New Project.

Sunday I spent my entire day upstairs. This is a new thing for me. I woke up in the morning and took my knitting up with me. Then we ended up watching TV together until the NASCAR race came on. Dad wanted to watch it (like always) so I said ok, I'll be downstairs. He said he didn't want to watch it if I was leaving. That's right, dad was going to give up NASCAR for me. So I decided to just go get my computer so I could watch Law and Order upstairs (with headphones of course).

So while the race was on I watch SVU and knitted, until I ran into a large problem . . . I was out of black yarn! Bah! So I got off my butt and made dinner (teriyaki chicken with this amazing teriyaki vegetable dish), which turned out to be incredibly good.

After dinner I started Justin's hat. I had promised that I would make him one after my scarf and I bought the yarn to do so. I found a pattern for the hat online from another blog, Groovy Mom. It was a fairly simple pattern, but the fact that I hadn't yet learned anything beyond the basic stitch, meant that I had to learn how to do that too. I found a site where I could learn various knitting stitches. So I got the hat started, and talked to Justin on Skype until I went to bed.

Day 217:

one of her favorite positions.

Day 217:

me.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The sound of E.T. walking was made by someone squishing her hands in jelly.

"All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness."

-Mark Kennedy

Red.

Friday night until early Saturday morning I didn't sleep well at all. I think I was so worried that I would sleep through my alarm and not call Justin. I called him at 630 to make sure he was up for his exam. He was, so we talked for a couple minutes then I rolled over and went back to sleep. Luckily for me, I was able to sleep into the afternoon.

In fact, I was only awake for about ten minutes when Justin called to say that the first four hours of his test were over. We talked through his lunch break then when he had to go back I went upstairs and got some food and worked on knitting for a bit. Then I decided to take a shower and get ready to go outside and take my pictures of the day.

After I took my pictures I spent some time knitting and watching SVU and when Justin got home I talked to him for a while before heading to bed.

Photos:

Day 216:

found it there.

Day 216:

new makeup?

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

-Kahlil Gibran

Halloween Shopping.

Friday I watched SVU and knitted for a while. Then in the afternoon Dad came down to see if I would like to go to town with him to get some stuff. I wanted to run into the party supply store and he had to get a new chainsaw and we needed groceries. So, obviously, I went. He ended up taking forever getting his chainsaw, while I sat in the truck freezing to death. >_<

We went grocery shopping. Dad and I looked at Halloween stuff (see picture of the day for evidence) and got our candy for Halloween. He needed some for trick or treaters and I needed some for my costume. We got our groceries and headed home.

After we got home, Dad and I made dinner, spaghetti. We ate, then I went down to my room to talk to Justin. While we Skyped, I watched SVU and worked on my scarf some more. Justin had to get to bed, as did I. He had a test the next morning and I promised to give him a wakeup call.

Pictures:

Day 215:

Dad wanted to dress up as Justin for Halloween.

Day 215:

knitting in a sweater, per Justin's request. :)

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The names of the two stone lions in front of the New York Public Library are Patience and Fortitude. They were named by then-mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title."

-From Scooby-Doo

New Things.

Thursday I spent my day blogging, surfing the net and watching SVU. I would say SVU is my guilty pleasure but I don't feel bad about watching it. In the evening I went upstairs and my parents requested I make dinner. I made teriyaki crab with green beans over rice. I liked it. My parents thought it was ok. I think the teriyaki was too strong for them. Oh well, I tried.

After dinner I got a shower and watched Survivor while Skyping with Justin (and Katie for part of it). When Survivor was over Justin left to go out to Waldo's and I decided to teach myself how to knit. I started a scarf for myself. It's purple and black, I promise to have a picture with it when it's all done.

Justin came home while I was knitting and watching more SVU. We talked for a while and planned out our visiting schedule (who would go where) through the first of December. After that it will just be whenever he wants to come here since I have fire school from December 7 thru the end of April, except for a break for Christmas and New Years. Then we said goodnight and went to bed.

