That's What She Said!

The many faces of Eve

2012-02-06T17:10:00.001-07:00

Just a quicky. I love my baby girl.

Baby Eve

2012-01-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

A few people have requested to hear the birth story, and I apologize that it has taken me almost three weeks to get it done! Evie has taken up all my time in a good way. When she isn't eating, she is sleeping in my arms, and it's so hard to put her down! So finally, the story....(a long story and some pictures)

Eve Charlotte Tanca was born on 12/29/2011 at 5:05 pm. She was 7 lbs 15 ounces and 21 inches long.

Rewind 60 hours....

On December 27th I woke up at 7 am when Paul left for work and I started cleaning like a crazy lady. I didn't expect this surge of energy because on Christmas weekend while I was at my parents house I was sooo tired. Since I heard you get a boost of energy before labor I thought I was still a ways off. Plus, I still had 10 days until my due date. Well, on the 27th I started with the closets....then moved on to the cupboards...then got the paint out of the shed and started spot painting the walls...then washed the molding...and then 12 hours later I finally sat down for some dinner. As I was eating I felt my very first painful contraction (I had previously only felt Braxton Hicks). I had a few that night, but they were very sporatic in timing and intensity. I was able to fall asleep that night just fine because they had pretty much stopped.

At 5 am the next morning I woke up to more contractions...I laid in bed and started timing them. 20 minutes apart, then 10 minutes, then 8 minutes. So I got up, and started walking around the dining room table. I swear to Bob Saget, I walked around that dining room table probably about 1,000 times. You know how when you stub your toe, hopping around makes you feel better? It was like that. When Paul comes downstairs to leave for work, the contractions were 4-8 minutes apart and pretty intense. Considering every time a contraction came I had to stop walking, grab onto the table, and had to remember to breath...I told Paul that maybe he should stick around a little bit and not go into work yet. I wasn't going to go into the hospital until the contractions were all at least 4 minutes apart, but I certainly didn't want Paul to drive all the way to Hillsboro to work in case they started getting closer. I already had a prenatal appointment scheduled for 1 oclock, so we figured if I was in labor we'd find out without having to go in to the hospital. So he stayed home, and we did what any reasonable couple who's possibly in labor would do.....we went mall walking! We probably looked pretty silly in the mall because we'd walk a hundred yards, stop for a minute or two until a contraction passed, then would walk a hundred more yards. We finally took a break, I go to the bathroom, and when I'm walking back to where Paul is sitting, the baby dropped in literally about 10 seconds. I hadn't dropped yet at all and the baby was painfully high (if you read my previous post, the doctor said it was a possibility I wouldn't drop until labor began). Once she dropped I was pretty confident I was in real labor and not false labor...too many things were happening. Oh, and let me tell ya, the baby dropping all at once that quickly was the strangest feeling! To put it ladylike, it kind of felt like I needed to fart out all my organs, Anyway, once she dropped, the contractions stopped! Well, they slowed down to about 20 minutes apart, which seemed like stopping. We left the mall and went to my appointment, my midwife checked me, and sure enough, I was dialated to a 3. Because I hadn't dilated at all previously and it was all happening so fast, she said she was pretty confident I was in labor and she wouldn't be surprised if she saw me at the hospital the next day. I was still skeptical because I was certain I was going to deliver after my due date. So we went home and for the rest of the day I continued to have contractions 4-8 minutes apart. Let me tell ya, this is tiring! I was able to fall asleep at 12pm that night and woke two hours later, at 2am, with more contractions, but this time they were 3-4 minutes apart and so intense I thought I was losing my mind. I was still scared to go in because I did not want to get sent home...but when I had a contraction that brought me to tears, we knew it was time. 'IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?', I kept thinking. We went to the hospital and after telling us I was dilated to 5, they admitted me at 4:30 am. I got my epidural and after almost two days of contractions is was the greatest relief. That epidural was my best friend :)

After laboring for two days already...my sweet, sweet epidural couldn't come sooner.

My mom and sister had already arrived, so they were there with Paul to entertain me all day while I was progressing. I would have progressed much sooner, but my midwife (who was amazing) was indeed very midwify, and didn't want to give me any potocin or break my water. It was a little annoying cause I could have delivered much sooner. When she checked me at 3 pm she said my water was so compressed it was going to break at anytime. I asked her if I would be able to feel it and she said all I would feel was a warm sensation. NOT. My water broke so hard it pushed me back in the bed and went splat everywhere under the blanket. If the blanket wouldn't have been there it would have been all over the room, not kidding. Gross!! It was so funny though.

I love this picture because I look absolutely exhausted...and I was :) I was going on just a couple hours of sleep in about 3 days.

I loved having my sister there. She is so knowledable in labor and delivery and she knew more than most of those nurses there. Plus, I trust her :)

By now I am sportin' the crazy hair. Paul was so good throughout the whole thing and was there for me beyond what I could imagine. I fell in love with him all over again and more.

Blah blah blah.....blah blah blah....finally, at almost 5 pm, I was at a 10 and baby was far down and ready to come out and play. The whole pushing thing was seriously pretty anti climatic. I was like..."so, uh, do I push now?"....and my midwife ever so casually said yup, so I just kind shrugged my shoulders and said, well, alright then! Evie was so good to me, she had positioned herself just right and I pushed her out in 15 minutes. I would have popped her out in about 10, because by then I was so tired I just wanted her out, but I actually was pushing too hard and my midwife told me to ease up a bit so I wouldn't tear. I thought she was crazy at first, I wanted that baby out! My sister who worked in labor and delivery for 10 years said she never heard a doctor say not to push so hard, so we were a little skeptical...but you know what...she was totally right! She knew what she was talking about. I watched the whole thing in the mirror, and it seemed that pushing the right way had just as much effect as pushing as hard as I possibly could. That's one thing that is nice about midwives...she took a long time "prepping" me down there...uh huh...ya know...massaging me with oils, that sort of thing. Anyway, (tmi?), doctors don't always have the time for that, or they aren't even at the hospital. It's really not in their job description to look after you like that so it's not really their fault if you leave the hospital with your vajayjay in shambles. But I do raise my glass of milk and thank my midwife for looking out for my girl...i love you.

And so...............................

Evie came into the world at 5:05 pm! The emotion that comes over you is so special and intense. Everybody in the room was in tears...I couldn't believe it. We couldn't believe we were parents, we were instantly in love. There is nothing else in life that you fall in love with so instantly...it's a miracle!!

Brand new, nice and gooey

Here are a few more pictures...

Eve's first nom noms....ouch :)

Daddy's girl

Evie was born on her cousin Tanner's birthday! She actually weighted the exact same as he did too, one ounce under 8 lbs....crazy!! He was a very mature little boy, and told his mom that she could come to the hospital to be with me and they would postpone his birthday until the next day. Then he came to see her the next morning.

Eve getting ready to go home!

Pre-Delivery Jitters.

2011-12-19T19:10:00.010-07:00

Today my doctor told me, "There is a good chance you may have a longer, harder delivery".

Now let me say that this post is 100% intended for support and reassurance. I will accept any comment along the lines of...

"It's just a prediction! You never know what will happen!"...or,

"Don't worry! My doctor was completely wrong about my delivery!".

Even though I know it's just a prediction, doctors are wrong all the time, and you never know what your body is going to do....those words are super scary for a first time mom who has never delivered. Why wouldn't they be?!

I've been having super, super bad rib pain. People say to me, "oh ya, I had some rib pain too while pregnant", but I have felt like this pain isn't on the same level as 'normal pregnancy rib pain'. It burns so bad I have to physically push down on my ribs all day long so I can feel some sort of relief. The whole upper part of my stomach has gone completely numb to touch, and this week I started to have spasms. Today I was at my appointment and, trying not to seem dramatic, I mentioned that I keep expecting to feel some relief from this pain but it is is nonstop. I laid down on the bed and my doctor says..."Oh, wow! Your xiphoid process (the rib right under your sternum) is really far out. I don't know if I've ever seen a xiphoid process out this far".

At this moment I was only impressed with myself that I remembered what a xiphoid process is(from A&P). Then my doctor says..."Your uterus is really high. I have rarely seen a uterus this high. Your abdominal wall is just so strong that it isn't allowing your baby any room to move down".

(Oh, by the way, I haven't done a sit up since high school. I don't "work on" my abs. But when I was a little girl I was a freaking gladiator, and I used to climb up and down this rope my dad put up for me all day long. For some demented reason I thought this was fun. I had a 12 pack at the age of 8 (not joking). For some reason my ab strength has never left, even during the times I have been in the worst overall shape.)

I know that some people don't drop until they are in labor, and since I still have 2 1/2 weeks left until I'm due, I have plenty of time. The thing that makes me nervous is how shocked my doctor was about how high I was. She told me that people who haven't dropped at all when they go into labor have a harder time, because while most people have to push the already engaged baby out, I would have to try to push the baby to the point of engagement first. This can be one of the hardest things to do, harder than pushing the baby out of the birth canal. She also mentioned that it greatly increases the chance of having a c-section, and if you go into labor and baby is still at a station 5 (way up there), your chances of a c-section are 80%. Like I said, you never know when the baby will drop, so this normally wouldn't make me so nervous. But the fact that she was so shocked how high I was, and how skeptical she seemed that my body was even going to let the baby drop....scares me.

She also mentioned that since my body is holding her up so high, she would not be surprised if I have the baby late. If the baby isn't low than I most likely won't dilate so easily. Oo! A late baby! Bonus!

I'm leaving my appointment and she says, "you're just in wonderful shape!", like there is a positive note to it all. So, I may be punished for being in good shape?! I always assumed having a strong core would help me with delivery, not hinder me. I have already decided that if this baby doesn't ever drop, after this delivery I'm going to sit around watching soap operas all day while letting my muscles atrophy beyond repair.

Ok, so now that I've gone through my nervous, scared, angry rant.....I will end being with a feeble attempt at optimism:

The body is a confusing thing. I could drop at anytime. I could go into labor tonight, or in 3 weeks. I may have the easiest delivery imaginable. Doctors don't know what your body has planned for you, so they can only guess. You hear of doctors estimating a 6 lb baby and then out comes a 10 lb baby. They just never really know. I'm just nervous, that's all.

Oh, and for some good news, I am measuring right on. My doc says, "because you're keeping the baby in there so tight, you probably hear a lot of people telling you that you look so small".................................. "YES", I say....(maybe rolling my eyes a bit cause that's all I hear).
......"But you're measuring right on!" she says.

Ok, now it's your turn. Give me words of encouragement.

