tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187438942012-01-30T18:17:00.391-08:00Blogging Married Life, Faith, and the Pursuit of All Things CraftyJaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.comBlogger17141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-33972992863008129822012-01-30T18:17:00.000-08:002012-01-30T18:17:00.401-08:00

The Man and I have discovered over the years that we are true northwesterners.  We're both big fans of layering our clothes and wearing the anti-couture polar fleece.  To anyone not from Oregon or Washington (and to remind those who do live here), the first thing you probably ever learned about the great northwest was that it rains here a lot.  Which isn't actually true.  It does rain, but not

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-27720702663125563802012-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:002012-01-28T18:17:23.143-08:00

The Man and I have received all of our tax information back from our employers, our investments, and our loans, so now we get to do our taxes.  We always do them jointly so that everything gets double-checked, and we've submitted them online all by ourselves the last few years.  You have no idea how much we look forward to this process.  It's the business nerd in him and the math geek in me going

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-17941264089361705202012-01-26T18:35:00.000-08:002012-01-26T19:37:05.940-08:00

Our wait is finally over. The Man and I married in 2009 with the hope that we would both, someday, be full-time employees with health benefits and vacation pay.  During our first year of marriage, we lived on my paycheck alone.  Thankfully my employer's insurance covers both of us at no additional cost to us, so that helped.  In January of last year, The Man got a full-time job at a place he

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-39288040666859470212012-01-23T18:38:00.000-08:002012-01-23T18:38:00.092-08:00

Allow me to begin this saga by stating that I have no pictures of my newly-dyed hair.  It's not because I don't want you to see me or it, but that the difference is so slight it's not really picture-worthy.  Unless I'm in direct sunlight, the new hair color is barely noticeable.  Which is good, I guess, as I don't look weird-er.  And we seem to have a bit of a sunlight shortage right now seeing

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-34490407994436433272012-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:002012-01-21T19:27:26.914-08:00

We've had some high water in our neighborhood recently, so I have been busy watching the news and checking river levels constantly.  The water was up to car windows just four or five blocks away in one direction, and a very swollen Willamette River churned about a mile away in another direction.  Thankfully The Man and I had no problems getting around to shop and work (but I'm not confirming or

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-54063415446202299262012-01-19T17:45:00.000-08:002012-01-19T17:45:00.912-08:00

Want to quilt but have no free time to do so?  Want to quilt but don't have a sewing machine?  Want quilt-like art for your walls but aren't up for a king-sized mural?  Enter Quilt Magic! I am a quilter, and I do have a little of that precious free time for quilting.  I also have a nice sewing machine.  And, crazy me, I'm working on a king-sized monstrosity.  But I like quick projects as much as

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-43628957010953529432012-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:002012-01-18T18:19:00.307-08:00

The Man and I finally broke down and bought Kindles.  In a way, I feel like we lost a battle.  On the other hand, yay new technology, fewer books to store, and constantly running out of books to read! We were very resistant to the idea of an e-reader for a long time.  The Man had heard that if you buy a book and put it on your Kindle (or Nook or whatever device), the publisher can just take it

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-23473613574087573472012-01-17T17:38:00.000-08:002012-01-17T17:38:00.513-08:00

I know I resolved to post more this year just last week, and then I took a long weekend off from blogging didn't I?  It was for a good reason, I promise! The Man and I had a good weekend.  We were able to spend a couple hours with my best friend and his wife on Sunday.  We haven't seen them in ages, so that was really special.  I made good progress on my quilt, took a couple hours to make up a

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-34402986955130873672012-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:002012-01-12T17:43:11.867-08:00

Today wasn't exactly a bad day, but it certainly wasn't a great day.  I liked being off work.  I really liked sleeping in.  I enjoyed editing photos, and I ate great food.  However, I had two appointments today that were less than thrilling. I started off my day at the gynecologist's office for my annual stab 'n' jab.  This being my fifth time going, I was pretty sure I knew what to expect

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-55033102275204032452012-01-11T17:52:00.000-08:002012-01-11T17:52:00.391-08:00

I'm not a fruit person.  I'll be starving, literally, before I ever eat an orange.  However, I do love apples, watermelon, and kiwi fruit, and I generally enjoy bananas, strawberries, and grapes.  That's it.  That's the whole list of fruits I eat.  No citrusy crap, no other melons, definitely no papayas or mangoes.  The thought of peaches  or tomatoes makes me gag.  And after suffering through

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-84933255337721965722012-01-09T19:51:00.000-08:002012-01-09T19:51:16.636-08:00

It was a splurge, the whale.  The Man saw it first, and I was excited enough to throw it in the cart.  When we got to the checkstand, he finally noticed I'd grabbed it and chided me a bit.  A whale?  You have to see this. Our whale sits under the faucet in the bathroom.  It fits snugly around the round part right where the water comes out, no glue or adhesive necessary.  It doesn't impede normal

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-60780563355497989762012-01-08T20:55:00.000-08:002012-01-08T20:56:44.404-08:00

My sister came over this weekend for a photo shoot.  I took her out to Avery Park and took some pictures in the cold.  We had to work fast so that our noses didn't turn red!  She was very happy to pose for me, and I was thankful to have a subject willing to be patient as I swapped filters, adjusted my camera between every shot, and tinkered to get the photo just how I wanted it. The second

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-58163644131353869002012-01-06T17:26:00.000-08:002012-01-06T17:26:00.259-08:00

