Our Happenings

No Shave November is over :(

2010-12-12T23:10:00.000-06:00

No Shave November ended, but Tom didn't shave his beard right away.

Sometime on Friday, I guess he decided it was time to say good-bye to his beard. He had shaved it down to a goatee at some point last week, but alas, that is also gone.

Here is the whole progression:

Tom on November 1

Fully bearded.


Goatee

In other news

2010-11-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

How could I have forgotten the big news? Since we moved to Columbia (as I have posted about a time or two), I have been looking for a job.
I have been working part-time at Sylvan, and getting some good hours there, continuing to teach for the University of Phoenix, and subbing when able to (it wasn't as bad as I thought, but not the same as having my own classroom).

However, beginning November 15, that will change. I will be working a job - 8-5 in Jefferson City with the state. I will be a Research Associate for Fiscal Affairs. I don't have much budgeting experience or much experience with financial information, but I am excited for the possibilities that this new job will bring.

We will need to look into buying a new car, sooner, rather than later. I had hoped to get another couple of years out of both of them, but it looks like the Grand Am will be traded in soon (as soon as we can find the paperwork, figure out financing, find a car that we can afford, etc.). Having both of us actually earning real salaries will help with car payments, although we will need to find some sort of daycare for the baby (and figure out how to pay for that).

So, that's the big news!

No Shave November

2010-11-03T11:32:00.000-05:00

No Shave November has begun again.

It started as a cancer awareness campaign, but Tom kind of just takes it to mean that he can be lazy with a beard for a month.

We have pictures tonight for our parish directory - he is going to have three days worth of stubble for the pic. *sigh*.
I will post pics as I get them. I have one from the first day of the month that I will post soon.

Just a vent

2010-10-03T14:58:00.000-05:00

I know that with being pregnant, I was going to have to expect more doctor's visits. What I didn't expect was that my endocrinologist visit would be such a whirlwind (for three hours at the office), and that I would be tethered to my blood glucose meter.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I know that my diabetes and my hypothyroidism can have an effect on the baby, and I've been doing my best to keep them both in check. I've been good about checking my blood sugars, but obviously not good enough.

This weekend (after the disastrous visit to the endocrinologist), I find myself with an implant - a continuous monitoring system that they will remove on Monday. The idea is that I might get one for myself (not that I want one - trust me. I hate feeling like the bionic woman) to help me keep track of what my blood sugar is all of the time. I kind of hate having it in me, but there's not much that I can do about it. The problem with this monitor is that I am blind to it, so even though I am having my levels monitored continuously, I am also having to watch very carefully what I eat (carb counting), and checking my blood sugars twice as often.

As if I wasn't stressed out enough to begin with. I'm tired of not having enough money every month, but I can't seem to get a sub job for a variety of different reasons - Tom's car needed the water pump replaced, I've had doctors appointments right and left, and I've been working part-time at Sylvan and continue to teach for UoP, but I'm just afraid that it isn't going to be enough. Don't even get me started on what we are going to do after the baby gets here. I haven't a clue, and the worry keeps me up at night (again, stress isn't good for the baby either).

Maybe I'm just worried that I'm already not a good mother, and I haven't even given birth to our child yet. I really hate feeling like a failure to begin with.

News!

2010-09-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

I have been a terrible blogger, but we do have big news! Our new arrival will appear sometime on or around January 28, 2011. How crazy is that?

Aren't those just the cutest little feet you have ever seen? (That is what the ultrasound tech kept telling us, anyway).

We are finally settled in our new place in Columbia - I guess that makes my blog title kind of a misnomer. At least things are still happening!

Like to read? Enter this amazing contest!

2010-06-04T22:58:00.002-05:00

My friend Michelle is an amazing YA author and is having her amazing book(s) published! To celebrate, she is hosting a contest on her blog. Check it out!

Graduation Day!

2010-05-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

Because I'm super proud of him, I'm going to say that today is Tom's graduation day.

Well, it would be if he chose to walk.

But it still counts, darn it! We are going to go out to a nice dinner (assuming we can get in anywhere in town - this place is a zoo this weekend) and then I'm going to spend all weekend grading research papers. Do we know how to live it up or what?

Nervous!

2010-05-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

As of tomorrow, I officially begin teaching another course for University of Phoenix.

I'm nervous and excited at the same time. It is nerve-wracking, teaching a course without someone there to hold my hand in case of problems. Luckily, the University provides me with all of the information that I need. I have done the preliminary work today - looking forward to class tomorrow!

Tom continues to search for jobs. Don't want to say too much yet, but things are finally starting to look up for jobs for hi.

In case you haven't seen it yet

2010-05-05T22:57:00.002-05:00

Best blog ever.

Hyperbole and a half.

So much for a break!

