Goodbye, Blogger!

Blogger is really making me mad... It isn't allowing me to upload pictures to my blog. And who wants a blog void of pictures? Not this girl.

I'll be moving my blog over to Wordpress.

The new address will be: http://teampilotlove.wordpress.com/.

More Time-Wasting Opportunities

I hesitate to extend to you this URL, because I have lost so much time on here it's disturbing:

http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/zombie_baseball

When playing any kind of online/video game, I normally go for a puzzle-type game. (If you know me, you understand that the exceptions to this rulre are Zelda (any kind), Mario Kart, and 007.) I had a tough time trying to figure out why I like Zombie Baseball so very much.

I've been enlightened by this conversation via Gchat:
Me: who does this thing?
very
i think i am seriously obsessed with zombie baseball
Christy: of course
it's a rare combination of two of your best loves
zombies and sports

Why didn't I put that together before?!

Thanks to the creators of Zombie Baseball, and a big thanks to Christy for helping me to figure out most of my life questions, including why I am addicted to ZB.

I Wish I Had Pictures

Because today was my dad's family reunion.

Not much to report (we didn't stay too long), but I did end up on the receiving end of the bar across from Phil and Al. No one is shocked, because this is the same place I always end up at a family reunion. Go figure.

Uber Cute

Any ideas as to what my friend should name her adorable kitten??

Darn It

As most of you know, a few weeks ago, my older cat Kramer died. Since then, Squishie has been pretty... needy. She's much more cuddly and meows much more than she used to. (And I didn't ever think that was possible...)

At first, I was really convinced that I didn't need another cat. I mean, I appreciate that the one I have is more receptive to love than she was before. Plus, animals can be expensive, especially if they weigh 20 pounds and eat a lot of food.

But tonight, this happened:




This cat was hanging out on Ben's back porch last night. He was friendly and was doing what I refer to as the "I'm going to put on a show and rub my body all over this here banister" move. That's fun and great to watch, but this guy here really pulled me in tonight.

You see, I had family dinner at Ben's parents, then came back to Ben's afterward to finish some laundry. This cat was just waiting in front of the house. I went to unlock the door, and he was purring and rubbing all over my legs, so I sat down. Then he jumped in my lap and cuddled. It was awesome.

Point of the story: I'm getting another cat, after I pay off some bills...

Things I Will Miss

On my very last day at BJH (YES!!) I am trying to think of some of the things I will miss. Here is what I can come up with thus far.

Telling a joke to Courtney, who will laugh and then say, "I don't get it."

Hearing "PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!" and bird calls from the OR hallway.

My music loudly blaring from the iPod speakers.

My "other" mom being awesome. She covers the gambit, from always listening to me when I need to vent or cry, or singing "Dick in a Box" out of nowhere. Cynthia Halliburton, YOU are awesome.

Having hours to kill. Normally on the internet.

Being able to have Ben sit with me in the Children's Hospital cafeteria.

Getting to see my best friend when she's leaving work.

Playing TWSS. (Okay, dominating TWSS.)

Hearing quotes like "He's Steve, and Steve is Steve. What did I say?".

Fist pounds from Green.

Dancing and breaking into song whenever I want, and having no one care.

Believe me, there are a lot more things that I will NOT miss that make it worth leaving, but I want to leave with positive feelings. Farewell BJH. Round two was nice, but not nice enough.

Work

On my second-to-last day at BJH (or, at least, I hope it is...), I am really in the "I don't give a crap" mode. Don't get me wrong- I'm still getting my work done, but at a slower pace and afterwards am ready to get some quiet time in. I also have stopped refraining from singing very loudly (and obnoxiously).

Tonight, I really put my heart behind The Moknees theme song.

When I was a child, I absolutely loved The Monkees. Not necessarily the music, but the show itself. It's not a great show. But you really have to hand it to my uncle, who I forced to watch it with me. Listening to that theme song brings back memories, including a more recent one.

