Now that I am finally starting to feel better, I am so motivated to do something other than sit on my couch all day. I have a thousand and one things to do, and this weekend I plan to get at least five of them done. My thought is that if I write them down and announce them to the world (the two people that might read this), I will feel more obligated to actually complete them. So...
1. Get the most important details of my sister's bridal shower nailed down.
2. Get the date set for my sister's bachelorette party.
3. Find all of my old pictures! I am paranoid that some of my old pictures have been deleted somehow. Once I (hopefully) find them, I need to get them uploaded to an online album of some sort.
4. Clean. Oh goody.
5. Finish the shopping/exchanging that I have put off for the last couple of weeks.
I'm feeling good about this--I think it's fairly realistic.
On another note...today is the LAST DAY OF JANUARY! THANK GOD! Please, February, be a little bit kinder to me.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: snow day
I woke up in a panic this morning after realizing my phone (which doubles as an alarm clock) died in the middle of the night. It was 6:56 AM and I am supposed to be at work by 7 AM. I ran my disheveled self upstairs to look out the window.
It was a wintery mess outside. WHEW.
Coincidentally, before leaving work last night my boss warned me of a winter storm warning that was in effect until noon today...we agreed that I wouldn't make the drive to work until the roads were safe. After getting confirmation via the morning news that traveling was not advised, I crawled back into bed for another extra hour of much-needed slumber.
Lucky day so far!
It was a wintery mess outside. WHEW.
Coincidentally, before leaving work last night my boss warned me of a winter storm warning that was in effect until noon today...we agreed that I wouldn't make the drive to work until the roads were safe. After getting confirmation via the morning news that traveling was not advised, I crawled back into bed for another extra hour of much-needed slumber.
Lucky day so far!
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| The view from my living room window at 8 AM today. |
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Sick, sick, sick
I'd love to write a post describing how wonderful my weekend was, but sadly, it was terrible! Absolutely terrible!
As mentioned in my last couple posts, I was sick with a miserable cold Monday through Friday. I had such high hopes that it would be gone by the weekend, but boy was I wrong. Saturday was spent sitting on the recliner, drinking as much orange juice as humanly possible, and blowing my nose nonstop (I eventually gave up and just stuck tissues in my nostrils). I tried to sleep, but failed miserably as it is rather difficult to sleep when you aren't capable of breathing through your nose (due to extreme stuffiness).
Sunday my mom hosted a bridal shower for my cousin at our house. I tried so hard to magically feel better so I could enjoy the shower and spend time with my family. Although I thoroughly enjoyed being around my family, I still felt terrible.
Monday I called in sick. Again. I went to the doctor and when he entered my room he greeted me with, "hello again." This is the third time I have been to the doctor in about two and a half months. To put it lightly, this has not been a good winter for me. After making a trip to the pharmacy to pick up my THREE new prescriptions and a 30 count box of Breathe Rights, I headed home to, again, try and get some sleep. And finally, FINALLY, I was able to sleep! And OH.MY.GOSH., sleep does wonders for a sick person. I woke up later that night and felt so much better.
Today is Tuesday and although I do feel better than I did last week, I am still not back to normal by any means.
Enough complaining for one day.
As mentioned in my last couple posts, I was sick with a miserable cold Monday through Friday. I had such high hopes that it would be gone by the weekend, but boy was I wrong. Saturday was spent sitting on the recliner, drinking as much orange juice as humanly possible, and blowing my nose nonstop (I eventually gave up and just stuck tissues in my nostrils). I tried to sleep, but failed miserably as it is rather difficult to sleep when you aren't capable of breathing through your nose (due to extreme stuffiness).
Sunday my mom hosted a bridal shower for my cousin at our house. I tried so hard to magically feel better so I could enjoy the shower and spend time with my family. Although I thoroughly enjoyed being around my family, I still felt terrible.
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| All the girl cousins (and one adorable second cousin) who were at Leah's bridal shower (Hanne, Leah, Mallory, Abby, Me, Amanda, and Kennedy). |
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| Trent brought me this pretty pink rose on Monday night. So thoughtful :) |
Enough complaining for one day.
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Facts
A while back I came across a few lovely ladies' blogs that I just love to read. These ladies (unknowingly) inspired me to start my own. Today while reading one of my favorite blogs, I decided to do the same linkup as she and discuss my facts. So, here goes nothing....
Fact 1: My entire first name is Andi. Not Andrea.
Fact 2: I love red wine. And beer. I think I get this from my dad. He is not an alcoholic, nor am I, but it's not very often that either of us go a night without indulging in one of these delicious beverages.
Fact 3: I am not married and not with child. But believe me, I want both of those very badly! Someday. Maybe soon, maybe not. I am perfectly happy doing whatever I want, whenever I want right now. But (probably sooner rather than later), this contentment is going to wear off.
Fact 4: I am partially obsessed with Taylor Swift. Seriously, she writes her own music, her lyrics always seem to say exactly what I wish I could, somehow all of her songs have such a catchy tune, and she is such a good person. What's not to partially obsess over?
Fact 5: I am obsessed with buying kitchen things. This might be a normal fact for many, but probably not for those that are kitchenless (like me). I currently live with my rents and my mom already has all of the necessary (and unnecessary) kitchen things and does 99.9% of the cooking. For some reason, though, I would much rather go shopping for spatulas and ovenmits than for jeans or jewelry. So, I have boxes upon boxes of never-been-used kitchen utensils just waiting to be used in my own kitchen someday.
Fact 6: My nickname is Penelope. There is no reason.
Fact 7: I hate animals. Of all sorts. My family always had pets when I was younger but I was never fond of any of them. In fact, in order for me to touch/hold a cat or puppy as a child I had to have a towel in my hands so I wouldn't have to come in contact with their fur. Nowadays, I could care less about holding one of those creatures. I know, right now you're probably thinking, 'what kind of a person doesn't like animals?'...but I am not a horrible person, I promise.
