Ballerina Girl (Lionel Richie)

Lately, I've been pondering the whole job situation. Not because I want to find a new job necessarily, but I was just curious what I could/would do. So, my question of the day was this:

If you could do anything & be successful at it, what would you do?

For me, the answer is/was easy: a dancer.

I also learned some things about my co-workers that I never would have thought - Aimee would do something with fashion or interior design. Debbie, my boss, said she wanted to work with animals and then said, "oh wait... I already do!" Haha! She did clarify to say she wouldn't want to be a veterinarian, but rather maybe work at a zoo or wild animal park. Faith, who I thought would be a singer surprised me saying she would be a scientist. Who knew? Linda, was the most predictable: a SAHM. But then I said it would be doing something & getting paid for it. Therefore, if wanting to work with kids, she could be a teacher or nanny. So, after thinking a few moments, she said she always thought it would be interesting to be a Court Reporter. That is interesting. I wouldn't mind trying that myself if my dancing career didn't work out.

I feel like Rachel Greene in the episode where she couldn't see her unborn baby in the ultrasound pictures & Ross kept pointing it out, saying "do you see it, it's right here..." & she'd say yes, but then a few moments later cry because she really couldn't see & she felt like a bad parent because she couldn't see her own baby. Well, I don't have a baby that I can't see, but I got my hair colored tonight & Michelle put in both lighter & darker colors in it. She asked if I wanted it "streaky" or "chunky" & I said no; I wanted it blended, more natural looking. So, she did. And, now it's so well-blended that I can't see the different shades. Kat says she can see it & in different lights, you can see it more, but I just can't see it. Makes me wonder if I spent that much for nothing. I did get my eyebrows colored & waxed (for the first time, I might add) for free! I think I was a weenie before, thinking I couldn't ever do the waxing as it would be too painful. It wasn't bad at all.

So, I know I can be an anal butt (is that redundant or what??) sometimes... Okay, so I'm already packed for the trip & we don't leave for another week & a half. My defense is that I didn't want to forget anything. And, really, I'm not 100% packed. I still need to pack stuff I use on a daily basis like my makeup & certain shoes.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Someone pointing out my flat(ter) tire
2. Crystal Light
3. Lunchtime Walks
4. QOTDs
5. Fridays

Sad Songs (Elton John)

I'm so sad... Tonight, I was catching up on last week's episodes of Celebrity Duets (yeah, I got sucked into yet another reality show) & saw that Jai Rodriguez was voted off. I was certain he would win the show. He's got an awesome voice & seems so in control of it. But alas, it's our votes that keeps the contestant on. And, since I refuse to vote, I guess I can't really say too much, can I?

If I heard right, FOX is replaying season one of American Idol starting this weekend. I'm definitely hooked on this show, but didn't begin watching until season 2; I'm excited to see how it all began. And, season 6 will begin in January. Wahoo!

On Friday, Jeff took me out to dinner to a restaurant I've been wanting to try for several years: Mama Stortini's. If I recall correctly, the story is they had this great Italian restaurant in Tacoma, but Tacoma wanted the space they occupied for some city buildings. So, Mama Stortini's was forced to close down & move. And they did. To Sumner. Or, Puyallup as the address says, but really, it's Sumner. Just ask me. The food was tremendous & very delicious. The service was right on (quick & accurate). The restaurant's atmosphere was beautiful (leather seats & white table cloths). The prices weren't horrible either, but I didn't have anything to compare it to; I hadn't been to the old location. I love Italian food.

After dinner, we made a quick pit stop at the local McDonald's so I could see my good ol' friend, Ms. Kohler. Boy, was I happy to see her. After a brief meeting, we headed off to Fred Meyer to find some for sale signs for Jeff's truck.

Saturday, I took Trina, Kat & Joanna to Chutney's Indian Restaurant in the Fremont area as a thank you for all their help with the wedding stuff so far. I love Indian food. After lunch, Kat had mentioned a Hawaiian store not too far away on 45th. We stopped, of course. I think we went there to check out what they had for clothes for Joanna & Trina. I found a really cute Hawaiian print dress that I'm wearing to the Luau. I'm not wearing it Go-Go style. I also picked up a Hawaiian print bag that I take on my commute to hold my book, my lunch, etc. Trina found a dress for herself there as well. And, one of the ladies who works there is a travel agent, specializing on Hawaii so we picked her brain on some stuff. Awesome. After Chutney's, it was off to Emerald City Smoothie for some cool beverages. Thanks, Kat, for the water. That was really sweet of you!!

