life at the nunnery

about time

2010-05-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

Friday, where have you been all week?

oops, i'm the asshole

2010-04-08T20:39:00.003-07:00

Why is it when I try really hard to stay calm, not overreact, and repeat myself (to get someone to remember something), it makes me the jerk? I mean honestly, how hard is it to do something when you have been told about 20 times? And how is it alright to then get super pissed and yell and storm away when you are the person who CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER and is being reminded, again? And the person reminding you doesn't sound mad and isn't even raising her voice. Hello? Does this seem right?

In my imaginary world, where people are responsible and respectful and decent to one another, this isn't something that needs to be discussed more than one time. Also, if you have to be reminded of something again, isn't the right thing to just go do or un-do what you forgot? Doesn't that just make sense? Apparently, no.

I really hate when people take their crap out on me. Be responsible. Take accountability. Pay attention to what you do. Remember that your actions impact others; even if in some small way.

I really need to be a hermit. I just can't believe that my expectations are so unreasonably high. Really? Really? I also really hate that whenever shit like this happens I feel like something is wrong with me. Like I am being ridiculous or crazy and expecting things that people just shouldn't be expected to do. And then I think, well why do I do it? Why do I make a point that when I get up at 4AM I am quiet and don't let my dogs bark and don't slam doors and don't make unnecessary noises. What's the point if others don't do the same? Why should I be the one who cares? And then I wish I could be the person who NEVER, EVER thinks about this problem; who doesn't realize this is even a problem or issue or something to consider. I wish I had a full frontal lobotomy.

In other news, I should be going to bed right now as it is nearly 9pm and I need to get up shortly after 4am. Can I do that? Oh no. I am too revved up. Also, I really need to eat something as my stomach has been upset all day and everything I ate went immediately into the toilet courtesy of my bowels.

You don't have to say anything, I already know. Your welcome for the overshare about my digestive abilities. Don't be jellis.

thanks, lady!

2010-03-20T20:12:00.001-07:00

My sister is the best. More to follow later.

new job

2010-03-18T16:48:00.002-07:00

A week ago Monday I started a new job as a bill collector. The company is very ethical and legal and really work to take care of their employees so that is really cool. The one thing it has solidified for me is that Americans are irresponsible and selfish. Just because you can't afford your bills doesn't mean they just go away. Here are a few things to remember: pay your bills, don't blame the bill collector that you have a bill, be honest, work with people who are creating an opportunity for you to pay your bills and avoid legal troubles.

In other news, getting up at 4:20 AM sucks.

political spectrum quiz

2010-02-05T16:59:00.001-07:00

My Political Views
I am a left social libertarian
Left: 4.03, Libertarian: 5.48

Political Spectrum Quiz

sewing projects

2010-02-01T21:42:00.002-07:00

I have decided that February is the month for finishing projects. Today I started and finished a sewing project. I can't say what it is because it's a gift for someone who might read it here. After I give this gift, I'll be sure to post a picture and a link to the pattern.

I am also going to make an apron (for myself), make some curtains for my bedroom, finish some table runners and maybe make a few dog tag silencers for my dogs.

i'm a winner

2010-01-30T21:57:00.002-07:00

On Friday I went to Sephora for a free facial with Philosophy products. I really thought I would not like it and the products would be blah or cause me to have an allergic reaction but no. It was actually amazing. I am completely in love with Philosophy skin care products and especially love the miracle worker moisturizer, miracle worker anti-aging rentinoid pads and the oxygen peel. My face felt so soft and bright and moisturized that I wished for money so I could buy all the products. (It didn't work.)

During this all day facial extravaganza Sephora was giving away a free tote bag with products from Philosophy to one lucky lady (or guy, I didn't see any there but maybe there was a guy there to get a free facial; I wasn't there all day). At 8:00PM on Friday, I got a call from the store that I won the drawing. Yay me!

I received this really cute black messenger style bag with Philosophy written on the front and several items. I took a picture so you can see, too.

tandi's haircut

2010-01-30T21:54:00.002-07:00

Here are the promised pictures I should have posted about a month ago.

groomer

2009-12-30T18:08:00.002-07:00

Today I had Tandi professionally groomed by a mobile groomer and she did an amazing job. Tandi probably hasn't been professionally groomed in 6 months and looked like a mess but now she looks like a million bucks.

This mobile grooming van showed up in front of the house, the groomer came to the door, collected Tandi and an hour later walked back up to the door with my perfectly groomed dog. Tandi probably had an extra seven inches of fur on her sides and belly and way too much fur in her ears and I am shocked at how perfectly and quickly the groomer completed the job. AMAZING!

I'll post some pictures tomorrow; poor thing just wants to lay down and rest after the ordeal.

new plants

2009-11-17T21:57:00.002-07:00

Here are some pics of the new plants we got last week:

Backyard:

Side of the house in the backyard (Fruit Trees):

Front yard pygmy palm:

treysen's first birthday

2009-11-15T12:52:00.005-07:00

This year Baby T-Pants gets two first birthday parties. The family party in AZ was a great success and everyone had fun. Here are some pics of T-Pants and family.