Here are the pictures:

Day 214:

my eyelashes for Halloween.

Day 214:

at my desk.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Each of the suits on a deck of cards represents the four major pillars of the economy in the middle ages: heart represented the Church, spades represented the military, clubs represented agriculture, and diamonds represented the merchant class.

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives."

-Clay P. Bedford

Autumn Rain.

Yesterday I slept in. I know, not really a shocking revelation is it? Shortly after I got up Ben texted me to see what time we were going to lunch (we had talked the night before about having lunch for my birthday, a day late) I realized it was almost 1230 so I told him two would be great and got in the shower. I got ready and met him at the Chinese restaurant in Cheboygan. I love Chinese food, and so does he, so that's the restaurant we most often visit together. We finished lunch and headed our separate ways.

I went and picked up a prescription for Mom then did some grocery shopping. I also got the rest of my Halloween costume! I was so excited to get it finished. Then I headed home. It had been pouring rain all day and was no different when I got to the house, but I decided to go outside and take pictures in the rain anyhow.

When I was done taking pictures I spent some time online before having dinner with my parents. We ate and then I talked to Justin for a bit online before going to bed.

Here are the pictures:

Day 213:

wet leaves.

Day 213:

yes, I was getting soaked.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:
On the new hundred dollar bill the time on the clock tower of Independence Hall is 4:10.

“The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.”

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

My Birthday.

Yesterday was my birthday! Unfortunately that isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds. I felt kinda crappy and was just not in a happy mood. So I spent most of my day locked in my cave watching Law and Order and browsing the internet. Around four, I decided I should probably get myself ready. So I got up and took as shower and got ready to leave the house.

Once I was ready, we had cake and ice cream for my birthday (my parents and I did) and I opened their present. They got me an external hard drive for my computer, which I really needed as I have no more space on her whatsoever. And they told me I can get Beatles RockBand, but I need to find it.

After we were done celebrating I went outside to take pictures. On my way out Justin' called! :) With him being in class all day, evenings have become, by far, my most favorite part of the day because it is the only time I get to talk to him. So, I talked to him and took pictures. Then we had to leave so I had to let him go.

Dad and I had a Fire Association meeting in Alverno. It wasn't all that exciting either. Other than the fact that Danny made me stand up and introduce myself, even though most everyone in the room knew me. Bah. I always feel awkward in those situations. I know, you are shocked. :P I also got my schedule for fire school, turns out it will be EVERY Monday and Thursday night and EVERY Saturday. >_<>

I got home just before Justin went to bed. We talked about how wrong we both were about Facebook birthday wishes. I guessed I would have ten posts, he guessed seventeen, it was in the mid-forties by midnight. He had to get some rest though, so I told him goodnight, then went to bed shortly there after myself.

Pictures:

Day 212:

man I love fall.

Day 212:

outside.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:
The Neanderthal's brain was bigger than yours is.

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."

-Carol Bishop Hipps

Drive North.

Monday Justin had to be to school early so I said an half-awake goodbye to him and went back to sleep. He was nice enough to set an alarm for me so I would make it home before Mom had to go to the doctor. Turns out I couldn't sleep that long, I got up a while before my alarm went off, oh well. I finished packing my stuff up and got dressed and ready for my trip home. I loaded the car and left. On my way out of town I stopped at Big Apple an got breakfast, then went to Meijer to return a shirt that I had bought that didn't fit right. Then I stopped at Sweetwaters (the doughnut shop) and got my half dozen free doughnuts for my birthday. After I picked them up I headed home.

Four and a half hours later I made it here. I spent some time talking to my parents before they had to leave for my mom's appointment. I spent the next few hours working on uploading pictures. I ate dinner with my parents. After dinner I worked on my blog and talked to Justin for a while before going to bed, at like three in the morning! Bah!

Pictures:

Day 211:

the camera Justin got me for my birthday.

Day 211:

back home.

♥Sara

Random Fact of the Day:
The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million.

"Natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart Americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams."

