It's Almost Time!!!

SOOOO much has been happening lately and because of that, I've been tired! My will to do ANYTHING is just about lost! Laundry? Only when we need uniforms. Cleaning? I don't mind some mess...I just push the crap to the side so I have a walkway. Groceries? Only the necessities and only when I need them. Cooking at home? Only so I have food for work...otherwise, bum off the parents or eating out. Planning packing for the new house? Hahahahahaha, ya right. 


The only thing we've managed to accomplish is to sell the Toyota. Let us have a moment of silence for it passing from our family to someone else (a business, actually). Thank you, Toyota, for being super and not killing Brandon (even though your gas pedal did stick, you did it optimally in front of PepBoys who fixed it for us) and putting up with our crap until you could find a new home.  Thanks, old bud.

So, what is it almost time for? Most immediately, VACATION! OMG! I need it so badly! Even though Brandon and I haven't taken a real vacation since our honeymoon, we've managed to take a day or a week off here and there (not a whole lot) and did "stay-cations" to maintain our sanity. It's not like we do not like our jobs, we love them, but sometimes...you just need a day...or a week to recuperate. Well, I've been picking up an extra shift each pay period, which isn't a whole lot of extra work, but I just don't get the same amount of time off each week and recovery time that way. (sounds stupid "needing" that time, but you work 12 hour shifts, mostly involving standing, not sitting, with 45 minute commutes to and from and see how quickly it wears on you)  I love the money and it helps, but I have found I've worn myself out faster. And the stress of major life changes, like buying a house and getting pregnant, haven't really eased any tension, either. So, Sunday, we head to Vegas!  Did I mention the hotel has shipped in sand from California for its pool side beach???

Ya, and the basic room is a Suite. I won't complain if they upgrade us, complimentary, like the Bellagio did last time we were there, but I'm not expecting it. These are pictures of the floor plan of the king suite, which we should have, and a picture of the sitting area with the curtains open!

Ok, enough bragging about the trip. I may still need to find a swimsuit that is suitable to be at the pool, since that is my goal, pool time, and not to look like a beached whale (not saying I'm fat...just saying my personal appearance self esteem has taken a few hits lately and a nice, comfy, cute swimsuit could help). 


The other thing that it is almost time for is our house closing!!! We've been given the clear that every single thing is in line for closing. We were given a number that we are more than capable of handling to pay at closing, so that is exciting. We literally get back from Vegas, have a couple days at home, work a couple days, and CLOSE!  We won't be in the house until mid-May, most likely, because we gave the sellers a lease back, but no biggie. Just more time to get ready to move. Next...finding sweet deals on the stuff we'll need to make our house livable! Fridge, washer, dryer, couch, and king sized bed!!! (well, king sized bed is not a necessity but a huuuuuge desire!) Actually, California king sized beds appeal to me more than the traditional king...but everyone has talked me out of it. Ugh. If you were tall, wouldn't you want a bed that was longer than wider? 


Ah....soon to be MY living room. (fine...mine AND Brandons...)  And...that is a huge wall...what in the world am I going to do with it and not look like a college student?

I'll just mention one thing...I'M ONE THIRD DONE WITH BEING PREGNANT! And, I have a new post up on Along Comes a Minion. That is all. :)

How I Started Playing WoW

Before I get started, I'll mention that I changed the name to the blog about being pregnant to Along Comes A Minion. I thought this name would be more time resistant as I'll probably just end up dedicating the blog to being about the kiddo once I'm not pregnant. I even have a stupid little poll up on the site if you feel like getting clicky.

Moving on...

Per request, I'll tell the story how I became addicted to World of Warcraft.

Make Love, Not Warcraft
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

This first clip starts off completely making fun of the game (and let me know if it doesn't work. It worked the first time I played it...then it was stuck loading for me afterwards. I hope that same problem doesn't continue). And you know what? I love it! I loved it then, I love it now! This was the hook...(you don't have to watch the clips, but I think they're hilarious.)

Here is the link to the full episode, always available on Southpark's Website: Make Love, Not Warcraft

This episode is from Southpark's Emmy winning Season 10 (yes, Southpark won an Emmy!), and the episode 'Make Love, Not Warcraft,' was the representative episode. Granted, most of that season was awesome (if you like Southpark, and even, sometimes, if you do not), but this was pretty great. Besides, Blizzard, the company that makes and distributes World of Warcraft, was in on the show and did graphics just for this episode.

