Townhouse update

When i wrote my last post, it did not originally begin as a rant, but evidently i needed to get it out. So here's what i meant to write about originally.
We have a split-level townhouse with an open-ish floor plan and vaulted ceilings. When we moved in, all the walls were white and all the trim and cabinets this really hideous dark brown, like 1980's dark brown. And the kitchen has this horrible wallpaper-thin vinyl which i've mentioned before. We purchased some hardwood flooring on Black Friday, and we realized that it would be smart to paint the kitchen (a nice yellow color, think the Gilmore Girls' kitchen color) before installing it. Then we decided to do paint all the cabinets white, along with all the trim. We also realized that since it is an open floor plan, the kitchen and living room share 4 walls, with only a short divider between them, it is necessary to paint both rooms in the same project. The living room and the walls that touch the kitchen will be a pretty cornflowery blue, with a nice green accent wall.
So we've been working on this for a week, and i'm ready to quit! Kris is so great and is doing all of it, with my only really being able to help with the prep part. But our whole kitchen is in the living room. All the contents of our cupboards are out here, making it impossible to cook for the last whole week, as well as David not being able to crawl around out here. He's been stuck in his playpen and room for a week. Kris and i also have been eating only fast food, since we can't cook, can't use our kitchen sink or dishwasher, and barely even have access to our refrigerator.
Funny story: Kris was painting with our spray gun thing and didn't realize how much paint sprayback there was, so he happily sprayed away on our cupboards, then looked around, realizing he'd gotten paint on our silverware drawer insert tray, getting primer on all our flatware, serving spoons, pizza cutters, cheese graters, kitchen scissors, and other kitchen essentials. And since we didn't act right away and can't use our dishwasher yet, we have yet to find out if the primer will come off. Well, i thought it was funny. That's just one of those stories we'll use later, right? "Remember when you painted all the silverware?"
Tomorrow we should be able to get the stuff back in the cupboards, but then we start on the walls. The kitchen shouldn't be so bad, but when we get to the living room, Kris has installed shelves for our 700+ DVD collection on our walls we'll have to take down, as well as once again have the living room be unusable with all of our furniture shoved into the middle of the room, while Kris climbs on my dad's 12' ladder to paint our 16' high ceilings! Thankfully, we recently purchased a Wagner paint spray gun, which will cut the actual painting time in probably 1/4.
But still, there is a lot of taping, moving stuff around, not having a clear walkway in the entire house, and frustration left. Any advice would be useful.
Now for happy things. David walked for the first time last Sunday! He took 1 1/2 steps, and my mom and i were there to see it. He doesn't seem too interested in walking much, as i'm sure he feels like he'd get there faster crawling, but it's yet another milestone. i like that kid more and more every day. He is very jovial, and as we found out at worship team practice this morning, he's not half bad with an egg shaker. He probably got half of his shakes on beat. That makes me very proud, but not as proud as it makes his Dada the drummer!
i have been named as a part-time staff member of my church, instead of just sub-contracting for playing piano. i'm really glad to be a part of this place! i'm also glad that 2008's tax return will be much better. :)
i miss school. Never thought i'd be saying that. i do plan on going back and finishing up a degree, probably a major in comm., minor in music. i've already got the credits for a music minor finished, and a good chunk of comm. credits. i could go online and take courses, but i'm really more of a classroom environment kind of person. If there weren't a professor there saying "Hey jessica, why (weren't you in class today) (did you slack off in this assignment) (did you come to this conclusion)" i don't think i'd have the motivation or incentive to accomplish it. i also really like those classroom discussions, where you have certain things in common with people and are able to forge new relationships by talking about the book after class or meeting for coffee to study. i really miss that, you know? Makes me wish i hadn't quit after 2 1/2 years, but i had my reasons.
i'm going to go do some more laundry, so the line "Forgive me for the things i have done and the things i have left undone" doesn't apply to me.

Townhouse rant.