-Mary Ellen Kelly

bd's Birthday Dinner.

Sunday we woke up after one. Yes, you read that right, one in the afternoon. We were both exhausted. And ya know how I mentioned not feeling good most of the last week or so? Yep, felt like shit when I woke up Sunday. I swear to cow, my stomach hates me. Seriously.

Anyhow, so we woke up, laid in bed and talked for a while and finally got up and started cleaning. It looked like a beer delivery truck exploded in the living room and like dishes hadn't been done in two weeks in the kitchen. Justin attacked the kitchen and I attacked everywhere else. I filled two garbage bags with cans and bottles. I even found some in the bathroom! Insanity. Then I picked up and moved everything in the living room. My love was still in the kitchen when I was done so I asked him to please take a break so we could eat. We ate, then he sent me to bed because I felt like hell. Justin made the kitchen look amazing, and the living room, and the bathroom. I was impressed.

When he was done he came in and hung out with me for a bit before I had to get ready for dinner. I got showered and slowly got myself ready. Katie came up as I was finishing my makeup. We waited for Sarah to get home then went to Mongolian Barbecue. I had a free stir fry coming for my birthday, and coupons for both Katie and Justin. (Sarah wasn't hungry.) We had dinner and hung out for a bit.

After dinner, we went to Meijer. Justin said he would get me ice cream since I was such a cheap date. ;) And because he loves ice cream, almost as much as I do. He really is the best. When we got back to the apartment we watched an episode of Cougar Town while we waited for our stomachs to not feel so darn full. Then we ate our ice cream and watched another. We always get Ben and Jerry's and try to get a new kind every time. This time was triple caramel something. It was wonderful. After our ice cream was gone and our show was over we went to bed.

Here are the pictures:

Day 210:

my water glass.

Day 210:

on Justin's "bed."

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The first person selected as the Time Magazine Man of the Year - Charles Lindbergh in 1927.

"Soul-mates are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are always perfect for you."

-Author Unknown

(Ya'll know how I hate 'author unknown' quotes. But I love this one. . . it's perfect because I feel as though I have found two of mine. :) )

Central vs. Western Weekend.

Saturday I woke up to Justin running to grab his phone. His parents were calling to let us know that they were almost there. So I hurried up and got up and got my shower so I could be presentable when they got there. When I got out they had left to go get tickets. So I finished getting ready and hung out with Dan, Leah and Justin. Dan had gotten Leah flowers for Sweetest Day, which she had no clue about (the flowers or Sweetest Day)! It was hilarious. Justin and her were in the same boat.

Anyhow, once I was ready, the four of us went outside and made hot dogs. Well, Justin made hot dogs and the rest of us just kind hung out. Krissi came out and joined us. While we were outside, Dave's friends came and Justin's family reappeared. We hung out outside for a bit, then came in and ate and talked and watched football and watched Powersphere. Dan and Leah left. When three rolled around, we headed to the field.

Saturday was the Central Michigan University vs. Western Michigan University game. It was a bit cold, and packed, and we lost. Yep, pretty lame actually. But it was fun hanging out with Justin and his family and Katie joined us a bit later. After we finally gave up on the game, with twelve more minutes left, we went to Qdoba to eat. (Justin, his family and I did. Katie was lame and wouldn't go.)

When we got back to the apartment, Justin and I finished our series of Monopoly. I won. Er, rather, I crushed him. He was so sad. It made me sad to win, for the first time EVER. Right after our game finished, Blake, Krissi, Dave and Dave's friends came in. Justin's old roommates, Marc and Ben, stopped in. We ended up playing games and hanging out that night. We even had a strobe light dance party. (Bad idea for me, I thought I was going to pass out.) Overall, the day was simply amazing, aside from the fact that my stomach still doesn't feel the greatest.

Pictures:

Day 209:

we found this football, that was labeled "football." so, I added "American."

Day 209:

out in the grassy patch.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

It would take 11 Empire State Buildings, stacked one on top of the other, to measure the Gulf of Mexico at its deepest point.

