Decade

So, I'm a moron and just realized that all this "end of the decade" hoopla was because a real "decade" was ending. In my head, a decade was just "ten years" so if I didn't jump on the decade bandwagon this year, I'd just reflect on the past ten years next year. Again, I'm a moron.

What are they calling this decade anyway, the "Double-Os?" 80s, 90s, ???

Anyway, since it's not too late, here are some of my highlights from the past ten years:

2000
This was the pinnacle of my high school education/fun. This was the year Y2K did not crash the universe. This was also the year Party of Five ended.

2001
Graduating high school, heading to Virginia Tech...Independence was the lesson of the year. It was time and it was worth it. Scrubs became my TV obsession.

2002
Hubby (before we were even an item) earned "friendship for life" after watching Newsies with me to celebrate my birthday....mid-July we decided that five years of friendship was sufficient and tried "dating". The move to WVU happened and dorm-life ended.

2003
More WVU, friendships with my gals springing up all over, a mellow but good year I think.

2004
More WVU, my first big step toward moving to the city by way of my summer internship in downtown DC, and the most crazy proposal ever (I said, "yes") pretty much sum up this year. Oh yeah, and LOST happened...

2005
My time at WVU ends (with an amazing year of concerts!) and only a few days later The Wedding, the Big Move, and the Honeymoon. Started my first real job and quickly discovered I was in over my head.

2006
There was a lot of traveling this year, namely for work (both of our jobs actually). Alias ends while Hubby is on travel in Australia (I did not wait for him to watch it, but rather just watched it twice!) Hurricane Cruise to Bermuda happened (and we vowed never to get an inside cabin again!) Kitty makes her way into our family and Tucker (the other one) makes his brief appearance.

2007
Kicked off the new year with a new job and a few months later we purchased our first place. Spent most of the year pretty mellow enjoying our new home...and studying to get my CFE license. I also perfected the chocolate chip cookie this year.

2008
The year of BBQ -- we made two trips to Tennessee during the year and for Christmas were gifted with our own smoker for the backyard. I finally got my CPA license after an intense year of studying.

2009
The year of vacations with two cruises and a trip to the beach (with a mini-North Carolina BBQ tour thrown in there as well) made the year our last big vacation year...especially after we found out during the summer that we were expecting our first child (Baby Girl Bing expected to arrive in February 2010!)

Looking ahead, the next decade is going to be much different than this past one. We've got lots of learn up ahead, but it should be an interesting and wild ride!

Books

Since only one of my 2009 New Years' Resolutions really happened this year with any progress, I figured I would give a full report on the outcome of that particular resolution.

 

Resolution:  Finish reading one book per month. 

 

Did I really read twelve books this year?  Well, here is the chronological list of my completed readings for the year (along with my letter grade for each...since in my family we tend to grade and/or vote on everything):

1. Bitter is the New Black -- A
2. Mere Christianity -- A+
3. Love & Respect -- A-
4. The Kite Runner -- A
5. Disciples of a Godly Woman -- B
6. The Book Thief -- A+
7. Twilight -- A+
8. New Moon -- B+
9. Defending Your Faith -- A
10. The Shack -- C
11. Eclipse* -- A

(I feel like I'm missing something, but am totally blanking...)

 

I am still currently reading: What to Expect When You are Expecting and BabyWise in anticipation of Baby Bing's arrival in February and there is a high probability that BabyWise will round out the list as #12.  I also read a portion of a church history text book with our small group, but that book is enormous and I'm not 100% sure it is humanly possible to finish.

 

As for my other resolutions...

 

My scrapbooking is still a disaster (although I finally ordered copies of wedding snapshots and have all the photos on-hand for when inspiration/motivation strikes).  My goal weight situation went out the window in June when I discovered that I was hosting a human parasite.  I'm still working on that Snickerdoodle (getting closer...may make one last attempt for 2009 next week), and while I started off well with scripture memory it didn't end so well.  I do know "more", but didn't get the whole way through the year with Beth and the Living Proof gang. Lastly, well, there's just no stopping me.  If your kitchen is messy and I am left unattended, I will clean it.  Maybe that's not such a bad thing...

 

We'll give me a week or so and I'll start thinking of my 2010 resolutions...although one of them will definitely be to lose a ridiculous amount of weight since I'm pretty sure Baby Bing will not weight near as much as I have gained...

 

 

*Yes, I realize three of the books on the list are Twilight saga books.  I counted them all =P

Celebrate

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About How We Celebrate Christmas (but didn't care enough to ask)

 

 

As you can see...I have found several Christmas surveys in the recent weeks...taking me back to high school survey-maddess type, that's for sure!

 

Enjoy!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Me - Hot Chocolate (with peppermint schnapps if possible, though not this year); Hubby - Egg Nog

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa does not make an appearance at our house.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White lights both inside and out.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The weekend after Thanksgiving...or whenever BFF-D is in town to help Hubby carry the tree up from the basement and move furniture around.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? COOKIES!!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? The outdoor Christmas lights. NOT! There, all my neuroses explained.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? 3rd or 4th grade...at the Kennedy Center...while eating my lunch before seeing The Nutcracker ballet...

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Usually.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Hubby is very particular, only red balls go on the tree.  That's it (thankfully our actual tree comes complete with white lights, red berries, twigs, and pine cones on it).

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? LOVE SNOW!!  Can't wait til I can ski again...Wii Skiing only for me this season.

12. Can you ice skate? Sure, can I ice skate well?  No.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I have no idea, but it probably revolved around my American Girl dolls and/or massive doll house my father built for me (this thing was a beast, it was over 4 feet tall...up until middle school I could crawl through the front door...)

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Kicking off a season of celebrating the life of Christ in anticipation of celebrating Easter...I like thinking of Christmas-time as a beginning even though it happens at the end of the year...

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Cookies...all of them...unless they have fruit or nuts in them.  I like my cookies with just a variety of forms of sugar and goodness thank you.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Baking cookies with Hubby closely followed by leftover ham on a leftover biscuit with my cousins post-Christmas-dinner.

17. What tops your tree? Nothing.  In 4 years we have been unable to successfully find a tree topper that did not end up on the floor.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?  God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?  YUM!

21 Favorite Christmas Show? Show?  like TV program or movie or what?  I'm always partial to The Grinch and of course Hubby's traditional viewing of Opus And A Wish For Wings That Work...movie-wise, I always try to watch White Christmas and The Muppets' Christmas Carol.

22. Saddest Christmas Song? Saddest?  That's interesting...Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is a tear jerker, but only really because of my love for Meet Me In St. Louis and knowing the story behind the song and the original set of lyrics... 

Jack

In the spirit of 24 (premieres in only a few weeks!!) Jack Bauer interrogates Santa =)

...probably only entertaining for 24 lovers like me =)

Christmas

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: CHRISTMAS VERSION

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I am absolutely terrible at wrapping gifts, Husband is not.  If Husband will not wrap the gifts, they go in bags.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial for several reasons.  Most legitimate reason, Husband's allergies.  Least legitimate reason; I hate getting sap on me. 

3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? After Christmas, before New Years.

5. Do you like eggnog?  Eggs are one of a few foods I genuinely dispise.  Eggnog contains eggs and is a consistency I cannot take....Hubby drinks the eggnog in this house.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably one of my American Girl dolls, Felicity.


7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, it's a hand-me-down.


8. Hardest person to buy for? My parents.


9. Easiest person to buy for? My grandparents.


10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I'm not sure if I've ever gotten anything too terrible... 


11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail


12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas, Muppets Christmas Carol...anything classic Disney gang...

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?  Usually not until I get a few good ideas.


14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, I don't think so.


15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Ham biscuits (leftover ham, leftover biscuits, Miracle Whip....mmmm....) 