So there we were, driving somewhere in silence, The Man behind the wheel, and me, physically in the passenger seat but mentally on another planet.  We hadn't been able to agree on a music selection--as usual--and had given up on conversation for the time being.  I looked over at the sweet man I married with the full realization that what I was about to ask him a) came out of left field, and b)

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-24046833161995055812012-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:002012-01-05T20:26:45.692-08:00

I am not a New Year Resolution kind of person.  It always seems silly to me to start something just because it is a new year.  Why not start losing weight right when you think about it rather than on January first?  "Oh this year I will look great in a bikini!"  Um, probably not.  "This year I will stop smoking!"  I really do wish you the best of luck.  How about you stop in November or July or

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-42040670746059138962012-01-04T18:37:00.000-08:002012-01-04T18:37:01.042-08:00

I haven't had a week off from blogging... ever!  Sorry it has taken me a while to sit down and post again, but I was super busy this last week being on vacation and all.  You heard me, I took some time off.  Like, really off.  I didn't even travel.  A stay-cation it was, and it was perfect. Between a furlough day, a special day of leave, and the New Year holiday, I had a five-day weekend.  

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-61760204335778060352011-12-28T18:43:00.000-08:002011-12-28T18:43:00.089-08:00

Around the holidays, someone in my family usually makes a traditional recipe we have always called "peppernuts."  They are not "pepper nuts."  There is no space.  And there are no nuts.  This is a nut-free food.  I'm told the German name for them is "pfeffernusse," so I'm guessing the recipe was passed down for a few generations before it ended up in my kitchen.  In any case, these non-nuts are

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-51665167734984775472011-12-27T17:36:00.000-08:002011-12-27T17:36:00.076-08:00

Christmas was a very typical holiday for The Man and me this year.  We celebrated with my extended family a couple weekends ago, so that left my little family, his little family, and his extended family for the holiday weekend. With gifts in tow, we sleighed over to my parents' house on Christmas Eve to celebrate with them and my sister and her hubby.  We decided to forego the traditional

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-14820298271651210092011-12-22T20:52:00.000-08:002011-12-22T20:52:59.755-08:00

I still have some Christmas shopping to do.  I'm usually done by the time the Christmas season even rolls around, but this year?  We are so incredibly far behind!  I have some presents wrapped, some waiting to be wrapped, and some not even purchased.  I'll try to get on this tomorrow, and I shouldn't have any problem, but it's just the fact that I'm so behind that makes me frustrated.

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-72298895446166706352011-12-20T17:56:00.000-08:002011-12-20T17:56:00.152-08:00

I get brain itches.  My brain doesn't physically itch, but it does, in a way, itch sometimes.  And it's really hard to scratch or rub or get to stop itching.  It doesn't often just go away on its own.  The itches must be scratched. I don't really know how to describe what these itches are other than compulsions or really motivating desires or something that makes me want to, need to do something

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-21300634399203881742011-12-17T15:38:00.000-08:002011-12-17T15:38:38.079-08:00

The Man and I actually went out to see a movie last night, the first movie date we've had since just after we got married two years ago.  We saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie and enjoyed it very much.  Good plot, excellent acting, great stunts.  We get disappointed when films don't get gun fights accurate, so that was a bit of a downer (unlimited bullets, perfectly aimed long range weapons, and

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-71040938580014243892011-12-14T17:47:00.000-08:002011-12-14T17:47:00.530-08:00

I mentioned yesterday that I find Damian Lewis rather attractive.  What I was unable to clearly define was how much I absolutely love his acting.  He was fantastic in Band of Brothers, and The Man and I were in awe of him in Life (curse you, NBC, for dropping the ball on that one).  I've been enjoying his new character in Homeland.  We have seen a few of his other parts as well, and liked them

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-57356489633961373932011-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:002011-12-13T18:25:00.539-08:00

No, I'm not speaking of God today.  Though God may be the answer for some people in every situation, my story isn't about God.  It's about a man named Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.  In many ways, he's been the answer in my life. The story begins in high school.  Tenth grade to be exact.  I managed to get into Advanced American History or Advanced U.S. History or whatever you want to call it.  It

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-91927302611321236552011-12-12T17:54:00.000-08:002011-12-12T17:54:00.297-08:00

Some people define Christmas as a single day of the year, December 25th.  Some people think of Christmas as the day they open presents or eat a traditional meal.  Some people celebrate Christmas the day before or the day after the 25th.  Christmas, for me, happens when my mom's family all gets together a weekend or two before the actual holiday.  This year's festivities happened on Saturday.

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-76568238484409201432011-12-07T17:52:00.000-08:002011-12-07T17:52:00.142-08:00

I've had my Cricut for a few days now and the opportunity to sit down and make a full project.  I've learned a lot in a very short time that I'm not sure I've seen explained elsewhere. 1) New mats are sticky.  If you put a sheet of construction-type paper on a new mat, be prepared that you will never get the whole sheet of paper back off the mat. 2) Don't use construction paper with a Cricut.  

