Just a survey about me

EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING?Yes



LONGEST RELATIONSHIP?5 1/2 years



LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED? A housewarming present from Jeff's aunt and uncle.



EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE? I'm sure I have at one time or another.



WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT? About a month.



THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON? Mortgage, food, entertainment.



LAST FOOD YOU ATE?Cereal



FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX? Eyes and mouth.



ONE FAVORITE SONG? Favorite song ever.....Echo by IncubusFavorite song of the moment....I Caught Myself by Paramore



WHERE DO YOU LIVE?Susanville



HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:Lassen High School



CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER: I don't have a cell phone



FAVORITE MALL STORE: Sephora or Victoria's Secret



LONGEST JOB YOU HAD: Susanville Indian Rancheria



DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE? Yep, somewhere around here.



DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?: nope



LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED: Mine.



FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY: If the husband already knew....Sarah my MOH!



LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR CLOSEST FRIEND: Two weeks ago.



FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT:Wendy's



BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD: ummm, I'd have to think about this one.



WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS? Mazatlan! Big beers and chips before dinner.



CAN YOU COOK? I think so.



WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?: Hyundai Elantra.



BEST KISSER: My husband.



MOST DISLIKED FOODS: Beets.



THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF: I'm a good friend, if you're worth having as a friend.



THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF: I'm too pessimistic even though I don't want to be. I'm a worrier.



LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?: 8 hrs.



FAVORITE MOVIE? Sex and the City, P.S. I Love You, The Notebook and Twilight



CAN YOU SING? Negative



LAST CONCERT ATTENDED? Carrie Underwood with Mrs.Cain!



LAST KISS? This morning before work.



LAST MOVIE RENTED: We have netflix so there's always a rotation....Stardust was one of them.



ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT: Keys and purse.



FAVORITE VACATION SPOT:Jamaica baby! Looking to go to Europe next summer.



LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?: Desktop



FAVORITE COMEDIAN?:Dane Cook and Jeff Dunham.




SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES? Depends on my mood.



WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?: Jeff



DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?: I don't see how they could.I can't even maintain long distance friendships!



HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE? 2 that were real and one time from Deputy Costa! Thanks J!



PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST? Pancakes with peanutt butter please.



DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?: Not too much



HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS? over medium, or scrambled, no runny white stuff...yuck



DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?: Nah.



LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?: Someone from work.



LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?: I don't have a cell phone.



WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECIEVED?: See above.



NUMBER OF PILLOWS?: 2 regular one body.



WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?: black pants and a hoodie shirt.



PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC: you got it, you got it, some kind of magic, hypnotic, hypnotic



WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?: Black berry



CAN YOU PLAY POOL?: not well at all.



CAN YOU SWIM? Sort of, but I don't like deep water.



FAVORITE ICE CREAM?: Peanut butter cup or Ben and Jerry's Creme Brulee



TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:I just got my nose pierced.



EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?: Yes



WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON: Fall and Summer



LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID? I'm sure it was something on Family Guy.



WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING ? 7:30...I'm supposed to be at work by 8:00....oops!



BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?: Wood heat, pretty christmas lights and family gatherings.



LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?: 2001



NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?: Buddy. My mom's big yellow cat.



WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND??Reno Christmas shopping, Sarah is coming over and dinner with Mark and JoAnna.



BIRTHDATE: April 11th



WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE: A mommy someday



ARE YOU SMILING?:Not at the moment



DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW: Yes my Poppa.



IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Ireland



WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME? I'm not telling. Before I know it, someone has stolen that name before I've had a chance to have my kids.



WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT?: Brown



DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?: No



HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?: No



HOW MANY SIBLINGS DO YOU HAVE?2



ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?: Nope



HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL? Only the emergency room to get 7 stitches in the back of my head.



DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW? Not really. I kinda like my alone time.



WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING? Wedding ring, thumb ring, anniversary ring, diamond earring and nose ring.



WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY? Eat lunch

Girls Night!

Sometimes it’s just too quiet in my house….or life….. I’m not saying that I crave drama, or any such nonsense, but I do crave human interaction and weekend plans.

The last couple of weeks have been slow to say the least. Jeff has been recuperating from shoulder surgery and so we haven’t done much. I know Jeff loves it. He loves having down time and being able to spend the whole day doing absolutely nothing. I find that I don’t like to be idle. I get bored with T.V. and we’re not really doing anything to the house until after Christmas, so there isn’t much there either. I like to read, but I’m a fast reader and before I know it the book is finished and I’m right back where I started.