New Raiders slippers:

Trouble (on my shoulders):

Baby T eating cake:

The clean-up:

fan page?

2009-11-12T14:04:00.001-07:00

Umm, I guess I have a fan page on Facebook. Basically this is the highlight of my life so I wanted to share.

Here is the link.

life's list

2009-11-12T13:50:00.002-07:00

I have done this many times before but I am bored out of my mind waiting for my car to be fixed and this is at least something to do.

Highlighted is a list of things I have done in my life. What have you done?

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I guess I need to get out more. (Except I hate to travel, so most of these won't be done by me.)

thanksgiving

2009-11-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

I am totally excited for Thanksgiving.

halloween 2009

2009-11-03T22:11:00.004-07:00

This year I made bee costumes for the dogs and we entered the local canine costume contest and we won 3rd place for cutest. I promised some pictures days ago and I am finally posting them. There is a software program I used called smilebox and since they have so many awesome scrapbook images I went ahead and made a full Halloween 2009 scrapbook.

Enjoy!

halloween party

2009-10-27T19:32:00.006-07:00

Living near my brother, his wife and kids means this year's Halloween party was tame compared to past years. Everyone came over for dinner and pumpkin carving and cookie decorating. We had mummy hot dogs, spooky french bread pizza, creepy veggie tray and lemony fruit dip with haunted fruit. (Except for the mummy dogs, none of that stuff was actually done Halloween style; I just added that for flair.) I made Pumpkin Whoopie Pies for dessert and they were maybe the best dessert I have ever made.

Here are some pics of the whoopie pies:

Now for the pumpkin carving pictures:

This is my pumpkin in the dark:

And a few days later LaShon and I made the cookies. We were really tired and it was kind of late so we were pretty silly.

Here are a few pictures of the awesome:

news

2009-10-13T20:16:00.002-07:00

Dear Jon Stewart,

Thank you for watching the news for me; I just can't anymore.

Gratefully,

Misty

new house pictures

2009-10-09T12:24:00.011-07:00

Here are some pictures of the new house.

My living room:

Quilt Room:

Bedroom:

halloween costumes

2009-10-07T20:09:00.001-07:00

Instead of buying costumes this year, I am going to make Halloween costumes for Barkley and Tandi. After extensive searching I found a pattern, with detailed instructions, on how to make a hoodie for a doggie. I am going to make yellow and black striped hoodies so the dogs can be bees. I even bought stuff to make wings. I am totally excited.

If I remember, I'll post pictures when they are done.

loving a new cereal

2009-09-21T15:28:00.003-07:00

I stumbled upon the new Fruity Cheerios and am loving them. Imagine, if you will, Fruit Loops a quarter of the size and after eating a bowl none of that waxing build up aftertaste you can't get off your tongue; This is the new Fruity Cheerios.

They are delicious. Run out to the store and get some right now. Seriously. Right now.

movies

2009-08-16T16:57:00.001-07:00

I saw District 9 today and it was awesome. It was seriously better than I could have anticipated and everyone should see it. As long as it's your kind of thing.

Also, I can't wait for Zombieland.

great dad gift certificate give away

2009-06-01T22:23:00.004-07:00

With Father's Day fast approaching, its not surprising that family friend, Jenna, has a gift certificate give away. To enter the contest you have to write the most wonderful thing about your dad on her website.

I posted immediately and kept it short and sweet, but honestly, I could write a novel about wonderful things about my dad. I guess technically my dad is my step-dad but I hate that statement because he isn't a step anything. I knew my dad before he was my dad and I knew him as the old guy who helped my family with simple plumbing jobs too big for my parents to do. Sometime after my parents divorced my mom and he started talking and became fast friends. I guess one thing led to another and they married the summer after I graduated from high school.

I was not entirely sold on the old guy at first but he was so great to my mom and he was so great with me and my sibs that I couldn't help but like him. After about a year or so I sat down with my now dad and asked his permission to call him dad. I said, even though you weren't always my dad, I would really like to call you Dad. He said okay.

He has been the best Dad a girl could ask for (which I kind of did). He is always there for me, he looks out for me, he gave me a brand new car (shoot, he gave me my first "used" car, too), he treats me like his kid and he lets me treat him like a regular guy. He tells corny jokes over and over and over again that really aren't funny but they always make me laugh. He teases me about anything and everything and he not only lets me tease him but he likes it, too. ;-P

I cherish every day I get to spend with him and am lucky and grateful to have him in my life.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T19:32:00.006-07:00

Yesterday Lashon and I made dinner for our parents and then we dyed Easter Eggs. My fingers are still stained from the dye.
Here are some pictures of our awesome eggs: (Aren't we amazing artists?)

Ha, ha!

2009-04-13T19:00:00.004-07:00

For the last 2 months I have continually stuck my tongue out at Treysen in hopes he will one day mimic me.

Here is the proof that persistence pays:

And see? It worked on LaShon, too. HA!

Haircuts

2009-02-24T21:32:00.004-07:00

Barkley and I both had haircuts today. We look awesome.

