The New American Dream

Recently I learned that someone I know is going to be looking at houses in the next few weeks. I won't go into all the details of this person, but I will say that, in my opinion, it is SUCH a bad idea! I know there's NO way they can have their finances in order to do such a thing, and so my mind wonders why they're even doing this!

But, buying a house IS "The American Dream" isn't it?


Over the last few years, I've watched/listened to enough Dave Ramsay and Suze Orman to know the best path to being financially fit.

Suze has even touted a revolution to bring about the NEW American Dream. Which is actually quite simple. It's basically, to stand in your financial truth—THAT should be the new American dream. It means to live in a home which you can afford (be it apartment, or rental home, or purchasing a home). To live a LIFE that you can afford, and not to be caught up with having everything. She says to get as much pleasure from saving, as from spending. Dave Ramsay is more about saving, saving, saving now, but I think it's about the same thing.

They both suggest having large emergency funds. They both suggest putting large sums of money down on a house you can actually afford (Dave suggests cash, but if you can't, then only going for a 15-year mortgage, and if you can't pay for that, then you need to get a less expensive house). They also say to avoid credit card debt. Is this so hard to understand? Yet people all over our country (and out) have problems with this.

I will admit, that when I heard the news about this person I knew, part of me was jealous at first. I would love to own a home, and we were so close at one point. But, then I look around me, and I smile. I like where we live. We have some nice things. It's comfortable. It's home. But more importantly, we're working toward a financial security, so that we don't have to worry, as many people do, when something goes awry (car repairs, or unexpected medical expenses). We don't live paycheck to paycheck, and we are blessed to say that.

It's their life to live as they want, it just breaks my heart to see people I know and care about making ginormous, potentially bad decisions that could impact them for years to come, when just some simple words of advice, taken and heeded, could make them happier and more secure.

It took our parents YEARS to build up the lives and families that we were born into. We cannot expect us to have it all right away. And yet, many young people do. However, I look at my parents now. Aged. Infirm. And with very little savings. That is not where I want to be at that age. Lesson learned. I hope.

I'm working toward my new American dream. How about you?

Korean BBQ

Ever had Korean BBQ? How about Korean BBQ from a food truck? Oh, I know. That image conjures up rundown food trucks with spotty paint jobs and possibly questionable food-preparation practices.

But, apparently, the food truck has seen a resurgence in the last few years, and they've gone all fancy and high tech!

A few months ago, my company launched their Christmas Book, and I was able to attend the launch party, where one of the things available was Korean BBQ from ssahm BBQ.

See what I mean about a high-tech food truck? (Taken from their site.)

I admit, I've never had Korean BBQ before, especially from a food truck, but I had heard good things, and so, I had a taco and kimchee fries that day. OMG! The kimchee fries! Sooooo good!

This is a pic from their site of the tacos.

Sadly, I couldn't find a pic on their site of the fries, but, just imagine all the stuff on the tortillas, slathered over perfectly cooked fries.

It took me awhile to remember their name, and I found them on FB last night. SOoo wanting to get some more! They occasionally do a dinner stop somewhat near my work, so, maybe one evening .....

Drool..........................

Do YOU Pinterest?

I think of Pinterest as a graphical representation of my virtual bookmarks.

According to Pinterest:

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.

I like that instead of bookmarking a site, and only having a sometimes badly named link as my only reference, now I can see the lovely little image of whatever it is that inspired me -- craft, recipe, decor, etc.

Some claim it's a time waster. I don't know. No more a time waster than anything else online! *LOL* Also, I think it can be helpful when thinking about, say, what your decorator style is. Maybe you don't know, but it you start pinning everything you like on one board, then you'll eventually get to see a pattern.

So, if you want to,




And, if you need an invite, let me know! ^_^

My Cats Have Heating Pads

Yep, that's right. My cats each have their own heating pad.

And, yes, that mean's they're spoiled. ^_^

But, truthfully, during the winter we keep our home a little on the cool side (artificial heat is icky) and so, if we're cold, we can just put on more clothes. Sadly, the cats can only do so much. And, after many times taking over one of our heating pads (whether for our feet, or our backs, or sore muscles), we decided to get them their own. But, we had to get a heating pad specifically made for pets.

