I don't know if silence is really golden, but in thinking about what I am going to write in this post certain song lyrics started running through my head, in particular:
"Silence is golden,
I have been broken.
Safe in my own skin,
so nobody wins."
~Garbage, "Silence is Golden"
The first line is really the only part that applies to my current situation, but I figured I would give you the whole chorus for your reading pleasure.
Things have been rather silent on my blog(s) lately. There really has been nothing of import to write about, save for a trip to Nebraska and a visit by Sarah and Norah, both events of which the majority of those who read this blog already know about.
Frankly, I have just been feeling rather subdued and mellow. My life right now is fairly purposeless and uneventful, which my actions and (lack of) voice reflect. Here's to hoping that changes some time in the near future. Until it does, though, things are going to be pretty quiet.
It was wonderful to see everyone recently! I hope those of you who got my pickles are enjoying them. We've certainly had a wonderful time trying all of the KPE bounty.
Love!
~g
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
For the record
Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Nighttime liquid medication is an amazing invention.
I have a cold. Justin was getting a cold as well, but thus far seems to be fighting it off. I, on the other hand, woke up Wednesday morning with a nasty sore throat and kept developing symptoms of a hard core head cold over the next 48 hours. Last night I reached the point where fighting the symptoms was more exhausting than just letting go and being sick. So I gave myself permission for sweats and cough drops and, best of all, Tylenol cold medicine.
Tucker is appreciating all the lying around I am doing, and he seems to have a liking for the smell of my cough drops. He may be the only one who likes it when I get sick. Since this is relatively minor sickness, I'm a bit whiny. When it's major sickness I'm quiet and reclusive.
The time with the family last weekend and the first part of this last week was a lot of fun. Marcus and Amy were great hosts, Grandma Kole is a fun bunk mate, and Norah is getting big so quickly! I do have pictures and such and will be posting them at some point.
The purpose of this post was mainly to share the gloriousness that is Tylenol Cold medication and to update everyone's sidebars with a new post. I'm fun like that.
Love!
~g
I have a cold. Justin was getting a cold as well, but thus far seems to be fighting it off. I, on the other hand, woke up Wednesday morning with a nasty sore throat and kept developing symptoms of a hard core head cold over the next 48 hours. Last night I reached the point where fighting the symptoms was more exhausting than just letting go and being sick. So I gave myself permission for sweats and cough drops and, best of all, Tylenol cold medicine.
Tucker is appreciating all the lying around I am doing, and he seems to have a liking for the smell of my cough drops. He may be the only one who likes it when I get sick. Since this is relatively minor sickness, I'm a bit whiny. When it's major sickness I'm quiet and reclusive.
The time with the family last weekend and the first part of this last week was a lot of fun. Marcus and Amy were great hosts, Grandma Kole is a fun bunk mate, and Norah is getting big so quickly! I do have pictures and such and will be posting them at some point.
The purpose of this post was mainly to share the gloriousness that is Tylenol Cold medication and to update everyone's sidebars with a new post. I'm fun like that.
Love!
~g
Saturday, September 5, 2009
About time again
For another blog post, although really, there's not much to report. In the time since my last post:
I applied for a few more jobs.
I received a rejection letter for a job I applied for.
I ripped the garden out completely.
I looked for more jobs to apply for.
I discovered the amazingness that was the show "Firefly", and subsequently, the movie "Serenity".
I spent a day learning to sew a simple dress, start to finish.
I learned I do not have a genetic aptitude for sewing, although I believe I did better than when I was in 7th grade home economics.
I figured out how to use the site Shutterfly.com and fell in love with it.
I tried vegan brownies and reaffirmed my love for the creaminess that is milk and eggs in baked goods.
I worked on more of my 101 goals, including a list of things that make me happy and drinking lots of water.
I succumbed to a wicked caffeine headache when I tried to quit drinking pop cold-turkey.
I decided to try to wean myself off of pop.
I actually emailed friends and family back in a timely manner, versus my usual "I'll get to that later" attitude that inevitably leads to me realizing the email is still in my Inbox and unanswered weeks after I received it.
I irritated an Icing employee when I brought to her attention three different cards of earrings that had either damaged earrings or were missing earrings entirely.
I watched the Broncos get their butts kicked in a nationally televised pre-season game by no other than da' Bears and their new (whiny, childish, and ridiculous) quarterback Cutler.
I developed a really poor sleeping schedule, which led to the purchase of a $3 alarm clock and an occasional desire to use it.
I coordinated with family for the upcoming visit to Nebraska and the exchange of preserved food items that will occur.
That's about it.
Looking forward to seeing some of you very soon!
Love!
~g
I applied for a few more jobs.
I received a rejection letter for a job I applied for.
I ripped the garden out completely.
I looked for more jobs to apply for.
I discovered the amazingness that was the show "Firefly", and subsequently, the movie "Serenity".
I spent a day learning to sew a simple dress, start to finish.
I learned I do not have a genetic aptitude for sewing, although I believe I did better than when I was in 7th grade home economics.
I figured out how to use the site Shutterfly.com and fell in love with it.
I tried vegan brownies and reaffirmed my love for the creaminess that is milk and eggs in baked goods.
I worked on more of my 101 goals, including a list of things that make me happy and drinking lots of water.
I succumbed to a wicked caffeine headache when I tried to quit drinking pop cold-turkey.
I decided to try to wean myself off of pop.
I actually emailed friends and family back in a timely manner, versus my usual "I'll get to that later" attitude that inevitably leads to me realizing the email is still in my Inbox and unanswered weeks after I received it.
I irritated an Icing employee when I brought to her attention three different cards of earrings that had either damaged earrings or were missing earrings entirely.
