What Happened Over Christmas

1. Found out my Wii Fit age is 44. Not good, even if I wasn't pregnant. Didn't I just run a half marathon? Wait, that was a year ago.
2. Ate lots of potatoes.
3. Drove 6 hours to Nebraska where dinner was waiting for me.
4. Sober the entire Holiday.
5. Was bombarded by a certain sister-in-law telling me she can't buy me ANYTHING for our baby unless she knows if it's a boy or girl. Sorry Angel, you'll just have to wait until June like everyone else. But you can still give us your crib and anything else gender neutral. Thanks!
6. I didn't blog.
7. My sister and I harassed two little boys into cleaning their VERY messy room by taking away their Nintendo DS. The screaming could be heard down the street.
8. The boy's room was partially cleaned. For 20 minutes.
9. Presents covered the entire floor Christmas Eve. Little ones had to step on them to get to their pile. Justin yelled, "LOOK AT ALL THOSE!!!!! WHO ARE THEY FOR????"
10. Justin got warm, fuzzy slippers. I think they were his favorite gift from me.

We did Christmas Eve/morning here in Minnesota. Since there are so many little grandchildren on one side, there really were a lot of gifts in the living room. We let them open first so they could be excited playing with them somewhere else, while the adults opened. The in-laws didn't even get to see us open gifts from them. They were stuck on open-kid-packages-NOW and I-need-4-AA-batteries-now! We got towards the end and found one kid missed 3 gifts. I think he got really excited and took off with whatever. He did eventually come back to claim them.

I got nice gifts as usual. Justin did too. Justin's Grandparents must think we're having a girl (actually, everyone wants this baby to be a girl for some reason) because they got us pink receiving blankets and a somewhat gender neutral outfit. But since it's a gift, I'm going to keep it, girl or boy. Why not use it no matter who pops out?

Christmas morning, we headed to Nebraskey where my brother lives. FYI: there is nothing open on Christmas day. NOTHING, so get your travel cooler stocked with snacks and drinks because you're not getting Hardee's or Dairy Queen along the way.

More presents, more wild children not talking to you because they are too enthralled with their favorite Christmas gift, more everyone else drinking but me. Including a comment from my mom asking why I can't have a Miller Lite. "Does it upset your stomach?"

Oh dear lord please tell me that she didn't drink while pregnant.

Fail

On so many levels.

I fail because I haven't posted since, when? Friday? FAIL. Busy weekend as usual but no excuse not to post especially since I was on the computer for 4 hours on Saturday trying to get work done.

Silly Car fails too. Justin and I must be jinxed with this move to Minnesota. Silly Car doesn't work now. Not sure if it has anything to do with it being 6 below yesterday (oh, with a minus 31 windchill. MINUS 31 and yes, it was cold that yesterday). I can't say I blame it, I didn't want to get out of my warm bed this morning either, but I managed.

And all my clothes fail. Enough said.

So, I loaded up my queue for work and will stay busy. And warm. And not disrupted like at work, so I might get more work done. But bothered by the fact that now we have NO running cars.

(It runs, just overheats (HAAAAAHAHAH!) which Justin thinks the heater hose busted somewhere. Not easy to get to apparently.)

The 21st Century Strikes Again...Again

Back when I wrote this post it was true. Apparently, it's true again.

Remember, we parked the Silly Car away for the winter. The plan was to get in sometime in April or May and rely on Justin's newer car, the subie. Apparently, his car is so modified that the computer (the brains of the car), froze up. Awesome huh? So, we had no choice but to go get the Silly Car out of hibernation.

It was a long day at work, plus it started snowing on the drive home. No driving for either of us, I ended up taking the bus into Minneapolis and catching another bus home. That took 2 1/2 hours! I was exhausted. But we still had to go up to Nowthen, Minnesota. Luckily, Justin's awesome Aunt and Uncle had pulled the car out of it's hibernating spot and parked it, ready to go, in their driveway. And Aunt Peggy made me homemade blue cheese dressing! So at least it wasn't as bad as we anticipated.

And now I'm exhausted again today. I think my lack of any symptoms during the first trimester is catching up with me. But, I set a goal at work and I have to finish it or I'm a dummy who can't meet deadlines. Plus, my plan is to make my goal and then tell them I'm pregnant. That way they aren't too upset. But, actually, I just found out another chick at work is due the same time as me and everyone knows. So why am I waiting? Who knows.

So my car, which is 16 years old, is our primary car and runs awesome. And Justin's car, which is only 6 years old doesn't run and has icicles hanging off of it. And who said the technology from the 21st century is better?

The 21st Century Strikes Again

Just got home, too tired to write, but it's silly, stupid, drama, dumb, the usual.

More later.

Struggle

Phew! Now that the cats outta the bag, I can officially talk about anything. But, not baby related today.

I like this 30-day challenge. There's tons of goodies to talk about in December. I just can't seem to get my act together on the weekends. This weekend was hard. Apparently you really shouldn't sleep on your stomach when your 3 months along. Ok, but it's still kinda flat so why not? Cause your back will hurt like you got kicked. So all day Saturday I was miserable. Nothing done or posted.

Sunday, full steam ahead the moment I got up because I knew I had tons of crap to do. Bake cookies for work, laundry and watch it rain in Minnesota in December (then watch it turn into ICE 1 hour later. Then try to drive on it to go see a children's play with the family. We made it ok because nobody else was dumb enough to try that.). With all of these really awesome things happening, I can't blog on the weekend. Yesterday's blog is actually one I wrote on Friday while my database was down at work. But I can NOT get on the computer on the weekend.

Can't do it. At all. No way.

But things did happen and I didn't blog. So here I am. Want the latest news? Apparently, (and I've only seen emails confirming, not the actual agreement) I bought a house. Long story short, this was a house we bid on back in July. The bank was stupid and we walked. But once they reduced it, oh, about 30k, we jumped again and they agreed. We rule because we're moving in the middle of the winter! Awesome, huh? No, not really because kids, today it was minus 10 this morning. And Justin's car doors froze shut and then once they were open, the car didn't start. I wasn't ticked at the temp. I was just ticked about his car not starting up. He's taking care of it today. All will be normal again.

Good thing for Mother-in-Law's no-work-on-Monday's, drive-husband-downtown. I hitched a ride into Minneapolis with her and barely caught the St. Paul bus. At least I didn't have to stand outside waiting for it like I will tonight heading home.

Can anyone recommend very warm socks? Cause every pair I own put together isn't cutting it. Think, Everest quality socks. Where can I get those? And boots? I need warm boots. Suggestions? Or should I just go to Fleet Farm?

Who Saw This Coming?

(Whoa! Is my spine gonna look like that??)

Just like when Justin helped with Scully's Halloween costume, he helped with this project.

I had my genetic screening done last week. It's an ultrasound and blood work. I got to see the baby for a good 45 minutes. We must have woken baby up because he/she was in the correct position for the tests for about 5 minutes, then got the hiccups and rolled over about a thousand times (probably looking for a good, comfy spot to chill). The tech kept jiggling my stomach and I had to make sure she wasn't giving him/her shaken baby syndrome. She assured me she wasn't.

