Because I have been posting about jobs so much...I thought you needed a break! :)

so get this...

I just received an email from the organization that I just interviewed with. The email was about a different job I applied for about a month ago. Apparently I qualify for that position too....but get this....it pays $70k a year. I am pretty darn excited about this!!! I will post more updates as they come..... :)

The interview is over

Oh thank God!!! The interview lasted about 45 minutes and was mostly situational questions rather than 'stock' questions some interviewers ask. I don't think that I could have done anything differently considering the amount of Human Resources experience I have....or I should say, the lack of experience. It is very possible that there are quite a few people that they are interviewing that are more qualified than me. So, I did all that I can - I had the appearance of a professional - new suit - make-up but not too much - briefcase instead of a purse....I had it goin' on. But, the ultimate decision is now up to God I guess. I sound like a broken record - but I really only want the position if it's God's will. I want to love the job.....and if I don't love it, I don't want it.

Up all night

My interview is in about 2 hours. As nervous as I am about this interview, I can't wait for it to be over so I can come back home and go to sleep. I have been up almost all night - not restful sleep. Even with sleeping pills I have been up most of the night.....that makes for a good night. Too tired to think clearly because of the sleeping pills, but to stressed out to go to sleep. Sometimes I am simply amazed at my body.....exhausted but can't sleep. Uggghhhhhhh, I can't wait until 10am when the interview is finally over. Pray for me. :)

Blog Mini Break

For those of you wondering where I have been, I am taking a bit of a break. I have an interview tomorrow and will be resuming the blog probably tomorrow afternoon. Until then, I am reading up on interview questions and techniques to hopefully land the job tomorrow. I probably won't hear back for quite some time, bit when I hear I will let you know. Please pray that the right job comes my way. The Sierra College job, while it's in the field I love, I don't think it's going to work (unless I get another assignment from an addition college or get a part-time job doing something else). I just want what God wants for me....and I really want to LOVE my job tremendously...whatever job that may be. Until tomorrow.....

Adding to our library

Shawn and I recently set up a library area in the 'red room'. For those of you who are new to my blog, the red room is the living room downstairs, which will eventually be called the movie theater if Shawn has his way (he wants a HD projector with a screen that comes down from the ceiling). In the back of the room we have set up 4 bookcases that are almost filled with books and DVD's. Well, since I have read most of the books on those shelves, all except for Shawn's physics books, I decided it was time to get more. So, yesterday I purchased 5 new books.

This one is from the Soul Tracker series. I really liked the first two, so of course I have to get the third in the series. Bill Myers is one of the more intelligent Christian authors I have come across (is that bad to say?).

The next set of novels are written by Brandilyn Collins. I have never read anything by her, so if the books aren't that good, it's gonna suck for me because I just bought all 4 books in the Hidden Faces series. A bunch of people on Amazon reviewed the books and said they were really good. So, until they arrive, I shall trust that they are amazing books and wait in expectation.



More work on the workout room/office today....I am patching and re-texturing a wall today. If all goes well, I will be painting the remainder of the wall tomorrow, then the workout room will be finished. Can't wait until it looks really good. :) Once I am finished with the room I will post a final picture.

UPDATE

Here's the wall after I was done. Now all I need to do is re-texture and paint and then the room will be finished! Can't wait!!!

The Office (not the TV show)

I am in the middle of wallpaper removal hell. There is one wall in my office that had felt on it when we bought the house (see the right side of the first picture) and wallpaper under the felt (who the heck would felt OVER wallpaper???). The crazy freaking people that used to live here, that's who..........But, I am no match for wallpaper. I am scraping and scraping and scraping. For those of you that are remodeling a house, or are choosing what to do to your walls, paint, paper, etc.... DON'T WALLPAPER YOUR WALLS!!! Please do the future owners of your house a service and make it easy for them to de-skank your house with ease.

In addition to NEVER painting with flat paint again, I will NEVER wallpaper a wall. Nope, not gonna do it, never! Having said that, here are the before and after pics of the room so far. I am still working on the wallpaper wall, so it's not pictured, but at least you can get the idea of what the colors look like. Enjoy!!!


The before picture:

(Take a look at the felt panels on the right side of the room. Check out the cabinet to the left - yikes)



The after picture:

(The wall color has changed, we ripped out the carpet, painted the walls blue - the picture does not do the color justice, and painted the trim and 'accessories' white. Everyone kept telling me to rip out the cabinet, but after removing the nasty old hardware and painting it white - which took about a million coats and is still not done, I think it looks mighty cute. What do you think?)

To be a college instructor, or not to be???

I am thinking I may be changing career paths soon. I can certainly go back to being a college instructor, which I enjoy greatly. Or, I can find a job doing something else, something I am an expert in like HR, accounting, administration or even sales. But here is the issue - be a college instructor for VERY little money, have to drive an hour each way for only ONE class and to spend a ton of money on gas is not too appealing. Plus, if I did that and couldn't teach about 5 classes (still waiting for July to arrive - that's when Sacramento State said they would contact me about classes), we would be dipping into our meager savings every month. It's either that or work in an office and stare at the clock ALL day (simply because I am pretty proficient and usually get done with tasks/assignments/projects fairly quickly and have nothing to do for the rest of the day), which I don't enjoy too much but would probably make a decent amount of money doing. My heart and head are at war.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have an interview with the government agency in a week and I hope I am offered the job. I will definitely take it if it's offered. That is, unless a better offer comes along.

Oh what is a girl to do? I think having a Master's Degree in a place like Placerville is working against me at this point.

NOTE: A new recipe review is coming soon: Chicken Cattiatore. Keep an eye out for it. :)

Product Review - Inko's Tea

Pictures courtesy of Inko's Tea - https://www.healthywhitetea.com/ (visit the website - you will be glad you did)

I have to tell you about a tea that I used to drink in the Bay Area many many many moons ago. I was conveniently shopping at Trader Joe's, by far my favorite store. I sometimes walk up and down the aisles to search for new products to test out and innocently came across a bottled tea called Inko's. I had been reading information on the internet for quite sometime about the health benefits of white tea and how good it can be for the human body. I love tea, but sometimes can't handle the harshness of black and green tea. There are a few products on the market that have about a million calories per serving and at the same time have a harsh taste. I was looking for something a bit different. So, at that moment I decided that Inko's tea was worth a try. I picked up a White Peach and Honeydew, made sure the top of the bottle was not "popped out" - because as each bottle of Inko's will tell you, "Button doesn't pop? Don't drink a drop!". Catchy little saying if you ask me.

I got the tea home and put it in the refrigerator and forgot about it. Little did I know I had struck gold. A few days later I was scanning the refrigerator for something cold to drink and came across my new find. I stood at the refrigerator, opened the bottle, took a drink, and it was as if a light shined down upon me from the heavens. I had never tasted anything so delicious and refreshing. The smooth flavor danced around my taste buds. I knew instantly I had found my new favorite drink.

Since moving a few months ago from the Bay Area I had been unable to find the wonderful tea....until a couple of weeks ago that is. Inko's tea sells a number of different flavors, currently my favorite flavors are Honeydew and White Peach, but I have been itching to try out a few other flavors. They also have Cherry Vanilla, Apricot and Lychee, all of which I am hoping to try very soon. The best part about the tea is that it's only 56 calories for the entire 16 oz. bottle. Lovely, just lovely!!! It has a slightly sweet flavor, but not overpowering - it is simply the perfect drink!

So, if you are looking for a new beverage to try out, check with your local grocery store to see if they carry Inko's tea. If they don't, by all means contact the company - Andy from Inko's is incredibly nice and will help you out with anything you need.

