2007 Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec
2008 Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov
1/4/2005Hot
At work they sell this cappuccino from a vending machine...it's not very good, but it's only 60 cents, so what do you expect. It's very hot, by the way--this morning I burnt my tongue. Anyway, the cool thing is on the cups you can play this Wildcard Poker game. There are 5 cards on the cup and on the bottom there is the another card...so you can discard one of yours and use the one on the bottom to get the best hand....it's really kind of clever. I very much enjoy it. And also, there is small print on the side that says "for consumer amusement only." add a comment | 0 comments1/16/2005Bridal Show
We went to a bridal show this weekend. It was a bit overwhelming, but we were able to take care of our cake, flowers, and pianist. Good times. And last night we saw In Good Company. Not awesome, but okay. I don't know--I guess I was expecting something more. It lacked...hard to put my finger on it. Cuteness, maybe. add a comment | 0 comments2/23/2005People Who Write Viruses
People who write viruses really annoy me. Last week several of our servers were affected by a virus that replaced all .jpeg files with a picture of Uncle Sam. While I can appreciate the patriotism, I can not appreciate the fact that that is annoying! We had to restore a dozen or so folders. I think my biggest question is why? Why do they do it? It's not smart, it's not clever, it's not witty....it's just mean. add a comment | 0 comments2/28/2005Last Day
It's the last day of February and this month has completely flown by. I know it's a short month, but it still went by really quickly. It's crazy that in a little over two months I'll be married. The time since we got engaged has gone by quickly but somehow it doesn't seem like the remaining time period will go by as fast. It's cool though, because I'm seeing all the framework we've set up over the past few months come together and as the details fill in it's starting to feel like a "real" wedding. add a comment | 0 comments3/1/2005The Bachelorette
Okay, I've got some things to say about The Bachelorette. I watched this one from start to finish for the first time. I'd seen the last few shows of The Bachelor with Andrew Firestone and Jen Scheft and liked both of their characters a lot, so when she decided to be on The Bachelorette both Eric and I decided to watch. Last night was the show's finale and Jen chose Jerry during the Final Rose Ceremony but refused his proposal stating some jibberish about not being ready but still being committed to the relationship and wanting to have more time. Fast forward several weeks and we get to see the live reunion of the couple. Jerry is prepared to propose again; however, he doesn't get the chance because Jen breaks up with him. So, you should be all caught up. During the live show, a woman in the audience recapped Jen's relationships with Andrew and Jerry and then asked what it was going to take to make her happy. I was SO annoyed with the question. I guess it reflects my annoyance with the show in general...I think in the majority of cases it is unreasonable to meet someone and in six weeks know them well enough to marry them--and when you factor in the multiple dating relationships it's downright ridiculous. The woman's question makes it seem like Jen is crazy for turning down these two guys when in reality they could be the biggest jerks on the planet--we only see ABC's version of reality. The show is addicting...but I think this is the last time I get involved with it...it's not you ABC, it's me. add a comment | 0 comments3/25/2005Gold's Gym
I got a membership to Gold's Gym a couple of weeks ago and I feel I've been making good use of it. I've been exercising six days a week but I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep it up...I don't spend hours and hours there so that helps, but as the wedding gets closer I find my free time is shrinking. Thus far I've only been using the treadmill but soon I hope to take a Yoga Class. While at the gym I've noticed some interesting things about men and women...most of the men are in tshirts and sweats or shorts but I'd say 70% of the women are in coordinating outfits of some sort. And it's all that spandex or lycra stuff...and then there is me. I have worn two different outfits since I've joined...two ratty tshirts and a pair of sweat pants with the elastic cut of the bottoms of the legs and a pair of old boxer shorts I've had since high school. I'm not trying to be a slob, but I'm also not concerned about looking fashionable as sweat drips down my beat red face as I try to stretch a mile into two on that trusty treadmill. add a comment | 0 comments3/28/2005Easter
Easter was great. Eric and I had some good friends over for dinner and we ate a Martha inspired dinner and then socialized. For me the highlight of the meal was dessert. On Saturday night Eric and I stayed up late baking these adorable chick cupcakes. I found the recipe in my latest issue of Martha Stewart Living and it seemed pretty easy, but I was still nervous about the finished product. But when dessert time rolled around everyone agreed that they were tasty and delicious. I was so proud!One setback we did have was the ridiculous cost of vanilla beans. One stinking bean is $10.99 and this recipe called for three of them. That would have been an expensive dessert so we bought one for the frosting and skipped it in the cupcakes. Even with the two missing beans it still had that creamy vanilla taste...Martha you're a genius. add a comment | 0 comments
4/6/2005A Purse
A good purse is hard to find. I bought one in California last summer on Hollywood Blvd. for around ten dollars and it has become my favorite purse of all time. However, sadly it's time to give it up...one of the straps is literally hanging on by a thread and it's not something that I can repair. But I just don't know if I'm up for a replacement...I really liked that purse. I'm not the type that has six or seven purses at home... I usually have one that I use for every occasion, so to find that versatile bag is a real challenge. Woe is me. add a comment | 0 comments4/12/2005Magic Bullet
I had my first bridal shower last Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I have to say it was a little odd to see friends from all areas of my life (college,
church, from growing up) all in the same place. I loved all my gifts, but there is one gift that made my heart dance when I opened it. The Magic Bullet. What
is this amazing, incredibly stupendous invention you ask? It's a food processor, a blender, an electric juicer, and a coffee grinder all in one!! It saves space
while adding functionality. Thus far I've made two protein shakes but I plan to make much more.
