Hee Hee....

a few weeks ago chris and i went to willmar and it was there that i met his friend dave, his wife staci and their children. staci found me on facebook and remembered that i'd asked her to send me any and all photos she had of chris as i want to incorporate them into the wedding. this is one of 3 that she has sent me so far - i love it! (luckily he's in canada this week and won't see that i've posted this until he gets home :)) and if you're wondering who that other handsome gent is - it's the best man bryan :)

one more thing....

i've been meaning to post this link...so.....


my friend carrie makes movies. this is the trailer for her latest film 'GOD ROCKS!'. it's is incredibly awesome and i highly suggest that you check it out :)




sorry for the short description but the trip to target has whooped me and i now must return to my post on the couch with my tissues.

just sniff my area.....

not that area ya perves (vija - i'm talking directly to you!).....*


i woke up to find this outside - it was beautiful!



unfortunately i had to go to work in it. i'd much rather have stayed home and had a snow day with chris. but alas i had to go to work. birthday cards needed to be written out. orders needed to be crocheted.....

i've been rather absent from the blogging world. i mean to blog every night. i've actually had things to blog about (well - not big things. not exciting things. just things). exciting quotes to pass along - like 'it just doesn't feel like holy week' (perhaps you had to be there....). and now that i finally find myself sitting down to blog i realize it's a quarter to midnight and that i should really be brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed. the teeth need to be brushed. i made the mistake of buying a bag of bubblegum eggs and have managed to go through most of the bag. not a really great idea for a poor person with bad teeth.....

so......

and of course my mind goes blank. of course!

i should go to bed. i promise to return soon. in the meantime here are things i might blog about in the near future - things to look forward to. things like trips to the vet's. my job (i know you're dying to hear me complain some more, right?). friends. my amazing boyfriend. oh - and my completely awesome playlist. check it out. the songs rock. a lot.

*the other day (yesterday to be exact) i smelled urine. it was disgusting. chris brought me lunch at work. we sat down to eat with darrah and vija. i smelled urine. it was so strong i could hardly eat. i didn't want to say anything at first. then vija noticed me sniffing around and looked at me like i was crazy so i explained which only continued to get me crazy looks as i was the only one who could smell it. it wasn't me. i don't know. i moved to a new table and tried to convince vija to sniff my area (as in the area i'd been sitting in). she did and didn't smell it. hmph. i've heard of people smelling burnt hair before a stroke - maybe i had a mini stroke and smelled urine. this is pointless. i'm going to bed......

Chairry

today was another ho-hum day - they're becoming rather run-of-the-mill and i for one am getting rather sick of it. you probably are too. hmph.


i started it all out by stuffing another 500 envelopes. it was supposed to be 700 - i didn't get that far. and judging from what was left over it's WAY more than 200...looked more like another 700. ay-yi-fucking-yi.....


the day proceeded to get worse. i just felt like crap. more and more this crabiness has made me want to act like chris's 3 year old nephew - stomp my feet and yell to anyone who will hear it - no! i don't wanna! don't talk to me evergain! (and promptly stomp away). immature? yes - very. but it's what i've felt like doing....


i decided that the only way to get rid of this was to call up kristin and invite her to come over for a movie. supplies = cheap booze, pizza, maggie moo's ice-cream (i got a quart this time!) :) before we settled in for the evening we went couch shopping as kristin is in need of a new one. while looking we came across this chair.....


...anyone remember Pee Wee's Playhouse? Chairry the talking chair? It doesn't really look like that one in particular but you can so see the mouth and face - can you not? we thought it was pretty funny...


when we finally settled in for the night we enjoyed our cheap booze out of matching Campbell's mugs :) we ended the night by watching a History of Prostitution and eating our ice-cream. It was a great night and I feel a tons better. fatter but better :)

and i'm not so much worried about the whole fat thing. i've been doing a pretty good job with the dvd's and eating (except for 'exception' days) and even though i wasn't going to i measured myself. i'm down 1.5 inches in each thigh! in a week's time! well - 2 weeks. but still! :) the whole weight loss challange ends on March 3rd. all of a sudden everyone seemed to lose 5 lbs. i don't buy it. but if they keep it up i won't win so i didn't worry about the ice-cream :)

