NPR is the greatest and so is Juno.

I know I have mentioned that I travel for my work twice a week. I usually listen to audio books, sometimes I listen to the radio. Last week on my travels I had finished a book halfway through my trip and didn’t have another one to listen to (bad planning on my behalf).

I decided to listen to some good old NPR. I love their interesting topics and facts.

Infact, here are some things they talked about:

1) Aparently a new fad of crimes involve expensively dressed women getting massive amounts of botox and cosmetic surgies done. Racking up a HUGE bill. When it’s time to pay the women throw a fit when their fake or maxed out credit card is denied. Most of the time management drops the subject to avoid a scene. However, most salons are catching on to this and in one situation when the woman threatened to call the cops the management said “no, you don’t have to because I will” she ran out and blended into the sidewalk crowd. How sad is that? People aren’t robbing banks becuase they need money. They are robbing salons because their faces are “imperfect”. Evidentally, salons are now enforcing the pay before you get serviced adopted from gas stations when they had drive off problems. To me, this sounds like an excellent idea. NPR is the greatest.

2) Suntan lotions and spf chapsticks have a chemical, that I don’t remember the name, in them that can cause pregnancy complications such as premature births, low weights and some other stuff. The companies that make the products know about this for over 15 years and in a reccent report said they are “working on it”. However, they have not found another chemical to replace it that works as well. Woman are cautioned to stay out of the sun and avoid suntan lotion before and during prenancy. NPR is the greatest.

3) Ever wonder if the taxi driver is listening to you talk on your cell phone or your friend sitting next to you? In New Mexico a man was talking on his cell phone and mentioned that he had killed someone or was planning to kill someone (remember I was trying to drive and listen and the same time). The taxi driver overheard him and when the man exited the taxi he alerted the police what he had heard and the man’s description. When another taxi picked him up later that day the cops arrested him. Found out he was a construction worker and where his hotel was. Sure enough, there was a man’s body in his room. Be careful what you say… you may expose your secrets to a perfect stranger. And that’s why NPR is the greatest.

Secondly and finally, we bought Blue-Ray (spelling?) DVD of JUNO. Adam and I saw it together in the movie theater and I have been just dying to own it. I’ve watched it 3 times since Tuesday. I’m at the stage of started to learn the lines well enough to quote them. I’m not really sure why I enjoy it. I think it has something to do with it’s offbeat quirkiness. NPR is the greatest and so is Juno.

Better go to bed.

The times you just wanna shake someone…

I drive 8 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays for my job to collect samples. I don’t mind it because I get to see a lot of interesting things. Take this for interest.

I was on my way to the collection site when I stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom. Out of the corner of my eye I see a “young” girl (17ish) at the counter. On the way out I notice she has an enormous belly and I come to the conclusion she must be pregnant. No big deal, I see teenage pregnancy all the time. However…

After my collection, I stop at the same gas station to get some water and wash up. While I was uncapping my water in the car I see the same girl come out of the gas station. Waddling, I see her whip out a pack of cigarettes. I grab my steering wheel and a scream “what?!” out loud. I don’t think she heard me as she headed towards the dumpster but I sat there in horror and disappointment as she began to smoke.

I wanted to shake her, snub out her cigarette, tell her off and give her $20, all at the same time. I’ve read the consequences of smoking while pregnant. While not deadly I can’t believe someone would knowingly hurt their chances for a perfectly healthy baby. I don’t smoke but I know smoking is addictive. I have watched my dad try and successfully quit after almost 15 years of smoking. It was amazingly hard.

Habits are hard to break. For instance, I bite my nails. While not toxic for babies while pregnant, just gross. However if someone told me it could ruin my chances of a happy baby I would quit, at least for the pregnancy.

Maybe I care too much for the human race. Maybe I am getting older and feel the need to reach out to a younger generation. No matter what to reason, it took everything I had not to get out of the car.

Easter Sunday and Greyhound Running

It’s Easter and besides eggs filled with candy, girls in nice dresses, and fingers stained with egg dye comes the overflowing churches filled with unusually high attendances of people at churches.

I currently am one of them. 

I find this funny how by going to church on Easter Sunday and Christmas the average American considers themselves a good Christian. Easter Sunday: check. Christmas: check. It’s like the rest of the year doesn’t matter as long as you make it to the “important ones”. I wouldn’t want to be a pastor the week after Easter.

I can’t say I’m a good Christain because I know I’m not. Adam and I have not taken the time to find a church in Ames we like nor do we travel back home every Sunday to attend our hometown church. This is my downfall. I know in my heart I should find a church, but when it comes down to it, it slips down the lines on my to do list for next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. Maybe I should actually work on that. Hopefully by writing this online I will try to look for a new one.

Topic switch. We heard from Adam’s parents’ neighboor (bad English) that the Cyclone sports complex just south of Flying Burrito has gated areas. Today before we left for Iowa Falls, we took the greyhounds there. It’s kind of run down and abandoned. However, Razzy and Sohpie don’t care because they ran and ran. They had so much fun. I was amazed at how fast the two actually can be. I know greyhounds are fast, but I never realized how fast.

Razzy is the beautiful runner built for speed. She has the most amazing form. She loves to run. Sophie on the other hand, could care less about the act of running. She only enjoys to chase Razzy. And chasing she does. She has the worst form I have ever seen. She does this hopping/loping thing. However, she can outrun Razzy if she wants to.

Both are fun to watch and they were pretty tuckered out afterwards. I would say it turned out to be a good day. We decided to try to make it a weekly/bi-weekly thing.