That being said…I am so looking forward to this weekend. Sarah is coming up and we have a girls night planned. Thank God! I told my mom I feel like I have cabin fever. I don’t really have any friends that aren’t married, or have children and can’t just take a night off to visit with a girlfriend. I have been needing this like nothing else. It doesn’t have to be anything big. We’re just planning on dinner and a movie. But it’s enough!

YES WE CAN!

Come January, Barack Obama will be our new president! I am thrilled beyond words. Jeff and I were sitting on the couch watching his victory speech and we knew we were witnessing history. It's amazing to think that our grandchildren are going to be reading of this day in their history books.

For the first time since I was an eligible voter I feel like my voice has been heard. I know that I'm only one vote, but I know now that my vote counts. I'm not so naive as to think that Barack will fix all of our nations problems. He's stepping into quite a large pile of mistakes and it will take some time to even begin to scrape the surface.

I also don't think that Bush single handedly flushed our nation down the toilet either. But, he did have eight years to make or break this country and just look what he and his party has done to us.

For the first time in a long time I have hope for our country and the people in it.

BARACK the VOTE!

Go Vote!

This could happen to anyone! :)

http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/index.html?nid=rcklOpguytuUthVBRrlibDQxNzQwNjg

Can We Say Emotional?

Last night I was watching Bee Movie. It's a kid's movie about a bee who sues humans for all the honey that they sell while the bees produce it for free. In the movie, the bees win and they quit work. Nobody pollinates the flowers and they die. At the end, they all get together and pollinate the last flowers on earth. With the stupid song, and the flowers coming back to life....I almost started crying! I actually had to fight against getting teary eyed. Sometimes, I feel like such a dork!

Frustrated

I deleted my last blog out of frustration. Daisy Mae is a good dog, but the day after I posted my blog we came home to find a huge puddle of drool on our couch. She started acting skittish around Jeff again and ended up running away. A neighbor found her and put her back in our yard.

I just get so frustrated sometimes. Jeff and I have argued about her, and I sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it. At the end of the day, I know that we're doing a good thing and it will just take time. It just gets tiresome when it feels like we taking one step forward and then two steps back the next day.

Enough With The Heavy Stuff!

I've noticed that last few entries have been a little too serious. So, what's going on in my little world? Not a whole lot, just getting ready for our annual pumpkin carving party!

Jeff and I started this tradition four years ago and it's going strong. The only time we've skipped a year was last year because we were living with Rick and Gloria and didn't feel right to throw a party at a house that wasn't ours.

The first pumpkin party we hosted did not have a very large turn out. Jeff's cousin and his wife came, as well as our friend Sonja. I think everyone carved a pumpkin, and it was fun to light them and put them on the porch for an evening.

This year is promising to be a very big carving party. We have roughly 15 or so guests coming and I'm still not sure where I'm going to put them while they're carving their pumpkins. That's my number one rule...if you wanna come to the party, you'd better bring a pumpkin and some carving tools. I hate it when grown ups forget how to have fun. Why do we have to wait to have kids to do this kind of stuff?

Anyways, I'm still trying to decide what to serve. I'm thinking potato soup and snacks, but we'll see. I'm just looking forward to having friends and family in our home, having a good time. I can't wait to see what our porch will look like this year with 17 pumpkins all lit up!

First, let me get this said…I believe in God. I have faith that He is leading me down the path that He wants me to take. I don’t read my Bible from cover to cover and I don’t go to church, but that doesn’t mean I don’t pray, or that I don’t believe. I think that people who have a deep faith or spiritual connection with God are healthy. We all need a higher power to believe in, if we didn’t who would we turn to for guidance or love when there isn’t any to be found on Earth?

When I was a teenager, good friend took me to her church’s Youth Group. Before I knew it I was swaying in the pew with them and going to prayer before school every morning. I started reading the Bible. I had something to believe in, and it kept me out of trouble. Most of my friends at that time were smoking pot or other drugs and having babies.

I’m not saying that they’re bad people, but I do think that my faith in God kept me from going out and ‘sinning’. I didn’t want to have premarital sex. I didn’t want to do drugs, or smoke cigarettes. I was choosing to live a clean and healthy life because I felt that was what God wanted of me.

Then, things started to change. It wasn’t my faith in God; I think that has never wavered. I’ve had a few questions, but I don’t think I’ve ever thought that God didn’t exist. I had a very good friend who told me he was gay. I loved him just the same, and to this day, I still support him and any other person who is choosing to live an alternate lifestyle. I just don’t feel like it’s fair to treat him differently or cut him out of my life because the Bible says the way he lives his life is wrong. Who qualified me to be the judge?

