Thursday, May 29, 2008

iPod D-G

Apparently this Ipod Case is supposed to resemble grass, but with the red click wheel, it reminds me of watermelon

Continuing from a few posts ago....

D
: D.H.T., Damien Rice, Damn Yankees, Dan Fogelberg, Dan Wilson, Dana Fuchs, Dandy Warhols, Daniel Powter, Danny Elfman, Dave Matthews, David Bowie, David Gray, David Tolk, Death Cab for Cutie, Debbie Gibson, Debra Fotheringham, Depeche Mode, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Dido, Dinah Washington, Dishwalla, Dixie Chicks, Donny Osmond, Donovan, Doobie Brothers, The Doors, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Duke Ellington, Duncan Sheik, Duran Duran, Dusty Springfield


E
: Eartha Kitt, Echo and the Bunnyman, Eclipse, Elemeno-P, Elipsus, Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Enigma, Erasure, Eric Clapton, Esthero, Especially for Youth (best of), Europe, Ewan McGregor, Extreme


F:Faith Hill, Fall Out Boy, Fatboy Slim, Feist, Felicia Sorenson, Fergie, Finger Eleven, Fiona Apple, Firehouse, The Fixx, Fleetwood Mac, Flight of the Conchords, Foo Fighters, Foreigner, The Fortunes, The Four Tops, Fox Elipsus, Frank Sinatra, Frankie goes to Hollywood, The Fray, Frou Frou, Fuel, Fun Boy Three,

G: Gabriel Yared, Garth Brooks, Gavin DeGraw, General Public, Genesis, George Michael, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Gershwin, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Gliss, Gnarls Barkley, The Go-Go's, Go West, Gonzales, Goo Goo Dolls, The Grass Roots, Green Day, Greg Simpson, Gretchen Wilson, Guns N' Roses, Guster, Gwen Stefani

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Two Cool Trips


I've been behind in my blogging for a while! I've been on two awesome trips in the last week and a half, which I need to give the run d0wn in case I otherwise don't blog about it.

California: I flew out of DTW Friday evening. The flight loads were pretty iffy, but a three hour flight delay got me a seat on the flight to LAX. I arrived in LA around 11:30, picked up my rental car and met Liz for fresh strawberry donuts in Glendora. I got in at the in-laws at 2:00 am, and was up again at 7:30. It was a super-hot, sunny day (over 100 degrees!) I visited with Lissy and Tyler, who are expecting twins this August (if not sooner). I did a little gift shopping, grabbed some In-N-Out, and rifled through the sweltering hot shed looking for my high school scrapbooks (no luck). Liz and I drove to Pasadena, indulged in marzipan princess cake and rum rolls at Federicos and continued on to the Huntington. The gardens were beautiful and relaxing.

After returning from Pasadena, I visited with my in-laws who had returned from a funeral. I grabbed a 20 minute nap, then drove out to Rancho Cucamonga for Chris and Mary's wedding reception. The ring ceremony and reception was beautiful, and I ran into a lot of friends I was hoping to see. I then drove over to Brett's to his Syttende Mai Norway party. I toasted to Norwegian toasts, and grabbed a plate of Scandinavian desserts to eat on the way to LAX. I dropped of the rental car around 11:30, and made it on the 12:30 flight no problem. Total time in California: 25 hours.

Upstate New York: Since Taylor was hired by the airline, most of our travel has been by airplane (except for our cross-country moving trips). Taylor, Rosie and I had the same three days off for Memorial Day, and despite $4.19/gallon gas prices, were itching to take a road trip. We left around 9 am, endured a 80 minute border crossing at Port Huron, drove through Ontario, Canada to Niagara Falls. We balked at the $20 parking fee to be in the closest lots to the Falls, and drove down the road to a $10 lot with shuttle service. The falls were beautiful and super misty, and a large rainbow stretched across much of the area. We got lucky with the Niagara border crossing, only having to wait 3 cars to enter the U.S. again.

