who knew moving to another state took so long to set everything up?
we finally changed Staci's last name the day before we moved in August (9 months after we were married :) and have yet to get new ID's reflecting the change. we secured our new apartment over a month ago and haven't stopped running since! new insurance, updating mailing addresses, applying for new utilities (and subsequently having to contact the old utility companies for references), blah blah blah.
needless to say we're tired! we still have much to do. I received a letter in the mail stating my AZ registered vehicle has no AZ auto insurance. so they decided (on a whim sounds like) that they were going to cancel my vehicle registration. in 6 days. ouch. so last friday Staci and I decided to get all of our stuff together to go the the Texas DPS office (DMV) and update our vehicle registration, DL's, vehicle titles, etc. we got up early, headed across town and got to the front desk 3 hours before I had to be to work a few miles a way, plenty of time to get everything vehicle oriented taken care of. they asked what we needed. "we just moved here from AZ, and need to get updated vehicle registration and driver's licenses". "you can't do that here. not yet. first the vehicles need inspected, with an inspection sticker, then you need to go register them with the state, then come back here with the information they give you and we'll get you new licenses."
(Whaaaaaaaat?!) "ok, then we'll just get our updated DL's today and get the inspection done later," I said.
"can't do that, we need the inspection and registration done independently before we'll update your license. 'NEXT!' "
oh. my. gosh. I hate that man. we spent the next 3 hours trying to jump through all their stupid little hoops, finishing most of them. first we went to several auto shops looking for someone to 'inspect' our vehicles. ($80) next we were told Staci's mustang wouldn't pass unless she put 2 new tires on ($178). we still have yet to register the vehicles or even update our IDs!
someday we'll finish our 'new apartment checklist' but not today. I'm again off to the DMV!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Our own place
so you may (or may not) know by now we've got our own place. Staci and I are extremely grateful to her parents for their generousity in allowing us to stay with them for awhile but we're on our own again! (call for the address)
basically we're in northern Plano, TX, still close to Frisco and Staci's Family but in our own ward on the other side of the stake. we got a SMOKIN' deal on a 2 bed 2 bath apartment that we had to jump on! we're very excited. now we can have guests! (anyone want a weekend in Texas? : )
Staci is also further excited because she's getting out of the security position she was in to go be an office manager at her brother's chiropractic/ nutrition center! it is so wonderful, The Lord has blessed us so much our hearts are full of gratitude. we have yet to get internet (right now I'm 'borrowing' from our neighbors!) : P other than that we're just trying to get settled. just this past weekend I painted all our wooden bookshelves black to match and Staci's Dad painted the top coat to make 'em look good. they brought them over and now our home is beginning to feel complete!
basically we're in northern Plano, TX, still close to Frisco and Staci's Family but in our own ward on the other side of the stake. we got a SMOKIN' deal on a 2 bed 2 bath apartment that we had to jump on! we're very excited. now we can have guests! (anyone want a weekend in Texas? : )
Staci is also further excited because she's getting out of the security position she was in to go be an office manager at her brother's chiropractic/ nutrition center! it is so wonderful, The Lord has blessed us so much our hearts are full of gratitude. we have yet to get internet (right now I'm 'borrowing' from our neighbors!) : P other than that we're just trying to get settled. just this past weekend I painted all our wooden bookshelves black to match and Staci's Dad painted the top coat to make 'em look good. they brought them over and now our home is beginning to feel complete!
Friday, November 6, 2009
TRUE STORY!
wow. today I have now experienced the worst customer service of my entire life! (fyi, this is just a venting/rant post. it was just SO bad I had to mention it! : p )
so I have a car loan with an Arizona based credit union. every month a payment is due on the 7th, but this month I'm refinancing it and thought I'd be able to get around it. the refinance didn't get finished in time and I still came due for the payment. in a scramble on my lunch break, I thought I'd take the payment to a local 'shared branch' credit union and then go grab some food. (a mile from the bank where I work is a small local C.U.)
when I got there the teller at the front counter asked for my loan/account number. I didn't have it, nor did I have a way to get it at the time. I asked her to look it up by my Social Security Number. she said she couldn't, but "If I call the AZ CU they'll give it to me" (over the phone... {riiiiiight})
so I asked if there was any other way- "nope. here's the number"
so I go out to my car and sit on the phone for the next FORTY MINUTES talking to the AZ CU. at first the operator said 'we normally don't give out account numbers over the phone' (several times) but then she gave up and transferred me to the CU credit department. the Credit agent then asked me all of the following questions to "Confirm my identity" (bear in mind, it was JUST TO GET ME MY ACCOUNT NUMBER TO MAKE A CAR PAYMENT!)
ID Questions: SSN, full name, Current address, previous 3 addresses, checking account history, date of account opening, any open credit lines, any open credit cards, approx credit card limits & balances, all closed credit lines, parents names, mother's maiden name, all siblings names, sister's married last name, car year/make/model, and anyone else who may be on the car loan!!
.... just to get the "MEMBER ID#"
then I go back inside 45 minutes into my 60 minute lunch break and ask to make the payment and be on my way. she slides over a form asking for my Driver's license number, last 4 of my ssn, etc., and a RIGHT THUMB PRINT. I almost lost it!
I left that building LIVID and raced a mile down the street to a subway to eat in a hurry (passing a cop in a school zone btw) when I got inside to order some food really quick I waited 5 minutes getting lost in thought at what happened back there when I looked up wondering why the 2 person line hadn't moved an inch. I noticed the man at the counter was ordering SIXTY-FIVE+ footlongs! they had bread covering the entire counter with employees walking the aisles with mustard, mayo etc. I wanted to scream!
I went over to the chik-fil-a next door and ordered some food, swallowed it whole, and left 3 minutes later back to work.
oh. my. goodness.
-true story
so I have a car loan with an Arizona based credit union. every month a payment is due on the 7th, but this month I'm refinancing it and thought I'd be able to get around it. the refinance didn't get finished in time and I still came due for the payment. in a scramble on my lunch break, I thought I'd take the payment to a local 'shared branch' credit union and then go grab some food. (a mile from the bank where I work is a small local C.U.)
when I got there the teller at the front counter asked for my loan/account number. I didn't have it, nor did I have a way to get it at the time. I asked her to look it up by my Social Security Number. she said she couldn't, but "If I call the AZ CU they'll give it to me" (over the phone... {riiiiiight})
so I asked if there was any other way- "nope. here's the number"
so I go out to my car and sit on the phone for the next FORTY MINUTES talking to the AZ CU. at first the operator said 'we normally don't give out account numbers over the phone' (several times) but then she gave up and transferred me to the CU credit department. the Credit agent then asked me all of the following questions to "Confirm my identity" (bear in mind, it was JUST TO GET ME MY ACCOUNT NUMBER TO MAKE A CAR PAYMENT!)
ID Questions: SSN, full name, Current address, previous 3 addresses, checking account history, date of account opening, any open credit lines, any open credit cards, approx credit card limits & balances, all closed credit lines, parents names, mother's maiden name, all siblings names, sister's married last name, car year/make/model, and anyone else who may be on the car loan!!
.... just to get the "MEMBER ID#"
then I go back inside 45 minutes into my 60 minute lunch break and ask to make the payment and be on my way. she slides over a form asking for my Driver's license number, last 4 of my ssn, etc., and a RIGHT THUMB PRINT. I almost lost it!
I left that building LIVID and raced a mile down the street to a subway to eat in a hurry (passing a cop in a school zone btw) when I got inside to order some food really quick I waited 5 minutes getting lost in thought at what happened back there when I looked up wondering why the 2 person line hadn't moved an inch. I noticed the man at the counter was ordering SIXTY-FIVE+ footlongs! they had bread covering the entire counter with employees walking the aisles with mustard, mayo etc. I wanted to scream!
I went over to the chik-fil-a next door and ordered some food, swallowed it whole, and left 3 minutes later back to work.
oh. my. goodness.
-true story
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Good news
Staci got a job! it's at a place called Whelan security as a guard. she seems really excited, mainly just to get out of the house! her first day is Wednesday, but she'll go in tomorrow to fill in final paperwork and such. I'll spare what little details I have in order for you all to find out more from her.
other recent events include going to the STATE FAIR OF TEXAS! okay, I admit I didn't know what I was getting into when we were headed out to the fair. truthfully, I always thought of a state fair as sort of a winner-take-all 'state-championship' of sorts of all the various county grand prize winners. (think "state championship" of high school sports). wow it was nothing like what I saw.
