Happy New Year

My hope is for all of my friends out there to have a happy and healthy New Year! 

I'll be back next week with a more positive outlook and hopefully some more interesting content!!!

Randoms and Stuff

Been thinking of moving over to WordPress... feedback is welcome!

My mailman hates me.  I didn't get my mail for a little over a week.  So he put a 10-day hold on my mail.  I went to the post office yesterday to get it and the guy couldn't find it.  WTF?!  So annoyed!

Milli peed on  my bed.  Again.  For the 4th time in the last two months.  Which means I've had to wash ALL of my bedding four times in the last two months.  Duvet, comforter and all!  I'm so done with the puppy-stage!  That's her on the kitchen table, coming to say hello.

The "non-girlfriend" is back at my house.  I'm less than thrilled about this.

I have a severe case of eczema on both of my hands, and I suspect, my left foot.  It's really ugly.  And annoying.  I've tried almost everything.  Any suggestions?

I've been a crafting fiend this week.  I'm making lots of fun goodies for gifts this year and I hope everyone likes them!

I'm so over the dogs barking, I could scream!  They bark at E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!!!

I think I'll start spraying them with the squirt bottle. 

I need a vacation in the worst way.  And I have no money.  So there goes that idea.  Good thing I started back at yoga, huh?

Have I mentioned my TV is on the fritz?  Well, word on the street is that Santa is bringing me one.  I can't wait to have a TV that actually turns on without having to hold down the power button indefinitely.

I lurve my new iPhone.  And now I want an iPad.  I'll be taking donations...

I miss my man so incredibly much.  Have I mentioned I hate that he lives in TX now?  Seriously.  It's effing lame.  We're having a webcam date on Sunday.  I'm sooo excited to see him!

BigMamaCass is having a Boy!  I was really hoping for a girl, but ya know, it's not my baby... it's just so much more fun to shop for girl clothes!

Sometimes I think I want kids.  Sometimes I don't.  Hmmm.... what to do, what to do?

Over- Under- And All-Around Whelmed

I'm overwhelmed with work.  Have been for about 3 weeks now. 

I'm underwhelmed at home.  I've got so much that needs to be done and no motivation to do any of it.

I'm cranky.

I'm sick of the dogs barking at EVERYTHING on TV.  From the "We Bought A Zoo" trailer, to the "TinTin" commercial, to Nelson Mandela.  It's getting old.

My house is a wreck.

My room looks like a tornado ripped through it. 

There are piles of laundry sitting on the floor that need to get done.

Let's not even talk about what else is all over the floor.  Damn dogs!

I need to get my life organized. 

I need to get my house organized. 

I need to start/finish Christmas shopping.

I need to finish making the Christmas gifts I have sitting in the corner of the kitchen.

I need to redecorate my house.

I need more money. 

I want to bake and make some nummy recipes... but I suck in the kitchen.

Pretty sure I need to go to yoga.

Oh well.  This has been a great post after being gone for two weeks, huh? 

Can anyone cheer me up???



Happy Birthday... To ME!

Today is my birthday... well, at least for another 30 minutes.  Or, 54 minutes, if you want to count an entire 24-hour period from the minute I was born.  In either case, it's almost over.  And it was pretty anticlimactic.  But that's ok.  I think that's what happens when you turn 32.  Holy shit, that looks weird to type.  Anyhoodle, I'm so unbelievably happy that I didn't have to spend my birthday alone in a hotel room this year.  I'd rather be home and bored, than on the road and alone! 

I started my day by sleeping in a bit, working for a while, and then listening in on a conference call.  I'll stop so you can contain your jealousy.  I met my mom, my aunt Carrie and Janice at Salt City Burger and had a very yummy birthday lunch, then went in search of a case for my new phone.  Finding one I like is proving to be more difficult than I anticipated!  Suggestions???  Anyone???

After I got home, I worked for a while and then went over to my mom and dad's house for dinner.  We had steak and the leftover pasta that I made the other night.  I helped my dad figure out some apps on his iPad and hung around for a bit.  Kind of a nice, low-key night chillin' with the fam. 