I like to go out and have a beer or two on occasion. Does that make me a bad person? Does God love me less? I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve been drunk in the last year. If I decided today that I was never going to drink again, should I look down on those who do?

I’ve taken steps to ensure that I wouldn’t become pregnant. I’ve even had premarital sex with the man that is now my husband. So, does that mean that my friends who go to church every weekend shouldn’t associate with me anymore?

Don’t get me wrong. I think that people who go to church every week and live their lives according to the Book are most times wonderful, loving people. I just have a problem with the ones who say they are living in God’s love and then turn ugly the moment someone steps outside the perimeters of what the Bible says is okay or not okay. We all sin. Are there different degrees of sin? Does the person gossiping over coffee sin less than the man sitting on death row for murder? Or is all sin just as wrong as the next?

I guess what I’m trying to say is….I just wish that people could agree to have their beliefs and pray to God for guidance and still love everyone. Isn’t that what God does in the first place? I’m sure he loves a prostitute or drug dealer just as much as he loves a Pastor or even….me.

Politics...yet again

We work with a person who obviously leans toward the right when it comes to politics. I have nothing wrong with people who are proud of their political party and feel the need to display bumper stickers on their cars or posters in their front yard. It's their house or their car and they should be allowed to 'decorate' it however they want.

What I do have a problem with is when that devotion or passion trickles into the workplace. I don't think that our desks should be covered in McCain stickers or Barack buttons. There's a person who we work with who is sporting a 'yes on 8' sign. It's sitting there for all to see. For those of you who don't know this phrase....well, in California, if you vote yes on 8, that means you are voting to ban same sex marriages. A few months ago our state passed a bill allowing same sex marriage to be recognized by the law.

So, this guy has his poster up, and it's offending me. What if there's a gay man who has been planning his union with his partner working in the next office? Don't you think he would be a little upset? How would their work relationship suffer? We all deserve to work in an environment that is free of prejudices. I'm sure that if I were to bedazzle my desk with 'vote no on 8' I would be asked to take it down.

I have many people in my life whom I dearly love that will be impacted by this vote come November. I will be voting no on 8 simply because I feel these people should be able to live their lives just like anyone else. Nobody should tell them who they can or cannot marry. I try to put myself in their shoes. How would I feel if I were told I wasn't able to marry Jeff? It would break my heart. As most married folks know, once those vows are said and those papers are signed, it gives your relationship a whole new meaning. Shouldn't gay people have that same opportunity?

Now, I'm sure many bible thumpers will argue that it's against God's law. There again, I don't think our government should be run according to the bible. The beauty of our country is that we are a melting pot of different cultures and religions. If we start ruling our government according to the bible, who's bible do we follow? I say, try to give people as much freedom to live their lives as we possibly can. Let everyone have the same opportunities so that they can experience life to the fullest, just like the every day hetero couple walking down the street.

Stupid Kids Part II

Jeff and I went with Doug and Sarah to the Monster Truck show in Red Bluff this weekend. It wasn't as good as last year, but we still had fun. Anyways, it's intermission and I look over to my left and there is a very pregnant young girl. She's hanging out with her friends and then pulls a pack of cigarettes out of her purse. At first I think...well, she's the only one with a purse, so maybe she's holding them for someone...NOPE! She goes ahead and lights up right there, all the while rubbing her baby belly. I couldn't believe it. I was instantly angry. At first I tried to tell myself maybe she just has a very round beer belly. Then she started rubbing it, and her friends were rubbing it. I dont' think she's the next Buddah or anything, and I know I wouldn't let my friends rub my beer belly....

This isn't the 80's. It's no longer acceptable to smoke when you're pregnant. I guess I was so shocked because you really don't see that anymore. I think back when our mom's were having us, times were different. But now, with everything we know now about a baby's development and how every single thing the mother puts into her body goes into the baby....some pregnant women even give up caffeine for crying out loud!

Now, I am by no means perfect. I'm the occasional smoker, but I also know that I'm not pregnant. It's just irritating to see someone do that while they're pregnant. Some people try for years to get pregnant and take such care to not do anything harmful to the fetus. This girl probably had a one night stand with some greasy guy in the back of his truck and now it's too much of an inconvenience to quit sucking on her cancer stick.