I planned on blogging about the state fair two weeks ago just after we went, but the pictures stayed on my camera just long enough to forget about em. they had fried everything though. fried twinkies, fried snickers, fried corn on the cob, even this years 'big hit', fried butter. gross. I DID however try chicken fried bacon. I've never eaten something so bad for you before! haha. the next day my face was shiny from all the grease in the pores :P
anyway the only other tidbit of news is that the yearlong wait for Washington Mutual's final farewell and crossover to Chase happened this morning. it's about frikkin time! I've dealt with that crap for over a year! work on Tuesday ought to go a lot smoother.
that's all for now folks! I say goodnight listening to yet another Texas thunderstorm. ahh I love the rain.
other recent events include going to the STATE FAIR OF TEXAS! okay, I admit I didn't know what I was getting into when we were headed out to the fair. truthfully, I always thought of a state fair as sort of a winner-take-all 'state-championship' of sorts of all the various county grand prize winners. (think "state championship" of high school sports). wow it was nothing like what I saw.
I planned on blogging about the state fair two weeks ago just after we went, but the pictures stayed on my camera just long enough to forget about em. they had fried everything though. fried twinkies, fried snickers, fried corn on the cob, even this years 'big hit', fried butter. gross. I DID however try chicken fried bacon. I've never eaten something so bad for you before! haha. the next day my face was shiny from all the grease in the pores :P
anyway the only other tidbit of news is that the yearlong wait for Washington Mutual's final farewell and crossover to Chase happened this morning. it's about frikkin time! I've dealt with that crap for over a year! work on Tuesday ought to go a lot smoother.
that's all for now folks! I say goodnight listening to yet another Texas thunderstorm. ahh I love the rain.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
running out of patience
I just noticed on my own blog that I haven't updated it in 4 days short of a month. here it is Oct. 11th and what's happened since Sept. 15? ... almost nothing
I'm about to scream.
2 months ago today Staci and I finished up our final day of work, packed our bags and said 'see ya later Arizona', heading for the big D in Texas. we've been here now just short of 2 months staying with Staci's parents (who we are extremely grateful to, btw). We need our own place. we miss our stuff. we miss both having a job. Staci misses having a reason to get up in the morning other than to help me get ready for work. but most of all, we miss the normalcy of adult life.
Staci's doing all she can to find a job right now; she's part of the 50%+ of recent grads who can't find a job. even temp agencies and others aren't returning phone calls. we're both so discouraged we don't find happiness in so many things we used to. in the mean time we're chuggin' along, seemingly always waiting for payday, with the hope that the phone calls she's getting aren't just telemarketers.
sorry for the sad sad post. life is good, just a little rough sometimes.
I'm about to scream.
2 months ago today Staci and I finished up our final day of work, packed our bags and said 'see ya later Arizona', heading for the big D in Texas. we've been here now just short of 2 months staying with Staci's parents (who we are extremely grateful to, btw). We need our own place. we miss our stuff. we miss both having a job. Staci misses having a reason to get up in the morning other than to help me get ready for work. but most of all, we miss the normalcy of adult life.
Staci's doing all she can to find a job right now; she's part of the 50%+ of recent grads who can't find a job. even temp agencies and others aren't returning phone calls. we're both so discouraged we don't find happiness in so many things we used to. in the mean time we're chuggin' along, seemingly always waiting for payday, with the hope that the phone calls she's getting aren't just telemarketers.
sorry for the sad sad post. life is good, just a little rough sometimes.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
another milestone
wow. as of yesterday I've been home from my mission as long as I was on it. time really does fly; when you're home anyway. some days on a mission feel like forever. I very much appreciate my new companion though! as of right now she's in her 2nd interview with a closed-door Staples™ copy-center facility. it's only open weekdays, AND it's a salary position. we're very excited, and Staci was a little nervous, but it's exactly what she wanted in that company. no cranky old people, a supervisory position, and of course, more $$. (the only downside is it's in Irving, TX, and we want to live in McKinney; they're about an hour drive each way.)
although she doesn't need it, GOOD LUCK Staci!
although she doesn't need it, GOOD LUCK Staci!
Monday, September 7, 2009
The "New"s
It's come to my attention that I have a way with words that allows me to paint a vivid picture, often detailing tragedies so well as to multiply my anxiety with the readers out there. my sincere apologies. in a humble attempt to notice the silver lining of all that has recently transpired (as well as clue you all in, if you haven't heard already), I'm writing this post as a general update of everything that's happened, to the 'tune' of a column from 'Marley & Me':
Tues, August 11th: Staci and I both go to work. the last day of obligations in AZ - Whoo hoo. next day we wake up early. Finally make it to the Social Security Office. her name is now officially "Staci Sanders". YEAH! head home. Staci Cleans, while I run errands. everyone finally realizes we're moving, tomorrow, and makes last attempts to spend time with us. most are disappointed at their own procrastination. few actually say goodbye. sad day. Thursday 6 AM. get up to move truck. prepare the house for immediate evacuation. 7+ ward members committed to be there with additional help. thought the custom flyers would be a big help. 2 people came. 1 left early. all three families got their own box of donuts. scheduled the final inspection. inspector said house wasn't clean enough (removed remaining 8 boxes and bird). rescheduled inspection. finally left town. drove to Duncan via I-10. took 6 hours. oh. my. goodness!
Friday August 14th: woke early. scheduled time to pickup puppy. what were we thinking? left duncan. drove through Lordsburg, Deming, and Las Cruces. Stopped frequently for potty breaks. got lost several times. south of Las Cruces Dad gets lost. find "Stahman's". we were in Pecan Heaven. bought ALOT of pecans, mostly in chocolate. almost died of happiness. then we remembered we were still in New Mexico. Sped towards Texas State line. potty break at texas visitors center. found alternate route AROUND EL PASO. lucky day. drove on to midland. stayed in a hotel around midnight. what a waste. nice hotel, puppy howling & snoring kept us awake all night. should have slept in the car. Staci almost did. made it to the bathtub. very rough night for all of us. drove on to Dallas. arrived late afternoon on saturday. unloaded the truck. called Penske, who said the truck couldn't be dropped off till monday, due to the car hauler trailer. played with the puppy. watched him like a hawk every second of the day. named him Jackson. worried about Jobs not transferring. wondered what Dad would do in Dallas till tuesdays flight home. got a phone call about a job interview 20 minutes south of frisco at a Chase Bank. set the interview for monday. showed up early, and had a 3 hour interview. felt like I was speaking chinese, he was speaking spanish. apparently Washington Mutual and Chase weren't as similar as we thought they were. was introduced to the staff. given a tour of the building. offered the position (30+ hrs. /wk Teller). found out I was never let go from previous job. neither was Staci. Staci gets a call from Staples corporate. they want to offer her a position at a closed door copy facility. only open weekdays. Salary position. we're elated. gets the interview, everything sounds great. no word back now in a week and a half. phone calls aren't returned. by tuesday dad gets on a plane back to AZ. Staci gets another interview for a security position. sounds great! they love her. now they have to wait for the background check. still, no word from either job. I go to work. quickly learn the new bank systems. get put on the front line long before my 'training' on the system is actually done. I take it as a vote of confidence. all goes well. apply for health insurance. won't receive cards for coverage for 4-6 weeks. immediate coverage info is available and given to the pharmacy. no help, no prescriptions. very frustrated. every night the dog howls when we put him in his kennel. if we don't watch Jackson, he 'goes' on something. very annoyed, we play with the idea of a play pen. go to Lowes, buy the parts, and build one. dog gets out, everytime. what a waste. after a week of dog barking, chewing, and peeing/pooping on the carpet we just can't take it anymore. quality of life sinks dramatically. we decided to give up Jackson. put him on craigslist; few days later he's gone. sad for 20+ minutes. then we partied. finally able to go out again. went to the mall. went to an apple store grand opening (installed Snow leopard, and noticed the only difference was the printer stopped working). went to a Texas Rangers baseball game. helped get Staci's parents from the airport after their return trip from Alaska. met with a realtor. met with a loan agent. continued search for home to live in. explained our work situation, being in limbo. put search on hold until we hear back about Staci's (potential) job.
work for me is going well. get a tag for all the Toll roads. my car starts acting up. transmission starts 'hard shifting'. scared, I lookup how much a new transmission will cost. over 3,000 dollars.
this past weekend: Adam hooks up my ford focus to his computer to explain what the check engine light means. the transmission solenoids aren't opening and closing correctly. go to a junkyard. buy a used transmission for 350 bucks. watched / helped Adam replaced the solenoids last Saturday for 4 hours. the car is working great again!
sunday: church, and relaxin
monday (Labor day): help with the RV. go fishing in the community pond and catch a bunch of fish. throw em back. Alaskan Salmon fish fry for dinner at Bryan's. and now just relaxing at home, not looking forward to work tomorrow. think I may be getting a cold. finished this blog. life is good.
