Tomorrow is my first day of rotations! This exclamation basically means that, from now on, I will be working in a clinic instead of sitting in a classroom. And by working, I mean that I will be following a physician around and duly taking mental notes of important medical things I observe and hear so that I may one day become a proficient physician. Who knows, maybe I will even get to do something doctor-ish!
I am going to run a few errands today and go shopping for some clothes, but other than that there is nothing really interesting going on. Thus, I am going to leave you with this cute commercial. I’ve seen it a million times and I’m sure a few of you have as well, but if you haven’t, well, you’re in for a treat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1ucEPSsC3c
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
THE CRUISE
The second portion of our trip was spent on a Carnival cruise to the Western Caribbean, which included a stop in Key West and another in Cozumel, Mexico. Jerm and I had never been on a cruise before, and we both agreed that it was an enjoyable experience. I am going to post pictures with captions in lieu of a long narrative about the trip; I just don’t have that kind of brain power right now.
We embarked on our oceanic adventure in Miami. Here, Jerm is posing with Miami as a backdrop, even though you may not be able to tell. Upon boarding, we immediately soaked in the sights of the ship, becoming familiar with the various levels and places to eat and such.
The ship provided iteneraries full of activities and goings-on for each day of the cruise, and one of our favorite activities was karaoke. On the very first day, a contest was held to see who could identify the most artists based on song titles. I am proud to say that, thanks to Jerm, we answered all twenty songs correctly and won this golden "ship on a stick" trophy.
That evening, the stateroom staff left this cute little towel animal on our bed. They did this each evening of the cruise.
The second day of the cruise was a seven hour stop in Key West, Florida. Jerm and I boarded a trolley for a tour, driving by various landmarks with a conductor describing the history of the island and its buildings.
Highway 1 begins and ends in Key West.
The southern-most point in the U.S. Cuba is 90 miles away.
The gate to Ernest Hemingway's house. I tried to get a good picture,but all of the trees surrounding the house didn't allow for it. This is as close as we got.
On the third day of the cruise, we arrived in Cozumel and were allowed 8 hours to spend on the island.
We took a taxi to a park four miles away from the port, called Chankanaab Park, and we snorkeled and hung out on the beach for most of the day.
We actually took this picture on the ship before going to the beach, but I think it is such a good picture because it shows how clear and blue the water was. Plus, we are in our about-to-go-to-the-beach outfits. Though you can't really see it, I got the white dress in Key West for $5.00. Unfortunately, Jerm washed it today, and I'm not even sure it would fit a toddler. Maisie didn't like it when I tried to put it on her either.
A fun picture I took, though it doesn't do the place justice. You can see a small portion of the thatch hut that we were sitting under that provided us with some much-needed shade.
After the beach, Jerm and I returned to the ship to have dinner, and then we returned to do a little souvenir shopping in the various shops surrounding the port. I really wouldn't mind visiting only Cozumel one day. It was such a beautiful place!
The last day of the cruise was spent at sea, and Jerm and I pretty much seized the opportunity to eat and karaoke as much as possible. All in all, it was a very fun and much-needed trip, and we will definitely go on another cruise again.
We embarked on our oceanic adventure in Miami. Here, Jerm is posing with Miami as a backdrop, even though you may not be able to tell. Upon boarding, we immediately soaked in the sights of the ship, becoming familiar with the various levels and places to eat and such.
The ship provided iteneraries full of activities and goings-on for each day of the cruise, and one of our favorite activities was karaoke. On the very first day, a contest was held to see who could identify the most artists based on song titles. I am proud to say that, thanks to Jerm, we answered all twenty songs correctly and won this golden "ship on a stick" trophy.
That evening, the stateroom staff left this cute little towel animal on our bed. They did this each evening of the cruise.
The second day of the cruise was a seven hour stop in Key West, Florida. Jerm and I boarded a trolley for a tour, driving by various landmarks with a conductor describing the history of the island and its buildings.
Highway 1 begins and ends in Key West.
The southern-most point in the U.S. Cuba is 90 miles away.
The gate to Ernest Hemingway's house. I tried to get a good picture,but all of the trees surrounding the house didn't allow for it. This is as close as we got.
On the third day of the cruise, we arrived in Cozumel and were allowed 8 hours to spend on the island.
We took a taxi to a park four miles away from the port, called Chankanaab Park, and we snorkeled and hung out on the beach for most of the day.
We actually took this picture on the ship before going to the beach, but I think it is such a good picture because it shows how clear and blue the water was. Plus, we are in our about-to-go-to-the-beach outfits. Though you can't really see it, I got the white dress in Key West for $5.00. Unfortunately, Jerm washed it today, and I'm not even sure it would fit a toddler. Maisie didn't like it when I tried to put it on her either.
A fun picture I took, though it doesn't do the place justice. You can see a small portion of the thatch hut that we were sitting under that provided us with some much-needed shade.
After the beach, Jerm and I returned to the ship to have dinner, and then we returned to do a little souvenir shopping in the various shops surrounding the port. I really wouldn't mind visiting only Cozumel one day. It was such a beautiful place!
The last day of the cruise was spent at sea, and Jerm and I pretty much seized the opportunity to eat and karaoke as much as possible. All in all, it was a very fun and much-needed trip, and we will definitely go on another cruise again.
Friday, June 26, 2009
AND WE'RE BAAAAAAACK!
