Me Time

Hey,

So I kind of got into a funk where I just couldn't think of things to write about. And when I did think of things, I was too lazy to actually post anything. I am kind of an all or nothing person.
I tend to do things in cycles. Like, I will do something for a month and then I am tired of it and won't do it again for a few months. I think this is most evident in my eating habits. I will crave a certain food and eat it a lot, and I do mean a lot, until I am sick of it. Then in a few weeks or months I will crave it again and do the same thing. Lately it has been steak. I think I have eaten steak for dinner 3 out of 5 nights for the past three weeks. Seriously. And I still want it for dinner tonight...

Mostly though I think I just get busy and tend to forget to take time for myself. I swear it is like I forget that I like doing something. Maybe I like too many things? Or I think maybe it is just the lazy thing...

I do like to read, and paint, and make crafts, and go shopping, and do other things. But lately I have kind of been a recluse. I come home from work during the week and I do not want to do anything. I just want to eat and veg out and watch TV or play on the computer. Sometimes I even forget to get on the computer at home. I know I am just hungry and tired and want to relax and that is fine. I mean I know I can go out and do things and missing some TV is not going to kill me. But I think since I made my TV work again at the beginning of this new fall lineup, I have been kind of addicted. Sure I had gotten used to the series on Netflix, but I missed the new shows. I know I could pay more for cable rather than trying to use the converter box for free stations, but I could also live in an apartment that had better reception too, or one that did not require I go through only one company for Internet and phone (who of course are more expensive than other companies and are all complicated and offer bundles but only give you discounts if you buy more than one premium package, when I think I should get a discount on multiple packages no matter that they are the most basic ones, so I refuse to pay more for cable TV, bastards, who thankfully are going out of business later this month and I can now get whoever I want to be my provider so this whole rant is probably useless since I am thinking I will order cable TV from the new company I get to choose). I could do a lot of things, but all I really want is to be able to come home and watch NCIS and Criminal Minds and The Good Wife and The Mentalist and How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory (can you tell that one of the only stations I catch clearly is CBS, but really NCIS and Criminal Minds and CSI were favorites before I had only one channel to watch, though it would be nice to be able to watch Law and Order and House again).

So, Yes, I am a slacker who wants to come home, eat a quick dinner, and watch TV. And I kind of forget to do other things while I am doing that. I am guessing when the current season is over and reruns start playing I will be going out and shopping more and doing other things again. Oh and when Football season is over I will have my weekends back, which will be wonderful. I do love me some football but rearranging your whole fall weekend schedule around games gets kind of old after a while, mostly because though I might be willing to watch the game of the team(s) I like, other people feel compelled to wake up on Saturday and turn the TV on (where yes, he has cable and multiple channels available) and watch College all day Saturday and then NFL all day Sunday and then Monday Night Football too. Some weekends that is fine, but really I just want to watch my two fave teams and hear abouts scores and highlights from all the others, and I definitely do not want to listen to games or commentary in the car on the radio (I pretty much hate, loathe, despise, want to murder talk radio). It will be nice when the Football/Holiday season is over and we can go out for dinner or make plans for Saturday nights again.

So I am pretty much just rambling here. But basically I tend to go all out on things and get really involved in one thing and forget about doing others for a while. I think that I need to keep writing though. If nothing more than just to have a place to come and get some emotions out. I need to remember that I like this community and that as much fun as I have reading other people's blogs, they might like to read about me too, rather than just getting my comments. I will come back, and I will update on my life and things that have happened, and I will answer questions that I said I would answer. And I will still keep this blog a secret from my friends and family for now (though the Penguin did ask me about blogging this past weekend and I told him I had one but hadn't posted in almost a year, though I did not tell him how to find it, so in a way we can thank him for making me think about my blog and making me want to post again).

Things are going...and I want to talk about them, well write about them, here. See you again soon!

Ahoy Mateys

I am alive..... I have not drowned..... yet.....

