Merry Christmas!

We're enjoying our time here in sunny Folsom, CA..

We wish you all happy holidays!

Oh, and we celebrated our 2nd anniversary on Monday..

Flashback to our Portland reception on January of 2008..



I like this one because it looks like I'm rockin out..

What do the holidays mean to you?

I've said before that our finances have been pretty tight living off my salary alone.. We just DON'T have extra money floating around. We had to buy a new set of tires for the XTerra, which unfortunately were not cheap, and Graham's student loans haven't come through yet for last quarter. We had to take out money from his 401K to pay for his tuition last quarter. Graham DID get a job, but we don't know when his first paycheck will arrive.

It's been rough with so many events this month: my birthday, our anniversary, my dad's birthday, my nephew's birthday, a baby shower, a wedding, etc... I coud literally spend half of my paycheck on other people. So, this has been our plan for the holidays this year: prioritize gift giving (sorry friends who got married over the summer--your invitations are still on our fridge with the hope of buying you something someday.. Tyler.. this means you), buy my birthday gift late, celebrate our 2nd anniversary when our tax refund hopefully comes next year, buy small gifts only for the other people in our life, and perhaps celebrating Christmas in a different way.

And faced with a giftless Christmas, I started feeling really down and I started investigating exactly WHY the thought of no gifts depresses me.

Buying something I know someone wants brings me joy. Not being able to afford anything brings me sadness.

The holidays are about giving.. Does it have to mean giving gifts?

Maybe it's about spending time with family and giving your time to be with them.

Maybe it's about appreciating what you have and not agonizing over the things you don't have. I guess it could be about giving thanks..

I guess this year, Christmas is all about hope. When Christ was born, people all around the world could feel the hope that His birth would somehow change the world..

I can feel hope for the future, but it's just hard right now.

Old

I don't know why, but this birthday really really makes me feel old.

27

I feel ancient!!

Oh, and thanks if you wished me a happy birthday. I definitely felt loved.

I feel like an idiot

So yesterday, I was in the public bathroom innocently bending over to pick up some papers, when


WHAMMMM

I slammed my head into the tampon/pad metal box on the wall while standing back up at full force


I literally saw stars and thought I was going to black out

I have a massive bump on my head to prove it

Oh, and there were 2 witnesses to my stupidity

One can only hope I get some kind of compensation from Workers' Comp... Or at least a helmet.

Thanks

Since I haven't done one of these posts before, I'll just give you a list of things I'm thankful for.. even though it's late:



1) Graham

2) Family

3) Pointy-toed shoes

4) Drew-fit pants at The Limited

5) Santitas and Pace salsa

6) Super Wal-Mart prices

7) Jeans

8) Career and education

9) Down comforters

10) Comcast DVR

11) Wusthof knives

12) Umbrellas

13) iPod car adaptor

14) The calendar feature on my phone

15) The movie "Elf"

16) Piano music

17) Fridays

18) Sun

19) Clicky pens

20) Christmas decorations

Happy holidays everyone

Even More Good News

Due to one of my co-worker's resignation.. I will no longer work weekends!! I mean, she'll be missed and all, but this is a huge plus.

I will only be working on weekends if my other co-workers cannot work their scheduled Saturday/Sunday shifts.

Hallelujah!!

Although this now means I have no excuse for not going to church every week...

Good News

I have good news ladies and gentleman...








When I called to tell my parents, the first thing my dad asked, "You're expecting?!"

No.. that's not it.


Anyways, I've been stressing a little because of Graham's school situation. He attends a junior college that has a bachelor's program in engineering, but the program is crappy, non-accredited, and poorly planned. Because of limited class options, it would take him another 5 years to get his degree. So, we've been looking everywhere in WA for engineering programs, since we're residents now.

Washington State in Pullman... good program, no jobs for me.

University of Washington in Seattle.. ok program, job availability, expensive cost of living..

Washington state in Vancouver... good program, low cost of living, better job availability with thr proximity to POrtland and all..

So we were thinking, Vancouver is cheaper to live at, closer to family, etc.. One catch.. Actually 2... I'd have to find a job down there, preferably in WA to avoid state income taxes. Then, I'd have to find a job AGAIN in our town after Graham gets done with his school because Graham wants to get a guaranteed job out of college with a government agency. So... that would be taking a risk there..

But we just found out this week that Washington State is bringing their bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering to our little junior college because of the high demand for engineers in the area, and because we're an underserved population.

So.. we'll be here permanently for at least 6-10 more years. Maybe it's not so good news after all when I put it like that...

Addiction

I don't even know what to blog about anymore. I barely blog, so I can't write about all of the stupid little things that happen to me that are funny.. which is what I like to write about.

Anyways, I'm going to blog about addiction. There are so many things out there that can cause addiction, and I recently realized I had a problem.

I have one. I am a recovering shopaholic.

It's taken me a long time to realize this. At BYU, I would shop weekly at Nordstrom and Banana Republic. I bought purses, sunglasses, outfits, designer jeans, and pointy-toed shoes. It helped fill the void in my life and made me feel better about myself. I would compare myself to other girls and think, well, at least I'm wearing expensive jeans. I would hit a major low when I actually would go shopping to find something specific and not be able to find a single clothing item. I would geta new outfit for all kinds of occasions, first date, first makeout, birthday, Easter, etc. When I moved to Portland, I started to like even more expensive clothes like BCBG.

Then, I met Graham and that void was filled... But the desire to shop has never gone away. I used to enjoy window shopping, but that just increased the size of the list of things I want in my head. I used to get emails from all of my favorite stores, like BR, JCrew, Macys, Nordstrom, etc, but it only made it worse.

So now, since we're strapped for cash.. I just have to suck it up and not shop or even look at clothes online. It has been really hard for me to deal with this addiction. But, when I look at my bills, it makes it just a little bit easier for me to overcome...

Piglet

I haven't written in a while, but our lives seem so to be a comedy of errors lately, where everything that can go wrong WILL go wrong..

Graham has a confirmed case of swine flu.. And he's down for the count for a couple of days..

We're still waiting to see if my immune system succombs to the mighty swine flu...

Back from the dead

I swear, we're still alive.

We don't have internet at our house anymore--we sold that stupid ClearWire contract--and I can't log in at work (Big Brother is watching), so I am so behind in everything. I apologize if I haven't read any of your blogs lately, or even called you. Life has been a little crazy around here.

But anyways, thanks to you all for your support. Graham and I are doing well and are learning something new every day about ourselves, as cheesy as that sounds. Marriage isn't easy, I'm learning.. Oh, and we aren't perfect. Another tough thing to learn. Why is it ingrained in my head that I need to put forward a happy face 24/7 and say that everything is perfect?

So yeah, work sucks--I was supposed to work 4 weekends this month, but my co-workers took pity on me and took one of my weekends.

Church is busy.. when I can actually go.

I also had a traumatizing experience recently that I'm not ready to talk about, but I will in time..

Yeah. That's my life.

What I'm Really Made of

So...

As some of you may remember, Graham and I have been having some problems with money lately.. There just never seems to be enough!

Anyways, besides that.. and partly because of that.. Graham and I have been treading through some troubled waters lately. I'm not here to air our dirty laundry, but I feel like being honest and completely real.

Honestly, our marriage is not perfect, even though I often thought it was.

Life is not about skating through it without any trials.

Don't worry... We are not separating, even temporarily, but I'm not gonna lie.. It's been rough. My life has been relatively easy until now. Marital troubles are so much more intense than anything else.

Before this, I believed I was weak, spoiled, lazy, unforgiving.. nothing too impressive.