Once baby found the best position, he/she stayed there. So I got some good photos of thumb sucking, general spazzing out, and probably giving us the bird (lots of hand gestures, it's really hard to tell). It was awesome to see what life is like inside someone like me. I'm crazy in the head but apparently, that hasn't scared baby away.

Justin wants to find out who the baby is. I say no way, we'll find out soon enough. All of our friends are very much against this (except Elsa) but at this point, I'm just happy knowing there's a little one inside of me and the surprise it'll be in 6 months. (Oh crap! 6 months!!!)

Oh, for those interested, here are the deets:

Due Mid-June (I could give you the date, but honestly, it's a guesstimate, so who really knows, right?)
13 weeks right this moment.
No morning sickness (please don't hate me)
No weight gain...yet
Still wearing most of my clothes.
No unusual cravings/aversions except: no salad/dressing, no chicken, loving grilled cheese, baked potatoes and did you really think I'd give up bean burritos? Baby LOVES him/her some beans!
No uber exhaustion. I still go to bed at 9pm. Nothing new.

Honestly, up until recently, I thought I somehow cheated on the pregnancy test. But I've got the pictures to prove otherwise.

We've told a few people early on. Some of them were a little surprised we said anything so soon. I realize there's the change of miscarriage, but honestly, it was our choice to share. There are no rules about when to announce. Now, telling my boss, that might take a little more time. Maybe I'll wait until I'm seven months. Then it'll be so obvious I won't have to say anything.

I hope not to make this a baby blog, but updates and general information relating to baby will appear. So I need your help. I need a baby blog name. Something I can call baby until he/she appears and is officially named. Something like JJ (Justin/Jessi junior), or spazzoid, you know, terms of endearment.

Too Much for One Day

I was so busy yesterday, I didn't blog. Seriously busy from the moment I woke up til my head hit the pillow. That busy.

I had a Doctors appointment up "north" and since we were down one car and Justin had client meetings all morning, I had to take the bus. But first, I had to get some work done. TPT is awesome! If you ever get an opportunity to work here, do it. They let me work at home in the morning, no problems. Finished some shows, got on the bus and made my way up north.

Justin picked me up after my appointment and we headed down "south" to pick up Paveena for a shopping date. She doesn't have her license yet, so she has to rely on others to take her places. She should learn the bus route!

We left Justin at her house and we headed to Mall of America. FYI: walk just one lap around the place and it's one mile. Do it with lots of bags in your hand and count it as two. Just kidding. But seriously, that place is huge and it reminds me of the fact that I don't like to go there.

We were on the look-out for a nice cashmere scarf for her husband's birthday. After so many freaking stores (on the first level only) we finally found one at Bloomingdale's. The best part of this find was Paveena asking me, "Does this LOOK expensive?" Knowing her husband likes to find expensive looking goods but pay half the price, I knew exactly why she was asking. "It looks very nice." And it did. And he'd be a rotten husband if he told her he didn't like it.

We had dinner at D'Amico and Sons. It was ok. I think it tries a little too hard to be unique.

On our way home we stopped off at our Realtor's house to sign a document for a house we are considering (at this point, waiting again for the bank to consider our offer-should be another post, really). I missed "The Office" and my usual bedtime routine, but once I was home, I was out within 10 minutes.

It was just one of those days with too much to do, and not enough time. Is it just me, or is everyday starting to feel like that?

Christmas Tree 2008

We took a family trip up north (Justin laughs at me when I say that. We weren't that far north.) to pick out our Christmas tree over the weekend. It was cold (seven degrees) and we really should have been bundled up like the little ones. We won't make that mistake again.

Trying to warm my hands.


Bundled Baby


We picked out a tree, time to chop.


Justin gives it a go and finishes what we all started.


A very pregnant Heather.


The family on a hay ride. The snow really started getting thick.


Mother and Father-in-Law.


Jake and his drunk bundled baby.


Aren't we cute all cold and frozen? That's Justin's "it's colder than a witches tit" face.


No silly car in the driveway. Just a subie, all covered in snow.

Extra

Dudes, someone came to my blog looking for "Min Pin Leg Warmers". Seriously, that is cracking me up today!

Maybe there's a market for it? I do know how to sew and I do have a min pin. I wonder...

What Buyers Aren't Looking For

We are still looking for a house. It's very frustrating for numerous reasons but, what really ticks me off are the descriptions and photos online.

(in all caps of course)
"Adorable paint!"
Seriously? Paint is adorable? It's just a color. Sometimes the choice of color is NICE, but never adorable. Adults shouldn't try to sell something to another adult using the word "adorable".

"Subject to bank approval!"
Ok, why is there an exclamation point on something that can take 2 months? Wow! Really? I need the banks approval??!? No way!! I understand that since the bank now owns the house, that they are quick to respond. Not in ANY of my cases; I've been waiting for banks since June. You don't see any exclamation points here.

A 660 sq. foot house, 1 bedroom, 1 bath
(again with the caps)
"Great for a small family..." Do you mean little people or a single person with a dog or cat? What small family wants a 1 bedroom house, when at this price range, can get way more square footage with additional bedrooms? They should fire their listing agent.

With all these great descriptions, let's take a look at their quality photos.



Ok, if the place was clean, this shot wouldn't be too bad. A view into the kitchen and then the other hall. This looks like it could be the living room. But if you look closlier, I think it's someone's bedroom. Notice legs on the bed to the right and all the bags of clothes on the left. I don't need a bedroom attached to the kitchen. Thanks, but no thanks.



What the heck is this? I'm going to assume it's a room maybe for Hansel and Gretel. I could have used another angle of the kitchen or a shot from the kitchen to the living room or something else! What a waste.



Remember the 1 bedroom house? This must be where the rest of the "small" family can sleep because doesn't that look comfy? Why am I looking at the couch? Why am I not looking at the whole room maybe from the doorway? I know the decorations are eye catching (like the rest of the house), but I want to experience the whole room and all it's hideous glory!

And the winner of worst quality AND most pointless photo:


So please, listing agents, work on your descriptions and take a photo class. I want to buy a house. I need to buy a house. But you're making it difficult.
lemon

Gah!

Only one week in and I miss a day. But with good reason! Sunday's are my "do not do anything" day and that includes getting on the computer. Actually, I'm glad December is the month to do this challenge because there is ALWAYS something going on. Including things on my "do not do anything" day. (So I'm going to label this post as Sunday to keep up with everyone else. I know it's cheating, but I'm only cheating myself, right?)

But I don't want to talk about Sunday until I can unload the photos to show all the fun we had picking out our Christmas tree when it was seven degrees at 10 am, kids. Seven! I really don't want my blog to become a weather report for all of my non-Minnesota readers, but for a newbie like me, these temps are killing us. Justin actually said he'd like to move back to (wait for it...) Salt Lake! Not Las Vegas, but Salt Lake City! This cold must have knocked the sense out of him because he was itching to leave SLC the moment he got there.

Maybe we just need to be winterized and then we'll survive and live happily ever after.

Nowthen Minnesota

Yes, I'm actually on the computer on the weekend. It's hard for me to believe too. Anyway...