Happy Birthday Kristin!

dear kristin,

i know you don't look at my blog and will therefore probably never see this (thank god because you'd kill me for putting that picture up...but you know...you really should let me take more so i have more options :)) but i just wanted to write you a little note and say 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD WOMAN!!!'

yes, yes, i know you are actually younger than me - but i can't help the fact that i look younger, can i? (kidding! kidding!) remember how in the 7th grade we were science lab partners and you thought i was incredibly annoying? well - some things never change, eh?

it just occured to me that you're one of the oldest friends i have (not age wise - that would be chris - ha!) but one of the friends i've had the longest and that i continue to talk to on a regular basis. pretty amazing! you're a terrific friend kristin - always there for me, always giving it to me straight and never sugar coating it. i can always count on you - thank you. i hope you can count on me too (except remembering you're actual birthday - i lucked out this year. i always know that it's the day before or after V-Day....).

i'm glad we've become closer this past year. playing tennis, walking in the dog park, drinking cheap alcohol and/or expensive bourbon (i know how you love that stuff!). thank you for continuing to play Monopoly with me despite the fact that i kicked you at Gina's house that one time. thank you for continuing to let me drive - despite the fact that i turn into a horrid driver whenever you're in the car with me (i swear - only you would make me stop in the middle of a freeway!). thank you for letting me lodge at your house for awhile (and for letting me continue to use it for a lot of my stuff) - for letting me use your squeeky bed! (ah memories...that sounded bad...)

alright. i'm gonna get going here. hope you had a fantastic birthday. sorry i bailed early on the celebrations - i'll make it up to you next week with a cake! maybe i'll even back into your car and knock your plates off for old times sake :)

love you, michelle

Office Contest

Office Dares
ONE-POINT DARES
1. Ignore the first five people who say 'good morning' to you.
2. To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your ears and grimace.
3. Leave your fly open for one hour. If anyone points it out, say, "Sorry, I really prefer it this way".
4. Walk sideways to the photocopier.
5. While going in an elevator, gasp dramatically each time the doors open.
6. When in elevator with one other person, tap them on the shoulder and pretend it wasn't you.
7. Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy..."
8. Don't use any punctuation.
9. Interrupt your conversation with someone by giving a huge dejected sigh.
10. Use your highlighter pen on the computer screen.
11. Run 3 laps around the office.
THREE-POINT DARES
1. Say to your boss, "I like your style", wink, and shoot him with double-barreled fingers.
2. Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink directly from the nozzle.
3. Shout random numbers while someone is counting.
4. Every time you get an email, shout ''email''.
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has got over his or her caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. Call I.T. helpdesk and tell them that you can't seem to access any pornography web sites.
FIVE-POINT DARES
1. At the end of a meeting, suggest that, for once, it would be nice to conclude with the singing of the national anthem (extra points if you actually launch into it yourself).
2. Walk into a very busy person's office and while they watch you with growing irritation, turn the light switch on/off 10 times.
3. For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as "Dave".
4. Announce to everyone in a meeting that you "really have to go do a number two".
5. Call someone in the office, when they answer, say "I really can't talk right now I am very busy."
6. After every sentence, say 'Mon' in a really bad Jamaican accent. As in: "The report's on your desk, Mon." Keep this up for one hour.
7. In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your forehead repeatedly and mutter, "Shut up, damn it, all of you just shut up!"
8. At lunchtime, get down on your knees and announce, "As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again!"
9. Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, it's gone now."
10. Present meeting attendees with a cup of coffee and biscuit; smash each biscuit with your fist.
11. During the course of a meeting, slowly edge your chair towards the door.
12. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.




kelly sent this to me awhile ago and today i finally passed it around the office. it got a lot of laughs (especially from myself and vija)! as the end of the day she had 34 points and i had 54 points :) so if you're ever bored......
the hardest part is trying to not explain yourself afterwards!