16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear lights.

 

17. Favorite Christmas song? God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We don't have to travel far, but I'm definitely looking forward to the day when Christmas is at our home!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes.


20. Angel on the tree top or a star?  We have nothing...we've tried several different things and they all end up falling off and freaking out Kitty.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was a kid it was one on Christmas Even and the rest on Christmas morning.  Now presents are few and far between so they happen whenever the gift giver is present.


22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The people who want Christmas to be politically correct.  I don't ask to come to your religions festivals, but then make you change what you call them because they don't apply to me, don't complain that choose to greet you with Merry Christmas. 


23. What I most love about Christmas? The great reminder of what it's all about and the start of the journey towards celebrating Easter.

Stop

Wait.

Stop.

Hold everything.

 

No, I didn't just smell popcorn =P

 

Better Off Ted is back on the air as of December 8th and TAYE DIGGS will be a guest star! 

 

So. Excited.

Intake

So I have decided to clue you in on my insane food and beverage intake for today, mostly because Hubby watched me pack my bag for work today and commented on the assortment of food that I kept throwing into the bag.  So, here it goes, in chronological order*:

 

1/2 cup of decaffeinated Constant Comment hot tea

10 oz water

150mg Zantac

1/2 cranberry bagel with Country Crock spread

20 oz water

2 Sunsweet Ones (Why yes, I am a 90 year old person...shut it!)

1 prenatal vitamin

1 DHA supplement

20 oz water

1 cup of garlicky/cheesy noddles with 1 cup of broccoli (leftovers from dinner last night)

1 Dole Mixed Fruit fruit cup

1 Cadbury Rose chocolate (my last of a box Hubby brought from England)

1 apple, sliced

1 cup of Light and Fit Strawberry yogurt

1 snack-sized baggie of mini pretzels

20oz water

Chicken Fajita Wrap from Backyard Grill

Side of Fries from Backyard Grill 

1 cup Edy's Slow-Churned Peppermint Ice Cream

10 oz water

150mg Zantac

 

 

*Please note these items are generally consumed fairly evenly throughout the day...pretty much hourly to keep the insane heartburn at bay =P

Crappy

So I'm a crappy pregnant lady...maybe not "crappy" but definitely not all sweet, bright-eyed, optimistic, dreamy and whatnot.  These are things I notice in the responses I have to people which apparently I have no filter for now that I am with child.  Case and point:

 

During 20ish week ultrasound:

Tech: ...and here's your baby!

Me: Aww, it looks kinda like the Terminator when all it's flesh gets melted off and it's just a metal skeleton!  That's awesome.  I've had heartburn so bad we were concerned the baby would have an Osama Bin Ladin beard by now.

Hubby: *sigh*

 

A few weeks later:

Any Number of Well-Meaning Friends: Wow, how many weeks are you now anyway?

Me: Um, 24, 26, 27....I can never remember, I think she's an eggplant now.  Produce is easier to remember than numbers.

Friends: Aren't you an accountant?

Me: But the numbers change every week and are always so close together...

 

Regarding changes to my body:

Friend: So, have you noticed your belly button start to change?

Me: My belly button is messed the heck up, man.  Seriously, messed the HECK up right now.  I have no idea what's going to happen to it when this is all over.

 

Me: You know what is good about this whole mess?

Hubby: What?

Me: I cannot imagine being this weight with no baby to blame it on.  I mean, it's exhausting carrying around all this excess weight...what if it was just "me"...that'd be gross.  I'm entirely too short for this.  I look ridiculous.  Talk about good motivation to lose the weight come spring!

 

 

Yes, I know I'm insane...and according to my weekly baby emails (that inform me of my produce-of-the-week) I am two-thirds of the way there!  Then perhaps I'll just go back to being my normal ridiculous self with a slightly more heightened comment-filter and people won't have to whisper to me, "Um, that was out-loud, but I'm going to pretend it was supposed to be in your head, k?"

 

I'm very thankful for my amazing friends who find me "funny" and not uncaring or (too) embarrassing =)

 

Giving

Yesterday Pastor Lon preached on a topic that is avoided by some churches, over emphasised by others, and appropriately addressed in others still.  As part of a message dealing with greed, charitable giving, and storing up treasures in heaven Lon touched on an area that had been on my mind for the past few years.

 

For years I have had semi-strong feelings about giving to non-religious charity organizations.  I have had a terrible time internally justifying my thoughts as more than just personal opinions and so had not discussed this with more than a small handful of people close to me while I waited on the Lord to make Himself known in this area to me.  It had long been a point of confusion for me why one, as a Believer, would chose to donate to an organization that was not faith-based over one with a similar mission that was also faith-based or why one would choose to serve in a volunteer organization like AmeriCorps or Greenpeace rather than on a missions team, but that was where it ended, a point of confusion.  After yesterday I feel like my internal struggle has been lifted.  Obviously, this is not a deal-breaker situation by any means and supporting non-faith-based initiatives can still be meaningful (and full of tax advantages...the CPA in me would be remiss to add), but I will no longer feel guilty when making the choice to support a faith-based organization over a non-faith-based one.

 

Obviously there is much more to this issue, way more than I care to touch on after it being dealt with so well yesterday.  I have no desire to regurgitate.  You can watch Lon's sermon for yourself by clicking on this link (non-video versions are also available on the website as well).

 

Just know that it's cool to have not even been thinking about an issue that I had once been so caught up with, and out of the blue receive instruction and guidance in a manner you never expected.  Our God is cool like that, He doesn't forget what's on our minds, even when it is not longer in the forefront.  If there is a lesson we are to learn, we will learn it in His perfect timing.

Lions

A co-worker sent me this video...I giggled.

Happy Friday =)

PS: The British Chartered Accountant is the equivalent of the American CPA.

Lottery

"It's like playing the lottery."

 

That's how my coworker described the McDonald's Monopoly contest that is currently underway.  More specifically, how he is justifying buying two hashbrowns every morning because it yields four Monopoly pieces which is apparently unbeatable for the price of two hashbrowns.  His morning coffee apparently is not as awesome of a deal.  His intentions with the hashbrowns were one-sided, to use them for their Monopoly pieces and that is all.

 

And that is the story of how I got free McDonald's hashbrowns, now two days in a row =P

 

Bing does not need to know this...capiche?  ;-)

Best

#1 and #6

 

Not too shabby for the Bings, eh?

 

Sadly we both are a "C" for "Benefit to Society"...ha!

Secret

Shhhh....it's a secret...

 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/09/28/mf.10.secret.menu.items/index.html

 

I so totally want to order something secret from Chipotle...

Burden

An interesting thought for the day from Rick Warren:

 

If you say, "My Christian life is a burden right now," then there are some things in your life that you're doing that God never intended for you to do.

Choice

This happened a while ago, but I just remembered/found it and it made me giggle all over again (you may have seen this question on my Twitter* a few months ago...)

 

Rach:  If you had the choice, which would you want to lose arm or leg?

 

Bing: Lose the leg. We're much more dependent on the dexterity of your hand and fingers for everyday things. Toes are useless and you can get around just fine hobbling around on a wooden peg (who needs to run anyway? this ain't middle school gym class anymore). And you're more likely to score yourself a handicapped parking spot with a wooden leg than you would a prosthetic arm.

 

Gotta love him =)

 

 

* www.twitter.com/mrsrgb

 

Fall

I love fall.  As I sit here sipping on my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season I'm excited about the decrease in humidity levels among other things (also pretty stoked about the new Starbucks promotion of "buy a latte get a cookie for a dollar, but that's not really the point*).  I love wearing jeans, particularly with my boots (still not quite time to bust out those bad boys) and the need for a sweater at night couldn't come fast enough for me.  I can't wait to smell more grills firing up in the evenings (or in our case smokers' crammed full of BBQ ribs), wood fires burning at night, and the return of soups, stews, and chili as acceptable dinner-fare.  Fall also mean the return of college football and regularly scheduled television programming which we all know that I love.  For me, nothing's better than a Saturday of football, with some tasty eats in hand, and no sweating on this side of my TV screen.

