new recipe

This recipe has great potential. Sam and I both liked it but we'll still play with it to see if we can perfect it. We used broccoli instead of sugar snap peas because I couldn't find any. Also, we didn't have any peanuts and I don't like cilantro so they were left out. Maybe we felt it was lacking because we just went to Szechuan Garden and were spoiled with amazing food. :)

Szechuan Steak

1 lb. steak (any kind), sliced thing, 1-2 inch pieces
8 oz. fresh sugar snap peas (2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbs dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Heat some vegetable oil in a wok or skillet. Add peas and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove to plate and add beef, garlic and pepper. Stir fry meat until brown. Combine soy, water, sugar and starch in a bowl. Return peas to pan and toss with meat. Add soy mixture and stir fry until thick. Remove from heat and serve over steamed rice. Top with cilantro and peanuts.

happy birthday to us!

Sam and I just celebrated our birthdays last week. They were quite fun. I got to sleep in and when I did get up Sam had written me a sweet note on the bathroom mirror. He made me a favorite dish for dinner, german pancakes. We both worked on one cake for the both of us. He wanted to sing and have me blow out candles but seeing as we didn't have any birthday candles around (we're newly weds) he grabbed my avocado-olive scented candle and stuck it right in the middle and sang "Happy Birthday" for me. Haha. My family came up on Saturday to take us both out to lunch to celebrate our birthdays. We went to Panda for lunch and then over to Chili's for dessert. We also went and looked at numerous shelters for dogs because they wanted to get a dog for Christmas (they found on in SG yesterday). They gave us both a handful of presents and we loved it. I also had my mom bring up birthday candles. They sang to us both befor we opened our presents. For Sam's birthday I got up early and made him a great big breakfast only to find out when we got to church that it was Fast Sunday. Oops! Then I made him a nice dinner that night. I sang to him too with the real birthday candles. Haha. It was quite the party. :)

yay stumbleupon

I use this site called StumbleUpon and it pulled up this picture and I thought it was too priceless to keep to myself. I laughed pretty hard. :)

feasts a plenty

Thanksgiving was pretty much the bomb! We went up to SLC on Tuesday night because we were itching to get out of Cedar and for a break. We stayed at Mom & Dad Schofield's. Wednesday we got all our Christmas shopping done (yay us!!) and had lunch with Ryan and Emilee. We went up to Josi's house that night and while I wasn't used to staying over at someone's house for Thanksgiving we had a lot of fun while we were there. Lots of games and good food to be had. Thursday rolls around and the kitchen got busy at 9:00 a.m. I baked my first pie ever. It was a gooseberry pie. I love this kind of pie and hadn't had it in years and Sam told me that his family had never had one so I just had to make one. Word to the wise, gooseberry pies only get made every few years in my family and this is why: they are $5.58 a stinkin' can and near impossible to find. 6 phone calls to northern grocers finally landed me with gooseberries. Won't be making this pie for a while since my wallet is kind of bare. As I went to pull my pie out of the oven I had to reach over two other pies that were baking as well and the top coil in the oven bit my arm. Rude, I know. So I've had these two awesome stripes on my arm since then. I also made my Grandma Dean's a-maze-ing dressing/stuffing. I couldn't bear to go without it. I didn't make a ton because I wasn't sure what the response would be since I was under the impression that they weren't a "stuffing family". The stuffing was a hit too and I got many compliments on it and the pie. I didn't boil the pie filling long enough so the inside was runny but still tasted exactly like I remembered. Speaking of pie. My in-laws are the biggest pie family ever. I was very excited to experience the "Thanksgiving of Many Pies", and many pies there were. 15 pies, to be exact. Almost enough for one pie per person. There were 4 pumpkin, 2 banana cream, 2 blueberry, 2 cherry, 1 pear, 2 sour cream apple, 1 peach, my gooseberry and a birthday cake for Sam's little brother, Matt. Dinner was fantastic and the pies were superb. We hadn't eaten so much food in months and now our tummies are hungry because of the extra space. Haha. Friday we hung out with more friends and played games and had a blast. Saturday we hung out with Kristyl and Mike and they made us an awesome dinner and we played games. Such a very good weekend. We had so much fun spending time with family and friends we're contemplating relocating to SLC to have a social life. Haha. It was great to see Nick, Crystal and Kendra who we haven't seen in months. OH! So we get home Sunday night and I flip on the light and go over to check on our fish. Sam bought an automatic fish feeder since we were going to be gone for more than 2 nights. Well, I went and looked at the fish and they were HUGE! Their little bellies were swollen to the max! The feeder had been feeding them way more than we had been and they gobbled up every bit. They were uncomfortable and bloated. Looks like we weren't the only ones that had a Thanksgiving feast. We didn't feed them at all today to let them pass most the food they'd eaten while we were gone and I just fed them bits of a pea to help with constipation. Regular animal doctor, that's me. Now its back to the daily grind for us. This is the last week of school and I have 2 lab finals and a chemistry exam this week and then my remaining 3 finals next week. Sam has 4 finals next week. After that we'll be out for Christmas break. Yahoo!!! I just barely put up our little Christmas tree and its awesome. Yay for fake, pre-lit trees that will last forever. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all!!!!