Stupid Kids

My mom woke up yesterday morning and noticed that Jesse and Sarah’s tires were flat. When they got a better look at them, they noticed that nails had been shot into them with a nail gun. So, four tires were ruined, my dad had to take the day off the get them fixed, let’s not even talk about the money they had to spend at Les Schwab. At first they thought that maybe one of Jesse’s friends did it, and then they noticed another car down the street with the same problem.

I just don’t understand what the hell is going on with teenagers. I’m assuming the culprits were teenagers simply because I can’t imagine an adult getting much satisfaction out of something like this. I don’t remember ever being destructive just for fun. I did do some rebellious things like steal the occasional cigarette or beer from my parents, but that only affected me. I would have never gotten the idea to take a nail gun to a sleeping stranger’s car tires. I wouldn’t have even been in the same company with people who would have thought that would be cool.

I’m sure that some people would like to blame Susanville for being a sleepy town that can’t keep the kids entertained. But I think that’s a ridiculous thought. Susanville hasn’t changed that much since I was a teenager and I never got into trouble like that. There must be something wrong if these kinds of kids can’t be satisfied with a movie or walk around town on a Friday night.

And look at the kids who are doing what’s called ‘farming’. These are parties where every person has to bring a handful of any kind of medicine that’s in their parent’s medicine cabinet. They mix all the drugs in a bowl and then each take a handful with a beer. I was amazed when I heard kids were doing this, and also very worried. It’s only been six years since I was a senior in high school and just look at what the kids are doing now to get their kicks. Six years…..what’s going to be around when my kids are in high school? I don’t even want to think about it!

Tired of Politics

Is anyone else tired of politics? I sure am! I can't wait for this year's presidential election to be over and done with. I don't mind watching each candidate speak and debate with one another. I hate when they decide to take juvenile measures and make commercial about how horrible the other person is. They are both guilty of it, and I'm sick of it being all over my t.v. screen and on the cover of the newspapers. Why try and win votes with a negative message? It just makes no sense to me.

While I'm on the subject of the political campaign.....go out and VOTE! It's your civic duty and the only way that your voice can truly be heard. I don't really care what political party you stand with, just make sure you are registered and go to the polls on election day! That way, when our country goes through things like war and threat of recession, you have a right to complain or stand behind what's going on.

And while I don't believe I need to share my political beliefs with anyone who reads this silly blog, just please make an educated decision. Look at what both candidates are showing and telling you. Don't be ignorant and say, 'well I heard Obama was a Muslim, so I won't vote for him.', or "McCain is too reminiscent of Bush." Do your own research and choose the person that you think would be the best choice to run our country.

Bustin' My Pup Out of Jail Today

I'm going to pick up our adopted dog at the prison today. I can't wait. I hope this is a smooth transition for her. I'll post some pictures up as soon as a can!

Feels Like Fall

Is anyone else in the mood to bake? I feel it coming on. Maybe it's the weather. It was hot yesterday, but then this morning it was a little chilly getting in the car to come to work. It makes me want to stay home and bake some pumpkin bread instead of sit at work all day.

I am so looking forward to being in our new home this fall. I can't even put it into words. Fall has to be one of my favorite times of the year, where the leaves are changing and there's a crisp feeling in the air. I can't wait to try out some new soups or fall desserts. I'm even looking forward to the comfort of our wood stove when it pops and crackles. I can't wait for Halloween parties and trick - or - treaters. Oh the fun we'll have decorating this year! We've never had this much space and Jeff has already been looking at decorations online. I simply can't wait!

In Desperate Need of Clothes

That's it! It's time to go shopping. Since we had to save money last year for the wedding, and our house, I haven't bought any clothes. It's time. I spilled my lunch on a shirt today and told Jeff that I needed new clothes. Most of them have stains or rips in them. I'm looking forward to buying some stuff, but lately, there hasn't been anything on the rack that interests me. I'm hoping I'll be able to come home with some nice clothes for work. I'm tired of the old rags I have, and everything is fading. I think it would be fitting though....new house, new dog, semi-new husband...new clothes!

The Best Laid Plans

So, we weren't able to celebrate our anniversary. Jeff came home from his training still trying to get over the flu. He was feeling better on Saturday, so we went ahead with our BBQ with Rob and Lily. It was fun. We had egg rolls, teryaki chicken and rice for dinner. It was the first time we got to use our Fry Daddy, which was given to us as a wedding present.

So, we just relaxed around the house all weekend. Yesterday was cold and windy, so we didn't even bother trying to go to the lake. Oh well, I guess there's always next year. We plan on doing our anniversary dinner this weekend, but I know that since I typed it, it probably won't happen!

