You saw this coming.

*General Randomness*
What's your mood like at the moment? Happy to be home, relaxing. Excited to see if my mini meatloaves turn out. Depressed that I have to work tomorrow.
Did you wake up before 10am today? Yes.
Is it raining? A little bit.
Who was the last person you hugged? Jordan.
Where were you last night at 11pm? Home.
Do you pick up pennies for good luck? Nope.
Do you know the lyrics of the last song you listened to by heart? Yes.
Who was the artist and what was the title of that song? November by Azure Ray.
Who was your last call from? Faye from work.
Who was your last call to? Jordan.
Who was your last missed call? I dunno. My phone is in the bedroom and I don't feel like going to get it.
Have you ever donated blood? Yes.
Do you know your bloodtype? I believe it is A+
What was your most unsual Halloween costume growing up? I never really had any unusual costumes. I remember being a pumpkin and Pocahontas several times...and Minnie Mouse when I was really little.
Where did you go on your last vacation? Florida.
Where is your next vacation going to be to? Chicago, most likely.
What does your mom do for a living? She's a secretary at a church.
What color is your car? Green.
Were you born in the 1990's? No.
Are you over 18? Yes.
Have you kissed anyone in the past 24 hours? Yes.
When was the last time someone cooked for you? Christmas.
What is the nearest holiday? New Years.
Is your birthday within the next 6 months? No.
How are things with you and your most recent ex? Oh, you know. I see him occasionally when I visit my parents but we haven't spoken in two years. We're friends on facebook, though...
How old will you be in 2037? 50. Yikes.
Are you an aunt or uncle? Yes, by marriage.
Do you know anyone who goes by their middle name rather than their first? Nope.
How often do people mispell/mispronounce your last name? Pretty often. People tend to leave off the E when spelling it. Or pronounce it as "Lockey"
Pick up the nearest book, turn to page 8 and type the first sentence: "That is incorrect."
What's the title of that book? The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Was the last person you shared a bed with male or female? Male.
Do you have any embarrassing nicknames? My parents call me Sissy, which is mildly embarrassing.
Who was the last person to tell you 'I love you'? Jordan.
Do you think they meant it? Yes.
*True or False*
Your fingernails are painted: False.
You have your nose pierced: False.
You have a tattoo on your foot: False.
You graduated high school within the last 3 years: False.
You drive a car newer than a 2006: False.
You have littered in the past 24 hours: False.
You live on your own: False.
You have attended a private school: False.
You have had an x-ray in the last year: False.
You have run into someone while buying a 'personal' item: True.
You sleep with the door closed: False.
You have smoked a pack of cigarettes in a day: False.
You believe everyone deserves a second chance: Trueish.
You write in cursive on a regular basis: False.
You were single 2 months ago: False.
You have been in a relationship that lasted longer than a year: True.
You have been to Europe: False.
You have been to the Grand Canyon: False.
You have been to Yellowstone National Park: False.
You have been to one of the Great Lakes: True.
You have been to the Smokey Mountains: False.
You have freckles: False.
You have hazel eyes: False.
You have blonde hair: False.
You watch The Office: True.
You watch Gossip Girl: False.
You watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians: False.
You were born in April, August, or September: False.
You are a Saggitarius: True.
You are a vegetarian: False.
You have kissed someone whose name began with 'Z': False.
'N': False.
'K': False.
'D': False.
You have worked in a fast food restaurant: False.
Your best friend is of the opposite sex: False.
You live within 20 minutes of a Walmart: True.
You have liked someone and never told them: True.
You are in love with your ex: False.
You are wearing something pink: True.
You would go out looking like you do right now: False.
You are more productive under pressure: Mmm...sometimes.
You have had a near death experience: True.
You don't really know what you want out of life yet: False.

I had a GREAT Christmas. I'm so sad that it's over! I feel like I don't have much to look forward to now. The coming months are full of cold, horrible winter and the monotony of work. Blah. I can't wait for warm weather to return. Jordan and I are talking about taking a mini vacation to Six Flags this summer, which would be amazing...but that seems sooo far away. :(

But back to Christmas. Even though Jordan wasn't able to come to Burlington with me, and even though I was stuck in a ditch outside of Mount Pleasant for an hour because of the snow storm (it took me a full four hours to make it from Coralville to Burlington), it was still a fabulous weekend. I love my family. As usual, I came home with a mountain of gifts. Among my favorites were an end table (yay, furniture! No more using our stools as tables in the living room), the DVD of Pride and Prejudice (one of my favorites...it's kind of shocking that I didn't already own it, really), and some Clinique Happy perfume. I also got a cute donut hole maker from Grant and Nikcole...tried it out today, and it works surprisingly well.

I am feeling seriously burnt out on work lately. And I haven't even been working that much! I've had a ton of days off this past month. It seems that the more time I get to spend away from work, the less I want to go back. It's strange, because as I've said in the past, I don't dislike my job. Once I get there, I'm okay with it. I just dread going. I don't know if it's that I want to be doing something else or that I don't want to be doing anything. I would be so happy to stay home, writing and doing housework all day. But that's not at all feasible, obviously. Even switching jobs would be stupid at this point, since there are so few options out there and I have a raise coming in four months. So I guess I better stop complaining and start getting ready for work.

Highlander Grogg

Relaxing before work, as usual. (And not in the mood to go to work...as usual.) So, for whatever reason, Food Avenue is no longer closing next Monday. They're waiting til January to close it for the remodel. I haven't heard the exact new date yet. Somewhat of a letdown. I really like working at Food Ave, but I'm ready to learn something new. And as soon as the remodel starts, I'm supposed to be trained to work on the sales floor. It's kind of nice that I'll get to go back to Food Avenue (well, Target Cafe, as it's supposed to be called) when it reopens, in case I happen to really hate sales floor.

I finished my Christmas shopping yesterday! I am so ready for Christmas with my family...hope they all like their gifts. My grandma decided that she's not up to making her usual pumpkin pie this year, so I said I would make dessert. One of my cookbooks has a recipe for maple pumpkin cheesecake [YUM], so I'm going to attempt that. I'm a bit apprehensive, having never made cheesecake before...hopefully it turns out! I'm pretty bummed that Jordan can't come to Burlington with me because of work...this happened last year, too. Stupid hotel. It's so sad having to take his pile of presents from my family back here for him to open them.

I got some new coffee last night. SUPER tasty. The brand is Berres Brothers. I saw them featured on the Food Network several months ago, so when I saw their coffee at Hy-Vee, I got excited. I bought a bag of their Highlander Grogg flavored beans. Great name, right? It's their best seller, apparently, and is "an explosion of caramel, butterscotch and hazelnut." It's really good, and not bitter at all. Try it! It's not cheap, but not any more expensive than a bag of Dunkin Donuts or Caribou Coffee beans.

Well, Crosby is harassing me so I guess I better walk him.

Ugh.

Okay...so having five days off work was wonderful. Now that I have to go back and work the next four days in a row (including a cashier shift, yuck), I'm in crappy mood. It's not like I dislike my job...I do like it. I'm really good at it, so that helps, and I work with a lot of very nice people. I like it approximately fifty times better than when I worked at Applebees. Honestly, I would just rather not work. I want to stay home and be a housewife and write. Not at all realistic, obviously. At least not at this point in our lives.

Well, whatever. Once I get back into the swing of things at work, I'll be fine. Though January is going to suck, with Food Ave. being remodeled. Unless they plan on training me to work on the sales floor or at guest service, I assume I'll be cashiering the whole time.

I have almost all my Christmas shopping done! I just need a couple more things. All the finished presents are under our tree now...I hand-wrapped everything this year (rather than just throwing them into bags)-looks so cute!

OKAY, my "meh" mood about going to work has escalated to a really bad mood suddenly. I just checked our bank statement online...glad to see that TWO student loan payments went through instead of one. Apparently, I set up my account to take money out of our bank account automatically...though I certainly don't recall doing that. So after I paid the bill online, we paid the bill again. Cool. We can totally afford to pay two months of student loan bills at a time. >:(

And now I have to get ready for work. Earlier than usual because Jordan took the Mercury to work...and I have to de-snow and de-ice our Sable that hasn't been driven for a week.

GUESS WHAT??!

The ridiculous caps locks in my title should tell you how excited I am about this...

One of my stories is being published!!! YAY!

My story "Unlost" will be in issue 417 of bewilderingstories.com. If you're reading this, Miss Katie, thank you for showing me to duotrope.com because that's how I stumbled upon bewilderingstories.com! Now, a word about the website--they specialize in "speculative writing"...so lots of sci-fi and fantasy, but pretty much anything that's unconventional (hence the "bewildering"). They've been around since 2002, which tells me that they're pretty reputable. They've published plenty of work by well-known and successful authors...and plenty of work by completely obscure and never-before-published authors, such as myself. :) So there you have it. Yep, my week has been made.

Yay, "vacation"

Ah, first day of my "vacation." Can I call it a vacation when I have no intention of leaving my apartment until next Wednesday? (Except maybe to do some Christmas shopping and some holiday baking at Carissa's.) Right now, I'm taking a mini break from Christmas music (because it feels like spring outside...*shakes fist at Iowa weather*) to rediscover my love of Relient K. I haven't listened to them much since high school/SCC days...but I still adore them.

Not much to say, really, nothing interesting, at least...so, survey!