i've got things to do and places to see. . .

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (both)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77.Broken a bone (only if my toe counts)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Let me know if you use it so I can come take a look.

out of body experience

It's a uneventful Monday night but the surprising part is I am playing online games and Sam is READING! That's right folks, Sam is reading a book for FUN! Yeah, I was shocked too. I'm usually the one reading and he's usually the one gaming. You never can tell what newlywed life will hold. Haha.

for a limited time only!

Ok, so I've had a lot of my blog friends go private with their blogs as of late so I am here to make everyone an offer none can refuse. I'm offering each and everyone of you exclusive membership to my blog. By December 1st I'll have changed my setting to private so if you want to be a part of my exclusive club please give me your email addresses so you can read and comment my thoughts and yummy recipes. If you are changing your setting to private let me know so I can subscribe. Thanks all!

*P.S. I am aware that my blog really isn't that cool but I was giving myself an ego boost. :)

burn baby, burn!

Tonight was a total success. For dinner we made Honey-Apricot Sesame Chicken. A-MAZE-ING. Of course there's a picture included. We didn't have ginger or sesame seeds so we left them out. Also, Sam likes spicey things and I let him decide between 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. He chose 1 heaping teaspoon. We both about died. Thus the title of this post. Next time we'll try to include ginger and less red pepper to calm down the hot. The sauce was just the right consistancy and coated the noodles perfectly. Yes, they're wheat spaghetti noodles but they work just as well as any other noodles. Oh, and we left out zucchini and/or crook neck squash because we don't have any but they'd make a nice addition to this stir-fry-ish meal. I highly recommend it. It's so very good. Here's the recipe:

Honey-Apricot Sesame Chicken

2 Tbs honey
3 Tbs apricot jam
1/8 tsp grated ginger
2 Tbs sesame seeds
5 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 small onion, diced
1/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped in 2-inch cubes

-Combine honey, jam, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and ginger in small bowl, set asid. Season chicken with salt and then dredge in cornstarch.
-In a large, non-stick skillet heat oil over med-high head. Add half the chicken. Cook, turning occasionally until golden and opaque throughout, 6-8 minutes. Transer to paper towel lined plate. Cook remaining chicken, adding more oil if needed. Put on paper towel plate.
-Add more oil if needed thena dd pepper flakes. Head for about 30 seconds. Add onions, garlic and zucchini or squash and cook until tender.
-Add sauce and bring to boil. Return all chicken to skillet and toss with sauce to coat. Cook until chicken is heated through; cook longer if thicker sauce is desired. Serve with steamed white or brown rice.