Here's the thing, I have been lazy, eh hem hem, I mean busy. With my new schedule at work I am no longer working on my own. This means I am watching someone else or working with them. I am sure they do not appreciate not being able to check their gossip websites while I am around just as much as I hate not being able to check my blogs. It is all for a good cause though. I have been chosen to learn about all the parts of my division at work. It is really interesting and I am enjoying it lots. And it should do good things for my career. And it is only until the middle of May. Then I go back to my old job and can work by myself and get lots of stuff done, like reading and keeping up with blogs. Sure I know I could blog from home or on weekends, but honestly I have been too lazy. I have not had things to say lately. And when I do find time to even read blogs at home, somehow I never get around to writing on my own. I am a slacker, and I know it.

So, I suppose I just wanted to say Hello and let you all know I am okay. Fortunately everything is going really well for me right now and it is not something bad causing me not to blog. I will probably not be blogging much for the next few months. I can say I will try to blog more from home but I am not making any promises.

On a good note I did visit a Mall here in Houston for the first time last weekend. I finally went to the Galleria. You know that 3 story mall with all the designer stores and an ice skating rink in it? Yeah that one. I have to say it is not somewhere I would normally shop and all I bought there was candy and a new watch. But it was pretty neat and I can see why it is a tourist attraction. I still prefer the Woodlands Mall closer to my house, but the Galleria is interesting.

Umm and I planted some bulbs on my back porch. I cannot wait for them to grow. They are lovely white Christmas caladiums, you know those white and green elephant ears. Hopefully they sprout soon. Also I will be planting some really gorgeous purple and yellow calla lillies at the house in Louisiana. Go LSU! I hope the Penguin can remember to water them often enough...

So things are good and hope you all are doing well too!

Little Update

I know I have been a slacker about posting but a lot has been happening lately.

I have been busy at home with family and friends. I went out to dinner with some of my girlfriends Saturday night and I enjoyed the heck out of it. I went all by myself and we had such a good time, I realized I need to do things like that more often.

We are going to remodel our master bathroom at home. I just wanted to do the walls but it seems to have taken on a life of its own. I will be busy with the remodel for a few weeks. I will post more about it later.

At work I was chosen to work on a special project which will be great. It will change my schedule and some travel will be involved but I am looking forward to it. It will be a busy few months coming up.

And one more awesome thing to add to the mix, one of my best friends, Ginger, is having her baby! She just called and said that they are going to induce her today. This is her first baby, and I hope everything goes smoothly.

So life is crazy right now, but I couldn't be happier!

Two Transportation Things

I just thought I might share some random things that happened to me yesterday.

1. The bus driver told me not to walk in front of the bus, it is not safe.

First please take a look at Diagram #1

I ask you, how the hell else am I supposed to get to the bus? I mean while I understand he meant the fact that I had walked so close in front of the bus but still, I had reasons for that. I mean I would not have had to walk so close in front of the bus if the Moron on her cell phone had not stopped blocking the crosswalk. See instead of walking in the crosswalk like normal I passed behind the Moron's vehicle and therefore my path to get to the bus put me closer to the front of the bus. So according to the Almighty Bus Rules I had passed within some arbitrary amount of feet in front of the bus and therefore deserved a tongue lashing. Though the lashing was polite, eerily so in fact. I tried to tell the driver that I knew I walked in front of the bus, but I had to walk around the Moron on her cell phone whose vehicle we could both clearly see was in the middle of the crosswalk. He just repeated his mantra about it not being safe to walk in front of the bus, somewhat robotically, obviously expecting me to have used my supernatural powers that allow me to walk through solid objects like cars. I pointed to the lady again and got the same exact reply. At this point I did not feel like arguing with the robot bus driver any longer and found a seat.

But my real question is how the hell am I supposed to get to the bus without walking in front of it?!?!?! I walk in front of the bus every day to get on it. No other driver has ever robotically told me to not walk in front of the bus. Also we were sitting at a freaking RED light and I knew the bus was not going to be running me over for at least another 20 seconds, the flashing crosswalk lights told me so. And also it is obvious the bus driver still saw me, I mean he had to see me to tell me to be safe. So really what was the point of telling me it is not safe to walk in front of the bus when I obviously have to walk in front of the bus to get on it, and also the fact that you saw me and would not have run over me just for the hell of it, and also that the little red flashing hand that gives me 20 more seconds to cross the street had not even started flashing and I was already across the street! What was the point other that to say it with so much sugar in your voice and repeat yourself twice just to annoy the freaking hell out of me and make the end of my day frustrating. Why bus driver did you feel the need to be such a nice asshat and ruin my ride home?

