Adventures in the Big City

This week I am in the cities for a training. Driving to the cities is a little different than my commute to work. I can leave for work knowing I will be there in 5 minutes and BE there in 5 minutes. I wake up on Monday at 5 am to be to training at 9.... sighs. Drive through a thunderstorm alone. Check this off the bucket list. Sitting in traffic for a half hour with 9 miles left to go. Check and bullet through the brain.

The "angry" music is cranked.



Note to self, pay attention to the red on your gps.



     So now I am in tears because I have to be there in 9 minutes and I am not finding the destination. I did not see any sign telling me I entered the town. I learned later that I entered a different side of the town...so I guess this side of the town doesn't get a sign. First day of class and we sit through mind numbing information. On my orientation sheet it says we get lunch everyday. Yeah. We don't. So, go to Target and purchase all kinds of unhealthy food to eat. Why you might ask? Because I don't have Little Lady this week. Its cheez its and diet coke this week, baby! I am now tired and pretty excited to stay in this condo that the company set up for me. Swiftly I type in the address and am off to this condo. I feel like I should be in Miami and driving to my condo. Ok. Dreaming.

    Now here is where the story gets good. The condos in the cities are HUGE and packed in like sardines. There is traffic everywhere. I find the huge building but cannot find the garage. after the third time driving around the block like a creeper with candy I get enough courage to ask a stranger. I put on my sassy high pitch sweet voice and ask him where the garage is. He explains to me where it is and I am pretty sure he smirked under his breathe, "dumb blonde" so I am cruising through this creepy underground garage where I notice some shopping carts... still wondering why i saw shopping carts in the garage. Proceed to carry up my many "things" and I'm ok walking up the first flight of stairs...then I round the second flights of stairs...and third. I am huffing with all my stuff and felt like Jillian Michaels or someone from the Biggest Loser was going to tell me to move my ass. Are you kidding me?? I still had more shit in the car to bring up. I was already considering it a lost cause. I finally get to my door on the 80th floor. (felt like it.) Say hello to a man and his small dog that passes me, and enter the key into the lock. 10 minutes later I am still wrestling with the lock. I am beginning to think the dumb blonde comment was appropriate. Come on, be smarter than the lock. You can do this. Lost of positive flow was trying to overpower my desire to ninja kick the door. Finally the door opens and I am welcomed to the sight that.. this condo is already occupied. No one is inside however I see computer and folders on the table, a pillow pet on the bed and stuff in the bathroom. huh. my anxiety starts to raise. Is this seriously happening to me? Now what? I call the office. Of course everyone has gone home in charge of placing me there. The unlucky lady who answered the phone said she would call the office manager and get  back to me. She calls me back and says that she left a message on the office manger's phone but does not have numbers for the HR. Really? Are you kidding me? She basically said, "I am not sure how to help you.. I don't know what to tell you.." Uh, ok, thanks. Peace..

    So I am sitting down in this black swivel chair that faces the door that enters the condo. Kinda feeling like the godfather. Except I have no idea whose coming through those doors and all I got is my cell phone and a garage door opener. My beau is at home, searching online for someone owns the company. He finds a number. I call it. No answer. Why?! I text the number. With a successful response that someone from the HR will call me. HR was very apologetic and he said he would take care of it. But asked me to snoop a bit to find out who the person was. I did. This person was not on the schedule to stay there. So what if you're in good with the company you get a key to take home? Hmm...I asked if I could wait in my car because I really wasn't feeling an awkward confrontation tonight.

allergies are flaring. Polution in the cities..

 

 

     He said he set me up in a hotel they use also for people traveling. Super 8. Oh yeah. One floor. Maybe my decision of unhealthy food was not so great if I am this excited for a first floor hotel room...I barreled into the room with a sigh of relief.

 

Home Sweet Home

 

 

    Now that I am here the second night my microwave broke and I had to ask the front desk girl to exchange it. She was not pleased that I asked her to do her job. I also should not go to sleep at 9pm because there is people who still wander the halls. I heard voices and some rap music ring tone. How old am I? I wanted to shout to keep it down out there! So instead I cranked my loud air conditioner and made a fort of four pillows around me. Joining me instead of my usual bed partner is laptop, bags, and books on the right side. Glamorous.

