Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Wtf

The hubster just called me a handicapped monkey and that I looked like a retard trying to do sign language. Seriously?



At a loss

I am currently at a loss for what to do. I have a lot of options, but don't really want to act on any of them. For example, I'm starving. I could go reheat leftovers for dinner which was the original plan for tonight, but I really really want fast food tonight. Which leads me to wait for the hubster so he can justify it for me. But the hubster doesn't get out of class until 7:30 pm! I guess I could wait that long and snack on some watermelon, but what will I do for the next two hours? I could watch TV, but it out in the living room for when I watched the NCAA women's division I final last night with a friend. I don't want to go out and watch in the living room for the off chance that I will fall asleep and I don't want to move the DVR back to the bedroom. I'm just so lazy right now.

Do you know what I could do? I could cut my nails because typing on the ipad with longish nails sucks. I just noticed this right now and it's really pissing me off right now



Ice Cream Sandwich

I could really use one right now.  That is all.

Summer Time!

This past Memorial Day weekend, we had beautiful weather.  It was sunny and HOT!  Maybe a little too hot and humid, but better than cold and snowy.  It got hot and humid enough for us to break down and turn on the air conditioning.  I think it's funny that every year we forget what we should set our thermostat to every summer.  This year was no different except that we have our programmable thermostat which was obvious that we bought it in a colder month because the temperature settings for cool were kind of whack.  We had it set to 74 during the day when we are at home (which is not that bad, but still kind of warm) and 78 for when we are not at home.  Since the hubster is now a student and was a full time worker when we bought it, it doesn't make sense anymore.  He's home during the normal business hours and as much as I'd like him to sweat like a pig at home, we had to change it.

78 is too warm for me.  I woke up this morning and was sweating.  I was like what the heck is going on.  The thermostat was at 74, and I finally gave in and agreed with the hubster about it being a smidge too warm.  After I walked the dogs and watered my herbs (which I think I am over-watering), I changed the schedule so that the house is at a constant 72 throughout the day.  I think the hubster will think it's still too warm, he'll just have to deal with it.

The forecast looks like it will be 93 today and a day time low of 82.  I don't think the AC will be coming off any time soon unless the humidity comes down.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Dog picture of the day





Sore

I went on my first run in two months yesterday morning.  Even at 9 am, it was hot and humid!  I only did one loop around the golf course, and I was S-L-O-W.  Not very encouraging at all. =(  Once the lacrosse season is over, I'll have to pick it up again.  I'll probably top out around 8 miles and then increase it when I get closer to the race.  It is sad to see that I struggled with this run when a mere two months ago, I was running 6+ miles consistently.  That's the nature of the beast.  I still don't know why I'm so sore though.  I do more sprinting, changing direction when I ref and I would think my jogging muscles would be the same as my reffing ones.  Maybe it was the sustained usage that caused it.  Either way, it felt good to get out there and I really did like my new running shoes.  I did hit a new all time low when I weighed myself after the run.  That's good news too!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Green Thumb?

One of my goals for this weekend was to start an herb "garden".  My co-worker has been trying to get me into gardening for quite some time.  I decided I needed another hobby and thought this was the perfect time to start.

First things first, I headed over to Giant Eagle and bought a $50 gift card to Home Depot to earn $0.20 Fuel Perks.  With the cost of gas, I could use all the help I could get.




After wandering around Home Depot's Garden Center for about 45 minutes and a few phone calls to my friend (I had forgotten my list of things to buy and what herbs I wanted), this is what I ended up with in my cart.  Woefully, there are no chives in my cart.


What is in my cart is as follows:

  • Potting soil
  • 4 6 in terra cotta pots
  • Mint
  • Cilantro
  • Basil
  • Parsley
  • Gardening gloves
  • Shovel
  • Watering can
David will be providing me with oregano and a tomato plant.  Not pictured is a 12 in terra cotta pot for transferring the tomato that he started for me.

After checking out and heading home, I decide to run some other errands before potting my herbs.  These errands include returning things to Nordstrom, stopping at Target for some necessities, and going to the pool.


After cussing to myself over and over again for wearing white shorts and sitting on my porch for an hour, I finally finish.  These are my results:



Four limp looking potted plants. =(  I followed the directions, but as usual got ahead of myself and skipped some on accident.  We'll see how they hold up through the night.  I'm thinking I should have bought the little saucers that go with these pots.  This looks messy and dirty and I don't want my porch to stain.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Pants Success!

I will not be pant-less when we move into the new building.  After the Asian Festival today, we hit up Polaris to go shopping to see what the Memorial Day sales had in store for us.  I had a $10 reward card to spend at Banana Republic and the hubster wanted a new shirt.  Well, they had a promotion going where they give you a mystery card with either 15, 30, or 50% off of your entire purchase.  I'm the most unlucky person ever when it comes to these things, but to my surprise, I got a 50% off coupon.  Score!

