Cheerios anyone?

From the Marriage Chronicles...

2010-10-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

Setting: Last Saturday, in Husband's car, driving home from my parents anniversary party.

Background: I hate sports. (I'm an equal opportunity hater in this case)
I use to like them. I went to every football game for 4 years in high school.
I'm pretty sure this is why I now hate sports.

Anyway...

Husband turns on the radio to listen to the OSU vs. Nebraska game.
It's AM radio.
And it's really loud.

Me: "This makes me want to throw myself from the car."
Husband: "Do you want me to slow down?"

How did I ever get so lucky? =P

Cat Ownership...

2010-09-14T20:03:00.000-05:00

(This obviously is a post I started a while back, 2ish months ago to be more precise)
(At least I'm getting to it... right?)
(Anyway)

Last week was my birthday.

I'm now 28.

Does that mean I'm an adult now?

I sure hope not because I still fail to feel like one.

Oh well there's always next year...

So you're probably saying to yourself... "Gee Karen that's great and all but where have you been? What fascinating things have you been up to? Have you run away to live on a hippie commune yet?" To which I reply, "The more things change the more things stay the same." Which more or less means no I haven't run away to a hippie commune.

I am now a cat owner. You read that right. As of June 23 I own a cat.
(Well I guess technically "we" own a cat)

This cat to be specific.

His name is officially Uncle Andy but that's not what he always gets called... For the first days I'm pretty sure he thought his name was "No". It's a very long story (not really) in which I called Husband at work, cried a lot, and saved this cat from a very early and unwarranted death.

(That's not to say I haven't told the dogs to eat him when he won't stop screaming at 3am...)

(However, he always manages to redeem himself right before I decide that he will in fact be living outside)

The dogs are terrified of him.

(Don't be fooled, they will lick you to death)

My big, scary dogs are terrified of a cat that weighs less than they do and is front declawed.

It's all very tragic really.

I've found cat ownership after a 10 year hiatus is far more difficult then I remembered....

So now that we're verging on 3 months of cat ownership let's update shall we?

The dogs are still terrified.
Despite all the hissing, spitting, growling & swatting... I think Andy secretly loves the dogs. I can't figure why else he would stare out the sliding-glass door and cry when they are outside.
That's not to say I don't still tell the dogs to eat him when he's being difficult (i.e. being a cat).

However, since becoming a stay-at-home wife Andy and I have developed a new bond.

I'm beginning to think I might actually like him.
Our relationship is very similar to the relationship I have with Husband. (Disturbing I know but let me 'splain)
When I'm home and he can choose to ignore me he's happy. He's also extremely happy when he can lay across my hands while I try to type on the laptop. When I try to do something, like clean, he follows me around screaming his head off and generally be annoying.
I'm sure this is pretty similar to how I act when Husband tries to get anything done. (And no, I don't scream my head off or lay across the laptop per se) I constantly ask him questions or ask the oh-so-not annoying, "Whatcha doing?" or the even more popular "try to proposition him to do something else like watch a movie or get coffee" maneuver. (And yes I still bitch that nothing gets done around the house... it's not my fault he can't resist my feminine charm, or whining)

Anyway, upon realizing this I have a new fondness for the cat.
(when I'm not busy trying to get the dogs to eat him).
I guess maybe we were meant for each other, at least he likes to think so.

Besides how can you resist all this sexy?

I am not...

2010-09-07T14:32:00.000-05:00

Susie Homemaker.

Not even close.

First, an apology... I realize I've neglected this blog. Not for intentional reasons. There must be half a dozen unfinished blogs in drafts as well as the uncounted ones bouncing around inside my brain. It's just that somewhere along the line I became unhappy with life and couldn't find the energy to try and be witty or entertaining. I was stuck professionally in a place that made me unhappy and frustrated for 2 years. So on my 28th birthday Husband and I decided that it was time for a change. A week ago last Friday I walked away from that job. I am now embracing unemployment. I feel free to be myself again and that's the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Now on with the show.

After 3 days of sloth-like activity I attempted to put myself back in motion yesterday. It wasn't easy considering I'm pretty sure I was a sloth in a previous life and can be far too content to sit around reading books. One of the arrangements of me leaving the previous job was that I would assume full responsibility of cleaning the house and cooking meals. At the time I was desperate for a fresh start. Now I wonder if I was too hasty.

Part of the horror of being a stay-at-home wife, for me, is having to face the big pile of neglect my house had become while I was gainfully employed. While working I did the bare minimum to get by (laundry) and let's be honest... Husband picked up a lot of the slack. I would sometimes get in these weird cleaning frenzies but they never lasted long and usually the house wound up more of a disaster then when I began. Therein lies the problem, once I start cleaning I become a disorganized scatter-brained freak. This time I swore things would be different. I would have a strategy.

One big project a day. (Day 1 was cleaning the fridge and it was so traumatizing that I can't even begin to contemplate blogging about it)
Outside of my big projects I was trying to consciously make an effort to keep previously cleaned spaces maintained, which I have found harder to do the further I get in my efforts.

As a side note... Husband is driving me crazy. I feel like I'm running around picking up after a toddler. He's more disorganized then me, which is saying something. Trying to keep the coffee table clean is battle. I have a folder full of papers and a box of junk that he needs to go through and he keeps just pushing them aside. Men.

Back to what I was saying...

When I was given permission to give my notice I felt this spark ignite inside me. The spark was this intense need to purge. I had 3 large boxes full and waiting for a local charity before I even left my job. After yet another round in the kitchen I have 3 more (smaller) boxes. While cleaning out shelves I found things I didn't even know we had, (a waffle iron, seriously?) and can only assume they were wedding gifts that we had no idea what to do with...

I have taken 2 grocery bags full of books down to resell at a local bookstore. (It was nice to finally let go of books I had no intention of reading again, a lingering pack-rat tendency I suppose) (Never mind that I turned around to buy half a dozen more with the store credit I earned) (Or that I keep justifying the 15% off coupons B&N sends me)(It's small victories... right?)

Last night I found a box that among other things housed all my Sims 2 software. Once I fought off the urge to reinstall the whole series (I seriously had every expansion, stuff pack & game guide made), I listed everything on Amazon. While cathartic this adventure has made me remember just how much I hate the post office.

My relationship with cooking is a tenuous one. Sometimes I love it. Most days though I resent it. Why food can't magically cook itself is really beyond me. I'm pretty sure my life could be sustained on grilled cheese and nachos but Husband, as he tells me, has more diverse nutritional needs. (I think he just enjoys being difficult) I'm trying to expand my cooking abilities but it's slow going for now.
The whole peace agreement does hit a small snag though. I won't cook meat. He has, at least temporarily, agreed to handle cooking the meat as long as I do the rest. I seriously don't know what he thought was going to happen when he married a vegetarian. (On Thanksgiving I can't even be in the room while he preps the Turkey, the whole thing makes me gag) (And watching him de-skin chicken? Awful)

I guess my point is... I'm trying, and that has to count for something right?

Now it's time to take half of the small league of furry creatures in for their vaccinations. And then to contemplate tackling my bathroom. *shudder*

Spring fever...

2010-03-29T15:46:00.000-05:00

I have spring fever.

I have it hard core.

Anytime that the sun is out all I want to do is go sit outside.

I can't get enough of it.

I think if I could physically hug spring I would.

This past weekend was very "hippie-tastic" for Husband and myself.

We went to a healthy-living expo. While fascinating it was also a little uncomfortable. I love alternative medicine but seriously? Some of the people there were a little too out-there for my taste. I am so not a hippie.

After that we attended "EcoFest". I was a little disappointed honestly. There wasn't as much info as I thought there might be. Although to be fair maybe the vendors were a bit burned out by the time we got there. I'm not sure.

(What can I say... Tulsa has a looong way to go when it comes to environmentalism!)

Sunday was the best. We attended a Compost Bin sale & lecture provided by The M.e.t. A lot was learned (by me at the very least) and we scored a pretty nifty deal on another compost bin.

I'm so excited.

The problem I had was fear. Fear of doing it wrong.

(Yes I realize that it is really hard to screw up compost... now)

So let me introduce you to the family.

Big Bertha (left) & Tiny Tim (right)
We received B.B. a while back as a Christmas gift. She's wonderful but there's a small problem with her. When she's full... I can't move the damn thing. Her design was intimidating. So I procrastinated on composting.
T.T. is the one we received on Sunday. The beauty of him is that when B.B. is full and cooking I can continue to throw things in him. There's a nifty door that slides up and thus allows you to remove the ready compost while the rest cooks on top. Pretty sweet.

Here is Big Bertha all full and ready to be sealed up and left to her business. In theory we still have to roll her and add water but she can be Husband's project.

Tiny Tim shall be my baby. (There was much satisfaction to be had from shedding and throwing his box in to be compost!)

He's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress.

I look forward to seeing how all this plays out.

It'll be an interesting journey.

Oh and I totally want to do worm composting now.

It's ridiculously neat... and gross.

Maybe one day.

A new year...

2010-01-06T20:25:00.005-06:00

We are finally back in the bedroom. I can barely believe it. It feels surreal after all this time. I'm taking the process of moving back in slowly so I can savor the feeling. We are attempting to purge a lot of clutter during this process which can be so time consuming but it feels so good though.
So the tour...

Our new dresser/entertainment center. *love*
Do you see the hidden panel next to the dresser for our breaker box? Pretty fantastic work on Husband's part I must say.

This is the wall that contains the backdoor. (pictured above) We don't have the curtains up yet, long story, but eventually....
The back wall.
Gotta love the matching night-stands. (It was quite the exciting day of furniture shopping let me tell you) They make me feel grown up.
The totes on the floor? I'll explain in the next picture.

This is where the closet will eventually go... We have yet to figure out this little conundrum. There's a hidden door on the far right side that allows us access to the water heater... Husband has plans in place to build a small removable shelving unit against that wall so that we can eventually attach the poles to hang clothing. It's just ridiculously cold outside so who knows how long some of our clothing will remain in totes...
(The trash bag? Clothes for charity)

So there you have it. I'm finally beginning to feel like there's an end to all this madness. We still have trim to lay, doors to stain/paint, curtains to hang, closets to finish, paint to touch up... And that's just the bedroom.

I feel like it will be a year of change and I hope that change is for the better. I have a feeling it will be though. So here's to new beginnings.
(And no I don't make resolutions)

Bah-humbug

2009-11-29T15:51:00.003-06:00

"You bought me a present? Why would you do such a thing? I know you think you're being generous, but the foundation of gift giving is reciprocity. You haven't given me a gift, you've given me an obligation. The essence of the custom is that I now have to go out and purchase for you a gift of commensurate value and representing the same perceived level of friendship as that represented by the gift you've given me. Ah, it's no wonder suicide rates skyrocket this time of year. Oh, I brought this on myself by being such an endearing and important part of your life..."

-Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory

(Amen!)

I am Ebenezer Scrooge this time of year. I have absolutely no problem with this. Maybe it has something to do with getting older. I don't know.
I do know that I've always hated Christmas music. Think I'm exaggerating? Ask my mom what I did to her Chipmunks Christmas music...
This makes my desire to shop even less then normal. It's not even December and I swear if I hear "Jingle Bells" one more time I might just snap. Combine this with the fact that I'm prone to panic attacks when crowds are involved and you'll understand why I might become a tab-bit bitchy this time of year.
*sigh*

Husband purchased an Xbox 360. I am now a widow. (As if I needed another reason to hate Microsoft!)

This is perhaps the greatest find of the last several weeks. I got a $10 coupon for Up, as well as an $8 coupon for Monsters, INC. They have an amazing upgrade program, all you have to do is enter the barcodes from previously purchased Disney VHS/DVDs and they give you a coupon for the Blu-Ray version (which also comes with a digital download version that you can import using iTunes). When they offer this for Toy Story 1 & 2 I might die from sheer happiness.

Which reminds me. Our laptop is off at the Best Buy repair center for the 2nd time in, oh let's say, 2 months. First they had to replace the motherboard and now the wireless card. This lead a very frustrated Husband and I to start looking for new laptops, preferably one that is a bit more reliable. This time we went with Sony because it has the Blu-Ray player (for Husband) and an awesome graphics card capable of playing the Sims (for me, obviously). I'm in love. Windows 7 is weird but other than that.

Right. My desktop has also gone crazy in the last 3 days. It now is taking 4 minutes to boot up. We have no idea what's wrong.
*sigh*

Technology, what a bitch.

I got a new book last night that I'm ridiculously excited about. The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. She had blogged about the book over on Crazy Sexy Life and I was intrigued. Besides I need to build up my resources before making any seriously, life-alternating changes. I mean I have an awesome/supportive Husband, but even he has his limits.
(Barnes & Noble keeps throwing coupons at me.) (seriously, 40% off any book for using my mastercard!)(That's not mentioning the 2 15% off ones sitting in my wallet))

I have got to do something about my professional life. Seriously. This sucks. I hate being this unhappy. Ugh.

So in short, wake me up when spring rolls back around. Or at least when the holidays are over.

S.Y.T.Y.C.D. 2009

2009-10-31T20:56:00.002-05:00

(If you want to see the complete set (230 photos) clicky here)

Last night the So You Think You Can Dance tour finally came through T-Town. It was glorious and a great time was had by both myself and Husband.

(See how excited we are!? or thoughtful in Husband's case)

I love me some SYTYCD and have watched religiously every summer for 5 seasons now, well 6 if you count this bizarre fall season that just started, but I digress. Husband loves it as much as I do (he joined the bandwagon during season 2) and it was almost entirely his idea to attend last year's tour... this year though we were partners in crime, despite the ticketing price. Last year we had floor seats but we were in the back (boo)... this year we were on the floor but only 4 rows back from the stage. It was sweet to say the very least.

(I got several really good pictures until my camera battery started flashing red... so wanting to conserve the remaining power for videos of my favorite dances I switched to my cell, hence the serious decline in picture quality.)

So enjoy!

(The top 10)

The top 10, plus 2 alternates, introduce themselves.

Some disco with Janette and Brandon to kick the evening off nicely!

A little hip-hop with Jeanine and Phillip is always welcome.

The "butt dance" (contemporary) with Randi & Evan was quite the crowd favorite.

Bollywood with Jason & Caitlin.

Hip-hop with Ade & Janette.

Broadway with Evan & Melissa.

A ridiculously sexy Hip-hop/Salsa with the top 12.
(Probably my favorite group routine EVER)

A zombie hip-hop with Jason and Kayla.

A group Russian folk dance.
(You really had to watch the show to appreciate this.)
(You also need to look at the other pictures in the series to see what happened next...lol)

The top 12 in full Halloween garb at the end of the show.

They promptly went into a thriller routine... Awesome!

A last look at the top 12.

And then it was over...
Until the next tour...

My Vita-Mix Love...

2009-09-21T16:51:00.009-05:00

(This post was started roughly a month ago and has since been sitting in my drafts... *sigh*)

So guess what my in-laws had hidden away in their house? That would be a Vita-Mix 5000 (The Cadillac of blenders)! So Karen... why is this so exciting? Why do we care that your in-laws have a blender? Well... since you asked, lemme esplain... They have NEVER used it. EVER. And... (after some begging on Husbands part) They gave it to us!!!! Apparently Husband's grandfather gave it to them as a Christmas gift years ago and they never even tried it out. That is a $450+ shame! Ever since I got my juicer I have been really wanting a blender to supplement this healthier lifestyle that I'm trying to get a handle on. (Read a raw food website and you'll be seething with envy over my new baby, trust me.)

When we busted out the how-to-VHS (That's right VHS, copyright 1994!) we nearly died. Luckily we found the manuals (above) to fill in the gaps since the first few minutes of the VHS were toast (well that and the lady doing the how-to video was absolutely hysterical so we were cracking up through most of it).
Now I can not only make fruit smoothies... I can make soups, breads, batters, milk & spreads from scratch. Grocery shopping yesterday had me giggling about making flour from whole grains and making my own rice milk. (Obviously buying rice, almond, & cashews in bulk and using my blender is much cheaper then buying pre-packaged milk alternatives) The possibilities are endless and we're both really excited. (I was actually really shocked at how excited Husband is to be honest!)

