2012 Goals to Attack

I'm gonna get cha'!

I already know that 2012 is going to be a year for the books! 2011 most definitely was (between Shawn being laid of to me beginning a new job, to him finding a new one and moving to South Carolina while I stayed in AZ for three months,to me leaving new job moving across country, the anxiety of renting out our beloved house, to me finally getting a new job, and creating a life during it all... I am exhausted and happily put that wacky roller coaster to bed).

This will be the year I actually try to make some goals:
Behold my goals:

1. Put down the soda cans, woman! There is no need for one person to drink so much Ginger Ale and Diet Coke. 3pm everyday is NOT a special occasion
2. Stop paying Wells Fargo so much dang interest! They already have enough money, so pay off that $5,000 credit card.
3. Comb your hair and put your face on! Just because you have a baby (soon, I hope!), doesn't mean you should look like a mess. Other people have to look at you and you don't want to scare your kid. 
4. Get out of the house! Have at least one baby-free date night with Hubs. Remind him that he is your Husband first before being Henry's daddy.
5. Give yourself some credit! Learn to take a compliment. (This drives Hubster bananas and always "requests" you just say thank you. May actually be his life's mission at some points.)

There we are. Obviously, I have other goals, like losing the baby weight (I freely admit that it is actually pizza and pasta weight and that my baby will probably account for a very teensy amount that I chubbed on my hips) before my 10 Year High School Reunion this Fall. Learning how to parent and taking care of myself are overarching themes for 2012 and  am not going to pressure myself to look like one of my model-y classmates (there are several on Facebook).

What are some of your goals and themes of 2012?

A Foggy Day in Greenville Town

Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Actually it is a bit warm and wet outside, but I am okay with fooling myself that fog is snow-like for The South.

A view from my driveway and my crazy neon newspaper

Okay, who am I kidding? I have never had a white Christmas in Phoenix. And won't be havin' one this either.

Putting lights on a palm tree for another year. *Wink*

Glucose Test - Take 2!

27 Weeks... Bun in The Oven while Baking in My Apron

 
I am shaking in my sugar coated boots! Just kidding. I really don't think I have Gestational Diabetes. My doctor agrees with me, too. Only a lab technician can tell, though. On Wednesday I had my three-hour Glucose Test  There was no way I was looking forward to the test. Three hours! After fasting for over 12 hours! I packed up my latest library book, a gigantic water bottle, and a tummy full of patience.

It was my lucky day! There were only two doctors in the office, so a few rooms were open and one had my name on it! Sweet! I had privacy to read my not-very-engaging book, browse two Good Housekeeping magazines and rest on top of one of the exam bed/table/things. I left the stirrups down, thank you very much, as I cozied up under two cotton hospital gowns to keep warm.

Here is what to expect if you find yourself having to take this test, too.

• No eating past midnight the night before your test (the last thing I ate was dinner at 7pm).
• Drink plenty of water to keep your veins popping - you don't want to be stuck more than necessary.
• Bring reading or at least listening materials and a sense of good humor. Three hours doesn't go quick.
• The phlobotomist will prick your finger to test your sugar level and then take a vial of "fasting" blood. 
• You will then drink up the glucose drink that is TWICE as sweet as the one used for the screening test.
• You have five minutes to do this and Do not throw up, as if you could help it, or you'll have to do this all over again!
• An hour later you will be back in the chair for your second, an hour after for your third and then the last hour for your fourth vial.
• If you are a delicate flower, like me, you will have a bruised fingertip and sore elbow crooks. I am one tough mama and can handle it, I assure you. 

And then you wait for results. Oh the waiting! How un-sweet it is!

