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. :)