Today's Confession!

I am currently suffering from wanderlust... though not in the sense that I need to travel, but more of in the sense that I would like to live in a new state every few years.  Don't worry, I won't be leaving my husband for this, we have both mutually agreed that this is something we would like to do... Really get to see this big, beautiful country of ours!

So, I guess with that being said, my current domestic envy is North Carolina.  If anyone knows of any Mechanical Engineering jobs and Warehouse management jobs (for the hubbster) down there, let me know! I would like to become a resident of the state and then get my MS in Engineering Management at UNC Charlotte because they have an online program for it that would only cost me $5,000 if I was an in-state-er!

I also slightly miss Food Lion because its just so damn cheap! And the cost of housing is pretty reasonable too!

SPECIAL UPDATE!!!!

Remember that little guy that needed a home last month????   Well, he got one!!! Yay!!!! Here is an email from his new mom! She changed his name to Cassidy and he is doing well!

"Hi Everyone...

I just wanted to touch base with you all and let you know that things are going very well with  my sweet angel of a dog, Cassidy. Yesterday, after we got back from the Poconos, I took him out to Appalachian Tails here in Glastonbury and got him a mobility vest, which helps both him and I a lot. It makes it much easier for him to do stairs, get into the van, etc. I have also removed the middle seat from the van to make it more "handicapped accessible" for him.

I signed him up for training classes as well, which start on June 27th, I figure he should be mostly recovered from his neuter surgery by then... We are going to the doctor's this afternoon for a complete physical before his surgery tomorrow. If, by any chance, he has any medical issues, please be assured that they will be taken care of immediately.

He is a wonderful, beautiful dog and I love him. If all goes well with basic training, I am going to seriously investigate training classes for him to be a therapy dog. All the prospective adopters that overlooked him at the shelter have no clue what they missed out on! Lucky for me... :)

I want to thank each of you for taking care of my sweet boy for so many months, when no one else wanted him..."

Cassidy in his mobility vest

Cassidy with his new mommy!!!

YAY for happy endings!!!!!!!

its that time again... toof cleanin' time

does anyone else suck as much as i do about getting regular bi-annual cleanings?

sometime between when i graduated college and now i had a cleaning... it had been 4 years since i had had one.  i'm going in today for another cleaning. again, i can't remember the last time that i was there, but i know it was in the last 3 years sometime...

but seriously, am i the only one who does this? do i really care that much if i don't get my teeth cleaned twice a year? i mean i had braces for 5 years when i was younger, causing me to visit the dentist once a month... for FIVE YEARS!  i've had my fill of dental work, thank-you-very-much!

anyway, after today, my teeth will be squeeky clean... until i forget to make my next appointment...

Getting "Church'd"

I'm not sure many of you know or care, but I grew up Catholic. I always joked that the main rule for catholisism is "if it feels good, stop".  And I would probably still be a practicing Catholic if I didn't become a "think-for-yourselfer" right before I completed my confirmation (but that is a story for another day). 

Recently, and by that I mean in the past 2 years or so, I have been becoming more of a non-denominational Christian and by that I mean, trying more to focus on the Bible than most other religious teachings I have experienced.

WAIT, don't stop reading yet, I promise I'm not going to get all religious on your ass!

Anyway, in my journey to become more Christian, less Catholic, I have been looking for a church... but not like actively seeking, going to a different church every week, not finding what I'm looking for, kind of searching... more like, looking at teachings online, talking to people I know that are actively involved in their churches, kind of thing. Mainly, becoming a Christian in a lazy manner. 

Now I appreciate that the Bible says you need to preach your faith to others and try to get the Word out there, that's your duty as a Christian... But I am really not a fan of those people who are fanatic about thier churches.  Let me explain what I mean by this...

I call it "Getting Church'd"... no its not like getting schooled... its when you ask someone one thing about their church and then for days, weeks and months, all they talk about is how you should come to their church, how its better, are you walking with God?... that type of stuff.  It seems that normal topics are now not a part of your daily interactions. 
Church-er: "Hey, I didn't see you at my church on Sunday?"
Me: HEY, YOU ARE CROWDING ME HERE! I WILL FIND GOD ON MY OWN TIME!

No, I'm not writing this to offend anyone.  Hey, if you think you've got a great church, I would love to hear about it! Just don't make it become the only socially interactive topic we can have.  I think its wonderful when a person's life revolves around their church, and I would love for that to someday the case in my life, but I'm not there yet. I haven't recieved my calling... I'm trying! Please understand.

With that, here is a somewhat entertaining article on 10 "rules" Christians should take into consideration.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-shore/10-ways-christians-tend-t_b_562583.html

And here's your final food for thought: Going to church on Sunday and talking shit about everyone else doesn't make you a better person than the one who prays mulitple times a day and tries to be Christ-like, but doesn't go to church on Sunday... I'm just saying...