If your last words had to be a line from a song, what would they be? I'm not sure. It's kinda boring, but probably just "I love you"...which is in a multitude of songs.
Do you listen to Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana? No. But I know her song It's the Climb from the radio, and I kinda like it. I just wish someone with a less nasal, abrasive voice were singing it.
What do you think is the most difficult language to learn? I would have to be somewhat acquainted with all languages to answer this question...and obviously, I'm not. Any language that doesn't use Latin alphabet characters would be hard for me.
Smarties or Skittles? Skittles.
Is your DP a pic of you? DP=default pic? Yes.
When you walk into Walmart, what is your first thought? Usually "I hate this store."
Does food taste better when its made with love? Sure.
Do you go to church? Sometimes.
What song brings back bad memories for you? Some of our songs from high school choir. I can't think of one at the moment...but sometimes I'll hear one randomly on the radio and it makes me cringe.
Have you ever faked an injury? I've faked sick...but don't think I've ever faked an injury.
What would you want if you could have any super power? Super healing powers would be awesome.
Did you take drivers ed, or just have someone you know teach you? I took drivers ed.
Do you get mad when people double dip? No.
The last person you punched? Jordan.
Whats the most inappropriate gift you've ever received? and from whom? A vibrator from Katie? lol! But even that wasn't really inappropriate for the situation, given that it was my bachelorette party.
Does it bother you when people have bad grammar? Yeah.
Who is your favorite person on SNL? I don't watch it enough to have a favorite.
Do hugs ever make you uncomfortable? Depends on whose hugging me.
What doesn't come in a bottle, but really should? I can't think of anything...a lot of things come in bottles.
Do you think the world will end in 2012? No.
What are you doing for the rest of the day? Cleaning the kitchen, blah. Then watching movies with Crosby. Possibly going shopping for Christmas presents.
What kind of flowers do you want at your funeral? I don't have much of a preference...how about white daisies, since they're my favorite.
Whats the worst natural disaster you've been through? I guess the flood of 2008.
If you were a baked potato what toppings would you like on you? Well, I really wouldn't want to be a baked potato. But my favorite toppings are butter, sour cream and bacon bits. And cheddar cheese.
If you could speak 3 languages, what would they be? Including the language I already know or not? If it is, Spanish, French, and English. If not, Spanish, French, and German.
Have you ever known anyone that got struck by lightning? No.
Why did you go to the hospital for the first time? Aside from being born...I think it was when I cracked my head open in first grade.
Whats your favorite oxymoron? I dunno...non-dairy creamer.
Do you think you will ever want to stop celebrating your birthday? Probably not.
Do you miss the old Nickelodeon? Yeah.
Speaking of that. Do you remember Face? Hello, Face here. Yeah, lol.
Oprah or Tyra? Neither. Not a fan of talk shows.
Do you like your name? It's okay.
What is your favorite juice? White grape.
Describe your mother in one word. Um...sweet.
How do you feel about leashes for kids? Kind of ridiculous.
If you could wear only one, would you wear socks or underwear? Depends on if it's hot or cold.
Who would you want/not want to be stuck in an elevator with? I'd be happy to be stuck in an elevator with Jordan or any of my friends/family. I would not want to be stuck in an elevator with a strange man.

Look, a real blog post.

I complain a lot about the coldness and the crappy weather of winter...but part of me kinda loves it. (My inner child--that part.) The small amount of snow we've had this week has me feeling all chipper. As a kid, snow was exciting because it meant a potential snow day and sledding and getting my parents to make me hot chocolate. Now that I'm "grown up," it means I have to leave for work early in case the roads are bad--that's about it. And yet that feeling of excitement has stuck with me. I'm a little disappointed that, after today, there's nothing but cold, sunny days in the forecast. Jordan doesn't share my enthusiasm for snow. He truly hates winter weather. And I'm sure that when February rolls around, I'll be hating it too, but this is the first snow of the season. I'm allowed to be a little enchanted, right?

It feels strange to be relaxing at home on a Saturday. Target must have felt bad for scheduling so much in the past month...because not only do I have today off, but I have Monday and Tuesday off as well. Then I have Friday-Tuesday off...yes, a five day weekend. Craziness! I'm pretty excited, though--lots of time to catch up on reading and writing. I really could have used a five day weekend in November, when I was trying to spew out a 50,000 word novel. (For the record, I failed miserably and only got to 10,500 words. Better luck next year?)

Speaking of reading, I bought a new book. Tinkers, by Paul Harding. I picked it because of the blurb on the back and the amazing reviews (and the sticker on the front proclaiming that it had won a Pulitzer prize). I've been rereading a lot of books lately, and before that, I was working my way through all of Jane Austen's novels...so I was due for a good contemporary book. It wasn't until after I bought the book that I read Harding's bio, which told me he's a graduate of the U of I Writer's Workshop and he recently taught there as a visiting faculty member (I vaguely recall some of my writing TAs talking about him during the spring semester, but I think I was a bit too focused on the whole passing my classes and graduating deal). He's taught at Harvard, too...no big deal. I'm only forty pages into the book, but it's really fantastic. While reading about Harding, I saw that more than 25 Pulitzer prizes have been awarded to writers associated with the Writer's Workshop. Yep. That's not at all daunting.

Well, I think it's time to break out the Christmas tree. :)

December!

It's not technically winter yet, but it is December. And we did have snow yesterday and today. Sooo, winter survey!

Whats 3 things you like to do during winter?
1- Enjoy my parents' fireplace
2- Watch Christmas movies...that reminds me, I need to Netflix Love Actually!
3- Bake.
Do you like snow? Yes, when I don't have to drive in it.
Does it even snow where you live? Yep.
Whats the best part about winter time? Spending time with my family for Christmas.
Is winter your favorite season? No.
Does your family celebrate Christmas? Yes.
Do you get a lot of presents? Not a ton, since I'm an adult now. Probably about a dozen from my parents, a couple from the in-laws, one from Jordan.
Do you help put up and decorate the christmas tree? Help...ha. I do it all myself. Jordan isn't big on Christmas decorations.
Do you have a stocking? Yes.
Is your christmas tree a real tree or a fake tree? Fake.
Do you like the cold winter weather? No.
Do you go sledding? It's been several years since I have.
Do you build snow men? Again, it's been several years.
Would you rather:
Wear gloves with no hat or a hat with no gloves? A hat with no gloves. My ears don't do well in cold wind.
Go sledding or ice skating? Well, I'm awful at ice skating and sledding doesn't really require any skill...so I guess sledding.
Your toes go numb or your fingers? Toes.
Drink hot chocolate or apple cider? Ooh, both sound so good right now! Apple cider, if it's my mom's homemade kind.
Get tons of inexpensive gifts or one expensive gift? I guess tons of inexpensive gifts, unless the expensive one was something I really needed.
Back to the questions...
Do you hate driving on the snowy roads? YES.
Whats your favorite christmas song? Oh man, no way I can narrow it down to one.
Whats your favorite christmas movie? It's a tie between National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
How early do you wake up on christmas to open gifts? Depends on what family we're with. With Jordan's family, we get up in the late morning--9 or 10. My family generally opens presents on Christmas evening, not in the morning.
Do you put christmas decorations up in/outside your house? Yes. We don't really have an "outside," but I did hang a wreath on our door.
Does your family stay home or go to a relatives for christmas? My parents usually host the Christmas dinner at their house.
Do you have a big christmas dinner? Yes. It's pretty much identical to our Thanksgiving dinner. Love it.
How many blankets do you sleep with in the winter? Two, plus an extra one at the end of the bed.
What are some ways you keep really warm? Turn up the heat, drink coffee, wear my robe around the house.
Do you wear alot of layers when you go outside in the snow/cold? Yes.
Is your car good on ice/snow? It's okay, though it doesn't like to start on really cold mornings.
Have you ever gotten into a car accident due to the icy/snowy roads? Yep. My only accident happened because of ice on the road...it sucked.
Does your school have alot of snow days where you live? I'm not in school, but my high school was well known for not canceling when all the other schools in town did. And snow days were very rare at the U of I, too.
Do you shovel the snow on your sidewalk/driveway? No--the Valley Forge management will handle that, I assume.
Do you ever have to use the ice scraper on your car windshield? Of course...unless I have half an hour to wait around for the defroster to melt the ice.
Do you stay indoors or go outside more in the winter? Now that I'm out of school (and not walking to class every day), I'll be indoors for most of the season.
Do you go all out and wear a scarf,gloves,coat, etc? Yes. Definitely a coat, gloves, and a hat. I don't always wear a scarf, though...a wear a lot of turtlenecks instead.
Do you own a pair of snow boots? Yeah.

So, turns out I'm lopsided.

As far as my days off go, this is the busiest one I've had in a long time. No sleeping in and watching Food Network all day for me. Jordan and I just got back from our appointments at Primary Care Clinic North. Yep, we finally got our initial IowaCare appointments. We both got our flu shots for the year, and I found out that my left leg is significantly shorter, and smaller, than my right. Yep. And my ankle cord is very tight, hence me not being able to move my foot normally. This explains so much! Why most shoes are so uncomfortable for me, why I always feel the need to balance my weight on my right leg and why I don't put my left heel down when I walk...I can't believe that, at 23, I'm just now discovering this. Crazy. Anyway, he referred me to the foot and ankle specialists so they can check it out, and possibly do some kind of physical therapy for my Achilles tendon and calf muscles.

In two hours, we'll be off to Hampton Apartments for a tour. Excited! We're hoping to live there next year. They look so nice from their website. We're so sick of our current apartment...we're fighting off an ant infestation at the moment. They're somehow getting in under the heater in our dining room, and through the bathroom window. One of the many reasons I hate having our apartment half underground.

Then after that, we're off to Texas Roadhouse for my belated birthday dinner! Can't wait for those delicious rolls and a tasty baked sweet potato. We might be seeing Harry Potter tonight, too. Speaking of belated birthday festivities, I should mention that Jordan did a very nice job with my present this year. I didn't have to say "this is exactly what I want and it's at this store, now go get it" like I have in the past. He got me three Yankee candles--vanilla lime, apple cider, and vanilla pumpkin--nice, long-lasting ones. I was very pleased, considering that I burn through scented candles like they're made of paper. He also got me a new journal from Barnes and Noble because I don't have many pages left in my current one. :)

So yeah. That's our day. And while I still have some time before our 2:00 showing at Hampton Apartments, I need to run to the store.

Productivity?!

I'm proud to say that I've been somewhat productive today--I put away the clean clothes that have been in a heap on the couch for a week and I'm halfway through the four loads of laundry that needed to be done. :) I also decided it was time to banish my spring/summer clothing to my under-the-bed storage container...and replace them with sweaters and long-sleeve t-shirts. Can't live in denial anymore--winter is actually coming.

Know what else is actually coming? Student loan bills. /cry. My first payment is due in three weeks. Looking at how much money I'll be paying back, roughly over the next decade, is pretty shocking. And I only went to a university...for just two years. I can't imagine what alumni of four-year private schools have to deal with. Yes, I think my education was worth it, in spite of my current mediocre job...but how can a good education be so expensive? It's depressing. Jordan and I should probably start saving for our kids' college funds now. Twenty years early doesn't seem crazy at all.

On an unrelated (and happier) note, I just discovered that we live right next to a Zio Johno's! It's by Hobby Lobby and Hy-Vee, and I noticed it for the first time last night. For some reason, they don't acknowledge this location on their website, but it's definitely there. So excited--they have such tasty, inexpensive pasta. I might have to pick up some spaghetti for supper.

Now, because of my trip to Burlington on Friday and how crazy work was this weekend, I haven't gotten any writing done for several days. So, continuing the productive streak, I'm going to go work on that.

I love my family.