The highlight of my day though, was the gift I got from my parents... A spankin' new Kindle!!!  I've been wanting an e-reader for a while now and am sooo super excited to have one!  I realized how difficult reading on the plane is for me (motion sickness, cramped space, heavy hardbacks, etc.) and decided a Kindle would be a good investment.  I'm actually looking forward to my trip next week so I can really put it to use!

In anticipation of the arrival of my pressie, I ordered myself a cover for it last week and it should be arriving tomorrow.  It was on sale, so I don't need a lecture!  But you can tell me how cute it is...

And can I just tell y'all how much I love my iPhone!?  It's fabulous!  I'm sure it'll take me 3 months to figure out all its functionality, but for now, it's great.  If anyone has any suggestions for apps you absolutely can't live without, lemme know!

Hope y'all are having a great week!!!

Playing Catch-Up, Great Friends, and New Toys

Random Tuesdayness:  You know what to do...

A few weeks back during one of my trips, the handle on my laptop roller bag broke. The bag is only a year old so I was kind of angry that it gave out on me. Let me tell you, wheeling a bag without a handle through the airport is a pain in the hiney! I found this bag online for a decent price and it arrived last week. I absolutely love it. The real test will come next week when I take it on its first trip. I'll let you know how she does!

I mentioned that I’m working on an afghan, and it’s kind of cracking me up that I’m so excited about it. My goal isn’t to make it look pretty and uniform, but funky and unmatched. I’ll keep updating my progress if I remember!

It’s no secret that I hate my phone, and that I’ve been pining for an iPhone for quite a while now. I finally broke down on Saturday night and bought one. The major bummer though, is that they were out of stock at the Verizon store, so I have to wait for it to be shipped to my house. And according to FedEx, that’ll be tomorrow! I am soooo excited and am sick of waiting! Apparently, I kind of “flipped out” at the store. At least according to Wiki and Jenn. I don’t really know what they’re talking about, but you can ask them if you want!  

About 3 weeks ago I had the pleasure of having dinner with two of the most fabulous girls in the world… Aurs and Di Bradley (we’ve called her by her first & last name since we’ve been friends). We started off with pizza and wine at Setebello and then went onto BarX for a cocktail. We had such a great time catching up… we don’t get together nearly as often as we should!  I should also mention that Ty Burrell is part owner of BarX... put that on your list of unneeded trivia! 

A few weekends later I went out with another group of my fabulous friends (RosaMarie & Jenn) and had dinner at Vinto. I’d never been there before and I absolutely love the place. The food is fantastic. The atmosphere is great. The service was excellent. And I can’t wait to go back! After dinner the three of us met up with ToniTone at BarX (are you sensing a theme here) for a few drinks. I hadn’t seen Jenn in a while and it was good to get caught up.  

That same weekend on Sunday I took Mr. Aidan on his birthday date. I cannot believe he’s already 7. It’s freaking me out. We went to see The Smurfs and we both loved it! Before the movie started, he said, “Hey Tata, Barney is in this movie.” I was thinking, why the hell is Barney the Purple Dinosaur in this movie… then realized he was talking about Barney (aka NPH) from How I Met Your Mother. He also recognized “Gloria” from Modern Family, and George Lopez as the voice of Grouchy Smurf. I was dying! 

Later that night, Auri and I went on a little date of our own to see Breaking Dawn. OMG, I loved it! Probably not my favorite of the series, but it was still good. There were a few super-cheesy parts that I would have done completely differently, but whatevs. I really liked where the movie ended in anticipation for Part 2, but really don’t want to wait another year to see it!

Also, I may or may not be in love with someecards… they seriously kill me! Freaking hilarious!

I want this ring.  That is all.

 

Finally, here is my beautiful Cass!  She's finally showing!!!  Isn't she cute???  14 weeks, I think... I'm convinced she's having a girl.  If she doesn't, I'll probably cry.  But then I'll get over it.

Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

The Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend was pretty busy around here! I spent a few hours on Thanksgiving Day making food to take over to my mom and dad's house for dinner. I took on a few recipes I'd never tried and am happy to report they all turned out! My mom's table was absolutely gorgeous, but sadly, I didn't bother taking any pics. I figured they wouldn't do it justice anyway. 