So we own our townhouse, or at least are 1/30th of the way there, i think. i'm not sure how that all works. It's a 30 year mortgage, pretty sure, and we've lived here a little over a year, so it would stand to reason that we own 1/30th of this place. Anyway, we plan to sell it if possible when our mortgage contract is up in August 2009.
There are many things about this place that are obnoxious. For one, due to extremely stringent townhouse association rules, we can't grill. Apparently, someone ruined it for all the rest of us by a few years ago almost burning down their whole townhouse block. So now we can only grill on the (crappy) charcoal grills provided out in the community area or by paying lots of money to have a gas line hooked up to our decks so we can buy an expensive gas line grill, because we can't have a propane or charcoal grill. There was a day, a beautiful day in May 2007 when we grilled on our cute little charcoal grill, unknowing of its prohibition. We made bruschetta burgers, in similar fashion to those at Applebees. They tasted good. But not $100 worth of good. Turns out that when nosy neighbor tips the association on to your misdeeds, N.N. gets $50, and you get fined a fat $100. Easy $50 for the association and the nosy neighbor, right? Jerks.
Also, no ball-playing is allowed on the grounds. So yes, when you see the kids having fun, playing football in the common area back yard, you'll get $50 if you turn them in, plus they don't even find out who it is! Honestly, it's an outrage.
Another we found out was when we were puppy-sitting for a friend. It was quite difficult taking the puppy out when i was by myself with a 10-month-old, so i'd chain the puppy's leash to the inside of the slider door and let her out and close the door behind her. She'd do her thing, and i'd let her in. i'd finish feeding David or whatever i was doing, then i'd go out and pick up her "presents". It would sometimes be 1/2 hour or so, or even sometimes it'd wait until the next time she had to go. It was our deck, and there was about a foot of snow on it, so it wasn't affecting anyone, right? Not true. Every time i'd let her out, i'd see our cati-corner neighbor staring at me from her slider door. Once i even saw her looking up at us from where she'd walked out to just outside the underneath of our deck. Apparently, you can't leave your dog's poo, not for a day, not a 1/2 hour, even on your own deck. The one you pay for. Even if it's not public property. She was licking her chops, waiting for the moment to turn us in. We're pretty sure she's the one who turned us in for grilling, instead of coming up and saying to us "Hey, I know you're new around here, just letting you know you can't grill." You know, the neighborly thing to do?!
You can't park outside in the common parking area directly outside your garage between 6AM-6PM any day if it has snowed any more than 2 inches. Oh forgive me. i meant if it's forecasted to snow 2 inches. You are subject to towing, and, oh yes, a $100 fine. And you can't park in the street, either. Since Kris and i have two vehicles, and a one-car garage, when it snows, we have to drive one of our cars to Target, a mile away, because it is the closest parking lot that doesn't monitor the cars there during the day. We still haven't figured out what to do about the parking situation.
So these are little things, actually, to me they are quite major, that would lead me to suggest, if you are in the market and are deciding between a house or a townhouse, to try for a house. Seriously. The outdoor maintenance is not worth it! Plus, they charge you $200/month for it. A fraction of that money would do much better paying some kid to do it, on your own schedule, not causing to leap out of bed, terrified, because it snowed last night and you have to move your car.

Here in my car

Today's Friday 5

1. If money were no concern and LOOKS the only consideration, what car would you get yourself? (pictures for questions like this are always nice!) Um, a silver Audi. The one pictured up there is so purty!
   
2. If money were no concern and YOUR LIFESTYLE the only consideration, what car would you get yourself? Minivan all the way. With the doors on both sides that open with a button on your keys. And lots of cupholders.
   
3. What is the best thing about your current car? If you do not own a car, what is the best thing about the car you most often ride in? My car is small. i'm terrible at parking, so it's nice that i have a tiny car because there is less chance of my bumping into something with it!
   
4. * If cars could be skinned the way cell phones, laptop computers, and iPods can, what would be a really cool skin for your car? Uh, i don't know. i actually don't really like the weird skins on ipods. i just like shiny, new-looking paint jobs.
   
