27!

It's official, at 8:34 p.m. I turned 27 years old!
Who knows what this next year will bring, but I am excited to find out!

Stay Tuned!

Stay Tuned for a post about the birthday party tonight! SG and I decided to try to think of a theme that would allow us to wear high school stuff. So, we have decided the theme is "Party like it's 1998!"

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is now over, and as I lay here typing this in a bit of a food coma I realize all that I have to be thankful for.
Normally our family goes out to eat on Thanksgiving, but this year we did things a bit different. We had my brother, Raven and my niece Brenna over and Raven's parents as well. We ate at home and it was very good. Of course, like any other holiday this year (4th of July my dad was bit by a copperhead) something dramatic happened. As we were all standing in the kitchen talking, my parents were attempting to get the turkey out of the oven. Somehow the aluminum pan collapsed and the turkey grease spilled into the oven causing flames to erupt from the stove. My dad singed quite a bit of his hair and eyebrows off. Luckily he is traveling to Asia tomorrow, and they probably will not notice. Other than that, there were no other injuries and the fire was put out and the turkey was saved!
Tomorrow I am planning to go to the mall for a bit to check out the Black Friday deals. Maybe get a little bit of a start on some Christmas shopping.

Seasonal Guilt

It's that time of year again. The time where everywhere you go there is a red kettle and at each checkout you are asked if you want to make an additional donation to a different organization.
I have felt this way before, and shared my thoughts with SG on Wednesday when we were running around KC on errands and seemed to come upon a red kettle everywhere we turned.
Don't get me wrong, I think the Salvation Army is a great thing and this guilt is probably something I just have to get past, but I will still share. My feeling is that there are too many red kettles, and I hate the feeling of guilt when I pass by one without putting a dollar in. I wonder if the bell ringers are secretly thinking, "cheapskate." I try to make an effort to donate to them often, but if I were to put a dollar in everytime I walked in or out of the mall, Target, HyVee, WalMart, and seemingly everywhere else, I would be even more broke.
Just a thought, I would love to hear your comments on this!

Dumbest Criminals

This could really be on the show America's Dumbest Criminals! The best part is that it happened about 2 blocks from where I attended middle school!

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/906837.html

Christmas is Coming

I know Nordstroms is not putting their Christmas stuff up until the Friday after Thanksgiving, but since MG and I have busy weeks and will be traveling for the holiday, we decided to put our Christmas tree up today! I must say, it looks great. (Pictures to follow).

Also, a few more restaurant rants from today:

A table of 4 sat down, ordered waters. Then asked if we took checks (we don't). I informed them of this. They then said they would wait to get something later because they did not have any money. I figured they would get up from the booth they were occupying and leave. Nope. I went over and politely informed them that the booths were for paying customers. They then tried to order food from me, so I asked for an advance payment in cash or credit card. They said nevermind and left. So, if I would have fallen for it, I am positive I would have had a dine and dash on my hands. Lovely.

Also, although Bri and I live 120 miles apart, we had the same situations happen again tonight, and it seems to be a recurring thing, as I talked with SG's man about it last night as well. It seems to be real cool to ask for your drink to be extra strong, but have no intention of paying for a double or in Bri's case tipping for the heavy pour.

Continued...

Things I witnessed during my double shift today:

A woman breastfeeding her child, no blanket, nothing covering her breast. Her boob was resting on the table and so was the newborn. Necessary? I don't think so. I mean for goodness sakes, we have cloth napkins she could have covered herself in.

Another woman brushing her hair at the table. Her hair was halfway down her back, she took it out of a bun and brushed it all of the way out. Then ran her fingers through it, pulled the loose hair out and dropped it on the floor. Lovely.

Restaurant Rants

I think this is going to be a continuous series that I will touch on whenever it moves me.
Things that annnoy me about working or dining in a restaurant:

-Messy kids and parents who don't clean up after them. Seriously people, do you let your kid dump out every sugar packet at home on your kitchen table? I doubt it.

-Kids who drink tons of pop and cause me to have to run back and forth to get them refills. Not sure about you, but back in the 80's my bro and I would get one pop before the meal came, then we would have to wait for the meal to get a refill.

-People that do not put their credit card or cash in the check presenter so the server can tell that they have paid, or are ready to pay. If more people would do this, it would eliminate a lot of awkward walk bys.