Well, Jerm and I have returned from our nine day hiatus from reality and are back to work and school and yard duties and whatever else awaits us.
We visited Orlando for the first four days of our trip, including two Disney World parks, Epcot and Magic Kingdom.
This is the car that we rented to get around in Orlando. Michael Scott would be jealous!
Here is Jerm standing in front of Epcot's iconic Spaceship Earth ride that welcomes you as you enter the park.
For anyone who hasn’t been to these parks, Epcot’s theme is centered on various countries and cultures around the world. The buildings and structures and restaurants in each country imitate what is perceived to be those of its origin. Even most of the employees working in each “country” are from the respective country, as well as some of the foliage and plants. Jerm and I marveled at how the plants manage to stay alive when the surrounding environmental conditions obviously do not mimic those of the native country.
This is Jerm in "Canada"
These two are of us in "Morocco", where we chose to eat and it was DELICIOUS!
The cultural section did not have very many rides. Instead, it offered short films on large 360-degree screens that told a story about the respective country while showing various landmarks and features from a helicopter view. Each country also had characters that would act out what I consider “sidewalk skits” for a large group to see. Most of the rides were in a futuristic section and carried themes focused on technology and outer space and such, but, unfortunately, the waiting times for these rides were ridiculously long – up to an hour and forty minutes for a few of them – and so Jerm and I opted to only ride anything with a thirty minute waiting time or less, which didn’t leave us very many options. Even so, we were still able to experience enough to have a good time.
The second park that we visited was a last-minute change from our original decision to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and we chose it because it looked like it had more to offer in terms of acreage and attractions. Let me tell you, from a child’s perspective, this place is called Magic Kingdom for a reason. Upon entering this park, there is the huge fairy tale castle, and the park is just flowing with a colorful array of buildings and Disney characters and balloons and things to buy, and they even had a place where a girl could get her hair done like a princess and wear a crown and a gown (for a fee, of course, but that is for the King and the Queen to worry about). They also had a parade with many Disney characters that were singing a magical song and magically dancing and frolicking in the streets, and it was just magical.
Jerm putting a chokehold on Minnie. See the castle in the background?
Jerm and I with Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
From a twenty-five year old’s perspective, however, the magic slowly dissipates with the fifty minute or longer waiting times for rides, the accumulation of butt sweat, and the understanding that even though you secretly want to believe that Cinderella meant it when she called you a princess, the truth of the matter is that she is just getting paid to do a job.
Still, it was magical enough that, one day, Jerm and I are going to take our children there, but only when they are old enough wipe their own butts and not want to be carried around the park the entire visit.
Cinderelly, Cinderelly
Night and day it's Cinderelly
Make the fire, fix the breakfast
Wash the dishes, do the mopping
And the sweeping and the dusting
They always keep her hopping
She goes around in circles
Till she's very, very dizzy
Still they holler
Keep abusy Cinderelly!
We can do it, we can do it
We can help our Cinderelly
We can make her dress so pretty
There's nothing to it, really
We'll tie a sash around it
Put a ribbon through it
When dancing at the ball
She'll be more beautiful than all
In the lovely dress we'll make for Cinderelly
We visited Orlando for the first four days of our trip, including two Disney World parks, Epcot and Magic Kingdom.
This is the car that we rented to get around in Orlando. Michael Scott would be jealous!
Here is Jerm standing in front of Epcot's iconic Spaceship Earth ride that welcomes you as you enter the park.
For anyone who hasn’t been to these parks, Epcot’s theme is centered on various countries and cultures around the world. The buildings and structures and restaurants in each country imitate what is perceived to be those of its origin. Even most of the employees working in each “country” are from the respective country, as well as some of the foliage and plants. Jerm and I marveled at how the plants manage to stay alive when the surrounding environmental conditions obviously do not mimic those of the native country.
This is Jerm in "Canada"
These two are of us in "Morocco", where we chose to eat and it was DELICIOUS!
The cultural section did not have very many rides. Instead, it offered short films on large 360-degree screens that told a story about the respective country while showing various landmarks and features from a helicopter view. Each country also had characters that would act out what I consider “sidewalk skits” for a large group to see. Most of the rides were in a futuristic section and carried themes focused on technology and outer space and such, but, unfortunately, the waiting times for these rides were ridiculously long – up to an hour and forty minutes for a few of them – and so Jerm and I opted to only ride anything with a thirty minute waiting time or less, which didn’t leave us very many options. Even so, we were still able to experience enough to have a good time.
The second park that we visited was a last-minute change from our original decision to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and we chose it because it looked like it had more to offer in terms of acreage and attractions. Let me tell you, from a child’s perspective, this place is called Magic Kingdom for a reason. Upon entering this park, there is the huge fairy tale castle, and the park is just flowing with a colorful array of buildings and Disney characters and balloons and things to buy, and they even had a place where a girl could get her hair done like a princess and wear a crown and a gown (for a fee, of course, but that is for the King and the Queen to worry about). They also had a parade with many Disney characters that were singing a magical song and magically dancing and frolicking in the streets, and it was just magical.
Jerm putting a chokehold on Minnie. See the castle in the background?
Jerm and I with Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
From a twenty-five year old’s perspective, however, the magic slowly dissipates with the fifty minute or longer waiting times for rides, the accumulation of butt sweat, and the understanding that even though you secretly want to believe that Cinderella meant it when she called you a princess, the truth of the matter is that she is just getting paid to do a job.
