Today is the last day of this work week. Thank goodness, because it's been a rough one. I wasn't originally planning on blogging today, but then after I had a walk this morning, I decided I was in the mood. So here I am with some randoms.
My favorite kinds of drivers are the ones who will cut you off while looking right at you. The other day, I had just turned onto my street, and someone turned right out of the gas station, literally right in front of me and I had to slam on my brakes, and was looking at me the whole time they did it. Really? RUDE.
Confession: I have felt like I am drowning in work this whole week and I have had about enough of it. And it's no longer just because sometimes I get in my own way by being a bit disorganized... At this point, it's just because I literally have so much to do that I could probably work 24/7 for a month solid and then I still might not be caught up. Sigh. Being an adult is like, THE most overrated thing ever.
2048 is the best/worst game ever. It's a lot of fun to play (for some weird reason), but it's also frustrating as shit because just when you think you've got it, and you're going to get the tile, the whole thing comes crashing down because you swiped the wrong direction, or got a two instead of a four for your new number. WTF, game makers?? Are you trying to make me hate my life?
I gave up Starbucks (and Dunkin, and coffee shops/bakeries in general) for Lent. And now it's been five whole days since Easter and I have still only had one thing from Starbucks. I'm kind of proud of myself for that.
Confession: I am supposed to be running the Bad Ass Dash in four weeks, and I'm quite convinced I am going to die. It's four miles of obstacles, so clearly, I need to get training. Gonna start the Couch to 5K routine tonight...wish me luck.
Speaking of working out, I'd like to know how long it usually takes for people's bodies to just feel great after they start a workout program. Kaylee and I were talking today about how most people are all like, "Oh boy, working out is so great, and it feels so good, blah blah blah", and we're all over here like, "Uh, no, my body just hurts, like ALL THE TIME." I mean the endorphins are great, but when I'm walking around like a 90-year-old woman with crippling arthritis, what am I really gaining?? ....other than that the endorphins will make me happy enough to not kill my husband, that is. ;)
I wish I had more time to read. I just want to read books all the time, because it is so much more fun and less stressful than actually dealing with real life.
One thing that I wish Las Vegas had that it doesn't is a major league baseball team. I really don't like watching baseball on TV because it's really slow moving and boring, but it is actually pretty fun to watch in person. There's an amateur team, I think, but it's not quite the same.
I really don't want to go workout. I'm totally not in the mood to really do anything except sit down with a book and a beer and zone out from the week I've had.
And on that note, I'll just #backthatazzup for you and leave you all with this awesomeness. Happy weekend, everybody.
It's Friiiiiiiiiidddayyyyy!!!! Hey, so guess what? We made it to another Friday. Does it totally sound like a broken record or something when people say that? Probably. It's like, everybody just hates Mondays, and they just love Fridays, and I mean...do we have to say it every week? Apparently so, because we (myself included, much to my chagrin) alllll do it. I digress. Let's confess. (Hey, that rhymes!)
I confess // I'm writing this post on Thursday. Scheduling, for the win! Except I barely slept at all last night, and I've been crabby and mad at the world all day. Sleepless nights are the worst. I confess // my sister and I sat down to try and get my taxes done on Sunday. I freaked out approximately 8784513587 times because I was nervous about how much money I was going to have to pay in, since I started my own business and am working for myself and all that, but she is a freaking miracle worker, and got it down to a reasonable amount that I can afford. I confess // I am currently watching "This is 40" for the third time in three days. Granted, right now it's on in the background, and I watched it last night because I couldn't sleep, and then two nights before when I was falling asleep, so it's not like I have just been sitting around watching TV and doing nothing else. I confess // I really don't like baseball. I mean, yes, I will enjoy it if I am actually AT a game. And I'll cheer for a team (basically I will support the Braves, because that's Boyfriend's favorite time... or the Cubs, since I lived in Chicago for a while... or the Twins, because I grew up liking them. But mostly I just don't care) if I am with someone who cares about the outcome of the game. But for the most part, I am just excited for football season to come back. The games are a lot more fun to watch. And the boys look better in their little pants. Win, win.
