Me circa October iPhone Pictures

Hii! I'm still here, just super busy! So here's what I've been up to circa iPhone pictures.

My Dad and I went to Aussie Pink Floyd. OMG it was AWESOME! I loved it! 

And he sucks at picture taking. Haha. 

I cut my hair! And I love it! My friend Nikki did such a good job! 

 Nutella. It has a gold seal so you know it's good.

 I broke in these boots. They are bad ass. 

These are the boots I will wear when I am an old lady, like in Sons of Anarchy. 

Don't laugh. I'm totally serious.

 Work: Been there a month and I love it! I'm busy all the time and my coworkers are the best! 

I listen to Adele and Mumford & Sons exclusively now. Seriously, exclusively. 

I love them so much I can't even handle it. 

If you don't have these two albums you are cuhrazy. 

Go buy them ASAP.

 I do artwork now. That's hanging above my bed and I wish it were bigger. That's what she said. BOOM.

 I still love this little shit.

I'm reading these books. I'm also cooking and redecorating my room/bathroom, 

but I'll do separate posts for those. Stay tuned!

Book Worm

I'm back in the reading mood again and I love feeling this way. Maybe it's the finter weather (fall-winter get it? ha ha) making me want to curl up in bed or on the couch with Tonka, chai tea and a good book. Anyway, I've got my next few books already picked out but after that I am open to suggestions! So if you know of a book you think I'd enjoy leave me a comment and I'll check it out.

Currently, I am reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. I loved the first one and finished it in about six days. So I was pretty excited to find the second book in the series for only $10 at Borders while in California last week. 

Next on my list is to finish Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I've got maybe 150 pages to go. I've enjoyed the Hunger Games Series. They are entertaining and simple to read. I haven't heard many good things about the 3rd book, Mockingjay, but I plan to read it at some point as well.

Once Catching Fire is finished I plan to read Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer. I've wanted to read it for a while but never think about it when I go to the book store. Turns out Holli has a copy and now it's waiting for me on my nightstand.

So, like I said after these are finished I am ready for suggestions, just leave me a comment. Also, I have been using the site Goodreads for about a year now and I really love it. If you are a big reader I highly recommend signing up. It tracks all the books you've read, plan to read, etc. You can read and write book reviews and participate in group discussions.

Eclipse

I didn't see New Moon, but this one looks really good!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I received an offer today for the job I mentioned last week and I have accepted! Starting next Monday I will be the Administrative Assistant to the CIO of SOS Staffing headquarters in West Valley City. I am really really excited! Seriously! My job description will be similar to that of my old position without the HR stuff that I didn't necessarily enjoy. I will be going to a lot of meetings, taking notes, creating agendas, and managing the CIO's calendar. I am excited to be able to focus on assisting the needs of one person rather than those of an executive team and various company events.

SOS Staffing headquarters is a very professional environment. Dress is business casual which will be an adjustment from the jeans and flip flops of Doba. I also don't expect to see or have to clean up any remnants of smashed monitors, plasma TVs, or printers, which got very old, very quickly. I am excited to be working in a more professional environment and meeting new people.

The only thing I am not looking forward to is the minimum 45 minute commute each way daily. I mentioned earlier that the Jeep needs some work (4 new tires, wiper blades, inside drivers door handle, back break light, and there is some noise when I turn in the front right tire) so my Mom has been sweet enough to switch cars with me until I can afford to get the repairs done it needs. I am going to put together some new play lists and download a few audio books for my iPod and that should help with the drive. I also need to look into purchasing a carpool lane pass. Does anyone have any information about these? Also, if anyone has any audio books I can borrow and rip to my iPod let me know.

Here's the books I am interested in getting: Three Men in a Boat, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Wicked, and The Glass Castle.

I have looked a few apartments online in the Murray, Kearns, WVC areas if I really end up not liking the commute. There seems to be some good options even with the dog. My lease is up in May and I wouldn't mind getting out of Utah County for a while and if I lived closer up there I could come home at lunch and take care of Tonka which would be great. I am still a few steps away from that bridge, and will cross it if it seems like the right thing to do when it comes up.

