Independence

This here is another post about my travels. I was down in Independence, KS this week and took some photos of some cool buildings. However, this time I took the pictures because I actually remember these buildings and they mean something to me, not just because they struck my fancy.

I don't have a ton of memories stored up from Independence, because I was pretty young when my Uncle Tim pastored there. But I do remember Neewollah (Is that how they spell it?), the parades and floats, and the opening of the new church, but mostly I remember one very cool car ride.

Uncle Tim had a pink Thunderbird convertable! And on one special visit, he took me for a cruise with the top down. And you know how when you're a little girl, bigger older guys are just the coolest things you've ever come across? And especially when that guy is your uncle who everybody adores? When that sort cool guy pays extra attention to you, it turns into THE best part of the trip.

Uncle Tim loaded me into that Thunderbird and played the song "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters. He told me it was his favorite song, and asked me what mine was, but I was "so excited" I couldn't think of an answer! It was all I could do to keep my little feet from kicking his pretty upholstery! He sang along and I giggled.

I don't remember now where our little jaunt took us, but to this day that song still reminds me of him and our car ride.

Inked

Much of my Saturday was spent in a tattoo shop. I got a sparrow on my wrist (pictured), and Dallas had some roses added in behind his six-shooter (sorry, not pictured).

I know it sounds mental, but I like getting tattooed. It hurts like a son of a gun, but knowing I can sit through it for hours at a time makes me feel like a real bad mamma jamma. Plus, it's fun talking to the tattooer, looking at all the weird stuff on the walls, and making fun of the other people coming in for appointments to get stupid ink. ;) Also, oddly enough, I dig the healing process, even through the soreness and the sting of soap and lotion, it's just all a reminder that I got something new and cool. And how weird is it that when the scabs fall off they're all colorful?! So fun.

Every time I get a new one, it just makes me want more! Admittedly, I am running out of space to put them that isn't either work appropriate or trash ball. So what I've decided is that I need to become independently wealthy so that I don't have to worry about what my job might have to say about my self expression. Tanner and I, though still mortal enemies, have agreed that if either of us hit the lottery we will share. So far that's my Plan A. Plan B's are sketchy, but here are my ideas so far: learn how to paint/make pottery/jewelry and peddle my goods online for lots of cachingas, write a fascinating book that someone wants to turn into a movie, or learn how to make scarves out of shih-tzu fur.

Because seriously, wouldn't this look SA-WEET on my elbow???

My Current Listen

Craptastic

Do you ever have "one of those days"? You know, where you feel like nothing goes your way, how even the most minor of incidents feel like a life altering crisis, and everything makes you want to cry?

Yesterday was one of those days.

I woke up cranky, there was construction all the way to my destination in Ottawa, I was very nearly late, which I HATE, I bit my cheek in the same spot three times, my DC photos didn't download to FB correctly, Sophie peed on the couch (THE COUCH), the retards in my class were at it again, I was hot, it was windy, you name it... it upset me.

I'm driving back from Ottawa, almost to my building, about to burst into tears for a reason I can't really put my finger on, sick of the gum in my mouth for causing me to bite my cheek, and sick of the chick driving next to me just because I don't like her face. So without even thinking, I rolled my window down and spit my gum at her car.

It bounced off, and I don't even think she noticed, but I was shocked at myself. Who does that?? And it just happened.. with no forethought.. which then caused me to worry about my baser instincts. What's WRONG with me?!

I'm slightly disturbed at my lack of control, but I had to admit to myself that I did feel better after killing two birds with one wad of gum.

I feel better today, though, so anyone driving between Topeka and KC should be safe.

Flowerbox

I finally decided it was time to spruce up my courtyard. I started with the flower box.

I should have taken a before picture, but it basically looked like this without flowers. Use your imagination.



Dallas was great and helped me pick out the flowers, load the potting soil, kill a spider and even rake up the dead leaves that had fallen everywhere.



Sophie helped by supervising from the safety of the kitchen where there were no spiders and she had her toys handy.

Boooo!!

I decided to start a blog just as another way to keep in touch with people, somewhere to let some random thoughts take form, and because I just enjoy writing in general and FB statuses weren't doing it for me anymore.

I'm setting up my blog, cruising through themes, fonts, colors... what says "Amy" best? I finally decide and get all set up to write my first entry about making money on Ebay when I notice a tab called "monetize". What's this? Something to do with money? (noticing a theme, aren't ya?) Of course I click.

Whaaaaaa??? I can make dollars doing something I was going to do anyway? Sign me UP!

Turns out you can opt to place ads on your blog. This blogger thing will read what you write about and include ads that are relevant to what you're typing about. Brilliant! Some of my ads have included pest control, weight loss programs, and laser tattoo removal. All, obviously, extremely relevant to my life.

It was slow going at first, I checked every now and then to see that I'd made a buck or two... Nice! But in the past month or so, more people I know read and appreciate my highly informative and entertaining words and therefore become interested in what I'm writing about and then, through no fault of my own, click on my ads! Of their own initiative!

As of yesterday I was up to $134.18. Hooty hoo!!

But it turns out that there is something called "invalid click activity" in which they think I'm asking for or coercing people into clicking my ads. I, apparently, was found guilty of this and they deactivated my account! Zero dollars awarded. GAH!

Sure, I still get to type on here and catch up with you guys and all. But now I'm doing it without the lure of shiny pennies, stacks and stacks of shiny pennies, adding up.

What the crap, blogger? What the freakin crap?!?

My Current Read

I downloaded this only because Amazon was giving it to me for free. But I'm really enjoying it! It is a Christian romance set during the first world war. I've been crying, but it's been really uplifting and refreshing too.

