A little upset right now.

So Neile and I went down to our apartment office this afternoon in order to pick up a package from Neile’s folks. We get there and the door is locked. A sign on the door reads, “We will be closed at 2pm today.” We look at our watch…it is only 1:50. Lights are still on in the office so we knock. And we knock. And we even knock some more (with a little more force). No answer.

We know we can’t get the package tomorrow because they aren’t open on Sundays and of course they will be closed on Monday. We quick run back to our apartment and call them….still only 1:57…no answer. Neile left a message expressing our disappointment (frankly I am glad it was him leaving the message and not me as I might not have been as nice). Ughhh I am so angry and disappointed. Don’t worry, I know I will get over it, but still. They didn’t even tell us they would be closing 3 hours earlier than normal! Ughhh.

Weekend Fun

Disclaimer: after reading back through this I realized it is so much longer than I thought. So no hard feelings if you don’t get through it all. =)

I never did tell you about our weekend. Of course it started out as a normal weekend---except for the Christmas shopping and mailing of packages. But wait I am already getting ahead of myself…

Waking up on Saturday I knew we had a lot to do before going to our small group Christmas party that evening. We had to scrounge around and find some boxes so we could mail off some goodies and presents – you know so that everyone would get them before Christmas. We decide to drive to Neile’s office because he had the “perfect” box for us to use. He runs in and I stay in the car waiting…and waiting. Then I hear it. A strange grinding noise. I have no idea where it is coming from, but am not really that worried. I am much more interested in watching a woman across the parking lot play with her child. There is the noise again…a bit louder. This time the woman looks at me in the car. Hmmmm slightly self-conscious – did she see me watching her.

Ugghhhh that sound again except this time it sounds like a huge piece of ice is being pushed back and forth on top of our car. I sit there and look around to see at least 4 people staring at me and our car and me acting like nothing is going on at all. I just know that Neile will be out any second---afterall he was just going to grab a cardboard box and come back. What the heck was taking him so long!

This time when the sound started again I got out of the car to see if there was in fact an ice sheet on top of our car creating the horrible noise. No ice sheet. Okay I definitely need to tell Neile. I walk into the building and see him standing their chatting with his boss while I am out in the car that is about to explode!! No panicking in my voice though while I ever so calmly say, “Neile, your car is making a bad noise and you need to come out right away.” Well, this isn’t a big deal to him apparently since he just keeps CHATTING. (Well, I should forgive this since it is his boss….but I really did think his car was going to explode or something awful)

Well, when Neile gets into the car that horrible noise is gone. There is a noise, but not bad at all. That just figures. So we start driving…and get about 10 feet when that ever so lovely noise happens again. Yes! I am not crazy. The decision is quickly made that our packages can be late if necessary, we need to go home and change cars before this one breaks down completely. The plan…drop the car off at the shop on our way to the Christmas party.

Well, fast forward through long post office lines, shopping, insane traffic, present wrapping, food making, and we are off to the Christmas party.

I follow Neile in my car. Yes, I pretty much lost him after about a block of driving. Dumb lights. Not to worry because about 10 minutes later there is a slow down in traffic at a 3 way stop. Hmmmm…what could that be about? Oh dear, there is Neile running alongside his car and two guys (no clue who these angels are) pushing from the back. They end up pushing the car to a nearby church. From here we proceed to call the towing company (Thank goodness for AAA!). By now, the 6:00pm Christmas party has started and I still have a huge dish of potato casserole in my back seat. Oh well, it could always be worse right?!?

Well, towing man comes and takes us to the auto shop. Off we go to the Christmas party and it is only 7:45. Well, at least we made it to the gift exchange.

So that was Saturday. Sunday was a great and full day. We wake up a little early and roll some pineapple and water chestnuts in bacon for the Hawaiian potluck my family is having at noon. Pack up the gifts to celebrate Christmas #2 with my sister and her family for the afternoon and head to church. After church we go to my parents’ house. Let the eating commence! After eating some very interesting food and reminiscing about our time in Hawaii it is time for presents. Of course all of us are most excited about watching the crazy kids open their presents….and we were not disappointed as the hyperness ensued.

Neile and I had to make a quick exit from the Christmas celebration and head over to his office to go to a Hockey game with some of his coworkers. Yes, the Blackhawks won! Yes, we had box seats and lots of food! And yes, it was a super fun time.

What more is there to say…other than Neile and I were exhausted on Monday AND we still had a huge dish of potato casserole!