But going through this has opened my eyes as to what I can achieve and who I can be.. I am so much more than I thought. I am faithful, loyal, supportive, and forgiving. I do not wallow in self-pity. I look forward to the future, full of hope.

Our marriage is getting stronger everyday.. thanks to our strong bond and temple marriage. The gopsel of Jesus Christ is true and can lift you up even from your deepest lows.

Just wanted to be open and honest about what's really going on in my life.

Pictures

I have a few from our recent camping trip and my brother's family's visit.. So here they are for your viewing pleasure.. Sorry, they're totally in random order.

Me and the kids at Woodland Zoo in North Seattle. It was my favorite exhibit--penguins.

Our little tiny canoe on the Hood Canal.. I think we exceeded the weight limit

We found a dead crab and of course we had to put it on somebody.

Life jackets are SO flattering

Graham actually looks like a guy in our ward in this outfit

Nice peace sign Sherri

How many Eagle Scouts does it take to light a fire?
"What do you mean we're out of morning wood?"

The sunset--one of my favorite views.
I'm supervising the boys skipping rocks

The water we decided to cross by canoe.. not our smartest decision

Anyways, I have a ton of pictures on my camera just waiting to be blogged about.. so eventually, we'll make it to Best Buy and get a freaking USB cord and make it all better.

Wow, 3 blogs in 2 days... That's impressive for me.

Haircut

I need one so bad. Seriously guys. I probably spend half of my day picking at split ends.

I'm thinking of getting a cut and color.. maybe like this?

This is what I'm thinking:
--dark hair
--shoulder, maybe above the shoulder, length
--side bangs

Or is it back to highlights like these (please disregard the bangs)

I'm hoping to get a haircut next week.. Hallelujah!!

Single Again

So, Graham is gone for 4 days... 4 days!!! He's down at WashJam, a state-wide scouting jamboree. So, I have reverted back to the single life for 4 days.

1) No planned meals. I literally bought canned/frozen food for my dinners. I plan on eating cream of potato soup, frozen bagel bites, and popsicles for dinner (just not all together).
2) TV, computer, and books--no limit to the time spent on any of these activities.
3) Chores.. How is it that I actually FEEL like putting my clothes away when Graham is gone?
4) Major couch time.. I think I might even sleep out there.
5) Girl's Night.. No matter how cheesy that is. Some friends' husbands are also going to WashJam, so we are planning a "GNO". The husbands were laughing because of how seriously we were taking this. All of us are planning on getting pedicures together, bringing something to eat, and watching a chick flick. It's my first one as a married girl. Probably because I hate the term "GNO".

Anyways, I have no idea what to do with myself. I'm like all over the place. The TV is on out on the family room because I need some kind of noise in the house. I also started cleaning, and unfortunately discovered something nasty Graham left behind for me. He left a styrofoam holder in our office that had a little bit of biscuits and gravy left over from Sunday. It LITERALLY smelled like cat pee, poo, and vomit all mixed together. BLECH! Plus, some got on my hands when I threw it out.

I think I'll go back to my lonely TV now and maybe read a book.

A little peek

I haven't really been writing about the things we've been doing for the past couple of months. It's been quite busy lately, with weddings, working weekends, holidays, and vacations. So, I'll give you all a little update on what we've been up to. Again, I'd like to add pictures, but we still haven't replaced our camera cord.

--July 4th in Portland and Camas, WA. We camped out at his aunt and uncle's house's front yard and enjoyed a laid back day before the fireworks at night. I did some flips on the family's trampoline to try to remember what it was like to be active. We ended our family reunion on Sunday at church with our own little testimony meeting and family pictures.
--My brother Craig and his family came up to visit us 2 weeks later up here in Brem Brem. Joanna and I went to the zoo while Craig and Graham proved their manliness hiking a big mountain in the Olympics. We took the ferry a couple of times across Puget Sound, where the kids had the time of their lives apparently with the wind in their faces and everything. It was too funny and too cute. I wish I'd had my camera. We went to Pike Place Market, which is a terrible place for a double stroller, the flagship Nordstrom store in downtown Seattle, and took the monorail to the Space Needle. We didn't end up going up, but it was ok just the same. The day after their family went back to CA, Braden, my nephew, asked his mom, "We go boat today? We go space needle?" So cute!
--Graham's cousin, Tyler, got married in Portland the next week.. to my sister's old roommate, America. I love weddings, so it was a fun day. It was a hot day outside, very hot, but fun. Also, we had some drama because Tyler didn't pick out a tux shirt for Graham, so he didn't have the correct shirt for some of the pictures. Why do these kind of things ALWAYS happen to us?
--We moved over the next couple of days to our new condo.. Same complex, same layout, and top floor with vaulted ceilings. Pretty sweet. Our landlord even let us paint our accent wall a matching green color. I love it. Oh, and FYI, don't let Young Men in your ward help you move. It's cheap help, but not good quality. Oh, and we spent about 7 hours cleaning our old place, making sure it was spotless.. And then we found out our old landlord was just going to let the place foreclose, so she didn't even care what it looked like. So we spent all that time cleaning when we could've been unpacking! Argh! Plus, our new condo's bathroom was disgustingly dirty when we moved in. Nice.
--The next day after we moved, we went camping with some buddies to celebrate Graham's 24th birthday. We went to a camping site near us, located on the Hood Canal. We had a blast. We played in the water Friday night during the sunset, and then we came back the next day to paddle in a friend's kayak and canoe to the other side of the water. I didn't paddle or anything, but let me tell you.. it was a long way back.'
--Monday evening I got home from work and discovered a piece of mail from US Bank saying we were negative $1300 in our account. Come to find out, they LOST a check that we had deposited a week and a half before, and never notified us. This was also the check that we'd been waiting for for months--the check from Graham's old boss. So, fast forward to 4 stressful days later... They tried to charge us for over $800 in overdraft fees for THEIR mistake. But, it has all been worked out, and we now are positive $1100 in our account. We will soon be switching our account to a credit union in the area.

So anyways, we're all moved in, mostly unpacked, and still getting used to the new place. Life is good, for the time being..

Yuck

Ok, so our hospital has a public website where you can see the babies born there.. and you can also see their names.

As many of you know, I've complained about the white trash-ness of my town, and some of these names just prove it..

My Top 10:

10) Kholeen (for some reason, this reminds me of colon)
9) Nefertiti (you know this girl will be called "titty" for the rest of her life)
8) Ja'leah (does the apostrophe make it special?)
7) Karlchen (wtf?)
6) Fuscia (the poor parents can't even spell Fuschia correctly)
5) Gryphon (fancy spelling for a mythological lion/eagle creature)
4) Jaxon and Jaxsyn (future porn stars or dancers)
3) Apple'lee (the restaurant where the baby was conceived)

My Top 2 (and these happen to be twins):
2) Hyaleigh Aliyyah (seriously so blessed)
1) Aqaylah Breaze (no words... no words)

Seriously, yikes.. Shouldn't potential parents be screened before they bring a child into this world?

So, yeah

Sorry. I haven't blogged in a while. Woops.

Anyways, I am freaking pissed off right now.

US Bank is the worst bank EVER.

That's all I'm going to say.

Thanks for the hmmmmmm... compliment

I received this message as part of the third friend request from this weirdo on facebook:

"your face is really beautiful. but your body is hmmmmmm..i dont know:)i think thats why men dont interested in you....."

So I replied.. "Hey creeper.. why don't you find someone else to stalk.. Oh, and my husband thinks you're hilarious."

Nice.

