Well, hello :)

Soooo... Like so many other bloggers, this little webpage of mine has taken a backseat. 

I could go through the excuses (housework, 14hr work days, family issues at hand, still without my laptop, etc), but to be honest... Its all of those things and the sheer fact that Im discouraged. 

Im at a loss as to what to write about, and just dont want to force it.  That and the blogging world just seems to baffle me lately.  Im trying to work on some posts for this weekend, but no promises...

So with that, I want to wish all of you lovelies a Happy Thanksgiving!  

Ahhhhh...

Still without my lappy, though things are looking up :)
Im so excited for the long weekend, as work has been crazy this week!  
Hope all is well with you ladies... Im ready to come back soon, and in full force.  I have so much I want to say, and feel like I have no outlet.  J better plan on relinquishing the desktop this weekend.

Lots of Love!!!

Thank Heaven for Grandparents!

(And parents who are always there when needed!)
So Friday, I make a run to Target after work.  I needed a slip to wear under my dress for date night, and then decided to meet my parents for some W snuggles while J was golfing.
Im driving along, when my Overdrive OFF light comes on, and my car acts like Im taking off in 3rd or 4th gear... Ut oh.  So I pull over, turn my car off, restart it and it seems to be fine.  I put it in reverse, and when I hit the gas, it sounds like it is just spinning!!  Eff!!!  My transmission is shot in poor Molly!!!  First and second gear, along with reverse... Gone.
So thankfully my grandparents are going on vacation for a week, so I can use their Lincoln Navigator while I am figuring out what to do.  Im thinking I want another suv... So probably a Ford Escape (Molly is a Mazda Tribute, basically an Escape), due to size, gas mileage, etc. 
So, thank goodness for grandparents, my parents, J, etc.  It was an interesting weekend!

I am hoping to be able to post some actual posts, with photos, recaps, etc this week!  I have managed to find some super fun blogs to follow lately, and Im hoping to snap J's laptop to comment, etc. 

Have a great night, loves!

Wednesday...

Im still without my lappy, and it def makes me sad :(  Its nice to be able to unplug a bit, but I miss commenting on all of your blogs!!!!  Ive starred so many posts in the google reader app on my phone, its insane!  And some of the link ups this week?  Makes a girl wanna blog! 
Im planning on stealing some time either before or after work tomorrow, bc going this long with just my phone is insanity :)

Hope you loves are having an awesome night!!!

Unplanned Absence...

So my little bloggy break is being extended.  I downloaded Blogger to my phone, and Google Reader, but its not the same.

The reason?  A fried charging port on my lappy :(

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Blogger 411 Link Up

So, since I have been a little absent again, I thought this would be the perfect post :)  Plus, it just sounded like fun!

Go link up with Becky, now!  You can answer these questions, or come up with your own.  Basically, create a "get to know you post" and link up!

1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?
I have been blogging since 2006.  I started my blog on another forum, after reading a friends.  It really started as a wedding planning blog, a way to connect with other ladies and get ideas.  However, as the blurb on the right states, I have since divorced, moved home, dated and moved back in with J.

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?
I did go to college at Grand Valley State University and studied Psychology.  However, after getting a job in the dental field, I put my education on hold.  Now I want to go back, but maybe moreso along the lines of Business Management.

3. Where have you traveled?
This one is pretty boring, but we have stayed in the US.
New York

8/2007

Arizona
Florida
Chicago

10/2010 - but we go at least once a yr

Milwaukee

Miller Park, 7/2012

North Carolina

White Water Rafting

Waterfalls

Biltmore, 7/2008 - and about 30lbs heavier :(

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
A home, and also pay off my medical bills.  Then the standard things like a new car, furnishings, clothes, etc.

