i'm a pc... and i'm a mac

It's true. I've got multiple personalities now. I really do feel conflicted. 

So, Ryan's computer caught a virus (or multiple viruses, which he blamed on me and my need to play computer games), and the fan in my old desktop fanned its last flame. "Hey!" we said to ourselves. "We've got money burning a hole in our pockets. Let's go blow some of it on a new computer!" (That's not exactly how the conversation went.)

Anyway, we headed to BestBuy, or as my father-in-law calls it, WorstBuy, and started to talking to the salesman about laptops. He said he is a PC guy, but for what we wanted a computer for (downloading songs, surfin' the 'Net -- basically nothing of signficance), he highly recommended a Mac. What sold us was the lack of viruses for a Mac. That and the fact that apparently Macs come with most of the software, where a PC requires purchasing additional software to even get it to run.

And so here I am. Posting my blog on a Mac. I must say, it's quite enjoyable. The screen is so clear -- love that. But, here are some of my issues:

1. (Delete Key) - You know, the one that allows you to place the cursor in front of the letters or words you want to delete instead of backspacing? I miss that little key. Is there anything that compares to it on a Mac?
   
2. (Right-clicking) - I keep right-clicking EVERYTHING to get details about it -- and it's not working. Blast. This could be harder to get used to than I thought.
   
3. (Microsoft Word) - Microsoft has convinced me that there is no program comparable to Word. When I need to write something, I keep opening Finder and looking for Word. Where are you, Word? I miss you. Please return to me.
4. (Built-in Camera) - Is it on now? Is it always on? Can you all see me right now? Worse, can you see the wretched picture I was forced to take of myself in the set-up process? Help!
5. (iChat) - When is this program on? Again, can people see me? Can they hear me? Will my vocal stylings soon be infamous? Seriously, help.
6. (Control + v,p,c,x, etc.) - Is the 'control + whatever' function no longer valid?

I'm sure all of these questions are answered in a manual somewhere, but I'm much more of a try-it-til-you-get-it-right kind of girl. The only thing that would make me pull out a manual or two would be know you all could see or hear me. Right now.

You can't, can you?

subtle hints...

Some background info helpful for understanding this post:

1. I park in an underground garage at our condo (which is good, because it gets downright frigid in the MN winters).
2. The parking in the underground garage is assigned.
3. The person(s) assigned to the spot to the left of me likes to park on the line (as evidenced in this picture).
   

So, about two weeks ago, I pulled into my parking spot and noticed they were missing a hubcap. The next day Ryan happened to be with me and he also commented on the missing hubcap. Last week, I observed that a second hubcap was missing on the same side of the car, just a different tire. It makes me wonder where these people are driving/parking to lose hubcaps. Thankfully, I still have all of mine.

So, my dilemma – I’m debating leaving a note on this person’s windshield that reads, “Dearest neighbor: I appreciate your peace bumper sticker. I’m sure you’re a very nice person, and I’ve noticed your car is always impeccably clean. I’ll quit stealing your hubcaps if you quit parking over the line. Love, your neighbor.”

confessions

Quick, someone turn on Usher.

Here's the truth: I am afraid of being outside in the country in the dark. I know, I know. I’m 27 years old. I shouldn’t be afraid of such trivial things. But I am. And now that the time has fallen back an hour, I’m daily confronted with my fear of the dark when going out riding. The horses are in a big pasture, requiring me to walk around, getting close enough to each horse to see if it’s my horse – in the pitch black darkness. Sometimes Baron helps out and meets me halfway… but most of the time he doesn’t.

So, what am I afraid of in the dark? (This is where it gets a little weird. Don’t think less of me, please.)

I’m afraid of skunks, foxes, coyotes, bears and slipping and getting trampled by all the horses. Obviously some of these fears are irrational. Most of them are irrational. (I’m hoping that my public confession will help me overcome them.)

