...and now...

I JUST accepted an offer from McKesson Corp.! Hooray for no longer being unemployed!!!

Well, there's always that...

Things in the interview process SEEM to moving along quite nicely, but if they should not work out for some reason, I guess I could always use my acquired Craigslist skills for other things. Like bank robbery apparently. I may have to pick me up one of those inner tubes.

On my way to starbucks today to work on more small group stuff (no picture of it today because I am wearing virtually the same thing as yesterday, and don't want documentation of it), I was waiting at the stoplight in front of a KFC (the one with the giant bucket hanging over the street) to cross the street, and a HUGE wet loogie landed about an inch in front of me. As in, I saw it whiz past my face and hit the ground. If I had leaned forward a bit it would have been all over. I looked all around to see if there were people or cars around me, and (surprisingly) there were not, for like the FIRST TIME in my san francisco history. Too bad I couldn't enjoy the personal space because of the LOOGIE that almost pelted my face. Unless some guy was perched inside the giant KFC bucket swinging over my head, cackling to himself at what he thought was a victorious shot, I have no idea where it came from. Creepy. I googled "KFC bucket" to get you a visual, and after finding this delicious little morsel from our friends at PETA, I thought it would do, although not exactly what I had in mind originally.

Thanks, PETA.

Tonight we are having dinner with an old coworker and his wife and their friends, and then my parents arrive! So don't worry Mom, I'll have time between now and then to run to the store and stock up on some Coke for you.

Happy Weekend!

Don't judge me for actually doing this.

Hhhh.

25 Things:

1. From 9th grade to junior year in college, I signed my name with an accent over the second "e". I said it was so people would pronounce my name right but we all know it was because I thought it was cool and exotic.
2. I cried in high school (often) when I had to go to youth group.
3. Two of Nolan and I's biggest fights have been over: a sconce, and "who carries the most groceries in after going to the store." I KNOW.
4. I have 6 friends named Ashley that I communicate with often. I have probably 12 more that I don't really talk to.
5. I have a scar on my left kneecap, that someone told me was from when I was bit by a cobra when I was little. I have never even seen a real cobra. I believed this until I realized the latter about 2 years ago. No idea what the scar is.
6. I used to love eggs, until my dad described in detail where they came from, and to this day they make me vomit.
7. I recently learned how to blowdry my hair.
8. I took my driver's license test in a minivan.
9. I really want to learn Arabic.
10. I still want to work for the CIA.
11. I was hypnotized at sober grad night and performed Shania Twain's "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" in front of my entire graduating class. No wonder many don't talk to me anymore.
12. I once built a wood fire to roast a sausage over...under my parents house.
13. If I were in a musical version of "The Little Mermaid", I would want to be Ursula. Seriously I know every word of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and regularly listen to the Jonas Brothers remake of it.
14. The last album I downloaded was Radiohead's "In Rainbows".
15. I have a totally irrational fear of wearing flipflops downtown, because someone might step on my toe and therefore break my toenail and bend it all the way back. I can barely write that without freaking out.
16. I learned my first second-language at age 6 (melanesian pidgin). I still speak it (kind of).
17. I only applied to one university. God knows what would have happened if I didn't get in. Phew.
18. Since growing up near Australia, I still spell many things "wrong", but you know, "color" and favorite" and "neighbor" just don't look right to me without the "u"s.
19. 14 hours after getting engaged, I had a german midterm. I failed it because I was staring at my left hand. However I still remember it was a test mostly about the works of Bertolt Brecht.
20. This one is kind of embarrassing, but hey, I'm married, so there is nothing wrong with saying it: after sex, I almost ALWAYS crave a huge bowl of cocoa crispies.
21. I have had hepatitis a, a staph infection, and a tick. Yet I have never broken a bone. Weird.
22. Along those lines, I LOVE giving blood and I LOVE shots. Long story.
23. I got my first unemployment check today. Hah, thanks California (where is this money coming from...).
24. Pride and Prejudice will never leave the confines of my heart. Jane Austen is probably my favourite author, along with William Blake (the poet). I am also totally convinced that she and I would be bffs if she was alive today. We'd bond over our wittiness, I'm sure.
25. I have the tiniest, almost nonexistent toenail on my littlest toe. It always gives the Vietnamese mani/pedi women something to giggle over (LOUDLY).

and seriously...I am not tagging anyone. practically everyone and their mothers has done this on facebook already.