I confess // I got a little pamphlet in the mail the other day, letting me know about the pediatric dental insurance that has been added to my health insurance, and is now costing me an extra $100/month. I took one look at the thing and immediately got pissed off and threw the thing across the room. I can't even afford dental insurance for myself right now (which is awful, because *bonus confession* I haven't been to a dentist in like 5 years and I really need to go), but I'm sure my non-existent children are very appreciative of the extra $1200 a year I'm spending to make sure the teeth they don't have are clean. Ugh, honestly... this whole Affordable Care Act nonsense makes me more angry than I know how to handle. I confess // I have a couple water bottles already, but I find myself wanting a CamelBak one. This CamelBak in particular:
I just think it's pretty, first of all (because it's pink), and also it would be fantastic to have a straw in my water bottle. Also, I am apparently still a small child. So there is that. I confess // I have a huge kitchen (well not huge, but still greatly sized) and I still haven't baked anything since I moved here. That, my friends, is awful, and makes me sad. I need to get on that. I confess // I am more than a little bit in love with this song (and I #backthatazzup to it every day):
I confess // I am hosting a one-time link up next Thursday (the 20th), on the topic of what I would attempt if I knew I could not fail and I am terrified that there will only be like five people who join and it will look incredibly lame. Maybe I should add "I would host a link up" to my list of things??? But anyway, here's the button for it, in case any of you are interested!
Hey heeeyyy, check me out, blogging three whole days in a row. That's like practically unheard of in these parts. Does anyone else feel like blogging is just freaking weird? It's all like, narcissistic and stuff. In real life, if people were constantly like, "OMG LET ME TELL YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT IS IN MY PURSE OR WHAT MAKEUP I USE OR GO THROUGH MY ENTIRE WORKOUT AND MEAL PLAN FOR THE WEEK IN DETAIL", that would be irritating. But in the blog world, narcissism is like completely accepted and celebrated and everybody wants to be friends! I love it.
Moving on...This is kind of a long post (lots to cover), so go ahead and #backthatazzup to one of my very favorite Zumba songs while you read.
It's been a looooong week. For starters, last weekend wasn't really the best I've ever had. I've been doing a lot of thinking and soul-searching during this week, though, and even though said behavior has led to a lot of missed sleep and hours when I struggled to focus, I am confident that things are looking up. :)
On Monday, (1) I went to an indoor playground with Dedra and the boys. We had a blast, and they only had a mini-meltdown when it was time to go. Progress, people. ZJ also nearly ripped Rett's head off trying to help him find the slide.. Looks like he was none the worse for the wear though, so we'll just mark it down in the "Hilarious Things Kids Do" column and continue laughing about it.
Dedra and I (2) went to Zumba with Eva on Monday and Tuesday night, and of course had a blast. I finally (3) got some new shoes too, so my feet were feeling a lot better after class on Tuesday than they have been. My knee still sucks, but that's nothing new.
(4) Work has been insane this week. The end of the month is always a pretty intense time, since clients need to wrap up monthly accounting stuff, send invoices, etc., but this past week, a lot of just random stuff all happened at once to create a perfect storm of absolute chaos. I've been working lots of extra hours, which has really not been easy, since my brain has really had to struggle to focus. But it's finally Friday, yaaayyy! I have plans for a really fun and relaxing weekend. :)
I was also able to take some time this week to (5) visit a family that I used to babysit for when I last lived in Vegas. It was SO much fun. They're just the sweetest family, and M. even made me a card! (I may or may not have teared up at the sheer adorableness of this card, guys...so.freaking.cute.)
In the spirit of following through on my plans to try a new recipe every month in 2014, I attempted some crock pot macaroni and cheese this week. It was basically awful. I mean, the taste was okay - any time you throw like four different kinds of cheese and some cream and Worcestershire sauce together, you're bound to come up with some at least reasonably edible. But it cooked too long, and got all mushy in the middle and totally burned on the edges. Definitely a fail on that front, but hey...I tried, and that's what it's all about, right? Or something.
If you follow me on Twitter, then you've probably at some point seen me mention my good friend Joe. He and I grew up together, and now he is a Paralympic bronze medalist, and training to go back to the Rio Paralympics in 2016! I have to say, I'm selfishly glad that he participates in the Summer games, because I don't really care too much about the Winter ones (except maybe figure skating, but I can't even make myself care about that this year). He is pretty cool, so you should all probably go get to know him like, right this minute. And speaking of Olympics, be sure to check out this lovely little freebie from Sarah, and show your American team spirit. Also - the one and only Matt Antoine, winner of the Bronze medal in the Skeleton event in Sochi, is from my hometown! Apparently, good ol' Prairie is better for a lot more than just dropping a carp on New Year's Eve, considering its produced two world-class athletes. #smalltownpride And with that, I'm off! Have a great weekend, everybody!!
