T.G.I.F.F.F.

Thank Goodness it's Finally Freaking Friday!

Even though I had a shortened week, this week has crawled by incredibly slowly. I've been busy too, so I'm ready for the break the weekend brings. No big plans since we're still on a tight budget because of the new car, but I'm thinking hiking, baking, and Netflix movies are big schedule points.

Plus, I get to see my friend Molly who I haven't seen in like a month. She only lives about two miles away so it's not like we have to travel to see each other. It's just that we've been out of town on alternating weekends, but this weekend we're both in town so there are some fun times in the works. With the warm weather that's expected we're bound to have a good time.

Now if only 5 pm would get here...

Rank and File

Since I've had a lot of bad days recently, I've developed a rating system to tell Aaron how I'm doing that day so he knows exactly how much tenderness he needs to use with me. Okay, so I didn't really develop a rating system so much as I'm just giving him percentages, but you know, whatever. It works.

I've been hovering inbetween 50% (that was Sunday) and 90% (that was Tuesday). Yesterday I was at about a 75%, meaning that I was doing pretty good but was also feeling fairly exhausted. He used just the right amount of tenderness and I went to bed feeling like I was at about 90%. He really is great to me and although he thinks that he's not good enough to deserve me, I think it's the other way around and I'm truly lucky.

I have a feeling the reason I was so exhausted yesterday was due to four meetings and a chili cook-off we held here at work yesterday. I entered a chili using Aaron's great-grandfather's recipe, which I think is truly awesome and which contains a bottle of beer, but I did not win. I think it was because there were many "standard" chilis like mine, but the winning chili was spicy so it stood out. There were 9 chilis entered and most, like mine, received about 5 votes while the winning chili received 9, and second place 8. So I know that mine just didn't stand out from the crowd. I was not really disappointed, but Aaron was. He's slightly more competitive than me so that could be the reason.

I'm just waiting for a bake-off that's coming up in the next couple of months some time. I'm having trouble deciding whether to make my low-fat lemon swirl cheesecake or banoffee pie (bananas, toffee and whipped cream - deliciousness in a pie crust). Aaron likes some of my cookies as well. So we just decided that we're going to have to bake each of my options, try them, and rank them so that we can come up with the final decision of which to enter. I think Aaron just wants me to bake more often. We're starting with the banoffee pie tonight and he's so excited he can barely stand it. It really is that good.

Health and Other Distractions

I have been having bad allergy problems this spring, which has been weird because I haven't had any problems with allergies for about the past 2 years. It's been bad though, especially an issue with my right ear - it's completely plugged up and has been for about 2 months now. My doctor gave me a horse-pill-like decongestant, but it didn't help much and made me feel a little cloudy, so I stopped taking it. I went back to her office on Monday and now we're getting aggressive with the medication - decongestant when needed, Claritin, a steroid nasal spray and ear drops.

I picked up the nasal spray and ear drops yesterday afternoon on my way home from work, and then sat down to do one of my favorite things when I got home - read the precautions and possible side effects. The nasal spray precautions section is like a short story, and this is my favorite line from it (I'm paraphrasing because I don't actually have the paper with me): Should be used only with caution in children. May stop growth temporarily, but should not affect final adult height. Monitor your child's growth after they have taken this medicine.

Great, so it's a good thing I'm not a kid because this nasal spray would stunt my growth. Ha!

**************************************************************************

I was feeling pretty blue this weekend, so Aaron decided to take me on a surprise road trip. We ended up in Grand Haven which is right on Lake Michigan. It was a pretty day, although a little cold, and it was nice to get away and out of the house for a bit because cabin fever has hit big time. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:

Here I am taking in the calming effects of the lake.

The lake itself. There were only tiny waves that day but the sound was amazingly relaxing. I could have spent the entire day just sitting on the beach listening.

Aaron walking to the lake. I now have this one printed so that I can look at it every day. I love it.

***************************************************************************

As a special treat this week (and I am so excited about this it's ridiculous) I got to watch the episode of ANTM from last week last night, and then the new episode is on tonight, and for once it will actually be on instead of a basketball game. I have been so spoiled lately. I can't wait to see who gets kicked off tonight!

He Hates it When I Tease Him and Then Tell Everyone About It...

Oh, well.

Scene: Friday night in our living room watching television. A commercial for Oscar Meyer Bologna plays on the tv.

Aaron: Bologna is spelled wrong. How can it possibly be pronounced like that when it's spelled like it is?

Jessie: It just is. Confusing, yes, but I don't know what to tell you.