And....it seems as though fall is upon us. It's been cold the last two days, and I'm worrying because we haven't been able to get any firewood yet since the woods have been closed all summer. But, in the same breath, I'm excited that this time of the year is just around the corner. I can't wait to bake some yummy fall recipes, plan our pumpking carving party, and just the all around cozy feeling I get when fall is in the air.

Three Day Weekend

I am so looking forward to this weekend. It will be nice to take a much needed break from work and home improvement. I've decided that I'm not going to work on the house at all during our holiday, I'm just going to enjoy the time off!

On Saturday our good friends Rob and Lily are going to come over with their little girl Hazel. They are so much fun to be around, and Hazel is a hoot and a half. She's got so much personality and she's already addicted to RockBand. She's so cute when we turn on the game, she gets in the chair behind the drum set and tries to hit the drum pads. It seems that we always have a good time anytime we're able to spend time with these people and it's always nice to have young couple to hang out with.

On Sunday, we will finally be celebrating our anniversary! I'm excited. I went and got Jeff his annivesary present and I can't wait to give it to him. We will be defrosting our cake top and seeing how it tastes, but I think I might make a back up desert just in case!

I think Monday will be low-key and we'll probably end up going to the lake for the day with Doug and Sara. We haven't been to the lake all summer, and it's kinda bumming me out. I think it will be nice to get some sun, and go float around the lake for while. It might be just the thing I need to reduce some of this stress I seem to always be carrying around.

The Hot Rod

Since Jeff had to go out of town and our work is currently out of company vehicles, Jeff had to take my car to Reno with him. That means that I’m driving the Camaro this week. I’ve been driving it on my own for a while now, but it still scares me that I might wreck it, or someone might hit me.

When my car got hit in the parking lot at work I was whining to my mom that I didn’t know what to do because we wanted to get a new car, but should we keep my old one so that we have two cars to drive. My mom suggested we sell the camaro. I got really quiet and asked her if she had a fever! If we were ever in a position where we needed a lot of money quickly because we were going to lose our house and our babies couldn’t eat, or someone in the family were sick, then of course we would sell it. Even then though, I would do my part to make sure I had exhausted all other options. Jeff’s had the camaro since he was 17 years old. Numerous people have asked to buy it, but he isn’t selling. And I don’t want him to. I know that we could easily take home a few thousand dollars and our life would be much easier if we were willing to part with it.

I’ve learned to love the car. I understand what it means to Jeff. To him, it’s not just a car, or a possession. It represents a whole lot of other things as well. Jeff’s family has a tradition. Most of the Honea boys end up with a classic car at some point. In that family, when a couple gets married, they ride in a classic car to the reception. If the groom doesn’t own his own, then an uncle or cousin lends their car to the newlyweds. It a lovely tradition and I’m glad that Jeff and I were able to take part in it.

So, I’m driving the car this week. She’s been great. She’s starting when I ask her to, and she’s just a joy to drive around. It’s a little hard for me to see over the steering wheel, but luckily I’m not driving too far. I think my neck would get tired from craning it too much! I just love to see people’s reaction. It’s usually older men and young boys that turn their heads as I drive by. I know they’re probably wondering what a girl like me is doing in a car like that. I was in Safeway parking lot yesterday afternoon, and there were two little boys standing next to their mom’s car and their mouths were wide open! It was too cute!

I hope that one day soon, we’ll be able to put some money into it and make it the kind of car that Jeff’s always wanted it to be. We’ll get there; it just might take 20 years or so!

I Miss My Honey

Jeff is away on training this week and I’m lonely. I’m finally getting used to the sounds of our house settling or the trees scraping the roof, but I still find it hard to be home alone in the house.

I get bored. I go home, eat dinner, and then try and find something to do until I’m tired enough to sleep. I really wish we had Daisy now so I would have a companion.

Jeff gets to come home on Friday, but that feels like a long ways away.

Something To Be Proud Of

I’m still on the weightloss bandwagon, it’s just going to be a slow process. I’m okay with that. It didn’t take me a week to put on the weight, so it won’t take a week to take it off. But it sure would be nice!

So far, I’m down 7lbs, and it feels good. I can’t see any difference yet, but it feels great just the same. I’ve been having a problem remember to eat on the weekends. I usually get so involved in working on our house that I forget to stop and make myself something to eat. Big problem. You have to eat to lose weight, and I can’t remember to do it! I’ve remember during the week because everything is regimented. I get up to go to work, lunch is at 12:00, and then I make dinner in the evening time. I eat because I know that I can’t get away during work to grab a healthy snack.

