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
1/1/2007Happy New Year!
Our New Years was very low key. We worked around the house during the day, cleaning, organizing the kitchen, and taking down the Christmas stuff. Then we went to see The Pursuit of Happyness in the evening. A small part of me did not want to see it because they spelled happyness wrong and it annoyed me, but we went and in the movie you see what that's all about. Unfortunately something didn't settle well with me and about an hour into the movie I had the grand pleasure of throwing up in a public restroom. Let me tell you, throwing up popcorn--not so glamorous. I did feel somewhat better afterwards though, so we finished the movie. I'm sure you're all thrilled to read about my digestive pyrotechnics but that's the big event of our New Years (sad, I know) so deal. :) add a comment | 5 comments1/5/2007Can I Trick My Hair?
I'm excited because I'm almost out of shampoo. I rarely by the same brand twice and every time I switch I have good hair days for nearly a week! Over the holidays we stayed with my folks and while showering I noticed my mom had two or three shampoo types in the shower. I couldn't help but wonder, if I switched up my shampoo on a weekly basis would I have good hair days all the time? Thoughts on the matter? Mom, care to weigh in on this one? Also, has anyone tried the Pantene Winter Rescue product line? Any good? add a comment | 4 comments1/8/2007Grow A Head
Every Christmas we do a Yankee Swap game where we buy small generic gifts and then play a game like Christmas Bingo to see who gets to pick out their prize. The rules are a bit different every year, but generally there is cheating and stealing of gifts that is not only allowed, but encouraged. Much fun is had by all. This year I got a Grow-A-Head which is like a Chia Head but I think cuter and more fun. I brought him to work and it's been a couple weeks and he's really starting to grow!
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1/12/2007Bad Richard
And last night I caught him with my cell phone again! He keeps trying to chew the antena off. Bad Dog! (by the way, despite its condition, the usb drive does still work) add a comment | 0 comments
1/16/2007Under Construction
I decided to make some changes to my site and take out some under utilized sections (mainly Eric's) and combine all the photos. I'm still making tweaks to the layout and some of the pages so please bare with me. add a comment | 1 comments1/24/2007I'm Sick of Being Sick
I'm getting better, but I'm still sick. And no, I am not pregnant. This was/is just a really bad cold that totally kicked my butt over the weekend. Now it's just a smattering of a headache, a stuffy nose, and a lingering cough. But I'm still sick of it.They say that every cloud has a silver lining, and being sick is no exception. One nice thing about being sick is I have felt incredibly loved, especially by my family. My mom calls every couple days to check in on me...Eric has bought me countless brands of popcicles to soothe my throat...and when I stayed with Jake and Missy they did such a good job taking care of me, despite being sick themselves and having three kids. Missy was constantly making me tea and making me take meds and Jake kindly drove me to urgent care to get a strep throat test. By the way, I did not have strep throat and I learned a valuable lesson about its symptoms:
- white or yellow spots on the tonsils
- fever of 101
- no coughing or running nose
- strep is most common in children ages 5-15
1/31/2007Take That You Spamers
Lately spamers have been posting comments to my blog entries. Not only is it annoying but one of the entries had links to porn sites--gross. So I decided to take action. Now when you enter a comment you will need to verify the text shown in the image. It uses a technology called CAPTCHA, which stands for/means: Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart. Kinda cool. Hopefully it's not a huge inconvenience; one drawback is that it's difficult if not impossible to submit for those who are visually impaired--my apologies. So thanks to Antonin Foller of Motobit Software for the code! add a comment | 2 comments2/1/2007Richard In Flight
It's been pretty cold out lately so Richard has not been taken for as many walks as we'd like. Not only is it cold for us, but it's cold for him too, he often starts limping because his feet get too cold if we go for long walks. So, to burn off energy we've been playing a lot of ball with him. The game goes something like this: we throw a tennis ball down the hall and he runs after it and flies back down the hall and jumps on the bed. We immediately grab the ball and throw it again...this game has been known to last for some time. Below is Richard in Flight:
2/6/2007Girls
Despite very cold weather and a bit of sickness our girls weekend was once again a magical time. I don't think anyone sustained any major injuries...Elizabeth, you okay? (see below)
2/14/2007I Want This
I'm almost 100% better, but I do have some residual stuffiness. On People's website I found a stylish way to fight off future sickness…with lipgloss!Inside Out lipglosses impart non-sticky shine and a pomegranate flavor, but also contain a range of good-for-you extracts (green tea, chamomile) and vitamins (C,E,K). The glosses come in three sheer colors: pale pink, hot pink, and beige. At $21 a pop they are a bit pricey…but staying healthy and fashionable at the same time…now that's priceless. I found out about this medical marvel on People's website, and you can buy these goodies at sephora.com.