2. People who work on Hummers do not always drive Hummers.

I was driving by the Hummer dealership on my way home and saw an employee leaving for the evening and he was not driving one of these

Instead he was in fact driving something more like this.

I have no idea why this made me laugh so very hard, it just did. And yes he was an employee, or at least I am pretty sure because he was in uniform. Though it might have been a uniform for some other job, and he was just a guy in a crappy car looking to improve his manhood by purchasing a Hummer. Either way, the visual it created was freaking hilarious.

I hope you have more hilarious transportation encounters than annoying ones today!

What to Eat, Sometimes...

I love when reading other blogs gives me ideas for new posts of my own. I was reading Kaila over at Shooting-A-Bird and her post about what a boy eats just made me laugh out loud. It reminded me exactly of the Penguin's picky eating. Her son, the Great White Lizard Hunter and the Penguin are both picky eaters with the added quality of randomness thrown in. I mean it is not necessarily the food that is the problem but rather the form of the food or the combinations.

I present to you some fine examples of just how random the Penguin's eating habits are.

Nacho Cheese: Yes
Jalapenos on Nachos: No
A bowl of Queso: Yes
Queso with Jalapenos in it: Sure, probably won't even notice them
A Cheeseburger: No Way!
Cheese on a Taco: Not even!
Cheese on a Sandwich or Wrap: Nope!
Cheese Steak sandwich from Waffle House: 1 Slice of Cheese
Cheesy Potato Skins: Yes
Cheese on a Baked Potato: Not really
Sour Cream on my Scalloped Potatoes: Has to have it!
Sour Cream on a Baked Potato: Not so much
Sour Cream on Potato Skins: Definitely
Sour Cream on a Taco: No Way
Stuffed Potato's with lots of Sour Cream and Cheese: Awesome!
Mac & Cheese: Not really
Pasta Alfredo: Loves It!
Raw Broccoli: Yes, Please!
Raw Cauliflower: With Ranch!
Cooked Broccoli or Cauliflower: No Way
Raw and Cooked Onions: Yes
Raw and Cooked Bell Peppers: Raw Please

Okay I am tired of thinking of these, but I am sure you get the point by now. My Penguin is a picky eater to say the least. I remember when I first met him how confused I was by the randomness that applied to consuming cheese. But eventually I figured it out, sort of. I have to say he is at least open to trying new things. Even if that means he will not order it for himself, but rather take a bite of mine. During our first few months together I kept trying to get him to go out and eat pasta with me but was never successful. Then one day at Chili's I tried the Pasta Alfredo. He took a bite and liked it so much he ended up eating more of my meal than I did. When I met him he also did not eat sour cream, but obviously that has grown on him too.

I think that I am now starting to understand why he is so picky about things. It is not necessarily the food, but the texture. He likes raw vegetables but not cooked ones because then they are mushy. He likes cheese and sour cream but not on a sandwich or anything like that. And honestly I get the texture thing. I don't mind eating chips and a sandwich together but do not even try to put lettuce on my sandwich that still has the crunchy part in it. I do not care what people say, the white/core part of lettuce is bitter and too crunchy for me. Texture is definitely something I understand. So I suppose we all have our preferences when it comes to food. Though some people are a little weirder than others...

Anyway, that was my randomness for the day. It may be a little difficult to find foods for picky eaters, but it is possible. If someone served you your favorite foods rather than something you refuse to eat, won't you be happy? I know I get frustrated when someone close to me, who I know I have told numerous times about my dislike for something, offers and/or serves it to me anyways. And conversely when someone remembers my dislike for a certain food or drink I am quite flattered. So while learning and remembering someone's food preferences can be difficult, it's worth it to make them feel comfortable. I think that we all try to remember the likes and dislikes of our loved ones.