A Good Day

today was a good day. really good.


it started out rather early (well - early for a self confirmed champion late sleeper). i got up to attend Stich & Bitch :) chris came over to my place and together we drove over holly's. i had a fantastic time! aside from the book club meeting this was only the second time i've hung out with chris and i really enjoyed it (we should do it again soon okay :))! there were a few other ladies there as well - all scrapbookers (you'll have to come next time kelly!). pete (holly's husband - who so kindly made us lunch) was there along with her daughter claire - so incredibly adorable! we just chatted and crafted and before i knew it it was about 2:30 (it started at 10)! so we headed out and plan do it again in about a month. thanks holly!


while i was there chris, megan and carter did some running around. the science museum and the fire station (megan got a super cute picture of chris and carter that i'm waiting for her to send).



when i got home we just sort of hung out. we were all kind of tired and fell alseep to The Polar Express (carters favorite movie - we only watched 3 times so far - ay yi yi! :)). afterwards mandy and nathan came over for dinner (i love chipotle). we watched carter to the most hillarious "butt" dance ever - times like that make me wish i had my video camera permanately strapped around my neck.....
right now megan is attempting to put him to sleep. she's been trying to do it for the past hour i think :) carter is 3 and the people and excitement and being away from home have turned him into - well - a 3 year old. he's had little fits all day long 'no! don't talk to me ever kitty! (he actually said that to minerva). megan is embarrased and keeps saying he's never acted like this - i just laugh. you can laugh when they aren't yours. (right? :)) right now he's coming up with every single excuse in the book to not have to go to bed. i can't blame him - i once pretended to sleep walk :)
once she does get him down we're going to watch The Shining. we started it last night but fell asleep right before it got scary. so we're starting it over tonight (chris has never seen it!). so there ya go.....a play by play of my day. how was yours?

TTLIFF!

that translates to - Thank The Lord It's Finally Friday! (tgif seemed rather dull...)


i'm seriously so happy that the weekend is here! not the work was stressful or anything but who doesn't prefer two days off over going to work? that and i have some plans for the weekend :) tomorrow chris and i are going to a 'stitch & bitch' at holly's house. (not my chris - a friend chris) i'm really excited - i've been wanting to get a group of gals together to do this since i moved down here. (i miss our knitting nights carrie!) perhaps i'll host a few sessions at my place as i know of a few co-workers who are also interested.....


as for tonight chris's (my chris) sister megan and her son carter are coming over. in fact (since i started this blog right before they arrived) they are here now! megan is attempting to put carter to sleep. she put him down in my room but i'm worried that albus hid under the bed. albus and minvera are not the biggest fan of small beings. i'm sure - given time - that they would be. it just takes them time. albus* hated chris for about a week when they first arrived. so yeah - they are here and will be for the weekend. unfortunately megan has a bit of a cold so her and i might just chill while chris takes carter out and about tomorrow...we'll see....

we just got done watching peter pan. i bought a copy before christmas when i saw it was out. but they remastered it. i really really prefer the hand drawn charm of the older version - anyone know of how i can get an old - non-remastered - copy on dvd?

alright - i think carter is asleep. megan and i are going to watch 'the shining.' i've never seen it and she says i have to :)

*i was watching ellen today (of cours) and she was talking about her pets. her cat liked to sleep up my her head and she attributed this to the fact that he was part abyssinian and those breeds were more dog like. i was intrigued becuase i and a lot of other people have said that albus is more dog like. he isn't a lap cat but constantly has to be at your side and walking along with you wherever you go. he plays fetch (i'm not kidding - he will walk back with whatever you throw - he prefers balled of socks - and trot back to you and drop them in your hand). and he has to sleep at my head. i did some researching and it also mentioned the fact that abyssinian's can have defects that cause them to groom themselves compulsively - leaving bald spots. albus does not do this but he does obsessivley lick any and all surfaces he comes in contact with. his favorites are skin (he will lick you and lick you and lick you - i swear if you let him he'd like a layer off....) - he's always licking my legs, and plastic bags. he will not stop licking plastic bags. ay yi yi! minerva is the same way about the skin thing. they're weird. but at least now i may know why...

uh oh - carter is up! gotta go.....

also introducing..........