Caution, wet paint

If I never see another can of paint it will be too soon. The last three days, plus last weekend and countless weekends before, Shawn and I have painted. I am so sick of paint.....sick sick sick sick sick sick sick of paint. I don't think this blog will do it justice, but I can certainly tell you that I hate painting. As you probably know, we purchased a house that hadn't been painted in 16 years. That's 16 years of sun on the outside of the house (which wasn't properly painted in the first place) and 16 years of cigarette smoke residue soaking into the walls, and 16 years of hand smudges gathering on the walls and doors. Uggghhh!!

Jonathan and Sharon came over last night and helped me paint the workout room/my office. I must say, it looks really good. I picked a very nice blue color...and as soon as I get finished painting all of the trim and finish the walls I will post a pic. The walls are a brighter blue color and the trim and doors are bright white. We used semi-gloss paint. There is only one room in the house that has flat paint (we used flat upon the suggestion of someone we know) and will seriously NEVER do that again. Flat paint is the worst!!! Some people love it and will only use flat - but I can honestly say that I will not use paint without some kind of sheen to it - whether that be high gloss, semi-gloss or egg shell. Nope, never, not gonna do it!

But, in a few days I will be able to resume my workouts since my workout room/office will be finished.

Only one more coat on the trim and I will be done.

Another Confession

I don't wash my legs in the shower on a consistent basis. Obviously soap runs down my legs simply from washing using the top down method - but I don't think I have ever scrubbed my legs unless I am doing yard work (like today) or am painting (also today). Is that weird? Do you actually wash your legs?

I have never heard any complaints that my legs have an odd aroma or that they are dirty. Am I out of the ordinary? (Maybe I can justfiy this because I shave pretty consistently and I use shaving cream - which is kinda like soap right?)

Cassarole and the job

I take great care in choosing the pictures I put up on my blog....teee heee heee! If only that were true. I haven't mastered the art of keeping a camera handy so I can take pictures of the stuff that I cook. However, I do take time to search for a picture that best represents what I am talking about....because really? Who doesn't like a blog with pictures? It gives you something to look at while you read. (You can thank me now....lol).

Tonight I made a chicken noodle casserole.....you know, instead of tuna I used canned chicken. Sharon (for those of you that are new to my blog - Sharon is my newest sister-in-law) and I were talking today about looking at stuff in our cabinets and not wanting to eat it because you stare at it too long. Well, after this conversation I was determined to use the pesky cans of chicken that have been sitting in the cupboard for the last couple of months. Anyway, I made up my own recipe....again! It was macaroni, cream of mushroom soup, milk, cheese (but not too much), spinach (which I don't think I would use again, but instead use peas if they are available), corn, celery, onion (grated) and panko breadcrumbs and cheese on the top. It actually came out pretty good. I was surprised when Shawn said that he like it....amazing! I really think the panko breadcrumbs were a winner as was the thin layer of cheese on top. I can't say for sure what quantities I put in the casserole because I used the "what's in the house and what can I dump into this thing" method. I can honestly say though, out of the 29 years of my life, I don't think I have ever made a casserole. My next stint in casserole making is probably going to be something Mexican. Maybe a taco/tortilla casserole or something, who knows?

Note: In case you wanted to know...I grated the onion so it was in small pieces, cut the celery into little cubes and sweated it until soft. Added the spinach and corn to heat them and set it aside. Cooked the noodles at the same time I heated the cream of mushroom soup and milk. Then simply dumped all of it together into glass bakeware, topped it with a thin layer of cheddar cheese and panko breadcrumbs and baked it on 375 for 30-40 mins. or so. I then broiled it on high for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs a bit brown.

On the job front...I called Sierra College today since they were supposed to call me yesterday but didn't. The Dean said that they are going to offer me a class during the summer and at least one class during the Fall. I was actually expecting 3 classes during the Fall since this is what she told me on the phone a month ago when she originally contacted me, but apparently they are hiring more than one person to fill those classes (which she did not originally tell me). But hey, at least I have something right? And for that I am thankful! My class during the summer starts in mid to late June....so it looks like I have the next 3 months off. Well, that is unless I find another job before then. :)

Blessings for today:
1). My husband - simply because he is the greatest man in the world and puts up with my crap everyday. :) And let me tell you, I am NOT an easy person to be with sometimes.

2). Family - we spent the day with Shawn's dad, brother and new sister-in-law at a tool show and then lunch. Then we all came back to the house and talked for a while. It was nice!

3). The job that I have lined up. Even though it's not what I was expecting, it's still something!

4). God - for throwing me head first into the fire...and while I absolutely HATE the fire - I will come out the other end refined and stronger...and probably a bit shinier. :)

5). My dog - because she is stupid happy all the time, even when she doesn't feel well. I have a lot to learn from her. What a cutie!

Schizophrenia

4:00pm

No word yet on the job at Sierra College. But I did hear back from the county about one of the jobs I applied for a while ago. I took a test with the county a couple of weeks ago for a human resources position and I got the test scores back. They sent me an email on the 20th of this month saying:

"At this time your score does not qualify you to be referred to the hiring department for the next phase of the recruitment process. However, you may be eligible for referral at a later date and will be contacted at that time."

Totally understandable! I knew there were going to be other people who scored more than I did - I am a terrible test taker and walked out of there not feeling very confident about my test score since there were LOTS of math questions that I haven't seen in years (seriously, math is the reason why I never took the GRE to get into grad school, and it's one of the reasons why I went into Communication instead of something more technical). In fact, the ONE question I should have known the answer to I totally spaced on. It was something like what do you do, in order of sequence, in research: a). gather data b). pick a sample c). organize data d). interpret data. Obviously I know which order these come in when I am doing research - anyone with half a brain that has been through even 5 minutes of college can tell you......but the way they worded it was very confusing (I did not replicate exact wording because I think I signed a confidentiality waiver of some sort when I was there). For the life of me, I couldn't remember if A or B went first because I may have interpreted it a bit differently. It comes down to quantitative or qualitative research - of which I know both very well having done tons of studies in graduate school. But, the test did not specify quantitative or qualitative. In any case, this part of the email I got today:

Dear Ms. Perez,

Congratulations! You are invited to participate in the oral board examination for the position of (omitted in case someone from this particular organization googles the name of the position)............

The interview will be held as follows:

LOCATION:
DATE:
TIME:

If you have not already provided written verification (e.g. copy of diploma, transcripts, certificates, licenses) of education and/or licenses listed to meet the minimum qualifications for this position, please bring them with you on Wednesday, April 11, 2007. These documents must be received prior to becoming a finalist for the position.

I think that this organization should explain why I was rejected last week but asked to do an oral exam this week. I don't get it. Is it possible that because I have a MA degree they are making an exception? Did they just figure out that level of intelligence has little to do with a single test....or a single degree for that matter? It infinitely bothers me when people are evaluated simply because of a test or a degree. For everyone out there....DEGREES DON'T MATTER.....A SINGLE TEST DOESN'T MATTER.....THE ABILITY AND EXPERIENCE OF THE PERSON AS A WHOLE IS WHAT ULTIMATELY MATTERS!!!!!!! I am not a test score.....I am certainly NOT a degree (and I absolutely loathe that people classify me as someone who has a masters degree). It's something I DID during a couple of years of my life, it's not WHO I AM.

Ok, I will get off of my soapbox now. :) Thanks for listening. Again, I will update you if and when I hear back from Sierra College.

Here's something odd....

I guess I should put this under a 'confessions' heading, but I don't want to think of any beyond this one. Sorry!

There have been about 3 or 4 times throughout my adult (after 18) life that I have forgotten to wash my hair in the shower. Isn't that weird? I simply got into the shower and apparently did things 'out of order'. I didn't really think that I had an 'order' that I did things in while in the shower, but apparently I do. LOL On said occasions, I get out of the shower and start to blow dry my hair and quickly figure out that I have not washed my hair. And since I wash my hair everyday I either get back into the shower or stick my head in the sink to finish said washing.

