Hey guys. It's been a little while.
This is just an update to apologize for the [unexpected and unintended] break, and to say you'll have to wait just a littttttttle bit longer for all the juicy details of my fabulous life.
Hope all is well, and you'll be hearing from me soon!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
what you need (i got it)
Well, this past week was fairly uneventful. Work has basically been consuming me, so I kind of shut down when I'm not there.
I have been working on reading [the Game of Thrones series, which I forgot to mention by name last time. It is phenomenal, and I highly recommend it. It's a crossover hit.] But I've also been doing some knitting. Zach misplaced his mittens, so I've been working a new pair for him (double layered, with a super warm fuzzy inside). Once I finish those, I'll post a picture.
Friday was my day off and I was actually super productive. Despite the snow, I was able to run a few errands (which including grocery shopping during normal people hours....seriously, it's like a whole different world). Then I super cleaned my apartment - it was a mess to begin with, but I also did a lot heavy duty cleaning. While I was doing that, I got a pot roast going in the crockpot and made a big dinner for Zach, our friend Ben, and I. They both worked until 11 and so I had pot roast, carrots and onions, garlic mashed potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits ready when they got done.
Saturday we celebrated Zach's cousins' birthdays by going out to dinner with his family, where Zach spilled an almost full "Freckled" lemonade on his lap. The spill included the sloppy strawberries in the lemonade, which then leaked into his shoes. I felt bad because it was a sticky mess, and it was also very cold out that night so he was probably freezing once we left the restaurant. Afterwards, his brother Sam came over and we all hung out for awhile.
I should have seen the spilled lemonade as a bit of an omen. Yesterday I went back to work and had a pretty rough day (in addition to it being the first day back from my weekend). Every new task I started went badly from the first step. My zone mate left after being there for only an hour, leaving me all alone to run everything for the 3rd Sunday in a row. Things just kind of piled up one after the other. But finally, my shift ended and I was looking forward to grabbing my leftovers (the aforementioned pot roast etc), and when I got to the breakroom, I discovered that...duh duh duhhhhh....my lunch had been STOLEN. Two nice tupperware containers and 2 of the limited 5 or 6 forks I own, a full serving of pot roast, a giant container of potatoes, 3 biscuits, a yogurt, and 2 string cheese. Gone.
SERIOUSLY, who steals someone else's lunch?!?!?! [As you can tell I'm still upset.] That was definitely not a great start to my week, but I'm going to try to stay positive for the rest of the week, and I'm already feeling better.
PS. Don't take my stuff. =]
I have been working on reading [the Game of Thrones series, which I forgot to mention by name last time. It is phenomenal, and I highly recommend it. It's a crossover hit.] But I've also been doing some knitting. Zach misplaced his mittens, so I've been working a new pair for him (double layered, with a super warm fuzzy inside). Once I finish those, I'll post a picture.
Friday was my day off and I was actually super productive. Despite the snow, I was able to run a few errands (which including grocery shopping during normal people hours....seriously, it's like a whole different world). Then I super cleaned my apartment - it was a mess to begin with, but I also did a lot heavy duty cleaning. While I was doing that, I got a pot roast going in the crockpot and made a big dinner for Zach, our friend Ben, and I. They both worked until 11 and so I had pot roast, carrots and onions, garlic mashed potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits ready when they got done.
Saturday we celebrated Zach's cousins' birthdays by going out to dinner with his family, where Zach spilled an almost full "Freckled" lemonade on his lap. The spill included the sloppy strawberries in the lemonade, which then leaked into his shoes. I felt bad because it was a sticky mess, and it was also very cold out that night so he was probably freezing once we left the restaurant. Afterwards, his brother Sam came over and we all hung out for awhile.
I should have seen the spilled lemonade as a bit of an omen. Yesterday I went back to work and had a pretty rough day (in addition to it being the first day back from my weekend). Every new task I started went badly from the first step. My zone mate left after being there for only an hour, leaving me all alone to run everything for the 3rd Sunday in a row. Things just kind of piled up one after the other. But finally, my shift ended and I was looking forward to grabbing my leftovers (the aforementioned pot roast etc), and when I got to the breakroom, I discovered that...duh duh duhhhhh....my lunch had been STOLEN. Two nice tupperware containers and 2 of the limited 5 or 6 forks I own, a full serving of pot roast, a giant container of potatoes, 3 biscuits, a yogurt, and 2 string cheese. Gone.