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-86752613726374245332011-12-05T17:37:00.000-08:002011-12-05T17:37:00.301-08:00

Was that a weekend that just few by?  I must have missed it with all I did this weekend. Friday was a treat as my Cricut arrived.  I purchased a Cricut Expression cutting machine on Amazon on Cyber Monday for half-off.  It came with two cartridges, plus I ordered one on Amazon and bought one at a craft store later.  I also got some paper this weekend, so I'm set to cut, cut, cut! Saturday was

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-12719733336543439342011-12-01T17:19:00.000-08:002011-12-01T17:19:00.515-08:00

We had been researching TVs for months and narrowed down the field to three or four TVs that we really wanted.  Obviously we don't need a TV, so this was truly a want.  Our living room TV was fine, though small and not full-HD, but the bedroom TV was one of those old boxy, heavy, ugly, outdated things that just didn't cooperate all the time anymore.  We decided to get a new one for the living

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-43329662740113649522011-11-29T17:48:00.000-08:002011-11-29T17:48:00.103-08:00

Thanksgiving was awesome.  I spent time with family every day over the four-day weekend, acquired the bulk of my next project, spent lots of time in the kitchen, and shopped just the right amount. But if I have to look at another turkey between now and next November, it will be too much to handle. Wednesday night saw Mom meeting me at an undisclosed location to transfer The Turkey.  I used caps

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-11749761736709816292011-11-23T17:27:00.000-08:002011-11-23T17:27:00.053-08:00

It is finally done!  I received the pattern for this quilt not quite a year ago from my aunt.  She has been a quilter forever, and she was kind enough to send me the pattern along with a couple books from her personal quilting library.  I determined the quilt would be my next project after I finished hand-quilting my last quilt at the end of May.  Here we are, six months later, and I can say

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-36362561356894321822011-11-21T18:14:00.000-08:002011-11-21T18:14:00.043-08:00

Though my birthday was weeks ago, due to conflicting schedules I was unable to celebrate with family until this weekend.  My mom spoiled me rotten with her homemade swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and green beans, three things The Man and I never have together as he's mostly opposed to them.  After a very yummy dinner and homemade cinnamon rolls for dessert, Mom, Dad, my sister,

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-25395902862727060802011-11-17T17:21:00.000-08:002011-11-17T17:21:00.401-08:00

Via Netflix, I successfully watched every episode of Wings.  All approximately 150 episodes.  If there was a better early '90s sitcom, I have yet to see it.  Tim Daly, Steven Weber, Crystal Barnard, and Tony Shalhoub were the larger part of a fantastic cast.  I was so sad to see the show come to a close, but the ending couldn't have been better. What do I do with my evenings?  I watch old TV

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-52359724796519414642011-11-16T18:47:00.000-08:002011-11-16T18:47:00.150-08:00

Dear World, Please stop with the glitter.  No, I don't want to encrust my shoes with glitter.  No, I don't need glitter wallpaper.  I definitely do not need to glitter up my KitchenAid stand mixer, tiles in the shower, or parts of my car.  I'm not even a huge fan of glitter in my make-up.  Glitter is bad.  Glitter is the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving no matter how hard you try

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-65376287040922351232011-11-14T17:16:00.000-08:002011-11-14T17:16:00.399-08:00

The Man and I encountered something new, something completely unexpected, yet understandable.  We have noticed this in the past, but we never actually discussed it.  Recently, we went over to our friends' house for dinner, and before we ate, our host said a prayer of thanks.  No big deal, right?  Except we all had an air-clearing moment where our non-Catholic friends agreed that it's somewhat

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-58946364951430659532011-11-11T21:08:00.001-08:002011-11-11T21:20:50.105-08:00

The Man and I have been very fortunate this week to have watched some fantastic stories.  On Wednesday night, we were in need of some comedy.  We enjoy comedians, but I think we're both pretty picky as to what we consider "good" comedy.  I don't like a ton of swearing, crass jokes, or potty humor, but there's a time and a place for a good fart joke.  The Man isn't big on dry humor or English

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-17837803029780622872011-11-09T18:20:00.000-08:002011-11-09T18:20:00.154-08:00

For those of us living on the west side of Oregon, the land east of Bend is often considered a wasteland, a deserted, sagebrush encrusted, cattle riddled expanse of nothing.  Valley people tend to stick to the valley.  It's just safer that way.  Last weekend, The Man and I set forth from the densely wooded, blindingly green surroundings of home and drove through our fair state all the way out the

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-32789908184945608792011-11-07T17:30:00.000-08:002011-11-07T17:30:02.063-08:00

Happy Blogiversary to me! Six years and counting.  I'll be the first to admit that my posts aren't as frequent as they used to be.  In my own defense, however, I've progressed from single lady on the town to married, very busy, and not at my computer as often in the evenings. Just one year ago I finished my first queen-sized quilt.  Yeah.  I've officially been a "quilter" now for a little over

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-49317631037235805332011-11-03T18:19:00.000-07:002011-11-03T18:19:00.711-07:00

Yesterday I had only been on this blue-green space marble a mere twenty-seven years, but today I rounded it out to twenty-eight years, you know, just for the fun of it.  No birthday cake in sight, although I did make a double-batch of Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownies last night (in addition to the leftover cookies from last weekend and a slug of Halloween candy).  Somehow I will manage... oh

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-71059879922292601252011-11-02T18:47:00.000-07:002011-11-02T18:47:00.408-07:00

I'll admit it, I am a total snob when it comes to sheets.  My mother taught me well.  Never buy less than 300-thread-count sheets.  Never buy less than 5oz flannel.  Never buy sateen.  These are easy rules to live by, easy to follow, easy to understand. But finding 300tc or 5oz or non-sateen sheets isn't always easy on my budget! The Man and I got very lucky and found some 600tc sheets at Ross