So, I had to take Crosby to Burlington for a vet appointment today--he needed a shot and some prescription dog food and such. We could have done it somewhere in town, but we're really most comfortable taking him to Allgood's. I think Crosby is most comfortable with that, too. Jordan was supposed to come with me but backed out at the last second because he needed to catch up on sleep for the crazy weekend of work he has ahead of him. Valid point, but I was still mad at him for not coming like he said he would. In the end, though, I'm glad he didn't--I was able to stay in Burlington to hang out with my parents a lot longer that way. Had such a good time! I went to the bake sale/Christmas decorations sale at the church where my mom works. Mom bought me some pumpkin bread, pumpkin pecan cookies, and a really cute Christmas wreath for our door. We had Great Wall takeout for supper (phoenix crab and hunan chicken...YUM!)...watched Seinfeld and the classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas on TV. Wish I could have stayed longer, but having Crosby with me (without his dog food or kennel or any other necessary overnight items) and the fact that I have to work at 7:30 in the morning made that impossible. Oh well.

I can't wait to go back next week for Thanksgiving! It'll be good to see my grandparents (pretty sure I haven't seen them since last Thanksgiving--they didn't make it for Christmas because of the snow storm) and my brothers. And my Dad promised to make a fire in the fireplace as long as it's nice and chilly out...very excited for that. And all the delicious food, of course. The corn and cheesy potato casseroles, especially...and sweet potatoes with apples, too. As much as I hate the cold, I LOVE this time of year.

I wish I could take a few days off just to clean the apartment. And put all my summer clothes in storage...because that's why there are winter clothes all over our bedroom floor--no room in my dresser for them! Having the apartment so dirty depresses me...I can barely fill my coffee pot with water because of all the dishes in the sink. However, cleaning the apartment before going to work is even more depressing. Jordan's no help at all--he's in a coma after working forty hours in the past four days (that's a lot when his usual work week is about twenty hours). So I'm just going to stay at my desk and try not to notice the ridiculous messes all around me. Yeah.

Excited for Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to hit both families this year. Perrian said they were going to try to do an evening get-together so we could make it--my family always has dinner at noon so the family coming from two and three hours away can get home at a decent time. But now Jordan's grandma wants to make her dinner at noon, too. Jordan said we should just stay in Burlington for the day. I feel bad about that...but to be honest, I would rather have to split up for the day and have Jordan in Fruitland while I'm in Burlington than have to miss my family's Thanksgiving. /sigh. I think this will all be easier down the road when we have our own house and kids. Then WE can be the ones hosting the holiday dinners and make both families come to us.

I need to work on my novel. There is NO WAY I'm finishing it this month. I should be halfway done by now and I'm not even one-fourth done! First official NaNoWriMo attempt=big fat failure. The website, taking into account how much I've written so far, says "at this rate you will finish on Feb. 19." lol. Oh well. I'll try again next year. And in the meantime, I'm going to keep writing this novel anyway because I'm enjoying it. My new goal is to make it to 25,000 words, ie the halfway point, by the end of the month. That will still feel like a big accomplishment.

A good day for...

Christmas music! And coffee! And coziness! Even though work was pretty miserable (weekends always are), I am so happy to be home and have the whole evening ahead of me. I picked up a few things at Target before I left, and I happened to find myself in the Christmas candy section. I was going to get a bag of classic Lindt truffles, but then I saw the milk and pumpkin spice caramel Ghirardelli chocolate squares. Yes, that is one flavor. "Milk and pumpkin spice caramel." Kind of ridiculous name...but they are SO GOOD! I know there's no way I'll be able to stop myself from eating the whole bag tonight (doesn't help that there's only ten pieces in a bag...). You definitely need to try them. Similar to the pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks that I love, the pumpkin is very subtle.

So, kind of depressing, I cut my hand at work today on a broken hinge. The cut is on my palm, right between my thumb and forefinger. Flexing or stretching my hand pulls the cut open, which is bad, and painful...so no piano playing for me for the next day or two. :(

The new schedule came out at work, for the week of November 21-27. I'm working Sunday 7:30-2, have Monday off, Tuesday 3-9:30, Wednesday 3-9:30 (my birthday), Thursday off (Thanksgiving!!), Friday 1-10:30 (boo, Black Friday), and Saturday 7:30-4. So...not exactly ideal. I'm working on my birthday...and how awful is it that I have to open Saturday morning after closing on Friday? I'm going to be so exhausted. When the next week's schedule comes out, I better freaking have Sunday the 28th off!!! Blah. Jordan and I already decided that we'll just celebrate my birthday on Monday the 22nd, since we both have that day off work. Our tentative plan is to have dinner at Texas Road House. I've been craving their baked sweet potatoes and delicious rolls for weeks. Yep, my mouth is watering right now.

SURVEY

1:. What clothes did you sleep in last night? Red underwear. That's it, lol. I hate sleeping in pajamas...I only do if I have to sleep in a bed other than my own.
2:. Is your cars' mileage over 100,000? I really don't know. It's been ages since I actually looked at the mileage. But It's ten years old, so I'm sure it is.
3:. Was the last song you listened to from a radio, TV, MP3 player or CD? Point of Grace's version of Angels We Have Heard on High.
4:. What was the last thing you ate where you used a spoon? Chicken noodle soup from Chick-Fil-A.
5:. When microwaving do you set the time or hit the "minute plus." I set the time, unless I need exactly thirty seconds or a minute or whatever.
6:. How many times did you check the time today? I was at work...so a lot.
7:. Do you like the MAC or PC format better? I've never used a MAC, actually. I've always been happy with my PCs.
8:. What store do you usually get food at? Hy-Vee or Target.
9:. Is you day better when you wake up early or sleep in? I love to sleep in...but my day usually goes better when I get up early.
10:. Do you prefer to fall asleep with the TV on or off? Off. But I can sleep with it on, too.
11:. Do you like sitting on the inside or outside of a restaurant booth? I don't really care.
12:. How many formal dances did you or have you gone to in high school? 4. Three homecomings and one prom.
13:. Do you pay your cell phone bill or does you parents? I'm still on my parents' cell phone plan, lol. And Jordan is still on his parents'.
14:. How many toilets are in the house you are in now? I'm in an apartment, not a house. And we have one.
15:. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower? Both.
16:. Do you take your trash to the dump or have it picked up? We take it out to the dumpster...then it gets picked up from there.
17:. Do you prefer an automatic or a manual transmission? Automatic. I've never learned how to drive manual.
18:. What did you last remove or put into the fridge? Drinking water this morning.
19:. Do you use fabric softener sheets in the dryer when you do laundry? Yeah.
20:. Have you ever woke up to your leg cramping? Probably.
21:. Do you make more phone calls or send more texts in an average day? I rarely use my phone...but I think I use it for calls more often.
22:. Has anyone asked you for a ride in your car in the past two weeks? Nope.
23:. Do you have any TV on DVD collections? No. I wanted to get The Office on DVD, but then I realized I could watch all the episodes on Netflix, instantly. :)
24:. Can you stand any reality TV shows? Not a fan. I like some varieties, though--cooking/food themed, wedding themed.
25:. When you sneeze do you sneeze into your shirt or your hands? Into the crook of my elbow.
26:. Do you have neighbors who are exceptionally loud on a daily basis? No, thankfully.
27:. Are you watching TV or listening to music while doing this? Yes. Listening to Christmas music. :)
28:. Have you brushed your teeth today? No...slept in too late. And I brushed them before bed last night, anyway.
29:. Do you use the air conditioner in your car or roll down your window? Roll down the window, unless it's crazy hot. Then I'll use the AC. I miss hot weather. Summer is so far away. :(
30:. What was the last thing you procrastinated on doing? Doing laundry.
31:. Are you planning on taking a shower today? Already did.
32:. Who was the last person you talked to? Jordan.
33:. Was it raining the last time you wore a hoodie/jacket? Nope.
34:. What color are the sheets on your bed? Blue.
35:. Do you usually have sex in the morning, noon or night time? Night time, usually.

Mmk

Mmk...as much as I like the idea that I'll be off work by 4:00 tomorrow, I do not want to get up in five hours. This switching back and forth between opening and closing shifts is killing me! I'll have to come home and take a nap after work and then I won't be able to sleep tomorrow night and then I'll be sleep deprived all over again for my Sunday opening shift. Blah. I'm also a little scared because I've never done a Saturday opening...not sure how busy it will be.

I'm really not tired at all right now. Survey should help, right?

Do you know anyone who is very, very shy? Yeah. Some people think I am...but I haven't really got that since high school.
Are you one of those people who laughs at scary movies? If I have someone to make fun of them with. But I avoid scary movies in general.
Is anyone upset with you right now? Don't believe so.
What kind of mood are you in right now? Meh. Happy because I just watched Glee, but dreading work in a few hours. And also depressed that I don't have a day off til next Friday.
Do you have good hand-eye coordination? Not really.
Do you know how to swear in a different language? Nope. I used to have a book that had all the Spanish swear words and foul language you would ever need to know, but I lost it.
Could you be a good actor/actress if you really tried? Yeah, I think I have the basic skills.
What season are you at your happiest in? Fall is my favorite season, but I probably feel the happiest in spring...the warmth and the greenness after all the horrible cold and snow really lifts my spirits.
Is there anything you regret doing today? I regret sleeping in til 11:00. That's why I didn't get much done today AND why I'm not tired right now.
Do you get annoyed when someone tells a dead baby joke? I don't know anyone who tells dead baby jokes.
What is the temperature outside right now? In the 40s, I think.
Is love always hard? No.
Are you a fan of Whose Line Is It Anyway? It's okay.
Are you any good at playing Simon Says? Do you mean the classic following directions kid game? I guess?
Do you make it obvious when people hurt your feelings? No. Not on purpose.
Is there anyone who doesn't like you because of something you didn't do? Not that I'm aware of.
Are you good at giving other people directions? No. I'm horrible. And I feel like, at all the jobs I've had, when a random person walks in and wants directions, they come straight to me. I don't know why. Apparently I look approachable...too bad I'm the worst direction-giver ever.
Are you a fan of the band Journey? Sure.
Do you know a guy named Joe? Yeah.
Have you ever heard a rumor about a person you've liked before? Yeah.
Do you like chocolate/peanut butter fudge? I don't believe I've ever had that...but it sounds like something I would like.
What is the best place near your house to get pizza? Pizza Hut.
Have you tried sushi before? Yeah. So good. I wish I could eat it more often.
Do you know anyone who is allergic to horses? No.
Do you have any songs currently stuck in your head? Yeah. Several of the songs that were on Glee.
Is it just like, one line of the song over and over? Pretty much.
Does it bother you when someone is a different sexuality than you? No.
Do you know what Pedobear looks like? Yeah.
When was the last snow day you had from school/work? Hmm...I don't remember if the U of I had any snow days last year. Seems like there was one really close to finals, but I can't remember if that was last winter or the one before.
Have you ever switched religions or churches? Switched churches, yes. Not religions.
What is your favorite accent to listen to? I just like listening to accents in general. I think Spanish and Italian are my favorites.
Are you really a rude person or do people just think that? I'm not a rude person and people don't think that I am, either, to my knowledge.
Will anyone be confessing anything to you soon? How should I know?
Do you think that any type of standardized testing is pointless? There are pros and cons. I never liked it, but I wouldn't say it's completely pointless.
Are you good at hiding your feelings when you want to? Not really
Has anyone ever assumed you had a crush on them? If they did, they never told me.
What teacher do/did you hate the most? Professor Kuenzli. I didn't hate him...but he was my least favorite literature professor. Annoying and forgetful and he always gave pop quizzes on the days when I skipped or was sick. I loved the reading list for his class, though.
What's the main ringtone on your cell phone? I dunno. Nothing recognizable. Some generic ringtone that came with the phone.
Can you name five songs by The Beatles without Google? Maybe...let's see. I Wanna Hold Your Hand...Hard Days Night...Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds...She Loves You...Yellow Submarine. I win. 3/5 of those I only know from band/choir throughout the years.
If you had a baby boy right now, what would you name him? Though Jordan recently said he likes the name Vincent, I think I would pull for William. Classic, some nice nickname options (I like Will or Liam), and it would be after my Grandpa Landon.
Is there anyone that is jealous of you or anything that you have? I doubt it.
Do you think you would be a good elementary school teacher? Perhaps.
French fries or onion rings? French fries.
Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo? Yeah...once in high school. And I'm currently trudging through it now. Thanks to our horrible week of car trouble and financial mishaps and just having to work a lot since the beginning of the month, I'm like 15,000 words behind. Oops. I'm so not finishing on time...but I'm going to do my best to finish it on my own terms.
Do you prefer hairspray to hair gel? I don't know--I don't use either.
Is someone waiting for you to do something for them? Nope. Well, Crosby might be waiting for me to take him outside, but that's about it.

