Lindy and Cory's Stories

There and Back Again

2011-06-30T08:30:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! It's baaack!

One month later, and my poor little deleted blog is restored. I'm really excited to have it back. But, turns out it's a case of "too little, too late."

In this absence, I've moved on with my life. I finally made the change to a new url address. The new one is thelindycorystory.blogspot.com.

Update your links! You know, if you want to. No pressure.

This is where the magic is happening from now on. Also, I've exported all the old posts there as well. It's all there!

Farewell, lindythehansen.blogspot.com. It's been a good ride.

Ain't no part like a drug free party.

2011-05-31T08:07:00.001-04:00

Our story begins with a phone call. Two weeks ago, my Dad called me in the middle of the day. This is unusual. He was calling regarding my Mom's upcoming birthday. It seems they would be in town for the big day, and he wanted to have a party.

This shocked me a little bit. My family isn't exactly known for their elaborate birthday celebrations. We don't hate birthdays. We just accept the fact that sometimes, you have to make your own birthday cake if you'd like one. You want something done right, you know?

But, this year my mom turned 50. And that's a big deal. So my Dad wanted to have a surprise party. And when the man who spent a lot of time trying to convince you that you didn't really NEED a wedding reception, requests a PARTY...you plan it.

And plan it we did.

We told my mom that we'd like to make her a special birthday dinner, while she went on a special birthday date with my Dad. (The date they choose? Going to Wal-Mart to purchase new tires. Thirty years of marriage, and they still keep it spicy.)

They left the house at 4:30 PM on Saturday, while we nonchalantly went crazy on the inside waiting for her to finally leave. Cory, Jesse, Tanya and I worked like crazy to get everything set up and cooked in an hour and half.

We tried to keep the decorations pretty simple with fresh flowers and pretty banner.

While everyone waited for the birthday girl to arrive (by far the most awkward time in surprise party planning), we had a little game set up (Thanks for coming early, and setting this up Lara!) to pass the time.

It was the perfect way for early guests to pass the time while we frantically set up and then waited. And waited.

But, in the end it all worked out. We were afraid she would see the cars parked out back and give away the real surprise, so...we had to take special measures.

I just love the giggles in the second picture--a whole room stifling giggles at once is pretty amazing.

While the initial laughter couldn't be held in, once the door was opened you could hear a pin drop. Then we yelled surprise, and we knew we got her.

I apologize for the blurriness. It appears my settings were a bit off. But, I just love these pictures of her. She was really, truly shocked. Also, dizzy from the paper bag over her head.She might have been a little bit traumatized from that ordeal. Can't win them all.

We ate some yummy food and chatted.

Then it was time for the cake. And yes, we went there. There were 50 individual candles on that bad boy. Lit the room up like a torch.

She almost got them all in one breath.

Her party was so much fun! Also, she couldn't believe that I was able to keep it a secret. Seems she has little faith in my secret keeping abilities. Now she doesn't know what to believe. I must say, sometimes its more fun to tell secrets.But SOMETIMES it's not. And then, I keep it. Usually. So there.

Cory got a little bit creative with the camera Sunday afternoon.

Also, Tanya let me borrow book one and two of The Hunger Games series. So, I spent the holiday reading. Whoa. It was nothing like I expected. I was expecting a high school romance a la Twilight. I got an intense life and death struggle with a dash of political uprising. And I really hope she ends up with Peeta. I do believe today's lunch break will include a trip to the bookstore. I just gotta know how it ends.

Keep your words soft and sweet...

2011-05-22T20:08:00.001-04:00

I've been eating my words lately.

A few months ago I told a friend that I don't like green toe nail polish because it "looks like a fungus."

This will be the only picture I EVER post of my toes.
Well...at least for now.

Yesterday, I couldn't resist this green pedicure.

I love my green toes. I officially take my former statement back.

Friday night, our Netflix movie came in the mail. The A-Team had arrived, and I was looking forward to a night of mindless action adventure.

When I told Cory what we would be watching that evening, he said, "Umm...We saw that. We weren't impressed."

I insisted that I had never seen the movie as I put it into the player. He politely disagreed.

I held firm throughout the previews. So did he.

Finally the main menu came up. I watched the opening sequence.

Then I remembered.

It's an awful movie.

We laughed, and I quickly took it out of the player and back out to the mailbox. I'm not giving that movie one more second of my life.

You're looking at a steel trap.

So, I take that back too.

Wanna know what I don't take back? My Saturday morning Salvation Army steals.

They wouldn't refund me, even if I wanted to return something. Store policy.

On Saturdays, almost everything is 50% off. Which is awesome.

I've got plans for this stuff in our new apartment. The clay pots are going on the porch, and the wire basket is going to corral our silverware someday soon.

The books were a true STEAL. All hardbacks: $1.00. It was really tough not to just buy ALL of them. But I limited it to these four. 'Cause dollars add up. You know?

The Julia Child gem is going in the kitchen with the other cookbooks in my collection. I don't really "use" cookbooks per say, but... someday I might. And on that day, I will be ready.

But my favorite find (and, at $4.50, my big ticket item), was this paper sorter:

Maybe it doesn't look like much to you, but I've been looking for this exact thing for the past five months.

It was made for my free craigslist desk:

Seriously. I have been looking for that EXACT thing. I love when things work out.

I'm finding more and more that things usually work out. Which reminds of this quote I saw a few days ago, that I just can't get out of my mind:

Can't say it any better myself. Really.

Let's Make a Deal

2011-05-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

Cory had 10 blissful days of summer vacation. Now he's back in classes.

He works so, so hard on his school work. (And gets the grades to prove it. Who makes 125 on a final exam on Circuits? Who??)

I guess it's hard for him to find a comfortable position after a few hours at the ol' desk.

Apparently the hours spent at his desk are taking a toll on his neck and upper back, because lately he has been constantly requesting massages.

Turns out, I'm not really a "massagey" person. My fingers are tired after the first 15 seconds of a back rub. Also, it bores me.

But, I have discovered that Cory will do almost anything for a back rub. This discovery has led to a sort of bartering system in our relationship.

We're still working on developing a baseline for what things are worth in the economy of our marriage.

I offered Cory 20 minutes of massage in exchange for coming with me to the grocery store. (That is basically an eternity in massage years.)

He declined.

But he counter offered me one clean kitchen, while I did the grocery trip by myself.

After much inner turmoil, I accepted.

I love to haggle, so I'm pretty excited about this new development.

A few people from our stake went to Georgia this weekend to help with tornado clean up. Cory went with his Dad and brother to help.

It was so weird to have him gone for the weekend. I missed him, and I couldn't sleep without him. The extra seven hours this inability added to my day really upped my productivity. I don't think I've EVER done more in one day than I did yesterday. I hit up a short-lived tennis match, bridal shower festivities, crepetastic girls night out, cleaned/vacuumed the house top to bottom (including laundry!) and finally got around to painting my trashy dresser.

Read the full makeover post on Pile o' Craft, if you want.

To keep things balanced, today I haven't been productive in the slightest. Nothing but church and bloggin'. And lemon squeezin'.

I got a sweet hookup from my friend Elizabeth this week and got a ton of lemons. Fortune smiles upon me as just last week, I found an awesome jadite juicer at a thrift store.

I felt so, so cool using my strainer.

I also felt like a huge nerd. The entire time I had quotes of Alice Walker's short story, "Everyday Use" running through my head. I bought the strainer to look pretty on a shelf, "as if that was the only thing you could do with ~~quilts"~~ strainers, but realized I'm definitely "backward enough to put them to everyday use."

Oh Alice.

If you've never read it, you should. Then we can talk about what a wretched punk Dee, excuse me "Wangaro", is, and how the phrase "mossy teeth" makes you wanna throw up. Click here to read the full text online.

Ode to My Mother

2011-05-08T20:24:00.001-04:00

Dear Mom,

You are awesome. You are the perfect mom for me.

People say that I look just like you. Can I just say, I really really hope they're right?

Photo via Kim Brock

See? You're gorgeous.

Also, you're great with kids. Not only did you raise five amazing (if I do say so myself...) kids, you teach other people's kids how to be awesome all day, every day too.

Your grandbabies are so lucky. Jefferson can't resist you, even in the most trying
of times.

Thanks for teaching me things. And helping me out when I get in way over my head. I love that you're the first person I call when I find awesome trash on the side of the road...

And then you're always there to help me turn aforementioned trash into something great (along with your trusty husband...but his post will come, okay? Also, you did a really good job of picking him out. Just so you know. Thanks for that. Really, really.)

In fact, looking back, a lot of our relationship revolves around "projects" like that one. You gave me the confidence to try things, and the knowledge to know how to make my crazy ideas come to life.

I always think of you when I go into a thrift store.

I thought of you the whole time I painstakingly filled my metal scoop with vintage buttons in one such a store on Friday.

Yea...I sifted through a giant vat of vintage buttons and hand picked only the very "best" into 1/4 cup scoop the shop allotted.

Hey, at $2.00 a scoop, I'm only getting the good ones! Just like you taught me.

My definition of best also includes things like Jadite strainer measuring cups and old wooden spools of thread. You taught me that too.

I'm grateful I have a mom like you. Cory is grateful too. He says, "Thanks for making my Lindy!"

Also, he designed a card in your honor. We both camped out at my craft station this afternoon, and made some mother's day cards. Cory picked out the colors, and design. And had a little bit of a meltdown with a glue stick. But redeemed himself by teaching me how to properly fold paper in half. Like, exactly in half.

One for each of our wonderful mothers.

Yours should be arriving via post any day now.

Thank you for being my mom! I wouldn't be the same (or alive) with out you!

Love,

Lindy

P.S. I currently have poison ivy poisoning. It sucks. And looks like leprosy.

Stick a Fork in Me.

2011-05-01T18:48:00.005-04:00

Alright guys. I am the proud recipient of a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, with a minor in Psychology!

It feels so good to be done. Not that its been particularly difficult to get done.

Sometimes, when I look back on the past four years I've spent earning my higher education, I feel lazy. I see Cory slaving away at his desk every single day, working out problems that take hours of his time, and then making perfect scores on extremely challenging tests and wonder, "Should my education have been more like that?"

And then I think, "Nah."

My degree wasn't that hard for ME to earn, but I know it would be the ultimate challenge for others. Writing papers, reading short stories, and interpreting hidden meanings in texts would be a nightmare for someone else.(And by "someone else", I mean "Cory"). For example, I just finished a class which required me to watch chick flicks and bromances and make coherent conclusions about our modern day society and its attitudes towards gender. This is not for everyone. But the fact that it came so easily to me, lets me know that I choose the right degree for me.

There is something to be said for choosing the path of least resistance. I've really enjoyed my college education. I've learned a little about a lot of things. I can tell you about Pompeii, popular music trends, meteorology, dinosaurs, poetry, Frankenstein and a lot of literary theory. I've written countless papers, and researched until the wee hours of the morning many a time. Earning this degree took work, but it was fun!

But you know what else takes the path of least resistance? Water.

And just look what water can accomplish.

Boom. The Grand Canyon, baby.

That makes me feel better about my choices.

Four years ago I choose to attend Florida State University. This wasn't what I thought I would choose at the time. But, they liked me. They kept sending me informational packets with pretty pictures of a dreamy campus.

I'm such a sucker for southern charm. The scholarship they offered didn't hurt either.

When I first applied to FSU, I told them I was planning on majoring in Elementary Education. It seemed like a nice, practical choice for me. Three things convinced me to change it:

1. I really, really love reading and stories. Ever since I learned to read, its been my favorite thing to do. Once I learned to read, I quickly changed my career goal from the vague "Artist", to the still vague but more prestigious "Author and Illustrator". As in, "What would you like to be when you grow up little girl?" would be answered, "An author and illustrator." ( For the full effect, you should also know, I pronounced my "R" sound like a "W" until I was about eight.)

2. I took ENC 1102 at the local junior college my senior year of high school. I loved that class. My professor was hilarious, and his excitement for the literature we were studying was contagious. I worked really hard on my final paper for that class, but felt sure that it would never measure up to his standard of greatness. We exchanged papers for peer review, and after reading a classmates argument, I was even more sure that my paper was not up to par. After class, I over heard another student talking about the paper she had reviewed. She said that the person who wrote it knew exactly how to say what they wanted to, and then said it hilariously. I got a little bit jealous of whoever had written that paper, and I was sure my paper was going to fail. When we got our papers back I found out that she had been talking about MY paper! And the teacher had added his own note to say that he agreed, and that I was hilarious. He also wrote that I needed to be more careful with grammar and spelling, but let's not dwell on that.

3. I was already wavering, but the final push to change my major to English came when I read Dave Barry's guide to choosing your college major. This is what he has to say: "If you can regularly come up with lunatic interpretations of simple stories, you should major in English."

And so, I changed my major to English. I then spent the next four years of my life in the Williams building at FSU. This is where I learned to come up with lunatic interpretations like a champ.

Good bye Williams building. You have served me well.

