends about this not more than a month ago......
I
Ok, really?.......... Maybe..... Hard to believe because I'm so freakin' awesome on my blog hahahaha!... I hide it well. Those closest to me probably know the truth i.e. my mom, my best friends- especially the one I talked to- and my loving husband. I have a hard time finding this so called middle ground. I don't like being hard on myself, and logically I know that I do a lot of things really well, and if I don't I honestly try my hardest or have good intentions. But if I'm nice to myself I feel that either a) I come off as conceited, selfish, egotistical, narcissistic, or just plain self-centered. How many of those words are redundant? or b) I feel like I just sacrificed something more important, like maybe doing something for myself replaced doing something nice for my husband, who deserves it more. And secretly, I really really really care what others think. Logically, I don't understand why the crap it even matters at all, but the fear of what others think is really a big problem for me. Why??? See? I think my own faults are logically, well... stupid and unjustified!
But I'm working on it. It's very difficult, though, because I see a lot of failures. I graduated last year and expected life to be more. I'm not even working with my degree. I don't honestly enjoy my job, but I can't change until after Mike is settled. I don't really even like my house. The result of having a desk job has added to a problem I NEVER had until recently- weight gain. I gained a good solid 20-25 pounds after leaving band and graduating. I obviously had the recent issue with pregnancy. I have time management issues. Ps I think the laundry buzzed and I forgot...
All of these- and they aren't all
So here is my pledge. I'm telling you here and now. I'm going to change. I'm going to start loving myself. I am going to accept compliments. I am going to believe the compliments and stop finding excuses for why someone is giving them. I'm going to find one positive every time I see a negative. I am going to fail. I'm going to be ok with failing. I'm going to make a mistake and
And also? I'm going to do the things that make me happy, and work on things to get me healthy again. But Lynzie, you are healthy! Actually... eh. Most laugh when I say I'm fat. I'm not, ok? I know. But I have some areas that I don't like, and I want to stay in the healthy weight range. Believe it or not, I'm actually very close to being overweight. I'm going to work on it. Not because I have to. Because I want to.
And the rest? I'll get there. But it's ok if it takes
I'm so right. ;)
PS- After re-reading this post, I come off a lot harsher than I realized... While it's all true, I seriously think it sounds a lot worse than it is. I'm still sane enough to be happy. And I realize life isn't going to be perfect- hence the title of the blog. The general fact is life isn't perfect. It's the specifics that get me. And the first step- accepting my faulty perfectionism. Because it's ok to be a perfectionist. :)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday = Re-starting
So I'm not doing so well with the healthy living section. I haven't been following my own rules or exercising much. BUT. Today is Monday. The beginning of a new week. I am starting over! I swear it!
Wanna know what we're eating?
Monday- Chicken Alfredo- Haven't decided on the noodles- we have lots.
Tuesday- Hearty Chili
Wednesday- There better be left over chili
Thursday- Beef Stroganoff (anyone have a healthy recipe for this? Mine is not.)
Friday- We have plans to celebrate a birthday at a bowling alley, so... left overs
Saturday- Breakfast for dinner- Sausage, Eggs (whites), Biscuits, and fruit
Sunday- Applebees- we have a gift card, and this is our date night this week.
And my lunch for work- cheesy ham and potato soup with a side salad.
Please note- I think the chili is the only healthy thing on here. Also, Mike works until 9 or 9:30 every night, so I'm the only one cooking, which is why we eat a lot of left overs. Sometimes we have mac n cheese (no, we don't have children).
Another schedule for the week- I SWEAR I'm going to work out!!!!
Monday- Biggest Loser Cardio
Tuesday- #tworkout (Twitter workout via The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans)
Wednesday- Biggest Loser Yoga
Thursday- Wii Fit
Friday- Biggest Loser Power Sculpt
Saturday- 18 holes of golf (the idea is not to exercise, but it's already planned)
Sunday- I'm gonna lay in bed all day bc Lordy I will be in pain.