Still not tired...but going to try and give this sleeping thing a shot.

Oops.

At around midnight last night, I decided to take a break from writing my NaNo novel and started reading. I've been rereading one of my favorite books (Kartography, by Kamila Shamsie), mostly just during my breaks at work. Well once I started, and didn't have a fifteen or half-hour time limit to make me put it down, I couldn't stop. I finished the book. Even though it was 5 AM and I was exhausted, I couldn't even fall asleep right away because I kept thinking about the book and the characters. I want to email Kamila Shamsie and tell her to write another novel with these characters in it. Or five more. I want to turn back to page one and read it AGAIN...which is kind of crazy, considering that I've never read a novel for a third time. I am so emotionally invested in this book. It kinda kills me that I never ever would have read this book or even heard of it if I hadn't taken a "literature of the Indian Subcontinent" class my junior year.

Sorry for gushing. I'm still on my happy "I just read a fantastic book" cloud.

ANYWAY...that's why I'm still about 6000 words behind on my NaNoWriMo novel. (Or twenty pages. It doesn't sound quite so bad in pages.) And writing this blog about why I'm behind isn't helping...so I'm going to go be productive. After I make some coffee.

Wow 3 AM, where did you come from? Time goes by way too fast when I have a weekend off work. Oh well--had a great day with my mom (and dad, before and after the Hawkeye game). Lunch at Olive Garden, some shopping at the mall, and just hanging out at our apartment. Nice low-key afternoon. Crosby was so happy to see my parents, and vice versa. Hard to believe that the next time I see them will probably be Thanksgiving. This year has gone by so fast. I mean really...how is it almost November?!

Speaking of November...I finally have a NaNo idea. It's very vague...but an idea, nonetheless. Kind of excited. It's going to be interesting, trying to spew out five pages every day for thirty days. Definitely not my style. I'm more the "write one paragraph and then rewrite it a thousand times until it's perfect and then call it a day" type. But I think it will be good for me to get out of my comfort zone.

Not quite ready to go to bed yet...sooo survey.

Do you ever get the urge to pinch or squeeze something unbearably cute? Only all the time.
Are you a person that asks a lot of questions? Not really.
Would you ever try a deep-fried Oreo? Absolutely.
Have you ever had to hide a hickey from a parent? Yeah.
Do you watch Dexter? No.
Is The Office boring, or funny? Funny! One of my favorite shows.
Do you bother to recycle? Yeah, some stuff. But for the most part, not really. I know, we're horrible.
The majority of people you know have what hair color? Brown, I guess.
What's your favorite children's book? I had too many favorites.
Do you use scented lotion or body oil after you shower? No.
What do you smell like right now? Pretty much how I always smell. Little winter candy apple scent left on me from my trip to Bath and Body Works today.
Are you excited about this upcoming winter? Some parts of it. Christmas, getting to wear sweaters and my cute coat, the prettiness of snow, the coziness of the season...not so excited about the cold, or hard to drive in weather.
Do you keep your shopping bags? Yeah. We use them as garbage bags for our tiny trashcans.
Do you have highlights? What color(s)? Nope.
Are spaghetti straps tacky? I don't think so...in general, at least.
Had a ladybug ever bitten you? No. They bite? Wow, now I like them even less than before.
Do you have a pillow that is YOUR pillow, of which no one else may use? I have my pillow and Jordan has his. We don't use each others' because we like different style pillows...his is really flat and mine is really puffy.
Is there someone that you text, everyday, without fail? Nope.
Have you ever drawn on someone's face while they were sleeping? I don't think so.
What was the topic on the last essay you were required to write? I believe my last essay was for my European Lit class, on the french novel Germinal. But I'm not positive.
What kind of face wash do you use? Neutrogena.
Where'd the best burger you've ever had come from? Applebee's quesadilla burger is really good. And I really enjoy my Dad's burgers.
Have you ever constructed jewelry out of paperclips whilst bored in class? Yes to the constructing jewelry out of paperclips part, but I never did it while in a class.
Was South Park's impression of Snooki perfect? No idea.
Do you still own any VHS tapes? Not here--at my parents' house, yes. I've been meaning to steal all their Disney tapes, too.
Have you ever written something in the sand at a beach? Pretty sure I have.
Have you ever fallen in love with a best friend? Not exactly. Jordan didn't become my best friend until after we fell in love. I did date some of my closest friends in high school, though.
How much money do you spend on non-essential items every week? It varies. It also depends on what you consider essential.
Do you remember the first true horror movie you ever watched? Yeah. It's a weirdly good memory...it was at a church teen Halloween party when I was fourteen or fifteen, and it was one of the first times that Brandon held my hand. And that was SUCH a big deal to me.
Do you record/journal/write down all of your dreams you remember having? No. I don't think I've ever done that. Like most people, I don't remember my dreams for very long after waking up.
What's your favorite carnival ride? I've never been to a carnival, so I don't have one.
Ever watch cartoons? King of the Hill and Family Guy. That's about it.
Do you know who Jonathon Adler is? No.
Anyone specific make you ridiculously anxious when they ask for 'a favor'? Not really.
Do you have a signature on your cell-phone for texting? Nope.
If I gave you $250,000, what would you do with it? Pay off my student loans...put the rest in a savings account.
What's the last thing you asked for help with? Cleaning the house.
Have you ever seen a UFO? No.
Have you ever cut the crease in your ankle, shaving your legs? Yeah.
^ annoying, isn't it? Mmhmm.
Does your home have a fireplace? My parents' house does. One of my favorite things about being there in winter. So cozy.
Could you start a fire without a match/lighter? Probably not.
Ever been shocked by an electric fence? No.
Do you celebrate any holidays that the majority of people don't? No, not really. I'd say I celebrate fewer holidays than the majority of people.

BRRR

Okay, I am so not ready for winter. I can't believe how cold 40 degrees feels!! I'm still shivering from the walk to my car after work. This pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks sure is helping, though! If you like cinnamon fall-ish flavors, you should try one. I don't even like pumpkin pie that much, and I love this stuff. Hmm, how do I always end up blogging about food/drinks?

Well, not a whole lot has been happening lately. Target is raising their starting pay, so I get a slight pay increase, along with 70 other team members. Good stuff. Jordan's new job is going well. He only gets one or two shifts a week right now, since the hardcore holiday shopping won't start for another month or so.

My parents are coming to visit on Saturday...I'm super excited, even though I just saw them two weeks ago. And I get a three day weekend! :) Hard to believe that I got Halloween off without even asking for it. I, of course, have no plans. Maybe I'll sneak into the hotel and hang out with Jordan.

No survey (for once) because I have a headache. Off to flop on the couch and watch Food Network.

Ignore this post...

Because it's just a survey.

Would you rather deal with all your emotions at once, or none at all? I don't know...both would be quite unpleasant. But I think I would rather feel everything than nothing.
Do you like to climb trees? I loved to when I was little. It's been a few years since I've been in a tree, though.
Name your three closest friends. Not counting the husband--Carissa, Katie, my mom.
In order to fall asleep, do you need the conditions to be perfect? It doesn't really matter. Perfect or not, it always takes me a long time to fall asleep...unless I'm sleep deprived or exhausted...or on some kind of medication.
Do you get excited or annoyed when the phone rings? When I hear it ring, I'm just curious. Once I see who's calling, then I start to feel excited or annoyed, depending on the caller.
What was your last argument with your parents about? I don't know. We haven't had any argument for years.
When was the last time you cried and why? Last week, when I was watching the movie Step Mom on TV.
Do you prefer writing poems or stories? Whatever comes out. Usually stories.
Do you have a Tumblr account? (If so, what is the URL?) I don't even know what Tumblr is.
Were you ever in Boy/Girl Scouts? Nope.
What is the best kind of Girl Scout cookie? Samoas and Thin Mints are my favorites.
What's the best thing about Halloween? The candy.
Are you in love? Yeah, I am. :)
Have you ever questioned your own intentions? Sure.
What was the last dream you had about? Jordan and I were supposed to get married in some other state, but I couldn't get to the wedding. I was stuck at some airport with Crosby and no one would tell me what flight I was supposed to take.
What's the appropriate age to have sex? Personally, I felt it was right to wait til I was an adult, ie eighteen or older. But I'm not going to say that that's right for everyone.
What type of movies can't you stand? Gory horror movies.
Do people choose to be gay or are they born that way? I'm not gay, so I don't feel like I can really answer that. I imagine that it varies from person to person.
What city do you feel you belong in? I'm not sure. Burlington still feels like home...but I really love parts of Iowa City.
What were your grades like in high school? Good. Always above 3.5.
Is pornography evil or are you neutral about it? I'm more neutral about it.
Do you prefer to be monogamous, or are you more a casual dater or swinger? Yes, monogamous.
What illicit drugs have you done? None.
Are you a friendly person? Yes.
Have you ever had a crush on more than one person at once? Do you now? Yes, in high school/right after high school. No, not now.
What's the best thing about teenage relationships? I don't know. Maybe the carefree-ness? No pressure about getting married/investing in the future/etc.
What's the worst? The boys are so sex-crazed.
Have you ever played the Tomb Raider games? No.
Are you a happy person? Yes, generally.
Do you like it or hate it when your partner is clingy? Since Jordan is rarely clingy, it's kind of nice when he is. If he was clingy all the time, it would annoy me.
Describe your hair. Medium brown, bit past my shoulders. Thin, soft, mostly straight. Really needs to be trimmed.
Do you want to have a huge platinum wedding or a small one? Ours was more small than "platinum" and we were perfectly happy with it.
Which is worse: breaking up with somebody, or being dumped? Breaking up with somebody.
Are you a healthy eater? Not really...though I've been trying to be better, lately.
Would you kiss a smoker? If I really liked him, yeah.
Beatles or Rolling Stones? I'd say Beatles, but only because I know more songs by them.
How bad is your temper? It's pretty mild.
Who is your favorite relative? I'm closest to my mom, but I wouldn't call her my "favorite."

