A Life Update!

I realize that I’ve been a bad blogger.  I’ve been busy, stressed, exhausted, and lacking motivation.  But, I’ve had some requests for an update on my life (so sweet of you all to care!). 

I started the new job on June 4^th, and honestly, this job rocks.  The people I work with are fantastic.  I am appreciated.  I am not bored.  I have a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, I have about a 45-50 minute commute every day.  But, that’s something I am used to by now. 

I worked part time at Kohl’s for a short while (we need the extra money for Philip’s flight school).  It was just awful.  I was working too many hours and it was boring and unrewarding.  Not to mention that the managers didn’t care about the employees.  AND, it was an hour commute from my house.  I will never again work retail. 

I am now working part time waiting tables at a restaurant about 10 minutes away from my house.  It’s pretty much going to be just weekends, but it’s still exhausting (especially since I work 8-11 hour shifts).  Labor Day was my last day off, and I’m not sure when my next day off will be (I’m scheduled for the following 2 weekends). 

But the restaurant is crazy busy and the time flies by.  And I have the opportunity to make a ton of money (mostly because of the crazy busy-ness). 

Philip is switching jobs next week.  He hated the job he’s been at, for lots of good reasons.  Hopefully the next one will be better.  It’s better hours and better pay once he passes his CDL test.  AND, he will no longer be putting thousands of miles on the CR-V.  He’ll just have a ~10 minute commute every day and won’t be driving the CR-V as a part of his job.  So, I get the CR-V back and we will be spending far less money on gas every week!

Philip got approved on Friday for a flight school financing program which covers half the cost of the school.  Unfortunately, that meant having to come up with the other half ($25,000) up front.  We had over half of that right away.  And we’re having to beg and borrow the other part.  Thank goodness we have amazing friends and family. 

So, Philip will be starting actually flying next month!  It’s very exciting.  It’s been a long process to get things hammered out, but I’m glad we waited.  Now we won’t have to worry about how to come up with the other half of the money a few months from now! 

I still have chickens and they are amazing and I love them.  The dogs are doing really well.  They, too, are amazing and I love them.  The chickens are beginning to lay eggs now and it’s really exciting.  We had a bunch of double yolk eggs and even one TRIPLE yolk egg!  My mom and I probably got WAY too excited over that.  Ha!

I started reading the Song of Ice and Fire series and I’m really enjoying it.  I’m over half-way through A Clash of Kings.  And, just in case you were wondering, Daenerys Targaryen is my favorite character. 

We saw Dark Knight Rises at the midnight showing.  It was good, but nowhere near as good as Dark Knight.  And, the more I think about it, the less I like it.  But, still worth seeing. 

I don’t remember if I said anything about this, but I also saw Cabin in the Woods and I loved it.  Philip wasn’t nearly as impressed, but he’s just silly.

The new Ice Age movie is fantastic.  Definitely see it.  The Campaign is hilarious.  Brave is decent.  The new Spiderman is mediocre.  The Watch is okay.  The Expendables is amazing (and my boyfriend still looks fantastic!). 

My birthday came and went.  I’m now in my late twenties (27 years young!). 

I read the 50 Shades books and wasn’t impressed at all. 

Philip and I went to Cleveland last month and I got to go to my first Yankees game.  It was a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, we lost.

I think that’s about it right now.  That’s my last 3.5 months in a nutshell.  I will try to update more often, but honestly, I’m pretty much tired all the time and lack the motivation to blog.  But, I will try.  Adios until next time!

Job update!

Remember that job interview that I had that went perfectly and I was really disappointed to not hear back from?  Well, after my last post, I emailed them to find out what went wrong.  I was dying to find out.  Well, I got a call back a few hours after I sent the email and as it turns out, they thought the interview was perfect as well.  Too perfect actually.  They knew I'd get bored in the position I interviewed for.  So, instead of just telling me that I was overqualified and to move on, they created a job just for me.  

