Better Than Restylane?

See my big, lucious, Angelina Jolie-like bottom lip in that picture?? Yeah, I just smashed myself in the mouth with a Mag-light. Forget the baseball bat ladies, this first class flashlight is what you need to keep by your bed to bash the intruders with should they dare to come your way.

Damn Chickens

I am so stinkin' sick. I do not know what the problem is..actually, I do. Those damn eggs. OH GOD...(10 minutes later) Ok so yeah...I'm throwing up. I thought they smelled funny, the eggs...but then I decided it was just the carton. So I boiled them, and then I ate them...and they tasted good...they were kind of texturally wrong...but I thought it was ok...So I took a nap, and then I woke up a few hours later and had to throw up...

So I felt better and ate some instant mashed potatoes, I thought the starch would be helpful...and it was. This most recent episode of vomiting was much more pleasant. Ugghhh. We're so not going to work.

Bah!

So this weekend I have managed to completely screw up my sleep schedule again. It's just all over the place...I stayed up late on Thursday (til 2:30) and then took a nap until 6, because I really wanted to have dinner with my family, which I hadn't done in quite awhile...so then I was so tired when I got home at 8 that I went to bed and work up at 4am. So yesterday all day I was on a daytime schedule...which personally I really liked. I felt pretty good for most of the day, but then I was tired at 9pm so I went to bed...and now it's 5:30 and I'm up...will have to take a big ol' nap before leaving for work tonight at 11pm. Oh well...at least it was a pleasant weekend. I'm hungry...I have to go find something to eat...this is the challenge for the moment.

Making Some Changes

Thanks to those of you who commented positively on my last depression post. I'm still really struggling with this but have decided to take baby steps to try and feel better. I'm going to give myself 3 months, (one quarter of a year) to get back to my old self and then if there is no change before Thanksgiving I'm going to see a doctor.

So, the first step is to be awake more during the day. For the past couple of weeks I've been coming home from work, and staying up until about 2pm, and then sleeping until it's time to get ready for work, it's just not working for me. I remember that I felt slightly better when I was splitting my sleeping time between early morning and late afternoon, so now I'm going to try to get to bed as soon as I get home about 9:30am, let myself sleep for maybe 4 hours and then get up for awhile. I can then head back to bed and take a nap at about 6pm to get my 8 hours in. I'm also going to try to start getting up early enough to put on a little make up before I head to work. I've never been a real fan of makeup, and never really needed it, but I feel like my skin tone has gotten a little splotchy, besides I need to make more of an effort on how I look and I'm not up to getting up early enough to wash and blowdry my hair every day like I used to yet. That may be the next step...

In other news, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I woke up with my arms hurting, well last week both of them hurt for a couple of days, enough that I took some pain medication, {which I never do}. I blamed it on trying to scratch the hard to reach part of my back while laying in bed...I end up with my arm all bent backwards and resting my full weight on it which I thought was maybe stretching out the tendons and stuff...but today it's hurting again, so I'm going to go with the theory that it's a repetative stress injury from sleeping with my shoulder joint all stretched out and flattened under my head and pillows. I'm going to try to sleep differently for a couple of days and see what happens.

So...that's the update.

Be On the Lookout.

I've been feeling a little sad...and a little lonely for the person that I was a couple of years ago. I used to be really confident, and fun and well dressed among other things. And now...I'm just not.
I'm sort of anxious all the time and paranoid and there is no confidence left in me. Not a trace. Not a drop. It's very depressing. The fun Susan went right out the window with Confident Susan. I think they followed Well-Dressed Susan, she's been missing for a long time.

Here's the deal. I used to work at a place where I really felt like the people listened to me, and cared about me, and were interested in what I had to say. It mattered what I wore, because they were paying attention. I lived in an apartment that I loved, and I was able to go shopping on a regular basis. I didn't have a wildly active social life, but I did have a few friends that I knew I could count on. And I was really, really happy.

And then I moved.

I started a job where the boss was a jerk, the people were psycho territorial and paranoid, and they couldn't have cared less about what I thought, or how I felt. They were however, rather obsessed about what I wore, and since it was never quite right, I quit after only a couple of days working there. I had a boyfriend who I loved, and everything was great in my love-life for once, but everything else was really not great. I got another job, but the people were still rather apathetic about my existence and I didn't have any friends. Then I got another job, and the people there were sort of openly hostile, and 7 months later it all sort of went up in flames. During that time, I completely forgot who I was...who I am...and I don't know how to get myself back.