Here are our befores:

Here are our afters:

Aren't we adorable? If you don't think so, have a look at this:

new baby

2009-02-02T22:38:00.003-07:00

Saturday I went to Petsmart to look at the little dog babies up for adoption and I fell in love. She is a mini-schnauzer and is just adorable. She is somewhere between 2 and 3 years old and is black/silver with a docked tail and her ears are altered to be pointed and stand up. She is extremely quiet and calm and really, really sweet. She is also completely in love with Aaliyah. She has been at two shelters for the last 4-6 months of her life so she is not used to living with a family and is really shy. I changed her name slightly because the name the shelter gave her is kind of not cool; I chose Thandi (pronounced Tan-dee).

Here are some shots of the new angel face with baby dog. Aren't they cute as hell?

give meat loaf a second chance

2009-01-29T22:13:00.002-07:00

As a young child there was almost nothing I hated more than meat loaf, the smell of meat loaf, the thought of meat loaf, the look of meat loaf, the idea...well you get the point. Each time my mom said we were having meat loaf for dinner I would groan loudly and silently wish the oven would explode before it was done baking. I'm sure my mom hated meat loaf night as much as I, due to my extreme dramatic reaction to that dinner selection.

Well, Mom, I decided to try meat loaf again.

I have about 12 magazine subscriptions (thanks e-rewards!) and one of them is Real Simple. In their November issue there is a ground turkey meat loaf recipe that looked interesting. Over the weekend I found the recipe on my favorite recipe site myrecipes.com and decided to give it a try.

This meat loaf is not your mom's meat loaf. It starts with 4 cups of chopped fresh spinach and 1 cup chopped fresh parsley. It was absolutely delicious. Seriously. I also followed the mashed potato recipe (I substituted Yukon gold for the red potatoes). I highly recommend switching to buttermilk for all mashed potato dishes. I made two more changes to the potatoes: 4 slices of chopped center-cut bacon and half a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I figure this replaces any need for gravy.

This meal was absolutely amazing and I will make it again.

walking

2009-01-28T21:40:00.002-07:00

So LaShon recently purchased a treadmill and I started walking on it this week with Barkley. Yes, that's right; with Barkley. He is absolutely adorable and walks right next to me on the treadmill. He doesn't even need a leash. I'll make a point to take video of him walking tomorrow.

true story

2009-01-28T09:44:00.001-07:00

My tax return is scheduled to be in my bank account this Friday. I love having easy taxes and no complications or things to wait for once I get my W-2. The end.

cleaning up phone photos

2009-01-25T21:26:00.002-07:00

Friday night I decided to go through the photos on the memory card in my phone and found this awesomeness:

I took this on Black Friday 2008 because at 6:30 in the morning, after running through two stores before dawn, this is funny.

picture of baby dog

2009-01-19T23:29:00.002-07:00

Isn't he cute? He loves the sun.

eeek!

2009-01-05T21:20:00.005-07:00

Two nights ago I learned a few things about myself. Number 1, I am a 4 year old girl; Number 2, My sister is completely out of her mind (and a bad ass). Saturday night we actually saw a mouse in the house. Barkley would not stop messing with the heater registers and after a while, we realized there was a teeny, tiny field mouse underneath one. It ran across the living room and LaShon and I squeeled like little girls. I mean all out high pitched to the point of breaking glass screaming. We also jumped up and down in place. We were pathetic.

After a few hours, LaShon caught the mouse with a glass vase and here are the pictures:

We let it go in a field near an abandoned house but it probably died in the snow. It was like 1:30 in the morning when we let it go and LaShon maybe dropped the glass vase in the snow. Because its not clear in the pictures, the mouse if very small. The body was only like an inch and a half to two inches long. It was itty bitty.

To further this story, today LaShon sent me a text message that she caught another mouse (one we saw yesterday). When I got home she told me that when she saw it she screamed (only a little) and slammed a cup down on it, catching it. Unfortunately, it seems Lashon's extreme bad assedness scared the poor little mouse to death. When she slid a plate under the cup and picked it up, the mouse was dead.

Moral of the story: don't live near a field with a broke ass landlord who doesn't care if you get the Hantavirus.

digital photograph retouching

2009-01-03T09:59:00.003-07:00

I found this website through a friend and thought I would share. If you click on the pictures on the bottom or go to the portfolio you can see before and after shots. I found a lot of the before photos much more beautiful than the after photos.

It is incredibly sad to me that people feel a need to create some ideal of perfection. Why can't what we have and who we are be perfect? What a shame that civilized people feel it is reasonable to portray false images to achieve some higher sense of value. Why can't we value what we actually have or who we actually are. I pride myself on being someone who says and does what I mean and mean what I say and do. If I am not true to myself than why bother?

I really believe that being happy is finding ways to appreciate, love and want what we have. Looking at what your limitations are and not being disheartened but being overjoyed at the fact that we can find complete bliss in our day to day lives.

I am not especially fond of vacations away from my home and find it incredibly troubling that for many people, to have fun (to really have an enjoyable time in life) they must leave what they have and who they are and where they live. I don't want that. Sure vacations are fun. It's fun to see new places or visit friends who live far away but not if it means I sacrifice the incredible opportunity I have to see my daily life as enjoyable, fun, meaningful, great, blissful and exhilarating.