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-46251574052873354002011-11-01T17:40:00.000-07:002011-11-01T17:40:00.705-07:00

I finally did it.  I bought a laptop.  After ten years with two desktops, I opted for a laptop.  That's not bad, I figure, at five years per system.  I made a Vista (nightmare) machine go four years and counting, and that was two too many. The Man has had laptops as long as I've known him, and he upgraded last year to a fantastic gaming laptop that made me a little... well, okay, I was totally

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-29782725676674245282011-10-31T18:07:00.000-07:002011-10-31T18:07:00.051-07:00

Friday, Saturday, Sunday.  It seems like I never have time to post on those days anymore.  This weekend was no exception.  We were busy.  Next weekend?  Same story.  Weekend after that?  Oh please let it be boring! I can't complain.  Friday was busy since The Man's parents came down and went out to dinner with us.  Then, later, at home, I was busy playing with computers and watching old Wings 

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-19813368872444885542011-10-27T17:38:00.000-07:002011-10-27T17:38:00.181-07:00

Sorry I didn't post earlier, but for safety reasons, I had to wait until The Man returned to tell you all about what happens when I'm left to my own devices.  Last week, The Man's employer asked if he could go to Seattle again for a few days.  I was able to go with him last time, just last month, but there was some doubt about how long he'd be up there this time, and I didn't want to be bored in

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-52892138196122794862011-10-24T17:30:00.000-07:002011-10-24T17:30:00.797-07:00

I have to admit, for once, I'm glad the weekend is over.  The Man and I spent far too much time in a car for our liking, twice more for him than me.  On Saturday, we drove up to the Widmer brewery for my sister's birthday.  We took a tour, got to taste some beer, and then had lunch at their restaurant.  The drive wasn't so bad going up except for that one spot where some new driver tried to push

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-7728648182081468972011-10-20T18:37:00.000-07:002011-10-20T18:37:00.424-07:00

Sorry there isn't much new to report tonight.  I've been terribly busy taking some classes about how to buy a house, making dozens of tortillas, trying to keep our apartment clean, and doing that whole 'going to work' thing.  Quilting? Ha.  I've managed to pin about a dozen pieces of fabric together in two weeks.  Not one stitch, or at least not one stitch that I won't have to remove (again)

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-47868627274097741512011-10-19T17:55:00.000-07:002011-10-19T17:55:00.167-07:00

My mom and I got together a couple times this month to take some cooking classes from a local chef.  We learned how to make homemade flour tortillas and Spanish rice.  The tortillas are simple in that they take very few ingredients, but they're a laborious process.  I've made about six dozen tortillas in the last two weeks, and after much practice, I can do them in about two minutes each.  Since

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-75075208123085041182011-10-17T18:40:00.000-07:002011-10-17T18:40:00.427-07:00

I've been looking back on two years of marriage a lot lately as today is our second anniversary.  Two whole years!  The traditional gift for a second anniversary is cotton.  Not really sure what to get that's made out of cotton that we don't have already.  Maybe we'll get some new sheets.  Yeah. I could get all mushysmushy here.  I really could.  I'm pretty head-over-heels for The Man.  So to

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-1791855136514745892011-10-12T18:10:00.000-07:002011-10-20T09:47:10.794-07:00

Sometimes on my lunch hour at work, I sit in my office and watch TED talks. TED is a sort of recurring event in which people can present their innovative, intriguing, or inspiring ideas. Their tagline is "ideas worth spreading." Some talks are definitely more exciting or applicable than others, but all of the talks are worthwhile in some capacity. I've been interested in TED talks and

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-5310767065701377782011-10-10T19:16:00.000-07:002011-10-10T19:16:00.104-07:00

Hi, my name is Jaggy, and I enjoy watching TV.  A lot.  Like, "too much" according to some people.  But I don't really think it would be fair to call me "addicted" as I don't need to watch TV in order to live.  I just enjoy the downtime, having my mind focused on something else for an hour or two each day. The other part about my TV habits?  I craft.  I'm always busy when I'm watching TV.  

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-61712582046657881022011-10-09T10:35:00.000-07:002011-10-09T10:35:37.814-07:00

I can't make this stuff up, people.  In my wildest dreams, I had no idea people could be this stupid. In June, as temperatures became warmer in Oregon with that whole "summer" thing approaching, The Man and I elected to fork out $50 to have our apartment complex maintenance crew install our air conditioner.  $50 well-spent I figured, what for the coolness of our apartment and the cooler heads

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-32182254094481812412011-10-07T21:55:00.000-07:002011-10-07T21:55:00.103-07:00

Sometimes I don't like blogging.  Sometimes I want to say things here that I know I shouldn't.  I want to swear.  I want to rant about how incredibly frustrating and annoying people, things, events, moments can be.  I want to rail against the stupid, the inept, the clearly-unable-to-process-oxygen.  I want to share with the world exactly what I do for a living and who my apartment complex manager

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-28193986916185794182011-10-05T18:09:00.000-07:002011-10-05T18:09:00.160-07:00

First, a tiny bit of trivia: I received my 100th follower today.  Thank you all so much for reading! And second, a large bit of fun: Google's Ngram Viewer.  The Ngram viewer shows how often words have appeared in books in the last several hundred years.  For example, if you type the word "Oregon" into the Ngram search box, you can see that Oregon was really popular in the late 1800s and, for

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-497952112781328962011-10-04T18:05:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:05:00.123-07:00