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2/22/2007Thank you Presidents and Laurie Smith
I feel that my kitchen is missing something. Sure, framework is great, but there just isn’t anything special to make it feel like my own. I decided to start with a valance over the window to soften the room a bit. So I looked at Target and Sears but didn’t see anything I liked. Then, I got the idea that I should do some shopping at Hancock Fabrics so I could make the valance. One word: Jackpot.Now, what President’s Day has to do with fabrics I have no idea. But a 50% off sale I will not complain about. I found so many fabrics that I loved and match not only my décor, but the curtains I made for the dining room! How did I get so doubly lucky you ask? Well, apparently, aside from thanking the Presidents I also need to thank America…because the Laurie Smith fabric collection which I like so much as been rejected by America, or at the very least the Chippewa Valley because there was tons of Laurie Smith fabric on sale and because it’s all the same line it coordinates beautifully! As if 5.88 a yard wasn’t cheap enough, the Presidents made it half off!
addendum: the picture below features my lovely fabric. The top two fabrics I plan to make the kitchen valance of and the bottom one I plan to make another set of dining room curtains with. Hurray!
2/28/2007Desk
Last weekend we finally created the desk that has been in the recesses of my mind for quite some time. Here's how it's done:- Find an old door
- Cut the door to the desired length
- Sand and paint the door a color of your choosing
- Go to the hardware store and by plexi-glass, flanges, galvanized steel pipes, and pipe feet
- Have hardware store cut plexi and steel pipes to size, and thread pipes.
- Attach legs to desk and WhaLa!
3/1/2007Sewing Machine
I made the valance for the kitchen last night and it went pretty smoothly. I only had a few incidents that made me want to throw the sewing machine out the window. I know in reality that it's probably me doing something wrong but sometimes it really feels like it's trying to make me extremely, extremely angry.
3/9/2007Having a Boy Around
Eric is finally returning today after a week in Madison. I consider myself to be pretty independent, but there are some times when it's really nice to have a boy around. For example, while Eric was gone I made several changes to our home's decor, mostly centering around painting. I tried using our knock off Little Giant Ladder but couldn't get it out of its most basic position (of which it has like 13). I'm not saying that a girl couldn't figure out how to work it, but I certainly couldn't. Also, I painted the guest bathroom and took down the shower curtain but now for the life of me cannot get it back up. I'm not sure if I just lack the upper body strength but I cannot get it back up! Related to that, I cannot get the stupid roller of the handle--I think it goes back to upper body strength but despite my twists and turns and huffing and puffing it has stayed put. add a comment | 0 comments3/24/2007Vegas Baby, Vegas!
Last week Eric and I were in Las Vegas. I got sent there for a work conference and Eric tagged along. My conference made it hard to do much during the week, but it ended early Thursday afternoon and we stayed until Friday to take in the sites. All in all, it was enjoyable, but I don't think we'll vacation there in the future. Just too much going on and everything is very over the top. I know, I know, that's what Vegas is all about, but since we don't drink and don't gamble it's kind of annoying to be surrounded by it.But the weather was great and it's fun to walk up and down the strip...we also saw Hoover Dam and although it's pathetic, the highlight of the trip was finding a JCrew Outlet store where I got some really cute pants at a very affordable price. :) Oh wait, I almost forgot another highlight--In-N-Out Burger! I've eaten there three times now and they get my vote for the best burger. Sooo good. How about you? Who gets your vote for best burger?
