Santa must've put me on the "nice" list!

I had a fantastic Christmas. I was depressed for weeks beforehand about not being with my family on Christmas for the first time ever. It turns out that it wasn't so bad.

I got to spend several days with Philip (who is wonderful, always). We also had Skype video dates with both of our families so that we could see people open presents and just "be" with our families for the holiday. It worked out really well. I still missed my family and wish that I could be with them, but I was content in my situation. I really am very fortunate.

Also, Santa brought me a TON of awesome gifts. ;) There wasn't really anything in particular that I was asking for (besides the treadmill that Philip got me in November), so I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I was in for quite a treat! I got a bunch of books and movies (which are always great presents for me!) and I also got a breadmaker and a Kitchenaid mixer (I'm going be a baking Queen!). On top of all that, I also got 2 hockey pucks autographed by Matt Duchene (my favorite Avs player -- GO AVS!) and a new Avs jersey along with an Avs Mr. Potato-head (complete with mullet and toothless grin!). Philip and I also got a new camera from my parents. It is a spectacular camera; we both love it! It's a Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital

Camera. It takes great photos and I love, love, love the zoom capabilities. :) We also got some new Halloween decorations (only 308 days left!).

The dogs got each of us a new knit cap to keep our heads warm... they, of course, are cute Avalanche hats! Here we are in our new, beautiful hats:

Phew! That's a lot of Christmas gifts! We are definitely spoiled. I don't mind though. ;) I hope that Santa brought each of you everything that was on your wishlist... unless you were naughty. In that case, try to be a better person this year! XD Happy holidays to all!

Marriage

I am incredibly fortunate. I have a wonderful partner. He loves, understands, and supports me. He is caring and generous. He is smart and funny. He is my perfect partner. We have chosen to marry and, thankfully, our marriage is supported. My family loves Philip and his family loves me. We have been very lucky.

We are especially lucky that the government has chosen not to invade our privacy and interfere in our relationship. That's because we are a heterosexual, monogamous relationship. I could not imagine if I would have fallen in love with a woman or if I chose to have a polygamous marriage.

I believe that people should be able to marry whoever they choose. So long as the marriage is between consenting adults, I don't think the government should be able to intervene. I don't care if it is between a man and a woman, two men, two woman, or between 5 different people. If the people involved in that marriage consent to the marriage, the government should butt out.

I don't understand how the government can presume to tell people that homosexuals cannot marry... especially when marriage is becoming a farce as it is. Heterosexuals are doing a fine job of ruining marriage as it is, so I don't see what harm there would be in letting homosexuals marry. I mean, adultery and divorce are sins as well, but I don't see the government trying to make those things illegal either (or at least enforcing laws forbidding those sins).

Who decides which sin is worse? And who decides which ridiculous laws the government is going to try to push? It seems to me that if the government were really trying to act in "defense of marriage," they would outlaw divorce. Wouldn't that make more sense? Don't get me wrong. I am against marriage but I do understand that there are legitimate reasons for divorce (I just wish people didn't get married at the drop of a hat so that marriage would not end in divorce so often). However, I think that divorce does a lot more damage to the idea of marriage than homosexuality does.

There are so many loveless, sexless, hopeless marriages that the government does not try to control... so why should they interfere in a marriage just because 2 men or 2 women are marrying? Who is to say that 2 women or 2 men cannot be just as happy (or happier) than the typical heterosexual couple?

I cannot imagine someone telling me that I could not marry Philip. How would you feel if someone told you that you could not marry your soulmate? It is outrageous.

I know that a lot of people who support gay marriage do not support polygamy. I do. I am not saying that polygamy is going to work for every family. However, I think that people should be able to make their own decisions on how to form their families (within reason -- no family should be allowed to harm their spouse(s) or child(ren)). I think it could be perfectly reasonable for man to have more than one wife or for a woman to have more than one husband. Think of the financial gains for having more than one or two breadwinners in a family. Think of the added help with household chores. Think of the added support for the children in the family.

I know that most people think of the clans that do horrible things to women and children, but this does not have to be the way all polygamous families work. Those clans are disgusting. That's not what I mean when I talk about polygamy. I don't want to see forced marriages or abuse. I'm just saying that polygamy could work in a healthy way.

There is a huge adultery problem in the U.S. I do not condone it, and I would never cheat on my partner, but there is a part of me who understands why some people do seek sex outside of their marriage. People crave variety. If there were multiple partners in a family, that desire for variety could possibly be met (maybe).

Again, I don't think this would work for everyone (or even most people). I don't know very many people who I think could handle a polygamous lifestyle. It would require a certain kind of person to understand and not become jealous of the other wives/husbands in the family. However, I think that people who can be a part of a healthy, polygamous family should be able to do so.

Blech! Now that I've got that all out of my system, I feel much better. Please do comment on the post whether you agree or disagree with anything I've said here. I look forward to seeing opinions! :)

Trust and Secrets

I am not a person of many secrets. I mean, I keep to myself for the most part, but there aren't a lot of juicy details that people would really care about anyway. However, there are a few secrets that I have and hold dear. There are not many people that I would trust with those secrets.

There is one secret in particular that I told someone. I expected that person to keep my confidence and not tell anyone that secret. I thought that my trust was well placed considering that it was my own father that I told. I was wrong.

It came to my attention today that my dad told my secret to not just one person, but SEVERAL people. Not only that, but those people are known for not being able to keep secrets themselves. Why? I don't really know. My mom says it's because he just can't keep a secret. I don't see that as an adequate excuse.

I am fuming. First of all, just because someone told the secret. Second of all, because it was my dad. There are few people that I trust as it is. That's one less person.

Not only that, but now I can't have my mother as a confidant either because I know that she will tell my dad any secrets that I tell her. I understand that. I tell Philip everything. However, I also know that I can trust Philip to never tell a soul if I ask him not to.

I don't care if you don't think a secret is important or not. You should never give up a person's secrets. If someone tells me something in confidence, I will take it to my grave. I have held other people's secrets for years. I don't understand how people can break their friend's or family member's trust so easily.

I am angry. I am hurt. My muscles are all tense and my head is killing me because of it. I just don't understand.

My Views: Religion

Recently, I have been asked quite often what exactly I believe when it comes to religion. My views are simple but complex. And, what I mean by that is, I am still not solidly sure as to exactly what I believe. So, technically I guess you would define me as agnostic.

I believe in a higher being. I choose to call that higher being God. I used to be Christian. However, I could not believe in many tenants of the religion. The biggest thing being the resurrection. Even after I accepted that I was a heretic (at the very least), I still held out hope that I could be a Christian. There is a lot of pressure in our country for people to be Christian. Others are different and looked down upon. Besides that, I was comfortable with that title. It's what I had always been. It was scary to think about being something other than Christian.

Peer pressure and comfort weren't the only reasons I stayed. I love Jesus. I believe that Jesus existed; I know that he was a real person. And, I think that the teachings of Jesus were wonderful and amazing. He showed real love towards his fellow humans. He was compassionate and understanding and forgiving. He was a truly good person. I just couldn't believe that he was anything more than human.

So, I clung to that title of Christian. It was only just recently that I accepted that I am not really Christian. I accept that I am agnostic. On a good day, I consider myself a pluralist. I take the ideas that I like from all sorts of religions and use them to make sense of the higher being that I believe in. There are ideas that I believe in from Christianity to Buddhism to Islam to Hinduism to Judaism and many other religions.

I am (and always have been) fascinated by religion (probably why I ended up being a Religion & Philosophy major in college). Lately I have not spent as much time pondering religion. I think that it is out of business and fear. First, I've got a lot going on, so there isn't as much time for pondering. Second, I've become fearful that if I look closely, I may come too close to the line between atheism and agnosticism. I don't want to lose my belief in a higher being. But, as of late, I've been less and less able to come up with reasons why I still believe.