Fact 8: I am a ginger (or as some may call it, a "red-head"). Believe it or not, I am the ONLY one in my entire immediate and extended family that has red hair. Nobody knows where mine came from. Gosh, aren't I lucky. :/
Fact 9: I am a sucker for "48 Hours: Investigates" and "Dateline: Murder Mysteries." My dad jokes that if there were never any horrible crimes in this world, I would have no entertainment. Gosh, that sounds so morbid!
Fact 10: I don't wear socks with my flats. I don't even care if this fact might make my shoes and/or feet smell.
Fact 11: I am extremely emotional. It's rare for me to make it through the gift-card aisle without crying. I remember one time, I was picking out a birthday card for my sister and read one card that said, "You're more than just a sister, you're a friend," and I was sobbing. WHAT THE HECK? ...I should also mention the time I watched "Dancing with the Stars" and cried for at least two hours after the episode ended (in my defense, that episode's theme was to dance to a song that had meaning to you, and the meaning/story behind all of the songs were so touching!)
Fact 12: I am extremely sentimental. 99.9% of all the cards, letters, personal emails, notes, etc. that I have ever been given, I still have.
Fact 13: I love to dance. In lines. My beautiful friend Lauren (see her blog here) is my favorite line-dancing friend (and my mom, of course).
Welp, since I can't think of any more facts and this nite-time cold medicine is starting to kick in (at 5:15 PM), I'm calling this post complete.
Fact 1: My entire first name is Andi. Not Andrea.
Fact 2: I love red wine. And beer. I think I get this from my dad. He is not an alcoholic, nor am I, but it's not very often that either of us go a night without indulging in one of these delicious beverages.
Fact 3: I am not married and not with child. But believe me, I want both of those very badly! Someday. Maybe soon, maybe not. I am perfectly happy doing whatever I want, whenever I want right now. But (probably sooner rather than later), this contentment is going to wear off.
Fact 4: I am partially obsessed with Taylor Swift. Seriously, she writes her own music, her lyrics always seem to say exactly what I wish I could, somehow all of her songs have such a catchy tune, and she is such a good person. What's not to partially obsess over?
Fact 5: I am obsessed with buying kitchen things. This might be a normal fact for many, but probably not for those that are kitchenless (like me). I currently live with my rents and my mom already has all of the necessary (and unnecessary) kitchen things and does 99.9% of the cooking. For some reason, though, I would much rather go shopping for spatulas and ovenmits than for jeans or jewelry. So, I have boxes upon boxes of never-been-used kitchen utensils just waiting to be used in my own kitchen someday.
Fact 6: My nickname is Penelope. There is no reason.
Fact 7: I hate animals. Of all sorts. My family always had pets when I was younger but I was never fond of any of them. In fact, in order for me to touch/hold a cat or puppy as a child I had to have a towel in my hands so I wouldn't have to come in contact with their fur. Nowadays, I could care less about holding one of those creatures. I know, right now you're probably thinking, 'what kind of a person doesn't like animals?'...but I am not a horrible person, I promise.
Fact 8: I am a ginger (or as some may call it, a "red-head"). Believe it or not, I am the ONLY one in my entire immediate and extended family that has red hair. Nobody knows where mine came from. Gosh, aren't I lucky. :/
Fact 9: I am a sucker for "48 Hours: Investigates" and "Dateline: Murder Mysteries." My dad jokes that if there were never any horrible crimes in this world, I would have no entertainment. Gosh, that sounds so morbid!
Fact 10: I don't wear socks with my flats. I don't even care if this fact might make my shoes and/or feet smell.
Fact 11: I am extremely emotional. It's rare for me to make it through the gift-card aisle without crying. I remember one time, I was picking out a birthday card for my sister and read one card that said, "You're more than just a sister, you're a friend," and I was sobbing. WHAT THE HECK? ...I should also mention the time I watched "Dancing with the Stars" and cried for at least two hours after the episode ended (in my defense, that episode's theme was to dance to a song that had meaning to you, and the meaning/story behind all of the songs were so touching!)
Fact 12: I am extremely sentimental. 99.9% of all the cards, letters, personal emails, notes, etc. that I have ever been given, I still have.
Fact 13: I love to dance. In lines. My beautiful friend Lauren (see her blog here) is my favorite line-dancing friend (and my mom, of course).
Welp, since I can't think of any more facts and this nite-time cold medicine is starting to kick in (at 5:15 PM), I'm calling this post complete.
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| This is the only half-way corresponding picture I have for this post. My dancing boots (Fact 13). |
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Brandy Slushes
I hesitated to put "brandy" in the title of this post as whenever I say the name of this heavenly drink, people instantly react negatively to that first word. I (somewhat) understand, as brandy is not my choice drink either, but for whatever reason, combined with the following few ingredients, this drink is a godsend. And for the record, I have convinced every hesitant person to try this slush and each and every one of them has loved it. You can thank me later :)
All you need is: 2 cups of apricot flavored brandy, 1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate, 2 quarts of cranberry juice (I used pomegranate flavored and couldn't tell the difference), and a 2-liter bottle of ginger ale.
Step 1: Combine the above shown ingredients (brandy, juice, and frozen lemonade). Stir well.
Note: if you are low on brandy, add some vodka; you can't tell the difference.
Step 2: Put the mixture into a freezer safe bowl (I use two large gladware containers as it freezes faster).
Step 3: Put the containers in your freezer and let it sit for a day or so.
Note: if you put all of the ingredients into just one bowl, it could take up to three days to freeze. So, do what I do and freeze it in multiple containers.