All Shook Up

I missed my first earthquake. All the world around me experienced the trembling of August 24. 2011 and I missed it. I mean, I was there, and all, but... nothing. This is another example of not knowing enough about my new home. Shameful. I had no idea that Upstate South Carolina could feel earthquakes or that just a few hours south has one serious fault line. Hubs, fully aware that his brain is the sexiest thing about him, explained that when he has to design buildings in our are he has to account for these fault lines at similar levels to the building he constructed in Arizona and California. I oversimplify because I get all googly eyed when he talks engineering to me and my ears only hear "smart, smart, brainy, handsome, omigosh, so smart."

Greenville is in the county just left from where 1913 is written (It is the eye of the hamster I see when I look at SC on a map)

I was on the phone with a client when my cube-mate asked me if I "felt something just then." I honestly thought he was prepping for a punch line, but his face looked too serious. "You didn't feel that?" He called over to my boss to ask if she felt anything. He thought his blood sugar was giving him the shakes (we thought he might have been going cray-cray). As soon as he popped back in the office after grabbing a soda from the cafe, he saw all the 'quake messages on facebook. He wasn't losing his marbles and I missed the shaking.

Man, never did I think that earthquakes would shake up lil Greenville, SC. With all the afternoon matinee performances Baby is doing plus all the bubbles in my tummy all the time (you preggos know what I'm talking about), I could have mistaken some of that action for the Tremble of 2011.



There were frames askew all over the region.



And speaking of Natural Disasters and my close proximity to them... My Hubs, my Mother-In-Law and her two sisters, and Remy and Me and fetus will be trekking to Charleston to enjoy a good Hurricane this weekend. My guess is that they just don't "get" how much I dislike driving into a hurricane. Been there, lived through and cried through the damage when I saw my old neighborhood leveled. The only saving grace is that the Weather Report predicts that Hurricane Irene will stay at sea past South Carolina beaches and then wreaking havoc on North Carolina's outer banks.

Come On Irene! Too-Loo-Rai-Ay! Please just go a-way!

Whatchu got, nature? We've had freak hail, severe wind gusts and rain up the wazoo. Now you're piling on the 'canes and'quakes. 

Skipping Mommy and Going Straight to Granny

Hubster and I made our monthly trip to that mega warehouse store of the bulk item gods, Costco, over the weekend. The items in our cart were not our usual list; we went a li'l crazier than our usual six pounds of cheese and mountain of ground beef. We bought eight pounds of chicken tenderloin, a jug of pesto, forty-eight bagel bites, a giant box of frozen waffles. Shawn got four pairs of Grandpa socks which go all the way up to his knees (he is 6'2" so these babies are high!) and I got what I thought were a package of cute bikinis briefs. Bahhhhhahahahahahaha these li'l puppies are gigantic. I caught a look at my outfit as I was leaving for work in the morning an noticed the nearly two inches of green and pink stripes above my waist band of my medium rise work pants.

You cant write this kind of sexy. 

I even had Shawn pick out the colors. This is how I keep our relationship spicy. I was going to buy my usual black-beige-white solid color scheme and honey said, "no, get the pink ones." "Live a little, right?" I asked him, neither of us knowing just what lay in store inside that deceptive little package.

We're a hot little pair in grandpa socks and grannie panties.My booty may look as large as the warehouse store itself, but you better believe I rock those undies like I'm walking a catwalk.

Falls Park at Reedy River

How many places have a waterfall downtown? No, not a manmade fountain, a real waterfall. Greenville, SC is one of them (seriously contemplating looking up exactly the number of downtown waterfalls there are in the States, no time no time). We spent Saturday downtown walking in and out of vintage shops, dined al-cheapo in a great Italian ristorante, an visited an old timey general store. The best part of the day was spent walking along Reedy River and relaxing at Falls Park.

Falls Park

Enjoying my new favorite place in town

O Serenity!

We're putting down some roots in ol' SC

One of the "Mice on Main" when I move in June, I am finding them all!