I guess I am just going on faith. So, for the time being, I believe in a higher being. I don't really know much beyond that. I try to be as good of a human being as I can be (despite the fact that I don't believe in heaven or hell -- I don't think that a good and loving God would send anyone to hell and I just can't fathom a heaven after life).

I am currently content to exist as agnostic. I am living my life without knowing... but, in reality, who can really KNOW.

My Views

I've thought about this and I'd like to do a series on my beliefs; everything from religion to abortion to parenting. Hopefully this will mean that for the next few weeks, I'll be blogging more regularly. But, no guarantees.

I want all of my readers to know that I mean no offense to anyone. I only mean to express my views on a range of topics. If you disagree, feel free to comment and give your point of view. Please try to be respectful (as I will try to be). If you comment and put forth an argument, I will make every attempt to respond to you. After all, I enjoy a good intellectual battle. ;)

Along the same lines, if you agree, please feel free to share as well. If you have questions or would like me to explain further, just comment and I'll try my best to clarify.

Now, let the opinions flow! :D

So we meet again... Treadmill.

I hate to run. However, I know it's good for me. It's the exercise that makes me feel the best. And, even though I hate every second of it while I'm doing it, it doesn't really take up that much time to get a good workout.

Earlier this year, I was doing a fantastic job of running. I pushed myself really hard. Well, I pushed too hard. I got shin splints. When I look back on it, I know I was crazy. I went from not running at all to running 5 days a week. I built up to about 3 miles a night very quickly. My legs just couldn't handle it. I had to take a break from running.

Then we had the packing, traveling, and moving. Once we got settled in Colorado, it was the middle of summer and REALLY hot and dry. Besides that, I hate running in public. Especially when I'm out of shape.

Well, Philip got me a treadmill as an early Christmas present. Tonight was my first night back. I had planned to just walk a mile or so as a starting point... really just ease into it this time. Well, that didn't happen. As soon as I got on the treadmill, I didn't want to take it easy. I wanted to see how bad of shape I was in.

So, I ran for 10 minutes straight. I probably could have done more, but I remembered that I was supposed to be taking in easy. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a piece of cake. At about the 7 minute mark, I started to get winded... but, I pushed through and I got my second wind and continued on to the 10 minute mark. And then I walked for a few minutes to cool down.

Now I'm not really sure where to go from here. I don't want to push myself too hard, but I also don't want to lose interest because I'm not working hard enough. It's difficult to figure out how hard to push. I think I'm going to take a break tomorrow and then run again on Thursday. So, twice this week. Then maybe Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday the week after. Then I'll figure out where to go from there.

Hopefully this time will have better results than last time... meaning, no shin splints! Wish me luck! :)

"Top Exit Strategies from an Abusive Relationship with Your Government "

That is the title of an article I just read regarding the state of our government. The author, Simon Black, gives an alternative to those of us who are outraged by the way our government is turning in the wrong direction. He says that we should just leave.

I know some people will get a chuckle out of that. I didn't. Not because I think that Black is crazy, but because I've already thought of this alternative. It's something that I have seriously been considering recently.

It breaks my heart to think of moving to a new country. However, I also know that I will not raise my children in a police state where they will have no rights. I want my children to have opportunity and liberty... like I have been fortunate enough to have up to recent years.

I am hoping that things will settle down. I'm hoping that the country will come to its senses. I am hoping that the TSA will be shut down and that people will realize that journalism is not terrorism. I am hoping for the best with every fiber of my being.

However, I also know that with so many sheeple in this country, it isn't likely. I don't want to be here if the shit really hits the fan. It terrifies me that people do not see that the government is gradually moving towards a police state. The government is slowly adjusting and the sheeple are not outraged as they should be. I am terrified that one day I will wake up and all of my rights will be gone.

So, I honestly have considered where I would go should I need to find a new home. I've mostly considered South American countries, like Chile. I will further my investigations into residency possibilities should I feel that the situation is worsening... I really hope that it does not come to that. However, should it, I will look on the positive. I've always wanted to really learn a new language. That would certainly give me the opportunity. ;)

Not Home for the Holidays

This will be the first year that I will be unable to spend Christmas with my family. It's depressing. I am staying in Colorado with Philip. He can't get any time off work for Christmas, and my family is over a thousand miles away from here. So, getting home for the holidays is not an option.

I really do want to spend Christmas with Philip. I love him and he is my world. However, I've been homesick recently and not being able to go home for Christmas is really getting to me. I haven't seen my parents and sister since July. I haven't seen the rest of my family since May.

Before we moved here, I was about 700 miles away from my family. I still managed to see them every month or two. To be fair, during that time, I was unemployed. However, when I was working, I still managed to see them every 2 to 4 months.

And even when I wasn't seeing my family as often, I was surrounded by friends and roommates. I've had difficulty finding friends in Keenesburg. All of our neighbors have families. And, I work in downtown Denver with 3 other people; my boss and 2 maintenance guys, one who does not speak English. I really like the guys I work with and my neighbors but they aren't really best friend material.

I love the holidays. I love baking, shopping, giving, receiving. I love the decorations and the love. I love the happiness that the holidays bring. I'm just having more trouble than normal getting into the holiday spirit this year. When I'm buying presents this year, I am having them shipped directly to my family. I won't get to see their faces when they open presents. I won't get to have dinner with all of them.

I am incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful man to spend my holidays and every day with. He is loving, supportive, smart, funny, and just perfect. I love him so much. I just wish I could have the best of both worlds and spend the holidays with BOTH my family and Philip. Hopefully next year we will be able to take some time off work to see our families for the holidays.

Future Nurses/Teachers

I have a TON of Facebook friends who are in nursing school or are future teachers. Because of this, I am frightened for my future and the future of our children.

It terrifies me that a majority of some of those nursing school people's posts are about failing a test or even a class. These are the people who may have my life in their hands at some point in the near future. Should they really be doing something that they are failing at or at best, barely passing? I know that there is a nursing shortage, but I really don't want my life to be in the hands of someone who just slid by in nursing school. I want my life in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing!

With the future teachers, it frightens me that they post about how much they hate classes or failed some psychology/sociology class or don't like their students when they are student teaching. That does not bode well for when they have a classroom of their own to run. Do we really want our children to be shaped by these people? We already have bad teachers; it's time to find the good ones! Our futures depend on it! However, since it is unlikely, it's just one more reason why I plan to homeschool my future children!

Again, I want to point out that it's not ALL of my nursing/teacher friends who are like this. There are a few that I am proud to say will make wonderful, hardworking nurses and teachers. I would gladly put my life in those nurses' hands or put my children's future in those teachers' hands. I just wish everyone would pick a career that suits them... instead of just picking the road that they think they should take (i.e. friends are doing it, lots of jobs available, can get financial aid). I'm glad that I at least have some friends who are going to make capable nurses and teachers... otherwise I might lose hope in all nurses and teachers!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 25-30

November 25: I am thankful that our friend Richard was able to travel to see us for Thanksgiving. He spent a week with us and it was great to have a visitor and great to see an old friend.

November 26: I am thankful for sales! Black Friday was successful. After much hassle, we were able to get a foosball table for free from Sears. We had to use a few hours of precious Black Friday time, but it was definitely worth it!

November 27: I am thankful for REAL Christmas trees. They get me in the holiday spirit so much. They make the whole house smell like pine. It is wonderful. :) (Even if we did have to spend a bunch of money on a tree that we didn't get to cut down ourselves or have shaken or baled-- damn misleading websites! Next year we will find a farm to cut our own down! For now, this tree is wonderful! A beautiful Frasier Fir).