On a bit of a different note, while I was in Russia as a TL with TM one of the other female leaders 'challenged' me to not wash my hair for a day. I thought this was quite interesting because she barely knew me but decided that she wanted to challenge me to do something I wouldn't normally do. I politely declined and then explained that just the year before I was in Peru and didn't take a shower for a week which obviously meant no hair washing - - - ewwww, I know - but it was a must for the village trip we went on. No hair washing, no body washing, no face washing - ewwww! But hey, it was all for mission right? So now, living in the lap of luxury in America, one of the blessings in this great land is the ability to wash my hair and take a shower everyday. Still, every once and a while I will not wash my hair, but it's only for about 36 hours or so....otherwise I hop into the shower. :)

NOTE: As a bit of a side note, I interviewed with Sierra College this past Friday. From my perspective the interview went really well. They said that I should hear back about their decision sometime TODAY. I am praying and praying and praying that I get this gig with Sierra. Even though it's a 45 minute drive each way, I need to be in the classroom teaching. I will update when I hear something.

***Revealing Entry***

If you can't handle the truth, please do not read this entry.

If you can't be kind, please do not comment on this entry.

If you feel the need to judge me, please stop reading my blog.

If can handle the truth, feel you can be kind and without a doubt can be supportive with no ulterior motive, by all means, please continue to read.

The last few years have been hard. As the anniversary of my dad's suicide come closer, I am reminded of his actions all over again. It seems, every year, I am reminded. It's not enough to be reminded everyday - because I think about him every single day - the anniversary comes around and hits me like a ton of bricks. Please don't misunderstand.....I am moving closer, a lot close to coming to terms with his actions....but I would be lying to you and to myself if I said that it's not one of the events in my life that has effected me greatly.

I would be dishonest if I told you I simply rolled over and "let God take control" of my life and forgave, and simply trusted God (I am not Polyanna). I have questioned God....I have cried to God....I have yelled at God....I have, at times, hated everything about God's plan.....all because of one man's actions. I have residual anger because I no longer have an earthly father....and anger because of his actions...not only the final action....but the actions long before his death. Part of me understands his actions and can definitely sympathize, but part of me wants to rage!!! Why have I blamed God, cried to God and questioned God? Because God dwells in the deepest part of me. Because I prayed for my father on a regular basis and had faith that God was going to take care of him. My faith meant little, because what happened did.

Am I perfect? No! 1). I let my emotions run me a lot of times! 2). I let anger get the best of me! 3). I am selfish with people! 4). I curse (sometimes a lot, but it's getting better)! 5). Countless other things I don't care to list out...because we could be here all night. The point is, is that I am NOT perfect. No one is. And this my friends is the beauty of God. The most intimate encounter I ever had with God was in 2000 - I was deep in worship at church one night and I heard God clearly say to me, "Come to me as you are. I love you." Come to me as you are.....I cried. In the middle of church, I was bawling like a little baby because God, as clear as day, told me to come to Him as I was. I didn't need to change ANYTHING - just simply come to Him. Comforting words.

In times where I have nothing left - the times when I have a heavy heart (literally HEAVY - pressure in my chest), the only thing I can do is give the part of me I am willing to let go of. Which isn't much most times. I am incapable and unwilling to come to God as I am wholly. I give what I can - and every day, every week, every month, it's a little more. As mad, sad and angry as I have gotten, something deep down is calling. God is calling - God is carrying - God is healing - God is loving me just as I am. Part of me wants to accept it - part of me wants reject it - but it's always there, calling and by the grace of God, I can hear it as clear as day.

I say all of this because someone came over the other night and pretty blatantly judged me (and Shawn for that matter) for my lifestyle - but didn't do it in a way that was loving. The person did it in such a way as to judge and condemn. I am sure this person had good intentions somewhere, but I simply cannot see the good intentions right now. This person presumes to know what I have been through - what I have seen - what I have experienced - I kindly don't think so. Until you can walk a mile in my shoes and experience the depth of hurt and anger that I have at times, please refrain from harsh judgment please. (I admit that I too have judged people - but have since and quickly learned what kind of effect this can have on people - I try my hardest not to do that anymore, but simply be loving and accepting of everyone regardless of where they are at in life).

I can honestly say that my fire for God has been burning brighter. In church this morning my heart was excited. I was excited to be a follower of God and to call myself a Christian. I felt excited about missions again and can't wait to get back out on the mission field. But, at the same time, like Paul in the bible, I am at war with myself. I choose to do the things I don't want to do - and don't do the things I should. I still curse (less than before - but still do it - especially when I accidentally stub my toe or hit my fingers with a hammer - but I am trying). But, my faults don't exclude me from loving God. I am trying my best given the cards I have been dealt in the recent few years. (Having said this - I know you are thinking that I shouldn't let my surroundings dictate how I feel or react....ummm, yeah - I know that. I am working on it and trying to find joy in the very many things that I have to be thankful for - which are MANY).

Just today I can list about a million things that I am thankful for. God has been so kind to both me and Shawn - and as a couple, God has poured down his blessings and abundance. For this, among a million other things I am thankful for just today. Tomorrow I am sure I will find a million other things to be thankful for. God is good - and it's in His loving arms that I will find sweet rest tonight.

A guide to brushing your teeth in the car DISCLAIMER----I DO NOT CONDONE THIS BEHAVIOR

Things you need:
1). Toothbrush
2). Toothpaste
3). Bottle of water - partial or full

The process:
First, open the bottle of water and dip your toothbrush into the bottle to wet it (don't crash, keep control of the vehicle). Then, put some toothpaste onto the brush(don't crash). Proceed to brush your teeth(don't crash). After you are done brushing, put some water in your mouth to rinse(don't crash). While the you are in the process of rinsing, dip your toothbrush into the bottle to rinse it off(don't crash). Once the brush is clean, spit what's in your mouth into the bottle(don't crash). Return the cap to the bottle and discard. If you have gotten to this step, you probably still have control of the vehicle....good job. Now you have nice breath and clean teeth. Feel free to proceed with your trip.

If you are wondering why I posted this, I will surely tell you. I went to the Bay Area yesterday for the majority of the day. On the way home I needed to brush my teeth....I don't like yucky teeth, especially on a 3 hour drive. So, I brushed my teeth on Highway 5 through Stockton. :) Mmmmm, I love clean teeth while driving. (I know I'm quirky, you don't have to tell me that). Have a good day!!!

Food Fetching

Sometimes I don't sleep too well and last night was one of those nights. Shawn woke up and was playing with his cell phone to see what time it was at o-dark-hundred......3am, and of course, this was the very thing that woke me up. About a half hour after he woke up to check his watch, he sat up and looked at me. I asked him, "what's going on baby?", and he promptly responded, "There's lots of food fetching going on". I obviously questioned him to see if I had heard correctly, and he repeated, "There's lots of food fetching going on". Of course I thought this was hilarious (and when asking him if he remembers this later on this afternoon he confirmed he had no idea what I was talking about). Hmmmm, maybe I've been experimenting in the kitchen a bit too much lately...what do you think?

Ugghhhhhhhh

I do this every single time I need to get something done. Procrastinate. I thought that as I got older I would no longer do it....but, much to my dismay, I still do it. What am I procrastinating you ask? Thank you for asking! I have had about 3 weeks to prepare a short 10-15 minute lecture that I will be giving on Friday. This is almost a working interview, meaning, it is an interview that a college wants me to prepare so they could see my teaching abilities first hand. I am heading down to the Bay Area on Wednesday to meet with my thesis adviser so he could give me a bit of feedback so I don't completely make a fool out of myself which means my lecture has to be completed in it's entirety. It's also an opportunity to see some friends and pick up some things we can't find up here in P-ville (like the frozen yogurt we love soooooo much!!! It's actual yogurt that is frozen, and tastes like yogurt...mmmmmm, so good and really low in calories). I will be picking up a few half gallons of the stuff to keep in the freezer...and if we need to, we will vacuum pack it to keep it fresh for a while.

