august 30

@ 4p | 2 cents...

I took a First Aid certification class this morning and it was extememly helpful and informative. It was a four-hour class which will give me a three-year certification AND the whole thing was free through my job. :) I cut and burn myself fairly frequently, so it's nice to know what exactly to do in those situations.

I had to take the bus to the other side of campus because parking regulations forbid me from parking my car on campus anywhere other than my one designated lot. (I get to pay $30/month for that privilege) I snapped the picture below of Sanford Stadium as I rode past. All the little red dots are pre-rented cushy seats for those who want their butts comfy for the game but don't want to lug their own seats around. The first home game of the season is tomorrow night and we are planning to watch it on TV after we get back from hiking. I think Montana gave us a hiking bug cause we have been eager to get out and see nature. An 81 degree high for tomorrow should give us excellent weather. Plus, I'll enjoy my beer while watching the game even more after a little outdoor exercise.

august 27

@ 12p | 2 cents...

Well folks, I'm back from Montana and completely immersered in work that piled up in my absence. The trip went okay, but there was a lot of sitting around since there was only one vehicle (the "Monstrous") between 5 people and various preparations that weren't made before we arrived. I guess that happens sometimes when you stay at a friend's house for free. Glacier Nat'l Park was incredibly beautiful, however, and we kept busy hiking and ATVing around the property we were staying on. Overall, I give the trip a C+. The scenery just about made up for the boredom. Photos will be up this weekend.

august 15

@ 9a | 2 cents...

I have some good news for all of us short women out there. We are more likely to have long term relationships with men and more likely to have children. "Short" in this article means 4'11" to 5'2". I am just under the wire at 5'1.5" :) Also discovered was that men who were taller than average (5'10") were more likely to have a partner and children than a man who was of average height. Eric is 5'10.5" Looks like we fit snugly into this theory.

For those photo fans out there, we added some new pictures of our deck in August to our garden pages. And for those who have never been out West (or want to revisit), look for a photo journal of Montana after we get back from our vacation.

august 13

@ 10a | 2 cents...

This-or-That Tuesday: children's lit edition

1. Dr. Seuss characters: the Cat in the Hat or the Grinch? The Grinch.
2. "Anne of Green Gables" or "Little Women"? I didn't read either of these, I prefered Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan at that point.
3. Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys? I read every Nancy Drew book when they started the new cases in the 1980s.
4. Winnie the Pooh characters: Tigger or Eeyore? Tigger.
5. Which author: Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary? I read both authors, but prefered Superfudge to the Ramona books.
6. Roald Dahl books: "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" (Willy Wonka) or "James & the Giant Peach"? I have Charlie & the Chocolate Factory on DVD, if that answers your question (and yes, I have read both the Factory and the Glass Elevator)
7. "Harry Potter" or "The Wizard of Oz"? This is addressed below, but the Wizard of Oz is one of my all time favorites. For the record, I haven't read the Harry Potter books.
8. Curious George or Madeline? Madeline!
9. "A Wrinkle in Time" or "Little House on the Prairie"? No contest here, A Wrinkle in Time.
10. Dr. Seuss again: "Horton Hears a Who" or "The Lorax"? The Lorax.

I took a children's lit course my senior year of college and I'll tell you one thing, for a class that I took for fun, it was the most work I did that semester. We even got to write and illustrate our own children's book. And I discovered that I loved The Wizard of Oz books and despised Peter Pan.

august 11

@ 11p | 2 cents...

Happy Birthday to me!

I started out the day by opening some presents in bed. Then lounged around and did a little shopping this afternoon. We went to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding at 6p and it was absolutely hilarious. The film used real life situations to make you laugh, no gross out or painful humor required. We ended the outing with a trip to the Outback, which (miraculously) wasn't crowded at 7:30p. I am now home, digesting my prime rib, thoroughly happy with turning 26. :)

august 9

@ 9a | 2 cents...

1. Do you have a car? If so, what kind of car is it? Yes, I drive a 3-door '99 dark green Saturn SC2
2. Do you drive very often? I drive every single day. I do most of the driving between my husband and I.
3. What's your dream car? Hmm, I don't really have a dream car. But I loved our rental Alero in Hawaii and VW Beetles make me smile.
4. Have you ever received a ticket? Yes. But the last ticket I received was for going 10 over in a 70 mph zone in March 1997.
5. Have you ever been in an accident? Yes. The last one was a 5 mph fender bender in stop and go traffic in Chattanooga, TN in June 2000.

august 7

@ 3p | 2 cents...

I can relate to this comic... :)

@ 2p | 2 cents...

This might be a long post - so I hope everyone is comfortable (i'll wait). Ready? Ok, good.

