Pre-Blizzard

We're supposed to get a huge snow storm tonight and tomorrow.  So I thought I'd take pictures before the storm.  It was cold.  Gizmo was not amused.  And it'll be a miracle if I manage to get post-blizzard pictures.  Of course it's not an actual blizzard, the wind's not fast enough.  But it's still cold, snowing and windy...  So, I consider it a blizzard.

How high the snow is currently. 

See all that white stuff?  That's the road...

Books

So, I finished my Vampire Academy book a while back and kind of took a small break from books.  But I've jumped back onto the bandwagon...  If I didn't have to work so much, I'd be reading more.  On the days that I don't work, I'm still averaging around 3-400 pages a day.  But considering the fact that I almost always work on Saturdays...  I guess I'll have to make do with one to two books a week...

I read this in December.  A break form my supernatural fix.  Of course, this is My Henry/England fix.  I enjoy reading these books, but the fact that all the women end up beheaded makes for a depressing ending.  And I think this book really made me hate King Henry VIII.  He was a spoiled-rotten child, and all of English royalty let him get away with it.  It's sad how men had all of the power, yet they needed their sisters and nieces to hold onto that power.

Jared got me this book for Christmas.  I believe I read it all in a day and a half (Christmas weekend).  It's a prequel to the Mortal Instruments Series.  I enjoyed it.

 

 

I did mention starting the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong...  Well, I started it.  And I'm enjoying them.  The first two books are from a werewolf's perspective.  The second two are from a witch's perspective.  Pretty much, the author varies with the narrator.  I thought I'd hate that at first, but I'm still enjoying the books after being handed off to a new narrator.  Jared got me a book from this series, but it wasn't the first one.  So, once I get through the series, I'll hit his book.

Jared worked so hard on finding books that could potentially be very enjoyable for me.  They're all the beginning of a new supernatural series (except for the Kelley Armstrong one).  So, I've got my reading list for the next little bit...

Also, the next book in the Dark Swan series comes out two days before my birthday.  I told Jared it'd make for a great birthday gift, but I'm not waiting until my birthday to read it.

Sleep

So, our neighbors like to watch tv every night at 10 pm.  They also watch it at 6 am.  Never fails...  It's so annoying that I can tell you when they went on vacation (the week after Christmas) because there was no tv noise.  Anyways, this has made sleep really difficult for me for the last few months (it's the neighbors-below-us's bedroom tv).  So, I finally left them a note telling them to turn it down after 10.  What do you know?  They listened.  I don't know if they forwent the tv or just turned it down, but I didn't hear it.  Needless to say, the last two nights have been the best nights of sleep I've had in a long time.  And it's not just me, Jared says he slept better also.

I'm so happy, I could give my neighbors a box of chocolates with a thank you note for turning it down.  But I think that's kind of overkill.  Also, rewarding someone for stopping an action that they weren't supposed to do to begin with is kind of backwards...

Did I mention I can be a super light sleeper?  When the heater turns on and air goes through the vents, that can wake me up sometimes...  So listening to a tv all night when I despise tv to begin with, it wasn't fun (I wanted to bang my head against a wall every time I had to listen to a stupid commercial).

Happy

So, it's amazing how fast time flies by.  We have lived in Madison for almost six months now.  And I have been working for almost six months.  I do have to say moving here was the right thing for us.  We are very blessed and doing well out here.

It's been snowing quite a bit this week.  Not a whole lot of total snowfall, just a lot of snowflakes.  We all know Gizmo hates the snow.  So lately, I've been taking him to work with me to go on his walks.  We walk through the hallway in the biggest building (which is a 3-level 600,000 sq ft - so it's quite a walk).  And then I work for an hour on Saturday because I always have stuff to do at work.  And besides, Jared usually works on the weekends anyways (retail at it's best).

Not a lot of exciting things going on, but that's okay.  I just have nothing to write about...

CSN Stores

So, I recently heard about CSN stores, and I wanted to share this with others.  They're an online store that has just about everything (furniture, shoes, kitchenware, etc).  I'm currently looking at the corner tv stands and am a little tempted.  Also looking at the desks.  I would love to get new furniture.  Maybe we'll be able to afford something nicer once we're out of debt.  Who knows?  It's still nice to think about though...

Maybe I will have to get something.

7x

We ran out of dog food last weekend and were down to the last little bit.  Gizmo does not eat a whole lot as it is.  A lot of vets have warned us that small dogs tend to overeat and get fat.  And Gizmo is not allowed to gain weight because it wouldn't be good for his arthritis.  Anyways, the only bag in stock that the vet had was a 27 pound bag.  About seven times heavier than our dog...  Needless to say, it'll last us a couple of years.

We got our Christmas present from Jared's brother.  It was a five pound gummy worm.  Again, heavier than our dog.  I was surprised with how heavy it was.  Cherry and blue raspberry flavored.  The cherry side tastes like cough syrup.  I prefer the blue raspberry side.

Anyways, we are two months away from paying off our first credit card.  It's super exciting!!  We're getting out of debt.. ...slowly.... and our first milestone is coming up...

New Year's Timeline

As promised, my timeline...  I might add to it as the week goes on (it's a work in progress).

2011

Not sure what I have planned for this year.  I do know that I will continue to pay off my credit cards.  I am hoping to finish paying off at least two of them.  Jared will be going back to school in the fall (or summer).  So, we'll see how all of that goes.  I expect this year to be pretty normal and boring, but yet I'll be able to better my financial situation.  And as long as Jared and I are happy with where we are, who cares?

2012

Ever since I was a teenager, I had decided that 24 was an appropriate age to start having kids.  But then again, I was living in Utah.  What was I thinking?  No, my life will probably continue with working full time.  But the new thing is Jared and I will probably start looking into buying a house.  This will be a really exciting moment in time.  And I really do look forward to it.

2013

I'm not sure where I plan to be at this point in time.  Hopefully, all of that nasty credit card debt will be done with, and I will be halfway through paying off my student loans.  And maybe Jared and I will have some extra time to travel near and far.  Maybe we'll be able to leave the country for the first time in our lives (yes, I know I'm sheltered ---  that's what I get for not being brought up in an uber-wealthy and adventurous family).

2014

The farther into the future, the less I'm certain of where I'll be.  Mainly because I don't know where I'll want to be.  Maybe I'll be at the point where I want to start having kids.  Maybe I'll still want my life to be all about me.  Who knows?  What I do know is I plan on working where I work for at least five years.  And at this point in time, I'll have only worked there for four.  So, not quite there.  And I don't know if I want to be a full-time worker while being a full-time mom.  Good thing I have three years to decide...

2015

By this time, hopefully Jared will have graduated.  And it will be his time to shine.  Whether we decide Madison is appropriate for us or if there's another city calling our name, who knows?  However, if we do stay in Madison and I'm still working, I will hit my five year mark.  And that means Sabbatical...  Jared and I will definitely leave the country for the month and fully enjoy every moment of it.

Here's to the years to come.  The future that's full of life and hope.  I'm excited to see what life brings Jared and me...