I think I am going to love it here. <3

Note: Must learn to say "Reckon"

The paperwork is signed and faxed. Happy Hubby and I are moving to Greenville, South Carolina. So long stifling hot summers! Hubster and I are flying out to search for an apartment on April 20th. I return to the desert. His first day of work will be the 25th. I will work my current job for a month while he gets acclimated to Southern Living.  Then after a bachelorette-beach-extravaganza Memorial Day weekend, Hubby and I will finally go on our epic road trip (so what if we can't road trip up PCH- Pacific Coast Highway, driving across country in a two-seater car will be fun even if we can't stop at Vineyards). Along for the ride will be Remy, our poochy-poo, and Buddy, our little turtle who must endure a few days in a tiny plastic box with an inch of water.

What about my little house? Do you know anyone who wants to rent an adorable three-bedroom house in Chandler/Gilbert? Send 'em my way!

What about a newer-new job in the same state as my hubby, you ask? Eh, I'll find one... hopefully.

I'm stoked about this new adventure ahead of us. If anyone is ever in the Blue Ridge Mountains-area, stop by and I'll pour you some Sweet Tea.

99 Problems

Bashful Fool

Happy April Fool's Day, everyone! Get silly and act the fool... unless you are in Arizona, in which case stay inside where the air conditioning blasts the most. It is a delicate 99 degrees in the Copper State today. Yes. April has barely begun to shine and the weatherman announced the smashing of the previous record high of 96. We are all winning in 2011, I guess. Breaking records and hitting new highs.

PS Planning a lil joke on Hubby for when he returns home from his interview in Greenville, SC. What shall it be? (I wish the joke was on me about this incredible summer we started a month early)

I don't have time for this, I'm management

Its been a little while since I have communicated with the blogging world. I have taken on my new job as Facility Sales Manager at Arizona Science Center with gusto. I have already learned the building (well, I have learned it enough to make guests think I know what I am talking about), I have booked my first walk-through (wish me luck peeps, if I book this wedding, I will be overjoyed), and am in the middle of creating marketing materials (ie a brochure we need oh so badly). I worked my first event (a resounding success) and have three more this week alone!

What is it that I do, you ask? I book events for the Science Center and then I coordinate them. Weddings, networking mixers, receptions, awards show, bar mitzvahs, quinceneras, sweet sixteens, proms, grad nights, fundraisers, oh my! I am really excited for this new venture in my life and hope I deliver as much as I can. (PS spread the word if you're in the Phoenix-area that if someone wants to host an event, I am right downtown wanting to impress).

Hugs and Love!

Isn't that pretty... I can do that!

Inspiration for Creative Expression

Dance your heart out!

Sometimes you see something that makes you smile and kind of warms your heart. I feel this way when I see videos of puppies rolling around, babies laughing, and every form of dance. It is this last form of expression that truly inspires me. I am in awe of people who just "Go For It." There is no half-way, rather it is living and dreaming to the fullest. Below is a video of a woman on Ireland's "Got to Dance" program. While she may not be the most technically advanced danseur, she goes all out and just dances!

(It helps that this particular tune cracks me up whenever I hear it)

Happiness: Got to Dance 2

Dance on!

Reading (still): "Inside the Vicorian Home" ***this book is huge!***

Listening to: "Firework" by Katy Perry ***also inspirational***

Eenie-Miney-Mo

Le Jour Vingt
Nicknames

I dole out nicknames to my family practically each month. My Happy Hubster has about twenty variations of nicknames, My Little Remy has at least ten, I lost count when it comes to my parents' old dog, Powder (Pow-Pow-Chicka-Pow is a favorite), when I reached about forty.

I, however, have very few nicknames. Most that I do have center around the "Mo" in Monique.

Moni-Moni
Mo-Fo
Super-Mo

Happy Husband just mimics the ones I give him (a tiny sampling)

Toops
Toopy
Baby
Most Beloved Goddess Divine (one can only wish)

My Daddy-o is a fervent believer in nicknames as well.