The first attempt at smoothie making went pretty well. We had pineapple, tangerine, banana, apple, strawberry & honey, with just a small amount of ice. Although truth be told we might have overloaded it just a bit...

The end result was beautiful and very creamy. We're not very rigorous about following the suggested portions so this first round was a bit too pineapple-licious for my taste. However, just like everything else there's a bit of learning curve...Take my attempt at making bread.
There we were standing at the bulk bins at Whole Foods contemplating our selections. I saw spelt seeds, thought to myself... hey that sounds familiar let's get that. So we used the Vita-Mix to grind up the seeds into flour then threw the concoction into our bread maker.
Keep in mind we weren't exactly following a recipe, just making it up as we went along...
While it was baking I thought to myself, that looks funny and proceeded to do some research on spelt. Turns out spelt bread is prone to being very temperamental. Imagine that.
It didn't necessarily taste bad... it just looked really, really bizarre.

Today at Barnes & Noble I picked up 2 books that I'm hoping will spur me back to the path of health & wellness.

Green Smoothie Revolution : The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health - Victoria Boutenko
Juicing for Life - Cherie Calbom

The problem is that there's so much info out there but it takes time & patience to wade through it all to find the real gems. Recipes seem few & far between or seem to rely on you understanding how best to combine all the fruits & veggies in your fridge to find something that taste delicious. I need to have my hand held instead of just being shoved out into the deep end. So it's slow going but I'm sure, eventually, I'll get there. In the meantime I'll just doggie-paddle my way around...

A glimpse...

2009-09-05T19:42:00.011-05:00

I haven't blogged lately because... Well... I got nothing...

However, I promised she who shares my namesake that I would blog by the end of the week (which obviously didn't happen, seeing as how it is now next week) so here I am. I know you've missed me. Don't lie.

So you say to yourself... "What's been going on Karen?" To which I reply... "um, let me think about it"

On yoga - Yes, I'm still going. Yep, you guessed it, my body still hates it. Some of the most basic things my body just refuses to do. It screams, protests and threatens to shut down while I try to make it bend and pose. I know patience is a virtue and at some point I will be bending and posing with the best of them but in the meantime it's a struggle. 27 years of being sedentary are coming back to haunt me. No worries though, I will make my body love yoga, whether it wants to or not is irrelevant.

On my quest for better health - Obviously I've been having some issues when it comes to staying with it. Legolas (my Elf boyfriend) is trying his hardest to remind me. Juicing has also been a little problematic as I've been lazy and also have been having a hard time finding kale that isn't dry. So what happens when I don't do the things I know I should be doing? I get sick. My sinuses are killing me. Consequently I can't sleep (especially if I try to take a Claritin D close to bedtime) and have raging headaches. However, I'm getting sick of being sick so I think that will spur me back to the path of health.
In a related note I tried some Almond milk a while back and decided that it is supreme yum. I'm hesitant to try soy products just because I'm heard so many bad things about it... Any recommendations for dairy substitutes? (And if you are a family member reading this don't freak out, I'm not going vegan anytime soon)

On my new phone - I got an iPhone! We've been together for 2 weeks now. The honeymoon phase is over and now we're stuck trying to find our groove. It's a delicate relationship currently because we're still on unfamiliar territory. He (yes my iPhone is male) is a sensitive one and I'm always pushing the wrong buttons. I've been told eventually it'll become easier and like second nature. I hope so because I've lusted after this relationship for so long. (Just for you Karin =P)

Work on the bathroom continues (now that Husband is home). The shower is tiled & grouted. Yesterday he started on the floor (and finished but I'm too lazy to take another picture). It will probably be grouted sometime later this week. I love the design and I love the fact that Husband just dreamed it up out of nowhere. He's so awesome. Now if we could just get done with the house...

So now I'm sure you're saying to yourself... That's great Karen but what have you been doing while your husband has been hard at work? Well... I've been busy too... Sorta.

Yesterday I spent most of the day making our book shelf look pretty and organized again. 250+ books/4 hours later doesn't it look pretty? I also discovered that we apparently need more shelves... Which means I also need to sit down with my thoroughly marked up excel spreadsheet and update some info... Oh books how I love thee... (This is our "read" section... which brings me to...)This didn't happen yesterday, maybe last weekend but here's even more books that I have stashed away somewhere else... This is my to-finish-reading-dammit pile. I need to stop buying books for the love of jeebus. Or just read faster...And this morning I did this... *beams with pride* Welcome to the kingdom of Karen. (And yes Li that is the Sims on my computer screen... but I was working while playing darnit!) Isn't it beautiful? (Although I did forget to dust my keyboard/mouse area...) It feels nice to be organized... even if it won't last.

Let me see... what else?
Oh I signed up for the Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel. That means I scan in my weekly household purchases and transmit the data for free stuff! Yep, I love me some free stuff. I got the scanner in Friday and finally set up the store information today along with scanning in my first purchases. I'm excited.

Honestly, I think that's all. Even if it's not my brain refuses to think anymore. Over and out.

The struggle...

2009-08-30T22:15:00.003-05:00

Been feeling a little moody lately so...
My Not-So-Secret secret.
Inspired by Post Secret

The Kashi love...

2009-08-16T17:55:00.002-05:00

I love free stuff!

Seriously.

Dear Kashi Connect Member,

Know some people who don’t believe healthy eating can taste great? Well, we’ll help you prove it can.

Soon you’ll receive a sample of tasty Kashi^® Honey Sunshine^® cereal in the mail, made with 20g whole grains, 6g fiber and a sweet honey taste everyone can love.

You’ll also get coupons, and an invitation to a special website where you can learn how to overrule objections to healthy eating and even give your own verdict.

See you in the court of taste appeal.
The Kashi Family

Dear Kashi,

I love you. Just saying.

Signed,

Karen's Tastebuds

Wanna join?

Insert clever words

2009-07-26T08:22:00.004-05:00

Life first. Blogger later.

Hence why I haven't been blogging.
I've been (what feels like) extraordinarily busy lately.

Since my last post I officially become a year older. I don't feel particularly wiser but the aches and pains tell me that I am indeed getting older.

My parents gave me money so I could finally get off my lazy butt and take some yoga classes. Last Monday I went. The studio I picked offers the first class for free which is nice and the class sizes are very small which is even nicer. That being said... yoga hates me. Or more precisely my body hates yoga. Everyone assumes because I'm thin I'm flexible and will rock at yoga... those myths were quickly dispelled. I'm not giving up though. Mostly because after it was all said and done I left the studio with a big grin on my face and felt absolutely relaxed.

I also hit Kohl's (*love*) yesterday with some additional birthday money. I bought 8 (yes 8, I would have bought more if they had my size) of those tank tops with the built in bras (and no, not the creepy kind meant to enhance your boobs). As well as 2 pairs of "yoga" pants (because the drawstring in the pants I wore last week sort of bruised my tailbone). It was freaking sweet.

For my actual birthday Husband and I went to the zoo. It was something close to a million degrees out so we didn't last long before giving up. It was still fun though. (pictures can be found on flickr... I'm too lazy to import pictures here today)

Yesterday we bought our tickets for So You Think You Can Dance which is coming through T-Town again in October. I'm ridiculously excited and we got most excellent seats.
Yesterday we also finally saw Up. And yes, I cried like a little baby. I have to say though... I really think this is the best Disney/Pixar movie in a long time. Even Husband liked it, which is saying something since he loathes animated movies.

Speaking of which... we saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Now it's no secret that I am not a fan of the movies to begin with. I think they don't even come close to doing justice to the books. That being said... from a strictly entertainment standpoint... I was so bored the entire movie. It's been so long since I read the books that I couldn't nit-pick too much (That was Husbands job this time) so I don't think it was that. I was just surprised at how bored I was given my very low expectations. Anywho...

I've started clipping coupons. I even went to 2 different workshops (This girl is amazing) to get the low-down on how to make couponing worth it. As you can imagine this takes up quite a bit of time. However, it's addictive. Evey time we go out shopping now I get giddy when Husband works out how much we saved. I could spend hours googling coupons. Seriously.

So there you have it. Life has kept me occupied. There's probably no end in sight either, seeing as how I now own the first 9 Sookie Stackhouse books with book 10 on pre-order... Speaking of which I need to eat some breakfast...

Lyrical inspiration...

2009-06-17T14:43:00.008-05:00

The following song has been rumbling around in my brain for the past few weeks so I figured I should let it inspire my blogging (since I have had a severe lack of inspiration lately).

If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

My body and I are not really agreeing currently. Yesterday afternoon I took 2 Tylenol and a zyrtec... all to no avail. Last night I took 3 herbal muscle relaxers (per my chiropractor's instructions) and drank some nighttime tea to help me sleep... I still woke up at 3am. If I'm not congested I'm battling insomnia of the worst kind. My energy reserves are tapped out and my brain feels like mush most of the days.

I know what I should be doing… juicing religiously, exercising, meditating, taking my vitamins… not drinking starbucks, not eating junk food, not sitting at my computer for hours playing the Sims… alas I’m on the path de destructo lately. (Not looking for sympathy, trust me… just trying to get these toxic thoughts out of my head)

I think there is a combination of things at work here. Most of which I don’t feel comfortable dissecting here for the entire world to read. (Not that I think I have much of a readership but you know what I mean) It’s just hard sometimes when you feel stuck… trapped and aren’t sure how to right yourself down the path that will lead to ultimate happiness. I’ve started too many projects and made too many commitments for my own sanity currently. This leads to a Karen who wants to hide in bed all day with trashy chick lit and drink Starbucks.

In other thoughts…

I have absolutely no desire to go to my high school reunion. None. It's not that I hated high school. Quite the opposite... I have fond memories and had some close friends. However, I mostly definitely would not say that they were the best years of my life… quite the opposite in fact. It wasn't until college that I really started to understand myself and embrace the me that had been screaming to be set free for all those years. I dyed my hair funky colors and pierced body parts. I also lost every single friend I had from high school (I am not laying blame here just to be clear). We became different people who couldn't relate anymore, all we could do was reminisce about the old days. And to me... that's not the best way to live life. I don't want to spend any more time in the past then necessary. I want to look forward with the knowledge that what happened in my past made me who I am. Which means that if you are reading this and we went to high school together... don't expect to see me next year. Sorry. Sorta.

Also…

In the event of my unfortunate demise my last wishes are as follows:

I will be cremated and I want my ashes to scattered in cool locations. Take a road trip with my remains (ala Elizabethtown). I don’t want anyone to feel obligated to visit a certain location on a certain day and mourn me. Think of me fondly when you visit places I loved.
P.s. Bury me and I will haunt your behind for the rest of eternity.
You will donate whatever organs are salvageable. I'm pretty sure I'll have no use for them seeing as how I am now dead.
No funeral. No preachers saying prayers over my body. I was not a religious person and I would like to be honored even in the event of my death. This also means that there will be no viewing my dead (read: CREEPY) body. I’m serious.
You will throw a party in my memory. You will sit around blaring music, laughing and sharing stories about how awesome I was and how lame your lives will now be without me.
P.s. Some crying is ok. It’s to be expected. I just expect far more laughing then crying.
My party will contain a fully-loaded nacho bar and drinks will be catered by Starbucks. Strawberry Cheesecake is also permissible but not cherry, that’s just nasty.
The music that shall be played with contain at the very least the following songs: Punk Rock Princess - Something Corporate, Rockstar - Nickelback, Longview - Greenday, and If I had a Million Dollars - Barenaked Ladies. If you play sad songs I will haunt your behind.

One final thought:

True FREAKING Blood.

Oh. My. Jebus. (The cool kids know what I’m talking about)

I’m done.

Expect to hear from me again in another month. Or 4… whenever I get off my behind and take back control of my life.

Otherwise occupied...

2009-06-06T09:12:00.004-05:00

Sim Karen and Husband watch some tv to pass the time on a Friday night... Husband thought it would be a good idea to watch Vantage Point... I'm thrilled as you can tell.

There. That's much better.

Aw... Isn't that sweet?

*cough*
Apparently the movie wasn't that good.

I *heart* Sims 3!

Death of a love affair?

2009-05-24T18:36:00.002-05:00

Dear iTunes,

Why in the world would I pay you an additional $80.98 to upgrade my current (downloaded) library (313 files) to your "new" DRM-free ,256kbps files? Specifically because most of those files were free files to begin with...

In addition, why would I pay you an extra $.30 for individual files (bringing the grand total to $1.29 per file) when I can buy the complete album for under $10? It doesn't make sense.

What if I don't want an entire album? What if I just want the one file? More importantly you really suck for only upping the prices on radio "singles" or other files that you seem to deem popular.

This is unacceptable. After all the money I have spent with you over the years I deserve better treatment then this. I would say that I look forward to you remedying this situation but we both know that it won't happen. I shall miss you, or not, that depends on you.

Sincerely,
One seriously pissed off customer

P.s. I really miss Napster.

Taking time...

2009-05-22T17:47:00.004-05:00

Last Friday was my 5 year anniversary with Husband.

We took a weekend trip up to St. Louis. 6 hours, many pee breaks, and lots of car dancing later we arrived...

You know you aren't in Oklahoma anymore when you see this...

Day 1 (Friday) we hit the zoo. I *heart* the St. Louis zoo so much... besides you can't argue with free.

We paid $3 and got to pet some sting rays. It was awesome, yet creepy. I got soaked after a ray got "spooked" and slapped a wave of water at me... I smelled like fish the rest of the day... After 5+ hours we called it quits.

The device that shall enable us to stay married for another 5 years... Our hotel didn't offer free wi-fi and we got fed up trying to find Panera Bread everytime we wanted to go somewhere... Therefore a trip to Best Buy was necessary to ensure we didn't strangle each other during our "nice, romantic getaway".

Day 2 (Saturday) we visited the science museum (which was also free, are you noticing a theme yet?).

I am the biggest nerd, ever.

T-Rex wants your soul...

Overall, we had a great time. We dined at Hard Rock Cafe for our anniversary, because really would you expect less of us? It was an exhausting trip but severly overdue... It's nice to get away with your best friend every once in a while.

**A small apology**

-I'm trying really, really hard to keep up with your blogs. I swear. I know I don't comment but that's because I'm lazy, you knew this so don't act indignant or surprised. I also haven't felt funny or insightful lately. Sorry. Hopefully my brain will begin to function again soon. Until then know that I'm faithfully stalking you. lol

A week belated...

2009-05-22T17:39:00.002-05:00

5 years (and one week) later...

Happy anniversary to the man who knows all of my neuroses and loves me anyway.
(Seriously the man deserves a medal or something...)

With Warmest Memories...

2009-05-18T16:43:00.003-05:00

Darling Beatrice,
We will miss you dearly.
You spent 98 wonderful years here.
It's been a pleasure being a part of your life and family.
I hope you have found that eternal happiness.
Rest in peace.

Nerd-rific post...

2009-05-11T20:07:00.003-05:00

My beloved Sims franchise is spawning a new baby on June 2nd. As you can imagine I am in nerd heaven. They have introduced the most glorious feature this time around... All the families in your neighborhood grow and evolve even without your input. That got me thinking... It would be very very interesting to put all of you lovelies in my game. So if you are brave enough...
Pick your 5 traits, plus either send me pictures or links to pictures of yourself that you like. (Both a profile view as well as a standard face shot would be most excellent) If you have any kids/spouses/significant others/love interests you want in the game. Let me know.
Ok. This nerd is going to bed.

