In Which We Play A Game

So last night the sister, brother-in-law and I decided to play a round of Jenga. My awesome friend Angie gave the game to me not too long ago, and so we thought we'd break it in. Unbeknownst to us, what we thought was Josh trying to end the game early, ended up being a major game of skill, as you will see in the pictures below. In the end we actually went as far as we could go without knocking it over. If we pulled any one block after the last move, it would come tumbling down. So Josh took it upon himself to do the honors, thus by the rules of the game, making me the winner! Tee hee. I don't remember who actually made the last legit move, it may have been Josh himself. But needless to say it was a nice change of pace for a night, and we may have enjoyed some root beer floats along the way.

This was where Josh thought he'd
end the game quickly.

This is where we realized this could be interesting.

Not gonna lie, it was getting pretty impressive.

Second to last move

All that work for a pile of blocks in the end.

Cook in the House

I've been cooking a lot more lately, which is very unlike me. I think it's mainly because I'm bored with the same thing every day. In order to avoid the ramen for dinner, I took to Pinterest to save me. And with the easy recipes I found on there combined with friend recommendations and family recipes, this week's menu has been a lot more tasty.

Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to take pictures, but it also didn't help that I was too hungry to wait and take a picture before cramming the delicious food into my mouth.

Some of the items I made this week are:

Egg & Avocado Salad Sandwiches
Parmesan Green Beans (Thanks Jordan)
Homemade Mac & Cheese (Thanks Mom)

What have you found on Pinterest, or had passed down through your family and friends that you enjoy making? Don't be shy to comment, I want to hear what you've got!

My Southern Sanctuary

So I took my trip down south this week. I went to the wonderful city of St. George and man was it wonderful. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the air was clean and it was warm! Everything  a girl could ask for in the dead of winter. The only downside is that it was a two day trip. But while I was there, I got to spend my down time with my grandparents. They are amazing people, and I love being able to see them. I only wish it were more often. The work part of the trip was actually quite simple, and not entirely time consuming, so I was actually able to enjoy being there, and I appreciated that. Lord knows I needed the break from not only the cold weather, but the negative atmosphere in my office. The trip was relaxing and best of all paid for by my company. Can't ask for anything better. I just have to say I am grateful they let me go, it was much needed.

For the trip they let me take a company truck. It's one that we have sitting in the parking lot and is used for errands and bid runs. Well because the truck sits in the parking lot most of the time, the bed of the truck was full of snow. When I went to leave work the night before my trip, I took the truck home with me. As I was putting things away, I noticed a can laying in the snow in the bed of the truck. At first I thought "oh nice someone just threw their empty can in there", then I did a second look and noticed it wasn't just any can, it was a can of PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon beer) and chuckled. Then I did a third look and noticed there were two cans in the snow, and they weren't opened! I guess whoever drove the truck last, had a party and used the snow to keep the beers cold and forgot they were in there. Well needless to say they are now in my fridge at home. Score!

The second part of the snow in the bed of the truck story is that I thought for sure as I drove down that the snow would melt, but there was a lot of it! So I made it to St. George with a bed full of snow. And that's when it started to melt. I literally left streams and puddles everywhere I went. It was quite funny. The best part was that my grandma got a kick of having snow to throw around. She thoroughly enjoyed throwing snow balls on all the neighbor's yards. When it was time for me to leave, the snow hadn't melted completely, so both of my grandparents grabbed one last snowball as I drove away. My grandpa threw his at the truck as I was leaving, I'm not sure what my grandma did with hers, but I imagine it was either thrown at my grandpa or onto a neighbor's yard.

I'm glad I could bring a bit of the north down with me for them to enjoy. Too bad I couldn't bring it all, and I could bring the sun and warmth back with me. I think I may need to make another trip down there soon. It made me so happy.

Here are a few pics I took. I suck at remembering to document my fun, because I'm too busy enjoying it.

Free Beer!

Doesn't that just look warm?

I squint from the sun. I'm not used to it!

How's Your January Been?

So this first month of 2013 has been rough! The weather has been complete shit, and it has been taking a toll on my mood big time. I'm still not entirely sure why I still live in a place that gets cold and snows. I must be a glutton for punishment or something. And this January has been one of the coldest to boot. Seriously I feel like it's hell frozen over which I still deem hell. So I apologize to anyone if I have been super bitchy and rude lately. I just need some sun!

Speaking of the sun, I have an opportunity to head south for a couple days next week, and I'm strongly considering it. First I would get to see my grandparents which is always awesome, and second the trip would be all paid for by work. Too bad there's someone in my office who doesn't exactly think I'm competent enough to do it. Screw her, everyone else is just fine with it, because guess what? Not my first time. I know what I'm doing. I really hope the sun will be out down there, because I'm in need of some serious vitamin k.

Sorry for the foul language, I'm not in the mood to talk all lady-like at the moment. And I'm starting to think that I'm going to use this blog to share my thoughts in the rough form. So be prepared for my blunt mind!

I also think I will share some picture vomit. Enjoy! This is my January in a nutshell:

Cuddling with this adorable creature most every night. 

I hung me some shelves. And yes those are all my dvds, and I may
have a little more (100+) burned elsewhere...

The day of the ice rain. I admit I should not have
taken the pic whilst driving. 

My mattress has little men in sombreros sitting
under trees as it's pattern.