I suspect that it will start with finding Well-Dressed Susan again. She must be out there somewhere...perhaps hiding underneath all the cargo pants and tanks tops.

*sigh* At least I got to keep the guy.

Anyway, if you see Well-Dressed, Confident or Fun Susan running around somewhere please send her home. Thanks.

Poor Little Dog!

So, our initial attempt at parenting, with our beagle mix, Maybe has been going well. We have now been proud poochie parents for 6 months and no one has died or lost any limbs. However, today I was walking Maybe and she got a sticker in her foot, which isn't unusual, considering that our front yard is a jungle. We stopped for a minute and I looked and couldn't see anything, so I figured that she had managed to get it out herself and we headed into the house. She continued to paw at her nose, so I grabbed her and couldn't find a sticker in her foot, but upon closer inspection found that in removing the sticker from her foot, she had gotten it stuck deeply in the roof of her mouth just behind her front teeth. Can you even imagine how much this hurt!? No wonder she didn't want clumsy me to mess with it! I did manage to get it out with my trusty eyebrow tweezers,(with Justin holding her down) but it still left a mean looking hole. Poor little Maybe!! Here's a picture of our happy baby:

The Recipe Meme

I stole this from Annabel, it's a very good idea...

Susan's Poppyseed Chicken

You will need:

3 Cups Minute rice
1 Can Chicken Broth
16 Oz French Onion Dip (2 small containers or about 2/3 of a big container)
1 Large can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
1 Box Cheez-Its (Or whatever cheddar cracker you like)
2 tablespoons Poppyseeds
Some kind of Non-Stick, butter flavored, Spray

Then you do this stuff:

Preheat Oven to 350
Find a 9 x 13 baking pan
Spray it with non-stick
Crush up the box of Cheeze-Its and spread about 1/3 of them on the bottom in a thin layer
Spread 3 cups of non-cooked minute rice evenly on bottom of pan
Cover with Chicken Broth, so that all rice is moist
In a large mixing bowl, combine French Onion Dip, Cream of Chicken Soup, Canned Chicken and Poppyseeds
Pour that mixture over the rice/cheeze-its
Cover with shredded cheese
Add a top layer of cheeze-its
Optional: Spray lightly with the non stick spray on top, (it makes it shiny when it cooks)

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350. Just until the top is bubbly. Everything in it is already cooked so you're just looking to make it hot.

Serve with a side salad


Everyone I've ever made this for really loves it, but dieters beware!! It has like a zillion calories (I think, we have't actually counted). So worth it.

So now post yours, and let me know if you do so I can go look!

Oohs and Ahhs All Around.

Everyone should pay attention to my new plucked petal header. It took me 2 hours to make it look like that so be impressed dang-it!

Neat-O

I found a cool site that lets you turn pictures into these little polaroid-like posty things. Neat-o!
Image created at MySpace Layouts

Oh Look! An Actual Post...Sort Of.

In an effort to get healthy, get out of the house, and perhaps lose some weight, I agreed to go walking with my aunt in the evenings at 7 o'clock or so and have managed to do it exactly once before injuring myself. I sort of tripped down a curb and ran into a fire hydrant yesterday evening on our way to the post office. I know that sounds like minimal damage, and it really should have been...I didn't even hit the ground but it sort of...I don't know exactly, squeezed my knee. So, now I have a massive purple bruise (about 2.5 inches in a circle) next to my kneecap. I think it continues down under my kneecap too because it hurts to walk, and if I move in the wrong way, it sends little pain waves up into my thigh and down to my ankle. And it's swollen and really really ugly. So, I'm taking a break from the dangerous art of walking today to let my knee rest and then we'll try again tomorrow. I would take a picture of it, but it's really gross, so I'll spare you the drama.

Here's a Meme to Tide You Over.

20 Firsts


1. Who was your first love? Um...my first crush was Adam Jackson in first grade, but he didn't like me so I don't know if it counts as first love.

