I Think I Will Regret Eating That Sandwich...

Word of advice.... When you begin making tuna for a sandwich, make sure you have mayo... It is NOT the same without it (all I added was mustard and relish).... Maybe I will chase it with some salt and vinegar chips... Might as well make it interesting...

Here is what I did on the 2oth (The Thursday I was on vacation):
I will try to get a better picture after its completely healed. And I am not going to lie, this time the tattoo hurt. It was totally worth the pain and I freaking love it! I brought in the idea for what I wanted and the exact Aquarius symbol I wanted and then the artist sketched out the symbol and drew the water around it. It was more than I really should have spent, but you are only young once and after it is gone it's hard to use youth as an excuse ;-) . Collin also got a tattoo of the Scorpio symbol on his upper left arm.

I talked to my sister the other day (making sure she has all the phone numbers to reach me at) and was informed that the baby is getting in position. I am really hoping she goes into labor in the evening on a Friday, or in the morning on the weekend... I really don't want to have to get up at three in the morning, or rush out of work at two in the afternoon, but I will because I am not missing this for anything.

I started reading The Time Traveler's Wife, and so far I must say I love the book. I haven't seen the movie, and probably won't until it's out on DVD, but I like to read books whenever they are made into a movie because it is a good indication the book was at least halfway decent, since someone felt it was a good enough story to invest the time and effort into writing a screenplay for it.

Visited my mother in McMinnville yesterday... It wasn't as bad as it normally is. It was actually kind of nice. I took her to Wal Mart and bought her some minutes for her cell and oven roasting bags. She treated me to lunch. We mostly just talked and visited for a couple hours. I left at three and if I hadn't been stuck behind this stupid slow ass person I would have totally beat Collin home... Oh well.

There's laundry that needs folding and the book beckons for me to read it.

Holy Effing Sheet! Do You Want This Monster Pickle?

This has been a great week.

Wednesday we went to the coast and visited my family for a bit. Then we went to the beach, the actual beach with sand and water and driftwood and stuff! We haven't gone on the beach itself for like three years I think... Which would have been our first anniversary. Cah-razy. I got some pretty pictures while we were there. Like this one:

Then we decided we didn't want to sunburn and opted to find a shadier venue. We went to the boat ramp park area on East Devils Lake Road (the one that is directly across from Regatta Grounds) and decided to chill out there. Again I got some awesome pictures of the lake, like this one:

There were other people there too, fishing from the dock and stuff. As we sat there reading the fog began to slowly creep in along the surface of the lake. It looked awesome. The fog had everything completely socked in within an hour. These are time progression photos as it came in:

Then we finally decided it was cold (especially when compared to the weather we have been having in the valley, which is why we went to the coast Wednesday, it was supposed to be one hundred in Salem that day!) and that we were hungry. We had decided the night before to try out this place called BK Mulligans, so that is where we went. It was gooooood. Will definitely be going there again.

After dinner we moseyed on home to the valley and watched as the thermometer readout in the cab of the Blazer climbed as we got closer to home. When we left my dad's (we stopped back by so I could go pee, lol!) at about eight-ish it was fifty nine degrees. By the time we got home to Salem shortly after nine it read eighty five freakin' degrees.... Ugh...

Thursday we took care of some responsible stuff and then went and did something fun that there will be pictures of in the next week or so.

Yesterday was our fourth wedding anniversary, we really didn't do anything to special. I made for dinner the first thing I ever made for Collin five years ago, which was ghetto egg noodles in plain canned tomato sauce (it was all I really had in the house back then, yet I still wow'd him with my culinary prowess). For dessert I again went with an oldie but goodie; I made him the first dessert I ever made him: Snicker's Candy Bar Cheesecake.(see picture below) Which I must say, is to mother effing die for! I love it, he loves it, I am sure I could create world peace with this cheesecake if no one was allergic to peanuts or chocolate, and there were no diabetics... Maybe that's why we have war, not everyone can enjoy chocolate...

