Follow up: Random - Vol. 8.12.1

ok, since only a few of you answered my question and said you'd read my blog if I took it off MS, I'm posting asking for help now.

Blogging is a super huge ...'trend'... so naming a blog takes creativity in order to find one that is available; I lack creativity, especially when I'm being asked to be it.
I have to create not only a blog title, but a blog url.
I have NO idea what to do here. I don't want to be lame and just name it 'Ang', or something along those lines... but I'm drawing a huge blank in going further than that and still making it mine.

So... you guys know me, some better than others, what url can I use that screams ANG, but doesnt actually say "ANG"??
I have lots of ideas for how to personalize it once I have it... photo shoots (Morgan, interested in helping with that?), layout designs, formatting...
and Steve, maybe once I get this rollin' you'd be up for sitting with me and helping me design a 'banner' in photoshop (or just doing it for me ;) )?
I have to get it set up before I know what options I have though.

btw- I am thinking of using blogspot, which is associated with google (and I LOVE me anything to do with google), also known as blogger.

Please post some replies... I'm under pressure to get this blog going (so that someone else can get theirs going!!)
and please... post a few ideas... my brain is not working this morning.

Once I get everything going, I'll post a link to my new off-site blog.

Random - Vol. 8.12

Brett's a JET! I can't seem to get the Jets song from West Side Story out of my head... "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way" - I'm so excited!
The best part of all this is the "poison pill"... the Packers made certain that NY would not trade Favre to The Vikings. If Favre were to be traded to Minnesota , NY would have to give Green Bay 3 first round picks! Way to cover your asses Green Bay!!! I might jump on the Packers bandwagon this season, 2nd to the Vikings of course.

I'm so fricken happy.

I had my first Chipotle experience last night. Got a burrito. It was heaven. I want more.
I think my taste for spice is growing... most would think that's a good thing.

So... did you realize Batman is the only superhero without any superpowers? Erin and I watched Batman Begins - Everything he does or is capable of doing is on purpose (correct me if I'm wrong, Joey). I don't recall the original Batman movies all that well, so there could have been some back-story there, but I guess I just always assumed he was attacked or bitten by a bat and all of the sudden could fly and stuff (like Spider-man). Maybe it was just me being a naive child. Now I'm looking forward to watching The Dark Knight (we are going tonight!).

My friend Kristi suggested to me that I start blogging outside of myspace. I'm thinking about it... but I'm wondering if anyone would read it then? To those who read my blogs here, even if you never comment (cause I know you're out there); would you read it if it weren't on myspace? Thoughts please!!

This was a shorty... I have a job to do.
Good day ladies and gents.

Random - Vol. 8.11

First of all... I'm so super sick of myspace not alerting me when someone comments on my pictures, or writes a blog, or leaves a comment... WTF?! What's the point of having a myspace; oh yeah... what would I do if I couldn't see my long distance friends everyday. and I do look at each of you everyday - I miss you guys!

Closely related to the reason I miss my BB friends is all these damn boys knocking down my door - well not really knocking down my door, cause not all know where I live. You'd think I'd be happy about it... OK, so I might love the attention, but I'm getting bored with it.... and I'm honestly starting to get confused! I met a guy at Jen's wedding, another new guy to try and keep straight. He's pretty dope though... we'll see how it goes. He sure does like to text...
There was this other guy I went out with a few times; I'm not honestly sure why I did. It was kind of a secret, cause we might work together (or we might not; who knows?!). Pretty sure I was just doing it for the excitement of keeping the secret and it being sort of taboo. I'm so over that... he's not even close to anything I would ever pursue.
I'm a very physical person, always have been - so I like to have that in my life, but I'm not a piece of meat. I wish I knew what dating expectations were or are. I don't mind kissing on a first date, but what after that?
And really, on top of all this - I don't want to be in a relationship, so what is the point of dating?! It was fun in the beginning... but now it's just time consuming.

Bob here at my job likes to make up names for all the guys in my life, potential mate or otherwise. It all started when I was dating a guy from Chicago, Bob named him Chicago Boy. Then one day a sales person from Quill (our office supply company) came in to talk to me (he may have been quite friendly with me, borderline flirting) and Bob started calling him Quill Boy. It's gone on from there. My buddy Steve gave me an awesome gift once; a bottle of Tequila (Sauza) but relabeled it as Swayze (it's a long story that we share, but I'll post a picture of it sometime so you can see it's amazingness), anyhow after telling people at work about it Steve is now Tequila Boy. I also have UPS Boy, Pop Boy, Friend Boy, Billboard Boy, and many others! It's pretty much the single funniest thing in my life!

Oh yeah, there is also Hitchhiker Boy... which is the perfect segway into a different topic.
Remember the blog I wrote about the hitchhiker? I'm sure you do; I get asked about him ALL THE TIME from people who have read the blog. The update, as sad as this is to me, is that I haven't seen him since I wrote the blog! My gut says he got in the wrong truck one day and is no longer with us. The optimist in me, albeit not realistic, says he got a good paying job, bought a fancy new car, shaved, showered, and is now a successful business man which in turn means he no longer has to hitch a ride! I'm pretty sure he's dead, drugged himself to death... probably meth, that stuff is all over in Princeton. Bob and I used to talk about him all the time, cause we'd both see him on our drives (hence Hitchhiker Boy).

I have some strange thoughts while driving... I love to have my window down, but I drive by the dump in Elk River everyday and not only does it stink something fierce but there are always trucks in and out, up and down on Hwy. 169. I had several huge rocks hit the windshield on my van, a couple even put a chip in it. What if those rocks came in my rolled down window and took out my eye?!
Have you ever thought about what would happen if you are driving... you are wearing sunglasses (or regular glasses)... and your airbag (assuming you have one) deploys?! Would those glasses break leaving shards of glass or plastic in your eyeball?
I mention in one of my last blogs that I went through and read all the blogs I've written here on myspace; I once wrote a blog about being so tired at work and having an open 3-ring binder in front of me... my thoughts went on to what if my head dropped onto said 3-ring binder and popped one of my eyeballs! I don't know what's wrong with me.

