Personal Finance: rant?

So I read a few personal finance blogs here and there. It's always been a topic that has interested me for some reason. Probably because it fits in beautifully with my somewhat scary attachment to all things Excel related.

Anyhow, I was catching up on some blog postings this morning and came across a post titled something like "Cut corners today and retire early and rich" or something like that. The gist of the article was that if you choose to pack your own lunch a few days a week, and take less trips to the local coffee shop, over time, you'll save a billion dollars.

The concept is true enough. But it's the execution of it that really matters. Let's say that you do decide to brown bag it to work a few days a week. And let's say that over a week you have "saved" $20 doing so. And let's say that you cut back on the americanos and lattes for that week, "saving" $10. For the week you have spent about $30 less that you spent the previous week. So you're up $30. In a month you're up $120.

Now if you're anything like the typical consumer, at the end of the month you peek at your bank statement and think, "Wow! Extra money! Let's go see a movie, honey! Or how about a new pair of shoes?"

There a big difference between 1) saving money and 2) not spending money. If you avoid the coffees and the dining out, but you do nothing with the money you didn't spend except for keep it around and spend it later on something else, then you haven't gained much.

The key to the article isn't "cut corners and save money" it's "cut corners, save money, and put your saved money to work." Pick a mutual fund to invest in. Put it in an ING account. Just don't put it in your change jar.

I don't know why this struck me this morning...how are you? Anything you want to rant about?

My list

It's been awhile since I've posted. I think I was 1) waiting for something post-worthy to happen and 2) reeling from all of the post-worthy happenings. So here it is, in random list form. I'll write more about a few of these in more detail, but I hope this will suffice for now.

The count, over the last week:

• Total car breakdowns: 1
• Car loans applied for: 1
• Nifty friends who have helped with car situation: 10+
• Used car searches on the internet: 50+
• Fireworks observed from a moving car: 97
• Days off from work in a row: 4
• Days I slept in: 4
• Days I worked from home due to car situation: 1
• Cup cakes baked: 20
• Cup cakes consumed for breakfast: 5
• Times I hijacked a car without the owner knowing: 1
• Random people staying in our house over the past 10 days: 4
• Days until the wedding: 43
• Days until the future in-laws arrive: 16
• Boy band sing-alongs attended: 1
• Celebrity sightings: 2
• Press-related photo shoots: 1
• Tow trucks hired: 2
• Weddings attended: 1
• Invitations stuffed: 125
• Long lost friends found through MySpace: 1
• Random friends spotted about town: 3
• Random friends assisting with car loan: 1
• Pages read in children's fiction book: 75
• Good friends leaving work permanently: 3
• Burst into tears: 3
• Burst into wild laughter: 13

Caution: Patient shows mild aggression in her sleep

So last night I went to sleep a little later than normal. No biggie. I was out pretty quickly after my head hit the pillow. Typically, I do dream, but I don't always remember what the dreams are about. Last night was an exception.

Last night, I succinctly remember dreaming that I told someone off. And I don't mean in a wimpy "You're not my friend" kind of way. I really let loose. I had my finger shaking in their face, I had excellent delivery and a superb choice of vocabulary. I did not use any profanities, but I did get my point across that not only was I very disappointed in this persons behavior, I was hurt by it and by golly, they were either going to apologize for it or further face my wrath.

Said person just sat back and laughed while I resisted the urge to shake them by their shoulders.

Then I woke up. I realized that my heart was racing, and that I felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. I wondered if I had actually said any of my dream out loud as I was dreaming, as I have been known to talk in my sleep.

But I felt so good! Is that weird? It felt weird.

And no, I completely promise that this post is not about you. I am 100% certain that the person in my dreams does not read this blog, nor will they ever. And no, that's not why I was mad at them :)

How about you? Any weird dreams lately?

Helpful tips when shopping

Like how NOT to get the plague.

I occasionally peruse this personal finance blog for interesting financial tidbits, etc. Today's post gives users some tips for saving money at the grocery store.

10 things your supermarket won't tell you

Well, after perusing their list, one of their tips stood out to me:

"#4: Our stores might make you sick - Insects, rats, and other vermin are a problem for any place that handles a large quantity of food."

Say it with me, folk: ewwww!!

Until recently, I would not have believed that.

That is, until my friend Kim told me about her neighborhood grocery store. You see, Kim was in the dairy section of said store, grabbing some yogurt. She saw something out of the corner of her eye. And behold - a giant rat. GIANT!! It scampered around the yogurt section, then hopped right in and disappeared behind the merchandise.

She just stared at it. When recounting the story, she described the rat as "comfortable with its surroundings....like it was at home in the yogurt section." Yeah, it probably has a little two bedroom condo back there.

Sick.

When nature attacks

Ok, so I really wanted to title this post, "Snakes on a plane" in honor of the sure-to-be-classic movie that is coming out soon. But then there would have been all sorts of legal craziness, because the sheer volume that this site gets would indeed draw traffic away from the real site for the movie, and I just didn't want to mess with that.

Then I thought, what about "Snakes on a geometric plane" (because technically, that's what happened) but decided against it, namely so that Amar wouldn't have to deal with the embarrassment that comes along with marrying a total nerd like me.

So, what's the big deal, you ask?

I was attacked again last night. Nature has unleashed itself on me with all of its fury. And when nature decides that you're going down, there ain't nothin' you can do to fight back.

Please pray for me. Nature, my friends, takes no prisoners.

Last night, as Amar and I were about to commence invitation printing round deux, I was almost killed by a cursed, legless creature as it slithered around on the sidewalk (the aforementioned 'geometric plane') in front of Amar's office. We were entering the building when I paused to look back at a sign. When I turned around, I looked down to see a GIANT SNAKE between my feet, writhing back and forth. Apparently, snake etiquette says that you're supposed to freeze if and when this happens to you.

Whatever.

I screamed bloody murder and started hopping around trying 1) to get the heck outta dodge, 2) trying not to get bitten by this potentially venomous creature and 3) trying not to step on it.

After a few moments of screaming and flailing, I hauled it back to the parking lot, away from the sidewalk, only to see it slither off into the bushes.

CREEPY!!

What.is.going.on?

Oh, and this morning when I left for work, a brownish-green lizard was peeking at me from the window next to our front door.

I think he was a spy.

He just looked at me with his creepy little eyes, watching my every move. I have no doubt that after he saw me get into my car, he pulled out his little walkie-talkie and messaged out to his cronies, "She's on the move" at which point a whole army of creepy, crawly lifeforms moved into position for their next onslaught.

This is going to get ugly.

The best week ever

For bugs.

I think I picked up some nasty karma from that grasshopper I killed earlier this week. The next day, we were attacked by a killer fly during our staff meeting, and then yesterday, yet another incident.

The scene: I'm sitting in a meeting room with three other people. We are all seated at a large conference room talking about work stuff.

The incident: About halfway through the meeting, I see something fall from the ceiling onto the table, landing with a noticeable "smack."

Could it be a leaf?

Maybe.

What about a piece of a ceiling tile?

Possibly.

So I turned my head ever so slightly to see what it was. It was a big, hairy brown ROACH!! In less than half a second. I had screamed, shut my laptop, shut my bag, pulled them into my lap and stood on my chair. Serious cat-like reflexes here, my friends.

No one else in the room saw it until I was standing, screaming and flailing in the general direction of the roach. I was finally coherent enough to tell the others that there was a roach in our room, and it was on the offensive. It was taking no prisoners.

Finally, one of the guys in the room tracked it down and killed it. I plugged my ears so I couldn't hear the crunch.

What is the deal? Is my life going to end up like that one part in the Indiana Jones movie (Temple of Doom?) where they're trapped in a room full of bugs and they have to reach into a bug-laden crevice to turn the knob and set them free? Folks, I'd die. I'd just keel over right there and eventually, the bugs would eat my body, because there's no way in heck I'm surviving anything like that.

Another day, another list

Well, maybe not a list, per se, more like a summary of a collection of thoughts/instances/happenings/oddities. You get the idea. And since I like bulleted lists so much, allow me to treat you to...

• Today feels like I've been in one constant meeting from 7:30 AM until now. Ick. Productive? Not so much...
• About 2/3 of our staff meeting today was consumed by the team trying to catch and kill a fly. I told them that since I had been involved in the recent death of an ill-fated grasshopper, I couldn't participate. Their loss.
• I have worn a skirt every day for 5 out of the last 6 days. People are starting to talk.
• Amar and I are trying out a new Bible study tonight. We are very excited.
• Last night I watched what was potentially the scariest thing I've ever seen. Have you heard about Connie Chung's farewell to her weekend newscast? Oy vey! Malita posted about it. Check it out here. Pay careful attention to the grunt when she slides off the piano.
• The other day I really wanted to show Amar the old SNL skits of Celebrity Jeopardy. Well, after some significant Googling, we discovered that NBC had scrounged up all the web postings of said videos. Such a shame. They publish snippits of them on NBC, but they cut off right as "Final Jeopardy" starts. Seriously some of the funniest stuff I've seen in awhile, of course, with the exception of Connie Chung. Anyone know where I can find the full skits?

