Snowed in!

This is my first time ever being snowed in. The city has practically shut down-- emergency services only, all flights cancelled, and schools cancelled- making it an extra-long Christmas Break for us all! YAY!!!! My only concerns now are: 1. getting to the airport on Monday, and 2. actually taking off in the plane to Cali.

We have received about 2 feet of snow in the last 24 hours, which just so happens to be a record in this town. We have so much snow and nowhere to move it all to get it out of our way. I am watching the news as I write this, and it looks like there are more winter storms and an artic front from Canada on the way... snow for Sunday and Monday.

My roommate and I had to dig out her car in the parking lot of our apartment complex. We thought we would be smart and switch parking spaces so she can park closer to the apartment (where my car is), and I would move my car to the hard-to-reach space since I wouldn't need it while out of town (plus, I can't drive in this amount of snow, anyway). The task served as a good source of entertainment for a few hours. I thought I would post some pictures, but mind you, the pics don't do the situation justice!

Big truck pulling out another big truck that was stuck

That's my roommate by her car. DUDE, where's your car??

My neighborhood

Of course, I had to get a photo! I'm 5'2", so do the math!

The "monster" car we're digging out

Digging my car out from under the carport (notice the amount of snow on the hood)

That's right- TWO feet! No one can move in this mess!

So, we've resolved to the fact that we can't really get anywhere. The cars were getting stuck in the rest of the snow in the parking lot, so we finally gave up after two hours and came back inside. I'm still cold... Since Christmas shopping is mostly done, no worries there. It looks like we're left with watching our movie collection, Christmas baking, and BLOGGING! Enjoy what's to come.

S.N.O.W. STORM!

It took me 2 1/2 hours to get home from work tonight. Considering my normal commute time is about 25 minutes, GOOD GRIEF!! The Inland Northwest was hit by a big winter storm today causing a lot of folks to leave work early. Considering that I did leave early, and that there was ample snow and people on the road, I'm glad I finally got home... alive. The weather is so bad that the city has declared all roads technically closed- you can't go anywhere. I might not have to go to work tomorrow...

The saving grace tonight was the consideration and safe driving of others I shared the road with. The worst thing about winter weather is not the weather itself, it's the other drivers that don't drive safely. There were several instances on the way home when someone normally would have cut another person off or sped around someone, but there was A LOT of patient waiting. Of course, that doesn't mean that ALL people were courteous-- we still had those village idiots out driving.

Thank you, citizens of Spokane (especially those waiting with me on the Maple Street bridge), for your courtesy. Stay safe and warm out there! There's more to come!!

Ahhh, Saturday Morning!

I'm sitting here writing this as I'm drinking my homemade peppermint mocha and eating eggs and hash browns (yes, I know it's almost lunchtime but I love breakfast on Saturdays!). I am looking out the window and seeing white snow everywhere, covering the ground and trees- very pretty! The wind is blowing pretty hard so the snow is flying and swirling around. Brrrrr! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to winter! Here's a photo of the current view out of my apartment window:

I haven't really blogged much in the past several weeks-- anything of major importance, anyway. I love, LOVE having down time in the evenings and on weekends. Having been in school for soooooooo (oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo) long, it's nice to finally have the ability to sit back and relax. My major projects have been Christmas gifts, making things for family, friends, and co-workers. In fact, I really feel that this Christmas should be more about simplicity, like homemade gifts, simple acts of service, and gratitude, instead of the usual tendancy to go for broke (literally) during the holiday season.

Life should be about acts of service and gratitude, anyway-- for the WHOLE year. C'mon, the whole reason why we even have a Christmas holiday is because Jesus Christ came to the world to serve His Father's children and show us how much they love us. At any rate, because of these thoughts, I'm seriously considering taking stuff back to the stores that I've purchased, and instead giving "meaningful" gifts.

What are your thoughts about Christmas giving this year?

Answer to Brain Teaser Post Below

I almost forgot to post the answer!

The builder had forgotten the house numbers. The cost is $1 per digit, so Robert spent $3.00.

Get Out of the Food Rut

Want some yummy ideas for home-cooked meals? It's cheaper to eat at home, so why not make it delicious?!

Head over to the Food Network website and check out recipes created by some of the most amazing chefs in the country. There's a cuisine to suit your taste buds!

Seriously??

I read this article over lunch today, and it just made me angry with people who could ever think to hurt a child!

