29 November 2010

tea for one

I have started taking my afternoon tea in a stacking tea pot. Mine looks very much like this:


It was a gift from Robert's stepmom many years ago. I suspect she liked me more than she liked her stepson. Not hard to figure out why...

But anyway. I've had this cute teapot tucked away for years, never used, and suddenly one day I thought of it. Perfect for my afternoon tea. It's working out for me quite nicely.

I haven't worked out in several days, since before Thanksgiving. I wanted to get back into the swing of things today, but instead I went to the doctor. My main reason for going to the doctor was to get a prescription for Prilosec OTC. My new prescription plan covers it with a $0 copay, but only if you have a written prescription... for an over the counter product. Regardless, I use it regularly and I'm going to take advantage of the free-ness.

I was getting pretty sick of my old doctor's office and their nonsense. This new doctor came highly recommended to me by my mom and brother and sister, who have all seen him recently. He's one of those hole-in-the-shopping-center doctors, but I was pleasantly surprised. He had a no-nonsense attitude, and had no problem writing the prescription. He also, UNLIKE ANY OTHER DOCTOR EVER, took notice of my chronic anemia. Most doctors just tell me take iron pills, which don't work even if I do take them. Then after it never fixes itself, they just kinda shrug it off and tell me to keep taking them. Because that makes sense...

One of the major things they taught us when we learned about the anemias is that there is always a cause, and you have to find the cause, not just leave it alone.

Baffling, huh?

I have long suspected that there might be a more relevant underlying cause, but it's pretty well compensated so I figured I'd just leave it alone until I got better health insurance and keep battling it myself. Well... I have better health insurance. So let's go.

But anyway. I had to fight with the pharmacy, call both my insurance company and the affiliated prescription plan with their respective retarded automated systems, and drive back to the pharmacy and do some more explaining before I got my free drugs. But dammit, I got my free drugs. Lol. WIN!

And I also bumped into Madre and Luke at the Walgreen's checkout buying me a [surprise] birthday bottle of wine that's as long as my freaking arm. ROFL I love it.

So how is it already 5:30?

27 November 2010

Mustache necklace!

My sister Suzy has a thing for mustaches. In fact, she's having a mustache party. For her birthday, I wanted to get her a mustache necklace, such as this one or this one.

However, time was not on my side.

So, I decided to make one out of the cornstarch dough I used for beads and ornaments.
I just found a shape I liked on the internet, printed it out, and used it as a template for the dough.

I let it dry for a few days, and gave it a few coats of shiny black acrylic and a coat of clear acrylic paint.

I found the rings and the chain in the jewelry aisle at hobby lobby.

Silly and cute.


Story Time

When I was a little kid, in about second grade, I had a loose tooth. One day at the lunch table, my friends and I started discussing whether or not the tooth fairy existed. I can't remember which side of the debate I was on, but I do know that I was old enough to start doubting the fairy that comes into my room in the middle of the night.

So I devised a plan.

I was going to lose the tooth and put it under my pillow without telling my parents. If the tooth fairy was real, I'd know the next morning.

Eventually the tooth fell out, and I nervously avoided my parents for the evening. I didn't want them to notice that it was gone. That night, I put it under my pillow and fell asleep. The plan was in action.

The next morning, I was so nervous to check under the pillow. Did I really want to know? Was I ready to handle the truth? I nearly shit my pants when there was a dollar bill where my tooth had been. I was shocked.

I went to school the next day and excitedly told my friends the story- the tooth fairy must be REAL! I still was a little confused and doubtful, because again I was at that age when I understood that the tooth fairy story just didn't add up. Not like Santa Clause. But, the facts were right there in the form of that dollar bill and there was no other way it could have gotten there.

Years later, my mom and I were talking and somehow this story came up.

I told her what I did and she started laughing hysterically.

She told me that the night I lost the tooth, I left a tiny spot of blood on the bathroom sink and she saw it. For some reason (mom intuition?) she knew I had lost the tooth and hadn't told her. So that's how the dollar got there.

My mom uses this story as an example of how sneaky I was, and still am.

24 November 2010

afternooning

This afternoon:

Lunch = Cranberry nut bars. OMG. AMAZING. Amazing.


Random citrus that has accumulated on my counter top. Also, lemon meringues. Take that, scurvy.


Kitty who can't decide if she's more curious or annoyed.


