Aaron Loves Bees

Disclaimer

Bee/Bug/Insect lovers:  Don't read this :-)

When Aaron and I were in Colorado, we decided to eat at Panera Bread because Aaron had NEVER tried it before (we don't have one in Reno).

We were enjoying the beautiful weather outside eating our yummy salads listening to classical music that Aaron made fun of the entire time by talking in a "sophisticated" British accents (apparently our accents don't scream SOPHISTICATION). 

Then a bee visits our salads. 
Aaron gets very defensive of his salad,
He made sure to protect his food which the bee didn't like.

So the bee BIT Aaron.

Then Aaron killed the bee...

.... and displayed it for other bees to see...

Speak Now

I've never followed bands/music artists too terribly much. 
N'Sync and Backstreet Boys... eh. 
Brittney Spears... eh.
I thought George Straight was a hunk... but we won't discuss that.

Then came along TSwift.  

I can't get enough! I download all of her new singles.  I blast her songs.  I listen to them over and over.  I'm not an obsessed fan like a lot of people, but I'm definitely a fan.

She's a wonderful girl.  She's very humble and she adores her fans.  She writes incredible songs that everyone can relate to.  She really is a superstar.

HER NEW CD IS OUT!!!  I have been listening to it nonstop.  I get excited when I have to drive somewhere because it means TSWIFT!!  I'll even sit in my car for an extra 10-15 minutes just listening to the songs.  All of them.

1. "Mine"
2. "Sparks Fly"
3. "Back to December"
4. "Speak Now"
5. "Dear John"
6. "Mean"
7. "The Story of Us"
8. "Never Grow Up"
9. "Enchanted"
10. "Better Than Revenge"
11. "Innocent"
12. "Haunted"
13. "Last Kiss"
14. "Long Live" 

I really can't pick my favorite yet.  Her revenge song is wonderful :-)  I love Speak Now.  And Haunted.  And Last Kiss.  And... ALL OF THEM.

Halloween!

I adore Halloween.  EVERY YEAR I have so much fun with my costumes.  Lina texted me the other day saying she was going to be hanging out with her mom (who is visiting the States from BOLIVIA) so she won't be doing anything for halloween, then she says, "Knowing you I'm sure you already have your costume made!"

Sad.

I don't.

There is no costume for me this year.  There is no Halloween for me this year.

I WAS GOING TO BE CUPID!  Now tell me that's not the cutest costume you have ever heard of.  I take GREAT PRIDE in my halloween costumes.

This year is different.  It's a sad Fall.  But I will make it a Happy Fall if it's the last thing I do!  Just... Halloween will be taking a hiatus this year. 

Just to show how much I love costumes....

 (I was a telatubby!!)

(Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum!!)

(GINGERbread Man... buahahaha)

Much needed

I had a great weekend.  I smiled and laughed and relaxed which is just what the doctor ordered! 

Just wanted to post that I gained some of my sanity back.

And... I LOVE MY NEW (new to me) CAR!!!  My poor beloved Jetta is on the verge of death, so I love my new (to me) Subaru :-D

Apple Oatmeal Whole Wheat Muffins

I have been on the hunt for a perfect apple muffin!  I'm not sure why.  But I have finally found the perfect apple muffin!

Anyhow, here is the muffin I found.  It has NO butter, NO oil, Whole Wheat Flour, and very little sugar!  

Ingredients

1	cup rolled oats
1	cup whole wheat flour
1	tablespoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	tablespoon cinnamon (or more, if you like) **I used 1 tbs, and it was tooooo much... I'll cut down to 1/2 tbs next time**
1/3	cup sugar
1/2	banana, mashed
1/3	cup applesauce (no sugar added!)
3/4	cup soy milk (plain or vanilla work well)  **I used normal 0% Milk**
1	apple (make sure it's baking safe)  **I used 1 1/2 apples... b/c I like apples :-) **
1/4	cup walnuts, chopped into chunks

Directions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees.
2. Dice your apple ahead of time.  Peel it first.
3. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients (oats through sugar) in a large bowl.
4. Mix the mashed banana, applesauce, and soymilk (I do the banana and applesauce first, then kind of whip in the soymilk).
5. Mix the wet into the dry and toss in the nuts and apple
6. The batter should be rising, very fluffy and wet. Scoop it into paper linings in a muffin tray or a greased tin. **The recipe says the batter should rise... but mine didn't.  Just FYI**
7. Bake for about 15 minutes, but try to take out as soon as they look done (over cooking makes them a little bit harder, but still just as tasty).  **I baked mine for 13 minutes, and that was enough time!**

Updating Time

You know some people who thrive off of being busy constantly?  They can't stand still for too long.  Always have a project at hand.  Always on the go.

I hate this.

In high school I was too busy for my own good.  I volunteered every weekend, had dance team, and other clubs galore.  I was the epitome of a nerd. 

After high school I QUIT.  I quit everything!  I didn't want to be that busy anymore and have my life planned out for me.  I wanted to relax, hang out with friends, reduce the circles I had under my eyes, etc, etc.  I quickly realized that I am NOT one of those people who thrive off of being extremely busy.  In fact, I'm quite the opposite.