add a comment | 0 comments
4/22/20053 Weeks
With only three weeks until the wedding, my mind is constantly swimming with things I still need to do. Most of them are minor, but until they get done they still plague me. It's amazing what I obess over...I flew through the whole picking out a dress process, but have been hemming and hawing over the programs for weeks. I know it's because of my personality...foo foo stuff doesn't really do it for it but something tangible and creative like a program I understand and can wrap my mind around. add a comment | 0 comments5/31/2005Blog?
Are you kidding? I got married...you think I had time to update my blog? add a comment | 0 comments6/7/2005Chunk Free Yogurt
What does a girl have to do to get some chunk free yogurt? I can't stand big pieces of fruit in my yogurt (or my Jell-O for that matter) but it's becoming increasingly challenging to find smooth yogurt. Yoplait has a custard style yogurt that would be perfect, except I'm looking for something that is in the light variety (a girl has to watch those calories you know). I know I could stick to the "safe" flavors like vanilla or key lime pie, but I want to be daring and go for the mixed berry or the white chocolate with strawberries. Tell you what, if any of you reading this can recommend a light, chunk free yogurt, please email me at iamjodi@gmail.com, I would greatly appreciate it. add a comment | 0 comments6/30/2005More on Yogurt
I think I found the yogurt I was looking for. Target sells their own brand called Archer Farms and I've had two flavors now, strawberry vanilla and strawberry banana and both were relatively chunk free. Much better than some of the other brands I've had. I'd still love to find a smooth kind, but this may have to do. add a comment | 0 comments7/6/2005Fireworks are Stressful
Yesterday morning on the radio I heard that sparklers can reach up to 2,000 degrees. They also said that sparklers are the second highest cause of fireworks injuries that require hospitalization. Most of these injuries occur among preschool-age children. So after hearing this I went with a friend to watch her family launch the rest of their fireworks last night and I couldn't enjoy them very much. The children were running around with sparklers and also throwing those little things that snap when they hit the ground at each other. It was a death trap! So the 4th of July has been forever tainted for me. add a comment | 0 comments7/15/2005Alarm Clock
Eric is notorious for his love of sleeping in. Many a day he has been seen arriving at work around 10:00 instead of the traditional 8:00 of most employees. Some time ago, he informed me that he often sets his alarm clock for a "normal" wake-up time, but then either turns it off, or hits snooze until a "not-so-normal" wake-up time. However, since we're now living together his sleep patterns have been forced to adjust and he can now be seen arriving at work in the traditional 8:00 hour. However, this morning, his old ways returned and it was me who was forced to modify my sleeping patterns.... I was awoken by Eric's alarm several times this morning but he kept hitting snooze so I went back to a fairly unrestful sleep. A third time his alarm went off and I glanced groggily at my clock and realize it was 7:30, well past my normal awake time. So I jumped in the shower and tuned into our shower radio (one of the best inventions know to man). As I was getting ready I was somewhat puzzled that Eric still had not gotten up, but I continued in my normal routine. As I turned off the blow dryer I heard an unfamiliar program on the radio...it was Sports and Commentary which normally is on at 6:50, not 7:50...after a quizzical look at the clock I realized that Eric and set his alarm for 6:00, not his normal 7:00 and had been hitting snooze for a half hour causing me to become disorientated and get up at the wrong time. No wonder he remained happily back in bed. add a comment | 0 comments7/18/2005Last One
