The New Ohl-Trlicas

Going Dark

2009-12-07T15:20:00.001-08:00

Too much to do between now and move day, which is now officially December 18 (!)

Food Stamp Diet: Days 6 and 7

2009-11-19T19:14:00.001-08:00

Boring. Hot Dogs and Mac and Cheese for two days in a row.

Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: Skipped
Dinner: Mac and Cheese with Hotdogs

-Boneless/skinless chicken thighs, three 1lb packets= 7.23 (two left)
-1/2 Gallon of 1% milk= 1.99
-4 sticks of butter= 1.99
-Canned peas= .39
-Canned corn x2= .78
-Kraft Mac and Cheese x 2= 2.00
-Tomato Paste= .50
-2lbs of white rice= 1.50
-Box of spaghetti= 1.00
-Can of Cream of Chicken= .80
-Packet of all beef hotdogs= 1.99
-.8lb 80% Lean Ground Beef= 2.09
-.6lb baby carrots= .45
-.7lbs celery= 1.37
-1.3lbs white onion= 2.25
-French baguette= 1.59
-Egg noodles= 1.99
-Jar of arrabiatta pasta sauce= 2.99
-Chicken Boullion= 1.29

Food Stamp Diet: Day 4

2009-11-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

A splurge- an arrabiata pasta sauce from Trader Joe's - 50 cents more expensive than store brand- is worth it when you are trying to dress up boring hamburger. 50 cents goes a long way for flavor in some things and for hamburger, it's worth it.

Here's a breakdown of today:
Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: Sneaked an easy mac because I was dying
Dinner: Pasta with Meat Sauce

One of the things about the sauce- I had to drive to Trader Joe's to get it. If you're on food stamps, chances are you don't have the time or the means to visit multiple stores and shop for best price, best taste, or best value. So again, I'm capitalizing on a luxury :(

-Boneless/skinless chicken thighs, three 1lb packets= 7.23 (two left)
-1/2 Gallon of 1% milk= 1.99
-4 sticks of butter= 1.99
-Canned peas= .39
-Canned corn x2= .78
-Kraft Mac and Cheese x 2= 2.00
-Tomato Paste= .50
-2lbs of white rice= 1.50
-Box of spaghetti= 1.00
-Can of Cream of Chicken= .80
-Packet of all beef hotdogs= 1.99
-.8lb 80% Lean Ground Beef= 2.09
-.6lb baby carrots= .45
-.7lbs celery= 1.37
-1.3lbs white onion= 2.25
-French baguette= 1.59
-Egg noodles= 1.99
-Jar of arrabiatta pasta sauce= 2.99
-Chicken Boullion= 1.29

Food Stamp Diet: Day 3

2009-11-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

Soup- part II, the sequel.

Chad and I had leftover soup today- food stamps have a way of making you eat poorly (seriously, how much good food can $42 buy?) and a loophole to this is to buy good food and make things en masse. This leads to plenty of leftovers, which can get boring. So we try to limit our large meals to two-mealers. One served, the next day cold. So today was soup and more of the baguette.

Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: Various office chocolates
Dinner: Leftover soup

For those of you who are wondering- we generally count things we can acquire for free- such as free office coffee, salt and pepper packets, sugar packets, free. Hypothetically we could procure these items for free and therefore, they are allowed into our meals. As for things like flour and other spices- we figure that most are off limits, but some you would buy in bulk and use throughout the entire year (flour, I am looking at you). So we try to stay reasonable.

Food Stamp Diet- Day 2

2009-11-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

What is most difficult about the food stamp diet is making the food go for three meals a day. When Chad and I buy groceries for this special week, we almost solely focus on dinners- which is easy since it's the only proper meal we eat. For us, breakfast is usually skipped (expect for coffee), lunch is light or skipped, and dinner is a feast. So here's how we coped today:

Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: Free Snackies at Harris Teeter (where we made our food bank donation)
Dinner: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

We made enough soup that it should last us two days, and maybe even lunch for me tomorrow. I had a makeup EMT lecture today so it was a nice distraction from being hungry. On the other hand, Chad is not feeling so hot - he needs some saltines and 7-Up- which brings us to another teaching point: foodstamps would not account for any comfort food or any unplanned meals. It's extremely restrictive and unplanned events can derail any budget. Anyways, here's what has been consumed (bolded):
-Boneless/skinless chicken thighs, three 1lb packets= 7.23 (two left)
-1/2 Gallon of 1% milk= 1.99
-4 sticks of butter= 1.99
-Canned peas= .39
-Canned corn x2= .78
-Kraft Mac and Cheese x 2= 2.00
-Tomato Paste= .50
-2lbs of white rice= 1.50
-Box of spaghetti= 1.00
-Can of Cream of Chicken= .80
-Packet of all beef hotdogs= 1.99
-.8lb 80% Lean Ground Beef= 2.09
-.6lb baby carrots= .45
-.7lbs celery= 1.37
-1.3lbs white onion= 2.25
-French baguette= 1.59
-Egg noodles= 1.99
-Jar of arrabiatta pasta sauce= 2.99
-Chicken Boullion= 1.29

Food Stamp Diet: Day 1- FAIL

2009-11-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

So after purchasing our food stamp diet groceries, Chad and I got invited out to dinner with old roommates visiting from Virginia Beach. It was impossible to turn down and so we had to forgo a day of our experiment and splurge ona pizza and beer. Clearly, this would have been impossible on foodstamps- $42/week cannot allow for a $15 pizza and two rounds of beers. It just doesn't work.

As penance, I cleared out the cabinets of all food non-perishable and made a hefty donation to the Capital Area Food Bank.

Food Stamp Diet 2009

2009-11-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

Last year, as an exercise in remembering how the other half lives, Chad and I participated in the Food Stamp Diet. Essentially, you are rationed the equivalent of foodstamps (a dollar per meal per person per day- $3/day or $21/week, or $42/week for the two of us) and you survive on it. We engage in this exercise the week before thanksgiving as thanksgiving represents one of the most food-lush holidays of the year, so by practicing the food stamp diet the week before, it enhances the "thankfulness" component of the day.

To this year we bought:
-Costco membership ($50/year- parsed out over 52 weeks)= .96
-Boneless/skinless chicken thighs, three 1lb packets= 7.23
-1/2 Gallon of 1% milk= 1.99
-4 sticks of butter= 1.99
-Canned peas= .39
-Canned corn x2= .78
-Kraft Mac and Cheese x 2= 2.00
-Tomato Paste= .50
-2lbs of white rice= 1.50
-Box of spaghetti= 1.00
-Can of Cream of Chicken= .80
-Packet of all beef hotdogs= 1.99
-.8lb 80% Lean Ground Beef= 2.09
-.6lb baby carrots= .45
-.7lbs celery= 1.37
-1.3lbs white onion= 2.25
-French baguette= 1.59
-Egg noodles= 1.99
-Jar of arrabiatta pasta sauce= 2.99
-Chicken Boullion= 1.29

Total so far: 35.15

This leaves us a little wiggle room during the week- 6.85 to be exact- to figure out what we forgot- we'll probably need to be a box of diet soda or something to flavor the water with. We allowed for costco this year as Costco recently started taking food stamps (a good corporate decision-wins my favor on that one). So follow us on this adventure and see how hungry/creative we get!

Getting our priorities straight

2009-11-13T09:39:00.001-08:00

At least the class had a sense of humor.

One of these things is not like the others...

2009-11-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

...one of these things just doesn't belong...

From the Exercise

2009-11-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

So I didn't get a chance to post any photos from the big project from work back in Septemeber, mostly because I didn't get a chance to take any photos because I WAS INSANELY BUSY. Luckily, a local blogger was present (props to WE LOVE DC) and made some great snaps, which I am reposting here for your enjoyment, and the prove that yes, I the things I plan do actually come together:

So...I'm in Texas.

2009-11-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

I'm College Station currently on training for work. It's the best kind of training- the kind of training where travel, hotel, and meals are completely funded by the federal government, so you get a nice mix of people who would not otherwise be able to come to training due to cost constraints. I'm the youngest in the class by at least a decade, but so far the material and the experience have been good. It's a bad time to be away from home- Chad is bearing a lot of the burden of moving and all the prep that goes with, and I am feeling terribly guilty about that, but this trip has been on the books for 10 months, and if you cancel these things at the last minute, you get black balled by the training people and your hopes of every attending lovely free training ever again are completely dashed. So I'm sitting in a marriot relieving my guilt through blogging.

This picture is taken in "Disaster City"- which is, essentially, the disneyland of diasters. You can stoll through a couple acres of chem spills and train wrecks and plane crashes and debris piles and car accidents, etc. etc. It's strange to look at/be in only because it violates so many norms- for a two vehicle head on MVA you'd expect EMS or PD or FD to be there- but no- in disaster city, the cars are just hanging out, waiting for a week in which they get to be the star of the show(the cars, I am guessing, get far less attention than the heavy apparatus of trains and industrial equipment and collapsed structures). So it's cool and different and a strange way to spend your lunch time walk.

Happy Cigarette Free Anniversary, Chad!

2009-11-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

Chad has quit cigarettes for an entire year! So I made him a cake. I attempted to make it look like a cigarette butt with limited results (we had to take photos as it quickly became the leaning tower of imitation tobacco products). But Chad enjoyed it nonetheless :)

28 Days Later is not a before bed movie

2009-10-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Chad and I are keeping it low key this year- we have to be up at 0545 am tomorrow morning for motorcycle class, so alas, we are relegated to handing out candy, watching scary movies, and carving pumpkins- the typical halloween regalia. As for pumpkins, this year, we were behind the ball and picked up our gourds really, really late-- which meant that the only ones left were smaller white ones! We made do- they actually were really cool with candles inside because the gourd is some what translucent, and they really glow! Chad's "Indignant Pumpkin" is above. Below, you'll find my ghotst pumpkin: Since the pumpkins were white, I went with the ghost theme. Then I had to find the intersection of "ghosts that are famous" and "ghosts that are carveable on small pumpkins" and that gave me a PacMan Ghost.

We got a nice handfull of trick or treaters this year, even with the crap weather we're having right now. I love kids, and halloween is a fun time to see them out and about. Not living in an apartment and actually living in a residential neighborhood means we actually get to see children, which is a nice change of pace.

Tomorrow, we're back to motorcycle class- Chad and I both passed the written test (Chad got a 100%!) and in the morning we'll be doing to practical exam. Chad is the most talented in the class- he's really great at it! Me- well, I'm "better than most" as the instructor said, and I'm getting by. Not having extensive experience with manual cars puts me at a disadvantage, but I'm overcoming. It's been a nice way to spend our weekend!

And in case you wanted to see it, here's me in my best "undead" look:

Photopost

2009-10-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

The fantastic view from out hotel. We'd dive those islands in the distance later. The cove at playa ocotal. I could park a boat out there and live happily ever after, couldn't you? Enjoying the boat.
Quite a sunset General jungle adventure photo Indiana Ohl-Trlica. This my second attempt at making Chad a zombie. Some modifications to make on the next attempt, but overall, quite undead if I do say so myself. I love goats. I want this one to pay attention to me, but as I do not have goat snacks, he is fairly uninterested. Us at the farm!

Catch Up

2009-10-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

So it's been a week or two since we've come back from Costa Rica so we're starting to get a handle on all the things that went neglected while we were away-- you know how e-mail and things get. Anyway, this blog is well deserving of an update and some photos- so both!

Quick Costa Rica summary:
-The roads were insane (passable, but pot-holes like you wouldn't believe)
-We lucked out with the weather and it was relatively dry
-Guanacaste (the state where we started) is lovely
-Scuba is awesome, especially when you learn it in a Spanish-English hybridized environment
-Underwater biology included: fish, sharks, urchins, rays, moray eels
-Boats are awesome and I want one
-Having a car in Costa Rica is essential to see everything and experience it
-Chicken stands are delicious and cheap
-USA did not lost to CR in a World Cup qualifying game, which cinched our ticket to South Africa in 2010. They were playing in unseeasonally and biting cold in Washington DC no less. Watching the game in a local chicken stand was a treat.
-Driving around Lake Arenal was fantastically scenic
-Volcanos are pretty awesome
-No amount of DEET will be helpful
-My spanish fell back in practice fairly easily
-Ziplining was expensive but worth it, and we picked the exact right day to do it.
-Thank goodness we got a cab to our hotel by the airport (instead of keeping the rental). There is no way in hell we would have found it
-Being able to bump in Miami allowed us to recoup 80% of our ticket costs. My frugal dutchness rejoices.

Since we're been back, work has been nutso for Chad and slow for me. Chad got a promotion, which was awesome. Still waiting on a very important phone call though, and it's giving us pretty intense anxiety. We've been biding our time engaging in fall activities- visiting local farms for corn mazes, pettings zoos, and pumpkin picking and then practicing our "zombie make up" techniques in anticipation of halloween.

I've been keeping busy with EMT activities and my class is going well. I find all my students endearing if not entertaining. But overall, things are pretty normal around here. Chad and I are taking motorcycle safety class this weekend, which will allow us to get motorcycle licenses. We got our official scuba licenses in the mail this week- a testament to how much fun the month has been. That, and we'll have physical proof to show our children that we were, in fact, kickass before they came along. Which is the very same thing I've discovered about my own folks :)

Return!

2009-10-23T14:46:00.001-07:00

New computer, new life in the blog! I'm configuring everything now, but expect a post in the near future.

Hiatus

2009-10-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

So my computer died the day after the exercise. Windows 7 comes out at the end of the month, so I'm going to hold off on getting a new machine until then. So the blog will be on hiatus until then- seeming that Chad and I leave for Costa Rica for a week, I'm sure the first post will be some pretty awesome photos. Check back around Oct 22!

Cellulitis

2009-09-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

OUT OF CONTROL...but as you can see from the last photo, so far I am fine.

Adventures in the Fall

2009-09-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Autumn is hands down the best season around here. It is cool and breezy, but still sunny- perfect for thos high impact activities you avoided in the supressing summer heat. Chad and I visited Harpers Ferry, WV yesterday to hike, see historical things, and add yet another state to the list of states we have been too. HF is only about an hour- maybe 90 minutes from our place in Alexandria- so we hopped in the car to make the quick jaunt. The trip does require a quaint drive through rural parts of Maryland- with beautiful farms, homes, and views. In no time we were there and tromping around a national historical park that includes the originial structures of the HF town, preserved over hundreds of years. The leaves are not yet quite turning, but the views are still lovely. The hiking is light- mostly walking with a few uphill sections. We visit John Browns Fort (sorry my apostrophe button is still not working), Jeffersons Rock (see above), a cemetary, a rail bridge, the C&O canal, and Virginius Island. Milkshakes and funnel cakes made for a nice afternoon snack in town, and we condsidered the endeavour a success. The occasion was almost ruined by the fact that I came down with what I can only assume was a tyrannical migraine, which laid me up for a good 2-3 hours. Chad saved the day by producing the best homemade chicken noodle soup I have ever had. Then USC lost and UCLA won, and all was right with the universe!

Ugh

2009-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

So a week from today, this will be over, and I will be relieved. So if I dont see you, return you calls, etc, it is because I am working 135 hours this pay period.

Snaps from Mass

2009-09-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

A Day at Home

2009-09-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

So Chad and I have been looking forward to this weekend since the beginning of the week- we returned from our lovely Boston weekend refreshed but not rested-- and after four days of work, we were ready for a good long sleep-in and some time to alpha wave. Which is why I'm just getting back to the blog now.

So Boston- Chad and I left Friday afternoon and drove north. We caught a little traffic in D.C. and Conneticut, but it was negligible compared to what we were expectng for Labor Day weekend traffic. We talked, listened to some good tunes, and added some new states to our "where we've been" list. Ten and a half hours later, we checked into our hotel.

We hooked up with Chad's folks and dropped Chad off downtown to catch up with the groom and the bachelor party. He returned home early in the morning, but no worse for wear :) The next morning, we all headed up to Rockport, MA to visit the quint fishing village for lobstah, saltwater taffy, and motif number one. The evening brought the rehearsal dinner and other pre-wedding activities.

The day of the wedding kicked off with an early lunch and a ride on classical carousel (which strangely, made Chad sick- who knew an aerobatic pilot couldn't handle a kiddie ride?!) The wedding was beautiful- the ceremony was at the John Adams church in Quincy, MA and we got to add two presidents to the "Famous Dead People" we've seen list (okay, so we have a lot of lists). The ceremony was lovely and the reception was held at a local country club. We danced ferociously for several hours and wore ourselves out. Man did sleeping feel good!

Monday was spent driving- only 8.5 hours back to DC, but alas, it chewed up most of the day. It was back to work on Tues...and we both hit the ground running. It was the second week of the semester for my EMT class and I'm still findng the groove of adding another 8-10 hours of work to my work week. My big project for my primary job goes off on Sept 26, so there is quite a bit of insanity going on around my desk. Chad is beginning to write papers for classes so it's a month of keeping our heads down until Costa Rica next month! I will be so ready for a vacation.

So today was spent mostly at home- sleeping in, making cannoli (quite a treat!), a UCLA game on local TV, and burritos for dinner. THe pile of laundry is intimidating but needs to be started- that will be tomorrow's project. Next weekend we are planning to add another state to our list- hiking in Harper's Ferry, WV. Let's hope the weather cooperates!

Bahstan

2009-09-08T18:14:00.001-07:00

More later, esp. when I find a computer that is able to do quotes and apostrophes- keys that are currently malfunctioning on my computer.

2nd Anniversary

2009-08-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Not of marriage, but of moving to Virginia. Heres to the start of the third!

Lauren blow dries her hair for the first time ever...

2009-08-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

...with hilarious results.

Blowdrying. I'm sure it was a skill I was supposed to learn in middle school, but apparently I was too busy being nerdy and academic. I've NEVER blown out my hair- NEVER- not once- until tonight. So I embarked and I cannot believe that some women are able to do this in the morning- it took me 30-40 minutes in evening- when I'm not drowsy or plotting ways to get back into bed. It's loud, warm, and difficult- and as you can tell- really really bad at it. Sigh. Practice makes perfect? Let's hope. That or the sheepdog look better come back into fashion.

This part of my neck hasn't seen the light of day...

2009-08-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

...in decades. I got a big up my butt to cut my hair short. So I did. I like the length (can't even make a proper pony tail) but overall, the cut makes me look 15 years older. A little mature for my tastes. But I'm not sure how I would change it.

Back to School

2009-08-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

So on Saturday we caught the edges of Hurricane Bill and it RAINED. A lot. We were lucky to get a nice hike in at Great Falls, MD before the deluge. But it was pretty intense.

So...where did I leave off? I went to Emmittsburg, MD for a week for a class, which I completed, and earned the certification of "Master Exercise Practitioner." Woot. Chad was under way to much pressure at work all week, and it's continuing this week. Poor guy is going to have white hair by the end of the month. We were lucky to be back for Friday night, when my uncle and new aunt and cousin dropped by for dinner! I've never met my cousin (he was born 10 days before our wedding) and it was fun to hang out with a two year old- I've been missing kids from the swim lesson/sunday school days. We went to a local fish house and had a lovely meal and then walked around King St and the Marina and then sent them on their way- two year olds have an early bedtime!

Saturday was hiking and rain and too-big bowls of arrabiata pasta. Sunday was chores- laundry and dishes and naps. This is the first academic year where I won't be going back to school as a student. It's weird. I miss it already. And I'm making plans to go back. But I guess this is my first year off from school? Odd. I am going back to school as an adjunct instructor. I've finished my syllabus for the EMT lecture and I'll also be doing some lab instruction this semester as well. So hopefully it'll fill the void.

Hot Hot Heat

2009-08-16T15:24:00.001-07:00

So the weather has been oppresive, keeping us indoors or in air conditioned spaces for most of the day. Not so much fun, but hey, at least we have Boston and Costa Rica to look forward to. We've been taking evening walks to get our ya yas out and the weather has been perfect-- thank goodness for that.

