Thankfulness

Today I am thankful that:

1. I don't start my new job until tomorrow. It is crazy windy and cold looking outside.

2. I go home in 9 days. I am very much looking forward to that. My only question though: How do you dress for 60 degree weather? I have forgotten...

3. The groundhog predicted a short winter. I am claiming this by faith.

Valentine's

Cameron and I decided to wait to celebrate Valentine's till last weekend. I don't think I could have asked for a better day. We slept in. What, isn't that enough of a celebration? No? Ok, fine.

After we got up, I packed a lunch and we went for a drive. We headed up north through Sandpoint, then turned east. We drove through Clark Fork, Thompson Falls, and several other little bitty towns. Driving through Montana, we kept being warned to watch for Big Horn Sheep. I watched diligently but didn't get to see any. I was quite disappointed. We ended up in Paradise (literally!) and then hopped on the highway and came home. We ate dinner at the Olive Garden. So yummy.

Here are some pictures from our day.

It was quite sunny when we started. A little windy too. Such beautiful scenery.

We stopped to stretch our legs by this river. (The Clark Fork, I think.)

Self-portrait!

By the time we got into Montana, we were driving into clouds. It was still really pretty.

The week before...

Since I start my new job next Tuesday and the hours will be an adjustment, I decided to get my body used to them by keeping the same hours this week. I fail.

Yesterday morning, I didn't even try to get up early. (I still get up with Cameron, but with my job, I will have to be up even earlier.) I did take my shower last night, and followed the cleaning schedule I have set up for myself.

This morning, the only reason I got up early is because Cameron set an alarm for me. I completely forgot that to wake up, I require an alarm. Oops! Then, I got up, ate breakfast, and went back to bed. I have decided that as long as I get my stomach on this schedule I will be fine.

I feel like I'm torturing myself needlessly. I am quite hungry and there is food available. I'll be thankful I did this next week, though, right?

Dishes

Before my parents had a dishwasher, it would often taken an hour and a half to wash the dishes. I know this because I washed them almost every night for several years. When you have a small country living in one house, dishes pile up very quickly. I had a system for how I washed them - plates, bowls, cups, larger bowls, pans, and last but certainly not least, silverware. I could pile the dishes in the drainer and on a towel beside it in that order, and never have to dry anything. By the time I reached the silverware, the thought of washing each of those little pieces was overwhelming. I needed a break just to psych myself up for it. Usually my break ended up lasting the rest of the evening and the silverware would lanquish away in the bottom of the sink, neglected and conveniently forgotten.

I still hate to wash silverware. I usually do the dishes once a day (unless I don't cook or just don't create very many dishes). Wednesday, I convinced myself that it was ok to leave the silverware till later. The result was that I had all that much more to wash yesterday. We had run out of spoons so I couldn't neglect it any longer. Otherwise, why do today what you can put off till tomorrow?!

Proof that some things never change.

Snowflakes

Do you ever have days when you know that you should get out and get things done, but as you stare at the snow drifting past your window, you absolutely don't want to move? The sun is struggling to peek out from behind the clouds and highlights the flakes blowing about. I am sitting on the couch ignoring the fact that I really should get to the store before it gets crowded. My floor needs vacuumed, the kitchen needs swept, my thunder thighs need exercised and laundry needs washed. The snowflakes are whispering, hypnotizing me with their playful dance. They are telling me it's ok to be lazy - after all, the only reason I can see them is because gravity pulled them into my line of vision. Gravity has me anchored to this couch. Gravity, you honor me with your presence. I will be your friend.

Tuesday

1. It's snowing like there is no tomorrow. And here I thought winter must be over.

2. I am peacefully coexisting on the couch with a handgun. This is a major step up from the heebie jeebies.

3. Saturday, I hosted a birthday party for a friend, and had a BLAST. We had lunch here and then went to Spokane to shop at the mall. I found some awesome deals (yay for new clothes!). We ate dinner downtown at a charming French cafe' called Madeleines. I hadn't realized how fun downtown Spokane was, and now I really want to go back. They have brick buildings. I think I could live there. On the way home, my blondness showed up. "I am not sure how to get back to the highway, but I can't just put 'Go to I-90' into the GPS, so I guess I will drive around for a while." I found the highway, just couldn't find an on-ramp. After ending up going the wrong direction again, I finally realized that I could put MY address into the GPS and that would get me to the highway.

4. I don't wear headphones. I have not reached that level of blond yet.

5. Should blond have an 'e' on the end?

6. Here's a picture of the yummy and fun dessert I made for the party. It's a P-Dub creation.

7. I have a new job. It doesn't start till March 1st, at which time this blog may sink into oblivion. The lack of recent posts is to prepare you for that time. Or it's just because I don't have much to say.