Aaron: It should just be spelled like it sounds: B-O-L-O-O-N-Y

Jessie: (starts giggling) Boloony?

Aaron: What? B-O-L-L-O-N-E-Y. That's what I said.

Jessie: No (still giggling) you spelled it boloony.

Aaron: Whatever. I did not.

Later on that evening...

Aaron: I think the Pistons play again on Wednesday, so I think you'll miss a new America's Next Top Model yet again.

Jessie: Well, that's just a bunch of boloony.

Aaron: (turns red and has steam coming out his ears because he hates it when I tease him)

Five Years

Five years ago tonight Aaron and I kissed for the first time. I cannot believe it's been that long because the years have just flown by. It was a great night and I'm so happy he made a move because I had been waiting for almost a month. And now look at us - married, making plans, having fun...It's wonderful.

Here's how the kiss happened:

We were at a party thrown by some co-workers, and generally having a great time. I don't remember much about the party because my memory just always goes back to the kiss, but what I do remember is that Aaron's roommate had made me a rather strong tequila sunrise, Aaron had his arm around me half the night (swoon!), and I was a very happy girl.

I had been pursuing Aaron for about a month. I regularly went to his house with drinks and video games, and didn't let him win (in fact I beat him regularly). We worked together so we regularly went out to lunch after our morning shift at the coffee house. We had even gone on a (kind-of) date at the beginning of the month. We went out to a movie and then to a bar afterward. He was a gentleman and walked me to the door when the date was over, but he didn't kiss me then. I was shy, but I had generally been laying it on pretty thick to get him to notice me. Aaron was shy as well so he didn't really want to make the first move either.

Well, back to the party. We were just hanging out, talking to people, dancing and drinking. It got late and so we decided to go, and since my car was back at his house we had to leave together. As we were walking to his car he still had his arm around me (double swoon!) and then he pulled me in tight because I was shivering. I looked up at him and smiled, and then it happened. He kissed me. I'll spare you the rest of the details, because that was the good part, but there it is: our first kiss. We've been inseparable ever since.

Grand Plans

I decided, this morning while laying in bed trying to deny that I was actually awake, that it is time for me to become more of an actual functioning human being. I've been in a funk for a while now and realized that I'm just wasting my days by not doing anything productive. It's starting to annoy me. My typical daily schedule is: Get up, shower and dress, go to work (where I don't get done nearly as much as I should), come home, make dinner, veg out in front of the television, head to bed (around 8) where I watch even more television, and fall asleep usually around 9 or 10.

This routine is getting old. I need to DO something. I'm in a rut and I can't seem to get out. Some days I exercise, but that has definitely fallen by the wayside, which has caused me to totally lose my bet with Aaron about losing 10 pounds in a month. I only made it halfway to my goal, which isn't bad, but still - I just need to do something.

Trouble is, I don't know what to do, and that is totally depressing. Everything sounds boring or expensive. Since we bought the new car and are trying to pay down all of our debt (and are doing a good job of it, I should add) expensive things are out.

The last time I needed something new in my life I went back to school and got my masters. Then, I got engaged and planned a wedding. Now all I have to fill my time is work and home. Don't get me wrong, I love work and I know that my job is fabulous, and of course my home life is wonderful, but I'm just bored which is something I hate to be. I think it's time to take some fun classes (like an art class, or maybe even a dance class) or get a new (and hopefully cheap) hobby.

What I definitely know is that I need something that will give me a big kick in the butt and get me moving, because this whole rut thing is thoroughly depressing.

Top Ten Reasons I Am Ready For Spring

...followed by a very sweet story about my wonderfully sweet husband (you may puke at the sappiness if you need to. I don't blame you.)

1. Warmth. I've been freezing for months now. When I get into my office in the morning, it's a whopping 61 degrees usually. In the summer months I actually have to wear short sleeves or sleeveless shirts to stay comfortable, which I love. Bring on the heat, baby!

2. Cute Clothes. I'm tired of sweaters. I usually look forward to wearing them in the fall, but I'm tired of wearing big bulky clothes. I also hate wearing socks so I'm really looking forward to sandal season, because I've got quite a few cute pairs. Oh, and skirts. I love skirts, and it's just too damn cold to wear them in the winter here. Cute clothes are one of my favorite parts of spring.

3. Spring Flowers. Tulips are by far my favorite flowers, and they're going to start peaking through the dirt any day now. I just know it. Also, I live by a large university that has planted flowering trees everywhere and it is about the most beautiful place on earth in the spring. I'm ready for the flowers and the green, instead of the snow and the dead brown that everything is now.

