Tag Archives: Random Thoughts

A Random Monday!

Good evening!

I am home! YEAH!!! You know, I thought my life was pretty regimented before, but it is even more now! Who knew that was even possible!?!??? πŸ˜‰ Just a warning, I can tell that tonight’s post is just going to be a jumble of random thoughts! Ok, so now that you have been warned…

I left the office this evening, a little later than I had originally planned, and headed straight to the grocery store on the way home. I had to get my grocery shopping done for the week. My list really kind of startled me, and the fact that it only cost me a cool $22 was quite a nice surprise! I picked up:

  • a half gallon of milk
  • sour cream
  • yogurt
  • a loaf of French bread
  • ground sirloin
  • fajita seasoning
  • a bottle of Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
  • a six pack of Top Ramen (the lazy person’s yakisoba noodles (just add lean grilled protein, and a bunch of sauteed veggies)
  • Oh, and a box of tic-tacs (my sweetie stole my last box!) πŸ˜‰

Ok, so I realize there is not much in the way of fruits and veggies on this list, but I just stocked up on all sorts of healthy goodies a few days ago, and my freezer is packed with more than enough lean protein to last me quite a while.

As soon as I got home, I ran upstairs, got into my jammies: plaid flannel pajama bottoms, and a black comfy tank made out of a sumptuous t-shirt material!! Next, off to say hello to my girls, put groceries away, and get started on dinner!!

Tonight I made myself a few meals this evening. I had chicken fajitas with sauteed onions and peppers – YUM!! I had enough of that left over that I was able to make myself a bowl of chicken fajita soup, and I also made a couple of meals worth of baked stuffed bell peppers, all of which will make EXCELLENT meals to take to work for lunch.

I did all of that, not because I am some kind of a super-woman, but because I really am not a big fan of cooking. I did so much of it growing up, that I kind of think of it as a really big, yucky chore!! Well, that is until I am on vacation, then put me in a great big old kitchen with someone to cook for, and I LOVE it!! πŸ˜‰

I am actually having a hankering to make some brownies, or some rice crispy treats, but since I already have so many cookies in the house – THANK YOU GIRL SCOUTS – I’ve decided that I am not even going to bother!! It may take me another month or so to get through the 5 boxes I have in the house. I keep them all in the freezer so that I actually have to think about getting into them. I know that sounds crazy, but it really works for me!

Anyway, what other randomness can I share with you tonight? Well, I am totally on a Angel bender at the moment! You know the tv show? I watched episodes almost all day yesterday, and I am planning on watching a few this evening, while Pinteresting my little heart out!! πŸ˜‰ I have only one more season to go, so my addiction will be over soon!! Does anyone know if there is a 12 step program for people like me??

“Hi, my name is Christina, and I am an Angel-aholic!!”

“Hi, Christina!”

Yes, sad, I realize!! πŸ˜‰

Do I have anymoreΒ  randomness to share? Well, I started a new book today? Well, it is really an old book, it is Deception Point by Dan Brown. I have only gotten through the first few chapters of the book, but so far it is intriguing!! I will keep you posted!

I just got a text that my sweetie has gotten himself his first counseling appointment next Monday – YEAH!!! Now, I just need to make one for myself!! A marriage takes 2 people, and that includes me too!! We are determined to work this all out! πŸ˜‰ Living alone isn’t fun, I am sure, for either of us!! πŸ˜‰ When you have 17 years of loving someone invested, it is not that easy to just walk away!! πŸ˜‰

Onto another topic, I have gotten my chores done, except for a couple of loads of laundry that are going at the moment! I love having a clean house. It is so relaxing! That might be one of the biggest perks to living alone!! No one to clean up after!! Aaaaaah!!! πŸ˜‰

Ok, that is enough of my random blathering for one evening!!

Here’s to a FABULOUS evening!! ;-)

β€œIf you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!”

 

Getting Back to Gettin’!

Good evening!

I know that I have been a little MIA for the past few days, and I was still close to not posting tonight either. I have had a very long, busy day, and am exhausted. I didn’t sleep very well last night, as I have a lot on my mind right now, so I can hear my bed calling to me, which means this is going to be a short post!

What I can tell you is that I am still here. I have been working really hard, trying to remain proactive, and really trying hard to steer this ship that is my life into a new direction. Trying to implement my new daily affirmation,

“If you want a different life, you have to live differently!”

I am excited to see what is to come, but I have to tell you that change is a lot of hard work! Especially if you are working to get yourself out of a rut you have been in for a long time! Change can be scary, but change is the catalyst for getting from where you are to where you want to be.

