Movie Night at the Meenen Manor

Have you ever noticed that nothing can compare to the movies on "25 Days of Christmas" on ABC Family?

Granted, I do get easily drawn into some horrible reality shows (umm...Jersey Shore, love it! anyone else out there with me?) but for both Mark and I to sit there like we're 7 year old kids watching Spongebob or something, you know it's pretty amazing.

Basically, it's one of the highlights of the Christmas season. Right there around opening gifts and cheese trays.

Comedians of Chelsea Lately

Back in November, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Mark and I and my friend Alicia all loaded up in the truck after work and hit the road on the way to Kansas City. I was so excited because we were on our way to see the Comedians of Chelsea Lately.

Chelsea Lately is a show that I have recorded on my DVR, and Mark and I will both watch it, so it's pretty amazing. I record an amazing amount of TV shows, but many of them Mark will not let me watch if he's home-we've got to watch something we both like. Which actually is only fair, since I throw kind of a fit when he wants to watch the Hunting Channel or the Speed Channel all day Sunday.



Our seats were 3 rows back from the stage, on the left side. Awesome seats, hilarious comedians, raunchy humor, and two of my best friends (well Mark has to be my best friend-legally, I think we signed something-and I work with Alicia, so she knows too many things about me-I have to be nice to her.)



It was right about the picture above that the security guard (you know the 120 lb, zit faced little boy that they hire to throw out the troublemakers) told us we couldn't take pictures. So it wasn't until after the show that we got the camera back out. Chuy was sitting in the lobby taking pictures and signing autographs. The line was approximately 2miles long, so we decided to move on, especially considering we had to go back home that same night. But I did hand my camera over to my husband so he could try and snap a picture of Chuy as we left. You know, he's the tall one in this relationship, so I try to take advantage of that when I can.



Above is the picture that he took. Thank you, honey.

So I ducked under and around a few people and snapped this picture of him. Can you see him? It's kind of like a game of Where's Waldo.

Hopefully my poorly drawn arrow and circle will help you locate Chuy. (I am a computer Goddess, me and Paint go way back, I can draw straight lines, and circles with different colors inside of them like no one's business-just don't ask me to use Photoshop.)

We saw Josh Wolfe, the Sklar Brothers, Whitney Cummings, and Jo Koy. They were all hilarious, and while we had seen pieces of their bits on TV, it's so much better in person, with some new stuff thrown in, your friends and a crowd of thousand others laughing with you and some $7 beer. Joy Koy was my favorite, probably because he was drunker than I was. But they were all really really good.

So all in all, a good time was had by all.

Not really shredding at all

This morning I woke up all ready to Shred-you know, shred away the pounds with Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred-because I am tired of being so content. I had my shoes set out, a sports bra ready, and the DVD already in the player. I turn it on downstairs, it's Mark's old TV set with the built in DVD and VHS player. I watch all the boring stuff you can't skip past, I listen to her tell us how it's gonna be, and then I'm ready-I'm at the menu-and because the remote was broken about 3 years ago, I can't change which option it is on on the main menu. I can only hit play, I can't go up or down, and the first thing on the list is a thing called Recommendations-it recommends you do it every day.

That's it, that's what it says. So I read the one little sentenece and it sends me back to the main menu-and because of my broken TV, I can't go up or down. Seriously?

So I take it upstairs-sorry honey, you're just going to have to hear all the major amounts of losing weight that I am going to be doing. I put it in that DVD player, wait for all the unnecessaries that once again you can't skip past, get down on the floor so that I can see our DVD player, and look for buttons or something on it so that I can go up or down on the screen.

Nothing

I have no idea where the remote is for that thing, it again has no up or down buttons on the DVD player and I am no better off and certainly not thinner! The world is conspiring against me and my fat ass.

Maybe I'll try again tomorrow, but for now, I think I will lay on the couch for just a little while, and get alittle more rest- it's healthy to get lots of sleep, right?

It's that time of year

Shh....don't tell anyone but I have a secret-I love Christmas shopping. I love that feeling, almost like that of going on a treasure hunt-searching through, around, above, or below. But more importantly I love watching my loved ones open their gifts. I hope that they know how much I care for them, and want them to have something they want, not necessarily need. Something fun or unique, something that they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves-and hopefully something that won't just sit unused, collecting dust.

And this is probably a good thing, considering the number of people (mainly family) that I buy for. I love me a list and without lists I don't think I would get a thing done. Now don't think that just because I like lists that I am an organized person. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I think I would fall apart without lists. I am such a procastinator and so flighty that if I don't put it down in writing I seem to forget or think that it's not that important. And so when it comes to Christmas presents-I begin making lists in October or so.

Of course, I do typically lose my list though, so it's more like 12 or 15 lists that I have-but still, it helps me to focus, and remember how I'm doing on actually completing the list.