Okay, I promise this is the last blog I write on yogurt...I'm not obsessive, I just really, really hate chunks so to find a totally chunk free yogurt is a blessing from God. The winner is Dannon Light 'n Fit Creamy. As the name suggests, it is totally creamy and very yummy to boot. With 100 calories per container it doesn't get much better than this. Thank you Dannon! On an unrelated note, we saw The Wedding Crashers last night. I thought it was PG-13 but about five minutes into the movie I figured out very quickly that it was not. Many parts were very funny, but the crude humor and unnecessary nudity crossed the line on many occasions. Due to the aforementioned baseness, I cannot give it my recommendation. add a comment | 0 comments8/19/2005Steve
This past weekend Eric and I took a short vacation to visit my beloved aunt and uncle and their three kids near Plymouth, WI. They had rented a cabin on a lake and we spent a couple days eating too much and generally being lazy. It was a fabulous time. Our last night we were all in bed and since the walls of the cabin are paper thin you can easily hear conversations throughout every room of the tiny two bedroom cabin. Somehow we got started on a dumb joke kick and Eric threw out this one, "A horse walks into a bar and the bartender says 'why the long face?'" We all shamelessly giggled but then without missing a beat my cousin Josh says, "A grasshopper walking into a bar and the bartender says, 'We have a drink named after you' and the grasshopper says, 'You have a drink named Steve?'" I thought that was so funny I giggled for nearly a half hour. My aunt Karen also caught a case of the giggles...even as I type this I can't help but snicker at that joke...'You have drink named Steve?"...genius. add a comment | 0 comments9/26/2005Floors
The boys were very busy this weekend. My dad came over mid-morning on Sunday and he and Eric worked on fixing up one of our rental properties. Then, they turned their attention to the spare bedroom in the basement. Eric has been hard at work sheet rocking, mudding, and installing the beadboard and it's finally time for a floor. We investigated carpet but stumbled across a great deal on laminate flooing and decided to give it a try. So he and dad went to town and in 3-4 hours we have a brand new floor!
add a comment |
0 comments
10/16/2005Surprise!!
My 25th birthday was October 13th. We had a great dinner with Jen and Steve. Eric sent me flowers at work and it was just a really nice day. My parents came down on Saturday afternoon and my mom and I went shopping and when we came home I found my house decorated with birthday accessories and a living room full of friends and family for a surprise party. My wonderful husband orchestrated the event and I didn't have a clue. As if that wasn't enough, he flew in one of my greatest and dearest friends Kyra from Colorado.
add a comment | 0 comments10/24/2005Chopped
Last week I cut my hair...the long just wasn't doing it for me anymore so I defaulted back to my favorite short style--the classic bob. Per my friend Anne's recommendation I've been going to Starr's Sister Salon to a great stylist named Sindy. I've had two cuts so far and they've both been great. There is nothing like a good haircut to make a girl feel great.
add a comment |
0 comments
10/31/2005Halloween
We had a Halloween party and it was a blast. Pretty much everyone dressed up--it's so great to see people's creativity. I dressed up as Sydney Bristow from my favorite tv show Alias and Eric dressed up as Crockett from Miami Vice.
The only problem with the evening was the stupid fondue. We got a fondue pot as a wedding gift and I was so excited to use it. I followed a recipe from Martha Stewart but it didn't turn out at all. It turned out as a clump of cheese on the bottom with a weird soupy mixture on the top… drat!! What really sucked is we spend like $25 on cheese per Martha's instructions.