I want to enjoy every moment of what I have and find new ways to appreciate my day to day life. Life doesn't have to be a struggle and we don't always have to look for the next best thing. Right now, today is the best thing you have and you are missing it.

Haircut

2008-12-19T22:41:00.001-07:00

Barkley looks like a homeless dog. He is getting an overdue hair cut tomorrow and I will for sure post some adorable pics.

Ikea is great!

2008-12-04T21:37:00.005-07:00

On Black Friday I went out shopping with my sister and cousin and it was awesome. I was able to get a few presents for a few people and then some stuff for me.

Here are some pics of my awesome stuff:

It is super nice, comfortable and the price was great.

Here are pics of the MALM bed frame and headboard I bought. It's really awesome. The bed frame was on sale for $99 on black Friday. Thanks IKEA. I LOVE YOU.

And just for fun, here is a pic of Barkley yelling at me to get his toy:

just for fun

2008-11-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins (do sharks count?)
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09.Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars,
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day.
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41 Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie (I even wet my pants for comedy gold)
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River (no, but the Colorado River)
82. Been on a television news program as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music (does it count if I was just a kid?)
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on a photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach (totally gross!)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (do fish count?)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Aren't these pictures cute?

2008-11-17T22:21:00.002-07:00

Jenna Nelson Photography: Sneak Peek- Claudia and Jeff.

These are some friends who I used to work with. They are the cutest couple ever.

new nephew

2008-11-11T22:25:00.003-07:00

My sister just had her baby this morning. I only have a picture from my phone to post but I'm sure my mom and sister will have better pictures posted or emailed in the next few days.

Here is Baby T (Treysen):

Halloween Party

2008-10-25T08:43:00.002-07:00

I am totally excited for tonight. I am hosting a Halloween Party (as I do pretty much every year) but this year I have invited like 2x the number of people, I am making 4 times the food and 2 times the treats and I AM LOVING IT!

Last night I made candy popcorn balls and bagged them in these cute little jack-o-lantern bags and I also made caramel apples. I actually made my own caramel sauce. I was lucky to have a lot of help from my mom last night (LaShon can't help me because she broke her foot on Wednesday, and yes I know she is 2 weeks away from her due date). It was nice to have some help and I really appreciate her time.

Today I have to finish decorating, carve a pumpkin and make all the food. My only concern is that the food will not stay hot and I don't have any kind of heating things. Oh well. Maybe I can afford that shit for next year.

Hopefully I can take some awesome pictures before the party starts and then post them later.

I <3 Seattle

2008-10-08T20:00:00.002-07:00

Friday night I flew to Seattle with my BFF for a Saturday night concert to see Rachael Yamagata. (If you do not know her or her music, you should. She is amazing.) Honestly, she is better live than recorded and I am glad for every time I hear her live.

Anyway, since we flew in Friday and were leaving midday Sunday, we only had time to fall in love with Seattle again, drink, eat and see Rachael play. Pretty much it was a great weekend and I wish more than anything that I still lived there.

I booked the trip through Travelocity and will book with them again. The price was great, they had more flight listings with more time availabilities than any of the other travel websites and the hotels they offer are very high quality. I booked a hotel that was within walking distance to both the club and Pike's Place Market and we actually walked to both. My knees didn't hurt, I was not out of breath and actually liked walking through the city. We stayed at the Sorrento Hotel, Seattle's oldest luxury hotel. It was absolutely adorable and the staff was super helpful.

We got to the hotel after 10pm on Friday and were referred to a bar less than one block away called the Quarter Lounge. The bar was kind of dark, has two pool tables and plenty of booze. I was shocked at how cheap the drinks are in Seattle. Seriously, Allison and I drank for price of one in Utah with twice the booze. It was really fun and the people there were all friendly.

Saturday we walked to Pike's Place Market and had lunch at this great diner just East of the market. We ordered these peach drinks and after waiting a long time, the server came back and said they were out of peach juice so asked us to choose something else. We did, she left again and came back only a minute later with the peach drinks. She said that they pureed peaches to make us juice for our drinks. How awesome is that? See why Seattle is the bomb.com?

After lunch we walked around the market, did a little shopping (I bought a scarf and a shirt at J Crew--look at me fit into a size XL at a normal store) and then went back to the hotel to rest before the show. we walked to the show, it was awesome--despite the fact that Rachael had the flew and felt horrible--and then back to the Quarter Lounge for more drinking.

After this trip, here are the few things I know to be true: 1) I miss living in the Pacific Northwest; 2) I need to move back; 3) I miss Seattle; 4) I need to move back.

So here is my plan: in the next 5 years I need to move back to Seattle (or Portland), adopt a second dog, have a nice little house, condo, townhouse with a tiny bit of space for a garden, and have a job I like and have success.

Are you a fan of delicious flavor?

2008-09-21T19:57:00.002-07:00

If you do not know where the title comes from, shame on you.