Tonight, we had dinner in a town called Nowthen. I'm not kidding. Nowthen was the name of this super small Minnesota town. I had the Nowthen Melt (turkey, ham, cream cheese with dijon mustard, pannini style) and it was good. There's not much in Nowthen. But I do recommend the Nowthen Melt.

Oh, it was also five degrees in Nowthen. Five degrees kids. But I've found that once you get lower than 20 degrees, you can't really tell the difference between 20 and five.

Justin's Aunt and Uncle live there. That's where we parked the Silly Car for the winter. We got it washed, dried, covered and stored until April or May of next year.

Have fun Silly Car in Nowthen. Try the melt!

Leg Warmers Anyone?

If you're like me, you buy gifts for your pet during the Holiday's. She's part of the family and loves to get anything new. I could whip out a toy she hasn't seen in a year and she's totally happy and thrilled to have it back in her life.

But if you're not sure what to get your furry friends for Christmas, here are a few inexpensive suggestions:

For your cat, here's a simple tutorial (from craftershock) to make cat-nip toys. Looks easy and super cute! What a great way to use up felt scraps.

Don't forget your dogs legs when it's 10 degrees out. These leg warmers can go from your tot, to your dog. I suggest a wash between uses, though.

You can't go wrong with homemade dog treats! Here's an easy recipe from sugarlaws. (Tons of other human recipes too!)

Not necessarily for the dog, but it could make your life a little easier on walks: the dog leash bag.

Or just give them the gift of love and life (by making sure they are fed and not eating tree tinsel. Do they still make that stuff? No? Good, then Merry Christmas furry ones!).

Pooder

It was bound to happen. But once you have something in your life for so long, it's hard to think of the time that might come when they aren't. Belle (of the Marshlands) joined our family my Freshman year of High School (more like, the end of my Freshman year of High School). She was the cutest Min Pin ever! We got her around 9 weeks old and she was tiny (palm of your hand tiny) and was terrified of us. But she eventually warmed up to my mom (of course) and then the rest of us.

We taught her tricks like how to talk; something Scully can't do. She escaped our back yard too many times. One time, she took her kids with her. They must have needed a family adventure, to a house down the street because that's how far a dog will get with 3 puppies following their mom. I'm sure it was a cute site. But it was even cuter when we got them all home and safe again.

Like all Min Pins, she loved blankets and anyone who had one. She also loved her bed as long as there was a blanket in it.

She died wrapped up in her bed, all cuddled up, her favorite way. She was 15 years old. Scully remembers her when she came to visit Las Vegas and wrote this to her:

Hey Belle,

It was a good visit while you were here. I think the last time I saw you I was still kinda annoying huh? I've grown up, but I'm not as old as you are. You're like a Grandma! But you are my Grandma because you were so sweet to me. You only growled at me a few times. And you even played with me for a minute, after I bugged you all day. Even though you didn't share the blanket, I still like you. So until we meet again, take care old lady!

Your annoying little friend,
Scully

Names

Seriously, Saxby Chambliss? It sounds like some French powder you only wear on special occasions. Or, better yet, a bottle of perfume or wine. I'm not saying he's special or anything, just a U.S Senator, but the name sounds like top billing at a Broadway show.

We're totally naming our first born Saxby Chambliss Foell. It could totally work for a boy or girl. Or better yet, a new puppy. I hope Justin agrees with me. (Like my subtle hint for a new min pin? Scully needs a friend her size.)

On Black Friday, I headed out at 5:30 with my in-laws to get a few items. We went to the usual places, Target, Circuit Shitty, Ulta, and Fleet Farm. Actually, it's Mills Fleet Farm and in Wisconsin, it's Mills Farm Fleet. These Midwesterners are nuts for their Fleet Farm or Farm Fleet or the farming place where you can get a composting toilet and a bag of cashews. It's hard to describe. It's a cross between Wal-Mart (booooo, but with way better lighting and it doesn't smell), Lowes, and PetsMart. The only reason why I say Wal-Mart, they have all the weird clothing you would think was a good idea at the time, but later on, not so much. You need Vikings gear? Fleet Farm is your place for the ugliest Vikings gear out there.

My in-laws went there for Cartwright gear. WTH? I don't know either. Apparently, this is the last year the Minnesota Gophers are playing at an indoor stadium (the Metrodome). They are getting their own and it's outdoors. So mil is hooking fil up with cold weather gear so he can freeze while watching his Alma Mater. Sounds like fun to me. Apparently, you can only get this gear at Fleet Farm. I'm sure the farmer's have other sources for Cartwright gear but I have no idea.

Surprisingly, I did pick up a few things (not clothing), mostly because they were really good deals. Some I can't say because they are gifts but I got Scully the softest dog sweater for $3! And since she looks so pretty in it, it was worth it.

But I still like to "Save big money with My Nards".

Call It What You Will, It's a Post

It's a Christmas miracle! I got my Burda magazine yesterday, December 1st. I normally get it at the end of the month. And there are some awesome items that are calling my name to be made.

Justin admits he's Passive Aggressive. I'm here to tell you, he is. And in honor of his personality trait (I know who from), I found this site that you might enjoy. I think it's hilarious because I think we all have some passive aggressiveness towards people.

Cause I'm a Sucker That's Why

My first 30-day challenge starts today. I'm dumb. But, I needed a way to keep up with blogging/journaling/telling no one about crap in my life because it's good therapy. (I really need an anonymous blog for the real stuff.)

I got all of my purse supplies out of storage and had good intentions of working on some new things over the Holiday weekend. But food, shopping, and napping got in the way. But, I'm still hopeful.

Time to get crafty because people!!! We have like three weeks til Christmas. Three!!! Then life will be boring again, but with snow on the ground.

Storage

We have officially packed up Summer in the Foell house. The older Foell's did it months ago because they are pros. Justin and I were in denial until this weekend when we realized we couldn't wear our sandals, shorts and tanks for the next 5 months. So off to the storage unit they went. In their place we pulled out our "Winter" coats. (Which really are Las Vegas Winter coats. Actually, I have a nice Winter coat, I just have to layer to make it suitable for Minnesota. And Justin's is from Old Navy. And after he wore it once in Kansas City, he deemed it suitable for a Minnesota Winter. We'll see. Good thing his new job barely requires him to get dressed.)

Oh, yeah, Justin got a job. Working from home, telemarketing.

I kid! Telecommuting. Computer stuff. Website stuff. He's excited. I'm excited he's home to entertain Scully and let her out as necessary instead of kenneling her. We were mean parents. It also means that we can go down to one car and put the Silly Car in storage, where it will not see snow, ice, or salt. (Although it has totally seen ice, the Silly Car does well heating up quick for being, like 16 years old. But still, family rule: Silly Car sees NO snow.)

Something else that made it out of storage: my purse supplies! I had a request from a friend who wants some goods. So I thought, it's been a very long time since I updated my etsy shop. I think it's time to get my ass in gear. Plus, I've got the time, so why not. And since many buy homemade items for Christmas, I'll keep prices very low during this crap-tacular economic downturn so you get what you want. Speaking of, if you want something specific, just let me know.