So happy Love Thursday everyone, I hope someone out there loves you enough to remember the things you hate.

16 Things

I have noticed lately that a few bloggers like hokgardner have been posting 16 random things about themselves. Since I am not cool enough to be tagged and hokgardner invited everyone to tag themselves I think I will.

So here are 16 completely random things about me


1. I fret over minor decisions but make big ones without thinking. Such as the time I changed my undergrad major one day, or the time I accepted a job in another state...


2. I was the youngest graduate in my Master's Degree Program at the age of 23. I graduated from undergrad and grad school in December both times.


3. I live alone for the first time in my life, and I left my family and boyfriend behind in another state to be here. Needless to say, I drive home often.


4. I like cooked onions, but not raw ones.


5. I got a new cell phone a year or so ago but still use my 5 year old one instead because it has a better battery life and I can charge it in the car easily.


6. The boyfriend and I like to go camping. We went 4 times last year. We tend to get sunburned whenever we go, and you think we would have learned to bring sunscreen by now.


7. My favorite candies are those with caramel and chocolate. I have recently rediscovered Milky Ways and I am in trouble...


8. I tend to eat food in cycles. I get cravings for something and will eat it every day for a week or so and then not again for months. Also my cravings are for crunchy, salty, cheesy, and other adjectives rather than a specific food.


9. My boyfriend once ran over my foot with the car. Amazingly it did not break and all I had was a really funky bruise. It is fine now, except sometimes shoes fit one foot fine and hurt the other, which makes finding shoes all the more difficult.


10. My favorite colors are Black and Blue. I do not however like being Black and Blue.


11. Caffeine gives me headaches rather than making them go away. I dearly would like to drink coffee and coke more often...


12. I have 2 tattoos. The first one I still love, the second I settled for and I will have it removed or added to later on.


13. My hair is turning grey already, I am only 25. My mom greyed really early too. I told my boyfriend about my grey hair a year ago and he told me he didn't care, he has been balding since high school, and he could care less about our hair. He makes me comfortable and I know it will be good to grow old together, even if we do age prematurely.


14. I am a really good shot with a gun. During summer camp I achieved some of the highest rankings there were, I even shot a smiley face once. One time I out-shot an old boyfriend and he got pretty mad, I am glad the current boyfriend thinks its cool that I can shoot.

15. I am not fussy when it comes to my appearance. I can usually be out the door in 5 minutes or less and it kind of annoys me when other people take so long.

16. I really like bowls. I have at least 5 large mixing bowls at my apartment and probably 8 at the house in Baton Rouge. I am not sure what is is about a good size bowl, but I keep wanting to buy more and I clearly do not need any.

So there you have it, 16 completely random things about me. I hope it is at least somewhat interesting to you or makes you laugh at least once. Feel free to tag yourself and let me know 16 things about you.

25 and Feeling Fine

Today I am one quarter of a century old. Yes, today I turn 25. So it really is a New Year for me, a whole new year of life.

I have to say I am in a pretty good place right now. I am happy with the way my life is going. 2008 was a pretty good year but I have a feeling 2009 will be better. I don't feel like doing any reflecting really or over-analyzing of anything, I just want to be happy where I am. So far I have been successfully happy. That is really my only goal/resolution for the year; I want to be happy. I want to start making the best of everyday situations and having a more relaxed attitude. I want to say no to things I would rather not do and focus only on what is necessary and beneficial to me and my family. I am going to focus on the positive and try to block out the negative. I really just need to make myself take the time for myself. I am going to make it a point to just sit down more and let other people take care of things. I am going to make the most of peaceful, content moments.

Even though I know this won't last the whole year, it probably won't even last for the next few weeks, I am going to be happy right now in this moment knowing that I want a good outlook on the year to come.

Here's hoping you and yours are off to a good start as well.

Bang, Pop, Crackle, Fizz

Happy New Years Eve!

All I Want for Christmas...

All I want for Christmas is the two things I said I wanted and didn't get.


That makes sense right?


