Sunday, August 31, 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

the wait is over

I GOT A JOB!!!

Just wanted to let you all know that, as of September 29th, I will no longer be unemployed as I will begin training with the University of Phoenix to be an Academic Counselor!

YIPPEEEE!!!!!!

I got the job thanks to my buddy, Lindsay (who used to work there), and her husband (who DOES work there) - the two of them, combined, got my resume to the right people. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!

I'm taking a pay cut which, I know, isn't the worst thing in the world and there ARE more important things than money. But I'm at the point where I need to find a "career" and I finally have the chance to get back to doing what I originally set out to do with my Bachelor's degree. I didn't originally want to be an Academic Counselor, per say, but it's definitely a stepping stone into the world of helping people and the University of Phoenix has great benefits (including FREE TUITION!!). Plus, there are locations all across the country...which is helpful in case the future holds another relocation. I think it will work out well, though. One definite plus, too, is that the training doesn't start until the 29th...which means we can go on the cruise in Hawaii first and I won't have to worry about taking any time off!

Just thought I'd let you all know the good news - somebody out there DOES like me!!!

Monday, August 25, 2008

doggyspace olympics

As if we don't waste enough time online, we've signed Lucy up on DoggySpace.com. Hilarious?.........Maybe. Silly?.......I think so. Just plain WEIRD?.........Absolutely! But we still did it. With that being said, Lucy has something she wants to say:



Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I've entered the Doggyspace Olympics. I've entered the competition for Best Barker and Best in Show. You should check me out and vote for me because I really really REALLY REALLY REALLY want to win!!
  • Click HERE to vote on the video called "Lucy the Beagle barking"...and...

  • Click HERE to vote on my video called "Lucy the Beagle doing tricks"

Thanks for all your help and support!!!!!!



Ok. You can all start calling the mental institution and committing us now.

Friday, August 22, 2008

ten questions for stephenie meyer

Joe was at dialysis one day...well, actually, he goes more than only once, obviously...but on one particular day he called me from dialysis and said to check out TIME Magazine online because Stephenie Meyer is taking questions on her books.

So I responded, "Yeah, sure. That's cool."

So I found the link online and typed in a question on how she came up with her characters, if they were inspired by real people, etc. etd. etd. And, honestly, I didn't think anything more about it because there were, literally, thousands of questions already posted there and thousands posted after mine (as I checked on subsequent days).

But Steph (Joe's sister) just forwarded me a link to the article where she picks some of the thousands of questions and only answers 10 of them. Guess who's question is answered first?

MINE!!

Weird, huh?

[Side Note: The article shows 2 pages worth of questions, meaning she actually answered 15 questions. But...even better...she answered ANOTHER one of my questions on the second page. So the first question and the second to last question were both mine. Too cool!]

Here's the link to the article:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1834663,00.html

And here's a link to the video where...............they say my name!!!
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1485842900/bctid1743153004

They totally reworded my question, but they got the jist of it, I guess. Anyway, I've already come to terms with the fact that I'm a twerd. So I guess there's no shame in posting about my geekiness. :o)

Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

you can tell a lot about a woman...

...by the amount of time it takes her to pick out her wedding dress.

Alanna and I went to a bridal shop last week to look at dresses and color options and stuff...and when we got there and started looking around, the (kind of rude) lady said that "in order to look at stuff and try stuff on, you need an appointment". Whatever. We signed up for an appointment.

Our appointment was set for today. On the way there, Alanna stressed the need for me to not take forever (as, apparently, I tend to take forever when trying on clothes in fitting rooms). So we got there a minute or two before our appointment, and I had picked a dress after 30 minutes (and that INCLUDES trying them on!).

I swear to you.

We were done at 11:30.

Then we picked out color options and Alanna tried some dresses on and we settled on a few bridesmaid dress options. It was so FUN!!!!!

Anyway, I even told Joe (on his lunch break) that I had gotten a dress and he didn't believe me. He said, "you mean the person who usually procrastinates everything actually picked a dress already?" I laughed....because it's TRUE!! I'm a procrastinator (it takes one to know one, Joe!!).

Now if you can tell a lot about a woman by the amount of time it takes her to pick out her wedding dress...then does that make me too hasty? I am a person who usually DREADS decision making. It could be because I'm partially phlegmatic in nature (it's been suggested by our Evenings for the Engaged mentors, that we read about our personalities so that we can all better understand each other and everyone else we know). But, anyway...maybe I was too hasty? I don't know. But one thing I DO know is that it's a pretty dress and I like it and that's all that matters.

Friday, August 15, 2008

it's been awhile...

Okay.

So maybe it's only been a week. But, still...I feel so removed from blogging that I've decided to write one even though nothing significantly exciting has been going on.