How weird is this? My Grandpa's 80th Birthday is Wednesday. His Mother-in-Law (my Great-Grandma) is 91. WTH? Things would have been so different if he had married her instead of my granny. I told him this, but I don't think he was impressed with my observation or my math skills.

Apparently, I'm on a "one post a week" rut right now. But there's so much to talk about. Maybe after Thanksgiving, I'll ramp up the posts. Who cares, right? Most people come here looking for this post anyway.
Lime

Oh, before I go, if you're looking for a great movie to see this Holiday weekend, check out Slumdog Millionaire. It was beyond great. It got great reviews here in Minneapolis and everyone I was with agreed. If you see it, let me know what you think. We loved it. Rotten Tomatoes agrees with me.

Not Warm and Fuzzy

It was 23 degrees on my way to work this morning. And I forgot my gloves. Actually, they were in the dryer because we helped Justin's dad rake up all the leaves on Saturday. Talk about manual labor!

My gloves, they were dirty.

The weather, it's cold.

We think Scully doesn't really like the cold. Only when there is snow on the ground, which totally makes sense, because then you can SEE the cold and justify it. Until then, she pounces on the door frantically, until someone lets her in. We should probably keep clothes on her.

I got the bottom of my foot lasered (totally not a word, but I have no other way to describe it) last week. Think of it as someone stabbing a McDonald's straw through your heel as fast as they can. The thick straws, and it shoots up to your knee. It was that painful. I hobbled out of the office thinking, I can't wait for child birth! Then I called Justin and cried to him the pain that I had paid a co-pay for. He did feel bad, but I don't think as bad as I wanted him to feel. I wanted a grilled cheese when I got home. That's how much comfort I needed.

I didn't get one.

When we first moved here, there was one thing we were really going to miss about living in the West, SouthWest Airlines. Guess what? They'll begin service from MSP in March! Just in time to take Justin to Chi-town for St. Patties day and for his Birthday! He's totally excited because 1) it's not NWA and 2) it's St. Patrick's Day and 3)it's cheap! Now we can continue with our easy flying all over the US for less! So all of my Vegas friends, you can totally come out to the tundra with no excuses.
shrimp

SmartyPants

You don't expect to get political propaganda from an 8 year-old, but that's what we got on Sunday when my Brother-in-law came over with his kids. We all knew who they were voting for just by the signs in their yard. That's cool. Whatever floats your boat. I have never felt strongly enough to support someone with signs in my yard.

Unless it's a Miller Lite sign.

But when an 8 year-old tells you she "hates!" the new president because he "kills babies!" a swift smack across the face is in order. BUT, that's not what happened (more like eye rolling). Instead we told her it doesn't matter who won, we have to support him now that he is our President.

I doubt that worked.

Justin's getting all upset with the state of our health care system. I'm just upset because my car door was frozen shut the other morning. I'm all about the important things in life.

Oh! Ya! It's like freezing temps now! Justin and I are such wimps. Scully, surprisingly, still likes to be outside. We did get her a new coat, but all the treats she gets from *someone who shall remain nameless*, has left her a little sausage. So the coat has to go back for the bigger size. But seriously, it's freaking freezing here people. And it's only November. Ok, positive thoughts. I lived in Utah, not as cold but it did get cold there. Damn my 5 years in the desert heat!

On the housing front: Yet another offer on a cute little starter home. And we're doing ANOTHER offer on a different home tomorrow. The reason? They are both short sales and since our last offer on a short sale took about 2 months, we figured, we'd for sure get one or the other. So why not two offers. Don't think I'm rich or anything. Cause I'm not.

Tomorrow is our company arts/craft/bake sale. Guess what I'm selling? Ha! Nope! I made homemade caramels (courtesy of my mil's recipe), the standard chocolate chip cookies (which is the best recipe I've EVER found for thick chewy ones), and my yummy chocolate chip-pumpkin squares. I just hope I don't eat everything on the way to work tomorrow.

I'll close this with a short story of our nephew. He's three and hilarious. Justin took him yesterday to pick up his older sister (who is 5) from kindergarten. She gets in the car and says, "I can spell my name backwards!" She then proceeds to explain that she can spell all sorts of words backwards. The stop sign, Justin's name, etc. Her little brother then asks, "Can you spell 'shut up' backwards?"
Strawberry

If that's not funny enough for you, go to about 2:30 in this video.

Really? Seriously?

Why do people insist on sitting next to me on the bus when there are about 15 empty seats around? Especially towards the end of the route? Just move over and take up your own room. It's easy and I won't get offended.

And, AND! Why does it always smell like crap? People, we all have to use the bus, crap at home.

Oh, AND! Please don't lean forward to talk on the phone. You're basically in my ear, I can hear everything you're telling your friend. About how you don't play girls like that. You know, man? I'm fo real!

Shave the Alamo!

We like to think our costumes were a success. Justin did say all weekend that he thought it was the best idea yet. I do have to agree, even though some people at the party were like, "Sweeny Todd? Never seen it."



I whipped mine up in a few hours. I didn't hem it because, seriously, it's a Halloween costume. I used a burn out stretchy fabric for the bodice and just wore a black shirt underneath. The party was in the hosts garage so it was a bit too cold for me (still not getting use to Minnesota. I know, I know, the winters will be nothing compared to this) so I had my jacket on all night. Except for pictures.

Look at our brave pups "Saving the Alamo!" More like, "Protecting our Pumpkins!"



Davie "Skye" Crockett and (this is totally not politically correct but there was no other way around it) her enemy in real life "Scully" Mexican Soldier. Really she's supposed to be part of General Santa Ana's army, but we based the whole costume around her hat.

Scully ready for action with her bullets. Good thing we didn't give her a gun too.


Skye hated the hat. I guess it reminds her of the bunnies she's always chasing in the yard.




They both lost the war protecting our pumpkins. They were stolen and smashed down the street. Minnesota hoodlums.
grape

I Do Make Stuff

Halloween. We finished the costumes for Scully and Skye last night. But not before we had to break up a dog fight (apparently the 2nd one for the day). Not sure what's going on, but poor Scully had a bad day with Skye, ending up in her mouth again or shoved under the couch trying to hide from her. Skye can be mean sometimes.

But they looked so cute all dressed up! Scully loves Justin dressing her. Perhaps it's just her loving him paying attention to her? Who knows, but she just loves it.

Skye knows how to take the hat off. I'll have to make it tighter.

Justin actually did some hand sewing last night. That's how serious we are about Halloween people. Justin sewing.

I've got my costume cut out but not sewn. I suck, I know. The party is tomorrow, so I'll be up late sewing. I can't imagine it taking me long mostly because, it's a Halloween costume, I'm not going make it fancy and follow directions. It's not daily wear, it's not fashion. It's just an ugly dress (supposed to be ugly). I need to put more effort into my hair than this dress.

Photos of all Halloween participants coming soon.

Heather, I haven't forgotten about your prize. One half is done and ready to mail. The other half (the "I have to make it vegan?") is still in the works.
raspberry

Undecided

Sometimes, I want to click the "easy" button. I think life would be so much easier, don't you? This election, I definitely need the easy button. I don't favor one over the other. I get frustrated during debates with all their circle talking. I'm tired of all the campaigning. Back and forth. If only there were something that would help me pick a candidate. Something where I could see which candidate shares my views. Hmmmm.

