All Kinds of Happiness!

So, since I'm trying to get back into the swing of blogging, I figured I'd catch you up on a couple of things...

My Birthday was a couple of weekends ago. Yeah, the big 3-1. I think 31 was a little more difficult for me than turning the big 3-0 last year. Maye I just don't like odd numbers, I don't know. 

Microsoft Clipart

I'll be honest, my Birthday kind of sucked this year. I had to work (I try never to work on my Birthday), which wouldn't have been so bad except for the fact that it was new student orientation. And K-Dog was gone. Let's just say there were some parents that apparently didn't care for me much. And they basically fired intense, crazy, accusatory questions at me. And my new Vice President happened to be watching. It turned out fine- the VP and my other colleagues in the room said I handled everything really well and a lot of other parents came up to me later and told me they appreciated what I had to say, my humor, and that I did a great job. A few actually told me they couldn't believe the other parents' behavior. One sweet woman actually leaned across my table (I was at a resource fair at that point) and patted my face and told me I did a really nice job and she felt so bad when the parents were hassling me.

But on the upside...I got some beautiful, cheery flowers and a balloon sent to work from my mom, my friend/coworker took me out for an AMAZING sushi dinner and brought me a Kung Fu Panda cupcake (her son's b-day is the day before mine), I had lots of Facebook messages/texts/emails/phone calls sending love my way, and I even saw The Crush...and he touched me. (But we're not gonna talk about that now.)

Last weekend was my mini-vacay/Birthday re-do weekend. I took a few days off from work and went to visit my brother in the Twin Cities. Have I mentioned how much fun he and I have together? Which is still funny to me, given we used to fight like crazy when we were younger. Anyway, it was nice to get away for awhile and spend some quality time with him. AND.... let me introduce you to LuLu...

Isn't she pretty? My lease was basically up on my Saturn (which I loved so much), so Brother and I went car shopping. Such an adventure. After a little drama with GM screwing me over on trading in my Saturn, I managed to get a lease on this beautiful 2012 Kia Sorento. She's got a bit more room than my Vue did, which is nice, but doesn't feel like a big bulky thing...except when I'm backing up...but I have a camera to help with that...though I'm not used to using it and end up feeling a little seasick backing out of my long driveway. :-/

Can you believe this weekend is my second House-iversary?! I can't. In some ways it feels like a lot longer...but mostly I can't believe I've owned my house for 2 years. Wow. I better get crackin' on these darn projects!

Lastly... I hope you all have an awesome and safe Fourth of July weekend! I hope you all get a chance to relax and have fun!

Microsoft Clipart

Dear Winter,

Taken during the Blizzard of '09

While I consider myself to be a 4 Distinct Seasons kind of gal, it's no secret that you and I have had a troubled relationship. At times you can be so sweet, offering beautiful gifts like Snow Days (though few and far between for me), pretty snow and ice covered branches, quiet nights, squeaky footsteps, excuses to stay indoors with a warm blanket and cup of hot something-or-other, and fluffy white snowflakes that inspire people to walk around with their tongues out to catch them. These are lovely things, Winter, and I truly do thank you for them. 

But there are the other times, when it seems like you are so overbearing and relentless ...almost as if you're showing off how much you can really do- the high snowbanks, slippery streets, bitterly cold temperatures, day after day of dreary gray skies, and the early darkness. 

I'm of tired of your moodiness and unpredictable behavior. I'm tired of having towels all over my dining room to wipe up wet dog paws (though at least they're clean and wet). I'm tired of feeling like I should be going to bed because it's so late only to realize it's barely 7:00.

I think we should go our separate ways Winter. 

It's not me. It's you.

Sincerely, 

Heidi

Today...

I had a lovely lunch (a Club Brie half-sandwich & half lobster pasta salad) with two lovely women who are quickly becoming good friends.

I am so tired but not totally sure why. Maybe it has something to do with the stress of yesterday's football game...and social gathering with oh-so-many energetic children and lots of people I didn't know.

I managed to stop at the grocery store after work, even though I really didn't want to.

I did my Pilates/yoga dvd after grocery shopping, even though I just wanted to lie on the couch.