The Nursery ♥

2011-12-03T14:42:00.010-07:00

After weeks of overachieving and knit-picking I have finally finished her nursery and am completely satisfied! I love it, and it is just what I imagined. I wanted something soft and sweet and I think I pulled it off.

Her changing table (that we won't actually ever change her on) and the hutch we bought to go with it. All her diapers and supplies are organized. I've worked hours and hours on her room, and I'm so tired now that I can't even take off that little warning sticker!

The vinyl branch I ordered on Etsy

I painted the little birdhouses, hung them up with white chain, added some Pete moss and a few birdies. Then I painted some wooden flying birdies to tie it all together.

Hopefully she's not too big of a tom boy...cause she's stuck with this room ;)

More wooden birds flying over her crib. The little layette hanging up is a gift from a friend, its so warm and soft we are bringing her home from the hospital in it.

From the doorway. My Dad made that little stool as his first woodshop project in 1971 when he was 16. Paul refinished it and recushioned it. It will be her "thinking chair".

The stool up close

Hard to read but it says Norm Chapman 1971

I tried to get a wide view of the room. The room is pretty small so it was hard to get too much of anything in one shot.

Her closet loaded with all the super cute nearly brand new clothes I got on ebay for 40.00.

Paul and I had so much fun painting the room and putting up the chair rail molding.

I painted this sign, added the bird and the wire, and then my awesome sister added the words like a pro. She is awesome at making signs.

Now I'm just waiting for her to get here so we can actually use all this hard work!

2011-11-05T09:51:00.003-06:00

i can't wait to meet my baby girl!!!
and kiss her precious little face. that's all =)

tumerous lump

2011-10-24T15:32:00.006-06:00

Paul said he wanted to take a few "normal" pictures of me pregnant (as opposed to me trying to take "myspace" pictures of myself in front of a curvy mirror, also resulting in me looking oddly disproportionate). According to Paul, my last picture I took a few weeks ago, which I have now permanently deleted from history, made me look weird, and like I had a "tumorous lump". First of all, thank you my sweet, sweet husband. Secondly...did he call our daughter a tumor?! I do know what he was really trying to say, not that I actually looked weird, just that it wasn't a good picture and he wants to have some good quality pictures to remember the pregnancy of our first baby. After all, it only happens once!

So finally here are two "normal" picture of me pregnant. Although, I would still not call these normal, considering my dog kept trying to mount my leg the entire time. I kept trying to kick him off, and finally we got two good ones, with my dogs fluffy white tail the only evidence you can see of his near proximity. So, considering this, I would still say these pictures are definitely NOT normal. I simply do not lead a normal life.

Here's my belly from the side. 30 weeks pregnant and getting big again!! :))

My very favorite thing about not looking pregnant from the front is when I'm in the grocery store. It's really funny when creepy looking guys are checking you out...so all you have to do is ever so conveniently turn to the side, reveal your bump, and watch the creepy guy get all weirded out and embarrassed that he was checking out a pregnant chick. Then you don't have to worry about him following to your car or trying to kill you. It's pretty awesome.

In two weeks I'll only have 2 months to go. The last half of pregnancy seems to fly by!

Reason #7,432 why I love my sissy-poo...

2011-09-07T09:31:00.007-06:00

2011-09-03T11:55:00.002-06:00

You know how every Target smells exactly the same? Like, before you enter the front door you are already anticipating that half popcorn half rubbery smell? I've always wanted to go into a Target and have it not smell like a Target, just to see if it was possible.

Well, yesterday I went to Target and it smelt nothing like a Target!!! The whole building
smelt like poop. It was fantastic! I think they were having a septic problem or something.

Crazy cat-lady bargain shopper

2011-08-31T10:52:00.018-06:00

That's me. If you suggest I buy something at full price, I'm going to snarl at you. Even if I'm buying something relatively expensive, I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing I got some kind of deal out of it. Like, wow...that dinner was kind of spendy...at least throw in a few moist towlettes please? Thanks.

So here is the diaper bag I want...

The Skip Hop Studio. It is the same price at Nordstrom as it is on Amazon and everywhere else I looked, and my mother-in-law gets 20% off all Nordstrom purchases (this is my victory). I don't normally shop at Nordstrom, ever, but usually stick to TJ Maxx, Marshall's or Ross. I get nice things, like that 120 dollar purse, only I pay much, much less for for it. However, I can't seem to find this diaper bag any cheaper, and I have found being pregnant has made me want to buy things I never would buy for myself...(side note: it actually IS for myself, considering my baby could care less whether I am keeping her bottles in a designer diaper bag or a plastic grocery bag from Winco). I love this bag. It's pewter so it goes great with browns or blacks. It's a whoppin' 90 dollars (plus 20 percent off), but in my defense it's unique because it doesn't scream "I'm carrying a bunch of diapers!", and will look great when I'm dressed up cute and lookin' pretty. The problem is....I'm dressed up and looking pretty like 5% of the time. The other 95% of the time I'm wearing sweatpants and my hair is in a gnarly knot somewhere on top of my head which has usually slid a little to one side by 1 o'clock in the afternoon.

The solution? Buy TWO diaper bags of course!

So I also wanted this diaper bag, because it's more casual and will look great when I'm dressed down. It's the Skip Hop Duo Deluxe. It is 58 dollars on Amazon....but I wrote it off because I was already feeling guilty over the prospects of buying two diaper bags. I saw somebody with this bag at Target and it looked great (half of the red lines in the picture are actually hot pink in person). But I decided out of the two bags, I would go with the first one.

UNTIL....

I was at ross yesterday looking for a water bottle and I just happened to see this lovely number out of the corner of my eye in the exact same pattern that I wanted on my amazon wishlist so i thought what are the odds and i picked it up and then i smelt it and then i checked the price and it said it was only twenty five dollars instead of fifty eight and i thought oh my gosh i think i have to buy it and yes i know just because something is on sale doesnt mean you have to buy it but considering it is the same brand and same pattern i wanted what are the odds....it must have been meant to be.

The end.

Oh, yeah...

2011-08-24T09:38:00.009-06:00

We're having a..........

...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
really?
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
...........
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
you're so dramatic...
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............

We found out a little over two weeks ago. I didn't rush to post this to my blog under the same theory that I've always had.........nobody actually reads this. Nonetheless, I will go on to tell you how awesome the ultrasound was. I never expected it to be one of the most awesome experiences of my life! Here are a few of my favorite shots...

The money shot, of course...

It looks like she might have inherited Norm's (my dad) barrel chest. Poor thing. Maybe she'll take the state title in shot-put?

And lastly her little face...on the left side her eyes are closed, on the right side her eyes are open....looks pretty creepy when eyeballs don't show up.

The ultrasound was awesome! The first place the tech went to was the crotch, and I can definitely understand why because then couples wouldn't be paying attention to all the other important stuff, they would be only anxious to here the gender! Because of my extensive research (and when I say extensive I mean hours upon hours of mindless searching) of ultrasound pictures online trying to guess my baby's gender from earlier ultrasound pictures...I knew it was a girl as soon as she got to the crotch shot but before she said anything. I had a big grin on my face because Paul had no idea what he was looking at, staring cluelessly at the monitor, but I knew what it was and I knew how much he wanted a little girl. As soon as she told us, he squeezed my hand tight, couldn't stop smiling...and I caught him dabbing the corner of his eyes. It was precious to say the least.

I had heard stories of people leaving the ultrasound not knowing the gender cause they couldn't get the baby to move. We couldn't get her to not move. The tech was trying to get some good shots of the heart but baby girl wouldn't stay still....so the tech had me get up, go to the bathroom, and walk around for 10 minutes. Finally we got all the shots, even some bonus shots, and she checks out perfectly. It is such a blessing and relief when you hear that your child appears perfectly healthy.

Our tech was so good! I don't know if I was just amazed at how awesome the profession is, or she was just particularly awesome, but it was definitely an experience worth our time. Because my placenta is in the front, rather than on the side or the back where it is most commonly found, she said that Paul won't be able to feel the kicks as much because the placenta adds an extra inch of cushion. This surprised me because he had already felt a few big kicks at 17 weeks. She had Paul push on my stomach right where baby girl's butt was sticking up, and then all the sudden WHAM!...a big kick. The whole thing was soooo neat :)

17 1/2 weeks

2011-08-01T19:19:00.014-06:00

B.E.E.R. G.U.T

At 17 1/2 weeks along...I feel like there should be a country song about me.

From the front, it's not too bad...

From the side, it looks like I have had a really, really fun summer. I can't wait tell I get passed this stage and look without-a-doubt pregnant. Like my sister-in-law says, I really want to wear a shirt around that says "I'm not fat, I'm pregnant!". Do you think they sell those?

Here's my growth since week 13. My beer gut started around week 9, so I've been stuck at this awkward stage for the last 4 1/2 weeks without much change. I can feel it moving around now though!!!

2011-07-22T09:37:00.001-06:00

HAVE A GOOD DAY EVERYONE!

Spare Tire ♥

2011-07-11T00:36:00.006-06:00

The time has come. My belly is growing.

Here's my 5 week belly shot, taken about a week after I found out I was pregnant. This is the "control pic" since there is no bump yet. I can compare my growing gut to this picture, and will forever realize that I will probably never be the same again....

Here's the gut at 14 weeks. There is an obvious difference when you see the side by side pics, however, when I'm wearing my normal clothes during the day (and not super tight undershirts like this one) nobody can notice I'm pregnant that doesn't already know. It won't be long before they do!

The little beansprout is a'growin!

2011-07-06T12:29:00.006-06:00

Oh, hi! I have some super exciting news!

If any of you still read this, all I really want to say is that...

I'm Pregnant!

We've known for awhile, I'm 14 weeks now. We will find out if our little beansprout is a boy or girl in another 4 weeks and we are sooooo excited!

Here are my ultrasounds so far:

9 1/2 week ultrasound...just a little beansprout!

14 week ultrasound - Profile view

14 week ultrasound - From the front...spread eagle!

14 week ultrasound - From the back...spine looks good!

We are so excited to be parents! I want a boy AND a girl, so I feel like I'm a pretty lucky ...I'm probably going to get one of those!

My Scrapbooking Room!

2011-04-01T14:50:00.034-06:00

A.K.A. MY ESTROGEN DOMAIN!!!
(Hey, if Paul gets his man cave, I get a cave too!)

