Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Schoolday highlights

Today is Tuesday which means....YOU GUESSED IT! school!!!

I started out with English and tried not to fall asleep, got home at 9:30am and totally crashed until noon. I didn't wanna get out of bed this morning boo hoo!



I had to get myself up though because my other class downtown starts at 1pm. I ate a pb&j and booked it downtown. IT WAS SO COLD!! I have to walk about 5 blocks to college so I was frozen icicles by the time I got to class.

After school let out I went to the library and picked out these books:







That last one might be hard to see but it is a polish book with audio cd's that help you learn Polish. I really need to learn it because today I was getting ready for work at about 4pm, I'm blow drying my hair and watching TV in my little after shower dress thing like this big:



(trust me i know I don't look like this LOL)

and I see Nana's head poke through the doorway! TALK ABOUT SCARE ME TO DEATH! She was talking to me in polish and I kept saying i don't understand, I don't understand, until she finally told me she was looking for Aspirin and had a headache. poor thing. I gave her some Motrin and put her in bed. She's lucky she didn't get an eyeful if you know what I mean.

Well anyway back to the sequence of events:

The library is located across the street from The Milwaukee Public Museum and they have a beautiful butterfly exhibit! I got to see the butterflies flutter around in their room!
I tried to take a picture but realized a little too late that my camera's SD card was in the laptop at home. Here's the butterfly wing!

I got home and was soo hungry so I made up a really yummy recipe! I also failed to take a picture of it :( because I left my camera in the car, and I was NOT going to go out and get it! COLD!

I named the recipe Bacon-y bok choy with sunny side egg

Are you grossed out? You shouldn't be it was sooo good!

3 slices chopped bacon
1 head of bok choy
1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced
1 egg

Cook the bacon until slightly starting to give off it's fat. Add all of the bok choy, stir continuously until the bacon is almost crisp and the bok choy has lost some of it's rawness. Add garlic and egg in the middle of the greens. cook until sunny side! Serve with greens around the egg. This would bee good with spinach, or swiss chard too! Eat your greens!

I also watched Dr. Phil's housewives (I'm so addicted to that show).

Now I am at work and watching the clock.. just an hour and a half left!

Goodnight!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Fire Alarm!

So right after I posted my blog last night, I heard an obnoxiously loud voice screaming ATTENTION, ATTENTION! The lights were flashing, and an alarm was blasting. Awesome, I said, (well lets keep this G-rated and pretend I said awesome) the fire alarm is going off! So I booked it to the fire alarm panel and went through the instructions on what to do when this happens. "Okay, okay press alarm ack, alarm ack again, press alarm silence, use mike to call all residents informing of alarm, hit alarm reset. done... PHEW".

Only the fun was just beginning. Residents start pouring out of the stairwells and into the lobby, each behind my back waiting to all ask me the same question "Is everything okay? Is this a real fire? what's going on, what's going on?"

I then turn green and yelled HULK SMASH!



I wish. I had to stay calm and remind everyone that once I found out, they would of course find out as well! The fire and police men came and gave me one of these numbers...



They were mad because I FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS and hit the system reset button. They said now I would have to go check every floor and make sure there was no fire. Which I did with a couple other residents. When I came back down to the lobby, they had already left. Come to find out by my operations manager that they should have checked the history on the alarm panel which would show them what they needed to do. ASSHATS. (excuse me I couldn't help myself on that one). So I pretty much risked my life doing the fire mens job. Oh well, I did what I was told to do and no one was hurt. Now I know what to do for next time and I can appropriately train the weekend workers in case it ever happens again.

Come to find out this whole fiasco happened because someone over cooked there dinner and opened their front door to let out the smoke. This led to the hallway smoke alarm to detect a fire and go off. Once the hallway alarms are triggered an emergency alarm goes off and the fire department arrives. The whole deal was just not what I had in mind when I went to work on a usually slow Sunday night!

Today was nice in comparison. Marc and I are getting ready for the electricity to be switched over to a breaker system on Wednesday so we cleaned up the basement some and went to the dump. Nana came downstairs complaining of being cold, come to find out she turned off the heater by flipping the switch. She also took my makeup removing sheets I have no idea where they are now. I need a vacation.

I made bok choy with bacon for dinner tonight YUM! I love bok choy you should try it if you haven't!

Last night I came home to the bed being really high off the ground IT'S AWESOME! Marc knows I HATE being on the ground especially during winter, it's colder and it's just gross to me, I don't know why. So he found all these milk crates hanging around the basement and decided to lift it up! It's nice for him too since he is so tall! Our life is weird. Don't judge!



Also in Frankie news...

He's still a real fine jerk. We have fixed up his diet and now he just wants to attack us all the time. Here he is plotting to kidnap me with duct tape. I see that look in your eyes dude, you dont fool me. We've been disciplining him with a spray bottle full of water and it seems to be helping. I'll keep you updated.

So until next time. PEACE.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Michelle Kwan

I can honestly tell you that I will not be the next Michelle Kwan...



But when Marc and I were trying to decided what to do on Black Friday I knew it was the perfect time to get all crazy with my snow bunny self! We have an ice skating rink not far from our house and decided to see what it was all about!

Marc and I finally found some kind of exercise that we enjoy! I'm going to buy some of our own skates really soon so we can enjoy it even more! The rental skates were really hard on my ankles and all weekend I felt like they were trying to give out...but the good news was I only did this....



ONCE! Plus I took Marc down with me, but thankfully he didn't hurt himself haha!