Tues, August 11th: Staci and I both go to work. the last day of obligations in AZ - Whoo hoo. next day we wake up early. Finally make it to the Social Security Office. her name is now officially "Staci Sanders". YEAH! head home. Staci Cleans, while I run errands. everyone finally realizes we're moving, tomorrow, and makes last attempts to spend time with us. most are disappointed at their own procrastination. few actually say goodbye. sad day. Thursday 6 AM. get up to move truck. prepare the house for immediate evacuation. 7+ ward members committed to be there with additional help. thought the custom flyers would be a big help. 2 people came. 1 left early. all three families got their own box of donuts. scheduled the final inspection. inspector said house wasn't clean enough (removed remaining 8 boxes and bird). rescheduled inspection. finally left town. drove to Duncan via I-10. took 6 hours. oh. my. goodness!
Friday August 14th: woke early. scheduled time to pickup puppy. what were we thinking? left duncan. drove through Lordsburg, Deming, and Las Cruces. Stopped frequently for potty breaks. got lost several times. south of Las Cruces Dad gets lost. find "Stahman's". we were in Pecan Heaven. bought ALOT of pecans, mostly in chocolate. almost died of happiness. then we remembered we were still in New Mexico. Sped towards Texas State line. potty break at texas visitors center. found alternate route AROUND EL PASO. lucky day. drove on to midland. stayed in a hotel around midnight. what a waste. nice hotel, puppy howling & snoring kept us awake all night. should have slept in the car. Staci almost did. made it to the bathtub. very rough night for all of us. drove on to Dallas. arrived late afternoon on saturday. unloaded the truck. called Penske, who said the truck couldn't be dropped off till monday, due to the car hauler trailer. played with the puppy. watched him like a hawk every second of the day. named him Jackson. worried about Jobs not transferring. wondered what Dad would do in Dallas till tuesdays flight home. got a phone call about a job interview 20 minutes south of frisco at a Chase Bank. set the interview for monday. showed up early, and had a 3 hour interview. felt like I was speaking chinese, he was speaking spanish. apparently Washington Mutual and Chase weren't as similar as we thought they were. was introduced to the staff. given a tour of the building. offered the position (30+ hrs. /wk Teller). found out I was never let go from previous job. neither was Staci. Staci gets a call from Staples corporate. they want to offer her a position at a closed door copy facility. only open weekdays. Salary position. we're elated. gets the interview, everything sounds great. no word back now in a week and a half. phone calls aren't returned. by tuesday dad gets on a plane back to AZ. Staci gets another interview for a security position. sounds great! they love her. now they have to wait for the background check. still, no word from either job. I go to work. quickly learn the new bank systems. get put on the front line long before my 'training' on the system is actually done. I take it as a vote of confidence. all goes well. apply for health insurance. won't receive cards for coverage for 4-6 weeks. immediate coverage info is available and given to the pharmacy. no help, no prescriptions. very frustrated. every night the dog howls when we put him in his kennel. if we don't watch Jackson, he 'goes' on something. very annoyed, we play with the idea of a play pen. go to Lowes, buy the parts, and build one. dog gets out, everytime. what a waste. after a week of dog barking, chewing, and peeing/pooping on the carpet we just can't take it anymore. quality of life sinks dramatically. we decided to give up Jackson. put him on craigslist; few days later he's gone. sad for 20+ minutes. then we partied. finally able to go out again. went to the mall. went to an apple store grand opening (installed Snow leopard, and noticed the only difference was the printer stopped working). went to a Texas Rangers baseball game. helped get Staci's parents from the airport after their return trip from Alaska. met with a realtor. met with a loan agent. continued search for home to live in. explained our work situation, being in limbo. put search on hold until we hear back about Staci's (potential) job.
work for me is going well. get a tag for all the Toll roads. my car starts acting up. transmission starts 'hard shifting'. scared, I lookup how much a new transmission will cost. over 3,000 dollars.
this past weekend: Adam hooks up my ford focus to his computer to explain what the check engine light means. the transmission solenoids aren't opening and closing correctly. go to a junkyard. buy a used transmission for 350 bucks. watched / helped Adam replaced the solenoids last Saturday for 4 hours. the car is working great again!
sunday: church, and relaxin
monday (Labor day): help with the RV. go fishing in the community pond and catch a bunch of fish. throw em back. Alaskan Salmon fish fry for dinner at Bryan's. and now just relaxing at home, not looking forward to work tomorrow. think I may be getting a cold. finished this blog. life is good.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
any prayers are appreciated
Hey folks,
well as you might have guessed it time has flown by and the BIG TEXAS MOVE IS BARELY A WEEK AWAY!
ok. try not to panic. seriously. we're doing it enough for you.
to catch you all up Staci and I will be moving to the lovely little town of Frisco, Texas (for now) and will officially leave Thursday, August 13th. my dad & I will be driving a Penske truck with all our worldly possessions (including a niftly 'lil motorcycle in the back), whilst pulling a car hauler trailer with a mustang on top. Staci will follow closely behind, keeping her eyes peeled for gas stations, fast food restraunts, and watching for anything that falls outta the truck. -just kidding people, lighten up. :)
on a more serious tone however we have become increasingly nervous due to the many unforeseen hangups that have come up. instead of giving 2 weeks notice where I work, I gave 5 weeks, placed resumés and transfer requests months ago and have just been told if I don't hear news of a solid job transfer by monday, August 10th, they'll have to begin processing 'departure paperwork'. (Tuesday is our last day) Staci is in more or less the same boat with her job, upper & middle management squabbling about 'who's fault' it is that the transfer process hasn't been fulfilled thus far and yet no real leads or notice have been given her. other little frustrations sprang up as well including, **but not limited to** :
bank accounts having no Texas access, Car insurance not being offered through our current company in Tx, and, no employment = no health/optical/dental insurance.
Seems none of us can escape the wrath of the recession. so many of you are having daily struggles of your own, and hopefully no one is experiencing any severe hardships. thankfully we still have money left over from student loans that will last us several weeks /months. obviously we'd rather not use it if we didn't have to. any prayers in our behalf are appreciated. heaven help us all :/
well as you might have guessed it time has flown by and the BIG TEXAS MOVE IS BARELY A WEEK AWAY!
ok. try not to panic. seriously. we're doing it enough for you.
to catch you all up Staci and I will be moving to the lovely little town of Frisco, Texas (for now) and will officially leave Thursday, August 13th. my dad & I will be driving a Penske truck with all our worldly possessions (including a niftly 'lil motorcycle in the back), whilst pulling a car hauler trailer with a mustang on top. Staci will follow closely behind, keeping her eyes peeled for gas stations, fast food restraunts, and watching for anything that falls outta the truck. -just kidding people, lighten up. :)
on a more serious tone however we have become increasingly nervous due to the many unforeseen hangups that have come up. instead of giving 2 weeks notice where I work, I gave 5 weeks, placed resumés and transfer requests months ago and have just been told if I don't hear news of a solid job transfer by monday, August 10th, they'll have to begin processing 'departure paperwork'. (Tuesday is our last day) Staci is in more or less the same boat with her job, upper & middle management squabbling about 'who's fault' it is that the transfer process hasn't been fulfilled thus far and yet no real leads or notice have been given her. other little frustrations sprang up as well including, **but not limited to** :
bank accounts having no Texas access, Car insurance not being offered through our current company in Tx, and, no employment = no health/optical/dental insurance.
Seems none of us can escape the wrath of the recession. so many of you are having daily struggles of your own, and hopefully no one is experiencing any severe hardships. thankfully we still have money left over from student loans that will last us several weeks /months. obviously we'd rather not use it if we didn't have to. any prayers in our behalf are appreciated. heaven help us all :/
Monday, July 20, 2009
Guess what we found!!