Sound silly? It's not, actually. Heating pads made for humans run too hot for animals, and can actually cause them to become overheated and dehydrated. So, there are heating pads out there for animals that run a lower voltage, safe, continuous heat that keeps them just warm enough.

And, as soon as we break those out, the cats don't leave those heated little ovals of warmth.

And so, that's where the cats are right now. On each wingback chair, we have their blankets and a heating pad. And each cat is curled up on one right now. They're so cute!

And hey, if our pets aren't meant to be spoiled, then who/what CAN we spoil? ^_^

Muppets Movie

Brian and I went to see the new Muppets movie. It was cute. I felt the first part dragged a little, but when they got into the "show" part, it was a lot of fun. Funny, too, in parts. But some parts were just really, really cheesy, and I really felt they could have gone a little smarter with it. It kind of reminds me of Enchanted, in that Disney is totally poking fun at themselves, but also brings in little homages to other Disney films. And, I have to say, the songs were really good in that one! (I sing along to them on occasion in the car.) But, the Muppets songs were ... not as memorable. Mostly.

The original show was on just shortly after I was born, but I do remember watching many in reruns. It was cute and funny, then. There were some characters in this movie that I don't even remember though!

All in all, it was nice to get out and have some fun. Because Brian had off on Friday, and I got off early on Friday, all chores and whatnot were done by Friday, so we were able to enjoy Saturday completely for ourselves.

Thankfully, it seems I am on the mend, which is nice -- means this never turned into a full-blown whatever. And, the cough I had developing has mostly subsided. (I think it's because I'm not draining as much. I know, TMI. Sorry. ^_^)

Thanks for the well wishes!

Fighting Off the Germs

So, a few weeks back I posted that I had been feeling unwell. Well, I think that compromised my immune system somewhat -- I was doing so well! But, then Brian went and caught a cold, and then, last Sunday, one of the kids I teach coughed on my hand not 2 feet from my face. Ugh! I quickly bathed my hands in antibacterial cleanser, but I think the damage was done. Thankfully, it has yet to develop into a full-blown whatever, but my throat was a little sore a few days ago, and my sinuses do hurt, and I've just felt blah.

But, I think my body is still trying to fight. I've been doing all that I should -- Neti pot, Vit. D, teas, etc. I just need to get better. I dislike feeling sick! :(

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

Even though the year isn't over yet, I have to say that Brian and I have had a blessed year, and we have a lot to be thankful for.

Not only did Brian get promoted to a position he's been wanting for awhile, which he's great at, and which he knows he wants to do for the rest of his career (well, at least for now), but then I got a fabulous job at a wonderful company where I am truly appreciated for my talents and abilities!

We moved out of our old apartment where we had many issues, to an awesome new place where we've been able to make it a lovely new home. Our jobs have afforded us the ability to get a few new things (like a couch) to truly feel like we are living a nice life.

We have our health, which we're striving to improve on. We also have our wonderful cats that bring us so much joy. And even though Yanni got really sick early on in the year, he was able to recover and be back to his old self (which is a silly kitty who makes us laugh). Also, we have our wonderful family. And even though my dad's had a few 'bouts of severe illness, he's still hanging on.

We still have about a month left in the year, and one never knows what life can bring, but we are so thankful for the life that we have, for the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us, even though we sometimes aren't as good at expressing that gratitude.

Sometimes I get very overwhelmed thinking of all the nice things we have in our life when there are so many people out there that are suffering in one way or another (loss of jobs; sickness; harsh life conditions; etc.). We are truly, truly blessed.

May all of you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Trendy Leopard

One of the perks of working for a very nice, large retail company? I get some nice discounts.

Like today, we had a storewide 40% off sale, and then, I get my 30% discount on top of that.

I got some gifts, but I got myself something as well, because I've had my eye on these for awhile:

Leopard-print anything is all the rage this fall, and I love thong slippers, so these are the perfect combo! Even at home, my feet can be trendy! ^_^

Oops!

So, apparently, not being a consistent blogger has affected my NaBloPoMoing! Oops!

