Giving Blood

I went yesterday to be a good citizen and give blood. Let me just say I have a VERY high tolerance for pain and I'm not grossed out at all by blood. In previous surgeries I have even requested to stay awake and watch the procedure. So all was well while I was giving blood yesterday.

Until I got to the snack station.

I knew I should probably eat and drink so I had some pretzels and diet Pepsi (gross). As I sit there watching a rerun of Desperate Housewives, I start to get hot and weak. I wanted to raise my hand to call someone over, but I couldn't move. At some point I guess I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground with 5 Red Cross ladies hovering over me. They were asking me my name, which thankfully I knew, and telling me to cough really hard. Somehow I had been put into a wheelchair and they took me back to a bed to lie down.

After some regular Pepsi (still gross - I'm a coke girl) I started to feel better. The ice pack on my neck helped too. After about 10 mins. I was able to get up and drive home. I wasn't feeling completely better by that time, but it was closing time and I knew they all wanted to get home. So the whole way home I continued to make myself cough (it apparently gets the blood flowing in your head) to avoid passing out again. I made it home safely but felt like crap the rest of the day. I still feel tired today, but I'm hoping that is because it is an ugly day and not because of my debacle yesterday.

The Red Cross ladies kept telling me that this happens a lot to first-timers and that it probably won't happen again. I really want to give blood often, but I don't want this to happen every time. I guess we'll just have to see next time I go!

What are you experiences?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I lieu of the holiday, I would like to share some things I am thankful for:

• My cousin returning safely from Iraq


• The healthy birth of his son, Jackson


• My parent's ability to pay for my college education


• My best friend, roommie


• Of course, my family


• My dog recovering from his initial crisis and diagnosis of Addison's Disease


• The experiences I have gained and the people I have met over the past year


• My job


• The good teachers who have brought so much to my education


• And most importantly, I was blessed by not having to endure the pain of loosing someone close to me this year

I hope all of you have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and are able to give thanks for many many things!

Hump Day

Happy hump day! We are out of school today for the Thanksgiving holiday, and since I usually only work Tuesdays and Thursdays, I won't be doing anything today! Actually, I have to pass a computer proficiency exam on December 6 where you have to know everything about the new versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. I think I'm good to go with the first three, but I have never used or heard of people using Access. So I will be spending the day studying for that test and possibly helping my mom paint. Oh - I should probably go for a run too, since I will be participating in the Turkey Trot 5-K tomorrow and I have only run once in the past two weeks!

I also need to get many things organized for my other exams in the beginning of December, so this break will be great if I can motivate myself to get all of it out of the way. A few more goals of mine over break are to seriously look into jobs and schools, and update my resume. I also hope to get some books on taking the GMAT and GRE (both since I don't know what I want to study when I get done).

Whew, this break isn't going to be as relaxing as I hoped. What will you do over the holiday? Any travel plans?

Thanksgiving Holiday!

I loveee food. I love to eat, and thankfully my body still allows me to eat the things I want...but I'm sure this won't last long! So I have put together my family's Thanksgiving menu (it's pretty traditional):

Turkey
Stuffing (my favorite part!)
Green beans
Homemade bread
Cranberries (from the can)
Mashed potatoes
Banana nut bread (for breakfast)
Wine
Tea
Pecan, Cherry and Pumpkin Pie (usually frozen)
Fudge - recipe on the back of the marshmellow container

This all sounds pretty normal, I'm sure. I love the meal my mom makes and have loved it all 21 years I have been around. But when I start cooking for my own family I will do a couple of things differently (except for the stuffing - I will NEVER change that):

1. Mom doesn't brine or season the turkey with anything except salt and pepper. I want to go all out with mine and brine it the night before. Also I will flavor it by putting onions, celery, carrots and lemon inside. Who knows - I'll find something besides plain old S&P.
2. I will make homemade cranberries from frozen whole cranberries and orange juice/zest.
3. All pies will be homemade.
4. Homemade bread will not be made from a mix in the bread maker, but by hand and cooked in the oven.

If you can't tell - I like things homemade...not semi-homemade or from a can/box/container. I would love to implement these things into this year's Thanksgiving meal, but I might hurt my mom's feelings. So I'll just have to wait until I get a family of my own to try them out.