This year I feel like I've got a few presents that I am really excited about. Presents that I believe the recipients are going to love! Now of course I can't tell you about them, everything being a secret is another reason why I love Christmas-but I will tell you that I have made many purchases online this year. I'd like to think that it has helped me to not get to rushed or stressed with the amount of purchases I have to make-but I still fret and worry about when they're getting to my house-gotta check what state they're in today-why did I buy from so many different stores-I've gotta make out a whole other list of purchased gifts that are somewhere between the store and myself, so I know what I'm still waiting on.

But with online shopping, I feel like I can shop around more, find the best deals, and make better decisions. I guess I'll just wait and see and let you know the true success of my online endeavors after Christmas.

Troubled Annie

So it's not Tuesday, and I've been gone for a little over a week, but I have to tell you something-something great! A few weeks back I was commiserating over the fact that none of my faves from Nashville Star have really made it big on the national scene with their music. Now I do not have to hear an artist on the radio for me to listen to them, in fact-it's typically the opposite. But, because they aren't big or well-known, I had lost track of them, and it's highly doubtful that anyone would ever come to Kansas to play, so there wasn't much of a chance of me catching up with anybody later.......till I became obsessed with blogs and blogging and I stumbled across this blog http://hootenannie.com/.

You see, the cutie from hootenannie.com is friends with Meg Allison, and just the other day talked about Meg and if I'm understanding this right, a dude from the same season of Nashville Star-Joshua Stevens (who by the way looks approximately 1100 times better now), making a duo called Troubled Annie. Awesome awesome stuff! I'm excited for them to come out with some great stuff and I've just had their myspace page playing in the background and I love their voices together.

So now my family has some more ideas for my Christmas stockings! (That's right, I get more than one stocking-in fact Mark and I travel to about 73 different holiday celebrations-ok more like 7 or so -but that's just the immediate family, grandparents and parents, and it feels like 73.) Yes dear family I will take a CD from about any or all artists I have listed in my little music section.

And you have some more exposure to the real country music, the good country music that I love and that you should too.

Music Tuesday #?

It's Music Tuesday again and I have lately been reminded of my love, my random strange love for the band Dropkick Murphys. Yes, completely out of left field-but it's true. I have to give full credit to my friend Robin, clear back from high school she loved all sorts of different British and Irish and I don't know-any sort of punk music. Thanks to her I fell in love with those guys and B*Witched. Oh ya-google that one!

The songs are fun, and they're Celtic-meaning they're perfect drinking songs! Sounds like a good night to me-I think I'll turn up my speakers, open a Bud Light, and enjoy the fact that I work at a bank and don't have to show up to work tomorrow.

Favorites:
Tessie
The Pub with No Beer
I'm Shipping up to Boston



And just cause I know you want to see some B*Witched-Enjoy....

EMAW

EMAW

Every Man A Wildcat

Today's the day-the hated opponent, the season on the line, the tailgating-it's all so important and already making me nervous. I don't do well with this kind of stuff....but I live for it. Purple-Get Ready to Roll.

Go STATE!

Ornament Exchange!

I have no idea what I am doing with this whole blog thing. But I do know it's fun, and I like snooping into other's lives-I mean reading about others!- and learning and being entertained and encouraged and challenged by what others have to say. One blog that I have recently started reading and enjoying is http://pamperingbeki.blogspot.com/ and she recently had a post introducing her 2009 Bloggers Ornament Exchange.

Now I love Christmas and I love ornaments. Every year starting when I was little, my Grandma Alice (my mom's mom) would get me and my sister an ornament, typically with our name and year on it. And after she passed away, my mother continued on with the tradition. So, two years ago, for Mark's and my first Christmas as a married couple- I wanted to continue on with our own tree. So, I drug him along and he actually picked out a fun ornament with a little bride and groom. Last year, as we lived in the world's smallest house, I bought a little house ornament and told Mark that we would always remember that year when our house was the same size as the ornament. Now this year has been the year of the loan-as we have purchased a farm, a house, and a tractor. Maybe we'll buy a paintbrush ornament, or a little red tractor, or an empty wallet ornament.

But anyways, I jumped on this opportunity to share my love of ornaments with others, and meet another blogger from near or far, and again be inspired and challenged and entertained. If you would like to join in the fun, check out Beki's blog (and her adorable shop-lots of cute necklaces and such that would make a perfect Christmas present for a neice or a friend or whomever!)
Check it out!

Lazy Days

I love having lazy Sundays. I have a few things that I am slowly getting done today, laundry, eating out at the Mexican restaurant, a little more laundry, and napping. Yesterday Mark and I were both in the same cleaning up mood so we got a lot of things done-which could be explained by the weird behavior associated with Halloween. But anyways, we went with it and got lots of little things and big things (like mowing our lawn for the first time in about two months-yes we're that kind of neighbor) done.

About a month ago I stopped at our farm and pulled 3 old doors and a screen out of the grainery. Yesterday I finally got around to washing them off and placing them in the house. Now they still need some love and decorations, but they're really cute and I love them so much. And they even passed the husband test, which was important. (not really)

So I placed the first one with the window in the dining room. Love it! And you can't see it in this picture-too dark, but that's my purple dining set on the table. Love it even more!