Traits:
Absent-Minded
Ambitious
Angler
Artistic
Athletic
Bookworm
Brave
Can't Stand Art
Charismatic
Childish
Clumsy
Commitment Issues
Computer Whiz
Couch Potato
Coward
Daredevil
Dislikes Children
Easily Impressed
Evil
Excitable
Family-Oriented
Flirty
Friendly
Frugal
Genius
Good
Good Sense of Humor
Great Kisser
Green Thumb
Grumpy
Handy
Hates the Outdoors
Heavy Sleeper
Hopeless romantic
Hot-Headed
Hydrophobic
Inappropriate
Insane
Kleptomaniac
Light Sleeper
Loner
Loser
Loves the Outdoors
Lucky
Mean Spirited
Mooch
Natural Cook
Neat
Neurotic
Never Nude
No Sense of Humor
Over-Emotional
Party Animal
Perfectionist
Schmoozer
Slob
Snob
Technophobe
Unflirty
Unlucky
Vegetarian
Virtuoso
Workaholic

The juice, it is green!

2009-05-11T19:50:00.002-05:00

My juicer arrived Friday.
I was so giddy with excitement that I made Husband text me a picture of it.
Saturday morning I was awake and out of bed by 7:30. I finally managed to get Husband out of bed and us to the farmer's market by about 8:15ish... There I purchased massive amounts of romaine lettuce, kale and green onion (no, the onions weren't for the lemonade... I just can't resist the smell of green onions). After a short trip by Whole Foods to get my apples and lemons we were home and washing/peeling all the food for the juicer.

Part of my farmer's market buy freshly washed and ready to juice. We doubled the ingredients to make enough for both of us so we have 2 heads of romaine lettuce and approximately 10 stalks of kale.

My apples and lemon, 2 of each. We peeled the lemons just to be safe and sliced the apples just to avoid any seed mishaps. Better safe then sorry with my nice new juicer.

Husband took over. I think he was far more fascinated with my juicer then me!

All of my pulp, which goes directly into my flower beds because it's an excellent fertilizer.

The finished product!

Husband loves the green lemonade. He even made me get of bed this morning to make him some before work. There's also a very good chance he'll drag me out again tomorrow morning. I won't complain too much though because I'm so happy he likes it.

It's yummy, it's way nutritious, and it's green. I'm not sure where you can wrong with that...

Yes, I'm sticking close to my fruit breakfast but failing miserably on everything else. I'm sure it just takes time. Mostly though I blame the cows for making such yummy dairy products.

Detoxing my life...

2009-05-03T12:33:00.005-05:00

(This image stolen shamelessly from Amazon)

Forget jewelry, sweets or flowers... This is what *this* girl really wants!

My new juicer:
Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor
It features:
1000-watt juicer with 2 speed controls, high (13,000 RPM) and low (6,500 RPM)
Die-cast steel housing; stainless-steel micromesh filter; titanium-plated cutting disk
Circular 3-inch feed tube accommodates whole fruits and vegetables
Pulp container, juicing pitcher, and manual/recipe book included; dishwasher-safe parts

I've been reading The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose and I've become inspired. (Yes I realize that I weigh something like 2 pounds and don't need to diet. I didn't buy it for the diet part thank you very much.) She did a blog awhile back for Kris Carr's blog/wellness living community and I found myself musing that these people might just be onto something... So I started doing some research which has lead me to this point... Anxiously awaiting the arrival of my anniversary juicer.

I have rededicated myself to total vegetarianism and I'm attempting to cut back on the amount of dairy I ingest. Being a semi-vegetarian for 12+ years (no fish, no red meat and very little pork) it's hard to let go of the convenience that eating chicken has given me in both my marriage and eating out scenarios. I'm starting to remember the frustration that involves any eating out and why I always caved. So I sit trying to plot out some type of grocery store plan/invasion tactic that will work for both myself and Husband. (I'm pretty sure the invasion of Normandy was easier...) I know though that I'm onto something wonderful for my health and well being.

My goal:
Green Lemonade 1st thing in AM. (See below for recipe) (obviously I need my juicer first)
Breakfast: Fruit
Lunch: Salad/sandwich or something equally light/easy to digest
Dinner: Open (at this point)

*fingers crossed* (mostly because I'm prone to extreme laziness)

Green Lemonade Recipe
(as it appears in The Raw Food Detox Diet book)
1 head romaine lettuce or celery
5 to 6 stalks of kale (any type)
1 to 2 apples (as needed for sweetness)

1 whole lemon (organic is best so you don't have to peel it)

1 to 2 inches fresh ginger (optional)

Wish me luck.

Happy feet...

2009-05-02T21:36:00.003-05:00

I hate shopping. More importantly I hate spending money on myself. I have no problem buying Husband new sneakers every 6 months. Myself? The shoes on the left there have been around, I'm fairly certain, since before I was married. (For anyone counting, that is fast approaching 5 years...) I've spent weeks debating about buying myself new shoes.
Agonizing really.
That was until we went out for a family walk last weekend.

We loaded up our furry children and proceeded to walk something like 5 miles down Riverside. That's when I realized I desperately needed new shoes. Since I'm fairly certain the words, "we should do this more often" escaped my lips before my brain registered the agonizing pain in my feet.

So tonight Husband and I ventured forth to find new shoes. I tried on ridiculously expensive shoes that made my feet ache, I tried on ones made by Dr. Scholls that looked like old school Reebok wannabes, and I finally found the one. I think my feet will appreciate me. At least they better since I swooned a little at the register.

We now return you to...

2009-04-15T09:47:00.004-05:00

your regularly scheduled viewing...

Friday night Husband and I went to see Nickelback in concert. It was a fantastic show. They are the proverbial rockers... lots of fireworks, fire, and explosions. Love them for being so over the top. Although Chad Kroeger has the weirdest nose...
Outside of the very large, belligerently drunk woman next to me who spilled beer all over me before being arrested and tossed out of the show... it was a really good time. I screamed myself hoarse and couldn't sleep afterwards because my ears were ringing so loud.

Saturday was Husband's grandma's 98th birthday. We didn't spend much time at the party though because of the on-going construction and the fact that we were both passing out on her couch...

Sunday was my friend Mollie's wedding. It was such a nice time... she looked gorgeous and their vows were adorable. I really think they seem to be perfectly matched. I keep joking with her though that I give her 6 months before she starts complaining about him. lol

(Me and Mollie) (Rachael, me, Natasha)
It's always so nice to have all my favorite people in the same room.

So 3 of my dogs currently have what I *hope* is kennel cough. I now get to pill them all twice a day for what will be at least 2 weeks... Seriously, it's like they are trying to drive me insane.

I met Suz for lunch on Tuesday. The food was mediocre and the service was non-existent but... I had fun anyway. It's nice to have people in your life that it all seems so effortless with, I never have to worry about what to say and that's comforting. (And no, it's not because she won't stop talking lol)

After lunch I had my allergy testing. My doctor is foreign with a very heavy accent so I understood about 15% of what he said. I understood that I had a reaction to histamine (big surprise considering I have seasonal allergies) and that was about it. He just keep muttering to himself about how it was all very "interesting". I also had some bloodwork done to, I think, rule out any underlying reason why I would have broken out in that allergic reaction. I'm hoping he posts all my results online in the next few days so that I can actually know what in the world happened during my appointment. Now I'm just left with some nasal spray stuff (that I tried to refuse... and can't seem to use anyway)... joy.

This weekend I shall be attempting to sew myself a new wallet... *fingers crossed*

Missing...

2009-03-30T17:02:00.005-05:00

Ellie
(or Smelly as she was affectionately referred to)
Loved from June 27th 2007 - March 24th 2009

Time heals all wounds:
At least now I can look at photos of her without being reduced to a sobbing pile of Karen. (yes that was *supposed* to be funny.)
At least now I feel a little less guilty.
At least now I know in my heart that I gave her the best life possible for the time we had together.

I kept picturing her in my head.
The way she used to peek her head around the corner of the house when you'd call for her.
The way her whole body would shake with joy when she saw you.
The way she'd cock her head to the side when you talked to her.
The way she'd scratch her back on the patio.
The way she'd bark and growl while scratching her back on the patio.
The way she'd wake herself up from farting.
The way she played with her toys with the abandonment of a puppy.

Husband was working night shift the week leading up to and the week that we lost her. I was a total mess. I would call him at work sobbing into the phone about what a horrible owner I was. I couldn't sleep because every time I closed my eyes I saw her face and couldn't seem to convince myself that we'd done the right thing...

Her hips had been bad since the day we took her in off the streets. I thought she was just having another one of her "bad" days... Then one day she laid down and wouldn't get up. I tried pumping her full of supplements... Then one day she refused to eat. That's when I knew... Even though I knew in my heart that we were doing the right thing... It hurt. It still does.

Before Ellie I was afraid of Rottweilers.

I miss her terribly.
I imagine I always will.

In loving memory...

2009-03-24T21:01:00.003-05:00

My dear sweet Ellie.

I loved you more then words could ever express.
I really hope you knew that.

I'm so sorry.

When it rains...

2009-03-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

...it pours.

I've been trying to look on the bright side of things for a while. It's not working. My whole existence seems to be on the dark & stormy side lately.

The recap:
I broke out in an allergic reaction Thursday evening. Went to an urgent care where they gave me prednisone and told me to take some Zyrtec.
Cleared up overnight. Broke out again the next evening. Went back to urgent care where they gave me an IV solution of Benedryl, Pepcid and something else. They also told me to up my dose of Prednisone.
Saturday morning, my hands swell and become painful. Husband calls urgent care, again, where they inform him they've done all they can and now I'll have to go to the ER. The hives started breaking out again that evening so we proceed to ER. At the ER they give me an injection of Benedryl, Xantec and a different prescription for Prednisone. I have to take 2 Benedryl every 6 hours and Xantec twice a day. They tell me to see an allergist.

Husband tries to call several allergist today. He gets me an appointment for next Monday and says I have to stop Benedryl 4 days prior to the visit. I ask him about the other meds. He didn't think to ask. I call back. They inform me I have to finish my Prednisone before they can see me. That pushes my visit back to the 14th. I ask what I'm supposed to do if I break out again between the time I'm off the meds and when I go in... they say sorry...

Add to that:
One of my dogs is having issues getting around...
Husband's car died, it needs a new fuel pump which will cost $900.
We have to pay taxes which are around $1,000.

I just want to crawl in bed...

West Coast, yo... part 2

2009-03-15T18:01:00.004-05:00

(Flight from San Jose to Seattle)

(Seattle by night from the Space Needle)

The first night that I was in Seattle Lauri and I decided to go to the Space Needle. Now I'm terrified of heights, so you can imagine this went over really well. We purchased a combo ticket that allowed us to a night viewing as well as a day viewing within a 24 hour time period. The elevator ride up was horrifying. We walked around the inside of the observation deck first while I worked up my nerve. As soon as we walked outside though I freaked. I immediately flattened myself against the wall because I didn't know the floor would be slanted and it scared me half to death. Eventually though I pried myself away from the wall and we were able to walk around. The ride down was equally horrifying and I couldn't muster up any questions to ask our "guide" because I was too busy seeing my life flash before my eyes.

(You can see the rain "trying" to start but we lucked out with such a glorious day)

The day viewing wasn't quite as horrifying, mostly because I was a little better prepared. Scared of heights or not though this was such a beautiful view.
After the Space Needle we ventured to The Pacific Science Center which was probably my 2nd favorite thing. This is me being a nerd. The dinosaurs were animated and it scared the bejebus out of me the first time they moved. Again I'm a total nerd.
The bathrooms at the PSC were hysterical. Who knew bodily functions could be quite so interesting?
Later that night at the EMP... Me, again, being a total nerd at EMP (Experience Music Project). The EMP/SFM (Science Fiction Museum) was pretty interesting. We managed to go on a night that they were doing free admission. I'm not how I would have felt about the experience had I had to pay for it. Mostly because I got told to stop taking pictures. Jerks. Although I do love you Seattle, mostly because you gave us Kurt Cobain and grunge... my 14 y/o self thanks you profusly.
This is the next day... from the Seattle Aquarium. My experience was completely affected by the massive amounts of screaming/hysterical kids completely dominating every exhibit. No offense to the aquarium itself.
Pike Place Market, aka where Karen died and went to heaven! I spent the entire day Friday bouncing between PPM and the Aquarium. It was glorious weather so I couldn't have picked a better day to do outdoors type stuff.
No I didn't see them throw any fish... I couldn't take the smell or the huge crowds of people hanging around to see them throw fish. I was hoping I'd just get lucky but alas it wasn't to be. If I wasn't so horrified of fish this would have been far more fascinating I'm sure.
Why can't Tulsa have anything half as beautiful as this? Looking at all the beautiful/reasonably priced produce made me want to learn to cook... *sigh*
The original Starbucks! Woohoo! I had one goal in Seattle and this was it. I ordered my beverage and it was delicious. I realize I'm a total nerd, trust me. As a side note: Poor Lauri. I couldn't find the place for the life of me so she patiently kept texting me directions till my poor lost self found it. *Much love*
Our tour guide from the Seattle Underground Tour. It was interesting. Not your typical touristy thing, I don't think, but the history of Seattle is very...bizzare. I didn't get any really good pictures because my camera battery was dying and the lighting (as you can imagine) was terrible!
I also succeeded in making it to Trader Joe's. I want one in Tulsa soooo badly. I bought 3 bottles of their $2 Chuck, which did make it home successfully.

Me and Lauri! Aren't we just so cute and stuff?

The sky on my way home...

Words can't express what a great/wonderful/amazing time I had. Thank you a million times to Lauri for putting up with me and going along on all the touristy stuff I wanted to do... I must confess though I am happy to be home...

West Coast, yo... part 1

2009-03-14T10:03:00.003-05:00

(Driving over the Bay Bridge...)

The shuffle gods have been trying to get me to blog about my trip for days now... today I am finally caught up on sleep, the jet lag has worn off and I have a few hours to myself. So here goes nothing...
(p.s. The photos I don't post here can be found on my flickr page... they are private though so friend me to see them all)

My flight left Saturday February 28th at 7:10 from Tulsa International (ha!) Airport. This meant Karen was awake at 4:45 trying to triple check that she had in fact packed her underwear. I finally pulled Husband out of bed about 5:15 and we were off...

(He's excited can't you tell?)

I successfully passed through airport security without a strip search by that burly security guard Wanda I mentioned previously and then proceeded to have a small panic attack while waiting to board the plane. I forgot how much flying scares me until I found myself crying during take-off. lol Yea I felt like a total idiot and I'm sure the woman sitting next to me thought I was insane.
The flight to Dallas was short and sweet (half an hour) and it was kinda fun though to watch the sunrise from the plane...
I get off the plane in Dallas and what's the first thing I do? Look for the nearest Starbucks, forget finding my gate... I needed breakfast.
Breakfast O' Champions I tell ya... Of course as soon as I settle in at my gate with my breakfast they announce a gate change... all the way across the airport. At this point I would like to say I love the monorail system at the Dallas airport... freaking sweet.

(supposed to be a picture of the Grand Canyon but I was in the aisle seat so therefore the picture is sorta lame)

The flight from Dallas to San Jose was long and drawn out. I ate my pretzels, read and listened to massive amounts of Nickelback to pass the time. Of course Starbucks before a (nearly) 4 hour flight is not a smart thing and I found myself fighting my way to the bathroom mid flight.

Arrived in San Jose safe and sound. After a quick stop at Michelle's place we were off to San Fransisco for Comicon. Comicon was packed... The line for the Star Trek panel was wrapped around the building. (Good thing neither of us cared about Star Trek) I got exactly one picture that entire day. I should have taken a picture of the guys dressed up as X-Men (Night Crawler looked phenomenal!). Alas jet lag had dulled my common sense. Eventually we headed back to her house and nachos.

Man I miss Taco Bravo. They make some mean nachos. I felt bad for the girl behind the counter though because I took FOREVER to make up my mind. (I felt like a zombie lol) We giggled our way through nachos and The Water Boy... with me eventually admitting defeat and hauling my delusional butt off to bed.

Guess what though? I was wide awake at 6:30. Stupid time change.