Who is that elf!

A friend of mine sent this to me and had me laughing so hard that I just had to do it myself! check me out

Sad Heart

I’ve been very sad lately. I hate being like this whenever it happens, but feel even worse that I could possibly be sad during the Christmas season when it is supposed to be about giving and loving and rejoicing.

I told Neile the other day that if I were given the chance to work in children’s ministry again next year I would not. This almost breaks my heart just to think it, but to get to the point where I actually say it to someone else…well I am at a loss.

I love children. I have been babysitting since I was 11 and volunteering in church since I knew that it was a possibility. I remember working with a small group of 1st graders my senior year of college and getting so excited to plan lessons for them or figure out a way for them to experience God more fully. I remember volunteering in the nursery (my favorite) for years and looking forward to seeing those babies all week long – in fact my whole body would get antsy with anticipation.

It was because of this – this never ending love of children, to see them grow, to nurture them, to show them God’s love through me – that I started thinking that perhaps I would consider working with kids as a job. Perhaps when my degree is completed I would actually work in children’s ministry (instead of just volunteering). Right now, I do not feel that way.

I have made a commitment to the 3 yr old class this year. And yes, the kids are amazing and I love them like I have loved all of the kids I’ve ever worked with. I do not go a single Sunday without laughing with a child or enjoying a conversation about their boo boos or birthdays or other adventures. I love singing with them, learning Bible verses together, reading stories, having dinosaur fights, and coloring. Mostly though, I just love the opportunity to watch them grow, to see it in their eyes when they’ve learned something new or the pride on their face when they’ve accomplished something that only “big people” can do.

However, I am now to the point of almost dreading Sunday mornings.

Christmas Celebration take 1

Although I know many people that have done this, I had never done it nor had I imagined I would, but this year has changed all of that.

I have now officially celebrated 1.5 Christmases with 2 more to go!

I say 1.5 because while we were in Seattle for Thanksgiving (which was a great trip overall) we all had the pleasure of receiving our Christmas stockings early. As my mom puts it, “who doesn’t love getting presents!” So while stockings are not a full blown Christmas celebration, it was the time for us to have a mini celebration with Neile’s whole family.

This past weekend we got together with Neile’s brother and his wife. They don’t live far from us (downtown) so even though we won’t be together on Christmas day we got to celebrate with them beforehand. Neile and I drove into the city to meet up with them and go to Christkindlmarket.

Fun times! If you haven’t ever been you should check it out – it’s here until December 24th. Seeing as I used to work about 2 or 3 blocks from this I had been before and seeing as Neile and his family are in love with Germany... well we just couldn’t resist going again. It was cold, but it could have been worse (that’s probably the case for most days in Chicago – always could’ve been worse!). Mostly I just enjoyed being downtown and seeing all of the lights, which I have missed out on in the last few years. Funny how mesmerizing all those pretty lights can be…

Thanksgiving

Well, folks, we leave tonight and head to beautiful Seattle for Thanksgiving with the in-laws. Although, upon checking the weather forecast I noticed a trend in "slight rain in the morning followed by showers in the afternoon" for the entire time we are there (interesting to see how many different ways one can say "it's gonna rain all day") . Plus I think it will be kinda cold (30s-40s) compared with the in the 60s temps we are having here in Chicago, but I am still expecting it to be fun times all around. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and have the chance to break away from the busyness of everyday life to really reflect on and enjoy all of the things we each have to be thankful for. God bless!

Food, food, and more food

Yes folks, it seems that all I did this weekend was cook and eat. That is not entirely true (as Neile and I did see The Prestige on Friday), but at some points it sure felt like it. I did had a wonderful talk with my good friend that has to live oh so far away. I worked with the 3 year olds, went to church, celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday, saw my little sis (it's been 3 months!) and we had small group. And yes, in between all of that I cooked.

