Time is flying...

It's been ages since my last post.  I remember sitting in Panera (waiting on Jeremi to pick me up because at the time we only had one car) writing my last post.  So much has happened since then and the whole time I kept thinking, I really should blog again.  One, because I find it therapeutic, and two, because I appreciate the log it keeps of my life since time is moving by faster than I can keep track.  Also, I'm still not too keen on posting my life on facebook, but want to share with family and friends. (although not sure if anyone would even still be reading this)  Since my last post, I started nursing school and am in my last semester, worked as a ophthalmology assistant for a year and quit when school was beginning to take up more and more of my time, got an airstream! and had other numerous adventures.  Here's some pics to capture all that in review.  

March 2012 - our first trip to Disney World together, which also included a trip to St. Petersburg for Jeremi's work conference, and celebrating the wedding of my beloved friend Em from college (which I naturally could not find a pic of)

 May 2012 - switched from canoeing into kayaking and got our first kayaks.  this is me ecstatically goofing around in the yard with my new kayak.

May 2012 - started go kayaking/camping in hammocks, which is an amazing way to connect with God and nature

July 2012 - went through yet another sleep study, which led to not finding out much except that i have "idiopathic narcolepsy"

 September 2012 - spent lots and lots of time studying for nursing school as pictured with one of my best study buddies

October 2012 - attended a few WVU football games, including the first stripe the stadium game

October 2012 - married off one of my the flip girls from childhood

Christmas 2012 - Switched over to a fake tree, which I was a little sad about but fit much better into our tiny house

Christmas 2012 - Jeremi and his dad smoking xmas cigars

Christmas 2012 - Caesar and a his "Uncle Nick"

February 2013 - spent more time studying in my favorite "fancy" library

 March 2013 - upgraded Easter baskets for Jeremi and me

May 2013 - Hiked up to Mcaffee's Knob on the Appalachian Trail...

May 2013 - which landed Caesar in the hospital for overexhaustion/dehydration :/

June 2013 - continued to kayak as much as humanly possible

June 2013 - participated in my first color run

July 2013 - BOUGHT AN AIRSTREAM! (it's dinged and dented and needs love and cleaning, but definitely a dream come true!)

July 2013 - went for our first camping adventure in the airstream at an airstream only park we discovered that's only 45 minutes away from Roanoke

August 2013 - made my first quinoa dish recently

August 2013 - also made my first pull apart cupcake cake

 August 2013 - went on our first obx trip (to Hatteras) together (Jeremi has been before and I have been to the Nag's Head fishing pier as a kid, which was the extent of my obx experience prior to)

August 2013 - Caesar's first time on the beach (wish I could upload videos, but haven't figured that out yet)

 August 2013 - At the Hatteras lighthouse

August 2013 - Married off my beloved SIL 

August 2013 - my parents and me at my SIL's wedding

Thumpity, thump, thump and The Nasty and other Updates

Sometimes it's been so long since I've posted that I don't know where to begin to update folks.  (Not that anything earth shatteringly exciting has happened, but you know what I mean.)  So, here's what's been on my mind lately, and a few update-y things too!

A quick update since last post:
-  I did not get to see Tony Bennett in Pittsburgh.  Also, it was a crazy weekend (in a not so great way) and my beloved Steelers lost to the Ravens that weekend too. :(

- On a positive note, we had a fabulous holiday season.  It's crazy to think it's been nearly a month since Christmas.  We spent our Thanksgiving in Bluefield and our families were gracious enough to come to Roanoke to spend Christmas here.  Fun times!

- I'm in that weird transition period of changing jobs.  After about three and half months of working retail, I'm finally escaping it all.  While I didn't mind it, it'll be nice to have a "real" and full time job with regular hours.  What's next on the list you may ask?  I'm going to be training to be an ophthalmology assistant at a local eye center.  I'm stoked about the opportunity and glad to be getting back into the medical field.  Plus,  ever since those weird moments of eye dissections, I've always been fascinated by the eye and how it can be both simple and complex.

- I'm trying to get use to the mundane-ness of life.  Now that we're settled into a place that we love, and have some kind of routine established and have some semblance of a life plan, I find being "settled" a little bit on the boring side.  I'm already always thinking... what are we going to do on the weekends, planning out fabulous trips/vacations in my mind and daydreaming about river floats and camping for this upcoming spring/summer.  I know, I need a lecture in living in the now...