Before we left to go to the rink, Nana came downstairs and watched TV with us for a while! She had taken her nightly meds so was a bit on the loopy side but I actually got her to take pictures with us! This is a big deal because she hates getting her picture taken so I don't think I'm going to post them...but here's me with a little smidge of Nana's arm. Gotta respect her wishes :)

After skating and skating and having so much fun and laughing sooo much I thought I had had enough and we decided to call it a night. When we were at the driveway to turn left and go home OR turn right and just drive until we found something we wanted to do, we decideed to have a little bit more fun and rode around until I saw the PHO viatnamese restaurant that I have wanted to go to forever! I don't know if you know this about me, or not...BUT I LOVE VIETNAMESE FOOD!
I got a plate of stir fried seafood like squid, scallops, shrimp, and crab and Marc totally had the best meal of deep fried squid. YUM! It was covered in jalapeno slices so it was a bit too spicy but oh so yummy. Next time I am actually going to get Pho which is kind of like Ramen but a million times better. This looks like a good bowl of Pho.


I JUST REALIZED I DIDN'T BLOG ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED ON THANKSGIVING!

To be honest it was pretty bland. I worked all day (met/saw Oprah, it's not even worth blogging about really) and went straight to Marc's work where I spent most of my time playing cards with the client Jeff. His idea of playing cards is to line them all up like a match game in a big square. He was pretty quiet all night, which was sad but he got to drink Diet Coke with his Thanksgiving meal which he was really happy about. I wish he could have been with family during the Holidays. Poor guy.

When the clients were all in bed I got to watch a bit of Toy Story 3 but didn't get to finish. I know it's a kids movie but I loved it :)

Then we went home and went to bed! sooo tired!

Okay back to the weekend. Saturday I switched our wardrobe over to winter clothes and got out all of the heavy sweaters, jackets, boots, and hats. It was semi depressing but I've got to get into the Holiday mood so it can be fun! It is supposed to really snow next Saturday so wish me luck on trying to figure out life in the snowy ghetto. HAHA!

Today was a LAY DOWN AND CHILL kind of day. I watched a bunch of TV, did the dishes, tidied up and vacuumed. Something was in the air today and I couldn't stop sneezing and being congested. I'm blaming it on the cat.

I think that is all I can think of to talk about for my Holiday weekend! I enjoyed it, even though it was a little bit different than I had planned!

How was your Thanksgiving?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I forgot!

It totally slipped my mind that tomorrow was Thanksgiving, and that I had some food to make today! OOPS! So let's look at this list of things I was supposed to accomplish today.

Go to the bank
Go to the grocery store
Exchange purchase at Walmart
Do the laundry at the laundromat
Exchange pantry for cupboards (explained later)


I didn't do anything except go to the grocery store, and make some food for tomorrow.

I made a sweet potato pie for Marc to take to our families Thanksgiving during the day (while I am working)



Plus I made a broccoli casserole for the Thanksgiving with the guys at the Assisted Living Home. I'm really glad that Marc had the idea of me coming along while he had to work the night shift. Turns out that the workers will be making the Thanksgiving meal and Marc, me, Nick (client), nick's grandparents, And Jeff (client) will be eating together. Poor Jeff wont be having any family come so we are going to be there for him. I hope they like the casserole, it looked pretty good!





Under all this crunchy, buttery topping is some ooey gooey broccoli with cheese!


I'm actually really hungry right now, can't wait to go home and eat an apple or some carrots or something!!

Have a good night and a great Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

It's a school day...

Today is a school day and I'm beat.


I went to both classes as usual and am glad I don't have to go back until next Tuesday! One really good thing that I found out in my history class is that I don't have to take the final exam if I get out of the class with a 90 average...YES! I know I'm quite up there so I just have to ace my next test and I'll be golden! This is perfect :)

I went to the library after class and picked out three books.






I'm half way through the Billie Holiday book and her life was TRAGIC! I highly recommend it. I love a good memoir.

So I must confess. I didn't go to Curves today..I had my gym clothes on and everything and i just couldn't get myself to go. It wasn't a self motivation thing (I walked today) it was more of a "Wow I really don't like Curves anymore". I can't get myself to go because there is no one there to relate to, and I feel like I would rather be riding a gym bike or using an elliptical. It's more what I am used to. Plus all the ladies there are old as the hills. So I'm trying to figure out what my next move is. I have a contract until April so should I just pay off my amount due which is 170$ (34 per month) and go to another gym? I would think that just finishing out with Curves and using my plan would be the best idea...but when next semester starts I wont be able to go to Curves, and go home to shower and clean up and then go to school! Curves is right next to the school and college is about 20 minutes from the house. I'm sorry but in the dead of winter I am not getting up earlier than 8am to clean off the car, dig out the car, go to Curves, drive home, shower,get ready, drive back to where curves is to go to class, and then go to work until 11pm.

Do you have any ideas for me? What do you think I should do? I have a mini treadmill at home?


One problem I've been trying to deal with (off the record haha) lately is seasonal depression. It just is sooo cold and windy and dark. It's hard for me to deal with. I'm taking advice from Tina at her Carrots and Cake blog and using this mantra "Get up, Get Dressed, and Get Going. I am spending too much time in bed I need to try harder! This is a big reason why I am pushing myself so hard in school next semester. I have so much time to be taking control over my life I just need to get going!


Tomorrow I am going to wake up at 9:30am and I'm going to accomplish these tasks:

Go to the bank
Go to the grocery store
Exchange purchase at Walmart
Do the laundry at the laundromat
Exchange pantry for cupboards (explained later)

I'll let you know if I can get all of my list accomplished but I feel pretty good about it!


