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I can't think of anything to blog about.



See you tomorrow.

Answers

You all are way too smart.

A. I don't weigh 117 pounds.

B. Ironically, my parents used to force me to make my bed. In my mind, there were many more important things than making beds and picking up clothes. I'm sure my parents feared for my future husband's sanity and invisioned my future home being a disaster. Today, I must have the bed made before getting into it at night. No matter if that means making it at 7:30am or 9:55pm...it has to be made before I go to bed.

C. I am not pregnant, but I like to mess with your minds. Although, I guess it really didn't work. You're right...I probably would tell most of you in person first, and then announce it to the blogging world.

D. We really did watch 8 episodes of 24 this weekend. Time that should have been spent cleaning, doing laundry, and other profitable tasks in order to keep my life less stressful during the week was spent lounging with Hubs on the couch and after each episode saying....let's just watch one more. I think that line is straight from "How to determine if you're addicted 101."

E. Probably due to letter "D," the garbage disposal reeks. Bad. I spent some quality time this morning attempting to fix this very problem.

F. I didn't lose my cell phone, but I thought I lost it for a good 4 hours on Saturday. It was on the counter. Right, smack-dab in front of my face.

Guess What?

Which item(s) below are true?

A. I weigh 117 pounds.

B. I must have my bed made at all times.

C. I'm pregnant.

D. I watched 8 episodes of 24 this weekend.

E. Something died in the garbage disposal and it reeks.

F. I lost my cell phone.

Scamming season

Answering the company's main phone line provides for many irritating, but humorous situations. I hear the phrase, uh yeah, you called me, at least once a day. I hear a lot of electronic telemarketer and debt collectors schpeels. But the people that irritate me the most, are the scammers.

Last year I dealt with them, too, but I was waaaaay more nervous. They are pretty persistent buggers calling almost everyday in an effort to get the model number off of our copier. Here is how a normal conversation goes with them (this week):

Me: Company name, this is Heather.

Scammer: Hi Heather, this is Ted. How are you doing today? **Notice he did not give out the name of his business - #1 clue it's a scammer.**

Me (I play along): I'm fine. How are you?

Scammer: Oh great. Hey, we are just going through and updating our records. It looks like we need the model number off of your copy machine. Do you know where that is and could you get it for me?

Me: Sure. Well, could you tell me again what company you from?

Click. Dial tone.

That's right. THEY HANG UP ON ME because they know they I caught-em. I can just see it written in their script book: if asked what company you are from, hang up immediately! I think they should try a different tactic, because that makes them look even more fishy than before.

They will try this story for a couple of weeks at different times of the day until they realize I won't budge and nobody else is answering the phone. Then, they will try something new. Last year they actually got to the point of telling me they were from the repair company that we use when the printers need fixed. In other words, they flat-out LIE to me - which really gets my blood a-boilin'.

So, bring it on scammers. I'm ready for you this year!

Thinking of my Hubs and learning to live

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

These verses makes me think of Hubs. He is training for a marathon right now. He goes for some ridiculously long runs on Saturdays, and without the goal of the upcoming race it would be hard for him to get out there and put the miles in. When he goes on a run he lays aside all the troubles of the day. He pushes towards his goal and he runs.

He's also been in college for 7 years with the goal of becoming a dentist. There have been tough days and weeks. He's jumped through the hoops of the education system and he's pushed through these past years with a goal. A goal that seemed so far off it would never be within an arms reach as it is today.

Yes, Hubs has taught me a lot about endurance when I am much more of a sprinter. I have bursts where I read my Bible, I pray every day, I am bold about my faith and my beliefs. Then I get tired and I stop to rest instead of pushing through.

These verses remind me that I can't live my christian life with all my sin weighing me down. I would tire quickly from the load. Hubs can't run as well with his hiking boots and heavy clothes - he'd get tired too fast and would never make it the full distance. Instead, he sheds the heavy shoes and wears the lightest clothing possible so he can keep going. I must leave my burdens behind, too, if I ever plan to go the full distance.

They remind me that I must look towards a goal. It's hard to motivate and push yourself without a goal in sight. Hubs wouldn't be running such long distances if he didn't have a race coming up. Without a goal, if he got tired, he could just quit early since there was no reason to run so far. Much the same, if I am not looking towards Jesus, I can easily get sidetracked and start walking...maybe even stop.

Last night I was running on the treadmill. I set a time goal. I was going to run 20 minutes at a certain speed without stopping (I had already done 20 minutes on the eliptical). The first 13 minutes sped by. I looked straight ahead and cranked my music up loud. Then, it started getting boring. I started glancing at the time. My stride faltered and I told myself to stop at 15 minutes instead.