I watched the Broncos get their butts kicked in a nationally televised pre-season game by no other than da' Bears and their new (whiny, childish, and ridiculous) quarterback Cutler.
I developed a really poor sleeping schedule, which led to the purchase of a $3 alarm clock and an occasional desire to use it.
I coordinated with family for the upcoming visit to Nebraska and the exchange of preserved food items that will occur.
That's about it.
Looking forward to seeing some of you very soon!
Love!
~g
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Oh Democracy
"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's going to put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.""
(The American President)
Boy howdy did I learned this lesson firsthand today. Before I go any further with my story, I need to acknowledge the genius of Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the movie "The American President", including the speech above. He was also the creator and lead writer on the NBC show "The West Wing" for its first 4 seasons. He clearly understands democracy and America and if he were ever to run for office I would support him 100%.
Ok, back to story. I went to a health care town hall meeting in Waverly today that was being conducted by the U.S. House of Representatives Congressman from the 1st District of Iowa (into which my hometown falls). The room was already packed and seats filled when I arrived (40 minutes early) and I ended up standing the entire time in the back and to the side. The Congressman arrived relatively on time, which was shocking to me since I knew he had done another forum in Parkersburg 2 hours earlier.
Before the Congressman arrived, one of his District Directors explained to all of those in attendance how the event would go, greatly detailing how the question and answer segment would take place. Basically, he was reiterating the rules of civility and respect, i.e. don't talk over one another, keep your questions short and concise, don't try to engage the Congressman in debate, give everyone the chance to ask their question and get an answer, and so forth.
The Congressman arrived and began the town hall meeting with a short(ish) Power Point presentation. He was strategically dressed as the common man in khakis and a polo and used his uninterrupted presentation time to give the highlights of the House's health care reform bill, as well as acknowledge a few myths that are floating around. Then he opened it up to questions.
There were two aides roaming the room with microphones, and the District Director was up front serving as the MC. It was his job to keep things moving along and to switch between the sides of the room where the questions were coming from. A few feet from where I was standing was a Waverly police officer, assigned to crowd control and protection duties.
The very first person to be handed the microphone was an older gentleman, probably mid-seventies, who was wearing a Navy veteran cap. The second he opened his mouth it became obvious he was there not to get information, but because he is angry. He is angry with his country and with his government. He is angry with spending and with any system in which the government has a role. He is angry that he feels he has been betrayed by and can no longer trust his government. He is just angry.
His rant lasted perhaps just over one minute, during which time he grew increasingly loud and forceful. I do not remember the exact words he spoke, but do know most of the statements he made were prefaced with, "How the hell..." or "We can't trust the damn government...". He said he believes health care reform will be the straw that breaks the camel's back and that, "the streets will run red with blood before everything is said and done."
It was this final sentiment that caused the room to erupt into cheers and applause, caused the police officer to step forward so everyone had a clear view of him, and caused the reporters present to simultaneously try to take notes and photograph the Congressman's reaction. It was also this final sentiment that caused the Congressman to step forward into the anger.
The Congressman began his response by thanking the man for his naval service. He also thanked him for sharing his beliefs so passionately. The Congressman then began to truly respond, first by expressing his concern at the streets running red with blood comment, and then his concern with the man's anger. He explained his position clearly and the beliefs that led him to his position not just on health care reform, but on the role of government in general. It was quite a display of diplomacy that seemed to be lost not only on the angry man, but on the room in general, because the rest of the meeting went roughly the same way as the first "question". In general, the Congressman did not dodge questions but instead gave diplomatic answers. In some cases, he called out a few people on their "facts", flat out telling at least two people today that they were just plain wrong. I appreciated that from the Congressman. He seemed willing to accept that not everyone would believe as he does, but he was not willing to accept beliefs based on untruths. I figure that is a pretty fair way of looking at things.
For the most part it seemed the attendees at the town hall meeting were not there to gather information and ask questions, but to voice opinions based largely on the incomplete or biased tidbits that could be garnered from Fox News or ideological websites. While I cannot say I was wholly surprised by the general mood of the crowd, I did find myself more saddened than I expected. It was hard to listen to those that got a chance to speak; I felt myself wanting to ask them to reach beyond their comfort zone and to accept that America is in a time of intense, difficult, dramatic change. I wanted to ask everyone there to practice advanced citizenship, rather than the sound-byte repetition I was hearing.
I did not get a chance to ask my questions to the Congressman directly, but I did as the District Director requested and turned in my questions, with my contact information, for someone in the Congressman's office to respond to. That being said, I did talk to the Congressman after the meeting.
I waited around until everyone had left, chatting with the District Director a bit while the Congressman finished a television interview, then stopped the Congressman as he was getting ready to head out the door. I told him I had a very short question that was completely unrelated to health care. He looked a bit wary but encouraged me to continue. I looked him straight in the eyes and asked, "Are you hiring?"
Holy cow was he not expecting that question. While he stuttered a bit I gave a rundown of my education and interests, after which he congratulated me on my degree and told me I could send a resume to his district office. I told him there was no need for me to send it, since I had copies with me. I ended up handing out several copies of my resume to different officials within his administration and will be following up with a few of them very soon.
I talked a bit more with the District Director and then headed home. All in all, not a bad afternoon's work.
I'm totally impressed with myself that I hit up a Congressman for a job. Either I have no tact, or I'm braver than I think. Maybe it's a bit of both.
Love!
~g
(The American President)
Boy howdy did I learned this lesson firsthand today. Before I go any further with my story, I need to acknowledge the genius of Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the movie "The American President", including the speech above. He was also the creator and lead writer on the NBC show "The West Wing" for its first 4 seasons. He clearly understands democracy and America and if he were ever to run for office I would support him 100%.