 

I'd say "Happy Fall", but technically I suppose that doesn't start until next Tuesday...whatever...today it starts for me with my latte =P

 

*My cookie of choice has M&Ms in festive fall colors.  Love it!

Cookies

This will probably still not stop Hubby from eating raw cookie dough...

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,545581,00.html

Blood

Rach: I hate paper cuts. They feel too ridiculous to require a Band-Aid, but if I wear no Band-Aid I get blood shmears on my documentation. Now that's classy.

 

Bing: Wear the Band-Aid proudly. If anybody asks about it, give them some great war story about being wounded in battle while saving the planet from venomous blood-thirsty creatures.

 

Rach: My binders?

 

Bing: Right, those venomous blood-thirsty creatures.

Obsolete

So, I'm feeling rather nostalgic today as the news reported on "a glimpse of the world through the eyes of each incoming class" of college freshmen due to graduate in 2013 (which I thought was a fairly laughable claim in of itself...but that's beside the point.  Apparently Beliot College (whoever they are) has put out a list of items that they claim will help professors understand the new incoming class ever since the incoming class of 2002 came along (hooray for Hubby!)  I took a look at several years (Hubby's, mine, and the class of 2013) and was not too impressed by some of the points that were brought up...I think the timing may have been slightly off for some things, but all in all a decent idea.  Very entertaining.

 

Then things got really entertaining as I found another article on obsolete technology.  Now this was entertaining and kinda crazy to see how far technology has come, even in my lifetime...

 

...sometimes don't you just wish you could make a banner using a dot matrix printer? 

 

I do.

Cupcake

Now this is MY kind of record-breaking event!

 

1,224-Pound Cupcake Sets Record as World's Largest

 

...man I love cupcakes...

Geese

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1731692

 

If you've known me any length of time, in the past 4+ years I have probably complained about the ridiculousness of the Canadian Geese (I generally refer to them as "Those Ducks Again") that plague our area.  They are everywhere, and most annoyingly, in my work parking lot.  Sometimes they take up parking spaces, sometimes they fly toward your head as you walk to the door, sometimes they poop on your car....the list goes on and on.  Needless to say, there is a plethora of these things roaming around Fairfax and Loudoun counties (at the very least) and really, no one needs to go to great lengths to ensure the survival of a few more.  I would have honked my horn with all it's honking power had I seen this insanity in the middle of the road. 

 

Those ducks would have figured out soon enough to flap their little wings and fly across the road, at least that's what they do when I start heading toward them in my car on my way out of the parking lot at night, gaining speed as I go!

Bad

Hi.

 

My name is Rachael.

 

I make bad/poor food choices.

Hallmark

Dear Hallmark,

 

I am writing to discuss with you my frustration with your e-card business model change on www.hallmark.com.  I have been sending Hallmark e-cards for years (as many of my friends can attest since they have received just about every Hoops & YoYo card imaginable) and recently was quite disappointed at the transition of some of my favorite free cards to e-cards costing a minimum of $0.99.  Why the backtracking?  Some of these cards have been around for years, and now you want to charge me for them?!  I think not.

 

Equally disappointing is the fact that the majority of your "Staff Picks" are no longer free.  Isn't it enough that when I purchase a paper greeting card I pay almost $5 for your cards with the little gold seal so that I do not have to lick the envelope (goodness knows where that's been and how many hands have touched it)?  You have left me no choice, but to rethink my e-card supplier.  I will miss Hoops, YoYo, and their crazy antics, but seriously, no one needs to pay good money for those little guys and their ridiculousness.

 

Sincerely,

Former e-Card Addict

History

Why don't some people use the "Reply with History" feature in their work emails?  Is it that difficult?  Do they forget?  Do they flip back and forth between the email they are responding to and their response to make sure they cover everything?  Isn't that just electronic inefficiency?  This may not be such a big problem if people responded to email in a timely manner (e.g., less than 2 weeks from receipt of email), but when you randomly receive emails that say things like, "Sounds good." and that's it.  Sometimes I'm left in a daze until I figure out when I wrote the person and what I wrote them about.  Obviously I've had a spark of brilliance and they decided it "sounds good", but really, I have no idea what they are talking about since I have probably sent out another 50+ emails and requested hundreds of other documents by the time their "sounds good" reaches my Inbox.

 

**Sometimes I'm obnoxious and will find the original email and copy/paste it to my reply to them just to be a jerk.  I mean, just to keep things documented properly.

Truth

Truth can be discovered, but first we have to have an attitude of openness that says, "I want the truth more than anything else." Once you choose that attitude, you can discover the truth.

 

~Rick Warren

 

Your thoughtful quote for this Wednesday.

 

Ponder.

Arlington

So I've shown this to enough people that it deserves to be put out there for the masses.

My current favorite YouTube video.

Enjoy!

$7

So North Carolina has started a new program to help decrease the number of teenage mothers in the state.  In a nutshell, girls go to weekly meetings and are given $7 each week (placed directly into a college savings fund) that they have not gotten pregnant that particular week.

 

Obviously critics on both sides of the "abstinence only" and "contraception education" debate are speaking out.  Weekly meetings cover both abstinence and contraception education (a wise decision in my opinion) which never leaves 100% of the general public satisfied.  You've got folks who think rewarding "good behavior" is not the way to go (although the argument put forth which likened this program to one which paid kids to not smoke pot seems unfounded.  If cops were tougher on illegal drugs, people would reassess the risk of smoking pot, not if they were given $1 per day not to smoke it...if it's illegal, you shouldn't need to be rewarded for following that particular law if the threat of punishment for breaking it is real...but that's another issue isn't it?)  You've got other folks that see this as the best thing since sliced bread, what a way to get more ladies into college (nevermind the fact that some, like the vast majority of college entrants today have no clue why they are in school, are not going to college to learn a "trade" (and yes, I consider my accounting degree "learning a trade") and will probably get a job post-college that does not require a college degree (and you wonder why tuition prices are sky-rocketing...if flipping everyone didn't go to college to the point where college turn away kids because they physically cannot accommodate any more bodies, college tuition prices would become more competitive again.  And what does competition do to prices in a state where demand decreases?  That's right, it lowers them.  Thanks for following along, if only the current Administration understood basic economics....again another issue, another time...)

 

I say, "It's better than nothing." 

 

Sure it places way too much emphasis on pregnancy being the only "bad" outcome to promiscuity (nevermind the slew of diseases you are exposing yourself to, your reputation, your self-respect, etc.) but then again, if it cuts down on the number of abortions performed in North Carolina, perhaps other states would use this type of program to help put those clinics and "doctors" out of business for good (obviously something I would champion).  A girl can dream, can't she?

 

I'll be interested to see how this whole thing pans out...

 

As with most things, it all goes back to my father's Life Advice:

 

There are two things that will "ruin" your life forever, and here's what you do about them:

1.  Pay your credit cards off every month in full.

2.  You'll have to ask your mother about #2...

Ted

Better Off Ted returns tonight with new summer episodes.  Such a bright light for the summer TV viewing tunnel.  You should watch, especially if you, your friends, family, brief acquaintances, or flat out anyone near you works for a large corporation/defence contractor/entity-posed-to-take-over-the-world.

 

I shall be watching abc.com this evening to prepare myself...with the hilarious Racial Sensitivity episode.

 

Don't judge me, although I may judge you if you don't chuckle...we're probably not really friends if that's the case...