So, to explain the title, and getting back to the now...
- One of the greatest daily joys I have found is in owning a dog.  I tell Jeremi constantly that I can't imagine our life without a dog.  (Sometimes I even wonder to myself why we didn't incorporate Caesar into our wedding.  Then I remember, oops, we didn't have him then and he wasn't born until after then.)  I think dogs are experts in living in the now.  No matter how hard it is to find the strength to crawl out of bed in the morning or to come home and be pleasant after a long day, a dog greeting you with his wagging tail always seems to say, "How can you be sad/frustrated/grumpy?  We're together, we're full of life, all is welllllll.  We should rejoice!"  This is what our Saturday mornings are like.  As soon as we wake up, Caesar knows it and is asking (by placing his chin on the bed) to hop into bed with us.  Once we let him, all you can hear is the Thumpity, Thump of his tail proclaiming us to rejoice.

- Now on to The Nasty...  It's not in any way what you might think...  Lately I'm on a quest to lose weight the healthy way and get into a regular exercise routine of some sorts all with the intention of looking great come kayak/canoe season!  So, when I got an email from our church about yoga classes being offered, I forced myself to sign up.  (If you don't already know this, I'm sheepishly shy about group exercise and gyms.)  And to top it all off, I talked Jeremi into taking the class with me.  We've only been to one class so far, but we both love it for different reasons.  But back to my point, after our first class, I'm talking excitedly about yoga and how I'm glad we decided to sign up and Jeremi mentions The Nasty.  Of course, I have no clue what he's talking about.  Then he describes the end of the class and I realize he's referring to Namaste, the phrase spoken at the end.  It has various interpretations but the one I love best is: I bow to your true self.  Sometimes I think Jeremi concocts these moments to make me laugh hysterically; sometimes I know he does it for that reason.  Either way, any time he mentions The Nasty I cackle hysterically nearly every time.  Hopefully I don't do it in yoga class tonight though...

So, that's what's up in a nutshell...  I hope to write more steadily in this new year so hopefully you'll hear from me soon.

Hate that I didn't realize Tony Bennett was in Pittsburgh! And worse yet that I couldn't convince anyone to be seeking out tickets with me...

My Spirit Animal

This has to be the most ridiculous post I've ever written, but I felt so compelled...

I just finished reading Girls in White Dresses  by Jennifer Close.  Yes, it's chic lit (as they say), but it was a fun, light read; something I was desperately seeking as a break to Sophie's Choice (which I still have not finished).

One of the girls in the book is invited to a costume party where you're suppose to go dressed up as your spirit animal.  (Isn't that the most bizarre thing you're ever heard!  Don't you wish you were invited?!?)  My best guess is that your spirit animal is an animal that embodies who you are.

And so, I got to thinking... If I had a spirit animal what would it be?

The answer:  A hybrid of a ninja turtle and a chicken with its head cut off.  If I had mad photoshop skills, I'd show you what I meant, but I don't.  If I had to dress up, I'd have a turtle shell with chicken feet and chicken "paws."  I'd carry a nun-chuck and cover my head with a ski mask.  It would be the most ridiculous thing you could ever fathom. :)

But why would my spirit animal be a ninja turtle/chicken with its head cut off you ask?

Well, I'm like a turtle in that sometimes I just need my space and privacy.  Shells are great for that.  Also, sometimes I get a little freaked out and uncomfortable and a shell would be perfect for that too.

I'm be a ninja turtle because I see myself as a sometimes "tough" person.  I have a pretty independent I can do it myself attitude, and I like to think if I needed to conquer the world, given a pair of nun-chucks and some sweet Macgyver skills I could do it!  Maybe a cape too, because I'd like to be fashionable and a cape seems like the perfect thing.

Finally, sometimes the ADD or the Ester in me shows, and that is the chicken with its head cut off portion of my spirit animal.  While typically I'm pretty cool and calm like a turtle, other times I feel like my head and body are separated and I'm just running around trying to figure out what to do with myself as a result.  Plus, the chicken part makes me think of chicken little... and sometimes I think the sky is falling and what am I going to do about it?