Mmm, nutella

So...Jordan and I ended up NOT going to that wedding. He had a rough night at work the night before, had a migraine...so we just skipped it. I was mildly disappointed--I always get excited when I have a reason to dress up. I even bought new shoes. Oh well. We had a nice relaxing night at home.

Sunday and Monday, I was in Burlington. Had a wonderful time with my parents, as always. Went shopping, had sushi for lunch, relaxed. I love being in my parents' house. They bought me a bookshelf! I've been dying to have a nice full sized bookshelf...I hate having my books have been scattered in half a dozen different locations throughout our apartment. It's six feet tall and two feet wide..."espresso" brown. It took forever to build, but it's done and it looks great!

Nutella+toast+good coffee=best breakfast ever.

Work soon.../sigh. But tomorrow's my day off! :) Survey.


What do your friends call you? Amy, Ames.
Are you using your real name on MySpace? Yes.
Would you be fired if your boss saw your MySpace page? No.
Have you slept with over 25 people? No.
Do you have a college degree? Yes.
Has your degree helped your career? Not really. Though if I wanted to go for a promotion at work, it would help.
How many times have you been married? Once.
How many children do you have? None.
Do you own a house? Nope.
What's your largest bill? Electic, gas, phone, etc. Pretty sure it's our cable/internet.
Do you like your job? Meh. It's okay. I don't hate it.
If you won the lottery what would you do first? Probably quit my job, lol. Pay my parents and Jordan's parents back for all the financial help they've given us in the past. Start looking for houses.
Would you share the winnings with anyone? If so, who? Jordan, of course.
Would you ever be willing to take a lie detector test? Sure.
What's your middle name? Renee.
Are you white collar or blue collar? I don't know. I guess blue collar, since I get paid by the hour and my job doesn't require a degree.
What is your dream job? Freelance writer.
Describe your dream house. Pretty much my parents' house. But with one more bedroom and a nicer kitchen.
What is your favorite color? Green.
What color are your eyes? Blue/green.
What is your shoe size? 6. Sometimes 6 1/2...depends on the style.
Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi.
Are you introverted or extroverted? More introverted.
What is your worst fear? People I love dying.
What website do you visit the most? Facebook.
Do you own an iPod? Which model? Yeah, a nano.
Do you own a vehicle? What is it? Yes. 99 Mercury Mystique. We also have a Mercury Sable. Don't know what year, and it's technically my Dad's car.
How many times have you lied today? I don't believe I've lied at all.
If you're married and your spouse cheated on you, would you forgive them? Yes.
Have you ever been arrested? Nope.
What is your favorite drink? Coffee.
What is the best pickup line (date) you've heard? I've never heard any good ones, really.
What do you find sexy? When a guy is confident, good with kids, has a nice sense of humor...and on the physical side of this question, has a cute smile, nice abs, soft hair, muscles.
What turns you off?
Democrat or Republican? I like to call myself a moderate because I don't completely identify with either party, but I'm more Republican than Democrat.
Pro-Choice or Pro-Life? Pro-life.
What do you do for a living? I work at Target. Whoo.
Name one fun thing you did today. I had nutella on toast for breakfast! Not exactly fun, but good.
What or who do you care about the most? Jordan, Crosby, my best friends, my immediate family.
Have you ever gone to your high school reunion? We haven't had ours yet, and when we do, I'm not going.
What college did you go to? SCC, then U of I.
Describe your perfect mate. Jordan.
Why is your best friend the best?
What is your favorite book and why? Ha, too hard to pick.
If you could look like a movie star, who would it be? Anne Hathaway.
How old do you want to live to? I don't have a specific age in mind. Into my 80s or 90s, if I could stay in good health, mentally and physically. That would be ideal.
What is the best way you could die (in sleep, etc.)? Yes, in my sleep.
Who knows the real you the most? Jordan.
Have you had sex in the last 4 days? Nope.
Is your sex life good? It's okay. Our schedules don't exactly line up, so we don't get to have sex very often. Such is life.
Are you happy with your life? Yes.
What is your biggest accomplishment? Maybe graduating college. Or managing to find and marry the right person.

Good Day.

I am in love with Yoplait light key lime pie flavored yogurt. SO tasty. It's fat-free...only 100 calories...and has all kinds of other healthy stuff going on. :) You should also try the triple berry torte...YUM.

Today has been lovely. To start with, it's a gorgeous day. Too hot for October, but oh well. Still gorgeous. When I woke up, Jordan asked me if I like it when he's spontaneous (I said yes) and he said we should go see The Social Network at 1:30. It's extremely rare for him to make or agree to spur of the moment plans, so that was fun. We had Panera Bread for lunch right before (split our favorite sandwich--sierra turkey without the onions). The movie wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was good. Jordan collapsed into bed as soon as we got home (he hadn't gone to bed yet after getting home from work this morning), and I've been relaxing with Crosby. Good day. I'm sad that the sun is already starting to set...it's not even 6:00! It's so hard to get used to the shorter days. I'm dreading the end of daylight savings time next month...

Little update: Jordan got the job at GameStop. Yay! He goes in tomorrow to fill out paperwork and possibly start training. I'm excited for him to finally be working with something he's passionate about. He's excited, too, so hopefully the job lives up to our expectations.

Well, this week is going to be interesting for me. Rather than my regular Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday-Sunday schedule, I'm working Monday-Friday. I'm cashiering on Monday and Friday, my usual days off (boo). But it will all be worth it--three day weekend coming up! Saturday is Jordan's cousin's wedding. I got Sunday off, too, in case we decided to spend the night in Cedar Rapids and have brunch with the family in the morning...(turns out we aren't because Jordan couldn't get Saturday night off) and then I still have my usual day off on Monday. Three days! It's going to be fabulous. Might make a trip down to Burlington to see my parents.

Now I'm going to fill out an annoying survey because I like to do that when I'm listening to music.

How many hours has it been since you woke up? Six.
What are you sitting on right now? Desk chair.
Are you listening to anything? Yes. Grooveshark is on shuffle...right now, an instrumental of Be Still, My Soul is playing.
Has anyone ever sprayed you fully clothed with a hose? Yeah.
Do you own an umbrella? Yes. Somewhere. I think it's in our backseat.
What all do you have in your pockets right now? Nothing. No pockets in these pants.
Who was the last female you hung out with? Carissa.
What is the surname of the last person you called? Locke.
How many keys are on your keychain? Four on our keychain for the Mercury, five on our keychain for the Sable.
What do they go to? Cars, mailbox, my parents' house, Carissa and Brian's place, lockbox.
Are you wearing a shirt that has a sports team logo on it? Nope. I was this morning, though. Go Hawks.
Or a band tee? No.
Or a tee with your school's name on it? No.
What color is the floor of the room you're in? Beige.
Have you parents ever hated one of your boyfriends/girlfriends? Not "hated"...but they've definitely disapproved.
How old are the last three people you kissed? Well, Jordan's 23. Thinking back to four years ago...Joey is now 22. And Justin from teen camp, lol, would be...20 now, I think.
How old were you in 1995? Seven, for most of the year.
How old will you be in 2027? 39, for most of the year. Wow, the thought of being 39 is kind of depressing.
What brand of shampoo do you use? Herbal Essences.
Do you like when people call you things like "baby", "sweetie","hun", etc? I like when Jordan does. Other people, meh. I don't really care. Though it kinda creeps me out when strange men call me darlin' or honey...which has happened quite a lot, at my various jobs.
Who was the last person to give you money? Target, in the form of my paycheck.
Have you ever dreamt of someone you barely know? Yeah.
When was the last time you went to the ocean? When I was seven.
Have you ever been to Miami? So, never been that far south into Florida.
Dallas? Yeah. Just the airport.
Phoenix? Mmm, don't think so. I've been to Arizona, but I don't know what town we were near. I was only 11.
Minneapolis? Pretty sure that's a no.
What were you doing the last time 7pm rolled around? Taking my last 15-minute break at work.
Do you know how to give CPR? Kinda. I've read a poster with the instructions many times at work because it's posted above the sink at Food Avenue.
Do you have a blood donor's card? No.
Have you ever taken a pregnancy test? Yeah. At least ten of them since Jordan and I have been married. Not being on birth control makes me paranoid.
Has anyone seen you naked in the last week? Yeah.
How about the last month? Yeah.
What kind of doctor did you go to the last time you went? Dermatologist.
Are you Jewish? No.
Have you ever wished your eyes were a different color? Yeah. I like my blue/green eyes...but I wish I had Matt's eye color. Given our parents' eye color, I don't know how he ended up with hazel, but they're gorgeous and I'm jealous.
How many times does "n" occur in your full name? Once.
What are you initials? ARL.
Does your ex still think about you? I doubt it.
What is something that always makes you feel pretty? Jordan telling me I look pretty.
How many songs are on your mp3/ipod? Dunno. 300 or something. I haven't used it since we moved because I keep forgetting to charge it.
Do you like coffee? Yes.
Have you ever flashed someone, accidentally or intentionally? Yeah.
Where was the last place you went? The mall.
Have you spent any money today? Yes.
What will you be doing in three hours? I don't know. Something around the apartment.
Do you have any big plans for the weekend? Yes, as mentioned above.