5. If you were going to decorate a friend’s car with a custom-made skin as a practical joke, whose car would you skin and what would it be? i don't know. Maybe my mom's car...i'd get a skin that said "Vote Hillary!" It might clash with her "Garage Logic" bumper stickers though:)
   

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Now playing: Avalon - Winter Wonderland
via FoxyTunes

Best gift guide...ever!

i found this guide today. You gotta check it out.
i only have one other to add to it which i just made this morning:
Empty container with lid
(like a Pringles container. i used an empty Crystal Light container, which is the same shape but smaller.)
Add:
Rice
Nuts
Noodles
Whatever you got

Tape the lid on tightly. Bam. A whole morning's activity for my little manster. Gotta love it.

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Now playing: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - An Angel's Share
via FoxyTunes

Friday 5..again late

1. What’s your favorite song about growing up? "Brick" by Ben Folds
   
2. What’s your favorite song about cars or driving? "Life is a Highway" That song is a classic! i also specifically made a mix starting with that song the first time i ever drove my car myself.
   
3. What’s your favorite song whose title is a person’s name? Mandy. It constantly runs through my head. However, because i only know the one line "Mandy, you came and you gave without taking" i have to make up the rest of the words, hilarity surely ensuing.
   
4. What’s your favorite get-up-and-dance song? "What is love" from the Night at the Roxbury soundtrack. First of all, that movie is fabulous. A home run of an SNL movie. Who would win in a fight? Night at the Roxbury or Wayne's World? i don't know. i don't think i want to know.
   
5. What’s your favorite novelty song? i'm a person who is not inclined to like novelty music. However, a German polka featuring the vocal stylings of several drunk men singing "My Heart will go on" is my favorite.
   

You know where i got this.

Elmo and Andrea Bocelli

i saw this on tv and couldn't help but post it. Sorry, all of you who are either A. Music majors who are very upset about Elmo singing to a beloved new classic or B. Non music majors who don't understand why this is fantastic.

Hello

i just wanted to let you all know i'm still alive, just not feeling very blog-gy. Things have been happening, but something in me has not had a particle of desire to chronicle them. Things of note, though, for the past two weeks or so:
Kris and i did the Black Friday thing at Best Buy: my first year on the consumer side, instead of wearing out my voice saying "Sir, we sold out of that $15 bluetooth headset within 10 minutes of the store's opening". Anyway, we got GPS and the first two seasons of "The Office", a show i hadn't yet seen but am now addicted to. And GPS, wow. Pretty sure i didn't live without it. i was so constantly lost! And now i'm not. Was blind, but now i see.
David is like this real little boy. We took him for Christmas pictures at Target (crazy cheap with a coupon you can print right off the website) and we just got them back, and man are they adorable!
David met Santa last week for the first time. i'll have to blog about this, because it was silly.
It snowed a blizzard for the first time this year today, and wouldn't you know it, our garage door opener stopped working, so we had to go and get another, because parking outside just isn't an option with a baby in the snowy cold. It's a crappy time for us to have spent the money, but we've needed a new one for a while, and i'm pretty excited about it. Kris is in the garage right now installing it.
We also bought a hardwood floor at Lowe's black friday weekend for .68/square foot. i'm so excited about it! It's going to be a pretty major project to install it, but it will be a lot easier than the "faux-noleum" we've got going now. Our kitchen floor is made of this fake linoleum that is literally so thin (wallpaper thin, i'd say) that when you slide the kitchen chair on it, it rips holes into it. Very glad to get the new floor.
i love my new church more and more every week. People keep unfolding layers of themselves to me, and i'm finding out just how many really nice and sincere people go there. i'm very glad to share in that community. i pre-judged it: i'd thought that since it was in Eden Prairie it would be a bunch of people that thought they were better than i was: a judgement i'd pretty accurately taken up while visiting the high school. But the church is full of people that, while they do have a lot more money than i do, are still genuine and not self-righteous at all. i'm in the right place.
Speaking of church, i've gotta be there in 9 hours, so to bed i must go. i'll try to write more, but only if very inspired. If you have any topics that might be a jumping-off point for a more inspired post, please let me know.

