Dilemma Solved

Dear State Farm Commercial Guy,

As previously stated, I faced a dilemma as to whether or not to add you to "the list".  Recently I saw your new Beneful dog food commercial and well...you look and sound like a major dork.  So, my dilemma is solved.  You did not make the list.  Better luck in your future endeavors.

It's About Time!

I must admit, I let out a little cheer in the car the other day when I heard that Burger King has decided to get rid of their "Burger King" mascot and go in a different marketing direction.  Good move Burger King!  I also glad to find out that according to Time Magazine, I was not the only one who found the King creepy.

So now that #1 on my list is now no more (whew!), its time for Old Navy to follow suit and get rid of their mascots.  I avoid them at all cost when I visit their stores.

Heard this song tonight on my way home.  The timing wasn't coincidental.

Stronger
By Mandisa

Hey, heard you were up all night
Thinking about how your world ain't right
And you wonder if things will ever get better
And you're asking why is it always raining on you
When all you want is just a little good news
Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather
Oh, don't hang your head
It's gonna end
God's right there
Even if it's hard to see Him
I promise you that He still cares

(Chorus)
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me, this is gonna make you stronger
Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger
Believe me, this is gonna make you ...

Try and do the best you can
Hold on and let Him hold your hand
And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus
Oh, lift your head it's gonna end
God's right there
Even when you just can't feel Him
I promise you that He still cares

Chorus

'Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this

Chorus

I NEED A Fence Fund

I'm starting a "I NEED A Fence Fund" because of this:

All of this lovely greenbelt behind the houses on my street...

(Ignore my lack of lawn.  I've tried for 3 years to plant grass without success.  Didn't even bother this year due to the heat).

And my neighbors on either side have decided THIS is the acceptable place to dispose of their dead limbs...

(Neighbor on the North)

(Neighbor on the South)

Neighbor on the South has been dumping his brush there for over a year now.  I have tried moving it to the green belt and he only moves it back.  And there is not much I can do because its kind of common area...BUT the weeds are starting to grow up around it the the company that mows our lawns for us (part of the HOA dues) won't mow close to it (can't say I blame them).  Of course, my neighbors don't have to look at it because THEY have FENCES.  So I have decided if you can't beat'em, join'em!  I need a fence so I don't have to look at their mess.  Now how I'm going to PAY for this fence is still TBD, so if you know of any deep pockets willing to part with approximately $500 let me know and I'll send you my paypal address. :o)  Hey, a girl can dream! ;o)

Jumping Spider?

Came home from work today to find a very dense spider web in the corner of my front door...so I did what I do best...I went and grabbed a can of spider killing spray.  Eventually, the spider eventually came stumbling out of the web looking like a drunk trying to do a field sobriety test.  Felt a little bad, but it didn't last.

But not knowing if I needed to be concerned about this spider, I got online and did a search for "black spiders with white spot on back."  First, most of the sites weren't helpful because they kept posting pictures like this.

I had to put my feet up on the coffee table because I kept feeling like something was crawling up my leg.  **Major Shutter**

I finally found a website that actually showed the full body of the spider and so I'm pretty sure I just killed a female jumping spider.  Not thrilled about the jumping part, but she is on the way to meeting her demise and didn't look like she would be jumping anymore in this lifetime.

But as I was reading about said Jumping Spider, it said this "Jumping spiders are easily distinguished from other spiders by their four big eyes on the face and four smaller eyes on top of the head."  WHO IN THE WORLD IS GOING TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE IF IT HAS EYES!?!?!?!  NOT ME!!!!!!!!!

My Hair is Driving Me Crazy!!!

I am chomping at the bit to cut my hair.  Its driving me crazy, but I don't want to cut it so short that I have to get it cut every 4-6 weeks because well...I can't afford that right now...so I'm trying to let it grow another 3 inches before I donate it (which for me could be this fall if not late summer).

