uncompetewithable

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I hope everyone had a fun, enjoyable Christmas. My weekend was very full, but enjoyable nonetheless. I ended up doing a shift exchange at work so that I could have Christmas Day off which meant I had to work 6 days in a row last week. Luckily I got through it pretty easily and as long as I got to spend time with my family for Christmas I was happy.

Saturday I went to Baraboo and spent the day at my parents. We had an awesome dinner of bacon wrapped beef tenderloin, twice baked potatoes with cheese and bacon crumbles on top, broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce, and cheesy biscuits. We exchanged gifts and hung out for awhile, and then I headed to Sun Prairie late Saturday night to be ready for Christmas day with Zach and his family. I did a black and white oil painting for my parents (from a picture of me holding Alyssa the day she was born) which made my mom tear up a little bit. [Success!]

"Widdowe Beebees"

Sunday I spent the entire day with Zach's family. I was seriously impressed with the lunch spread they had - a huge, delicious meal for THIRTY people. The entire meal went off quite well (so well, that I was stuffed full for the rest of the day/night). There was an 18.5 pound ham, 2 turkeys, stuffing, ranch mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, carrots and onions, rolls, some cabbage thing (that I stayed away from), and lots of cookies and other snacks throughout the day.  The afternoon held lots of running around, lots of present opening, and a few drinks for the adults. My presents for Zach's family (his parents Jodi and Dave, twin sister Meghan, and little brother Sam) were what I was most nervous about. I've spent pretty much the last 3 weeks knitting their Christmas presents, and I was really hoping that the sizes of everything would work out and they'd enjoy their gifts. Soooooo....

Meghan's Scarf

[dark purple, very hard to see - but SUPER warm!]

Dave's Hat

[my own pattern I made up on the spot - also SUPER warm]

Jodi's Mittens

[cabled cuffs and one of my favorite colors made them hard to give away]

Sam's Hat

[Sam has a hard time finding hats that fit his giant head (because his brain is so big) 

so this one needed to fit just right, and it did!]

I was very proud of myself because I was finished with all 5 of my projects by 2 am on Friday night - the earliest I've ever finished all my presents! The last few weeks were a little jam-packed but it seems like everyone enjoyed their gifts, and you guys know I just like spoiling people so it all worked out. 

My parents were also able to come to Zach's to spend some time on Christmas Day. Dad had to work so they hadn't planned on really doing anything, so Jodi and Dave invited them down. They got there around 5 pm and stayed through halftime of the Packer game, so we got some quality time in and my parents finally got to meet Zach's parents. 

Phew! Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time I got back to Madison last night (sometime around midnight). I was sleeping by 230ish which is about 3 hours earlier than usual. I'm excited to relax and be lazy for a little while now that all my projects are complete. 

I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas and you'll hear from me in the new year!

dark was the night

Thought I forgot about you? There's still 17 minutes left of Blog Monday!

This'll be a short one, as I've got about a million things to do tonight/this week. Christmas presents are coming along nicely....I've got 2 projects done, 1 project almost done, 1 project halfway done, and one yet to start. BUT if I work hard, I think I can do it! I won't lie though, I'm ready for the holiday to be over with...well, I'm ready for it to finally be Christmas so I can stop rushing around.

So, a brief overview of my week: I forgot to include last time that (thanks to a donation from my grandparents) I now have REAL kitchen chairs! The mismatched folding chairs have been put away in the closet, and this place already looks a bit classier. After Christmas, the search for a couch starts again.....

Saturday Zach and I had a fancy holiday party to go to. We took a little trip to Zach's friends' condo about an hour and twenty minutes from here. There were Tom & Jerry's, hors d'oeuvres and some pretty entertaining (albeit frustrating) games, and we had a lot of fun.

Before I close, I wanted to say a quick congratulations to my friends Lisa and Chris on the birth of their baby girl, Nora, this morning! A mere two weeks after the due date, I'm sure Lisa and Chris are excited to finally get to hold their little one.