What do you cook on Thanksgiving? What is your favorite part? Or do you cook something out of the ordinary?

I Just Don't Get It

As you all know, Dru didn't come this weekend. And I expected him to call this evening...but he didn't so I texted him and said, "How was your weekend?" to which he responded, "Unbelievable you have to hear this I'll call in a min." That was two hours ago. He hasn't called and I don't think he will tonight. It is highly likely that he is at a friend's house and doesn't want to be the guy to step away to talk to a girl. Or maybe he is at his parents house for Sunday night dinner. But the point is he said he would call 'in a min' and when I haven't talked to him in almost a week that really bothers me. I just don't know what to do. Now I actually have a reason to be mad, and I am. But I don't know how to tell him that. I feel like we are still on a shaky ground what without us having talked about what we are. I know it sounds silly and I keep coming back to it, but I don't know what to expect and that makes it hard because I get my hopes up. Without a defined relationship (of any sort) I don't know how he will receive me calling him out on what seems like such a petty matter. 

How should I approach this? Next time I talk to him do I tell him it bothers me that we don't talk much anymore? Ugh, this is so frustrating. I'm sorry I keep bogging everyone down with my love life, or lack there of, but it is the only thing on my mind, and until I get some kind of answers it will most likely still be the only thing I can think about. I appreciate the advice, as always.

Update: Ok so I guess I jinxed it by writing that post. He called. We caught up and all of that good stuff, but I didn't mention anything about me being mad or anything. I'm such a wimp. So I'm happy for now and promise to have a post that isn't related to Dru at all tomorrow!

The Day Has Finally Come

I'm easing myself into the pictures thing. First it was my room, now I'm going to show you a picture from my skydiving adventure!

I picked this one because you can't really tell what I look like. I'm not sure if I want the Internet world to be able to connect a name to a face...because although I won't reveal my last name, Sarah Elizabeth is real and having people (that I don't know) have that information AND what I look like kind of scares me.

So enjoy this for now until I monitor Google Analytics for any creepers:

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Helpful Hint - Lasagna

One thing my blog friends may not know about me is: I LOVE to cook. I started watching the Food Network a few years ago and have been cooking up a storm since then. I ask for things like chopping knives and cookware sets for birthdays and Christmas (not what the typical 21 year old is requesting, I'm sure). And I just realized cooking is a part of me that I haven't shared very much on my blog. So I'm going to make a conscious effort to include more foodie posts. Recently I have found myself slowing down in the kitchen due to food prices on the rise and other factors restricting my budget. It is expensive to cook y'all!

In this crazy economy I have found it extremely helpful to make a big dish at the beginning of the week and eat from it all week long. One of my favorite dishes to make (and honestly does last all week...sometimes even longer) is lasagna. This recipe came from a cookbook my mom has, but I have made some changes. I really like the sauce, so naturally I have adapted the recipe to make more...but if you aren't so much of a sauce person, take some out. Also, I am IN LOVE WITH garlic. I put more in my recipe than I have written here, but I won't divulge exactly how much because it might actually frighten you - adapt that part to your liking as well.

Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 lb. hot sausage
4 cloves garlic minced (or can use handheld grater - works like a charm!)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can tomato paste
2 tbl. dried basil
S&P

Cheese Filling:
24 oz. container cottage cheese
2 tbl. parsley flakes
2 eggs
3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
S&P

Other:
10 lasagna noodles
2 8oz. packages sliced Mozzarella cheese

You Will Need:
Large pot for cooking noodles
Large/deep skillet for sauce
5 qt. baking dish

To Make:
Start by browning the sausage completely. While you are waiting for the sausage to brown, mix all cheese filling ingredients in a bowl and set in fridge until ready to use. Drain off excess oil. Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds (don't burn!) then add all tomato products, basil and S&P. Let simmer 30 minutes.

When the sauce begins to simmer, start to boil the water for the noodles. Salt the water when it comes to a boil and add the 10 noodles. You can add a couple more noodles here just for back-up, but I have never needed them.

When noodles are cooked and sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, you are ready to assemble.

To Assemble:
1st layer 3 noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Put 2 noodles over the seams between the first layer of noodles. Layer 1/2 of the refrigerated cheese mixture on top. Put 1/3 of the sauce mixture on top of that. Next, layer one package of sliced mozzarella. Repeat process. You will have 1/3 of the sauce left to put on top of the second package of sliced mozzarella.