Chained teen shows up at Calif. gym, 2 arrested (Tue Dec 2, 1:03 PM EST)

A husband and wife have been charged with torture and other counts after a bruised, terrified 17-year-old showed up at a gym with a chain locked to his ankle, claiming he had just fled his captors, authorities said Tuesday.

Kelly Lau Schumacher, 30, and Michael Schumacher, 34, were arrested late Monday, said Matt Robinson, a spokesman for police in Tracy.

They had been taken into custody for questioning earlier in the day at their home in Tracy, where the emaciated boy was allegedly held against his will. A search of the home turned up evidence implicating the couple, Robinson said. Tracy is about 60 miles east of San Francisco.

They were charged with torture, kidnapping and child abuse, and were set to appear in court Thursday, officials said. Bail was set at $1.2 million for Michael Schumacher but his wife's bail had not been set, authorities said.

Police said they were searching for a third suspect but wouldn't give details.

The boy turned up half-naked Monday at the In-Shape Sports Club, near the couple's home. It's not clear how he ended up in Tracy; authorities said he ran away last year from a foster home in Sacramento, about 70 miles to the north.

Robinson said the boy was confused when approached by detectives Monday, unsure where he had come from and how long had been held against his will. He was taken to a hospital.

"The wounds he had and his physical condition as well as having a chain around his leg corroborated his basic statement that he was being held against his will," Robinson said.

Chuck Ellis, a manager of the In-Shape Sports Club, said the boy came into the fitness center Monday afternoon wearing only boxer briefs, covered with what appeared to be soot. Ellis says the teen was scared someone was going to come after him and asked to be hidden.

"He said `Don't let them get me, don't let them get me,'" Ellis said. "He was totally terrified."
Ellis said the teenager told him he was picked up after running away from the foster home to look for his family and that he had been held for almost a year. Ellis said he looked like he was only 10 to 12 years old.

Robinson said detectives plan to interview the boy more Tuesday when he is a "little healthier."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Here's the link if you want to see it for yourself: click here

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a belated Thanksgiving post! I started one Thursday morning while I was watching the Macy's parade on T.V., which I haven't done in years, by the way. Unfortunately, I got up from the computer and never made it back to finish my post.

At any rate, Thanksgiving was a good day. It was the first of my four days off from work (nice!). I kind of vegged a bit, then baked TWO apple pies from scratch. My best friend and I went to her sister's house where the family was gathered to eat. We all sat down at the table (courtesy of not one but two leaves in the table!) and passed the dishes around. I thought that was a very nice time because: 1) their family hasn't done that very often at large family get-togethers, and 2) it was nice to actually visit with each other over a meal. Every dish was great! Thanksgiving is just about my favorite holiday because I LOVE every dish! I also tried spiced wine for the first time, and that was yummy as well.

I slept in on "Black Friday" (or was it "Red Friday"?) because there weren't any sales I was dying to get up and freeze my butt off in line for. I'm glad I was patient because I finally stopped in at my store of choice (Target) in the afternoon and checked out the items I had on my wish list. I walked fast through the store and snagged every item I wanted (yesssssss!!). To top that all off, I even checked out fairly quick at the "10 items or less" lane. Now THAT'S what I call a successful shopping trip.

The rest of my weekend has been spent cleaning, organizing, rearranging, yoga-ing, and creating. Seeing as that's about 10 times as much as what I normally accomplish on any given weekend, I'm very proud of myself. And, I am extremely proud of my best friend and roommate for getting her stuff taken care of as well! It was fun to spend time with her this weekend and catch up on life. I'm looking forward to 2009 and really starting fresh and on the right foot (in a kick-ass apartment!!).

With all that said, I am closing this post. Monday awaits me... as well as my messy* office.

*Messy is defined here as an organized chaos of which I am only 70% responsible.

P.S. I only have THREE weeks until my two week Christmas vacation!

Holiday Happiness = Nutrition Awareness

I came across this blog posting from Nutrition Frenzy and thought I would share it. It talks about some of my concerns with the holidays... FOOD! I love, love, LOVE food but it can become a very bad thing if you hit up too many holiday celebrations. The posting has some good, practical tips, so read on!

Click here

Remember, you really are what you eat! :-/

Brain Teaser

Recently, Robert Hernandez moved into a brand new house. When he pulled up to the house, he discovered the builder had forgotten something. Robert went to the hardware store to correct this oversight. To buy what he needed, it would cost Robert $1.00 for 7, $2.00 for 10, and $3.00 for 100.What had the builder forgotten and how much did Robert pay for 210?

'Tis the Season to Give...