After dinner I met up with Jenn and we braved the midnight crowds. Or rather, the 10PM crowds, as that’s when we started at WalMart! Let me tell you, it was nuts! We got a few good deals, but I was kind of bummed I didn't get a TV. I should have known I had to be in line at 6PM! Oh well, I've heard the sales in the next few weeks and over President's Day are usually better anyway. I did manage to get a $297 microwave for $135, so I'll take that! Ours went caput about a month ago and it's been a mess! I'm glad to have the new one up and working!

After our adventure at WalMart we went over to Shopko where I found some really cute Christmas decorations, and a $7 immersion blender. After Shopko we planned on dropping off our stuff at Jenn's and then going to Sears at 4AM for the microwave. Instead, we found out I was able to order it online for the same price so we called it a night!

Naturally I slept in on Friday. It was my day off and I was tired. So there. I met my mom and Jan for lunch at Paradise Bakery and then went next door to World Market for a little exploration. After that it was time to head downtown to pick up my microwave!!! Jenn and I hit Hobby Lobby on Friday afternoon and had dinner at Café Rio. I was exhausted after dinner so I came home, helped my brother install the microwave, then plopped down on the couch with my yarn and Fast Five!

Since Saturday is mother/daughter day, my mom and I did some more shopping. JCPenney had some awesome deals on hair products at their salons, I returned my boots to DSW, we stopped by Nordstrom to pick up some makeup, had lunch at Brio at Fashion Place, and bought a gift for someone at the Brighton store. I'm sure there were a few more stops in there, but I won't bore you with them. I haven’t done this much shopping in a looong time!

On Saturday night Wiki, Aurs, Tyler and Mikey came over and we hung around and crafted. It was kind of an impromptu get-together and we had so much fun. I finally got the fabric stapled to my canvases… Now I just have to get the hooks finished and screwed into the frames. I can’t wait to get them done!

Sunday brought about brunch at the Original Pancake House with RosaMarie, a little hangout time with Aurs and the kiddos while we picked up a mattress from Jenn, a visit with Nana, and some much needed house cleaning. Oh, and had an encore viewing of Breaking Dawn with Auri. I had a post all ready for it last week and didn’t get around to editing it! I’ll put it up later this week!

I hope your Thanksgiving weekends were as much fun as mine was!

You Should Probably Avoid Pissing Me Off At All Costs

You know, I'm a little pissy this evening! Not that that's anything new around here, but I figure I'll elaborate just so I can get it off my chest.

My FORMER Optometrist's office can suck it!  InVision Eye Health in Sandy, Utah, should be avoided at all costs!!!  A few weeks back I made, count them, FOUR separate trips to the office to get the lenses in my glasses replaced.  I was told if I took them in and dropped them off, I could pick them up the next day.  I made the first trip on Tuesday and was told that I wouldn't be able to pick them up until Thursday as their "lab" was only in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  Since I didn't want to sleep in my contacts for two nights, I decided I'd drop them off the next day.  Trip #2 - I dropped off my glasses and planned to pick them up on Thursday afternoon.  Thursday rolled around and I simply didn't have the time to get to the office.  Trip #3 - I drove to the office on Friday around noon and it took the woman forever to find my glasses.  She finally located them and told me they were "next in queue" to have the lenses replaced.  Just to be clear, I left them for two days and they STILL didn't get done.  She said someone in the office could do them right then and it would take about 35 minutes if I wanted to wait.  I decided I'd go run some errands and come back later that afternoon to pick them up.  Trip #4 - I make my final trip to pick up my glasses, and lo and behold, THEY STILL WERE NOT EFFING DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously?!  Do businesses really run like this?  The lady called after I left and said she felt so bad that when I bring the frames back in, there's no charge for the lenses.  Really?  Do you think I have the time and gas money to make 4 more trips to your office. 

As for my contacts, I tried ordering them online from 1-800-CONTACTS.  But because what I ordered (based on the trial lenses I was given) does not match the prescription in my chart at the optometrist's office, they can't fill my order.  Whatever!!!

Oh, and my eye exam at the office was actualy done by one of the doc's assistants.  Really?  When he finally came in after I'd waited about 45 minutes he chatted with me, looked at my retinas and called it a day.  Wham, Bam, See Ya Later!