When Staci and I were first married finding Gluten-Free foods seemed quite a challenge. we looked almost everywhere and were limited to 'Whole Foods' for our GF bread, cookies, etc. the longer we're married though, the more stores are catching on that gluten sensitivity is a very real problem. it's getting easier, but we've still got a long way to go. here's the back story:
a few weeks after our marriage the local Fry's grocery store started carrying GF flour, as well as chocolate chip cookies. several weeks after that Albertson's started carrying GF Betty Crocker cake mixes. about a month later still Safeway picked up the gluten free market and started labeling many products right on their shelves!
now many of you have sent in recipes, as well as blogs and other Celiac-friendly bits of advice. (keep em comin'!) but what got us excited more recently was that now most all Chex cereal is labeled "now Gluten Free" right on the box! very very cool. even Wal-Mart has the occasional GF Cookie mixes and things like that
but last night, oh we hit the jackpot. Fry's food & drug is now carrying loads of Gluten free stuff! take a look at the biggest surprises...
The GF cookies above taste a lot like Nilla Wafers™
that's right people. CHOCOLATE DONUTS!! (I had a pic of Staci eating it but she told me not to post it! .... guilty pleasure I suppose :P
and the biggest surprise....
Gluten Free (& Dairy free) Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! holy cow it's good. possibly better than the reg. cookie dough ice cream I've got in the freezer. I was so surprised that they made it at all. Staci was in heaven :)
a few weeks after our marriage the local Fry's grocery store started carrying GF flour, as well as chocolate chip cookies. several weeks after that Albertson's started carrying GF Betty Crocker cake mixes. about a month later still Safeway picked up the gluten free market and started labeling many products right on their shelves!
now many of you have sent in recipes, as well as blogs and other Celiac-friendly bits of advice. (keep em comin'!) but what got us excited more recently was that now most all Chex cereal is labeled "now Gluten Free" right on the box! very very cool. even Wal-Mart has the occasional GF Cookie mixes and things like that
but last night, oh we hit the jackpot. Fry's food & drug is now carrying loads of Gluten free stuff! take a look at the biggest surprises...
The GF cookies above taste a lot like Nilla Wafers™
that's right people. CHOCOLATE DONUTS!! (I had a pic of Staci eating it but she told me not to post it! .... guilty pleasure I suppose :P
and the biggest surprise....
Gluten Free (& Dairy free) Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! holy cow it's good. possibly better than the reg. cookie dough ice cream I've got in the freezer. I was so surprised that they made it at all. Staci was in heaven :)
Monday, July 13, 2009
moving on,
so, we'll gently skip over the whole Grand Canyon / Family reunion / Four Corners trip for now. as for the Gale Talent Show video of my mom & Aunt Brenda twirling their batons, Ky succesfully posted it on the Gale Blog for me. other than that we're just gearing up for the move!
Stay Tuned!
Stay Tuned!
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Latest / Getting ready for Texas
So here we are, in the midst of our final summer in AZ (whoo hoo) and life is good. Hot, but good. Lately we run our air conditioner most of the time we’re home and the electric bill can prove it. Doesn’t matter much to either of us though, we’d go without many other ‘luxuries’ before the air kicks off for sure.
Staci graduated with her bachelor’s degree from NAU last month (Summa Cum Laude –BAM!) and she’s excited to look for opportunities elsewhere to branch out in the working world. I’m so proud of her for doing an amazing job; she received her final letter stating she’d made the Dean’s List every semester of her NAU career! Now that we have her diploma we still need to buy that display case she wanted…. :D
Now that we’re into June we’re planning our big move to TEXAS! Our lease is up 3rd week of August and we plan to be gone before that. For now we’re both transferring our current jobs (her at Staples and myself at WaMu / Chase) but we’re not sure how long we’ll be with them once we get there. Truth be told, we’re looking into buying our first home! The time is right, but there’s a lot to do beforehand! Saturday we plan on calling the realtor and a few mortgage people to see what we can afford. My banking background has already helped me a lot to understand the process! I’m sure we’re both still in for a wild ride though.
It’s been very stressful lately planning out our lives in what feels like a moments notice. Seems as though we know when we’re leaving, but not where we’re going :) - haha. We’ve planned out much of what we’ll do, but still haven’t decided the specifics. Where will we live? Where will we work? What will I do about school? We’re as prepared as can be at this time (1/3 of our stuff is already in boxes!) but still have a lot to do. If any of you have relevant advice, shoot it our way. We can’t guarantee we’ll follow it, but helpful advice is always, well, helpful. :)
Staci graduated with her bachelor’s degree from NAU last month (Summa Cum Laude –BAM!) and she’s excited to look for opportunities elsewhere to branch out in the working world. I’m so proud of her for doing an amazing job; she received her final letter stating she’d made the Dean’s List every semester of her NAU career! Now that we have her diploma we still need to buy that display case she wanted…. :D
Now that we’re into June we’re planning our big move to TEXAS! Our lease is up 3rd week of August and we plan to be gone before that. For now we’re both transferring our current jobs (her at Staples and myself at WaMu / Chase) but we’re not sure how long we’ll be with them once we get there. Truth be told, we’re looking into buying our first home! The time is right, but there’s a lot to do beforehand! Saturday we plan on calling the realtor and a few mortgage people to see what we can afford. My banking background has already helped me a lot to understand the process! I’m sure we’re both still in for a wild ride though.
It’s been very stressful lately planning out our lives in what feels like a moments notice. Seems as though we know when we’re leaving, but not where we’re going :) - haha. We’ve planned out much of what we’ll do, but still haven’t decided the specifics. Where will we live? Where will we work? What will I do about school? We’re as prepared as can be at this time (1/3 of our stuff is already in boxes!) but still have a lot to do. If any of you have relevant advice, shoot it our way. We can’t guarantee we’ll follow it, but helpful advice is always, well, helpful. :)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
the last few weeks
wow, it's amazing how long it takes to finish something you aren't working on. it's been too long since I published something new but have not the time to explain in detail. I'll run through the last little while:
Renaissance festival. Tons of fun, turkey leg, the whole nine yards. I'd never been before but was really glad we went.
Mom's B-Day. we invited my mother over for her birthday dinner complete with cake and everything. Staci bought multiple cake mixes to make a 'checkerboard' cake for my mom (a family favorite of mine) but the cake sort of swirled together at the last moment and Staci wasn't too happy with it. she suggested I just buy one from the store but after Staci's finished baking and had icing on top, it was better anyway. so Mom got 2 cakes for her *37th* birthday. (*she didn't even laugh at the candles '3 7' on top of the cake :P )
two days later (on Easter) mom & dad had their anniversary. we let them celebrate ALONE for most of the day, but then they invited us over for honey ham. sooo good. congrats mom & dad.
TAXES! - took me alot longer than planned, but mainly because I thought I needed a 1098-T form from school but ultimately did not. we await our return any day now. VERY excited.
School. going very well for me, getting caught up and taking care of business as usual. Staci is blowing the competition out of the water (especially with her phenomenal 30+ page paper she is finishing). can't wait to get it all over with.
Flagstaff trip on the 18th; Staci and I wanted to tour the campus she'd be graduating from in a few weeks! it was a fun day around 'Flag' with our friend Marie as well, going all over campus then to Bookman's (how did THAT happen?! -hey, we got "The 3 amigos" out of it :) then off to help Marie with groceries. (it's tough without a car. been there, don't EVER want to do it again).
Softball. lately I've been REALLY getting into church softball. we have played every other Tuesday / Thursday and so far are 4-2. the 2 games lost included 1 forfeit (because we only had a few players, not enough for a team), and the immediately following game, where we could only play because we let 2 ten year olds play with us. still alot of fun though!
now, working MANY hours a week for both of us (we've gone to Chase' hours an now open at 8am - some days I work 7:30 to 6:30!) and Staci is still putting in almost 40 hours at staples. somehow we'll get through the end of this semester but it'll be tough! see you on the otherside :)
Renaissance festival. Tons of fun, turkey leg, the whole nine yards. I'd never been before but was really glad we went.
Mom's B-Day. we invited my mother over for her birthday dinner complete with cake and everything. Staci bought multiple cake mixes to make a 'checkerboard' cake for my mom (a family favorite of mine) but the cake sort of swirled together at the last moment and Staci wasn't too happy with it. she suggested I just buy one from the store but after Staci's finished baking and had icing on top, it was better anyway. so Mom got 2 cakes for her *37th* birthday. (*she didn't even laugh at the candles '3 7' on top of the cake :P )
two days later (on Easter) mom & dad had their anniversary. we let them celebrate ALONE for most of the day, but then they invited us over for honey ham. sooo good. congrats mom & dad.
TAXES! - took me alot longer than planned, but mainly because I thought I needed a 1098-T form from school but ultimately did not. we await our return any day now. VERY excited.
School. going very well for me, getting caught up and taking care of business as usual. Staci is blowing the competition out of the water (especially with her phenomenal 30+ page paper she is finishing). can't wait to get it all over with.