You'd think after the door-mangling incident, I'd learn not to call our apartment management for anything, but our lease ended.  We had to talk to them.  Believe me, stabbing my own eyes out sounded more pleasant than dealing with them.  We tried to be open-minded and hoped for the best. They sent us a letter early last month indicating our lease was about to end, and we responded that we'd like

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-36769733284692913182011-10-03T17:30:00.000-07:002011-10-03T17:30:00.333-07:00

My mother and I took a class this weekend and learned how to make tortillas from scratch.  While the class wasn't as thorough as I wish it could have been, we learned a bit and had fun eating the fruits of our labor. You can find dozens of recipes for tortillas on the Internet, so I won't post the one we got here.  Yes, we used shortening.  Yes, I think I'd prefer real (unhydrogenated) lard.  No

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-15099963077109385412011-09-28T18:46:00.000-07:002011-09-28T18:46:00.372-07:00

No, this is not a home furnishings review.  This is war.  This is what The Man and I go around and around and around about.  This is "he-drives-me-crazy-whens" and "she-needs-to-watch-herselfs."  This is what marriage is.  Or what our marriage is anyway. I do something--or don't do something--that makes The Man spitting mad.  When I am standing at the bathroom sink getting ready in the morning

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-43858867701484178412011-09-27T17:34:00.000-07:002011-09-27T17:34:00.108-07:00

When it comes to make-up, I'm picky.  Like with most things, I tend to buy the same item over and over again if I know I like it, trust it will last, and feel like I'm getting a good deal.  But what about trying something new?  Ugh. I recently went on a research expedition into the world of foundations.  There are so many options out there, so many colors and finishes and liquid-to-powders and

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-4398323839446240882011-09-24T16:26:00.000-07:002011-09-24T16:26:00.065-07:00

We visited our local Izzy's recently and  left them this very helpful comment card.   (Sorry about the very crappy picture, but their lighting left much to be desired.  The food was great though!)

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-79827956520097044372011-09-23T17:37:00.000-07:002011-09-23T17:37:00.580-07:00

A conversation with a friend recently got me thinking about what I know.  Well, about what I know I know.  Those things I can do.  The things, the thoughts, the processes that I understand and can explain. She mentioned that there are lots of things she thinks people think she should be able to do, but she's never done those things.  Like changing a tire on a car.  She has never done it.  But

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-70111417656662876602011-09-22T21:51:00.000-07:002011-09-22T21:51:00.368-07:00

You can read the full article and comments here. As a member of this "Lost Generation," I take considerable offense to the comments saying "young people are whiny slackers who were spoiled by mommy and daddy."  They also say, "just work harder to find a job."  Or they comment, "don't get degrees in fields that aren't hiring." I am a young person.  I'm a late 20-something that was definitely not

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-43148385162802835142011-09-21T17:45:00.000-07:002011-09-21T17:45:00.501-07:00

I swear I saw the maintenance guy breathing and walking at the same time once, but I have no proof that occurred.  Judging by his latest attempt at repair in our apartment, I could very easily have been mistaken. This summer has been warm.  Too warm for my taste.  The heat has also made our apartment door unhappy.  The door began to stick a little in July, and by the end of August we had to slam

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-34281956184284677982011-09-18T22:21:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:21:59.426-07:00

The Man and I left last Wednesday to go to Seattle, Washington, on a business trip.  His company sent him to the Bothell offices to meet and greet the other employees up there and have some training sessions or something, and since I didn't add any cost to the trip for them, I got to go too. We skedaddled out of Corvallis by 9:15am and were in Seattle traffic by 2:00pm.  We stopped a couple times

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-12991546835697083892011-09-14T18:05:00.000-07:002011-09-14T18:05:00.422-07:00

Pretty neat, huh?  It's a grid of paint chips.  I "painted" with paint chips.  I actually made art that I would pay money for in the store for free.  And we all know how "free is the best price" right?  Right. I got the idea from Pinterest and lots of other sites where paint chip art is all the rage.  Though I tend not to be an "all the rage" crafter, I did know that I had art issues in

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-54149155380784028722011-09-13T18:06:00.000-07:002011-09-13T18:06:00.068-07:00

Let me start by saying that I have a really nice ironing board.  I enjoy using it.  It's a bit cumbersome to get out, set up, and put away, but that's not a big deal most of the time.  What bothers me is the width.  When I'm ironing quilt blocks, the ironing board just isn't wide enough.  It works wonderfully for shirts and large things that I can do in sections, but it just doesn't work for

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-3586593528755785152011-09-12T18:03:00.000-07:002011-09-12T18:03:00.355-07:00

As I mentioned last week, The Man and I have had seating issues since we bought new living room furniture.  We have enough seating, just not well-placed seating.  In order to put our shoes on, we have to walk past the front door to our shoe shelving, grab our shoes, walk back around the couch into the living room to put our shoes on, and then walk back out of the living room area around the

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-18519065439109244792011-09-09T18:06:00.000-07:002011-09-09T18:06:00.161-07:00

Dear Jo-Ann Fabrics, Thank you so much for providing customers with 40%-off and 50%-off coupons every week via e-mail.  Thank you for having Android and iPhone apps with extra coupons.  Thank you even more for sending coupons to me in the mail, sometimes with scratch-offs that make me feel like I could win the lottery really soon.  I really do appreciate all of the discounts! Don't get me wrong

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-42703127539949264282011-09-07T18:14:00.000-07:002011-09-07T18:14:00.577-07:00