I posted photos of the trip in the photo section, but here are a few of my favorites:
4/2/2007I Like Cake
Someone brought in a whole bunch of cake from a birthday celebration over the weekend. It's really good. But I'd like to take this moment to update you all on my cake views. I don't like marble cake. I just don't. I like chocolate and I like white--but together...not so much. I like sugary frosting but that really light whipped cream kind is super good. Our wedding cake had a cream cheese frosting that was also very good. At this time I'd also like to give a shout out to Tessa and Ryan Maki...neither of whom like cake at all. To appease the masses they did have cake at their wedding but yet remained true to themselves by making it carrott cake--the only cake the two of them sorta like. Well done Maki's, well done. add a comment | 3 comments4/4/2007Treats and Sweets Everywhere!
I am amazed by the amount of food that gets brought into my area at work. Let me preface my comments by noting that at all times there are three candy dishes which remain full. Two of which have really good candy too, not just hard candy but stuff like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or chocolate kisses. Anyway this week alone these are the items that have been brought in:- leftover birthday cake
- cupcakes
- cinnamon rolls
- pecan filled pastry of some sort
- Russell Stover chocolates
- raspberry cream cheese pie
- blackberry pie
- cheese curds, various dips and chips and several desserts at a new employee welcoming party
It kind of reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Elaine's coworkers are always bringing in cake and she gets mad and yells at them for all the forced socializing...they stop inviting her and then she realizes she's addicted to her 4:00 sugar fix and raids her boss's fridge, only to find out later the cake she ate was worth a ton of money. Funny stuff. I found the script for the episode.
I can resist everything but temptation (Oscar Wilde). add a comment | 0 comments
4/19/2007He's Gone and I'm Glad.
Sanjaya that is. I've been watching American Idol this season for the first time and I must say, it's very easy to get addicted to. And I am.I have not enjoyed Sanjaya from the beginning and have been continually baffled by his continued presence on the show...but now he's gone and I'm glad. And although I'm elated, last night I couldn't help but feel a little bad for the guy...for a moment at least. He hugged Kiki for an eternity and was almost sobbing. But the sympathy only lasted for a moment, especially upon hearing once again his off key rendition of "Something to Talk About." I was reminded how much he deserves to go home.
I was further frustrated by his lyrical change...he sung "Let's give 'em something to talk about-instead of hair." And it made me mad because he brought the whole hair thing on himself--he's the one who chose to change his hairstyle every week; therefore eclipsing any smidgent of singing abilities he may have. So don't go acting all surprised when that's all people focus on! So yeah, I'm glad he's gone. add a comment | 0 comments
4/23/2007I Need Your Suggestions!
We bought bikes this weekend. We felt it would be a fun, healthy activity that we can do together and with Eau Claire's spendid bike trails it seemed like a logical choice. Our bikes should be ready any day now, but before mine comes I feel I need a name for it. And I need your help! My friend Kerri always comes up with wonderful names for her bikes...I think past entries have included Shadow Canyon and Red Giant...but one of those may have been Becca's. Anyway, I need an equally fitting name for my bike. Below is a picture of it to help your creative juices flow. I was thinking maybe I need to related the name to the color of the bike...like Orange Rider or something, but someone recently (was it you Tessa?) suggested that orange could be a symbol of something like power or speed so that could also be incorporated into the name. Anyway, I need suggestions, lest my bike be stuck with Raleigh Passage 3.0
5/1/2007Oh My Darling...
I rode the bike this weekend and after careful thought and consideration, she is now and will forever be, Clementine. add a comment | 1 comments5/11/2007No Sweets
So Eric gives up soda for a month and loses ten pounds. My dad does the same (and maybe candy too) and loses twelve pounds. I try to increase my exercise level a bit and I gain three pounds. Argh!! I don't drink soda, so how can I lose ten pounds? Well, in examining my rather poor eating habits I realized I do eat a lot of sweets...candy from the candy dishes at work, candy bars here and there, and ice cream and other confections at home. So I'm giving them up--temporarily. I haven't had a dessert since Tuesday. I've even taken the M&M's out of my trail mix.On Wednesday I really wanted ice cream after work, but Kerri was kind enough to cut up an apple for me in an ingenious way that made it taste much better. She cut it into really thin slices as if they were going to be dehydrated.
My goal is to stave off sweets for at least a week, and given that I've already lost three pounds the incentive is certainly there. My ultimate goal is to use this deprivation as a kick off to a healthier me, a me with far less sweets in her daily diet.