2010-04-29T23:13:00.000-05:00

So I freaked out a bit on Monday and asked my boss at Sylvan for a month off, because I will be finishing up the school year, taking care of things around the house while Tom is off across the globe (or a few states) interviewing for jobs, etc.

Turns out that it is a good thing that I did, as UoP FINALLY offered me another teaching gig. It had been awhile since they had offered me one (months), probably because I constantly turned them down.

However, I did say that when I took the UoP thing, that when they offered me another chance at it, I would take some time off of Sylvan, and focus my energies on UoP in the evenings (that, and it is super stressful to do three jobs in one day).

So - for the next month and a half, I'll be finishing up the school year and teaching an education course for UoP. I'm kind of excited (although a lot has changed in the 7 months since I taught the last course).

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T21:09:00.001-05:00

We took pics today!

2010-04-25T22:49:00.000-05:00

Where Tom works (for now).

A man and his dogs (outside of King Hall).

There is a cool nature area right behind Tom's building. Trixie liked it.

Max liked it too.

We found some lilacs in CiCo park. The dogs were good models.

Max tried to sniff the dandelion.

Trixie was distracted by everything around her.

And one from my trip to Kirksville over Spring Break. I went to the old college campus and saw the new science building. Very nice!

Lazy Days

2010-04-24T10:02:00.001-05:00

She was not amused with the flash going off.

Ugh!

2010-04-14T20:03:00.000-05:00

I'm a terrible blogger. I got out of the habit and haven't posted in forever!

News: Tom defended his dissertation and is no officially a doctor of thinkology. He hasn't made me call him Dr. Tom too much.

I got to go to Wichita with a club from school and had a lot of fun. I was able to visit my friend, Deb, who lives there, and just enjoy spending time with students when I don't have to be a rigid rule-tender. It was so so nice.

Dad turns 60 tomorrow. He's not very happy about it, and I am sad that we will not be able to see him for a couple of weeks until we go in to celebrate his birthday.

Tom continues to look for a job. I continue to not look, because I really can't until he finds something. So we are still stuck in limbo for that. It is nice that he is done with his defense, though, even though he is still working on making a few corrections to his paper.

The end of school is almost upon us. 5 weeks with seniors and 6 with the rest of the students! I'm shocked - time has really flown this year. I have enjoyed my job a lot this year, but am still wondering if I am cut out to be a teacher for the rest of my life. It isn't bad, per se, but the teachers and administration (and parents!) can make things more of a challenge than I would like sometimes. I am also just wondering if teaching is my calling. I do go through this self-doubt every year, so I'm guessing it may just be the end of the year blues.

Well, that's it for me this evening. I'll try to get some pics up soon - text just isn't as much fun without pics. Spring is in full bloom here in Kansas, so there may even be some flower pics!

Tonight's dinner

2010-03-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

Tonight's dinner was delicious! Sometimes it is comfort food that is the best.

I made broiled catfish (broiling pans are too often not used in my kitchen!), mac and cheese and broccoli. There were no complaints!

Running out of ideas

2010-03-23T19:28:00.002-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted! I was visiting my parents for Spring Break. It was really important to me to get to see them because Tom and I will not be able to get to our family Easter celebrations this year.

He is defending his dissertation on April 6 - whoo hoo! I'm super excited/anxious about it.

I'm running out of ideas for vegetarian meals - you can only eat grilled cheese and tomato soup for so many meals!

Dog Park!

2010-03-05T22:37:00.000-06:00

Took the dogs to the dog park today. It was a balmy 60+ degrees (thank goodness!) and so nice out!

Yes, that is blood on Trixie. She ran a pad raw and is currently sporting the baby sock on that paw. She'll be fine - it looks worse in the picture than it really is.

Almost a week!

2010-03-01T23:19:00.000-06:00

I made it almost a week without blogging! How dare I!

I have noticed that the more I write this thing, the more hits it gets on Google analytics, which is so much fun to watch!

Anyway - not much new with us. Still waiting to hear about jobs for Tom. *Sigh* Hopefully something will happen for us soon.

My Rav is in the shop right now - just getting an oil change. That girl has 190,000+ miles on her and is still going strong! Gotta love Toyotas (well, the ones that don't try to kill you anyway).

Dinner tonight was excellent - I made pineapple black bean enchiladas and they were just too tasty! Pretty darn easy to make, too, which is good when I am in a hurry to get to Sylvan.
Anyway, here is the recipe (as I made it):

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 large yellow onion, chopped (I used a medium onion)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (I used 1/2 a large red pepper - still made about 1 cup)
1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (my addition)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I probably used more - I lurve cilantro)
3 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (I used a mexican blend)
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce (calls for medium - we only had hot)
8 flour tortillas (calls for 8 or 9 inch - we had 12 inchers, so I used those)
Reduced fat sour cream (for garnish)

Directions:
         1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray (no, I didn't make Tom try it). In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in cilantro and 2 cups of the cheese.
        2. Spoon and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla (I used a spatula). Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down in baking dish.
       3. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly.
       4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with sour cream and chopped cilantro if you like.

