What Do You [Want To] Know?

..I fell off the face of the [blog] world yet again. Between having the flu for a WEEK, my best friend breaking her foot, year-end at work, and welcoming some [somewhat-temporary] roomies to 3412, to say I've been busy is an understatement. I don't know how bloggers do it. Have enough to post days each week, while working and taking care of themselves and their families.

Writing is something I genuinely enjoy doing, and this blog allows me to write when and what I want. The problem? I feel like I ramble and make no sense. My point? If you read this post, leave a comment with a question for me. This will give readers a chance to get to know me better, and at the same time let me have the satisfaction of completing a post with a purpose.

On another note, last Sunday I celebrated ONE year of home ownership! :)

Hello November, Hello Flu

So far, I'm not a big fan of November. I'm sick of being stuck at home. Sick of throwing up. Sick of not being hungry but wanting to eat everything I can't. Sick of being sick.

After missing two and a half days of work, my parents convinced me to go to the doctor. What's the point? I wanted to ask, I clearly have the flu...what are they going to tell me?

Well, after a two hour visit, a shot, a couple pokes, a prescription [and maybe a few tears] .. I'm back at home. Here's hoping I'm back on my feet soon, because I just might go crazy if I lay on this couch one more day.

Here's what I'm thankful for so far this month:
1- cell phone insurance. Due to my [horrible] luck with cell phones, see previous post. Seriously, at least 5 phones this year? #treachery

2- my Foundry supervisors.

3- past jobs: Happy Time Preschool and Daycare. I saw a grandparent of one of my Pre-K kids [at Target of all places]. Having a relationship with not only those kids but also their families is something I won't forget .. and this day proved they won't forget either. I'm beyond blessed to have shared in so many children's lives.

4- Starbucks. Red cups. Enough said.

5- my great Grandma Eunie's blanket.

6- [NOT] thankful for .. the FLU! But more than thankful for .. 1.a best friend/neighbor [Aimee] who brings me homemade soup, Gatorade and takes my temperature, even if she walks in the door covering her face. 2.a "brother-like" friend [Marky] who brings me Pedialyte popsicles [which are quite good I might add] and spends the night on the couch just in case I get sick again.

7- having the flu and therefore not voting in yesterday's election. I wasn't completely swayed either way, I'm not big on politics [I know, I know] and I wasn't about to wait in lines for over an hour. If I had voted, the outcome would be the same. I don't believe that one person, the President, runs our country on their own. Regardless of who was named our 44th President, Americans need to come together and support him. That's all I'm going to say, and don't worry, no more political posts or rants from me!

Movember

October is officially 'in the books' and November [or Movember] has arrived. I turned 25 last Friday and have decided to turn over a new leaf, aka: make some minor adjustments to life choices I make. For example: I have a problem [an addiction] with Target. I probably take trips down the street at least three times a week. And often enough, I purchase things I really don't need. I've also been eating out quite a bit lately, because "it's too hard to make food for just one person." Well, the excuses are out the window from here on out, or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

You want proof? Last week, I made chili, chicken tortilla soup, stuffed peppers. The stuffed peppers were so good, I decided to make more this week. I also made chocolate covered pretzels for 'Trick or Treating' at work!

To be honest, I don't think my Target trips will ever completely come to a stop - mostly because I don't have the patience to go to Wal-Mart and because I just need to get out of the house sometimes. Like last night, after I shattered my cell phone screen Trick or Treating.

So, in honor of November, Movember, or whatever you call this eleventh month, I will be doing a weekly What I'm Thankful For post. Happy November!

Birthday Week

For some reason, in my mind, a birthday isn't just a day, but rather a week [or month]. And this week just so happens to be my [25th] birthday week! My birthday is this Friday, October 26. Officially at 8:44PM, in case you were wondering. And wouldn't you know, I share the day with a fellow blogger!

My birthday week started last Friday, with...

a surprise visit from a good friend who joined the Navy and is currently stationed in Bahrain...and who I haven't seen in just over a year!

a little one enjoying his first hockey game [of the season], a Black Hawks win & letting the now-15-years-old boy I used to babysit drive my car home. He did great by the way!

So he wasn't a big fan of getting his picture taken with Tommy Hawk, but he did give him knucks!

a [few] beers, of course a pizza, great friends and random people, and several laughs at my favorite bar, Smitty's. "This ain't a soup kitchen, dawg!"

Stay tuned for more this birthday week!

TVP's Big Fun Fall Giveaway

The Vintage Pearl is having an AWESOME giveaway right now. I first found out about TVP about two years ago through fellow blogger Ashley. Since then, I’ve purchased a handful of pieces, a few for myself and a few to give as gifts. My favorite piece I own is the lil vintage angel necklace – I had my great grandma’s initials (EMS) handstamped and also purchased one for my aunt Kristi. The newest piece I’m after? She flies with her own wings necklace.. because I’m so independent. Check out their page, enter the giveaway, and leave a comment on here with your favorite piece! Who knows…maybe a lucky reader will receive something special!