Something else that's spurring me on is something my dad always says, "If you can give it away, you own it. But if you can't it owns you." And I certainly don't want to be owned by sweets. add a comment | 2 comments
5/14/2007Okay, a few sweets, but not many
I feel the need to confess the two times I have partaken in sweets. This weekend we met my folks for Mother's Day at my friend Meghan's restaurant. I didn't have dessert (I also resisted two cake opportunities on Saturday) but Meg sent home homemade donuts with us and Saturday night I chose to have one. I thought about it for quite a while but ultimately decided that I can choose whether or not to eat a sweet--that's what this whole deprivation is about--gaining willpower. Anyway, today is Eric and my two year anniversary and he surprised me with the same type of cake we had at our wedding and well…obviously I'm not going to turn that down. But other than that I've been very good and plan to return to my sweet resisting ways at least for the remainder of the week and possible for longer. add a comment | 0 comments5/24/2007American Idol
So for the first time, I got into American Idol. I now see what all the fuss is about. It can be highly addicting. I’ve been watching on and off since this season started, and on a very regular basis since the top 24 were crowned. I’ve been pretty sure Jordin was gonna win for a while now, but was looking forward to the finale to confirm my assumption. However, the Lost season finale was last night. Since we’ve got The Dish which allows us to record two shows…no problem…or so I thought. I think the biggest drawback to The Dish (or any satellite provider) is that in bad weather, especially heavy rain, the thing goes on the fritz and either pixilates the screen beyond recognition or as was the case last night, goes out complete while it aimlessly searches for a signal. So about an hour of the show was due to the weather, but thankfully the weather cleared about an hour into the show so I’ll for sure see the finale…or so I thought.I set the show to stop recording at the end of the event, which should have been 9:00. Yeah, not so much. It must have gone over, because at 9:00 when my recording stopped the American Idol had not yet been crowned. And now, the what little suspense was left has been lost forever since plastered on every website is the news that Jordin won. Yeah Jordin! But I wish I could have seen it.
Luckily, Lost’s finale was amazing. And speaking of TV shows…I think Eric and I are going to give them up for the summer. I’ve asked him to unhook the satellite in the basement so I won’t be tempted to watch. We’ll still rent and go to movies, but we need to amputate this time sucker before our addiction reaches full obsession status. The hard thing is coming up with something else to do…we don’t really share any hobbies...we’ve got the bikes, but how many bike rides can a couple take in one evening? Any suggestions for hobbies we should take up? add a comment | 3 comments
6/1/2007So Long Roomies
Kerri and Brad close on their house today--congratulations!! They've been our roomies for the last month and I must say, we've never used the dining room table more. We'll have to discontinue our bad habit of eating in front of the tv. hehe add a comment | 0 comments6/11/2007All Kinds of Stuff
Well, for one, I’ve fallen in love with the public library. I haven’t been there in quite a while and had totally forgotten it’s magic. There are all these books, and even DVDs…and they’re all free! How wonderful. I stocked up on reading material for my plane ride to and from Atlanta and was able to find not only John Ortberg’s God is Closer Than You Link, but also quite the collection of Mary Higgins Clark novels. While Ortberg stimulates my mental and spiritual side, Clark’s novels are pure reading candy…easy, quick murder mystery fluff.My trip to Atlanta was a quick weekend getaway where I met Eric on his way back from a conference in Orlando. We spend some quality time with Bryan and Julie and their two adorable children. It was my favorite type of vacation—we did nothing but chit-chat and eat. :) Bryan introduced us (well, mainly me) to a Southern staple—smoked meat. He smoked pork all day long on Saturday and while a bit stinky, it was delicious.
How wonderful it was to spend time with good friends, good food, and good conversation. I have to admit, seeing their family did twinge my baby itch…but only for a moment. I think more than anything it made me look forward to when we have kids, but I know we’re not ready yet.
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6/17/2007Big Project
One of our key summer projects is finally complete. We are working on putting in a lawn this summer and most of it hinges on a massive retaining wall for the front yard. We had to hire it out because of its size and due to unforeseen circumstances it took quite a bit longer than we anticipated to get it in. However, alls well that ends well and the wall, or should I say walls, are complete. Below is a before and after of our front lawn. Now all we need is grass...