SERIOUSLY, who steals someone else's lunch?!?!?! [As you can tell I'm still upset.] That was definitely not a great start to my week, but I'm going to try to stay positive for the rest of the week, and I'm already feeling better.
PS. Don't take my stuff. =]
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
and my head keeps spinning...
This'll be a short one, as I desperately need sleep.
Work has been excessively stressful lately. My days keep getting busier, and while I don't mind doing extra work, it seems unfair to have to pick up for coworkers slacking on a regular basis. Add in a lot of stress outside of work (nothing really out of the ordinary, just everyday "adult" things), and its a perfect storm of anxiety. I'm trying my best to keep work stuff at work and separate from my personal life, but that can prove hard, and my success rate goes up and down. For example, last night I did not sleep well because my brain thought it was a good idea to mash up every single stress in my life into one giant, continuous nightmare the entire night. However, this past weekend was one of my finest displays of relaxation and laziness ever. =]
Friday I slept. A lot. I took probably 2 naps [Zach might dispute that]. But it was nice to be kind of lazy, and not get dressed right away. Zach ended up with the day off (he usually works Fridays) and so we went out to dinner. It was extra nice, because we actually got to spend a full two days off together, because normally we only share one day off. We ate entirely too much food [hence my second nap], but it was really good. Saturday we made a giant breakfast: pancakes, hashbrowns, bacon, and I even ate Spam for the first time. We then proceeded to get lost in approximately an entire day's worth of movie and TV watching. That allowed me plenty of time to laze around and knit a hat for myself! I had some extra yarn left over from Christmas projects, and I haven't knitted anything for myself in a long time. I really liked the pattern I made up for Zach's dad's hat, so I did the same thing in very thick and cozy dark purple yarn and.....
Work has been excessively stressful lately. My days keep getting busier, and while I don't mind doing extra work, it seems unfair to have to pick up for coworkers slacking on a regular basis. Add in a lot of stress outside of work (nothing really out of the ordinary, just everyday "adult" things), and its a perfect storm of anxiety. I'm trying my best to keep work stuff at work and separate from my personal life, but that can prove hard, and my success rate goes up and down. For example, last night I did not sleep well because my brain thought it was a good idea to mash up every single stress in my life into one giant, continuous nightmare the entire night. However, this past weekend was one of my finest displays of relaxation and laziness ever. =]
Friday I slept. A lot. I took probably 2 naps [Zach might dispute that]. But it was nice to be kind of lazy, and not get dressed right away. Zach ended up with the day off (he usually works Fridays) and so we went out to dinner. It was extra nice, because we actually got to spend a full two days off together, because normally we only share one day off. We ate entirely too much food [hence my second nap], but it was really good. Saturday we made a giant breakfast: pancakes, hashbrowns, bacon, and I even ate Spam for the first time. We then proceeded to get lost in approximately an entire day's worth of movie and TV watching. That allowed me plenty of time to laze around and knit a hat for myself! I had some extra yarn left over from Christmas projects, and I haven't knitted anything for myself in a long time. I really liked the pattern I made up for Zach's dad's hat, so I did the same thing in very thick and cozy dark purple yarn and.....
Tada!
So far it has proved perfect for at home, which sounds silly but I keep my apartment at near frigid temperatures and the consistency of heat at Zach's apartment is all over the place (freezing one minute, super hot the next). Plus its super snuggly, so I have thoroughly enjoyed it. =]
Alright, off to bed. Unfortunately, I have to get up early tomorrow so I've got to get myself to bed and hope I can get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
i reflect on my reflection
I didn't quite make the Blog Monday deadline, but I have a good excuse... I just had the chance to have a Skype date with my friend JoAnna who lives in China, and I have to take that chance whenever I can.
Currently I am sitting in my apartment, freezing. I am trying to save some money by keeping my electric bill low, and I forgot to turn the heat up when I got home from work so I've been sitting in a breezy 62 for nearly 2 hours. Oops!