Wordless Wednesday - an oldie but a goodie

2010-02-24T20:52:00.000-06:00

Tax Refund Time!

2010-02-23T22:22:00.000-06:00

We just did our taxes and will be receiving a refund this year! Whoo hoo!

We had a glass of bubbly to celebrate (I can't take credit for this photo - I found it through a google search).

No news yet on Tom's job search. We are thoroughly disgusted with the amount of money that we are spending out of pocket on things like health insurance and prescriptions, so we are looking at reducing those costs.

Boring Saturday

2010-02-20T22:04:00.000-06:00

Today was kind of lame. We have gotten very little snow (which is opposite of what we predicted).

I'm looking to sell some things. I think I'm going to start making hooded towels and selling them. I have an etsy store, but don't know how well they will go over there. My first attempts were a little sad (sorry, Jennie and Jill), but more recent attempts have been better (Jennie's newer towels are much better than the first few I made). I can't earn much off of them, and can't do anything fancy like embroidering names or initials, but it might be something. I enjoy sewing, just don't often have the time to do it.

I've also been sucked back into taking surveys online for a little fun cash. If I am dedicated and do it every night, I can earn $20+ in a month (like I said - fun money). I have been using Treasure Trooper for that. It is something else to do at night, but the surveys can be kind of fun. Tonight I took one on kitty litter and one on chocolate and hair products. I also took one on OnStar and GM products. I had no idea OnStar offered so many features!

Anyway, just kind of had a lazy day today. Made tortellini soup for the two of us, using cheese tortellini and vegetable stock and it was pretty darn tasty! Now to figure out what to make for dinner tomorrow night - Rick isn't a huge vegetable eater, so it could be interesting! The trick is to eat healthy without sacrificing taste.

Fun Friday!

2010-02-19T23:43:00.000-06:00

I am so glad that this week is over.

It has been a stressful one, to be sure. I'm bummed that Jeff, Jill and Hannah couldn't make it out, but with all of the snow in the forecast, it is probably for the best.

Tom took his test today - he had to write a report on ... something. I don't honestly know. I REALLY hope that he did well. We could really use the boost - ego-wise, being done with school-wise, and moving-wise. Not that we need to move, because we love Manhattan, but getting out of limbo would be a good thing, and the sooner, the better, in my opinion. I just hate not knowing what is going to happen. I'm too much of a planner.

So that's our news. Not much to tell - looking forward to getting snowed in and a possible snow day on Monday (of course, now that I have said it, it won't happen).

Yin and Yang

2010-02-16T21:13:00.001-06:00

Haiti and popular culture

2010-02-15T23:13:00.002-06:00

With the earthquake so recently in Haiti, the country has been in the eyes of the world more than ever.

There was a discussion today at school with some of my co-workers, in which I referenced the Clueless speech class, and called the inhabitants of Haiti "Haiti - ans". I was quickly corrected by another teacher (he's a baby - only 24) on the proper pronunciation.

Am I seriously the only one who know that Cher calls them Haiti-ans in her speech?

Weekly menu

2010-02-15T23:03:00.000-06:00

Since tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, it marks the final day of carnivorous activity in our house for the next 40 days and 40 nights.

Tom makes it a habit every year to give up meat. It is funny, because we do it almost every year, inevitably are asked, "Did you lose weight?" and always answer in the negative.

Anyway - this week's menu:

Tonight: Tater Tot casserole. I've just recently discovered this gem and love it! It is super easy.

Recipe:
Brown 1 lb. meat (I like ground turkey but ground beef works just as well).
Place in a sprayed 9x13 casserole pan
Cover with some type of veggie. Today's was green beans and corn. Both from cans.
Place 2 cans of cream of soups on top, spreading evenly. Today's was a mixture: 1 can cream of chicken and 1 can cream of mushroom.
Pour one can milk over the whole thing.
Top with a bag of tater tots (I use a small bag).
Place in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 mins and eat! Super easy and made with stuff that most people have in their freezers/cabinets.

Tomorrow: Left-over casserole! (The great thing is that it makes lots of meals and is super filling).

Wednesday (Lent begins): Grilled cheese/tomato soup (I'm fasting that day).

Thursday: Either mushroom risotto or Real Simple's Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower. I usually make a few small changes to Real Simple's recipe, but it is good as is (I just usually use premade bread crumbs rather than making them myself).

Friday: TBD - Jeff and Jill are coming in town and I have a concession stand to work, so dinner might be a late affair (and J&J might want something meaty, so we may go out).

Well - that's our meals for this week! I've been trying to meal plan ahead of time (at least a week) to help cut down on unnecessary trips to the store (another New Year's Resolution!).