6/23/2007You Must Bring Us a Shrubbery
I'm so excited--we finally have something that resembles a real lawn. We spent yesterday at Circle M nursery and got some bushes for the area next to house by our front sidewalk. Eric did most of the work planting them, although Richard was extremely helpful as well. He loved digging in the dirt pile and snooping around in the front yard with us. He got soooo filthy though!Last night we got a bistro set to add some character to the porch--it finally looks like someone lives here!
7/9/2007Movies
This past weekend was pretty low key. It was one of those weekends were I can’t really remember what we did…however, I do remember all the movies we watched…three to be exact: Spiderman 3, Disturbia, and Smokin’ Aces. Disturbia was at the cheap seats and was my favorite of the three. It was a nice blend of storyline and thriller. It was kind of a mix of The ‘Burbs and Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Spiderman 3 and Smokin’ Aces were okay…Smokin’ Aces was weird…we were bored last night and decided to rent a movie but we were too lazy to drive somewhere so it was one of some pretty slim pickings on the satellite. We’ve cut out our tv watching almost entirely this summer so a movie is a treat.Speaking of treats...we're going camping this weekend with Jake and Missy and I'm excited. Not only will it be great to spend time with them (we always have a blast) but I'm very excited for some campfire goodness. Smores and pudgy pies...and just staring into the fire. Now, our treats will have to be in moderation because Eric and I are on diets, well, not exactly diets because we're really trying some lifestyle changes not just quick fix eating stuff. add a comment | 1 comments
7/9/2007And Another Thing
Two posts in one day…it’s madness! I just wanted to proclaim my fondness for Laughing Cow Cheese. I have fallen in love with several of their products: the cheese wedges and the mini babybel cheese. I think what I like most is their brilliant packaging. The babybel cheese comes in this cool wax coating that you get to peel off and their wedges are individually wrapped in tin foil and the top peels back to reveal a perfect little cheese wedge—perfect for spreading on crackers. And they taste good too! I’ve been snacking on the babybel light cheese but it doesn’t taste light at all. And the wedges come in some great flavors…so far I’ve had French Onion and Garlic and Herb.
7/17/2007We Came, We Saw, We Conquered the Campfire
Camping with Jake and Missy this year was great as usual. We upheld our tradition of mixing typical and a-typical camping activities. We saw Transformers and went shopping (a-typical) and ate great campfire food (typical).Part of our shopping excursion included what I think has the potential to become a new addiction--Steve and Barry's (or Steve and Barney's as Eric and I kept referring to it as). It's a low cost clothing store with high fashion items...Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line Bitten is sold there and I loved it. The sizes are a little whacky but the price makes it all worth it.
One of my favorite parts of camping is all the food. This year we conquered both the pudgy pie maker and Jiffy Pop. Jiffy Pop was quite easy over the campfire stove and the Pudgy Pie maker was used to make Pudgy Pies of course, but also toast english muffins and make scrambled eggs.
7/19/2007It's Happy Time
Happy birthday lover. On your birthday, I’d like to point out a few reasons why you’re my favorite:
- You say cob on the corn
- You’re kind
- You’re tall and can reach things I can’t
- You’re always calm, cool, and collected
- You eat my broccoli
- You’re dedicated and hardworking
- You're a blessing from God
- You balance all my craziness
- You're fun to be with
- You sometimes let me pick out your outfits
- You're slow to anger and quick to forgive
- You never complain when I watch cheesy girly movies
- You let me wander at Target without complaint
- You calm me down during my freakouts
- You are an excellent listener
- You love God
- You love me
- You know a lot of sports trivia
7/27/2007Hurray for Deals
We found a great deal on a chair at TGMax and since things don't last long there, or get restocked we decided to act. My decorator mind is churning...I think it needs a polka dot pillow and my beloved dots and stripes hankering will be satisfied! (it was the theme for our wedding, although nobody probably realized it but me)
8/1/2007Gotta Love the Midwest
We're in the final stages of putting in a lawn, and things have not been going smoothly. Every plan brings a challenge or a last minute change...we need to dig up all the weeds before the sprinkler system comes so we were going to borrow a 4-wheel and some dirt tillers from a friend. We got the tillers, but unfortunately the guys cows got loose and while using his 4-wheeler to corral them, it got busted up. We called every rental place in town, but no one rents 4-wheelers or lawn tractors. We finally found a larger motorized tiller that we could rent so Eric set off to pick it up. Much to my surprise he returned ten minutes later announcing, "I got a 4-wheeler." Puzzled, I pressed for more details. Turns out he was driving by one of our neighbors, spotted a 4-wheeler in their yard and decided to see if they'd let us use it. And they did!! He paid them of course and used his car as collateral and drove the 4-wheeler down to our house. We got the lawn churned up and leveled out--so a big thanks to the neighbors we don't even know...gotta love that midwest friendlyness and generosity.