Chad went back to school this week and we both trudged through another week of work. It was extremely nice to do anniversary things in the middle of the week- we went out for Thai food, a long scoot, and then a trip to the candy store. We indulged in some "Bertie Botts Every-Flavor Beans"- a marketing enterprise between Jelly Belly and Harry Potter- the jelly beans come in every, and I mean EVERY flavor- from the delectable to the disgusting. Chad tried the onion, the fish, and the gravy flavored ones while I laughed hysterically. I tried a pizza one, which was even too much for me, as it tasted mostly of onion and oregano.

We made lots of plans this weekend- for Costa Rica, we booked our coastal hotel (5 nights). We still have three nights to play with and we are loosely planning to spend them on the volcano/in the jungle. We booked our flight home for thanksgiving- leaving out of DC on Sat Nov 21 and returning Sat Nov 28. Looking forward to a traditional Ohl-Trlica holiday! We also finalzed some things for Boston and bought the all important wedding gift. So my credit card hurts quite a bit, but man am I energized for the next few months!

Tomorrow I'm taking off for another week in Emmitsburg, MD. It will be a nice change of pace for work, but the timing is poor in relation to my big work project. Alas. I'll be back thursday night and I'm making plans with my Uncle from Colorado to meet up Friday night. He has a two year old- my cousin- who I've never met so I am totally excited for that. It's good to have thngs on the calendar!

730 Days of Marriage

2009-08-11T18:34:00.001-07:00

Day Trippin'

2009-08-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

So on Saturday we made a quick trip down to Richmond for some exploring- but it was really a guise for going down there to get some Mongolian BBQ (which they have in Richmond, but not in WDC). We toured around an old confederate muntions factory, part of the American Civil War Museum, and then took a really nice walk. The walk took us around the coastline of the James River and then over it on this suspended walkway- which was a nifty feat of engineering and architecture. We walked to Belle Island, which, throughout the years, has been home to an indian settlement, a colonial racetrack, a confederate prison camp, a nail factory, and a hydrolic power plant. We walked for a good long while (seemed longer considering the heat/humidity) and then ventured back to the car to head off for noodley-goodness. Once filled with as much stir fry as we could manage, we turned around for the drive home. Costa Rica planning continues, and we've decided to stick to the pacific coast, rahter than try to do both coasts in a single week. Costa Rica is about the size of West Virginia but the quality of the roads make it so that domestic travel is more than a day-long venture. We bought a lonely plant guidebook (SO HELPFUL) and a map, so we're getting nicely squared away.

Chad goes back to school this week- he has two classes and will also be working on his thesis proposal. No small feat. I've had a change of heart and will not be starting school this august as Chad and I work through a little life planning for the next couple of years. Returning to CA may be on the horizon and I've decided that I don't want to commit to anything three years long yet. So there's that. My dad casually used the word "drop out" to describe it to which I responded ""DROP OUT" is what you do in highschool when you are pregnant! I'm just changing my mind!"

Today is also the first day that we've recieved a heat advisory for the weather. Last year, these advisories were coming in early June...so it's been unseasonably cool and we'll tip-toe towards fall with caution as we hope Mother Nature completely forgets that she hasn't dealt us a meaningful heat wave yet this season.

Costa Rica

2009-08-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

We're going! Oct 10-18. Details to follow once...detailed :)

For the Family History

2009-08-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

Click to enlarge. Mia, the girl my family protected, has lobbied for this. She was one of at least three people hidden in my grandmother's home during the war. For reference to their story, see this post and the following links:
http://wcco.com/specialreports/holocaust.survivor.sister.2.668769.html
http://wcco.com/local/wwii.siblings.reunited.2.815287.html
Also, I edited wikipedia to reflect the honor.

200 Posts!

2009-08-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

So I wish I had something more exciting to report on for th 200th post to this blog, but alas, life continues to plod along rather mundanely. This picture is from the drill we did this week at my office, which despite causing headaches (and sucking another 16 hours of work from me beyond my regular 80hr work week), went better than expected. It's a ncie snapshot from work, so I thought I'd post it.

200 posts. It's also the first of August, which means that a) it's my youngest cousin's birthday (Happy 2nd, Luke!) and that b) we are 10 days from our 2nd wedding anniversary. The blog also has more than 5200 hits, which I consider sizeable considering that this is a fairly "first we did and then we did that" type of update blog. So thanks for being interested in our still boring lives.

This weekend has kind of been a bust. Lots of rain, which means that outdoor activites have been kiboshed. I'm also duty officer, which means I'm somewhat restricted to quarters. I've also been inordinately sleepy- I've taken 2 hour naps for the past three days. So it's been a VERY lazy weekend, which is somewhat nice, but I'll be ready to get my ya-yas out in the next coming days.

Chad finished his term finals this week, producing 67 pages in only a few days. He's getting closer and closer to being done with school...and man is he ready to be done. He's only got a few classes left and the finish line is in sight. The last big hurdle is getting his proposal/experiment/thesis written...which will certainly be a bear.

We currently kicking around travel plans for the rest of the year...looks like Tehachapi for thanksgiving and possibly a tropical trip in October. Christmas is still up in the air...

More picture of cats

2009-07-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

Another weekend gone- and more pictures of kitties. I love catching them during their naps- which, during the summer, they take on our bed (during the winter, they are more found of their more well insulated cat-beds). But catching them lazing around like this captures what I wish I could spend more time doing.

What did we do this weekend? A lot of grocery shopping- the cupboards were bare. I made homemade gyoza (potstickers) with green onions from my own garden- also bamboo shoots, ground pork and chicken, etc etc. VERY good. SO much better than the failure that was drunken noodle that was last weekend. We also washed the car (of course it then rained). Chad's been trying to work in the evening so nights have been slow. I beat my videogame (Super Mario RPG) last night- what a guilty, nerdy thing, but it was fun.

Chad woke me up with pancakes this morning- again with the spoiling. I hooked up with a girlfriend from work to go shopping and we had TONS of fun. First of all, let me warn the boys that I'm about to gush about something girly and weird, but I indulged in something I've never done before today at the mall- a professional bra fitting at Nordstroms. It was fabulous- I got correctly sized, got some great tips on buying and fitting bras, and then some help picking some out. I was creeped out by bras/underwear/etc as a teen and so now as an adult, it's nice to have some professional guidance (not just the guess and check I've been doing since puberty), Long story short I got some great new undergarments and I recommend it to anyone who hasn't had one (Nordstroms is having their anniversary sale- and fittings are free!).

It was great to hang out and shop for several hours- I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for a dress for Mike Miller's wedding in a few weeks and got a great deal at Macys. We spent nearly 4 hours in the mall and time flew- it was nice to have some girl time. Chad got a 50 mile scoot in- one of his first long distance trips. He had a wonderful outing and so did I- we reconvened in the evening for a lovely dinner- chicken cordon bleu- and I made the best version of this dish than I every have. Maybe it was something about walking around the mall for hours and hours...but I nailed it. A very victorious day.

I'm sad the weeked is over- Chad is upstairs working on his capstone thesis project and I'm watching food network for ideas. I didn't get as much physical activity in this weekend as I would have liked, and probably won't these week as much- finals and wor projects are upon us. Yuck. More cute kitty pictures instead:

Hurtling

2009-07-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

This week passed by pretty quickly. Really quickly. Ok, I can't believe the week is actually over. It's Friday and we just finished our regular friday pizza-dinner-out-ritual which means the week is over. Wow.

Things that made the week pass quickly:
-My mom came back from Washington and my brother had arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday morning, both went fine
-Chad had class two nights this week (the usual)
-We played tennis on m, t, and w (maybe again this evening), which has been really refreshing and a nice active way to close out the day
-Crazy amount of meeting for me
-Big project goes down next week, therefore I worked 4 hours in addition to my usual 40, and will probably need to do next week too.

I believe I may have to do work this weekend, and Chad has plans to get some paperwriting done, so we're liable to have another low-key weekend, which is nice and totally necessary. I'll feel a bit better after wednesday when my project capitulates, but I need some time to rest this weekend. I'm looking forward to breakfast (which Chad makes on weekends, and totally spoils me with) and some more activity- more topgolf and tennis maybe- but not a whole lot else. Thank goodness. I have a feeling there will be a lot of this in Aug/Sept and the weeks leading up to my big fall project.

Chad and I are looking forward to the first weekend in Sept when we'll be going up to Boston for Mike Miller's wedding. This will be the first wedding we've been to since our own, and it should be rather fun. It will be nice to visit Mass at a time of year where it's liable to be gorgeous and I'm hoping to be able to get my mind off of work, which seems increasingly unlikely. Maybe I'll just need to start the day with several mimosas or something.

Anyways this is a picture of Chad and I making faces. We love to make faces and contort our features into odd and unsual shapes. It is also evidence that the Grand Canyon will take up residence in my forehead in 20 years or less.

One Day of Hot

2009-07-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

So far we've had one hot day this summer. It's unsually cool weather-- the humidity has been minimal, the temperatures have stayed low, and it's been resonably comfortable. It's really weird. Nice, but we're left wondering when hell is going to hit. (PS, the above picture is buttercup on that one hot day, looking pissed about being disturbed)

This weekend was fun-- but poor Chad was more or less under the weather for most of it. We went to the zoo, saw Harry Potter, and went for a scooter ride in the warm evening weather down to the candy store. The Harry Potter movie was great-- really worth the wait beween movies and I'm WAY anxious for the final one. I've even got Chad hooked on the series :)

I also made a failure of a dinner this weekend- it doesn't happen very often, but every once in a while I make a TRAIN WRECK of a meal. Chad and I were intent on making drunken noodle, a thai dish (with no alchohol, surprisngly). We went to the local asian market for fresh noodles and all the right sauces. Being in the asian market and with most thing labeled in a language I don't read, I asked a nice lady for thai basil and she handed me a nice looking bunch of greens. Much to my chagrin.

Upon arrival at home, we worked with our recipe (picked randomly off the internet- step 1 of this being a disaster) and it's possible that some instructions had mixed up "tbps" and "tsps." We ended up with a strangely citusry sauce, and started to think something was wrong. Then we added onions, chiles, rice noodles, etc etc and it was starting to look kind of write, and then we added the thai basil. Which smelled really minty. And was actually spearmint.

So we ended up with a citrus-y spearminty chicken dish that wasn't appropriately spicey. Not knowing thai cooking, it was a complete shot in the dark, but I realized that I don't even know enough about thai cooking to identify when a recipe is waaaaay off base. So we tried. And we failed. And though about getting a burrito instead.

And here is another photo of our darling kitty. I love her orange coloring against the white and blue.

WHACK

2009-07-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

So something that Chad and I have recently taken to is called TopGolf. It's a combination driving range and shooting gallery. You get a bunch of RFID-encoded golf balls and you drive them down range- at targets! You get appropriate points- relative to the distance of the target and closeness of the pin. It's REALLY fun, and a great way to kill an hour during the evening. One of the better parts is that they are open til midnight on fridays and saturdays so we head out way late in the evening- when it's still warm but a little emptier- and then beat out our rage on unsuspecting golf balls.

I'm starting to understand the appeal of golf which brings to mind Chad and I's relative WASP-iness and YUP-iness. I'm self concious about becoming a 40 year old at 25, but golf is really fun! I drove a ball 194 yards to a target with a 5 iron!

Chad and I had a lovely weekend at home- punctuated by a couple of good meals and lots of activity. We topgolfed, played tennis, watched a movie, did some shopping, got the scooter serviced, etc. etc. Chad made me breakfast in bed this morning- quite a sweetheart he is. We celebrated Chad's observed birthday this evening with a steak dinner where the food was good but the service very nearly ruined the meal. Not what I wanted or expected for a place that I had really excellent reviews on (from people I know, at that!)

Other than that...a whole lot of laundry got done this weekend, and I'm looking forward to a couple more "at home" weekends. It's going to be crazy at work over the next few weeks/months (fall is exercise season, so the summer is spent planning them) so I'll need the downtime. Chad has settled back into his job after his business trip. The world continues to turn...

Some cool photos

2009-07-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

Pretty Cherries

This beer label captured well

Car engine, Pt. 1

Car engine, Pt. 2

Zeph!

Returned

2009-07-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sigh. We've returned from California, reluctantly. We had a wonderful trip- Napa was great, danville was great, 4th of July was great. We ate great food, played bocci ball in a restaurant, played cards, played scrabble, played ping pong. Tried to windsurf (too windy). Lots of playing :)

It's back to work now. It was our last schedulued trip on the docket for a while- next up is Mike Miller's wedding in early september. We'll try to squeeze in some weekend jaunts, but that's the last airplane we'll see for a while!

So we have a special dinner coming up this weekend-Chad's birthday dinner! Chad got tired of having a birthday in the winter (kind of a bummer here) so we decided to "observe" chad's birthday in the summer- July 12. That way, when we have our weekend birthday getaways, we can do something fun and warm rather than cold and ...colder. For Chad's birthday this year, we had a little weekend trip, but I totally failed at bringing together a dinner. So we're having a make-up dinner this weekend, on the date of observation!

I am totally stoked for the release of the sixth Harry Potter next week. I got Chad into the series and we rented the five previous movies over the past few weeks. It's been so much fun and the upcoming movie looks great. I remember when the first book came out when I was in the eigth grade. I finished the last book while sleeping alone the night before the wedding! So I'm stoked. Slightly embarassed though :) Marketers must have figured this out- I ::just:: saw a commercial of a young guy in an elevator talking about work but dreaming about hogwarts, quidditch, and wizardry. They must know their audience spans quite an age range. One week to go!

Something I forgot to post:

2009-07-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is the cake Chad and I baked for my birthday. Good looking car, no?

Fireflies

2009-06-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of summer in Virginia is the fireflies. Wow. I'm not sure about the noun/verb agreement in that sentence, but I'm going with it. Anyways, the fireflies. They are EVERYWHERE and love the long grass in our yard. It's a delight to walk around at dusk and see these guys flicker on and off. And there are LOTS. So it's like walking through a movie scene sometimes. They even make taking out the trash a little more enchanting.

I drove Chad to the airport this morning- he's off to CA for the week for a business trip. I've had the house to myself and I've been mostly catching up on chores, but I have indulged in playing some SUPER NINTENDO. Last weekend, I sold an extra bike we had on craigslist. I got $100 for it (recouped our investment). On these long walks Chad and I have been having, we've been talking about EVERYTHING- including our favorite childhood video games. Then the super nintendo topic came up and after gushing about it for 30 minutes, we resolved to acquire one (craigslist to the rescue!). We found one and some game and used our spare cash to make the acquisition.

I remember when David and I got our NES and then our SNES. We played and played and played that super nintendo. It was great- super mario world, kart, and the penultimate RPG. Mario RPG provides one of my stronger childhood memories- working with david and some other childhood friends to solve the game- which we loved so much we started to write a play about it. Chad echoed these sentiments about F-Zero. So getting the system has been pretty fun- and a great way to kill some time while the husband is away :)

I'll be heading out to CA on tuesday night so I'm getting some last things in order for the house. I'm looking forward to seeing my brother, my parents, and spending some time with Chad in Napa- but it's the last trip we have on the calendar for a while. Booooo.

Lonely night

2009-06-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

So today is one of the nights where I have the house to myself for the evening seeming Chad is away at school. It's weird not being in school myself and I've been watching bad TV and putzing around the house doing chores. I guess this is what single life would be like?

I've been having two major problems in my life lately- sleeplessness and compulsive eating. I have NOT been able to sleep since Sunday night, sleeping a few hours a night, constantly tossing and turning. It's not a problem staying asleep, it's a problem falling asleep. I've been exercising, I've turned up the AC, tonight I'm going to try showering right before bed. We'll see.

Compulsive eating has also become a problem. I have a compulsion problem, especially when it comes to food and moreso with shopping for food. I'm the type of person who will randomly put something in a cart and then think the better of it and then abandon it two feet from the register. This behavior at least helps with the eating- if I don't buy it, I can't eat it. But today, I was at a CVS getting a bag of chips (I had a craving) and for some reason, I grabbed a bag of tootsie rolls on sale near the front of the line. Then, because I have no self control, I ate the whole thing while working this afternoon. Ugh. I feel like it's been worse lately and I'm carrying around an extra 7lbs, and I'm unhappy about it.

So sleeping and eating are this month's goals. Both need to come under control.

On the positive side of things, I recieved notification today that I've been certified as an Associate Emergency Manager by the International Association of Emergency Managers. It's the lower-level certification (I don't have enought experience for the higher level), but all things being equal, they only awarded 5 AEMs this year. Rockin'.

Chad had a BIG and IMPORTANT meeting to conquer this week and he did great. He's been stressing for weeks about it- even when we were in CA you could tell it was on his mind. And it's behind him! Woohoo! He leaves for Napa on Sunday and although it's work, I hope it's a nice venture out of the office at the very least. I'll be joining him in the middle of the week and then we'll be spending the 4th in/around Danville. Woohoo!

A tale of two airlines

2009-06-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

I really can't tell who which as worst: or My past two flights have both been TERRIBLE. When flying back from California from mother's day, I had my run in with U.S. Air and when flying out to CA for my brother's graduation, Chad and I experienced the failure that is Continental Airlines.

U.S. Airways is convenient for us because they frequently fly out of DCA to CA- specifically, Oakland. On the Tuesday after mother's day, I had the last flight out from Oakland (noon-ish) which put me into DCA before midnight. Seemed like a sure bet until the aircraft was grounded for reasons I am still not clear on. Me and the other passengers were instructed to hang around in the airport for another two hours in hopes they could correct the problem, but alas, it was not to be. I ended re-booking my ticket more than three times in those two hours to accomodate potential (and then missed) flights. Eventually, they shuttled 10 of us to SFO (ACCROSS THE BAY) and gpt a flight to Las Vegas at had to wait there until 11pm at night. Considering my travel began at 10am that morning, I am pretty sure I could have DRIVEN to Vegas faster. I got a flight from there to DCA and arrived at 7:10 in the morning and went to work. Ugh.

The experience with Continental was probably worse. We were booked DCA to Newark to SFO. Chad and I arrived at DCA to a gate where there waere clearly TOO many people. We later learned that this was because the flight previous to ours had not yet left. Ugh. It was clear that we were going to be late, so tried to rebook our flight, but it was rescheduled in a fashion where we could still make our connection. Well, we ended up missing our exit slot due to air traffic management issues. We were held on the ground for 45 minutes in an airplane with no air conditioning. I called customer service from the plane to rebook the flight- they told me to wait until I got to Newark. We arrived in Newark and I ran to the desk where they told me that I the furthest west I could make it this evening was houston. Cool, I thought, so where do I stay? THey told me that there were no vouchers (hotel or food) for domestic flights with delays they ddn't cause (technically, the FAA and Air Traffic MAnagement delayed us). Anyways, we tried to negotiate this. They told us it was policy and that we could "always sleep in the airport." I was pretty offended/pissed.

We arrived in Houston to get a hotel. We got a room at the Hilton at a discount price due to our situation. We started our travel at 15:30 and it was now 00:30 and at this hour, the hotel had no shuttle. So we went to the cab stand, where the operator told us all cabs took credit card (you can probably see where this is going). Our cab didn't. I offered to go to the ATM, but the cabbie just got pissed and left. At that point, I would have felt bad, if not for the fact that I totally felt screwed too. We check in to the Hilton, take a shower before bed (no hot water, ugh), and take a four hour nap before we get up again. I called customer service again to complain and also to inform them that they probably don't want to be known as the airline that makes their passengers sleep in airports.