Then, I remembered my goal. Twenty minutes. Non-stop. I looked straight ahead. I got back into my groove, and I pushed through those last five minutes. I met my goal.

When the times come that I lose sight of my goal to glorify the Lord with my life, my stride falters and I get weary. I decide to stop and rest, and then it is hard to get going again. So, I put it off to another day, and another. Soon, I'm out of shape, I have all my heavy clothes back on, and I want to try and sprint to catch up on all I missed.

I'm reminded today that I can run without the heavy burdens of my life. I can run with endurance only by looking to Jesus who endured so much more that I ever will.

And He did it all for me.

Electronic Entertainment

Today is February 17th: the original day for the switch to DTV. I don't know how anyone could have missed the announcement. For over a year, our local tv stations have made sure we knew about this switch. Hubs and I chose to do nothing about it. I will admit that I was somewhat looking forward to seeing what life without TV would be like.

For one thing, I wouldn't have the temptation to sit down and watch TV after a long day instead of working out. Which was happening quite frequently, especially with the colder weather.

And, if we needed a TV show fix, we could pop in the "24" DVDs since we have only watched the first season so far.

And, for the one show that I am really going to miss - "The Amazing Race" - I can catch that over my lunch hour online at cbs.com.

I wasn't too worried about losing my TV channels, except for my morning news. My morning routine includes watching the local news and making fun of the local weather girl and I knew I was going to miss that. However, I had planned to just turn on the radio instead.

And, who really needs TV when we have a wii?


I haven't gotten into Nintendo since my brothers sold our Super Nintendo years ago. But lately, I can spend hours playing Mario Kart and Wii Fit. Hubs and I are becoming quite the racers. We've opened up 3 new racing cups and are dominating the race track. We are also beginning to sound like Jr. High video gamers while we play - okay, maybe that's just me.


I am probably a ton of fun to watch play. I can't just sit still while I'm driving. I get my whole body into every turn, bump, and jump. Hubs can play without the steering wheel. Not me, I need it to really get into the race.

So, I was ready for the switch and our local TV stations said that, despite the government's decision to extend the deadline, they were sticking to February 17th as the day.

Well, it ends up we only lost 1 of our 4 TV stations today - CBS, aka "The Amazing Race" channel. And after all those preparations we made to be ready for the switch...

And the saga continues

We were at the gas station Saturday evening. Fillin' up the truck. Hubs starts putting gas in the tank, but instead of going into the gas tank, it just spills right onto the ground. Odd. Hubs tells me and I immediately get mad at Dakota (the truck). I mean, every 3 weeks something new comes up and he needs fixed again. What's the deal? We give him plenty of attention and drive time. This is ridiculous.

Hubs pays for the gas that we pumped on the ground, and takes a look under the truck. It wasn't Dakota's fault. Somebody had cut out a 8-10" piece of the gas line and, most likely, siphoned gas directly from the tank!

What kind of a person does something like that? It's not good enough to suck someone's gas out that they paid for, but you have to actually cause the person to pay over $100 to fix the mess you made.

After talking with the police officer, Hubs found out that we weren't the first victims of this type of vandalism at our apartment complex. Two days earlier, someone else reported the exact same instance. I guess that made us feel a little better.

The porcelain tooth...I mean, bowl.

This weekend, I found that dentistry will not only be a great profession for Hubs, but it also helps in household chores.

Our toilets have always had this water line that outlines where the water sits and pours into the bowl.


No matter how hard we scrub, the line is still there. Much to my surprise, I found Hubs scrubbing the toilet bowl with sandpaper in an effort to remove the icky stain (he had emptied as much water out as possible). I was skeptical, but the result was amazing!


When I asked him where he got the idea to do something like that he replied, Well, I just thought of it as a porcelain tooth and we use abrasives on porcelain teeth. I figured the same principles applied.


Hubs cleaning up after the "procedure."

V-Day creativity

Tomorrow is V-Day, one of my least favorite holidays. It compels those with significant others to spend money, time, or creativity to show their love - something they should be doing all throughout the year. And for those without anyone special in their life, it reminds them of that very fact.

On the positive side, however, it does remind us to show those we love just how much they mean to us.

One year, when Hubs and I were dating, I had a sudden streak of creativity. I snuck into his room and attached a lot of pink, white, and red hearts to his wall. Most of them had reasons why I love him and some were just blank. In the evening we had a picnic on his floor. It was a fun time.

In what creative way, on V-Day or other times, have you shown your love to someone?

Snow Storm In Nebraska

Let me tell you about snow storms in Nebraska.