Enjoy Christmas everyone!

handle with care

The month of December has to be one of the most tiring months of all. Maybe....... you know I can't pick favorites or pick the top of anything. But in December, everyone seems to be rushing around shopping, getting ready for the holidays, complaining about shopping and getting ready for the holidays, and it all seems endless.

As such, it feels like I've had another busy week. Lots of early [by my definition] mornings, and let me tell you, by last night I was delirious with sleep. (However, we did make some time to relax and go to the movies!)

My days off were particularly busy. Friday I spent the day cleaning, working on Christmas projects, and baking cookies! Saturday we had our family Christmas. Both sets of grandparents, our good family friends, Alyssa and Andy, and Zach and I all went to my parents' house for lunch and presents. It was really nice to see everyone, since I knew I wasn't going to be able to see them on actual Christmas.

Mom, Dad, Me, Zach, Alyssa, and Andy

I did finish one project which I can actually share with you now. Unfortunately, thats because it was supposed to be a Christmas present last year that I didn't finish until last week. It is a pair of mittens for my mom that I knit to match the argyle scarf that I knit for her last year.

Now I must get going, because I've still got a million things to do tonight! 

it's time to get out of the desert and into the sun

This week has been a very productive week....at least it feels that way, because I'm exhausted.

I worked on one of my Christmas projects during the week, and finally got it done last night. This is a big feat, because I've been working on it for more than a year. I also started to plan a little more for my other Christmas projects and gifts. Now I've got some momentum going, so it'll be a little easier from here on out.

I did get to decorate for Christmas this past week. There wasn't a lot to it, but my favorite part is complete - the Christmas tree is up! When my parents got their dog 5 years ago, they had to get a "temporary" tree, one that they could put on top of a table where the puppy couldn't eat the ornaments. Since he is all grown up, they've gifted the tree to me. It's a 4 foot tree, and although I would love to have a real, giant tree this one does just fine and puts me in an excellent mood. [I wouldn't even say a Christmas-y mood, because it's just a general happiness.]

I also finally got all of the boxes emptied and recycled from when I moved. Yes, three months ago. But that got me motivated enough to start putting some more stuff up in the apartment. I finally hung my decorated bulletin board where I hang all my jewelry and I've got some ideas where I want to put some artwork and pictures.

Friday and Saturday were pretty busy days, which is why I am so exhausted today. Friday was mostly a day of preparation for Saturday. Friday afternoon I met up with my old roommate to take care of some final things from our old apartment, and I got to sit down with her for almost 2 hours and catch up which was really nice. Even though we both live in the same city, we haven't seen each other since moving out because we work completely opposite schedules. Afterwards I picked up some groceries and went home to....... brine a turkey! After Thanksgiving, Zach and I got a turkey for a very good price. We figured it'd make a really nice meal and a lot of leftovers for soup and sandwiches. So I got that all set to sit overnight, and I also got some meat marinading and made a batch of teriyaki beef jerky [which has already been entirely eaten].

Saturday my parents came down, because I was hoping to buy a used couch that I'd found on Craigslist, and I needed a vehicle that could transport a couch. Unfortunately the seller was terrible at communication and just stopped replying. But since I was going to be roasting a whole 13.5 lb turkey, I convinced my parents to still come down (and to bring the dog!). So we ended up inadvertently having a mini-Thanksgiving. We had turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roasted carrots and onions and topped everything off with apple pie.  It might have been one of the best turkeys I have ever eaten. The meat stayed very moist and was super flavorful. I happen to think that Zach and I did a pretty awesome job with the whole meal. Plus we got to spend the whole evening with my parents and the puppy. Zach got my dad started on some video games, which I'm sure my mom is very excited for.

I'm currently in the process of making turkey stock out of the carcass so I can make some soup for this week. The rest of the evening I will be busy working on some more Christmas projects. If any of you have a special request for a Christmas card, let me know and make sure that I have your address!

life's a happy song when there's someone by my side to sing along

Bonjour!