Being a Southpark watcher, it was just a usual Wednesday when a new episode aired. Brandon and I were on the bed, watching the show, and thinking the whole thing was funny. Next thing I know, Brandon orders World of Warcraft off the computer (I believe this is how it went...if not exactly, then something like this). He installs it on the computer and starts playing. I'm watching him play and I ask if I can play with him, as it looks fun. Only one person can play at a time, so he logs off and lets me make a character to play. Thus starts the beginning of our playing World of Warcraft.

Make Love, Not Warcraft
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Well, we decided there is no freaking way only one of us will play at a time. We both enjoyed playing the game SO much, we bought another license to play the game. (You can buy the game at the store, but you have to have multiple accounts if you want to play more than one player at one time. And, yes, you pay by the month...or by the 3 months or 6 months, if you're us).

So, both of us started playing together. This required 2 computers, and, for a while, we were in separate rooms playing, until we got the laptop. By then, not only did we enjoy the game, but we became immersed in the online community. There are tons of people who play this game, too.

There are many ways you can play the game, all of which are fun...

• Play just to play: This is how I describe a player who logs in to just play by himself and do quests. There are varying goals, so to speak, that different computer generated characters send you off to accomplish. Sometimes it is to kill some goons that are trying to take over their vineyard, or to kill deer to collect meat to eat, or gather berries from bushes to feed the eagles. Sometimes the quest lines tell you stories about major figures in the World of Warcraft, but that is up to you to read the quests and learn and follow the storyline, if you choose. This is fun. You level up and are able to venture to new areas around Azeroth (sort of like the Earth of the game). You end up encountering new characters and new beasts, sometimes friendly, sometimes not. 
• End game raiding: Ok, there is only a certain amount of levels you can attain in the game. Once you are at maximum level, there are still plenty of opportunities to play just to play, but a new opportunity opens up to you, if you desire. There are dungeons in the game that require a minimum of 5 players to even attempt. There are also raids that require 10 or 25 people to attempt. That's right, you have to gather a good amount of people online at the same time to venture into places like that. Usually, when you participate in this style of play, you've joined up with a Guild, a group of people united under a Guild name with similar goals in mind. Guilds usually schedule their raids a couple to a few times a week at the same time every night. You also join up to speak in real-time with your fellow guild-mates so that important information can be distributed quickly, and without having to type or look at the chat screen. Completing a raid dungeon can take anywhere from one night to the entire week...or not at all, depending on the skill level of the group, knowledge of the fights, and availability of resources the players have.
• Role playing: this is actually a variation of the previous two styles, where, once you log in, you pretend you actually are that character, your character's name is your name, and you are in whatever city or location your character actually resides in at the moment. Now, I've never role played, but what I was told is the actual role playing is usually halted in the spirit of accomplishing the huge tasks of completing a raid. But, this is yet another way to approach the game.

I'm sure there are other deviants to how to play the game (like focusing on player versus playver instead of player versus environment, which is mostly what I've described), but those are the basics. I was an end-game raider. I'm not currently participating in raiding given the so many things going on in my life and the time schedule I have to keep being a night shift worker, but I miss it. It took up a lot of time, and Brandon and I were so very serious about it, but we still enjoyed it immensely.

I realize I've deviated from how I started to play WoW into discussions about what WoW is, but I thought it important to describe this because once we joined the online community, we found ourselves wanting to participate more and more with some of the people we "met" in game as well as gather to accomplish the bigger goals that required more people at once to attain. I actually found a really good friend who lives in Connecticut, whom I've never met, but I've been speaking with her about life, WoW, and other things for many years now. And she's not 13, she's actually a little bit older than me. The community is NOT filled with raging hormones of teenagers, although that element surely is present. An adult can easily find adult groups to participate with. I've even heard of all Christian guilds, all family guilds, and other themes as such.