KELLY'S BABY

BOY!!!

that's right ladies and gents - It's a Boy! :)

To Kelly:

seeing these pictures is just unreal to me. I know it should make it more real but...kelly - you are growing another human being inside of you! i just - wow. that is the most astounding and amazing process to me!

i know that you are going to be an absolutely fantastic mother! that little boy is going to have more scrapbooks dedicated to him than anyone i know! and i know you were kinda hoping for a girl (i think all woman kinda do) a boy is going to be fantastic - like molly said - they are extremely devoted to their mama's (and younger siblings - not that your thinking about more at this point in time :))

i'm really just so excited and happy and thrilled for you! always know that you have a strong circle of friends and family that are going to support you no matter what! Good times and stressful times - we'll be there for you! Need a nap? Pickles and Ice-Cream? Call me and I'll come over :)

I love ya with all my heart! :)

Nude

no...not that kind of nude ya perv.......sheesh.....


i mean nude as in no-make-up. zero. zilch. notta.


it's something i've thought about many times before - going without make-up. this last time i decided to do something about it. give it up - for an entire month. i even got a co-worker to do it with me (the only difference being that she gets it sit up and away in her cubicle whereas i'm greeting everyone that walks in the door....)


i don't wear a lot of make-up to begin with. eyeliner. mascara. and blush (oh lord how i'll miss my blush stick!) no foundation - the thought of caking something onto my face like that bothers me. i went through the powder faze in highschool - when it was cool to have your compact with you at all times. now i can't stand it. so - i'm not giving it up becuase i think it hogs up too much of my time. i just think it's time that we (women) start thinking of ourselves as naturally beautiful. i don't think there is anything wrong with make-up persay but for some women it is truely a crutch. they will not - unless possibly in need of urgent medical attention - leave the house without it. ever. why is this? do they truely believe that they are ugly without it?


i admit - there are times when i wake up and think - oh hell no - not walking out the door like this. but i want to get over that. that's why i'm doing this - so that by the end up of the month perhaps i'll think i look better without it. i'm happy that darrah (hi!) is doing this with me. she was so concerned and when she came in this morning she looked exactly the same as when she was wearing make-up (minus the sparkle of eyeshadow on her eyes). she looked beautiful!


i'll admit that it was not fun to look in the mirror and see the bareness of my eyes - but i liked it anyhow. and any dislike was quickly outweighed by the fact that i could rub my eyes! think about it - everyone gets that little tickle in their eye at some point during the day. instead of having to carfully not mess up the eyeliner (etc) you can just rub away. it's very liberating! so - feel free to join me if you want. post some self portraits of yourself (mine were taken with my camera phone - hence the quality) and see how your perceptions change over the course of the month.

oh - had to include a picture of the finished hat! i started on one of the orders today :) if you want one let me know :)

cats out....

love this picture

saw this picture on this blog - check it out. i'll post more political stuff tomorrow. i meant to tonight and forgot. and dammit - it's way past 10 - must get to bed........

Fennel Toothpaste

yes. fennel toothpaste. quite possibly the nastiest thing i've ever heard of.....


but enough of that. like i said - we had a great weekend. even though we got an extremely late start (arriving in duluth at 4pm) it was still a great time. i'm really glad i finally got to meet don and anita - we tried to hatch a solid plan to get chris back up there in a few years :) having them and carrie and steve - why...we'd have friends! (at least friends that in live in the same city or thereabouts) plus don mentioned having game night with drinks - love him already :)


wow - it's already 9pm! chris just finished making dinner (we got a late start tonight. going to the grocery store evidently also meant going shopping at the gap and ae - not that i'm complaining. seeing their cute stuff inspired me to hop on that ellipitical when we got home) so i'm gonna scidaddle and eat. i'll leave you with some (okay...a lot) of pictures from the weekend.


enjoy!