Some thoughts on both flghts:
1) Both airlines had REALLY poor communications wth the passengers in regards to the daly of flghts. All gates were understaffed and while the agents handled customers, there was no one reporting to the rest of us. In both cases, I heard NOTHING about the delayed flight until WELL PAST when the arplane should have taken off. Many people used their blackberries and phones to call spouses who referenced the internet and got the information about the delay. That should be rather embarassing to the airline- passengers should be able to rely on the people at the gate to get them information, not the airlnes website.
2) Nobody cares who's fault the delay was. As a customer, all I know is that I paid an airline and certain amount of cash to get me from point A to point B. If I was on time to my gate then I have probably fufilled my part of the deal. As an airline, even if it is an air traffic management issue (and not technically your fault), I still see you as the responsible party for my getting to point B- maybe no longer on time, but at least in comfort. As a customer, I don't deal with the FAA in my transaction of ticket purchase, and since I am giving my money to you, you encumber the responsibilities of the FAA. I'm sorry. Send the FAA a bill if you must. But you are the corporate face the customer sees and will blame.
3)I know it's tough economic times and no one wants to give out vouchers right now, but believe me- you probably won't make any friends by delaying passengers, but you will make blood enemies with them if you act rudely and unconcerned with the problems. As an agent, you'd probably had a long and hard day dealing with upset and angry people. I'm sorry. But give us vouchers and you'll abate our displeasure. Without them, I will make sure that everyone I know knows how badly you treated us.

ps. Dear continental, get rid of bad inflight airplane food (which you promote as being a free and a "perk" of flying Continental) and save the money for giving vouchers to displaced passengers.

David's Graduation

2009-06-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

David graduated! Yay!

Chad and I ventured back to CA for the weekend so we could be at the ceremony. The flight was a nightmare and it merits it's own post (will come later). Long story short, instead of arriving Friday night, we arrivaed Saturday morning several dollars poorer. But we got there, and that is the important part.

We spent Saturday afternoon lounging around and getting freshened up. We made sandwiches, got showers, and played with the newly spayed kittens. Then we took off for Sacramento to meet David for hors de'vours at his place in Davis. We met up and had some delicious wine and cheese, and then cruised over to a Rivercats game (triple A team that is a farm team for the A's). The baseball was good and the inter-innin entertainment was quite hokey- quite a slice of americana. We turned in for the night at a Davis-area hotel.

The next morning, we got early and made it back top Davis for the ceremony. We got good seat behind the podium and waited through about 800 names before they got to David. The announcers were clearly professionals so that made the whole thing fairly painless, and my dad got some great video of David crossing the stage (you can find it on facebook). It was kind of strange- he is my younger brother and he is now done with college- and we can go out for drinks, etc. Him growing up really makes me feel grown up. It was great to see him through the finish- he took 5 classes this quarter so he could really be done- and he made everyone really proud.

After the whole thing, we took some photos and then went out for sushi. Davd had to work that evening at the bakery so after eating too, too much food, we sent him on his way. We rolled back into Danville. Chad got to work at dinner, making chicken in the style of his grandfather. His mother and brother also were able to drop in and make a visit- they had been at a wedding in Santa Rosa. Everyone laughed and drank and hung out.

Monday was a day of regular danville- things. We went out with Peg and my Mom to pick out fabric for a gift Peg is making for my mom. Chad was a great sport- despite having to deal with burdens from work, he hauled bolts of fabric around the store for us and helped my mom make a fabulous decision. Then lunch- In and Out- one of the things we had been craving the whole trip. Glorious! We made some quick repairs on my parents bikes and took them out for a spin- down the Iron Horse trail, all the way to Alamo. It was refreshing to be in warm, non-humid air- but unfortunately the sun was non-cooperative and it was overcast the whole time. We're hoping the weather shapes up in the next few weeks since we will be back.

THat evening, it was secret asian barbeque ribs, hot tub, and a game of hearts. Which is pretty much a perfect day in my head. We hit the hay due to the insane time we had to be up for our out bound flight (which, thank goodness, was uneventful).

Would you like a little power outage with your thunderstorm?

2009-06-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

So we had thunderstorms both early this morning and late this evening, and due to the nature of my work, this can create PILES of work, especially when power outages follow. Anyways, my work day started at 0545 and hasn't exactly ended. Ugh.

THe work week should be rather bearable, as Chad and I are looking forward to leaving for California on friday for David's graduation. We were also able to work out plans so that we can spend 4th of July in CA too! It's a lot of traveling, but it certainly gives us something to look forward to.

Chad started back to school again and I'm getting into a general routine. Plenty of time to cook and try new things- I made a tremendous pot of grits tonight that was quite delicious. But more or less we're burning up some time between now and the end of the week. Totally ready to get on that airplane!

Birthday!

2009-06-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

So it was a wonderful birthday as I turned 24.

The weekend kicked off by seeing the new terminator movie on Friday night. Unfortunately, the marketing team gave too much away in the preview and also made the preview about thirty times cooler than the actual movie. I actually laughed near the end (when I shouldn't be laughing). It was an easy way to begin the weekend and we turned in early for a very exciting weekend!

Chad woke me up on Saturday with a DELICIOUS breakfast sandwich. Then we packed real quick and he handed me a slip of paper- it was a clue! About where we were going! I figured out that we were going to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, I was in the car faster than you could say go. We drove out and there was another clue- for a famous french fry place on the boardwalk (and you know how I feel about french fries). We acquired the fries and then sat on the beach for a picnic lunch. For those of you who don't know, Chad hates sand. I am sitting on a towel in the sand, and here is my husband, in shoes, not sitting or getting anywhere close to the awful, gritty, substance.

We walked around a bit- and then another clue! Rehoboth is regionally famous for it's excellent outlet malls and my clue granted me a short shoppng spree. We hit TONS of shops and Chad was a great sport about the whole thing. I got some great pieces (Banana Republic was crazily on sale). And then Chad took me to the Coach outlet and told me to pick something! I was flabbergasted! The prices were great and so were the bags and we got a great deal on a gorgeous bag. He spoils me so bad :)

Another clue! Off to dinner at a lovely place with food that was delicious. I got a delicious pork loin and Chad got some scallops and it was exquisite. We also had some vodka drinks that were way to delicious/dangerous and I'm glad we stopped at one! We walked around some more and watched the sunset on the beach. Then we picked up some sweets at a shoppe and headed back to the hotel for a late night spa and chocolate-fest.

Sunday was nice and easy- we hit the breakfast bar at the hotel and then headed towards Wilmington where we were going to see a show (another clue!). Unfortunately there was nothing to do in Wilmngton on a sunday, but we did find an abandonded mall that was hosting a car show. This s me next to a crazy statue in the abandonded mall. We got a small bite at a local pizza joint and then showed up to the venue and got the BEST PARKING SPOT ever. We tooled around a bit and then headed in to see Henry Rollins speak. I should really say "give a sermon" because it is much more like the latter than the former. And it was hilarious. And I laughed- A LOT. Henry talked at a million miles an hour for a whole 2.5 hours and then Chad and I headed home that evening. We got in late but it was a great way to have a birthday! Thanks to my wonderful husband!

Success!

2009-05-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

So my pea plants have made pea pods! I'm hoping they'll be ready to eat later in the week in a pasta carbonara I am planning. Chad planted some beans among his marning glories to assist the soil, and the flowers have really taken off. The onions & scallions are also doing well- so far, we're very satisfied with the turn out!

Earlier this week, the court in california upheld prop 8 much to our dismay. The court appropriately administered their process, but I'm of the opinion that basic rights should not be up to popular decision. Anyways, the decision fueled frustration in this house for several days and it persists, but in a less venemous state.

This week was one where niether Chad now I had class and it was AMAZING. We both got home at 4:30 every day which gave us plenty of time to cook, work outside a bit, and enjoy the evening. Chad's class kicks up next week so he'll be back to the grindstone, but it was nice to have a series of evenings together. It's difficult to explain, but it's new for us, as we are usually super busy.

The week was full of thunderstorms, but the weekend had the most delightful weather. We tried to get the boat out, but got stymied by the park ranger who told it was illegal (still unclear on the rule; trying to figure out where we can take it). The ranger was a nice old man who proceeded to talk our ears off for 90 minutes, but he was nice enough and we enjoyed the company. That evening, Chad and I had a date night- we made bacon-wrapped filets, the best mac n' cheese I have ever made, and veggies on the side. Delish! Then we took a walk in old town for some ice cream, returning home for a late night viewing of Terminator 2 (which I have never seen). We just got netflix, and we're trying to catch up on movies...)

Today we did lots of chores, which still aren't done, but they are coming along. We re-arranged the furniture, got the alignment done on the car, grocery shopped, etc. We also squeezed in a good bike ride and now Chad is out on a scoot. I made some DELICIOUS korean bbq ribs and now I'm going to attempt a car-cake (more to follow). This weekend seemed to short, but I'm totally looking forward to the next, when Chad is taking me out for a birthday suprise!

Things unrelated to the weekend

2009-05-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

So posting was difficult last week, as again I was away in Emmitsburg, MD for a training for work. I have many interesting experiences there, mostly involving my abhorrence for the food and how I turn unexpectedly grumpy. I have maybe been grumpy for a total of three hours of my entire adult life, and I was grumpy for a good 2 hours when I was in e-burg. Part of my grumpiness stems from the fact that despite the many technological advances at my dorm there, there is no wireless internet. Therefore, I cannot update you fine people.

I also did not get to post on the wonderful dinner my lovely husband took me out to as celebration for graduation. Knowing my love for all things cheese, Chad took me to a local fondue restaurant. It was a four course meal- a cheese fondue, a salad (WHICH I ATE- HA), an entree fondue (meats and broth), and then a delectable choclate fondue. I love fondue, especially the entree fondue, because you get to engineer every bite of it- you choose which meat to cook (sausage, beef, chicken, duck, potstickers, pork tenderloin, etc), how long to cook it, and then you get to choose to add a multitude of sauces. It's delicious. We had a lovely time, getting dressed up, and just having a night out!

In other news, Chad and I booked a trip back to CA for june for my brother's graduation. It was also Dave's birthday this week- so here's a shout-out to him. We're departing DCA on Fri and arriving to SFO late Friday night. We leave from SFO on Tues at 0600 (I don't even think about what time we're going to have to get up to drive to the airport). So essentially we have Sat, Sun, and Mon in the bay area (and UC davis). We're also hoping to get out to West Coast for the 4th of July, but we'll have to see.

And this is a photo of eastwood having a nap. Which we joined him in many times this weekend. Happy memorial day to all, with special thoughts to those with loved ones in here, there, and everywhere.

Thank goodness for scrub pants

2009-05-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

Chad and I have been spending much of our long weekend outside. We love being outside, especially as I spent the last week away in maryland and he was cooped up doing finals, we are especially inclined to spend as much time as possible out of doors. Unfortunately, out of doors is where are the mosquitoes love to be. And I am getting chewed up by them. Enter the scrub pant- light enough to wear on hot muggy virginia mornings but thick enough to ward off hungry bugs. They are perfect for gardening and other household chores and provide protection for my vulnerable leggies.

Yesterday we took the mailboat out for a spin on Lake Accotink in Fairfax County. The park was beautiful and just perfect for putting in small water craft- think canoes/kayaks/etc. The boat assembled easily and we were shoving off the shore in less than 30 minutes. We paddled around and had to get the hang of the thing seeming that it has little to no lateral stabilization and pretty much likes to turn on it's own. We encountered turtles, beaver lodges, geese (and geeselings), and ducks (and ducklings, which were impossibly cute).

We also signed up for netflix yesterday, seeming there were a whole lot of movies we wanted to catch up on. We had netflix in 2006 but let it expire when we moved. They've added a new feauture that allows you the stream certain (not all movies) directly to your computer, so no DVD is necessary. So if you have reliable high speed internet, you can watch movies all day long without even opening a DVD drive or waiting for the mail. It's excellent :) we ordered some of the terminator movies so we can catch up on the series before seeing the new movie (I also plan to do this with the Harry Potter movies) and we streamed Wall-E last night while folding laundry. I feel an addiction coming on...

It's sunday now and Chad and I got some gardening done as well as some more mundane things (laundry, haricuts, etc) and I got a scooter ride in! We're hoping to get in a bike ride later on and then grill some pizzas. It's super humid so laziness and the urge to afternoon-nap is setting in. Must...get...in...physical activity!!

(also, you will note no pictures. Now that I have a new camera, I am terribly afraid to take it anywhere based on the fact that I could not endure the embarassment of losing it again)

Graduation

2009-05-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's done! I have graduated! This morning, the pesident of the University did his thing and now I have a Master's degree and all the "rights, privelages, opportunities, and responsibilities" therein.

The weekend has been full of festivities- on Friday, my office has a bbq for me and a colleague of mine- we're both finishing in the same program. It was a hi-ho time of turkey burgers and sangria. Somehow I managed to collect several bug bites, but all in all, it was a very nice time.

I kicked off saturday by sleeping in WAY too late. I haven't had a good sleep in in several weekends, so I really capitalized on the opportunity :) Chad and I had a light lunch of bbq leftovers and then it was time to prep for the school celebration. Chad and I metro-d there and right as we got off the escalator it started RAINING. This would not generally be a problem except that I spent like an hour DOING MY HAIR JUST RIGHT. We snuck in a building and waited it out, but it wouldn't let up til the next day. Boo rain!

Chad went to the location and I had a little final business to wrap up in a holding building with the rest of the graduates, including spelling my name out phoenetically. I caught up with some of my classmates and then we were all herded over to the school gym, where the ceremony was taking place. We had a processional, a couple of bad speakers, and then all names were called. My sub-specialty had about 10-15 graduates but the rest of the school of engineering had some 480-odd students. IT WENT ON FOREVER. When they got to my name, despite the phoenetic spelling, the announcer (a former professor of mine) choked terribly, but these things are expected when your last name is missing vowels.

Chad and I then ventured back into the rain and back to the metro. It was fun hanging out and having the rest of the evening being lazy (but we didn't get home until 1130, ugh). This morning, we had the school graduation which was cold, wet, and windy, but we saw Rahm Emanuel. Now Chad and I are getting ready for a fancy celebratory dinner at a fondue restaurant (YUM). It's weird to be done, but it's nice. Onwards!

Mother's Day

2009-05-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Chad and I got to spend mother's day with our respective mother's this year, but that did mean having a weekend apart. It was a treat for everyone and left us yearning to move back to more familiar waters. Overall it was lovely to see important people and have some great family time!

Chad left for AZ on Friday night, which left me the house to myself. I did some lite cleaning but more or less totally vegged out as Friday concluded an insane two week period in my life. I got up early early EARLY on Saturday for my flight out, which was wonderfully uneventful. I arrived in OAK at noon where my mom picked me up in her new red Miata (which is not really new as it is like a year old, but new to me as I have never seen it in person). My mother, who might be a telepathic, brought snacks, a diet coke, and we rolled the top down in the 80 degree heat for a relaxing ride home.

Not long after we arrived at home, both my brother and father arrived. We had a family lunch and then out to Costco to pick up birthday presents (as my brother's and my birthday occur fairly soon). David got a GPS and I, of course, got a new camera (woot!). We also bought copious amounts of wine and beer to be slowly drunk throughout a very enjoyable weekend. We cracked some beers at home while playing an outdoor game of scrabble on the deck, eating fontina and brie cheeses on a french baugette. I thought I had died and gone to heaven it was so relaxing. Later, we went to the IMAX theater in Dublin to see the new Star Trek movie which was QUITE enjoyable. It was nice to have an outing and it stirred up lots of discussion. We returned home for tri tip on the grill and a traditional Stienstra meal-- just like old times! Throughout the weekend we spent most of our time in my parents new kitchen (again, not so new, but new to me)- which is gorgeous and suits them well. I do have trouble finding things :)

David and I met Jen and Janelle later that night for drinks in downtown Danville. It's weird drinking at bars at home as they were such an enigma to me when I was younger. It's also weird being able to drink with your sibling in a home-town bar, but weird in a good way. We saw some familiar faces but really enjoyed catching up.

On mother's day, we continued a Stienstra tradition by going to an A's game. The weather was perfect but we had to work a bit to get in the sun. The game was terrible for the A's-- only 5 hits and not a single runner made it to third base, but we had a great time taking in the occasion. They lost 5-0 in a shut out but it was nice that the game at least went fast (as not to torture us with embarassment!)

The afternoon followed with the usual cheese platter, deck chairs, but this time a deck of cards. We played hearts, which Dad almost always wins at (he shot the moon on the first hand), but I came EXTREMELY close to shooting the moon myself, which I consider a small victory. Chicken came off the grill for dinner and we had another nice family meal before David headed for home, as he is still in school and has work. We all lamented the absence of Chad who was terribly missed but certainly having good times of his own.

Monday morning was an early one as Mom and I wanted to do some serious shopping. We ran some errands and hit the mall as it opened and proceeded to shop for 5 hours (my graduation gift was some very nice professional apparel for my wardrobe). It's great shopping with mom because she and I can try on 10000000 things and not be hurried. We found some nice pieces for both of us, and I ended up with a new suit, a fine pair of trousers, a nice blouse and two pairs of shoes (yay Marshall's prices!). I also stumbled accross an incredible pants sale at gap which I capitalized on ($60 pants on sale to $38, then 40% off the sale price). I had a hard time fitting my acquisitions into my one piece of luggage!

Dad returned later that night and I made morracan rack of lamb for them. Cooking in the new kitchen was great, and I assured mom and dad that if they never needed house servants, Chad and I would volunteer and work for room and board. Jen and I went out again later that night and walked around downtown, grabbing some frozen yogurt and generally having a great time. We called it a night at 10pm as she had work and I had flying to do the next day. I got into bed and felt totally relaxed and rejuvenated. What's missing from this whole monologue is the new cats, Nookie and Zeph. They were a CONSTANT source of amuseument and we're fun to watch and cuddle with. The "new kids" as my parents referred to them took a while to warm up to the old ones, but everyone got along by the end of the visit.

Complete, pt. II!

2009-05-08T18:55:00.001-07:00

So it's friday night-- the final friday of my twelve day work week general life sprint. Classes are wrapped up, EMT students have tested/retested and passed/failed. I rolled out a very important project at work. And it's done! I am very much looking forward to California. Chad left for AZ this afternoon...and I have spent the evening in his basketball shorts, a slouchy tee, and have been eating ice cream. Totally lazy. And awesome :)

I got my grade back from my final today and I made an A- in the class, giving me a 3.95 gpa in my master's program overall. Success! The cherry on top was today in the mail, I got a gift certificate from Jacque and Lee for a dinner cruise on the potomac with Chad. It's going to be such a treat! Thank you Jacque and Lee!

This week, a pair of students made me smile. During re-testing (which is always painful), a team of students wrote me a poem:

"Dear Lauren
You surely ain't borin;'
Don't be stressin' no moren'
Through the gurglin' and snorin'
Be nice with our scorin'"

I was charmed. It reminded me of when my swim lesson students drew pictures for me. For the longest time, I kept a portrait that a 8 year old made of me. I was portrayed as super skinny, super tan, and SUPER blond :)

So I'm looking forward to a weekend of "Stienstra" things- baseball, scrabble, eating lunch on the deck. I'm also looking forward going out with Jen and some friends from high school. I can also go to a local danville bar with my brother! How weird. My parents have a new car, a new kitchen, and new cats. I am starting to realize I haven't been home in 18 months!

Complete!

2009-05-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

So on Monday night I took the final final exam of my master's degree. It's done! I really cannot believe it. Time has flown since we've been here and I finished in about 18 months. Crazy. This class is now over, my work is having a party on Friday May 15, and I walk on May 16/17. And then I'll have no other student responsibilities at GW.

It's especially werid for me as school was a major "anchor" for Chad and I moving out here. It was the reason we came. Now that we've been here for more than a year, we've acquired a few new anchors- Chad's school and job, more school and work for me, but the reason we moved out here is now complete. It's hard to explain, but it feels a bit weird.