-People that ask for exorbitant amounts of ranch, mayo, sour cream or any other condiment not offered at the table and then don't use one bit of it.

-People that do not know the difference between medium rare and medium well. One is pink, one is barely pink.

-People that ask me to make their drinks extra strong and it is clear that I am serving them, not making them. Then I ask if they want a double? They said, not if they have to pay.

-People that order tons of appetizers and food, and then ask how much the pop is and if they get free refills. Then they pay with a $100, ask for their change in 1's and leave a $1 tip.

-People that leave leftovers behind, and then come back 30-60 minutes later to ask if we still have them.

I am sure there are more, but that is just a few to get me started. Good night.

No Mouse Last Night

We did not catch a mouse last night, although they are eating our trap bait and not getting caught.
We will catch some tonight!

4th Mouse

The 4th mouse walked into the glue trap at about 5 a.m. this morning. It was a bit of chaos. I had just fallen asleep on the couch, then my phone alarm was going off in my bedroom. MG got up, so did her man. We all walked into the kitchen to find the 4th mouse hanging from the glue trap.
I will try to get pictures soon.

Thankful

Some of the many people I am thankful for are pictured above!

Epi Pen=Lifesaver

Today I was at MG's store helping her with some marketing stuff when we decided it was time for lunch. Our options were numerous places in the Prairie Village shops and we chose Minsky's pizza. We got cheesy breadsticks and a salad. I had only had about two total bites when I felt my tongue go numb and noticed the hives developing all over my chest and stomach. I have determined there were probably red pepper flakes in the salad or the breadsticks, not real sure. Not a fun feeling. I asked MG to get me my jacket and purse so I could get the epi pen.



I pulled it out of the package, took the guard off and stabbed myself in the right thigh through my khakis. MG was a bit queasy I think. I then stumbled around and tried to find out which hospital would be the closest. I ended up going to St. Lukes on the Plaza, but not without getting lost in Mission Hills. I hope when I own a home there, I do not get lost.

s.

The ER at St. Lukes was great entertainment, reminded me of the show ER. People everywhere. Because of HIPAA, I do not think I can talk much about it on here. But I will tell you that the highlight of my day in the ER was my awesome nurse who shall remain nameless, but she was a little person/midget and was GREAT!

From MG

MG sent me this email, and I thought I would share it with my blog friends. It brightened my gloomy day!


A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.

A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself
and doesn't feel even the least bit weird shutting your
'Coke drawer' with her foot! (Sorry for the scuffs. :) )

A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend shoulder is soggy from your tears.. (Let's go shopping for a new shirt.)

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and
stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after they've gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it!

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument
. A real friend calls you after you had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

Mady and Me

Today I am helping MG at Mady and Me. It sounds like Christmas in here and smells like it too! I know not all of you have children of your own, but most of you have children in your life somehow. Stop in at Mady and Me, mention the blog and get 10% off!

6943 Tomahawk Rd
Prairie Village, KS 66208
Phone: (913) 648-0200

Aggieville

Okay, I love Aggieville, but I would not do this!

http://www.kstatecollegian.com/women_leave_children_to_visit_aggieville

Lucy!

I wish I could bring her to my house to hunt mice.

Mall walker

You have all seen her, well, today I tried to get a picture of her but she was moving too fast. She wears a neck brace, rocking shoes, carries a water bottle and does not skip a corner in that entire mall. Well, she has been spotted but I am sorry the photo is blurry.

Manhappenin

This past weekend I went to Manhattan for the KSU vs. Nebraska game. I rode with my parents and met MS there in Aggieville and that is where the fun started. We ate Pats BBQ, stopped to see Bri and then headed to the stadium to do some tailgating with friends!

We tailgated and then headed into the game right as it started. MS and I were able to smuggle in a few cans of what not in our hoods, they never check there! The game was fun, and pretty cold, so we were definitely ready to head back out to the lot at half to warm up again.
We left the game with about 8 minutes to go when it was CLEAR we were going to lose. MS and I were dropped off in Aggieville and that is where it went downhill, or uphill, depending on how you look at it.




