Interview me

I volunteered to be interviewed by goofy girl and here are her questions:

1. What is your favorite color ink? I love all colors of ink. If I'm printing off my printer, I love using purples and blues. If it is ink that I'm writing with I love pink, purple, blue, orange. I love having all types of pens!!! It's fun :)

2. If you could have a free day to do anything you wanted, what would you do? I honestly would probably sleep in late and then have lunch with friends and family. I would then lounge around and catch up on reading, movies and order in pizza. It would be nice to take some time to just RELAX.

3. What color clothing do you most often wear? Do you think the color says something about you? That's a good question. I have to dress up for my internship at the hospital so I've been getting into wearing more colors. I do notice that I wear a lot of browns lately and also pink. I have also started wearing more black pants and colored shirts. Well, to answer the second half, I used to wear a lot of greys and neutral colors. I have learned to have a little bit more fun with colors and enjoy myself more so yes, I think the new colors have also brightened my outlook in life as well. Funny how colors of clothes can do that!

4. What kind of decorations do you have in your apartment? What kind would you have if you had an infinite amount of money to spend on them? I just recently redecorated as I'm sure most of you know. I have new pictures hanging everywhere. I have more colors in the apartment. I have flower pictures and also more pictures of family and friends! If I had infinite amount of money to spend, everything would be from Pier 1, Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel. I love their stuff but obviously can't have it all due to budgets (damn budget!!!!)

5. What do you think is an important lesson you've learned recently? This is a perfect question for me. Wow, what have I all learned? I've learned that I can do a lot of things on my own that I never imagined. I've learned that I can live alone and be content with coming home to an empty house. I've learned that I can be okay without a man in my life. I've learned more about myself and what I like and dislike. I've learned how important family is and that no matter what, my parents will always be a huge part of my life. I've learned that heartbreak is not easy and that even if things don't work out, that people are meant to be in your life for a reason. I've learned that I will be okay. I've learned that I can get through a master's degree, work, go to school and do internship and still be alive by the time it's Saturday. I've learned it's okay to lean on people when you need to because if they offer, they really do listen! I've learned that sometimes a bath and music is all you really need. I've learned that books can be good to just "get away" for a while. I've learned that friends can make a bad week disappear. I've learned that writing is a way to let things out and that even if nobody reads it, it can still help heal.

I think you all have learned not to ever ask me that question again.

Here are the rules to be posted in the entry :)

So if you want to be interviewed by me, please leave me a comment or send an email saying: "Interview me."
* I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
* You will update your weblog with the answers to the questions.
* You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
* Then others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions and so on.

Heather, thanks for the wonderful questions!

25

So yesterday I turned 25. Quarter Century Club or something like that. At first, I didn't like the thought of turning 25. I feel like 25 is the defining year when you are finally grown up--whether you want to be or not! It's especially hard turning 25 and feeling as though you will never find the person you are meant to be with. I know I'll get over that and will look at more positives.

I went by my parents for the weekend and had a great time! Friday we went out to eat at Uno and had a great time. Then on my actual birthday, it was more low key. My mom and I watched "The Devil Wears Prada" and I really enjoyed the movie. I had read the book a while ago and thought they did a decent job making it into a movie!

Well, I will post again tonight or tomorrow as goofy girl sent me questions to answer. Have a wonderful day!

Prayers

I know this goes without saying, but my prayers go out to the family, friends, staff, and students at V Tech. I can't imagine what they are going through and I can't imagine not feeling safe on a college campus.

I enjoyed living on campus all the years of my schooling. I enjoyed the on-campus apartments and loved walking to classes in the fall and spring when everything was so beautiful. To think that one day sitting in my apartment or sitting in a class that I would hear gun shots is just beyond me. I can't comprehend it.

I just hope that somewhere, somebody is able to learn something from this. Shootings keep happening in places we think it never could...Amish schools, college campus', even places of business. It scares me to think that we live in a world where nobody is truly safe.

So to everyone reading this post, I am glad you are here! I hope that we learn to live each day fully and not to look back on regrets. If nothing else, be glad you are alive and well.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

"The one where she freaks out"

So I get home from class last night (very happy after a good presentation and getting out 1 hour early!) to see a note in my door. Now this is slightly odd as my outside of the apartment is locked and the only people who put things on my door are the maintenance men.

Anyway, so the note was from the city SHERIFF. Yes, you read that correctly. He was kindly letting the apartments know that one of the residents was arrested on WEAPONS CHARGES and that they believe he STASHED a SHOTGUN near one of the DUMPSTERS. Oh yes and if we had TAKEN the SHOTGUN on accident thinking it was DISPOSED of, we could turn it in and not get in trouble. Oh and by the way, the person is in CUSTODY. Chances that I freaked out about this: DEFINITELY!

I do NOT want to have people with weapons around my apartment. Especially living alone. Fricken wonderful is what I was thinking! So needless to say I believe I slept with one eye open.

No I am not naive enough to think that nobody has weapons. But honestly, do I need to see it in black and white on my door when I come home LATE and ALONE? No, I really don't think so. Ugh. I just LOVE living in a big city.

April Fool's Day

No, this isn't an April's fool that I am blogging! I am actually here. These past couple weeks have been very busy and in some ways, the best I've had in a while.

I had a great, relaxing almost 5 days with my parents last week. I was able to relax, have a safe place to stay and feel loved at ALL times. It was amazing. I also managed to pick up a few things along the way.

I am the proud new owner of a PINK I-pod nano! I love it. I got that from my parents as a "cheer up" gift. I then picked myself up an I-pod player so I can play it in the house. I put it in my office so I can listen to music all day long. It's awesome. It even has a remote so when I get calls, I can pause the music and turn it on again right when I hang up :) Now that's my idea of a good plan!

My work bag was beginning to fall apart as well so I found a cute new black work bag at New York and Company. I had never shopped there before and let me tell you.....LOVE.IT. I also needed a new school bag and found a really cute light pink one at the Old Navy outlet.

This week had highs and lows. I don't talk about work on here for obvious reasons and because then my whole blog would be overtaken :) Let's just say that I am not having happy thoughts about my job and that it has been difficult to make it through the rest of the week.

I continue to love my internship at the hospital. I also met a very nice male at the hospital who wanted to go out on Friday, but I unfortunately fell asleep on the couch before he called and didn't hear the phone when he did. When I called to apologize on Saturday, he asked if we could do something this week. I, of course, said yes! It' just nice to have people to go and hang out with. He's a nice guy and knows the situation so definitely isn't expecting anything.

So, next weekend is Easter and the weekend after that, I am going to Chicago for the weekend! I am SO excited. I'm going with two friends. My supervisor at the hospital found a 4 star hotel that was having a HUGE sale on prices and was only $99 for the night! It is normally over $200 a night to stay there. I'll be sure to share pictures. I honestly can't wait. We're going to the House of Blues to see a concert that night and then will come back on Sunday. It'll be such a nice stress reliever as well. So I am pumped.

The weekend after the Chicago weekend is my BIRTHDAY. I will be 25! Quarter century club :) Alright, well I think this is long enough. Sorry it's been so long.

Have a great week. What's new with you guys????

Does she even blog any more?

You don't have to send out the search team...I'm right here! And I made it. I made it through 3/15/07. I do have to pat myself on the back. I had a lot of phone calls and cards and emails which made the day so much better than it would have otherwise been. Although there were tears and "how did I get to this place?" there were also moments of "this is the path my life is taking now." I swear, every day, I am getting smarter (okay, just allow me that moment please).

Anyway, this week I am on spring break. WOOHOO....Amy Freedom Festival....uh not quite. I still had internship on Monday and tomorrow, but I am taking tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday off work and am going up to my parents house. It's like some quiet time and relaxation and time away from everything that could normally cramp up my day.

I already have an oil change, hair appointment and hopefully an eye appointment set up. Let's just say that I am catching up on all the things I don't have time for normally. Which is wonderful because I have parents to drive me around as well. Let me tell you, I drive about 2,000 miles a month for my job. I spend my life in the car. I live in my car. So when I tell you that I have parents who will drive me around....it's not that I can't do it myself, it's that I am SO SICK of the car that I need time to be the passenger and say "did you see that?" and "ooooo look at that ugly pink house." All those things I shouldn't be doing while driving (but secretly do anyway.)