4. Dryness goes away. My skin is so dry that even if I moisturize it twice a day it's still flaky. I've done everything to make it better and nothing is really working. I'm embarrassed about my elbows especially - there's just nothing that can fix them now except some humidity. Michigan is a swamp, basically, so warmth also means humidity which equals not dry skin. (I'll complain about the oiliness this summer - just fair warning there.)

5. Open windows. There is nothing I love more than having my windows in my home open. I love the smell of the fresh air in my home. I love the gentle breeze that flows through. I just love having the windows open.

6. Breakfast on the balcony. We have a balcony at our apartment with chairs and small tables set up on it. One of my favorite things to do is sit out there with coffee and a sweet roll and enjoy the morning. It's very relaxing and refreshing, and Aaron likes it too, so it's romantic to boot.

7. Grilling. Aaron and I love to grill. Brats with onions and peppers (which have been boiled in beer, of course), big juicy steaks, marinated shrimp and asparagus spears, and on, and on, and on. Outdoor cooking is our favorite kind, and it's about that time.

8. Hiking. Especially without having to drag along practically an entire box of tissues, because that's what I have to do when we go hiking in the winter. There are a lot of state parks that are pretty close by to where we live and I am looking forward to spending a lot of time in nature this summer.

9. Lots of exciting plans. Such as: my sister-in-law-to-be's wedding shower (April), my friends' wedding (May), my brother's wedding (June), my best friend's wedding shower (July), and my best friend's wedding (September). I know that carries me through way past spring, but there are lots of exciting things happening wedding-wise this summer, and I couldn't be happier about it. My brother is getting married in Marquette, MI, which is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I'm the maid of honor in my best friend's wedding, so I get to plan the shower and bachelorette party and I have to get a dress still. It's all just very exciting to me.

10. Happiness. I get pretty blue in the winter sometimes, and spring is the only sure cure available. The happiness has already begun because of a few warm days we have had along with a lot of sunshine. I am so happy that it's almost spring (I know it's "officially" spring, but until there's no more frost in the mornings, spring is not officially here in my book) and I can't wait to thoroughly enjoy it.

So, yes, those are the reasons I'm ready for spring to get here. Like, yesterday. It's just being so slow!

So, speaking of yesterday: It was not a very good day. I was completely PMSing and crampy and very unhappy overall. I skipped my workout and went home to sulk on the couch. When Aaron called on his way home I broke into tears because I was just in so much pain and feeling weepy. Also, I didn't want to cook dinner but felt bad about not wanting to cook dinner because I don't like Aaron to have to do everything. See? PMS. Right there.

So he was stopping at the store and asked if I wanted anything, and I just reminded him of the things we needed but didn't ask for anything extra. He walked in the door about 30 minutes later with a bag full of treats (which are sure to completely ruin my diet for a few days, but I've been good lately, so what the hell, right?) including: 2 Take 5 candy bars (one peanut butter, one double chocolate), a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby, pizza, and a box of various flavored teas.

Then he proceeded to insist that I eat a candy bar, make one of the pizzas, bring it to me with a glass of ice water, then put me to bed with the heating pad. Then he watched the ANTM re-run (since we missed it last week due to a basketball game) and Scrubs with me. He's such a sweetheart. I really needed that yesterday, and he over-exceeded my expectations. Now I really want to do something amazing for him. Looks like a seafood dinner will be made this weekend, followed by lots of basketball watching and a case of his favorite beer. I love pampering him just as much as he does me.

I don't have a lot of very developed stories today (or any, actually) so here are my thoughts, bullet-style:

• I forgot to post about reading "Bitter is the New Black", but I did and I loved it. That's a link to Jen's site, which is also a fabulous read. It was very funny, and my favorite part was when she invited the new neighbors over for White Russians and "The Big Lebowski". The whole thing was great and I suggest that everyone go out and buy a copy and read it post haste.
• If you are in any way feeling emotional or PMS-like, don't watch "The House of Sand and Fog". I really liked the movie, but it also may have been the most depressing thing I've ever seen. It left Aaron and I feeling completely drained, but also in completely different moods. I was desperate for something funny to wash away the depression, and he was in the mood to cuddle and snooze. I was also in the mood to stop crying because by the end? I was a sobbing mess.
• Speaking of PMS, I am so craving a cheeseburger today, it is not even funny. Time to dig into my change drawer and head over to Micky-D's because I spent all of my money on alcohol this past weekend.
• The reading yesterday was short-lived. Well, at least for yesterday it was - he may pick up the book again, and I really hope he does. The reason it ended was because of me. It was totally my fault. Why, you ask? Well because I went home for lunch, sat down on the couch with him (where the reading was occurring) and turned on the television. Big mistake, because when I was flipping through the stations I came across a race (I think Nascar) that had been postponed due to rain the previous day, so he watched that. Although it was very sweet because he said that watching the race wasn't nearly as fun without me next to him on the couch reading my book and completely ignoring the race. At least he knows how I roll.

