Something's Missing

1.Put your iPod on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT IS!

If you know me and you know the music I listen to, you will find this amusing, I think.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "ARE YOU OKAY" YOU SAY?
Viva La Vida by Coldplay

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Perfect Symmetry by Keane

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Sun King by The Beatles

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Helter Skelter by U2

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Amazed by Greg Laswell

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Just Say Yes by The Cure

WHAT IS 2+2?
More than a Woman by Bee Gees

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Beautiful Girl by Flight of the Conchords

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Always on my Mind by Michael Buble

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
I Could Have Danced All Night by Jamie Cullum

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Mind Games by John Lennon

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Buddha's Delight by Haley Bennett (Music and Lyrics Soundtrack)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
So Sorry by Feist

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Nights on Broadway by Bee Gees

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Foolish Love by Rufus Wainwright

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
One Dozen Monkeys by They Might Be Giants

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Where the Streets Have No Name by U2

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Roller Derby Queen by Jim Croce

WHAT IS ONE THING THAT DISGUSTS YOU?
These Hard Times by Matchbox Twenty

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Taste It by INXS

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Make Believe by Gliss

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
I Am A Rock by Simon and Garfunkel

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Touch Me All Night Long by Cathy Dennis

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Love on the Rocks by Sara Bareilles

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Pretty Friend by Frente

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Seven Years by Norah Jones

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
You Only Live Twice by Coldplay

WHAT MAKES YOU NERVOUS?
Love Song by Sara Bareilles

WHAT WILL YOUR CHILDREN BE LIKE?
Rollin' With My Homies by Coolio

ARE YOU GOING TO HEAVEN?
Money, Money, Money by ABBA

WHAT WILL HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME YOU KISS SOMEONE?
God Only Knows by Beach Boys

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
Don't Stop Believing by Journey

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Something's Missing by John Mayer

My Gratitude List

Rosie is thankful for mom, me, cats, food, dad, toys, dog, and ... sister?
(No, that's not an announcement. She says she meant the turkey's sister)

This Thanksgiving is the first one that I've ever spent away from extended family. Taylor, Rosie and I are chilling in a chilly house in Georgia without any cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, siblings, or grandparents. Today we celebrated by watching 'The Four Christmases' and having our Thanksgiving feast at Golden Corral. It's been pretty understated and relaxed, but I can't help thinking about all my family I'm away from. And in "Me Too!" blogger style, here's my gratitude list:

My amazingly loving husband

My creative, sweet and beautiful daughter

Supportive and loving extended family

Many friends around the world, including my bloggin' friends

Employment, in a time of financial crisis

Shelter, in a time of foreclosure

Faith in the Gospel that keeps me on the straight and narrow

Culture and fun to keep me interesting and sane

Technology to keep me connected

Delicious food and drink to keep my clothes tight

Reliable transportation, by way of car and airplane

Blogging to let me get things off my chest and make new friends

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

My Pirates of Penzance Quest

One of my favorite musicals of all time is The Pirates of Penzance. It is a play that I've been in 3 times, once as a policeman and twice as a daughter of the Major General. My best friend Lizzie also shares the same obsession with Pirates. Especially the 1983 movie version. We can make quotes and comments about catlike tread, hailing poetry, pouring pirate sherry, and gaily treading the measure, and burst out into simultaneous song together. I've had other friends that love the play, such as Emily and Celeste, but nobody else has equalled my campy obsession with Pirates as Liz. And we're not talking Jack Sparrow pirates; we're talking singing, dancing, bumbling and squooshy-with-emotion pirates. She had posted a Facebook status update this week, referring to herself as being the "Very model of a Modern Major General". And I replied back with "I know the kings of England and I quote the fights historical, from Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical." And then we started texting back and forth about our love of the music and choreography and Rex Smith's jewfro. Then the wheels in my head started turning, and I asked her, "Do you have it on DVD." And she said, "I don't think it's even been released on DVD. I've got a horrible stage adaptation of it on DVD, and a discombobulated VHS version, but no DVD."
And then my quest began. I told her, "I will do everything in my power to find this movie for you on DVD." And she relied, "You would be the undisputed eternal queen of awesomeness."

I NEED that title of Undisputed Eternal Queen of Awesomeness in my life. It would look good on a resume.
I've been researching all over the internet, and so far all I can easily find is the horrible stage adaptation on DVD. The HBO version stars Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith...and any other version is just not the same.