Well, that's all for now. Peace out, homies.

Things you should know

-OR-

Confessions of a lanky, red-headed, soon-to-be-changing-her-last-name, I/T professional:

• Re-heated naan bread is NOT the same as fresh naan bread
  Not even close
• Everything in life can be made into a spreadsheet, in my humble opinion
• This morning I saw a grasshopper in the house and my first instinct was to throw my shoe at it. I missed. So I grabbed a magazine and dropped it onto the floor, directly on top of said hopper. I then promptly left for work, afraid to look under the magazine.
• I get married in 60 days
• I am not going to Brazil anytime soon
• Last week I spent about 2 hours with old high school friends looking at the MySpace pages of people we used to go to school with. And it was fun!
• I had my 4 year anniversary at work last week. Yay?
• Bloglines will change your life. As in - you will be able to read so many stinkin' blogs with such ease that you will have no life left in you to live
• Everyone is having babies!! And they are ridiculously cute!!
• I took a cupcake from the breakroom today, and I didn't feel guilty about it. It's now taunting me from my desk...
• I'm going to a Boy Band Sing-along next week, and I couldn't BE more excited!!!
• I woke up this morning, well-rested mind you, at 1:30 AM, sweating like a dog. What's the deal with that?
• Occasionally I make boring lists of things that are going on in my life

An update, of sorts

Hey kids - I hope you're all having a smashing week so far. My sincere apologies for the lack of posting over the past week. I could give you the "it's been crazy around here" speech, but rather than lie, I'll just admit that I haven't had much to write about.

So, in the event of bloggers block, I will entertain you with my list of newly made-up words.*

• Wi-fi: not the traditional designation of various wireless internet activities, but rather, used as a verb. For example, "I love the coffee shop down the street. I can wi-fi from there."


• Bruncheon: just like a luncheon, but earlier in the day, and sometimes related to weddings.


• Calligraphize: as in, to write something in calligraphy. For example, "I'm hoping to find some friends to help calligraphize my wedding invitations before I send them out."


• Google: aww jeez, that's already been taken.(sigh)

*While these are not necessarily copywrited, I do ask that in the event of their use, you give credit where credit is due....and that would be to me. Voila!

So the general gist is that yes, wedding things are happening around these parts. Invites and showers. Ribbon and tulle. Tastings and fatigue-induced collapsing. (Ok, well, maybe some of those are happening, but not all. I am in no way associated with anything pertaining to tulle....not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Also, yeah. Not much else....hmmm...really...nothing much to report. Oh! Wait! I cleaned my room! And I'm now realizing that I've sunk to a new low. But - at least I'm not reporting about Brangelina. Good gosh people - is that really news?!?!

I will say that the other day, three friends of mine from high school got together and clicked our way through My Space looking for people we used to know. Scary! But also, very addictive. Yes, I think we must have spent about 2 hours doing that. Sad? Possibly. Entertaining? You bet.

Nothing much going on. Promise. You'll be the first to know.

Shock and awe

Amar and I went to the movies last night. It was a spur-of-the-moment type of decision. We pulled into the parking lot of the theater and hopped out to see if anything was starting that very minute...and it turned out that we were in for a treat.

We settled into a showing of the new Al Gore documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth".

It was funny - as I was parking the car, I noticed an "Al Gore 2008" bumper sticker on the car next to me. It made me chuckle a bit on my way into the movie. On my way out of the movie, however, I almost wanted to put one on my car.

Stop reading this now and go see this movie.

I don't consider myself a tree-hugger. I don't necessarily consider myself a Democrat (or a Republican). And when I think of Al Gore, I remember that he once claimed that he invented the internet awhile back.

All of that aside, I will say that during the movie, I gasped. My jaw dropped. I applauded. I laughed. I was appalled. I was surprised. And more than anything, I wanted to change things about the way that I lived my life.

A bit of an overreaction? Probably so.

Before we went to see the movie, Amar had been telling me about Al Gore's slide show, and how it was rumored to be quite a good presentation. What the movie does is kind of take you through that presentation, and take you through Al's journey to research it, compile it, and pitch it to the world.

Throughout the movie, Al (yes, he and I are on a first name basis now) presents you (or "smacks you in the face") with tons of graphs, charts, pictures, quotes and trendlines all related to global warming. But it doesn't get boring. It doesn't get dry or overly scientific. What shows through it all is that this man is supremely motivated about helping to literally save the planet.

[Here is where my family, if they are reading this, will likely disown me...we'll allow for a brief intermission for them to find their way to the exits.]

When Amar and I got out of the movie, we immediately went to the website, www.climatecrisis.net and started clicking away. We talked about how we wanted to work for Al Gore (seriously!), about how we wanted to change our lightbulbs to use less energy, about how we wanted to be a one-car family after we got married...and on, and on, and on.

This movie may not change your life. You may actually hate it. Fine by me - you do what you've got to do. As for me, Al Gore was in my dream last night. And scarier still, it wasn't a nightmare. I was on the road with him, helping him pitch his ideas to the world. Helping take care of the planet that God has so graciously given to us.

Go see the movie. And then come back and tell me what you thought of it.

Does size matter?

I subscribe to a handful of blogs ranging from technology tips, to thoughts on marketing. Blogs of people I know, blogs of folks I don't know. The occasional random photography or financial blog are also on the list. Today, as I was catching up from things that were posted over the weekend, I found this article linked from Church Marketing Sucks, yet another one of my subscriptions. The article is about the "Top 50 most influential churches" (in America).

I'm really not trying to rant here. I'll be totally honest and say that when I became a Christian several years ago (woah, more like over a decade ago!!), I experienced some numbers-driven practices at what was then my home church. Those events left some bitterness, and I'm now very wary of any numbers-driven activities. Not to say that all numbers-driven activities are inherently bad. But seeing things that I saw as a 16 year-old, it kind of taints them a bit.

Click the link on the article and read it. I'll give you a few minutes....


Waiting....


Hope you're reading....


Whew! Glad you made it. Now, back to the "discussion."

So, can someone tell me when "influential" started to mean "fast growing"? Or even "huge"? I don't recall that memo from Miriam Webster. In fact, MW, in all its finery, defines "influential" as: "exerting or possessing influence"

After reading this article, it seems that every other sentence was laden with numbers. From Sunday school attendance, to growth per year, to ages of pastors, and on and on...and the point? The point, it seems, is that to be influential, you must be gargantuan.

To me, that's like saying the world's biggest cookie is the best-tasting cookie, simply because it's the biggest.

But I disagree. I'm trying to be objective about this.

Do big churches accomplish great things and influence many lives? Sure they do. All the time and in many nations. There are people attending mega-churches that are making huge strides in spreading the Gospel.

But so do smaller churches.

Does having the opportunity to influence the masses mean that you actually influence the masses? Not necessarily.

Per the article:
"It is a high privilege to be able to share these few ministries as examples of faithful churches committed to making a Great Commission kind of difference in today's world."

If so, then why not highlight some of the smaller churches that are making a difference in today's world? Heck, why not highlight individuals that are choosing to do the same?

Take my friend Kaitlan, for example. She just got back from Kenya where she spent several months living in a slum outside of Nairobi. She worked with local believers there to tell people about Jesus. Did 10,000 people attend their gatherings every Sunday? Not quite. Did they influence people in Kenya? You bet.

Or my friends Heather and Alexia. They are each choosing to spend the next months/years of their lives in foreign countries teaching kids. And in that span of time, they are hoping to get the chance to tell about their faith in Christ. Influential? Yep.

Please don't get me wrong: I'm sure the article means well. It just makes me crazy when we start focusing on quantity rather than quality. Are these churches teaching quality doctrine? I have no idea. They might be, or they might not be. But who says that numbers are a great indication of that?

Just wanted to get the ball rolling. Smack me down in the comments if you'd like to. But please be nice :)

How is this even possible?

I heard about this while I was at the gym this morning. At first, I thought that it was a joke. But no, this was an actual ruling in a U.S. court of law.

This man attacks children. This man is now getting probation because "[the judge] said she believed the 5-foot-1 [criminal] would not survive in a state prison because he was too small."

Other favorite sound bites from this story include:

"[the judge] believed the man's short stature would cause him harm in prison."

Cause him harm?!?!? Gee, wouldn't that be tragic?

Additionally, "a spokesman for the National Organization of Short Statured Adults - a group that represents men 5-foot-7 and below and women 5-foot-2 and below - applauded the ruling."

Am I missing something here? There is actually an organization that represents "short people" and they are glad that the judge is letting a person like this out on probation BECAUSE HE IS TOO SHORT TO SURVIVE IN PRISON?

...

Reality check. We have height requirements foroller coastersrs - NOT JAILS!! At this point, it seems like if I were a "short statured adult" (which I'm not), I'd be going on a crime spree right about now. I mean, heck, what is there to lose? The precedent has been set, my friend. Go, therefore, and crime away!