Anyways, the test went well and Chad made me a wonderful dinner after. My EMT class is also in their finals period, so I've been doing a lot of testing/retesting for that. Chad's also been battening down the hatches and getting a lot of writing done. Tis the season for schools on semester schedules.

Chad and I both have travel plans this weekend- but not together! For christmas, I gave my mom a voucher for airfare, and instead of her coming out here, we decided that I should come home for mother's day. So to danville I go! Chad is getting together with his family in Globe, AZ to spread his grandfather's ashes. So to Arizona he goes! It will be weird to spend a weekend apart (I can't remember the last time this happened) but ::gasp:: I think we'll survive :)

Gastronomics

2009-04-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

So this is another photo I stole off the internet, but when you search "food" on google, you get too many photos and this is about as far as I was willing to look.

I've been on a roll with cooking lately. I've been making fresh bread dough whenever I need it (rolls, naanwiches, etc), which has been a real treat. Having a kitchen aid with a dough hook is AMAZING. I made turkey burger that were tastier than beef ones, with pepperjack cheese instead of the usual cheddar. I've been on an onion ring kick, so I battered and BAKED them (I figure I can have them more often if I figure out how to do them without frying) and they turned out great! Today I made an easy chicken arribatta and an herbed parmesean that was DELICIOUS.

Importantly, I've also started buying better ingredients, rather than just the cheapest. I am buying things fresher and from the farmer's market. I'm using farm fresh eggs in things, bought from the local market. It's good for the food, but also good for the local economy and the environment (not having to be shipped all over the country, etc). It's empowering as I feel healthier and socially responsible.

I think I'm well on my way to being a foodie. My parents have certainly come to value good food, and meals are becoming more and more of an "event" for Chad and I rather than just a feeding session. At Emmitsburg, some people were able to eat the terrible food because they believe food is just fuel, and you need to eat to get calories. I'm starting to really eat for taste and flavor and enjoyment, rather than just having a box of cheezeits for dinner (which still happens if I am left alone).

Being a foodie has some pretentious connotations, but hey, you like what you like. And I like food.

By the numbers

2009-04-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

4463....hits to this blog since its inception in August 2007
429....throusands of dollars- the money we'd need to buy the house we're renting
104....degrees (in the sun)- the temperature it is right now
178....posts to this blog since its inception in August 2007
129....dollars- to replace my camera (I'm giving it one more week to turn up)
109....miles on the scooter (I'll put it this way, I've only put on 3)
30....rows behind home plate, the location for which we have tickets for the A's game on Mother's Day
100....calories in the Healthy Choice fudge bars that I love (and had for breakfast today)
43...days until I turn 24
15....hours left until I'm done being duty officer
7....months since my last haircut (I need one!)
6....W-2s I have to send to George Mason's Financial Aid Office
6....EMT classes left to teach
5...days until the Wolverine movie comes out
4....more calls I have to make to the City of Alexandria to see if I have to show up for Jury Duty
2....tanks- the amount of Iced Tea needed to make it through this heat
1....final left til I'm done with my master's degree!

SAVVVVVVEEE ME...

2009-04-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

...is what I whined to Chad on the phone several times this week.

I spent the majority of the week in Emmitsburg at a training center to learn how to do disaster exercises better. The acommodations were ABOMINABLE. The beds were hard. The pillows were sinewy at best (I had heard this, and brought my own). You could see the decorative mattress pattern through the sheets. If you were much taller than I, you would have been cramped. There was no way to connect to the internet (I provided all my facebook updates through my blackberry).

In addition to the uncomfortable dorms, the weather was non cooperative. I was in northern Maryland, which is gorgeous this time of year, but it was overcast and raining for more than 50% of the time. THe place is pretty remote and there are pretty much only two things to do there: drink or walk around. Seeming that walking around was now out of the question, it was pretty miserable.

Worse than the dorms was the food. Everything was fried. Don't get me wrong, I like fried food, but I can't eat it every meal for 5 days straight. Plus it was bland. No amount of salt/pepper seemed to make a difference. THe processed cheese showed up in the same bucket three times throughout the week- as cheese for nachos, as cheese soup, then as mac and cheese. The poor vegetarian had to eat watermelon and pickles. It was bad.

As you can tell, I was EXCITED to get home on Thursday, if just to sleep in my bed and have something unfried for dinner (I had a piece of cheddar cheese toast). It was great to be reunited with Chad-- it's rare that we spend this much time apart. I went to work today to complete some work (I'm swamped right now) but I'm glad we're getting back to the weekend.

The next two weeks should be nuts. I've got lots of things to take care of custodially (filing various papers for graduation, etc) and a lot of things to get done project-wise. I'm looking forward to June as I am expecting them to slow down a bit. But between now and then both Chad and I have finals, travel plans, birthdays, and other craziness.

The best part of being back from E-burg was probably this evening. I stopped by the market on the way home and quickly put together some homemade pizza dough. Chad and I proceeded to prepare some pizza sauce (with our own porch-grown herbs) and linguisa. All together, we made some grilled pizzas that were quite tasty- we did regular crust, deep dish, and white pizza, with the regular and white coming out on top. More importantly, we spent the whole evening outside in the yard, enjoying beverages and taking in the last rays of the sun. We talked politics, music, and life. It was relaxing and totally enjoyable. Certainly the way I like to spend my friday evenings- good food and good conversation.

It's supposed to be 85 degree tomorrow, we're going to the market and definately enjoying the weather!!!

The Itch

2009-04-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

I am currently experiencing a really bad bite from the travel bug. It probably didn't help that I ordered a catalog from a world travel company, but man, there is so much to SEE in the world.

Recently I read a quote on someone's facebook that alluded to the fact that the older you get, the more excuses you can make to not do what you desire. You can see how that can arise- responsibilities with family, work, school, etc. I feel like I haven't had a whole lot of opportunity for adventures in my young life, but it is largely untrue. I have had opportunities, but I'm a slave to responsibility. I'm working hard to work in more travel into my schedule.

I've always had envy of Chad, who's been to 3x more continents that I have. I've been to Palenque, MX and Vancouver, Canada and recently Aruba. But that's it. Chad has Australia and Europe (and many countries to name within) in addition to the usual North American suspects. So I've been looking. Planning. Searching the internet furiously for deals.

I would like to say I want to visit all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but it's too bad that there are more than 800. I plan to use it as a guide, but I think it would take more money than I will ever have to see all of them. Here are a few ideas:

Fjords in Norway
Salt Flats in Bolivia (see photo above)
Ha Long Bay in Vietnam
Galapagos Islands, Ecquador
Yoga retreat in Thailand
Anything wildlife related in Costa Rica or Africa

So if you have some flight miles that are about to expire, feel free to route them my way. Until then, I'm going to horde paid vacation days and pray airfares continue to drop.

Downs and Ups

2009-04-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, I recieved a voicemail from my dad at 9pm EST. I was teaching EMT at the time, but rarely does my father call me that late on a thursday, so I know something was up. Chad picked me up and I got in touch with my family and my dad told me my cousing Dan was in a car crash. He was in a medically induced coma to manage his intracranial pressure, and everyone was waiting and praying. Currently Chad and I are doing the same.

Getting through Friday was also frustrating. I took my NEWLY REPAIRED digital camera to work to take some photos of a site we are going to be using for an exercise. Somewhere between getting out of the car and sitting down in my office, I lost my camera (UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...sorry, that is the noise of frustration I make when thinking about this). This is why I can't have nice things.

The weather began to get lovely on Friday and Chad took the scooter out. We dropped off the car for 30K mileage maintenance and the rest of the day was rather uneventful, other than the temps getting above 75. It was clear that the groundwork was being laid for a SPECTACULAR saturday. It certainly turned out to be an almost perfect day.

So this morning we got up at 0830 this morning (about an hour earlier than usual). Chad had his morning coffee and we walked to market square to the local farmer's market. We perused some lovely looking vegetables, flowers, eggs, meats, and breads, and came home with a lovely loaf of sourdough and a cilantro plant (haven't been able to find this one at lowe's/home depot). Then it was off to the grocery where we picked up sandwich making materials. We had paninis on the stoop while taking in some sunshine, and it was invigorating.

I potted my cilantro, watered my other plants, and did a little weeding. Chad then went for a scoot and I took a 90 minute nap. Then it was off for another walk, this time to Jones Point, to look at the community garden plots. We stopped by a school and looked at the map of the US painted on the blacktop and laughed at its georgraphicaly anomalies (the blob-like nature of Oregon, the absence of Alaska/Hawaii, etc). We made the return walk home while stopping by the local Williams&Sonoma and Ace Hardware, where we were given free snacks of popcorn and lemonade.

At home, we cracked two beers and put mesquite pork chops on the grill while homemade buttermilk biscuits finished in the oven. After having this delicious chow, we wound down by visiting our favorite local sweetery, Buzz Bakery. A red velvet cupcake for Chad and a chocolate chip cookie for me- Delicious! Now we're watching a movie while simply lounging about. It was a nearly perfect day- sun, walking, food, laughs, etc.

"It is much to be certain about tomorrow" posted Chad's brother Andrew to my facebook post about the cousin. It truly, truly is.

Spring Cleaning

2009-04-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

There are times in my life where I really love cleaning. This will undoubtedly surprise my mother who will definately deny it, but it's probably a compulsion I developed in college when cleaning was yet another diversion from paper-writing.

Today Chad and I did a LOT of cleaning and other associated chores. Bathroom cleaning, shower head installation, laundry, floors, dusting, clothes-sorting, et al. First we culled our clothing and pulled 2 garbage bags worth for donation. Thinning the heard helps reduce on laundry but also on clutter. Then the bathroom got attacked, mostly by Chad, as I tackled the second bedroom and the laundry. We had to run to Walmart (one of the few stores open this easter) to grab swiffer rags, a new shower curtain, and some other supplies. I HATE spending money on things like this, but I know it's necessary. We also FINALLY bought a FULL SIZE ironing board, so more of our clothes will now be wearable since they won't be WRINKLY.

We gardened a bit- some weeding, some thinning, some repotting. The peas are looking GREAT and are out performing the other vegetables. I may take some of my other (failing) plots and pea-ify them. We'll see. I heard on the news that investing $70 in your garden can produce $400 worth of vegetables. I won't have that kind of return, but I'd consider the investment worth it to have one gorgeous pepper and a delicious collection of peas.

After we dyed the eggs for easter last night, I stripped a few and made deviled aggs for Chad (I probably make them twice a year...so it's a real treat for him. Egg yolks and mayonnaise?! YUCK- he can have them all :)) I've also been experimenting in making naan- indian flat bread. The dough is very simple but you end up rolling out a few flat loaves and GRILLING the dough. It completely blew my mind at first- I knew the bread was grilled, but I also assumed that step occured AFTER the bread was somewhat cooked. This is not the case- raw dough goes right to grill. Anyways, it's completely delicious and since naan is $5 for two loaves at the store (and I can make 4 loaves from 3 cups of flour and a packet of yeast), I feel I can declare a little victory.

Having a clean house helps me feel less anxious. We'll see how long we can keep it up, but I'm hoping at least a while. I am feeling more motivated to have things look good- including me, my wardrobe, the house, etc. The laundry has just finished- off to fold some socks!

Unwinding

2009-04-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

::no photo, camera has been returned for repair under warranty::

It's saturday afternoon and the weather is a bit gloomy. It rained all morning so Chad and I hit costco for some essentials and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon cooking and baking and whatnot. We've got bread in the breadmaker, a rib roast in the oven, naan on the grill, greens on the stove, and potatoes in the kitchen aid. We're watching "madagascar" on TV and enjoying the lazy day.

The week went SO FAST. Between school and work, the long days flew by. The next few weeks are also likely to pass quickly- in the next 10 days, I will be spending 7 in training. I like going to trainings because it provides a nice change of pace, but many, I am going to come back to a lot of work on my desk. Chad has also been hit hard at work and at school. He's estimating he may provde more than 120 pages of writing this term. Insane.

We've also been having a lot of fun. We've been doing a lot of cooking and Chad's been out on the scooter a bit. I've been craving some shopping, which I indulged a bit on Friday. On Friday I also recieved my 2nd (in a series of 3) vaccination for HPV. The vaccine is called HPV4, and it vaccinates against the HPVs that cause 70% of cervical cancers. After passing on the meningitis vaccine and later regretting it, I am making a point to show up for these ones!

The plants are starting to come up, but the squirrels are having their way with them. I've already had to replace a pepper plant and the catnip may also be lost. I think I'm going to bring the potted herbs inside near a sunny window. The tulips have bloomed beautifully, but for whatever reason, the squirrels are biting off the flowers (the survivors ar ebeautiful though!) The pea plants are looking great, but I'm nervous for their safety! But so far, I've determined gardening to be very rewarding.

This evening, we're looking forward to a delicious meal and dying eggs. We made some hardboiled eggs last night and we have Spongebob Egg Dye to entertain ourselves with tonight. We figure they will make good snacks throughout the week (and I'll devil some for an Easter treat for Chad). Sigh, I feel like I had more to blog about, but I'm SO close to an afternoon nap. :)

SCOOT!

2009-04-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

If I had a camera that worked, this is the picture I would have taken today. Instead, I have google images, so enjoy this internet jewel.

The trees are blooming, the daffodils and tulips are up, and the sun is shining this beautiful April weekend. We've had plans for a while for acquiring a scooter- we've been coveting one for a year or so- and we've Chad has been courting the "Genuine Buddy" variety for the past few months. The scooter dealer in Arlington had a good stock at a fair price and we indulged.

We bought a "Buddy 50" which is a 50cc scooter. Part of the reason we got a scooter with such a small displacement is that you DON'T need a motorcycle license (or registration...or insurance...) in VA to ride one. We got it in a snappy orange color (seafoam green was a close second) and on Saturday, it was delivered. We've been taking practice spins around our very quiet nieghborhood and in the parking lot of the nearby community center. This afternoon, it got a wash/wax (along with our car) but let me tell you, it's going to be quite the baby in this family for the next couple of months. Chad actually did a quick grocery run this evening and it was perfect (especially as it gets like 90 miles to the gallon).

Chad had already acquired a helmet and I need to order one, so we've been switching back and forth-- this is allright as I am TOTALLY afraid to ride tandem yet. Riding single is REALLY easy, which is excellent and the scooter is totally easy to use. YOU FEEL SO FAST (and exposed). I find it most comfortable to ride about 15 mph (which the the same speed I feel most comfortable on a traditional pedal bike). It's going to be so fun to jaunt around on! Chad always comes back from his rides rull of smiles :)

While waiting for the scooter to get delivered, Chad and I helped my friend/coworker move. It was an impressive amount of stuff, but us and a few others conquered the household in less than 6 hours. Chad was the expert packer and made sure that we only needed to make one trip in the rented U-Haul. We were kindly rewarded with pizza and beer on one of the tallest rooftops in DC. The buildings in DC are height limited, and this one was built before the zoning laws went into effect. So, the rooftop meal and relaxation was quite a treat. It was also nice to brea around more smart people our age- it always makes for stimulating conversation and camaraderie.

Today we spent much of the day outside. We tended to the garden a bit and watered a lot. Sprout are starting to come up in the vegetable garden, with the green onions performing best (peas are a vlose second). Yellow onions are also coming up. No signs of okra, bell peppers, or jalepenos. We hit Lowes, got some herbs (oregano, basil, chives, and parsley) and I decided to hedge my bets and get a juvenile bell pepper plant. Also, in hopes that we can make treats for the cats, a sizeable catnip plant.

Carwashing and scooter lessons followed, then dinner and housecleaning. We're gearing up for another week. Temps are going to drop a bit (sad face) and we may not see 60 degree temps for 10+ days. April is going to be a crazy month for me at work and Chad always has his nose to the grindstone. School continues-- I only have a month left (gasp!). Rahm Emanuel (Obama's Chief of Staff) will be speaking at my school's commencement, so that is something to look forward to. Then it's graduation season- for both my brother and I. Travel is also in the air: in the next two months, I'll be spending two weeks in Emmitsburg, MD taking an emergency management course. Chad will be going to AZ and I'll be spending a few days in NorCal. We'll see what time is leftover for scooting!

Stock Photo

2009-03-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

So my folks got new kitties this past month, and this is a photo of them in the cattery where we picked them up. The photo is +/- 3 weeks old and my parents say that they have grown a bit, but still have all their kitten attitude.

Why the stock photo? My camera broke. I downloaded my aruba pictures, placed the camera on the dresser, came back for it a week later, and it no longer functions. That sounds like the excuse you make up when you, ya know, drop it in a toilet or something, but that did not happen. Anyways, I believe the camera is still under warranty, but I have to call olympus this week. My call sheet for this week has been intense- Olympus, HP (computer needs repair), Kaiser (need appointment), IAEM (have question), NREMT (have questions, no answers, and need to renew my EMT license by, uh, today). Anyways, the list continues to grow. Yuck.

Work is CRAZY busy and will be for the next three weeks. Of the next three weeks, I'm in training for more a complete week. Which means I get some serious classroom time, which I enjoy, but it does mean I am away from my desk and my responsibilities (which tend to get out of hand without daily attention). But I've started to feel like a real asset at work rather than just and employee, so it's been rewarding.

Chad and I hit one of our favorite bars after work for a quick brew and some 10cent buffalo wings. It's a nice way to unwind instead of rushing home and throwing together a quick meal. It also beats trying to fight the home-bound rush on public transit. Point being, after getting home, I was in a total food coma and hopped into bed for a little time with a book I picked up at the library. It's about how certain illnesses may have evolved as adaptations to environmental conditions (ie, having sickle cell anemia dramatically lowers risk of malaria infections). But in reading it I became severely intrigued about some of the topics and I feel a little more inspired about more potential grad school.

Anyways, I've got to make a decision about that soon, so we'll see. I've got to talk to some more people (Mom, I am looking at you) but I'm appraoching a decision. Chad has been wonderfully supportive and has been a great sounding board. He wants to do doctoral work eventually too. I think a round of applause is due to both our parents-- congrats, you raised a set of life long learners!

Lastly, it's Tuesday, which is one of the few days where neither Chad or I have class, so I'm jamming out to Dave Matthews (strange craving for some reason, and no, I'm not stoning). Chad is getting some work done for his classes (Wed/Thurs). Buttercup is trying to sit on my lap, and Eastwood is vying for my attention. Yet another night in the O-T household!

Sunday Spamwiches

2009-03-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Chad recently discovered individually wrapped servings of spam in our local grocery store. To wit, he has re-engaged in making his morning spamwiches, a habit he picked up when we were in hawaii. He's having coffee and frying up little squares of spam, which I am finding hilarious.

Breaking news though-- Chad has been managing some of the communications re: the airspace in Alaska and it's opening/closures in regards to the (now) active volcano Mt. Redoubt. It had an eruptions and now his morning ritual may be interrupted by some necessary work. Poor guy can;t get a break- this week he had school on Thursday and Friday nights, and Saturday morning/afternoon. He's going to need another weekend- this one has gone to boot.

Since Chad has been out quite a bit of time in the past few days, I have taken to catching up on the house. It's gotten out of control messy and is making even me (the piglet that I am) uncomfortable. So I've been tidying/cleaning/tackling the loads and loads of laundry and half-unpacked Aruba suitcases and I'm happy to say I've made progress, but by no means have I yet declared victory.

This week has been kind of crazy for me in regards to sorting out life. I'm still making the decision about whether or not I want to enroll in this Ph.D. program for Biodefence policy. In addition, I'm renewing my EMT license for the 3rd time (I've been an EMT for 4 years- where has the time gone?!) and it's turned out to be quite a headache. This is mostly because the website is totally unhelpful and the people on the phone have told me three or four different things. But I think I'm in the clear now, as long as I get my paperwork postmarked by March 31.