Spoiler alert: Don't read the synopsis of the second book if you don't want to know who Faith ends up with. DANG IT!

Can't... Stop... Listening...

I finally downloaded this last night and now I'm in lurve with it!

DC

I went to DC for a conference last week and stayed a little longer to take in some of the sights. The first couple days were sunny and very warm, but then the rain rolled in and it got super cold and windy and I did not pack enough layers!




Our hotel was just a couple blocks from the mall area dealie with all the monuments and the Smithsonians and the Holocaust museum and Ford's Theater and the house where Lincoln died. Everything was in walking distance. Awesoooome! Not everything was accessible without a ticket or a line forming around the block. Boooooo!




All we'd heard was that everything was free, or close to it and how great it all is. This is true! What we didn't know was that it was the last weekend of the cherry blossom festival and charter buses literally lined every street we walked. Tickets "sold out" before I even made it down to my first session of the morning. So, I didn't get to see Ford's Theater or where Lincoln died, which I REALLY wanted to see. Nor did I get to go into the permanent display of the Holocaust Museum. But I did get to see the white house, the capitol, Lincoln's memorial, Jefferson's, Washington's.. WWII, Korean and Vietnam memorials. It was all really amazing to see and I'm so glad I got to.







Side note: I could not find ONE thing having to do with any Stearman in the air and space museum. What the freak, Smithsonian??


Working around my conference schedule was a little tough, but we did take the metro down to Alexandria one evening and that was totally my speed! I loved the quaint little shops and restaurants, and being down by the water. The rain moved in that night and we were soaked before we made it back, but still a great time.





The morning our flight left, we went to see Arlington. I wish I'd had more time to wander around there, but I'm happy to report we timed it right to see the changing of the guard and some high school presented a wreath and they played Taps. Gave me chills and brought a tear to my eye!





I'm always excited to go to new places, and very appreciative of any traveling I get to do. But the more I travel to bigger cities, the happier and more appreciative I am to get home and just be home.


Thank the good Lord for parking spaces!

Buy My House Please! :)

Just click on the title to view your new home!

SIGH...

This is my third year as an adjunct professor at WU. And I'm telling myself firmly that it will be my last!

It's a lot of work for very little compensation. It's many unnecessary headaches and frustrations for virtually no reward. It's giving up free time to deal with ridiculous questions and complaints for no real gain.

The trouble is, even with all my complaints, part of me sorta likes it.. a little.

But this semester has been like a freakin parody of what college should be. Granted, WU has a lot of non-traditional students, most of my class is older than I am, and many of them are returning after several years of being out of practice. But seriously.. I question how many of them have even managed to function in real life.

My class is just a 200 level with no pre-reqs, but they have to be at least a sophomore to enroll. Sooo sophomore would imply that you completed high school, and roughly a year of college. You've taken and passed basic English, math, etc. So how is it that you don't know how to use any punctuation at all, can't spell worth a lick, and your grammar is basically undecipherable. You obviously didn't bother reading the syllabus OR pay attention when I literally spelled out the expectations for the course or else you wouldn't have asked me the same question 34 times.

I find this disturbing yet slightly amusing at the same time. I manage to look past most of this because the course is about the study of crime victims, not the students ability to spell it. And no, I don't expect that most of them will know much about this subject coming into the class. That's kind of the whole point of taking it.

But 10 weeks into the semester, I do expect you to know that the bad guys are called "offenders", not "victimizers".

*smacks forehead*

Birthday 2010

I turned 29 this year, and realized something that shook me just a little bit. I can remember when my mom was 29! More accurately, I remember her birthday because she got a coffee mug that said "29 and holding" and it had a little lady holding on to the 9 for dear life.

Turning 29 hadn't bothered me in the least, I mean, look at my mom. If I follow in her footsteps, I'll just get hotter as I age.

But then I read this little gem from CNN: By the time we turn 30, women have lost 90% of their eggs. You know.. baby making eggs.

The next day I got this text from Tanner: "I thought I saw you earlier, but turns out it was just a younger girl who still has some eggs".

Sigh...

If I'd followed Mom's EXACT footsteps, I'd have an 8 year old and a 6 year old right now. No thanks... but still... I gotta wonder about the products that come from expired eggs...

Below, please enjoy some pics of the par-tay. (and note the adorable cake mom made!)

D'oh!

So you know when you have someone you really like in your life, and want to keep around, you try extra hard to hide your inner clumsy/crazy? We both know it'll come out eventually, but I try so hard to suppress it until it just can't be denied.

I've been letting bits and pieces out, much to my chagrin. "Oops, how did that sketti sauce get there?" "Did you see that table trip me?!" "What do you mean, Sophie isn't a person???"

D has been taking it all in stride, and reassures me even when super retarded stuff comes out of my mouth. But last night I trumped even my most embarrassing moves. And it's so cliched, I can't even believe it happens in real life.

We had been in the back yard walking Sophie and as we were heading back in, I hit the garage button, but it wasn't working right so he told me to grab him a screw driver and he'd fix it up for me. So I'm trotting up to the house with Sophie at a pretty good clip...

And BAM... I run directly into the closed screen door. Face first. Knee second. Don't ask me how.

Ohmygosh.. Did Dallas see?! But before I can gather myself and turn around, I hear the snickers. He's trying reeeeally hard not to laugh as he comes over to make sure I'm ok. I had some screen rash on my nose, top lip, and knee, but once we decided I wouldn't die we both laughed until we cried.

So the crazy/clumsy is out, and I feel relieved on a couple of levels. One, now he knows. Two, now I know how he'll react, and that it's all good.

Besides... if he does ever react badly, I'll just remind him that I have this picture: