Chirp, Chirp

yeah...do you hear that? that chirping noise? it's crickets...you know, the sound of silence? heh...yeah, those crickets must be tired since they've been hanging out here since october. I figured I'd give them a break & come out of my winter hibernation.

Hmm...so what's new? Since October?? yeah, that's a lot of stuff to write. I just read the last post & in it I was talking about doing the Oklahoma City Marathon...hmm...good thing i didnt actually register for the thing, b/c i did pretty much zero running. Actually, that's not true...i probably ran a combined 20 miles total from the last time i posted, but about zero of those miles were in training for a marathon. Not long after I posted, I started working a second job, so in addition to my lack of motivation to get out of bed & start training, i also had the job taking up the time i would have spent training. Convenient huh? :) you know it's bad when i'd rather work an additional 18ish hours a week instead of work out. It's not really like that tho...i guess i really didnt want to run much, when it's cold out you just want to stay in bed & conserve energy the energy needed to shiver your way to & from work every day. I did however want to pay off my considerable credit card debt...if i keep up the current schedule, things will be paid off in a year.

I've dubbed this the year of the credit card. It's D-Day for those things!! If i have anything to say about it, the balance will be zero by this time next year. Just in time to replace my currently old but holding up alright car. Or maybe get a house. Or do something equally financially ambitious with my newfound financial freedom. We'll see. My wonderful BF is inspiring me to be more frugal with my money, so i'm giving him all the credit. :)

Hmm...this is also hopefully that i make The Change to my lifestyle. By The Change i dont mean THE Change...i'm not hoping for menopause! Umm...no, i'm hoping that i can make peace with eating better & exercising, and make it part of my life, instead of something i did once and talk about like it was the good ole days. This last week I ran/worked out monday through friday, and then--get this--i ran just under 6 miles today! WOOT! :) i have to confess, i probably walked close to 5 minutes of the total time i was out there, but am proud that i made the distance.

Mom & I are running the Chicago Marathon this fall...and the Lincoln Half Marathon this May, and the Bix7 this July, and another half marathon this fall, sometime between the Bix and the marathon itself. Why are we running all these things, you wonder? Well, the last time we ran the Chicago Marathon, we shied away from the heat of summer, and instead of actually training like we should have, we halfheartedly suffered our way through the summer, never getting the needed miles in. We hope that by planning fun runs throughout the summer, we will be inspired and motivated to keep running & get the needed miles in. I am hoping too, that i can get back to my Bermuda time, or beat it (5 hrs).

So there you go...an update, and some pipe dreams, all in one post!

xoxo
katie

lazy day

Today is one of those days when you just want to stay in bed allllll day....it's a cold, rainy, grey day outside. Guess what i'm doing? I'm still in bed!!! :) I got up around 10:00 today, but got out of be just long enough to grab breakfast & my laptop. Then it was back to bed, and i have spent the afternoon playing on my computer.

The last week has kinda been a bumpy one, so it feels good to just lay around and be lazy. I havent been too lazy though...did you notice the changes to the blog? I upgraded, added labels, some lists on the sidebar, updated my profile...oh yeah, and changed the template. This one is ok, but i would like something that is inspiring when you open up my page. I know, I know..you're saying to yourself, how can it get more inspiring than the words of wisdom in each post? ;) Hmm...well, I want something to inspire me to write more, and also to run more...i want some picture, of a place like Big Sur or something, and some runner in the middle of it. You know, inspiring! :) If you know of a blog template that's easy to install--i'm not good with the html coding thing at all--could you let me know?

In other news...
I have decided to run the Oklahoma City marathon. Training started officially (for me) 2 weeks ago...according to the schedule i should have run about 20 miles total by now. So far, the running total is...um...less than 7. :\ Guess i need to get moving, huh?

a trip home, the zoo and a pubcrawl

As the summer was coming to an end, I was looking forward to my schedule slowing down a little bit...it seemed like as soon as June hit, we had something going on every weekend through the end of August, and those somethings were always at least a 2 hr drive from home. It was definitely a fun summer, but I was looking forward to more quiet weekends, ones that didnt involve living out of a suitcase & paying for expensive gas. :)

Well...that hasn't happened so much...it's gotten better, there are more weekends that are quiet & not jam-packed with stuff to do, but there are still plenty of booked weekends in there. Such as, 2 weeks ago when I went home to visit the family. Jeremy came with me, and we had a blast taking the kids to the Pumpkin Patch, and hanging out with family. On Sunday the 2 of us had an afternoon date --we went to the StL zoo-- to sortof celebrate being together 6 months (hey-it's a big deal in this battlefield of love that is the dating world!). :) Talk about a great weekend!

Here are a few pictures of the kids at the pumpkin patch:














































On a side note...This last weekend we had the fall pubcrawl in Westport...talk about a ton of fun! My friend Buscher flew in, and my friend Brad & his roomie Kirk drove in to be on the team. It was so much fun...altho it's been a looong time since i've had a weekend with so little sleep! Blogger's being slow so i will post the pictures next time, but rest assured, there are some gems in there! :) haha...

weariness, quarter-end and a new flavor of turkey

~sigh~
I am le tired....today I was at work & waiting in the cold morning air for the shuttle at 7:10a.m. Lately I have been an earlybird, last week i was at work before 7:30am every day! Who is this girl, you say? Well, it's a girl who has a very sweet boyfriend who helps her get up in the morning. In my more recent years, i havent been opposed to getting up early, as long as i wasnt the one who had to get me up at that ungodly hour. :) Jeremy has been the brave, brave man who attempts to wake me up at 5:15 or 5:30, so I can be ready & on the road in time to be at work by 7. What a guy, huh? :)

Lately work has been getting busier though...the quarter closes this saturday, so we are trying to get a ton of stuff done in order to get everything on the books before we close them. That is why i am so le tired...today i worked pretty much straight through until 6:20...that's 11 hours!! you wouldnt think sitting at a desk that long would wear you out, but it does!

The highlight of the day was lunch...last night at the grocery store deli i found some sundried tomato smoked turkey. YUM! you dont even need mayo on this sandwich...mustard & cheese is just fine...it was really good.

Is it sad that the highlight of my day is a turkey sandwich?

Happy Birthday!

Today is my mom's birthday! Happy birthday!!!!

In honor of the occasion, I thought I would blog about my mom. I dont remember every having one of those days in school where you bring your parents to school & brag on them to your class...career day? i think that was it...anywho...here's what i would say if i had a career day now. :) (i'm a dork...it's ok, you can say it...)


Looking back on my relationship with my mom over the years, the thing that stands out to me the most is how close we are, and have been. Sure, you know those teenage years were rough...I remember asking mom how she ever got through it, b/c i know i was a real pain, and she jokingly said "Prozac"...hehe...at least, i hope she was joking...in her shoes i think i would have needed something much stronger...like Jack Daniels maybe. But I digress...even through all of that we still had a better relationship i think than many of my friends and their mothers did. I remember feeling sorry for girls who just resented their moms & everything they did...my mom was my friend too, and i thought they were really missing out on having such a close confidant, someone they could always always count on to be there for them. I think that has been the biggest gift my mom has given me, her friendship and support over the years. Sure, putting me through school, roof over my head, food in my stomach...all important things...but through all the challenges she has been there for me. That is a huge thing...something everyone should be so lucky to have. Thanks mom! I hope you have a wonderful day!!


Today mom is driving to kc to spend a couple of days with me in celebration of her bday...it's kindof an annual thing, every year she comes to kc & we spend her bday together. On the agenda: shopping, pedicures, good food. I am really looking forward to it!


Here are a couple of pictures of my beautiful, amazing mom.

steal of the century

Yesterday I was reading one of my daily blogs and read about this girl, who writes for Mind of Mencia, who just ran her first marathon in Hawaii.  She wrote about her preparation for it, and then a separate entry for the first half of the marathon.  Reading that brought back all the emotions & reactions I experienced during my first marathon, in Hamilton, Bermuda.  The anxiety of preparation--do i take this? no..i wont need it...but what if i do?...better take it...well, i dont want to bring too much...what is everyone else taking?...ok, enough-i'm leaving it...ok fine, i'll bring it with me.  Imagine agonizing about this over everything you take.  Even after having made a list of what you will need.  Then there's the anticipation at the start line, the feeling of excitement as months of blood sweat & tears culminates in a few 'short' (ha! whatever!) hours of running...and then dragging yourself through those few short hours.

 

Reading that made me want that feeling back...I felt the same way after reading David and Abbie's postings about their first triathlon...David had blisters at the end, Abbie's legs were shaking from the effort.  They helped each other through it, and the same as Pamie, didnt come in first, didnt come in last, but FINISHED.  It's hard for me to get my butt off the couch, but there's no prouder moment than when you cross that finish line.  And no better feeling than when you get to sit down (collapse) afterwards in a heap of sweaty smelly exhaustion.  Doesnt that sound like fun??? :)  I want that feeling again!! 

 

So, this weekend i think mom & i are going to look into marathons to run in april.  I found a couple of international ones (London & Paris), and a few domestic ones (Nashville, OKC, Dallas, Big Sur).  Stay tuned...

 

Oh, and on the topic of the subject line....my company has a classified ads, and i found an add for a mattress.  JN has been needing one BAD--his was his great grandpa's, and i think it was worn out when he got it.  This mattress that he got, it's a Sealy pillowtop...only a couple of years old...i looked & a new one on sale was like $700 bucks.  Guess what he got it for?  $65!  and this was after the guy asked $100 OBO.  :)  We picked it up last night, and it is a ginormous improvement over his last one.  Makes me want to hit the garage sales...so i can find more steals of the century!

testing..1..2..3

This is a test to see if i can blog via email, without having to do anything of the logging in sort of stuff...

