Drumroll please. I have very exciting news (and before you get too excited, I'm not pregnant).
Yesterday the most wonderful thing happened.
I PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes folks, after ten years of toil, I am no longer indebted to Sallie Mae. It's over. Done with. I've written my last check to the establishment. I can now hang my diploma on the wall and know that I own it.
Rejoice with me - I never thought this day would come.
Next stop - pay off the mortgage. I'll see you all in 15-20 years.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Five Finger Discount
Did I mention that my husband has "commandeered" my digital camera for his new job? And that when I need it, it is no where to be found? That is why my blog has been void of pictures for the last couple months. I don't think I can, in good conscience, post anymore photos from my honeymoon which occurred nearly a year ago. So, I did what any sensible person would do - I went and bought a new digital camera. And this time I decided to upgrade. My old camera is a Nikon Coolpix (I can't remember the model number) and it takes beautiful pictures and has served me well for the past three years. I actually traded in my old fashioned film Nikon for the digital. It was my first digital. But as my family has grown, I have discovered that a point and click digital just doesn't work for taking pictures of children and animals. They move faster than the shutter can click. So I purchased what I believe is called a "Digital SLR". I'm not the photography expert, I leave that to my friend Alison. But the shutter is supposed to be a lot faster than a point and click and that is pretty much all I care about.
It is supposed to be here Tuesday which makes me so happy. Dave and I are going on a little road trip next month to visit Mandy(you have to call her Miranda) and her husband and new little baby. I can't wait! And then after that, it is on to Gettysburg, where my history buff husband can tour battlefields to his hearts content. Anyway, I'm sure to get all kinds of fun photos to show you!!
Dave can have that old slow Coolpix - it's fine for taking pictures of fire panels and sprinkler heads. They don't move.
It is supposed to be here Tuesday which makes me so happy. Dave and I are going on a little road trip next month to visit Mandy(you have to call her Miranda) and her husband and new little baby. I can't wait! And then after that, it is on to Gettysburg, where my history buff husband can tour battlefields to his hearts content. Anyway, I'm sure to get all kinds of fun photos to show you!!
Dave can have that old slow Coolpix - it's fine for taking pictures of fire panels and sprinkler heads. They don't move.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Call Me Chandler Bing
If you were a "Friends" fan then you can appreciate this. I was talking to Alison yesterday and complaining about how much I hate my job and it suddenly hit me. I am Chandler Bing. No one really knows what I do and I hate my job but I make really good money so I stay. The next thing that is going to happen is that I am going to be at work on a Friday night at 8 looking at my "weenus" and bitching about it (something I swore I'd never do).
If I get transferred to Tulsa - that's it.
I will write more about this later.
If I get transferred to Tulsa - that's it.
I will write more about this later.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
What a week
I so so so want to write about work on my blog. But I can't for fear of being "dooced".
But I will say this. I had to let an employee go this week. And it wasn't fun. And it messed me up for the whole week. But that's all I can say.
Then, yesterday afternoon, to top off an already stellar week, I got a scaulding hot cup of hot chocolate dumped on me. All down my totally white shirt, down my jeans and onto my adorable little cherry sneakers. And it was hot. And brown. It looked like someone had barfed on me.
I came home, took a hot shower, and read a book until my ever-loving but over worked husband came home and we ordered a pizza.
My house could use some cleaning, but I'm sitting her blogging instead. Does anybody see a problem with that? I didn't think so. I knew you were all my soul sisters.
But I will say this. I had to let an employee go this week. And it wasn't fun. And it messed me up for the whole week. But that's all I can say.
Then, yesterday afternoon, to top off an already stellar week, I got a scaulding hot cup of hot chocolate dumped on me. All down my totally white shirt, down my jeans and onto my adorable little cherry sneakers. And it was hot. And brown. It looked like someone had barfed on me.
I came home, took a hot shower, and read a book until my ever-loving but over worked husband came home and we ordered a pizza.