On Sunday, Jeff's mom came over & after a quick lunch at Subway, we wallpapered the lower half of the downstairs bathroom. She got us started & I had fun finishing up. I hadn't wallpapered before. Next: buy some spray texture, paint & chair-rail from the good ol' local home improvement store.

After wallpapering the bathroom, Jeff & I drove around & looked at some houses. If you had told me a year ago that we'd be moving, I would have told you, "Oh hell no I'm not!" I'm slightly more open to the idea right now. We looked at a Quadrant Community & I wasn't turned off by the homes or the community. In fact, I really liked one of the floor plans. Unfortunately, it was just a little too outside our budget. Dang!

On Friday, I was supposed to have my monthly meeting with my boss, but after postponing it til the end of the day, I asked to postpone it again to today. Thank goodness she approved; Debbie was in a foul mood on Friday afternoon. Something about being stressed about work. So, then I started thinking more about my job. I like my job for the most part. I've been w/my company for 5 1/2 years. That's a LONG time to me. I have good benefits. I like the people I work with. And, the work itself isn't all that bad. But, I was thinking... where else could/would I go? Several weeks ago, after having an awesome experience at Subway, I thought if I had to have a 2nd job, I would work at Subway (as opposed to Blockbuster like I did several years ago. Don't get me wrong, I loved my experience at Blockbuster, but I think this time around, I'd go to Subway). More seriously, I was considering the USPS & even went to their website today to check out jobs. I'm not sure I'm ready to leave my current employer, but I think this is where I'd go... if I could get hired there. And, if I become any more unhappy, I just might actually pursue a job there. Maybe.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Indian food
2. Italian food
3. Chinese food
4. Fast food
5. Leftovers

Picture Perfect (Michael W. Smith)

Things I love about this time of the year:

1. kids go back to school
2. trees turn beautiful shades of red & orange
3. cute holiday decorations are starting to arrive in the stores
4. I don't have to shave my legs as often
5. the season premieres start up again

Already, I've watched 2 episodes of Til Death, the spinoff from Everyone Loves Raymond. I didn't watch Raymond, but this Til Death show, so far, is pretty funny I think. I can see this being one of my new regular shows.

Last night was the Monday night lineup premiere as well. I recorded & watched Two & a Half Men & How I Met Your Mother. Both shows, I started watching in the middle of last season & got right into them. How I Met Your Mother ended last season with an awful cliffhanger. I'm glad the summer went by quickly so I could find out what happened. I also recorded The New Adventures of Old Christine. The season finale last season was funny & I was really looking forward to watching the premiere. I just haven't had time yet. Maybe tonight.

Tonight, is the season premiere of one of my favorite dramas - Boston Legal. That show is very well written. I'd recommend it to anyone, even if you don't like William Shatner.

Aimee let me borrow her season 1 of Grey's Anatomy. I've already watched 1+ episode tonight. And, until I catch up with the rest of season 1 & 2, I may TiVo season 3 which starts this week. Grey's Anatomy, Lost & Desperate Housewives are shows I wish I had started watching & never did, but sound so good when people talk about them.

Tomorrow, the 7th cycle of America's Next Top Model begins it's season w/a two hour premiere. Woo! Anyone who knows me knows I love reality tv. I *think* this is the only reality tv show I'm watching right now. Well, unless you count Celebrity Duets, but that's not really "reality", is it?

I did see that the next season of The Biggest Loser is also starting up (was it tomorrow?), but I'm probably not going to watch. I watched a couple seasons ago when Suzie & Matt were on there & really enjoyed it, but when I tried watching the next season, I got bored rather quickly.

Soon, American Idol will start up again.... probably in Jan or Feb, I'm guessing. There were auditions held in Seattle today. Someone mentioned to me today that if they were younger or within the age range for American Idol, they totally would have tried out. That got me thinking...