With the current economic situation the way it is, many people are struggling to make ends meet. While I believe that people should be generous to others ALL the time, the holidays become an especially important time to show others that you care. If you're reading this and have been very blessed this year, I ask that you consider helping others out this holiday season and beyond. We all need to do what we can to help each other out! Below are some links to websites and charitable organizations that can use your support.

Samaritan's Purse : Help spread the joy and REASON for the SEASON!

AnySoldier.com : Send pick-me-up boxes to the men and women fighting for our country around the world. Get those packages out early so they arrive before Christmas!!

DigitalCharity.com : For those who like to help out individual people with various needs, check out this website.

If you really love me, you'll check out this website and make a donation for the kiddies!! The Spokane Guilds' School & Neuromuscular Center provides a "Mrs. Santa's Work Shop" for parents to come in and shop for new toys and games for their kids. It's just another service provided by the school to help out families during the holidays. And that's in addition to the amazing things the school does year-round. Read the information on the website and be amazed!

Home Town Tourist

My dad left today after spending 3 days here visiting me. :-( I enjoyed his visit. It was the first time I've seen him in a year and a half, and the first time in a long time that I had him all to myself!

We had so much fun getting around town and checking things out. It was cool for me because I got to see and do things that I haven't yet in the four years I've been here.

And the food...we hit up so many AMAZING restaurants-- we did not have one bad meal! Since I love food, I was practically in heaven for the past few days. Now I just need to be sure I finish up the leftovers (can't let the yummy stuff go to waste) and hit the gym to balance everything out.

Here's a photo of us at Riverfront Park. It's colder than it looks...

Entertaining

I'm an event planner by nature. I was like this when I was young, always throwing parties for my friends, and it hasn't stopped yet! I have an undergraduate degree that focuses on event planning (from the BEST school in the world, University of Nevada, Las Vegas), and now I manage events for a non-profit organization.

While some may think that "events" are just too big and too much trouble, I say nay. To me, an "event" is just an excuse to celebrate everyday life! The special touches you add to dinner, a cake, a card, etc. go a long way from the norm and can turn anything into an event!

Why not try some new things this holiday season? Make a fun Thanksgiving centerpiece or place cards with leaves (real or fake). Make personalized gift tags for your Christmas presents. Have a signature cocktail at your holiday party (and goodness knows if your family is there, better open up the whole bar!). ::wink::

If you want some modern, out-of-the-box ideas to jazz up your festivities, take a look at one of my FAVORITE blogs, Hostess With the Mostess.

Cleaning and Reminiscing

I have the day off work today thanks to many, many, MANY brave people who fought for our country. Many of those people gave up everything so I could sleep at night. That's the ultimate sacrifice-- giving up your own life for the sake of someone else's. Reminds me of the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, for the very same reasons. In order to save my life, He gave up his own.

So, because of those brave and important people, I am at home today. The goal? TO CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!!!!!! My dad is coming to visit me in three days for the first time in four years, so that is super motivating factor. It's not like I'm a slob or anything, but when you work full-time, go to school full-time, try to start a business, and have two cats and a life, things get kind of hectic and the organizational factor goes waaaaaay down at home (at least for me). I acquired a TON (literally) of stuff to open a business, and since the storage unit is stuffed floor to ceiling, a lot of stuff ended up in my apartment wherever I could find the room.

I am the kind of person who has "organized messes." I usually know exactly where things are in the chaos, and if I move it, then I am up a creek without a paddle and can't find anything. However, I can only deal with organized messes for so long. Then I snap and freak out because I feel internally cluttered because my external world is cluttered. So, for the reasons stated above, I have acquired a large "organized mess," but I am determined to purge and be rid of it THIS WEEK!

This posting is a break from cleaning. As I was going through stacks of pay stubs, student loan papers, old day planners, cards, notes, and letters, a thought occurred to me. I felt like at that moment I was not only on a quest to see my bedroom floor again, but I was taking a personal trip back through time. I've been in a reflective state lately, thinking about life experiences and old relationships, and the what-ifs from all of that (what-ifs are BAD, BAD, BAD!!). For me, cleaning and organizing my home to prepare for a visit has much more meaning than simply having a clean kitchen floor or nice vacuum lines in the carpet. I find that it gives me the opportunity to free my mind and revisit days gone by as I go through old mail and other stuff. Does anyone else feel the same?

All I Got Was This Stupid Blog

I decided that I was going to join the blogging world, but it took me two hours to come up with a name for my blog. Yeeaaah, great start! At any rate, I have pretty random and scattered thoughts, so how about sharing them with the world?