Anywho, it has been a really long day, and although I did get some marvelous pics of our very small but beautiful and historic train station today, they will have to just wait until tomorrow, because I have got to go take my tired self to bed!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! ;-)

 

A Lazy Sunday Evening!

Good evening!

I have so much that my sweetie and I have to get done before we can leave for our Christmas break this week, and in all honesty I just don’t wanna do any of it!! How sad is that??? We leave for Christmas break on Thursday afternoon, straight from picking me up from the office. I really can’t wait, which is why I think I am not motivated to any of the things I know I ought to be doing, but that is because I just want to get out of here and see my peeps!!! πŸ˜‰

OH, I have just discovered that I have gotten my first pen-pal letter in the mail the other day!!! I was so excited when my sweetie handed it to me and said, “Oopsie, I may have forgotten to give you something important.” So, dear pen-pal, you know who you are, I will be getting my letter out to you ASAP!! πŸ˜‰

What else? Well, my sweetie has two venous stasis ulcers on his leg (I think that is how you spell that). He has been dealing with them for quite a few months, and even though the are doing better then they were, Jason just showed me the bigger of the two and all I can say is “EW!!” I am not sure why he insists on showing me all of his boo-boos and injuries; I am sure it has to be some kind of a guy thing!!! πŸ˜‰

Changing the subject, but some of you know that I am currently working on a goal to blog every single day for 365 days straight, and I am very happy to announce that I am only 2 DAYS away from meeting that goal!! YEAH!!! Blogging has been such a fun and rewarding experience for me. I have met so many new and interesting people, and I have been introduced, slowly and surely to a whole community of creative people in the blog world!! I feel like I have grown as an individual and blogging has helped me see my life from a different perspective; giving me the ability to see what has not been working, and continue to do what has been working!!

So there you have it!! πŸ˜‰

I am ready to get this week started, I am so excited to see my family!! I am staying at my sister, Jennifer’s place,Β  but then all of us sisters are going to go slumber party-style-itΒ  at our other sister, Alice’s house for Christmas even so Santa only has to stop at one place, and we can all open stockings and have a fun Christmas day at one place!! πŸ™‚ Doesn’t that sound fun!! Yes, it will be a blast!! I will make sure to take a ton of pics, and share with you!!! πŸ˜‰

In the meantime, I am going to spend some time with my sweetie, now that he has officially stopped working for the evening!! πŸ™‚

Have a FABULOUS evening! :-)

Feeling More Like Me!

Good evening!

I have just gotten home with my sweetie, and I am sitting here with my girls keeping me warm! I have to tell you that I am feeling so much better than I have in the past few days! Thank you for all of the get-well-wishes, your encouragement means a lot to me!

We finished decorating for Christmas in the office today. I just love that!! We have Christmas garland, a tree, lights, ornaments, ribbon, etc. etc. It just makes the whole place feel warmer, cozier somehow! Plus add Christmas music to the mix and it just makes it feels so much easier to be there.

Jason is busy making me another hat. I know he had made me one already, but he liked it so much that he confiscated it for himself and I don’t ever get a chance to where it myself, so he is now in the process of making me another one! YEAH!! I can’t wait to wear it!

Update on my tattoo…well, it is still healing, looking like a peeling sunburn at this point, and the feet are really blurry, but I am told that is because it still healing. I hope they are right, because I will be sad if it doesn’t look like the feet print I first remember seeing! They were super cute, and I haven’t seen them since! I was hoping that, now that it has been almost a month they would be healed, but apparently not yet. I will keep you posted!!

OH, talking about updates, I thought I would give you an update on my 36 things list for my 36th year of life. Just a reminder, here is the list again:

My 36 things!!

