AudreyTastic

February 9, 2012

2012-02-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Need a last minute something for Valentine's Day?

I'm taking orders through the weekend. I will be baking on Monday and cakes can be picked up Tuesday. It's a 6" cake (perfect for a couple of people).

4 layers of chocolate cake, filled with 3 layers of chocolate mousse, frosted with chocolate buttercream and topped with ganache!

OH MY!

Cost is $25.00.

Let me know if you want to order one.

Fail

2012-02-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom,

I tried to make your potato pancakes tonight.

Fail.

They tasted OK, but were too puffy. Kind of like regular pancakes. It just wasn't right.

What did I do wrong?

In the blender went: Potatoes, Onion, Egg, Salt, Pepper, Flour

Then poured it into a skillet with a bit of oil.

With those few ingredients and easy steps, it shouldn't be hard to get them right.

And yet, I didn't get them right.

Help?

February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our New Beginnings activity for the Young Women in our ward.

The theme was "Once Upon A Time". The decorations were taken from the movie "Tangled".

Each of the girls was reminded of their Princess like qualities and given a crown. The girls who will be coming in to Young Women's were introduced and were given their own crowns as well.

At the end of the evening, we all went outside and sent off paper lanterns just like they did in the movie "Tangled".

The evening was absolutely incredible. The girls who put the activity together did an amazing job! I am more and more impressed by them every day!

They even managed to get an amazing full moon too!

I love this picture of this cute girl letting go of her lantern.

February 7, 2012

2012-02-07T11:44:00.002-07:00

Someone forgot to tell the bulbs in my yard that its still winter. Things are starting to sprout! I think these are either daffodils or hyacinths. Either way, yay!

February 6, 2012

2012-02-06T17:38:00.001-07:00

I mentioned how I am working on genealogy the other day. It's become a bit of an addiction, frankly. I've had to limit myself to only an hour a day otherwise I'd never get anything done.

Today, I found out that my 12th great grandfather is also the 3rd great grandfather to George Washington! How stinking cool is that?!

Here's the flow; I have removed the last names of some of these folks to keep a bit of anonymity.

Augustine Warner I (1610 - 1674)

is your 12th great grandfather & 3rd great grandfather to George Washington

↓

Mary Warner (1640 - 1685)

Daughter of Augustine

↓

Augustine Hawkins (1663 - 1700)

Son of Mary

↓

Juliathea Hawkins (1689 - 1739)

Daughter of Augustine

↓

Diana Spicer (1708 - 1749)

Daughter of Juliathea

↓

Mary Spicer Hall (1731 - 1817)

Daughter of Diana

↓

Eleanor Bosley (1762 - 1840)

Daughter of Mary Spicer

↓

James Wheeler (1785 - 1873)

Son of Eleanor

↓

Anna Wheeler (1807 - 1895)
Daughter of James

↓

Eliza Jane Parr (1832 - 1924)

Daughter of Anna

↓

John L (1859 - 1950)

Son of Eliza Jane

↓

Wilbur A (1889 - 1969)

Son of John L

↓

Morris E (1914 - 1994)

Son of Wilbur A

↓

John

Son of Morris E

↓

Audrey

You are the daughter of John

February 5, 2012

2012-02-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Did you hear about that sicko, Josh Powell?
What he did today was cowardly to say the least. And involving his kids? To me, that makes him one of the lowest pieces of garbage ever!
In case you were too caught up in other events of the day, below are a couple of articles about what that sick jerk did.
Clearly he was too close to being caught. The least he could have done is leave his kids out of his cowardly act. Also, he should have let someone know where his wife is.
I'm so angry that I could think of all sorts of curse words that I would apply to him.
At the same time I am just heartbroken for Susan Powell's family. They have gone through so much. Also, my heart goes out to the CPS worker who got caught up in this. Talk about PTSD!
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=19132089&title=josh-powell-2-sons-killed-in-house-explosion&s_cid=featured-1
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/05/10325025-husband-sons-of-missing-woman-die-in-house-fire

February 4, 2012

2012-02-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some genealogy lately. Thanks to the website Ancestry.com, I have traced my family back to the early 1400's. They came from all parts of Europe and gradually made their way to the US. I still have a couple of branches to work on, but am getting close to being as far back as I can go with the resources I have. Frankly, I'm surprised I've gotten as far as I have.

In my research, I found another website called findagrave.com. This site has photos from many different headstones and cemeteries. I haven't researched them very much, because I can't decide if it is morbid or not, but I did find two of my family members.

My Great Grandma:

And my Great Grandpa:

Kind of cool. Right?

February 3, 2012

2012-02-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm on a bit of a cleaning jag right now. I've decided I need to de-clutter my life and figured I would start with the house. I am at a point where I want to get one of these great big dumpsters and just shove everything in my house into it and start fresh. I know that's not reasonable, but that's what I'm feeling.
Hopefully I won't run out of energy before I finish this task.

February 2, 2012

2012-02-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

It's Groundhog Day!

According to my friend, we should eat sausage today.

Get it?

Sausage = ground hog.

Hahaha!

Anyway,

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, and we will have another 6 weeks of winter.

Although, we don't really know if Phil saw his shadow or not. Turns out the whole thing is rigged! According to the website I read; "Thursday's ceremony is largely that: Phil's prediction is determined ahead of time by the Inner Circle, a group who dons top hats and tuxedos and decides in advance what the groundhog will predict." And, "Phil is "incapable of error," because the groundhog smartly avoids being site-specific in his prognostications. If Phil predicts six more weeks of winter, "I guarantee you someone's going to have six more weeks of winter.""

I swear, even something that has been around forever has to be scandalous! Not cool!

February 1, 2012

2012-02-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's February. That means it's time for the whole Valentine's Day thing. I hate Valentine's Day. People should show how they feel about each other every day; if they aren't then sending flowers or buying a box of candy that one day of the year really won't make up for the other 364 days of the year. Just my opinion.

At any rate, I was thinking I would write today about someone I love.

This is my bestest friend!

I totally Facebook stalked her and "borrowed" this picture by the way.

She's the sister I always wanted to have growing up. She is kind, generous, loving, sweet, caring, giving, a great mom, and a fabulous friend. She is the kind of person I want to be. I can't say enough good things about her. Those of you who know her, know that I am right. Those of you who don't; I wish you could meet her and get one of her amazing hugs. You'd love her instantly.

I've learned so much from her. And my life is better because she is in it. She has welcomed me into her family and has never once made me feel sad or inferior. Everyone should have a friend like her!