5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?
Lying, chewing with your mouth open, and being a horrible friend

6. What is your favorite movie?
Def the Wizard of Oz.  I am obsessed!  I have tons of WoO shirts, 2 copies of the DVD (1 being the 70th Anniversary box set), and even red sparkly flats.  It has been my favorite movie since I was little.

via Technically from Wicked, but same concept ;)

7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?
I have always been a liquor girl, but have made the switch to wine in the past 5yrs or so.  More recently (like a month ago), I have been trying different craft beers, and they aren't so bad!  I can't drink a Miller Lite by any means, but a Bell's Cherry Stout is so yummy!

via

8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?
Read a book, watch mindless tv, bubble baths, etc (that was actually my weekend this past weekend)

Jax Teller - VERY easy on the eyes:)

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
Hmmmm... I would say Banana Republic.  I love the fit of their pants/jeans, and their tops are so classy and adorable.  Plus everything is so well made :)
 
10. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?
My very first job was working at Dairy Queen... I can make the curl on the cone like nobody's business :)
Then I started working at Target, and worked there until I was about 18.  I then took a job working for the dental office (actually worked FT at Target (Scheduling, clerical, etc), 25hrs/week at the Dental office, and took 18 credit hours at GVSU for a full semester... craziness!)

11. Show us the most current picture of you or you and your family.

My little sister and I (I/m on the left) when she was home after Air Force Tech School

 12. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
I am hoping to really be settled.  I still would love to be working where I am, have a home with J and be able to travel more.  

Bloggie Awards!

How cool is this idea?!?!?!?  Nathan from Life and Everything Else in Between came up with the Bloggies, which is so much fun!  I am not nominated, but some of my favorite bloggers are, and I wanted to give a shout out to some great bloggers and categories!  You should def head over to Nathan's Page and vote!

Hope you are all having a great Sunday!

Bloggy Break

I have things to talk about, but zero motivation to post.  I have a folder in my bookmarks titled "comment", and again, no motivation.

Not sure why I feel like this, but I am hoping it passes soon... have a great weekend, Loves!

Home....

Omgoodess!  This weekend started out amazing, but took a wrong turn super fast, and just went from bad to worse until we finally got home this afternoon.

Recap coming soon, as I would still take this trip all over again, but for tonight, I just need to decompress.

Hope you all had a Fantabulous weekend :)

Weekend!!!

Doesn't today feel like Saturday???  I won't lie... I'm a little bummed I have to go back to work tomorrow and then a 1/2 day on Friday.  But...  then on Saturday, I will be joining tons of people here:

via

Checking out this show:

Via

via

Saturday July 07
Marcus Amphitheater 8:00PM Aerosmith with special guest Cheap Trick

via

I'm not excited, at all ;)  I better hear some "I Want You to Want Me", and of course: "What it Takes", "Love in an Elevator", and "Cryin"!

I probably won't be back until Monday, so have an amazing weekend!

Yummys to Get Me Through a Night

Working nights as a Bartender leaves me drained for energy most nights.  I have had to find some ways to keep myself away without living with a coffee IV in my arm 24/7.

Lately, I have found my go to, and turned people other people on to it:

Sugar Free Red Bull, about 1/2 a can

3/4 of small can of Sugar Free Grapefruit Juice

Splash of Pineapple Juice

I usually drink a couple of these a night and it really helps to keep my energy up slinging beers :) Plus, I am pretty sure I am packing this little combo to get me through the weekend...

Any tips for getting through some long nights?

*All images via Google Images*

Relaxation...

I am beginning to think I am not your normal 28yr old... I am at a function this weekend for the American Legion.  I have been an Auxilary member for 24yrs, and am now the 2nd vice for my unit.  We coordinated Convention, which is this weekend, so I drove to the Kalamazoo hotel yesterday, and immediately unpacked, grabbed a salad, and then chatted with my gram for a while before bed. I have a room to myself this weekend, so a King Size Sleep # bed is amazing!!!  I slept like a baby last night, and again this afternoon while I napped.

I was stressing out about being behind on blogs, etc.  Just now plugged in my computer, and honestly, I am going to type some notes from the meetings today, and then another bubble bath is calling my name!  I figure that I don't get this opprotunity very often (Hotel room all to myself), so I am going to relax and recharge!  You may find me coming around and playing catch up, but no promises!

Fun Stuff from today though:
1. I SUPER overpacked!  I always do, but I am pretty sure I have enough clothes for 2weeks, and I was just going to be gone 2 nights.  Pretty sure I am just going to leave my suitcase packed for next weekend!
2. I drank my first beer tonight... I am a vodka, wine, liquor girl.  Well, we are a block from Bell's Brewery, and J wanted a glass (we try to get here once a year, but I felt like taking a walk).  I stopped into the cafe and thought, "What the hell"... so I ordered their Cherry Stout.  I loved it!  So weird, considering I hate beer, and it was super dark... but I may slowly be becoming a Beer Convert :)

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend... I may have some pictures later, but I am too lazy to find my phone and camera!