Ode to George Orwell's "1984"

I got in "trouble" at work for using the Internet for non-work related things (i.e. Pottery Barn, West Elm, FoodNetwork, etc).

I received a list of all the websites I'd looked at in a week... It had to equal about 100 pages.

So beware everyone...

Big brother is watching you!!

Do you think I'm judgmental?

That's just a rhetorical question for you all, because I know I am..

Here's what brought that thought to my mind lately:

--There's a Toyota Prius (definitely a "smug" person) that parks in the hospital parking lot near me. The license plate frame says (their words, not mine): "Under God, My Ass". The first thing I thought was, "Man this guy is going to hell."

--I was on facebook, looking at some random friend's profile, when I saw some chick from high school had commented on a picture. I immediately thought, "Ugh you slut [meaning the girl]."

Is being judgmental necessarily a BAD thing?

Google

Do you ever google yourself? And no, that's not an innuendo in any way.

I was very happy to find that I am now un-findable on the internet. With my new blah married name, I am nearly incognito when you google search me. If you knew my maiden name, which some of you do, you'd be able to find me much easier.

True, you can find me easily on facebook and myspace... but those don't reveal the true me.

So, I could almost say whatever I want on this blog. Almost. But I won't. Anyways, totally random.

Btw, I'm trying to keep this light. I just found out my grandpa has metstatic cancer, with mets to his kidney, liver, and pancreas... and I've been really sad about it... Especially since I see those kinds of patients every day at the hospital. But, you could go to my sister's blog to read about it if you'd like.

New Car

Before you say anything, like how irresponsible you think we are, or how you hate European cars..

Our new car has:

--The same payments as the old car

--Turbo engine

--A good CarFax report

--Great mileage

--6-CD changer and a spot for an iPod jack

--New tires

--Sex appeal :)

Anyways, yes.. I bought my first car. It's not Graham's, since my name is the only one on the loan.. but he mostly drives it. It's kind of a long story, but we decided to trade in the Chevy Malibu.. or should I say "Mal B". It was a sinking ship, and we wanted out... fast.

So, our friend hooked us up with a dealer in Port Orchard (Grey Chevrolet for anybody that wants to know). They were good, not slimy at all, and dealt efficiently with our purchase. I am VERY happy with my "new" 2005 Saab. Woohoo!

And please, no judgmental comments. That means YOU mom.

Graham's Punishment

Ok, I don't know how many of you remember how Graham lost his wedding ring last year.. But he lost it while we were tubing on the cold Weiser River in Idaho. Yes, the ring was probably found by Smiegel, who became so obsessed with the ring, he turned into Gollum... but you already know that story.


So anyways, Graham lost his ring again. He was helping some young men at a Scout activity in a cold lake that were learning how to save themselves in a canoe that had been swamped with water. The boys started freaking out, so Graham (and another Young Men's leader) jumped in the lake to help save them. So in the dark, cold water, Graham's ring awaits a new owner. Someone who will appreciate it.

And this is his punishment for losing yet another wedding ring:

Isn't it hideous? It says "Always and Forever", and yes that is a heart with a cheap stone in the center. Thank you Wal-Mart.

Graham got off easy though.. The other leader lost his wallet in the lake, with an emergency $100 bill in it..

Things I Want

As I you all may know.. Graham's and my finances have been tight lately. I make good money for a new dietitian, but with my student loans and whatnot.. it's a little rough. With Graham not getting paid since February... it's more tight than we'd like.

So we get over this financial rough spots by window shopping and imagining... if I only made more money, I would get:

1) A freaking haircut and color. Are split ends EVER in style? I haven't gotten my hair cut and colored since September!!!!

P.S. Is anyone else proud of extreme split ends? I once had a strand of hair split 15 times. I thought about saving it for Guinness Book of World Records.

2) A replacement for my blue L eCreuset French oven. These things are supposedly indestructible... but not Graham & Sherri-proof. FYI, do NOT store Le Creuset French ovens on top of your fridge. Oh, and make sure you jump out of the way when it falls and breaks.
3) New tires for my XTerra. They're getting close to bald and very close to dangerous.

4) Art for our walls. Graham told me we couldn't buy anything more to decorate until we buy a house, but I hate white walls so much! My mom introduced me to this website for interior designers, where you pick the colors of your room, and the website finds art that matches the colors. I found one that would be perfect on our room and it's affordable.. just not now.

5) Outdoor patio set.. i.e. a place to sit and eat OUTSIDE and enjoy the good weather while we can. By the way, it's raining today. Can you believe it?

6) A nice apartment/condo. Our landlord may be selling the place, so we don't know if we can stay here for another year. It's what we were planning to do.. so we'll see. I hate moving! Plus, the apartments here are WAY too expensive for the area. Is it just me, or is $1100 a month on a 2-bedroom apartment out in sticksville too much? This is freaking West Puget Sound, NOT Seattle!

7) Another vacation.. This time to Victoria, British Columbia. I found this place on luxurylink.com and fell in love... Please let us go!

The hotel

Victoria

Buchart Gardens

8) The professional multi-chopper at Williams-Sonoma. I accidentally destroyed my previous cheap onion chopper, and I literally have cried about it. Without my chopper, chopping more than 1 onion is impossible. My eyes are seriously sensitive to onion fumes.

Alas, tis all a dream and a twinkle in my eye at this moment.

Why I love myspace

I got this message from some random kid I don't even know..



"Hey its matt please I need a girls input your advice on this look I want to report my mother to social services for child abuse for saying untrue things about me. look me and my brother threw ketchup around in McDonalds and it got on some people’s clothes and this ladies coach purse my mom had to pay 300 bucks for the clothes i ruined. My mom wouldnt give us 90 bucks for a game she said my sister needed stuff for school i was mad at her for being cheap.The manager came to the table yelled at us. when my mom came out of the bathroom. she saw what we did she wigged out on us and diss us in there called us a babies real loud told me and him we need go back to wearing diapers again and sit in a high chair. can I bring her up on charges for saying that to me telling me i need to be in diapers again? even just to scare her. Its just no fair why is mothers so mean It has to be a girl thing with her. she took away my x box and i pod i cant go out on the weekends now because of her. look I know im 16 years my bro is 13 years old but i have more legal rights then my mother on this im sure of it. Even the charges dont stick it would make her treat me better in the future by not calling me a baby right?"



Wtf? What makes this kid think I would care? Plus, that's not child abuse. That's discipline. Get over it kid.

No need for a title

Ok, so I'm off work today, so I can finally do a full blog.

I'll let you in on a couple of updates in our lives:

--After a long and painful fight, I will end up working 2 out of 3 weekends... meaning I could work 4 weekends in August. A fellow dietitian is going on maternity leave in August, and our manager would not budge in changing the schedule even though we will be short-staffed for 3 months. So... my life will suck even more starting in August.

--I got called into the Young Women's presidency as the secretary... but at least I'm not the assistant TO THE secretary. Graham also got called as the Young Men's president.. which is funny since he looks like a young man himself. Another amusing tidbit.. The YW president and I, whom I had never met, have kissed the SAME GUY. How random is that?! The Mormon world is such a small world.

--Graham's best friend Jered got married a few weeks ago in the Portland temple. It was lovely and funny all at the same time. First, Graham wore white socks with his nice pants. Second, the sealer accidently said, "Eve, the mother of all evil", in the ceremony. Third, Graham forgot to bring black shoes for his black tux. We helped the newlyweds escape after the reception in their destroyed car, even though they got roped into doing some cleaning.