Many of these can be related to my childhood in Deer Lodge. Skunks and foxes were always getting into the chicken coop and destroying all of the chickens (a regular bloodbath). If they did that to a chicken, what would they do to me? There was a rabid coyote that got too close for comfort one day in Deer Lodge, too. The bear fear comes from watching Night of the Grizzly at a young age – an age when I couldn’t tell the difference between poorly constructed mechanical grizzlies and the real thing. And the whole slipping and getting trampled must have something to do with an icy slope and resulting broken collarbone in kindergarten.

The silver lining? Once I’ve actually retrieved Baron and made it safely back to the light of the barn, the adrenaline high lasts for a good 10 minutes.

I know; it’s a dangerous life I lead.

a little taste of mt…

…right here in MN. That’s right – The Clintons - or maybe I should say the Heartless Wench Tour version of The Clintons (John and Josh) – brought Montana to Minnesota on Saturday evening at Blarneys in Dinkytown.

Ry and I enjoyed the live show tremendously. Good music – a rock/country hybrid – combined with funny, clever lyrics. Think Brad Paisley on Grain Belt Premium. They played my favorites like Little Miss Perfect, I Make My Own Money, Alright Tonight and Hit Me Baby One Mor--wait a minute. That's not a favorite, but it was funny to hear them play it. I'm wondering if I Make My Own Money can stretch as far as buying a horse? I think it can.


Can it get any better?

Actually, it can get better – we got there early and I was happy to find John at the bar, chatting it up with a couple of other Montanans. So I marched myself over and said hey. It is so nice to talk to people from Montana. Seriously. Just talking to them made me feel closer to home. And Montana will always be home.

The only downfall of the evening – and I do mean downfall – was walking up to make a request and slipping on the way back to my seat. Ugh. Who does that? Me, that’s who. Some kind folks assured me no one saw. It’s funny to look around at the faces of those around you when you’re falling – it’s this sort of ‘oh my gosh, she’s falling’ look combined with a ‘glad it’s not me’ look and finished off with a chuckle. My ankle does feel better today – the swelling has gone down, and it’s not quite as bruised.

So, my parting thoughts:

• Check out The Clintons.
• Watch your step.
• Hug a Montanan.

decisions, decisions.

Do you ever have a moment when you realize you could completely change your life with certain decisions? I had one of those defining moments when I moved to Minneapolis. I was fresh out of college with no job and no Minnesota connections. I’d never been to the state before (except for a quick layover on a Virginia trip with my Nana in 6th grade) and the thought of moving someplace completely unknown to me was exhilarating and terrifying, all at the same time. I remember when I pulled over a hill on 35N where you first get a view of the Twin Cities. It was about 5 p.m. on a beautiful August day. And I thought to myself… ‘Self, this is the start of your adult life. What are you going to make of it?’ I remember wanting to call several people to share in my excitement and fear as I coasted into town, but I turned up the country music and pressed on with my thoughts.

It was such a freeing time. I didn’t have a care in the world – everything was a possibility. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

And now I look at my life and some of opportunities and decisions coming up and wonder what I’ll decide. Some require money, some require time, some require confidence, all require humility – and all of them require change. What happened to the girl who moved to Minneapolis over four years ago? She grew up. She faced her adult life and all its responsibilities. She made a living and got married. She found some things that could be lost. She experienced loss. And that changes every decision.

tonight's the night...

… I’ve been looking forward to for about a month now. The CMA Awards, with our host, Brad Paisley. Yowsa. Can life get any better? (I should note that Carrie Underwood is also hosting, but in my mind, she’s not that important – even though I did pick her to win American Idol back when she first auditioned.)

I have to run out to the barn tonight to see Baron, but you can bet my DVR is set to record and I will be tuning in as soon as I get home.

retired and renamed

Yesterday was a sad day in the world of bullriding. Justin McBride, arguably one of the best bullriders ever, retired at the age of 29. Additionally, bullriding-great Adriano Moraes also retired – he is 38.