I am having a love affair with a salad at the Bamboo Hut. It is called the Hut salad and is completely delicious. You get like 4 cups of lettuce (Hello fiber!), mango and pineapple pieces, red bell peppers and Gorgonzola cheese. Then your choice of teriyaki chicken, pulled pork or ono chicken (which is like sesame chicken). I always pick the mango vinaigrette instead of the tropical dressing and I think I use like 1/3 of the small side container.

If you live in the Utah county area, you should go to Bamboo Hut and get this for lunch. It is so delicious.

new clothes, less fat

2008-09-09T21:15:00.009-07:00

Since April I have lost about 34 pounds and shed 3 to 4 sizes. Due to this tremendous change I no longer fit into any of my clothes. My pants fall off me and my shirts look silly. I received a giant coupon from Lane Bryant (I am not yet out of fat ladies clothes but super, super close) and was able to buy a ton of clothes. I spent around $200 and bought all of these things:

The white shirt with the square collar is actually this crazy black and white pattern. I also purchased the jewel green shirt in a jewel purple color and this really awesome dress. It's a sleeveless (but not like thin straps) white and black patterned dress with a short swing black 3/4 sleeve jacket. It is like 1/2 a size too small so in about a month or so, when it fits, I'll have someone take a picture and post it on here. I freaking love it and it was only $30. Yay sales! Oh, I also bought some jeans with embroidered autumn colored flowers and some metal dot bedazzled like stuff on them. I was going to post a picture but there are too many pics on here already. Basically, I bought 6 pairs of pants, 6 shirts, a dress, jacket, skirt and spanx (the skirt is a black one just under my knee) and now have a new wardrobe so I can wear some clothes that won't fall off me anymore.

success! (and pity party)

2008-09-08T18:53:00.003-07:00

After two months of much stress and very bad times, I am back on track. I lost 2 pounds last week and I only exercised one day. My short term goal is to lose 30 pounds by Christmas and at this point I have 27 pounds to lose and 15 weeks. I think this is quite attainable (as I am a huge orca whale of a person and have over 100 pounds to lose from my start date) as long as I can average 2 pounds a week. If I work really hard (which is my plan) I should be able to lose 3 pounds a week average for the next month.

I know this seems like a lot of weight but I honestly had over 100 pounds to lose when I started. I have gone down 3-4 sizes and feel much better in general. I have also not started smoking (despite my increase in stress) and I am honestly proud of this achievement. I really have very little self control when it comes to doing what I want and to not smoke for 9 months when I very much love smoking is pretty cool.

I really have a lot more to say about life and stress and things but really don't feel like sharing. I am really frustrated with my work and frankly, I hate working there so much it kills me. It actually makes me feel so bad about myself and my professional skills that I pretend I am apathetic so I can get through the day. I had the opportunity and privilege to manage, supervise and direct several departments and multiple people and I love every minute of it. I loved managing people and finding ways to support my staff, find ways to make their jobs easier and better and helping them find success in a pretty basic entry level position. I feel like I am a excellent manage of people and know what motives people really well. Now I don't get to do any of that and I really hate everything about work. I hate the people, I hate my office, I hate having to talk to my bosses, I hate having to help my peers with what used to be my job, and I hate what I do now.

I guess I actually did feel like sharing. I just want to feel better about my work situation and I think until I find something else, it won't happen. My sister and I are going to start our own business (at least that is our plan) and I think it will take a year to get it going. This is fine but I don't know if I can last a year where I am. I just feel worthless and can't figure out what I did wrong. (Even though most of me knows I did NOTHING wrong and I was awesome.)

So enough pity party. I am going to suck it up, go to the bathroom a lot, text my friends and family on my phone, shuffle my papers around and meet with a lot of people at work. I will also continue to put on an appearance of apathy and when someone brings something to me that is NOT my job anymore I will always pass it on to the person who took my job. UGH!

tag

2008-08-04T00:43:00.005-07:00

The RULES as posted by Marvin: ( I don't know who Marvin is, by the way)

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 5 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 5 bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know they've been tagged.

I was tagged by kuh

5 quirks of mine

1. I can't stand to see cabinets doors or drawers open after someone is finished with the cabinet or drawer. I have to close them. Have. To. Close.
2. I get ready in the morning in the exact same order and don't realize I am do this until after I am done. Even though I know it makes no difference, I can't seem to change my pattern and have been getting ready in the same order since I was 12.
3. When I need to give myself quick comfort or reassurance, I tug my right earlobe.
4. Even though I know it is stupid and makes no sense, I am superstitious about a lot of things.
5. I edit it everything I write, at least 2 times before I take further action. Including my own private to do list or grocery shopping list. I never send an email or post something online until I have read through it once silently and once out loud.

I tag cuddlydoll and my mom.

crap

2008-08-04T00:41:00.001-07:00

Ralph, my brother-in-law, died Sunday 12:10ish am.

Walking is fun!

2008-06-07T23:05:00.002-07:00

Barkley and I started walking regularly and after two weeks of being bored with my apartment community, I ventured further from my home and found this really nice park with a really nice walking track. Nielson's Grove is a huge park with a walking track, flower bed, pond, playground and pavilion. I have been there several times this week and will continue going.

I think I have been able to walk about 2 miles without killing my knees and actually find it to be pretty fun. Maybe this whole being healthy thing really is for me.