--We went to my family's first reunion in Tahoe... I'll just give you the highlights:
1) We drove from Portland to Tahoe via Reno. I don't know if any of you have ever traveled these lonely roads before.. but our night-long drive went through the middle of Oregon, where some deer cornered us on the highway, like in "The Ring 2" movie. Luckily, one of the punk deer looked up, and we were able to slam our brakes in time. I couldn't sleep the rest of the time, because the deer on the side of the road kept freaking me out. By the time we got to the northeast corner of California, I was seeing things, like make-believe dust devils in the fields, cop cars that were actually bridges, and a real creepy man standing on the side of the road next to a railroad. Poor Graham had to convince me those things weren't real. Something real we DID see was a bale of hay in the highway. The most common statement on this drive was "where ARE we?!". Honestly, I think that part of California is the loneliest part I've ever been to. It's like, wtf would you ever go to Alturas, CA? But, we made it safely to Tahoe in 10 hours.

2) We took extended family pictures in matching t-shirts. Cheesy? Yes. Ugly? Not really. They're actually pretty cute. Our photographer, who was our wedding photographer, took them of us on a fence in a meadow up in Tahoe. I love the background. I would post one, but pictage.com doesn't let me copy or save the pictures.
3) I was really sick with a cold over the vacation. I was doped up on sudafed, dayquil, and nyquil the whole time. I used up an entire large box of tissues. I'm still recovering, and I sound like a smoker or like someone trying to get attention by clearing their throat.

4) Tahoe was actually kind of cold. It hailed and rained the day we were going to the beach. I was really frustrated because of the clothing I packed. Last time we visited CA in March, we packed like Northwesteners, bringing all pants and turtlenecks... and it was hot! So, we were smart this time and brough all of our summer clothes, and it was cold... Lame!

5) We visited with our good friends, the Hamberlins. We got to meet their adorable little son, Tanner, who has the bluest eyes ever! I feel like I never get to see my old friends anymore, so it was nice.

6) We did a session in the Sacramento temple, where we got married. It quickly became my new favorite temple, although I still do love the Portland temple. I just love the Sacramento temple's colors, with the blue stained glass and the roses. The celestial room is just GORGEOUS.

7) We played with my brother Craig's cute kids. Emma, who is about 15 months, is adorable and staggers around the room when she walks. My other brother brought his 5 foster kids, which made things a little crazy, but the little 8 year-old girl like LOVED Graham and me. She colored a couple of pictures for both of us and always wanted to sit with us.

8) We went to a San Francisco Giants game on Saturday to top off our family reunion. It was great weather that day, and we walked around the wharf.. to get some bread and chocolate of course. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't visit the mega mall with Nordstrom and Bloomingdales in Union Square, but we didn't have much time to do anything else that day.

9) We had a LOVELY 12-hour drive back to Brem Brem on Sunday. Luckily, we brought our laptop this time, and Seinfeld made the time go by quickly. However, the accident in Eugene, OR that shut down I-5 completely was almost a buzz kill. With some handy driving skills and a shortcut through town, we were able to bypass the accident and cut off an unnecessary hour off our time.

--I've been back at work this week, and let's just say it hasn't been fun (please reference my first statement). However, a job is a job, and I'm still lucky to have one.

--Graham got his independent loan officer license, so he's able to work with a mortgage firm, a bank, and a website (zillow.com). So, if you know anybody in WA that needs a mortgage, Graham's your man.

--We got an early birthday and Christmas gift from my parents. All Graham could say was, "Oh man this is so much better than IKEA." Well said, Graham... well said. We put our fancy china in the new buffet, and it looks great.
--We still haven't purchased a cord to connect our camera to the computer yet, since we lost our old one, but someday... we'll have enough money to do just that.

--I promise to you all that I'll start blogging more again. Our internet sharing friend is back, so it's all good. We signed a contract with clearwire internet, which, FYI, nobody should do... but we're going to cancel it because it doesn't work. Argh!

See you all later... hopefully sooner than that.

Lame

So, I am lame and never blog anymore. I almost never get on the computer at home.. just like once a week.

What are my excuses?
--We went sea kayaking the other night with some friends on the Hood Canal, part of the Puget Sound. My feet are totally cut up from stepping on millions of nasty sea shells. The tide was LOW and our kayak got stuck too far out. I didn't wear my flip flops because they would've gotten stuck in the mud. So, I walked all over mussels, clams--whatever was in my way--to get back to shore.
--I'm addicted to "So You Think You Can Dance". Why were the people from Seattle SO bad?
--We're going down to Portland on Friday for Graham's friend's wedding on Saturday, then we're driving down to Lake Tahoe from there for the first annual Extended Family Reunion. So, I've been getting stuff ready to take down with us.
--I just got called to the Young Women's Presidency as the secretary... which is weird because I had just gotten called as a Relief Society teacher a few weeks before... and I never taught. Now that's my kind of calling.
--I've had "house fever".. meaning I really really want to buy a house. I do all this research online for nothing basically, because we can't afford one right now.... but I still want one. We even went and looked at houses on Sunday for fun. Hopefully, Graham will make a lot of money this summer as a mortgage broker/loan office and get us out of debt and into a house (i.e.... more debt).
--It has been HOT here lately... meaning 75-80 degrees. We have been grilling like crazy and trying to get rid of our vampire alabaster skin.

So yeah, that's my excuse... But I really don't think I need one. It's warm and beautiful outside... who wants to blog?!

Oh, and California... here we come!

Why we all need to be less sensitive

I was sitting at a patient's chart the other day, wearing my cute new outfit. I'd post a picture of it, but it wasn't available online. But anyways, it was a cropped sweater with a halter underneath. And, I thought I looked pretty cute.

A CNA walked past smiling, and said to me "Oh, look at your cute tummy."

I turned to her and gave her the look of death. Seriously, I could not have portayed any more hatred in a single look. I stared her down as she continued to walk past me. My blood burned within my veins.

I finally stopped seething long enough to say through gritted teeth, "I'm not pregnant you know."

She didn't reply. She kept walking and kind of gave me a weird look.

I went back to my chart note and tried not to think of the ways I could kill her.

She walked back past me again and said, "And look at your cute shoes!"

My thoughts cleared... Was she complimenting me? So I said to her, "I'm so sorry I gave you the look of death. I thought you were saying how I looked pregnant!"

So we laughed about it pretty hard, because she was in fact saying how cute I looked and how I didn't look fat! She said she had tried on a similar top, and she looked too fat to buy it..

Lesson learned: Don't assume someone is calling you fat just because you think you're fat.

It's too late

Sorry guys. I'm becoming a blog slacker.

The truth is, we've been busy. We've gone places, we've had visitors, and we've taken pictures of all of it.

I just can't find our camera cord for the computer dangit.

So I'm avoiding my blog.

You miss me. Admit it.

Twilight.. The Movie

I decided I had to Netflix the movie to see if I hated it as much as the book.

I'm watching it as I type, so my opinion isn't completely formed yet...

But, the guy who plays Edward looks so much like Graham it's making me laugh. He makes faces just like Graham's, so I can't even take this movie seriously.

Addiction

So, after Graham bought me this cookbook and this baking cookbook for Christmas, I told him my cookbook buying days were over.

I have all of the cookbooks I need, I said. No more for me.

But, I just can't help but wonder, what else is out there?

So, I just bought "The Best Make Ahead Recipe" cookbook.

I have altered my shopping obsession from designer jeans to designer cookbooks and kitchen equipment.

I'm becoming way too domesticated.

Success!

So, I taught a nutrition lesson for an "enrichment" activity for my ward. I couldn't get out of it (hehe), so I went into all gung-ho and planned an all-out lesson on healthy habits.