In my opinion, the way my employment ended at Doba was very unprofessional, but, I know that I learned all I could from that job and it was time to move on to something else. I am very grateful to have this opportunity in front of me and I plan to take full advantage. I learned a few things while being unemployed too. It was rough and I am glad that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to my readers for sticking with me during such a blah time in my life. Hopefully, I will have lots of new and exciting posts in store for you. I'm very grateful to have had my blog as an outlet for frustrations with my termination, finding a new job, being on unemployment, and general life sucky-ness. Thanks friends and blog stalkers!

Today

Today I am going to do this:

While sitting next to this:

And snuggling with him:

It should be a good day, don't you think?

Update & Resolutions

Welcome 2010! Yay! New year! Okay, so an update. Christmas was good, different, but good. I have survived not taking any of the Prednisone. I've been off it for 2 weeks. I was pleasantly surprised, usually when I don't take it I am flat on my butt with vertigo and pressure in my head, I only had one night where it was really bad. The remainder of the week was bearable. I went to the Rheumatologist on the 28th and he had absolutely no answers for me in regards to my ear/equilibrium issue. I knew he wouldn't, he deals with arthritis, but whatever, I'll play that game. So I returned to my family practitioner and he put me on a diuretic (water pill) and after 3 days, I must say my ears feel fanfrickentastic! Seriously, I haven't felt this good in 6 months. The pressure is receding, the crackling is gone, the dizziness is under control. I'm like a whole new woman! So I am hoping that they continue to improve and maybe the issue will resolve itself? Although, there will be a big part of me that will be pissed if all I needed this whole time was a water pill. We'll see.

New Years! Let's see, we spent it at the hotel again. Playing games, watching movies, eating, drinking, snacks, etc. It was fun though, another year has passed without a new years kiss. Lame. As far as the new year, I have made a few resolutions.

1. No more swearing.

2. Read 1 book/month.

3. Wii Yoga 3x week.

I'm afraid my mouth has turned into that of a trucker as of lately, and it's really just unattractive. So no more swearing for me. I tried the book thing last year in addition to the documentation of each meal resolution. That lasted about 3 months, which was rather impressive considering the effort it took each day. But I have stacks of books that I truly do want to read, I just need to get my butt in gear and do it. I figure if I have a deadline of one per month I should definitely be able to handle that.

So here's what I plan to read the next 12 months. A couple I have read previously, but they are so good, I really want to read them a second time. I may change out one or two if I hear about good books others are reading. Do any of you have any suggestions of books I might enjoy? Leave me a comment or sent me an email if you do! I'd be happy to look into your suggestion.

Eat, Pray, Love

3 Men in a Boat

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Wicked

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Friday Night Knitting Club

The Alchemist

Love in the Time of Cholera

The Catcher in the Rye

The Gargoyle

The Glass Castle

Let's see my last resolution, we received Wii Fit for Christmas and I haven't had a chance to fully play it, but I want to make a goal of doing Wii Yogo for 3x/week. So I will start and it will track it for me and WOO! I'll be limber and able to move again in a matter of weeks. Wish me luck in sticking with all my resolutions. What are your resolutions?

The Lovely Bones

I'm so excited to see this movie! I really liked this book and lets face it, I like anything with Mark Wahlberg. He is YU-UM. In fact, I think I'll watch Three Kings now. And then maybe Shooter.

Library Cards & Giveaways!

Holli and I got our library cards renewed today! I've really been getting back into books again lately, and as much as I love to buy them, they are expensive and I don't have any income right now. But then I remembered this awesome place called the Orem Public Library! Ha ha. So Holli had today off and we went and did it. Holli wasn't in the system, but I was from back in the day and apparently I had late fees. Boo. And they made me pay them! $11.08 from 1998. Yes, 1998. I was in 8th grade when I racked those up and over ten years later they made me pay them. Lame, but whatever I can rent books now. So I got Escape by Carolyn Jessop, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir. I'm pretty excited about them. I am going to start with Escape first, my friend Jayni recommended it to me ages ago and said it was really interesting so I'll do a review once I'm finished. I finished Loose Girl and may or may not do a book review for it this weekend. There's a small one on my Goodreads profile if anyone is interested.