Sorry! I missed another day of blogging. In my defense, haha, excuse, whatever, last night Brian and I were talking "grownup" stuff—benefits. Since I'm officially an employee, I can now get benefits. But I have to decide ASAP, or I can't enroll until next summer (we're retail, so our books fiscal year ends during the summer). Brian, though, has end-of-the-year enrollment.

So, we went through all that stuff, and boy is it a life sucker! Ugh! Sometimes, being a grownup really sucks! Blech!

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

The Birthday

Okay, so I was totally going to cheat and backdate my entry, seeing as I officially missed blogging on yesterday, Nov. 19. But, I totally have a good excuse: it was my birthday!!

Yesterday I turned 36! I am the same age my mother was when she had me. Almost to the day—her birthday is exactly one week before mine. It seems odd to me. She had 4 children at this point. I have none. But, then, her life is very different from mine, so.... And, I know many women having children later in life, so I don't think about it too much. (Okay, maybe more than lately, as I told my husband that if we decide to have children, I will not go past 40.)

Anyway, on Friday morning, my coworkers surprised me with a little breakfast brunch. (And, I have to say, even though they like to surprise others as well, and I had at first thought they would do it for me, I had only told my supervisor the date shortly after I started 6 months ago—I figured they had forgotten. But no, they're sneaky! *LOL* My super also got me some lovely tulips.

Then, Friday night we had people over—especially some that I haven't seen in YEARS! It was so good to catch up with OLD, old friends, some older friends, and some friends we have just known a few months, so that was nice. It mad me realize that I want to make more of an effort to catch up with old friends and maintain some of those friendships. I mean, some of these people it was as if we had just seen each other last week, well, except for the fact that some are now married and have kids, but .... ^_^ I think it gets a little harder to make friends as you get older, because you're having to fit into the full life of someone else. Whereas, friendships of old were usually made when single, or when one had less responsibilities and therefore had more time to cultivate those friendships. So, that's one of my goals for the coming year.

OH! Which reminds me, this is a a digression, so bear with me. Remember last year, when I mentioned that I was going to start saving for my Masquerade Ball? Well, I am happy to report that I am on my way! For now I only have a few hundred dollars saved, but ... this next year I hope to put in a little more each month than I have been. In 4 years I should be able to have a fab party!!!

Now, back to my birthday. Poor Brian is sick with either a cold, or really bad allergies. He has been trying so hard to make my day a special one. So, we slept in. (Okay, really, he slept in.) Then we went to brunch at Denny's (yes, IHOP is better, but I like the sausage at Denny's better), then to get groceries (sadly, yes, this still needs to be done), then home to relax, watch some TV and just hang out. Then, later we went to dinner at MasterGrill. It's one of those Brazilian Churrascarias (where they bring meat out on the skewers which they cooked on). So delish! The sirloin last night was excellent. And I always wait for the lamb. It's the first place I ever tried lamb with mint jelly (such a strange-sounding combination, but so tasty!). And, they also have this pineapple coated in brown sugar, which is out of this world! YUM! The nice thing about this place, is that it isn't as pricey as some other similar places around here, but it's still good.

And, for last, the gifts. From my friends, the most memorable was a buckram fascinator form so I can make my own fascinator (so excited), and from Brian, a pair of white gold earrings with a gemstone in them, and a special table lamp made to help with lighting when taking still-life pictures (and also some of my crafty items, like cards and things). I know, sounds weird, but I've wanted something like that for awhile so I could have better indoor lighting!

So, that was that. Kind of a slow, lazy birthDAY. And It was nice.

Later today, it's my family's thanksgiving, so we can all go to the in-laws for the actual day.

It's My Party

In honor of my birthday tomorrow (no! I promise! I'm not fishing for wishes! ^_-), I am having a little birthday get together at my place tonight. Some good pizza, yummy cupcakes, and some good friends (some whom I haven't seen in YEARS), should make for a fun and interesting evening (like figuring out how all those people will fit in the apartment??)!

Corporate Citizenship & Volunteerism

Did you know that my company has a separate division that JUST handles charity work and setting up volunteer opportunities for its employees? Yep, a company that not only claims to do community work, but actually does.