That day we hit The Winchester Mystery House.
That place made me not feel quite so bad about my house...
I also developed a strange obsession with the wallpaper in the house. Most of the pictures I took are of the wallpaper, forget the door to nowhere... I want that wallpaper.
After we dropped the boy off we headed back to San Fransisco where we promptly got turned around trying to find Fisherman's Warf. So we walked the streets of San Fran with Michelle's pepper spray at the ready. We eventually found it but instead of actually going to the warf we went to Ripley's Believe it or Not.

I brushed up on the tools needed to kill vampires...
The great Zoltar read my fortune...

"The crystal gazer has wonderful things in store for you. A dear one will return from a long trip and your whole life will be different. You have a very patient disposition and your patience is about to be rewarded. Despair not I say for your days of despair will soon be over. Your calm spirit, and your good sense will see you through all emergencies. You have many friends, particularly in the armed forces. They are loyal to you, and are glad of an opportunity to be of "service" to you."

I also found out what will be written on my tombstone:
Monday I met up with the wonderful Josie and we headed back to San Fransisco to have lunch at a delicious raw/vegan restaurant.
Cafe Gratitude stole my heart and made me long for something half as wonderful in good 'ol T-Town.
The lunch sampler that we split:
And the most delicious cheesecake I've ever had...
Go on... call me a dirty hippie if you must... and yes I bought their recipe book.

Tuesday after Michelle attended a parent/teacher conference for the boy we attempted to hit Berkeley but the freezing rain didn't inspire us to ever really leave the car to walk around.
That night we got Thai food...
I liked everything until my entree came out... as you can tell. I felt like my head was going to catch on fire it was so spicy and evil...

Afterward Michelle was determined to hit the beach. So we went, in the freezing cold rain...
(See?! Freezing cold rain)
The waves were huge and horrifying...
After being thoroughly soaked and scared half to death by the incoming tide we cranked up the butt warmers in her car and drove home.

Michelle and I at the airport. What you don't see is me forgetting my jacket at her apartment the first time she tried dropping me off or the second time I forgot it in her car and had to fling myself at her car as she's driving away. Yea airport security got a kick out of that one...

So there ends the first half of my trip. Again much love and gratitude goes out to Michelle for loaning me her bed and putting up with me. Many thanks to Josie for the wonderful lunch date. You guys rock!

No more teasing...

2009-03-09T21:00:00.002-05:00

Because I know you're all dying to know...
March 2nd 2009, Lucky Star Tattoo, San Jose
Karen goes for #2

Not the most comfortable position ever.
My hands kept falling asleep.

My freckly back with the tattoo outline.

The first section being done.

A little farther into it...

God my skin looks so red and irritated...

Me checking out the tattoo in the mirror.

Up close and personal...

The guy was a total jerk but the generally accepted theory is that the more of a jerk/bitch the tattoo artist is... the better. Mostly because it means they are good. This guy was no exception. I think the tattoo turned out better then I could have ever imagined.

No it didn't hurt. It was a little uncomfortable at times but less painful then a routine dental cleaning in my honest opinion. Completely different then the experience with my ankle which made me nearly hurl.

I dig it. Husband digs it (as much as an anti-tattoo man can dig a tattoo I suppose). That's really all that means.

Thanks to my photographer Michelle for documenting the experience.

Preamble to: West Coast, yo!

2009-03-09T18:05:00.003-05:00

Karen is tired.
Karen is never leaving Husband home alone again.
Karen came home to a house that looked like it had exploded.
Karen is very, very tired.

I have rounded up the piles of dirty clothes and shipped them over to the in-laws for washing.
I have started tackling the mounds of mail piled around the house. My sack o' recycling will soon be over flowing.
Phone calls have been made to rectify certain monetary issues.
Computers are being synced and eventually photos will be uploaded to flickr.

I still haven't unpacked.
I still haven't totally caught husband up on all my adventures. This shall be remedied tonight over Mexican food.
I still need to do the dishes that Husband has neglected.

Mostly I need to sleep.

My flight landed at 8 last night, I didn't get to bed until after 11 and then I had to work at the ugly butt-crack o' dawn. Loosing 3 hours and flying for nearly 5 wears the body out.
My back hurts and I'm cranky.

Let me just say though... Michelle, Josie, and Lauri... I love you guys. Thanks for the most wonderful vacation this girl has had in a loooong time.

Here I am...

2009-03-02T23:46:00.001-06:00

(A teaser photo, because I'm that kind of friend)

Counting it down..

2009-02-19T09:26:00.003-06:00

West-Coast trip top 10
(This will be a 2 parter folks, sorry)

Top 5 things I'm afraid of:

1. That my hair will look greasy and nasty by the time I land in San Jose because I won't be able to shower that morning.

2. That I won't know what is/isn't ok to pack in my carry on, be deemed a terrorist and forced to a strip search by a burly security guard named Wanda.

3. That I'll have a window seat, become horribly claustrophobic, freak out, be deemed a terrorist
and stun-gunned in the aisle.

4. That I'll forget to pack something important, like underwear.

5. That Husband will watch our favorite shows while I'm gone and "accidentally" erase them.

Best, Quote. Ever.

2009-02-08T12:11:00.001-06:00

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Economic Stimulus Debate

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Funny Political News

Christian Bale Parody
Joke of the Day

“The end is near! Jesus, I’ll meet you at the Arby’s where I assume we’ll both be working.”

From the basement files...

2009-01-28T16:52:00.000-06:00

I’m not good at “keeping house”. This realization more often than not leaves me feeling completely inadequate as both a wife and partner. I just can’t seem to make myself tackle things like dishes or dusting because they are never ending. I’ve gotten better about staying on top of laundry but that is a steep uphill battle for me. I honestly believe there’s some key element missing from my DNA.

Today I tried to be better, for both myself and Husband. Expired food was chunked from cabinets. Appliances were somewhat cleaned. Countertops wiped down. Dishes were done and put away. Cabinets and drawers were cleaned out and reorganized. Eventually though I ran out of steam. I always run out of steam. I want to be proud of myself but I look around at all that still needs to be done and pride is a hard thing to find.

I keep thinking that if I minimize the amount of “stuff” then keeping it maintained will be easier. So I box/bag up piles of things to give away to charity and family members. I feel relieved to see them go and think to myself, “Ok this should be easier now…” but it never is. The “stuff” I gave away seems to be replaced by other “stuff” faster than I can become aware of it happening.

I’ve really been trying the last few months to clear out the “stuff” in our house. I’ve tried very hard to be cognizant of what we’re buying and how it will fit into the grand scheme of “stuff” already owned by us. It’s just not easy. I’m prone to deep emotional attachment to our “stuff” and Husband is prone to packrat-ness. I envy people who can pack their most valuable possessions into their car; I envy people who aren’t owned by their “stuff”.

I keep waiting for that epiphany. Waiting for that moment when things will just make sense. I’m not sure where I belong in this universe, what my purpose in this life is. I wish I could clear away all the unnecessary “stuff” from my proverbial basement and get to the heart of the matter. Where’s that catalyst when you need one?

Monopoly...

2009-01-17T16:00:00.002-06:00

Dear Monopoly:
I hate you.
Please eradicate yourself from existence.
Thanks,
One angry wife

Goddammit.

2009-01-12T20:05:00.003-06:00

(a blog in which Karen is pissed and drops the f-bomb... a lot)

Fuck you asshole dog who got into my yard and thought my goat looked like a good snack.
Fuck you piece of shit owner who doesn't show up until the second round of my screaming, "somebody help me, it's killing my goat."
Fuck you for not saying you're sorry.
Fuck you for not asking if my goat and I are ok.
Fuck you for trying to take the extension cord I had wrapped around your psychotic dog's neck so it wouldn't kill my goat.
Just fuck you.

I was home alone. I hear a noise in my backyard. It sounds like a baby screaming. I peek out the sliding glass door. I see some white pitbull in my back yard trying to kill my goat. I rip off my socks (I had no shoes on to begin with) and begin running full speed into my backyard. I pick up a branch, I break it over the dogs back and it won't let go. I kick the dog repeatedly while screaming at the top of my lungs. I finally grab the dog by the collar and yank the bastard off. I drag it back up the house, attempt to tie it up with an extension cord, call Husband sobbing telling him to get home because some half crazed pit bull is trying to kill the goat. Dog gets loose. I chase after it screaming for someone to help me. I get my hands on the dog again, practically strangling it with its collar. Owner shows up with 2 small children. Says his dog jumped from his truck. I throw the dog over the fence. I'm halfway back up the yard when the fucking dog gets back in the yard and the owner is just standing there yelling at him. I yank the dog off again, throw it over the fence again. 2 seconds later it's trying to get in my yard. Eventually I guess the guy gets the clue because I hear a truck roar off in the distance. By the time Husband got home I was in the bathtub sobbing.

Worst. Fucking. Day. Ever.

(p.s. my goat is ok for the time being. His ear is more or less ripped in half and he has some other injuries. We called a vet who does livestock and he said we could try to treat it with peroxide. Hopefully he's ok. I might try to get some antibiotics from work tomorrow. I don't know. Fingers crossed regardless)

I never thought it would happen...

2009-01-11T16:04:00.003-06:00

My first sewing project.
Complete.
I might faint.

Busy, busy...

2009-01-10T20:34:00.002-06:00

I feel like I've been run over.
People think I'm lazy.
I'm not.
I'm just not good at being busy.
I hate it actually.
I like quiet time.
I miss it.

I've been selling old textbooks on Amazon. Which means I've been dealing with the post office. I wish there was a less headache-y/faster way to do it but... at least it'll ultimately (hopefully) be a little extra cash.
I went to a volunteer orientation this morning for the TSPCA. Now the anxiety of actually volunteering has set in. I'm proud that I went. I tried really hard to talk myself out of it. At some point though I have to stop being so afraid to live my life. This is a step in the right direction, I hope.
I started learning to sew today as well thanks to the wonderful (read: patient) Amy. If my new sewing machine wasn't possessed it would be going better. The bad thing is that when Husband took me to Hobby Lobby to buy some thread he needed I found myself wandering off to ogle all the pretty fabric and fantasize about what I could make with it. I'm so becoming my mother.
My college roommate moved back to town. I've missed her terribly. Maybe now I'll be a little less of a hermit.
I've been dealing with insurance screw ups. God bless doctors, they just aren't too smart.
I've been trying to give my worthless crap away. Freecycle was too much of a headache (read: full of flaky ass people) so instead I waited for a charity to call. They really weren't much better.
I finally gathered up all my old plastic bags and took them for recycling. It only took me 6 months.
I've been trying to be better about actually reading books instead of just buying them. Easier said then done when you spend 4 hours sitting in a Barnes and Noble catching up with old friends.
Somehow I stopped taking my vitamins. I don't remember deciding to stop taking them, I guess I just stopped making time to take them. So now my body is revolting. I'm not entirely sure I'll make it out of bed tomorrow. Ugh.
I really need to finish a scarf I started as a birthday present for a friend. Her birthday was last month and I'm maybe a quarter of the way through.

I'm just tired.

It's Amazing... or not.

2009-01-08T20:09:00.003-06:00

It never fails to amaze me how annoyed the following combination can make me: Husband+College Football. Dear god someone help me. I'm so tired of hearing him complain about how much he hates our tv and wants a big screen. Or ditching me in favor of watching the game at his parents house (which leads back to the whole argument of how inferior our tv is). Men.

It also never fails to amaze me how much I can hate my job. Seriously. Some days I feel like I work in a nut house on the schizophrenic floor. There is no winning.

Danger...

2009-01-03T15:46:00.001-06:00

Aw the dangers of working in a cat clinic...

Shake Yo Booty!

2009-01-02T18:02:00.002-06:00

(Above picture is old, pre-Husband old. Yes I'm singing and dancing to Genie In A Bottle by Christina Aguilera)

Are you done laughing yet? I'll pretend you are.

I'm trying to start a new tradition. It's called shake yo booty time. I took a cue from Kris Carr and decided that I too would start dancing to at least 1 song a day. I realize that it's impossible to be mad/sad/depressed or angry when you are shaking your booty like a mad woman. For at least 5 minutes a day I'm free. I don't think about work, I don't worry about my future, I live in the moment. Draining all my pent up energy is just a bonus.

It also doesn't hurt that my chiropractor in no uncertain terms told me to get off my behind and get some exercise. Crunches? God no. Shake my booty to some music? Abso-freaking-lutley!

Moving foward...

2008-12-31T16:52:00.006-06:00

Resolutions are over-rated.
I thought about making a list.
I even started writing it.
Then I got bored.

I realize that every new year is in theory a chance to start over. However, doesn't every single day give you the same opportunity? I know I won't wake up tomorrow and suddenly be a better/happier person. I can't suddenly stop bad habits or mold my personality to be something new. Change takes time.

Sure, I would like to be different. But that doesn't mean I can make myself be a morning person. I consider it a victory if I can wake up and turn off the alarm clock without cussing. I won't wake up in the morning and suddenly change my life. I know this so I take the small victories that signal in some small way that I'm making an effort to be different.

I booked a flight to see the west coast even though the idea terrifies me.
I've filled out an application to volunteer with my local SPCA and am working up the courage to attend an orientation a week from Saturday.
I've started meeting with a chiropractor to work through my back pain.
I've started taking vitamins on an almost consistent basis.

These are the things that give me hope. So tomorrow will be another day. Another chance to get it right.

Guitar Hero?

2008-12-31T10:55:00.001-06:00

Nah, but I'm pretty bad ass on drums!

If my iPod ruled my life...

2008-12-31T10:31:00.006-06:00

These would be my New Years Resolutions (stolen from Michelle): (I will let you draw your own conclusions)

1. London Bridge - Fergie
2. Terrible Lie - NIN
3. Blind Man - Aerosmith
4. Hips Don't Lie - Shakira
5. The Rockafeller Skank - Fat Boy Slim
6. Los Angeles - Sugarcult
7. Change - Good Charlotte
8. Tucked Away - Goo Goo Dolls
9. Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks and Dunn
10. Belief - John Mayer
11. Could I Be You - Matchbox Twenty
12. Dangerous Game - 3 Doors Down
13. Too Little Too Late - Barenaked Ladies
14. No Air - Jordan Sparks & Chris Brown
15. Crutch - Matchbox Twenty
16. Dirrty - Christina Aguilera
17. Belgium - Bowling for Soup
18. Yesterday - The Beatles
19. You Set Me Free - Michelle Branch
20. Unwell - Matchbox Twenty

Christmas Foder...

2008-12-28T18:16:00.002-06:00

I shall name her Big Bertha.

(You know, my compost bin, not my brother)

100000 memories...

2008-12-26T16:38:00.000-06:00

My little car is growing up... *sniff*

From the Marriage Chronicles...

2008-12-18T19:16:00.004-06:00

Husband and I are having movie night.
I vote for Elizabethtown because for some reason I'm on a chick flick binge.
I make some delicious popcorn that I promptly coat in Nacho Cheese salt (heavenly!).
We're crawling into bed.
I have the popcorn on my lap as I'm snuggling in.
I immediately spill half the popcorn in bed.
I gasp in horror.
Husband shrugs, starts the movie and eats the popcorn off the bed.
This is why he's my soul mate.
(FYI, yes I washed the sheets afterwards)

The One, The Only... Suz

2008-12-12T16:17:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I had lunch with the infamous (yes, infamous, I wouldn't exaggerate) Suz/Susan. It was lovely. We meet at a place called The Local Table. They actually supply most of their menu with items from local farmers. Very groovy. (Yes I just said groovy) We talked, laughed and most importantly ate some very delicious food.
Here's the bizarre thing...
I hadn't actually made the connection that she's roughly the same age as my mom... Until she pointed out that I'm the same age as her daughter. Apparently I'm not the most perceptive person. lol
In any event, I can't wait to do it again.

Ho-hum

2008-12-06T17:26:00.003-06:00

I don't like the holidays. That doesn't necessarily mean I don't like Thanksgiving/Christmas, I just hate the holidays in a general sort of way. I hate the crowds, I loathe Christmas music, I hate the cold weather, I dislike the absence of daylight, I hate spending money on people who probably won't appreciate it anyway. So I'm done with that. Most of Husband's family won't get anything from us and he's fine with that. I'll just be happy when it's all said and done.

