31 January 2011

frustrating endorphins

I feel good that I was a skinny wiener and got a kickass workout today.

Because it started not so good. I didn't sleep well last night and dragged my ass out of the amazing cloud of bed goodness at 415ish and quickly brushed, washed, clothed, scarfed cereal, and sipped coffee on the way to work.

Had some belly issues today, probably because I ate nothing but crap this weekend. Chips and brownies and occasional mac n cheese do not equal calm tummy. When will I learn?

Also fought a headache today along with dreary sinus pressure. Ugh damn weather. Get cold again.

Also the heat pushed the temperature in the lab into the stuffy 80's since the air conditioning is still tripping, which the chemistry analyzer does not like. Oh, boy.

BUT instead of going home and being lazy and stuffing my face, I had some green tea and worked out.

And now I feel great. Yay endorphins!

Except... I called Chris on the way to work out and he actually answered. Said he was cleaning his gun and to call him after my workout, and we'd get a chance to talk. But I knew better- I knew I'd call back in a half hour and he wouldn't answer. But he insisted and promised, so I called him back after my workout.

Why am I not surprised there's no answer?

I'm not blaming him- I know things are wishy washy as far as availability goes, but it's so annoying to play phone tag and have nothing but those crappy half-assed phone calls punctuated by random texts for weeks on end.

I guess they're definitely better than nothing. This relationship is frustrating. I feel like I've got the worst of both worlds- I feel single without the freedom to flirt, and I feel committed without the benefits of companionship and regular sex. I guess it's good that the only thing I don't like about our relationship is the fact that he's not here. If it were anyone else I would have chunked the deuce a long time ago.

How did this post go from working out and feeling good to bitching about my relationship? Meh, living in the status quo!

Now-- what to figure out for dinner?

30 January 2011

church & stuff

This morning I was walking to the kitchen for coffee and my dad was at his computer in the other room and asked, "Where are you going?" because my slippers sounded like shoes.

I said I should be going to church and he said, "I hear ya," but I got my coffee and sat down to read postsecret.

Going to church is like going to the gym. It's good for you, you never regret it, yet it's so hard to stop being lazy and get into the routine. You gotta have motivation to go.

I think I'll just wait till Chris gets home and starts making me go...

I hope these next couple of months go by fast kuz I can't wait for him to come home, but I also hope it goes kinda slow kuz we've got a wedding to plan. It's happening so fast! But I got my cute red dress and zebra shoes, so now it's all about what Ash needs.

Planning a bridal shower and I can't decide if the invitations need color (like a red ribbon tied around it?) or if they're fine and I'm just over-thinking something tiny. And yeah it looks kinda funny with the personal information removed...


What do you think? Ribbon? No ribbon? Some other way to add color? Or is it fine the way it is?

29 January 2011

how bazaar

Was looking for cake stands and came across this.... creepy.


People like the strangest stuff.

These are cute though.
And these look handy...



aaand we're back to creepy again.


Interesting website.

(and no, I did not use the wrong word for bizarre. It's a play on words, sheesh!)

Also, I just started drinking some wine and my face got all hot and splotchy and really itchy. Okay...

Is that a chevy 69?

27 January 2011

hacker

Someone tried to get into my online bank account yesterday, but after three wrong tries at my password, it was disabled.

It's suspicious because they had to be using my real username for me to get an email saying it was blocked. So I wonder how they knew my username? I hope it's not someone I know. If it's you, you're a shit head.

Too bad my password is super badass and whoever it was couldn't get it. HA!
I've now changed both the username and password so eff you, internet bank account hacker.

25 January 2011

curious

I wonder how much I don't know about this...

24 January 2011

party's over

... and now the student loan letters come pouring in. Noooooooooooooooooo

23 January 2011

overkill

I read a few blogs. Some are about cooking, some are about fashion, some are about home decor, some are like mine, and some are just very randomly awesome.

It's cool having an outlet so that I can mention things like how the cat likes to perch on the arm of the couch lately, and comes running when I open my bag of chocolate covered craisins because it's the same kind of package as her treats. Sorry kitty.
Or have a place to vent when things piss me off or I need to organize some thoughts. Or you know, hope that someone out there relates to me and the everyday things I like to write about. Or thinks the latest cat video is funny too. Or not. It's whatevs and ultimately it's my own project, whether or not people read it.