add a comment | 0 comments11/7/2005Gun
I shot a gun for the first time yesterday. One of Eric's coworkers took us trap shooting--it was a ton of fun. I was a little nervous at first about the recoil but it really didn't hurt much. I have a slight bruise on my shoulder today but that's not uncommon since I bruise like a peach. I started off pretty well, I think I shot the first two or three clay pigeons but then I missed everything after that. I'm not really sure what I did to hit it, so it's kinda hard to figure out why I didn't. I think I'd like to try it again, I'd be a lot more relaxed since I know it isn't going to hurt. add a comment | 0 comments11/15/2005Loser
I'm feeling kinda like a loser lately. I can't seem to do anything. I bought some paint stripper and couldn't get the cap off... I couldn't open the peanut butter jar this weekend. I couldn't find the roller yesterday and today I can't find my sandpaper! We've been working on some home improvement projects like preparing the trim for the third bedroom and I'm attempting to refinish a piece of furniture. It seems everytime I get going I'm stopped by my own ineptitude...argh! Perhaps I should embrace it as instructed by this poster: http://www.despair.com/in24x30prin.html add a comment | 0 comments11/21/2005Jcrew
Those of you who know me well know that my favorite clothing store is JCrew. It is with great sadness that I announce that it is in serious danger of losing the coveted spot at number one. Shocking, I know. Why, you ask? It's the clothes. I'm just not that happy with the direction they've taken. Nearly all the sweaters are a cashmere blend making them even more expensive than their already pricey choices. Furthermore, all their sweaters are dry clean only which I have always shyed away from for reasons relating to time and cost. As of late I've been buying from their casual collection but I've found the selection to be make of a fairly flimsy cotton blend. It lacks the softness and weight of their previous lines. I'm having trouble finding clothes from them that I want to purchase. Even more disheartening is that I can't find a replacement...in the past I was willing to overlook JCrew's priciness because the quality of their clothing and unlike so many other stores their clothes, especially their pants, fit me. Now I'm lost in a sea of selection searching for a store to call my own… add a comment | 0 comments11/27/2005Our First Tree
Thanksgiving was great this year...we spent lots of time with family and
stuffed our faces all weekend long. :) We helped my parents decorated their tree and when we got home we were in such a festive mood that
we decorated ours as well. This year will be our first Christmas together as a married couple and so far we're off to a great start. The
tree has a combination of both of our childhood ornaments--a symbol of our new life together. Here are a couple things I'm excited about for Christmas this year:
- buying presents for friends and family
- snow coated trees
- decorating the inside and outside of our house
- spending time with friends and family
- celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ
- White Elephant Christmas Parties
- The Family Stone movie coming out in December
add a comment | 0 comments
12/7/2005Too Much Christmas, Not Enough Vanilla Coke
There are three radio stations in Eau Claire that I listen to on a regular basis and this morning they were all playing Christmas music non-stop. Two of the three have been playing it non-stop since before Thanksgiving and the last station plays it about 70% of the time. I just can't deal with it...Christmas is a wonderful season but this is too much of a good thing.To add insult to injury I'm frustrated by the lack of Vanilla Coke in the coolers at the checkout lines at the grocery store and shopping locales such as Target and Wal-Mart. I often see Coke with Lime but there is a disheartening lack of Vanilla. What's the deal?! add a comment | 0 comments
12/14/2005All the Food!
One of the very best things about my new job is all the food....everywhere, all the time! The program assistant always has M&M's and candy at her desk for everyone and it seems every week there is a conference outside my office that gives my department the leftover cookies, sandwiches, et cetera.So, just when I thought things couldn't get any better, for Christmas most departments throw a holiday party in there area. On Monday I stopped by one and there were two tables full of yummy, yummy food. Today there area where I work is throwing one and it blows Monday's span away. Tons of baked goods, snack items and warm creamy soups. They should have put this on my benefit list when I applied! add a comment | 0 comments
12/28/2005Christmas Recap
Christmas was especially enjoyable this year as it was celebrated for the first time with Eric in the form of a husband instead of a boyfriend. How nice. :) We had enough time off to spend a significant amount of time with each of our families.I think my favorite gift this year came from Eric's parents. They got me an electric fondue which I am very much looking forward to using tonight when we have friends over. I'm praying its electric nature will cure the problems I had making cheese fondue over Halloween. Fingers crossed!
Perhaps the only negative this Christmas was news I received yesterday from our friend Bryan...brace yourselves people, this came as a shock to me. Vanilla Coke is being cancelled by Coca-Cola. Dirty jerks! I didn't want to believe the news, so I went right to the horse's mouth and found this press release on Coke's Website. My only hope is found on page two where the company states, "With well over 250 million cases sold, Vanilla Coke and Diet Vanilla Coke have been significant contributors for three years. We are exploring ways to bring them back at another time, but right now Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and Black Cherry Vanilla Coke are what consumers are telling us they want." What about what I want?! add a comment | 0 comments
2007 Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec
2008 Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov