I WON!

I went to my third Holiday party this week and there was a raffle for a ton of prizes and guess what? Yeah, yeah, my blog title gave it away. 

There were many prizes at stake, and knowing that I never win raffles, I had long since put my raffle ticket away and as the prizes dwindled- I just knew they would call my number when it ran down to the horrible knock-off wii system. I had resided to relaxing in my chair and counting down the minutes until we were let off work thirty minutes earlier than usual (yay Holiday parties!). Then, a small voice at the front of the NRA Cafe called out "212". I continued to daydream. "212" the voice called out again- my mind wandered back to real life-"that's my address, that's my number, that's my raffle number, 'Oh! That's Me!'" Everyone clapped and I made my way to the front of the room, and carefully looked over the prize table. There were only a few prizes left, and only one gift card left and what was is? It was fate I tell you! P.F. Changs just happens to be one of my favorite restaurants ever...and now I am the proud winner of a $50 gift certificate to P.F. Changs... What! What!

Hmmm.... and suddenly everyone at work became my best friend that day, ha ha. 

Read More

The South Will Rise Again

It has been so long since I have blogged, I think I might have forgotten how to. Luckily, Mother has been consistently pestering me to post, so whether I want to get back on that bike (which in the non-metaphorical world known as reality-not the real world TV type- I actually have no idea how to ride a bike) or not, I am going to blog. So here goes...

Just to step up on the old familiar soap box... 

I have been living in this wonderful place called Northern Virginia (NOVA) for sometime now and while I love the new environment, there are a few things I have learned to value about the South since moving away. While many of you are probably assuming right now that I am going to mention things like sweet tea (which I actually don't care for at all) and fried food or country music and backroading (which I do love and miss very much-backroading, that is), none of these reasons, or any of things similiar to them, make me miss the South more than the reasons listed below. 

1. In the South, people know who they are and what they believe and they aren't afraid to show it

Now before I have a bunch of NOVAs mad at me, let me delve a little deeper on the topic. I only mean to say that Southerners aren't as weary in expressing their beliefs- they aren't looking over their shoulders as they say them, they aren't constantly afraid of being judged, and they say what they mean not what they think the other person wants to hear. Now NOVAs, those Southern characteristics aren't all considered good in my book, so if you are mad at me dissing you, I am actually dissing Southerners and Northerners to some extent- because a person's strengths can sometimes also be their weaknesses- which actually means I am insulting myself- geez, what kind of blog am I running here?

To clarify, Southerners say what they mean and they mean what they say and if they disagree with you or want to insult you, they don't play mind games- they just do or they don't. For example, a NOVA would say, "Joe was just joking to everyone about how obnoxiously bright your shoes are, ha ha, but he was just kidding of course," when they really mean, "WE were just talking about how much we hated your shoes and I just wanted to tell you so you would either A. stop wearing them in the future or B. so that I can deflect others from making fun of me." Whereas a Southerner would say, "Amber, those are some ugly shoes, where did you get those?" and they mean, "Amber, those are some ugly shoes, tell me why you are wearing them?" - Giving me the opportunity to say, "Well Lisa (she always hated my shoe choices), they were only 99 cents a pair and super colorful and I like them, so get over it." - We all laugh and continue on our merry way... 

2. Southerners find few subjects "inappropriate"

Okay, Okay- we do find some subjects taboo at the dinner table- but not many. In the south, meal time conversations aren't solely dictated by what is going on in the news or what happened on the farm that day (see #3 for further explanation on why I said farm). Southerners are notorious for #1, saying what they mean and meaning what they say and the same boldness carries over to everyday conversation with... everyone! In the South, you don't have to know someone for more than a day before you can sit down and have a 30 minute discussion with them. In the South, you can tell someone your entire life story- dirty laundry and all- and while a Southerner may leave the conversation thinking "I didn't need to know all that" after talking with someone, a Southerner doesn't leave thinking "what a wierdo" and if they do, they still value it as an interesting story to tell at the dinner table later- airing the dirty laundry all over again- over fried food and sweet tea, right? ha ha. 

