Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!  Gosh, I felt like this week just flew by!  Glad to see it go, because I have a pretty fun weekend coming up.  One also filled with lesson plans and midterm projects, but a few bits of fun managed to squeak their way in.

 

I'm also excited that I finally remembered to link up with Friday Fill-In!  Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

 

1. One thing I plan on doing to relax this weekend is  going to the Rams game this weekend. Even though I'm a Phins Phan through and through, living in St. Louis has given me a soft spot for the Rams. Joel's bets friend from Portland, who just hap pend to be living in Chicago now, and her husband are coming down to enjoy it with us, because they are big 'ole Packers fans. Now, I don't know if this sounds necessarily relaxing to anyone else, but to me, it is a break from the stress of reality. And that is a big stress reliever.

2. A big pet peeve of mine is  when people bump into you and either don't say anything (like a simple excuse me) or they look like it is somehow your fault.  I don't know hwy in the world this seems like such a big problem in my area as o late, but I find that people don't have the time (or the care) do just have plain good manners.  I miss the South for this reason.

3. I am really loving  the fact that I can finally wear my boots!  I love fall for many reason, but one of the main reasons is because I love pulling the boots out.  It gets hotter than heck around here in the summer, so my poor boots are stuck in the back of my close from about April to whenever fall finally starts to show up.  Oh, and it goes without saying that I love that everything is pumpkin flavored this time of year.  My waistline may not, but I sure do.

 

4. The rain is  fairly non-existent right now, and I'm ok with that.  The only big rain happened to be when I was stuck on campus and parked super far away and had to walk around, getting myself soaked in the process. 

5. My favorite girly indulgence is  I'm not very girly to begin with, but I love a good massage or pedicure.  I don't get pedicures near enough, but there's something about taking a girlfriend to the salon and getting a pedi.

6. A song I always get stuck in my head is I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but right now it's Gangnam style.  It's kind of silly, but pretty catchy.  I only know a few words (my Korean is clearly not on par) but the chorus has been stuck in my head for weeks now!

It's ok Thursday.

 

I always see this link-up, but today I've decided to play along!

 

It's ok...

 

That even though I'm not a coffee purist, that I still love my coffee and must have at least one cup a day to survive.

 

That last night even though I had a ton to do after class I just decided instead to cuddle with my pups and watch the Real Housewives.

 

That I am in a shopping mood 24/7 lately.  Hey, I work...right?  I deserve nice things.

 

And speaking of shopping, (I'm talking to you, snotty store girl) it's ok that I only tend to shop from the clearance rack.  Hey, I like a bargain.  I don't make that much money.

 

That I am planning a trip to NYC for my Birthday.  I want to start the last year of my twenties in one of my favorite cities to make me feel better.

 

That I am already wearing boots (Mr. Judgey Mc Judgerson at work).  It's fall, gosh darn it, and I will wear them all I want to!

 

That I've been feeling kind of bummed about life lately.  I know it will pass, and a pity-party is occasionally ok.  Right?

 

That I have been procrastinating with schoolwork lately.  I always end up getting it turned in.  Might not want to press my luck this semester, though.

 

That I think about moving to Chicago all the time.  Maybe one day I can actually convince the hubster to move there.  I'm looking up condos now, just in case.

The Debates

I think Pugsley looked dashing for the event, don't you?

So, anyways.  The Presidential debates.  Some of you may not know, but my B.A. is in Political Science (and History) and I am straight out obsessed with election time.  The local attack ads (and we have more than our fair share with Congressman Todd Akin), the debates, and even all those pesky phone calls asking my opinion on things.  And while we are on that topic, I haven't even gotten one pesky phone call asking for my varied opinion on the candidates.  Boo.