ENJOY!

Strange Fridays

Here we go again...

"City Threatens Blind Woman Over 1 Cent Bill" Even if she wasn't blind...1 cent people!?

"Man in Wheelchair Allegedly Hides Cash in Leg" This headline actually makes me feel queasy.

"Driver Sentenced for Throwing Axe at Motorist" Man, I thought I had it bad. Can anyone say...road rage?

"Boy Allegedly Hits Mom with Saw, Offers Her $5" $5 is all it takes to get away with battery!?...haha this one is my favorite!

"Ind. Inmates Sneak Through Ceiling to Have Sex" I can't event comment on this one.

"Fla. Man Accused of Hurling Sandwich at Girlfriend" Honestly, this is like the 3rd or 4th violent food-related action I have seen in the past few months. How does this make the news!?

Well that's it for now. I hope you got a good laugh out of some of these and have a great weekend!

Dru Isn't Coming

Yep. That's right. Let down by a boy...yet again. I feel like that is the story of my life. So here is the story:

When Dru called Monday, I was at the mall and only got to talk to him for a short while before I needed to hang up. Tuesday he didn't call, and last night as I was leaving from babysitting my adorable cousins, he still hadn't called. So I texted, "Are you still coming this weekend?" About 20 minutes later he calls and informs me that, despite the fact he has had his plane ticket booked for over 2 weeks now, he isn't going to be able to come.

Apparently, this weekend is opening weekend of rifle season in Alabama. It is family tradition that they all go down to one of their "farms" (aka giant patch of land with a beautiful house - no animals except the ones you can shoot) and hunt. Siblings come home from college, grandparents come...the whole 9 yards. And he didn't realize this because opening weekend is "always the weekend of the Alabama/Auburn game" (which is next weekend).

Well, Dru, you should have checked.

As you are all well aware of, I have been getting ready for his visit for weeks now. I have decorated, I bought 4 tickets to the UNC/NCSU game ($260!), my mom was going to make brunch, etc. I had the weekend planned all out. I was going to clean, do laundry, and make a breakfast casserole tomorrow before he got here!

So I'm sure you can imagine how disappointed I am. Of course I can't be "mad" at him because I value family traditions just as much as the next person, but I am upset. I am upset that he didn't check beforehand to make sure that nothing was going on. What that says to me is that this trip wasn't important enough for him to ask around and make sure everything was going to work out. I'm upset because he waited until 2 days before he was supposed to get here to tell me. If I hadn't texted him last night, would I still not know he was coming? When would he have called? Friday afternoon?

One thing that bothers me the most is: I'm not sure he understands how upset I am over this. I actually cried last night...I don't cry...especially not in front of people. I cried to my mom, dad, sister, best friend and even cried myself to sleep. My eyes hurt today. I want him to understand that I was looking forward to spending time with him and that I was really let down when he said he couldn't come. But I don't want to make him feel like he is choosing between his family and me, because that is not the case. I want him to have traditions and family values, that is one thing I love most about him, but I want him to be able to stick to his commitments to me as well, and that means planning ahead.

Another factor is that we haven't exactly established "what we are." For a while, I thought this was best. But it is really starting to become more of a burden than not. I was in a long-distance relationship with Gary (the ex) for over 6 months when he moved to California. That was easier because I knew where I stood with him. I knew that he wanted to be with me and that I would hear from him. There was no gray area. With Dru, since we haven't established rules, there are no justified expectations. I don't know if I can get mad at him for not calling sooner or I don't know if I can tell him I was really looking forward to seeing him without scaring him off. There are so many uncertainties with us it really makes a long-distance relationship harder.

Should I bring this up? I have always felt like that is the boy's place, but I don't know if I can handle it anymore. He also said he doesn't think he will be able to make it back for another 3 weeks! That will have been 6 weeks in between visiting each other. It is hard, but I'm willing to do it because I genuinely like this guy...I just need to know where I stand with him.

Any and all advice will, as always, be greatly appreciated!

Quick Observation

I'm in the library at my school right now and on the cubicle I'm
sitting at someone has written, "dipset 4 life skull gang 4 eva."

If you are so hardcore why were you in the library?