Haha, riduclousness!

On another note, I would just like to add, this book made me literally laugh out loud.  I think this is one of those weird Melanie-isms.  Books sometimes make me laugh.  When I'm in public places, I try to keep quiet, but sometimes a smirk escapes and I just cannot help myself.  Then I think about how other people see me:  that Asian girl... sitting in the corner reading... smiling and laughing... at a book...
Today, I sat on the couch, read my book and laughed out loud... by myself... just me and the dog... he probably things I'm so weird... LOL

My Daily Random Rantings... And a lil Update too

It's been forever since I've posted.  Much like everything else in life, I kept meaning to, but it just never happened.

After spending the month and a half after summer classes ended job searching, I ended up interviewing and searching to no avail.  (Granted I was being picky about only working days so I can enjoy life while I'm not in school.)  So, I've given in and returned to the retail world.  Luckily my manager has been amazing with working with my "picky" schedule.

What have I learned so far?
-  I really like being on my feet and not tied to a desk, which I already knew.  Time just flies by at the store, since there's always something to do and I'm never bored.
-  I'm quite good at customer service and "styling" customers and I even enjoy it.  It's amazing how many people size up your styling ability by what you're wearing, and luckily I'm pretty decent at putting an outfit together.
-  As time goes by, I'm losing my great desire/motivation to change the world, which is a little sad. :(
-  Ruffles, lace and the color plum seem to be what's "in" right now...  That and old school sweaters...

And a few other random rantings a.k.a. piddly things I'm dying to tell somebody...

-  We're still getting by with just one car, which most days works out fine.  Today, however, I ended up having to hang out at Panera for 2 1/2 hours, which I normally wouldn't mind, but there are some super annoying and loud people sitting next to me.  And I don't want to be the person who gets up to sit on the other side of the room.  (Right now, they are taking turns loudly going over what's in their wallets... in great detail... ugh...)
-  Also, I always secretly wonder when you're at Panera or at a coffee shop by yourself what you're suppose to do with your stuff when you go to the bathroom.  Obviously I'm weird about just leaving my computer and purse alone, but I also don't want to pack up all my junk just to go potty...  Again, the stupid things I wonder about...
-  I'm noticing my ADD a lot more lately.  I find myself repeating or "voicing" in my head what people say or ask me before I can respond or answer.  And other people's conversations distract me so much sometimes, I can't think straight...

Something I'm looking forward to:  Going to the Raven's vs. Steelers game in November
Lately I'm loving:  Fall weather and Pumpkin Spice Lattes (And to think I use to be a summer girl)
What I'm reading:  Sophie's Choice, but I also pre-ordered the Steve Jobs book
Latest CD I've bought:  pre-ordered Michael Buble's Christmas CD!
My current thoughts/feelings:  Trying to enjoy the now of life and not be jaded by the past
Newest random epiphany:  A lot of women are caddy and judgmental  (a little bit of a well duh tidbit for most of you, but it still surprises me...)

Any Given Day

I follow the younghouselove.com blog pretty religiously.  It's weird how I feel like I know them because I read about their lives and what they're DIYing on their blog, but obviously I don't know them.

Anyway, one of their posts was an inspiration for today's post.  Sherry (chica from the blog) posted a video of a messy house tour, which I found very intriguing.  I always wonder what people's homes are like, both inside and out.  (Plus I'm always secretly worried about being "The Ghetto Neighbors."  Just ask Jeremi...  I religiously mow the lawn every Wednesday morning because I don't want to be the ones who make everyone else look bad.  And I senselessly worry about other ghetto neighbor behaviors.  As if either Jeremi or me is the least bit ghetto anyway...)

So, back from that crazy rant, you know me, right...

I thought it'd be fun to share what our house looks like on any given day.  I didn't want to post a video because I can't stand the sound of my "electronic" voice.  (I think I sound really annoying when I hear myself on playback.)  So, I'm taking you on a picture tour of our home, giving you full disclosure, so you can see all the little weirdnesses of our lives.  These pictures are from yesterday, so it's not exactly what it looks like anymore, but you get the idea.  And just to warn ya, there are loads of pictures so it turned out to be a really long post...