Now enough with this topic for the moment, I've said my peace!

Goodnight!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Put it down on me, put it down on me!



This song is stuck in my head and I really like it (really surprising since I DESPISE RAP/HIP HOP) Must be because I LOVE Keenan Cahill, he is so funny! Check out his youtube.

Last night Marc and I played this question game for couples...here are our answers (this was a really good communication exercise!)

What Marc answered about Chetney is in
RED.
What Chetney answered about Marc is in BLUE.

Green is in case someone got a wrong answer!

Try this out with your significant other and see how much they know about you!

1) If I'm watching TV, what am I watching?

Cooking shows
CSI or criminal shows

2) We're out to eat, what kind of dressing do I get on my salad?
Some type of light vinaigrette, if anything.
Ranch or Poppyseed depending on the type of salad.

3) What food don't I like?
Anything Mayo based.
Braised, gravy meats, and prefer boneless everything.

4) What drink would I order at the bar?
Vodka tonic, vodka water, or vodka redbull.
Guinness or whiskey and coke.

5) What's my shoe size?

6 1/2, 7
14

6) If I was collecting anything what would it be?

(after much struggling) BOOKS!
Polish knick knacks, anything really. (huge collector, ANNOYING HAHA)

7) What's my favorite type of sandwich?
Marc's Grilled Cheese
Tuna melt
HIS IS GRILLED CHEESE TOO! oops!

8) What would I eat everyday if I could?

Popcorn
Eggs

9) What's my favorite cereal?
(he had no idea)
cocoa krispies
Muesli is my all time fave but he wouldn't know this b/c I don't buy it..way overpriced.

10) What's his/her favorite music genre?

Pop
80's punk
I don't like POP! I like a nice acoustic thing going on, is that pop? James Taylor, Jim Croche, Nick Drake, Maroon 5??

11) What is my eye color?
Blue/green
Blue/green

12) If you bake me a cake for my birthday, what kind do you bake?

Cheesecake
German Chocolate

13) What could I spend hours doing?
Reading in the bathtub Sleeping/watching movies
I love to read and I love a good soak, but I never could stay in for more than 15 minutes!!

14) What is one unique talent I have?

(he took a while and said he wanted to make sure he said the best one)
Your imagination, storytelling abilities.
Your sense of humor, quick to the punchline

:) this was so fun, and FUNNY!

Okie Dokie, I gotta go finish up some homework now, I have to print out some articles about the westboro church people, for and against. I think it will be hard to find someone pro-westboro but I gotta try.


alrighty, have a good night!!











Sunday, November 21, 2010

Mooooovies

So you'll never guess what Marc and I did last night...wait did you just say "go to the movies"? If so...your really smart, or just good at reading titles. BUT we were bored and I really wanted to see the movie RED.




IT WAS SO AWESOME! I really really liked it. I've been pretty impressed with the movies that have come out lately, but now it's time to stop spending so much dough stop being spoiled! No more movies for a while :(.

We also spent some time with Nana after she had taken her night time medicine (which makes her a bit loopy, and super hilarious) she even came downstairs and talked for a while before we took her to her room to sleep. It was fun! I also made Chicken Wild Rice Soup.



Finally a soup that Marc enjoys, that is NOT made with cream! YAY! Nana really enjoyed it too WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! I really liked this recipe because it made so much that there are plenty of leftovers! YES!

My lovely sister told me about a "diet" she did a while back where she lost 44 pounds! I'm going to try this approach starting today! Basically what you do is you don't eat after 6pm which is harder than it sounds. If you are hungry later in the evening than you can have raw fruit like an apple. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm already going to say that Thursday will be different though since it is Thanksgiving.

I have to work on Thanksgiving 9-5 and then I'll be headed to Marc's work (where he will be working after 5pm) to have Thanksgiving with the clients. I'm going to make some type of broccoli casserole, and I'm making a pie for the family Thanksgiving that Marc is going to but i can't because I have to work.

At least I'll be meeting Oprah...yes that Oprah

but I honestly would rather be with family eating all the punkin pie LOL!

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Friday Night

I just love a good day off!

Yesterday Marc and I spent some good time with nana, Alice, and little Marcus! He is just getting so big and SMART! Love that boy :)


Later in the day we went grocery shopping at Walmart and I bought some earring for my second holes. I thought they were very cute BUT a few hours after I bought them the little CZ stone fell out, now I have to take them back and get some new ones. Hopefully the next ones will be worth it.


One of my favorite memories from yesterday was when I was cooking dinner and Marc was doing the dishes! We were both in the kitchen laughing and talking and singing! So much fun, I hope he took it to heart when I told him how much I appreciated his help and company :)


We also watched two movies yesterday! BOTH WERE SPECTACULAR! The first movie was Due Date with Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downery Jr. GO SEE IT!




It was so funny and kept us laughing the whole time!



The second movie was from our netflix choice it was Wanted.




SO GOOD! Great twists and action!


Now on to the rest of my Saturday. I just spent some time with nana and now i'm watching PBS what a lovely day! Marc gets home at 3pm so until then I'm going to VEG! What a lovely sentence that was!

See you later!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Survey says..

Today was stupid. Read this survey about my life and enjoy.

Tomorrow is a better day!!!!


1. What time did you get up this morning?

unconsciously turned off the alarm around 6 am, then 7:55 am when I realized I was supposed to be in school in 5 minutes, then 10am after I said whatever, and laid back down.