Step 4: Once frozen, spoon out the slush into a glass until it is 3/4 of the way full. Fill the rest of the glass with ginger ale, stir, and enjoy.
All you need is: 2 cups of apricot flavored brandy, 1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate, 2 quarts of cranberry juice (I used pomegranate flavored and couldn't tell the difference), and a 2-liter bottle of ginger ale.
Note: if you are low on brandy, add some vodka; you can't tell the difference.
Step 2: Put the mixture into a freezer safe bowl (I use two large gladware containers as it freezes faster).
Step 3: Put the containers in your freezer and let it sit for a day or so.
Note: if you put all of the ingredients into just one bowl, it could take up to three days to freeze. So, do what I do and freeze it in multiple containers.
Step 4: Once frozen, spoon out the slush into a glass until it is 3/4 of the way full. Fill the rest of the glass with ginger ale, stir, and enjoy.
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| The recipe makes ten to twelve servings of the glass size shown above. |
(not so) Wordless Wednesday: chuck
As I told you all here, yesterday I was sick. The day was spent not working, sleeping until noon, watching multiple episodes of "A Baby Story," and of course, blowing my red nose. Because I am such a good sister, I decided to let my parents' dog, Chuck, come in from the cold (it was only 5 degrees outside!). And, because I really do not like dogs or any other animal, I put him in the sunroom (with all of the doors shut) where he could sit quietly while I stayed in the basement by myself all day.
A couple of hours after letting him in, I decided to head up to the kitchen and make myself some chicken noodle soup. As I headed up the stairs, I heard the sound of Chuck's feet scurrying around the kitchen floor. Of course, I was annoyed that he wasn't sitting quietly in the sunroom where I had so graciously left him just two short hours ago, but I wasn't expecting to find THIS GIANT MESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KITCHEN FLOOR!!
As you could imagine, I was not very happy with Mr. Chuckster, and he spent the rest of the day in the garage (hopefully feeling guilty for the mess he made me clean up).
And just in case you'd like to know, I am STILL sick today. I went to bed at 8PM last night and, although I was awake half the night blowing my nose, I woke up feeling hopeful that I was cured. I was so optimistic that I even got ready and started my drive to work. After 15 minutes of driving and using 15+ tissues during the drive alone, I decided I was in fact not better and not willing to spend the remainder of the day at work, blowing my nose, and infecting my coworkers. So, I turned around and went back home. And, by the excessive number of tissues I have gone through and the six additional hours of sleep I have had, I am so glad I did.
Excuse me while I go blow my nose for the 400th time today.
A couple of hours after letting him in, I decided to head up to the kitchen and make myself some chicken noodle soup. As I headed up the stairs, I heard the sound of Chuck's feet scurrying around the kitchen floor. Of course, I was annoyed that he wasn't sitting quietly in the sunroom where I had so graciously left him just two short hours ago, but I wasn't expecting to find THIS GIANT MESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KITCHEN FLOOR!!
And just in case you'd like to know, I am STILL sick today. I went to bed at 8PM last night and, although I was awake half the night blowing my nose, I woke up feeling hopeful that I was cured. I was so optimistic that I even got ready and started my drive to work. After 15 minutes of driving and using 15+ tissues during the drive alone, I decided I was in fact not better and not willing to spend the remainder of the day at work, blowing my nose, and infecting my coworkers. So, I turned around and went back home. And, by the excessive number of tissues I have gone through and the six additional hours of sleep I have had, I am so glad I did.
Excuse me while I go blow my nose for the 400th time today.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Another fabulous weekend.
This past weekend was a long one--I had Friday through Monday off (thanks to my government job and MLK day). So, my cousin Drew, who recently made the move from Florida to Indianapolis, made the eight hour trek to Iowa so he could bond with his favorite cousins, Aunt, and Uncle.
Friday was quite random. We all went out for lunch at Hickory Park where we ate too much food and drank delicious flavored sodas. Afterwards, my siblings had prior obligations, so my mom, cousin and I were left searching for some entertainment. We randomly decided on lazer tag, bowling, and beer.
The night was spent drinking margaritas and watching a dateline murder mystery at my sister's house, singing karaoke at a hole-in-the-wall bar in Ames, arm wrestling at The Whisky River, eating gyros, and making a 2 AM phone call to get a ride home from my very sweet mother.
Saturday was spent recovering from Friday, enjoying a cow-girl themed birthday party for my now three-year-old niece, eating super dogs and better-than-sex cake, drinking beer and brandy slushes (recipe to come soon!), dancing on the Kinect, and drinking at yet another hole-in-the-wall bar.
On Sunday, my cousin and I left my house at 5:30 AM to make the two hour drive to our grandma's house. We went to early church with her at 8 AM and she just absolutely loved showing us off to all of her church friends. After going out for breakfast, we spent the day playing a number of games and listening to our grandma tell stories (which we probably could have recited word-for-word) about our grandpa, our parents, and ourselves when we were younger.
Aside from this unfortunate mishap, it was a pretty fantastic weekend.
Until next time...
Friday was quite random. We all went out for lunch at Hickory Park where we ate too much food and drank delicious flavored sodas. Afterwards, my siblings had prior obligations, so my mom, cousin and I were left searching for some entertainment. We randomly decided on lazer tag, bowling, and beer.
The night was spent drinking margaritas and watching a dateline murder mystery at my sister's house, singing karaoke at a hole-in-the-wall bar in Ames, arm wrestling at The Whisky River, eating gyros, and making a 2 AM phone call to get a ride home from my very sweet mother.
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| My beautiful sister and I |
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| Drew (right) and the stranger and randomly walked up for a challenge. |
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| Kennedy, Quinn, and their mama opening up birthday presents! |
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| The Birthday Girl wanted to help cut the cake. |
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| She is so cute and excited! |
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| Baby Matthew was all tuckered out after his cousin's birthday party. |
Aside from this unfortunate mishap, it was a pretty fantastic weekend.