Here's an update on life in the Theresa lane:
  • Reading: I have started reading 3 different books - Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. I've decided that I need to take a step back and read one. Just one at a time. I'm finding it hard to concentrate, though, since I finished the Twilight Saga. Yep. I finished it. All of 'em. They were good. But now it's time to move on. I think I might stick with Harry Potter so that I can read the Half Blood Prince afterwards (since the movie is coming out this holiday season and I want to have read the book beforehand). Afterwards, I will probably resume reading Labyrinth...and follow that up with The Host by Stephenie Meyer (which Alanna just bought for me yesterday! THANKS, LONI!!)
  • Camping: I can't wait to go camping again! Joe and I will try to squeeze in at least one more trip before the transplant. It's just hard because we're leaving for a cruise around Hawaii next month and the transplant is a couple weeks after we get back. So this next trip might be our last of 2008. Now we just have to figure out where to go...
  • Cooking: Ever since Joe has needed to start a new diet because of his ESRD, it's been a struggle deciding what things are "good things" for him to eat. It's really not TOO difficult now that we've got the hang of it, but it's still a change. Basically we have to make sure whatever we prepare has LOTS of protein, little to no sodium, little to no phosphorus and little to no potassium. Sodium is easy to eliminate, but try cutting out phosphorus and potassium when the nutritional content for those are rarely on the labels! Anyway, I've been getting good use of my new cookbooks and will post a couple of our favorite recipes soon.
  • Current Events: John Edwards makes me so angry. There was a time when he was my favorite choice back when all the democrat contenders were still in the game. It's amazing to me how one (or, in his case, REPEATED) lack of judgment can change my entire opinion about a person. I feel terribly for his wife and am just really sad about the whole situation.
  • Dialysis: I hate dialysis. I'm not the one doing it 3 times a week, but I still hate it. That's all I'm saying about that.
  • Family: Joe, my family and I will be taking a cruise around Hawaii in exactly ONE MONTH! I can not wait for this. It's going to be interesting having to work our activities around dialysis, but honestly, I'm content just walking around and experiencing life in Hawaii. I'm sure no matter what we do will be wonderful and fun. I can't WAIT!!!
  • Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds Fur: While on our cruise, Lucy will be staying at a doggie day care and boarding place I found since all of our potential dog sitters are going with us on the cruise! So...I took her there yesterday for about 4 hours to see how she liked it. She seemed fine after Alanna and I picked her up, so that's good. I think the REAL test will be when I drop her off next Wednesday for another half day - if we get there and she's excited with tail wagging and all, then I'll know she likes it. I know that she's just a dog. And animal. And she probably loves and prefers being around the other dogs all day, but part of me is freaked out that she's not going to remember who we are...or that she's not going to want to come home with us. I mean, she'll be there for 10 nights/10 days! That's a loooooong time! I know I'm weird, but I really hope she likes it and that she is happy to see us when we get back.
  • Work: I have been out of work for 2 months now. I'm doing part-time design work on the side, so I do have a little money trickling in here and there, but nothing full time yet. I believe that I am at a crossroads. So far, the only people who have responded to my resumes and letters have been related to positions I have never done before. Interesting, huh? I had an interview yesterday for a position as an Academic Counselor (I'll tell you more about it if they offer me the gig) and have another interview set up for Sunday (weird, I know) for a position as a Publications Designer. I have my Bachelor's in Psychology and the area of psychology has always been an interest of mine. I've always been fascinated with everything about it, so that's what I went through my undergrad career studying for - to hopefully work in that field someday. But then life happened and I went through a few jobs completely unrelated to psychology; but they were jobs that I fully enjoyed as well. While working in one of those jobs, I was able to explore my creative side and being designing a whole bunch of different types of materials for print and web. I never knew I would like it so much! So now I have been presented with two interview opportunities: one pertaining to Psychology and Design. The Academic Counselor position, if I'm accepted, is one that I could use as a start to working in psychology and eventually going back to school to further my career in that field. The Publications Designer position, if I'm accepted, could be used as a stepping stone into the field of design (I'd have to eventually go back to school for that, too). These are two fields that I feel strongly about. So now comes the question of the day - which road should I take?
Until next time,
XOXO

Friday, August 8, 2008

camping pictorial











twilight, woods canyon lake, et al

Last weekend, two things happened:
  1. We endured the teenfest at the Breaking Dawn release party at a bookstore in Tempe, and
  2. We went camping with my parents and some family friends, the Rousch and Huffman families.
BREAKING DAWN
If you remember my Twilight Saga post from a week or so ago, you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, read it!

