On camping, and moving

We went camping this weekend.  Oh mother nature, how I love thee.  The freaky little black mouse-squirrels that chatter at you, in what I am shure is squirrel for "Eff you you bastards, you're messing up my nut burrying!"  The little chipmunks, the marmots.  (What the HELL is a marmot anyway?  Freaky groundhog things.)  Best of all, at night, its just the wind in the trees and the sound of an owl or maybe a few bats.  No screaming kids, sirens, traffic, and no neighbors screaming at her baby-daddy about how she can't get her weave fixed because he's too lazy to get a job.  (Not that that's a mostl-true stereotype of half of our neighbors in this building.  Not at ALL....)

The one thing about it though, any time we get back, I want to flippin kiss the person who invented indoor plumbing.  I'm not really  much for peeing behind a tree.  Although, given the choice, I would rather pe behind the tree than on the top of a mountain where there's no cover, besides the Jeep, for about 20 miles around.  Not that this happened.  On this mountain.  Ah-Hem. 

This was actually taken by a friend of ours.  I had some amazing pictures, but none that really caputured the height of the mountain.  Notice, this entire shot is well ABOVE the tree line.

The perk of that was that I now know how to pee without taking my pants off or peeing on them.  Score one for me!

I fail to understand why anyone would not want to take full advantage of the miracle of indoor plumbing.  I guess I could ask the guy peeing off the balcony of the apartment a cuple of floors above us last month.  On the other hand, how about not.

Have I mentioned that I'm happy as hell to be moving for the 4th time in 2 1/2 years?  No?  I'm about to start doing flippin cartwheels.    We get to start moving in about two weeks.  And hopfully I'll never know the ending to the balad of the neighbor, her weave, her baby-daddy, and the much screamed about job.

Well, I guess we're all settled in Aurora.  "Settled"  Jordan loves his job.  We're looking for a better place to live, and I need to find a job.  I  just don't want to.  The idea of having to go to and from work here is just exhausting in itself.  I can't understand why people want to do it.  Why people give themselves such stressful lives on purpose.

On the upside, the one thing about living here that I really love - I live across the street from an organic grocery store.  Now, they're more expensive on meat and dairy than back home, but cheaper on fresh produce.  So, surprisingly, it's been a lot easier to eat healthy here.  Instead of buying hamburger helper on sale for $0.75, I'm buying romaine and red leaf lettuce for $0.88 each.  (I haven't seen a head of iceburg there yet.) 

This evening - a jar of spaghetti sauce, 2 mangoes,  a bunch of romaine lettuce, 2 bunches of red leaf lettuce, 3 tomatoes, 5 lbs of chicken tenders, 4 apples, a bunch of radishes, a big container of yogurt, a bottle of apple juice, a small bunch of bananas, 3 red bell peppers, two small blocks of cheese, and 3 avocados for $41.  I don't think that's that bad.

My best deal tonight?  I had a coupon for kohl's.  Normally, I hate kohls.  I think their stuff is WAY expensive and for only average quality.  To  me, it's a status thing, not really a value thing.  But, they're having a father's day sale and I  had this coupon.  $10 anything in the store, clearance included.  So I went to buy J a new shirt, since he has to have more dress casual stuff for work now instead of his ratty work clothes that he used to have to wear.  I went straight to the clearance racks.  Not much that he would wear.  No stripes, no pastels, no prints really.  Preferably a light weight polo or button down shirt.  I found one that was ok.  Not one that he'll be thrilled with, but it'll be ok.  Sage green polo.  Originally $26.  When I picked it up, the sign just said on sale 30-50% off, but didn't give an exact sale price.  I just figured even at 30% off, and my $10, it'd still be a decent price.  Imagine my surprise at the register when the girl told me I didn't owe anything.  The shirt was $9.99 on sale.  With my $10 coupon?  Oh yeah, one shirt, completely FREE baby!!!

Ok, so that's really all the rambling I have energy for.  I haven't gotten used to the fast pace here.  It just sucks the energy out of me.

Oh boy...

It's been awhile.  Ok.  So.