Did this happen to anyone else? Does anyone else feel kind of gypped right about now? Did anyone else go through months of trying to find the right presents for their family because they knew it would make people happy? Did anyone else not even get what they asked for but rather got something useful and boring, or nothing at all? Did anyone else watch people open presents from you and scream with joy and then open your own present and go wtf?


Yeah that was my Christmas. I feel kind of bad for complaining about what I did get. I feel downright grinchish. I mean I know that there are plenty of people who could not afford presents for Christmas this year. I wish everyone had the chance to have a wonderful Christmas. I am sure plenty of people would absolutely adore the things I got. And actually I do like the things I got, I like them bunches. I just... well... I wanted what I asked for or something else fun and present-like. Some things are great and while you want them, you do not want them to be your Christmas present. Birthday maybe, but not Christmas. I mean granted I do like to cook and so the cooking items I have gotten for the past few years have been quite useful. But there is just something about opening a really big present on Christmas morning only to find a pot inside, woo hoo. I mean now I am all ready to go and slave over the stove and fix a huge meal in my wonderful new pot, thanks let me get right on that for you.


Am I wrong to think Christmas presents should be fun? I mean I know I said I needed a pot like that, but I hadn't actually asked for one. (And yes hypocrite that I am I bought someone a pot for Christmas too, but to be fair he had mentioned wanting one and I got him other gifts as well to offset the boringness of the pot as a present.) I went through a lot of trouble trying to find gifts for my family that were practical as well as fun. I even helped family members figure out what to get each other and bought those things too! Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, I love giving, I love finding the right presents for people, I have a good time doing it. I just wanted at least one cool, sparkly, fun, laugh-out-loud kind of present. And yes I know I may not be the easiest person to buy for, but gift cards are awesome! And this year I actually did have a list of things I wanted, and I showed them to people in person so they would know exactly what I was taking about and where they could get a good deal on it. I even showed them to more than one person to up the odds on actually getting what I wanted, and yet nada.


I am not totally bummed, and this post is not meant to sound like me complaining at all. Actually the Penguin and I had decided that we were going to go shopping for each other after Christmas and try to get some good deals. We just didn't find any good deals on the stuff we wanted. He is actually in the process of trying to get me the camera I wanted at a really good price and I am excited about that! And I need to take him shopping and get whatever it is that he wants this weekend coming up.


What this entire post is leading up to is the fact that I went out and bought myself a present that I absolutely adore. Since I did not get it for Christmas and pretty much knew it wouldn't be happening for my birthday either (my birthday is in a week) I went ahead and bought a little something for myself. I went shopping the day after Christmas and my mom was going to meet up with me later in the day. I had plans to show her what I wanted again and ask her if she would buy it as a late Christmas/Early Birthday present. I knew she would get it for me but I just couldn't wait. I walked in the store just to check and make sure they still had one, and then like magic it was on clearance. I mean seriously on clearance, at like 1/3 of the normal price. And it was the last one they had, and it might not be there later if I came back for it. So I bought it! And when I told my mom she said Yay! Merry Christmas! tell me how much it was and I will pay for it. So bonus! It was not only 1/3 of the price, it is actually going to be free for me, and I feel good about saving mom the money. I am so happy about my purchase! And trust me if you got such a great deal on the ring you have been wanting for months you would be happy too.


See? See how gorgeous it is! I love it! It is getting sized as I write this and I can pick it up in a couple of days. I am very happy with it. I might even wear it on my left hand just to mess with people! But probably not.

So I hope you got all you wanted for Christmas, even if you have to go out and buy it for yourself!

P.S. If you like the ring too, I got it for $62 at the store in the mall. I am not promising it will still be on sale for that price but that is much cheaper than the website price right now!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you and yours are having a wonderful holiday. I know that I am having a good time. I know I have been so wrapped up in the holiday preparedness and excitment that I have not been around lately, but that is not such a bad thing. In fact I have been quite happy. The food, family, friends and fun have been pretty darn good. I hope you are happy wherever you are, with or without the internet. Enjoy what you love.

Merry Christmas!