I'm a woman on a mission.  I grabbed all the black pants I could find and some tops and head back to the fitting room.  These fit much better than the outlet BR pants.  I find the one pair that I like the most and guess what?  They are even on sale for $45.  The hubster also liked a tube top I brought in to try.  It was $25.  I ended up buying two pairs of pants (black and khaki), ordering another black pair over the phone, and three tube tops in varying colors.  I'm sure a few will be returned.   Add in my 50% and $10 reward, my pants were $20 and my tube tops were $10!

I spent less on this than I did on the black pants I bought at Nordstrom.  Those are definitely going back along with the cute clutch I bought.  Impulse purchases are bad!

Mommy's grilling buddy





Why did you put me in this chair?




I'm not looking at you.




I'm happy now.




I'm tired now.

Old Bag of Fail

We had planned to eat lunch at Old Bag of Nails prior to the Asian festival, but fate had other plans for us. Here we are seated at our table on the deck:










See how happy we are? That lasted about 15 minutes. That's how long we waited before walking out. There were 3 other tables on the deck in various stages of their meals. One large table and two tables with 2 or 3 people. We saw each one get visited by their waiter and presumably our waiter too. I think he serviced the large table 5 times and never once looked over at us. After the third time he went back to get refills for that one table, I had decided we would leave if he came out and went back in again without taking our drink order. He did it again and we left. It's unfortunate because all he had to do was get us water and we would have waited longer. But no, we walked out. You'd think in this economy the restaurant business would be trying extra hard to keep customers. I don't think well be going back any time soon.

Asian festival

The hubster and I went to the Asian festival in Columbus today and I have to say I was fairly disappointed. There were long lines at the food vendors because they were so freaking inefficient when taking orders and preparing food. They put Asians to shame. We had Korean bulgogi, teriyaki chicken, and some skewers. It was ok.

The biggest surprise of the day was this:



Can you see what's wrong in this picture?

It's kinda hard to see, but every person under the dragon was WHITE! I'm sorry, but where are all the Asians at the Asian festival? Working the food booths? Everyone is free to learn about Asian culture, but for fucks sake, you'd think there would be one non caucasian under there.

Another thing is that there were a lot of African American volunteers at the festival. For an Asian festival, there was a surprising lack of representation. I guess thats what you get in the Midwest.

Skyline

Skyline is a Ohio favorite. Their food is based around the Cincinnati style chili. The menu has cheese coneys, chili cheese fries, and chili spaghetti. The hubster decided to go there for dinner last night. He's gotten their drive thru before, but I always opt out. I finally bit the bullet and had some.






I ordered a garden salad, a cheese coney, and chili cheese fries to share. They use a lot cheese, lots.







It was pretty good. The fries were the best part and my cheese coney got soggy by the end. The salad originally came with a humongous pile of cheese, but I hate cheese on my salad and promptly placed it on top of the chili cheese fries. Maybe that why they were so good. So that was my first visit to skyline and it only took 5 years!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Good Luck Pookie!

The hubster is taking the first of his actuary exams today at 4:30 pm.  I've been told it's the most difficult one.  He's been studying hard for the past few months.  I know he'll do great.


Good Luck Pookie!!


Yay! Finally!


Just in time for the three day weekend.  What to do....?

Definitely grilling out, going on a run outside (first time in nearly 2 months), maybe a bike ride, maybe fit in a golf lesson, and my big DIY project for the weekend: starting an herb garden!

What else?

Dog picture of the day

Last night we got into bed and the eggster decided she wanted to sleep in between the hubster and myself. So what does she do?




She tries to squeeze in between our legs to only end up sleeping on top of them. She's so annoying and incredibly hot too. I think her fat butt is pretty cute too. She always gets her way.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Damn you Nordstrom

The Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale for Women and Kids is going on right now.  In fact, it started yesterday and guess who went last night!  I did!  Oy vey.

I did some major damage.  I bought some black Elie Tahari slacks (for work), a multi-strand silver necklace (very sparkly), a neon yellow t-shirt (I know, very trendy, but I had visions of me running in it - if that is not the silliest reason to buy something, I don't know what is), a grey tank top, apple green cardigan (for work), a grey cardigan (for work), and an apple green Kate Spade wallet/wristlet (for fun).

I thought the wristlet was super cute and I totally could have used it in Vegas.  I ended up carrying my mini Longchamp bag or my black clutch and phone while I was out there.  With this, everything would have fit.  I do have a greyish-purple one I bought at Forever 21 awhile back, but I don't know where it is.

I'm having major buyer's remorse right now and most likely much of it will be returned. =(  At least I stopped myself from buying yet another pair of Chanel sunglasses.  I've been good about buying sunglasses even though I love them.  I just can't justify another pair when I have three that cover all the bases and I don't love the unique ones enough to drop a lot of money on them.

Free Lunch

Free lunches at work are the bane of my diet.  We usually have lunch catered when we have visitors for work.  They usually order way too much and us low level employess can scavenge the leftovers.  This is usually after I have already eaten my lunch.  I simply cannot refuse the offer of free food.  So for lunch today, I had a Lean Cuisine, blueberry Greek yogurt, and a half baggie of baked Cheetos with water.  In addition to this, I grabbed half a steak sammy, a small turkey sandwich, a bag of Baked Lays (only ate like 3 chips), a Pepsi, and a chocolate chip cookie.  Ugh!  I have no will power.  All those extra calories only because it was free!

