The Great Ride

After 17 1/2 hours in the car, we are here! I did get my entire list finished and will post again when we return! Vacation! Whoo!

I'm Tired - Update #2

I hesitate to post about being tired - everyone is tired, right? But, I have taken this state to the extreme. Right now, it's 6:59 a.m. It's still dark out (although the eastern sky is turning blue) and the dogs have had their breakfast and are sleeping again. But, me? I'm up typing...here. I don't have anything to do until 11:00, so why not sleep? The circles under my eyes have doubled - which means they have extended beyond their normal boundaries to halfway down my cheeks. (I'm not joking - if I had better morning hair, you'd get a picture sans makeup.)

I can't sleep because my mind won't shut off. I think this is usually a female phenomena. Or it could be one of my particular quirks. Because of the insane amount of things to do, I can't slow my brain down enough to rest. So, in an attempt to empty them from my mind, here is the dreaded list:

1. Finish all laundry -wash towels
2. Empty suitcases (which are storing seasonal clothes) and begin to pack - DONE
3. Dust and vacuum the house
4. Sweep kitchen and bathroom floor
5. File paperwork - DONE
6. Make a grocery store run
7. Head to work to take advantage of my 45% discount before I leave - DONE
8. Attend a three-hour lab, skip a class, do 6 pages of workbook exercises, write a peer review for 2 classmates' papers and attend my grammar lecture. - DONE
9. Go to the credit union for trip money - DONE
10. Wash dogs blankets which are currently on the living room floor and smell like - well - dogs! - DONE
11. Make the guest bed for our great housesitter!
12. Walk dogs (necessary for our (and their) survival - otherwise they'll drive us nuts) - DONE
13. Wipe down bathroom
14. Print off paper work for trip and pack car bag, cooler, backpack and food cube (I'll take a picture of this later.) - DONE
15. Stop by Best Buy and get a converter for laptop to plug into car cigarette lighter.

I think that's it. You know, I am getting a little sleepy, but wonder if I could bust out parts of my list to get even better sleep later. This vacation is going to be a lifesaver - or sleepsaver. Take your pick!

Update #1: Only two things done, but I'm feeling the energy! I'll get it - I promise!
Update #2: Feeling good = getting things done!

Perfection? Who Needs it!

I got a comment from "someone" about posting pics of the trashed-out house last week. At first, I was a little miffed, as I am when I get comments (criticism) about MY stuff. But, then I took a step back to analyze the situation. Why did I post such "unpolished" pictures about my life? The answer: I'm attempting to be more "real" - showing the both good and bad. Doesn't everyone experience both?

My world is not a perfect place where fairies fly and birds do my housework for me and an orchestra plays a soundtrack matching my mood - I think that would be a creepy place to exist. But, I do love the people in my life, I love the activities in my daily planner, and I'm beginning to love the way I'm reminded of my imperfections every day.

For instance, this morning, I set my alarm for 6 a.m. I really was going to wake up then - but somehow reset my alarm for 7:15 and hit snooze twice until 7:35 rolled around. I have a class at 8 a.m. Do you see the problem? Turns out I still beat the instructor to class and had a great little adrenaline rush for the first 2 hours of class. I could have gotten mad at myself, yelled at the dogs as I rushed around getting ready, but chose (and it was a conscious choice) to just deal with it and resolve to get up a tad earlier next time.

Some people (me) don't like to share about their trials, mistakes and flubs, but those people can be the loneliest ones out there. I've tried it - no one likes a "perfect" person. So, here I am, flubs and all, trying to be honest with my family and friends about who I really am. Love me for me! And I'll do the same for you!

The Situation

All of this...

...has lead to this...

and this...

and this.

My paperwork, laundry (that picture was too awful to show), home's surfaces and dogs are suffering because of thc copious amounts of homework assigned to me over the last 2 weeks. You'll think this disgusting (I do) but our bathroom towels that we use EVERY day, haven't been washed in two weeks. BLECHH! And I've only done 2 loads of laundry in the past 2 weeks, because I ran out of socks (Load #1) and Eric ran out of jeans (Load #2). Also, Eric and I have yet to spend a whole day alone together since this craziness began. Every weekend we have 1/2 day off together, we spend sleeping or trying to catch eachother up on the entire week's activities. College and work are rough on the ol' relationship.
On the plus side of this situation, I am doing AWESOME at school - making new friends (the most difficult part of school for me), loving my classes, sucking up to my professors which results (or maybe only contributes to) getting great grades in all my classes (biology excluded, of course).
But, the countdown has begun: In ONE WEEK, Eric and I will hit the open road and head south. I can't believe that winter is still in full swing here - last night we got another sprinkling of snow and it has yet to get above 20 degrees today. I am ready for spring!
The house needs my attention, although I'd rather curl up on the couch with the dogs and nap. What are your weekend plans? Any extra time to be my laundress or launderer? Or dog-walker? (It never hurts to ask!)