I got this jacket last night from Kohl's. It was originally $220, on sale for $66, I got an additional 10% off because of a small hole in one of the pockets (that is easily fixable) plus another 15% off because I had a coupon. Quite the bargain I think. I like it.

I suck at knitting. Even with a knifty knitter. I've been working on the same scarf for nearly a month I think.

I hate getting old. Husband bought me a pill organizer for all the vitamins I'm currently taking. Although I suppose I shouldn't complain because I haven't been half as sick this year as years previous so something must be working. I'm also digging the seregen my chiropractor gave me for stress. It's niiiice.

I hate AT&T. I'm pretty sure I've said it before but I'll say it again. They suck. They are taking away my free Flickr Pro account after the new year. Buttheads. So not awesome. Although I'm now trying out a new relationship with Picasa. We'll see how that goes.

This dog is afraid of her water bowl. Absolutely terrified. I found her in our bathtub the other night. I guess she was trying to find some non-scary water. Why can't I just have a normal dog for once?

April 10th baby...

2008-12-06T10:57:00.002-06:00

Me+Husband+Nickelback=One fantastic night.
April 10th 2009, 7pm.
I can't wait.

Rockstar - Nickelback
(Probably one of my all-time favorite videos)

Because it's Friday...

2008-12-05T15:36:00.000-06:00

And I have nothing better to say.

Reasons why English teachers die young:

Actual Analogies and Similes Found in High School Essays

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

26. Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put in any pH cleanser.

27. She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs.

Disappointment reigns supreme...

2008-11-23T10:30:00.005-06:00

(Cast of Twilight)

I had horribly low expectations for this movie. I mean really low. And somehow I still managed to be annoyed/disappointed. Go figure.

I love books. I love to read for the sake of reading. I may have a degree in English Ed but I hate analyzing literature. I like to enjoy a good story. To me, Twilight is a great story. Twilight the movie, however, is an abomination. To be fair though... I'm one of those obnoxious people who wants the movie to follow the book. Husband hates taking me to see the Harry Potter movies (I nearly walked out of the 4th movie I was so angry). However, those I can handle because they at least stay true to the essence of what Harry Potter is. This was... awful. The casting was terrible. The acting... laughable. They changed who the characters were at their very core and that is unforgivable to me.

Went to the NIN concert last night with Husband. I have never been to a worse concert in my life, I'm dead serious. The opening act was bizarre and all the strobe lights pointed directly in my face nearly made me blind. I'm not a huge NIN fans to begin with but I've liked some of their big hits. I think I knew approximately 4 songs the entire concert. Even Husband gave up and sat down during most of the concert. And when did Trent Reznor go from looking like a goth-type to looking like the lead singer from 3 Doors Down? And frankly 3 Doors Down would have been a much better concert.

Oh well. Time to go snuggle up with a good book I suppose.

WWIII...

2008-11-17T17:08:00.003-06:00

She looks sweet enough right?

The facts as I know them:
Husband gets out of bed.
I assume it's because the alarm is about to go off and it's time to get up.
He flips on the kitchen lights.
Lots of cussing/yelling and banging can be heard from that general direction.
I sit up, totally disoriented because it's only 3 and not 5:30.
Husband calls Sabrina into the house.
Sabrina starts her doggy war cry and massive amounts of noise start coming from that general direction.
Suddenly the noise comes to where I am and the lights are flipped on.
I start screaming.
Husband is yelling for Sabrina to get the mouse.
Lots of banging.
Something starts to scream bloody murder.
I hear Husband try to wrestle it from Sabrina.
Husband goes outside where remarks of "good dog" can be heard.
I start sobbing because the light is on and I have no idea nor do I want to know what the hell just happened.
He crawls back in bed.

Apparently some mutant rat/mouse thing found its way into the house... It was also apparently 1/4 the size of the dog trying to kill it. I asked for no more details.

Spore-rific...

2008-11-17T16:58:00.002-06:00

Because I don't have enough ways to waste my time...
I blame Husband.
I love him madly.
But this is totally his fault.

Trouble in Paradise...

2008-11-16T16:36:00.000-06:00

I love Husband.
You all know that.
But we have a problem in our marriage.
That problem being Lowe's/Home Depot (depending on the day).
Husband is your typical man.
He likes power tools.
Probably more then he likes me.
I could very well be on fire in Lowe's/Home Depot and he wouldn't notice.
Think I'm joking?

Tonight we wind up at Lowe's. I have no idea why because Husband knows that something in their wood department causes me to have a bizarre allergic reaction and therefore turns me into a raving/bitchy lunatic. Next thing I know he's ogling some saw thing. I try to discreetly announce to him that if he doesn't find me a bathroom, stat, there will be a clean up necessary on whatever aisle we are on. He mumbles something under his breath that I think is meant to convey to me that he heard me and agrees. When nothing happens and he moves on to ogle a different saw I kind of loose my temper. After physical violence erupts on my behalf, followed quickly by swearing, which is followed even quicker with accusations of him not loving me and lots of tears... he finally finds me the bathroom.

I will be so glad when all this home remolding crap is over... Ugh!

Living, really living...

2008-11-10T11:29:00.000-06:00

"Hell, I've always been old Ben. Ya' know what though, I don't mind. I mean if my muscles ache, it's because I've used 'em. It's hard for me to walk up them steps now, its 'cuz I walked up 'em every night to lay next to a man who loved me. I got a few wrinkles here and there, but I've layed under thousands of skies with sunny days. I look and feel this way, well cuz I drank and I smoked. I lived and I loved, danced, sang, sweat and screwed my way thorough a pretty damn good life if you ask me. Getting old ain't bad Ben. Getting old, that's earned."

Maggie McGlone - The Guardian
(Terrible movie but great quote)

Some days it's hard to look at the grey hairs and laugh lines and be thankful...
Some days it's hard to not complain when your joints hurt and you smell like Ben Gay.
Some days it doesn't matter how much or little you sleep... you're still tired.
Some days you look at all the vitamins/supplements lining your shelf and feel like gagging.
But I should be thankful...
Thankful that I'm free from cancer.
Thankful that I've spent the last 6 years with a wonderful man.
Thankful that I've seen and experienced everything I have.
Thankful I've had such wonderful people in my life, no matter the time.

Yup. No case of the Mondays here.

Fuzzy Friday Five...

2008-11-07T18:05:00.002-06:00

-Husband purchased me the super soft, fuzzy, lovely bathrobe pictured above. I am in love. All I want to do when I come home now is crawl into my bathrobe and relax. Or more appropriately, sleep.

-In related news, I'm apparently not handling the time change very well. I can't seem to get my proverbial shit together. I also hate winter. And darkness. This means I'm laying bed nodding off by 6 o'clock. It tends to make me very unproductive.

-The election is over. I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm mourning the fact that those closest to me are upset/distraught/angry about this election and only hope that time will help heal those wounds.

-I currently am on the hate end of the job satisfaction spectrum. Working with a bunch of women is so frustrating. The pettiness... oh. my. god. I feel like I'm running myself into the ground and for what? So I can continue to be bitched at because I forgot one of the 100,000 things on my to do list. It's never good enough. It doesn't matter how fast/efficient I work because there's something else. Something beyond my reach. Ugh. So frustrating. Hopefully the weekend will help clear my mind.

-I saw Suz's chiropractor on Monday for my first adjustment. I'm really starting to notice some positive changes. My feet don't hurt as much. I can get out of bed in the morning without throbbing pain in my feet that causes me to hobble to the bathroom. My neck feels better. I'm not constantly cracking my neck or rubbing at it because it hurts. My headaches seems to be getting less severe/frequent. The most important thing though... when I get stressed my back tends to seize up and throb. Even though it still does it, it feels like the pain is quicker to leave. It's almost like my body is finding a better/more efficent way of healing itself when something unpleasent/painful happens. I'm anxious to see what she says this Monday. I'm most anxious though to see where this path leads me... to be able to start healing my body and mind.

For Karin, with love....

2008-11-01T16:13:00.004-05:00

To the girl who shares perhaps one of the coolest names:
I'm almost positive I'm sitting in the exact same spot, give or take a few rearranges, that we sat in all that long time ago.
With lots of positive thoughts and energy coming your way.

p.s. My scrubs were misbehaving very badly... I wasn't trying to flash you, promise.

Getting back into alignment...

2008-11-01T15:16:00.000-05:00

I saw Suz's chiropractor yesterday for a consult.
Lately I've been feeling like my body is revolting against me (the chronic headaches, blurry vision, numbness and just out right pain) and figured it was about time to do something about it.
The thing you have to understand is... I don't like doctors in general. I really don't like chiropractors. So out of fear of seeming silly/whiny/paranoid/etc... I haven't done anything about my health lately. I kept talking about it but was always too afraid to put anything in motion.
I realized though it was time to put on my "big-girl panties" and just deal before it gets worse.
So I'm dealing.
My actual first alignment will be Monday after work.
She seemed very optimistic that because of how young I am we could nip this thing in the butt and fairly quickly. She does a different kind of chiropractic care called NUCCA:

"As opposed to traditional chiropractors, who make forceful adjustments to the entire spinal column, NUCCA chiropractors focus on very specifically and gently adjusting the Atlas vertebrae bringing it back to its proper position. The Atlas, or the topmost bone in the spine is located directly below the brain stem. The Atlas is also known as C-1. The adjustment performed by a trained NUCCA chiropractor will make a positive change to the entire spine. This is why a chiropractor using the NUCCA system of spinal correction can help someone even if their pain is located in the lower back. An important point to remember is the NUCCA adjustment removes interference to the normal function of the nervous system. Normal performance of the patient's nervous system is vital to the body's ability to self-heal. Self-healing is occurring all the time in a healthy human body which is free from nerve interference. If this function is compromised as would be the case with an Atlas misalignment then the body will begin to manifest pain and ill health.

I also like the fact that she is into holistic health and provides tons of information/lectures/classes to help you heal. I dig that she isn't into just throwing pain pills at you and recommending you come 2-3 times weekly.
Husband came along for the consult and I think it made him feel more at ease. I think he'll be excited when he no longer has to rub my back or listen to me complain because he won't rub my back.
Only time will tell but for right now... I'm excited.

The Tuesday Seven...?

2008-10-28T13:06:00.000-05:00

*this blog may contain some TMI for my male readers, you have been warned*

1. **possible TMI alert** Went to a new *cough*gyno*cough* today. I was uncomfortable enough with my doc being male (I've only seen women in the past). Then 3 women follow him into the room. It's bad enough to have 1 set of eyes starring at your womanliness let alone 4... ugh I want to crawl into a hole and cry. At least I have birth control again. That's all that matters.

2. The nurse who checked me into my appointment is lucky I didn't hit her. *steps on soapbox* I'm small. I realize this. I'm 5'5ish and 110 pounds. I realize that 90% of people who see me think I have an eating disorder. Fine. But keep your f-ing comments to yourself. I have no need for you to smirk and tell me how it must be nice to be so thin. No it's not nice because of assholes like you. I'm sorry that I have a super-high metabolism and that I can say no to McDonald's. I bet you don't say shit to fat people so why is it ok to make fun of people who are skinny? Tell me. Bastards.

*steps off soapbox* Sorry, especially to anyone who thinks I'm being paranoid or overly-sensitive (like my husband).

3. I have a consult with Suz's chiropractor on Friday. Yippie. I want to say a very public "Thank you, you are awesome!" to her for finally giving me the motivation to get my back problems taken care of. Now I just need to convince Husband to cough up the money for me to actually see her and get my back adjusted.

4. I did close to 30 minutes of yoga Sunday on my Wii Fit. I felt like I was dying (God I'm out of shape). I was filthy (construction home=dirty home). And I was also molested close to a hundred times by my dogs. This is why I don't like doing yoga at home.

5. I've really been making a sincere effort to read a little every night in my vain attempt at reducing the amount of unread books I currently own. Although reading bizarres books like Brave New World right before bed probably isn't the best idea. (talk about some weird dreams) Now if only Barnes & Noble would stop sending me coupons...

6. I've been trying to clean out some of the clutter around the house. I finally took apart several half-used notebooks and put them in recycling. I kept hanging on to them thinking we'll use them but it's been over a year since I looked at them last so... I console myself by saying they aren't going to a landfill... I also emptied some 3 ring binders. It feels nice. We also gave some clothes and our old pots and pans to Family & Children's Services a few weeks ago. I think all the construction motivates me... in some bizarre way.

7. I'm annoyed with this season of Heroes and I can't put my finger on it. It's not for the same reason other people seem to be annoyed with it. It's just... I have no idea. I'm usually so worked up after watching an episode that I can't shut up analyzing it and lately that hasn't been happening...

I ran out of steam people, sorry.

When will it end?

2008-10-26T09:14:00.003-05:00

Why?

As if we didn't already have enough to do.
Our shower stopped working after Husband repaired the broken water line.
In trying to fix it, the wall apparently crumbled.
And now I have this staring me in the face.

I need some cheering up people, stat.

Bling, Bling...

2008-10-24T17:04:00.003-05:00

-So I bought myself a new watch today. I decided it was time for a change. This is one helluva change for yours truly. Thing is though... I fell absolutely head over heels in love with it. The flashy bits aren't really my thing but there's just something about this watch that screamed "buy me!" So I did. I love my old watch, I have loved it for over 4 years now but alas it wasn't meant to last forever. I promise not to abuse this watch as much. Speaking of which I need to find a cheap one to wear to work... hmm

-The repairs on the house... they go slowly when they go. We have discovered the bathroom floor will need to be replaced, again, because of a future 2 inch height difference once the bedroom is finished. Husband twisted his ankle falling out of our back door. He broke a water pipe under the house today. I will have no hot water for who knows how long now. Like I say... it goes.

-I've started looking for a place to take yoga lessons. Yoga studios are expensive. And no, I do not want another gym membership *shudders*. I also have plans to find either a chiropractor or an acupuncturist or both. My back, hips, and neck are killing me. I feel like my body is revolting against me. I just need to make some calls and see what, if anything, I can make my insurance cover for me.

-I did have other things to talk about but my mind just went blank. I suppose it's time to lay down and let my aspirin kick in.

p.s.
Yes I do read your blogs, Yes I suck at commenting. I'm sorry.

Case of the Mondays...

2008-10-20T19:59:00.006-05:00

How Karen has been feeling lately...

I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
Every step I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)

I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I've become so tired so much more aware
I've becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control
Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you
(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertone just caught in the undertone)
And every second I waste is more than I can take

I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I've become so tired so much more aware
I've becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

And I know
I may end up failing too
But I know
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you

I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I've become so tired so much more aware
I've becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you

I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Is everything what you want me to be
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Is everything what you want me to be
Numb - Linkin Park

It's not in response to anything specific. And yes, everything is perfectly blissful (well as blissful as can be in the midst of a disaster remodel) between Husband and I. It's just that... I suppose when one is faced with defending their entire personality and way of interacting with people it can make you feel a little moody.
I'm tired of trying to be perfect for everyone else.
I'm tired of trying to play the part for a million different people.
I just want to be me.
Imperfect and neurotic me.

Inspiration comes in all forms...

2008-10-20T17:13:00.004-05:00

I love this girl.
She is phenomenal and a real inspiration.

I can't wait to get her movie from Netflix.
Her blog is here.

S.Y.T.Y.C.D

2008-10-15T16:47:00.002-05:00

The long awaited event was last night. Even though we had crappy seats it was a glorious time. Enjoy some of my crappy photos and 1 very crappy shaky video I shot.

Husband and I being super excited before the concert.

All the dancers on tour (plus some stupid woman's head). There were 13 total, the top 10 plus 3 alternates.

A really fantastic group routine performed to Money, Money.
(sorry no good you tube videos exist of this performance)

Katee and Joshua doing a very lovely samba.

(actual performance on sytycd)

Mark and Courtney doing a really bizarre and amazing contemporary routine.