January 31, 2012

2012-01-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Subway,
If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest that you start the search for a new marketing team.
It appears the one you have is stale and no longer has fresh ideas for promoting your $5.00 for a 12 inch sub.
Back in October, we had to endure 31 days of the ridiculously annoying "Any-tober" jingle. I have never been so happy to have October be over and the winter start. It meant the end of that stupid ear-bug that annoyed the ever living crap out of me!

Only now, it is back. Because your marketing team couldn't come up with something more clever than "Febru-any"! I heard that jingle yesterday, and almost lost my mind.

Frankly, I find these commercials are more annoying than the, oh my gosh please stop it now, screaming JC Penney commercials:

I'm just sayin.

January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T15:42:00.001-07:00

This is Murphy. She's trying to convince me of something. Either that she needed a snack or that she needed attention. She's pretty good at getting her point across.

January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T22:29:00.001-07:00

Hung out with mom and dad today. We went to Roseville, and had some delicious gelato. Mine was Chocolate and Almond.
Also, it was nice to absorb the sunshine and warmth.

January 28, 2012

2012-01-29T12:49:00.001-07:00

Spending some time with my parents. Enjoying sunshine. And seeing the fresh fruit growing on their trees.

January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

♪ All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go. ♫

Yes, I admit it, I like this John Denver song. I know, Peter, Paul and Mary are the ones who are most known for the song, but it was written by John and to me he sings it the best.

But the point of this post is that ♫ I'm leaving on a jet plane ♪

Yep, I'm heading out in the morning for a couple of days to visit the family.

I just need to get away from things for a bit.

January 26, 2012

2012-01-26T06:40:00.001-07:00

When I was home for Christmas, I stopped by my friend's house to visit for a little bit. Luckily for me, they had a big batch of tamales there! They were oh so yummy!

January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today's interviews went really well!
Unless I completely mis-read the people I met with today, I'll be moving to the next round of interviews! Woot!
I'll know for sure if I get to move to the next round next week.
Keep those fingers crossed, and good thoughts coming my way. I'd love to work for this company.

January 24, 2012

2012-01-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

I went to the temple today. It was a perfect day for it.

January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, a friend gave me a great pan that makes little "cakelettes". I finally used the pan yesterday, and made the recipe for "Vanilla Swirl Cakelettes" that came with the pan. I topped them with a quick glaze made from milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. They turned out really cute! The flavor was good, but they were dense like pound cake, which isn't my favorite. I'll play around with the recipe a little bit to see if I can make them lighter and fluffier.

January 22, 2012

2012-01-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

We had another really great sunrise the other day, before the crappy weather moved in and we had grey-ness for a few days. I forgot that I had these photos, until I was looking through my phone this morning.

Pretty, huh?

January 21, 2012

2012-01-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

I took my sweet Miss Mitzi to the vet yesterday.

Poor thing has been shaking her head like crazy every morning and looking at me with this look on her face that clearly says "Fix this, please!"

Also, she is shedding worse than she does when she blows her coat in the spring.

"Umm... Can we leave now?"

"Did you see that Dr guy give me cookies? I think he may be OK in my book."

"Are there any more treats in your pocket?"

She got the once over, they checked her ears, and they took some blood. And since we were there, we had her nails trimmed down.

The Dr says other than her thyroid being severely low, she's all good. He seems to think the shaking her head is because she still isn't used to not hearing very well any more. Pretty much all she hears these days are whistles and loud sounds like clapping. The shedding has to do with her thyroid. So, we've got her on thyroid pills and hopefully that will help.

Overall, she's doing pretty good for a pup who's almost 14! She's still very much in charge around here, and Frito and I both know it and we stay in line. It's OK, we ♥ her very much.

January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Etta James passed away today.
As long as I can remember, I've been a fan of her song, "At Last". I don't know when I heard it the first time, but it has always had a special place in my heart. I've heard different artists sing the song, but no one does it the way Etta James did.

January 19, 2012

2012-01-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

So, my interview went well yesterday. I should hear from them in a week or 2.
I had a phone interview today with a different company, that went really well too. I have 2 more interviews with them set for next Wednesday at 1:00 and 2:00. If those go well, I will get another interview with their Vice President. This company would be great to work for; it's a Fortune 500 company and the job sounds right up my alley. This job would definitely be an answer to prayers! I'm hoping to really impress them on Wednesday. Keep those fingers crossed!

January 18, 2012

2012-01-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Second interview went well this morning. I should know in a week or two.
I also have a phone interview tomorrow.
Maybe this is a sign that things are looking up.
One can only hope.

January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

When I have down time or am bored out of my mind, I go to pogo.com and play games online. I play Mahjong, Scrabble, and other word games.

Several weeks ago while I was playing, a screen popped up saying I had won $100.00. I wasn't sure if it was legit, but all it asked for was me to verify my name and email address, so I did. Since they didn't ask for personal information and they were only asking me to verify information they already had, I figured I was OK. So, I filled out the box and then forgot about it.

Today, I got a check in the mail for $100.00!

How cool is that?!

Thanks, Pogo.com!

January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Had a great dinner tonight with good friends!

Shredded pork burrito, re-fried beans, rice. Yum. And fried ice cream for dessert. Also yum.

The best part? Being surrounded by people I've known for years and who are great to be around.

January 15, 2012

2012-01-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Just a thought today.
Why do people insist on being mean to you when you're doing your best to be friendly with them even though they've already hurt you? Are they just trying to feel better about themselves? Or are they trying to justify their original hurtful behavior?
Just wonderin'.

January 14, 2012

2012-01-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

We had another beautiful sunrise today.

They are really the only good reason for getting up early on a Saturday morning.

January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Someone had a really great phone interview today!

That same someone has a 2nd interview next week!

Crossing my fingers that this goes well and turns into a job.

January 12, 2012

2012-01-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

I received this slow cooker for Christmas from Mom and Dad.
It is the best slow cooker I've ever used!
The insert is cast aluminum, so it can be placed on the stove top to brown a roast and then set into the slow cooker. Or if there is too much liquid after the meat is cooked, you can put the insert back on the stove top and heat the liquid so it will reduce or you can thicken it. No getting out the saucepan and pouring the liquid into it!
The best part for me is that it won't crack. I have gone through several slow cookers over the last couple of years and the inserts on all of them have cracked. I don't know what I do to them that makes that happen? Maybe because I ran them through the dishwasher? Anyway, this one won't be cracking.
I've used it a couple of times already and another great feature is that the non-stick surface makes it a dream to clean!
I ♥ this slow cooker!