1.  I'm moving to Colorado.  Aurora, for now.  J found a job there so off we go.  Saturday.  Yes, it's sudden.  heh.  Yes, I'm pretty much freaking out.

2. We're renting our house out.  I think this will be good, but I have reservations.  Just because I'm cautious, but I'm trusting my house to other people, and that's hard for me.

3. I'm moving into an apartment half the size of my house.  Without a washer and dryer or hookups.  This makes me miserable. 

4. Jordan and I have been fighting about said apartment and said job and much more that is unsaid.  This whole process was not well thought out or well executed.  He just kind of seen and did.  He didn't really THINK.  Neither did I though.  There was too much to do in too little time.

Honestly, that's all I've got for now. 

I made my own fabric softener!

I haven't used it...yet.  Later tonight on the sheets I think I will.  I'm almost out of Downy and I can't stand the idea of paying $12 for laundry soap and fabric softener if I don't have to.  I followed this recipe, adding just a little extra vinigar, as the baking soda didn't all disolve.  Let's see how this works.  If it works out well, I may have to try making my own laundry soap.    I was looking at this recipe for laundry soap, or maybe this one.  What do you think?  Have you ever made your own laundry soap or fabric softener?

There Ain't No Rest for the Wicked....

Oh, Yes, getting off to a fantastic start on those life goals.  Sitting here three hours and counting.  Although, this was at least useful, if not fruitful.  Job hunting.  Effing expreience required bullcrap.


I've been thinking about what I would like to see in a perfect job.  Radio, although I love it, does not incorporate everything I really like.  (Like, ya know, a JOB right now.) So, lets take a look:


(Before that, my cat just shook her head and it seriously sounded like marbles clacking together.  No joke.)


-Fast paced, but not stressfully so.
-Challenging, but not overwhelmng.
-Design of some sort.  I fall more and more in love with Adobe every day.
-Sign Language.  I did that for 3 years in High School and I adored it.
-Dressy Casual.
-People I feel comfortable talking to and who take give me that "You're a weird crazy lady and I'm going to nod and smile until you go away" look.
-Good management.  I'm not a leader type.  I don't like telling other people what to do.  Advice, yes.  Orders, no.
-Copious amounts of down time in which to play internet games.  No, really, a little down time is good, but I hate being so bored that I resort to facebook as means of keeping my sanity.
-Local.  I don't like driving.


Know of anything that meets all of my oh-so-unreasonable criteria?  I will kiss your feet if you let me know.

New Year's Life Goals?

It's 4 degrees outside.  It was -1 when I woke up this morning.  It's supposed to get down to -13 this week.  Seriously?!?!  Did I mention there is also about 8 or 10 inches of snow in some areas (I really don't know how much we've had, it's drifted)?  How about that J is in PA and I have to drive 21 miles to work every day, by myself, in sub-freezing temperatures?  Ya, I know, Wisconsin does it all the time, suck it up, buttercup.  I'm not used to this crap.

I've been reading about a New Year's resolutions.  I don't do them.  But, it does get me to thinking about all of the areas in which I can improve my life.  Just a short list, off the top of my head:

1. Get back in to shape.  (Seriously, I've gain about 30 lbs in the last five years and OMG I'm only a size 12 and I feel like a tub of lard! I don't care about being skinny, I just don't like being out of shape.)  J and I are taking this on together.  Do you suppose alumni get a discount for memberships at the college gym?
2. Eat healthier.  I've been doing better, but there is so much room for improvement.
3. Improve my organization.  (Looks around house.  Hangs head in shame.)
4. Take the effin recycling out.  I keep it, but never take it anywhere!
5. Spend wisely.  I would like to be out of debt before I die.
6. Clean out the litter box more often.  So gross.
7. Declutter.  This will be a toughy.  I hate to throw anything out and J likes knicknacks. 
8. Find a hairstyle I actually like.  (This one has been YEARS in the making.)
9. Be a risk taker, be outgoing, and make friends.  (I so desperately need them.)
10. Spend less useless time on the internet and more time doing useful things, like researching things I'm interested in.  (Natural family planning, adoption, birth plans, budgeting plans, saving money, etc.)
11. Work on my forgiveness, and growing as a person.

On second thought, maybe these are more like life goals.