He started it.  I didn't coerce him or try to encourage him or anything.  I merely suggested it after he brought it up. We were wandering the aisles of our local drugstore recently, and he became very intent on researching every face wash known to man right that second.  Between the eighty-six washes from Clean & Clear, the Noxema and Neutrogena empires, and the Dove/Olay/Aveeno kingdoms, we

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-79372397008885089482011-09-05T22:53:00.000-07:002011-09-05T22:53:05.029-07:00

What can I say?  I crafted mercilessly this weekend.  Three glorious days of little else but stitching, cutting, ripping, and fray-checking.  Not one of my projects came out exactly as I had envisioned, yet each of them was a unique learning experience. Saturday saw a very expensive (but still under $100) trip to the craft store to take advantage of Labor Day Weekend sales.  Who knew batting and

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-34321414978426932792011-09-02T18:59:00.000-07:002011-09-02T18:59:00.546-07:00

I'm a creator.  A dreamer.  A planner-aheader.  I'm even sometimes a thinker.  But I am not, however, always adept at making my creative dreams and plans a reality. Take, for example, my first-aid kit debacle.  After purchasing a really nice kit at work for work, I realized we probably should have some sort of to-go kits in our cars.  We're usually driving up and down I-5, but for the rare

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-58888606148800474212011-08-30T17:32:00.001-07:002011-08-30T17:32:00.404-07:00

I have lunch issues.  Breakfast has never been a problem for me, and I could pretty much exist on breakfast food 24/7 if it was actually healthy enough (and my tummy would let me eat eggs without going all 'smells-of-death' on me).  Dinner is easy enough since I have time and am home to cook pretty much whatever I'm motivated to cook.  But lunch?  Ugh. I am not a sandwich person.  I like them

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-18070652639034341532011-08-29T18:11:00.000-07:002011-08-29T18:11:00.109-07:00

The Man and I did not go to Salem on a weekend for once this summer.  We washed and waxed my car on Friday night, played some cards with my parents, and were up far too late.  Saturday included some sleeping in, a little bit of shopping, and a whole lot of sewing on my new machine.  Sunday also saw me stitching away, plus I did some cooking and a touch of cleaning.  That doesn't sound like very

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-73718461373327920782011-08-25T20:38:00.000-07:002011-08-25T20:38:00.689-07:00

The Man and I have birthdays just over two months apart.  Literally, I suppose, since we're both products of 1983.  And now, in this odd gap when he's "a year older," I have to remind myself that 28 isn't so far off for me. It's time to start thinking about birthday presents. About five years ago, my mother bought me a sewing machine for Christmas.  It was a sturdy little machine, perfect for

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-63111805402131895972011-08-24T17:27:00.000-07:002011-08-24T17:27:00.111-07:00

It's always scary for me to visit a financial advisor or talk to someone about my spending habits.  I equate it to going to the dentist.  Am I doing a good job brushing (saving)?  Do I have any cavities (problems)?  Am I going to get in trouble for carrying my credit card balance a few months since we bought a piano and didn't want to live on rice and beans for that time?  As any loyal reader

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-48537663181758758802011-08-21T20:57:00.000-07:002011-08-21T21:08:05.785-07:00

For The Man's birthday this year, he and I drove up to Portland with his parents and met his brother in Beaverton.  We had a great adventure seeing some sights, taking lots of pictures, and even (maybe) finding the perfect dining set.  Aside from the heat and some misadventures driving, it was a very nice day. We left our little town at 8:00am and were in Portland by a little after 10:00am (

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-19388771095719147602011-08-19T18:17:00.000-07:002011-08-19T18:17:01.494-07:00

I thought we'd celebrate your birthday in a special way today by remembering all of the wonderful things that happened in the year you--we--were born.  Here's to 1983! Oh, and Happy Birthday!  I love you.

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-48564023364531970142011-08-17T18:07:00.000-07:002011-08-17T18:07:00.115-07:00

Blog readers, allow me to give you a short back story before I launch into my rant.  From as early as I can remember, my father has had a woodshop.  Well, he's had a garage or a small shop or some sort of area in which to create dust.  A lot of dust.  Dust that I grew up playing in, dust that my mother was not allowed to clean up, dust that comes from hard work sawing and sanding and shaving wood

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-59028813110846686722011-08-15T17:39:00.000-07:002011-08-15T17:39:00.284-07:00

Hi there, Do you think it would be possible to get a normal table on the market?  My husband and I spent a large portion of our very precious weekend searching high and low for a dining set that fits our style and needs, and once again came up empty-handed.  Our style is pretty basic, and our needs are also relatively easy to fit, but getting the two to match seems to be impossible.  If you

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-72602122030993714242011-08-11T17:57:00.000-07:002011-08-11T17:57:01.155-07:00

We bought a SodaStream last weekend and have put in near-daily use record so far.  We have learned more about how it works, plus we will end up saving some money--eventually.  Please note that this is not a paid testimonial, just a simple user review from a pretty normal couple that enjoys fizzy drinks.  A lot. The SodaStream, for those not in-the-know, is a carbonation delivery system.  You

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-48385602179879281112011-08-10T17:30:00.000-07:002011-08-10T19:09:31.499-07:00

I made a purse, and it doesn't look like some crappy DIY job either.  It's something I'm comfortable using around town, and that's saying quite a lot considering my overwhelming dislike of all things purse-y.  Eddie Bauer backpacks, Timbuk2 messenger bags, and all other things made out of ballistic nylon are much more my speed. A few months ago, my sister and I were wandering around a local