January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Who knew that 7 am was a good time to give yourself a pedicure? Just trying to find productive ways of occupying my time.

January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Guess who used the new crock pot she got for Christmas to make a yummy batch of stew?

It is so very delicious.

And I ♥ my crock pot!

Thanks Mom and Dad!

In Search Of...

2012-01-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

If anyone reading this is an "Antiques Shopper" I would be ever so grateful if you kept an eye out for a set of Pyrex bowls like these:

They sit inside each other like this:

I'm looking for them in this green / white pattern. I believe it is called "Cinderella".

I have found them online on sites like eBay, but they are either missing a bowl or cost well over $50. I'm kind of hoping to spend less than that if possible.

Thanks!

January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

♪ Good Morning Sunshine ♫

What a beautiful sunrise we had today!

January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T14:07:00.001-07:00

I made a batch of homemade potato chips!

And they were yummy too!

Awhile back, I bought a microwave chip maker at a Pampered Chef party. These chips were made without a single drop of oil, so they are as healthy as potato chips can be.

Ask, Seek, Knock

2012-01-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

I took this picture last November at the Salt Lake Temple.

Today, I was playing around with photoshop and finally figured out how to put text on a photo. So I put my favorite scripture (Matthew 7:7) on it because it seemed appropriate.

It turned out pretty good even if I do say so myself.

PS. I am asking, seeking, and knocking and still have no job as of yet.

January 7, 2012

2012-01-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

We got a little bit of snow last night. Not much, maybe an inch.

But it was enough for Frito and Mitzi. They had a ball running around through the snow!

Here's Frito on his way back in. Mitzi wanted to stay out longer; she was still having fun. And she keeps tapping on the door to go back outside.

January 6, 2012

2012-01-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoon, I got a bug to do some remodelling work.

I decided to re-stain the cabinet in my master bathroom. So I spent all Wednesday afternoon sanding down the cabinets that started out looking like this:

Then I spent Thursday and today staining them Cherry so they now look like this:

I think they turned out pretty good.

January 5, 2012

2012-01-05T18:57:00.001-07:00

While I was home for Christmas, we drove up North to see my Aunt and Uncle.

I've always liked going up that way, and have good memories as a kid going there.

I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point they put these sculptures in the middle of Main Street. I think they are supposed to depict a cattle drive. Here is the guy at the end of the drive:

And here is one of the calves:

Cool, huh?

January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is Murphy. She's laying in one of her favorite places on the back of one of my parent's living room chairs. She's a funny girl, and is very much used to getting her way all of the time.

I took these pictures, because it looked like she was laying there staring at the presents under the tree trying to figure out which were hers.

None of the presents under the tree were for her. She was definitely taken care of though.

January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is taken from my unofficial transcripts. See that highlighted part? I made the Dean's List last semester!

Now, I'm not entirely sure if any benefits come along with that but I am pretty thrilled. My friend, Steve, says that if I decide to go on to Grad School, this will be a good thing to add to my application and could be helpful. To qualify for Dean's List, you have to take 12 units and attain at least a 3.5 GPA. This is the first semester I have taken 12 units, so it was the first semester I was eligible for it.

At any rate, I am glad I made it.

January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T21:46:00.001-07:00

I've lived in my house for 6 1/2 years now. And I just noticed this sign in the neighborhood last week. I have no clue how long it's been there, but when I saw it the other day I had to pull over and take a picture because it had me laughing out loud!

Seriously! 23 1/2!

Whoever thought of this is either a joker or a genius. I've asked neighbors and those who have noticed it say when they see the sign they always look at their speedometer. Maybe trying to figure out how they will be at the half? Whatever they are looking for, the sign does get people's attention and makes them think about how fast they are driving.

January 1, 2012

2012-01-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was concerned on New Years Eve that my Frito would not handle things well. I was going to be at my friend's and I knew that my neighborhood would be having fireworks. Those loud sounds scare the bejeebers out of the poor guy! But, when I got home shortly after midnight, this is what I found:

A sleeping Frito boy! He was as mellow as it gets. What a relief!

Over the 4th of July, the guy was so out of his brain that the vet gave me some serious "puppy downers" and those pills did nothing for the guy. He shivered and shook like jello that hasn't set up for the whole month since my neighbors insisted on lighting them almost every night.

But this time, I found these:

Anti-stress pills! They are all natural; using ingredients like chamomile. (I bet I could take them if I wanted to since it's all herbal - I'm so not going to, but I probably could.) Anyway, seems like they may have done the trick! We will find out for sure in July though.
I'm really glad we found these pills.

Time to Change

2012-01-02T09:49:00.002-07:00

I haven't been in the mood to blog much the last little while. Mostly because nothing exciting is happening in my little world. And honestly, my mood has been at an all time low.
I'm trying to change that. So, I am going to do my best to blog daily and stay positive. New year, and all that.
You know the saying "Fake it until you make it?" Maybe if I find things to appreciate each day, I will eventually get back to being the happy me. Here's hoping.

Chegg

2012-01-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of semesters ago, I was complaining to my friend Derrick W. about the cost of text books for school. They charge over $100 for the book at the beginning of the semester and then at the end of the semester they either refuse to buy it back because editions have changed or they give you $20 for it. They are a complete racket! Seriously, if you want to make some major cash getting into the business of selling textbooks is the way to go.

Just sayin'.

Anyway. This friend suggested I rent them and he recommended Chegg (www.chegg.com). Since then, I have exclusively rented my text books. You save boatloads of money going this way.

The Spring semester starts the 9th, so it's time to get books again. (For the last time, yay!)

I'm taking a Sociology class called "Ethnic Minorities in America". The book for this class sells new for $140.00, or used for $115.00. Crazy, right? Yep. Chegg rents it for $28.00 for the entire semester! Same edition, and all that.

The book usually arrives in under a week. Then, at the end of the semester, Chegg provides a UPS shipping label so you can return it. Easy, breezy, lemon squeezy!

So. If you or someone you know and love needs to get their textbooks, I highly recommend renting via Chegg.

Bakery!