Shocked! But pleasantly.

I know I have mentioned before how much I love to read. I've been reading pretty voraciously lately, taking in about a book a week (which is better than recent history, but much less than ancient history). And as much as I love a good book? Aaron is not enthused. He reads, of course, especially things like Car & Driver, PC World, and other various magazines. He also reads a lot online when doing research on whatever our next purchase is.

So imagine my surprise today, when I walked in the door during my lunch break, and I saw my darling husband, who is home sick from work, reading *gasp* a BOOK. And not just any book - The DaVinci Code. So, a long book (well, long for him at least). He said he wanted to read it to see what the hype was about (since it has been in the news so much recently) and to get ready for the movie (which means he will go with me to see it - YAY!).

Now, I normally try to be sneaky, commenting on how great a book is and how much he would just love the story, or "hmmm..."ing a lot while reading so that he gets interested in what I'm reading. But this was all on his own, no goading from me.

I'm so proud.

Friends, Fun, and Blue Drinks of DEATH!

We've arrived safely home from Indiana, and are ready to start the week. Well, at least I am. Aaron is home sick today. He was thinking about just calling in sick, but then actually got sick (rotten luck, eh?) and so he's home in bed. The lucky bastard!

The weekend was, to be honest, it was pretty boring. We did have some fun, but mostly on Friday and only until about 7 pm. We found out that we are to old to start drinking at 11:30 am and expect to keep going throughout the night. We also learned (and by we I mean Aaron) about the importance of pacing yourself when drinking for 8 hours straight. There are pictures on Flickr (click the banner to the right if you're interested) and you can definitely see the progression of drunkness throughout the day.

We started the day at a winery, which was suprisingly lovely. Aaron and I had passed the winery on the way down to his friends' house and it was right off the freeway. This led to all kinds of jokes for about the next five minutes, such as: "What an interesting bouquet! I'm getting notes of anti-freeze and a slight aftertaste of carbon monoxide. Delicious!" and "Did you taste this Cab? You can actually taste a cab in it! Smoky, oily, and aged nicely. Mmmmm." and so on. We are such snobs.

We each tasted about 6 wines, got a glass of wine for the winery tour, and then the four of us split two bottles of wine over lunch. Quite an auspicious start to the day, actually. After sobering up a little we headed back into town and made the smart decision to call a cab to take us to the bar district, where we started at an Irish pub.

This is where the boys really started in on the heavy drinking, and where we girls decided that it would be a good idea to pace ourselves because someone had to be sober enough later to, I don't know, walk? Aaron had two pints of Guiness, his friend Dave had a half-yard of beer, Dave's girlfriend Natalie had mead, and I had an Irish Coffee.

Did I mention that I'm quite a bit Irish? And that I love whiskey? Also, that whiskey doesn't usually like me? However, Irish Coffee and I? We are best friends. (Also apparently question marks and I. Geez.) From there we continued on to a five other bars (including one where I had my very first, and probably last, flaming shot. They're not quite as exciting as one would think. Especially when the bar has no way to light them and you have to search for someone with matches or a lighter first.) ending up at a bar called "The Upstairs Bar".

And then there were the BLUE DRINKS OF DEATH! that did us all in. Here is a picture of me with my blue drink of DEATH!:

Beware. It looks pretty, but it will KILL YOU! For it is the BLUE DRINK OF DEATH!

I was actually still pretty okay at this point, having really paced myself and only having diet Coke at a couple of bars. This is also where the pictures ended because, honestly, it was not very pretty after that. Aaron was not doing well, so we went back to his friends' place and I took care of him the rest of the night. I hate seeing him not feeling well, so it was a long sleepless night. We all ended up going to bed at about nine-thirty, which just really confirmed how old we are.

Saturday was spent recuperating, and yesterday we left at about 10 to come home. I read an entire book in the car over the weekend, which was nice, and which also meant that Aaron enjoyed listening to NCAA games on the radio while we drove because I wasn't paying attention to the radio at all. Overall it was a nice weekend, although not one I want to recreate any time soon. I'm really glad to be home, and sleeping in my own bed last night was heaven.