So, now that I've completed the major that I choose, what on earth will I do with a degree in English
Literature?

In my dream world I would get to be the editor of the funny stories people send in to Reader's Digest. I don't think that is going to pan out for me so...yea.

I've been working at the Graduation section in the Registrar's office at FSU for almost three years. I like helping students, and I've learned a lot about the university, and myself. For instance, did you know that when I feel stressed for long periods of time I get nauseous and throw up for days on end? I learned that little gem last week.

All of last week.

If all goes according to plan, I'll be working there full time soon! I'm excited to continue to help students and learn things, and to have a steady income while Cory finishes his degree in Electrical Engineering.

Someone has got to support this lavish lifestyle we lead. Am I right?

So, FSU, you've given me a lot. And, it looks like you'll continue to give. I'm liking this little arrangement we've set up.

Easters

2011-04-26T22:33:00.003-04:00

Easter is a holiday filled with secrets, deception, and surprise. At least it is with my family.

My parents were driving down from North Carolina to spend the week here in Florida. When my mom got to town, she needed to make a big shopping trip to Wal-Mart. While she was there, she got a beautiful spring bouquet.

Pretty, huh? She got more than she bargained for, because attached to the bouquet was her first born daughter! My older sister Kourtney and her husband Juan made the trip over from Texas to surprise her!

I love that they had to hunt her down in Wal-mart. And so began our fabulous Easter holiday.

Friday night we hung out and watched "classic" movies. I'm not sure if they're classic to the general public. In fact, I'm positive they're not, seeing as Juan, Tayna and Cory have never even heard of them.

We have begun to compile a list of "Hansen Classics", that all new family members must watch in order to understand a great deal of the Hansen family humor and thought process. So far: The Shakiest Gun in the West, The In-laws, Singin' in the Rain, The Music Man, and Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang. I'm sure the list will continue to grow with time, as we begin to realize just how many of our jokes our spouses don't get. It little things like, every time I hear the name "Pierre" I cannot resist the urge to say"Oh Pierre! You shouldn't have come!"(Singin' in the Rain).

Fun fact: if you say that phrase in the presence of one of my family members, they will respond with "YES, YES, YES...NO, NOO, NOOOO..." Every single time.

Saturday we all went thrift shopping in Tallahassee. We found the BEST thrift store! I got a sweet retro lamp for Cory's desk (only $15.00!), and a ceramic ear that I thought was hilarious. For $.50, I thought it was worth it.

Cory has not been very amused at my constant requests for him to "lend me his ear." Whatev. I'm hilarious.

We started Sunday out right with Belgian Waffles. Yum.

My mom brought out the traditional Easter scrabble blocks.

It's like they're trying to tell us something.

But what is it???

Oh. That makes more sense.

We also broke out the permanent markers and did a little egg decorating. If you must know, the fumes were a little, tiny bit strong.

Okay. The fumes were really strong.

Cory wanted to make a "Chuck Norris" egg. It quickly started to take a turn for the more "Homeless Vagrant" look, so he decided to run with that.

Daisy was not amused.

Here we are with our masterpieces:

And here they are, being the master peices:

What a bunch of egg heads. Am I right?

After our little eggstravaganza, my parents sent us out into the wilderness for a bit so the Easter Bunny could stop by and hide our eggs and baskets.

Yea...we still do Easter egg hunts. They get more intense every year. My parents really, really enjoy hiding things from us.

It was hot in the wilderness. I tried to look brave for the camera, but Cory couldn't even fake it.

That is the opposite of his excited face.

The wild flowers were very scenic though.

Eventually we caught up to Tanya and Jesse. But not before taking some very stalkerish pictures of them. They didn't even know I was there!

I'm still trying to decide if I should be concerned about the thrill sneaking around in bushes while taking pictures of unsuspecting people brings to me.

My Dad helped the Easter bunny hide our baskets and eggs this year. It took us, six fully grown adults, over thirty minutes of vigilant searching to find the first one. Eventually we had to give up and beg for hints, and at that point he came up with riddles to point us in the right direction. Our egg hunt lasted the better part of three hours. And even then we had to give up the search with one egg unaccounted for. Easter really is my parent's time to shine.

Of course, there is a lot more to Easter than eggs and bunnies. I love the opportunity to remember the sacrifice He made for us all. It was a much needed reminder for me.

I just loved this weekend. (Now I'm even MORE excited to spend a week with my sisters and Mom this summer! We missed you Jackie!) It really was too bad that it just happened to be the weekend before Finals week. Not that I let that tiny little detail interfere with my plans...

In other news I turned in my last final today at 6:05 PM!! I can't believe I'm done! I promise I'll address the question I'm sure is burning in your heart now: "What next?" in my next post. It's gonna be good.

Pinterest. It's so hot right now.

2011-04-14T23:43:00.002-04:00

Hey you guuuuuys!

I can't say that without channeling The Goonies. Which is interesting, considering I've never seen all of that movie. Also, it kinda scares me.

A few weeks ago I heard about this thing called Pinterest. And I was intrigued. If you've already heard of it, good! If not, you really need to look into this.

It's pretty much the equivilant of tearing pages out of magzines and putting them in folders for future reference. Except with the internets instead of paper. And the ability to link back to the original source every time. And see other people's inspiration, and then claim it as your own inspiration.

I was only mildly interested, until I found out that you have to either be invited by a current member, or request to be a part of it! Once they got all elite on me, I desparately wanted to be a part of it. Those sly dogs.

Anyway, I sent in my request a while back, and a few days ago I got accepted! And it has seriously blown my mind.

Anytime I see something I like that I might want to remember, I just click a "Pin It" button on my toolbar, and viola! It's saved, categorized and linked back to the original source for easy peasy referencing!

Seriously. I love it.

This is what a board looks like:

This is my "Kitchen" board. I've got some serious plans for our new place!

If you wanna check it out, click here to see my boards and get a feel for it. It's a little addictive, but definitely one of the most useful bookmarking tools I've ever used.

You can request to join yourself (it takes them about two weeks to acquiesce to your request), or I can send you an invitation! You won't have to wait as long if I send you an invite. I think. If I can figure out how to send invites...hmm.

Also, I like how I'm calling them "invites." Very casual.

Anyway, I like it. And if you've ever seen an amazing idea on a website, but then can't find it ever, ever again fwhen you try to tell other people about the awesome idea you found, you might like it too.

Now...back to school work. Only 15 days and one monster final paper stand between me and my undergraduate degree! Where did the time go?

Graduation pictures and reflections coming soon. Look forward to that. I know I am :)

White and Nerdy

2011-04-07T16:31:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite thing about this little blogity blog is the ability it gives me to look back and remember exactly what I thought was significant during the past few years. It makes me laugh to read the things I wrote about, and I know I wouldn't remember most of the events if not for this documentation. History is made by those who write it down, people.

My other favorite things are funny comments, and stalking people. But that's another post, for another day.

When I look back on April 2011 in a few years, what would I like to remember?

Possibilities: Work was stressful. Finishing my bachelor's degree in English Literature has never seemed so close, and yet so far. I actually cooked dinner three times this week. All are true, yet none seem to really encapsulate what my life as truly been about recently.

What has taken precedence?

Yea. That's right.

I'm blogging about Avatar.

I'm not going to do a huge post about this, mostly because my friend Becca did one a year ago that says it all. Click here to read about her family's experience with the show, and her astute review of the plot lines and character development. (Yes, Becca. I creeped your archives.)

I've been watching it pretty regularly for the past week and half. And by "regularly" I mean, "every moment I can. I'm starting on the third (and final) season now. All the episodes are on Netflix Instant Play, which has proven to be irresistible to me. I take my laptop around the house with me, washing dishes, cooking dinner, and....watching Avatar. I'm pretty cool.

Cory refuses to join in. He claims that he's not interested in a silly cartoon. But really, its because he's been a little preoccupied with his own nerdy little RPG love:

To each his own.

Herbs, 'Shrooms and Inspiration

2011-03-27T19:59:00.003-04:00

Here's a bunch of random things. A smattering, if you will.

Bridget and I planted a garden! We were having a very difficult time picking out a theme for our garden. Herbs, vegetables, flowers....so many options! Eventually, we just picked our favorite of each. We're really good at decisions.

I've never had very much success with growing things, so we're really interested to see what happens with this little project. Hey you veteran gardeners out there, tell me your secrets!

I've amassed quite a collection of "reclaimed" wood objects for future projects. I keep them on the porch. 'Cause I'm classy like that.

I picked the broken ladder up from a day care down the road. I asked permission before I dug it out of their trash pile. It was at this moment that it really hit me how little pride I have. The kids all pressed their faces up against the chain link fence, watching the crazy white lady load a broken ladder into the trunk of her very dented car. Whatev. I got a sweet ladder.

Someday (soon, I hope) I'm going to marry the boards to this quote:

I just need a few more old crappy boards. And my sander!

And, I'll finish off with a little bit of home decor according to Cory. Tanya gave Cory a little Mario 'Shroom filled with candy for Christmas. He loved the candy. Thanks, Tanya! You'll be happy to know that he's found the little shroom to be more than just a candy jar.

I guess things get pretty lonely in there sometimes.

He reminds me of the shy, yet gifted kid who sits in the front of the class.

I seriously think Cory just goes around trying to put things inside of other things.

Hmm...Cory just came out of his study room and said, "Lindy, you never make me cookies or brownies."

Master of subtlety, that one.

I haven't been grocery shopping in a month so...we'll see how this goes! He LOVES when I make creative food solutions. Mayonnaise is so versatile...

Just bangin' around over here.

2011-03-17T21:09:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while I like to give Cory a little surprises. I feel that it keeps our marriage fresh and interesting.

Today I was feeling generous, so I let him wake up to this little scene:

Nothing says I love you like a sink fulla hair.

I've always kind of had a thing for cutting hair. I used to try to get my little brother to play "sleep" so I could give him a trim. I think I may have missed my calling.

You know who you should NEVER, under ANY circumstances let cut your hair? My sister Jackie. She convinced me (on two separate occasions) to let her cut my bangs. Both times were terrible. One time was the night before my already bound to be awkward first day of 8th grade. She gave me a prickly two inch fringe that took 3 months to grow to a regular length. It gave me the opportunity to work on my personality.

I like the new bangs so far. I think they held up pretty well to a long day of work and class.

If you look closely, you'll see that I left the tooth paste splatters on the bathroom mirror for our little photoshoot. I'm classy.

Also, I completely forgot to wear green today. But I did make corned beef for dinner! Cory said that it tasted good, but smelled like old people. He has a point.

See ya next fall

2011-03-14T23:29:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I get antsy when I think of all the places I want to go. Europe, Hawaii, Redwoods, and this one random waterfall in North Georgia are just calling my name.

But trips like that take money. And planning. And time.

None of which we have.

Someday. Maybe.

It's nice when Cory reminds me of all the awesome places we have yet to explore that are right in our regional backyard. (Although, the 12 by 8 foot area of our literal backyard probably holds some surprises too)

On our way home from the Orlando Temple, Cory suggested we stop by the most kitschy, romantic, touristy place Florida has to offer (and thats saying a lot). Turns out, he prefers historical sites to shopping in IKEA and the mall (my suggestions). Either way, I win.

That's compromise, folks.

Without further ado I present to you: St. Augustine. America's Oldest City.

Disclaimer: While I could back up my wild claims with some actual fact checking, I'm choosing to rely on the information Cory recalled from his third grade field trip as accurate. Its quite possible I'm writing my first piece of historical fiction here. Blame him.

Wanna know what makes this place great? I'll show you.

The visitor's center/parking garage looks like this:

They have entire shops dedicated to foods like chocolate.

Not pictured: Shop specializing in exotic jerky. For real. We're talking Yak and Alligator jerky.

It's a place where you spell "Olde Tyme" when you mean "Old Time."

There is also a Fort.

According to my tour guide, the fort withstood the barrage of cannons for centuries due to the unique "bricks made out of tiny shells" construction technique of the Spanish men who built it.

Also, this guy hung out for a while. Do you think he's yearning for the days of yore? Regretting the terrible things he did to this country's native people? Counting down the minutes until he gets his smoke break? The world may never know.

I thought it made a lot of sense that the oldest town in America would also feature the oldest street in America. We found it, and took a stroll.

The Spanish settlers were all about culture. And gift shops.

The oldest street in America led us to the most inviting windows in America. I want this.

We found a wax museum too. The oldest in America? Probably not.

We walked in, took some awkward pictures of the lobby as the receptionist stared at us, and walked out. The $6.00 per person fee was a little too rich for our blood.

The complete awkwardness of this picture makes me so happy.

The rest of the trip looked like this:

I'm now dedicated to satisfying my travel lust with really getting to know the places within a 4 hour radius a little more. 'Cause I think we have some pretty awesome stuff. Suggestions welcome :)

Pillow Talk with my Puff Daddy

2011-03-08T10:40:00.001-05:00

Usually right before we go to sleep, we talk. Sometimes we even hold hands and talk. Pretty much anything goes, and we'll gossip, tell funny stories, complain about work (me), complain about lab reports (him), and one time we just took turns saying things we like about each other. Which was very sweet.