Renewing this license is essential mostly because it allows me to teach, which I'm quickly discovering is the most joyous part of my work week. I worked 96 hours this pay period and 8 of them were teaching. I realized, in this whole "will my license be renewed ontime or not" business, that I really don't want to let this licensure lapse because if it did, I wouldn't be able to teach. This of course would reduce my workload by 8-16 hours a payperiod, but I feel like I'd be losing something I really enjoy doing.

Update: Spamwiches are back on! Chad has rea some reports and made some e-mails, and it looks like the eruption won't be directly affecting the airspace he's managing.

Our plants have now been in the gorund for 7 days. No signs of life, but we keep our hopes up. we've had drizzling rainf for almost the past three days, so they've got plenty of water. My main concern, especially with the vegetables, is that the soil quality may not be condusive to life. We'll see. That, and I may not be patient enough to be a gardener :)

On the home front, my mother's mother is having health comlications, so she and her family are working on that, which is always interesting. Otherwise, my parents are very much enjoying the new cats and are marveling at their growth/constant playfulness. Chad's folks also sound well- if not completely ready for it to STOP SNOWING where they are.

It's back to the grindstone this week, although it should be a much milder grindstone. Work is not as intense (at least on my side) and I pretty much have school all sorted out until graduation. I ordered my cap/gown and paid my graduation fee when I got my midterm back (and now have confidence enough to project that I will in fact graduate). My departamental graduation will be May 16 (they will call my name) and the school graduation will be May 17 on the mall. I have 6 tickets, so if anyone wants to come, you are invited!

Btw, I woke up this morning to Eastwood licking the blinds? What kind of strange behavior is this? It only perpetuates our inclination to call him "Asperger's Cat" (rather than Schrodinger's). He is an odd, odd creature.

So I'm way behind

2009-03-22T19:50:00.001-07:00

On posting. I try to do 8 or 9 a month, but this will be only be my third for March. I suppose this is what happens when you have visitors/exams/vacations.

This week was on of "just getting through." On Monday night we got back from the airport and went straight to bed and then work the next morning. It was a short work week then- only 4 days, but then I had to work Saturday for the annual war protest (uneventful, but I still had to go in to work).

Chad starts his third term of classes this week- he has three (crazy guy) and I'm back to school since spring break is over. Spring break was an excellent week on the sheer behalf of the fact that Chad didn't have class, I didn't, and niether did any GWU student (which means I didn't have to go in and teach). This means that we got to be home together for every meal during the week. It was a treat. But now it's back to the big time.

We did find time this weekend to plant our garden. We have two plots of land in our front yard- one is a flower box and another is more of a vegetable patch, In the flower box, we have daffodils and tulips (which chad planted last fall and they are finally coming up), a rose bush (which was there before we got here), and a whole host a weeds. After weeding for about an hour, we finally cleared enough of them to put down some morning glory seeds- LOTS of them. We're hoping that some will actually climb our little fence. The second bed is vegetables- peas, okra, scallions, yellow onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos. There isn't that much space at all, but I'd like to have a variety of things just to try the whole "green thumb" thing out. So we'll see what comes up. Unfortunately the forecast now changed so that it might FROST tonight so we're scampering to protect our little guys.

I'm taking the afternoon off from work to study a bit- I've got an exam to re-register as an emergency medical technician this afternoon. It'll be the third time I'm taking the test, which means I've been an EMT for 4 years. Can't believe it's been that long. Although it costs some money to maintain my licensure, I certainly have been able to reap some financial rewards for having it. So it's worth maintaining, despite the current exam fatigue I am having.

Where to begin?

2009-03-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

After a tumultuous few days leading up to thursday, we woke up at 0300am to grab a super shuttle to the airport. It was nice and easy, no hang ups, which is important when you've only had three hours of sleep. Getting on board the plane is similarly a breeze. Then it's DCA to Miami (I sleep), a quick layover, then MIA to Aruba (I sleep again). And we're there.

We arrive in Aruba and it's pretty immediately clear that we are overdressed. When you leave WDC at odarkthirty in March, you are most likely wearing long pants and long sleeves, which leaves you ill-suited for the humidity and 80 degree temps of Aruba. We collect our luggage, get through immigration, and board a bus that takes us to our hotel. It is immediately impressive- the bus takes a coastal route past beach after beach after beach- all turquoise and teal with white, white sand and thatched huts and divi divi trees. The town you first drive through- Oranjestaad, the capital, is small, and a miture of continental and latin influences. A cruise ship is docked and the markets are open, but we're not eactly interested- it's all we can do to not strip down to our skivies and dive into the ocean right there.

When we get to the hotel, we check in, and do just that. We do take the time to apply a liberal layer of sunscreen and swimsuits, but we hit the beach immediately, secure some chairs, and take in the water, waves, sun, sand, etc. It feels like a corona commerical and it is incredibly relaxing. Also, I immediately note that although there are some gorgeous model types sitting in the next chairs over, the people walking the beach are really normal looking-old, young, fat, thin, tall, short, etc. Everyone seems undaunted by being in a swimsuit in March. It's nice. In about an hour, we begin to feel our skin start to fry. I'm as pale as death, and I knew I'd have to take special precautions not to become a rotisserie chicken. So we pack it in and head to our local hotel for a free welcome drink and a pizza on the sidewalk cafe. It's a nice way to wrap up a really long day. We take a constitutional walk post-pizza and then retire to the room to plot the upcoming day.

On Friday, we get up early/ontime/whatever/at 7am. We lather up the SPF and hit a continental breakfast at the hotel- giant croissant, OJ, coffee, and banana bread. After acquiring these free calories, we return to the room to put together a days worth of gear. We're destind for Malmok beach, which is labeled a snorkeling location on our tourist map. We're taking the bus there, and it is in kind of the middle of nowhere. So we pack some snacks and brew some gatorade in our small collection of Nalgene bottles. It'll keep us going for who knows how long, and will relieve us from buying overpriced drinks and essentials.

We hop the "Arubus" and head for the beach. The best part of the bus system in Aruba is it is completely non standard. As it most of Aruba. I'll put it this way- for the four times we rode the bus, I got four different amounts of change back from the fare. Keep in mind, the bus is a flat rate, so I should get the exact same change each time. Anyways, I paid $3 for Chad and I each time and I got change: 1)First ride: a quarter and 25 florin cents 2)Second ride: a quarter and 10 florin cents 3)Third ride: 25 florin cents and 10 florin cents 4)Fourth ride: 50 florin cents. Who knows. We arrive at Malmok and it is EMPTY. There are three people in the water and we intercept them on the beach- the indicate there is nothing really there. We give it a try and suit up anyway, but they are right. We instead do some beach combing- great shells, lots of brain coral, and LIZARDS which Chad will chase persistently throughout the trip. We wait at the Aruban bus shelter (a tree) next to the bushalta (bus stop) and take the bus all they back to Oranjestaad for some light shopping. Amazingly, we spend no money. We do however encounter more lizards- iguanas to be exact! Just sunning themselves on the costal rocks. Chad chases them and nearly busts his rear on several occasions. We stroll around the Marina and eventually catch the bus back to the hotel district (Palm Beach). We catch a dinner of tapas at a restaurant just down th street from our hotel. We make a dash to the beach and catch a sunset. What is nice about not having a car on the island is that it really limits the amount of stuff you can do. Despite getting up nice and early, we basically had a morning activity and an afternoon activity and dinner. It was really nice to forcibly slow down. It felt really good. Diligently I applied sunscreen throughout the day and am happy to report that I continued to avoid a sunburn (poor Chad got a little pinked :() On Saturday morning we pick up a car. After some review of the land, we determine it's going to be necessary to get to the real snorkel spots. After a little hiccup, we obtain the car (a toyota tercel type thing) and make for Baby Beach. Baby Beach is amazing just for the fact that it's a complete lagoon with extremely shallow water. You can wade 25 yards and the water will be at your knees, maybe. At the 100 yard mark it's still only at your waist. You have to go pretty far to get to the snorklable parts, but you are still in the protected cove- and we saw TONS of fish and coral! Lots of things I haven't seen in pacific waters. The parrot fish were so grandly colored and there were so many things to look at. It was a great dive, which I was impressed by, seeming that the Valero Oil Refinery is in the next cove north. We drive around a bit- we come to cove labeled on the map as a snorkel sport (it's a complete lie, the cove is totally choppy and full of kite surfers- we are starting to doubt the helpfulness of this map). We drive through a field of goats under the gaze of what looks like the island penitentiary. I guess you have to have somewhere to put island criminals. Net up is Mangel Halto. We park the car at the water's edge, which is about 10 feet from the water, but also 12 feet up. We grab our gear, descend a ladder into a lagoon. Then we wade through the lagoon to a spit of island that is covered in Mangrove trees, which, are, uh, spikey. We hop step to the sand and find a little alcove that has some significant shade- time to reapply the sunscreen. While letting the block set, we beachcomb a bit and find a live conch. We play with it, flip it over, and generally impressed that we found a live one (I've only ever found their empty shells). We made a video and I'll post it to facebook. The snorkeling is mediocre- probably overshadowed by the terra- which felt extremely secluded and special. We swim to the edge of the shelf and the features just DROP OFF. Kind of like in Finding Nemo- dark, deep, empty ocean. At this time my instincts kick in and we paddle back into shallower waters. We leave our little recluse and return to the car and continue beach browsing and snorkel-spot-scouting. We make our way to the California Lighthouse, which like most things in Aruba, is unlabeled. It's supposedly somewhat historic, but you would never know- seeming there is no label, no explanation, no nothing. It aligns with the Aruban motif of not labeling anything, including streets. And this tourist map is becoming increasingly useless! We've worn ourselves out and a quick fix is sounding pretty good- in addition, I've never been in an Inernational McDonalds. I get mcnuggets (on the assumption that "ketchup only" may not translate eactly) and Chad chose the McBurger over the McMax (the difference? who knows). The burger came with "Real Mayonnaise"- a sign of the dutch influence, which was everywhere (there is a red windmill on the island as well). We walk over the hotel area and grab an ice cream and go for a night beach walk. It was nice just to be together, by ourselves, to catch up and talk and dream and plan and laugh with no cell phones, no watches, etc. It's something we've missed in the last few crazy weeks. Sunday morning brings rain. Aruba is a desert island so rain is unusual but not unheard of. This is fine by us- we need a respite from the sun- and we've planned to go to the National Park anyways. First on the list is the Natural Arch (which collapsed in 2005 and now is an unimpressive pile of rocks). En route, we find a giant field of cairns- small stacks of stones. Our map seems to indicate that this may be the wishing rock park, although the relative geography is off (as have most things thus far). The tradition is to build a cairn and make a wish, which we do. We try to make it to the park entrance, but it is closed for construction. Arikok National Park is quite clearly NOT an american national park- it's a designated space, but there are still tons of roads/houses/humans inside the park. And lots of unlabeled roads. We drove around a lot and found things- lots of things- that we can't really find on the map. The things that are on the map- the natural pool, etc, we can;t find our way to (no signs) or need a 4x4 vehicle to get to. Sigh. We enjoy our ill-fated gas expenditure, but it could have been a little less exasperating, and maybe had a few less goats. The weather eventually clears and we head back to Baby Beach for another dive. We get in and see a few new things- a puffer fish, an overgrown trumpet fish, and 3/4 of some kind of eel. We enjoy our last few hours of sun and stop in Oranjestaad to pick up some souveniers. Chad gets a coffee mug, which he subsequently drops in the hotel lobby. This will be important later in our story. For dinner, we treat ourselves to Brazilian Barbeque. If you haven't done it, and you like meat, you should. There may not be a better way to describe it other than a parade of meat. We ate to much and fell asleep way to quickly. Monday morning brings a quick pack and an urge to cram as much beach time as possible into our last hours. We hit the beach and I finish the book I've been devouring ("The Year of Living Biblically"). We re-buy the mug that broke. We soak up the last few rays, turn in the car, and get through customs in the airport to wait the next few hours out. We get on the plane, fly over Guantanomo Bay (?!?!?!), and land in Miami. We prepare to board the plane to DCA. And we have no mug.

No mug?! Here comes a minor fit. I remember boarding the plan with it, so we dash back to our previous gate (like .75 miles away, MIA is huge) and have a stewardess recover it for us. Crisis averted. We land in DCA to water on the ground. Ugh. We exit the plane, grab our bags, metro back to Aleandria, and get a cab to our house. It's 10 pm. Teh temperature is 40 degree different than it was this morning. I take a shower. I'm freezing. I miss showering in 80 degree heat. Both Chad and I are freezing. We sleep with socks, pants, shirts, and an etra blanket on the bed. We've spoiled ourselves and now need to reacclimate to this Virginia-March-Climate. It'll come, but until then, I'm enjoying my tan lines.

No time to blog!

2009-03-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I am taking a break from midterm studying to make a post here because I have been negligent of such activities this week. I'm not going to post a photo because I'd have to upload photos and I'd have to get out camera, upload, edit, post here, post facebook, get distracted by facebook, get distracted by the internet, and studying will go out the window. Just text for tonight to keep me on track.

This week kicked off to an exciting start if only for the fact that I was "duty officer" for my employer. This means I am the on call person to handle non-routine issues. DO rotations last a week- monday to monday. So on Sunday when we were forecasted to get 6-12 inches of snow overnight into monday, I had to be on a super early morning conference call to help determine the appropriate reaction to such an event. Luckily, we got less snow than forecasted and it was more or less a non-event. Chad and I DID decide to go into work that day (many others took the opportunity to stay home and take a vacation day) and when we were walking out to the bus it was supremely quaint (I am reasonably sure we were the first people in our neighborhood making the trek that morning).

The snow cleared and the week wore on and on Wednesday, I picked my folks up from the airport. Dad's professional conference was conveniently in Washington D.C. this year and Mom tags along, so we had the excellent chance of a mini family gathering. They stayed in the hotel directly accross the river and it was GORGEOUS. But all the while they were here I had to remember I was on call and that was a constant nag. It went more or less allright until Thursady morning at 0330 when I had to respond to an event. It went generally well and I was happy with how I reacted and I rewarded myself with two pre-dawn eggos while I continued monitoring the situation. And lets be honest, when you start work at that hour, your daily 8 hours are over before lunch, so I got to meet up with my mom in Old Town for a bite, which was lovely. I stole in a quick nap and when Chad got home, we ventured over to the hotel for the reception for the conference.

We met and greeted lots of folks who remembered me and that I had vague recollections of. It was nice to do the social thing to a bit and it's nice to see me dad in his professional element. We wrapped up the evening with a bite of Chinese food in the National Harbor (which is coming along nicely, but I worry that the economy will stunt its development) but turned in early in anticipation of "Maggie and Lauren's incredible feline-acquisition adventure"!

For those of you who don't know, my family lost both of our long-lived pets this year, our siamese cats Sammie and Zazu. My parents are remisced not having animals in the house and for my mother's birthday, my father indulged her in acquiring a pair of new siamese kittens! After exploring a couple of options, it was decided that the cats would be acquired in Dayton, PA because a) the cats are decidedly cheaper and b) they could get them while visiting the east coast.

So my mom and I got up bright and early and headed out of town at 0630 headed for the itsy-bitsy town in Pennsylvania to pick up the itsy-bitsy kitties. It was a 4.5 hour drive and let me tell you, I have never seen more DEAD THINGS in my life. The amount of roadkill was impressive. Also, despite the fact that it was normal commuting hours, there seemed to be NO PEOPLE in the state of pennsylvania. I saw three, all in the gas station.

The cattery was in the middle of nowhere and when we arrived, we got a tour of the joint, saw tons of different cats, and ended up leaving with our acquisitions. The two kittens are littermates- one is more classic siamese looking, with a darker, smoother coat and a more pointy face. She is also the "leader" and the rambunctious one. The second is fluffier and more cream colored with a rounder face. She is not necessarily shy, but is the "follower" with a more mellow temperment (quite the acrobat, though!)

They cried all the way home, and we got them settled into the green room. We made some food at home with Dad and Chad and turned in early again after playing with the kittens (they were TUCKERED OUT). The next morning, Chad and I rose up early again to enjoy the sunshine and 70 degree temps-- we went for a morning walk down to starbucks and back. I then had to venture into DC to take a $450 exam for professional certification and it went well- I am almost certain I didn't get 100% but I am also reasonably certain I did not get less than 75%- but we'll see. When I returned I found the whole family playing with the kittens (can you see a trend here?!?!) The kittens are amazing- when they are awake they are ALWAYS moving- looking, exploring, jumping, climbing, the whole gambit of kitten activities. No wonder they exhaust themselves! Later, we went for a long walk around the waterfront and ended going out to eat for Indian food. It was quite possibly the best dinner I have had all year. They day was quite a hallmark.

Today, we saw the kittens and my folks off to the airport. Eastwood broke a glass in the middle of the night and it would be easy to think he was doing it in jealously of the attention the kittens were getting. That may be true, but he is a massive klutz. Chad and I had a nice afternoon nap but we quickly fell into finishing our last obligations before Aruba- finishing up papers, studying for midterms and finals, submitting job applications. We are just keeping the idea of sun/sand/80degree temps in our minds!

A Very Long Neck

2009-02-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

This is my very long neck. But more importantly, this is collar of the tunic I finished on my sewing machine! Woot! I can't believe I turned a length of fabric into something wearable. Granted, for various reasons, I can't wear it, but I do feel accomplished! I finished the garment earlier this week. I ran into a bunch of problems which mostly stemmed from by beginner-ness, which included: not buying enough fabric and therefore having to make the shirt extra extra small (especially in the waist/hip area) and continually running out of thread (as I had to sew, rip seams, sew, rip seams HUNDREDS of time). But it was great fun! It was wonderful to actually put something together. The sleeves were a total challenge and I'll be honest, for never having attempted something that difficult, I felt satisfied.

This week was a little less crazy than the last, but impending activities have us continually busy. For me, work has been going incredibly well and I am starting to feel like a valuable asset to my organization. I'm getting tasked with more management-level activities and I'm overseeing some very large projects. It's great. Chad has also been hard at work, with lots of upper-level things on his desk. He's making great progress on all fronts.

School is the beast of the hour. Chad's term is very quickly coming to a close and I'm gearing up for midterms. Chad has a bunch of papers to write and I have an exam on the 9th. I am also taking a professional certification exam on the 7th and since my folks are going to be in town this coming week, studying/paperwriting/etc must occur NOW. I'm so stoked that they are coming out- it is going to be a blast to see them and hang out.

In other news, Chad and I both made travel plans for this coming mother's day-- he will be joining up with his family to spread the ashes of his grandfather in Arizona and I am going to venture home for a few days. I'll see my parents new kitchen, visit the new kittens in their home environment, and do the Danville thing for a few days (which I haven't done in YEARS). It will be a good dose of "home" for everyone.

Unfortunately, Chad is currently out of the house taking the car back to get re-inspected. It's going to eat away his saturday again-- poor guy. I feel pretty guilty as I sit here writing this from bed, but I'm going to make sure there is a pastrami sandwich ready for him when he gets home!

The Scarlet Letter

2009-02-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

Why is it that every time I try to do anything that involves a car and the Commonwealth of Virginia there's bound to be heartache a significant loss of funds? What's going on here? Might my vehicle and my state of residence one day let one another exist without harassment or trouble. Perhaps. But not today.

This was supposed to be an easy gig, something that I was going to get done before Lauren even got up. You know, Nice and Easy Japanesey. But it didn't go down that way. Instead, I blew my entire Saturday fucking with a car, the very car that I bought under the auspices that I didn't want to mess with cars anymore, or at least against my will. While I'm not angry directly with the Toyota (actually, this didn't precipitate by any failing of it's own, but rather by means of VA DMV vis-a-vis the Northern Virginia Tax Base) cars in general are a source of great ire for me. They are merely picking their moment to ruin your day. They are cursed, these automobiles.

