If You Wanna be Happy (Jimmy Soul)

I really didn't have anything specific to post about tonight so this post may be very short & sweet or it could end up being random & long. We'll see how it goes...

I had this whole bit typed up & then deleted it all because I think it was a little 'too' deep for the mood I'm in right now. As random as it is, this was all I saved & I'm leaving it at that:

I believe having a positive outlook on life has been something I've been blessed with & for that, I am thankful.

I have to post about my great find over the weekend. I got a coupon in the mail a few weeks back for a free (yes, free!!) panty from Victoria’s Secret. Also, in the flyer was a mention of $25 off 2 bras. All girls (& probably some guys too) know how expensive VS is so when you have free anything from there & $25 off other stuff, you gotta jump at it. The bras I normally get I couldn't find (& I was in a hurry so I didn't want to take too long searching) but I found one that was similar for $24 each, but on sale for 2/$39. And, with my $25 off coupon, that came to $16 & change for 2 bras & a panty. Score one for me!!

There's this billboard at the Auburn train station that's had my eye for the last couple weeks or so. It clearly reads, "5 tacos + soda for $4.99". I love tacos & I love cheap. Why hello, Taqueria El Reconsito. Jeff & I finally checked out this hole in the wall, chain restaurant on Saturday & had our fill of tacos. A serious dive, but from what I understand, the authenticity of the cuisine was very close to that of Mexico. Yumm!

In other news, I think my lump is healing nicely. It's not really tender to the touch anymore. The bruising has faded. The hole isn't crusted over & nasty. I'm not wearing bandaids anymore. As Bo Bice would say, "it's a good thing."

Speaking of American Idol... Did anyone see the result show last week? I am not a fan of Kellie Pickler, but did she get a little augmentation in the bustal area since her last AI appearance? Yikes! She looked like she was about to have a wardrobe malfunction & bust out of her top!

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Forgiveness
2. My health
3. Somebody moved my cheese
4. Diversity
5. Not having ‘quiet hours’

Overjoyed (Stevie Wonder)

As I was laying in bed this morning, I was kinda hesitant about getting out of bed because I knew this was the day that the wick was to come out & after experiencing the pain I felt on Sunday & Monday, I was NOT looking forward to inflicting that upon myself once again. I did, however, suspect that it wouldn't be nearly as bad as just a few days ago because the wick hadn't been in as long as that one was.


So, I got up. Went potty. Pulled the gauze off my leg. Yep, wick still there. Look out hot shower (doctor's orders), here I come. I still wasn't looking forward to pulling it out, but carried on about my business by washing my face & then onto my hair. After I rinsed my hair, I look down to see my wick is missing. It must have fallen out with the water pressure on it (it wasn't a very long wick to begin with). Yes!! I don't have to pull it out, afterall. Needless to say, I was superthrilled!


What's more, I poked at it a little bit to see if more pus/stuff would come out & it didn't hurt at all. Woo!! You can kinda see in the picture where the hole is & how big it is. There is a little bruising around it, but the skin is mostly irritated from the tape being on it.

Amerian Idol is in full swing. This week, the boys were FAR better than last week. The two that I thought were the weakest & likely being sent home were Sanjaya & Brandon, though that saddens me because I really liked Sanjaya in his auditions & want to see more of him. A couple of the guys sang songs that I didn't know or like & so it was really hard for me to tell if they were singing them good. For example, I wasn't impressed by Sundance (I'd like to see him go home) & the judges just raved about him.

Tonight, after watching the girls perform, there are 3 that I would not be surprised if they were voted off: Antonella, Haley & Alaina. I don't think Antonella will be going home this week for two reasons - 1. I think she's this season's Kellie Pickler (cute, but ditzy & can't sing) & 2. there's some buzz going around about some naked pictures of her on the internet. I haven't seen them, so I don't know for sure, but I think she'll get a fan base because of it.



Today, I am thankful for:


1. Mountain surprise
2. Bike shorts
3. Having multiple TVs
4. Approved overtime
5. Marie Callender's delivery

Better Off Dead (Bad Religion)

So today, I pretty much wanted to die. Okay, not really, but severing my leg at the groin would have been A-OK with me. Man, this whole infected sweat gland thing isn't fun. Lucky me, eh?

So, when I went to the doctor on Saturday, she said it was looking good & healing nicely. Yay me. She left the wick in & said to pull it out about 1/4" each day & come back on Wednesday. Uh... What?

Sunday afternoon, I went to take a shower & gave my wick a tug to no avail. It hurt like a mutha. At that instant, I swear I was about to pass out. I started shaking & sweating, nausea nearly took over me & I was out of breath. If Jeff had seen me, he probably would have dialed 911. But, I'm strong (sometimes); I knew this would pass & it did... several minutes later. I covered up the wick w/a waterproof bandaid & got in the shower. Near the end, I started feeling a bit woozy once more & quickly got out so as not to fall down in the tub. As Ryan would put it, "that's bad." I spent the rest of the day on the sofa.

This morning (monday), I went to give my wick a tug again & it wouldn't budge, but it did hurt an awful lot (& once again, the sweating & shaking ensued). So, I left it alone & carried on about my business & went to work. I called the doctor & told them that this wick pulling wasn't working for me & made an appointment for later on this same day. The doc looked at my leg, said it was healing nicely as well. Then she took out the wick & Oh My Goodness!! At that point, I wanted to die. She said she could leave it be & use a local anesthetic on it (like they used when they cut it open 5 days earlier) & try pulling it out once it was numb. I told her it wasn't necessary because her pulling the wick out felt just like the needle giving the anesthetic did (a local pinpoint "prick" feeling) & that it would be over soon, so please hurry :o)

She was going to just leave it open & let it close, but then at the last minute, she changed her mind & put another wick in. NOOOOO!! But, she said to go ahead & pull it out on Wednesday. Basically, what had happened with the first wick was my lovely goo (pus) had kinda grown on/around the wick & it was blocking it from coming out with ease. Again, lucky me. But, with this new wick, it will only have been in my leg for less than 2 days (surely not enough time for the goo to attach itself to my wick... or is it??).