Short statured adults - please don't get me wrong. You are great, at least those of you who don't go out and commit crimes. And you tall people, y'all are great too! Way to go tall and short adults! I'm all for you! And no - I am not advocating that we beat up short people in prison. I'm just saying that at what point do we draw the line, folks?

I'm 5'10" which is several inches above the national average for women. Do I get out of tickets because I'm tall? Not so much.

I'm trapped

I had a party going on Tuesday night.
I had a conference going on Wednesday night.

THUS

I have not yet watched the American Idol final performance show, the American Idol final results show OR the Lost season finale.

I opted to listen to CDs on the way to the office today to avoid any potential radio mention of the winners or the plot twists. In my first meetings, I rapidly "shusshed" anyone who even mentioned either show.

And now I am avoiding certain areas of the web that I would normally turn to during lulls in the cubicle because they might divulge something.

But how long can this last? How long can I live in my little bubble before someone comes along and pops it? Or before I accidentally pop it myself?

(Wow...it's starting to sound like my life is a giant pimple...ick)

So please, I beg you, kind people of the internet and real life, don't spoil this for me.

Noell - I blame you for my Idol addiction. That being said, please leave it on the DVR until I can watch it :)

As always, y'all are great. That being said, I don't necessarily trust
some of you, so I won't be checking comments on this site until I've "caught up" on my shows. I'm sure you'll understand...

Why they have a store on every corner

There is a Walgreens just across the street from my office. Yesterday I had to develop some pictures, so I took a few minutes to walk over there and do just that.

I left the store with a photo claim ticket, eye makeup remover, hair bands and a bag of Lifesaver wint-o-green mints.

What the heck?

All I needed to do was drop off pictures to be developed. But instead, I wound up coming back to the office with a bag full of impulse purchases. And it's not just me. I was telling this to a co-worker of mine, and she recounted a similar story. She went into the store for flip flops and wound up leaving with a water gun.

My theory...(probably needs a little polishing): they engineer the store for impulse buying:

• Most everything in the store is about $10 or less
• People generally go to the store for random stuff anyway
• Since shoppers don't have a shopping list at Walgreens, they are less likely to stick to buying only what they originally intended to buy

Check out this list about "Why we buy" and see just how nicely Walgreens breaks about every tenet: Shopping lessons

Better luck next time...

Confessions

When you eat Nerds, do you pour out a small handful and then pick out the bigger ones and eat those first?






Um, yeah. . . . I don't either.

A rant about us

< rant >

I jumped on the bandwagon recently.

I just finished "The Da Vinci Code" about two weeks ago. And you know what? I liked it.

I also recently read CNN. And then I listened to some AM radio news snippets, and saw some newspaper articles. And frankly, I just don't get it.

I do not understand why all of this is such a big deal!!

Do I believe that some of the things in Dan Brown's book are false? Yep, sure do. Have I heard them talked about before? Yep, sure have. Have other false things been said about Christ in the last 2000 years? Yep, indeed they have.

So why are people freaking out about this? What's up with the boycotts and the riots? The combative interviews and the oddly-worded press statements?

I get that things about Jesus are being said that aren't true. I understand that we, the church, could provide proof of this both using scripture and other historical references. So why the heck are we running scared?

Seems to me that we should welcome the opportunity to talk about faith. We should welcome the opportunity to talk about Truth. People - it's OK.

I guess I'm just frustrated by the fact that it seems that some folks seem to be more scared of a work of fiction than they ought to be. Put down the picket sign and sit down and have a conversation with someone.

< /rant >

Sorry - just had to get that off my chest. And I'll probably go see the movie soon. Ooooh, scary.

Muwhahahahaha....

Corporate motivation at its finest

My company has "All Hands" meetings every so often. Today, all 200+ of us in my department gathered together for 90 minutes to see what our VP had to say. Our VP has a way of putting things, well, uh, plainly. No sugar-coating. No dancing around issues. He just comes out and says what's on his mind.

After reviewing some things with us, he moved on to the next topic by saying:

"Now here is where we truly, truly suck."

And a little part of me giggled inside.

Forgive me?

Dear internet,
I've been neglecting you. I thought maybe just posting a few words here and there might make up for it. But I know that's not good enough. You deserve more from me. You deserve more than just surfing a few sites here and there, more than just reading occasional blogs, and more than just buying stuff that I don't need.

You deserve quality, well-written posts from me. Honest, sometimes funny or even entertaining stories or thoughts. Genuine sarcasm and wit.

But I've given you none of it.

Can you ever forgive me?

I can offer no good excuses. Things like, "I'm working 40+ hours a week" or "I'm trying to plan a wedding" or even "Sometimes it's good to get more than 6 hours of sleep a night" ...none of those fully explain the extent of my neglect for you.

Humbly accept my apologies.

Sincerely,
kimmie

P.S. I read one whole book in one whole week last week. Could I be any cooler?

P.P.S. I'm reading another book this week! Woah!

P.P.P.S. Seems like I might be actually making progress on this. Wow.

Just like I was saying...

I really did think this same thing just the other day. It's a shame. Not that I'm super-huge into baseball, but you have to recognize talent. And I'm sorry, but I just can't seem to put the Babe and Barry Bonds on a level playing field.

Work and play

My team at work had an "offsite" yesterday. We typically have these every few months, and they range from being really painful to being really fun. I've helped plan a few, and let me tell you, the ones I plan are of the "really fun" variety.

Or, at least, that's what I've been told.

Hmm, I'll look into that.

Anyhow, yesterday we went to lunch and then went bowling. Now, you see, I took bowling in college. As a class. For credit. Am I an even bigger dork than you imagined me being? You betcha.

But, it was fun, and I didn't have to change clothes in the middle of a day full of classes back then, so it worked for me. And I got an "A" so there!

My co-workers found out that I had been trained in the art of bowling, and thus, the teasing commenced early yesterday morning. I kept telling them that I wasn't very good. That I hadn't bowled in ages. That I had no idea how to bowl. But they didn't buy it. They kept calling me a "ringer" and telling me that I was going to kick their collective butts.

Well, I did.

At least a little bit :)

I bowled my all-time highest game ever! You should know that I'm fiercely competitive, even about stuff that doesn't even matter. Stuff that's supposed to be light-hearted and fun? Yeah, I'd better win. Stuff that I've never even attempted to do before in my life, but the winner gets a cool ribbon? Sure, I expect myself to finish among the top few. So when the teasing started around the office, my secret desire to show off my skillzz started to heighten. But I played it cool. A strike, here, a spare there. And tada! I finished well above my average on both games.

Though my team didn't win (we averaged everyone's scores), I was still pleased with our performance. Sure, it did sting a little to not be awarded the top prize. And yes, I know it's all about being a team player. Though I was heckled, no insults came out of my mouth. Though I was mistreated, I showed kindness to the folks on the other team :) I was a good girl.

So here's to bowling. I guess my time and tuition in college finally paid off.

This internet thing is exhausting!

We all know that there is a wealth of information on-line ranging from aardvarks to zoology. There are "how to" articles on bar-be-que and vacuums. You can google pretty much anything and get a minimum of a million hits.

But, when a consumer, let's just say it's me for now, is trying to research a product for a potential purchase, where does she start? Let's say I'm trying to buy a washer and dryer. I do a little search on-line.

BAM!

13,800 results.

Thank you, Google.

I'm the kind of person who wants all the facts before I make a major purchase. I want to know what Consumer Reports says about the last 4 generations of the appliance. I want to know which store has the best price out of the 1,000 out there that sell the thing.

Are there any rebates? Any financing offers? Any delivery charges? Any scratch and dent discounts? I need to know before I hand over money.

But at some point I have to draw the line. I have to admit that I can only know so much before I really need to make a decision. I can only make so many spread sheets before the clear winner starts to emerge.

With such a vast body of knowledge available with relative ease, I feel at some level that it's irresponsible of me to not do all the research possible. I feel a burden of guilt if I don't walk out of the store with the absolute best appliance and the absolute best price.

Geez. That's a lot of pressure.

When did an asset turn into a liability?




But y'all, if you do know of a good washer and dryer out there, I'd love to hear about it :)

A brief little glimpse into my world:

Them: Build me a house.

Me: Ok, we can do that. Let's talk about the details.

Them: When will it be done?

Me: Again, let's talk about the details.

Them: How much will it cost?

Me: I can't give you a good estimate until I know what you want the house to be like.

Them: I want it to have a kitchen. When will it be ready?

Me: That's a good start. I have a few other questions for you about
the details.

Them: Look, I need this done in 15 days.

Me: (muffled laughter/panic)

Them: What? You're telling me you can't finish it in 15 days? When
will it be done? How much will it cost.

Me: Like I said earlier, I can't give you those numbers until we
know the specifics of the house you'd like us to build you. We have people working on other houses right now, and unless yours is more important that the others that are already in the process of being built, you'll have to wait.