Flagstaff trip on the 18th; Staci and I wanted to tour the campus she'd be graduating from in a few weeks! it was a fun day around 'Flag' with our friend Marie as well, going all over campus then to Bookman's (how did THAT happen?! -hey, we got "The 3 amigos" out of it :) then off to help Marie with groceries. (it's tough without a car. been there, don't EVER want to do it again).
Softball. lately I've been REALLY getting into church softball. we have played every other Tuesday / Thursday and so far are 4-2. the 2 games lost included 1 forfeit (because we only had a few players, not enough for a team), and the immediately following game, where we could only play because we let 2 ten year olds play with us. still alot of fun though!
now, working MANY hours a week for both of us (we've gone to Chase' hours an now open at 8am - some days I work 7:30 to 6:30!) and Staci is still putting in almost 40 hours at staples. somehow we'll get through the end of this semester but it'll be tough! see you on the otherside :)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
what an inspiration!
Wow people, oh my goodness I'm married to a GENIUS! (Who's dangerously attractive might I add ;)
My beautiful wife Staci will be graduating SUMMA CUM LAUDE with highest honors from NAU! (4.0 GPA !!)
she'll walk May 8th, 2009 @ 2 pm and I couldn't be any more proud. She really is an inspiration to me, both in education and otherwise. At times I get discouraged with my schoolwork, feeling so far behind with kids in my classes being 5 years younger than I am, but Staci has helped me (and continues to help me) push myself and get it done. WAY TO GO STACI! WOOT WOOT!!
YEAH BABY!
My beautiful wife Staci will be graduating SUMMA CUM LAUDE with highest honors from NAU! (4.0 GPA !!)
she'll walk May 8th, 2009 @ 2 pm and I couldn't be any more proud. She really is an inspiration to me, both in education and otherwise. At times I get discouraged with my schoolwork, feeling so far behind with kids in my classes being 5 years younger than I am, but Staci has helped me (and continues to help me) push myself and get it done. WAY TO GO STACI! WOOT WOOT!!
YEAH BABY!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Friendship Debate
I’m finding two very similar social problems that I don’t know how to deal with, and if there’s anything you can say about it please do.
The first is the type of situation where the memories you make today ruin the good ones from long ago. Take for example a friend today who has made a mess of their life, and their toxic relationship with you now ruins the image of good times you used to have. Sure you had fun back in college, or that project you worked together on back at your part time job, but realistically there’s nothing that bonds you together now. You’re differently people. The only thing that keeps you ‘in touch’ is that social spider web of cell numbers, Facebook, Blogs, or the occasional run-in around town). You feel you’re moving on in life, and they are holding you back, to live in the past. It’s not intentional, it’s just a byproduct of staying in contact throughout the change. I know that to be true but I’m finding people I used to know so well that I don’t know at all. My perceptions of who they are, is being crowded out by who they’ve become and with some of them, I don’t like the change.
How do you know it’s time to let go? Maybe the person hasn’t made a mess of their life, but you’re still not able to connect like you used to. You simply have nothing in common anymore.
That leads me to my next problem, those so-called “relationships” that have decayed to the point where you haven’t spoken in months or years, and even when you did know them the bond felt hollow. You may have taken a class for one semester together, or briefly worked on the same team at your job. Maybe even a mission buddy that you’ve fallen out of touch with. Either way it’s just not the same. Should you fall out of touch so that the memories become sweeter? Or keep ‘em in your cell phone, “just in case” you decide to call one day out of the blue?
I simply cannot care that much, about so many people. It’s impossible. think I’m crazy? Try it. Get out a piece of paper and outline a list of every social ‘circle’ you can think of, be it Work, Family, College, High School, Mission, whatever. Now list the names of EVERYONE you can think of associated with that circle. Just a first or last name will do. Obviously there’s more than a few names of people we haven’t spoken to in years. I don’t know about you but there’s many I try to keep in touch with but it’s just not working. We’ve outgrown the relationship yet I haven’t mentally moved on past it. It’s hard, prioritizing who you want to spend your time with, or thinking about.
Both problems likely come from the same source. Society today teaches us to have relationships that are a mile wide and an inch deep. We’re as the sower, who, instead of cultivating crops in a specific area and watching them grow to maturity, instead scatters seeds wherever we may and returns randomly to check on the progress. No one plant is nourished and growth overall is limited. Ok ok, sorry to get all philosophical on ya, geez. But still it’s true, we try to make a million new friends without having deepened friendship with any one of them. In my opinion one of two things is happening, either the new associates are distracting us from furthering our contact with our old friends, or our old ‘friends’ are keeping us from spending time with the new ones.
I have a lot of numbers in my cell phone, at least a hundred friends on Facebook, and who knows how many people reading my blog, but yet I feel very distant from everyone except my wife and family right now. my perceptions may be off but in society today it feels like most everyone is living in the past, talking about how ‘good it’s been’ instead of how good it could be. Few people I know look forward to the future, branch out, try new hobbies, and reinvent themselves so that there’s new life to our relationship. And if they have, they just don’t talk about it. At least not with me.
In my opinion Staci and I are doing very well at making plans, and carrying them through. We’re advancing in our jobs, moving forward in school (with her graduation in May), going on vacations, gaining new hobbies, and overall moving forward in life. We just don’t have friends to do it with. in social circles if we’re not talking TV, (which we don’t have/want), we don’t talk. It’s hard for family to relate to us as well, because they’re all in a different stage of life, and our current friends just can’t (or don’t) connect. I know distance and time are factors, but in a world more connected than ever I’m finding sad excuses.
*** Not meant to offend anyone / please comment (even anonymously if necessary) ***
The first is the type of situation where the memories you make today ruin the good ones from long ago. Take for example a friend today who has made a mess of their life, and their toxic relationship with you now ruins the image of good times you used to have. Sure you had fun back in college, or that project you worked together on back at your part time job, but realistically there’s nothing that bonds you together now. You’re differently people. The only thing that keeps you ‘in touch’ is that social spider web of cell numbers, Facebook, Blogs, or the occasional run-in around town). You feel you’re moving on in life, and they are holding you back, to live in the past. It’s not intentional, it’s just a byproduct of staying in contact throughout the change. I know that to be true but I’m finding people I used to know so well that I don’t know at all. My perceptions of who they are, is being crowded out by who they’ve become and with some of them, I don’t like the change.
How do you know it’s time to let go? Maybe the person hasn’t made a mess of their life, but you’re still not able to connect like you used to. You simply have nothing in common anymore.
That leads me to my next problem, those so-called “relationships” that have decayed to the point where you haven’t spoken in months or years, and even when you did know them the bond felt hollow. You may have taken a class for one semester together, or briefly worked on the same team at your job. Maybe even a mission buddy that you’ve fallen out of touch with. Either way it’s just not the same. Should you fall out of touch so that the memories become sweeter? Or keep ‘em in your cell phone, “just in case” you decide to call one day out of the blue?
I simply cannot care that much, about so many people. It’s impossible. think I’m crazy? Try it. Get out a piece of paper and outline a list of every social ‘circle’ you can think of, be it Work, Family, College, High School, Mission, whatever. Now list the names of EVERYONE you can think of associated with that circle. Just a first or last name will do. Obviously there’s more than a few names of people we haven’t spoken to in years. I don’t know about you but there’s many I try to keep in touch with but it’s just not working. We’ve outgrown the relationship yet I haven’t mentally moved on past it. It’s hard, prioritizing who you want to spend your time with, or thinking about.
Both problems likely come from the same source. Society today teaches us to have relationships that are a mile wide and an inch deep. We’re as the sower, who, instead of cultivating crops in a specific area and watching them grow to maturity, instead scatters seeds wherever we may and returns randomly to check on the progress. No one plant is nourished and growth overall is limited. Ok ok, sorry to get all philosophical on ya, geez. But still it’s true, we try to make a million new friends without having deepened friendship with any one of them. In my opinion one of two things is happening, either the new associates are distracting us from furthering our contact with our old friends, or our old ‘friends’ are keeping us from spending time with the new ones.
I have a lot of numbers in my cell phone, at least a hundred friends on Facebook, and who knows how many people reading my blog, but yet I feel very distant from everyone except my wife and family right now. my perceptions may be off but in society today it feels like most everyone is living in the past, talking about how ‘good it’s been’ instead of how good it could be. Few people I know look forward to the future, branch out, try new hobbies, and reinvent themselves so that there’s new life to our relationship. And if they have, they just don’t talk about it. At least not with me.