A Lost Cat

Thanks Great Aunt Beth for this (I laughed out loud in the library!)

Internships and more

At this very moment I have the contact names and information for three - count 'em three - internships for public relation-type internships. After working out and going to class tomorrow, I will be contacting each and every one. They will then have all weekend to think of the best way to outbid each other to acquire my services. (hint: extra money and prestige always works!) Wish me luck! I am also for the moment COMPLETELY caught up on every piece of homework that is due tomorrow! You may think this is not a great accomplishment, until I tell you that for the past week (5 days straight) I have been up until 1:30 a.m. doing homework, studying and the like. The time is now 11:13 p.m. (ah, p.m. is nice to type) and as soon as I finish this post, OFF TO BED WITH ME! 2 newsy updates: Eric and I are taking spring break off and heading south! A roadtrip to New Orleans to drop in on the brother- and sister-in-law for a few days. We need out of the snow! 2nd update: ...

I can't remember - seriously, I KNOW I had two and the second one is gone. That means I can get to bed even earlier! Stay up till midnight for me - this girl's off to bed!

It's Friday, so what?

The weekend doesn't really matter any more. The only difference between the weekend days and the week days is that instead of classes, I have work and homework and we head to church on Sunday mornings. Eric often has to work an entire 12 hour day on Saturday and since I'm working in retail (YAY!), I also get Saturday hours on my work schedule.
But, something fun will be happening this weekend: I took a HUGE step (for me) and invited a friend from English over for dinner. This is something I have a tough time doing. I like to be around people, but have a hard time entertaining. I like to cook, but always wonder if my guests really like the food I've made.
And, the first occasions are the worst! I'll obsess until Saturday night has come and gone over child-proofing our house (she and her husband have a four-year-old daughter), whether the dog hair is completely vacuumed and dusted away (I love my dogs, but the shedding thing is GROSS), and whether or not the evening will be a complete and total disaster! (even though we have a great time in class together) I'm making lasagna and garlic bread and will pick up an ice-cream cake for dessert. I would LOVE to play a game or cards, but don't want our guests to feel pressured into an activity. AAHH! I must stop the insanity! :)
If you're able, have a wonderfully relaxing weekend for me!

Biology, biology, biology...

It's official - I will never, could never, be a scientist. The one aspect that appeals to me is the analness required for experiments. Otherwise, the terminology - YOU CAN HAVE IT! Today, these are the brand new terms I was exposed to during my 1 hour lecture (and I have to look at my notes for this): true-breeding, monohybrid, parental cross, alleles, gametes, Punnett Square, genotype, phenotype, test cross, dihybrid and dihybrid cross. Now if, from that list, you knew I was studying genetics, kudos to you! For the rest of you, welcome to my world twice weekly! I leave lecture in a fog of terms and new ideas I feel I should have known about years ago but didn't. So, I struggle to understand at least the basic concepts to barely pass the tests. Now, off to the textbook.

11:44 p.m.

It's late - yes, very late. I've had a crappy week - yes, it was crappy. No husband time, no dog time, no personal time, hardly any coffee time, but plenty of sore feet (from the new job), lack of sleep (from new job and homework) and no time to eat (pick an excuse - they're all good!) I keep telling myself "It won't last forever, it won't last forever." But, I'm so tired, I forget what "it" is! This sounds bleak, but will look better in the morning. Now, off to write an assignment for Media Writing Class. Yay. The time is now 11:48 p.m.

...a little better, thank you!

Injury Update:
The drugs seem to be working - although not as well as I hoped they would. I have muscle relaxants and pain pills. The worst part about this whole experience is that I can't carry my backpack! I love to stuff that thing full of everything I might possibly need or want throughout my day at school, and right now, I can only carry a few books in my arms.

Job Update:
I got a job! I ran into a girl I knew from Lincoln at a clothing store here in Omaha. She manages the store and mentioned they needed help - I was happy to oblige!