Ok, back to story. I went to a health care town hall meeting in Waverly today that was being conducted by the U.S. House of Representatives Congressman from the 1st District of Iowa (into which my hometown falls). The room was already packed and seats filled when I arrived (40 minutes early) and I ended up standing the entire time in the back and to the side. The Congressman arrived relatively on time, which was shocking to me since I knew he had done another forum in Parkersburg 2 hours earlier.
Before the Congressman arrived, one of his District Directors explained to all of those in attendance how the event would go, greatly detailing how the question and answer segment would take place. Basically, he was reiterating the rules of civility and respect, i.e. don't talk over one another, keep your questions short and concise, don't try to engage the Congressman in debate, give everyone the chance to ask their question and get an answer, and so forth.
The Congressman arrived and began the town hall meeting with a short(ish) Power Point presentation. He was strategically dressed as the common man in khakis and a polo and used his uninterrupted presentation time to give the highlights of the House's health care reform bill, as well as acknowledge a few myths that are floating around. Then he opened it up to questions.
There were two aides roaming the room with microphones, and the District Director was up front serving as the MC. It was his job to keep things moving along and to switch between the sides of the room where the questions were coming from. A few feet from where I was standing was a Waverly police officer, assigned to crowd control and protection duties.
The very first person to be handed the microphone was an older gentleman, probably mid-seventies, who was wearing a Navy veteran cap. The second he opened his mouth it became obvious he was there not to get information, but because he is angry. He is angry with his country and with his government. He is angry with spending and with any system in which the government has a role. He is angry that he feels he has been betrayed by and can no longer trust his government. He is just angry.
His rant lasted perhaps just over one minute, during which time he grew increasingly loud and forceful. I do not remember the exact words he spoke, but do know most of the statements he made were prefaced with, "How the hell..." or "We can't trust the damn government...". He said he believes health care reform will be the straw that breaks the camel's back and that, "the streets will run red with blood before everything is said and done."
It was this final sentiment that caused the room to erupt into cheers and applause, caused the police officer to step forward so everyone had a clear view of him, and caused the reporters present to simultaneously try to take notes and photograph the Congressman's reaction. It was also this final sentiment that caused the Congressman to step forward into the anger.
The Congressman began his response by thanking the man for his naval service. He also thanked him for sharing his beliefs so passionately. The Congressman then began to truly respond, first by expressing his concern at the streets running red with blood comment, and then his concern with the man's anger. He explained his position clearly and the beliefs that led him to his position not just on health care reform, but on the role of government in general. It was quite a display of diplomacy that seemed to be lost not only on the angry man, but on the room in general, because the rest of the meeting went roughly the same way as the first "question". In general, the Congressman did not dodge questions but instead gave diplomatic answers. In some cases, he called out a few people on their "facts", flat out telling at least two people today that they were just plain wrong. I appreciated that from the Congressman. He seemed willing to accept that not everyone would believe as he does, but he was not willing to accept beliefs based on untruths. I figure that is a pretty fair way of looking at things.
For the most part it seemed the attendees at the town hall meeting were not there to gather information and ask questions, but to voice opinions based largely on the incomplete or biased tidbits that could be garnered from Fox News or ideological websites. While I cannot say I was wholly surprised by the general mood of the crowd, I did find myself more saddened than I expected. It was hard to listen to those that got a chance to speak; I felt myself wanting to ask them to reach beyond their comfort zone and to accept that America is in a time of intense, difficult, dramatic change. I wanted to ask everyone there to practice advanced citizenship, rather than the sound-byte repetition I was hearing.
I did not get a chance to ask my questions to the Congressman directly, but I did as the District Director requested and turned in my questions, with my contact information, for someone in the Congressman's office to respond to. That being said, I did talk to the Congressman after the meeting.
I waited around until everyone had left, chatting with the District Director a bit while the Congressman finished a television interview, then stopped the Congressman as he was getting ready to head out the door. I told him I had a very short question that was completely unrelated to health care. He looked a bit wary but encouraged me to continue. I looked him straight in the eyes and asked, "Are you hiring?"
Holy cow was he not expecting that question. While he stuttered a bit I gave a rundown of my education and interests, after which he congratulated me on my degree and told me I could send a resume to his district office. I told him there was no need for me to send it, since I had copies with me. I ended up handing out several copies of my resume to different officials within his administration and will be following up with a few of them very soon.
I talked a bit more with the District Director and then headed home. All in all, not a bad afternoon's work.
I'm totally impressed with myself that I hit up a Congressman for a job. Either I have no tact, or I'm braver than I think. Maybe it's a bit of both.
Love!
~g
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Melty goodness
I have become a big fan of melts lately.
Due to Justin's new dietary lifestyle choice, as well as simply not taking the time, we have not been as diligent with developing meal plans as we were during the months of June and July. Given this, sandwiches have become a regular fallback for both Carrie and I. But sammies get boring pretty quickly.
Boredom with my food has led me to present it to myself in different fashions. In the end, I'm still eating a sandwich, but they taste so good as melts! I'm mostly doing turkey and provolone melts (dipped in BBQ sauce.. so good!), but I did come up with a not-so-normal melt. Playing around with what we had on hand one day, I developed this for my lunch:
Pizza Melt
2 slices bread
1 slice provolone cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni
Butter
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning
Pizza or pasta sauce
1. Coat one side of each bread slice with butter
2. Sprinkle garlic salt on buttered sides
3. Stack slices of bread, buttered side together
4. On top of non-buttered side of the top slice of bread place mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and provolone (in that order)
5. Heat non-stick pan to medium/medium high heat
6. Lift top slice of bread, with sandwich fillings, and place in hot pan butter side down.
7. Place remaining slice of bread on top of sandwich, butter side out
8. Cook until bread is browned and cheese is melted
9. Flip sandwich. Cook until bread is browned and cheese is melted
10. Remove from pan and let cool slightly
Heat pizza/pasta sauce in small dish in microwave. Cut sandwich in half. Serve sandwich with sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
I'm sure there's probably already a melt out there like this, but this one is at least my own creation. I think the addition of the garlic salt and Italian seasoning spices everything up and makes the whole thing even more yummy!
