Um...excuse me...

There are few things in this world that really really really bug me...know-it-alls...story trumpers...someone telling me that I'm in a bad mood or grumpy and I'm sincerely in a good mood...someone telling me I'm being selfish and I am going out of my way not to be...and the reason I'm writing this blog...being scolded for doing something that you didn't even do...

This happend to me today at work. Don't get me wrong...I can handle 'constructive criticism'...because how else are we to learn how to do something better. But today I got a call from a well-known company that we do work for and the guy told me we were basically on the black list for the way we have been handling their invoicing. (And of course, I do most of the invoicing for this company) He told me we can't hold on to a bunch of invoices and wait to mail them at one time. I told him we weren't doing that, he said we had to stop doing that, I told him we weren't doing that, he said was had to fix it or else our company was going to get red flagged. What am I suppossed to do? I can't fix it because I'm not doing it. I usually send out invoices 3 times a week. If I have an invoice for this company in my pile...I send it. I don't hold on to them at all. I tried to explain this to him, but wasn't going to happen. I'm just worried because obviously they see a problem, but I don't see how to fix that problem because I can't possibly get the invoices out any faster than I do...

...sigh...

Sad sad sad...

I watched this movie yesterday...and it was very very sad...but good. I would recommend it...

It just amazes me that the whole holocaust was ever thought of as acceptable...by anyone. It baffles my mind...

2 down...I'm not sure how many more to go...

Ladies and gentelmen...I have recieved the second of my 'blogging' gifts...and this was from Jamie Steen...she got me an old used candle holder...no, I'm kidding, she got me a half of a framed picture of my mom of course. It was really nice of her to do that.

(Ok, I think I'm so funny) I didn't mean to take forever to post this, because I actually got them last week) But I was trying to find a cute way to diplay them in a picture...and as you can tell I failed miserably at that. But, I was thinking to myself this morning...I really need to get to Hobby Lobby this morning before work to get the __________for my blog gifts. Then, that reminded me that I hadn't blogged about my newest gift, so I thought I better do that. But, I didn't know how to take a cute picture of all of them, and then I realized I have 3 hours till I have to be to work and I still need to shower, dry a load of laundry, and go to hobby lobby...but I REALLY wanted to get this blog up, so I just rigged up something really quick and there it is. Also, I am planning on wearing the red ones today and I thought if I separated the three pairs then I would probalby never successfully have them all in the same spot again for a picture.

So, there it is...

THANKS JAMIE!!!

A bit of randomness...

A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.
-D. Elton Trueblood

There are 9 of us at Lane Bryant and here is where 7 of us live:

Tara - Maple St.

Whitney-Daisy St.

Me and Ashlie-Elm St.

Melissa-Aster Dr.

Leslie-Oak St.

Sam-Mesquite

And, at my other job, Danielle (the other person in the office with me) lives on Walnut Dr.

Weird huh...

Spring Break...non alcoholic style...

So...this past week was Ashlies spring break. Neither of us had the money or time off work to do anything amazing...but we did manage to pull off a day trip to Sedona (think Jackson Hole...only bigger)

It was a lot of fun....the drive up there was really pretty (even though Ashlie slept through most of it thanks to a dose of Dramamine)...We started off getting lunch, then signed up for a Pink Jeep tour. The Pink Jeep is a company that takes you on different off roading experiences in Sedona. We took the baby trip because 1. it was the cheapest and as stated before, neither of us have money to throw around and 2. It was the smoothest ride of all the tours and Ashlie gets major car sick...and I didn't want barf anywhere on this trip.... It was really cool, it was just us and a couple from Chicago (he was from Chicago and she was from Serbia, and I think they were on their honeymoon) on our jeep. The views were amazing. We decided that if we ever did it again we would go on the tour that was maybe one level 'rougher' than that one. Ashlie had no problems...and we took TONS of pictures... hence the really long slide show. After our jeep tour we walked around a bit, I got 2 more pressed pennies for my pressed penny collection, then we had some dinner at the really good Korean place (in honor of our roommate Alice who is half Korean), then we went home. We got stuck in some nasty traffic on the way back, but we had sort of a second wind of energy so it was fine.

As far as the pictures go...you know when you spend a day doing something fun, and you take tons of pictures, then you get home and all of the pictures of you actually look like you, and you can't find any that make you look 20 lbs smaller or any without a huge double chin or where you hair is perfect...that was this trip for me...

Enjoy the slide show anyway...

Amish Bread and Bra Fittings...

I have two things to blog about:

1. I received my first gift for the 'blog give away'! It was from Jessie...and let me tell you it didn't last long. There were two types of cookies (and they were all mysteriously gone the morning after I opened them. I also got Amish Friendship Bread...which I think I have ruined. I was supposed to follow a strict regiment of rules...but I think I am off by a few days...so who really knows what is going to happen. Nevertheless...I was really excited about the cookies (and new piece of Tupperware that isn't scratched and stained from tomato sauce.)

2. I did my first bra fitting last night at Lane Bryant...on a man. It was...different. He was probably in his early 60's...and after I looked closer at him I saw he was wearing lipstick...but that was the only girly thing about him. He knew exactly which bra he wanted...our new Demi Push-Up bra...because he wanted cleavage. So, I measured him...and he was a little bigger than our largest size in that style (at least in band length, but the cup was way too big because he wasn't really fat, just broad). I gave him one to try on anyway, and he asked if I could help him put it on. So, I went into the fitting room with him and helped him with it. It was minorly awkward...but mostly I just felt bad for the guy. I would guess that no matter how comfortable you are with who you are, it takes a lot of guts to walk into a womens clothing store and ask to be fitted for a bra. He kept thanking me for being so nice to him and so willing to help...I have no doubt that he's probably not received very well everywhere he goes for bras. Well, we tried a few other styles, but nothing really worked for him...because like I said...he didn't really have boobs. He asked for any other places I could recommend...so I did...he thanked me again. And then he asked me to write him a note that said this "Debra came in to try on a Demi Push Up bra and she was a very good girl about it"....weird...but I did it...he thanked me again...then left.