Not much new is going on. This week has been a pretty stressful week between work and stuff going on outside of work, but I survived through the weekend. It was the first weekend where I didn't have something going on out of town, so I actually got to sleep in a little bit on Saturday. I have also been able to reconnect with Marley which was long overdue. Even though we live less than 10 minutes apart, my work schedule and her school schedule forced us to take a lengthy (4? 5 months?) break. I finally saw her apartment for the first time two weeks ago, and she finally saw mine last weekend (even though we both moved in August), so its been nice to reconnect even though it only means a few hours together.
I'm trying to get my personal time back in order again too. The holiday season kind of throws all routine out the window. I was scrambling to get presents made and had 4 separate holiday gatherings in December, so things like relaxing and working out ceased. I've been trying to get back to the gym a little more (I don't have many excuses to not go, since it's across the street, but I still find a way to skip...) I've also been able to finally do some reading which is really nice. I'm in the middle of the fourth book of an amazing series right now, and it continues to get better and better and I never want to put the books down. It doesn't help that Zach and one of our best friends, Ben, are reading the same series and are a book ahead of me. It's such an epic series that they can't help talking about it. Anytime the three of us get together, I have to plug my ears or leave the room for 5 to 10 minutes just so they can discuss.
With that being said, I'm going to go curl up in my super warm, cozy bed (with flannel sheets and 2 down comforters!) and try to get some reading done.
Currently I am sitting in my apartment, freezing. I am trying to save some money by keeping my electric bill low, and I forgot to turn the heat up when I got home from work so I've been sitting in a breezy 62 for nearly 2 hours. Oops!
Not much new is going on. This week has been a pretty stressful week between work and stuff going on outside of work, but I survived through the weekend. It was the first weekend where I didn't have something going on out of town, so I actually got to sleep in a little bit on Saturday. I have also been able to reconnect with Marley which was long overdue. Even though we live less than 10 minutes apart, my work schedule and her school schedule forced us to take a lengthy (4? 5 months?) break. I finally saw her apartment for the first time two weeks ago, and she finally saw mine last weekend (even though we both moved in August), so its been nice to reconnect even though it only means a few hours together.
I'm trying to get my personal time back in order again too. The holiday season kind of throws all routine out the window. I was scrambling to get presents made and had 4 separate holiday gatherings in December, so things like relaxing and working out ceased. I've been trying to get back to the gym a little more (I don't have many excuses to not go, since it's across the street, but I still find a way to skip...) I've also been able to finally do some reading which is really nice. I'm in the middle of the fourth book of an amazing series right now, and it continues to get better and better and I never want to put the books down. It doesn't help that Zach and one of our best friends, Ben, are reading the same series and are a book ahead of me. It's such an epic series that they can't help talking about it. Anytime the three of us get together, I have to plug my ears or leave the room for 5 to 10 minutes just so they can discuss.
With that being said, I'm going to go curl up in my super warm, cozy bed (with flannel sheets and 2 down comforters!) and try to get some reading done.
Monday, January 2, 2012
so, this is the new year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2011 was a bit of a whirlwind for me. It was seemingly one of the best and worst years, and depending on how I look at it, it seemed to take forever or fly by in a flash.
I think I grew a lot this year. In both my personal and professional lives, I've developed a [little] more patience, a thicker skin, my own opinions, my relationships. Overall, I feel like I am mentally in the best place I've ever been. This was the first year where I really felt like an adult (scary at times, but good overall). I also feel like I've learned a lot this year - on a personal and a global level - which is fantastic, because I'd kind of lost focus on how much I love to learn.
Thank you to my amazing and wonderful family and friends for your continued support and guidance. I can only hope that I continue to grow and learn in the next year.
Love you all,
amanda
2011 was a bit of a whirlwind for me. It was seemingly one of the best and worst years, and depending on how I look at it, it seemed to take forever or fly by in a flash.
I think I grew a lot this year. In both my personal and professional lives, I've developed a [little] more patience, a thicker skin, my own opinions, my relationships. Overall, I feel like I am mentally in the best place I've ever been. This was the first year where I really felt like an adult (scary at times, but good overall). I also feel like I've learned a lot this year - on a personal and a global level - which is fantastic, because I'd kind of lost focus on how much I love to learn.
Thank you to my amazing and wonderful family and friends for your continued support and guidance. I can only hope that I continue to grow and learn in the next year.
Love you all,
amanda
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
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!]
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!
Monday, December 19, 2011
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!
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!
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