Though I like to sing w/the radio, in the shower & in the car, I wouldn't audition for anything like that. I KNOW I don't sing at the same skill level as more "professional" singers do, therefore, I wouldn't even embarrass myself with trying out. But, if you knew someone who wasn't the best out there & they wanted to audition, would you tell them not to? Obviously, you want to be supportive, but if they think they're good & the reality is, they're not, what do you do? We've all watched those auditions shows & wonder what these people were thinking? Do they REALLY think they're that good? Why didn't their friends or family save them from the embarrassment? Maybe they don't care & just want their 15 minutes of fame at their own expense.

If I ever lose my mind & decide to do something that I REALLY shouldn't be doing, someone slap me, please & give me a reality check.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Recycling
2. TV on DVDs
3. Apologies
4. eTools
5. Starting anew

Shock Treatment (Rocky Horror Picture Show)

I LOVE shocking people. I like to say & do stuff that makes them go, "WHAT?!?!!?" I like seeing the reactions on their faces when they realize I'm not who they 'thought' I was. For example, 3 weeks ago, I got a tattoo of a palm tree on the back of my right shoulder. When I told folks, I got a lot of comments like, "where's the Jenn I know? She wouldn't do that." Well, actually I would. And, I did. I've actually wanted a tattoo since I was about 18 or so. I even drew one that I wanted... but I never got it. It was one of those where when I actually thought about getting it done, I didn't have the money and when I had the money, getting a tattoo was the last thing on my mind. Then, I got engaged & asked Jeff if he wanted to get matching tat's in HI & he said sure, but then while I kept thinking about it, I decided what I wanted & he changed his mind & opted out. No worries.

At my bridal shower yesterday, I did a little shocking too. The first shock came when I announced that Jeff got a new truck. Why is this shocking? Well, this is his 14th vehicle he's owned & the 2nd one he's owned this year. It's funny the reactions people have at stuff like this. People don't know this, but our finances aren't 100% combined. They think that somehow his vehicle buying habit affects me somehow. It doesn't. As long as he's okay with the payment & the vehicle he's driving, I don't mind. He says, however, this is the car for him & that he's done trading. If I'm being pefectly honest here, I'm going to say, "yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it."

My second shocker at the shower was announcing my tattoo to folks. Well, really the only people I was shocking on that one was my dad's girlfriend, Helyn & Jeff's sister, Erin. I think I mentioned to Helyn a week or two prior to me getting it that I was really thinking about getting one, but she didn't think I would go through with it.

One past shock was a biggie that hurt someone's feelings. We announced our engagement to our circle of friends via a forum/website that this group uses, a few days after it happened, so they could all read about it at the same time. We didn't intend to dissappoint anyone by doing it that way, but that's the way we chose to do it. Would we do it again that way? Probably. Am I sorry this person got hurt in the process? Of course I am. I don't feel our friendship has been the same ever since & that saddens me. However, what's done is done & I can't change the past. I can only hope this person knows it wasn't meant to be malicious & they can be forgiving of the situation.

So, yesterday was my bridal shower & I had a great time. There was a ton of people there & they were all there to see ME! Who knew I had so many friends who cared about me? I have to say, though, that it really kinda freaks me out to have so many people in one spot, talking about different things & I can't focus on any one set of friends (I go into sensory overload!). When we were originally planning the bridal shower, we were going to have two - one for the "older/family" folks & one for the "younger/friends" folks. But, after talking it over, we decided that we could just do one party because not everyone was going to show up, first of all, but also, it would just be easier to stick it out & get it over with. This way, too, we'd only have to do one cake, one set of food, one set of games. And, the day would be over in 3 hours instead of dragging it on ALL DAY LONG.

Yesterday, was also Jeff's bachelor party day. It was killing me to know what they were doing. Jeff didn't know & Steve wouldn't tell me. Found out they were probably going to play cards & go to the driving range. And drink. Lots. As it turned out, they didn't go to the driving range, but played 72 holes of miniature golf, which Jeff said he would NEVER do again; it lasted 6+ hours. They also went & played cards at David's house. Jeff said they learned a new card game from Steve that was a lot of fun. Oh, and they drank. Lots. He got home around 5am! What a night, I'd say!!