 

My sleep partners and view of the night. <3
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



    



 







New Chapters in the book of Me

     Lets open a new chapter about me. I am starting an internship this fall (September 16) and I am full of nerves and excitement. I have gone to school as long as someone going to be a doctor. sighs. I have two classes left to finish, an internship in place, job to still go to, and a Little Lady that needs to be taken care of. Oi...
      I have to admit since school has started for me and for Little Lady she has been superb getting up in the morning and helping me get ready. Crap - does this mean she is officially growing up? The sassiness seems to be subsiding and she is acting mature about situations where the answer is not always, "yes." Tantrums are becoming less frequent (not obsolete... everyone even adults still get whiny...)
    Ok. Cool. She is growing up, and I am planting new seeds. Now what? I cannot help but feel a little lost that my baby girl is growing up so quickly and our lives are changing so quickly.

Change can be great but can be hard and totally different.

    One of our goals are going to try to make the most of this year. Also, making the most of our time. Speaking of time...my 10 minute homework break is over. Back to the grind.

homework view.

We aren't all cut out to be Betty Crocker's apprentice

I suppose another year of holiday baking is in order. Which means another year of tears and frustration in the kitchen. I wonder if people would notice if I bought the cookies and repackaged them in holiday tins..?

Case one: Oreo Bon Bons.
This recipe seemed so simple to make. Cream cheese, and Oreos. Mix them, roll into a ball and put in almond bark. My blender decided this was too much of a task and didn't appreciate these ingredients. I was getting irritated my ingredients were not mixing. Advice was given that I need a food processor. I also needed more Oreo cookies. They seemed to go fast with this recipe... hmm...
Since all of my kitchen tools have been handed down to me so those who know how to cook could upgrade, I obviously didn't realize the price of a food processor.. I guess when I'm old and lose my teeth, this will come in handy. I purchased the cheapest processor and felt confident that I would make the best cookies ever. As the processor was blending the ingredients I could feel the presence of Rachael Ray  mocking my ability to complete my batch. Screw you, Ray. (another oreo cookie enters my mouth and not the processor) I made three dozen and I'm out. Now searching for some Baileys...to go with my Oreos..


Case two: Pretzel Hugs.
Little One made this recipe so yes I am starting my cookie night out with a recipe from an 8 year old. What would go wrong? Apparently, Hershey hugs and kisses are totally different. Well, the lady at the store was not helpful in explaining the difference witch is a crucial difference in making these pretzels. She explained to me several times they are out of hugs. How can you be out of hugs? At this point as I'm throwing my kisses in the cart, I need a hug. Little one is specific on how the process goes and I'm getting a little uneasy that I am going to let her down. We have to race to unwrap all the kisses and put them on the pretzel. She beat me and sad to say she didn't eat one kiss.. I ate one... we were short a kiss. I tried the, How about I give you a real kiss ? huhm.. didn't work. I got a weird blank stare. Ho hum, I put the pretzels in the oven fully expecting to open it back up and some weird green glob monster would slime out. 2 minutes later I took them (no glob monster) out and we smashed M&Ms in the kiss. I think next year the Little One will be in charge of all the cookie making.
                              





Case three: Peanut Butter Cookies
I was anxious with this batch because its a swift move to add the first set of ingredients, let them boil and then add the second set and then quickly put them on the wax paper. I followed the steps perfectly and as I am putting a spoonful on the wax paper I hear behind me, "Ewww.. that looks like poop" grumbling to myself.. I'm done making cookies this year. They are plopped on the paper and look like a blob of liquid diarrhea. I tried to add green sprinkles. Didn't think that one through. Sprinkly green poop.

Anyone want a tin of our holiday cookies this year?

A Practice Journey

I hope that someone reads this post to justify me not working on my 10 pager paper for school. At least a couple 'likes' would do. Right?