School Update:
Only 1 more paper and 1 more quiz for the week. (Out of the total 3 papers and 3 quizzes!)

Pray for my back - and now, back to the heating pad!

Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!

This morning while climbing out of my car, I slipped. This is something that I do all the time. I can usually stay upright or else I end up with only a little snow on my gloves. Not today. As I fell, something in my back WRENCHED! And do I ever mean WRENCHED!! The 20 pound backpack was a likely contributor to this injury, as well as the slick conditions in the campus parking lot and the gym bag I had over one shoulder. (I look like quite a bag lady in the morning.) Thinking I could play through the pain, I did my normal workout (on 20 minutes instead of 30) and headed to my first class.
I knew I was in trouble when I couldn't get my backpack up to my shoulder. I carried it in one hand all the way to class and then collapsed into my seat - where I found I couldn't raise my chin to look at the projector screen. I spent the next 3 hours slumped down in my chair with my head propped on my hand in order to see the instructor and try to take notes.
After a visit to the doctor, we've discovered it is just a bad sprain - let me tell you, x-rays with a back spasm are the worst EVER! Muscle relaxants and pain pills are on the way (courtesy of Eric's delivery service) and I'm trying to resign myself to an afternoon and evening on the couch. I have A LOT of studying to do and a lab report to write. Please pray for this NASTY glitch in my week! I'm hoping it will be healed soon!

Snow, Biology and a Headache

Yesterday the weather was perfect - 55 degrees, sunny, and just the thing we needed in the middle of January! Unfortunately, the perfect day is now a distant memory. Today, the temperature is 40 degrees colder and the snow flies by on 25 mph winds. What a horrible change.
To top off the yucky day, I have 2 chapters of biology to read. BLECH. Too many terms, too many pages, too many pictures of atoms, molecules and proteins. But, in order to keep up with the rest of my class, I must keep plugging away!
To make this day even better, I woke up with a blinding headache. Usually sleep wards off headaches, but not this morning. I took my caffeine dose, my Advil dose and as soon as I type this, I'll take my nap dose. The day can only get better from here!

I Need Caffeine!

Coffee, iced tea, soda (specifically diet Cherry Coke), hot tea, Excedrin and chocolate. I have a problem: without caffeine, I am worthless. I try to function without it, but fail miserably. Take today for instance - I got over 8 hours of sleep last night and had a relaxing morning of showering, instant oatmeal and only 1 class but - this is the important part - no coffee. By 1:30 p.m. the headache tinglings began. Then the extreme fatigue set in - it is now 2:30 and I am using every ounce of strength to finish this post! I'm not sure what to do. I could go cold-turkey : no caffeine at all. I've done this before and have been mildly successful. It's not as hard as you think to find caffeine-free beverages that taste exactly the same as their caffeine packed counterparts. Here's my specific problem with being caffeine un-dependent: I live with mono consistently. Yes, mononucleosis - "the kissing disease." I've had mono so many times that the doctor diagnosed me with chronic fatigue syndrome. Without caffeine in my system, I have no energy. At least not after lunch. I can function for about six hours after sleeping for ten, but after that, I'm finished. Do I continue my dependence on the most used mood-enhancing drug on the planet so I can get through an entire day awake? Or, do I clean out my system and just make time for a siesta every afternoon so I can make it through till bedtime? (This will be problematic if I ever get a full time job!) These are not rhetorical questions! I need advice! Please comment with opinions, suggestions or convictions on the subject! And, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am heading off to nap for 1/2 hour - I'm not making this up people!