Justin McBride was one of my favorite bullriders to watch. He was consistently good, with a good attitude. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I’ll miss watching him.

Here's Justin riding a bull named Chicken on a Chain.

In other news, I’ve renamed our cat. Formerly known as Rory, her new name is Troubadour Chicken on a Chain, in honor of two bulls – Troubadour and Chicken on a Chain.

green sprees

When did green Sprees start tasting like green apples instead of lime? Green apple is a gross flavoring that leaves a bitter, icky aftertaste and makes a person’s breath smell bad.

Lime, on the other hand, is sublime. It’s refreshing and enjoyable.

These are just some thoughts running through my head today.

vote for… Ross Perot?

I went and voted today. I exercised my right as an American citizen. I was torn about voting today. I didn’t really care for either candidate… and thus I was concerned that I wouldn’t have the motivation to go stand in line and go through all of the rigmarole. Because, my friends, I haven’t changed the address on my driver’s license from our move in May – and I pay all of my bills online, so no electric bill to show proof of address.

So, at 7 a.m. this morning I decide I’m going to go vote. I go to the old precinct where I used to be registered to vote (and that corresponds to the address on my driver’s license) to place my tally next to one of the candidates – only I find out that I’m not registered there anymore. Stupid post office change of address forms. After waiting in line for 45 minutes, I tell the registration people that I’ll have to vote later, because I’m not going to lie to them and tell them that I currently live at the address on my license. And I’m not going to commit voter fraud.

I hop in my car, drive to the DMV, and get my license updated. Then I drive to the polling place that corresponds with my NEW address, and get in line to vote. Thankfully the line was short, and a mere 15 minutes later I was on my merry way.

While voting, I had a couple of observations:

Observation 1: It would be very easy to commit voter fraud and vote twice. I thought of several ways I could have done that today. But I didn’t. I hope no one else did, either. WE EACH GET ONE VOTE! :)

Observation 2: While waiting in line at the first voting place, I overheard three loud young men discussing their dislike of both candidates. Then one said, “Dude, I wish Ross Perot was running.” To which his friend said, “Yeah, he’s definitely who we need. The only problem is that he was rich and was all concerned about his oil. But he could dig our economy out.” I wanted to respond with, “Seriously? Ross Perot? That’s so 1992.” But I bit my tongue.

Observation 3: Voting for state supreme court justices takes a really long time. And I have no idea who I voted for. Is this really a good use of our democratic process? I was tempted to write in Ryan's name. Maybe in 2012.

Observation 4: Voting facilities for the rich are a lot more pleasant than those for the poor.

it's been 23 days since my mom left...

I’m back. For some reason I needed a break from blogging. It was too much pressure to try and come up with something interesting and zippy to say on a daily or bi-daily basis. (Is bi-daily a real measurement of time?)

So, quick updates:

1) Had a great time with my mom. We shopped, ate, shopped, giggled, shopped, saw Baron, and shopped some more. The weekend came to an end though, when she had to fly home on my birthday and I got sick.
2) My old roommate, Kasea, came to visit the following weekend, and it was great to spend some time with her and my friend Rachael Ramy. We went to an apple orchard where they tried to rip us off by charging $35 (yes – thirty-five dollars) for a normal-sized bag of apples. Ridiculous. Rachael and Kasea also go to meet Baron, which was fun.
3) I’ve been avoiding the political scene as much as possible. Is it just me or is this election worse than previous year’s? Wish there was a candidate that I liked; sadly, I’m not fond of either.

The rest of my time has been spent with the new love of my life, Baron. (He’s a close-second to the first love of my life, Ryan.)

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is almost upon us. I’m looking forward to the holidays, but am also a little melancholic when I remember that Nana won’t be there this year. Can’t wait for the time when we’re all reunited.

Look for more regular posts coming soon... :)

four days until...