Until next time...
The moment.
Today is a sick day for me. Now, I have been sick for most of the winter (mostly just an annoying cough), but yesterday and today I was/am really sick. I am not sure if it's the flu or a cold (I am twenty-five years old and still don't know the difference), but I am pretty sure I picked up this virus at church on Sunday...
I went to my Grandma's church and at the very end of the service, we had communion. Before kneeling to accept my blessing, I was greeted with several small cups of what I thought was juice. I however, am a huge fan of wine (yes, even church wine), so I passed right on by those cups and waited to be handed an empty cup that would soon be filled with delicious, red wine. So, as expected, the bread (disc-shaped pieces of cardboard) was handed out first, and I patiently awaited for an empty cup to be handed to me and filled with wine--but this never happened.
Instead, the pastor came by with a giant, shiny, silver cup filled with the Blood of Christ. Oh no! I hesitated for a couple awkward seconds unsure of what I was expected to do--do I dip my cardboard into this sea of red wine or do I *gasp* drink from this communal cup filled with backwash and soggy cardboard?! As the pastor moved the glass closer to my quivering lips, I knew. I threw the cardboard into my mouth and attempted to take the tiniest sip possible as the pastor tilted the glass and its contents into my mouth. That was the moment, you see, that I was infected with this cold/flu.
As the day passed by, my sneezes grew louder and more frequent. And after spending a sleepless night with tissues stuck up my nose, it was official, I was sick.
I hope you all are having a better start to your week than I am!
Sincerely,
The Girl Who Has Gone Through TWO Boxes of Tissues in a Day and a Half.
I went to my Grandma's church and at the very end of the service, we had communion. Before kneeling to accept my blessing, I was greeted with several small cups of what I thought was juice. I however, am a huge fan of wine (yes, even church wine), so I passed right on by those cups and waited to be handed an empty cup that would soon be filled with delicious, red wine. So, as expected, the bread (disc-shaped pieces of cardboard) was handed out first, and I patiently awaited for an empty cup to be handed to me and filled with wine--but this never happened.
Instead, the pastor came by with a giant, shiny, silver cup filled with the Blood of Christ. Oh no! I hesitated for a couple awkward seconds unsure of what I was expected to do--do I dip my cardboard into this sea of red wine or do I *gasp* drink from this communal cup filled with backwash and soggy cardboard?! As the pastor moved the glass closer to my quivering lips, I knew. I threw the cardboard into my mouth and attempted to take the tiniest sip possible as the pastor tilted the glass and its contents into my mouth. That was the moment, you see, that I was infected with this cold/flu.
As the day passed by, my sneezes grew louder and more frequent. And after spending a sleepless night with tissues stuck up my nose, it was official, I was sick.
I hope you all are having a better start to your week than I am!
Sincerely,
The Girl Who Has Gone Through TWO Boxes of Tissues in a Day and a Half.
Problem and Solution
About two years ago, I came up with an organizational solution. Was Pinterest created two years ago? I don't know. Regardless, I am proud to say that I came up with this little solution all on my own! How? ...I suppose from many, many years of built up frustration.
The Frustrations:
Part One:
Growing up my house seemed to be the place to be for all of my and my brother's friends. I absolutely LOVED that! There was most definitely never a dull moment in our household. For example...
However, many things (sweatshirts, soccer balls, etc.) from our house tended to be infinitely borrowed. This was never intended by the borrowers--people forget. Nevertheless, this was frustrating.
Part Two:
I swear there is no good way to elegantly display DVD cases. This is frustrating. But, fear no more, my solution has solved both frustrations!
The How To:
Step One: Find yourself a good ol sharpie. You really only need one, but who could pass up a find like this? A pack of twelve beautiful sharpies for only $4.99.
Step Two: Find yourself a giant CD case (mine holds about 250). Put all of your DVDs in this case. I did this in no particular order as I didn't want to guess how many empty spaces I should leave for future DVDs that start with each letter of the alphabet.
Step Three: Once each DVD is in its place, write the name of each DVD on its sleeve. This way, when a DVD is missing, you will know which one it is and where it belongs. And, if someone borrows a DVD, you can simply put a note card or post-it in its place with the name of the borrower on it. So easy, right?
You could stop here, but I decided to add page numbers and create a listing (sorted by both genre and rating) of all my DVDs via the use of an excel pivot table (this is definitely not necessary and I will not even attempt to explain what a pivot table is).
Anyway, problem solved; I no longer have to worry about losing these suckers or figuring out where to store all of them.
The End.
The Frustrations:
Part One:
Growing up my house seemed to be the place to be for all of my and my brother's friends. I absolutely LOVED that! There was most definitely never a dull moment in our household. For example...
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| Poker night. |
Part Two:
I swear there is no good way to elegantly display DVD cases. This is frustrating. But, fear no more, my solution has solved both frustrations!
The How To:
Step One: Find yourself a good ol sharpie. You really only need one, but who could pass up a find like this? A pack of twelve beautiful sharpies for only $4.99.
Step Three: Once each DVD is in its place, write the name of each DVD on its sleeve. This way, when a DVD is missing, you will know which one it is and where it belongs. And, if someone borrows a DVD, you can simply put a note card or post-it in its place with the name of the borrower on it. So easy, right?
You could stop here, but I decided to add page numbers and create a listing (sorted by both genre and rating) of all my DVDs via the use of an excel pivot table (this is definitely not necessary and I will not even attempt to explain what a pivot table is).
Anyway, problem solved; I no longer have to worry about losing these suckers or figuring out where to store all of them.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Birthday week.