Starting in the kitchen because we usually enter in the side door of the kitchen...

Kitchen overview...  Not too bad until we move in closer...

Freshly baked bread from that morning.  Plus, a few tins I keep meaning to ask Jeremi if he thinks they're suitable for tea.  (Jeremi has been on a tea kick and he surprises me about the things he cares about... like tea tins...)  And scrap wood from when we built our wardrobe doors, not sure why it's there but obviously it hasn't been put up... lol

The K cup drawer has ended up as one of the many catchall places in our house, not sure why.   There's a timer from my med school days and the 50/10 that I'm repurposing for the kitchen, a strange wood bell thing mom re-gifted to me, and a fold out fan.  So incredibly random...

Two magnetic knife bars that I don't know what to do with since the kitchen walls are wallpapered and I don't want to screw into the wallpaper.  Who puts wallpaper in a kitchen anyway?  They've been sitting there since we moved in basically.  I'm still hoping to be enlightened as to where to put them.

More random stuff on the "bar"

More stuff on the bar that needs to go in the car.

Caesar following me around trying to figure out what in the heck I'm doing.  Pictured behind him is the lamp we bought to make our mannequin light out of.  (Which we did last night! Yay!)

Picture frame on the kitchen table I need to put up...

Box of random stuff I don't know what to do with but can't part with.   Curtain rod for the huge "dining" room window that we're going to put up once I summon up the courage to spend more money on curtains.  (Why are they soooo expensive?  It's freakin' curtains...)  And a can of paint, because we still need to get permission to paint...  Just to clarify, we already had the paint.  I didn't go buy paint before I knew if we could paint...

Overview of the kitchen/dining room...

Overview of the living room...  Notice the frames without pictures.  (I'm the queen of putting up frames and leaving them without pictures for a ridiculous amount of time.  I did put pictures in them last night after these pictures were taken though.  Small victory for me!)  Also, the mannequin we turned into a lamp last night.  Pillows that don't match... I'm working on making covers for them...

Jeremi's beloved recliner that my mom covered for us.  Also, another blank picture frame on the third shelf. lol

Better view of the mannequin and unmatching (not a word) pillow.  Plus the crocheted houndstooth pillow cover I'm working on.  (Yes, I'm secretly an old lady... crocheting and baking my own bread...)

 The entertainment center that also catches random junk.  And our newest addition, the skeleton golfer man on the left is something I picked out on a Hillsville trip with mom a long time ago.  I found it in their basement when sorting through garage sale junks.  Apparently I was the only one who thought it was soo cool, and luckily Jeremi let me put it out...

Our bedroom, which is usually the neatest looking room overall.  More empty frames above the bed that I'm planning to move elsewhere... 

The old wood towel rod where we pile our clothes... Although, you can't see the towel rod anymore... And clearly, you can see my undergarments... I warned you about the full disclosure ;)

The dresser at the end of our bed, another catchall with loads of random junk, including the street sign I "found" from our neighborhood when I was in high school...  Oh, and another blank frame...  Plus me, in the mirror, in my free freshman year of college tshirt, haha...

Junk on the bathroom sink I need to put away...

The bathroom sink... Not sure why I'm including this, lol

Boxes in the bathroom I keep meaning to cover with fabric... (Why are pretty storage boxes so expensive?)

The guest bedroom/office.  (Come visit if you're our way...)  Files on the bed from medical billing joys.

The messy desk where all the joys are had...  Plus my new Steelers cup I'm ridiculously giddy about!  (I was inspired by my SIL's WVU cup so I splurged and got myself a Steelers one.  Plus, it's polka dotted!)

Well, that ends the tour.  Hope you enjoyed the glimpse into our daily life/the mess we call home and my random rantings.  Sorry some of the pictures aren't the best quality.  I do what I can...

Random things that make me Smile

Hi.  I'm Melanie and I'm addicted to Pinterest.com

I just can't help it.  It's so much visual stimulation I just don't know what to do with myself but swing around in glee.  Ok, that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point...

Anyway, thought I'd share my "Random things that make me Smile" board for this almost weekend.

Enjoy!  Hope it makes you smile too!

http://pinterest.com/melaniejoy047/random-things-that-make-me-smile/