So, slowly but surely we found ourselves wanting to experience more and more aspects of the game. We went from having one character we focused on to being experienced in playing more than one character. For example, my main character, and the first one I ever played, was a Priest. A priest can both heal and create damage, but can specialize in one of 3 ways to accomplish those goals. I chose to be a healer. However, as time went on, I had the availability to choose 2 specializations and was allowed to practice killing things as my primary goal. I also started another character, a Shaman. Shamans can heal, cast spells, and beat things with mallets. I chose to beat things, and developed my shaman to be quite talented that way. I've created, leveled, and specialized many more toons, or characters, but I won't bore you with all their details.

Thus, you see, there are many elements to the game designed to keep you interested and not bored. Not to mention the new content they release occasionally via data patches and then the ginormous changes they create when they release a new expansion, usually accompanied by level cap increases.

Make Love, Not Warcraft
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

And, for the record, that sword doesn't exist. :)

Products...

Given some of the changes that are going on right now, my skin and my sense of smell are a tad altered.  I really only have one true smell aversion right now, and, strangely enough, it is my hand soap in my bathroom!  I HATE the smell of it! I hold my breath when I wash my hands. But, being frugal, I refuse to change it until it is out. And I SOOO intend to change it asap when it is gone!

Right now, I use Softsoap Naturals with Light Moisturizers. GAG! In the past I used Softsoap Lavender & Chamomile, but I ran out and the other was under the sink already (guess my parents had used it or I bought it once), so I started using it. I think I'm going to go back to the happy lavender one, but I thought, I don't know, maybe some other people have some lovely hand soap they swear by that isn't expensive? I know I could go spend more money at Bath & Body Works or other places for wonderful smelling soap...but it's just hand soap and there are plenty of good cheaper versions out there. Or, maybe there is some more eco-friendly soap? I don't even know if soap is eco-unfriendly...but whatever. Me and my hand soap are NOT on speaking terms and I do not see an end in sight for this uneasy alliance we currently have, except to break up completely.

Next on my random list of products, is shampoo. I have always dreamed of having a shampoo that made my hair smell yummy all day (well, most of the day). I don't know if it is just my hair, the length/amount/texture of my hair, or my shampoo (or something else I do) that leaves me with hair that just plain smells like hair (not dirty hair, but nothing yummy, either). I've been using Bed Head Brunette Goddess shampoo and conditioner because it smells SO GOOD in the shower. I think it smells like shea butter or chocolate, but it advertises that it smells like almond. Whatever, it is so nice in the shower. But it doesn't stick with me. 

Then, Brandon stumbled upon Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special when he was getting his hair cut one day. This left my head tingling in cool happiness and it seemed to stick with me longer during the day.  Not most of the day, but definitely longer. However, mint scents are not on my pleasure list right now. I can tolerate them, but, in the shower, when I have to choose to be surrounded by almond and have hair with no smell or mint and have hair with some scent, I choose the almond. I makes me sad...but I'd rather have a happy gut than happy hair. Food is just too important!

So, that leaves me with...anyone have amazing shampoo/conditioner or other products that leave their hair YUMMY? (and obviously doesn't strip your hair and make it into a mess...)

Now, I'll just have to rave about skin products, including my favorites of Mary Kay, because I LOVE Mary Kay. My skin is HIDEOUS right now. Ugh. Who knew you could be thrown back into the oiliness of your teenage years, that were embarrassing enough, as an adult, which seems even MORE embarrassing because you should be past this stage already!? (by the way, random comment...I tend to leave out the second R in embarrassing when I type it. Ugh. Sorry to anyone who ever has to read me un-edited). 

Good products can really only do so much when you use them. I have a very, very bad habit of coming home from a 12 hour shift and just going to sleep in whatever the hell is on my face and worry about it later. Shame, shame on me. But, given this isn't exactly a new practice, what is new is how I'm frequently too tired to even want to brush my teeth! (I brush my teeth, I swear, it just involves a pep talk and the fact of how if I don't, I won't really want to eat when I wake up because of the nasty taste). So, even on my days off...my skin doesn't get the attention it should get.

One product that I'll swear is amazing is Borghese Fango Active Mud for Body and Face.  Years ago, my mom turned me on to this product. But I was using Clinique mostly at the time, so I thought, might as well get a Clinique face mask for extra skin help. Even the Clinique counter lady told me, "Honey, you can't get better than this." Lol. So mom and I stocked up because the department stores (at least at the time, I don't know about now) were going to quit carrying this product. It is NOT cheap, so I make my mud last, and last it does. But it really seems to help my skin when I use it.