We cooked the pheasant and just to let you know it turned out great. It was not the most fun to clean, but thankfully Neile did all of the “gross stuff”. We ended up using a recipe I found online. You should check it out if you ever have the need. =) Saturday and Sunday were just so busy and we knew we weren’t going to be home at all on Sunday except maybe 45 minutes so I needed to use the good ole crock-pot. So I woke up early and set that bird a stewing only to come home at 12:30 and find out that something didn’t work just right with the crock-pot settings so for who knows how long, that bird was just warming away. Luckily, we had to stop at the apartment for about 5 minutes to grab a present and some deviled eggs for the birthday party, so I was able to reset the machine. Fingers crossed we walked out the door once again. This time we returned at about 4 and that bird had been cooking beautifully that whole time. Praise the Lord! I gave Neile the pleasure of de-boning it seeing as he was the great hunter that brought that thing home and off we went to small group with our beautiful potluck entrée (of course if it hadn’t worked we already had our back-up plan….the grocery store is on the way to small group!). Yes, it was a big hit, and yes, we would make it again if given a pheasant or two, but mostly we are content to stick with the easy stuff like chicken - you know that’s already been cleaned and all.

Oh and I have to share another recipe that was tried this weekend and was fabulous. This was a big hit with the family. Pan fried apple and feta pizzas. YUMMY!

Flower arrangement class down the drain

I’m a little bummed right now. About two months ago my mom asked me if I wanted to go to an arrangement class with her mid-December. I was so excited because my grad class would be over and I could just enjoy some creativity. Plus I love hanging out with my mom and I love making things with my hands…but alas, I found out just 2 days ago that I will not be attending said class. “sniff, sniff” The exact date of the class (which happens to be on a Thursday) is also the date that my husbands office is having their Christmas party! What are the chances?!?! I mean who has an office party on a Thursday night?!?! No I am not really upset and I know I’ll have fun at the party, I was just really looking forward to the arrangement class and the awesome center piece I was going to have in my apartment. Bummer

Down time at last

Yes, it has been a long while since I wrote last. I’ve been working away at a research paper for my class and haven’t had any real down time. In fact, when I do get it I don’t even know what to do with myself. Well, the paper is done (mostly) and Neile is out with the guys and I find myself with a little down time. First on my list is blogging ‘check’. Next, read a chapter from my book for class, followed by a little reading from a book I just ordered – “Natural Birth Control made simple”. I know it sounds a little odd, but I find that kind of stuff pretty fascinating. Yes, I will probably read more than a chapter of the new book and really the class book is just so I can rationalize having fun reading time – which I have missed so much. Now if only I’ll be able to make the most of this down time and not just pass out on the couch out of shear exhaustion.

On an entirely unrelated note…anyone have any good recipes for pheasant. Yes, I have a bloody pheasant currently in my fridge awaiting the joys of being cooked up into...well something and hopefully something good. Neile got to try his hand at hunting for the first time and lucky us got to keep the one bird that was shot. Perhaps the first thing I should ask is if anyone has advice on getting that thing cleaned…including all of the buckshot?

Oh yes, and if anyone cries easily and wants to shed a few tears…well, I came across this blog with a woman telling the story of the day she gave birth. Funny, emotional, and a little scary all at the same time.

Oh and in case you were wondering based on the book I am looking forward to reading and my reading of a baby blog….no we are not pregnant and no we are not planning on being so for a least a little while longer. Although, I am more than excited for that day!

So many random thoughts…is it obvious that I haven’t had much people interaction in the past week???

Recipes!

I am a bit recipe obsessed. I cannot really pass a recipe book without noticing it. I am by no means a gourmet cook, but I really enjoy trying out new things. Neile and I always joke that whenever we have people over or take a dish somewhere it is almost always something we have never made before. This really never struck me as odd until I kept getting asked if I cooked very much (which I am pretty sure I do). This originally struck me as a strange question to ask, but as it turns out does make quite a bit of sense considering I was always telling people I had never made such and such dish before.

Turns out I come from a family that does this very thing - often. Not too surprising I suppose, but interesting. Just the other day we were talking with my sister about how we always bring something new and she said that she does the same thing. In fact, it was just about a month ago that my mom and her friend made a feast (at least 4 main dishes) just to try out new recipes – because they sounded good. So how is it that I never noticed any of this?

That is one of those interesting things about being married. I can live for 26 years not even realizing I do something a certain way or think a certain way and WHAM my way is not the only way. Most of the time this is just humorous to me, but sometimes it is very very annoying and downright upsetting. I knew that I was getting into a situation where I would probably be continually humbled in my thinking and actions when I ventured into marriage, but I don’t think I thought of the benefits (nor do I recognize them all by any means) of all of this. I love my family and frankly I love how I was raised and how things work at my parents’ house. It is what I grew up with and what I know best. BUT some things are just going to be different for my home and that is something that is both good and I have enjoyed. For one – I like be the woman of the house. I had never been in that role before, but I slipped into it without looking back. In fact, sometimes I get a little concerned over how much I enjoy this role. Before Neile and I got married I joked with him about being a stay-at-home-wife. Truth is, I would probably love it and become more than just a little Betty Crockery – but then again I would probably get pretty lonely without my people fix.