We started at Porters at around 6 and stayed there all night, well, not all night but until midnight when it was clear we needed to head home. We met lots of new friends and got to see Bri hard at work, although I am pretty sure she was ready to see us gone.
MS and I headed to Gumbys for the famous pokey sticks and pepperoni rolls, that is where I left my wallet and did not know about it til yesterday. Not a good feeling, but luckily a friend of mine's dad was still in Manhattan and was able to pick it up for me and I met him today to get it back!
Pics are posted below from the day and night o'fun. This trip reminded me that I am no longer in my early twenties and that Aggieville hurts a bit worse the next day than it did before. It is hell getting old!

2 more!

While I was at work, MG trapped two more mice. Now we have caught three! I hope to catch more tonight, and then I hope we can be finished with this rodent prob.
Tons to post about the weekend. But I am exhausted.

One down, not sure how many more to go...

Mission Accomplished. Our roomie Ralphie, as MG named him is no longer living with us. He has been evicted.
I was home alone last night and about 2 a.m. I heard a screaming coming from the kitchen. I tried to ignore it until the morning, but I must admit I did not get a ton of sleep last night. Finally, this morning I could not take the anticipation anymore, so I grabbed my Mag light and went on a search. Checked all of the living room traps, none. Checked the garage and dining room, none. Checked MG's room, none. Checked the kitchen and BINGO that's where he was. On the glue trap and still moving around and screaming.
I called my bro who said he would come over and finish him off when I did catch him, but he of course could not come over. So, MG and her man came home this morning and MG was brave enough to pick up the trap and bag him up. He is now gone and ready to go out with the trash on Tuesday.

STILL NO MICE

I am heading to bed. I was gone all evening with friends and was so excited to come home and find mice in each trap my mom and I set today. I have a blood blister to prove that the old school wooden traps don't mess around. Nope, nothing yet. I cross my fingers that they do not snap in the middle of the night! That might freak me out.
I tried a new trick of keeping the radio on in my room today, I am hoping that keeps them away.
On another note, I met SG1 on the Plaza this evening to take advantage of the amazing Friends and Family deal at Gap. I found some good deals, and some even greater things to add to my Christmas list. We then went to the hospital for SG1 and SG's man to meet Baby Allie. While we were waiting for Allie's mom to finish feeding, I decided to stop in and see my friend who had a baby boy this week as well. I was holding Evan when I noticed my shirt felt very warm, well, you guessed it, Mr. Evan peed the most I have ever seen a baby pee, and his diaper caught none of it, it all leaked on me. Luckily, I had a new purchase from the Gap to change into before heading to Tequila Harry's!
I am hoping a warm front moves in for the weekend for the KSU vs. Nebraska game that I got 4 tickets to today!

Still No Mouse/Mice

There have been multiple sightings and hearings of the mice, but none have been caught. I am stepping up the effort today, I bought some old school wood traps and my mom is coming over to help me set them up!
Stay tuned!

No Mouse Yet

I must admit, this mouse business is somewhat consuming me. I am nervous to go to bed, because I think it might be in my bed and every little sound I hear, I swear is the mouse. But then, I am very excited to get up in the morning, and get home in the afternoon to check the traps. Today marked the first 24 hours since the traps have been up, and we have caught nothing yet.
If any of you have any tips for catching mice, please let me know.
On another note, I got to meet a beautiful baby today! My sister in law's sister had her baby today, Allie. She is adorable and so small, I don't remember Brenna being that little!
Also, tonight I fell down the stairs at work. Not sure how it happened, and I am really not sure how I did not break my neck. No injuries and not too many people saw it.

Sushi and NKOTB

This evening Bri and I attended a visitation for our friend MS's grandma, we then met the twins downtown at Nara before they went to NKOTB. After a great dinner of sushi we dropped the twins off at the Sprint Center where we were talked into buying 2 tickets for $30 total! Our section was 206 and when we got upstairs it was in the area that was curtained off, so we were upgraded to the first level.
The concert was an interesting demographic. Bri and I witnessed many 20 somethings crying their eyes out as the New Kids on the Block took the stage. Nuts!
I must say that I felt very out of place, I did not know any of their names. I missed out on that time while living in Thailand in my formative years. I remember coming home for a summer and all of my friends had new t-shirts and sleeping bags, and I had no clue what was going on. So, I will say the concert was fun, but it was not a religious type of experience for me.
Time for bed, but count on more stories tomorrow.
Oh, and we have a mouse in the house, so we have begun setting traps. I have glue tents, glue flat traps, snap traps with peanut butter bait and d-con traps as well!