Hopefully, I will only eat half the cookie and drink half the Pepsi.  One can always hope right?

*Sigh*

I'm tired.  Really tired.  I've been getting about 5 hours of sleep the past couple of days which is an hour or two less than normal and I can definitely feel that deficit.  Today started out terribly and I have a feeling it's not going to get any better.  It's never good when the first thought that comes into your head in the morning is how you don't want to go to work or do anything for that matter.

I knew from the moment I opened my eyes that I would need a lot of help getting through today, so I made sure to remind myself to brew two cups of coffee for my travel mug since I keep running out of coffee while at work.  One cup usually lasts me all day and my awesome travel mug keeps it warm!  So part of my morning routine is to check my email and putz around on the computer for a bit in the morning.  Well, I didn't get to do that because it froze on me while checking my google reader and then when I tried to restart it, it froze on start up.  So as of right now, my just fixed computer is not functioning.  PERFECT!!!  I'll have to wait for the hubster to wake up so I can bug him to take a look at it.

I'm just mad because I just fixed the damn thing and got a new motherboard and processor.  I barely use it anymore.  I think I'm even more mad that if I have to fix it again, I have sync my phone to it again.  I hate doing that.  I don't even think there is anything technically wrong with doing it, but I'm paranoid about using up all my computers or whatever for the apps.  Anyway, after I accept that my computer is not going to cooperate with me, I get dressed, pack my reffing bag, and make my two cups of coffee.  I think the stress of remembering to make two cups instead of one led to my next mistake.

I forgot my reffing shoes at home!  FML!  It's not even a big deal.  I know I'm being so dramatic, but I'm mad.  I left them sitting on my kitchen floor which I never do.  They usually sit in the living room floor right next to the bag.  A smart move because then I see them and don't forget them.  Now, I have to leave work a little earlier to run home and get them which upsets my plans for the rest of the week.  I'm trying to make up 8 hours of work so that I don't have to use a vacation day for Monday.  Right now I've made up 4 hours and today was supposed to be another 2, but I don't think I'll make it with this new predicament which means I'll have to spend even more time here on Friday - the Friday before a three day weekend!  I guess it won't matter that much since the hubster takes his P exam at 4:30 tomorrow and won't be home when I get home.

I'm just ready for this week to be over.  My pool opens this weekend, but I doubt the weather will allow me to enjoy it.  *Sigh*

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Business Casual

We had our pictures taken today for new badges and a group picture to commemorate the move into our new building.  Apparently, the group picture will be placed inside a time capsule.  We were directed to dress business casual for this picture to anticipate the dress code shift when we move into the new building.  It was very interesting to see what people considered business casual.  There were still a good number of people in blue jeans.  Some tried to skirt the denim rule by wearing black jeans.  Some went the opposite direction and went for business with a pant suit.

I went for business chic and wore my only pair of black slacks with a off white tank that has a sequined panel in the front with a black cardigan.  I finished off the look with my new belt and black Tory Burch flats.  I think I need some new ones since these are getting worn down.  I'm thinking of going to the Nordstrom half anniversary sale today and see if I can find some more pants or cardigans.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Tickets Booked

Finally Southwest released their tickets for the rest of the year.  I was able to use my free ticket for my flight to San Diego for my half marathon in November.  One less thing to worry about.  Now to get back on track with training.  On a side note, I have yet to wear my new running shoes.

Easy money

One good thing of being bought by goodrich is the increased health benefit programs. They increased the health spending amount to $200 from $150, but the best perk so far has been the incentives to maintain a healthy lifestyle and promoting monitoring said lifestyle and health. Every year we have the opportunity to receive $300 on visa debit cards for completing three simple tasks. They are;

Create a wellness goal (simple - lose 5 lb and run a half marathon)
Take a biometric screening test (offered free at work)
Complete a health quotient summary (answers from the biometric test)

I just completed the last of the tasks. I can see why the company promotes this since the majority o the workforce at this location is older and overweight. I'm just glad that I didn't need to male any drastic changes to get my $300.

Gelish manicure update

The lighting in my office sucks, but here are some pictures of my nails one week after getting them done with the Gelish nail polish.












Not too bad. I did have one chip while in Vegas. I was reaching for my floss in my travel bag, and my nail got caught on the metal part that cuts the floss. The chip was small and I had no issues from the salon on repairing it an honoring their guarantee. The chip was one my index finger and you can see it's the one showing little nail growth in the second picture. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the results and will probably get it again the next time I need manicure. Final verdict won't be in until I find out how easy/hard it will be to remove the polish.

FML

What a terrible start to my work week! I hit a duck on my way to work. It just flew right in front of me and I didn't have time to react. My adaptive light is defective in my car and because that warning light came on and I was so worried about figuring what it meant, I forgot to check of the duck did any damage to my car. Walking in to work I spilled my coffee all over my shirt and I was looking forward to my coffee. Once I logged onto my computer and checked my email, I realize that today is the health fair and I can't eat anything until after my screening because I'm being tested for my fasting glucose levels.