... my mom arrives! I'm so very excited. On Saturday I did a little bargain shopping at T.J. Maxx for a new bedspread for the spare bedroom. I found a great one on sale for $30! It's black and white, which actually inspired me to hang up lots of black and white pictures as well. Love the new look.

And, I'll now make a quick confession to this brief little blog post: I really like Taylor Swift's new song. I'm not a big Taylor Swift fan... but I LOVE her song Love Story.

time for an update...

I've been spending all of my time with the new love of my live, Barron. Yes, Ryan is aware of him. My new love is a beautiful 6-year-old quarter horse gelding. I've been working with him quite a bit, and he's definitely turning into quite the horse. And I'm going to blame my lack of blogging on him... though that's probably not really fair.

Here's a lovely pic...

In other news, my mom arrives for a long weekend a week from today. I'm so very excited!

My three main projects at work finished up around the same time. There's still lots to do, but it's nice to have a small break. I'm sure it will ramp back up again before I know it.

i drink when i think...

... and vice versa. But not what you're thinking. At least not usually.



What I'm trying to say is -- I can't think unless I've got a drink in my hands. Preferably water or a decaf coffee substance. I realized this yesterday as I was getting ready to tackle a big, thinking project at work and suddenly had to run get a latte before I could continue. This is strange, isn't it?



Nonetheless, it's still something that I'm recognizing as a pattern. And really, of all the habits to have, this isn't a bad one, is it? At least I didn't blog and say, "In order to think a project/issue through, I need a shot of tequila and a beer chaser."



That would explain a lot, though.

in response...

... to a comment from my dear friend Beth on my previous post: What is the point of spending nearly $4 for coffee if all you get is decaf?

This question also came from my husband when I ordered a 'decaf triple sugar-free vanilla non-fat latte' at Starbucks. "Why did you get an extra shot if you ordered decaf?" he asked as we shelled out the extra fifty cents for my seemingly ridiculous -- and worthless -- extra shot of coffee.

Well, my friends -- this is the answer. Unlike many people in the world today who consume coffee and shots of espresso to keep their eyelids open, I drink coffee because I like the way it tastes. And even if there is no decaf in it, it still tastes marvelously, wonderously delicious. I get the extra shot of decaf coffee because I love the added coffee flavor. Yummy.

I've been off caffeine for several months now. I got tired of those caffeine headaches if I couldn't get a bit of caffeine in my system. Plus, if I'm not drinking pop, it's a good excuse to give up caffeine too.

And that, my friends, is the answer to why I spend lots of money just to buy decaf lattes.

dangling my feet off the edge of the wagon...

... looking longingly at pop. It's true. After a solid six months of being pop-free, I've found myself thirsting for its crisp, fizzy, sweet goodness. I'll be honest and say that I've even succombed to the pressure to drink a can recently. Sad, but true. In fact, at this moment right now, I will openly admit that I am enjoying a 20 oz. bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper. For me, Diet Dr. Pepper is the perfect pop, with the exception of a can of Mountain Dew after a day of horseback riding. For some reason, that combination is unbeatable. But, if no horses are present, I'll take me a Diet Dr. Pepper, please.

I'm not ready to say that I've fallen off the wagon for good yet, but I will say that I'm dangling my feet of the wagon. I did jump off the wagon and am walking beside it right now as I drink my Diet Dr. Pepper. I'll jump back up on the wagon as soon as I finished it. Ah, self-discipline. You've escaped me yet again.

On another note, I realized something depressing today as I was paying for my lunch. I paid $3.92 the morning for a medium decaf, sugar free vanilla, skim latte this morning from Caribou. I paid $3.76 for a delicious lunch of a huge ham and cheese omelette, hashbrowns and a big bowl of fruit. I'm right to be disturbed at the price of the coffee, right? Especially in comparison to the price of my lunch. I feel kinda sheepish for actually buying lattes.

Drip coffee it is. I'll hop on that wagon, too.

five minutes...

