Happy Holidays

Nothing new to report for today. Surprisingly enough, I'm not sore from our workout yesterday... at least not yet.

Today is crazy busy at work. It's my last day of work until 1/4/10. I'm excited about the time off!! It is also going to be busy... by the time I'm back to work, I will be all moved in with M.

In case I don't get a chance to blog again before the holidays... hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!!

Chocolate Is Evil... But I Love It!

I've been busy lately. I finally got all of the Christmas presents wrapped over the weekend. This was a huge accomplishment. I've also been trying to pack in between everything else that has been going on, but I haven't been very successful with that.

It was pretty hard just to get around this past weekend. Holy Mother of God am I sore. Our trainer was sick on Wednesday, so my friend and I headed to the gym just to get some cardio in. Friday we did legs with Stuart. This guy does not mess around. It's Monday morning and I am still sore. But we'll be back at it today.

So... I gained 2 lbs. This sucks, but I am totally not surprised. I ate like crap last week, not to mention the insane amount of chocolate that I consumed. All of our suppliers have been sending in either calendars or boxes of chocolate... usually Malley's chocolate that is amazing (the chocolate covered oreos... mmmmm). But I need to get back with it this week. I got rid of all of the chocolate - and that wasn't hard to do, there were a lot of people that were glad to take it off my hands. I'm focused now... no more chocolate/eating like crap. If I am paying for sessions with a personal trainer, I'd be stupid to ruin it.

Car Starts

Are pretty awesome gifts. My brother and sister in law got these for M and I for Christmas. We had them installed yesterday. We had to sit and wait 4 hours for them, but it was worth it! I'm going to love having a car start, especially when it's a blizzard outside.

In other news...
Good Lord, I am so sore. Even more so than yesterday. Good thing Stuart is having us work on legs today. Just reaching for the alarm clock this morning was a painful experience!! I'm sure I'll be back to complain about how much my legs hurt tomorrow.

Christmas

I saw this on Go East Memphis Mama's blog and decided to join in.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper, unless it's impossible to wrap.

2. Real tree or artificial?
Artificial. My cats would eat a real one. This year we didn't even put up a tree because of the animals.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Changes every year.

4. Do you like eggnog?
Not really.

5. Favorite gift received as a child?
I don't think I could pick just one...

6. Do you have a nativity scene?
No.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
M. He never wants anything... seriously.
Or my dad, he's pretty hard to buy for, too.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My sister in law. We are so alike it is ridiculous.

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail.

10. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Carol.

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I usually do it all year, but this year I slacked big time and didn't start until the beginning of November. My credit card is not thanking me for that.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Everything?

13. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree?
Depends on the other decorations.

14. Favorite Christmas song?
I'm not a fan of Christmas music. I blame this on the fact that I worked retail for several years at Christmas time and had to hear the same songs over and over and over every day during the Christmas season.

15. Travel or stay home at Christmas?
I would prefer to just stay home. My parents are divorced so there is a lot of places to go for Christmas.

16. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Of course.

17. Angel on tree top or star?
Star.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Morning?
Both.

19. The most annoying thing about this time of year?
Traffic. All of the houses we have to go to.

20. What I love most about Christmas?
Giving gifts.

Let's Talk About...

My personal training experience last night.

First, crazy trainer guy kicked our @sses... big time. I'm quite sore today. We did a little cardio and arms/back and tomorrow is legs. This is good, because I don't really think my upper body can handle anymore abuse until Friday - at least!

Crazy trainer guy - let's call him Stuart - I'm liking him. I obviously need to listen to everything he says... he has an amazing body, so is apparently doing something right.

M thought it was a dumb idea when I told him I wanted to sign up for some personal training sessions at the gym. Now, M is in very good shape as well - he looks a lot like Stuart. M is also religious about working out. He rarely misses a workout... and if he does, he makes it up. He even likes it. I'm so opposite. I hate... yes HATE working out. I have no motivation to do it, either. Even if I did, this new gym with the new machines... I don't know how to use them.

I know what you are thinking - have M be my personal trainer. Um, NO WAY. I know he would be quite capable and we've had conversations about him getting certified to become a personal trainer. He would certainly be good at it. But not for me, no thanks. M and I would probably end up fighting because he would tell me I'm being a sissy.

I think I will stick with Stuart for a while. We also talked about eating habits and the fact that I don't drink enough water. My eating habits aren't bad, but I know I don't eat enough protein. So now we are keeping food journals. This should be interesting.

Christmas, Moving, Gym

So... it's Monday again already. This is going to be a busy week.

It was a nice long weekend. Except for a few gift cards I need to get, my Christmas shopping is done. And almost everything is wrapped. Even M's stocking stuffers have made their way into his stocking.

In other news I am slowly... and I do mean slowly... moving all of my things into M's house. I was thinking we would be farther along than we actually are, but I didn't realize how much of our
time was going to be taken up by everything else, i.e. Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, get togethers with friends, etc. It's a good thing we both have the week after Christmas off of work. We will probably get the moving done then. With my luck, it will be a blizzard outside all week long. Note to self for next move (whenever that may be) - do NOT make it around or anywhere near Christmas!!

Today my friend and I are starting our personal training sessions at the new gym (I've been going to this gym for about a month now... I probably shouldn't refer to it as "the new gym" anymore). I'm kind of excited, which is weird, because I hate the gym and everything about it. Maybe paying for a personal trainer will be the motivation that I need.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

Christmas Gifts

What's on your Christmas list?

I already know what M is getting me for Christmas, it isn't a surprise. I picked out this out the Coach Outlet on black Friday. All M had to do was pay for it. And since I already knew about it, he isn't even making me wait to have it until Christmas. So I'm carrying it around right now.

Also, last weekend we were at Best Buy to pick up a gift my mom and M decided to purchase some of my stocking stuffers while we were there. So I know what those are too.

Last month, M accidentally left this laying out on the counter and I got home before he did.

I resisted the urge to peek... but I'm pretty sure I know what it is. M doesn't know I saw the box.
So there you go, I know what my gifts are this year. Do any of you go through this too... end up picking out your own gifts or accidentally finding them?

I Need To Stop Cussing

Since I'm sick, yesterday when I got home from work all I wanted to do was go to bed. But since I had an after work function to attend - dinner with one of our suppliers - I couldn't. Instead I had to redo my makeup and attempt to look a little more enthusiastic than I actually was.

My cats are brats, like the bad kids in school. No matter what I do I cannot keep the smaller one, Jameson, from walking all over everything. This includes tables, countertops, etc. I especially get irritated when he walks all over the counters in the kitchen, because of course, I am no fan of cat fur in my food. This makes my other cat, Bailey, feel entitled to do the same exact thing. Yesterday was no exception.