Yes, people, I am that good.  I was so excited to hear that!  Anyway, I had to meet with one more person to confirm everything, but she was out of town until the 15th.  In the mean time, I had two interviews.  One offered me a job on the spot.  I told them I had to wait to see what my options were after all of my interviews and whatnot.  I had to give them an answer on Monday (the interview was on Friday).  Monday came and I didn't hear from the other interview (side note: TOTALLY rude not to call back people to let them know that they did not get the job!).  I called the other company to let them know that I had a job offer.  She suggested I take it in the mean time, just in case things didn't work out.

I felt bad doing that.  My mom understood my points.  My dad and my husband thought I should take the job.  So, I took the job.  I started on Tuesday the 8th.  And it's been slow.  It really should be a part time position, but they knew that I wanted full time, so that's what they offered me.  It has been nice to have the extra income, but it's also really boring.

And, when I went to the interview on the 15th, the other company offered me the job.  :)  Unfortunately, I don't start until June 4th.  It's disappointing, but I really cannot wait until I start!  They sent me the benefits package and whatnot and it looks fantastic.  I get 7 days of paid vacation to use for the remainder of 2012 and then 15 days for 2013.  And I get several paid holidays on top of that!  AND, my insurance and 401k begin on day one! 

I'm telling you, this job sounds fantastic.  And, I know I said that they're making this job for me, but that's only until another job becomes available.  They think I'd be perfect for another promotion within the company, but that job isn't quite ready yet.  Besides, this first job will help me get the basics of insurance so that I'll be more prepared for the promotion.  :) 

I just can't wait until June 4th! 

My babies have moved out...

Remember my chicks?  They turned one month old last Tuesday.  And, yesterday, they moved out.  

You see, for a short time, they lived in the spare bedroom upstairs.  My sister thought they were too stinky, so they moved outside in the woodshed in a wire crate.  That only lasted a few hours because my dad's cat killed one of them through the cage.  So, I brought them back inside.  This time, they came to live with Philip and I in the basement.  

At first I left them in the wire crate.  Then they got so big that they were permanently in the kiddie pool.  And yes, they did occasionally escape.  However, when I would find one out of the pool, it would come running into my hands as if to say, "Mom, please let me back in!" 

And yesterday, they finally made their way outside.  They are in a dog run with chicken wire over the top.  They love the fact that they can fly and run around and scratch in the grass.  However, it rained last night.  It took some time to get them to go into their house and out of the rain.  I finally caught one of our adult hens to put in with them so she could show them the ropes.  That worked well.  They followed her lead.  :)  

So, my babies may be off on their own, but this mother hen is still keeping a very close eye on them.  ;)

The Job Search Continues...

So, shortly after my last post, the negativity creeped in.  I had a SUPER awesome interview with a local insurance company.  They were already talking about which promotion would be perfect for me once I learned a little more about insurance and whatnot.  I'm telling you, the interview could not have been more perfect.  Then I had to take some spelling, grammar, and computer tests (which were super easy).  Before I left, she assured me she'd be calling me to set up another meeting for the following Monday or Tuesday (I interviewed on Thursday) to finalize everything.  

Well, Monday came and I hadn't heard anything so I emailed her.  I got an auto response that she was out of town.  So, I waited.  A week passed.  I called on Monday to see what's going on.  No response.  Today, I finally emailed her again to see why they decided against hiring me.  I just sat and cried yesterday.  I just keep going over it in my head and can't see what went wrong.  It was perfect.  I just want to know what made them change their mind.

Anyway, elsewhere on the job front, I was interviewed and hired on the spot last week on Thursday.  I lasted one day.  Unfortunately for the owner, when I am hired to do the books, I can see that the payroll checks are going to bounce.  That company was a disaster and I didn't want to be a part of it.  Plus, the guy flat out lied to me.  So, that didn't work out.

I have two interviews this week.  One tomorrow and one on Friday.  Both for car dealerships.  Hopefully one of them will work out.  Especially since our savings is dwindling.  And I'm getting depressed for feeling like a failure.  

And I'm disappointed in that other job that I didn't get.  I really thought that it would go through and I really thought that I would love it.  It made me think that I might actually find a job that I like again.  I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it all works out. 

My lovely little chickies...

Wanna see what's stealing my heart lately?  