So, what's on the agenda for now? Moist heat compresses on my leg. Continue with the antibiotic regimen. I have the option of going back in on Wednesday, but I'm guessing that won't be necessary. Well, we'll see. Seeing how my luck has been, I'll be back, I'm sure.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Mid-day busses going home
2. Lamb in Love
3. Drive thru dining
4. Food Network
5. Independence

Lump (Presidents of the United States of America)

Last Friday, when I went to bed, I noticed a marble sized lump on my inner thigh. Of course, I poked & prodded at it all night long to make sure it was really there or if it had gone away yet. And, of course it hadn't. Instead, I think I made it bigger or at least more tender & gave it a bruise. My first thought? I have leg cancer. My second thought? Who gets leg cancer?

When it didn't go away on Monday, I made an appointment with good ol' UW Physicians. My doctor poked at it some, asked if it hurt (yes, but not unbearably so) & then diagnosed it as a "not uncommon" infected sweat gland. Doesn't that sound pleasant? She wrote a prescription for some antibiotics & told me to take a hot bath (as hot as I can stand) several times a day or put a heating pad on it & come back on Wednesday to drain it. I like baths, but that wasn't going to work for me. I took one that night & the next day after work, bought a heating pad.

Wednesday, I went in to get the sucker drained. Two doctors looked at it this time (one was consulting the other to see if it was liquified enough to be drained). They decided to give it a go. The most painful part of the day was getting the local anesthetic. That needle hurt!! But, once it was numb, I didn't feel the scalpel cutting my skin. Didn't feel the doc squeezing the pus out of it (by the way, the pus looked like mom's secret sauce - you know, ketchup & mayo mixed together). Didn't feel her inserting the gauze into the hole (yes, INTO the hole). She sent me home with some gauze, tape & a medical glove to put it in. After my fun appointment (which lasted close to an hour), I went into work & only then, after walking for a short ways, did it start to hurt. The doc had offered some drugs (vicadin) for the pain, but I didn't think I needed it. And, I survived without it thus far.

So, here I am with what looks to be a candle's wick poking out of my leg. It hurts some, but it's not totally excruciating. I think I'll survive.

Saturday, I go in to get my wick either replaced or removed. I'm not sure which. Either way, I'm honestly NOT looking forward to it. Thinking about the wick makes me nauseaus. Literally.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Doctors able to see me 'last minute'

2. Aleve

3. Bruno's

4. American Idol

5. Food Network

Sunshine On My Shoulders (John Denver)

This morning, I woke up about 10 minutes after 8 & the sky is, for the most part, blue. I absolutely love it when I go to bed & it's been kinda nasty out or dark & grey and then the next morning, it's so clear outside. Seems it's most often like this in the spring. I love it!

Thursday night, I had gone up to Joel's & Mickey's house to check out their Fortune presentation. When I was just about home, the time/temperature sign at the bottom of the hill said it was like 49° & my car said 51° (my car, for some reason is always 2° higher than that particular sign). Mind you, this was close to 11pm. I was kinda surprised how 'warm' it was for how late it was for how early in the year it was (it's still only mid-february afterall).

I thought the Fortune concept was interesting, but since I still have a few unanswered questions, I won't post my opinion on here of the whole thing just yet. Joel, I'll get those questions to you in the next week or so. I'm not necessarily interested in becoming a manager, but just have general questions on how it'll all work out, etc.

Tonight, Jeff & I are hosting a potluck & games night with our friends. It originally started with Trina & David coming over as a thank you for having Jeff & I over at their house several weeks ago for dinner & a really bad movie. She asked if we wanted to invite others over & make it a group shindig & I said sure; I love my friends so c'mon on over. I'll be making some meatballs in the crockpot. Mmmmm!

Yesterday at work, I was chatting w/a co-worker via email about our plans for the 3-day wknd (President's Day is on Monday, ya know). She said she was going up to her cabin on Camano Island & invited me & Jeff to come along to hang out & play games. I said no because they're going up on Sunday & I have a Stamp Camp on Sunday & we wouldn't get there til late anyways. But, I invited her & her husband to our game night. It might be a little awkward because Mindy & I have never actually hung out outside (or inside) of work; she works at our Kirkland branch & I'm downtown Seattle. We talk on the phone a bit (when she has work related questions). Anyways, though I have a feeling they won't come, I hope they do. It's nice to make new friends. Kat & I have talked about this before: you don't get many opportunities to make new friends when you're older. And we all know about the social butterfly that I am.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. My Valentine
2. Rod Stewart
3. Kitchen scales
4. Melonballers
5. CHOCOLATE!!

Lady in Red (Chris de Burgh)

It's been a pretty busy few days since I last posted. At least it seems that way.

Friday, a bunch of us met up in Seattle at Bandit's Bar for two reasons: to help celebrate Kim's 31st birthday & to meet the love of her life, Henry. It was quite crowded as Kim is the popular gal with all her friends so unfortunately, we didn't get to spend as much time as I think any of us would have preferred to spend with either Kim or Henry. But, from what I can tell, they are both very much into each other & are quite the happy couple. Sounds like there's some great plans for them to see each other in the not *too* distant future as Henry is coming back to N. America & some possible co-habitating plans are in the works.

I wonder what it takes to get a passport these days... I see some traveling in my future...

Saturday, Jeff & I took 3 big garbage bags full of clothes to the Goodwill. We also tried to give them 2 microwaves, but they wouldn't accept 'em. Not quite sure why on that one. They work just fine. If you're interested, leave a message on here. The microwaves are free. I was *kinda* sad because I did give away my prom dress & two other formal dresses I had. Okay, not like I'm ever going to wear any of 'em again, but they were pretty dresses. Or, at least back in the day, they were.

Saturday night, Jeff & I spent the evening together, playing cards, watching a little tv & drinking. I had my fair share of Smirnoff Ice. I've got two bottles left & after that I am done. Blech! I wasn't totally wasted, but was in bed before midnight. Of course, that's not any measure of anything... I'm usually in bed before midnight on every other night.

