I can't believe we pay our Public Relationship representative to send out press releases with the subject line "Cool events mark historic preservation month in Indy"! COOL?!? Are you serious?!?

Please, pay me. I can do a heck of a lot better than that crap!!

Come on!!

Just give me some good reading material and a nice warm beverage, and I'm happy. Simply happy.

Coffee in my kitchen...


Hot tea at my hair salon...

My senses were working overtime the other day at Chick-fil-a. First I heard the cheesy David Meece-ish music playing on the restaurant sound system. Ick. I hadn't noticed it much in the dining area, but once I went in the bathroom to wash up, it was quite clear in there - unfortunately.

Then, to immediately add to the torture of my sense of hearing, my sense of smell was tortured by the soap in the bathroom. And my sense of touch was tortured by the soap coming out in the form of a SPRITZ!!! Yuck!

The combination of these things just made me feel nasty and personally offended. I posed for a picture of exactly how I felt. And now I post it for your entertainment and pleasure. Enjoy.

I am in the process of redecorating my cute, little bathroom. I've had my yellow ducky decor for almost 6 years, wow! Since I moved to Burbank. It was in our guest bath downstairs in Burbank and when I moved into my apartment here in South Bend I got towels to coordinate.

The ducks have been good to me. But I'm ready for a change.

I purchased some items recently on a mega sale at Kohl's but am still in need of some other accessories. Saw these at Target the other day. I'm going with a brown and aqua blue theme. These might be winners!

Yes, there are certain aspects of living alone that I like. However, I really miss the companionship of living with someone. Especially right now. I had overnight company for 3 days, and now . . . the house is just so silent and so empty.

I don't like it.

• It's warming up!


• I'm wearing flip flops!
  
  
• I'm having overnight company tonight through Sunday!
  

• I get to see Jac and Anson (see above)!


• I'm looking forward to my honey's musical this weekend!


• My honey rocked his Defense of his Master's Thesis - thank you, God!


• I picked up McD's coffee this morning!


• I made it in to work early!


• I just took baby step #1 in looking into renewing my teacher's license!


• One of our building tenants brought in no-bake cookies in honor of Administrative Professionals Week - yea!!


• I made a real meal for dinner tonight!
  
  
• I've listened to good music today!
  
  
• There was a REALLY great article about my dad in the paper today (you can see the link on my facebook)!
  
  
• Tomorrow is FRIDAY, and I get to wear jeans!!
  

1. Bath & Body Works – Buy 3 Get 3 FREE promo going on currently! Awesome deal!!

2. When the weather starts warming up I start craving ice cream in the afternoons.

3. In today’s mail: a catalogue of wedding invitations and accessories. I have no idea how they got my info! Really, I swear!

4. I keep a drawer full of snack foods at work just in case I need something to make it through the day.

5. I am SOOOO sick of hearing the made-up word redunkulous.

6. I can’t eat fast food fries with ketchup from another fast food restaurant. For example, if I order McDonalds and have leftover ketchup packets I can only use that ketchup for future fries from McDonalds.

7. I am trying to re-teach myself how to say the word “comfortable.” Yah know how we slur it out to sound like “comfterble”? Lately I can only say it very enunciated as “com-for-table.”

8. I am bummed that Earth Day is stealing the thunder of Administrative Professionals Day today.

9. Lately I have stopped drinking beverages while eating a meal and only drink after the meal.

10. Today in Staff Meeting my co-worker shouted, “Give that boy a valium!” I liked it so much I had to write it down.

11. The eastern sky this morning was amazingly beautiful and breathtaking! Driving to the gym I just kept gawking at the sky. I wished I had my camera but knew a picture wouldn’t do it justice. Incredible shades of blue and a sliver of a moon with a bright shining star right next to it.

12. In the last week I have been struck with cases of hiccups countless times. WAY above average.

13. It really bothers me when I sneeze and nobody around me says “Bless you.”

14. I’ve been thinking I need a Best Of album of Elton John’s. “Tiny Dancer”, “Rocket Man”… Hmmm, maybe that’s all I need.

Since when does "Could I have a few ketchup packets and one salt?" equal four ketchup packets and SIX salts?!?

1. I am ready for a nice sunshiny day. And I know it will come eventually. Today is Day 3 of cloudy gloomy rainy weather. I could never live in Seattle. St. Joseph, MI residents (45 minutes north) were seeing snow this morning.

By Friday we are supposed to be in the 70’s. Ah, the Midwest…

It was apparently 100 degrees in L.A. yesterday. Ha ha. Sometimes I can’t believe I lived there.