I haven't worn shorts in probably 8 years, other than boxers to bed or at the beach or something; I don't like my legs. I bought a pair this year at Old Navy for like $4.00 - figured why not give it a shot... I've been hitting the gym, maybe it will be okay. So I wore them the other week... it wasn't half bad! I haven't rushed out to stock up on them or anything... but I've taken a step forward. Good for me!

Women are so snobby... and men are pigs.

I went to a bachelorette party this weekend...
Much like a family reunion, there were groups of people - all the girls who know each other grouped together.. and the bride made her way around to everyone. It was just kind of interesting to me, that a group of women can't branch out and have conversation with another. No big surprise really... it's the way women are.

I went up nord the night before... to Mille Lacs.
I got super bombed with my cousins (quite certain I have an amazing family!). We were bar hopping, and our last stop was a bar full of dudes... heaven. There was a bachelor party there, so we just let the guys come to us; and boy did they! Naturally, all 3 of us being single, we are on the prowl. We each find a guy to our drunken liking and we may have played a bit of kissy face with them. No big deal, right? Not like we were slutting ourselves out to all the guys there. Anyhow - long story short, I come to find out that the guy I'm making out with has a girlfriend! Not only that, but it just so happens that his girlfriend works at a bar in NE and knows a good friend of mine. I called and told her right away... what a fucking D-Bag! The super fucked up part is that he was trying to take things WAY further with me... and was confused as to why I wasn't playing along.

UGH!

Just wanted to get that out.... women are bitches (big surprise) and men are pigs. We all live in the same world... how will we ever survive?

Random - Vol. 8.10

**I've been a lot better lately about hitting the gym (though I still do have my lazy days that I skip); I was finally noticing a difference. I've been drinking a lot of beer lately and I feel like my difference is disappearing. Maybe it's cause I'm PMSing and bloated (too bad if you didn't want to know, it's my blog and you made the decision to read it) - either way, I feel fatter then I did 2-3 weeks ago. This is me bitching. UGH.**

**I'm in the process of looking for a new chiropractor, what a crappy process it is.**

**I netflix'd SNL's Best of: Will Ferrell the other day; what a funny s.o.b.!! Got me thinkin'; I'm not a huge fan of SNL these days - I think the cast sucks. Wouldn't it be dope if they made like a 2-3 hour special will the SNL All-Stars? Or even a whole season of All-Stars? Adam Sandler, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Molly Shannon, etc. (too bad it couldn't include Farley or Hartman)... just a thought.**

**eBay - if you have an account or if you ever sign up for one... my suggestion to you is: ALWAYS leave feedback. Nothing pisses me off more than people who don't leave feedback, positive or negative.**

**sucky friends suck. Don't be a sucky friend.**

**I miss watching The Sopranos. I've been finished with the seasons since like April, and I absolutely miss the stories, the characters, the plotting, and the killing. I kind of feel like I should netflix the seasons over again; would that make me a loser?**

**Ive been getting some pretty random friend requests on myspace. I am not actively looking to make new friends, though I am not opposed to the idea - however, if you want to be my friend on myspace why would you just send a request without saying hi or sending me a message in addition to the request? I don't want strangers looking at photos of me and my friends, reading my blogs, or having access to my profile - it's private for a reason.**

Am I bitching too much?

**Here is a question: In Baseball, when people (catcher, shortstop, manager, etc.) walk out to the pitchers mound... what are the words exchanged?**

**I love my niece; she gives the best open mouth wet slobbery kisses!!**

**I have a medium-rare strip of skin on my stomach. My new super sexy bikini is cut quite a bit lower on the bottoms and someone (me) forgot to put on sunblock after a period of time this weekend.**

**I'm bored**

**Big Brother 10 has begun!! My life feels complete. I've been back with my friends and I've even been trying to get along with those I don't call friends. I think last night was a huge step in the right direction as far as that goes! Big Brother is going to save my bank account and take away my life - I wouldn't have it any other way! Let's just hope it's a season worth giving up my life for.**

**The Sonic in Elk River is close to completion, or at least I think. They have the sign up, the car stalls appear to be fully functional with menus and all, and the 'Now Hiring' sign has been up for weeks. This has all been observed from afar, but I'd say it looks promising! 2 hours lines for Cherry Limeades... here I come!!!**

**Brett Favre sucks. I know it won't happen but I have to put this out there, for the record, if he (somehow) ends up wearing Purple and Gold this season... ... ... I will not watch one second of Vikings football (gasp!). Fan or not, that's just crap.**

**The other day, when I was a little less bored than I am now, I read through all of the blogs I've posted on myspace. I've done 85 so far - some are kind of funny, some are kind of lame, and some are very emotional things for me to read now - overall, I quite enjoyed reading them and more so reading the comments you people have left! I'm surrounded by greatness.**

**I need to get a few of my hairs cut... soon. Thoughts on my going short?**

ugh... time to get back to work... or pretend to get back to work.

The Perfect Meal..?