Stacking the filling ingredients in the order I listed puts the cheeses against each slice of bread, which helps melt the cheese without having to leave the bread on the heat too long, which, of course, would burn it. Since all we had on hand was shredded mozzarella, putting it on the sandwich first will allow it to melt together before you have to flip the sandwich. Flipping the sandwich when the mozzarella is still loose can create a mess!
I also tried this as a quesadilla and enjoyed it, but I like it better as a melt.
I am cleaning and organizing and getting my room and life back in some semblance of order today. I have somewhat just making do with my room and limited storage space since I moved home, but I have been feeling a little like a short-term visitor (you know, that feeling you get in a hotel when you put your clothes in the dresser or armoire but you know it's temporary and not your own space?). I asked Mom for a dresser, and she kindly emptied one of hers for me to use. Now that I have a space to put my things and a way to really organize my clothes and other possessions I think I will feel much more comfortable and settled.
Once I finish my room I'll spend some time working on some cover letters. Oh, how I love searching for a job.
Yesterday I took my car down to the car wash and got it cleaned up all nice. I then took some pictures, which are posted below. The tree the car was parked under created some interesting shadows, but I think the pictures are still clear enough that you can get a good idea of what my car looks like. I still need name suggestions!
Also, Rochelle, State Farm is awesome! The underwriters found me ANOTHER (I think this makes 3 or 4) discount after I had written my check for the next 6 months of coverage. I'll be getting a refund in the mail about the same time I get my official cards. I'm super happy with any place that continues to look for discounts for their customers even after the customer has paid.
Love!
~g
Due to Justin's new dietary lifestyle choice, as well as simply not taking the time, we have not been as diligent with developing meal plans as we were during the months of June and July. Given this, sandwiches have become a regular fallback for both Carrie and I. But sammies get boring pretty quickly.
Boredom with my food has led me to present it to myself in different fashions. In the end, I'm still eating a sandwich, but they taste so good as melts! I'm mostly doing turkey and provolone melts (dipped in BBQ sauce.. so good!), but I did come up with a not-so-normal melt. Playing around with what we had on hand one day, I developed this for my lunch:
Pizza Melt
2 slices bread
1 slice provolone cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni
Butter
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning
Pizza or pasta sauce
1. Coat one side of each bread slice with butter
2. Sprinkle garlic salt on buttered sides
3. Stack slices of bread, buttered side together
4. On top of non-buttered side of the top slice of bread place mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian seasoning, and provolone (in that order)
5. Heat non-stick pan to medium/medium high heat
6. Lift top slice of bread, with sandwich fillings, and place in hot pan butter side down.
7. Place remaining slice of bread on top of sandwich, butter side out
8. Cook until bread is browned and cheese is melted
9. Flip sandwich. Cook until bread is browned and cheese is melted
10. Remove from pan and let cool slightly
Heat pizza/pasta sauce in small dish in microwave. Cut sandwich in half. Serve sandwich with sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
I'm sure there's probably already a melt out there like this, but this one is at least my own creation. I think the addition of the garlic salt and Italian seasoning spices everything up and makes the whole thing even more yummy!
Stacking the filling ingredients in the order I listed puts the cheeses against each slice of bread, which helps melt the cheese without having to leave the bread on the heat too long, which, of course, would burn it. Since all we had on hand was shredded mozzarella, putting it on the sandwich first will allow it to melt together before you have to flip the sandwich. Flipping the sandwich when the mozzarella is still loose can create a mess!
I also tried this as a quesadilla and enjoyed it, but I like it better as a melt.
I am cleaning and organizing and getting my room and life back in some semblance of order today. I have somewhat just making do with my room and limited storage space since I moved home, but I have been feeling a little like a short-term visitor (you know, that feeling you get in a hotel when you put your clothes in the dresser or armoire but you know it's temporary and not your own space?). I asked Mom for a dresser, and she kindly emptied one of hers for me to use. Now that I have a space to put my things and a way to really organize my clothes and other possessions I think I will feel much more comfortable and settled.
Once I finish my room I'll spend some time working on some cover letters. Oh, how I love searching for a job.
Yesterday I took my car down to the car wash and got it cleaned up all nice. I then took some pictures, which are posted below. The tree the car was parked under created some interesting shadows, but I think the pictures are still clear enough that you can get a good idea of what my car looks like. I still need name suggestions!
Also, Rochelle, State Farm is awesome! The underwriters found me ANOTHER (I think this makes 3 or 4) discount after I had written my check for the next 6 months of coverage. I'll be getting a refund in the mail about the same time I get my official cards. I'm super happy with any place that continues to look for discounts for their customers even after the customer has paid.
Love!
~g
Friday, August 21, 2009
Yeah, I saw this
So you know how I mentioned Grandpa and I were dodging tornadoes when we went to pick up my car? This was one of them.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
101 project
I am slowly but surely chipping away at my 101 goals that I developed a few months ago. I have completed three goals, am currently working on 24 more, and have altered 10. I consider these numbers not bad for the first 3 months or so of this project.