"Most football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental."
-Doug Plank

My Birthday Party!

Friday Justin had to go to Grand Rapids to take his GRE. This means he had to get up early and when he did, I couldn't go back to sleep. So I got up, told him goodbye and set myself up on the couch. I spent my morning relaxing on the couch and watching Law and Order. Unfortunately, I couldn't go back to sleep.

Katie and Sarah had asked me if I wanted to go to Hobby Lobby with them, and I had said of course. So when they got home from school, we went and Dave joined us. I had to return a basket and get some stuff for my Halloween costume. After Hobby Lobby we went to Meijer. Everyone needed something.

Shortly after we got home, I got a shower and started getting ready for the evening. Justin got home fairly soon after I got my shower. We hung out for a while before we had to get ready to go to the Roadhouse. My cousin, Dan, and his fiancée, Leah, came over to see me for my birthday dinner. I got ready just before they got here. Then we all went down to the Roadhouse (Justin, Dan, Andy, Dan, Leah, Katie and I). More people met us there. We enjoyed dinner and just hanging out together. Justin got me a new camera for my birthday since my old one died. I think I talked about that on here at some point. It won't turn on anymore! :( It was an excellent camera and lasted over three years and well over 20000 pictures. I'm impressed.

Anyhow, after we were done at the Roadhouse we all came back to the 409. Katie got me a birthday cake so I made my wish and blew out my candles. AND I got to open my presents from Sarah and Katie. They are great! :D We hung out, played games, sucked helium out of balloons, and all around had a good time. Well, at least I did, I'm assuming everyone else did as well.

Photos:

Day 208:

lemon-lime?

Day 208:

balloons!

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Isaac Asimov is the only author to have a book in every Dewey-decimal category.

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."
-Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Caught Up!

Yesterday, I slept in. Go figure, I always sleep in. Justin and I had a lunch date planned so when I got up, I got a shower and got dressed. When I came out of the bathroom, Dan had just started Sin City, so I watched that with him while putting my makeup on. I eventually took a break and blew my hair dry. Shortly after I got ready, Justin came home.

We went to Big Apple Bagel for lunch. I told you, I love the place, and we had a buy one get one coupon. We ate lunch and talked for a while, then he had to get back to school.

He dropped me off at the apartment and I spent my afternoon working on blogging and watching Law and Order: SVU. I finally got all caught up, I was so excited. As you know, I was almost a month behind at one point. I was in the middle of my last blog when Krissi called asking me to come pick her up from class. Of course I would.

Just after I finished catching the blog up, Justin got home from school. He worked on some GRE studying. We hung out and talked for a bit, then we decided it was time for dinner. We called Sarah and Katie to see if they would want to join us for dinner at Hooters. (I called Krissi too but she had class.) So, the four of us went to dinner. I love hanging out with them. :)

After dinner, we dropped the girls off and went to Meijer to get some groceries. When we got home from Meijer, Justin worked on his stuff and I did some stuff online. We hung out for a bit and then went to bed.

Pictures:

Day 207:

Totoro.

Day 207:

:)

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.

"The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase: if you pursue happiness you'll never find it."

-C.P. Snow

Wild Bull.

Yesterday, YES YESTERDAY!!!!, was a far more exciting day than Monday and Tuesday put together. I got up and did my laundry. While I was waiting for my laundry to get done I worked on my blog some more. When my laundry was done I packed, then showered, got ready and left.

I drove down to Kalamazoo to spend a few days with my loves. When I got here Justin fed me the rest of his Asian salad I made. It's amazing. We sat around hanging out with his roommates and Krissi waiting for Katie to get home from work. I was excited to go to the Wild Bull because I hadn't been there since I came down and surprised Katie forever ago.

So, when Katie got home, we waited for her to get ready and then headed out. It was just Justin, Katie and I. Just like old times, as Katie kept saying. . . .even though it was only the three of us once. haha. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Bull. I rode, of course, I couldn't convince Justin or Katie to ride, of course.

