So, I just has to share: I logged in to my bank account to check my money situation, and saw triple zeros for my credit card balance. What a beautiful sight...havent seen that one in a long while! Now I feel the need to purchase something with it!!

Goodbye Krispy Kreme; Goodbye Reason to Live...

What a tragedy: Krispy Kreme went out of business over here. One day, I drove by the Krispy Kreme store on Broadway and saw that it was closed, and then I heard through the grapevine that ALL the Krispy Kremes in Tucson closed. Turns out, its more like all the stores in Arizona and New Mexico went under. How sad. Now, I never ate them very often, but sometimes you just gotta have a Krispy Kreme donut on the way home from church on Sundays--you just HAVE to. Sometimes it doesn't feel like I've been to church at all if I can't have my donut afterwards. Just one more reason to move back home....

Life Lesson #4: Ink stains

So this weekend Matt and I were doing laundry. We go to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer and find that a pen has exploded all over Matt's uniforms--not just any uniforms, of course, but his brand-new, never in-stock, hassle to get issued, $75, gotta wear these on deployment, ACUs. So there are a few little spots here and there that can be hidden amongst the camo, but then there is this quarter-sized ink stain on his pants that is quite noticeable from a distance. Well, my Woman-Skills say to use a little stain remover, wash it again, and hope for the best. This is no match for Matt's Man-Skills, that say to Google it. There was no progress after the second washing, so we tried this tip Matt found off the internet: Douse the stain with hairspray and blot. So we did this for a while, and at first it looked like the stain was just spreading and forming this huge purple ring. However, the more we sprayed and blotted, the more the stain lifted. Let's just say that I was amazed!!! The ink stain came out completely and you can't even tell where it used to be. Good times! And, while I am at it, I'm going to throw in a shameless plug for TRESemme hair spray: It is light and breezy with just the right amount of body and hold; it gives my hair moves I've never seen! Also, try TRESemme shampoos and conditioners.

Pull out the sweaters and thermal underwear...

You know you live in the desert when it is 89 degrees outside and it still feels like fall.

Date Night DISASTER!!!

This is one for the history books: On Saturday night, Matt and I decided to go to the drive-in movie, one of our favorite date night destinations. So Matt cleaned out the ice chest and loaded it up with drinks, and I popped us some popcorn. On our way, we stop at Sonic to get a couple Route 44 Limeades (Matt's latest addiction). So, now I am holding these two obscenely large syrupy sweet drinks that are filled to the top. From here, a tragic chain of events threatens to ruin date night. I am putting Matt's straw in his drink, which is in the cup holder, and he is complaining that it is dripping. So I steady my drink between my legs while I try to fix his lid problem. THEN...Somehow, my straw goes through the bottom of the drink sitting in my lap and cherry limeade is gushing everywhere!! I'm holding the leaking keg of juice out over the floor board. I've got Matt's drink between my legs now, while I'm trying to roll down the window with the other hand. Matt is able to plug the hole with his finger, but has to let go in order to shift. By this time the busted Route 44 has completely drained out and all over me. Matt slams on the breaks and pulls over to the side of the road. THEN...The other Limeade, which was balancing between my knees, breaks free and heads straight for the floorboad, BUT I am able to catch it with my cat-like reflexes. Unfortunately, my gorilla-grip busted the side of the cup and my whole hand goes through. Another Route 44 goes down! My jeans are soaking wet from the waist down, and there is a small lagoon of Limeade at my feet. I do not handle this well at all. I start crying because date night is ruined. And did I mention that just hours before, Matt and I went to the car wash to get his whole car cleaned both inside and out? So much for that. So we drive home, sticky and dejected. About halfway home, though, we start laughing hysterically, and what a good laugh it was!! Good ole Matt, being the eternal optimist, manages to save date night anyways. In the end, we made it back to Sonic for two more drinks (I was a little nervous, but it worked out much better the second time) and made it to the Drive-In for the double feature (Beerfest and Accepted). Two movies for two people for $12....Excellent deal.

Boo Crazy Yoga Lady; Hooray Ice Cream!

UGH! Crazy Yoga Lady taught the cardio class tonight. Man, she is out of control. She makes exercising IMPOSSIBLE!! 1. She moves at the speed of lightning 2. She jams out to incredibly loud rave music. Not that there is anything wrong with the music selection, but I think my ears might be bleeding. 3. Her "cool down/stretch" session requires a cool down/ stretch session. 4. She does these crazy gumbi stretches that are like knees-bent-wrapped-around-the-back-lean-forward-and-to the left-and-open-up-the-sternum. The pain makes me angry!!!

Do's and Dont's

Do #1: Drink more Fresca. I had never heard of this wonderful beverage until my visit to Canada. And this was the ONLY thing Fiona had in her fridge to drink. The original is not that great, but you MUST try the Peach Citrus Freshca. Gooooood stuff!

Don't #1: Watch The exorcism of Emily Rose by yourself (I would post a picture, but I'm too freaked out that I can't bring myself to google for pictures). So me and Matt were in the mood for a good scare this weekend. I was all about a good ole fashioned scary movie, but the chicken in me was yelling, "MAYDAY! MAYDAY!" when he suggested this one. This movie is good, but down right frightening.