These beauties were born on April 1st.  This photo was taken on April 5th.  We actually go them on April 4th.  Since then, they've grown like weeds.  They've got a bunch of their feathers in and they're a lot bigger.  

These photos were taken on April 16/17th.  The last one is little Jack in checking them out.  He's fascinated by them.  They spend their nights in a box with a light over them, but during the day, Philip and I try to get them out and let them run around in this kiddie pool of ours.  They love scratching in the hay and looking for food.  They're adorable.  :)

The two little black ones are mine.  The other ones are my sister's.  Mine are Black Australorps.  Hers are Reds and Isa Browns.  Hopefully they'll grow up to lay lots of eggs.  Mine are named Ida and Georgia.  :)

And this is what they look like as of tonight:

You can see a few more little ones.  They're new ones my sister bought.  I'm not sure what they are.  Cute though!  I'm so happy to have chickies again! 

Finally back!

I know I've been away from this blog forever.  However, it's been a very busy month.  We moved over 1,000 miles to my hometown of Plymouth, Indiana.  My dad and sister and a friend of ours came to Colorado to help us finish packing, cleaning, and painting and then we loaded up the truck and drove to our new home. 

It took us a little bit to get settled and then we began our job searches.  Philip got a paper route almost right away.  However, he hates it and will probably not be keeping it much longer (until he gets another job!).  I've turned in about a million resumes but it is paying off.  I had an interview within a few days and I have two more this week.  I have a job beginning at the end of the month as a server for a new restaurant in town.  I'm actually really excited about it.  

I'm hoping to do it in the evenings/weekends and still have another job for days.  The interview I have on Thursday is for an insurance agency.  It's really promising but only part-time (25 hours a week).  It has potential to be more though and I'm really looking forward to the interview.  The interview that I have on Tuesday is not nearly as promising, but you never know!  

I'm not freaking out about my lack of job quite yet.  I've been keeping busy (and reading A LOT) and our funds are still holding out -- especially with Philip able to contribute now!  I've had quite a few bites on resumes and things are still pretty positive.  I am just going to keep thinking good thoughts about this week and hopefully I'll have a job soon!  :)

As far as flight school for Philip goes, things are on temporary hold.  We visited the school and it was fantastic.  We purchased the starter kit and Philip has begun online training.  However, he can't begin actual flight instruction until we have jobs so that we can get financing.  Philip is really eager to get started, but he seems to be enjoying the online stuff so far!  

As I said, it's been a long month.  But, so far, I haven't had any doubts about our decision.  I'm sure it will be the right one for us.  Of course, it helps that my family has been amazing.  It's been so nice to be home.  Today we planted trees.  Last night, mom and I went to the movies (Cabin in the Woods -- SOOO good!).  Friday I went to a doctor's appointment with my mom and then we went to lunch.  I had forgotten how wonderful it is to be with my family.  

The dogs are adjusting really well.  I was a little worried since Jippy doesn't really like change, but once we got everything unpacked and have a kind of schedule, they've all settled in nicely.  I think we're all glad for our new home.  :)

Easy Vodka Cream Sauce

I have a recipe for Vodka Cream Sauce that has pleased everyone I've made it for (including some picky eaters).  It's truly delicious, and easy!

Ingredients:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1/2 cup vodka (I use the cheapest I can find)
• 2 cans of tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Coat a pan in olive oil and add onions.  Cook until the onions are transparent and beginning to brown on the edges (caramelized).  Then add the vodka (be very careful -- it will steam and pop).  Stir into the onions and cook until the vodka is mostly cooked off (you should be able to only smell a little alcohol -- use your hand to waft the smell or you might burn your nostrils!).  Then add the tomato sauce.  Cook until the sauce begins to bubble.  Then add the cream.  Stir and cook for a few minutes.  

You can chose what type of pasta to put it on.  I am partial to angel hair but penne seems to be popular.  I almost always eat it with chicken (you can cook it any way you like), but it's also tasty with steak (you could also use shrimp, but I think shrimp is disgusting).  

And there you have it.  Simple, tasty vodka cream sauce!

I know you're going to get sick of this, but...