After the Bull we went to Menna's. Throughout the summer, Katie and I would go to Menna's after going out and get some of their fries. So it WAS just like old times. :) We came back to the 409 and ate our Menna's and went to bed.

Pictures:

Day 206:

my best friend and her beer. lol.

Day 206:

I'm sure I would be the only one who would wear a turtleneck sweater into the bar!

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

When you die your hair still grows for a couple of months.

"Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness."

-Seneca

SVU.

Tuesday (October 13) I spent my day blogging again. And watching Law and Order: SVU. I have discovered how to play my Netflix on my computer. So, I watched ten episodes in two days. I love that show. (Caught a couple re-runs a couple weeks ago, and decided I wanted to watch more.) Anyhow, that is literally all I did all day. But I'm ALMOST caught up, so my lame posts should be ending soon!! :D

Here are the pictures:

Day 205:

dad got me hooked on sunflower seeds. :)

Day 205:

in my room, again.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Rhode Island is the smallest state with the longest name. The official name, used on all state documents, is "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."

"The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

Blogging.

Monday (October 12) I spent most of my day in bed. I had an awful stomach ache. In the process of doing nothing, trying to soothe my stomach, I worked on catching my blog up. At one point I was nearly a month behind, trying to catch up by my birthday means I have spent a lot of time working on this. And therefore, I will have a few very boring posts, I'm sorry! :)

Pictures:

Day 204:

bottlecaps are awesome!

Day 204:

i love my plaid pillow.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The first known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 B.C.

"Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves."

-Dale Carnegie

French Toast Bake.

Sunday (October 11) I got up and made breakfast. Ok, I lied, I got up and made lunch. lol. We had french toast bake and it was insanely amazing. After breakfast I hopped in the shower. When I got out, a lady from our church (she was my Sunday School teacher when I was younger) was at the house. I talked to her for a bit and then Justin and I went downstairs and. . . . let's see if you can guess it . . . yep, we played another game of Monopoly and watched more Two and a Half Men. By the end of the weekend, we had played four games, each of us winning two. It was great.

Justin had to go back to Kalamazoo and I had a fire meeting. He dropped me off at the station and headed home. Our meeting wasn't all that exciting. We went through our gear to make sure we had everything we needed. I was told to put my gear on because everyone would be doing training. Turns out it was just me doing training. I got my gear on and had the air pack strapped to me. I walked around with it on and crawled under some fences and crap. It was actually rather enjoyable. I hadn't used the air pack before so it was odd, but enjoyable. I was told that I might feel like I was suffocating, no true. I loved it. Anyhow, after we were done with our meeting Dad and I went home.

When I got home I worked on this, talked to Justin and went to bed.

Photos:

Day 203:

french toast bake. yum.

Day 203:

yep.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

"Every man is the architect of his own fortune."

-Sallust

Happy Birthday Shianne!

Saturday (October 10) Justin and I got up early, against both of our wills. My niece, Shianne had a basketball game at 945, so we had to leave by 915, and I needed to shower and get ready before that.

We made it to the gym before Shianne was even there! (I was rather impressed with us for that!) We watched the games. During the games we hung out with Jeremiah (my nephew) and my brother and sister-in-law and their friends. I went to high school with Dustin, a guy who lives with my brother and sister-in-law. So we were talking to him. He asked me what delicious dessert I made for my niece's birthday party (which was later on Saturday). I told him I didn't make anything because no one asked me but that I had made a delicious Blueberry Streusel Cobbler the night before. So I promised him I would bring him a piece when I came to the birthday party.

After the games were done we went back to my parent's house. I put together dinner (it needed to marinate) and we played another game of Monopoly. We have discovered we have a mutual love for that game. :) While we were playing the game, I made a necklace and bracelet for Shianne for her birthday. She always seems to love it when I make her jewelry, and we all know I love making it.

So, we went with my parents to Shianne's party. AND we were early! We are NEVER early for family functions, yet I was twice in one day! We had cake and ice cream, Shianne opened her gifts. We played with her and Jeremiah for a bit, and watched Jeremiah fight with EVERYONE there. When we left the birthday party we went to Ken's to get some groceries that we forgot.