Back in the day when riding bikes was how we got around, smoking pot was what we did for fun, and eating fast food was a way of life; Pam and I had our idea of the perfect meal.
We always thought certain fast food restaurants had their signature 'thing' that made them great. The biggest debate was; do we go to BK for their awesome flame grilled burgers or do we go to McDonald's for their bomb ass fries?
As we sat atop Honeywell Hill one night, we got talking about what the perfect meal would consist of.
While I don't remember everything, and I am hoping Pam can help me out when she gets around to reading this, I want to share with anyone who reads this what our perfect meal would have been at the time.
Here goes: 1 - flame grilled burger from Burger King, 1 - Large fry from McDonalds, 1 - 4" round Turkey sandwich from Subway (with whatever fixings you like), 1 - order of (at the time) Border Fries from Taco Bell (which as some of you may not know, was a rip off from Taco John's Potato Oles and Taco Bell has since had to stop making and selling them), and I'm pretty sure 1 - large Coke from McDonalds to wash it all down, cause McD's had the bombest fountain Coke in the world!
Pam, have I missed anything?

I've been reminded of this perfect meal a lot as of late. It has me thinking about what my perfect meal would be now, at 26 years young.
Without putting too much thought into it, this is what I've come up with:
I would absolutely need to have at least one bunch of Snow Crab Legs, a small portion (like 2-3) of Pan Fried Sea Scallops cooked to perfection, Duck Confit from Volo (in Chicago), a Cheese/Olive plate, Parmesan-Crusted Halibut from The Pacific Cafe (in San Fran) and as the very last bite I would have a beautiful piece of Yellowtail atop white rice and dipped into (low-sodium) soy sauce. The biggest conflict is do I wash it down with a buttery Chardonnay or a perfectly dirty martini?

I'm sure there is more that I would like to add to that list, but as I mentioned I didn't put a lot of thought into it. I could probably sit here all day and think of all the perfect things out there to eat. I love good food. I would have to make it a weekend feast, cause there is no way I can do it all in one sitting.
I probably have a less pretentious list out there (wings from B-dubs, the yummy rolls and sweet butter from The As D House (Texas Road House), Chicken Fried Rice from Rose Garden, Cherry Limeade from Sonic, Parmesan Chicken from Majors, etc.).

Makes me wonder what I'm missing in the eyes of others.
Often times I will ask a question in my blogs and get few responses... this time I hope to get more. What is your idea of a perfect meal OR what is a food you enjoy so much you could eat it 24/7? Tell me about it... cause I want to hear! I love food... and I'm (mostly) always open to new things

Random - Vol. 8.9

I love forums!! I belong to many forums that I have found to be extremely helpful. Whenever you have a question about something (in my case, my new car, my blackberry, and being new to gmail) you just go to these forums, post your question and generally get a few people who can help you! How awesome is that?
I always be sure to thank the people who help me, and also try to help others if I know anything about the problem they are having.
I LOVE FORUMS!!!

I purchased tickets to see Wicked!! I'm so excited. I was fortunate enough to see the musical once while in Chicago, and I've been dying to see it again! If you have ANY interest in The Wizard Of Oz (which happens to be my favorite movie of all time), then you must make it a point to see this! It the story of the witches of Oz.. before Dorothy 'landed', about them growing up together and going to school together... simply amazing! I'm so excited!

Sonic in Elk River is set to open in July. They have "Help Wanted" signs up now... Ang is stoked (slightly!) - maybe I should get another job?

I'm a person who generally can't sit still. I try to watch movies and I'm restless, I try to sit and talk to someone and I'm always moving or doing something... while my problem isn't as bad as some people I know... it still bothers me. I don't know how to stop it from happening. I'm also finding that drinking coffee doesn't make it go away, not that I thought it would. It makes it worse... it makes me laugh, actually.

The carpool thing we are doing at work... it's dope as hell! I'm saving so much money (between that and my new car which is getting 35 MPG, so far!!). It's Jayne, myself, and Bob who car pool... we call ourselves The JAB Cab (for Jayne, Ang, Bob)! On days that it's just Bob and I... it's the AB Cab! It's like the dorkiest thing I've ever been a part of... but I love it! Don't hate.
BTW- you can thank us for the gas prices dropping so much in the past couple weeks... car pooling is making a difference, maybe you should start!

Last... and certainly least important...
I don't get the hype over Mariah Carey. How is the song "Touch My Body" a number one hit? How does that song set her ahead of the game over Elvis in number one hits? It's a ridiculous song! She appears to be the biggest bitch in all of the world... she thinks she is a diva; she is not. Sure she has a great voice, I will give her that... but ick, she's nasty.

Random - Vol. 8.8

What an amazing life I have! I wish I could stop and realize that more often.

I had my first experience with a Mac book on Saturday night- taking advantage of the photo effects. We sat in front of this thing for over an hour taking pictures - who does that?! LOL... I felt like such a dork... but it was an amazing time. There was one photo in particular that I hope to share with you, I had like 25 sets of teeth!! I need it to be emailed to me before I can share it...(hint, hint)

I am the biggest cynic of Dr. Phil and everything he stands for and does, but I heard about 10 minutes of his show one day. The show was about some big weight loss challenge, he was telling this man that drank diet soda everyday to stop, and he would lose X amount of weight just from that. It didn't inspire me at first, but after I got to thinking about it, I kind of thought "why not try it, see if it makes a difference." So I have tried.. and it has.
I've stopped drinking soda, and I've actually noticed that my body looks different. I never drank a lot of it... not as much as some people do anyhow... but I would have a can of Dew with lunch everyday. At first it was just no soda, and I noticed a small difference, but any difference is good. Then I started to get better about the gym... and trying to hit it regularly again. That has helped too.
My mother tends to be one of those people who focus on the negative, for example: if I have a huge zit on my face, she'll be the first to tell me about it (even thought I'm well aware that it's there!) but if I dress up and put on make-up and look absolutely stunning... she won't say a word about it (and if she does it's something like "why are you dressed up?"). Last weekend I was outside tanning and I came in the house to make a sandwich wearing my bikini, she said to me "you look really good; have you lost weight?" I almost fell to the floor!! Not only did she notice (which makes me feel very productive) but she actually acknowledged it with a compliment?!?!! Looks like my (hard) work might be paying off

Do you remember the show Full House? Well, it was one of my favorite shows as a child, and I guess some people still watch it! Did you know that Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) from that show is now a mother and a recovering meth addict?! Isn't it crazy what people turn into? Kind of like the Olsen Twins... I've never seen one of those chicks smile! Uncle Jesse was always my favorite, he was sexy!