My cousin has surgery tomorrow so I will be visiting him as well. Unfortunately, there is a lot of family drama going on (I just hate drama too....save the drama for your momma), and so my cousin really needs the support.

I had ordered the other two books in the Shopoholic series from www.half.com and they already got here. Usually with media mail they take longer, but this one actually didn't take long at all so I was really excited about that.

I'm also trying to figure out my summer and fall schedule for school and let me tell you....I AM STRESSED OUT! Who knew figuring out what classes to take so that I can get another piece of paper that tells me I'm qualified for something I don't think I am would be so DAMN exhausting??? Whew, I feel better now.

Okay, I'm off to get ready for the Freedom Festival. I'll be checking in on all of you while I'm gone. Enjoy the week!

Emily Giffin

Has anyone read the book "Something Borrowed"? Just wondering if you have or if anyone you know has. I want to get the book but was wondering if anyone recommended it first. Thanks :)

This and that....

Hello! Well, goofy girl gets the book! Just email me with your address and I'll send it out. I'm going to be getting the other books in the series. So if you like the first one, let me know and I will share the others!

Secondly, this week I have been attempting to stay very busy. It would have been my and my ex's 3 year anniversary tomorrow and 2 year anniversary of being engaged. So if I don't participate in the 13 tomorrow, don't be surprised. I'm going to be keeping myself VERY busy tomorrow and then possibly slowing down for the weekend ;)

I start spring break on Friday and I'm not doing anything extravagant. I'm going to be taking next Thursday off (I don't work Fridays) and going up by my parents for an extra long weekend. It'll be nice to just be away for a while.

What are your plans for this weekend? What do you do to try to stay busy?

A free book!

Well, thanks to island girl when I returned from my weekend away, I had Confessions of a Shopaholic waiting for me from winning her free book giveaway! I am happy to report that.....I LOVED IT! I read it in one night to be honest with you. It was so easy to read and kept my attention until the end. Now, I must warn you, this is a complete chick book! But since local girl was so nice to send it to me, I thought I would return the favor by giving it away to one of you!!! I plan on getting the rest of the set as well so if anyone out there has them and wants to pass them along, let me know!

So leave a comment with whether you want the book or not and I'll pick one of you randomly. I'll have someone pick a number or something--I'll think of something :)

Nothing much else is new here. Just work, school and internship. I'm trying to plan a vacation to Vegas and trying to talk someone into going with me. People just don't seem to have the money (not that I'm rolling in it, but I have my priorities....bills? nah....Vegas? YOU BET!! Just kidding!)

Anyway, how has your week been????

Hey, what's with all the pictures?

Well, I like them and because I like them....here's another one....



So what's new around here you ask? Well, I wonder a book from Island Girl !!!! I love winning things. Also, I have been having a couple hectic weeks with class, work and internship but I'm hoping this week things slow down just a little bit for me to enjoy life :)

What's new with you?

Little McDreamy's

Okay, I'll admit it.....I'm obsessed with Grey's Anatomy. BUT not only is McDreamy, well, McDreamy on the show, look at how adorable he is holding his new little McBabies (don't judge me for writing that!) His daughter is adorable too :)

Of course she'd be beautiful.....

What a beautiful family! Shiloh is cuter every time I see her.

What do you think about this family?

Carmel says....

Hey out there, it's Carmel. So my owner, Amy, has been going through a rough time lately. I jump on her, give her kisses and even bite her (not too hard) every once in a while.

She seems to be doing much better this week though. She had a visit from her mom which ALWAYS HELPS! I wasn't allowed to come with because I was told that I had to "stay home." I hear that a lot.

Even though I don't live with Amy, I still worry about her a lot. I still consider her my owner because she always checks on me and when she comes to visit, she gives me extra treats and usually brings a new toy!!! Not to worry though because I usually destroy it in about a week.

Anyway, since I can't be around all the time, could you keep checking in on her to make sure she's okay? She doesn't post every day any more but just let her know that you care like I do. Have a great weekend!

Where did that piece go?

As you have noticed, life hasn't been the greatest lately. I hate to continue to write about, but in all honesty, it's what I think and feel most of the time--so that's what I write about. I try to just go without writing if I don't feel that I have anything "positive" to say, but I don't have to be positive all the time, right?

I've been searching for something that I think I lost....it's a piece of myself. When fiance and I broke up, a piece of me went with him. Now, sometimes I think that's okay, but other times, like now, I feel like I should have that piece back in order to be whole again. But are you ever whole again (in the same way you were before)? Do pieces come and go and eventually you will find someone who maybe has holes in places you don't and the puzzle just fits? Am I using too many analogies for anyone to understand?

Every morning I wake up and tell myself "you can do this." Most days....I accomplish that goal. However, there are some days when I go to bed thinking "what were you thinking?"

I can be self-sufficient. I have all the main things down...grocery shopping alone, paying bills, living alone. It's the emotional things that I now must deal with. I need to either realize that not all the pieces are going to be put back together or attempt to put them back.

I have a wonderful family who is more than supportive. I have parents who go above and beyond what parents should do. I have friends who would do anything for me, but sometimes all that doesn't matter. That isn't what's broken.

So I just want you to know that part of me is broken right now. I am still trying to figure out if that's okay or not.

So I continue looking at where the pieces went and whether I can put them back together. Has anyone seen my pieces?

Uh...what???

Seriously, what is going on? Is the world coming to an end? She checks into rehab (according to TMZ) and then checks out 24 hours later...comes back to LA and shaves her head?

Hmmmm

I'll admit it....

I'm a bit of a celebrity nerd. I love to look at People and see what's new on and what happened since the last magazine or entertainment show was on. I have no idea what made me get into this but maybe it's just because I can focus on other people's problems and not my own! Oh who knows!

So this week sucks. I'm sick and I've just had a rough week. I really just want it to be over. I am going to get my hair done on Saturday and I CAN.NOT.WAIT! What is it about getting your hair done that automatically makes you feel better? Who knows but I'll take it. So I leave you with this celebrity picture!

Today is the day....

Well, today is the day I was hoping to not have....I had to turn on the word verification. I had gotten about 25 anonymous comments yesterday that I had to go through and delete and I am sick of it. So I'm sorry about that because I know how annoying it can be. I'm hoping after a while I can turn it off again!

I hope you don't mind too much. I'm apologizing in advance.

Thanks for still commenting!!!

I was nominated?

So I've never been nominated for anything. Wait, I take that back. I was "randomly" drawn from a hat and picked for Prom Court (ugh!) I needless to say, um how do you say...lost? However, I do still have my sash that says "Prom Court" Is that tacky?

Anywhoooo....the point is SOMEONE nominated ME for the Share The Love Blog Awards? Who is this wonderful person? Please show yourself.

So now...I need YOUR help! If you like me (and if you are reading this, you better!) then give me some props on your page and get the word around to VOTE VOTE VOTE! Make up a VOTE or DIE campaign. Give your best you rah rah. Do it! Together we make me successful (er, or win an award!) Comon people :-)

Oh and this is the kicker...I was nominated for most inspiring! Am I inspiring you vote for me and get my name out there? Help me win everyone! Now I'm pumped...this just made 2007 start out AWESOME!

Go here: http://www.freesurveysonline.com/fso/AskSurvey.fso?Survey=10007&CheckID=6680

Go down to category 5 and I'm under Life After College-A Real Job

Let me know after you've voted. You can vote for a week I believe. Now move it (that was inspiring wasn't it????)

Oh and while you are over voting for me (cause I know you will!), please make sure to vote for Gone To Plaid for Best Design and Goofy Girl or Local Girl for Happiest Blog! Thanks!

Matt Wertz - 5:19

I have loved Matt Wertz for a long time and this is the best youtube one that I can find. You have to turn up the volume to be able to hear him. He's on myspace too if you do that and he has some songs on there that you can hear better. Give him a chance!

2008 will be my year...