Night, Loves!

How do you feel about uncertainty? Is it exciting or scary?

This is another draft post... it was a Blogher Prompt from a while back, and when I wrote this Sunday, it was the perfect time.

I am in the complete middle of a panic attack, even though I know I have J to lean on.  I am working out my budget for the Month of July, and apparently I forgot to pay my medical bill in June, leaving a double payment due this month, which I was already worried about (and yes I know it's the end of June... ugh!).  J has a great job, and we have always "helped" each other out.  Even though we keep separate bank accts now, my money has always been his, and vise versa.  So why do I feel like a scum bag asking for help?

So, uncertainty.  Being uncertain about my finances this summer, hoping I could drop my summer job?  Not going to happen...  I hate uncertainty.  It scares the hell out of me and always has.  From not knowing what was going to happen in my marriage, to now knowing about my job, to not knowing if I would find a new one, then worrying about some place to live, etc  I have always been the queen of panic attacks and worrying.  I worry so much that I often make myself sick and can't sleep.

So, now I am uncertain about this bill.  Trivial in the grand scheme of things... yep/  But it worries me now.  Worries me as to where I am going to magically be able to make money appear, how they will react re: my credit, the whole thing.  I hate it...

Friday Letters

Linking up for the first time with Ashley, and so excited for this!


Dear J: Thanks for putting up with my crazy freakouts and all around quirks... after 11yrs, you handle them perfectly :)  I don't think I could love you anymore than I do right now.

Dear Pinkie (AKA my Laptop): causing a said "freak out" for me was not only not funny, but also not your fault.  However, you will be having a "date" with the external hard drive STAT, just because

Dear Schedule: would you mind settling down just a little?  While I am super excited to be busy, I am so going to love sleeping in my own bed the weekend of 7/13

Dear W: Auntie Ber misses you like crazy... sleep over soon!

Have a wonderful Weekend, Loves!

"You Are Not Special"

I know this is probably old news, but I have had this saved in my draft posts for a while and wanted to add my 2 cents.  I know it's going to be a long entry, but bare with me :)

Recently this was making news on FB and news channels all over.  A commencement speech on June 1 where Wellesley High teacher David McCullough tells the kids they "weren't special"... it had a lot of people all fired up, that is for sure!
I copied the speech here from this website:

"Dr. Wong, Dr. Keough, Mrs. Novogroski, Ms. Curran, members of the board of education, family and friends of the graduates, ladies and gentlemen of the Wellesley High School class of 2012, for the privilege of speaking to you this afternoon, I am honored and grateful. Thank you.

So here we are... commencement... life’s great forward-looking ceremony. (And don’t say, “What about weddings?” Weddings are one-sided and insufficiently effective. Weddings are bride-centric pageantry. Other than conceding to a list of unreasonable demands, the groom just stands there. No stately, hey-everybody-look-at-me procession. No being given away. No identity-changing pronouncement. And can you imagine a television show dedicated to watching guys try on tuxedos? Their fathers sitting there misty-eyed with joy and disbelief, their brothers lurking in the corner muttering with envy. Left to men, weddings would be, after limits-testing procrastination, spontaneous, almost inadvertent... during halftime... on the way to the refrigerator. And then there’s the frequency of failure: statistics tell us half of you will get divorced. A winning percentage like that’ll get you last place in the American League East. The Baltimore Orioles do better than weddings.)

But this ceremony... commencement... a commencement works every time. From this day forward... truly... in sickness and in health, through financial fiascos, through midlife crises and passably attractive sales reps at trade shows in Cincinnati, through diminishing tolerance for annoyingness, through every difference, irreconcilable and otherwise, you will stay forever graduated from high school, you and your diploma as one, ’til death do you part.

