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Summer Wrap-Up

Sep 9th, 2011 by

It was a busy summer!  I definitely did not take as many pictures as I had hoped to, but there are a few to share that detail a few of summer’s events.

We started the summer with an Indians baseball game at Victory Field with Lowell’s class.  Lowell caught a home run ball.

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Lowell had the chance to go to Canada with his best friend from growing up, my little bro, his cousin, and his uncle.  They managed to get detained at the border for a few hours, finally were released, and then ran out of gas in the truck so they had to siphon it from the boat. Geniuses. Actually…I was impressed with the whole siphoning it out of the boat. It’s like something out of Survivorman…except not quite that good. Smile

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While the boys were off fishing, I went to visit my sister and her husband down in Pensacola, Florida. I had so much fun seeing where she lived, meeting her new animals, and catching up on life.  Her husband just found out yesterday that he was selected to fly helicopters for the Marines – his top choice. He did awesome on his tests and flights! Yay Evan!

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We went to the fair…and the now infamous Sugarland concert.

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I went to see Britney. Woot woot! haha  I was supposed to go see her years ago – pre-craziness. She “hurt her knee” that year and cancelled her concert. Don’t judge me for my taste in classy music.

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Annnnd finally, we started doing a monthly themed dinner with some friends of ours. The rules are simple. You have to dress for the theme and cook food that fits as well.  First theme was All-American. Do you like the socks with sandals? We had ribs, mac ‘n cheese, red white and blue parfaits, deviled eggs, and potato salad.

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The next theme…

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There was some Kid Rock and Free Bird playing in the background and a toilet seat planter in the front yard. There was a hog roasting in the front yard, wine in a box, and cheap beer on hand.  Lots of beenie weenies, twinkies, and even a fish sticks and tator tot “cake” for someone’s 30th birthday were consumed.  Good times!  I’ll let you figure out that theme .Winking smile PS: Doesn’t Lowell look hot?!

 

What about you? What was the highlight of your summer?

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Posted in Random | 6 Comments »

Belly Button Fluff

Jun 3rd, 2011 by

(post title chosen by Lowell)

You may remember me saying before how socially awkward I sometimes feel I can be.

I found today that I can also be incredibly awkward in less social-ish situations.

Case in point:

Fridays at work are “Jeans Days.” Sounds great, right?!

And it is EXCEPT that I have found that well… my thighs might be a little large and in charge (I tell them they’re strong and muscular – don’t you talk to your thighs?) and they have a tendency to rub slightly together when I walk. This really wouldn’t be too horrible of a problem except that the inseam of jeans is a little thicker than it is on “normal” work pants.  Every few steps you’ll hear a little pfft as one inseam catches the other. It’s one of those things where you wish you could scream out – I promise it’s just my jeans, but you know it would be totally inappropriate and there’s a chance that maybe nobody even heard. Oiy.

So anyways…while the jeans thing is a little embarrassing, it’s nothing major.

No…because major are those situations/noises that you immediately wish you could recreate to prove it wasn’t that.

So I’m sittin’ in the eerily quiet office today because I’ve decided accountant-types are perfectly content to hear nothing but their own thoughts for most of the day when I scuff my thumb across my desk resulting in a billowing PHHRRPP.

It’s almost as if you could feel everyone stop typing to process what just happened. Like those times in school when you moved your chair the wrong way and everyone giggled. Or when you drag the heel of your shoe walking down the aisle when you’re late to church and trying to sneak in. (Does this happen to other people or do I just have kinesthetic issues?)

“Think fast, Kristen…do you recreate or let it go (heh heh). And if you recreate will they think you have a major problem going on on the other side of the cube wall?”

I opted to try to recreate partly to make sure I knew exactly what I did so it wouldn’t happen on accident again and partly because I just thought it would be funny. But OF COURSE, in typical-my life fashion, I couldn’t recreate.

Which inevitably means it will happen again. Probably when the CFO is standing next to me.

That’s just the way it goes, right?

On a slightly different note (hehe, are you loving these puns as much as I am?), I just asked my husband if he’s ever encountered this happening to him to which he responded (and I quote), “Not that I can remember… usually mine are real and there’s not much you can do to cover up the smell. You’re just looking to blame it on someone else.”

Wow.

Am I alone in these awkward moments? What was the last one that happened to you?

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The Happiness Project

Jun 1st, 2011 by

I started off the year with a very open-ended goal to read more books.  Things began strong as I dove into the Hunger Games trilogy and kinda found myself caught up in the whole Twilight thing (I know…). Oh…and I can’t forget The Help. Loved it (and am counting down the days until August 12th,) BUT as the days slowly ticked further away from January 1st, I found my “Read More Books” resolution falling to the wayside.

Two weeks ago I completely let go of my “Stop Abandoning Books” resolution and gave up on one – and by an author I love, no less!

I was a little hesitant to jump into another book, but I suddenly received notification from the library that the book I had been waiting on for quite some time was available so it was one of those read it now or forever hold your peace wait another 3 months for the opportunity to present itself again.

I am so glad I jumped.

Happiness Project

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is a book about one woman’s journey to create a happier life for herself over the course of a year. She breaks her year into months with large, overriding themes for each month.  She then breaks the month into steps to work on which will help her attain her monthly goal.

Her writing style is so incredibly relatable, much like reading a blog or a funny email from a friend.  She sprinkles research as well as famous quotes throughout her synopsis of her “project” that I definitely appreciate a)because I LOVE quotes and b) because I am super analytical and love that she debates research much the same way I probably would.  The book reminds me a lot of Eat, Pray, Love… except for the normal person who can’t just pick up their life and move between three different foreign countries for a year.

I’m not completely finished with the book quite yet, but I think this will have to be one of those books that I end up buying so that I can read it over again. 

This book could not have come at a better time for me! Halfway through the year when I have all but given up on my New Year’s Resolutions, I am once again excited to create new goals for myself, both big (yup, still looking for a hobby) and small (clean out my poor, overloaded closet STAT.)

Read. This. Book.

Or at least check out her blog The Happiness Project (one of her small steps to her March goal to “Aim Higher” with work.)  Bonus: You can subscribe to receive a happiness quote of the day! Love!

What is one small goal you want to accomplish in the month of June?

Besides organizing the closet, my goal for June is to leave my desk every day at lunch to walk for at least 10 minutes. I am in a bad habit of eating at my desk and I know my mind and body would benefit from a few minutes away from the computer screen.

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Posted in Book Club | 4 Comments »

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