Do #2: Try the new peach smoothie from Sonic. It is thick and creamy and fat-free with real peaches that get stuck in the straw. I give it two thumbs up!

Don't #2: Dont buy into the fancy-schmancy new "Oxygenated Water." I bought it because it was on sale, but now that I think about it...isn't all water, by it's very nature, "oxygenated." I mean if it weren't, you would just have "H2_" And I'm not a chemistry major, but I don't think that makes water....

Do #3: Invest in a Buttercream Yankee Candle. It makes your whole house smell like cake and that is the smell of happiness.

I clearly remember where I was five years ago today. I was living on the 5th floor of Crosby, getting ready for my 9 AM World Lit class. I was standing over the sink brushing my teeth, and Katie bursts in yelling, "Marie, we are being attacked by terrorists!" And of course, knowing me, I'm like, "what's that supposed to mean?" And she's telling me something about a plane crash, and I'm thinking to myself: "This is a tragedy, but I don't see why she is so upset; accidents happen all the time." By this point, I'm so confused and running late. I get to my class and the professor, who is German, announces in her very thick accent, "If you haven't already heard, the United States is being attacked, apparently by a terrorist organization. But, what can we do? Lets read on..." And we continued to discuss Emily Dickinson or some crap for the next 45 mins. Then, walking back to my dorm, I see people flocking to the Union and conjuring around all the TV's. This is when I get the first glimpse of what is really happening. Classes were cancelled for the rest of the day, and everyone spent the next 48 hours in front of CNN. I remember calling Matthew that night because he always knows how to explain these things that I never fully understand. And the first thing he told me was that he was going to go into the Army. I begged and pleaded for him not to, but he was very adamant about the whole thing. And five years later, here we are. Matt leaves for his second deployment in less than a month. You are doing a very good thing, Matt, and I am very proud of you!

Name-Brand vs. Off-Brand: Round 1

I have decided that store-brand macaroni and cheese is WAAAAAAAAAAY better than Kraft! That cute kid on the commercial, who dances around his kitchen singing the praises of Kraft® Macaroni and Cheese, had been LIED to his whole life!!!! I find Kraft not exactly the "cheesiest." The cheese is kinda runny and very bland. It needs salt. But the off-brand variety, on the other hand, is an entirely differentt story. There is something about that neon orange cheese sauce that is so thick and creamy and delicious. AND its always like 50 cents cheaper. Who can argue with that?!!

Go Rebs Go

This is the second time this season that Ole Miss football has been shown on TV in Arizona.....That NEVER happens. And now we are sucking. I mean come on....how are we loosing to MIZZOU??!! Who are they and who knew they had a football team?!! You are EMBARASSING me, Rebels!!!

Vomit!

No, really, this story is about vomit, so if you have weak stomach, you better turn the page. So today I am working at the front desk because our clerk is sick. This kid asks to go home because he doesn't feel well. I think he is full of Bologna until he darts out the front door and vomits. As it turns out, the kid is full of Cheetos and Hawaiian Punch. *shudder* So one of the jobs, that I have recently decided I am not paid enough to do, is clean up this mess. So the principal is like "get a bucket of bleach water and rinse off the front steps..." And I do. And it is gross!!! And THEN I look down and see neon orange stuff on the leg of my black pants. And I think to myself "OMG...Is that Cheeto vomit?!?!?!...Oh God, I feel faint...." But then I realize, No. No, that would just be bleach. So I basically a kid vomits and RUINS a pair of my dress pants. What a frickin' day!

Let's talk college football...

What a fun weekend in the wide-world of college football. And so many good games to be had on ESPN: Ole Miss won over Memphis--that was a good game. And Georgia gave ND a run for their money--another good game. Then, we end the weekend with the Florida State/ Miami game. Now, I am not a big fan of either team, but there was so much talk about this game that I had to watch it...Until I realized it was in that new ESPN 360 crap. What ADD fool invented that whirlwind of chaos? I was so distracted by everything going on in the EIGHT different frames that I could not follow one single play. Who cares what the guys on the sidelines is doing when the quarterback is under pressure on a 3rd down? I just think it is all a little unnecessary. It must be a guy thing....

I am the Ironchef

Okay, I think I might be like the best cook in the world; I defiantly deserve my own cooking show (Rachael Ray has nothing on me!). So this weekend, Matt and I perused the Southern Living cookbook I got for Christmas, and we each picked a meal we wanted to cook. Today was my day, and I made a smoked BBQ brisket--O...M...G!!! It was sooooo good.

Beef: $10.00
Bottle of wine: $8.00
Marinade: $5 and 24 hours
Slaving over a hot stove: 6 hours
Matt whining that it was taking too long: 1.5 hours
The end result: priceless!!!

I would take a picture, but we pretty much ate the whole thing and in under 20 mins. I should also mention that yesterday (Matt's day to cook) he decided on fried fish and baked beans. I will also share with you the quote of the day: Matt turns to me on our way home from the grocery store and says, "Now I want to be the one to cook the fish, okay? That's my meal, I get to cook it......(silence)......you do understand that this means you will do all the cooking and I will just take all the credit...." But to give the boy credit, he did help a lot in the kitchen. He made his own batter and did an awesome job of dredging, battering, and frying the fish. And I did an awesome job of doing the dishes.