New Years Resolutions

Every year I make a list of resolutions; some I actually resolve, but others keep re-occurring on each years list. Take for instance working out. I think I have had that on my list every year since my sophomore year in college...and guess what?? It's still there. So this year I have made a list that is hopefully easier to stick to.

1. I will throw out the empty soap bottles in the shower once they run out and not allow them to accumulate.

2. I will put my shoes away in their proper place instead of starting a pile by the front door.

3. I will not paint my nails and two hours later start to pick it off. It really is a waste of time.

4. I will put my bras in the drawer instead of using the doorknob as a bra hanger.

5. I will not buy another book until I have read the one I just bought. (This one might make it to next years list.)

6. I will limit myself from being excited about going to work just to hear the new gossip.

7. I will attend all of my classes this next semester, unless I have a good excuse not to!!

8. I will eat 3 square meals a day. Starbucks does not count as a food group nor a complete meal.

9. I WILL finish the Smallville seasons so I am caught up.

10. I will follow my resolutions and not think...oh I'll save that until next year.

SNOOOOW!!!!

We are in the middle of a huge storm that has dropped over 13 inches of snow on us here in Rio Rancho. My parents have lived here for 26 years and say they have never seen anything like it. It is so peaceful looking outside, I just love it. I think it's amazing how snow can turn an area which is usually sore to the eye with all its dirt and noise into a peaceful winter wonderland.

There is a huge downfall to the snow though, being snowed in. Jeremy just got back from Illinois and we had plans to hang out today, dang it. That was changed, however, due to the large amounts of snow on the ground preventing our cars from going anywhere. Seriously, this stuff was almost up to my knees. There was no way I was getting out in it.

Thankfully, it's starting to melt a little and the roads are clearing. I'm sad to see it go, but I didn't realize how bad cabin fever could be!!

Finally

I finally got some of the pictures from Chicago together....yay for fun times!!!

Where to start??

The trip to Chicago was amazing...so much so that I don't know where to start.

I was really apprehensive about going. 1. because I hate to fly, and 2. because I was nervous about what Jeremy's friends and family would think of me (by the way...I'm still waiting for a full report card as to how I did, but anyways...) The plane ride over was a good as any plane ride could be. I took my usual Dramamine, but it didn't kick in until we left Dallas on our way to Chicago. So Jeremy's friends, Chris and Erin, got to first meet me all groggy. Good thing we still had another day with them.

I wasn't able to see Chicago until the next morning, and let me tell you...I fell in love. I have never been in a big city, and although I felt like the country mouse in this big city, I thought it was amazing. I have never seen so many tall building, stores, and people. We spent the day at the Art Institute, which was fabulous getting to see all of the amazing paintings, including my favorite, Monet. Then we drove around Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

I really enjoyed getting to see Jeremy's old stomping ground, including where he went to college. When I close my eyes and picture college...his is exactly what I would picture. I then got to experience Chicago style pizza. It was completely different than anything I expected, but it was amazing!!! After pizza and a brief visit to the hospital (don't freak out we were just visiting a friend), we headed west toward Rock Falls where Jeremy's brother and sister-in-law live. Now, what I thought was the hard part of meeting the family began.

I was thrilled at the warm reception I got from all of Jeremy's friends and family. They made me feel like one of them. I got to meet the rambunctious Maverick...what a cutie!!! I got to see the Mississippi River for the first time while cross it to Iowa (yes....another state added to my list). We went to see a movie, see old teachers, visit old friends who made Jeremy squirm in his seat, and even visit prison. His brothers were great, his Mom was amazing, and even though I didn't understand all of what Paco said, I learned quickly to smile and nod. When it came time to leave I was saddened because I felt like I was leaving family.

The trip to Illinois was nothing like I expected, it was more!!!

I know, I know

I know I promised a day by day detail of the Chicago trip, but I started my new job this week and have been doing other things to keep my mind occupied waiting for my love to come back home. Wohoo only one more day!!!

CHI-Town!!!!

Yay!!! We are having soooo much fun here in Chicago and Morrison, Illinois. I can't wait to share our amazing time when we get home!!

Mom Always Said I Would Lose My Head if it Wasn't Fastened On

I realize I am very forgetful. Call me a Blondie, tell me I just have a lot on my mind, whatever. The fact of the matter is lately I have been forgetting everything. It starts with my keys and my phone. It has moved on to leaving my homework for school on the printer and forgetting which floor a class is on. Yeah, it's really bad.

Yesterday, I was getting ready for the day and was doing my hair. I was looking all over my bathroom for my big hair clip to put my hair up. I looked under everything...in everything, I couldn't find it anywhere. I gave up and decided to just use a smaller clip. So I got the smaller clip and went to put my hair up, but I couldn't. You see, it was already up...with the big clip I was looking for. It had been in my hair all along, I just forgot I put it there.