*Sam says the picture doesn't do it justice. Haha*

i've turned into a "foodie"

I had a friend ask me to post the recipes of the food items I've blogged about so I'll probably do that from now on when I post pictures of my food creations. (Side note: I tried to make the intestines but they didn't work because I had the wrong pastry puff dough. Attempt #2 coming this weekend). Oh, and I must give credit where credit is due. I got all these ideas off tastespotting.com which takes you to separate sites where the recipes were found. LOVE that site.

Broken Glass Jello

4 small boxes of jello, different colors1
(14oz) can condensed milk
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
water

-Dissolve each box of jello separately, into one cup of hot water. Pour into individual containers (small tupperware works well) and chill overnight.
-Ready a 9x13 pan. Cut flavors of jello into small blocks. Mix together carefully in pan.
-In a separate bowl, dissolve 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add dissolved gelatin to 1 3/4 cup hot water and condensed milk. Cool.
-Pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight.
-Cut into squares and serve!


Vampire Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix (also eggs, oil, water as it asks for)
1 can cherry pie filling
1 tub any kind of white colore icing (i really like cream cheese frosting)

-Bake cupcakes according to directions on box. While they bake, pour the cherry pie filling in a blender or food processor of some sort and puree. Let cupcakes cool completely.
-Once they've cooled, take a small paring knife and cut a small cone (about 1 inch across and 1 inch deep) in each cupcake. Cut off the pointy end of the cone leaving a little cap to place back on each cupcake.
-Spoon about a tablespoon of the pie filling into the holes and then place the "plug" back on top to cover the filling.
-Stir the icing so its nice and soft then ice them by putting a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake and gently spreading outward from the center.
-Dip a wooden toothpick into the remaining pie filling and poke to fang marks on the top. Dribble a little filling out of the holes for effect.
-Enjoy!


Spider Web Eggs

1 dozen large eggs
8 cups water
2 cups frozen blueberries

-Place eggs in single layer in a large saucepan, and cover with water and blueberries. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand for 10 minutes.
-Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs one at a time, and place on several layers of paper towels. Lightly crack shell on one side with the handle of a whisk or wooden spoon. Transfer egg to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining eggs and then pour all of the cooking liquid on top of the cracked eggs. Place bowl in the refrigerator and let cool completely.
-Carefully peel shells from eggs. Serve with salt.


Bloody Eyeballs

Eyeball Ingredients:
2 pounds (1 kilo) ground chicken breast
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2-3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
oregano to taste
basil to taste
thyme to taste
a generous amount of garlic powder
a generous amount of onion flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce Ingredients:
1 larger can of tomato paste (it was a little more than a cup)
more of the same seasonings as the chicken
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
water to thin—about 1 1/2 cups

1 car or jar of black olives (do yourself a favor and buy them pre-pitted)

-Combine all chicken ingredients except olives and set aside.
-Combine all sauce ingredients.
-Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC
-Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with foil and brush with olive oil or spray with cooking spray.
-Form eyeball sized balls and shove an olive into the center of each one. Make it look as eyeball like as you can.
-Arrange finished eyeballs on the baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 20-30 minutes depending on your oven.
-Serve the eyeballs over the sauce, and with some type of bread

eyeball flavored burps. mmmm.

So, tonight I made eyeballs for dinner. Some of you are probably thinking, "How morbid!", but let me assure they weren't real eyeballs. They were ever so tasty. We ate them on "brains" aka whole wheat spaghetti and "blood" aka spaghetti sauce. They are really really good. Sam ate like 8 in one sitting. Hope you enjoy the pictures. :) (Just out of the oven, piled on my plate, bloody eyeball)

why so serious?