I'm waiting to begin a meeting and have five minutes before it starts. That gives me five minutes to blog. Which means my blog won't be about anything of importance.

I think I'll just blog about how quickly the week is going... and how quickly time is going. September 15 would have been Nana's 86th birthday. It also will be three months from the day she went home. I can't believe it's been that long. I feel like it's been forever since I've talked to her, but it still hurts so much to think about losing her. At least I know I'll see her again, and that thought is so very comforting.

I love the fall -- I just remember telling Nana the last time she was here (in Feb, when it was REALLY cold) that she'd have to come out in the fall when the leaves start to change because it's so beautiful. She thought that sounded like a wonderful idea... and now here I am. Fall without Nana. It's kinda sad.

But I suppose that's life. If there wasn't heartache there wouldn't be joy. And if their wasn't pain we wouldn't have to hope for the future.

Wow... those are deep thoughts for a three minute post. My meeting is about to start.

a night i didn't expect...

So, the evening began a little different. I had two tickets to go to a reception at the Science Museum with Congressional elected leaders. Figured it was a once-(or maybe twice-)in-a-lifetime opportunity, so Ry and I braved the traffic and go to our parking spot around 4:15 p.m. (By the way, we had to pay $25 to park -- but we did it, because we didn't feel like driving through the police lockdown known as St. Paul.

We tried to get through into the convention area, but weren't able to because we didn't have credentials. SO, we walked. A long way. As in, a VERY long way. I was in 4-inch heels; but I survived. Anyway, when we finally got close, we saw Rudy Giuliani being interviewed by Chris Matthews. It was pretty sweet.

We finally made it through the crowd to the Science Museum and were walked to the front doors by the secret service. We were hanging out, having free drinks and food, and basically just enjoying ourselves. The Star Wars exhibit was open for us, so we went down to check it out. It was alright. I'm sure for real Star Wars fans it would have been amazing. But I'm not a real Star Wars fan, so it was lost on me.

Anyway, we went back upstairs and were standing at a table when two guys came over to chat with us. One of them was from Germany, and the other lives in D.C. BUT, he's from Belgrade, Montana. Small world, huh? He asked if we were going over to the convention later, and I said that we didn't have tickets. He said he had two extra for his suite. At that point, I wanted to do a happy dance, but I just maintained my cool.

So, we went through the serious security and made our way into the suite. Which just happened to be right next to Tom Brokaw. I could see him on air; he was on the air with someone else, but I don't remember who. We also saw Joe Gibbs (love him), Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes, Shephard Smith, Mike Huckabee, Bill Frist, Tom Ridge, Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin, and of course, John McCain. We also saw two Code Pink women get arrested.

It was neat to be there to hear McCain's nomination acceptance speech. I still don't know who I'm voting for, but being there was an experience I won't forget, and it was also one I found valuable.

The moral of this story is always -- I repeat, ALWAYS -- wear a nice suit if you're in doubt about what to wear. Always. You'll never be sorry.

i found this funny...

It's RNC time in the land of the lakes, and because we live in Bloomington, we've seen a lot of action!

But this billboard takes the cake for sure!

happy birthday!!!!

Today is my lovely husband's 26th birthday. Yes, I am older than Ryan. Yes, Ryan is younger than me. Yes, I look younger than Ryan. Yes, Ryan looks older than me.

From Sept. 3 - Oct. 14, though, we're the same age. That's refreshing. :)

Anyway, just wanted to say publicly say 'Happy Birthday' to the love of my life. Hope you have a good year, Ryan!

i've been too busy to blog...

It's true. I have been too busy to blog. Too busy at work... to busy at home... just too busy!

I'm putting that out there so you all don't judge me and call me an 'inconsistent blogger'. Curses. :)

So, anyway. All I'm going to say about today is that I'm eating my favorite soup for lunch. Or at least it's one of my favorites. Vegetarian Black Bean.

Yummy. Healthy. Delicious.

love this song...