I'm about ready to go home and go back to bed.



Monday, May 23, 2011

Home sweet home

I made it home! Yesterday seemed like the longest day ever. I don't think the 7 hour wait at the airport helped at all. After sitting on an uncomfortable metal stool at the charging station at McCarran airport, I mosied over to my gate to take a little nap. This was around 12:00 am. My flight left at 1:50 am. I slept for a little bit and was awoken by a PA announcement about available first class upgrades for $100! At this point, I am so miserable and tired, I walk up to the counter and see if I'm eligible for the upgrade since Delta only let's you upgrade for certain ticket classes. So I ended up splurging for an upgrade. The way I justified it was that I had $140 leftover from my allotted Vegas money. That large seat made my 3 hours of sleep that much more comfortable. I don't think I took full advantage of my first class status, but I still enjoyed myself.

I arrived in Memphis where I took another nap during my two hour layover. That flight was quick and I arrived ok Columbus ahead of schedule.

The hubster indulged me and we went straight to the nail salon to fix my chipped nail (go go two week warranty). We also went to five guys and Costco before finally making it home. What a long trip home, but it was definitely worth it. I hope the hubster can go next time.



Leaving Las Vegas

Someone please remind me to never take a fucking 2 am red eye out of Las Vegas ever again. I got to the airport around 7 pm with my friend in hopes of catching an earlier flight on standby. No such luck. In fact, every flight has been oversold including mine. Do I want to catch the morning flight tomorrow morning for a free ticket? Probably not since I've been here for 4 fucking hours already. I can't wait to get home or at least in my seat where I can finally sleep.



Las Vegas part 3

After Saturday's drinking fiasco, we missed our chance to get a fourth buffet in from our 24 hour buffet pass. We ended up going to mcdonalds for breakfast. It was delicious. After that we stayed in the room until noon and then checked out and dropped out luggage off to store for the remainder of the day.

After that, we hit up the forum shops at caesar's palace. I bought a new hat and belt from anthropologie and my friend bought a beautiful maxi dress with a geometric purple pattern. She's going to look great for the wedding she is attending in June. We had lunch at cheesecake factory and hit up the pool afterwards.

The pool was much less crowded than yesterday and we spent about three hours there. I managed to sneak a quick nap in there too. At 4, we went to the spa to use the sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and showers. For $10, we were able to kill about 1.5 hours and relax at the same time. It was very refreshing and something I would do again in a heartbeat. It was all very luxurious.

A quick coffee and apple turnover later, we picked up our bags and that's when things went south. There were black sharpie lines on the handle of my brand new Louis vuitton duffel bag. Stuff like this happens, but I was a little angry. I went back to the luggage area to ask about it and they made me fill out a damage report. I'm pretty sure they don't care and won't do anything about it, but it just made me more upset about the situation. After that, we barely made it to the airport shuttle.

Overall, the last day in Vegas was the most successful and most fun and probably the cheapest. Thanks anthropology and the Harrah's spa!


Sunday, May 22, 2011

Elaine, spelled ...





Vegas part 2

Saturday night didn't really go as planned. It started out fine. We took a nap after our 4 hour walk down the strip, got ready to go out, and got onto the free shuttle to the Rio for dinner. We ate at the buffet and it was very good. We had no luck finding a table at Rio, so we walked over to the Gold Coast. No luck there either. :(. Anyone sensing a trend here?

We decided to go to Freemont St. Surely old Vegas wouldn't let us down. After waiting for a cab and having one stolen from us by some asshole and waiting in traffic for god knows how long, we arrive at the Golden Nugget. We play some pai gow mania at the Fitzgerald that kristina likes. It was fun learning a new game, but not very fun losing our money at suck a quick pace. We quickly left and headed to Binion's. We didn't have much there either. After losing the majority of our money, we decided to stop before we gambled away our cab fare back to Harrah's.

We instead decided to get drunk on cheap margaritas and coronas. We got our first drinks and headed outside to watch the light show where I get approached by a trio and get asked if they could take a picture of me with their friend. I say no in disbelief. What makes them think I would say yes. Do people normally say yes to these requests? It's good to know that I've still got it even at 28 and married.


Location:Las Vegas Blvd S,Las Vegas,United States

Weird dream

I had the worst dream last night. You could even call it a nightmare. I dreamt that my dad told me that my mom would shoot me in the stomach in the middle of the night. WTF! The dream went on and I end up in my mom's closet cutting red ribbon to lace up my shoes. Random details ftw. So that's where my mom shoots me in the stomach and my dad gets up to help me and whispers in my ear, don't worry you know you're dying. Dad, not a comfort! So I can feel myself dying and it's super scary. I'm coughing up blood and feel like I'm drowning in it. It's a terrible feeling. I choke up the bullet and I wake up. I think after I coughed up the bullet, I wasn't going to die. Depressing and morbid dream.... :(



Vegas part 1

After two delayed flights, I finally made it to Vegas. We waited in long lines everywhere from the taxi line at the airport to checking in at the hotel. We dropped our things in the room and hit the tables! $10 pai gow tables and two hours later, I'm only down $25! Not too shabby!