I finally have a scrapbooking room of my very own! Scrapbooking is my favorite hobby, and I'd like to say something that is totally out of character for me (I don't like to boast): I'm totally freakin' good at it. However, I haven't scrapbooked anything in a long, long time. The last time I made a page was December 2008, when I was living in Salt Lake City and dating Paul, who was living in Washington, and I had absolutely nothing to do with my time. I have never had a desk to scrapbook on, I've always done it on a coach or on my bed, making a tremendous mess and losing everything in the depths of the cushions or the crinkles of my blankets (often losing pieces from the slow gathering of objects around me due to the weight of my butt creating a sloping effects on my blankets). Anyway, it sucked.

Then I got busy with the wedding, then being a newlywed and not having that same alone time I had before, then buying a house, then being exciting about the prospects of having my own scrapbooking room, then finally, alas, working on my scrapbooking room.....I finally after more than two years have a desk, and a chair, and I'm ready to tackle my creative side again!

Here are a few pics, and where I bought some of the stuff I used to make my room:

Table: Found on craigslist for a couple of bucks. It was ugly and brown, so I did the logical thing and spray painted it white.

Little red table under window: Bi-Mart, $10, it was just plain wood when I bought it, which was good because I knew I wanted red and I didn't have to do any prep work.

Black paper holder on top of red table: Cropper Hopper, $15.00, Jo-Ann Fabrics (I think it was 40% off)

Chair: Free, because my good ol' dad gave it to me, hand me down courtesy of South Puget Sound College. It's comfortable!

Green cutting mat: Jo-Ann Fabrics, $14 (again I used a 40% off coupon, normal price $28)

Two red boxes with bows: Ross Dress for Less, $12

Shelf Tower: I bought this a couple years ago from Walmart to organize my clothes in our tiny condo closet. I was able to use them again, and three stacked on top of each other reaches the ceiling perfectly :) I think I paid $15 for each and I bought three of them.

Storage boxes in tower: Michael's, on sale for $2.50.

White shelves: Fred Meyer (4 pack: two long ones, one medium, and one tiny), $25

Signed Dwight Schrute picture: $Priceless.

Big and small glass jars for organizing: Ikea, I think I paid about $15 for all of them.

Little round black boxes: Ross Dress For Less, $5 for both

Black shelf: Ikea, $20 total for shelf and mounts

Letters: Michael's, I bought them white and painted them red. They are $3.50 each but I used a 40% coupon for all of them.

That's it! Now why am I wasting time blogging? I should be scrapping!!!

2010-11-05T10:19:00.002-06:00

I love this season. Everything about it! I love the way the air smells. I can't really describe it other than 'fresh'. I LOVE the colors of the leaves. And most of all I LOVE the anticipation of holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite holidays, and they make me think of family.

2010-07-08T10:51:00.010-06:00

sunshine. on my window.
makes me happy.
like i should be.

2010-07-03T09:43:00.022-06:00

Ever tried Kombucha?

Some people call it the 'Wonder Drink'.

It's actually been around for centuries. The Chinese call it hongchajun. The Japanese call it kōcha kinoko. I call it Fetus Drink. You can get it at Whole Foods, and the organic aisle at Fred Meyer. I'm obsessed with this stuff. But it costs 3 to 4 bucks a bottle, depending on where you buy it, so I have taken it upon myself to brew my own.

To make Kombucha, you need a Kombucha "mushroom". The only way you can get one of these mushrooms is from somebody who already has one, because each time a batch of Kombucha is brewed the 'mother" mushroom makes a duplicate 'baby' mushroom. It's not actually a mushroom though, it just looks like one. It's actually a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). Ya, that's right, I drink a beverage made from a colony of bacteria and yeast. Isn't that disgusting?

Yes, it may be rather putrid, but once you discover how incredible good it is for you, it doesn't seem to matter anymore. Here's how it works: You make a big batch of tea...with lots and lots and lots of sugar. But don't worry, because that fetus-mushroom-scoby thing I told you about? It actually gobbles up all the sugar during the fermentation process. You let that sit for roughly 2 weeks, and what you are left with is a naturally carbonated, slightly sour and vinegar tasting beverage. People either love the taste or hate the taste. I happen to cherish the taste of Kombucha, while Paul gags when he even smells the stuff.

All the ingredients you need: SCOBY, sugar, tea, flour cloth, glass bowl (must be glass).

Boil the water so any unwanted bacterias are eliminated. These bacterias can kill the SCOBY.

Add the tea until water reaches 75ish degrees and then remove the tea.

Add the SCOBY. Isn't it cute?

It definitely looks like a fetus to me. What do you think?

Cover it up with a breathable cloth. Fruit flies LOVE Kombucha.

After about a week you start to see yeast cultures. These things are good for you!

Let sit for about two weeks! May need a warning label so people don't get freaked out! =)

So how exactly is Kombucha good for you? Kombucha is particularly known for detoxifying the body. It strengthens the immune system and balances the metabolism. It helps with a whole range of symptoms, such as digestive disorders, blood pressure, arthritis, and fatigue. After the first week of drinking it I had so much constant energy. A far superior energy compared to the buzz and then crash of coffee.

The alcohol content from the fermentation process is very minimal (01-.03 percent). Even if you chugged an entire bottle of Kombucha your blood alcohol level would still test at 0. Worrying about your alcohol content after drinking a bottle of Kombucha would be like worrying about testing positive for Opiates after eating a poppy seed muffin. If you brewed it longer you would reach a higher alcohol content, but by that time the acidity in the tea would make it unbearable to drink and also unhealthy. Did you hear about Lindsay Lohan's SCRAM bracelet going off? They now say she may have set it off from drinking too much Kombucha. The company that makes the Kombucha she drinks says this theory is highly unlikely, because to reach an entire blood alcohol level of 0.03 (that's when the SCRAM bracelet goes off) she would have had to drink about 5 entire bottles of Kombucha in under, like, 20 minutes. Then again, Lindsay Lohan has done weirder things so I wouldn't put it past her. Also, if you open a bottle of Kombucha and let it sit for another 2 weeks, the alcohol content is going to increase even more. I wouldn't put that past Lindsay either.

If you are interested in Kombucha, let me know. I'd love for you to be one of my babies mamas!

2010-06-26T10:48:00.009-06:00

I'm a big fat slacker.

I almost deleted my blog. If I can't keep it up to date, I don't want it. I don't want a part of me out there, incomplete, lingering in space. I wouldn't feel at peace with myself. I would be watching an episode of Nip Tuck, and/or maybe eating a fudgesicle or something equilly delightful, thinking about this blog. Or even worse, my husband would try and make a pass at me, and I would tell him I'm "not in the mood". Why? Because my blog...it's out there...and sometimes when I sleep at night I can almost hear the faint sounds of whimpering...

Ok drama queen, get over it.
I don't really know what to talk about, so I'll just say two things.

a) I got a big fat 98% in my first nursing pre-req class! Boo-Ya. That class was effin tough. I took advantage of all the extra credit. Is it bad that when you get your final grade, you're kind down because you are thinking about all the extra credit you didn't actually have to do?

b) my dog is a pooping, pissing, barking son-of-a gun. He's 8 months old now and he still decides at random that he's going to be defiant and pee wherever he wants to. He's usually good when he gets lots of attention...but when we're at work he's home alone. Just him and his rubber squeeky chicken. These are the days he acts out, even after we get home. Here are two recent pictures of him.

The only reason we still love the little guy to pieces is because he is a Hoarder. How can you get mad at a hoarder? It's a disease, people.

He will walk around finding as many toys/random objects as he can find and then put them in a pile. He doesn't even stop to enjoy his newly acquired treasures. The picture looks like a person took a bunch of toys and made a pile, right? Our freaking DOG did that. I'm telling you...OUR DOG IS A HOARDER!!!

i ♥ him, though!!!

2010-03-09T08:46:00.020-07:00

"There are always a million reasons not to do something" -Jan, The Office

I graduated with my BS in psychology in June 2007. When people would ask me if I was planning on going back for my masters I would shutter. The thought of more school made me want to puke, especially since I graduated early by taking 18 credits every semester. Even the thought of more school exhausted me.

Well, it has almost been three years since I graduated and I guess that's how long it took to rejuvenate my mind. I officially start school again on April 5, 2010.

Dun dun dun....

Anyway, while looking through the masters degrees that WSU-Vancouver (the only option for me) offer nothing really struck my fancy. I knew I didn't want to get a Masters in Psychology. That degree is highly useless. Also, those who work in the mental health field that have a masters degree make about a dollar more than those who have a bachelor.

I have decided to take on what so many people have recommended. Nursing! It seems these days that specialty programs like Nursing are the way to go. The job opportunities are more abundant, and the pay is usually much better. Plus, it's actually something that the thought of doing excites me while nothing else does right now. When I was first toying with the idea though, the thought of going back to a community college when I already have a bachelors degree put me off. Also, I kept thinking that if I go back to school for nursing then I'm wasting my bachelor degree. All that hard work and time for nothing? But quite a few people have told me that, in their opinion, a bachelor degree in psychology and an R.N. is going to be more valuable than a master's degree these days. I hope so, because I could get my masters degree in a year and a half and it's going to take me quite a bit longer for my R.N. So I hope it's worth it. It does make me feel better when people encourage me and give me the positives. When I'm fealing poopy about going back to community college, Paul reminds me that I'm not going back to get my AA, I'm in a "specialty program". Lol -Thanks hun. One definite perk of having my bachelors degree, besides having already completed half the pre-reqs, is I get a few extra nursing points (nursing points determine if you get into the nursing program, the more points you have the more likely you are to get in). Yay! Every point is so valuable.

Oh ya, if you don't know, my big sister is an R.N. So basically I'm growing up to be just like her =)

My sister started on her nursing degree when she was still in High School. She took running start and took all the pre-req classes. If you would have asked me about nursing when I was that age I would have given you a big NO WAY. It was the least interesting thing to me, and I just wasn't mature enough for something like nursing. Going to school for four years and getting my bachelor has definitely prepared me. I have experienced what the field I'm in has to offer, and I have never been more interested or excited for nursing.

I went into the registration office at Clark College the other day...I had to wait in line with a bunch of pimple faced 18 year olds just out of High School. Even worse, some of the kids there are only 16 or 17 because they are in Running Start. And then there's the random 40 year old who started school late....and then I think....where do I fit in? By the way....community college registration offices are hell.

Wish me luck in my new venture =)

P.S. No babies until I'm doing with school. Capice?

Our little Mosie ♥

2010-01-23T12:17:00.005-07:00

After about 6 months of pleading with Paul, we finally bought a puppy! It wasn't that he didn't want to buy me one, but pure bread bichons are so expensive! Then one day I was searching and I came across some bichon-poodle puppies for sale that looked just like baby bichons. We called the lady up and she said they take after their momma, the Bichon. We basically stole the little bundle of joy!