November 28: I am thankful for love. I know that is generic, but it's true. I am thankful that there are still good people in the world. I am thankful that I am lucky enough to count a few of those good people as my family and friends. I am thankful to have love to get me through any hard times I face. I have been slightly depressed with the state of the world lately and the love of my family and friends has helped tremendously.

November 29: I am thankful for Amazon.com. Yeah, it sounds silly. However, they make everything much simpler for me. Philip and I are unable to travel to our families' homes this year. So, it makes things much easier that Amazon has free shipping. We can just ship gifts directly to our families' homes! So simple. :)

November 30: I am thankful for contests and hockey! I won 2 club level tickets to the Avs game. They lost in overtime, but we had a fantastic time. So, maybe I should just be thankful for good luck? ;)

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 13-24

So... I got a bit behind. I'm catching up now though!

November 13: I am thankful for good friends. I may have moved over a thousand miles away, but I know I still have good friends who will be there for me (most of them, at least).

November 14: I am thankful for new friends. I've had some difficulty making new friends since moving to Colorado. We live in a tiny town so, we have limited options for friendships; especially since all of our neighbors have families (less time and energy). However, I have been able to make a few new friends, and they are all cool people. :)

November 15: I am thankful for my freedom... even if the government is trying to take it away.

November 16: I am thankful that I do not have to fly this holiday season. I am so thankful that I do not have to be exposed to potentially harmful porno scanners or sexual assaults sanctioned by our government.

November 17: I am thankful that the entire nation is not completely composed of sheep. I am thankful that there are at least some people left in the United States who are not completely under the mind control of the government.

November 18: I am thankful for delicious food. I have been baking for weeks now (one of the reasons I have not been blogging much) and the food is fantastic. I am thankful that I have a kitchen in which to cook, money to buy the ingredients, and the deliciousness of the final results. :)

November 19: I am thankful for my family. Some of them are a bit crazy at times, but they are good people. They all might not be what people would call "classy" but they are always there for me. They have supported me through everything and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

November 20: I am thankful for good health. I managed to get food poisoning or something at the Avalanche game last Monday, but for the most part, I am a healthy individual. I haven't been truly sick (cold, flu, etc.) in years. It is definitely something to be thankful for.

November 21: I am thankful for good neighbors and an excellent neighborhood. We are just renting, but we love our house. The neighborhood is safe and most of the neighbors are friendly. I say most because we do have one neighbor who just is not very friendly.

November 22: I am thankful to have been able to travel to so many amazing places. The other day I was thinking about our honeymoon to Italy and how awesome it is going to be. Then I thought about how awesome Italy was last time. And about my trip to the Republic of Korea. Then I started going through pictures of all the places I've been... all over the U.S (including Alaska) and even a few places overseas. I am very fortunate. :)

November 23: I am thankful that I have not managed to screw up anything really big in my life. I managed to get a degree (even if I'm not really using my major). I managed to not get knocked up out of wedlock (or as a teen). I haven't been divorced. I have a stable job. I have healthy relationships. When I look at some of the people I knew in high school, I am very thankful that I have managed to avoid making those huge mistakes. I know that if I would have, I would have dealt with them and stayed positive, but I know my life is easier without having screwed up.

November 24: I am thankful that I am brave. Not brave in that I will fight a bear or something crazy like that. Brave in that I am willing to make big, scary changes; like moving to Colorado. Packing up everything I own and moving 1,700 miles away was terrifying (especially without job prospects), but I am SO glad that we did it. It has been amazing and I LOVE Colorado.

Porno Scan & Sexual Assault

I'm sure my Facebook friends are sick of my posts about the new "porno scan" and the sexual assault the TSA is now making people choose between when flying. So, I've decided to put together some of my favorite articles regarding the situation.

Don't touch my junk: The origin of a lot of the outrage.

National Opt-Out Day Called Against Invasive Body Scanners: “You should never have to explain to your children, ‘Remember that no stranger can touch or see your private area, unless it’s a government employee, then it’s OK.’”

TSA to investigate Oceanside man ejected from airport, may prosecute: A recap of John Tyner's experience with updates.

'Naked' airport scanners may be 'dangerous': One summary of how the porno scanners my be harmful to your health.

DHS Chief Says Abandoning Airport Scanners Would Be "Irresponsible": Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday vehemently defended her department's use of advanced imaging technologies and pat-downs at U.S. airports, saying to do otherwise would be 'irresponsible' and that passengers who don't like it can 'travel by some other means.'"

I'm sure that the airlines will thank her when people like myself take her advice and avoid flying altogether. Sounds like a great future for the already troubled airline industry.

TSA Full-Body Scanners: Protecting Passengers Or Padding Pockets?: The reality of why the government is really using these porno scanners. What a surprise... isn't it always about money with our government? "These scanners, for all their naked human goodness, cannot see through skin... a dedicated bad guy doesn’t really mind hiding a little PETN in his or his dog’s body cavity for a few hours, given that it’s going to be a one-way trip."

'The Americans Make Us Do This': Lessons in TSA Liberty from the ChiComs: International flyers take on the new "security" measures... Also, a recap of a poll. "More than 69,000 people have voted; 96% object to the new rules." I'd say that poll says a whole lot about the situation.

Shep Smith: ‘If You Touch My Junk, I’m Going To File A Lawsuit Against You’: Amazing video of Shep Smith regarding the measures.

TSA Pats Down 3-Year-Old: Yes. You read that right. Even your toddler can be violated by the TSA. No worries, though: "James Marchand, TSA Regional Security Director, wouldn’t comment on the video but... helpfully suggested that perhaps TSA screeners could make the experience more fun for kids by making a game out of it." Great plan. Let's make a game out of molesting a child. That won't make things confusing for them at all.

The 'Israelification' of airports: High security, little bother: A summary of how Israeli airports are safer but less irritating and invasive.


I'm just so frustrated by all of this. People are saying that the naked scans and molestation are necessary for security. I call Bull shit. The scans can only see the skin. Any person determined to blow up an airplane just has to put a bomb in his/her anus. No one would ever know.

Also, why is the security so intense to get a on a plane with a hundred or so people when I went to the Avs game last night with thousands of people and there was absolutely nothing? Open your eyes, people. It's about the money!

Besides, if a terrorist really wanted to cause trouble, he or she would blow up the entire airport before even entering security. THE NEW SECURITY MEASURES ARE POINTLESS! It's about the MONEY and the CONTROL.

This is a slippery slope, people. If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

Rent's Due!

I work for a property management firm in Denver. We lease commercial spaces. I've said many times that I really love my job. However, that doesn't mean that it doesn't have its trials. Some of those trials are with people not paying rent. I understand that times are tough, but these people did sign a lease! In order to deal with the past-due accounts, I tend to try to get a giggle or two out the wonderful excuses that people make.

The most recent excuse that I have received for not paying rent on time is: "My rent is late because I was out of the office because I had hip surgery yesterday." Okay... rent is due on the first of the month. Today is the fifteenth. I don't see how being out of the office on the fourteenth of the month is going to prevent you from remembering to pay your rent 2 weeks before the surgery date.

The most common excuse is always: "I was out of the office." Were you out of the office for the entire MONTH? You know that your rent is always due on the first. ALWAYS. If you know you are going to be out of the office, make an effort to pay your rent before you leave. Or make an online payment. Where are you that you can't get to a computer???

I love the "it must have gotten lost in the mail" excuses. Why? Because the post office stamps the date the check was mailed right on the envelope. So, I doubt that it is a coincidence that the day I call you to remind you that your rent is late is the date that the post office stamped on the envelope. I'm not an idiot.