In which I find my drawing of Jesus awesome.

Giant icicles the size of people hanging off my
office building.

You can't tell, but I'm trying to watch The Mentalist.
Thanks CBS for your wonderful site.

2012 Reflections

So this year has been a serious roller coaster, and most of it has been high. The few lows that happened I'm actually glad they did. They made me realize the person I want to be, and what I want to strive for. And for that I'm grateful. As the year comes to a close, I thought I would highlight some of the accomplishments/happy moments I've experienced. It's better to dwell on the positive right?

In no particular order:

1. Finishing the entire Harry Potter series on book as I promised myself I would do. This was a huge accomplishment for me, and yes I'm way behind the times, but I'm proud. And also now a bigger fan than before.

2. Rekindling old friendships. Two amazing women came back into my life this year, and I'm so glad they did. This is a shout out to Jordan and Angie. I love you both!

3. Moving. For some this isn't as big of deal, but for me it was a fresh start. I left behind the old baggage with my previous place. And man was it baggage. With this new place I was able to open myself up for change and I see it everyday.

4. Game Nights. This is my attempt to become more social. I tend to be a homebody which I love. But I realize I need to get out and do things too, and this is one thing I'm loving. Probably because it involves wine and people I love.

5. Standing up for myself more and not worrying about what others think about what I've got to say. Everyone has their opinion and I've learned it's ok to express mine as long as it's healthy to myself.

6. Taking my love for writing one step further by collaborating on a blog with dear Jordan. It's been exciting and overwhelming and that's a good thing (shameless plug: www.foreveracouchpotato.wordpress.com)

I'm so glad for the experiences I've had this year whether they were positive or negative. I've learned from them, and that's a good thing!

Happy New Year to everyone, and let's make 2013 great! (We did survive the apocalypse after all).

I also thought I'd share some key picture moments from this year. Some or most I have probably shared somewhere on a social network I participate in, or even on this here blog. But this is about reflection, so enjoy!

In which I started collecting fortunes that made me look toward the future

In which I further solidified my geek status and got my own TARDIS

In which Lily tried to interrupt everything I do with her cuteness

In which one of my best friends Jennie came to town and
I took a picture of her with Apollo Ono at Subway
because that's what you do.

In which I voted and pissed off a bunch of people

In which I sunburned the hell out of myself and then hung out with
one of my best friends the amazing Angie

In which I even further solidified my geek status
and tried liquid art by drawing a Dalek.

In which Angie brought me back delicious beer from Oregon
for watching her adorable kitteh Sookie

In which I started cooking more and made some pretty damn
tasty soups

In which Melissa (my sister) and I were screwed by the wishbone

In which I bought adorable things and spent next to nothing for them.

In which I attended my first Black Friday as a shopper with
one of my best friends Jordan. Also in which we were photobombed
maybe on purpose.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

A Little Venting Here, A Little Appreciation There

So it's been an interesting couple of weeks, and I'm starting to wonder if standing up for myself really pays off. The reason I wonder is because over these past couple weeks, it's done the opposite. I'm afraid of what may happen at work, and I'm tired of having to worry. I'm not getting along with a couple of my co-workers and it's because I won't let them bully me. Is that so wrong? So why is it that I'm feeling like the outcast? That because I won't let someone rain on my parade, I get to feel like crap? I'm ready for the new year, to start fresh and purge myself of the negativity. I'm a good person with good qualities dammit! And people just keep trying to bring me down.

This negativity seems to be following me at home as well. I'm tired of the ungrateful. I'm finding I put myself out there a lot just to get hurt. Why is it that I'm so eager to help those I love, but they're not as eager to appreciate it? Instead I'm taken advantage of and then faulted for it when I speak up. Life is so frustrating right now.

Ok, my bitch session is done. On to happier things! Like Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday because you get to stuff yourself silly and not feel bad about it. DON"T feel bad about it people. It's one day of the year, so live it up! And then onto the greediest day of the year, Black Friday. I will be participating in the crazy greediness this year, and I'm actually a tad excited. I know what I want, and will be going for it in full force. Yay for sales!

I hope everyone enjoys their Turkey Day!

And even though I complained a bit above, I just need to say that I am very thankful for the family I have even though some frustrate the hell out of me, they are there for me when I need them. I'm also thankful for the job I have, even though at the moment it's coming with a lot of heartache. My job does put a roof over my head, which I am also very thankful for because the roof over my head also comes with a nice comfy bed for which I long to go lie in soon and sleep. I love sleep! AND saving the best for last, I'm so very thankful for my friendship with Jordan. She gets me, and I get her, and it's awesome.

Cheers!

Extra! Extra! Read All About it!

You may have noticed I've been absent a while. Maybe you haven't. The reason for my absence is that I've been doing a little side project with my dear friend Jordan, and our plan is to make it a full fledged website someday. To make this become a reality, we are asking you my readers, to go visit our new blog called Forever a Couch Potato. Where we recap TV shows, movies, books and video games in our own unique way. We are really excited about this new blog, and as it's in the infancy stages, we see this becoming something we can be very proud of, and already are. And as fall TV has started, our recaps will cover several bases, and hopefully hit on shows you watch or want to watch. So please take a moment to go visit, bookmark it and come back again and again. Tell your friends about it, and help us make this as big as we hope it will one day be.

I will continue to post on here once things have calmed down a bit. I promise.