I planned a lesson to span all kinds of topics: the food pyramid, healthy foods within each food group, healthy portions, physical activity, etc.

I got through about 1/4 of what I'd planned. Looks like I was a little too excited to teach nutrition. Plus, I like sweated gallons while I taught because I was so nervous.

I brought a couple of my "favorite things", or things that I called "dietitian secrets" to inspire the ladies to add more healthy foods into their diet. I brought flaxseed meal, Barilla Plus pasta, King Arthur Flour "white whole wheat" flour as some examples.

The next day, I received 2 emails that that those 2 ladies had each gone out and bought flax. 2 days after, another chick in Relief Society told me she bought flaxseed meal, and had even added it into her cescent rolls she brought to the ward chili cook-off that night. On Sunday, another lady from church came up and told me how great a book was that I'd recommended for people to read.

So, was my nutrition class a success?

Absolutely.. Mission accomplished.

One of my all-time faves

I hate musical movies. Everyone's all singing and dancing.. and being very annoying.

On our honeymoon in San Francisco, Graham and I went to see "Sweeney Todd". Unbeknownst to us, it was a musical. After 10 minutes of "what the hell--when are they going to stop singing", it finally dawned on us that this movie was a musical. We quickly left and got a refund.

But, there is an exception...

"Moulin Rouge". It isn't annoying and all happy. It's different.. kind of dark and sad.

I loooooove the music.

I wanted to watch it this Sunday after singing a hymn in church that had the lyrics "come what may".. my favorite song in the movie. I love the reprise of that song at the end when they're actually performing the play on stage. It's so moving to me. Anyways, I know it's totally girly, but "Moulin Rouge" is definitely one of my top movies. Just thought you'd like to know.

Finally

So, our internet-sharing neighbor moved away, so we're finally getting our own internet service at home. This means I might blog a little bit more than I have been lately, but might not.

Anyways, life is changing quickly. I start working 5 8-hour shifts in a couple of weeks, as well as 2 weekends per month. But, I still have a job.

Graham is still looking for a job, but our bishop just offered him a part-time job where he does clerical work for him. I think he's a financial advisor or something.. but the details aren't totally clear to me. The money will be good, though.. allowing us to pay off our debts a lot faster.

Graham also got called as the Young Men's president in our ward. I got released as the assistant to the secretary in the Relief Society presidency. No calling as of yet.. but I sure hope it's NOT in Primary.

We're also selling my 2003 Nissan XTerra. It has low mileage (65,000 miles) and is in great running condition with new tires. Know anybody who's interested?

Longest Road Trip EVER

Longest blog EVER...

I don't do road trips. The longest I've ever driven is from Sacramento to Utah... about 10 hours. I'm a flyer.. or I used to be when my parents paid for my flights.

Now, I'm a driver. We're too cheap to pay for flights.

So anyways, Graham's aunt invited us a couple of months ago to drive down with them to Folsom because she was taking her daughters down there to visit some boys they had met at EFY. I was like, sweet.. a free trip to CA!

So, we drove down to Portland last week to meet them at their house, and everything was ok. We got up at 3 AM for the drive, packed the car, and Graham's cousin had a seizure just when we were getting into the car. She had fallen onto the grass and was shaking and moving her arms and legs. Probably one of the scariest things I've seen. I had no idea what to do!

Long story short.. They ended up not going, so Graham and I drove down to California ourselves. Wasn't too bad of a drive, although I couldn't sleep. So, we then met my parents for lunch in Folsom, and my dad showed us around his busy tax office. (Ugh.. April is the worst month.) Then, we went and played with my brother Craig's kids at their house. I love those kids! Maren, Braden, and Emma. Graham is like Maren's favorite toy. Braden is still a little rascal, but he says hi, bye, and I love you. Really a big change. And Emma is like the cutest baby ever!

We went out to Dos Coyotes for dinner and then to "Aliens vs Monsters" for the kids. LAME! Seriously did not enjoy that movie. I desperately wanted to fall asleep in that movie, but I couldn't. So yeah, that was our Friday.

Oh, and did I mention the weather? Sunny, no clouds, 65-75 degrees! I missed CA so much in that moment. However, I was dressed like a pasty Northwestener.. turtleneck, NorthFace jacket, and Ugg boots. I was hotter than ... in my outfit.

So Saturday.. Graham mowed my parents lawn, I helped my mom clean out her closet full of old clothes, and watched ducks play in my parents' pool. We tried to go for a walk over the new bridge in Folsom, but there was no parking, so we were like, screw this. We went to the Folsom outlets instead. Not a fan of the outlets, but they do have better shops now (i.e. BCBG). We then really went shopping at the Rosevilla Galleria, where I got some desperately needed shirts from Banana Republic.. where they were conveniently on sale/clearance. I'm wearing one today actually. I was also able to get my disgusting wedding rings cleaned for the first time in like a year. We got BBQ for dinner at Lucille's in Rocklin, which was delicious, and we went to see "Haunting in Connecticut". It was an ok movie.. and it scared us all. Graham was so funny.. He was like, "I don't know why I picked this movie--I hate scary movies!"

On Sunday, we went to church, and hung out with my family. Emma is such a funny baby. Her word for help/look/see/whatever is "mom". She'll hold things out for you to take from her, but then she'll take them right back. Indian giver..

We drove a long 12 hours on the way home to Brem Brem. We stopped in Medford, OR on the way home to see the temple. We had a hard time finding it because the steeple is literally two stories tall. You can't even see it from the freeway. Also, my sister-in-law, Ali, had her baby on Saturday, so we were able to see little Loralei (spelling?) on the way home. She was a little tiny thing with dark hair! Eventually I'm sure she'll look like her parents.. instead of her uncle Jon.

Anyways, long drive, long blog. Looking forward to driving down to CA again in June!

Embarrassingly Enough

I'm reading the book Twilight.

It was a weak moment.

Graham and I were at my parents' house in Folsom, and I needed something to read at home.

The worst thing is.. (and I know you Twilight lovers will hate me)

The book is written for 10 year-old girls. It's THAT easy to read. Ugh. I keep reading it because I can't just stop reading a book in the middle, but I don't want to read it.

I thought it would be one of those books I couldn't put down, but it's not the case.

Life's Little Stresses

The baby powder person attacked the hospital bathroom again the very next day. It gave me a good laugh. Just thought you'd like to know.

Anyways, with the economy the way it is, I've been a little worried about my job. We obviously need it, with Graham in school and out of work at the moment.. And with talk of budget cuts... it was scary.

Then, our manager had a meeting with our union rep.. scary and suspicious. I thought I was losing my job.

But the next day, we all had meetings with our manager and department director. They wanted to change our schedule... to increase the dietitian weekend coverage... to 3 weekends a month per person!!!

WTF?! I didn't sign up for that? The other dietitians were freaking out more than me, but I started thinking about it more when I got home. That sucks! We have so many plans for the summer, with weddings, family, etc...

Plus, the schedule they planned was NUTS. In a month, my schedule would go like this: 3 days on, 1 day off, 4 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 2 days off, 5 days on, 1 day off.... etc.

Isn't that the worst thing possible? I went to college and grad school so I wouldn't have to work such an awful schedule! I'm a professional who deserves a professional schedule. Yes, hospital work doesn't stop on the weekends for the employees to take time off, but most people get at least 2 weekends off in a month.

So yeah, I still have a job, but a sucky one nonetheless. We're trying to work on it to fit our needs and the hospital's needs. We have until May 1st to figure it out.. Argh.

Life sucks sometimes.