2. This week is Turn Off Week (formerly TV Turnoff Week). I rarely watch any TV anymore – which I love. I can thank the Digital Conversion for that! I did buy my converter box a couple weeks ago but haven’t even taken it out of the bag. It was a purchase that I wanted to make at some point (just in case) and had a gift check for Best Buy that was expiring so I went ahead and got it.

Without it I have our local ABC channel (which has maybe 15 minutes of horribly covered local news at 11 – I’m never up that late anyways) and the WB, ha ha! So I can still watch the new 90210.

But I will admit I no longer watch that anyways.

As I sing the praises of myself for being one of those crazy “I don’t watch TV” people, I will admit I am filling the TV void with the internet. Hello, what am I doing right now? I have become a big fan of blogging (obviously) and of course everybody’s favorite social network Facebook.

I know I’m not the only one.


3. I am *beyond* excited to be getting my hair cut tonight. It has been a YEAR since a hairdresser last touched it! It was a not-so-great experience, but it is in my past. I’m moving on and hoping tonight’s experience will be a good one!

Thanks to all of you for voting in the hair color poll! I will be sure to post pics of the new 'do.

• Sometimes I can't believe I'm already 30.
• Sometimes I can't believe how wonderful my boyfriend is.
• I can't wait to try KFC's new grilled chicken!!
• Looking forward to lunch with Alicia & dinner with J-La. Too bad neither will be at KFC.
• I can't stand waiting to hear back from people and being immobile until I do.
• I'm all about recycling anything I can these days.
• I sneeze when I go out into the sun.
• It has been nice to see the sun again.
• I hate when laundry never ends.
• Looking back at pictures from last spring I still cringe at the horrible haircut.
• Yet I'm getting my hair cut in two days. Yes, I'm a little scared.
• I love meeting new people at my church.
• I have decided I need a beach outfit.
• I'm getting excited for summer!
• I like reminiscing.
• And I like planning for the future.
• I'm choosing sleep over dinner now.
  

I'm getting my hair done Tuesday right after work. Planning on a chin length bob cut. But still debating color.

Your two choices are:

• blonde highlights &
• dark brown all over

I've added a poll on the left side of my blog. Place your vote now! Thanks!

1. If you could live in any other time period, era, whatever you'd like to call it, what would it be? Or would you like to stay in the one we're in now?
I would like to visit for awhile (kinda a fly on the wall type thing) the time when our nation was being formed and land was being settled.

2. Are you really going to go private and ruin our love?
The thing I dislike about going private with my blog is that (as far as I can tell) you will not be able to get updates through your Google reader. I don't know how many of my readers use that, but I know it is a pain to have to remember to check blogs that don't show up on my Google reader - just being honest here. So, assuming I don't continue getting strange "anonymous" comments I plan to stay public. That may someday change. I sure did enjoy hearing from you all though. Feel free to comment more often! At least you sane anonymous readers.

3. What are the odds of you meeting up with one of your anonymous readers for a blind date?
Not gonna happen. I think my boyfriend would frown upon that. And I'm pretty happy with him.

4. Describe the perfect man.
His name is Josh. He is cute and quiet, too timid to talk to me in BioScience (?) class 9 years ago (ha!). He is talented and smart, wise and Godly, gifted, motivated, humble, caring, sweet, generous, and good. He can talk with me about anything and everything and knows how to make me laugh. He is an amazing man who God has blessed me with.

5. Would you rather break your leg or your arm?
Arm

6. How to read blog of your write? How I we can write? To when? I read! No Private please!
See #2 above.

7. What do you do to keep a peaceful mind when there are so many infidels living around you?
I try to surround myself with positive influences and keep myself grounded to my faith. When I am weak, He is strong.

8. Were the world to inquire as to what your inspiration for writing is, what angelic thing prompts your prose and moves your pen, would you be able to tell us? Or is such eloquence beyond the grasp of mortal intellect, an art reserved for the goddesses of the word? Or are you beyond inspiration, are you inspiration itself, in pure form, transcending our needs for motivation? Do not answer! Some things are too beautiful for explanation.
Per your request, I will not answer.

9. Have ya e'er thunked about prison ministry?
Yes

10. You've been sick and you need a vacation, would you consider a trip to Guam?
Considering I don't know where Guam is, probably not. But thank you for the offer.

11. Whew, who is that anonymous guy?
I have a pretty good guess.

12. What is your very first memory ever?
First and foremost: I have a horrible memory. The older I get the less I remember - especially from long ago. Also, it is hazy as to when the events of my childhood actually happened chronologically. But I know I have memories pre-school of being rocked by my daddy in the middle of the night. Not sure how old I was though.