Then, there’s the cardio. I bought Jillian Michael’s DVD. She’s one of the trainers on Biggest Loser, and it totally kicked my ass. It was hard to walk for 3 days! I haven’t gotten enough courage to turn the DVD on again, but I figure the work I’ve been doing in the yard can count as my cardio for the moment.

And…..I baked a cake from scratch last night to take to my parent’s house. It was yellow cake with chocolate butter cream frosting. I didn’t have a large piece, I had just enough for a couple bites. That in itself is a big accomplishment!

Stressed

When Jeff and I were going through escrow I started to get this really tight fist -in- throat sensation. It was so uncomfortable. It made it hard to sleep, or eat, and sometimes it even made it hard to breathe.

I went to the Dr. and he basically told me that it was stress. I understood that at the time because escrow is probably one of the most stressful things a person can go through. So, I dealt with it for the month and a half that we were waiting for our house and figured it would go away once we were living in our house.

It did. For a while. Now it's back with a vengeance. I couldn't sleep last night and today, I'm sitting at my desk trying to take in slow deep breath's to see if it will help ease the tension that is building in my throat. Nothing is working. The worst part is that I have no clue what I could be stressing over. We are doing fine financially, our house is coming along nicely, we're getting a dog, our marriage is strong....I don't get it. It's frustrating to not be able to pinpoint the cause of my anxiety because that means I can't do anything to alleviate the problem. Maybe it's time for a real vacation?

We're Thinking of Adopting...

A dog! I've been wanting a dog for years, but I've never lived in a place that allowed pets. Now, we have our own house, and no one can tell us no.


I always thought that I would like to buy a full bred boxer puppy. Then one day I was watching Oprah, and she was doing a show on puppy mills. I was horrified. I can't believe that our country would let this happen. These puppy mill owners keep all these dogs in a cage so small that they can't even walk, and they have litter after litter of puppies. They get tumors in thier breasts from having to nurse so many puppies throughout thier lives. When they can't reproduce anymore, they are taken out and shot.



I know that there are responsible breeders out there, but after seeing that Oprah episode, I felt like adopting was something that I had to do. The dog that we're looking at may not have come from a puppy mill, but she's in a shelter and she needs love. We go meet her today, and I can't wait.

Just When Things Were Going So Well....

My car got hit in the parking lot at work last night. The damage isn't bad, it's just a 6 inch wide scratch down the drivers' side doors. I don't even really care, because Jeff and I were looking into getting a new car by October or November anyways. It's just that we want to be able to trade it in for whatever it is we're buying, so we'll need to get it fixed, or the value of the car will go down. The real kicker is, the guy who hit the car is an older gentleman, and he works in the same office as I do. I feel bad because he seemed embarassed, and he asked me to go get an estimate and he'll pay out of pocket. He doesn't want his insurance to know about it because then his deductible will go up.

So, now I'm in a real pickle. I don't know if it's worth going and getting fixed if we're just going to try to get a new car anyways, but I do want to be able to trade it in for some value. Shoot!

Back on the Wagon!

When I was about 17 or so, I was very overweight, unhappy, and ready for a change. My mom introduced me to WeightWatchers, and for some reason, it ended up working! I stuck with it for about a year, and ended up losing close to 50lbs. I loved my new body, and I loved that I could go into almost any store I wanted, and find something right off the rack.

I've been off the program for five or six years now, and I've slowly gained all the weight back. I knew it was happening, I just didn't care to stop it. Now, I only have a few clothes that fit me, and I'm refusing to buy brand new clothes in these sizes. So, I'm back on the wagon. I went out this weekend and got all of the food I needed and bought a new exercise dvd. I'm hoping that I'll be at least half way to my goal weight by Christmas. I would like to lose 60lbs, but I'll be happy with just being back to the weight I was when I met Jeff.

I'm looking forward to feeling healthy again. Jeff and I would like to start a family sooner rather than later, and it will be better for me to lose the weight now instead of just adding baby weight on top of lazy weight. I've been on the program for three days now, and I'm hoping I can keep my optimism and excitment until this becomes a healthy habit.

A Quilt....