2. How do you like your steak cooked?

Medium rare

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Megamind with niece Aleksa

4. What is your favorite TV show?

Late night with Jimmy Fallon, or Dr. Phil's housewives on Tuesdays.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

The Virgin Islands where Richard Branson just so happened to give me one of his islands.

6. What did you have for breakfast?

I didn't eat breakfast!! I'm terrible!

7. What is your favorite cuisine?

Down home, soul food.

8. What foods do you dislike

Mayonaisse, Miracle Whip, frozen or canned spinach

9. Favorite Place to Eat?

Andrea's house HAHA! She is a great cook!

10. Favorite dressing?

yuck.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?

Black Honda Civic

12. What are your favorite clothes to wear?

A cute dress, a-line.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

Poland

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?

Always half full, but that doesn't mean I always look at life this way! Far from it!

15. Where would you want to retire?

Let's be nomads and go camping everywhere! Except I'll be older and probably will want to move where it's warm so I don't have to deal with snow...so let's say the Virgin Islands again! (Richard Branson will have left me his house in his will)

16. Favorite time of day?

2 pm

17. Where were you born?

Brunswick, Maine

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?

Ice Hockey

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?

I haven't started tagging so this I can't answer.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first?

Again unanswerable.

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?

If I tag you, I'm curious.

22. Are you satisfied with your life?

I'm satisfied with where it's heading.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?

night owl over here. Hate mornings.

24. Do you have any pets?

2 rabbits, Violet and Einstein. 1 cat named Franek (but I call him Frankie)

25. If you only had one day to live, who would you spend it with?

All of my family

26. What did you want to be when you were little?

The shampoo girl at the hair cutting place

27. What is your best childhood memory?

Running around in the woods.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?

Both, and a rabbit person..really anything cute a furry I'm into.

29. Are you married?

Marc and I got married June 4th 2010!

30. Always wear your seat belt?

Absolutely always.

31. Been in a car accident?

Not while I was driving! My friend and were in a car with her uncle and he hit a family of deer which was sad. Another time was when our school bus tipped into a ditch in Elementary school .

32. Any pet peeves?

Marc's random noises HAHA! He makes one that sounds like a rabid frog. He does this because he knows it annoys me. Also hate rudeness, drivers who make up their own rules, and when people say I look tired (no that's just my face lol).

33. Favorite Pizza Topping

Bacon

34. Favorite Flower?

Lilacs or Gerber Daisys

35. Favorite ice cream?

Mint Chocolate Chip

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Pesto Please!



I thought I looked pretty cute yesterday :)


Gotta thank my daddy and Voluminous mascara for those lashes! I think it is good to look at the mirror and try to think of POSITIVE things about yourself..try it! Be like this cutie...




Today I was short on time so I just used this clip from Claire's and stuffed the rest of my hair in a messy bun.





I spent (most of my) time researching today. Scholarships, shoes, Christmas gifts, coupons..etc. I'm glad to feel semi accomplished and have even finished my essay for tomorrow! yay! Just have to print it off.


Here's the mess I made looking at recipes, goodies, etc. The kitchen table is pretty much my desk now. Even though I have a desk which sits in the closet. I hate my messiness but it's part of who I am (more on mess later)




For dinner I made Rachael Ray's recipe for Kale Walnut Pesto Pasta. It was soooo yummy, and rich which I didn't expect!

The pesto is made of

1 bunch kale, stems removed (boiled for 5 mins, then drained)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup roasted walnuts
1 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil

just blend the first 4 ingredients...




It should look like this




then it should come into a ball before you add in the oil a little at a time.



I did like the pros say and froze the rest of the sauce to use on meats and vegetables :)



When I get home from work I'm going to take it out of the ice trays and into a plastic bag.

This is also what is looking me in the face when I get home.



I cleaned out the sink and did the dishes from the pesto before I left, but oh lord I have some chores!





It gets WORSE!




Oh well, to take your mind off of my nasty house (your mind or my mind?)


Here's Frankie. He's been showing off his @$$hole tendencies lately. I have been bitten and scratched only when I've been petting his head gently. Jerk face. Here he is looking at me funny.



And here is his new cat nip toy, 20 minutes from the time I gave it to him.




He is a wicked wicked cat. BUT, I love him, and I love him on Catnip SOOOO FUNNY!

Well, that's all folks!

Good Night!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Booorrriiiinnnnggggg

What a boring weekend.

Not much to talk about, Friday we watched movies




I really enjoyed this movie, I thought it was a great redo of the original and I loved Jayden Smith and Jackie Chan in it! Go see it!

The second movie was....

MacGruber



Yuck, this movie was just not right. I love the sketches on SNL but trying to bring this character into a movie just didn't work! I ended up not watching it after 30 minutes or so in.

We were going to go out with Marc's friends on Friday night but we both got rumbling bellies, very sick. We stayed in and tried to make it more fun.

Saturday was spent making Chili, which was way too spicy (I have to get sour cream to cool it down) and then we went over to Marc's parents house to take them to a Polish dance. I wanted to go but it was really expensive plus they needed designated drivers so it worked out. We are going to go for New years!

We stayed at their house while they partied so we could pick them up. We spent our time..

1) eating pizza
2) watching Cable
3) watching this movie...



It was really good except for the very very ending which was stupid and made one of the lead characters (who you are trying to feel good about) look like a douche.

Sunday:

boring and forgettable.

I watched a lot of PBS cooking shows.



I just finished budgeting and working on some other things for the rest of the week and I'm really ready for this weekend to be over, because it was a lazy bust!!!

Goodnight!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

A DOUBLE POST! (LONG)

Thought I would paste up some of my essays from this year, maybe your interested? If not, skip, skip, skip away!

