Deals I Love

Right before we moved out, I was taking job applications to stores in the mall and wandered into this clothing store on accident (this part may be redundant, but such is life) and most of the store was marked 30-75% off. I thought "wow! cool! this rocks!" and as I was looking around, the sales lady told me they were having another 40% off promotion on top of the 30-75%! Talk about being floored. I asked her three times to make sure it wasn't some sort of cruel joke, since I love a good sale. Needless to say, I dragged Adam back up there and I got some new clothes (including a $68 turtleneck for about $5.50).

Now that we are in the new apartment, we are realizing all the different things we need, like furniture. I thought the perfect thing to do would be go to a flea market or something and pick up some used furniture that way. I guess I'm still pretty clueless, because I really didn't know what the prices would be like. So, we ventured to a flea market in North Little Rock tonight about 30 minutes before they closed. I found a couple of dining room tables that were in the $100 + range, and figured that was doable. Adam found the set for $400 that he really liked and we both laughed at that.

Then it called out to me.

It's really ugly, with metal legs and really light colored wood (I'm a sucker for dark wood), but it was only $18.50!!! EIGHTEEN DOLLARS!! It just begged me to buy it, since a can of stain can make it much less ugly for still tons of money less. I'm so stinkin' excited, I don't know if I can convey it properly. But, I can tell you that the lady that checked us out looked at me funny while I was doing my gleeful happy dance. (But, I was also drooling over her Dachshunds). Oh! We also found a desk for the living room for $40. I'm now short $65, but I have awesome furniture, and I probably won't be making any other big purchases any time soon (especially since we already impulsively Christmas shopped two weeks ago). I think it's kind of amazing how excited I get over things like furniture and insurance and nursery kids at church, where before I was NEVER interested in things like that. If I'm changing in my old age, I'm doomed. I'm not very old, and I'm changing a lot :)

Going off on a tangent, we are getting our bathtub resurfaced. The maintenance guy came at 4:30 and they told us we had to be out for about a day. We went over there tonight to get some stuff and holy-love-of-everything-that-smells-right-in-the-world! Adam said he could smell it as soon as we drove up, but I didn't notice until the wall of awful stench smacked me on the forehead and kicked me back up the stairs when we opened the front door. And here I was thinking I was gonna be all cool and go back tonight, since it probably wouldn't be THAT bad. ....Yeah, it's THAT bad. So voila! Here I am, on the internet just really goofing off for the first time in a few weeks. I really don't feel bad either. I've read three, almost four books in the week and a half we've been out. Not to mention cleaning out the living room for visiting teachers today. Being without the internet really isn't all that bad, since I'm really not without it. I'm just not constantly surrounded by it anymore. I love it! Adam is less than thrilled, but I think he's adjusting.

Anyway, it looks like a few novels, instead of lots of quick updates. That's my Irish Dad's family in me, and I'm still lovable, so there! :)

We made it!

It has been a long weekend, but Grandma's house is mostly empty and the storage unit is even more mostly empty. The apartment, however, is now stuffed full with stuff. Stuff that we knew we had and even stuff we'd forgotten about ever owning. I must say, it's a glorious problem. It's a large apartment too (1000 sq ft!!!) so once we find a home for everything, it will be beautiful. We have a large patio and a gigantic master suite! :) We can see the interstate on-ramp from our window, so it makes Adam's commute a little bit easier. The funniest thing is living right across the street from the Pinnacle Mountain building and still going to church across town at Otter Creek. I'm okay with that though, I love the ward I'm in now, so I wouldn't switch anyway!

Not to mention it's now officially fall, so the weather can cool off anytime now! Hah! Like how I'm bossing around Mother Nature? I'm sure she'll be listening and obeying any day now ;)

If you didn't know (which is probably most of you) we decided not to get the internet as well as the TV in the new apartment. It's a pretty big step for both of us as we're both pretty addicted to it. I'm actually really excited about not having any internet or TV or anything like that. The first few weeks are probably going to be rough, and we still have it at grandma's house and the library, so it's not like we'll be totally without. It think it's going to be a wonderful opportunity for us to do stuff together, like exercise and read, and explore our new neighborhood and go out and do different activities. Adam is not as excited about it as I am, but he was the one who suggested it, so he's still on board. He did mention though that as soon as I'm employed, or he has two jobs, that he wants to hook it up. We will see how it goes for now though.