Why did I switch from Clinique to Mary Kay in the first place? If you know me, you know I'm lazy. I'm a procrastinator. Haven't I already basically explained some aspects of this in my life already? Sure, I'll play it off as efficiency in my life sometimes, but, truth be told, I want to get back to doing what I want to be doing as fast as I can (instead of cleaning or drying my hair or cooking). Well, when I was using Clinique, my morning routine was: exfoliate (1 product), wash face (1 product), apply toner (another product), moisturize (another product, but they always encouraged to add ANOTHER moisturizer...), and acne treatment (another product). I don't remember if there were more since it's been quite a few years (8 or 9 years). Night routine: you get the idea, a lot of steps. When I switched to Mary Kay, I started using their Velocity line. The way I understand the Velocity line is that it is designed for teenagers to young adults, or those who are not so concerned with age-reducing things. Either way, the cleanser alone is a gentle exfoliator, cleanser, and toner in one! Woohoo! 3 products/steps down to one! That's my style. To top it, you really only had to use an eye-makeup remover if you needed one (my determination to always use water-proof mascara pretty much necessitates this), because the cleansure would remove your makeup as well. Score! Then use the moisturizer. And you're done. Talk about streamlining. 

I have since graduated myself from the Velocity line to the TimeWise products (because, lets be honest, as much as I accept aging, preventing some overt changes in my skin is not like it is a terrible idea.)

Here are my favorite 3 things:

The TimeWise Microdermabrasion kit.  I was very skeptical when this was being pitched to me when it was new. Whatever. Like I needed MORE exfoliation. Whether it is exfoliator (the Refine step) or the serum designed to be used in conjunction with the exfoliator (the Replenish step), I don't know, but when I use this my skin is SMOOTH. Not dry, never raw, just soft, smooth, and comfortable. It can be used 3-4 times a week. It is more on the pricey side of random crap you can do for your skin, but I'd rather use this when I wanted it than feel like investing in the real microdermabrasion at a dermatologist.

Next on my list is TimeWise Night Solution.  The Day Solution is awesome, too, as well as needed since it has SPF 25 in it designed for your face (I'm very big on protecting your skin from the sun and tanning safely because you can lose your ear and eye to skin cancer. Not just die, but be deformed. Did you know that?), but the Night Solution is wonderful. It goes on with your moisturizer and you wake up with skin as "smooth as a baby's bottom," as was described to me once (if I got the wrong product on this, I don't care, because this is how I feel about it!). I wish I could use it day and night, honestly.

So, ever had a rough night? Partied too hard, or ended up crying and making your eyes all puffy and drab? Or just stress wearing one you and your eyes are starting to show it. Indulge Soothing Eye Gel is SO the answer! Tip: put it in the refridgerator so when you apply it, you have the extra kick of the cold temperature as well as the wonderful mix of the eye gel. I believe it has cucumber extract or something in it (you know, the fruit you put on your eyes to help with puffiness?). It can be used like an eye mask (leave it on, rinse it off) or just leave it on (personally, this gives me a kind of sticky feeling when I do it, but when you're tired, you're tired). I've always thought it felt cool (as in temperature) putting it on and I haven't kept mine in the fridge lately. I don't use it all the time, but I love it when I do use it.

Side note: These are just some of my favorite beauty products that I've tried. I have nothing to gain by promoting or disliking any of the things listed. I started thinking about products in my home when one of my friends started selling Mary Kay (and if you need a consultant, I can get you an email address of one).

Those are my favorites. Tell me what you're must haves are!

We're buying a house!!!

So, wonder why I've taken so long to post? Hah. Who am I kidding. Anyways, it's been so long because I've been BUSY!!


First, many people know this already, but here is the official blog mention, I'm pregnant! Yay! I'm excited! I'll do my best to not be obnoxious. At 9 weeks, I haven't actually cried, really, and definitely no emotional breakdowns. I think all my crabbiness is related to being hungry...thus, I'm convinced my blood sugar dumps on me at those times and that is why I'm crabby. Absolutely no vomiting. But, since I usually have more than enough of my own life and happenings to talk about to annoy anyone who reads this blog, I started a second one about all things baby. I actually am currently referring to my baby as my minion (the second definition is my favorite), so my new blog is: I'm Expecting a Minion.  It's complete with 2 posts already and pictures! Enjoy (or ignore, as you see fit!)


