Pampered Chef - Erin!

So I have found a new thing for me to start working on: cooking! I have been to several of these Pampered Chef parties and I think I want one of everything in that darn book!! So to start off, I'm picking out a couple of things to begin my New Year's Resolution off on the right foot, a little late but it's better than never, right, as long as Joe lets me! The past couple of times, let's just say the house almost burnt down (well, almost is the key word) and the food just didn't turn out. So no matter what I do, I have to get moving on and trying cooking again. At these parties, everything is terribly expensive! If I was made of money, which I can honestly say I'm not, I'd keep on buying more. The last party I attended, I bought one item: a cute Irish-like trivet. We haven't used it yet, but I have plans for it! It looks great on the wall where it hangs at this present moment. The one I attended tonight, I ventured off in a different direction and bought a few items to start a good kitchen with:

• A 8" saute pan for Joe to cook me omelettes in the morning.
• Small batter bowl (glass) for Joe to mix things.
• A can strainer for me to use to drain out excess water, (i.e. cans of tuna) so I won't spill everything all over the stupid countertops any more.
• A stone for cooking Joe's pizza's on instead of the pizza over!

So if you have noticed the list of items seem to revolve around Joe.....yep, he's the cook, but I'm definately trying! He's not the best teacher, but you gotta try somehow! And I've actually used my spices, too, that we've had for over a year now! Who would have thought, Erin a chef! So, my new ventures seem to be promising. Since we started going to Meal Time here in Duluth, things seems a little easier, and more adventurous then we normally would be. But it is worth it. So if anyone has any good, yet easier recipes they would be willing to share, I'd greatly appreciate some ideas or recipes themselves!! Let me know and wish me luck!

Reconnecting With Friends

So I finally decided to join the world of Blogging! And, on top of it, I also joined Facebook! You can thank my sister for that one! Since I haven't had much contact with people since graduation, I thought it would be a good idea to try to relight those old flames/friendships and see how everyone is doing. It has been different, but interesting. I have had the opportunity to talk to people from High School whom I haven't conversed with since 1998! And I have also found out that we may be having a HS Reunion this summer, which may be a bust, but we'll see. I think it would be nice to talk to some of those individuals; however I really hated high school, in particular one individual, but I will leave his name out of this for now! So, if I'm lucky, he won't show up and he'll still be in jail when the reunion happens, I can only wish! (Normally, I do not wish bad things on people, but he was just a rude, inconsiderate individual whom I would do absolutely nothing for.)

Not only have I had the opportunity to discuss with high school friends, I have've been able to talk to people from college, ones that I thought I wouldn't see or hear from again. It has been a great feeling to know you are still loved and you did make an impression on people. I like the feeling of being wanted and liked. It just feels good! Sometimes all you need to hear is hello, and you get that warm, tingling feeling inside. Just to say 'Hi' is all ya need. I'm not too picky about things, but like I said before, I have been enjoying this time reconnecting with friends. I wish I had more of an opportunity to talk to others, but I don't want to seem like a stalker either, you have to be careful these days!*s* I do want to say thank you to all of you who do read this. I want you to know it means alot and I appreciate the fact you take the time to see how I am doing. I means the world to know I've done something good and others really do care!

Day By Day

Today was an ordinary day. Nothing much going on, none other than me not being able to get into my class on-line. Oh well, if I can't do it right now, I'll just have to do it later, right? Things are going well. Joe and I are planning a trip for August: some baseball games, a trip around Chicago, and relaxing! Nothing much but enough to get out and around. Joe just got another job, more to pay off some bills and save some money to work toward growing our family. So we'll see what happens. Life is what happens. I am looking forward to spending some time alone, yet I hate being alone. I don't know. Life. What a trip. Oh we are also looking at getting a puppy. Yep, a little Pug named Wally! A friend of mine at work has a pug and they need to find a home for it, and Joe actually said yes! I couldn't believe it! So I'm hoping we'll be good dog parents!! Starting out is worrying me but I think it's time to try something new. I've wanted a dog for a while and he finally agreed on something smaller. I'm a little worrried about being "tied down" but I've been told it is worth it. So I think we are giong to try one more time! It can't hurt, right?!

Baby works, #2!

My job allows me to work with all different types of people and various sizes. The best thing yet happened the other day. I have been very interested in working in the Neonatal ICU and was able to go up there with a co-worker who is "introducing" me to the unit and what she does. During some orientation, we got to go into the unit to work with a week old baby, born at 33 weeks. Basically, she was born seven weeks early!! She was in an incubator, keeping her warm of course.