Yesterday, the grocery stores, gas stations, and department stores were completely packed as locals stocked up on necessities in case we would be stuck in our homes for days.

This morning, before even a flake of snow fell, local schools cancelled classes in anticipation of the forecasted snow.

And 3 days ago, when we first heard that snow was iminent, the road crews sprayed solution over the major streets in hopes that they would not have to get out to start plowing as soon as snow started falling. They prefer to wait until the snow has stopped and 200 people have had accidents, to actually try and remove the snow.

No doubt, the busiest businesses tonight will be those restaurants that deliver or have take-out.

And you can't blame us for wanting to stay in, cozied up in a blanket next to a warm fire with some hot chocolate and popcorn. But, just as we mocked those down south who experienced ice and snow a few weeks ago and couldn't function, I am sure states like Minnesota, North Dakota, Alaska, and the entire country of Canada laugh at our "hunker-down until it's over" approach. I mean, people do have to live, work, commute, and function with winter weather.

We are supposed to get 4-6 inches of snow today. I'm excited. We may actually have enough snow to cover all the ugly grass!

There is a really good advantage to this snow storm. We have plans to go out to eat tonight at a popular restaurant in town. I was worried about wait, but I don't think we'll have any problems tonight!

Why I like shoes.

I prefer shoes to any other article of clothing. Yes, I consider shoes clothing. This was confirmed in my mind today when I received pants that I order online.

To make a long story short, I tried on a pair of great pants at the mall in KC. They were giant, but still very cute. Since the store doesn't carry their smaller sizes in the length that my short legs need, I went home and ordered 2 pairs in 2 separate sizes in 2 separate colors. They both came, I tried them on and liked the color of the pair that, of course, didn't fit. Back to the online store to order the size and color I wanted, while sending back both pair of pants. The new pants came today and still don't fit. So, now I will have to go back to the actual store, return these, buy a size that fits up top and have them hemmed. Sigh.

Unfortunately, this is the story of my life and leads to why I like shoes:

1. My size is usually the display shoe. Instead of waiting for the sales lady (who has been stalking me since I walked in the store) to bring me the size I need, I can just try them on as I please.

2. Shoes don't remind me that I have hips and thighs.

3. I am always a size 6. I don't have to worry about finding "shorts" or "petites." I don't have to get them hemmed. I don't have to take 4 different pair into the dressing room to see which one fits.

4. They do not disappoint. After trying them on, I don't have to put them back because NOT ONE pair actually fit. Instead I usually put them back because they are too expensive.

5. Shoes look good no matter how bloated I feel. And when those bloated days do come...my feet don't hang over the edge of shoes.

6. Shoes are the only thing for which I really ever get compliments.

7. They can be fun or practical; serious or flashy. They can set the style of your entire outfit.

8. They fit. Other clothes depend on the day, the month, the store, the brand, the fabric, the wash, the color, the size, the hem, the inseam, the waist, the hips, the etc.; and then when you wash them at home...who knows what will happen.

For those of you who can actually buy clothes off the rack, you cannot truly understand why I like shoes. I will continue to to get excited about the only thing that truly fits - shoes.

New shoes x2

I have been in withdrawal. Not one pair of new shoes since August 4th = a lifetime for a shoe lover like me.

So, when Hubs told me I should go buy a pair of new black heels because mine are officially unwearable, I wasted no time. Much to my excitement, Dillards was having sales galore. Warning signals went off in my head: Danger! Danger! You are here for black heels - stay away from the sale. But, there were more shoes on sale than there were regularly priced! I had to check it out.

The clearance rack is where I found these beauties:

Super cute, comfortable, bright red flats! They look so cute with jeans and I just could not pass them up. I mean, we are moving to Kansas. I need some ruby red Dorothy slippers!

Then I moved on to the real purpose of my trip. There weren't any black shoes in my size on the sale rack, but I ended up with these fantastic black heels:

This picture doesn't do them justice, but they are super cute, relatively comfortable, and definitely practical.

Two pairs of shoes in one day! What could be better?

I've got big plans and they don't include becoming a blob.

Ever since I learned to form opinions, which was very early on in life, I decided that I would probably work forever. I had no idea how one keeps themself busy at home all day. And, I knew that I would go insane being confined to my home without anyone to talk to. The silence would probably kill me. The interaction alone from a job is enough of an incentive to work.

And so, I have worked for the past 10 years and been very happy. Throughout school I had part-time jobs; and, for the past 3 years I have worked full-time. Just recently the thought of being job-less in 3 months has become exciting to me.