On top of this fiasco, I've since gotten two bills from the office.  Um, last time I checked, I have vision insurance and y'all should bill them for the services rendered.  The icing on the cake?  About a week ago, I recieved a letter in the mail from the office saying it's been over a year since my last visit and I should make an appointment to come in for my check up.  Really?  Did your system fail to recognize the fact that I was in there last month?!?!  Effing morons.  All of them. 

I finally went to the Optometrist at Costco last weekend, had a complete exam by the doctor herself, and got contacts ordered.  I even got paper copies of my contacts and glasses prescriptions to take with me.  What a freaking concept!!!  Paying out of pocket for it saved me a hell of a lot of trouble!  Now I just have to clean up the mess with the other assholes!

I got a parking ticket on Saturday night.  I went out to dinner with RosieMarie and we parked in the abandoned Checker Auto Parts parking lot next to the restaurant. Let me set the scene for you.  The parking lot is extremely dark as the only light is coming from the lamps on the street.  The parking lot is also under construction and looks like it's recently been paved.  Lastly, there are no lines painted anywhere and no other visible markings anywhere.  Needless to say, I was pretty shocked to find I'd gotten a parking ticket for not paying at the pay box.  Seriously???  When I finally realized where the box was, I decided I'm contesting the ticket.  The signage is not lit, is not easy to see, and there are absolutely no other markings in the lot to indicate payment was necessary.  Plus, it's $35!!!  When the hell did parking tickets get so expensive???  I'll be writing Diamond Parking a nice little email tomorrow and letting them know what I think.

My HOA has given me, not one, but TWO fines for leaving the garbage can outside.  Apparently, not leaving your garbage cans outside of your garage is part of the CCRs here.  They sent out a copy of this info a couple of weeks ago, but because I've been traveling for work, I didn't get it until about a week after it was sent out.  And I apparently missed the part about the association fining the homeowners for violations.  So, I got my first violation notice when I got the mail a week and a half ago.  AND IT WAS $50!!!!  When I got the mail today?  Yep, another fine for another violation.  Seriously?  I think $50 is a little bit ridiculous for leaving the garbage can out.  Who the hell has extra money lying around these days?  I sure as hell don't!  I'm calling them tomorrow and telling them they can stuff it.  One fine?  Ok, I'll pay it even though it really pisses me off.  Two?  I don't think so.  Or maybe I'll just tell them I can pay them an extra $5 per month until it's paid off.  You wanna fuck with me?  Go right ahead. 

I've had it.  With everyone.  And everything.  I'm at my breaking point, so you better pray you're not the next person to piss me off or things are not going to end well.

Hopefully I can find something less angering to write about tomorrow!!!

Talkin' Outta My Ass...

I've been thinking about doing an End-of-Year Wrap-Up.  Whaddaya think?  Good idea?  Dumb idea?  Give me some feedback.  Maybe I could turn it into a meme or something.  Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?  Lemme know!

Well, I'm blogging to you from my brand-spankin'-new work laptop.  Which, I might add, has nothing much of anything on it, and I have to transfer everything from my old one to this one.  Doesn't that just sound like something you'd be interested in doing?  Especially in the middle of being more busy than I've ever been at work and having to do it in between everything else?!

Do you ever sit down to write a post after you've had ideas floating around in your head all day, only to find your brain has taken a dump and you can't remember ANYTHING???  I'm there right now.

Have any of you seen the clips of Sophia Grace & Rosie singing on the Ellen show the last few weeks?  These girls are stinkin' adorable and hilarious!  Watch the whole thing... you won't be sorry!


Alright... since I can't remember anything and I don't have any pics or anything exciting at my disposal, I'm calling it a night.  Be back soon!

Smooches!
Ms. Salti

Music, Politics, Work Life

I haven't read up much on this whole Occupy Wallstreet Movement, but I think it's awesome.  This country is in need of a major overhaul and I'm happy that "someone" finally had the balls and wherewithall to stand up and say something.  This movement is the perfect example of a small group of people affecting big change.  I kind of wish I could go out and stand with them... but I have bills to pay... and we all know how that goes.

If you've ever read my blog or know me at all, you know how much I love music.  One of my favorite bands is Rise Against, and if you've never heard their stuff and enjoy punk/rock, you should give them a listen.  Their music is very politically charged and carries lots of great messages, so I urge you to listen carefully.  Most people are familiar with their song "Make It Stop (September's Children)" which is about the epidemic of teen suicides last year.  Anyway, their latest video (I think) is for the song "Satellite" which happens to be my favorite song on their latest album.  Watch the video, but listen to the lyrics.  Pretty powerful stuff.  I'd love to hear what you think about it, especially in light of the Occupy Wallstreet Movment!