Love is Never-ending
Brad Paisley

Seasons come and seasons go;
One day sun, the next day snow.
Flowers die and flowers grow,
But love is never-ending.

You can't kill it with goodbye.
It always finds a place to hide.
Inside your heart for your whole life,
Love is never-ending.

When the lights have all gone down
It'll still be hangin' 'round.
Even when you think it's lost, it can still be found.
When every memory has been made,
And the pages start to fade,
And every prayer you ever prayed is heaven bound,
When you think the ride is over,
You're back at the beginning,
Love is never-ending.

When a man and woman start growin' old
The fire of passion may grow cold.
But what they got still warms their soul -
Love is never-ending.

It keeps goin' on and on,
Long after we're all gone away.

Time may change what you believe,
But one day the truth will set you free.
Just have faith and you will see -
Love is never-ending.

today i am...

...Little Miss Bossy. If any of you have anything you need to be bossed around on, let me know. I'm happy to oblige.

I wish there were a Little Miss Motivated. I think just having that up would help motivate me. Almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I'll end my post with one of my favorite quotes. It seems so very true.

Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It
will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to
leave without regret. ~Robert E. Lee

dreams

I had a dream last night that I was at a Dallas Cowboys football game sitting next to Tom Landry. In my dream, I was thinking that I needed to make sure to get his autograph for my mom, but I didn't want to seem like one of 'those people' who clamored to get his attention. So, we just sat and talked about football. It was very exciting. Then, my dream continued on and I was standing on the sidelines with Joe Namath, who was holding a baby. The ball (which, now that I think about it, was a soccer ball, not a football) came flying towards us, and I said, "Don't worry, Joe. I'll get the ball; you hold the baby." Then, after kicking the soccerball back into the football game, I walked back over to Joe. I was laughing a lot and said, "Boy, that's one sentence I never thought I'd say." And I remember thinking I was clever. Isn't that strange? What could this dream possible mean?

On another note, remember these books? Little Miss Naughty, Mr. Messy, Mr. Happy, Little Miss Splendid.... There were tons of them. Anyway, I picked up a magnetic 'Mr. Men and Little Miss' mood identifier at Target. Today I am Little Miss Fickle. And believe me... I am fickle.

wishing it was rainy... or friday.

I'm at work. I don't want to be at work. Why can't the weekends last longer? If it was raining, I'd feel motivated. I'd feel determined to get stuff done to enjoy the next sunny day. But it's not raining.

If it was Friday, I'd work really, really, really hard to get everything that needs to be done in teh office done, and then would go work from home for the rest of the day (no meetings on Fridays) in front of my beautiful floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows.

But it's not raining, and it's not Friday. It's sunny and Monday.

The weekend was spectacular (and relaxing). I stretched my cooking skills on a couple of evenings. (On the menu: Barbecue-baked chicken, corn of the cob and biscuits; barbecue salmon, garlic potatoes and fruit; a delicious shredded chicken taco-type thing. Very good.) Saturday was spent at a farmer's market, and then a nice walk over the Stone Arch Bridge and through St. Anthony Main. Perhaps pictures will be updated soon. :)

All in all, it was a good weekend (love it) that has turned into a Monday (hate it).

it was a good night...

Well, I'm a horrible photographer using my camera phone, but I'll post these pictures anyway. I had a marvelous ride on Pippy and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful sunset. It was a evening that dreams are made of...

why is a rainy day more inspiring than a sunny day?

Rainy days:

• are cold.
• are wet.
• are not fun to be out in.
• inspire me to work hard.
• bring out the nostalgic person in me.
• remind me of Seattle.

Sunny days:

• are warm.
• are bright.
• are fun to be out in.
• inspire me to play.
• bring out the mischievous person in me.
• remind me of the Bahamas.

This is a relatively new discovery for me. Rainy days have suddenly made me very productive. I feel like I don't want to do anything except work and get things done. Maybe in anticipation and hope for upcoming sunny days when I'll want to be outside? Not really sure.