Am hoping this will be a way for me to blog more...you know, since its soooo hard to actually go to the site & log in n stuff... :)

long time no see

yeah, so about those promises to write every day, exercise all the time, blah blah blah...dont remember? yeah, me neither. nevermind then. :)

Lots of changes these days...just moved out of the HL & in with my friend denise deniserson...i'm liking living there, except its farther away from my BF. It's been an adjustment, but i think it's a definite change for the better not dealing with the stress of the wicked witch of the west anymore (the director). My evenings are now free to do whatever (yay!)...altho that 'whatever' now usually consists of anything that costs no money (boo...). JN (the BF) and i read this book his grandma gave us, The Total Money Makeover. Nothing really new in there, it was pretty much one long pep talk to spend less, get another job to make more, and pay more stuff off. oh yeah, and stop using your credit cards. It was genius. :) So...jn & i have been trying to live very cheaply, and pretty much succeeding. For less than $6 a day we have been eating breakfast, lunch & dinner. I feel like those kids in el salvador sally struthers was always going on about... "for less than 6 cents a day you can feed a child for a month!" Hmm...i wonder what we'd have to reduce our grocery shopping to in order to get it under 6 cents a day! i'm not sure i want to find out.

This weekend i have been in stL visiting family for the first time in what seems like forever! i think it has only been like 2 months, but that seems like a long time when i've been used to going home ever 4-6 weeks. what a difference an extra 2 weeks makes. Mom & i spent a lot of time working on a scrapbooking project we've been working on for awhile now...and the rest of the time was spent playing with the neice & nephews & hanging out with friends. it was great! only downside was that jn was in kc...next time i'm dragging him with me! :)

marvels of modern technology

Today is the first day of 6 consecutive days during which my only responsibility will be to put on sunscreen, get enough sleep and make sure i drink my fair share of beer. Or jack & lemonade. Or jello shots. Whatever. :) I like those kinds of responsibilities!!

Through sunday we will be floating on the current river with a bunch of my friends from high school, and then sunday afternoon through wednesday we'll be on Tablerock lake with my family. ~sigh of contentment~

The last 2 days at work have been kind of stressful...I've been stuck in all day planning & strategy meetings. Not that I dont thoroughly enjoy planning things, or working on my strategery, 8 hours a day straight of that can get kind of tiresome. Theres only so much planning you can do in your efforts to take over the world...sometimes you just gotta go on instinct. :)

During our planning & strategizing, we took time out for a team builder. I have to say, this is one of my most favorite things about working for my current employer...the effort that is put into helping you get to know your teammates & build positive relationships with all of them. I havent ever been in a group that works so hard, and so well together. The proof is found in our laser tag scores at the end of the teambuilder. Holy cow that was fun! There are some people you look at & think they are so calm and introverted, but once you put a laser gun in their hand & give them a dark warehouse to run around in, they become the craziest laser gun shootin associate you've ever seen! It was absoloutely hilarious.

So...I'm on the highway right now typing this, and we're about to go down a huge hill & lose my signal...so i'll update more later...hopefully with pics of the float trip.

Toodles!

This is the part where you want to give up...

Hey there!

I'm baaack....seems that since i don't post at work, the only real time i have to blog is tuesday nights, before i head to bed...so maybe this will be a weekly post? hmm...we'll see...

So, last week was a good week! I brought my lunch to work every day, a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, mustard (sadly, no heart-stopping mayo), and 2% american cheese...some grapes...yogurt...an apple...also some yogurt, an orange & pretzels to snack on during the day. I also managed to keep my eating out at a minimum, so i saved both calories & money. woot! :) This week is starting off well, but i have 2 lunches scheduled during the week, and a girls night out dinner on thursday, so i'm trying really hard to make good choices. Today was one of the lunches scheduled, my team at work all went out to eat together to welcome some new members of the group. We went to the ameristar casino's sports restaurant...and instead of the mushroom & swiss burger i SO wanted to have, i opted instead for a grilled chicken sandwich. i had a few of the fries that came with it, but avoided them for the most part.

On the exercise front...lets see, last tuesday I posted about my workout that night...then wednesday I didnt do anything, recovered from that madness. Thursday after work I went swimming in the pool at the gym at work...which was definitely a reality check for my fitness ego. First i had trouble finding the pool from the locker room (total blonde moment), and then i proceeded to try & drink the entire pool. or at least, that's what it felt like from the amount of water i choked down! The last time i did laps of any sort was high school, sadly almost 10 years ago. oy. i dove into the warmup (no pun intended!) :), only to find out that i was so out of swimming shape that that was more like doing my actual workout, no warmup. I suffered, stuttered & sputtered through the workout, and when i saw the cooldown part of the workout i wheezed in disgust, dragged myself out of the water & shuffled back to the locker room in defeat. ~sigh~ Why cant i just be in good shape by the want to be in shape alone? all this...this...effort! It's wearing me out! :)

After that, i took the weekend off. We went to the lake & had a great time...just slept, and slept, and sunbathed, and went riding on the 4wheeler, and slept some more. awesome.