I plan to start a Facebook petition to HBO to release the movie on DVD, since they originally released it on VHS. But in the mean time, does anyone have a quality version of the VHS that I can rip into a DVD for Lizzie for her Christmas gift?

How my Wednesday Went

1. Woke up at 7:00 pm to help Stacey get her kids ready for school, had breakfast, and chatted with Stacey until 11:00 am.

2. Packed up the car, and got back on the 75.

3. Stopped for some lunch at Chick-fil-a in Lexington, KY, at one of the most advanced drive-thru set-ups I've ever seen. Btw, their chocolate peppermint shake is fabulous.

4. Stopped in Jellico, TN for snacks, drinks, and "relief"

5. Stopped in Athens, TN for gas, and had a conversation with slack-jawed, super friendly gas station attendant that went like this:

Her: Wow, you seem really happy!
Me: Yeah, I'm going into the homestretch of my trip from Detroit to Atlanta
Her: I'm so, so sorry! I hate Atlanta!
Me: Oh yeah? I'm just about to move there and so far I like it better than Detroit
Her: But it's so SCARY in Atlanta! I hate big, scary cities!
Me: Believe me, I've seen places in Detroit that are much worse than where I'm moving
Her: Well you drive safely, you hear me?
Me: Always. I'll be seeing my husband soon, so I've got good motivation.
Her: I'LL PRAY FOR YOU!!!

6. Right around Chattanooga, received a call from the hiring manager at Emory, asking when I was leaving Atlanta. He wanted me to come in for another interview to meet with someone their hiring for a CFO position. He said that there's actually two positions open in the department, and I'm in the running for both. He'll be in touch next week.

7. Made it into my loving husband's arms at 6:45 in Stone Mountain (with a very full bladder)

8. Ate dinner, relaxed, and fell asleep watching "Get Smart"

How my Tuesday actually went...

1. Readied my self for work (including a remarkably good flat iron job on my hair) and packed the car

2. Dropped off Rosie and drove safely to work in the snow

3. Nervously made it through 6.5 hours of work. Got an email from Emory, telling me that they were going to interview one more candidate before making their decision on the position. At 3:15, felt like a snack and bit down on a fruit snack, losing half of a tooth! This tooth was one that I knew needed a crown, but I was waiting till the new benefit year in January to have the work done. I called the dentist, and was able to get in for a 5:00 pm appointment.

4. Caught the shuttle to my car, drove from Ann Arbor to Rosie's school in record time, picked her up from daycare, dropped her off with a family in my ward, got caught behind a train, and made it to the dentist's office a few minutes late.

5. Had the dentist take a look at the tooth, and dishearteningly heard him say, "You need a root canal RIGHT NOW. If you wait even two days, you may lose the tooth."

6. Was injected, drilled, medicated, poked, prodded for 90 minutes, and had the tooth covered in bonding to hold me over till Tuesday's crown prep appointment.

7. Downed some Motrin, picked up Rosie, and started driving south on the 275, then the 75

8. Stopped in Mt. Cory, OH for $1.43/gallon gas and Arby's

9. Arrived at Stacey's in Union, KY at 11:45 pm

Plan for Today

1. Get ready for work
2. Pack up the car
3. Drop Rosie off at daycare
4. Endure a day of work, trying to get ahead enough to enjoy a 5-day weekend
5. Try to be patient for "the call" from Emory that should come today or tomorrow
6. Pick up Rosie from daycare
7. Drive 275 miles to Stacey's (my old Ricks College roommate) in northern KY
8. Enjoy a visit, while still getting enough sleep to have energy to drive to Atlanta tomorrow

Will I be successful? I only got about 4 hours of decent sleep. I've been having terrible early morning insomnia; I can fall asleep fine, but I wake up WAY too early and can't get back to sleep until it's time to wake up and get ready for work. Caffeine may be my constant companion today.

Tweet

I caved in a moment of early morning insomnia insanity. For anyone who cares to follow me, I'll be now tweeting on twitter. Note - they wouldn't let me add the final K in cuteculturechick, so I'll tweet at cuteculturechic. Just like on LiveJornal. Except I don't LJ anymore.