 

Happy Tuesday!

WWW

Do you ever wish that you could have a day devote to the world-wide-web?  A day that you had only one goal in mind, cleaning up your little piece of the Internet (yes, that's right, it stems from my quest to organize everything in sight =P).

 

I do. 

 

And here's how I would use that day...

• Read all the blogs I have been saving on GoogleReader, including going to actual websites where necessary to watch videos, etc.
• Complete all those draft emails and blogs I have sitting around just waiting for their moment in time.
• Update on-line photo albums (still no pictures from our amazing vacation...from April).
• Completely re-do my Facebook page (or delete it all together...something you never thought you'd hear from me, eh?)
• Finally place those on-line orders I keep forgetting about (like the wedding photos that have been in my Snapfish shopping cart for about a year because I can't remember which I have already printed out and which I still need).
• Download a few select songs from Amazon.com for the iPod...at least most have made it to my running list of "Songs to Buy" (an idea I totally stole from BFF-D =P)
• Research how to hem jeans for Hubby's short little legs.
• Actually respond to friends on Twitter by signing in instead of just texting my updates.
• Add things to the Netfix queue that I might actually watch...

So many things to my Internet To Do List...maybe if I got my leg amputated or something I would have to sit on the couch all day and have no choice but to chug through my list...granted, that's pretty extreme...perhaps someday we just need a second laptop so Hubby can read CNN.com and watch YouTube videos about preparing meat for the smoker and I can work on my list =P

 

Kick

Rach: My low tire pressure light went off this morning. I took a walk around the car and everything looked fine...kicked the tires...nothing happened...so I drove to work.

 

Hubby: Out of curiosity, what did you expect to happen when you kicked the tires? For them to wake up and magically inflate on their own?

 

Obviously I don't have magical tires...but that would be awesome...

Nightmare

So this is pretty much my worst nightmare: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525520,00.html?mrp

 

Seriously?! 

 

Is nothing scared...a recall on hand sanitizer?!

 

Never fear, I am a loyal Purell user and have never even heard of some of the brands mentioned...I am not a frequent buyer of off-brand hand sanitizer...just seems wrong.

Shamwow

Many of you know of my love for the paper towel. It is my go-to cleaner of choice. Hubby has mentioned several times since we got married that he never knew a single person could use so many paper towels. Paper towels pretty much pay for our CostCo membership. Don't try and force store-brand or anything other than Bounty on me or you will have a fight.

Although not as huge as my love for paper towels, I do have a love for the infomercial. Billy Mays can and will sell just about anything, and I will watch the Shamwow commercial and be entertained everytime.

Paper Towels now have their own Shamwow-esque infocommerical on YouTube...my apologies for the language, but I laughed out loud at 3am while watching (sleep was over around 1:30 this morning...bummer.)

Enjoy!

Eighty

This is a photo of my and my first BFF. She taught me important things like: loving the classic musicals, appreciating both NYC and DC, the importance of tea time, real woman understand football, and you're never too old to have faith. I am so blessed that I have had twenty-six years to get to know her and thrilled to celebrate her eightieth birthday today!

Happy Birthday Grandma Jeanne!

Kris

And I thought I couldn't love the new American Idol anymore that I already did...

one of my favs from Kris Allen...

Elizabeth

Take the Quiz here!

Maryland

Kinda think this might be an answer to an almost decade-long prayer request...

 

www.frontlinesilverspring.com

 

...or at least the start of something awesome =)

Credit

Although I had high hopes for this recent article from Time magazine it was not near as forthcoming as the title made it out to be: The Real Problem with Credit Cards: The Cardholders.  (But what did I honestly expect from Time?  Seriously, you fail me on a consistent basis.)  No where did it boil down this issue to living within your means, or making wise decisions concerning your credit score which you carry with you for life.  Seriously, how difficult is the concept to grasp that if you are paying with credit that you intend to not pay off at the end of your billing cycle, you are not paying with cash or "real money"?  Is that the credit card company's fault?  Of course not.  Is that your fault. Ultimately, yes.  Most of the folks that get in trouble aren't putting groceries on their credit cards, they are putting electronics, vacations, college expenses for students with no plan for a job when they graduate with a degree that leaves them pretty much as unskilled as when they first stepped on campus.  The credit card companies are just like any other business.  If there is a market, they will sell.  Why else would I spent $3.60 for a latte?  Because Starbucks knows I cannot resist the Tall Non-Fat Sugar-Free Hazelnut Latte that makes my heart flutter.  I'm just sayin', don't get mad at Starbucks, they aren't the problem.

 

...and heck no, nobody wants PB-HO to try and "fix" Starbucks.  Ugh, hasn't he tampered with enough already?  Let's not give him anymore ideas...

Garden

My experiment began with a brilliant find. Behind the garage during the winter I found the missing side to the little garden running along the edge of the patio. After convincing Hubby to part with a few of the largest nails I have ever seen it was ready ready for some clean up.


After a few weeks, some new dirt, a package of seeds, and a few pre-started veggie plants later (and something like 8 straight days of rain) I have the beginnings of a beautiful little garden =)


That's gonna make my daddy proud, eh?

Go little beans, go little beans, go!

Tim

If your name is "Tim" and you are friends or are thinking of becoming friends with Hubby and/or me you better prepared!

 

Every "Wife of Tim" we know is pregnant.

 

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Plug

My never ending plug for "small groups" continues =P  Yes, I realize I have been a small group promoter since around age 14...and no, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon =)

 

May 4, 2009
Life Together: A Shared Life
by Rick Warren

In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most.

 

Today's Devotional is based on this passage: "How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God's people to live together in harmony!" (Psalm 133:1 TEV)

God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience "fellowship."

 

Today, however, the word has lost most of its biblical meaning. Fellowship now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun.

The question, "Where do you fellowship?" means "Where do you attend church?" "Stay after for fellowship" usually means "Wait for refreshments."

 

Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services. It is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other "one another" commands found in the New Testament.

 

When it comes to fellowship, size matters: smaller is better. You can worship with a crowd, but you can't fellowship with one.

 

Once a group becomes larger than about ten people, someone stops participating—usually the quietest person—and a few people will dominate the group.

 

Jesus ministered in the context of a small group of disciples. He could have chosen more, but he knew twelve is about the maximum size you can have in a small group if everyone is to participate.

 

The body of Christ, like your own body, is really a collection of many small cells. The life of the body of Christ, like your body, is contained in the cells.

 

For this reason, every Christian needs to be involved in a small group within their church, whether is it a home fellowship group, a Sunday school class, or a Bible study. This is where real community takes place, not in the big gatherings.

Clothes

"The Mother of all Sales"

 

That was the subject line of a quasi-spam email I received today from a favorite women's clothing store.  How is that not irresistible??  Mother of all sales?  Yes, please!

 

Sadly, it's not time to shop for Rach clothing, it is well beyond time to shop for Hubby clothing.

 

PS - I still have not purchased shoes since July...come July 25, 2009 I shall go nuts in the nearest shoe store and have already started a mental list of "Shoes I Need To Buy".  Strangely enough, sneakers that are not Kangaroos are on that mental list.  What in the world has happened over the past year?!

Love

Sometimes we all need a little reminder of this...

 

April 30, 2009
Love Is a Choice
by Rick Warren

In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this passage:

"...That you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (Deuteronomy 30:20 NIV).

Love is a choice and a commitment. You choose to love or you choose not to love.

Today we've bought into this myth that love is uncontrollable, that it's something that just happens to us; it's not something we control. In fact, even the language we use implies the uncontrollability of love. We say, "I fell in love," as if love is some kind of a ditch. It's like I'm walking along one day and bam!—I fell in love. I couldn't help myself.