So all this to say, I love seeing change and perceptions adjust and discovering those subtle things we do differently than before and yes I love recipes and find those cookbooks on my shelf entirely too distracting!

Can we say OBSESSED?

Ever have something that gets on your mind and no matter how hard you try to forget about it, you simply cannot let it go? Well, I’ve just had that horrible experience. I say horrible because in my case I lost something. Mind you, this is not something soo valuable as say my wedding ring, but it is important enough. Okay, let’s be honest, it is not even close to my wedding ring. Plain and simple it is a book. More importantly though it is a book for my class that I go to twice a week. I have not read this book yet, but I have to very soon. Will I fail if I don’t read it…no. It would probably only affect my grade by the smallest amount. So why is this so upsetting to me? I do NOT lose things.

Yes, I know everyone does sometimes, but that is not the issue at hand. I had thumbed through the book a mere two weeks ago on my kitchen table and now it is gone. I of course didn’t notice until Tuesday of this week – seriously though, the reading isn’t due until next Tuesday so why would I have noticed any earlier? I look everywhere in my apartment. We only live in a one bedroom apartment so there are only so many places it could be. No luck. So yesterday I get Neile to look everywhere…and I mean everywhere. He basically started in one room and worked his way through the apartment (he even checked under the bathroom sink—go figure). Still no luck. I started getting even more desperate. I knew I had never taken the book out of the apartment, but I went ahead and called my parents to have them look in their house. I went out to my car and looked in it. Eventually I had to just give up. So I got online and started checking the local libraries (I already bought the dumb book once and didn’t want to do it again). No luck. I tried Amazon.com and compared it to my college’s bookstore. I decided to give it one more day. So all day today at work I was thinking of possible places in our apartment that it could be. First thing I do when I walk through the door – look through the same places that I have looked through only about 10 times now. Ughhhh. Yes, I hate the book, but more importantly I still can’t get over that I lost something. It is actually making my skin crawl and I can’t even carry on a conversation with my husband at dinner because the stupid book is all I can think about. I keep telling myself I need to move on, just get over it, it is only $16 dollars (seriously why am I obsessing so?) and I can buy a new one tomorrow. Finally, I resign myself to this and decide to write a note to my aunt.

Nicole: Neile, do we have any stamps?
Neile: If we do they’re in that shoebox on the shelves.
Nicole: …….(speechless because right there in the shoebox is my precious little book…..yes my precious)

All I can say is this book better be the best book I’ve EVER read in my life!

Pukey and Pukey

Yes, folks, Neile and I have been home all day with some sort of something. Our theory is that it is food poisoning, but we are not sure where it is from and are a little confused that it has lasted so long. Ughhhh. I hate being sick because you can’t do anything. Yea! We don’t have to go to work, but when it drains all of our energy just to walk to the other room…well, I would rather be at work feeling good. Meanwhile I have a paper due tomorrow and I haven’t even finished the reading so I can write it! AND neither of us has been able to eat all day. I did manage to get a half piece of toast down this morning which made its appearance once again this afternoon and the most recent attempt was about a half a cup of applesauce. Mmmm yummy, well, if food appeals to you and all.

In other news…no not gonna write that paper just yet. We had a fabulous weekend. Perfect weather and good company – what more could a girl ask for? We kinda joked about how much I had needed to just get away from our everyday life, but it really was needed I think. I mentioned before that we stayed with a good friend of mine, but I may not have mentioned that she has 3 kiddos (4, 2, and 8 months). They definitely keep you on your toes – I joked with Neile that this could be good birth control for him…somehow it doesn’t work that way for me. =) They took us to the Lite Rail (not sure about spelling) and we went to a waterfall, Gameworks (I was the ultimate hunter out of all 4 of us!!! I’m awesome hee hee hee), to downtown Minneapolis, and of course to a dinner at the Spaghetti factory. Fun times all around and I think some needed time for my friends as well as Neile and I.