No, commencement is life’s great ceremonial beginning, with its own attendant and highly appropriate symbolism. Fitting, for example, for this auspicious rite of passage, is where we find ourselves this afternoon, the venue. Normally, I avoid clichés like the plague, wouldn’t touch them with a ten-foot pole, but here we are on a literal level playing field. That matters. That says something. And your ceremonial costume... shapeless, uniform, one-size-fits-all. Whether male or female, tall or short, scholar or slacker, spray-tanned prom queen or intergalactic X-Box assassin, each of you is dressed, you’ll notice, exactly the same. And your diploma... but for your name, exactly the same.

All of this is as it should be, because none of you is special.

You are not special. You are not exceptional.

Contrary to what your u9 soccer trophy suggests, your glowing seventh grade report card, despite every assurance of a certain corpulent purple dinosaur, that nice Mister Rogers and your batty Aunt Sylvia, no matter how often your maternal caped crusader has swooped in to save you... you’re nothing special.

Yes, you’ve been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped. Yes, capable adults with other things to do have held you, kissed you, fed you, wiped your mouth, wiped your bottom, trained you, taught you, tutored you, coached you, listened to you, counseled you, encouraged you, consoled you and encouraged you again. You’ve been nudged, cajoled, wheedled and implored. You’ve been feted and fawned over and called sweetie pie. Yes, you have. And, certainly, we’ve been to your games, your plays, your recitals, your science fairs. Absolutely, smiles ignite when you walk into a room, and hundreds gasp with delight at your every tweet. Why, maybe you’ve even had your picture in the Townsman! And now you’ve conquered high school... and, indisputably, here we all have gathered for you, the pride and joy of this fine community, the first to emerge from that magnificent new building...

But do not get the idea you’re anything special. Because you’re not.

The empirical evidence is everywhere, numbers even an English teacher can’t ignore. Newton, Natick, Nee... I am allowed to say Needham, yes? ...that has to be two thousand high school graduates right there, give or take, and that’s just the neighborhood Ns. Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That’s 37,000 valedictorians... 37,000 class presidents... 92,000 harmonizing altos... 340,000 swaggering jocks... 2,185,967 pairs of Uggs. But why limit ourselves to high school? After all, you’re leaving it. So think about this: even if you’re one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you. Imagine standing somewhere over there on Washington Street on Marathon Monday and watching sixty-eight hundred yous go running by. And consider for a moment the bigger picture: your planet, I’ll remind you, is not the center of its solar system, your solar system is not the center of its galaxy, your galaxy is not the center of the universe. In fact, astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center; therefore, you cannot be it. Neither can Donald Trump... which someone should tell him... although that hair is quite a phenomenon. 

“But, Dave,” you cry, “Walt Whitman tells me I’m my own version of perfection! Epictetus tells me I have the spark of Zeus!” And I don’t disagree. So that makes 6.8 billion examples of perfection, 6.8 billion sparks of Zeus. You see, if everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless. In our unspoken but not so subtle Darwinian competition with one another--which springs, I think, from our fear of our own insignificance, a subset of our dread of mortality--we have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement. We have come to see them as the point--and we’re happy to compromise standards, or ignore reality, if we suspect that’s the quickest way, or only way, to have something to put on the mantelpiece, something to pose with, crow about, something with which to leverage ourselves into a better spot on the social totem pole. No longer is it how you play the game, no longer is it even whether you win or lose, or learn or grow, or enjoy yourself doing it... Now it’s “So what does this get me?” As a consequence, we cheapen worthy endeavors, and building a Guatemalan medical clinic becomes more about the application to Bowdoin than the well-being of Guatemalans. It’s an epidemic--and in its way, not even dear old Wellesley High is immune... one of the best of the 37,000 nationwide, Wellesley High School... where good is no longer good enough, where a B is the new C, and the midlevel curriculum is called Advanced College Placement. And I hope you caught me when I said “one of the best.” I said “one of the best” so we can feel better about ourselves, so we can bask in a little easy distinction, however vague and unverifiable, and count ourselves among the elite, whoever they might be, and enjoy a perceived leg up on the perceived competition. But the phrase defies logic. By definition there can be only one best. You’re it or you’re not.

If you’ve learned anything in your years here I hope it’s that education should be for, rather than material advantage, the exhilaration of learning. You’ve learned, too, I hope, as Sophocles assured us, that wisdom is the chief element of happiness. (Second is ice cream... just an fyi) I also hope you’ve learned enough to recognize how little you know... how little you know now... at the moment... for today is just the beginning. It’s where you go from here that matters.