8/14/2007Cyber Pity Party
I'm throwing a cyber pity party. For the last three weeks Eric and I (and my very generous parents) spent hours and hours preparing our lawn for seed. We've grated and raked and toiled in the heat all in the hopes of securing that enviable lush landscape. Well, last night, pretty much all our hard work was washed away--literally. We had a torrential downpour and our seed washed away and our nice level lawn is now a series of shallow gullies and large craters. We're not sure what we're going to do next but for now, I'm going to sulk.
8/18/2007Landscaping Highs
Last weekend was a landscaping low regarding our lawn, but this weekend, we didn't let a little rain slow us down--we made more progress on our front planting beds and finally got some bushes in there. We planted some dwarf lilacs which I'm excited about.
8/28/2007We Fought the Lawn and the Lawn Won
So, the landscaping lows are back. Last weekend Eric and I worked diligently in the front yard--Eric leveled the lawn out and we reseeded and laid out these green carpet things that are supposed to keep the soil and the seed in place. Yeah-right. Of course, mother nature strikes again -- it has stormed twice since then and once again our seed and soil is in the neighbors yard. The green carpet things did pretty much nothing and little rivers plowed their way right through them.So that's it--we're done. We're going to sod the front and keeping fighting mother nature for control of the backyard. That's been washing out too but not quite as bad. We think there is enough grass to hold the seed in place when we reseed.
9/1/2007Wow
I can't remember the last time I've been this sore. It feels good to be done though and feels even better knowing our wash out problems are solved once and for all--hopefully anyway. :) Yesterday, with the amazing help of my parents we laid sod in the front and on the side of the house--our biggest problem areas. We'd still be working out there if it wasn't for mom and dad's help--thank you soooo much you guys! We are so blessed to have such great family. Naturally, I documented the process--but see the photo section for the full tranformation.
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9/13/2007Burgers
We’re pretty big grillers—especially in the summer. Eric is the grill master and I provide moral support. This week we moved the cooking indoors for the most part and tried a burger recipe from one of Eric’s Men’s Health magazines. We were a big skeptical at first but the burger was so good and so juicy we’re decided it’s a keeper. We think maybe it’s the egg that made it so juicy. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients: 1 egg1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup oats
1 cup diced onion (we skipped this)
1 cup chopped spinach
2 Tbsp reduced-fat shredded Mexican-blend cheese
4 whole-grain buns
Salt and pepper to taste
Makes 4 servings.
How to Make It
In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add everything else and mix -- your hands are the best tool -- until well blended. Form the meat into four patties. Place the burgers on a grill pan or nonstick skillet that's heated over medium high. Cook for 6 minutes per side or to the desired level of doneness.
Per Burger: 263 calories, 27 grams (g) protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat (5 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 416 milligrams (mg) sodium
add a comment | 0 comments9/30/2007Congrats Matt and Emily!
A HUGE congratulations to Matt and Emily Stevens who entered the state of holy matrimony this weekend. The wedding was beautiful -- very elegant. Emily had an amazing dress and of course one of the most important things -- the cake -- was delicious. :) Eric was a groomsman and escorted his beautiful sister Amy down the isle. We don't see Eric's extended family too often so it was great to see them.
10/1/2007I Hate Being Sick
...and throwing up. add a comment | 2 comments10/9/2007Thinking About It
BTW--I'm feeling a lot better. (hurray)So I've been thinking a lot about work lately. Sometimes work in general and sometimes specifically my work. Work in general because this guy at Eric's work is retiring after 37+ years of working at the University...I can't believe that. I'm pretty sure this was his first job. People don't really do that anymore, there isn't that kind of commitment to and employer/job like there used to be and I'm trying to decide if I think that's a good or a bad thing.
