Happy First Week!

Brandon's company was downsized a bit ago, along with so many others all around I guess.  It's been a bit frustrating--- lack of $, moving out to Baltimore of all places for the job, living right downtown in a, well a rougher city so he could walk to work (we were sharing one car)... and then... WHAM... change of plans.  It's been a tad bit crazy and threw off "our plan" momentarily, delaying my return to school and flippin things around.  But we are so happy that Brandon was offered a job and started working last week as a consultant for

Brandon's company was downsized a bit ago, along with so many others all around I guess.  It's been a bit frustrating--- lack of $, moving out to Baltimore of all places for the job, living right downtown in a, well a rougher city so he could walk to work (we were sharing one car)... and then... WHAM... change of plans.  It's been a tad bit crazy and threw off "our plan" momentarily, delaying my return to school and flippin things around.  But we are so happy that Brandon was offered a job and started working last week as a consultant for


As we try to figure out our new life plan we realized that in order for both of us to get to work we needed to a) move and pay a few thousand dollars (ug) to get out of our apartment contract and rent a car or something while we still lived here b)one of us learn to fly (I really wish) so we could get to work c)or make a route that takes less than 2.5 hours to get to work, you know, by speeding up the buses or making friends with a Chloe (24) type person who will coordinate city lights and traffice for us daily... or d)buy a car... 

With a ton of research, not tons of time, some good advice from friends, and some super informative and helpful (what we'd do without you, I'm not sure) loan advice, (thank you all so much!) and the incentives/rebates/stimulus going on right now we added this new baby to our family last week...

(the car).  

I need a better picture, but she's cute and so fun to drive.  :)

Tagged

10 things about me

I'm so excited, this is my first tag.  Actually Hia tagged me with a Christmas tag but I had just started the whole blog thing and when I was ready to post again it was past Christmas time and although I'm all for decking the halls 6 months of the year I know that not all of you are so I thought I'd save that for next year...so...my first tag... this time I was tagged by Andrea- thanks!

Here are the rules for the Honest Scrap Award:A) first list 10 honest things about yourself-and make it interesting even if you have to dig deep

B) pass the award on to seven bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap

My 10 honest things.

1. I, as mentioned above and in previous posts, am one of  those Christmas people.  I start listening to my Christmas music in September sometimes... not every day but I'll pop in my Amy Grant Christmas to clean or whatever, when I start wearing sweaters.  I love everything about it... in fact at Utah State my roommates let me keep our Christmas tree up til May (we did turn it to a wedding tree though for Sara who was getting married with little temples and a count down chain), and for Hia's wedding I was entitled the Christmas Queen and it was my job to decorate for the reception... lights...lights everywhere (well, on multiple trees not from walls and chairs- it was classy no worries) I could go on and on and on about all that I love about that time of year but you can just go to the past post here. (I'll spare you... for a few months)

2. I'm not a milk girl.  Just never liked the stuff.  I know I need it, know it's good for me, but yuck. I get my calcium from the ice cream I consume.  I eat enough ice cream, no worries.  Oh, there is a time that I actually like milk- with bready breakfast foods.  It's actually good with pancakes, waffles and crepes... I'm working on the milk and cookies things too.

3. I have this bad habit of melting things---on accident of course----frequently. :(  I don't get it but since we moved to Baltimore we have an electric stove that is flat and I keep setting things down and then when I pick them back up they're a bit deformed.  The casualties since July include: a plastic cutting board, a strainer, 2 spatulas, 2 plastic plates and more plastic containers (or their lids) than I'd like to mention.

4. I am horrible with directions.  I have never known which way North or South was.  I just drive by landmarks--turn left by the big tree after you pass Subway, or by my gut feeling.  I get lost a lot, and although I don't love it, it's turned out to be an ok thing.  I consider it a blessing... I sadly used to get a bit lost in the grid-layed-out state of Utah.  Sad I know.  But luckily when I moved to Boston and was lost for hours at a time, multiple times a week, for the whole time I was there, late at night, by myself.... I wasn't ever worried or stressed.  Blessing in disguise.  

5. I LOVE pictures!! I'm obsessed.  I love cameras.  I love looking at other people's pictures, which is one reason I spend way WAY too much time looking on facebook or other blogs.  I carry a camera with me, almost everywhere... sometimes two!  I have a little digital camera that fits in my purse and my nice SLR camera (it's not digital though so it's not always convenient, one day I'll have a super nice Nikon or Cannon (can't decide yet) Digital SLR camera and photoshop... can't wait for that day!).  I love taking pictures of people, and places and I do this weird thing where if I have a digital camera I document places I go.  For example, I went to Germany for 10 days... took 2 rolls of "normal" pictures on my nice camera and over 300 on my digital so that I could document what makes Germany, Germany.  My 'What Makes Baltimore, Baltimore' is in progress... Baltimore is an interesting place... if you care to know, one of the most unique things here that I've found is- billboards, yes billboards.  You don't see billboards like this in Utah.  I also stalk photographer's blogs.

6. I can talk a bit  faster than the average person.  It's not because I'm nervous, or out of breath, just the speed I talk at.  I've been informed that most people can't understand me on the phone... at all.  I really try to slow down, I just can't.  I've had to try really hard at a few jobs where I answer the phone. Work in progress.

6. I'm a neat freak.  I don't love to clean but I really love things clean and organized.  At Utah State sometimes I just couldn't take it any more and spend hours cleaning... clearing out cupboards, and then cleaning and organizing things by size.  I don't do this all the time but once I get started it's really hard to stop me.  I can't relax if I see a mess... Even if it's late I have to do the dishes, just can't handle it.

7. I have to think really hard to be able to say M&M's right.  True.

8. I have this little pet peeve where I CAN NOT handle when guys don't let you do things because you are a girl... now I'm all for the gentlemanly men who open doors and offer to carry things but you have to be sincere... none of this eyeing you and then just taking control, or assuming I can't or don't want to do something because I happen to be a girl.  I was that girl who in high school, when a teacher asked for 4 strong guys to carry something, said annoyingly that I was able and willing and volunteering.  I think I'm getting more calm in my old age but don't get me started.

9. My favorite smell in the whole wide world is inside a potato cellar.  Really. Love it!  It's kind of like the smell right after it rains, but with a twist of clean dirt.  I don't know.  Sounds weird, I realize that. But I love it.  I'm aware it's strange.  

10. I think that I handle the bigger catastrophes a lot better than small stresses.  I feel like I wasn't super distraught the time I woke up and the car wouldn't start, or someone broke into our car, or with moving, or husbands losing jobs that we moved all the way out here for... but when it comes to people coming over and the house not clean, or picking what to wear, which tennis shoes I should get, being late for something (even though it's always my fault we leave late, he he)... those things get me all worked up.  

Wow, I thought it would be harder to think of things, I just talk/think/type too much... you should try it...  I don't know how I feel about tagging people, so no pressure... but I tag Jana, Hia, Alisa, Staci, Summer, Erica, Jenny, Jenna, Matt & Jenica, and anyone else who wants to... I'm excited to read about you!