Mormon Battalion

Conrad, me, Conrad's mom and dad.

Today we went to Old Town San Diego, where we walked around the little Pioneer Fair, got an amazing lunch, and toured the Mormon Battalion Center. 

After many evenings or Saturdays of sitting around wondering what we should do, we decided to decide. We wrote a bunch of fun things down on little pieces of paper, folded them up, and put them in a box. Now, when we can't decide what to do, we'll let the finger of fate (or our own fingers) dictate.

Some fun things that are now solid possibilities in the future:

• Walk to the beach
• Go out for ice cream
• Go to the Zoo or Wild Animal Park
• Rent a movie (did that last night)
• Go to Old Town (did that today)
• Take the train into the city
• Hot air balloon ride
• Picnic

Target Practice

I'm not a very loyal consumer, partly because I've only been in the buying market for a few years and I am still finding the products I like. I do have to say, I will always choose Target over WalMart.

Something about Walmart is gross and weird. I feel like it's way dirtier, way more disorganized, and the people who work there are too busy to be a good associate and help customers. Plus, the customer base for WalMart doesn't have a very good reputation. There's a whole website dedicated to WalMart Weirdos. Check it out if you want a good laugh or dry-heave.

Be An Early Bloomer

While making my grocery list today, I decided I would purchase flowers (deciding ahead of time removes the "impulse" factor). My house is on the bottom floor in the back of the building, which means we get almost no sunlight. Which means it's freezing and dark. And we don't have a functioning heater.
I found some flowers that went well together and that I thought would brighten up my home, and began arranging. Even better, they were 3 for 12 dollars.

A hectic experience it was. There were long stems everywhere, and my kitchen is so small that any movement of the long flowers meant... WHACK. Petals everywhere. A few blooms didn't make it, but overall, the arrangement turned out good.

Chose two or three different blooms that compliment each other. Trim the stems to fit the vase appropriately. In the vase, make sure you use those little "flower food" packets they give you. They just mix right into the water. They really do make the flowers stay fresh longer.

Your house will be summer-y and fresh, and the brightness of the flowers will distract away from the wintery cold weather and your pasty white legs. Luckily, for the flowers, our house is like a refrigerator, and will keep them nice and perky.

In the bag

So being that I'm the emergency preparedness coordinator for my ward, I've started carrying more with me than most people. I thought I'd share my heavy load.

Not all pictured.

1. Digital Camera
2. Cell Phone
3. Notebook
4. Floss
5. Travel sized toothbrush and toothpaste
6. Sunglasses
7. My calendar
8. Tide To Go pen (which is mysteriously missing)
9. Hand-Sanitizing Wipes
10. Tissue
11. Oil removing face wipes
12. Keys
13. Pens
14. Gum
15. Lotion
16. Hair Elastics/Bobby Pins
17. Lip Gloss/ Make-Up Bag
18. Lighter
19. Sunscreen
20. Tampons
21. Blank cards to write a note if I have a minute.
22. Umbrella
23. Sewing Kit, Scissors
24. Eye Drops
25. A Good Book
26. A Bottle of Water
27. Postage Stamps
28. Wallet
29. Unbelievably heavy little coin purse
30. Painkillers- Tylenol and Ibuprofen
31. Tums
32. Sudafed
33. Benadryl
34. Band-Aids

On the move

Today was the first day of the semester. Here's my [unusually detailed] schedule:

7:30 - wake up, realize I should have woken up earlier so I could shower. No shower, get ready. I wear black jeggings, a grey shirt, and a blazer for work.
8:30 - get to work, forgot egg salad sandwich in the fridge, realize I have to drive home to get it or I'll die of starvation.
11:30 - leave work. Drive home, eat sandwich while watching modern family.
12:30 - Marketing class, where I see the daughter of my mom's friend. How funny.
2:00 - Drive home again because I'm uncomfortable, change the blazer for a sweater. Eat a bowl of cereal. Do dishes, get control of the several piles I've allowed to amass, make the bed.
3:40 - get to school for my French class, get immensely disoriented, ask a stranger for help, find the classroom, then realize i'm 45 minutes early. Relish in self-loathing, drive back home. Eat another bowl of cereal.
4: 30 - French class. I'm the only married person in class, other than the teacher, who moonlights as a kickboxing instructor.
6:45 - Come home to Conrad making pizza. Eat one slice, gag a lot, then eat coffee ice cream. I take way too much. The melted heap goes back into the carton.
7:45 - Commence homework procrastination.