Sunday, I awoke with a headache, but was still able to do all the things I wanted to / had to. I cleaned house some (there's always dishes to do around here...). I made yet another crotch pot meal - split pea with ham soup. Yum! I went to David & Katt's house for some Superbowl goodness. And, I watched several cooking shows I had recorded.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Aspirin
2. Hot & Spicy drumsticks
3. Easy to make split pea soup
4. Belly dancing classes
5. Tupperware

I Wanna be Rich (Calloway)

I got an email from my boss this morning saying she had my review done, she tracked down the paperwork & would I be available at 3:00 for my annual review? Holy cow & heck yeah. My review was actually processed on time & ready for me on time. This is awesome! Now I had to wait all day (well, til 3p anyways) to see the results. I knew it wasn't entirely bad because she eluded the other day that I did, in fact, get an increase. Just how much was that increase going to be?

A year ago, when I started working in the department, I had a goal in my mind of how much of an increase I wanted. After realizing I was slacking in an area or two, I thought to myself, "there's no way I'm getting my desired increase." I was, however, pleasantly surprised with the amount she gave me. It was less than my desired amount, but more than what I thought I was getting. Actually, it was just about in the middle of what I had originally wanted & what I thought I would get.

What's also cool, in my opinion, is that I'll be getting promoted to the next "tech" level shortly, so that's another 5% increase in pay. Hopefully, that will happen within the next month. Ch-Ching!! I so can't wait.

With my additional income, I'm going to work at paying off my car even faster. According to the online calculators, I *should* have it paid off by 9/08 rather than 5/09 IF I am diligent in making those extra payments.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Grilled cheese sammies

2. Chicken noodle soup (condensed)

3. Bourbon street salad from Beba's Deli

4. Raisin bran cereal

5. Fiber One &/or Kashi cereals

I Fought the Law & the Law Won (Bobby Fuller)

I hate it when I'm trying to scam someone/something & they stop my scam mid-way through. I got a call a couple weeks ago saying I had entered some drawing & while I didn't win the "grand prize" - a bbq, I did win a free trip to one of 4 places - Orlando, Jamaica, Cancun or Las Vegas plus dinner at some restaurant. Sweet... Sorta. All I had to do was listen to some 90 minute spiel about this new "travel agency". Nothing to sign up for. Nothing to buy. Just to "think of" this travel agency next time I wanted to do some travel. Okay, I can do that. I've sat through a Trendwest presentation before & I suspected it was a timeshare-type deal I was going to have to listen to.

He'll deny it, but I swear Jeff said he would sit through this thing with me. We bailed on the presentation I had signed us up for because Jeff wasn't happy about having to do it & I would rather have spent time with my husband, not in a hostile mood. We went to dinner instead & had a great time.

A day or two later, the people called me & asked what had happened & would we be willing to reschedule. Sure, I'll reschedule & I'll go alone this time. Only, I won't tell them that I'm going alone because they're expecting Jeff to be there.

So, I show up without Jeff & the receptionist gal tells me we're going to have to reschedule for when the both of us could make it. I then tell her point blank that if that's the case, I'm not interested in what she has to sell me & I walk away. We'll see if they call back to "reschedule" once more. I suspect not, but if they do, someone will be getting an earful from me.

Is it wrong to scam? Sure. Do I feel bad about trying to scam this company? Of course. Am I angry they wasted my time? You better believe I am. She turned me away, claiming the need to reschedule, without knowing my situation. She was quick to pass the judgement & for that, I would not go back. Incidentally, I did sit through a TrendWest presentation several years ago, alone, because my significant other wasn't available at the last minute.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. The law

2. Law enforcers

3. Law abiders

4. Boston Legal

5. Leftovers

Whoomp! There it is (Tag Team)

It's about time that I get another update on my blog. I was going to use Staind, It's Been Awhile for my blog title, but I've already used that once before. And, it's my goal to not duplicate my song titles. So, Whoomp, there it is...

I've started to listen more & more to 92.5 (Moving) and less & less of 101.5 (STAR). I don't think my tastes in music has entirely changed, but I'm liking that I can hear Neneh Cherry's Buffalo Stance, Usher's Caught Up, Christina Aguilera's Aint No Other Man & Tag Team's Whoomp, all while getting ready for work in the morning. They're fun songs with an upbeat beat that makes me wanna shake my moneymaker. How am I supposed to booty-pop to Anna Nalick's Breathe, Hinder's Lips of an Angel or Sister Hazel's Mandolin Moon? It's just not happenin'.

Kat, Joanna & I have booked our trip to Las Vegas for April 8-11th. I think we got a pretty kick-ass deal: we're staying 3 nights & paying only $280 each & that includes air & hotel (at the Excalibur). It's not the best hotel on the strip, but honestly, how much time do you actually spend in your room? I wanted to try out a hotel I haven't stayed at before. It was a toss up between the Excalibur & Luxor. Excalibur won because it was slightly cheaper. I'm saving all my money for shows.

Originally, we talked about going to Las Vegas because Joanna wants to see the Cirque Du Soleil show Ka. I wanted to go because I wanted to see Celine Dion before she ends her concerts there (she's not going to perform beyond this year, I hear). As it turns out, she's on vacation for the 2 weeks around the time we're there. So instead, I'm going to watch another from my list: Elton John. I'm actually really excited to see Elton John. I'm weird, I know...

So, either I'm SOL on the Celine Dion show or I'm just gonna have to go back before the year is over. I suspect SOL is the more likely option.

Well, I've made it one year in my department at work. It's so crazy how fast the time goes by! What's really cool is that my boss actually has my review done on time. She's fairly notorious for being late with those things. What's even more cool is that I will be getting an increase. I was pretty worried because there is one area of my job that I have not been doing. At all. Not because I don't want to do it (okay, maybe a little), but I just don't "get" it. And, because I don't get it, I just don't want to do it. BUT, all that is changing. I'm starting to see all the pieces of the puzzle & it's becoming clearer & clearer to me what it is I'm supposed to be doing. I hope my raise is more than a piddly nickel.