Strange Happenings

Ok, so there's a private bathroom I like to use on the 2nd floor of the hospital because it's private.. duh. Meaning I usually don't have to deal with the stench of other people.

I'm going to get a little graphic here, but it's still PG.

There is nothing worse to me than the stench of other people's fresh cracked poop. Seriously. When I hear someone else poop or try to poop, I get sick... especially when I hear the poop escape their body and splash into the water. Sick. And the smell.... For some reason, other people's poop smells a lot worse than mine. Maybe I'm biased?

So, I frequent private bathrooms for that very reason.

But today, someone broke the rules.

Not only did they leave the bathroom so smelly that I couldn't breathe, but they also BABY POWDERED around the toilet.

Baby powder? Wtf? What is that going to do?

It was all around the floor around the toilet and some on the seat. I tried to wipe it up as much as I could with a wet paper towel (I didn't want the person coming in after me think that I was the baby powder weirdo), but some remained on the ground. Enough baby powder remained to dirty my clean black pants (my pants are always too long).

The last straw was the baby powder footprints left behind on the hall carpet by the perpretator.. leading to a patient's room.

Update

This maybe a letdown for all of you that were excited about Graham's invention.. But, it has to do with pipes and showers. Not too glamorous eh?

Anyways, this is the end of my 4-day weekend.. and I am bored out of my mind. Graham is finishing a final at school, and I'm watching "10 things I hate about you". Funny thing is, the movie is set in Seattle, yet it never rains once in the movie. Strange.

I am going to California next weekend to visit my family. I am so excited to have some time away from here, and hopefully some warmer weather--it snowed like 4 inches on Sunday! Wtf?

Graham and I have been watching "Lost" on Netflix and abc.com.. And we're hooked, embarrassingly enough. I even dreamed about it last night.

Work sucks. There's talk of even more budget cuts, and with me being the least senior dietitian, my hours are at stake. Hopefully it won't come to that--my manager likes me and the supposed plan is not to let go of anyone. So, it's a little stressful. I even updated my resume on Friday just in case. I'm also still getting used to working full-time. I'm kind of lazy and would much rather be at home, working out, reading, and cooking awesome dinners.

Anyways, we're living and loving here in good ol Brem Brem. See you all later.

Unwanted compliments

Nobody wants to hear these:

*You look just like that celebrity Roseann Barr.
*You look so pretty.... today.
*Wow, I love your look.. It's so.... different.
*You remind me of my mom.

*"I thought you were the handicapped girl that is our helper here."

I got that one today at work.

Oh yes, apparently her and I look alike--similar hair color and facial profile.

I might also add, quite chubby.

Thanks ladies.. thanks for making my day.

Seriously, I wear a size 8 (and 6 sometimes on my non "fat days"). Since when does that make me FAT?!

With the good..

Comes the bad.

Ok, so with our luck, it feels like we never just have anything good happen to us (i.e. winning the lottery). Something good happens, but something bad always comes along with it.

In this case, something bad happened first. Graham was somewhat voluntarily laid off from his job as a job coach for handicapped people. The state cut back funding for disable people's training, so Graham's boss needed to lay off a job coach. Graham volunteered to be laid off since he couldn't continue his current work schedule with his school schedule next term. So, Friday was his last day with a job. The good news with this if that Graham's boss still owes us several thousand dollars from previous months of work. So, we'll be fine for a bit.. as long as he still gets paid.

But, in the next two days, Graham called me from school all excited. As it turns out, Graham's invention (which I can't really talk about in specific terms) is going to be pre-patented by his engineering school. So, they're hooking him up with their business people there to get al the legal papers written and to possibly start a business sometime in the future for his invention. It's funny because I've told people about this, and they all say "you're going to be rich", which is exatly what Graham has been telling me since he's been designing this thing.

So, everything evens out in the end right?

My Bad

Ok guys, so I found this blog about a woman who vowed to use her crockpot 365 days in a row. Check it out: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

I'm a fan.

BUT, I decided to try something new from this website.. and kind of expensive. We don't eat fish in this house. I'm very picky--the fish absolutely CANNOT smell like fish. It should be very neutral and inoffensive. So, I bought some frozen fish and shrimp for a fish chowder recipe. Graham was excited to try it, so I was like, ok this better be worth the big bucks I just put down on the fish and shrimp.

I had to work yesterday, so Graham had to put it all together in the crockpot. He accidentally sliced his finger open (we have very sharp knives) cubing the frozen fish. So, he had really invested his effort--his blood AND tears--in this soup too.

When I got home at 6 last night, the house REEKED of fish. Not good fish. Stinky fish. Stinky stinky stinky fish. I could barely kiss Graham because he smelled like the stinky fish.

When I looked at the soup, it looked pretty gross. The potatoes were brown, I don't know how, the soup looked oily and separated, and the shrimp were chewy. It smelled SO BAD, we both only took a bite, and tossed the rest down the drain. We ended up eating PB&J's and an old batch of beef and barley soup I'd frozen a month before... which tasted about 10 times better than the fish chowder.

Lesson learned: Don't spend a large amount of money on food you're not sure you're going to like.

I'm deodorizing the house today because I couldn't sleep with the fish smell. It kept waking me up.

Update

Most of my recent posts have been opinion posts, so I'm going to update you all on what Graham and I have been up to in the past couple of months.

--Reality. We work, come home, eat, work out (me only), read our scriptures, watch some TV, and go to bed.

That is all.


Just kidding.. Kind of. We haven't been doing anything special, just living life to the minimum and waiting until the weekends.

So, for Valentines Day, Graham had a surprise day planned out for us. However, with our luck, nothing worked out. The reservation he made for dinner fell through, we didn't go to Seattle, and I figured out his surprise present for me. So, Graham worked on my present all morning (I'll have to post pictures later since I lost the freaking USB cord for the camera), which turned out great. We then tried to go out to a non-chain Italian restaurant for a late lunch, but it didn't open until 4 PM. So we went to Olive Garden, and I had the nastiest meal. DO NOT GET THE GNOCCI. Anyways, we went to see "He's just not that into you"... which I really liked. Graham tolerated it just fine. I also loved the way the ladies were dressed in the movie, except slutty Scarlett Johansen. I also wished I was as skinny as Jennifer Connelly. So... that was our big day. Exciting right?

So last weekend, we had Graham's entire family come stay up with us for the weekend. There were NINE OF US in a 2 bedroom apartment. Needless to say, it kind of stressed me out. We also spent $90 in food preparing for them to visit, and they ate it up. I don't know how his family can be so skinny. They eat like beasts! We played Wii with his family, which was HILARIOUS because his dad kept saying what crappy technology it was, when really.. he just couldn't play very well. Plus, Graham also almost killed someone playing Guitar Hero because he got so frustrated. But, we put our massive LoveSac to good use (I'll post a picture sometime) and I made some tasty homemade lasagna.

As far as my health goes, I've really been trying to step my diet up into a healthier bracket. Being a dietitian, I know all the tricks, I know what I should be eating more or less of, and I know what to buy. So after my high cholesterol diagnosis, we went to a store and got some Bob's Red Mill flaxseed meal, which is high in omega-3's. Omega-3's are the good fats that can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase your HDL (good) cholesterol. So, I use about 2 tablespoons a day of this, which provides more than 2 times the daily recommended amount. I put it in my yogurt (it doesn't taste very good like this, but hey? what else can I do), my soup, or anything else I can get my hands on. I bought Quaker Squares cereal (my favorite) for the soluble fiber content, which can help lower LDL. I snack on the cereal instead of other bad or neutral foods at home. I really am trying to exercise everyday, but that heart incident scared me and I took a break for a bit.