Don't date people you work with...

I'm tan, for the first time in a long time... and I look damn good with a tan!!!

OMG! I smoked this weekend... shame on me!!!! Don't worry... I'm still a non-smoker.

Oh, I have something to share- On Saturday, Brandon and I were down by the Mississippi River in NE, and we found a branch from a tree (big surprise, right?! lol) anyhow- we decided to write our names and phone numbers on it and send it down the river. Our hope is that it will make it to like... New Orleans, and someone will call us! So I have this friend Joey, who lives in St. Louis... maybe he should go search the river in a day or so and see if the branch is on it's way?!
How dope would it be if it made it out to the Gulf and all the way to South America or even Africa!!!

I should probably get on with my day now... as always, thanks for reading

Random - Vol. 8.7

So... last night I turned over 1,000 miles on my car. That's kind of exciting.
I love my new car! It has brought back a part of me that was somehow lost while driving a mini-van. I drive my car like it's a race car... I used to zip around in my neon like it was a race car, it's nice to remember and re-find a part of me that I forgot about. It goes deeper than just that... but I'm still discovering it.
I think I've had a lot of things going on in my personal life in the past 8 years... I know that is a long time period to generalize 'things going on'... but the past 8 years have been extremely difficult and I feel like I've been in the process of trying to find who I am, like everyone in their 20's.
2008 was supposed to be my year of making good decisions. It worked for like a week... and now I've decided that as long as I feel it's the right decision at the time, I should go with it... I have to live with the consequences if it wasn't; it's just the way of life.
I went through a really rough patch this year... the weather had a lot to do with it... I made some really stupid decisions and said/did some really stupid things. I am now living with it... and it sucks, but I've learned from it - and that is the best I can do. I'm sorry to anyone I've hurt or offended along the way; I truly am.

I also went on a date last night... it was interesting. I feel like I'm a cynic when it comes to this whole dating thing. Am I really supposed to believe the things a guy says... or is he just trying to get in my pants?! LOL... sounds silly to say at 26 years old... I guess I've had some bad experiences with guys in the past... just makes me think twice every time a guy says something to me. Maybe it has something to do with the type of guy.
The other thing.... I'm not real sure why I'm even dating; I have little to no interest in having a boyfriend. I'm all for making new friends and getting to know someone better, but in the end I'm not looking for a commitment. I'm not looking for a booty call either, I'm pretty happy being single (for the most part) - a little kissy face never hurt anyone though as kissing is one of my favorite past times

After 3 bottles and probably 3 months, I finally have my flattened Golden Gate bottle (I'll try to post a pic soon)! Now, I have a lot of wine to drink to complete my project... anyone thirsty?
The same night that I gave the ceramic shop my bottle, I also made a wine bottle topper. I've had that for quite some time... and I will post a picture soon... it turned out to be pretty dope.

Back To The 50's is this weekend... I'd love to go, it's been years since I've made it down there. I think the last time I went was with Morgan, we drove his Grand Nash down... pretty sure I have some memory of getting pulled over... ???
Anyhow, I doubt I'll make it down there this year either. Oh well, maybe next year.
Thinking about Back To The 50's makes me think about back in the day when we used to go down to Midway and hang out. The old cars, the friends, Porky's!! What an awesome time of my life that was!! I have such amazing memories of those years

Sonic has opened in MN now! I've been there twice now... and I've decided that the food is not the reason to go there (unless you get the popcorn chicken), but the drinks are beyond dope! I still have so much to try... but I'm working my way through it - I can't wait until there is one closer to home.

My niece is going to be 1 in a month!!!! How does that happen?! I cannot believe it's already been a year. WOW.

Lastly - I've decided to watch the Star Wars movies (I've never seen any of them). I'm going to be adding them to my Netflix Q... the big controversy is what order to watch them in... I think I'm going to watch them in the order they were released; that's the right way, right?

So much more to talk about... but only so much time in a day.

Until next time, America...

Texas Roadhouse - Coon Rapids, MN

I have been to Texas Roadhouse a handful of times and never left disappointed! I would sugest doing call ahead seating, because the wait can be up to 2 hours! Great location, great food, great service! The bread they serve once seated is always warm and melts the cinamon butter perfectly. The ribs are excellent (they have replaced Famous Dave's ribs for my mother!). The steak is cooked to perfection and drinks are on point! I have nothing bad to say about this place! The little song and dace they do every (what seems like) 10 minutes is cute... the first time. They also put you as the center of attention on your birthday and sing you a little song... if you are into that.

Pros: great food, great service

Cons: the song and dance... 2 hour wait w/o call ahead!!

Khan's Mongolian BBQ - Coon Rapids, MN

It may not appear to be the cleanest place, I have a hard time believing that its any worse than your favorite local restaurant. Khan's is a "create-your-own stir-fry", you go through a line, pick the options of meat and veggies you want- then make your own sauce, which they are MORE than willing to help you with if you are a first timer or someone who's been there a million times over. It's hard to rate the food, because you pick your own and they just cook it, but every time I've been there it has all been fresh options! There is a location in Roseville as well, and I would suggest either to a friend! The appetizer they bring out of soup, a chicken wing and a fried won-ton is all very yummy- and they will gladly substitute something for another of something else. Service is nothing to write home about, but it's not supposed to be an upscale fine dining experience; all she does is brings drinks and the check... what more do you need? If you are looking for a new experience, try Khan's...