On the ride home...almost 8 weeks old.

His name is Mose. Mose is actually an Amish name meaning "savior"...stemming from the name Moses. Which kind of fits cause he's all white and fluffy...like Moses' beard! But actually, we didn't name him Mose because he reminds of of Moses. We named him Mose after Dwight's cousin Mose....ya know, from The Office =)

Two days after we got him I took him to the vet to get his first shots and he weighed 2 1/2 pounds at 8 weeks old. Now he's almost 11 weeks and he's doubled in size. He's got to be a massive 4 pounds now.

So...a couple blogs back I shared that my maternal instinct were starting to kick in. I knew 100% that I didn't want to have a baby for a good three+ years, but that didn't stop the instincts. Although I didn't want a baby, I was often thinking about what it will be like. I just...felt like I needed something to take care of. Then I had the thought that if I had a puppy to take care of and be its "mommy" that the instincts would somewhat be fulfilled. It's just the thing I needed....because my mommy instincts have been fulfilled 100% - more than I ever thought. I don't even think about babies right now. I get to enjoy my newly married life and all the fun things I get to do while it's just the two of us + Mosie.

Oh, by the way, before I ever got a puppy I always thought it was gross when people let there dogs lick there face. I'm "that" person now. Oh brother...

The house

2009-12-08T14:39:00.030-07:00

It took me forever, but I finally took pictures of

the house ♥

From the entryway

Going into the living room

Living room. Paul is playing Call of Duty :P

Living Room #2

Paul again

From the entryway, looking up to the second floor

Dining room

Kitchen and Dining Room

Kitchen again

Our new stove

Our new fridge

Pot rack that I ♥ ♥ ♥!!!

My Red laundry room!

Downstairs Bathroom

Downstairs Bathroom #2

Above the front door

Our wedding picture with vinyl wall lettering in the Dining Room:) Love it

Always and Forever

Going up the stairs

Our wedding announcement displayed at the first landing going up the stairs

More wedding pictures at the top of the stairs in the hallways

Upstairs hallway area

Looking down from the top

Looking down the stairs

Some cabinets in the upstairs hallway area

My bathroom!

My Bathroom #2

My Bathroom #3

More cute wall vinyl!

"Baby Room" (exercise room for now)

"Baby Room" #2

Guest Room and Paul's junk, come stay with us!

What is Dwight Schrute doing there?!

Our bedroom

Our bedroom #2

Paul's bathroom

That's all!
We both LOVE owning our home and we feel so blessed :)

I ♥ flannel

2009-11-26T10:00:00.012-07:00

First of all, happy Thanksgiving! I have to work today =-( ....BUT, since it is Thanksgiving, I will say that although I have to work today, I am SO very thankful I have a job.

I just patted myself on the back for being optimistic. It was hard =) .......(that's what she said).

The real reason I am writing this blog is to tell you all that I have now succumbed to the hobby of........collecting baby clothes. It is true.

By the way, I didn't know how to spell 'succumbed', so I typed 'sucummed' into Google so it could auto correct me if I spelt it wrong. Turns out I did spell it wrong....I also learned that Su is a young petite Asian who is looking for a good time. My gosh!

Anyway, ya might think I'm jumping the gun a little bit by buying 24 month old toddler clothing when I'm not even expecting, or planning to expect, but if you were to compare me to my sister, who had a whole tub full of new baby clothes before she even got married, you'd think I was a little more sane.

It's not like a was looking either. I was looking for something for my little nephew when I stumbled across two little flannels. If you know me well, you know I have this obsession with flannel. I'll take hick flannel, or I'll take rocker flannel (which are two totally different things, btw). If it's flannel, I'll take it. When Paul met me, he had one flannel hiding in a box. Now more than half of his winter wardrobe consists of flannel. He doesn't even wear the other half, which means my husband is wearing flannel always 100% of the time. What can I say, flannel is my oyster.

Baby boys look good in cute little onesies with teddy bears and giraffes on them. But once they get to be toddlers, there is nothing cuter than a little boy dressed in flannel with an adorable little pair of Romeos on. Especially if he looks just like his daddy!

No Rene, not prego yet ;)

2009-10-30T11:45:00.014-06:00

When Paul and I have our special alone time, we don't get out the Reddi Wip. No, we get out something much more sensual. We get out our Dyson Animal.

Its seriously that good.

Yes, I am going to talk about our vacuum. I have to. I need to. I've never done one of these mom-ish blogs before, but I feel this burning desire deep within my bosom. It's calling my name, haunting me. I'm afraid my maternal instincts have developed.

The Dyson Animal is so rad. Coolest vacuum ever.

When we bought our house and went to Best Buy to buy our appliances, Paul suggested we buy a good vacuum. If you're going to spend 6 grand, what's another 550 bucks right? Plus, we got the guys at BB to knock off two grand of the total price, so we thought since we had extra "savings" (rationalizing at its finest). At first I thought, "550 bucks! Damn! This thing looks like a plastic transformer toy!". I was having the hardest time convincing myself that 550 bucks was worth it for a vacuum.

So, what does any God-fearing American do in a situation like this? Internet reviews!

I got online and people were raving about the Dyson Animal. I don't know how many times I read that same old line about somebody going over their floor with their old vacuum and then going over it again with their new Dyson, only to find pounds of dirt and hair. I thought, Ya, right, people working for Dyson must be really bored to post fake reviews.

I swear to you people that they are not fake reviews. When I would vacuum our floor with our old vacuum it would come out looking pretty darn good. Little did I know how much dirt and grime still lie beneath. We took our Dyson home, and after I vacuumed our what seemed to be clean carpet, the canister was FILLED not once, but twice with dirt and hair. And this was only for a 12x18 room people.

Now besides its amazing suckage abilities, the Dyson glides across the floor like an angel. That little ball is amazing! The vacuum can get into the most awkward of places!

Seriously. Buy one. You'll thank me later.

He called my mom a 'cougar'.

2009-10-08T09:25:00.015-06:00

This blog post is my therapy session. You are my therapist, and I am your patient.

My life is over. He called my mom a cougar. And now my life is over.

The janitor at my work, Phillip, comes in every day at 10:00. Phillip is in his 40's, but he dresses in Fubu like a young black guy in his early 20's. Nobody can really understand him at all, his Ebonics accent is really thick. He's really nice, and also really blunt, and he'll say anything he's thinking at a rate of 10 decibels louder than the average talking level. So, the first day of work I meet Phillip when he asks me, "who YOU?". The second day of work he comes in and says,

"So Bridget, I been thinkin, you got yourself a sista up dare in Olympia?".

I laugh and reply, "Hehe, ya, but she's married Phillip, sorry".

"Dats okay, nuttin wrong wit dat!"

Next week he asks about my sister again, and this time I added her children into the equation..."Three kids too Phillip. Three kids."

"Like I say before, dats okay! I take her out on da town!"

I think its pretty funny. And then it happened.

Two days ago Phillip says to me, "I guess yo sister aint comin' down an'time soon huh?"

"Naw, she's really busy all the time with her kids"

"Dats okay, I wanna know more 'bout yo mom! I bet yo moms a cougar!"

You bet my Mom's a Cougar?!?!

Nobody has ever referred to my mother as a Cougar. And just in case you don't know:

Urban Dictionary definition of Cougar: Noun. 'A 35+ year old female who is on the "hunt" for a much younger, energetic, willing-to-do-anything male. The cougar can frequently be seen in a padded bra, cleavage exposed, propped up against a swanky bar in San Francisco (or other cities) waiting, watching, calculating; gearing up to sink her claws into an innocent young and strapping buck who happens to cross her path. "Man is cougar's number one prey"

All I have to say is... the only person that should be thinking 'cougar' thoughts about my mother, the woman who lovingly birthed me on that cloudy day in early June, is Norm. Plus, my mom doesn't go for men in Fubu. She's more of the Lee Jeans with a slight taper accompanied with some soft black Dr. Scholls kind of woman. That's what she's into.

My life is over.

Carpet!

2009-10-06T09:34:00.012-06:00

10.5.09

Carpet was installed today! Not really satisfied with how the pictures turned out -- carpet kind of looks like that short brown carpet that was really popular in the 80's. You know what I'm talking about...the kind that's really comfortable but butt-ugly? Our old house had it. The carpet is actually like a medium beige with a reddish undertone. Its got little specks of cream in it. We wanted a carpet that was semi shag (not the 70's shag, no thanks). Most of the shags in the carpet store were super rough, this one is super soft! I love it! It was one of the most expensive shag they had. Shag tends to be cheaper then dense carpet, but this once was 29.99 a square yard. Buuuuut wait, our carpet guy gets a discount and so we got it for 16.00 a spare yard =) Yay for discounts!

The coat closet I painted. (I'm very anal about painting. It has to be perfect, so it takes me forever). The carpet guys put the leftover carpet in the closet. Yay for that, because it was bright blue before. Also, the stairs are now carpeted!

Upstairs is all carpeted, except for the office and future baby room. Those rooms are hard wood (planning head!)

I still need to vacuum up all the little pieces of carpet that are laying around. But I have an awesome new vacuum so I'm actually excited. Oh, and I'm going to blog about my cool new vacuum, so be very excited for that. Vacuum blogs are always so interesting, of course!

My husband is so weird.

2009-10-04T21:59:00.008-06:00

tonight paul and i were taking a shower in his parents awesome new bathroom. the shower is nice and big and all fancy tile. well, when paul and i take a shower together it is our fun time. no, not the kind of fun time you're thinking of. when we take a shower together we sing show tunes, try to harmonize to disney songs, all that cool stuff. well we were trying to sing that horrible song "Jooooeeeey! I'mmmm sooooo sorrry!!!" but in old time "shoo bee doo, shoo bee doo" style. a hope you're following. anyway, i was in the middle of "shoo bee doo, shoo be doo'ing" waiting for paul's que when all the sudden paul goes, "hun, feel this tile, its freezing"...so i felt it and it was freezing. under the hot shower water it felt like an ice cube. after i commented about how insanely freezing the tile was, paul pushes my entire naked body into the tile and holds me there. now whenever i'm in any kind of discomfort or pain i start to laugh. so my whole body is pressed up against the freezing tile and i'm trying to pull back but he is too strong. and i can't even breath because i'm laughing so hard. he finally lets me go and i'm laughing so hard that i wasn't making any noise and couldn't even breath. paul couldnt tell if i was laughing or crying. ever laughed so hard you couldnt make a sound? then to top it off i was laughing so hard i couldnt control my facial muscles and i big slob of drool fell out of my mouth and landed on my foot in the shower. seriously, that tile was FREEZING. i'm married to such a weirdo...i love it.

that's all...