As far as plans for the future.. we have plenty of things lined up. My sister-in-law, Ali, has a baby shower next week. Our friend Warren is getting married in a few weeks in Portland. I'm going on a road trip in the end of March with Graham's cousins to California so I can visit my family. My sister is coming to visit in May and we're going to go to Victoria, BC, and possibly Forks, WA--home of the Twilight vampires (no I have not read those books). In June, my family is having a family reunion in Tahoe, and our friends Jered and Amy are getting married in Portland. My brother and his kids may also come up to visit us. Our friend Paul is ALSO getting married in Portland in June. In July, Graham's cousin Tyler gets married and we have an option of attending 2 family reunions on Graham's side, but I don't know if we can attend either of them. Then in August/September, we plan on taking a long weekend road trip with our friends Ryan and Karen to Bend, Oregon.

So.. I guess that makes up for our boring life now.

But anyways, I promise to post more pictures next time. I have some sweet ones of the gift Graham made me. We decided to make our own wall art in December because it can be SO expensive. So, we bought some designer-grade fabric at Joanne's (half-off) back in December, and Graham did the lumber and cutting on Valentines Day. Now, we have modern, designer-like wall art. It totally matches our room, looks professional, and only cost $30!

All right people.. I'm actually at work now. I'm working my first weekend alone, and it's totally an easy day. Woohoo! Plus, I get paid $1.75 more per hour on the weekends!

Freak Show

I might offend some of you faithful watchers of TLC, but I've been wanting to rant about this for some time.

TLC is just a glorified FREAK SHOW.

They have shows that feature "mermaid girl", "pregnant man", "small people", etc. They pretend to show how brave these people are living their lives being so different, but what they're just doing is a more discreet and sneaky version of the old school circus freak show.

And I'm tired of it. Do I really need to watch a show about a woman who was pregnant for 50 years and didn't know it? Does it fulfill my life in anyway?

Yes, some of these shows have piqued my interest, but I refuse to watch them. It's none of my business to watch a poor little girl with one leg/mermaid fin, or to find out more about the pregnant "man". Can't we leave them be? It just makes things worse, especially for the people who want attention for the freakiness, like the Duggars. 18 kids? Come on. You don't deserve a TV show for that.

Anyways, just wanted to speak my mind.

You never realize how good you have it..

Until it's almost gone.

I have a weird sense of pride that I never get sick. I'm almost immune to illnesses that ordinarily people get (the flu, cold, etc).. even though I have made that excuse many times before.

Then, I got told I have high cholesterol. One big blow to my pride.

Then this weekend, another big shot to my ego.

I wasn't feeling too great for the past week or so.. Sleep was hard coming, Graham had a cold, I had a sympathetic cold.. etc.

Then yesterday in bed, my heart started beating irregularly. It was like a normal horse just galloping around, when it would suddenly pause and stomp harder. This weird pattern kept going for about 10 minutes, and that was it. Graham and I were like, that was weird..

So we took a hike for the holiday.. about 2.5-3 miles, uphill and downhill. My heart was perfectly fine.. galloping like any normal heart would.

Back in the car about 15 minutes later, more irregular beats.. which continued for about 45 minutes this time. I got all freaked out, and Graham did too. So, we decided to go to urgent care to get it checked out. I had the feeling the irregular rhythm would disappear once scrutinized by others, which it did. Boy did I feel sheepish. The doctor blamed my heart palpitations on too much caffeine (I drank maybe 5 diet cokes on sunday, and more yesterday. By the way, do NOT drink diet pepsi max. It does bad things to you... and your heart.)

But my heart thing came back... and stayed. The whole night.

Graham did not sleep because he was so worried.

I kept tossing and turning.. just WILLING my heart to beat regularly. I even pounded it a little to try to shock it back to normal rhythm. No such luck.

Graham and I "woke up" pretty dang tired after last night's shenanigans.

Anyways, Graham talked to a cardiologist at work who said that such arrhythmias are common in women my age because we as an age group are prone to anxiety. She said the arrhythmias are pretty much harmless, but you should see a doctor if they continue.

So anyways, I am feeling fine now (my heart stopped being all crazy this morning after a couple of hours at work), except for the major lack of sleep. Ugh.

Life Lesson: Don't take your health for granted.

My personal challenge

Ok, so as you all know, I love to cook. I'm obsessed with planning out meals and increasing the health and nutrition value of the meals I make. I like to have well-rounded meals, with veggies and other side dishes. I also don't like to make the same recipe in the same month, or even same 2 months.

This means I often go over our budgeted grocery amount each month. It should be cheap to buy food for us two, especially since I get free breakfast and lunch 4 days a week, but it's not.

I'm considering doing more extensive coupon clipping and searching.. but for the next 2 weeks, I'm challenging myself to NOT go to the grocery store. I'm going to be scrappy and use all of the food I have in the house. It's time to get creative! It's also a good skill to learn for the tight economy and possible tough times in the future. Don't worry.. right now I'm not at risk of losing my job, but you have to be prepared right?

Anyways, I just wanted to post some recipes that were a big hit at the Super Bowl party we went to last week. Oh, and if you want to lighten up the recipes, feel free to substitute low-fat products where you can.

Buffalo Chicken Dip (serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or crusty bread)
1 can (10 oz.) chunk white chicken, drained
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup buffalo sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
2 cups cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, or colby jack.. all good)

Mix all ingredients together, except cheese. Spread into an ungreased shallow 1-qt baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Peanut Butter Balls (From Graham's aunt Lizzie)
1 pound powdered sugar
2 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup margarine or butter
3 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 package chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)

Melt peanut butter and margarine together; add powdered sugar and mix together. Remove mixture from heat and stir in Rice Krispies. Roll into 2" balls and chill in refrigerator. Melt chocolate chips. Dip peanut butter balls in melted chocolate halfway, and chill in refrigerator.

Store in an air-tight container in the freezer.

Enjoy! Both of these recipes are ADDICTING.

My Love Affair is Over

I'm over the internet.

I used to be addicted. Like seriously, check my email at least 100 times a day, and see who's online to chat with. When Graham and I were engaged, he would sit and watch TV as I sat on the computer for hours (looking up wedding stuff... sometimes).

Now, I hardly ever log on while I'm home.

Graham had the laptop computer for 2 days while I wasn't working, and I didn't get on the computer for 48 hours. That's the longest I've ever voluntarily not gone on the internet.

Internet.. You and I are done. Consider us friends, no longer lovers. Sorry to make this so public. I just thought you should know.

Weekend

Everybody's working for the weekend...

My first Sunday at work.

Weird.

A monumental, life-changing event

I did something so... monumental... yesterday that I have to announce it to the world. It's something I thought I would never be able to do..

I know you're thinking, wait.. I thought she already got married.

But no... (drum roll please)

I swallowed a pill.

Clarification: 4 halves of two pills. Big pills.

I even felt them get stuck in my throat, but I didn't even gag.

I am now an adult!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shopaholic

Is it wrong for me to want to buy a new outfit every now and then.. Every 6 months or so? I am a reformed shopaholic, but I can't say I've gotten rid of the urge to splurge.



I did something yesterday that I normally never do... I opened an email about a sale at Banana Republic, my favorite store. I started looking at their shirts (NOT the ones on sale), and I got a really bad itch to do some online shopping. I picked out a shirt and sweater that I liked.. and I thought I could talk Graham into letting me buy them because of how cute I'd look in them.

He doesn't like it. Whatever! What does a girl gotta do to buy an outfit around here?