13. Besides for family, what is your favorite part about living in "The Bend"? What is your least favorite part about living in "The Bend"?
My fave thing about The Bend is that it has a lot to offer without feeling like a big, overcrowded city. Least favorite: winter

14. What is one principle your parents taught you that you would like to display in your own life?
Help those in need.

15. If you were mad rich, what frivolous thing would you be prone to spend money on?
If mad rich, I would consider hiring a chauffeur - especially for winter months! Ownership of a tropical island sounds good too.


Thanks, everyone for all the fun questions!

My latest guilty pleasure. Although at just 100 calories maybe I don't have to feel so guilty after all. They are SO hard to find. So when I saw them at Target I stocked up - and they were on sale, holla!

Long overdue for a pedi, I finally went this week - and such a treat to go with my sister-in-law-in-law (yes, that would be my brother's wife's sister) Charissa, or Cha-Cha as I like to call her! It was her first pedi - what fun!

Just like last year, relief!!!

It's always SO great to be DONE with taxes!! I'm wondering what to do with the money. I'm thinkin' save it for a nice, summer day!

• The sun is out! The sun is out!


• My new pedicure


• I get to wear sandals!


• I'm drinking yummy blueberry coffee!


• The Blue Gold game is coming up, and they're now predicting NICE weather!


• Two mornings in a row of working out - yea!


• Two unrushed mornings in a row - LOVE those!


• His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).


• New haircut and color coming in 5 days!!


• Girls Night this weekend, woot woot!


• GOOD music this morning!
  


• Trader Joe's cinnamon raisin bread brought in by my coworker!!
  


• Going on a nice walk in the historic district by my office, enjoying the beautiful weather and photographing things along the way


• One last piece of leftover Giordano's for lunch
  
  
• Shopping, dinner, and talking with Mom
  
  
• Hanging at the folks
  

Two weekends in a row out of town. I usually try to avoid that. But sometimes you just can’t help it. Last week was visiting my college roomie Sarah in Marion. This past weekend was 2 ½ hours north into little Hesperia, Michigan, with Josh to spend Easter with his extended family.

And in between the weekends I had something going on every evening – hanging at Andy’s watching 24, shopping with Mom getting good deals and finally buying new towels for my bathroom (!!), painting at Josh’s school, dinner at Josh’s parents’ and making poteca/potica (?) - the famous family sweet bread together.

Friday I took the day off work and rode the train into Chicago with Josh. That was so much fun and very memorable! We visited the Shedd Aquarium and wandered up Michigan Avenue, did some shopping and enjoyed fabulous Giordano’s pizza of course! We took the train back and then went to Jen & Andy’s for a bit. It was a late night.

And Saturday was an early morning. I’m in a new book club for 8 weeks that meets on Saturday morning (what was I thinking?!). After book club, Josh and I headed to his parents and then continued north, stopping for lunch and some shopping. I got to meet LOTS of family and did a pretty good job at remembering most names I think. I slept soundly that night, and Sunday was another early morning with the big, traditional Slovenian breakfast at his aunt and uncle’s house. I was pretty proud of myself for trying all the unique foods.

Then we went to the Presbyterian church in town for Easter service. It was fun to sing the old traditional Easter hymns I grew up on. Then Joshy and I went to the dam on the north part of town to watch the fish trying to jump upstream. It was so cool to see them leaping, and the water was so soothing. We later went to another aunt and uncle’s for Easter lunch with another huge group of family members.

I ended up getting home by about 5:00 as neither of us wanted to stay out too late. I changed into loungewear and was gearing up to do laundry when I thought I should call my family to let them know I had made it back home. Turns out they were celebrating Easter at my sister-in-law’s family’s, so I joined in the fun over there for the evening. Our two families always have LOADS of fun together.

Laundry will still be there tomorrow. In my life, people will always take priority over laundry. Hey – looks like I might be learning something from my book club book “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World”! Yea!

The whirlwind continues as I was just reminded that I still have taxes to do! I’m also hoping for pedicures with sister-in-law-in-law Charissa and more 24 viewing with Andy. Possibly more painting with Josh. And an upcoming Girls Night with my girls. Then Saturday is the Blue-Gold game.

It continues into the next week as well, but I can only handle a bit at a time. I feel dizzy.

Today I’m trying to focus on gratitude. To be on the lookout for all the good in my life. So, here’s what I’m grateful for today:

That I made it to the gym for a workout
Sunshine!
Coffee AND orange juice
Wonderful coffee today!
Discovering oatmeal with peanut butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon – YUM!
Finding a missing prescription
Having a break this morning
I’m getting my hair cut soon and will cut my hair dry time in half!!
I get to have friends stay in my guest room soon!
And now have a reason to clean up my apartment
I got my prescription filled
I got to eat a healthy spinach salad for lunch
The sun is still out!
I’m staying busy – really busy.
The day flew by.
Found books 50% off at Family Bookstore, including the one I needed for my Book Club.
Got to see my honey tonight, help him paint, eat Bruno’s pizza, and bond with his brother.
I got to pick up my apron!!
SLEEP!