While working at Anderson, we basically had no internet privileges. By that, I mean 90% of sites were blocked. Not blocked? Wikipedia and Wikihow. (If you are unfamiliar with Wikihow, I suggest asking me about it sometime. I am experienced in ridiculous Wikihow searching.) Other unblocked sites included a lot of medical reference sites. I am slightly confused as to why we did have access to any Wiki site, but it did allow for some entertainment (when I wasn't dancing or playing Bejeweled on my laptop).

I will let the story tell itself, by giving this link and saying that this wouldn't be the first time I've done this search.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Monkees_episodes

One Lonely Cat

In the wake of the death of one cat, I would like to report some happy news.

My other cat, Squishie, is now much more receptive to love than she was before. She's a prissy little thing and normally will allow you to pet her for about two minutes before running away. Not so much anymore.

I've been feeling pretty awful lately and was running a fever this afternoon, and while recouping on the futon, the cat wouldn't leave me alone. I'm not used to this, but happy that it's happening.

RIP Fat Cat

Yesterday when I got home from vacation, my beloved fat cat Kramer was pretty sluggish. We couldn't find him when we got home and eventually we found him lying inside a microwave box. He was meowing, but didn't really move from the box. This wasn't necessarily a cause for alarm- Kramer liked boxes. The house was, however, pretty gross. There was a lot of vomit around, and some surprises left on the bathroom carpet. Still, I guess I just assumed he didn't like being home without me here.

After dropping my things off, Ben and I went to his place and after that he headed to work, while I went to the grocery store. When I got home, my intuition told me soemthing just wasn't right. I put away the groceries and found Kramer lying by the water bowl, but he wasn't necessarily drinking, just lying there. I picked him up, and he was really lethargic.

I put a towel down on the floor and a small bowl of water next to it, and put Kramer on the towel. After a while, he jumped up on the bed. That's where I let him stay for most of the night.

I knew it was going downhill fast when he jumped off the bed and crawled into the litter box, but didn't use it. I think then my motherly instincts really went into gear. I got the microwave box he was in when we got home and put a towel in it. Then I just laid him in the box.

After a few hours, I must have nodded off, but I heard him moving, so I turned to see him. He jumped out of the box and went to lay by the water bowel again. This time, I just got up, turned on the light, and sat next to him. Sparing details, he was dead in about 20 minutes.

This is probably my favorite picture of Kramer. RIP buddy.

WOW!

So, this week I've been on vacation. Most weeks of vacation I have taken in the past result in me doing a whole lot of nothing, or something coming in the way of the things I have planned. This vacation week, however, was very different.

Monday I spent most of the day cleaning my apartment. Not that "hey, I need to do a once-over" clean, but that "it's time I had really scrubbed this place" clean. (I actually love those.) I only got about half-way through the place, but I still consider it a victory. Tuesday consisted of family dinner and some laundry, plus some packing, because Wednesday morning started a real vacation.

My wonderful boyfriend took me floating on the Meramac. We did a six mile float, which took about five hours. I only used the paddle once, some woman called me the Queen of the Meramac, and my breakfast was a s'mores Pop Tart and a beer. (And lunch wasn't bad either, consisting of giant Cheez-its and an italian sandwich.) After the float, we drove to Kansas City for the night, where we stayed with Ben's Aunt Bert.

Thursday we got to shoot hoops at The College Basketball experience and walked around a KC mall. Inbetween, we had a pretty yummy lunch, with a highlight of garlic fries. (There were real cloves of garlic on my fries, and it was outstanding!) We also went to a thrift store, where we found Ben a perfect outfit to wear to an upcoming party AND two really good VHS tapes: She's All That, and Crazy Fat Ethel II. The former of the two flicks looks amazing: The warning label reads "Never come between Ethel and a well-stocked refridgerator!!", while the back cover says "Thirteen years ago, Ethel was judged criminally insane. Now the menal ward is overcrowded and the budget has been cut, so Ethel is back on the street!!" Also, the video company responsible for this piece of work is Video Treasures. The tape inside looks to be about halfway watched.

Sidenote: You really have to hand it to my manfriend, who picked out Crazy Fat Ethel II all on his own. I assume this was to feed my love for really awful movies. At least, I hope that's why he picked it up.