2. Who was your first kiss and when? Ben Wright, Kindergarten

3. Who was your first prom date? Beau Bayer

4. Who was your first room mate? My Nan

5. What was your first job? United Supermarket

7.When did you go to your first funeral? My grandfather, I think 1994 but I don't remember exactly

8. What was your first car? Blue Nissan Stanza

9. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown? 20 to Canyon

10. Who was your first grade teacher? Ms Ivey

11. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane? I have no idea. Maybe Austin

13. Where did you go for your first date and who was it with?
Not counting proms, I never really had a date until after high school. It was with some guy named Jason. We went to Taco Cabana, where I didn't eat and then...maybe to a movie?

14. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with? I never snuck out of the house.

15. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them? Elizabeth Bolden...I wouldn't say we're friends, but I still hear from her occasionally

16. Who was the first person to send you flowers?
A late bloomer on this too, Josh Samsel sent flowers to me and someone else when we did Gypsy, I think...or maybe The Miracle Worker. Some play.

17. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents house? 815 North Denver, Levelland.

18. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
I talk to Justin first, then sometimes I email Patrick.

19. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen? My step-sister, D'Liesa

20. What is the first thing you when you wake up? Brush my teeth and walk the dog.

And Now: The Meme You've All Been Waiting For

So here's another meme. This one stolen from Jennifer, very early this morning.

9 Lasts....

1. Last place you were: The sofa.
2. Last drug used: Lactaid with dinner at 4am
3. Last beverage: Water
4. Last kiss: Sometime in the last few hours.
5. Last movie seen: Little Black Book
6. Last phone call: I talked with my brother almost 24 hours ago.
7. Last CD played: I don't even remember.
8. Last bubble bath: Bubbles make me itch.
9. Last time you cried: Hm... I don't know. Maybe a week.

8 Have You Evers.....

1. Have you ever dated someone twice?: I prefer to think of it as "continuing education"
2. Have you ever been cheated on?: Not that I know of.
3. Have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it?: Uh...yeah.
4. Have you ever fallen in love?: Why is this question always here? Is there anyone who says no?
5. Have you ever lost someone?: Of course.
6. Have you ever been depressed?: Frequently, I'm quite good at it.
7. Have you ever been out of the country?: Yup.
8. Have you ever been on T.V?: I don't think so.

7 States that you have been to:

1. New Mexico
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. California
5. New York
6. Arizona
7. Washington.

6 Things You Have Done Today....

1. Went to Wal-Mart
   
2. Washed Dishes
   
3. Slept
4. Watched Monk and Psych (haha, I typed that and looked down and it was the same answer that Jen had before.)
5. Microwaved Sugar Snap Peas
   
6. Made cookies
   

5 Favorite Things....

1. Justin
2. Maybe
3. Hard, sharp cheeses
   
4. Books
   
5. New panties

4 People You Can Tell Almost Anything....

1. Justin
   
2. Tommye
   
3. Maybe
   
4. My blog readers

3 Favorite Colors

1. Green
2. Pink
3. Navy
   

2 Things You Want To Do Before You Die....

1. Go on a Cruise
2. Get really skinny

1 Thing You Regret.....

1. Moving away from Canyon.

Yawn...Stretch

So, I've been sleeping really well, the new night time routine seems to agree with me, and I'm feeling much less stress in general. However, last night {this afternoon} I just could not seem to get my pillows right. I tossed and turned for 8 hours or so and then gave up. My neck is killing me, so I might have to take a nap later. {I get really tired when something hurts for very long.} However, our never ending weekends allow for such luxuries. I always start to freak out on Friday evenings because I think I have to go to work, but Ha! We're still off 'til tomorrow at midnight!

In other news, a friend sent a link to this website...why oh why would you want to make your kid look like this?? Patrick and Tiffany, if I catch you photoshopping Bronte like this, we may have to have words....bleh.

200th Post.

This is my 200th blog post!

I wish that I had something more interesting to say here... Had I known before now, I would have come better prepared.

Instead of coming home and going straight to bed after work as is my usual routine, I stayed up, and my dad came and got me and we turned around and headed back to Lubbock. We had to go to the social security office to:
A. Finally turn in the paperwork for my name change. I really was just going to mail the stuff off, but they wanted my original marriage license, and I just didn't trust them to really mail it back to me.
B. Have a meeting with a caseworker about getting Stacy, my younger sister, on social security disability.