You think that's bad, I think today takes the cake. I have not been working for the vet anymore, but today I went to fill in for my mom who was here at the conference for the morning. Well, while I work I take my thumb drive which has my AIM program on it so I can talk to Jeremy and do whatever I need on the internet. So, I finished my work and left to come to do some errands before I had to come back here to the conference. I was just driving down to start my way into town and realized....I FORGOT THE THUMB DRIVE IN THE COMPUTER!!! I couldn't believe that. So I went down to get it, pulled in the parking lot and the boss was there. I didn't know what I was going to do. How was I going to run in and get it and him not know what I was getting?? Jeremy and I devised a plan and it was all set. I was ready to employ it. So I went in and everyone was laughing and smiling at me asking if I forgot something. I was busted!!!

They say there is that supplement you can take for memory, what is it?? Focus-Factor?? I'm not sure it would work, but I think about now anything is worth a shot!!

An Exciting Day with CPA's

I am helping my mom with a conference for CPA's seeking continuing education today and tomorrow. I had to get up at the butt crack of 0430 this morning to get here by 6. While sitting at the sign in table and conversing with some of the attendees, here is what I have observed:

• Like college students, they like to take as many breaks as they can to get out of listening to a lecture.

• They are never happy….one is too hot, then they're cold, then hot

• They are ALWAYS on their cell phone…usually having something to do with checks getting screwed up.

• They are like anyone in school, or church for that matter…they don't like to sit up front.

• Although they are adults, they do not follow directions well. How hard is it to pass around a sign in sheet??

• Even in a group of upstanding adults…there is still that one creepy dirty old man who asks you to sit on his lap.

• They have the hardest time finding their name in an alphabetical list…they work with numbers after all.

• Even in a group of accountants you have your feminists, UGH!!

So, despite being tired, it was a pretty interesting day, I wonder what tomorrow will entail??

Just a Reminder

For my daily readers...don't forget to check out my beauty times three blog. You never know what I will find joy in each day!!!

Sitting and Waiting

Now that finals are all over the hard part begins....waiting for grades to come out. I don't know what is more torture, the finals or the waiting for grades. It's worse than watching someone take the last pastry that you had your taste buds set on at Starbucks.

So Long Yazawa

I have this history professor that I have taken for three semesters now. He is really a great lecturer and I learn so much from his class, however, he is the worst grader in the history of graders. He has this thing that if you don't say EXACTLY what he want you to say in your term papers or exams he docks you points. Seriously, I work harder in his class than I do in any other class I have ever had, and I am still lucky if I can pull a C.

That's just how it is with his class. When talking to others who have had him, they either hate or adore his class...there's no in between. I am definitely one who adores his class. I enjoy the challenge and how hard I have to work. He actually makes me learn, but seriously, can we chill out on the grading?? Just dial it down a notch!!

I just finished my final with him and oh what a relief. It has been one rocky semester with school in general and to have a Yazawa class just makes it that much harder. But...it's over and although I have only completed 3 of his 4 class series, I'm done. My GPA cannot take another beating. And there is no way I'm going to suffer through another one of his classes my last semester. It'll be sad that I don't get to hear all about the Revolution, but I'm okay with that!!

I'm heels over head in Love

When people fall in love, they say they have fallen head over heels...but aren't we already head over heels?? So...for the record, I am heels over head in love!!

Update as of December 8, 2006

Wow...what a crazy week, month, and semester. There have been many changes and many challenges.

I started off the semester thrilled with being back to school. The summer was great, but I began to get bored. August brought an end to this boredom, but a beginning of my stress. The trip to Montana in September was amazing. It was great to see old friends and make new. Being away from school for a week, however, made me start to get sick of school. So the struggle has continued until this week..my last week!! It has all almost come to an end, all I have are finals and it's FINALLY over.

I wasn't planning on working until I had graduated, or at least until my school schedule slowed down enough for me to take on a job. I don't know what my mind was thinking when I decided to start working for the vet. I was starting to get into the busy time of school after mid-terms and when I got the call and offer to work I jumped on it for some strange reason. Who knew what I was thinking. It was really hard trying to juggle the work, and studying for 6 classes...strike that, studying for 6 history and political science classes. For those of you who know, they require a bunch of reading. Somehow I was able to do it. However, I had to sacrifice many weekends with Jeremy to study.

I'm getting so excited for the trip to Illinois next weekend. I have been waiting to meet the family that this amazing man came from for a long time now. Plus, I'm going to Chicago, a place I have always wanted to see, but just never had the chance to. I am a little nervous though. I mean, this could be the make it or break it trip. I am told I have nothing to worry about by everyone who is close to me, I hope they're right.

