mandaloo

i just got done with my first tanning session (yes – i realize that i said i would do this the other day but i got distracted).

first off… i realize why it's mainly the rich girls that are all beautiful and perfect and such. or maybe i'm just cheap when it comes to enhancing aesthetic appeal… but this tanning stuff can add up. first you have your membership or whatnot. then you need to buy eye protection. and then you need this lotion stuff that they sell – and the cheapest one was as much as my membership. and i've decided that if i had unlimited resources (i.e. – personal trainer, tanning salon, pedicures/manicures, top notch skin care, expensive hair people to professionally color my hair, etc.), i, too, could be one of the "beautiful people." but my aim is not to become a beautiful person… my purposes are much more practical… i'm going to be in my friend's wedding photos. and i don't want to be the white girl with a severe farmers' tan and liquid paper white legs. period.

anyhoo, so i get to the salon and the first thing that the girl there asks without me saying a word is, "this is your first time, isn't it?" i nod yes. she starts asking me all of these questions about what kind of bed i'm interested in, etc., and after a good twenty seconds of looking at the blank stare on my face, she is like, "here – let me give you a tour." she couldn't believe that i had never tanned before (which i guess is the norm with this crowd). so i got a membership, asked some questions, and before i knew it, i was alone in a room staring at a tanning bed. so, feeling a bit scandalous, i stripped down and did my four minutes in the bed. it didn't even feel like four minutes, actually… but the timer was accurate. i'm hoping that i'll see a change in the near future. i'll eventually work my way up to more and more time. i'm excited to see some change… goodbye, casper-impersonating mandy!

the most random of things give me joy and bring a smile to my face. last friday, i was riding with a coworker to go to a site where we were going to test some groundwater. i glance out the window of the truck and i see this old motorcycle dude on a sweet looking cruiser. he has the whole getup – bandana on his head, sunglasses, leather vest, etc. and then upon further inspection, my coworker goes, “what is strapped to his back?” and we look – and it’s a walking cane. yes – a walking cane strapped to his back. oh – but it gets better – we pass this guy and what is he wearing on his feet? a brand spankin’ new pair of chuck taylors (my shoe of choice). i smiled b/c that man is my hero. i still giggle to myself when i think of him – he’s keepin’ it real. or whatever that means.

work was slow yesterday and i just kinda got this weird feeling like i needed to spend the afternoon with my grandma, so at noon i left and surprised her. she’s had her hands full with taking care of the puppies during the day, so she was more than delighted when she realized that i would be there to help with the feedings. she said that the day had been crazy and she couldn’t get over the fact that i came at just the right time. i love when stuff like that happens. i’d like to think beautiful happenings like this isn’t just some fluke or coincidence. i’m really close to my grandmother (aka – “dee dee”). she and i have been close my whole life and she’s always been my biggest fan. i’ve had a life full of shallow relationships and goodbyes due to constant moves or various situations – but she’s been my one constant friend – i can truly say that nobody could ask for a more loving grandparent than what i have been blessed with. yesterday evening, i finally got around to recovering my chair cushions, and on friday, jeromy and i plan to swing by my parents’ house to take all of the finished chairs to my place. now – after two months of living at my new place – i’ll finally have a complete table/chair set in the dining area. this, my dear friends, is called procrastinated progress. (more…)

the past couple of days have been good. on thursday, i wanted to do something special for jeromy. the day marked five months since we both told each other that we dug on another, and since we’ve been inseparable since then, it’s kinda the beginning of everything. i wanted to have a romantic evening in, and i thought that an expected gift and a cooked dinner would be the way to go. i decided i was going to buy some fishing lures for him. i’m completely clueless on all of that kind of stuff, so susan met me at the store and helped me get the kind of lures jeromy likes to use. in addition to the lures, i got him some shotgun shells (we called brandon for help with that), an orange water gun, an orange can holder, and a candy bar. i found a great little card and got everything in a gift bag before jeromy got to my place. dinner was almost ready by the time he walked through the door, so the timing worked out great. he liked his gifts and ate all of his meal. i thought that afterwards, we could watch a movie on tv or something, but he crashed right then and there at the glorious hour of eight pm. so maybe my special evening didn’t turn out exactly the way i thought it would, but that was fine. he’s been so tired with everything lately, so i let him do his napping until i finally woke him up and was like, “jeromy – it’s eleven o clock…” note to self: the next time i want a nice couples’ night event, i’ll push dinner time back to 10 pm.

friday night was quiet. i went to mom’s, got bacon, and hung out at home all night. jeromy went to do his guy thing and spent the evening with neo. i think they got some stuff done on their various tek projects.

yesterday, i did a ton of laundry and went shopping at sam moon with jeromy’s mom and sisters.  we had a good time.  i scored a new wallet (i’ve had the same one since i was 16) and a new purse for work.  last night, jeromy and i met melissa and neo downtown.  we ate at uno’s and ventured down to the arts festival downtown.  there were a lot of people, but it was a good time.  the four of us hung out and watched tv at neo’s place for the rest of the evening until we all got tired.  

 not much slated for today… just church here in a bit (i woke up entirely too early for it this morning… i couldn’t sleep last night) and probably a good sunday nap to follow… ah.