And by the way, my old boss still sucks. Funny thing is we do these surveys on each other & without revealing my sources, I hear she tied for the lowest rating. But, I guess the joke's on us because she's not paid like the rest of the staff who gets rated, but rather like the senior managers (who aren't rated at all). She gets a payout regardless of how little the staff likes her.

I bought a Fix It & Forget It - Lightly cookbook. It's light meals for the crock pot. So far, I've tried 3 recipes. The first two were decent (I thought. Jeff didn't like them until day 2), but the one I made yesterday was nasty boring. It's supposed to be a sweet & sour chicken over potatoes, but it was SO very bland. Blech! Ick! Grody!

Last Saturday, Kat & I went to Aimee's Tastefully Simple party. The lady she used was MUCH much better than the lady I used. It seems to be a successful party for her. So much so that she may start selling it herself. If you haven't heard of or tried Tastefully Simple, next time I have a party, you should definitely come. The foods are SO tasty & VERY easy to make. The dips really only take sour cream, mayonnaise or cream cheese. And, if you're watching your figures, you can use the non/low fat options. Oh, and the beer bread is divine!!

A couple Friday's ago, I went up to Joel's place & played the wii. I'm trying to convince Jeff that we need to have one of these. Though I didn't play a super huge ton amount, I had a blast. That game is fun.

My cousin Deborah's daughter, Julia, was in the hospital last week with RSV. Fortunately, she's out of the hospital now & doing well. Seems like it would be scary to have a child with RSV. They had spent several days in the hospital with her. She was hooked up to a few monitors & stayed under an oxygen tent. Abe, her dad, has some videos & pictures on his blog, too.

I'm happy to announce that one of my favorite shows has started up again. American Idol is just starting with their in-city auditions. Next week, they should start my favorite part of the show: when they go to Hollywood & start kicking people off.

My Stampin Up business is doing really well right now. I've had 2 camps in the last 3 weeks or so & 3 more coming up over the next month. Yay! One gal I work with asked me to do a camp for her and her friends who are "experienced" stampers. They want more "advanced" techniques. I thought this was going to be challenging for me, but I don't think it will be afterall. My biggest "challenge" (if you can even call it a challenge) is hoping they like my projects enough to want to continue having me do camps for them. With the help of the SplitCoastStamper gals, I don't think it will be a problem.

At Aimee's Tastefully Simple party, Shayna (the consultant) said that when her neighborhood does their annual yard sale, she gets her friends who are also DSAs for various companies & invites them to set up tables in her home with their products. She invited me to participate with my Stampin' Up stuff when they do this. I'm super excited about this opportunity.

Lastly, the Superbowl is this weekend. We had invited folks to our place to watch, but David & Katt has decided they want to throw a party instead. We weren't going to throw a "party", but rather just watch the game, the commercials, eat some nummy grub & drink a drink or two. So, we're going down to P-town to watch & enjoy our FrankenFriends.

Okay, see what happens when I don't blog for awhile? My blog is super long.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. My fabulous hubby who washed my car & changed my wipers without being asked
2. Mariners Collector Train Night 30th Anniversary Car
3. Being able to sell stuff using retired stamp sets
4. SBC Cocoa Trio
5. Employment

The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades (Timbuk 3)

In the past, I've had a few cases where I just *knew* something was up. A premonition, perhaps? A hunch, perchance? Maybe I've got a little psychic capabilities within me. Here's the 3 that come to mind when I think of these things:




1. I was dating a guy who took me to a bbq where I met a bunch of his friends for the first time. When he introduced me to one of his female friends, with absolutely no reason to think this, I thought, "I wonder how far along she is..." Shortly after, a bunch of girls were standing around her, shrieking their congratulations to her as she just announced she was pregnant. Oooh, weird!




2. Remember that old movie Parenthood? I loved that movie when I was younger. Okay, I admit it, I still get a chuckle out of it (when your sliding into home and your pants are filled with foam.. diarrhea.. diarrhea..). Anyways, one day out of the blue, I was just wondering to myself, "I wonder whatever happened to Ivyann Schwan..." She's the one who played the little girl, Patty. A few days later, I went to a Mariner's baseball game & she sang the National Anthem. Oooh, creepy!









3. I used to work in a building where the employee bathrooms were in plain view of my cubicle & one day, the branch manager walked into the bathroom & it just popped into my head, "Janet's pregnant." I didn't know Janet on a personal level so I couldn't exactly come out and accuse her of being pregnant. But when she did make her announcement, I felt like I had already known. Oooh, strange!


So, what does this have to do with anything? Well, today was kinda another one of those days. Tonight, Jeff & I were driving towards Federal Way when out of the blue, I asked him, "If I knew we were going to be rear ended, would you want me to tell you?" The reason I asked was if you "know" you're going to be in an accident, you tend to tense up & it can hurt worse than getting his without knowing/without tensing up. Lo & behold, we were driving to Azteca when boom, we were rear ended. Oooh, freaky!

Thankfully, everyone was okay (as far as I can tell thus far). We were at a stop light where I stopped, then pulled forward a little bit more to turn right & almost went, but there was a car coming & so I actually stopped again. That's when the little Acura hit us. He had gone under my car a little bit & I could only tell this when we got out of the cars & looked at whatever damage was done. My car was fine. His, however, was not. His hood was smashed up a little bit, one of his headlights was broken & there was black all over the front end of his hood, from my spare tire that hangs below the trunkal area of my Xterra. I wish I had my camera with me.

He said we had two options - exchange info or not exchange info. Since he didn't have insurance (bad driver!!), he'd prefer if we didn't, but understood if we did want to go that route. He knew it was his fault & since the damage was to his car only that he'd have to pay for whatever to fix it. Since there wasn't any damage to my car, I didn't see any reason to involve the authorities or our insurance companies.



Today, I am thankful for:


1. 10 free Ateca dinners, courtesy Speedy Auto Glass
2. $5.99 movies from Best Buy
3. 40 free Blockbuster flicks
4. 1 Jesus shoe & shell necklace found in borrowed suitcases
5. 7 grams of fiber in my air-popped popcorn

Santa Claus is Coming to Town (various)

Well, technically it's Christmas day. I'm so sleepy. It's 2:30am right now & I have no idea what I'm still doing up. I'm not a little kid anymore, waiting for my parents to go to bed so I can sneak downstairs & peek into my presents. In fact, I think Jeff is wrapping gifts for me & the only thing that separates us is a sofa.