Oh, wait.

I think I found something.

I love me some Public Radio! (booo, to all you who hate it)

If you need help deciding (cause we've only got like 2 weeks left), check this out. It's what I needed. Thanks MPR.

I'm not going to tell you which candidate shared my views. That's my right as an American not to tell. But you're welcome to tell me.

Four Canadian's

David Sedaris was awesome, as expected. The line to have my book signed, however, wasn't. Neither were the EXTREMELY annoying girls (probably my age, but so irritating like teens) in front of us for the ENTIRE 80 minutes. I only had one outlet for my frustration, a post-it note with my name on it which a woman gave me so David would know how to spell my name.

My post-it said:

Dear Lord! The people in front of me are FUCKING annoying! Please be my slave monkey and bitch slap them!

Monkey slave = a story he read that night.

He kept my post-it for his diary. No hitting on Justin this time. No witty comments. Maybe he felt really sorry for me because he had just met the super annoying girls. He only had to deal with them for 55 seconds. I had them for over 80 minutes.

One husband was short and fat and wore a 40x28 and apparently no pants are made for his size. They miss CBC. "I'm SOOOO going to tell David that you took one of his books back cause you didn't like it." "Echh, that's gross." "Ok, I've been standing here long enough to use my lip balm 4 times!"

And their laughs. Hideous, screeching, echoing, cat-like screaming. Oh the headache just thinking of it.

He did say something about people trying to be comedians after seeing one.

He started writing this in my book before we even spoke: "Dear Jessi, your story touched my heart. David Sedaris."

Maybe he knew. Probably not.

Embrace the Cold

People ask me all the time if I miss Las Vegas. I say no. But actually, I do miss the mountains. Well, more like the green mountains of Northern Utah. But still, seeing mountains daily was awesome.

It's cold here. Silly Car hates it. I'm sure the steering belt is about to snap off any day (at least that's what I think it is cause it's LOUD when I turn). I can see my breath in the morning and at night. Scully doesn't stay out too long and when she comes in, she's shivering. Skye, with her fur coat, no shivering at all.

Justin's car hated it too. But we gave it a new sweater and sent it on its way. (sweater=battery)

I think I've embraced the cold as best as I can by requesting a camping trip, like, NOW. Before it gets even COLDER. To camp up north, where it's super cold compared to down here. But really, isn't fall about camping? Sitting around a campfire, cuddling, stuffing your face with marshmallows and chocolate, eating cheese dogs?

Justin said no, it's too cold for him (THE Minnesotan). So we are going to build our own outdoor fire and do all the above. And when it gets too cold out that cuddling won't suffice, I'll head inside and jump into my heated bed and have Scully lick the marshmallows off my face.

Hot Tip #6 Recycling

(It's been a while since my last Hot Tip but Justin and I are in full force recycling.)

There are many ways you can incorporate recycling into your life. And it's not just plastics and pop cans, there are many other ways to recycle. Here are some of the easy one's that we've done.

First, see if your local waste management company (your garbage peeps) offer recycling bins for weekly pick-up. Most cities now have them for free. Some offer just one bin. Others will give you different bins for different items (one for paper, one for glass, one for aluminum) to make sorting easier.

Paper - We read the newspaper every day. We get junk mail, bills, and magazine every day. This stuff piles up, seriously. Create a designated place to collect the paper. In Las Vegas, we got bins from Ikea and they fit perfectly in our pantry. Here in Minnesota, we've got what looks like a cedar chest (but isn't) with a lid. It looks like a piece of furniture (and sometimes we use it as such) but it holds 2 weeks worth of recycling.

Don't forget you can recycle your shredded bills and important documents (shred them first).

Plastics - All plastics have a designated number on the bottom of them. In Las Vegas and here, they only recycle numbers one and two. Anything else we have to throw away. But you don't have to just toss them. You can reuse them for simple storage ideas (hair ties, sewing supplies, yo-yo parts, etc.). Water bottles will take up less space if they are collapsed. Always remove the lids when recycling them. Or better yet, just stop using plastic water bottles all together. Get one of these. Just make sure it's BPA free. Oh, and not buying cases of bottled water will save you money too. Don't forget that!

Aluminum - Or known up here as "pop cans" or in Texas "coke cans". Whatever you call it, cans are the easiest thing to recycle. Just crush them up and toss them... into a designated box, bag (paper works great), or bin. Some recycling centers take soup cans too. Las Vegas did, Minnesota doesn't. Too bad. If your area does, just make sure you rinse out your smelly tuna cans.

Once a month we have used motor oil pick up and once a year they pick up left-over household cleaners and solvents that you really shouldn't dump down drains. Don't do it. Just set them out in the garage for that pick up day.

Ok, those are the easy and obvious ones. There are other ways to recycle. Buy second hand instead of something new. Stores like Savers, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Deseret Industries all get gently used clothing. A store like Savers is a "for profit" so some of their stuff is actually from department stores. Justin and I have scored some great fall clothes there. Jeans, pants, sweaters all for $30. Seriously.

Zip top bags can be replaced with fabric bags with velcro closures (for food storage). A great way to use up small fabric pieces and use less zip top bags.

Another way to use of fabric is to make a grocery tote. (which I've actually made).

There are many other ways to recycle and it might save you money too. Let me know what you are doing to recycle or if there's anything I've missed that you are doing.

And the Winner is...

The top 4 ideas were:
Bride and Groom
Black and Tan
Chocolate and Peanut Butter
Remember the Alamo


The winning costume is:

Remember the Alamo!! Scully as a Mexican Soldier and Skye as Davie Crocket.


Due to the need for Skye's parents to participate in the voting process (since they wanted say of what their dog was going to dress as), we decided to award the 2nd place the prize. So the winner is:



Heather!

Thanks to everyone who participated. Now off to Remember the Alamo!!

He's Back!

My man, Strongbad's back!



He still likes you, even though you haven't voted, he loves toys, airplane rides, great ideas, cheese curds, segways, queens and farms.

He hates liars, clutter, working, WalMart, disco, and imagery.

Now, get voting and help the little dogs out!

Contest Time!

For the past 5 years at this time, Justin and I were always working on our Halloween costumes for the freaking fabulous Halloween party we'd go to. Sadly, not this year. And you know what? It stinks. No fun costume project to work on. No plans to surprise people or try to win contests or drink too much. Nothing.

Instead, we decided to help the dogs out. They want to be something together. Something funny and original. What makes it more challenging is who they are. Scully is a Min-Pin and Skye is something mixed. Border Collie? Either way, she's a big girl and very fluffy. And Scully is a small girl and very black.

We need suggestions. This is where you guys come in. I invite EVERYONE who reads (even those who don't post) to help us come up with the Halloween costumes they so desire.

Here are the rules: Enter as many times as you want. We're looking for funny, original ideas for Scully and Skye. They have to be dressed as a pair. You know, like Elvis and Costello, Tiny and Tim, Ben and Jerry.

I can sew so I'm not worried about having to buy something, I'll make it.

Justin and I will select the 3 best ideas and present them to Scully and Skye. Of course, they have the ultimate say (but really it's Justin and I since we have to make the costumes - but don't tell them that).