Today, I rolled out of bed at about 8:30, took a shower, made coffee, and then went to do laundry. As I entered the laundry room I noticed this little puddle of water by the bottom of the hot water heater. I looked all around and know that it wasn't coming from any of the pipes, valves, or connectors. I got a towel and dried it up. Then in a half hour went back to check and there was a little little little itty bitty puddle of water again (emphasis on the fact it was smaller and less water). Even being tiny obviously I am concerned so I try calling the handy dude, his phone went straight to voicemail which is full. Then I call the landlord, got her answering machine (not that she'd be much help, she lives in California!). Then I continued calling the handy dude over and over, but it kept going straight to voicemail. So what the fuck am I supposed to do? There is no incoming shut off valve for the water heater specifically, the handy dude's phone isn't any help, the landlord lives in fucking California, and I have laundry to do! I seriously have no clue who to fucking call next, this all started at 10:15 this morning! I still haven't gotten a call back, and I still can't get through to Carter! Ugh.... All will be okay.

Now I'm gonna eat me some of that cheesecake...

Minions and Old People In Wal Mart

Last night Collin and I went to Best Buy to finally replace our beat up, busted down digital camera. After being utterly disappointed that they did not have my camera(Canon Rebel T1i) on display for me to play with (not that we could in anyway afford it unless we live off of Koolaid and Ramen for a month...) we looked at the other, more affordable cameras. We went back and forth over the one we liked more, and finally decided to get the dark red Nikon Coolpix L20. It was on sale for $119.99 but if we wanted we could get the "package" for $149.96 that came with the camera (duh), a 4 Gb memory card, a carrying case/tiny little bag, and a Flexipod. We agreed to go for the package. Then came the waiting for someone to notice we wanted to buy something from the camera department....

Eventually a stocker dude noticed us and called for the camera department minion to come help us. We told him we wanted the package deal on that one (pointing at the Nikon), and he was like "..... Okay.... Um... Let me see if I can find where they are at...."

Suddenly he was organizing a couple other minions to help him find the premade packages, they are running around, scrambling to find them. Collin and I are standing here and can't help but start laughing, and calling them our minions (not where they could hear of course that would be demeaning... right?) ... I think we had way too much fun with that one.

Finally our minions were successful in locating the packaged goods, and the camera department minion brought it too us. He then attempted to sell us on the "Geek Squad Protection" crap... We were nice and listened but I figure we have had this other camera for three or four years now... I really don't think we would need the extended protection.... Plus in a year if we have the money I plan to get my camera anyways... Maybe for Christmas 2010...

So we go to the cashiers, get checked out, and head out to the car. This is when I finally felt it was safe to mention to Collin that all of the little minions looked like they weren't even old enough to vote, and the cashier who rang up our stuff looked to be about twelve.... I thought child labor was illegal in the US... When we got home I de-packaged the goods and went to town playing with the new camera. I love it, it will suffice until I can afford my baby.... My Canon...

This morning I went grocery shopping at Wal Mart.... I typically go in the morning time when it's me by myself, but I don't think I have gone on a Tuesday morning.... It was scary. It's like they let all the old creepy people out of the home. I heard caregivers yelling at their wards, "I HAVE FROZEN HOT DOGS!" and the old people would mumble in response their favorite brand. In the condiment aisle there was one guy in particular that gave me the heebie jeebies (which I know sounds mean but...), I thought he was with this old lady who kept getting in my way even as I tried to stay out of hers, but then he started following me down the aisle (I was going the opposite direction of the old lady). Turns out he was just looking for a store person to tell him where something was. And crap I just realized I forgot peanut butter.... I'll get it on Thursday or something...

Tomorrow we are going to the coast. It's supposed to be 100 here tomorrow. (ick).... In LC it is only supposed to be 68!!! Woo Hoo!!! We should get some awesome pics with the new camera!

Will Someone Pass The Vodka... I Can Still Taste My Juice.

August has so far been insane, both good and bad. I think it will make the most sense if I go through the month chronologically.

The first couple days were fun. Cassidy spent the night on the 31st and we went down to see my brother in Corvallis on the 1st. We walked around OSU (which is deserted in the summer), and Joshua bought lunch at this awesome little pizza place on Monroe. Then Cassidy and I came back to Salem and totally lost track of time playing Wii Sports Resort, which is one of the most awesome games EVER! I took her home at a quarter to five, and gave my "behavior report" to Jess (Cassidy's step mom....). Sunday that weekend I just chilled.

Monday came and work was work. One day blended into the next, each equally stressful and frustrating. The one day that stood out that week was Thursday. That was the day they laid off my friend Vikki. It was a sad day, and I miss Vikki tons. But there is a silver lining, and we will get to that shortly.