Today alone I got two emails with quite a few opportunities around the community to volunteer.

But this had specific relevance to me today, because I actually got to participate in one of those opportunities.

Today I, along with several other people, helped the Meals on Wheels organization by decorating blank gift bags that will contain small items (usually toiletries and the like) that will be delivered to recipients of the program during Christmas. Sometimes, they said, these are the only Christmas "gifts" these people receive. So, Meals on Wheels was especially glad we were decorating them, since many of these folks really like and appreciate things like this. It will make their day. Part of me makes me sad that some of these people live their lives like that. Another part of me is glad that I could help. And really, if I didn't have an actual job to perform, I would totally love to run around and volunteer at all the great things they do.

I know many people that would like to volunteer around the community, but it's hard to find things to do, or the time to do it. So, my company puts a lot of groups together to go help out during business hours (and we are not docked pay for it), but they also do a lot of company-sponsored events that benefit those in the community.

It makes me feel good to be part of such a great company that I am learning to love even more now that I am a full-fledged employee!

Wordle

Wordle was kind of all the rage a few years back. It's a service that let you do word clouds. You can change the fonts, colors, orientation of anything you want. I did one some time ago with the complete text of my favorite novel Pride and Prejudice. It's pretty cool.

I wanted a cool quote or something to add as a little accent to a display of two pictures of my cats, and then I remembered Wordle. So, I pulled up how you say the word "cat" in several other languages, and put my decor colors (well, as close as I could get to them) as my custom palette, copied it, printed it on some cool paper, and framed it. So easy!

I'll take a pic of that and the other one maybe one day soon, but, this is what it looks like:

Cool, eh? Like me, you could do the text of a novel, or maybe your blog?

Maybe your kids' names? Important dates? Places? The world (or WORDLE) is your oyster!

Now go have fun with Wordle!

My Chatting Days

Christine's reminder that she and I have known each other for 14 years made me: one, take pause, and two, start to reminisce.

Today, with a coworker, somehow we got on the topic of chatting back in our college days (although she is quite younger than me), and using instant messaging systems as well, like AIM or ICQ (well, at least she was young enough to have used that). I told her I first started IMing on Apache -- anyone remember THAT?! *LOL* Wow.

It wasn't so much the chatting, which was a lot of fun, but the type of chatting. I frequented sites where there was a lot of roleplaying going on. Usually in the fantasy vein. It was free-form, text-based, and it was so much fun. I would stay up for hours and hours playing. My writing skills improved so much during that time! First off, I had the chance to develop my own character (or characters), really delving into deep stories, partly due in thanks to some fabulous RPers I could play off of. Also, since it was constantly updating/refreshing (unlike a forum), I had to be on my toes. You never know what the other players were going to do! Sometimes I tried to push and prod to a desired outcome, but sometimes it just wouldn't happen. Oh! And a lot of this happened during dialup days, so there would be many times when our connection would drop us! Talk about being left hanging! *LOL*

But, as with any community, there was drama behind the scenes (yes, some involved romance), and sometimes it was just personalities that butted heads. Although, some of those people that I had the most friction with when I first started RPing, are some that I was the closest to for awhile.

And some I am still friends with, in some shape or form, like Christine, Charles, or Richard. ^_^

And others, others just sort of dropped off the face of the earth and I still do miss them -- is that weird? The one I think of the most often is this one guy I met. I think he was a senior in high school, and I had already graduated from college, or was about to, when we started RPing. I think he went by the name Samhain (or, at least, one of his more well-known characters). We had a great little friendship. He was like a little brother, although sometimes I suspected he might have had a slight crush on me (but that's just my opinion). I want to say his real name was something like Jason? Even though we had a nice friendship, he didn't share much of his personal life, which was probably smart. I also remember he had a twin brother, and they both were gonna play soccer in college? I remember him sort of dropping off the face of the earth, and then life went on, I stopped chatting, but once in awhile I would stop in and see if anyone I knew had been by (because you could leave private messages for the other person). And I saw a message he had left me ... but it was months and months old. I responded, but ... never heard back from him. So, Samhain, if you ever come across this, Reeny wants to know how you're doing? ^_^

Oh, man, I just remembered another person: Korbeau. Oh, he was a dreamy writer. AND British. I think he called me once, leaving a message. Ah, the accent..... *dreamy sigh*

Dang, now I'm dredging up all these memories! Wow, I wish we could get a reunion together with all the old chatting people -- online, of course, and reminisce. Only they would truly understand, I think. I know, I can't really go back to those days, and I don't have time to, but, it's nice to remember them fondly.