And! It's the first day of spring! I am very excited about this. Spring is my favorite season because it gets warmer and there are flowers everywhere. It's just beautiful today (cold, but beautiful), and it's just supposed to keep getting better. I really do love spring.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope you all are out there having a great St. Patty's Day. Since I'm about 40% Irish (the rest is Scottish and English - I'm really waspy) I'm going to celebrate a lot today. Aaron and I are off to Indiana to visit one of his friends and partake in some college-like partying. I'm so loving vacation days right now.

Anyway, as you can see by the timestamp thingy on here, it's before 6 in the morning, and I think by law I don't have to be creative until way after 6, so I don't know much to write about. However, I thought I'd play the game I see on other peoples' sites sometimes: Ask me anything.

That's right. Do you have anything you want to know about me? I'll answer pretty much anything except for of course things like my address, where I work, or any other stalkerish questions (not that any of my lovely readers would ask me those things, but just in case someone weird stumbles on my site this weekend I thought I'd give this little exception). Have fun and ask away.

And if anyone pinches you today for not wearing green? You have my permission to smack them. Because that's just annoying. For real.

Another Post About Television

Damn, I really need to get a life. I still can't get over the whole school-night syndrome though, so if it's a school night I'm at home, and what else is there to do after all the chores are done (ha! Who am I kidding? I plop down on the sofa as soon as I get home from work/working out.) but sit my butt down and watch that soul-sucking box?

Well, last night I was excited to get everything done that I needed to around the house (cooked dinner, finished a book, shamed Aaron into doing the dishes, etc.) so that at eight o'clock I could sit down and watch America's Next Top Model. It was the makeover show (one of my favorites of the season) and I couldn't wait to see all the new looks. Plus Aaron and I bet on who will be kicked off next.

Yes, we're lame, and we embrace our lameness. What? You're never lame? Don't judge us.

So yes, we were ready for the show. I turn on the television, change the channel to UPN, and what do I see? I basketball game.

More specifically a basketball game that's not even half over.

Are you kidding me? You have to be kidding me, right? Isn't that what ESPN is for?

Not only that, but the cable company has recently been messing with my channels, so whereas we used to have two UPN channels, we now only have one. Although the TV Guide channel still shows that we have two, so when I was watching it to see if maybe ANTM would be on after the end of the Pistons Game, it showed that if they hadn't messed with my channels, I could have been watching ANTM at that very moment.

I was beyond pissed off. Aaron, being the ever-enthusiastic sports fan that he is, was not upset. I mean, there was a basketball game on. Who could that hurt?

Me.

Then I realized that I was being ridiculous about a stupid tv show and that I should get over myself. So I sent myself to bed early, finished the last chapter of my book, watched the American Idol results show (which, sorry - tangent here - what the hell was up with the bottom three, and why were Bucky and "Chicken Little" not in it with Melissa? I don't get how America votes for people. Maybe I should listen to my own, often-doled-out advice, and since I didn't vote I shouldn't bitch.) and then went to sleep.

But I'm still a little angry about not getting to watch my show. Of course, I already went on the ANTM website and totally ruined the surprise of what everybody looks like now and who got kicked off. But there's still the catfights and other drama that I'm looking forward to when the re-run is on next Tuesday.

And it sure as hell better not be pre-empted for a sporting event. Because then? There will be hell to pay.

Back At It

Well, after sleeping most of yesterday I've decided that one sick day was enough and I'm back at work feeling much better (except for the fresh scrape on my knee from biting it in the parking lot this morning). It was a nice, relaxing day at home which seems to have helped a lot.

I've decided something though. Television for television's sake is not much fun if you're not using it to procrastinate. Just watching tv without a specific show in mind has gotten boring now that I'm not in school and avoiding finishing my homework, which is what I did through most of my masters program. Undergrad too. Lifetime movies just don't suck me in like they used to.

And did you know that instead of the normal two hours of Unsolved Mysteries in the middle of the day on Lifetime, now they're only playing 30 minutes? I was sorely disappointed. I woke up specifically at noon to watch it, and was greeted by Fraiser instead. Not bad, but not what I was looking forward to watching.

During undergrad I always had a break between 12 and 2, so I would come home, eat lunch, and fall asleep on the couch watching Law and Order re-runs. They've even pushed back Law and Order during the day to 3 and put Charmed and Judging Amy in its old timeslot.

Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed in the daytime television offerings and slept instead. It was much more entertaining.

