Say What?

Because I’m currently residing about 120 miles from “home” in Carbondale, I voted early via absentee ballot. So 2.5 weeks ago, I was done hearing arguments, commercials and general political banter, especially for the president.

Last night, my dad’s side of the fam came over for my mom’s birthday dinner. During the conversation, we eventually slipped into political mode and I was completely astonished by the comment out of my sister’s mouth. They were discussing the local propositions, one of which involves more gambling boats for more money to schools or something like that. Honestly, I don’t know that much about it because like I said, I can’t vote here so I haven’t really cared. But I have HEARD of it, and know the general bits. My sister on the other hand, is a teacher in St. Louis County. So when they brought up Prop A, she asked “what’s that?” and we all stared. When asked how she could be a teacher and not know what is going on she replied “I don’t have time to read the news.”

Is this an example of the “typical apathetic American” or is this “out of the norm?”

Chicken Pot Pie

Last night for my mom’s birthday we went over to Emily and Rusty’s for dinner. Of course, Rusty cooked dinner. Usually I get excited when either my hubby or Rusty cooks because it’s pretty much guaranteed to be awesome. So when dad told me Rusty was making chicken pot pie for dinner, I was extremely disappointed. I’m not sure if my mom attempted this when I was a child, or if I just ate a bad one somewhere along the line, but I’ve never been drawn to chicken pot pie.

Last night was a turning point though. Rusty’s chicken pot pie was amazing. It was really creamy and had corn, celery and the right amount of chicken in it, and instead of making chicken pot pies for each of us, he made a massive pie in a skillet with biscuits on top.

Not sure if you can get chicken pot pie at Russell's Cafe, but you can get caramel apples right now. He actually makes the caramel himself. I haven't had it, but I bet it's good.

Happy Birthday Mom

and happy birthday to nan.

and happy adoption day to my hubby.

Pug Noel

General's halloween/christmas outfit...

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Life sucks

So I got really excited last night on the way back to STL (I can't call it home yet because I feel like a transient) I drove by another house in Fairview to look at. I loved it. L-O-V-E-D it. The neighborhood was really nice, the houses were spread out, was on a corner lot. It was built in 1999, and had everything we were looking for (3-bed, 2-bath and 2-car garage). And it was listed $25k less than most of the houses we're looking at, which is why I drove by. The internets are not always reliable as to the surrounding conditions of a perfect-looking house.

This morning I emailed our agent to ask more about it, planning to tour the interior ASAP, and said it was a foreclosed house and already has a contract on it.

BOOOO!!!!

Playoffs?

So hubby's team is officially in the playoffs. You can read the sporty details on his blog. The important part is that they are a medium good team playing against a really good team in Decatur. That's a far car ride. It's really far on a bus.

Other than that, I really don't have much to report. Hubby was interviewed on the local radio station in Benton, and I thought he sounded pretty good. They also name-dropped my new place of employment which I thought was pretty cool.

And General is still barking at the blow-up-glowing pumpkin across the street.

Time's up

Tomorrow is the final regular season game for CZR football. That means after the playoff game(s?) my hubby can move to STL, but probably won't just yet. We still have no bites on the house. He can't live at my parent's house with me. We don't have any close friends in Carbondale to watch our house. We can't afford to rent something here AND pay the mortgage down there. If we could afford that, then we can probably afford another house. Which we can't.

So after the playoffs, I will be officially depressed. It's almost the holidays and I honestly expected to have sold the house right now. I know there's nothing we can do about it and that it's mostly the economy's fault, but it still sucks.

And to top it off, the house we had our eye on up here no longer has it's "for sale" sign in the yard.

OCMS on stage

the best photo I have on my phone.

Maybe...

We might have a lead on the house but they think we're overpriced. I think they should put in an offer and we can go from there.

OCMS Concert

Tonight we are going to our second Old Crow Medicine Show Concert. While I'm excited to see the show I'm waaay more excited to see my hubby on a Wednesday night. The even better part is, we are going to stay in a hotel together!! It might even feel like we're married, or at least dating.

Prior to the concert though, I'm meeting up with my old college roomie for some din-din at Fitz's.

Can it hold me?

my coworker told me a story about a patient who sat on the toilet and it collapsed under her weight. this toilet at target scared me because it moved when I sat down.

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Back to the grind

Dang I wish someone would buy our house.

(I think that at least 20 times a day. I bet my hubby thinks it 2x as many as I do.)

So other than that... not much going on. I'm feeling much better today. I think it was my day on the couch doing nothing yesterday that helped. I normally like to chip in and clean the house on Sundays while I'm in c-dale since hubby is bearing the majority of the work while I'm up here gallivanting around the 'Lou, but yesterday I did nothing but wipe down the kitchen so it looked presentable before I left. (I do tend to make a mess wherever I go. Kinda like the Tazmanian devil...)