So, the new week starts with a bang yesterday, and so i'm back trying to stay on the wagon. Got up, made my usual lunch/snacks for the day, and headed off to work. oh wait--headed off sans gym bag. d'oh! so i ran when i got home...i was out there for about an hour, did about 4 miles i bet....give or take...had to walk some, but i ran the majority of it. Given that it was so hot, and humid, and i wasnt in the shade much if at all, i felt it was an hour well spent...i mightve been able to up the effort a scotsch, but i was pretty satisfied with the workout overall.

Today, no workout...i had to work tonite at the HL, and ended up cleaning 4 rooms. i'm hoping that counts for some exercise, because let me tell you, i'm pooped!

I have lunch plans for tomorrow, but am still planning on taking the gym bag so i can get a weights session in...and then thursday i have plans to meet with a friend who is good at swimming, so he can help me with my stroke, and hopefully motivate me to not be a sputtering, floundering, uncoordinated, whale-like person in the pool. :) i'll let you know next tuesday how it goes.

have a good week!
xoxo

a couple of after thoughts....
--i stepped on the scale this morning...that damn needle hasnt moved one iota! hex on you, scale!
--not sure if i shared or not, but i got the results back from my cholesterol test...brace yourself...310 total count. doesnt your heart stop working when it hits like, 290 or something? geez. time to up the fitness/healthy efforts.
~sigh~

Aaaaand....We're Off!

Ok, so i'm making good on my last post...a week later than i wanted to, but whatever. :)

So. Today's tuesday...Yesterday I DID work out. I ran on the treadmill at the fitness center to warm up, and then did my weights routine. And then did about eleventy million crunches. (side note: Whenever I do crunches (not often) I am reminded of this blog post...not that it has ever happened to me, it's just REALLY funny. You should read it if you want a good laugh...anyways...) :)

I felt pretty good after that, like i was off to a good start.

Today I didnt work out in the gym at work b/c i had to leave early to work at the HL tonite. So, i did my cardio in the fitness room downstairs this evening, starting off with 20 min on the bike. Have you ever seen the movie Bridget Jones' Diary? There's a scene in there where she resolves to get in shape, and so she goes to the gym and gets on a stationary bike. When she's done, she gets off & falls flat on her face b/c she didnt realize her legs would stop working afterwards...That was me. Except I managed to catch myself just shy of the faceplant. Why dont they put warning labels on those bikes? "Warning--Usage of this bike converts muscle tissue & bone to jelly. Do not attempt to use your legs on risk of serious injury to yourself or others."

Anywho...after i recovered from that experience i dragged myself onto the dreaded treadmill & ran for about 20-ish minutes. Actually, i ran for 23:15. No kidding...i couldnt talk myself into finishing the 25 minutes i had planned...the jelly-legs experience just took it all out of me.

The Wagon

I'm back! Or at least I'm trying to be...I've been pretty bad about blogging lately, something about the constant need to get outside & away from my computer now that the weather isnt 20 degrees & freaking cold all the time...yeah, that's what i blame it on! :)

I've been a busy girl though! If you knew, you wouldnt blame me for not writing all that much...but also, i've come to think about writing kindof like my running. Hang on--it'll make sense in a minute! :) What i mean is, have you ever had something that you used to do pretty regularly, say, get up at the same time for work every day, clean your house, do the laundry? Then something happens & you get out of the habit & fall off the wagon, so to speak...then the motivation to do that regular thing just goes right out of the window, and the thought of having to do it again seems like this huge task that is just too much trouble...and so the task gets put off until tomorrow...or the next day....or the day after that...and before you know it like a month has gone by and tomorrow has still not arrived. Ok--so my point here is that writing in this blog, as well as exercising on a regular basis, have both gone right out the window, and i have fallen off the wagon. So...today i'm trying to climb back on. Part of this insurmountable task is me writing this here, so hopefully i will feel accountable to someone other than my procrastinating, falling off the wagon self.

Step 1: Stop procrastinating already & get your cholesterol checked.
--The followup to my last check was supposed to be done in november. guess what. it's not november anymore...as a matter of fact, that was 6 months ago. oy... Well, my employer has a clinic on-campus, and it happens to be RIGHT next door to my building. i walk past it every day. they have a lab there and accept my insurance and will do the draw for free & fwd the results to my doctor. NO EXCUSE. So, yesterday I had blood drawn & sent to my dr...I also confirmed the follow-up appointment on thursday to discuss the results. The cool thing here--i was able to make the appointment online, instant-message the lab tech with a question about the clinic, and made it to the appointment & back to my desk in less than 15 minutes. What dr's office offers that?!