Well hello there. Fancy meeting you here. Fancy meeting me here, actually. I've been MIA from blogging the last week (again), and it's been bugging me! I have stuff that I want to write about and share, but then I will be really busy with work, or will want to play with my nephews, or whatever.. And then before I know it, another day is gone, and I haven't blogged about anything and the thought of sitting at my computer for even a minute longer than I absolutely have to makes me want to kick things, so I skip it altogether. Shame on me.
BUT there are things. Fun things. Big things happening in my neck of the woods. Things you should probably know about.
...like Baby Rett's first birthday party. Holy cannolis that kid is just cute as a button. I mean seriously. How can you not just swoon over this face?
And some more pictures...because Rett is the cutest, and we made him a plane cake, and it was adorable.
And ZJ was adorable, and mastered the somersault on the grass, but I can't figure out how to get my video to transfer from my stupid phone to my stupid computer and I got sick of it so I am giving up on that one, sorry guys.
...like the fact that I started taking Zumba classes regularly at The Z Spot. The first time I went, I was really nervous, because I thought it was going to be completely exhausting, and that I'd be really sore. And I mean, it was exhausting, and I was a bit sore afterwards, but it was hands down the most fun I've ever had in a workout. I didn't even realize that the hour had gone by when we were done. Which is completely unusual for me, you know, since I tend to hate doing cardio of any kind. I'm sure I looked like a complete doofus doing it. I also had an epic fall in the class on Tuesday. If you watch this video, imagine me falling down at about 1:03. Yeah, it was not embarrassing at all. Apparently, the simple art of walking is something I have yet to master.
But seriously y'all...Zumba is amazing and fun and an awesome workout and I pretty much just love everything about it. And anybody who lives in Vegas NEEDS to check out The Z Spot like, immediately, if not sooner. (Go ahead and #backthatazzup while you're watching. It's one of my faves).
...like the time when i saw Angelique from "Rock of Love" at Vons and talked to her and everything. I knew she looked familiar but I didn't figure out who she was until after I walked away, but once I did, I thought it was hilarious. My very first "celebrity" sighting. It was a big day, people. I mean, who wouldn't be excited about running into this woman at the grocery store?! (sarcasm font)
...like the fact that the Super Bowl is happening this weekend! I guess technically, that's not a "big thing" that has already happened, but I'm excited about it, nonetheless. I am pseudo-planning a Super Bowl party with my sister. I say "pseudo" because a.) I haven't really done any planning yet, aside from just saying I want to have one, and b.) neither one of us has invited anyone yet. So it may just end up being me and my sisters and Zack and the boys. And I'd be more than okay with that too. I'm a bit torn about who I will be rooting for.. I mean, I've always kind of liked the Broncos, and I really like Peyton Manning, so there's that, but the Seahawks have like, the BEST uniforms ever. Serious conundrum here, people. Also, I like the word conundrum. On the bright side, if I can't decide, I can just saw screw it and play the drinking game that Miss Sarah posted. (Side note: If you have no idea what is going on in football but want to at least try to sound like you know some stuff, check out this post.)
...like the fact that Powerberries are back at Trader Joe's. I don't care who you are, those things are delicious. Do yourself a favor and go get some post haste. Indulge your senses in all that deliciousness and then just try to tell me that the world doesn't revolve around tiny bits of berry fruit snack wrapped in dark chocolate. Seriously, try it. Bet you can't do it. My darling sister bought me two (TWO!) bags the other day, which is how you know she loves me.
...like the fact that I have been noticing lately that I have gotten a few more followers, and there are some new faces around here! I am loving that, and wanted to take a quick second to introduce myself to everybody who is new! Here's everything you need to know about me in ten seconds or less: I'm 29 years old, I live in Las Vegas, I'm a middle child, I am self-employed as a virtual assistant/small business administrative consultant (shameless plug - if anyone needs any assistance in that arena, please give me a shout! I'd love to help you!) so I work from home which is awesome, I am very happily taken by a wonderful man, I love cooking and baking, and driving with the windows down is basically my favorite thing. I love reading and hot chocolate from Starbucks (the peppermint and raspberry flavors are my favorite), and one of my all-time favorite things to do on a slow afternoon is go to a movie by myself. Oh, and I love to floss.
So there you have it, folks! I'd love to get to know all of you better, as well, so please feel free to shoot me an email at any time, or drop me a line on the Twit-o-sphere.