Devil egg nog. My mom and I cheerfully poured a glass, grated some fresh nutmeg on top, said "cheers," took a sip, and at the same time started coughing and gasping. Damn, that shit's strong. Might even be stronger than yours from last year, Akhtar.


Got a fabulous-looking pumpkin pie in the oven that I can't WAIT to eat, and mom's got her famous nut cups baking in hers. Glorious things are happening in our ovens today. And the smells... oh, the smells.

I work tomorrow morning, but I get off early.

23 November 2010

pretty things

Some things that have been on my mental wish list lately.

And NO, this is not a subtle hint at a certain someone's upcoming birthday or Christmas gift ideas. Just stuff I've been thinking about. Seriously. Think of it as an homage to Oprah's favorite things, but way cheaper and much less varied.

  • To update my new, crisp, slightly classier bed, I'm thinking a glass lamp on my nightstand. 


However, it's hard to find one that's not 100 or even 50 bucks. Heck no, it's a lamp and I'm not paying that much. I shall continue to check out the clearance racks! It makes it that much better to say I got it for a deal.

  • I love putting my dish soap into an oil cruvet. 



There are no finicky pumps that get lazy, sticky and drippy, it's prettier than a bottle of dish soap, and it's easy to pour just the right amount. Downside: The metal spout tends to corrode, so I have to replace them fairly frequently. Currently on the lookout and I love this shape.

  • Pin-tuck. Absolutely gorgeous. I love the simple elegance.


Too bad the one from West Elm only has a thread count of 230. Psh.

  • I love these soaps. Dayna showed me these a while back and I've kept them in my bookmarks. Check out the streaking technique and accurate representation of the bugs. They're even in Houston. Loves.


  • Also, loving chandeliers. I want one in the kitchen of my future house.


  • Pea coats. 



I adore how they look... on other people. They always look funny on me.

  • Diamond confetti. Need I say more? 


 I'm so glad we're having it at Ashley's wedding. It's just so darn fun.

Well, now I'm hungry and need to eat something other than snacking on Kinni-toos.

22 November 2010

ahhhh.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUZY!!!

I have this waiting for you:


It's so darn cute and I'm pretty excited about it. But that's a post for another day.

Full of chicken and corn chili and ready to take a shower, climb into my massively amazing big girl bed and watch How I Met Your Mother reruns.

I freaking love my life.

19 November 2010

BIG GIRL BED

Today I went shopping for these, and instead ended up coming home with a BRAND NEW BIG GIRL BED!!! (!!) Unexpected and quite exciting.

We didn't find the shoes I wanted, so we headed to another store and there was a Mattress Giant in the same shopping center. Just for shits and giggles, I convinced mom to head in and do some price shopping. Little did I know, they were having a great sale and I fell in love with a bed. And bought it.

A frenzy of tearing apart the old one, vacuuming, putting together the new one, buying new sheets, and re-organizing to accommodate the bigger bed ensued. It's SO GLORIOUS!

It's much bigger than the last one. I can spread out and not hang off at all. I feel like it takes up about half of my tiny room, haha. But it's very comfy and will transition nicely into an apartment or house when I move out.

It's a Kingsdown mattress, and I got it for half off. Hellz yeah. Even with sheets, I was still under-budget when it was all said and done. Now my savings account is a little lighter, but I definitely have made an investment.
I decided not to get a headboard/footboard yet because I feel like there's just not enough room and I'd like to stay flexible if I decide to get a bedroom set in a few years. I also need a bed skirt, but I'll get that eventually.

Horray for big girl beds!!

BEFORE


AFTER



The picture really doesn't do its size or its comfiness OR its adult-ness justice. Feel free to come over and flop on it. After you shower and put on clean clothes. :o)

Going to see Harry Potter tomorrow night. Excited!!!

17 November 2010

chicka chicka

I love that I cleaned out my closet. Today I came home from work, grabbed something to eat, and very hurriedly changed out of my scrubs into something more appropriate for court. Before it would take me 30 minutes of trying things on, but everything in there fits now. I was dressed (very cutely) in 5 minutes. No more thinking, "Ooh, this would be cute," and finding out it's way too small or fits funny and having to take it off again and find something else. Love it.

I was halfway curious and halfway dreading jury duty. Turns out I just sat there for 20 minutes reading Harry Potter and then a cop came out to tell us that they were all done for the day and they didn't need us. Sweet.