Pasted from most recent backwards through the semester.

Division and classification "essay"


Past Jobs-

Cookie baker- This was my first job at the tender age of eleven. I baked cookies and sold them for 75 cents a bag in the break room of Delta airlines. My mother happened to be my assistant and business manager.

Real Estate Agent's Assistant- Assisted in a real estate office during the summer of my sophomore year in high school as the regular assistant was on maternity leave.

Caregiver to the Elderly- Entrepreneurial venture to assist the elderly in my neighborhood after graduating high school. Quickly gathered the opinion that the elderly hates teenage girls. Lasted five months spread between four clients.

Prescription Drug Call Center Operator- A job fueled by the tears of dashed adolescent dreams. Truly meant to break the spirit and lower self esteem. Swallowed my eighteenth year of life and encroached upon the nineteen. Eleven months filled with teary nights and foggy days.

Insurance Office Assistant- My first job in Milwaukee. This job lasted from the age of nineteen to twenty. Overall a good work environment, minus the gossip.

Present Jobs-

Student- A job which remains unprofitable at the moment, but will end up becoming fruitful in the near future.

Concierge/Receptionist for Condominium- A glimpse into the upper crust of society. A whisper of Oprah's billions, athletic super stardom, and incredible mind power. My first enjoyable job.

Sketch Artist- Leaning heavily on my mother's teaching skills. Thankfully I have been gifted at least a smidgen of her abundant talent.

Future Jobs-

Mother- Pay doesn't always have to come in monetary value, it can also come in the future of an unborn generations. I have always dreamed of motherhood and now that I am married it is always in the back of my mind. My husband and I are going to wait until we have both gotten degrees and are homeowners before this can become a gifted reality.

Family Counselor- Becoming apart of the human services realm of a career is my ultimate dream (although teaching is a strong possibility if the government can fix the system...hahhaha). Blessed with an overwhelming empathy towards the human race and more than a few unwelcome experiences in my past, I hope to better my fellow man with a merciful career and an open ear.

My husband's Business Partner in Owning An Assisted Living Home- A venture I am proud to say is my husbands dream. His care for the unfortunate citizens of the world sparks my passion to assist him in any way possible. To give the clients and their families a happy and healthy home environment is our goal and over all wish.



Comparison Contrast Essay


Before moving to Milwaukee two years ago I lived in St. Marys which is located in the Southeastern corner of the State of Georgia. Oddly Milwaukee also is near the south east corner of Wisconsin. Although they are alike in geographical location in their respective states, St. Marys and Milwaukee are vastly different places to live in America.

Bordering the Okefenokee swamp supports the hot and humid weather in St. Marys. A visitor can picture stepping into a sauna, where the air is thick, hot, and hard to breathe. The luxury of air conditioning is a must in this town! It is not unusual to celebrate the holidays without the need of a heavy jacket, mittens, or even a hat, as the seasons barely change here. Milwaukee on the other hand, is known for frigid winters and drastic seasonal changes, what would Christmas be like without a fresh blanket of snow? Also geographically, these cities are both located next to a large body of water, St. Marys has the Atlantic Ocean only a short walk to the east, while Milwaukee can enjoy a beach setting of Lake Michigan, also located in the east.

Although the weather can arguably be thought of as the most drastic difference between these cities, I believe that food can take that role. St. Marys, and Georgia in general, is known for the pride of Southern cooking. The well known chef Paula Deen resides only a little over an hour away in Savannah! The restaurants are predominantly southern with a main menu consisting of family recipes for fried chicken, sweet tea, rice and gravy, greens smothered in bacon, cornbread with honey butter and a big bowl of banana pudding for dessert. Some of the foods which are considered staples in the south such as grits and sweet tea are unlikely to be found here in Milwaukee. Southern foods may not be as consistent here, however many cultural foods can be found in Milwaukee. In different neighborhoods one can dine on Polish, German, Greek, and Mexican foods as well as many other cuisines.

The Cheers theme song "Where everybody knows your name" should be the theme of St. Marys. Small souther towns are well known for gossiping and nosy neighbors, while in Milwaukee most neighbors keep to themselves. It seems as if this city is a city of strangers where it is unlikely to see a familiar face in the crowd. This major difference can be explained by the population differences. Milwaukee is the known as a major city, while St. Marys is a rural town where it is much easier to see a familiar face in the crowd.

The work environments are also quite different. St. Mary's is known for the farming of crops such as peaches, cotton, and peanuts, while Milwaukee is known for industrial work such as Harley Davidson, and many manufacturing plants. Farming can be thought of as a laid back, slower pace of life while industry is fast paced and always moving. The inequality of the work ideals also speak for the personalities of the citizens.

Although these two places are exceedingly at odds, each has it's own charm and character.