David's dinner

i was checking my email after David and i got home from shopping today, and i went to check on David, who'd crawled into the kitchen. Let's just say i have a 4 lb. canister of animal crackers, and the pictures speak for themselves.

Article from The Onion

i thought this was really funny.

Local Boy Trapped In Family

Nov. 9 Friday 5

Attack of Randomosity! Taken from here.

1. What is something you collect? Why? i collect dvds. i'm not really into collecting stuff that isn't useful, like decorative plates or anything.
   
2. If you could make one ice cream flavor, what would the ingredients be and what would be the name? vanilla bean pecan
   
3. What can't you go a day without? Dr. Pepper
   
4. What position do you sleep in? *back, right side, left side, stomch...ETC*? The Left side. It's a habit left over from being pregnant. They tell you to sleep on your left side because of an artery or something.
   
5. What is your typical morning routine before work/school? Well, i don't leave the house in the morning much, but normally i wake up about 5 minutes before David does, try to get my bearings, and then he starts crying and i go get him and feed him breakfast. Then we watch dragon tales and i check my emails, and try to be useful, though it doesn't always work out.
   

Halloween!

Halloween was a while ago: sorry about the late post. We had a nice time, our first Halloween as a family. We took a "Halloween Tour", starting with my nephew's kindergarten for his Halloween parade, then we went to my mom's work, then to my OB clinic where they all love to see us, then a NAP! Then we went to Outback, Kris' Grandma's house, and then Kris' parents house, and we finally were done. All the getting in and out of the car was hard, because David's costume had such a big tail that we had to take off the most of the costume for himt o be able to sit in his car seat, but it was so cute, it was worth it.

Kris was the Joker, and was a very striking one at that. That day, i asked him to go et me one of those girly ear headbands thing, so i could say i was a cat without having to do anything else, and he came back with these gross sticky horns, and he did my makeup, and i ended up looking scary and weird. Next year i'll buy my costume.

Anyway, it was a fun day. We already got David's next costume for next year: he'll be Batman. We got the costume at Target last week for $4. i love those after-season sales. He's crying, gotta go!

My week

It has been kind of a strange week for me. First, my husband was gone from Monday at 4 AM to Tuesday at 10 PM, his first night away from me since we got married. It was lonely, and of course David decided to be as unhappy as possible. You know, they say kids pick up on your moods, but even though i missed Kris, i wasn't as miserable as my Spud-Bud was. Poor little guy.

Then i had a Tupperware halloween expo thing this morning, which i was freaking out about, because it was my first show that wasn't a house party. It was pretty much an open house at a community center featuring me and 6 others in direct sales. So i was nervous that not enough people would show up, and i was nervous that too many would show up...you know how it's easy to worry about every possible scenario. Well, i had bought $700 of product to sell directly today, so people could just buy it and walk out, instead of having to order. So i took hours this week pricing these giant boxes and making cute little recipe cards and organizing everything. And i think about 6 people showed up today to the boutique. i managed to sell $125, so i made in profit enough to cover the cost of room rental, but it was still disappointing, and a pain to have to haul all that Tupperware back. Luckily, my mom and Aunt showed up and were wonderful and helped me load it into my mom's car, who took it back to her house for me because she loves me and because i drive a 2001 Saturn, a tiny car with barely enough room for my son's car seat, much less that and large cardboard boxes. i'm doing another show at my local Curves where i work out in a couple weeks, though, so hopefully the rest of the stuff will sell there. Oh well. We live and learn, right? i got some contacts which will hopefully add up to future clientèle, though, and for building your new business, that's the most important thing.

i really miss my husband. He's been gone a lot this week, because when he got back from his work trip, then he worked the rest of the mornings this last week, and of course every evening, so i've only seen him when he gets home and wakes me up at about midnight, which is not a good hour for quality time for me. i feel guilty that i complain about how much he's gone, because he works so hard for our family, but it's hard not seeing him. i've gotta buck up, though, because he's really sacrificing so much and i should not bring him down for doing so.