My family is still.....my family. Full of laughs and tears. The family dynamics, however in regards to our furry four legged friends have changed. I went from having my baby BO to not almost overnight. I'm still trying to get past that. We have a new little puppy in the house, Chance. He is a crazy bundle of energy and full of kisses. Jimmy moved back from Kansas City in hopes to get on with his life. Hopefully he'll decide to go back to school.

Everyone in my house seems to be working folk now, and it kind of makes me smile. My brother got a job with the same company my Dad works for and I will be working for after Christmas. It's so great because it has caused him to turn into the old Jimmy...it's great to have my brother back. My Mom is working now as well. Not that she didn't work before, she has always had her business here at home, but now she is going to be working outside the house for just a couple of hours a day. The strange thing is she is taking my job at the horse vet and I am having to train her. WEIRD!!!

I have been totally challenged at the church working with the little tykes. I have always wanted to teach, but the little people have always intimidated me. Working with them this semester has been a wonderful challenge, so much so that I often consider switching from Secondary Ed to Elementary Ed. Speaking of getting into the Ed program I picked up my application packet for Grad School. I know, I'm probably nuts graduating and then immediately entering another 2 year program, but dang it, I want to teach and will do what it takes to do it as soon as I can!!

So there's just a little glimpse into my life this past semester. Of course it was full of a whole lot more ups and downs on this roller coaster of life, but seriously, I think this blog was long enough already and you'll just have to wait until another day to hear of the REALLY good stuff!!

What A Great Start to a Week

What a fun weekend!!! Here's how it went:

Friday - It was my Aunt's Birthday so we went to eat at this Brazilian Grill Downtown. This is such a fun thing do to. The servers walk around to the tables offering different sort of meats to try. They slice it off and you have your tongs that you grab the meat with. YUMM!!! Oh, Yeah, and the really fun part came with a drum and tambourine!! Yeah...they beat a drum and shook a tambourine to sing her Happy Birthday!! When we finished we went and walked around looking at lights in the River of Lights which are up at the Botanic Gardens. It was amazing to see the different designs that had been made all out of Christmas Lights. And they weren't just stationary designs...they moved. Some of the fun ones were a tree going through the cycle of life and a groundhog running and diving into a hole.




Saturday- Jeremy indulged me and went as my date to the company Christmas party. It was an interesting night. I was excited to get to see all of the people I used to work with, and will be working with again soon. But it just goes to show...people are crazy while drinking. First, there was a couple dancing to "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and he was pouring...his beer that is on his date while dancing. Jeremy and I left early so supposedly we missed the dirty dancing scene and the "panty-less" dancing girl. Oh the joys of Christmas parties!!



Sunday - Sunday was such a great day. I was asked to come to the church to take pictures of the Children's musical which was being held during the second service. Let me tell you, those kids are just too cute, and no matter what it is, they always do something to make everyone smile and laugh. Sunday night we FINALLY went to get our Christmas tree which will hopefully get everyone into the spirit. Sunday was spent with Jeremy all day!! It's amazing how the two of us just don't get sick of each other. No matter how much time we spend together, it just never seems enough!!

What a wonderful way to start the busy week of finals!!!

My Jealousy Test

So it has always been known that I am a bit of a jealous person, but am I any more jealous than the normal female?? I took this crazy test that doesn't seem to think I am any different that any other normal woman out there.

About Jealousy

Most everyone experiences a visit from jealousy, the nasty green-eyed monster, at some point in their lives - whether it's over a best friend's career success or a gorgeous person flirting with their loved one. We tend to think of jealousy as a single emotion, but it is actually a mixture of a whole bunch of feelings; it can manifest itself as sadness, hurt, anxiety, fear, loneliness, paranoia, self-doubt, anger, and even extreme rage. While we can't necessarily stop this unpleasant sentiment from dropping in from time to time, we can control how we choose to act when it hits. When it consumes our thoughts or triggers behavior that can harm relationships or another person, that's when jealousy is truly a monster. The first step in breaking free from jealousy's grip is recognizing the problem, which your results on the Jealousy Test will help you do. The second is taking a deeper look at the real root of the problem: for every jealous feeling there is an emotion lurking behind that is much more significant than the jealousy itself. Jealousy is just the finger pointing at the fears that we are afraid to face. More often than not, the culprit is a feeling of low self-worth and a fear that we are not good enough to hold on to the things that matter most to us.

Results of Your Jealousy Test

	Jealousy
Your score = 41

What does your score mean?