My favorite verse from the song:

That's why we stick to your game plans and party lines
But at night we're conspiring by candle light
We are the orphans of the American Dream

So shine your light on me

In other news, I'm still missing my man.  I know I've said it before, but long distance sucks.  It's completely overrated.  I don't think I'll be seeing him for another month or two, and it's quite possible I might lose my mind before then.  If I go MIA, send in reinforcements.  I'll need them.

It's weird how I've had a total mental shift regarding work recently.  Things are so different... in a good way.  It's so refreshing to be challenged, feel like I'm valued and part of a team.  Relearning how to use my brain has been a challenge, but I'm enjoying every minute of it! The travel part of it still kind of sucks, but at least I don't dread it anymore.  It's also nice to have a timeline, a goal to work toward and a visible end in sight.  Anyway, enough with that.

I'm watching the CMAs tonight and Damn, there are a lot of super sexy country stars out there.  It seems there's also a lot of great new music that I'm going to have to check out!  Any suggestions?

Well, I'm off to bed.  Gotta get up early, pack my suitcase, and get the hell outta town.  That is, after putting in 6 hours at work, driving 2 hours to St. Louis and getting on a plane to fly home!

Hope y'all have a great week!

Randoms - Just Read It

It's Random Tuesdayness, I think...

Last week was a ginormous clusterfuck.  I'm not exactly sure how to define a clusterfuck, but I think the name explains it all.  I think I had my 40 hours for the week completed by Wednesday at midnight, which means 2 things:  1) I worked a LOT Monday through Wednesday, and 2) My team pulled some long-ass freaking hours Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights after work! 

After my hellish week at work last week, I flew home to SLC for approximately 8 hours.  I had enough time to go home, switch out the clothes in my suitcase, shower, and sleep for 4-5 hours before I left for the airport at 5:15 AM Friday morning to get on another plane to meet Cassi in Atlanta.  From Atlanta, we drove 3 hours to Augusta and spent Friday and Saturday nights there trying to find Cassi a house to move into.  I'll go into the trip in another post because I'm tired and don't have the mental willpower to recall details!

This is probably my favorite ad I've ever seen.  Last time I saw it, the model on the front looked a little different, but the words are all exactly the same.  And it's awesome! 

So, as of 4 PM yesterday I had been in five major cities in a 24 hour period:  Augusta, GA; Atlanta, GA; Salt Lake City, UT; St. Louis, MO, and ended up in Jefferson City, MO yesterday afternoon.  I think it's understandable that I'm kind of exhausted!

This kind of describes my week last week.  Without coffee, my whole team was as good as dead.  We had a lot to do, we powered through it all, and have come out successful on the other side.  We've got a ton of work ahead of us, but things are definitely heading in the right direction.  It's such a relief to be working on this team!

Hope y'all had a great weekend and a good week ahead!
Mwah!

 

 

 

Weekend Recap - I Got An Owie

It's Monday... just reminding myself.  I kind of thought it was Tuesday.  The last few days have gone by so quickly that I have to keep reminding myself what day it is!

I had quite a boring/lovely/interesting weekend.  Friday was chock-full of fun.  So much fun, in fact, I can't remember what I did... Lemme think... Oh yeah, I picked up my parents from the airport, had dinner with them, then came home and started not feeling well.  I farted around online for a few, found a cute crochet pattern to make a cowl/scarf and played with the dogs. 

Saturday is, as Jessica has dubbed it, Doobie Day.  My mom (Debbie) and I usually spend Saturdays together running errands and lunching.  Nothing too exciting, but that's our day to do stuff.  This weekend, though, my mom ended up taking my grandma to Urgent Care (2 different offices, I might add, because the first one was behind approximately 3 hours).  That ended up taking most of the day so I ran errands by myself. 