Stuck in Bed

I just feel plain yucky today! I started feeling ill yesterday afternoon, and it's just gotten progressively worse since. Achy muscles, sore throat, swollen glands, fever, firey nasal passages, GI symptoms, headache, stuffy nose...sounds like the flu to me. I got my flu shot a few weeks ago, but being around a sick husband last weekend, and a sick daughter a few days ago...I guess I was doomed. Stress has been super high, especially at work, so I know my immune system has been suffering. I've only been away from my bed for short intervals for the last 24 hours. I missed singing in Stake Conference today. I've been downing ginger ale, jello, and toast. Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow...only two days of work till I drive down to Atlanta for Thanksgiving!

Crazy 8's

I was tagged again by Celeste, so here I go!

8 Favorite T.V. Shows (in no particular order)

-House, M.D.
-90210
-The Office
-Grey's Anatomy
-American Idol
-Ugly Betty
-Arrested Development
-Gilmore Girls

8 favorite restaurants

-The Melting Pot
-El Torito
-La Tolteca
-Acapulco's
-Cafe Rio
-Chick-Fil-A
-On The Border Mexican Grill
-Chili's

8 things that happened yesterday (Saturday November 22)

-Had a family breakfast at Denny's
-Went to Costco for Dayquil and Zyrtec
-Drove behind lots of stores to get empty boxes
-Took a nap
-Followed the scores of the Michigan-Ohio State and Utah-BYU games
-Coughed, sneezed, ached, and felt yucky
-Went through ALL of Rosie's clothes; sorted out the too-small and summer clothes, and put the dirty clothes in the hamper, and hung the rest up
-Chatted with a bunch of my lovely pilot wife friends at Pilot Wives Club

8 Things to Look Forward to

-Living with my husband again
-Taking trips to CA, OR, and UT in December
-Girls night outs
-Having mother/daughter time with Rosie
-Blogging and reading other blogs
-Taking a trip out of the country in 2008 (Either Europe or Japan)
-Kissing my life in Michigan goodbye
-Having access to fitness equipment again (I miss having a gym membership, and it's too COLD to go outside to exercise)

8 Things I Love About Fall

-Changing colors
-Wearing hoodies and sweaters
-Warm socks and cozy blankets
-Baking treats
-The end of the summer heat and humidity
-The crisp smell in the air
-Hot chocolate and Smores
-Having different weather everyday

8 Favorite Places to Visit

-SLC (Salt Lake City, UT)
-LAX (Los Angeles, CA)
-PDX (Portland, OR)
-IDA (Idaho Falls, ID)
-OGG (Kahalui, Maui)
-ATL (Atlanta, GA)
-SEA (Seattle, WA)
-SAN (San Diego, CA)

8 Things On My Wish List

-Tempur-pedic Pillow
-120GB iPod (my 30GB iPod is having some technical difficulties)
-Someone to clean out my car for me
-A trip to an amusement park with lots of rollercoasters
-Getting back into practice on the bass and piano
-Be a skinny person
-Start reaching my goals that I've set for myself
-Finish my bachelor degree

8 People that I tag...my pilot wife/gf blogger buddies!

-Tripacerchick
-Partner of a Pilot
-Someday
-Cpt J's Wife
-The Pilot's Wife
-Regional Girlfriend
-Brittany H
-Mandy

Girls Night Out

Last night, I grabbed my two best friends in Michigan, and went to see "Twilight" for a Girls' Night Out. Husbands stayed back and watched the kiddos, the soundtrack was a-blasting in the car, and we were ready for some hot vampire action. We stopped by the store first, grabbing some drinks and candy to smuggle in. Hillary (middle) and Erin (right) had never actually met each other, but Hillary recognized Erin, and I think they made fast friends. After the movie, we had appetizers and dessert from Chili's, and stayed up way past our bedtimes.

There's no way I could have survived my time in Michigan with these ladies. Here's a little about my ladies:

Hillary lived in the apartment next door to me. She is the only neighbor who came over to introduce herself in the whole time I've lived here. She has a deliciously adorable daughter, and Rosie loves to dote over. We both dealt with Absent Husband Syndrome for the first half of the year, as both men had to constantly travel for work. We kept up on American Idol together (although she voted for the wrong David) She moved a few blocks away in the summer, but we still saw each other all the time. She needed some extra cash, and I needed someone to flexibly watch Rosie on the days Taylor was on a trip. She was so sweet...she offered to let us stay over for dinner almost everyday that Rosie was at her place. We are both movie/music nuts and love to stay abreast of all the latest new releases.