Them: All I want is a small house! You're telling me that you can't just put together a house for me real quick?!?!

Me: That's correct.

Them: This is insane....when can you get my house done?

Me: Let's get some more of the details pulled together and I'll let you know what the estimates will be. What else do you need in your house? Where do you want it? Do you care about school districts, proximity to neighbors, size of the lawn, number of bedrooms?

Them: I want 3 bedrooms.

Me: Ok. Where do you want the bedrooms? What size should they be? Do you want them to have closets? Bathrooms? Carpet?

Them: I want them on the third floor.

Me: Oh, so you want a multiple-level house?

Them: Heck yeah! I thought you knew that already!!!

Me: You hadn't mentioned that detail yet.

Them: Well what's wrong with you?!

Me: I can't tell you what you want. I can help guide you through the process of figuring out what the details are. I can help form the team to build the house, and I can do everything possible to stick to the schedule and budget. But you have to fill in the details so that we can know exactly how long it will take to build it, and how much it will cost.

Them: There is so much red tape around here!

Me: I understand it's a lengthy process, but we have to know what we're building before we start building it.

Them: You people are crazy. I hate working with builders!

Me: Can we get back to the details of the house?

Them: I've had enough.

Me: We can still help you if you'll talk through some of this with us.

Them: I'm going to build it myself.

Me: I wouldn't advise that. Building a house is quite a complicated activity. It's best to get people on the team who have experience in this field.

Them: I'm outta here.

Me: Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help.

***1 year later***

Them: My house is broken, can you fix it?

Me: We didn't build this house, so I'm not sure that we can fix it.

Them: But the house is in a neighborhood surrounded by other houses you've built. Can't you do something!?!?! This is an emergency!!

Me: I understand that there is a problem, but none of my builders have any idea of how this house was built. You built it yourself. We'll do what we can to help, but I can't guarantee that we can fix it.

Them: I'm suing your company.

Me: Please understand - we had nothing to do with the construction or maintenance of this property. You supplied the materials, the builders, the blueprint, the plans, the budget, etc. Our company is in no way related to the existence of this house.

Them: Blueprint?

And scene.

why? Why? WHY?!?

City of Austin,
I thought that you had come up with every possible way to thwart my commute home from work.

School zones? Check.
Ill-timed lights? Check.
Overcrowding of poorly-maintained streets? Check.

But this is just too much.

Why on EARTH would you schedule "rolling blackouts" that impact traffic lights during evening rush hour? Sidestreets? Clogged. Major intersections? Clogged. Exit ramps and cut-throughs? Clogged.

Yes, we know it's hot. It's been getting increasingly hot for the last 2 weeks. You knew this. You saw this coming. Why is this an emergency? And seriously - do traffic lights really use up that much energy?

The definition of an emergency.

(note the flagrant use of the word "unexpected"...)

Need we spell it out for you? Apparently...yes.

I paid my electricity bill today. Maybe you could take some of that money and put it to use beefing up the infrastructure around here? Just a thought.

Now, if you really need to save some energy, I can give you the name and address of my place of business. Feel free to make cuts there anytime tomorrow between 8-5. Believe me, it's fine with me and the rest of my co-workers. Have at it.

Thank you.

Adults say the darndest things

As I settled into work this morning with my cuppa coffee, I started catching up on some of the other blogs that I read. I don't remember how I started reading Finslippy, but she cracks me up. I think she was nominated for "best blog writing" for last year's bloggies, which is likely where I picked up her link.

Anyhow:

I was reading this post and really trying hard to keep my laughter to myself as I read through the comments.

I don't have kids. I want them eventually, but I do not currently have any of my own. However, if and when I do, I cannot wait to keep a journal of funny things that 1) I say to them and 2) they say to me and/or others.

It reminds me of one of my jobs in college. I worked at a campus library at A&M. Our office was situated right inside the main entrance, and though it was not our primary job role, we served as a makeshift help desk for the library. What do you get when you combine some sassy, bored college kids and a bunch of random patrons asking dumb questions all day?

A little black book.

We constantly kept track of the dumb questions/weird conversations/general hilarity that happened at the front desk. That black book served us well for years. It was the backbone of the camaraderie we felt with our co-workers. We would hand it off between shifts, everyone adding their own two cents.

Here, my friend Michael recounts one of the stories. It just so happens to be a story about me being stalked - very poorly.

Anyhow:

We had this supervisor that was _not_a_fan_whatsoever_ of the book. He lectured us that if any patron ever found it and started reading through it, all heck would break loose. But we were smarter than that. We changed the names to protect the *innocent* and just referenced people in our own special way. Characters like "British guy", "Creepy stalker guy" and "Flaky grad student" were the only "patron names" that anyone would ever find in there.

The battle was on. It was now our duty to protect our turf and our sanity. That black book kept us going on many occasions. Bringing life and humor to the darkest corners of the library. Ok, so maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but we didn't want to lose the book. We still have little reunions where we recount the silly tales of the library. Fun stuff.

Anyhow:
I'd like to keep a book like that when I have kids. Just to remember the fun times.

I can quit anytime. Just not today.

I'm not one to be obsessed with celebrities.

Sure, when I have some downtime in the cubicle, I read up on the MSN Gossip every now and then. And yes, I peruse the front pages of the "magazines" in the checkout line at the grocery store, but who doesn't?

But today, I've stumbled upon a couple of links that just crack me up. I have no idea why I keep clicking "next" on this site, but I do.

And then there's this one, which isn't so much a celebrity site, but is still funny, especially if you read it with a Spanish accent in your head.

And last but not least, there's this one. Somewhat sketchy, yes. Somewhat funny, also yes.

Enjoy!

Afternoon snack

I'm eating cranberries that have been dried and flavored to taste like strawberries.

What is this world coming to?

What I'm up to...notable, and not so much

• I'm back in the U.S.
• I'm still taking malaria medicine. Yuck.
• I'm spending quality time in my cubicle.
• I also spent quality time with my DVR last night.
• I'm caught up with Lost.
• I'm going to two weddings on Saturday. Crazy.
• I turn 26 in 8 days. Also crazy.
• I still have henna on my extremities, and it's staring to look like I have a skin condition.
• I'm caught up on sleep...or so I think.
• I'm once again thankful for U.S. bathrooms.
• My car is making a seriously scary squealing noise.
• I got a new hairdryer. Complete with ions. Fancy.
• I still fully enjoy MS Excel. A little too much.
• My bamboo plant is still alive after 2 weeks of neglect.
• I haven't worked out in 2 weeks. I'm scared to go back.
• I haven't been to church in way too long. I miss it.
• I get married in 135 days. Wow.
• I'm caught up on work email. A (small) victory.
• I still have unpacking left to do from India.
• Amar moves into our future apartment next week.
• I'm spending 8 hours at a golf course on Friday. For work.

That's all for now folks. Still alive. Still breathing. Ready to retire. You know, the usual.

Travel journal

For those of you who want to keep tabs on us while we're in India, try this on for size:

My Trip Journal

Mmmmm

I (heart) bacon.

Updates

1) We're going to India in 3 days. 3 days!!
2) I bought a wedding dress!! Crazy.
3) I start taking malaria pills tomorrow - wish me luck.
4) God is really stinkin' good. I have to re-learn that every day.
5) Everyone is having babies, and those babies are exceptionally cute.

And you? How are things?

Nose to the grindstone

Totally getting a kick out of this.

For an afternoon of fun after downloading Bullfighter:
1) Open your work email
2) Select an email from a high-ranking co-worker
3) Ctrl + A
4) Ctrl + C
5) Open a document (MS Word, or other)
6) Ctrl + V
7) Click the magic bull and voila - fun for the whole family.

Still alive, I think

I promise I haven't been hiding. It's just been crazy lately, and that means that after I prioritize all that I can do in one day, blogging falls off the list quickly. So, I figure that I owe you a new post. After all, it's been awhile.

I'm recovering from a long weekend, filled mostly with work. My job sometimes requires me to work some pretty icky hours, and this weekend was no exception. I woke up at 8:00 AM on Saturday morning ready to go to brunch with my fiance and a bunch of his friends at 9:30. The brunch got pushed to 10:30, so I cleaned the bathroom - yes, very glamorous indeed.

Brunch was good, but for some reason, I could barely eat anything on my plate. After some fun conversation, making funny faces at baby Xavier, and downing a few gallons of coffee, to the mall we went.

Amar and I are leaving for India in a little less than two weeks, so we figured it was about time to stock up on some clothes, since my closet has been a little thin lately. And shop we did! Keeping in mind that it will be crazy hot and humid in Madras when we're there, we selected some things that would be conservative, but would still be comfy and cool. I think we succeeded.

We then sat down to watch Monsoon Wedding. It was my first "Indian" movie and I really enjoyed it. Though we won't be getting married in India, Amar's parents are throwing a party for us, so it was good to be exposed to a little of the culture. I seriously can't wait for the trip!