I have been growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Google website I set up to track my goals and progress. I am a big fan of Google, but their website interface is just a bit too simplistic of what I wanted the site to accomplish. Yesterday I decided to move everything to a blog. A blog will allow visitors to comment and gives me more options in regards to arranging and posting of information and pictures.
Justin sent me to the site where he gets most of his blog templates and, after playing around with a few, I settled on one to at least get the blog started. I spent a good portion of last night and the early morning hours creating a post for each goal, as well as generic posts. I also, with a bit of help from Justin, make (at least in my estimation) a lot of changes to the HTML code of the template itself. I figured out some of that on my own and Justin walked me through the rest. I felt massive proud of myself for making the blog look like I wanted it to and getting everything linked properly via HTML.
I am sure there will be more changes to come, perhaps even a whole new template in the future, but from now on you'll need to go here if you are interested in seeing how I'm doing on my goals!
In other news, pictures of my new car will be coming soon. It has rained darn near constantly since I picked the car up, and I'd like to get it washed and cleaned up before I take its picture. I do need suggestions for names! I know pictures will help but be thinking on names anyway. If you come up with any leave a comment!
I am getting serious about finding a job. I had been hoping to hear from a place out East and called yesterday to get an update on their search. I'm still waiting for them to call me back. :) Oh well. That's the way it goes. I know not take it personally, but it is a bit discouraging.
That's my life to date. I'm getting excited to see some family soon!
Love!
~g
I have been growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Google website I set up to track my goals and progress. I am a big fan of Google, but their website interface is just a bit too simplistic of what I wanted the site to accomplish. Yesterday I decided to move everything to a blog. A blog will allow visitors to comment and gives me more options in regards to arranging and posting of information and pictures.
Justin sent me to the site where he gets most of his blog templates and, after playing around with a few, I settled on one to at least get the blog started. I spent a good portion of last night and the early morning hours creating a post for each goal, as well as generic posts. I also, with a bit of help from Justin, make (at least in my estimation) a lot of changes to the HTML code of the template itself. I figured out some of that on my own and Justin walked me through the rest. I felt massive proud of myself for making the blog look like I wanted it to and getting everything linked properly via HTML.
I am sure there will be more changes to come, perhaps even a whole new template in the future, but from now on you'll need to go here if you are interested in seeing how I'm doing on my goals!
In other news, pictures of my new car will be coming soon. It has rained darn near constantly since I picked the car up, and I'd like to get it washed and cleaned up before I take its picture. I do need suggestions for names! I know pictures will help but be thinking on names anyway. If you come up with any leave a comment!
I am getting serious about finding a job. I had been hoping to hear from a place out East and called yesterday to get an update on their search. I'm still waiting for them to call me back. :) Oh well. That's the way it goes. I know not take it personally, but it is a bit discouraging.
That's my life to date. I'm getting excited to see some family soon!
Love!
~g
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Growing up
I own my first car!
As I have somewhat hinted at in past posts, I have been looking for a car recently. It was just time in my life that I had one, and with Grandma Mabon's help I am able to afford a car now. It will certainly make finding and keeping a job much easier!
I looked for about 2 weeks, did some test drives, did a lot of internet research, and finally decided on a vehicle - a dark green 1999 Chrysler LHS. It has 87,500 miles on it, is in nearly perfect condition, and I was able to get a full service record and talk to the prior owners. It's a luxury sedan, with all-leather interior, all-power, and is overall totally sweet. And the trunk is large enough to stash 5 or 6 bodies. That could come in handy.
This is the car I negotiated the deal on this past Monday, and so Grandpa knew I might be getting a car this week. When he called yesterday to see if I needed him to run me anywhere I said yes. I had him take me to the nearest State Farm agent so I could line up insurance. I worked out with the agents what coverage I would need, and told them to wait for my call. As soon as I wrote the check for the car I called the agent and she activated the insurance. Perhaps I am a worry-wort, but I was not driving that car off the lot without it being fully covered. The actual process of buying the car was easy. The process of getting to the town where the car was is quite another story.
The car was in a town to the Northeast of me, a place called West Union. There is a town about 10 miles to the West of West Union called Hawkeye. My grandma and grandpa grew up in the Hawkeye area, and Grandma's brothers and sister are still there on adjoining farms, two of which are the original family farms. On our way to West Union we stopped at one of the brother's places (not the brother with the corn) to check in and say hello. As we sat talking a large storm front moved through, producing lots of thunder and rain. When the rain slackened we ran back to the truck to keep going to West Union, via Hawkeye.
I checked my phone when we got in the truck and noticed I had missed a call from Mom, so as Grandpa was driving toward Hawkeye I was listening to Mom's message. "Grace, there's a tornado warning for Hawkeye. The storm is supposed to hit there at 3:45. Call me." Hmm.. it's 3:44... I looked out my window as Grandpa's phone started ringing, and as I grabbed it to answer I watched a funnel cloud come down roughly two miles from us.
Holy shit.
We kept driving, getting into the town of Hawkeye itself. As we hit the city limits another funnel formed, this one a little over a mile away. The storm was moving toward West Union, which meant we held tight in Hawkeye for a bit. Grandpa made some calls to the family in the area, some of whom were most likely outside working. After he finished his calls we drove a bit further into Hawkeye and passed the fire station. The doors were wide open and the trucks were missing. There were firefighters standing outside the station, getting reports from spotters on hand-held radios. Grandpa whipped the truck around and pulled into the station to get the scoop from the firemen.
While he was talking to the firemen I got out of the truck so I could see the sky better and I called mom to get the latest radar reading. I don't think I have ever seen a storm move as quickly as those clouds were moving yesterday. Mom informed me that a cell was just finishing passing over Hawkeye and was headed straight for West Union. She also told me that there was another storm cell about 20 miles behind the one that were were currently under that was also headed to Hawkeye and West Union.