i said earlier that i would post more pics from arkansas…

i'm being lazy and stuff, but jeromy posted some pictures, so please visit jeromy's blog if you're interested in seeing them.  kthanx.

on the way into work today, traffic slowed down and i saw all of this smoke coming up.  come to find out, there was a car on fire on the side of the road.  when i passed by, i realized that it had all just happened.  i don’t know exactly what was going on b/c the front of the car looked like it had hit something b/c the front was messed up and the tires were deflated and all, but i didn’t see any other vehicles.  there were flames coming out of the front of the car, though.  a pick up truck had stopped behind it and a guy with a fire extinguisher got out.  this poor lady (the driver i’m assuming) was near the car and was frantic.  i thought to myself – “wow – i’m so glad that my day isn’t starting out with my car catching on fire.”  i never realized how much there is to be thankful for on a daily basis – even when there is nothing super out of the ordinary going on.  (more…)

this weekend was a complete blast.  on friday, i left work and jeromy and i got packed up and ready to go to arkansas.  we got on the road a little later than what we had planned, but that was okay.  when we stopped at a gas station, we saw this one young guy get out of a nice yellow car but he was wearing the most ridiculous getup… and i don’t think it was for fun.  if memory serves me correct, i think his shorts were a pink/yellow plaid and he was wearing a blue shirt or something.  anyone with functioning eyes should have known better.  jeromy and i came to the conclusion that he was an easter egg trying to find his way to a basket or the easter bunny or something.  it was hilarious.  i slept most of the way to arkansas.  i know that jeromy was exhausted when we pulled onto the property around one or two in the morning – i’m not sure what time it was.  we crashed when we got there.   (more…)

i leave for arkansas today for a weekend full of fun and i’m so excited.  the rest of jeromy’s family went there last night, but jeromy is staying behind since i’m working.  i have decided not to take bacon this time for multiple reasons – but i have a feeling that she’ll make an appearance at a future trip.

i recovered from my angry sinus illness from earlier this week.  i’m just a little tired, but no bad residual stuff hanging on.  i was glad when my decongestant kicked in. on wednesday night, i took pam out to olive garden (her birthday was this last sunday).  we caught up on all of the girl talk and whatnot.  afterwards, she went with me to a tanning place so i could ask some questions about how much it would cost for me to get some pigment on my body.  i have a feeling i’ll be signing up soon (once i get some funds).  to finish off my girl-esque night, i spent the rest of the evening scrapbooking.  good stuff. 

pam sent me some easter treats up here at work today.  i was super surprised to get a box delivered to my desk – i looked at the mail guy and said, “you sure that’s for me?”  and sure enough – it was a basket of candy and a nice milk chocolate bar with a sweet note from pam.  i’m so blessed to have people that think about me and spoil me rotten.

despite the easter goodies, i’m trying to lose weight for this wedding next month.  i ate a bunch of salad for dinner the a couple of nights ago (which is extra healthy for me b/c i don’t eat dressing on salads) and i had a bunch of salad yesterday.  i need to throw in some exercise and maybe i’ll be looking good by the time the heavy summer months come around.  maybe not, though.  we’ll just see.  i’m taking baby steps. 

i’ve been mega productive at work lately.  projects are wrapping up and i’m starting to feel like i can breathe again.  i’m really digging my window spot… the sunlight coming through curbs the “afternoon drowsiness” i used to get sitting in my old spot.  it rocks.  i get to go to austin for a couple of nights in may for work.  it will be fun b/c i’ll be with a bunch of coworkers and i know that there will be craziness to be had in the evenings.

i made a photo album for susan and jeff as their wedding gift from me.  i’ll be giving it to susan tonight in arkansas.  below are some of the shots i took at the wedding (except for the one with me in it, of course):

susan getting ready 

susan before the ceremony

kaitlyn waiting patiently before the ceremony

susan showing her blue petticoat

jeromy and susan

jeff’s face when he saw susan 

jeff looking at the ring

picture of the family 

susan and jeff kissing 

jeromy and i at the reception 

jeff taking off the garter 

jeromy and the garter

last night, i was feeling really crummy, and i didn't feel like cooking, so jeromy and i were going to catch some chik fil a.  he asked if he could drive my car and i said he could.  (which is a huge huge huge deal b/c i didn't even let my ex husband drive my car until it was two days before the wedding – so i told jeromy to take it as a sign of my undying adoration to let him behind the wheel of my rosie.)  anyhoo, when we're pulling out, we have a little chat of how guys driving vw beetles have a tendency to look gay (since they're not the manliest of cars… they have a flower vase built in for pete's sake) and that jeromy would look less gay with me sitting beside him.  we get to the light and there are these girls in the car next us honking away and motioning to us.  we ignore them at first but then i finally realize that the reason they are honking and yelling is because they saw my "honk if you scrapbook" sign hanging in my window.  they were giving "thumbs up" and yelling "scrapbooking" while honking the horn.  i've had this sign up for a good year and a half now and NOBODY has ever honked due to its prescence.  it was hilarious that the first time someone responded to it was when jeromy was behind the wheel!  i died laughing as he looked like he wanted to be buried.  i tried to console him and let him know that people can probably figure out that he's driving my car, but it didn't seem to help.  i got a kick out of it. 

jeromy informed me that the next time he drives rosie, the sign is coming down.