Anywho, this post isn't going to go into my personal beliefs and opinions concerning the candidates' platforms.  I'm not going to take myself too seriously here.  I just want to talk about the craziness that all of this has caused.  I know that I am fairly moderate, but it kind of appalls me to see friends bickering and name calling other friends on various social media sites, so much so that they will "unfriend" each other over what one believes.  Now, I know I think some of my friends are a little coo-coo in the beliefs department, but hey, isn't that what makes America what it is?  Isn't the point of all of this to create a real conversation in order to pick our leaders to the best of our abilities?  Agree to disagree, folks.  Don't be hateful and judgmental toward others whose beliefs are different than your own.  That's what makes this whole process a beautiful thing.  Or, at least it should be.  Hate both of the candidates?  Make your voices heard!  There are plenty of people out there that don't want either to win.  Wouldn't it be great to have a third candidate out there?  I know the elections are next month, but please know that this country has the ability to drastically change the America we live in.

Ok, now I am veering off topic.  I won't share my idealism for a better America.  I'll save that for another awesome time.  And if anyone working for either candidate reads that (ha!  right...) please tell your candidate that snarky smirks, eye-rolling, name-calling, and interrupting reminds me of a high school debate going on.  Don't be a mean girl in high school!  Sorry, Real Housewives reference there.  See how that all came full circle?  Ha!

My Weekend in Review

So this past weekend was fabulous and very much needed.  For a short week, it sure did seem to grag on and on (and on).  Friday night Joel and I had a double date night with a friend of mine here at work at the new(ish) bistro movie theater that opened here.  The theater itself was great, with individual recliners and an attached tray for food/drinks/whatevs and a push button for table service.  They had an array of snacks and drinks, and because it was a "21 & over" kind of thing, those drinks could be of the alcohol persuasion.  The grown up idea of a movie was great, and we saw Argo, which was equally fantastic.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love history type stuff, and even though I knew what happened at the end, the movie still had me on the edge of my seat.  The food was pretty ehh...as well as the service.  The hubster ordered an appetizer and a flatbread pizza, and he never got his pizza.  Which he should be semi-thankful for because it was less than spectacular.

We left the theater, which coincidentally is kind of inside of a sports bar, and it was in the seventh inning of the Cardinals playoff game.  Now anyone who knows me knows that football is my thang, but baseball is more of a second thought for me.  But, being a new STL transport, I was excited to watch the Cardinals in action.  And what a game!  The biggest comeback in playoff history.  Yay for timely coincidences.  I am joinng in my fellow St. Louisans and hoping for a 12th World Series championship in 2012.

Saturday was an interesting day.  I went to a ladies only kind of gym place downtown, and took a strength training class called "Pole, Sweat, and Tears."  It's a class that teaches you to use various kinds of equipment in order to strengthen your upper and lower body, and of course your core.  One of the things we used was a, well, umm...pole.  Nothing too dramatic and nothing that would embarrass my momma, but it was one hell of a workout.  My thighs are still burning today.  I am working on definitely making that a part of my routine, now that I am starting to get back in one.


The blurry and embarrassing evidence.

After that it was a delicious meal out for a good cause.  And before you ask, yes, I got the petite burger and a salad, versus those delicious never ending steak fries.  Rather than explain the event, I'll show you the flier.

Sunday was a day filled with the usual homework, lesson plans, and other school related stuff, as well as a not usual Sunday happening.  The Dolphins won a game!  Although it was bittersweet win because the beat the Rams, it made the Dolphins .500, and I honestly can't remember the last time that happened (2008 maybe?).  Made Monday morning seem more bearable already!

Will Run for Cupcakes

So, we all know that I fell off of the diet/exercise wagon and that I am starting to feel like fatty mcfatterson.  I am determined to get back on track with this, and have actually scheduled myself for workout time (because I kind of have scheduling OCD sometimes).  Joel loves him some 5K action, and I have to admit that I had fun on the few I did, too.  Well, I found one that I am immediately training for.  The cupcake run!  You run the 5K, and at every kilometer you can eat cupcakes to shave some of your time off.  Umm, count me in!  Who doesn't like cupcake goodness.  And it's all in the name of fitness.  Well, kinda.