So along with my renewed love for books, I decided it would be fun to do a giveaway of one of my handmade books and a handmade beanie in celebration of the fall season! Yay! So, in order to qualify for the giveaway you just have to become a follower of my blog (link on the right) and leave me a comment introducing yourself, or just saying you're now a follower. If you're already a follower just leave me a comment saying hi. The giveaway will end one week from today on Thursday, October 29th @ midnight. I'll submit the comment numbers to Random.org to generate the winning number and I'll announce who it is Friday morning. Sound good? Oh, I guess you'll want to see what you are "following" for right?

Here's what I'm giving away-

Cute huh!? I made each of them with my own two hands - so you know they're good. The book was hand bound with a coptic stitch and the beanie was knit with high quality green yarn. I want to get to 100 followers so spread the word about the fun giveaway!

Did I have sex with Edward Cullen last night?!

Am I going to have his vampire baby!?! Those were my first thoughts when I woke up to my room looking like this today!

But no, sadly I did not sleep with the sexy vampire character from the Twilight Saga and no I will not be giving birth to a vampire baby (although if I were I would definitely not name it Renesmee -- ugh). This was all just the handiwork of Tonka while I slumber. First it was Bumbles, then the carpet incident, now the pillows...Judas what will I ever do with this dog I love so much!

I guess you'll only get why this is so funny if you've read the 4th book in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn. When Edward and Bella make love for the first time (after they are married, clearly...duh) Edward, um...shreds the pillows because he's so umm....worked up? Bella wakes up to a room full of feathers and fluff. Ha ha, just read the book then come back and read my post and you'll laugh. I promise. LOL.

Book Quote

"When you're lost in the woods, it sometimes takes you a while to realize that you are lost. For the longest time, you can convince yourself that you've just wandered a few feet off the path, that you'll find your way back to the trailhead any moment now. Then night falls again and again, and you still have no idea where you are, and it's time to admit that you have bewildered yourself so far off the path that you don't even know from which direction the sun rises anymore." --Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I feel weird 2.0

I feel weird again. I have since yesterday. I feel like something bad happened or is happening or going to happen. I don't know, I have been having some really strange dreams this weekend too. It's just hard to explain. I feel like I'm in my own head and I can't get out or something. I keep rethinking the last two years and double guessing things. But they've all already happened, so what is the point? What is bringing on all of these thoughts? Maybe it's the prednisone, I went through this a little on the first round. I have six more days on it and I just want to be finished. Maybe it's my looming 25th birthday? Speaking of I know you are all going crazy trying to find me that perfect gift, so I'll make it easy on you. Here's what I want.

Crest White Strips

Tanning pass (Radiance Sun Studios is where I go)

The Story of Edgar Sawatelle

An external hard drive (nerd alert! But seriously I need one)

Ugly Betty: Season 3

The door handle on my Jeep fixed

This Ikea bookcase

This alarm clock

A big fuzzy bath robe

The Time Traveler's Wife

"She followed slowly, taking a long time, as though there were some obstacle in the way; and yet: as though, once it was overcome, she would be beyond all walking, and would fly." -from Going Blind, Rainer Maria Rilke

I finished reading the Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger tonight and my favorite line from the book (above), isn't even from the book. Ha ha, but I still really enjoyed it none the less. The story is of a librarian, Henry, that has the ability to time travel. He spends most of his time with his future wife, Clare, in her childhood. She loves him all her life, literally, and I find that sooo romantic. The book discusses their married life together and the struggles they have with Henry's constant disappearing to travel, Clare's loneliness, and their inability to have children. It is an interesting read, there weren't any dull parts, but it is a little difficult to get used to the constant time changes.