Both cats were being especially ornery yesterday and as I was running around like a crazy person trying to get ready I just about had it when, for the fifth time in the last hour, I saw Jameson jump on top of the refrigerator and start batting at various items up there.

This is when I could be heard screaming "F*cking Jameson, get your f*cking ass DOWN and STOP being such a little bitch!" To which he responded by looking at me and I swear he mouthed, "F*ck off!" And continued batting things around on top of the refrigerator like I wasn't even there. I then pryed him off of the top of the refrigerator as he meowed like I was torturing him.

While all of this going on, I looked over to see a few of my co-workers standing at the screen door just staring. They were meeting at my house and then all going to the restaurant together to meet with our supplier. I don't know these people very well since I recently just changed positions so I'm pretty sure they think I'm crazy. They probably think I hate my cats and I shouldn't have any at all.

Now, I love my cats like they are my children. I would never hurt them. Although I do yell at them from time to time when I lose my patience. These cats are lucky little animals. They have an endless supply of treats, even when I can't afford to go out to lunch. I cuddle up with them in bed every night, even though they inevitably annoy the crap out of me at 3:00 a.m. when they decide they want to fight with each other and keep me awake. They also get to say "peace out" to me every day during the week at 6:00 a.m. and then retreat to the bedroom where they lay around all day, unbothered, until I return home in the evening. These cats are spoiled, even though I am pretty sure my co-workers probably think they are abused.

Moral of the story. I should probably stop cussing/bitching my cats out especially if it may be heard by other people who don't know me that well.

Random Thoughts

1. How in the heck do you gain 3 lbs over night... especially when you didn't even eat all that much the day before?!

2. My cats really need to stop deciding it is play time at 3:00 in the morning.

3. Taking Benadryl while having to function at work is not a good idea. This just makes me want to pass out in my bed. However, it was my only option after admitting that I am sick (instead of "getting sick") while sneezing for the 52,390 time this morning.

4. I was excited about working out with a personal trainer at the gym tonight... until I realized that I actually will need to be able to breathe and not feel like death if I am going to work out this evening.

5. Am I the only one who doesn't get what the big deal is about all of this Twilight business?

6. I may or may not look like a hobo today after really not caring about my appearance while getting ready for work this morning. I probably should have just stayed home.

Yes, I'm Actually Going To Blog About This

So... I'm finally back to work after being off since last Wednesday. I'm not happy about it. But all good things must come to an end, right? I did get a lot of Christmas shopping done though, so that helps.

Actually, the last week has been a little stressful. The family drama I hinted around about last week? Yeah, I'm going to talk about it in this post.

As it turns out, my sister - yes, the one who just turned 20, and yes, the one who acts like she is 12 - is pregnant. As in, 7 MONTHS pregnant. And because she was too irresponsible to tell our parents about it, or get herself to a doctor... I was the one who had to break the news to our parents. When I found out for sure (from my sister in law) I was so angry that I was shaking. Yes, I get how this is going to change her life... but what I was the most pissed about was the fact that she was so selfish and irresponsible that she knew about this for 7 whole months and had yet to see a doctor.

Now, unlike the rest of my siblings my sister has been handed everything - yes, everything - her entire life. She works part time at a donut shop and my parents pay her bills for her. We won't even get into how incredibly frustrating this is for me and my siblings, that is a whole different story. But the fact that she has not had to work for anything at all has made her quite self centered and selfish. Do you think she was saving the money she has been earning for the last 7 months in preparation for her child? Nope. She's been doing things such as getting her nails done and shopping, etc. This irritates me. A lot. Oh, and let's not forget to mention that my sister admitted she has been smoking and drinking the entire time she has been pregnant.

At first, my parents were angry, but now they have done a complete 180 and decided that, since they love her, they are going to be supportive. Excuse me, but are you f*cking kidding me? I'm not saying they should completely turn their backs on her, but seriously... my sister has never been forced to be accountable for anything, including this, obviously. My stepmom has even forced my sister in law into helping her plan a baby shower for this weekend. By the way, I was told that I am expected to be there. My sister admitted that had I not told our parents about her pregnancy, she would have kept it a secret until she gave birth. But now we will be having a baby shower for her to reward her for it.

I'm beyond disgusted. For reasons I won't get into, I'm convinced my sister has done this on purpose. Let's just say, she has had a few other pregnancy "scares."

This was pretty much the icing on the cake for me. I had a long talk with my stepmom about how I've had it with the way my sister treats everyone and then acts like we all owe her something. My stepmom pretty much justified her behavior by saying she was the same way when she was my sister's age and hopefully she will mature. Really? Hopefully? Whatever.

I don't even know what to do at this point. Not only has my sister screwed up big time (and I can't even honestly say I was surprised), but my parents are continuing to put up with it.
It's sad, really, because the person who will pay the most for this is the child who didn't ask for any of it.

Really?

I went to lunch with my friend, K, yesterday. She works for the same company, but is lucky to have off this entire week, so we planned lunch for yesterday.

Last week, I posted about my co-worker's son who passed away after losing his battle with AML. Calling hours were yesterday and the funeral is today. Our group is carpooling to the funeral this morning.

K knows this co-worker and made a point to say she refuses to go to calling hours or the funeral because attending a funeral for a child is "not her thing." She isn't the first one to make a such a comment. I have heard similar ones.

Well, really, then what is "your thing?" It drives me insane when people make these comments and I don't understand why this is acceptable. Seriously... I can't think of anyone who enjoys going to calling hours/funerals. I get it, it's especially awful when it's for a child. But get over it already. It's a part of life and it's about paying your respect and being supportive to the people you care about who are going through an extremely difficult time. Especially in this case. I cannot possibly imagine what it is like to lose a child... I hope I never find myself in that situation. But the reality is that some people do and it's the support of family and friends that helps get them through it. For just a few minutes think about THAT instead of simply saying it's "not your thing" to attend calling hours/funerals.

Weekend & Thanksgiving

This past weekend was not a good one. Our family is in shock and major disappointment over some news we recently received. So many emotions going on right now and this is not something I feel comfortable blogging about. It seems that we are headed for some twists and turns, but it's nothing I can talk about. At least not right now.

Due to recent events mentioned above, this will be one uncomfortable Thanksgiving, so I'm not really looking forward to that, either.

However, I don't want this to be a pity party, so I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I will be catching up with your blogs, soon. I'm excited that this is only a 3 day work week, and having Monday off as well will be very nice. On a side note, I am totally loving the new gym I just joined last week.