I'm exhausted. Physically, mentally and any other "ly" that I can be, I am. I am working 32 hours a week, doing internship 20 hours a week, attending two classes, and then somehow supposed to study. And that doesn't include things like sleeping, eating, paying bills or cleaning (heaven forbid).

So yes, I am tired--all the time. I think that it may also be a little bit of depression (I wouldn't have any idea why!!!!!) and a lot of stress. I made the honor roll last semester. I was able to pull it off. I was very close to Dean's list and was a little disappointed, but I will take the honor roll, thankyouverymuch!

So I graduate in December and was talking to a friend who's also in my program and we agreed that NEXT year will be our year. We'll be done with school, and my schedule will (hopefully) calm down and then (maybe) I'll be able to enjoy some time. I don't want to get so caught up in all this work and school that I don't have time to enjoy life.

Life is short and I've learned that things happen you never expected. Just because life doesn't go the way you plan doesn't mean the world stops. It just keeps on going and expects that eventually you'll wake up and hop back on.

It's almost been two months since we've broken up and I've got to tell you, there were (many) days that I felt that the world had ended and I still have those days (although a lot less than in the beginning). I have realized that he's not coming home from work (at least not here) and that I only need to cook for one. I also don't think that it's him on the phone every time it rings. But those changes take time. And after 3 years, it takes quite a bit of time.

I'd like to think that I'm doing fairly well. I can now sleep in the bed at night by myself (I know it sounds odd to some, but this was a HUGE change for me--some one who had never lived alone before). I no longer wake up every hour because of some noise (read: NOTHING!)

Thank you to those who continue to stop by (those who stop by and don't leave a message too--I'm feeling nice today). I especially want to thank pink chihuahua princess as she leaves me the nicest messages!

So although I know this year will be rough and will have its up and downs, I'm in for the ride. The world hasn't ended (or stopped) and I'm thinking I just may hop back on soon.

Things you always wanted to know but never asked....

Dear Yahoo!:
How do competitive eaters fit all that food in their stomachs?
BrettMiami, Florida

Dear Brett:
Those old pie eating contests they used to hold at county fairs are nothing compared to modern eating competitions. Besides being able to stomach loads of food, professional eaters usually boast colorful nicknames, such as Jaws, Bonestripper, and Dumplings. But they take the sport seriously -- there's even an International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE).
HowStuffWorks explains that in order to get the grub down faster, eaters often dunk the food in water or break it into smaller pieces. They're used to ignoring the natural gag reflex, as well as the stomach's feeling of fullness. Some folks train by filling up with large meals or water to stretch the stomach. However the IFOCE frowns upon this method. Some "old school" competitive eaters prefer "picnic style rules," which ban dipping, mushing, dunking, and picking apart their chow.
Takeru Kobayashi, currently the top-ranked competitive eater, has a theory about success in the sport: "You have to gradually build up your gut by eating larger and larger amounts of food, and then be sure to work it all off so body fat doesn't put a squeeze on the expansion of your stomach in competition." It's time to start training. Hey, you gonna eat that?

Life....

Well at this moment it's not the most fun. My apartment is mostly rearranged and all the pictures have been taken down. It was hard to box up the pictures and the memories. Yes, I know, I will always have the memories, but to think that I took 3 years and put it into a box just is very hard for me. Three years into one box? It also seems very final to me. Not that I didn't know it was over, but this was kind of the last thing that I needed to do to make the apartment "mine." So needless to say this weekend has been tough on me. Luckily a friend I hadn't heard from in a while happened to call last night and it was exactly what I needed. I just love when that happens. She was able to get me to laugh and we ended up talking for 2 hours!!! By then it was time for bed and it seemed as though time flew by. I had a hard time sleeping last night and I had been able to sleep better lately so I was frustrated with that. It all comes in time though I guess.

I appreciate those of you who continue to stop by even though I haven't been good about posting. I often begin to write posts and then just don't have it in me and stop. So know that I think of you all often as well! I still read most of your blogs and sometimes, if you're lucky, you get a comment from me as well :-)

School starts again on the 22nd and I'm looking forward to that as it will give me something else to keep me busy. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that 2007 will only continue to get better. I hope you are all having a wonderful January.

TT

Thanks to goofy girl for the special banner!

Thirteen things that drive me crazy!

1. I hate it when slow drivers are in the left lane....seriously, just GET OVER and let me pass you! Those drivers really should not drive (no offense to you slow drivers, but I have places to go and yes I need to get there 2 min. before you!)

2. Restaurants that don't have free refills...do you really think I'm not going to drink more than one? Then if you don't have refills, I have to switch to water and I think we all know how I feel about that!

3. Men who break off relationships and already have another girlfriend...well I think we all know how I feel about that...let's just leave it at all....

4. Those anonymous people who put spam comments on my blog...I really don't want to have the word verification but comon...I don't need my p*n*s enlarged or a boob job so please don't post it on my site!

5. Having such a long hiatus for tv shows right now...do I really need to wait 5 weeks for a new Grey's? That is like TORTURE. It's not even new tonight, but Ugly Betty is :-)

6. People in the 10 items or less line with over 20 items....now some people may honestly not know how to count, but if I'm standing there with 1 item, that means I want out and quickly!!!!

7. The cost of school books...obviously I am not rich if I am trying to obtain another degree and the fact that each book is over $50 (and usually over $65) really irks me when there is ALWAYS more than 1 book per class....I am sure that goofy girl can relate!

8. People leaving mean comments on blogs...nobody said you had to read what I write or anyone else....if you don't like what I write, don't visit--it's really fairly simple.

9. People who repeat things over and over and over again....I got it the first time but thank you!

10. Parents yelling at their children in public...I know that sometimes the parents are embarrassed and don't know what to do, but some parents really yell and get into it in the middle of the grocery store aisle and the child just starts screaming...now I know why I grocery shop later.

11. People who will read through this entire post and then NOT leave a message....oh comon, let me at least feel the love here....

12. People who don't use their blinkers...are they optional on cars now? Does it cost extra to have them installed? I can not read your mind and know that you want to cut in front of me so please don't assume that I know I need to make room for your car when you are going to cut in front of me to slam on your breaks 4 seconds after you do!

13. And finally...it drives me crazy that I can't always think of 13 things for this list! Oh well, better luck next time.

What drives you crazy?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Can you pass the 3rd grade?

I thought this was fun. My mom had sent it to me a while ago....but it's still fun to try!

http://www.pibmug.com/files/map_test.swf

You have to drag the names of the states to the correct place on the map! Enjoy!

Oh and let me know how well you did.

I got them all within the time frame :-)

I can't believe it's 2007

Well, a lot has changed since 2006. As many of you know, I am no longer getting married. Fiance is now ex-fiance and he moved out a few weeks before Christmas. My New Year's Eve was supposed to consist of being with fiance and shouting "I GET MARRIED THIS YEAR" at the stroke of midnight. Instead, I went to bed at 11:30 so that I could miss all that jazz. Besides the struggles of trying to get my life back in order and figuring out how to live alone, I am also optimistic.

2007 will bring a new year of surprises and excitement. I will receive my Masters in Social Work in December of '07. I will also finish internship and in June, it will be two years that I will be with my current employer. May 21st of this year will mark the 2nd year since I received my bachelors degree and it seems like time is just flying by. I look forward to what life has in store for me. I don't know what path I am going to be headed on or where I am going to end up, but I do know that it'll be an adventure that I am more and more ready every day to embark on.

I have found out who my true friends are and have realized how lucky I am in my life. Don't get me wrong, I have my bad days and the days that I have to fight with myself to get out of bed, but I try to remember all those I have rooting for me and I try to keep on going. I also have to give special thanks to Janet and Goofy Girl who took time out of their busy lives to listen to me complain when things were real bad. I also appreciate all those who have kept on checking back to see if I was back or not. I appreciate the kind words and the support!

I had a good friend email me this quote and I now have this on my bathroom mirror to remind me each day to keep going:

"Everything is okay in the end--if it's not okay, then it's not the end."

So here's to 2007 and all that it will bring. I am thankful for so much and although I am not going to make any "resolutions," I do want to resolve to learn from 2006 and to not forget the lessons that I learned.