In my opinion Staci and I are doing very well at making plans, and carrying them through. We’re advancing in our jobs, moving forward in school (with her graduation in May), going on vacations, gaining new hobbies, and overall moving forward in life. We just don’t have friends to do it with. in social circles if we’re not talking TV, (which we don’t have/want), we don’t talk. It’s hard for family to relate to us as well, because they’re all in a different stage of life, and our current friends just can’t (or don’t) connect. I know distance and time are factors, but in a world more connected than ever I’m finding sad excuses.
*** Not meant to offend anyone / please comment (even anonymously if necessary) ***
Saturday, March 14, 2009
the TITAN!
here's what they have to say about it:
"twenty-five stories, stretching over a mile in length and with speeds approaching 85 mph...Titan will live up to its reputation. After a quick climb up the lift hill the ride starts with a stomach wrenching 255-foot drop, tied for the third tallest in the world. Even the brave will quiver to the size of this drop into a 120-foot dark tunnel far below. Thirty passengers on board one of the coaster's three trains will feel the force as the speed through at 85 mph!
The second half of Titan is a series of high-speed helixes that will test your strength to handle intense, powerful G-forces. Forces of up to 4.5 G's will be sustained for several seconds as the train speeds through the series of twisted helix turns. It's a fitting finale for an amazing roller coaster before pulling into brake run.
"twenty-five stories, stretching over a mile in length and with speeds approaching 85 mph...Titan will live up to its reputation. After a quick climb up the lift hill the ride starts with a stomach wrenching 255-foot drop, tied for the third tallest in the world. Even the brave will quiver to the size of this drop into a 120-foot dark tunnel far below. Thirty passengers on board one of the coaster's three trains will feel the force as the speed through at 85 mph!
The second half of Titan is a series of high-speed helixes that will test your strength to handle intense, powerful G-forces. Forces of up to 4.5 G's will be sustained for several seconds as the train speeds through the series of twisted helix turns. It's a fitting finale for an amazing roller coaster before pulling into brake run.
here's what I say: wow...! WOW WOW HOLY COW that was awesome! here's a before and after picture of us
Before:
and here's what it looks like going up
and from a distance, it's still just as impressive
it was AWESOME!!!
"Tastes like Chicken"
so now that it's a week later the glamor may be dissipating but nevertheless I said I'd blog about gator and here it is!
By the way, there's a Pappadeaux in the phoenix valley, just in case anyone else wanted to try it also. anyway, here we are in Dallas, about to go in
the appetizers on the menu...
so for those of you wondering, alligator does NOT taste like chicken, and neither do frog legs! here's a pic...
it really doesn't taste chicken. it's actually A LOT BETTER! (serious, the guy on Transformers knew what he was talking about! // ok random I know)
they put a lot of creole seasoning on it (Tony's ?) anyway, it was dang tasty!
however as for the frog legs.... they did taste like chicken... tiny chicken. that had been soaking in water for weeks. : P
By the way, there's a Pappadeaux in the phoenix valley, just in case anyone else wanted to try it also. anyway, here we are in Dallas, about to go in
the appetizers on the menu...
so for those of you wondering, alligator does NOT taste like chicken, and neither do frog legs! here's a pic...
it really doesn't taste chicken. it's actually A LOT BETTER! (serious, the guy on Transformers knew what he was talking about! // ok random I know)
they put a lot of creole seasoning on it (Tony's ?) anyway, it was dang tasty!
however as for the frog legs.... they did taste like chicken... tiny chicken. that had been soaking in water for weeks. : P
Monday, March 9, 2009
So much stuff!
honestly, this past weekend had so much in it I could write a novel. I'll try not to though!
here's the rundown of how I've spent the last 3-5 days:
the night before my birthday (Wed. , march 4th) my parents invited us over for a feast! we had ham, sweet potatoes and even gluten free pineapple upside down cake! so yummy. it was great to hang out with my parents for the evening. weird to think I was turning 23 already. still feels like I'm 17.
anyway, B-day morning I got up and went to school (fun, fun {/roll eyes/} - to be honest I just ditched out of my morning class. it's 'buried cities and lost tribes', with a substitute, watching a mind-numbingly boring movie. w/e. not going to waste my time.
all throughout my philosophy class while they dissected the various 'social classes' Plato found most people in, I was hastily writing a list of all the crap I needed to pack for the Trip to Texas! - can you blame me? my mind was elsewhere. all in all we packed, and jumped on a plane! to .... Albuquerque? - a breif scare for sure, before we knew it, we were bound for Dallas! we stopped in Lovefield Airport, and were hastily picked up by Staci's parents. it was great to see them too. after a quick ride we were at their house!
the biggest surprize for me? that Frisco, TX looked a WHOLE LOT like where I served my mission just south of DC! I loved that area and especially the victorian style homes. Staci and I have been leaning heavily toward moving out that direction and the more I see, the more I like!
upon arrival Staci's parents also had cake! mmmm.... German Chocolate. can't go wrong with that. I know, I have a sugar intake problem, I'm workin on it!
the next day was awesome, mainly cause we were able to lounge around without having to rush anywhere. Chili's for lunch was fun, and Staci's mom's handicapped parking decal was pretty helpful too! (we uh... borrowed it for six flags :P )
later that day I was able to go with em over to Staci's brother's house, Bryan and Heather. very nice family, and cool house too (just a few miles away). 'whilst' we were there (btw, Staci's fav. word ;) we were able to hang out and even have Bryan, a Chiropractor help readjust us! it's cool too because he has alternative medicines and techniques and suggested several ways both Staci and I could overcome our individual health issues. very encouraging, it's great.
that night we had a blast as well going to a seafood kitchen named "Pappadeaux" (poppa-doe's) ok, seriously, this is the kind of restraunt that will make you rethink your life! for anyone who knows me, I hate seafood. seriously, HATE seafood. it's a strong word, I know, but this place... gets to ya. I was trying stuff I didn't think I'd EVER eat! .... Alligator, Frog legs, even BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP! (eat your heart out Mark D. ! haha JK). Oh, and I'm bloggin about the Gator all by itself!
that night they rolled me out back into the car, we went back to Staci's parents house where her dad Faren proceeded to whip me in several games of Pool.
I think it was after the 2nd time he jumped my ball to sink the 8 that we decided to call it quits. I got taken for a ride! I guess I asked for it though. "Just one more game" - at least 6 times.
Saturday morning we ate a big breakfast, packed some food and headed off to Six Flags. kinda scary because neither Staci nor I had any idea where we were going, we just hoped the little GPS didn't have a sick sense of humor. (More on Six Flags in a future post)
later on in the afternoon Staci's brother Adam and his GF met up with us to go on another round of rides before the day ended. by the time we left we couldn't hardly walk!
sooooo tired. we went over to Pei Wei to grab some food, and then got lost all the way home. good times!
Sunday morning it was hard to leave. Literally - we could barely move at first! after we forced ourselves to get up and pack we took the long trip back to the airport, a little sad to go. the flight home wasn't bad, we just wish our ticket let us know we'd be making a PIT STOP IN TULSA! thank you southwest. grrr. not bad, just frustrating that we had a ticket describing a direct flight but a plane that does otherwise. I think it was only frustrating because Staci and I got split up on the flight and had to sit by strangers. before the 2nd takeoff we swapped seats though, and watched 'The Sword in the Stone" all the way home. (another b-day present!)
can't wait to get out of town again! this morning I got up and ready to go to work and my throat was hurting pretty bad. wouldn't have been a problem if it didn't hurt to talk. I started losing my voice though, which puts me in a tight spot for work so they let me have the day off. I definately appreciated that!
stay tuned :)
here's the rundown of how I've spent the last 3-5 days:
the night before my birthday (Wed. , march 4th) my parents invited us over for a feast! we had ham, sweet potatoes and even gluten free pineapple upside down cake! so yummy. it was great to hang out with my parents for the evening. weird to think I was turning 23 already. still feels like I'm 17.
anyway, B-day morning I got up and went to school (fun, fun {/roll eyes/} - to be honest I just ditched out of my morning class. it's 'buried cities and lost tribes', with a substitute, watching a mind-numbingly boring movie. w/e. not going to waste my time.
all throughout my philosophy class while they dissected the various 'social classes' Plato found most people in, I was hastily writing a list of all the crap I needed to pack for the Trip to Texas! - can you blame me? my mind was elsewhere. all in all we packed, and jumped on a plane! to .... Albuquerque? - a breif scare for sure, before we knew it, we were bound for Dallas! we stopped in Lovefield Airport, and were hastily picked up by Staci's parents. it was great to see them too. after a quick ride we were at their house!