NKOTB on the revolving stage

M&M rocking out

Sushi!


I decided to rock out a side ponytail.

The Heat is On!

Yep, the roomie and I decided to crank on the heat. We don't have it real warm in the house, but at the same time I do not think you could safely store meat in here anymore either. It's a nice change to walk into the house from the cold and actual feel an increase in temperature.
On another note, after the plasma experience, I had a pretty successful day. I got a lot of things crossed of my to-do list, including: finishing a scarf, going to talk to my hometown banker, and playing and WINNING in my volleyball games this evening!

I have some good blogs to post when I get the energy, maybe tomorrow! Also, tomorrow Bri is coming to town, unfortunately it is for a funeral, MS's grandma died, but it will still be good to see Bri!

Girl, you leaving?

This morning I decided to revert back to my youth, well actually only about 8 years to my freshman year of college at KSU. For extra money I would go to NABI in Westloop and sell my plasma for $50 each time, and you could go twice a week. You could get $10 more on your birthday and some other bonus if you referred a friend.

Well, last night after a slow night at work, I decided to look online to see if there was a plasma center nearby, and yes there is! There are two locations, one on Independence Avenue and one on 34th and Broadway. The hours are 7-7. I got up early this morning, showered and was out the door by 830, heading to make a buck or 50 for donating some lifesaving plasma.

I thought my luck was going good, when I parallel parked right in front of the building. As I was parking, I noticed two cop cars. When I checked in, there was a cop and then there was a cop in the waiting room. Yes, the waiting room was full of about 75 people. It reminded me of the Social Security office in KCK or the DMV in Washington DC. I checked in, the lady checked my vein and saw that my right arm was a better vein and made a note of that on my chart. She told me the wait would be 3 hours. I sat down, looked around and realized I was the only caucasian in the room. I was wearing my North Face fleece and was being stared out. I sat down next to a man that was dozing off but still drawing some comic strip and the woman next to me was scratching her weave. But in case you did not know, you can't scratch weave, instead you have to slap your head, and that's what was happening.

After sitting there for about 10 minutes, I looked around and decided to make an exit and never comeb back. On my way out, the lady at the front desk yelled, "Girl, you leaving? Come on back here, we will get you in in a couple of hours."

No thanks.

Willie the Betta Fish

A few months ago when I moved into this house with MG, I was really itching for a pet. I knew a dog would be too much work, and that it would not be fair to the dog for me to be it's owner at this point in my life.
So, I got the next best thing: A betta!


This betta tank/bowl is a great invention! It stays pretty clean, there is a light and it all came together, I just had to balance him on my seat on the car ride home so he would not tip and spill. You can get one just like it at the Mission Pet Mart!

Technical Difficulties

I apologize for the huge pictures in my previous post, but for some reason Blogspot is not letting me download photos. If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Victory for Kansas

This past Tuesday, November 4th I was lucky enough to attend a VICTORY party at the Cap Plaza Hotel in Topeka. Luckily, Senator Pat Roberts and Lynn Jenkins both won, so that made the party even better.


I was happy to be reunited with some friends I worked with in DC when I worked for Senator Pat Roberts when I graduated from college. That was a priceless experience and I am so glad I was able to work with such great people and for a great man and Kansan!

Beautiful Weather for November 3rd

I have been trying to take advantage of the great weather we are having. 77 on November 3rd. My mom, Brenna and I spent the morning and on the Plaza and met JG for lunch at Panera. We were able to sit outside and watch the people pass by, some we even knew. We also went to Hall's to check out the new Christmas ornaments which is also where Miss Brenna was able to con my mom into a new stuffed animal, Rodney the Reindeer. My mom is now much more soft as a grandma. I think I may have Brenna start to ask her for things for me.

Exhausted

I don't have much to post tonight, I am too exhausted.
I worked 14 hours straight yesterday without a break to sit down or eat. I made good money, but was still exhausted. To top it off, KSU lost terribly to KU and I had to endure the obnoxious KU fans in my section at the bar.
Today I only worked 9 hours, did not make as much money. I have decided the Chiefs are probably pretty bad for business. Some of the other servers told me that on home game days, the restaurant gets busy after a win, but not after a loss. Come on guys!
I am heading to bed. Busy day tomorrow!