Earlier this evening, we did our traditional Christmas Eve deal where we get together with our friends. We did a gift exchange at David's house in Puyallup, which by the way is incredible. We did dinner at Denny's. We didn't, however, leave our big tip for our server. We didn't have the worst service ever, nor was it the best. I think most people felt it wasn't that great & so, let's not leave a tip. It was decided that we would collect our monies (& then some??) & donate it to a charity of sorts instead. I'm not sure if it was 100% decided, but many were leaning towards some kind of animal charity such as the Humane Society. I'm cool with that.


We did our version of the white elephant gift exchange. I don't know if we did it right, but we did it & we had fun. I went home with a drink making set (comes with shaker & some other utensils used to make drinks). I'm really excited with what Jeff came home with (since I'll most likely use it more than he will) - some small bowls that are perfect for storing small amounts of food or for food preparation (maybe holding some chopped onion or something like that, a silicone basting brush (coulda used one of these yesterday) & a DVD: Love, Actually. The weirdest gift would have to be from Steve - a shocking game. You hold on to these joystick-like things & when the music stops playing, the last person to press their button gets shocked. When David, David, Katt & Steve were playing.. it looked pretty darn painful. I'm glad I didn't end up with that gift!



Oh, one funny thing happened tonight during our gift exchange. We hadn't planned for everyone to do a gift exchange for everyone, but Jeff & I wanted to give a picture from our Hawaii trip to everyone who was in it - a picture from our wedding day where we all stood giving our best impression of Frankenstein. Great minds think alike because David & Katt had the exact same idea. So, now we all have two copies of the funniest picture ever!


Jess - I don't know if you read this anymore, but if you do... happy belated birthday. Hope yours was spent with those you love. I was thinking about ya.


Today, I am thankful for:
1. My Stupendous Spouse
2. My Fabulous FrankenFriends
3. My Dynamite Dad
4. My Incredible In-Laws
5. My Kooky Kitties

Do Re Mi (Julie Andrews)

I'll be the first to admit we have a pretty crazy work dynamic in my department. My boss is sometimes the root of all that's evil, but mostly, she's just being her micro-managing self & I accept her for who she is. And, it's those times when she's being her goofy self that I really laugh out loud & enjoy working with her.

The other day at work, Faith was talking aloud & all she says was, "So...." to which Debbie answers (like she often does when someone says "So..."), "A needle pulling thread."

Usually, this mini-convo ends right there, but Faith continued with a, "La..." to which Debbie answers, "A note to follow so"

I pipe in with, "Ti..." to which Debbie answers, "And A". That was followed with about a minute of uncontrollable laughter as I was not expecting that answer from my boss of all people!

I love my job.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Sense of humor
2. Envelope systems that work
3. My shortest post yet
4. Non-Lasagna
5. Employment

After the Rain (Nelson)

Who would have guessed what was going to happen after all the rain fell in November? It's been a crazy, crazy autumn season: Record rainfall in November. Enough snow to close my work for a day. Windstorms that caused power outages to much of the Puget Sound area. Crazy, I tell ya!

Thursday of last week, on my way to the train station after work, there was torrential downpour. It was almost reminiscent of being in Hawaii on October 16th. I can't tell you how many of those running ballerina jumps I did to try & avoid the giant puddles that accumulated at the curbs. The water was so deep in areas that I couldn't tell where the curb was; water was in the road & up over the sidewalks. My umbrella was pretty much useless because it kept turning inside out in the wind gusts. Well, regardless of how much I tried to avoid it, I was soaked by the time I got to the train station. Then, before we got to Tukwila even, the conductor stopped the train for about ten minutes while they decided if it was safe to continue Southbound. Fortunately, it was & I got home at a reasonable time (that is, after I finished some Christmas shopping for my in-laws).

We were fortunate to not have lost power at our house. I can't say others were as lucky. The other four in my department had all lost power on Thursday. I know how much fun it isn't to try & get ready for work in the dark. On Friday, Steve & Airi were going to stay over at our house as they had lost power at their house. When Jeff called to find out what time they were coming, their power had just come back on. Kat, who lives not too far from Steve & Airi wasn't so lucky; her power has been out for the last 4 days & she's staying with us until it comes back on.

Work on Friday was a little exciting. The building hadn't lost power, but the air conditioning in our server room had broke at some point & our IS team was scrambling to get the temperatures under control. Senior management, at one point, had "closed" the Credit Union. However, while waiting for a ride home, they told us to stay for a few minutes. Then they said we would open at 10am, but since some had already left for the day, they gave us the option of staying or going, but if we stayed we'd get a comp day. I opted to stay, but was a little frustrated that I hadn't left while I had the chance.

On Friday, we were going to have our department lunch at 13 Coins, but since Faith chose to leave, we didn't go to lunch; we are going on Monday instead. I'm looking forward to it, for sure. Trina & I used to recommend the restaurant to the hotel guests when we worked at the Hampton Inn a decade ago.

Saturday, we celebrated Jeff's 33rd birthday at Famous Dave's BBQ Restaurant down in Puyallup with Steve, Airi, Kim, Kat, David & Katt. I'm not a huge bbq rib fan but that's only because I find them so messy to eat. These ribs at Famous Dave's were SO delicious that the next time we go there, I just may get myself some ribs. On Saturday, I had a burger & it was mighty tasty! The fries weren't all that great, but the burger... Oh man! Drool....

Afterwards, we had a group shopping trip at Target. In a rather weird way, that was kinda fun to hang out with everyone at the store with everyone doing their own shopping. Some shopped for Christmas gifts while other shopped for their own personal items they needed at home. After the group shopping, we all came back to our place and watched a little VH1 I Love the 80's 3D. Talk about memories. Poor Katt... Maybe next time we'll watch some I Love the 90's.