House Update!!!

2009-10-01T10:20:00.016-06:00

Things with the house are moving along! I've taken a few pictures as the chores progress, take a look =)

9/25/09

Ripped out all the nasty carpet upstairs. There was SO MUCH dirt underneath! EWWW!

Painters came and finished all the crown molding in the house with latex paint. It cost more, but it cleans so easily. I love it!

9/26/09

We moved all of our stuff from our condo into our garage because our lease ended and we don't want to move stuff into the house until everything is done. Now we are staying with Paul's parents for a week (its not that bad...really!)

9/28/09 & 9/29/09

Walls are painted!!! I know the laundry room looks kind of like an Easter egg gone bad, but I knew it would look good when we put in the red washer and dryer we bought. We put in the dryer last night, and it looks amazing!

9/30/09

Cabinet guy came and installed all the new cabinet doors! Now the doors match the style of our house, and you can't see the hinges. Love it! I can't wait for our cabinets to be sprayed cherry! Oh, Paul's Dad took out the nasty appliances too. You would not believe what we found underneath! Yuck!

That's all for now! I'll post more pictures as our house progresses! Have a stupendous day.

Gorilla Man. Gross.

2009-09-26T14:05:00.007-06:00

I'm just pissed off and annoyed, that's all.

Why can't people just move on?

My ex boyfriend, who I have been separated from for almost three years now, made his mom delete me from her facebook account. She wrote me a message apologizing, telling me he was mad at her and she had to delete me. Seriously? Really? The only reason you would be mad at your mother for being "facebook friends" with your ex girlfriend is if you haden't moved on. C'mon dude, I'm happily married, get over it and stop being such a loser. The funny thing is, I didn't even talk to her that much on facebook. We never mentioned my ex boyfriends name once during small chit chat, and the whole reason I added her was because I found out her mother had terminal cancer and I wanted to give my condolences. Seriously, is it so hard to grow up and act like an mature adult (ignore the immature gorilla man picture)?

Oh, its because hes a ginger, that's why. Gingers are always bitter at the world, for obvious reasons.

Gag.

2009-09-14T18:02:00.004-06:00

Just watched Oprah cry all over Whitney Houston as she talked about Bobbi Brown and her drug problems. Oprah + Whitney Houston + Bobbi + Crack = Pure Television Bliss. Not.

Gag.

The Newlywed Game

2009-09-09T10:59:00.015-06:00

While paroozing blogs at work, I came across this Q & A and decided to steal it from somebody who's blog I enjoy reading. Have you ever seen an episode of the The Newlywed Game? It was popular in the 1970's, so unless you've got a closet full of old, puke-brown corduroy pants, you've probably only seen re-runs. This laughable game show has a simple method for humor: the host asks a group of newlywed couples a series of questions, each newlywed answering the questions not knowing what their partner has answered. The couples' answers are compared, and the newlywed couple with the most matching answers wins the game. So the big question is, how well do Paul and I know each other as newlyweds? Would we be the winners of the newlywed game? Or, would we sheepishly loose, thinking, 'wow, I guess we should have dated longer...' =) Lets find out!

♥ What are your middle names?

Brittney: Michelle and Marius

Paul: Michelle and Marius

♥ How long have you been together?

Brittney: Well, this is kind of tricky, but I say 2 years and 2 months :). And we've been happily married for over 4 months now!

Paul: Just over two years.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?

Brittney: Well, I started Stats class in January 2006, but for the first 4 months he was just that creepy looking mafia guy that sat behind me. I didn't actually talk to him tell about April. We started officially dating in July, 2007. So...before we started dating, we knew each other for 1 year and 3 months. =) I don't know what he put, but if he put something different then me, its wrong!

Paul: At least a good year at WSU.

♥ Who asked who out?

Brittney: I'm not sure if we considered it a date at the time, but I would say HE did.

Paul: I asked her out. In the classiest way I knew how.

♥ How old are each of you?

Brittney: He's 24, I'm 23, and our birthdays are two days apart!

Paul: How old are each of you? I'm 24 she's 23.

♥ Who's family do you see the most?

Brittney: His family, because they live in Vancouver too. My family lives over an hour away.

Paul: Mine. Fo Sho. Cuz they live so close. I WISH Barb and Norm lived closer tho.

♥ Do you have any children together?

Brittney: Not that either of us know about yet! =)

Paul: Yes. One. His name is Edwin. (AKA Special Ed)

♥ What about pets? Names?

Brittney: Wait, is this question asking if we have any pets and what our pet's names are, or is the question asking if we have any "pet names". Lol. Well, we do have one pet, our Greek tortoise we call Edwin. As for "pet names", Paul either calls me "Baby" or "Monkey" (Dwight called Angela Monkey on the Office...then the pet name started). Sometimes if Pauls feeling really sweet he'll call me "Beedy Little Eyes". He's a strange one.

Paul: I should have answered this one first. Yes. Edwin and Gimli. Our two Tortoises.

♥ What situation is hardest for you as a couple?

Brittney: Definitely dinner time and shower time. He'll be hungry, but I won't be hungry yet, but he'll refuse to eat without me. Or, I tell him not to take a shower without me, he says he wants to shower now, I don't want to shower until bedtime. We have some difficult trials in this marriage =)

Paul: We really don't have one. But if I had to pick one it would be our different tastes in Ice Cream. I like anything chewy in mine, she has to have crunchies in hers.

♥ Did you go to the same school?

Brittney: Same college, WSU Vancouver. As for high schools, I'm assuming far different. He went to the big, brand-new nice high school that attracted all the preppy kids, I went to the small, old druggy high school. Woohoo!

Paul: Yes we did! WSU!

♥ Where you born in the same town?

Brittney: Far from! He was born on Romania, then floated over here on a raft. I was born in some town in California that is known for its amazing Tuna.

Paul: Not even close. She was born in Fortuna, CA. I was born in Bistrita, Dracula-ville.

♥ Who is the smartest?

Brittney: Him by FAR. He'll probably say me, because that's what he does, but its all a big lie. If I beat him at Trivial Pursuit, then it was just a good day and I was extremely lucky. I may be "smarter" when it comes to fashion and home decorating, but he's a boy, and I'm soooo glad he's not. I like my boy to act like a boy =)

Paul: Her. By far.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?

Brittney: OMG, totally me, I start crying over the stupidest things. Like, if my feelings are hurt or Paul and I fight about something. I also start crying if I see an old person in distress. Especially an old person lost. Paul knows this, and he will randomly say, "Baby, look at that old man, he's so lost!". I will quickly look with great concern, but there won't be anybody there, he's just being a butt-head!

Paul: Her. By far.

♥ Where do you eat out as a couple the most?

Brittney: The Mongolian place that is really yummy but afterward you feel like crap. Yet...we still go back for more.

Paul: (That's what she said) Probably Golden Tent Mongolian.

♥ Who has the craziest exes?

Brittney: HIM. By a long shot. If the question asked "who has the most selfish exes", I might win that one. But he definitely takes the gold metal home for this question.

Paul: lol. I'll claim this one.

♥ Who has the worst temper?

Brittney: I would say its even, but neither of us are the kind of people that will get mad and start throwing things and breaking things. Maybe a slight door slam at most, just to get our point across. We are pretty gentle with each other...we use the silent treatment more than anything. When it comes to other people, Paul has the worst temper. Paul's a nice guy, until you cross him in a bad way, then he'll let you know.

Paul: Britt. She beats me with a rolling pin when we fight.

♥ Who does the cooking?

Brittney: I do most all of the cooking, but Paul is certainly capable at putting a corn dog or two in the oven every now and then. Also, I leave it to Paul to make the egg islands. He is way better at it and makes less of a mess.

Paul: Depends on the day and mood. Mostly, her. However I cook for her too.

♥ Who is more social?

Brittney: In any given situation when we're both with people we both know, I'm the loud, talkative one. Paul is currently more social because he has friends and family in Vancouver and I don't really know anybody here. I have no friends here to be dorky and mingle with. Oh, and I don't do good with strangers...but Paul could chat with a stranger for hours if he had to. Oh, and I'm like always on Facebook...if you can consider that social.

Paul: Hmm.. I think this one would be a tie. If it's people we know well, Britt. If it's new people, probably me.

♥ Who is the neat freak?

Brittney: Paul is the neater one for sure. We both aren't messy people, but I am more likely to make a mess and clean it up the next day, while Paul is more likely to make less-of-a mess and clean it up that same day. We have actually been pretty messy lately because we know we are moving soon and are going to be packing. Our motivation for keeping tidy has diminished some.

Paul: Guilty. Totally me. I HAVE to have things organized at all times.

♥ Who is more stubborn?

Brittney: That is a TIE. We are both extremely stubborn, which is the root of 99% of all our arguments. Neither of us wants to be wrong!

Paul: Britt.

♥ Who hogs the bed?

Brittney: He hogs the bed, I hog the covers. I will wake up and he is laying horizontal on the bed. But...at least I have all the covers =)

Paul: BRITT.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?

Brittney: I do, but I HAVE to get up at 5:30 for work. On any given day when I have the opportunity to sleep in, I will do so to the fullest, and I will never get up before Paul.

Paul: Britt. But not by choice. haha

♥ Where was your first date?

Brittney: I don't know how to answer this question..... I will say, Oceans 13 at Cinetopia in Vancouver.

Paul: I would consider our trip to the Zoo our first date.

♥ Who has the bigger family?

Brittney: I have the bigger immediate family. He'll probably say he has the bigger extended family, but its only because he hasn't met all the redneck cousins from my mom's side.

Paul: Britt does.

♥ Do you get flowers often?

Brittney: Maybe once every 6 months, but I would say that's a lot for being in a serious relationship. Usually a girl only get flowers at the beginning of relationships when the guy is trying to woo her.

Paul: I haven't gotten some in years. And it's been a few months since I've gotten her any. I spoil her in other ways.

♥ How do you spend the holidays?

Brittney: Makin' sweet, sweet holiday love.

Paul: Together. :)

♥ Who gets more jealous?

Brittney: Actually, neither of us ever really gets jealous, not when we were dating and not since we've been married. Paul will joke around and say that he'll kill any guy that looks at me, but joking is as far as it goes. Its not that I don't have the potential to be jealous, because I know I do, but when you trust somebody jealousy never seems to be a factor. Paul can have woman friends and I don't think twice about it because I know how he is and how his mind works. However, I know for a fact that if Paul and I werent together, but I had feelings for him, I would get super jealous if he was dating any other woman. But once he's mine, I know he's mine, I have no problems with jealousy! Doesn't it usually work the opposite way?!