Connotative Dictionary


Apples- A magical fruit used to gather family and friends during early fall.
Art- The expression of emotions through physical means.
Beck- A musician known for his creativity and mind blowing lyricism.
Braces- A torture device used to reduce appetite in dental patients.
Brussel Sprouts- A misunderstood vegetable, once halved and roasted with olive oil and garlic becomes heaven on a plate.
Calender- Depressing date organizer. Known for elusively shortening weekends, and elongating weekdays.
Cellphone- An electronic tool used to annoy people in public places.
Children- A future goal that is often dreamed of, or a lesson learned a little too late.
Czesia- My Polish nickname representing my inclusion of the family, and honorary Polish heritage.
Einstein- A fluffy white rabbit perfect for snuggling and adoring.
Family- Ever changing group of irreplaceable people.
Farm- Ideal child rearing acreage.
Love- A beautiful emotion which can create chaos and wars if placed in the wrong hands.
Money- An illusory creature known for slipping through one's fingers and into the pocket's of others.
Oatmeal- Perfect breakfast when mixed with banana and milk.
Politician- Liar; fictitious character representing humanistic traits of decency and honor.
Runner- Disciplined role model, fit and determined.
Scar- A silent reminder of imperfection and fragility.
Sleep- A mythical place only known to babies, and the elderly.
Television- A technological replacement for real life, friends, family, and experiences.
Violet- A brindle rabbit known for mischievous adventures and chewed electrical cords.
Weekends- myth of relaxed personal time, with no distractions or responsibilities.
Wind- A fail-proof way to make sure women never have a perfect hair day.
Winter- A yearly test of patience and sanity.
Work- A necessary waste of life, time, and energy in exchange for security and materialism.

Descriptive Essay

As my legs scratched against the brambles and twigs on my usually Saturday hike through the woods. I felt unmotivated and sluggish, desperately trying to get rid of the last fifteen pounds my doctor advised me to lose. I came across a babbling brook, thirsty and panting, I took a long drink from the icy water puddled between my entwined fingers, a frigid feeling crawls between my teeth until at the precipice between pleasure and pain, the smooth liquid silver quenches my parched throat.

The brook that sprawls before me, stretches and squirms like a fussy infant struggling for independence. Sheilding my eyes from the relentless sun, a beautiful vista unfolds of a fast moving stream framed by lush, untamed greenery. The golden pebbles immersed in the depths of the clear water shimmer and reflect a prism of color which tantalizes my senses.

The water rushing over and around the boulders sound like the pitter-patter of children's feet as they dance to a song only audible to youthful ears. The twittering birds sing out their praises for the life source below.

I am aware of only the nature unfolding around me. I feel like a newborn finally making out the sharp edges of a blurry world. I have opened my eyes for what feels like the first time and frantically gulp down the view as greedily as the cool drink that had begun to awakened my dormant senses.

Narration Essay (my favorite)


A portly middle aged bank teller distraught and out of breath found it hard to remain standing as his knees gave out and collapsed on the tile floor. He immediately felt comforted by the dependability of the cool, unmoving ground, as it seemed that the rest of the bank had been upended by earthquake or maybe even a tornado. While piles of deposit papers and envelopes fell from the sky like confetti at a Macy's day parade, the teller desperately tried to piece back the last few minutes of his morning and vaguely remembered a petite female dressed in a houndstooth dress suit, black hat, and leather gloves approached him at his assigned work station. The next memory the bank teller could recall was the feel of a sharp pistol held directly to his temple. The impeccably dressed customer announced that her presence was of a more wicked variety. It was at this moment, while the teller was trying to get his barrings against the cool floor, that his eyes focused on a small crab apple rolling gently toward him, bumping and rolling against the uneven, grimy tile. Suddenly it all made sense, he was just robbed by the most wanted bank robber in all of New England. He was just robbed by Jenny Appleseed.


Jenny Appleseed grew up in a rural town in Maine where God was all knowing, and so were the neighbors. According to the local gossips, her family had owned the Apple Orchard on Main Street since the beginning of time, and Jenny happened to be the youngest of three brothers and four sisters. Just like any homestead in 1935 the Depression had made the family poor and desperate. They lived on apples prepared in all ways possible, apple cobbler, apple dumplings, apple pie, apple noodles, everything and anything relating to their abundant and only crop. All the children learned to live with the menu, except Jenny. Jenny was well known as a mischievous child and always seemed to have mussed up hair and wild eyes. She would refuse the apples and seem to live on dreams alone. It was said in town that Jenny would stare at the neighborhood women dressed up in their finest clothes for Sunday morning church with a fiery passion no one quite understood until her teen years.


On her fourteenth birthday, Jenny's mother was in the kitchen cutting up a special apple pie for her youngest child's birthday when she noticed Jenny dash out of the house towards the woods. Figuring she would be back by supper, her mother started singing while spicing up the birthday pastry with cinnamon and nutmeg. It would be the last time she every saw Jenny.


Jenny started riding the rails from Maine to Vermont, then Vermont to New Jersey. Her eyes would fill with delight as she saw her first automobile, her first feathered hat, and the first real jeweled brooch upon a mannequin's bust in New York. Life was exciting until her lust of these object overcame her and she knew that she needed these things more than life itself.


Not only did she need riches and jewels and treasures, but she needed more food! To her disapproval and dismay, the only sustenance left in the cellar at home was a bag of crab apples meant for Jam. She had taken the bag and had lived on the fruit for days. She was tired of sucking on the lemony tart apples that did nothing but pucker her mouth and sour her mood. Not only was she tired, but she was mad that the woman around her during her travels could enjoy a meal of chicken, or even roast pork. She deserved a nice meal too! It was with this in her mind that she opened the double doors of The First National Bank of Alta, New York and demanded money.


“Give me all ya got, and dontcha short change me I'll know it and I'll shoot cha.” she exclaimed with the same wild look of her childhood, all the while her hand grasped at an object in her bag.


“listen little girl I d-d-d-don't want no t-t-t-trouble. Take the loot and head on out. You got the look of the devil in your eyes, but I gotta say you take this money and you take the food right outta my kids mouths.” The bank teller said with a wavering, but proud voice.


The bank teller grimaced and ground his teeth as Jenny felt around in her bag where he thought she would be pulling out her gun, but instead she placed a handful of crab apples on his desk.