I've been thinking about my job because I spied a job opening in the local newspaper and it peaked my interest...in a lot of ways it's kind of my ideal job...but I'm not unhappy where I'm at...and I've been thinking a lot about when is a good time to leave a job? Should you wait until you're unhappy or is it something more strategic. I really like the environment at my work and I have the greatest boss and that's a huge part of why I'm happy. I had a job where I liked the duties but didn't fit well in the environment and I was pretty much miserable...so what's more important? The stuff you do or the people you do it with? And if you have a good combination of both should you risk it? So yeah...I throw that out to the blogging cosmos and I pray for God to lead me. I'm hoping for an audible YES or No...but I'd settle for a nudge in the right direction. :) add a comment | 0 comments
10/10/2007Special Occasion
It's a very special day for two reasons. Three years ago today Eric proposed to me. I got flowers at work today with a card that said "Will You Marry Me?" So...yeah...I pretty much have the best husband on earth.The other reason today is so special is it's Richard's birthday!! To celebrate, he got a bone, of the beef and pork twisty variety.
10/28/2007Bittersweet
It was a Bittersweet weekend. Totally packed, so today will be a day of rest, recuperation, and relaxation.Friday
Friday was our annual Halloween Party. For me, the highlight was playing Celebrity. Mad props to Heather for her amazing eight point round. Costumes were creative as always this year. Jen and Steve and Eric and I combined to be the gang from Scooby Doo. Check out the photos section for more party mayhem.
Saturday
On Saturday we laid my grandmother Mary to rest. My grandma was born on February 13, 1923 and was a wonderful mother and grandmother to her eight children, 19 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild. We'll miss you grandma, but we'll see you again someday.
On Saturday night Missy and I got treated to a train ride in Stillwater by our wonderful husbands for our birthdays. We rode the Minnesota Zephyr which is a throwback to the 40's and 50's train cars. Our evening was complete with a delicious dinner and serenading by a quartet dressed in period clothing. The train didn't go as fast as I thought it would but it was still very romantic, and we always love spending time with Jake and Mis. They are one of the few couples we can talk about really anything with.
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11/4/2007I Can't Sleep
I'm not sure what time it is. The clock on the computer says 1:58am but I *think* daylight savings ends in a couple minutes so it might only be 12:58am...nevertheless, I've been trying to sleep for the last couple hours but I can't. I tried switching sleeping positions and then my usual fail-safe, moving to the guest bedroom...but no luck. I finally just gave up and grabbed the laptop and started tooling around on the net. Not much out there. Richard just came and laid at my feet...he's so cute.Ahh...I just witnessed Daylight Savings End. The computer clock switched to 1:00am instead of 2:00am. Kinda like watching the ball drop on New Year's...except not at all. add a comment | 0 comments
11/4/2007Super Hero
My dad sent me this photo of me as a kid...looks like I've got a Halloween costume idea for next year. :)
11/19/2007Thanksgiving
We're hosting Thanksgiving this year and I'm getting excited...and nervous. I always seem to focus on things people don't really care about--like the table decorations...but this year I'm trying to focus on a Thanksgiving staple: the turkey. We'd like to try making this recipe from Rachel Ray but I don't know if we can find what we need. She cooks turkey breast instead of the entire turkey and her methods seem pretty easy. Thing is, I don't know that you have find big turkey breasts in Eau Claire. Here's the recipe we spied:Rachel Ray Turkey
We're also going to try the muffin' stuffin'. Being a stuffing fan myself I'm excited, but I'm always wary of recipes I've never tried before...especially for an occasion such as Thanksgiving. Wish me luck! add a comment | 0 comments
11/20/2007Turkey Breast Success
We found turkey breasts at Festival Foods...a little bigger than Rachel Ray called for, but that's okay. And reason number 3 million that Eric is best husband ever is he went grocery shopping tonight and got the rest of our Thanksgiving supplies. He said it was crazy busy but he still managed to get everything on the list. Man, I'm lucky. add a comment | 1 comments11/26/2007Thanks a lot Rachel Ray
Well, Thanksgiving was a success but I'm a little miffed at Rachel Ray. According to her "Thanksgiving in 60" two, three pound turkey breasts should cook at 450 for 30 to 40 minutes...mine were 4 pounds a piece and they cooked for about 2 hours. Now granted, there was a short period of time (about twenty minutes) where I thought I turned off the oven timer and in reality I'd turned off the oven...not sure how I'm gonna blame Rachel for that one, but I'm sure she had something to do with it.Despite the slight timing situation, the meal turned out pretty well. We used my Grandmother's silver for the first time (thanks Liz) and enjoyed great fellowship with Eric's parents and his brother and new bride.