In any case, I have waited three *(&$#*%^&#@*$ weeks to do this, and now I need to get it done in two days. Now, I shouldn't be complaining too much because I can probably do it in a couple of hours, but just the research of it has taken me about 4 hours this morning. I still haven't prepared the lecture/activities yet...and that bugs me. I want to get this done, but at the same time I have lots of other stuff to do around the house today.

Why am I still typing you ask? I don't know.....I already told you I have a problem!

What did you do today?

So here's what we did today. We ripped out a wall and flooring in our downstairs kitchen. Now, the kitchen area is the same room as the downstairs living room or red room as we like to call it. Tearing out the wall and floor and of course clean up took only a couple of hours from start to finish. Now we are almost ready to paint and put new flooring in the downstairs room...WOOOHOOOOOO!!! I can't wait until that downstairs room is done.

(This pic was taken before we bought the house in November 2005)

(This pic was taken about 10 minutes ago..no more wall or nasty dirty floor)

Thanksgiving is long over.....but....

As you probably know, I am searching for a job due to our recent move 3 hours away from the place where I spent the last 20 years or so. I no longer have any business contacts, no academic contacts, and friends are few and far between. Sometimes I feel completely lost...but all in all I feel blessed. I know that this was a necessary move for us to take, and it will all work out in God's timing. I know that sounds so Christianese, but it's kind of true. There are so many things I am thankful for:

*The friends that remain, and of course family.
*The gift of being able to get out of bed and walk.
*The house the we were able to buy.
*My husband, even though on occasion he drives me crazy (but I always remind myself that I drive him just as crazy at times).
*The gift of new things. New house, new town, new opportunities.
*My doggie - because I know she is in pain just like me a lot of the time (her arthritis, my back), yet she is stupid happy even though her hips bother her.
*The ability to pay for bills.
*The opportunity for entertainment when we feel like going out.
*The continuing information we find out about our house...that's it's built extremely well. :) (This is a double blessing since we bought the house 'as-is' because we knew this is where God wanted us).
*The vision that my husband has about the house....knocking down walls, floor plan etc....
*The party we are able to have in June (June 2nd to be exact....and if you are in the area, please stop by), I will be turning 30
*The opportunity to interview for jobs even though I may not get the job, at least I am getting better at interviewing. :)
*The job that God has for me....even though I may not know what it is, He does, and really, that's all that matters right now.
*Many many many other things I am thankful for.

If you remember, please pray for me. I have a test with the county tomorrow morning. It's for a a Personnel Analyst position, a job that I really want....but then again, I only want what God has in store for me.

To follow up with the pizza competition, we made pizza the other night again (no more pizza for a while, thank you).....and Shawn, his brother and I tested both pizza's. The vote was 2 to 1.......they both like Alton Brown's recipe better since it crisped up on the bottom nicely. But, they did say that Justin's recipe had better flavor. I agree with them, but I think taste is more important than a little crispiness. I still haven't asked if I can post my brother-in-law's recipe....but like I said, Alton Brown's recipe is available on the Food Network website.

Until later......

Preliminary Pizza Results Are In!!!

So, Shawn and I have eaten pizza for the last three or four days. Ugggghhhhh, I am so sick of pizza. The bright side though, is that I have kept up with the exercising to counter balance my pizza consumption. I bet that you don't really care about my exercising though do you? You just want to know which recipe won right? Ok ok ok.....here are the results.......as you will notice from my blog below, there were three different doughs that I used to make pizza.

1). Store bought bread dough that can also be used for pizza. I give this a meager 4/10. This is because it's plain dough, not really meant for pizza, but meant for high production and pretty much should be used for white bread.

2). Alton Brown's pizza dough recipe. This was a really good recipe. I liked it very much. It had a good flavor to it for the most part, and had I not been closely comparing three pizzas back to back, I would have said this was a perfect pizza dough. It cooked up nice and crispy on the bottom, but not too crispy and chewy in the middle, which makes for a great pizza. Overall I give this recipe about an 8.5/10.

3). Justin's recipe (my brother-in-law). He used to own a pizza place, so I'd say this guy knows his pizza! This dough had great flavor. You could taste the depth of the crust and the flavor was not flat at all (which, after tasting all of the pizza's, Alton Brown's was a bit flat after comparing the pizza's back to back.....sorry A.B. .......I love your show, think you are brilliant in so many ways....but my brother-in-law's dough was a bit better this time around). This dough rose a bit better overall, had a great consistency and overall had a much better 'mouth feel' than the other two (ha ha ha....'mouth feel'.....as if I actually know what I am talking about). If there was one improvement I would make with this pizza though is the crispiness of the bottom crust. After cooking the bottom came out a bit soft. I like a pizza with a tiny crunch on the bottom. Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT LIKE crispy pizza, I like it chewy, but the bottom has to 'feel' like it's cooked when I bite into it. I think if I tweek the temperature and cooking time a bit, this will correct itself perfectly. As the recipe stands now, I give Justin's recipe 9/10.

I know, I know...you are probably thinking.....

1). Did she cook them the same? Yes. Same temperature, same time.

2). Did she use the same pizza sauce? Of course! Justin's recipe for pizza sauce....my gosh...sooooo good!

3). Did she use the same toppings? Duhhhh! I used the same everything.

4). Was there any difference in the pizza's except for the recipe? To my shame, yes. I prepared one for cooking and Shawn prepared the other. This is the factor that could have affected the outcome of the pizza's. So, in order to make sure the pizza's are the same, Shawn and I are going to invite his brother over tomorrow to make the pizza's. Jonathan used to work at a pizza place preparing pizza, so we are going have him prepare the pizza's with the same amount of dough, sauce and cheese. Then we are going to cook them together and do one more retest. I would like to test them again, and get the opinions of Shawn and Jonathan as well, then I will post a final result on Tuesday (or Monday if I feel up to it).

In addition, if I can get permission from Justin, I will post the recipes up here. If not, then I am sorry, those recipes will go with me to the grave (although, you can find Alton Brown's recipe on the Food Network website). Until then.....

The competition continues

I'm taking it to the next level!!! Over the next couple of days I will be preparing a pizza cook-off in my kitchen. Yes, that's right, I've lost it! I will be making a very involved Alton Brown pizza dough recipe, a recipe my brother-in-law has graciously shared with me (thanks Justin), and the last recipe is not really a recipe at all, but a store bought frozen pizza dough. There is another dough I would like to try though. I have gone to Trader Joe's a million times over the last 10 years or so and have noticed that there is pizza dough in the refrigerator section that looks mighty tasty (and thanks to my sister-in-law Sharon who has tried it and gave it good results, I may go and purchase some to test out), but I will have to leave that for another day.

I will also be making Justin's recipe for pizza sauce and using that on all three pizza's so the only difference is the dough. I would like to find a good dough recipe, ideally one that is super easy, but for really good, mind-blowing pizza, I am not sure that's possible. All of the recipes that I have found have a resting time of 4-24 hours for the dough. And let's face it, that's simply too much time to wait (or plan for that matter), for a simple dinner of pizza.