Gail was working with her, checking out her tone, providin passive range of motion as well as checking out her movements, everything. Gail then asked me, "Do you want to hold her?" I was speech less!! Of course I did! I actually go to hold baby "B" for a few minutes, and got to feel what she felt like and really see how small she was. It was amazing! Absolutely amazing. For a body being so small, she was alive and moving and doing well! It was great!! I never thought I'd say I enjoy something like this, but it is the best feeling!

The good news, I don't have to be there all the time, but it is nice to be able to try something different. I am looking forward to seeing more little ones in the near future. Joe, of coure, was a little hesitant when I told him, because he is afraid of anything smaller than a football basically. He doesn't want me to get too close cause he isn't ready for a wee-one yet. So, I have to limit what I do for the sake of Joe! So more stories to come, hopefully!!

Awaiting acknowledgement

Well, thinking about all of this and things going on in life, I am feeling a little neglected and left out of things. We gradute from high school, move onto college, meet great people, graduate again, and then we all go our own ways. Life always treats us all differently. But what seems to bother me the most: No matter how hard to you try to catch up with others and find out what's going on, no one really wants to return the favor. I think it is hard, especially with everyone living distances apart from one another, but sometimes I really wonder why other don't try to make an effort. Maybe I was not or am not really part of the "group" of girls that are here, but I definately feel left out. Reading what's going on in other people's busy lives is great. Yet still, no one really cares about mine. Maybe I'm just whinning, that's possible, but I just don't like to feel like I'm left out anymore. The great news is: IT WON'T MATTER ANYWAYS. All others seems so busy with everyone else, that I just seem to get pushed off to the side. Hell, I found out Amber was pregnant this way, so maybe it's better I'm not included. I dont' know. I guess I am just a little bummed that I don't get recognition as others do. I'll say it is nice to hear how others are but it is also nice to have people acknowledge me once in awhile as well. So, I'm sorry for venting and sorry for complaining but I've said a lot, and I'll stop for now.

Baby Work!

So, I finished our taxes and Joe and I have already spent the money! Go figure! But the good news is what we spend some of it on: Two new pairs of SnowShoes!! We were so excited about the first time we went out snowshoeing together that we said if we had the money and they were resonable enough, we'd get a pair. Well, saturday we were at Fitgers for dinner with Joe's cousin and at Trail Outfitters, everything we 20% off, including the snowshoes! So we just had to do it while the price was right. The rest of the money though, we'll be paying off credit cards and Joe's mom.

But the best news came today. I got to go up to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with a co-worker and I got to watch and observe and work with a 36-week old baby boy! It was amazing to see what a premature baby can do and how to relate everything to what I had learned during school. For me, it is so much nicer to be able to put things with what I've learned. Hands-on is much easier for me! Anyways, the baby was adorable. Hopefully I'll be able to get to work more in the NICU as time goes on. There is so much more to learn, but now's the time to do so.

A Busy Weekend

Yesterday was my day off. I did a couple of errands and then had a therapy appointment for me neck. I think it is finally getting better, although, we will find out the true results of my MRI on Friday next week. Hopefully nothing will be wrong, but you never know there days. After running around, I came home and sat down to do our taxes. YEAH! THEY'RE DONE! And I can't wait to get our rebate back and pay off some of our debt. Thank god for school loans, lets just say that!

During my afternoon at home, I thought I'd start to pick up the house a little for the visitors we are having over on Saturday. I went downstairs to find one of our bottles of wine from our wedding, broken on the floor with wine all over! That explains why the cats haven't been keeping anything down these days! THEY WERE DRUNK! So I was on my hands and knees for an hour cleaning and cleaning some more. It's a great wine cellar, but things keep getting broken. We have to start fixing that I think.

After that, we went out to dinner with Joe's parents and his cousin and husband from St. Cloud. We went to Grandma's Saloon, not my favorite place, elts just say that. But oh well, it was free! It was great to sit and talk with Tiffany though. They are pregnant as well as all the other people in our lives these days, and is due in June. Good for them! I'm happy, yet jealous. Our time is soon to come, right? After Grandma's we went over to the Martini bar for a drink! Gotta love that place. I had a nice mixture of liquor, couldn't tell you what was in it though. Then we headed home for a nice night of SLEEP! In the morning, we watched a movie in bed, fell asleep again, and started working on my school work again.

This afternoon, Tiffany and Nate are going to come over and check out our house, they haven't seen it yet. After that, Joe and I are heading over to Trek Outfitters in Fitgers to pick up our new Snowshoes! It's a great new winter sport for the two of us and Joe actually doesn't mind it. So it's keeping us busy during the cold times of the year! I'll keep y'all posted as to what else is happening! Every day is a little different from the next!