After our day out in downtown KC, we got to have dinner and walk around the Plaza with Aunt Bert. We ate at a place called the 810 Zone, which allowed me to watch an Asian volleyball game, while Ben and Bert watched a rugby match. All around fun.

Friday morning, we got up at a reasonable hour and headed back home to Saint Louis. On the way, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and hit up a gas staion/store called Love's. Love's is a really great gas station and store. The restrooms were really clean (and there was a cute baby having its diaper changed that everyone was cooing over). They sell do-rags, nascar t-shirts, glass figurines, and shirts with the guitar hero logo that say "Jesus Hero". The store is really outstanding.

On the trip back, I learned that Ben has LFO's "Summer Girls" on his iPod. He also at one point looked at me and said, "It's Britney, bitch", which made me feel like I was on vacation with Roxanne. Also I re-discovered Robyn's hit "Show Me Love". Forgot about Robyn or want to know more? Here's your link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robyn.

The real reason we came home so early Friday was because Ben's sister-in-law was having a c-section at 7:45AM to introduce Ben's new niece to the world. She's absolutely adorable, and is super-long and healthy. This is Maria Joy Muehleisen:




You can't tell me this baby isn't gorgeous!
There are a lot of times when I pray and praise God for the good he puts into my life. Tonight while eating a bowl of Kix by candle light for dinner, I said a prayer and cried one little happy tear. I feel that I have really been blessed this week.

It's The Weekend We've All Been Waiting For

Okay, well, it's the 2nd best weekend of the year, anyway.

Hicnic this weekend! I can already taste the shenannigans. So. Very. Excited.

I'm sure I'll have a lot to talk about afterwards, so keep checking back!

And, for now, I'll just say that I've had a busy few weeks. Here's a photo to showcase that fun:



Taken at the best weekend of 2009, Christy and Tom's wedding. It was AWESOME!

CDs: Stolen.

In April, my car was broken into outside of my Soulard apartment. They stole my CD case, which had a whole lot of CDs inside. How many? I didn't know that answer for a while. I put off counting becuase of a few reasons- I have been really busy, and I really didn't want to know how many were gone for a while. Last week (or the week before, I can't remember) I decided to count them. Between the ones I can count because I owned the hard copies, and the addition of the burned ones that were in there, I would say I lost about 130 CDs. Not a fun concept for my brain to grasp, truthfully. My favorite CDs were the ones I always had in the car with me.

Of course, I have an iPod-ready stereo. Problem is that when my car was totaled in February, I ripped it out and haven't had a chance (or the cash) to have it re-installed into my new car. Bummer.

Optimistically, I am now taking a few different CDs with me here and there, listening to things I normally wouldn't have listened to. So, indirectly and unplanned, I am rediscovering parts of my library I had forgotten about. Nothing wrong with that I suppose.

Here's a video of a track from a CD that was stolen. Take a look at the dude stage right on the cowbell:

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I get to see two of my oldest (and two of my most awesome) friends get married.

Now, initially, I thought this day would strike me as strange. But not anymore. Whatever weird feeling I had that we're all getting "old" and now have to live adult lives has gone by the wayside. Life is different (and more adult-like) but way more awesome than it was before. I think this goes for a lot of people I've known for an extended period of time, including myself. I won't retract my statement to some of you that I'll probably cry like a baby tomorrow, because I probably will. But it'll be a good, excited cry.

Here's to Christy and Tom, who get to (finally!) make it official tomorrow. I love you both very much and am so happy I get to be a part of this day.

In celebration, here is a picture from one of the most fun wedding receptions I have ever attended. (I love adopted sisters.)

I Needed This

Can you see it? The sweat from my Pepsi decided to make a smiley face today. It was pretty cool.

All Things Good

Lately I've been under a mess of stress. Most of which is unavoidable. I've been feeling down a lot the past few weeks. Understandably, at that.

Today, I finally feel like myself. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's a great feeling.

I think that's all I've got for today. Things are good. I'm just a bit tired, but am really looking forward to getting some sleep tomorrow.