2012-01-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

My friend (really, she's the sister I always hoped to have) and I have been talking about starting a bakery business for 3 years.
We have finally stopped talking about it, and started working on it!
We are looking at names, and licensing right now.
What do you think of the name "Yums!" ?
Also, we are looking for someone who has mad website creating skills. (And who doesn't charge a whole lot of money.) And maybe someone who can help us create a cool logo.
I'll be sure to update here once we have a launch date, etc. And, if you have any input please contact me.
♥

Not Forgiven

2012-01-01T23:34:00.001-07:00

Well.
The apology didn't help. I'm not forgiven.
Let me just say that I can tell where the people reading my blog are located, I can tell he did not even read the apology. But I did get a response from him.
The response was along the lines of "Never mind." "We aren't what each other need." and "We're just good friends."
Story of my life. I either attract someone who is emotionally abusive (the guy I was engaged to a couple of years ago) or can't hold on to the ones who are good. Don't I deserve someone good?
I really suck at this stuff.
So, family, I guess you won't get to meet this great guy. It's really a shame. But after pretty much begging for forgiveness for a week now, I need to get back to being not sad. There's enough drama in my life.

A Public Apology To My Special Friend

2012-01-01T22:43:00.001-07:00

Remember this photo I posted around October of 2009?

Cute, isn't he?

I don't think I ever explained who he is.

I won't post his name here, because I don't have his permission, so I will call him Cutietastic.

Cutietastic and I met on a singles website, and we emailed back and forth for a bit. He lives in a state that is colder than here, and in the next time zone. (hint. I hear there is a pretty great mall there.) Eventually, he made a trip to Utah to visit friends. Luckily, we were able to meet up a couple of times while he was here. We had a nice lunch at the Lion House restaurant on Friday. Then, on Monday night we went to dinner at the Roof Restaurant and wandered around temple square. A kind lady stopped and took this photo of us. I adore this photo - it's been the screen on my cell phone since that day. I brought him a couple of my famous pumpkin cupcakes, for him to take with him when he flew out the next day. Cutietastic was such a complete gentleman! After dinner, while we were wandering, I caught a chill. This is the first man who has EVER taken off their coat and let me wear it. He won a part of my heart that day.

Sadly, Cutietastic had to go home. I had such a great night walking around with him that I asked if he'd be willing to meet one more time before he left? He kindly agreed and before his flight out we met for lunch at Pei Wei and spent a couple of hours talking. I've never had such a great conversation with anyone before. As we left and said goodbye, he took the below photo.

Since Cutietastic returned to his home in that other time zone, we have communicated almost every day. Lots of texting. Occasionally, I would get a phone call from him. Those were always great; they were rare but could put a smile on my face that lasted days. Last Christmas, he sent me the coat that he had loaned me the night we walked around Temple Square because I told him how it smelled nice. He spritzed some of his cologne on the coat and that was my Christmas present. Seriously, how romantic is that? This guy rules! Needless to say, I was really liking the guy.

Over the last 14 months, we have gotten to know each other pretty well, and I have developed very strong feelings for him. He is a great person. He's kind, and caring, and generous, and funny, and multi talented. An overall great guy.

Honestly, he is a really great guy! Cutietastic has been known to spend his only day off going around town and shovelling the driveways of the elderly people in his ward. Considering where he lives, the ward is not in a nice little area like in Utah; he does some traveling when he does this. He cooked a bunch of turkeys last Christmas for multiple families in his ward. He supports his mother and siblings who live out of state. All on top of working 3 (sometimes more) jobs! And if you try to praise him for his good deeds, he will respond that he is simply doing what the Lord has asked us to do; and that Christ would do no less.

That, my friends, is how I would describe a great guy. Just sayin'.

Fast forward to December 22, 2011. I'm sitting in the Salt Lake City airport waiting to fly to Sacramento. Cutietastic called me as I was sitting there to wish me a good flight. Sadly, it was a quick call because I couldn't really hear what he was saying with all of the overhead announcements going on in the airport. Ever been to Terminal E at this airport? That's the one where the little airplanes are, and you walk out onto the tarmac to climb the stairs onto the plane. And you can hear the plane engines running. There are a bazillion gates there with planes departing non-stop and constant overhead announcements. I was thrilled that he had called, but sorry we didn't have a very long conversation.

Christmas day. I sent him a quick text to wish him a Merry Christmas, and Cutietastic said he was going to call since it seemed like we both had a quiet period of time to chat. He called, I went into the spare bedroom and talked to him for a few minutes.

Sounds great, right?

Wrong!

Being at my parent's house and not wanting anyone to overhear me, I was a little shy when we spoke. I didn't say very much. I had misunderstood and thought he needed the call to be quick because he had things to take care of. We had a little small talk about about the cough he had and that he would go to the Dr. the following week. We talked about a trip that we both wanted to take someday that involved going somewhere sunny and warm (read: Miami), and we talked about how he is working towards moving to Utah someday. This having been a goal of his since before he and I met. We wished each other a Merry Christmas and said good bye. (Insert big smile on my face.) As I said though, I was a shy and distracted during the call. He would have liked to talk longer, but was feeling the shy vibe I was sending.

That brings me to this week. Between the disjointed conversation at the airport, and my being immature I managed to upset Cutietastic by being shy and distracted and not talking as much as I would have if I had been home. I made him feel like I didn't want to talk to him. And explaining that I was shy because of where I was, really just made things worse.

Thinking back, it really is bad that as a 40-ish year old woman I couldn't just speak to him and not worry about who would hear what. I'm sure my parents didn't care who I was talking to. And they probably didn't even hear me.

I'm a jerk.

I may have ruined the best thing I've had in my life.

I really regret it.

And I don't know how, or if, I can fix it.

In an attempt though:

I would like to publicly apologize to Cutietastic. Please know that I see your point of view and I am dearly sorry for upsetting you. You are right, I should have been able to be as free to talk as I usually am. And my sneaking into the spare room to talk to you at my age is embarrassing.

I don't know why I am shy and guarded about this kind of thing when I am around my family. I guess part of it is that I have never really brought anyone that I was interested in romantically around the family.

I am sorry, Cutietastic. Please forgive me?

If any of my family read this, I hope to (if Cutietastic forgives me) introduce you to him someday. You'd like him. He truly is the nicest guy I have ever met!

Anyone else reading this... (does anyone else read my blog? It's not that interesting.) Thanks for letting me air this laundry publicly. Please don't judge me. I know what I did was wrong. Apparently I like to learn lessons the hard way.

Mary Kay Clearance Sale

2011-12-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

I’m having a Mary Kay Clearance Sale!