Pros: create your own... if it's bad, it's probably your fault

Cons: looks can be deceiving.

Rose Garden - Coon Rapids, MN

I've only ordered my food to go, so I can't offer much in the line of service. Every time I go in to order my food I am greeted promptly and my order is taken right away. They go out of the way to repeat the order back to be sure it's correct! Rose Garden is DELICIOUS!!! The Chicken Friend Rice is to die for... best I've ever had! I've had many things on the menu and there is nothing I wouldn't get again. My aunt told me about Rose Garden and I am so happy she did. Don't waste your time going anywhere else... but be sure to go out of your way for Rose Garden. Very Friendly staff, amazing prices, and delicious food! A+++ in my book.

Pros: CHICKEN FRIED RICE!!! Cheap prices & quick service

Cons: NONE

Random - Vol. 8.6

First, update on my bottle situation: so I thought I had the bottles on the way, but now I am not so sure... but I haven't given up- I WILL have my bottle again.
I put a call in to the local liquor store, told him what I wanted and he said "I'll see what I can do." Which didn't seem super promising to me. He called me on Friday and told me he can only get 3 scenes (none of which were the San Fran bottle)- ... so... I told him that I talked to his supplier and she told me they have like 38 cases in stock. He told me that his wine buyer talked to them and those are all they could find. Again, I told him that I talked to her and this is what she told me. So, Trevor (this nice guy at the Liquor store) said he'd call the supplier himself and see what he could find out. He called me back a few minutes later and told me that they are sending him all the scenes they have (I have NO IDEA what that means)- and he would call me late in the week and let me know what they got in.
I have also stopped at a few different liquor stores and asked them to see what they could find as well- so I'm hopeful that someone is going to pull through for me.
I've also ordered some different scenes (Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon, and St. Louis Arch- all things/places I've seen)
I'll keep ya posted on what I get...

I went to Costco the other day... they now (for the time being) are selling a 2.5 bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee!! For those who don't know.... DD coffee is pretty much the bombest coffee in all of the world. I've only been lucky enough to have in while on the East Coast, because we don't have DD here in the Midwest! Anyhow- I bought a bag... and I've been enjoying it all weekend!! Blissful.

So, with gas prices rising like they have (which is a blog in itself!) I have been making an effort to drive slower (do you know how much gas you can save by slowing from 80MPH to 70MPH?). I have definitely noticed a difference by slowing down... I fill up a lot less!!
On that same topic- We are going to start car pooling at work... it's going to be DOPE! There is me, Jayne and Bob who all travel up 169N. Jayne lives in Coon Rapids (which is my neighboring city) and Bob lives in St. Micheal. We all have pretty different schedules, so we won't be car pooling the whole way, everyday... but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jayne will be picking me up and we'll be meeting Bob in Elk River (which is 20 miles from work). Then on Mondays and Wednesdays Bob and I will meet in Elk River and drive up together. It's going to save me a fricken TON in gas!!
On that same topic... my car is breaking :( so driving it as little as possible is the best thing. Pretty sure it's only a short matter of time before my tranny is out completely.
Anyone know someone selling a car for cheap? I'm not sure what I should do- buying a new car sets me WAY back on the moving out thing, part of me wants a cheap cheap car just to drive in the mean time until I can find something better- I'd like to try and sell mine, but is it right to sell a car to someone knowing that it's going to break soon? Ugh... it's just really the last thing I want or need to be dealing with right now. Is there ever a good time for a car to take a shit on you?

Moving on... cause this is not what I want to think about right now.

While I was in Vegas I had the opportunity to try some new foods... I had fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, fried okra (we may have had a fried lunch stop one day!). I also tried gravy for the first time... yeah, yeah- laugh and be shocked. Renee made biscuits and gravy for breakfast, so that was an interesting morning... being that it was my first time having it... I had no idea what to do, or how to eat it. I watched everyone else first... LOL. It was good though, it may have put some hair on my chest!
I feel like there is more new stuff I tried... but I'm drawing a blank

I've had the house to myself for the first time in months... just yesterday into this morning... it's been absolutely amazing. I got so much done, cooked myself a fantastic dinner, had a delicious martini (or two).... bliss.

Last topic... I went to see Indiana Jones yesterday. It was pretty amazing... NOT. I'm honestly speechless on it... A friend of mine said it best "I think that movie just ruined all the others for me!"

So, I hope everyone is having or has had a fantastic Memorial weekend. I was trying to get some sun this weekend... but yesterday was cloudy, and today isn't much better. I'm hoping for an hour or two tomorrow morning before I have to go watch my niece.

Peace out bitches.

Random - Vol. 8.5

First of all... I'll tell you about my bottle, cause a lot of people are asking and have no idea what I'm talking about.
I had this wine bottle... it was frosted, but had a clear window on the front that showed a picture on the back of the bottle. The picture on my bottle was The Golden Gate Bridge. I LOVE the Golden Gate Bridge, I LOVE San Fran, and I LOVE(d) that bottle; it meant the world to me. I was so happy to have found it, and I had it sitting on display since 2004. When I signed up for a community ed class, the description said to bring a wine bottle and they would 'slump' it down into a cheese plate. So i got an idea for an art project using my Golden Gate bottle, which I will spare the details of for this story. I went back yesterday to pick up my bottles (I brought in 4)- and, long story short, she told me that my Golden Gate bottle rolled while it was in the kiln and was ruined. I almost broke down in tears at the store. She told me she has calls out to wine stores in San Fran and is looking to find a new bottle, I think after seeing my reaction, she is going to be looking a lot harder now.
anyhow- I am completely devastated about this... if I had ANY idea this could happen, I would have never left the bottle with them, I would have kept it as it was ... and had it forever. I figured that a ceramics shop would know what they were doing. I'm heartbroken and have been in tears since yesterday. I have looked ALL OVER online and can't find a pic of the bottle, let alone one for purchase. So anyhow... that is the shortened story.
UPDATE:
Here is a link to a picture of my bottle (Thank you Steve!!)