Next week I will give you an update on how things went. And if you are DYING for my generic recipes I will certainly share them. Maybe by having the whole internet holding me accountable I will actually do the things on my list? We shall see... We shall see...
Oh, and by the way- more menus can be found here- Orgjunkie where I linked up.
Wanna know what we're eating?
Monday- Chicken Alfredo- Haven't decided on the noodles- we have lots.
Tuesday- Hearty Chili
Wednesday- There better be left over chili
Thursday- Beef Stroganoff (anyone have a healthy recipe for this? Mine is not.)
Friday- We have plans to celebrate a birthday at a bowling alley, so... left overs
Saturday- Breakfast for dinner- Sausage, Eggs (whites), Biscuits, and fruit
Sunday- Applebees- we have a gift card, and this is our date night this week.
And my lunch for work- cheesy ham and potato soup with a side salad.
Please note- I think the chili is the only healthy thing on here. Also, Mike works until 9 or 9:30 every night, so I'm the only one cooking, which is why we eat a lot of left overs. Sometimes we have mac n cheese (no, we don't have children).
Another schedule for the week- I SWEAR I'm going to work out!!!!
Monday- Biggest Loser Cardio
Tuesday- #tworkout (Twitter workout via The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans)
Wednesday- Biggest Loser Yoga
Thursday- Wii Fit
Friday- Biggest Loser Power Sculpt
Saturday- 18 holes of golf (the idea is not to exercise, but it's already planned)
Sunday- I'm gonna lay in bed all day bc Lordy I will be in pain.
Next week I will give you an update on how things went. And if you are DYING for my generic recipes I will certainly share them. Maybe by having the whole internet holding me accountable I will actually do the things on my list? We shall see... We shall see...
Oh, and by the way- more menus can be found here- Orgjunkie where I linked up.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Allergies???
So I've come to a realization...
I am allergic to my make up.
WHAT THE FREAK??????
I've come to this realization based on the following observations- (keep in mind that until very recently I hardly ever wore make up at all... so learning this now isn't so surprising).
1- Every morning I wake up and do my thing and finally get to putting my make up on before leaving. Within the next 5 minutes I promptly begin to sneeze my head off (and try to stop the gunky runny nose that quickly follows) for a good 10 minutes until I have effectively removed all the make up under my nose via rubbing, blowing, or whatever.
2- I can't wear mascara due to an allergic reaction (I actually found this out a few years back when I was in colorguard and they tried to say I had to- my eyes were burning within 30 minutes. And red. Very red.)
3- My eyes can't stand my make up. They water. I just thought it was from the sneezing. But they water even without the sneezing (i.e. after the sneezing has finished). I literally found a tear rolling down my nose this afternoon... And the closest thing to an emotional moment was the fact that the Bengals were losing to... sit tight... the browns! (eep)
So... what's a girl to do when she's allergic to make up? Or at least something IN make up? I seriously am at a loss here. Any suggestions? Know any hypo-allergenic make up that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?
And on the note of make up... Since I'm new to this world... What do you girls use as your face wash? My face has recently been breaking out a little more, and I think it's because my face wash isn't quite up to the task of removing make up AND getting my face beautifully clean... It's an issue. I'm thinking maybe I need a good make up remover FIRST then wash my face??? Ugh. I feel like such a dork.
And now that I feel like a twelve year old who apparently never asked her mommy the right questions as a child, I am going to drink some coffee (at 6:30 pm) and hopefully move on to something less embarrassing.
I am allergic to my make up.
WHAT THE FREAK??????
I've come to this realization based on the following observations- (keep in mind that until very recently I hardly ever wore make up at all... so learning this now isn't so surprising).