Tomorrow the breakfast buffet at the palms if I can wake up early enough and the pool for starters.



Friday, May 20, 2011

Denied!!

The bitch strikes again on a poor unsuspecting victim! So i've blogged before about my standoffish demeanor and my ability to repeal all small talk in public places. Well, it happened again. I manage to last 95% of my flight without my seatmate saying a word to me aside from "I need to get out". Then all of a sudden, he starts talking to me, but little does he know about my secret powers. I answer politely, but do not reciprocate the questions. By the time I realize this, I've already come off as a rude bitch. I think he stopped trying after two or three questions. Oops, oh well.



LOL

The hubster showed me this youtube video a few days ago.  I still chuckle at it and LOL at work when I watch it on my phone.  It reminds of us Red and the voice is just perfect for this dog.

Mom's Couch Update

My mom called last night after my game to tell me that she returned the shoes I bought her for Mother's day because they didn't have her size, so she took the money, bought another pair of shoes and pocketed the remaining money.  I'm not entirely shocked that she did this, but I really wanted her to keep this particular pair.

The conversation progresses to her new couches.  She wonders why the dogs will no longer sit on the couch.  It could be because they like to sit on top of the couch cushions like my dogs do and she purposely put that piece of wood and cat thing on top of it to prevent it!  We're talking about couch covers for the dogs and how I should go to Big Lots! to buy them because they are cheaper, but made with cheaper material (getting mixed messages here), and how I should put plastic rug holder material underneath it because it will hold it better and to buy two sofa sizes and not the loveseat size because it's too short.  Lots of unsolicited advice, but either way I sit through it.

The big stunning news is that she bought more cat decor!  Here's a reminder and close up of said cat:



WTF, I didn't even know they would still make these hideous things.  My mom was quite proud that she found them on amazon.  I've been searching for them because I don't believe her.  I can't find them.  I've tried numerous search terms: "ballerina cat", "ballerina cat long legs", "cat decor".  It was a fruitless effort.  Maybe it still had a upc on it and she scanned it using the amazon app.  I'll have to ask my brother for a link or something.

Tick Tock

Finally, it's Friday!!!

Five hours at work, home to finish packing, tidying up the house for the stepson's visit and to make sure it won't look like a bomb went off in my house when I come home on Monday, and off to the airport at 5 for a weekend in Vegas!

This day is going too slow.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The hubster's dog picture of the day

Sometimes the hubster sends me pictures of the dogs when I'm at work.





Anti-kid for now...

Here I thought with my sister in law and cousin having babies, I would want a baby.  And I kinda did for half a second.  And I kinda do when I read this mom's blog about her adventures with her cute kid.

But then, she posted a video/sound clip of a conversation she had with her kid, and now I'm definitely on the "no kids" side of the fence.  It was a conversation she had with her daughter before going to bed.  Here's the thing:  she transcribed the whole conversation so we could follow along.  I read the transcript before listening to the video.  It was much better reading it.  And here's why:  I think there is something about kids voices that rub me the wrong way.  I just zone out.  Their tone, cadence in speech, how they form their sentences and questions, and the subject matter.  I can't stand any of it.  I think subject matter has a lot to do with it.  The same thing happens when the stepson talks.  I just completely zone out when he starts blabbering on about Zelda or Uno or whatever the topic of the day is.  It's like random fact or obvious observations spewing out of these kid's mouthes.

And you know what, that's what kids do.  All kids.  And they are kids.  They don't have the mental capacity of an adult which I would like them to have.  I'm just not wired for kids or maybe the switch hasn't kicked on yet.

Perhaps if/when I do get pregnant, something about the amount of hormones will cause a chain reaction for me to become immune to these asinine kid conversations and then I'll be a great mom!  But then you'd think something would have to happen to prompt me to actually try to knowingly conceive a child.

Wow, this post is all over the place.  This is the inner struggle I have with the idea of me having a baby and becoming a mom.  The current battle right now is "I hate kids" vs "But what if I'm missing out on the greatest adventure of my life".

Ugh Southwest!

I've been stalking Southwest's website waiting for them to open up their schedule for November.  I want to use my free ticket to fly out to San Diego for my half marathon.  The latest date for flights has been sitting at November 4th forever!!!  They usually let you book flights 6 months out and it's within 6 months!  Since there are limited number of seats to use these tickets on, I want to do it ASAP so I can find out if I can use them or if I need to buy them.  Right now, tickets are around $300, and they are only going to go up the longer I wait.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Wtf

Apparently, I give off a carnie vibe because the bank teller asked me if I worked at the fair that is currently set up at the Indian mound mall. I'm truly insulted.