In other news, here is a little preview of our Tennessee trip.  P.S., it rained.  A lot.  But it was still a great trip.  More pics to come soon.  Oh, and don't ever eat BBQ in the smokies.  Tastes like ketchup!

Gorgeous, right?  I love fall

To Tennessee and beyond!

You know what I miss most about living overseas?  The traveling.  Because living in Europe was temporary, I knew I had to make the most of my time there by seeing every single thing I could.  And I think I did pretty well.  I visited 25 countries and 4 continents.  That still didn’t seem like enough, but with the limited time I had off of work and, let’s be honest here, the lack of the “1%” cash it would have taken to do even more, I felt pretty good about my traveling accomplishments.  Once a month we had what was commonly known as a “four day weekend” with the military (thank you, Uncle Sam!) and with the super cheap Airfare by European budget airlines (holla, Ryan Air!), the world (ok, most of Europe) was my oyster.

Needless to say, my jet-setting has cooled here in the good ole US of A.  I’ve gone to some fancy place in California for Thanksgiving (no sight-seeing, just in-law family stuff), Jacksonville, FL for work (where it rained every single day), Branson, MO (don’t laugh…I didn’t know!), and Denver, CO for a funeral.  Throw in a couple of weekend trips to Chicago and Indianapolis, and that’s it.  Needless to say traveling has been kept at a minimum.

I’ve decided to change that up, folks.  Now that I have saved up some leave, and have decided to stay local for the upcoming holiday season, I am tentatively planning on some pretty exciting places in the next year that will hopefully kick the butt of the last year’s (lack of) traveling.

Only one has been set in stone.  Well, two technically, but one is more than two days.  So I will start there.  We will be heading to the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg this October for some hopefully relaxing R&R.  I plan on hiking, shopping, eating (duh?!), and taking it easy.  We rented a cabin at the top of a mountain, complete with our own Jacuzzi and wrap-around porch.  I totally need this little get away, too, although I am overwhelmed with school, life, etc.  Hopefully it will be exactly what I need to re-charge.

The second trip is to Indianapolis for the Colts vs. Dolphins game!  Hopefully by boys will show the Colts what’s up in their brand new fancy pants stadium, (that, as a continued resident of Indiana I am sure I somehow paid for).

And then, in no particular order (as they aren’t finalized yet because we haven’t spent any moolah on them) are Ecuador and the Galapagos (any advice would be great if you have any!), a cruise to Alaska (a request from the hubster), a trip to Portland and other various sites in Oregon (again, a trip for Joel), and possibly a little NYC action (once again people, advice would be great!).

I am a travel freak, and I think the lack of adventure in my life is what is keeping me so un-motivated and blah.  Can’t wait for the recharge to begin!

My Shining Stateside Moment.

Ok, people.  I was in Germany a long time.  A LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME.  While I loved my time over there exponentially (and am secretly planning on retiring there...shh...), there were a lot of things I missed about America.  Or so I thought.

About 90 days or so after my patriotic return, I decided that I truly missed everything about living in Germany.  Well, almost.  Want to know what I (sadly) missed the most?  Having a Starbucks on nearly every street corner.  Yes, I know it's crazy expensive, and yes, I know I could just make some of my favorite drinks at home.  But I loves me some starbizzle.  (Yes, that's what Joel calls Starbucks.  Just go with it.)  So having the closest one 45-60 minutes away was a bit of a downer in Deutschland.  And not having pumpkin spiced lattes (which Euro Starbucks don't) made fall a little less spectacular.

While I was away in Germany, I missed out on a super awesome program called the Starbucks Gold Card.  Folks, I feel like I missed out on what I would consider a right of passage for me.  You see, in Indianapolis (holla!) where I grew up, there was a Starbucks less than a five minute drive from my home and apartment, exactly one black down from where I worked, and I think I passed thirty or so on my way to campus.  I would have had a gold card ten times over!  But, alas, I never even had a chance.