Yay, Monday

Enjoying my customary day-off latte...no calls from Target so far! :) Speaking of Target, yesterday was pretty terrible. Most Sundays, in general, are terrible. Since I close at 8:00 instead of 9:00, I lose an hour of cleaning time...and the afternoon is always so busy that there's no way to start cleaning earlier than usual. It sucks. And because the mall closes at 6, large amounts of Target employees come to Food Avenue on their evening lunch breaks. Which means I have to make more sandwiches, salads, and cookies when I should be starting the closing process. Ugh. However, yesterday's awfulness was overshadowed by the fact that I found someone to cover my cashiering shift on the 16th! That means I can go to Jordan's cousin's wedding. I've never met this cousin or spent much time at all with that side of Jordan's family, so he was really disappointed when I told him I wasn't able to get the day off. But now all is well. I just have to decide what to wear to the wedding...

Well, I have the usual day-off plans lined up. Clean the apartment. Write. Go shopping. But first...

Have you ever followed someone you cared about into a disastrous situation? Mm...maybe? I can't think of a specific situation, though.
Someone's talking sh!t about you. How do you handle this? I've never been in this situation, so I'm not sure. My first instinct would be to ignore the problem. I'm not sure what I would do if it got out of hand...I'd like to think that I would confront the person, eventually.
Do you prefer escalators or elevators? Elevators.
If you had a time machine, when would you go? I'd probably take a gander at every past century, assuming that I could use the time machine as much as I wanted.
What helps a hangover? I've never had one.
Do you know how to bake? Yes.
You're getting a custom-made hat. What do you want it to look like? A stocking cap with a chunky homey looking knit and a crocheted flower on one side. In a neutral color that would go well with my different coats.
Has your house ever been broken into? No, thankfully.
Who is the last person to call you 'Sweetheart'? I don't remember. Probably my Dad.
Do you think that iPods are dangerous? My great gma does... How so? If you mean dangerous as in people kill themselves because they're distracted with their ipods while driving, yeah. But the same is true of any distraction in the car. If there's other reasons to feel that ipods are dangerous, it's news to me.
Sunny or thundery? Depends on my mood.
What's the 5th message in your inbox from? Dunno. Don't feel like looking.
Are your eyebrows thick/thin/or basically nonexistent? Pretty normal, I guess.
How many hours of sleep do you usually get a night? It varies wildly. Between 6 and 12.
The old, or the new Alice in Wonderland? I like both. LOVED the new one with Johnny Depp, but it didn't make me appreciate the classic cartoon version any less.
Your regrets: are they mostly thing you HAVE done, or haven't? I don't have many regrets and I try not to dwell on the ones that I do have.
What's the time? 1:11.
What's in your pocket(s)? Nothing.
What would you like on your taco? Cheese, lettuce, sour cream. Maybe a little hot sauce.
How big is your cosmetics bag? About the size of a small purse.
Could you explain Scientology to me, without making it sound ridiculous? No.
Where's the 'rich neighborhood' around where you live? I dunno, the heights, I guess.
Do you live there? No.
Have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz? Yes.
What's your mother's favorite movie? Her favorite movies are classics from the early twentieth century. Stuff with Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, etc. I'm not sure what her favorite is.
Favorite Vitamin Water flavor? Dunno, I've never tried it.
Cookie, ice-cream cone, or a taco? Right now, I could go for an ice cream cone. That's what I would usually pick, unless I was legitimately hungry. Then I'd go for the taco.
What's the best way to calm you down when you're pissed off? Give me some space.
Can you ride a bike with no handlebars? Doubt it.
Why are dumb things like mustaches and bacon becoming trends? Hah, I didn't really mustaches and bacon had become trendy.
Who's on your list? What list?
^ list for what? I don't have a list...
Can you do the splits? No.
Are you SLOUCHING? Yes.
You're sending a message in a bottle off to sea. What do you write in it? Some quote. I dunno. It would take me a while to decide.
Hazelnut, nutmeg, caramel, or vanilla? Depends on what form they're in. Are we talking just the flavors, like in creamer or syrup for coffee, or the actual things...like a whole hazelnut and a vanilla bean? You must be more specific, survey writer.
What's your favorite color(s) for nail-polish? I don't like any on my nails. For my toes, I like pink or red.
Do you try to stand out? Not really.
What do you put on your toast? Margarine and strawberry jam. Sometimes margarine and cinnamon and sugar.
The last time you had brefagust, what'd you have? If that's supposed to say "breakfast," that's a horrible typo. I can't believe you didn't notice. And I had a blueberry muffin and a caramel latte.
Get anything in the mail today? Haven't checked yet. I hope the book I ordered came/comes, though!
Have you ever done something with a condom, other than have sex? No.
If you had to be handcuffed to someone for a WEEK, who would it be? Jordan, obviously.
What's your town/city/state known for? Corn. My hometown is known for Snake Alley.
Do you ever feel like you're just running in circles? (figuratively) Yeah.
Do you know how to use a compass? Yeah.
Tie a tie? Not the real way...but I can mess with one long enough that it almost looks right.
Were you afraid of monsters, ghosts, or witches, as a child? When I was 1-2, I was scared of monsters. According to my parents. I remember being scared of burglars and murderers breaking into the house when I was a kid.
Cardigan or hoodie? Cardigan.
What's something you're really, REALLY good at? Writing...or I like to think so, at least.
Have you ever been afraid of giving head 'cause you thought you'd...
urm... 'bite' him, accidentally? Um, no.
True or false. ANYONE could play the drums. Depends on what you mean by play.
Explain. ^
Are you better at ping pong or air hockey? Probably a little less bad at air hockey.
You want your pancakes _____ shaped. I don't care. Just make them taste good.
Do you know how to stitch or knit? No. I know the very basics of crocheting, but that's about it.
Would you rather own a yacht or a submarine? A yacht, I guess.
Do you wanna go home, too? I am home.
You want a ____ flavored cake in the shape of: What's with these questions about the shape of food? As for the flavor, I could go for a carrot or spice cake right now.
Favorite bagel & cream cheese??? I hardly ever have bagels, so I don't really have a favorite. But a long time ago, when the ever-changing bagel shop (which is now a weird office building or something) in West Burlington was Big Apple Bagels, I would go there with my mom and get an apple cinnamon bagel with cinnamon sugar cream cheese. Toasted, of course. SO GOOD.

I smell like apples.

Work last night wasn't too awful. All I heard all night was "THANK YOU SOOO MUCH," over and over, from all my supervisors. Five people called in sick. Kind of a lot. So I'm glad I went...but still. Cashiering sucks. Every time I have to do it, I have new appreciation for the slower pace and the freedom of Food Avenue.

I finally made my apple crisp! I spent my whole morning preparing for it--cleaning up the kitchen so I would have room to make it, washing the pot and baking dish I needed, running to the grocery store for ingredients, peeling and coring a dozen apples...but the finished product is so worth all the effort. It's even tastier than I remember. I am totally throwing a giant piece in some tupperware and taking it to work with me tonight. Everyone will smell it warming up in the microwave and be jealous.

So, exciting, Jordan has a job interview this Thursday at GameStop! I would love for him to work in the mall, too. I would totally visit him on my breaks. He's pretty confident that they're going to hire him, even if it is just temporary, for the holidays, to start with. As I'm sure you could have guessed, some hardcore name dropping is happening, with Aaron's recent promotion to a GameStop district manager and all. Jordan's plan is to keep his two nights a week at the hotel, and work as much as he can at GameStop. That way, I'll be able to cut back my hours at Target and have more time to write...which would be amazing. Right now, I write two or three days of the week. I want to be writing twice as much as that. Or better yet, every day of the week. So, fingers crossed for Jordan's interview.

Have you ever known someone who thought the world revolved around them? Not literally...but I've known some pretty selfish people.
what is your favorite type of cake? Mmm...does tiramisu count as cake? If not, then I say cheesecake.
what do you like about fall? what do you dislike about fall? I like practically everything about fall. What I don't like is the very end of it, when it feels like winter. And the cold nights. Those are hard to get used to, coming out of summer.
have you ever driven a tractor or operated a lawn mower? Lawn mower, yes. Never been on a tractor. Surprising, considering that I grew up in Iowa.
what is your favorite flavor Cheese its? Um, original?
what is the last movie you've seen? did you enjoy it? I watched Some Kind of Wonderful on Netflix Sunday night. Yeah, I enjoyed it. Good 80s teen movie.
if you were to write/direct your own movie what genre would it be? Considering all the plays I wrote in my playwriting class, comedy or drama. Or a weird fusion of the two.
have you ever lived in an apartment? Yeah. Several.
do you get along with strangers more than people you actually know? Not really.
would you ever catapult someone out a window? No!
do you believe in luck? No.
any premiere season shows your looking forward to? Conan O'Brien's new show on TBS. New shows on the Food Network.
what is the strongest beverage you've ever drank? I dunno. Jack Daniels, I guess.
have you ever/would you set something on fire on purpose? Yeah. Firewood, garbage, leaves, marshmallows, etc. The usual stuff.
are you considered danger prone? Not really. I'm clumsy, but I don't get myself into "danger" often.
do you enjoy debating? Not at all.
what is your favorite type of cheese? Colby jack. But I haven't tasted a wide variety of cheese...and I've never had any fancy gourmet cheese.
ever lived in a log cabin? I've stayed in them for vacations. Never lived in one, though.
what is your favorite breed of dogs? I've never been able to narrow that down. I love all types of dogs. Though, for a pet, I prefer breeds that don't shed much/at all...because of my allergies.
can you make anything from scratch? Yeah, lots of things.
ever had to get X-rays? Yes.
what is the color you wear most? Red and tan, because of stupid Target. When I'm off work, I wear a lot of green and black.
what were you really fascinated with as a child? Animals. And stuff I read about in books.
would you visit yellow stone park? Ehh, maybe. After learning about volcanoes in a geology class, I'm a little reluctant to go visit such an enormous active one.
do you know your Gem/Birth Stone? Yes. Topaz/citrine. Some website told me that topaz is the "traditional" November stone and citrine is the "modern" one.
are you ready for this year to be over with? I'm in no hurry. The only reason I want 2011 to be here is for Carissa and Brian's wedding.
do you usually carve pumpkins in October? No. I kinda wanted to last year, but Jordan didn't. He says we can do all that crap (which includes cutting paper snowflakes, painting Easter eggs, etc) when we have kids.

Never fails.