My TVP 'lil vintage angel' with grandma's initials.



Hawkeye Hat Trick

Remember that post a few weeks ago about my first Iowa Hawkeye game at Kinnick?

Well, I've hit the Hawkeye Hat Trick. I have now been to not one, not two, but three games this season. How lucky have I been?! Actually, some would say not so. I failed to see a touchdown nor a Hawkeye victory against Iowa State. I witnessed a heartbreaking loss after a couple 'onside' kicks in the final few minutes of the game against Central Michigan. A few people told me I wasn't allowed to go back to Kinnick, and I was starting to believe them. Until a day later, Aimee said they had an extra ticket and asked if I wanted to go that weekend to watch them play Minnesota. Duh, who could say no?! To be honest, I did hesitate, and I was a little worried because Minnesota was coming into Kinnick undefeated. After sweating our butts off and getting a nice sunburn [at the end of September!], I was glad to see my very first Hawkeye VICTORY!

Pay It Forward

Pay it forward. Do something unexpected for a friend or a complete stranger. We’ve all heard stories about being at the grocery store and having a stranger pay for your things, being in a drive-thru and having someone pay for your food, anonymous notes/gifts left in your mailbox or on your door step.

How am I paying it forward? This blog post. How does that work? I am going to send a special gift to 3 people who comment first on my Pay It Forward post. Where did this come from? I recently read the Single Mama's Pay it Forward post and commented that I would love to continue to Pay It Forward.

The rules? Be one of the first 3 people to comment on this post. You need to have a blog and write a similar post to invite your readers to play along within 1 week of commenting on my post. It's that simple!

Please comment even if there are already 3 people, just in case someone can’t follow through. :)

The Main Event

In my last post, I told you about someone important coming to Waterloo and how I had an amazing work opportunity open up. That important 'someone' was in fact the VP of JD. I'm on the steering committee of an Employee Resource Group called WomenREACH, and the VP is a strong advocate of this group. So strong, that he encouraged a group of roughly 20 women from all over the world to meet for 3 days. To share ideas, goals, best practices and where each REACH group was. We had representatives from Waterloo, Quad Cities/Moline, Germany, Mexico and Brazil. On Monday, we met, did introductions, and got to know each other and about the different REACH groups. We also stopped in to the VP's Extended Staff Meeting to introduce ourselves. To my surprise, my first manager when I was a part-time student [who transferred to Augusta before I landed my full-time job] was sitting in the room!

The last day and a half was spent on leadership presentation and image skills. An outside trainer came in to help us prepare our group to speak in front of the VP's staff on Wednesday. I learned SO much that I wish I could share with you all! We gave a very successful presentation that will hopefully spark some change and interest to help strengthen our groups at the various units.

I'm so blessed to have the job I do and the opportunities to stand up before a group of management like that.

Coming up this week: an Iowa City hat trick!

An Intro...

I really don't have time to dig in to what I want to post right now, so an intro or preview will have to do until I do have a free moment [of which I shouldn't be sleeping, like now.]

An upper-level manager from Germany is in Waterloo this week for his extended staff meeting. I, nor my boss or department, are anywhere close near this 'extended staff', but I do have an amazing opportunity I'm excited to share. Day 1 is complete, and I have a full agenda tomorrow- beginning with an alarm set to [rudely] awake me at 4:30am.

Stay tuned to hear about my newest work adventure, but for now...
Good night, buenas noches, and gute nacht!

Fight, Fight, Fight for Iowa!

My favorite thing about Fall is, hands down, college football. [I am such a dude.] Whether I'm at the stadium tailgating, at the bar anxiously awaiting kickoff, at a [HAWK] party or on my own couch, I'm ready for some football. Every Saturday.

Last Saturday, I greatly enjoyed [that is in fact an understatement] my first trip to Kinnick Stadium. I've been down to Iowa City before to tailgate, but finally stepped foot inside Kinnick. Cross that off my bucket list. And let me tell you, it was everything I've dreamed. And more. While my initial thoughts upon entering Kinnick may be a little foggy [thanks to Moonshine, apple pie, Chi Chi's and Coors Light] the experience is one I'll never forget. Hearing ACDC's Back in Black continued to give me goosebumps even with minutes left in the fourth quarter, down 9-6 to the Cyclones. I didn't witness a Hawkeye touchdown or a Hawkeye win, but I did see a hell of a lot of turnovers. Four for the Hawkeye to be exact, one in each quarter.