I'm going to finish up watching another episode of Grey's Anatomy here in a second so I'm going to finish this post.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Gas fireplace
2. Indoor heat
3. Generosity
4. Trotters
5. Red Door Revealed

They Say It's Your Birthday (The Beatles)

My 31st birthday was on Friday. Don't quite know what to say about it. My birthday has never been made to be an occasion where the day was all about me. So, today, in my "adult" years, I still feel it's like an ordinary day.

On Friday, I put in a half day at work & then Kat & I went & did our annual volunteering for the folks who make Holiday Stockings for homeless children possible. This volunteering event is a two-day process where on Friday, all the donated items gets sorted into age-appropriate tables & day two is when the real chaos begins - when the actual stockings get stuffed with the items. Then, let's not forget that throughout the year is when all the REAL work gets done - making (yes, making) over 2,000 stockings & collecting donations (money & stuff). For the past 3 years, I've only helped sort & stuff the stockings; for this upcoming year, I want to help making stockings & do some collections at work. This year, Kat & I were co-captains of the table for 4-5 years olds & we quickly ran out of hats & scarves. So, next year, I want to put a collection box out at work for those items.

After volunteering, Kat & I met up with folks in the Southcenter area for dinner at Claim Jumpers. While the spinach-artichoke dip was mighty tasty, I could have done without the rest of my meal (turkey supper). It was just 'okay'. Thank you, Trina, for my warm jammies. I'm wearing them right now. I love 'em & you're gonna love yours, too. I guarantee it.

I got THE best birthday present in the mail when I got home Friday night: Our marriage certificate. I've been waiting on that sucker so I can go get my name changed finally. Woo!! I'll probably take a day off this week to get that done. Though, I'm told I still need to work on my new signature. That's going to be a tough one to 'perfect' as I've been signing my scribble for so long now & I've grown to really like it.

My stamp camp was moved from yesterday to today & I'm still not quite done with my cards they're making. David, Katt & Randy are coming over to watch the Seahawk game today & I'm making a (pampered chef recipe) chicken enchilada ring & (tupperware recipe) guacamole. So, I better step away from the computer & get those things done.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Ovens that work

2. Friends who celebrate my (non)birthday with me

3. Wine

4. Easy camp cards

5. Volunteers

Here I Go Again (Whitesnake)

Earlier today I started another blog to go along with my Stampin' Up!® business. I figured once I have my last name changed, I'm going to have to (eventually) order new supplies, including business cards. On my new business cards I'll reference my new blog, jenstamps.blogspot.com. On my new blog, I'll list SU company specials & any I'm offering for that month. I'll show pictures of my camp cards & projects. I'm hoping to somehow have a calendar on there too, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. More code to learn & learn to manipulate. Hmmm.... I'm guessing the calendar won't happen anytime soon.


Tonight, my company had our annual dinner at the Hall at Fauntleroy. Though there was a fairly small turn out, it still turned out pretty nice, I think. Dinner was mighty tasty - mixed fruit, caesar salad, chilled grilled veggies, meat & veggie lasagna, chicken skewers & dinner rolls. Dessert consisted of some chocolate cake/brownie of which I had none. I was busy gambling courtesy of West Coast Entertainment. How it was set up, each employee was to get $30,000 to play with & they did a raffle drawing at the end of the evening where based on how much money you had left over determined how many raffle tickets you got. I went through my $30k, Linda's $30k & Doug's $30k (Linda & Doug don't gamble, even if it's pretend money). However, as part of the regular raffle done throughout the evening, I was the lucky recipient of a gift certificate to get my nails done at some place in Tukwila. Woo!!

Tomorrow is my Tastefully Simple home party. I made 5 of the dips tonight in prepping for the party tomorrow afternoon. The directions I had for making these dips was to use regular mayo, sour cream & cream cheese. I used non-fat/low-fat mayo & sour cream. When I taste tested off the spoon, I thought they tasted rather scrumptious. I'm really happy about this because many of the ladies coming to my party are watching their weight in one way or another. How could I expect to sell this stuff if you're only supposed to use the full fat creamy white stuffs?

Could this possibly be my shortest post yet? I think so!!

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Mary Kay
2. Mickey
3. Craps
4. Free fun
5. Veggies

I'm So Excited (Pointer Sisters)

I'm excited for a few reasons:

1. I think I've blogged more in the past week than I have since starting this darn thing & that excites me. I didn't intend for this blog to be a once a week occurrence, but rather have more daily updates.

2. Aimee & I went to our WW meeting this afternoon & we're both down for this week's weigh in. She is down something like 1.2 lbs for a total of 30.2 lbs lost. You go girl!! I am down 2.6 lbs for a total of 28.2 lbs lost. And, this is even more of a milestone for two reasons - I'm officially below the 150 mark & my point allowance drops from 22 points to 20 points. I can see the light at the end of the weightloss tunnel. Achieving this goal before year-end is such a probability.

3. I mentioned in my last post that the Stampin' Up event I was going to be a part of was postponed & it conflicted with a volunteer opportunity I had already committed to. The good news is Heather was able to switch the date to next Wednesday, December 6th. So, it looks like I'll get to be a part of this event afterall. Originally, after the last event, I really had mixed feelings on if I wanted to participate in this one too. I had contemplated coming up with some lame excuse (read lie, such as I couldn't get the time off work) as to why I couldn't do it, but here's what changed my mind:

4. I contacted the folks who entered into my door prize drawing at the last event & one of the gals confirmed she wanted to do a Stamp-A-Stack for the 9th of December. Although her door prize was for a free camp, the difference between her camp & Stamp-A-Stack is $10 & they will pay the difference on the cards. Anyways, for the past two days, I've been working on creating my cards for this Stamp-A-Stack & it's getting me in the holiday mood, it's getting me back in the Stampin' Up spirit & it's getting me off my butt & away from the television. My camera just does not do these cards any justice whatsoever, but here's 2 cards I've been working on for the Stamp-A-Stack, CASE'd (but changed slightly) courtesy of the lovely ladies at SCS:





5. I finished watching the first season of Grey's Anatomy sometime last week. Can I just say that I really hate cliffhangers? Fortunately, Aimee owns the 2nd season so I didn't have to wait too long to find out all about Addison and that SHE was the one who cheated on Dr. McDreamy, er, I mean Dr. Shepherd & caused the demise of their marriage. Of course that was just the first episode of season 2 & there's 26 more. Le sigh! I can't wait to see the rest of the episodes.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Warm(er) temperatures
2. Italian Sub Stoup (courtesy Rachael Ray)
3. Television on DVD
4. Acceptance of CASEing
5. Achieving weight loss

Baby, It's Cold Outside (Bing Crosby)

Okay, so you probably can't really tell in this picture just how much snow fell last night. And, if I'm being perfectly honest here, it wasn't a huge amount. That's the top of our fence with about a half inch of snow on it around 7:15 this morning. However, it was enough for my company to close it's doors today. Actually, I don't think it was the snow that made them close down today, but the compacted ice on the roads paired with the fact that it's not supposed to get much over 33° can make for a dangerous commute.


Yesterday, the Seahawks won their 2nd Monday Night Football game against Green Bay & are now 7-4. The game got over around 9 or so & I heard on the news this morning that some folks were stuck for several hours in traffic due to inclement weather. One guy said he got home after 3:30am & only went from Seattle to Bothell! That's one crazy commute that I was happy to not be a part of.


So, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm proud to say that I've manipulated some code on this blog & have added links on the left & changed some of the fonts. I also learned how to add pictures to my text. Yay, this computer stuff is pretty darn cool, eh? I still need/want to learn how to change the background.


Unfortunately (or is it fortunately??), because I'm not going into Seattle today, I'm not going to get weighed. I'm kind of sad about that because I think I've actually lost weight & I'm eager to see just how much. There aren't any meetings on Wednesday when we normally go, so I think we'll probably go on Thursday. Wish me luck.


Again, unfortunately (or is it fortunately??), a Stampin' Up! event I was going to do on Thursday was postponed to NEXT Friday, but I'm already volunteering with Kat. It's a good thing because I wasn't banking on getting much interest/traffic at my booth & I would have used a few hours of my leave at work to attend this event. It's a bad thing because although there probably wouldn't be much interest, any interest is better than none.From the last SU event I did like this one, I almost felt it was a waste of a day, but I did give away 4 stamp camps for folks who entered my drawing. I'm REALLY hoping this will generate more interest & future camps &/or customers.


Here's three of my favorite cards that I did for my November camps:



Today, I am thankful for:
1. Indoor heat
2. Wool socks
3. Long underwear
4. Sweaters
5. Snuggles & Cuddles

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Various)

Last weekend, 106.9 started playing their non-stop (with the exception of the ocassional commercials) Christmas music. I was thrilled because it means that Christmas was indeed coming. It also scared the bejesus out of me because that means that Christmas was indeed coming.

I had thought about fighting the crowds the day after Thanksgiving like I had the year before, but this year two things happened: I had trouble falling asleep the night before & therefore didn't want to wake up ultra-early & I didn't have a game plan in place; I didn't know what I was going to buy that I hadn't bought online the night before.

I sent out my wish list to the families. Here's a hypocritical thought: I hate having to create my own wish list, but really really REALLY want other people to give me theirs. I have three thoughts on the concept - 1- if there's something I want, I usually go out and buy it myself. 2- if you really knew me, then you should know what to buy me. 3- how am I supposed to act surprised when opening a gift when I pretty much know I'm getting it? It's kinda like at my bridal shower where most gifts I opened I had on the registry. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful I received the gifts, but I guess I just wasn't "surprised" to receive them.

Thanksgiving was really good this year. Jeff & I spent the afternoon at his aunt & uncle's house in Maple Valley. I was thankful I wasn't stuck in the Southbound traffic along with everyone else & that we didn't have to travel 3 hours to get to our destination.

Since Jeff's Aunt Maureen claims Thanksgiving as her holiday & I never have, but want to, cook a turkey dinner, in the next few months, I'm going to invite a bunch of folks over for a (hopefully) yummy turkey dinner with all the fixings. Stay tuned for an evite from me inviting your hungry stomachs over for some tasty culinary goodness. MMMMMM!

Speaking of tasty culinary goodness... Last weekend, Kat, David, Katt, Jeff & I attempted to start up the monthly international cuisine again. Kat selected Caribbean food as the cuisine & Calypso Caribbean Restaurant as the establishment. Unfortunately, when we got to where Calypso should have been, there was nothing but a parking lot. So, in staying true to new international cuisine, we drove to the U-district & found an Ethiopian restaurant. None of us had tried Ethiopian food. It was, to say the least, different. They brought out this ultra-spicy food on a "bed" of what looked like a spongy pancake. And you eat the food by using the pancake as your utensil. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best service ever), I'd give the service at the restaurant a 1 & the food a 3.5. I actually enjoyed the food, though it was really spicy. David, I think, would probably give it a 1 or so; he didn't fare too well afterwards. So, I think I would try Ethiopian again, but not at that place. After the Ethiopian experience, we went to the Ram for drinkies. Good times with good friends.

Last saturday, I went to a "purse party" with Trina & Kat. I've never been to one before so I was pretty excited. Anyone who knows me knows I love home parties! So, basically at this purse party, the lady has all these knock-off purses laying around in the gal's living room & they're priced from like $50-80. Her deal was buy one & get the 2nd for $5 off. There was one I had my eye on, but it was like $78. I just can't spend that much on a handbag. So, I tell Trina & Kat about this hole in the wall store in Seattle where they sell the same things for half the price. And we went! I bought a cute Kate Spade handbag for $25 (they wanted $40, but I got 'em down to $25 - score one for me!!).

Kat has updated her blog with a cool background & has posted pictures. She told me she'd show me her magic ways. I can't wait!! I'm so virginal & naive when it comes to this computer stuff. The only thing I know how to do is add links in my text. I want to learn how to add pictures, change the text & background, links to my friend's blogs & website, etc. One day... you just wait!