Moving on, we've put an offer in on a house AND we're out of the option period, meaning we're total dogs (and not in a good way) if we back out now. My real estate agent said the inspection report on the house has to be the "shortest I've ever seen," which made us happy! We checked with the people we'll have home owner's insurance with and they approved of the roof, so that's a big, GO! (Side note here: If you're like us and checked with State Farm first for a home owner's insurance quote since you have car insurance with them already, please, for the love of God and your banking account, get a second opinion! We got a second from Farmer's Insurance and it was HALF the State Farm quote with amazing coverage! I know this sounds like I'm pushing one company, but the Farmer's guy said that State Farm home owner's insurance is often high, so, on that note, just shop around no matter who you're with or who you get a quote from. Can't hurt. That's my main point.)


Assuming all goes well, closing is scheduled for May 11. I heard a rumor that the sellers would like to close earlier, but they rejected our first closing date which was two weeks earlier, so we were confused. Oh well. They haven't said anything official, so, May 11 it is! I'm told from here on out it's a waiting game, but the big things that are going on is the loan application and the appraisal. We sorted through a 53 page loan application and faxed it in this morning! We locked in a rate of 4.875%! We were excited about that! (if you're curious, its a 30 yr fixed rate FHA loan we're doing). I think the only hiccup I'm worried about is if the house appraises high enough, but I'm told not to worry. (well, that and all the money we're about to dump into this shin-dig, but, hey, I was expecting it, right?)


So, I'll keep ya updated on this ordeal.


My brother got accepted into a really amazing neurosurgical residency!!!  I know he's really excited and it is such a really great school and hospital. He'll do great! Congrats!!!


Work has been overwhelmingly busy, as usual. I keep hoping it'll settle down...but it never seems to do so. :( This adds to my never-ending fatigue. 


My car got the body damaged fixed and, the day after it was out of the shop, it DIED! It wouldn't start on me. We knew the gas gauge was off from the repair, but we thought maybe there was fuel line issues causing it to die like that. So, back in the shop it went. The update on the car, now, is that it's been moved to another shop that is better able to deal with engine/etc problems (it was at a body shop before). Their first guesses is that there are issues stemming from the check engine light that's been on forever now rearing their ugly heads. I compared it to the recent report of Jetta's stalling when you honk their horn and my dad said, "EXACTLY!" So, no matter how much I try to rationalize what's happening with the car...it seems it may be an irrational issue. Time will only tell. Until then, Daddy and I are sharing big brown once again. 


That's it. Hopefully I'll be back to more regular posts and come up with interesting things to say. I know I'm excited about Spring/Summer (lets be honest, Spring is like an afterthought of winter before Summer sets in) and leaving bundling up behind, even though there is no chance for me to get "bikini ready" as many other people will be attempting. I'll just be enjoying what I got!


Here are pictures of the house we're trying to buy, taken by the real estate agent selling it. Yes, the colors seem weird, but, I assure you, it's beautiful!

See the cute front porch? I may have to get chairs or something, but the flowers and bushes are so perfect up front!

Laminate wood floors!!!

Granite counter tops and under-the-cabinet lighting!!!

The fridge isn't staying. Boo. But it seems the dishwasher is the only non-stainless steel appliance in the kitchen. But the water fixtures (and all around the house) are upgraded!

Master bedroom.

Master bathroom. It has the most amazingly huge closet, too!

View of the living room from the kitchen. Behind the cross wall is the study/4th bedroom. The hallway to the left leads to the second bath, the laundry room/garage, and the other two bedrooms.

One of the two bedrooms.

The study! The walls are expertly done in yellow. This will most likely still be used as a study (aka: computer room).

The backyard. The little metal shed is staying. It's not huge, but a place for the dogs to run off some energy and do their potty jobs between the walks we'll need to be doing regularly.

My Current Wish List

As I have very little to talk about right now, I figured I'd toss out my current wish list! And, by wish list, it would be AWESOME to have these things, many if not all, by the end of the year! Hee hee. I know, I know, expensive and crazy...but with money management and patience I can make my dreams come true! (and save money, too!)