School Days

I need to write a news summary, but have decided to warm up with my blog first - you all won't make me triple check my grammar, right? :) School has begun and I am really excited to be back! (I'm baaaaack!) I am still looking for a job that is flexible enough to be done along with classes, assignments and home life. But, for now, I'm focusing completely on school and starting my new workout regimen. I have to be on campus an hour before my class starts in order to get a parking space (and I have 8 a.m. classes, folks!) So, I've decided to come a tad earlier still and work out at the Rec Center before class. This morning was the trial run. It had snowed 3-4 inches in the night and I had to brush the car off and drive carefully in the snow to school. (Sidenote: I found a great shortcut to school from home! It only takes 8 minutes!) Since I had never been past the office of the Rec Center, I had to wander a bit to get where I wanted to be - then after being all sweaty from the elliptical - had to wander some more to find the towel exchange area. All that wandering made me a little late for class, but the teacher was later than me - it all worked out! Thursdays are my crazy class day - Monday and Wednesdays I have class from 8 to 10:50 a.m. Tuesday's schedule contains one class from 8:30 - 10 a.m. and one class from 7 - 9:45 p.m. Then comes Thursday! Class 1: 8:30 - 10 a.m. / Class 2: 11 a.m. - 1:50 p.m. / Class 3: 4-5:30 p.m. / Class 4: 7 - 8:35 p.m. Whew! Talk about a long day! Then I get to catch my breath on Friday: only 1 class from 10 - 10:50 a.m. If I had it my way, I would take every day like Thursday - I seem to thrive on back-to-back appointments. Crazy, isn't it? If I had a job, then my life would be completely full, just the way I like it. Down time doesn't agree with me.
Eric's wallet situation is back under control - although no word on the thieves. I know the police have better things to do and murders to solve, but I want those people caught! Forgiveness would be best, but is hard for me in this situation. So, back to the books - hopefully my creative juices are flowing enough to write a wonderful news summary. Wish me luck!

Stop Thief!

Monday night, I went to Arby's. Eric had been laying under his Big Brown Ford for about 4 hours and was in desperate need of food. I, being tired and hungry myself, jumped in the car and headed 2 blocks away for Roast Beef and Mozz Sticks. But, funny thing, my debit card was declined. I should have been thinking. Oh - what I wouldn't give for my brain to have been turned on that night! Instead, I pulled out my cash, after saying to the cashier, "Hmmm...that's funny." I knew we had money in our account and hadn't gone over the magical "daily spending limit" but in my hunger-induced brain freeze, I didn't think about it again... that is, not until we couldn't find Eric's wallet Tuesday morning before work.
The statistics are that 1 in 12 people will have their identity compromised every year - let's put it this way - 11 of you are don't have to worry about stolen identity this year! Eric has made your chances much slimmer.
Debit Card Info: Every charge that thieves make on your debit card before you report it stolen still gets charged to your account. Then you have to dispute them all to VISA and may get your money back in 60-90 days. So, don't think that those charges will disappear just because you tell a customer service rep that they are fraudulent.
Those thieves spent $700 of our hard earned money at gas stations and grocery stores. How do you spend $120.00 at a gas station? You would have to fill 4 of your closest friends' gas tanks to spend that much money - or buy really expensive alcohol! These were professionals - they maxed out our daily limit on our debit card and then turned to Eric's work cards. What a pain! So, if you're reading this, do these 3 things:
1. Make copies (front and back) of EVERY card in your wallet. Store in a safe place.
2. If you have a little extra money and no extra time, sign up for an identity insurance plan - they take care of all the calling and fraud reporting.
3. Keep your wallet/purse with you at all times - don't let it sit anywhere out of your sight for even a minute!
I hope and pray this will never happen to ANY of you and that your identities are safe this whole year!

Christmas is Coming Down

I should actually clarify that the "Christmas Decorations" are going to be packed into large Rubbermaid containers and toted back to the basement for another year. My day is starting rather late today. You would think with the seventh night of my sickness, sleep would be getting easier, but no such luck. Yesterday was "Coughing Day" - dry, hacking coughs every 30 seconds - which inevitably led to into "Coughing Night." When I was still up coughing at 2am, action was taken. I threw on my jeans and drove six blocks to the 24-hour Walgreens down the street. Even though I was awake, I wasn't very coherent - it took me a few minutes to find the wonderful Nighttime Robutussin. I also picked up a nice new box of lotion tissues and some daytime cold pills. I downed my dose of medicine at 2:15am and was out by 2:30 (the last time I looked at the clock). When Eric left for work, I took another dose and slept till 11:00. I don't think I've slept that late since my mono days. And even then I usually got up, got dressed and went back to bed. This has been a very hard week! Since I finally got 8 hours of sleep in one night (thanks to the wonderful sleeping aid) I am motivated to start a project before 4pm. The Christmas tree is dry and shedding needles. The decorations are just starting to look cluttered - they looked so nice when I put them up. And there are used tissues in every trashcan that need to be taken away. Germs, germs go away! I think I'll actually open the windows for a few minutes - it's close to 30 degrees today - to freeze them and air out the house! Cold, fresh air sounds wonderful! I'll update the Christmas dismantling later.