I prepped a roast and veggies for the crock pot tomorrow morning. Yay for awesome dinner waiting for me tomorrow night!

I'm nearly finished reading a pretty good book- more on that later.

That's my day in a nutshell. What was your day like?

Whoops...

Happy Monday! (I guess)... it's the last week of classes for the semester and I'm so happy the end is in sight. What a semester it's been! {Sigh.} I'm ready for some time off.

Anyway, I promised I'd be back this week and here I am! Though with my internet out at home, blogging is going to be interesting. I actually wrote some stuff over the weekend and planned to steal a few moments during lunch to blog, but I completely forgot my jumpdrive at work last Friday...so I couldn't transfer things to my computer there today.

Don't worry though, I ordered a new wireless device today! For FREE! Woohoo! It should be here in 2 to 5 days. :)

Meanwhile, I remembered the jumpdrive today so I will have a CrushGate update for you tomorrow. And no, this isn't just a suspense-building tactic!

VBB

That's me...VBB...a Very Bad Blogger.

I haven't posted in forever (duh).

I've barely kept up with my favorite blogs (I'm sorry!) though if I have, I have been horrible at leaving comments (again, I'm sorry!).

But it's not because I don't love all of you... I do. And I miss blogging! I really do! There have been times I really felt like I needed to write about something, to vent or process or just share a funny story. Yet there were days I tried and didn't have the right words. But I do miss it. And all of you. :)

So I promise to be back soon with some good stuff...including some Christmasy pictures and some good stories- including a CrushGate update! (No, he hasn't professed his love for me.) I will also try to get caught up on blogs... although to complicate matters further my internet is defunct at the moment, so I'm using my fancy phone to write this! Sweet!

Have an awesome weekend everyone! I will be back next week!

Have I Mentioned...?

 I love Fall.

I love cooler nights when you can keep the windows open and sleep snuggled under a blanket.
I love pulling out light sweaters and my brown trench coat.
Wearing darker, richer colors, though apparently I tend to do that in every season anyway.
Warm drinks.
I love walking through the fallen, crunchy leaves... It is one of the big things I really missed about Wisconsin when I was living in Colorado. Fall. Leaves. I was recently walking with a four-year-old and I told him I loved crunching through the leaves, kicking them around a little as I walked. I guess he'd never considered this and asked me "Why??" I told him I loved the sound and they way the looked and that it was actually pretty fun. He seemed satisfied with my answer and immediately went on telling me he really did have a SpongeBob Square Pants taco for breakfast. Hmm.

Mostly, I love looking up and seeing this. 

Just a Sunday Afternoon on the Porch

This little guy ... or gal... was hanging out on my porch! Lucky for me I managed to snag a couple shots with my cell phone! And my camera! He was hanging out for almost 10 minutes, I think.

Enjoying the view? Comfortable? Sick? Rabid???

Wait, napping?! (click to enlarge) Wow.

I guess for this little guy, the porch was a good spot to take a Sunday nap.

Or he really is diseased and disoriented. Great.

Memories & Glue

I finally finished a project I have been thinking about for a while. See, a few years ago I bought a shadowbox that I never ended up using for the project I had in mind at the time. Not one to just get rid of things that can be useful, I saved it. The darn thing moved with me from Fort Collins to Milliken, and finally, to Wisconsin, where it still sat around for a while. I wanted to use it for just the right thing.

It finally hit me when I changed my license plates. I knew I wanted to use my Colorado plates for something and finally could! 

I gathered some things from my time in Colorado, though that was easier said than done. I wanted to put things that reminded me of good times, favorite places, and people, but I didn't want to fill it with pictures (that's what my scrapbook and other framed photos are for), nor did I want to stick anything too valuable or irreplaceable in there. And then, like most of my projects, this one sat around for a long time until I finally did it!

 

No, your eyes aren't fooling you, I blurred out part of the number.

It took me a few tries to get everything arranged how I liked. And then I had to get a bit creative with putting everything in there. Obviously a shadowbox has depth, so I wanted to use that and shoot for a layered look.  

I started with my old, trusty map of Fort Collins. Boy, I used that thing a lot when I first moved there! It was definitely worn in places. I took the map and glued it to the back of the shadowbox. I tried very hard to make sure the part glued to the back included campus and the area of town where I lived for 5 whole years. While you can't actually see where I lived (it's covered by the license plate), you can see where campus is...right by my CSU Alumni pin!