After having a devastating week my goal for the weekend was to just chill out and relax. Thursday night I had felt a tickle in the back of my throat that had grown throughout Friday. By Saturday evening I felt like shit. I had this ridiculous cold in the middle of effing summer. Sunday, between coughing and sniffling, I began working on a present for my niece.

It has been a long time since I have "completed" a piece all the way from scribbled sketch to refined and framed painting, but I did it. And part of me is selfish and wants to keep it, but I made it for her. I have a digital copy of it for my self that I can get reproduced if I choose to. I finally finished it yesterday. This was a labor of love:
Now back to last weekend, well I guess the end of the weekend.

Monday morning came and I felt like absolute shit. My throat was scratchy, so I knew one of my biggest workday past time (smoking, I am aware of the effects enough to know better when I am sick) was out of the question, and that made for a looooooooong day. Tuesday the cold had moved up into my sinuses while lingering in my throat. Wednesday (joy of joys!) the horrible cold moved and settled in my effing ears!!! I was prone to ear infections as a child and absolutely loathe them. Thursday I began to feel slightly better, but not really by much. On Thursday one of our other employees put in their resignation. He is moving to Bakersfield, CA. This was the silver lining, because it opens up a spot and they can hire back Vikki! Yay! All she has to do is accept the job offer. I hope she does... Friday I felt more like a healthy version of myself but my left ear was still a little messed up. But I was thankful to have made it through the week, and on only one cigarette that I smoked Friday after lunch. (No this does not mean I am quitting smoking, which I know in turn sounds stupid. "She made it a week why not quit?" I am a social smoker, I smoke at work, when I am out with people, and outside when I feel like being a sociable neighbor.)

The reason I managed to survive the whole work week was because beginning Monday night thru Friday night, I dosed myself with Nyquil at about 8ish and was in bed asleep by 9pm at the latest. Typically Nyquil makes me have tripped out dreams, but this time around I slept like he dead until it wore off around 3am, then I would wake up coughing, or needing to pee.

Oh, I take that back. Friday night I did have a tripped out dream. For some reason Collin and I had a late eighties white Plymouth Acclaim (I have had a few different acquaintances that have owned a car like this...) that was his grandma's (another weird fact, Collin's grandma has never owned an Acclaim, she had a Camry that we now refer to as Lucy). In the dream, we went somewhere and the car got stolen... I was really upset, like "Not again!"... For those of you who don't remember my first car, it was stolen and set on fire the night of my graduation... Anyways, Collin was like don't worry, we'll get a new car with the insurance money. And that's all I remember.

Yesterday was quiet for me. I finished the piece I was working on for Cassidy, and did six loads of laundry. I washed all the bedding (including the comforter which is a load by itself), all the bathroom towels and stuff, and my clothes. I was supposed to spend the afternoon with Cassidy but Jess texted me on Thursday to let me know Cassidy had caught the summer cold that's going around. So hopefully I can see her Tuesday.

Last night I slept without the aid of Nyquil, and still managed to have a fucked up dream. Words probably can't do it justice so below there is a sketch I did of the image that stuck in my head from this dream.

I heard a cat screeching (for lack of a better term) right outside our small living room window. So I go over and open the curtain thinking to see this cat sitting in the carport or on the neighbor's car or something. Boy, I was wrong. Instead there is this crazy looking, mangy orange tabby cat sitting RIGHT outside our window on the A/C unit yowling and trying to climb through the window. Now this is why I did the sketch, we live in an old house with vertically opening windows and the cat in the dream was trying to come in between the two window halves and already had a paw through. It was jacked up and I don't think there is anything in a dream dictionary or encyclopedia that can help decode this disturbing image...
You tell me... Try not to laugh too hard, upon reflection the sketch is HI-larious, but the dream truly freaked me out.

Oh, good news I forgot to mention, on Tuesday we got our new cell phones (same numbers just phone upgrades). We both got the LG EnV Touch, and they are awesome! Collin got me a clear pink hard plastic cover. I love it!

More good stuff, I only have to work tomorrow (Monday) and then I am off the rest of the week on vacation! Yay me! God, I need it.... This means there should be some fun vacation posting!

Ta-ta for now!