My house could use some cleaning, but I'm sitting her blogging instead. Does anybody see a problem with that? I didn't think so. I knew you were all my soul sisters.
Monday, September 3, 2007
I'm a Super Genius
Please note that I have finally figured out how to add links to my page! Oh happy day. I'm working on adding some other stuff, but my in-laws just showed up an hour early for dinner. In the meantime, please check out the links to all my beautiful friends and their adorable children.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Coffee - Nectar of the Gods
I love coffee. I adore coffee. I am a card carrying Starbucks junkie and when I say card carrying I mean that I shell out 20-30 bucks at a time to Starbucks to "reload" my Starbucks card. I love being able to whip out that card when I go to Starbucks and buy whatever my heart desires. (Plus it makes me feel cool) I'm pretty sure Starbucks puts something highly addictive, other than caffeine, in their coffee that makes people keep coming back for more.
Let me share with you, my coffee journey.
In college I did not drink coffee other than an occasional flavored latte from Barne's and Noble. Starbucks was not as prevalent in the mid-west in those days. Back then, Mountain Dew was my addiction of choice (and I wonder why I was pudgy). So after I graduated and had to join the workforce, I discovered the joy of the office coffee maker. I discovered this while temping at a dreary office where my only two expected duties were to answer the phone and make the coffee. While sitting right next to the pot and having nothing better to do, I decided to drink the coffee. I loaded it up with powdered non-dairy creamer (the thought makes me want to vomit now) and a ton (and I mean a ton) of sugar. And hence my love affair with java began. As time went on and I got a permanent job and began my full assimilation into the life of as a rat, I phased out the sugar, but was still loading it up with non-dairy creamer as I was yet unaware of the dangers of trans-fats (or at least I was in denial about it). I made the occasional trip to Starbucks for a sugar filled latte or something of that sort.
Eventually I purchased my condo and my very own coffee maker. And I was buying, insert gasp here, Maxwell House French Roast. Or was it Folgers? I can't remember. But it was already ground and I thought it was delicious. Then I had a Pampered Chef party and the hostess brought some cinnamon something or other Pampered Chef coffee and I was turned on to flavored coffee. So I bought some of that - again already ground. At this point I started buying half and half to put in my coffee each morning. Bliss. Utter bliss. Forget that non-dairy artery clogging, corn syrup filled trans-fat laden crap. I was onto real dairy and I was never going back. I thought it couldn't get any better.
And then I discovered whole bean coffee. Oh happy day. Freshly ground coffee was from heaven. So I bought a coffee grinder and began to grind my own beans. Do you see where this is going? I soon grew tired of grinding coffee every morning to make two cups of coffee for myself and I took the lazy route. I started stopping at Starbuck's every morning on my way to work and saved the bean grinding for the weekends.
Then I met my beloved who drinks 17 times more coffee than I do. And he wants a fresh pot of it steaming and ready each morning as soon as his big toe enters the kitchen. There was no stopping at Starbucks for him. He needs it the minute he gets up. So it was back to the bean grinding. I was not enjoying this little task. So, for our wedding, I registered for a beautiful Cusiniart Grind & Brew coffee maker. You just put the beans in and then the water and, like the name, it grinds and brews. Another stop on my way to coffee nirvana.
We've been married for 1 year and 3 months and I am so sick and tired of cleaning the filter and grinder on that Cusisnart every night. Not to mention the 5 lb bag of Starbucks coffee I buy to go in it which costs me 20 bucks a pop and the approximately 5 cups of coffee I dump out each night because we didn't finish the pot. So I just took my next step in my coffee journey. I purchased a Keurig one cup coffee maker. Pioneer Woman readers will remember she gave one away in her "Give that Photo a Name" contest a while back. Okay so I couldn't afford to buy the Platinum one she was giving away, but I did buy the Special Edition which is just one step down. I am now in love with this machine. We brew what we want to drink. I'm never dumping out a pot of coffee and more importantly, I never have to wash another filter or grinder again. I think this might be the last coffee maker I'll ever buy.