That evening I took the dogs over to my parents' house to run around in the yard.  My bro was in Vegas for the weekend so I had the pooches.  We had dinner at the neighbor's house for a little neighborhood get-together and when I put the dogs in the car to head home, Milli started acting really strange.  She kind of freaked me out, so I turned around and headed back to my mom and dad's.  The puppy ended up yakking in my car, once in my parents' family room, and 4-5 more times outside.  I'm thinking she got into something because it was almost like she had an allergic reaction.  She finally settled down and we went home around midnight.  THAT was fun, lemme tell ya!

Sunday was slightly more stimulating than the previous few days.  I started my day off with brunch at The Dodo with Rose and Leanna.  The food was great and the conversation was hilarious!  Thanks for getting me out of the house, girls!  The rest of my day was spent puppy-wrangling and napping.  In the midst of my puppy-wrangling I incurred an injury....

... and I'm wondering how it's going to look after it heals. It hurts like a sonofabitch!  I think I'll just start telling people I got knifed in a bar fight.  It's a plausible story. Sursly. 

Did I miss anything exciting this weekend?  Fill me in!

P.S.  This is officially my 700th post.  Someone should give me a present or something...

I'm Bitching... Isn't That Weird?

I'm kind of irritated.  Yeah, I know!  That NEVER happens!  I'm always so chipper... what can I say?! 

I'm sitting in my office at the moment, I've got the window open and I'm loving the weather outside.  It's cool and crisp and feels great coming in.  I'm not, however, loving the smell of skunk that is wafting through the window.  Ew.

My mom told me on Monday that she and my dad were going to Vegas.  This week.  They left yesterday.  Guess what that means?  Fergie is staying at our house until tomorrow night and she's become quite the high-maintenance little bitch.  I wouldn't be so irritated if I had had more than 2 days advance warning.  My brother is leaving for Vegas tomorrow, so that means I have his dogs all weekend.  Yay me!  5 days of dogs is just what I wanted.  Especially because this is essentially my ONLY weekend free of travel until the end of November. 

NeNe and Milli have both reverted on their potty training behavior and have started peeing and pooping in the house.  Every. Effing. Day.  I went downstairs this morning to two big loads on the carpet.  Then I sat down to eat my bagel on my big comfy chair and had this strange feeling like my butt was wet.  I was kind of baffled because I didn't recall peeing my pants...  Sure enough, I stood up, looked down, and someone (I'm assuming it was Milli) had peed right on the middle of the cushion.  WTF!?!?!?

Just before I came upstairs, I looked toward the sliding glass door and noticed there was nearly a GALLON of pee that had formed a river and was snaking its way toward the back door.  Fergie apparently didn't want to use the doggy door, so she just wizzed in the middle of the linoleum.  At least it wasn't on the carpet!  Ugh!

I'm at the point where I'm pretty damn close to being done with all three of them.  Like, open-the-front-door-and-let-them-all-run-free done. 

I need a vacation.  But because I'm broke, I don't see that happening any time in the foreseeable future.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to cancel my Maui trip because I have no one to go with (although, right now, that's probably not a bad thing) and I don't think I'm going to be able to save enough money before then. 

This long-distance relationship thing sucks.  I haven't seen my man in two months, and as it stands, I'm not going to see him for at least another six weeks.  I seriously hate this.

I want this KitchenAid Mixer.  It would make me happy. Someone needs to make that happen.  Seriously.

Disrespect

What would life be like as a nomad?  Coming and going as you please.  Sleeping where ever happens to be convenient for the night.  Using other people's homes and utilities, eating their food, never having to pay a dime out of your pocket.  Taking only minimal things with you that you need every day because you never know where you're going to end up? 

I wish my life were that simple.  When I leave the house to spend time away from home, I have to pack multiple bags to take with me.  I take my clothes, my makeup, my hair products, shampoo& conditioner, soap, a blow dryer with a diffuser, my computer, my purse, my jewelry, and pretty much anything else including the kitchen sink.  I sometimes take my own towels with me because I don't want to impose on the people I'm staying with. 

That's just how I am though.  I guess I'm weird.  I don't like to impose on others.  I don't like to ask that others take care of me, in any capacity.  I like to be as self-sufficient as possible.  That's why it's so fucking hard for me to understand how easy it is for someone to take advantage of me.  I guess the time has come to quit keeping my mouth shut and stand up for myself because no one else seems to have any respect for me.  Why should I return the favor?