You can also see a couple of tickets in the photo- one is for the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and one is for the Budweiser Brewery. What a contrast, huh? The Brewery was a fun place to visit, particularly because it was the first one I ever toured and it's home to one of the Clydesdale teams. I went there a number of times over the years- with my family, friends, and grad school peers- and it was fun every time. I didn't visit the DAM until the last couple years I lived in Colorado. I wish I had gone sooner! And became a member! It's a place that has some great memories attached...and great art! Plus it's very interactive, which is fun for everyone, let's be honest. 

Oh, The Rio! I may miss you most of all! OK, probably not, but I have not had a margarita as good or as potent anywhere else! Seriously, there is a 3 margarita limit- I debated displaying the back of the matchbox because it says that! The salsa was delish there too. The food was good, but people typically didn't go there for the food. I couldn't even tell you how many times I went there to celebrate something...or to start out a fun evening with a marg! 

Another place I went to often, in the later years, was Jay's. My advisor loved that place and would sometimes take his students out for a nice evening...on his dime. I had some really great times with him there. To me, Jay's meant laughter, live jazz, amazing creme brulee, wine, and oysters. Not all at the same time, though. :) I also remember cold nights...for some reason I really only remember being there when it was cold out, which makes me think of the twinkly Christmas lights on all the trees and walking down the street arm-in-arm with my advisor and a good friend. 

I tucked a map of Colorado in there, as well as my brochure/guide to the DAM. I also included a New Belgium bottle cap. I think it was from a Fat Tire or maybe a Skinny Dip. Gosh, I just realized...it may seem like I just drank a lot the whole time I was in Colorado! Budweiser, The Rio, Jay's, New Belgium. I promise, I didn't! In fact, I've probably had more New Belgium brews since I left Colorado than I did when I was living there. 

My little shadowbox might not seem like much, but it was fun putting it together and fun reminiscing. When I think of the good times I had at these places, it brings up all kinds of other related memories too! Good times.

Unsettled

Occasionally I dream about someone from my past. These dreams seemingly rise up out of nowhere ... like fog...and they bother me. Not because they're bad dreams or anything. In fact, they're usually fairly nice dreams. They usually involve him and me... and strong feelings for each other... though sometimes the feelings are expressed a bit too late and other times we're right smack dab in the middle of this deep love for each other.

Like last night. My dream last night involved a marriage proposal. The ring I got had a "diamond" that looked like a hunk of hand blown glass....you could see those tiny little bubbles inside. I didn't seem to care that much. But to his credit, he told me it was temporary and took me to a fancy store to find the one I wanted pretty much right away. The dream was nice. We were happy.

But I opened my eyes this morning and the whole thing bothered me. These dreams about him just bother  me. Why him? Why now? Why does he pop up out of nowhere without a reason? It's not like I heard something about him recently or saw a picture or anything. I've virtually heard nothing from him since maybe once or twice very early in college. Before that we had basically parted ways sometime in the middle of high school and really had little to do with each other.

Usually I can shrug these feelings off, but today seems different. I feel foggy. I feel distracted and irritated. And it's almost like I have this nagging worry about him. For the very first time in years I have actually thought about trying to find out about him. I even tried to see if he was on Facebook.

But why? I don't really want to have an ongoing friendship with him...not really. And I think I heard a long time ago that he was married. So why now?

What does it all mean?
Why do I continue to have dreams about this guy?
What should I do?

Aw, Shucks!

I got an award! Thanks Suz, you're awesome!! I'm flattered!

I've mentioned Suz's blog here before, and if you haven't checked her out, seriously, do so! Be sure to read all about her recent mission trip to Dubai, check out her book reviews, and read all about her other adventures in being a {gulp} new 30-year-old!

So now, I'm supposed to accept this award: Thank you, I accept. :-) Check.
Link back to the person who awarded it: Suz. Check.
Tell you 7 things about myself (see below) and tag 15 other lovely bloggers (hmm..).