Coming up...mine and Ashlies trip to Sedona!

Air Freshener...

One of my favorite things about working at NRI was the smell of the greenhouses...(except maybe when the carrion flower was blooming...)

My favorite was when the little corner of citrus trees were blooming...and let me tell you...all of the orange trees in my neighborhood are blooming right now...

So, the little alleyway behind our house were only the garbage truck drives because that is where all the dumpsters are and it stinks to high heaven most of the time...it is now wonderful because everyones trees hang over the fences behind the house and it smell fabulous!

(FYI: these are my pictures...I'm no Tacy when it comes to photography...but I just wanted everyone to know they weren't the product of a google image search this time)

Don't judge me...

Ever feel like you can't shove enough chocolate and pepsi into your face...and for some reason the only thing that seems important is that unfinished spider solitare game or who has a new blog posted...not my 3 foot tall pile of invoicing?

That's me today...

Best $26 I've ever spent...

Well...I'm not quite sure where to begin...

Pretty much the concert last night was A-MAY-ZING...

It started off with The Script...a band from Dublin Ireland...and none of the videos I got of them were very good...but here one of their videos you can watch to get a sample of what they are like (ok...I tried and tried to paste the right code for the video to show up here, but I couldn't, so just click here and it will take to you a video of one of their live performances...not the one in Tempe though)

(can someone please tell me how in the hell I'm suppossed to get a youtube video on my blog? I mean...I've done it before...but now everytime I copy and paste the 'embedded code' it will only paste part of it in my blog and it is driving me INSANE!)

Adele was fabulous. Amazingly talented...and just so cute! She kept waving to people during her songs and she just seemed so real. (You can click here to see the videos I took since it is beyond my capacity to copy and paste a video.) If anyone has the opportunity every to go to one of her concerts...take it. She is one of those artist that is just as amazing live as she is recorded.

So...great concert...good times...and here are a few pictures of the evening...

And by a few I mean one because the internet connection at my office SUCKS today. Sorry mom...it stinks today.

The day has arrived...

Raise your hand if you are going to an Adele concert tonight!

Mine is...

Dear Cousin Jake...

To answer your question "What the hell is meatless meat?"...

To be technical... meatless meat is 'TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, WATER FOR HYDRATION), WATER, CORN OIL, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CHICORY ROOT FIBER (INULIN), YEAST EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS FROM NON-MEAT SOURCES, BLACK MALT POWDER, SALT, SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, SALT, WHEAT), EVAPORATED CANE JUICE CRYSTALS, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, ONION JUICE CONCENTRATE, SPICES, TOMATO POWDER, CITRIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, IRON (FERROUS SULFATE), THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), VITAMIN B12.'

See...my roomate is a vegetarian...therefore I find myself using Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles as a replacement for ground beef whenever a recipe calls for that. I was extrememly hesitant at first...because I am very much a carnivor. Also, I despise beans and from what I had seen, alot of vegetarian 'burgers' were just a big pattie of mushed up black beans. So, the first time I used these in a recipe I was a little nervous. But, I can hardly tell a difference. I've used it in chili (beanless of course), baked spaghetti, tacos, lasagna...pretty much anything I would use ground beef for.

The only thing that really bugs me is that anytime a recipe calls for groud beef it calls for a pound...but this bag of meatless meat comes in 12 oz. Not the end of the world of course, but it would be nice if it came in a pound size bag rather than 3/4 of a pound.

That is my only complaint though...

FYI: Morningstar Farms does have meatless chicken strips, bacon, sausage patties, and whole slew of other meatless meat products.

A penny saved...

Due to our economic crisis...I have been cut down to 4 days a week at my office for the time being...(and people thought I was crazy for working two jobs...thank goodness for that job right now)...

So, I find myself with a plethora of things to catch up on on Mondays. This Monday I decided to do some major grocery shopping. I usually just go to WalMart and don't worry about 'shopping the adds' at all the other stores. I figured Wal-Marts prices were the same or a little cheaper, and even if they were a little more expensive I would save money by just staying at one store. But, I wanted to see if it would be worth going to each store for their respective sales.

So, Sunday night I pulled out all the grocery adds that we get in the paper every week and made a list. I listed all the stores and under those stores I wrote down what sales they had that I should take advantage of. I also clipped the coupons they had for their stores. So, my list took up two pages...one side was the stores and their sales, and the other side was the list of stuff I needed for the next few weeks.

To make what I could make a long and detailed story a little shorter...I ended up saving $70.41 by shopping the sales and using a few coupons! That is a decent chunk of change! Thats almost 3 tanks of gas...or a credit card payment...or a nice purse (kidding...I would NEVER spend that much on a purse) And, I didn't buy silly things just because they were on sale...I got bags of cheese for $1...Morningstar meatless meat for $2.99 (normally $4)...cereal for $1.50...fresh asparagus for $.97/lb....frozen veggies for $1...all good and useful stuff.

So...I think I'm a convert to the sales adds...