busygirl

a collection of randoms.

Want to know what we did this weekend?  Nothing.  It was splendid.

Well, except that we concocted a 16 quart pot of beef soup and  had our parents over for a little dinner party to celebrate what we hope is the last pot of soup this winter.  Fingers crossed that spring is around the corner.

My grandparents celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary last week.  Aren't they just so sweet looking on their wedding day?

 
Sigh, to be young and in love.  Oh wait :)

In other, not so fabulous news, my brother and FSIL are putting one of their cats down today.  She's a fabulous, fierce feline with a personality to boot.  But as life will have it, her time has come.  It's simply devastating.  And I held my puppy all last night as tight as I could.  Even though he protested.

 
Life has ups and downs. but its moments never fail to amaze me.

Here's to a good week, a great month and wonderful wishes to all of you.  I hope March goes out like a lamb because I can't take much more snow.

happy christmas eve!

We're crazy busy this morning.  Well I am...let's be honest here.  Adam's off playing some football in the snow with his buddies and Ricki is doing what he does best.  Snoozing away in front of the tree.  I'm throwing together our overnight bags and wrapping a few last gifts before all three of us pile in the car and head to my mom's for the night!

Whew, all this work for a day of relaxation tomorrow!  Enjoy your time with your families and friends...I can't wait for hot cocoa and cookies!

all i want for christmas is...

...not much really.  Sleep would be nice.  Maybe a steaming mug of hot cocoa.  And a Christmas movie marathon.  Since we were gone for most of December I haven't had to chance to indulge myself in my childhood traditions.  Seems like Christmas is coming too fast now.  Can we slow the next few days down a bit? 

I want to drink in all the joy.

I did some brainstorming and although my list was pitifully small, it's not fluffed with things I just like.  I would LOOOOVE to see any of these show up beneath my tree (hint hint hint)!  Here's what's topping the list:

 

A Jo Totes camera bag for when I'm out playing tourist in my own town.  Exactly like purse but contains padded compartments inside for my DSLR!  No more lugging my photobackpack that houses all my supplies.  And I have my eye on a new lens as well :)

I took a whiff of the Coach Poppy perfume and was hooked.  I'm dying to get some.  A subscription to InStyle would significantly reduce my magazine spending.  Try explaining to your husband why you need to spend $5 on a magazine with pictures.

I've been coveting those gloves from Tarjay.  Mustardy yellow warmth.

And let's just toss all of Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters on there for good measure.  Just put a bow on the door of the store.  I won't mind.

What's on your list?  

not that i'm counting...

...but there are only 8 days till Thanksgiving.  And THEN 30 days till Christmas.  And did I mention that we're in Philly for Thanksgiving, my Grandma is coming in the middle of December AND Adam/I are going to Mexico for 8 days two weeks before Christmas?!  [begin massive to-do list]

I swear I get like this every year.  And every year I try to plan out presents and schedules and cleaning and cooking as far in advance as I can but I still find myself stressing over it.  Making my list and checking it twice thirty-eight times.  I love the holidays.  Mainly because of the food.  And because they make winter somewhat bearable.  But trying to be prepared just stresses me out.  Maybe I'll just give everyone the same thing this year...the guy's would be okay with an assortment chick flick movies right?

 via

happy all hallows day!

Aka day after Halloween.  How did you celebrate?  We opened up a sampler pack of Magic Hat Night of the Living Dead which included #9, IPA, ODD and some other type of Pale Ale.  They were all decent, except #9 which was outstanding!  I love seasonal brews, so festive.

We did venture out to a Halloween party with my brother and FSIL.  And I managed to convince Adam to throw on his Dr. Sheldon Cooper costume...I threw on a last minute black cat costume.  Here's the only photo I have, sorry it's so blurry (cameraphone and semi-drunk photo taker).

Other than that we laid-low for most of the weekend.  Spent some time disinfecting the house, finishing up thank you notes and catching up on our DVR.  It was wonderful.  Now, for another busy week...

update from the blackberry graveyard.

Well, the current blackberry is officially kaputz as well. 

Apparently (not that Verizon would EVER tell you this unless you make friends with level 10 tech support), there's some sort of Verizon Blackberry problem that Verizon doesn't know how to fix so they do what they do best: assume their customers are stupid enough to believe that a refurbed phone is just as good as a new one.  Don't think for a second that I don't know that you just take people's reject blackberries, go in the back room and slap as screen protector sticker on it so it LOOKS new.  If you can't fix my phone at the counter, how on earth can you fix it in the back room?  They must be allowed to perform black magic on phones as long as they are out of sight of the customers.

Or my other favorite line we heard last night?  That our closest tower is a hybrid so if we want better service we should move.