Paul: hmm... I don't think either of us are really ever "jealous". I usually have the short temper when it comes to other guys googling over my wife.

♥ How long did it take to get serious?

Brittney: To get serious about what? If the question is referring National Geographic, it takes Paul about 0.00006 seconds to get serious.

Paul: 3 weeks.

♥ Who eats more?

Brittney: Paul does. He can go about 4 hours before he's needing some more food. If I had to, I would go for about 8. On the weekends, I eat way more than I need to. Not because I'm hungry, because I'm constantly with Paul and our eating cycles synchronize. Its so true.

Paul: Me. lol

♥ Who does the laundry?

Brittney: Me. And I hate folding laundry. Egh. Our deal is, I do laundry, he does the dishes. Except...I still do dishes, but he helped me fold laundry last night =)

Paul: Britt. I do the dishes

♥ Who is better with the computer?

Brittney: We both hold our own! I would say I might be slightly better when it comes to fixing computer problems or researching, but he is DEFINATELY "better" at keeping his computer clean and in good shape. Haha. RIP laptop =( Also, he's smarter at everything else. I mean everything.

Paul: I'm still gonna say Britt. Since she's the smarter one.

♥ Who drives when you are together?

Brittney: He does, it's a man's job! Although, he is a crazy driver and I should be the one driving. And he probably knew I was going to say that!

Paul: Me. :)

Our first home!

2009-09-04T13:08:00.017-06:00

For some reason I still post blogs every now and then, even though I have the feeling my blog is completely unknown to the world. Who reads my blog? No, that wasn't a rhetorical question, I actually want to know. Even if nobody reads this, I'm going to post anyway, because I have exciting news! =)

Yeah, that's a picture of a house, our house. Well, on September 11th it will officially be our house. You have no idea how super-dooper excited I am!

Our house was built in 2000, is located in an adorable, quiet neighborhood. Its on the very edge of the city, almost going out to the country, which is one thing I love. The house is laid out really cute. Whoever lived in the house last was in the middle of fixing it up, and did a fantastic job on all the crown molding. He also installed really nice, thick Brazilian cherry hardwood. A friend of Paul's who installs hardwood came to look at the house and said it is the most expensive hardwood you can get, around 6 dollars a square foot. That's about 4 grand of Brazilian cherry hardwood for the downstairs only...sheesh! I love it.

There are also some things the previous owner didn't get done, that we are left to fix up. The carpet is disgusting, disgusting, disgusting. The owner probably planned to replace the carpet after all his projects were done, so as he was fixing the house up he let all the dirt, goop and paint from the crown molding get all over. Also, he let his kids draw all over the walls with crayon. And I mean all over!!! These two things are minor though, because we would repaint and carpet to our liking anyway. We have a carpet-guy-hookup, or whatever you want to call it, and we picked out this cozy, super soft carpet and got a helluva deal!

One project of his we have to finish are the kitchen cabinets. He installed granite counter tops, and lucky for us he finished that, but he lost the house in the middle of the cabinet remodel. He put in nice molding above the cabinets and on the side of the eating bar, started sanding down some of the cupboards for re-finishing, but didn't get done with the job. Which leaves half-way sanded orange cabinets to contrast with the beautiful cherry floor. Its not so nice looking!! We had a cabinet dude (man, worker, sir) come out and he said the cabinets are in really good shape. He's going to just replace the cupboards to a more modern look, and hes going to spray the cabinets cherry colored with this new spray they have out. I'm not sure what the process is called, but the company now is contracted with Home Depot and is having really good success. Basically, the cabinets are "painted" , but its not the normal type of paint. It colors the wood any color you want, but shows all the grain still. In the end, it looks just like your cabinets were stained. Its much cheaper than getting a whole new kitchen setup, and less time consuming than sanding and re-staining, which can often lead to uneven depth in the stain if not done perfectly. Well, this is what I've heard anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see how it goes :)

Time for some pictures!

You can see the beautiful crown molding on the right side of the picture. I love crown molding :)

The living room (with nappy choice of wall color, in my opinion)

You can't really tell in these two kitchen pictures, but the cabinets really don't match with the cherry floor and gray counters. As you can see the molding he put above the cupboards. That will look nice when everything is all one color.

The whole house is painted putrid colors. The carpet is extremely nappy, but for some reason the carpet stains and crayon stains don't really show up in the pictures.

That's it! That's our simply adorable first home =) When we start to make some improvements to the house, I'll post pics! (That is ...if anybody REALLY reads this ;)) <---That's a winking smiling inside of parenthesis, not a winking smiley with a double chin.

"...buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks, oh, and one of those big fat juicy Mariner dogs too"

2009-07-11T18:51:00.013-06:00

A Day at the Park!

As a wedding present Brandon and Sarah got us tickets to a Mariners game! When Brandon found out Paul had never been to a Mariners game, actually...a baseball game period, he was appalled. The four of us (plus Jonah) had lots of fun! We took some pictures for your viewing pleasure. :)

Picture taken when we first arrived at the Cougars, I mean, Mariners game. We seriously didn't mean to match...I guess it's just something that happens once you get married!

As we were watching the Mariner's warm up, we were also watching Sarah warm up! (not-so-stealthily pick her nose!)

We tried to get on the "Kiss Cam"! All we got was somebody from three rows back shouting, "Get a Room!"

I don't know why, but I was overly excited about my cotton candy. It made me so happy.

We found our seats, and so did the big guy that sat right in front of Paul. Hahahah!

Jonah's first baseball game!

The view from our seats at Level 3. "You're such a cheapskate!"

The guy sitting next to Paul fell asleep by the third inning!

Kevin bacon was there! Well, Kevin Bacon was there until we realized that Kevin Bacon doesn't have a large mole on his right cheek.

Every time Paul and I go to Seattle, we go to Buca Di Beppo! Brandon and Sarah had never been, and they enjoyed it too. There are a few Buca's around the country, but the one in Seattle is the first (and the best!)

Paul, waiting for his evening meal.

Ciao!

I have a dream!

2009-06-10T13:43:00.017-06:00

Actually, I have many dreams, at least one for every night of the week. I've always had semi-weird dreams, usually around 2-3 times per week. Lately, however, my dreams have gone from semi-weird to outright crazy.

Ever since I moved back to Washington, I never go a night without having at least one crazy dream. According to Paul, my dreams have become so intense that I have started making many a weird noise in my sleep, something that I never used to do. Paul said, "I don't know what you're doing in your dream...but it definately sounds like you're in a bar fight". My dream last night was nothing short of psychotic.

Introducing: Brittney's Dream (6/9/09)

My dream began with me walking into a big, old, scary white house.

I'm with two other people, but of course I don't know who since I can't see their faces (I usually can't). We walk into a room that is an exact duplicate of my parent's Dining Room. The room is littered with animal heads. Not toy animal heads, real animal heads. Lying on the floor next to the window is a half stuffed deer head, and on the table is a pig head on a plate. The scary thing is, I Googled "Pig Head" and I found this image, which is almost exactly like I dreamt. In my dream I shout, "Where are we?!". This is when Michelle walks into the room. Who's Michelle?

[*Note: This weekend Brandon's baby, Jonah, was blessed at their church in Rochester. As Paul and I were pulling into the parking lot we noticed the truck in front of us said "Michelle's Taxidermy". Paul goes, "Ah...I think that's suppose to say Mitchell?". I replied, "No, I'm pretty sure 'Mitchell' is never spelt like 'Michelle"." Sure enough, out stepped a woman who had to have been All-American in Shot-put. She walks into church, we walk into church, and that was that. Well, no, because in the middle of the service Paul whispers to me, "Ah...Hun...Michelle is staring us down". So I turn to look at Michelle, and as as our eyes meet, I literally feel my life threatened by the mere glare of her eyes. She wasn't looking at me like she wanted to sock me in the face. She was looking at me like I was a piece of meat. Like piece of meat that she wanted to stuff. What we did to make Michelle tick we may never know.]

Back to the dream. In walks Michelle, who is literally growling like a wolf. Through her slobber she says, "Do you have a PROBLEM with me stuffing animals? You just wait here...", and Michelle walks out. You know how dreams can skip around without reason, either from place to place, or from one moment to another? Well, the next thing I know I'm still sitting in the dining room, but it looks different, and all the animals are gone. Then Ethan walks in. Who's Ethan?

[*Note: Paul and I are on the 2nd season of Lost. In the last episode we watched Claire is having flashbacks from when she was kidnapped before she had her baby. In Claire's flashback, she sees Ethan, a mysterious man on the island who wasn't on the flight. Nobody knows who Ethan really is. In Claire's flashback, her and Ethan get along relaly well. They have a "deal", Ethan gets to keep Claire's baby, and Claire doesn't have to take responsibility for the baby anymore. Ethan and Claire are really sweet to each other, almost as if they are dating. In Claire's flashback she sees herself lying in a doctor's room, Ethan is wearing a white doctor coat and he pulls out a big needle and injects her stomach with some mysterious fluid.]

Back to the dream. So Ethan walks into the dining room with a big grin on his face. "Hi sweetheart!" he says. I am really happy to see him too. Our attitude toward each other is just like Ethan and Claire's in her flashback. Then Ethan pulls out a big needle just like the one in Claire's flashback and says to me, "are you sure you want to give up one of your eggs?". I am very sure, until all of the sudden I get suspicious. I say, "Why are you taking out one of my eggs and and growing a child in a tube when you could just impregnate me the normal way? What is going on?" (I know, this is totally PG-13). All the sudden Ethan gets a really creepy smile on his face and says, "Well...that's a really good idea..." and walks closer and closer to me. Then, I wake up (Just in time!)

I've been tempted to buy one of those "dream books", but...I'm afraid of what it's going to tell me about myself. What do you think my dream means?

Birthdays #23 and #24!

2009-06-05T15:57:00.014-06:00

Ah yes, the day we emerged from our mother's hoo-haw. Instead of celebrating the day of our birth in it's true form, such as covering ourselves with slime, what do we do? We eat cake!

Paul's birthday is on June 3 and my birthday is on June 5. Likely in the future we'll just celebrate our birthdays together. However, this was Paul's first birthday with me and I wanted to make it extra fun. Why? Because Paul once told me that he never had a birthday party as a kid. Terrible, I know! Seeing as though his parents are Romanian, they probably just slaughtered a pig, slapped a bow on it and called it good.

While Paul was at work on his birthday, I was at home staying successfully unemployed and decorating the condo with balloons and streamers. I bought him The Simpson's seasons 1-8, a Lamaglas sweatshirt, and a year subscription to National Geographic. Oh, I also drove to Beaverton Bakery and picked up Paul's favorite poppyseed raspberry cake! Yummy!