And, since I knew my bridal shower wasn't going to last much past 2:00, I had asked Trina if she wanted to see The Devil Wears Prada later on. She said yes, but that left a lot of time after the shower so... After cleaning up, Joanna, Kat, Trina & I went & had a manicures & pedicures done. Then, it was off to dinner at a cafe in the West Seattle Junction before going to the Admiral Theater (where all seats for all shows is just $5. By the way, this USED to be the $2 theater). After this busy day, I NEEDED to unwind. Kat, Trina & I headed back to Auburn to unload the car with all the wonderful gifts & then we went to the Rock for some drinkies. They were done after less than one VERY strong drink & I had me a mai tai & margarita. Yummm.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Grinders
2. Gift registries
3. Dishwashers
4. Forgiveness
5. Friendship

I took myself to the fair in town (Martina McBride)

Today, Jeff & I went to the Puyallup Fair. It was awesome. Then, we sat down to eat our buffalo burgers & it starts sprinkling a little. Not too much, but enough to be a little annoying. So, we head back in & pick up our knife set that we bought earlier & head out to the car to grab our jackets. And, it stops raining. Figures. But, once the Train concert started up, it started raining. And raining. And raining some more. And then it really starts to rain harder. And, we were soaked along with everyone else. It was awesome. But we didn't leave early. And most others didn't leave early either.

Jess was right; Train puts on a really good show. I don't know all their songs (just what is played on the radio), but I really enjoyed the concert. They played a good mix of the "radio" songs & the "other" ones too. If/when they come back to the Seattle area, I will be buying a ticket to that show.

Prior to the fair, I had to go up to Lady Margaret's Boutique to get fitted for my dress. Who knew that losing weight would mean I would get to swim in my dress. The seamstress is shortening the straps & taking it in quite a bit on top. She also suggested getting something to hide my "gut" a little better, but I don't think I will. The dress is made of such a sheer material, that I don't want to risk being able to see any lines, creases, or seams from such an undergarment. Besides, I've got a month... maybe I can just do a butt-ton of crunches & other abdominal exercises to minimize my gut. That, or I'll just continuously suck it in.

I have to give a BIG thank you to Trina who brought me her shoes she wore on her wedding day even though I was positive my land yachts wouldn't fit in them, but they do. And, even more incredible, they match the dress color perfectly. Yay!! Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Now, on to jewelry...

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Train
2. Train
3. Train
4. Train
5. Train

Get The Party Started (Pink)

I'm unsure as to whether or not I'll be using song lyrics or song titles as my subject titles. So far, I've been using titles, but I think I'll end up using lyrics mixed in with song titles. Sometimes, I get a few lines from a song stuck in my head & so, then I'll have to come up with a blog topic to go with it, hold onto the lyric for future use, or bag it altogether. Most recently, I've had some Ashlee Simpson songs in my head, specifically some lines from "Love makes the world go round" song:

I just wanna talk to you
And my broken heart just has no use
And I guess promises are better left unsaid, yeah

But, I have no reason to use any of these lines in my title... SO, I'll just keep on singing this song in the shower, in the car, in my mind, when singing aloud would be impermissible.

Yesterday, I made reservations for our 3 "fun" things we're doing in Hawaii - Bikeride down Mt. Haleakala, Luau & Snorkeling. I knew going into this trip that I wanted to do (& was going to do) the bikeride down the volcano. I really wanted to do it last time we went to HI, but couldn't sucker anyone into doing it with me. This time, Jeff has agreed to do it. BUT, the one I wanted to do was the sunrise trip, where they pick you up from your hotel/condo around 2:30 in the morning (that is not a typo; they really pick you up that early), however, because we're arriving so late, I didn't want to do that one. The one I reserved is also an early morning one, but they don't pick you up from your hotel/condo until 7:30am. Much better than 2:30!! The luau is a "discount" luau & we're saving somewhere around $40/person (or more, depending on the luau). This luau also came recommended by Jeff's aunt & uncle. Finally, the snorkeling excursion should be fun too (though, I'm a little worried as I don't know how to swim). We are going to Molokini & Lanai. It sounds like we'll probably see dolphins & possibly turtles, in addition to the fish.

The bachelorette party situation has been resolved to the best of my knowledge. I've given almost the entire reign of the night to Kat, Joanna & Trina. I've just told them that I don't want to be utterly embarrassed by whatever they plan, I don't want penises pinned to me in anyway & I'd REALLY prefer nothing from the Erotic Bakery. I'd like to have some alcohol on this evening, though I'm not sure who's available to go & I don't want to be the only one who's drinking.