Below is a list of items that I still have in inventory that I would like to clear out. Quantities are limited, so first come first serve. Please call or email me with any questions. As always, shipping is free.

Regular Price $8.00, Clearance Price $4.00:
Pink Sand Nail Lacquer
Coral Stone Nail Lacquer
Base/Top Coat

Regular Price $14.00, Clearance Price $7.00:
Pink Sand Lip Pencil w/Sharpener
Coral Stone Lip Pencil w/Sharpener
White Wash Eye Pencil w/Sharpener
Classic Navy Eye Pencil w/Sharpener
Turquoise Waters Eye Pencil w/Sharpener
Sage Eye Pencil w/Sharpener

Regular Price $13.00, Clearance Price $6.50:
Apricot Twist Cream Eye Color
Beach Blonde Cream Eye Color
Glacier Gray Cream Eye Color
Pale Blush Cream Eye Color
Iced Cocoa Cream Eye Color

Regular Price $22.00, Clearance Price $11.00:
Pedicure Set (includes Relaxing Foot Soak, Soothing Foot Balm, and Pedicure Brush / Pumice Stone)

Need Stocking Stuffers?

2011-12-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Need stocking stuffers or Christmas gifts? Mary Kay is the way to go!

Check out my website www.marykay.com/audrey.welday

The first 10 people who order between now and Christmas will receive a 25% discount on their order. And to my out of town friends, shipping is always free!

Cupcake of the Month Club

2011-11-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a "cupcake of the month" club!
Each month I will make a new flavor of cupcake.
For $20.00 I will deliver (within a 10 mile radius) a dozen cupcakes to you in the flavor of the month. If you need them delivered somewhere outside of 10 miles, we can discuss a delivery fee option. Deliveries will be made the first week of the month.
Contact me to sign up!

Football Cake

2011-11-09T14:55:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to get to spend the last 2 days working with my dear friend Leann on this fabulous cake for her husband's football team banquet. Isn't this the most awesome cake ever? Everything is edible. The pylon is made of rice krispies treats, the football is made entirely of cake and the jersey is fondant.
Mostly, I kneaded different colors into the fondant to take it from white to the orange, brown, and purple you see. I also helped here and there; cutting out the Nike swoosh, the #1, the laces for the football and anywhere else Leann needed help.
Leann had a vision, and we made it come to life. This is the coolest cake I've been involved with!

Wishes # 6

2011-11-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

A new crock pot like this one. It has a cast iron insert so you can brown meat on the stove top, and then put the insert into the slow cooker and finish it.
I've lost several (read 4) traditional crock pots (with the ceramic inserts) to cracking over the years. This looks to be one that would be a keeper!
I probably should have put this as number 1 on my wish list because its the item I would get the most use out of.

Wishes # 5

2011-11-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

A new rice cooker. Mine has seen better days, and should be retired. I don't need anything too big or fancy. A 3 Cup cooker is perfect. And it doesn't need to do anything else (steam veggies, etc.) I just need it to cook rice. :-)

Wishes # 4

2011-11-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

"Bones"

Seasons 4, 5, and 6

Anniversary Sale

2011-10-31T17:24:00.000-06:00

November 1st marks my 1 year anniversary of being a Mary Kay consultant! In honor of my anniversary, I am offering a 10 % discount on all orders placed November 1-8. (Discount does not apply to my clearance items.)
Visit my website or email or call me.

My Mary Kay Clearance Sale!

2011-10-29T10:03:00.000-06:00

Wishes # 3 (part 2)

2011-10-28T22:06:00.000-06:00

Dear Santa,
Should you decide I deserve a pretty purse with a flower on it; I like this one that I understand can be found at Kohl's as part of the Jennifer Lopez collection.
According to what I've seen online, it is grey. I haven't seen it in person, so if you go to Kohl's and don't think I would like it then that's cool. Just sayin.

Good Grief

2011-10-28T20:50:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago I called my satellite provider to request that they lower my rates. I told them that I had been with them over 5 years now, that I was laid off in July and needed to cut back on some expenses. The lady on the phone lowered my rate by $5.00 by turning off one of my receivers. That was "all she could do to help". That day, I received a flyer from their competitor offering similar service at less than half the price. So I emailed my provider and told them about the flyer and asked if they would match their competitor's price. The next day, I received an email referring me to their website. Err? So I emailed them again and let them know that response was unsatisfactory. I told them I would change carriers if they could not match their competitor's rates. A week later I received a response saying that they "could not match the competitor nor could they lower my rates."

So, I contacted the competitor and signed up for service with them. They are giving a similar channel lineup with DVR at half the cost, and free HD for life. (That's an upgrade! And might I add, a pretty great upgrade.) Their installer came out Tuesday and in two hours I had a new dish on the roof, and two new receivers.

I called the original provider to cancel, and the rep who answered the phone offered to match the competitor's rates. What?!? I explained that I had already given them the opportunity to do so and they kept refusing. He looked at the notes on my account and saw my multiple attempts and apologized for "the company dropping the ball." He mentioned that I would not have tenure with the new carrier and said that was a big thing. Really?! Exactly what did having tenure with his company get me? Oh yeah, nothing!

Goodbye:

Hello:

I'm having a clearance sale!

2011-10-28T20:28:00.000-06:00

Summer appears to be over so I am having a clearance sale of some of my summer Mary Kay inventory. I am offering the following items at 40% off.

*The Weekender Lip Pencil (Coral Stone) regular price 14.00 clearance 8.40
*The Weekender Lip Pencil (Pink Sand) regular price 14.00 clearance 8.40
*The Weekender Eye Pencil (White Wash) regular price 14.00 clearance 8.40
*The Weekender Eye Pencil (Sage regular) price 14.00 clearance 8.40
*The Weekender Eye Pencil (Classic Navy) regular price 14.00 clearance 8.40
*Nail Lacquer (Pink Sand) regular price 8.00 clearance 4.80
*Nail Lacquer (Coral Stone) regular price 8.00 clearance 4.80
*Nail Lacquer (Base/Top Coat) regular price 8.00 clearance 4.80
*Pedicure Set regular price 22.00 clearance 13.20
Call or email me with questions or to purchase these items. Limited quantities, so order them quickly!

Wishes # 3

2011-10-28T20:25:00.000-06:00

A cute purse with a big flower on the front like any one of the below. Only, I would like it to be either gray, black or beige.

Wishes # 2

2011-10-10T13:32:00.000-06:00

A Bosch Mixer would be very nice to have.

Just sayin.