I was stuck working in the teeny town of Mechanicsville last week; oh
goody. And as noted here, it was also my birthday week. Now, I
am typically not one to have a celebration for my birthday, but I was
really not looking forward to being alone that day. Luckily, my
wonderful best friend, Natalie, had the day off, and being the good
friend that she is, planned to come stay with me. So, before heading to
work on Tuesday, I left an extra key at the front desk of the hotel so
she could get in when she got there. When I got back to the hotel after work, I opened the door and was surprised to see that not only was Natalie there, but my friend Sam was there too! I have such good friends! The three of us went out for wine and pizza at a cute little restaurant, then headed to a Mexican place for a margarita, and then headed back to the hotel for a glass of wine and some hot tubbing. It was pretty perfect.
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| This is (the reenacted version of) what I saw when I walked into my hotel. |
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| At the pizza joint! |
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| And hot tubbing. |
Butt Pads.
My Aunt Krista bought me these butt pads off the streets of LA when I came to visit after my high school graduation; I was eighteen then, and a little less endowed (but I promise I still never, ever wore this thing!). Anyway, I was so scared that one of my forty or fifty something year old male managers would open this and have a terrible sense of humor. Luckily, my managers did not participate in the exchange, and a twenty-fiveish year old male ended up opening my gift. His reaction was priceless; he was embarrassed, bright red, and tried to shove those butt pads back inside that cow jar before anyone realized what he had opened. It was perfect :)
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: twenty-five
Welp, it's true. I am officially twenty-five years old. If you use the rounding rule, I am thirty. Sickening, I know. I have a lot to say about yesterday (my birthday), but because it's Wordless Wednesday (and I am tired), for now I will just leave you with two pictures (and a few more words).
Have a good Thursday!
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| This is the picture my bff, Natalie, posted to my Facebook yesterday with the following caption: 'Happy Birthday to one of my favorites...my world travel buddy, margarita/nacho date, soccer teammate, roommate, co-worker, and best friend a girl could ask for! Always there to add a little shine to my life!' Haha...she is so clever! :) |
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| And here I am...twenty-five (and one day). |
Thursday, January 10, 2013
First-Date-Soup
Every time I make (or eat) this soup I am reminded of my very first date with Trent. He asked me to a movie and, in an effort to show him that he found a girl who can be domesticated, I offered to make him dinner beforehand. I chose to make him my favorite soup of all time--my mom's chicken and wild rice soup. So, I made the soup, he came over, and we ate; he really struggled though, as his hand was shaking so bad, he could barely keep hold of his spoon. He blamed his shakes on the excessive drinking he had done the night before (not exactly the kind of thing a girl likes to hear on a first date). About a year later, we were eating this soup again and reminiscing about that date we had so long ago, when he finally told me that it wasn't drinking that caused those shakey hands--it was his nerves! That was his very first "real" date, and given that it was with a catch as great as me ;), he was nervous. Haha!
Here's how you make that first-date-soup:
Start with a glass of wine (for your pleasure...not the soup).
You will need:
1 package of wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's original)
6 tablespoons margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (if you or your guest does not like onions, add it anyway--you/they will never know)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth (or hot water and bouillon)
1/2 cup cooked chicken or ham (or both), cubed--I used two chicken breasts
4 ounces of mushrooms, chopped and drained
1 pint half & half
1/2 cup carrot, finely shredded--I used two carrot sticks
salt and pepper
Step 1: cook your rice
Step 2: while your rice is cooking, melt the margarine in a pan and saute the onion until it's tender.
Step 3: blend in flour and gradually add the broth; cook, stirring until this comes to a boil, and then let it boil for a minute.
Step 4: once your rice is fully cooked, add this, along with your cooked chicken/ham, carrots, mushrooms, and salt. Let this simmer for five minutes.
Step 5: blend in the half & half and heat until warm. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to taste.
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| This is me and Trent about a month after our first date. Not the greatest picture, but it's hard to look good when you've got a giant sombrero on your head. |
Start with a glass of wine (for your pleasure...not the soup).
You will need:
1 package of wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's original)
6 tablespoons margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (if you or your guest does not like onions, add it anyway--you/they will never know)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth (or hot water and bouillon)
1/2 cup cooked chicken or ham (or both), cubed--I used two chicken breasts
4 ounces of mushrooms, chopped and drained
1 pint half & half
1/2 cup carrot, finely shredded--I used two carrot sticks
salt and pepper
Step 2: while your rice is cooking, melt the margarine in a pan and saute the onion until it's tender.
Step 3: blend in flour and gradually add the broth; cook, stirring until this comes to a boil, and then let it boil for a minute.
Step 4: once your rice is fully cooked, add this, along with your cooked chicken/ham, carrots, mushrooms, and salt. Let this simmer for five minutes.
Step 5: blend in the half & half and heat until warm. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to taste.
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| Step 6: EAT! |
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: at work
I cannot stop laughing at this picture! Today is our Deputy Director's 60th birthday. So, in celebration, everyone in the office wore black. This group of gals, however, was not in the main office, so we took a picture of our celebratory outfits and sent it to the birthday boy. As my coworkers pointed out, I look like a character from a horror film.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Mr. McGraw
I have such an appreciation for people who can sing. I mean really sing (Katy Perry does not fall into this category). This is a song by Tim McGraw that comes up on my Pandora every once in a while; when it does, I stop whatever I am doing and just listen. Yes, the lyrics are good, but it's his heavenly voice that I'm really listening to.
I might as well give credit to Mr. Strait, too...I cannot get enough of this new, sappy song of his.
I hope you enjoyed them as much as I do :)
I might as well give credit to Mr. Strait, too...I cannot get enough of this new, sappy song of his.
I hope you enjoyed them as much as I do :)
Sunday, January 6, 2013
My boots.