I think it goes back to our Southern hospitality or the fact that when talking to a "wierdo" we probably know his brother or his niece or someone in his family and when you see people as...well, people, you don't think they are so wierd after all. But I have always said, and still do say, that I think the most boring people are the people that aren't wierd at all and that the world would be a very boring and dull place to live in if we weren't all a little wierd. 

3. Southerners have a realistic view of the rest of America, WHAT?!?!! Let me explain (this is a shout out to Katie Lewis, she had an awesome article series titled 'Let Me Explain' when she wrote for Saint Louis University- look them up, they are really good!). 

Have you ever met someone who thought that the way something was portrayed on television, was actually the way it is in real life? Like, for instance, someone who thinks that MTV's The Real World is actually how college students act 24/7? 

Okay- I am lying. I actually know a lot of Southerners who have a somewhat warped view of the rest of America and the world- but it isn't just some Southerners guys, so "phew!"- you can wipe that sweat off your forehead, because they have them up here too...

For example, on just about every occasion when someone has asked me where I am from originally (after finding out I just moved to the area), and I have answered "Tennessee," the person inevitably replies back, "Oh, so this must be like a HUGE change for you..." like the South is all hillbillies and hoedowns (not that there is anything wrong with either of those). That or I get, "You don't have a strong Southern accent... (like it is a question, like I can't really be from the South if I don't have one- ha ha)" 

C'mon NOVA- the South is a lot more than Country Music and cowboy hats (once again, nothing wrong with either)! My reply (no kidding) to each person who makes such a laughable comment is usually along the lines of "Well, we aren't all tobacco farms and Southern Belles in the South" - (ummm... yes, I know, I am a Southern Belle- a Kappa Alpha little sister-wait, those don't technically exist, so I guess I am safe in my statement). Needless to say, my answer always gets a chuckle or an interesting look. To be honest, I haven't really notice much of a difference between the two places- in fact, if they threw in some Krogers and Walmarts up here, you could swear you were in Tennessee again.   

So alot of these are just me complaining, and most don't hold up as completely true because the nation is so blended today- but there is something to be said for the Southern lifestyle or "hospitality"- on a side note, I also get a lot of "I am sure things move a lot faster up here than they do down here, don't they?"- to which I respond, "Well, all our "open land" does make for faster highways and fewer traffic jams (yay 70 mile speed limits!), so really, it's quite the opposite up here."

While I could do without the tobacco spitting and the obnoxiously loud trucks (which I also secretly love), I wouldn't change the Southern attitude for anything- and while I love NOVA, I think they could take a lesson or two from all us skoal dipping, line-dancers and maybe after I live here for long enough, I can blog about a few leasons we can learn from NOVA - maybe ;)

Read More

Text Messaging Brother B

Now and Then I like to watch a movie called Now and Then. When it came on television a while ago, I got very excited and started telling Husband that I used to watch the movie over and over again when I was younger. 

A few weeks ago, Brother B texted me around midnight or so and said, "The movie Now and Then is on TNT right now, ha ha." When I woke up, I laughed and forgot all about it, only thinking "that was random." 

The next week, Brother B sent me a picture of mouse pad with my face on it- one of the University's secretaries (who I spent a lot of time pestering for help with things, mainly the copier/printer) was using it with her computer. While texting him back on that conversation I also said "Why did you send me a text message last week telling me Now and Then was on TNT?" To which he replied, "Because that was like your favorite movie when you were younger." 

"That is so cute that you remember that," I said.

"Yeah, yeah," he said (in typical brother fashion). 

When relaying the first half of the texting conversation to Husband, he said, "What is Now and Then again?" C'mon Husband!

Speaking of text messaging, yesterday Brother B sent me a text message of a turkey dancing to a funny song- I thought it was hilarious and forwarded to a bunch of people to say Happy Thanksgiving and after doing so, Husband tells me that the song had some explicit content (to which I was apparently oblivious to- who listens to the actual lyrics of a song anymore?). So to all that got the text message and did not appreciate it, My bad, I just thought it was a cute dancing turkey. To all those who got it and did like it, Happy Thanksgiving (Clay)! ha ha. 

Read More

Curious About My Cubicle?

So- as you have noticed, I have been having a little bloggers block and since I am always trying to explain to people that my "office" isn't a cubicle- well, okay it is- but it is a GIANT cubicle- as you can clearly see from the photo below- I decided to just take a picture of it with my cell phone. So this is it, this is where all the magic happens- it actually looks even bigger in person, because you aren't seeing the other space past the colorful folders... The picture was taken across the hall, from the cubicle across from mine were JoshUA works- his fiance told me about the job via facebook- it really is a networking site, ha ha. See the corresponding numbers for more information: 

1. My picture of my brother's girlfriend Julie in my brother's 7th grade overalls. That picture makes me so happy, I laugh everytime I see it. 

2. My dry erase board (it is actually pointing at a giraffe my coworker Nicole drew for me)

3. My business cards with my creative business card holder- an extra hole puncher lying around the office. Everyone loves it and wants to steal it...

4. My awesome military statues... Since we have so many of the products we sell lying around, most people use them to decorate their office- Mine were already there and everyone makes fun of them, but I think they are awesome and kind of perfect for my specific workspace because of the equally numbered cubes below. (Below the seond one, you can see my Scalia Bobblehead!!)

5. My ancient computer- we are still using word professional 2000 and my computer is probably one of the first ever made, ha ha. That's what you have to work with when you work for a non-profit organization!

My office is right in the middle of the hallway, next to the copier and supply room and water cooler- so I always have a lot of visitors... If there is anything else you'd like to know about it, just ask.... and yes, Jessica, I have pictures up of you too. 

Read More

Preface to ANIB-SHO Blog

Do you remember when you were a kid and were assigned summer reading lists? Oh, how kids loathed (and probably still do) their summer reading. I secretly loved my summer reading list (well most of it, anyway)- maybe it was because it only furthered my obsession with checking off giant to-do lists or the fact that we had to write a paper on each book after we read it (i loved writing- hence the blogging)- regardless, I liked it. 

Side note: My dear little sister, J, is also a fan of the summer reading list, despite what she may argue otherwise. Her face lights up and she pretty much begs my mother every spare moment they have to take a trip to the book store to pick up her summer reading list- a purchase which can't be denied, because "I have to read it for school." She may be sulking on the outside, but I see the excitement bouncing within.

But what I didn't like about summer reading was the beginning of the books- I'm not talking about the opening sentence- I'm talking about the Acknowledgments and the Introductions and the Prefaces (and the Acknowledgements disguised as Prefaces). What is the difference between a Preface and and Introduction anyway- well, I think a Preface is written by the author and an Intro by someone else (0r vice-verse. As my sister would say, "idk") Either way- who cares?

If you are the author writing the Preface- too bad for you! You should have written it in the book! 

I hated, as a child and still today- does that tell you anything?- when I would pick up a book and have to sift through anywhere from 2 to 20 pages of introductory remarks before I even got to the meat of the book. No wonder kids think they don't like to read- they decide reading is boring within the first few pages- because what they are reading is all the boring stuff. Leave it out and they will read (okay I am sure the country's educational problems are a little more complicated, but hey! every bit helps). 

More so, I couldn't stand it when teachers would test you or make you include those remarks in your book report- for no other reason, but to make sure you read it. Why should I memorize how the book touched another author's life or why they decided to write

 its introductory remarks?? It matters not to me.

Husband reads every introduction/preface/acknowledgement/footnote/publisher's page/index in every book he reads (okay, okay, I stretch the truth a little there), so I don't expect him to relate-- what a rare specimen he is.

I finally picked up F.A. Hayek's The Road to Serfdom to read- long over due- and I am immediately bombarded with 19 pages (19 PAGES!!!!!!!) of PRE-pages (marked ever so cutely with roman numerals). After about 5 pages, I thought I was going to pass out- I want to read the book! not this stuff! But what if I miss something? What if the author retracts something, corrects something, explains something, whatever, and I miss it? What if? Argh!!  

Wait! Husband has read this book before, maybe I can ask him if I will miss anything. "Just read it," he says. Some help... One of these days Husband, you are going to want to know why Giraffes have thick, hairy lips and I am going to tell you to "just look it up."

To top it off, the first 12 pages of the actual book's material is chapterized© (yes, I made that word up) as "Introduction". I thought I was going to die.