the biggest surprize for me? that Frisco, TX looked a WHOLE LOT like where I served my mission just south of DC! I loved that area and especially the victorian style homes. Staci and I have been leaning heavily toward moving out that direction and the more I see, the more I like!
upon arrival Staci's parents also had cake! mmmm.... German Chocolate. can't go wrong with that. I know, I have a sugar intake problem, I'm workin on it!
the next day was awesome, mainly cause we were able to lounge around without having to rush anywhere. Chili's for lunch was fun, and Staci's mom's handicapped parking decal was pretty helpful too! (we uh... borrowed it for six flags :P )
later that day I was able to go with em over to Staci's brother's house, Bryan and Heather. very nice family, and cool house too (just a few miles away). 'whilst' we were there (btw, Staci's fav. word ;) we were able to hang out and even have Bryan, a Chiropractor help readjust us! it's cool too because he has alternative medicines and techniques and suggested several ways both Staci and I could overcome our individual health issues. very encouraging, it's great.
that night we had a blast as well going to a seafood kitchen named "Pappadeaux" (poppa-doe's) ok, seriously, this is the kind of restraunt that will make you rethink your life! for anyone who knows me, I hate seafood. seriously, HATE seafood. it's a strong word, I know, but this place... gets to ya. I was trying stuff I didn't think I'd EVER eat! .... Alligator, Frog legs, even BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP! (eat your heart out Mark D. ! haha JK). Oh, and I'm bloggin about the Gator all by itself!
that night they rolled me out back into the car, we went back to Staci's parents house where her dad Faren proceeded to whip me in several games of Pool.
I think it was after the 2nd time he jumped my ball to sink the 8 that we decided to call it quits. I got taken for a ride! I guess I asked for it though. "Just one more game" - at least 6 times.
Saturday morning we ate a big breakfast, packed some food and headed off to Six Flags. kinda scary because neither Staci nor I had any idea where we were going, we just hoped the little GPS didn't have a sick sense of humor. (More on Six Flags in a future post)
later on in the afternoon Staci's brother Adam and his GF met up with us to go on another round of rides before the day ended. by the time we left we couldn't hardly walk!
sooooo tired. we went over to Pei Wei to grab some food, and then got lost all the way home. good times!
Sunday morning it was hard to leave. Literally - we could barely move at first! after we forced ourselves to get up and pack we took the long trip back to the airport, a little sad to go. the flight home wasn't bad, we just wish our ticket let us know we'd be making a PIT STOP IN TULSA! thank you southwest. grrr. not bad, just frustrating that we had a ticket describing a direct flight but a plane that does otherwise. I think it was only frustrating because Staci and I got split up on the flight and had to sit by strangers. before the 2nd takeoff we swapped seats though, and watched 'The Sword in the Stone" all the way home. (another b-day present!)
can't wait to get out of town again! this morning I got up and ready to go to work and my throat was hurting pretty bad. wouldn't have been a problem if it didn't hurt to talk. I started losing my voice though, which puts me in a tight spot for work so they let me have the day off. I definately appreciated that!
stay tuned :)
Home Again
well this past Thursday I hit the not-so-big 2 3. (seriously, what's so great about 23?)
it was DEFINITELY a big thing for me though! A BIRTHDAY WEEKEND in Texas! Whoo Hoo!!
I have so much to say I'll actually post several times about different events. here's what you can expect: Flight to + from Texas for a 4 day weekend in Dallas area with some of Staci's Family / Eating Gator + Frog legs / Six Flags over Texas (Day/ Caricatures/ Souvenirs ) / Six flags (Rides + Experience) and more.
it was AWESOME! Stay tuned.
it was DEFINITELY a big thing for me though! A BIRTHDAY WEEKEND in Texas! Whoo Hoo!!
I have so much to say I'll actually post several times about different events. here's what you can expect: Flight to + from Texas for a 4 day weekend in Dallas area with some of Staci's Family / Eating Gator + Frog legs / Six Flags over Texas (Day/ Caricatures/ Souvenirs ) / Six flags (Rides + Experience) and more.
it was AWESOME! Stay tuned.
Friday, February 27, 2009
A few know, a few don't
so more and more often I'm tired. not just "I didn't sleep well / had a hard day at work and now have 4 hours of homework to do still" kind of tired either. more like if I don't eat every 2 hrs. I usually get shaky, my speech slurs and I have trouble remembering basic things I was told 2 seconds ago. ("you wanted that cash back... how?...again?? ....oh right right right...)
so this past Thursday I went to a doctor for professional advice. (more on that below)
I've spoken to a few of you about it but for a long long time I've mainly just kept it to myself. growing up I slept A LOT, and still do (sometimes upwards of 10+ hrs, with the most at 14; I know the 'more you sleep the more unhealthy it is' but I was just so tired.) Anyway, there were many times as a youth / Teen that I'd go to work with Dad or with other family to a construction Job site and have little more than Mcdonald's or a few honey-buns for breakfast and in a relatively short time I'd be dead tired! (30 minutes maybe?) - never you mind the lack of nutritional this or wholesome foods that, it's what we did. (either you remember what it was like, or it never happened to ya.) nevertheless, I couldn't last on it although the rest of the construction crew seemed just fine till lunch.
Whatever. I didnt think too much about my 'exhaustion' until the first summer we moved down here to Mesa. we had just moved to the apartments, and had little food in the house to eat that day so I skipped it altogether. Dad's construction site required Joe to weld up a large metal gate on the outer opening of the courtyard wall and he needed both my Dad and I to steady the gate while the hinges were welding in place. long story short we were both holding it steady when I got REALLY shaky, locked my arms + legs, and passed out; I have no memory of falling to hit the gate, so I don't think that's what cold cocked me, although I'm sure that's what they thought. I suspected it had to do with not eating, but then again "it's like that for everyone (who work without food)" ~$*#@&%
recently, ... I got married. My lovely and helpful wife has noticed on several occasions of me acting strange, asking 'if I'm ok', or what have you. (many times I had a thumping headache and I noticed it I would eat something a few minutes later everything seemed to stabilize and my moodiness would shift.);
figured I was on to something. a little online research, a few more friendly discussions later with others who have similar issues, and I have a pretty good assumption of what's going on.
well, last Wednesday night I kind of had a breakdown, leaving me mildly confused sitting on the kitchen floor. (not too dramatic, it's not nearly as bad as what you just pictured, I just had a throbbing headache and couldn't connect ingredients together well enough to make myself something simple like a sandwich or whatever; I just started scrounging through and eating raw ingredients like cheese, sandwich meat, fruit, etc.). I got better a little while later and had a long discussion with Staci about how I was feeling and have felt in the past.
keeping in mind that "assumptions" do nothing to help you fix whatever 'problems' you may or may not have, Staci and I agreed that I'd go see a doctor. Thursday she helped make an appointment and I went to spill my guts about everything that is going on, and everything that had been going on. they connected the dots the same as I did, but said they couldn't make any type of official diagnosis until they got a blood sample on an empty stomach (too bad I ate just before the appointment / I get EXTREMELY light headed when I give blood and as a result don't like to).
early next week I plan to go through with it anyway and have them (hopefully) once and for all tell me if there's anything wrong with me or if I just need to watch my diet a bit more and cut back on the sugar! hopefully I'll get some answers - or at least some validity to what I think I may have. I don't dare say anything, in case it's all a hoax. we'll wait and see I guess.
---------------------------------------
(P.S. Sorry for the long post and grammatical issues, they've all been jigsaw puzzle pieces that I am beginning to piece together. if anyone has something similar they've experienced / witnessed I'd love to hear. especially from members of the immediate family!)
so this past Thursday I went to a doctor for professional advice. (more on that below)
I've spoken to a few of you about it but for a long long time I've mainly just kept it to myself. growing up I slept A LOT, and still do (sometimes upwards of 10+ hrs, with the most at 14; I know the 'more you sleep the more unhealthy it is' but I was just so tired.) Anyway, there were many times as a youth / Teen that I'd go to work with Dad or with other family to a construction Job site and have little more than Mcdonald's or a few honey-buns for breakfast and in a relatively short time I'd be dead tired! (30 minutes maybe?) - never you mind the lack of nutritional this or wholesome foods that, it's what we did. (either you remember what it was like, or it never happened to ya.) nevertheless, I couldn't last on it although the rest of the construction crew seemed just fine till lunch.