Anyway, Joe being the amazingly wonderful and thoughtful person he is, decided to go with me to Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe for the release party for this much-anticipated final novel in the series. I kind of had a hunch that we'd be the oldest people there, but I never really realized how MUCH older we would be. I mean, there were definitely some people older than us (chaperones, more than likely) and there were a small handful of folks older than us who were actually sporting homemade t-shirts and costumes. But all in all, we were some of the oldest people there.

We walked down to an ice cream shop for a little bit, then came back and found a corner to sit in away from the hoopla. When it came time to line up, Joe stayed with me for a few, but then decided to wait outside. Smart man! The whole store was like a can of sardines.

At midnight, after a very LOUD countdown by the customers, they began calling people by group to come pick up their copies. I had pre-ordered the book and with my receipt was a ticket that said group "G".

Group A was called and about 30 or so people filed by to pick up their books. Then group B was called and about 6 teen girls standing in front of me started to go get their books. I noticed one of them had been assigned to group Q. Now, I know they teach the alphabet to kids BEFORE they get into junior high, but I'm pretty sure that the letter Q is nowhere NEAR the letter B. So I decided, "heck, they're not even looking at group numbers anyway", got in line behind Q Girl, grabbed my copy of the book, and was out in 5 minutes.

Normally, I would have finished the book days ago, but I've been pacing myself. And while I only have about 100 pages left, I must say that Stephenie Meyer is really doing a great job at wrapping up the story. I'm very happy with my purchase!

CAMPING

Woods Canyon Lake was the place - we camped about a mile from the water. We drove up early on Saturday morning and got up there around 10am.

It was about a 2.5 hour drive (including one stop) to the north east of Phoenix. The drive out there was awesome. We had to drive through part of Mesa to get to Highway 87. The 87 is a stretch of road that (as far as I'm concerned) is one of the prettiest roads to drive on in Arizona. The highway drives through part of an Indian Reservation and, once you hit the reservation where the land is protected, it's just awesome. It still looks like a desert, but it's just pretty - rolling hills, huge rock formations, etc. It's something that doesn't look like it belongs amidst a huge sprawling metropolis.

Anyway, we got up to the campsite with little trouble. The only troubles were that (1) my car was very slow (especially on never-ending inclines) and (2) we almost didn't find the campsite.

Other than that, all was good. We went out to the lake for a short trip, took a hike to the rim, hung out around the campfire, relaxed, etc. I love camping SO MUCH!! The only part I didn't like was having to come back to the city.

(the picture upload on blogger isn't working right now, so we'll post some pics later on)

On the way back from our trip, something kicked up and cracked the radiator, apparently, causing all the antifreeze to leak out once we turned the car off. So I ended up having to take the care to the shop for a couple days to get a new radiator and parts. Yeah....this was definitely an expensive week. Fun...but expensive!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Is there a doctor in the house ?

Tuesday we took Lucy to the dog park, and while we were there we were kicking tennis balls for her to chase. I was wearing flip-flops, and went to really punt one. Bad idea. I misjudged my kick, and drove my foot directly into the ground, bending my foot back hard. I swear I heard a snap. After I had Theresa help me to a bench where I sat for a few minutes. I didn't think anything was broken because the pain lessened after a few minutes, and I could bend my toes. It hurt, but I could move them. On Wednesday I went to work, limping all day. When I got home my foot was swollen and had a dull throbbing pain. Today I woke up and I was limping less when walking, but it still hurts, and it's still swollen. Looks like I'll be going to the doctor next week. I'm pretty sure somethings broken. Oh well. C.E.R.N. is probably gonna blow everything up tomorrow anyway. If so, I love you all. Good Luck.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

the end of the world as we know it

I'm surprised I haven't heard about this before, but apparently there is an organization called CERN that is experimenting with physics in an underground facility at the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland.

From my understanding (bear with me because I'm not scientifically minded)...this Large Hadron Collider they have created is some sort of proton collider whose findings will shed light on particle creation and, in essence, help explain theories such as the Big Bang Theory. And one of the things I've read said that this collision of particles might produce some dangerous results including micro black holes, strangelets, vacuum bubbles and magnetic monopoles. Not sure what those are except for the black holes. Fantastic. We're all going to be wiped out and I learn about the end of the world the day before it's going to happen.

For those of us in America, according to this countdown, this collider will be tested on Friday 08/08/08 (freaky) at 12:00am (Mountain Time), 3:00am (Eastern Time).

They say that the likelihood of something catastrophic happening is very slim, but still.....why do people feel the need to experiment with physics? I mean, due to the fact that something bad COULD happen, they should just leave it alone and start testing theories in a safer manner.

Perhaps I'm being paranoid but, just in case, I want you to know that I love you all dearly and my life would never be the same without you. You will be in my heart for always.

But, if all goes well and there is no end of the universe tomorrow at midnight, I want to get this for myself....



A new Volvo C30. It's soooooooooooo pretty!
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