We waited at the fire station until the 'all clear' was given for Hawkeye, at which point Gramps was saying "Lets go get you a car!" We got out to the highway that would take us into West Union when I told him I wanted him to stop for a few minutes so the storm had time to pass over West Union and we wouldn't drive into in. From talking to Mom I knew we had a short window of clear skies, but I also felt we had the time to wait out the first cell.
Grandpa stopped on the side of the road for a few minutes and we just sat and watched the sky. When it looked a bit clearer up ahead we continued on, passing a storm spotter every half-mile or so. By simply looking behind we could see the next front coming in really quickly. We made it to the dealership with hardly any time to spare before the rain started again in earnest.
I had called the dealer a few hours earlier to let him know I was coming to get the car, but I think once the storms started he decided I wasn't coming (if I had known how bad it would get I wouldn't have gone). He looked a little surprised when Grandpa and I blew through the doors of the dealership, but he was ready to finalize the transaction.
We got set up and he was entering all the purchase information into the computer when the tornado sirens started blaring. They lasted about 45 seconds before shutting off. The dealer determined the sirens were a false alarm and kept going on the paperwork, taking about 20 minutes to finalize everything. Just like that, I became the owner of a car.
As Grandpa and I waited for the dealer to bring the car around we were looking out the front window of the dealership and watched as a tornado came down a few miles up the road. While watching that, out of the corner of my eye, I caught some movement and turned to see what it was. Not half a mile from where we were standing a tornado was forming from the ground up. Spookiest darn thing I've seen in a long time.
Both tornadoes quickly dissipated and the Western horizon was looking less threatening - white skies versus the rolling black and green above our heads. The minute the car was brought around I was out the door. I barely took the time to shake the dealer's hand and say thanks before jumping in my new car and heading due West. I wanted to get the hell out of Dodge.
I went directly back to State Farm to get my final insurance paperwork and pay for the next 6 months, and then it was straight home. My afternoon and evening had been long enough and I was ready to be in and done!
And that is the story of how I purchased my first car. :)
Pictures to come. I promise!
Love!
~g
As I have somewhat hinted at in past posts, I have been looking for a car recently. It was just time in my life that I had one, and with Grandma Mabon's help I am able to afford a car now. It will certainly make finding and keeping a job much easier!
I looked for about 2 weeks, did some test drives, did a lot of internet research, and finally decided on a vehicle - a dark green 1999 Chrysler LHS. It has 87,500 miles on it, is in nearly perfect condition, and I was able to get a full service record and talk to the prior owners. It's a luxury sedan, with all-leather interior, all-power, and is overall totally sweet. And the trunk is large enough to stash 5 or 6 bodies. That could come in handy.
This is the car I negotiated the deal on this past Monday, and so Grandpa knew I might be getting a car this week. When he called yesterday to see if I needed him to run me anywhere I said yes. I had him take me to the nearest State Farm agent so I could line up insurance. I worked out with the agents what coverage I would need, and told them to wait for my call. As soon as I wrote the check for the car I called the agent and she activated the insurance. Perhaps I am a worry-wort, but I was not driving that car off the lot without it being fully covered. The actual process of buying the car was easy. The process of getting to the town where the car was is quite another story.
The car was in a town to the Northeast of me, a place called West Union. There is a town about 10 miles to the West of West Union called Hawkeye. My grandma and grandpa grew up in the Hawkeye area, and Grandma's brothers and sister are still there on adjoining farms, two of which are the original family farms. On our way to West Union we stopped at one of the brother's places (not the brother with the corn) to check in and say hello. As we sat talking a large storm front moved through, producing lots of thunder and rain. When the rain slackened we ran back to the truck to keep going to West Union, via Hawkeye.
I checked my phone when we got in the truck and noticed I had missed a call from Mom, so as Grandpa was driving toward Hawkeye I was listening to Mom's message. "Grace, there's a tornado warning for Hawkeye. The storm is supposed to hit there at 3:45. Call me." Hmm.. it's 3:44... I looked out my window as Grandpa's phone started ringing, and as I grabbed it to answer I watched a funnel cloud come down roughly two miles from us.
Holy shit.
We kept driving, getting into the town of Hawkeye itself. As we hit the city limits another funnel formed, this one a little over a mile away. The storm was moving toward West Union, which meant we held tight in Hawkeye for a bit. Grandpa made some calls to the family in the area, some of whom were most likely outside working. After he finished his calls we drove a bit further into Hawkeye and passed the fire station. The doors were wide open and the trucks were missing. There were firefighters standing outside the station, getting reports from spotters on hand-held radios. Grandpa whipped the truck around and pulled into the station to get the scoop from the firemen.
While he was talking to the firemen I got out of the truck so I could see the sky better and I called mom to get the latest radar reading. I don't think I have ever seen a storm move as quickly as those clouds were moving yesterday. Mom informed me that a cell was just finishing passing over Hawkeye and was headed straight for West Union. She also told me that there was another storm cell about 20 miles behind the one that were were currently under that was also headed to Hawkeye and West Union.
We waited at the fire station until the 'all clear' was given for Hawkeye, at which point Gramps was saying "Lets go get you a car!" We got out to the highway that would take us into West Union when I told him I wanted him to stop for a few minutes so the storm had time to pass over West Union and we wouldn't drive into in. From talking to Mom I knew we had a short window of clear skies, but I also felt we had the time to wait out the first cell.