Now that I'm on borrowed time, I'll be keeping these much shorter! In theory anyway. Maybe they'll be massive when I only update every few weeks. Either way. I'm off to go clean and apply for more jobs now!

Links

I've been blog stalking a lot. A lot. Maybe too much. Maybe.

I would really like to make a list of blogs that I read, but I thought maybe I should ask first, just to make sure. So if you are actively stalking me, would you mind leaving a comment that it's okay to link to you? It's not like I have any ulterior motives or crave comments or anything, it's only about the links ;) If you don't, I will probably ask you, so either way, I'm (hopefully) going to have a list!

Oh, and about the fall weather thing...apparently it's supposed to be nice for a few days and then hot again, but I'm still excited! I hope the nice, cool fall weather is here to stay as soon as possible! I got the cutest turtleneck on sale at the mall tonight, and I can't wait to wear it! Hooray for the Fall!

Just a Little One

I love Adam's Google Tag! How awesome is he?

This was just a quickie, to tell you all about the new digs for our little space. Everyone who knows me knows how much I love the fall! It's just my favorite time of the whole year! This morning, taking Grandma to her 6:30a.m. appointment, it was still dark outside and the air was wonderfully crisp, so I think it's time to change! It's almost here! Plus, this should be easier on the eyes.

I hope you all enjoy!

Google Tag

So here's the deal, I have to answer the following questions with pictures from the first page of Google images that come up when I type something related to the correct answer into the search bar. Here goes!

Name?

Really, do you need a hint with this one?

Favorite food?Quesadillas. Why not?

What was your first job?

Nickname?

Chango is my favorite nickname.

Where were you born?

(Little Rock)

Bad Habit?

College degree?

Where I want to go?
The Bahamas

Favorite place?
Barber Motorsports Park, on my motorbike.

Favorite color?
British Racing Green

Favorite animal?
A kitty! "Animal behaviorists have documented that cats left alone too much in small urban apartments can sometimes develop bad habits, such as clawing furniture, overeating, and assassination."

Past love?
Thundercats.

What am I doing now?

Where I live?
Briarwood Apartments.

Favorite object?
2008 Yamaha YZF-R6S

Grandmother's name?
Is there anyone who can't figure this one out?

Age?
No, I am not 2008 years old, despite what my wife may tell you.

It's a Novel!

I just haven't felt like updating, so I've let it slide. I guess that's not the best way to take it on, but I've been using my optimistic energy elsewhere in my life (and it's working!) so this place kinda got left out of the mix.

Since our last update, Adam had interview at a plant in North Little Rock; they told us we would hear back from their boss the next week (last week) because they couldn't make the decision to hire him or not. All of that optimistic energy has kept me from slipping into more depression, since this place contacted him and seemed extremely interested. After all of our work and waiting, we were sure this was the one. The longer we don't know anything, the less I think it's going to happen, so I guess we're just going to have to pick up again and keep looking. We've been doing it for over a year, so we know the routine.

Since our last update, we made it up to Alma for the last time for who knows how long. Dad Neely got a 2006 Ford Escape Limited. I'm not really sure why, other than he can, and it's the first vehicle that is mainly for him, that he doesn't have to haul kids around or anything like that. He has worked long and hard his entire life, so it's awesome that he gets to have something nice. My little brother is a senior this year! :-o I remember when he was small enough to be bathed in the kitchen sink (!!) and he's going to graduate high school in a few short months!! Yay for the Alma Class of 2009!