So now that I have spent all this time writing and thinking about coffee - I think I'm going to go pop a "K-cup" into my best friend and enjoy a hot, steamy, fresh-brewed cup of heaven!
Let me share with you, my coffee journey.
In college I did not drink coffee other than an occasional flavored latte from Barne's and Noble. Starbucks was not as prevalent in the mid-west in those days. Back then, Mountain Dew was my addiction of choice (and I wonder why I was pudgy). So after I graduated and had to join the workforce, I discovered the joy of the office coffee maker. I discovered this while temping at a dreary office where my only two expected duties were to answer the phone and make the coffee. While sitting right next to the pot and having nothing better to do, I decided to drink the coffee. I loaded it up with powdered non-dairy creamer (the thought makes me want to vomit now) and a ton (and I mean a ton) of sugar. And hence my love affair with java began. As time went on and I got a permanent job and began my full assimilation into the life of as a rat, I phased out the sugar, but was still loading it up with non-dairy creamer as I was yet unaware of the dangers of trans-fats (or at least I was in denial about it). I made the occasional trip to Starbucks for a sugar filled latte or something of that sort.
Eventually I purchased my condo and my very own coffee maker. And I was buying, insert gasp here, Maxwell House French Roast. Or was it Folgers? I can't remember. But it was already ground and I thought it was delicious. Then I had a Pampered Chef party and the hostess brought some cinnamon something or other Pampered Chef coffee and I was turned on to flavored coffee. So I bought some of that - again already ground. At this point I started buying half and half to put in my coffee each morning. Bliss. Utter bliss. Forget that non-dairy artery clogging, corn syrup filled trans-fat laden crap. I was onto real dairy and I was never going back. I thought it couldn't get any better.
And then I discovered whole bean coffee. Oh happy day. Freshly ground coffee was from heaven. So I bought a coffee grinder and began to grind my own beans. Do you see where this is going? I soon grew tired of grinding coffee every morning to make two cups of coffee for myself and I took the lazy route. I started stopping at Starbuck's every morning on my way to work and saved the bean grinding for the weekends.
Then I met my beloved who drinks 17 times more coffee than I do. And he wants a fresh pot of it steaming and ready each morning as soon as his big toe enters the kitchen. There was no stopping at Starbucks for him. He needs it the minute he gets up. So it was back to the bean grinding. I was not enjoying this little task. So, for our wedding, I registered for a beautiful Cusiniart Grind & Brew coffee maker. You just put the beans in and then the water and, like the name, it grinds and brews. Another stop on my way to coffee nirvana.
We've been married for 1 year and 3 months and I am so sick and tired of cleaning the filter and grinder on that Cusisnart every night. Not to mention the 5 lb bag of Starbucks coffee I buy to go in it which costs me 20 bucks a pop and the approximately 5 cups of coffee I dump out each night because we didn't finish the pot. So I just took my next step in my coffee journey. I purchased a Keurig one cup coffee maker. Pioneer Woman readers will remember she gave one away in her "Give that Photo a Name" contest a while back. Okay so I couldn't afford to buy the Platinum one she was giving away, but I did buy the Special Edition which is just one step down. I am now in love with this machine. We brew what we want to drink. I'm never dumping out a pot of coffee and more importantly, I never have to wash another filter or grinder again. I think this might be the last coffee maker I'll ever buy.
So now that I have spent all this time writing and thinking about coffee - I think I'm going to go pop a "K-cup" into my best friend and enjoy a hot, steamy, fresh-brewed cup of heaven!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Personality Plus
I took this personality profile as a freshman in college, ehhemm, 14 years ago and then again today. Turns out I'm still the same. Also turns out I'm in the completley wrong profession. But I think I already knew that!
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