Thanks to Aimee for inviting me to my first Iowa game, and thanks to her husband Troy for having to work, giving up his 6th row ticket and missing his first Iowa home game in 16 years. ;)  And thanks to the Brown's, my favorite brothers, for such a fun time tailgating.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

September is here and I am in heaven with Fall at my fingertips. I can enjoy football, baseball and hockey all in one day. Cool temperatures, warm clothes - scarves, sweaters, boots - colorful, crunchy leaves and what seems like the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. New decorations around the house in creams, browns, greys, greens and oranges...and maybe a mustard colored pillow if I ever find one! It's my first fall in my new home and I am ready to de-clutter, organize and get things back in order.

M.I.A.

So, it's been awhile. A long while in fact. And boy have I missed writing on here. A lot has happened [obviously] since I last posted, seeing as its been close to six months. Six months! That's half a year!

Trust me, I've tried posting several times, however I couldn't get anything to make sense. I felt like I was rambling about too many random topics that I got frustrated and hit the 'delete' button. I'm not by any means saying I have anything good or meaningful to say right now. But what I am saying is, I'm back.

Speechless

"I'm waiting for you."

My Happiness Project

A blog I follow has recently mentioned Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project. So, on a cold Friday night, I took a trip to one of my favorite places [Barnes&Noble] to finally purchase the book. Not because I'm not happy, but because I know I need to start enjoying life's little things. And because I highly trust any book she might recommend.

"A "happiness project" is an approach to changing your life. First is the preparation stage, when you identify what brings you joy, satisfaction, and engagement, and also what brings you guilt, anger, boredom, and remorse. Second is the making of resolutions, when you identify the concrete actions that will boost your happiness. Then comes the interesting part: keeping your resolutions."

A lot of times, I worry about making everyone else happy, doing what they want, when they want. I can't say "no" to anyone or anything. I try to make everything I have planned and everything I'm asked to do work. And if that doesn't work? I feel guilty. I need to start being honest with myself and others. That doesn't mean I'm a liar [in fact I've learned to be one honest person lately] it just means I have yet another thing to work on. If I have plans and somebody asks me to go somewhere, I need to accept that it won't work and tell them straight up. You get the idea...

What will I get out of my "happiness project"? It's hard to say. I hope it is, in some ways, a life changer. I do know I'll be posting about it quite a bit here.

Ps - did you forget I challenged you? I need 4 more comments by tomorrow to post every other day in March! Thanks Lex for getting it started. :)

March Challenge

Happy M[ARCH MADNESS] month!

Today is March 1st. It's a little hard to believe how much has changed in the last 366 days. A new job, a [couple] new homes, a new nephew to spoil, new friends and a new outlook on life.

As hard as it is for me to accept that I've changed as a person, I'd like to think it's been more for the better [than for the worst]. Sure, there are times when I do something without thinking for even a split second..only to somewhat regret it hours, days or even months later. I know I make mistakes. I know I'm not perfect. I know I don't give 110% as often as I should. But that's what makes me, ME. I am my own person. A little too independent and stubborn at [most] times.

Watch for some pretty interesting posts this month. :)

Ps...if I can get five comments on this post [from five different readers] I'll post every other day in March! You have 48 hours...GO!

Paint.

For some reason, while I was at Menards this afternoon [searching for a Swiffer..do those still exist?!] I decided to pick up a couple paint samples. My grandma suggested it a couple weeks ago and I finally gave in today.

Spanish Tile.

I painted about two feet of the wall behind my garbage can and then to the right of the stove, underneath my cabinets. It's not fully dry and it's just one coat, but I think I like it. I think.

Stonewall Jackson.

  

I DO like this one. I painted where my dining table sits, and also where I [for now] have a huge picture above it.

So after Round 1 of painting, I took an unnecessary trip to Target.

I spent twice more than what I wanted to and got seriously upset when I asked for a Caramel Brulee Latte at Starbucks and was told "we no longer have that, it's seasonal." Uh, alright then..can I have a Caramel Light? "Frappucino?" Sure. I was obviously confused and a little pissed, and even more so when I realized what I had agreed to order.

Round 2 of painting went much better. Then I decided to clean my kitchen and bathroom floor. At 9:30 PM, I was outside, shaking the sand and salt from my kitchen rugs. I swept before getting on my hands and knees to clean the floors.

If you know me at all, you should be thinking, "who is this girl and what has she done with Lindsey?"

Here I am. Wide awake at 11:30 PM, on a "work night" with a disaster of a kitchen /living room. At least my floors are clean.

Blogger App

You readers (if there are any!) are in trouble...