  1. get a passport
  2. jog a mile
  3. blog every day for a year – Almost done, should be finished on December 20th!!
  4. go to Women of Faith with my sisters
  5. take 100 pictures of historical buildings all over Oregon
  6. take a decorating class
  7. make homemade marshmallows
  8. plant a garden
  9. take the train
  10. go camping
  11. blow bubbles out the car window
  12. go for a walk in the rain
  13. clean out the garage
  14. get out of debt – again
  15. hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls
  16. go on a walking tour of downtown Portland
  17. take a cooking class
  18. get a tattoo – DONE!!!
  19. pick strawberries
  20. get my nose pierced – again – I’ve decided that I do not want to do this again – I enjoy scrubbing my freshly washed face vigorously with a towel!! Anyone who has ever had a nose ring get pull out doing this, knows that you don’t want to do this!! OUCH!!! πŸ˜‰
  21. bake homemade cinnamon rolls
  22. take an art class
  23. set up a website
  24. teach myself how to take a picture using manual camera settings
  25. make at least 12 pieces of art
  26. lose 32.6 pounds – I have lost 15 pounds so far!!! πŸ˜‰
  27. put at least $1,200 in savings – I have been able to squirrel away $200 so far!
  28. visit a ghost town
  29. teach an online class
  30. make homemade yogurt
  31. read the entire Bible
  32. crochet a queen-sized blanket using a difficult stitch – DONE!!!
  33. volunteer at a homeless shelter
  34. take a French class
  35. make a wild dance mix playlist. dance to it.
  36. carve pumpkins with my niece and nephew – DONE!!!

So apparently today is a day of randomness, so I have one more for you! My sweetie and I headed to Jamba Juice after work today. I got my usual Strawberry Nirvana – YUM!! But my sweetie tried something off of their “underground” menu called a “White Gummy”! Well, he has been ranting and raving about how delicious it is all evening! “I just can’t believe I am actually drinking something that tastes like a gummy bear!!” Isn’t that just so funny!?!?!?

So, there you have it!! now that I am feeling better, I guess I just needed to get some random topics out there into the universe!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! ;-)

 

Ready for Thanksgiving!

Good evening!

I have had a pretty darn good day today! It completely helped that today is my Friday to a 4-day weekend, I got off work a little early this afternoon, and that my sweetie has been completely and totally charmingly helpful this evening! What a gem he is!!!

Not only that, but he has single-handedly prepped everything for Thanksgiving dinner, so besides the actual cooking, everything that can be ready for Thanksgiving is ready. WHEW!! Although he did get enough groceries to feed an army!!!Β  LOL!!

Tomorrow, we are expecting our very good friends, Dawn and Errin to join us for our Thanksgiving !! I am so excited, I really can not wait!! I am also planning on making the calls to all the family to make sure that the family is doing well, and enjoying their Thanksgivings as well!! I just need to make sure that I don’t get so busy that I forget! SHEESH!! That would make me bad daughter/sister for the year!!! πŸ˜‰

What are all of your plans for Thanksgiving? Are you planning on spending it with your loved ones?

So for some randomness:

It has been a really rainy week here in Oregon, matter of fact, I am wondering when it is going to start flooding here, if it hasn’t already! I absolutely adore rainy days, which is one of the main reasons I live here in Oregon.Β  I was reading today that 2 of the top 50 healthiest US cities for Women are Seatlle, WA, which is #15, and Beaverton, OR/Vancouver, WA are #30, which makes me happier about living here, but makes me think about the possibility of moving up north to either Portland or Seattle again. Anyway, I am not sure where those thoughts came from, but I am just keepin’ it real here!! πŸ˜‰

Anyway, I am off to enjoy the rest of my night!

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 

Randomness Tuesday!

Me and My Sweetie

Good evening!

To say I am having a GREAT day is an understatement! There is not really one thing I can put my finger on that has made it a great day, but really a bunch of little things that have just really made me a happy girl!!

I had a good day at work today, pretty typical, but I am really feeling like I am holding my own on my team – FINALLY! I did get all beautified up to go to the office today, including putting on a dress and lashes, which always makes me feel more confident. I am not sure why I don’t take time to do that every morning!! Usually my morning consists of taking a shower, throwing on one of 5 basic outfits I wear almost every day (out of a whole PLETHORA OF CHOICES!!), and then off to work with a clean face and mostly wet hair!

My girlfriend Dawn has really inspired me to be brave and try new things with my look, like I said a couple of nights ago, but last evening she was saying that she has spent a ton of time watching tutorials online on how to do different makeup and hair techniques, so as soon as I got home I decided to see what I can find. MAN, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!! There is so much hints, tips, and advice out there! That was really fun! I am not sure what I am going to try yet tomorrow, but I know that I will at least try SOMETHING new, and I am sure that will be exciting!!

Another thing that is REALLY contributing to my level of happiness today is that my house is clean!

LIKE REALLY-HONEST-TO-GOODNESS-EVERYTHING-IS-IN-ITS-PLACE-CLEAN!!
WHOO! HOO!!! πŸ˜‰

I told Dawn that it was her fault, that if she wouldn’t have come over last night, it would never have gotten that way! I really need to invite my friends over MORE OFTEN!!! What an AMAZING feeling!!