Then they told us that we were going to get a $6 check in the mail, and to be sure and cash it otherwise it would mess up all their books, haha. I guess lunch that day will be on the city!

I think that I'm going to start drinking a daily cup of green tea again. Right after work, so the little bit of caffeine won't keep me up at night, but it will keep me going through my work out. Besides, it has a tendency to [ ** TMI ALERT! ** ] keep me regular. Gotta love that.

Speaking of keeping me up at night, nothing's been doing that. I've been going to bed at 7-8 and not even stirring until the alarm goes off. It seems so early, but it doesn't bother me because nothing really happens in the evenings anyway.

P.S. Canned air is so fun. Also, I should stop eating at my computer. I cleaned it (and my desk) the other day because I noticed it had gotten really gross. It is now cleaned and sanitary again. *loves*

P.P.S. I need two more new places to visit by the end of the year. Suggestions? I'm thinking cheap day/weekend trips to some place interesting. No flights or anything. "Place" is flexible- it can be a town or something like an attraction.

16 November 2010

blahness

Sorry, Ashley and Suzy, the only two people that read this, haha... I haven't been a very good blogger lately.

I've had fun stuff happen (Trip to San Marcos Oooh OOOOHHH!) Cracks me up every single time.
Gorgeous bridesmaid dresses marked originally at $70 and I got them for what? 30 bucks a pop. Yes ma'am.

I have a project/idea I'm working on and I'd like to talk about it but I can't because 1. Not sure if it will work 2. I can't give away gift ideas ;o) But I'm still excited.

Still wishing I had a bathtub.

Also, I must have been stocking up on cans of pumpkin more than I realized- I somehow have 9 cans of pumpkin in my pantry. I do not remember buying that much!

12 November 2010

gluttony

Does this not look amazing? Seriously, my mouth is watering.

10 November 2010

disappointingish

Today was kind of crappy.

I've spent the last three days trying very hard to, 1. Train my new co-worker and 2. Get results out on time. I think I did pretty well with juggling the two, but it's been very tiring and stressful. Too bad she came in today telling me she got another job offer and she's taking it. Sonofabitch wasted time.
I also have to spend time doing the maintenance on two extra machines because the person who usually does it over the weekend is no longer working there. I also had no one to tell me how to do it- hello instruction manual! Those things are surprisingly helpful.
For the record, even when it's stressful like this, I still love my job.

I also had a splitting headache. Majorly. Since when do I leave the house without magic pills??

Crappy lunch because I was too tired/lazy to pack one last night.

I was hungry before I went to work out, so I had a small bowl of cereal. During my workout I got a little crampy, but it wasn't till the drive home when I was all cooled down that it really started to hurt. Bad cramps all up and down my abdomen, and a lump in my throat that felt like I might puke, but I wasn't nauseous. It still really hurts. I'm not supposed to feel worse after a workout!

I think the time change is affecting me, too, kuz I'm majorly worn out. I'm so ready to chillax. I'm seriously looking forward to this weekend.

I have found myself wishing more and more lately that I have a bathtub. No, the gnarly one upstairs doesn't count. :o)

09 November 2010

...

Oh my gosh.

The girl what was my roommate my first semester at UH is dead.

She was such a sweet, sweet girl.

I'm so shocked. This is awful.

Rest in peace, Delissa.

07 November 2010

odd n end

Did you know that there are entire websites dedicated to bath robes? They even have bath robes for dogs, which is weird. Also, I don't like terry cloth bath robes. It's time for a new one, and there are a lot of terry cloth bath robes out there.

Ashley's future mother-in-law grows herbs and gave me some!!
Basil and chocolate mint. I'm very excited.


I need a basil-heavy recipe. Pesto?

Also, I do not enjoy being ignored. All my feelings turn into a great big giant FUCK YOU; I don't need this shit. How many times have I had this argument? Too damn many.

meh?

Unhappy and full of wishing-ness.

It was a good day, though.

06 November 2010

Happy Robot Cake

With any cake I make, there are ALWAYS setbacks. Always some kind of problem. So I always start early and try not to panic.

I have realized that my new job has taught me patience and problem-solving. When the machine screws up, you can't yell at it or get mad- you have to troubleshoot and figure out how to fix the problem or work around it. I've been staying a lot calmer when things go wrong, not just at work.

I made the first cake and realized that it came out way thinner than I anticipated and the cake would not be as tall as I'd like. So, I grabbed the extra cake mix that I bought just in case, I avoided a problem. I'm now enjoying some coffee while the second cake cools. Good thing I got started early.