Yesterday morning, I decided I had had enough of my Blackberry. I was tired of it freezing when I opened Twitter and found it quite annoying when I tried going to a website other than Facebook or Gmail only for my phone to freeze yet one more time. The Tour got me through almost two years believe it or not.. so I was a little apprehensive about getting a Droid. And a touch screen. Ps, thank God for the "auto correct" options so I don't have to type the whole word all the time. ;)

So, I now have a Droid. The Motorola Electrify. And while it's going to take some getting used to, I've already downloaded the Pinterest app and now, the Blogger app..so I can blog literally from anywhere, anytime. And since most of the pictures I post are taken on my phone, I might even love this app more than I'm expecting to!

Happy Sunday. Super Bowl Sunday! Go Giants. ;)

Dumps

Have you ever been so $@#*%!$ frustrated and just plain burnt out that you're in a crappy mood (the dumps) and can't snap out of it?! Well, if I'm not there, I'm damn close.

It started last Monday with working until 6:15. PM. A nearly 12-hour day. And then Tuesday. I left work a little after 7. PM. A 12+ hour day. So much for doing anything once I got home! Then on Wednesday, my nephew and his mommy left for Florida. I haven't gone a week without seeing him yet, and tomorrow marks day #10. Friday was my half day and I was supposed to be work-free at 12:30 after a lunch at Newton's, but I had some things to finish up once I got home and didn't log off the computer until after 4:00. Some half day!

I had this great idea to move the bed from Jami's basement to my spare bedroom while she was in Florida, so I spent most of Friday evening going through boxes and boxes of garbage stuff. I was tossing almost everything I came across until I found some cards. Cards from my mom's baby shower when she was pregnant with me. The first thing I said was "where the hell did these come from?!" And then I opened this:

A card from who else but my great grandma Eunie. My angel. The one person who knows just what I need, when I need it the most. The one person who can make me remember who I am and what I stand for, even if she's in Heaven now.

Here's to starting February off right. To celebrate a month full of love, to take a much-needed weekend trip, to get things crossed off of my 'to-do' list, to sticking to my workouts and to focus on myself.

Oh, and to hopefully not get called for jury duty on Valentine's Day. ;)

One Year Anniversary

Today, January 20, 2012, marks my one year anniversary. Of? This blog. One year ago today, I wrote my first blog entry. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Putting my thoughts out there for the whole world, or a handful of people, to see.

One year ago...

...I was a full-time college student. Working towards my Bachelor's degree with just five short (or long) months until graduation. Pulling all-nighters, aka staying up past 2:00 AM during the week, to finish a paper. I was procrastinating. Surprise, surprise!

...I was living with my cousin Jami and in her belly, my nephew Taysen. I was planning my first baby shower for her, to be held exactly one month later.

...I was working two part-time jobs. I was generally an administrative assistant at John Deere PEC in the Drivetrain Engineering department. I was worried about finding a replacement for my position come May. I was planning the CoreTech Conference, a meeting with over 150 worldwide attendees, which would later turn out to be the most successful Core Technology Conference to date, with the highest attendance rate they've seen in years. I was a receptionist at a local insurance company, studying my butt off to take my personal lines insurance test over Spring Break.

...I was a daughter. A friend. A classmate. A sister. A niece. A co-worker. A cousin. A granddaughter.

Today, I am...

...a college graduate

...a payroll analyst

...a homeowner

...a daughter, a friend, an aunt, a niece, a sister, a co-worker, a cousin, a granddaughter

...independent.

Missing

Once again, I've disappeared from blog life. And I really don't have an excuse for it, except for the fact that I had a week off of work for Christmas shutdown. I tried sitting down a few times to work on something, but I realized I was doing a lot of complaining. Complaining about how I feel like I do so much and get so little in return. Complaining about student loans. Complaining about why my life isn't like so-and-so's. Complaining about why there aren't more hours in the day or days in a week. And who wants to read that?

I don't have a room in my house that I feel is complete enough to post a picture, so I apologize. I've searched Lowe's and Menards, I plan on going to Home Depot and Blain's and I've surfed Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams on the web to find paint colors for the kitchen and living room. Man, is that frustrating! I find one color I think I like, but it doesn't match my cupboards or it's too dark or what have you. I have decided I want grey on my long wall that runs from the kitchen to the living room... and I am NOT changing my mind on that one! I wanted orange in the kitchen, but I'm now considering other colors. I want something fun and bright and unexpected (since my favorite colors happen to be black, white and grey...and blue). I have also decided that I'm going to paint the smaller wall behind my TV. Only I want something that flows from whatever color I choose in the kitchen, but darker. I'll try and take a closer picture of the wall this weekend and post it.

Other than that, I got my dining room table set up over shutdown (thanks to the best Dad ever!) and my washer & dryer are being delivered tomorrow. That pretty much takes care of the "big" purchases. Now I'm focusing on the wall behind my couch, my bedroom, a few ideas from Pinterest, finding tall enough bar stools, figuring out my garage code, going through all the junk in the spare bedroom and basement and the list goes on...

P.S. Look for some more exciting posts soon..with pictures!