Sometimes, I just love people

My drivers license was set to expire this year.

I knew that if I waited until closer to the expiration date, I would have a pregnancy-fat face staring back at me for the next 5 years, and I couldn't accept that, so off to the DMV I went.

It was slow (thank goodness) and I was helped right away. As the lady verified my identifying information, I realized that because the last thing I had done was a name change, my weight had not been updated in close to 8 years.

And, I hate to admit it, but I weigh more now than I did 8 years ago.

So, I corrected her with my current weight.

She looked at me and said, "But honey, you don't have to put down baby weight."

I could have kissed her.

Bless her for thinking that my high school weight was accurate.

She completely made my day.

I can't just make this stuff up

So, remember how I was all excited about Adam coming home?


Well, he flew into an airport in the next big city (where Ronnie has his internship, 45 miles away).


So the whole fam drove over (Ronnie and I separately because he had a work bbq in the afternoon) to be at the airport to await Adam's 9:45 p.m. flight.


The plane was early and my family's car was running a little late, so they came bursting into the airport all commercial-like. (It was fantastic!)


We got the signs all ready, the balloons out and the kids looking good and waited for people to get off the plane.


One person gets off, then another two, then two people in wheelchairs, then another two people and then someone from the flight crew comes in (not a good sign).


Turns out he wasn't on the stinking flight.


So, I took a picture of where he SHOULD have come through the door.


And Erc and Alayna felt like this.

And Sassy and I felt the same way.

So, to spare you all of the phone calls and the unhelpful customer service people and the like, my parent's car just drove down to the Denver Airport to pick him up and Ronnie, Easton and I headed back to Laramie. (Our reasons for not going to Denver? We couldn't all fit in one car, so we would see him in the airport for about 20 minutes, then not even get to chat with him on the way home all for 4 extra hours of driving. Not so very worth it). We do love Adam though.

So, he is home, safe and sound and I have happy pictures of us all, but they are not on my camera, so you will have to wait for those.

Lessons Learned

at work events this weekend.

• I work with some of the greatest people ever.
• The Vee Bar Guest Ranch had the most perfectly cooked steak Ronnie and I have ever had. Since the event ended, Ronnie has talked about it no less than 6 times. It was that good. (The fact that it was part of a buffet is the most amazing part).
• No shoes can be comfortable for two consecutive 14-hour work days.
• Easton really likes me when he has not seen me for over 24 hours.
• I tear up when the chairman of the board thanks me publicly for all of the work I have put in. (No surprise to most of you, I'm sure).

A Little Update and Lights

Just a month to go until this little one’s expected arrival—which seems crazy! I promise to post some 36 week photos this week since in Ronnie’s words “You are starting to look big!”

We had a great weekend with more free time than we should have. I’m sure Ronnie will *want to* regret it (even though he won’t be able to admit it since it was time together) as he works long hours to get everything done in school this week.

We went to Cheyenne on Saturday with our friends Steve, Lindsey and little Brinley. It was so nice to have one last getaway before the baby—even if it was just a 45 minute drive (I don’t think my pregnant self can go much farther than that these days). We got some last-minute items at Target, shopped at Kohls and Michaels (thank the crafting gods that I have SOMETHING relatively close) and then ate a delicious meal at Texas Roadhouse.

I know this post would be much better with some pictures, but I didn’t take the camera, so continue reading with that in mind.

Then we parted ways from our friends and went to Home Depot. You see, my dad is building two spec houses and we offered to get all of the lighting fixtures for the second house while we were in Cheyenne so he wouldn’t also have to make the trip.

I don’t know how many of you have picked out an entire house of lights in one trip, but it was (to say the least) a bit overwhelming. We wanted everything to be in stock (due to the distance from the store) and preferred to have the entire house in the same style and color.

This proved to be difficult.

We were able to move along fairly well until we got to the last four lights. They included the dining room and kitchen island (which needed to match) as well as the living room and front entry (which also needed to match). Home Depot had only one fixture of the four that I was completely satisfied with and NOTHING to coordinate!

Did you know that Brushed Nickel, Satin Nickel and Antique Pewter are different silver colors that match okay when in separate rooms, but look HORRIBLE right next to each other?

I finally gave up and bought three fixtures that I was okay with and one that I really didn’t like at all, and decided that if my mom and dad wanted to drive back over and change things they could, but I got things that would at least be tolerable.

So in conclusion, I learned that it is possible to pick out an entire house of lights in 2 hours, but probably not advisable.

P.S. Home Depot’s online selection also stinks, since I was going to post examples of the hideous light fixtures I was choosing from, but NONE of them exist online.
P.P.S. I was very pleased with all of the light fixtures until these last four, so Home Depot is not a total waste, just close.

It's the little things

I have recently been self-examining my shopping habits.

We shop a lot at Wal-Mart and while many consider this unacceptable, in my defense--it is all I have access to, plus I actually like Wal-Mart, so hah!

Anyway, Wal-Mart has recently had survey invitations that print out on your receipt. Not everyone gets one and the average person does not get an invitation every time they shop--but I am not that average person.

You see--my last name is such that would generally designate a certain ethnicity.

It is my belief that Wal-Mart is targeting this particular group of customers, without wanting to appear to do so. Every time I have used my debit card to pay for my purchase, I have received a survey invitation. There have only been two times in the last two months that I have not received a survey invitation--and those two times I paid with cash.

My suspicions are heightened due to a few of the questions on the survey.