(actual performance from sytycd)

Chelsie and Gev doing a jive routine.

(actual performance from sytycd)

Gev and Courtney doing a cha-cha-cha routine.

(actual performance from sytycd)

The final group number to You Can't Stop the Beat.

And last but not least:

Mark and Chelsie perform a contemporary routine to Bleeding Love.
(My absolute favorite performance of the season!)

(The actual performance from sytycd... seeing as how most of my video is out of focus... lol)

We had the best time.
It was totally worth the money.

This Old House, re-revisited...

2008-10-14T09:02:00.002-05:00

(This is a copy/paste job done from my old 360 blog, but since some people have been asking questions about the house I thought this might answer some of those, plus I just really liked this blog)

This old house, episode 1

Welcome to the first edition of This Old House, in today's episode we take a look back on the house that Karen and her husband Mr. Karen bought four years ago. Pictured above is the happy naive couple posing in front of said house after purchase. Some background info on the house. It was reposed by a bank and sat unoccupied for several years prior to their purchase. The house had been home to several homeless people and wild parties as evidenced by the internal damage to the house. As said before, they were young and naive when they made the purchase. They no longer wanted to rent but couldn't really afford much in the way of housing. They thought it would be a fun and exciting project to undertake. I mean who doesn' t love a fixer-upper?! Little did they know what was in store for them.; The house is a 1 bedroom in what has been referred to as a shotgun style house. (one room right after the other in a straight line) It sits on approximately 1/3 of an acre in the city limits of Tulsa. Let's get on with the home tour shall we?; First we have the livinroom painted in a breath taking dusty rose and forrest green with matching wallpaper. Featured in the far right corner is an enormous bookcase/fireplace that sits upon a raised section of tile in forrest green. Along the right wall the floor is no longer attached. One can bounce upon the floor because the joist haven rotted out. One window along the far right wall is completely busted out. It is of course a double pain window which is quite expensive to replace.; Here we have the far left side of the livingroom. Here we see what appears to be remnants of a sliding glass door. It now stands as a giant hole in the wall. Not featured in this picture is the forrest green tile that marks the entrance into the kitchen or the forrest green carpet that adorens much of the livingroom.; Next we move into the kitchen that is painted forrest green with light wood panneling along the bottom half of the wall. On the far left side of the kitchen we notice the frame of what used to be a sliding glass door. If you look closely however, you can see the remains of the sliding glass door shattered into a million pieces on the floor. One should also note the carpet that was glued upon the kitchen floor and hence has lots of nice ridges. We can also not forget the hole that was knocked in the wall just past the sliding glass door.; Here our lovely model Mr. Karen shows off the other half of the kitchen. Note the bright pink tile in the background. Behind Chris is the giant planter window that has to be boarded up because it was completely busted out. Not pictured is the mold and mildew behind the counters because of a leak in the sink. The floor is also completely rotted out underneath the cabinets. It felt much like a trampoline when one stands there.; Here we have the family viewing the small space otherwise known as the bedroom. Note that the window behind Karen's mother is busted out, like every other window in the house. The carpet in the bedroom is green, to match the rest of the house obviously. The bedroom features a slopped roof that Mr. Karen can barely fit under at it's lowest. Unknown to the Karens at the moment of the purchase is that the flooring in the bedroom was rotting out and actually slopped in the same manner as that of the roof.; Next we move onto the bathroom. The linolium in the bathroom was the only thing holding up the toliet which was clogged with something unmentionable. The bathtub was covered with an insane amount of mildew that would not come off no matter what product was used on it. The towel rack on the far wall was not actually screwed into the wall which a distraught Karen found out the hard way. The mirror was bespeckled with some unknown substance that was dared not questioned. The floor was by far the worst in the bathroom. One was risking your life by even going in there.; This was the backyard. The Karens actually had no idea how far their property went back until they spent several weeks clearing out the brush. One of Chris's siblings, and Karen's dad both came down with nasty poison ivy in the effort to clean this up.
And thus concludes our first tour of the house of the Karens.

Join us next time won't you?

Bedroom photo blog, part 2

2008-10-13T17:04:00.002-05:00

Beware: This blog may take forever to load. Crap load of photos to follow. But I promised destruction so here you go... (my captioning will probably suck as Husband took most of the photos and I have don't understand all the technical stuff he found)

Floor, post carpet.

Post carpet, again.

Post carpet, duh.

Our hallway, after the tiles were removed. (Looks like crap eh?)

A close up of previous photo.

The rest of the hallway.

Apparently the jerks who owned the house before us knew the floor was falling so what did they do? Put down wooden spacers and laid a new sheet of plywood on top. Don't fix the problem, hide it!

Wooden spacers... ugh.

First cut that went all the way down.

More spacers, and Husband's tools. (Love the pitch fork!)

Picture out of bedroom into the hall.

Another spacer/tool picture. Can you see the hole in the floor? Husband didn't do that, after the first layer of plywood was removed... it was there. ugh!

Crap piping and rotten wood picture.

I think this was supposed to show how low the original floor had sunk.

Husband's junk pile, middle of day 1. (I actually took that one)

Again... I don't know.

He likes repetition.

Taken from inside bathroom doorway. Husband fell through this part of the floor.

Termite damage (?) from the section of floor Husband fell through.

The bridge he laid for me to get to the bathroom. I was terrified of dying.

Same section of flooring minus my bridge.

Rotten wood that we found once the floor was gone.

More rotten wood.

Where a joist used to be... Notice the crumpling cinder blogs underneath.

Mas rotten wood.

The half floor joist that we found intact. This was the only thing holding up our bedroom.

Up close.

Aren't Husbands knee pads awesome? lol

Random bricks and rotten wood.

Shot from the bedroom towards the hallway.

Our backdoor... and the huge drop off.

The hallway.

Husband had to cut off sections of the drywall to see if anything was actually holding the walls up. Sadly... do you see anything?

Same story in the bedroom.

The door that was to our hall closet. Husband decided we needed a new one. I won't argue.

Husband fitting a new joist into the hall.

Laying a joist in the bedroom on top of our cinder block wall.

The rebuilt joist under our backdoor.

Rebuilt joist for the hallway.

Husband trying to fit a vertical joist under a section of wall.

So there you have it. All the photos taken thus far in the great bedroom remodel of '08.
Oh... Husband and I got a great deal on some 5/8"(inch) bamboo flooring! We bought enough that we taken out our crappy/cheap laminate flooring and do the whole house in the same thing. I'm so happy, no more carpet!!!! Yippie! The tankless water heather though is another story.

Bedroom photo blog, part 1

2008-10-13T16:51:00.003-05:00

Part 1 is a tour of what the bedroom looked like (sort of) before the damage was done.

Our bed, relocated to the living room. (the couch was relocated to the kitchen lol)

The closet that held our ghetto heater and water heater. (too bad I didn't get a picture before Husband ripped it out... it was so ghetto and nasty)

Our closet.

And behind curtain #1 we have.... our water heater.

Where our bed was...

Bathroom door... I know this is all very exciting...

Wall opposite bathroom.

Where the tv was...

Wall next to our closet.

So there you have it. I promise the next one will be much more interesting. Lots of destruction in that one. Promise.

Bedroom, day 1

2008-10-10T17:07:00.003-05:00

How our floor has stayed up this long is beyond me...
This is what we actually found when we took up the floor.
Forget rotten joists, we had no joists.
Why I'm surprised by this I don't know.
I'm so glad Husband is handy.

I'm in the process of uploading the photos taken thus far to my Flickr account. You can either friend me over there (privacy settings and all) and keep an eye out as I update or wait for my lazy butt to put together an extensive photo blog.
Your choice.

(p.s. I'm feeling really lazy at the moment, just saying)

Construction vs 9823.1

2008-10-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

Because our floor is sinking ever lower.
Because the carpet is green and 4 years is far too long to live with that.
Because it needs to done.

This weekend Husband will finally fix the floor in our bedroom/hallway. I'm off to OKC so I won't be in his way. Hopefully everything will go as planned. If it does we shall have a tank-less water heater, a new central heat/air system, and no carpet (maybe). Here's to hoping.
(I will post a photo-ish blog in the near future to show before, during and after photos. Stay tuned.)

Paper or Plastic?

2008-10-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

I'm one of *those* people.
You know, someone who takes their own bags to the store.
When I forget my bags and I just happen to be picking up 1 or 2 items I simply tell them a bag isn't necessary. Usually that's not a problem.

Went to Target. (they offer their own brand of reusable shopping bags btw)
I had to get some more Benadryl for my dog, itchy butt, and a loaf of bread for lunch tomorrow.
Conversation:
*girl starts to put stuff in a bag*
Me: Oh I really don't need a bag for this.
Girl: *stunned look* ooh...
*shuffling in bag for debit card*
Girl: Are you SURE? *puzzled expression*
Me: *uncomfortable giggle* Yea, I'm sure, it's no big deal.

I drop the box of Benadryl in my bag along with my debit card, pick up the loaf of bread and walk out fearing that security is going to tackle me at any moment.

It's so bizarre to me that they don't see to understand the concept of "I don't need a bag, thanks" or "Could you please put my purchases in the bag(s) I brought?" I wonder if they even know they sell reusable shopping bags?

I guess Whole Foods has spoiled me, I get to donate money to charity every time I take my own bags. Talk about easy Karma! Target could take a lesson.

Keep the Change...

2008-10-07T14:13:00.000-05:00

Karen's Washington/California trip fund.
Staggering, isn't it?
teehee

From the marriage chronicles...

2008-10-05T19:50:00.001-05:00

P7250014,
originally uploaded by Karen.H.

You all know that I madly adore Husband.
He is the Ying to my Yang.
The cheese to my mac.
You get the picture.
Sometimes though, he surprises me.

A few days ago I forgot to start a load of laundry early enough so that I would have clean scrubs for work in the morning. I was lamenting this fact as we got ready for bed. I wake up sometime around 12:30am and Husband is changing out the laundry for me so that my scrubs would be dry when I woke up. Despite the fact that he had to get up an hour earlier then me.

Sometimes he's pretty great.

I need a little less...

2008-10-01T12:25:00.000-05:00

In a rare moment of complete and total honesty I admitted to Husband last night that... I would kinda like to ditch cable. Outside of Heroes/The Simpsons there aren't any other TV shows that I'm completely addicted to and even those I could watch online after the fact. I'm annoyed when Fall rolls around because our nightly ritual goes something likes this:

get home
find/cook dinner
turn on tv
eat food in front of tv
continue watching tv
go to sleep

Cable seems even more irrelevant now that we have Netflix. The problem now becomes that we have too much stuff to watch. Husband though is completely addicted to TV. He even begged me to go get another DVR for the bedroom. (I didn't of course) I've even tried convincing him that some of his "favorite" shows are crap. (I mean c'mon! CSI Miami, Prison Break, Fringe *gag*) All to no avail.

I just wish he could see that our lives wouldn't be completely devestated with a little less TV in our marriage. Oh well I suppose.

Welcome to Fall...

2008-09-29T15:52:00.000-05:00

I *hate* fall.
I hate it because every year since, I believe, the 8th grade I've gotten a sinus infection.
Every year.

I'm trying to do a better job of listening to my body, noticing the small signals it gives me and trying to cut this crap off before it starts. It's just... hard. I'll feel fine one minute and the next I'm dizzy because sinus pressure has just exploded in my head. The headaches are back. Fierce headaches too. I know it's directly related to the sinus pressure. I can press on my check bone and I feel like vomiting. I just don't want to go through my annual allergy/sinus drug binge again. I've been trying to rinse my sinuses out using my netti pot but it feels like just minutes after that the pressure comes back. It's frustrating.

On the flip-side...

I've gone into jittery, jumpy cleaning-mode. I don't do spring cleaning, I apparently do fall cleaning. I started cleaning out/re-organizing the bathroom a week ago... It remains an on-going project. I have a lot of things on my to-do list but finding the time/energy is a problem. Perhaps I'll be more motivated when Husband start work on replacing the bedroom floor. That remains to be seen.

For now I just wish it would stop being in the upper 80s/90s in the day and then plummeting into the upper 40s/low 50s at night. My immune system just can't handle it.

2008-09-24T15:46:00.002-05:00

My iPOD is in control of this blog. You have been warned.

-You Look So Fine - Garbage
--I adored Shirley Manson back in the day. I remember wanting to be her. I remember singing Stupid Girl at the top of my lungs when I thought nobody was listening. Now she's on the Sarah Conner Chronicles and I'm not entirely sure if time has been *that* cruel to her or her character is supposed to look like that... either way, ew. It's disappointing really. Go back to your grunge girl ways, please?

-Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! - A*Teens
--I was in Finland the summer they came out. They were, it seemed, a huge success. At least as far as I could tell from watching Mtv Europe. Then I came back to the states and nobody had a clue who they were. Sad really. I liked their take on classic Abba songs, kinda techno-rific but fun either way. Husband is embarassed I still listen to the CD, but it reminds me of that summer and I like to remember that part of my life.

-True - Ryan Cabrera
--This is one of those horribly sappy love songs that makes me think of Husband. I love love songs. I'm a sucker. I still believe in fairy tales even if my Prince Charming still thinks farting is hysterical at the rip age of 27. Although I will confess that at one point Ryan Cabrera's hair scared me but I still like him better then Pete Wentz. (And I'm almost embarassed to admit that this CD was in my car for well over 3 months on constant replay...)

-My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne
--For the most part I hate her. Honest. (Sum 41 also lost some of respect when Deryck married her but that's another blog...) But there's just something about this song. I think it makes me think of every ex-boyfriend I had and appreciate the fact that I finally found my happy ending so much more.

-Angel (acoustic) - Better Than Ezra
--*love*love*love* I remember when we saw them in concert at OSU and the school paper actually referred to them as One Hit Wonders... I still get offended about that, and that was 6 years ago... I just think they are horribly under-appreciated. Besides any band that can make their acoustic sets sound better then their digitally enhanced stuff... well let's just say I'm a lifetime groupie.

-Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
--I now have the overwhelming urge to trap Husband in the car and blare Queen and The Beatles. He *will* be converted. Even if it kills me.

-I Love The Way You Love Me - John Michael Montgomery
--Again I'm a love song sucker. But I also am a country lover in disguise. I was in love with Garth Brooks for the longest time when I was younger... until I found out he was balding. There is a good chance though that I would sell a kidney to see him in concert.

-Untitled - Better Than Ezra
--I bought books. I bought a lot of books. I have extreme guilt now. I haven't made the hugest dent in my unread pile but it's totally B&N's fault. Plus Husband wasn't exactly helpful either. Our membership was going to expire and they offered me 3 15% off coupons for renewing. What's a girl to do? We made two online orders and one in store purchase. But in my defense I'm only up to purchasing 4 books since I banned myself from buying anymore. A phenomenal achievment if you really know me. (I have no self-control) (and yes I realize this has nothing to do with this song but I had to confess)

-Wild One - Faith Hill
--I swear at some point a family member compared me to the girl in this song. Although I'm not terribly sure how "wild" I am. I called my parents the night before I pierced my eyebrow asking if they would disown me for doing it. I was 18 but deathly afraid they would be disappointed with me. It took me over a year to finally confess that I had gotten a tattoo, even though everyone already knew apparently.

-Cruel To Be Kind - Letters to Cleo
--What happened to this band? I adored them. I love that Husband will sing along to their songs. This song always makes me think of 10 Things I Hate About You. And makes me laugh that millions of teenagers secretly watched a movie based on a Shakespearian play and had no idea. mwahaha

I have other things I want to blog about but... you know how that goes.

When Husbands Attack...

2008-09-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

Setting: The Kitchen
Characters: Husband and myself:
Time: Dinner

So there we are cooking a lovely dinner. Chatting about our respective days. The next thing I know hot oil is flying and my hand feels like it's on fire.

When Husband went to put a new piece of meat in the oil (which I was manning) he wasn't exactly careful and in turn sloshed hot oil out of the pan and onto my hand.