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Preparation for Vegas

So whenever I go on a trip, I always go get a manicure and a pedicure... without fail. I don't know why, but I do. So with Vegas only days (yay!!!!) away, I went over to the nail salon and got some pampering done. I went with a Gelish manicure. This uses a special polish that requires a uv light to cure the polish. This makes them dry ultra fast and makes them not chip. The place I went has a two week guarantee and if they do chip, then you can come back and they will repair it for free. Here they are:





I went with the sea foam color. At first, I thought it was coming out a little too dark, but it lightened into this nice mint green. I really like and so far no chipping which is a record for me. I've washed the dishes, started some packing, and ran a load of laundry. I don't even have to be careful. It's awesome. Since manicures are something I get maybe two to three times a year, I totally think it's worth the extra $20 for this.

For my toes, I did a light pink instead of my usual coral color. I figured the pink wouldn't clash as much with the green. It's OPI's Italian Love Affair. It may be my new favorite pink.




Next up, maybe eyebrow wax...

Family Baby Pool

I won!  I didn't win the overall pool, but that doesn't really concern me.  I just need to be better than my own family.  What did I win?  A onesie that happens to fit Parker!  Surprise!  I was asked if I wanted to give it to Parker and I said sure, but I wanted a picture of her in the winning onesie for bragging rights.

My brother who was also cced on the email told me I should have kept it for myself and taken a picture of Egg Roll wearing it.  My brother is something else.  It's a great idea, but I had already consented to giving it to Parker.

Monday, May 16, 2011

My Mom's New Couches

So my little brother bought my mom a new set of couches for Mother's day to replace the 20 year old set she had.  Here's a picture he sent me:


Notice the cat and piece of wood sitting on the couches.  My mom claims it's feng shui.  I don't know about that, but that cat is mine!  It was a Christmas gift when I was younger and still taking dance classes.  I am surprised she still has it, but I really shouldn't be because she has other little knick knacks that she's bought me from my dancing days.  For example, a pair of ceramic ballet slippers that used to hang on my wall.

I do wonder if those beige couch covers work.  I was going to buy a set for my couches to replace these green blanket things that my mom told me to buy.  These look much nicer and much easier to maintain.  The green covers require a lot of tucking and re-arranging.  I guess if my mom likes them, then I need to start saving up my Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Autocross

The hubster signed me up for a driver's school for autocross. Wikipedia defines autocross as a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a temporary course marked by traffic cones, rather than racing on a track with multiple other cars, as in road racing or oval racing.

We woke up asshole early on my day off to get to OSU campus by 7 am. If you know the hubster, he is definitely not a morning person. There were about 20 instructors assigned to 47 drivers. They walked the course with us and rode along on our runs. It was a lot of fun and really getting to know what my car can do was very interesting. I got over my dislike of loud cars and association of negativity to squealing tires.

I achieved my goal of not being the slowest one out there. I think I clocked in at a respectable 63.3 seconds. As a reference, my instructor rsn the course in 55.5 seconds in a car made for autocrossing. For my first time, I think I did great.

I did get yelled at for squatting down while a cone patrol. I think we can add this to the things Elaine and the hubster can do together. I think it's fitting that I made him pick up snowboarding and he had me do this. Although, I think we could get some cheaper hobbies.


Friday, May 13, 2011

Happy birthday Parker!!!

My cousin's wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl today. Parker Elizabeth is 6lb, 4oz.




I already think I am her favorite aunt because she won me the family baby pool. My guess was pretty good.

Guess: girl, May 15, 6 lb, 7 oz, 8 am
Actual: girl, May 13, 6 lb, 4 oz, 9 am

I bet if she waited until the 15th I would have been spot on.

I'm gonna be an auntie...again!

I wrote this at 7 am this morning. Thanks to blogger, it's a little late.

My cousin and his wife went to the hospital last night and we're all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Lui. Is Aunt the correct term for me? I mean they are my cousins.

If the baby comes today, I'm totally winning the baby pool. I wonder what the prize is. Hopefully, I didn't jinx myself, but they did give her an epidural. Is that the point of no return? At this point, can it still be a false alarm?




Wednesday, May 11, 2011

J.W.'s Lemonade homestyle

The hubster replicated The Cheesecake Factory's J.W.'s lemonade. The recipe consists of Chambord, citron vodka, and lemonade. I think he did a pretty good job. It was delicious, and it had better be because it was a pain in the ass to get the alcohol. Apparently, every liquor store decided to close.




I can picture myself drinking these all summer long. I think the bottle neck will be keeping the fresh lemonade in stock.

Dog picture of the day

We had the stepson tonight. We grilled out with turkey burgers and cheeseburgers. Afterwards, we let the dogs out on the yard while we rode bikes. Thank goodness the warm weather has finally arrived in Columbus!







It's Christmas in May

So what was in those boxes I posted yesterday?  Here's what was inside them:


ipad 2

The hubster and I made the unfortunate mistake of walking into the Apple Store a few weeks ago to play with the new iPad.  We decided to splurge on one since I took on a lot more games this lacrosse season.  We've been playing with it non-stop since we got it yesterday.  I have to say for a company that is known for its intuitive-ness in its products, it was not intuitive to sync my iPhone to iTunes and then to my iPad.  It took a while and was very frustrating.  In the end, I still ended up losing some apps (mostly fee, some paid), but it's working great.
New shoes

I bought these two Sundays ago and I got my mom the same pair.  Unfortunately, hers are still MIA.  I'm going to wait a few more days and then I just might cancel the order.  They are cute and I never thought boat shoes would be me.  I haven't showed them to the hubster, so still undecided if I want to keep them.