We've got lots of leftovers so if anyone has any inventive turkey or stuffing recipes, please send them my way!
12/1/2007Christmas
It's December so in my mind the Christmas season is officially here. (Even though several radio stations have been playing Christmas music 24/7 since the day before Thanksgiving --ANNOYING).Anyway, back to the Christmas season. So it's here and the way Eric and I kick it off is to decorate our Christmas tree. In past years we've had this kind of Charlie Brown artificial tree that I just try to pack with ornaments to hide it...but this year we made the investment in an artificial tree, a pre-lit one at that. It's really nice. It's quite a bit bigger than our previous tree and has all these nooks and crannies for all our childhood ornaments plus all the bulbs we bought on clearance last year during the after-Christmas sales. (Martha Stewart has the best ornaments.) My favorites are these smaller bulbs with cute little polka dots all over them.
Also in addition to our Christmas decorations this year is the stocking Eric's grandmother made for me (second one in on the right). The other stockings are Eric's growing up (far right) which we discovered this year was made by his grandmother the year I was born...we feel it's kismet. Finishing off our stockings are mine from growing up (far left) and of course Richard's stocking shaped like a bone.
12/10/2007Dust Mites- EW!
Richard has suffered from an itching problem for quite some time. Within the last six months or so, he's added another habit - licking. He licks his feet obsessively and they are stained a pinkish color. We've taken him to the vet multiple times and have tried different foods, medicated baths and steroid shots for temporary relief. But all our methods provide only temporary relief and he continues to have really bad flare ups where he scratches so hard he cuts himself with his nails. I'm just sick over, so at our last vet visit, we decided pay for a relatively expensive allergy test.
We got the results back to find Richard is allergic to three main things:
- A marsh elder weed
- Cat Dander (yes, our dog is allergic to cats)
- Dust mites
12/19/2007I Have WOO
So, firstly, I'm in a pretty good mood lately. Some Christmases I feel a little grouchy with all the holiday blitz, but this year I'm really excited about Christmas. We planned really well on the shopping side of things and we're not rushing at the last minute and I'm just really excited to spend time with family and take a break from work. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.
Speaking of work, I took a Strength Finder tool and here is the brief theme report of my strengths, I find this very interesting:
Communication
People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
Woo
People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
Belief
People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Relator
People who are strong in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
Responsibility
People strong in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
After some thought, I feel that these themes are accurate, although some I never really thought of as strengths...more like just a part of who I was, like my dimples or something.
In unrelated news, a HUGE congratulations to my dear friend Kyra on her engagement.
add a comment | 0 comments12/20/2007Presents!
I got two presents already! One from Kerri and one from myself. I'm really excited about Kerri's present; she's heard me talk about getting into painting again and got me some watercolor paints. I've felt for a while like I don't have any hobbies and I used to draw and paint in high school and I kind of miss it...so here's a great opportunity to rekindle and old friendship. Thanks Kerri.
I also got a present from myself. Well, sort of. I bought a lamp online and it came in the mail today so it felt like a present. If you look closely at the Nativity Scene in the photo you might notice something is missing...Pastor Paul has been doing a sermon series on the scientific evidence to support the Biblical account of the birth of Christ...and last Sunday he talked about the Magi and how realistically they wouldn't have gotten to see Jesus until he was a toddler and that the Greek text doesn't refer to Jesus as a baby but a better translation would be toddler. So Eric feels it's inaccurate to place them in the manger scene and has instead put them on the other side of the living room. He'd really like to shift the entire manger over to the east side of the house, but there isn't a table over there.
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