Finally Some Pictures!

I promised, now I must deliver. Here are some pictures of my newly decorated room. I didn't take many pictures, and they aren't that great quality (I actually took these right before I left for work from my phone)...but hey at least you get the idea.

Here is my beautiful unmade bed. It stays this way 100% of the time. Why make it when you are going to get back in it in a few hours!? That wall is the only wall in my room that is painted. It used to be yellow - but that wasn't working out so I chose hunter green. If I decide I don't like the green soon, I will transition to scarlet red...what do you think? Oh, also, I made that headboard!

This is my adorable iron torso that I use to hang jewelry from. It is to the left of my bed (you can see part of the green wall). Also, those pictures were just recently put up. They consist of me, roommate, best guy friend Al and some of the family. You can also barely see one of my window panels. It is kind of a metallic silver (in next picture too).

The light was being funky, so it was hard to get a good picture that really showed my panels and all of the great beauty that they possess, but here you can also see the giant mirror I got from Home Goods. I promise it goes great with the window treatments, even though you can't really tell in this picture.

And finally, the other wall (to the right of my bed). The two pictures (even though you can't make out faces) are of me and my dad and me and my mom at my graduation from high school (I know they are old pictures, but they are great black and whites...). I bought my initials from Michael's. They are wooden and actually came painted white, but roommate and I got creative one night and turned them black. The little clock is from Target and was pretty cheap. The reed diffuser smells like apples and cinnamon and makes me hungry every time I walk into my room.

So there you have it people, the general design of my room. I'm so happy with the way things turned out. I have put up a couple of things in my bathroom, and am waiting on some towels and my shower curtain to be monogrammed, but then I will put up pictures of that finished product as well.

PS I did this post on Tuesday and set it to come up today (Wednesday). I love this feature more than anything. That way I can have something for everyone to read almost everyday without having to remind myself to do it at home! Why didn't I think of this before!? Genius!

Weekly Update

My weekend was, interesting. For starters, roommate and I went out Thursday night. We don't usually do this because we are old hags who prefer to stay in and watch TV and go to bed promptly at 11PM. But for some reason we got this crazy notion to go out. We drank too much and I missed my two classes on Friday.

Friday night we went to UNC-Chapel Hill to hang out with Al (my best guy friend) and some of his friends from his study abroad in Spain last semester. I was still recovering from the night before so I took it easy. I don't really enjoy being sober at a bar where everyone else is drunk, but Friday night wasn't so bad. Roommate and I got hit on 4 times and each time was equally as disturbing.

Saturday we had a football game. The festivities began at 10AM. Bad idea. We didn't stop drinking until 2AM. I was in rare form that night. Gary, the ex, tried to kiss me. In all of my vulnerability, I almost caved in. But I didn't, and I'm so glad. Things are going great with Dru and I could have ruined it all for nothing. Gary and I will never work out again, so I don't know why we occasionally fool ourselves.

Speaking of Dru...HE COMES TO VISIT IN 3 DAYS! I couldn't be more excited. My apartment is coming together (see pictures tomorrow!) and I am running again and I feel like a giddy school girl. I'm also nervous. I really hope he has a good time. The plan is to maybe go out for a few drinks after he gets in Friday night (at 9:30!). The next morning we have to be up super early to make it to my sister's boyfriend's house by 8:30AM in Chapel Hill (30 minute drive). My school is playing her school in football and her boyfriend is hosting a "Kegs and Eggs" party. I'm going to make a breakfast casserole to take over. Yum! Maybe I can remember to post the recipe here...

My parents want to have a brunch at their house Sunday morning. And I don't know if I am ready to have Dru to my parents' house. I have been to his parents' house but it was really informal...I mean we just went over to show our skydiving videos then left. Ahh! But I know it will hurt my mom's feelings if I don't bring him over...so whatever. Hopefully my sister and her bf will be in attendance as well so it won't be as awkward.

Oh, my running! Yeah I started again (last night haha) because I will be participating in the annual 'Turkey Trot' in my cousin's neighborhood on Thanksgiving morning. I'm really excited that I have a goal to work towards. It is only a 5K, but I'm happy to start small and work my way up. The mimosa station is at her house too, so I'm SUPER excited about that part!