When I talked to Kat yesterday, I mentioned to her that I thought (before giving up on the whole thing), that one possibility for dinner could be The Rock & have drinks (A.K.A. Buckets) there, but then after a bucket, Jenn's a goner. Joanna mentioned possibly going bowling at the new Acme Bowling Alley in Tukwila. Sounds good to me. But, whatever they have planned, it's gotta be better than sitting on my bum at home, right? I'm excited about the secret plans they have in store for me.

Jeff is having his bachelor party this weekend. I asked what he was doing & he said all he knew was playing cards. I told him I wanted to come & he said if I wanted to come, I should. See, I love hanging out with our friends & playing cards. I only wish my girlfriends felt the same (with the exception of Kim). That was a nice gesture on Jeff's part, but if this is his "bachelor" party, that wouldn't be cool if the bride-to-be showed up. Plus, it would also really be up to the other guys at the party, especially the ones throwing the party. We'll just have to either host a card night or con Steve into hosting a co-ed card night. Steve - are you reading this??? :o)

My bridal shower is also this weekend. I can't believe it's here already. And, we're getting married in a month. The best news I received all week was that my wedding dress has arrived. See, they told me when I placed my "rush" order that it would ship from who knows where on Sept 22nd. That put me into a "will-my-dress-be-here-on-time-for-the-necessary-alterations-and-accessories" panic. I kinda put it in the back of my mind that it would be okay as there would be nothing for me to do but patiently await for Sept 22nd to arrive. I let out a HUGE sigh of relief when Lady Margaret called me herself to tell me that it had arrived. I go in tomorrow to get fitted & the alterations done.

Tomorrow, I'm also going to the Puyallup Fair with Jeff, Joanna, Trina & David. Originally, Jeff & I were going to go because Train is playing there & I really like their music, plus Jess has seen them before & said they put on a great show. Then, last week, Joanna calls & says she's won 3 tix & she's bringing Trina & David. How cool is that?? The only thing I'm NOT looking forward to is that it looks like our summer is really coming to an end & thus, the rain is coming; according to weather.com, there's a 40% chance of rain in Puyallup tomorrow. The good thing is much of the fair is indoors. The bad thing is I think our seats at the concert are not covered. The great thing is, I'm from the Pacific Northwest & will not melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Our new microwave
2. Music in general
3. Debbie is an "us" & not a "them"
4. Orbitz Lemon-Lime Gum
5. Robert Kiyosaki

Party All The Time (Eddie Murphy)

It seems so random to me that Eddie Murphy would have a (hit) song out there. Well, it was the 80's and a lot of things I think of as random happened then. Perhaps someone who is a little older than I am can explain. Just to name a few: Boy George. Spandex shorts. Hulk Hogan. Crimped hair. Okay, so I did have a pair or two of spandex, a crimping iron & I did watch WWF with the family. Yeah, yeah... I will also admit that I also occasionally sing my own renditions of Karma Chameleon & Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?

But that's not why I posted the "Party All The Time" title. I really posted it because a party has been on my mind a lot today. That party is my bachelorette party. It's scheduled for three weeks out & I think the evites should be going out VERY soon. So, what's the problem? Why is this weighing on my mind? Well, I don't know what to do at or for my bachelorette party. Originally, we had planned on going to 88 Keys, a dualing piano bar like Chopstix. But, the fact that the show doesn't start until 9:00 was a turn off. So, what else is there? Comedy shows - eh.
Casino - I gamble, but does anyone else? Bowling - that's fun for all of about one hour. Then what? Movie - No thanks. I wanna go out & have a good time with the girls, but a good time doing what? I'm more than open to suggestions.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Popcorn
2. Personal Leave
3. Purses
4. Pluots
5. Pillow

Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi)

In recent news, Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, was killed when he was stung by a stingray. I don't want to sound callous, but I'm really not saddened by this. And part of me feels bad for not feeling bad, but I was rather annoyed by this guy. Not that I would ever wish ill-will on him or his family (it is sad his children will continue to grow up without a father & his wife without her husband), but I'm kinda relieved that he won't be on tv anymore, except for re-runs.