Sick Day

I'm home sick today. Nothing exciting to report. Just made it out of bed (barely and only because I had to email the director at work to let him know I wouldn't be making our meeting) and it's 11:30. Expecting the rest of the day to go pretty much the same. Also, I'm hoping a day of rest will make this cold/allergy attack/whatever it is go away so I can function like a normal human being. We'll see. I'll be back tomorrow.

My Apologies

I just read over the entry I posted earlier, and wanted to apologize if it doesn't make any sense. I'm a little high on cold medicine right now, so, yeah. Not much is making any sense.

Stupid non-drowsy-but-still-makes-me-drowsy medicine!

Yay Springtime! (and Boo Allergies!)

I am so sad that it's Monday. This weekend was incredibly beautiful weather-wise, and a lot of fun. There was rain in the forecast, but thankfully it only rained at night long after we were in bed and stopped by the morning. So we had lots of warm weather and sunshine to enjoy. Today it's supposed to be sunny and warm again, but windy, and I'm at work so I don't get to enjoy it nearly as much - just through my office window and the occasional jaunt outside to go to another of our buildings.

The only problem with spring and the beautiful warm weather? Pollen. As soon as there's a whiff of pollen in the air my allergies start to act up. Yesterday, even though I was very happy about the beautiful weather, I was also pretty miserable because I had a sore throat and a worse-than-is-normal-currently ear ache. Blech.

So I spent the day sitting in a chair next to the window reading, and it was perfect. I also went out to see "Failure to Launch" in the evening with my friend Molly. It was a good movie, if somewhat predictable, but there were some things I really liked about it.

One of my not-favorite things in the movie was seeing Terry Bradshaw's naked rear end, but I dealt. I can only handle so much naked man - my husband is the perfect amount for me - and after that it's kind of overload. And unexpected naked man? Even worse.

Overall it was a great weekend and I'm very sad it's over. Although next weekend should be a blast, so I have that to look forward to.

And? It's a 3-day weekend so that makes it even better.

Grocery Store Encounters

Last night after work I stopped at the grocery store around the corner from my apartment to pick up some things I needed to make a dish for a work potluck today. This is not the store I normally shop at, but it is where I run when I just need a few things (like when I run out of milk). Every time I go to this store there is something there that makes me giggle, or at least strikes me as funny or weird.

Usually it's the guy who, every Saturday morning when I run out to get things for breakfast, is in line in front of me with two packs of Marlboro Reds, a bottle of Jack, and a two-liter of Coke. I've seen him there probably six or seven times. He seems to also know the cashier that works on Saturday mornings pretty well, so I assume this is his normal Saturday morning order. Looks like he has a fun Saturday, or at least it's a lively Saturday at the trailer park. (I know that's mean of me to assume, but, in my defense, he's normally dressed in Nascar gear and there is a trailer park across the street from the grocery store, so at least I have a basis for my assumption.)

Well, my encounter last night made me giggle and feel sorry for the guy in line in front of me, all at the same time. He had two items. A large box of Immodium AD and a pack of toilet paper. Looks like someone was having a bad day. He was really red in the face too, so I tried not to giggle because I could tell he was embarrassed.

He really didn't need to worry too much though, because I was pretending (fairly convincingly, I think) not to look at him and the cashier that was working refused to make eye contact, and instead was staring at the ceiling while talking to him. He did the same thing to me. Too weird.

You can be assured, however, that I told Aaron as soon as I got home and we had a good giggle over it. People watching is one of my favorite pastimes and I can always bet on a good people-watching experience at that store. It totally makes it worth going there.

Hi, My Name is Jessie, and I'm a Dork

So, last night I was very excited about something. Loading songs into my ipod? No. Going for a ride in the new car? No. New season of America's Next Top Model? You betcha'!

I came home after work and my workout, made dinner, cleaned up and settled in for the two-hour season premier of ANTM. It was awesome. They put through the people I thought they should, and even kicked off the girl I didn't like at the end. (Aaron even watched the whole thing with me, but I doubt he'd admit that to anyone.)

I've been looking forward to the premier since the last season ended. I'm usually not a big fan of reality shows, but for some reason this one sucks me in every time.

My favorite three this season? (Well, I think actually it will be four) Nnenna (who Aaron insists on calling Banana), Mollie Sue, Joanie, and Sara. Jade? Annoys the hell out of me. As does Furonda. Aaron likes Kari. I'm not surprised. She's cute and blonde with pillowy lips. What man wouldn't like her?

So yes, I passed up playing with all my new toys to watch a reality show.