Still, it was magical enough that, one day, Jerm and I are going to take our children there, but only when they are old enough wipe their own butts and not want to be carried around the park the entire visit.
Cinderelly, Cinderelly
Night and day it's Cinderelly
Make the fire, fix the breakfast
Wash the dishes, do the mopping
And the sweeping and the dusting
They always keep her hopping
She goes around in circles
Till she's very, very dizzy
Still they holler
Keep abusy Cinderelly!
We can do it, we can do it
We can help our Cinderelly
We can make her dress so pretty
There's nothing to it, really
We'll tie a sash around it
Put a ribbon through it
When dancing at the ball
She'll be more beautiful than all
In the lovely dress we'll make for Cinderelly
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A TEMPORARY FAREWELL
Question of the day: Which side of the garage is the repaired, do-it-yourself haircut vs. the original, more expensive salon version?
This side?
Or this side?
If you can't tell, why should we?
(It's the first one.)
By the time anyone reads this post, Jerm and I will be on our way to The Sunshine State and surrounding waters. We will be gone until next Friday and so this will be my last post for a while.
I will post pics and details when we get back. Until then!
This side?
Or this side?
If you can't tell, why should we?
(It's the first one.)
By the time anyone reads this post, Jerm and I will be on our way to The Sunshine State and surrounding waters. We will be gone until next Friday and so this will be my last post for a while.
I will post pics and details when we get back. Until then!
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, PART III
Any final guesses as to what the BAM! was?
Another hint: I was not sitting in my car amusing myself with fun onomatopoeias.
As I was crossing an intersection, I was rear-ended by the car driving behind me. I pulled the Xterra over to the side of the road and got out to see what damage had been done. The woman in the other car was hysterical; both air-bags in her car had deployed and her car had definitely received the worst of the damage. I asked her if she was okay, told her not to move, and immediately called the police.
An ambulance arrived first, followed shortly by police and firemen. I was asked about my driver’s license and insurance and walked to the X to get it.
And that’s when I realized that I had a slight problem.
There was not an insurance card anywhere in Jerm’s car. Many curse words!
I called Jerm to ask (well, honestly, yell-ask is probably a better word for my actions) where the card might possibly be, just to make sure that I wouldn’t have to tell the officer standing outside of the Xterra that I didn’t have an insurance card with me.
No such luck.
I was issued a ticket in the midst of the ambulance taking the lady to the hospital and the firemen helping me remove the spare tire under the Xterra that was wiped out and dangling by its formerly secure chain. However, I started to slowly recognize that a) I was not hurt; b) the X was still drivable which was a huge deal; and c) the ticket would be dismissed as soon as I provided proof of insurance. I just hope the woman in the other car was okay.
I drove to the court house yesterday and provided proof of insurance and the ticket was dismissed. (In all actuality, I drove around downtown Tulsa for an hour looking for the dang place and then, once I found it, a friggin’ place to park and then, once I got past the long line of scary people and metal detectors in the court house, I was told I was in the wrong building. But who wants to know those details anyway?)
While I was waiting in line for my turn at the court records office, the guy behind me asks, “So, did you miss your court date, too?”
And this, friends, is the quote that wrapped up what turned out to be some not-as-unfortunate-as-I thought events.
Another hint: I was not sitting in my car amusing myself with fun onomatopoeias.
As I was crossing an intersection, I was rear-ended by the car driving behind me. I pulled the Xterra over to the side of the road and got out to see what damage had been done. The woman in the other car was hysterical; both air-bags in her car had deployed and her car had definitely received the worst of the damage. I asked her if she was okay, told her not to move, and immediately called the police.
An ambulance arrived first, followed shortly by police and firemen. I was asked about my driver’s license and insurance and walked to the X to get it.
And that’s when I realized that I had a slight problem.
There was not an insurance card anywhere in Jerm’s car. Many curse words!
I called Jerm to ask (well, honestly, yell-ask is probably a better word for my actions) where the card might possibly be, just to make sure that I wouldn’t have to tell the officer standing outside of the Xterra that I didn’t have an insurance card with me.
No such luck.
I was issued a ticket in the midst of the ambulance taking the lady to the hospital and the firemen helping me remove the spare tire under the Xterra that was wiped out and dangling by its formerly secure chain. However, I started to slowly recognize that a) I was not hurt; b) the X was still drivable which was a huge deal; and c) the ticket would be dismissed as soon as I provided proof of insurance. I just hope the woman in the other car was okay.
I drove to the court house yesterday and provided proof of insurance and the ticket was dismissed. (In all actuality, I drove around downtown Tulsa for an hour looking for the dang place and then, once I found it, a friggin’ place to park and then, once I got past the long line of scary people and metal detectors in the court house, I was told I was in the wrong building. But who wants to know those details anyway?)
While I was waiting in line for my turn at the court records office, the guy behind me asks, “So, did you miss your court date, too?”
And this, friends, is the quote that wrapped up what turned out to be some not-as-unfortunate-as-I thought events.
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, PART II
So what happened after Crystalle hits the neighbor’s truck and rips up some of the garage framework?
Well, the kiddos and I went ahead and went to the drive-in. While we were there, I received a phone call from a number that I didn’t recognize, and I figured that it was probably the neighbor calling. I didn’t answer because the Xterra speakers were blaring with movie dialogue, and I am pretty sure that we would be unable to hear one another anyway.
And I was scared to hear what he was going to say.