Here is a picture of the park:

Being Not Fat Update

2008-06-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Monday morning I weighed in again and have now lost a total of 24.4 pounds. Yay me!

I am obsessed with my dog

2008-06-01T10:29:00.002-07:00

This is a photo heavy post, just as a warning. I have finally uploaded all my pictures on my camera to my computer and many of them are of my dog. I am positive I have an unhealthy obsession with my dog but I can't help myself. He is so sweet and so adorable and so cute!

Here is a picture of him when I first got him. This is the first picture I took after getting him for Christmas, to show my employees how cute he was--I believe he was 7 weeks old--and how small. He is standing on the palm of my hand.He was about 1 pound in this picture and the cutest thing ever. He is now 10 pounds--full grown--and just as cute. He has filled out and grown into his floppy ears and his nose is long and big but I love him just as much as when I first got him. Here is a picture from today:

He is totally cute and I feel completely justified being obsessed with him and unable to stop talking about him. Right now he is snuggled against my leg as I sit on my bed (the green blue thing he is standing on is the duvet cover currently on my bed) and type this entry. He has his face under my pillow and is flat on his tummy. He is so cuddly!

In other news, I am for sure going to get a second dog. I have plans to move in July (to my own place--Yay, no more roommate!) and after we are settled, Barkley and I will be looking to adopt an older dog who is well mannered and needs a good home. I will probably go for a male dog again and one at least a year old. No more puppies. They are a pain in the ass!

Now for some other pictures. I have planted a few pots and window boxes of flowers and a tomato plant on my patio and took some pictures. I am posting them here for those of you who never visit me or live too far away and can't. Yes, I know this means I am pretty domestic; get over it. My patio also houses two new wrought iron chairs--thanks Lowes --and a BBQ. The BBQ was a B-day present from my folks; it's a Foreman Grill on a stand but works really well outside (mostly because I have a plug, LOL) and I have used it much more than I expected I would. Ok, that's enough from me. On to the pictures!
This final picture shows one of my new chairs--they are incredibly comfortable--my BBQ and Socks. I was watching my sister's dogs for the last week and her dog Socks is this tiny old fat thing. She is too precious and was hiding on the patio/balcony to avoid the two puppies. She's also smart.

Well that's all for now; Oh, wait! I forgot to give an update on my weight loss. As of last Monday, I have lost 20.6 pounds and while I am still fat, I am really succeeding in being less fat. I have dropped 3 dress sizes (well, 2 comfortably. I can wear 3 sizes smaller than when when I started the diet but the size I can fit into isn't that flattering for my remaining fats). All of my pants are pull on and look clownish and I am constantly afraid they will fall off or I will be pants by some random bully walking by and this is a confirmed fear! Barkley has pants me twice at home, by accident. He pulled on my pants for attention and they fell down. It was hilarious!

I believe that in approximately 4 months I will be out of the fat ladies clothes (at least I can buy clothes in regular stores like Target, Dillards, JC Penneys, etc without going to the special Fat Ladies Section). This means, of course, that my ultimate weight loss goal is becoming a skinny bitch. I know this is not what I previously stated and now I am a total jerk-face but let's be serious. If I am really going to be healthier and diet and exercise and actually CARE about myself and what I look like, I should be honest. I want to be one of those skinny bitches who I always assume have no problem with maintaining healthy weight. Even though I know it takes work. (Or they are bitches because it's all genetics.)

I have spent almost 10 years as a fat ass and it is the one area in my life that completely destroys my self esteem. I feel 100% awesome about myself in everything but how I look. It completely stops me from having a complete, healthy and normal social/personal life and while I know it's totally stupid, I can't help myself. I just want to feel better about myself and stop worrying about how ugly I am because I am fat.

Now I am really done. Whew!

Real Quick Update

2008-04-28T23:54:00.002-07:00

Here is a really brief update after weigh in Monday (Oh goody! I have created another reason to hate Monday. At least I don't go to meetings and don't have to hear someone say, somebody's got the case of the Mondays!): I lost 5 more pounds. I have now lost a total of 17 pounds and am very close to my first 10%.

I have more to say about my not being fat journey but it is too late to write more. I am very sleeping and my little baby dog is making me jealous, as he snuggles against me and has been asleep for hours.

In other news, I watched Juno last night and it was lovely. I loved everything about that movie.

Go Jazz!

2008-04-24T22:31:00.002-07:00

Tonight was game 3 and the Jazz lost. Now they will have to play one more game in Houston. Even thought this is horribly depressing I still love the Jazz and have complete faith in my boys.

At least it's a new week

2008-04-21T20:12:00.004-07:00

I did not lose any weight this last week and gained .4 pounds. This is primarily due to water retention thanks to the fact that I am a woman with a uterus. Stupid human anatomy and biological processes! I have a dear, dear, dear, dear friend who is a doctor and she prescribed me something to help reduce this problem and also clear up my horrible hormonal acne. Again, thanks body! It's great getting acne for the first time ever at age 24 and still having it at age 30.