I've come to notice, though, that some people take blogging to a whole new level. It's like they walk around with a camera documenting their entire lives just so they can run home and blog about themselves and every tiny thing they did and/or post a billion pictures of themselves.

For example, food bloggers: Do we really need to have a picture and a description of every single thing that you eat? Who cares that you had a snack of two organic, naturally-dried-under-the-Egyptian-sun-while-monks-blessed-their-nutrition apricots after your 15-mile run... day after day? We also don't need a step-by-step recipe on how you prepared your morning oatmeal.

It's like their own little mini reality show on the internet, starring their favorite person. Their lives revolve around their blog and the approval of strangers keeps them going.

It's just got me wondering how annoying it is for everyone else around them.

Anyway. I woke up this morning wanting to laze around in bed all day but we've got company coming over and I must drag my lazy princess ass out of bed and hang out. I wonder if I can get away with staying in my pajamas if I just put on a bra...

22 January 2011

love/hate

Not loving:


The pile of dirty dishes in my sink. Suzy, come home and wash my dishes!


The cat that loves to roll around in the dirt, then lay on my bed.


Not being able to talk to Chris for another week and a half while they finish up another round of training. When he comes home in April, it will have been a year since he left for boot camp. Do you realize that by that time, I would have only seen him for about 4 days out of that year- when he was on leave in July? How do you maintain a relationship like that? I have no idea, but we've managed to do it so far.

Loving:

Chocolate covered craisins. For sho. Every time I eat craisins I think to myself, "You know, there could be an old dried up bug in here, and I could eat it and never notice because the color and texture would probably be really close to a craisin." Think about it!

The weather today. Gorgeously sunny with a chill. Getting ready to drink some green tea in my doorway soaking up the rays. Maybe my dirty-ass cat will come join me and I can surprise her with a wet paper towel whore shower.

My new notecard stash. I don't know how I go through them so fast. And for the record, I never pay more than a dollar for a set.



BJ's gluten free pizza tonight. My newest obsession: ham & pineapple. Belly, get ready for a food baby.

20 January 2011

smooth, please!!

What I wouldn't give for a smooth day at work. A day that's not spent troubleshooting, solving yet another crisis, or tracking down a solution. I used to have those kind of days, where did they go?

Yesterday's crisis was replacing a creatinine lamp that was a problem in itself, and of course it ran into more problems. But I busted my ass and every result was out on time, thankyouverymuch. I'm so glad I have Andrea working with me M-W because if not I'd have been up shit creek without a paddle.

Today was spent coaxing a total protein pump to cooperate. We're getting a new one some time tomorrow. Which will, no doubt, create more issues before it's resolved. I've come to expect that.

My lunch break today was spent down in ICU trying to diffuse a situation. I tried to steer from the direction of pointing fingers to solving the problem. When everything was said and done, I felt like I performed a small miracle. And it was time to go home.

I'm beat.

18 January 2011

see...

Rockin' the contacts today. At work, the girls immediately noticed that I wasn't wearing glasses, and all the boys just kinda looked at me for a second longer, thinking, "Hm, something is different." Typical.

Anyway, still super comfortable. I even forgot I was wearing them until someone would say, "Hey, you're not wearing glasses." I'm used to them being dry and hurty. This is awesome.

A few times today my vision blurred for a second and I caught myself trying to push my glasses up out of habit.
But it was very nice not to have to creatively try to push them up while wearing contaminated gloves, and microscope work wasn't interrupted by having to clean the lenses. (Spots on glasses look a lot like bacteria, except when you move the field they're still there. Very annoying)

Also, showering with contacts is like showering in a whole different world. I'm not used to being able to see how dirty it is...

It's been incredibly busy at work for the past few weeks. The two of us seriously haul ass all day long until we realize that we're running out of time to take our required lunch break.

Tonight is a foot-soaking night. But the GOOD news is that my back felt good enough for me to work out today. A little tight and a few twinges of pain, but tons better.

Pizza in the Xpress Redi Set Go for dinner. Mmm.

Thought this was neat:

17 January 2011

the colors!

So I went to the eye doctor and I'm all dilated and everything's all trippppyyyy. Got me some contacts too. They're extremely comfortable, especially when compared to the ones I used to wear years ago that were all uncomfortable. I forgot to look at the brand, though.