I read this tonight, and I just had to share: http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7660415/thanks-memories-peyton-manning  If you have a few minutes, it really does express what a lot of Colts fans have thought. 

It says a lot of things that I have just been unable to put to words.  Peyton Manning did more than play football for Indianapolis; he was a part of the community.  

This is my favorite part:

I have no idea how much time and money you have to give to a hospital to have it renamed in your honor, but they did that for you in Indianapolis. Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent. Says a lot.

How many times can one man change an entire city? Well, without you there's probably no Lucas Oil Stadium. Without Lucas Oil Stadium, there's no Super Bowl this year in Indy. Without the Super Bowl, there's no brand-new, drop-dead gorgeous JW Marriott downtown. Forbes figures you improved the Colts' value by $233 million. Compared to that, $28 million to keep you doesn't seem like much, does it?

That says it all for me.  So, yes, thank you, Peyton Manning.

Will we recognize anyone?

The Colts announced today that they were cutting several other players, including Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Melvin Bullitt, and Gary Bracket.  It seems that Colts fans won't see any familiar faces on the field this year. 

It started with office staff.  Gone.  Then coaching staff.  Gone.  Then our hero, Peyton Manning.  Gone.  Then the rest of the team starts dropping like flies. 

I know that the Colts want to start fresh and young, but all these changes in the matter of 2 months is just depressing.  These people have played great football AND been active in the community.  They've been a team of players that fans could be proud of.  No sex scandals or poor sportsmanship.  They've been good role models for young Colts fans.  

So, the fact that they've been let go with a simple, "Hopefully the fans understand that to achieve the success again that we have had before, we have to make some tough decisions," is hard to swallow.  True Colts fans are not fair weather fans.  We stuck by our guys through 2011's downs and hoped for the best for this year. 

I know the Colts should want to win, but shouldn't we also show some gratitude and allegiance to the players who have helped be the awesome team we've been? 

I guess only time will tell what will happen with the Colts.  I continue to be a depressed and angry Colts fan.

The End of an Era...

(Source)

Today is an incredibly sad day for Colts fans everywhere.  Today, Jim Irsay released Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks in all football history.  He was our team (as evidenced by the fact that we went 2-14 this year without him).  I've been in denial for months about the fact that they'd most likely dump him.  And it's not pretty. 

I know it may seem ridiculous to some, but I cried.  Peyton Manning was an awesome player and a fantastic person.  He did so much for the team.  He brought us up from nothing and was absolutely devoted to us.  

For Irsay to say, "There will be no other Peyton Manning," but still to release him when Manning has made it clear that he was willing to work with the Colts to make it work really stings.  We know there will be no one better, but let's get rid of him anyway?  

I am a Colts fan, and I always will be.  However, I've never been more pissed off at the organization.  To just throw away the man who has made us who we are really does hurt.  I mean, our stadium is called "Peyton's Place" for goodness sake!

And through all of this, Manning has stayed classy:  "Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I have truly enjoyed being your quarterback."  And even: "I'll always be a Colt."  Damn straight you will be, Manning.  Even if the Colts organization wasn't good enough for you.  

And on top of all this, whoever we draft (most likely Andrew Luck), has to come into all this drama.  And the rest of our team is still in shambles (Manning is what held us together after all!).  He's got some enormous shoes to fill.  I will support him through all of this.  After all, he didn't choose for this to happen.  However, I highly doubt that he will ever be anywhere close to Peyton Manning.  I wish him the best of luck.  

In the meantime, it will kill me to see Manning wearing anything other than the horseshoe.  I wish he would just retire.  However, I know that it's not fair to him if he still does have good years left in him.  Despite my allegiance to the Colts, if Manning continues to play, I hope he continues to be a stellar athlete.  He deserves to show the Jim Irsay exactly what he let go of.  No matter what team he plays for (unless it were the Patriots, then just f*ck him!), I will continue to be a fan of Manning.  

However, I am REALLY not looking forward to this football season.  

Let ME Make Decisions About MY Body

I read this article earlier tonight and it thoroughly pissed me off.