One last thing, then I'll end another one of my never ending posts. I'm going to my first work-related function on Thursday. It is a Toronto Stock Exchange luncheon, workshop, then networking cocktail. I'm so nervous I can already feel my hands shaking come Thursday morning. Here are some reasons why:

1. This event is specified on the website to be for CEOs and CFOs, financiers of private and public companies and advisors to private and public companies. I AM AN INTERN.
2. I don't have a business card...did I mention this is a networking event.
3. I understand the TSX less than I understand the US stock exchanges (to which my knowledge is far from impressive).
4. I'm not really even sure how to explain what my company does. I only help with the basic stuff.
5. I've never been to a networking event before.

Maybe I should quit my whining and take it all in. I know this will be a great learning experience for me and probably great for my career as well. I should thank my boss for inviting me to attend, and really learn from everything I hear and everyone I meet. But any suggestions in getting over the initial nervousness would really help!

Have a great week everyone!

My Blood is Your Blood

I've never given blood. I want to though. Why? I have been wanting to do something for the community lately, and what better way to start than donating blood? I reviewed all of the restrictions and qualification requirements, and it looks like I pass with flying colors. I'm not the least bit nervous or scared. I have no fear of needles and a very high pain tolerance. This should be a piece of cake! I wanted to go yesterday, but couldn't find an open donation center! I feel like I see them everywhere, but the day I want to go there are none to be found...the search will continue though. I won't give up until I find a place and time I can donate.

Anyone else have blood donation stories to share? Precautions? Advice?

Strange Fridays!

It's back! I'm going to start writing Strange Friday posts on Thursdays and setting them to post on Fridays so everyone can have a little chuckle to get them through the last weekday!

This week's strange headlines:

"Bomb Threat at North Pole School" They have schools at the North Pole!? Is Santa the headmaster?

"Man Allegedly Attacks Girlfriend Over Macaroni" Men...always finding something to complain about.

"Call to Action: Pastor Issuing 7-Day Sex Challenge" Now this is what I call religion!

"Woman Finds Frozen Pig Head on a Pole in Her Yard" Can anyone say Lord of the Flies?

"Man Attempts to Pay $32 Bar Tab With Gum Wrappers" Did it work? I'm low on cash this weekend and that would be a perfect solution...


"Toy Hall of Fame Points to New Addition: The Stick" Seriously, people? Seriously? We can't come up with a better toy than a STICK?!



"Meth Found in Boy's Halloween Trick or Treat Bag" Someone was a little too obsessed with being the cool house on the block...



Well everyone, I hope these articles were able to take your mind off your money and your money off your mind for a little while...have a great weekend!

Jewelry Giveaway!

Remember this fun giveaway? Well the same people are doing it again, except with their jewelry line! Free stuff is always fun, so run over to Silver Treats and sign yourself up! The have some really cute stuff. Although I didn't win last time, I am incredibly hopeful for this go-around. I'm twittering, blogging and sending emails to get as many entries possible!

Good luck!

Dirty Socks and Decorations

As I was sitting in class the other day, I noticed something that really bothers me. Bare feet on chairs. The business management building where all of my classes are is fairly new and is very nice. The chairs are comfortable, we have state of the art technology...all that fun stuff. But people still think it is OK to TAKE THEIR SHOES OFF and put their feet all over the backs and tops of the chairs in front of them! This is disgusting. There is one girl in particular who does it EVERYDAY. And she sits on the edge of a row so she is in clear view of the teacher, who has failed to say anything to her all semester.

Tuesday I noticed the little boy, who always brags about how much he drank the previous weekend, with his shoes off and his dirty, stinky SOCKS on the back of the chair in front of him. Ew. Gross. Disgusting. Sick. So, naturally, I took a picture:

It is kind of hard to tell, but those are my notes in the foreground, his chair in front of me and his white sock all over the chair in front of him. Not only is this completely unsanitary, but also just disrespectful. We have these great facilities, and here these people are ruining them! How inconsiderate...

In other news, I have pretty much gotten my apartment all decorated! Only 6 months after we move in...oh well. It looks great. We have some old movie posters in the dining room area, a great vase filled with cranberry colored fillers and white flowers. I bought a huge mirror for $70 at Home Goods (thanks Hannah Gray)! This mirror is my favorite new piece. I have been looking for a big stand-up mirror for MONTHS. The only ones I could find were $300-400. After perusing the collection at Home Goods, I came across this mirror. I immediately fell in love...it was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't even look around the rest of the store because I was nervous if I left it, it would be gone by the time I got back. It looks great in my room (I promise I will put up pictures soon).