Step 2: Exercise dammit!
One of the perks of my new job is the fitness center they have. It's WONDERFUL!!! Seriously. For something like $12 or so bucks per paycheck, pre-tax, I get full access. Access to what? They have a pool, racquetball courts, table tennis (I immediately thought of my cousin when I saw the guys playing over their lunch hour...), a huge gym with bball/vball courts, a huge beautiful new locker room (it's gorgeous!), tons of weight machines, treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, etc, and a wide range of classes, PLUS late evening hours & weekend hours to accommodate any schedule. DANG! That's awesome. In order to take advantage though, you have to sign up for a fitness assessment & get an orientation. Today was my fitness assessment...and it wasnt pretty. I stepped on the scale & nearly fainted. Seriously. Nobody would ever believe i ran a marathon in this body, let alone 3 of them! I kept it together though, & scheduled a consult this friday with the personal trainer they have on staff. I hope this person can get me back on track! My schedule with work now is totally flexible, and i have no excuse for not working out every day. Before, i only was able to go over lunch, and rarely took a lunch b/c of my workload & the deadlines. Now things are different with work, so i need to go back to this...so, i'm going to work out every weekday, cardio or weights. one or the other. Prepare yourself too...you're gonna get to hear about it! :) Which leads me to step 3...

Step 3: Mean it this time!
i'm gonna follow through on this...for real...no, really! I mean it this time! I am going to start working out on a more regular basis, get my weight & cholesterol in check, and be accountable for making that happen. Not only that, I'm going to write more often in my blog (there's the other part of getting back on track)...and report my daily workings-out to you guys...

I bet you just absolutely cannot wait, huh? :)

How to spot a new employee

Greetings all...sorry for the vacation from writing...a LOT has been going on since I've written last! New job being the main thing...but other events have been keeping me away from the blogging as well. I'll probably catch you up in installments rather than one mega-blog...

...in the meantime...here's a rare glimpse into the excitement that is my daily life. :)

So...at the new job, I have to park in a parking lot that is like 2 exits down the highway from the actual company campus...that's b/c there are so many of us it's not feasible to park on campus without the whole place being a parking lot. Anywho, yesterday I park in the garage, walk into the lobby of the building, which is similar to a hotel lobby (the building used to be part of a casino), to wait for the shuttle. As i'm standing there with about 7 or 8 other people who are also waiting, i notice that there are like 3 people outside, and wonder why we're not all out there waiting with them, since it's such a beautiful morning. At this point it's important to note that 'outside' is actually under a huge awning...where birds like to perch. Birds, such as the one pictured at left. (ok, it's not a bird...it's an owl...whatev...)

So, I'm standing there pondering this as the shuttle pulls up in front of the door, under the awning, and we all walk outside to get on. Me & this other girl are in the back of the group, patiently waiting for everyone to climb aboard the schoolbus...when we hear this splatter on the ground RIGHT next to us. I mean, RIGHT next to us. It sounded like someone poured a cup of water on the ground or something...so we look up, and there is this owl perched right over our heads. it POOPED on us!!! ok, well not on us, but RIGHT next to us!!! OMG!!!! eeeewww!! yuck!!! groty!!! I spent the next 15 minutes on the shuttle in shock. oh yea, i also spent that time frantically trying to make sure i didnt have any of that nastiness on me.

So...back to the question I was pondering as we were in the lobby...why werent we all out there waiting with those 3 people for the shuttle outside, in the beautiful morning weather? Because standing out there could get you pooped on. Apparently every employee parking at this satellite lot knows this, except for the newbies. It's like this cruel joke the seniors play on the freshman kids!! So, this is how you spot a new employee...they have bird poop on their head. :)

It's funny now...but would so NOT have been funny had I been standing just a couple of inches to the left.

you say pants i say trousers

Today was my first day at my new jobby job, and I am worn out! I was somewhat stressed about the new beginning, mostly b/c I am not a person who takes change very well (understatement of the year), and this definitely was a huge change for me.

I'm in training all this week, and it starts promptly at 8:00 a.m....which...i was worried about b/c i have a somewhat difficult time getting up early. ok, well actually it's nearly impossible. BUT, I was up at 6:15a.m., and out the door by 7:25a.m., and on campus feeling like the new kid on the block by 7:40a.m. Not too shabby! This put my first set of fears to rest, those about being able to make it to work by 8am since i cant leave home until 7:30 & wasnt sure about the commute. i'm still a little uneasy about the timing once i start my actual job, since i have to park where i'm parking now but the actual campus is about 10 min up the street & i will have to ride the shuttle. Too bad I cant find someone to drive me to work & pick me up instead of me having to worry about all this parking business...any volunteers? Where is Jeeves when you need him? :)

The other thing I was apprehensive about was making new friends at the new place. i know that i'm ok with meeting new people, but i'm still working on getting out of my shell & being more outgoing when i'm in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable setting (like meeting new ppl). BUT, my training class is so diverse, and filled with so many smart, sharp, outgoing people, it is easier. There's like 40 people in my class, and almost half are from the United Kingdom. I have to say, this has upped the interest level of the class quite a bit! I love talking to people from other countries, learning about how life is there for them. I also especially love talking to people from the UK or Australia, mainly b/c they speak english, but their slang or the meanings of words is just a little different, enough to make it kindof funny. For example...