Happy New Year, everyone....

I got tagged!

I got tagged from Island Life on December 14th and am just getting to it now. (Better late than never right?)

Here are the rules:

The Rules:
Each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you”. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I hate vegetables; however, my favorite soup is split pea with ham. Yeah, I know, I'm strange.
2. I am deathly afraid of bees. I stepped on one when I was younger and it stung me and since then I run from them.
3. I changed my major three times and transferred schools three times before finding my "fit". Because of this, it took me 5 years to finish my undergraduate degree.
4. I don't like my food all mixed together like in casseroles. I have never made one and probably never will.
5. I don't know how to swim. I took swim lessons when I was younger but never really learned. I can do a mean doggy paddle though!
6. And finally I only started to wear make-up recently. I was one of those girls who didn't see the point and hated to take the time to put it on. Now I enjoy doing it for special occasions and to work for meetings. It's a big change for me!

Now, if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. Let me know if you participate as I would love to see your answers!

Happy New Year.....

Happy Holidays

I know it's been quite a while since I have posted. Time has flown by but it's also been a stressful time. The holidays were hard for me and I do have to say it wasn't one of my favorite Christmas'. But I survived and made it through. I have a lot of stuff to put away. I spent a lot of time with my family and friends. That was definitely nice! Here are Peanut and Carmel after Christmas. Carmel got a new toy and LOVED it. We got Peanut a new toy and less than 24 hours, Carmel had one end chewed apart. She defintely makes me laugh.

How were your holidays? Any plans for New Year's Eve?

Thank you

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has left such kind messages and have been willing to lend an ear to me. I appreciate the concern and genuine kindness that people have shared with me.

Here is a picture to share with you all:


This is one of my favorite little cousins who can always put a smile on my face. This was taken a while ago but you can still understand the cuteness!

We interrupt this blog....

....for some news.

Due to some personal stuff that is going on, I will be taking a break from blogging. I know that at some point, I will find writing my feelings out as therapeautic but at this point, I just need some time away. I will continue to visit all my favorite bloggers and please continue to check back to see if I've checked in.

Thank you everyone! Hopefully I will not be gone long....

Welcome, Snow! ***UPDATED***

Well, I got up this morning to go to internship and guess what? We had gotten 7.5 inches of snow since 3am--woah!!! It was snowing side ways and the news kept saying "DON'T GO OUT SIDE IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO"

So...I didn't. I climbed back into bed and slept until 9:15am. That was nice. So it is still snowing and I can't wait to see how much more we get (yes, that is sarcasm you may have noted). So today I am cleaning, wrapping presents and more cleaning. This place gets so out of shape when fiance and I are always working or gone. It's hard to keep it clean when I'm so tired by the time I get home and just want to go to bed. Anyway, I'll try to take a picture later and post it to show just how much snow we've gotten.

Have a super Friday--oh and we are going to a PACKER game this weekend so I'll post pictures from that too after the weekend is over.

What are your plans?

**UPDATE**
We now have 12.5 inches of snow as of noon!!!!

Thursday Thirteen!

Banner from Goofy girl

Okay, so here if your chance. You ask me what you want to know about me and next week I will answer those questions in the 13! If there are more than 13 then I will answer them in the following weeks. Ask whatever you want.

What have you been wanting to know or are curious about? Now is your chance!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Fun from FondofSnape

So much to my surprise (and happiness) I received an email from Janet the other day with this attached. So I decided "hey why not put it on my blog!" If anyone wants to play along then consider yourself "tagged" but let me know you are doing it so I can see your answers! Or email me your answers so that I can at least see the fun! Enjoy!

Here's a fun game...
Things you may not have known about me................

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. treatment foster care social worker
2. student (I am telling you it IS a job!!!!)
3. cashier at a craft store
4. fast foodish worker

Four movies I have watched over and over:
1. The American President
2. Forrest Gump
3. Sweet Home Alabama
4. Pretty Woman

Four Places I have lived:
1. Appleton
2. Eau Claire
3. Waukesha
4. ??????

Four TV shows I enjoy Watching:
1. Prison Break
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Desperate Housewives
4. FRIENDS

Four places I have visited:
1. CO
2. Amsterdam
3. Germany
4. FL

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Kraft Mac & Cheese--Spiral (yes I'm specific!)
2. lasagna
3. COOKIES
4. fettacine alfredo

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. in bed
2. on my honeymoon
3. on vacation with fiance
4. with my family

Four people who MIGHT respond:
1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?

Now, here's what you're supposed to do...copy the questions, delete my answers & type in your answers, then send this to a whole bunch of people you know INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about those who know you. [duh]
Remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you.

CHRIS DAUGHTRY!

Okay, so I'm a HUGE Prison Break fan and I see that the theme song tonight is a Chris Daughtry song so in honor of this lovely man, I am posting something from his American Idol days. What do you think?

Gobble Gobble

Hi everyone!

Just a quick note to say I'll be out of town at my parent's until Saturday or Sunday so I won't be around the blogging world.

BUT...just wanted to wish everyone a SUPER THANKSGIVING! Enjoy the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and everything else involved. I will be braving Black Friday for like the 5th year in a row. For some reason, that is the only day of the year that I can handle crabby people with attitudes.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Photograph - Nickelback

I thought I'd use the one that put the lyrics in there so you knew what he was saying. I really do like this song and have liked Nickelback for a while. What do you think?

This would raise me up!

I just have always had an admiration for Josh Groban (he's only a year older than me!) and the AMAZING voice that he has. I hope you enjoy it. Do you like this type of music?

An article....

I was checking my gmail account and came across this article...what do you think?

Bloggers: A Portrait of the Internet's New Storytellers July 2006
A telephone survey of a nationally-representative sample of bloggers, conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, has found that blogging is inspiring a new group of writers and creators to share their voices with the world. Some 54 percent of bloggers say that they have never published their writing or media creations anywhere else; 44 percent say they have published elsewhere. While generally youthful, these writers otherwise represent a broad demographic spectrum of people who cite a variety of topics and motives for their blogging.
Eight percent of internet users, or about 12 million American adults, keep a blog. Thirty-nine percent of internet users, or about 57 million American adults, read blogs – a significant increase since the fall of 2005.
Capturing a current snapshot of an ever-changing blog universe
The Pew Internet & American Life Project deployed two strategies to interview bloggers.
First, as part of our standard random-digit dial tracking surveys about internet use among a nationally-representative sample of American adults, we asked respondents if they maintain a blog. Then, we called back these self-identified bloggers between July 2005 and February 2006. Seventy-one percent of those called back completed this second telephone survey, which focused exclusively on blogging. The remaining 29 percent said they were no longer keeping a blog or were not willing to take another survey, and we eliminated them from the callback interviews. This strategy yielded a relatively small number of respondents (n=233) but allowed us to ask in-depth questions of a nationally-representative sample of bloggers. Numbers cited in this report are based on the callback survey unless specifically noted.
Our second strategy for preparing this report involved fielding additional random-digit surveys between November 2005 and April 2006 to capture an up-to-date estimate of the percentage of internet users who are currently blogging. These large-scale telephone surveys yielded a sample of 7,012 adults, which included 4,753 internet users, 8 percent of whom are bloggers. Bloggers cover a variety of topics
While many well-publicized blogs focus on politics, the most popular topic among bloggers is their life and experiences. The Pew Internet Project blogger survey finds that the American blogosphere is dominated by those who use their blogs as personal journals. Most bloggers do not think of what they do as journalism.
Most bloggers say they cover a lot of different topics, but when asked to choose one main topic, 37 percent of bloggers cite “my life and experiences” as a primary topic of their blog. Politics and government ran a very distant second with 11 percent of bloggers citing those issues of public life as the main subject of their blog. Entertainment-related topics were the next most popular blog-type, with 7 percent of bloggers, followed by sports (6 percent), general news and current events (5 percent), business (5 percent), technology (4 percent), religion, spirituality or faith (2 percent), a specific hobby or a health problem or illness (each comprising 1 percent of bloggers). Other topics mentioned include opinions, volunteering, education, photography, causes and passions, and organizations.
View the full report -- Bloggers: A Portrait of the Internet's New Storytellers.