So, Halloween was pretty much awesome. Short, but awesome. Thursday Sam and I went to our ward party. There was a chili cook off, the kids got to go trunk or treating and then we carved pumpkins. Everyone thought Sam and I were pros but we had just found some cool ideas online. We bought pottery tools per suggestion of a "pro" pumpkin carver online. They worked really well. We used exacto knives, too. (This tactic obviously not safe for kids). Bragging moment: I won 1st place and Sam won 2nd. My superior carving skills have prevailed which is odd because I have little to no artistic ability. Friday was fantastical and a rush. For my biology class and for work I was a jacket-o-latern so I could get extra credit in class and yet have a toned down costume as to not upset my boss who dislikes Halloween. THEN after work Sam and I jumped in the car and jetted down to St. George to take Kimmie and Jeffrey trick or treating. They were a "mom" and a "hunter" and very adorable. I was the girl from "The Ring" and Sam was the joker from "The Dark Knight" when he was dressed as a nurse. We took them around two different neighborhoods and then stopped by one of my friend's houses to say hi. We ran them ragged and they crashed when they got home. We watched "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" while my mom and I made vampire cupcakes and spider web eggs (pictures available here). We had an awesome night and wore ourselves out. Unfortunately, we both had to work this morning at nine so we got up at seven and then drove home. So a cram-packed, fun-filled, short Halloween celebration. Hope all your celebrations were just as awesome.

as i sit here burning brain cells . . .

So, today is a Saturday. Gorgeous weather, Sheep Festival going on (It's actually the 3rd Annual Cedar City Livestock & Heritage Festival but its easier just to say Sheep Festval. I live in Cedar, they have a festival for everything. Give me a break), barely a hint of a breeze. Where am I? Sitting in a chair, at a desk, staring longingly out the windows that surround me at this beautiful day that is passing me by. I'm almost the only one here. There are two floor agents sitting at their desk some where else in the building wishing that the phone would ring or someone looking to buy a house would walk through the front door. There is another agent repainting her office because "it looks yucky". The paint fumes waft down the stairs to my stationary nose. I'm tempted to open the door and let the cool air in and the noxious gases out. Most of my homework is done but there are 3 problems left on my extra credit chemistry worksheet. I have pandora.com on as loud as I dare with the Dave Matthews Band station on. Such good music. 7 hours of sitting here with practically nothing to do but wait for the phone to ring and update my blog. Oh, and look up tasty recipes on tastespotting.com. That's the narrow little widget on the right side of my blog. I recommend going there. I've increased the diversity of my recipe box a bit and it makes me happy. Sam laughs at me as I write down new recipes, practically every night, onto 3x5 cards and file them away. One day I won't have to work Saturdays and I'll be able to lounge around in sweats and watch movies. On rare occasion that happens but I need the money and its my job to work half the Saturdays in a month. So, here I sit. Brain cells diminishing from lack of stimulation. I'll stare out the windows for another hour and a half or so and then its bye bye boring and hello hunny. I get to go home and relax for a while. It will be nice. Maybe we'll go see the sheep. And you thought my life was exciting, Brittney. Haha

broken glass jello

So I found this recipe online and decided to try it because it looked fun and tasty. I wanted to show everyone my results and suggest you try it out. Here are the pictures. Some of the jello before I cut it up and one after I'd diced it up on a plate. It was pretty darn good.