Habanero Beer

that's right. habanero beer. mmmmmmmm......sort of.....


chris and i had dinner last night at Hell's Kitchen with his friends Don and Anita. the menu was pretty decent (great sweet potato fries!) and the drink selection was great. don and chris were curious about the spicy beer and asked for a sample. it was good. not hot - just a hint of pepper at the back of the throat. don went with guiness while chris ordered a pint of the special stuff. yeah. the sample was more than enough. once you start drinking a pint it gets to be a little much....


after dinner we headed out to dublin's to play pool. i think that's the first time we've been "out" with another couple in...well..let's just say a looooooong time! it was fun though. i had a great time and look forward to seeing them again (hopefully) soon :) carrie and steve met us for a drink as well. it was great to see them but the new parents were a wee bit tuckered (can't imagine why....) and turned in early. we turned in not too long after - getting old sure is a bitch....


today we headed down to see the start of the 25th Annual John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. i remember going to see this once in highschool but this time it was better. i was closer and we had a camera (i'll post the pictures tomorrow). i love seeing all the dogs in their little footies :)


later we headed over to see carrie and the baby. i just got to sit and hold the little one for about 2 hours and it was wonderful! (tick tock tick tock) it was times like that i really miss living in duluth (well - i miss it every time we go up for a visit...). being able to just go over and say hi and hang out. plus now with the baby - i could just go over and sit and hold her all the time....


alright - i'll post more about the weekend tomorrow. right now it's late. i'm tired. we're tired. it's sleepy time..........

Hmmm...

saw this in a friend's blog and gave it a go...

What's Your Best Quality? Your Result: Personality Your best quality is your personality! People like you because you are an all around good person. You have good manners and values. You also like to express your personal style and interests.
Loving
Out-Going
Intelligence
Sense of Humor
Ambitious
What's" Your Best Quality? Take'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Take More Quizzes

Book Club

today was my first ever book club! and while we didn't spend much time discussing the the actual book (the year of yes by maria dahvana headley - a book i still have to actually finish) it was still a great time :)


i miss having that 'girl time.' just sitting around and chatting about anything and everything. nibbling on snacks. having a drink. it's very relaxing and in my opinion needs to happen more often! (stop by any time ladies - especially you Chris - we live close together :)) i got to see kelly who i have not seen since my birthday (the day she found out she was pregnant!)! it was a little depressing to see that her pregnant belly is still smaller than my non-pregnant belly....but i'm working on it. i'm so excited for her though - and can't wait to make a ton of fun baby related things :) speaking of - molly brought along two books full of great knitted toys. hopefully one day i'll be able to make them. right now i'm trying to attempt the knitting with 4 needles thing and it's seems entirely too complicated..but i know i can master it.


alright. that is all. i am currently suffering from severe stomach cramps. yes - i know you were all dying to know that :) i had cramps in my dreams last night. kind of the like when you have to pee in your sleep and you keep dreaming that you have to pee but can't? anyone? (maybe that's just me). so i woke up and took 2 midol (which had never worked for me before so i took advil then a friend gave me a midol and it worked like a miracle so i started taking it. now it sucks again). nothing. i took another. nothing. but for some reason i woke up an hour later feeling really sick - like i'd over medicated. 6 hours later i took another. still notta. well - the cramps are better but i just feel plain sick. bleck.
so yeah - i'm gonna go lay down........

HAPPY 28th VIJA!

(this is the actual picture you'll get when you type in Vija's Birthday)

Happy 28th Birthday Vija!

this blog is dedicated to you VibaJiba.

i am so happy that we've met. we share the same sense of sarcasm. i can tell you disturbing bathroom stories and you still talk to me. (that didn't come out sounding good....not that it really could i guess...). i'm extremely happy that you've learned to crochet and get a blog!

i am extremely sorry that i'm a shit friend. i knew it was your birthday today. i sent you a work birthday card! when i called you this morning you probably assumed it was to say 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' - but no - it was just me asking for more envelopes. i then proceeded to sit through an entire lunch break with you and say nothing. well - we talked but i still didn't say anything birthday related. only at around 3 when i read your blog did i remember - ACK! i'm an ass.

sorry.

to make up for it i'm bringing you some treats. :)

2007 - The Year I.....

...fell in love. truely. i feel like i've known him my entire life. i cannot imagine that life without him. i wish everyone the chance to experience this kind of love....

...realized i was growing up. it sounds to odd to say that when you're 27 - but it's true. i can't put my finger on it but the feeling is there.

...learned how to cope with my depression. well...i guess i've always been able to cope or else i wouldn't be here - but with each bout of it i feel like i gain a deeper understanding of myself. this understanding may not be apparent to those having to deal with the crying and the mood swings - but it's there.