So, as it stands, I have borrowed a Kitchen Aid Mixer (which I can't justify buying since I would only use it like twice a year because I don't bake that often - or let me rephrase that, bake out of a box.......but, to tell you the truth, I am a great baker, just don't like to do it too much), and will be utilizing it for the next day or two to make the various pizza doughs. Once I figure out which is the winning recipe I will post the results. :)
(on second thought, since I have borrowed the mixer, maybe I will make those brownie cheesecake bars I love so much....hmmmmm, I will have to think about that one a bit more before committing to such a task.....but from what I hear, they are super easy to make).

What do you get?

What do you get when you leave an extremely flexible dog in the car for 5 minutes and a sealed bag of beef jerky buried under the front seat? A dog that now has a belly full of teriyaki beef jerky and shreds of plastic all over the car. My dog's a beef jerky whore. Nothing more to say!

The results are in

If you are one of my many and continuous blog readers, you will know that I underwent a tumultuous competition yesterday. Yes, that's right, it was a pot roast competition with myself. And the winner is.....ME!!!! LOL If you recall, I used two recipes, one from a notable chef, and one of my personal favorites, Mr. Alton Brown. The other was a simple recipe I found on the internet. Here are the recipes:

Alton Brown:

1 (2-pound) blade cut chuck roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cocktail olives, drained and broken
1/2 cup dark raisins
1-2 cups of beef or chicken broth (if you use the slow cooker)

Preheat the oven to 190-200 degrees F. Place a wide, heavy skillet or fry pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of meat with the salt and cumin. When the pan is hot (really hot) brown meat on both sides and remove from pan. Add just enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan then add the onion and garlic. Stir constantly until onion is softened. Add the tomato juice, vinegar, olives, and raisins. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half. Create a pouch with wide, heavy duty aluminum foil. Place half the reduced liquid/chunk mixture on the foil, add the roast, and then top with the remaining mixture. Close the pouch, and wrap tightly in another complete layer of foil. Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a fork pushes easily into the meat. Remove from oven and rest (still wrapped) for at least 1/2 hour. Snip off 1 corner of the foil pouch and drain the liquid into a bowl or measuring cup. Add some of the "chunkies" and puree with an immersion blender. Slice meat thinly, or pull apart with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Super Easy Pot Roast Recipe
5 1/2 pounds of Pot Roast
(2) 10.75 oz. cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
(1) 1 oz. package of dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 cups of water

Throw everything in the slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

THE VERDICT!!!
The Super Easy Pot Roast came out very good. The meat was tender and the sauce was really good (after thickening it with some Wondra). It tasted very 'down home cookin'. Really good though. The Alton Brown recipe I didn't finish until this morning. After cooking it per the directions, the meat was tough, so after I was done with the other recipe I put it into the slow cooker and left it there for a few more hours. It was late when it finally finished cooking, so I threw it back in the slow cooker for a hour to heat it back up and finished the sauce this morning. If I do the Alton Brown recipe again I will start the recipe the same and then throw everything in the slow cooker for 8 hours instead of taking the oven step.

I know you are not going to want to hear this, but I really can't compare the recipes. The easy recipe had a steady taste, very traditional, nothing too notable....but very good! The AB recipe had some very robust flavors involved, and the gravy was sooooo good! Of course, that is, if you like really robust flavored foods. I must leave you with one other recipe though.....it was of the cheddar mashed potatoes that I made at the last minute. Here you go:

3-4 large russet baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 cloves of garlic crushed
1-1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. In another pot add milk and rushed garlic. Bring up temperature slowly so you don't scorch the milk and let sit on very low heat until the potatoes are done cooking. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add milk (you may not use all of the milk/garlic mixture, so add slowly), salt and pepper and mash with fork until smooth. Stir in cheese and butter until melted.

This recipe makes the YUMMIEST cheddar garlic potatoes EVER!!! And they are sooo easy to make.

Dueling Pot Roasts

This past weekend my newest sister-in-law (Sharon) and I were talking. She mentioned that she had cooked dinner in her crockpot the day she and her sister went skiing and that dinner turned out great. That conversation sparked something in me that I nearly forgot about.....I need to cook in the crockpot more (something I have wanted to learn how to do for years, but have been incredibly distracted by buying and selling houses and moving a million times). Since I am a crockpot gimp, I was thinking that I would make a pot roast tonight in the crockpot and see how it comes out. You are probably thinking, what's so unusual about cooking in a crockpot. And to that I will say "absolutely nothing". But alas, my name is Carol and I can't leave it at a single crockpot recipe. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???? Tonight I will be competing against myself. I am making dueling pot roasts. One in the oven that is slow cooked (thanks Alton Brown for your recipe), and one in the crockpot. I want to see which one comes out better....and which recipe is better so I can put it into my rotation of dinner recipes. Plus, I will be able to freeze quite a bit of pot roast for left over meals in the near future. I will be sure to let you know how it turns out. :) (And, if one of them are especially good, I will post the recipe).

(Have you see the Thanksgiving Friends episode where Monica competes against herself to make a better Thanksgiving dinner than last year??? Am I completely unhinged???)

Hmmmm, this reminds me.....my grandmother has a very simple but really good Chicken Cacciatore recipe...I wonder how that would taste in the slow cooker???? I feel an experiment brewing.

PRAY FOR ME PLEASE

I just got a call from Sierra College. They want me to interview on March 23rd at 8:45am. Yikes!!! They want me to do a 10-15 minute lecture as an example so that they are able to see how I work in the classroom. Please pray for a clear mind within the next few weeks so I am able to think of something really creative to do that will impress the crap out of the Dean and other full-time instructors I will be interviewing with. *Also pray for me getting the job too. I really really really want to be teaching instead of having to get a desk job (as you know since I have been complaining about this for weeks on Xanga).

On a side note, I interviewed today for one of the positions I don't want. It was almost a 2 hour interview. Very taxing....I am now really really exhausted. I am not sure how it went....but I really don't care because I don't really want the job anyway. But, it was really cool to be able to get an interview with the county anyway. :)

More Confessions

Confession #3
I have two underwear drawers....one for "everyday" underwear and the other for special occasions like wearing a skirt, or a pair of light colored pants...you get the idea.

Confession #4
I love going to the store everyday. I think I was meant to be European or something.....oh wait, I am European. Fresh fruits and vegetables make me very happy.

Confession #5
I read Harry Potter when I workout. In fact, this is about the only time I read Harry Potter. I am now on the 4th book since moving up here. Either I read fast or I have been working out quite a bit....you decide. :)

Confession #6
I am turning 30 in a couple of months. I feel indifferent about it. I guess numbers don't mean a whole lot to me...it's how old you feel. And, since I have felt about 60 since I was about 21, I guess I am pretty old.

Confession #7
I prefer to eat using the Continental Style of using silverware while I am eating, but generally use the silverware in the American Style simply because I am lazy.....LOL. That is of course unless I am at a very nice restaurant or on a cruise.

Confession #8
I ended up exercising.....see Confession #2.

Confessions

Confession #1
When I was a kid I hated the loud sound of public toilets when they flushed. Of course I still flushed, but I would open the door to the stall, make sure it stayed open, flushed then ran. To this day I still don't like the loudness of the public toilet flush but don't run anymore. :)

Confession #2
When I get into the habit of exercising, it's hard for me to stop. For instance, today I didn't exercise at all and it's 10:15pm and I feel completely guilty. I am contemplating whether or not to go downstairs to exercise....the jury's still out.

(More confessions to come)

We finally did it

Yesterday Shawn and I finally painted the kitchen. Yeah!!!! It is now a sage green color, officially titled Herb Garden. We are going to refinish the cabinets so everything in the kitchen is white and the walls are green. It's going to look really cute when it's done. I can't wait to have a nice looking kitchen in this house. (I will post a pic a bit later on today).