What? No 13?

I know it's Thursday and that means it's time for a 13, but I'm exhausted and just don't have the energy to come up with one. Have a super Thursday and hopefully I'll be able to visit some this week unlike past weeks.

Thanks for bearing with me!

Social work is draining....

So yes, I do social work. It's tough, it's emotionally draining, it's stressful, and it's hectic. But I still enjoy what I do. Yes, I come home some nights and want to fall into bed not to wake up until the morning. Yes, I can be crabby due to bad interactions during the day. Yes, I can be emotional over things that I read/hear/see over the course of a day. But, on those days, I can say that most of the time I come home and hope/pray/believe that I can or have made a difference. Even if it was a small difference, I can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been told more than once that I'm crazy for doing what I do or that "no wonder social workers have a high burnout" but you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way.

People have said to me "you get used to hearing the bad things" but I'm not so sure I want to "get used to it" Would that make me a bad social worker? Would that desenitise myself to the real issues at hand? Would that make me less effective in dealing with issues?

These things have been going through my mind lately and although I know that most people don't blog about their "real" jobs, I just had to get it out. Another question I've been thinking about lately is how much do we really share about ourselves on our blog? Do we hold back a lot of things because we don't know how people will react or because we want to keep them to ourselves? It makes me wonder how the blogging world really works. I never meant for my blog to be read by anyone. But now I can't imagine not seeing comments from my very regular readers, like goofy girl, Janet, Carmen, and even kailani!

What do you all think?

Monday, Monday

I'll say it...sometimes being a girl is hard! I don't have much to report. I'm tired and worn out. I had a mini breakdown on Friday and fiance ended up storming out to meet people for a birthday celebration (his). I was so tired and crabby and stressed out that I pretty much shut down! Well he left and I did the dishes and cleaned up the bedroom. I think cuddled up on the couch and flicked between "The American President" and "Apollo 13" It was great! I probably fell asleep around 9ish and woke up on the couch and fiance was home from his dinner. We were both better on Saturday and spent the weekend up by his family. That went fine and it's back to another long week of work, school and internship. I can't wait until Christmas!

How was your weekend?

Another Thursday?

Thanks to goofygirl for the WONDERFUL banner she made for me!

Thirteen of my favorite quotes!

1. You must be the change you wish to see in the world. --Mahatma Ghandi

2. It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.--Chinese Proverb

3. When one door closes another opens. But often we look so long so regretfully upon the closed door that we fail to see the one that has opened for us.--Helen Keller

4. Imagination is more important than knowledge.--Albert Einstein

5. Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.--J. Petit Senn

6. The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.--William James

7. The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.--Elbert Hubbard

8. To live is like to love--all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it.--Samuel Butler

9. As I grow to understand life less and less,I learn to love it more and more.--Jules Renard

10. Every artist was first an amateur.--Ralph Waldo Emerson

11. Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.--Vince Lombardi

12. It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.--Theodore Roosevelt

And the last one for fun.....

13. If at first you don't succeed, then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it.

--W.C. Fields

Happy Thursday Everyone! What is your favorite quote?

Carmel says....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Would you be willing to make nice?

Give them a chance

Now, I know that Janet is rolling her eyes at a country post, BUT, I think this song is very powerful and worth a look. What symbolism do you see throughout the video? Let me know what you think!

Pumpkins!

Fiance and I carved pumpkins tonight. I just thought I would share them with you! Enjoy!

Do you carve pumpkins?

P.S. Mine is on the right....fiance's is the goofy one on the left :-0

It's THURSDAY!!!!!

Well, the picture doesn't want to upload so you don't get one this week!!!!

13 Things that are on my desk (remember, I work from home!)

1. My laptop--which you can barely see under all the paperwork....
2. Paperwork--which I can't find most of what I'm looking for....
3. Printer...which has a lot of stuff I've printed and now I don't know where to go with....
4. Faxer, Copier, Scanner, Printer...for all your personal and professional needs...
5. Telephone...which is usually hanging up but on the off chance I can't find it, it has a "find" button....
6. My DEGREE....it looks so pretty and professional.....
7. A bottle of aspirin...do I really need to say more?
8. My engagement pictures....yeah not really sure how they ended up here.....
9. Pictures...lots and lots of pictures....me and fiance, my favorite kids, my maid of honor....
10. Vanilla Carmel candle...unfortunately it doesn't get lit a lot cause I'm scared it'll catch the paperwork on fire!
11. Paperclips....I swear I'm addicted to them....
12. Elephant piggy bank...it was my Grandma's and although I don't keep change in it, it makes me feel comforted.....
13. And finally.....a lamp! What desk wouldn't be complete without a lamp?

Now if you check back this weekend I will be posting a picture of my MESSY desk...we'll see if we can make some sort of contest out of this. How many things people can pick out? How many days you think it'll take me to clean it up (completely)? Most creative ideas for my desk? I'll think of something!

Have a super Thursday!

Anxiety

Has anyone else realized that the ticker on the side keeps getting smaller?

I'm having anxiety about everything I have to do yet for the wedding AND what I do on a daily basis. Yesterday was a 13 hour day as is today. Yesterday I went from up at 7am, leave house at 8:30am, not home until 9:20pm. Today was up at 5am, out the door at 6:25am, home for a quick lunch (now), gone again not to return until 8ish. UGH!

Anyone else having these weeks or is it just me?

Tim McGraw

GOOD SPORT
Tim McGraw throws a fashion curveball, ditching his country threads – and iconic cowboy hat – for a preppy look recently during a signing session outside Live with Regis and Kelly in New York City. And McGraw's Mets hat was no coincidence: His late father, Tug, was a pitcher for the team. (From People magazine online... www.people.com)

What's Left of You?

Besides the fact that this guy is hot, I honestly think he can sing. Give him a chance okay? I promise you won't be totally disappointed. Read below the video!
I decided that every Monday I will post a video of a song and explain why I chose it. I chose this video because I really appreciate Nick's raw emotion in this song. If you have heard the song before, watch it with the video. If you haven't seen it, just take it all in and let me know what you think.

What do you guys think of doing this every Monday? Will you come back next Monday to see what I pick next week?

Instead of a TT....

Dove - Evolution Commercial (higher quality)
Please watch this video instead of reading a 13. I think this is very important for everyone to see!

No wonder our society has such a distorted view of ourselves.

Peanut feels left out....

Peanut expressed her disapproval that this blog was "all about Carmel." She wanted me to remind you that, she too is cute. Although she is already 5 and is quite a spoiled princess, she is a part of the family as well. Well, Peanut, here is a post for you, all 4 pounds of you! :-)

Another day, another picture

Fiance took this picture while out on a 52 mile bike ride two weekends ago. I thought it was neat enough to share :) I hope you all enjoy it as well. Happy Tuesday!

Carmel

Carmel just wanted to say hello!

Another Thursday!

Thanks to someone for this banner...I can't remember where it's from. It's either Kelly or Goofy girl!

Thanks to Janet for coming up with this week's topic!

Thirteen Awesome Things that Fiance has done for me!

1. I got flowers EVERY month on our anniversary for the 1st year!
2. On our first year anniversary, he had bronchitis so I was thinking it was going to be low-key but....
3. Instead he took me to the "castle" where we had our first official date and he proposed!
4. He has taken care of me when I've had kidney stones and although he preaches about "drinking more water" after each one, he is more than helpful when it comes time to go to the ER.
5. The little things add up....leaving little notes, cleaning up my car, watching movies I know he secretly hates!
6. He has opened his heart to my parents when he wasn't too keen on "family" at all and they love him like a son and he adores them!
7. He is honestly the funniest guy I know and whenever I'm down or upset, he will try his hardest until I smile or laugh at his jokes.
8. Fiance always wanted to live on the West coast and I've always wanted to stay here so we live here because I have the best fiance!!!!
9. My program for school is shorter so I am going to school first and he is waiting to start his program until after we get married!
10. He is the supporter until I get done with school and then I will return the favor :-)
11. He is an all-around amazing man who I can't believe loves me as much as he does.
12. Fiance will bring random flowers just to "brighten the house"
13. The two things fiance hated the most: the phone and cuddles....guess what? Not only do we talk on the phone quite a bit (on my way home from work, when I'm away for work, when he's on a break from work), but I also get cuddles

Who wouldn't love this guy?