Most people experience a certain amount of fear that their loved one could leave them for someone else. After all, these things happen, and when they do, it is usually very painful. You fit right into this usual range - certain situations may spark feelings of jealousy, but generally you are not preoccupied with the fear of losing your partner. If you were honest with yourself while taking the test, this means that you are secure, strong, independent and rational enough to recognize the possibility of losing your partner to someone else, but not be consumed by it. That does not mean that you do not care; you would certainly be as sad or crushed as anybody else. However, you know that if it ever happens, you will survive with your self-esteem and dignity intact. You realize that even though you might love your partner very much, s/he is not the only fish in the sea, and that you would eventually find happiness with someone else. Such feelings give you a sense of security and the strength to trust, and allow you to be comfortable in the relationship. That, in turn, boosts the chances of a lasting and fulfilling relationship.

Perfect shoes!!!

What could be better than the perfect man?? Oh, duh!! Perfect shoes!!! Yes, the time has come again for me to find my way into the Vantage Homes Christmas party. This year, it so happens, I am an employee and am entitled to go. I have my dress...but now all I need are my shoes. Yes, I do have a good reason this time to go shoe shopping. I can't wait!! What will they be?? Glittery?? Strappy?? Tall, short, black?? I don't know. So many choices and so little time. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that I find the perfect ones!!

Drug Tests and Shy Bladders

I don't know what it is about taking a drug test that makes a person nervous, but it happens every time....and it's even worse for a girl with a shy bladder!!! I am starting my new job after Christmas, and as part of the hiring process I had to go in yesterday to get a drug test. I had put this off for a couple of weeks now, not that I have anything to worry about, but it's just annoying to me, but I finally made time to go to the lab and do it.

When I got there is was really busy and there was only one chair left to sit in. So I signed in, took a seat and waited for my turn. As I was waiting I was getting really nervous because although when I left the house I needed to use the restroom, I didn't so that I could make sure I could "fill the cup." Well, while I was sitting and waiting, I noticed I had lost the urge to go. I didn't need to...not at all. I didn't know what I was going to do.

So the girl called my name and we went back to a room where I left my purse. I then had to rinse my hands with water only and take the cup into the bathroom. After the nurse put blue coloring into the toilet, I was given STRICT instructions not to flush after I was done. So not only did I have to worry of whether I could fill the cup past the sticker with my lack of urge to go, but now I was really worried I would turn and flush out of habit.

So here I was, in this dimly lit bathroom...with blue dyed toilet water ready to fill the cup. One thing you have to know about me, I have a very shy bladder. When there are people around I just can't seem to do it. I remember in school having to turn on water or the hand dryers just to go. So not only do I have this shyness, but with the nurse waiting outside the door, I'M UNDER PRESSURE. Not a good combination. On top of all this...do you realize how hard it is for a female to pee in a cup?? Not so easy!!!

So after a good amount of time and concentration, I did manage to overcome the shyness and pressure and was able to do what I needed for the test. When I was done, and after I washed my hands, I couldn't believe how shaky and nervous the whole process had made me. Seriously, I think I was jittery for about an hour afterward. All I can say is I'm glad that's done and hopefully it's not any indication of the job I'm getting myself into.

An Inconvenient Truth

Well my lack of class attendance has put me once again doing extra credit. The extra credit for this week was to watch a movie and write a one page summary. I got the title of the movie off the class website and was ready to rent it and watch it. I told Jeremy about what I had to do and asked if he would be interested in watching it with me. At this time, I still had no idea what the movie was, since the title didn't ring a bell. Jeremy, being the great boyfriend he is, said no problem. As long as he was hanging out with me he didn't care what we were watching, even if it was some crazy poli sci movie. He asked me what movie it was and I told him, "An Inconvenient Truth." He said...okay...what is it about? I had no idea, like I said before the title didn't ring a bell.

Well, the next day he told me he had checked out the movie to see what it was about and informed me it sounded interesting. He told me it was the global warming documentary done by Al Gore. WHAT!!!???!!! I was totally not looking forward to doing this extra credit now. I have very strong opinions which cause me to dislike this man. I head about this documentary on the news and swore I would never indulge him and watch it. This was going to be the most torturous 90 minutes in my life.

We sat down on Saturday to watch it. At first, of course, I gave my little anti-democrat remarks, but the more I got into the show, the more I was just listening and watching and thinking about what it was saying. I came out of it thinking it was a really great documentary, full of a great amount of information and really made me think about what I was doing to contribute to this problem. I still have an opinion, as I'm sure a lot of Americans do, that society isn't ready to change their lifestyles to save the environment. Call me selfish, but I don't think I am either. I feel that I am comfortable where I am in my lifestyle and I don't think I want to change that right now. But what about you?? Are you willing to change your lifestyle to solve the problem of global warming??

Alone

Why is it that you can sit right next to someone for 3 hours, yet feel so alone??