Crazy Like The Horse

This is where I am right now...I have no reason for taking that picture, other than that I revel in having a camera on my computer. Ahhhh. Though I think the guy next to me was I think wondering why I was posing with my drink in my chair.

The weather here has been SO nice that it makes me want to stay home all the time and never work again (hah just kidding Nolan). I went for a run through the park this morning, which made me want to do it again tomorrow, and I drove around Lake Merced on my way to the mall, and then did it again just because it is SO NICE outside. And Lake Merced is pretty.

I am doing a pretty good job of stretching out things to do lately, and spending a few hours a day out of the house working on stuff online has been entertaining enough. Nolan and I have recently decided that in the interest of our friendship, we should from now on be on the same team in AoM, since that way we both win and lose together. So far it's been a good partnership and merger of powers, heh. Ash U. had the intense pleasure of witnessing this last night, and the first victory of team caldwell.

Nolan has been working SO hard studying for boards and keeping up with classes and speaking at UCSF events to boot, and I am so proud of him. I only feel bad that I have been sleeping in 'til 10am (and it's freaking WONderful). I try and make up for this by staying up late with him watching American Idol and occasionally dragging myself out of bed before the day is wasted and driving him to class. Last night we watched the San Francisco tour of American Idol and...man, there are some crazy people in this city. But we already knew that, right? My parents are coming this weekend to experience the craziness for themselves (just kidding. that is like, the WORST part of visiting us). I got tagged in ylehsa's stupid "25 things" blog, so I guess I have to do that now. Ugh.

stickies

After having a total meltdown yesterday based on my laziness and worthlessness as the breadwinner for our family, I am back in full swing, using my Mac's "stickies" function to keep me alive and feeling/actually being productive. Granted, I have not been lazy, but it's pretty hard not to feel like that when you are wandering around the house begging the Fates to please give you at least something else to clean besides the toilet of doom. Even Milo was all pissed off yesterday (what's new though I guess) because there was an empty chowder can in the recyclables bag o' trash, and he NEEDED to go through it, but I hid it from him. The rest of the day he puttered around, casting longing gazes at the cupboard where his garbage heap was rotting. I learned my lesson though: if I let him even sniff the garbage, he plays in it when I'm not looking, and then when he crawls into bed with us, I kiss the top of his little white head and smell trash/feces/the most disgusting smell you can think of. Sweet little child.

I forgot how much I love the movie "Love Actually". I think any movie that has Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, and co., and refers to Margaret Thatcher as a "saucy minx" has my unswerving devotion.

My new task, until I am no longer a lazy housewife, hah, is to find a free bookshelf and paint it some warm colour for our living room. This could end up being one of those dead-end tasks that I never even come close to doing, but for now, it's on my sticky. As of 2 minutes ago, I finally have the Twilight score on my computer (I know, you thought you were done hearing about Twilight--what can I say?), and am obsessively listening to it as I work on my small group lesson for this Sunday night. I know. Super spiritual. Though my lesson in itself is something I am super excited about, but I can see how it could be boring for others, so I am bringing props. Listeners, you have been warned.

Another cool thing I have been exploring on my Mac is the GarageBand feature...almost all the perks of Sony Acid Pro, but free (which, in my humble opinion, is the best perk of all)! So maybe someday if I am not too embarrassed I will post on here some of my stuff. I'm embarrassed just thinking about it...

Well. This has been the most pointless post EVAR. See you manana.