Warning: You're About to Lose Too Much Time

I try to refrain from these types of posts, as I figure I waste enough time on stupid sites, as does everyone I know. But this is too good to pass up.

By the way, credit goes to my cousin Christy, who sends me links to all kinds of things that waste my time. :)

Enjoy. I promise it's worth your time.

http://ugliesttattoos.com/

100 Posts

This is blog number one hundred. And I feel like I don't write a lot of days...

Anyway, yesteday I arrived at BJH's parking garage about 35 minutes before I needed to clock in. And I clocked in two minutes late. Why, you ask? Because I drove around the parking lot/garage looking for a spot for entirely too long. It was very aggrevating.

When I did find a spot, I really found about a spot and a half. You see, I've blogged before about BJH employees not really knowing how to park. Didn't believe me? See for yourself:

My car is in the right portion of the picutre. I am parked in an actual spot. This truck is parked in a self-created spot. Awesome.




Do you see the yellow line runnning straight down the middle of where the truck is parked? That's not cool, dude. Not cool at all. And I will say that this is not the only time I've seen a situation such as this.

*Sigh* I am ready for a new job, whenever God wants to bless me with one.

I Need Some Cheering Up

So, I tried to find fun things in my day that made me laugh.

I was moderately successful, as I found a few things, but that lacks in number from my normal days.

1- On the way into work today I realized something- I drive a really loud Ford. On the streets of the city of Saint Louis. Today, I had both windows down. (ie: anyone on the sidewalk could hear what I was listening to.) I was blaring REO Speedwagon. At this point in time, the only thought that came into my head was, 'This is as Caseyville as I get'.

2- There is still some contruction going on in my building. I'm cool with that. However, whatever electric tool they were using this morning had a distinct noise. Have you ever seen Silent Hill? If not, just know that it is super awesome, and SUPER creepy. Remember whenever that smog crap is going to take over the skies of the town? That stupid siren goes off?! That's the sound this tool made when it started up. I was concerned that either people were coming to burn me, or with the weather today, that I was going to be eaten by a tornado. Either way, dead. And not fun. But funny.

That's all I have for now. Maybe I'll revise later if something else comes up.

Reaching Out

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how to help others. This year, I've been blessed enough to have a lot of loved ones around me to help me when I needed it most. I love that feeling- that there are people out there who care enough about you to be there when things really... well, suck.

I've grown a lot religiously this year. Especially in the last month or two. Being appreciative as to what and who God has placed into my life. Now I am ready to return favors, and give to those who give so much to me, and others who really just need it.

I try to take care of my loved ones. Sometimes, I am not sure how. I just do what I know I can or what I am good at. I hope what I do can reduce stress or give others more time to "do life", as a friend and I like to say. This can include actual physical duties, or just trying to make someone I love feel better.

Today I sent a facebook message to an aquaintance who seems to be having a hard time. I don't know if I helped with a message. I just know that there are all kinds of situations that are handed to us that back us into corners. It's there that we should all really search ourselves. What houses your faith when you're down and out? Are you fighting alone, or is your faith placed in the only one who holds destiny?

I'm not saying that you need to force-feed your beliefs to others. I am, however, saying that serving Christ and glorifying God mean doing what is right for mankind.

There are a lot of personal things that I don't like sharing with people, unless 1- they need to know because they're close to me, or 2- I really think they could gain from hearing one of my stories.

All I am saying is that I encourage you to do what everyone should consider to be the RIGHT thing- help those in need. You don't have to have a lot to give in order to do so. If you have a roof over your head, food to eat, and some water, you're very lucky. These are things you can share with others.

So, reach out to those in need. Even if it's just a kind word when someone needs it. If you have more to offer, and your heart desires to, give it!

Stanley Cup Finals

Hello, Pittsburgh!

I love hockey. I love when the Wings lose (to anyone, really). I especially love that the city of Pittsburgh has two winning teams.

Who the heck wants to go on a roadtrip?! This girl.

So, congrats Pens! Way to beat my most hated team in hockey. I love the team for that.