So, we got there, and there is a security guard arguing with a very old woman about what she can and cannot use to prove her identity in order to receive a new social security card. Hers was lost or stolen or something. He spoke in this incredibly annoying, overly patient tone of voice, {something that I, personally, could never master}, and managed to say the same thing about 20 times over. It was painfully clear that she wasn't getting it, but instead of changing his wording, or just giving her a list of acceptable documents he just kept saying the same words. It was maddening. Ten minutes later she left.

Then it was our turn. My dad and Stacy had a real appointment so they typed Stacy's social security number into the computer...and it promptly informed us that her appointment had actually been yesterday. Ookaaay... We take numbers and wait to be called. My dad is super frustrated at having gotten the date wrong. He could have sworn that it was the same day as his doctor's appointment, which was later this afternoon. Oh well...We waited for about 20 minutes, and they called me. I got my paperwork done very quickly, so I officially have a new addition to my last name, without a freakin' hyphen I might add. A ccouple of minutes later my dad and Stacy were called and the girl just made them a new appointment.

Then we left and ate at Dimbas, which is a fried food restaurant. {I think it's actually "Southern Cuisine" or something, but who are they kidding?} I had a couple of chicken strips and then we came home.

After narrowly avoiding several collisions we made it home and I got to bed at almost 1:00. So, naturally, I slept until 9:45 this evening and now I feel all out of whack. Hopefully, since we're off tomorrow {tonight} I can fix my sleep schedule without too much trouble.

Ok, it's time to watch some girly TV before Justin wakes up.

Job Posting

WANTED: Best friend for 25 year old new wife.

The job description includes the following: Must be an experienced shopper, entertainer, and amateur personal therapist. Also, must drive, listen to complaints about husband without actually criticizing him, and like to eat out.

Candidate must be comfortable around cute dogs, and must be willing to use bjore nose strips so that I can examine them when they are done.

Candidate must not have strong desires to visit SeaWorld, The State Aquarium, or the fish section at PetSmart.

Pay rate: lifetime supply of friendship, occasional home made cookies, and great gifts on holidays, birthdays, and after vacations to exotic locales.

Starting date: Immediatly

Apply in person or online by commenting on this post. All applications will be considered.

Wedding Pictures!

I have a new blog. It only has one post, and will only ever have one post probably, but it's all of our wedding pictures...so if you want to see them go look.

The Sweetest of Plums

So I'm Bored... Sue me.

1. Do you like chinese food?
Mmh oh yes, but not Chinese Buffet's. That's gross.

2. How big is your bed?
Queen. Not big enough for me and Justin though, because I like to sleep diagonally.

3. Is your room clean?
There is Laundry EVERYWHERE.

4. Laptop or Desktop computer?
Desktop.

5. Favorite comedian?
Caroline Rhea

6. Do you smoke?
No. Cigarettes are even grosser than the Chinese Buffet.

7. Does anyone like you?
Sometimes I wonder...

8. What’s the sexiest thing about Condoleeza Rice?
Probably that among the current administration, she seems the least amount of crazy.

10. Sleep with or without clothes on?
Just panties

11. Who sleeps with you every night?
Nobody. I'm not really a share-er

12. Do long distance relationships work?
Worked for me...but only for a short time, I don't think that it would have worked long term. Thank goodness for U-Haul.

13. Pancakes or French Toast?
Mmmh French toast. With bacon...and Eggs. Ok I'm hungry.

14. Do you like coffee?
No, and I don't like anything that tastes like coffee...especially those deceptive jelly beans.

15. How do you like your eggs?
Scrambled with ketchup.

16. Do you believe in astrology?
Oh I dunno, I like the stories behind the constellations, but I guess thats Mythology and not Astrology. I'm more likely to read tarot cards.

18. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Oh...hmm It's been awhile.

19. Last person on your missed call list?
Unavailable... We're great friends. perhaps we should get together soon...

20. What was the last text message you received?
hahaha Like I'm that cool.

21. McDonalds or Burger King?
McDonalds

22. Number of pillows?
I start out with 6 and work my way down as I thrash.

23. Last thing you ate?
Cocoa Pebbles

24. Last thing you bought?
Two breakfast burritos

25. What are you hearing right now?
A documentary about samurai's on the History channel

26. Pick a lyric?
"Who put the bop in the bop sha bop du bop..."

27. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
Blackberry Jam, not Jelly...this time I accidentally bought preserves.