On a separate note: I watched the Season Finale of The Office again last night (because I may have been a bit tipsy the first time ). Holy Crap... what a way to end the season... cliff hangers and all!! I won't say too much.. for those catching up on past seasons or who haven't watched it yet. Twists and turns all over...
Same thoughts on the Desperate Housewives last show... I can't wait for that show to come back, I'm dying to know where they pick back up and what is going on!

I went to Sonic while I was in Vegas... more than once! Bliss.
I also learned that they are in fact building a Sonic right now in Elk River, right on my drive home. I can not wait for that!

I have amazing friends!

I don't know yet if I am moving to Vegas... so please stop asking. I will make sure and let everyone know when I make a decision. The only person who can keep bothering me about it is Renee... cause I know she will anyways

Indiana Jones opens tomorrow... pretty sure I'm stoked to see it.

Have you ever thought about your PIN Number? More specifically, the fact that PIN stands for Personal Identification Number, but then we add the word Number after PIN- so we are really saying Person Identification Number Number.

Apparently I say the word "bag" funny.

I got my crystal martini shaker in the mail when I got home... it's beautiful, and I think I'll use it this weekend, with my measure pour, 1.5 oz. x 2 with a shot of olive juice and 3 olives = the perfect martini.

What does everyone have going on for Memorial Day weekend?

My niece is taking steps now!!!!

This is kind of a lame random blog... I am sorry. I have more thoughts, but they run out of my head once I start typing. I'll try again soon.

Ang's reasons NOT to give plasma...

I feel like writing, though I'm not sure what I want to write about.
I'll tell you about my strange day on Friday.
With thoughts of moving out and moving to a new state, I seem to be overwhelmed with thoughts of how to make money, not only when I move but before I go too.
So this lady that is living with us told me about giving plasma, and that you get paid to do it; sounds perfect for me (a person who hates hospitals, needles, blood, etc.)! I decide why not give it a shot... I'll just pump myself up for it and it won't even phase me. Friday was my first appointment. I go in, and there is all sorts of paperwork and testing crap that I have to go through... no big deal, though it does take quite some time to get through and I'm not a patient person to begin with. Whatever...
So finally they get me into my little 'bed' thing... this guy comes and explains what he is going to do, how it works and what I need to do while it's doing what it does. Basically, I have to pump my fist while the cuff is tight on my arm and I can relax when it is not. After doing this for about 20 or so minutes (and being told this process lasts about an hour total), my arm is starting to get sore and uncomfortable... whatever though, it will be over soon, I thought to myself. The next thing I know, my hand is starting to fall asleep... or so I thought. My eyes are starting to feel strange and heavy, my body gets warm, and my hearing is starting to diminish... I call for the worker and tell him I'm not feeling very good. After he came over I felt comfortable closing my eyes for a second... which turned out to be longer than just a second.
I was having some amazing dream, which for the life of me I cannot remember anything about; I was there though... in the dream... it was so real and so clear.
The next thing I know someone is tapping me on the leg telling me to keep my eyes open. The guy I called over is now holding my arm straight and talking to me, but I still couldn't hear normal, so I probably just looked at him like he was crazy. Once my hearing came back, I asked him "did I pass out?", and he told me that I did. I asked some other questions and I guess had a conversation that I don't recall... I do remember asking if I could finish giving, and he, very nicely, laughed and told me "No!"
When I asked him why he was sitting there and holding my arm down, he told me that when people faint, they naturally want to bend their arms, and while he was calling for help I started to do that and he couldn't get to me in time. Keep in mind that I had a needle stuck in my arm when I bent it!! He told me I might have a bruise there because of it (and boy do I!).
I had to sit there for another 15 or so minutes while they ran this saline solution into my arm, and they were trying to make me eat and drink.. I'm cold as winter, I feel like I'm going to vomit, I'm confused beyond belief, there are tons of people around me along with the other donors staring at me. Finally, after they took the needle out, they took me into this other room so they could monitor me and while my vitals (blood pressure, pulse, etc.) got back to normal. The lady with me told me that I was green when I woke up... might be my favorite color, but it's certainly not a color I want my skin to be, and not something I want to hear when I already feel like I'm going to vomit! About 1-1/2 hours later, I finally don't feel dizzy anymore and my vitals have reached a point where they feel comfortable letting me drive myself home. I'm still cold though, which they said is normal, and to just go home and lay down... try to sleep it off.
I drove home, in a complete daze, changed into my warmest clothes and curled up in my warmest blanket and slept like crap for the next 1-1/2 hours. My head has felt strange all weekend, I've been cold all weekend (maybe because it's been cold and rainy/snowy here?), and my arm is still killing me.
I did get paid for the one time attempt to donate though... but I doubt I'll be going back for more; just doesn't seem worth it to me for the extra money!
Lesson learned.
ugh.

Happy Earth Day

I was thinking on my way to work this morning, as a plastic bag flew over the roof of my car, Why do people litter?
Ironically, the next thing I heard on the radio was something about it being Earth Day today.

I was at Target last night, and I came across a very plain white t-shirt that said My White t-shirt is Green, which basically means it was made with recycled materials. I almost bought it, but was already spending too much money on stuff I didn't necessarily need!
Here is something you may or may not know about me: I am a huge recycler. I get on everybody about it, if I see someone throwing something in the wrong bin.
I don't know that I'd call myself "Green" per se, but I do think about the little things I can do as an individual to help better our Earth.