tis the season . . . so be happy

The leaves are changing, the crisp air of autumn fills my lungs and my favorite time of year is just around the corner. While I do not like snow, I affectionately call it "The White Death", I do enjoy the holiday season that occurs while the snow is present. From Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas to New Years I am a happy camper. I love the feeling of brotherly love in the air and everyone's pretty darn happy. It just makes me want to hug somebody. Lucky Sam. Haha. There are just so many happy things associated with this time of year it makes me thankful and happy. One of these things is the food. I really like, nay, LOVE to cook. Its a new passion I've come across in recent years and now that my favorite season is coming around some of my favorite recipes are popping into my head. This got me going on a recipe hunting spree. I've been online for literally days looking for new, yummy sounding recipes to try. Thus far I've added at least 10 to my recipe box and can't wait to try them. I've found two Halloween recipes that I want to use in a few weeks. "Bloody Eyeballs" and "Icky Intestines" are sure to be a hit with everyone under the age of 10. I'm also excited to try "Broken Glass Jello" and the "Applebee's Blondie" recipe. I've also gained a new appreciation for bottling. My mom donated a huge box of apricots to the "newly wed cause" and helped me make jam. It is SO good. Then, she donated a box of AMAZING peaches to the "cause". We thought we'd died and gone to heaven. Sam and I made peach freezer jam all by ourselves and though its runny it still tastes awesome. Well, this has been a happy "i-love-this-time-of-year", "i-love-food/cooking" joyful moment for me. Also, if you have any amazing recipes you'd like to give me, please do.

set forth, little sister!!!

*Sara if you get the above reference and tell me the story line, i heart you*

Speaking of Sara, she tagged me with this survey so I'm conforming. Just like I did when she told me to get a blog. HA! I'm original.


3 Names you go by
1) Whitney
2) Whit
3) Whibbley

3 Restaurants I love -
1) Macaroni Grill
2) Mongolian BBQ
3) Samuri 21 (there are WAY more than 3)

3 Trips to plan on this year -
1) Uh, SLC next weekend
2) SLC for Thanksgiving
3) SG once or twice a month. My life is riveting.

3 Things you want badly
1) More time in the day (I couldn't agree more Sara!)
2) To be debt free. *mumble grumble*
3) A raise. But I don't have the guts to ask.

3 Pets you have/had -
1) Gordito
2) Chuck
3) Waldo

3 Things you did yesterday -
1) School
2) Work
3) Late night trip to Wal-Mart. Always fun.

3 Things you ate today -
1) Cereal
2) Orange
3) Eggs and ham

3 Fears -
1) Something similar to solitary confinement/being the only person left on earth.
2) Not being able to get out of debt.
3) Rest homes. *shudder*

3 Things you plan on doing today -
1) Getting home from work
2) Fixing/eating dinner
3) Homework

3 Things you plan on doing tomorrow -
1) School
2) Work
3) Envy people with tv and cable/dish that get to watch the newest episode of The Office

3 Favorite Holidays -
1) Thanksgiving
2) Christmas
3) New Years

3 Favorite beverages -
1) Milk
2) Orange Juice
3) Water

3 people I tag
1) Brittney
2) Juje
3) Niccole

High School Tag

Brittney tagged me so here we go.

High School Tag:
1. Did you date someone from your school? I did. Not my smartest move.

2. What kind of car did you drive? A 1994, green/turqoise, Ford Escort. aka The Turtle

3. What was the most embarrassing moment of high school? I didn't really get embarrassed in high school.

4. Were you a party animal? Nope

5. Were you considered a flirt? I won "Biggest Flirt 05-06",what do you think? Haha

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I was in choir sophomore-senior year and I was an honorary member of the pep band if that counts.

7. Were you a nerd? Yeah.

8. Were you on any varsity teams? Does choir count?

9. Did you get suspended/ expelled? No

10. Can you still sing the fight song? Yep. But I didn't learn the words till after I graduated.

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Lister and Mr. Cox

12. Where did you sit during lunch? In the hall by my locker, usually.

13. What was your school's full name? Pine View High School

14. School mascot? Panther

15. Did you go to Homecoming and who with? Yes. My boyfriend.

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No, i'm very glad to be done. Especially now that I realize how stupid I was back then.

17. What do you remember most about graduation? Kenneth's speech. Haha "Cooties are now transmitted orally."

18. Where did you go senior skip day? The city pool. Super lame choice but we made it fun. Then Dave, Kenneth, Karyn and I went to Paula's for lunch and watched a movie at my house. Good times.