Last night, just as we were getting very sleepy, we had this little exchange:

Lindy: Today I made cream puffs with Bridget.

Cory: You can DO that?

Lindy: Well, I'd never done it before, but my mom used to do it all the time, so I had an idea of how it works. But anyway....

Cory: Wait. How do they get all puffy?

Lindy: I dunno. The salt maybe?

Cory: Yea, probably. How do you get the cream inside?

[Then I got distracted explaining how we filled them up, and had a side story about how we tried to make homemade whipped cream with half and half coffee creamer, which, not surprisingly, failed. So we used a can of Reddi-whip to fill them up instead. It's diversions like this that make a simple story take half an hour. Eventually I got back on track, which is where we'll pick up]

Lindy: But, that's not the point. One of the tips I read said to poke the puffs with a toothpick after baking. So I gave a toothpick to Bridget, and told her to poke them, and I started cleaning up. When I looked back over to see how it was going, I saw that every time she would poke one, they would collapse and deflate! Turns out that is the opposite of what you should do. So we stopped doing that real fast, but we'd already deflated half of the puffs.

So we both laugh over the silly mistake, and I start to fall asleep. Then...

Cory: I want cream puffs.

Lindy: Hmm...I think we have all the stuff to make them.

Cory: Can we make them?

Lindy: Ummm....sure.

Cory: Now?

Lindy: Ummm....okay.

Cory: Yay!!

And that is the story of how we made cream puffs at midnight.

We are basically pastry chefs.

I'm posting the recipe over at Pile o' Craft, so if you'd like to have your own cream puff adventure, click on over.

Now I've gotta pack, cause we're takin' a trip to Orlando today and tomorrow! Yay for a mini-vacation :)

A Morally Gray Area

2011-03-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in the living room "writing my papers" that are due tomorrow morning, as Cory is sitting in the spare bedroom/study room studying with a friend. Just a sheet of very thin drywall separates us, and I can pretty much hear every word they say to each other. And yes. I'm listening.

There are long stretches of silence (while they work out the problems, I presume), punctuated by bursts of conversation.

And by conversation, I mean, "Take the x and y, and then divide everything by 1.5. Then you solve for blah blah math blah maximum allowable pencil something." (Direct quote. I just typed it as they said it. Well, mostly.)

But sometimes, they really open up to each other. Share their feelings and stuff.

"Man, I always get so scared that my calculator is going to die in the middle of a test."
"Yea man. Me too."

And,

"Dude, get one of these man. This is the best thing I've ever had in my life." (In reference to some kind of eraser pen that I can hear clicking as he extends it up and down.)

I just went in there an nonchalantly took this picture.

As I snapped it, Cory says, "You're not putting this on the internet, are you?"

Ummmm....why do you ask?

I should really get going on these papers now. But, if YOU had to write one on how third wave feminism is represented in the movie Legally Blonde, you'd be procrastinating too. Probably. And I haven't even picked out a topic for the second paper yet.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, yes I did just type "how to reference a film title" into Google. I get the underline/bold/italics rules mixed up sometimes. I'm pretty much the most awesome English major ever.

Spring? Already?

2011-02-28T22:50:00.002-05:00

Winter was seriously short lived around here. And I really miss it. But, maybe it's just me and my broken car air conditioner. But seriously, where did winter go? Bridget and I decided to soak up the warm sunshine and practice our photography (we both got new cameras for Christmas).

These are the signs of spring we found in her neighborhood:

But it wasn't all fun and games. On our trip around the neighborhood we found a seriously creepy mailbox topper.

Seriously, lady? Why?

I think he's going to eat me.

In other news, I'm officially halfway done with my last semester of undergraduate education! Yay!

And Cory gained 5 pounds last week. And I haven't even switched him to whole milk yet! So, awesome.

And, I don't know how to cook pasta for less than 15 people. Seeing as we are only 2 people, it's becoming a problem.

And this was AFTER we had stuffed our faces until our bellies hurt. Yea.

Some Family History and Peanut M&Ms

2011-02-20T04:08:00.000-05:00

It's been a struggle to find the right photos to put on the shelves over our couch. Not exactly a life or death struggle. Or even something that I thought of more than once a week, or even made the list of things I wanted to do something about. But my original solution of printing out some random, bright, vintage-y things to put in the frames wasn't quite right. Even though I maintain that these seals are pretty awesome.

Awesome, right? Well, Cory wasn't sold on them. Or any of the other completely weird pictures I had up there. And, while I thought the prints were fun, I didn't have any personal attachment to them. They were meaningless to us.

We displayed pictures of our parents and grandparents at our wedding reception in July. As a bonus, we got to keep the pictures, and I had spread them randomly throughout the house. They were nice on their own, but didn't really make much of a statement...then it came to me.

Down came the random artsy crap, and up went our statement:

These shelves are pretty much the first thing you see when you walk in the door, and it makes me so, so happy to see these pictures. To see our parents and grandparents as they were just starting their marriages--before they had kids, or houses, or college degrees. Just two crazy kids living on love.

Cory's side of the family. Now that's what I call a gene pool.

Seeing our parents and grandparents at our age just kills me. I love it so much. It kind of makes me want to invite them all over to play Partini and wear 40's style clothing. I like to think that we all would have been the best of married friends. You know what I mean.

My side of the family. Ridiculously good looking.

It should be noted that our parents were married in the 80's, so their pictures were actually originally in color. When he saw my copies Cory said, "Why did you change our parents pictures? Now they look like they're a million years old."

Because I like things to match. Okay?

Also, I have all of their love stories for you guys. I was going to summarize them in this post, but they're too amazing to summarize. They involve bike stealing, long distance war time relationships kept alive through letters alone, balls, Frisbee football, Stake basketball tournaments, and so much more. This post is already getting really long, and I haven't even told you about the M&M's yet, which was the whole thing I was going to write about today. So I'll post their love stories this week. I should have done it LAST week, what with Valentine's Day and all (which also happens to be one of their anniversaries. I know. Hindsight=twentytwenty.) but look forward to it this week.

And, about the M&Ms. Cory is a skinny guy. Like, really skinny. His metabolism is like the energizer bunny on back tar heroin. It never stops. This combined with the stress of school and a propensity to eat Honey Nut Cheerios for every meal unless something else is prepared for him has led to him losing weight on my watch. Which is bad.

I've been working on ways to get him to eat more, but it's hard. Eating just...isn't on his list of priorities. Which is unfathomable to me. I literally cannot fathom it.

So, in an effort to put eating a little higher on his list, I've been trying to make high calorie snacks a little more accessible (I pretty much wrote the book on bad eating habits, so, I'm excited to put these skills to work).

Enter: A dish of Peanut M&M's place ever so innocently on the coffee table.

I didn't think much of it, but within half an hour of putting them out, the M&M's had disappeared! He ate them! I was shocked. He pretty much never eats sweets (Mentos don't count.). I had just hit the jackpot of fattening Cory up snacks. He loves them, and I am not tempted by them in even the smallest way. Win-win.

So, maybe our little friends started making an appearance more often.

Maybe the dish would get refilled as he played some video games.

Maybe the dish would be on the table next to his dinner plate.

Maybe the dish would slip next to Cory as he watched TV.

Maybe the dish would show up to keep him company during study time...

Maybe I overplayed the usefulness of the dish.

Maybe this is the face he makes right before he asks, "Why are you taking pictures, and why have you been giving me so many peanut M&Ms this week?"

Uhhhmm...well...because... I just love you so much?

But really, I don't think he noticed/minded until I started taking the pictures.

I'm thinking of buying him his own gallon of whole milk, and lacing it with whey protein. Desperate times, people. Suggestions?

I less than three you

2011-02-16T22:13:00.002-05:00

In my head I always say it "Valentimes" for some reason. I don't know why. I'm not going to call it that on here, because I'm not four years old and it might turn some of you off, but you should know that I find it endearing. YOU try shouting: "VALENTIMES!" with no abandon. It's fun. I promise.

When I walked in for lunch on Monday afternoon, I found this little scene:

Cliche? Maybe. Still awesome? Most definitely.

There are a few reasons I loved this:

1) Flowers are awesome.

2)When I called Cory to squeal with delight he said: "You like them? I MADE them." And I just got this picture of him at the flower kiosk in Publix, carefully choosing the perfect pink and purple bouquets. And then he gets home, and carefully combines them into his masterpiece. SWOON.

3) He picked up some milk while he was at it. Two percent.

In return, I decided I would do us both a favor and pick up dinner on my way home. I set the table all pretty and fancy like before I left, just so he would know I put some thought into it.

I was thinking of getting something kind of fancyish...but decided to call Cory and get his input. What did he think we should eat by the candle light?

Because nothing says romance like food I have to eat while wearing a bib.

Ha! Yep, he wanted hot wings. And it sounded delicious to me. So, I picked some up. And they were delicious. And I may have gotten wing sauce on my forehead at one point. I'm hot.

We finally settled in for the evening, ready to watch "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman" on Netflix (We like Batman, okay?), and Cory was super excited to break into the box of chocolates.

Boxes of chocolates are funny things. The whole "never know what you're gonna get" aspect really gets me. I want to know! So much so, that I'm not opposed to breaking every one of them in half, just to know what kind it is. This was frowned upon in our house growing up, so I had to resort to sneakily poking holes in the bottom of every one to satisfy my curiosity. This soon became even more frowned upon in our house. Imagine my delight when I discovered Cory's method of chocolate box eating.

He rips open the box, and the first thing he looks for is one of those little labeled chocolate box road maps, which they don't tend to include in the..ahem..lower end spectrum of the chocolate heart boxes. He then realizes that this one is going to have to be done the hard way.

He did that to the whole box, letting me know when he got a "good one" that I needed to try. I'm so glad we're on the same page on this one. I'll share a box of chocolates with him any day.

It's Getting Hot In Here...

2011-02-13T17:37:00.001-05:00

Cory worries a lot. Especially about fires. Namely, he thinks I'm going to start one. In our house.

I've taken steps to reduce this ~~somewhat irrational~~ fear, but despite my best efforts I'm still hearing a lot of "Lindy! Don't light that candle underneath our memo board full of paper!" or "Uhh...did you turn the stove off?"

Today, it was all about the hair straightener.

This is where my hair straightener lives:

Today I decided to straighten my hair. But when I tried to turn my straightener on, I found that it was unplugged. The only plug along this wall is hidden deep within the narrow and unreachable recess between the dresser and the wall. I asked Cory if he had unplugged it. He had. Turns out, he's noticed I have a habit of turning the straightener on in the mornings, and forgetting to turn it off. Then it burns all day, and will probably explode and kill us all.

I'm aware of this habit. This is why I purchased the metal, presumably fireproof, tray. This was my solution.

Cory wasn't buying that the tray would keep us safe. I promised to be more vigilant with the "off" switch, and he plugged it back in for me. All was right with the world.

On our way home from church, Cory says, "Hey, you turned off your straightener, right?"
Me: Of course I did...Probably.
Cory: Lindy!
Me: I really think I did...

When we walk in the door, we both make a bee-line for the straightener, where it sat with it's little red light blinking proudly, signaling to all the world that it was hot and ready to go at 400 degrees.

My bad.

So, needless to say, we're working on fire safety in our house this week. Wish me luck.

Also, the rug came in!!! I love it.

Don't you love my fancy slipcover? I call it "An old sheet draped over a chair I found in the street, with some fancy knots tying the edges together under there."

While You Were Sleeping

2011-02-06T17:57:00.002-05:00

Some people like to sleep in on Saturday mornings. Some people married other people who feel differently. Some people have grown to accept that, and have ceased to be surprised at whatever crazy project is going on in their living room by the time they decide to get out of bed.

Even if it looks like this:

Nothing like the sweet smell of paint fumes, early in the morning.

And yes, my favorite place to paint IS on the living room carpet. Unless it's spray paint. I take that to the back yard.

While my shelf painting project dried in the living room, I introduced some mismatched frames to my new BFF, Metallic Spray Paint.

That little parade got a little rained on pretty quickly. I almost cried when I came outside 10 minutes later to find this massacre:

Don't worry--the spray paint had already pretty much dried, so the water just wiped off.

Much banging and many nail holes later, my first ever photo collage wall was born!

Also, it doesn't matter what time of day I decide to hang something up, Cory is ALWAYS convinced that the neighbors are sleeping. He'll say, "Lindy! Now?? The neighbors are probably sleeping!" I mean, come on. Are these people sick??? Why do they sleep so much??

And that's pretty much what my Saturday looked like.

And this is what Cory's Saturday looked like:

Check out the Mentos. I think I need to cut him off. Things are getting out of control.

This is basically what his whole life looks like right now. Turns out, engineerin' stuff is hard.