I also put up tons of new pictures and other nick-knacks. The only thing left I have to do is have my shower curtain and new towels monogrammed. Hopefully then, my apartment will be ready for Dru to visit! I've been meaning to decorate for so long, I'm glad his visit finally motivated me to do so.

Does anyone else have horrible feet stories or decorating adventures?

Back to the Future

Yay. The election is over. I'm excited that our country will be going in a new direction and I look forward to the change. Mostly I am super pumped about not having to see political commercials anymore. They were getting out of hand towards the end there!

Anyways, I have come to realize I am not that great at coming up with post ideas. Lately I have basically been updating everyone with the Dru situation, but talking hardly any about other topics. I have a bad habit of thinking of things to write about, but then forgetting them and sitting in front of my computer with writers block. There are tons of opinions I have regarding somewhat controversial topics that I could discuss, but I don't want this to turn into a serious blog. I like the light, carefree feel of it right now. Oh what to write about...

I am great at talking about me. Plain and simple. SO I'll just write a brief* post about what is going on in my life (outside of Dru) until I can come up with something more entertaining. Well this may have a little to do with Dru, but I'll keep it to a minimum. As you may know, I will be graduating from college in May. I will have a degree in Business Management with a concentration in marketing. When I started school I thought this was the way to go; I was told, and believed, that a degree in business would give me the opportunity to work in pretty much any field.

Well, thank you, economy. This is no longer true, close to being true, or will be true in the immediate future.

So, I am presented with somewhat of a conundrum. To try to find a job...or go back to school? I have found a great advertising program at the University of Alabama. However, I would need to get 3 recommendation letters, take the GRE and submit an application by February 15. The recommendation letters and application aren't as daunting as the GRE. I have only recently begun my quest to take this particular test, and realize how much harder it is than I originally thought. I've concluded that it would be in my best interest to wait and apply next spring and start school in the fall of 2010.

I have searched online for jobs in the Birmingham area and have found some that look interesting. My thought process behind moving to Birmingham a year before I want to start school is threefold: 1. establish residency so I can get in-state tuition 2. save money to pay off the loan I will surely need 3. Dru. Now, I'm sure you see the obvious drawbacks here...what if Dru and I don't work out? What if I can't find a job when it actually comes time? What if I don't get in? Etc. Etc. Etc...

Hear me out...I want to be in the advertising industry. I am taking the only advertising-related class offered in my program and I enjoy it so much more than any other class I have taken. There are plenty of advertising programs elsewhere in the nation, mostly in the North, but as of right now, I don't really see myself moving North. I have nothing against it, I just have more friends and connections in the Midwest and southern states. The program at Alabama is great and seems to fit exactly what I am looking for, which most other schools don't.

Here comes the toughest part...how do I talk to Dru about it? He has mentioned me moving down to Alabama many times, but I haven't responded seriously, yet. Last weekend I lightly mentioned the advertising program at UA and he seemed genuinely excited.

On the other hand, if I were to try to find a job here in Raleigh, I probably wouldn't have much luck. I don't know how to approach my current bosses and ask if there is any chance of me growing within my current company when I graduate. I would love to stay on, if I don't go to Alabama, but I don't see any real potential for me here.

Oh the dilemmas of my life.

I'm really going to have to get on decorating my apartment though, because I think Dru is finally coming to visit in a few weeks. If you have any suggestions for places to find these items (reasonably priced) or have any creative ideas they will be greatly appreciated:

1. Standing mirror
2. Duvet cover with monogram
3. Wall decorations (frames, art, etc.)

I guess I should put up some pictures of the apartment to help everyone visualize...I will try to remember!

*Sorry it didn't turn out so brief!

Voting Hoopla

Go Vote. I did early voting about a week and a half ago, and I'm so happy because it is rainy and cold here and I'm pleased with myself for not having to get out more than necessary.