A House: Ok, for anyone even half-assed reading this blog for the recent past, you know this is obvious. I should be calling a highly recommended real estate agent today to hopefully get some balls rolling on this!

A Digital SLR Camera: So the picture below is not necessarily the one I'd want (I have a lot of research to do before I figure out which would be best...and talking to my dad about it), but I want one. Why not just stick with old trusty? (my Canon digital camera) Even though I love it, and I think it still takes wonderful pictures, I'd like to have the versatility, quickness, and higher quality photos for special aspects of my life! When we go to my brother's medical school graduation in May, my dad won't be pulling out his old trusty, he'll be pulling out his Nikon with his fancy lens (I don't know if I'll need the super fancy lens just yet), and attempt to catch awesome pictures of my brother, even if we're in the back of the auditorium. Because the digital SLR cameras can do that...old trusties can't. (at least not mine.)

High efficiency, front loading washer & dryer, with stands: Once again, the brand I'm not sure of, but I REALLY would LOVE this style of washer and dryer. I'm not really into being green (at least not yet), but I LOVE making efforts towards being so. (Don't think I won't be pricing tankless water heating systems once I buy a house. We may not afford it immediately, but it's on the "some day I want" list.) Even though I currently use only the most generic washing choices there are, I still alter things some when I do my laundry. If I have enough, I have an entire load (probably small) of delicate laundry that will end up being air dried on whatever surface or hung in whatever spot I can. There are a handful of clothes I wash for color protection (how ugly would a police uniform be if it faded fast? yuck!), and others I wash as hot as I can, with bleach if I'm not worried about the color, to ensure ultimate cleanliness. Some clothes I won't dry, some need extra drying. Sometimes I forget my clothes in the dryer and have to dampen a sock or something, spray a ton of Downy Wrinkle Releaser, and run damp dry to lose the wrinkle. I think I could definitely fall in love with some of the new and fun options these systems contain. Like the Steam function! OMG! That would thrill me. No more Brandon getting frustrated about his work uniforms being wrinkly...STEAM THEM! And about the stands...remember, Brandon and I are kinda tall. If you're at Best Buy or Sears or Fry's, or whatever place sells home appliances of this type, walk by them. Take note of the ones on stands and the ones off stands. Not only do the stands place the washer and dryer at a more convenient height (which I could foresee being a problem if you have low shelving to be concerned about), but they also provide neat and convenient storage! Detergent, softener, bleach, dryer sheets, etc, all neatly fit into the drawers that smoothly slide in and out. The current set up as it is...much of this crap ends up sitting on top of the appliance, which inevitably makes it sticky and dirty. I know these are more on the expensive side, but they should use less water and energy, thus, not only saving in utilities, save on the cost on the earth (hopefully). And color? I'm sure pricing will be the primary drive in what color I get. I'm not sure I really care...who the hell is going to see/judge my home on the color of my washer and dryer? Really? I didn't think there were websites out there called Project Washing Room to see who was the most creative/cost effective/interesting in how they decorated and arranged their utility room. Whatever.

King sized bed! Oh my gosh, this is the thing I dream about most often, probably. Sure, I'll have to buy some more stinking sheets and such (but I did find some, so far, super awesome sheets on Amazon at not bad price for what they're advertised as, so at least I have that resource). Not only would it fit Brandon and my big bodies better, but, on the occasion that we invite our dogs to hang with us in bed, it'll be a little more forgiving. Not roomy, because, as anyone who owns a dog and invites him or her into bed with her would probably know, the dog snuggles up close to you no matter what. The only catch is, did you manage to secure enough blankets that you can turn over any which direction and not have your bum exposed because you can't yank more covers from under the dog? Because, you know, moving the dog is close to impossible. If the dog doesn't growl at you, like my JJ does, the dog plays as if she's a hippie, like Bella, and insists on being passively aggressive in not giving up the comfortable niche next to you she so carefully plopped into. Or, the dog could be like Ribby, and jump off the bed and pout next to the door, refusing to rejoin you on the bed because you'd already, obviously, let him know he wasn't welcome, just because your butt was cold and you pulled more covers out from under him. Either way, a king would be more forgiving...more covers, more room to maneuver...hopefully. And more room to stretch out when you're big like me and Brandon. And a pretty bedroom set wouldn't suck, either. :) Picture is just a random example...