Candlestick Maker

2011-01-30T18:33:00.001-05:00

There is just something about these past few weeks that have me in a funk. And I'm not talkin' a groovy disco funky town funk. Its more of a "no motivation to do anything, not even CRAFTS and definitely not homework" funk. I'm not entirely sure where it's coming from, or what to do about it. Perhaps it's a January thing? I hope I can shake it soon. Anyone else out there feeling it?

The funky fog has broken a few times, usually thanks to Cory. Also, it should be said that he usually has no idea when he's done something that makes my day. For example...

About two months ago I told my Mom I was looking for an old wooden chair to use as a nightstand for Cory's side of the bed. She just happened to have the perfect chair. She brought it down and we had fun shopping the house for just the perfect junk to put on top of it. We decided that a few old books, a clock, and a little candlestick would add the perfect charm.

Cory has his own ideas about charm. This is what he's done with the arrangement:

Nailed it.

I knew that table top was missing something, I just couldn't put my finger on it.

P.S. I thought about going on to explain that this picture is the perfect metaphor for our relationship, but decided against the philosophical post about my marriage. Maybe next time?

Magic Carpet Ride.

2011-01-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

First, I'd like to thank everyone so, so much for helping me with my little...situation last week. It was a tough call. The votes are in, and it was a little surprising. The most controversial by far was our Love Birds. Definitely a statement piece. I loved them all (hence the need for your help) but with all of your feedback I was finally able to choose one:

Orangey Goodness will not only incorporate the grayish blue we painted the "entertainment center", but adds some muted yet bright colors. Also...it was ten dollars cheaper than the other two. And someone wrote a review about the red on the paisley one running and fading into the white parts of the rug. So, with the clearance price, and a 10% coupon code, the five foot diameter rug cost me $17.99. The dining room table gets to live another day as is. Unless I hate the rug when it gets here. Then I'm sending it back, and the table is gettin' it good.

Also, for those who were wondering, all three rugs were on clearance at Urban Outfitters. And they're all still there.

Also, because I like playing with our new camera and like to impress you with how good a wifey I am, here's an awesome breakfast I slaved over for Cory while he did a lab report or circuit homework or some other hard thing on Saturday morning.

What can I say? I'm a giver.

In the spirit of eating better (Pop tarts aside--those are really just for Cory), I've been buying a lot more fruits and veggies lately. Sometimes this confuses Cory. Today when we were deciding what to have for dinner, he requested chicken, baked potatoes, fried okra, and those green sticks.

Green sticks? Ohhhhh....

I love me some green sticks. Also, see that bunch of Broccoli?? It's a whole new world.

So, here's the thing...

2011-01-18T20:45:00.000-05:00

I need help. Feedback. Advice. It can be anonymous. I don't care.

In my quest to incorporate more color into the living room, I've found three rugs. They are all circlular, 5 feet in diameter, and less than $30.00. I like them all, and think any of them would work just fine for the corner I have in mind.

So, here they are:

Lovebirds

Orangey Goodness

Pretty Paisleys

Cory said, "Just get whatever one you want, if you want it that bad."

So, which should I go for? They're all on clearance, so I'm feeling some pressure to decide quickly...and that's never been one of my strong points.

Or should I just chuck the rug idea and paint the kitchen table white? With fun colored chairs, and a bold pattern on the seat cushions....

(Or quit messing around and just write one of the four papers I have due on Thursday....)

Drama Queen

2011-01-16T18:20:00.000-05:00

So, sometimes I have a tendency to over react, blow things out of proportion, cry, and be, as Cory so lovingly terms it, dramatic. I like to think that dramatic situations find me, and my reaction is appropriate to the situation.

But anyway, the other night I walked down the hall after Cory had been at his desk working on homework for a few hours. I looked down and saw some paper, wadded up on the ground. He's been throwing the pages he made mistakes on down the hall.

Is that really necessary?

I guess there's a little drama in us all.

Lovey Dovey Trashy Mush

2011-01-09T20:12:00.001-05:00

When I see an old dirty piece of furniture in the bulk trash piles on the side of the road made of solid wood and filled up to the brim with potential....I want it.

Cory knows this, and typically does everything in his power to fight against the urges I have.

If we're in the car and see something I shout out, "Oooo stop! I neeed that." And Cory will make a remark about the blinders he's going to make me wear every time I leave the house (Yes, blinders. Like a horse.)

(As a side note, I believe this condition is hereditary. Just ask my sister-in-law Tanya.)

I tell you this, so you can better understand the significance of what happened the yesterday.

Cory had to go to the college of engineering to work on a project, and a few seconds after he left I get a call from him.

It goes something like this:

Lindy: Hey, did you forget something?

Cory: No, I just wanted to tell you there is a big pile of trash down the street.

Lindy: Oh really? Where?

Cory: Go outside and look to the right.

[A few moments pass while I put on my shoes and go outside]

Lindy: Ooo I see it. I'm gonna go check it out.

Cory: Kay, have fun!

HA! What a sweetie.

And that call sure paid off! I found this little gem in with all the rubbish:

Ain't she somthing?? All that beautiful solid wood detailing. Lovely. Just lovely. I dragged that bad boy all the way home. So maybe it's a little torn up....

Okay, a lot torn up. But with some new upholstery, and a little bit of paint it'll be the PERFECT chair for my new command center/ desk in the closet. And it's all thanks to Cory, who loves and helps me, even when he doesn't understand me. Aw.

Also this is the second time in about a month that someone has called me to alert me of trash on the side of the road. Hmm...I think I'm okay with being that person.

After I got my awesome new trash, we celebrated with fuzzy socks and a Lifetime movie. Cory picked the movie. The Craigslist Killer was creepy. But my socks were warm.

11 things for 2011

2011-01-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

Like pretty much every one else in the world, I'm gonna set some goals for 2011. 2010 was a pretty good year for the both of us, but I see some room in there for improvement. It'll be a self centered to do list, but I think if I'm able to pull it all off it'll benefit everyone around me. So, here's 11 things to pull off in the year 2011:

1) Get organized. And then stay that way. The great closet clean outs have already begun.

My new command center--formerly known
as the junk closet.

2) Get dressed. Don't get me wrong--I'm not currently in the habit of walking around naked all the time. What I'm hoping to improve on is a daily effort to wear clothes that make me feel and look put together. Deliberately choosing outfits instead of wearing whatever I can find in 5 minutes every morning. It would also help to do my hair and makeup but...lets not get carried away. Gotta leave something for 2012, right?

I got dressed! New Years Eve.

3) Eat what I need. Not exactly a ground breaking goal, but one I really need to implement. Right now my relationship with food is a little bit too emotional. Let's take that out and eat things that my body needs to run well--- which I have a sneaking suspicion does not include a dozen cookies.

My body needed one of these steaks my Dad grilled up for New Years.

4) Ummm...workout. 3 times a week. Let's track the success of this one by how many pairs of my skinny jeans I get to bring out from ~~banishmen~~t under the bed.

5) Sleep. 8 hours really makes a difference. And I don't have children. This should be attainable for me.

6) Blog more. I like it, and it's pretty much the only journal I'm keeping right now. So let's blog it up. I might even up it to once a week! Ah! Here's to 52 posts in 2011.

7) How about: GRADUATE. I can almost taste it.

8) Take pictures.

9) Kiss my niece and nephew. In person. This could also coincide with a sister's reunion? Yes? Or at the very least an awesome family vacation.

These kids are CUTE.

10) Save some clams. I'm still working on a precise dollar amount to work towards. Turns out, I AM the one that spends most of our money. He pays the bills that he's in charge of, buys gas and...then doesn't spend anything else. So saving it really comes down to me. I actually feel pretty good about where I am, but I can do better. Couponing here I come, and Marshall's--I love you, but we can't see each other any more. Wants and needs: not the same thing.

11) Read. I love reading. Daily scripture study and some fluff too. I don't think I read more than 4 books for fun last year--and I can't even remember what they were. If you've read any amazing books, let me know. I'm now officially taking suggestions.

So, there's the list. 11 things that will make me a better, happier person. None of them are especially revolutionary. Oh well. It's what I need.

Also: Happy 6 month wedding anniversary! We're on a roll :)

The Aftermath

2010-12-27T09:26:00.003-05:00

Married Christmas is awesome. Instead of one amazing Christmas, we got three. We spent Christmas Eve with my family, singing songs horribly, burning the traditional bonfire, and eating cheese, sausage and crackers. Delish. After the little hiccup with Cory's original present, I wanted to get him something else. But he insisted that I couldn't spend any money on another present. What's a girl to do?
On Wednesday, December 22nd, my mom suggested we make him a quilt. We only used scraps from her fabric closet, so the only thing it cost us was time! And boy, did it ever cost us. It had 9 squares total, and 8 of the squares feature a scene from our first year together. Its like, a scrap book, on a quilt! After 18 hours of hard labor, at 12:00 pm on Thursday, the 23rd we had this:

Here's a closeup of each square-- which is your favorite??

1) Painting the Town Yellow 2) Our golf date 3) Watching movies 4) Eating dinners
5)Baking cookies 6) Our first Christmas spent cross country
7) Singing in the Rain aka He proposed 8) Weddin'

We presented it with a bottle of sparkling grape juice and a ton of fruit snacks. So we can snuggle up and stuff our faces. Sounds good to me.

We went to Cory's parents house for Christmas Day, opened a ton of presents and ate a ton of food. It was awesome. They surprised us with a new camera! So, we spent most of the day taking pictures trying to learn how to use it. So, we've got a lot of this:

Zero editing, people. Its the way of the future. See how Cory is all sharp like,
and the background is all blurry like? Oh baby.

Around 9:00 PM we came home to our little Christmas celebration. We filled up each other's stockings with little surprises, and opened up a few little presents. It was nice.

We're still getting the hang of self timers.

Also, the other day when we got into the freezing cold car Cory exclaimed: "It's colder than a witch's teat in here!" He insists its a common phrase. Wikipedia agree's with him. Click HERE to know more about witch's teats than you ever wanted to.

Another Christmas post. You can expect at least one more after this.

2010-12-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

Christmas is shaping up nicely. Now that the fall semester is blissfully over, we can really enjoy getting ready. And by enjoy I mean, have an awesome day out shopping until at Best Buy I decide to be sneaky when I see the Planet Earth I bought for Cory's present playing on all 46 of their huge high def. TV's and ask ever so slyly, "So you like that stuff right?" and then cry when he responds, "I already watched all of those online--I don't want to watch them again." Umm. Yea.

But other than that little, tiny hiccup it's been very nice.

I love having the house all decorated for Christmas! It's so cozy. Well at least I think so. If Cory could describe our decor in one word it would be "flammable.

Cute right?

Apparently covering a string of lights in fabric, and then nestling heavy glass jars into isn't "safe".

And then placing a large amount of ~~kindling~~ paper (aka coffee filter wreath) above the set up makes it worse...

He also had a problem with shoving copious amounts of lights on top of a ~~kind of very dusty~~ fridge.

Who made him the Fire Marshall???

But, as you can see, the overall effect IS quite cozy. Especially when I light the candles...

On this one, I'm willing to admit we're both right. Cozy and flammable. Our first Christmas.

A few days ago it finally got cold here. We're talking, take a glass of water with you when you walk to your car in the morning, cause you're gonna need it to melt the ice off your windshield. So Cory made us the FIRST hot chocolate of the season. I saw some super cute mugs at Micheal's, and got them in preparation for colder weather. They each feature a different picture and imperative statement.

This was my cup of hot chocolate:

Cute.

I look up and I see Cory with his hot chocolate:

"Lindy, this is how a man drinks hot chocolate."

Nothing like drinking hot chocolate out of something the size of your face.

Merry Christmas :)

'Tis the season

2010-12-03T23:58:00.000-05:00

So, I just put up a long post about our Christmas decorations on the ol' Pile o' Craft. I was going to put it up here too, but I just can't take fighting with Blogger with posting pictures anymore right now. So click here if you wanna see what I did to our house!

If you don't wanna click over, here's the general idea:

Lindy

So long and thanks for all the fish

2010-12-01T00:04:00.002-05:00

First things first: I made my first cute cake for Tanya the other day. She posted it, and I'm super proud of it, and you can see it on her blog.

Anyway, Thanksgiving was awesome.

We spent the first two days with Cory's family on the St. Johns River. We played with Jet-skis, smoked turkeys and went fishin'.

Cory's great grandmother has spent the last 90 years perfecting her fishing skills, so I decided to let her take the lead in that department. Cory thought it was mean of me to make a blind woman wrestle a small, wriggly worm onto a small, very sharp barb. But hey, she offered.

I woke up around 5 AM on Friday to hit up some sales with my family. There wasn't really anything we had in mind to purchase, we just...wanted to spend money I guess. The first store we hit up was Michael's. My mom and I grabbed some carts and started scoping out the deals...then we saw them.

Cricut machines! Retail value: 200.00 buckaroos. Black Friday Price: 59.00 big ones!!!!!

Our hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they placed the boxes in our carts.