Today, I received the final addresses from Jeff's family. I'm still waiting for one (maybe 2) very important address(es) from Jeff with no luck yet. BUT, it IS true that I can hand-write those envelopes if need be & I'm sure the recipients aren't looking up in their wedding etiquette handbooks & shaking their fingers our way in disbelief at how late we will be in getting them out.

So, that means the invitations & announcements SHOULD go out very soon. Hmmm... I wonder what the etiquette is on sending out wedding invites, anyways. I shall look that up. Six - eight weeks, some website says. Oops, looks like I missed that one. Our wedding is 5 1/2 weeks away. Okay, then. They will go out tomorrow. Weeee!

What's next on the wedding agenda? I need to make dinner reservations for after the ceremony. Since this isn't a catered event, I've chosen a reasonably priced restaurant, Moose McGillycuddy's, with a great variety of food so folks can choose what they want to eat. Unfortunately, they don't take reservations prior to one month in advance of the event.

My dress is scheduled to ship from who knows where on Sept 22nd. Then, I need to get the alterations on it done. They assured me the dress will be completed before we leave for Maui, on Oct 11th.

Oh, and there's a bridal shower (next weekend) and a bachelorette party two weeks after that. I'm looking forward to having a good time with my girlfriends.

Jeff's dad also gave me information on a great Luau that most, if not all, will attend on the Friday before the wedding. I need to look into reserving that for everyone & then figure out payment arrangements.

Fun times. It really is coming together.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Evites
2. Voicemail
3. Faith a.k.a. my momma
4. Unity
5. When my "throw-together meals" taste pretty darn good

I'm a Loser Baby, So Why Don't You Kill Me (Beck)

Okay, so I'm not ready to die, but I am a loser. A loser of 25 lbs! For several months, if not years, I've been unhappy with my weight gain. Year after year, the needle on the scale kept creeping up toward the right, topping out close to 180 lbs.

Then, a few years back, I remember seeing Cameron Diaz in the first Charlie's Angels movie & thought to myself, "that's what I want to look like." I thought that was my rock bottom. I think it was around that time or soon after I joined a gym or two (let's see, there was Bally's, Pure Fitness & Curves, not to mention all the workout videos I collected that were collecting dust).

Then, in more recent months, my pants stopped fitting. I held onto a pair of size 8 khakis for some unknown reason. And, I held onto a few pairs of my size 10s that I really enjoyed wearing, when they fit. And, I don't know what the hell happened to my size 12s, but then I had a ton of 14s around. It really sucked to not be able to get my pants up around my thighs & buttoned without feeling that the seam in the butt was going to rip when I sat down or bent over. And, I thought this was my rock bottom.

Then, for my 30th birthday last December, Jess, the sweetheart that she is, threw a surprise dinner for me at a Mexican restaurant close to her house with our friends. I love hanging out with my friends & that surprise dinner was just about the coolest thing anyone has ever done for me (thanks, Jess!!), but then they came out with the sombrero & the guitars & the singing & the camera. And Jenn isn't a skinny minnie that she once was. And, now there's proof. And, this is my rock bottom. Though, it took a few months for me to do anything about it.

Frequently, my good friend Aimee from work & I would talk about our weight issues. My issue was & still is I like to eat. That, paired with not knowing when to stop eating if I'm not utterly & completely full is a recipe for a weight gain disaster. Every now and again, Aimee would dangle little tidbits about Weight Watchers in front of me (she had tried it, unsuccessfully, a few times before). Not enough to where I was ready to jump in with both feet, but enough to where I wanted to see what it had to offer me. I really didn't want to commit myself to spending more money on something that I was going to fail at (see gym comments above).

Then, something in my head clicked & there was no turning back. I'm the kind of person who gets an idea in her head & then goes gung ho. Aimee found where meetings were held near work & since they're only a half hour long & during our lunch breaks, there wasn't any reason we couldn't check it out.

On Cinco de Mayo, we went to our first meeting. We've been "competing" with each other for weight loss ever since, maintaining very close numbers (she's currently "beating" me by .6 lbs. You go girl!!). I've got about another 7 lbs to lose before I reach my goal. And, I've already replaced my fat pants; there's NO turning back now.