We went home and Justin and I made dinner. It was delicious. Probably my favorite recipes of the weekend. After dinner, Justin and I started dessert, made more candy and put together breakfast. It needed to refrigerate for the night. When we were done making all of our stuff, we played one more game of Monopoly before going to bed.

Pictures:

Day 202:

they both have the cheesy smile going on.

Day 202:

in my room.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Karoke means "empty orchestra" in Japanese.

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich."
-Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, "Identity Crisis," M*A*S*H

Hot Tub.

Friday (October 9) I got up and made breakfast. Just before it was done I went downstairs and woke Justin up. We had breakfast, morning maple muffins. I love making food, lots of food. And the muffins were a new recipe. They turned out really well. When we got done eating, we cleaned out the hot tub. I got stuck being the one in shorts in the tub. It was effing freezing!! Anyhow, we got the hot tub all cleaned out and then we went in and I got a shower because I was so cold and needed to get warmed up.

After the shower, Justin and I played Monopoly and watched Two and a Half Men until it was time to make dinner. I was trying new recipes for dinner as well. They turned out really well. After dinner we made some candy, then had dessert.

When we were done eating dessert, Justin and I played another game of Monopoly before we decided to get in the hot tub. It was the first time in probably over a year that I was in it. I absolutely love sitting out there on a cold night in the hot water. Hmm, sounds so good right now. Anyhow, after we were done in the hot tub we went to bed.

Photos:

Day 201:

Justin, monopoly, and snacks. perfection.

Day 201:

not prepared for the cold. =/

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear.

"There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them."

-Sylvia Plath,The Bell Jar

Shop and Clean.

Thursday (October 8) I got up and started cleaning. I had a whole list of cleaning stuff I wanted done before Justin got there. I finished cleaning my bedroom, it was spic and span when I was done. Then I cleaned the bathroom, living room and kitchen upstairs. Oh and I gave Bridget a bath. . . it was well overdue. When my cleaning was done, I finished my grocery list and got a shower and got ready to go grocery shopping and see Justin shortly thereafter.

I went to Wal-Mart and did the grocery shopping as well as got some stuff for Shianne for her birthday. While I was at the store Mom called to see if I wanted pizza for dinner. So, when I was done shopping I stopped and picked up the pizza and headed home. I got there just after Survivor started. I watched Survivor with my dad and then put some finishing touches on my cleaning stuff (finished my laundry, aka bedding, mopped the floor, etc.). Just as I was finishing my stuff Justin got there! :)

We hung out with my parents for a bit before heading downstairs. We hung out, talked and watched tv for a while before going to bed. I missed him so much and was so happy to have him back with me for a few days!

Here are the pictures:

Day 200:

my bed, made. that doesn't happen very often.

Day 200:

sitting on my bed.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

According to suicide statistics, Monday is the favored day for self-destruction.

"It's all in the attitude - housework is exercise. Slim your way to a clean home!"

-Linda Solegato

Cleaning.

Wednesday (October 7) my mom came home from the hospital. When I found out she would be coming home I decided I should really clean the upstairs some before she got home. I had been working on my jewelry stuff up there all week and, well, it showed. So I spent my afternoon cleaning. When mom got home I spent some time with her before retreating to my cave for more cleaning.

I cleaned my bedroom, worked on my blog and talked to Justin before heading to bed.

Pictures:

Day 199:

the bouquet Justin got me, dried.

Day 199:

in my room.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

In the early days of the telephone, operators would pick up a call and use the phrase, "Well, are you there?". It wasn't until 1895 that someone suggested answering the phone with the phrase "number please?"

"I think housework is the reason most women go to the office."

-Heloise Cruse

Mess.