On a cheerier note, David has had pretty good days with me the last two or so days. We're really starting to enjoy each other, and he's beginning to laugh a lot, whenever i'm silly. When i'd make faces at him before, until a few weeks ago, he'd just kind of stare at me, unless he was in a really good mood when he might smile. But now it's not very hard to get him to laugh one of those really feel-good laughs, the kind that makes you happy to hear. i am beginning to love him for who he is as a person, not just because he's my little baby.

i found out this week that two of my friends, including Mommy, Daddy, and a Sweetpea are pregnant! Congratulations! Along with another close friend of mine, they make up 3 women i know who are preggo. Two of them were pregnant at the same time i was, all of us with our first babies, and now they're having more babies! (They are also all due two weeks apart from each other.) For a couple months of summer, i was thinking seriously about having another child and i guess that would have put me on the baby train with my friends, but now i feel ok where things are at. i want to get more serious with Tupperware and do more of that, and with one child i can get out of the house in 1/2 hour, whereas i hear with two, it takes upwards of an hour, so it would be even harder to get out of the house. Yes, i think for now i do not have "baby lust", a want i'd had most of the last 5 years. It's a bit freeing. i don't have to worry about buying a minivan, or trying to afford doctor's visits on our 80/20 insurance, or the idea of possibly dealing with two children in diapers. i'm really excited for my friends and their babies, and am also glad that for once, i feel more at peace with my life just the way it is. We'll see how long this lasts. Once my friends have their babies, i'll probably be jealous of their little teeny-tinies and want another of my own. i'll keep you posted.

Well, it is 9 PM and i think i'm going to bed. It's been a long week. :)

P.S. i'm falling in love with coffee.

Friday Five 10.27.07

Would you rather...

1: eat nothing but chocolate or go without chocolate for the rest of your life?

i'd rather go without chocolate. i like sweets, but am not devoted to them.

2: stub your toe or get a paper cut?

Stub my toe. You can't get an infection from that!

3: write the news or make the news?

Write the news. i don't know. i'd like to make the news as the first woman to be happy with her body or something (not that i am) but that kind of thing doesn't make the news.

4: lose 10 pounds or gain 10 IQ points?

At this point, lose 10 lbs.

5: wear a costume to work or wear normal clothes to a Halloween party?

Normal clothes to a Halloween party. i don't even have a costume yet and really am not wanting to buy/wear one. David has enough costume for the both of us. (He's a skunk. With a little heart on the backside that says "Li'l Stinker". It makes ya cry a little, it's so darned cute.)

i've been tagged

i'm supposed to write 7 true things about myself. So here we go.
1. i have not seen the movie E.T. Not for any particular reason, but it just seems to be a movie that has not made its way into my experience.
2. i take everything personally and hate putting myself "out there" for that reason-especially when it comes to retail sales or political debates.
3. i was 21 for 12 days before i found out about the existence of my son.
4. i married my high school sweetheart.
5. i can't eat sweet things in the morning. Pancakes before noon make me nauseous. A big bowl of chili is my ideal breakfast.
6. i am addicted to Dr. Pepper. i have to have one every morning, so it is the only sweet thing i can consume in the mornings.
7. i'm a sucker for fancy cheeses.

i'm supposed to tag 7 people, but i'd like to know more about the people i don't know who read this. So if you read this and i don't know you yet, you should do this and leave a comment letting me know where to find it.

New blog!

i just started another blog, dedicated to food. When i realized that my anticipation for the sauce in my Tuscan chicken was what gets me up in the morning, i decided i needed to devote even more time to what is quickly becoming an unpaid part-time job: cooking un-boring food. So go read and subscribe. This is an order!

The New Foodie

Today's Friday Five

As always from Friday5.org.