28. Can you play pool?
Heck Yeah, although it's a little phallic for me.

29. Do you know how to swim?
Yes, but I do not like to be wet.

30. Favorite ice cream?
Ben and Jerry's Pistachio Pistachio

31. Do you like maps?
Um...it depends. I like them as decor...I do not like them as instructions. too bossy.

32. Tell me a random fact:
I found some brand new panties on my floor today, tag still on. It was like going to Disney Land.

33. Ever had a hard on at work?
I don't think this is applicable to me, but if you ask, I'll tell you a really embarassing story about a bathroom at the Randall County Courthouse.

34. Ever attend a theme party?
Uh, I was a theatre major, what do you think?

35. Ever do a keg stand?
Nope.

36. Craziest place you've slept after a night of drinking?
I usually manage to make it back to my own bed

37. What is your favorite season?
Spring, singin in the rain and all that.

38. What is the first music video you ever saw?
To be honest, I haven't seen many and I don't remember.

39. Pick a movie quote:
Ok, wait I have two:

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
-Casablanca

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.
-A Streetcar Named Desire

40. A Favorite quote:
From Dogma:
What He (God) really hates is the shit that gets carried out in his name. Wars. Bigotry. Televangelism.


41. What is your favorite Thirsty Thursday hangout?
I don't know what this means.

42. Best friend's name?
Justin

43. How long have you known them?
3 years

44. Last time you laughed at something stupid?
A couple of hours ago I was having a throw down with our dog...that made me laugh, and was stupid, so there ya go.

45. What time did you wake up this morning?
I woke up at 5 o'clock this afternoon. We're on a night schedule.

46. Wake up next to anyone?
Nope.

47. Best thing about winter?
Not having to run the air conditioner

48. Name a couple of favorite colors:
Green, Pink, Chocolate

49. How old are you?
25

50. What month is your birthday in?
May

51. Do you think pirates are cool or overrated?
Yay pirates! especially the ones that look like Johnny Depp

52. Favorite Dave Matthews Band song (if you have one?)
Crash, I think this is the only Dave Matthews Band song that most people can name off the top of their heads. How unfortunate.

53. What are you doing this weekend?
I have no idea. So far, this. And TV

54. Who will take this survey?
Oh...probably Jennifer

And the fun just goes on and on!

Layers....

LAYER ONE:
-- Name: Susanlee Bell Brinkley
--Birthplace: Lubbock, Texas
-- Current Location: Levelland, Texas

LAYER TWO:
-- Eye Color: green
-- Hair Color: Dark brown, with a streak of gray, until I get paid.
-- Height: 5'6"
-- Righty or Lefty: Righty
-- Zodiac Sign: Taurus
-- Your Heritage: Irish/Dutch
-- The Shoes Worn Today: Black Old Navy Flip Flops
-- Your Weakness: Expensive Cheese
-- Your Fears: Sharks, Fish, Water...Most things wet, actually. And I'm terrified of rolling my ankle.
-- Your Perfect Pizza? Thin crust, easy sauce, hamburger, black olives, green olives, bell peppers
-- Goal You'd Like to Achieve: To figure out the goal that I want to achieve.

LAYER THREE:
-- Your Thoughts First Waking Up: why is it so freaking hot??
-- Your Bedtime: 9:30 AM
-- Your Most Missed Memory: I miss having friends. We can't really miss memories unless we lose our memory...and then we wouldn't really remember it. This is a hard question.