Groceries, Part 2

So I recently made a comment that I like to carry all of my groceries in at one time. It is a neurosis. However, today I was running low on time (I had gone grocery shopping before work) and so I thought it would be faster to run part of the groceries up to the landing by our door and then get the rest, rather than struggling with all of the doors. The second load consisted of four bags on one arm and the milk carton in the other. I looped the milk around my fingers and reached up to shut the back of my SUV. As I violently slung the door downward (it takes some oomph to get it closed!) the milk went slamming to the ground, promptly splitting open on both sides. I briefly considered taking it to the nearby dumpster and just throwing out the whole gallon, but that seemed like such a waste. I took it over to the stairway and tried to set it on the ground in such a way that it wouldn't spill too much more. That was basically impossible. I ran inside, left all the groceries on the landing, and grabbed a plastic bag. When I got back outside, rather than doing the smart thing and sticking it inside the bag, I just balanced it on top and tried to carefully carry it upstairs without spilling milk. I failed. The hallway and stairs smell like milk. Ew. I ended up spewing it all over the carpet and kitchen floor in the apartment too, but since I cleaned that up it doesn't smell. I was able to pour at least half a gallon into a bowl and putting it in the fridge that way. Moral of the story: Carry all of the groceries at one time. That never happened when I was doing it that way!

Ancient

I just had to type my age and realized how old that particular activity makes me feel. When I got out of high school, I felt on top of the world. Everyone loved me, and I bounced around like a little girl. My mom told me I was 18 going on 3, and gently reminded me that at some point I needed to start acting my age. Mother, I just want you to know: Acting my age is the pits. When did I become an adult?! Oh yeah, 6 years ago. Next thing I know, I will be wheelchair bound.

Lately...

To catch you all up on my life lately...

I had two (well, basically three) interviews yesterday. I decided to continue looking for an office job and have been applying for almost all that come open in our area. My first interview I ended up just chatting with the owner of the company for an hour. He tested my proofreading skills, told me about the great benefits, the great hours, and all but convinced me that I want to work there. Then, he told me he wasn't offering me the job, but that if I got offered a job at my interview in the afternoon, he wanted first pick. Sounds promising to me!

My second stop was the Express office (they were doing the screening for the job I wanted) and then she sent me downstairs to meet with the people at the Post Falls Chamber. They have a gorgeous new building, and it sounded like it would be a fun position as well.

Saturday we went to a young marrieds dinner at church. Lots of good food and fellowship.

We took this using the timer once we got home. 

I've been using my sewing machine again. I think I need safety goggles while using it. There is a pin in my living room somewhere from where the sewing machine needle hit it and it went flying. However, I finished this little clutch and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Go me! (Oh, and when you are instructed to use the zipper foot, you can ignore it. Or I did and it worked fine!)

Dr Seuss

I love Dr Seuss. I think he was a literary genius, and had some amazingly wise things to say.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." 

 

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells."  

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." 

 

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."  

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!" 

 

"If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too."  

"ASAP. Whatever that means. It must mean, 'Act swiftly awesome pacyderm!" 

 

"If you'd never been born, then you might be an Isn't!
An Isn't has no fun at all. No, he disn't."  

These all came from this website. Love them!

Bittersweet Moments

Whenever I look through my wedding pictures, I can't help but wish I could go back to that day for just a few hours. The hours flew by so quickly, and I hadn't let myself believe that I was actually moving away. I wish for a few more minutes with my nieces and nephews, to make sure they know that I love them and appreciate the part they each played in my special day.

I wish for a few more minutes with my Grandma Young, to express to her how special she is, how much I love her, and how much I appreciate the wisdom and time she has shared with us over the years.

I wish I could freeze time so that I could absorb the finality of what I was doing. For a moment to look at the faces of the loved ones around me, soak in the smiles on their faces, the hugs, take it all in so that in these months of change, I could pull them around me and draw strength.

I appreciate all the work that went into making that day so special for Cameron and me. I am so thankful for the technology that allows me to visit it again, if only in pictures.

I heard this song shortly after I moved, and cried. I'm so thankful I can trust in my God to be with me.

Random...

Can you believe that 2011 is already a 12th over? I can't.

Last night, Cameron and I worked on our taxes using the TurboTax Federal Free edition. I love it. However, when we did our state taxes there, and then did them using another program, there was a several hundred dollar difference in the amount of money we will get back. That concerns me. Who knows what I did wrong. I am looking forward to getting our refund though. It puts us well on our way to having a down payment on our house!

Oklahoma friends - you have more snow than me. Nanny stinkin' boo boo.

Happy February 1st, everyone! I hope your day is more productive than I plan to make mine!