Without further ado, seven things about me:

1. I have a freakishly good memory. Seriously, it sometimes irritates people. Or impresses them when it's handy. K-Dog loves when I can tell him where I last saw something on the disaster area that is his desk. True story, I'll say something like, "That book is on the left side of your desk, under the stack of papers, about 2/3 the way down." And I'll be sitting in my office.

2. It takes me forever to make certain decisions. For instance, I still haven't decided on paint colors for my kitchen and dining rooms, bedroom, or bathroom. Not that I'm in a rush, but seriously. I think this indecision is actually a family trait.

3. I might get to teach Human Sexuality next summer! I am excited and terrified about this. I was the TA for the class while in graduate school and I did some guest lecturing. But teaching it all by myself? Yikes.

4. When someone suggests that I "just ask The Crush out" I simultaneously want to laugh, cry, and throw up.

5. I just joined Facebook at the end of last April. Yup. As in, about five months ago. I hate Facebook drama, and working with college students, I see a lot of it. Since I've joined, there are times I think it's fun and times I think about closing my account. I still hate Facebook drama. And I'd rather blog.

6. I've recently been watching all the seasons of 24 on Netflix Instant online. I get sucked in each time, even though the show is entirely too predictable. Seriously. Yet, I'm addicted. It may be that I have a crush on Jack Bauer and think he gets cuter every season. Except when he cries. I hate when he cries...he looks fake and kinda scary. I should know, I see people cry every day at work.

7. Looking back, I think the research I am most proud of is my Master's thesis. I was thinking about it again the other day and I really feel as though it is my baby. All mine. And I'm proud of it. Yet, it's not published and likely never will be. That's a story for another time... But I kind of miss doing research like that. If only there were more hours in the day.

OK, now... onto the bloggers... Hmm. I don't think I even read 15 blogs that I could tag, but here's what I've got:

EKN at Tales of Our Journey
Kim at Kim's Spot
N at N's Wonderful World
Amber at A little bit of everything

Um... I think that's all I've got. I mean, I read a bunch of other blogs, but they're not really those kinds of blogs. So here's to the four I chose!!! Woohoo! Cheers ya'll! Enjoy!

Your Questions & Comments...

Wow, you guys had some good questions and comments about my recent confession about The Crush...or what I think I shall call CrushGate. Heehee.

First of all, no worries about the laughter and giggles. Honestly, if this really upset me I probably wouldn't write about it on here. The whole thing IS a bit funny...I mean, yes, I was embarrassed about the "butt incident"... who wouldn't be? But it's kind of par for my socially awkward course.

Second, K-Dog is very entertaining. And he's real. I couldn't make this stuff up! He and I are actually a lot alike and we do keep each other laughing, which is important with the work that we do. Not too many dull moments in our office!

K-Dog also really does mean well. He tries to help and take care of me in his own...special...way. Ever since I picked up and moved here for this job, he has tried to point me in the right direction, offer me lots of suggestions, and wants to help me professionally. He jokes that he feels responsible for me leaving lots of friends and a solid professional network to move here. So he does what he can when he can- like giving me ideas about where to meet new people, good food in the area, etc. In regards to CrushGate, K-Dog kept telling me he was just checking things out, talking with some guys, no biggie. He doesn't bring stuff like that up in public either, which is good. Like, he'd never make a comment about The Crush in front of the office manager or another colleague. Again, his intentions are good.

Another good question: "Ok, so what did the crush reply back regarding you being single?" As far as I know...nothing. I mean, really, what was he supposed to say? To my supervisor? Maybe he said something to K-Dog that I haven't heard about, but I doubt it.

Maybe there is more to this story...I suppose time will tell. Like I said before, I don't have much contact with The Crush, so I am going to try my very best to actually complete sentences, be myself, and inject some of my humor the next time I do run into him. Keep your fingers crossed!!

And yes, I'll keep you posted.

Respite

I'm tired. The end of last week and the weekend was exhausting. And today I'm back at work and feeling overwhelmed with some large projects looming in my near future. I'll be back, hopefully tomorrow, with the scoop on my GIANT bush-removal project.

Until then, I leave you with the fortune I got in my fortune cookie last Friday. It's pretty fitting, I'd say.

What's the best (or worst) fortune you've gotten?

Loooooong Weekend!