As you commence, then, and before you scatter to the winds, I urge you to do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance. Don’t bother with work you don’t believe in any more than you would a spouse you’re not crazy about, lest you too find yourself on the wrong side of a Baltimore Orioles comparison. Resist the easy comforts of complacency, the specious glitter of materialism, the narcotic paralysis of self-satisfaction. Be worthy of your advantages. And read... read all the time... read as a matter of principle, as a matter of self-respect. Read as a nourishing staple of life. Develop and protect a moral sensibility and demonstrate the character to apply it. Dream big. Work hard. Think for yourself. Love everything you love, everyone you love, with all your might. And do so, please, with a sense of urgency, for every tick of the clock subtracts from fewer and fewer; and as surely as there are commencements there are cessations, and you’ll be in no condition to enjoy the ceremony attendant to that eventuality no matter how delightful the afternoon.

The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life, is an achievement, not something that will fall into your lap because you’re a nice person or mommy ordered it from the caterer. You’ll note the founding fathers took pains to secure your inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness--quite an active verb, “pursuit”--which leaves, I should think, little time for lying around watching parrots rollerskate on Youtube. The first President Roosevelt, the old rough rider, advocated the strenuous life. Mr. Thoreau wanted to drive life into a corner, to live deep and suck out all the marrow. The poet Mary Oliver tells us to row, row into the swirl and roil. Locally, someone... I forget who... from time to time encourages young scholars to carpe the heck out of the diem. The point is the same: get busy, have at it. Don’t wait for inspiration or passion to find you. Get up, get out, explore, find it yourself, and grab hold with both hands. (Now, before you dash off and get your YOLO tattoo, let me point out the illogic of that trendy little expression--because you can and should live not merely once, but every day of your life. Rather than You Only Live Once, it should be You Live Only Once... but because YLOO doesn’t have the same ring, we shrug and decide it doesn’t matter.) 

None of this day-seizing, though, this YLOOing, should be interpreted as license for self-indulgence. Like accolades ought to be, the fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct. It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things. Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion--and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. 

Because everyone is.
Congratulations. Good luck. Make for yourselves, please, for your sake and for ours, extraordinary lives.
David McCullough Jr"

 

Personally, I LOVED this speech, and I wish someone would have had the nerve to say this when I graduated.  I feel like all through High School, it was pushed onto all of us that we were special, we were all the best of the best, but really, what good did that do?  I think for me, it presented a false sense of not being able to fail.  And my first semester of Senior Year, fail I did.  Then through college I thought my stellar GPA (that I still somehow maintained) would just bounce me through those halls... Nope.  I feel like by being constantly coddled and babied, we were almost set up to fail.

What did you think of this speech?  Did it impact how you think about your life and high school career?

Bible Reading Check In

Remember some time ago I discussed that I wanted to read the Bible, and hoped by following this website I could do it in a year?

Well, I started with the best of intentions, but as I had set up my reading to follow the Bible chronologically instead of by books, I was so confused when things started jumping all over, and I lost motivation.

I promised myself I would start again June 1... well... again I started off strong, but Sunday I had some catching up of about 2 weeks worth of reading :(  I read GEN 19-21 and was scheduled to be reading EX 25-27 that night. 

I am really glad I am taking the time to read it in order of books this time, and I am finding myself thinking a lot (I read about Lot and his 2 daughters, strange to think situations like that actually occurred way back then!)

So, even though I may be slacking, I am staying diligent, and even thinking the lappy will be making an appearance on my vacations so I can hopefully continue my nightly habit :)

Help Me Calm My Crazies...

Now, if J were to write this post, he would tell you I am certifiably insane 98% of the time, and that this is a minor case, but I seriously was freaking out Saturday night at work for a bit, until I re-ran the day in my head.

I have many fears... Irrational as they may be.  Losing J or a family member, Getting sick myself, Losing a tooth, etc.  But right there near the top of the list... House Fires.