1- Every morning I wake up and do my thing and finally get to putting my make up on before leaving. Within the next 5 minutes I promptly begin to sneeze my head off (and try to stop the gunky runny nose that quickly follows) for a good 10 minutes until I have effectively removed all the make up under my nose via rubbing, blowing, or whatever.
2- I can't wear mascara due to an allergic reaction (I actually found this out a few years back when I was in colorguard and they tried to say I had to- my eyes were burning within 30 minutes. And red. Very red.)
3- My eyes can't stand my make up. They water. I just thought it was from the sneezing. But they water even without the sneezing (i.e. after the sneezing has finished). I literally found a tear rolling down my nose this afternoon... And the closest thing to an emotional moment was the fact that the Bengals were losing to... sit tight... the browns! (eep)
So... what's a girl to do when she's allergic to make up? Or at least something IN make up? I seriously am at a loss here. Any suggestions? Know any hypo-allergenic make up that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?
And on the note of make up... Since I'm new to this world... What do you girls use as your face wash? My face has recently been breaking out a little more, and I think it's because my face wash isn't quite up to the task of removing make up AND getting my face beautifully clean... It's an issue. I'm thinking maybe I need a good make up remover FIRST then wash my face??? Ugh. I feel like such a dork.
And now that I feel like a twelve year old who apparently never asked her mommy the right questions as a child, I am going to drink some coffee (at 6:30 pm) and hopefully move on to something less embarrassing.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Taming of the Office
So we've been living in our house for just over 9 months now, but we've failed to even hang most of our decorations and artwork, let alone decorate the house in general! It's sad, I know... But we want to fix that!
So we started with the most daunting rooms- the office. That miserable room has been the graveyard for all things unknown. It's where we have the litter box, the bean bag chair, the desk that's covered in all the papers that need to be sorted and taken care of. It's an unholy mess. The window isn't even intact!
So we started decided on design ideas. Since it's mostly Mike's office, I went with some pretty masculine and modern ideas. I decided everything months ago, fyi. I even bought the paint and the window treatment things!
AND then months later I finally decide to just grit my teeth and bear it.
And this? That's a scratching pad. For my declawed cat. What, you say? I know. He's weird. It belonged to a female kitty who lived with us for a few months. He was in love with her. Apparently he still is. I wasn't allowed to touch it. I kid you not.
So we emptied the room first. THAT'S a chore. And to be honest, the papers that need to be gone through are now sitting in the living room waiting to be gone through (haha!). BUT we got it emptied. Into our guest room.
I then spent 90% of my Saturday scrubbing, taping, and then painting. I was so sore by the end of the day! But I finished, with only a minimal amount of paint on the ceiling and trim. :)
And then Sunday I touched it up because it apparently needed a second coat (after the guy at home depot swore it wouldn't) and I didn't quite have enough paint to do a whole second coat. I was rather upset.
But it worked out nicely, and we actually got a lot of the stuff moved back into the room that evening. The desk moved to the other side of the room to make it look bigger. I now have a desk where the closet was. I organized his bins and files and now everything has a home. :) It looks fabulous! And it's not even done yet.
Orion is still only worried about his scratching post. You do notice it's still there. Normally I would not be ok with this, but I'm so upset that I broke my cat's heart that I can't bear to get rid of it.
Tonight I still have to hang everything on the walls, including- 2 cd racks, 1 large shelf (in the closet), 5 degree frames (2 degrees, 3 certs), a shelf for a trophy, a plaque, 4 paddles, two dry erase boards, and 3 beautiful pieces of artwork. Maybe someday I'll figure out how to design a movie reel piece of art for the wall as well. I also have to make the cornice and hang it. I might hang the curtain rod back up as well and hang a nice sheer there, but there are so many trees outside it's honestly not necessary at all. Oh, and I have one more trip to Ikea before I'm finished.
And I'm sure the scratching post will STILL be there when I'm done.
