Always Wear Tights

On Monday, I decided that I should try out my new running tights and look around at the new part of the running trail that had just been built.  So, I get my gear on - running tights, shorts over tights, fitted long sleeve shirt, and shirt over it.  I get in my Tahoe to be told that I have low air pressure.  Awesome.  So, I look at my tires - they look okay.  I head over to the gas station to air the tires up.  My dad and the hubs were both in the deer woods where there is hardly cell phone reception.  I get to the air pump, insert my quarters and realize I have no tire pressure gauge.  I've never needed one in this vehicle since it tells me the pressure of each tire on the display readout.  So, I decide to air them up and check the display.  Then, I decided this was for the birds.

So, I called my stepmom and asked her what I should do.  The appropriate PSI is 34, my tires have 30.  Then she reminds me that I have Nitrogen in my tires and to get that, I'll have to go to the dealership. I'm bound and determined to go running and not to mention I have to go grocery shopping later that day too.  So, I head over to the dealership by my house (where everyone knows me - I have no idea why besides that's where I get my truck serviced).  I get out of the truck and explain that I'm low on air pressure and that my dad and husband are in the woods.  They tell me to pull around and they'll fill em with Nitrogen with their computer.  No big deal.

Except, I notice I'm getting a lot of looks.  Oh yeah, I'm in my running tights....Awesome.  Needless to say, they aired up my tires - all 4 of them - for FREE with Nitrogen.  That usually costs me around $30.  That's awesome.  So, moral of the story, always wear tights when going to the dealership! ha! ;)

Howdy, Ya'll!

We had a very nice Christmas, but instead of sharing with you all the details that ya'll don't really care for, let me share a few things that I thought were funny.

• We played Taboo several  nights and on one occasion my St Louis cousin was trying to get us to say, "Howdy."  Well, he said "Something ya'll say alot here in the South."  Umm, people in Arkansas don't say Howdy.  LOL  We say Ya'll alot, but not Howdy!
• Our St Louis family brought with them their foreign exchange student.  She's about 16 and from Thailand.  I guess they don't really celebrate Christmas in Thailand, because she kept asking when everything was going to return to normal.  LOL
• My family was tired of leftovers, so what did we pick up?  Chester's Fried Chicken!!!  Nothing says Christmas celebration like fried chicken, right?  Ya'll would seriously laugh if you saw the location.  Just picture a small, 1 teller bank turned into a chicken place.  Yep.  That's the place!  :)

I hope ya'll had a great Christmas!

Merry Christmas (Eve)

I hope ya'll have a great Christmas!

Worst "Salon" Experience Ever

...this will be a long one, so grab a drink and some popcorn...

A little backstory...  I have a hair stylist that does a pretty good job on my hair.  I'm not picky and I don't really get anything dramatic ever done.  But, this stylist is 30 minutes away and when I make appointments with her, I always have to wait.  So, I hate making appointments and driving out there, blah blah blah...

So, Tuesday I decided that I needed a hair cut and I needed it now.  I felt like Pocahontas.  Long, straight, brown hair.  So, I FB a friend and ask her about this place that she went to.  I call the place and ask if I have to have an appt and what time they closed.  She said they had an opening until 5:30.  I thought that was perfect and left work at 4 and was there by 4:30.  Well, I walk in and there are 2 hair dressers.  One is cutting a little girl's hair and the other is just standing there.  Well, long story short they told me to COME BACK in 30 minutes.  Which, was strange since the one girl wasn't doing anything and didn't have another appointment for 20 minutes... and usually places ask you to wait.  Well, I just got such an odd vibe that I left and went home.