        For my Masters degree I need to attend two face-to-face classes at Concordia St. Paul. The problem is that I do not drive into the cities (all of the suburbs are dumped into one category. The Cities) Today was going to be the practice run. I felt like I was going to sing a solo in front of a mass audience. The plan was to leave after lunchtime. Now, most people would make sandwiches and chips, a pizza... something simple. My nerves decided that I need to make Alfredo. Not just noodles and sauce, the whole friggen entree. Chicken, broccoli... I sat down to eat, ate maybe five bites and decided that this was not  the smartest choice.
     My stomach is growling as we are an hour away from home. We stop at a gas station and I grab a chai tea, the Little one gets a hot chocolate and Beau gets a coffee. I asked the Beau to go back in the gas station to grab a plastic bag for garbage. (Remember the bag.. it comes up later in the journey)
     I have to say most people would think it is silly that someone is nervous about driving to the Cities or a town that has more than 4 lanes of traffic. I knew I had no choice to drive this ride, otherwise I would always be the passenger.. I grew up in a small town where the biggest excitement is tipping cows. Am I painting a picture as to why this task was so daunting?
   As I begin to drive on 3 lanes of traffic my adrenaline starts to pump up and I tell the Beau to quick text my sister that I am doing it. There is no turning back now.  As I am driving through tunnels and the lanes seem to grow to 4 and 5... we finally reach our destination of Concordia University. I think this means I can drive there. (hopefully the roads are decent... my greatest fear) I can do this. Right?

   Now we're here. Do we turn back around and go home. 3 hours driving in the car and back right into the car? There was a park nearby and so we stretched our legs. and enjoyed the scenery.

 

The Beau took over driving and we toured all the Victorian houses, the outside of the Capitol, and all the surrounding artwork by the Capitol. It was pretty spectacular.

 

 

    By this time my chai tea was out of the system. I was starving along with the other two. I drove out of the Cities and into a different town where we ate at Qdoba. This eatery is like a Mexican Subway.  I  did not realize that when you order a burrito from the kids menu all you get it mixed in a bowl. Really? So, we sit down and eat and as the Little One keeps making puppy faces and opening her mouth toward my dinner. I tell her to eat her own food. I should have gotten my dinner with onions on it... Apparently, mine was better than hers. I finally said, "Do you just want mine?" I got an excited reply of sure. Damn. I paid thirty dollars to watch everyone eat. Its okay.. I only wanted to have two bites of my dinner. I honestly can say what we do as parents is unbelievable. We are rock stars. Of course Little One does not finish it and I get back a plate of destroyed food. Uh, pass. I'll sigh and drink my diet coke. The grumpy hungers are starting to take over as I start to drive back home. We drive for a while and I feel my stomach starting to turn on me as the acid is building in because there is nothing in my stomach. It is hard to be mad at your child for too long, so you get mad at the slow driver in front of you for giving you heartburn and taking your dinner. It is their fault. The drive continues and why my brain starts to conjure the plan that chai tea will take away the hunger and heartburn. Huh. It seemed like a great idea. As we continue or drive toward home, I get sternly told to go pick up medicine. I can't now, man! I am a martyr. I got no dinner and now I'll just suffer through it all! Sips more chai tea


    So, here is the grand finale to my journey to the Cities. We are getting close to home.. half hour or so, and a whiff of skunk floats into my nostrils. That. was. it.  I lost any dignity I had left. I started dry-heaving and does that stop there? I am gasping through heaves as I exclaim, "Give me the bag, I am going to puke!" That bag saved the night. I have to say, I drove to the cities with out complication and when I drove home I threw up in the bag while still managing to keep us on the road. Yeah, I am finding someway to be proud of the situation.
Our journey ended on a note of sleepiness and readiness to relax. I hope now I can do the trip alone and will definitely make sure I have a Holiday Gas station bag.