At the end of the day our trainer was going over the dress code, what was acceptable, what was not. He had a powerpoint slide up with pictures of different men & women, each in a different outfit demonstrating what was ok & what wasn't. As he went through the different pictures, "these pants are ok, except no belt. those pants are not ok because they are denim. khaki pants are ok, flannel pants are not." After each sentence, you'd hear this giggling coming from the front row of the classroom...and he'd pause & smile at the woman, and continue. Finally he stopped & said to the class "she's laughing because in the UK these are called trousers, not pants." This woman behind me piped up & said (spelled as she pronounced it, in this THICK british accent) "nao, weah laifin becoose pahnts en thee you kay ah cnsided thee saim as oonderoos hea een thee you ess. " So every time he said pants, khaki, flannel, with a belt, without a belt, with cargo pockets, they thought he was calling them underwear! LOL!! Can you imagine?? Flannel underwear, with a belt, & cargo pockets??

It still makes me laugh... :) They must think us americans are a crazy lot.

And i have a suspicion im going to pick up a british accent by the end of the week. :)

Cheers! :)

6 weird habits

David tagged me for this...so here i go:

Six weird qualities or habits I have:

1. I sleep with one foot out of the bedcovers.

2. I need 6 different alarms to wake me up in the morning.

3. When I eat a meal I eat one thing at a time--for example: all of my salad, then all of my potatoes, then all of my jello, then the hamburger, etc. I dont generally mix & match bites of all the courses.

4. I can't go to sleep unless i have zero energy left.

5. I have a strange aversion to voicemail at work, I can't bring myself to check it more than once a week.

6. I love collecting hats & scarves, but usually am too chicken to wear them in public.

7. I am not a morning person, except when when i get up to go for a run, then i'm sunshine & rainbows. :)

I tag:

Brad (see right),

Leslie (myspace),

Danica (myspace),

Amber (see right)

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So...this week is kindof a strange one. It is my last week at my current job, and most of my daily work has been given to other people already so i can concentrate on research issues & tidying up my desk before i leave. It's kindof sad...I really like the people i work with (mostly), and since this was my first job out of college i'm kindof scared to move on...fear of the unknown, you know? I am excited though, in spite of that, because the new job is in a field I have wanted to work in since going away to college.

When i graduated from high school I wanted to be an accountant, and so that was my major starting out in college. Well, my school's accounting program was somewhat difficult, and on top of that i may have partied it up a little more than i should've (shocker, I know...), so my gpa didnt allow me to continue studying for that. So, i took the next best thing, finance, and that's what i got my degree in. Well, i still would like to go for accounting, and have been weighing going back to school for my masters degree in accountancy. About the time i would have decided to take the GRE and seriously start applying to schools, I landed this new job. It was a complete surprise to me that I was hired actually, the company I will be looking for kindof has a reputation for being hard to get on with, and so i figured it would just be good interviewing experience...and then...poof! A job offer! In accounting!! I'm stoked...i'll be working in a department that is just starting to get off the ground, so it's a good opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an area with room for upward mobility. Plus it's in the field i originally wanted to work in, doing GAAP accounting (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, for those that dont know the lingo) rather than mutual fund accounting, which is what i would have been doing had i stayed where i currently am. Not that i would have minded, but in the job market, GAAP accounting is so much more marketable than mutual fund accounting...and i've always been one to want job security. nothing scares me more than the prospect of being unemployed (ok, well there's a few things, but not many)...so my goal has always been to be in a field where there is always demand. I think I'm accomplishing that with this career move....plus i'll be doing something that i love, and have wanted to do for awhile.

Still, i will really really miss my friends at my current job....we're having a big happy hour this friday at a local bar to mark my last day...i will try to get pictures & post them, or at least, the ones that arent too incriminating... :)

last easter & misc

In answer to a couple of questions about what happened last Easter...here's the story:

We had brunch at mom & dad's as is becoming the tradition...and along with brunch we had mimosas, which is also becoming the tradition. Well, mom mixed up the mimosas, and i had a few while helping cook the meal...and then had one or two while eating the meal...and maybe one while cleaning up after the meal...(man! i sound like a lush!!) So while we're cleaning up, i asked mom what she wanted me to do with the leftover pancakes. She handed me a plastic bag & said to put them in there. After putting them in there, i asked her, so what now? She said "just throw them in the freezer." Well, my brother had just opened the freezer door to get something out, so i took that as an opportunity to...well...throw the pancakes into the freezer. From across the room. Almost hitting him in the head in the process. :) To me at the time it was no different then someone saying 'can you pass me a roll' at dinner & having an uncle toss it across the table (this has happened btw)...but judging from the laughter & looks of shock on my mom & brother's faces, perhaps i had had one too many mimosas. It's not my fault they were so good!! I spent that afternoon sleeping it off, and woke up with a hangover...just in time for easter dinner at my grandmas. nice! :)

this year was a little different...i did have a couple of mimosas while helping out with cooking brunch...but with the memory of last year fresh in my mind, i kept myself in check. I did get to take a 3hr nap, but it was because i had to get up at the crack of dawn to go to mass, not because i was sleeping off a morning bender. :)

in other news....
Today after work i went for a run around the downtown airport with my friend danica...i thought for sure she would just smoke me during the run...she just got done training for a 1/2 marathon, and is one of those speedy, skinny, gazelle-like runners...but i was able to keep up!! We kept close to a 10min/mile pace, and i was even able to keep up with her during the last speedy kick at the end. :) :) We did 3.6 miles, and are planning a 5mi run on wednesday. it feels good to be back running again...i feel like i'm dusting off the cobwebs!

happy monday everyone...hope your week is off to a good start. :)

xoxo

Easter Weekend

~sigh~
this is me being relaxed & contented...mark the calendar, this doesnt happen very often!! I'm in the middle of a super-long weekend, and enjoying it immensely. It's been a long time since i've blogged, sorry bout that...i'll try to be better, i promise...