Grandpa stopped on the side of the road for a few minutes and we just sat and watched the sky. When it looked a bit clearer up ahead we continued on, passing a storm spotter every half-mile or so. By simply looking behind we could see the next front coming in really quickly. We made it to the dealership with hardly any time to spare before the rain started again in earnest.
I had called the dealer a few hours earlier to let him know I was coming to get the car, but I think once the storms started he decided I wasn't coming (if I had known how bad it would get I wouldn't have gone). He looked a little surprised when Grandpa and I blew through the doors of the dealership, but he was ready to finalize the transaction.
We got set up and he was entering all the purchase information into the computer when the tornado sirens started blaring. They lasted about 45 seconds before shutting off. The dealer determined the sirens were a false alarm and kept going on the paperwork, taking about 20 minutes to finalize everything. Just like that, I became the owner of a car.
As Grandpa and I waited for the dealer to bring the car around we were looking out the front window of the dealership and watched as a tornado came down a few miles up the road. While watching that, out of the corner of my eye, I caught some movement and turned to see what it was. Not half a mile from where we were standing a tornado was forming from the ground up. Spookiest darn thing I've seen in a long time.
Both tornadoes quickly dissipated and the Western horizon was looking less threatening - white skies versus the rolling black and green above our heads. The minute the car was brought around I was out the door. I barely took the time to shake the dealer's hand and say thanks before jumping in my new car and heading due West. I wanted to get the hell out of Dodge.
I went directly back to State Farm to get my final insurance paperwork and pay for the next 6 months, and then it was straight home. My afternoon and evening had been long enough and I was ready to be in and done!
And that is the story of how I purchased my first car. :)
Pictures to come. I promise!
Love!
~g
Monday, August 17, 2009
So much corn!
Grandma Mabon and I picked sweet corn at her brother's farm this morning. We cooked and froze it this afternoon.
Before today, I had never been cut by a corn plant, although I was well aware of how sharp the plant can be. In the process of breaking and removing the shank (the end part that connects the ear to the stalk) on an ear this morning, I got cut very badly on my right index finger. The cut is about half of the width of my finger, and roughly an inch deep. Think of the worst paper cut you have ever had, and multiply it by the a ridiculously large number of your choice. That is what a serious corn cut feels and looks like.
It took about an hour of solid pressure to get the bleeding to stop, during which time Grandma and I looked at a car I am considering buying. No official deal was made today, but the dealer and I did talk pricing. Apparently I am a ballsy negotiator. I was in the room dealing with the guy by myself, but Grandma was outside the door and heard a good portion of the conversation. I told Tony (the dealer) that I am seriously considering the car and that I wanted to talk conditions and pricing. I laid out for him what has to happen before I would even think of giving him a check. He then said that, with my conditions in place, the lowest he could go was $X.
This is the point where I asked him how he arrives at his asking price. I don't think Tony gets asked this much. He stuttered a bit, then told me his prices are based on the expected market value for the car, given its condition, years, and mileage, as well as regional trends in pricing for similar cars.
I told him that method made sense to me. I also told him that I, too, had priced out the car using several different sources, and that the asking price from the two most well-known sources was considerably lower than his price. I mentioned I had looked at the Blue Book value, which was $1000 below his price, as well as Edmunds Market Value calculations. He wanted to know what Edmunds price was. I told him I wasn't going to tell him because it would make him cry (about $2000 lower than his price).
It was at this point he started crunching the numbers, figuring final cost with tax, title, and license. I sat back and let him, because he was giving me a lot of information that I needed, and I didn't have to ask for it. Once he finished he asked me what I thought of the final number. I purposefully hesitated, looking at my own notes and taking some time to see what he would do next. When I took awhile to answer, he changed his question to, "What were you thinking for price?"
I told him that I could afford $X, cash. He said he couldn't go that low. I pointed out it was straight cash - immediate money in his pocket. He thought about it and told me he could sell me the car for $100 more than the offer I had given. I said I could live with that.
When it was all said and done I brought him down nearly $1000. Nothing has been signed for this deal and his mechanics still have some work to do so my questions and concerns are addressed, but overall it was a good day at the dealer's.
Grandma and I left the car place and headed back to Waterloo to her house. We got in and started shucking corn, with Grandpa and Uncle Joel's help, around 2 p.m. We finished all of the corn a little after 4, at which point the work became just Grandma's and mine.
Given my large cut had broken open and started bleeding during the shucking process, Grandma took on the job of cleaning the corn. Then it was my job to cook it and cool it. Grandma cut it off the ears, at which point I packaged it in quart-size freezer bags. We kept up this system the whole night, finally finishing around 9:30 p.m.
We ended up with 60 bags of corn. Grandma kept 20, we sent 20 to my aunt Sherre's house, and 20 came home with me. Grandma's brother still has corn that needs something done with it, but we are not volunteering for that task again!
I am starting to wonder if employment is overrated. Here I am, unemployed, and I'm learning and doing something new practically every week. This week I have learned how to pick and freeze corn and how to navigate a car deal. And this is only Monday!
Love!
~g
Before today, I had never been cut by a corn plant, although I was well aware of how sharp the plant can be. In the process of breaking and removing the shank (the end part that connects the ear to the stalk) on an ear this morning, I got cut very badly on my right index finger. The cut is about half of the width of my finger, and roughly an inch deep. Think of the worst paper cut you have ever had, and multiply it by the a ridiculously large number of your choice. That is what a serious corn cut feels and looks like.
It took about an hour of solid pressure to get the bleeding to stop, during which time Grandma and I looked at a car I am considering buying. No official deal was made today, but the dealer and I did talk pricing. Apparently I am a ballsy negotiator. I was in the room dealing with the guy by myself, but Grandma was outside the door and heard a good portion of the conversation. I told Tony (the dealer) that I am seriously considering the car and that I wanted to talk conditions and pricing. I laid out for him what has to happen before I would even think of giving him a check. He then said that, with my conditions in place, the lowest he could go was $X.