Happy Thursday!

My first 13 in a while

Thirteen Things I have done for the Wedding or hope to have done SOON!

1. Engagement pictures! --check
2. Reception Hall--check
3. Ceremony location (same as reception hall--we're getting married outside!)--check
4. Cake--check
5. Budget--check
6. DJ--check
7. Person to marry us--not yet
8. Guest list--sooooo close
9. Dress---umm haven't even gone yet
10. Bridesmaids and groomsmen--check
11. Photographer--check (my wonderfully talented Aunt!)
12. Invitations--I have a rough draft (I'm making them myself!)
13. Everything else that I can't think of off the top of my head....give me some more time!!! :-)

A Mental Health Day

So today I am taking a Mental Health Day (aka Sick Day) from work. I woke up and have just been so tired and crabby that I decided I needed a day to be ME and just relax. So in about an hour I am going to meet fiance at a coffee house (on his break) to do some studying, eating, relaxing and talking. I just love it.

On to other news...what's the big deal with gmail? How do you get it? Everyone and their grandma has gmail now and I have no idea what the big deal is? You can't just sign up for it I guess. Someone has to ask you? Well apparently I'm not nice enough because nobody has ever asked me!

Oh well! Happy Wednesday :-)

PS Has anyone switched their blogger to this blogger beta or whatever it is? Just curious if anyone has it and likes it? Let me know!

Monday....

Well, the engagement pictures were in on Friday so fiance and I packed up and headed up to my home-town to see them and.......we LOVE them! They turned out SO good that we had to decide between 12 favorites! It was a tough decision but we got it all figured out and my mom is going to order them today. I'll let you know when we get them back in. I might post one but I've never posted myself before so I'll have to think about that.

What's new with everyone? I'm getting into the groove of my schedule and hoping to start posting more!

Happy Monday!

Long Time Gone

Wow, it's been quite a while since I posted. Well, a lot has happened. More work bullsh*t has been happening and well I almost quit last week but I've calmed down and realized that whatever happens, happens.

Fiance and I have been talking about moving back to my home town. He enjoys it there and it has a nice "homey" feel to it. We would like to move there asap but obviously we have a lease, and other obligations at this point. Our lease is up in May and we may consider it then.

We were up in Appleton this weekend and had engagement pictures taken (in the rain!) We wanted them outside and it was raining so we improvised. We should get them back this weekend and I can't wait!!!! I can't wait to see them. I have a feeling it's going to be hard to pick out our favorites...our photographer took over 100 shots!!!!

Other than that, I have been very busy. The apartment is not as clean as I would like and obviously fiance is feeling left out seeing as I am gone constantly! I am hoping to make it to Thanksgiving break just to have a few days off. It will be nice to just relax.

Sorry I have neglected the blogging world, but I appreciate you guys sticking in there with me and still checking for updates. I am trying to be better, but there aren't enough hours in the day.

Have a great Monday everyone!

I am still alive...

Thirteen reasons I don't have time to blog anymore....

1. Grad school--I don't know who thought doing grad school and working was a good idea.
2. Wedding planning--It's fun stuff but wow is it time consuming!
3. Homework--I think this one goes along with #1
4. Commutes--the commute time really kills me especially since it's 45 min. one way to school (that's without traffic!!!!)
5. Late night working--since I go to school during the day and night and I have internship, I am working later hours which take away from blogging!
6. Internship--I'm at the hospital three times a week by 7 am (with a 30 min commute) so that's not too fun
7. Trying to see fiance--the times I'm not doing the above 6, I'm attempting #7
8. Sleep--although I haven't gotten a lot lately
9. Being sick--Fiance and I are both sick right now too!
10. Boring--you guys are just boring me (just seeing if you are actually reading this or not!!!!)
11. Complaining--I feel like all I would write would be complaining about all the stuff I have to do
12. Maintaining the apartment--when I'm gone about 10-12 hours a day and fiance is working full-time, it's hard to find time for dishes
13. I do--miss the blogging world and I still try to make time to read everyone's posts to keep up on your lives! I hope you miss me too!!!!!

Thanks for reading :-)

Picture updates

Here is Carmel: She has gotten SO big since the last time I saw her. Don't be fooled by the fur, she is CHUBBY!!!!! But so cute huh?

And here is the pirate ship:

Long time gone...

Well, it was definitely a while since I've last blogged. Things have been hectic around here and because of that, I haven't been in the mood to really write. I'm trying to get some things done for the wedding (we have a ceremony site) and other random things before school starts next Tuesday.

I am very nervous about school. Fiance went with me yesterday to get my student ID and my books. My stomach hurt the entire time. It's just very stressful knowing all the things I need to accomplish while in school. I am excited for my classes because I think I will enjoy them, but scared at the same time that I won't have time to get everything done that's needed.

Fiance's dad and gf were down here for the weekend and on Sunday we went over to Lake Michigan to play for a while. We played bocce ball and watched the sailboats and little tour boats. Then out of nowhere came a.....PIRATE ship. I took two pictures and I'll have to post them later. I couldn't believe it. It honestly looked like a pirate ship. So strange.

Anyway, how has your week been going? I'm trying to look at all positive things so help me out if you can!

Just for Janet

This is just for you, Janet!

Monday already?

Well, this weekend we had a fairly successful party at Life After College. It was a small gathering of close friends and besides fiance, all girls! We had a wonderful slumber party and Goofy Girl even got her hair done. I will be selecting the winner of my favorite present later on today.

I can't believe it's already Monday though. It was a busy weekend. We went to the Zoo on Saturday and then a baseball game yesterday and a TON of things in between. It's not so bad on Monday when you've had a full weekend. I have a busy week with work and I'm even out of town for two days.

Well back to work. How is your Monday going?

Party up in Here!

Thanks to Goofy girl for the banner...isn't she talented? She designed my blog too!!!!!!

Yes, there's a party! Carmen was nice enough to host a party this weekend and I thought I would do the same. This party is officially started. I have plenty of food, but surprise me with your "dishes" to pass! If you bring gifts, they can be left on the table right inside the door. Food can be put in the kitchen and the bathroom is down the hall to the left. We do have room to people to stay overnight, but it will be slumberpartyish (I made up that word)! Fiance will welcome some company as well so don't forget to say hi to him!

Music is started and fiance is in charge of tunes. You have a request, give them to him. Am I missing anything? Make yourself at home. Invite your friends and have them come on over!!!!

(I will pick a favorite gift at the end and will continue to update this post throughout the party!)

Ants are not good roommates

Well, I haven't written in a couple days and for good reason. The room that houses the computer (spare bedroom/office) was infested with ants. We even had the flying ones (which means they made a nest). Well I freaked out and was calling the landlady to get someone in here. In the mean time, I felt creepy crawly all day and did not enjoy being in that room.

The "ant killer" came yesterday and found the nest and sprayed some good poison all over. We had to keep the door closed because of the smell, but went in there last night and WOW! I have never seen that many dead ants in my entire life. They were everywhere. I should have taken a picture. The "ant killer" said they got in through a hole in the window and then went into the vent thingy and stayed. Thankfully, he understood us not wanting them to make a permanent residence there and got rid of them. We put up 5 ant hotels (aka traps of poison) and we are finding more dead ones today. The room doesn't smell any more but I'm still paranoid of finding more live ants. I have been on an ant mission the past two days and it has distracted me from my blog :-)

Cross your fingers that the "ant killer" did the job or I may have a nervous breakdown trying to control all these ants!

Monday is a horrible way to spend 1/7 of your week!

Well, as you can tell, I'm not too fond of Mondays. As fiance says "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down." Work hasn't been going well and I got some bad news last week which put a damper on a lot of things. I'm not going to go into details but I'm disappointed and not as happy to work for this agency any more. Like everyone says though "shit happens."