Orientation & Lessons Learned

Today I took the second half of the day "off" work to attend Orientation, since I'm technically a "new" employee. So, technically I was still working, I suppose.

It was mostly getting to know other people, and the company and how they work, and how they like diversity in the workplace, and a few other odds and ends.

At the end of orientation, we were asked to write down three things we learned today. It could be about the company, ourselves, someone else, etc.

So, these are at least three things I learned today:

1) Neiman Marcus almost didn't exist! If the partners (way back in the early, early 1900s) hadn't of passed on an investment in a little-known beverage now known as Coca-Cola, I wouldn't be working here today.

2) I need to be more vocal in standing up for what's right and correcting others on their behavior (derogatory comments, gossip, etc.) -- I avoid conflict, but I need to be better.

3) Age is no barrier to loves and passions which can follow us all our life. (I learned this because this fashionable older lady, who happens to be a grandmother of three, surprised us by saying that she and her husband go out riding on Harleys. You just never know about someone. Which, I guess, is also a lesson in and of itself. ^_^)

A Mostly Typical Sunday

Sundays around here are usually pretty typical.

As most of you know, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormon), and we observe Sundays as the Sabbath day, and try to make it a day for rest and worship. We also try not to do things that are normal for the rest of the week. So, in other words, we don't shop on Sundays, or do things like go to the movies, or say, an amusement park. We try not to do chores. And, in my family personally, we listen to only classical or church music.We focus on attending church service, and also on other "quiet" and meaningful activities, like reading scriptures, or other books, visiting family and the sick, journaling, doing family history, and yes, even naps. It IS the day of rest, isn't it?

So, with that said, here's how the day went for us today. I said it was mostly typical, because it varied a little in its normality.

8:30 am -- Woke up and showered
9:00 am -- Ate breakfast while checking email/FB/news/practice music (you'll see why)
10:00 am -- Got ready for church (did hair, got dressed, put on makeup)
10:30 am -- Left for church
10:45 am -- Arrived at church, settled into pew, then checked on mic (yes, it's coming)
11:00 am -- Church begins
11 am - 2 pm -- Block of meetings at church (will explain later)
2:30 pm -- Arrive home, change clothes, eat lunch while checking email/FB/etc.

Then in the afternoon we usually watch some TV together. We cook dinner for the coming week, and just have some quality time, including calling family.

So, that's usually our Sundays. But, I know what you're thinking: 3 hours for church?! *LOL* Yep.

Our first hour (usually a teensy longer) is what we call Sacrament Meeting, because during that time we take the sacrament (aka communion). We also sing hymn and have speakers (instead of just one preacher), etc. The the second hour is Sunday School, and the third hour is when the youth, men, and women split up into separate classes. During both second and third hours, the children gather together in what we call Primary. Part of their time is spent in age-divided classes, and part of the time they are together learning about the scriptures and also singing and learning songs. [I am currently a teacher in the Primary -- my class is the 3-year-olds that turned/are turning 4 this year.] So, that's about it in a nutshell. (Please feel free to ask questions, if you want.)

However, today was a little atypical because instead of having speakers, the Primary (children) put on a program during most of the time. It usually involves them speaking parts (which they sometimes come up with) and singing songs revolving around a specific theme. (Every year they have a new theme to focus on during that year.) This year it was about the scriptures. So, remember me mentioning practicing music and checking on a mic? Well, that's because, during one of the songs, I was asked to sing the descant that is available for it. (Descant: a superimposed counterpoint to a simple melody sung typically by some or all of the sopranos.) So, yes, I can sing, but I get quite nervous singing in front of people by myself. However, as long as I know the song/part well, I'm usually okay at controlling the nerves. Luckily, this is a part I sing often when they sing this song normally, because it's just such a pretty descant.