After visiting three different houses for Thanksgiving, (yes three, can you say holy overeating?! I will definitely need that workout on Friday!!) me and my sister in law are going to the Lodi Station Outlets to go shopping at midnight. We've done this the last couple of years and they have had some great deals. After that, I should pretty much be done with my Christmas shopping... hopefully.

What are your plans this Thanksgiving?

Cleveland, You Disappoint Me

Yes, I'm a Cleveland sports fan. At times, I really have no idea why... but for some reason, I remain loyal. I get made fun of a lot for this. And sometimes I think the people making fun are a-holes. But I have to admit that sometimes, I'm just jealous of people rooting for other teams. I am so disgusted with the Browns this year, but still, I continue to watch them. At the beginning of the season, I told M I wanted to go to a Browns game this year but he flat out refused, saying we are not spending $90+ on tickets to watch them be pathetic. Now, I can't blame him for that.

The Cleveland Browns Dawg Pound is arguably one of the most recognized groups of fans in the NFL... they're passionate and loyal to a fault. At what point should Cleveland fans stop supporting their teams? I mean, prices for tickets are not cheap. Tailgating is fun and all, but it's not worth the money for the tickets to watch your team constantly lose. Since this is football season, I'm mostly directing this towards the Browns. (The Cavs are our best hope, but I've never really been a basketball fan). Anyway, even during past seasons when the Browns were always losing, I still wanted to go to the games. I think I've really just had it this year. Maybe it's time to start withholding salaries? Maybe that will kick their butts into gear a little bit. Because let's face it... really, I don't think think the players even care at this point. They play terribly and still get paid a ridiculous amount of money for it. If the fans are still spending money on the tickets... the team doesn't care. I think it's about time for Browns fans to stop shelling out the money to go to games only to continually be disappointed.

And don't even get me started on LeBron James. He is so overrated.
But I digress.

Back to the Browns. Randy Lerner and Coach Mangini... awful. Hopefully Mangini will be gone soon. He is no leader. He makes bad decisions and his communication skills pretty much suck. Mangini simply lives off his reputation that he was a coordinator for Bill Belichick.

The Browns are completely mismanaged. Randy Lerner should consider selling the team to someone who cares a little bit more. I mean, if this were a company, you would be looking at the CEO, right? Lerner is a joke.

Well fuckadoodledoo... it's not rocket science.
Come on already, the Browns aren't even competitive anymore, and they are almost impossible to watch. I say the fans need to boycott.

On another note... TGIfreakingF!! M and I are headed to happy hour to meet up with some co-workers after this crazy week.
Have a fabulous weekend.

Thirty Five And Some Bad News

Christmas is only 35 days away. Crap. I have a lot to do. Not because of Christmas, but because of the moving in situation. Nothing is packed. M and I have already decided we aren't going do much in the decorating department since I will be in the process of moving in with him then.

Also new for this year, we have decided to just buy gifts for the kids. As in, my nieces. This is a big deal and has helped make Christmas much less stressful. As much as I like buying gifts for people, it was just too much... you see, I have a big family. I have 3 brothers and a sister, my parents are also divorced, so I have my stepmom to buy for as well... then add in my nieces and my siblings' significant others. It was just getting out of hand. Not to mention, my wallet can use a break this year. Christmas is all about the kids anyway.

Soo... I have barely started Christmas shopping, but I'm realizing that's ok since I have a lot fewer people to buy gifts for this year.

Other than that, it has been a bad week at work, I can't wait for it to be over. A girl in our department, K, has a son who has been battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia for some time now. He is 4 and it has been heartbreaking. Everyone has been praying for a miracle, but we received news this morning that her son passed away yesterday evening.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/kylestewart

My little cousin was diagnosed with AML a few years ago, he was 3 at the time. I am happy to say that he is currently in remission after a bone marrow transplant. I know first hand how devastating it is for a family to watch such a small child have to suffer in this way. It just doesn't seem fair.

If you are of the praying kind, please keep this sweet boy, Kyle Stewart, and his family in your prayers during this difficult time. It really puts things into perspective and makes you realize everything you have to be thankful for.

God Bless.

Come ON Already, Friday

Happy Hump Day, everyone.

Friday can't come soon enough... I can't believe it's only Wednesday. I'm definitely paying for the vacation I took last week, as I am crazy busy at work. I am also having a severe case of sarcasm that I'm really trying to keep to myself. I'm just in a bad mood. Mostly, I'm sick of everyone complaining about their jobs (um, hello... be thankful you have one!) and trying to get everyone else to do their jobs for them. Project managers are the worst offenders. They think they are the most important people in the world and THEIR issues should come first. Oh really? Yeah, I have about 6 or 7 other PM's who think the same thing as you do Mr. Iamsoimportant. So kindly, stand in line, shut your mouth and wait your turn. Also, you get paid way more than I do... don't expect me to do your job for you. P.S. I am also not your secretary. K, thanks.
I wanted to send out a memo along these lines today, but figured it wouldn't go over so well and since my perfomance appraisal is next week, I decided against it.

Speaking of work, we have a lot of people taking voluntary early retirement (in order to avoid future layoffs, our company offered incentives for early retirement) and several people within our group are taking advantage of this. This means the holidays are starting early... as in parties. You know what that means, bad food choices. This is not good. While I haven't gained weight (which is a miracle, I assure you), I certainly haven't lost any. This is a problem.

SO... I'm headed after work to join a new gym that is 2 minutes away. My friend and co-worker is doing this with me, so that makes it even better. I hate, hate, hate the gym and exercising (except for maybe kickboxing). Nothing about it is fun and I have a hard time staying motivated. Since this new gym is close to work and I will have a workout buddy, I'm hoping this will help.

Wish me luck.

I'm Back

So I'm still catching up on your blogs, but I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

The painting is done... and it looks good. Nothing major to report with Mr. Painter Guy. I'm just glad we are done dealing with him. We spent all weekend put everything back in order and semi redecorating. The house just looks so cozy now.

Moving on...

Let's talk about Taylor Swift for a second. Personally, I'm sick of hearing her songs. They all sound the same to me and are way overplayed. I turn the station as soon as one come on. I think this also may have something to do with the fact that I'm not 12. If you try singing along to the lyrics, any grown up just sounds ridiculous.

BUT, that does not change the fact that I think she is talented and has worked hard to get to where she is at. She recently won the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award. Good for her. Really, I mean it. She's the youngest to ever win this award and should be proud of herself.