Except I'm confused about my copay, I think I was charged too much. But I can't read the details on the damn piece of paper. I have to hold it out far like an old person.

Anyway cross that off the list. Chicka yeah.

Just bought 13 zebra striped ties.
Beat that for odd purchase of the day.

16 January 2011

strange movies, coconuts, kittens

About 25 minutes into Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

Really strange movie.

Last night after sushi I learned the correct way to crack open a coconut. Last time I just banged it on the concrete until it opened.

BUT, what you do is pound a nail into the three little indentations on one end and drain the water. Then, you wrap it in a towel and pound it with a hammer until it breaks open. Easy peasy.

Have to do some stuff today. But I've got a kitten sleeping on my lap. Can't get up!


Also, I think it's time to re-set the pregnancy and engagement counter. For 2010 a whopping 13 people I know got engaged and 5 got pregnant. I wonder if 2011 will be higher or lower?

15 January 2011

clean! organized!

Back into the organizationals mood today. So far I've cleaned out my "linen closet," my shoe bin(s), and my pots and pans cabinet. I've cleaned the bathroom and I'm on the second load of laundry.


I have a lot of shoes. I ended up keeping 35ish pairs. I threw some away and put some into the goodwill pile.

I am in a serious de-clutter mood.

Next is my sewing stuff, the junk drawers, the game drawer, and my dresser drawers.

13 January 2011

foooooooood

Appetite is definitely back. Been hungry all day- mostly all week.

Back is -almost- -almost- better.

It feels good to be getting back to normal. This non-eating hurty-back person was not cool.

Currently settling back from a scarf-frenzy with a plate of enchiladas. Food. Baby. So. Good.

Going to make pancakes later so I have something to eat for breakfast tomorrow. Because I'm all out of cinnamon chex. And it's cold outside and I was super hungry and I only wanted to stop once, so I opted to buy cat food instead of going to buy more cereal. Yes, the cat won. But that's ok. I get pancakes.

What a stressful, shitty week. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday and I don't have to do shit on Saturday. Maybe I'll go to the container store :o)

Um, yeah, and apparently our signs have changed. The earth's axis is wobbly or something, so here's the new signs:


  • Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
  • Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
  • Pisces: March 11-April 18.
  • Aries: April 18-May 13.
  • Taurus: May 13-June 21.
  • Gemini: June 21-July 20.
  • Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
  • Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
  • Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
  • Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
  • Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
  • Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17.
  • Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20. 
What the hell. I'm an Ophiuchus... Not even cool. No one's even heard of that, and besides I'm totally a sagittarius! 

12 January 2011

for the life of meeee

Just as I was pulling up to my house this evening, this song came on. I had to sit in my car, deliberately slowly gathering my things, to sing along for a while. I do love his voice. And it seems I'm digging mellow songs again.



Also, now it's in my head. And I need to figure out dinner.
Butttt I think my back is -almost- better and my appetite seems to be coming back.

yayy :o)

11 January 2011

closer

I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere when the water filled every hole...

I demand you hit play while you read the rest of this entry.



I was watching Easy A when I recognized this song in the background. It's been so long since I listened to Death Cab for Cutie. I forget how much I love their old stuff.

Especially this song. Driving around downtown Houston, lost, on a rainy night my first semester at UH. Listening to a burned copy of this album in my Pedro. Man, I was so lost. Not just literally-- figuratively. How incredibly far I've come.

But it's been 5 years. I remember it like it was yesterday, despite how much has happened. I think about what these lyrics meant to me then and where I was... I can't believe how much differently I feel. Oh my gosh I was a mess. But it really does all turn out ok in the end.

I listen now and smile.

I'm fucking amazing.

(I also love passenger seat.)

10 January 2011

in bed

You know you have a big (and glorious) bed when you have yourself a nice snack of popcorn in bed while watching How I Met Your Mother, set the bowl to the side and wake up in the morning and it's not disturbed.

Oh, reason #305 why Chris is super awesome: He doesn't care that I snack in bed. In fact, he has no problem snacking in bed with me. Who cares about a few crumbs? Sheets are meant to be washed.
A few people that I have dated have hated the fact that I snack in bed. Pshh to them!

In the meantime, a heating pad is calling a sore back. In bed.

...Do YOU snack in bed?