Tribute to Fallen Service Members

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/28/custom-chevrolet-camaro-is-ultimate-tribute-to-fallen-servicemen/

Awesome car by TheSpyMaster

SOMEONE ADOPT THIS DOG!!!!!

So we all know that I'm a bleeding heart when it comes to service members and pets that need homes... So let me tell you about this little fella.  If you live in CT, and are looking for a special member of your family, I have just the pup for you.

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/14682861

He has a deformed front left foot, so the shelter named him Lefty.  It doesn't bother him at all, it just stays close to his chest. He is the goofiest, sweetest guy you could ever want. He also has a handsome face and really just needs a family to love him! My mom tried to make it work, but the dog she already had wasn't having any of that, so she had to bring Lefty back :( If I didn't already have 2 dogs of my own, I would take him in a heartbeat. 

Anyway, if you live in CT or know someone who does, I implore you to have them call up Wallingford Animal Shelter and adopt this dog!!!!!  Its keeping me awake at night! He just needs some love! He's been in the shelter for 7 months... Help him find his forever home!


Wallingford Animal Shelter

5 Pent Road
Wallingford, CT 06492
Phone: 203 294-2180
Fax: 203 294-2181
Email: Seylerl@aol.com

'Nuff Said...

What a Treat!

Saturday night, after going shopping for groceries and other weekly purchases, we didn't get home until around 7. I was set on making strawberry freezer jam because I found a recipe last week and heard that strawberries are super cheap right now because of something about the orange season running into the strawberry season (or something like that). So after purchasing 4 pounds of strawberries and a case of jelly jars, I ended up with 9 jars of strawberry jam.  Its pretty delicious, if I do say so myself!  Its not quite the consistancy of normal jam, but its more delicious and way more natural!  So yeah, if anyone needs some, we have a freezer full!

After that, I was feeling lazy and not super hungry, but my wonderful hubby decided he was going to make dinner! 

Being a dork

Garlic Bread! Yum!

We sat down to eat dinner around 9pm. I felt very European! haha.  It was quite a delicious meal!  And a very nice treat to be able to watch Real Housewives of NYC while having the hubster cook!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Someone needs to step in here

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/08/airline.fees.outlook/

Alright, so I didn't agree with the bailout, but I'm kind of ok with the government stepping in to help regulate the way credit cards are fee'd.  Some of it is good, and some of it requires the credit card companies to become more creative in the way they make money off of us.

The next thing that needs to become more regulated is the airline industry.  Maybe you have read the above article, or have heard in the past day that Spirit Airlines will start charging $45 per carry on bag that has to go in the overhead compartment. Maybe you haven't heard any of this and you are now as shocked as I was when I found out.

This is outrageous!  First of all, because Spirit was the first airline that started charging for checked baggage, which means that this carry-on fee could soon become a reality at other airlines.  Secondly, it jacks up the already inflated prices even more!  Say you are going on a weekend jaunt and you only need a small bag for your apparel and necessities.  And lets say you scored a sweet deal, like you are flying from Providence to D.C. (I'm pretty sure that's a route Spirit flys), for say about $99 each way (without taxes and other fees).  Well unless you can stuff all of your things for the weekend in a purse that will fit under the seat, you've just added another $90 to your "cheap" trip.  Lets not kid ourselves though, you weren't paying $198 for your tickets anyway, it was probably closer to $250 after fuel surcharges, taxes, use charges, breathing charges... you get the idea.  So your trip turned from $200 to nearly $350... and forget about buying a snack or beverage either on board or at the terminal... You are probably pushing $400 before you even get out of the airport!

All I'm saying is that this needs to be regulated and standardized.  The government should step in here and make travelling a more pleasant experience for us all (seeing as its seems we need full body cavity searches and to sign the rights away to our first born child before we can even get in the airport).  Put a stop to the mindless charges!

Food Obsession

Yes, I am aware I just posted something, but I think this deserves its own post.  My latest food obsession is these little fellas

They are really delicious! Kind of like granola chips, if you will (or even if you won't... fine, be that way)!

Anyway, I've been bringing a bag to work with me and if I feel a little rumbly in my tumbly, I grab a small handful and it seems to stave off the hunger until I get to break or lunch.  They have lots of whole grain stuff like oats, barley, spelt, quinoa, amaranth, and flax.  I secrelty wonder if I should pour milk on them and eat them for breakfast haha.  Anyway, now that I'm done plugging them, walk, no RUN out and get some for yourself! While you are there, pick up some Yogi Tea also! They have a lot of natural flavors for that. 

Yogi also makes this flavor of Granola Crisps, but I haven't tried them yet... not a huge fan of raisins so I probably won't be trying it anytime soon.