So, on Wednesday, I get this bright idea to go to the JCPenney salon by work on my lunch hour.  Um, yeah, don't let me do that again.  So, I go into the salon and there is an asian women there immediately asking me what I needed.  I thought, great, it will be quick!  So I try to explain exactly what I wanted - about 1.5 inches off and layers in the front.  Then she says that I should frame my face so it doesn't look fat.  Um, I didn't think my face looked fat...but thought maybe I just misunderstood her since I could barely understand her english - hello, Shannon, get up and walk away!  Anyways, she goes on to tell me that I should get the back rounded to help slim me.... Um, no and again, I'm not fat!  So, we go and wash my hair - the most horrible shampoo I've ever had in my life AND she didn't use conditioner....  I mean seriously, that shampoo was awful and it hurt.  But, I kept reminding myself that I need this haircut and I'm running out of options before Christmas.  Plus, now my hair is wet and I have to go back to work in less than an hour.

So, we go on to start cutting my hair.  She spun me around so that I couldn't see the mirror and then kept pushing my forehead with her hand and pulling my  head in all different directions.  I swear, I wasn't moving.  I'm not 5, I was being still!  So, I remind myself that it's almost Christmas and I should just take it... and be nice.  She wasn't speaking to me, she wasn't asking me to look a certain way, she wasn't even pushing/pulling my head nicely - it was like I was a Barbie doll that she was mad at!!  Not only that, but she dropped her scissors on my head!  Well, 45 minutes later (yes 45 minutes!!!) she spins me around and I have SHORT hair.

I decide not to freak out since there wasn't anything that I could do about it then.  So she starts blowdrying my hair and then she decided to put this gel type stuff in my hair and starts to scrunch it.  Um, no.  I came in with straight hair, I'm leaving with straight hair.  So I finally just tell her to stop and give me my ponytail holder.  She knew I was upset.  I threw my hair in a ponytail and went up front to pay.  She then tells me it's going to be $37 instead of $32 because I had "medium length" hair.  Um, could you not see that when I came in?!  Frustrated, I just pay.  She asked if I wanted to add a tip in and I told her no.  LOL

I left, returned to my car, and just cried.  It looked awful.  I had short, poofy hair.  So, after returning to work with my poofy poodle hair, I called the manager of the salon and asked for a refund.  I picked up my refund after work and then this morning, I'm straightening my hair and notice that not only is it super short (it barely touches my shoulders), it's also all screwed up on one side.  Seriously, it's cut at an angle and not blended in at all.  She also decided to add layers to the back, so now it's flipped up halfway down my head.  I can't for the life of me get it to lay down.  Awesome.

So, as long as I put the hair behind my ears, it looks okay.  It doesn't look great, but atleast my hair grows fast....

My New Toy

Not too long ago, D.A.R. blogged about her new indoor bike trainer.  Well, it was like a light bulb went off for me.  Why in the world hadn't I thought about getting one of those?  It's PERFECT for me (or atleast, I think it will be).

Let's take a look at the reasons why...

• I hate running out in the cold. Therefore, I haven't ran since, oh well, forever....
• Once I get home, I don't want to drive to the gym...and deal with fighting for a treadmill, bike, or elliptical...
• Our elliptical is in storage since we had our house for sell and needed the space...
• I've been wanting to ride my bike, but again, it's cold and I'm a wuss...

So, I ordered this beauty... 



And, it will be here Friday!!!!!!  YAY!!  I'll let ya'll know my thoughts on it :)

I Need An Easy Button

Grades came out last night.  I got one A and one B.  That's my first B, so goodbye 4.0 gpa.  But hey, I'm good with that B.  :)

I wont go into details, but have you ever had a night that just slaps you across the face and you wonder how in the hell you got there?!  That's what happened last night.  I was SO happy yesterday and had such a great weekend, but then it all changed in a blink of an eye and it's still not right. 
Today is definitely a Starbucks day.  Maybe even a go out-to-lunch day.  Someone send me an easy button, please.

Smiling Is My Favorite!

Ya'll, I had a great weekend.  Friday and Saturday we were at my MIL's doing our Christmas exchange.  We had a nice time - I love spending time with family, it's the perfect weekend for me. 