When I was 12, we had Christmas with my dad, like we do every year.  I don't remember details, but it was at the very beginning of my parents divorce, and my dad and I were not close.  I remember he was being a jerk, so I called my mom to come and get us.  She rushed over, and when we got home, she told me to open the house door so I could help get my sisters and stuff inside.

I remember opening the door, and all I could see was gray, and all I could hear was the smoke alarm.  I yelled for my mom, and then for my dog and cat... my mom quickly set my sisters in the front yard, and I ran to the neighbors to call 911.  The firefighters found the dog pressed against the sliding glass door, and the cat downstairs.

My mom was doing a massive clean/purge (as it was right after Christmas, and she always makes room for the new stuff) and had a candle burning.  When I called her freaking out, she bolted from the house, and that candle was left burning.  The fire started in the living room, but the smoke damage was extensive all throughout the house (my room was the least damaged as it was at the far end and the door was always closed).

Needless to say, while we dealt with insurance companies and the rebuilding, we lived in some pretty sketchy rentals set up by our insurance co.  The fire was in the very beginning of Jan, and we didn't move back in until almost May.

Now to today... I am so paranoid!  I will not burn a candle unless I am in the room with it at all times.  If for some reason I think we forgot to blow it out, I have been known to leave J at a restaurant and run home to double check.  I am also super paranoid about turning off the stove and oven, and since we have a gas stove, not leaving ANYTHING on the surface.  That was my freakout Saturday.  J was gone for the weekend, and I used both to make myself brunch.  I thought for sure I left something on... and thought about leaving work to go home and dbl check.  However, I ran through my routine in my head and realized there was no way I left something on.   Seriously though, I was making myself sick thinking about it!

And it doesn't help that the laundry room in our apt building shares a wall with our bathroom... a few months ago we came in the front door, which we NEVER do, and noticed the washer was smoking!  The neighbors had shoved it so full, the agitator couldn't turn and the motor was burning up.  It makes me cringe to think what could have happened!!!

When I would house sit also, I would worry I left the stove on in someone else's house ALL the time, even though I am super careful and never did... ugh!!!

Am I alone in this, or do you have things that seriously freak you out and make you worry?

Coast to Coast

Kelly posted this button one of her posts last week, and I was super intrigued.  I clicked on it and headed over the Shane's blog... you should, too!

Such a cool idea, and the perfect tool for bloggers trying to plan a link up!  I haven't dug very far into it, but it seems amazing!

You should def go and take a peek, and add yourself to the map!  Who knows who may be right in your "neck of the woods" :)

Sunday Social #3

Linking up with our favorite girls again, Neely and Ashley!  I am a complete music Junkie, so this is the perfect week for me! 

What is your all-time favorite song?

What it Takes - Aerosmith

 I am so excited to see them in less than 2 weeks!

What is your favorite singer/band?
Hands down, ask anyone... Journey!  I have seen them once and plan to again this summer.  LOVE THEM!

 

What is your theme song/song that best describes your life?

Little Miss - Sugarland

Halestorm - Here's to Us 

What songs put you in a good mood?

Right now, Luke Bryan Country Girl - so fun and silly

 

Theory of a deadman - Bad Bad Girlfriend - not one of my finest admissions, but it has been known to be my Theme song for nights out when I was a little younger...

And as cliche as it sounds, I have also been playing this lovely number all too often:

What is your favorite road-trip music?

Anything Fun!  
Plumb - Stranded

Eric Church - Springsteen

Bon Jovi

Theory of a Deadman

What song are you embarrassed to admit you love?

Oh Gosh, as you can tell, my music taste is pretty all over the place, so not much embarrasses me, but I would say Hanson... how can you not love some MmmBop on a bad day?  

My sister even made the DJ play this and some Nsync at her wedding and then made my step dad and sisters dance with her... the poor man was tortured when we were younger!

Time for some Sappies....

So, this post is going to be a little on the sappy side.  Fair Warning :)

Have you ever had one of those days where you look out at your schedule, and realize the next weeks, months, day, etc are going to be INSANE?  Yep, had one of those days yesterday, and I'm still  not completely okay with it.