Seriously?

I finally got a solution though, once Adam was able to talk to someone who knew how to add and subtract.

Brand new Verizon phone = $569

Verizon Termination Fee + iPhone = $350 + $200 = $550!!!

Don't tempt me.

In an effort to salvage a ten-year contract that was skipping out the door to AT&T at any moment, they finally offered me a Droid or something of the sort.  I just need to decide between the Fascinate or the Incredible.

   
I'm leaning towards the Incredible after reading reviews.  Apparently the Fascinate has some major lag issues.  Regardless, neither is a blackberry which means I'll be able to make phone calls again!  Sorry if we were BBM friends, I just can't hack it anymore.

In other Verizon news, look what's here TODAY!!! iPhone can't be far behind, right???

tricks for a verizon blackberry.

Everyone knows that to realign your phone to the nearest tower you press *228. 

But what Verizon doesn't tell you is that there is also a code to align your DATA PLAN to the nearest tower, not JUST your calls.  Luckily I spend enough time in the Verizon store (once a week) to make friends and uncover that by pressing *22899, you can speed up your data.

Also?  If you're not traveling overseas, on your blackberry go to Options, Mobile Network and change your Network Technology to 1XEV instead of Global.

Of course none of this helps me since my house is where Verizon Blackberries go to die.  But someone without a refurbed version might be able to salvage their phone with these tricks.

So my final trick for making your Verizon Blackberry work for you?  Get an AT&T one.

letters to the public.

Dear Obama,

I don't ask for much.  Heck, I don't ask for anything.

I just want to change my damn name.

Can you make that happen?  Could you POSSIBLY take some of that $1 million you're spending on road signs that we don't need in Ohio to hire, I don't know, 2 more people at the Social Security Office?

Also, 9am-4pm as your hours of operation?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!  Maybe YOU don't work a full day unlike most people.

And your little, 'oh make an appointment' spiel?  BS.  You don't HAVE appointments until 2011.

THREE DAYS OF WAITING for my number to NEVER be called.

My stomach is hungry.  And my name isn't changed.

Sincerely,

Nicole

********

Dear stay-at-home-mom,

Why on earth do you feel that you need to pick 12pm to go get your child a social security card?  YOU HAVE ALL DAY and I have a measly 30 minutes.

Also, your children are hungry.  BECAUSE IT'S LUNCHTIME.

Sincerely,

Nicole

********

Dear obnoxious child of woman above,

If you kick my chair one more time, I will eat YOU for lunch.

I'm hungry.  And not kidding.

Sincerely,

Nicole

********

Dear Adam,

I'm sorry.  I can't change my name.  Let's just change the dog's name instead.  The vet office is much nicer and more accommodating than our sorry excuse for a government.

Sincerely,

Your wife with the wrong last name

********

Dear Obama one last time,

You had time to put your name in the spell check dictionary but you don't have time to stamp 'approved' on my name change app.  Shame on you.

Sincerely,

I'mmovingtoCanada

thought for the day.

Always be thankful for what you have, who you have and where you're going in life. 

choose happiness.

" you never know just how you look

through someone else's eyes. "

I'm back on my alone kick.  I get like that every once in a while.  Just needing to disassociate myself with the human race.  Spend time with me.  The dog.  Reading.  Playing.  Thinking.  Just being.

But really thinking.  About my life as of late.

You spend your whole childhood with manners beaten into your head.  Sit up straight.  Speak in a quiet tone.  Don't talk back.  Graciousness.  Kindness.  Integrity.  These rules were gold and you were golden. 

 

But when does it end?  When do you cross that line and become the adult.  Your manners disappear.  Your energy becomes focused around judging the actions of others.  The happiness of life and living becomes shadowed by your insistent need to be right, to be heard, to judge.

I can see this happening in myself.  I judge others who judge me.  I judge them for thinking that I'm not living my life the way I should.  I judge them for how they talk to me.  I judge them simply because I know no other reaction.

But I don't judge them for the choices they make.  Other than their choice to judge me.

Everyone has a choice.  You can choose to be happy, or you can choose to judge and live a life of discontent.  I could feel myself slipping the past few weeks.  Into a pattern of judging.  Into a life of being unhappy with how people were looking at me.  But personal reflection has only secured in myself the fact that I'm doing the best I can.  I'm spending time with those I love.  I'm discovering new adventures.  I'm learning more than I ever have.

 

I choose happiness over a life of feeling like I will never meet the expectations of others.

So go ahead and judge the choices I make.  How I spend my time.  What I'm doing with my life.  I'm only worried about you.  The more you judge, the less content you'll be.

Everyone has a choice.  What's yours?