When Paul got home he was super excited. I could see his inner child coming out. In my ideal situation he would have started crying and said something on the lines of "...I....I always wanted a birthday party...like all the other boys and girls at school....*sniff, sniff..". I'm so dramatic.

So here are the pictures. They don't look like much, but in reality I had balloons stuffed in every crack and crevice of the condo and streamers all over the entry. It was perfectly cheesy. Oh, by the way, he's 24!

"Surprise! (EEEEEeeeeeek!)"

The professional banner.

The Poppyseed Raspberry cake!

He couldn't blow out the "Trick Candles"!

Uh oh...he's onto me...

Enough about Paul's birthday...today is my birthday! Big 23. Thank you for pushing me out, Mom. I don't have much to show you, though. Paul is a boy and can only do what his biological engineering allows him. (Is that a knock on guys? you tell me). Actually, he was very sweet because he bought me......drum roll......

My favorite Pixar ever!!!

He also bought me a couple classics, Cinderella and Little Mermaid, along with a nice Ipod speaker system!

Oh, I forgot, there's one more present that I bought Paul. I can't really tell you what it is, all I can say is that it involves a whip, leather chaps, and a tickle feather. What?

being married rocks ♥

2009-06-02T17:59:00.016-06:00

It's been one month since the wedding, and I love....love love love being married! The wedding was perfect, despite a few awkward heel clicks (if you weren't there, you wouldn't know). Our professional wedding pictures take 6-8 weeks to be ready, but I do have a few pictures Paul took with his camera phone right before the wedding.

In the dress, right before I left the house

In the Rolls-Royce, on the way to the church

So excited to be Mrs. Tanca ♥

Paul walking down the isle with his Mom (that's my hot sister behind them!)

I was trying soooo hard not to cry (sniff, sniff)

So, what you're saying is...it's official?

With Paul's parent's (I guess they are my parents now too, right?!)

We are going to miss Tuci (It's pronounced Two-shee)

And...happily ever after :)

The much needed update!

2009-04-10T14:24:00.007-06:00

Hello friends, family, random stalkers. There has been so much going on with my life that I have failed to keep my blog up-to-date. For this, I sincerely apologize. How could I...("Well I'd never!")

Since my last blog, a few things have happened:

1) I got engaged, yo!! (woot, woot)

2) I moved back to Washington (how many times can a person move in 5 years?!)

3) I have managed to successfully stay unemployed for 43 days.

Ok, let me take it one thing at a time. The Engagement...

The boardwalk in downtown Vancouver is a memorable place for Paul and I. In the summer of '07 we used to go down there on sunny days and sit on one particular bench (none of the others would do). We would talk about every single person that would walk by, and unfairly label people without knowing a single aspect about their life. Example: "Lady With Lots of Cats". I know, I know, just because she is walking alone, wearing oversized clothing, has frizzy hair and is mumbling to herself, does not mean she has lots of cats...

The boardwalk is also the place where we first told each other those three special words. (If you haven't caught on, those words are I love you )

For our first Christmas together in 2007 we dressed up and went out for a really nice dinner at Portland City Grill. I had told Paul once that I have never dressed up and went to a fancy dinner, and he wanted to change that. The view was amazing and perfectly romantic. Afterward we drove around together looking at Christmas lights. We decided that we were going to make it a tradition to dress up and go out every year at Christmas. Somehow the title "Lights Night" got stuck.

This last Christmas, on December 24, we dressed up and headed out for lights night. Paul told me we needed to swing by Beaches first to pick up something for his mom (Beaches is a restaurant right on the boardwalk). I remember thinking it was totally weird and random since it was on the other side of town, but I shrugged it off. Once we pulled up to the boardwalk he said he wanted to take a walk to our bench. It was snowing outside and not a soul was around. I was freezing cold in my dress, but the snow was so romantic.

During the previous months before Christmas Paul would always say "Hey, marry me?". He wasn't ever really asking me, but it always made me blush and he knew it. He used to say it so much that I would always reply, "Ask me!"

We sat on our bench for awhile and then started to walk back. We walked a couple hundred feet when Paul kind of slowed down. I said, "Come on, it's freezing!". He then goes on to say with a smirk on his face,"Hey, marry me?". I laughed and pulled his hand as to keep walking and I said, "Ask me!". This is when he got on one knee, took out the most beautiful ring, and with a face far from joking asks, "Will you marry me?". I started crying before I could even say "yes". He told me he wasn't going to get up until I said yes, so as I was looking around making sure nobody was watching (I hate attention like that!) and said, "YES!"

The move...

On February 28 Paul took a one way flight to Salt Lake to pick me up and drive back to Washington with me. We packed my stuff in my little car and skedaddled. We turned the radio up loud, listed to every Country song ever recorded, drank Red Bulls and ate garlic Wheat Thins. and had a blast every minute of the 13 hour drive.

I lived in Salt Lake for 8 month and 14 days. If you read my very first blog I ever wrote I mention that I signed up for a year lease, and if I break it I have to pay a lot of $$$. I also said that I was pretty sure I'd be there for more than a year. Oh, life's unexpected twists...

In 5 years, I have moved many a time.

August 2004 - I moved to Rexburg, ID for my first semester of college. I get homesick.

December 2004 - I move back home to Washington and apply to WSU.

August 2005 - I move to Pullman, WA to go to WSU for a semester. I get homesick.

December 2005 - I move back to Vancouver, WA and go to school at the WSU campus there. I love the school, however, my roommate is crazy.

July 2006 - I move to another apartment in Vancouver. Once again, I find out my roommate is totally crazy.

November 2006 - I call my mom and dad crying telling them to come pick me up before I kill my roommate. They bring the truck and load up all my stuff. I move home.

April 2007 - I move into the middle of nowhere with, eh, John Doe.

June 2007 - After only two month of living in the middle of nowhere with John Doe, I discover that it was possibly the worst and saddest "move" I have ever made in my life. I move in with my sister in Adna.

January 2008 - I feel its time to find my own place, and I rent an old studio apartment in Chehalis that houses mice. I actually enjoy it there, but after awhile I need to get out of Dodge.

June 2008 - I move to Salt Lake with high expectations. I stay there for only 8 months, but it was well needed.

January 2009 - I love to Vancouver, WA, where I currently reside!

So, let me say that I LOVE Washington. When I first left Wa I didn't leave cause I was tired of the area. I just needed something new at the time. After having lived in Salt Lake for awhile, I have come to learn that life in Wa is so much more laid back. As soon as I came back I felt like I fit in again, and I was no longer that "homely-looking" girl that didn't spend enough time in front of the mirror. Let me also say that I love Vancouver. Nothing against Lewis County, but I have moved on. When I drive up there to see family, I am always glad to get back. Vancouver is big, but very nice!

The Unemployment...

I have never been one to not have a job. It make me feel like I am lazy and not doing anything with myself. Plus, you get really really bored. If I had kids, it would be a different story, but I don't. When I graduated from college I landed a good job in a couple days as a result of obsessively applying to anything I found reasonable. When I moved to Salt Lake I moved without a job already lined up. Now that was scary and I was dependant on only what was in my savings. However, I was confident that I would land a job. Again, I obsessively applied to various jobs and landed a good one.

So, I started applying for jobs a month before I moved to Portland. Out of about 100 of the jobs I applied for, two called me. I told one that I wasn't going to be in Portland for another 3 weeks, and he told me to call him when I got into town. I did so, and he ignored me. The other prospect interviewed me, and didn't hire me because I wouldn't work nights. (Paul and I both agreed that we would rather me not work than me be gone every single night. What a horrible way to start a marriage!). The lady who interviewed me told me they received 1800 applicants and they didn't even advertise the position (I found it because I happened to come across their website). A lot of people need jobs right now. Even when applying for jobs most are for night shifts because all the day shifts get nabbed my inner-office employment. I really am a firm believer that it is "who-you-know", especially in a time like this. Of all the places I have worked for, management always asked the employees first if there is somebody they know that would be good for the position. They are always interviewed first. With all the grant-cuts going on, you may get to keep your job, but hiring seems to be out of the question. I have a degree in psychology, and most places that are ideal for me are federally funded.

At least I have an amazing fiance who makes me feel so much better. He tells me not to worry. We will be able to handle all our funds so that really isn't the issue. The fact that I'm not contributing makes me feel lazy, even when it's out of my hands. For now the thought that I'm getting married in less than a month does makes me feel so much better because I can concentrate on the day. After the honeymoon I will attack the job market even more, but for now I should be thinking about MEXICO!

Adios!

♥ How do you know it's love? ♥

2008-12-14T12:26:00.042-07:00

This morning I sent Dad a text that read "I love him so much". His reply was, "How much is so much, in measurement terms?". I'm not sure you can describe it in "measurement terms". Do I love him bigger than the stars and the moon? Bigger than the sun? It's unexplainable. All a person can describe is the way love makes them feel.

How do you know it's LOVE?

You know it's love when, at beginning of the day, you are already filled with thoughts of the other person: what he is doing, what can I do to make him smile today? When something good or nice happens to you, you always think of how you must share it with him, be it a funny story or a moment of triumph. You constantly wish that he was right there with you, but even if he isn't it’s okay, because you know that soon you will be together and you anticipate that. No moment, no matter how dull it seems, is ever a moment wasted.

You become selfless. You start thinking more about what would be good for the other person than what would be good for you. Your ultimate happiness is to make that other person happy, whether it is with you or not. You don’t ask that person to make sacrifices for you, such as doing something just to prove their love to you.

You start to think of how it would be to spend the rest of your life with this person…and you relish that dream or feeling. To you, nobody is more beautiful or attractive as the person you love. It is not only love, but also devotion.

Not only is he your significant other, he is your best friend. You go to him first. You share all your secrets. You know exactly how to lift each other up when you are having a bad day. Where one person lacks, the other flourishes.

There is passion and fireworks, even after the infatuation period is normally long gone. During the most meaningless activities, such as watching TV or going shopping, your heart is racing.

There is a great deal of respect, admiration and trust for the other person. You look up to him.

And perhaps the biggest sign of all, you accept each other’s faults and shortcomings. When your hair turns gray your skin begins to wrinkle, will he still hold you hand lovingly and call you beautiful?

"From Lewis County"

2008-11-02T18:43:00.012-07:00

For Halloween this year we were allowed to dress up for work. Now, I despise Halloween parties. Too many people obnoxiously roaming around as scary ghouls, scandalous concubines, or even giant fruit. Since I never go to Halloween parties, I figured I should take advantage of this work opportunity and dress up as something that is all too familiar. I didn't title myself something generic such as "redneck". I introduce to you: "From Lewis County".