Yesterday was both good and bad. I started the day by covering my newly built shelves in my closet with shelf liner. The shelves are kind of big, so the whole process took me a couple of hours. Then we tackled the kitchen. By the time I was done with the shelves and just starting on the kitchen my back was bothering my pretty bad. But, I didn't want Shawn doing it alone, so I pushed through the pain and kept painting anyway for the next couple of hours. Ummm, probably not the best of ideas since the rest of the night I was in quite a bit of pain....even with some ibuprofin in me. We were supposed to go out to dinner and a movie with my brother-in-law and his awesome wife, but had to change plans because I was in so much pain. But, I must say, we had a great time anyway (I feel really bad about not being able to go out, but I honestly think I would have barely made it through dinner with the way my back felt......in fact, right before Jonathan and Sharon came over I was almost in tears because of the pain). Sharon and I talked for hours while Shawn and Jonathan built his new computer (his anniversary gift) and my 'new' computer which is made up of Shawn's old computer parts. Shawn and Jonathan are amazing....they have a love for computers that runs incredibly deep (although that's probably not how they would describe it).

All in all it was a productive and fun day....except for the pain that is. I think I worked out too hard the day before. Vanessa and I talked on the phone for a while during my workout and I lost track of time. At the end of it I had worked out for a full hour. Something I greatly enjoyed, but paid for later. But, all's well that ends well. The kitchen walls are painted and the kitchen is now clean, save some dishes in the sink.

No cooking for me yesterday. Our kitchen was a total disaster until Jonathan and Sharon came over. I think Monday I am going to make stuffed peppers. The recipe I have is low fat, and pretty low cal...but the ingredients sound wonderful. I will let you know how it turns out. Like I was telling my sister-in-law last night, I am trying to get 20-30 dinner recipes together before I go back to work so I can just pull from those and rotate them.

What's on the docket today? Well, finally getting our master bedroom clean. Anyone who has come over to the house in recent weeks can tell you that our room is the messiest room in the house.....but of course, not without excuse. I just finished the shelves yesterday so now I can uniformly fold all of my clothes and put them away. They have been sitting on the floor in piles (to me they are clearly piles, to others it looks like a bomb exploded all over our bedroom) waiting to be folded and put away. So, that's my goal...before midnight tonight, our room will be free of clothes on the floor and we will once again be able to walk in our bedroom.

Here's why

One of the only reasons why I am thoroughly enjoying being a stay at home wife is cooking. I love being able to see something on TV, eat something at a restaurant or hear about something, doing a bit of research and trying to figure out how to make it. A few weeks ago Shawn and I went out to an Italian restaurant and had a really good grilled pear salad with balsamic. We also went to a different place and had some amazing butternut squash soup. Since those visits I have made both, and actually had both for lunch today. I should be a chef.....kidding of course......but I really do love to cook and create really good food. Between yesterday and today I have made:
-Lemon balsamic roasted vegetables
-Butternut squash soup
-Pear and walnut micro greens salad with the same lemon balsamic I used to roast the aforementioned veggies
-Greek chicken with a yummy yogurt sauce

There are also a bunch of other "signature Carol" dishes that I make:
-Pesto chicken pasta with mushrooms, tomatoes (sundried and fresh), baby spinach and pine nuts
-Bruchetta (2 different kinds - one with artichokes and one without...although I can't decide which one I like most)
-Chicken stir fry
-Cream of mushroom with chicken over rice
-Eggplant Parmesan (this was my grandmothers recipe)
-Lots of different pasta dishes that I have copied from restaurants and have added my own twist
-A wonderful garlic bread
-Pesto bread with mozzarella cheese
-Navy bean soup (which coincidently I burned myself on pretty badly about 6 months ago)
-Awesome Salmon skewers
-Meat sauce
-Stuffed chicken breast (stuffing needs some tweeking, but the sauce is lemony needs nothing different)
-Enchiladas
-BLT pasta salad - yum
-Many many others

So, as you can see, I love to cook. Now, I must give props to my husband because he tests all of my cooking. Sometimes my recipes work, other times they don't....but I always learn something from my experiments. That's the beauty of staying at home for a period of time.....the experimentation of cooking. You know what's funny.....my sister does the same thing....she is an amazing cook. Maybe she and I need to open up a catering business (we should think about that). So, if you would like any of these recipes, message me and I will be sure to send them along to you.

Gett'r Done

Although I have never really understood this phrase, it is kind of fitting for today. I think, hope, pray that we are going to paint our kitchen today. It really needs to be painted....but I hope and pray I can get Shawn off the couch long enough to help me. :) If we get anything done in there today I will post some before and after pics either tonight or tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

Update: Well, the kitchen painting is not going to happen today apparently. We went to go pick up primer and paint for the cabinets, but it looks like that's all that is going to happen today. Shawn has last minute plans to go to a concernt with a friend tonight.....don't tell the rapists and murderers that I will be alone.....and won't be back until later tonight. So, that means that I am either alone in this (my back hurts too much from my hour long stint on the elliptical and treadmill this morning), or we do it tomorrow. I think we will wait until tomorrow.

Sometimes

I was driving home from Trader Joe's yesterday afternoon listening to music really loud in my car. I do this when Shawn's not around because he doesn't like loud music so much. All of a sudden, my dad's death hit me all over again. This happens every few months or so, so it's not out of the ordinary.....but it was strange. I was simply driving, rockin' out to music, and all of a sudden I get overwhelmed with sadness about my dad.

I have this weird thing going on with me, my head and my heart are at odds. I understand logically the position my dad was in and his state of mind (as much as one can understand), and my mind says that it was a bad situation and there would be an explanation if he were still here....but my heart says something completely different. My heart hurts and I'm sad. There is simply no other way to say it....I am sad. I am sad that someone would think that there is no other way out, or that someone would want to end it all because they can't deal with life anymore....and this is not just my dad. There are millions of people out there that have the same perspective.

It's weird because I can pretty much put myself into someone's shoes in the place and almost fully understand where they are coming from. Not that I have ever thought about suicide, but I can understand where one comes from when contemplating that. Maybe it was the song that was on (although the song is not important) that sparked thinking about my dad, who knows. This happens when I least expect it. Or maybe it's because I have a lot of time on my hands right now with doing small projects around the house. But I'm sad that someone in my family, someone I had a relationship with chose to end things like that......but I am blessed at the same time to have known someone like him. He had so many great qualities....I just wish he were here so I can tell him that.

My sister said something in one of her blogs that I thought was really cool. She said that she doesn't tell many people about dad's death because that's not how she wants to be defined. I like that. It's not who we are....rather it's something sad that happened. And lots of people have sad stuff happen to them, we are not the only ones. But I can't help, at times, to feel sad. It's been almost 3 years...and to tell you the truth, I don't think the pain ever goes away, it just changes. The sadness and hope that things were different will always be there. But I am encouraged....there are so many people in my life that have shown unconditional love....my husband for one.....God of course...and many others.

Thanks for listening!

Please don't feel compelled to comment - rather, just say a tiny little prayer for people bogged down with the feeling of loss in their lives...because there are many.
(I promise tomorrow's post will be a bit happier)

What's the deal?

I was emailed twice this morning by the county of El Dorado. I have qualified for two positions so far and will be interviewing for one of them, and taking a test for the other one in a couple of weeks. Government jobs are so weird....the hiring process takes quite a long time and can get quite involved. While getting called back for these positions may seem exciting to some, it's not really what I want to do. The last 'desk' job I held, I had a terrible experience at and I am not sure if I want to do it again. Plus, I am pretty sure my back may not hold up with sitting in a chair 8 hours a day 5 days a week. But, we shall see.