The honest answer usually makes me feel bad. The "I didn't have the money" answer is kind of depressing, but at the same time, what am I supposed to do? If they don't pay their rent, I'm out of job. And then I can't pay MY rent. If you can't pay your rent, you need to surrender your keys and vacate your suite so that we can at least try to rent the suite out to someone else. Don't be a pain in the @ss. Why make your landlord feel bad for trying to get the money that YOU agreed to pay? I just have to laugh at the people who get angry when you evict them after they don't pay rent for 4 or 5 months. What did they think was going to happen??

Gah! Some of the people drive me crazy. But, at least they keep me on my toes!

I am not your psychiatrist.

Friends come to me when they are having hard times. It has happened as far back as I can remember. I'm a good listener. I enjoy helping people through hard times. Don't get me wrong; I hate hearing that my friends are down, but I love being able to help a friend make it to the other side.

However, I am not your psychiatrist. I am not here to just be your friend when you need something. I am tired of "friends" who only seek me out when they are down. I love that you trust me enough to be your "shoulder to cry on" and your "wall." That doesn't meant that I don't want to be a part of your life during the happy times as well. Also, where the hell are you when I'm down??

I was always told that friendship is a 2-way street. Apparently I got the one-way friends.

I do not trust easily. It's just the way I am. In fact, I'm rather a loner. I always have been. I have only a few people that I really trust. And, I'm usually pretty self-sufficient. That is not to say that I don't like people. I really do like people. I'm going to be friendly with just about everyone... I'm just not going to count all of those people as my friends.

Anyway, since I do not trust many, when I extend that trust and friendship to people, I expect to have it returned. I'm getting jipped. I'm tired of it. Those "friends" are the reason that I don't trust people to begin with. If I open up to you, don't leave me hanging. Especially when I have been there for you 100% of the time.

If I'm there for you at 4 AM when you are feeling desperate, remember to say hello to me at normal hours. If I spend hours talking you through a dilemma, remember to at least ask me how I'm doing. If I spend months helping to boost your self-esteem and mend your broken heart, don't abandon me when you're feeling better. If I encourage you in your dreams, remember to at least FIND OUT what mine are.

Again, I am not your psychiatrist. I am not here for you to use me as you wish until you no longer need a shoulder. I am a person worthy of more than your bad times. That is NOT friendship.

The next time you find yourself down in the dumps and are looking for consolation, I hope that you will realize that I was a good friend to you. I am not going to be there to pick up the pieces. I have gone off to find REAL friends. Good luck to you.


**Note: This is not for all of my friends... just a select few.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 8-12

November 8: I am thankful for stability. I have a job. Philip has a job. We have a house (we rent, but it's still a house). We have more than enough money to pay our bills and live comfortably. We can both count on our steady paychecks. With the way the economy is right now, I know that this is really incredible. I am very thankful that I am able to be a part of the middle class.


November 9: I am thankful for health insurance. This month is the first time since high school that I have had health insurance. I don't get sick often (or really at all since I became a vegetarian), but you never know when you are going to need health insurance. My company gives me $270.00 of credit to use each month towards health insurance. I got my health insurance through Philip because it was cheaper and better than my company's insurance. However, I used the $270 credit for dental, accident, hospital, and disability insurance through AFLAC and I got a $150,000.00 life insurance policy for myself ($300,000.00 if it's an accidental death). I went about $20 over my $270.00 credit, so that comes out of my paycheck. So, I'm getting a ton of insurance for very cheap! I went from no insurance to super insured! :) I am very fortunate!


November 10: I am thankful for nice, relatively normal in-laws. My in-laws all (seem to) like me and approve of my relationship with Philip. They are all very friendly and supportive. It's nice to be a part of a big family (when they are pleasant). It's nice to have another set of parents (or in my case, another 2 sets -- Philip's mom and stepdad as well as his dad and stepmom) who care about your wellbeing. It's also nice to have grandparents again. My grandparents are all deceased. I miss them terribly, but at least I have grandparents-in-law who are wonderful. :)


November 11: I am thankful for all of the veterans who have served in all branches of the military. I may not support every aspect of the war in Iraq, but I do support our troops. They have to be separated from those they love for months (or even years) to make sure that our nation continues to be safe and free (and to help other less fortunate countries). I'm not sure that I could make the sacrifices that our service men and women make. I am very thankful that there are people who are willing to make those sacrifices for me and those I love.


November 12: I am thankful for snow. I know it sounds crazy, but we just had our first TWO snowfalls this week (one of the big reasons I moved to Colorado). They were beautiful. I love the snow. It covers everything and makes the world glow. It gives the world a wonderful glitter... It covers up all that is ugly with a perfect white -- the color of purity. It makes even our sometimes-crappy world seem perfect. Also, it's fun to play in. :D

FINALLY!!! :D

I have been waiting for snow. One of the big reasons I moved to Colorado was for the snow. I miss the snow so much. Everyone out here told me that we would have snow by Halloween. Well, Halloween came and went. Still no snow. :(

I've been watching the 10 day forecast for weeks now. And, finally, there is something on there that brings me joy!

I am not sure why the picture ended up so blurry on here... Anywho, Thursday and Monday are supposed to have snow showers! I am so excited. I know that on a 10 day forecast, it's very likely that the forecast will change, but at least I now have some hope for that beautiful, fluffy, white stuff! SNOW!!! :D

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 5-7

November 5: I am thankful for my father. We have had some rough times in the past, but I know he will always be there for me. We don't talk as often as we probably should, but I know that he truly cares about me; just as I truly care about him. I know that he is proud of who I have become. I love him. :)


November 6: I am thankful for Colorado. :) I know, it's a whole state. I am just so thankful that Philip and I were able to move here. It is a fantastic place. I get to see the beautiful, snow-topped Rockies every day on my way to work. And, every day I think, "Wow. I am so lucky to see this." Colorado is filled with amazing people, amazing sights, and is just an amazing place to live. I love it here. :)


November 7: I am thankful for my sister. She and I have definitely had our "rough patches" but we are now at a great point in our relationship. I wish that I could see her more often (and finally meet this wonderful beau of hers), but at least I know that she and I will be able to pick up where we left off when we last saw/talked to each other. :) She is a wonderful person and is going to do great things. I am lucky to have her as my sister (and lucky that she forgives me for convincing her that she was adopted when we were little!). :D

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 1-4

So, I've been meaning to start this, but when I go to my blog, I blog about something else and then completely forget about it. Well, I remembered today, so here goes!

I want to participate in the 30 days of Thanksgiving. Obviously, I'm a few days behind. I'm just going to combine my posts for days one through four right here so that I can save time and space!

November 1: I am thankful for my wonderful fiancé. He truly is everything I had hoped for in a mate. He is caring and thoughtful. He loves our four wonderful pups (I came into the relationship with more than just emotional baggage). He took to them as if they had always been his. He's even gentle and understanding with our "special" pup, Jippy (he's not really the brightest dog, but he's definitely full of love and eager to please). He is content. It takes so little to please him. I simply have to be myself. That is a wonderful feeling. He's nerdy and cute. :) He's hardworking and supportive. He is perfect.

November 2: I am thankful for my four beautiful pups. I don't know what I would do without them. They bring joy to my life every day. They are hilarious and cute. They are also loving and attentive (if I cry, all four of them want to give me kisses until I can't help but laugh). They truly care about me. They know when I have a bad day and they are there to make it better. They are so easy to please. They just want attention. Hell, the best present for them is the empty toilet paper roll (seriously, they play with it until it's in shreds on the floor).

They are all different and unique, and I love them all for different reasons. Jack is my buddy. He wants to be everywhere that I am. He loves to cuddle, but he also loves to play. He's the most "human" of the four.