Procrastination

I finally feel that old familiar feeling of being in college again, waiting to write my term paper, waiting...until 2 hours before its due, and then cranking it out and then feeling powerful because I finished it in the nick of time (don't ruin this for me, I enjoyed that feeling). I promised Nolan I would write up a review for a restaurant we went to by (yesterday) sometime, and he has given me a day extension in honour of me FOR THE FIRST TIME picking a watchable movie last night (Ash M., I think you can appreciate the gravity of this statement. There was no singing jewelry!). My track record is amazing, but finally instead of suffering through something for an hour and a half that LOOKED good on the shelves of Blockbuster, we were glued to the screen watching De Niro, Hoffman, Pitt, and crew for two and a half hours. Sleepers, my friends. I never even knew this existed! Never noticed it on Pitt's IMDB! Hhhhh, but I digress. So I still owe him his review. Why? Because UCSF pays for the meal if you review it for the paper. So this is a weekly habit. He is busy with boards, and I was caught mid-wander around the house, and he pinned it on me. Anyway, yet here I sit, writing plentiful words here and none on my review. Also pending: my bible study hot topic notes/research/anything. I am teaching this Sunday at small group, and have the topic...in my head. So it has to somehow make it onto paper by then. My goal is today, but we all know how that goes.

I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights and couldn't figure out why. Was I cold? Was Nolan kicking me? Was Milo hogging my side? No it was probably because I have to have this stupid thing JAMMED IN MY MOUTH FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY.

According to my dentist, I am a teeth-grinder. Hence the lack of enamel on my molars. You cannot even imagine the delight Nolan has in watching me try to talk with this.

Speaking of ridiculousness, we have been looking for a bookshelf for awhile. Ahem, I mean, a free one. Haha. So yesterday I look out the window, and lo and behold, there is a free bookshelf right across the street! Sweet Providence! So I asked Nolan to help me carry it. "Sure" quietly emanates from the office bowels somewhere. 15 minutes later I remind him that someone might take it. 15 minutes after that I tell him I'll make him a tasty dinner if he gets it. All the while he keeps saying he is going to go get it "right now". 10 minutes later I look out the window, and two Jewish boys are loading it into their sedan! NO! Because I am a graceful neighbour, I didn't hang out the window and bellow at them and make gestures, but let them run off with OUR FURNITURE quietly. I'm sure you can imagine the horror-struck look on Nolan's face when I informed him of his impending doom. He then calmly suggested that we play a game of AoM to soothe my soul. Because "of course! That is a GREAT idea! Why wouldn't my wife accept a joint computer game in return for a piece of furniture she set her heart on and then promptly was disappointed by!" And because I am immature, I sat down and played with him.

Maus!

After spending a few hours wandering around the house this morning, Nolan advised me that in the interest of his boards score/future career/our future security, it would be best that I do something with my life. So, I went to the Apple store and bought a mouse and a mouse pad. Not that this is interesting in any way, but the mouse itself is really odd. It said "small" which, I thought to myself, would be awesome since apparently the only pair of hands left in the stockhouse when I was created was of the "midget" variety. Cool with me, I'm just sayin. But apparently "small" to the Kensington company, means "not tall". It's almost too long for my hand, but super thin. Cool in a phone, not so cool in a mouse. So we'll see if I can adjust or not. Also, at first test, the loud and solid-sounding "clicks" were great, but now they're just more reminiscent of my 4th grade piano-teacher's oversized Metronome, which brings back nightmarish memories of its own kind. To boot, the mouse pad is reflective (I couldn't tell in the store), so the laser on the mouse doesn't work with it. So I have it covered with a book right now. $3 down the drain, heh. Anyone want it? It's yours.


As I steadily run out of things to do, I find myself being more and more creative with my time. For example, today I am pre-making "freezer rolls" for this weekend for when my parents and brother come to visit. Make the rolls, freeze 'em, then throw 'em in the oven for 20 min when you are ready to eat them! What a deal! Also, I have considered writing a review on here for my favourite new broom, but then I realized how stupid that would be and how I would probably never read someone's blog again if they started reviewing brooms. (but let me just say that the "'O' Cedar 'Angler'" model broom is fantastic.)

Something I WILL review because I know some of you have cats: I got Milo a new litterbox...but wait! Read on! Don't leave! It's called the "Booda Dome", haha, which is part of the reason I bought it. Okay not really, but it is covered, which means no more nasty germs floating around. I have been freaked out since Nolan warned me that all the germs from that box were going to settle on our dishes, eventually our food, and give us diseases we would slowly die from. So: I bought a covered box. Milo was a little bit...freaked out at first, but now he likes his privacy so much that he sniffs at me to please go away if I try to catch him going inside. See how hilarious this is:


Perhaps my blogging has sunk to a new low.