Then it was off to work :( We started around 5:30 PM on Saturday, and I didn't walk out of there until 1:30 PM the next day. Yeah, much more time than I would normally like to spend at the office on a weekend...but after a lot of work, we were successful and were able to leave and go sleep. A lot. I wound up staying awake for about 32 hours. I am not good at that kind of thing, so in the end, I wound up acting like a cranky 4 year old. Yes, I know, real mature of me. But I think I've recovered now.

And the countdown to India begins :)

How was your weekend? I know some people got to go see David Gray.

What to get the girl who has everything?

Ok, maybe I don't have everything, but much like my approach to buying shoes, I don't often find myself wanting for much. However, I stumbled upon this today and I must say, I'm tempted.

I'm tempted more by the idea of ridding my house of bugs relatively pain-free. However, being the avid bugophobe that I am, even zapping bugs from arms-length might be too close for comfort.

I once came home to find a giant stink bug perched precariously above the door to my apartment. I stood a great distance from the creature, pondering what to do. Various ideas raced through my head. Given that we lived on the second floor at the time, I contemplated what it would take to scale the wall, climb onto the balcony and somehow break into our apartment. I entertained the idea of just waiting it out - me vs. the bug. I thought about calling for backup, but was not confident that any of my friends would arrive in a timely manner.

So I resorted to the following: I took my shoe off, lobbed it at the bug, hoping to dislodge it from it's temporary home. I wasn't trying to kill it, necessarily, but just wanted to scare it enough so that it would fly or crawl away. If it chose to crawl, I would just avoid it until I could safely enter my home. However, if it chose to fly, my plan was to flail about hoping that it wouldn't land on me. So I threw shoe #1. Much to my displeasure, not only did I miss the bug, but I also failed to even make it flinch.

Freakin' bug. You won't get the best of me.

So I took off my other shoe and tossed it as well. Again, failure on two counts: the bug was still alive and still sitting right above my door. So I sat. And I thought. What's a girl to do? I was shoeless, and I couldn't get into my apartment, nor could I break into it successfully.

I probably waited outside for a good 5-10 minutes. Nothing. No movement. No sounds. No progress. Maybe it was dead? Could I take that chance? Images of the bug getting caught in my hair flooded my mind. Even as I type this, I can feel the fear welling up inside me once again.

After what seemed like an eternity, I decided that I would make a break for it. I readied my keys, forming a battle plan in my mind. I mentally rehearsed the quickest way to open the door, run inside and slam it shut behind me, making sure that I wasn't followed in by the monster.

I counted to 10, said a quick prayer, and made a break for it.

SUCCESS!!

I was safely inside in my bug-free apartment. A little while later my roommate came home. As I saw her entering the apartment, I motioned to her to get inside quickly, as the bug might still be waiting to pounce on its next unsuspecting victim. She looked at me like I was crazy, which wasn't really anything out of the ordinary. Then she asked me what the heck I was doing and why my shoes were outside. I sadly recounted the whole story to her, and wouldn't you know it, the bug had totally disappeared. So at that point, I was a barefoot blabbering idiot. Hey, at least I'm consistent :)

Wow...that was quite a tangent. Needless to say, I'm not sure that the bug vaccuum would even work for such an extreme case any of the following: Acarophobia, Arachnophobia, Apiphobia, Entomophobia, Insectophobia, Isopterophobia, Mottephobia.

Wow. That's a lot. For more on phobias, check this out.

Happy Monday to my feet

I went shopping yesterday. Actually, Amar and I went shopping. And we had fun. We each bought each other shoes. And let me tell you, that has got to be the perfect date.

I'm wearing my new shoes at the office today. Sure, it's a little painful breaking them in, but that's the price you pay, right? And I love that some of the girls have noticed without me even saying anything. Love it.

It's funny, though, because I don't think of myself as a shoe person. Some girls go shoe-crazy! Their closets and floors are littered with dozens of pairs. I'm more of a minimalist. I buy things that I know aren't too trendy, fit well, are affordable, and that will go with a lot of things. So two pairs of brown, two pairs of black, and some shoes for the gym - I'm set. I often talk myself out of buying new shoes because "I already have some kind of like those" or "They don't go with very many things" etc. But I think there must be some sort of balance. I have been avoiding everything in my closet that goes with brown because I didn't have any brown dressy shoes. Literally, it's been awhile since I've worn some of that stuff simply because I was lacking in the shoe department.

But today, the other half of my closet has come to life!

No, I'm not advocating buying everything that you are even remotely interested in. But sometimes it's just fun to treat yourself. Yippee!

So happy Monday to my feet. I hope you're enjoying yourselves down there. You seem to be, from the reports I'm getting.

My Friday morning:

Alarm goes off at 5:45 AM.
I actually wake up around 7.
I get ready, make my lunch, and I'm out the door by 7:50.
I arrive at the office a little after 8.
I head to my desk, setup my stuff, and then go get breakfast.
Bagel, coffee, and the fixins.

As I sit at my desk and quietly eat my breakfast and catch up on email, I can't help but listen to a conversation two of my co-workers are having on the next cube aisle over. I strain to hear, thinking that I must be mistaken. But no, I'm not. There are actually two 50 year old men talking about Dancing with the Stars. And in detail!! Scary, probably accurate, detail. The phrases "He really is the best," and "She's easy on the eyes" were overheard.

Wow.

What a great start to a Friday :)

An open letter to the automated bathroom

Automated bathroom:
I'm not a fan of you. With your self-flushing toilets, your self watering sinks, your self-dispensing paper towels, and your self-squirting soaps. Not a fan at all. You wind up flushing at the wrong time. You wind up turning the water off on me when my hands are lathered in soap. You wind up making me wave my arms around like an idiot just so that one more paper towel might come out.

And I'm tired of it.

I can flush my own toilet. I'm pretty sure I can dispense my own soap and turn the sink on and off at the right times. And for the love, I can grab my own paper towels.

Please, just let me do it. Yes, I admit I do have a streak of wild independence in me, but let's not blame that right now. Let's consider, for once, that you are the control freak. After all, you won't let me even perform normal human functions on my own. You have to have your say in everything that goes on in the bathroom. Your close friend, the automatic door, is just fine in my book. Sometimes he's even helpful when I have a bunch of stuff in my hands, or after "arm day" at the gym when I literally can't lift my arm to open doors.

But you, on the other hand, are out of control. Sometimes you even make an eerie squealing sound before you flush, and for the life of me, that sound haunts me in my sleep. Maybe you're more sanitary. I'll give you that. But I think I may prefer getting sick to looking like a flailing idiot.

You, automated bathroom, are dead to me.

Theme song, party of 1

So my roommate Malita just blogged about finding a site that tells you your life's theme song. Check it out here.

#1 on the day I was born was "Call Me" by Blondie. I find this to be a somewhat unsuitable match, as talking on the phone isn't my favorite thing in the world. So I perused the lyrics to find anything at all that might apply to my life, that might give meaning to my existence. Alas, nothing. The girl just really wants the guy to call her.

Moving on to my life's theme song, which is the #1 song on your 18th birthday. Mine came out to be "All My Life" by K-Ci and Jojo. Well, it didn't take me long to find some really deep, meaningful stuff in that one. Who can argue with lyrics like:

• I will never find another luva sweeta than you
• I will never find anutha luva more precious than you
• Said, I promise to never fall in love with a stranger

It's seriously some touching stuff, yo.

What are your theme songs?

...again, total credit for all of the creativity inspired by today's post goes to Malita ;)

Remind me next year

If I tell you that I'm going to the grocery store on the night before Valentine's day, please restrain me. This place was an absolute madhouse. Upon entering, the senses were overloaded with reds and magentas as far as the eye could see.

And the people. The people!! On average, there were about 76 people per aisle. And that's not even mentioning the dairy section. Any why does the store choose to restock at 5:30PM? My good GOSH! It was crazy. I thought that there might be an impending freeze or power outage or national crisis. But no. It's a bunch of flowers and pink paper flying off the shelves and into the hands of people who should already know that they are loved and cared for.

And on that note, I do have a date tomorrow. But I have no idea where we're going. I do know that it might involve ice cream, and for that I'm thankful.

Another thing I'm thankful for is this. Yes, I know it's poking fun at a somewhat tragic event. But still, it made me laugh out loud.

Sometimes I'm just not

Sometimes I'm just not interested in making small talk.
Sometimes I'm just not pumped about cleaning my room.
Sometimes I'm just not really excited about journaling.
Sometimes I'm just not motivated enough to get up and get lunch.
Sometimes I'm just not terribly excited about going to class.
Sometimes I'm just not worried that I haven't fully caught up on work email.
Sometimes I'm just not willing to pay hundreds of dollars for invitations.
Sometimes I'm just not hungry.
Sometimes I'm just not ok leaving the house without making up my bed.
Sometimes I'm just not disgusted by the state of the bathroom.
Sometimes I'm just not horrified to leave the house without showering.
Sometimes I'm just not upset that I can't please everyone.
Sometimes I'm just not embarrassed that I haven't washed my jeans in 2 weeks.
Sometimes I'm just not willing to sit down and make a five year plan.
Sometimes I'm just not satisfied with 4 cups of coffee.
Sometimes I'm just not.