My Little Sister came home from BMT and Air Force Tech School Wednesday Night.  I am so excited to see her, as talking on the phone the past 6months is not enough!  She was my P.I.C., my Go To Girl, and more.  Well, I got to see her Thursday for hair night (pics to come when I am feeling better about THAT!  Yikes!), and then last night for awhile as we celebrated her being home.  However, in true Lame Girl fashion, I was home, face washed and bubble bathed by 11:30... on a Friday night.  Yep...

I am planning on seeing her again Tuesday night, and then Thursday she is coming over with her new BF to have dinner with Josh and I.  So excited for this!  I will also be meeting her on the road next Sunday when she leaves, to say good bye for another 3-4months :(

I also am slammed with Auxilary duties these next 2 weeks (I was elected 2nd Vice back in May, so that is fun, and a lot more responsibility, but I am excited for these next 2 years!).  Here is a breakdown of my next 2 weeks, starting with last Thursday (and I promise, there is a point to the title and this post!):

Thurs 6/21:  Hair with Jess after work
Fri 6/22: Legion and Casey's with Jess, J with friends
Sat 6/23: Bartend at 4, J with friends
Sun 6/24: All Day with J
Mon 6/25: Wine with Debi - 5, Coffee with Taryn - 7:30
Tues 6/26: Jess
Wed 6/27: Laundry/Packing
Thurs 6/28: Dinner with Jess, Eric, J - Pack around 8pm
Fri 6/29: Leave right after work for Legion Convention in KZoo
Sat 6/30: Legion Convention
Sun 7/1: Meet Jess on my way home to say Goodbye
Mon 7/2: work late
Tues 7/3: Work, Laundry/Packing
Wed 7/4: Legion Cookout
Thurs: 7/5: Work, Trade cars with mom
Fri 7/6: Half day of work, Leave for Vacation with J!

As you can see, there is not a lot of J time in the next 2 weeks, and this makes me sad :(  Honestly, he is not home now, so I haven't seen him since yesterday morning for about 10min, and I miss him terribly.  I emailed him yesterday at work, just to let him know, which was completely "Girlie" on my part, but even thinking about not seeing him for 2days made me emotional (of course, that can be partially blamed on PMS):
"

From: J
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 11:06 AM
To: Amber Goodin
Subject: Re: Friday

Awwww.  Yeah we should just have a low key Sunday.  Vacation is gonna be AWESOME SAUCE! wheee 

On Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 10:46 AM, Amber Goodin wrote:

Can I just say how much I am looking forward to vacation in 14days?!?!??!  I feel like I am so busy the next week with the Legion trip and Jessica being home… I am not planning ANYTHING for Sunday, other than Laundry. I just want to snuggle with you, and I miss you already L

Love you baby!

Amber"
Isn't his response so romantic, HA!  That's my boy :)

Do you ever have crazy weeks and miss your sweetie, even though you live together and may still "see" them everyday?

LOVE!

Can I just go on record saying that I LOVED how I spent last night?!?!?! Silly as it may seem, it was JUST what I needed :)

J and I had planned on grabbing Subway for dinner, as he was determined to get one of the Turkey, Bacon & Avocado subs (I also had to partake, minus the bacon), and it seemed everyone in town was on the same page (given it was 91* with a heat index way over 100, I was happy to not cook!).  Once we got home, he decided to take a nap (so jealous he can even do that and still sleep at night), so I did some massive blogging, and it felt fabulous!

I was able to make the rounds and spread some love, type a post or two, and respond to all of my emails.  It made me so happy and I felt so productive.  I loved the conversations with so many great people, and when I went in to start my nightly routine, I felt so refreshed and happy.  Isn't it silly how being social makes you feel?  All too often I feel like a "lurker", even though I have my own space of the interwebs, and I love interacting with people :)

It would have felt awesome to be able to snuggle on the couch and catch up on some shows like J and I had originally planned, but the boy needed some rest, and hulu plus is always on stand by :)

Hope you also had an amazing night to relax and recharge, loves!

Catching some ZZZ's

 I know I can't be the only person out there who suffers with Insomnia.   Some nights, no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to fall asleep!  For instance, last Sunday, I was awake until 5:30AM and then had to officially be up for work at 7am.  I thought for sure I would come home from work and my Auxilary meeting and be out for the night, but oh no... I was awake Monday night until 3am... and I tried all of my tricks!!!