So we started with the most daunting rooms- the office. That miserable room has been the graveyard for all things unknown. It's where we have the litter box, the bean bag chair, the desk that's covered in all the papers that need to be sorted and taken care of. It's an unholy mess. The window isn't even intact!
So we started decided on design ideas. Since it's mostly Mike's office, I went with some pretty masculine and modern ideas. I decided everything months ago, fyi. I even bought the paint and the window treatment things!
AND then months later I finally decide to just grit my teeth and bear it.
So we emptied the room first. THAT'S a chore. And to be honest, the papers that need to be gone through are now sitting in the living room waiting to be gone through (haha!). BUT we got it emptied. Into our guest room.
This was the guest room.
And Orion is STILL guarding his post.
I then spent 90% of my Saturday scrubbing, taping, and then painting. I was so sore by the end of the day! But I finished, with only a minimal amount of paint on the ceiling and trim. :)
See my lovely paint job???
And then Sunday I touched it up because it apparently needed a second coat (after the guy at home depot swore it wouldn't) and I didn't quite have enough paint to do a whole second coat. I was rather upset.
And Orion was SO worried about his scratching post.
But it worked out nicely, and we actually got a lot of the stuff moved back into the room that evening. The desk moved to the other side of the room to make it look bigger. I now have a desk where the closet was. I organized his bins and files and now everything has a home. :) It looks fabulous! And it's not even done yet.
Orion is still only worried about his scratching post. You do notice it's still there. Normally I would not be ok with this, but I'm so upset that I broke my cat's heart that I can't bear to get rid of it.
Tonight I still have to hang everything on the walls, including- 2 cd racks, 1 large shelf (in the closet), 5 degree frames (2 degrees, 3 certs), a shelf for a trophy, a plaque, 4 paddles, two dry erase boards, and 3 beautiful pieces of artwork. Maybe someday I'll figure out how to design a movie reel piece of art for the wall as well. I also have to make the cornice and hang it. I might hang the curtain rod back up as well and hang a nice sheer there, but there are so many trees outside it's honestly not necessary at all. Oh, and I have one more trip to Ikea before I'm finished.
And I'm sure the scratching post will STILL be there when I'm done.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Tis the Season....
FOR FOOTBALL!!!!!
And when I say football, I clearly mean MARCHING BAND!!!
And by that I am dead serious, because, folks, this house is chuck full of band nerds. I mean it, 100% of the three adults living under our roof are born and bred true band geeks. History lesson? Michael plays sax- alto sax, bari sax, and even tenor sax on occasion. In high school he was drum major for 3 years (although they were called field commanders. To me this is just weird). He lived for his KK Psi brothers (the band honorary fraternity) at UC. He worked hard with equipment crews and band room duties and fundraising activities. We were at every event from dawn til dusk (exaggeration, but seriously- we were usually one of the first there and last to leave).
Me? I was a pianist before I could say my name. I later learned flute and piccolo, and then joined the colorguard. I wasn't quite as devoted as Michael, but I still worked hard. I was section leader. I was voted best musician. I played a solo at state merely days after knee surgery while I was hyped up on vicadin and STILL was only 1 point away from an excellent rating!
Ahem... Anyways. Yes, even now, years after graduating and leaving the college world for adulthood, we are still band geeks at heart. We show up 2 hours before the game (usually earlier). We haul equipment, wear uniforms and bright shiny field passes, push prod and haul band kids into formation, and then watch a football game from the sideline (where you can see approximately nothing). We listen to really loud music right next to us while shouting at refs and cheering with the squads. At half time Michael takes his camera to record while I haul equipment. We watch the band do their thing while most are getting pizza. We haul everything back and then feed them all like toddlers, because they always need a sugar rush to survive the third quarter lull. We lose our voices. At the end we haul everything back, shake hands, watch the band kids dance, comment on the game, then go grab a beer with the other alumni (who are incidentally doing the same thing as you are). However, before we can leave the field we always pay tribute to the Alma Mater- heads held high, arms linked together.