No worries. I'm totally fine. I promise. Just a little introspective today. How are you?

Neighbors - we have a problem:

Until recently, our side of the duplex and their side cohabitated peacefully. We came and went at our own leisure, not really disturbing one another. We even occasionally brought in each other's trash cans. Sure, there was the occasional loud-stereo-featuring-Mariah-Carey-at-8-in-the-morning event from their side, but those were few and far between, so nothing too noteworthy.

However, the atmosphere is slowly changing. My sleep quality is slowly degrading, as are, I fear, our friendly neighborly relations. Let me set the scene:

It's late at night. I've just come home from a very long day, starting with a 6AM workout and ending with a 3 hour class until 10PM. I'm oh-so ready to have some quality time with my pillow. I enter my room, ready for bed, and I hear a very subtle sound coming from somewhere. I figure that it's just a car or a plane, and dismiss it. Upon crawling into my bed, I settle in between the featherbed and the down comforter (overkill I know, but soooo comfy). All is well and I turn the lights off and shut my eyes. But wait! There it is again. That dreadful noise! Whatever could it be? No. It couldn't...it CAN'T be! NO ONE SNORES THAT LOUD!!! It's coming through the wall. It's invading my quiet, peaceful room!! It's loud, irregular, and did I say loud? and.it.lasts.all.night.

Seriously. This guy (I'm assuming it's a man - sue me) needs some professional help! It's there when I go to sleep, it's there when I wake up. The snoring just won't cease. I put the pillow over my head, but no, this guy has some serious decibel power going on over there. Sure, there could be worse sounds coming through the walls. But the snoring is just excessive.

I'm contemplating anonymously mailing some of those nose-strips. I've even mentally composed a customer letter to accompany the box that I would slip into their mailbox. Would he get the hint? What's a girl to do? I can't just get up, waltz over there in my PJs and ask him to kindly roll over, can I?

Whew. Now that the snoring issue is out of my system, it's onto my next soapbox: an open letter to the owner of the low-rider truck that constantly parks in front of our house. Dude - you can't even go over a simple speed bump in that thing because the ground clearance isn't even higher than the bottom of the rims on the low-profile tires you've got on it. What's the deal? Please, please, get a real car. We're begging you. And when you do get a real car, please park it in front of your own house. We thank you in advance for your efforts to help keep our neighborhood at peace.

How I became a coffee snob

It was innocent enough, at first. I used to be just fine with popping open the Folgers and brewing a few cups here and there. Sure, it wasn't the best thing in the world. But it was cheap, easy, and widely available. And plus, haven't we always been told that the best part of waking up is indeed Folgers in your cup? So yes, I subscribed to that worldview....until recently.

You see, my friend Jim started roasting and selling his own coffee awhile back. I didn't initially give much serious thought to purchasing from him, though I was tremendously excited to see his business grow, as I am with other friends who are earnestly trying to turn a passion in life into something financially productive.

I emailed Jim a bunch of brainstormed ideas about publicity for his emerging brand. I had grand visions of coffee tasting parties and the like. And I liked reading a bit on his site about what he was up to, roasting-wise. But I hadn't ever purchased anything from him.

This past weekend, however, things changed. I helped host a girls brunch for our career class at church. I had asked various people to bring brunch items: fruit, eggs, biscuits, etc. I got to thinking a bit, and it occurred to me that this would be a neat time to try some McClarty coffee. I'd have enough people to warrant buying 1/2 a pound, and if it was a hit, a bunch of people would enjoy it and they might buy from Jim. I never expected it to turn into anything more serious.

So I emailed Jim about the order, and I headed over to his place on Saturday morning to pick it up. Much to my surprise, he handed me a Bell jar of whole coffee beans. Well, I wasn't prepared for such a delivery. Somewhere in the back of my head, I guess I had thought that it would already be ground. So from his house, I headed off to buy a grinder. "Why not?" I asked myself. I'll need it someday.

Soon, the coffee and the grinder were in hand, and the brunch was underway. One of the girls taught me how to grind the beans appropriately, and the aroma of fresh coffee filled the room. I could tell that people were excited to try the coffee, so we wasted no time in filling mugs for everyone once it had brewed.

To get the word out a bit, I made these little notecards with Jim's website on them, so that people could place orders if they were fond of the coffee. Several girls, after sampling their beverages, took the cards. I put in many good words for Jim :) The girls were quite fond of the coffee, and there was some mention of the appropriate use of essential oils during the roasting process....this comment was lost on me. I drink the coffee, I don't make it. But good for those who know more about it than me...

Anyhow, I took about 1/2 of the coffee beans home with me, because unfortunately for us, the coffee maker stopped working after 2 pots. Ha - more for me! Or so I thought. The coffee was safely stowed away in my fridge for the remainder of the weekend, and I informed my roommates that they were welcome to try it. When I came home the next day, Malita was raving about it. She said that after her first two cups, she almost made more because it was so good.

Alas, I cannot settle for Folgers any longer. You should give it a try too. Just for a week. And yes, this is an infomercial ;)

Week in review

So to keep tabs on myself after I outlined some goals a few days back, here's a status check on how I'm doing.

Read More
Right. Here's the hard one. Haven't quite yet picked up the Piper book this week. Maybe some downtime this afternoon or over the weekend.

Sort my mail
Thanks to some much needed prompting by Malita, I have kind of kept up with this one. I'm hoping to pick up a filing box this weekend and start putting things in their proper place. But the mail basket hasn't overflowed to the extreme that it did last month. So I consider this a mild success.

Get into shape
Thanks to my old roommate and personal trainer Lindsay, I've worked out 3 times this week so far. Twice we did weights, and then I did some light cardio. Several of my muscles were actively complaining, but they'll just have to deal with it. Was it hard? Yep, at times I really wanted to put the weights down and walk away. But I know that I have to stick with it.

Take better care of myself
Thanks also to Lindsay, I've been trying to stick with my meal plan this week. I haven't done a stellar job, but I have eaten more than I usually do. I've also tried to concentrate on the "smaller meals more frequently" idea, and I'm liking that a lot. The hardest part is the lunches and dinners. I will give myself kudos to the breakfasts and snacks :)

In other news, I've got a new roommate. She's probably 80% moved in. It's fun to change things up a bit, and I'm excited about the new house dynamics :)

This weekend I'm hosting a girls brunch for church, and given my love for all things breakfast, and my desire to get to know some of these girls better, it should make for a good Saturday morning. Oh, and I'm looking forward to my Christmas gift from Lindsay, which consists of a chef-prepared meal at her new house. Very yummy! Other than that, it should be a low-key weekend, which I'm excited about. The only bummer is that it's likely going to rain the whole time :( Yes, we do need the rain, but why does it have to come on the weekend. Bummer.

Quick (semi-rhetorical) question

Would it be considered rude to anonymously mail someone a card to a therapist? It would be a gesture of love wrapped in slight sarcasm (with a stamp and an envelope, of course!).










Ok. Yes. I know the answer. But it at least felt good to write about it. There. It's outta my system.....sort of. And no, it is not for any of you. Promise.

Not so much resolutions, per se...

There's a growing list of things I'd like to accomplish during 2006. Rather, a list of things I'd like to improve about my life in general. Seeing as it's the season to make lists, and everyone else is doing it, I'm going to (temporarily) jump on the bandwagon.

Read more
Everywhere I look, people are putting out lists of things that they read last year. Some of these lists top 40 books or so. And some of their goals for 2006 are even higher. And now that I'm engaged to a voracious reader, I feel that I have to jump start my own personal reading life. Last year I read practically nothing. But when I did finish a book (which happened with very low frequency) I felt so good! I read a book! Yes, I felt like a first grader, but it was still a good feeling. I have a few on my list that I'd love to tackle. Keep me accountable, people.

Sort my mail
In a mad dash to locate my healthcare card, I did a clean sweep on my room this past Sunday afternoon. After an hour and a half, I had filled an entire "tall kitchen" trash bag full of junk mail, catalogs, mass mailings, utility bills and the like. Typically, my pattern as of late has been to avoid the mail basket for as long as possible until 1) I desperately need an important legal document (i.e. insurance card, health card, etc.) or 2) something interesting comes in (i.e. wedding invitation, Christmas card, etc.). Well, I refuse to let it get that bad again. My goal is to go through all of my mail at least once a week. My stretch goal is to do it everyday. We'll see how it goes.