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-46389539722153768842011-08-09T18:02:00.000-07:002011-08-09T18:02:01.109-07:00

Ack, I keep reminding myself I need to blog, but then I forget, and that's how we end up here with several days gone and no updates. Sunday was a whirlwind day of activity for me.  I got up late, got started a little late on a project, fought too long with the printer, and only finished my project around 11:00pm.  But it's done.  More about that project tomorrow. Sunday also included a little

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-71393249831504131932011-08-06T16:02:00.000-07:002011-08-06T16:02:54.412-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates this week, but I officially conquered the bathroom.  All of the caulking is down, dried, and beautiful.  The new shower curtain is hung on the new shower rod (which was raised six inches to normal height).  The new rug is down, squishy, and completely wonderful.  The artwork for the walls is in progress and should be finished tomorrow.  Yay for a bathroom overhaul

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-22665204600356480852011-08-03T22:30:00.000-07:002011-08-03T22:30:12.110-07:00

Toilet Before: note extreme nastiness Allow me to begin by saying I hate my apartment maintenance people.  They do not know how to do their jobs.  When the contractor built this apartment, the caulking guy on his crew did a good job with plumber's putty and latex caulking.  Really, it was a fine job: not too much caulking, not sloppy, nice even work.  The bonehead repair guy that followed him

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-13307131779409511272011-08-01T17:25:00.000-07:002011-08-01T17:25:00.865-07:00

A week ago or so, The Man and I made a trip to Borders to see what we could score in their big closing sale.  We both got books, and we also purchased a game called Dominion.  We had been searching for the game for several months and lucked into getting it on sale.  Yay! With the trend being big party games right now, it's been difficult for The Man and I to find 2-person games.  We play games

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-51683873995350759372011-07-29T18:00:00.000-07:002011-07-29T18:00:00.349-07:00

Okay, I'll admit, making pancakes from a pre-made boxed mix is easier.  But this recipe? Not much more difficult.  If you can crack an egg and flip a pancake, you're good. I made these with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix instead of the white flour for two reasons, 1) I didn't have any white flour, and 2) I didn't want to feel bloated and nasty for the rest of the night.  Plus a little

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-70371144760395478382011-07-26T19:37:00.000-07:002011-07-26T19:37:37.116-07:00

I took the whole day off work today to get some dental work done.  Not just a measly filling but a crown and four fillings in four teeth.  And I have good teeth! How can I say I have good teeth and still need fillings?  Three of my fillings were super tiny surface fillings that were more about prevention than actually fixing anything.  One was so small that my dentist didn't even fill anything,

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-53324219878149323132011-07-25T17:58:00.000-07:002011-07-25T17:58:00.524-07:00

Yay for great weekends! The Man and I invited my sister and her husband over on Saturday for a hike in Beazell Memorial Forest out in Kings Valley.  We took the Plunkett Creek trail out and back.  Just a little way down the trail, we stopped at the covered pavilion and had a tasty sack lunch.  The day was a tad warm and humid for me, but it wasn't bad at all on the downhill sections.  Felt like

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-24718291404750802802011-07-22T17:55:00.000-07:002011-07-22T17:55:00.217-07:00

Let's get one thing straight from the start: I can't stand smells.  Unless they're fresh cooking smells, the very slightest fresh flower smell (from actual fresh flowers), or freshly hayed grass or alfalfa fields (or mint! yum!), I don't want to smell it.  Campfires? No.  Chemical smells? Absolutely not. Candles and perfumes and potpurri and that awful Scentsy stuff?  Please no. When I wake up

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-26759533658658323152011-07-21T17:56:00.000-07:002011-07-21T17:56:00.455-07:00

I admit I'm a bit of a nerd. I'm also a geek.  Okay, all right, I'm a huge nerdy geek.  I appreciate rocks for more than just their sparkle and worth.  My dad was an amateur rock hound before he had kids, so knowing what a geode and a thunderegg and amethyst and agate are comes naturally to me.  When I was a little girl, I heard about this amazing gem that grows in Oregon.  It's called sunstone,

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-79228748550337892902011-07-20T19:28:00.000-07:002011-07-20T19:28:00.923-07:00

Our annual family get-together was this weekend with The Man's very large extended family.  More people attended this year than I've ever seen, probably close to seventy-five by the end of the day.  We all ate way too much good food, enjoyed tastier desserts than ever, and spent a great morning and afternoon reconnecting. Each year, his family has a dessert contest.  The competition keeps

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-20829973555474107032011-07-19T17:39:00.000-07:002011-07-19T17:39:00.417-07:00

The Man and I have plenty of exciting stories to share with you from our long weekend, including some pictures. No pics today, though, as we just have news. The Man got a new job! However exciting that is for you, triple it for us.  We're stoked.  The Man has been working at a job for six months that is destroying our relationship and his free time.  They expect him to work insane amounts of

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-52398647512485490352011-07-15T18:11:00.000-07:002011-07-15T18:11:00.603-07:00

Our desserts for the dessert contest are done.  Not exactly sure how to transport The Man's... it'll be an adventure getting them to the gathering. My dress is almost done.  I got the zipper in last night without too much trouble.  I'm down to bias-tape-ing the edges and hemming up the sleeves.  Unfortunately, while the dress fits, it has some major gap-osis problems in the chestal region, so