Mo-Girl
Neaker-Sneaker (apparently, I hid in cabinets and closets as a kid... a lot)


Listening to: "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child

30-Day Blog Challenge

Generally, when I commit to something it is a short two-week maximum commitment (clearly, my happily-ever-after commitments are not subject to this unfortunate generalization). Lately, however I find myself hitting my goals (like running -and not losing- my first 5k) and want to set a bloggerverse related one. I borrowed this 30-day challenge from another blogger and want to see if I can keep this up... we shall see.

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3-Your first love
Day 4-Your parents
Day 5-Your siblings
Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7-Favorite movies
Day 8-A place you've traveled to
Day 9-A picture of your friends
Day 10-Something you're afraid of
Day 11-Favorite tv shows
Day 12-What you believe
Day 13-Goals
Day 14-A picture you love
Day 15-Bible verse
Day 16-Dream house
Day 17-Something you're looking forward to
Day 18-Something you regret
Day 19-Something you miss
Day 20-Nicknames
Day 21-Picture of yourself
Day 22-Favorite city
Day 23-Favorite vacation
Day 24-Something you've learned
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26-Picture of your family
Day 27-Pets
Day 28-Something that stresses you out
Day 29-3 Wishes
Day 30-a picture

Here we go...

Le Jour Un
Introduce - Recent Photo - 15 Interesting FactsMy name is Monique. I live in Chandler, Arizona with my Happy Husband and Happy Lil Mutt. I have phenomenal friends and a fabulous family.

1. I was born in Miami, Florida and though I haven't lived there since I was 12, I still consider it my homeland.
2. I love music but have no talent for playing (my talent caps off with playing the wood block and the triangle).
3. I am the oldest of my three siblings, but am the shortest by six inches.
4. I love roller coasters, amusement parks and carnivals.
5. I have a passion for traveling, but it is a true rarity unless visiting family. Our first non-family-visit vacation was our honeymoon and we had already been dating six and a half years!
6. I love to try to recreate foods I eat in restaurants at home. I have 33 different spices in my arsenal and pick up more every week to make it happen.
7. I love being outdoors, hiking, having a picnic, walking around the block, and especially reading a great book under the stars on my back patio.
8. I never get my oil changed on time... I am embarrassed by how many miles creep up before I actually do it.
9. I think in verse (as if I were writing literature)
10. I floss twice a day because I have teeth-falling-out nightmares if I don't.
11. If I could collect one thing, it would be shoes, but...
12. Collections bother me. I have a serious aversion to clutter and collections.
13. I laugh - a lot - when I am nervous (this includes during my wedding vows; I was trying not to cry and just ended up laughing like a madwoman). How embarrassing!
14. I am a grammar and vocabulary-freak, but keep my special SAT words in check so I don't sound pretentious.
15. I have not ridden a bike that was not stationary since I was in middle school (the exact time my parents mentioned the bike-helmet rule) and fear that I may have forgotten how!

Voila!

Listening to: "Come on Closer" by Jem

The Miracles of Miracle Whip

I stumbled across a website listing the many uses of Miracle Whip, the mayo-like salad dressing. Happy Husband purchased some a while back, and we rarely if ever use it. Today is the day I discovered one of its non-edible uses: polishing silver!

I slimed the white stuff on a silver spoon we use to dish coffee grounds into the coffee pot or espresso press each morning, and massaged it in, followed by a quick scrub with baking soda (I am already a Power of Baking Soda convert) I made into a paste. The spoon looked like brass (way gross) and now it shines like new.

Voila!

Its the tangy zip that does it.

My First Love

I fell in love with Clark Gable when I was a 10-year-old young girl after I read "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and watched the film over and over again on VHS (I had to change the tape to a second one during the intermission. Think he was the prototype of my "type" of guy tall, dark, broad shoulders and not necessarily a clean shaven face. Delicious.

My second love was Cary Grant, after watching "Arsenic and Old Lace." Also Tall and Dark and manly.