19. Were you in a club? Choir

20. Have you gained some weight since then? Yes, unfortunately. I'm going to fix that.

21. Who was your prom date? Which prom and which year? Haha. My last year it was Greg.

22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Yeah. I haven't even hit my 5 yr reunion yet.

23. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Take college classes, don't have a steady boyfriend/girlfriend, don't kiss anybody, and high school is not the end of life.

I tag Sara, Crystal White, Crystal Schofield, and Josi

HELP!

So, yesterday (Sunday) I got called to be the sacrament meeting chorister AND the ward choir director. I can lead music no problem and I've been a chorister before but I have NO idea how to direct a choir. I've been in many choirs and have performed a lot but I've never had to direct one. So I am here to beg for advice and words of wisdom from anyone with previous experience directing a choir. I'm going to call my old choir director and hopefully get the flash course from his many years of mastered directing. Also, they told me I should start planning for a Christmas program right now and get it all organized for December. In my last ward the only calling I'd had was to pick the hymns each week and have them correspond with the topics of the talks. Super easy compared to the responsibility I've been given now. So anyone with advice I'm all ears and will be studying and finding all the resources I can. Keep me in your prayers!

peach pie!!!

Ok, so I must clarify right now that there is nothing in this world better than peach pie. Not store bought, double crusted peach pie but fresh, chilled, open-faced peach pie. Like the two that are now residing in my fridge at home. Well, they were there when I left for work this morning but Sam is home alone and has been craving peach pie since peach season ended last year. My aunt was nice enough to give my mom a box of peaches and my mom was nice enough to give us load of those peaches. Now, I married into the biggest pie family of all time and so for now I am glad that no one but Sam can see these pies because they're not the prettiest things. But all that matters is that they taste amazing, right? One day I will perfect the making of peach pie and present it to the Schofield family for scrutiny and approval. Until then, though, I will enjoy my ugly pies with Sam. Can't wait to get home in 6.5 hours to have some. Mmmmmmmm!

ode to starting school, again

So, I have just survived the first week of my 3rd year of college. It has been a crazy week. New school, new campus, new teachers, new schedule, new homework, new appreciation for those who are smart enough to have rolly backpacks and not lug around a 25+ lb. bag of books and binders. Thus far I am excited for my biology lecture and biology lab. Chemistry and math are still not my friends. Stats is a whole new world and language for me and I'm going to have to swim hard to get it. Chemistry hasn't presented anything I didn't already know. . . yet. I ordered my chemistry book online and it still hasn't come in the mail so trying to defeat the system I bought the textbook from the bookstore today and will sell it back when I receive the other one in the mail. Take that bookstore!! Stupid outrageous prices. *Mumble grumble* Sam is liking his classes so far and we leave about the same time and my first break of the day is the same time he heads home for work so we get to have lunch together. Speaking of food, the school has had activities daily to give away free food and we've really enjoyed it. Also, free shirts. Yay free stuff! This alone makes SUU cooler than DSC. Haha. On a downside, I have a biology textbook that weighs about the same as Chris Farley did before his death. That, plus my math and chemistry books and another binder is enough to make me wish I owned a jazzy scooter to wheel around in and save my neck, back and legs the torment. It also causes a problem when trying to "sprint" between classes in efforts to make it there early if not on time. Good thing my classes are on opposite side of campus! I've had more cardio work outs this week than I have in a very long time. Who needs a gym membership when you can run up and down stairs 3 times a week with a backpack full of knowledge?! I've seen a lot of people I knew in high school or at DSC and have talked to a few of them. When not in class I'm focused on getting to my next one. Socializing will have to wait. I must leave now. I need to figure out how I can use a rolly backpack and not look completely helpless or the age of 6.