I have one friend (who actually started all of this in the first place) who will be very disappointed for me to cut it off, but she doesn't have to take care of it.  Below are just a few reason's I'm itching to cut it off:

• I'm starting to look like one of those women who lives in a polygamist compound (especially if I only pull it back on the sides).
• I keep getting toothpaste in it (no matter how hard I try to keep it out of the way).
• Keep getting food in it.
• Takes forever to dry.
• Its become too hard to curl on my own.
• Its HOT!!!
• STATIC...24/7, 365.
• Constantly tangled thanks to the Oklahoma wind.
• Got it caught in the car door 4 times yesterday alone.
• Got it caught in the refrigerator
• Got it caught in a dressing room door hinge
• Takes twice as much shampoo/conditioner.
• Keeps sticking to my lips.
• Makes for a very heavy pony tail.

Not sure what I'm going to do with it when I do cut it, but sure can't wait until that day!

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

Can I just say that I have the best mom EVER!  I mentioned one day that I wished I could find a carrier to fit my Pampered Chef Bar Pan and some of my other dishes that are larger than 9x13.  And in true mom form, she said "I think I can make you one".  She had seen one before and thought she could figure out how to make it.  It took some experimenting, but she came up with this:

My mom ROCKS!  So much better than the towel I was using!

Rain, Rain, Go Away! Come Again Anytime After 9 a.m. Saturday!

Since I started working with Relay For Life of Edmond in 2005, it has rained every other year.  My first year it rained and that was the first time they had ever had to move it indoors.  This is now a trend that can't seem to be broken.  I had high hopes for this year though.  THIS was going to be the year we broke that pattern.  THIS year we were going to have good weather.  But as of right now, there is anywhere from a 40% - 80% chance of severe weather on Friday.  This is Oklahoma though and there is still a chance that could change (many years there was no chance of rain on Monday and 80% by Friday...I'm hoping it works in the reverse for me this year.)

Must Be Said

I cannot stand the word "juicy".  I don't know why, but that word alone grates on my every last nerve.  I have such an aversion to the word that I won't purchase anything that uses the word.  Juicy Couture...will never own it because of its name alone (not that I would pay that much for their stuff to begin with).  I can't even bring myself to say the word.

Okay, now that I have that off my chest...

My Favorite Picture From the Royal Wedding

A picture says a thousand words!

Click on the picture to get a better look at her face.  Love it!

Why is it…

When you’re a teenage girl, you hear lesson after lesson about how you should be discerning about who you date and who you marry. How you shouldn’t settle. Be selective. Wait for the person God has chosen for you.

In college you hear even more lessons about how you should be wise when choosing a mate. Marriage isn’t easy and shouldn’t be taken lightly. To be careful to choose someone you are compatible with personality-wise and spiritually.

In your twenties, people praise you for taking your time. They tell you how much work marriage can (and you’re starting to see first-hand proof from some of your friends who have already married). They tell you to enjoy your single years…that there is plenty of time to be married. Take your time. Find the right person.

THEN you reach your thirties and all of a sudden, everyone seems to retract all that advice they gave you when you were younger. They begin to almost force marriage on you. They start deciding to fix you up with any male they know realively close to your age (or in some cases MUCH older) because if your over 30 and single, then you must automatically be a perfect match. They tell you if your not married yet, you’re being too picky. They also begin to point out every little fault you have…which seems odd to me because I know lots of people who are train wrecks that are married. I am by no means under some dilussion that I am without flaw, but obviously having personality flaws is not a deal breaker for most people.

I must say, the double standard annoys me. I hate being told I’m being too picky. I know the difference between picky and discerning. Picky is saying I won’t marry someone who doesn’t play the guitar, or doesn’t make 6 figures. Picky is saying he has to be this height and have this color of hair. DISCERNING is saying I won’t marry someone who does not treat me respectably. Who doesn’t share my faith in God. Who I don’t enjoy carrying on a conversation with, spending time with, or attracted to. And let me just say…if are aware of some of my “celebrity” crushes, then you know that I’m not looking for model-like looks. The most attractive guy I ever dated I wasn’t even interested in the first few years I knew him because he always refered to himself as a dumb jock and I don’t date dumb guys. I did eventually get to really know him and found he had an amazing heart and that was what got me (and he was NOT dumb).

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it every day until I go to my grave…I would much rather stay single for the rest of my life than to end up in a miserable marriage. And I am by no means saying that all the guys I’ve dated haven’t been good enough. I have been privelged to go out with some pretty amazing guys, but up to this point we’ve either not been right for each other or the timing just wasn’t right.