Anyway, I got so much done yesterday -- a rainy day. I love days like that. Today, however, may be a bit of a different story. I keep looking outside thinking that I want to go lay out by a pool somewhere. BUT, I'm going to inspire myself with thoughts of riding tonight. We're going to trailer the horses to a new area. I'm sure it will be a beautiful evening. Thus, I must get back to work so I can ride with a clear conscience.

happy/sad

My Dad's side of the family got together this past weekend in Montana for my Papa's 80th birthday party. I got this picture of the event, and it made me miss home so badly! I remember going out to my aunt and uncle's ranch for birthday parties. Sometimes they'd all come to our house. We always had so much fun. Everyone would be there. We'd eat cake, snack on appetizers, get the annual birthday spanking, open presents and play, play, play! I wish I could accurately describe how wonderful these birthday parties were. There was never a theme, never a time to leave, never a frown. Everyone was always smiling, laughing, teasing, and playing. We'd play 500 outside, hide and seek in the dark, chasing calves, holding kittens, ice skating in a flooded hayfield, freeze tag and football.

Looking at this picture takes me back to those days -- makes me long for those days. What a happy childhood I had. I would love to go back. Not that life isn't great now, but there's just something about the carefree days of youth.

a really good weekend...

After weeks and months of constant activity, I can happily say that I spent almost the entire weekend completely relaxed. I can't believe it's Sunday evening already, but it is. So, what did I do this weekend to relax? I:

• slept in until 9 on Saturday, and then took a three hour nap on Saturday afternoon.
• made fruit pizza.
• did a little laundry.
• took an impromptu trip to the theater to see 'The Dark Knight'. Best. Movie. All. Year.
• went to church this morning.
• had lunch today with my mom- and dad-in-law.
• watched Into the Wild this afternoon.
• polished my fingernails.

The rest of my evening plans include boneless buffalo wings from Applebee's and the Olympics, with a little Family Guy thrown in.

On a side note, I've been fighting a headache since Tuesday. I'm wondering if it's allergies? Do allergies strike this time of year? None the less, I purchased Claritin from WalMart today. We'll see how that works out.

the pressure is on...

...for a really good post. I'm feeling scattered, so am choosing to post in bullet points. :) This will be nothing more than an update on my life -- probably not the 'really good post' you all are looking for.

• First things first. On June 10, Ryan and I celebrated two years of marriage. We were apart for it, and it was during Nana's stroke; needless to say, it wasn't very romantic. Or happy. It just sort of was. But, that doesn't reflect how much I love my husband. It's amazing to me how there can be someone so absolutely perfect for me. I feel blessed to have him in my life. On top of that, it was so nice to have him during the time of loss with Nana. He stepped into a role that wasn't fun to fill, but was comforting to my family. I think I can pretty much sum it up with two words -- he's wonderful.
  
• Okay. Next thing. Work has been insanely busy. But, I feel like I'm growing in my job and learning new things. It can be tiring, but all in all, it's a great job with a good company.
  
• We've been spending lots of time out at Canterbury Park. I love that place. It's so nice to go sit out on the deck, take a book and read, do some people watching, listen to live music and just r-e-l-a-x. Sigh. I wish I were there right now. I highly recommend it to you all.
  
• Church has been busy. Ryan has been teaching the Wednesday night Bible study, and also Sunday School on Sunday morning. He's doing a good job -- his points are always thought-provoking and challenging. Reevaluating what life should look like through the lense of faith is never easy, but makes us grow.
  
• Birthday season has arrived for the Briese clan, so I feel like we've been celebrating up a storm. I love spending time with Ry's family and the kids.
  
• Finally, happy birthday to my Papa. He'll be 80! Wow! And, Papa and Grandma Bonnie are celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary this weekend. Very impressive. I love them so much!

i know it's time to post something...

... but I don't want to depress you all. I can seem to sit down to write something without it becoming sad... :(,