My Sweet and Beautiful Faye!

My sweetie is also in a good mood. He is working again, and he is just soooooo much happier, which in turn, makes me soooooo much happier!! I just LOVE seeing him having a good time, feeling like he is helping his customers!!! Tonight, on his way home from work, he even brought home a yummy, but healthy Subway dinner with a light Jamba Juice for desert! WHAT A GOOD MAN I HAVE!!! Thank you, Love!!! πŸ˜‰

Me!

My official plan this evening is that I am going to watch Pride and Prejudice. Jason and I went with Dawn and Errin earlier this week to go see the new Three Muskateers movie, and I feel in love with Matthew Macfayden again!! SO DREAMY!!! πŸ˜‰ I must have a thing for men who are rough and tough, but really a romantic at heart – oh, and the British accent doesn’t hurt either!! πŸ˜‰ So I am going to get my fill of him in this movie this evening!! LOL! πŸ˜‰

I did warn you that this was a random kind of posting, and sure enough it was!!! Until tomorrow…

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

NOTE: See you at Chunky Dunkers tomorrow evening! I will have posted by 7-ish!!! (Pacific time!!!) GO CHUNKY DUNKERS!!! πŸ˜‰

Hmmmm…

Good evening!

Ok, so my mind is racing and I am stumped as to what to talk about at the same time! πŸ˜‰

So, let me start, by telling you about my day…

I got up, super early for some unexplained reason, wrote my morning pages for about an hour (which felt pretty dang good, if I am being honest), got ready for work, went to work, and then got off work, and came home. Ok, so that wasn’t too terribly exciting!

What else?

Well, it is a cold, rainy, and blustery day outside, which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE being an Oregonian, by birth, so as soon as I got home, I slipped out of my work clothes and slipped into my hubby’s GINORMOUS bathrobe!!! SINFULLY DELICIOUS!!!

I am planning on spending my evening reading some more of the new Rick Riordan book, The Son of Neptune. My sweetie and I are both reading it at the same time, and he has more time to read than I do. What that means is that if I don’t hurry and catch up to him, he will finish reading the whole book and be off to another one before we even get a chance to speak about what happened! So, I am DETERMINED to catch up!! πŸ˜‰

What else? Oh yeah! I had an idea yesterday that I could sell most of my belongings, put the rest in storage and RV around the US for the next year. I thought it was a fantasy brought on by a stressful worklife. Well, when I casually mentioned it to Jason last evening, he TOTALLY LOVED the idea, and now I can’t seem to stop thinking about it. I want to look for RV’s, figure out how much storage will cost for at least a year, etc., etc., etc.! Ok, so I am sure that it may be a fleeting-random-thought!! but just in case, I may have to go check out some RV sales!! πŸ˜‰

Ok, so you were totally forwarned that my thoughts were racing.

Dinner tonight doesn’t help! I started dinner with some string cheese, and some carrots. Then about 20 minutes later I had some tator tots. Now I am waiting for our chicken to be finished, whenever that is gonna happen!!

Sheesh! It is a rather a-typical night around our residence, if I must say so myself!

Anyway, I am going to close up shop here and get some reading done!!

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

Taking a Moment to Catch Up!

Good evening!

Tonight is the last night of our two week vacation! Jason and I are both going back to work tomorrow. Normally I would be a little bummed about it, but to be honest with you, I have been going a little stir-crazy, and I am sure I have been starting to drive Jason crazy, so I am happy about getting back to the office to see the girls!! I would love to tell them that I have been doing all sorts of crazy, zany, and adventurous things, but really it has been a very peaceful vacation. I am convinced now more than ever that I should schedule a 2 week vacation at least once every year! This has been really good for both Jason and I!!! πŸ˜‰

When I think about it, there is only 2 weeks until I get another long weekend with my sisters for Women of Faith in Portland. It is something us girls do every year. It is going to be a little weird because my sister, Lynette is not going this year. I have never gone to Women of Faith without her, so it will take some adjusting, but I am sure that the three of us girls will still manage to have fun. We look forward to Women of Faith EVERY year! πŸ˜‰

What else? Well, I feel like I have been a little disconnected from my artistic self these past 2 weeks. I did get into the art studio both this morning, and yesterday, but it was mainly to put away all of my art supplies that I had taken with me on vacation, plus all of the new supplies I had gathered while out with my sisters in Roseburg. I had taken the 5 week, online class with Kelly Rae Roberts, and to be honest with you, I had really gotten overwhelmed and stopped reading and doing my reading and assignments. I have decided that I will do one lesson per day, until I get it all finished! I really want to make my creative career a reality!