So you might be wondering what brought on this little topic of conversation today. For the last two years, I’ve had this problem with guys thinking my place of employment’s website doubles as a dating service. I get random, out of the blue emails from guys who start their email out with some work-related question and end it with personal questions and the line “maybe sometime when I’m in town we can get together.” And this question does not come after I have responded to their emails…its part of their initial email. Sometimes I respond to their work-related question and don’t address the other questions. Sometimes I ignore the email all together.

Well, there is one guy who has sent me a few emails over the last year. Yes, I realize I should be flattered, but I’m also annoyed by it. I didn’t recognize his name at first even though he said we had met, so I turned to the trusty Facebook and found his picture and knew right away who he was. Nice guy, but not my type…not even remotely.

The first time I responded to his work related question, but did not answer or address the “I’m looking for a date” questions. The second time I didn’t respond at all. Thought this took care of it. Then last night, I got yet another email from this guy and this time he didn’t even beat around the bush. He flat out said he wanted to know if he could email me so that we could become friends and see if it leads to something more. Not knowing how to respond to this (because I don’t want to be rude, but I really don’t appreciate being put on the spot like that) I said something to someone and their comment was “You shouldn’t be so picky.”

So why is it that married people get to be selective about who they married, but us single girls over 30 have to just take whatever comes a long? Just say’in.

Hello Spring

My back yard February 1, 2011

This is how much snow we got in less than 24 hours.

A view of the front porch.

And THIS is my backyard on Wednesday!



Even more tulips came up this year (with one random yellow one...hope that means more yellow ones next year).  And the phlox has tripled in size from last year!  Yeah!  I love it when my perennials are actually perennial!  This picture makes me happy. ;o)

Is This Worth It?

Right now I’m wondering why the world I decided to go back to school.

My current class is challenging (and not in a good way). 35% of my grade depends on a group project and so far, only one of my group members (besides me) has attempted to communicate with the rest of the group. We have an assignment that we are supposed to do together this week (online) and so I’m starting to get a little nervous.

Then last week, I found out that two of my classes had been scheduled at the exact same time and instead of being 7-8 weeks like the rest, they were now 5 weeks. Thankfully, when I emailed the school to see if one of them would be offered again before next summer, they gave me the option of replacing it with another course.

Then I discovered today that tuition fees have gone up by almost $400 per class, so now I have to try to get a $1,300 increase on my student loan…which has me somewhat panicked because there is no guarantee that I will be able to find a job right away after I finish. And it’s looking less and less likely that finding a job that won’t require a move to a new state will be possible. Which then gets me to thinking about all the stuff that would need to be done to my house before I could sell… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

When I try to pray about it, I start thinking about it, and I start to panic all over again.

So I find myself sitting here wondering what in the world I was thinking going back to school?  Do I think its worth it?  Ask me in a year.

What You've Missed

Which sadly is not too much, but well...posting is low on the priority list these days.

Tulips Are Coming Up
And it looks like there are more this year than last.  YEAH!!!  Now as long as the freeze doesn't get them.  My Day Lilies are also starting to come back.  I love it when my perennials are actually perennial.

Transplant
I transplanted my lilac bush a week ago Saturday.  And the good news is that is looks like I didn't kill it.  Probably won't bloom again this year, but after scoping out the yard, I decided that when (or if) I ever get around to putting up the fence I have wanted since I moved in, that I wanted to start it in a different spot than originally planned, so I needed to move the lilac bush so it would be in the yard.  I actually wish it would bloom this year to mask the scent of the neighbors dog poop infested yard.  YUCK!  By the way, said transplant lead to this...