The winner will receive my famous Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Brownies (oh, they are so FREAKING good, and I'll ship them to you!) and a special surprise from Scully and Skye!

Entry's must be received by October 3rd (next Friday). Take off that karma cap and put on your thinking cap. Scully and Skye thank you.

I Cleaned Off My Camera

Consider this a camera dump blog. I've finally cleaned it off so here are pictures I'm sure I've promised, but never delivered.

Let's start with the State Fair:


The Sea of People! GAHHHHH!!!


MMMMM Food on a stick.



MMMMMM More food on a stick.

That's the gist of the State Fair. Let's move onto something else.



The Walker Arts Center

That spoon is totally famous. And look at the beautiful skyline of Minneapolis. Yes, it's awesome.


Sitting on art.

Ok, how about something totally cool.


Segway's! Justin had this great idea to take a Segway tour through Minneapolis for our anniversary. And it was AWESOME! Since Paveena is new to the city like me, we invited them and they loved it too.




Zooming through an old mill. Now we all want Segway's. I wonder if they make snow chains for them?


Happy 7 years!

Scully even got a "camera dump" update. Go check out her crazy self.

Ok, this one's for Todd. He has an entire collection of TERRIBLE photos of me that only he and I have access to. But since I took this photo, just as I was about to cough, and can no longer have him collect these aweful photos, I decided to share it with everyone. Now remember, about to cough. Ready?






Set








Go!

I know, I'm brave with my ugly self.

Please Tell Me Not All Teachers Are Like This

**I'm not singling out Teachers, she just happens to be a very selfish one.**

Ok, so I don't usually post 2 in one day but this is a must. Since the Hurricane, I've been visiting KHOU for updates. I found this headline and read it with such disgust! So then, I had to go and search for this blog. I don't find it but I did find someone has already posted her the contents of her blog. Oh man, she's the biggest douchebag you'll ever meet. Read on:

Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Hurricane Ike - 8

Well, today is going to be interesting. Last night for dinner, I ate an MRE and it was pretty good. There was too much food and I had the wheat bread left over. I have decided that I really like MREs and plan on getting more today. I also need to get some gas today. Hopefully, I will find a gas station open. That should be about it for my things to do today.

Posted by Jacki at 11:44 AM 1
comments

She plans on getting more. Why? Because they are good! Not because she need's them. She had food left over.

Hurricane Ike - 9

I got Schlotsky's today for lunch and went again to the courthouse in Baytown to get my water, ice, and food. This time, there were different meals, but hopefully as good as the others. Then, i came home, emptied my trunk and then headed off for the Deer Park POD (Point of Delivery). It was at the high school and they had their stuff together. There were about 5 or 6 different stations and at each station, there was a palate of ice, a palate of water, and a palate of food. There were three people at each station and you pulled up to the line of stations in a row and three people descended upon your car at once and loaded your trunk with stuff. Then, when all five or six stations were done, you pulled out and then the next 5 or 6 cars came through and filled up. It was very organized and put together.

I am constantly impressed with how Deer Park is handling everything. I don't know why they can get their stuff together and every one else can't, but I do have a few theories that I will not go into here. When I first headed out for the day, I had about a quarter of a tank of gas, so I decided to fill up. The Shell at the corner of 225 and Center had gas. I noticed that all of the entrances were blocked, so I went around to the one that was open and filled up in about 10 minutes. That was even with paying in cash in the store. When I entered the lot, there were employees directing me to which pump to go to. It was awesome. The other gas stations that I went to had Deer Park police officers directing traffic to the different pumps. This is a great city. When I pulled up at the POD, a police officer was telling me where to go and when he had me stopped, he picked a tree limb out of my tire. I am so happy to be living in this city and not others.

I went to Baytown today and they have some of their lights not working. When I was at Schlotsky's, I was talking to the girl inside and she was ocmmenting on how disorganized everything is. I told her that Deer Park is awesome. She told me how it was a 4 hour wait for gas at Wal-Mart and it took her about 2 1/2 hours to get gas. I told her that it only took me 10 minutes and the employees and police were directing traffic at the gas stations. The intersection of Garth and Baker's traffic light wasn't working, so they had a police officer directing traffic. After she commented on that, I told her that they had generators powering the traffic lights in Deer Park. I did not realize how put together this city is, but they are doing an awesome job!

I haven't heard anything from Matthew about his dad's house, but later on today I will call and see how everything is going. I didn't find any photo opportunities other than during yesterday's outing. Maybe later on in the week, I will venture out into the southern area and get some pictures.

The electric company has not come out yet to cut the tree down, but hopefully it will be soon. I know that they have other important places to be. I talked to the neighbor yesterday and he commented on a tree that is in between our two houses and he was wondering if I minded him cutting down this little tree. I told him to go ahead and have fun with it. I informed him about the bigger tree in the backyard, that if not cut down, would fall on his house. He said that they were here during the hurricane and didn't leave and that Deer Park got power back on Sunday night. That doesn't sound too bad since there are people who will be without their houses and power for several weeks.

I will update when something else interesting happens, which hopefully will be a while from now.

Posted by Jacki at 3:04 PM 5
comments

Based on the article, she didn't have any money. If she doesn't have any money, why is she going out for lunch?

Hurricane Ike - 10

I talked to Matthew's brother, Jeremy, earlier today and he told me that there was about 3 feet of water in his dad's house. The refrigerator got moved from the kitchen into the living room. He was really concerned about his motorcycle that he apparently left in Bridge City the last time he came down. It was right by the riding lawn mower and that was upside down according to Donna. Matthew's dad brought disposable cameras to the house, but I have not talked to Matthew all day today to find out any information.

I just finished eating my MRE and I still didn't get to finish my meal. It is too much food. Yesterday I ate meatballs with marinara sauce, almonds, wheat bread with cheese sauce, pretzels, and the orange punch. Today's meal was chili mac, applesauce, a pop-tart, wheat bread with cheese sauce, fruit punch, and apple cider. There were also a whole large pack of Skittles that I haven't eaten yet. I think that I am falling in love with MREs. They are pretty darn good. I went around 5:30 to go get more MREs and actually got another box of real MREs, water, and ice. Right now, I have five cases of water, two 20 pound bags of ice, four 10 pound bags of ice, and four boxes of MREs. Two of the boxes of MREs are the real military ones, two are a box per person for the whole day type MRE, and I have a box with twelves kind of sack lunches (chef Boyardee microwave little cup, granola bar, fruit cups, and almond cookies). There are lots of different types of MREs that are given out, but the best ones are the military type MREs. I was excited to get the second real box of MREs. I think that I am crazy, but it is so cool that you put a little bit of water in the bag with the food and in about a minute, there is hot food. This is great. I don't have school and getting free food! I still will probably get paid at the end of the month also. Life is great after a hurricane when nothing really happened to your house!

Posted by Jacki at 4:58 PM 17
5 comments

Wow! Life IS good huh? What about the lives of every other person without power or the ability to get food and water that they need? That you are TAKING!

Oh snap, she's caught! Back peddle as fast as you can douchebag!

Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hurricane Ike - 11

The food and water that I got is for my boyfriend's family who had about three feet of water in their house. They desperately need the food and water since they have to work at getting their house back to normal and they will be here tonight to get the supplies so that they can continue to work on the house. I am stopping my blog since I have gotten some wonderful comments. I have not received any money or will receive any money from the government or my insurance company, we will pay for it ourselves. I am not trying to take something that is not mine.

Posted by Jacki at 5:27 PM 0
comments

Hmmm, but you posted this regarding money:


Monday, September 15, 2008
Hurricane Ike - 3

One thing that I did not include in my previous post was school is indefinitely out until everyone in Baytown gets power and water. They are having an emergency board meeting in some random building, apparently the Administration building is messed up. I will go and check that out tomorrow possibly. Anyway, they are meeting tomorrow to figure out what is going to happen.

Also, I registered with FEMA to get some money. I was pissed during Rita that I got no money, even though I had tons of expenses. I was not a property owner at that time, but now I am and I want my money from Rita. If these other people can get money, I can too. There are not enough damages to make a claim on my homeowners' insurance, so this would really help out. We are just going to have to replace a couple of windows, at least the glass portion of it. My deductible is over a thousand dollars, so it is so not worth it.

When I first saw the headline for the article, I thought maybe she was able to pick up food and water and deliver them to neighbors or people who couldn't get out. You know, something noble and newsworthy. But I forget, people also make the news for stupidity like this.

You can read all of her blog posts here.

Comments?

The Opening and Closing Celebration

We've been celebrating our 7 year anniversary all week. Monday was the actual day. We went out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory and I got my usual and it was good. Luckily I didn't have to sit next to the super annoying lady snorting, or blowing her nose or something. Justin was so worried that I could hear it-since he knows I get grossed out over things like that, especially when foods involved. (I won't watch cooking shows while eating or watching MXC. And I ESPECIALLY can't handle body functions during meal times.)

Then, Tuesday, Justin made me homemade El Bomba and Rocky Road Ice Cream (all my favorites-all homemade!). Then, because I can never have enough bean burritos, I had one at lunch on Wednesday.

Ok, and another one at lunch on Thursday.

I had mentioned to a friend that I was going on a tour of Minneapolis on Saturday. And since she's new to Minneapolis like me, she mentioned it to her new husband and now they are joining us for a Minneapolis Segway tour. We're totally gonna be all nerdy driving those things around the city.

That's the last part of our week long anniversary celebration. Tonight, we are heading out to the season opening of the Minnesota Orchestra.

And while I'm celebrating, my blog turned 3 last month. I'm sorry blog, I'm a terrible care-taker missing your birthday. Surprisingly, the two's weren't as bad as some say. Thanks for that. And thanks for letting me feed you BS. It's cheap and sometimes free and a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to keep you fed.

Things I've learned in Seven Years

Time, it goes fast.

2 bathrooms are a must.

It's okay that we like different types of beer. As long as we like beer together.

Same goes with politics. Different candidates, same country.

He can't program the thermostat.

I can't make caramel corn.

He can dance.

I can laugh at him dancing.

He hates that I watch the same movie every night, but still lets me.

We both love Scully. She hates us kissing.

The Craftyness Continues

I was driving to school when I first heard about it. My infant and maternal nutrition instructor said, "don't worry about what's going on, I'm sure it was an accident." Accident my ass lady.

Justin and I are so sad with our running. Justin is fast and I'm slow as usual. We only ran 2km yesterday. Seriously nothing compared to what we were doing a year ago at this time. But our goal is only 5km so I shouldn't feel so bad. At least I'm running again.

I'm working on 2 projects but I keep putting them down when I get frustrated. One is Amy Butler's Kimberly Bag and the other is a pair of pants. The pants are called "Amazing Fit" so far, they are close. Surprisingly I haven't had really any problems it's just a little time consuming when I'm trying to make them look really good. The fabric color I picked isn't the best on me so I'm not sure I'll wear them a lot.

I'm altering the Amy Butler bag a bit. I want the handles longer and I don't want the bag 18" long. I shortened it down to 16" and I'm omitting the zipper. The fabric I picked is suede so hopefully it'll cooperate. I picked up the pattern at Crafty Planet. I finally went there on Saturday with Justin. He thought it was a cool place and ended up picking a magazine for himself.

Ike is heading towards home. My parents live in one of the mandatory evacuation areas. After all the years living there, I think I've only lived through 2 hurricane's, and even then they were very weak. Let's hope this one is weak too.

Back to Normal

Dudes, It's been a while since I've posted. I suck, I know. But with the RNC in town, everything was wacked out. Mostly my work schedule because of all the protesters and road closures in St. Paul (where I work), I got to do some of my work at home. Not a good place to be when a little dog wants to sit in your lap all the time.

Plus, PLUS.... it's cold here. It's only September! I'm not ready! My Wii Fit instructor jacket isn't going to cut it soon. I'll actually have to go winter coat shopping. I haven't done that since Utah. Oh man, I'm not looking forward to it.

Justin hates me for this minor complaint.

We went to the state fair last weekend (guess I should show you pictures too-but they are still on my camera. It'd be easy to load them up if I hadn't lost my cool usb memory card.), after visiting the Miracle of Birth center (where they display animals in pens giving birth), I decided not to eat any meat. I just couldn't do it. So I had homemade tator-tots on a stick. Oh man, they were good. But seriously, after about 3 hours there, I was done. Too many people, too many strollers, it seemed like we were always going against the crowd, so we left. But we managed not to spend all of our money so we were proud of ourselves. I think next year, we'll go during the week when it's less crowded.

My latest thing is Craigslist. We sold stuff on it right before we moved (and by stuff, I mean, most of our stuff), so I'm all about looking for deals. I know that we'll have to buy appliances for our new house (no word on the approval yet), so I've been hunting things down. What deals! People are even selling their kitchen cupboards and sinks! For now, I just need a washer and dryer. So far, it'll be easy to find.

Well, this has been the longest 4 day work week ever. EVER! So I'm off to stay busy before I go home for the day.

Have a great weekend.

Wii Fit Instructor!

I totally made my Wii Fit instructor fleece jacket. It's so soft, subby, and stylish! I used Jalie 2679 and it went together pretty easy. I did have a hard time sewing multiple layers of fleece, but I went slow and it turned pretty good.

Justin really liked it. He determined that it was a stylish pattern (how all the pieces make look "ready-to-wear") instead of it being just a boring looking jacket.

I actually finished my New Look shirt and it looks good too, but I haven't taken any photos of it yet.

On to a new project, just in time for the 3-day weekend!

Guess where I'm going tomorrow. The State Fair! After all these years of hearing Justin say, "We NEED to go." We're finally going, and I'm so excited. I don't think my belly will be excited but hey, I just signed up for a 5k so I'll just run it off :)

Have a great weekend everyone.

ADD

I saw Joe Lilly's brother driving a bus yesterday (if he has a brother). And for a second there, I thought it was JL because he looked at me, like he knew me.

I also saw a girl who hasn't shaved her legs in probably 4 months. But she had a new hair cut. What's the logic behind that?

I haven't seen this girl in a while.