“Heeyah, put these in yo kiddo's mouths I've lived off 'em for as long as I can stand and I don't plan on touchin anothah for the rest of my dahys.” She huffed as she grabbed the money and was out the door as quick as she had arrived.


Jenny could hardly believe how easy it was to get the bank money! All night and all the next morning she counted and recounted the three hundred dollars, while riding a box car back into the woods of Vermont. She dreamed of figgy pudding, hot baths, and dresses of all fabrics and shades. This was the beginning of the creation of Jenny Appleseed.


Soon, Jenny was known all over the country as New England's only female bank robber. She was described to be just like the sour, minuscule crab apples left at each of her robberies. For three years she seemed to be untouchable and gained power that only money can give. Jenny was affectionately called Jenny Appleseed by the public and could sometimes be seen in town with impeccable clothes and a smile in her eyes. She gave off an untouchable quality and would walk with a determined gait. Her life seemed perfect until one fateful day in late October.


Jenny had just bought a new bag of crab apples from the local grocer when she noticed her wallet felt a bit on the light side. Much more organized than her first few bank jobs, Jenny now carried a small pistol and had never had to use it other than as a scare tactic. It was well known that the United States government had put a bounty on her head of five thousand dollars so Jenny had recently changed her hair color and stuck mostly to the back roads in her 1925 Studebaker. She walked into a small bank on the outskirts of Jamestown, Maryland and started to perform her normal routine of getting the bankers attention and taking money, when all of a sudden Jenny lost hearing in her right ear as something small whizzed by her face. It took her by surprise, but in the confusion and the screams of customers Jenny saw a security guard armed and was aiming straight between her eyes! In the next few moments, the witnesses state Jenny Appleseed threw her bag of apples toward the guard and ran out of the door, tripping on her stiletto heels and scuffed her new stockings against the door frame. She was safe, but more than that, she was lucky.


Jenny spent the next few weeks hidden in the cold damp woods of lower New Hampshire. She knew her time as a bank robber was winding down. She found out that all banks had to have those security guards as a means of protection against the sudden outpouring of robbers such as Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, and of course herself, Jenny Appleseed. She started feeling like her fourteen year old self, dirty and hungry but not even crab apples to eat this time. It was obvious to her that she needed to do one last bank job and head to Canada where she could change her identity and hopefully try a normal life. Jenny always wondered what it would be like to have a boyfriend, and was starting to tire of the robbing lifestyle. She started to feel hunted like a rabbit and the whole world happened to be blood thirsty foxes.


The next day she robbed the bank of the portly man and felt a little sad when she saw him start to faint and grasp at his heart. As she placed the crab apple haphazardly on the tellers desk, a tear dropped from her eye and she knew this life of riches and fame was ending. She took around a thousand dollars, enough to get her across the border without any snitching. She left her Studebaker and her nice clothes outside the bank parking lot and headed for the train station. Jenny rode the rails up into the heart of Maine. As she past her old town, Jenny threw the last of her crab apples out of the boxcars open door. Filled with unexplained sadness and the wish of her mother's apple pie for the first time in her short life. With only the ill fitting dress she wore on her fourteenth birthday, and a wild look in her eye, she crossed into Canada. It has been said that Jenny Appleseed ended up marrying a local boy from Toronto in the late 1940's and lived off the only profession she knew about other than robbery, an apple orchard which was oddly called Jenny's Fate Orchards, Home of Canada's Best Crab Apple Jam.

Essay using words I dunno what to call it lol.

Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder sometimes caused by injury when the brain is still developing. Although the symptoms can greatly vary on a case to case basis, severe Cerebral Palsy (or CP) is a debilitating disease causing the victim to live not only a shortened life, but one lacking in independence and life experiences. In turn, this can wreak irreparable emotional damage on the psyche of the individual.


Contrast


The difference between a victim of Cerebral Palsy and an unaffected person are immeasurable. The victim can be seen as living in a completely separate world as he can not live with the same expectations of ability. Using the restroom independently is a prime example. The afflicted must lose all traces of pride and surrender to his lack of control of the situation. The “average” human would not have to deal with this issue until well into the later stages of life.


Demonstrate


Eating can become a serious challenge for someone with severe CP. Many have difficulty swallowing and need all foods to be soft, or blended. The caregiver must monitor and sometimes spoon feed the client. Foods must also be easily digestible for ease of bowel movements. These examples express the dependency required for this disorder.


Predict


The future of those dealing with Cerebral Palsy is disheartening. Most live life in a lonely, repetitive, bubble run by caregivers and social workers. There is currently no cure for this malady. New advances with physical therapy do show a hopeful future for gaining independence, which can change a persons life and the prospect of this disease.


Enumerate


To bring light upon the hardships of someone with Cerebral Palsy, we must view three dominant life changing events in their life. Firstly, the victim grows apart from peers as he or she will not be able to participate in many activities, such as sports. Or even more detrimental, not be able to communicate at all (some severe cases of CP disables the ability of speech). Next, later in life he or she will not be as able to attract the opposite sex for romantic involvement. Lastly, they might miss out on cultural traditions of marriage, children, and the overall independence most people enjoy daily.


Interpret


The significance of this affliction is that the lack of certain skills and capabilities make it easy for the person to feel as if he or she has lost themselves. Or even that they never knew who they really were to begin with. The thought of never being able to climb a mountain unaided, or even raise a family could ruin already low self esteem.