Got Locked Out of My House
I have a sliding patio door that leads to my back yard.  Said patio door is not that secure, so I keep not one, but two bars to keep someone from jimmying open the door.  One of the bars is attached and flips up out of the way.  The second fits down in the track at the bottom and I usually just prop it up inside the door frame.  BIG mistake.  The last time I went out the door, I guess I closed it a little too hard and the lower bar fell.  Locking me out of my house.
I tried to see if I could still jimmy the door open.  Could not.  Tried sticking something under the door to see if I could pop it loose.  Didn't work.  My neighbors down the street have a key, but the security bar on the front door was closed so a key was not going to work.  I did try to call these neighbors to see if they had something I could try to break my window open with, but they didn't answer.  So I tried going over to the next door neighbors house.  He wouldn't answer the door (but I know he was home).  I tried calling another friend.  Turns out he was asleep and didn't hear the phone.  So I call my mom to whine.  That wasn't going to do me much good either, so I tried the neighbors down the street again.  This time they were home (and having an equally unfortunate day).
We tried everything we could think of with no luck.  The husband then decided that my weather stripping was in pretty bad shape, so maybe we could peel all of that off and pop the window loose.  That started to work, but then a small piece at the corner cracked, so we pryed it loose, and unlocked the window and He was able to get me in.  This of course meant getting yet another window replaced, but I was in.

Don't Be Hate'n
For about two or three years now I've been trying to talk my mom into crocheting me a Snuggie, and this Christmas (I think because she was desperate for a new project) she agreed.  Last Thursday, this arrived in the mail.

I LOVE it!!!

Snow Days Stats

• Days since I’ve left home = 2
• Times I’ve stepped outside the house = 1
• Days since I showered = 3
• Human beings I’ve seen since Monday = 0
• Injuries = 1 (Sliced finger open. Probably needed stitches. Decided not worth leaving the house for.)
• Pipes frozen = 0 (technically, but the drain upstairs froze and the water was building up in the sink. Fixed it by turning on a space heater. Will be closing the bathroom door tonight to keep bathroom warmer.)
• Hours spent working = lost track. (But I think my butt is permanently stuck to the couch.)
• Episodes of "Toddlers & Tiaras" watched = 2.5 (Got curious after a discussion at work. Those people have issues.)
• Movies watched = 3 ("Princess & the Frog" and the first two of the "Anne of Green Gables" trilogy)
• Household chores done = 2

 

Office is still closed tomorrow. I’m not in a huge hurry to go back to work, but I’m dying to get out of the house.

 

Amen to THAT

I found this article today on MSN talking about what men's bad habits say.  I ran across this particular one that left me saying "amen":

Twenty years ago I would have said this was not a big deal to me because frankly I have two arms and I am capable of opening my own door.  I actually was taken back a bit when I was in college and guys would hold the door open...not just for me, but any girl.  Not something I was used to guys my age doing before reaching college.  I thought it was nice.  And even in my early dating years, I thought it was nice when I guy opened the car door for me, but the practical me thought it was unnecessary.

Then I dated a guy that always opened the door for me.  And I got used to it.  And I liked and appreciated that about him.  But it wasn't until after that relationship ended and I started dating other guys that I realized that little action speaks volumes.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to get into a huff if a guy I'm dating doesn't open a door for me now and then, but when he rarely does or never does it speaks volumes.

Raspberry Beret

Today I'm standing in the UPS store waiting to ship a package when Prince's "Raspberry Beret" came on the radio.  It was all I could do to not laugh out loud and I'm sure the guy helping me had to be wondering why I had the weird smile on my face.

Here's the deal...when I was a kid and that song came out, my best friend told me "beret" was another word for "bra" (obviously she had it confused with "brassiere" but both of us were still too young to wear one, so we didn't know the difference).

So now when I hear "Raspberry Beret" I automatically picture a raspberry colored bra (which when you replace "bra" for "beret" in the song...kind of gives the song a whole new meaning).

Sorry

Yeah, not posting much these days.  Not really anything post-worthy or postable going on.  The excitement lately has consisted of:

• Going home for Christmas and only leaving my mom's house if I absolutely had to.
• Replacing my mixer (which I do need to use the new one soon to make sure its working.  I just got cookied out over the holidays)
• Got a steal on a dress coat I really wanted after Christmas.
• Taking 3 days to put away my Christmas decorations (no I don't have that much stuff...I just wasn't in a boxing up mood).
• After multiple people and tech support trying to help me, I FINALLY got my wireless network set up at home on my own (thank you eHow...you saved me from paying Cisco $30 to trouble shoot the problem).
• And I start school tomorrow...now just praying I get to stay in school.  The financial aid office at UMass is stressing me out!

So that's it.  A new post.  And that's as good as it gets for now.