Erin got to see my husband a lot more than I got to see him in 2007. Her husband Mike was Taylor's bunkmate at Jet U for 5 months last year, so we both suffered from Absent Husband Syndrome. When they both started working at DTW, Taylor lived on their couch for next-to-nothing for three months. Erin graciously kept a stiff upper lip when he was hard to live with, and let him stay much longer than originally anticipated. We met last November on the weekend I flew out from California to find a place to live. We ended up living within walking distance of each other. We share the same obsessions of Trader Joes, creative crafting, Keane, blogging/LJing, and the fresh organic produce. It was tough to have get-togethers for both of our families because Mike seemed to typically work the opposite days of Taylor. She's attempted to teach me to knit, and I still owe her a sewing lesson. We share the same pain of being drowning in debt from our husband's careers, and living of their anorexic paychecks. I introduced her to the Twilight series, so we'll always be connected through vampire blood.

Speaking of vampire blood, didn't I pull off the vampire look pretty well to see the movie?

On the Chopping Block

Work has been really rough since I gave my (premature?) notice three weeks ago. I guess I should have waited to tell my boss that I was leaving until I had a job offer...but I decided to be a KIND employee so she could rehire without being left stranded at my departure. Six weeks notice is definitely too long for an outgoing employee's sanity. Hopefully I'll hear back on the Emory job Tuesday or Wednesday. I was so ready to commit career suicide yesterday...

Hooray!

The other day, Taylor was asked to pick something up at the store on the way back from ready reserve. He saw a Walmart off the highway and pulled off. Much to his surprise, there was an El Pollo Loco there! I thought that there were only EPL's in California, and a few other scattered locations in the west. I just checked the website, and there are 9 EPL's in the Atlanta area! This is good news for us...it's one of the healthiest fast food restaurants possible. The contestants on the Biggest Loser have meals there, and their food is suggested on several commercial diet plans. I used to go to an EPL post-workout all the time in CA. Proof again that I won't have to live off fried chicken and southern cooking in Georgia. Citrus-grilled chicken breast, here I come!

Fat Matt's Rib Shack

Just for fun, a collage from last weekend. Most of the pics were taken with Clint, Hank, Marissa, and Taylor at Fat Matt's Rib Shack. Don't forget to get the "RUM" baked beans (which we can't quite figure out why they call 'em "RUM" beans, because apparently they don't taste like rum)

Also, in the left bottom corner is a restaurant we saw called NickieMotos. It sounds like just the place for me!

Before I leave Michigan, I want to...

1. Go to the Motown Museum
2. Tour the Ford Rouge Factory and Greenfield Village
3. Eat a sandwich at Zingermanns
4. Have a GNO with all the ladies I love
5. Chill in Royal Oak and Ferndale
6. See a concert at the Fillmore Detroit
7. Bridge jump naked from the Ambassador Bridge into Canada (just kidding!)

If interested in assisting me fulfill this list, please let me know!

Monsters

There is a monster in my existence that torments me incessantly. Demanding, assuming the worst, and jumping to conclusions. And I just have to follow and tolerate this monster without question.

To combat the torment today, I went to my car, shut the door, and started to scream. Nothing held back, full of angst, vocally piercing, bloodcurdling screaming. I screamed until my tonsils were inflamed, ears were throbbing, lungs wheezed and eyes were streaming with tears. I didn't have the words to express my gut-wrenching frustration, just pure volume. Then I wiped my eyes, and nose, and drove home.

I'd never done it before. But it felt so good.

I know I shouldn't, but...

I sometimes text while driving, and floss my teeth while waiting at stoplights

I love pictures of kids crying...with squinty eyes, red cheeks, desperate expressions and tear stains

Every gray hair found on my head is greeted with tweezers or a black Sharpie

I follow over 100 blogs, and can easily spend 2 hours a day reading them

I occasionally watch R-rated movies (and I'd only watched 5 ever when I met my husband)

I'll accept any offer for lunch/dinner/dessert, even if I've already eaten for that meal

I only clean my house when someone's coming over, including when my husband comes home from a trip

Flaps Up!

This morning Taylor and I caught the early showing of Madagascar 2. The pilot penguins totally make the movie! From the "Flaps Up!" comment, to the union contract representative ("No maternity leave!"), you may catch yourself laughing so hard your eyes tear up....it happened for Taylor. I recommend this for the whole family, especially those that love aviation movies.

