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

I melted Josh and Laura's toaster. When I say melted I don't mean it heated up a bit and the sleek form got droopy, I mean rivers of plastic ran down while flames licked it's body. I mean the apartment was filled with black smoke and all the fire alarms were blaring (on a side note, I really don't think we need one every 5 feet). Fortunately I have a humongous stock pot, which I employed to damn near flood the kitchen with fire-extinguishing water (and make everything else soggy).
We have a cool new toaster oven now.

I got season 3 of House on DVD last week. <3<3<3

Tyler goes to Daylight Donuts most Sunday mornings and I join him around 75% of the time. Good times, good donuts, really bad toupee.
On my way back to my apartment around 10:30am I got a flat tire. Tyler and Zack came to the rescue like the heroes of old. Needless to say, it was hot and sweaty and extremely unpleasant to be doing manual labor.
When I got to my spare (no small task considering how full my trunk was), we found that the tread was completely shredded and scary looking. Awesome.
When they got the tire off, the tear in the side of the tire was a bit too large to risk fix-a-flat to get to Wal-Mart. Sweet.
Neither Tyler's nor Zack's spare would fit my car, although I kind of think it was way above and beyond of them to offer. We ended up just taking the dingity dangity tire to Wal-Mart and went to Popeye's Chicken with some fine folks while we waited (while un-showered, sweaty and slightly covered in car grease - yikes!).
Around 2:30 the (amazingly, incredibly awesome) guys finally got my car squared away. I drove the rest of the way down the street to my lovely shower while listening to Petty's Free Falling. It took the edge off.

I missed sannask's birthday lunch in the midst of this drama. I haven't gotten to see her since her wedding and was really looking forward to it!. Boo.

Tags: awesomeness, birthdays, car stuff, friends, movies/plays/television, roommate/apartment, tyler
The Bottomline: yes.
Background Noise ♫: Chumbawamba - Tubthumping

I haven't been home much lately, still catching up on my journal reading...uf, I'm so behind.

Amazing weekend. I did have a few surreal moments where I realized that I don't actually have to go any where or do anything for two whole days. Now that I'm done with Red Lobster, I have real weekends, I have a semi-normal schedule that actually allows me to be more social than I have been able to be in a while. It's a good feeling.

( Piano Bar )

( Beaver Lake )

In a little under two weeks, I will be attending a Weird Al concert with my dad and step mom on the 13th followed by attending Daniel's wedding on the 14th with Tyler. Woo!
Looking forward to seeing more of people soon!

Tags: awesomeness, booze, friends, music, shenanigans, tyler
The Bottomline: cheerful
Background Noise ♫: Black Betty Bam-Ba-Lam

( 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

Wednesday, Tyler and I had officially been dating 1 year, 1 month and 2 days (he called me at 12:01 as I was typing about it). This in itself is not terribly remarkable, except for the fact that this relationship is now officially my longest ever. We're doing really, really well and I never knew I could really feel like this - it's baffling.
So, I've been meaning to chronicle our one year anniversary, for my memories and all, and now seems as a good a time as any.

( One Year Anniversary )

Tags: touchy feely, tyler

I saw R Kelly's Trapped in the Closet over Halloween weekend. It was pretty much the most amazing thing ever.
Also, I just realized that Sexyback is by Justin Timberlake and not a girl. I only listen to the radio during my commute to work and I guess I just never paid that much attention. It's a fun catchy song and all...but yeah, dude sounds like a lady (Even when he's not singing in the no-man's-land range of My Love).

Last weekend I went to APO's Tri-sectional conference. Manhattan, KS has weird looking squirrels. I think I'm to the point where a lot of the workshops we offer at conferences don't really apply to me anymore. So, I'm SUPER pumped about being a voting delegate at Nationals instead.
After I got back from the 5.5 hour trip home, I got to go feed the puppies. They remain the cutest, bestest doggies in the whole world.

Tyler finally got his little brother from Big Brothers Big Sisters yesterday. It's really cute.
Also, after trying for most of the semester and making numerous phone calls, Tyler finally managed to get me a ticket to the Tennesee-Arkansas game (he promised, it was a deal). I believe he had to buy it off a friend of a friend. This is the only game I've been able to get off work for all semester and I've really been looking forward to it. ESPN Game Day, here I come!
Basically, Tyler wins (even if he is a sassy pants sometimes :P).