My phone then beeped to let me know that I had a new voicemail, and I just had to check it. So I plugged one ear to hear and prepared myself for the worst.
“Hey, Crystalle, this is Mr. Neighbor Guy, and I just wanted to call and let you know that my father-in-law looked at the truck, and it has hail damage and my mother-in-law has run into something on the right side and so he just said not to worry about it. Have a good night!”
That was GREAT news! Now if only I could figure out how to get this whole garage thing worked out, it would be double great. Or triple great or quadruple great or infinity you’re it no tag backs great!
So Friday after the kiddos left, Jerm and I were on a mission to find the pieces we needed to fix the garage door. First stop: Lowe’s. They had weatherstrip there that was similar to what we needed but it was not the right size and so we were off to Home Depot. And what did we find at Home Depot? Nothing. Where the heck did our part come from then?
Saturday brought my answer. After unsuccessfully searching every internet site possible about weatherstrip, I finally got the bright idea to go look at our garage door and see if there were any clues. And there it was, right on a sticker hanging out on the garage door: Your garage door was installed with pride by Ricky Bobby (names changed to protect the innocent). For any questions call the Overhead Door Company.
The Overhead Door Company!
That was it! I just knew it. And so I called the number on the garage door, and…they were closed until Monday. Well, poop. Guess I would have to wait until Monday.
So I woke up early yesterday morning to call this company that I just knew would have my answer. And I was right! I was told that I could come by and pick up the part at any time during the day. So I left immediately and drove out to Admiral to get the part. And guess what? It only cost $15.00. Fifteen freakin’ buckaroos! That was truly great news. Like Tony the Tiger Grrrrrrrreat or like the circumference of the earth times a million great or like start a musical in the middle of the garage warehouse great.
IT WAS GREAT!
So I left the garage door company thankful and empowered and ready to tackle the garage door project. I got about a mile down the road and BAM! Can you possibly imagine what that BAM! might have been?
I’ll give you hint: It was not Emeril coming over to cook chili mac for John and Kate plus 8 .
Well, the kiddos and I went ahead and went to the drive-in. While we were there, I received a phone call from a number that I didn’t recognize, and I figured that it was probably the neighbor calling. I didn’t answer because the Xterra speakers were blaring with movie dialogue, and I am pretty sure that we would be unable to hear one another anyway.
And I was scared to hear what he was going to say.
My phone then beeped to let me know that I had a new voicemail, and I just had to check it. So I plugged one ear to hear and prepared myself for the worst.
“Hey, Crystalle, this is Mr. Neighbor Guy, and I just wanted to call and let you know that my father-in-law looked at the truck, and it has hail damage and my mother-in-law has run into something on the right side and so he just said not to worry about it. Have a good night!”
That was GREAT news! Now if only I could figure out how to get this whole garage thing worked out, it would be double great. Or triple great or quadruple great or infinity you’re it no tag backs great!
So Friday after the kiddos left, Jerm and I were on a mission to find the pieces we needed to fix the garage door. First stop: Lowe’s. They had weatherstrip there that was similar to what we needed but it was not the right size and so we were off to Home Depot. And what did we find at Home Depot? Nothing. Where the heck did our part come from then?
Saturday brought my answer. After unsuccessfully searching every internet site possible about weatherstrip, I finally got the bright idea to go look at our garage door and see if there were any clues. And there it was, right on a sticker hanging out on the garage door: Your garage door was installed with pride by Ricky Bobby (names changed to protect the innocent). For any questions call the Overhead Door Company.
The Overhead Door Company!
That was it! I just knew it. And so I called the number on the garage door, and…they were closed until Monday. Well, poop. Guess I would have to wait until Monday.
So I woke up early yesterday morning to call this company that I just knew would have my answer. And I was right! I was told that I could come by and pick up the part at any time during the day. So I left immediately and drove out to Admiral to get the part. And guess what? It only cost $15.00. Fifteen freakin’ buckaroos! That was truly great news. Like Tony the Tiger Grrrrrrrreat or like the circumference of the earth times a million great or like start a musical in the middle of the garage warehouse great.
IT WAS GREAT!
So I left the garage door company thankful and empowered and ready to tackle the garage door project. I got about a mile down the road and BAM! Can you possibly imagine what that BAM! might have been?
I’ll give you hint: It was not Emeril coming over to cook chili mac for John and Kate plus 8 .
Monday, June 15, 2009
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, PART I
Something I omitted from my last post happened to be left out for “artistic purposes”, mainly because I think it would have detracted from the kiddo story and also because I wasn’t really ready to talk about it. You know when something is funny after the fact but not-so funny during the fact even though you tell yourself, “This is sure going to be funny when this is all over!”? Well, it was one of those moments.
What I am trying to say is this: While the kiddos were over I managed to back into the neighbor’s truck AND tear up a portion of our garage while backing out.
Fun times.
You see, one of our neighbors had parked a truck across the street, almost directly in front of our driveway, and I made a point to note it as I backed out numerous times that day. On our way to the pool on Thursday afternoon, I realized once we arrived at the pool that I had left the electronic pool pass at the house. So we moseyed our way back to the house, I ran in and got the pass, backed out of the driveway and then right smack-dab into the front left bumper of the truck. Frick!
I got out to survey the damage, and I couldn’t even tell where I had hit it, nor could I see any spot on my car. But I still had to do the ethical thing and tell the neighbors and so I went up to their house, knocked, and….no answer. I decided to resume our trip to the pool and figured I would tell the neighbors later on that evening.