And THAT was my slightly atypical, typical Sunday.

An Award!

My friend Christine gave me an award! Isn't she sweet? We've known each other for years and years online -- have not met in real life, yet. But, I've maintained a friendship with her longer than I have with many people, so, there ya go! ^_^ Thanks, Kalligenia! ^_^

The award comes with three short rules:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top bloggers and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog. Check, see above.

I'm passing the award on to three bloggie friends:
1. Charles - Also another friend I've known online for quite some time; an awesome writer, and just SO smart!
2. Reva - She and I are technically only online friends, even though I do remember her from real life back in the day. I so wish we had met and become friends then, but, well, what do you do? She's a faithful blogger!
3. Sarah - A recent friend (well, compared to the other two, but she and I just clicked when we met), and she's just amazing. Smart, sweet, kind, gorgeous and talented! And she inspires me with making her passion her living. (Remind me why you're my friend again? *LOL*)

3 Outlandish Wishes

Today's prompt is in honor of 11/11/11. Make three wishes.

I decided to do outlandish ones for mine, because, well, I can! ^_-

I wish for ...

1) 20 million dollars, tax-free. (Kind of an arbitrary number, and oh, sure, I know what you're thinking, why not go for more? No need for me to be greedy. ^_- Spread the wealth around, I say.)

2) An all-expenses-paid, luxury trip around the world, to take place during a whole year--maybe longer. (Notice I said "luxury"--yeah, I like nice things, and I am NOT a backpackin' kinda girl.)

3) To be completely healthy (free of ailments; disease; etc.) for the rest of my life. (How else will I be able to spend that money, or go on that trip? But really, not having to suffer from even inconvenient things like back pain, or a sinus infection, would be so nice!)

How about you? What are your wishes?

(And, cool nifty fact I learned today: if you take the last two digits of the year you were born in, and add those to the age you are/will be this year, it will equal 111. For example: If you were born in 1980, you will be 31 this year, so 80+31=111. Cool, huh?!)

Take it all in, people.

I'm Gonna Be Published!

But, maybe not quite as you think. ^_^

No, not my sad little novel which is still collecting the proverbial dust while it waits for a heavy edit. No, my fanfic hasn't been picked up to join the ranks of "canon" in your local bookstore.

I'm actually getting some of my digital scrapbook layouts published. Yep. All those crafty magazines, with oodles and oodles of inspiration usually come because of people like me.

So, how did this all come about? As part of my requirement for being on the Design Team at PeppermintCreative, I'm supposed to submit layouts for publication. I've been doing this for a little while now, and had not heard anything back. Partly is because I'm shy about submitting stuff, so I don't usually send much.

But, it looks like things finally paid off!

I am getting not one, not two, but three layouts published in ScrapStreet magazine. I think they're mostly online, but that's okay. Gotta start somewhere, right? So, they only told me it would be in the coming months, so I'll let you know exactly when.

And since I'll have to remove my layouts from galleries online, I thought I'd share them here.

Enjoy!

I think the favorite of those is the last one. The first two were made using templates (which, yes, is allowed), but that last one was ALL me. Literally! *LOL*

So, yay me!

I Came Home to a Different Place Than I Left

Okay, isn't that a cool title? Sounds like the great beginning to an interesting story. It's mine! No stealing! *LOL*

Sadly, I do not have an interesting tale to tell you that corresponds with the title, just a quick, strange one.

Yesterday morning, I left my home at Apartment Complex A, and returned home to Apartment Complex B.

Yep, apparently, during the day, my apartment complex made a cosmetic changeover to a new name. And, apparently, new owners. I also had a lovely note on the door from the "new owners" telling us about this change.

I know things like this don't happen overnight, but we had no inkling whatsoever! Weird thing is, this complex isn't even 6 months old yet. Although, I can't say I'm surprised. Still, as lovely as they are, we're probably only at about 70% occupancy (my estimate, only). That doesn't bode well.

I just hope that when it comes time to renew our lease, that they will be VERY accommodating. If not, as much as I love this place, we may just have to move on. That's life.