If you're not familiar with the cricut, you should know that it cuts paper/vinyl. If that doesn't sell you on it, just watch an infomercial and then tell me you don't want it.

I was a little unsure of what Cory's reaction to this purchase would be. As far as he knew, I just spent $60.00 on glorified scissors.

But as we sat down to figure out how to use the thing, he really seemed to get on board the with it. We plugged the little design cartridge in, and punched in a phrase ("Cory is amazing" was his request), and watched it go. He says, "Oooo, this is like a video game for crafts."

Exactly.

We finished the break with some awesome steak made by my dad, enough pies and desserts to cause a 3-day sugar high, and a killer wasp attack. So, we had a wide range of positive and negative experiences.

Anyway, we're thankful for all the memories we made this past week, and all the blessing we have.

As I struggle to find the motivation to get school work and actual work done, it's been really nice to be reminded to be grateful for the chance to go to college, and have a job to pay the bills. Yay!

To Do

2010-11-22T00:35:00.001-05:00

My Happy Place. I'll be there someday. Also, one of the many pictures I need to develop from Cory's Mission.

I like to make to-do lists. I used to make them in all my notebooks, and then leave them randomly around the house. This was especially fun when I had room mates. I don't know how many times I found "Tell Kristen she is awesome and beautiful/the best room mate ever" on my lists. And then I would HAVE to do it. Just so I could mark it off... I might have a problem.

I've found a few of the lists in my old notebooks, and it's like reading a journal! I can see exactly what I had to do one week five years ago, right down to the "Finish college application essays" (check) and "Paint Toenails: You've earned it" (also check).

Here's a little to do list for me. Let's see what I can accomplish over these next three weeks.

To do:

Write Wordsworth final paper (8 pages. I can do this)
Read/print Wordsworth assigned readings.
Write 18th Century Drama Final paper (Also 8 pages.)
Finish Web Design Project
Take Web design Quizzes and Exam
Edit and Print handouts/posters for Ward Christmas party.
Make paper snowflakes/coffee filter wreaths/table decor/banners for said Christmas Party
Re-do the bulletin board after Thanksgiving
MAIL OUT THANK YOU CARDS (They've been written for months. That was my job. Cory was in charge of addressing them. Now, I'm in charge of addressing them. I am so, so ashamed.)
Make a mail out a home-made gift to my Craftaholics Gift Exchange person (by November 30th)
Use up 2 gallons of milk before it expires (12/1/10) to prove Cory wrong (that's healthy, right?)
Plan an awesome girls cruise for May 2011. (I am so ready.)
Work out. Every day. 30 minutes. At least...
Visiting teaching. I'm feeling good about December...
Get Visit Taught Tuesday: be home by 6:30. Don't forget, silly!
Develop/Frame Cory's awesome mission pics. Christmas present potential here.
Decorate my house for Christmas! Yay!
Get ready to leave Wednesday for Thanksgiving fun in Jacksonville!
Come back Thursday for Thanksgiving fun in Marianna!
Plan awesome after school activities for the rest of this/next semester with Bridget.
Clean out the car already. It's getting embarrassing.
Make Hummingbird thank you cake as unfair and unequal payment for services rendered.

Sometimes the list gets away from me. But, it's important to have the big picture in mind, right? Right.

The school stuff I have zero interest in. That's going to make it difficult...but at least there's a few fun things in there to keep it interesting. I can't wait to get started on the Christmas decorations!

Wish me luck!
Lindy

Also, thanks for all the feedback on the Crafty banners! I was surprised at how passionate a response the pennant banner elicited. People either love it, or really, really don't. I'm going with option number three just to stay out of the controversy. (Sorry Becca. Please visit the Po'C anyway?)

And because I can't resist a silly Cory story, heres a little gem from earlier this week. I walked in from a very long day, and I was really not looking forward to making dinner. He greets me with:

Cory: I went and bought stuff for dinner!
Me: Yay! What are we having??
Cory: Sausage-dogs and chips. And root beer.

Yum : )

Whats in a name?

2010-11-16T23:06:00.002-05:00

Cory likes my name. A lot.

He's been substituting my name for anything and everything that has about two syllables.

He does is ALL the time, but the only ones I can remember right now are:

Me: Cory, do you want Chicken pot pie or Hamburger pot pie?
Cory: Lindy Pot Pie!!

He came in one day singing,(to the tune of "My Humps") "My Lindys, My Lindys, My Lovely Lady Lindys..."

He also has some seasonal variations.

(To the tune of America the Beautiful) "A-Lindy-ca, A-lindy-ca!"

And more recently:

"Lindy Bells! Lindy Bells! Lindy all the WAY!" (That's Jingle Bells, if you were wondering)

He's not much of a singer, but I think that adds to the charm. I'll try to remember some of the more creative of his little outbursts, and preserve them for posterity. I really don't know where he comes up with this stuff.

Here's an engagement shot by Kim Brock. I love our pictures so much. :)

Also, I need your help, if you don't mind! I'm a little obsessed with the heading of our crafty blog. But I can't decide which heading I like the most. So, help me--pleeease.

Number 1:

Number 2:

Number 3:

I keep asking Cory, but I think he's about to go crazy trying to come up with opinions about font, color combination, and which minor placement tweaks should be made....

Birthday Madness

2010-11-07T15:28:00.000-05:00

About 2 months ago I saw a Mario themed birthday party a Mom put together for her 6 year old son. It was so cool! I thought, "Man, it'll be so much fun to have themed parties for my kids someday." But I just couldn't wait that long.

I don't have any kids, but I do have a husband. A husband who loves Mario. And a sister-in-law who loves it more. And you work with what you've got, you know?

So, I pitched the idea to Tanya, and she was totally game. She was willing to bring over their TV's, original, super, and 64 game systems, along with pretty much every Mario game invented for a little party in honor of Cory's 23rd birthday. So we did. And it was fun!

Jesse, Tanya, and Lara all came over and were my little party minions. They seriously worked so hard get everything done, and didn't even back talk me when I asked them to do crazy things. Like, cut a million triangles of construction paper to make a raceway banner, make a crown for my drink dispenser (Princes Peach Lemonade, I mean, without a crown it just doesn't make sense!), take out the trash, vacuum, and build a scene out of two pounds of cubed cheese. I love them.

Tanya's pictures turned out waaay better than mine, so you should click here to see them on her blog.

Tanya, will you please e-mail me your pictures??

Also, I guess I could something like, "23 Reasons I love Cory" in honor of his birthday, but it's not like he would read it, so forget it.

I will say that after 4 months of marriage, he's finally starting to get me. For example, the other day he and his mom were looking through his stuff in their attic. I was helpfully laying on the bed outside of their attic. This is what I heard:

Cory's Mom: Well, this is trash. Just throw it out.

Cory: No, Lindy might want it, I'll give it to her.

Cory's Mom: What? No way. This is trash.

Cory: No, this is the kind of crap she buys all the time.

This is what he hands me when he comes out:

Elmer's Spray adhesive and black felt!!!!!! Jack pot!

I used them to make some Mario mustaches for Cory's party, and some pillow cases for the living room. (You can see the pillow cases on Pile o' Craft. Shameless plug, I know.)

He also gave me a large, surprisingly sturdy cardboard tube the other day. He said, "Here. Maybe you can make something out of this."

What a sweetie.

Q & A

2010-10-31T15:16:00.006-04:00

Holly tagged me! So I'm gonna answer these questions.

1. What are you going to be for Halloween, and what made you choose that?

Cory and I wanted to go to our wards Fall Festival in somewhat of a couples costume (What's the point of being married, if you can't dress up in corny couple's costumes??) We looked around the house to see what we already had lyin' around, and came up with the idea to be a Cowboy (Cory) and an Indian (Me). Cory wasn't completely onboard though. I quote," Lindy, this isn't really a couple's costume. Lindy, Cowboys killed Indians. And Indians killed cowboys." We ended up going with that costume idea anyway, but I don't know if anyone realized that we were even together. Oh well. Here's a picture that we took in the photo booth Friday night:

We had a bunch of leftover instax film from the wedding laying around expiring, so we brought it and put it to good use. (Also, then I got to take pictures at the photo booth, and see all the fun costumes! Win-win-win) With that and all the upcycled newspaper decorations, we're pretty much some of the greatest environmentalists of our time. You're welcome.

2. What is one random fact about you that not many people are aware of?

I absolutely hate scary movies. I hate them. I think by now a lot of people might know this, but I feel it needs to be said. I hate the tense feeling I get. I hate the not being able to sleep in my own room afterward. I hate the way other people are manipulating my emotions. I won't watch them with you. I won't. I won't even watch preview of them with you. So don't ask.

3. If you could go on a trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Umm, Europe. Duh! We're actually planning our dream vacation there right now. In about 3 years Cory will graduate from FSU with his degree in Engineering, and we are going! I'm super excited. It's going to be hard to maintain this level of excitement for three years, but I feel confident I can do it. Also, it gives me a reason to save money. So, Europe or bust 2013!

4. What color best describes you, and why?

I asked Cory. He said, "I don't know...pretty colors?"

Exactly.

5. What is one piece of jewelry you absolutely can not leave the house without wearing? (aside from your wedding ring, if applicable)

My bird necklace. It's pretty and silver. People comment on it sometimes, and I always tell them "It used to be my Mom's." Then they give me a really sad look, and say, "Oh, I'm sorry." And then it gets awkward, and I say "Oh..she's alive. I just took this from her. She wasn't using it. " And then they think I'm a thief. So, it's pretty emotional for me. I'm wearing it in the following picture, taken a la myspace style.

Anyway, now you know 5 more things about me than you did before. Which is pretty awesome.

I'm kind of a party pooper and don't think I'm going to tag anybody...but I really just want to tag everybody. So, if you read this, you should do this. You'll have fun and we can all get to know you better. Win-win-win.

Lindy

At least I have my health.

2010-10-20T22:27:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I have trouble keeping track of things. I make allowances for this behavior.

For instance, I often lose my keys. Or lock them in the car.

And so, I have a set of spare keys in my purse.

Not to mention, I'm often running late.

And so, I'm really nice when I get there.

And when I lock my purse AND my keys in the car.

I've prepared by scattering spare sets of car keys throughout my friends, family and mere acquaintances.

So you see, I've developed a pretty fool proof set of measures to protect myself from myself.

But, against all odds, sometimes my system fails me.

I was running short on underwears, which around here means its time to do laundry. (Yes, thats how I gauge the need to do laundry). But it just didn't seem right. It really felt like I had done at least some laundry ~~with in the past week~~ recently.

I shook off that feeling, and decided to make the bed. It had been left unmade for some time and was starting to look a little sad. I smoothed the sheets, and began to pick up the mountain of pillows and blankets heaped up in one corner of our room.

At the bottom of the mountain, hiding under all those pillows, I found a basket.

A basket full of my and Cory's clean underwears.

Mystery solved.

We all Scream.

2010-10-16T16:06:00.005-04:00

Basically, every day I learn something new about Cory.

A few of these things have surprised me. A lot.

While we were dating I assumed we had similar taste in T.V. programming. He liked all the same shows I liked! We had very specific dates with hulu every week to catch up on Bones, Lie to Me, The Simpsons and The Office.

Not usually all at once. But, sometimes, yes. All at once.

We still love those shows, and watch them together as much as possible but, where in the world was he hiding his love for the History Channel?? He has a crazy love for shows like the following:

1) Swamp People: The good people of the swamps and their adventures/trials huntin' gators.

2) Ax Men: The good people of the logging companies and their adventures/trials cuttin' trees down.

And the greatest compilation of Cory's love and interests so far: 3) Swamp Loggers: The good people of the swamps start a logging company. I call it the Perfect Storm.

So, I've been learning a lot about swamps and logging lately. It's a whole new world, that I never thought I would be a part of.

Also, when we were picking out some ice cream at the store the other day, Cory decided to go with the giant container of Neapolitan. I never get that kind for two reasons, which I revealed to him:

1) Why get that plain kind when they have tubs of deliciousness like Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and basically anything you can dream of?

2) Strawberry Icecream is the grossest thing ever, and I would never waste a serving of icecream in such a careless manner.

His response? "I like Strawberry icecream."

Oh. So we got it.

Less than 3 days later:

I laughed so hard when I opened up the container. Cory didn't get it.

Cory: "Why are you laughing"?

Me: "You ate all the strawberry ice cream!? And only the strawberry ice cream? In three days?!"

Cory: "I thought you said you didn't like it?"

He really likes swamps, logs, and strawberry ice cream.

Oh, and of course, ME :)

I just couldn't resist the sappiness/corniness. It was tooo easy.

We got Hitched!

2010-08-04T11:20:00.005-04:00

These past couple of weeks have been a little busy. All of the wedding planning came together on July 2nd and 3rd, and I thought everything was absolutely perfect. My family and friends worked so incredibly hard to make it even better than I imagined it would be. It was so much fun to have my family (minus Sambo, our little Brazilian missionary) here, I always love being with them! And my friends Mindy and Holly drove through a hurricane to come from Texas! I've never felt more loved in my life!