We've decided to do a white elephant-type gift exchange Christmas Eve with the friends this year. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm giving. We're also doing our leave-a-big-tip-for-our-server at a restaurant (probably Denny's) in Federal Way this year. I'm really kind of sad that Joel & Mickey won't be joining us since Joel's the one who started this awesome tradition so many years ago. It almost doesn't feel "right" doing it without him, but just because they can't make it, I'm not going to forego it. There's always next year. Joel & Mick - you better be there :o)

So, really, I came to my computer to get some ideas for some Christmas cards that I may be doing for a Stamp-a-Stack in 2 weeks & I end up blogging for an hour. I ought to get going on the other things I need to do.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Socks
2. Split Coast Stampers
3. O Holy Night
4. Close relatives
5. MP3s

Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)

It's been a week or so since I last wrote. I don't think I have much to say (for once). Are you as surprised as I am? Okay, good.

Kim leaves in less than a week to meet the man she's been (online) 'dating'. How exciting to finally meet the man she's come to love. I hope she has a great time in England & comes back with some awesome stories about her trip.

I started watching Season One of Grey's Anatomy. What a great show! I'm already about 6 episodes in. After I'm done with Season One, Aimee will let me borrow Season Two. And, hopefully, Season Three will come out this summer & I'll have time to get caught up before Season Four starts & then I can start watching weekly, on real television, with everyone else in the office.

The Downtown Seattle Association has set up their annual nutcrackers around town. In front of our building, we have the Jimi Hendrix nutcracker. Pretty stinkin' cool, if you ask me. I just wish it wasn't SO close to the street.

Jeff & I went & saw Borat over the weekend. It got pretty good reviews so I suggested getting folks together to go see it. Though I laughed out loud during several parts of the movie, I was less than impressed by it. I wouldn't see it again. I guess I am glad I saw it though, otherwise I'd be wondering what I missed out on.

Joanna finally picked a car. It's about darn time, too. I swear, if I were in her shoes, I would have selected a car a LONG time ago. But, perhaps that's just me. If I know there's something I want, I'm not going to waste everyone's time learning about what I "could" have if I chose X instead of Y. Maybe I'm a little too... hasty.

I weighed in again this week & again I gained weight. Not a huge amunt, but it's a gain nonetheless: .4 lbs. I swear, I've hit this serious plateau. I can't get below 150 lbs. This sucks, but I'm not going to let it get me down (no pun intended). I'm down like 26 lbs & that in & of itself is a huge accomplishment. Go Jenn Go!

I'm a weenie when it comes to cooking stuff I've never cooked with before. I can do boneless/skinless chicken breast, but give me a whole chicken & I'd have no idea what to do with it. Yesterday, at the grocery store, I saw a packet for some bbq pulled pork stuff that sounded & looked really good & it called for boneless pork shoulder. Okay, bacon I can do. Pork shoulder...what? Anyways, one of these days (soon!), I'm going to attempt this pulled pork product. Go Jenn Go!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week? What are YOU thankful for?

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Lunch & gift exchange with friends
2. Dinner & gift exchange with friends
3. Dessert & gift exchange with friends
4. Evites
5. Airplanes

Oops! I Did It Again (Britney Spears)

After several weeks of not tracking my points, I finally started up again last Wednesday (that is, after our Halloween potluck). I'm happy to say I'm back at 26.2 lbs lost (again) - down 2.6 lbs from last week's weigh in. I was really worried that I was going to gain, yet again, because after weighing myself last night at home, it appeared my weight was right about the same as it was at weigh in.

Only 6 lbs to go til I reach my "goal". I wonder if I'll want to quit or keep on going...

So, this morning I hardly ate anything before weighing in. And, I feel I've been gorging ever since. Sorta. Well lunch was leftover lemon chicken, rice & a mandarin orange from the local teriyaki restaurant from the night before. Dinner tonight was spaghetti, salad, garlic bread & corn. Mmm... I love corn! And the pasta & bread was whole wheat. That's not all bad, is it? I'll find out next Tuesday when I weigh in again!

Yet another SMCU'er has joined WW with me & Aimee. That makes 5 of us making the trek to the weekly Tuesday meetings. 4 others go to other area meetings. Wow! All this because of me & Aimee. That's awesome!!

I've got 4 of my 7 camp cards ready to go for my Stamp Camp next Sunday. That's good news! One of them, I think, I'm going to demo at a holiday bazaar for DSAs this coming Saturday. Depending on how many I get made (& keep), I just might end up using them as MY holiday card this year. How nice will that be to have all (or at least some) of my Christmas cards done by Veteran's Day? Maybe I'll actually send them out this year; last year I got lazy & time slipped away from me.

I'm also really excited for an annual volunteer opportunity that Kat & I have been participating in for the past few years. On December 8th & 9th, we'll be going down to the USCG gym & we'll help sort & stuff stockings for homeless children. We may also man the carosel at Westlake in Seattle as a separate volunteer opportunity, but we haven't signed up for any particular shifts. We should probably do that relatively soon.

Last Saturday, we had our open house/reception where I think we had a great turn out. There were people I didn't know & people Jeff didn't know there. Afterwards, some folks stuck around for some cards (poker & budogi). Mike & Angie were the big winners. It was really cool seeing Mike again. He left the CU back in August to persue his dream job - a cop. Sounds like he's really busy with the Academy, but he's loving it. That's important.

Jeff's great uncle is doing just fine after taking his tumble on the front porch on Saturday. He was taken to the hospital, waited around for 4 hours in the waiting room before receiving a staple or two (maybe more?) in his head. I guess the lump has gone down, he's gone home & is doing well. Lucky, lucky man! I hope I'm in as good of shape when I'm his age.

I finally called Jeff my husband the other day when introducing him to a co-worker at the open-house/reception. It didn't sound or feel weird, but I think it didn't because I said it on purpose. What I want to know is when I'll stop feeling like a "Christofferson" & only like a "McCarthy". I guess once I change my name & have to start signing "McCarthy" only, then maybe we'll see. I'll have to ask my married girlfriends when they stopped thinking of themself as their maiden name.

Today, I am thankful for:
1. Early bedtimes
2. Umbrellas
3. Cell phones
4. Wit
5. Metro