Tuesday (October 6) I spent my morning and afternoon working on my blog and a couple more necklaces. I also watched tv for a while before starting my cleaning spree. I started in my bedroom in the basement. It was a DISASTER. I don't really know how it got to be so messy, well actually I do. When I work on stuff, crafty stuff, I make a huge mess. And I had just neglected to clean it up. When I got done cleaning for the day I talked to Justin for a while before going to bed.

Here are the pictures:

Day 198:

my boxes in my parent's family room.

Day 198:

in the family room.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had.

"Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth."

-Ludwig Börne

Exciting? Nope.

Monday (October 5) was not an exciting day by any measure of the word. I spent my day blogging. In between writing blogs I worked on a couple new pieces of jewelry. I got two more necklaces done. I WILL have Needs More Sugar up and running by my birthday (October 20th), just as I WILL have this up to date by then!!! :)

Photos:

Day 197:

my netflix movies.

Day 197:

closeup.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Odontophobia is the fear of teeth.

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop."

-Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

Movies.

Sunday (October 4) we got up and had breakfast/lunch. We spent the late morning/early afternoon watching football with Dave. We were planning on going to a matinée to see The Invention of Lying. So I got my shower and got ready. We made it to the movie on time. I had been looking forward to the movie from the time that I saw the first preview. Well, it was seriously the most disappointing movie I have ever seen in theaters. If it wasn't for the fact that I kept hoping it would get better I would have walked out. Seriously, all it did was bash religion for over half the movie. And it wasn't funny. At all. Justin didn't even find humor in most of it, so it's not just that I'm a Christian. Bah! I was so furious.

Anyhow, we got back home and Justin had to work on his homework. While he did that I worked on my blog and uploading and editing pictures. When Katie got out of work she came up and we decided to go to dinner together. The three of us went to Qdoba and ate and talked.

When we got back we watched the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Now, I had about the exact opposite feelings about the Curious Case of Benjamin Button compared to the Invention of Lying. It was an excellent movie. I loved it. And that one I would recommend to anyone. :) After the movie we went to bed.

Pictures:

Day 196:

the necklace Justin helped me make.

Day 196:

on Dave's amazing couch.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator.

"There's something in every atheist, itching to believe, and something in every believer, itching to doubt."

-Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

The Prestige.

Saturday (October 3) Justin and I got up and Krissi called us to see if we wanted to have panwaffles with her. She made pancakes into waffles. Of course, we agreed. So we had breakfast with her and then she was going to watch the U of M vs. MSU game so we went back upstairs to watch the Prestige. Our movie was coming to the end when Krissi called to see if we were watching the game because she couldn't handle it. We told her no, but we would turn it on so she could come watch with us. So, we paused our movie and watched the last 21 seconds of the game, where U of M tied it up. Then we watched overtime, where MSU ended up winning. It was intense though, mainly because Krissi was intense, haha.

Krissi left to get her cleaning done and we watched the rest of our movie. The Prestige was great. I really want to watch it again now that I know what happened. I love watching movies like that more than once because I always pick up on more stuff the second time around. I would totally recommend it, but also recommend paying attention very closely if you do watch it.

Justin and I had been talking about going to IHOP all weekend. I ABSOLUTELY love IHOP. (I'm realizing I spend A LOT of time talking about food on here!) So we went there and I got my crepes as always and we tried stuffed french toast for the first time. OMG. . . amazing! After IHOP we went to Hobby Lobby. Justin needed some stuff for his Halloween costume and I wanted to look at beads. They happened to be having a half off sale on the stuff I wanted so I picked some up, oh and he got the stuff he needed as well.

While we were at Hobby Lobby, Krissi called to see if we would stop somewhere and get her Funyons (spelling?) because she had a craving for them. Who craves them!?!? Anyhow, so we stopped at Target and picked them up for her since we were supposed to be having a party with the girls that night. When we got back to the 409 we found out that they wouldn't be having a party and were going to watch a scary movie instead. Justin and I weren't down for that, neither was Dave. So the three of us were hanging out upstairs discussing what to do when Evan walked in. Turns out he was told about the party as well and since 4 was dark he automatically assumed it was in five.