Cody is my protector (as well as the protector of the other three pups). He is the most attentive to my feelings. He will sit with me with his head on my lap and just stare up at me until my heart melts. He is incredibly eager to please. He wants nothing more than for me to be happy (well, and for me to be with him).

Jippy is my "special" child. He is not the smartest pup, but he really does try. He wants to please me, he just gets confused easily. It is absolutely adorable. He is so full of energy and life. He can run for hours, but he still wants my love and affection. He needs me (not every person can handle Jippy's needs; I know from experience -- which is why I am so happy that Philip loves and understands him!). He makes me laugh. :)

Daly is my little girl. She is the most needy of the four. She constantly wants attention. She will shove the other three out of the way to get to my hand. She is silly. She is really sweet though. She will always remind me that she loves me (she makes me feel special because she doesn't love just anyone; she's actually afraid of new people). And, when she's feeling playful, she is CUTE. She can get the other dogs to play so easily. She is my adorable little girl. :)

November 3: I am thankful for my wonderful mother. She is there for me through thick and thin. When I need to vent, she is there to listen to the very end (putting in appropriate sounds to show disgust, of course :)). She may be hundreds of miles away, but she's still there for me. She is always supportive and understanding. She is sensitive just like me so when either one of us is upset, we can cry together and support each other. She spoils my pups rotten and I know that she will be a fantastic grandmother when Philip and I have human children, too. :) And, she makes me laugh. She's one of my best friends in the whole world. I am incredibly lucky to have her as my mother. :)

November 4: I am thankful for my job. I know this post may not seem as meaningful as the first three, but it is important to me (and I wanted to break up the "I'm thankful for my family" posts so that it doesn't just get repetitive -- no worries, family! I will get to the rest of you as well!). I know that I am lucky. Not only do I have a job that more than pays for my bills; I have a job that I really enjoy. My boss is wonderful and funny. My coworkers are hardworking and friendly. My job is not really that difficult, but it is fulfilling. I am fortunate to be able to say (finally!) that I really do love my job. For once, I don't dread going into work every day. I do really look forward to my weekends, but it's because I can't wait to actually see Philip; not because I can't stand the work week! I know that this makes me one of the lucky few.

Voting

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past several months, you probably know that today was Election Day. I really think they should be honest and call it "Try to Pick the Lesser of Two Evils Day" but I guess that is probably too long of a name.

I've been weighing the choices for weeks now. I'm not affiliated with a party, so I do not just go in and vote straight party ticket. I'm independent... a moderate. :) I'm pro-life but pro-gay. I'm opposed to the death penalty and to big government. I'm all over the board. I'm me.

So, I have to really look at the candidates' positions. And then pretend that they actually feel the way they say they do... and that even if they did really feel that way, that they would let that affect their voting. Gah! I wish politicians weren't so slimy.

I am so sick of all of the political advertisements. I did a lot of fact checking and half of what they say about each other isn't even true. I just want real answers. I want to know what a candidate believes and what they are going to do in office. Is that really that much to ask?? Apparently so.

Today, I voted straight ticket Democrat. It hurt. I normally have some variance on my ballot. Not today. I really didn't want to vote for Bennett (Colorado Senate race), but Ken Buck scares me. He's a little too far out there on some things. I am pro-life. I would not get an abortion if I were raped or even if my life were at risk. It's just not what I believe in. However, I think that women should be able to decide on their own what to do in those situations (and only those situations... I believe that all other abortion should be illegal). Ken Buck pushes that issue a little too far (and could affect birth control... which would be TERRIBLE). So, I voted Bennett.

The other ones I don't feel as strongly about. I felt that the democratic candidates were slightly better, so I voted democrat. For the initiatives, I voted NO on all of them except for Amendment P (Bingo) and 102 (I think that all people should have to post bail/bond no matter what the crime). Pretty simple.

I voted when I got home from work. It was between 5 and 6. I live in a teeny-tiny town outside of Denver. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people in line at the town hall... Especially for mid-term elections. I'm sure that most of them were not voting as I did (rural, farm town), but it's nice to see people getting involved. :)

Trick-or-Treat Rules

It's no secret; Philip and I love Halloween. We dress up and we decorate our house to the extreme. This year was no different. Our house was really popular... I'm not sure if it was the crazy, scary stuff we had set up or if it was the handfuls of candy we were handing out. ;)

Anyway, I love trick-or-treaters. I love seeing the costumes. I love hearing the wee-little ones try to say "trick or treat!" I love making the kids happy.

Despite all the love that I feel for the day, there are a few things that really irritate me. Since we spent about $100 on candy (good candy, not the crap candy), and I am in control of said candy, you really don't want to irritate me (also, I'll make Philip sneak out of the bushes and scare the bejeebers out of you). So, here are my rules for trick-or-treating:

1. Wear a costume. I know a lot of people are sticklers for age. I don't really care how old you are. If you're wearing a costume, I don't care if you're 3 or 30, I'll give you candy. If you're not wearing a costume, get off my porch.
2. Use your manners. Don't take giant handfuls of candy unless you're told that you can (I told kids to take handfuls, but if the greeter doesn't say anything, assume you're only supposed to take 1). And say THANK YOU. It's not hard. For the really little ones, I don't really mind. I would probably be afraid to talk to a zombie bride, too, if I were only 3 or 4 years old (I was a zombie bride for halloween -- so much fun!). But, for the older kids, if you don't say thank you, I may just figure out where you live and tee-pee your house. Okay, so probably not... but I'll at least think negative thoughts about you. HA!
3. Don't walk across people's lawns. It's just rude. I had the sidewalk lit up for a reason. Use it. I don't care about my lawn that much, but come on parents! Teach your kids basic manners.
4. Parents, don't let your kids eat the candy before you inspect it! I know I didn't poison my candy, but do you really want to take that chance? Your kids can wait until they get home to eat some candy. Or you can check a few pieces while you're on the go. But, PLEASE, don't let your kid grab candy and automatically eat it. There are crazies out there!
5. Parents, if you dress up to take your kids trick-or-treating, I will give your kids extra candy. Yeah, I know. It's not really fair. But, I like it when other adults dress up along with me. :)

That's all I can think of right now. But, I did want to mention that my Zombie Bride costume was a huge hit. I even got hit on by one of the dads! The parents and kids loved the costume and the house. We were a huge hit! :)

For my costume, I used an old white prom dress and got some white tulle to make my own veil. Then, I did some zombie make-up and sprayed myself with fake blood. It was really easy and it actually looked great. However, I did have to do some major scrubbing to get the blood off my skin. It was definitely worth it, though!

Insomnia

I have been battling insomnia for weeks now. During the workweek, I barely get a few hours of sleep a night. I end up being tired during the day and then I'm wide awake as soon as it is time for bed. It's irritating. Then, on the weekends, I sleep for hours. It's fantastic. I mean, I sleep like 12 hours. It's because I can just fall asleep whenever and then I don't have to get up at any certain time (it helps that Philip works nights... so that's his normal schedule).

Well, to help fight this ridiculous battle, I have begun napping. I know it sounds counterproductive, but it seems to be working. I figure, if I'm not going to sleep at night anyway, why not nap so I can get at least a few hours of sleep?

So, when I get home from work, I eat dinner and then I watch a little tv and take a nap. The nap usually lasts an hour or two. A few times I actually slept 4 hours. It seems excessive, but at least I'm sleeping! Then, I get up and do my normal evening routine (wedding planning, cleaning the house, reading, etc.) until I feel ready for bed. I still get to bed around the same time as when I wasn't napping (sometime between 2-4 am), but at least I already have a few hours of sleep under my belt!