This is our football season. We root our BEARCATS on every game. We're there in the rain, or with serious colds (possibly the flu). Sometimes both (see: this weekend). We love our team, even when they lose (or lose their coach- see: Notre Dame lost and I want to gloat). Hell, we even make our holiday plans around our team's schedule. Last year Mike and I celebrated 4 years in New Orleans, band style, cuz that's just how we roll. This is what we do.
I wouldn't change it for all the money in the world.
And when I say football, I clearly mean MARCHING BAND!!!
And by that I am dead serious, because, folks, this house is chuck full of band nerds. I mean it, 100% of the three adults living under our roof are born and bred true band geeks. History lesson? Michael plays sax- alto sax, bari sax, and even tenor sax on occasion. In high school he was drum major for 3 years (although they were called field commanders. To me this is just weird). He lived for his KK Psi brothers (the band honorary fraternity) at UC. He worked hard with equipment crews and band room duties and fundraising activities. We were at every event from dawn til dusk (exaggeration, but seriously- we were usually one of the first there and last to leave).
Me? I was a pianist before I could say my name. I later learned flute and piccolo, and then joined the colorguard. I wasn't quite as devoted as Michael, but I still worked hard. I was section leader. I was voted best musician. I played a solo at state merely days after knee surgery while I was hyped up on vicadin and STILL was only 1 point away from an excellent rating!
Ahem... Anyways. Yes, even now, years after graduating and leaving the college world for adulthood, we are still band geeks at heart. We show up 2 hours before the game (usually earlier). We haul equipment, wear uniforms and bright shiny field passes, push prod and haul band kids into formation, and then watch a football game from the sideline (where you can see approximately nothing). We listen to really loud music right next to us while shouting at refs and cheering with the squads. At half time Michael takes his camera to record while I haul equipment. We watch the band do their thing while most are getting pizza. We haul everything back and then feed them all like toddlers, because they always need a sugar rush to survive the third quarter lull. We lose our voices. At the end we haul everything back, shake hands, watch the band kids dance, comment on the game, then go grab a beer with the other alumni (who are incidentally doing the same thing as you are). However, before we can leave the field we always pay tribute to the Alma Mater- heads held high, arms linked together.
This is our football season. We root our BEARCATS on every game. We're there in the rain, or with serious colds (possibly the flu). Sometimes both (see: this weekend). We love our team, even when they lose (or lose their coach- see: Notre Dame lost and I want to gloat). Hell, we even make our holiday plans around our team's schedule. Last year Mike and I celebrated 4 years in New Orleans, band style, cuz that's just how we roll. This is what we do.
I wouldn't change it for all the money in the world.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Taking a quick break
I know it's been over a week. I apologize. The idea behind this blog is to discuss happy things, and we've had some major issues of our own and I'm not quite down with bringing everyone down.
For a quick re-cap, though, if you are at all interested, we found out last Monday about the miscarriage. However, there were complications, so I had to go in for a quick surgical visit THIS Monday to clear up some issues. For the record- between the fear of the complications and the pain of the loss, last week was probably the worst week of my life.
That's in the past now. To be honest, I might not feel so good now had I not had last week to compare this week to. It's been bad as well. Unfortunately whilst I was in surgery on Monday my grandfather passed away.
PLEASE don't go thinking I'm running emo on you and turning into a depressed sour puss, but it's just been a little rough. In all fairness, however, I must say that my grandfather has been extremely sick for a very long time. He's been in and out of hospitals, rehab, nursing facilities, more hospitals, etc etc for going on 4 years now. He was doing pretty well until about March, I'd say, but since has been in quite a lot of pain and really taken a turn for the worse. It's almost a relief to see that he has passed on and is no longer in pain. We will certainly miss him, though. He always had a smile and a wink. He told everyone just how good lookin' they were. He always had a laugh, and he LOVED his Reds. I hope they continue to kick butt this year, just for him.