Cory and I were married on July 2nd, in the Orlando, Florida Temple. It was a beautiful, slightly rainy day...so we broke out the umbrellas. Also, all of these images were taken by Kimberly Brock.

My parents let us have the reception at their house the next day. From what I hear, everyone went a little bit crazy Saturday morning and afternoon getting things set up for it, but by the time I got there it all looked beautiful.

We were so lucky to be able to have two very special people bake and decorate our cakes. My sister Jackie flew in from Utah a week early to get started on the wedding cake. Three glorious layers of lemon and carrot cake, decorated with homemade frosting and marshmallow fondant. Our friend Joanna, who I was friends with since even before she married Cory's best friend Danny, made a golf themed groom's cake for Cory. Both were absolutely adorable. See for yourself:
One of the things I loved most were the special handmade and homemade details everywhere. I asked my sister Kourtney to make a few banners for us, completely unaware of the stress I was bringing down upon her. She made two perfect banners that hung over the BBQ buffet and Ice cream dessert bar. She worked soooo hard to make them perfect, and they were stunning. The picture doesn't capture the light blue layers of each letter, or the carefully glittered words...but it will give you the general idea.

And, of course no July 4th weekend wedding could be complete without fireworks. Kourtney's husband Juan and my brother Jesse ended the night with a bang or two.

I'm so happy to be married to Cory, and I'm excited to see what our new adventures will be. I have so many friends getting married lately, so the wedding fever is extended! I'm so glad the planning process is over for me though...just sayin'. I can't wait for Kristen's wedding this weekend, and Jesse and Tanya's next weekend!

Also, I'm now accepting suggestions for a new blog name. Something with both Lindy and Cory in it, maybe. Bring it on, and maybe you're suggestion will be chosen!

Pile O' Craft

2010-04-14T04:51:00.002-04:00

I recently discovered the plethora of craft/diy blogs out there.

It was a big game changer for me.

Lots of time was wasted/enjoyed browsing through the amazing ideas other people have.

It made me want to go to thrift stores a lot.

And find out what Mod-podge is.

And print coupons.

So, I tried it! And its so, so fun! After some pretty intense discussion with anyone who would listen(and didn't make me feel completely ashamed of my new addicition) we came up with a name. I made a new blog, and tried it out...just to see how it went. I learned a few things, and talked my sisters into it, and here we are today.

We don't post much (sorry.) but its quality, right?

I'd like to introduce you to:

Pile o' Craft

We're still learning, but its fun! Enjoy it. I know we are.

Also, suggestions for improvement, tactfully submitted, are welcome :)

Manifest Destiny

2010-01-30T11:51:00.002-05:00

So, even though I don't update this blog all that much...I decided I wanted another one too. Thats pretty greedy, huh? Oh well. The new one is for crafts/wedding planning. Just in case, you know, I have a sister who lives far away that I want to show things to and get feedback on. I called it Tulips and Roses, 'cause I couldn't think of anything more creative. So, enjoy it--and let me know what you think :) Click here.

Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us together today.

2010-01-24T21:04:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Cory decided it was time to get down to business. After 6 months of dating, he'd had enough. So, he took me up to a rooftop at FSU last Saturday, and proposed to me in the rain. He did such a good job of finding a ring that I absolutely love! I'm so excited to be marrying such a sweet, thoughtful, handsome, silly guy!

Lara snapped a picture of us right after it happened. I'm on the phone with my mom:

Here's the ring Cory chose, resting (ever so gently) in some roses Cory brought over:

The only help I gave him was my vague desire for "fancy metal designs" and "pretty." He did amazing, all things considered. I've never really been the type looking to get married at age 20, but I guess sometimes I even surprise myself. We've set the date for July 2nd, in the Orlando, Florida Temple. I just can't believe it!

As Promised

2010-01-09T14:10:00.007-05:00

First order of business: I told a few very special people that I would post the recipe for delicious, fresh, and all together amazing homemade fresh Salsa. I learned to make this from my roommate Kristen, who learned it from her previous room mate, who is rumored to have learned it from mouth of Martha Stewart herself. I later saw a super cute recipe notecard for the almost same exact stuff in Becca's super de duper cute recipe cards, so I'll post that for you and note the variations I made.

(Isn't that the cutest little card you've ever seen?? And she has dozens of them! Dozens! Check out The Renfroe Scoop for more of her amazing recipes, stories, and opinions. If you want. I don't wannna be pushy.)

You can use 2 cans of Rotel in place of fresh tomatoes, and leave out the onion entirely if it makes you sick. Its really up to you, dear. I drain all of the ingredients, 'cause I don't like it too runny, and I've never used black eyed peas before. I use way more cilantro...I really love cilantro. And I've been known to use lemon juice from concentrate. And leave out the avocado if you don't have any on hand. Do whatever you want and everyone will love it. Promise. Eat it with chips, in tortillas, or just...you know...plain. I won't judge you.

The Aforementioned Other Adeventures

2009-11-11T17:14:00.003-05:00

I forgot about the other adventures. Whoopsie. One of the things I miss about living in tiny little Marianna was the annual National Peanut Festival. Last Wednesday I found out via some old friend's FB status updates that Wednesday was LADIES night at the ol' nut fest. I found this fact out around...4:30 P.M. At 5:00 Cory asked me what we were going to do that night--he informed me we could do "whatever my heart desires." Mistake number 1, my friend. I told him I wanted to go to the Peanut Fest, and he said, "Sounds fun." By 5:30I had convinced Lara that skipping her nightly responsibilities was completely acceptable, and by 6:15 we were all in the car! Woo!

It was so beautiful.

Cory and I wait in the loong line, while Lara takes a constant stream of pictures:

Mistake #2: Greasy corndogs and clubs of meat

After eating greasy corndogs/giant clubs of meat, and riding those sketchy rides we didn't feel so good. We decided to take it easy on the Ferris Wheel.

Yea. That happened. She leaned over the side of the cart and naile

d the top of a semi-truck. This started a chain reaction. I made it off of the ferris wheel okay, but by the time we got to the Lemonade Stand I lost it. One moment I was standing there, waiting for Lara to get some napkins...the next I was saying hello and goodbye to my gross corndog for the second time. We left shorty after that. It was a pretty random Wednesday, but those are the best kind :)

Halloweenie Roasting and Other Adventures

2009-11-07T11:57:00.009-05:00

I like this time of year. Everyone does. I mean, really. Show me someone who doesn't love cooler weather, carving silly pumpkin faces, dressing up in silly costumes, making pie, cozy fires, hot chocolate, stuffing your face, new episodes of your favorite TV shows, planning special, budget friendly presents for the people you love...Who could hate such things? You don't have to love it, but you can't tell me you don't enjoy at least one small part of it.

That being said, I hate this time of the semester. This side of a month and half feels like eternity. Popular Culture theories are muddled up with Shakespeare, and dinosaurs with psychological disorders are all running amok in my head. But schoolin' aside, we've had some pretty good times these past few weeks.

Halloweenie roasting and pumpkin carving was the first amazingly fally activity of the season.

Gene, Lara and Jesse are all super pumped about the pumpkin carving to come:

We started a little fire in the backyard for roasting marshmallows and weenies...when Gene saw what we had lit on fire he informed us that cooking over a chemical log is a bad idea, butonly if we want children someday.We decided that children, someday, would be desirable. And then hunted down sticks and such from the backyard. For some reason, it burned pink.

Jesse cleans the crap outta that pumpkin. The spoon is there..for scale.

Pumpkin innards were strewn about EVERYWHERE!

Here they are! Gene's, Lara's and Mine/Cory's:

You want a closer look? I thought so.
Jesse took a different approach to the whole thing...It actually turned out pretty well:

Appropriately enough, the nose piece to Jesse's pumpkin kept falling off. Just sayin'.

Artsy Fartsy

2009-09-30T19:29:00.003-04:00

We've moved. Again. We're three for three now. My first year in Tally was spent in an expensive 2 bedroom apartment. I'm not sure what we we're paying for but it definitely wasn't higher security. After the shootings, we decided it was time to move. I wish I was exaggerating. We moved up to a townhouse then. 5 girls to 3 bedrooms. It was a fun year, but we really wanted a little house. 4 bedrooms later, and we've got our little home of love. We took a risk and decided to paint the walls. That was an adventure full of tears, paint fumes, and less than 2 hours of sleep. Also, my backseat is now sporting a fun filled shade of "yellow slide". It really captures the imagination and playfulness of youth. Anyways, we had a lot of paint leftover, and decided it was time for some crafts. the beauty of making art out of the same paint that's on the walls is not having to worry about it matching. Saweet!

Kristen wanted a pretty blue flower. I tried my best.

Our bathroom is painted light blue and blackish gray. One of my most favorite color combos ever. The spot over the toilet really felt like it was needing some action...
Other stuff happened. School started, we got a puppy, I'm helping plan a stake activity for 300 people...more on that later... maybe. I was mostly excited about the painting.

I <3 NY

2009-08-29T14:29:00.008-04:00

Jesse decided to work as a tech for a security system company in New York for the summer. Long, lonely, pressure filled days awaited him there. For that I am deeply sorry, Jesse. But it really worked out awesome for me! I decided to visit him, and one of my best friends in the whole wide world came with me! And then, just 'cause we're spontaneous her little sister came with the both of us! We drove many miles made difficult by the challenges of road rage, wobbley tires, GPS systems, and sibling rivalry, but we conquered all and made it to the "Big Apple." But nobody really calls it that. Anways, I have some sweet pictures. And it was great to see my brudder!

Behold--the Statue of Liberty! As seen from the Staten Island Ferry--a very cost effective mode of transport.The view of Manhattan at "dusk" from Brooklyn:

Oh yea--we went there. We were trying to avoid "touristy" things. We were driven by some urge to look cool and local. But then we realized we had to be true to ourselves.

Our adventures in China town! The legality of our adventures here fall into what some people would call "gray area". Sneaking into hidden rooms to barter for Gucci bags and Chanel earrings is an everyday thing for these people.

Central park seems nice. This is about all we saw of it.

The Brooklyn bridge has some very scenic angles.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

(This is the Manhattan Bridge, as seen from the Brooklyn Bidge)

All of us at the end of our 1.14 mile trek across the Brooklyn Bridge. We're pretty hardcore.

The Museum of Modern Art. They have art. And they have a sampling of the average height of today's humans. Which is also art, apparently.
We're cute:

This is about the time we stopped trying to fit in. The combination of self timing camera's, steps and us is not a wise one.

This is all we need:Times Square:

Bikes are fun:Our first official New York street vendor fare:They don't really show you this side of New York in all those sappy romantic comedies, or sassy career woman flicks. But this is the truth:

After a few days of the dirty, busy, exciting city we decided to take a break and relax on Fire Island.The journey to the lighthouse took longer than expected. I had to forage.

We FINALLY made it to the top of the lighthouse. See the random guy bringing up the rear? Lara, Claudia and I were chatting with him for a while. Then Jesse walks in and it turns out they go to the same ward! Trippy, I know.

Our reaction to the news that we're now going to have to listen to the 80 year old tour guide speak:
Beach fun:

Sexy has never looked so good:
We were a little shocked to find out we went to a nude beach. Whoops.

Don't Mess With Texas

2009-07-08T00:03:00.006-04:00

Last week I had the chance to fly to Texas. Yes, I flew. I was planning on driving. Th arduous and lonely 11 hour drive was not going to be fun. But I viewed it as a challenge. A challenge for my staying awake ability, not to mention my poor little car. My dreams of the great American Road trip were thwarted Kourtney, the bargain hunting fiend. Like a sweet angel sent from above she found a manageable airfare, and so I flew.

Question: Is it rude to not make friends with the passenger sitting beside you on an airplane? I just...didn't feel like it.

American Airlines gives you a whole can of beverage. Not like those Delta cheapskates. Delta gives you a cup filled to the rafters with ice, then only pours enough beverage in the cup to wet a baby's tiny toungue. Curse you, Delta.

Anyways...my friend Holly is married now. We met in 6th grade, and all throughout the three trying, awkward, braced and acne riddled years of middle school we were there for eachother. Mindy, Holly and I--or the Three Amigos, as we liked to call ourselves (seriously.)-- were inseperable. But not for long. Highschool came. We became separated, but still kept in touch, and I had to be there for her wedding. Simply had to. I mean, we'd been talking about our weddings since middle school. You don't just miss something like that.

So, I forgot my camera. I brought only what could fit into a tiny carry-on duffle bag (checking luggage is pretty lame, in my book), and the camera was left out. My little phone has a tiny camera built in, and luckily I remembered my phone. So, here is my trip, pictured in all of its grainy, low resoluted glory.

The Houston Temple. So gorgeous. I love just..sitting on the temple grounds. Except when its over 100 degrees outside...then I love sitting in the Temple waiting room.

First steps as man and wife...

First bench to sit on as man and wife...