My One True Love, you ask... Gorgeous!

Working in the Shadows

Read great book recommended on Citizen Reader's blog, Working in the Shadows: Doing the Jobs [most] Americans Won't Do by Gabriel Thompson in two days. I have to give my subsequent thumbs-up, too. It was published in 2010, after employer sanctions laws in AZ (my home state) but before the pinnacle of SB1070 controversy. Instead of focusing on being able to live on minimum wage or how disgusting it is work work in a slaughterhouse, Thompson strived to live and work as an immigrant. Succinct, to-the-point and brightly written, I can't say that it was necessarily an eye opening experience, rather it furthered my interest in the lives of the people that come to America in hope of a better life - the ones who work several jobs, getting paid sub-minimum wage to work mind-numbing back-breaking tasks (can you imagine dumping big tubs of chicken parts into a bigger tub of more chicken parts or picking lettuce in the sweltering fields in Yuma, AZ for your eight (or more) hour work day - how boring and straining).

Just today, parts of Senate Bill 1070 were put on hold, while the remainder may go into effect tonight at midnight. It is interesting times we live in. I enjoy learning from both sides of the [border] fence and am convinced if more people took an educating and open-minded approach, compromises can be made and agreements reached.

Peace and Love.

Listening to: "What Else is There" by Royksopp
Reading: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Holy Delish!

Made Greek Souzoukaklia (pic and recipe from Allrecipes.com) last night (really have no idea if it is actually Greek). Man, it was good! I thought the ingredients were a bit odd, but what they hey! I used what I had in the pantry so the website's recipe is a little longer. 1 lb. ground beef or turkey, 1/3 onion-chopped, 1/8 tsp coriander, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 dash nutmeg 1/8 tsp paprika (I didnt have cayenne pepper, and paprika is red so...), 2 T. chopped raisins, 1/2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley, mix and grill. I did burgers, but should be skewered meatballs.

Our Calendar of Cookery is a resounding success. We have discovered several new staples to our pantry and I have found that cooking for Happy Husband each day make him happier and even more helpful around the house.

He popped up from playing video games and asked if he could help me clean up, gave me a hug and a kiss and said thank-you. He did a load of laundry in the morning. When asked, "What brings this on," he responded with "I don't know. Just being nice." Just goes to show you how a little effort goes a long way in maintaining the peace in your household. Happy Wife and Happy Husband indeed.

Listening to: "Howl" by Florence + the Machine
Reading: "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay

Hello New Blog!

A domestic manifesto: Rules to live my life by. A public declaration of living my life as I say. Be it boring, be it mundane, it is mine all mine.

Little Lesson About Me:

a. I live in Chandler, Arizona
b. Graduated with a BA in Journalism from Arizona State University in 2006
c. Married my best friend on 1 May 2010
d. He still gives me butterflies after dating for six years
e. Rescued the most incredible dog, Remy, in February 2010
g. I can hear the high school's marching band from my house in the morning
h. Love to cook exotic dishes
i. Foremost passion is reading
j. Am Christian-Protestant
k. Born in Miami, Fl
l. Favorite color changes almost weekly... today it is green
m. Most of my clothes are black, grey, or white
n. Happiest when near water (feel like I am drying out in this desert heat without it)
o. First love was Clark Gable
p. Halloween is my favorite holiday
q. Will never have a favorite book, movie, singer, or song
r. Frequently listen to laughing babies on youtube.com
s. I took dance lessons (ballet, tap, jazz, and/or acrobatics) until I was 16
t. Count my Lovely Mother as one of my closest confidantes
u. Love learning new things
v. Fascinated by history and anthropology
w. Desperately want to be a mother one day, just not today
x. I could live in a library
y. Get sucked in into every museum (happily)
z. Dreamy Husband and I love to see scary/thriller/suspense movies at the theatre

Listening to: "Destiny" by Zero 7
Reading: "Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest" by Steig Larsson