I still sleep quite a bit on the weekend, but I feel much better throughout the week. Ha! Take that insomnia! I may not have won the war, but at least I'm not going crazy from sleep deprivation! :)

Rainbows

Before I moved to Denver, I probably could have counted on one hand (definitely not more than 2) the amount of times that I actually saw a rainbow. It was definitely a rare occurrence.

Philip and I have lived in Colorado for not quite 4 months now. In that time, I've seen probably 20 rainbows. It just blows my mind. It is amazing! Even though I'm seeing the rainbows more frequently, I still am not tiring of them. Here are just a few photos I've managed to snag of the beautiful rainbows:

[10/25/10 -- Downtown Denver]

[10/22/10 -- On my way home from work]

[10/08/10 -- On my way to work]

[07/22/10 -- At our house]

I know a few of the pictures aren't great; they were taken with my cell phone. I just wanted to show that it is a little strange how often I see rainbows... and even double rainbows! :)

Engagement Photos

Okay, I know I'm supposed to be keeping my wedding stuff to the wedding blog, but I am really excited about this! We got our engagement photos done on Saturday and the photographer posted 12 photos from our engagement photo shoot on Facebook. I absolutely love them. :) Here is a sneak peek:

Again, our photographer only put 12 photos up on Facebook... these are just my favorites of the photos he put up. He told me that there should be about 40 to 50 photos on the disc that he sends us... which means you'll probably have to see more engagement photos on my blog in another week!

If you are in the Denver area and are looking for a photographer, I definitely recommend Lucas McDonough. He has reasonable prices and he does an amazing job. :) You can see more here or here.

90 Days!

My 90 days are officially up tomorrow (October 20th). I am so excited! I will get benefits (and possibly a review for a raise!). My health insurance will start on November 1st! The company covers up to $270 for health insurance. I am going on Philip's health insurance though, and using the $270 for dental insurance for both of us and also accident insurance through AFLAC. I am mostly just thrilled that I get benefits! :D

Also, I still really love my job. My boss is awesome. My coworkers are cool. The tenants can be a pain in the butt, but I find that I actually really like property management. :) I hope that I continue to enjoy it.

Actually, my boss is out of town tomorrow, so I get to show one of the suites in our building. It's pretty exciting! If they end up leasing the suite that I show them, I can get a part of the commission! Woot! :)

But, either way that goes, I'm just happy that I really and truly enjoy my job. It's been a fantastic change. Have I told you readers lately that I love Colorado? I still continue to be so happy that we made this move. It was an excellent decision! :D

Happy but sad...

My baby sister is moving in with her boyfriend this weekend. Okay, so she's not really a baby -- she's 22. But, she's always going to be 15 in my eyes. :(

I am really excited for her. She is so happy and excited. She is still in school, so she has continued to live with my parents even after she graduated from high school. So, every time I go home, she is there at my parents' house. It was actually really nice. I liked having my family all in one place.

It's not that she's moving very far; only a few miles. I just am having a hard time accepting that she is an adult. I can't believe that the time has gone by so quickly. It doesn't seem right that she should be moving out on her own.

I knew it would be coming soon... I even got her a "hope chest" for Christmas (a bunch of stuff she'd need when she moved out on her own; stuff like a blender, a toaster, a mixer, etc.). I just kept expecting "soon" to continue to be in the distant future. :S

I also wish that I could be there to help her move in and set up. It is a big step; and I'm her big sister. Isn't this one of those moments that I should be there with her for? I probably would say "screw it" and fly home this weekend if it weren't Philip's birthday on Friday.

This is one of the times where I really don't like living so far away from my family. I miss moments like these. On the other hand, I really love Denver. My family really does need to move closer to me. :P

Oh, well. I am going to surf Amazon.com for a house-warming present for her. Then, I guess I'll just be there in spirit.

Vote!

Please take 10 seconds to vote for Tyler Langdon for the 2010 Hollywood Discovery Award. Go here: http://movies.yahoo.com/hollywood-movie-awards and scroll to the bottom. If you want, you can clear your cookies/history and vote multiple times!

I know Tyler from high school. We both grew up in little Plymouth, Indiana. Tyler was the valedictorian of my senior class (2004). He then went on to graduate from Notre Dame. He is a really nice, hardworking, smart, and talented guy.

There is a video of Tyler on the voting site, but if you want to see some more, here are a few options:
Amazing Thailand
Wicked Attraction Commercial
1,000 Ways To Die

If you want to know more about Tyler, you can check out his website: http://www.tylerlangdon.com/index.html

Please help get him his big break! It will only take a few seconds and every vote counts! Thanks, everyone! :)

Tara's Rules for Beggars...

So, I was talking to my boss the other day and mentioned that I try not to keep much cash on me at all times because I will give it to beggars. He told me that it was a bad idea... he once saw a 20/20 episode about how beggars make some CRAZY amount of money per hour or whatnot.

I don't care what 20/20 has to say. I know that I would have to be in some serious, end of the world times in order for me to stand on a street corner and beg for money. I try to keep that in mind when I see people begging on the street.

However, I do have a few rules for beggars. When I do happen to have cash on me, I will not give it to just anyone... there are lots of beggars in Denver. I have to be choosey or I'll go broke!

So, without further ado, here are Tara's rules for beggars:

1. If you stand on the same street corner every day with the same sign, I will not give you money. You need to at least be creative. I feel like you're not even trying if I see you EVERY day in the same place.
   
2. If you are well dressed, I will not give you money. If you're wearing nice clothes, you've still got something to sell to make money. You don't NEED to be out on that street corner begging. You've still got something.
3. If your sign is bland and uncreative, I will not give you money. "Anything helps" may very well be true, but it doesn't tell me much about your situation. Honesty is also helpful. I saw a man with a sign that said, "Need money for beer." If I would have had cash, I would have given him some. I mean, come on. If I'm homeless, I sure as hell am going to want a beer to drown my sorrows in. Honesty is the best policy. If you've got 7 kids and a pregnant wife, put that on your sign. I'm more likely to feel bad for a family than a bachelor.
4. If you have a disability of some sort, you automatically go to the top of the pile. Yeah, I know. You can't really make yourself disabled... but, if I see that you're an amputee or you're in a wheelchair, I'm going to feel bad for you and want to help. It's the mother in me. I want to make things all better.
   
5. If you are a veteran, I am more likely to give to you. Yeah, I know. It can be faked... whatever. I'm just saying that if you appear to be a veteran (your sign tells me so!), I will be more likely to fork over the dough.
6. If you are arrogant or an asshole, I will not give you money. If you act like you DESERVE a handout/handup, I'm not giving you jack squat. If you appear embarrassed and uncomfortable, I am more likely to give you money. If you appear especially thankful, I will probably add a little bit to that. I hate when people act like I have an obligation to give them money... instead of the idea that they should be grateful for the help that I am giving them. I understand that everyone has bad times; everyone needs help sometimes. However, that does not mean that you get to be a jerk about it.
   

I think that's about it for now. So, if you're a beggar, follow these rules. And, I will give you some cash if I've got it. :) And, I wish all of you the best of luck so that none of you ever have to think of these rules. And, please remember how you would feel if your life took terrible turns and you ended up having to beg for money to buy food. Love your neighbor. :)

Wedding Website!

Okay, I haven't been posting a lot lately. This is mostly because most of what I have been doing is wedding planning. I'm sure that people would get tired of just hearing about my wedding plans... but, I still want to write about what I'm doing. So, I have started a wedding blog: http://taragettingmarried.blogspot.com/. Please check it out!

I plan to do a lot of DIY stuff for my wedding, so I will hopefully be able to give others some ideas.