Carmen had a wonderful party this weekend and yes, I am going to be hosting one this weekend. Anyone want to make a banner for me to share? I'm not talented enough to do that! Well, that's about all I have today...boring huh? How are your Monday's starting out?

PARTY AT CARMEN'S PLACE!

Hey everyone, head on over to Carmen's blog because she's having a party! Leave her some love and let her know what you're bringing to the party. Leave me a message so that I know you were here!!!!

Thursday again?

So you think you already know everything? Here are 13 things you may not have known (I got this in an email and thought some of these were good!) I don't know if the banner is from KellyNello or goofy girl but say hello to both of them any way!

1. No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple. (You know you just tried to think of one...didn't you!)
2. A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
3. Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
4. Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite!
5. The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
6. The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid. (I would have loved to see that!)
7. Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
8. There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins. (You know you're curious....really, no love for Betty!)
9. If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights. (So then that also means that you'll spend an average of 6 months of your life bitching about being stopped at red lights :-) )
10. Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10. (I still like dogs more, vocal sounds or not!)
11. A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
12. A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue. (Well that makes me feel better....after eating me, he can't stick out his tongue and make fun of me for going near him....whew!)
13. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing. (What a frightening thought!)

Well, now you know everything! It's rude to not leave a message....so leave me some love here people! Also say hello to Carmen because she has a GREAT new design by Goofy girl. And as long as you're saying hello, make sure to stop by Janet and tell her Amy sent you so she knows that Michelle isn't the only one who sends people over to her.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Where to even start

Today has just been crazy. I was sick from work yesterday but this morning I decided to get back in the swing of things. Well, you would think I was gone for a month with the amount of emails and voicemails I had! Whew...I got through them all and stayed sane! YAY!

I called my mom on Sunday night and asked her to run out to the place I used to always have pictures taken and see how much engagement pictures would be. Well she went there today and got me a quote...and took Carmel. Well, the photographer FELL IN LOVE with the dog and took her back into the studio and started snapping away. Well, Carmel, loving the attention, posed on a love seat type thing and let her just take her picture. My mom said she had to have taken at least 30-40 pictures! I told her just wait...coming soon...Carmel in the studio! So apparently she is loved by all!

I have to run some errands and figure out what's for dinner. I'm leaning towards Chicken tacos...hmmmmm.

Happy Tuesday everyone. Is it Friday yet?

I'm Back!

This is how Carmel likes to sleep--on her back!!!


This is Carmel being nice enough to pose for the picture (I'm sure she's saying...."I know I'm cute")

More about the weekend later. How was your weekend?

Out Of Town

I will be out of town from Wednesday afternoon until Sunday some time. So I will not be participating in the TT. If you are here looking for one, please look at the 100 things about me and comment on there or just comment on this post so I at least know you stopped by to visit me! I get lonely with no comment. So have a great rest of your week and I'll have pictures from the weekend!

Happy week!

So here is Carmel. I promised another picture way sooner than I posted but eh, sue me! She is absolutely adorable and I get to see her again on Wednesday so you can see how much the little girl has grown. I was out of town from Thursday-Sunday which is why you did not see any updates (did you miss me?--the correct answer is YES!)

I went to a wedding on Friday and a baptism on Sunday so I was quite busy. Fiance is the Godfather for the baptism and the little girl is ADORABLE! I don't think I have any pictures of just her, but next time I'll get one.

Well, I accepted an internship at a hospital near Milwaukee and I'm quite excited about it, but nervous. I don't know how ready I am to start school again, but ready for not huh? It's coming much faster than I anticipated.

I have another wedding this Saturday and I am maid of honor in it. I am very excited and honored about it, but I have to write the speech! I'm nervous about that let me tell you. I don't mind public speaking, but this is talking about marriage and all that jazz and I'm not married yet so who I am to give advice? I'm going to try to be serious (hahahah) but we'll see how that goes. Any suggestions?

So where have all my followers been? Apparently nobody cared I wasn't around since the TT! Well I'm hurt people!

It's that time again!

Well, I was going to skip this week, but hell, I'll join in. I think that Janet took the easy way out and Carmen has some wacky stuff going on, I'm going to be normal this week. Yay!

Thirteen Things about Me (I know you just can't get enough!!!!)

1. I cry easily...just try me...leave a nasty message and see what I do
2. I am very close to my family and love to visit and hang out.
3. I love noodles...just plain love them.
4. I have the two final weddings of the summer this Friday and the next Saturday
5. Fiance's goddaughter gets baptized this weekend so we're going to his home-town.
6. I don't like his home town.
7. I really do like country music (Janet, will you still be my friend?)
8. I haven't really felt like blogging lately.
9. I read at least 10 blogs every day.
10. My parents' new dog is HILARIOUS! She has short stubby legs and is soooo chubby!
11. Fiance makes me laugh at least once a day...it's part of what keeps us sane.
12. He wanted me to do a post of "13 songs we're going to have at our wedding"
13. He usually comes up with my ideas for 13's because I swear he's way more creative then I am.

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Blah

So I know I've been horrible at blogging lately. For that I apologize. However, I haven't really been in the blogging mood. I haven't been in the mood for much lately actually! I do have pictures of the new puppy and I'll try to update this post later and post a new picture of Ms. Carmel (Carmen, it's pronounced Car-mel).

How is everyone's week going?

New Puppy

Today is the day...my parents are getting a new puppy. Although I am still sad over the loss of my dog, Cashew, I am excited that my parents are getting another dog. Peanut is very lonely without her friend I think this may help. They get her today at 4:30 and we are naming her Carmel! Here is a preview, but I'm sure I'll have more after this weekend (we're going to visit of course!!!)

Thanks to Nello for the banner!







13 recent junk mail I have received!

1. "Wanna hook up tonight?"
--Gee I would love too, but I have other plans!
2. "Confimation Needed: Riding Lawn Mower Available"
--Just what I have *always* wanted!!! Especially living in an apartment, that riding mower will come in handy mowing the lawn I don't have!
3. "Final Notice for Home Depot Gift Card"
--hmmm I don't believe I would have gotten a Home Depot gift card for my non-existent home.
4. "321 Henley Dr."
--huh what?
5. "If you're over 30 and single, read this ad"
--well, I'm not over 30 and I'm not really single so gee, I think you sent this to the wrong person!
6. "Do you want a free laptop?"
--Sure but do I look stupid to click on the link in your email? Nope!
7. "What would you do to get out of debt?"
--probably nothing you have to say
8. "Costa Rica Land--find out more!"
--and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you too!
9. "Earn your college degree online"
--I already have one, but gee thanks for thinking of me!
10. "Complimentary $1000 Victoria's Secret Card"
--so that's what Victoria's Secret is huh? They give away all that money in order for people to go there!
11. "Attemping to contact you--urgent"
--well if you say it's urgent, then I really won't answer you
12. "Lose 20 pounds in two days"
--after 20,000 this email MUST have the cure to lose all this darn weight I want to get rid of!
13. "Work from home and earn money"
--too late guys, I already do!!!!

I could go on forever, but I won't. I'll post tomorrow who won from last week's license plate challenge, but not many of you answered. So feel free to post a guess if you want. I haven't been up on posting this week, sorry about that. It's rude to not leave a comment so take a second and do it!
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Honestly nothing ***UPDATED***

Well, for once in my life I don't really have much to say but I felt obligated to give my wonderful "fans" (hahahahaha) a post today! I have to add up all my plates from the game and see who was closest although I think only 3 of you guys guessed. I honestly don't think people read my entire 13's sometimes because the majority of the people don't do what I say in the end! *ahem* Anyway, just saying hi. Anyone have huge weekend plans? Mine includes cleaning, grocery shopping and cleaning some more....what a fun weekend for me!

Happy Friday!

***UPDATE*** So I was just looking around at other blogs and was reading Carmen's blog and saw on her "Favorite Peep's" list was me!!!! Not only was my blog listed but my link is "The Very Funny Amy" WOW! Who knew I was funny? Now this is something I am definitely going to have to share with fiance. Next time he doesn't laugh at one of my jokes, I'm going to have to refer him to Carmen! Thanks, Carmen for making my week with that!

Thirteen Thursday!