That's my "Congrats on the new house" plant from my mom. I really only have it sitting there because I thought it needed some more sunlight-since I had kind of forgotten about it in my Mary Kay room.

Here, on the right side of the picture you can see the screen that I put up plus the gold clock that I spent a fortune on out at the Pamida-but hey I like it! The screen came with the old blue paint which happens to look beautiful next to my blue wall. I think it was meant to be.

I needed a headboard for the spare bed and I think it works ok. It needs some more stuff on the wall and maybe even on the door. My friend/interior decorating advisor Alicia suggested maybe some of those wooden twig balls with lights in them.
Also-let it be known that I do not love this comforter-I like the colors, but I guess it just seems a little too dorm room to me now. But I did pick it out and someone was nice enough to buy it for us for our wedding-so if it was you I'm sorry! It's not your fault-it's all my fault that I changed my mind.

And finally the front porch and the last door. The steel pail and plants came from a wonderful co-worker, cause Lord knows I could never grow anything-she had to get me the simplest, easiest, can't kill kind of plants (like with the plant from my mom that I forgot about and left on the floor of my MK room for about 3 weeks-whoops.) This door needs a wreath but I love the old barn door look.

What do you think? Kinda fun, free decorating. The best kind in my book!

$$$

Earlier this week, Mark and I paid off my student loans. Paid Off


PAID OFF!

Now I do have to say that we were very blessed in the fact that my husband graduated with zero student loans, and while I had some-it was not near as bad as it could have been. (But then of course, it wasn't as good as it could have been either! If I had umm.....kept my GPA up and not failed Spanish 2 my second semester of my freshman year and kept my scholarship. I mean seriously, who fails Spanish?)

But still, I am super excited. We made our first student loan payment in July of 2007. We had set out early on with the goal of paying them off quickly, as opposed to taking the full 30 years like they wanted us to.

When Mark and I were dating and talking about our future, I always knew that I wanted to be able to stay at home when we have kids. And so, that meant planning financially for that future.(Which is not in the near future-but that's a post for another day.) It's crazy and dumb and backwards and old school that I would want to be a stay at home mother, and quite ironic that to do that I have to concentrate on paying off loans for a college degree that I won't be using. But it's something that I feel strongly about. And I know that if it gets down to it, and I'm in the middle of a job that I love and can't imagine giving up then we'll find a different way, and Mark won't be upset and life will be great. But as we have it planned now, I want to be able to spend that time at home with my children and raise my family and put my "career" on the backburner.

We don't drive brand new vehicles and we work around a budget every month and we maybe put off buying tons of new furniture or whatever because that doesn't work for us right now. And we still have season football tickets, and we go out to eat, and we buy fun things, and I never feel guilty about spending money when I do-we just don't let that get out of hand.

I am very blessed to have a husband who feels the same way about money that I do. Many couples say that money is one of their biggest issues. Our biggest money issue is why he's not spending more of it on me? I mean seriously, I'd take another diamond or maybe just a pretty bracelet, or a shopping spree-that'd be fun too.

Having money isn't everything, and I never want it to sound that way. But having money affords you choices, and we want to be able to make those choices for our family, our friends, our faith, where ever we are led.

I'll Play Doctor with You!

I have a confession to make.

I have a crush. And it's ok, I already told Mark-he's not too worried.

You see my crush is on a fictional character. I have recently become enamored with the tv show Numb3rs and one of the main characters Charlie Eppes. Dr. Charles Eppes. Oh man. He's a mathematical genius, a kind person, and he has the floppy curly hair that kind of just does it for me.

I think I would die if I ever met David Krumholtz (the guy who plays Charlie) in person. And I would cry if he wasn't at least a little bit dorky and smart in person.

So there, I've admitted it-I've confessed my love for a fictional character. I feel a little better, but I wish I was at home watching a Numb3rs marathon.

What I did on my Sick Days

I'm back to work, I headed back on Wednesday. I went to the doctor on Monday and he told me that I just had a cold and that I was a big ol' wimp. Well maybe not the last part-but that's what I kinda picked up on. No flu, no strep, just a little cold that put me on my back for about 4 1/2 days.

It's been a long time since I have spent that much time in front of daytime TV and it taught me two things. 1) I have rekindled my love for two morning TLC shows A Baby Story and Bringing Home Baby- and I can't decide if they make me want to start a family or never ever ever go through the process of labor and 2) TV Shopping Channels are addicting -sorry family if all you get for Christmas is a Denim and Co. cardigan set or a lifetime supply of really expensive clothes hangers.

And maybe if I'm lucky-when I order I'll get to talk to the people on set and tell them exactly who I'm buying everything for and I can tell them a cute story about my puppy and all the other things I'm gonna buy from their lines and what the weather is like in little ol' Kansas and yes I've heard that Wizard of Oz joke before and ohmygoodness we'll become best friends forever and it will all be so wonderful -AND I can just make the 5 easy payments and it'll all be shipped to my house in time for all the holidays!

My husband is now realizing that I can never be sick again.