New snowboarding goggles

The ones I bought have lavender accents on the frames and the strap.  I'd been holding out on getting custom ones for a few months, but the $155 price tag was holding me back.  When I saw these pop up on REI.com for $64, I gave up my dreams of custom goggles and bought these.  I think I'll buy replacement lenses when it gets closer to winter, but overall, I'm pleased with these.

With all these goodies, I think it's time to give my credit card a break.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

What do we have here?!?





I hate my dentist

I'm beginning to think my dentist's office is completely incompetent.  It all started with my last visit.  You know how when you sign in to any medical office they always have a box asking if any information has changed (i.e. address, insurance, phone number)?  Well, my dentist has one and I checked it because my insurance changed since we transitioned from AIS to Goodrich.  Usually, the front desk will call you up and ask for your new information.  This never happened and perhaps that should have raised some flags.  I really think the receptionist at my dentist serves no real purpose.  She must be related to one of the dentists.

Anyway, after the visit, I needed two cavities filled (which I kinda question because they said I wouldn't need to be numbed and some other crap - I really think they like to recommend unnecessary work).  So I ask for an estimate especially since I have new insurance.  They give me on based on the old rates and then schedule me for the work.  I never get the pre-authorization so I call and cancel my appointment.  I ask for another pre-authorization.  The only thing I keep getting is an EOB for work done in December of last year (which I never went) and it's still for my old insurance.  I also then receive a bill from the dentist saying I owe $200 for my annual cleaning.  WTF?!?!  I call back and they still haven't updated my insurance yet.  I get yet another bill for the same amount.  I call back again and they say to ignore it.  I haven't gotten another one, so I assume that it's been taken care of.

My tooth has started to hurt, but I think it's just in my head because I know there are "cavities" there.  I really do want to get this taken care of, but not until the damn office gets their act together.  I should really consider switching dentists.  I only go to this one because the hubster loves them, and he has dentist-phobia.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

I spent Mother's Day with the hubster's family.  We did a joint Easter/Mother's Day celebration.  We had a great time eating lunch, participating in an Easter Egg hunt, and just hanging out.  Everyone loved their gifts.

We ended up going down to Cincinnati early to hit the outlets prior to stopping at his mom's house.  The hubster replaced his backpack which was stolen from his car.  He got a new red North Face one.  I went in search for some new work pants since we'll be switching from a casual dress code to a business casual one.  No more jeans except on Fridays!!!  My entire work wardrobe is centered around jeans.  I own one pair of black pants not including the ones that go with my suit.  Anyway, I had no luck with pants, but did buy a new pair of jeans.  Great!  Another pair of jeans, I need a new pair of jeans like I need another hole in my head.  But I can't resist.  I did get a mint green button up for work, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.

We left my mother-in-law's house a little later than anticipated and we didn't get home until 7 pm.  That's ok though because we still got to grill out tonight.  I've been dying to use my grill again ever since I bought the matching stand to go with the grill.  This has been the first rain free day in God knows how long.  I made grilled chili lime chicken, veggie skewers, corn on the cob, and chicken rice.  It was good and so quick and easy!  I know I'll be using that sucker all summer long.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Strawberry Frosted Poptart

I just ate one, and it was good!  Sometimes,  you just want junk food no matter how much you know you shouldn't be eating it.  I'm craving ramen for dinner too.

My eating habits have gone to shit ever since the lacrosse season started.  I'm eating out waaaaay more and drinking way more alcohol than normal.

Poor Doggies

I  just got a call from the hubster and he informed me that the smoke detector in our bedroom is low on batteries and is beeping.  The problem is he can't reach it using the step ladder we currently own.  So he has to go out and  a real ladder (which we have been meaning to do on Black Friday, but never have the motivation to actually get up early for a ladder and then we do go out, they are sold out!)

Anyway, the dogs are apparently very afraid of the beeping smoke detector.  So afraid in fact, that Egg Roll will not get off of the hubster's lap and Red is hiding under the futon in the office.  Even worse is while the hubster tried to put the girls in their cages while he went out to get the ladder, he tried to give them a treat to help calm them down.  Egg Roll took the treat in her mouth and then dropped it when she heard the beep!  Egg Roll refuse food!@!?!@  Unbelievable!  I hope the hubster gets the ladder and changes the battery soon for our dogs' sake.

Is it really that hard?

Lately, I feel all I do is vent about the hubster.  Today is no different.

I have a morning routine I follow on weekdays. It looks like this:

  • Wake up
  • Pee, brush teeth, wash face
  • Walk and feed the dogs
  • Turn on coffee maker and make my lunch
  • Go to office and putz around on the computer (check email, facebook, etc)
  • Get ready for work, pack my lacrosse bag (in season only), make coffee, and put lunch and water into my bag
  • Turn off lights and leave for work
I do this every morning, and for the past week when I walk into the office, there is always something on my desk that my lovely husband has left for me.  This week it has been a blanket on my chair, a banana peel on my desk, and several dirty plates on my desk.  WTF?   Is it really had to leave said items on your own damn chair or desk.