I in-turn scream bloody murder and rush to shove my hand under some cold tap water. He apologizes profusely and at some point I burst into tears. 3 ibuprofen and a crap load of aloe vera later and I sort of feel better.

I now have a huge red splotch right about my wrist, a red splotch around my pinkie finger as well as a small blister. Hot water still makes me scream in agony but I think I might survive.

I just won't cook dinner again anytime soon...

teehee

To like someone..

2008-09-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

The following conversation took place at work yesterday:

S: "Karen... I really like you"
Me: "Um, why?" (was totally caught off guard)
S: "When you first started I wasn't sure how it work out because we're so different... but I really like working with you."
Me: *laugh* "Thanks, I like you too."

This got me thinking. I've never really paid attention to my friends political or religious views because to me they are a non-issue. I really and honestly believe life would be boring (or really insane) if everyone was like me. I like to think I subscribe to the "live and let live" philosophy. The girl S is an extremely conservative/republican/religious girl and I think that's cool. It's interesting to pick her brain. But when you cut away all that we actually have tons in common... we both have in-law drama, we love stuffed animals, we both desperately want silly tattoos (frog for me, unicorn for her) and we love Queen and The Beatles passionately.

In fact my best friend is the complete opposite from me when it comes to almost anything political/religious and/or environmental. I can't imagine the gaping hole that would be in life if we couldn't put all that aside and be friends. I guess it's different when you're 18... I think it's sad though because I almost missed out on what is turning out to be a great friendship...

Is it ingrained in our very being that as we age we begin to define ourselves by our political/religious identities instead of our likes and dislikes? I remember in elementary school picking my friends based on if they liked the X-men or Little Ponies. In high school, your extracurricular activities by default defined your friendships. In college it was your major. In grown-up life? I haven't quite figured that out.

I guess just chalk this up to another mystery of being a grown-up that I don't get...

(p.s. I only offer up my political/religious identity to people as a way to warn them about what might be coming out of my mouth... I have a tendency to speak and then think... lol)

Million and one...

2008-09-07T12:54:00.000-05:00

I feel like there have been a million+ thoughts, ideas, emotions, etc running through already frantic brain these past few weeks. It has left me feeling emotional, clingy and very bitchy. Not exactly blog worthy material I should say. Nevertheless I present the highlights:

-Work. I have been less then professionally satisfied with work lately. Personally I am getting along/finding my niche better with my co-workers. One of the vets shares my sarcastic personality and I swear she can read my mind sometimes. She is currently trying to help me solve the "itchy butt" dog problem which I will be eternally thankful for, but... she did give me the nickname of Eeyore because I sigh a lot which is totally uncool. The Wicked Witch continues to be just so... wicked. I did attend an informal game night last night with my fellow co-workers. I had a really good time, mostly because I found someone who is worse at Guitar Hero then me. At least in the coming weeks my schedule will have more variety and hopefully help with the professionally unsatisfying feeling...

-I watched Brokeback Mountain yesterday. It was lame at best. Now I know why I subconciously avoided watching it for over a week.

-A co-worker burned me a Queen CD (which she promptly wrote "Republicans Rule" on... lol) and I forced Husband to listen to a half dozen times in the car. I think he might divorce me if I sing Fat Bottom Girls one more time...

-I went to Big Splash last weekend. It was awful. I had a panic attack and subsequently burst into tears when Husband tried to drag me on a water slide. (I'm terrified of them) Then I nearly drowned when my inner tube turned over at the end of another water slide (at least it wasn't high and terrifying). Not to mention the crowds... ugh. I may or may not have sworn at several small children who slammed into me on different occassions. Oh wait... did I mention I can't swim? Yea...

-I'm bursting with excitment over the return of Heroes later this month.

-I tried to pick up the livingroom today... You can no longer see my coffee table. This is why I don't clean. I'm completely incapable. If I try to clean a million "projects" suddenly present themselves and before I can stop myself the place is more of a mess then when I started. Ugh.

So there you have it. I was supposed to go to the grocery store and get supplies for dinner instead I made a huge mess in the livingroom, defragmented the laptop, watched Focus Earth, and imported CDs into iTunes. I'm sure Husband will be proud when he gets home... lol

Passive-Agressiveness v. 1.2

2008-08-27T16:36:00.000-05:00

I don't like this particular girl at my job. She is a bitch.

Conversation from today:

Me: "Oops"
Her: "What?"
Me: "I accidentally splashed water on you... sorry"
Her: "Oh it's ok, I'll live"
Me: "Unless you're a wicked witch"

Girl in the mirror

2008-08-23T15:04:00.000-05:00

I look at the girl who watches me in the mirror each morning.

I want to love her.
I want to accept all of her imperfections.
I want to see what other people see.

Instead...

I scrutinize her.
I pick her apart.
I tear her down.

It's a battle as old as time.
Where there are no winners.
Only losers.

Maybe one day the girl in the mirror will be good enough.

(Don't worry, just musing...)

I miss you...

2008-08-18T16:34:00.003-05:00

I miss the days when you were my hero...
I can only hope that someday things will be different.

The Girls, reunited...

2008-08-18T15:13:00.002-05:00

The Girls: Rachael, Me (duh), Natasha, Mollie
(And yes I am the odd man out, silly girls and their sunglasses)

It was a good day. The conversations flowed whether being shouted over the roars of a Mexican restaurant or giggled over in a Barnes and Noble cafe. 6 hours wasn't enough. I miss these girls when they aren't around.

I met Rachael during freshmen orientation. I laughed at her white girl fro one morning and we've been fast friends ever since. She's the friend that I don't always have to say the words out loud because we just know what the other one is thinking.

I met Natasha sophomore year of college because we shared a suite and a lot of mutual friends. She's the friend that both understands and shares my neurosis, we make each other feel normal. lol She's the only one left in the major T-town area.

Mollie was my college roommate. She's the friend you can live vicariously through and trust to never blackmail you... because she was there too. I remember all my friends complaining about their roommates and thinking, "that must suck", because I adored mine.

We've all been through a lot together and I think as the years pass it will only get harder to say goodbye each time.

A Tuesday ten blog

2008-08-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

1. I am shocked everyday that I come home without a speeding ticket. *knocks furiously on wood*

2. I nearly drop kicked a cat down the hallway at work today. Had it drawn blood one of the 5 times it bite me... it would have been on.

3. Husband is working second shift at work and it makes me grumpy.

4. My college roommate and best bud, Mollie, is coming down for a visit this weekend. My other best friend Rachael is coming to visit too. The three amigos shall be reunited and we will tear this town up.

5. I freaking love Flaming Hot Cheetos, even if they give me horrendous heartburn.

6. The Olympics are nearly the perfect solution to insomnia. Except that I am now irrevocably in love with Michael Phelps. I have no idea how that happened.

7. It always baffles me that I still get all giggly and stupid when I talk about Husband. I hope I never get tired of him.

8. I'm annoyed that Apples keeps trying to make install Safari internet browser. It's starting to get old.

9. I can't stop yawning and my legs feel numb.

10. One of my dogs won't stop licking the floor. It's more annoying then it sounds, trust me.

I think I'm going to bed. I'm really tired.

Hick criteria...

2008-08-11T15:02:00.000-05:00

Last night Husband and I were debating what it means to be a redneck. My criteria is as follows:

If you do 2 of the following 3 things you are a redneck:
-Dip
-Go huntin'
-Go fishin'

He took offense because he'd like to try fishing and hunting. I told him I'd rather be a golf widow then come home to a dead/mutilated animal in my fridge. I then threw up a little in my mouth.

Have I mentioned he won't drop the whole "he wants to own a gun" thing? Ugh... My Husband is slowly becoming a redneck...

Insomnia: version who knows what

2008-08-09T20:49:00.002-05:00

I have insomnia, again. I was doing better for a while, sleeping through the night without waking up. Then I started waking up ridiculously early. Last Friday it was 5am, this Friday it was 4:30, this morning it was somewhere around 3am. The last few days though I feel like I haven't gotten any rest, at all. I'm painfully aware of everything, it's like my nerves are on edge. There's nothing particular I'm stressed about, consciously anyway. It's so frustrating. So here I sit, sipping some tea that's supposed to help make me drowsy. We shall see.

At first I thought this latest bit of my newly re-aquired insomnia had something to do with my latest book purchase. I finally came into possession of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. (This is where I would rant about how much I hate B&N and UPS but I'm just too stinking lazy) Her books always give me insomnia, I figure it has something to do with the fact that she makes me care so much about the characters in the book but who knows... In any event I adored this book as much as I adored the other books in the series. I just don't know that I can pin the insomnia down on that.

I'm sure there's something to do with work and my feelings of inadequacy or general stupidity making me prone to insomnia but I just don't want to go there.

I'm sure seeing the Primetime tribute to the late Randy Pausch made me somewhat on edge too though.

Oh well... maybe this tea will kick in soon enough and I can get some sleep tonight...

Of new grills and itchy butts...

2008-08-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

I caved. I let Husband buy a new grill. He did agree though that if this purchase was made he couldn't mention HD *anything* for 2 months. I figure it's a small price to pay for my sanity.
(Although doesn't he look so stinking happy?)

His first feast.
(Baked potatoes, steak, chicken substitute (for me) and grilled cheesy Italian tomatoes.)

A new chapter (aka gimmick) has been added to my arsenal for my dog itchy butt. The vet I work for carries a spot on treatment by Douxo. It's supposed to be able to work miracles for dogs/cats with allergies or any type of skin ailment. *fingers crossed*

From a thank you card I received from my pregnant co-worker we had a baby shower for last week: "It's so nice to have a new friend. Us hippie liberals have to stick together". I'm going to be heartbroken when she leaves next month. She followed the Grateful Dead the summer after high school and calls everything a mother f-er. She is fabulous!

I had to go to Wal-Mart today. I needed another set of scrubs for work.
Reasons why I hate going there:
1. They don't carry the 1 thing I need. (xs scrub pants)
2. They had exactly 4 lanes open.
3. I had 2 items and had to wait for the jerks with 25 things in their cart go through self-checkout.
4. A small child slammed into me and then proceeded to call me a bitch.
5. The very classy clientel.

I'm currently mad at both Barnes and Noble and UPS.

Work is... work. I don't hate it per se but I don't love it. The whole situation is just bizarre there. I had pretty much no training and don't have a real strong sense of what I should do or how to do it. They keep saying how bad they feel for not training me better but "you're just getting it so well and you seem so confident at it." I'm thinking I'm just a really fantastic faker.

Is it sad that I'm thrilled about the possibility of rain this weekend? I'm so sick of this heat!

Ugh...

2008-08-04T14:07:00.000-05:00

It's too damn hot.
Even typing makes me sweat.
Stupid, horrid Oklahoma weather.
If I don't die of heatstroke I'll blog someday.

SYTYCD, the tour...

2008-08-02T10:40:00.002-05:00

Because Husband and I just paid a ridiculous amount to see the So You Think You Can Dance tour in October I thought I would post a tribute to my all-time favorite reality tv show. Although seeing as how this is the *only* reality tv show I watch the competition isn't really that stiff. In any case I present to you my favorite performances of the top 10 from season 4.

I am ridiculously excited. Too bad I have to wait until October. (oh and if you're wondering... the tickets were Husbands idea. teehee)

Really?

2008-07-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

Another episode of L.D.L. girl...

Give me a break. Seriously.

One of my best friends is a church-going conservative and we get along fabulously.

What in the world is wrong with my co-workers... My freaking god.

I made the mistake of mentioning that I loved the movie Juno (along with Little Miss Sunshine) and sudden I'm schooled in how evil Hollywood is.

Juno apparently glorifies teen pregnancy, infidelity, and single moms...?

Maybe I just need to keep my mouth shut.

The Adventures of...

2008-07-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Liberal Dog-Loving Girl stuck in Conservative Cat Hell

or Week 2 of Karen's employment

Why Karen doesn't fit in at her new job:

I adore dogs and have a tendency to think cats are really satan's spawn sent here to do his bidding.
I'm liberal and don't go to church.
I hated The Dark Knight but couldn't shut up about my excitement for the X-Files.
I don't say things like "gosh, darn, heck, and potty". Comparatively I swear like a mother f-ing sailor.
I don't have a myspace page.
I shop at Whole Foods and I'm a vegetarian... that apparently makes me a hippie and they say that like it's a dirty word.
I'm not on a diet.

Don't get me wrong though, I don't hate it. I'm just frustrated. Most of the time when left to my own devices I have no idea what to do. I try to look busy/important but that is more tiring then if I actually had something to do. I've seen some really interesting procedures and have been exposed to some really fascinating things... but so far there's just something missing. I'm hoping in time things become more clear and I don't feel so... antsy. One day in particular I was about to crawl out of my skin I was so bored because there was nothing for me to do. Most people would love to be paid for doing nothing but... I don't know.

In other non-job related news:

The great Netflix war of '08 has been resolved. Thank god for separate profiles.

I just discovered Pandora radio. Are you freaking kidding me? Fantastic!

My brother-in-law took in some strays a little while back. He's having a problem getting a rescue group to take them... Anyone know someone who wants a cute freaking dog... or two?

Anywho stay tuned for the next installment of L.D.L girl... lol

I'd be a great rich man's wife...

2008-07-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

or

Why Karen dislikes working.

Day 1: Nobody knows what to do with me. I follow tech girl S around all day looking like a lost puppy. When left alone with no instructions I try to look busy and important even though everyone knows better. By the end of the day my feet hurt and I feel like quitting.

Day 2: Tech girl S is off work so for the first 10-15 minutes I just stand around hoping someone will notice I'm alive and put me to work. Finally tech girl JG is asked to take me under her wing. Apparently she's the girl I will ultimately be replacing. Eventually tech girl JG has to go work up front so I start following around tech girl J. Lost puppy sensation overwhelming. End of day 2 and my feet hurt worse then before and I'm really annoyed. Urge to quit nearly overwhelming.

Day 3: Better. Sorta. Tech girl J I guess finally figures out she's going to have to train me herself. Apparently they all forgot I worked in a vet clinic previously and for a long time I'm treated like I don't know how to do anything. Eventually tech girl J realizes that I am capable and starts having me do more. Still feel annoyed that I don't know what to do with myself when nobody is around. Urge to quit subsides, a little.

Day 4: I get to do stuff. They realize that I am smart and capable if they would just tell me what to do. Everyone keeps saying that I'm "catching on sooo fast", I think to myself "It's not f-ing rocket science". Feel a little less useless but panic because I wonder if maybe I'm not so smart after all. Leave feeling undecided about future there but happy I made it through my first week without any injuries.

So there you have it. I work in a cats-only vet hosptial now. The people are a little too obsessed with cats for my taste. (aka I feel like an outsider when I try to share a "my dog" story) But I suppose they are nice. I don't like my schedule. I don't really like the drive. And I most definitely don't like all the cat hair in my eyes. But it's a job. It's money that I can stash away in savings. I just have absolutely no plans to stay there indefinitely.

A filler blog

2008-07-16T16:41:00.000-05:00

Karen is tired and cranky.

She had a nice birthday, who cares if it was rather uninteresting.

She is refraining from passing judgment on the new job until the weekend. So she can attempt to be fair, upon further reflection.

And because she was tagged by her S.I.L here is some random blog cheeze to occupy you in the meantime.

6 Quirky things about me

1. I become terrified if I can't see the bathroom door the entire time I'm blow drying my hair because I'm convinced the second I look away a mad man will come to kill me.

2. I think dill pickles and movie theater nacho cheese are the perfect combination. (Husband nearly threw up when I told him about my secret love)

3. When I narrate my life story I like to imagine I'm Bridget Jones.

4. I'm terrified of crickets.

5. I like making Excel spreadsheets. Bizarre I know!

6. One of my favorite movies ever is Billy Madison.

And there you have it. And yes, I refuse to tag anyone. Deal.

I've come to realize... (birthday edition)

2008-07-14T04:51:00.000-05:00

Because all the cool kids are doing it...