I first went to the Ye Olde Autoe Shoppe this morning at around 10am. This is not a complicated inspection--it is really is a way that the Commonwealth can get 16 bucks from you in addiction to the cash you send them to register your car every year. That, and the Emissions test (which is actually more stringent that the CA Smog check, BTW) that doomed us last year with the Saturn (hence the new Toyota) that must by completed biannually for another 30 dollars. Fine. Whatevs. This We Can Handle. But here's the my issue--this isn't actually a statewide (commonwealthwide?) requirement. Oh no--it's only required in the Northernmost part of the state (Prince William, Arlington, Fairfax and Loudon Countries, and the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax (yes, there is a Fairfax City and Country and they are Two Separate Things), and Manassas). You see, for those of you who don't know, only 40% of the state's 3 million citizens live in this part of the state. However, over 60% of the tax base is generated from the proud ranks of the Northern Virginians. That's right, all the money is is NoVA, and they have found a way to milk another 50 bucks out of us.

But again, on it's own this doesn't bother me, for I am one to say (however blasphemously) that taxes are a part of living in a democracy, that they are the price of having things that we like, but don't necessarily like having to manage. For instance, I really like having roads. And a mail service. And an Air Force. And so we have taxes. Again, that is all well and good. But I would much rather write VA a check than be fucked with on my Saturday.

So I arrived at the Auto Shop and waited around for 90 minutes while the car was inspected. This was already a lot longer than I would have liked, and was ready to head home to get down the business of the day. As they brought my car around, I walked out to meet the guy getting out to casually ask "how'd she do?" This was a mistake.

No sooner than I started to open my mouth the guy was looking beyond me to his associate. "REJECTED," he said with a wave.

Damnit.

"What does REJECTED mean?" I asked.

"Your two rear tires need to be changed."

"Yeah, I know. I already have them scheduled for next oil..."

"AND your left headlight needs to be aimed," he interrupted.

"Well" I said, "aim away."

"You didn't authorize it."

"I'm standing right here," I said, raising my eyebrow.

"Not on the sheet. And you still have two tires to be changed."

As it turns out, in addition to all the other paperwork you fill out before doing the inspection, there are a series of boxes on the back of the form that list what you authorize the shop to fix as they find it (sound like letting the fox in the henhouse?) that I failed to notice. Besides, I was standing right there and I mentioned before the exam that I was due for some new tires in a little while, and I was aware that the threads were getting thin. All that aside, the rule is according to VA, that once the inspection has started it cannot be stopped and the repair/replace authorizations cannot be changed. I have no idea why.

So, I flunked the test. Not a big deal right? You know better than to look for a silver lining!

As I was asking for further explanation, the shop's henchmen were removing my still valid inspection sticker and replacing it with what I call "The Scarlet Letter" Sticker. This sticker must be seen to appreciated. It is a Big X and "REJECTED." It is the Loser Sticker. It is the Deadbeat Sticker. It is the "I Didn't Give the Shop/State a Blank Check" Sticker. I started to protest--I wanted my old sticker back; the one that is still valid, and (to my knowledge) STILL MINE. As it turns out, "You get a new sticker, whether you like it or not." So, I am REJECTED.

Being REJECTED sucks. Besides having the blaring REJECTED Scarlet Letter festooning your automobile, you have exactly 15 days to fix EVERYTHING they specify (regardless of cost) or your registration is considered invalid. There are no deferrals. Once you fail, you fix everything. In 15 days. Or you are ARRESTED AND THROWN IN JAIL. FOREVER.

So, what started out as a leisurely Saturday morning (with the possibility for a nice Pastrami Sandwich with way too much mayonnaise in the end) had quickly become a hassle.

So, flash forward to the Tire Store. Lauren and I are somehow rapping our heads around a surprise $500 tire and alignment bill. The final Cherry On Top was that the shop took our keys and said "It'll be ready around 6 o'clock" (a five hour wait) and shwooshed us into the cold February wind. We clambered over to a nearby theater and saw "Taken" (too gritty for me, if you can imagine that). Then we went to Sports Authority. And the Book Store. And then got a Beer. And another.

So, we finally got our car back, with 4 new tires, and one headlight still unaimed. Next weekend I am to report back to the same shop to Clear my Name and regain my Honor and State Inspection Sticker. It only cost me my Saturday. And likely the Next Saturday. And $500 dollars.

I hate cars.

Catching Up

2009-02-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

We've been seeing stellar jays often in our front yard- they seem to especially like the raw peanuts.

This will be a catch up weekend for Chad and I-having been very busy (and mostly out of the house the past few weekends), we have plenty to catch up on. There is regular housework to be done (the pile of laundry has grown to be HUGE) but also stuff to get in preparation for my folks coming into town (like getting papers and studying done, as midterms are due during their visit). But it's only saturday morning and the weekend already feels long.

I've been on a fitness kick of late, so I splurged at marshall's and got a yoga mat, a set of 5lb weights, and a soccer ball (all less than $25, yay Marshalls). Aruba is three weeks away and I also start triathlon training in the beginning of march (I'm looking to do another triathlon over memorial day weekend in May). I've also been going to lunch-time work out classes pretty religiously and I've begun to see results- especially in my quads. So I'm motivated. I did a ton of squats and bicep curls while watching Lord of the Rings last night and this morning I am just sore enough. I'm starting to see a little definition in my legs and my shoulders too.

Chad is currently out and about getting the car it's yearly inspection. Chad is the "keeper of the car" and is, in general, the one who makes sure it's well maintained, registered, and gets to its regular appointments. February is an expensive month in terms of the car as we have inspection and our semiannual insurance payment (which went down SIGNIFICANTLY as Chad is 25 now- I have to hurry up and age!)

So yes, we plan on being completely boring this weekend- we need it!

It's a struggle just to get to shiatsu

2009-02-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

So Chad and I indulged in another weekend jaunt this past Saturday and Sunday. We drovee up to Philadelphia to see our favorite artist (Ben Folds) play at the Electric Factory in the heart of the city of brotherly love. We slept in a little that day and got to the hotel around 3pm to primp and preen and get ready for evening (you can guess who does the primping and preening and who sits around watching TV until that other person is done).

Since it was Valentine's Day, Chad took extra care and got us a reservation at a Venezuelan food restaurant not far from the venue. The food was delicious and I was sorry that the restaurant, Sazon, was in Philly and not Washington D.C. Chad had this excellent looking surf and turf platter and I had a perfect rib eye- of which I ate all 10 oz (a feat for me, I can only ususally stomach 6-8 oz). Unfortunately the neighborhood was kind of seedy and we were almost too uncomfortable parking the car by itself. Luckily, after dinner, we re-parked the car in a secure lot by the venue. But man, it was not the friendliest place to be after dark!

The venue was pretty awesome. It is in an old power plant at the foot of the Ben Franklin Bridge and it's smallish- probably holding 1500 people. The opening act, the Miniature Tigers, were pretty good- you could tell they were young guys who were pretty flattered to be opening the show and they were having a good time. The music was pretty rocking as well, and it didn't feel like they were just "taking care" of the crowd until Ben was ready. There was actually a second opening act- a the female barbershop group from a local college was chosen to record for Ben's upcoming a capella album- and they carried the audience until about 10pm when the show actually began.

To put it frankly, Ben Folds always brings the house down at his shows. At this show, he played a ncie mix of his new stuff (way to normal) and his older stuff. The crowd was totally into it, and we all danced ridiculously (I mean, how else can you dance to piano pop rock?) and sang at the tops of our lungs. He does a great job getting the audience participate- he gets you to sing some of the important parts of certain songs (ie, the trumpet solo of "Army", Regina spektor's part in "you don't know me", etc). He showed us how he modifies his piano to get the really unique sound of free cofee (altoid boxes clamped over the strings?!). He played a lot of favorites and some stuff you'd rarely hear, and it was just 2 hours of fun. He closed the show with an encore and then, um, threw his piano stool IN TO THE PIANO. I have to say, as cool as that was, I worry for the Baldwin!

One of the best parts of seeing a ben folds show is watching him play the piano. He's got to be some kind of savant about it- piano talent must seep from his pores. And there is no way to desribes how he plays the instrument other than that he attacks it. He is always lunging at the piano and playing upright rather than seated. Anyways, it makes for a really dynamic performance and it is just amazing to watch how fast and how exact his fingers are moving.

We drove back to our hotel in NJ and got back about 1am and crashed out right away. The accomodations were fine but nothing fancy (I pricelined the stay for half the price) and we got up and checked out promptly so we could go grab a cheesesteak at Chad's beloved Pat's King of Steaks before heading out for the trek home. It's amazing that Philadelphia is only about 2 1/4 hrs from here, but you have to more of less drive through 4 states and a district to get there. That's the east coast for you! Also, as you can see, Chad and I have definately been hanging around eachother for too long, as we have started to unintentionally coordinate outfits: Woah.

All in all, we had a wonderful valentine's day and it was wonderful to get out of town yet again. We've got nothing planned for the upcoming two weekends, but that's probably allright- we've been out and about for the past three and the house is starting to look neglected. Plus, we have a visit from my parents coming up as well as a trip to Aruba. We've been making an effort to get out and do things this year, and this are certainly getting done!

Burritos and Birthday Cake

2009-02-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

Somebody turned 25! Since we celebrated last weekend, Chad's actual birthday was pretty low key- I worked extra late, but we did have time to squeeze in burritos and birthday cake, which maybe Chad's two favorite foods. He's gotten plenty of cards and shout-outs on facebook too. And now, at age 25, he can now rent a car without insane-o fees.

It is also my mother's birthday today, so we shall give her a little love: Happy Birthday Mom!

On another note, family friends of ours have a son how has a significant case of cardiomyopathy and tomorrow they are inserting an LVAD (a device to help his left ventricle keep squeezing blood out into his body). His mom keeps a website available here: http://ourboydave.blogspot.com They need thoughts, prayers, and ultimately a donor heart, so keep your fingers crossed.

A weekend away

2009-02-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

Chad and I spent the weekend away in Pennsylvania in celebration of his birthday. I did a reasonably good job keeping it a secret, but the tour was eventually revelead when we had a movie night on Friday and watched "Gettysburg" to get a hollywood-perspective on where we were going the next day. The movie was good and really prepped up for getting ready to see the history that was coming the next day!

We hit the road on time and were in G-burg by 11. We did the car tour- it's a nice orientation- and we did pod-cast tours for Pickett's charge and Little Round Top. The Pickett's Charge tour was really excellent- you walked the entire charge and got a good feel for how long and far and horrible it probably was. It was a really great hike as well, and we TOTALLY lucked out with the weather- sixty some degrees in February! After getting our fill, we headed up to Hershey PA to stay in the lodge there and enjoy a one-night luxury stay. We got hot drinks and sat by the fireplace, went for a swim, went for a spa, and lounged around pretty effectively.

The craziest (and probably funniest) part of the trip was our inability to find food. For some reason, I didn't make a dinner reservation as I thought it would be a slow night as Valentine's is next weekend, and I thought everyone would be holding out for that. The first place I wanted to go, a fondue restuarant, wasn't seating until 10:15 pm. WAAAAY too late. So we were like eh, we'll just hit an outback steakhouse for a decent steak. The weren't seating until 7:30- which means we wouldn't be done eating til 8:30 or 9, which means we wouldn't be able to enjoy the resort amenities...so we said screw it, and just got a pizza and took it back to the room. And just my luck, it was pretty lousy pizza.

The next morning, I thought I would make it up to Chad by going to a nice brunch. The place I picked out, of course, WAS CLOSED ON SUNDAY. Ugh. So I tried my back-up...and we drove by it...because it wasn't marked. At this time, I'm pretty well tired of trying to find food, and we find the diner with the fullest parking lot and call it good. Of course, this turned out to be the best food of the get-away!

We returned to Alexandria on sunday to finish up chores and get ready for the week- and it was 72 degrees outside! Insane! We went for a long walk and tried to stay outside until the sun went down. Chad made a lovely prime rib roast as well as some delicious twice baked potatoes, thus ameliorating the fact that we hadn't had good food for a couple of days. He got his b-day gift from his parents, which included a Beatles Monopoly game, and we drank pink wine and tried to manage properties at the same time. I can tell you it worked out really, really well!

So we're gearing up for our next weekend- which will entail a trip to Philadelphia. Back to Pennsylvania we go!

This is what happens after too many weeks of being too cold!

2009-02-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

After spending a few days in Santa B over christmas with warm air and above freezing temps, we've had a bug up our butt about going somewhere similar during the latter half of the winter season. Winter lasts here through March...and after starting in November...it's been a good 5 months. So we've been lazily shopping around for carribean vacations (it's much easier to get there from the east coast compared to the west) and what can I say- the price was right on a trip to... Aruba!

Our trip is scheduled for March 12-16-by then, we figure we'll be good and tired of the cold. I have a bunch of comp time built up from working the Inauguration, and Chad needs to burn some vacation time before he loses it. The dates we picked also fall on my spring break- right after midterms. I'll also be taking a national certification test the week before. So my brain will be a bit fried and ready for some sun and sand. Chad will also hav just finished finals for his term, making it the perfect time to schedule a get away when we really need it. I'm in the process of getting my passport changed to my new name, but it should be squared away in the next couple of weeks.

Anyways, it's something to totally look forward to. It will ward off any winter weariness and gives me an excuse to get my butt in gear about exercising and training for another triathlon. I am pretty well pale these days- I need a tan!!

In other news, this week has been TOTALLY crazy with work. I got buried under projects in two days time. It's amazing how stuff comes in waves. I'm really looking forward to this weekend (we are celebrating Chad's b-day and getting away for a night in a SECRET LOCATION). Chad has been busy at work as well but school is going really weel for him. It's something he looks forward to every week! I think it's a way for him to talk about airplanes for 8 hours a week...:)

Lastly, here is a bit of "daily cute" for everyone to enjoy: The kittens are getting bigger! They are looking more and more siamese! Aggggh! I just squeal when I look at them. Can't wait for March!

Backyard Biology

2009-01-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

So Chad has taken to feeding the various critters in our yard this winter. A few months ago word came out that there was an acorn shortage in our region and this could mean bad things for our resident squirrels. Chad started supplementing their diet with some peanuts and various other tasty things, and now the errant nut has grown into a squirrel feeder, a suet hangar, and stoop treats. The wildlife is pretty amazing- the cardinals are RED and the woodpeckers looke like "woody the woodpecker." These pretty guys bring some color to the fleet of mourning doves and chickadees. We also host at least 3 squirrels and a possum to boot!

Last night Chad and I had a date night which was a nice conclusion to the end of another week. Andrew gave us tickets to the "Capitol Steps" which is a local political parody show. We hit Cheesecake factory for dinner beforehand and enjoyed the show, which was very cute. It was in the Regean Center which is a beautiful building in the heart of the district. Anyways, it was quite a charming night- thanks to andrew for the tickets and mom for the gift card.

I'm already ready for another week to go by- we're doing a little local travel for Chad's b-day next week. I'm really looking forward to it! It'll be nice to get out of town for a few days and go see something new. Until then, the next week should be pretty busy- I've got tons of meetings and Chad has got things to take care of too.

So I've started on our tax return and I realized that Chad and I worked 6 jobs in 2008. Whew. Hopefully 2009 will be a little less crazy!

Scooter on the brain

2009-01-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

So Chad and I's recent scheme is to use our tax return to acquire a scooter. We live in Old Town Alexandria, and considering there is NO PARKING, it would be a great tool for running to the store to get THAT ONE THING I always forget, bagels on Sundays, etc. Chad has got a serious obsession with scooter research and in his spare time, he sends me pictures like the one above, to remind me of his scooter-dreams.

Well, we've had 2 inches of snow today. Freezing rain/sleet/etc (called a "wintery mix") is due in tonight, so we've hunkered down with our electric blanket and a plateful of chocolate chip cookies. Not a bad way to be. Snow is still pretty weird- in CA, you visit the snow, and I find it odd that it snows at my house/place of employment.

I finished my third week of school this week, so that means I've completed 3 of 15 classes or 20%. Woot! I am quickly approaching graduation, which will be either May 16 or 17. In other news, my "next grad school of choice" recently found the transcipts I sent them 7 weeks ago, due to confusion over my actual name/maiden name. Ugh. I understand why people who get married later in life (and are more established) keep their names. It was quite the snafu, with me having to make upwards of 5 phone calls, several e-mails, and a few additional postings. They only accept 5 students into their doctoral program every year, and I applied for 2010, so let's hope the economy is such trash that they want to lock in some assured income for that cycle!

Chad's school is also going well. His safety systems class began this week as during the week before inauguration, the professor had to be absent to investigate a real live accident (one you saw on the news...but not in the hudson river). His other class is a helicopter operations class. This term will be good for Chad as it seems to not require insane amounts of writing in short time spans, unlike last term, which required vitamin supplements and several red bulls during finals week.

Otherwise, The next couple of weekends should totally rock. This Friday, Chad and I have date night, and we're going out to dinner and then to see the show "Capitol Steps"- a political satirical musical- tickets courtesy of Andrew for xmas. The weekend after that we'll be celebrating Chad's b-day with [POST EDITED TO PROTECT SECRECY]. Then for Valentine's day weekend we're going to Philadelphia to see Ben Folds (again, 3rd time in a year, rock!). Not long after that, my folks will be here and then it will be KITTEN ACQUISITION TIME. It's nice to have somethings on the calendar!

Choosing a better history

2009-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

So inauguration week has passed! It was a wonderful occasion with a houseful of people who were so very excited for a single day's event. The days preceding the inauguration went so fast- there was lots of eat, drink, and merriment. I slept at my office the night before so I could be at work at o'dark thirty. Chad and his family had a breakfast call at 5am so they could hit the at the necessary hour. The braved the wind and the cold (temps were 30, and the wind chill cooled it to a more-than-brisk 17) for several hours to see the ceremony; I was monitoring the situation on many fronts and facilitating traffic. All being equal, 12:01 came faster than we all expected. Obama's speech was capitvating and inspiring, and he really has delivered in his first few days. The whole fiasco went off extremely well from an emergency management point of view. The EOC operations went smoothly, and we even had chance for a quick laugh- someone brought in an Obama cut out, and since everyone in the EOC has to wear an identifier (Director, Planning Section Staff, ESF 1, etc), we gave him a badge: It was incredibly hard to go back to work during the week, but Chad and I somehow managed. Friday brought a respite from the week's hardships- we saw a movie (Defiance- good, but not great) and turned in for some early sleep. Saturday I went to sewing class and I can't tell you how much fun I am having!! Chad has been doing some serious scooter research and we've begun on our taxes. Getting back into a routine after such a huge event is always challenging. Today has been a nice lazy today for us- woohoo!

BrrrrrrLauren is Brrrrrrr

2009-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well, it hasn't been above 32 degrees here for the past 60 hours or so. It is WELL cold. On Friday, the high was 14 degrees. Hopefully it will warm up for the inauguration- currently the forecast has 31 degrees.

I had a sewing class today and it was REALLY great. .This past week I was in a Joann farbrics having a great time browsing around and I was like "Wow, I wish I could actually do something with this." So I got myself in a class and I had such a good time being involved in a project and being crafty. I made an envelope pillow and a pair of pajama pants. Next class we are making a lined tote bag. I've been getting cheap fabric because I know I am learning (and therefore will screw it up) so it's probably not stuff I will use/wear, but I'm improving so much! I really want to get a sewing machine and make our second bedroom a craft room (since Chad has his mancave).

Chad also dove into a new skill this week. For christmas, I got Chad a sushi class through a local adult education program. Thursday was his first class and he really rocked it! He got several compliments on his rolls from his teacher and his fellow students! Luckily Chad is getting over his post-new year's poison reflex for sushi and in his next class he'll learn how to do nigiris. He said the teacher and the professor are really great- I'm going to look into some more classes there!