Yep, got called in on my day off...again. /SIGH. Apparently a ton of people have called in sick. I said yes...because I've said no the last five or six times. And it's only a four hour cashier shift, 5:45 to 9:45. But still...I was going to make an apple crisp today. I guess I could make one after work tonight...or in the morning. My next day off isn't until Friday. :(

It's so frustrating that I can't enjoy my days off. Either I get called in, or I spend most of the day worrying that I'm going to get called in. And when I say no, I have to deal with feeling guilty for the rest of the day. Sucks. Guess I'll watch TV and sulk for my last hour and a half of freedom...

My break is almost over. :(

Well, today is the last day of my four day weekend. It went by way too fast...but they always do. I'm glad that I've been able to be home with Crosby while he's recovering. His surgery went well and he seems almost back to normal. Still having some potty issues, but the vet told us it would take a week to ten days for his bladder to heal. Now we're just waiting to hear back about the stone. They're doing a biopsy to find out what it's made of/what caused it to form. In most cases, a simple change in diet is all that's needed to keep it from happening again. Oh, I should mention, because it's amazing--the bill for Crosby's surgery was only $450. The estimate that Bright Eyes and Bushy Tails gave us was four times more than that. Yeah. So glad that we went to Allgood's.

Okay...stopping myself from the usual too-long blog and/or survey because I have things to do today. Grocery shopping, laundry, writing. Yep. Better get started.

Cinnamon spice and everything's nice.

Despite the fact that I have to be at work in a couple hours, I'm having a pretty good day. Enjoying a tasty cup of Dunkin' Donuts cinnamon spice coffee. I don't normally buy this brand because it's expensive...$10 a bag!! But one of my LODs (stands for leader on duty. Silly Target acronyms.) picked me as a "top performer of the month" for September. As a reward, she said she would requisition anything from the store that's around $10. I was going to get something practical like some laundry detergent, lol, but the coffee was calling my name. Such a perfect fall flavor. It makes our apartment smell wonderful. If no one has made a cinnamon-coffee scented candle yet, that needs to happen immediately.

Along with my coffee, I'm enjoying some of my favorite Christmas music via grooveshark.com. I know, mid-September is too early. I don't care. If I wait til the day after Thanksgiving like I'm supposed to, I only have a month. I love Christmas music too much to only listen to it for one month out of the year. Though I have to admit, it would be more enjoyable if it was at least a bit chilly outside. Oh well.

I got a new book in the mail! The delivery estimate was September 28th, so it was a good surprise to find it in the mail this morning. So happy to have something new to read--I've been rereading novels for the last month or two. It's a collection of short stories by Alix Ohlin, a new favorite author of mine. Sadly, she only has two books--the one I just got, and a novel that I've already read. I really hope she's working on some new stuff.

On a semi-related topic, NaNoWriMo is almost here! Eek! I started brainstorming and outlining a month ago, but now the idea I came up with seems really lame. I'm thinking of winging it. Just start writing, see what happens. It's not like I ever stick to outlines, anyway. Oh, and just to throw this out there, my username on the nanowrimo site is lockedown24. Hehe--love my last name. It's so word-playable.

Some of the stress of Crosby's upcoming surgery has been relieved. The financial stress, at least. My parents said they want to help us with the bill (who didn't see that coming?). More amazingly, Jordan's Grandma Noble called today to say that she is sending us a check for $300! She was so upset for us when she heard about Crosby and wanted to help. I love our families.

Yes, good day.

Poor puppy.

Crosby doesn't have a UTI. Unfortunately, it's worse. He has a big stone in his bladder and has to have it surgically removed. :( Bright Eyes and Bushy Tails, the vet we took him to, was great, but we decided to have the surgery at Allgood's in Burlington. Primarily because of cost. BEBT's estimate was $1000 more than Allgood's. Plus, Crosby has been going to Allgood's for his whole life (up until recently, of course); we definitely trust them. His surgery is Friday morning. Thankfully, Judy gave me the whole weekend off, so I'll be able to take him on Friday, stay in Burlington with my parents, and pick him up Saturday. /sigh. So nervous.

Couple hours til I have to go to work. Coffee and survey to cheer/distract myself? Yes.

What was the heaviest thing you lifted today? My dog.
When was the last time you witnessed a rainbow? I don't remember.
Are all of the lightbulbs in your house currently working? Yeah, surprisingly.
Do your parents prefer white wine or red wine? They don't really drink.
Do you have a preference? Or do you not drink? I prefer white wine, or blush. But I rarely drink.
Have you ever actually shot a gun before? Nope.
Are you a girl? Yeah.
Have you ever had Emo Gum? (Black 5 gum) I've never heard it called that, but I've had it. It came in a gift bag I got from work.
When was the last time you had sex? Mmm...last month. We've been busy.
Do you have hair on your toes? A wee bit, just on my big toes.
Have you ever been to Michigan in the fall (it's beautiful apparently)? Yeah, but I was nine...I don't remember the scenery.
So do you like grapefruit? Yeah--with lots of sugar on it.
Combine the first 2 letters of your first & last names. Its your new name!! Amlo
Name a book you've read this month. Did you like that book? Sense and Sensibility. Yes, it's one of my favorites. I was rereading it.
Do you feel sick or get cramps if you get in the pool after eating? No. But probably because I generally follow the "wait an hour" rule.
Do you have a mannequin in your house? No.
Which would be freakier: being locked in a school bathroom or eating squid? I would much rather eat squid than be locked in a bathroom. I don't know which is "freakier."
Have you ever jumped 'cause you thought you saw something that wasnt there? Yeah.
Do trains say 'choo choo' or 'toot toot'? Choo choo.
Speaking of trains, do you have any nearby? Not at the moment. We live close to train tracks, though, and hear several a week.
Do you ever order more than one scoop on your ice cream? I don't typically go places where you order by the scoop...but when I do, it usually depends on how much time I have. If I have enough time to eat two scoops (I eat ice cream really slow), then I'll definitely order two.
Have you ever searched '2204355' on Google and pressed 'Im Feeling Lucky'
It's pretty cool. Oh no, not chicken rolled! You sure got me. ...
Do you ever get little kids at your door asking you to buy their cookies? No.
Do you give money/food to homeless people? I have in the past.
What color was the last flower you saw? Yellow.
What is your favorite music video? I don't really watch music videos.
Can you tolerate listening to opera for over 10 minutes? Sure.

Ramble ramble.

September, I love you!

Even though today was too rainy, I enjoyed the cooler weather and the opportunity to wear a sweater. Next time I go legit grocery shopping, I'm definitely buying a pot roast. And as soon as apples go on crazy sale, it's apple crisp time!! Speaking of apples--loving all my apple scented candles. I'm burning through them way too fast. I need one of those massive Yankee candles...too bad they're like $30 a piece. Eek.

Well, work is going well enough. My 90 day review is coming up sometime soon...not too nervous since all my supervisors keep telling me what a great job I've been doing. I'm kind of hoping that there will be some talk of training me in another section--maybe sales floor? I like Food Avenue, but all the cleaning is really getting old...and I hate wearing that stupid hairnet.

So, I got a new mouse! Jordan picked it out and ordered it for me as a surprise. Of course, when he told me I had a surprise coming in the mail, I knew what it was right away. Oh well. Silly little thing to get excited about, I know, but the one I've been using is so terrible. Tiny thing that came with my laptop...NOT wireless, only two clickers, and one of them is broken--has been double and triple clicking when I click it once. Super annoying. So, a fancy new mouse was a lovely, practical gift. Good job, hubby. <3

And now, for the emo portion of this blog...my wedding rings are falling apart on me! The diamond in my engagement ring is loose--I can wiggle it quite a bit in the setting--so I've stopped wearing it until we can have it fixed. And then just yesterday, I think, a diamond in my wedding band fell out!! I think it went down the drain while I was washing dishes at work. :( Granted, they're really tiny stones--all seven diamonds amounted to 1/8 of a carat, so I can't imagine that it would cost much at all to replace the one that fell out...but still. NOT happy. I've stopped wearing that one, too, because I'm worried that more diamonds will fall out. The worst part of all this is that I didn't take my rings in for the stupid semi-annual cleanings...which is the catch to the guarantees on them. So I don't think any of the repairs will be free of charge. Boo. In the meantime, I'm wearing this cheapo silver-tone band that I got somewhere for about $5...probably going to turn my finger green...but I need to have something there. So it'll have to do.

Also sad--we think Crosby has a urinary tract infection. At least, that's what we're hoping he has. There's been blood in his urine for a couple days. :( It could be a symptom of more serious things, so we're hoping it's just a minor UTI that will clear up with some antibiotics. Poor little guy. He has a vet appointment on Monday. Trying not to worry too much...

Well, to end on a positive note--we finally have a second car! YAY!!! My parents came up to Coralville tonight with the Sable (and took us out for dinner at the Olive Garden. My parents are too good). So happy. I don't even care that the radio and AC don't work. It feels so good to know that I'm not stranded here while Jordan is working all night. I could go get a banana shake from Steak and Shake right now if I wanted to. This also opens the door for Jordan to look for a new job with daytime hours. :)

Mmk. I think that's enough rambling for one blog entry...

It's been two weeks...ish

So I'm going to fill out a survey.