But Wynonna Judd didn't think so, apparently. She made the comment that it is "too much too soon." http://www.examiner.com/x-704-Pop-Media-Examiner~y2009m11d12-Wynonna-Judd-on-Taylor-Swifts-Entertainer-of-the-Year-CMA-Its-just-too-much-too-soon

How rude. Seriously. Get over yourself Wynonna, you're obviously jealous of Taylor's success.

That being said, this isn't the first time Taylor has been "dissed" (I'm sure you remember the whole Kanye incident). Girlfriend, stand UP for yourself already. Young girls everywhere look up to you. It's ok, you don't always have to be so nice when people like Kanye and Wynonna Judd try to rain on your parade! Have a little more confidence because it's ok to feel a little entitled to your success and winning these awards... and it's ok for you to let people know this who don't think you are worthy. Because you are.

Have a good week everyone!

Frustrating People

I will be taking off the rest of this week (well I already have off this Friday... yay for 9/80 work schedules, but Wednesday and Thursday are vacation days). See, I will be moving in with M next month and there a few things we would like to get done before this happens. One includes painting. The ceilings and some rooms. His idea, not mine... I think everything is fine the way it is. Anyway, since I have more vacation time left than he does, he is taking today off to get things started and I am taking tomorrow and the next day off to finish the deal. Fun, right?

Well, I'm not crazy about this because I have a bad feeling about the painter. While you are reading this, keep in mind that Painter Guy owns the business. That's right, he does not just work there... oh no, he is the owner.

The first time he was supposed to come over to the house to give us and estimate, he was a half hour late. If you read a few posts back, you know how I feel about this. It's rude. Strike one, Mr. Painter Guy.

The second time he came over, he was bringing paint samples for us to choose from. Mr. Painter Guy didn't show. Nope, no phone call, nothing... didn't show up. M called him and left a voicemail. The guy finally called back a little over an hour later to say that he was at a job and "lost track of time." He didn't even apologize. How unprofessional! At this point I told M we should just find someone else to do the work, but being the nice guy that he is, M gave him another chance and rescheduled. As far as I was concerned, strike two, Mr. Painter Guy.

By now, you may be thinking, wow, what a b*tch... but I have very little tolerance for rudeness. If the guy would have just called to say he would be late, or apologized for goodness sake, it would not have been that big of a deal.

M called Painter Guy last week and left a message (because Mr. Painter Guy never answers his phone... ever) telling him our paint choices, but never heard back from him. So M decided to call again yesterday evening to make sure everything was still on to start this morning. (Noticing the pattern that M is initiating most of the communication here)? Painter Guy did not call back until 7:45 this morning (he was scheduled to be at M's house at 8:00) to say that he is on his way... oh, and he sent M a text last week to confirm that everything was good with the paint choices. That's it Mr. Painter Guy, STRIKE THREE.

***On a side note, M does not even have texting. I know, I know, he needs to get with it already.

But really... you are running a business and you are TEXTING people to confirm things?! Really? Are you kidding me? Unlucky for you, Mr. Painter Guy, you will be dealing with me tomorrow and the next day instead of M, who for whatever reason, puts up with your crap. Seriously, you better be worth the hassle because I will be the one responsible for writing your check. Thankyouverymuch.

You may not see a blog from me until Monday morning. We have a lot of work to do with getting the house back in order after all of the painting. Hopefully I won't have any stories to tell about fighting with Mr. Painter Guy.

Eating Habits

Today is my sister's birthday. She's 20 years old. Since she still lives at home, M and I went to my parents yesterday to celebrate her birthday. I spoke to my stepmom on the phone the day before and asked if we'd just be having cake... oh, no, we'd be eating, too. Munchies. Because that's what J (my sister) wanted. Munchies? What does that involve? Well, pizza rolls, poppers (breaded jalapeno peppers with cheese sauce), mac and cheese, several kinds of chicken wings, buffalo chicken tenders, cheese and crackers, spinach dip, taco dip and chips... and well, you get the point. My stepmom also mentioned that this didn't even cover everything J wanted. J made her a list of everything she wanted, but this only included half of it.

Oh and of course we had cake. I couldn't even finish mine. I ate half... because the pieces were huge and the chocolate fudge frosting, while good, was very, very sweet. But hey, as my stepmom said, that's what J wanted!!

I was disgusted.

Here's where I should mention that my sister has quite a weight problem. It would be rude for me to try to guess her weight, but just to put things into perspective, at my highest weight ever, I was 227, and my sister is much, much bigger than that. I am 5'7'' and she is also a couple of inches taller than me. Did I mention she is only 20 years old?! THIS is why I am disgusted. I still have weight to lose, I know. But a year and half ago when I stepped on the scale and saw 227, that was it for me. I will never see that number again. And I did something about it. J was gaining weight at that time and my sister in law and I joined a boot camp and tried to get J to do it with us. She wouldn't... because she didn't want people yelling at her. Of course, it was not fun at all, but I lost 25 lbs in no time. I have lost more since then, but the initial 25 lbs came off fast. It was hard work though and that's something J wants to avoid. J is also in denial. Recently, she told our sister in law that she has a big butt. Our sister in law is about 5'3'' and weighs about 125 lbs. J also thinks it's funny to make fun of people with weight problems... the pot calling the kettle black. This is coming from a girl who thinks it's fine to eat Chipotle almost every day.

My parents are overweight as well. My stepmom just found out she is boderline diabetic. Growing up, it was not like this. While no one in my family has ever been small, until recently, there haven't been any major weight issues (I gained most of my weight my last year of college). We always ate pretty healthy growing up and it's just shocking to see the eating habits of my sister and my parents whenever I go to their house. In particular, I am completely surprised at my dad's lack of interest in losing weight. He was off work for a period of time a few years ago due to some health issues and that is when he gained all of his weight. Up until then, he was never overweight. I know he cannot possibly be comfortable with his current weight.

Over the past year, my oldest brother, sister in law, and I have tried several different things... talking to my parents and sister... sharing recipes... trying to get my sister to join boot camp with us... I even joined the YMCA with my stepmom. All they leave us with are excuses. And the three of them just enable each other. It's incredibly frustrating. And sad. Has anyone else had similar issues with family members?

TGIF

I saw this on Miss Amber Lane's blog and decided to grab it.

All about M & I...

1. What are your middle names?
Marie & Alan

2. How long have you been together?
Almost a year.

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Couple of months.

4. Who asked who out?
We just kind of started hanging out.

5. How old are each of you?
He is a lot older than me...

6. Did you go to the same school?
No.

7. Are you from the same home town?
No, but not too far away.

8. Who is the smartest?
We both are.

9. Who majored in what?
He majored in Business and I majored in Sociology/Criminal Justice

10. Who is the most sensitive?
Depends. A lot of times, it is him.

11. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Las Vegas.