I never used to have a problem sleeping... I could nap for 2-3hrs after school and then sleep all night and then all the next day if allowed.  Honestly, I think it really got bad when J and I started having our marital problems.  Since then, there are nights that I am out early and sleep well, and others that I toss and turn, if I am lucky to sleep at all.

I usually have a list of "tricks" when I can feel a night of no-sleep is upon me:
1.  Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea

via

 

 

I love these... and usually these mixed with a hot bubble bath and a really good, non-suspenseful book will have me drifting off in no time! 

2. Speaking of bubble baths, this bubble bath & lotion set relaxes me and smells amazing! Which reminds me I am out of the bubble bath and need to get more, STAT!

All 3 images via

3. I HATE taking things like Tylenol PM or Ambian unless I know I have nothing planned the next day, bc I feel horribly groggy all morning!  However, I have tried taking these, and it usually works well, without the "crap" feeling the next morning at work:

Via  This stuff stinks to high heaven!!! 

via

I usually do a combination or all 3 of the above, then am off to my comfy bed for some snoozing.  But sometimes even that doesn't work.  Then I find myself on the couch, without or with the TV (I know all the studies say no tv or computer at night, but sometimes I just need the "noise" or whatever it is) and no matter what I do, no sleepy for this girl!

I am seriously wondering what else I can try, bc in the situation last week, I tried all 3 things both nights and still felt like I could have been out for a run at 4am, with no problem!

Do you suffer from Insomnia at all?  What are your tricks for falling asleep, even when all else fails?

Hudsonville Winery - Review

Hudsonville Winery Website

I know I have showed you most of these before this past week on my Phone Photo Fun Recap, but this place has quickly become a new favorite for J and I, so it deserves it's own post.

When we first moved to the area, I passed by this little red building at least twice a day.  It wasn't until a friend took me in that I realized what it actually was.  It was small, and basically, it was a store to buy the wine.  Everything from your traditional Cabernets, Merlots, Reislings, etc to fun ones such as Acai, Kiwi Pear, Beach, Hudsonberry (Strawberry) and more.  With ID, you could have a sample before you purchased, but that was it.

Before:

via

via

via This was the old "tasting bar"

After:

Taken during my visit 4/27/12

Taken during my visit 4/27/12

Taken during my trip 4/27/12... This is now what you see when you walk in

 Well, as you noticed from the pictures, this spring this changed, big time!  They completely remodeled, making room for full seating, renovating to add a full bar (for the wine) and a tasting program that is amazing!

Wines-
For just walking in, you are offered the following piece of paper, outlining the tasting menu:

This is my menu from out last trip.  You pick 5 wines.  Then the server follows your menu from left to right, bringing you samples of your selections.  This is COMPLIMENTARY, just for walking in the door!  Huge bonus if you ask this girl :)
After your tastes, you can then choose to leave, or stay and have a glass of wine (Which always turns into more than 1 :)  On your way out, you can still buy the wines, just like you used to.  J and I average 3 bottles every time we head out.  Pathetic enough, because this is literally 3 min from home, most of them know me by name...

Beer:
They began brewing their own micro brews 4/28/12, and Steve was kind enough to give me a tour when I was there 4/27/12:

Taps waiting for delicious (I am only assuming, as I do not touch the stuff!) Beers :)

From the control panel... "Roomie" says Hi :P

 The brewery opened officially June 1, 2012.  J and I stopped in last Monday, as the first couple of days were insane, based on the tents and crowded parking lot.

My image   This is the new beer menu

My image  Taps filled, glasses and growlers ready!

My Green Apple Wine, J's "Kush" Micro Brew

Some of the beers on the mirror.  Had to take this one for a friend that LOVES The Big Bang Theory :)

I honestly wish I could pick a favorite wine and stick with it... however, that is just not the case!  I LOVE their dessert wines, and the Kiwi Pear, the Acai, the Green Apple, the Peach... the list goes on and on!  J had a hard time narrowing down his favorite beer also, but he LOVED the Kush IPA and Everlasting Light.

Basically, the fact that this place has expanded and grown was def a "pro" in our decision not to move from where we are living.  J and I could def see ourselves spending lots of time here after dinner, just enjoying a glass of wine and a beer.  If you are in the area, I suggest checking out the Hudsonville Winery!