For the last four months I've been working 2nd shift as part of my training program at work. I've been working a lot of overtime with 12 hour shifts and weekends. Seriously, a lot.
Life has consisted largely of working, sleeping, and sneaking in gym visits. I should be back on first shift in a couple of weeks, though.
Last month I didn't turn on my tv once.
Apparently my dvd player decided to give up the ghost during that time, so I have to watch my new tv show addiction, Bones, on my wee laptop screen until I decide what to replace it with (I'm thinking I might as well upgrade to a blu ray...once I get over the sticker shock).
Speaking of my tv show addictions...Dexter married his sister?

I have my first iPod, which I use to listen to The Killers, Coldplay, and other bands you like. I'm not sure why I didn't have one before. It's awesome.

Over the last 9 months I've lost about 20 pounds, which I had gained over the previous year and a half. I think I've hit a bit of a plateau as of late, but I'm pretty proud that I've been keeping up with my regular gym visits. I definitely feel a lot healthier and stronger...and feistier. Also, I'm about 50 times more likely to spontaneously start dancing in front my my full-length mirror (which is kind of saying something).

Tyler recently moved to Florida to work for his dream company - Lockheed Martin. Yes, the Lockheed Martin.
He'll work 9 hour days and gets every other Friday off. They give him a gym allowance (my HR manager still hasn't agreed with my great plan to build a huge gym right on plant property...ha). He makes 10k more than his old job and might get a security clearance (!!!!). It's 80 degrees there and the streets are lined with palm trees (it' 30-40 degree here). In short, he's got the world at his feet and I couldn't possibly be happier for him.
We've been dating three years as of mid-December. Wo-ah.

Tags: consumerism, health/medical, movies/plays/television, tyler
Current Location: MO
The Bottomline: accomplished
Background Noise ♫: Katy Perry - If You Can Afford Me

Daddy bought me worms for my upcoming birthday. A full pound of red worms. I am the happiest little princess ever!
He also got me a worm bin to put them (outside on our front deck). In a few days, I'll be a-compostin'. Until I get around to getting a proper kitchen compost pail , I'm collecting food scraps in an old ice bucket I picked up at the Peace At Home Thrift Shop.

I recently started a mini herb garden on our front deck.

It's all planted in organic potting soil (Miracle-Gro and Expert Gardener brands) and recycled plastic containers (that help regulate the watering for novice gardeners like myself).

( blah blah blah )

Next on my hit list is some durable containers to start collecting recyclables, because the apartment building ain't doing it for us.

I made mostly raw "ice cream" for a treat after my last final. Two frozen bananas (note to self: peel the bananas before freezing...doh), 2 tablespoons vanilla (calls for teaspoons...), fresh mint to taste (optional), and a blender. It was pretty good, I may experiment with it (and other fruits) more. I can't wait until my lavender blooms.
I have 4 peeled bananas in my freezer right now.

To commemorate Paris's upcoming jail sentence, I downloaded her CD. HOTT. Favorite line: "Everytime I turn around the boys fighting over me...Maybe cuz I'm hot to death and I'm so so so sexy." Classic.

Tags: awesomeness, birthdays, consumerism, earthy, music, recipes, roommate/apartment
Current Location: garden
The Bottomline: verde
Background Noise ♫: Paris Hilton - Fighting Over Me

( stuff I want )

Gonna work out with the ladies tonight! Yayaya!

Tags: consumerism, earthy, recipes
The Bottomline: gimmie stuff
Background Noise ♫: Scissor Sisters - Might Tell You Tonight

( walmart soliciter )

Despite crazy-walmart-dude, the bread pudding came out DELICIOUS. I made if for Tyler this summer and he specially requested it again for his birthday. I fiddled with the recipe this time (made it mostly organic and added rum!) around and I think it came out even better than before. I also made a vanilla rum sauce to go with it, in honor of the big 2-1. This time around, I used like 80% organic ingredients. So even if this dessert can give you diabetes just by looking at it (6.5 all butter croissants, 5 cups half and half, entire carton of eggs...) and can be in no way justified as healthy for your body, it's still slightly more healthy for the environment than your average treat (shut up, let me rationalize).
I want to cook more now. Ha, like I'll find the time.

Tyler's birthday went really well and he didn't even get sick. He did, however, get a really attractive hair cut. For serious, the boy looked GOOD.
Also, booze.

They're having a $10 "Spring Broke" sale at Threadless...so I finally got around to ordering some of the shirts I've been resisting (99 Luftballons and I Know An Old Lady Who Swalled a Fly). I ordered three shirts (A Caged Bird Dreams, Cookie Loves Milk, and Facial Hair Club For Men) and a hoodie (Yeah Attitude...best. hoodie. ever.) during their winter sale. Eventually I'll get around to taking pictures (because for every picture you post wearing a threadless shirt, you get $1.50 off your next purchase...it's pretty awesome). Threadless is such a cool site...I wish I wasn't totally tapped of artisitc ambition right now, or I'd totally submit stuff.