12. Who has the worst temper?
We both do.

13. How many children do you want?
Not sure. One, if any.

14. Who does the cooking?
I cook, he grills.

15. Who is more social?
Him.

16. Who is the neat freak?
Him.

17. Who is the most stubborn?
Me.

18. Who wakes up earlier?
He does.

19. Where was your first date?
We went to Olive Garden for lunch. Then we went to have a drink. This wasn't a date to begin with, but it kind of turned into that.

20. Who has the bigger family?
Definitely me.

21. Do you get flowers often?
No.

22. How do you spend the holidays?
With both families.

23. Who is more jealous?
Both have our moments, but neither of us are really the jealous types.

24. How long did it take to get serious?
It happened very fast, actually.

25. Who eats more?
Him.

26. What do you do for a living?
We both work for Supply Management for a power generation company... but in different departments within supply management.

27. Who does the laundry?
We both do.

28. Who's better with the computer?
I am.

29. Who drives when you are together?
Most of the time he does.

30. What is your song?
We don't really have one.


So glad it is Friday... enjoy the weekend, everyone!!!

Late For Work... Again

I am one of those people who thinks it is rude to be late. I am always on time, even early for appointments, meeting up with people, anything that involves being somewhere at a certain time. Except for work. I am always walking in the door at 6:35. I am only talking 5, maybe 10 minutes at the most... but keeping in mind the fact that I am punctual when it comes to everything else, this drive me nuts. I was even up 15 minutes earlier than usual this morning. I have no idea why I can't seem make it to work any earlier than 6:35 in the morning.

However, in my defense... this morning, I was using the flashlight trying to see down the bathroom drain hoping I wouldn't see that the necklace I wanted to wear today was knocked down there by my cat. He is a brat... like the bad kid in school, always getting into things he is not supposed to. He especially likes finding my jewelry and somehow it is always ending up in the sink. I didn't find the necklace this morning, so I'm hoping to find it before I have to tell M I lost it.

I digress.

I know, you're probably saying, just change your hours and come in later. Let's see... even if I started coming into work at 7:00 (because we can change them that easily here where I work), you know I would be walking into work at 7:05 everyday. I think maybe it is because in the back of my mind it's because I know it is so laid back here. This is both a good and bad thing. It's nice that the bosses basically let us do as we please as long as our work gets done, but bad because there are, of course, a few people who abuse this. I know a lot of workplaces are not like this.

Heck, I'm willing to bet no one would be concerned at all unless I was more than an hour late. Earlier this week someone was out sick and we didn't even know he called in about it until right before lunch because that's when our boss decided to check his messages.

Now, I certainly don't want you thinking I am a slacker. I like my job (ok, most of the time), and the majority of the time I actually stay late and sometimes even work during lunch... that is, when M doesn't take me out to lunch (AHEM, take NOTE, M). So I definitely make up for the 5 minutes, and then some, but it still makes me crazy that I can't seem to be here by 6:30 am.



*** If you are one of my bosses, please disregard this post, except for the part about staying late and working during lunch, read THAT part!! (Hi Mr. W & Mrs. Y) (They love me)

Girlfriends

Friendships can be hard... for me, specifically, it's friendships with girls that are the hardest for some reason.

When I was younger, I was pretty shy (you would never guess that now!). I grew out of that in high school, but still kind of kept to myself and didn't make a whole lot of friends. And after high school, didn't keep in touch with many of the people I was friends with. In college, I had no problem making friends of the male kind (go figure), but I found with the girls always came the drama and I've never really been able to tolerate the drama. My little sister is my complete opposite in this sense - she is a drama queen and we get on each others nerves often. On the other hand, I'm very close with my sister in law (who is a lot like me) and my three brothers as well.

Now that I'm all grown up (most of the time) I really wish I had a few more cool girlfriends to hang out with at happy hour... or go out to dinner with on the weekends... or sip coffee with at starbucks before going shopping. Did I miss the memo? Is there somewhere I can sign up?

I like watching football and drinking a few beers with M and my guy friends, but sometimes it's nice to hang with the girls, too.

Good girlfriends are hard to find. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel the same way?

*** MOM - No need to email me and tell me you will be my friend. I already know that.

Standing Up For Yourself

I ran into a girl I had a class with several years ago... this brought back thoughts that made my skin crawl. No, not because of the girl. Because of the professor. She was the professor for my Women's Studies class that I took my last semester of college.

I started my college degree at Baldwin-Wallace, a respected liberal arts college (also a private, very expensive college), but then transferred to the University of Akron to finish my degree. This was a lot closer to work (10 minutes as opposed to 50 and much more affordable), as I was also working full time. The core classes which are normal for most bachelors degrees included required cultural diversity classes, which I put off until the end of my college career. I decided on taking American Diversity and Women's Studies.

The American Diversity class was a joke. We learned things like the definition of the word prejudice. I'm all for a good American Diversity class... but seriously, the definition of words like prejudice? Do you get my point? The class was a complete waste of time.

I was not very excited about the Women's Studies class, either, but decided I was going to have a positive attitude. I won't give you her full name, I will just refer to my professor as Miss H. She was a nightmare. She was also African American and this class quickly became not only all about how oppressed women are, but how African Americans are still victims. The woman was so stubborn and if you dared to disagree with her, it definitely resulted in a poor grade. But being as opinionated as I am, Miss H and I never saw eye to eye and I'm pretty sure she hated me. A lot of people in the class just told her what she wanted to hear to get through the class with a good grade, but I've never been good at things like that.

What really irritated me was when she would tell me I didn't understand because I had "white privilege." What?? Honestly, I really believe that racism exists in many cases because of things such as affirmative action. We are trying to make up for past mistakes, but at this point are overcompensating and it is only helping racism to continue. That's not white privilege. That's common sense.

You should just quit reading now if you are already mad at me, but I'm not going to apologize.

Really though... Miss Black America... NAACP... BET... etc., etc., - how is any of this helping with the racism issue? Isn't that dividing us even more?

Miss H used to come to class every day with a new set of statistics to throw at us (which by the way, were completely skewed) but why don't we just try talking to real people with real experiences. For every minority who has had a bad experience, there is a white person who has had one, too. One time we talked minorities and jobs and I took the opportunity to mention how white (men, in particular) have a harder time getting jobs out of the police academy than do minorities, who a lot of times are hired first. Miss H asked me where my statistics were. Of course, I didn't have any right then and there, but I asked her if she wanted me to bring in the city police chief, because I knew he'd back my story.