We're gearing up for the inauguration and have gotten some food/supplies. Andrew got in to town today and the airline lost his bag (he did have three connecting flights). Jacque and Stan get in tomorrow so we'll be having a full house. I'm going into work on the night of the 19th to sleep in my office and then get up at 3:30. Thank goodness monday is a holiday and niether Chad and I have school. Tuesday will probably fly by for me but will be terribly long for Chad and his family due to their long exposure to the cold. Hopefully I won't have to be at work past 20:00 and can come home for a few hours and a bite to eat. We'll see. At least I have sewing class to look forward to next Saturday!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

From my mom:

Aren't they cute?!

They are growing up in Dayton, PA where we will pick them up on Friday, March 6

My parents are coming to visit in March and now my mom and I get to go on a road trip to GET KITTENS!!!!!! Best road trip EVER! Anyways, they are two seal point apple head siamese- both girls and littermates too!

Any good ideas for names?!

Bring it On

2009-01-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

So the next 10 days is probably going to the be the craziest that I'll ever have at work. The inauguration is going to be the largest "event" I'll probably ever work and that NoVA will ever see. So it's a big deal and it's going to be long hours and long days.

Getting ready for the inauguration has meant several things. Chad, for one, has picked up some extra warm under-layers since he'll probably standing outside for 6-8 hours. Secondly, since the whole area is advised to treat the event as a "snow day" or a "snow weekend", I've been stocking up on dry goods and water. Chad and I have food and water for 72 hours for 2 people, but not the 6 we are expecting to have in the house, so we've had some adjusting to do.

I've been going to exercise class 4 days a week during my lunch hours and it's been really good just to get out of the office and get the blood flowing. I've had a few sore muscles and some really good streching, but I think it's more mental therapy than anything. Hopefully I'll start seeing some results!

Chad and I both start school this week, and I'm also picking up some classes to teach. It's been really nice having 5 nights a week to just lounge around but now it's back to the grindstone. When we were grocery shopping this week we made sure to pick up some things that can be thrown together in a hurry- seeming that 2-3 nights a week we won't be home til after 10pm.

We've also had the luxury of hanging out and playing games in the evenings and I'm really going to miss that- chess, pool, scrabble, and the like. I've also gotten a lot of reading done- I finished "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" which was really good and I'm in the middle of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "How Soccer Explains the World." Having the county library en route to my metro station is really great and has allowed me to get back into reading in a serious way.

Chad and I were in Joann Fabrics today and I'm starting to think learning how to use a sewing machine/make clothes would be really cool...or maybe it's just the winter getting deeper!

Baby, it's cold outside...

2009-01-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

(This is a picture of Chad when we got the "mailboat." It has nothing to do with this post other than that it is cute!)

Well, temps are back in the thirties and today we got to experience what is known as "freezing drizzle." Such weather makes for a less than cheery day, especially when you take public transit in the very early morning.

The past few days have taken a lot out of us- we're getting back in the swing of 5 day work weeks rather than completely irregular holiday scheduling. I started going to HealthSmart classes during my lunch hour- they are county-provided exercise classes and it's a totally sweet deal ($25 for 3 months of class, with class 4 days a week). We did muscle conidtioning on monday and my gluts are TOTALLY sore. It feels good to get the heart rate up in the middle of the day and it sure does provide a break in the middle of an 8 hour stretch.

Chad has been plodding along at work too, and we're getting ready to go back to school. Chad will have class on Monday and Wednesdays, and I'll have class on Mondays only, but I'm trying to teach Wednesday and Thursday nights for some pocket change. After playing with Lee's camera during the holidays, I'd like to pick one up and I figure I'll use my side cash flow for something fun.

Chad will be taking an Air Safety course and a Rotorcraft Operations course, whereas I'll be completing the last class in my program: Problem Solving and Decision Making for Managers (which is largely how to solve a problem using probability). Lucky for Chad, if he completes his classes in a certain fashion, he may be able to pick up a double Master's degree in Safety and Operations, which would b killer. As for me, I submitted an application to Georgetown for their PhD program in Global Infectious Disease (after two years of a management degree, I need a little more science in my life). I put in my application to be considered for the 2010 cycle (which will give me time to scare up a few fellowships/funding opportunities because I don't think I can go on student loans alone. I'll also be putting in an application to George Mason University in their Biodefense program- which would be nice because I could get instate, public-school tuition. Plus, classes are at night, which means I could keep working full-time. Who knows.

I have to work Saturday (ugh) but I get to earn 10 hours of straight vacation time. With the weather the way it is and the stress level the way it is for the inauguration, I am seriously thinking a weekend in Aruba would be nice right about now.

Sammie

2009-01-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

So last night I get a call from my mom telling me that she and my dad had to put down Sammie a few days ago. He was a really, really old cat in failing health and it was the right decision, but it was still REALLY sad for me. Sammie was the cat I got for my 7th birthday and we lived in New Jersey then. I remember driving into Philadelphia to get him from the breeder (who probably gave us a sweet deal because he was a runt). He had ringworm, so we had to feed him eggs with his cat food. He made the cross-country trip with us to CA and at one point when unpacking at our rental house, we thought we'd lost him. He was just hiding in a box, but it is something I remember very clearly.

Sammie because my standard for cat behavior. Not that other cat behaviors are wrong, but Sammie-behavior is what I came to know as normal. He responded with a loud "MeOW" when you called his name. He'd beg at the table for seafood scraps and liked to drink water out of a dixie cup while sitting in the sink. He'd yowl and cry when an outdoor cat came to visit him at the window. He fetched the little balls of wine foil and loved to be pet with the "tunnel of love" manuever. He was quite a character and quite the member of our family.

Anyways, I cried like a baby not because I felt like it was unfair that he died, only because I was sad. Chad was the great comforter and there are some significant amounts of tears/snot/etc on his fleece now (which I promise to clean). Sam-cat held a special place in my heart because he was the BEST gift a cat-loving seven year old can get and was a great companion- always sleeping in the crook of your knees (or sometimes puking on your chest- a hilarious occasion which I have sense learn to laugh about). BC and Eastwood got a lot of pets last night and probably will over the next few days because I miss my kittie.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

Last night Chad and I went out with my friend Sarah and her fiance Dave. We went to a place called "The Sake Club" in Woodley Park in DC for all you can eat sushi/champagne/sake and let me tell you, we took major advantage of the deal. We had some beautiful plates/boats of sushi and I (gasp) was a bit adventurous and ate some of the cooked pieces (shrimp tempura and some kind of eel). Chad and Dave relaly went to town and cleaned up while Sarah and I made sure our champagne glasses full. It was a wonderful night and 12:00 cam quicker than we expected! We took the metro home, got a cab, and ended the night around 2am or so. It was really nice to go out with friends and spend the evening splurging a bit.

This morning I was VERY glad it was a holiday and celebrated by sleeping in til 1:30pm. Chad and I spent the day lounging and shopping- I went to the gap outlet in Old Town and spent my gift card on some excellent pieces. I got a really charming lime jacket as well as a denim one, and a few camisoles to wear underneath. We've got some chicken and dumplings in the slow cooker and there is a Mythbusters marathon on TV so chad is happy as a clam. It's been a great day just to recover from last night, but also our vacation. I love our vacations, but I've really got to start scheduling a day off after them for recovery. Going to work immediately is really REALLY hard. Plus, since we got in after a red eye, we pretty much just ditched our luggage in the living room and haven't really unpacked it yet. That will be a job for this evening.

Anyways, in the spirit of new years, I've made a few resolutions for the year:
-Go to the dentist (okay, I haven't been in a while due to anxiety, and Sarah has a dentist that will perscribe you a Xanax to chill you out, so that sounds promising)
-Do another triathlon (I want to do another sprint distance in the spring and then shoot for an olympic distance in the fall)

I'm sure I'll come up with some more, but that's it for now. Hold me to them!

Whew

2008-12-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

Well, let me tell you folks, every time I see a red-eye flight that I can book, I almost always book it because it's usually cheaper. And I am CHEAP. Well our flight got in at 05:50 on Monday morning and we're still recovering.
The highlights of christmas are as follows:
-In and Out Burger upon landing in CA
-Wrapping gifts with snow outside
-XMas Eve Party
-XMas Morning lounging and gift opening
-Blizzard? At least we made the news.
-The weather in Santa B
-Tasty Prime Rib for XMas Dinner
-Segway Tour
-Chad crashing the segway (twice)
-Deep Sea Fishing/State Street Shopping
-Hot Tubbing with Champagne, Chocolate, and various sundry treats
-Making a quick dash to back to LA to make our flight
Here are some photos for your enjoyment until I can make a longer post!

Dad's Being Goofy:
The Squadron of Segways:
A Charming Picture of My Mother in Sunset Light:
Oh, Santa B, can't someone we know have a home to sell us there?

Shortest Day of the Year

2008-12-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

Chad and I have been reveling in the fact that we've both had a two day weekend- something that hasn't graced us for a month or so. It's been good to get some chores done (ie, the neglected laundry that has been piling up in the basement for 3+ weeks) and just hang around. We've had a cold snap here, but nothing like the northeast is seeing. It'll be 20 degrees tonight and we've broken out the electric blanket and tightened up the windows in an effort to keep the heat in and our gas bill down. These are the days when I have to wash my hair in the afternoon- in fear that if I wash it at night, my scalp will get frost bite.

We're also prepping for our trip to California- getting our suitcases out, giving the kitties some extra pets, etc and we are really ready to go. The next two days will be dead at work so we'll probably be the only ones in our respective offices, twidling our thumbs. Our flight leaves Dulles at 8:05 EST so weve got a little less than 48 hours til that time!

This weekend was also spent watching christmas specials and eating christmas cookies- really not a bad way to kill two days. We made some adventures out into the world, but it was much nicer to watch "Olive the Other Reindeer" and snack ourselves to death. I mentioned earlier that we made some...uh...interesting cookies and here are a few of our favorites:
Unfortunate Snow Plow Accident:

Special Delivery?

Evidence that we worked too long in EMS:

Okay I swear not all the cookies were twisted but we're still in our twenties and are recent college graduates. We don't have to be that grown up yet, right? :)

Adventure Pizza

2008-12-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

So Chad and I had a mini-date night last night where we went and caught a movie (Quantum of Solace) and then grabbed a pizza. Well we were walking back to our car with our pepperoni pie and Chad kicked something while opening his door. He looks down, picks it up, and it's a wallet.

We open the wallet and find the guy's ID. It's weird to go through someone's wallet, but I got kinda used to it when I worked at the hospital (we had to invfentory EVERYTHING when patients got admitted). He had a little cash (which was a good sign that we found it first and nobody has ravaged it before we got there) and a lot of cards, but we found a Borders Card and we were in front a Borders. It was pretty obvious to us the guy had been doing some Xmas shopping and it fell out of his pocket. Ugh- last year Chad and I both had to replace our credit cards (Chad's number was stolen and I left my wallet on the metro- WHICH SOMEONE KINDLY RETURNED) so, while remembering what a PAIN IN THE ASS that was we decided to make sure this guy got his wallet back before he went and cancelled everything.

We go into the Borders and look for the guy, to no avail. We go to the desk and have the cashiers scan the card- when the card is registered, they usually have the phone number of the person who activated the card. Unfortunately, this guy didn't register his card, so we couldn't phone him. We instead just decided to deliver it to him- his address was on his driver's license.

He lives in Lorton, about 30 minutes south of our house. We hop in the car and chow down on our pizza while driving down. It's about 10 at night when we get there but decide to knock on the door (rather than leave it in the mailbox). He opened the door and was genuinely delighted/surprised that we were there to deliver his wallet. Apparently he was picking up a book for his son at the Borders when it fell out of his pocket when he was getting in his car.

Anyways, the whole adventure put me in a holiday mood and I'm totally ready to wrap gifts and drink cider and wear slippers now.

SURVIVAL

2008-12-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been a WRECK. This photo nicely encapsulates the moment before EVERYTHING GOT CRAZY and the WORLD WENT NUTS.

The weeks after thanksgiving were a combination of school and work overload. Chad had 4 final papers/projects/assignments all due within two days of eachother. He was able to pull it out and get stellar grades on everything, but he did have to pull several late nights of work and an allnighter to boot. After several red bulls and too much caffiene, he wrote 41 pages in 48 hours and satisfied all of his professors. An epic win for him.

I had finals week as well, but mine was a lot more low key. For me, work has been going nuts- were in the middle of my fiscal year at my primary job and the overhanging gloom of budget cuts has turned everyone kind of sour. I also picked up several shifts of EMT teaching to cover christmas costs but that means I've had no weekends for the past two weeks. Which means I have a 19 day work week. Yuck.

Okay, I'm done with my whining, but I wanted to provide an explanation for the lack of posting. Christmas is nearly upon us and we cranked out a christmas card as fast as we could to let people know that our address has changed. We've been hitting the stores a bit, but we mostly get everything online and have it shipped to CA for the convenience. We're boarding the plane for CA in less than a week and we are totally excited!

The season has been shaping up nicely for us in other realms as well. Now that we are both out of school we have EVERY evening together- which is lovely as we get to spend a lot more time just relaxing. I've been renting movies like crazy from the library and we've seen Blood Diamond, Waitress, and Breach in the past week. All have been good engaging films and a good way to unwind after 15 days of craziness.

We've also started baking like crazy! Homemade rolls and loaves of bread and last week I made molasses cream cookies. We made some roll out cookies last night that we're decorating tonight and I'm stoked to make some photos. We put extra effort into making the cookies hilarious/naughty/unique/etc and not just blobs of dough. Look for pictures later! I also have boat pictures to post...I am so behind!!!

Here are some snaps from T-Giving:
Trlica Boys at Udvar-Hazy Museum

The family Stienstra in front of a fence (cough cough THE WHITE HOUSE FENCE)

Chad and I doing interpretations at the Art Museum

Boats? In the mail?

2008-12-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

So I've had this terrible flu/cold combination since tuesday that involves me not sleeping well and having no voice. This is inconvenient, especially as I have EMT today and tomorrow and haven't had proper rest the past few nights. My throat feels pretty swollen and I have more or less become uniterested in eating, a rarity for me. Ugh. Being sick is lousy.

Chad has been battling similar symptoms and he has class all weekend. He's trying to knit together the strings of a group project and it's like herding cats. Then he has a paper and a final, so he'll have to hole up in the green room for the next couple of days and pound out many pages of writing. Poor guy.

An odd thing happened the other day. Chad and I got a note from his parents saying that there would be an early christmas present coming in the mail. I'm very happy we opened/read this note immediately when we got it, or the upcoming events would have been dumbfoundingly confusing. No less than 20 minutes after opening the note does that UPS man ring our bell.

AND HE HAS THREE GIANT BOXES FOR US.

So we shuttle them inside and with the curiosity nearly killing us, we opened them. First, we opened a box that had two life vests in it. Two life vests?! Okay, there must be more information in the next box. It's long and slender and there are two OARS in this box. At this time I have a mild idea about what is going to be in the third box and then we open it and it is AN INFLATABLE KAYAK.

Hahahahaha who knew you could send boats in the mail.

Chad and I have always been mulling the idea of having a boat somtime in our lives. We like water- being around it, in it, on top of it, etc. Virginia is FULL of water and we live 6 blocks from the potomac as well as not far from a couple of lakes, so we've always had flights of fancy about going out on them. AND NOW WE CAN! You know why? We have a mailboat.

Flu?

2008-12-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have a light flu. It sucks a lot. Especially because Chad and I have a twelve day work week on our hands. 3 down, 9 to go.

Must..get...well!

T-Minus 4 days to T-Day

2008-11-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving prep is in full swing in out home. We finished up the grocery shopping today and procured such delicacies as "belgian endive" and "watercress" as well as other items we couldn't buy last weekend. We mopped floors, rearranged furniture, and began some light cooking- I made a sorbet and some truffles- things that will easily hold until turkey day.

Here is the menu we're shooting for:

Appetizers:
Sage Sausage Bites with Apricot Dip
Gouda Fondue
Deviled Eggs

First Courses:
Pumpkin Soup
Pear and Bleu Cheese Salad

Dinner Feastings:
Cider-brined Turkey with an Apple Cider Glaze
Jacque's Celebrated Gravy
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Country White Rolls
Maggie's Green Bean Almondine
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
Dijon Glazed Carrots
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Butter
Gussied Up Stove Top Stuffing
Homemade Mac and Cheese
Cranberry Sauce

Desserts:
Pomegrante-Orange Sorbet
Costco Pies a la mode
Pecan Pie Tassies
Chocolate Truffles

Now this may seem like a lot of dishes, but I'm not doing super size portions of everything. It's more of a tasting menu- with 10 people soming, we've got a lot of palettes to cater to. I think everyone should be able to find something tasty among the spread.

People who know me know that I'm more or less a meticulous planner, so this meal plays into my obsessions. I have charts, lists, and make-ahead plans. I have plnty of volunteers and some assignments to match. Planning helps me manage stress and my compulsions amuse me. I even tallied up which dishes requirs which pans or pots and figured out when I need to wash what. I'm incurable.

PS it snowed on Friday- just flurries, but I did have flakes on my jacket. First of the year- and early! Rumor has it is that it is going to be a cold winter, and since we no longer live in an apartment and now live in an end unit townhouse, I think our energy bills are going to be a bit heftier for heating.

Lastly, I am so ready for a 2.5 day week. Yay for 2.5 days of holiday!

Food Stamp Diet: Day 7

2008-11-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

So today concluded our Food Stamp Diet adventure. It was especially hard as on Saturday we usually take enjoyment in indulging in fat pastrami sandwiches on rich homemade bread. Instead, we nibbled at the frnech bread and thought about making our clam chowder. We finished off our last round of kool-aid and realized we ate EVERYTHING we bought. It's all gone. And we were still kind of hungry.

For how much Chad and I enjoy food, the food stamp diet really killed our enjoyment of meals. Food became a chore- requiring a lot of forethought and planning, but in the end, was fairly dissatisfying (Hamburger helper, I'm looking at you). I enjoy cooking quite a bit, but on the food stamp diet it was certainly a bore. $42 for 7 days for two hungry adults, but certainly nothing for a family.

On the flip side, we've spent a little less than $300 on thanksigving ingredients. It's a completely different way of thinking and prepping for a meal. We will be eating like sultans compared to how we ate this week. I'm glad we get to make a hefty donation of canned goods because it seems like such a privelage.

Tomorrow, we will be indulging in our sandwiches- I'm making the bread as we speak!

Food Stamp Diet: Day 6

2008-11-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

It's friday, and although I am really craving a night out, we've got to stay in. Sadly, I have been fooled again into making a mdiocre dish- hamburger helper. We got some cheap ground beef and buying the box of noddles/seasoning was the cheapest way to prepare it. But let me tell you, everytime I buy hamburger helper, I am disappointed. The picture on the box always looks like 15x tastier than it actually turns out. So dinner was kind of a bust.

I got a few mini candy bars from work- Hershey's to be exact. Chad and I are already planning out how we might indulge ths weekend- pastrami snadwiches, turkey club paninis, etc. But even in these pipe dreams we realize that people we are trying to related to don't just get to quit the food stamp diet after a week. They are on food stamps for weeks, months, years. Even after just 6 days I miss cheese and dairy products, things with fiber, and chocolate. For them, it's cheap boxes of mac and cheese from now until a sometimes unforseeable future.

Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: Skipped
Snack: The ends of the fideos and popcorn
Dinner: Hamburger Helper
Cost for the Day: $4.80

After six days, here is what's gone:

Popcorn
Chicken Broth
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce (2)
Safeway Brand Hamburger Helper
Safeway Brand Mac and Cheese (2)
Safeway Brand Angel Hair Pasta (2)
Flour Tortillas (20)
Progresso Clam Chowder
KoolAid (1)
Enchilada Seasoning Packet
Loaf of French Bread

Dairy:
Pepperjack Cheese
1% Milk (1 qt)

Baked Goods:
Lil Debbie's Nutty Bars, purchased for 1.39

Meat:
Hilshire Farms Kielbasa (2)
Ground Beef, 80% Lean (1lb)
Chicken Leg Quarters (6)
Chorizo

Produce:
Green Bell Pepper
White Onion

So tomorrow will be a bowl of soup and some french bread. Popcorn for snacks, and we'll probably hit the grocery store for some additional free-sample tidbits. Then we'll get some tasty things to really enjoy and also but a whole host of dry and canned goods for donation.