It's been a while since I've done a Confessional post. Not because I didn't have stuff to confess, (because let's face it, I always have stuff to confess), but because this little lady took some time off to have a BABY, of all adorable things (seriously, little Miss Caroline is ridiculously cute), so the link up didn't exist. But now it's back, and I'm excited. So here we go. I confess // that sometimes in life, things just don't work out the way you planned. And that's okay. I confess // that I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with photo booth strips. I will drag Boyfriend into a booth any chance I get, and even though he acts like I'm asking him to like, cut off his left leg or something (he's so dramatic), sometimes I catch him looking at the photo strips and smiling, so I think he secretly loves it. I confess // it really doesn't feel like a Friday to me. I have no complaints about having a short work week, but the fact that the days off were smack dab in the middle of the week is throwing me off big time. I confess // I literally do not know where I would be in life if not for my amazing father and his calming spirit. My whole family is pretty great, don't get me wrong, but there is just something about my dad that makes him exactly what I need when I am feeling stressed. I am so incredibly blessed that God saw fit to give me that man as my father. I confess // I tried to watch "The Italian Job" before I went to sleep last night and I made it through oh, maybe four minutes before I passed clean out. Whoops. I confess // I am reading my very first John Grisham novel ever - Sycamore Row. Funny story, actually - I bought that book for Boyfriend for Christmas, and was super excited about it, because I knew he would like it, plus it would mean that I could read it too. Win-win. Then, we get around to present opening time, and what happens? Boyfriend bought the book for me, too. We had a good laugh, and then exchanged one of them for Dan Brown's Inferno. So right now he is reading that, and then we'll switch when we're done. Yay for good books and common interests. I confess // that I was really bummed when the stupid stupid stupid stupid Packers beat out my Bears for a playoff berth. Like, seriously bummed. The Packers are basically the worst team ever (sorry Shannon...just kidding, no I'm not), so the fact that they got to go to the playoffs while my Bears are sitting over in Chicago being bored is just not cool at all. But like Sarah says, my life span probably just got extended a bit, so there is that. I confess // that I have hated tea for basically all of my life, but then the last few weeks while I've been sick I've been drinking a blackberry and pomegranate flavored green tea, and that's actually surprisingly tolerable. I confess // I had actually never heard this song before New Year's Eve, but it's basically been on repeat ever since then because I love it.
This picture has nothing to do with anything. It's just a funny picture of a guy skydiving with a dog.
My brain is kind of in weird word-vomit kind of place right now, so I apologize in advance for the insanity that will be this post.
Three things that make me crazy....because I spent half this morning with my jaw hanging open at people's stupidity:
1 // I hate it when I'm waiting in line somewhere (like Starbucks), and there are like three or four people in front of me, so like basically, the person right in front of me has plenty of time to peruse the menu and think through the Starbucks offerings and decide what they want, but they don't, so when they finally get to the front of the line, and I'm all excited that I'm next, they take THREE BLOODY MINUTES to figure out what they want. And then they change their order halfway through its creation. This exact situation happened to me this morning, so the irritation is still a little fresh.
2 // It drives me nuts when people don't use their turn signals when they're driving. I can't read your mind, losers!! How am I supposed to know that you're trying to get over into my lane? There is really no reason for you to speed up to be even with me, just to slow back down so you can move into the lane behind me. Unless the reason is just to flip me off, in which case it's still completely unacceptable and also rude. Jack wagon.
3 // Boyfriend tells me I am high-maintenance for this, but it drives me nuts when there are a bunch of empty tables in a room or restaurant, and people come and sit down right next to where I am. I don't know why it irritates me so much - I know it's completely snotty and irrational on my part. But it just does.
Three sports related things (just so I can link up with Sara):
1 // The stinky Minnesota Vikings finally had their first win on US soil last night, against the Redskins. It's about dang time, Minnesota. Get your shiznit together. (Quick side note: There's all this hulabaloo lately about the Redskins having a "racist" team name or whatever...how does everyone feel about that?)
2 // Hockey is back! And though I don't really actually care about it slash really don't care at all, Wild games are still really fun to go to, so hopefully I will get to go to at least one game this year.
3 // THE BEARS BEAT THE PACKERS ON MONDAY NIGHT. This is actually probably like the best news ever for me, since I'm a Bears fan and a Packers anti-fan (which basically means I hate them). Shannon and I had a lovely little Twitter war going on for a few minutes on Monday, but then I fell asleep like a loser before the game ended so I couldn't even properly gloat. That part sucked. But the Packers losing part was still pretty awesome.
Seven things that are completely unrelated to anything, including each other:
1 // I am going to make a delicious dip for Fat Sunday this week. It's really easy, consisting only of cream cheese, sausage crumbles, and Rotel dip. And it's worth every dang calorie in it. So I'm pretty jazzed about that.