Well, guys.  It happened.  I have only been in the states for 13 months, and I have obtained that elusive status.  Free shots of flavoring?  Yes, please.  Upgrades on extras for zero dollars and a free drink after every 15 purchases?  Oh, baby.  Starbucks...you have read my mind.  I think I will stop in on my way home from work.  Thankyouverymuch.

And sadly, no.  I am not being paid for this.  I am just this much of a Starbucks junkie.

I suck!

When Joel was deployed, I rocked in the accomplishment department.  I lost a ton of weight, ate healthier, got in better shape, stayed on top of my school assignments, hung out with friends, and even found time to volunteer and be a good doggy momma.  Wanna know what I have accomplished since Joel has returned?

Nothing.

That's right.  I am totally behind on school stuff, have gained back almost half of the weight I lost, and have virtually sucked at running and eating better.  I have neglected my house, the pups (well, not completely, but they have been missing the lovins that they are used to), and any semblance of progress that I made.  Why is this?  How can I totally rock it on my own, but slide completely back downhill once my husband returned.  Am I not taking care of myself because I am putting his needs before my own, or have I just become lazy?  My guess is the latter.  I need to get back to taking care of myself, and finding the motivation to do so.  I guess what I really need to do is find some balance.

The Dog Days of summer Are Over...

Although fall doesn’t officially start until next weekend, let’s face it:  summer is over.  I turned my air conditioner off (although it is still staying fairly warm in the afternoons), and a sweater made its first non work appearance.  I’m excited, though, because fall is my favorite season.  I love wearing (and getting) my fall boots for the season, hot tea in the evenings, and the ever eventful return of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Oh, be still my heart!

So we wrapped up “our” summer over Labor Day weekend with a fun day that is sure to be a new tradition.  One of the local towns had a dog swim at the public pool on the last day of the season.  They close it to human swimmers at 5pm, and then lets the pet families have at it.  Pugsley, aka the old man, loves to swim.  His body isn’t proportionally great for swimming (he takes after his mommy with a few extra pounds around the middle), and without assistance he would sink like an anchor.  Luckily, PetSmart came to the rescue a few years ago with their doggie life jackets.  The perfect thing for our little puggies! 

We had both the boys suited up (so to speak) and ready to go.  And…they loved it!  There were about 30 or so pets there with their families, and very few little guys like ours.  Pugsley ran around like he was a young pup again, and Gomez made a ton of new pool friends.  They had a blast!  Do any of your areas do this?  I don’t remember Indianapolis ever doing this when I was living there, but I hope it’s a trend that will follow us from base to base.

Here’s a picture of the boys swimming together.  Can’t wait for next year!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

No, not Christmas…football season!  For those of you that don’t know, I am a HUGE football fan.  And ‘tis the season for useless weekends now that college ball has officially started and, of course, the NFL season starts in a mere one day.  Who are my teams, you ask?
Well, for starters…

I am an Indy girl born and bred, and even went to college at IU in Indianapolis (better known as IUPUI to the locals).  I know, I know…  It’s been tough on my Hoosiers, but I bleed crimson and cream, so I am going to be rooting for them every year regardless.  And hey, we started with a win this season.  Maybe things are starting to look up?!

 

I know, I know…(de ja vu?)  How can I claim to be a diehard Hoosier fan and not be head over heels in love with the Colts?  I’ll tell you in two short words: Dan Marino.  Yes, I know that he is old enough to be my father.  But when I was just a young girl of 3 or 4, you couldn’t convince my heart that I would not someday be Mrs. Dan Marino.  And although I grew up and it is obviously not going to happen, I grew up loving the team and through good times and bad (Psst, Jeff Ireland…please tell me there are going to be good times again), I will be a Phins Phan until the end.  Go Dolphins!!!