We drove on to Rochester and met up with my old friend Alan, and his girlfriend Liz. We got reacquainted at his place, then drove downtown for dinner. The restaurant had an hour wait, so we drove to High Falls in the meantime.We returned to the restaurant and ate at Dinosaur BBQ, one of the best BBQ I've ever had! Alan also took us for a tour of his laser laboratory at the University of Rochester, where he is working on his PhD.

In the morning, we drove to Palmyra to see the church history sites. We hiked the Moroni Monument, watched a movie in the visitor center, toured the Joseph Smith and Frame homes, enjoyed the Sacred Grove, and finished at the printing press downtown. The drive back to Rochester criss-crossed the Erie Canal several times. We took Alan out for lunch at The King and I Thai, then hit the road back to MI. The best part of the return trip was the clear view of Toronto for much of the drive from the border to Hamilton. Someday the trip will be specifically for Toronto! We arrived home at midnight. Total trip time: 39 hours.

SOMEDAY I'd like to take a trip that I actually have time to relax...

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

iPod A-Z

I decided to go through the vast majority of my iTunes library alphabetically last week. Between an hour commute each way, and a full-time workday, it doesn't take long for it to add up. I just finished C. I've listened to at least 2 songs per artist, and up to 5 albums per artist. This is what I've listened to so far:

A: A-Ha, ABBA, ABC, Across the Universe soundtrack, Adam Ant, Aimee Mann, Air Supply, Alanis Morissette, Alicia Keys, All American Rejects, Allison Krauss, Allred, Alone Together, America, Amy Grant, Andrea Bocelli, Ani DiFranco, Anna Nalick, Anonymous, Antsy Pants, Aretha Franklin, Avril Lavigne

B: B-52s, Bananarama, Bangles, Barbara Streisand, Barenaked Ladies, Baz Luhrmann, Beach Boys, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bee Gees, Bela Fleck, Belinda Carlisle, Ben Folds, Better Than Ezra, Billy Joel, Black Eyed Peas, Blue Merle, Bob Dylan, Boston, Boyz II Men, Brilliant Absence, Bryan Adams, Buffalo Springfield, Butterfly Boucher

C: Cake, Carol Channing, Carpenters, Carrie Underwood, The Cars, Cary Brothers, Cherie Call, Chicago, Chicago Soundtrack, Chris Daughtry, Chris Isaak, Christina Aguilera, The Clash, Colbie Caillat, Coldplay, Collin Hay, Collective Soul, Corey Hart, Corinne Bailey Rae, Counting Crows, The Cranberries, Culture Club, The Cure

I want to hear your opinion....what's the most bizzare or shocking music selection on my list?

Thursday, May 15, 2008

It's Over...mostly

I just submitted my term paper and attachments for my final for my critical writing and reasoning class. I had until midnight MST, but I've been up since 4 am working on it (as I have been 5 out of the last 7 days). I'm exhausted, I've got the minimum length...and I just can't THINK about it anymore. Never in my life have I been more relieved to turn in a "barely adequate" paper. At least that's how I feel about the quality of it. I talked to my academic advisor today, who said that the requirement was to have a submission in by May 15th, but there was a loophole that if it didn't meet the standards on the rubric, I would be able to revise and resubmit it by June 15. So I guess I'm taking advantage of the system...but in a twisted way it seems like exactly the way the worst semester of my life should end.

Tomorrow night I'm still planning on my quickie California trip. I'm hoping to get on the 7:30 pm flight out of Detroit. If I don't make it, I'll be able to coordinate with Taylor's high-speed and take the car home. I want to make it to the Huntington with Liz, Chris and Mary's wedding reception, see my in-laws, grab some In-n-Out, and hopefully see the ocean (Dockweiller Beach is about 10 minutes from LAX). Now that I can purchase Zed passes, I'm feeling a little more confident about flying non-rev on an almost full return flight. Cross your fingers for me!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mothers Day!


Here's Rosie showing the strawberries she cut up for the Mother's Day strawberry shortcake. She did a good job taking care of me with hugs, kisses, cards, gifts, breakfast in bed, and dessert. It was tough to have Taylor gone for the 2nd Mother's Day in a row, but he'll be home tomorrow night. I talked to my mom, mother in law, and a few mom-friends. I've been influenced by so many women in my life...it was great to talk to them.