Tomorrow I'm going in early to the office to work on a story I'm writing about employees who ride the metro to work. If someone would buy my house, I could interview myself.

Bearcats Homecoming=WIN

Prior to the game, my husband had a full head of hair

He told the kids that if they could win this weekend, he would shave his hair into a mowhawk. After the team won, he let them do it. One swipe at a time.

Now I have a husband with a badass mowhawk.

Mowhawk time

bearcats win. coach promised a mohawk for a win.

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Dear Meth Heads,

If you are a current methamphetamine user out there, and continually using your crazy creative juices while you stay up for weeks on end to develop new recipes, please find some other way to create your drug of choice. Use things outside normal OTC drugs and white out so that I can go to walmart without the hassle of buying sudafed when the pharmacy is open, and getting carded for mucinex and white out. Obviously if I'm going to make the trip into walmart in the first place, I'm probably not in a good mood, and if I'm buying those items, I'm probably sick.

So if you could use things for your meth concoction that I would never buy, like motor oil or moldy cheese, that would be great.

Thanks so much!

Boooooo

I have a nasty head cold. I'm pitiful.

Civic vs Civic

I've had the new civic for about a month now, so I feel like I can accurately give you a comparison between the two. So the "new civic" is an '08 LX automatic transmission, 4 door. The "old civic" is '04 coupe manual. I bought both cars brand new.

We'll start with the engine incase any of my 5 readers care about that... which I doubt.

• The new car's engine is bigger, but not much. Hubby refused to race me to see which one is faster, but I bet the old car would be, only because it's a manual and only if I were driving.
• The cruise on the old car is smoother. The new one goes through this thing where it slows down, then realizes it and gets all upset and rev's the engine to catch up. I think this is pretty standard for automatic cars, but it makes for a not-perfectly-smooth ride.
• The automatic part of the new car is really nice, especially in traffic. I don't miss the shifting part of my life at all.

The inside of the car:

• It feels pretty roomy for being a civic, which I think has the stigma (not stigmata like I overheard the other day...) of being a small car. As part of a family where both members are 5'11, I feel pretty comfy in my "compact" car.
  
• The lumbar support for the driver's seat is much better in the new car. I haven't driven it more than 2 hours at a time, but I can tell it's better already.
• The speakers on the new car are lacking. Maybe I'm missing the sound of the sub that was standard on the old car, but when I turn it up loud, the sound is not very crisp, especially the bass notes.
  
• The ipod plug-in is awesome on the new car.
• The new car's steering wheel is smaller than the old one and I'm still not used to it.
  
• The speedometer display is digital in the new car. As someone who's been pulled over more times than I can count on one hand, I find that extremely helpful.

Any other questions? Feel free to ask.

Old job versus New job

Some things I've recently noted about the old job versus the new job:

• At the new job, I get lots of collateral. Free stuff in the form of mugs, camping chairs, golf shirts for my dad, fleece blankets, and of course batman-esque lights for my key chain with the company logo.
• I miss the cosmetology department at the old job. I haven't had my eyebrows waxed in three months because I refuse to pay more than the $3 I used to pay. This means I have to actually use tweezers and look at myself in one of those awful mirrors that some man created to make women have a lower self-esteem. I also haven't had my hair dyed in three months. Maybe I'll go gray naturally for a while... see how that goes over.
  
• I like walking more at work. I feel like much less of a lazy bum.
  
• I enjoy sleeping until 7:06 versus the 6:03 I used to get up.
  
• I like the 18 miles it takes to get to work versus the 38 it used to (that's one way.)
• I was extremely disappointed with the vacation/ETO time with the new job. I guess I naively assumed that being one of the top employers in STL that I'd be able to take vacation when I wanted. Did you know that I have to take ETO on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Memorial, Labor and Fourth of July days? They "give" you those days off by "giving" you x number of hours of ETO. That same bank of ETO is also your sick time. I know I'm spoiled, but I'm used to at least a week off at Christmas. I was NOT expecting that with the new job, but I did expect the 6 official federal holidays to be actually "given" to me, not "earned."
• I love that my office is organized and every decision is a strategic one, based on data. I hated the way my previous employer made every decision based on someone's gut or preference.
• My boss is super awesome. Not only is she someone I respect, but she is pretty cool too.
• Everyone knows where I work. I only have to say half of the name, and everyone knows what I'm talking about. No more explaining that no, I do not work in Harrisburg, IL.
  
• I can see myself working in this organization for a LONG time. Possibly for the rest of my career. There is so much room to grow, and if I want to try something else - like human resources or doing six sigma training or marketing instead of public relations, I can do that.
  