I had thursday off from work, so i spent the day cooking for the cooking exchange this weekend & then joined some friends over at Jason's for a bbq and some bocci ball. If you havent played this game you should...it was lots of fun! (i'm sure the margaritas i was drinking while we played helped with that...)

Friday we had the day off from work, so I got up early & drove back to StL to be with the familia for Easter weekend. Mom & i spent the day shopping...I start a new job on the 24th (woot!) and with the unusually warm weather recently i have learned that my current summer wardrobe is out of date, insufficient, and mostly doesnt fit...so...off to the mall to find new clothes! :) I found a TON of stuff at NY & Co...That store is like Target to me...i walk in, and almost always come out with stuff i know i dont need but absolutely cant live without, and always am like $80 lighter. After this shopping trip my bank account is quite a bit lighter than $80 now, but we wont discuss that....anywho, we spent the day shopping, and then came home where mom made some yummy seafood stir-fry for dinner. After that & a glass of wine, i was done for the night! It was only like 8:30 & i was sooo ready for bed...i managed to make it until like 10:30, but it was tough.

Today I woke up thinking 'man, i really would like to go for a run...' It's been soooo long since i've felt like i wanted to run...it felt good to actually want to get out there instead of my guilt at being out of shape that was motivating me to go. I put on my running clothes & walked outside to find mom working in the garden, looking at me like i've lost my mind. Usually it's her that is dragging me out for a run, and its never me getting up early on my own to do that, she has to wake me up. :) So, after she quit looking at me like i was an alien, we went for a run (which felt GREAT, btw), came home showered, and then went to the spa to get manicures & pedicures. Such is the life!! We were there for almost 3 hours!!! I also got my eyebrows done, which i recommend, but only if you know what to expect. It was the first time i've ever had them professionally done, and yeow!! it really kinda stings! But only for a second. Its worth it to not look like tarzan's jane anymore. :)

After we got back from getting our nails done, my friend sarah, who is a massage therapist, came over to give me & mom each a massage. again, i could totally get used to this!! i totally need to have that done more often...she said my neck & back were just a wreck, filled with stress knots & spots of tension. Probably will take a few more appointments before i totally get it all worked out, but i feel like a million bucks already. I told her that i'd like to keep a standing appointment for every time i come home...

We had my dad's side of the family's easter dinner tonite, & it was good to see everyone! We're home now though, getting ready to dye easter eggs & put the easter baskets together. Mom informed me that we're going to 8:00 mass tomorrow...that's right everyone...8 AM mass...dang that's early!! BUT, i will get to wear a new easter dress, and some WAY cute new easter shoes...so that's enough to get me out of bed...i think... :) Plus everyone's coming over for easter brunch afterwards, which will be fun to hang out with the kiddos! Although...after my behavior at last year's brunch, i think mom may be cutting me off after 1 mimosa...

Well, I hope you are all having as good a weekend as I am here...easter blessings to all!!

xoxo

daylight savings time & other random stuff

March 26? That was the last time I posted? It doesnt see m like it was that long ago...oh wait..it really only was like a week...guess time flies when you're having fun. :)

Hmm...so what's new to report....this blog would be forever long if i wrote everything down, so i'm just gonna keep it short & simple.

I posted previously (i think) about a birdfeeder i had put up...well, it seems to be the avian social hot spot of the neighborhood! When i got home from work today, there were about 5 birds on and around it! I've identified at least 3 of them to be house wrens...the rest i think are wrens as well, but i havent had a chance to get out the bird book & see for sure. The coolest thing about this birdfeeder is that it is hanging just outside of my kitchen window...so when the birds are feeding, i get to be just feet away from them and see their social & feeding habits. It's so neat! I was so excited about it, I decided to get a 2nd bird feeder, this one for finches. I am not sure if there are any finches in the area, but it's been hanging since saturday and i havent noticed any....BUT, i did notice a pidgeon in the parking lot when i pulled up! I was worried about pidgeons when i put up the feeders...but the lady in the store said that they are too heavy & not nimble enough to eat at the feeders i have & so that should discourage them. I certainly hope she's right!

The only other thing i really have to write about is how much i'm liking this daylight savings time thing...i dislike anything having to do with losing sleep, but it seems like there's just so much more time in the day now that it doesnt get dark until like 8:00. Now i'm all anxious to get out and enjoy the outdoors! Running...camping...concerts...picnics...grilling out...these are my very favorite things to do...and i can't wait to get on with it!