When discussing these problems with my dear, dear, dear, dear friend it occurred to me that if I am going to be not-fat I also need to have a pretty face. Being fat is one thing, but being horribly disfigured by adult acne is completely unacceptable. Good thing I have a friend who works in dermatology and can prescribe me awesome medications!

In other news, one of my employees really helped me start the week by showing me this awesome website. It is just a photobucket site that is regularly updated with the most awesome pictures ever. One of them made me laugh so hard today he opened my office door to make sure I wasn't annoying any other employees. LOL.

Here is one of the pictures I loved:
(I actually made this image the background of my work computer.)

Eating Dessert the Diet Way

2008-04-20T10:41:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I was invited to dine with my parents and I think it was mostly so my mom could try this new dessert recipe I emailed her a few days ago. I tried to link to the recipe but apparently self.com hates me or blogger or linking so I am going to post the damn thing:

Blackberry-Peach Crisp

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Canola oil cooking spray
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup pitted and sliced fresh peaches
4 tsp fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp whole-wheat flour
3 tbsp rolled oats
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tsp canola oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

PREPARATION
Heat oven to 375°. Coat four 4-oz ramekins with cooking spray. Combine berries, peaches, juice and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients with hands until moist and crumbly. Spoon fruit mixture into ramekins; scatter crumb mixture evenly over the top of each. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until fruit bubbles and top is golden brown.

My mom and I decided that it would be quite easy to use this recipe to make a regular fruit cobbler or crisp of any type and size; there is no reason to only do individual desserts. (Well, I think there is. They are just so damn cute!) The peach and blackberry was very good--next time we need to reheat the dish before eating--and I think a triple berry or apple-raspberry (as Mom suggested) would also be great.

I have also found a number or recipes online at Weight Watchers that will hopefully be delicious and close to the yummy goodness I like.

Here is the next recipe I am going to try:

Chocolate Cherry Cupcake Bites

Ingredients

1 sprays cooking spray
18 1/4 oz unprepared packaged devil's food cake, or similar chocolate cake mix
2 Tbsp apple butter
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp almond extract
16 oz canned sweet cherries, packed in light syrup, drained (dark, pitted cherries)
1/3 cup apple butter
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 24-hole mini muffin pans with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, make the frosting: Mix together 1 cup of cake mix, 2 tablespoons of apple butter, water and 1 teaspoon of almond extract until smooth; set aside.
Place drained cherries on a paper towel. Pat cherries dry, place on cutting board and coarsely chop; set aside.
In a mixer on slow speed, combine remaining cake mix, remaining apple butter, remaining almond extract and egg substitute for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes more; stir in cherries.
Fill muffin pans 3/4 full with cherry mixture. Bake until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 15 to 17 minutes. Allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Frost each cupcake with 1 teaspoon reserved frosting. Yields 1 cupcake per serving.

I'll let you know how it turns out. Also, this supposedly makes 48 servings and each serving is 1 point. (Which means each mini muffin is 1 point and this recipe makes 4 dozen mini muffins. In case you can't do math.)

More Success but also More Stress

2008-04-18T22:27:00.006-07:00

As the not being fat saga continues, I have lost more weight. Last Monday on weigh-in day I lost 5 more pounds. So far so good.

While my diet is going well, other things have not gone well last week and this. Two weeks ago Friday I heard a story about someone fighting in an office related to mine but not mine and thought, that is terrible. I did not share the story with anyone else in my office and figured it wouldn't matter and never really affect us. I didn't realize the level of terrible until the fight starter was referred to my office for a job in one of the two departments I manage. The interview was terrible so without knowledge of his fighting in the workplace issue I would not have hired him anyway. Since I would not hire him I decided it was safe to share this fight story with others in my office. I figured the guy who referred the fight-starter would be told, shame on you but instead, I was yelled at for 3 days. The guy who referred the fight-starter called me and yelled at me, my boss accused me of having a spy in the other office and 4 people not in management came to me offering advice, suggestions and telling me what to do--all because I would not reveal my source. I felt it completely irrelevant who told me and found it more important that the guy running the office where the fight occurred would refer the fight starter to our office. Hello, liability anyone?

This stress and the poor reaction by my office and the "sister" office distracted me from other important things, like updating this blog. LOL!

The situation has been resolved because I have ignored this for the most part and stood firm in the fact that I am right. Last week my boss called me after work, at home, and apologized for being an asshole and told me that he took his bad feelings on the other office out on me and it was wrong and I was right and it doesn't matter who told me; it matters that we didn't know this guy started a fight in the other office and the guy who runs the office did NOT reveal the information.

Even better, yesterday my boss gave me the first performance review I have received at this company (I will have worked there 3 years May 23rd). My boss pretty much said I am awesome and on a 5 point scale (with 10 separate criteria) I scored an average of 4.27. Frankly, this is better than I rated myself so, Go me!

If you want to know the details of why I am totally awesome and where I scored, just wait! I will scan the review and post it later. I just have to update the software on my computer so my printer/scanner/copier will work.

Success!