09 January 2011

weekend

Huntsville was totally fun, despite the backache, and their new house is gorgeous. I love it.

Back still hurts, though it seems to have loosened up a bit. I can now walk totally upright but trying to get up off the couch or out of bed is brutal. I want to start working out again this week, so it needs to hurry up and heal.

Belly is still being very un-belly. I did manage to work up an appetite this weekend from all the moving. Totally enjoyed tacos and chili and various other snacks that I thoroughly enjoyed, but now it's back to wanting nothing but white rice and applesauce. And it's not even hurty or upset! Oy.

Oh yeah, remember how I bitched for weeks about my kitchen light not working? Turns out all we had to do was push the reset button on one of the outlets on that wall. Sonofabitch I felt like a tard. But now I have light.

07 January 2011

yet another reason

Why I'm old.

My back went out.

Are you freaking serious??

I'm hobbling around like dad when his back goes out. I kept waking up when I wanted to change positions because I couldn't move without the creative use of my arm and leg muscles. And don't even get me started on getting out of bed or up off the toilet. It's surprising how much you use your back muscles. Like standing up and leaning slightly forward, as in reaching for something. It's killer.

And it's not like it happened suddenly. I just noticed it getting worse and worse over the course of the evening until finally I sat down to watch tv, and then I couldn't get up off the couch. And I'm supposed to help Kathy move this weekend. Hopefully it will loosen up during the day.

06 January 2011

on track?

The working-out-age shall re-commence next week.

The first week of the month is always busy, but the first week of the month of the year? Eesh. My feet hurt, my back hurts (omg I'm getting old), I'm starving and exhausted. Time to bust out the foot spa. Ahhh, bubbles.

Gotta pack for an overnight trip to Huntsville to help Kathy move this weekend. That'll be my workout.

The hardest thing about trips since being diagnosed with Celiac is making sure I have something to eat. I've got to plan ahead. When everyone stops moving to take a pizza break, I've got to have options... and a wimpy salad is not going to cut it. So I'm going to have to think about and pack every meal and snack for the next few days. It kinda sucks. I'd love to be able to nosh down on a Subway sandwich or greasy pizza and cold beer, especially after manual labor. Buttttt I guess it's worth it that I don't feel terrible.

This is going to be hard trying to figure out what kind of food I'll want to eat over the next couple days, given the non-committal anti-food attitude my belly has been giving me lately. It's not upset or anything; it's just that darn appetite. I usually just listen to the belly to determine what to eat, but it's not giving me any leads! Last weekend I made beef stew just to make it- I figured a home-cooked wholesome meal would jumpstart the belly's cravings after weeks of half-hearted snackage. I didn't want the beef stew, either. I just picked at it and forced myself to eat it. By any other standards it was delicious, but belly was not feelin' it.

Come on belly, it's time to cooperate.

04 January 2011

ba-hahaha

Currently laughing hysterically. I may just be over-tired and that's why they are so funny, but who cares?

Ash, the ba-haha is just for you. ♥

02 January 2011

theme

Last night Akhtavious and I were finally going to try this restaurant that I've been wanting to try for a while. However, we were unsure if they were open and they weren't answering the phone. We were going to go anyway until I noticed on their website that they have a strict semi-formal to formal dress code. Uh, we were not even close to semi-formally dressed. SO new plan! Try it some other time, with reservations, and have a fun dress-up night. I'm thinking sequins. I've really been wanting to wear something with sequins!

Instead we had dinner at BJ's (tee-hee the name), which was super-crowded. I had the gluten free ham & pineapple pizza (a new discovery of mine, it's so good!) and we discussed all the things we'd like to do this year. I have yet another adult-ful thing to do: set up some kind of retirement account. Because dammit, I want to retire one day.

The current state of my room is chaos. After work yesterday I decided to get organized, paper-work wise. I had random stashes of paperwork in boxes and file cabinets. After hours of digging through and throwing stuff away, I still have a little left to organize and I have 3 trash bags of papers to burn. I kept the most useless crap. BUT it's a new year and hopefully by the end of the day it'll be all cleaned out and in neatly labeled files.

Then I want to start on all of the many junk drawers and quit being so cluttery. I have a label maker, and now everything will be organized and labeled! I smell a trip to the Container Store...!

Next on this week's agenda: see the eye doctor, get an oil change and have my tires rotated.