My Granny has always been very talented when it came to sewing. There are tons of pictures of me as a baby in handmade dresses and bonnets that she made for me. When I was a little girl, it seemed that she always had a quilt in her lap. As she has gotten older, she’s decided that she’s done quilting. I was fortunate enough to be given one of last quilts she’s made. She put it in my hope chest and I didn’t really have a chance to look at it until now. It’s just so special to me because it was made by my granny’s hands. It’s one of those things that I’ll look at 20 years from now and I’ll be closer to her because the same thing that I’m holding in my hands, she made with love years before.

Decorating Woes Part 1

Man oh man! I have really had a lot of fun deciding what to do with our new home. That being said, I’ve also ran into quite a few frustrations! When we first started painting, I went to ACE to get the paint for the kitchen. It matched perfectly! So, I when we decided to move onto the dining room and living room, I figured I’d just go ahead and get all the paint I would need, just so I wouldn’t have to make another trip to the store.

When we were looking at paint for the living room, we knew we wanted to do a warm, welcoming color. I was looking at browns, but didn’t really like the yellow undertones in the paint. I found this color called Crossroads, and loved the way it looked. It was still a brown, but it had a gray sort of tone to it. I went to Ace and purchased the three gallons that I would need.

We started painting the dining room that night. It was looking good so far, but it was still wet. By the time we came to the house the next day, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing…I had PURPLE walls. Now, I really do like purple. I liked it enough to have it be the main color in my wedding, but I didn’t want a purple dining room and living room! Jeff swore up and down that it didn’t look purple, he kept telling me that he thought it looked great, and not to worry.

Well, as soon as my mom comes in, she tells me it looks purple. Then, Jeff’s cousin Amy came over and said she like my purple dining room. That was it! I told Jeff I couldn’t handle it and needed to change it before we moved everything in. Thankfully, we had only painted parts of the dining room, so we didn’t add to much work to our already growing list of things to do.

I head back down to ACE, hoping that they might take my unused, unopened, mixed purple paint. No deal. I hated wasting the money, but it’s all a learning experience. This one just happened to cost me $65.00! I keep telling myself that I’ll paint our master bath that color, but the more I look at it, the more I hate it.

We picked out another brown and even did a darker accent wall where the tv sits, and we couldn’t be happier! Now, I just need to pick out some cute stuff to go on our bare walls!

Just One of Those Days!

Poor Jeff! I woke up this morning and was instantly grumpy. I had no reason for it; I just didn’t wake up ready to greet the day with a smile on my face. Jeff was the closest thing to me, and unfortunately I took it out on him. I know he knows that it had nothing to do with him, but it still bums me out.

I’ve been trying real hard to see the positive in things. I think that I’m naturally a pessimist, but I’ve wanted a brighter outlook on life, and so I’ve been trying to switch gears and be a ‘glass is half full’ kind of girl. I really do believe that our happiness in life has to do with our outlook. If I’m always going to be the kind of person who focuses on the negative in every little thing, then how am I going to notice the good stuff?

Don’t get me wrong, it is a constant challenge for me to try and live this way. I have days where nothing goes my way, and I just want to dwell on the negative. But what good is it going to do me? Will it make the situation any better?

I guess that’s why I felt bad about today. I guess it’s okay to have those kind of days, as long as they are few and far between, I just don’t like to waste my time being grumpy, or having to apologize because I snapped at my husband!

Fair Week

It's fair week here in Susanville. I usually only go for the corn dog, but I'll probably end up going with friends this time. It might be fun if we go with our friends Rob and Lily. They have an 18 month old, so it will be fun to watch her ride a couple kiddie rides and check out the 4-h animals.

It's very rare for me to actually see people that I want to see. It's usually those stuck up girls that I didn't like in high school, that like to walk past me like I don't exist. Then there's the price. It seems awfully expensive for us to go get a corn dog and a chorizo! We'll probably end up going on the last day because it's free to get in. I don't know, maybe I'm not Susanvillian enough. It seems like the older I get, the less anxious I am to go to the fair, but I still have friends who can't wait until the gates open, and end up staying all five days. That's a little too much exposure to carnies if you ask me!

Speaking of a Budget

Speaking of a budget….We went grocery shopping for the first time last Friday. It was a little overwhelming because we had nothing. Not even salt and pepper. So we went out and bought everything we felt we needed. I made a menu for the week, and we stuck to our grocery list for the most part. If we saw something that was a killer deal, then we picked it up. Well, at the end of the day, we spent almost $250.00 on groceries. When we got home, we put the appropriate items in our new refrigerator, stood back to take a look, and it looked like I still needed to go shopping! So, I’ve decided to be religious about looking in the paper each week and finding some good deals. I usually go to Grocery Outlet first, just to see what I can find. Sometimes it’s pointless, but other times, I can go in there and walk away with everything I need, except for meat and produce, and I’ll have saved more than I paid for my items. I know that there are people who feel ashamed to go in there, or don’t want people seeing them in the store, but the last time we were there, we saved $50.00! Just think of what you could do with the extra money.