Hello Fall!

2011-10-05T08:13:00.000-06:00

So. Fall is here.

We're supposed to be getting some pretty nasty weather the rest of this week. They are even saying that we will have snow at 8,000 feet either tonight or tomorrow. I'm sure that makes the skiers out there happy.

I love the snow. When it stays in the mountains. Or when it isn't so deep that I have to shovel the driveway. The neat thing about the weather cooling off and Fall arriving is that we get incredible sunrises like this:

The not-so-neat thing is that I currently have a sore throat and the sniffles. Ugh!

Wishes #1

2011-10-04T13:49:00.000-06:00

Dear Santa,

This would be ever so nice. Seeing as how my TV decided to give up today.

If you can make it happen, I would be oh so appreciative.

♥ Audreytastic

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-10-04T08:11:00.001-06:00

Today is my Daddy's Birthday!

I hope he gets to do something fun.

Like spend the day fishing and catching a bazillion fish with my nephew, Nick, like he did in this picture:

Happy Birthday Dad!

Stupid Electronics!

2011-10-04T08:08:00.000-06:00

Yeah. Got up this morning, went to turn on the TV to catch some early morning news.

Not.

Gonna.

Happen.

This (only) 8 year old, 5,000,000 pound TV has decided it is done. It worked fine last night, today - not so much. I've unplugged it and plugged it into different outlets and nothing.

It's broken.

Kaputt.

Nice.

Taters!

2011-09-24T18:18:00.000-06:00

I finally harvested something from my garden. Potatoes! Yay!
(I also harvested onions, but I grew those last year. This was my first attempt at potatoes.)
This select batch is currently on the stove becoming potato soup.
Just sayin.

Latest Cake Creation

2011-09-24T18:09:00.002-06:00

I was invited to attend a sealing for a family in our ward today, and I wanted to make something special for them. I called my good friend Leann, and together this is what we created:

I think it turned out really great! Thanks for being my cake buddy, Leann!

And The Greatest Is Love...

2011-09-10T16:50:00.003-06:00

Ten Years Ago

2011-09-10T11:52:00.001-06:00

Ten years ago, on 9/11/01, it was a little after 6:00 in the morning and I was getting ready for work. The local news was on TV, and a story came on about one of the World Trade Center buildings being on fire.
I switched over to NBC to watch the "Today" show, and they were speculating about what happened when a few minutes later we saw the second building get hit by a plane.

I was numb. I had never seen anything like that; like the lady being interviewed said it was like watching something from a movie. From that point, I was glued to the television. People started using the words "terrorist attack". Then we heard about something happening at the Pentagon. The President promised to "Hunt down those responsible..." and we were being told there was a "coordinated attack" on the country.

Tom Brokaw joined the Today Show folks, and we learned planes were being grounded. None were taking off and international flights coming to the US were being re-routed to Canada. I lost all sense of time, I was hearing about "terrorist attacks", plane being hijacked, and then I saw this:

I had tears streaming down my face as I heard about people jumping from the buildings. People were being evacuated, and firemen were going into the buildings to try to rescue people. The State Department, and White House were being evacuated. And we were being told that there had been another plane that may have been hijacked, but there was uncertainty as to where it may be.

Tom Brokaw called it a "Declaration of War on the US". There was mass confusion and terror in New York, as well as in my little house in Antelope, CA. We heard about Flight 93 that was intentionally crashed in Pennsylvania.

I was stayed glued to the TV. I was unable to wrap my brain around these events that had happened. Thousands of people had died for no reason whatsoever!

For the first time ever, I was late for work and didn't call in to let them know I would be late. Eventually, I peeled myself from the television and drove to work listening to the radio the whole way. I got to work some time after 9:00 am. I wasn't the only one who was late.

I spent the majority of the morning talking to coworkers and reading news stories online. At some point, we were told that the building may be evacuated because there was a Federal Government Agency (DEA) in the building and there was a mandate that buildings with Federal Agencies be evacuated. That turned out to be false in our case. But, no work got done that day.

When I got home, I hung my flag outside and it remained hanging for several months. The only reason I took it down is because it became a little torn and tattered being outside so much.

The days and weeks after with stories of bravery and loss were overwhelming. They still are. Watching these videos ten years later were emotional for me. I'm glad they were there for me to watch and to remember though.

I often think about the events of 9/11/01; especially during the two trips I made to New York City since then and specifically to what became known as "Ground Zero". The Spirit is very strong there. Walking around the sight and through Battery Park where they had the World Trade Center Sphere now sits took my breath away. I found myself choked up with emotions. I think about it every year when they have memorials on the anniversary. To me, it still feels like it was recent rather than ten years ago.

Before 9/11/01, in front of the World Trade Center:

After 9/11/01 sitting in Battery Park:

The way our country united in patriotism and outrage right after this happened was incredible. But, here we are ten years later, and our country is back to where we were before. Divided. Have we forgotten? Have we become jaded? I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it makes me sad to think we have lost that sense of unity.

Tomorrow, I will remember. My flag is hanging out front already. I will pray for those families who lost a loved one.

How will you remember?

Mostest Fun Ever

2011-09-05T21:40:00.001-06:00

I was invited to a friend's for dinner tonight. As one of the treats, they made homemade root beer. I've never seen anything like this! The bubbles were created by using dry ice.

Here is the result of putting a few pieces of dry ice into a container of root beer. So fun!

Happy Labor Day

2011-09-05T07:07:00.002-06:00

Had a Great Interview

2011-09-04T22:38:00.000-06:00

I had a really great interview last week. I'm praying and keeping my fingers crossed that this has a good outcome.

If you are of the praying persuasion, your prayers would be appreciated. Or cross your fingers. Or light a candle. Whatever works for you. It would all be appreciated.

Where was the interview? Somewhere unexpected, considering I have been in Wireless Telecommunications for the last 12 years...

Bath Time

2011-08-29T09:39:00.000-06:00

I've been needing to give the dogs a bath for a little while now, but it is always such a production and I usually end up getting more water on me and the floor than I do the dogs that I have pretty much procrastinated about it.
This morning seemed as good as any to go ahead and get these guys in the shower.
Mitzi was first, and was great about it. I opened the shower door, and she walked right in and stood there while I rinsed, soaped and rinsed her again. We got done quickly and without getting a whole lot of water where it didn't belong.
Frito on the other hand, had to be locked in the bedroom and cornered so I could grab his collar and guide him into the bathroom. I then took off his collar and had to pick up his 65 pound self and haul him into the shower as he fought me every inch of the way. Lets just say that I had as much if not more soap on me during the process than he did on him.
Afterwards, both dogs came out to the living room and laid down.
Frito, apparently is not talking to me:

Mitzi thinks he should just get over it. Look at that look she is giving him across the room. That clearly says "Dude! Man up and get over it. It was just a bath! (And you smell better now.)"