Too Long

So it has been much longer than I had hoped since I’ve been able to update you. Funny it takes me this long and yet not too much has happened this week. Just the usual homework and making dinner and whatnot. Actually my mom and Aunt got back into town this week after being in good ole Idaho for the past two weeks. I’m always so jealous when they get to go there and I don’t – it’s been way to long since I’ve been there. Anyway, since they got back in town we’ve been able to go over 2 nights to hang out. We made the traditional family food – sushi! (we definitely cheat though and do not use raw fish) It has been great to get together because not only did I get to see my mom and Aunt but also my niece and nephew. Now I may be a teeny tiny bit biased, but these two kiddos are some of the cutest I’ve seen. Oh and the smartest 1 and 2 yr olds ever! =) Seriously though, I’ve discovered that after I go about a week or two without seeing them I really start to miss them. About a month or two ago, I didn’t see them for almost 3 weeks and pretty much started tearing up when I saw some other kids (that I am not even related to!) just because I missed them so much. And that is just for my niece and nephew – I can’t imagine what it will be like when I’m a mom!



So in other news, Neile and I are leaving in about 20 minutes to go to MN for the weekend. We’ll be staying with one of my good friends and her family and I can’t wait. I think this is actually the first time Neile and I have gotten away together since we’ve been married and we are both very excited for the break.

Home Owners?

So I’ve promised a couple people I would update them on our Homestead application process. Now for those of you that are wondering…”what the heck is homestead?” may I suggest going to Homestead. Basically though it is a program for people that fit within a certain income bracket and our interested in purchasing their first home in DuPage county. You get an amazing deal on your mortgage and of course can own a home (without this option we would probably be looking at 2 more years at least!). Pretty cool. So yes, we applied and met with someone from the Homestead program on Wednesday. The meeting went well overall and we have been placed on the “Market Ready” list. This means we can get a realtor, start looking for homes, and apply for a mortgage…with one small catch. Yes, we are in the position to go forward in the home buying process, but Homestead is not quite ready for us. Sounds like there are currently at least 50 other families on the waiting list – ahead of us, and unfortunately there is only grant money (this is why we get such an amazing deal on a mortgage) available for 20-25 of them. The good news…this grant will be made available mid-November and another one will probably be available in March. Thankfully, Homestead will call us in November to let us know where we are at with all of this. So yes, I will keep you posted. For now though, we are going to contact a realtor and see what areas in DuPage would be in our price range and also somewhere we want to live. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about that in the near future…

Best Christmas Gift Ever!

I know, I know, it is only October. Basically what it comes down to is – I need your help to figure out the best Christmas gift ever. Here’s the deal…every year at Neile’s job a Christmas gift is given to everyone on staff (yea! Spouses get it too!). In years past the gifts have ranged from fleece jackets, Chaco sandals, to last year’s theme of “whatever you want for under $100”. They were pretty sneaky last year with that one. I think they had everyone do a “survey” of sorts. It had questions like “If you had $1000 what would you buy”. Just so you know, last year Neile wanted to take me out to dinner somewhere really nice, so we got dinner gift cards to some nice restaurants.

This year is different. Basically we all have the opportunity to submit ideas (under $100) for the gift. If our idea is chosen we win a video iPod and everyone receives the gift that we submitted. Soo exciting! Except I cannot think of anything and the deadline is drawing near. It is hard because there are a couple married people at Neile’s work and so many of the cool things I can think of seem a little dumb when you think about owning two. So yes I am desperate and I am asking you friends, family, people of the internet---HELP ME!

Membership class and small group blessings

This past Saturday, for the first time ever, I took part in a membership class at my church. Typically, the class meets on Sundays, but seeing as I haven’t been able to make it to the 3 different times it was offered (out of town, on honeymoon, and now working with the 3 yr olds) I jumped on the opportunity to go to a Saturday session.

It is a little strange that this past year is the first time I have ever even desired to be a member at a church. I have been going to church since before I can remember and have been involved in some sort of leadership/teaching role since high school. I think I’ve always just thought of membership as something that the older people do. Perhaps, now that I have reached 26 and am approaching 27 I should/could start thinking of myself as one of those older people. Ahhhhhh! I so don’t want to be old—yet at least (I’ll probably be saying that when I’m 80). So back to membership….N and I attended the class with 2 other couples from our small group. In all honesty, one of the main reasons we are so attached to our church is because of this small group.

The small group is quite simple really, 6 other couples that meet about twice a month for a potluck and Bible study of some sort. However, the friendships that N and I are making have been such a blessing to us. Hopefully ones that will be long term like so many of our other friendships.