Screams and Cheese Curds

      This was the first trip we would all take together where the Little One would experience the BIG rides. Nothing like topping our hometown dinky little amusement park. (which is more my speed) This trip would start at exactly 7:26 and we are off. If you read my last camping post I was not a wonderful morning person. This time I flew around the house with jet filled fairy dust, carrying us to leave the house on time. BEFORE it was time. I even showered. We are driving on the freeway and my anxiety starts to rise as the traffic lanes start to increase. The Beau is weaving in and out of traffic like he was a former race car driver, while my imaginary break pedal is breaking from the pressure of my foot. My knuckles are white and at my anxiety breaking point two birds fly up the front of window shield. I screamed. Loud.  (now sleeping, the Little One does not even flinch. How do kids do that? It's like a superpower) Fortunately, the Beau found great amusement in my stress (and not freaked out and swerved into traffic.. which I would have probably done) for the birds. How funny he thought with my cursing out the birds of what they are doing on the freeway. Apparently I have assumed parenthood of these birds. He could laugh all he wanted at my lack of experience with driving on a paved road- because my turn comes shortly when we are slowed down from maximum speeds and swerving (I swear the Beau was an extra in Fast in the Furious before we met) to a Traffic Jam. Hah hah! Karma. This is when I crank the tunes and have the window down, I think I saw a snail pass us... this is more my speed. Why am I going to ValleyFair again?
      The sign welcomes our carload with excited squeals.... Then I wake up the Little One so she can get excited too.

Welcome!

     We are entering the gates of ValleyFair a few minutes after 10:00 AM. Yes, people this is serious business. "You need to get your damn moneys worth". (I just felt my penny pincher grandpa type through my fingers) The Beau knew of this great kid tracker ValleyFair had. Your kid gets a wrist band. You put your name on the bracelet and phone number in case you get separated (Like when your kid sees a giant cotton candy stand and runs madly off in a sugar frenzy) staff can call you and tell you your kid is safe and very nicely say you suck as a parent. (just kidding..I'm sure it happens all the time.)
     I forgot to mention it is Scout Day and our troop was there. I call my sister who is coming and explain this Kid Track program, then we run into some scouts from our troop and their parents.. I explain it to them too. I think I was a spokesperson for ValleyFair Kid Tracker in that 15 minutes. The best part is, I would have never known about it if the Beau didn't say anything to me. I stole his thunder. I am pretty sure he is still sore about it. Sorry, Man.. it is totally a woman thing.

     The first ride the duo try to go on is called Steel Venom. Why do they name them sooo scary? How about the opposite of that? I bet some of you are clever enough to come up with something... Maybe then I would go on it. Instead I will remain the photographer and let my 7 year old try all the death defying rides. Yes, death defying. Stop grinning. This is my blog post. They are scary rides...
She was too short for Steel Venom. Point proven.

     They went on every rollarcoaster they could go on and ate like kings. No puke.  The duo flew through as many rides as possible. Of course I stuck to more safer rides.. like the ancient automobile ride that topped out at 3 miles. Cruising baby.

      I do have to mention that I did go on one major rollarcoaster called the Renegade. I took the liberty to look up the definition of Renagade. It means: a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another. 2. : an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior. WHO THE HECK in their RIGHT mind would ride on this, if they knew what the definition was???  Me, That is who. This chicky. I think the motion sickness medicine was really kicking it.
The Beau somehow ended up in the cart before me and the Little One. He finished the ride before us. His famous last words were, "Crap, I know she is not  going to like this at all." He was right. I almost lost my sunglasses. It was really, really fast.

But I can polish off my nails and brush my shoulders off because I did it.

     I know I might be forgetting so many other exciting memories we had at ValleyFair. We ended our night after 10:00 PM. We spent a full day their, grandpa. The night was left with fireworks letting patrons know it was time to exit.

 

The next day we visited Minnehaha Falls and drove home to recover. It took an entire day to recover.

 I think our summer is off to a pretty exciting start.

What post is to come next...?



The Camping Story

When I go camping, I plan it out for days, weeks, months. I am insanely obsessive and I think subconsciously I worry that an asteroid is going to hit the super market before I purchase all the necessities for the trip. So, if we are camping on Friday I usually start packing things on Monday..and throughout the week. I make several lists, throw them away, lose them and then make more lists.

You know, for someone who was the president of the Green Club I am not really living up to the title.

The closer it gets to Saturday (The day we are scheduled to leave for camping) the more compulsive I get. I am stressed out trying to scramble in finishing my weeks worth of school studies, making more lists....  and of course it so happens that a band called Captain May I decided to schedule themselves to perform on Friday and Saturday. SERIOUSLY? A Little background info: my sister and I enjoy dancing (dancing consists of framing our face and jumping up and down) to this band. I am adding this to the schedule of upcoming events. My stress level has risen a notch. Friday night is here and I am throwing sleeping bags and blankets on the living room floor... trying to decide what to wear to the band. Black leggings and an over sized shirt because there is no way at this point I am feeling the dress up look. The little one is going to go over to the sister-in-laws house for the night.