As the evening rolled closer, and I had noticed that the one of the neighbors was home, a battle between id and super-ego ensued. Well, if they didn’t see it and there is no noticeable damage then I shouldn’t have to tell them, right? And just as quickly, my brain refuted with a mixture of thoughts about how not telling them would be unethical and undermine my credibility as a future physician and how I would always be paranoid that they really knew. Remember that quote that says that character is who we are when no one is watching? Your character is on the line, ho bag! (Yes, my internal monologue calls me names) You HAVE to tell them!
And so I chose to tell the neighbors because it was the ethical and character-saving thing to do.
I made the walk across the street up to their front door, knocked, and told the guy neighbor what had happened. He informed me that it was his father-in-law’s truck and so I gave him my phone number and told him to have him call me when the father-in-law had decided what he wanted to do.
After getting that weight off my chest, I was ready to go to the drive-in with the kiddos. However, I was not ready to back Jerm’s Xterra out of the driveway just yet. After all, the truck was still there and how embarrassing would it be to hit the truck again in front of the neighbors?!?!? And so I asked Jerm to do it.
And what did Jerm say to me when I asked him to do it? “Crystalle, you are a grown woman and can back the car out of the driveway.” Or something along those lines. Well, I sure showed him that I could back out of the driveway. I could back out of the driveway AND take out some of the woodwork in the process! And to make matters worse, the neighbors were out in their yard starting to mow and saw the whole thing. Double frick!
I’m not quite sure at this point if hitting their truck again would have been as embarrassing.
What I am trying to say is this: While the kiddos were over I managed to back into the neighbor’s truck AND tear up a portion of our garage while backing out.
Fun times.
You see, one of our neighbors had parked a truck across the street, almost directly in front of our driveway, and I made a point to note it as I backed out numerous times that day. On our way to the pool on Thursday afternoon, I realized once we arrived at the pool that I had left the electronic pool pass at the house. So we moseyed our way back to the house, I ran in and got the pass, backed out of the driveway and then right smack-dab into the front left bumper of the truck. Frick!
I got out to survey the damage, and I couldn’t even tell where I had hit it, nor could I see any spot on my car. But I still had to do the ethical thing and tell the neighbors and so I went up to their house, knocked, and….no answer. I decided to resume our trip to the pool and figured I would tell the neighbors later on that evening.
As the evening rolled closer, and I had noticed that the one of the neighbors was home, a battle between id and super-ego ensued. Well, if they didn’t see it and there is no noticeable damage then I shouldn’t have to tell them, right? And just as quickly, my brain refuted with a mixture of thoughts about how not telling them would be unethical and undermine my credibility as a future physician and how I would always be paranoid that they really knew. Remember that quote that says that character is who we are when no one is watching? Your character is on the line, ho bag! (Yes, my internal monologue calls me names) You HAVE to tell them!
And so I chose to tell the neighbors because it was the ethical and character-saving thing to do.
I made the walk across the street up to their front door, knocked, and told the guy neighbor what had happened. He informed me that it was his father-in-law’s truck and so I gave him my phone number and told him to have him call me when the father-in-law had decided what he wanted to do.
After getting that weight off my chest, I was ready to go to the drive-in with the kiddos. However, I was not ready to back Jerm’s Xterra out of the driveway just yet. After all, the truck was still there and how embarrassing would it be to hit the truck again in front of the neighbors?!?!? And so I asked Jerm to do it.
And what did Jerm say to me when I asked him to do it? “Crystalle, you are a grown woman and can back the car out of the driveway.” Or something along those lines. Well, I sure showed him that I could back out of the driveway. I could back out of the driveway AND take out some of the woodwork in the process! And to make matters worse, the neighbors were out in their yard starting to mow and saw the whole thing. Double frick!
I’m not quite sure at this point if hitting their truck again would have been as embarrassing.
Friday, June 12, 2009
KIDDO DAY AT THE EVANS' HOUSEHOLD
Let’ see…what have I been doing since my last post on Tuesday? Well, Wednesday I visited a friend from college who has just had her first baby and lives locally. I hadn’t seen or talked to her in a long time and so it was good to see her and her little one. Wednesday evening, Jerm and I had dinner with my grandparents to celebrate a few birthdays between the four of us. My grandmother gave me a really cute yard decoration to hang some flowers on with a hanging basket of impatiens. I will post a picture of those once I decide exactly where I want them to go.
Thursday was the beginning of an adventure that has lasted the past two days. That morning, I got up early to run and then went bowling with my mom and the kiddos around 10:30 a.m. The kiddos are her husband’s children; they are 4 and 5 and the reason that the past two days have been jam-packed full of kiddo initiated non-dull moments. If you remember from a previous post, I mentioned that they were going to spend a night with us.
So the kiddos came over Thursday afternoon and we went swimming in the pool in my neighborhood (funded by those lovely homeowner's association fees we pay). It was my first time going, and I must say that it is nicer then I imagined, with plenty of space and chairs for lounging. It even has this cool kid-friendly whale tail looking thing that showers water on those who stand below it, as well as a bucket that dumps water on the person standing below it. That is probably not the greatest description, and I don't even have pictures to confirm this; however, I wanted to mention that, at one point, I heard Kiddo A saying to Kiddo B, "We have to go take a dump now!", referring to the cool water-dumping thing.
