Whew, it's been awhile!

I have been so focused on knitting and so busy with the new changes that I have not had time to update.

1) Brian got the call he was waiting for.

We are very excited and he starts today. His current job knows and he is starting to work his two weeks this weekend I believe. Poor guy though, he won't have a day off until the Saturday my parents come down to visit (March 19th). M-F he works 8:15-5:15, Sat/Sun he works 11am to 11pm. His weekday schedule will cause us to have to redo our schedules. He and I have to get up at the same time now. Showers are not an issue as A) I usually take mine at night and B) we have to bathrooms. I am more concerned about sharing the kitchen and the fact that I do not rush as much when he is awake so I am going to have to force myself out of the house more then I usually do. Today I was "late" for work. I was about 5 minutes early but usually I am more like 15 minutes early. I completely blame that on not leaving the house as early as I normally do. I am not worried about not seeing him.....I hadn't seen him much at all the first 3 years of our relationship so a couple weeks more won't hurt too bad :).

Next stop: Buying a new car for him and saving for a house.

2) Coffee is evil

I only started drinking coffee 2 years ago or so when my friend Chris (Carley's dad) introduced me to Starbucks. At that point I would drink it every once in  awhile. My dad always drinks coffee....he likes his coffee black. He would probably say I like cream and sugar with a little coffee. When I started day shift I used to drink an 8 ounce cup from the restaurant and I had to drink it before 9am. Any later and I would be up all night. A couple months ago, probably at this point, my work had made some changes and I know get to make my coffee in the back. I can use the coffee our guests get in their room and the condiments and I am all set. For awhile I would make a full pot but quickly realized that all the people that used to drink coffee from the restaurant are no longer drinking coffee...at least from here. However, I was pour happy and didnt have an 8 ounce cup so I started bringing in a thermos. I started to accidently fill it half way up and then started to fill it all the way up. I was still sleeping at night, wasn't jittery and it became a nice morning routine...talking to the monthlies while nursing my coffee.

Then I started realizing that I was getting headaches. Massive headaches at about 1pm. Almost like migraines. The phone would ring. You want to pick up the phone. It is your job. The more reservations you make, the more commission you bring home. You, generally, like talking with people. The noise of the ringing hurts so bad you have to answer the phone. The voice on the other side is either deafening or so soft you are straining to hear them and your head is throbbing so much you just want to get them off the phone so you don't ask them to speak up or quiet down. Your head hurts so bad that while you are doing everything you can to sound perky, excited, bubbly and friendly you know you don't. Since you know this you try  not to say much because you definitely don't want to upset the guest. You find yourself leaning on the desk, phone up to you ear, grimacing and massaging your head praying the pain stops so you can go back to being yourself. Fortunately the guests on the other end aren't noticing anything wrong, heck some even recognize you and get all excited that they have reached you again. You find yourself walking outside because the fresh air helps a bit for as long as you are out there.

It got so bad that I started calling my mom to complain, not knowing what it was I was calling myself allergic to the lobby as I was fine elsewhere. I started talking to my co-workers about it. Then I decided to rule out the coffee. I wanted to prove it was not the coffee giving me the headaches. Well, it is Monday...otherwise known as my Thursday and I have not had coffee all week. Headache's are gone. Alot less stressed even when the phones are off the hook. I feel better at night (though I never realized I felt bad at night). Only down side is that I am crashing so so much earlier.

Coffee is evil

Weekends are fun

Wednesdays and Thursdays are my weekends. I always look forward to them and especially this one as last weekend I was up early running errands both days. I am a home body by nature. If I do not get a chance to stay at home and do nothing....life becomes hard. I do feel the need to be social and active so it is always a fight within myself  about when to do something and when not to. I always have fun doing an activity but is it worth the energy needed to do it and how exhausted I will feel afterwards.

Today we both woke up late and went out to lunch at a nearby Mexican restaurant with a few friends. After lunch we both went home. Wednesdays are Brian's game days and has turned into my heavy(ier) knitting days. I finished a square last night so I was starting my 5th today and have knitted 4 inches since 1pm. I am not the fastest knitter. I do not think I am the slowest but I am not the fastest by far. If I stop working, I can do one every two days but with working I think a more accurate time-line is one every 3 days. I am still enjoying it...I can sit doing nothing in front of the TV and not feel so completely unproductive. I am also starting to see an actual glimpse of what my gifts will turn out like.

I do not know if I have mentioned this but my Gamma, my mom's mom, taught me how to knit when I was about 10 or so. I remember her needles and what I thought was a really not so fun color blue. (I really didn't like that shade of blue or at least didn't which is odd as there isn't usually a color blue that I don't enjoy. It is my favorite color.) I think I was making a scarf. I got bored with the scarf so I stopped. While I intellectually know that making scarves are not boring or unimpressive, I still feel that way hence why my gifts are not scarves. My fear, I guess, is that people (not my friends per say...) would think "oh a scarf? that's it, anyone could do that" so I have come up with something more complicated. My logical side realizes that, while a scarf is one of the easiest things to knit, knitting itself is not easy and not a lot of people can knit. I am grateful that my Gamma taught me and my mom how....even if I didn't actually pick it up in my late 20s. I remember the times I attempted to knit with her and helps me keep her close. I loved the fact that she didn't really care if I knitted or not and was happy to teach/re-teach me when I decided to learn or give it up when I deemed it boring. I think I tried to start up knitting at least three times and she never grumbled or did anything but give support each time I started and never got upset with me each time I stopped. I am grateful that my mom knows how as well since I still have someone to go to for questions since the real expert is no longer with us.

