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.