After the baby shower fiasco, I'm really excited to make this cake for Stephen's first birthday. I can't believe he's a year old already! And he's cute as freaking pie.


Some sneak peaks and in-progress photos:

Fondant pieces that I cut last night:

IMG_3546


Robots in progress:

IMG_3547

04 November 2010

happy drag

Glorious day.

I didn't sleep well last night. I kept thinking about how I needed to rock today.
My least favorite person ever coworker was terminated yesterday, and I guess I felt the need to prove that I am worthy and can kick ass at my job? Anyway, I kept thinking tense thoughts about the next morning and and I couldn't stop, so I didn't sleep much and when I did it wasn't restful. I wasn't really worried, just mostly excited to kick some ass.

I did rock today. Every result was finished before deadline, and things went relatively smoothly. I love my job.
After work I picked up 3 more boxes of cinnamon chex (gotta have my 4am wake-up motivation).

Then, I headed to Curves. 30 minutes later, I committed to spend 40 bucks a month for a year to work out. Much more expensive than 24 hour fitness, but I hope it will work for me. I hoped to be more motivated and excited about it, but maybe I'm just really tired right now and working out is the last thing I want to do.

I wonder if a nap before bed will ruin another night's sleep... should I just tough it out?

03 November 2010

heyheyhey

I come from Alabama with a banjo on my kneeeee.

omghiccups.

Good stuff happening.

LOVE the weather. Cold, dreary, misty, the kind of day that makes you want to stay in bed all day and snuggle. Been a while since I've had one of those days. Someone won't be home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and I don't get time off work to fly to Hawaii. Very bummed about that. I might as well get used to it, though. Can I really hang in there for that long? We'll find out, won't we? One day at a time...

ANYWAY, I have leftover pizza to eat for dinner, and an early day tomorrow.

Random video of pumpkin, who is loving the attention:

01 November 2010

my car is rapidly turning suckier.

I must vent.

Tonight, after a long, super-busy day at work and very nice dinner with Akhtar, I stopped to get gas.

I stuck the nozzle in, decided to treat Jake to some 89, and squeezed the nozzle. The next thing I noticed, gas was pouring out. Not in.

Um.

I repositioned the nozzle and tried it again. Same thing.

I looked inside the hole. I didn't know what it was supposed to look like, so if something was wrong, how would I know??

I called Dad. He said to come home.

I stopped at a different gas station first and tried again. Spent 28 cents on gas to find out that the same thing would happen.

Son of a bitch.

Dad checks it out. Apparently some cheap-o plastic thing inside the hole to guide the nozzle into the gas flap thing broke off and got all cattywonker and now the flap won't open and the gas won't go inside. And yes, it helps to picture it with a dirty mind.

My thought: WHY THE FUCK DO YOU USE A CHEAP-O PLASTIC THINGY INSIDE WHERE THE GAS GOES?? and, HOW THE HELL DOES IT BREAK?? It's not like I abuse it!  [More dirty mind thoughts]

So Dad goes with me to the gas station, fiddles with the cattywonker plastic thingy, and gets the flap open so that we can slowly pour gas inside. [Don't even Think about dirty mind thoughts. That's my dad!]

Then, the damn flap won't close. So I'm imagining firey gas-tank death, while in reality it will probably just evaporate and I'll have to fill up sooner. Firey gas-tank death is still a very real thing in my mind.

Anyway, I have a feeling that, with all things car-related, it won't be under warranty (but it damn well SHOULD be), and it will be a $400 part and I'll have to get a rental car while it's fixed. At the very least, I'll have to go to the dealership. I fucking hate going to the dealership. Even with an appointment you're there for at least an hour until they have time to even look at it. I loathe dealerships. And it won't even be a Saturn dealership because they all went out of business... Hmm, wonder why...? Pieces of shit.

UGH I hate stupid car shit like this that is a giant pain in my ass, that never should be a pain in my ass to begin with, because it should have never so cheap that it's broken to begin with!

It's times like this that I wish Chris was here because he'd totally have a genius answer or he'd know how to fix it or he'd offer to go to the dealership for me, or at least with me.

Well, now I have to get up EARLY to go sit at the dealership for an hour tomorrow for them to tell me if they can even fix it.

Fuck.

I miss Pedro. :o(