Finally, after several months of searching, I found them. I was beginning to think I never would--that they just weren't meant for me, these perfect pieces of art. However, low and behold, in a giant warehouse full of similar (but not quite as perfect) pieces of art, were these babies...
Okay, I swear I'm not as superficial as this post is. But seriously, I have been searching for the perfect pair forever!
As much as I'd love to write for the next seven and a half hours, this superficial post is all I can muster today; my mind is numb from the lack of sleep I've had in the last twenty-four hours.
Until next time...
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| Aren't they just beautiful? |
Okay, I swear I'm not as superficial as this post is. But seriously, I have been searching for the perfect pair forever!
As much as I'd love to write for the next seven and a half hours, this superficial post is all I can muster today; my mind is numb from the lack of sleep I've had in the last twenty-four hours.
Until next time...
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The Best. Thing. Ever.
I am so excited for what I am about to tell all of you! I realize, though, that this might only be intriguing to the other like-minded accountants (or partly OCD people) of this world, but seriously, I cannot contain this nerdy excitement.
For a long time I have been wanting to set up a personal finance program (probably using excel) and this week I spent several hours getting started on this. Yesterday, I mentioned to my coworker that my goal for the weekend was to get this program completed. She then proceeded to tell me about this website that she uses to track her finances. After just a couple minutes of discussing this site, I realized there was no way I could create something as perfect as this (and it's free!). So, while I couldn't sleep last night (thanks to the two hour nap I took after work), I set up my account on this (freaking cool) site--mint.com.
Let me explain how it works...
You connect all of your bank accounts, loan accounts, investment accounts, etc. to this site (it's through Intuit and it's completely secure). This process literally took about twenty minutes (and I connected eight accounts).
When there is activity in one of these connected accounts (as you use your debit/credit card, write checks, make loan payments, make transfers, etc.), the information is transferred to this site.
Then, all of the transactions are automatically categorized. So, if I put $10 on my credit/debit card at Cinemark, this would automatically be categorized as 'Movies & DVDs."
But, if you don't like how something is categorized, you have the ability to change (or split it between multiple) categories. For example, if I made a purchase at Wal-Mart, it would automatically be categorized as "Shopping." If I want to, I can go in and change this categorization to "Hair and Makeup" or "Groceries" or "Clothing" or split it between whichever categories I want to. You can also add categories--I added a category called "Christmas Gifts 2012."
Another cool feature is that you can tell it how to categorize future payments. For example, I have it set up so that any check I write for $10 will be categorized as "Doctor" as any $10 check is likely to be for an office copay (but I can go back and change it if it's not).
You can also add a note and/or tags to each transaction. As you can see above, I have a "reimbursable" tag and any work-related travel expenses will be tagged in this manner.
But wait, there's more!
You can set up monthly budgets to help you manage your spending. You decide the categories and your budget. You can set it up so that if you go over budget in any one category, a text or email will be sent to you (you can also have texts/emails sent if any one of your bank accounts go under a certain amount, if any one purchase is greater than a certain amount, etc.)
You can create goals (like buy a house, save for a trip, pay off a loan, etc.) and your progress will be tracked automatically. I set up a student loan goal to help me with Number 2. While setting this up, it calculated that I will save $6,674 in interest if I meet my goal. Holy moly!
You can also view your spending trends, analyze your portfolio performance, and do soooo many more helpful things.
The best thing about this website is how ridiculously user friendly it is. I literally set this up last night and feel I can navigate my way through this site/my account with ease. The second best thing (it might actually be tied for first), is that it is completely, one-hundred percent free. How? Well, advertising of course. But not the obnoxious kind of advertising....advertisements are on the "Ways to Save" tab where you can go to browse different ads (for loan providors, brokerages, etc.). That's it. Seriously, it's not obnoxious at all--these ads might even be useful someday.
Anyway, I am beyond grateful that my coworker (who is, by the way, the most organized person I have ever met in my life--but that's another post altogether) enlightened me with this whole thing and all I want to do is share this with everyone I know.
FYI, after rereading this post, I feel like a spokesperson for Mint.com. I swear I'm not, but I might actually look into that! :)
Enjoy!
For a long time I have been wanting to set up a personal finance program (probably using excel) and this week I spent several hours getting started on this. Yesterday, I mentioned to my coworker that my goal for the weekend was to get this program completed. She then proceeded to tell me about this website that she uses to track her finances. After just a couple minutes of discussing this site, I realized there was no way I could create something as perfect as this (and it's free!). So, while I couldn't sleep last night (thanks to the two hour nap I took after work), I set up my account on this (freaking cool) site--mint.com.
Let me explain how it works...
You connect all of your bank accounts, loan accounts, investment accounts, etc. to this site (it's through Intuit and it's completely secure). This process literally took about twenty minutes (and I connected eight accounts).
When there is activity in one of these connected accounts (as you use your debit/credit card, write checks, make loan payments, make transfers, etc.), the information is transferred to this site.
Then, all of the transactions are automatically categorized. So, if I put $10 on my credit/debit card at Cinemark, this would automatically be categorized as 'Movies & DVDs."
But, if you don't like how something is categorized, you have the ability to change (or split it between multiple) categories. For example, if I made a purchase at Wal-Mart, it would automatically be categorized as "Shopping." If I want to, I can go in and change this categorization to "Hair and Makeup" or "Groceries" or "Clothing" or split it between whichever categories I want to. You can also add categories--I added a category called "Christmas Gifts 2012."
Another cool feature is that you can tell it how to categorize future payments. For example, I have it set up so that any check I write for $10 will be categorized as "Doctor" as any $10 check is likely to be for an office copay (but I can go back and change it if it's not).