To any of you moms who read my blog...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Procrastination...

Today, instead of getting my last two assignments of classwork done for my Critical Writing class, I only got about a paragraph and a half done. I'm sick of the topic I've written on all term, I know I've only got 5 more days to finish the class, have major writers block, and everything else to do seems so much more appealing. Today I have...

-Said goodbye to Taylor for a 3-day trip
-Been to the primary activity day
-Went grocery shopping and turned in our recyclables
-Paid ALL our outstanding bills (Thank you, economic stimulus check!)
-Babysat my neighbor's daughter
-Took a nap
-Took a walk
-Cleaned out the fridge
-Decluttered and took out 3 bags of trash
-Uploaded pictures onto Rosie's Myspace
-Made devil's food banana bread
-Made tentative travel plans for Memorial Day weekend (Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Palmyra?)
-Composed this blog

Part of the reason I'm having a hard time focusing is that I can't submit my current assignment until my prior one is graded (I turned it in 4 days ago, and it's still not graded). But I can't turn in my final paper until the current assignment is graded. There's such a time crunch, but my current assignment requires feedback from the last one. So it's a bit of a waiting game, but I'm hurried at the same time. The joys of online classes. *sigh*

Just 5 more days to go...

Friday, May 9, 2008

Dear Google Reader...

Where have you been all my bloggin' life? You're my new best online friend. It's SO much easier to keep up on my 340,238,123ish blogs that I love?How on earth did I not find out about you until mid-2008?

Your now ;)
Nicole

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

I'm actually okay...kinda


After posting that last post, I realized that 3 of the 4 prior posts were terribly negative. I'm really not that bad off. I still have $6.27 in my bank account, some groceries that haven't expired, and a husband that's coming home from a trip three-day trip tonight.

Over the last 5 months, I've gotten quite a few comments such as, "Wow, you're keeping it together so well, " or "You're a superwoman for doing all you do." I've dealt with a cross-country move, been unemployed and reemployed, watched my father teeter toward the brink of death and back, took a full-time course load at school, starting organizing my high school reunion, traveled over 30,000 miles, dealt with 5 weeks of illness, been a mom, wife, and a primary teacher. There's uncertainty in my husband's career due to the Delta/Northwest merger. I wonder if my life will ever be simple. I like having a busy life, having friends and social contacts and fun experiences, but it's tiring too.

I have plans to go to Chris and Mary's wedding reception in California in 10 days. A two-day vacation may be my saving grace. I'll try to get out the last flight to LAX Friday night and try my best to get back Sunday morning. I'll soak up the Huntington with Lizzie, celebrate Norway with Brett, see my in-laws, eat some In-N-Out, and see the Pacific Ocean. All that will be worth the non-rev hassle. Just 10 days to go.

Sometimes I wish...


...that I had a XANAX for the anxiety...

...and a VICODIN for the pain...

...and a PROVIGIL to keep me awake after a sleepless night

...and a COMPAZINE for the sick stomach...

It's been a rough day.

(Can you tell I work in the medical field? Don't worry, I'm not a drug addict. I just know my pills by being on Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee.)

Monday, May 5, 2008

CEREC SUX!!!!!


DON'T LET YOUR DENTIST FOOL YOU!!!!

As many of my blog readers know, I've had some pretty terrible experiences with my teeth. From my early years, I dreaded visiting the otherwise lovely Dr. Edvalson from church because I knew the visit would end up in bad news, pain, and unhappy parents who couldn't afford the fillings. I've had some pretty hellacious dental visits in my 28 years, but today took the cake.

I went to my new office in Canton today, as recommended by my coworker. I explained the last 8 months of my dental history, including which teeth had been worked on, pain, sensitivity, and rough edges. He looked in my mouth for less than a minute, and looked me in the eye and said "I've got some bad news."