Basically life has been a little chaotic lately. I'm going to probably not write for another week, but when I come back I promise to be on cue for happiness and the fun quirks of life, simply because it has to go on. It does go on. Who knows, maybe I'll even have an organized plan for my blog!!!! We'll see... we'll see... Oh, and I'll have pictures. I promise.
For a quick re-cap, though, if you are at all interested, we found out last Monday about the miscarriage. However, there were complications, so I had to go in for a quick surgical visit THIS Monday to clear up some issues. For the record- between the fear of the complications and the pain of the loss, last week was probably the worst week of my life.
That's in the past now. To be honest, I might not feel so good now had I not had last week to compare this week to. It's been bad as well. Unfortunately whilst I was in surgery on Monday my grandfather passed away.
PLEASE don't go thinking I'm running emo on you and turning into a depressed sour puss, but it's just been a little rough. In all fairness, however, I must say that my grandfather has been extremely sick for a very long time. He's been in and out of hospitals, rehab, nursing facilities, more hospitals, etc etc for going on 4 years now. He was doing pretty well until about March, I'd say, but since has been in quite a lot of pain and really taken a turn for the worse. It's almost a relief to see that he has passed on and is no longer in pain. We will certainly miss him, though. He always had a smile and a wink. He told everyone just how good lookin' they were. He always had a laugh, and he LOVED his Reds. I hope they continue to kick butt this year, just for him.
Basically life has been a little chaotic lately. I'm going to probably not write for another week, but when I come back I promise to be on cue for happiness and the fun quirks of life, simply because it has to go on. It does go on. Who knows, maybe I'll even have an organized plan for my blog!!!! We'll see... we'll see... Oh, and I'll have pictures. I promise.
Monday, August 16, 2010
You never think it will be you
We say this about just about everything. Car accidents. Losing your loved ones. Athletic accidents. Even good things like championships. Setting records. Even finding the love of your life, especially after a bad heartbreak.
But no matter how often it's applied, it's always true. You really never think it could happen to you. The idea is just simply unfathomable.
Unfortunately, it has to be you sometimes. Statistically speaking it has to be someone, and what makes you any different from the next guy?
I turned 24 on Friday. For my birthday, we had a doctor's appointment. We were supposed to hear a heartbeat. That beautiful sound that acknowledges there is something indeed growing inside of you. They couldn't find one, though. No worries. I've gained weight, my blood and all the other tests are great. It's probably just earlier in the pregnancy than we thought.
Just in case, though, they scheduled an ultrasound for today. And it turns out they were wrong. There is no heartbeat, and the baby stopped growing approximately 3 weeks ago. For no apparent reason, I have yet to actually miscarry, but it's going to happen within the next week. If it doesn't, then I'll have to have a D&C, which if you don't know, they will go in surgically and remove what should have naturally left on its own.
As emotional as this is, I'm thinking I've cried it out, and can hopefully move on. I've never felt so sad, but unlike what the pamphlet says (who the hell writes that thing? They obviously don't know JACK SHIT about losing a baby.) I don't feel guilty. I know it's not my fault, that there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I'm confident we can still have children, and we will be trying again. Hind sight is 20/20, and to be honest, it felt too good to be true. I don't think I ever really fully accepted that I was going to be a mom. Something just never sank in. I never connected with "baby". I'd like to think it was for this reason, but hind sight is certainly 20/20. Had I not had the ultrasound today I would never consider that thought.
I think I'm more afraid of the miscarriage now. Is this going to hurt? How long until it happens? How long until I recover? I'm honestly a "cry it out and move on" type of gal. I don't like waiting. I have about 10 lbs to lose now. I want to be healthy again. I want my house to be clean again. I want life to go back to normal again.
Please?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wedded Wednesday- Judging Others
A friend of mine (I've mentioned here before, her name is Allison) mentioned a nice little bloggy carnival thing, and I thought I'd give it a shot since my usual attempts at creating a routine die out so quickly.