Sure, sure, keep all that "stuff" in the books- what do I care? But move it to the back... Stop forcing me to PRE-read about why the book is so great... I am already reading the book, friend, you don't have to convince me! That stuff is for the real fans, the second time around readers, not me- Me, who is trying to read it on her lunch break. Me, who just wants to soak up what the book has to offer me. Me, who just wants the meat- no veggies! 

Okay, I am down from my soap box. 

For all those who read this "Preface to ANIB-SHO Blog"- I thank you, because not only was it poorly written, but I know if I saw that title, I would have just skipped right on to the good stuff.

PS: I plan to review this book later on my blog, stay tuned- I promise no Inroductions (because I need no introduction-ha ha)- but there may be a Preface  -->  :)

Read More

Internet Says I'm Mentally Unstable, Have Deadly Disease, and am Expert on Mental InStability and Deadly Diseases

So I took a few free online psychology tests today (out of sheer internet boredom, and looking for something to blog about) and apparently I have every mental disease under the sun, and just to solidify, I made Husband take some of them and he doesn't have any- this result I disagree with though, because if I really am "moderately" suffering from all of them, then Husband has to be more messed up in the head to marry someone like me, right? ha ha. 

Regardless, I have a feeling he is going to use these little tests against me in the future. I can hear it now... 

"Husband, please take out the trash, this is the millionth time I have asked you and you said you would." -Me 

"Are you sure you just didn't hear me saying that in your head, Amber? Because I don't recall ever saying that and you know what the tests said..." - Husband

Although I am a huge proponent of the Web-MD culture, I can't help but think how many of us have become pseudo-hypochondriacs in the process of frequenting such websites. I can't tell you how many times I have googled a bump on my foot to a chest pain and each time been told my situation was potential fatal and should contact a medical physician immediately, only to find out later it was a calcium deposit and muscular tightening (as normal as they get). It seems they are almost as reliable as the college student health centers who insist that the source of your problem/aches/pains/wounds are pregnancy, no matter your sex or the fact that you have a pencil sticking through your hands and bleeding profusely- it's always pregnancy. 

But I guess that wouldn't be the best example, because after Student Health told me that one time (and I assured them, it was impossible), my mother did some WEB MDing of her own and figured out it was protein deficiency (I had given it up for lent, forgot to continue to take the vitamins after coming home from a trip, and got super sick- including hair loss). Three giant hamburgers later and I was feeling better already! Thanks Ma! 

The same goes for psych tests and personality tests- just by taking a simple 10 question test online, we can prove our insanity! prove our saneness! prove that we are just like everyone else or prove we are unique! prove we are smarter, or cooler, or whatever... The point is, the internet let's people be whatever they want to be- whether through secret chat room discussions claiming you are a 30 year old good-looking, highly paid business exec, or meeting other Avatars (whatever those are) with similar interests, or just googling anything and everything you want to know about and claiming expertise around the office water cooler- the possibilities are endless...

Like me, for instance, because of google, I am now an expert on Mark Helprin, giraffes, Mitt Romney, cool reference books, and things to google. Maybe next, I will let the internet make me an expert on mental instabilities and deadly diseases. 

Read More

All I Want For Christmas

So I took the liberty of creating a picture collage of things I want for Christmas, but of course I couldn't remember half the things I wanted (or actually need) -- but I can say that there are a few things that you can never go wrong with me, like cool office and school supplies, new clothes (which I always need), puppy stuff, gift cards, candles, exoctic all-expense-paid trips, etc. And while I did make this collage myself, I am open to different variations of some of the things.... but as you know, I am very picky. 