[I'm getting so good at this posting on time, once a week thing!]

As I'm sure is true for most of you, this past week has been a bit hectic. Lots of running around and a few early mornings means that by the end of the week, I was ready to crash. (Don't worry, I got a nice relaxing day in.)

Since before we were dating, Zach has been waiting [mostly] patiently for the release of the newest Muppets movie. Zach is a huge fan of The Muppets and Jim Henson. I didn't really watch much when I was younger, so Zach has been educating me more and more as the release for the new movie grew closer. Finallllly November 23rd came along. (In all seriousness, Zach found out about the movie approx. 4 years ago, and if I had had to wait that long for something I loved that much, I would have gone absolutely nuts.) Moral of the story, Zach and I went with our friend Ben to the first showing on Wednesday morning. Of course, we *coughzachcough* were so excited the night before that we stayed up well past 6am watching the Muppet Show on DVD. All in all, it was a GREAT movie. I highly recommend it to you all. I've been singing the songs basically non-stop since seeing it and can't wait to go see it again.

Thursday I had to get up really early. For those of you who don't know, my current sleep schedule has me at a bedtime of about 5 or 6 or 630 am. I had to be AWAKE at 730 am on Thursday, so I actually had to put a lot of effort into trying to get to bed early. While I only got about 4 hours of sleep, I was able to get up and get ready and get to Zach's parents house on time so we could leave for the Thanksgiving festivities at his Uncle's house. The food was delicious and we even snuck a nap in during the afternoon.

Friday was my day to relax. I spent the whole day playing video games (mostly Red Dead Redemption) and a little bit of Tetris. It was really nice to not do anything, but it was a little disconcerting that I looked at the clock when I started playing (430 pm) and the next time I looked at the clock it was 1030pm. Oops!

Saturday I got a few things done around the apartment. Mostly some cleaning and a little work getting some pictures in frames and things. Sorry to disappoint, but I've still gotten practically nowhere on decorating this place. For some reason I'm having the hardest time committing to what pictures and art I want up and where to put it. I'll have to just lock myself in here one day and not allow myself to do anything until it's all put up. After some cleaning and such, Zach and I went out to dinner with a few of our friends and then hung out for awhile afterwards (where we got to play with our friends' dog!).

Alright, I should be going. Once again I have come up with a million projects for Christmas presents, but not started on them until now, so I've got a lot to do if I want to meet the Christmas deadline. (However, after everyone has received their presents, there will be pictures of all the handmade ones for you guys to see!) Have a good week everyone!

up and up, i keep on climbing

Two weeks in a row!

Unfortunately nothing terribly exciting has happened in the last week. I had a pretty relaxing weekend, which is always nice and much needed. Especially when it gets to this time of year when every free minute seems to be packed.

Friday evening Zach and I went out to dinner with Steph and Jake and Steph's twin sister Lisa, who is due to have a baby VERY soon. We had a very entertaining meal. Jake is obsessed with Spider-man, which just happens to be one of Zach's favorites. [Incidentally, I was also wearing one of Zach's Spider-man t-shirts, which prompted Jake to keep grabbing my chest and yelling Spider-man. That little kid has definitely got some moves.] Jake is also talking a ton now so he is endlessly entertaining. He started by saying that Zach and I were his buddies, and quickly changed his story, saying, "This is my brother, big Zach!" The best moment of the night was probably watching little 2-year-old Jake walking along holding 6'6" Zach's hand. AAAAAAAdorable.

Saturday we went out with a bunch of friends. Andy got a new job, so all of our work friends don't get to see him very much anymore, so he invited everyone to get together. It was nice hanging out with people that we don't get to see very much anymore. (However, I think Zach and I may have had some bad beer, because we both ended up getting really bad stomachaches.)