Since he showed up there were five of us and we decided to play a game of poker. Evan gave us this load of crap about how he never plays and has never won a pot. Well he won. Jackass. ;) And Dave took second. I had awful hands all night. The game ended right about the same time that SNL was starting so he left to watch that. Krissi came up and Krissi, Dave, Justin and I played a game of Euchure. Then she left and Dave played a game of Buzz with us. Then we went to bed.

Here are the photos:

Day 195:

my cup and chips.

Day 195:

forgot my picture again. (happens often!)

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

President Kennedy was the fastest random speaker in the world with upwards of 350 words per minute.

"Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead."

-Jackie Robinson

Happy Birthday Dan.

Friday (October 2) Justin and I got up and had breakfast, well lunch. We hung out for a little bit before he had to go to school for a meeting for his senior design project. While he was gone for his school stuff I stayed at the 409 and played games on his DS.

I was just about to get into the shower when his roommate Dan came in, he said he wanted to go shopping for a new game to play that night, so I told him if he wanted to wait for me to get ready I would be happy to go with him. We were all planning on going to Mongolian Barbecue for dinner and the mall is out that way so it wasn't a big deal.

Anyhow, I got ready. On our way out, Justin came in. I said a quick hi and bye. He didn't want to go with us, he needed a shower and wanted to get ready. Anyhow, Dan and I went to the mall, he almost killed me on the way (literally) but that's a whole post in itself. We spent some time at the mall, Dan got his game(s) and then we headed to the restaurant. Justin and Dave met us there. We ate dinner. Toward the end of dinner Andy came in and talked with us for a while and got a humongous dessert that we all split. The thing was monstrous and amazing.

Dave, Justin and I took off because we were trying to make it to a movie. We got downtown only to find that there were no parking spots available. So we headed back to the 409 and hung out there for a bit before Katie got home from work. When she got home, Justin, Dave, Katie, Sarah and I headed to Meijer to get some groceries we needed. Thanks to the boat that I'm driving around (Mom's car) all of us could get groceries and fit them and ourselves in the same vehicle.

When we got back to the 409 it was time for Dan's party. It was his birthday, so we played games and hung out that night.

Pictures:

Day 194:

beer and brownie sundae!

Day 194:

on the porch.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

The numbers '172' can be found on the back of the U.S. $5 dollar bill in the bushes at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."

-Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ, c.1420

Surprise, Love!

Thursday (October 1) I decided to go to Kalamazoo. I had to get my stuffed packed. Fortunately, I am on a new kick of wearing clothes Justin hasn't yet seen every time I see him, so I didn't have to do laundry. Once I was packed up and ready to go I made lunch for dad and ate with him. He was headed back to the hospital and I was headed to Kalamazoo, so we both headed out at the same time.

Oh, did I mention that my trip to Kalamazoo was a surprise for Justin? He called me when I was about an half hour away. So we talked most of the way there. He was clueless! When I got to the apartment I quietly hung up on him and crept up the stairs. He was in the kitchen making dinner when I got to the door. Still talking on his phone. He spun around when I opened the door and stood there in complete shock. He was totally clueless. As Krissi and I predicted he stood there completely speechless for about three minutes, of course I got hugs and kisses but no words came out of his mouth. I love it when my surprises are a success! :D

We ate dinner then watched Survivor. After Survivor got over we got ready to go out with Katie. We went to Waldo's and hung out there for a while. Sarah came and joined us. :) After we were done at Waldo's we were all hungry, so we went to Menna's. Menna's is another one of my favorite places to eat in Kalamazoo. They are open until four in the morning, I discovered this while pulling my first all-nighter studying for exams.

We all went back to the 409, ate Menna's, played Buzz and went to bed.

Pictures:

Day 193:

I changed the kitty litter before I left. Kallie didn't need to use the box but wanted to be certain that Sammy couldn't use it either. She's such a brat.

Day 193:

back at the 409.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Astronauts cannot burp in space. There is no gravity to separate liquid from gas in their stomachs.

"For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow."

-Rosemonde Gerard