But I have to tell you the truth: that's not love. Love doesn't just happen to you. Love is a choice and it represents a commitment.

There's no doubt about it, attraction is uncontrollable and arousal is uncontrollable. But attraction and arousal are not love. They can lead to love, but they are not love. Love is a choice.

You must choose to love God; he won't force you to love Him (Deuteronomy 30:20). You can thumb your nose at God and go a totally different way. You can destroy your life if you choose to do that. God still won't force you to love Him. Because He knows love can't be forced.

And this same principle is true about your relationships: you can choose to love others, but God won't force you to love anyone.

Kids

Today is Bring Your Child To Work Day and I got to be a stop on the scavenger hunt that was one of the organized activities my office was doing for the day.  Two groups of kids (ages 6-14) came to my action center and had a series of questions for me:

 

What's your name?

What's your job title?

What exactly do you do for your job?

And one bonus question.

 

The first group was a bit younger (I have no idea how young, they were between 6 and 7 hands high...yes, being the former horsewoman I am I still measure things in "hands", what's it do you?)  The conversation went a little something like this:

 

"What's your name?"

 

"Rachael"

 

"What's your job title?"

 

"Auditor"

 

"What does that mean?"

"You know how you have rules at home that your Mom and Dad make?"

"Yeah, like 'don't jump on my bed'?"

"Yeah, kinda. Well the government makes rules about how the Company runs our business. My job is to make sure the Company is following all the rules."

"So like what kind of rules? I don't see any beds to jump on."

The little guy who asked the question was adorable and said, "I bet they pay for candy, it's less expensive than pencils."

I wanted to hug him.

(Bonus Question: What's your favorite color? Answer: Purple.)

Nonsense

Obviously this woman is speaking nonsense.  You can see that right? 

 

She claims, "Each faith by itself is enough to fulfill a person spiritually."  "It's all there. I am not saying you have to go somewhere else to be complete. Some people don't need glasses, some people need single lenses. I need bifocals."

 

She is wrong. 

 

She claims that by reciting the shahada she has not denied anything about Christianity. 

 

She is wrong.

 

Let's not get into my feelings about her being an ordained minister (for I'm sure this could just as easily been a story about a man), but I was pleased to read that the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island where she was ordained has effectively un-ordained her.

 

Seriously?  How long has this gone on?  How long was The Way, The Truth, and The Life not preached as the only way to the people of her church who have been placed under her care?  No one gets to the Father except through Jesus.  Jesus plus nothing.  How did she miss that as a teacher/preacher/priestess?  Hopefully in her quest to learn more about both religions she will come to that realization and be able to minister to others who have been deceived by The Enemy.

 

Need to learn more about the inconsistencies between Christianity and Islam?

 

This week's sermon at church was on Islam and how their belief structure compares to Christianity (part of a series entitled "Destination Truth" which started off examining Christian beliefs and in it's second have has been examining other world religions and now they compare with Christianity.)  Check it out on www.frontlinedc.com.

Baltimore

Yesterday we went to Baltimore. Two of our sights during our tour were unexpected surprises.

As we were driving around (I have no idea where) we passed the Charm City Cakes bakery and I got to see what I can only assume was Duff's motorcycle and I think the delivery van. It was great. Getting into the actual bakery is "By Appointment Only"...and cakes start out at $500 so we did not have an appointment and had to get our dessert fix elsewhere...and boy did we ever!

Next up was Hampden. Quirky, old, and home to Dangerously Delicious Pies. We selected a Baltimore Bomb which involved the infamous Baltimore Berger cookie. We were lucky enough to get one straight from the oven and the smell was insane. When we arrived back home we cut ourselves some slices, warmed them up and tasted the most decedent pie ever. This, once again, sparked my desire to someday have a pie shop (which at one point was a cookie shop idea...may eventually be pie and cookies because really...what more perfect desserts could you want at the end of a meal?)

So on a rainy and blah Saturday I checked-off two venues off my Food Network "Someday I want to go there..." List.



Note to Self: Buying an entire pie for two people who are not beach ready, but will be leaving for the Caribbean in two weeks is not wise.

Teeth

So last week I went to the dentist.  As I believe I have mentioned before (but am too lazy to look up my previous "dentist" post(s) ) I never hated the dentist until I became an adult.  Strange, but true.  At this check-up I received the most devastating news.  I had not one, but two cavities?!  I have never had a cavity in my life and now...two?!  The dental hygienist again recommended that a change one of my regular medications (to which in my head I responded, "No way, it took me forever to find it, screw teeth!  Literally rip out my teeth and give me screw-in teeth!")  This was not the most devastating part of the news. 

 

I finally have to have my wisdom teeth removed. 

 

I have pretty much spent my teenage years to the present avoiding this very situation.  I have extremely small teeth and quite the large mouth.  Sadly, even though three of my four wisdom teeth are settled in just fine, one of them is being a bit of a poo and won't come out to play wreaking havoc to my gums.  This messed up tooth is home to one of my cavities, and, no surprise, the other is located in the tooth right next to it.  There is no turning back now...apparently all four must be removed*.

 

The hygienist proceeded to tell me how she was a "big chicken".  I mentioned that I needed recommendations since I wasn't a huge fan of the guy that removed Hubby's wisdom teeth.  She got all excited and told me the oral surgeon who removed her wisdom teeth (as well as many others she named which I forget) was great and "very attractive".  I believe I managed to get out a muffled giggle so she would feel like she had done her job and made me feel more comfortable.

 

Yesterday, I attempted to look up the oral surgeon that had been recommended...granted she only gave me a last name and the fact that he was "very attractive" (try plugging that into United's Dentist Locator).  I found one that matches that I believe is in-network (since all others that had been recommended in the past had been out-of-network...big bummer).  Once I find out if this is really "him" I will probably throw it over the fence to MrsH to do some medical investigating for me...since I'm not sure "very attractive" is on my list of qualities I want in a man who will be drugging me to sleep, ripping out pieces of my body, and watching me drool for approximately 45 minutes to an hour.  Goodness gracious.

 

Don't even ask me how I am supposed to take the post-op medications considering I am allergic to 4 of the most common antibiotics in the world (hence the majority of the fear of this whole ordeal...who the crap knows what all I am allergic too...including anesthesia...I have no idea...) and can only take large pills (which means all but like 2 on the market, one of them being those tiny red Sudafed's that keep me and my nose in working order) using a straw which is expressly forbidden for wisdom teeth extractions (this is only because I'm a pansy, I know, I know).

 

So there you have it.  My trip to the dentist.  The goal is to get everything taken care of before vacation time...or before I pansy out...or before something worse happens to my teeth. 

 

Phew!

 

 

*Since moving to Virginia I have also been told in so many ways by multiple dental offices that if one is with-child while still possessing her wisdom teeth her head will inevitably explode.  Since this was not currently on my list of reasons why I fear childbirth, I dismissed them all as insane.  Surely my amazing doctor would have pointed that out to me and I trust her judgement far more than these crazy dentists (most of which I cannot understand due to various language barriers and those ridiculous masks they refuse to take off even when just trying to have a conversation).  I'm just sayin'...

 

 

Legos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuM2H6uFG2M

This guy's Lego animation to Eddie Izzard's stand-up routines keep me entertained for quite sometime on Saturday.

Be aware language is not great, but with a British accent it's entertaining.

I also recommend the Death Star Canteen bit and I don't know the first thing about Star Wars.

Phone

Things I want out of my next cell phone:

1. Full-sized keyboard - let's face it, I text a lot.
2. No swivelling, flipping, etc. - this is what I tend to break, pretty self-explanatory.
3. Ability to sync with GoogleCalendar - for practical reasons.
4. Ability to check Gmail - for selfish reasons.
5. Picture messaging capability that includes zooming - because apparently I can't stop a list at something other than a multiple of 5.