After the pool excursion, it was time to go back to the house and make homemade pizza for dinner. I let each kiddo roll out their own dough courtesy of Pillsbury pizza dough in a can, put their own sauce on the pizza, as well as the toppings and cheese. Here are a few pictures from our pizza adventure.
This is Kiddo B. He is cute and ornery and, yes, that is pizza sauce on his face.
Cheezin' it up!
This is Kiddo A. Isn't she sweet?
Ta-da! The finished products before they were devoured. In fact, Kiddo B ate FOUR pieces!
After dinner..a little mischief...
...and then the kiddos and I all got in our "jammies" and headed out to the drive-in movies to see...drumroll please...Up and Hanna Montana!
Kiddo B fell asleep almost instantaneously. I thought for sure that both would be sleeping by the time Hannah came on, but Kiddo A LOVES Hannah Montana and was actually awake for the movie. I suspect that she was drifting in and out of almost-sleep, but she would magically open her eyes or laugh out loud each time I tried to see if she was sleeping so I could sneak up to the driver's seat. So we stayed until the end and were all sleeping at that point.
Friday morning, I woke up before both kiddos and seized the opportunity to practice my future mom skills. I used a variety of cookie cutters to make shaped pancakes, which resulted in a few burnt fingers and, most importantly, these cute little things.
Both kiddos loved them, but I think, deep down, I loved them just a little bit more.
Unfortunately, thunder storms kept us in the house most of the morning and afternoon. This meant screaming kiddos chasing two dogs all around the house for most of the morning, with me trying to distract them with a few movies in between. The poor dogs didn't know what to do about these two little strangers who had invaded their personal space -- especially Lucy -- and they retreated to any hiding space that would afford them some distance away from the tugging and pulling and screaming. I took this picture of Lucy hiding in the office in a very small space between our desks. Poor baby!
The kiddos left a few hours ago, and I am finding that a feeling of relief has accompanied the quiet that has been restored to our household. At the same time, however, I kind of miss the noise.
Okay, okay...I miss the kiddos.
Goodnight!
Thursday was the beginning of an adventure that has lasted the past two days. That morning, I got up early to run and then went bowling with my mom and the kiddos around 10:30 a.m. The kiddos are her husband’s children; they are 4 and 5 and the reason that the past two days have been jam-packed full of kiddo initiated non-dull moments. If you remember from a previous post, I mentioned that they were going to spend a night with us.
So the kiddos came over Thursday afternoon and we went swimming in the pool in my neighborhood (funded by those lovely homeowner's association fees we pay). It was my first time going, and I must say that it is nicer then I imagined, with plenty of space and chairs for lounging. It even has this cool kid-friendly whale tail looking thing that showers water on those who stand below it, as well as a bucket that dumps water on the person standing below it. That is probably not the greatest description, and I don't even have pictures to confirm this; however, I wanted to mention that, at one point, I heard Kiddo A saying to Kiddo B, "We have to go take a dump now!", referring to the cool water-dumping thing.
After the pool excursion, it was time to go back to the house and make homemade pizza for dinner. I let each kiddo roll out their own dough courtesy of Pillsbury pizza dough in a can, put their own sauce on the pizza, as well as the toppings and cheese. Here are a few pictures from our pizza adventure.
This is Kiddo B. He is cute and ornery and, yes, that is pizza sauce on his face.
Cheezin' it up!
This is Kiddo A. Isn't she sweet?
Ta-da! The finished products before they were devoured. In fact, Kiddo B ate FOUR pieces!
After dinner..a little mischief...
...and then the kiddos and I all got in our "jammies" and headed out to the drive-in movies to see...drumroll please...Up and Hanna Montana!
Kiddo B fell asleep almost instantaneously. I thought for sure that both would be sleeping by the time Hannah came on, but Kiddo A LOVES Hannah Montana and was actually awake for the movie. I suspect that she was drifting in and out of almost-sleep, but she would magically open her eyes or laugh out loud each time I tried to see if she was sleeping so I could sneak up to the driver's seat. So we stayed until the end and were all sleeping at that point.
Friday morning, I woke up before both kiddos and seized the opportunity to practice my future mom skills. I used a variety of cookie cutters to make shaped pancakes, which resulted in a few burnt fingers and, most importantly, these cute little things.
Both kiddos loved them, but I think, deep down, I loved them just a little bit more.
Unfortunately, thunder storms kept us in the house most of the morning and afternoon. This meant screaming kiddos chasing two dogs all around the house for most of the morning, with me trying to distract them with a few movies in between. The poor dogs didn't know what to do about these two little strangers who had invaded their personal space -- especially Lucy -- and they retreated to any hiding space that would afford them some distance away from the tugging and pulling and screaming. I took this picture of Lucy hiding in the office in a very small space between our desks. Poor baby!
The kiddos left a few hours ago, and I am finding that a feeling of relief has accompanied the quiet that has been restored to our household. At the same time, however, I kind of miss the noise.
Okay, okay...I miss the kiddos.
Goodnight!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
TO-DO LIST TUESDAY
My plans for the past two days have been to clean and get organized, but somehow I’ve managed to get very little done. I spent most of Monday doing a load of laundry here and there while trying to wrangle the dishes that had piled up in the kitchen. I also managed to go grocery shopping and make a tasty dinner of black bean burgers with baked sweet potato fries. I baked the fries to try to be healthier, and they were good; however, I am pretty sure that they would have been awesome if they were fried. Guess they call them fries for a reason!