Running into the former classmate just kind of got me thinking because there is a co-worker who is a little like Miss H. Point is, I don't understand why some people are so adamant about the race issue. Can't we all just get a long?


P.S. Miss H. actually gave me an F in that class (which would have prevented me from graduating... all because she didn't agree with me). I've never had an F in my life! As it turned out she failed a lot of people and gave others grades they didn't deserve. The director of Women's Studies had to go through everyone's papers and exams again and regrade them. I ended up with an A- in the course. Moral of the story - always stand up for yourself.

Over The Top

I got an award. Yay, my first one. It's from Rachel over at I want to LOSE IT (for real)
Check out her blog!

This beautiful girl is on her way to getting fit and healthy. I love watching her progress. Thanks, girl!

Along with this award comes a survey with one word answers...

1. Where is your cell phone? Close.
2. Your hair? Straight.
3. Your mother? Silly.
4. Your father? Strong.
5. Your favorite food? Mexican.
6. Your dream last night? None.
7. Your favorite drink? Coffee.
8. Your goal? Happiness.
9. What room are you in? Work.
10. Your hobby? Football.
11. Your fear? Failure.
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Successful.
13. Where were you last night? Home.
14. Something you aren’t? Selfish.
15. Muffins? Pumpkin.
16. Wish list item? Jewelry.
17. Where did you grow up? Ohio.
18. Last thing you did? Work.
19. What are you wearing? Clothes...
20. Your TV? Home.
21. Your pets? Kittibabies.
22. Your friends? Awesome.
23. Your life? Wonderful.
24. Your mood? Good.
25. Missing someone? Always.
26. Vehicle? New.
27. Something you’re not wearing? Socks.
28. Your favorite store? Macy's.
29. Your favorite color? Red.
30. When was the last time you laughed? Morning.
31. Last time you cried? Awhile...
32. Your best friend? M.
33. One place that I go over and over? Home.
34. One person who emails me regularly? Mom.
35. Favorite place to eat? Home.

I'm passing this on to

Kace at Calling Him Krew

Monica at Confessions of a + Sized Girl

Jennifer Q at Finding My Stability

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Slacker

I know, I'm a slacker. Here are some pumpkin patch pictures from the 24th when we went to pick out pumpkins with E.

E was all about the biggest pumpkins she could find.

But then settled on a smaller one.

Nice face, E.

In other news, M and I went to Halloweekends at Cedar Point on Friday and had so much fun! We passed out candy to the little kids Saturday night. It was a pretty low key Halloween which was nice. Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!!

Law Enforcement

I was walking into work in the middle of the night at 6:30 A.M. A woman who arrived at the same time was walking with me and started complaining about the stupid cop who pulled her over this morning and about how he must not have had anything to do. There were other comments about donuts, free coffee, etc. What was this woman doing? Well, she was pulled over for going 79 mph... the speed limit? 55 mph. 24 mph OVER the posted speed limit... right, this cop had nothing else to do but pull you over for no good reason. Idiot. Clearly, this woman and I do not know each other very well or she would have never sought sympathy from me. It was tough, but I refrained from telling her what a moron she is for complaining and blaming someone else for something SHE could have easily prevented (and the part about how the cop was "hiding" so it wasn't fair? Too F-ing bad). Really, how ignorant. (Also, while we're on the subject... police don't make the laws, they just enforce them).

I have incredible respect for the men and women in the law enforcement profession. They see people at their worst every day and most of the time they become jaded and cynical because of it. It's a thankless job, but they choose to fight the good fight because someone has to do it. Unlike many of the kids I see today, my siblings and I were taught to respect police officers and address them as Officer so and so, or Sir or Ma'am.

As a matter of fact, I went through the police academy and almost became a police officer. I still wonder sometimes if it's something I would like to pursue again. You see, being around it my entire life, I have always been interested in the criminal justice system. I know many police officers, but closest to me are my dad and oldest brother. Am I biased? Possibly a little bit. But I think the majority of police officers are good people. I am not naive enough to believe that there aren't some bad apples, but I don't think there are nearly as many as some people would like to believe. Since the bad apple concept applies to ALL professions, I can't seem to understand why it's police officers who are constantly bashed.

If you are still interested in reading, take a look at this... which I wrote for my high school English class.

Over the years, as I have watched my dad and brother pin on their badges while getting ready for their shifts, I have often wondered: If the badge could talk, what would it say? If the badge could see, what has it seen? As I stared at the badge, the visions showed me reflections of a society that has become apathetic to crime, a judicial system that is too lenient, and criminals who have become fearless in the face of any authority.

Reflected in the badge are vivid pictures of what police officers see every day, and what we, as a society, pretend does not exist. Pictures of rape, child abuse, and spousal abuse are vividly reflected. There is the constant reflected video of gang slayings, shootings, innocent victims killed, and the still shots of drug deals, stabbings, and murder, to name a few. Along with these are the close up images of drunk driving, prostitution, burglaries, and suicide. If the badge could talk, it would have some powerful stories to tell, and questions to ask society. What happened to America; where did all this crime come from? Why did that father beat his child to death? Why did that drunk driver get behind the wheel and kill innocent victims, then survive?

These reflections can often be seen by a police officer in one eight hour shift. Can you imagine how many adrenaline rushes occur in that short time frame; how on every call, they do not know what to expect? Is there someone with a gun? Is my life in danger? When will my backup arrive? The old saying, “it’s an ugly job, but someone has to do it,” could not be more true than in the law enforcement profession.

So, when I welcome my dad home, his shoulders drooping as if he has the weight of the world on them, I realize, he does. As I watch him take off the tools of his trade – his gun, his badge, his bulletproof vest – I am very sad for what he has seen while on duty. Yet, I am extremely proud of the job he has chosen. My oldest brother and I have chosen to follow in his footsteps. This is a tribute for us all.

Families of police officers have heavy loads to carry. We are supposed to be the pillars of society; we are supposed to set examples. We are expected to act normal in our abnormal worlds and never have negative attitudes. After all, our loved ones are just “pigs” who ride around in their squad cars eating donuts and drinking “free” coffee all day and night. Well America, look again. Next time you see a squad car go by with lights and sirens going and wonder what kind of call they are going on – a shooting, a burglary, an accident with injuries – ask yourself, would you like to exchange places with them?

We families spend holidays without our loved ones; we miss their presence on special occasions, because they have to work. Because someone we love dearly has chosen to become a police officer, our lives are not normal. And for that, I am thankful. As the daughter and sister of police officers, my life has not been “normal,” but it has been filled with love, support, pride, and incredible respect for the law enforcement profession. Only the people who have lived this type of lifestyle can truly understand law enforcement officers and what their job means to them. It is the love and support of family and friends that keeps a police officer going. I would not want my dad or my brother in any other profession, and I could not be more proud and aware of the job police officers do.