We'll see what we can do about this list when it comes time to renew the contract...I have a feeling a Internet/data-package will be a hard-sell to Hubby =P

Five

Things I would love to accomplish this weekend:

1. Finish reading Disciplines of a Godly Woman (a good goal considering the rest of the small group finished about a month ago...my bad). -- Apparently I have already finished...maybe "put away stack of already read books" should replace this item...

2. Put the laundry room back together from its recent renovation (which is slightly dependant on Hubby finishing said renovation).


3. Go through wedding candid photos so that I can take advantage of the Snapfish sale on 4x6 prints going on til Sunday (also dependent on the finalization of the laundry room renovation since there is currently remnants of cabinetry packaging and all the laundry room goodies blocking the doorway to the closet containing all my scrapbooking paraphernalia).

4. Make Monkey Bread...totally doable if I can convince Hubby that socializing with friends is necessary this weekend for my sanity ;-)

5. Clean the bathroom. It's time.

Travel

So it's no surprise to anyone that knows me, but I hate traveling by air. The close quarters of the plane. The germs. The fear of plummeting to my death. The list goes on and on. This past week while traveling for work I noticed several weird things (in chronological order):

1. Jack Bauer narrating the TSA Security Announcements/Instructions is a bit freaky. I admit, while he's the face of terrorist crime fighting for America, it does not necessarily instill a sense of comfort in the weary traveler. On the other hand, he IS Jack Bauer...who else is going to rid the world of terrorists, I mean come on...

2. The lady in front of me in the security line attempts to take six (no exaggeration necessary, I counted) full-sized tubes of toothpaste in her carry-on luggage. I am fairly certain, after doing a little math, that 6 tubes of toothpaste, if completely emptied into the 1-quart "zip-top bag" allowed per traveler, would overflow and still not be allowed through security. Why so much toothpaste? Perhaps she was off to visit family who had no toothpaste...but then again if you were traveling to a land with no toothpaste, wouldn't you travel with more than just a carry-on and therefore store all your over-the-limit liquids in said checked-baggage?

3. In no "real world" would eating a hamburger be acceptable before 11am. In "airport-ville" chowing down on a greasy Five Guys burger is totally acceptable at 8am...for a family of four.

4. Why do people insist on crowding around where the line will be forming to board the airplane? Each boarding pass is given a group number. If you're Group 6, why do you rush to crowd the line-forming area when Group 1 is called? What do you intend to accomplish, besides pissing off other passengers? Who wants pissed off air-travelers? I know I don't, it probably poses some sort of safety hazard.

5. I admit it. I have come to the point in my life where I am distracted by babies. I am starting to find them all adorable (it's one thing to find your family and friends children adorable, quite another to say the same thing about a stranger...in my mind at least)...see Scrubs reference for a giggle. Well on one of my four flights I sat behind a small child, not quite a baby (I am not at that point where I can guess a child's age). He had black curls and was adorable. He would pop around the seat and smile at me. This was acceptable....until...towards the end of the flight the kid started sucking on the seat. That's nasty. Want to know what's nastier? He had the biggest booger I have ever seen coming out of him...while licking the seat. Ew.

Serve

Ministry: Shaped to Serve
by Rick Warren

God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us is uniquely designed, or "shaped," to do certain things.

Before architects design any new building they first ask, "What will be its purpose? How will it be used?" The intended function always determines the form of the building.

Before God created you, he decided what role he wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how he wanted you to serve him, and then he shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.

The Bible says, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). Our English word "poem" comes from this Greek word translated "workmanship." You're God's handcrafted work of art. You're not an assembly-line product, mass-produced without thought. You're a custom designed, one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece.

God deliberately shaped and formed you to serve him in a way that makes your ministry unique. He carefully mixed the DNA recipe that created you. David praised God for this incredible personal attention to detail God gave in designing each of us: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous" (Psalm 139:13-14 NLT).

Not only did God shape you before your birth, he planned every day of your life to support his shaping process. David continues, "Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Psalm 139:16 NLT).

This means nothing that happens in your life is insignificant. God uses all of it to mold you for your ministry to others and shape you for your service to him.

God never wastes anything. He would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless he intended to use them for his glory. By identifying and understanding these factors you can discover God's will for your life.

The Bible says you are "wonderfully complex." You're a combination of many different factors: "The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises" (Isaiah 43:21 NJB).

Hedgehog

Kitty playing with her new favorite toy...

Winner

"...if it weren't for my kids, I'd hate my ex-wife..."
"...we ain't proud of, in a weak moment..."

That's all it took. I knew the first two of the three songs comprising the Thursday Trainwreck to win 2009 MegaTickets. The DJs had been kind enough to let us know the three artists that would be involved since they dubbed this week's contest "that hard". The artists were going to be George Straight, Brad Paisley, and Rascal Flatts (in a "trainwreck" they play songs at the same time and you have to guess what songs are playing...the clip is only about 30 seconds long). I was like, "Phsss, I don't know anything in the last few years of George Straight." (They usually chose rather "current" tunes to "trainwreck".)

I listened. I could pick out the lyrics for George and Brad...I started singing the songs in my head...got it. It was an older George Straight song and I was ecstatic, yet sad since I didn't hear Rascal Flatts at all and I figured the other two were so easy, people would get it in the first try. Nope.

The first round of callers...

Caller 1: Troubadour, I'm Still a Guy, and Here?
DJs: You have one correct.

Rach: I'm Still a Guy, check

Caller 2: Troubadour, Ticks, What Hurts The Most?
DJs: You also have one correct.

Rach: Seriously guys, Troubadour?! This sounds nothing like Troubadour...

...

...CRAP?!

...dialing...dialing...dialing..

I probably called about 6 times and then...it started ringing...it rang for what seemed hours. Then all the sudden, when I was about to hang up, the lady from the morning show came on the line and said, "Do you know the "trainwreck"?" I said, "I think so" and she asked me to give the songs. I did. She said, "Okay darlin', hang on a second." I started freaking. Next thing I knew I was on the air and they were bantering about how women's brains are better at multitasking and that they thought a woman was going to win (up to this point it had been all men callers apparently). It was go time. I said my 3 songs and there was screaming. Lots of screaming. The folks at the radio station went nuts...I think I was caller 5 or 6 maybe to take a guess (I had to turn my radio off). I about ran off the road (still driving at this point...probably unwise).

The winning songs:
"I Hate Everything" - George Straight
"I'm Still a Guy" - Brad Paisley
"What Hurts the Most" - Rascal Flatts

I won this: http://www.wmzq.com/pages/2009megaticket.html

I did it.

Again.

This is insane.

Digital

On the weekend of my twenty-sixth birthday I had a first. I purchased my first selection of digital music =P Yes, that's right. My iPod used to contain mp3s from back when Napster was cool (and "legal"), imported CDs, and music gathered from friends (that could never come off the iPod).

What did I download?

1) Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band (the single)

2) The Birds and the Bee Sides - Relient K (the entire album)

My apologies to Hubby should I go One-Click-Happy with Amazon.com and their mp3 department.*

Thanks to Hubby for getting my the iPod of my dreams and thanks to Grandma for always coming through with the birthday money....now I just have to decide what else I want to purchase...


* Hubby insists that all mp3s be purchased from Amazon.com so that they will indeed be in mp3 format =P

Heroes

Valentines

Just wanted to say Happy Valentines' Day to my Valentines...