Has the weather begun to get warm where you are? Actually, it's beginning to get cool. Yay, fall!
The last video game you were playing, what player were you? The last video game I played was WoW, and I was Jaylyn, my mage.
Do you think you get enough physical activity each day, or not? Not each day. Some days.
When at an amusement park, where are you most likely to be found? In line for roller coasters. And also the cute specialty gift shops--love those!
What movie coming out are you really excited to see? I can't think of any...maybe the next Harry Potter movie.
Does you house have air conditioning, or do you use a bunch of fans? We have an air conditioner in the living room and fans in our bedroom.
What is the most annoying question a survey could ask you? Lots of survey questions annoy me. I really dislike "describe yourself in three words." It's hard enough to describe myself...and then to limit it to three words? Frustrating. Also, it reminds me too much of job interviews.
What something you don't like that you really wish you did? Tomatoes, in their natural form. Other people seem to enjoy them SO much. And they're very pretty. And healthy. And I don't like having to say "no tomatoes" every time I order a sandwich...but they just taste awful to me.
Honestly, what is your biggest regret to this day? Why? This is one of those questions that annoy me.
Do you tend to use a 'baby voice' when you're talking to pets? Sometimes.
Do you or did you ever have a lava lamp? Aren't they the coolest? No. Jordan had some, though. They're okay.
Have you ever soon a movie so bad that you walked out of the theatre? Nope, I've never walked out of a movie.
Do you think you're parents put too much pressure on you? No.
It's you turn to pick what's for dinner! What do you choose? Pfft, I always pick what's for dinner. Tonight, it's probably cereal because it's late and I don't feel like cooking!
Do YOU play pacman on google 21/05/2010? If not, you missed out. Yeah. Fun stuff.
As a kid, did you have a piggy bank you kept spare change in? Yeah.
What do you do when you're traveling in the car for a long time? Listen to music and sing if I'm driving. If I'm not driving, I usually sleep or read or talk to whoever is in the car with me. And also snack.
Did you know the creators of adidas and puma were brothers? Crazy.
What website are you embarrassed to say you still go on? I go on myspace occasionally.
Don't you just love the smell of Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch? No. Not at all.
Do you prefer taking pictures with your camera or your phone? Nice assumption that everyone has a cellphone with a camera on it. (My husband's phone definitely does not have one.) I prefer my actual camera because the camera on my phone is horrible.
Have you ever considered being a vegetarian? Did you go through with it? Yeah, in high school. Only for a week.
Don't you hate it when someone takes a piece of food you mentally claimed? No. It did when I was younger, though. My brothers and I were always arguing over who got what food.
When a bee is coming close to you, do you stand still or run away? Casually walk away from it.
Don't let the balloon touch the floor = best game ever when you were a kid? No, but still pretty fun.
Are you self-conscious about wearing a bathing suit? Depends on the style/if it fits me right. And who I'm wearing it in front of. Generally, no.
Do you still count your fingers when you do math? Yeah.
Be honest. Are you a good artist, or do you completely fail at it? "Be honest." Yeah, because I've totally been lying up to this point. And I'd lie on this question, too, if you hadn't told me to be honest. ... I'm somewhere in between--I can draw better than the average person, but I'm not great at it.
Do you still enjoy watching fireworks, or do they bore you? Depends on the display. If it's the same style over and over, just different colors, that's super boring. I can still get some enjoyment out of a good display, though.

What I Miss about College.

So it's almost September. Classes at the U of I have been in full swing for a week. While I'm overjoyed that I haven't had to spend hundreds of dollars on textbooks or countless hours trying to write that perfect first paper of the semester, there are things that I miss.

1. Skippable classes. You know...those ones where the professors rarely takes attendance and really only cares that you show up for exams and turn in your assignments. Or even the ones where the professor does want you to show up to every class, but they give you 3 or 4 freebies to use throughout the semester. If you don't show up, they won't ask questions--they just trust that you'll be there the next day. Too bad my bosses at Target don't think that way.

2. Great literature classes. I have fallen in love with so many books that I never ever would have picked up off a shelf in Barnes and Noble, thanks to my many lit professors and TAs with their brilliant syllabuses. Without them, I've resorted to typing "good books" into Google to determine what I should read next. Sad, yes.

3. Walking to class. Because I love nature but don't see enough of it now. The U of I has such a pretty campus, especially at this time of year. And I miss the exercise! All those brisk walks/sprints through campus, trying to make it to class on time, were doing me a lot of good.

4. Reading and having a caramel macchiato between classes at T.Spoons in the old capitol mall. When it starts to get chilly, in October, I'm going to miss it ten times more.

5. Using school as an excuse to only work 10-15 hours a week...and being able to get away with it because of leftover student loan money.

6. Workshop classes. If only a group of well-meaning English majors, along with their wise TA, could randomly show up at my door to read and discuss my writing with me. And then I could read and discuss their writing with them. That would be lovely.

7. Not feeling like you need to worry too much about the future, because--hey, you're still an undergrad! No one expects you to have things figured out yet. Or at least that was the attitude in the English department.

Wow.

I am SO out of shape.

I just did a super easy workout, and I feel like passing out. Or maybe throwing up. Stretching, bear walking up and down our hall, 10 squat thrusts, 10 lunges, 10 push-ups, 20 crunches...easy, right? Nope. Not when you're using muscles that have been gathering dust for the past four years. Ugh. I feel like crap. But I feel good, too. I'm proud of myself for doing some sort of workout, pitiful as it may be.

It was so easy for me to stay in shape in high school because of P.E. Forty-five minutes, two or three times a week. So, I'm thinking that if I can manage to work out as much as I did back then, I'll be back to a size 3/4 in no time...and will no longer wear myself out walking up a flight of steps. I also need to try to curb my snacking habits. Maybe eat a little less ice cream...or switch it out for frozen yogurt! Oh, and drink more water. Yeah.

Soy, faux caramel lattes, and Netflix...oh my!

After I got off work tonight, I decided to stop by Target's market section for a few grocery essentials--milk, bread, coffee creamer. For some reason (all the back to school shoppers, college kids stocking their dorm refrigerators??), Target was out of skim, 1% and 2% milk. All they had was whole, and various lactose free varieties. NO WAY am I buying whole milk (I actually just started drinking skim to cut some unneeded fat from my diet), so I decided to try Silk soymilk, the vanilla kind. I had some tonight with a bowl of cereal, and it is really good! About the same thickness as 2%, and it's pretty tasty. I don't know if skim or soy is healthier...all the sites I've been to say it's a toss up, more or less. I might just keep up with the soy milk, though--I think it tastes better than skim. And it's definitely healthier than the 2% that Jordan prefers. :)

Ah, and another find, courtesy of Target's limited grocery selection: vanilla caramel coffee creamer. It was one of only four flavors that Target had (original, french vanilla, and hazelnut are the others--I have all of these in the back of my cupboard and I'm bored with them). I've seen the flavor before but I always thought that it would taste bad...I guess because I had a bad experience with another brand's attempt at "caramel macchiato" flavored creamer. But this stuff is delicious. It makes my regular old cup of coffee taste remarkably like a caramel latte.

While I'm on the subject of new discoveries, I also just started experiencing the joy of Netflix. I've been longing to catch up on the two seasons of The Office that I missed in the past few years, and now I can! Not to mention the whole movies sent to my door, no late fees ever thing. And for $8 a month?! Amazing. Jordan and I have spent more than that on ONE MOVIE from Blockbuster, when you include the unavoidable (for me, at least) late fees.

I really don't have anything else to blog about...life's great, but pretty uneventful.

So,How's your day been? Meh. Work was kinda crappy, but since I've been home, it's been lovely.
Do you ever watch pokemon? No.
Ever feel just not that beautiful? Definitely.
Have you ever kissed someone in front of your parents? Yeah...I think Jordan's the only one, though.
What do you do most everyday? Lots of things. Ingest some sort of caffeine (usually coffee), clean myself, play my keyboard, facebook.
What do you think is most over rated right now? Being tan.
Do you like sweets? Yes. Too much.
What flower do you think is most beautiful? Hard question! Daisies are my favorite, but I wouldn't call them the most beautiful. It's really hard for me to pick a most beautiful...especially when I'm not familiar with very many different kids.
Can you play Guitar Hero on Hard? I don't play Guitar Hero.
How many books do you think you've read this year? Between twenty and thirty, I think.
Who knows your most darkest memory or secret? I don't even know what my "darkest memory or secret" is. If anyone would know it, though, it would be Jordan.
Are there clothes on your floor right now? Yeah.
Do you still Trick-or-Treat? I never did.
Ever played a prank on someone? Not that I can recall.
Do you believe in Karma? No.
Do you hate anybody? Nah.
Ever stared at the underwear section of a store and gotten weird looks? Yeah.
Did you play with dolls when you were little? Yeah, a bit. They weren't my favorite though.
What's your favorite food to eat? Too many to choose from. I can't even pick between sweet and savory...
Ever thrown a drink at someone just because? Hmm, pretty sure I haven't.
How many minutes did you spend on your hair this morning? After I washed it, about ten seconds.
Is anyone else in the room with you? Crosby.
Ever done something that you still regret? Eh...nothing huge.
Have you ever broken something due to anger? Yeah.
When did you last cry and how did you stop? I don't remember.
Last movie you saw? The Philadelphia Story.
Was it good? Yes!
Has anyone ever sang to you? Yeah.

I'm up!

Can you believe I'm up at 9 AM? Not only am I up, but I've already walked Crosby and been to Starbucks. Oh, caramel latte and blueberry muffin, you put me in such a morning person mood. :)

Jordan and I finally celebrated our anniversary on Monday night. We ended up going to Brown Bottle. It was fabulous! Delicious food, and since it was 5:30 (and a Monday), we pretty much had the place to ourselves. I must mention--I had a fabulous plate of biscotti (with a cup of coffee) for dessert. They didn't tell me the flavors of the biscotti, but as far as I could tell, they were lemon poppy seed, almond, and chocolate hazelnut. So tasty.

We're finally getting our second car! Sometime in the next week...possibly Saturday. I'm so excited. It'll be nice not having to always be worrying about who needs the car. Jordan can work something other than third shift now! And I can work weekend cashier shifts! Not that I want to...but at least I have the option.

Four and a half hours until I have to go to work (yay!). I have every intention of being productive until then. Doing dishes, folding laundry, and writing are all on the agenda. We'll see how that goes. But first, survey addiction demands attention(at least it's a short one!).

what is an article of clothing you like to wear during winter? Hats.
whats a song you could keep on Repeat for hours? Whatever song I've recently become obsessed with. Lately, it's a variety of Glee soundtrack songs and Glitter in the Air by Pink.
whats the best Movie you've seen so far this year? Mmm...I'm not sure. Inception was pretty good. I can't really remember what I saw earlier in the year.
Are you ready to go back to school? No, I'm ready for my year off! Though part of me really misses the back to school process.
do you make a To-do list for everyday? No. I rarely make to-do lists.
what is an unusual animal you wouldn't mind having as a pet? A pig! They seem so sweet as pets.
do you like Museums if so what kind? I haven't been to many...but I do like them. I probably like historical and art museums the best.
whats the most unusual topping you've had on a pizza? I haven't had much unusual pizza in my time. Chicken alfredo at the Olive Garden, I guess.
Ever had the urge to drop something Electrical in water? Yeah...just a passing "I wonder what would happen" impulse. I wouldn't ever actually do it.
what career do you wish to pursue? I want to be a writer. Well, I am a writer...I mean I want to be a published writer, with an income. And also a creative writing teacher.
are you aware of your weaknesses and strengths? if so what are they? I like to think so. I have a lot of both. One of my weaknesses is caring too much what other people think about me. One of my strengths is my good work ethic.
what's the longest you've gone without sleeping? I'm not sure. Probably around thirty hours.
whats the last pair of shoes you worn? Gray and pink flip flops.
what nicknames do you respond to? Ames, Aim, Sissy, and generic terms of endearment (baby, cupcake, sweetie etc).
are you good at word puzzles? I'm okay. Though I don't think I'm as good as people expect me to be. For someone with an English degree, my vocabulary isn't very big.