How to get this look:

Blonde mullet wig: Walmart -- best $7.00 ever spent.

Bright orange hat: DI

Red cut-off flannel shirt: DI

Wife Beater: Thanks Bryan!

Wrangler cut-off shorts: DI

Thick outdoor socks: Sunbirds de Chehalis!!

Hunting boots: DI. These are actually really comfortable though...and I'm keepin' em'.

Uni-brow: Black eyeliner

5 o'clock shadow: Brown eyeshadow

Sweet tattoos: Michael's craft store

The Chewy Spree: An Abomination to Us All

2008-09-24T15:03:00.016-06:00

Besides chocolate (duh), my favorite candy is the Spree. They last a long time, and the fat content in them makes them a close cousin to the ice cube.

Spree is made by Nestle and comes in 5 different colors (flavors). I know this because I just unwrapped my entire spree tube and divided the colors in their own little groups. I am a strong believer in Spree segregation. This way you don't get stuck with 5 of the same flavor at the end of the tube. My taste buds aren’t quite up to par at the moment because I just damaged them eating a blue raspberry Warhead, but I will do the best I can in distinguishing what these colors mean.

Orange Spree: Not quite orange, more like tangerine.

Red Spree: Strawberry

Green Spree: Sour Apple

Yellow Spree: Lemon?

Purple Spree: Grape, of course (the one nobody wants)

Now that I have introduced you to the Spree, here is my beef:

Awhile back the Chewy Spree came into the scene like it owned the place.

Chewy Sprees are well, chewy. The outside is sweet like the original Spree, but there is no candy shell. When you eat a regular Spree, it’s like you get two treats. A treat within a treat. First, you encounter the hard, sweet outer shell that can lasts anywhere from 2-5 glorious minutes (depending if you are sucking hard or simply letting it hibernate in the side of your mouth as saliva slowly crawls forward and tries to seep from your lips). Second, there is the tart white inside of the Spree the eventually makes you want to crunch down. Who you are in this world could be determined by how small you can get an original spree without breaking it.

Chewy Sprees do not have that special treat within a treat. You simply pop it into your mouth and chomp away, all the while the sweet outer flavor gets mixed in with the tart inner flavor. Now I’m not saying Chewy Sprees are bad, they are just…shallow.

Both the original Spree package and the Chewy Spree package state “Kick in the Mouth”. I believe the chewy Spree reeping the glory of the original Spree is nothing short of an abomination! Kick in the Mouth? More like Kick in the Shin!

Between a rock and a hard place...

2008-09-06T18:00:00.034-06:00

August 27th was the perfect night for longboarding. Rachael had arrived a few short hours before, and at approximately 11:00 pm I give my side-kick Jason (aka Harry) a call. "You wanna ride?" I asked Harry. Harry gave this giddy school-girl giggle and replied..."uh yah!" Any night you go on an unplanned ride downtown is a good night. I informed Jason that Rachael and I would be there before he could say "Hillary Clinton Sandwich" <---- (which consists of mostly Bologna). "Ha ha"...so...did you like my joke?

Anyway, here's a creepy picture.

Why is this picture creepy? Well, one time I saw a picture of a tourist standing on the roof of the WTC, the time on the bottom corner of the picture was just a few minutes before the plane flew into the building. The tourist had a big grin on his face and was giving a "thumbs up". They ended up finding the camera. Well...not to compare my night with that poor fella's untimely adios, but look at the big smile on my face and the way my right arm is strongly grasping the shoulder of Rachael. Little did I know...

And yes...I did purposely compare my experience with the most awful, traumatic thing I could think of.

You know that saying 'Between a rock and a hard place'? Well, the rock was, eh, a rock, and the hard place was the cement, at approximately 100 South and 400 East.

A mere 30 seconds or so after the above picture was taken I'm slowly riding my longboard down the side of the road and the next thing I knowI'm on the ground. I hop up fast, tell myself I'm okay, and thenstart to feel a little dizzy. I sit on the curb and the pain starts gettin worse. I sit there for a good while, assuming the pain will just go away... plus I don't want to go to the ER, my insurance hasn't kicked in yet. However, once my arm started to spazm, I knew something wasn't right. You can see the marks where the evil rock caught on my wheel and drug against the cement. Jason and Rachael drive me to the ER, and the adventure is as follows...

I wait for Doc to come in...my arm hurts really bad...

Doc comes in and asks me how I hurt my arm. I reply, "Community Service". I think it's pretty funny...he didn't seem to think so.

I show Doc where my arm hurts.

He take x-rays. Yup, it's broken.

They give me some pain meds and Rachael starts feeding me dry crackers. GROSS!

But Rachael is nice enough to allow me some water. My nurse is hot.

The pain gets worse, and I start to cry. Rachael wipes away the tears...

They put hard cast around half of my arm and wrap me up.

I lay around my house watching the Price is Right and Family Feud.

I fractured my arm below the elbow and broke my elbow at the radius. The ortho didn't put me in a hard cast because if he did, I wouldn't be able to move my elbow when he took it off and I would need physical therapy. He said my elbow would probably be stiff for the rest of my life. So, I stay in my wrap. Because the wrap isn't tight enough my arm can move around at times, and that can hurt. Ortho's instructions: Twice a day take off my wrap and move my arm around. Uh...it's broken, it kills. I get to a point while rotating my arm that I can't go any further, and I'm suppose to make myself.

I just sent Harry a text that read, "I don't plan on leaving the cave...I feel like a mutant wildebeest". Besides my broken arm, I have developed a rash around my neck. Not sure what it's from, perhaps the medication. I'm just waiting for blindness and lepracy to kick in.

Oh, by the way, don't feel sorry for me. Me and Rachael both agree I am being punshed because right before I wrecked we were flashing our tata's at each other. We thought it was funny at the time. At least it wasn't a lightnight bold. Rachael, however, was flashing her tata's too, so if I were her I'd be watching my back. Hopefully big guns up stairs don't have a shiny little rock waiting for her too.

Are they wild?

2008-06-23T23:17:00.006-06:00

This blog is dedicatd to my favorite sister Brook:

A couple days I'm talking to a guy I meet. We are talking about Utah and how pretty the mountains and scenery can be...and I say, "When I was driving into Salt Lake the first night I got here I noticed the torch lit up in the sky...it's so pretty! Isn't that the torch from the Olympics, the one that they never let go out?" He smirks a little, and replies...."Well, actually that's just the refinery...but it sounds like such a good idea I'll talk to the mayor about it...maybe he can pull some strings."

That was a "DIP" moment. Brook....are they wild?!

If you are reading this and have no idea what I am talking about, that's unfortunate.

Adios Lewis County.

2008-06-18T01:56:00.002-06:00

Tis such a bitter sweet day for me. I will greatly miss the aroma of sweet lavander and meth floating in the breeze. Oh how I mourn...

Well I'm finally in my apartment. My shenanigans are scattered about my 425 square foot "living space". It is very small but very cute. I can't wait until Dad brings my stuff...I feel like a bum right now. My phone of course had to break down on Saturday. It's really hard being so far away without a phone. Luckily I had a one year warrently so it cost me zilch for a new one. Then the apartment guy insisted on reading the whole lease out to me word by word like I'm illiterate.

So I unpack all my ish. I'm sweating cause its 95 outside. It's a good thing Barb blessed me with such amazing pythons because I carried three humungo boxes up my steps and into my apartment. There is a lovely tree shading my window by the way. I don't know what kind of tree it is...perhaps its a schlumunga tree. That's a tree native to my mind. Anyway, so finally I get everything in my apartment and...emergency...I need milk. So I mapquest the nearest slice of purgatory called Wal-Mart, (a.k.a Satan's butthole). Sweet....only 2 miles away! I get to Walmart (which by the way has a double deck parking garage...I'm definetly not in Kansas anymore). I do my Wal-Mart thing, drive home, and can't find my apartment key. I search my purse, car, and sidewalk 10 times over. Not in my car or purse so I must have dropped it...but it's not on the ground which means Chico came and swept it up.

I frantically search around, all the while my vanilla ice cream bars are melting in my car. Finally I go to the front office, which is open 24 hours since some of the apartments are rented as hotel rooms. Yeah...they made me another key, for 35 stinkin' bucks! The guy at the front desk was exactly like Fletch when he puts the big false teeth in. That took a little pain off the 35 dollar fee. Anyway, lesson learned, get a key ring ASAP. As I was bringing stuff inside my new neighbor kindly offered me one of her many key rings. This perticular one read, "I have PMS and a gun. Did you say something?". I kindly thanked her and then in the shadows replaced it with the WSU cougar that used to hang from my rear view mirror. Actually, my neighbor is nice. Odd. Nice. .....Odd. She has a lot of tattoos and a really short hair cut. She reminds me of someone....hmm....I can't quite put my finger on it. Oh, wait, I remember...a man. She reminds me of a man. She is way nice. We were talking about the neighborhood hot spots (wendy's, taco bell) and she says...."You don't mind gay people do you?". Woulda never guessed that one...

The first day I arrived in Utah I filled up in Salt Lake for gas. The guy at the counter asked me in a really thick accent if I wanted to "buy beers and cigerrettes?". Um, no thanks, just the PowerAid. He proceeds, "Do you want to drink beers with me tonight?". Ah...naw. Naw I'm good. "Would you like to be my girlfriend?". This guy was 100% serious. So I walk out the door and this other guy was leaning against my car. I noticed him staring at me as I walked into the gas station. He told me his name was Angel. Except when he introduced himself he said..."I'm Aaaaangeeel". Long....drawn out....sexy. Not. Then he proceeds to invite me to sleep in the cab of his truck. Straight Out. I got in my car and booked it. So today I'm at another gas station (obviously gas station=creeps) and when I go up to buy my PowerAid the lady at the counter says..."Oh the guy before you bought your PowerAid for you". Atthat moment the whole world stopped. I felt in slow motion as I slowly turned around expecting to see the most gorgeous guy in the world. I was about to come face to face with the man of my dreams. I turned my body, squared up, and there stood before me was Chester. I don't really know his name, but Chester is quite suitable. I think I even spotted some druel seeping from the left side of his mouth. Staring at me, he smiled, and gave the most creepy, discusting wink and walked out. Where did I move to!! Yeah...there are creepy people in Washington. But they are more the 'hide in the bushes' type creepy. Where are all the bushes?!

I have an interview tomorrow morning. Think I might wear my belly shirt.