Quote me.. I told the Beau: "I will only be out till around 11" We stayed until they shut the place down. 1:30AM I got home.

This is the story of our Memorial Weekend Camping Trip. The early start was delayed by me groaning and cursing Captain May I for playing this weekend. (of course I was forced to go out. didn't have a choice.) The Beau is packing everything away trying to stay in good spirits while I crawl to the shower.

Finally we are all packed and off we are to grab the Little One. (Don't worry.. its not a home alone type of story) As we are driving.. It starts to rain. Ah, bugger. Usually isn't the weather report person wrong? Why not this weekend?!

After an hour or so of driving the rain has lightened up a little bit and we are at the camping destination. Though I'd rather sit in the truck and watch Beau put up the tent, I feel a twinge of guilt. Curse guilty feelings. Picture this: Three awkwardly dressed individuals trying to put up a tent in the rain. I applaud our effort. No one yelled at anyone. In fact, everyone pitched in and did their best. Or mostly waited for orders from the Beau because putting up a tent in the rain sucks and all your smart brain cells deplete. (Or may because I onlyb had 4 hours of sleep?) Or possibly because a few camps away I hear some kid playing their recorder. This isn't friggen music class. I'll hot cross bun you!

The rain went away and we went bike riding, fishing, and a hike. I am not sure why, but we always ended up eating around 4:30. We are not 80 years old... I am not sure why we always ate so early. For whatever reason why - it was good because it started to rain again. We have my sister's twin mattress for the Little One and a queen one for us. All cozy laying down telling lame ghosts stories. (I kind of scared myself.. shhhh) It is probably around 1am and we  are awakened by a kid screaming. I have heard night terrors and screaming before. This was full on "I do not want to be camping screaming" It  was probably the same family who brought the recorder. Finally, it is silent and we are all asleep when probably 15 minutes later we woken up by an amazing strike of lighting . of course then followed by a thundering boom. The Little One is awake and asks if a tree is going to fall on us. I reassure her that a tree will not fall on us.. then immediately roll over and whisper to Beau "It won't..right?" The rain is falling from the sky like we were in a drought and this is what we have all prayed for. Slowly, I feel my back starting to feel b.u.m.p.y. the air mattress is slowly deflated. Are you kidding me? Is this a John Candy film? Next a racoon is going to charge through the tent. Good grief! We are rolling and tossing, next thing Little One is scootching herself onto the deflated mattress next to us. Notice how none of us had enough energy to go lay on the perfectly inflated other mattress. We were exhausted and decided that the ground was the least of our issues. I would like everyone to know I slept on the ground. *bows* We awake in the morning to standing water all around our campsite. Mud everywhere. We go to shower and afterwards walk outside back to our campsite and are welcomed with rain again. The rain eventually cleared up, we went on another hike, checked the weather report (more rain and hail), walked back to our muddy campsite and decided since we all are still in good spirits...we should go home.

Notice The muddy feet...

Conclusion: We were rained out but since we suffered through this, I think we are capable for another camping trip... I think...

Next Story to Come:

Valley Fair Amusement Park. Who Pukes First?

My Blah Post

My brain is in a disray with school work and the thoughts of passing or not passing.  I am happy for friends that are graduating with their degree but also jealous because my journey is still at the beginning. My current class I am taking is ethics. I for one do not think that it is ethical for students to stay up late and study. I believe we log it all in our short term memory and forget it after the class.

America, we are naive and fat and totally an ethical debate.

Sometimes I feel like I want to encourage the stereotype. I am okay with it. I would like to sit on a couch, eating all the time, watching t.v. and sleeping. The gaining weight is the only one that is going my way and I just blame that on stress from school. It is an excuse.. like when you are pregnant and say you are eating for two. I did it. So did you. Don't deny it. I'll accept you.

 Sorry Folks, this is my blog for today. A bit

Incoherent and maybe just a start

of senile ramblings 

Short, depressing, I guess you could

call it a

 blah Post