Here's my dilemma, I really want to teach, because that's what I spent all my time in education doing.....getting qualified to be a college professor. And, now that I am qualified to do that, I don't really want to do anything else. I really enjoy teaching a great deal, even though it has it's downfalls - but doesn't every job? Anyway, I don't want to pass up a job that pays decent for this area because I am holding out for a teaching job that may not come for a year or two. Plus, if I do get a fulltime, sit behind a desk and push papers, pull out my hair because I am not challenging my mind, desk job - it will allow for us to do things like get a hot tub and maybe even remodel the rest of our house. (Gosh, maybe that's the catch----I accept one of these positions and we get a hot tub to deal with my sore back....hmmmmm, I am going to have to think about that one). Back to the point, I know most of you are thinking, "Uh, no brainer Carol. Take the job until you get a teaching position". But here's the deal, I really enjoy having time to do projects around the house, find and create new and exciting recipes and have time everyday to work out. Teaching allows to me do this AND have a profession at the same time (plus it allows for summers off....yippeeeee).

Ugghhhhh, I hate inner struggles. I just want the answers to life, and I want life to be easy. Is that too much to ask?

I am now off to Folsom to go to Trader Joe's so I can make a really good and healthy dish that Shawn and I love. I can't remember the name of it, but it's greek. It's a oregano, garlicy and lemony chicken served with a yogurt sauce. So easy to make and LOTS of flavor. Gotta love the low fat but packed with TONS of strong flavor foods. Until later.....or tomorrow. Lots of love to everyone in Xanga land!

Today was eventful

Today I painted most of the doors in the upstairs of our house....a major accomplishment since we have a 70 pound dog who likes to be near us all the time. She has, more than once, walked too darn close to painted walls, doors, and painted planters only to end up painted herself...and in one case, ended up looking a bit like a skunk.

Today I painted my toenails pretty fancifully. They are painted a solid color with hand-painted white flowers on all but the pinky toes. I must say, my toes are really cute. I hate not having painted toe nails and absolutely hate when my feet are not presentable. Weird, I know! Since I walk around all the time without shoes on, I like to look down and see presentable feet. (I think this stems from a traumatic experience when I was younger....one of my friends would always stare at my feet as if they were mutant feet or something. Now, thanks to her, I must have pretty feet).

Today my brother-in-law came over (he was over last night too). It has been really good for Shawn to spend some time with his little brother alone....I think they both need some alone time (I have been mostly doing my own thing the last two days...which is really cool.....I love alone time). We had dessert tonight....brownies (from Apple Hill) with ice cream and the guys put a bit of Bailey's on top. I must say, it was a very good dessert (last night for dinner I cooked for the guys...it was an awesome stuffed chicken dish...I will have to post the recipe sometime). The other thing I did with them was Biore. You know, those Biore nose strips that clear clogged pores? Well, I first put a charcoal face mask on all of us, rinsed that and then put the nose strips on. Shawn and I do this sometimes when we are hanging out at home.....and tonight we decided to torture Jonathan and include him in our little ritual. Pretty fun.

Today I was offered a job.....I turned it down. I can't in good faith take a job for 20-something dollars an hour simply because. I told them that I would love to take the job, but that I am applying for teaching positions and if I get offered one of those positions, I would have to quit. I know this is not something a person would normally do...in fact, most people would just take the job and bide their time until something better came along. But, my conscience is telling me different. I can't do that to a company. If I take a job, I plan to be there for a while. I used to train people in one of the jobs I had and man did it suck after spending weeks training a person, just to have them quit. So, I am holding on to the hope that God is going to bring me a job that I simply can't refuse. This is the 4th job I have been offered since I have been up here, and the 4th job I have turned down. I think that it's God's way of telling me that I am going to be ok. I love God!

Today I exercised for only 21 minutes. I tried to exercise after Jonathan came back after dinner, but the downstairs of our house kind of creeps me out a little. I started to hear things.....and couldn't continue after that. I figured that I painted for hours today, so that counts as exercise right? ORU or TM anyone? Do those count as AP's?

That's pretty much all I did today (besides go to the bank). What did you do today?

Oh yeah...I must give a HUGE hi to everyone who comments on my blog. I must say, I love blog responses...Annie, Natalie, Amber, Ryan, Mel, Melissa, Rachael, Angela, Rishma, Molly, Tiffany and many others I am sure. Thanks for all of your comments. Also...hello to everyone who is in anonymous land....I know of some people who read my blog regularly....family, friends from TM, and even friends from blog land. :) I love looking at my footprints to see who has been reading my blog. It makes me feel like I am not writing in vain.

Have a great day everyone.

I don't know...

I had a bunch of ideas to write about, but wouldn't ya know it? I sit down to type something cool and I simply can't think of anything cool to say. So, here's a list of things that I think are really cool....

1). Valentine's day is usually pretty lame...but this year was awesome....as was last year. Hmmmm, is this because I am married now? Shawn has made the last two really cool. We had a slumber party in the living room all night on Valentine's night, it was really cool.

2). Not working. As much as I think I need to work, because I get bored very easy, I think that for this period in my life I am not supposed to work. I don't think I want to be a housewife full-time, although it might be nice if we were independently wealthy....which should take place in another few years (I have a lot of faith in my husband), but I think this is a period which I need to accept. I have applied for a few teaching jobs, but will not hear back for a few months. I think I need to embrace this time in my life and not define myself by what I do, but who I am...and who God made me to be.

3). Reisling wine. I love the stuff. Although I have many bottles of wine in my house, it takes me a few weeks to finish one bottle.

4). My friends....a couple of our friends came up to visit this weekend. It was really fun. We went wine and beer tasting and hung out a bit. Shawn and I had a great time.

5). Past experiences. I think that there are stages of life, and that I learned at a young age (not young enough though) to appreciate every stage of life. I learned to take time to stop and smell the roses. Of course I wish I would have learned this before my early 20's, but hey, at least I learned it before I was 50 right? I appreciated my later teens, my early 20's....my mid-20's were kind of a blur....but have greatly appreciated my late 20's. I think it's really cool when someone can really grab a hold and appreciate where they are at. In one of my previous posts I talked about how naive I was in my early 20's....and don't get me wrong, I thought I knew everything about everything.....but I didn't. However, I appreciated that time in my life...and still do. I learned sooooo much at that time and wouldn't have traded it for anything. So, to sum it up, I think every stage of life is really cool. (Get ready for the 'know it all' attitude here......) Embrace every stage of life. Don't try to be younger than you really are, or older for that matter. Enjoy yourself where you are because when you look back at that time, you can truly appreciate the lessons learned.

6). I think Placerville is really cool. I love it here. I think I was made to live in a place like this.....not in the city. Even though sometimes I feel really alone, and like I don't know a soul in the world, I have an overwhelming sense of peace about being here. It's where Shawn and I were meant to be at this stage in our lives.

7). Family. As I have gotten older, I have begun to really appreciate the people around me. Again, in my last post I talked about not needing to like people in my life if I don't want to....and that still holds true. However, I really like the people that are around me. I love my family tremendously even though I may not tell them often enough. I have discovered that I really love Shawn's family too. I don't think there is a person in his immediate family that I don't like. I have learned to enjoy people for who they really are....and in getting to know specific members of his family, I really enjoy my time with them.

8). My husband. He is really cool. Even though we are quickly approaching two years of marriage....things have changed a bit since we first got married....but I must say, it's good change. Our comfort level and appreciation for one another has grown. I must say though, we still absolutely love to bicker and argue....but that's just us. It keeps us young. Sometimes we still wrestle....and sometimes, even with my terrible back, I superfly him on our couch (although that has calmed down since we got the dog....but sometimes we still go at it like we are 12).

9). Working out. I find that I HAVE to work out in order to keep my ultra high stress level down. I have learned many life lessons in the close to 30 years I have been on this earth....one of the lessons I am in the process of learning is how to maintain stress. But, I think that this stage in life is forcing me to learn this, which I appreciate. Working out helps with this a bit...when I get stressed, I workout to help manage it. Gotta love it.