Conservatives will bitch and complain about people on welfare having too many kids that the taxpayers will have to pay for, but then they'll also bitch about making taxpayers pay for birth control for women who can't afford it.  And then call us sluts for wanting support.

When I was 15 years old, I was prescribed birth control to regulate my period.  I was a virgin.  Was I slut for wanting to not have to have an unbearable period every other week?

Married women could still be impoverished and not able to afford birth control without health insurance.  Does that make them sluts?  Hell, I'm married and couldn't afford birth control without health insurance!

Why does wanting to have control over one's body make one a slut??

Even if someone does choose to have multiple sex partners, shouldn't they still have access to health care?

People ARE going to have sex.  It's the way we are.  Should we only allow wealthy people to have sex because they're the only ones who can afford birth control?

Should women with reproductive issues just have to suffer through simply because they cannot afford the hormones that will regulate their bodies?

It just fucking pisses me off to no end.

I have suffered with reproductive issues since puberty, and I have never been able afford birth control on my own.  All through college and even for several years after, I didn't have insurance and I couldn't afford birth control.  There were periods that I couldn't leave my bed or even vomited from the pain. It was absolutely miserable.

One little pill fixes that.  When I am on birth control, all of those problems go away.

I would happily have my tax dollars spent to help women like myself pay for birth control than on wars for no cause.

In fact, I would love for all conservative men who do not want tax money paying for birth control to endure just one week of living with my non-medicated uterus.  Or have to face the fact that they may end up becoming pregnant and have to give birth to a child who they could never afford to support.

Maybe then they'd be all right with sending a few of their tax dollars to support women in need.

I will NEVER support any politician who sees my desire to have some control over MY OWN BODY as me being a slut.  Even if I am truly a slut, they should mind their own damn business and help me prevent them from having to support my awful welfare babies.  See, it's win-win. 

Oh, and Rush can go fuck himself.

Dream House: Guest Bedroom

I haven't been able to find inspiration photos of what I'm looking for for the master bedroom, so let's just jump ahead to the guest bedroom!  

I want something light and creamy.  I don't want a lot of dark colors... possibly light colored walls, floors, and bedding, but some darker chests?  I'm not entirely sure yet.  I want it to be neutral but warm.  Like these:

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Like I said earlier, I'm not sure if I want everything to be light or if I want dark furniture.  This might possibly be a happy medium:

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That's a matching set from Ikea.  It's even prettier in person.  :)  Anyway, those are my ideas and inspiration for now. 

Easy Black Bean Soup

It's no secret to my family and friends that I love black bean soup.  I'm not a huge fan of the stuff you can buy in the store, but I have a recipe that I could eat for days and days (and sometimes do!).  This recipe was a huge life saver for me when I was a beginner vegetarian.  It's easy, delicious, and has a bunch of protein (especially good in those early days when I wasn't sure what to eat to get protein).  

Easy Black Bean Soup

32 ounce container of vegetable broth

5 cans of black beans 

1 can of corn

1/2 cup salsa (more if you want it)

Cumin to taste

Crushed red pepper to taste

Chili powder to taste

I usually use my food processor to mash up one can of the black beans.  Then I put everything together in the pot and bring it to a boil.  Then I let it simmer for a while to let the spices soak in.  And then I devour it -- usually with some tortilla chips and sour cream.  Super tasty!  And now I might need to stop by Keene Market and grab the ingredients I'm missing.  ;)

Dream Home: Dining Room

I've had difficulty finding my ideal dining room.  Apparently I'm different than the crowd.  There is one thing that I want for the dining room that has been easy to find though:  wainscoting.  It's a must on my list for the dining room.  It's awesome.  

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Aren't they so pretty!?  I love them.  As for the color above that wainscotting... no idea.  And the actual dining room furniture... I'm not so sure.  At first I wanted a light colored wall with dark furniture.  Then, this past weekend, we went to Ikea and I saw these awesome gray-brown (seriously, the color is called gray-brown) tables and I loved them. 

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So, maybe dark colored walls with light colored dining room furniture?  Eh, I don't know yet.  Good thing I have lots of time to figure it out.  And, hey, I might even let Philip help me decide.  ;)  

Work Update!