Today, I'm thankful for:
1. TiVo (though, the version we use at home is Comcast's version; same thing though)
2. My determination to finally stick with something to help me lose weight
3. Corn on the Cob
4. Noritake Java Graphite Swirl
5. Twitterpation

Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend (Loverboy)

Except for us; we're workin' ON the weekend. We had, in my mind, a pretty busy weekend planned, though in retrospect, if I tell you what we got done, it doesn't seem like much. We were busy all weekend, though.

I think on top of our "list" of things to do, Jeff wanted to paint our newest bedroom (formerly a bonus room/office; we added a closet to it making our house a 4 bedroom house). He also wanted to move our elliptical machine into that room & get it set up as a "workout" room. We didn't get this done, though. Maybe next weekend (yeah, right).

For me, it was pretty important to work some more on our downstairs bathroom, which we did (finish taking the wallpaper & glue off the walls). I'm pleased with as much of the wallpaper project we got completed. All that's left there is to take the glue off from behind the toilet, but we need to take the toilet out (our contractor will help us with that tomorrow). Also, we need to take the glue off the wall that has the electrical outlet & lightswitch & just around the bathroom light. The power needs to be shut off when we do that; I'm not risking electrocution for a little wallpaper removal. We've already conned Jeff's mom into coming over next weekend to help with putting the new wallpaper up.

When we moved into our house 3 years ago (I can't believe it's been 3 years!!), Jeff's folks gave us a gift certificate to Todd's Nursery in Sumner/Puyallup/Orting area & we bought a bunch of shrubs because the previous idiot, er... I mean owner got rid of virtually everything green & pretty here. Anyways, they have an annual sale over Labor Day Weekend & we got a bunch more shrubs & groundcover today. But, now that means we're going to have to plant everything. We've already planted two of the four rosemary plants (they smell SO good! I used some today for dinner. Mmmm) & 5 of the 12 groundcover plants. Jeff also transplanted two small, unhappy bushes we got from Steve last year. In addition to the rest of these, there's still about a dozen or so other shrubs to plant. I hope we have one of the better homes & gardens in our neighborhood when we're all through.

Last week, Jeff & Steve had made plans for Saturday evening to see the Little Miss Sunshine movie & have dinner. Airi & I were, of course, invited too. It was a double date of sorts. Good food. Good friends. Good movie. Good times. I enjoy hanging out with friends. I especially enjoy when Steve cooks. You're a good cook, Steve. Invite us over anytime. Next time, we'll bring the Citronella Candle.

Today, I'm thankful for:
1. Jeff's tolerance of me not doing yardwork. Ever.
2. Rosemary (the herb, not Clooney; someday, I may be thankful for her, but not today)
3. Holidays (even silly ones like Labor Day)
4. My chosen family
5. Dishwashers

Jumpin' on the Blog Bandwagon

I wonder how many first blog posts out there begin with something to the effect of "jumpin' on the blog bandwagon"... Well, here's one more to add to that list. I'm not quite sure with 100% certainty what will become of this blog. I don't know who my readership will be, if any. I don't know how often I will post or what I will post about. I'm not sure how long I'll blog before I'm bored of it. I'm not even quite sure I really even know what a blog is or is supposed to be. But I'm doing it. Here & now, I'm doing it. So, bear with me as we embark on this new adventure... Together.

So, why blog? There's a couple people's blogs I've come across recently & I guess I'm a really nosey person or something, because I really enjoy reading them & finding out what's going on in their minds & in their lives. These people are friends & relatives that I don't necessarily talk to on any kind of consistent basis, so it's also a way for me to feel "connected" to them, even if we're not communicating via other means. Maybe other's would feel the same way about me. Maybe they want to know what's going on in my life & in my mind, too. Maybe not.

So, why now? It just seems right, I guess. I recently was reminded of a journal I had started a few months back, shortly before getting engaged. In it, the only thing I was writing was 5 things I was thankful for that day. Mind you, I only had like 4 or 5 entries altogether, but I had changed that notebook into my Wedding Plans book & ripped out my "thankful entries". If I blog nothing else on a particular day, I hope to blog my top 5 things I'm thankful for.

Today, I'm thankful for:
1. My boyfriend, Jeff
2. My typing speed & accuracy
3. Warm (but not too hot) temperatures
4. Buying 2 pants that fit at 2 stores on my lunchbreak
5. Blogspot, of course