Starting from the left:

1. Clear "Bubble" Umbrella from Target.com- I have wanted one ever since I saw it on that cell phone commercial.

2. Tetris for Nintendo DS

3. Victoria's Secret Soft Sweater Rober in dark gray

4. Mama Mia on DVD- Comes out December 16th!

5. Women's Health Subscription

6. Writing Tablet

7. Ipod Dock Station

8. Business Card Holder- Silver

9. White Valet Station- $19.99 on Amazon

10. New Underwear! Always needed... but I especially like these

 Hanes Women Boxer Boy Shorts

11. A cute change purse is needed!

12. Mama Mia Soundtrack- or an Itunes gift card so I can buy it myself!

13. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

14. Super Mario Brothers for Nintendo DS

15. Mitt Romney Watter Bottle- $8.00 on GOP.com

16. Franklin Covey Caroline Laptop Bag- $164.00

17. BBC Knowledge Supscription- It is the best Magazine ever!! I love it!

18. A tempurpedic King Size bed- any takers? ha ha

19. Ipod Phone- what? a girl can dream, can't she?

20. You've Got Mail on DVD- It is my favorite movie ever, and I only get to watch it around Christmas every year when it comes on tv.

21. National Review Subscription

22. Tiffany Heart Toggle Necklace- Sterling Silver (I will gladly settle for a knock-0ff version)

23. West Wing Complete Series on DVD- Amazon.com

24. West Elm headboard, to go with my new king size tempurpedic bed.

For some reason, it wouldn't let me include the Catholic Guilt Funny Money Jar...which I love-- $9.99 at http://www.ogunquitmaine.net/wcsmall.html

So now the question is, What do you want for Christmas?

Read More

Anchor Away...

My good friend Boggs is leaving in December to sail the ocean blue for 18 months. And even though he is leaving me for a more exciting adventure and for the opportunity of a lifetime, I STILL forgive him. Just to show there are no hard feelings, I even agreed (after he asked me) to design his going away party postcard invitation, shown below...

Bon Voyage Boggsies!

Read More

The People Have Spoken

The people have spoken. They would rather me blog about nothing, than to not blog at all. And while I agree that even my most boring conversational topics are more interesting than a normal person's conversation-- I must say that I am at a loss for words, but since you have made it so clear that you cannot live another day without a blog from me, I will do my best.

Side Note: As my husband tries to look onto the computer screen, I quickly cover it up and say, "excuse me, you can read it with all my other fans."

Things that are going on in my life right now:

1. My lips are chapped beyond belief, to the point that they are turning a dark pink color (that's when you know it is bad). I expect to run out of Softlips by the end of the night.

2. Husband has one week of groveling on his list of things to do... it's a long story.

3. I had veterns day off and Husband still made me wake up at 7:30 in the morning to drive him to class and then refused to have lunch with me! So much for groveling... ha ha. But all is forgiven because we bought matching oversized men's dark-gray sweatpants to wear around the house... (Patrick Ariemma, I still remember when you swiped my old ones Freshman year-- and I'm shaking my fist)

To the right is a picture of Husband with them on. We like to pull them up as high as they will go (because they are oversized) and try to work our karate moves on eachother...

4. None of my jeans fit anymore... Naturally, I blame the dryer. Oh and in case you assumed I was loosing wait, I thank you, but that is not the case- they don't fit because they are too small.

5. I am pretty sure I have something called Binge Eating Disorder. This is unrelated to the jean situation, of course.

6. At work, I have a minimum of three different Holiday parties to attend. One, gives me pratically a whole day off, the other gives me a good two hours or so, but the third one is on a Saturday (shucks!). Either way, I am still in free food college mode, so all is good.

7. My coworkers and I went to this restaurant called Pei Wei, and it is literally a diner version of P.F. Changs (owned by them too). So I get PF Changs for cheaper and faster, it's heavenly. Why go back?

8. I have a pot that hasn't been washed in more than a week. But it is only noodles! So it's okay, right?

9. I feel bad in the mornings, as the air gets colder and colder with each step closer to Winter-- because before I take Matlock out for a walk, and I keep layering more and more clothes on and Matlock is still just as naked. But I think he is just so excited that he is going out, he doesn't care.

10. I have an aviator jacket and I look really cute in it, in fact, I even have a song that I sing and dance to when I wear it, it goes like so: "I'm so cute in my aviator jacket, my aviator jacket, my aviator jacket" - repeat about a thousand times. Aviator Jacket Song© is copywritten, as noted by my copywrite symbol. (Is it illegal to put the copywrite symbol after something that isn't actually copywritten? I don't know yet because Husband hasn't taken that class at law school yet)

Okay fans (Mom and Julie), I have written you 10 things to hold you off for a few days until I feel the real inspiration. I appreciate you pressuring me into writing about anything, if not something, because it's really what I should be doing anyway.