For some background information, we have the same desks.  We bought these desks, but without the pullout park at Ikea:
They are pretty good sized desks.  Mine looks like this.  His looks like a filing cabinet throw up on it.  So obviously, there is no room for a dirty plate on his desk.  Of course, while there is food on it and he needs to eat off of it, there's plenty of room on his desk for it.  It bothers the crap out of me that he puts this shit on my clean and neat desk.  I always move his crap back on to his desk so that he knows I know where it was.  Is it really that hard to walk all the way over to the kitchen to put your plate in the sink (which I will wash) or throw away a banana peel?  Apparently, it is and it's too much to ask to leave your junk on your own desk.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Did I suddenly move to Forks,WA?

Holy cow, will this rain ever stop?  I know April showers bring May flowers, but at this point, fuck the flowers.  I think rain has been in the forecast for the past two weeks and will go through this week.  It's MAY.  I want sun, I want warmth.  I'm so glad I'm going to Vegas in 17 days.

I got rained on last night.  It was pouring this morning and for the whole commute into work.  I just got a call that my game was cancelled.  That's $100 I could have used in Vegas or to use towards an iPad or spend on an nice dinner or put towards my mortgage!

I'm done with rain!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Still not an "Adult"

Part of my definition of being an adult is being up to date on the current events both locally, nationally, and internationally.  Of course, in varying degrees.  I've been getting a lot better about this especially since I switched from listening to morning radio or books on CD on my commute to NPR.  I felt so adult like to be able to say silly things like this, "I heard on NPR that you'll be able to see the Hubble space station in this XYZ window".

Anyway, I'm demoting myself a half step and this is why.  As everyone knows by now, Osama Bin Laden has been killed in a military raid in Pakistan.  How did I find out about this news?  Through Facebook!  Last night, I was watching the newest episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent on DVR.  After the episode, I turned off the TV, grabbed my netbook to check my email and surf the internet before going to bed.  Of course, I stopped in on Facebook and that's where I saw it.  I then proceeded to call the hubster who was in the very next room (I don't like to yell at night because it causes the dogs to get riled up) to tell him about it.  I'm sure I would have heard about it in the morning on NPR because it was literally all that was on the news, but I don't think I'll ever shake the fact that I heard about Bin Laden's death on Facebook, just like people say you'll never forget where you were or what you were doing when 9/11 happened.

I guess this really has no bearing on my status as an adult, but I find it very interesting how fast social media and networking carries news.  I've heard the reports on NPR, but never really experienced it first hand.

Dog picture of the day




I saw this adorable puppy on Saturday when I was out in Granville after a game with two friends. I could not stop looking at him. I think it looks a lot like Red when she was a puppy except Red has white paws. The hubster they looked alike, but not exactly alike. I must have looked like a stalker as I not so slyly tried to take a picture of this puppy. This was the best one I could get.

Mother's Day Shopping

Mother's Day is coming up this Sunday.  This is one of those holidays that sneaks up on me.  This year I remembered and got my shopping done this weekend.  The hubster was autocrossing at school on Sunday leaving me all alone at home.  He also tasked me to buy Mother's Day gifts for his mom, grandmom, and sister-turned-new-mom since we are going down to Cincinnati on Sunday.  I find shopping for his family very difficult and usually end up getting them something that I would want to get.  My first stop Sunday morning was to Kohl's.  I had $10 in Kohl's cash to spend that expired in a few days.  If I couldn't find anything suitable for the "moms", I would just buy the step son some new underwear.

To my surprise, I ended up buying everything at Kohl's and came in under budget.  I don't think anyone in his family reads my blog, but if you do, GO AWAY!

For the mom-in-law:


It's one of those recordable books, but instead of her recording her voice for a story, there are questions in there that you can ask your grandkids and record their answers.  The demos were cute and I think I bought in to it.  I wondered whether this was something that the stepson was "too old" in to participate.  If it is, then she can always save it for her new granddaughter.

For the sister-in-law:

Yes, picture frames are a pretty generic gift and a good fall back, but I really liked this one and since this was her first Mother's Day, I think it was appropriate.  Also, I personally think the hardest part of receiving a picture frame is finding the time to find a suitable picture, printing it out, picking it up, and framing it.  So I did it for her!

For grandmom:


Yes, another picture frame!  I put a family photo I had taken from Christmas in the frame.  I think it's special because it has the whole family in it with both great grandkids.

Last, but not least for my mom:


I think my mom will like them.  If not, Nordstrom makes returns/exchanges so easily, she can find something that she likes better.  I actually bought a pair of the same shoes for myself while I was there this weekend.

On a different note, I sent a text to my little brother to ask what he was getting her for Mother's Day.  His response: a couch and a love seat.  WTF?!?!  I guess she wants some new furniture before my relatives come to visit in July.  I don't blame her.  The current sectional she has is probably 20 years old.  I'll leave that purchase up to my brother.  He's not married and doesn't have a mortgage or a car payment.