The question arises, What will you do all day long without a job? Well, I will by no means become a big ol' blob. I've got plans.

I would like to finish my bachelor's degree. I was so indecisive in college. I changed my major numerous times and ended up taking plenty of classes, but not the right ones to graduate. So, it looks like I will be taking classes online to finish. And, I won't just be taking a class here and there, I will load up on the course work to finish as fast as possible. This is the first time I will be taking classes without balancing a job.

I will be able to work out in the morning! I hope to start my mornings with a run or with a trip to the Y. Not since college, have I been able to regularly work-out in the morning. Instead, I have been trying to fit it in after work. Can't wait.

And, all those women's ministries and Bible studies I hear about but immediately forget because they are during the day...I'll be able to participate in those!

I'll also be busy getting our home organized from the move. I will actually get to think about, and plan, and prepare supper. And grocery shop on a weekday??? That must be a treat! As we get to know people and learn about our community, I hope to get involved in other ways, too. And, I have one more plan that I cannot share yet (NO, it is not getting pregnant). If it works out, it will be a great way to keep up some skills and earn some extra income.

Unfortunately, these are all just plans right now. That is the easy part. The part that takes effort on my part will happen when we get to our new home and it is time to put these plans in action. I'm excited, though, for what could and what will be!

Preparations

For the last 3 years I have been thinking about and planning Hubs's graduation party. Now that it is less than 3 months away, I have started making more preparations for the exciting day.

We had already decided that we want something small and intimate, but that doesn't mean that I won't go all out on making it fun and memorable. So, it worked perfectly for Mom to break her elbow off because I needed to purchase some supplies in Kansas City. There was one item that wasn't available at the store, so I ordered it online and, much to my excitement, came in the mail today!



Can you tell what it is? I have 2 different kinds at home, too. My closet is filled with supplies...the only bad thing about this project is that I have to wait until APRIL to make them.

I don't like keeping secrets from Hubs, so he knows all about his party. He prefers it that way, too. I still have a lot of fun ideas to put together before the big day. The countdown is on!

I did it again and a Friday Funny.

To continue my winning streak, I entered myself in an office drawing today and won these:


Two tickets to the Texas vs. Nebraska basketball game tomorrow.

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And this video is absolutely hilarious. Hubs showed it to me yesterday and I laughed so hard...


Stoned Little Kid After Dentist Visit - Watch more Funny Videos

PS - you guys haven't been much help in suggesting vacations spots...

Travel destination

As you can tell from my poll, we are thinking about taking a trip to celebrate Hubs's graduation from dental school. It would be in mid-May. It wouldn't be anything huge. It would be relaxing and fun.

We've been thinking of all sorts of things. From Carmel, CA to the smoky mountains; from our honeymoon spot in Cancun, to a camping trip. This isn't the time to take a vacation of a lifetime (that was Hawai'i last year), but a time to just get away and have a nice break.

So, I would like to hear about your favorite vacation spot, or a place you thin we should visit. Can't wait to hear your ideas!

MIB - Missing In Blogging

It's been five days since my last post...that seems like a lifetime in Blogland. Life has become relatively calm and that will force me to get creative with my posts. For now, I'll give you a quick update.

After a fantastic, relaxing weekend with family, I came rejuvenated and ready to get back to normal life. I had been having frequent freak-out sessions which produced headaches and fatigue, but really accomplished nothing. It just does not work for me to live without a schedule, a purpose, and a goal. I had not purchased a planner yet for 2009 and everything in my head was weighing down on me. I would walk into walls, forget to turn off appliances, and just feel completely lost at all times. Of course, this all resulted in needless tears.

Now, my planner is with me at all times, I have a schedule and I make goals for myself each day. I'm still catching up from my weeks of chaos, but soon I should be back in a routine of working out, reading my Bible and preparing for Bible studies, and keeping our house in order. I am amazed at how much energy I already have after just a few days of being focused. It's also amazing at how much more fun I am - ask Hubs.

This isn't to say that we don't have spontaneity and that we aren't flexible. We are both of those things, but my overall, day-to-day life needs structure. My mom raised me that way, and it works.

Speaking of my mom, she is recovering and doing well. I say that now, though tomorrow will may be a different story after she tries moving it for the first time.

And, I went to purchase some of my favorite mugs from Starbucks today. I had a coupon for 10% off the entire order, but the cashier only took 10% off one item (my drink). It irks me because the coupon was the only reason I went to buy more mugs. I should have gotten about $1.90 off my purchase...I only got $.35. I want to march right back down there and get my rightful savings.

So, would you go back and ask them to re-run your transaction or just forget about the $1.55?