I am not offended by this, but enjoying filling out the survey online (and entering to win $1000) and get even more satisfaction by checking the ethnicity box they do NOT want me to check.

Along with demographic information, the survey asks for the reasons you shop at certain stores and has many phrases that you then rank in relevance to your own shopping habits. These phrases include things like: I am a one-stop shopper and will pay more for items if it means I don't have to go anywhere else, or I am the ultimate bargain shopper and will visit many stores to get the most for my money.

Since I have taken this survey at least ten times, I have discovered a few things that surprised me about my shopping preferences. I prefer to shop in a clean and aesthetically pleasing store. It is the little things that bring me joy in stores--like the displays that catch my eye, or an easy-to-push and noise-free cart. In fact, I love shopping at our local Safeway. Not because they are cheap (without sales and coupons, they definitely are not!), but because they have little mini carts that I LOVE! These carts have an upper and lower basket and only stick out in front of me two feet. (kind of like the one pictured, only with actually sides on both baskets and they are both the same size) Plus, their wheels glide like butter!
While my average Wal-Mart shopping trip purchases would not fit in one of these magical carts, I still request them on every survey I take.

Maybe little by little I can make a difference!

My Shame

I almost hate to type this, as it will reveal one of my true loves.

McDonald’s.

I’m loving it. Seriously.

I just have to say one thing before I begin to get hate mail from those who have seen Supersize Me or want to educate me on the damage I am doing to my body….back off!

I know it’s not healthy and I know much of their food is on the disgusting side, but I don’t eat there every day or every week or even every month.

However, there are three things obtainable only at MD that I absolutely adore. Their Sweet and Sour Sauce, Sausage Biscuits, and Parfaits. Most often it is the sweet and sour sauce that draws me in. I order a #9 with a Dr. Pepper and extra S&S. Then I devour the chicken nuggets and fries with all the S&S I can possibly pile on before taking a bite.

In the past week, I have been disappointed by McDonald’s not once, but twice. (I know this goes against the only-every-once-in-a-while argument, but let me tell the story.)

#1. On Saturday evening the S&S sauce began chanting my name, I caved and Ronnie and I stopped by to fulfill my desire. We ordered in the drive through and I accidentally forgot to tell Ronnie about the sauce, but I thought “No big deal, we’ll just ask for it at the window.”

Wrong.

We asked. They were out. Out? Out of the only reason I was there. We had already paid, and I thought I could live, so we drove home.

I was wrong. I couldn’t even finish the meal, because the nuggets and fries were nothing without the sweet nectar of life.

#2. This very morning, on my way to work I was starving! I had forgotten my granola bar and decided that a Sausage Biscuit would hit the spot quite nicely, plus I was confident that friendly workers at my “work” Mc Donald’s would redeem my previous experience.

I ordered, paid and waited patiently for my delicious sandwich. The smiling young woman handed me my bag and I happily drove the two blocks to work—practically drooling with anticipation.

When I arrived I opened the sack.

A FREAKING MCGRIDDLE?!?!?

The most disgusting food on the entire menu.

I know I should have checked before I drove away, but I didn’t.

I know I should have driven back and demanded the correct sandwich, but I had a work meeting in 15 minutes.

I know I should have learned my lesson two days prior, but I didn’t.

Goodbye McDonald’s. I’m sorry it had to end this way.

(But don’t worry too much. I’m sure another craving will hit me in the next month or two.)

Returns

The weather has been beautiful here and last night after dinner, Ronnie and I decided that we needed to get out of the house. We weighed our options….a walk, a drive, the park and made our choice. Where did we end up, you ask?

Costco.

I don’t know how “enjoying the weather” led us to a large, concrete warehouse, but we were there nonetheless. We are in desperate need of a printer and after some online research, decided that we needed to peruse Costco before we made any decisions.

I’m sure our decision to shop at Costco is the same as most—the return policy.

There is nothing simpler than returning ANYTHING,

for ANY reason,

at ANY time.

It even makes a slightly higher price worth it—especially when you are buying electronic (and prone to break) items.

So we wander through the electronics section at Costco and I am noticing stickers on most of the merchandise. I stop to read one and notice that it explains a 90-day return policy.

WHAT!?!?! Why am I here?

In my rage, I stopped one of their helpful associates and stammered through my questions. I just wanted to let all of you know that all televisions, cameras, camcoders, ipods and MP3 players at Costco now have a 90-day return policy. (Lucky for us this did not include our printer.)

The change went into effect on March 12th. Anything purchased before that time has the old (and much preferable) return policy, but from the 12th on Costco is the same as EVERY. OTHER. STORE.

After catching my breath, and trying not to kill the Costco associate with the laser beams shooting from my eyes, we purchased our printer and went on our way.

I may have to rethink my Costco membership the next time it comes up for renewal and that saddens me immensely.

Mmmmmm.....

On Saturday, Ronnie and I were craving a little BBQ and decided to use a buy one get one free at Lon’s Cookin’ Shack near our home. I am in LOVE with their rotisserie chicken! We ordered to go and once we received our food, we got in the car to drive the two blocks back to our apartment (I know we should have walked, but what can I say? We’re lazy….and it was raining.) We pulled out of the parking lot and down the street. As we were waiting to cross University Avenue I was startled by a knock at the passenger window. It was a Lon’s worker who asked if we were the order for Ronnie and handed me the spinach salad they forgot to put in the bag. What customer service! He had run out in the rain and knocked on our car window on the off chance that we were the people he was searching for. If only every store I frequented would have this kind of service.