Then after coming home Saturday, hubs went back out into the deer woods.  So, I had a very lazy day Saturday!  I spent all day reading my new book (Oprah:  A Biography by Kitty Kelley) and watching movies on tv.  It was so relaxing and peaceful.  I even brought the dogs inside since it was kind of cold and they fell right asleep!  (Don't feel bad for them, they go straight into their crates on their own and munch on peanut butter in their kongs.  Then, they just chew on bones and sleep! If they weren't crazy outside dogs, then I'd let them out to lay around the house.)

Then Sunday, I went grocery shopping and shopped for a gift or two.  Then spent the rest of the day doing a couple of loads of laundry, reading, wrapping presents, and watching fun movies on tv.

I love this time of year and can't wait for the rest of the week and weekend! 

Back To Our Regular Scheduled Program...

I know I've been kind of hit and miss for the last few weeks, but we all know that's due to the crazyness of grad school and working full time (and life).  Well peeps, this semester is officially over!  I should get my grades sometime next week!

What does this mean?!  Until January 19th, I'll get to do some of the following:

• Read books for fun.
• Watch tv and movies.
• WORKOUT!!!!
• Hang out with my hubs and family and not think "I really need to be studying/doing homework."
• Not stress out over school.
• Do whatever I want and just enjoy a stress free time!

Also, I'd like to mention that I've done something I consider smart....  I'm only taking one class next semester instead of two, because I need a break from the crazyness and I've heard that Organizational Behavior is HARD and time consuming! 

So, all of this to say... Thanks for sticking around - I'll be back to my normal self starting NOW!  Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm leaving work early today!

Oh, and PS... My awesome coworker made me homemade brownies as a congrats on finishing the semester!  Be jealous :)

Soooooo Ready!

The countdown is officially on!  I have tomorrow off to study for my LAST final of the semester.  Tomorrow night, I'll take that final and then do a little dance out the door!  LOL  I'm so excited and ready! 

Ya'll on a little side note... I have some awesome co-workers.  Well, mostly.  :)  Sometimes they bring me Starbucks, sometimes they leave candy on my desk, etc... Well, one told me she will be baking homemade brownies for me and bringing them in on Friday to celebrate my end of the semester!  She even went as far as to ask me what I wanted in them.  That just makes me feel so special!

After tomorrow, we'll be busy, busy, busy with all of the Christmas season rush, but I seriously could care less because I will be so happy! 

Remember the reason for the season!  Merry CHRISTmas!  (I'll be back on here before then...)

One Down...

And one more to go.

I had my HORRIBLE final last night.  Seriously, I knew it would be bad, but I had no idea it would be that bad.  I had an A going into the final and I really wanted to keep it, but I can promise you that I'm now struggling to keep a B.  Yes, it was that bad. 

I studied my tail off, too.  I studied as much as I could the week prior, then the night prior.  Then, I took off the entire day from work to study and my final was at 6pm.  Well, I walked out of that room at 8pm and I just wanted to cry.  Truth be known, there were some tears shed.  I'm just hoping and praying that I get a B in the class.  I'm borderline B/C now, because of that test.  It seriously sucks when one test can wreck your entire grade. 

I talked to some other classmates and they all said the same thing.  That test had things on it that we're pretty certain we've never went over.  So, atleast I'm not the only one who did poorly.  That's what I keep telling myself. 

My next final is Thursday and then I'm done for the semester!!!!

The silver lining in this cloud is...
A) that class is over. 
B) my work will pay for the class as long as I make a C or higher.
C) I'll still have atleast a 3.0 (even if I get a C) and will be able to stay in the MBA program (you have to maintain a 3.0 GPA).

Sigh of Relief

I woke up this morning and felt like a new person.  I feel like it's some BIG accomplishment that I've made it to Friday.  Why?  I guess because things feel so overwhelming right now.  However, today I feel like I haven't a care in the world.  Although, if we're being honest here, I know that tomorrow will be a different story! ha!  I have to work tomorrow - we have a Saturday rotation once every quarter.  Somehow, I lucked out and had a rotation twice this quarter.  But, that's neither here nor there...