Nothing annoys me more than seeing people throw cigarette butts out the window of their car, while driving or stopped. I am seriously to the point where I almost get out of my car to scream at them- though with today's world and the right to conceal and carry, I would never do that.
Do any of you smoke? Do you throw your butts out the window? I hope you think twice next time you do.. and maybe the time after that you won't do it at all. Shame on you for doing it to begin with... what gives you the right to help destroy our planet?
I seriously hope none of you litter... that is so 10 years ago! IF you do... can you give me one good reason why? ...didn't think so.

I despise people who litter.

Have any of you taken steps to try and become green? I'd like to hear about it, if so. I know that one person won't do much on their own, but chances are if you are doing green things you'll probably talk to your friends about it... causing them to do one little green thing. If we all do one thing, it will eventually have some effect, right?
I don't know how to have an effect on everyone, nor do I expect to, but I hope that those reading this will take my words and try to do something to help. Our planet isn't going to fix itself and we've done horrible things to it; why not pitch in and try to help clean it up?
I'm not saying donate money, I'm not saying go 100% green and change your life completely...but, you could be saving money by changing to those new light bulbs, you could help generate less waste by taking advantage of paperless billing options, and do you really need to take that extra 5 minutes in the shower to see how your shower head can work for you?

I'm just saying think about it... be aware of the things you do.

Today is Earth Day - The sun is out in Princeton, MN - It's a beautiful Earth we have been blessed with, don't you want your children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy it?

Maybe start by picking up a piece of litter today... it's a small step, but it's a step in the right direction.

Thank you for your time.
~Ang

something to share

As some of you know, I was in New York City this past weekend. I wanted to make it a point to stop by ’ground zero’ to see how it’s changed in the 2 years since I’d last been there.

I didn’t take any pictures, as I feel it’s just something you need to see for yourself. Pictures don’t come close to showing the emotion surrounding the area. However, I did find some info online about how they are rebuilding and what the memorial will look like. It’s a pretty neat site: Check it Out

Random - Vol. 8.4

I have a few things on my mind today-

First: Why are so many things in America called French, like French Vanilla, French Silk Pie, French Toast, French Kiss, etc.?
In France, what do they call what we call French Toast? Maybe it’s pancakes to them.
What do they call an open mouth tongue kiss? An American kiss...?
What’s wrong with American Vanilla? Is there a Mexican Silk Pie?

It’s kind of like the whole Canadian Bacon thing... what do the fine folks in Canada call what we know as Canadian bacon? For that matter, what do they call bacon? (loopy, can you help me out on this one?)

Second thing on my mind: The Shocker, who invented it? And really... if someone told you that they invented it; would you believe them?

Third: Spring; the season. It should be upon us, but it’s not. I’m not going to bitch too much here, BUT... I’ve been seeing my favorite signs of spring lately: the motorcycles, the old classic cars, the birds, etc. but I’m not seeing spring itself! This past weekend was wonderful weather, but how much are we supposed to take? It’s been snowing here all morning here... tomorrow is April! Ugh... I just really need it to be done.

Fourth and final: April Fools Day- know of any good pranks? We’ve got something cooked up here at the office for one of my co-workers; I can’t wait! Just wondering if people still get into this day and if so, what it is that you do! Spill...

Random - Vol. 8.3

So as you may or may not know by now, I am totally in love with my niece. CHECK OUT HER PICTURES

So I have a cute short story from Easter- I pretty much kiss her as often as possible; I was holding her (because I do that as often as possible too) and went to give her a kiss on the cheek and she leaned her head into me and wanted to cuddle!! So we are just standing in the middle of the room and my adorable niece has her head resting on my face! Almost made me cry!! It was the sweetest thing ever and really made me believe that she loves her auntie tons.

Things like that are going to make it hard for me to leave this state…

So I’ve also posted a video of her crawling, because she is doing that now. So sweet! She pulls herself up on everything and always wants to stand up, so she’ll be walking in no time at all. She can even stand on her own for quite some time… I was walking at 8 months so if she wants to grow up to be like her auntie, she better get a move on.

I love taking pictures of her, she is a great subject. Even when she is cranky she still looks so beautiful!

OMG- I’m bragging way too much. I’ll stop now. Sorry.

Let’s see… ok, here is something:

I was reading a blog the other day, Ann’s blog, she was asking for funny stories from when you were a baby. I couldn’t remember any and still can’t. It got me thinking though… what is my earliest memory? I remember one time when I was about 5 and I was eating a PB&J, all of the sudden I just didn’t like it anymore! I didn’t have another for YEARS!! I don’t know what happened to make me try one again, but I love them now.

I also remember one time getting ready to play kickball in the street (which I’d love to get a group together and play sometime!!), the ball was in the bushes, so I went to grab it and it had a slug on it! It was so gross. That was at the first house we lived in, so I’m pretty sure I was 5 or younger when that happened.

I look at pictures from when I was a kid and try to remember those things and re-live those times, but I always come up short.

What is your earliest memory and how old were you?

Isn’t it funny how we can’t remember what we did last Thursday, but we can remember things like a slug on a ball from age 5?!

It’s interesting to me how we grow up and our tastes change and our way of thinking changes. I grew up in a home where dinner was either meat and potatoes or dinner out.

My mom has always been a very picky eater, and when I was a kid I was very much the same way. Now, I’m 26 and I love food more than anything (and it’s beginning to show!!).

I was making an artichoke dip for Easter and my mom, always in my face, comes over and says "what are those?" so I hand her an artichoke and say "here, try it, it’s an artichoke". She automatically gets this disgusting look on her faces and hesitantly asks "what does it taste like?" I basically tell her to just ’shut-up and try it, it won’t kill you!’. So she very slowly puts it in her mouth and makes the ugliest face I’ve ever seen a person make!! Like she is about to die having put this thing in her mouth, she gives it her best open mouth chew and rushes to the sink for a drink of water.