I have also always wanted to be crafty. I watch everyone else make so many cool things...and while I can make things they do not end up looking anything like I would like them too. What I see in my head never comes out in reality. I have a hard time pairing things together that would look cute. It just doesn't work for me like it does with everyone I am with. Knitting has become my craft. I can knit, I can make nice things with knitting. My idea's work and look good. I can create something that not a lot of people can which also gives me a boost.

I am not sure what we are doing tomorrow. I am going to continue knitting but other then that I am not sure. It is about 9pm and I am ending early tonight with the knitting. While I don't have to worry about finishing and not having anything to do, I do want to continue to enjoy it. At this point I am fighting the urge to do nothing else and knit just so I can get to the final product faster. I wish I could post pictures but the recipients read this blog :)

Random part 2 :)

*Knitting is going really well. Still really enjoying it. I am getting faster and my hands have stopped hurting. Today I should finish my fourth square. I have placed my other three squares around my fourth and think it will turn out really nice. I think I am going to change up my game plan. I think I am going to finish the skein and then sew all the squares I do have already together rather then waiting till November.

*Work is picking up which has been fun. So far the guests have been really nice which is new. We have increased our rates and I was expecting some fight about it but mostly everyone has been fine.

*It has been a warm 70 degree's here. Starting to seriously think about turning the AC on. This makes me happy that they weather is so pretty but sad that I can't wear my feetie pajamas :(

*Parents coming in less then a month. When they are here, we are taking my SC family out to dinner. I can't wait for my parents to meet, officially, my SC family. I think my mom and Caroline met once while I was at VS but I can't remember for sure.

*Things may be happening in the next week or so that will help us settle and get into a routine. I am really hoping everything works out because being in limbo is not fun.

*I think I may be quiting my "30 Day" project. I lost the paper telling me what each day is. So there is that but I have also not done a very good job in keeping up with it. I have fortunately had more things, more fun things, to post then that. I started the project in January and it is almost March and I am only 12 days in? Go me! haha

That is about it, for now...

Happy 5 month Bday Xavier!

Xavier has turned 5 months recently! During this Saturday's Potluck Jenn brought both of her kids in to play.

Almost sitting up by himself

He is looking at the fan :)

Only posting because he is adorable, me not so much!

Trevor (the 8 year old and Jenn's oldest) and his mini-me (Xavier)

Xavier and a monthly

Can I have those curls please!

Looking at the fishes with a monthly

Ms. Micki and Trevor

I woke Xavier up when Trevor and I were talking about friendship

Cranky from waking up, he was fine when he was in my arms :)

Patrick attempting to lie him back down

Xavier doesn't want to be in his car seat :(

Xavier is getting so big! He is just as sweet and is SO good and sociable. Many of our monthly's commented on how comfortable he was with me, I laughed it off as he had to be because I keep stealing him, but it is true. His mom has done a fabulous job of having him being okay with new found friends. He is also the spitting image of Trevor. I kept calling each other the others name even though I KNOW the difference. I am going to hate it when the monthly's leave for multiple reasons but one is that I won't get to see these two cuties very often :(

SUYL: Susquehanna University

This was supposed to be done on Friday but I didn't find out about it until Friday so better late then never :). I have also never taken many pictures of the campus so I have had to steal some from the SU website...I am sure they won't mind some positive promotion :). And of course picture heavy as I can't decide.

I went to and graduated from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove PA. I was part of the class of 2007. I loved my time there and wish I could go back every day.

First off Susquehanna is in PA surrounded by farms. Beautiful campus.

Taken from www.susquehanna.edu

Where I lived:

Freshman Year

Sophmore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

Watching football:

No we aren't Virginia Tech

Yes, we proudly share their colors

What we did:

Sedge, Phil, Hess

Phil and Hess

Phil, Supa, Adam and Hess playing yet another game of Madden

Adam and Nicole: Married 10/10/10

Me with a friends baby :)

Hess, Phil, Adam

Poker night with Adam, Hess and Phil

One of the best things about SU: Thanksgiving dinner where the teachers serve the students. One year our school President served us!

Hess, Phil, Adam, Supa

Hess ad Phil

What we did this for:

Me and Hess

Me and Supa

Phil

Adam the overachiever :)

Nicole

President Lemmons

SU's Stats:

6 out of our 6 friends are working= 100% job placement
5 our of our 6 got a job in the field we majored in= 84% career success (I am sure there is a better phrase, I can't think of any at the moment)

Not to bad given what we graduated into

Stewed Apples

Brian and I got this recipe off of a show called "5 Ingredient Meals". The other recipes in the show were stuffed pork chops, fried candy bars and a rice recipe. This was the best and biggest surprise out of all the recipes. The pork chops were good but it was kind of expected. This recipe also could not get any easier and can't taste any better. Sort of tastes like the inside of an Apple pie except healthier!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon butter
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut in 1 inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled cored and chopped into 1 inch chunks
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1) Heat the butter in a large heavy saute pan over medium-high heat
2) Add the butternut squash and salt and pepper to taste
3) Cook until the squash is beginning to caramelize, about 6 to 8 minutes

4) Add the apples and continue to brown, another 5 minutes

5) Stir in 1 cup of water and the sugar
6) Cover, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until tender

7) Add the cinnamon and cook until the squash and apples are coated in a deep golden brown glaze, about 5 minutes more

8) Transfer the stew to a serving bowl and serve

The times are approximate. The first time we made this we accidentally cooked it too long due to our timing with the rest of the meal. It really tasted like apple pie filling then but that was okay :) Who doesn't like apple pie filling? The second time on Valentines day we were careful with the times and noticed it took less time to cook then the recipe indicated. The apples are going to be soft/mushy but the butternut squash should be tender; not mushy or crunchy. YUM!