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-74908288828217707442011-07-13T17:48:00.000-07:002011-07-13T17:48:02.487-07:00

My dessert entry for this weekend is finished.  The Man's should be finished tonight or tomorrow, depending on the humidity in our apartment.  My huge pot of soup from this weekend has proven better with age.  Too bad I don't even want to look at soup after three days of eating it... I am loving the rain! I learned today that copy machines do not order their own toner--unlike what our campus

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-60192301548921998152011-07-11T18:00:00.000-07:002011-07-11T18:00:00.885-07:00

My weekend was spent primarily in the kitchen.  Every once in a while those weekends make me happy.  I was excited to start the many adventures, and I'm very glad they're mostly behind me now. Perhaps I'm the only person on earth that likes soup during the summer.  I like that I only have to heat up the apartment once and then have plenty of healthy leftovers to eat without having to cook again.

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-86055519653032780362011-07-07T18:22:00.000-07:002011-07-07T18:22:00.975-07:00

I can think of far too many students that walk past my office each day that desperately need this vaccine.  Seriously, can we ban these boots already?

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-9410611996141854772011-07-06T18:04:00.000-07:002011-07-06T18:04:00.313-07:00

Oregon-born and Oregon-bred, The Man and I love it here.  We've made the decision to not leave the state (or at least southern Washington) for jobs, even if that means sacrificing better pay or a more glamorous lifestyle.  Our hearts are here, our families are here, and we love all that Oregon has to offer. Well, except for the heat (and the Californians and the hippies, but that's another story

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-77543185117163974892011-07-05T18:52:00.000-07:002011-07-05T18:52:00.390-07:00

I am totally in love with Burger Shop 2!  It's a simple game to learn, easy to play, and requires lots of quick decisions.  My time in a kitchen has served me well. Okay, if nothing else this is a great time-waster.  There are worse things to do with my spare time, right?

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-89851646073671397152011-07-04T19:55:00.000-07:002011-07-04T19:55:24.917-07:00

We didn't go outside today.  I stayed inside on the couch with my friends, Mr. Kleenex and his friend Mr. Zyrtec (x3).  The Man was also hanging out with us for a while.  While I wasn't productive in the classic sense, I did get to watch some TV and feel quite rested now. Yesterday was fun.  The Man's parents came down for his father's birthday dinner.  We made tacos and went geocaching!  

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-37700143418598099222011-07-02T14:33:00.000-07:002011-07-02T14:33:22.337-07:00

I spent $60 today on make-up.  Every fiber of my being recoiled in horror at the dollar amount, but every ounce of my frivolous side was delighted.  Several hours later, I am still feeling both emotions at the same time. Now before you get all judgmental on me for a whopping $60, allow me to explain what I bought and why I got what I got.  I set out with a plan, a budget, and my own personal

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-54851934916815276722011-07-01T19:33:00.000-07:002011-07-01T19:33:00.109-07:00

For nearly three months we endured constant thumping, bumping, stomping, and jumping from the neighbors upstairs.  Yet for the last month or so, we haven't heard a peep.  It was the most blissful month of quiet I've ever experienced.  Last night, as we went out for our evening walk, we happened across some young people unloading a truck.  I inquired if they were moving in above us, and they said

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-40204345421517993662011-06-30T18:31:00.000-07:002011-06-30T18:31:00.219-07:00

I discovered Google Books today.  My hunt for inexpensive books has been satisfied for the time being by the great number of free books available.  As I have no form of e-reader, I simply read the books on my computer or laptop screen.  There are instructions for how to get many of the books loaded onto an e-reader (Kindle not supported, sorry Mom), or you can use your tiny mobile phone screen.

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-10160049697732344362011-06-28T20:42:00.000-07:002011-06-28T20:42:59.170-07:00

I couldn't take all of the color.  This is a much better option, easier on the eyes and all that.  I'll try to find time in the next few days to tweak the header again, but for now I'm much happier with the whole blog look. Thanks to all of the poll responders helping me choose my subtitle.  I ended the poll early as people had pretty much given me the direction I needed.  The Man's mom had a

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-4612145409405701332011-06-27T18:16:00.000-07:002011-06-27T23:17:43.656-07:00

Between Benadryl, Zyrtec, and Singulair this weekend, The Man and I wheezed and sneezed until we were exhausted.  His allergies kicked in a bit harder since I've been on my meds for months now.  We've been forced to keep our apartment windows open lest the inside temp spikes into the eighties.  By blowing the fans outside rather than sucking cooler air in, we keep most of the pollen to a minimum.

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-28361420262671553872011-06-26T17:05:00.000-07:002011-06-26T18:03:24.570-07:00

So... yeah.  I had a little bit of free time this weekend, so I thought I'd update my bloggy a bit.  I'm not sure if I like all of the bright colors yet, but I was never a huge fan of the previous drab background.  Now I feel like everything is a bit... citrus? circus? intense? I have a hard time finding layouts that are light and neutral behind the text.  Several other options are light, but

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18743894.post-60294861622607331952011-06-22T18:08:00.000-07:002011-06-22T18:08:00.701-07:00

In trying to decide what to write today, I wondered where I was five years ago.  What was I doing?  What could I have been thinking?  Was I happy or scared or angry or bored?  Thanks to bloggy, I was able to look back and see who I was five years ago. I was thrilled to be a college graduate, terrified to be unemployed for the first time in my adult life, a little scared to move back in with my

Jaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07413612883412951249noreply@blogger.com0