The past two weeks...

Lately, I've been doing a good job of blogging once a week. I think that timeline is just about enough time to have something to blog about. Sometimes nothing happens in a week's span, sometimes a lot. But I just did too much last week and didn't get around to posting last Monday. Today is making up for that.

Well, a weekend ago was when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I came out. I was VERY excited about this movie! Brandon and I went on Saturday morning to an IMAX viewing. I loved it! Yes, some parts from the book were left out and some things changed slightly for the movie, but overall I thought they did a MUCH better job with this part I than they did for the previous movie, the Half Blood Prince. I know many people were complaining about how dark the whole story has become, but that is how the books progressed, too, and that is the purpose of why Voldemort being in power was so bad. It is because the world WAS so dark when he had reign, and people were miserable. I find that this being a complaint proves that the producers achieved what the story line was trying to tell.

One other complaint I heard about the movie was that this person felt they were sitting watching Castaway, that there was a whole lot of nothing going on screen for a while. I suppose Harry, Ron, and Hermione being in exile did feel that way, and maybe I didn't interpret it that way because I read the books, but I still found it exciting throughout.

The next day we went to the Cowboy's game!!! Oh my gosh, it was fun! We may have drank a little more than we should, but we had a blast! And the Cowboys won! Here are some highlights:











Not a great picture, but this is Roger Staubach in the suite behind us!



I took a picture of the score, but it looks more like a picture I accidentally took (the lights are too bright) rather than one I intended to take.

After the game, we saw some friends who just got engaged. I'm so happy for them! I don't think he knows what he's in for during the planning process though, hahaha! Then we went home, slept a lot, and needed to eat a lot of junk food to recover.

This week I managed to work four days (per my request, many people were willing to be cancelled and I requested to work on my days and my extra shift). I floated to MSICU at my sister hospital, then spent the remaining days at mine. I was in charge the last two days and it was really nice. Although I had a muscle spasm in my left shoulder that was incredibly painful, I was in charge with a total of 4 patients each night! It was very nice. Technically, we started at 3 patients each night but had a fourth by 9pm, so at least it was over and done with early.

Thanksgiving was fun. We didn't get to see Brandon's family because of extenuating circumstances, but my brother was in town, which was nice. I got to go to my Granddad's and, on Friday, everyone else came to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Brandon and I stayed up a little late Friday to eat with everyone and see everyone, then went to bed around noon for work that night. I ended up cooking some for fun.

This was my Jalapeno and Cheddar Cornbread Stuffing. It was yummy. I would do a few things a little differently next time, as, although it was great, I like my dressing a little less chunky than the way it turned out. But it turned out a lot like it's picture.



I also made Pumpkin Pie Bites (no picture taken.) They tasted just like pumpkin pie to me, only they were healthy! It used no sugar and the original recipe called for 8 egg whites. Well, I think 8 egg whites sounds like a waste of eggs, for one, and, two, I didn't have that many eggs (I miscounted and didn't end up with enough eggs). Instead I used 3 eggs and one egg white. I know this makes them a little less healthy, but the fact that I used agave nectar instead of sugars I think made a big different on the sugar level of the dish. They were great!

So far, those two recipes and a third, Mexican Corn and Shrimp Chowder, comprise the totality of recipes I've tried that I found on TheNest.com and they've all been wonderful. I might even look into some of the cookbooks they have come from, as thenest.com gives you all that information. I'm sure this is what the cookbook owners would like...and they may just be selling me.

On random news, we are ahead of schedule on saving up for a house/paying off our credit debt. I'm very excited about this. I'm so anxious for February/March to see where we really stand on everything, as these are our goal dates to take a real, hard look at getting an approval for a loan and a real estate agent or if we need another month. It's getting harder and harder to WAIT. Waiting SUCKS!

Meanwhile, Brandon has found another program that can get him a Bachelors of some sort that would use his police academy classes as credit. So he's making a move on that here soon. Hopefully he'll be able to take a class or two in the Spring. I know he will feel really good finally making a move to get a Bachelors for all his hard work.

About my Masters, I still haven't heard from them! I sent them an email. I'll give them until about Wednesday to answer me before I start calling. I'm not totally disappointed that I haven't heard anything, though, because I'm not sure with the house buying we want to be doing that starting school in the Spring would be the easiest, but I'd at least like to know if I had the option or not. So, still waiting.

I'll update you again next week! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now...on to Christmas!