Refute

The idea that someone with severe CP should try harder with such a handicap is an opinion that can ruin the psyche and extinguish all ideas of happiness for the afflicted individual. To broaden ones horizons is a great idea, but to state that the person is not trying is wrong and very hurtful. For example, sometimes people with Cerebral Palsy are given jobs like stuffing envelopes for offices. If the workers are told to do fifteen envelopes in a certain amount of time and only five are done, it should never be said that they should work harder if they have given everything they could on that particular day.


Summary


To sum up, Cerebral Palsy can rob human life from the independent creatures we all wish to become. What we might think of embarrassing needs, like toileting, are every day occurrences for them and should be treated as a normal task as to help keep minds off of lack of ability. Being bound to a wheelchair can dampen the chances of many life experiences. The dependent person still should be treated with the utmost respect and dignity.

That be all for nowzas.

Squad cars and naps.

I ended up getting way too interested in this book yesterday that I almost forgot to do my essay for English class! Uh oh!




My mom sent me a couple boxes of books yesterday! I was really shocked, and happy I love to read so I got a whole stack lined up!



My mom also sent Marc a piece of wood with a Polish Eagle stenciled for him to carve out! I tried to call her and thank her but she wasn't home :( I really miss her.


Today was a school day, hectic as usual.

I was reading that Arctic daughter book after class around 3pm and don't remember falling asleep but I did!! I woke up in the dark around 4:45pm and just started walking around and realized OH NO I HAVE TO GO TO WORK! I usually LEAVE around 4:40pm so I was pretty stressed about it. Only ended up about 3 minutes late though :)

The worst thing that happened today was when I was driving home from my second class I notice a couple arguing on the sidewalk. I saw that the young man was very agitated and threw her purse on the ground. She took off walking, ignoring him and all of a sudden I saw him start swinging at her and push her around. I called 911 and while I was on the phone with them I saw the police arrive. Thankfully he was arrested, but I found out when I stopped that she was pregnant. I'm very sad for her, and for my thinking this, but I am 95% sure that she will go back to him. She's probably bailing him out right now. I was a witness to the abuse and gave my information. It was really scary because it was such a bad neighborhood but I feel like I did the right thing.

On that somber note, I'm really glad that today is my Friday and I can get the heck out of here soon! Marc said he is going to think of something fun for us to do which is an exciting change of pace!

Have a good night, stay safe!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A skipped day

I meant to blog yesterday but it turned out i was training someone at work and didn't have the chance! Also didn't get to chance to study for my test in History today UH OH! I ended up going home directly from my first class and got about 2 hours of study time in. The test went okay maybe a 90%? I'll let you know as soon as I get it. We are also doing a group project in history about Lewis and Clark. We are trying to make it more interesting by acting out the parts and guess who gets to place Thomas Jefferson.. yeah you guessed it, fun. Oh well!



Back to training last night, turns out the guy I was training happened to be from Wiscasset ME! It was such a shock that we lived only a town away from each other! We graduated the same year of school and also know a few of the same people. Not only that, but after talking for a little longer I found out he went to Pensacola College and went to school with some of the same people I went to high school with in Florida...so that was just CREEPY but so awesome at the same time :)

Yesterday I was trying to clean up the fridge from all the veggies I had lying around and made this yummy stir fry. In the concoction:





1/2 green pepper
1 small onion
1 bunch kale
5 oz brussel sprouts
6 oz steak
pickled ginger
soy sauce
garlic
S&P



I also boiled up a bag of instant brown rice and homemade sweet potato fries to served it on the side.. YUM. I had this today too.



Nana LOVED the sweet potatoes but didn't understand what it was. She thought they were carrots, very understandably.

I finally got the chance to visit couponmom.com and printed off bajillions of coupons. I am going shopping tomorrow so I'll let you in on the savings tomorrow. This will be my first time trying to save more dough with coupons, wish me luck!

Goodnight!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Weekend Wrapup

There were so many times that I wished I had my camera with me this weekend!!

I tried sending some pictures to my sister but only one went through. This was taken at the Vet's office. He is A HUGE pitbull bred to have such a hulking stature. Never mind the "lipstick" he's breeding right now. Isn't he CUTE??? 101 pounds at 15 months old.



(look at the dog in the back, he was literally shaking poor guy)

I was at the vet for Frankie, ended up he has a bacterial infection in his GI tract, and an upper respiratory infection which led to conjunctivitis. I have to give him goop in his eyes three times a day and crushed up antibiotics in a eye dropper twice a day. He's a trooper for sure. This is his favorite spot in Nana's house. He thinks this guy is his big brother.




And here he is after I bought him a catnip mouse to play with (he is in training to catch real ones if we happen to get some)











(climax of fight)



Peace was formed as a mouse pillow.


I bought the mouse before hanging out with my friend Angela on Saturday night. We went to Olive Garden and then the mall where we tried on lots of shoes and i bought loads of Jewelry at Claires and a couple candles from Yankee Candles. "Jack Frost, and "Mountain Lodge" both smell really yummy!

Marc and I went to this movie with little Neice Aleksa too, it was 3D and she kept trying to grab the images that were popping out, it was soo cute! Movie wasn't half bad either...We mostly wanted to go because of the awesome voices (Zach Galifinakis is so awesome)





Today was kind of a catch up day, I was really in the mood to clean the house so i did!! yay! Here are some pictures (it might not look that great but you should have seen it before).





(my favorite table that we found here at Nana's)









I had my candles lit and got to sit and have absolutely NOTHING on my plate for a whole hour, I LOVED IT!

Now I'm reading this book, which is HIGHLY addicting but only meant for someone with a really open mind. I couldn't put it down...I had to force myself to stop, or I would read it too fast :)



Have a great night!