2008-04-09T19:30:00.004-07:00

Monday night was weight track day for the week and I lost 7 pounds. 7 pounds for the first week! I am pretty excited but mostly this means I am so fat a lot of weight came off the first week because I followed the diet pretty well. I really felt alright about the first week and didn't feel like my whole life sucked because of a diet. I have been cooking dinner nearly every night and am really happy. I love cooking and am a damn good cook.

Today was not so great. I am a stress eater and work today (and really all week) has completely sucked ass. I did fine at lunch today and drank plenty of water but for dinner I cheated and went to Carl's Jr. Yay for french fries!

In the good news department, the meal I had was a total of 13.5 points and I have 30 points each day (at least while I am as fat as I am). I still have 4 points left for the day and I have not touched my extra 35 for the week. It really helped to cheat by going to a Fast Food joint and not feel like I was blowing my diet. While I want to be not fat, I also want to indulge in a few vices now and again. Being able to eat smaller portions at a fast food place seems to be the happy medium for me. I think I will do pretty well on this diet because I can eat out and be a regular person. I just get to learn how to eat healthy when going out to restaurants.

In the bad news department, I have not done well with activity this week. I was walking about 20 minutes a day 4 times a week (for the last 2 weeks) but with the weather as cold and wet as it has been for the last few days, forget it. I really hate this winter in April and I hope the weather heats up a bit. Barkley really hates the cold, too. It just sucks because I want to start walking with my mom and our dogs but when it's so cold my knees say no FN way and my dog starts shivering uncontrollably after 4 minutes outside. He wants to go for a walk so bad that last night I put his leash on and walked him around the apartment for 10 minutes. LOL!

If getting healthy is the means to being not fat, so be it!

2008-04-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

After being bullied to stop smoking, I have also been bullied into going on a diet. In all fairness to the bullies, I did complain a lot about being fat and how quitting smoking is a good idea since I am now 30. I smoked for about 10 years, tried quitting 5 times, and while I love it and miss it terribly, it is not a good idea. Not only could it increase my risk for cancer but it costs money, smells bad, isolates me from everyone else and makes me cough 100 times a day. I still miss smoking but I have decided that I am no longer a smoker and I will not smoke cigarettes again.

I quit on January 1 (When I mentioned I might quit smoking this year, one of my employees bugged me numerous times each day for most of December until I gave him a 'quit' date. The new year made him really excited and since it also made him shut up, I agreed.) and that same week a very, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear friend of mine asked me to join Weight Watchers with her. I told her that quitting smoking was enough and she could shut her face. I was wrong; it was not enough and she also did not shut her face. Before February really got going, she started asking if I was really going to join with her. I told her I would join but later.

January was terrible--I was literally the biggest bitch I have ever encountered and could barely stand myself--and February was not starting off super great. I had almost decided that joining Weight Watchers might not be the best plan for me any time soon. Then all of a sudden I wasn't such a horrible person (just a medium horrible asshole) and around the middle/end of March I told this dear, dear, dear, dear friend that I would start a diet with her.

I am tired of being a fatty. I was a tiny, petite kid and a relatively small teenager. I am not tall and have tiny delicate wrists and ankles so I know a skinny bitch is dying to be set free from all the fat I have packed on over her. I just have done nothing about it. I think I use my weight as a shield and now I tired of it. Most of my weight was gained as a side effect of a medication I took in my early 20s and despite the weight I gain or loose on top of that, I have not ever lost the weight the medication put on me. I think when I gained the weight, I decided it wasn't so bad to have a way to keep people at a distance that was more obvious than my tone or the looks I might give someone.

Last Monday evening I weighed in for the Weight Watchers online program (I will not attend their meetings as I currently abhor people and would have to interract wth people at the meetings) and started my diet first thing Tuesday morning. Surprisingly, it has been ok. The online system has a lot of neat tools that help a lazy fatty like me not be so fat anymore. They have a point system called the Flex plan (or something) and they offer this cute little tracking service so you can enter all of your food items and points each meal, snack, day, whatever. The thing I like best about the point tracker they offer is that it's like a bunch of little lists. I LOVE lists. All the tracking stuff makes me have a joygasm because of the amount of list making I can indulge in. I also love the recipe builder they have. You can type in ANY recipe you have and how many servings it makes and it will tell you how many points a serving is. It is awesome!

I have been very reluctant to tell people I am on a diet because frankly it's none of their damn business. I have told 2 people at work and already I regret telling one of them. I also told my massage therapist that I started a diet and she immediately asked, Are you pregnant? She said there must be something going on to make me quit smoking after so long and then diet and exercise. Then she accused me of being happy. As if.

While she was talking to me about this new path for my life she said she is very excited that I am working towards being healthier. She has been pushing me to eat better, exercise and quit smoking since I met her 3 years ago and last week she said, "I know I have nothing to do with this, but I am so proud you quit smoking and are really staying with it." What a nicey! She told me that getting healthy is really great and she is really happy for me. I quickly corrected her and said I only want to be not fat and if getting healthy is the way to do that, I guess I have no choice. She said if all I want is to be skinny then she could talk to a guy she knows, who knows a guy, who knows a guy who can get me some heroine.

I passed on the heroine and will just suffer with getting healthy instead.

Cookies!

2008-02-24T11:44:00.001-07:00