Get into shape
Yes, I know that everyone spends all of January working off the holiday pounds, so this goal isn't necessarily revolutionary by any means. But I have a different problem. Some people consider me lucky to be fighting to gain wait. But I don't see it as any kind of luck. Yes, I'm underweight. And yes, it's a health problem. Within the first year after college, when I started my first "real job," I lost 15 pounds. I don't have 15 pounds to lose, however, so this wasn't necessarily good. Instead of responding to stress by eating a lot, I tend to do the opposite. I quit eating. So as of yesterday, I gave a local gym and a former roommate-turned-personal-trainer a lot of money. I am hoping to gain healthy weight, put on some muscle, and get into the kind of shape I was in when I played sports constantly.

Take better care of myself
This goes hand-in-hand with the "get into shape" goal. I want to eat healthy, filling, regular meals. So along with the working out, I will be pairing that with meal planning by the aforementioned former roommate. I'm also going to quit biting my fingers/fingernails. This is also stress-related, like the eating. I've done it for as long as I can remember, but now that I have some fancy new jewelry to show off, I need to get my hands into shape, too.

I think that's it for now. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Here's a summary of the first 10 days of January:

• Reading: still working on "Don't Waste Your Life" with a goal to finish by the end of the month (I figure I'll start slow and then ramp up)...post other reading suggestion in the "Comments" at any time, if you have them :)
• Mail: haven't fallen behind yet, but looking to get a formal filing system in place soon
• Working out: joined a gym yesterday, workouts to commence next week
• Taking care: fingers at about 90% good (10% per finger [so all are in good shape except one, for now]); meal planning is starting this week

News to me

Apparently I'm already supposed to have the entire wedding planned. Yep. Engaged for 13 days, and it's supposed to be ready to roll. In the past 2 days alone, no less than 4 MEN have asked what my colors are. What the heck? I don't have colors yet. Are you insane? Or am I just missing something?

I don't have colors. I don't have a date. I don't have a place. I don't have a wedding party. I don't have a dress. I don't have a florist or a photographer. Nor do I have shoes, showers, registries, or all of the other accoutrements that are supposed to go along with all this.

Oh, and as of 8:15 this morning, I have no half and half for my coffee.

BUT - all is not lost. What I do have is time. And for that, I'm thankful :) I'm also thankful that God continues to remind me that I am surrounded by some amazing friends!

Seemingly insurmountable task on my doorstep

That's what it seems my primary task at the office seems to be today: the dreaded end of year self assessment. I.e. "How did you do over the past 12 months as measured against the stuff we asked you to do based on these metrics and objectives?" So basically, since I haven't quite kept detailed notes on everything I've done since last February, I'm wracking my brain, digging in my archived folders, and doing a good bit of creative writing.

But heck, I like writing, especially when I get to use buzzwords freely. Some of my favorite today seem to be: ensure, effectively, leveraged, interfaced, requirements, communicate, and last but not least - foster. Yes, it's fluff. But it's the bubble wrap that surrounds an important list of vital facts that management should handle with care. It's fluff with a purpose, and that purpose happens to be that I remain employed.

Everyone - cross your fingers.

P.S. I discovered last night that I'm now increasingly covered in small red spots. More on this breaking news as it become available.

A new year

It seems that with the start of the new year, the internet is virtually littered with "My year in review" and "My top 10 of 2005" lists, with the occasional "My resolutions for 2006" and on, and on. No offense to any of those people - those lists are all worthy of gracing browsers globally. So originally, I thought that I would rebel and post absolutely nothing of the sort. No review, no top 10, no list of promises to myself that I'll eventually break. Nada.

Then I started thinking about my year in review. Life was busy. Life was packed with stuff and people and things and places. Life was both good and bad, easy and hard. All in all, a lot happened over the last 12 months. I don't know if I'll make a top 10 list, or define a specific set of resolutions I want to make for 2006. But I do think that it's valuable to reflect on where you've been.

That's the same reason I keep a prayer journal. It's so neat to be able to look back and see how God has grown, challenged, matured, pruned, encouraged, guided and protected you. And looking back at 2005, I can see all of that.

There were breakups and makeups (and then breakups again)...
There was travel between continents...
I saw my family brought together by near tragedy and divided by sheer joy...
I saw a 50 year old man get a wedgie at family Christmas...
And I saw God continue to refine me and show me how much he loves me...





Oh, and I saw a beautiful diamond ring get slipped on my finger a few days ago...and I said yes!

So as the new year starts, just like everyone else, I want to read more, to be healthier, to enjoy life more, to cherish relationships more, and all that jazz. But mostly, I want to grow. I want to mature. I want to be refined again and again.

I just realized that this little blog is almost a year old. Hopefully I'll remember to get it a card or a little present. I'm always bad at remembering birthdays...

Zero progress

That's how far I've come thus far on my Christmas shopping. I don't even have a list yet, nor do I know who I'm buying for. But yes, I understand that it's not about the gifts, or even the quality time. It's about celebrating the birth of our Savior. And for that, I need no gift card, no wrapping paper, no curly ribbon. I need a humble, reflective, quiet heart. And I can't wait to be free from work so I can focus on just that.

I have one more day left "in the office," but I plan to work remotely. No meetings, no conference calls, no worries. My desk is clean and largely paperwork-free. For that, I'm quite thankful. I'm also thankful for flexible hours this time of year, which reminds me that some of the not-so-flexible times of the year allow for an easier holiday time for me. All good things.

Anyhow, I hope the time is treating you well. Enjoy your travels, your time with family, and your time unwinding. Oh, and for those of you in the Austin area, forget about a white Christmas. It's supposed to be 70 degrees. Woo hoo! Get out your flip flops!!

Ah, I love the holidays

Especially when they contain magical surprises, which this one most certainly will. Actually, I already kind of found out the biggest surprise of all - I'm going to New York. That's right, people, New York city. Ooooh, I LOVE it! I went twice while in high school, right around mid-March. It was so cold and blustery there during that transitional Spring time. I can only imagine how cold it will be during the week after Christmas. But it's totally worth it!

I'm now busy looking up shows to go see, stores to swing by, interesting "New Yorky" things to do. All that jazz. So if you have any suggestions, please do let me know. I'm so excited - beyond words, really.

There is just something enchanting, it seems, about New York at Christmas time. Or at least, that's what the movies would have us think. And I'm a sucker for movies. So I'll likely get to stroll through Central Park, as it's fields, trees and paths will be blanketed in snow. I'll get to see the giant Christmas tree in Rockefeller center, twinkling it's branches at me. Oy, I can't wait!!

New York suggestions? Leave me a comment.... :)

Following instructions

It's always nice to look down at the box of cookies you happen to be consuming and read something like this:

Distinctive cookies are available in a number of exquisite varieties for the many reasons you deserve to treat yourself right every day.

Yep, I'm just doing my part here, folks. Just treating myself right, like I'm being told to do.

Meanwhile, it's twelve days until Christmas and I've bought exactly four gifts. I have no idea how many people I even need to buy gifts for, but I'm quite sure that it's WAY more than four. I at least know what two of the remaining gifts will be, but all the rest...well, I'm pretty clueless. However, I am finding that shopping for others often winds up as shopping for me, so I probably need to keep on keeping on.

Repeat to self: 'tis better to give than to receive...'tis better to give than to receive...'tis better to give than to receive...

I finally found my sweaters

Apparently, in a rush to organize my closet last spring, I neatly packed away all my "winter wear." And I did a really good job of it, because I couldn't find it this week when the temperatures started dipping into the 20s. Wow, it was crazy cold. Why does this change in weather always happen in a matter of hours? I've talked to several people who were wearing summer clothes earlier this week, only to don their parkas in the midst of yesterday's ice show. Insane.

And apparently this weekend it's supposed to get into the 60s. Seriously - PICK A SEASON!! I can't handle wearing long-johns in the morning, and flip flops in the afternoon. I physically can't keep up with the amount of laundry required to dress oneself during such dramatic climactic shifts.

And for those of you keeping up...this will likely be the last installment of the "Kim's Tips" segment - as I know that you just can't stand for such blatant displays of my brilliance to continue:

I got a new business cell phone for work, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember the number. I'd write it on my hand, email it to myself, keep a piece of paper with me at all times that had the new number....but none of those efforts made any significant difference in my apparent memory deficiency.

So I got to thinking one day - how could I easily keep the number with me in an accessible manner? Could I somehow leverage the camera that was on the phone already? What if I wrote the number down, then took a picture of it, and then saved that picture as the wallpaper on my phone? Brilliant! Now, whenever I need the number, I just flip open the phone. If I need to give someone else the number, I can just show it to them on the phone itself.

Yep, I'm pretty cool. Go ahead and admit it....

Helpful tip

For the past several weeks, I've noticed that despite all of my best intentions, I continue to leave my lunch at home when I head off to work in the mornings. When I wake up each morning, I think, "Don't forget your lunch!" And each day I try to grab it on the way out the door, I forget. I even had to call my roommate one day to ask her to put my abandoned lunch back in the fridge, because I left it sitting out (so that I wouldn't forget it...).