Yesterday Jerm and I also completed our second run together. We ran 3 miles on Riverside on a course which included the 71st bridge. Great idea in theory, but not so much while running up that wretched hill with exhaust fumes permeating each breath. Even then, though, I enjoyed the run and felt accomplished afterward. Here is our first "official" 2009 Route 66 half-marathon training photo, taken at home after the run.
Today was about as uneventful as yesterday, with the most interesting part of my day being the “Mom haircut” that I received at the salon today. I only say this because my hair is shorter than I wanted and pretty much the same length all around. Jerm says it is not as bad as I am making it sound -- and it probably isn't -- but he sure had no problem making fun of my own thoughts about the cut. Case in point:
Jerm (said as I am walking out of our bedroom): Why are you looking like that?
Me: Like what?
Jerm: Like a mom.
Me: Shut it.
I thought one of the two people who actually read this blog might want to see a pic so I am going to post two.
First, a pic of the actual hair cut.
And, secondly, a picture to prove that I am not just posting the first one out of vanity.
So there you go.
Yesterday Jerm and I also completed our second run together. We ran 3 miles on Riverside on a course which included the 71st bridge. Great idea in theory, but not so much while running up that wretched hill with exhaust fumes permeating each breath. Even then, though, I enjoyed the run and felt accomplished afterward. Here is our first "official" 2009 Route 66 half-marathon training photo, taken at home after the run.
Today was about as uneventful as yesterday, with the most interesting part of my day being the “Mom haircut” that I received at the salon today. I only say this because my hair is shorter than I wanted and pretty much the same length all around. Jerm says it is not as bad as I am making it sound -- and it probably isn't -- but he sure had no problem making fun of my own thoughts about the cut. Case in point:
Jerm (said as I am walking out of our bedroom): Why are you looking like that?
Me: Like what?
Jerm: Like a mom.
Me: Shut it.
I thought one of the two people who actually read this blog might want to see a pic so I am going to post two.
First, a pic of the actual hair cut.
And, secondly, a picture to prove that I am not just posting the first one out of vanity.
So there you go.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
FUN-FILLED WEEKEND
Friday afternoon started off with some yard work with Jerm, and the discovery of the spider that you saw in the previous post. Yuck! I am proud to say that I used our weed-eater for the first time since we purchased it this past spring. It took me a little longer than Jerm usually does because the last time I weed-eated was probably ten years ago or so. I re-learned a valuable lesson: wear jeans!
Isn’t weed-eated such a weird word? I felt like I was using the wrong tense of the word just now. I weed-ate? Ha!
Friday evening, Jerm and I went to my belated birthday dinner with my mom and her husband and his two children. We ate at Ted’s Escondido Café and then watched Paul Blart, Mall Cop back at their house. Jerm and I then played outside with the kids, which was actually more fun than watching the movie. The kids are coming over to our house later this week and staying the night. I am pretty excited!
Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to arrive at the Runner’s World running group by 6:45. We have decided that we are going to train for the half-marathon in November together and so we both ran with the beginner half-marathon group for a total of 3 miles. Jerm totally kicked my butt most of the run, but I caught up with him at the end and we finished together. I meant to take a picture of us on our first day of training together but totally forgot. I’ll try to take one tomorrow, on our second official run together.
After the run, we decided to go to look for paint for the bathroom. We decided that we wanted to go with either a brown or blue hue to match the shower curtain. However, after speculation over many color possibilities, we couldn’t find one that we absolutely loved so we just decided to stay the same color and buy some cuter accessories. Well, that latter part came out of my mouth more so than Jerm’s. Can’t you just imagine him saying, “Why don’t we just buy some cuter accessories?” Instead of paint, we did buy a special accessory for our house that we have been considering for a long time. Jerm installed it this morning, and I love it!
Jerm played basketball Sat afternoon and Kristen and I went and got a ‘we’re done with boards!’ manicure and pedicure at this crappy nail salon in Sapulpa, OK called CA Nails. I only say crappy because the lady who was doing Kristen’s pedicure painted flowers on her toes without asking her and then charged her an additional $5.00 for it! Kristen told the lady that she needed to let her clients know that it was going to cost them $5.00 extra before painting the flowers on. Did the lady still charge her? Yes! I am really appalled at the dishonest business tactics of this company and will never go back. Again, it is called CA Nails. Don’t go there!
Sat night Jerm and I went on a date to the drive-in movies on Admiral to see Up and Terminator. However, when we arrived, we were quite surprised to find out that the second feature was the Hannah Montana movie instead! We enjoyed Up but decided not to stay after that. I highly recommend the drive-in movie for anyone who is looking for a less expensive alternative to seeing a movie this summer. You can take your own snacks and you get to see two movies instead of one. Adults are $7.00 and children (12 and under or 11 and under, I can’t remember which) are $2.00. They accept cash only.
Today was spent having a belated birthday lunch with Jerm’s family. Check out this card that Jerm’s grandmother gave me. She couldn’t find a card with the right words so she got this one and added her own personal touch. I was so tickled by this card, and I absolutely LOVE IT!
After lunch, we all went to the movies to see Madea Goes to Jail. Now, I know this may seem quite funny that we went to see this movie, but Jerm’s grandmother, aunt, and I all enjoy Tyler Perry movies. I didn’t think it was as good as Diary of a Mad Black Woman, but it had some funny Madea moments. For those of you who haven’t seen any of these movies, I have three words for you: Don’t be hatin’. Ha!