Insert Cliche End of Year Title Here

The "Year of Change" (aka 2007) is finally over - or it will be in about 12 hours. Next year has already been christened the "Year of Home and Health." Our new house needs A LOT of work and instead of spreading it out over years and years, we would like to have it all (or mostly) done this year so we can enjoy it later. The "Health" portion would be Eric joining a gym and me cleaning out the junk food and keeping us on the healthy straight-and-narrow. I'm glad this isn't starting until tomorrow, because there is a box of Twinkies on the counter that I HAD to have last night and that is already 1/2 gone. Along with the Twinkies, my delivery boy brought me matching flowers (they matched the Twinkies). It's nice to have a live-in deliverer. It's going to be a busy year - someday I might be able to rest even when I'm not sick! Have a wonderful New Year - and keep commenting on this lowly blog!

Quick Sick Post

I am sick. This is the fourth day of my sickness and I seem to be getting worse instead of better. Strange things are coming from my nose (I know, it's gross to think about). The only thing I had energy to do today was bathe the dogs - and that was only because I couldn't stand their stench any longer. My stamina for blogging is even waning at the moment - I'll try to update later. This holiday season is really draining! I think I'll try to cut down next year. Off to rest again.

Things Are Gonna Change!

2007 was christened "The Year of Change" in my household. I love change! I would change my furniture placement every day if I had the energy! Sometimes ordinary is good - my kitchen a cupboards must always stay the same - but sometimes change for the sake of change can be better. Try a new recipe - try a new hairstyle - or just listen to some new music! Other things are harder to change - friendships, family relationships, your own personality or attitude - but it's worth the evaluation every once in a while. Do you need to make a change? Are you living with "normal" because it's just easier? Do you need to take the huge, courageous step to move out of your comfort zone down an unfamiliar path? (Many cliches - one sentence) I have done a few "out-of-character" actions over the past week. I said no, I introduced myself to a complete stranger, I gave myself permission to accept a situation (instead of stewing over it) and I realized I don't have to like everyone AND they don't have to like me. I have also started school for the fourth (and final) time. So, take a chance - do something crazy! Make this your day, month or year of change!

Hence the Title...

Usually the question of marriage is bypassed - probably because I'm wearing a beautiful ring on the fourth finger of my left hand (or third finger, depending on what your definition of "finger" is). But the inevitable question after "What's your name?" is "Do you have any kids?" Now, I should be used to and ready for this question, right? It shouldn't irk me that a "well-intentioned" stranger wants to keep a conversation going by opening the way for detail-laden descriptions of labor, delivery, teething, diapers and illnesses, should it? But it does. Now, I love kids! Really - I think they're cute, say the darndest things and look like angels when they sleep. But, we don't have any. I usually respond with a laugh: "No, we have two dogs!" Even though they don't say the darndest things, they come close to kids on all other counts. (Please don't comment and say 'They don't have souls' or 'Do you think dogs are equal to humans?!?!' because I know we as humans are made in God's image and that dogs are only companions.) I love my dogs - Eric and I constantly comment (as we sit in the living room at night with dogs draped on us and the furniture) on our family and how nice our dogs are. Now, we are not "Mommy" and "Daddy" and the dogs are not our "kids" but we are a family, nonetheless. I wonder if I should tell the questioning public that we're content in our childlessness right now - that it doesn't mean we always will be, but for now, we're trusting God with our fertility. I wonder if they need to know that we've taken all the tests, looked at all the "normal" results and then my husband and I say "Well, it must not be time yet." Do they care that I don't want strange drugs pumped into my body and even stranger procedures performed on my husband or myself? Will they be shocked to learn that we're not ready to adopt even after being married for seven years? If these people could get past their feelings of "Hmm.. I wonder what's wrong with them?" and ask me how this has affected our marriage, I would tell them: This childless time has given us a chance to really know each other, to grow together and to look at our life situation through very clear (and un-sleep-deprived) eyes. We haven't struggled with parenting together, but we've grown through other life lessons. We talk about the abstract idea of children alot and would be thrilled if a little Eric/Katie blend ever came along. But, we're also trusting God's plan for us - which seems to be a little different than most other people's. ("For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8) I feel a little sorry for those people that hope the "Kid Question" will bring about easy conversation - but my advice is, try to know your childless friends for who they are and not just for what situation they are in at the moment. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. It's easy to focus only on differences or similarities in a relationship and forget that people just need people to be there for them - even when they're at different stages of life. So, when you look at my blog name, remember, I'm more than just a married girl with two dogs - but then, aren't we all?