Frito's response was to give me "the look". This look says "I'm disappointed in you. I have worked weeks and weeks on getting just the right smell and now you've gone and washed it away. I'm going to have to start all over now. Great!"

Mitzi's response to me was "Thanks for the bath, but next time could we use some of the pretty smelling shampoo that you use? I don't think doggy shampoo is very nice smelling."

I agree Mitzi, doggy shampoo doesn't smell very good. But it does smell better than the before the shower smell.

Something I've Learned

2011-08-22T08:47:00.000-06:00

I learned yesterday that I am not Mac friendly.

Sad, but true.

It may be the whole "Can't teach an old dog new tricks" thing. But I was trying to help my friend with a project and if it weren't for Google, I wouldn't have been able to get past how to turn that sucker on.

Thanks Google and people who post answers to my questions!

On the flip side, I did find the size of the monitor and the resolution on that baby to be pretty great. Wonder if I can find something like that for my reliable PC?

School's in Session!

2011-08-22T08:38:00.000-06:00

Today is the first day of school for the Fall Semester!

I'm taking a whopping 4 classes this semester; Intro to Investments, Deviant Behavior, Good Cop Bad Cop, and Corporate Corruption & White Collar Crimes. At the end of this semester I will have 2 classes to finish before I have a BS in Sociology with a Certificate in Criminology!

I'm so excited that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (and it isn't a train)!

What exactly I am going to do with this degree is still the great unknown. Will I go to Graduate School? Not sure. Will I get into teaching? Not sure.

Lots of things to think about.

But, first let's get through this semester.

A Little Something New

2011-08-20T19:31:00.000-06:00

Did you notice a little something new here on Audreytastic?
Over on the right? --------->
Yep, I am trying out an advertising program here on my little ol' blog.
Giving it a whirl to see how it goes. Let me know what you think.
♥

All Fixed

2011-08-19T15:18:00.005-06:00

Back in May or so, I went to the store and when I came back out to the car I found the side mirror had been clipped and broken. Not sure you can see it in this picture or not, but the corner was broken out and it was shattered. While I had the truck in the shop this week to have the bumper damage fixed, I asked them to fix this mirror too so I wouldn't have to make a trip to the dealer to get it fixed. Unfortunately, the mirror didn't get to them before I picked up the truck the other day. So, I brought it in today and in less than 45 minutes they replaced the whole mirror for me!Its so great to have the truck all fixed now! Now more dents, scrapes, or shattered mirrors.
Thanks to McNeil's Valet Auto Body!

Armed & Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman

2011-08-18T18:52:00.006-06:00

So school doesn't start until Monday. But I've already read one of the books for one of my classes. I'm taking a class this semester called "Good Cop, Bad Cop", and one of the books for that class is "Armed & Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman" by Gina Gallo. I started reading it last night, and only got through the introduction. This morning I picked it back up and didn't put it down until I finished it. I got absolutely nothing accomplished today.
I found it to be a good read. It was a frankly written book about Gallo's 16 years as a female police officer in Chicago. She shared her experiences, and she shared insight as to how other officers treated female officers and how they conducted themselves on the job.
It certainly made me think differently about police officers. I've always known there were what I call "rogue" officers on the force who aren't on the up and up, but it appears that this may be more rampant that I thought.
At any rate, I found it a good book.
*disclaimer: there is language in the book that is frank and some may find it offensive and it's certainly not something you want a younger person to read.*

Mary Kay Back To School Open House

2011-08-17T22:24:00.002-06:00

I'm having a Mary Kay Open House!
When: Monday, August 22nd 3:00 - 7:00 pm
Where: My House
Come try out new makeup looks, or ask about skin care!
Bring your mom, sister, daughter, friend, neighbor, etc!
Hope to see you there!

Valet (McNeil's) Auto Body

2011-08-17T22:07:00.004-06:00

These are the guys that fixed my baby. They were awesome!

They came highly recommended by my insurance agent, so I drove right over for an estimate. The folks there were super friendly. They even gave me a tour of the shop while the estimate was being prepared. And they coordinated my getting a rental car while they had the truck.

I felt so good about them after that first meeting, that I didn't even bother to get another estimate. I was confident they would take good care of the truck and make her like new.

They finished the job a day before they said they would.

They kept me informed on what was going on.

They were friendly, and they cared about getting the truck fixed.

If you ever back into a cement post and need your car repaired (or if you are in need of auto body repair for any reason), I HIGHLY recommend you go see the guys at Valet (McNeil's) Auto Body located at 33 East 12675 South in Draper, UT. Or call them at 801-576-8585. Ask for Matt, he was the one who took care of everything for me and was a rock star!

Rental

2011-08-17T22:01:00.003-06:00

While the truck was in the shop, I had a cute little rental truck. It was a silver 2012 Chevrolet Colorado. It was a nice little 4WD truck that has what I think is called a crew cab (4 doors). It was fun to drive, but I am so glad to have my big full sized truck back!

She's Back!

2011-08-17T21:56:00.002-06:00

My baby is back in the garage!
And she's dent-free!
Yay for having insurance. And Yay for car repair shops!

A Beautiful Moon

2011-08-15T19:25:00.000-06:00

The moon was really pretty last night...

Oh What A Beautiful Morning!

2011-08-13T21:24:00.002-06:00

We had a really beautiful morning this morning:

Someone Was Productive

2011-08-13T21:16:00.004-06:00

That someone?

It's me!

I spent two days sanding and re-painting the two pillars on my front porch.

It looks great! Only now, it seems I need to sand and paint the railings going up the stairs and the front door trim. A project for next week perhaps?

All sanded and ready for paint:First coat of paint on the first pillar:

And both pillars freshly painted:

Someone Broke Her Truck

2011-08-09T18:34:00.002-06:00

That someone would be me.
I was stupid... I backed out of a parking space and right into a cement post. I never saw that thing. It was so short, that I couldn't see it when I was in the space.
I took it to the repair shop for an estimate. $2800.00! When I break something, I break it good. So, my baby will be in the shop starting tomorrow. When I get her back in a week, she will be as good as new.