Also, if you're curious, we also have a wedding website through theknot.com. It is: http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/Ketcham&Buch.

I love Sam. :)

No, I am not cheating on Philip. I still love him beyond belief. He is amazing and wonderful and spectacular and every other positive descriptive word. :)

Sam is my car. Sam is a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am. I have had her since high school. She was originally red, but now she's more of a dark orangish color.

Many people ask me why I continue to use Sam. They demand to know why I have not "upgraded." You see, some people choose to define Sam as a "clunker" or "Piece of Crap" car.

Not me. I love my car. She is awesome. She is paid for. She has no problems that interfere with her driving. Sure, she may have a few minor imperfections, but do those really matter? I mean, the point of having a car is to get one from point A to point B, right? Well, Sam does that perfectly. I get her regular oil changes and that's about it. She just continues to go. She will hit 200,000 miles very soon. :)

What are those imperfections, you ask? Well, here goes:

• She has some scuffs in the paint from when I was first learning to drive and backed into my uncles truck... not as bad as it sounds. It just scuffed up the paint job in a small spot on the back passenger side fender.
• She has some denting and defects around the front, driver's side fender. This is because she was hit by a school bus... while parked... at a school. A school bus driver hit and ran my poor, Sam (but I got Jack -- my oldest pup -- as a "feel better" present, so I believe it was fate).
• The gas gauge does not work. It never has. I just track the mileage every time I fill up. I know when I need gas.
• The light in the clock/radio does not work so I can't actually see what time it is or what station number is on. Eh, who really cares. I've got my cell phone to tell me what time it is... and, I already have my favorite stations programmed anyway. :)
• My back, passenger side window has come off the track. It won't roll up or down... but it does slide down. It's not a big deal. I never have anyone in the back anyway.

I think that's about it. There are some other minor imperfections regarding cosmetics, but nothing serious. So, what is wrong with my car? Is it really so bad that she has history? She's been through a lot with me. I feel a connection with my car. She is a GREAT car.

I will drive Sam until the day the wheels fall off. So, for those of you who think I should take on another expensive bill when, really, my car is just fine, mind your own business. I hope Sam lasts another 11 years. :)

It's too late for me now...

As the years have gone by, I have realized that I am becoming more and more of a "nerd." I was fine with that. I typically date the "nerdier" guys anyway. However, I still held onto the idea that I was only semi-nerdy... until a few weeks ago.

I was in Target with a friend of mine. This friend is sort of nerdy, but not really. We were in the men's clothing section and he pointed out a Star Wars T-shirt. I was checking it out because Philip is a HUGE Star Wars nerd. I was trying to figure out if he had a shirt like it yet.

At this point, my friend says, "That shirt looks pretty cool with the ship... what ship is that? The Millennium Falcon or something like that?" Without thinking, I blurt out, "No, of course not. That's an X-Wing... like what Luke flew in to Dagobah to meet Yoda."

I know that I immediately blushed. Not because my friend thought I was crazy or anything, but because I knew that I had reached the point of no return. It is official. I am a nerd.

Lucky for me, Philip thinks my nerdiness is sexy. ;)

Wedding Updates!

Hello to all. I have not been able to blog as much as I would like recently. As I have said before, wedding planning takes up a lot of time. I have no idea how some couples do this in such a short amount of time. I would be pulling my hair out!

I have hopefully found a venue. I am SUPER excited about it. I have not received the final okay on it yet (from the venue), but I am keeping my fingers crossed (you can too!). It is Chickies Rock Park in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is absolutely beautiful.
Am I right or am I right?? It's gorgeous. And, it's incredibly convenient. It's right in Lancaster (where many of Philip's family lives). There are hotels, bars, restaurants, etc., right in the area. I fell in love with it immediately. I think it will be perfect! :)

Also, for convenience sake, Philip and I will be getting legally married on September 24, 2010... a full year before our real wedding ceremony. In Colorado, it is incredibly easy and convenient to get married. It will mean that we will get some excellent tax breaks which will allow us to pay for the real wedding. :) And, that means I can be added to Philip's insurance sooner. We do not want to take away from our actual ceremony with friends and family, so we are not going to exchange rings and I will not be changing my name yet. We are just doing the legal part. But, we are doing it on the same day as our wedding so that there will never be any question as to the date of our anniversary. :)

I am really excited about doing this because it means we can have whoever we want do our actual ceremony in Pennsylvania (since the ceremony does not have to be legal)... so, we can have a friend or relative do the ceremony. I think it would be more meaningful that way. So, any friends interested in performing our wedding ceremony, please let us know! I already have some ideas for it. And, I'm really excited! :D

I think that's about all for now. We have decided some other details, but I don't want to give it all away... it'd be nice for there to be some surprises at our wedding! :)

Wedding Update

Soooo, there is a lot more to planning a wedding than I thought. I thought, buy a pretty dress and tell people to come, get some food, say "I do," and TADA! You're married. Not so much.

I mean, you do need to do all those things... but then you have a list of a million other things to do, too. Also, finding a venue is the BIGGEST pain in the ass ever. I thought I'd just find a place that Philip and I both like and then go with it. Nah. That would be too easy. The nice venues want your first born child as payment for use of their building for 5 hours. Okay, that might be exaggerating a big, but still, they want WAY too much. And, that's just for the reception.

Philip and I are working on a budget... we'd like to still have plenty of money to do our honeymoon... in ITALY! :D Yeah, I'm stoked. haha

Anyway, we are getting married in Pennsylvania on September 24, 2011. Anything other than that, not too many details. I'm going to be wearing a pretty dress. My good family and friends will be there. It will be a joyous occasion. It will be perfect. That's all I really need to know. :)

As far as wedding party:
Maid of Honor: Tonya Marie Ketcham (my sister)
Bride's Maid: Aileen Thomson (my wife... or college friend)
Best Man: Richard Yost (Philip's best friend)
Groom's Man: ???

The groom's man has been determined, but Philip has been unable to reach him to ask him so far, so it's still up in the air right now. And, yes, we are only having 2 people each. It's going to be a small wedding... probably only about 50 people. :)

Our colors are going to be navy and white. I'm having a DIY wedding/reception. It should be fun... or at the very least, interesting! :)

He liked it so much, he put a ring on it. ;)

That's right! I am officially engaged to my best friend. :)

I've received an abundance of congratulatory wishes. My mom is ECSTATIC. haha Then again, what does that make me? What is ecstatic times a thousand? :)

Right after the well wishes, I have also received many questions of "How did he do it?" Well, Saturday afternoon, we had a cookout in the backyard. It's only like the second time that Philip has been able to use his enormous, fancy, new grill. :) He made regular hamburgers and hot dogs for himself and veggie dogs for me. And, I made slaw and macaroni and cheese. We played with the dogs while waiting for the food to finish. And then we sat outside and had a wonderful meal.

Afterward, we cleaned up and I sprawled out on the couch. Philip took Cody for a walk to get the mail. When get got back, I was still sprawled out on the couch. He came over to the back of the couch. I asked him what came in the mail. He put the open box with the ring on it on the back of the couch and said, "This did." I opened my eyes and was shocked to see a ring. :) Then he asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes. :)

We will be getting married next fall. Probably in Pennsylvania where most of Philip's family is located. Since this all happened on Saturday, I have realized that I know nothing about planning a wedding. Yep. It's going to be a lot more work than I originally thought. But, it will be wonderful. :)

And, I'm super excited because my mom and sister will be coming to Colorado this fall/winter to help me pick out a dress! YAY! It's one of the things I am really looking forward to regarding the wedding. That and marrying the most wonderful man in the world. :D

Quarter of a Century

Well, last Tuesday (August 3rd), I turned 25... a quarter of a century. When said like that, it sounds pretty old. ;)

However, it doesn't really feel old. It doesn't really feel any different than 24. And 24 was pretty effing wonderful. I am incredibly happy. And, unlike most people, I am looking forward to the next few years. I am excited about getting older.