I give her credit though, she actually tried something! She’ll be 50 this year and she has never tried a pickle or an olive and still eats salad with no dressing. I am so glad I’ve ventured out of my comfort zone and tried new foods. It’s amazing the things out there that I could have missed!

As much as I’d love to go back to the days where you have no worries, I rather enjoy learning about life and having new experiences. Granted some of those ’life lessons’ suck, it is fun to think back and realize how you’ve changed.

Good news! It’s been a year now since I’ve had even a puff of a cigarette!! I’ve been a non-smoker, by my definition, since November 2004… but I’d have one every now and again when I’d have a beer or something. I considered myself a non-smoker the whole time though; maybe ’social smoker’ is a better name for it. Anyhow- it’s been a full year now, since I’ve had even a drag, and I’ve had many beers in that year! I’d say I’m official now

That’s pretty much all I have to say today.

Diamonds are to girls as dog is to man

Attempt 2…

I tried to write this blog last night; I needed to look something up, so I hit the 'new tab' button… or so I thought. I pushed 'home' and went to my homepage. In a panic, I hit the 'back' and my entire blog was G-O-N-E, gone.

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So- this blog serves 2 purposes. First, it is a place for me to sort out my thoughts about my diamonds. Second, it's a common ground for people to stay informed- I've been talking about my diamonds to several people for weeks now, and here I can update everyone without having to type the story a million times (or so I hope).

I'll first start by recapping what is going on, for those who haven't been told and for those who forgot (cause I know you care).

It was mid-December, my mom comes to me and says "you're birthday is coming up, do you want to wear my earrings for it?" So, sure, why not? I say "Yep!" Pretty little things they are; roughly 1cttw., (1 carat total weight, which is approx. a half carat each) round, perfectly cleaned and shiny studs. So I wear them for a few weeks… then after the holidays, I find myself starting to become attached so I ask her if she wants them back, she said "nah, keep them for awhile longer, I'm in no hurry to have them back." Fine by me.

Then, one random day out of the blue, she comes to me and says "ok, I want them back now." I could have cried.

So now… I must own my own.

I've been browsing the web to get a rough estimate of how much I'm looking to spend and just see what my overall options are.

Diamonds are not cheap; they are so darn pretty though!

I finally make the decision to go look at some in person and learn more about them. I see a commercial for The Jewelry Exchange and they are advertising $399.99 for 1 cttw. diamond studs. That is cheap, and appears to be a great deal- we will see. I haven't been there yet, but online they list those studs as being SI1-I1 clarity and color H-J (more on what that means later). I hope to make it there sometime this weekend to see what they have to offer. I'll keep you posted.

As I continue to think more and more about these diamonds that I don't own- I remember that I have a loose diamond, kind of. A few years back when I was working at the mall, I found a diamond earring in the store, and I kept it (don't tell!!). I took it to my friend the jeweler, and he told me it was surely real… so I hung onto it all these years.

Here are my thoughts: with that diamond I figure I can take it in and have someone find a matching diamond and set them both in a setting of my choice OR I can take it in and trade up for a pair OR whatever else the stores tell me they can do.

Let me tell a bit about my pretty little friend: it's a round cut, I've been told it's roughly .50 carat, VS1-SI1 clarity (very slightly included-slightly included), G-H color (near colorless). Overall, for a found diamond, that is a pretty good find!

1. So I take it to the first place, ask them how much to get another diamond and to have them both set; $2100.00!! OMG, and the settings were only $150 of the cost!

NEXT…

2. This place can't order in another diamond, but can give me $439 for mine that I can use towards a purchase at their store. Not a bad deal, but let's keep asking around.

3. Next place tells me that can't do jack for me- assholes.

4. This store tells me they can order in a diamond for roughly $800 and set the pair for an additional $200, so $1000 total for a round pair of 1 cttw. diamond studs, about average. The lady that helped me was a bitch though, so I won't be giving her my business.

5. Upstairs in the mall I walk into this store and this guy looks familiar to me, so I ask him if he works downstairs at the other jewelry store (option 2). I remembered him from this past Christmas when I went into buy my mom and sister-in-law a necklace, he kept doing Borat impressions, so his face stuck with me. Anyhow- "Yes, I work at both stores, we're owned by the same company" he says. So, figuring that he will probably tell me the same as his other store, I figure it's worth a shot anyhow... maybe flirt him up a bit and see what I can get done! His jeweler tells me they can give me $500 for my diamond to apply towards a purchase at their store. Very Nice! He also told me he might be able to help me a little with the price when I am ready to buy

Here is my want: Ideally, I want a pair of Princess Cut Diamond studs, roughly 1 cttw., my diamond is round- I would certainly take a pair of round studs, but if I have a choice, I'm going Princess (which is square). I can get a pair of Princess Cut .75 cttw. for $1099.00 from both places that offer me the money to apply towards a purchase. That means I'd be paying about $600 for my earrings… not a bad deal, imo, especially with the check I am expecting from our loverly president who wants to boost the economy.

So I still have The Jewelry Exchange to check out, maybe they can do something for me… if not, I have some serious decisions to make. Should I really be spending money on earrings I don't need when I have thoughts of moving out of state?! I could always make my diamond into a pendant necklace…

So much to think about!

I'll keep you posted on what I find out from The Jewelry Exchange, and what, if anything, I end up doing.

I'm certainly taking donations though… you can paypal me, all funds will be applied to my beautiful diamond studs, and I promise to send you pictures of them once I have them!!

Peace Out.

(I haven't re-read this, so I apologize if it's confusing or doesn't make sense.)