Work and class, man...what a life, eh?

Tags: awesomeness, birthdays, booze, consumerism, interesting links, strange, tyler
The Bottomline: toasty in my hoodie
Background Noise ♫: Muse - Starlight

I had a crappy week last week, or at least I felt crappy. I was isolated in a work/school cave all week and I was just full of less than yummy emotions. After this weekend however, I feel all better. Yah!
I missed the big USC game to go to Tyler's stepbrother's wedding. It was pretty and nice and I'm a sucker for that sort of thing. Tyler was, of course, inconsolable as he had to not only miss the first home game of the year, but he also had to attend a boy-kryptonite matrimonial event. He did begrudgingly dance the YMCA with me, but not the chicken dance.
The next day, was a big family day with his mom and 3 of her sisters and an assortment of spouses. We had a poolside cookout and washer tossing and croquet. I had never played croquet before...I came in second to last! It was all-in-all a good time (except I totally forgot my phone in Fayetteville and didn't know they scheduled me for work on Monday and got my first and only allowable no-show, no-call...which kind of sucks hard core considering I hadn't even worked a solo shift yet).

It was totally good to see people again in chapter, especially the hangouts at La Huerta afterwards.
I love my mommy and daddy. Today I picked up new shoes (little boy dress shoes) that my dad got me and my torso target sheet from when we went shooting last weekend. I haven't touched a gun since I was like 15, but it was fun. They said that I'm a decent shot...something about Annie Oakley. :P

I really need to get me a flash drive. Seriously, it's 2006 and I don't own one! I lust after this one...but it's kind of a million dollars (for most practical purposes, at least).
I need to get back on the exercising bandwagon.

Tags: consumerism, family, friends, nerdiness, travel, tyler, wedding related

The whole set isn't up yet, but the portfolio pics are up for Jenni's wedding!! Prepare to be amazed!

Have you ever had a weekend that felt a couple weeks long? That's kind of what the wedding. It was just fantastic.
I mean I wasn't Alex the Woman this last week, I was Alex the Maid of Honor and that was a beautiful thing. This really was one of those occasions where everything is just bigger than regular life, where you're compelled to put all those petty and self-centered things we worry (like how ugly my toes are) about on a shelf for a while. I sure do love being Alex the Woman, but I wouldn't trade anything in the world for my chance to get to be with Jenni on this once-in-a-lifetime kind of day.
Joy is a "big" word that I don't use that often, but for this occasion it is perfect.
Needless to say, the day was beautiful, the bride was beautiful, the couple is a beautiful fit.

And now with the rest of life:
varnea is in town and staying with us in the apartment, it's been good times. She's so fun, I can't wait until she's back in Fayetteville for good.
We went to Terra Studios and Bead It with seerofthethread on Monday and that night hit Dickson St. in a scandalous fashion with peggy_the_angel.
Tomorrow I leave for Pennsylvania for a week and a half to run Steve's shop at Pennsic (this ain't you're average vacation). Getting ready to leave has been taking up a lot of my time. I'm a little sad to be away for so long, but it will also be nice to "get away from it all," too.
Lastly, I BOUGHT A LAPTOP!! It's a smaller/cheaper model to serve as kind of a mobile accessory to my totally awesome desktop, but I'm pretty pumped. I've been wanting a wee lap top for a couple years now, so I could do website-type stuff on the go. It has an AMD type processor like my desktop (okay, so my baby is Athalon and the laptop is Semperon)...maybe I'll have to spray paint it silver and add blue lights so they match. Unfortunately it's due in on Friday, the day after I leave, so I won't get to play with it just yet.

Tags: awesomeness, consumerism, friends, nerdiness, pictures, shenanigans, wedding related

Well, my birthday was this Monday. Memorial Day. I had to work and that kind of sucked, especially since it was ridiculously mind-numbingly slow and I earned significantly less than any other day I've worked there. After work 8 of us went ou to Shoguns, Shakey's, and Xmen 3 and it was a fantastic time. Everyone who was there or wished me happy birthday, made my day...so huggles!
I'll spare ya'll the mushy details, but Tyler really made the day special for me and I really appreciate him and I'm very happy. He got me THE BEST BIRTHDAY CARD EVER complete with a monkey in a tutu and one of his famous poems (it seriously rocked my socks off). He makes me feel like a very lucky girl. The end.
In the days to follow I also got two fantastic birthday dinners with my immediate family peoples. On Tuesday I went to Ella's with Mom and Steve and gorged myself on delicious foods (including the best escargot I've ever had and a lick-the-plate-good dessert with rich chocolate cake and white chocolate mouse). On Thursday Dad and Natalia took me to Mermaid's with Mom and Steve and I had tasty creme brulle and seafood delights. I don't usually get two dinners with my family, but Steve thought he was going out of town and would miss the one on Thursday, so we went out early on Tuesday. Anyways, I love my family.