P.S. I really think police officers should be allowed to write tickets for being stupid when the people they are dealing with act in this fashion.

The Things She Says...

The weekend went by way too fast! We spent a lot of time with my niece (we'll call her E), which is always fun. We headed to the pumpkin patch Saturday so she could pick out her pumpkin for Halloween. This is a yearly event. The girl is only going to be 3 in a few months, but she finds it amusing to pick out the biggest (heaviest!) pumpkins for her dad and M to carry around until she isn't satisfied with any of them and decides on a small pumpkin she is able to carry herself. But more on that later. I have pictures.

My favorite part of the time spent with E occurred yesterday. I was on babysitting duty so my sister in law could get some things done before her and my brother go on vacation next week. I met up with my sister in law at Macy's in the mall (our favorite store... my credit card proves that to be true). Before leaving, we had to stop at the shoe department (of course!) to take a look. E and I were going back and forth asking each other which shoes we liked. She finally went up to a beautiful black pair of Coach pumps and the conversation went like this...

E: Aunt Christy, do you like these?

Me: Yes baby, those are beautiful!

E: Well, Uncle M will buy them for you.

Me: That's a wonderful idea, baby.

E: Let's get him on the phone.

And then we proceeded to call my boyfriend (yes, she refers to him as Uncle and I'm slighly jealous at times because she absolutely adores him) and E tells him all about the shoes and how he should buy them for me because I'm the best Aunt ever (Uh, that part may or may not have involved bribing her with a lollipop).

Sigh. My sister in law has taught the girl well!

This Did Just Happen

I went to the grocery store at lunch today to pick up a few things... most importantly, cream for my coffee here at work. Anyway, as I'm walking in I had this conversation with stranger man...

SM: Excuse me, do you go to Joe's Gym?

SM: Miss, I'm talking to you, do you go to Joe's Gym?

Me: Oh, sorry, no, I've never heard of Joe's Gym.

SM: Oooh girl, you mean with a figure like that, you're trying to tell me you don't work out?

Me: Well, that's not what I sa...

SM: Girl, I'm interested in bein' your baby daddy.

Me: (Totally at a loss for words, which rarely happens). No thanks, I already have a few of those.

SM: Ouch, Ouch.


Now, there are a few things going on here. Clearly, your eyes need to be checked if you think I got this figure from working out... more like, I don't work out nearly enough. But thanks for trying anyway.
Second, your CHILD is with you and you are trying to pick up women at the grocery store in front of him? Classy, classy.


**P.S. I don't really have a few baby daddies. Actually, I don't have any at all.

Even In His Own Home

Have you heard about this story?

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/101909_man_caught_making_coffee_naked_faces_charges

This man was arrested for being naked in HIS OWN HOUSE while he was making coffee in his kitchen.

A woman walking with a 7 year old boy called police to report this. The man was arrested for indecent exposure. Wow. How does this even happen? Perhaps the woman should be arrested for being a peeping Tom?

I'm always walking around my house with barely anything on. Guess I need to be more careful.

Fall Is My Favorite Season

I love everything about Fall. The weather is perfect and I wish it could stay this way all year.

I love Fall clothes and pumpkin flavored anything. I love football and bonfires and Halloween.... I absolutely love Halloween.

In honor of Fall, here are a two of my favorite recipes, lowfat of course.


Reduced Fat Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:

1/2 cup Ginger wafer cookie crumbs (about 10-12 wafers)
1 8-ounce block of fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 8-ounce block of reduced fat ceam cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg substitute

Preparation:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of a 7-inch removable-bottomed tart pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle cookie crumbs on bottom of pan. Spray briefly with cooking spray and press crumbs down. Cook base for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.
Place cream cheeses, pumpkin, spices, vanilla and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer beat on medium until throughly blended. Add egg substitute and beat on low until blended.
Pour pumpkin cream cheese mixture on to ginger cookie crumb base.
Bake cheesecake for 40 minutes until just set.
Serves 6-8.


Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg lightly beaten, or 2 egg whites

Preparation:Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cases. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, oil and egg(s), blending well. Stir pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients until the dry ingredients are just moist. Fill muffin cases evenly and bake for 22-25 minutes.


Enjoy!

Rant

The three day weekend was fabulous. Very relaxing... and my car is now fixed and looks brand new again. I'm not ready for another 5 day work week. Oh well, hopefully it will be a quick one.

My rant for the day...

There is a girl, J, who has been a good friend of mine since first grade. She lives in Columbus, about an hour and a half away, but when she comes back home she usually lets several of us know so that we can hopefully get together and catch up. Well, the last few times she has come home, she lets everyone know... except me. I knew something was up when she didn't even say happy birthday to me back in June. She can't even use the "I forgot" excuse, since she's been my friend since FIRST GRADE. I refused to let it bother me. That is until I heard through grape vine exactly what her problem with me is.

My boyfriend.

Yep, her problem is my boyfriend. Why? She has only met him once and he was nothing but nice to her. Well, you see my absolutely fantastic boyfriend is quite a few years older than me. I admit, this bothered me for about 5 minutes, then I was over it. Why should I let this bother me? I am the happiest I have ever been... honestly, I could not ask for more. I am a lucky girl. My family loves him, and our friends... our good friends, are happy for us. The age difference doesn't bother anyone, except for J, I guess.

Seriously, you are going to ignore me because you don't like the fact that I am dating someone who is older than me. Really? This, coming from a girl who wants to go out and "get wasted" every chance she gets and complains because she has to work a normal job with normal hours, like most adults do. Life is soooo difficult to get used to now that she is out of college (that mom and dad foot the bill for) and has to have a *gasp* job which means she can't party all the time like she used to. We are 26 years old, grow the F up!

I'm pretty much over this. But it just bothers me that someone you have been friends with for about 20 years would be so petty and immature. What is wrong with people?

Bank of America... Suck It

Dear Bank of America,

What the HELL?

I recently received a letter from you stating my credit card with you will now be assessed an annual fee of $59 which will be billed to my February statement each year. For? Oh, for my serious delinquency and recent pattern of payments? Oh, ok.

Wait a minute... come again?

I have had this credit card in my posession for quite some time. Since I was legally able to have a credit card. As a matter of fact, it was my first one. Never have I made a late payment. Not even when I was 18, poor, in college, and had a continuous balance. Nope, never. So I am not quite sure what YOUR definition is of "seriously delinquency" is, but I'm pretty sure this doesn't fit my situation.