Food Stamp Diet: Day 5

2008-11-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

Today I had a big presentation at work, but luckily for mean, that means it was catered. I indulged in a pretty delicious cinnamon roll and a glass of OJ. Chad hada shorter day today because he comes home a bit earlier so he can get to school on time. He finished off the enchiladas as his pre-class snack, so those are officially gone. He's still at class, so I dug into the leftover fideos, but made sure to leave enough for Chad for dinner. We're not really running out of food, but we are certainly running out of meal-type things.

The final score:

Breakfast: Cinnamon Roll
Lunch: Skipped
Snack: Enchiladas
Dinner: Leftovers (fideos and enchiladas)
Cost for the Day: $0

Our big meals from the beginning of the week have really lasted for us. This was a great strategy- its easy to scale meals up without increasing the price drastically. This was also the advantage of buying $42 dollars (two people worth of food) rather than just $21- buying the bigger box can get you a lot more for just a little less.

I'm not going to post the grocery list because it hasn't changed- we just ate leftovers!

Food Stamp Diet: Day 4

2008-11-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

So I missed day three because I went to bed embarassingly early.

Here is the summary of day three:

Breakfast: Office Coffee and Tea
Lunch: Skipped
Snack: Office snacks, vending machine leftovers
Dinner: Leftovers (fideos and enchiladas)
Cost for the Day: $0

Chad was especially lucky: someone was restocking the vending machine and he was able to snag a Dr. Pepper and a bag of combos.

Today was my lucky day- a coworker of mine brought bagels and doughnuts, so I took part in that. Again, it's faily obvious that scavenging for food in an office is fairly effective- and it may not be so for other professions. I go to enough meetings that are catered (usually once a week) that I probably wouldn't starve.

Here's the final score:

Breakfast: Office Coffee and Tea
Lunch: Skipped
Snack: Office snacks
Dinner: Kielbasa and Mac n' Cheese
Cost for the Day: $3.50

Kielbasa and mac n cheese was a cheap way to get fed- and easy to make. I had class tonight so I didn't have time to make something very involved. Tomorrow will be another day of leftovers. I think it's pretty clear we're not going to starve and we've done a decent job of not getting broed with our meals. But it's certainly wouldn't be much for a family to live on and if you didn't have food to scavenge at your work place (or had a physically demanding job), you'd be up a creek. Oh yes, and you'd have to try very hard not to die of heart disease or diabetes.

Things that are bolded are gone:

Grocery:
Popcorn
Chicken Broth
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce (2)
Safeway Brand Hamburger Helper
Safeway Brand Mac and Cheese (2)
Safeway Brand Angel Hair Pasta (2)
Flour Tortillas (20)
Progresso Clam Chowder
KoolAid (1)
Enchilada Seasoning Packet
Loaf of French Bread

Dairy:
Pepperjack Cheese
1% Milk (1 qt)

Baked Goods:
Lil Debbie's Nutty Bars, purchased for 1.39

Meat:
Hilshire Farms Kielbasa (2)
Ground Beef, 80% Lean (1lb)
Chicken Leg Quarters (6)
Chorizo

Produce:
Green Bell Pepper
White Onion

Food Stamp Diet: Day 2

2008-11-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

So we decided that to maintain sanity, we need to have variety in our meals. So instead of having the leftover enchiladas today, we'll have them either tomorrow or the next day. So tonight we cooked fideos, but not without some significant scavenging. At the office I was able to get a bag of kettle corn for chad as a snack tomorrow and I scored a variety of snack size candies. And I had plenty of tea. Chad had lots of office coffee to supplant our lack.

So much of the day is spent thinking about food. I rejoiced to find a can of diet mountain dew that I had stored in my desk and had forgotten about. I can't imagine what it's like to do this all day, every day. At least now we have a variety of leftovers to choose from- we have enchiladas (10) and fideos (a whole second casserole).

Final Score:
Breakfast: Office Coffee and Tea
Lunch: Skipped
Snack: Office snacks, found mountain dew, popcorn
Dinner: Fideos, a Nutty Bar, tap water
Cost for the Day: $13.06

Things that are bolded are gone:
Grocery:
Popcorn
Chicken Broth
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce (2)
Safeway Brand Hamburger Helper
Safeway Brand Mac and Cheese (2)
Safeway Brand Angel Hair Pasta (2)
Flour Tortillas (20)
Progresso Clam Chowder
KoolAid (1)
Enchilada Seasoning Packet
Loaf of French Bread

Dairy:
Pepperjack Cheese
1% Milk (1 qt)

Baked Goods:
Lil Debbie's Nutty Bars, purchased for 1.39

Meat:
Hilshire Farms Kielbasa (1)
Ground Beef, 80% Lean (1lb)
Chicken Leg Quarters (6)
Chorizo

Produce:
Green Bell Pepper
White Onion

We finished a kool-aid and made some iced tea out of tea packets I acquired from the office. Thank goodness I have an office job. If I was say, doing construction, these resources would not be available to me. We'll see how tomorrow goes- it's only day two and I'm feeling kinda...icky. Plus, meals from here on out are not going to be fresh or as delicious.

Food Stamp Diet: Day 1

2008-11-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of Chad and I's attempt at "the food stamp diet" (see previous post). So far this exercise is giving us a better appreciation for how other, less privelaged people have to cope (esp. with rising food prices). We woke up this morning knowing that this was the start of our food stamp week and we slept in very late. Convienently, this made our need for breakfast very slim. So we skipped it in favor of going shopping for our week's worth of foodstuffs.

We got out of the house around noon and went to the store. It took us a good hour to spend our $42 as there was much meal planning to be done, as well as price comparisons and alternatives evaluations. We got a good lot of food, but we did make some interesting choices. For instance, we decided we needed at least one thing sweet and chocolately. We found a box of brownies for 99 cents, but it required eggs and oil to make, both of which we could not afford. Instead we had to go with the 1.39 Nutty Bars because it fit with the budget.

We knew we were going to be eating a lot of carbs on this diet as carbs are cheap. We were able to get quite a bit of protein and some semblence of dairy products and produce, but not much. After spending an hour in the store, you realize how much time people on welfare must think about shopping and deals and coupons etc. When Chad and I go to the store, we buy what we want, we price shop to some degree, but not with any real constraints. This week, we were heavily constrained and had to make our dollars go as far as possible.

After finished up our shopping at Safeway, we headed to Harris Teeter to get our final item- chorizo- but also to take advantage of the free samples HT has. We got a few bites of cheese, some pineapple, a pastry, some ham, and a morsel of bread. We also got two free sugar cookies on the way out the door. We called this our mid afternoon snack, but it was the only lunch we were going to get.

Back home, we worked on papers and started on dinner. Tonight we made enchiladas- 18 to be exact- and we're hoping they last for a few meals and a few snacks. The chicken leg quarters cooked up nicely and everything was very tasty- although I am a bit sad we no longer have any cheese left for the week. We'll be having enchiladas again tomorrow night for dinner as well. In addition, I brewed up some kool-aid and Chad and I split a pack of nutty bars- one for each.

Final Score:
Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: Free Samples, tap water
Dinner: Enchiladas, a Nutty Bar, Some KoolAid/Milk
Cost for the Day: $11.42 for the Enchiladas

Here's the current food list- I bolded things that are now GONE.

Grocery:
Popcorn
Chicken Broth
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce (2)
Safeway Brand Hamburger Helper
Safeway Brand Mac and Cheese (2)
Safeway Brand Angel Hair Pasta (2)
Flour Tortillas (20)
Progresso Clam Chowder
KoolAid (1)
Enchilada Seasoning Packet
Loaf of French Bread

Dairy:
Pepperjack Cheese
1% Milk (1 qt)

Baked Goods:
Lil Debbie's Nutty Bars, purchased for 1.39

Meat:
Hilshire Farms Kielbasa (2)
Ground Beef, 80% Lean (1lb)
Chicken Leg Quarters (6)
Chorizo

Produce:
Green Bell Pepper
White Onion

So for dessert, I had a glass of milk. Chad seems to be content writing his paper, but who knows when a chocolate craving will strike either of us. Then we are doomed!

Food Stamp Diet

2008-11-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

So thanksigving is coming up- a holiday centered around a grandiose meal of turkey, sides, wines, and desserts. I've been doing a lot of planning for this meal and the festivities surrounding it, and something I came accross was called the Food Stamp Diet. Obviously, there are people in this country who can't afford a marvelous meal because they are on welfare and on food stamps. In the Food Stamp Diet, you live on imaginary "food stamps" and although the program varies from state to state and from year to year, a good estimate for food stamps is $1 per meal per day per person- so $3/day per person. For Chad and I, this would b $6 per day.

So as an homage to thanksgiving and in an effort to remember that we are on an uppre crust income in comparison to most, Chad and I are assuming a Food Stamp Diet. I've read that the Food Stamp Diet has become popular among congressmen and senators, especially if they have a large number of constituents who are on food stamps. They have various blogs out there with various recipes for guidance if you want to look. In th same vein, I'm going to chronicle the week of our "Food Stamp Diet" with out various thoughts and meals.

So $6 per day gives us $42 for the week. So Chad and I ventured to our local grocery store and put together some ideas for meals. It took us a LONG TIME to spend just $42, but we had to do it carefully. Here's what we got:

Grocery:
Popcorn- RegPrice 2.69, purchased on sale for $1.69
Chicken Broth- RegPrice 3.60, purchased on sale for $1.97
Tomato Paste- RegPrice .53, purchased on sale for .44
Tomato Sauce (2)- purchased for .98
Safeway Brand Hamburger Helper- RegPrice 1.99, purchased on sale for 1.50
Safeway Brand Mac and Cheese (2)- RegPrice 2.18, purchased on sale for 1.50
Safeway Brand Angel Hair Pasta (2)- RegPrice 2.90, purchased on sale for 2.18
Flour Tortillas (20)- purchased for 2.85
Progresso Clam Chowder- RegPrice 2.79, purchased on sale for .97
KoolAid (2)- purchased on sale for .50
Enchilada Seasoning Packet- RegPrice 1.35, , purchased on sale for 1.15

Dairy:
Pepperjack Cheese- RegPrice 3.79, purchased on sale for 2.50
1% Milk (1 qt)- RegPrice 2.89, purchased on sale for 1.99

Baked Goods:
Lil Debbie's Nutty Bars, purchased for 1.39

Meat:
Hilshire Farms Kielbasa (2), purchased for 3.99
Ground Beef, 80% Lean (1lb), RegPrice 5.07, purchased for 4.43, then 30% off to 3.30
Chicken Leg Quarters (6), RegPrice 7.88, then 50% off to 3.94

Produce:
Green Bell Pepper- purchased for .54
White Onion- purchased for .93

Deli:
Loaf of French Bread- purchased for 1.00

In sum total, we spent 36.23 at safeway after all the discounts. We saved $18.52 thanks to the safeway card and the discounted meat. All the meat we bought was on sale- it was the only way to do it. With our extra money, we went to our local harris teeter to get our final item, 6 links of chorizo, for $4.99+tax.

$6 for all meals is ridiculous. Chad and I luck out in the fact that we eat only one meal a day. We get up in the morning- he has coffee, I'll have a small snack (piece of bread maybe), then we generally skip lunch, and then have dinner at home. Chad plans to drink coffee at work (notice we didn't purchase any) and I plan to scavenge my office for treats- we have a pretty ready supply of chocolates in my office. But our general plan for eating is to make enchiladas (enough for 2 meals), fideos (enough for 2 meals), hamburger helper, kielbasa and mac and cheese (2 meals). On the off chance one of our meals doesn't last two days, we have clam chowder and french bread as a back up.

The Food Stamp Operates on some assumptions. First, spices and condiments are not included in your purchases. If you have them at home you can use them. This applies because hypothetically, if you did by a jar of garlic powder, it would probably last you 6 weeks (at least). Ketchup, mustard, etc- if you don't have them, you can acquire them in packet form from places like McDonalds. With food stamps, you can't by prepared items- which we were tempted to as our local pizza joint has a monday night special for less than $6- but that wouldn't apply. Lastly, with food stamps, you can't buy non food items- shampoo, soap, diapers, etc. You can see how it's really hard for families to get by. Luckily, at this time, Chad and I have no children so it's just us fending for ourselves.

I was actually surprised how much protein we were able to procure. Granted, everything was in the bargain bin and none of it is high quality, but at least we don't have to eat spaghetti 5 nights a week. I was also surprised we didn't buy peanut butter or sandwich bread- but then again, Chad and I don't really eat lunch and PB&Js aren't really dinner food. Produce was the most expensive and hardest to justify- when you only have $42, you are really trying to get the most calories for your buck, and celery is not going to cut it.

Our plan for tonight is to make a double batch of enchiladas with our chicken legs, tomato sauce, enchilada seasoning, tortillas, and pepperjack cheese. We are going to try and make as many as possible and get them to last as long as possible- they are going to provide us dinner for tonight and monday night, as well as mid-week snacks. The chicken legs were probably our most clutch buy- seeming we got 6 of them for $4- it's a lot of protein for the dollar. Any leftover chicken will go in the fideos, which we have planned for tuesday/wednesday.

As not to cheat, we are not going to use any of the items we have stored in our pantry (additional cans of soup, rice, etc)- we are only going to use/eat what we've purchased today. Seeming that chad and I usually spend about $80 on groceries- next week, we are going to take the movey we saved this week (about $40) and buy a host of dry/canned goods to donate to a local food bank. We figure the whole exercise is a nice homage considering how gluttonous we get to be at thanksgiving. I'll keep you posted!

Keeping Up

2008-11-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

Keeping up with life was difficult this week. It seems the papers and projects and presentations are piling up- the semester is just about done for both Chad and I and work is still in high gear. Three days a week Chad and I have class til 10 and I've been teaching EMT on the side. Busy busy busy! The project that Chad was leading culminated in a flight from Australia to the US this evening and seeming that he hasn't heard otherwise, it probably went fine. My big project is going off next Thursday, so things will be slowing down for me a bit after then.

This weekend will be another of gross relaxation. I've got to begin gathering foodstuffs for thanksgiving, seeming the store is already running short on flour. So it seems wise to acquire non-persihables early. I'm real excited for everyone to come out and I'm looking forward to a few days of holiday. Paid holidays are still a strange concept to me, but they certainly are nice. Who knew you could get paid to eat and sleep?

We have a new person starting in my office today, so I am no longer the new girl. She's very nice and it's another young person in the office. The organization I work for is starting a young leaders group that I think I am going to join. It'll give me an opportunity to network and meet some more people my age, seeming that is difficult for both Chad and I considering our professions. So I wish I had something more interesting to post and I promise I will in the next day or two. Chad and I are starting a week long project that is sure to be...um...chanllenging. So look for it on sunday!

This is going to be a problem

2008-11-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

So um, there is grass under there. It was very odd, just the other day, the tree dropped ALL of it's leaves. Not in a progressive kind of way, more like overnight. So I spent most of the afternoon raking, but I did manage to get a few great snaps- they'll follow. But this is the great part about living on the east coast- the colors are in full swing these days and yes, I do go out of my way to step on a particularly crunchy looking leaf or to sweep my feet through giant piles. Raking isn't all that bad- especially because the City of Alexandria lets you just rake them into a pile by the curb and they swing by with a vaccuum truck and come by and suck them up. No muss no fuss. I've been on my own today as Chad has his weekend class this weekend. Poor guy doesn't get a day of rest between work weeks, so thank goodness we have a a holiday on tuesday. He's got a big week coming up, and if he gets though it, things will slow down (albeit only a little).I more or less enjoyed a day to myself, taking advantage of the day by getting a lot of the house maintenance done. Usually we get the whole weekend to do things like laundry, dishes, leaves, tidying, etc, but this weekend, I only had today. So I plugged in some west wing and went merrily on my way. The hardest part about today is trying to ignore the carton of fun-size M&Ms sitting the living room. After the exercise yesterday, we had a bunch of "antibiotics" leftover (read: candies) so I was given some to take back to my office. Did they not know that girls are chocoholics? Are they trying to make me gain weight? Sigh. I really wanted to tear into a candy-coated feding frenzy. A halloween for a professional. It would be a great way to kick off the week if not for the diabetic coma it would certainly put you into.

The days after

2008-11-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know how to write about one of the more important national moments in my young adulthood. Chad and I sat down in front of the TV with our laptops at 7 pm (when the polls closed here in VA) at tuned into to CNN. We wacthed with obsession and turned to the interet for deeper information. VA was listing right for most of the evening, but the votes in NOVA were late to come in. I was refreshing the page every 2 minutes to get updated counts and THANK GOODNESS VA was called for Obama like 90 seconds before CNN called the election for him.

At 11pm they called the election from him and Chad and I were somewhat beside ourselves. We cracked a celebratory bottle of champagne, but there was no dancing, no banging of pots and pans, just us, on the couch, trying to wrap around heads around what just happened. We watched McCain's concession speech and Obama's acceptance, and then hit the sack, still mulling over the (no pun intended) change.

Work the next day a little tough due to the late bedtime, but it was wonderful to see that Chad and I could hardly find a newspaper to read on the metro because everyone was grabbing them and stuffing them in their bags. At my office, there were only a few people, so we sat in our lounge and ate leftover halloween candy while talknig about the victory. Most of the women in my office are left leaning, and it was nice to bond with them all. Relief, smiles, and enthusiasm all around.

On the flip side, it would have been nice to vote in CA. Despite not being gay, Prop 8 is very important to me. I believe that gay rights are the civil rights for my generation. Hopefully, through some avcenue, it will be rescinded. Like on most issues, I hope that CA can be a leader on this.

Now that the campaign season is over, I will have to find other topics to occupy my distracted attention. I'll miss the campaign- such emotion and importance. I won't miss most of the ads, but I hope that the AARP keeps running their healthcare ads. I've found most of them really moving- they chronicle people who have head healthcare insurance problems and they are framed very nicely. The most compelling one I've seen was a blond women discussing the expensive diagnostic tests that were required to identify her Lyme disease. It bankrupted her and at the end of the ad she states "...and I had health insurance. I had GOOD health insurance." It really captures how illness can overtake anyone, in both their wellness and their finances.

Chad rejoiced the victory, but unfortunately got slammed at work. He's having a hard time to get people to deliver the things he needs. There are overtones of ageism against him and he's working too hard to not have people's respect. That and he has his weekend class this week- so no relaxation for him. I'm working an exercise on saturday, so my weekend will be short too. Putting in the extra hours will give me a little more flexibility around the holidays, which I AM TOTALLY READY FOR.

The hour before

2008-11-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

So, it's an hour before Virginia closes it's voting doors, and Chad and I are watching intentfully. We both voted absentee in person- Chad voted last Saturday and I voted more than 10 days ago.

Some things that were great today:
Since I work in a government office, we're not supposed to wear blatantly partisan gear, but every woman in my office was intentionally wearing blue.

Obama volunteers were driving ANY voter to the polls. The ground game of this campaign is impressive. We've had three very nice people knock on our door in the past 2 weeks, just making sure we had rides and child care and whatnot.

Obama volunteers were at EVERY metro station I was at, reminding people to vote. There were young people, old people, veterans, etc. It was great to see such a diversity of people finding common ground.

Chad and I baked cookies and delivered goodies to these volunteers!

We have a bottle of champagne and a plate of enchiladas!

More when we know more.