Free as a bird

Being limited in the [broken] wallet department, I've had to pick up some thrift skills. Obviously, thrift stores can sometimes be gold mines. Other times, yard sales.

Here are some things around my house that I've gotten for free or very little.

A giant stack of cookbooks (free)

Ninners and all his stuff ($50, Craigslist)

About 30 lbs of raw red wheat kernels (free), and the dining room table (free)

Hutch (free, in-laws)

Three's Company

So today was just one of those days where measly bad stuff happens little by little, gradually chipping away your marble block of confidence and self-worth until an exhausted sculpture emerges.

Luckily, bad luck comes in threes.

#1. This morning I was yelled at by a cranky man with foot problems (at the podiatrist office, of course) because he refused to have his picture taken. FYI old guy, we take pictures of all our patients. It's not just my policy. No need to yell.  On top of that, it was my first day operating the front office by myself, so I was nervous all day, anticipating a huge disaster.

#2. I've been hearing noises from my car for months. Clearly, if I've been hearing it for months, I've been ignoring it for months, too. I thought it was my bearings. Whatever. It's a costly fix, but not impossible. Getting it fixed would allow me to milk a few more years out of the life of the car. I ride 'em 'til they die (or until I kill them). Conrad explored the problem further, and discovered today that it's actually the CV joint, which costs more to fix than the car is worth.

#3. I cut myself shaving. Actually, I sliced. I did that thing where your hand slips and the razor makes three distinct sliver cuts.

None of these things were really bad problems by themselves. I decided to look at three equivalent good things from today that might offset the bad.

#1. I put hours toward my paycheck. That's never a bad thing.

#2. I get to buy a new (to me) car! Woohoo!

#3. While in the shower, prior to cutting myself thrice, I mixed some shampoo with baking soda to get rid of some build-up. Holy cow. Seriously, cows are now holy. My hair is probably the most voluminous its ever been. My sky-high coif definitely distracts from that itchy tingle on my leg where a scab is forming.

Terrible Life COACH

I just want everyone to know in advance before reading this blog, I'm not a verbally abusive wife to my husband. I have his permission, even suggestion, to write about the following topic. He is a good sport and sees the comedy in what I'm about to divulge.

The other day was one of those "no-way-am-i-going-to-set-foot-in-the-kitchen" days. We decided to use a Ruby's gift card we were given for Christmas. While we were looking up directions to Ruby's, we saw that it was really close to PF Changs. We decided to go there instead.

You must understand how rare it is that we should go out to dinner without Conrad protesting for financial reasons. So this was a huge treat. We ate some great food and some OK food, then went to walk around at the outlet mall just outside.

My wallet is currently broken, so I wanted to keep my eye out for a shnazzy new thing. Several stores and no luck later, we casually entered the Coach store (remember, this is an outlet, where all items are discounted). I browsed for a while, saw some cute things, but only considered the items that were on clearance. Conrad, meanwhile, was growing increasingly upset. Every price tag he looked at confirmed his hatred of high-priced, brand-name items. "How could a person spend $300 on a purse?!" he ranted.

I'll remind you again that whatever price he saw was not the original price.

"Dear, people spend thousands on purses," I replied. $100 for a quality wallet is on the steep side, but I'll pay it if I absolutely must have the thing. He was outraged and insisted that we leave immediately. Just as I was walking out the door, I saw the one. But because my husband was throwing a huge public fit, I couldn't look at it more closely. He said within earshot of the closest associate "Coach should die."

I am now determined to spend a minimum of $1000 on a wallet, just to spite my husband. Anyone have a blingy leather wallet they want to sell me? I'll double your asking price.