2 // Family Christmas is officially scheduled, and people from the outlying parts of the country are procuring plane tickets and everything, which makes it even cooler. I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT.
3 // Starbucks is having a BOGO on holiday beverages November 14th-17th from 2-5pm. You're welcome.
4 // Boyfriend and I hit up the amateur hour at the local comedy club last night. It was basically as to be expected, I suppose. Some of the performers were straight up terrible and got nothing but pity laughs (or drunk laughs from the crazy girls sitting next to us - see #3 annoyance above), but some of them were actually really good, and really funny. It made me think of Taylor and her journey down the comedic circuit. And I found myself really wishing that she were performing last night instead of the stupid not-funny people, because I pretty much crack up through every post that she ever writes, so I imagine listening to her tell jokes is probably enough to make laugh hard enough to start snorting and falling off my chair all classy lady style.
5 // I finally ordered an Erin Condren planner. I am way too excited about it. I didn't go all out crazy and get the personalized photo stickers, even though I wanted to, because of the time it would have taken to pick out all the faces and stuff, but I did get the birthday/anniversary/etc stickers, which will add a fun piece to the planner. And the customization on the cover?? OMG the cutest thing ever. Just wait 'til you guys see it. You'll agree with me, I promise.
6 // I REALLY miss watching "Friends" every day. I used to fall asleep to random episodes every night, but since all of my stuff is STILL in storage out in Vegas, (and we only have the one TV, and it's in the living room, not the bedroom) I'm pretty much limited in what I can watch when I fall asleep. I've been turning on "The West Wing" on Netflix recently, which is interesting, certainly, but doesn't quite fill the void.
7 // I want donuts right now. And salt and vinegar potato chips. And some delicious tomato macaroni a la my mom. Oooh, and my dad's fried chicken. Basically I want to eat all the things right now.
8 // The blogging community is kind of a cool thing. Like it's really interesting to look back and think about the ways that I have made some friends over the course of the past few months. And isn't it weird to think about the fact that like, these friends and I - Kaylee, Belinda, Bethany, Justine, and Juliette, just to name a few - we've never even met!? We just read random snippets of each other's lives, and tweet at each other, and send random texts and snapchats and emails, and that's all! More and more, I'm understanding that blogging is a club. And you can't be in it until you're in it, but once you're in, you're always in. It's totally sweet, and completely weird, all at the same time.
Heyyyy, everybody. It's finally Friday, whaaaaatt? And since I'm feeling particularly unmotivated and uninspired, and because I haven't done it for a while, I'm going to link up with Leslie for Confessional Friday!!
Random picture that has nothing to do with anything, except that I really want to be sitting in one of those chairs drinking a margarita right now. {source}
Ready? Here we do go.
I confess // that I kind of hate it when I get into television shows while they're still on air, because I can like, fly through the first couple of seasons via Netflix or Hulu, but then when I'm done with that, I have to wait for the rest of the episodes, and that sucks. (I'm looking at you, New Girl and Scandal.).
I confess //that sometimes I really question myself - my own thoughts, my decisions, what I have to offer, etc. And sometimes, I confess that in my own eyes, I come up lacking.
I confess // that I hate being scared, and will fall for every single scary sound/image/face, every single time, but for some reason, I still kind of want to go to the haunted amusement park by the Cities this year. Even though I know I will hate it, and will probably lose my voice from screaming, like I did the one and only time I've ever been to any kind of haunted anything.
I confess // that people who accuse me of doing X action, but refuse to open up their eyes to see that they're doing it themselves as well make me completely crazy. I know that it's human nature and all that, but it still makes me ridiculously angry.
I confess // that I am a big fat loser when it comes to survivor football, and I got knocked out in Week 3. Yes, people, Week 3. *hangs head in shame* I picked the Vikings, along with my dad and sister, because I was thinking that a.) they're going to win, and b.) it's still early enough that I can be all like, "go team go" with my family, and how fun will that be when we are all rooting for the same team and celebrating their win? And then they had to go and lose, like jerk faces, so I'm annoyed. (I talked about sports, so it's cool to link up with Sarah for Fan Friday, right??)
I confess //that I cannot find a font I actually like to save my life. Not a real big deal in the grand scheme of things, but annoying, nonetheless.
I confess // that there are a lot of things I want to say, but don't know how.
And, in the spirit of not always knowing what is going on in my head, or what I want to be when I grow up, or whatever, I'm also going to link up with Whitney, and go ahead and #backthatazzup to some old school coming of age music.