Also, I have a BUNCH of Christmas ornaments to make for my sister’s booth, at the Douglas County Christmas Fair, down in Roseburg. That happens the first week of December, so I had really better get hopping on that! I am hoping to use that as a jumping off point for my creative business. I will keep you posted.

I have also got to start watching Hoarders again, because every time I watch that show, it scares me into really cleaning out spaces in my home. Right now the two areas that really need it are my art studio, and my book collection. Way to psych myself out, right? Does anyone else have that same reaction to Hoarders ? I hope it is not just me!! πŸ˜‰

Anyway, I am off to go have a late dinner, and then enjoy the quiet of my last evening of my vacation!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! πŸ˜‰

It’s Friday! Friday! Friday!!

Good morning, you FABULOUS people!!

I am in a really good place right now, and I can’t help but share some of that newly found joy with you!!! I have to confess, after my hour of morning pages, I started to get ready for work, and found myself doing some belly dancing to Rhianna!!! She has got such a GREAT beat in her music, it was fun!!

I am getting ready to head to work for the day, but I am hoping to get off a little bit early today, I do have a couple of errands that I want to run, and then I am thinking that my sweetie and I will go play in the pool for a while!!! Oh it is fun to be a kid again!!! πŸ˜‰

I was telling my sis last night, that it I am just LOVING having activities in my life that I LOVE to do!! That is the key to happiness!! Oh, and having people to share those activities with!!! πŸ˜‰

I am trying to decide what creative activity I would like to do this weekend. I am meeting Dawn in the morning for coffee downtown, so I am thinking that I am going to take my knitting, with extras (yarn and knitting needles) in case anyone would like to join me, and then people watch while visiting with Dawn!! Doesn’t that just sound delicious????

I am also needing to do some some serious kitchen overhauling and make a trip to the health food store to get some NEW groceries for our place. I have a restaurant that I just discovered last night that I want to tell you all about, but I don’t have time to get the pics ready before work today, so IΒ  will post those pics and tell you all about my NEW FAVORITE RESTAURANT downtown!! In the meantime, I will tell you that the new restaurant has really inspired me to incorporate more FRESHNESS into my meals, raw vegetables are our friends!! LOL!! Hence the need to go to the Health Food store!! PRODUCE RUN!!! πŸ˜‰

Anyway, I am off!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!! πŸ˜‰

Note to Chunky Dunkers: I have not forgotten about you, my lovelies!!! Keep up the hard work, it will be SOOOO WORTH IT!!! GO CHUNKY DUNKERS!!! πŸ˜‰

A Taxing Kind of Morning!

Good morning!

Having meditated before bed last night, which in turn caused me to fall asleep faster, I woke up early this morning raring to go!! I’ve decided that I needed to gather my tax papers so that I can file my taxes! I was sure I had a fail-safe plan when I chose a location to “stash” all of the random incoming papers, so as not to lose them, but unfortunately there must have been some kind of a hiccup in my plan, because I am missing two very important papers! Dang! It is going to cause me to have to serious spend some time this evening looking for them!! Oh well, that will teach me!

As I continue to think about where I could have placed those tax papers, I look around and see a couple of stacks of things that just need to be donated, or even tossed in this room! I am sitting in our spare room, which has kinda become a craft room/office/mini library. As you may already know, I go through phases of cleaning/purging/using this room, and other times this room stays completely closed up and unused all together! Sad, really! and what a waste of square footage!! My office is talking about having us telecommute on a more permanent basis, since desk space is becoming a rarity at work right now, which means that this would be the room that I would have to work out of. In it’s current state, I am not sure that would be possible! Not to mention, this chair is not meant to be sat on for long periods of time!!! I think what I am trying to say, is that I have got to keep making this room more of a priority to get FINISHED!!! This room could be such a SWEET spot!! I will get on that!! πŸ˜‰

As for work today??? Well, I am going to have to be a little more focused in my tasks otherwise I will have a repeat of yesterday, where I had gotten a lot of work done, but they may not have been the BEST use of my time! I have some big assignments that a lot of people are waiting for! I am hoping to knock one of those out of the ballpark today and into the hands of one of my customers!!! That would make for a GREAT day!! πŸ˜‰

I am going to run and set myself up for a LEVEL 10 day!!! as for you…

Have a FABULOUS day!! πŸ˜‰