...met some wonderful new friends and became closer existing ones. i've had two jobs this year and at both have met some incredible people at both. i've reconnected with friends that i've known for a long time but feel much closer to now.

...learned how to knit and crochet. i've become slightly obsessed with both. my life is filled with yarn and gagets to work that yarn that i never knew existed. i love it. i feel like i'm good at something for the first time in a long time. and while making a hat may not solve world hunger - i feel good when i see something that i've created with my own to hands. something that can be put to use.

...lost weight and gained it back. today i exercised and plan to do it everday. i want to become addicted to it. not only will i lose that weight again but it'll help with the depression.

...moved into a home. well - not a house - an apartment - but a place that feels like home. chris and i share this place. we'll share it for a few years more to come.

...heard my biological clock begin to tick. it's been there all along i guess but this year it made itself known - big time! my friend carrie found out she was pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful little girl. seeing her change and seeing her with the baby have been an incredible experience - one that i want to experience one day. this year will bring more of that as my friend kelly found out that she is pregnant. i cannot wait to see all of her changes and meet her little one. both woman are/are going to be just fantastic mothers.

...realized how hungry i was. sorry - not part of the actual post but i just realized i haven't had my dinner yet and should probably do that. don't worry though - i'll be posting more soon. i've been absent as of late but i joined the blog 365 (because i might be on crack...).....

so...i'll leave you with this wish......

I hope you have a FANTASTIC new year!

Gobble Gobble

today i am thankful for......

christopher

my family

my friends

cats

yarn

holiday themed underpants

homeade mashed potatoes

and much much much more.......

Hope you all had a Fantastic THANKSGIVING!!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like....

oh shit - i did not just start singing a christmas song.......

today it snowed. not just little insignificant flakes - but snow that resulted in stickage. not a lot but stickage nonetheless. i specifically asked god to not let this happen until after we moved but he must hear like the hairdresser. darn that god......never listens.....

this was taken on my way home from work. you can't see the flakes but they're there. hmph.

ugh. i have a headache from wearing a headband all day. i took it off but the result was not pretty. i have company coming over soon but they'll just have to deal with the ugly amelie.

speaking of company i should probably get some things straightened up around here and the snacks ready. it'll be night with mia and vija (hi!), wine, food and don't forget the crocheting! :)

oh - HAPPY (early) THANKSGIVING! :)

settled?

when does one feel "settled"?

today i went to carrie's baby shower. it was really fun - second baby shower i've ever been to! her friends did a lovely job of decorating and making everything adorable. the food was excellent as well and the conversation was good.

what does this have to do with feeling "settled" you ask? i'm not quite sure.....

even though i had such a great time i left the shower feeling slightly off. reflective perhaps. in a zone. do you know what i mean? chris picked up on it right away when i got home - saying that women always seem to act that way after being in a large group together. it's not always a bad 'off' just off. reflective....

the shower was at carrie's friend laurie's home - it was beautiful. but it was a home. a house. she was married with a child and another on the way. everything seemed so well put together. a place for everything and everything in it's place.

there were also a few babies there. all very cute and adorable! little blankets. little clothes. and well - it was a baby shower after all - all the baby stuff! there were 2 people - including me - that did not have or were not in the process of having babies. it made for the guessing the price of certain baby items (ala The Price is Right) rather difficult (ah yes! i believe i just bought that feeding set last week...now how much did that cost?) but it was still fun.

i don't know where i'm going with all this really. like i said i'm off...reflective and just trying to understand why - or be able to get it out in a coherent way - ya know? if only i could write like molly...

i am extremely happy where i'm at - i don't mean to convey otherwise. i just don't feel "settled"

i know that having a home doesn't make that go away. having a baby doesn't do it either. in fact i'm sure they can do the exact opposite. i just wonder sometimes if i'm letting days slip by without notice waiting for that "settled" feeling to happen. waiting. like "settled" will just one day knock at my door and say 'Here I am!'

hmph.

perhaps i'm just feelings a tinge of jealousy for the home owners. the mothers. the mothers-to-be. the married women. the "settled" life.

do you feel "settled"?