You can also add a note and/or tags to each transaction. As you can see above, I have a "reimbursable" tag and any work-related travel expenses will be tagged in this manner.
But wait, there's more!
You can set up monthly budgets to help you manage your spending. You decide the categories and your budget. You can set it up so that if you go over budget in any one category, a text or email will be sent to you (you can also have texts/emails sent if any one of your bank accounts go under a certain amount, if any one purchase is greater than a certain amount, etc.)
You can create goals (like buy a house, save for a trip, pay off a loan, etc.) and your progress will be tracked automatically. I set up a student loan goal to help me with Number 2. While setting this up, it calculated that I will save $6,674 in interest if I meet my goal. Holy moly!
FYI, after rereading this post, I feel like a spokesperson for Mint.com. I swear I'm not, but I might actually look into that! :)
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Montana
I am pretty sure that New Years Day is the busiest day in most gyms around the world as 95% of the population is starting the first day of their annual resolution. I too have that same resolution for Twenty-Thirteen. However, despite my membership to Anytime Fitness, my yesterday was spent eating, watching whatever I could find on the tele, and making only minimal muscle movemements while sprawled out on the couch. I felt very much entitled to really enjoy my last day of holiday vacation.
Of course, when 8:00 PM rolled around, I started feeling guilty (and lord knows I wasnt't about to go to anytime fitness at 8 PM). So, in an effort to increase my future motivation and the likelihood of accomplishing resolution number 4, I decided to research my next marathon. And it's official. On July 14, 2013, I will be running a marathon in Missoula, Montana.
Montana...never been there in my life. The first thing that comes to my mind is the ridiculosly good (but very depressing) movie, 'My Sister's Keeper.' The main character was obsessed with Montana.
The next several months will be spent planning this 19+ hour (one way) road trip. I am already so excited for this mini little adventure of mine!
Anyway, my training starts on March 10th (that's two more months of procrastination).
Of course, when 8:00 PM rolled around, I started feeling guilty (and lord knows I wasnt't about to go to anytime fitness at 8 PM). So, in an effort to increase my future motivation and the likelihood of accomplishing resolution number 4, I decided to research my next marathon. And it's official. On July 14, 2013, I will be running a marathon in Missoula, Montana.
Montana...never been there in my life. The first thing that comes to my mind is the ridiculosly good (but very depressing) movie, 'My Sister's Keeper.' The main character was obsessed with Montana.
 |
| Missoula, MT |
...and if this is what Montana looks like when I get there, I might become obsessed too.
Anyway, my training starts on March 10th (that's two more months of procrastination).
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Christmas.
I was so excited to write about the new year this morning that I forgot I have yet to write about my Christmas! So, I am breaking my previous record (of one) and I'm writing two posts in one day.
On Sunday I made the two hour trek to Algona to spend Christmas with my Grandma M and Monday (aka Christmas Eve) was spent with Trent's family in Wilton. Sadly, my camera was MIA for both those days...
Christmas was spent at my parents' house. My brother volunteered to make our Christmas dinner and he treated us with a delicious plate of Beef Wellington. Afterwards, we gathered around the Christmas tree, took way too many pictures, and opened way too many presents.
On Friday, I was lucky enough to get to babysit my cousin's two babies, Kennedy and Quinn. They ate lunch in their makeshift fort, pulled lots of books off the shelves at the library, played in the snow with their second cousin, Sydni and their Great Aunt Lisa, and ended the afternoon with a nice long nap cuddled up on the couch.
Christmas with my dad's side of the family was held at my parents' house on Saturday. The day was spent eating, catching up with family, drinking brandy slushes, and playing with the littles.
And there you have it, folks...another great Christmas to be thankful for.
My last day of work before Christmas break was Thursday, December 20th and I don't have to go back until tomorrow--January 2nd. That's twelve work-free days in a row. Woah.
I spent that first weekend in my college town of Cedar Falls. On Friday night I went out on the town with my best friend, Miss Natalie, and we met up with several other friends that we don't get to see very often.
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| Natalie (who has forgotten how to take a normal picture), me, Amber, and Sarah. |
Saturday was spent babysitting/cuddling a precious little three-week old baby girl, Sophia Mae.
 |
| It doesn't get much better than this :) |
Christmas was spent at my parents' house. My brother volunteered to make our Christmas dinner and he treated us with a delicious plate of Beef Wellington. Afterwards, we gathered around the Christmas tree, took way too many pictures, and opened way too many presents.
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| Dane (my brother), Abby (my sister), my Grandma K, and me. |
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| Dane, Jenna, Dave, Abby, Trent, and me. |
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| My cute parents. |
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| Kennedy, Quinn, and their peanut butter sandwiches. |
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| Quinn and Syd during the baby boy's nap. |
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| Naked and chubby baby Claire. I can't even handle how cute this picture is. |
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| Claire was caught red-handed with a bottle of wine and margaritas... |
Twenty-Thirteen
Good morning, Twenty-Thirteen. I am exceptionally happy to wake up to you this morning and so excited to tell you what you should expect from me in the next 365 days. Now, I realize that I have had similar discussions with your friends Twenty-Twelve and Twenty-Eleven, but you are different. I promise.
For the last week or two I have put some serious thought into my resolutions and I am ready to carve them into stone (via this blog). So here I go...
Number 1: Stop worrying. I can honestly say that I am THE BIGGEST worrier that any of you readers have ever read about. Oh, you would like an example, you say? I've got plenty...
My most recent (for the last 3 weeks) worry is that I have lung cancer or some other chronic illness. This might be a logical concern for a chain smoker, or for someone of a more advanced age who has spent their entire life working with toxic chemicals. I, however, have smoked (at most) the equivalent of one cigarette in my life (out of pure curiosity), and the worst "chemical" I have unintentionally inhaled is whatever that obnoxious smelling chemical in nail polish remover is. This particular worry of mine stems from this gosh darn cough that I can't seem to shake. I've been to the doctor twice for it now and at my most recent appointment I expressed to him my concerns about lung cancer. My doctor, while stifling a little chuckle, said to "stop worrying" and that the possibility is "very unlikely" for me.