I almost never buy name brand products, unless they are on sell. There are some things that you have to get name brand, like Charmin, but I honestly can’t tell the difference between Sam’s Club Diet Sprite and the name brand stuff.

We're Bleeding Money

I’m not overly concerned about it. Jeff and I knew that we were going to have to put quite a bit of money in this house to make it our home. It’s just hard for me to spend $600.00 in one day! It was all stuff that we needed and its better that we buy it now, when we have the money, it’s just one of those things that get my heart pounding and my palms sweaty.

I am not complaining one little bit. I love our house. I’m so in love with it that it’s been hard to go to work because all I want to do is work on our house! It’s just hard to go from having maybe two bills a month to 12 or 13, along with gas and food. I know that everyone has to grow up and pay bills, but it was kinda fun to watch our money pile up in our savings account while we were living with Rick and Gloria.

I’m still planning on creating and STICKING to a budget. We won’t be as strict on ourselves as we were when we were saving for our house, but we will be treating our savings account like it’s a bill too, and every month a certain percent of our pay checks will go into that account. It’s my goal to eventually be two steps ahead of the game. So, if something happens, or we need a new roof, we won’t be taking out a loan, we’ll be able to pull the money from our savings. It’s very important to me that I be a grown up in every sense of the word. I would hate for something to happen and have to ask our parents for a loan. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with relying on others for help, especially when there are circumstances beyond your control. But I do think that there should be a Plan B, and the parents should be Plan C, and hopefully, everything would get straightened out before asking for help.

There's A Cure For PMS!

Well, according to G. Gordon Liddey there is. I don’t even like listening to talk radio, but a couple of weeks ago, the guy that shares my work trailer with me was listening to Liddey’s talk show on the radio. Normally I tune out that sort of garbage, but all of a sudden I hear an accordion in the background and Liddey making an announcement for all men that there is a cure to their wives PMS. Apparently, the women who have PMS symptoms are deficient in vitamin D and calcium. So, if we just drink some milk and take a vitamin, all of the bloating, headaches, mood swings, and cramps will just disappear…..

Now, I would have no problem in hearing this ‘amazing’ news if the guy doing the reporting wasn’t such a jerk about it. Actually, I’m pretty sure that it was a joke, or an advertisement for milk. It was just the delivery. He was making fun of the whole thing and begging women all over the world to make the world a better place and drink their milk! What a sexist pig! I’m not one of those bra burning feminists, but I am an outspoken woman and I think that he was crossing the line. If it’s okay for a man to make fun of a woman with PMS, then I would like to hear a woman on the radio trying to sell milk as a cure all for erectile disfunction, laughing the whole time and begging the men to please drink their milk so the women in the world could be satisfied…now that would be funny!

My Oh My, Where Has The Time Gone?

My little sister is doing quite well for herself. I am so proud of her. She's such a smart girl! She's graduated a year early, and now she's feeling the pressures to pick a path for her life. She came over on 4th of July and played Rock Band with us. I've never felt very close to Sarah, mostly because of the age difference. Now we are finally getting to that point in our lives that we are experiencing or have experienced similiar things. I remember being in her spot just six short years ago. I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life, I just wanted to get it started! It was so bazaar to ask her about her plans for her future. I could tell that she's on the fence about a lot of things, but as I was listening to her, she sounded just like me right after I graduated. I felt that I had to have all of the big answers to my life figured out. Little did I know that there is a plan for everyone's life, no matter what direction you think you're going to go in, it seems that you always take a detour, or take a left when you should have gone right. I'm so glad that things turned out the way they did. I can't imagine having another life....except for one where I win the lottery, and never have to worry about money again! I told her that she didn't have to have all the answers, and just take it day by day. She doesn't see it now, and I know I didn't when I was her age, but she'll miss these carefree days where her biggest worry is where to hang out after work. Oh how I miss those days! I told her that I still don't have all the answers and I'm just going with the flow. I really do feel like my life will turn out the way it was supposed to, no matter what decisions I make. I think it will be the same for her too. Her life will be 100% different 6 years from now. She'll have different friends, a different job, maybe a husband, maybe a child, the possibilities are endless, and I'm just so excited for her.