Since our last update, we went to White Hall for Labor Day. It's our tradition now; we first went together in 2006 when we were engaged, in 2007 for our first married Labor Day and this year, just because we can. Mom Pearce was wonderful and setup our bed before we got there. Even though it was still on the floor, we got to sleep on a real bed!!! How stinkin exciting!! She told us all about her plans for her new kitchen--she is so wildly excited, it's great :) We experimented with a new recipe she found (can you tell i'm just miserable being her guinea pig??) We went to the P.B. Ward's pancake breakfast, and it was good. I'm still not an early morning person, but it was worth it. Instead of going straight back home, they gave me a guided tour of Pine Bluff and White Hall, because I mentioned something about the Pines Mall. Haha! It was cool listening to them talk about stuff from way back when; espcially the part about Sylvie ramping that car at that railroad crossing. :)

Since our last update, I've done some of my community service at the Humane Society; I'm about five minutes over half-way. The animals are so sad! In the cages, not able to do much, some of them just cry the whole time. I love animals, but I hate seeing them in there; at least they are getting care while they're in there, instead of being put to sleep or anything, so it's not a completely horrible situation, just sad. I also did the Primary Activity Day, because the nursery toys desperately needed to be cleaned and organized. Now, I'm the offical Nursery Leader! Hooray for running around with 2 and 3 year olds on Sundays! I love it so much!! Some people say Nursery is the best form of birth control, but I think it's the opposite for me. Maybe I'm just twisted, but a room full of toddlers is fun for me (unless I haven't gotten enough sleep, in which case nothing is fun). I look forward to them every week! Our little chatter boxes and our quiet ones, I love them all :D

Since our last update, Adam has ridden with his motorcycle buddies two weekends in a row. Last weekend, he went by himself (I was at the aforementioned nursery activity) and had a blast. He came back sore and tired, but with so many more miles on his bike and much more comfortable with it. This (now past) weekend, he wanted me to come with him. Some of his friends in Batesville offered us a place to stay, so we could come up Friday night instead of leaving at the buttcrack of dawn from LR. Their son (who goes to school at Harding) met us in Searcy and took us on some back roads the rest of the way to Batesville. It was fun! They had food waiting for us when we got there (tacos!) and we watched the movie Elf, since Adam and I hadn't seen it. We had a great time with them. Saturday morning, we were up early (they had pancakes for us! yummy!) and on the road by a little after 8:00. The original plan was to meet a group in Mountain View and play on all their favorite twisty highways and end up in a little town in the middle of nowhere (somewhere outside of Fayetteville) to each lunch and make our way back to Batesville and on home. After once up and back on their most favorite twisty, I was nautious. I also had this sore throat; I thought it was because the friends' house was so cold and that it would go away, but it never did. It started getting worse. Not to mention, this new motorcycle, the R6S, is O% passenger friendly (not that it's designed to be, but neither was the GSX-R and I had no problems on it) and I was aching after a few short hours. Somewhere in there, we all changed our minds to head to Jonesboro, for a big event at a dealership (free food and a DINO, a thing that tests your motorcycle's RPMs, I think; ask Adam to be sure) . I was in pain by this point, even after trading bikes for a slightly more passenger friendly one (the guy originally on this bike wanted to really play anyway, and Adam was the only one carrying a passenger, so it was the perfect situation). Every muscle in my body was aching and my throat was hurting the longer we kept going. A few miles outside of Jonesboro, I was in tears. I can say that I didn't wimp out, but from now on, I definitely will! To top it all off? The big event at the dealer was over by the time we got there! Story of my life! We all went out to Chili's (not so free, but definitely worth it) and afterwards, when everyone else left for Batesville, we got a hotel (yay for Comfort Inn! It's the best). I slept for ten hours straight. My throat was worse, but I wasn't as sore. I ate half a bagel for breakfast, and took a two hour nap before we had to check out. The only way home was on the motorcycle (the uncomfortable one) and it was excruciating! We stopped often and got plenty of fluid and I survived. We got home at 3:30 and I went straight to sleep. I've only been up a few times to go to the bathroom, and of course, type my little heart out here.

There you have it! All of it! I'm now exhausted, so I'm going to get some more Russian Delight and head back to bed! I've been up for over an hour! If I sleep for twenty more hours, hopefully I'll be over all this and back to my normal self. Guess we'll see!