I can't wait to get married and start a family. And, Philip and I are on our way to getting to that point. :)

We've been discussing marriage recently. We will probably be getting married next fall. :) And, munchkins will come shortly after that... just as soon as we can actually afford them. haha We want three... preferably 2 boys first and then a girl, but we'll take three healthy children no matter what sex they are. :)

So, turning a quarter of a century isn't really a big deal to me... and I doubt that 30 will be either. I mean, how can 30 be that much different than 29? Age is just a number. :)

I don't tend to worry about numbers. Maybe I will when that number starts to approach three quarters of a century old... I guess we'll find out in about 50 years. :)

Job Update

Yep. I made a great choice. :)

I really like my job. It's keeping me very busy, but there's no drama. I finished training yesterday. Today was my first day on my own. It went really well. No real problems. It's nice to work for someone who is laid back and not so completely high strung.

There's always something for me to do, but it's not really very stressful. I know that I don't have all of it down pat, but I think I'm doing pretty well for being at it for one week. Mandy, my trainer (and the woman whose place I took), will be back in on the 10th of the month to show me how to do the reconciliation and then again on the 18th to show me how to do billing (we only had one week for training and it didn't fall during either of the REALLY important parts of the month... haha). I don't think either of those will be terrible either.

And, I will have benefits (health insurance and 401K) starting on October 20th! How exciting! :D I've never had a job with benefits before.

Philip and I don't get to see a lot of each other, but we're surviving. At least with both of our jobs, the days seem to go by quickly. :) This week FLEW by. It's almost Friday already! And that means that I'll get to see Philip tomorrow night! Woo hoo! :) I plan on enjoying every second of that time (and the rest of my weekend). I hope all of you out there in blogger-land do so, too. :)

To All of the Negative Nancies Out There:

Stop being a pain in the bum. Life is short. Live it. Love it. Don't complain about it incessantly.

Don't get me wrong. Everyone has their down days. It's normal. I get down in the dumps and negative once in a while, too. But, every once in a while is different from every day. And, of course it's normal to be negative through a traumatic event. However, people who are just negative people really irritate me.

I'm sure that your life is not as bad as what you seem to think it is. I mean, I am incredibly happy. I love my life so much. It's incredible. I am happier than I've ever been. Everything has fallen into place since moving to Colorado. However, I know that if I really tried to be negative, I could be a Negative Nancy, too. Let's give that a try, shall we?

What is wrong with my life?

1. I have had allergy problems for the time I've been in Colorado. It's kept me up many a night; coughing until I can barely talk because my throat is so raw.
2. I won't get paid until August 6th. I am broke and the bills will probably just have to wait because I just don't have the money.
3. I only see Philip on Saturdays because our work schedules are completely different. He goes in to work when I am coming home from work. So, I see him when he comes home at around 2-3am when I sleepily tell him that I love him. Then, I see him before I leave in the morning. He sleepily tells me he loves me before I go to work.
4. It's been incredibly hot. I hate the heat. I got sunburned this past weekend. I'll probably get skin cancer.
5. The house we are renting required a LOT of yard work. Philip and I spent hours weeding and cleaning up the yard. It was hard work; especially since it has been so hot.
6. The job that I got is in property management. I've never worked in the field, so it's probably going to be a lot of work to learn all the new things.
7. I have had to switch from a night schedule to a day schedule because of my new job. I hate to be on a day schedule; I am a night person.
8. My dogs are sad that I have had to go back to work. I didn't get to live with them for several months, and now I only see them in the evenings.
9. The zombie apocalypse is coming. We are all doomed. (Related: I have Macaroni & Cheese... yeah, I know... not the best weapon.)

Now, let us go through and see the positive.

1. Yep, I've got allergies. However, I was able to go to the doctor for $45.00. She gave me lots of samples and I have my allergies under control. She said this year was a bad year for most people, so hopefully, I will not have any problems once my body adjusts (that's what happened when I moved to NC... I had allergies, but then I got used to the cooties and didn't have any problems after my first year).
   
2. It is sad that I won't get paid until August 6th, but luckily, I have a wonderful boyfriend who will help me get through until then. And, my kitchen is stocked and most of my bills aren't due until after that point anyway. :)
3. This is the one that is hardest to be positive about. I really do miss Philip. Our schedules are awful. However, I still do get to see him on Saturdays. And, they are wonderful Saturdays. :) Also, it should be less than a month and then Philip will have Fridays off again. So, then we will be able to spend Friday evenings together, too. :) Also, I have a job! How is that not good news?!
   
4. This one makes me laugh. I was just being dramatic. I do hate the heat, but the heat in Colorado is not unbearable. It's a dry heat. It is a thousand times more bearable than North Carolina. I love it! :) However, I still can't wait for autumn and winter! I did get sunburned, but not badly. Philip got burnt worse. But, he's a tough cookie. I'm sure he'll be fine. Besides, it just means that I rub him down with lotion; where's the negative there? ;)
5. That was no lie. It was a lot of work. But, it was incredibly rewarding. I feel like we have accomplished something. And, it also makes it feel more like home since we've done a lot of work on it ourselves. :) Also, I'm just glad that it hasn't been humid so that we could be outside in the heat without feeling like dying.
   
6. The job is new to me. I know how to do probably 60% of the job. But, the 40% that I don't know how to do is just an adventure. I love a good challenge. I probably won't have to worry about being bored for a long time. That is a wonderful thing! And, it's a new experience; something else to add to my list of skills. :)
7. I really do not like having to be a normal "day-person." I love the night. But, I have found a good job with benefits (after 90 days), and it's something that I think I'm going to like. It is a job that will help me benefit our household. And, it's motivating me to get even more stuff done. :)
8. It does make me sad that they are sad. However, I am just thrilled that I get to spend every day with them. I missed them so much while they were gone. Now, I get to come home to them every day, and I get to sleep with them every night. It is a wonderful thing. :)
9. Ummm... yeah, I'm not really sure how to turn that into a positive. We are all screwed. lol Wait! I've got it. I can learn new skills! Zombie killing skills! haha... yeah, that's it! And, ummm... I will get to learn how to wield strange and interesting new weapons. :) It's a real test of character. hahahaha I love my life.
   

So, as one can see, anything could really be a positive if you choose to see that side of it. So, please, Negative Nancies, take the time to appreciate what you've got instead of complaining about how your life is just awful. I'm sure you've got plenty of goodness in your life. So, live it and love it. :)

WAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO :D

I had my first day of work with Dunn & Associates, Inc. today. It went really well. It was mostly spent cutting checks. I am used to that. I've used QuickBooks a lot.

I've had a bunch of people ask me what exactly I'll be doing. I am an executive assistant for a property management firm. I'll be doing accounts receivable, accounts payable, basic receptionist duties, other administrative tasks, and keeping up with work orders and such to keep the properties up to snuff for the tenants. :)

I haven't worked in property management before, so I do have a lot to learn, but I think that I am really going to like it. I think it will keep me very busy. And that is a VERY good thing. I hate to be bored. If I get bored at work, I start to dislike my job. I like to stay busy. And, I think this job will give me that. Plus, my boss seems very nice and it seems like a laid back office.

I am really excited about it. I am really feeling right at home here in Colorado. I love it. I can go outside, even when it's hot. There isn't the humidity like in North Carolina. The people here are really nice. We have a wonderful home. And, the dogs love it here, too. And, I've found a job that I think I'm going to like. Life is truly wonderful. :)