10). God!!! Self-explanitory. :)

No more cool things for today. That's it....I am done. Until the next time....

Shawn's making a lot of husbands look bad isn't he?

Yep....this is what I got for Valentine's Day....and our anniversary which is next month (it's a combo gift). I love it!!!! Happy Valentine's Day everyone.........(don't call us after 6 pm tonight....nudge nudge, wink wink).

Am I weird?

When I take a shower I usually use two towels. One for my hair, and the other for my body. These two towels, although they do not need to match exactly, they must be color coordinated. Am I weird?

I have decided....

1). I have decided that spending 2 hours on yard work of lifting, sweeping and stacking (wood that is), is simply too much work for one person. Although it's quite relaxing doing it alone, it can get kind of strenuous when you have to lift huge rounds of oak (firewood we haven't chopped up yet).

2). I have decided that the vacation blog was just not working as a day by day thing, so I will be posting it all here within the next few days. This is so you can be a part of our vacation too. :)

3). I have decided that applying for teaching jobs is wwwaaaaayyyyyyyyy too involved. Politics of Universities SUCK!!!

4). I have decided that there are people in my life I don't have to like......and to keep this as ambiguous as possible, that's all I am going to say about that one.

5). I have decided that uprooting my life and moving to a different city without a job lined up is pretty stressful on a daily basis. Not a day goes by that I don't think about, worry about, or hope that I will get a teaching job SOON!!!

6). I have decided that being on unemployment is not exciting. I thought I would enjoy this time off, but I don't for some reason. I think I was made to be in the classroom. Even though my students irritated me immensely from time to time, I miss the majority of my students. I love being in front of a class, goofing off, making fun of my students, having fun and making my students laugh while I teach a lesson. I have gotten TONS of feedback about how great of an instructor I am (not to toot my own horn, but I really think I was made for the teaching profession) from numerous students. They think I'm swell. :)

7). I have decided that I don't think I want to be a house wife full time. I need direction and goals to work towards. This is why College Instructing is so good for me. I get to be under pressure for 4 months at a time and then I get a break. I love it! I love it! I love it! (Now, if I can just find some classes to teach I would be happy as a clam......God, did you hear that? I would really like some classes please).

8). I have decided that I need to make new friends. I love the friends that I've got, but I think I need a couple more close girlfriends to hang out with and grab coffee with. People whom I can have deep conversations with...about life, God, marriage etc... People that I connect with on that level are few and far between. I would like a couple more people that I can connect with on that level.

9). I have decided that I am NOT the same person I was 10 years ago. It's amazing how much people change from their early 20's to their early 30's. (No I am not quite 30 yet, but I will be in a few months). Priorities change, maturity level changes, wisdom changes, what's important in life changes. I can't quite explain it, but life somehow morphs within that time period.

10). I have decided that stages in life are to be appreciated. I was talking to a family member a couple of days ago and we talked about how when we were younger we just wanted to grow up. Now that I am an adult, on my second house, have finished my education (probably.....a PhD is still up in the air.....and for that matter so is another MA degree...but let's not talk about that right now), I am going to appreciate where I am. Not look to the future, not look to 'when we have more money' or 'when we have a different house' or maybe even 'when we have kids or on doing missions', but really appreciate every stage of life from this point forward. I have taken for granted for too long. I am going to stop and smell the roses, take that leisurely walk, and do the things that make me happy.

11). I have decided that buying this house and moving up here has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life - but it's good. It's making me grow. It's making my marriage stronger - - - well, most of the time stronger. Sometimes we still argue about remodeling, but that's to be expected. When Shawn and I look back on this time in our lives, I guarantee that we are going to laugh and wonder how crazy we were to do this when we were newly married.

12). I have decided that I like who I am! If someone doesn't like it, or if someone feels threatened by me, so be it. I have heard for too long that 'I was intimidated by you when I first got to know you' and for a long time I felt bad about that. But no more. You are who you are and I am who I am......nothing more, nothing less. Let's coexist and love each other for who we are. :)

13). I have decided that I am done with this blog. :)

24 fans, don't miss this!

I decided to take a little break from my vacation blog....here is something funny for y'all! Enjoy!

Basic Truths About 24's Jack Bauer

Killing Jack Bauer doesn't make him dead. It just makes him angry.

If Jack Bauer was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Nina Meyers, and he had a gun with 2 bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.

If you wake up in the morning, it's because Jack Bauer spared your life.

Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.

If it tastes like chicken, looks like chicken, and feels like chicken, but Jack Bauer says its beef. Then you better believe it's beef.

Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.

1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.

Let's get one thing straight: the only reason you are conscious right now is because Jack Bauer does not feel like carrying you.

Jack Bauer was never addicted to heroin. Heroin was addicted to Jack Bauer.

Jack Bauer played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

When life gave Jack Bauer lemons, he used them to kill terrorists. Jack Bauer hates lemonade.

Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.

Osama bin Laden's recent proposal for truce is a direct result of him finding out that Jack Bauer is, in fact, still alive.

Jack Bauer is the leading cause of death in Middle Eastern men.

Jack Bauer doesn't miss. If he didn't hit you it's because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away.

When Jack Bauer was a child, he made his mother finish his vegetables.

Jack Bauer killed 93 people in just 4 days time. Wait, that is a real fact.

Simon Says should be renamed to Jack Bauer Says because if Jack Bauer says something then you better do it.

Jack Bauer won the Tour de France on a unicycle to prove to Lance Armstrong it wasn't a big deal. He thinks yellow wristbands are gay.

When Jack Bauer pissses into the wind, the wind changes direction.

Jack Bauer's favorite color is severe terror alert red. His second favorite color is violet, but just because it sounds like violent.

When you open a can of whoop-ass, Jack Bauer jumps out.

When Google can't find something, it asks Jack Bauer for help.

You can lead a horse to water. Jack Bauer can make him drink.

Jack Bauer can get McDonald's breakfast after 10:30.

When the boogie man goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Jack Bauer.

Every mathematical inequality officially ends with "< Jack Bauer".

In 96 hours, Jack Bauer has killed 93 people and saved the world 4 times. What the hell have you done with your life?

Jesus died and rose from the dead in 3 days. It took Jack Bauer less than an hour. And he's done it twice.

Jack Bauer killed so many terrorists that at one point, the #5 CIA Most Wanted fugitive was an 18-year-old teenager in Malaysia who downloaded the movie Dodgeball.

In kindergarten, Jack Bauer killed a terrorist for Show and Tell.

What color is Jack Bauer's blood? Trick question. Jack Bauer does not bleed.

Guns dont kill people, Jack Bauer kills people.

If Jack and MacGyver were locked in a room together, Jack would make a bomb out of MacGyver and get out.

People with amnesia still remember Jack Bauer.

Sun Tzu once wrote, "If your enemy is weaker, conquer him. If he is stronger, join him. If he is Jack Bauer, you're f***ing dead."

Jack Bauer literally died for his country, and lived to tell about it.

Jack Bauer has been to Mars. That's why there's no life on Mars.

Superman's only weakness is Kryptonite. Jack Bauer laughs at Superman for having a weakness.

When Batman is in trouble, he turns on the Jack Bauer signal.

It took Jack Bauer two minutes to beat a confession out of OJ.

If Jack Bauer was gay, his name would be Chuck Norris.

The bumper sticker on Jesus's car reads, "WWJBD?"

Jack Bauer was conceived by torturing the other sperm until they gave up the location of the egg.

After 7 minutes of interrogation at the hands of Jack Bauer, Tom Cruise admitted that he was gay.

Jack Bauer's family threw him a surprise birthday party when he was a child. Once.