Oh yeah...Dave Matthews Band is coming to KC in may...and tickets go on sale this saturday!! woohoo!! (thank goodness it coincides with a payday...) Anyone up for going??

Weekend O Fun

It was such a fun weekend! Friday was happy hour...which of course turned into happy evening and then happy night! :) We started at Tanners where we got to hear this cool band that had Janis Joplin singing & Mr. T playing the drums. Not kidding! I'll have to come up with some pictures for you... The lady who was singing for the band looked JUST like Janis Joplin...down to the bare feet and bell bottom legging pants and hippie shirt and long hair. JUST like her. She also did a pretty good job of singing "Me & Bobby McGee." Mr. T was just rockin out on the drums...giving his best "I pity the fool!" look to the audience as he played. Later that evening we moved on to the Majestic Steak House for some drinks & jazz music. This place has been around KC foreeeeever, and apparently has really good steak. Since we only had drinks, i will have to make a return trip to experience the steak....the music was fabulous though, i'd go back even if they didnt have a reputation for good food.

Saturday I slept in till like noon, had lunch with Beau & then went over to grill out at Jason's with some of my co-workers before we headed out for a night of bowling at the neighborhood Rock n Bowl event. It was stellar!! Black lights, neon bowling balls & bowling shoes, beer, good music...what a night! Jeremy got almost all strikes in the 2 1/2 games we bowled, impressive! Much better than my skills, my high score of the evening was 107. Look out world! :) After that we all headed back to Jason's for an old-school house party...Jason had a bunch of Busch Light he needed to get rid of, and everyone was happy to help out. I think it was like 4am-ish when i got home...so the rockstar within still lives! :) Good thing, the pub crawl is not far off...

Sunday (today) I slept until like 2pm. MAN i'm a bum...
I did get something accomplished though. I went grocery shopping, and this time actually remembered to take the grocery bags my cousin sarah made for me a month or two back. It felt so good to tell the checker no thank you when she asked "paper or plastic", i said, oh-I brought my own bags thank you! :) If i were her i'd be thinking "silly tree huggin hippie..." :) It felt good to do my tiny little part to keep waste down. I think there should be an incentive at the grocery store--bring your own bags, get coupons for discounts or cash back. I bet more people would do it...Anywho, I also am trying to make the switch to organic...all organic is not affordable right now so i am slowly easing into it...plus i'm not sure of what all i'm buying right now (the brand names are all new to me) so i'm easing into it. So that was also exciting, to see most of what i purchased was healthy & good for me. So after that exciting trip to the store, I went to Home Depot & got some new planters, soil & flower seeds. I repotted the plants in my apartment (must be doing something right...they're all still alive & ready for an upgrade in housing) and planted seeds in the small planters left over. I also tried my hand at pruning a runaway ivy plant, so we'll see how that all turns out as well. Finally, a bunch of us got together at Jeremy's for dinner & to watch some tv...he made this incredible red sauce with pasta...it had shrimp & lobster in it--YUM!! We also had an assortment of good wine, a couple of shiraz's (i dont know what the plural of that word is) and a red wine from South Africa that was pretty good. it was a good weekend, start to finish.

what day is it again?

Today is Wednesday. I know that may sound like old news to you, but to me it feels like i've gotten into Doc Brown's time machine and fast forwarded a day....I had monday off from work, so i'm a day behind. not that I'm complaining--that just means friday comes a whole day earlier!! :) DEFINITELY not complaining about that.

Not much to report right now...life's been pretty calm...well, you know, other than the paul bunyan/mcgyver incident on sunday. :) So here's some mid-week randomness for ya...

The weather forecasters predicted gobs & gobs of snow for the kc area for monday, but we didnt get much other than occasional sleet, a buncha rain, and some cold weather. Is spring here YET??

I bought a birdfeeder a couple of weeks ago, while my mom was in town. There's this really cool bird shop down in Shawnee which specializes in all things birds (except those things having to do with owning birds as pets i think...it's not a pet store or anything...). They have bird feeders, bird seed, bird baths, and all kinds of other neat things in there. They also have a very knowledgeable lady working there, who just knows EVERYTHING about birds, their habits, habitats, everything. So anyways, my mom has quite a few birdfeeders & houses around the homestead, and they have attracted the prettiest yellow finches, cardinals, bluebirds, and the like. After seeing that, i wondered if i could bring a little of that kind of nature to my doorstep...but wasnt sure if those birds would take to concrete city life. So i asked the lady in the store if she had any good ideas & she recommended a cute little red birdfeeder. She also showed me some seed i could fill it with that would attract pretty birds while not leaving a huge mess of shells all over the place. So the feeder is up, ready to go....but no birds. :( I'm hoping that once things warm up that will change....as long as the birds i attract are not crows or pidgeons. we'll see.

i've heard a rumor that daylight savings time is almost here...like 18 days away or something. Could it be true?? it always seems that once daylight savings time is here, summer is just around the corner. man oh man...i can't wait!! oh wait...maybe i can...just give me a month or two to get my butt back out on the road & lose some of these pounds before swimsuit weather!!!!