This is the point where I asked him how he arrives at his asking price. I don't think Tony gets asked this much. He stuttered a bit, then told me his prices are based on the expected market value for the car, given its condition, years, and mileage, as well as regional trends in pricing for similar cars.
I told him that method made sense to me. I also told him that I, too, had priced out the car using several different sources, and that the asking price from the two most well-known sources was considerably lower than his price. I mentioned I had looked at the Blue Book value, which was $1000 below his price, as well as Edmunds Market Value calculations. He wanted to know what Edmunds price was. I told him I wasn't going to tell him because it would make him cry (about $2000 lower than his price).
It was at this point he started crunching the numbers, figuring final cost with tax, title, and license. I sat back and let him, because he was giving me a lot of information that I needed, and I didn't have to ask for it. Once he finished he asked me what I thought of the final number. I purposefully hesitated, looking at my own notes and taking some time to see what he would do next. When I took awhile to answer, he changed his question to, "What were you thinking for price?"
I told him that I could afford $X, cash. He said he couldn't go that low. I pointed out it was straight cash - immediate money in his pocket. He thought about it and told me he could sell me the car for $100 more than the offer I had given. I said I could live with that.
When it was all said and done I brought him down nearly $1000. Nothing has been signed for this deal and his mechanics still have some work to do so my questions and concerns are addressed, but overall it was a good day at the dealer's.
Grandma and I left the car place and headed back to Waterloo to her house. We got in and started shucking corn, with Grandpa and Uncle Joel's help, around 2 p.m. We finished all of the corn a little after 4, at which point the work became just Grandma's and mine.
Given my large cut had broken open and started bleeding during the shucking process, Grandma took on the job of cleaning the corn. Then it was my job to cook it and cool it. Grandma cut it off the ears, at which point I packaged it in quart-size freezer bags. We kept up this system the whole night, finally finishing around 9:30 p.m.
We ended up with 60 bags of corn. Grandma kept 20, we sent 20 to my aunt Sherre's house, and 20 came home with me. Grandma's brother still has corn that needs something done with it, but we are not volunteering for that task again!
I am starting to wonder if employment is overrated. Here I am, unemployed, and I'm learning and doing something new practically every week. This week I have learned how to pick and freeze corn and how to navigate a car deal. And this is only Monday!
Love!
~g
Friday, August 7, 2009
Silence
I have not found much to write about in the last week. There was a birthday run to Minnesota to rescue stranded travelers, more canning of pickles with Justin's help, and a massive "Big Bang Theory" marathon (hilarious show - totally check it out!).
Saturday night Mom received a call from Justin letting her know that their flight from Minneapolis into Waterloo was canceled. The earliest flight they could get on was 24 hours later. Being only 3 hours from home, it was decided Mom and I would drive up Sunday morning to the hotel that the airline put them up in and bring them home. We executed the rescue mission flawlessly and are now Justin and Carrie's heroes forever and ever.
Monday Justin went out to check on the garden. I asked him to go ahead and pull any cucumbers that were ready while he was out there, which he was happy to do. He ended up pulling 35, making our total cucumber harvest thus far 125. I still had one package of pickle brine seasoning, so Tuesday Justin and I canned yet more pickles. We got 12 pints and 2 quarts of plain old dill before the brine ran out. I am now done with pickles! I don't care how many more cucumbers come out of the garden. I'm grateful Justin was helping with the pickling, given I seemed to be having an unbelievably stupid day. I managed to burn myself 3 times, including when I put my thumb directly on the hot burner, never once making the connection that it was hot and would burn me. That was a nice immediate blister.
Yesterday I did a lot of laundry. Clothes and sheets and towels and whatever else needed to be done. I also watched the first season of "The Big Bang Theory" online. I've seen clips and an occasional episode every now and again, and decided it was time to actually watch the shows in order. The show is hilarious and I highly recommend checking it out.
Hopefully this coming week I will be hearing about an application I submitted for a job that is ideal. Keep your fingers crossed.
That's about it. Boring life right now!
Love!
~g
Saturday night Mom received a call from Justin letting her know that their flight from Minneapolis into Waterloo was canceled. The earliest flight they could get on was 24 hours later. Being only 3 hours from home, it was decided Mom and I would drive up Sunday morning to the hotel that the airline put them up in and bring them home. We executed the rescue mission flawlessly and are now Justin and Carrie's heroes forever and ever.
Monday Justin went out to check on the garden. I asked him to go ahead and pull any cucumbers that were ready while he was out there, which he was happy to do. He ended up pulling 35, making our total cucumber harvest thus far 125. I still had one package of pickle brine seasoning, so Tuesday Justin and I canned yet more pickles. We got 12 pints and 2 quarts of plain old dill before the brine ran out. I am now done with pickles! I don't care how many more cucumbers come out of the garden. I'm grateful Justin was helping with the pickling, given I seemed to be having an unbelievably stupid day. I managed to burn myself 3 times, including when I put my thumb directly on the hot burner, never once making the connection that it was hot and would burn me. That was a nice immediate blister.
Yesterday I did a lot of laundry. Clothes and sheets and towels and whatever else needed to be done. I also watched the first season of "The Big Bang Theory" online. I've seen clips and an occasional episode every now and again, and decided it was time to actually watch the shows in order. The show is hilarious and I highly recommend checking it out.
Hopefully this coming week I will be hearing about an application I submitted for a job that is ideal. Keep your fingers crossed.
That's about it. Boring life right now!
Love!
~g
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