To Whom It May Concern

Dear Fellow Airline Passengers,

I know that since the airlines have been charging to check bags, you've been trying to limit yourself to carry on bags only. Me too. Perhaps you've even learned how to pack less. Good for you. However, the airlines say one small piece of luggage and a "purse size" bag (aka one that fits under your feet). That doesn't mean two pieces of luggage, both of which you put in the overhead bins. If you're carrying two bags, put one under your seat. I'm sorry that you don't have any more leg room-it's coach, get used to it. Or don't bring the second bag. And don't put your heavy coat in the overhead bin so I can't even fit my small suitcase up there. Sit on your coat or use it as a Snuggie.

Sincerely,
Me

p.s. This experience makes me want to stick with international flights.

Brace Face OR An Expensive Diet

I got "braces" the other day. Invisalign to be exact. And because people have been asking, here's the reason: I have a gap between my two front teeth that was getting worse and putting weird angles between the other teeth (I'm a nurse, not a dentist, so I don't know the technical terms). I was always getting food stuck in them too, which is embarrassing. In fact, I'm pretty sure that my teeth is the only thing keeping me in the singles ward.
Anyway, I got Invisalign. On the top teeth only. The first couple days my teeth hurt quite a bit. Especially when I had to put it back in. You have to take the trays out and brush your teeth everytime you eat. And the more you take them in and out, the more it weakens the trays. Did I mention how much it hurts to put them back in? Who likes to brush their teeth more than 4 times a day? I don't. So now I only eat three meals a day. They have to be small, so I don't get too hungry too soon. No more snacking. The past two days at work I've had to turn down free food. Do you know how hard that is for me? I've never been on a diet before, but it feels like one now. And I had to pay a lot of money to be on it. Only 11.5 weeks to go...

And then there was heat.

I finally turned on the heat for good yesterday. That's right. I made it to December 5th.
How? I'm not sure. My apartment just hasn't been that cold. I've turned it on briefly when I've had friends over, but have always turned it off as soon as they left. And I had blankets that kept me warm. And I haven't been trying to save money for traveling, in case you were wondering.
Why did I finally decide to turn it on? Candace (my roommate) moved back from North Carolina and it seemed like the right thing to do.
So, welcome back, Candace. Thanks for preventing me from shivering for the next 3.5 months.

God Bless America

Where else could you get all of this:

3 printers
1 Play Station 3
2 BluRay players
3 PS3 games
15 DVDs
1 iPod speaker system
1 router
1 Paula Dean pots & pans set
2 Pyrex 20 piece sets
2 Crock Pots
2 hand mixers
1 mini chopper
4 towels
3 pairs of Express jeans
15 Wallflowers
1 cardigan

...for about $1000 in one day (in 8 hours, to be exact)?

5AM
Black Friday 2009
Walmart
Medina, OH

Our end haul

Because I enjoy anything that makes fun of it. And Chupacabras.

Thank you, Jimmy, for making me laugh.

Twilight in Spanish?

Another thing checked off on my bucket list

Every year on the Thursday night in November prior to the Ohio State-Michigan football game is an event known as the Mirror Lake jump. Basically it is people jumping into a "lake" (pond) on campus in the middle of November. Last year when we went to watch it was about 20 degrees out and even though I told myself that one day I would jump in, I figured I probably never would if it was this cold outside. Well, this year it was 45 degrees out (practically tropical). There was a ward activity that night and plans were made for a few to jump in. I had just come from work and did not have extra clothes but was able to borrow some. A group of 15 walked over to Mirror Lake. I made the first jump-it was cold, but not as bad as I thought. More of our friends showed up. I jumped in a second time. Then a friend said she would take pictures of the actual jump and another said he would record it. So I jumped a third time. Then about 5 of the guys in our group, who had previously said they wouldn't jump in, took the plunge. By this time I was smart enough not to jump in.

Taking the plunge for the 3rd time
(I'm second from the left)

Some of the jumpers

Jumpers and spectators

2008

2009

What a waste of money or At least my friends won't shun me

Last Wednesday I woke up with two bumps on my left cheek (and it wasn't acne). On Thursday I woke up with three more bumps on my right cheek. I was perplexed. Friday there were some bumps underneath my chin. They started itching too. I started thinking I had bugs. I'd gotten fleas once when camping, but it had never been on my face. When I woke up Saturday with even more bumps, I started freaking out. After reading about it online, I was convinced I had bed bugs. Gross. I clean my apt at least once a week so I had no idea where they had come from. The bumps/bites started showing up on my upper arm too.
So I did the following:
I bug-bombed the entire apartment.
After the bombing, I sprayed my mattress and box spring and everything around them.
I washed all my bedding...three times
I washed my curtains
I washed most of the clothes in my room.
I spent 4 hours at the laundromat cleaning my comforter.
Slept in the living room (probably spreading the bugs)

I'm still waking up with a few more bumps each day. When I went into work the following Tuesday the first thing this girl tells me is how much worse it's gotten since last week. Great. Now I'm convinced I need to stay home so I don't spread my disease. I talked to a Dr at work and she asked me if I had tried anything new in the last week. And then it dawned on me what could be causing all of this:

Hairspray

I didn't think of it in the beginning as I had used it a few days before the bumps appeared. And my scalp never itched. I had never used this brand before. But it makes sense why the bumps were only on my face, neck, and upper arm that I spray my hair with. So there you go. I'm sad because this stuff worked great. And I paid more than $5 for it. More like $40 if you count all the money I wasted on bug killing equipment.

I've made a tiny huge mistake

I got my hair cut a few days ago. I cut off several inches in certain parts. You know that feeling when you take your first shower after cutting off several inches of hair and you realize how short your hair is? I've been reliving that moment since the haircut-I've been freaking out the past few days in the shower. Especially when I realize I can't fit it into a ponytail. And I think, "what have I done?"
The end.

Too soon

I heard Christmas songs on the radio for the first time (this time) yesterday. I actually thought they would have started playing them on November 1st. I guess 6 days isn't that late, but still way too early. Maybe because it is 65 degrees out. I like Christmas songs but I'm not ready for them yet. Thankfully I have yet to hear "Christmas Shoes." It's a horrible song. I don't care if it has some sweet message, it's awful. It makes my ears bleed. Seriously. Also, what does the Peanuts theme song have to do with Christmas? Is it because they play it during A Charlie Brown Christmas? That seems like a silly reason.

I know it is early for Christmas decorations and I don't put mine up till after Thanksgiving, but I want to put one of mine up early. I bought one of these in Germany in March:

You put candles at the bottom and when they are lit, the heat causes the blades at the top to spin, and the nativity scenes rotate. Anyway, it is very beautiful, but because I only bought it in March, I haven't had a chance to admire it. So I want to put it up in order to enjoy it for more than a month. I must resist the urge and not become on of "those people" that decorate too early.

It's the little things that make me smile

You may have seen this, but I rediscovered this the other day and it makes me laugh every time.
It is both disturbing and hilarious at the same time.