I've bought various things at half.com over the last few years and have never had a problem with quality, speed of delivery or communication with the seller. But one person had to go and mess with my secure feeling.

I ordered a gameboy advance game for my brother on 7/16. The item showed up as shipped on the status report on 7/18 and my credit card was charged on 7/21.

Nothing had arrived by 7/30 and I was starting to get a little worried because Ryan's birthday had been on 7/20. I told him to email me as soon as it arrived. In the meantime, I emailed the seller asking about the status of the item. I was given a glib apology that the game was sent out late and a tracking number a day later. The seller finally sent the item on 7/31.

Yesterday, Ryan called to say he got the present, but there was something wrong with it. It was a counterfeit game. All the paper materials, even the sticker on the game cartridge were fake. To make matter worse, the game didn't even work.

I sent a curt email to the seller and half.com this morning explaining the problem and received a message telling me to return the game COD to get a full refund - but no apology.

My brother seemed to think that anyone familiar with these types of games could tell that something was suspicious about the packaging. Since this seller posts many of these types of things on eBay and Half.com AND offered no apology, it makes me think that they knew all along that the game was a fake. This pisses me off for any number of reasons, but most of all, I do not like to be taken advantage of. I knew I wasn't going to have to pay for the game; I could call my CC company and they would take care of it for me... but I didn't want to have to do that. Plus, I'm pretty sure this jerk is going to simply reshrinkwrap the game and try to resell it.

I am pretty proud of myself for reacting in a very calm manner about this whole thing, even though I am seething on the inside. I want to believe that people don't do insensitive things to other people on purpose. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

This thing isn't resolved yet, I still have to get my money refunded to me. And if things don't go smoothly, you can bet on me sending a picture of the fake game and this guy's info to Nintendo.

august 6

@ 4p | 2 cents...

I am running out the door to the gym... This or That Tuesday below...

1. What's your personal clothing style...trendy or classic? Classic and casual.
2. Do you shop for designer names or stick with the more generic brands? I buy whatever fits me, labels make no difference.
3. Work clothes: dressy or casual? I am forced to be business casual. I generally wear fitted cotton tops and either slacks or long skirts.
4. Days off style: dressy or casual? Jeans casual.
5. Women: high heels or flats? Men: Wing-tips or work boots? Heels, I'm 5'2".
6. Do you have a large wardrobe, or just a few carefully selected pieces? It seems as if I am always tired of my clothes, I have quite a few, but I tend to gravitate towards my favorites.
7. Do you shop for clothing at stores or from catalogs/internet? I usually have to try something on, so brick and mortar it is.
8. Are most of your clothes dry-clean only or machine-washable? I hate dry cleaning, so I try to buy washable clothes and I Dryel the other stuff.
9. You buy an article of clothing and realize it is all wrong for you when you get home. Return or keep it? Return it. My closet is too small for things I will never wear!
10. Hats: yes or no? Not unless it's winter.

august 5

@ 10a | 2 cents...

These past few days have been both busy and exhausting. On Thursday night we drove into Atlanta for restaurant week where certain places were offering a three course menu for $20.02. We picked the Sundial because it's a rotating restaurant 72 floors up in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The view was breathtaking and we could see the whole city as a panorama throughout dinner. Check out the photos. Even though I was a little disappointed in the selection of food for the special event, the dinner was fine. I knew there would be a reduced menu but you could only pick between salmon or prime rib and chocolate mousse or key lime pie for dessert. The view is really what made the entire drive downtown in rush hour worth it!

 

On Saturday we woke up early and drove 2 hours north to take a tour at the Kangaroo Conservation Center. Yes, really... :) I surprised Eric with our reservations as an early anniversary present! It is the largest collection of kangaroos outside of Australia... right here in north Georgia! Finding the place was a logistical nightmare, no thanks to horrible directions from MapQuest. But once we arrived, we calmed down immediately upon seeing the kookaburras and kangaroos. We got lots of photos, so check them out here.

Last night, we had friends over for dinner and just tried to unwind from all the driving. $28 bucks in gas in a week, and I drive a Saturn.

I also attempted to get back on the wagon again in terms of working out regularly. I haven't gained back too much weight from this time last year (before my wedding), but 5 or 6 lbs on me is noticeable. I feel so much better when I'm active, but it's hard to get motivated when I sweat all day simply because it's 95 degrees outside. (sigh)

august 1

@ 2p | 2 cents...

Isn't it amazing how a big budget movie can make a Bush bend the rules on protecting manatees. Are we shocked? I dare say no.

We are looking forward to a wonderful dinner out this evening at the Sundial Restaurant in downtown Atlanta with some friends. This place is on the top floor of a major hotel in the middle of the city. No rain is predicted and I'm hoping to get some terrific scenic shots. Now wish me luck on finding a parking place!