It's a long weekend! Woohoo! I'm so excited!

As always, part of my weekend will include some of this

and this

and will definitely include a trip to the nursery for some more plants (I have a coupon for free stuff!)!

I also hope to enjoy a couple of these lovelies with some coworkers after work this evening

and some of this at a barbecue!

Mmmm.

What's on your agenda this weekend? Whatever your plans, have fun and be safe!

Monday Quote of the Day

Here's a snippet of a conversation that took place recently between me and a good friend of mine, let's call him John. I had just slaved over yard work or some big project and was trying to get cleaned up and ready to start a tough week:

John: Whatcha doin' Heidi?
Heidi: Painting my nails. I want to feel pretty tomorrow.
John: Why????
Heidi: What do you mean, why? Because, I want to feel pretty. (thinks to self: what kind of question is that?)
John: Well normally you don't give a crap.
Heidi: (slightly stunned silence) Gee. Thanks for that.
John: You're always pretty to me, that's all.
Heidi: Good save.
John: Thanks.

The end.

And yes, in spite of a weekend full of hard work, my nails are painted today, too. And I feel pretty. It's better than the dirty nails I had this weekend!!

Happy Monday!


 

Saturday Morning Surprise

Instead of sleeping away the beautiful, sunny morning I got up and washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put my contacts in so I could take the dogs out for a walk. At 8:25. On a Saturday. I know, not my typical Saturday routine. But we'd had so many days of dreary, wet weather I just couldn't pass this up.

Well, that and I spent my whole Friday night walking, brushing, and bathing my mutts. They hate baths. Lilly stays as far from me as possible and glares at me for hours after the horrific indignity I force her through. Montey actually loves the part after the bath, when I rub him dry with towels. Seriously, he will sit in my lap for hours letting me rub him down all while covering me with kisses. (OK, just realized that sentence could come across in a very dirty way. Ooops.)

Anyway, since my yard is dirty and the mutts are clean, we walked this morning. I had a simple breakfast and enjoyed my coffee while finishing my book and then decided to go thrifting to see what I could find.

And then I checked work email and read this subject line: "You've won an OTM award! Congratulations!"

Huh? A what?

After a little research, I found out that someone (I don't know who) nominated me for an Of The Month (OTM) award for March for a presentation I did in a residence hall. The OTM is given by the National Residence Hall Honorary, which I just learned is the "recognition branch of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH), Inc." So apparently, since I won at the campus level, it will now go on to compete with other OTMs written by students on a state-wide level. If it wins there, then it could go on to compete for national awards.

Honestly, at first I thought it was some kind of mistake or fake award. Yes, I'm that cynical. But it appears to be legit. I have no idea how many nominations are submitted per month, or who else I was "competing" with on my campus to be deemed the winner. I'm sure it's really no big deal in the grand scheme of things. We'll see what happens, I suppose.

I guess I'm just kind of shocked. I mean, I was really just doing a part of my job. Granted, the topic is one I'm pretty passionate about, but still. An award? Really? Me?

Really?

Anyway, just thought I'd share my surprising news. Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Lip-Smackin' Good

 source

What is it about a newly-opened jar of creamy peanut butter generously slathered on a soft piece of bread that makes it taste so darn good?

Mmm, good afternoon snack!

What are you snacking on today?

Ah, The Weekend

Spring Daffodils

Today was a day off for me! Hooray!

I haven't been sleeping very well all week, so last night I had a relaxing evening and went to bed kind of early...10:15ish...I actually FELL ASLEEP quickly! Yay! Aside from waking up a few times because of the dogs changing places, I slept pretty soundly, which was a relief. The best part was getting up to let the dogs out this morning and going back to sleep for a while, just because I felt like it!

I got my taxes done today, put my screen door back on the patio, planted more parsley and basil for my little kitchen herb garden, and finished a book for an upcoming discussion at work. I also took the dogs for a walk - no, I didn't see Dog Guy- and then we packed up the car and drove to my parents' house for the weekend. It should be a weekend full of fun, family, and food.

I hope you all have a Happy Easter!

I Think I Was a Lounge Singer in a Former Life...

Cuz I cannot STOP myself from singing at the top of my lungs in the car.