It's not like Graham controls our spending, but we're just trying to be wise about our purchases. Do any of you have any good ideas on how I can convince Graham to let me buy these shirts?

Admit it ladies...

You have all wondered what marriage would be like to another man (or maybe you have wondered what marriage is like in general)..

So I'm going to give you a glimpse of what it's like to be married to Graham.. because I'm not sure any of you experience what I do.. I don't want to air our dirty laundry or anything, so don't be afraid to read.

Graham is goofy. I like that about him. He says and does some things that make me laugh and say, "you're silly", or I give him the quizzical eyebrow look.

Case in point: He does karate down the hall and will often do side rolls to impress me.

Graham is forgetful with things he needs to do. Sometimes it's cute... sometimes it's not.

Case in point: The time we received our power bill in the mail that said, "pay this bill or we will shut your utilities off." Graham had been getting the mail in his car for months, stuffing it in the storage bin between the seats, and forgetting about the mail altogether.

Graham does klutzy things.. which usually means we have to laugh about it later, because he may have destroyed a couple of our household items.

Case in point: It was icy yesterday morning when we went to church. Graham had a glass of juice in his hand, and when he unlocked the car, he put it on the top of the icy car. When he looked back up, the glass was sliding towards the other side of the car and broke as it hit the ground.

Graham is incredibly loving and generous with his time.

Case in point: Yesterday when he was playing his video games and I was reading a magazine, he turned to me and said, "I love you so much.. I don't think I tell you enough." Then, he played SingStar with me.. willingly.

Graham (and like most newly married men) likes to walk around au natural.

Case in point: I found him trying to fix the computer under our desk... naked. Not the most flattering view.

Graham is a wonderful leader in our home and outside of our home.

Case in point: He drives around investigators in our ward, he leads basketball practices at church, he's a semi-manager at his work, and he encourages me to go to church when I don't want to go or when I'm having a "fat day".

Graham accepts responsibility well.

Case in point: Graham and I have a deal. I cook, he does the dishes. Sometimes, like this weekend, I go on a cooking frenzy and use almost every pan or bowl in the house.. He doesn't complain and he gets it done.

Graham is very attractive.

Case in point: All of the men after him, and the older ladies in my new ward who told me, "If Graham was single when I was single, wooo.. I would've been after him."

Anyways, I don't mean to brag, but Graham, despite his faults and his shortcomings, is the best husband ever (at least for me). Oh gosh. This was meant to be funny, but it ended up being more sappy than funny. Sorry if you had to choke back vomit while reading this.. :)

Nurse's Aides

Otherwise known as CNA's.

Disclaimer: I am only presenting a stereotype we find here at the hospital. I'm sure.. ok maybe not sure.. that there are CNA's that are not like the people I'm going to complain about. Also, I could not be a CNA. Even thinking about helping someone wipe their own butt, or cleaning up after barf and urine make me ill. I could not do their job at all.

So, with all of that said..

The CNA's in my hospital are usually white trash (WT)... and even worse.. sometimes Brem Brem Trash (BT). They are a distinctive class of employees in the hospital, and you can usually tell the difference between RN's and CNA's. CNA's often have bad teeth, bad pronunciation of words, overuse of swear words in the professional setting, stories of police calls for domestic violence, and a general pretense of medical knowledge.

I heard one CNA say this one patient had dystentery (wrong--he had a flare-up of Crohn's disease), and that he was on TPN (nutrition by IV), which causes diarrhea (wrong--the Crohn's was causing the diarrhea, and TPN was used for bowel rest). Wrong... all wrong!!

Graham and I went to work together, and a girl got out of her boyfriend's car, and we saw the tattoo on her lower back. We looked at each other and said, "Must be a CNA."

Graham told me about a funny experience he had on the streets of Brem Brem. He was filling up the car with gas when he saw this old (think early 90's) Ford Festiva, or a similar car, pull up to a bunch of teenage kids. He thought the chick driving knew the kids, but no.. She yells out to the teeangers, "Guess who just became a CNA?!" (Imagine a WT chick yelling this.. Graham does a perfect impression.)

Anyways, sorry CNA's...

I still got it

After you got married, have you found yourself thinking that you've changed.. maybe mellowed out a bit or not become as funny?

I'm not gonna lie.. I've felt that way. I feel like I'm dull or like nobody gets my jokes anymore. It's hard for me to be sarcastic at work because not everybod understands that I'm being sarcastic. Awkward.

But, I received confirmation that I am still quick-witted.. and somewhat funny.

Our friends here in Brem Brem were talking about the time we first met at the ward picnic. This guy Jacob was talking about cows for some reason, and he said, "Man.. everything that comes from a cow is delicious.."

To which I replied, "Well.. manure and cow pies come from cows.. are those delicious?"

Apparently, his wife thinks it's pretty funny that this is the only time that Jacob hasn't been able to think of a witty comeback.. I "punked" him, if you will.

I still got... a little.

I got drunk this weekend

And by drunk.. I mean "sleep drunk".

I'm the type of person who becomes really loopy when I'm tired. And since my bedtime is currently around 9:30 PM.. I frequently get tired on weekends when we're hanging out with friends. Meaning... I get sleep drunk and crazy around other people.

Usually only Graham sees my loopy crazy side, when I speak with foreign accents and when I do karate down the hallway.

Unfortunately, some of our friends have now been exposed to the drunken Sherri.

Friday night... it wasn't even that late (maybe 8:30), but Graham was trying to bug me by pushing my head away with a straight arm, like in football. So I fell on the ground or something (the details are kind of hazy), and started pushing Graham away with my leg, like Stewart from MadTV does. I started giggling hysterically, and could not stop. It wasn't even THAT funny. I kept saying, "noooooo" like Stewart, which only made it worse.

Saturday night, same friends, earlier time.. We were drinking this soda called "Wild Raspberry", and I renamed it (in a wacky voice), "Wild Waspbewy". For some reason, that caught my fancy, and I giggled/laughed about it for the rest of the night... even when we went to a different house with different friends. I kept saying weird things the whole night, and kept thinking all of my jokes were hilarious. My friend's husband said I was a sleep drunk... and I agree. I am WACKY when I am tired.

Cool story right.

Something Interesting Happened

Why did I have to tempt fate and say that my life is boring?

So Graham went to play church basketball last night at 9:30. My bedtime is around that time (I wake up at 5:45 every day UGH), so I was almost asleep when he left.

I woke up a couple hours later to Graham saying, "Sherri, Sherri.. Wake up! I think I'm going into anaphylactic shock!!"

For those of you that don't know what that means, it means his allergic reaction is causing hives (even in his mouth) and his airway to constrict... meaning he could die if his airways don't relax. Last time this happened to him (before we got married), he went to the emergency room looking like Will Smith in the movie, Hitch, where his face is all swollen and disgusting. The doctors told him he only had about 30 minutes to live at that stage.

So I was FREAKING out! We found some of our emergency allergy stash... some Benadryl, prednisone, and Zyrtec. Luckily, the hives and swelling went down, he could breathe easier, and he got a blessing from one of our friends.

Anyways, that livened up my life a bit... but not in a good way. I was crying practically because I couldn't imagine my life without Graham in it. Scary.

So, I promise I will not say my life is boring again.

Oh, and what caused the allergic reaction, you might ask.

A used basketball jersey.

Boring

I'm sorry guys.. My blog has gotten boring. And there's no cure!

Anyways, I have stories about Christmas and New Years Eve, but I'm tired and it all seems boring to me.

So.. I'm taking a break from blogging until something interesting pops up.

Maybe you'll miss me....