I made a batch of clay earrings a little over a month ago. ( yep )

Sometimes I really want a nose job. Every now and again a look in the mirror or an anonymous bitchy internet person popping out of nowhere will reinforce this. Generally all humans speaking to my face will tell me it's an unnecessary idea. Hmmmm.

Tags: apo/service, clay, music, pictures, travel, tyler

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

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

Well, I have two jobs this summer. The first one will pad my resume but won't pay rent, the second will pad my bank account. So, I'm going to be a waitress at Tony C's off Dickson and I may get bartending training. They don't do pooled tips, so I should make pretty good money...which I desperately need right now. This week, I think I may be able to earn what I need to pay rent next week. My first night I got a 12 top half an hour before I was supposed to leave and I handled them well enough that Tony C himself was bragging on me. Also, mom's engagement ring generally protects me from indecent propositions, but not from flirting. Apparently I'm just as pretty as some of these guy's daughters and I have a very lucky man.
That "lucky man of mine" got back from England Friday with lots of pictures and stories. He brought me back a gorgeous jewelry box and some jewelry to put in it...including some pins for my backpack, he knows me well. He'll probably post pictures on facebook soon, just you wait.


I ran out of the earring hooks, so some of them still have the uncut and shaped wire sticking out of them. I forgot to take a picture with something to scale it, but most of them could fit on a nickle (the earring hooks are normal sized, if that helps).
Daddy let me borrow his acrylic paint set (that he got so I could paint for him...I did two wrens for him this week), so I actually had some diversity of color. Clay crossposted to craftgrrl.

Tags: awesomeness, clay, pictures, tyler, work
Current Location: happyland
The Bottomline: his hair was perfect
Background Noise ♫: Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London

Most of you know by now that the Grand Canyon wasn't in the cards, but I did have decent spring break at home.
I got to visit dad some more and he's doing tons better now. He had the procedure done where they stopped and restarted his heart with a defibrillator and it seems to beating normally again.
I also got to hang out with mom and Steve and saw Nanny McPhee. It was cute (coughColinFirthcough) and I liked it.
There was quality time with the lovely nikloo and springle throughout the week. We watch V is for Vendetta (loved it!) and much Grey's Anatomy.
And of course I worked on APO stuff, with Tri-Sectionals coming up and an advisors' meeting.
I worked some more on Jenni and Kevin's wedding website.
On the last weekend I went camping with Jenni and Kevin at Kyle's Landing near the Buffalo River. The campsite was gorgeous and we went hiking on some equally lovely trails (and got briefly lost! yes!). It was freezing cold, but cold-blooded little Alex managed to stay the warmest at night (I was wearing two pairs of panty hose and two socks and jeans and four shirts). In the morning it was too cold for the butane stove to work properly, so Kevin made us breakfast at a painfully slow rate (best damn bacon ever, though). There are some sparse pictures on facebook. I think we're going to go back later when it's more green...seriously, the trail was awesome. Yah!
I got drunk dialed a couple times by a pair of super guys (and Angela once) and it made my night each time. Unfortunately, there was not service when I went camping, so I never got the chance to return the favor.

Anyone who talked to me last week knows...I'm really excited about my new exercise regime. I went everyday from Sunday to Thursday (HPER was closed on Friday and Saturday). I went the two weeks prior to that and this week, too. I can't visually tell the difference yet, of course, but my stamina and strength continue to improve and I seem to be losing a wee bit of weight. I signed up for a "Women on Weights" program which provides me with 8 personal training sessions for a total price of $20 (a great deal and it ensures that I have to keep working out). I'm very excited and feel healthier already.

All in all, I had a pretty decent week. Maybe it wasn't filled with thrills and chaos, but it sure was relaxing. Lots of good introspection, too...I feel like I'm changing, improving in a lot of ways (although, it's probably not outwardly visual).

This week has been a different story. Three big ole tests, big homework sets, regular homework, quizzes, a lab report, Tri-flippin'-Sectionals, lakes of fire, etc...

Tags: awesomeness, family, friends, movies/plays/television, self-actualization, travel, tyler
The Bottomline: busy
Background Noise ♫: india.arie