r.i.p. jazz

So, Tuesday my sister texts me just before I get off work telling me that the family dog has died. We'd had him since forever so its going to be hard going to my parent's house and not seeing him puttering around in the backyard with the cats. He was like 14 years old, that makes him 98 years old in dog years, and he was way past his prime so its not sad that he's gone. The only sad part is that my 6 year old brother found him. He was on thyroid and arthritis meds to keep him happy and he was mostly blind and deaf. He was the nicest dog you'd ever meet. He'd bark up a storm at any body but that was just to get their attention for a good pat or scratch. His friend and companion, Sadie, died years ago and he mourned that loss for weeks. He was really smart, quickly learning all the tricks and commands I taught him no matter how old he got, and loved to have bodily contact with any living person or animal that was outside with him. Rest in peace Jazz. We'll miss you buddy.

the stresses of my modern office

Ok, while I love my job and I love staying busy I prefer to stay busy with non-mundane things. Also, the busy parts only last for so long therefore dumping me into the torturous hands of boredom. I used to have a friend that would alleviate said boredom and I would keep her entertained as well at her boring desk job but she decided to leave me to fend for myself. On the eminant day of my death, I blame her. She shall remain nameless but I'm sure she knows who she is.

Boredom is lethal. Ever since working a desk job I have come to realize the truthfulness of this statement. While it has yet to be proven as lethal to humans, it has been proven lethal to brain cells. In desperation for something to do I have resorted to things not many would find entertaining. Exhibit A being the following picture of a post it note covered in Sharpie marker. That lasted all of 2 minutes so I had to resort to Exhibit B. A note pad paper highlighted to the max. Now, some of you will argue that the fumes from the Sharpie are the real cause of the death of my brain cells. While this could be true I don't feel any less intelligent having colored the post it note. But, after double checking a table of contents and index for errors I could scarcely keep the drool from flowing.




I will now illustrate a few things that are not among my favorite things to do at work. (This is really just an excuse to use a bulleted list):

• Item #1 that I do not love: When agents go to their mailboxes, empty them, then proceed to use MY DESK as a filtering station. Its not like I'm sitting here trying to work. Despite popular assumption I do not enjoy your papers strewn about my desk touching my arms and keyboard. You have a desk. Use it.
• Item #2 that I do not love: Agents getting mad at me for not advertising their listings. When I was hired here I understood advertising fell under my umbrella of responsibilities. BUT as I also understood it is the agent's responsibility to give the information about the listings to me so that I may advertise them. Don't whine to me that your clients are mad at you for not advertising their property. YOU are responsible for their lividity.
• Item #3 that I do not love: Taking rent money. Pure and simple. I dealt with this annoyance at my previous job at the beginning and end of each month. Property managers seem to like the title and the money but not the work. They tell their tenants, "Oh we're here from such and such a time on these days." and yet they are NEVER here. Therefore, tenants must come to me to give me their rent money. Also, these tenants are usually angry at ME for the property manager's negligence. "Why aren't they here? They said they would be. I need to talk to them. No I don't want to talk to them on the phone." and they storm off in a huff with their receipt. 1: don't lie to your clients, 2: don't make me take the heat for it.
• Item #4 that I do not love: Doing all the things that no one else wants to do. While this new job gives me a higher position than I had previously I am still the newest one here and "have much to learn." I understand that filing, copies, and the like are not fun but if it is in YOUR to-do box YOU do it. I do have work to do.
• Item #5 that I do not love: Not being paid on a schedule. Its never "every two weeks." I've been paid on almost every day of the week now. Every other Friday would suffice. And I'd be quite appreciative.
• Item #6 that I do not love: Being called in early when it isn't necessary. "I have to leave an hour early tomorrow so could you come in an hour early?" Sure. I will not be thrilled. I show up at said time and work the rest of the day. The next day, Lady-That-Asked-Me-To-Come-In-Early-To-Cover-For-Her is no where to be seen. So, you ask me to come in early for NO REASON the day before and now you just leave at your leisure because (I knew this when she asked) its isn't necessary that I come in when you leave. You don't leave that big a hole. Nice try though.