Hawaiian Birthday Party Cupcakes

2011-08-06T16:33:00.004-06:00

I made these way too cute cupcakes for a friend's Sweet 16 Hawaiian Birthday Party. She said she liked them, so I'm glad.

Vanilla cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting. And gum paste flowers that I colored with spray on food coloring.

Disco Skate Cake

2011-08-02T11:04:00.002-06:00

Made this cake for a former co-worker for her daughter's 11th birthday. She was having a roller skating party, and wanted a disco ball included somehow.

The Birthday Girl loved this cake! Her eyes just lit up when she saw it. Yay!

A day at the vet

2011-08-02T10:58:00.004-06:00

Took Frito and Mitzi in to the vet not too long ago. They both needed pedicures, and Frito needed a shot.

Teddy Bear Cake

2011-08-02T10:50:00.003-06:00

I made this cake for a friend awhile back. She put a tiara on it and gave it a scepter, and it was a princess bear cake for the young women in her ward.

Such a cute cake! (Even if I do say so myself)

Someone got a sunburn...

2011-08-02T10:48:00.003-06:00

And that someone would be me.

And that sunburn would be on my nose.

And it has peeled about 6 times now. (I'm getting nervous about that by the way.)

I got the sunburn on the last day of Trek, and it wasn't even very pink. But it's super red now. *sigh*

Someone Got a Haircut... Finally!

2011-08-02T10:46:00.002-06:00

I waited until after Trek to get my haircut because I was hoping that it would grow long enough that I could pull it into a ponytail of sorts seeing as how I would be unable to wash my hair for 3 days.

Umm.

Yeah.

Not so much. It was still too short. So I had to resort to the bandana tied over my head so no one would see my icky hair. Not my best look ever.

At any rate, I finally went in and got it cut. Yay!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye...

2011-07-09T11:50:00.004-06:00

Wednesday was the end of this chapter of my life.
In the time I was there, I learned a lot and met some great people. Some of those people will remain great friends, and others have moved on with their lives as well.
I am very bitter and hurt by the way I was treated in the end by a company (who's goal it was to be the "best place to work") I had been loyal to for over 9 years. My leaving was not my choice; my job was eliminated because the company sold part of my division. It's wrong that they notified me 3 days before my end date and didn't give me time to properly train those who were forced to take on my functions. It's wrong how they cheated me out of a bonus because they chose my last day with the company. And it's wrong that when I voice those (and other) concerns, the response I got from HR was snotty.
I've spent a couple of days trying to relax, and I'm now moving on and looking forward to what the next chapter of my life holds for me.
♥

Frito Hates July

2011-07-04T20:53:00.002-06:00

My poor Frito. He is extremely afraid of fireworks. The bangs turn him into a 65 pound shivering and shaking pile of drool.
The first "pop" sends him running to find me so he can sit on my lap and shake and drool while I tell him he is going to be OK and remind him he is not a lapdog.
The new fireworks laws in UT have loosened things so that the neighbors have been shooting off fireworks since last week, and will be allowed to continue to do so until the end of July. They are also allowed to shoot of aerials.
While I enjoy watching them, I really do not enjoy watching this poor dog loose his mind. So, I went to the Vet this weekend and the gave him some sedatives. He's been hopped up on sedatives since Saturday. And, frankly they aren't doing a whole lot for him besides taking the edge off. He still sits as close to me as possible, shaking and drooling.
The sedatives do seem to kick in after the fireworks are over though. Poor dog was standing in the kitchen yesterday morning and his feet were sliding apart so that they were spread out and he didn't seem to have control over them. He also sleeps all day long (more than usual) and when he does open his eyes, they seem to be glossy.
My poor Frito; he's just not himself and I can't wait to get him off of these things.
How's your fourth?
♥

Help Wanted

2011-07-03T08:40:00.002-06:00

So. After 9 long years, my job at T-Mobile has been eliminated.
I was informed on Thursday that this Wednesday will be my last day. Yes, that's right, I received a whole 3 days notice. And yes, I am bitter. Especially after mentioning to the HR lady that I was not thrilled to getting only 3 days notice and having her respond with "Well, you knew it was on the horizon." Yes, I knew it would happen eventually; there's a big difference between eventually and 3 days from now.
I have endured so much at that job and remained loyal to them, that I feel I deserve a little better. But oh well, such is life.
Anyway, the reason for this post.... I could use help finding a job. I'm out there applying like crazy, but if you hear of anything you think I may be interested in please let me know.
Anything to do with Operations, Administration, or Event Planning is the direction I am looking in. Although, I do have a current food handler's permit so I could work in the food industry as well.
Oh! And this would be a good time to host a Mary Kay party. I have the time during the day now to do them and it would help bring a little income into the Audreytastic household.
Thanks friends!
♥

Photography Assignment #3

2011-06-10T10:00:00.002-06:00

This week's assignment was changing compression of the photographs. Basically the camera can take photos in different sizes and depending on the size you select it could impact how many photos you can get on your memory card.

I've decided I like taking them in the largest compression available because the quality of the photo is better. It's a fair trade off that I will get fewer photos on the memory card.

Here's a sampling of what I have for this week:

Cakes

2011-05-31T10:37:00.003-06:00

I made a couple of sample cakes for a coworker who couldn't decide which cake she wanted for her son's birthday.

I brought them both to work today and she bought the John Deere Tractor for his family gathering tonight and ordered the Lightning McQueen cake for his friend birthday party later in the month.

This Lightning McQueen cake went into the kitchen and is quickly disappearing.

My Garden

2011-05-28T22:54:00.002-06:00

My garden is starting to sprout!
Potatoes! Onions:

Cauliflower:

Broccoli:Carrots (or maybe these are weeds, it's too soon to tell.):No corn yet, but soon I hope:Look at me being all domesticated, and what not! And I must admit, having things growing has become really exciting.

Photography Assignment #2

2011-05-24T12:17:00.008-06:00

My second photography assignment is to select a genre that I will focus on for the semester (12 weeks).
I've narrowed it down to either flowers or animals. I'm sort of leaning towards flowers, because they will (assuming the rain stops someday soon) be readily accessible. And, hopefully, I will be able to find different varieties over the next 12 weeks. I would love to do animals, but I wonder how many photos of Mitzi and Frito I can submit before the instructor feels like they are part of his family? And, after this attempt, I have also decided that flowers are easier to get to hold still.
Any thoughts on the below?