My project

Today i need to deal with this:

We recently rearranged our furniture, so there's stuff everywhere that hasn't found its place yet. The mess is overwhelming. I need to :

sort through fabric

finish wreaths

decide which cookbooks are worth keeping (anyone want some?)

make a run to the thrift store to drop some stuff off

sort papers

find a place for all my church calling stuff

put my sewing machine to use

write some cards and letters

Sweet Potato Hash

As I promised myself, I made sweet potato hash today. Granted, it was for lunch, since we slept in and couldn't make breakfast. Hash, nonetheless.

Here's what's left of it.

Peel and dice 1 sweet potato into 1/2 inch cubes. 1 is enough for 2 people. They're much bigger than regular potatoes.

Melt 4 Tbsp butter in skillet on medium high. Toss the potatoes in the melted butter until coated. Add 1 cup water, bring to a simmer. Allow the potatoes to cook until the water is evaporated (about 10 min.).
Meanwhile, chop an onion (any color would be good. i used yellow) and cook in a separate pan with butter. You want them to be a dark golden brown color, slightly more brown than what's in the picture. Add small amounts of water to help them brown faster. I was impatient and didn't wait for them to brown all the way.

Once the water has evaporated from the potato skillet, add the cooked onions - and some water if the potatoes start to scorch - and toss until the potatoes are fork tender (approx. another 10 min.).

You could add sage or other spices, veggies, etc. Its pretty versatile. We ate it with scrambled eggs and it was to die for. Plus, you can feel really good about yourself while you eat it because sweet potato is really good for you!

Good Food = Good Mood

I love preparing food. I love chopping and slicing and grating and sauteeing and baking and all other ways to make food. Tomorrow after stake Conference we're going to a friend's house to barbeque, and I'm making skewers with spicy Asian beef, pineapple, red bell pepper, and onion. You don't even know.

And, for breakfast tomorrow, since church doesn't start until later, I'm making a hash out of sweet potatoes and caramelized onions. Sometimes I get really excited about cooking, and then I get bipolar and don't want to cook for a week.

Tonight for dinner I make linguine Alfredo with chicken, roasted red peppers, and, as always, tons of fresh parmesan. Then for dessert, I made vanilla pudding with blueberries and blackberries (they were on sale at the market!)

And I hate to mention this as a side note to my food rave, but tonight's session of Stake Conference was unbelievable. L. Tom Perry was here and will be here tomorrow. But a missionary couple shared their experiences with converts who had joined the church because a member had shared the gospel with them. I've been thinking of inviting a family to church, but have been too worried about jeopardizing the relationship. This has totally inspired me to share. I really hope that I can keep the courage I need to share the Gospel with people I care about. It's something that makes me so happy, and I want everyone I know to have the joy I've gotten from being a member of the church.

our regular Thursday

Last night Nate came over and spent the night. Which is awesome because it was like a grown-up-kid sleepover. We played with the chinnie, drove around Solana, and ate cake and made fun of hipsters. Poor Nate couldn't sleep because the chinchilla, who is nocturnal, kept rustling around if the light was off, so Nate slept with the light on.

So this morning, Conrad left for work, and then I got up and got ready, and Nate just kept on sleeping. I mean really, just blazing right through the day. I didn't want to make him leave so I gave him my key and told him to eat whatever he wanted, and lock up when he leaves.

Off to work I went, where I spent two hours making insurance calls (most of which I was listening to calypso versions of children's songs because I was on hold), and five hours sweeping up skin flakes and asking people about their problems. It was glorious. I'm not on payroll yet, so I have 2 weeks worth of hours stashed up for one juicy paycheck.

I came home to find my key under the mat. Good Nate. Made spinach ravioli with pine nuts and parmesan, ate with Conrad, and here I sit. We'll probably watch a movie. Life is so good.

PS - I have, like, 8 friends who are pregnant or recently had a baby. Does anyone else feel like they're the only couple in the world who isn't having a kid right now?