My second example demonstrates how I have been a worrier for my entire life...
When I was five years old my dad found me crying hysterically (the kind of cry that makes it difficult to breathe) in my room. When my concerned father asked me what was wrong, I expressed to him that I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a job when I grew up. I was FIVE. Good god. My dad, who has since become well aware of my worrying mind, did not tell me this story until after I had graduated college and been offered a job.
So, since I understand it would be impossible elimate all worries, I am going to work really hard at eliminating the worries that are beyond my control.
Number 2: Pay off one of my student loans. It makes me absolutely sick looking at my student loan balances and the interest I have paid on them. So, my goal is to pay off the loan with the biggest interest rate--8.4 percent--which is ridiculously high. It may not be proper etiquette to announce how much your student loans are, so I won't. Instead I will just tell you how much one of my three loans is...eleven thousand big ones. To all you readers out there who are blessed enough not to have any student loans, I hope you realize how lucky you are.
Number 3: Get my own place. I graduated college a year and a half ago and have been living with my parents ever since. I cannot stress how grateful I am for being able to do this as this has saved me so much money, and my parents really are pretty great roommates. Nonetheless, this chick is ready to leave the nest and be out on her own again. Originally, I had hoped to buy my own house, but this will be difficult to do while also completing Number 2 above. But, let the pinching of pennies begin. I am up for the challenge, Twenty-Thirteen.
Number 4: Lose twelve pounds. I know, it's the age-old new year's resolution...but I can't deny this goal of mine. Twenty-Twelve was rather good to me as I lost ten pounds during that year while training for my latest marathon. As I discussed here, I plan on running another during Twenty-Thirteen, so hopefully once I get back into my running groove, I will lose the four pounds I have since gained back, and the extra eight it will take to get back to my highschool weight.
Number 5: Increase my calcium intake. Weird, I know. But, I honestly can't remember the last time I drank a glass of milk--it's been at least three years. And, in an effort to stop worrying about the Osteoperosis I am likely to get without enough of this necessary mineral, I am going to start taking calcium supplements every day. Sounds simple, right? Well, for the average person it probably is. I, on the other hand, am terrible at remembering to do simple tasks like this each day.
There you have it, Twenty-Thirteen, my five resolutions.
With Love,
Andi
For the last week or two I have put some serious thought into my resolutions and I am ready to carve them into stone (via this blog). So here I go...
Number 1: Stop worrying. I can honestly say that I am THE BIGGEST worrier that any of you readers have ever read about. Oh, you would like an example, you say? I've got plenty...
My most recent (for the last 3 weeks) worry is that I have lung cancer or some other chronic illness. This might be a logical concern for a chain smoker, or for someone of a more advanced age who has spent their entire life working with toxic chemicals. I, however, have smoked (at most) the equivalent of one cigarette in my life (out of pure curiosity), and the worst "chemical" I have unintentionally inhaled is whatever that obnoxious smelling chemical in nail polish remover is. This particular worry of mine stems from this gosh darn cough that I can't seem to shake. I've been to the doctor twice for it now and at my most recent appointment I expressed to him my concerns about lung cancer. My doctor, while stifling a little chuckle, said to "stop worrying" and that the possibility is "very unlikely" for me.
My second example demonstrates how I have been a worrier for my entire life...
When I was five years old my dad found me crying hysterically (the kind of cry that makes it difficult to breathe) in my room. When my concerned father asked me what was wrong, I expressed to him that I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a job when I grew up. I was FIVE. Good god. My dad, who has since become well aware of my worrying mind, did not tell me this story until after I had graduated college and been offered a job.
So, since I understand it would be impossible elimate all worries, I am going to work really hard at eliminating the worries that are beyond my control.
Number 2: Pay off one of my student loans. It makes me absolutely sick looking at my student loan balances and the interest I have paid on them. So, my goal is to pay off the loan with the biggest interest rate--8.4 percent--which is ridiculously high. It may not be proper etiquette to announce how much your student loans are, so I won't. Instead I will just tell you how much one of my three loans is...eleven thousand big ones. To all you readers out there who are blessed enough not to have any student loans, I hope you realize how lucky you are.
Number 3: Get my own place. I graduated college a year and a half ago and have been living with my parents ever since. I cannot stress how grateful I am for being able to do this as this has saved me so much money, and my parents really are pretty great roommates. Nonetheless, this chick is ready to leave the nest and be out on her own again. Originally, I had hoped to buy my own house, but this will be difficult to do while also completing Number 2 above. But, let the pinching of pennies begin. I am up for the challenge, Twenty-Thirteen.
Number 4: Lose twelve pounds. I know, it's the age-old new year's resolution...but I can't deny this goal of mine. Twenty-Twelve was rather good to me as I lost ten pounds during that year while training for my latest marathon. As I discussed here, I plan on running another during Twenty-Thirteen, so hopefully once I get back into my running groove, I will lose the four pounds I have since gained back, and the extra eight it will take to get back to my highschool weight.
Number 5: Increase my calcium intake. Weird, I know. But, I honestly can't remember the last time I drank a glass of milk--it's been at least three years. And, in an effort to stop worrying about the Osteoperosis I am likely to get without enough of this necessary mineral, I am going to start taking calcium supplements every day. Sounds simple, right? Well, for the average person it probably is. I, on the other hand, am terrible at remembering to do simple tasks like this each day.
There you have it, Twenty-Thirteen, my five resolutions.
With Love,
Andi
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