On Being a Sluggard

This weekend was a much needed time of rest—assuming you don’t count the 6 loads of laundry done on Saturday (yes, I did in fact say 6). For the past month, the concept of rest and not having to do anything has been a bit foreign to us. We both work full time, I’m attempting to finish up my master’s degree (hopefully by May), and N is at a company that is missionary support = raise your own salary. These things are of course doable, but put on top of that keeping in touch with friends and family and also making sure the home is in working order and we are eating and working out and of course spending time with one another….well, certain things tend to take a backseat after awhile. It makes me sad sometimes to think about how often we let something fall neglected.

On Sunday, our pastor spoke about the Sluggard described in Proverbs. Some of the things used to describe this Sluggard are horrible and things I would never intentionally associate myself with. However, the fact remains that I am a Sluggard in many ways. I wouldn’t call myself lazy (most of the time) or foolish, I try to make the best of opportunities, and yet I have areas that I fail in time and again. In our times of busyness, I quite often lose sight of my purpose to glorify God and to enjoy Him. The college I attended is known for its overachieving and over-involved students, who are constantly wrestling with how to handle the busyness of life (although I personally couldn’t live up to those standards and still be able to have as much fun as I did). Five years out of college and I am beginning to see that the busyness does not go away, it just looks different. Fortunately I am also beginning to learn that in the midst of my busyness I can still glorify God and I can certainly enjoy Him as well as His creation.

Recently I read an excerpt from "Christian Faithfulness in a Time Famine" to the lab I teach. This particular article addresses the issue of sloth. To me sloth has always equaled laziness, and I certainly did not want to be guilty of that sin! But the author helps redirect my thinking on this “Sloth is whatever keeps us from seeking and hungering after God”. And yes, I have been guilty of sloth more times than I can count.

Challenge

September 25th marked the date for “we made it 6 months”. (Although I‘m not so sure I would put it quite like that) Really though…we have had our share of disagreements in this time and definitely some adjustments on both of our parts, but if anything had come up in the first 6-months that could make anyone call it quits…that just seems a little absurd to be.

It is hard to imagine that it has been just over 6 months. No it has not been long and unbearable…but I feel as though we have grown so much more than 6 mere months would allow. It really is just wild how we, as people, are actually given the capacity to stretch ourselves and grow. This includes other things in life than just marriage of course. The whole idea of selling ourselves short on our ability to grow has been on my mind longer than I can remember (yes I am a bit of a nerd and yes I do just daydream about things like this). Like when I was at camp over a year ago (I cannot believe it was that long ago) it seemed like the theme of my year there was challenge. Challenging others and self to think and act in different ways. Of course this challenge was all intended to help one grow spiritually and relationally as well as to encourage reflection, which unfortunately is so easily missed in our busy lives. I suppose that is one of the reasons I have started this blog. More than anything, I am frustrated that in the midst of my doing I have forgotten what it is like to really sit down and reflect.

Power Outage and Cell Phones

So we had a power outage where I work. I know, I know, what else could go wrong after being hit by a plague and then a flood now darkness?!?! This of course means a whole lot of people were sitting around in the dark wondering “what am I supposed to do now?” I would venture to guess that where I work is not much different from the majority of other offices in the sense that our ability to get things done is almost entirely dependent on electricity of some sort. I mean my phone didn’t even work because it’s cordless!

I’m always ranting about people’s over-reliance on cell phones – I really don’t like the idea of being available at all times, but I do have to acknowledge that if I were to lose my cell phone I would be devastated because I have no back-up for most of the numbers in it……Lord please don’t let me lose my cell phone! I used to tease N all of the time about his need to Always. Be. Available. I mean really, is anyone that important? Okay so maybe some people are, but WHO would actually want to be that important? I am definitely not one of those people. =) Side note: friends and family, feel free to keep calling me ---I really do enjoy talking to you (I just don’t always enjoy the means in which that happens).

Oh yeah, in an attempt to be completely honest I should mention how when the power went off and I found myself wandering aimlessly in the pitch black basement without a flashlight…you better believe I was wishing for my cell phone. No I wouldn’t have called anyone, but I definitely would have opened that little baby up and wha la, let there be light! My legs would have benefited from the unnecessary table bashing.

And so it begins...

Yes, I have officially succumbed to the blog world. I have been enjoying reading quite a few of my friends blogs and just couldn't help feeling slightlly jealous that I did not have my own blog. So rather than sitting around saying "I wish I had a blog" I simply begin.