My pattern of payments? Sorry, I'm confused on this one, too. This credit card of mine has a $0 balance. You see, I only use this card in emergency situations. While I have had a few, there hasn't been anything recent, so my balance has been $0 for a while now.

Furthermore, I am quite disappointed with your customer service. One, I can hardly understand the few people that I spoke with. Second, even when these individuals admitted my account doesn't qualify as being "seriously delinquent," nor has there been a problem with my "recent pattern of payments," my $59 annual fee still stands.

Bank of America, clearly, you FAIL.

However, thanks for being sure to mention that you appreciate my business and look forward to meeting my credit card needs. But sorry, this relationship isn't working for me anymore. What's that? If I accept this change and allow you to charge my credit card for absolutely no reason, then I will continue to enjoy valuable benefits? Wow, what an offer. But please understand when I tell you, F off!

Best Regards,
No longer your valuable customer

My Bucket List

In no particular order...

Explore Salem, Massachusetts around Halloween

Marry the love of my life in a destination wedding

Visit Ireland

Eat chocolate in Switzerland

Relax on a Hawaiian cruise

Eat dinner at Paula Deen’s restaurant

Go back to Rome (the one time I was there was not nearly long enough to see everything)

Talk a walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk

Hang out on Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras

Take a trip to see to see the Civil War battlefields

Work on a political candidate’s committee


What's on your bucket list?

I've been MIA. This is because I've been sick, so there's really nothing exciting to talk about since I haven't really done much except sleep!!

I got a flu shot about 3 weeks ago and the very next day I started getting sick. I went to the doctor and and he gave me some antibiotics and when I was done taking those, felt fine for a day or two... then got sick AGAIN!! I am finally starting to feel a little better (my headache that I've had for a week decided to go away), but I can't hear out of my left ear because it has been clogged since Saturday! Yuck. So, I just made another doctor's appointment.

I swear, this is all thanks to the flu shot I got 3 weeks ago. We can get them for free through work and many people take advantage of this. I've worked for my company for 8 years but this is only the second time I've decided to get a flu shot (and only because M, who works here as well, pretty much made me... and my mom too, she insists EVERY year that THIS flu season will be worse than last year's). Last time I got this shot, I got sick right afterwards as well... but I thought, oh well, maybe a coincidence. After getting sick this time, NO more flu shots for me. I'm done.

Anyway... I went to my friend's Arbonne party. Have you heard of it? It's skin care and make up products. Check it out at:

https://www.arbonne.com/shop_online/shopOnline.asp

And take a look at some of the before and after photos.

This stuff is amazing! I love it. And it's made with all natural ingredients. Let me tell you - I have had a lot of skin problems. I am 26 years old and my face still is always breaking out. Clinique has basically been the only make up/skin care products I can use, and even then, I still get breakouts quite often, just not as bad as I used to. I think I may be switching to Arbonne for good. If you use products from clinique, lancome, etc., the prices are very much comparable. I can't even tell you how many different products I have tried over the years... if you are going to spend the money, you should spend it on something that works!

Trust me, I've done some research and am completely grossed out by some of the products I put on my skin. Just google it. For example, I googled skin care products and animal by products. It's gross. Not to mention some of the fillers that are used in some products. No wonder they cause skin problems!

I'll leave you with that to think about.

Later lovers.

First Day Back To Work After A Long Weekend...

And I'm in a craptastic mood, which is mostly related to work issues that aren't even worth mentioning here.


Moving on...

We visited Geneva this past weekend with a few other couples to visit several of the wineries. It was fun while it lasted. I was done drinking wine by 6:00 pm Saturday. Yes folks, I was completely passed out in the hotel room at that time. I was wide awake by 11:00 pm, but everyone else was done drinking by then, too. This past weekend has proved to me that I can no longer drink as much as I used to be able to!


In other news, I bought a brand new Toyota Camry about a month and a half ago. I've had nothing but bad luck with it. After having it for only a few weeks, I backed up into another car... no damage to the other car whatsoever, but there is a slight crease in my back bumper and the trunk sticks a little bit when opening it now. Luckily, the crease is really no big deal and you can't even tell it is there. However, over the weekend, we had another incident. The boyfriend was driving my car and kind of scraped against a post in the parking lot. No one in the car felt it, but we saw the damage when we got out of the car.


















Now, this was nothing compared to what it originally looked like. It was completely dented in. However, my friend and her boyfriend were with us and since her boyfriend owns a body shop, he was able to pop the dent out. Now we just need to have this repainted, which he is also helping us out with. I suppose it could be a lot worse, but it's still an aggravation.

Here We Go Again

I have been thinking of starting a blog for some time now. I have even started one, then deleted it so I could start over. So, here it is... I'm sticking with it this time.

This isn't a mommy blog... I don't have any kids. Unless you count my two adorable cats, Bailey & Jameson (who devote their lives to destroying things).

And Stewart, too - my boyfriend's chihuahua-terrier mix. Although very cute, the dog hates me. More about that later.

It's not a wedding blog. While I do have a wonderful boyfriend, there are currently no marriage plans in the works. Although I like to travel, this isn't a travel blog, either. This blog will just be the random thoughts that pop into my head on a daily basis and about my perspective on life.

So, a little about me...

I'm Christy - a twenty something living in Ohio where I live with my 2 cats. Soon, the boyfriend (Let's call him "M") and I will be co-habitating. This will surely be a very interesting experience. Above, I mentioned Stewart, my boyfriend's dog. Clearly, this dog is bipolar. Whenever M is not home, or just happens to be outside, Stewart is my best friend. He lays with me, follows me around, lets me pet him, etc. As soon as M is in the room, NO WAY... the little F'er turns on me. If I even think about touching M or getting up to go to another room, this dog barks his head off at me. We thought he would quit doing this after some time... but 10 months later, Stewart is still a spaz. Not to mention, my cats will be coming with me when I move in with M and I'm pretty sure Stewart will attempt to eat them. We need to figure out how we're going to deal with that whole thing... and soon!

Let's see, what else? I work in purchasing for a power generation company. It's very interesting, especially since my bachelors degree is in criminal justice/sociology. Yep, I thought I wanted to be a cop. THOUGHT. After going through the police academy, I decided, no, not so much. I have a law enforcement family and have always found the criminal justice field interesting. However, police officers do NOT get paid nearly enough for the jobs they do. So I stuck with purchasing. It has its challenges, but I like my job, most of the time.

I am very sarcastic, most of the time probably too sarcastic, and even kind of funny sometimes. I am always brutally honest and probably am the person who gives you the advice that you didn't even ask for. What can I say, I'm opinionated.

Well, that's it for now. Welcome to my blog.