It's called Wedded Wednesday from a wonderful woman named Johanna. You can link up to it here.
For my first Wedded Wednesday, I'd like to let you in on a lesson I have learned in my little-more-than-a-year of marriage- Everyone's marriage is different, and it is impossible to see everything from the outside view.
You should normally never judge. I have never had an issue abiding by this honestly, but it seems that a lot of people have a problem with it. This is not a response to someone's judgement of late or anything personal, so please don't wonder who I'm pointing a metaphorical finger at- it's no one. I have just noticed in my little-more-than-a-year of marriage that above most things, people judge relationships and marriages.
I've heard comments about couples, how they won't last. I've heard comments on how the girlfriend doesn't treat her boyfriend right because she picked out decorations for his new house. But most of all I used to worry about what Mike's friends said about ME. I never fit in real well with the crowd, and Mike is well loved by EVERYONE. He just doesn't have a lot of faults, and he's extremely loyal to his friends. I just didn't match up. We were complete opposites, and I am known to make enemies for my strong opinions.
Somewhere along the way I stopped worrying what they think. They don't see all that goes on. So what if we never hang out when we're at a party? He goes one way I go another. So they heard us disagree. So what? They don't see how he cuddles me. How we hold hands even when alone. His sweet text messages, or really even how we fight- we fight honestly, without harsh words, and we never hit below the belt. We fix the issue at hand openly. If we get too upset, we take a break from the fight until we calm down.
Not even my own mother sees all the good in our relationship. I honestly think she's terrified he'll leave me some day! Our housemate at one point used to get real uncomfortable when we bickered. It took her a while to realize that 99% of it was a loving joke. We are actually still in a honeymoon stage, I think. We're happier than we've ever been.
Maybe people like to find faults so they can compare themselves a little better. I don't know. I've just learned that judging relationships is like looking through shattered glass. You don't really see what it is your looking at. Not thoroughly at least.
It's called Wedded Wednesday from a wonderful woman named Johanna. You can link up to it here.
For my first Wedded Wednesday, I'd like to let you in on a lesson I have learned in my little-more-than-a-year of marriage- Everyone's marriage is different, and it is impossible to see everything from the outside view.
You should normally never judge. I have never had an issue abiding by this honestly, but it seems that a lot of people have a problem with it. This is not a response to someone's judgement of late or anything personal, so please don't wonder who I'm pointing a metaphorical finger at- it's no one. I have just noticed in my little-more-than-a-year of marriage that above most things, people judge relationships and marriages.
I've heard comments about couples, how they won't last. I've heard comments on how the girlfriend doesn't treat her boyfriend right because she picked out decorations for his new house. But most of all I used to worry about what Mike's friends said about ME. I never fit in real well with the crowd, and Mike is well loved by EVERYONE. He just doesn't have a lot of faults, and he's extremely loyal to his friends. I just didn't match up. We were complete opposites, and I am known to make enemies for my strong opinions.
Somewhere along the way I stopped worrying what they think. They don't see all that goes on. So what if we never hang out when we're at a party? He goes one way I go another. So they heard us disagree. So what? They don't see how he cuddles me. How we hold hands even when alone. His sweet text messages, or really even how we fight- we fight honestly, without harsh words, and we never hit below the belt. We fix the issue at hand openly. If we get too upset, we take a break from the fight until we calm down.
Not even my own mother sees all the good in our relationship. I honestly think she's terrified he'll leave me some day! Our housemate at one point used to get real uncomfortable when we bickered. It took her a while to realize that 99% of it was a loving joke. We are actually still in a honeymoon stage, I think. We're happier than we've ever been.
Maybe people like to find faults so they can compare themselves a little better. I don't know. I've just learned that judging relationships is like looking through shattered glass. You don't really see what it is your looking at. Not thoroughly at least.
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