Today I got two "pretty girl"s, three "you look very nice today"s, one "you're hot" and one apiece of "you look like Jennifer Love Hewitt" and "you look like Alyson Hannigan" (that's the second time I've gotten that last one in a week...), and at least one foolish (and failed) attempt to sow seeds of doubt in my boyfriend. There's a difference between silly harmless flirting and flirting with a purpose. I could go into my feelings on that, but long story short: sometimes I enjoy those kinds of compliments and sometimes I really don't so much.
Tonight I went shopping with my mommy all night. It was good times and I brought home some fine loot (and spent some of my fine tip $). Yah!

There's a blood drive next Wednesday! I'm totally donating!

Tags: awesomeness, birthdays, consumerism, family, friends, strange, tyler, work
Current Location: 23 year old fogeys
The Bottomline: chipper
Background Noise ♫: 6th floor old Washington Regional during a lightening storm

I had a dream that the Batmobile was a tandem bicycle.
...
It wasn't even black.


p.s., Awwww and Awwww.

Tags: consumerism, school, strange
The Bottomline: Why am I not studying?
Background Noise ♫: Not homework. Why?

I'm really glad I didn't buy that used RAZR for $150. Friday - about three weeks after it went missing - my phone was turned in at one of the local Cingular stores. We picked it up and know it's properly insured!
YAH!
It was dead when I lost it (thus, attempts to call it to find it failed) and dead when I picked it up...but there is a picture stored on the phone from 4.10.2006 (I lost the thing on 4.2.2006). So basically, someone charged it up, used it at least once, then had it power down and turned it in 11 days after taking the picture. I think it might have taken a while for Cingular to shut off the service when I reported it, so hopefully the phone bill isn't abnormally high...

In the News: Net Neutrality
I use the internet. You obviously use the internet. I'm pretty sure we both like being able to access any site we want regardless of who our network provider is...and right now there are laws being proposed that could affect that. Congress is considering a rewrite of the Telecommunications Act that would include reduced Network Neutrality regulations. This could allow major service providers to discriminate about which search engines, internet phone services, streaming video or music (hey, iTunes users...), news or blogging sites, or other services go faster, slower, or not at all. Needless to say, I'm agin it, I ain't fer it.
Phone companies abide by a "common carriage" rule and aren't allowed to block or slow down the clarity and connection of certain companies that they don't like or don't ante up extra dough. I know I don't want to be forced to use some crappy search engine that my ISP supports because they slowed down Google (yes, I have a personalized Google homepage, Google Toolbar, Google Talk, Gmail, and Google Earth...).
Don't mess with my internet. Seriously.
Wikipedia on Net Neutrality
Save The Internet
MoveOn.org FAQ
Petition on MoveOn
Petition on NetFreedom
If you feel the same, I encourage you to pass this on and contact your Congress rep (as the lovely sannask commented: both the House of Representatives and Senate have "find your representative" functions to help out with this).

Tags: consumerism, interesting links, news, soapbox
Current Location: teh interwebs
The Bottomline: gah

The last couple of days have been filled with good times and quality hanging outs. I love everybody.
The highlights:

Saturday - APO Pledge Service Project (although I missed the caving fellowship *sad face*) and Students' Day of Caring project we kind of did in conjunction with Pomfret (I'm really excited about the benches). Camping was not meant to be for me so a couple of us non-campers hung out and had a relaxing time singing to Doug's guitar, talking and watching The Best of Will Ferrell until the wee hours.

Sunday - After chalking for the blood drive we're sponsoring on campus, a few of us went to eat at Wendy's and ended up talking until they turned the lights out on us. Apparently we didn't really notice when they were vacuuming around us. It was a fine time. I still don't understand hazing.

Monday - Hung out with my daddy and the puppies and got a free rib lunch. Went to the blood drive and had good hanging out time and gave blood. Lance and I hung out with Jacob (of RSO and ASG program coordinator fame) while obtaining the itemized budget printouts for our respective groups. Had an outstanding exececutive committee meeting (we were outside on a balcony in lovely weather, had story time interlude, and still managed to be under half an hour) followed by a good time making Easter boxes for local school children. Then mom took me out to figure out my phone thing...they couldn't reinstate service in my old phone because it's old and crappy enough to not have a SIM card, but the guy kind of gave me a phone for free that was just hanging out unclaimed under the counter. The old owner was named Brooke. It was kinda awesome.
After a food and shopping excursion with Mommy, I went home...took a nap (because I've been really tired lately)...then had Tyler, Phillip and Aaron come over for some foosball good times.

Tuesday - More fun hangouts with APOers including Brian in a blood drop suit, saw Krissy, parli pro discussion, the "maze of sin" (as a group activity), spelling naughty things in old school calculator upside-down letters (aka, 1134=hell and 5318008=boobies) with Clark and Vicky, and La Huerta with Shelle and Peggy Sue.

I feel good. Victory.

Tags: apo/service, blood drives, consumerism, friends, shenanigans