I was going to do a picture 13, however, the pictures will take up way too much room. I need to figure out how to do a slide show or something so that you can look at all the pictures without having to waste so much space (or I need to learn how to make them smaller!)

So here is a 13 of where we all went and what we did!

1. Sioux Falls, SD--we went to Falls Park which has beautiful waterfalls and had hiking and biking trails. There is also an observation tower that we climbed to the top of to look at the park from above.
2. Deadwood, SD--we went to Mt. Moriah Cemetary where we climbed all over to find the gravestones that Fiance wanted to see. We also camped in Deadwood for 1 night at a place called Wild Bill's. We also saw the exact location where Wild Bill was shot.
3. Rapid City, SD--we went to Chapel in the Hills which was AWESOME. It's a little church that was assembled in Norway and then taken apart and shipped to South Dakota to be put back together. It's very small, but very cute and is an awesome structure.
4. Outside of Rapid City, SD--We also went to Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern which is right outside of Rapid City. Some of the most beautiful crystals. We had to walk down 10 stories to get to them though!
5. Needles Highway--this was WAY cool and we were able to make it through all the caves and saw the "Needle's Eye" which was really cool as well!
6. Custer, SD--we went to see Crazy Horse and WOW will that thing be amazing when it's finished! The Mount Rushmore heads will fit into Crazy Horse's head when it's done. We saw a lazer show there that was great!
7. Keystone, SD--Mount Rushmore for fireworks on the 3rd. I do have to say that I will probably never see anything that cool EVER AGAIN!
8. Estes Park, CO--We walked around Estes Park and ate dinner and had homemade ice cream. We camped right outside of Estes Park so that we would be close to Rocky Mountain National Park.
9. Rocky Mountain National Park--We hiked around the park and saw a wonderful waterfall. That is also where the signed that I posted on my last post was from!
10. Denver, CO--we saw the United States Mint building but weren't able to go in because tours are booked through August! We also went to a botanical garden that redeemed us for not being able to see the Mint building.
11. Colorado Springs, CO--we rode the Cog Railway to the top of Pike's Peak and hung out there for about 45 minutes. We got hailed on as we were re-boarding the Railway.
12. Colorado Springs, CO--the next day we went to the Garden of the Gods and I'm telling you, if you go to CO Springs, go to the Garden of the Gods. It was the 2nd time I had been there and I loved it just as much. Fiance had a wonderful time. We hiked all over and got some of the most amazing pictures there!
13. CO Springs, CO--we went then went to 7 falls and just like the name, it has 1 continuous waterfall that has 7 falls within it. Very very neat, however, it was over 250 steps to get to the top. That may not seem like a lot, but combine it with high elevation and VERY STEEP stairs! It makes me tired Amy with an asthma attack. Ooops!

Well, that's the trip in a nut shell. It was so much fun. We also played the license plate game. Anyone ever played that on a trip? Where you try to find all the US States while driving. Take a guess at how many states we saw. The closet one will get......ummm.....you'll get a post dedicated to your page giving you advertising (sorry that's as good as I've got!)

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Caution!

We saw more than one of these signs while in Rocky Mountain National Park. Fiance and I were laughing slightly because the poor child in the picture looks like he has no chance. We were careful to stay away from the riverbanks, but there were still people climbing through the river on to rocks and such.

Fiance's reaction when he saw this sign, "So Amy pretty much if either of us falls in, we're dead." Hmmm, thanks for that comforting thought!

"Oh to live on Sugar Mountain"

Fiance plays that song quite a bit and I thought it was fitting seeing as this picture was taken on the top of Pike's Peak. Yes, I said TOP! We were 14,110 feet above sea level. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating so it is not as clear of a picture as I would like. You can tell we are above some clouds though. It started hailing (on July 6th mind you) on us right when we were boarding the cog railway to go back down. It was beautiful though. We only got to stay for 45 min because the air is very thin that high up and people can become dehydrated and become ill because of the elevation. Fiance and I both felt fine, just a little dizzy near the end. It was so worth it though!

Pike's Peak
Colorado Springs, CO
14,110 feet above sea level

Although it is not the highest peak in CO, it is one of the most well known throughout the US and one of the most climbed, and visited peaks!

Back home...and tired

We made it home! It took two days and about 17 hours to make it back from CO, but the trip was worth it. I can't even name all the things we did during the 10 days we were gone, but I thought I would post a few pictures. As you can probably guess, I'll be doing my Thursday 13 from the things we did. Here's just a few to keep you wanting more....

This is from Sioux Falls, SD and it is at a place called "Falls Park"! It is just beautiful!

This is the Badlands. So beautiful!

Here is one that needs no introduction! It's taken in black and white, and it had just rained so it looks as though they are sweating (it was really hot and sticky that day too!)

So thank you to Janet and goofy girl for being WONDERFUL guest bloggers. I appreciate the time you guys took to do that. Janet, what a wonderful idea for a 13. Too bad that more people didn't participate! Check back this week as I'll post more about our adventures and more pictures. Ahhh...I can't believe tomorrow is Monday and it's back to work.

Thursday Thirteen Ed. #48

Graphic courtesy of Novelist in Training

Thirteen Things we like about this Amy chick ;-)
(I'll start off, you tell me in the comments what you like about Amy and/or her blog and I'll add it to the list!)


1. I like that she trusts me enough to let me guest post!

2. Heather says: I like that she seems very kind, sweet, and upbeat!

3. Carmen says: I think she has excellent taste in Favorite Blogs! :) AAAAND She's cool like 'dat!

4. Tess says: I love that she is letting her readers do her T13 - how original and *la-zee! but hey, vacation deserves a little laziness

5. Pink Chihuahua Princess says: I like that she and I seem to be in similar stages in our lives. I just got out of grad school (law), and am a newly wed.

6.

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8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.



Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I'll add you here!)


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Live from the ROCKIES!!!

Hey there! I am sitting here in Denver and I can see the Rockies from this computer. This is the 1st access to a computer that I've had. Unfortunately, their Wi-Fi didn't work so I can't post any pictures yet. However, I think I have taken over 300 pictures so far. We have had SO much fun and we aren't looking forward to coming home. Thanks to goofy girl and Janet (fondofsnape) for doing some guests posts. It looks like Janet may be doing one more so check back for that and I'll be home on Sunday and I will DEFINITELY post some pictures then.

Happy Thursday! (Sorry no 13 unless one of my guest posters gets ambitious!)

fond of snape guest post #1

Hi all! I'm Janet, aka fondofsnape! Amy asked me to be a guest poster while she's on vacation and so here I am! I'll follow goofygirl's lead and tell you a bit about myself: I'm OLD, I live with my dogs, Wolf and Max, and my Dad!


Max and Wolf
I am in LOVE with photography and nothing makes me more happy than spending a day taking pictures :-)

Friday and Sunday I had two shoots scheduled, both of children. After Sunday's shoot, I'm considering starting a business in which I'll travel to people's homes to photograph their children (or pets, or themselves) in a relaxed setting, versus dressing up the baby, taking him/her to the mall or photography studio, waitingwaitingwaiting, possibly giving the baby time to get cranky, etc. What do you think?

That's all for now, I hope you all have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Goofy Guest Post #2

I missed guest posting yesterday since I was away most of the day so I'd really like to say something but I really don't know what exactly to say. I made pancakes (strawberry & choco chip, yummy) with my friends today and then went to the pool - it was a very relaxing day. I'm meeting a high school friend for dinner and probably playing some tennis with my boyfriend and dog afterwards. The courts are lit up at night so we can play much later and when it's cooler!!

What did you do today?

Goofy Guest Post #1

Hello! I'm Goofy Girl for those who aren't familiar with me. I'm 25 and currently I'm in medical school. I live with my dog and my boyfriend. That's pretty much the basic info on me.

Yesterday I went to the outlets in Lancaster, PA with my mom. For those who don't know Lancaster is the home of some of the Amish. Since my mom and I took the backroads to the outlets we say many, many buggies out there. I really wonder what it would be like to be Amish. I wouldn't be blogging, I wouldn't be in medical school - I would probably be married and have several children, I would work long and hard on a farm all day. It just seems very different from my life now!!