The obvious, a comfy couch, chair, and coffee table. I'll probably go a little more cost effective here, especially on the coffee table (because, knowing Brandon and I, it would also be known as our dinner table many of nights, though I insist on having a dinner table and to eat on it most of the time.) I would probably look for leather because, as much as everyone fears the dogs' nails puncturing the leather, I think removing their fur is easier off leather. And, in college, I had a leather couch and my dog with talons never managed to scratch the leather (plus I kept it well treated, according to instructions.) I don't think we need a whole couch and love seat set...we don't really plan to have so many people over on a regular basis to necessitate that, and a good sized couch and a lazy chair would be fairly sufficient. Just add the kitchen table and maybe some comfy bar chairs (depending on how my future kitchen is designed) that should more than cover having company over. And I'd want a flat, non glass coffee table. Not much would be placed on it, as dog tails and coffee tables seem to be similar heights, thus nothing would really remain ON the coffee table, but I'd like to have an alternate place to play cards, or dominoes, or whatever game we have...should we play a game, other than the kitchen table. Flat and smooth is the way to go. Plus, without ridges, cleaning would be easier!

And, lastly (I hope), a cool refrigerator! I love the idea of the bottom freezer for a couple reasons. Freezers drive me nuts. I end up shoving stuff in them and maneuvering through the levels of crap means it all falls onto the floor, and thus must be rearranged. With a bottom freezer...maneuver away! I'm sure MY freezer will still be a mess, but at least I won't fear for my toesies. Next, you do not have to bend all the way down the the floor to get to the crisper in the fridge! Everything is neatly, hopefully, arranged in the fun levels and drawers all about waist height at the lowest. Also, I'd want the French doors because having one door open out comes out a wide distance (fine, not that wide if you're used to it, but it would also make a difference based on my future kitchen if I had the room for regular doors) and, the one door just seems heavy. The French doors feel lighter. Actually, if I had to pick right now, being somewhat money conscious (and I really mean somewhat, this is still expensive!), I'd want this fridge. But the fridge below is super awesome in person!

I think that's enough, don't you? This year seems as if it will be filled with lots of spending, but these items are mostly capital cost items. These things should last a very long time, and really be once in a ten year time period (or longer!!!) purchases. Now, I'm totally amped up to go balance the check book (which I do weekly). Gonna go see how much of our money I can ear-mark SAVINGS and be ready to spend on some of these pretty things!

Since the last post...

Not much has happened. I have not been sticking to the work out, despite how much I really enjoyed it. Things like getting sick and weather and fatigue and blah blah blah have kept me from going. Oh well. That should change soon!

Valentine's day was uneventful. The Wednesday after we went to The Blue Fish for the first time and had the most amazing sushi. It was so yummy! Especially the Firecracker! Hands down our favorite, but we were spicy tuna roll lovers in the first place. I never even touched the wasabi or the soy sauce. I just thought it would ruin the already perfect flavors. The Lava (I believe that was what our second favorite was called) was awesome as well. Actually, I'm wanting some right now as I type...and sushi hasn't commonly been something I've craved in the past.

I haven't even really taken any new photos since last post. How lame am I? lol.

What I have done is reactivate my application to get my Masters in Nursing. I was deferred this semester because they were "unable to accommodate in required courses due to increased enrollment." Rumor mill says there was a seriously increased amount of applicants this term and not enough teachers for them all. So, maybe next semester! At least I don't have to write any new essays or anything...but I did have to pay the lovely $30 application fee...again. Lame.

I'm still waiting on information about how much my car is going to cost. We're closer though. I'm hoping not an arm and a leg. But I'm really itching to buy a home...so I'm wondering if we can get the Toyota sold if that will mostly cover the cost differences and we can get a move on. As I'm less in love with doing a new home in that one neighborhood Brandon saw, what makes me a little sad in looking at some of the homes online is how they have laminate counter tops...and those new homes had granite. Oh well...I'm being picky!

Since I'm lame, I'm going to list my favorite things of this past week:

Sunshine! I can feel sun bathing weather coming back!