1. What was the last thing you baked? My spicy pork pie today. Yum. i think i'm going to start a food blog.
2. What was the last thing you tried on for size? i don't try things on. i buy them and return if necessary. Except at Forever 21 which doesn't allow returns. In which case, i tried on a bunch of shirts there a couple months ago.
3. What was the last thing you purchased on credit? An iced coffee at McDonalds. i buy everything on credit. Sidenote: they changed the iced coffee there! It's gross! It tasted really good when it first came out, but i think they stopped adding as much creamer or something, and added something really nasty. It tastes like smoker's backwash now:(
   
4. What was the last thing you put a postage stamp on? A payment to my doctor. You can't pay those things online!
5. What was the last thing you took a photo of? David, of course!
   

A quiz

Stole this from here:

1. What’s the first thing(s) you read in the morning?

Usually email. Or my many mag subscriptions. i do read books, too. i just finished Blink

2. What’s your favorite guilty pleasure website?

Um, i read this blog. Please don't judge me.

3. What job do you fantasize about having?

Rachael Ray's life. If she also got to play piano at church.

4. Last movie you saw?

Little Miss Sunshine. i just discovered Redbox at McDonald's: $1 for a rental? i'm lovin' it! *pardon me*

5. Last book you read?

Oh, Blink.

6. Best show legendary biz/movie star encounter.

i've not had many celeb experiences. George H.W. Bush waved at me the night i was playing in Valpo orchestra and he was giving a speech for the Valpo law school graduation.

7. Proudest media moment?

i don't think i'm supposed to take this quiz. Pretty sure it's just for people in the media?

8. Ever had a brush with the law? Describe.

i got a speeding ticket in WI. My speedometer was broken. i was very upset, because it was like 5AM and i had been driving all night on the way home from Valpo for like spring break or something.

9. If you got a unicorn what would you name it?

Classy Britney

10. What does your TiVo think about you?

It thinks i like Deal or No Deal, Wheel of Fortune, Food Network, and court tv. It's right except for the last one.

11. Character of fiction you most resemble?

The love interest girl from "Napoleon Dynamite."

12. Who plays you in your bio-pic?

Hm. It would need to be an actress wanna-be who is also very confused. Katie Holmes?

13. What’s your ringtone?

"Sixth Avenue Heartache" When Kris calls, it plays "Crash into me" by Dave Matthews Band.

14. Favorite electronic device?

Maybe my phone. i've got the Samsung blackjack. Or my Ipod. i have an older one: the 60 GB black video one i bought back in April of 2006

15. What do your friends say is your best quality?

i get lots of compliments on my cooking!

16. What do your enemies say is your worst?

Girls' enemies don't tell you what they think of you to your face, but once in college i got a hate-message on my whiteboard on my dorm door that called me a fetus. i'm still trying to figure out what that meant.

17.What natural talent do you wish you had?

i wish i could be smooth with people.

18. What’s your theme song?

i don't consider it a theme song especially, because it doesn't seem to have anything to do with my life, but my favorite song, the one that gets me going in the morning and is the perfect first song on a roadtrip is "Red Rain" by Peter Gabriel. That song just rocks!

19. Do you believe in love at first sight?

No, but i do believe in love very quickly.

20. When’s the last time you volunteered? Where?

i feel guilty, but it was like 2 years ago at VEAP foodshelf, and i only did it because it was required for a Social Work class

Toy wish

Oh man. i really want this for David. i mean REALLY! It looks great! It will definitely be on the Christmas list.

Yay!

My computer is back! i can hardly believe it arrived so quickly, but here it is, all fixed. i'm happy.
David can now stand, holding onto furniture. That's all that seems to come across my mind right now. Have a happy Sunday!

My computer is sick!

i finally sent out my computer for service last week, so now the only place i can post is at my parent's house until i get my lappy back, (2-3 weeks....i hope!?) Anyway, i will return.
Quick update:
David is a crawling maniac and is keeping me on my toes! His specialties are pulling dvds off the shelves and hitting his head on the coffee table.
It's fall and i'm learning to make soups. i've made a very successful minestrone and will start trying to make cream of broccoli.
i'll be watching the Top chef finale tomorrow. i don't even think i'm going to wait and watch it on tivo later, i will be watching it LIVE! So anyone that wants to watch it with me is invited to my house tomorrow evening. There may even be cream of broccoli soup! Email me if you want to come.