I know I was all amped up to see the movie when it was released, but I'm not sure if I will see the movie anytime soon. The reviews for it have been awful. And I can imagine how the scenes where Henry is old (late 20's-mid 30's) and Clare is so young (10-18) could be a bit creepy. Maybe I'll rent it when it comes to DVD. I love Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, so how could that be bad?

Side note: I am going to be moving a few of my book reviews (like 2) from my resolutions blog over to here. I don't use that blog anymore, but I'd like to keep the reviews. So if you see a random post or two show up, that's why.

Depressed much?

Today sucked. It started with something that's been a year in the making. I'll post about it tomorrow maybe, I really don't have the energy to put it all into words right now. So I went to Walmart and bought all of the sucky day things: twelve Dr. Pepper's, Iced Oatmeal cookies, a new love book, chocolate ice cream, and yarn.

Then I came home to find that Tonka had eaten my very favorite shoes. The ones that the shoemaker/fixer told me to let go of, but I didn't. These shoes are precious to me. I have nursed and worn them gingerly for months now. Only to come home to them in this condition. I loved them dearly and now they are in the garbage. I immediately text my Mom, which made me laugh a little.

So then I decided that this would be the best time to fight the fight with Comcast. They have been charging me for cable TV (which I told them to cancel when I moved) and long story short they will not remove it from the bill until I return the cable box. I didn't know anything about returning the stupid box until a few days ago, and frankly I just haven't had the time to do it. Also, I won't pay the bill until they remove the cable charges. So we are both stubborn and they won the fight today by disconnecting my services. Heaven forbid I go more than a few hours without internet access, so I paid the past due balance and my services are connected again. I'll return the box tomorrow and get the charges reversed, hopefully.

Oh and I'm fat. I have been taking a steroid for my shoulder, which I think is helping it but the side effects are awful. I shake like I have Bells Palsy and I am STARVING. Seriously. I could eat an entire cow and then have a bowl of ice cream. Yesterday, I had Cafe Rio for lunch, went to my parents and ate dinner, then came home and ate a ham and cheese sandwich, then a bowl of cereal, then after I went to bed, I woke up and had a bowl of ice cream. So needless to say I am a total fat ass. And my recent Walmart trip isn't helping my steriod-induced-eating-disorder. I am on day 7 of 16 so by the time I finish I'll easily be pushing 300 lbs. Lovely.

So I have the thing I'll tell tomorrow, my dog ate my shoes, my internet was disconnected, and I'm fat. I'm in the dark place.

Books

I'm in an "I love books" phase again. I go through them from time to time. I love the way the binding breaks on a paperback after you've read it. I always remove the outer casing on hardbound books if they have them and I absolutely love the way book stores smell. It's just perfect. I have book store standards though; I don't care for Barnes & Noble and rarely shop there. The people there put off this snobby vibe. I prefer Borders. Maybe my "standard" makes me the snob though. I never really thought of that. Whatever. I've never been in one of those used local book stores. I want to buy a book from one of those one day. Add it to my Life List of Things to Do. Anyway, I love books right now and just wrote my first book review here.

Interesting

So I've been logging into Goodreads a bit more frequently lately looking for, you guessed it, good books to read and add to my list here. I logged in tonight and started browsing what they call Listopia, basically it's a popular lists section which they have created based on user votes. They have "Worst Books of All Time", "Best books of the 20th Century", "The Book Was Better than the Movie", etc. You get it. So I clicked on the "Best Books Ever" link and was surprised to find the Book of Mormon listed as number three. I'm not really sure why that surprised me but it did and I felt compelled to blog about it. Weird.

Puppy Book / Holli's Book

Apparently I didn't make enough of these books for work over the last month, so I made another for myself this weekend. And one for Holli too.

Exciting Purchases in My Future

Well summer is half over *tears streaming from my face* but with fall quickly approaching I do have some things to look forward to. TV shows coming to DVD and the book I may take the day off of work just to buy and read all day. Yay!

August 2
Breaking Dawn


August 12
Prison Break: Season 3


September 2
Desperate Housewives: Season 4

September 2
The Office: Season 4


September 9
Grey's Anatomy: Season 4

September 9
Ugly Betty: Season 2