Puppy dogs! Bella is quirky, as usual, and quite proud she knows how to open the doors to the dining room (you just push them out of their clicky spot), JJ is mouthy, Ribby is loud, Hunter is sweet, and Chewy is still just a bad golden! lol

Days off work! I know I shouldn't complain since I had to call in twice this month already (and that is just crazy for me), but we've been so busy I've been DYING for days off as soon as I'm at work! Thank God for days off, though, or I wouldn't have the energy to work at all.

Being my slightly OCD/control freak/psycho self. :) Yay for efficiency!

Ok, a little send off:

Past week = FAIL

So I blogged about our first Crossfit workout, yay. I haven't worked out since. BOO! But, let's start off with happy pictures of pretty snow.









First, I'll draw attention to the right side of the screen where you can find recipes I've cooked and my meal log. I've tried to do my best. It's not 100% accurate...but very close. I even made some notes about some of the days.

The reason I haven't worked out since last Monday is because, primarily, the workout sessions were cancelled due to inclement weather (see above). The secondary reason is because of the inclement weather, but it is more about a lack of time. The weather increased commute times by double at least coming AND going, so that reduced how much free time I had to do things, like work out. On non-work days, thats a seriously crappy excuse, but being clocked in at the hospital for a minimum of 12.5 hours when I'm working, plus a 2 hour commute to and from work during bad weather, I have little time to eat, shower and sleep, much less work out. My third level of reasoning is I didn't try to work out at home because HOLY CRAP I WAS IN PAIN! Ya, I expected to be sore and stuff after the first work out, and I was, but after nervous, stiff driving for a total of about 4 hours or more on Tuesday, including spinning on the highway and hitting the guardrail, I really did a number on my muscles. All the ones that held me in the position in which I was driving were excruciatingly painful to move even the slightest. I practically couldn't move. I worked, and went home and slept it off. I even had to call in sick Thursday because I hurt so bad, was so exhausted from the things going on (weather, earlier wake ups and later bed times, muscle fatigue), and my sinuses were trying to say, "Let's get sick."

On top of that, our diet was not followed! UGH. Come Wednesday, after Brandon picked me up from work since I was too scared and in pain to drive, we didn't make it home until afternoon (really late for us), and just ordered out Italian food. We had no energy to cook or think about cooking or going to the grocery store or anything. So, we blew the diet. We're going to try to reset this week. Hopefully, it will be more accommodating.

Another fail, my very first car accident...EVER. My car has been injured over time, but a friend borrowing it and hitting another car=not my accident. Being backed into=not my accident. Having another car scrape the side of mine backing out=not my accident. Driving down the highway, slowly, hitting a patch of ice under an overpass and starting to skid, skidding in multiple directions, finally not being able to control the slide, doing a 180 and hitting the guardrail facing oncoming traffic (who are all sliding in the exact same spot, may I add)=my accident. It could've been a lot worse. I even prevented it from being a lot worse...when I backed down the highway as I saw a van careening out of control, and eventually hitting the spot where I had just been parked on the side of the highway. That was the scary part. Nothing else was..

The damage:





Called the adjuster yesterday. We'll see how it goes.

I had to cancel plans with a friend on Saturday because I was too scared to drive in the weather and it hadn't melted yet, but, on the good side, I slept so much. I feel so much more caught up on sleep, finally. Hopefully, this week will be much more smooth.

The new recipes we tried were pretty good. The egg muffins and Swiss Chard frittata were good, but the Spicy Beef Bolognese took the cake. It was the best and so yummy. Brandon spiced it just perfect, in my opinion. All Paleo approved. And pretty quick and easy to make.

The egg muffins:



The Swiss Chard frittata, ingredients and after cooking:





Sorry, don't have a picture of the bolognese.

The only thing positive? Since we'll most likely be shelling out some cash we did NOT want to spend on unplanned car maintenance in the near future, we realize that will put us back a month or so. Hopefully no more than that. Now, we're just going to be ok with the set back and plan an Vegas vacation so we can have a vacation in before we lose our money to buying a house. I'm excited about this! We haven't had a vacation (other than just taking a week off for no reason) since our honeymoon and it feels much overdue. We're thinking May, possibly, for the timeline for the vacation, and probably going to look at TheHotel Mandalay Bay. We'll see. I'll keep ya updated.

And, that's it for now. Here's to a better week!