Ok, enough of my griping. I do love my job for the most part but there are just some things that get under my skin. But now that I've blogged them I can let them go into cyberspace and never worry about them again, right?

newborn blogger

Well, here I am. Freshly entered into the world of blog. I only hope I can some day become the sort of blogger that Sohmer is. His wit and humor are unmatched. Though they are rubbing off on Sara and I and we are becoming one. Haha.

So, for an update on the lives of Sam and I. Vacation this summer (Aug 2-12th) turned out to be quite interesting. Went to Snowbird with the Schofields and were enjoying a relaxing week then low and behold the morning of August 5th Sam is flattened on the bed with a stomach ache that could cripple a horse. He thought he'd just ride it out and it would go away but it was not to be. We ended up taking him to Alta View Hospital around four o'clock and a few hours later it was found to be appendicitis. Another hour or two later he went into surgery and came out around 11:15 p.m. The picture above is Sam waiting in the ER to go to surgery. He's smiling under that mask. After surgery we found out he's really funny when he's high on anesthetics. He kept saying, "I have three holes. Like a bowling ball." Although I did want to burst into fits of riotous laughter I contained myself because I wasn't sure if it'd hurt his feelings or not. The surgery went wonderfully and all he had to show for it was three small incisions. One in his belly button, one a little lower to the left and one 6 inches below his belly button. He remembered every name of every nurse and doctor that talked to or treated him that day. After getting back to his room and having his vitals checked he was asking for food right off. Totally unlike him, I know. So I helped him start with water and then with the sandwich they'd brought him. He kind of fell asleep with it in his hand so Marle (who had been with me through the whole ordeal, that I was very grateful for) and I decided it was time to go back to the lodge and get some sleep before picking him up in the morning. He was released around noon the next day and walked out all by himself. He said he was sore but feeling WAY better than the day before. Two days later we went to his best friend's wedding in St. George/Milford where he stood in the reception line for over an hour, crazy boy. Then we met up with friends in Zion and hiked there for two days. Obviously, he was feeling pretty good and kept up with the rest of us. He went back to work on the 13th and is doing great. Two of the incisions are almost completely healed but one is taking longer than expected. Neither of us want to visit the ER ever again so we plan not to. Also, lucky for us his health insurance was still active (it expires on the 24th of this month) so hopefully they'll help us out with the bills.

In other news, Sam and I have decided to make the next big step in our lives. We've decided to bring two adorable creatures into our house and home. Yes, we got fish. We got a Pearlscale and Fantail, both goldfish. Gordito is the pearlscale. His name means "little fat boy" in spanish and no other name would fit him better. He looks like a grape-sized golf ball with a face and tail. Chuck is our fantail and he is at least twice the size of Gordito. We named him Chuck because he has a white body with an orange mohawk and Chuck Lidell (a UFC fighter) has a mohawk so Chuck it was. They're both hearty eaters and seem to enjoy their life with us. It is now common to find me sitting on the floor staring at the fish take just watching them swim around, much to Sam's amusement (but he does the same thing).

Both of us start our 3rd year of college next Monday and I am excited. Sam isn't quite as enthused but it will be a nice change for the both of us. We'll be really busy but I am looking forward to expanding my mind and getting my last math class over with. Right now we're just worrying about being able to pay for it. Luckily I got a great transfer scholarship and Sam got a scholarship as well. Its always great to lessen the total cost. I wish textbooks were free. Thanks to online shopping we saved a bunch of money on our books but its still a lot of money to fork out.

I'm really enjoying my new job. My favorite part is that I say busy all the time so the work day goes by quickly. I wouldn't mind more hours but they set up my schedule to work around my school schedule. They also say I'm allowed to do homework here as long as I have everything done for work. I had to play catch up since I was on vacation for a week and a half but now everything's back to normal.

Well, this is the end of my first blog. I hope that this has entertained at least someone if not only me. Also, It just started raining out of no where. Love it. :)