I really am a huge dork. HUGE!

It's Official

We have a new car. We are the proud new owners of a black 2005 Subaru Outback.

I am totally excited.

Add that to the fact that my ipod is being delievered today, and that makes today one AWESOME day.

I'll of course post pictures as soon as I take them and get around to uploading them. (Hopefully tomorrow, most likely on Friday.)

Holding Pattern

Well, I'm waiting on news to see how buying the car went, so I'll update that when I hear.

In the meantime, I was checking my stats and noticed that in the last twenty-four hours two (perhaps worrisome) search strings brought people to my site. These were "binge on nachos" and "macaroni and cheese". Maybe I should lay off (eating and writing about) comfort foods so much. The whole binge-on-nachos thing hasn't happened in a long time because of the dieting, but damn, that made me want nachos.

Although they are much better than my still-favorite searches that brought someone to my site: "sexy underwear vpl men" (apparently, while women try to avoid the dreaded vpl, someone finds men with vpl very sexy) and "large xxx videos" (for when regular sized videos just won't work).

Brainpower Lapse

So, you know a couple of weeks ago, when I wrote about planning meals for the week?

I seem to have lost that ability today. I cannot come up with a single idea as to what we should eat this week, or even tonight.

I usually plan meals on Friday night(yes, my life is just that exciting, aren't you jealous? You know you are!) or Saturday so that we can go grocery shopping on Sunday and buy everything we need for the week. This past weekend we were out of town, and any free time I had was spent being crabby and sick, so I didn't plan meals or shop. Last night we were out car shopping (no news yet) and didn't get home until about 8 pm, so I didn't plan then.

I thought I'd do it today. I like to have a plan so that things are all neat and orderly and I don't have to worry about it because I've already taken care of everything.

Unfortunately my mind is not working and I can't seem to think of anything to make, let alone figure out when the hell I'm going to make it to the grocery store. I don't even know what we're having tonight, and that never happens. I always know what we're having at least a day ahead of time. I'm starting to freak out a little. I don't know if I'm having trouble because the medicine I'm currently on completely kills my appetite and therefore no food really sounds good because I just don't feel like eating, or if I'm just having one large brain fart today.

My brain, she just ain't working. And that's no good.

Here's hoping that I come up with something soon, otherwise Aaron may just starve tonight, and I really don't want to do that to him.

This was the weekend of New Stuff, apparently.

Crisis averted - Suit purchased and meeting over. I didn't even really have to talk too much. But I did manage to convince Aaron that it was a good idea to get a new outfit because of the very important meeting, so it was a win-win situation!

Also, because my husband is the sweetest man in the history of sweet men sometimes, he surprised me yesterday by buying me an I-Pod! I am so excited. It should get here in the next couple of days, and I can't wait to start loading it up with all my favorite songs. It's the i-pod nano and it holds about 240 songs. My sister's holds about 7500, but I'm just fine with 240 - it gives me something to do when I'm bored, you know, change the songs.

So, yeah, it was a good weekend. And, I think we're going to go buy a new car tonight (well, new to us. It's a used car technically). Aaron's is giving up and so we really need a new one, so we've finally decided on what we want and there's a shiny model sitting at a local dealership that we have our eye on. Wish us luck, we're going in to haggle the price down tonight when Aaron gets home from work.

I Need Help from the Ladies!

Okay, here's the deal.

Yesterday I was told that I have to give a big presentation on Monday to an important group of people. Good opportunity? Yes. Scares the shit out of me? Yes.

But what do I think about as soon as I hear that?

What am I going to wear?!?!

The problem is that all of my suits are in dire need of dry cleaning and I'm going out of town this weekend so I don't have time to get them cleaned. So, I need to buy a new outfit.

Here's where I need help. Where should I look for a good suit, that doesn't cost too much (I'm thinking about $150 or less for an entire outfit)? Also, I kind of want a grey suit since I already have three black ones and plenty of tan pants. Anyone know who's carrying a cute grey suit right now?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Okay I'm going to continue freaking out now.

Phone Phobia

Well, not really a phobia, but I really hate talking on the telephone.

I can't get into too much detail, because it's about work, but I was just given a very important task to do on short notice, and a big part of this task is calling someone in a fairly high position in another state. I normally suck talking on the telephone, but when I need to talk to someone important, someone who I don't know and who sure as hell has no idea who I am? I pretty much come across as not quite all there. I just totally suck at it.

I just tried to call this person and she's busy and asked me to call back in 20 minutes. So here I am, freaking out for the next 20 minutes all because of a stupid phone call.