Anyways, I'm not a political blogger, but a few things are bothering me today about our system:

1. Why are Americans who do not pay taxes allowed to vote? Yes. That is right. Many legal American citizens are allowed to vote (I'm not talking about the illegal immigrants) who I, personally, don't believe should have this right (in full). If you make under something like $20K per year, you receive well fare and do not pay taxes. Well that is all fine and dandy because I know not everyone can earn as much as they would like, but I don't think their full right to vote is fair. Not only are these people not paying for the governmental services we all pay out the ass for, but they are receiving money! Hear me out...I'm not saying well fare is a bad thing and they should be punished, but I don't think people who receive this kind of treatment should count a full vote. Can we count them 1/2 a vote or something? If our government keeps throwing money at those not motivated enough to make their own living but still allow them all of the privileges that tax-paying citizens receive who would opt out of that monthly government check?
2. What really irks me is that these people have a say in our next president, but the men and women fighting across seas for our freedom may not have a vote. Read this article. Apparently some military men and women did not receive their ballots on time, and therefore would not have them counted. John McCain's camp realized this and is suing with hopes to get the ballots counted. I also heard in previous weeks that they were having trouble with the permanent addresses of some of the military and therefore their votes would not be counted as well. Why, can I ask, do people who don't pay taxes but take willingly from the government get a vote, and those who witness death and endure unspeakable experiences for our own freedom don't get a fair chance to vote?

Yes, I realize there is a lot wrong with our legal system, but you think after all this time they could figure out how to count simple votes. I hope everyone goes out to take advantage of a great privilege because some Americans who deserve it the most will not be able to exercise this right today.

I am open to everyone's opinions and views but please do not try to strike up a debate in my comments section. This is purely MY opinion and you have every right to agree/disagree with me, but don't think that if you write rude comments regarding my feelings I will respond - I won't. Not now, not ever. This is a one-time-only political post, and I can almost guarantee there will be very few (if any) to follow.

Love is in the air!

Warning: This post may trigger your gag reflexes if you aren't into the mushy stuff.

I think I'm in love. Oh goodness. That is quite a statement isn't it? I'm so nervous that by saying it that I'm going to jinx something.

I had yet another great weekend with Dru. To start, his company party was great. The house it was gigantic and beautiful. All of his co-workers were incredibly nice and dressed up in the funniest costumes. My favorite was a guy dressed up as a shower. He had some PVC pipe connected with a curtain hanging around him. Clever. :)

Dru and I were John McCain and Sarah Palin and we pulled it off with ease, if I do say so myself. We got SO many compliments both nights (Thursday for the company party and Friday for the real Halloween).

Also, WE WENT SKYDIVING! It was so much fun! The day was incredibly long though, because we didn't have a reservation, so we had to wait until they could fit us in. Which happened to be a slow 7 hours(!) after we arrived. It was definitely worth the wait though. When you jump, you get the option to just regular free-fall or do a couple of flips before you free-fall in the normal position. I wasn't about to have waited 7 hours for a 'normal' experience, I went for the flips! And I'm glad I did...it was fun and made for a really cool video.

Another great thing about this trip was I got to meet his parents and youngest sister. I was very nervous to meet the parents especially, because I have heard so many great things about them. For example, his dad is a cardiovascular surgeon who just got back from doing volunteer work in the underprivileged towns of Brazil. I was nervous that although they are giving people, that since they are so wealthy they might be a little stuck-up. Boy, was I wrong. His mom is the sweetest person, ever. We had great conversation and I hope she liked me too! His sister was cute and sweet as well. I'm assuming his dad was just tired, since he did get back from Brazil that morning, but he didn't talk as much. Still, I felt genuinely welcome in their home.

Dru usually confesses his love for me when he is drunk. And did again this time. To which I responded in the same 'tell me in the morning' fashion I always do. Well, I think he tried to tell me when he was sober a couple of times but didn't just come right out and say it. So, as much as I wanted to say it back, I didn't because it would have been weird considering the particular wording of the conversations. I think next time I'm just going to say it back when he says it drunk and hopefully that will lead into it being more of a regular thing.

You might be thinking that just saying it doesn't matter - what really matters is how you feel. And believe me, I really think I love him. I haven't felt this way about a person in a LONG time. Although I am scared of getting hurt, I'm not going to let it get in my way. I'm going to let him in and see what happens.

I hope all of you had a wonderful and safe Halloween weekend...what was your costume?