Holly wanted us to express our personalities through our shoes. As long as they were dark brown shoes. Maybe she should have set more boundaries.

Lake Bryan. Flat, smooth, peaceful, and blazingly hot. Mindy took me kayaking.

Our glasses matched. Not planned! Mindy had all kinds of adventurous things to do with me.

Not pictured: bike ride through perilous nature.

Kourtney took me to explore the tacos and antique shops of downtown Bryan. We found fun, expensive stuff! Also, when I lived there, there was no "Downtown Bryan." Only "The Ghetto Part of Bryan." Funny how things change. Now its quite picturesque.

Kourntey and I are so ready. For anything. I think this was taken right before we began the long journey to tacos. Seriously. We walked for days but the sweet promise of tacos was enough to sustain us.

I love this picture. We found it in an antique shop. The crazy eyes must run strong in that gene pool.

Also, we spent a good while spelling our names with the stamps from an old printing press. We're pretty wild.

When I try to explain Texas to people...they don't understand. They don't understand Stetson hats, or the Aggie yell leaders. Nor do they understand fields of blue bonnets that cover the country side for a few weeks. They don't understand that the state flag is considered a tasteful motiff for birdhouses, park benches, shirts, babies...

I had a few things I really wanted to do while in Texas. And, eat 10 snocones was on the top of my list. Let the record show that I almost met that goal.

If You Can't Take the Heat...

2009-06-09T10:36:00.006-04:00

Following the noble tradtion of singles wards across the nation, Tallahassee's very own 5th ward holds a "Break the Fast" potluck on the first Sunday of each month. This past Sunday it was "Battle of the Sexes" themed--each gender's dishes were to be compared, judged, and the winners were awarded first pick of the dessert table. On Thursday I get a lovely wall post from our Break the Fast Co-ordinator proclaiming her excitement for my "Chinese Onion Pancakes". Chinese....onion...pancakes? Oh dear. Lots of thoughts ran through my head...confusion..and...well, mostly confusion. Long story shorter: I figured she needed someone to make them and I blindly follow orders, I googled them, and learned something new.

Sunday morning, I walk into the kitchen with my oniony goodness, and tell her something along the lines of, "Well, I don't know what you're expecting, but I tried...". She turns and looks wide eyed at my dish. "You MADE them?" A few minutes earlier, CINDY, a girl from Taiwan had brought in her plate of, you got it, Chinese Onion Pancakes. Apparently Cindy doesn't have the clearest handwriting. And she signed up right next to Kristen, so Lindy was the next name that came to mind. What that says about me and Kristen, I don't know. :)

So, my googled version of a Chinese staple faced off against a, shall we say, authentic version. And I'm told mine put up a good fight. Were maybe even (dare I say it?) preferred. Take that, all of Asia.

Pictured in all of their glory. What you think is a table cloth is actually my apron! And yes, I am aware that it looks like it belongs on a 70 year old cat lady's couch. That's because thats where I got it! I helped a little old lady with her garage sale, and found this GORGEOUS throw pillow case. Now it is my apron, and I wear it with pride.

Speaking of cooking, I finally finished my little recipe book. Inspired by the recipe notecards Becca Renfroe makes, I took my favorite recipe's and made them into little 4x6 notecards. Then it was quick work to put them into a photo album (water proof!), and for convenience's sake make little tabs. I love tabs. Since I only had about 10 recipes that I loved that much, and it took a lot of time to make the silly cards, I went ahead and printed off Becca's recipes too! Thanks Becca! So now my little book is full. If you would like the cards, I can e-mail them to you. No problemo.

So handy!

Make Over

2009-06-02T12:11:00.001-04:00

This is what I look like this week. I think its cuddly, cute, and tons of fun. But, that could be the medication talking.

Wedding Extravaganza

2009-05-25T10:11:00.008-04:00

I now officially belong to the "Wedding" stage in life. I should have seen the signs before now. My fluff viewing and reading material has been shifting so slowly I didn't even realize what was happening. It started with the movies. Ten Things I Hate About You suddenly seemed immature and....highschoolish where it had once been so...grown up and cool. And then 27 Dresses, My Best Friend's Wedding, and finally Bride Wars just felt so...relevant. The finalality of it all came with Kendal's wedding. Now, this was no shotgun wedding. It was figured in our plans since househunting a year ago! But it still seemed to sneak up on us. I got to be a bridesmaid! Now, I'd been a bridesmaid in Kourtney and Jackie's weddings, but my bridesmaidly duties were basically "show up" and "love your sister". Check and check. But this time I had to...like...do stuff. There was dress shopping, the bridal shower, bachlorette party (hey o!), supporting and advising the bride, being generally helpful, and so on. So basically, I acknowledge that I'm growing up, and its not too bad.

The bridal shower! We went classy with a Breakfast at Tiffany's theme.

The amazingly fabulous invitations, brought to you by Alyse and Kristen's Auntie.

See those little pearls? They're mints! Mints!

There were some points in the decorating process where Kristen and I asked, "Is this too much, really?". The answer was always, "No."

I don't know where Ashley got all those Tiffany's bags and boxes. They don't just give those away you know. I guess someone loves her a lot.

Cute little favors filled with kisses, wrapped in love, and tied with a little bow.

After eating and gifts, we made scrapbook pages. Here Kristen and I work steadfastly. Well, she works steadfastly. Apparently I'm just really in love with that piece of paper.

Room mate love:

Kristen and I got to plan the Bachlorette party! I like those. We stuffed our faces at Stevi B's (Any and every pizza you can imagine. Really. Cheeseburger, Mac & Cheese, Bar-B-Que, and Baked Potato are the usuals. But we got Spinach, Mushroom and Alfredo on special request. And then Just Pickles on super special request.) The we headed back to Kendal's little love shack for games and gifts. What a wild night :)

The guest list was pretty exclusive:

Lara trying her hand at "Pin the Kiss on Chris"

(Virgin) Margaritas on the rocks.

Clever title brought to you by Kristen.

On an unrelated to weddings side note, I learned to make Cake pops!

Pay Pee Trash

2009-04-13T18:29:00.006-04:00

I forgot I made a draft of this post during Easter weekend. Whoops.

Easter is so great. I like it. A lot. My parents love hiding things from us, so this is pretty much their holiday to really shine. My mom is a great hider. Not such a great rememberer. Almost every year there's one egg we just can't find. This year we broke with tradition and found all of them. Probably because my Dad helped her hide them and his mind is pretty much a steel trap.

The primary colored eggs with chalk at our house. They left the chalk. Then Jesse found a turtle. One thing led to another, and I would like to introduce you to Roscoe the Easter Turtle. Be aware that it washed off easily and went on painlessly. No animal was harmed during this process.

My mom has the cutest little "Happy Easter" bunny blocks she sets out every Easter. This year Jesse and I were left in charge of the decor and cleverly arranged them to spell "Pay Pee Trash." We had our giggles, and then promptly forgot about our trick. So that's what the little bunnies proclaimed to the primary during their Easter party. It became a game to see who could come up with the best alternative combination. I feel like my dad won with "The Raspy Ape." But I "Peers & Apathy" was a close second. I don't know why we don't play Scrabble more often. I love my family.

Sidenote: I love visiting my old ward. Everyone asks about my life. But what they're really asking is, "Why aren't you married?". Some are more subtle, but others just come right out and say it. It's so funny. Best question of the weekend: "Well, you got yer eye on someone steady, girl?"

Sidenote to the sidenote: Yes. Yes I do.

I'm also SO excited for the summer. No class and warm weather make Lindy a happy girl. I have plans. Big ones. I'm going to make a list just so I don't forget them.

Summer plans/goals/dreams:

1)Read books. I'm taking suggestions now. It's been ages since I felt the delight of an amazing new book.

2) Jogging. Every morning before work. Now that I've written it down it feels more concrete.

3) Trip to Texas in June! One of my very best friends from MIDDLE school (we go way back) is getting married, and I wouldn't miss it for anything.

4) Skydiving. We found a great place, and we get a group discount. All we need is the perfect date.

5) I'm going to New York City to visit Jesse. He's working up there all summer.

6) My wisdom teeth are being viciously ripped from my mouth June 1st. I feel like they didn't even get a chance to thrive.

Well, that's all I can remember for now.

Maiden Voyage

2009-04-05T01:20:00.006-04:00

It's been raining. Raining, and raining, and raining. I was unsure if I would ever see the beautiful sun again. It rained enough to completely fill up the park in front of my parents house. Now there's a giant lake where there was a mere puddle before. The next logical step would be to build a raft and sail around it. It started as a joke, but we never know when to stop.

Here is Jesse working on the frame of our raft. Sparks fly, but he gets that a lot.

This would be my and Kristen's contribution to the raft making process. What could go wrong?

Oh. This was unexpected.

Our noble flag:

Kristen sustained a few injuries in the tube blowing up process. I was pumping my heart out as she sat on one end of the tube to help insure it would fill evenly. We had already patched the tube once, and it suddenly decided it couldn't take it anymore. It exploded, and Kristen hit the ground like a sack of rocks. She took it like a champ.

Pit stop:

Water is not supposed to be here:

Honestly, we had our doubts. But I'm pretty impressed.

Brought to You by Insomnia

2009-03-17T23:52:00.005-04:00

I can't sleep. It's annoying, frustrating, and inexplicable. But while I'm up, I wanted to post the pictures from the Zoo. I went to the Jacksonville Zoo on Friday with Kristen and Lara. Yet another fun filled, road trip adventure. I explained my love for those earlier. Do try and keep up. The zoo was SUPER cool. I will show you my favorite parts.

Obviously white with black stripes. No, I will never let that go. Just concede already.

I like rhinos a LOT more after noticing their eye placement. It's just cute.

Get a room.

We're pretty talented.

Fancy pants elephant.

This was "We just found out we're going to be eaten by a Komodo Dragon." I don't think Andrew picked up on that. But perhaps he's just really excited to die in such an exotic way.

Tripping Over Myself

2009-03-17T23:02:00.008-04:00

I've recently discovered that I love to take trips.
I love packing. I am both an over and an under packer. Quite the paradox, I know. I will always have q-tips, band aids, batteries, and a sewing kit, but never my toothbrush. It's actually kind of a problem.
I love sitting in the car/plane/train/creepy bus and having long, silly conversations.
I love sitting in companionable silence while taking in the scenery.
I love singing along with old school country and whiney punk rock songs.
I even like stopping for gas, using the creepy gas station bathrooms, and never really feeling whole again until I shower.
Luckily, I was able to have a lot of trips this spring break. First I went to Atlanta with Natalie. The five hour drive was surprisingly fun--we even threw in a couple of tricky detours to keep things interesting. I got to meet Natalie's sister, brother in law and niece. AND on top of that I did a million things I've never done before.
As a million is quite a lot, I will just tell you the highlights:
1) Dancing with no abandon in a room full of strangers. It was actually very liberating
2) Bath and Body Works Outlet! So many deals, so little time (and money, unfortunately).
3) A singles ward behind a temple. Now that was cool.
4) The largest aquarium in the world!
5) Trying 55ish coke products from around the world. Most were disgusting.
6) Eating some cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. Where have you been all my life?
7) Attempting to haggle with a street vendor over a fake Prada bag. It didn't work.

I got some sweet pics at the aquarium. See?

We pretty much hung out with the cast of Finding Neemo. I felt like I already had a relationship with these fish.

Not actually as threatening as one might think.

My most favoritist, most depressing fishies.

Beluga Whales!

Well are you?

This guy is HUGE. Spread your arms out. Now imagine something bigger than that. He has a 9 foot wingspan, or something.

Takin' on the Jellies.

And the we went to the Coca Cola Factory. This "museum" is more of an Indoctrination camp. I'm not a big fan of coke, but now I'm strangely fond of it. I still don't like the taste, but I just feel better knowing that its there.
Yea, those are Coke 3-D glasses. We watched a 4D movie about Coke.

Lindy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

2009-03-12T02:57:00.003-04:00

Oh dear. Last week was simply dreadful. I had papers due, exams that I forgot about until the second I sat down in class and had to take them, exams that tested my oral competency and composition writing ability in an unknown language, and I topped it off with a nice helping of car trouble. But overall, it was a good week.
Don't get me wrong, parts of the week sucked. My Pompeii test was going to be intense. I had to know dates, important facts, historical significance, and be able to write a comprehensive paragraph about all the inscriptions and slides we've been shown in class. Then I had to label maps. Then I had to write an essay. I had this exam on Thursday. My Spanish in class composition was on Wednesday. Another paper was due on Tuesday. So, I had my studying schedule carefully planned. It all broke down when I arrived to my Pompeii class on Tuesday, and found out the exam was that very same day! I grabbed my notes and read over them as much as I could, but there was nothing to be done. It was that horrible dream showing up to class naked and having a surprise test. At least I was fully clothed.
Wednesday I took the missionaries across town to do a visit. The girl wasn't there, so we got back into the car to leave and then....the car wouldn't turn on. We tried a few things but, unfortunately we had no idea what to do. We tried to jump it off, and cool it down, and oil it up...but nothing worked. We thought it might be the battery, so we got a new one. Turns out my car is one of those cars that changing the battery involves a jack, and wrenches, and removing the tire and spinning in 7 circles, and then shooting yourself in the head. After we replaced the battery, it still didn't work and we'd lost 4 hours of our life we could never get back. So, I gave up, left my car at a gas station, and went home.
But although it wasn't very fun, it all worked out in the end:
1) I made an 82 on the Pompeii exam! I would have liked to do better, but hey--I'll take it.
2) I learned how to change a tire.
3) I have a set of ratchets!
4) I have awesome friends who let me bum rides off them.
5) My Dad was in town, so he fixed the starter for me! And my Mom came with him, so I got to hang out with them.
6)It's over! Now its Spring Break!