Especially when Aretha Franklin happens to be playing.

What were you in your former life??

Happy Belated Blogoversary to Me!

I had the best intentions to celebrate my Blogoversary... or at the very least shout out a "Happy Blogoversary To Me!" On time, that is. Oh well.

At any rate, my wee little blog is one year old. I can't really believe it's been a year since I started this thing. Ah, such a humble beginning. I mention it now because I'm approaching so many one-year anniversary dates... I defended the diss nearly a year ago (the 19th)... left the Evil Empire and the Wicked Witch nearly a year ago (technically the 18th was my last day)... and on and on. I may or may not end up subjecting you to some reminiscing posts in the near future...

I also couldn't help but notice that after my wee little blog was started, some other blogs were started... like my sister Kim's blog, Kim's Spot. Kim shares craft projects, recipes, and funny stories about her kiddos. I dig the Word of the Week feature. 

My sister Amber's blog, A Little Bit of Everything, chronicles her trials and tribulations being a student in a Physician's Assistant program... yup, she discusses things like makin' it through her first male genital-rectal exam and a newfound love of her Neti Pot. Honestly, I think I have a harder time with the Neti Pot. Ew.

Then there's my brother Brad's new blog Project Metamorphosis. (I can't help it, sometimes I accidentally say Project Runway...even though I don't even watch that show!) Anyway Brad is working hard on becoming the best person he can be- spiritually, physically, emotionally- and is sharing his steps along the way. Personally, I'm excited for him to share some of the awesome food he eats (hint, hint).

Finally, my good friend N recently started her blog, N's Wonderful World. N does a lot of scrapbooking and stamping and card making. And she's dang good at it too! You should go check out her super-cute Valentine's cards here. So stinkin' cute. Anyway, she writes a lot about her crafty projects, food, and whatever else strikes her fancy.  

I love reading these blogs (in addition to all those other blogs I read and love). I love seeing what everyone is up to, but I'm one of the youngest in a large family, so I'm coming from that place when I say, "I had a blog first!" :-D

Cowboys and Other Such Things

 Last weeked, while lying on the couch in misery with a drippy nose and pounding head, I discovered The Pioneer Woman. I'd heard her name mentioned by other bloggers- erm, I mean, I'd read her name written by other bloggers- but wasn't familiar with her blog or her story. These bloggers usually spoke of her with a mixture of awe and love... maybe even a little fear...like you'd talk about Superwoman or some other superhero.

So, tried of lying on the couch, but having no energy to move and sick of watching movies, I decided for no apparent reason that it was time to check this Pioneer Woman out.

I'm so glad I did. 

Her photography makes me drool. I wish I could do that. Maybe some day when I get a good camera I'll try out photography classes online and read all her previously posted instructions and tutorials. For now I'll just drool. (She also offers lots of photos for free to download and print, like the one shown above!)

She cooks too. She just wrote a cookbook that might be my next purchase (too bad her book tour is over) because her recipes sound amazing and the photos she takes of the food also make me drool with hunger.

PW is a great writer- so honest and hilariously funny, I find myself laughing out loud, especially when she tells stories about her kiddos (or punks, as she calls them).

But I'll be honest...the thing that has kept me going back for more all week long... is the cowboys. PW is married to a real live cowboy and lives on a ranch. She tells about how she met her "Marlboro Man" in a story she wrote here. Last weekend, in the middle of a sea of kleenex (from my drippy nose, I wasn't weeping or anything) I sat there reading this beautiful story for hours. It kept me happy and content. Well OK, maybe the cowboys aren't the only reason I go back. It's clear that she's so in love with her husband and her kids and her life on the ranch. And I love those things about her blog. The cowboys are the bonus! But, reading her stories made me think of The Cowboy...my cowboy...in ways I haven't thought about for a while. Like Wrangler jeans and big belt buckles, pressed and starched shirts, cowboy hats, Dr. Pepper, muscles, and thoughtful silences. It made me miss The Cowboy a little...all cowboys, really. It made me miss the West.

It's OK. I've got plenty to read on PW's blog to give me my fix and keep me happy...for now. If you haven't checked out PW's blog, please do. I'm willing to bet that just about anyone could find something appealing on her site.