LAYER FOUR:
-- Pepsi or Coke: diet pepsi
-- McDonald's or Burger King: De Ja Vu
-- Single or Group Dates: Single, as there are no friends...
-- Adidas or Nike: um... sandals.
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: None of the Above.
-- Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla
-- Cappuccino or Coffee: Chai

LAYER FIVE:
-- Smoke: still no. Who wrote this thing? Phillip Morris?
-- Cuss: sort of, I really only use the F word.
-- Sing: yeah, but not in front of people anymore.
-- Shower Everyday: We only have this horrible bathtub
-- Have a Crush: married him.
-- Want to go to College? I'll probably do some more of that soon.
-- Like(d) High School: Yup.
-- Want to get Married: got it.
-- Believe in Yourself: Well, I do believe that I exist, I don't know how much that's worth though.
-- Get Motion Sickness: sometimes
-- Think You're Attractive: nah.
-- Think You're a Health Freak: I wish
-- Get Along with Your Parent(s): generally
-- Like Thunderstorms: I like thunder and clouds. I do not like rain.
-- Play an Instrument: I used to be able to play the harp, and the clarinet but I don't think I could do it now.

LAYER SIX:
in the past month...
-- Drank Alcohol:We played drunk scrabble a couple of weeks ago
-- Smoked: Yeah, I actually just started about 15 seconds ago. This was a persuasive meme...bleh.
-- Done a Drug: Birth control...is that a drug you "do"?
-- Had Sex: perhaps...
-- Made Out: yes
-- Gone on a Date: yes
-- Gone to the Mall: no, and I can't believe that's true. I used to go like every other day.
-- Eaten an Entire Box of Oreos: no
-- Been on Stage: I wish.
-- Been Dumped: No, thank god.
-- Gone Skating: That is an ankle rolling hazard!!
-- Made Homemade Cookies: yesterday. and they were yummmo
-- Gone Skinnydipping: what is it with you people and water??
-- Dyed Your Hair: um...it's probably been 2 months
-- Stolen Anything: Not recently

LAYER SEVEN:
Have you ever...
-- Played a Game that Required Removal of Clothing: of course I have, what is college for?
-- If so, was it Mixed Company: hello?? why would I play strip poker without someone i wanted to grope?
-- Been Trashed or Extremely Intoxicated: Not often
-- Been Caught "Doing Something": This could mean a lot of things. I'll say yes.
-- Been Called a Tease: No, I'm the other kind of girl.

LAYER EIGHT:
-- Age You Hope to be Married: I wanted to get married at 24, and missed it by exactly 2 weeks.
-- Numbers and Names of Children: zero
-- Describe Your Dream Wedding: Paid for.
-- What do youWant to be When You Grow Up: Right now, I'm leaning toward OR Tech...back to school again.
-- What Country Would You Most Like to Visit: I really want to go to Russia

LAYER NINE:

in a girl: (Whoever wrote this was obviously trying to find out something about her crush...high school girl maybe?)
-- Best Eye Color? brown
-- Best Hair Color? Some kind of dark
-- Short or Long hair: medium
-- Height: short
-- Best Articles of Clothing: Shiny
-- Best First Date Location: Indian food on the night the belly dancers are there
-- Best First Kiss Location: forehead.

LAYER TEN:
-- # Of Drugs Taken Illegally: Maybe 1, once.
-- # Of People I Could Trust With My Life: 2
-- # Of CDs That I Own: I have like 30...I know, this is a small number in todays music obsessed age.
-- # Of Piercings: down to 2
-- # Of Tattoos: also 2, I like things to be even
-- # Of Scars on my Body: I dunno, probably 5

LAYER ELEVEN
Last Person Who...
-- Slept in Your Bed? Me. Oh, did you mean someone else? Justin took a nap there last night.
-- Saw You Cry? Justin
-- Made You Cry? see above.
-- Spent the Night at Your House? Besides the people that live here all the time? Dustin.
-- You Shared a Drink With? Again, I'm not a share-er
-- You Went to the Movies With? Justin
-- You Went to the Mall With? Justin
-- Yelled at You? Justin. Developing a pattern here...
-- Sent You an Email? Tiffany

LAYER TWELVE
Have You Ever...
-- Said "I love you"? Yes.
-- Been to New York? Yes, I love New York. They should put that on a T-shirt.
-- Been to Georgia? I try to avoid the deep south.
-- California? I love San Francisco too...that doesn't make as good a t-shirt though.
-- Hawaii? No, and I really really want to go, all of a sudden
-- China? No
-- Canada? Yes. It was cold.
-- Danced Naked? Not in front of people!
-- Dreamed something really crazy and then happened the next day? Not the next day, but sometimes a few days later. This might be de ja vu, where your brain just tricks you though
-- Stalked Someone? I'm way too lazy for that sort of thing

LAYER THIRTEEN
Pick One...
-- Apples or Bananas? Apples
-- Red or Blue? Blue
-- Walmart or Kmart? Target
-- Math or English? English.
-- Radio or CD? radio--Too lazy to deal with cd's
-- Drawing or Painting? painting
-- High school or College? I actually liked both.