I just wanted to get all of that out. Next I'll have awesome pictures from the Atlanta Aquarium (largest in the World!), the Jacksonville zoo, and Wakulla Springs. I looove Spring Break!

Limited Release from the Vault

2009-02-07T18:06:00.004-05:00

Last year a little unknown group performed at The Talent Show in our ward. I was cleaning out some files in my computer I found this recording of it. Quite the talented pair. They performed a cover of the Moldy Peaches' "Anyone Else But You". Enjoy :)

Tour dates: TBA

Life's a Beach

2009-01-28T18:39:00.008-05:00

I went to Naples last weekend! (Naples,Florida. Not Naples, Italy. It seems the original American Colonist were quite an unimaginative bunch. Is coming up with your own name for a city really that difficult?Is there a certain limit on the names for places that are allowed to be in exisitance? Speaking of naming cities, I don't really think adding "New" to another place's name really changes it. I digress.) But, back to name-stealing Naples. While it was snowing in some places, we went to the beach! We climbed on an environmentally protected species of tree--"mangroves"--and found the mother load of sea shells! Also we witnessed an awesome sunset. See for yourself:

This is a "mangrove"--a deceptively strong endangered tree that only grows where fresh water meets the sea:

The mother lode! Seriously, there were tons and tons!:

Andrew is pondering life's great mysteries:

The pier at sunset:

The sunsets at exactly 5:58:

I have some great pictures from Christmas to post! So, stay tuned for those :)

Party Central

2008-07-23T00:19:00.005-04:00

Wow. It's been two months. I never promised regular updates though. Let's just keep that in mind, shall we?

Andrew turned 23 years old! We decided to do things "old school", and had a skate party. Once we decided on the skate party, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were practically a given. And it all snowballed from there. We projected video games onto the wall and ate cake. A popcorn buffet was attempted, but I'm still undecided on that success. The proportions were off. We had lots of regular popcorn. Perhaps too much. The other popcorns were overlooked, and the point was lost. But who cares!? We had cake! Speaking of cake, it is pictured to the right, in all of it's glory.

I also decided to try something novel and fulfill my calling. For the June activities committee meeting we were asked to come with an idea for an activity. I made a table. One column for ideas, one column for venues, total estimated costs, distance from Tallahassee (rounded to the tenths of a mile), etc. (This should make even Kourtney, a.k.a. "I have a portable filing cabinet for weddings plans that I keep on my person at all times", proud). Alas, it was not to last. Maybe the table was too much. I was suddenly released and called into the Relief Society Presidency. Now I get to help with Enrichment every month! I really think we're going places! The first Enrichment I've helped with was on Thursday--A Kebab cookout! Turns out fellowship, food, skewers and an open flame is the recipe for success.

Lara and I had our first ever bridal shower tonight. We made the punch. Actually, Lara made the punch. I'm not sure what I did. I cleaned the house? Yes. I cleaned the house. And I dreamed a game. I suppose its a sign that you're obsessing when you begin to dream about a bridal shower. The dream game is basically Madlibs. You have bags of various necessary parts of speech (noun, adverb, adjective, so on), and as a guest walks in they write a word for each category and put it in the bag. Later, we would randomly draw the needed words out as we tell the story of "How Parker and Lauren Met" or give Lauren "Good Advice". Anyways, the punch was good. It involved lime and cherries and carbonated goodness. Mmm.

Also, I was interviewed and hired for a job at FSU. I would take a pay cut, and could possibly be fired if the budget runs low. But it would mean no extra driving (I currently drive 20 miles round trip to get to work) and I would get first dibs on registering for class. I'm going to attempt to work both my current job and this new job for the fall semester. And also make the dean's list. Dream big or go home, yes?

Oh baby!

2008-05-22T11:01:00.010-04:00

After a careful, and completely thorough investigation, I am thrilled to confirm reports that Jefferson Jason Packard is one adorable kid. I flew out to Utah for a week between my spring and summer semesters, and I can't fathom a better greeting than Jefferson's hearty wails. Seems the young boy does not enjoy car trips, even ones to retrieve the much anticipated Aunt Lindy from the clutches of airline mayhem.

The trip was stuff dreams are made of. There are mountains! Holy hannah, the mountains! I do believe the good people of Utah take those for granted--my constant remarks on the landscape were met with luke warm acceptance. The very tops of the mountains were still covered with the last of the winter snow, and Jason took us all up there one night, and I got to tromp around in the stuff. It was amazing. You could hear it melting. And the fresh mountain smell! And the natural disasters! (An avalanche, to be precise. Jason related all the gory details to me.) In honor of the occasion (the occasion being the third time in my life to see snow) I built a little snowman. Alas, Jason has the picture, and all I can offer is words. He was about 9 inches tall, with long, somewhat twiggy arms, and big brown eyes. We christened him Ralphie, and he stands for honor and glory in the mountains of Salt Lake. (Shortly after this post, Jackie e-mailed me the pictures. So, there he is!)

Jackie and I had a smashing time. Oddly, we spent a lot of time in the mall. We're not usually the mall rat type, but we had errands to run, and the mall was the best place for it. I bought some shirts, the likes of which can only be found in the Mormon heartland. The shirts are long and sport conveniently capped sleeves. Truly a revolution in casual attire.

One of our trips to the mall, involved picking out outfits for Jefferson and his two year old cousin Kaden to wear in pictures. While the mommies shopped, I was on stroller duty, hanging out with the kiddos, watching the elevator doors open. While I held a 2 month old baby in my arms, and discussed the elevator operating system at length with a 2 year old, a kindly woman changed my life. She conversationally asked, "Are they both yours?" I answered, "Nope! I'm the aunt." And although this was the sum of our short conversation, it hit me with some gravity. Someday, I will be that mommy. But my goodness, when I am that mommy, I will seriously rethink taking two small children to the mall by myself. And I would definitely invest in a tandem stroller. Using state of the art technology, I made a composite of all the possibilities. Pretty scary, yes?

Besides the snow, and errands in the mall, I was able to witness Jefferson's first experience with professional photography. The little guy truly handled it with grace. He was passed around, propped up with books, and placed trustingly into the strapping arms of a two year old, all in the name of art and documentation. It was definitely not the most enjoyable experience of Jefferson's young life, but the photographer captured his true personality beautifully. What a charming young lad!

All good things must come to an end. My trip is over, and summer session is in full swing. My Spanish class is shaping up to be one of the more challenging experiences in my life thus far. I can now tell you that "Me llamo Lindy" and "Mi nombre es Lindy" but never "Mi llamo es Lindy". That was a pretty big breakthrough. The differences are subtle, but important. :)

Seattle Sound and a Peep show

2008-03-25T11:57:00.033-04:00

Yesterday, while going about our business at a local gas station we were impressed with this advertisement. Words fail me.
The weekend started out with a bang. The 5th Ward Annual Spring Fling was Friday and the theme was "Time Warp" and the idea was you dress up in the style of your favorite decade. It really translated to: "Pick any decade, or character, or your old prom dress that you like and dress up . Unless you don't feel like it. Then just wear regular clothes." Over all it was really fun. There were swingers, gangsters, two really cute golfers, one Rambo, and the Scooby Doo crew. Andrew and I picked a decade. Can you guess which? Its a shame you can't see the pants, but that would have given it away.

On Saturday Andrew and I went to Marianna for Easter weekend. Saturday night we went with my Mom to see Horton Hears a Who. It was pretty cute. It wasn't particularly offensive or anything. A few parts were actually really amusing (read: In MY world everyone eats rainbows and poops butterflies). I'm not sure about how I felt about it.
I've always found Mob Psychology to be frustrating though, so that was probably what bothered me.

Easter was great! My mom hid eggs for us and we had Easter baskets and that was fun. I'm pretty sure I'll never outgrow that. (I also really enjoyed church, you know, the whole purpose of Easter. But that doesn't make for a very good photo op). After dinner, we went for a walk and enjoyed a perfect Easter Sunday. Spring is my favorite.
Mom's students told her about "peep jousting", a noble tradition that involves peeps, toothpicks and a microwave. We were a little fuzzy on the details, but we did the best we could. I think we all pictured a dramatic contest between the two small, sugary knights (as depicted in the pictures. The last is my favorite. The poor loser bird, sprawled dejectedly on his side.His small beady eyes plead for help. The victor stands supreme! Light pink is sugar scattered everywhere--the aftermath of a vicious battle.) I captured what really happened in the microwave, and we're still not sure what to think.
What the term "Peep Jousting" suggests:

What an amazing showdown!
This is what really happens:

Spring Break '08

2008-03-19T13:39:00.005-04:00

Spring break has come and gone for me. It stretched on in a seemingly endless 40 hour work week. Sitting still is a lot more difficult than it would seem. I carefully scheduled my day so I would have a reason to get up every hour or so. Between checking the mail, taking the mail, restocking the sodas in the fridge, and emptying the recycle bins I had a pretty full schedule. Its all about time management. I worked full time so Amanda could have Spring Break off. The deal is she can have Spring Break off if I can get a week off in May to go see the newest addition to Jackie and Jason's blooming family. Speaking of, Jefferson was born Mach 10, 2008, and from what can be seen in the pictures its another good-looker in family. Which is a relief to all of us. :)
Because I spent the lazy days of spring break chained to a desk, we decided to make Saturday fun to the max. Four of us rented canoes and explored the great Wakulla for four hours. We didn't see any manatees, which was hugely dissapointing, but we did climb trees. There were also lots and lots of turtles, one snake, and some crab traps. I'd never seen a crab trap before. We pulled the traps up, and there were crabs! And they were blue. I think the scientific term is "blue crabs", but I'm no biologist. Anyways, it was lots of fun. The picture is brought to us by a kayaking photograher. He was trying to get nature shots, but he had to settle for what was available. Anyways, he was nice enough to e-mail us the picture he took, and there you go. Andrew is in the tree, and I'm skillfully manuvering the canoe below him.
Later that day we went to a field. And what a field it was. Andrew taught me lacrosse technique. Turns out, lacrosse is a game played mostly from the wrist. I also learned ultimate frisbee. A game that also involves a lot of wrist action. So, my wrists got a really nice work out.

Right on Target

2008-03-04T11:21:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, while I was walking into Target (to buy the Target specific brand of Select nuts that everyone in the office can't live without...I have a very important job) I overheard a Mommy-Daughter exchange that made my day. I noticed two little girls in matching green shirts, pigtails, and lacy bobby socks, forming a human chain as the mother held a small baby in one arm, and grasped one of her daughters hands, who in turn held tightly to her sister. As they walked in the door it went something like this:

Mom: Girls, I just noticed something I'd never noticed before!
Little Girls: What is it??
Mom: The "Out" sign is red, and the "In" sign is green. Why do you think that is?
Little girls: *various sounds of confusion*
Mom: Well, what else do green and red mean?
Little Girls: CHRISTMAS!!

I feel confident that moments like this will make motherhood (someday) the best.
Until then, I can play with Jefferson! If Jackie will hurry up and have him already.

Might as well.

2008-02-22T15:11:00.000-05:00

I've had this set up for a few months now. My mom heard about this new thing called a "blog", and wanted me to show her the ropes. Our interest lasted about 2 minutes, but the damage was done, and I was set up with a blogger account. About 6 months later, I find myself with nothing to do at work and here we are. I don't know why it hasn't happened sooner. A combination of 4.5 hour shifts with little or no responsibilities and limitless computer access obviously equal posting my life story to the masses. Technology is amazing.
Today in my Lit class we finished up with Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice. I've always been a fan of P&P, so that little assignment was a walk in the proverbial park. Although, I've never approached it with an academic mindset. As it turns out, this approach only solidified the hypothesis that Jane Austen was a genius. All the details, social stigmas, tension, feminism, and romance are a literary feast.:) One of the best parts was classroom discussion. I've suddenly become acutely aware of many of my peers inability to communicate without saying "like", "so", "you know?" and "Idon'tknowbut..." every few words. Sometimes classmates would simply string the phrases together in an incomphrehensible sentence. "So- like- well-I dunno-you know?" Those were the best. I guess they were so overcome with literary appreciation there weren't words enough to describe it. I know the feeling.