When I am busy

I get stressed

When I get stressed

I get sick

When I get sick

The world ends

I can almost 100% say that my kidney stones are stress induced.  Both kidney stone incidents have happened THE DAY OF A FINAL EXAM.  No joke.  It's too good to be true.

With that being said... I just want to be able to come home from work and plop on the couch with mac and cheese or some other unhealthy snack alternative and not move until it's time for bed.  So yet again, I am having another pity party that I have class directly after work.  And on the days that I don't have class I am still at school either doing homework or killing time.  What a life I live.

So enough with my pity party.  I just wanted to talk about how much I would prefer to be doing what I won't be doing for AT LEAST the next 2 years of my MBA process.  I loathe the MBA program right now.

There is so much going on in my life, yet I can't bring myself to remember anything.

• I forgot to eat dinner the past 2 nights (and by forgot - I mean I didn't have time)
• I bought a car on Saturday
• The weather is turning to FALL (I just hope I don't miss it... I want to enjoy it)
• I had an exam
• I had a presentation
• I had a panic attack
• My beloved Jetta took a giant poo on Friday
• Aaaaaaaaand as usual - I am still "homeless"

I know, I'm a big ball of fun :-)

Tired

I am SO TIRED these days. 

You know how when you don't get enough sleep for one night, so then the rest of the week is completely thrown out of whack until you can finally get some good shut eye in?

That's how it has been for me.

I yawn ALL day at work.  Then I try my hardest to keep my eyes from closing while in class.  Then when I finally get home, after 10pm, I'm beat.  I'm no fun.  I'm a party pooper.  I want to sleep and dream about the weekend.

SOOOO Sleepy!! 

I'm bitter...

For the first time ever, I dislike school.  Why did I decide to take an Internet Programming 2 class?  A class that, at the time I didn't realize, requires countless hours spent on the computer attempting to create some ridiculous program and writing things like:

if (Page.IsCrossPagePostBack) {
return; }
{
if (Page.PreviousPage == null) {
Server.Transfer("Errors.aspx"); }
if (Page.PreviousPage.Form.Name == "FormDefault") {
Session["Amount"] = ((TextBox)(PreviousPage.FindControl("txtLoanAmount"))).Text; {
if (Page.PreviousPage.Form.Name == "FormChangeAssumptions")

SHOOOOOOOOT MEEEEEE!  

I am bitter to have to go to class after working a 9 hour day (ok... so it's 8 hours with a 1 hour lunch.... so I like to think of it as 9 hours).  I am BITTER when I hear people complaining about going to school and working part time.  SUCK IT UP.  If I go to school 2 days a week, and work 5 days a week, does that allow me to say "I go to school and work 7 days a week" ??  NOPE.  I am bitter when I have to go to school to work on this horrible Internet Programming 2 class on my only days I don't have class directly after work.

I dislike class.  I'm not eager to learn.  I want to come home after work like my friends instead of going to class until 10pm.

Right now, I'm just bitter.  I want a blanket.  I want some warm socks.  And I want pizza.

:-)  Ok that is all!

What you didn't know

I am an incredibly shy person.  WEIRD right?!  All of my friends think I'm crazy when I tell them I'm shy, BUT I REALLY AM.  Until I get to know someone, I am very shy.

Because I am so shy, I hate doing things alone.

I like to think I am the most dependent independent person alive.  I can be stubborn and independent up until a certain extent.  And that extent is being alone.

Don't get me wrong, I can go to the bathroom without a girlfriend coming in with me and I am not a fan of going shopping with other people because then you have to wait for them to look at clothes, try them on, decide, go try something else on... etc etc and all I really wanted was a gosh darn white t-shirt that I found 2 hours ago.

BUT traveling is a different story.   I wish so badly that I could hop in a car, drive to somewhere random (alone) and do my own thing.  See what I want to.  Eat at a place that fancies my interest.  But I would have a panic attack if I ever ate at a restaurant alone.  I am terrified people will look at me and say, "Why doesn't that girl have any friends?!"

I get so sad when I see people eating alone.  I want to go eat with them!  Would their kids not go to dinner with them?  Do they have kids?  Are they married?  Divorced?  Lonely?  Independent?  I'm so nosey with other people, that I think the world is nosey with me. 

I went to Portland once with Aaron, and while he was busy for a day I decided to sight see... alone.  That's right - I stepped out of my comfort box and went at it ALONE.  It was the most HORRIBLE experience I've ever had!!  I couldn't enjoy the city :-(

I'm not sure where this ramble is going, but I just wanted the world to know that I hate being in new places alone.  And I wish I could change it.

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

They are my ultimate favorite and I recommend to everyone!  When I lived in the apartment, I noticed I would have dirty feet prints on my bathtub, and I couldn't for the life of me get the dirt scum off.  I scrubbed.  I soaked in every cleaning product known to man.  I even made cleaning product cocktails to try combining the potent powers.  Nothing.

Until Mr. Clean Magic Erasers!  It wipes away the dirt with nothing but water.  You hardly even need to really "scrub."  It's more of a "wipe."

Aaron's bathtub was far from perfect.  Far from clean.  It's a college boy house with countless boy roommates moving in and out.  This means it's the perfect breeding ground for YUCKY DIRT SCUM BATHTUBS! 

Needless to say, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and I had an affair in the bathroom this weekend while Aaron was away.