Better go eat. 

Birthday Candles Gone Wild and so have the Girls!

The weekend before St. Patrick’s Day a group of girls and I decided to get together and celebrate. We had a pre-Minnesota party where we celebrated my very belated birthday. It was really fun, that is, until I decided to set my hair on fire. Don’t get me wrong it was very funny. I think I laughed and laughed because I was so nervous the left half of my head was gone. Let me explain.

I was trying to get all my candles blown out in one breath and since there were on each individual cupcake they were spread apart. I was trying to look cool and I assumed all the front ones were out leaving the back corner one left. Well, they weren’t. Two mischevious candles were still lit and I bent over to expell the very last of my air when I heard a sudden whoosh in my left ear. That’s right. My hair went up in flames. Luckily, as soon as it went up it went out. I didn’t even realize what had happened until two of my gals started screaming. I started laughing nervously, so did they. I believe one even started crying; not sure from the screaming or laughing.

My hair wasn’t completely ruined, the ends were just nubby and my whole jaw line was singed. All I’m thankful for is that I wasn’t bald and my skin wasn’t burned.

Even after that excitment, the four of us decided to go to Minnesota the next day. We surprised one of the gals’ boyfriend who was on “tour” with his a cappella choir. Man, they were angelic. I now wished I would have bought a CD. Many a memories came from this trip including irregular bowel movements, changing in a gas station, numerous occasions of being lost, glitterization at the mall, fire alarms at the Days Inn, etc. I’m so glad I went. Even though I felt a cold coming on, I would trade those memories for anything.

ps- I have lost a total of 5 pounds since Christmas. Not a whole lot, but I have lots of muscles to show for it. Nevertheless, I’m still motivated.    

Updates

I fear that I have gotten out of the habit of writing. Sad. So here’s to  a promise, online, that I try to write in here whenever I have time.

Adam and I are addicted to UFO Hunters. I’m not really sure why. I think its because when I was little I used to watch UFO, Unsolved Mysteries, Ghost shows, etc. Yesterdays show was crazy because it had police reports. Not that I believe police are a better source than your average citizen, but I feel they have more at stake with their work than others.

After drawing on Tuesday night Adam and I went to Wal-Mart to get toilet paper and other stuff. When we returned we stumbled upon Razzy and Sophie after they had decided they should investigate my colored pencils and eat the colored parts out of the middle leaving chunks of wood all over. Nearly all of them were broken in some form. Also, they managed to knock down the fish food and eat nearly an entire can. Sometimes I wonder what goes through their heads. I know greyhounds are known for having separation anxiety and can be destructive. However, they have never destroyed anything clearly put out of the way. I was more fearful of their health, eating the stuff in the middle and fish food than I was upset. Prisma colored pencils are expensive, but my dogs are more important, I need to remember that.

Gross Story: The funny part. Adam walked the both of them the next day and he told me they had the most wonderfully colorful poop he had ever seen. Then after I got off of work I took the Soph out and her pee was bright orange, I kid you not. It was crazy!

Sorry, I warned you it was gross.

That’s all for now.

OH! Exercising has been going great! I’m really proud of myself. I do however need to up the cardio part because my heartrate tends to drop when I do my weights. I haven’t weighed myself in a while because I don’t own a scale ( I become an obsessive weigher). As soon as I do, I’ll update my blog. My attitude for exercising has changed from a chore to a time to ensure my health, future, and happiness.

Now, that’s all.

Job, Birthday & Fairs for Careers

Man, it’s been a very long time since I’ve written in here…

Not a whole lot has happened. I regretfully turned 24 on Valentine’s Day. I do have to say I have not had to tell anyone how old I am yet so I can still deny it for a little longer. 24… ew. I guess getting older a part of life. At least I don’t feel 24.

Exercising has been going okay. I had a mild detour during my birthday. Thankfully Sunday I started back up again. I took Adam out to Dublin Bay on Monday for a pre-career fair pump up dinner. Dublin Bay was really good. Neither Adam or I had ever been to it and the food was very enjoyable. Our friends Sarah and Owen would go there quite frequently when Owen was in town and they always had good things to say about it.

Speaking of career fairs, Adam and I went to the Engineering Career Fair on Tuesday. We had to go buy suits on the previous Saturday for it. We actually found a suit that fit for Adam. He is rather tall and very skinny so when I saw that they were having a 75% off sale. I was both pleased (about the price) and nervous (about what was left). I was very afraid that even if the did carry a size that fit Adam, they were all gone because of the sale. Luckily we found one matching jacket/pant combo that fit him! I couldn’t believe it. Just when we were about to give up there it was, dark charcoal with a pale blue pinstripe. Sweet. Oops. Got off track about the Career Fair.

The Career Fair was pretty hopin’. Adam talked to Caterpillar, DAXCON, and Air Force Edward Flight Testing. We were planning on talking to Rockwell Collins but at 5:35pm there was three lines with 8 people in each line. Adam decided to skip it. I was a little disappointed that Hamilton Sundstrand wasn’t there. I’ve been researching them and for how big they are and their amount needed engineers I wondered why they didn’t come to the fair. Anyone of the companies Adam talked to are fine with me. Caterpillar is based in Peoria, IL and is starting up an Aerospace department for the systems/control stuff and Peoria is also has a huge USDA center. woot, woot.

As of Monday February 18th I became a Federal employee of the USDA. I’m pretty pumped about it. Monday was Presidents Day and since it was a federal holiday I got paid while I had the day off. Double sweet.

Well I think I’m going to go draw.