Well, I guess this pretty much sums up my weekend. It was truly one of the most enjoyable and relaxing weekends I’ve had in a long while.
Goodnight!
Isn’t weed-eated such a weird word? I felt like I was using the wrong tense of the word just now. I weed-ate? Ha!
Friday evening, Jerm and I went to my belated birthday dinner with my mom and her husband and his two children. We ate at Ted’s Escondido Café and then watched Paul Blart, Mall Cop back at their house. Jerm and I then played outside with the kids, which was actually more fun than watching the movie. The kids are coming over to our house later this week and staying the night. I am pretty excited!
Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to arrive at the Runner’s World running group by 6:45. We have decided that we are going to train for the half-marathon in November together and so we both ran with the beginner half-marathon group for a total of 3 miles. Jerm totally kicked my butt most of the run, but I caught up with him at the end and we finished together. I meant to take a picture of us on our first day of training together but totally forgot. I’ll try to take one tomorrow, on our second official run together.
After the run, we decided to go to look for paint for the bathroom. We decided that we wanted to go with either a brown or blue hue to match the shower curtain. However, after speculation over many color possibilities, we couldn’t find one that we absolutely loved so we just decided to stay the same color and buy some cuter accessories. Well, that latter part came out of my mouth more so than Jerm’s. Can’t you just imagine him saying, “Why don’t we just buy some cuter accessories?” Instead of paint, we did buy a special accessory for our house that we have been considering for a long time. Jerm installed it this morning, and I love it!
Jerm played basketball Sat afternoon and Kristen and I went and got a ‘we’re done with boards!’ manicure and pedicure at this crappy nail salon in Sapulpa, OK called CA Nails. I only say crappy because the lady who was doing Kristen’s pedicure painted flowers on her toes without asking her and then charged her an additional $5.00 for it! Kristen told the lady that she needed to let her clients know that it was going to cost them $5.00 extra before painting the flowers on. Did the lady still charge her? Yes! I am really appalled at the dishonest business tactics of this company and will never go back. Again, it is called CA Nails. Don’t go there!
Sat night Jerm and I went on a date to the drive-in movies on Admiral to see Up and Terminator. However, when we arrived, we were quite surprised to find out that the second feature was the Hannah Montana movie instead! We enjoyed Up but decided not to stay after that. I highly recommend the drive-in movie for anyone who is looking for a less expensive alternative to seeing a movie this summer. You can take your own snacks and you get to see two movies instead of one. Adults are $7.00 and children (12 and under or 11 and under, I can’t remember which) are $2.00. They accept cash only.
Today was spent having a belated birthday lunch with Jerm’s family. Check out this card that Jerm’s grandmother gave me. She couldn’t find a card with the right words so she got this one and added her own personal touch. I was so tickled by this card, and I absolutely LOVE IT!
After lunch, we all went to the movies to see Madea Goes to Jail. Now, I know this may seem quite funny that we went to see this movie, but Jerm’s grandmother, aunt, and I all enjoy Tyler Perry movies. I didn’t think it was as good as Diary of a Mad Black Woman, but it had some funny Madea moments. For those of you who haven’t seen any of these movies, I have three words for you: Don’t be hatin’. Ha!
Well, I guess this pretty much sums up my weekend. It was truly one of the most enjoyable and relaxing weekends I’ve had in a long while.
Goodnight!
Friday, June 5, 2009
CHARLOTTE'S EVIL RELATIVE
Look what Jerm and I discovered in our garage yesterday. Do you see it?
Now do you see it?
WHAT ABOUT NOW?!?!?!?
For more information, please click here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus
The End.
Now do you see it?
WHAT ABOUT NOW?!?!?!?
For more information, please click here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus
The End.
OVERBOARDS!
Or over boards, rather.
I took the big kahuna yesterday, and I can’t say at this moment that I feel great about it by any means, but here is to hoping that there is some redemption from the countless hours of effort that I poured into preparation. I guess the moment of truth will arrive in 3-4 weeks and, until then, I am going to try to have some fun and do normal people activities. You know, like sleep in and pluck the unibrow and clean house.
Oh, and my favorite part: spend time with family!
Jerm and I have plans to do some yard work and painting this weekend, and we are also going to attend our first running meeting tomorrow morning. I am excited! He decided not to sign up for that basketball league on Mondays that I mentioned in a previous post, so I guess I will just have to take the fog horn to another game of his during the week.
I’ll take some pics of our painting progress this weekend. Until then, I am going to NOT STUDY!
Have a great day!
I took the big kahuna yesterday, and I can’t say at this moment that I feel great about it by any means, but here is to hoping that there is some redemption from the countless hours of effort that I poured into preparation. I guess the moment of truth will arrive in 3-4 weeks and, until then, I am going to try to have some fun and do normal people activities. You know, like sleep in and pluck the unibrow and clean house.
Oh, and my favorite part: spend time with family!
Jerm and I have plans to do some yard work and painting this weekend, and we are also going to attend our first running meeting tomorrow morning. I am excited! He decided not to sign up for that basketball league on Mondays that I mentioned in a previous post, so I guess I will just have to take the fog horn to another game of his during the week.
I’ll take some pics of our painting progress this weekend. Until then, I am going to NOT STUDY!
Have a great day!
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