Whatever. I didnt think too much about my 'exhaustion' until the first summer we moved down here to Mesa. we had just moved to the apartments, and had little food in the house to eat that day so I skipped it altogether. Dad's construction site required Joe to weld up a large metal gate on the outer opening of the courtyard wall and he needed both my Dad and I to steady the gate while the hinges were welding in place. long story short we were both holding it steady when I got REALLY shaky, locked my arms + legs, and passed out; I have no memory of falling to hit the gate, so I don't think that's what cold cocked me, although I'm sure that's what they thought. I suspected it had to do with not eating, but then again "it's like that for everyone (who work without food)" ~$*#@&%
recently, ... I got married. My lovely and helpful wife has noticed on several occasions of me acting strange, asking 'if I'm ok', or what have you. (many times I had a thumping headache and I noticed it I would eat something a few minutes later everything seemed to stabilize and my moodiness would shift.);
figured I was on to something. a little online research, a few more friendly discussions later with others who have similar issues, and I have a pretty good assumption of what's going on.
well, last Wednesday night I kind of had a breakdown, leaving me mildly confused sitting on the kitchen floor. (not too dramatic, it's not nearly as bad as what you just pictured, I just had a throbbing headache and couldn't connect ingredients together well enough to make myself something simple like a sandwich or whatever; I just started scrounging through and eating raw ingredients like cheese, sandwich meat, fruit, etc.). I got better a little while later and had a long discussion with Staci about how I was feeling and have felt in the past.
keeping in mind that "assumptions" do nothing to help you fix whatever 'problems' you may or may not have, Staci and I agreed that I'd go see a doctor. Thursday she helped make an appointment and I went to spill my guts about everything that is going on, and everything that had been going on. they connected the dots the same as I did, but said they couldn't make any type of official diagnosis until they got a blood sample on an empty stomach (too bad I ate just before the appointment / I get EXTREMELY light headed when I give blood and as a result don't like to).
early next week I plan to go through with it anyway and have them (hopefully) once and for all tell me if there's anything wrong with me or if I just need to watch my diet a bit more and cut back on the sugar! hopefully I'll get some answers - or at least some validity to what I think I may have. I don't dare say anything, in case it's all a hoax. we'll wait and see I guess.
---------------------------------------
(P.S. Sorry for the long post and grammatical issues, they've all been jigsaw puzzle pieces that I am beginning to piece together. if anyone has something similar they've experienced / witnessed I'd love to hear. especially from members of the immediate family!)
Monday, February 16, 2009
the FaceBook Phenomenon
so who's had this happen.... you briefly meet someone, or work 1 hour or less on a group project, or even just make eye contact with someone in a hallway, and later on they want to 'Friend' you on Facebook or some other social networking site?
as you might have guessed, it's happened to me. several times. people that I know absolutely nothing about (or in some cases I wish I knew even less about them) are 'friending' me on Facebook. what has caused the utter destruction of society that allows relative strangers to 'friend' you in cyberspace, when beyond the internet community you've never had a real conversation? or what if you do happen to know them quite well, and would rather not associate anymore, now or ever. What are the rules on social etiquette then? what if I don't want to be friends with someone I truthfully don't like? is there now no alternative to get away?
Any thoughts?
as you might have guessed, it's happened to me. several times. people that I know absolutely nothing about (or in some cases I wish I knew even less about them) are 'friending' me on Facebook. what has caused the utter destruction of society that allows relative strangers to 'friend' you in cyberspace, when beyond the internet community you've never had a real conversation? or what if you do happen to know them quite well, and would rather not associate anymore, now or ever. What are the rules on social etiquette then? what if I don't want to be friends with someone I truthfully don't like? is there now no alternative to get away?
Any thoughts?
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Back to normal
y'know, I've been wondering when life will be getting 'back to normal'. at this point, what is normal anyway? as any newlywed can attest, when you get married ya fall off the face of the planet. not that you left willingly mind you, but rather that you were ejected from it like some irate sports player who isn't playing the game correctly anymore. the spotlight dims from you among most of your single friends as they continue on is search of their one true love. 'hanging out' with them is incredibly foreign, while yet there's a strange familiarity with it. and married life, well hey it takes some getting used to, but in a good way.
for those of you curious, I got my stitches out of my finger. at least in some small way life can get back to normal. typing 10-key all day with your right hand ring finger bandaged is fairly difficult after all.
and as soon as I get my talk for church done and over with I can relax. then life will get back to normal.
for those of you curious, I got my stitches out of my finger. at least in some small way life can get back to normal. typing 10-key all day with your right hand ring finger bandaged is fairly difficult after all.
and as soon as I get my talk for church done and over with I can relax. then life will get back to normal.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Stitches
not real fun. thursday night Staci and I we're starving for some home fried french fries as well as hamburgers, started up cuttin up the potatoes and SLICE! - almost took part'o'my right handed ring finger off. not much more to the story really; it bled quite a bit, we taped it up and figured it be fine till the bandage replacement 3 hours later left it still splattering blood. time to rush down to the shady (and only) Urgent Care still open @ 9:55pm.
basic paperwork, vitals, and pedigree chart filled out, then it's up on the table to wait for my doctor to shuffle in (with a walker mind you). 3 stiches later I was er... um .... good as new?
honestly, my life is like a sitcom. pictures to follow if you'd like.
basic paperwork, vitals, and pedigree chart filled out, then it's up on the table to wait for my doctor to shuffle in (with a walker mind you). 3 stiches later I was er... um .... good as new?
honestly, my life is like a sitcom. pictures to follow if you'd like.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
When did Hell freeze over?!
Seriously. the Cardinals are going to the superbowl? we have an African American president? I got a RAISE at work??? (50 cents /hr, but I'm happy :)
yeah alot can traspire when I don't blog for days and weeks at a time. alot has happened. seriously. alot.
in the meantime Staci and I are *Officially* Addicted to "The Office". not the new stuff mind you, we're still on season 3, but we're quickly catching up!
School started over again. I began the semester with 4 classes, but slimmed it down to 3 after the first Day(Dropped my Spanish 101 class -Long story. ask me about it if you REALLY want to know.)
other than that life is peachy. I'm a HT'r now, with the ward mission leader as a companion and all less active families. Hopefully I'll be able to do something about that.
what's new with you?
yeah alot can traspire when I don't blog for days and weeks at a time. alot has happened. seriously. alot.
in the meantime Staci and I are *Officially* Addicted to "The Office". not the new stuff mind you, we're still on season 3, but we're quickly catching up!
School started over again. I began the semester with 4 classes, but slimmed it down to 3 after the first Day(Dropped my Spanish 101 class -Long story. ask me about it if you REALLY want to know.)
other than that life is peachy. I'm a HT'r now, with the ward mission leader as a companion and all less active families. Hopefully I'll be able to do something about that.
what's new with you?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
church: A new time, a new calling...
Our ward FINALLY transitioned to a more functional time for us. I dunno bout you but 8:30 AM is WAY too early to be in sacrament meeting. through a marvelous change the Harris ward now meets at 10:30. ahhh, much better. we may have only had to suffer a short 2 months but hey, it feels ALOT longer when you're severely sleep deprived.
must've done something (right? or wrong?) in the new ward though; they've already got a calling in mind for me. "sunday school teacher" for the teens, ages 16 & 17. oh. my. gosh. Not knowing what to think I accepted and will start sometime in the next two sundays. hope the kids aren't too ... Teen-age-ery for me. yikes. I'm surprizingly excited though, it'll be interesting that's for sure.
Staci had somewhat mixed feelings as well. of course she's happy for me to have a calling so soon but obviously wouldn't want to be in sunday school alone. she was invited by the bishopric to attend my classes but doesn't feel it'd be appropriate. I still don't know why - I need the help!
(personally I thought they could have called us together yet for who-knows-what-reason they didn't.) - any thoughts?
must've done something (right? or wrong?) in the new ward though; they've already got a calling in mind for me. "sunday school teacher" for the teens, ages 16 & 17. oh. my. gosh. Not knowing what to think I accepted and will start sometime in the next two sundays. hope the kids aren't too ... Teen-age-ery for me. yikes. I'm surprizingly excited though, it'll be interesting that's for sure.
Staci had somewhat mixed feelings as well. of course she's happy for me to have a calling so soon but obviously wouldn't want to be in sunday school alone. she was invited by the bishopric to attend my classes but doesn't feel it'd be appropriate. I still don't know why - I need the help!
(personally I thought they could have called us together yet for who-knows-what-reason they didn't.) - any thoughts?
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