Survivors

Justin and I survived our first night shift. To be honest, it was actually not bad at all until about 6am and we started getting really tired. We were mostly really really slow...how many people really make phone calls between midnight and 8 30 am? Not many...but more than you'd expect. The weirdest one was when someone placed a call at 3am (their time) and said "good morning" to the very angry person that answered the phone... Social skills anyone?? Anyway, we got home about 9 15 and went straight to bed. I woke up at 2, which is only about 5 hours of sleep, but I'm going to try and take a nap around 7 or 8 ish...I just couldn't keep sleeping with the thousands of dirty dishes in the kitchen, so I got up and washed them...now I feel accomplished!

So that's the update

Circadian Rhythms, and Recipes

So we are officially switching over to our new shifts tonight, which means we'll be going to work at midnight...It's kind of disturbing because we haven't really had a day off this week because of the change. We went to work early yesterday morning, and have today, (which counts as a day off since midnight is technically Monday, but really, who do they think they're kidding?) Then we go to work at midnight. The thing is, since we worked early yesterday, I was tired and falling asleep by 1:00 am so now, at 9:37 this morning, I'm wide awake. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the night at this rate. I'm hoping to nap frequently today and maybe that'll keep me fueled...cross your fingers.

In other news, I have a great, super easy new recipe (It can easily be converted into vegitarian, Tiff.) So I'll put it here because I can finally cook something yummy and I want to share....

Rice Dressing:

3 Cups Minute Rice
1 Box, or 2 Cans Chicken Broth
2 Small Bell Peppers (any color, but I use a Red and a Green because it's pretty)
One medium/small yellow onion
1 Can Mushroom Stems and Pieces
1 Large Can Chicken Breast (Optional)
2-3 Cups of Velveeta Cheese, cut into squares
(or, 1 medium French Onion dip, if you avoid cheese, changes the taste, but its still creamy and yummy)
2 bags sliced Almonds
2 Cups, Grated Cheddar Cheese (Optional)
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Make the minute rice in the microwave, using the chicken broth instead of water. If it's not enough chicken broth to cover the rice, you can add a little water. It should microwave for about 4 minutes, 30 seconds depending on the microwave

While the rice is cooking, chop the onion and bell peppers, Sautee in a pan (we used Olive Oil but anything works) Until they start to carmelize and turn brown at the edges

Add the Can of Chicken (Optional) and the Can of Mushrooms (drained) and lower heat. (break up the chicken into smaller pieces, so its the consistency of Tuna)

Add The Velveeta to the rice, and microwave again until melted. (if you are using french onion dip, just stir it in, no need to microwave)

Toast the almonds, you can do this by pouring them out onto a plate and popping them in the microwave for 1 minute. (It keeps them from getting chewy in the casserole so this step is importatnt)

Stir all Rice, Vegitable mixture and Almonds together. (if you start out with the rice in a big enough bowl, you won't have as many dishes, and can just mix it in that one)

Pour everything into a 9 x 13 baking dish, glass or metal, doesn't matter, but DO NOT GREASE

Top with 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (Optional, but good)

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until the Cheese melts and it's a uniform temperature.

Eat.

(Note: this can be frozen, and does taste better the second day, so it's ideal for luncheons or events that you make food for a night ahead, it microwaves well. I always make a double batch and we take some for lunch at work)

If you make it let me know how you like it...
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P.S. and completely off the subject, Justin posted more pictures of the baby to his blog.

Introducing Nikaia Drew Lang

This is our new niece on her very first day in this world!! (And Justin's mom's hand...) Isn't she a pretty little thing? (Nikaia, not the hand.)

{Editor's note, if you pay much attention to this, you will see that the spelling of Nikaia's name has changed from Nikea, to Nikaia. We were just informed of this yesterday. They changed it from the English spelling, to the greek spelling, which means "she who brings victory." Pretty cool.}