Love you and Junk© (Copywrite ANIB-SHO... ha ha Julie! I got it copywritten before you could, thanks!)

Read More

The Political Party-Party

Ahh.... Tuesday, November 4th-- Election Day 2008. My super bowl. My most favorite day of the year. To watch the numbers come in, to see the voter demographics. To cheer with friends or to yell at television screens! 

What was I doing on this day in history? I voted this morning, but now I am sitting in my bed, flipping between news channels and tallying up the scores with everyone else in America. 

This is not how my day would go though, if I had the choice. 

Ideally, I would have worked diligently on this year's campaign- for anyone who supports my same beliefs- but I didn't. I was caught between changing lives. 

Ideally, then, I would have worked the polling stations or volunteered to hand out political cheat sheets (not the ACORN type, the fliers for my candidates) for my party at the polls-but I didn't. I had to work today, and since I have only been working for less than 3 months, I have no vacation time to claim. 

Ideally, then, I would spend the night at the town's Republican Party-Fiesta (or Republican Party-Party, as I so dearly like to refer to it as) downtown at a local bar, cheering on my candidate with other die hards and frowning a little every time there is a win for the other side. I would be in the midst of people who believe as I do, people to share the ups and downs with-- even if I never speak to any of them- but I'm not. Instead I sit here with my roommate, who doesn't like to get out of the house. 

And although some would think it was crazy to let a younger woman, like myself, troll a city's unfamiliar streets (or dimly lit parking garages) alone on a dark and stormy night, this matters not. 

Who cares! You don't need a friend or roommate to go with you, you are a big girl Amber! 

Yes, yes I am. And so I did. I drove, using my handy dandy GPS machine to get me to the unfamiliar place- praying there is a parking spot right in front of the place. There wasn't and so I circled the streets, looking for another safe-looking spot (I don't do parking garages). There wasn't, so what is a girl to do?

I was a coward. I excepted defeat and drove back to my apartment, calling a friend to complain and wish that they were there. Oh to have a friend, any friend, I could call in times like these. Oh to be in Martin again, where I could pull from a large population of people I knew and loved. Oh to have friends again... ha ha. For someone who makes friends fast, I need to start making them faster....

I am home now, like I said, watching my television and keeping my opinions quietly to myself (very unlike me, can you tell? after all, I do have a blog) and looking forward to the next election season (2009!) where I am determined to serve my party and to fight for the causes and beliefs that I hold so dear. Hopefully, I will score a few friends, future opportunities, and (possibly) some election night celebration invitations. ;)

PS: Yay Political Super Bowl! I wish I could vote for my country everyday...

Read More

Daylight Savings-Shmamings (or I guess now that I have been corrected- Bring Back Daylight Savings!)

So, I want to blog. But I have nothing to blog about. I mean there is nothing going on, no national election, no future of our nation at stake, nothing. So I am going to blog about the time, daylight savings that is. 

I am firm on my position: I do not like the new daylight savings.

(or as I have been just informed--thanks Mom, always so quick to point out all my flaws and mistakes--we are actually OFF daylight savings and not on it- but regardless, I call it daylight savings either way). 

To remind you of my position: I don't like it!

I leave work and it's dark. That's right. I walk out of my apartment in the mornings and drive to work in the light and re-immerse 8 hours later from my work building and its nighttime. 

 

I drive home in the dark, which makes it difficult to read the National Review and BBC Knowledge magazine in between traffic.

When I finally do get home (1 hour after leaving work), I walk my dog- in the dark. It's scary out there, there's wild animals (squirrels) and spooky figures (the same people I wave and talk to every other time I walk him- except then they were in the light, and therefor not scary) and unrecognizable noises (that are very recognizable in the light, church bells!) and UFOs everywhere (maybe a plane or car, but who really knows? it's dark outside). 

But Amber, you get more daylight in the morning... so really it is the same. Oh but no, you see, because I was already waking up when it was dark and not leaving my apartment until there was already light, so you see- really- an hour of daylight has just been stripped from me!