Nothing else to report. I just got home from work and knew I had to get a blog written before midnight. (I can't disappoint for Blog Monday!) My apartment is freezing, so I'm sitting here all bundled up waiting for it to warm up. In the meantime, I've got to do some cleaning and make dinner.

Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving!

a brief yet triumphant intermission

Alright, I know. It's been far too long.

Blog Monday's are making a comeback...

Nothing terribly noteworthy has been going on around here, but there have been a few changes since the last time I posted. [only 2 posts since May, and nothing substantial at that. boo, amanda.]

The most notable change was that I moved! I was definitely ready to get out of my old apartment - 2.5 years with a very poor management company was enough for me. I moved into a brand new apartment on August 31st. Not just new to me, 100% brand spanking new, completely uninhabited before me. The apartment itself is awesome - 1 bedroom, washer/dryer, brand new appliances, tons of cabinet space, high ceilings, balcony, giant bedroom window, walk-in closet, great location [I'm less than 10 minutes from anywhere I go on a regular basis. My gym is actually across the street, and Target is right next door.]

Unfortunately, I haven't been very on top of decorating and furnishing. I haven't been able to have any guests over, because they haven't anywhere to sit - just a lonely loveseat and 3 mismatched folding chairs. I've been slowly adding to the walls. I've hung 2 pictures and 2 paintings, but especially with the high ceilings, the walls are quite bare. So my goal is to get things put together in the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll do some scavenging for furniture, and I need to get around to hanging all the pictures and art I already have. After I've got it semi-put together,  I'll get some pictures put up.

Also in August, I took a mini-vacation with Zach and his family. His family rents a cabin on a tiny lake in northern Wisconsin every summer for a week. I wasn't able to take a whole week off of work, but I went up on Tuesday and we left Saturday morning, so I still got a nice vacation with awesome weather and great company. I even saw a bear! (He was crossing the road one evening when we were on our way to town.)

Vacation! 

sleepy from a day in the sun

I feel like September must have been uneventful, because I don't remember it at all. (This is why I should post more than every few months.) Zach and I did get to go to a Brewer game! Unfortunately they didn't win, but we had a fun day tailgating and just watching the game. We also got to spend a lot of time at the zoo. Zach also moved in August, and he used to live just a few blocks from the zoo, so we tried to visit as much as we could before he moved.

So excited!

Sassy baby lion and his mom

Also pictured: Fence.

October was exciting, because it was my birthday month! [And anyone who knows me, knows that I love birthdays!] The entire month was actually filled with birthdays. Zach's mom had a birthday, several of our friends had birthday, and of course, my dad and I at the end of the month. You know I don't like to pick favorites, but I think this could have maybe been one of my favorite birthdays of my lengthy 25 years. Zach spoiled me with a handmade card (tiger) and a painting (monkey), which were both amazing! Plus he got me 2 seasons of Parks and Recreation, plus the book by the main character, and he made me a giant breakfast. 

For more details, and pictures of Zach's present, please visit Zach's blog here! 

(http://zachwagnerillustrationdesign.blogspot.com)

As a shameless plug, Zach does some amazing work and he updates his blog regularly.

Check it out!

On top of everything, my parents got me a Playstation 3 - which I was completely shocked by because I wasn't really expecting anything big. I've been playing a lot of Tetris. Alyssa got me a giant mixing bowl, a whisk with a giraffe handle and a rolling pin with an alligator head and his tail for the handles, both of which are super cute. Most importantly, I was really happy to be able to spend the day with all the people I love.

So far November has flown by - I keep forgetting that it's actually November, to be quite honest. Zach had his wisdom teeth out, so I took a day off of work and had a 3 day weekend to help nurse him back to health [he really didn't need me at all, but I like to think I was instrumental in his quick recovery.] It was really nice to have a 3 day weekend, but working a full week last week was very tiring.

I'm working on being a lot more productive - I've gotten kind of lazy, so I'm trying to get everything back on track. Keep on checking my blog, and hopefully I'll have more exciting stuff to come!