The Adorable Ones

The Sweet Ones

The Crazy Fun One

The Fluffy One

The One

Free

So far for my birthday I have received the following free food goodies:

Free Chocolate Fondue for Two - Melting Pot
Free Bowl of Noodles - Noodles & Co.
Free Dessert - Ruby Tuesdays
Free Dinner - Texas De Brazil
$5 off - Smokey Bones
Free Appetizer or Dessert - Glory Days
Free Birthday Burger - Red Robin
Free Birthday Burrito - Qdoba
Free Ice Cream Cone - Maggie Moo's

I like birthday "season" =)

I also got a coupon for a free topping on my Ledo's pizza (yummy) and a free Tower of Onion Rings from Red Robin randomly, just to say "thanks".

Free food loves me...as I love it!

PS - If any of these grand establishments interests you, please let me know. I would be more than willing to share my birthday season spoils with you 0=)

Truth

So, I'm definitely excited for Frontline's next series entitled Destination: Truth. Frontliners have been asking Todd for years to teach a series on world religions and it's time!

The new series starts Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 5:30pm. We'll be covering the following topics:


1) How can Christianity be the only way to God?

2) Isn't there truth in other world religions?

3) Is Christianity an intolerant religion?

4) What's the difference between Christianity and other religions like Islam, New Age, and Scientology?

5) What does it mean to be an atheist or agnostic?

6) And, several other topics

Don't live in the DC area? No worries, just go to http://www.frontlineic.com/ around 5:30pm EST Sunday to join us =)

Decisions

Sometimes having too many choices leads to indecisiveness in this particular gal. Every year Hubby takes me out for my birthday (which is right around the corner, don't you know) and I get to choose the restaurant (which is actually pretty silly since Hubby typically makes me choose restaurants, but this can be "special"). This year I'm having a hard time making a decision.

So far my list includes:

Sweetwater Tavern (typically this is Hubby's B-day choice)
Melting Pot
Medieval Times (a recent ad due to a coupon I found this week)
Coastal Flatts (similar to Sweetwater, but with amazing calamari...)
Benihana (or similar Japanese steakhouse)
Texas de Brazil
Maggianos
Cheesecake Factory
California Pizza Kitchen
Uno's
1 Dozen Cupcakes from Cupcake Heaven (ahhh)

My list is very random and not narrowed down at all. Apparently I can only choose one, although I have coupons for free stuff at several other establishments (Red Robin, Noodles & Co., etc.) those do not count =P Ugh, decisions, decisions...

The BFF-Duo of M&T (not to be confused with the bank) will be accompanying me to the Mexican restaurant of my choosing, Austin Grill, for celebratory enchiladas and margaritas, so never fear, I shall get my Mexican fix this birthday "season" ;-)

Cupid

Happy Tax Season =)

Thanks BFF-M for pointing me to something to make me smile =)

Courage

"You can have faith that God wants you to do something and still be scared to death. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is going ahead and doing what you're called to do in spite of your fear."

~Rick Warren

Wheel

Husband is the master of Wheel of Fortune.

Sadly, The Simpsons have been on for so long he has seen every episode known to man. Imagine his excitement when he realized (not necessarily today, actually quite a while ago) that Wheel of Fortune was on at exactly the same time!

We are so ready to be 60+.

Hand

Monday, post Super Chili Bowl, I received the following email from Hubby:

There is a very distinct and tiny handprint on the front of the dishwasher. I'm pretty sure it's not Cardiel's or Travis's.

We could be wrong, but I have a feeling it was a little Ladybug =)

(Please note, Ladybug was actually having a good time...perhaps we can chaulk this face up to Rach's awful photography?)

Random

So this is going around Facebook, etc. and I am bored =P I did not "tag"...baby steps, baby steps ;-)

25 Random Things About Me

1. This is my first Facebook "Note".

2. I never look like myself in photos.

3. When I was a kid I fell into the dishwasher.

4. I have never "loved" one of my haircuts.

5. I love spaghetti.

6. I miss riding horses with my dad after school.

7. I gained 35 pounds my freshman year of college.

8. I had known my husband 5 years before we decided to date.

9. Our first "date" was to a chili restaurant =)

10. I tend to randomly win things.

11. The first PG-13 movie I saw in the theaters by myself was Happy Gilmore.

12. I hate flying, elevators, and public restrooms where you have to lock yourself into a tiny dimly lit space.

13. I cannot name my favorite movie.

14. One of my dream jobs would be working for Disney.

15. I love cooking, but hate people being in my kitchen.

16. I never found my "talent" (trust me, my mother tried...dance lessons, tennis lessons, golf lessons, basketball camp, swimming lessons, drum lessons, bassoon lessons, piano lessons, art classes...)

17. I hate swallowing pills.

18. I don't care who knows, my favorite pizza in the world is from Chuck E. Cheese (although Ledo's is a pretty good substitute and way more "adult" appropriate).

19. I once threw up at the zoo...children pointed and laughed.

20. The best concert I ever witnessed was the Two Hats and a Red Head Tour (Terri Clark, Brad Paisley, and Reba).

21. I love Alaska and knew when I was 13 that I would someday go back for my honeymoon (and did!)

22. I believe in absolute truth.

23. I have a serious shoe addiction.

24. I hate my nose.

25. I love roses.

Copycat

Since I am a copycat (which may in all honesty be two words as opposed to one) I shall play this little game...

...and because I'm home, tired from shoveling, and morning the loss of my salsa...

10 FAVORITES
1) Color: Purple
2) Food: Spaghetti
3) Musical Group: Relient K
4) Song Right Now: Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
5) Movie: oddly enough this question was the topic of conversation from our last SG social gathering...for which I have crappy answers because I have too many favorites..
6) Sport: College Football
7) Season: Winter
8) Day of the Week: Saturday
9) Ice Cream Flavor: Peppermint
10) Person: Hubby

9 CURRENTS
1) Current Mood: Mellow
2) Current Scent: Probably sweat (I just shoveled snow)
3) Current Clothes: sweats
4) Current Desktop: Standard-issue blue squiggles
5) Current Ringtone on Cell Phone: old-school telephone ring
6) Current Music: No music right now...just the news (I'm a nerd)
7) Current Time: 6:39PM
8) Current Surrounding: Family room.
9) Current Event Happening Today: Sleet/Freezing Rain/Nasty

8 FIRSTS
1) First Best Friend: Amber
2) First Kiss: Mike something or other...
3) First Screen Name: No clue...would probably have to ask BFF-D
4) First Pet: Buddy (cat), Nikki (dog), Bafala (horse) were all around when I came home.
5) First Piercing: My ears, I was in second grade. One fell out at school and I was too scared to put it back in myself...so I was a moron and took out the other one. The holes closed. I was a pansy until my 19th birthday when I decided to give it another go.
6) First Crush: Probably that Mike kid I kissed...
7) First Music: The first music I remember was my father singing "Hey Good Lookin'" in the kitchen of our house.
8) First Car: Mercury Sable. It looked like a giant green turd.

7 LASTS
1) Last Class: Becker CPA Review class for FAR...ew.
2) Last Drink: Water.
3) Last Trip: Tennessee...in September
4) Last Kiss: Hubby's forehead when I left for work
5) Last Movie Seen at the Theater: Bride Wars
6) Last Phone Call: My mother
7) Last CD Played: Brad Paisley - 5th Gear

6 HAVE YOU EVERS
1) Have you ever dated one of your best guy friends? Yes.
2) Have you ever broken the law? Oh geez...=P
3) Have you ever been arrested? No.
4) Have you ever skinny-dipped? No.
5) Have you ever been on TV? Yes.
6) Have you ever kissed someone you didn't know? No.

5 THINGS
1) 1 thing you're wearing: My favorite skiing socks...if I can't go skiing, at least I'll wear my socks =P
2) 1 thing you've done today: Confirmed that I am not the only person on the planet that hates "Jack and Kate Plus 8".
3) 1 thing you're bothered by: That my profession does not lend itself to snow days.
4) 1 thing you can't live without: Peanut Butter (this recall is KILLING ME!)
5) 1 thing you do when you're bored: browse Facebook.