And on another note, this can't be good for the whole environment, people turning on their lights earlier in the day... yadee yadee- I had a whole theory but now I can't remember it/it wasn't well thought out.

Regardless, since there are no greater issues facing our country today like the economy, terrorists, abortion, bad public schooling, etc. I say we stand up against something else, and my vote is to stand up against daylight savings time (or I guess now that I have been informed we are actually OFF daylight savings time, than we should stand up FOR it-- this is getting confusing--you're still with me right?)! I want the day readjusted to its original, and bright, sunshiny timing! Who's with me?!

Anyone? 

Okay, well it was just a suggestion...

Read More

PWWWWAAAAABBBBBLLLLLOOOOSSSSS PIIIIIICCCCCKKKKLLLLEEEESSSS, They're so Good!

For those of you who don't know, I work for a growing pickle company in my spare time (probono-sp?- for now, what can I say, I'm a nice person). 

Warning though, when you are carrying Pablo's Pickles with you (which any sane person does at every moment), they are safe from no one. Don't say I didn't warn you. We found this little vicious creature trying to steal some of the coveted gourmet pickles.

   

Enough Said.

Read More

Missing you...

It's late and I can't stop thinking about the past. My friendships, my relationships, my pets and my extracurricular (and curricular) activities. 

The olden days when friendships were abundant and relationships were complicated and I could speak to someone I love face-to-face instead of via facebook and text messages. The days when backroading and mexican food with a good friend was only a phone call away. When long days of CSI marathons were cherished amongst silent, but present friends. Days of hanging out in the comm lab until three in the morning, watching flag-football in the freezing cold, floating down the Martin trenches in the pouring rain, planning movie plots, playing "video games" and not playing "video games," secret trips to the church in the middle of the day, and so on. 

I keep playing through my head the things I wish I never said and how those people I hurt or made angry or sad, whatever, would never know that I still regret it today. I often think about all the people I wish well, even those I have fallen out of touch with or have probably forgotten I even exist anymore. 

But most of all, I think about the future. Where will these people be? Where will I be? Will I have made any impact on their lives? Will they ever remember anything I said to them? Did I ever say anything worth remembering (ha ha)? Will they wish me well too? Will we still speak? For most of them, probably not- but for all of them, I know I will be wishing them well and wishing we still spoke. 

Read More

A little heaven on earth...

For all that have been dying to see my bedroom (Ladies only, after all, I am married), here it is... but excuse the awful camera work and poor reflection of what my room actually looks like. My camera's viewing screen is broken, so I am literally just pointing and clicking. 

PS. I also believe my bedroom looks better in person ;)

  

The two dressers, the two candy apple green nightstands, and the green duvet set and throw pillows were all purchased at the magical land of IKEA, beside Potomac Mills in Virginia also known as 'the greatest place on earth' and 'the best place to take a road trip to if you are within a 1,000 mile radius"

Read More

Salsa Storm

It was a dark and stormy afternoon...

The couple was laying comfortably on the same couch together, curled beneath an over sized blanket they had just recently received as a wedding gift. 

The ridiculously awesome woman, who shall remain nameless, had prepared a moderate snack to tie her over until the evening feast; her choice of scrumptousness? chips and salsa. 

As the woman slowly picked at the delectableness, her husband-- who also shall remain nameless-- became jealous of the little amount of attention the food was taking away from him. Feeling he had to do something, anything, he reached for his wife's arm as she lifted a chip with salsa to her lips and swatted it out of her hand. 

She managed to still hold the chip firmly in her hand, but she watched in horror as the salsa contents were falling to the ground, it seemed as if it was happening in slow motion, but after only a split-second, the red-goodness had hit the living room rug. Her face tightened, "why would someone do this?" she thought. She turned to her husband; her eyes locked with his. But as she looked toward him with confusion and hurt, he looked back only with malicious laughter.

"This is an unbelievable moment," the wife thought, "he meant to do it."

Still holding the chip remnants in her hand, she turned to his white shirt. "Perfect," she thought as she slammed the salsa and chip contents to his chest.

His face quickly changed from laughter to disbelief.

"Ah," she sighed while staring at the red-stained shirt and crumbs falling from his chest, "We're even now."

Read More