Something smelled on the bus this morning. It wasn't me.

I decided out of the blue, to sign up for a 5k. Honestly, I needed something to do. Justin seemed to agree so he's in. A 5k after the half I did 7 months ago should be a piece of cake, right? I haven't run since the half so it's like I'm starting over. Again. Oh, sure, I've got lots of ideas to make my training better. But how much better am I going to get in a month to run 3 miles? Probably just enough to finish it. That sucks. Maybe I should have thought about this a little longer. Or picked a race further out. But this isn't Las Vegas and the weather starts getting cooler (read: freaking freezing) here sooner (read: like NOW!) so a race in October should be fine. Let's hope.

House update: No update. Oh, except the bank is taking their sweet-ass time deciding if the house is worth what I'm offering. Come on bank, you don't have any other offers on the dump, just approve me already will ya?

Who's upgraded to firefox 3.0? Do I have to upgrade to get rid of the stupid pop up that happens every 2 minutes? Seriously, it's irritating.

Who It Pays to Know

A Dermatologist, for one. I didn't have to make an appointment to freeze off this stupid, annoying little thing* on my heel. Mother-in-law did it for me, all in the comfort of my room. I asked, "Is this going to hurt?" I got an honest answer, "Yes."

Crap. I can't have my Mother-in-Law thinking I'm a wimp**.

I sat quietly and let my foot freeze to a temp of -190 (it thawed out pretty quickly), Justin, on the other hand, screamed like a baby when it was his turn. Mother-in-law and I just laughed. No co-pay needed. Score!

My blog is 3 years old. I've gone through 2 jobs and 2 homes in that time. I've been to some crazy parties and have had some crazy parties. I ran a marathon then I ran a 1/2. Scully has hasn't grown but I swear her ears have.

Now I can finally put to rest that I won't be sued by an old High School Band that I used to teach for, who I actually sued. The statute of limitations has passed. And they can't touch me now. This will be the first and last time I ever bring that up again.

*I hate to mention that I even have one because I think they are gross, but I developed a wart on my foot after the half marathon. Or was it after my trip to Thailand?

**Mother-in-Law knows about this story and has said on numerous occasions, "you'll never make it through child birth." Probably not, but that's what medication is for, right?

Super Sunday Savings!

I don't usually go to Hancock's for anything even though I am a "preferred card member," whatever that means. But I got a flier in the mail last week about a "Grand Opening" of a remodeled store not too far from me. It had patterns on sale for 99 cents, 50% off notions and a bunch of other coupons. I did need a few things so I decided to go on Sunday.

On the way up, I noticed that they were giving away gift cards to the first 100 people. Cool, but I wasn't worried if I didn't get one. We ended up getting two! I walked in first, they handed me a $5 gift card, then Justin walked in shortly after me and he got one too. Score $10!

So here's what I got:
Zipper for a hoodie I'm going to make
2 spools of Maxi-lock thread
Tracing wheel
3 patterns

All for $3! I actually could have used both $5 gift cards and got money BACK from Hancock's but I figured I could use it next week since the sale continues. (And they are giving out more gift cards Saturday and Sunday at this location.)

Something else I saved.... My New Look shirt. I had the collar attached and had just finished attaching the sleeves when it just didn't look right on me. I determined I needed a shoulder adjustment but of course I had to rip out the collar and sleeves to fix the shoulder. So I think I solved the bunchy problem. We'll see today when I attach everything.

Justin's super savings: Have you heard of this store, Aldi? I've seen ads for it in the Sunday paper but have never gone. Justin wanted to stop there after my score at Hancock's. It's a little weird that they make you pay a quarter to get a shopping cart but I think it makes up for all the deals you can score there. Here's what we got:

Bag of trail mix
Pringles
Bread
Tortilla's
Cheese
3-bacon wrapped filet's
energy drinks

All for $18! I told Justin to look at the dates on everything and they were all fine. Has anyone else shopped at that store? It's small but if you have a big family it'd be worth it to check it out.

But, no matter how much we saved, it all went out the window when we had to fill up Justin's car with gas. So much for Sunday savings.

Overheard at DCI Finals

At the bar:
"I want a happy ending." followed by a butt slap. (Things I OVERHEARD. I did NOT say this.)

At the show during Semi-finals. Cavaliers entering the field after a near perfect performance by Regiment:
"Samurai, you're going down!"
Followed by me, Jerry Springer style, "Oooooooo!"

After every good catch, the woman sitting behind me:
"Yesssss!"

"I am SPARTACUS!"

"And in 2nd place, with a score of 98.1......."

"The Blue Devils!"

However, the crowd was cheering for someone else!



Phantom Regiment deserved to win this year no question. Justin and I were really glad to be there to see it happen. I don't know what was more awesome, Regiment winning or Mike O. hugging me when they announced 2nd place. It was a momentous occasion either way. I guess he doesn't hate me ;) and I guess Regiment can do a Roman show and win.

Crafty Planet around the Corner

Seriously, I had no idea this was like 3 miles from my house. Oh my garage I'm so excited! We went for dinner on Johnson street last night and I saw it and was totally like, "No way!!!"

Because my luck is so incredible, the restaurant took so freaking long for dinner that the store closed before we even got our food. Boooo. And I'm going out of town tomorrow so I won't be able to go this weekend. Double boooo. But it will be there for me when I get back.

And for your weekend enjoyment, I love me some good roommate miscommunication.


Mmmm I'm craving some Chicken Makhani!

Many updates or post with no direction

Update on the house situation: It'll be a while. I don't want to jinx it so I'm not going to post about it. But I do want to say, that I'll have my own sewing room if we get it! (this sucker has 4 bedrooms, and last time I counted, there's only 2 of us.)

Update on the hair situation: It's still long even though I did entertain Mike's idea of a fro for about 3 seconds. I swear my hair was thick when I was little. What the hell happened? It's all nice and straight and thinned out. Any suggestions on getting thickness back? No? Won't happen? I knew it. I think I'll let it grow another couple inches and then chop it off. Maybe something between a fro and what I have now.

Update on transportation issues: My a/c sucks in the silly car. But I'm not too worried now because I think the summer heat waves are gone here in Minnesota. The bus, however, is another story. They keep it freaking freezing. I purposely leave work late so I can walk fast to the bus stop just so I'm warm getting on. By the time we get to my stop (the last stop) I'm good. But in the morning, that's a whole different story.

This morning I saw a chick, probably younger than me, get on the bus at my stop. Her tongue was sticking out. Like her lips were too big to keep that thing in. I kept trying to sneak-a-peak to see if maybe she was just licking her lips or trying to cool her tongue off. Nope. I'm sure it's nothing medical cause when she talks her lips close. What's that all about? So weird.

Update on the sewing front: I'm almost done with my New Look shirt. I've never done a shirt with a collar before. It was interesting but I got it to work. Now I just have to attach the sleeves, buttons and hem it up.

I've actually got a good setup in the basement right now. I'm sure the in-laws hate the fact that I've used their pool table for tracing patterns. But I haven't damaged it and don't plan to. It's just convenient.

Update on DCI: It's this weekend. I can't wait. Regiment just might pull off a win this year. Oh, and I AM SPARTACUS!