The person that we had in mind for my position has officially passed her drug test and background check.  It's a huge weight off my shoulders!  She will likely be starting next week.  And then I just have to train her how to do my job.  

::Sigh::

It's been incredibly crazy busy the past few weeks and my stress level is out of control (not sleeping, forgetting to eat, my face is broken out like a teenager, etc.), but I still love this job.  I really do hope I can find a job that I will like as much as this one when we move.  I'm not going to hold my breath though.

Only 5 weeks left of work.  And only about 5 1/2 weeks until my family gets here to move us out to Indiana.  I know it's going to fly by.  I guess that means I really need to get on that packing and cleaning stuff!

It's that time of year again...

Pink and red everything is plastered over every inch of department stores.  Jewelry commercials suddenly multiply like rats.  I get the question, "So what are you and Philip doing for Valentine's Day?" repeatedly.  

And the look of shock (or even disgust -- and sometimes jealousy from my male friends) when I explain that Philip and I don't actually celebrate is, at times, hilarious.  I see no reason to celebrate Valentine's Day.  

I love Philip every day, and I show him every day (and ditto for him to me).  Besides, I don't wear much jewelry, I'm not a big chocolate eater, and I'd rather go out to eat when every other couple on the face of the planet isn't crowded into a restaurant.  

Valentine's Day has no significance to me.  It's supposed to be about Christian martyrs... nothing romantic about it.  So, I don't really understand how it's a romance holiday.  And, Philip and I already celebrate our anniversaries (dating and wedding), so we don't really need a day that doesn't mean anything to either of us to celebrate our love.  We'll just continue to love each other (and show it) each and every day of our lives together.  :) 

Dream House: Mudroom

I know it's been a few weeks since I did a "dream home" post.  I've been swamped with getting things ready for the move (and just tired!).  But I have still been looking at some inspiration photos.  I know the order of these posts doesn't really make much sense... so why not just jump to the mudroom now?!  

The mudroom needs to be pretty, have a bench, and have lots of shelves and hooks and cabinets to keep things organized.  I don't really have any colors in mind... most that I've seen seem to be white, but I would think it would be hard to keep everything white in the mudroom.  

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I think like the last one the best.  Although, the one previous is a close second (I think it could use a pop of color on the bench though).  I also really like the one with the broom, but not much of the room is actually shown.  I want one with lots more space!

I bid you adieu...

No, not you, blog readers!  My job.  And our house.  And our Colorado friends.  Yes, I did it.  I put in my two month notice with work 2 weeks ago.  It actually went really well.  My boss was very understanding.  It's still not fun for me though.  I really do like this job.  I wish I didn't have to leave it.  

I put up an ad looking for potential replacements the very same day.  I received a TON of resumes in response.  Less than a tenth of them were actually any good.  Then we started narrowing down further.  I sent out emails to the candidates asking why they left/are leaving their previous/current job and what their pay requirements would be.  That knocked out a good chunk of the remaining candidates.  

Speaking of which, I've come to the conclusion that I am worth far more than what I'm paid!  That or these people are insane (seriously, a good chunk of them want double what I currently make!).  Either way, the economy in Colorado is apparently much better than I thought!  

We will most likely be starting interviews later this week.  Hopefully we will find the right person.  *fingers crossed*

And, as I said, we put in our notice with our landlord.  However, we had someone lined up for him before we even put in our notice.  Friends of ours are really interested in our place.  They met up with our landlord on Saturday and everything seems to be a go!  I'm so glad that it all went so well!  

It seems that everything is falling into place for our big move.  So, we will definitely be leaving that last week in March.  We've even got our two spare rooms (the spare bedroom/library and the Star Wars room) all packed up.  And our yard sale pile is growing by the day.  

I'm actually becoming less stressed the closer the end of March gets.  More things are getting crossed off of our list and things are still going well.  The only problem we've really run into is that we owe Uncle Sam a huge chunk of money (money that would have been used for our move or for holding us over until we find work).  But, we will get through all of that and it's all going to work out.  We will be just fine.  No fingers crossed about it.  It's just happening that way!  :)