He came to explain that all of the teeth that I'd opted to have CEREC work done on were done incompetently. The two teeth have have been pushing me toward the Vicodin bottle for the last month were full of decay, and would need a root canal ASAP. The CEREC material was breaking off in chunks, and as I held up the mirror as he scraped...I knew he was right.

For those not familliar with CEREC, it is a dental restoration product that uses 3D technology and CAD/CAM to make a tooth replacement that does not require a dental lab. When I was deciding between CEREC and other crown substances, I was talked into the CEREC because I was told that it will last several years longer than ceramic fused to metal. It can supposedly be done in one office visit, but for some reason I always had to come back for a second visit. CEREC should be used with discretion, as not all patients are good candidates, especially on molars. It also causes a lot of tooth sensitivity, which I've been experiencing for months.

When I had the work done last fall, I had a lousy HMO plan, but the feel schedule said I should have been paying approximately $400 for the crown and buildup per tooth. But for some reason, they kept saying that I was required to pay an extra coinsurance on top of that. All the work ended up being around $2000. I talked to my dental HMO several times, and they told me that it was basically up to the discretion of the office to determine the coinsurance amount. That should have been my first red flag.

Another gripe I had with the office was that I knew I had several teeth that needed work, but very little time till I was moving out of state. In once terrible visit, I was subjected to nearly 5 hours in the chair, being shot, drilled, and bonded in all four quadrants of my mouth. I had asked to have only the most VITAL teeth worked on, and they took the liberty of starting every tooth in one visit. I left the office with a 2 year repayment plan and a majorly bad taste in my mouth.

So here we are...needed a mouthful of work done again, still paying off my shoddy work, and having the worry that my new insurance companies (I'm double covered now) may deny the work because it is less than 5 years old (*#%^*&!!!)

My new dentist suggests that I get the Michigan Board of Dentistry, California Board of Dentistry, and an attorney involved. He said that a reputable dentist would take accountability and refund the work and help cover the cost of restoration, but I have a funny feeling they'll hire their own attorney and find a way to blame it on me. It's going to be an expensive, painful, time-consuming and messy hassle!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Shout out to my sista!


Mary in 2003


Mary in 2008

My sister Mary just got a new haircut, and she looks like a knockout! Amazing what a difference 5 years will make for a girl. My baby sister, the Watson caboose, will be graduating from MHS on May 30! Then off to BYU-Idaho she goes in the fall. Any bets on how long she'll last as a single hottie in Rexburg? Hopefully longer than I did!

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Feelin' Ranty

I've just been in a bummer mood today. My weekend started out good, going out with Mike and Erin last night. I woke up this morning and went to the RS humanitarian project where I sewed baby sleeper gowns. But when I got home...it was homework time. I know I've got less than two weeks to go this semester, and it's stressing me out bigtime. I'm neck-deep into my critical writing class, and I'm way too critical of my own writing. So after I finished the assignment I was on, I decided to go to the gym. I went on the eliptical for 30 minutes, and after six weeks of "no exercise" doctors orders...it made me feel yucky. I left with crampy muscles, sweaty body, and a little dizzy. Then I came home to answer a cascade of HS reunion emails. I'd voluntarily agreed to help out with the reunion this year, but it's becoming a burden to coordinate. I have a few people willing to help, but I'm having a hard time delegating because it requires a lot of thinking to give direction. I've been linking up other MHS graduates on the reunion blog, and as I've read through those blogs...I've indirectly found negative feedback on the plans that have been decided. I figure in the last 3 months, I've put in 25 solid hours of emailing, researching, updating the blog, etc. I'm feeling a little taken advantage of...but it's self-inflicted because I agreed to help. *sigh*

Taylor decided to take on a tougher schedule this month, because the high-speed schedule only allows you minimum monthly pay. Finances have been dreadfully tight, so it's a good financial decision. But I've been savoring those hour-and-a-half evening together times (between when I get home from work and he leaves for the airport). It'll take some getting used to.

But in happier news, Michigan is abloom in tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and other spring flowers. The leaves on the trees are sprouting and the "popcorn trees" are full of white and pink blossoms.

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