  
  Stay tuned to tomorrow's review of the 04 Civic EX versus the 08 Civic LX.
  

FWD:

I hate this house. It sits in an upscale neighborhood where houses sell for $350k or more. Who let them put those hideous awnings up?

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We're gonna sip this wine and pass the cup

Because we are currently out of blank CDs, my hubby has been unable to burn me a copy of the latest Kings of Leon album. This weekend has been my first opportunity to really listen to it. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for the Nov. 3 concert at the pageant to hear some of these songs live.

It's a beautiful day outside. Let's see if I can convince him to do something nature-y.

Everyone pray

To whoever you pray. Or whatever equivalent of praying that you do. Someone is coming to look at the house today.

Curious... Did Rod make this rule?

It's interesting to me that in MO, when you fill out an absentee ballot (which my parents JUST did 2 days ago because they are working the polls Nov. 4 as their main source of income now that the stock market has sucked away 40% of their retirement savings) you have to get it notarized. That means someone has to watch you sign your name, and officially say that is YOU voting.

In Illinois however, we don't have time for all that malarkey with absentee ballots. If you sign your name on the envelope, we believe you. No need to mess with some notary public person. Just sign your name and the date in BLACK INK, and you are good to go.

Maybe this is how our ever ethical buddy Rod got elected. Twice.

Best Picture.

More wedding

This pic was taken the day of the wedding by Megan C. I thought it was a pretty good shot of General's favorite cat to chase.


Cool group shot at Tower Grove Park


This is my cuz Charlie, who was an usher in Emily's wedding. I had a really great time after the wedding hanging out with Charlie, his sister Liz and her bf Adam in the hotel lobby after the reception. My other cousins were there too and it was pretty cool to hang out with all of them without our parents there. We don't usually do cousin-ly bonding at family events with alcohol, so it was entertaining to see them all drinking.

New Clothes!!

When my sister moved out of my parents’ house, she said anything left in her closet was now mine because she didn’t want it. I think she completely failed to look in the basement where a ton of her winter clothes are stored. Score for me!!

Calling all catholic saints

I am continually getting closer and closer to a mental breakdown because of this house situation. I am one of those people that reads the news everyday, and for the last week I've felt like the world is coming crashing down around us. Not only is the housing market sucking, but even if someone did want to buy our house, they probably couldn't get a loan anymore anyways!! I wish I could contact the people whose house we want to buy, and tell them to get someone to buy ours so we can buy theirs.

Our house is cute, in good condition, in a great school district and priced right (according to our agent anyways). We've dropped the price $6,500 already. That's a deal folks!! I even buried the little catholic dude in the backyard that my old-lady-neighbor said would sell the house within three weeks, guaranteed. It's been five. Saint what's-his-name is failing to do his job.

sissys

Free Cookie!!

I highly advise you to go to Kashi.com RIGHT NOW and get your free cookie. I sent one to my parents house about a week ago and it was delish, so I just sent another to my house in Cdale. (hubby: you better not eat it. Go order your own.)

I love everything I've ever tried from kashi, including their frozen dinners (but they are on the expensive side for a lunch. I've got to find them on sale...).

Weekend with our niece

This weekend we took Lynzi to Enfield, IL to their homecoming celebration, Mule Days. They have a fair with corndogs, rides and a parade. This is Lynzi and Uncle T.

Lynzi rode on my lap down the big slide. She did not care for it, so we stayed with the other rides for the rest of the time.

She really liked driving the cars on the carousel.

She's obviously having a great time with the other little girl riding the ferris wheel.

A rant about family

Family is an odd thing. I never really considered the fact that some families do not get along until I met my hubby. I knew people got divorced, but I just figured they didn't get along from the beginning and they weren't family to start with. When he told me that he no longer talks to his cousins because of family drama (that I will not detail here), I was astounded to say the least. Everyone in my family - on both sides - has always been fun to see at family gatherings, speaks to each other on the phone and is generally happy-go-lucky. Maybe we are the odd ones out? \

Now, as a married woman (for almost two years!!!) I'm realizing that Michael and I need to do what's best for us and our family, and not really worry about the outliers of our family unit. I'm tired of trying to please everyone and being pushed around. My parents are both pretty easy-going, and I think they get taken advantage of sometimes. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking it's okay to be put in a situation and not stand up for themselves, so I will not be setting that example.

and for the record, I'm extremely classy.

Nice Surprises

1. Kashi sent me a free cookie in the mail. All you have to do is go to their web site and fill out a form. Easy-peasy.

2. I turned on the heat this morning at Emily's house. The vent in the bathroom blows directly on the toilet paper. I highly recommend warming your TP before using the toilet. It's a nice suprise in the morning.

Absentee

I just filed for my absentee ballot. Now I have to decide who to vote for.