4 PLACES YOU HOPE TO TRAVEL TO
1) Western Caribbean
2) Canadian Rockies
3) Somewhere Hubby really wants to go (where ever that might be)
4) I always suck at this question...

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO
Since I decided long ago that no one person should know everything these three people, when put together know everything/anything there is to know...
1) Hubby
2) Dennis
3) Tessa

2 CHOICES
1) Black or White? Black
2) Hot or Cold? Cold

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO?
1) Live in a way that would make my Father proud.

10 FAVORITES
1) Color: Blue/Gray - the color of the sky before a storm and a little lighter than RB's basement
2) Food: I have a Chipotle (Fajita bowl, no beans, steak, half of a spoonful of mild salsa, little bit of cheese and a little bit of lettuce) problem and may soon be in the need of an intervention.
3) Musical Group: Lately I'm really enjoying Mates of State.
4) Song Right Now: Vegetable Car - Joshua Radin
5) Movie: The Wizard of Oz
6) Sport: What is this "sport" of which you speak?
7) Season: Fall
8) Day of the Week: Wednesday
9) Ice Cream Flavor: In the category of "no longer exists" - Ben and Jerry's "One Sweet Whirled". In the category of "exists until the end of time" - Ben and Jerry's "Cherry Garcia"
10) Person: My brother

9 CURRENTS
1) Current Mood: I'm at work and it's snowing.
2) Current Scent: Japanese Cherry Blossom lotion
3) Current Clothes: Black sweater, white shirt, grey pants, black flats.
4) Current Desktop: It kind of looks like the island where the O6 are "discovered". Mumbata?
5) Current Ringtone on Cell Phone: It's on vibrate. Almost always on vibrate. Or silent.
6) Current Music: Well, now I have "Like a Vibration" by the Whigs in my head.
7) Current Time: 2:40PM
8) Current Surrounding: The U shaped desk of my secretarial station.
9) Current Event Happening Today: Snow. Too much snow. Eventually ice.

8 FIRSTS
1) First Best Friend: Danielle...we had the same birthday, but I don't remember her last name.
2) First Kiss: Michael Mazon. In the backyard of the abandoned house.
3) First Screen Name: LYLAC4246 (Love Ya Like A Crazy from The Big Comfy Couch. The most awesome children's show ever. I was in junior high at the time.)
4) First Pet: Midnight the cat who could yell louder than anyone/thing I've known since.
5) First Piercing: My ears. I was 6. It hurt a lot so I waited an hour between ears.
6) First Crush: Mikey. (I loved Mike's when I was little...) He had a red "suit" jacket that he wore for our Christmas show (kindergarten) and brown hair and was soooo cute.
7) First Music: It was either The Dirty Dancing soundtrack or the Godspell soundtrack that I had on cassette first...
8) First Car: 1991 Dodge Spirit which occasionally didn't start. Like on the way home from Virginia.

7 LASTS
1) Last Class: Intro to Law
2) Last Drink: water. I'm making it a goal to drink 2 liters of water a day. So far (two weeks), so good.
3) Last Trip: Ummm...Pittsburgh?
4) Last Kiss: My grandmother. Through her tears as she said goodbye. I hate that she always cries when I leave.
5) Last Movie Seen at the Theater: Bride Wars
6) Last Phone Call: My brother
7) Last CD Played: Beyonce - I Am....Sasha Fierce. Shut up. My co-worker burned it for me.

6 HAVE YOU EVERS
1) Have you ever dated one of your best guy friends? That would depend on your definition of dating. I had a little trouble defining that word in the past.
2) Have you ever broken the law? Does it count if I watched from the back seat of my friend's car as they illegally set off fireworks in the middle of suburban streets? I was merely a spectator.
3) Have you ever been arrested? No, but I have been a passenger in a car that was running from the cops (see Number 2).
4) Have you ever skinny-dipped? No. But oddly enough they encouraged that sort of thing at camp...(on girls night.)
5) Have you ever been on TV? Yes. I was awesome. At sitting and listening to someone read a story.
6) Have you ever kissed someone you didn't know? No.

5 THINGS
1) 1 thing you're wearing: A thumb ring with two hearts, one of which frames my favorite freckle.
2) 1 thing you've done today: Confirmed documents in the vault.
3) 1 thing you're bothered by: Talking. So much talking.
4) 1 thing you can't live without: Books
5) 1 thing you do when you're bored: Sleep. Or obsessively check google reader. (Where I got this.)

4 PLACES YOU HOPE TO TRAVEL TO
1) London
2) France
3) Scotland
4) Everywhere else

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO
1) I seem to have fallen into a phase where I'm not really telling anybody anything...
2)
3)

2 CHOICES
1) Black or White? Gray
2) Hot or Cold? Cool.

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO?
1) Publish a book and marry a Scotsman (they go together as one dream)

Crisis

CRISIS!!!

We.Are.Out.Of.Salsa.

...this is quite the travesty since we have plenty of chips.

Pivot

Pivot tables invoke a lot of frustration for me. Call it ignorance, but I think they are ridiculous. Why would you create a pivot table using information pulled from a database? Why not just create a better query in your database to give you the report you want?

Oddly enough, pivot tables also remind me of one particular Friends episode where Ross ends up screaming "Pi-vot!" as they are trying to move a couch (somewhere) and are having great difficultly turning the various corners they encounter. This makes me smile in the midst of my frustrations.

Change

In only a few days everything will change, symbolically at least. Sure there may not be immediate or direct impacts on my daily life, but things will change. There will be change in late-night TV monologues. Change in national news coverage. Change in the local DC scene. Will it all be positive change? Eh. Change I support? Not really. Change I trust? Definitely not. Change I will participate in with the droves on Tuesday? Ugh...I'd much rather just wait for the Will Smith movie adaptation.

In light of the upcoming administration, and in consideration for those that may not share my political views, all political ramblings will be heading to a new blog.

You're welcome.

Optional

So remember my grandfather's Christmas wish list? Well here's a shot of him opening his Christmas presents:



Ask and ye shall receive ;-)

His birthday is in a few weeks and I just got this email from my grandma:

Grandpa gave me this list and asked me to send it to everyone. Here goes:


Presents optional (cards welcome)

Chai (tea)
Nose clippers
Movie - dvd
Money
McDonald's card
Computer paper
NO PRUNE JUICE
Shaving Cream
4-Blade razors

Ha!

Spaghetti

FYI: I love spaghetti.

Today I got to do something I haven't done in at least 3 1/2 years. I made spaghetti and dumped the warm sauce into the drained noodles and mixed it all together before dumping onto my plate. YUM! This is one of my absolutely favorite ways to have spaghetti (the other being with "meat" sauce...which Hubby thinks is more like chili than meat sauce. but whatever, it's amazing and since when did he think there could ever be too much meat?!) I love that it looks more like Spaghetti-Os or something...everyone gets covered in sauce, no bare noodles here!

Hubby thinks it's gross when I stir my spaghetti, hence not having enjoyed this amazing concoction until now (...although why haven't I thought of this sooner...like...the entire month Hubby was in Australia?!)

XM

"Well I know this crush ain't goin' away..."

This new year I have been listening to XM online at work. This is quite a change from my normal radio/iPod programming. I listen to different music on-line...like "pop". I have learned several things in only two days of listening in at work:

1. Love the limited commericals.
2. Love that my presets will tell me what song is playing at any given time.
3. I know 85% of the lyrics to Womanizer.
4. I think I love Beyonce...
5. Pink still exists.

Bonus: Dancing in one's cube is unacceptable...singing even more so...especially songs with some of the strange lyrics out there...