1. I've come to realize that my legs...
...will always be knobby and chicken-esque.

2. I've come to realize that my job...
...will be a learning experience.

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving...
...I narrate my life story, a lot.

4. I've come to realize that I need...
...new pots and pans, gross.

5. I've come to realize that I have lost...
...my mind?

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when...
...promises are broken.

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk...
...then Houston we have a problem.

8. I've come to realize that money...
...can buy you nice things but can't make you a nice person.

9. I've come to realize that certain people...
...will never change.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always be...
...happy if I can focus on the right things.

11. I've come to realize that I have a crush on...
...Husband.

12. I've come to realize that my mom...
...will always see me as her little girl.

13. I've come to realize that my cell phone is...
...a piece of junk that I probably can't live without.

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning...
...I didn't want to get out of bed.

15. I've come to realize that last night before i went to sleep...
...I was dreading today.

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking about...
...doing whatever I please because it's *my* birthday.

17. I've come to realize that my dad...
...will always mystify me.

18. I've come to realize that when I get on Myspace...
...I deleted my account months ago.

19. I've come to realize that today ...
...I'm 26, not 25 and it doesn't make much different.

20. I've come to realize that tonight...
...will be no different then any other night and I'm happy about that.

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow...
...I will still be me, for better of worse.

22. I've come to realize that I really want to....
...just enjoy my life.

23. I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost this....
...is my evil alter-ego

My Type?

2008-07-12T05:43:00.000-05:00

Out of curiosity I added an application on Facebook called My Type. It's supposed to be based on the Briggs/Meyers test. I have a soft-spot for personality tests. I can't help myself. It's almost like an addiction. I figure since it's close to my birthday I'd post the results as a sort of self-reflection. I will say it was accurate.

ISFP
The Peacemaker
Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving

ISFPs are gentle and compassionate, open and flexible. They are considerate of others and do not force their views and opinions on them. They often focus on meeting others' needs, especially those who are less fortunate. Having a quiet, modest, self-effacing style, ISFPs avoid disagreements and seek harmony with people as well as with nature. They enjoy life's precious moments and often add a touch of beauty to the environments where they spend their time. They are at their best ensuing others' well-being.

Living
ISFP children are pleasant, quiet, and kind. Their talents may be easy to overlook because they shun the spotlight and do not have a strong need to demonstrate their strengths to others. They may be particularly drawn to people, animals, and plants who need the gentle care that ISFPs provide.

ISFP children generally relate well to others and tend to have friends because they are easy to like. They are interested in others' feelings and notice particularly when disharmony exists. It is quite difficult for ISFPs to see their friends in conflict with one another. When this occurs, they will try to help ease the disagreements by playing the role of peacemaker.

ISFP children notice and attend to the delights of the senses. Often they will make special gifts for people whom they particularly like. These gifts are usually unique and original, with much attention paid to color, line, texture, and form. They are often very conscious of the internal sensations in their bodies. They tend to be aware of what their body will and will not do.

As teenagers, ISFPs may blend into the woodwork because they are quiet and unassuming. They are oriented toward deeply felt personal values, and they may find themselves on the outside of social groups if the groups do not share the same values.

In adult life, ISFPs work quietly, often behind the scenes, helping individuals meet their goals and dreams. They like a life of action and interaction, and often choose careers that allow them to exercise their ability to see the needs of the moment and respond quickly. They have little desire to impress others or to impose their will. However, they can be gently and persistently persuasive if they believe some action is in another's best interest.

ISFPs enjoy their friends and their families, and spend time nurturing their relationships. They bring an air of spontaneity and easy acceptance to all they meet and are rarely quickly judgmental. Only when people do something grossly out of line will the anger of ISFPs surface. They will then stand firmly against the infraction to support the victim.

Learning and Working
ISFPs learn best through hands-on experience. They may not be as interested in traditional academic subjects as some other types. They prefer application and practicality rather than studying the theoretical and only potentially useful. Making drawings, constructing miniature models, or using other direct representations to master the subject matter are appealing activities for them. They dislike structure and institutional settings that take away their spontaneity and freedom. They want their learning to be relevant to what is going on in their world. They have less patience with conceptual and abstract learning.

ISFPs enjoy learning subjects that relate to helping and knowing about people. They may be easily overlooked in the classroom unless the teacher has recognized their special ways of learning and their unique contributions. Encouragement helps draw out ISFPs.

At work, ISFPs contribute by attending to the practical facts relating to the needs of people and all living things in their environments. Because they pay attention to the humanistic aspects of the organization, they act in ways that ensure others' well-being. People enjoy ISFPs because they bring understanding yet adaptability to the realities of their work.
ISFPs enjoy occupations that allow them to be flexible and adaptable and to meet the here-and-now needs of others. They enjoy responding to the moment and choose work where they can offer practical, specific help in times of difficulty.

Some occupations are more appealing to ISFPs: Bookkeeper, carpenter, personal service worker, clerical supervisor and secretary, dental and medical staffers, food service worker, nurse, mechanic, physical therapist, X-ray technician, and other occupations that allow them to provide gentle help to all living things.

Loving
For the ISFP, love means devotion, loyalty, care, humor, and consideration for the needs and wants of the loved one. When ISFPs first fall in love, they may feel consumed by it. They may become naive and focus entirely on the romance of it - 'falling in love with love.' Future worries are cast aside in favor of the present realities. ISFPs may ignore all else in order to experience their love life most fully. Doing this can leave them vulnerable to the whims of others.

Because being loved and cared for is important to ISFPs, they make sure that relationships are nourished so that they can continue to grow. When They are in love, they find a multitude of ways to show their affection and their appreciation for the other person. Often ISFPs will go so far as to rearrange their careers, start or stop working, move geographically, or make other changes to maintain their relationships.

The friends, family members, and even pets of the ISFPs' partners become important to them as well. ISFPs take it upon themselves to make their environments places where there is the potential to have a harmonious existence for all.

In their desire to please others, some ISFPs may not be confident enough to speak up for themselves about what they need. If the relationship turns sour, the ISFP may believe that it was caused by something that they personally did. They may assume more of the blame than is necessary. When they are scorned, they may retreat and repeatedly analyze the situation internally. When they do face reality and finally let go, they can become more assertive and self-directed in the resumption of their lives.

Why I love my friends..

2008-07-11T11:27:00.000-05:00

When the weather vaguely turns warm outside I shun shoes for flip flops. Specifically Old Navy flip flops. They are cheap and don't have a bunch of stupid frills. Simple and comfortable. Or at least that's how they used to be. This year Old Navy changed their flip flops. I was really ticked off. After I ranted I was just sad. Then my friend N comes by yesterday for a visit.

She proudly hands over a pair of black, size 8 Old Navy flip flops from last season. Apparently she searched all over ebay and finally found a brand new pair for sale. Yippie! Now I plan to stash them in the back of my closet for safe keeping.

But Old Navy...? I'm still mad at you.

I've had enough...

2008-07-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

I don't deal with stress very well. I really don't deal well with drama. I have a tendency to either shut down completely or go into hyper-controlling micro-managing mode. This time it was the later. The breaking point this time would be Husband's family.

Dealing with them makes me miss my family. My family is for the most part laid-back. They don't harass me about my life, they don't butt in, and we are honest about our feelings to fault (i.e. someone is usually mad/upset at someone else because of a perceived injustice lol). I've tried very hard over the years to be friendly, forgiving and kind (to a fault) with his family. Sometimes though I just can't deal with them. One of his sisters is apparently going to be married in the next few months. We had dinner with his family to meet her fiance. He quite honestly looks like he crawled out from under the trailer... you know the kind of guy who would beat his wife. It wasn't a pleasant evening.

They made his youngest brother take their semi-paralyzed doxie because they are getting new carpets. They told him that if he didn't take the dog they would put him to sleep. I hate seeing his brother cry. I wanted to punch them for that.

I hate that I can't say anything to anyone in his family without it causing drama. It's not their business to call people when it doesn't concern them. If I want to deal with something I will, I do not need their help.

Husband's mother will ask everyone but me want she should make for dinner so that I'll have something to eat. I understand that I seem to be the only vegetarian she has ever met but since she's known me for over 5 years you would think she would kinda figure it out. I wouldn't mind if she called to ask. I don't try to be a burden, I eat what they have, I don't know why it has to be such a big deal.

I've just had my fill of crazy for the time being.

I'm supposed to be going back for a "working" 2nd interview with the company I mentioned in the previous blog. I just don't know what to make of the people. I'm not sure if I'm the only one they asked back or if I am... if it's a good thing. The lady was so vague on the phone saying everything from "we think you'd fit in so perfectly" to "we just need to know if you're really going to like it" or "we need to measure your skill level." Talk about mixed signals. So I suppose I'll go for a few hours Thursday and just play it by ear.

My dog, "itchy-butt", really isn't doing well. I've been told before that she's simply allergic to fleas and that's why she scratches/bites/tears at herself. The problem is I feel like we've tried everything to help her. I've used every topical flea treatment I can get my hands on (Advantage, Advantix, Frontline, Adams, etc...) I bathe her with medicated shampoo, we even got the seed granduals to try and treat the yard with... It's just feels like nothing works. She has virtually no hair on her butt/tail region anymore and has scrabs/sores all over the place. I have no idea what to do. It makes me feel like a terrible owner. meh.

I can't wait till Netflix offers the profiles again (not like I've used them but I've heard they help keep the peace). I thought Husband and I could agree on almost anything but there's a small precentage of movies that we nearly go to war over. lol

If I ever have to deal with transferring car titles again... it will be too soon. City workers can be so damned mean. But on the bright side my new driver's license turned out really nice.

I'm just tired and stressed out. Need vacation.
(and if you actually made it through this entire rant... I'll buy you a cookie)

Childhood loves...

2008-07-01T17:09:00.000-05:00

The last couple of days I've been watching Seaquest DSV on Netflix. I remember loving this show when I was younger. Particularly Jonathan Brandis and the talking dolphin Darwin. It made me nostaligic so out of curiousity I goggled Mr. Brandis to see what in the world happened to him... apparently he died 5 years ago. I had no idea.

I remember hearing not to long ago about Brad Renfro's death.

So I started stalking other former childhood loves of mine just to make sure I didn't miss out on any of their deaths. So far Devon Sawa appears to still be alive. As is Macaulay Culkin, I'm really shocked by that one quite frankly.

It's tragic how many of these stories play out. Too much fame too fast I suppose. Although I imagine it'll be a few days before I can watch anymore Seaquest.

R.I.P. Customer Service

2008-06-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

Customer service has died. I miss it. It seems like nowadays nothing works and nobody cares to do anything about it.

Husband is on his 3rd cell phone in 6 months. AT&T refuses to give him a different phone, they don't offer us any time w/o service credit nor would they waive the $15 express shipping fee so we had one cell phone for 3 days.

We are *always* having problems with our home phone line. (which is once again, AT&T) They've had to rerun the line once and they are always "having a problem in your area, it should be fixed in the next 36 hours"... If we weren't paying only $10 a month (we get a really discounted package) for our phone I would cancel the service. So f-ing unreliable.

My love affair with Barnes and Noble is starting to wear thin. You would think after all the books I've purchased with my membership that they would actually have personalized recommendations for me to browse. Amazon does and I've barely purchased from them. You would also think I'd be able to personalize the type of e-mails I want from them, but again it's the most limited service I've ever seen. Their website doesn't work half the time... You call their customer service line and that's a whole different nightmare.

We all know Yahoo is sinking... I've had to switch my entire e-mail service because their spam guards are out of control. They let 360 die. And even though I don't have to pay for my Flickr account I'm kinda mad at them too (since they are now part of Yahoo/AT&T they get to be included in this rant) I hate their organizing system. I deleted all my sets because I wanted to reorganize my files but with over 1,000 files this seems almost impossible given what tools they have available. I have half a mind to delete all my files and start from scratch but I'm not motivated enough. For now my account sits neglected and unorganized.

Best Buy sucks. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Their employees just don't care. I nicely asked a guy to help me find a game and he starts sighing and grumbling repeatedly asking me what the name was and eventually passed me off onto another guy. I get so angry everytime I go in there. You can never find anyone when you need them but if you're just browsing they are like vultures. I am more knowledgeable then their Geek Squad employees.

I don't enjoy eating out anymore. I can't remember the last time I went out and had really good service.

Maybe it's just me but I've always taken pride in my work (when I've been employeed anyway). I never liked to do anything half-assed. I always tried to be polite and helpful when dealing with the public even when they got nasty with me. But maybe my parents just raised me right.

Case of the Mondays...

2008-06-30T14:01:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else having issues with Firefox crashing all the time? Good grief. I updated to the newest version and at first it just kept thinking it crashed when I shut it down but today it's actually crashing. What a pain. I'm also upset that Netflix doesn't support Firefox. I don't like using IE.

Which brings me to the fact that Husband and I now have a Netflix account. We were piggy-backing on his youngest brother's account but then he had to go and decide he couldn't afford it anymore. But I figure if it keeps us from buying new releases every week then we're saving money in the long run. Besides I refuse to own a copy of Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanoma Bay. (Have I mentioned Husband has questionable taste in movies?) Now if we could just agree on what to rate movies life would be perfect.

My birthday is exactly 2 weeks from today. I fail to be excited.

I had an interview today. It wasn't anything exciting. I don't feel great about it but I don't feel bad about it either. I just don't like the idea of a 20+ minute commute if I was to get the position. Maybe I'll know something in a few days.

We got Guitar Hero Aerosmith on Sunday. Now let me preface this with the fact that I *love*adore* Aerosmith. I would kill to see them in concert. That being said I do not like this game, at all. I hate the way they set it up. And the way they animated Steven Tyler... ew. I'm disappointed. The only highlight is when they actually get to a good song I can sing along.

The Starbucks ban is still going strong. As is the book buying ban. I've gotten through a couple of my half-read books which is nice.

The migraines are coming back though which is unfortunate. I'm not entirely sure what is causing it. I know that several times when I've gotten them I'll look in the mirror and notice a popped blood vessel in my eye. I think my eyes are out to get me.

I'm also ridiculously excited for the new X-Files movie. I also have all 9 seasons of it in our Netflix queue.

I suppose that's all for now.

Cheerios anyone?

From the Marriage Chronicles...

Cat Ownership...

I am not...

Spring fever...

A new year...

Bah-humbug

S.Y.T.Y.C.D. 2009

My Vita-Mix Love...

A glimpse...

The struggle...

The Kashi love...

*Insert clever words*

Lyrical inspiration...

Otherwise occupied...

Death of a love affair?

Taking time...

A week belated...

With Warmest Memories...

Nerd-rific post...

The juice, it is green!

Detoxing my life...

Happy feet...

We now return you to...

Missing...

In loving memory...

When it rains...

West Coast, yo... part 2

West Coast, yo... part 1

No more teasing...

Preamble to: West Coast, yo!

Here I am...

Counting it down..

Best, Quote. Ever.

From the basement files...

Monopoly...

Goddammit.

I never thought it would happen...

Busy, busy...

It's Amazing... or not.

Danger...

Shake Yo Booty!

Moving foward...

Guitar Hero?

If my iPod ruled my life...

Christmas Foder...

100000 memories...

From the Marriage Chronicles...

The One, The Only... Suz

Ho-hum

April 10th baby...

Because it's Friday...

Disappointment reigns supreme...

WWIII...

Spore-rific...

Trouble in Paradise...

Living, really living...

Fuzzy Friday Five...

For Karin, with love....

Getting back into alignment...

The Tuesday Seven...?

When will it end?

Bling, Bling...

Case of the Mondays...

Inspiration comes in all forms...

S.Y.T.Y.C.D

This Old House, re-revisited...

Bedroom photo blog, part 2

Bedroom photo blog, part 1

Bedroom, day 1

Construction vs 9823.1

Paper or Plastic?

Keep the Change...

From the marriage chronicles...

I need a little less...

Welcome to Fall...

When Husbands Attack...

To like someone..

Million and one...

Passive-Agressiveness v. 1.2

Insert clever words