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! 

HELP!

So, we need some help.  We are considering getting another car.  We need one coming up here and started browsing this past week.  Let me just say car salesmen are really not my favorite people.   They really are as MEH as they're rumored to be.  And Brandon and I must look like idiots... do they really think we don't know that they are struggling?  

-That "this" deal will be gone in March, but wait they'll check with the supervisor to make sure it really ends this month... hello imaginary person on the other line... "you sure they aren't extending the deal into March, ok I'll let them know"... psshhh ya right.  

-Or we could give you this ____ steal of a deal with 3.9 APR financing but only if we sign tonight.  3.9 APR financing, right now??  Really?  

-Or "wow, I've been working here for a while and I've never seen him offer that price, it must be cause it's late on Saturday but that's a steal... wow I've really never seen that"

We're young but not stupid.  

We've heard that if you are a Costco member that there are Costco deals at dealerships... which no one can seem to make appear on paper cause the deal they're offering is lower than the Costco deal would be.  Then why can't we see the Coscto paper work?

Anyway, the plan is to "practice" this whole routine at a few dealerships that we don't want to buy from, and then go from there. 

 We'd really really love some tips... on buying cars, on financing, on salesman... Can you help?  We're looking at a Corolla or Civic or maybe an Elantra.

Differences continued

Brandon just saw that last post and thinks Phoebe from Friends is pretty funny but didn't even chuckle once, as I laughed and laughed at the scene from Father of the Bride.

So funny to me... the clips and the situation.

Oh, and I'd also like to point out to the public (well, whoever might read this) and my other half (who this post is really meant for) that I am aware that a lot of my blog (and verbal) sentences start with "and" "so" "well" or "but" and that I use a lot of ... and ---'s and sound effects.

I'd also like to acknowledge that I know that sentences aren't supposed have those things in them, be run on sentences (or run on and on and on sentences in my case) or start with prepositions or filler words--- if you care anything about grammar.  Which I usually don't.   :)

I usually realize that I'm making mistakes.  Usually.  :)

We're all different in our own special ways (obviously I'm included in this statement)

So, I think that it's funny that everyone has different senses of humors... wait... sense of humors, senses of humor.... ???  OK, I think it's funny that we all have a different sense of humor. 

I'm glad that everyone is different, it makes things exciting and crazy and frustrating and unique.  I think it's so funny when only some people laugh at something and other people don't even offer up a little giggle.

So it may be a joke, or it may just be a situation that's funny, or a person, or even an item... sometimes I'll be watching a scene of a movie, or just watching people's faces and their expressions, or hear something random and I'll just bust up laughing out loud when it's obvious that no one else on the planet thinks whatever I'm laughing about is remotely funny.

I'm glad that we are all different.  

Well this clip is HiLaRiOuS!  At least to me.  I can't even explain it without bustin up.  And I know that can be annoying... So, I'm not going to tell you about it and lose it before I finish, I'll show you...

Sorry if this is not your cup of tea...  And I know that Friends isn't the most morally appropriate show sometimes, but there are a few scenes I've seen that just render me unable to speak or even breath and this is one...

  

So funny!

That reminded me of another one....this is another of my top ten almost-pee-my-pants-favorite-moments.  It's from Father Of The Bride 2.  You might have to watch the whole movie to really get the essence of Frank but this just cracks me right up.

Lucky catch editing... So I posted this other funny moment I just mentioned  but right after realized that someone who posted it on YouTube had named it something--- that I wouldn't have... Anyway, I found the same clip but this one is 10 min long instead of 2... If you want the funniest part with no background, just watch from 5 minutes to 6 minutes or click HERE for the short version on YouTube.