I am so mental sometimes!

Sevens Meme

But first! I was right about the commercial, I saw it again this morning. I was not smoking crack! And am thoroughly grossed out! THOROUGHLY!

Anyway...

Ms. Sizzle tagged me last week and I totally forgot to do this then, but here it is now:

SEVENS

Seven Things To Do Before I Die:
1. Go visit Italy, Greece, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland
2. Buy a house
3. Have two children
4. Learn to play the guitar
5. Be published (hopefully in a peer-reviewed journal)
6. Get over being so damn shy
7. Learn to speak another language fluently

Seven Things I Cannot Do:
1. Roll my R's
2. Stay up late without complaining about it being past my bedtime
3. Drive at night
4. Talk to strangers without my face turning red
5. Be quiet while drunk
6. Concentrate on one thing for an extended period of time
7. Start and finish a project in a reasonable amount of time (see unfinished quilt, stocking, cross-stitch for my mother-in-law, and scarf)

Seven Things That Attract Me to Blogging:
1. Writing stories
2. Hopefully making others laugh
3. Being able to say what I'm thinking
4. Developing on-line friends
5. Finding out that I'm not alone on a lot of things
6. Helping others to find out they're not alone on a lot of things
7. Reading great stories that I would miss out on otherwise

Seven Things I Say Most Often:
1. Totally
2. Seriously?
3. Baby! (when calling out to my husband)
4. What do you want for dinner
5. Wow!
6. What's up?
7. What do you want to do?

Seven Books I Love:
1. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe (Fanny Flagg)
2. Straight Man (Richard Russo)
3. Pope Joan (Donna Woolfolk Cross)
4. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
5. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
6. Frankenstein (Mary Shelly)
7. Wide Sargasso Sea (Jean Rhys)
(Plus too many more to list here)

Seven Movies/DVDs That I Watch Over and Over Again:
1. Out Cold
2. Anchor Man
3. Garden State
4. Legally Blonde
5. Wonder Boys
6. Harold and Maude
7. Goodburger

Seven People I Want To Join In (sorry if you've already been tagged)
1. Jenna
2. Isabel
3. TB
4. Contrary
5. Frectis
6. Donna
7. Bethiclaus

Disturbed

Okay, I'm going to preface this by saying that I'm not actually sure if I saw this, or if I was dreaming, but I think I saw this on a commercial this morning. Also, Arby's website sucks and they don't have anything about it online, so who knows. I could be smoking too much crack, but whatever.

I think that I saw an Arby's commercial this morning for new "All Naturals" chicken menu items at Arby's. Using All Natural chicken. I may have seen this last night when I had taken some Tylenol Cold Nighttime, so that could explain if I saw this wrong, but really the more I think about it, the more disturbed I am. If their new products are made of All Natural Chicken, what were their old chicken products made of?

Also, am I smoking too much crack, or has anyone else seen this commercial?

**shudder**

I think I'm sufficiently squicked right now.

Do you think I could get fired...

for taking a nap on my desk? I'm seriously considering it this morning. I took some cold medicine and it's not supposed to make me drowsy, but it totally is. Grrrr...stupid not-non-drowsy medication. Also...stupid cold that won't go away that I've had for 2 weeks now. Gah!

In other news, I was bored last night so I decided to mess with my husband's head. It was a blast.

Here's how to freak Aaron out in six easy steps:

1. While watching television, ask Aaron if he can set the alarm for a little early so that you can get up to do yoga in the morning.

2. When Aaron looks at you strange, say "I told you last night that I was going to start getting up to work out early."

3. Get an angry look on your face when he still looks confused and say "You never listen to me!" He starts to stammer, and asks when you told him. Tell him "Last night when we were falling asleep".

4. When he accuses you of cheating on the weight-loss bet you made, ask "How can working out extra be cheating?" and "do you just expect me to keep on doing what I'm doing and lose weight at a faster pace?" Also act really annoyed about this.

5. Crack a smile because you can't keep it in anymore. Admit that you never said that and that you aren't really getting up early to do yoga. Aaron looks slightly relieved and says "Why do you have to mess with me?"

6. Respond "Because I was bored" and receive an eyeroll.

So much fun!

Then 5 minutes later, when he complains about you wanting to get up early to do yoga because that means that he has to get up earlier too since the VCR is in the bedroom, you get to say "YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME!" again. Because this time he really didn't.

Although it would be way easier to freak him out in one step by saying "I think I'm pregnant", I don't think it's fair to cause a heart-attack this early in life.