It's Spring Break for everybody and their mother this week. Spring Break?? When was the last time I had a Spring Break??

It conjures up so many thoughts, so many memories. I do love traveling, and I've spent many Spring Breaks traveling.

• 2 or 3 times to Florida - Fort Myers Beach to see my aunt and Orlando with Gracies
• LA with Kate - before I lived there! My comment afterward: "It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." Fast forward 2 years, and I'm heading west!
• Austin, TX
• London & Oxford and places in between

I'm heading to Chicago for the day Friday. I guess that will have to count as my Spring Break. Even though it's just a day trip, I'm certain it will be fun and memorable because of who I'm spending the day with! I'll give you a hint: starts with J, rhymes with "gosh"...

Are you on Spring Break this week? Are you traveling? Do you have a favorite Spring Break destination?

I'm trying to psych myself up for another week.

A Monday.

Returning to the gym after taking a full week off to rid myself of this cold (I am feeling MUCH better).

And snow.

Yes, snow.

Tomorrow and Tuesday allegedly.

Oh - and currently. I just looked outside, and there's already snow on the cars.

I, surprisingly, have missed working out. But I haven't missed the 5:30 alarm.

I had a great weekend away with Roomie Sarah. Lots of sunshine and relaxing and talking and eating and laughing.

Upon returning home I picked up all the clutter that's been surrounding me in my living room and then spent the evening with my boyfriend. We went out for Japanese to Hana Yori in Mishawaka. One of those restaurants where they cook your meal at your table and throw knives at you and such. Ok, maybe not knife throwing.

It was my first time there. I had previously been to one in Okinawa and one in Glendale. Always with a big group. I didn't know they seat you with strangers if you're not in a big group. That threw me a bit. But it was fun. Then out for dessert followed by wandering around Barnes n Noble.

Now sleep.

Things I've Learned in the Last Week

1. In order to have a nose ring, you have to be comfortable with sticking your finger up your nose. I wasn't. And I almost passed out the first time cleaning it.

2. My left nostril is probably the cleanest part of my body these days based on how much I clean it.

3. If you get a nose ring, you'll forget you even have it. Honestly, I don't very often see my own face. It's more for those who see your face. Good thing my family and my boyfriend don't hate it.

4. It pretty much sucks to have a cold anytime. But especially with a nose ring.

5. I miss blowing my nose like old times.

6. You will forget you have it, but others will always see it. They will judge you because of it.

7. A lot of my friends secretly want one too. If you decide to do it, I can recommend a good place!

8. Sometimes it just feels like there's a big booger in my nose that I can't make go away.


9. There will be times you wish you didn't have it.


10. There will be times you are SO glad you have it!

A month ago I posted an Ask Anything blog.

I received one question. One!

Really?!

I'm throwing it back out there again, just in case any of my faithful readers (especially all you anonymous ones) have something they want to ask.

If not, ok, I'll deal with it and move on. But I just throught I'd put the offer on the table again. Go!

...But weather.com says it feels like 30. And I’m wearing sandals and cropped jeans! Hmmm… I guess it’s one of those days where you just so badly want it to be warm!!!

1. Getting converter boxes and having more than 2 crappy channels to chose from.
2. Using my Best Buy Rewards Certificate (uh, can you guess what I'm using it on?)
3. Getting the heck outta dodge tomorrow!!
4. Getting to see my old roomie!
5. Getting my hair cut short and highlighted at 50% off (double excitement there!)

Woot woot! Gotta have SOMEthing good goin' on!

I feel absolutely lousy today. The worst day of this cold is now. I haven’t been able to make it to the store for more cold meds so I’m using some 24 hour allergy pills that I found in my bathroom cabinet. I hate the 24 hour pills.

It’s Thursday, April 2. I’m telling myself I can hang in there for one more day. But I guess technically it’s two more days.

I’m drinking tea non-stop. Why do I think that will help me feel better? I don’t know. It just seems soothing for my throat. Sore throat, runny nose, cough, congestion… I probably shouldn’t go in to work today. But I just feel like I should.

I got up earlier than normal today. It was nice to not have to rush. I got to sit and read my Bible. I need to do that more often.

I’m getting out of town this weekend, and I couldn’t be happier! Heading south to visit Roomie Sarah. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on her turf, and I can’t wait!!