Little Joys

Some of the small things that make me happy:

Feeding my new chinchilla raisins. He takes them with his mouth, then he holds it with his little hands and bites it.
Eyedrops. I have unfortunately dry eyes, so drops are a source of relief.
Handwritten cards and letters. I love getting them, and I love sending them.
Crafting.
Blogging.
Talking to my mom on the phone.
Allowing the pile at the side of my bed to accumulate, then taking my time while i put the clothes back.
rearranging furniture.
Going on walks with Conrad, which is something i wish i did more.
Listening to news radio while i drive.
Having dinner ready precisely timed for when Conrad walks in the door.
Having a job and going to school.

Chinnie chin chin

As much as i wish this was a post about my five chins, its not. Its about my CHIN-chilla. I bought him for a total deal on Craigslist: $50 for him and all his stuff. Obviously the previous owners weren't aware that chinnies can sell for up to $500....

I love him. I'm accepting name suggestions until I hear one that fits. Also, I don't know if its a boy or girl, so keep that in consideration.

Conrad's recent suggestion: Lupe
Other suggestions I've received tonight: Bolt, Rocko, Beaver, ChiChi

The year of experiences

My New Years Resolutions have somewhat already been talked about in this blog. But I just read an inspiring blog post about new years resolutions that made me take a second look at them.

Most of my resolutions are things that are going to happen whether I set the goal or not, like "save money" or "finish school." And some of the goals are things I should have already been doing, like "finally finish the Book of Mormon with Conrad." My friend's blog post talks about deciding on a word that you would like to incorporate into your life. Not just a thing on a list of things, but something that actually changes who you are.

I decided that mine is experience. I want to experience things. I don't just want to do everything I have to do, and then go home and watch TV. I want to go places, with people or alone, it doesn't matter. Traveling, of course, is on the list, but so are smaller outings, like the zoo, botanic gardens, good restaurants, concerts, and plays. And I vow to always have my camera with me, so that I can remember my experiences, because what good are they if you forget them?

Here's my execution plan: Movies and TV are no longer how I spend my time. If I'm out and about, I will stay out. I'll invite people I like to spend time with me. Friends are experiences, too. And now that I'm working, I can pay for my little trips without affecting our budget.

First outing (officially) of the year: tonight we're going to the temple. The best possible outing to kick-start the year.

My many lives

Everyone has several lives. Nobody just has one.

In my life as a student, I found out I got all A's last semester. Hopefully I can keep up the grades...

My life as an employee. Well, if you read a few of the last posts, you'd know it's fun and gaggable.

My life as a wife. Probably my favorite life. Definitely my favorite life.

My life as a Crossword Puzzle junkie. I'm a cheater. Google is my best friend.

My life as Provident Living/Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. At the moment this is my most time consuming life, but I love it. Everything is falling into place, and its really rewarding.

I have dozens more, but these ones are the big ones.

Bunions

Today at work didn't go as well as yesterday. I almost barfed. Regular feet are ok. Make the 80 years old and add some funk, fungus, and other nasties, and they're not so precious.

Questioning if I can handle this for another day.

Plus side: I got to take X-rays today. and I only had to work a half day. Whoopie!
On my way home I ate 6 cookies. Binge much?

Just another manic Monday

Today I had work. For 10 hours. Way to jump back in to employed life, right? I love it though! I really enjoy secretarial work, and tomorrow, I get to learn the more medical side of the job. Currently I am showered, Hamburger Helper is cooking away, and I'm thinking about how much I won't miss having nothing to do.

A few things that made my day great:
- I get to wear whatever I want to work half the time, and the other half, I wear scrubs (basically pajamas)
- I got Staples rewards back in the mail today
- I work with a really good friend, Becky
- When I got home, Conrad made the bed
- I am finally contributing to my marriage and society

First day of the New Year

I'm up. Granted, I woke up at 9:45 because I'm not used to staying up so late. I've eaten a breakfast sandwich and had some essential oils pumping through my bloodstream. And I'm really excited about the new year.

We didn't end up going to Palm Spring to celebrate last night. We actually just rented a movie (a really feel-bad one) and hung out with a friend. It was totally great. 

Today I'm in a bake-y mood. I think I'll make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We're going to the beach in a few minutes so Conrad can surf. 

When we get back, we'll rearrange our furniture. May the new year bring good changes and good people into our lives!