This morning I decided that I needed a new approach. I started wondering about the absolutely necessary items that I had to have before leaving the house, figuring that if I could link the lunch and the necessary item, I was set. Items that immediately came to mind were clothing, computer, keys, and wallet. But how could I link the two items? Wouldn't most people just put a note somewhere? What was a girl to do?

And then it hit me - put my keys in the fridge on top of my lunch. Were the keys cold by the time I was ready to leave for work? You bet. But was my belly full with tasty fried rice a lunchtime today? Most certainly it was.

And that, my friends, is the helpful tip of the day. I have another one to share in the near future....but I'll leave you in suspense for now :)

The bottom line

Money: I've been thinking about it a lot. I guess it comes on the heels of considering how exactly I'll spend my holiday dollars, but it got me thinking. Why do I manage my money the way I do? Not that I'm sitting on a small fortune or anything, but I want to be a good steward of what I'm responsible for, you know?

Somehow, thanks mostly to my parents (and possibly my conservative, Christian schooling as a child), I wound up with pretty strong will power when it comes to spending. But God, in his patient, loving way, is showing me that I put a little too much stock in my stock, if you will. He's showing me that I derive a lot of my feelings of safety and security from seeing a certain number on an online statement. So He's working on my heart in that manner.

But while I've been good at saving, I have practically zero credit history. So while I tend to be proud of my ability to pinch my pennies, I found out yesterday that American Express is not impressed. And yes, it was a blow to my pride. But a necessary one, I think. I don't know what made me put all this out there, but I think it's something we all struggle with to a certain degree. So there, that's my two cents. Thanks for letting me get on one of my many soapboxes.

By the way, for those of you in the Central Texas area, I hear it's going to get what we call "pretty nasty" tomorrow. Freezing temperatures, blustering winds and possibly some ice. Stay safe!!

Alert: Slacker on the internet!!

A lot can happen in 32 days. Yes, it has actually been 32 days since I've posted. And yes, I fully own up to the fact that this is simply unacceptable in the eyes of my beloved readers. To the three of you, my very sincere apologies. Please, can you find it in your hearts to forgive me?

What does one choose to write about after an "extended" absence? The pressure is killing me, I'll admit that much. I guess I'll give a brief primer about what life has had to offer over the past month or so.

• Finished up work on the Katrina relief effort called housestohomes
• Worked like a crazy person on 6 different deployments
• Went on a few dates...
• ...and subsequently gave my parents a good scare about upcoming life developments
• Was a bridesmaid for the nth time
• Got hooked on another stinkin' tv show
• Contemplated buying a new car*
• Celebrated Thanksgiving with the family

I guess that's a good high-level. It seems a lot simpler "on paper" than it did to live through. But God is indeed good. I have no complaints.**

This weekend, I'm off to enjoy some festive entertainment. A movie, breakfast with a friend, an afternoon at the museum, a big fire, church and Bible study. All in all, the pace never slows, nor does it skip a beat.

What's going on with you?

*Please note that this impending purchase is not out of frivolity or excess, but sheer need. My car is dying a slow, noisy, sputtering death.

**Please note, some of you would disagree on this point. Please keep your comments to yourself...or at least to the comments section of this site.

It's late...no, it's early

And I can't seem to sleep. Yes, I know we gained an hour tonight, and I would normally be spending that additional quality time with my pillow. But I just can't sleep. No idea why. I've got 100 things running through my head right now. Most of them are really good. They make me almost giddy, in a way. I'm not complaining - but I'm sure by the time this evening rolls around, and I've put in a few hours of work, a few hours of play, and a few hours of study, I'll likely be dying to get back to my bed.

I worked last night as well. It went really well, actually. I used to think it was almost silly to pray about work, in a way. But God probably thinks I'm silly in general, so why not leverage that!? He blessed that time, and I'm praying that He does so later this morning as well.

After work last night, I contemplated running up to the neighborhood coffee shop, reading, and chilling out with some decaf. But upon returning to my abode, my couch and my DVR were looking mighty good. So I watched Gilmore Girls - it made me laugh. Then I started to watch Alias. Wow. It made me laugh, too. Unfortunately, the writers probably didn't intend that. I haven't finished the episode, but can't wait for the comedy to continue.

Of the brief moments I did see, this had to be my favorite line:

(read it with a gruff voice and squinted eyes, as you pretend to be a super-secret-under-cover CIA agent who is "really tough")

"My mother always said, if somebody was worth shooting once, they were worth shooting twice."

Ok - please tell me that at least made you smirk. It made me and my roommate laugh out loud. J.J. - is this the best you've got? Ugh!

The sweet stuff

If you will recall in my previous post, from time to time I enjoy a good chocolate. And once again, Dove has come through with flying colors. The messages this time even prompted me to note that I was starting to prefer these little delectable bites more than the (in)famous fortune cookie (which I have been known to consume in mass quantities).

Words of wisdom for Tuesday:

"Don't think about it so much."
"Laugh uncontrollably...it clears the mind."

So applicable on so many levels. There have been several circumstances recently that, upon reflection, cause me to laugh uncontrollably. There's nothing better than sitting in the middle of a meeting you're running, recalling a recent humorous event, and then just breaking out the biggest smirk on your face as you fight back the growing desire to just lose it altogether. I'm glad I have co-workers who can laugh with me. Ok, sometimes they laugh at me, but what do I care.

And about not "thinking about it so much," I think we can all take that to heart. Again, there have been several circumstances lately that have just sent my mind spinning (yes, some of these circumstances are related to those that make me laugh uncontrollably, but I digress). The mind is a funny thing, my friends. Best of luck taming it this week....

Trapped, but not for long

This psalm was in my head today. I'm stuck in cubicle land for a few more hours, but I literally cannot wait to get outside, take my shoes off, squint my eyes into the sun and feel the breeze. I don't know where I'm going after I get "off work" but I know that it will likely include a caffeinated beverage, a book, and wireless internet access.

And given this town, that only limits my options to about 50 different places. Love it!

This weekend is packed full of good things, and I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you're looking forward to your weekend as well. Enjoy the outdoors and the God who made it!

Star Performer

This man is the bane of my Cranium existence. Who the heck knows how to impersonate W.C. Fields?! Especially at 1AM? It's ok, I'm over it. Kice and I won anyways. Yay!

After reading more about him, I'm kind of glad I wasn't able to impersonate Mr. Fields.

Notable Quotes:

• A thing worth having is a thing worth cheating for.
• I am free of all prejudice - I hate everyone equally.
• I never vote for anyone, I always vote against.
• Start off every day with a smile and get it over with.

Interesting stuff....

Is this thing on?

Says Kim to her email. I keep hitting "refresh" and nothing is happening. It's like those sad 80's movies, where someone is waiting for a phone call, and they call the operator to make sure their phone is still working. And we all know that the phone is still working. It's the poor sap who's waiting for a call - they're the ones that need fixing.

Well, I'm pretty sure the internet is still functioning properly, but sometimes I'm doubtful about my own mind. Waiting is hard, but good. Not that I even know what I'm waiting for, I just know that I'm waiting. I have not been cleared for landing, nor have all the tray tables been placed in their upright and locked position. Ugh.

But seriously, I'll rest easy tonight on my new featherbed, while the chilly autumn air settles outside of my window. Yes, I said chilly. And yes, I know it was seriously only about 70 degrees today. But I shivered at least 3 times, and I attribute that to the "cold Canadian air" that has descended upon Central Texas.

To be completely honest here, I actually turned on the heater in my car today. I'm such a wimp......

In memory of Mr. Buchholtz

Mr. Buchholtz passed away a few weeks ago. I found that out today. He was my 10th grade Sunday school director. I had just spoken with him a few weeks back, as he and his family had contacted me about donating a table to Houses to Homes. As always, he was chipper, upbeat, and friendly.

He wasn't home when we came by to do the pick-up, but his sweet wife Bonnie was. She was just returning from getting some ice cream, and was as cheerful as ever. They wanted the table to go to someone in need. And that it did. It's at home in a house on 14th street.

Bill and Bonnie were constant fixtures in our youth group growing up. They made 10th grade bearable. Even if they didn't know you that well, you still felt like part of the family. Mr. Buchholtz always went out of his way to ensure that everyone felt included - that everyone felt loved.

To read more about this dear man, and the incredible life he led, please read here. And please be praying for Bonnie and the kids. Experiencing a loss like this is inexplicable. But so is God's peace. My prayer for them is that they would know His peace in ways that words can't describe.

Pray for me, if you get this in time

I'm about 15 minutes away from going running. Yep, running. And no, nothing is chasing me. Except for the curly-haired girl scout friend of mine who is training for a 10 mile run.

Why am I running? To encourage her - or at least that's the hope. She may well wind up reviving me from unconsciousness half way through our route, but that's another story for another time. I figure it might do her good to run with someone that's she's scores better than. And that "someone" is yours truly.

So anyways, it's 6:30 in the morning, and I'm lacing up my shoes to go out and run. I think I've lost it. I think the stresses of the recent weeks are finally all piling up and driving me to these insane measures. Wish me luck.