My paper has been turned in.  My presentation has been completed and presented.  My homework for one class completed.  What's next on the agenda?  Homework in Econ and 2 finals next week.  Then, it's Christmas break!

On a side note, it's been pointed out to me a few times that I stress out over school related things so easily.  Well, in my defense...  I have a 2.68 GPA for undergrad.  Seriously, I just wanted out and I didn't care so much about my GPA.  Heck, I was just glad that I was getting a degree after 5 years!  So, when I made the decision to go after my MBA, I decided that I was actually going to try in grad school.  That way, I could proudly display my GPA on my resume.  I know, most employers don't really care about that stuff, but it matters to me.  Anyhow.  So, yes, I freak out now over school.  I want to maintain a 4.0 and let me just say that it is hard work to maintain high grades and work a full time job.  Almost every single day I am working on some type of homework during my lunch break.  Seriously.  I've learned to use every single bit of spare time that I have to do homework so that I wont have to do it at home.  Instead, I can spend most of my home time with my husband.  (I say "most" because I've been doing a lot of homework at home here lately...)

So, anyways, all of that to say, today feels awesome.  I know that tomorrow will be a different story, but I'm taking advantage of today AND now ya'll know why I freak out so much :)

Honestly

I've just finished working on my research paper.  I worked on it all day today (I was off work today).  I'm dead tired and now that it's done, I don't want to proofread it again...

My straightener died on Tuesday.  DIED.  My hair looks um...lovely.

Finals are next week and we have lots of plans this weekend.  Not a good combo.

And Honestly....

Yes, we're still trying to conceive and no it's not going well.  I've had all of my hormone levels checked and they're all normal.  There are other steps we need to take, but we're not going to take them till the Spring sometime.  I honestly thought that this month was THE month.  Everything went perfectly.  The timing was actually normal this month - which my body is anything but normal.  So, yes, I had my hopes up.  Alot.  So, when Aunt Flow came this week, I was very disappointed.  Very.  It's hard to explain.  I didn't cry this time.  I just kind of said "to hell with it" and went back to working.  That's where I'm at right now.  I found out this week that a family member is pregnant with their 3 child and I'm thrilled for them, but I'm also slightly jealous that it seems to come easily for them.  I'm just in a mood and I can't seem to escape from it right now. 

I'm rambling now...

Countdown to Sanity

These past few weeks have been stressful, to say the least. 

Last Thursday, I had my 20 minute presentation due.  This Thursday, I have my research paper and some homework due.  This weekend, I have to work on Saturday, plus attend a birthday party and then we have a "Christmas" exchange on Sunday.  On Monday (the 13th), I have homework due and a final.  Then, on the following Thursday (the 16th), I have another final. 

You better believe that I'll be a very happy camper on Friday the 17th!  The countdown is on!

I don't mind the Christmas exchanges and such, I just hate that it falls the weekend before my finals...but I think that's what they call life.

So, all of this to say, please stick by me these next two weeks.  I may not post a lot, but I'm still here.  I could also use some prayers sent up for my sanity and my husband's sanity! 

Friday Fun

I had my Operations Management 20 minute presentation last night.  One of the requirements was to have a funny YouTube video at the end.  Well, I searched high and low and this is the video that I used.  So, enjoy!

Also, just a little life update...  Hubs has been gone for the last WEEK deer hunting and has finally returned home.  Although, it was nice to watch whatever I wanted on tv (the whole one night that I was able to watch tv) and not having to cook dinner at all, I'm glad to have him back home!  What can I say, he keeps the bed warm and he will shoot potential killers at night - ha!  I kid, I kid!  We have a security alarm that is always on, but my one fear is that someone will try to break in (a killer, ha!) while he's gone!  So, I'm glad he's back home!

My Christmas Book List

I thought I'd share with you all a list of books that I want for Christmas.  I have a few books still that I haven't read at home, but I always want more.  :)

Are there any good books that you've read recently that I might like to read?