Mutually Beneficial

Yesterday I had my interview at Emory. I hate to get my hopes up prematurely, but I really think I've got the job. I was impressed by the people that I met with, had comments ranging from acceptable-to-stunning for every question, had a lot in common with the interviewers, and just had a good gut feeling. I am CERTAIN that I am qualified for the position, it is a position that INTERESTS me, and I would have a TALENT for. I was told they are going to interview a few other candidates for comparison, but the director also mentioned making an appointment next week to discuss salary. I don't want to be crushed emotionally if I don't get the job, but I'm cautiously and enthusiastically optimistic.

After the interview, Taylor and I checked out a few apartments and condos in the Decatur/North Druid Hills area. We have our top two places selected, both with immediate availability, with the same top-ranked elementary school assigned to the units. We had dinner at Fat Matt's Rib Shack with Clint, Hank, and Marissa. We followed Clint onto the wrong way on a one-way street and narrowly missed a major crash. Today Taylor is on reserve from 11a-11p, and I hope that he doesn't get called so I can get some quality hubby time.

NOT going private...

I've been following many blogs of people that I'm only slightly acquainted with. Maybe we went to high school, maybe we went to a common party, maybe we commented on the same blog and I laughed so hard I had to "stalk" your blog. I've been amazed at the recent influx of privatizing blogs. There are blogs that I look forward to reading, even though I'm not a close friend. I've been sad that about 10 of the blogs I love, but probably am not close friends enough to ask for an invite, have decided to go private this week. It's probably good that I'll have less posts to wade through, but still...it feels like a good friend moving away and not being given a forwarding address. For those that have gone private, and I still follow your blog...I appreciate the glimpse in reality into your life.

Maybe I'm a little too liberal with the details of my life that I post. My life is an open book. I've done guest posts on blogs (anonymously) to talk about some of my difficult life experiences in hopes that it may help another. I don't give out my home address or social security number. Anything my husband isn't comfortable with, he asks me to revise and take down. I have a private blog (that only I have access to) for reposting blogs that have been too controversial or have hurt people's feelings, or really are the private feelings of my heart or spiritual manifestations that definitely aren't for public consumption).

I would hate to lose the camaraderie of new pilot wives that start blogs or find mine. Blogging is a great way to keep tabs on old friends and distant family members. I think I have a particularly interesting life, and am a funny enough or relatable enough to get a good following in my readership. I want to make a difference in the world in my life. Blogging may not be the avenue of building up nations or crumbling governments, but it's my place in space to get things off my chest. I want to be your friend. I want to entertain you. And that is why my blog will never go private.

Birdstrikes!

I was just reading about a birdstrike on a Ryanair flight in Rome today. Last November, on Taylor's first trip off O.E., he had his first birdstrike. I blogged about it last year here, but its one of the aviation experiences that Taylor loves to retell. Of all my blog entries that get searched on Google, this experience has the highest search rate. A lot of pilot SO's now read my blog, and I was curious how many of your pilots have experienced a birdstrike??

Here are some pictures from last years birdstrike incident...







Just for fun, here's the story again:
(11/27/07) Yesterday was Taylor's first flight out of O.E. training. He was on reserve for the day with a three-day trip planned for Tuesday. He got called in for a quick out-and-back to Wausau, Wisconsin. It was a cold, snowy day in Detroit...but after an hour and a half of delays and de-icing they took off no problem. But as they came in for the landing approach, Taylor and the captain saw a flash of birds. Within half a second, a group of ducks crashed into the plane. They lost control of the nose wheel door and lost hydraulic system 3. It smashed the radome, went through the nose cone, then the radar, then the bulkhead, ending up in the forward avionics bay. Warnings and error messages were flashing, and luckily they were able to get down the landing gear before the hydraulic system bled out. Passengers snapped pictures of the plane after deplaning on the tarmac. It was one of those "once in a career" moments...and it was on Taylor's first flight out of training.

Cutting back

Another thing we've recently cut back on is our gym membership. Although our loyalty is with 24 Hour Fitness, which isn't available in MI, we've been with Lifetime Fitness through our time in MI. Their closest location is practically a palace. It has a salon, dayspa, massage area, and all sorts of other amenities that I could never afford. We've been paying $106/mo, which has included the kid's center for Rosie. Unfortunately, we haven't used it enough to make it worth the money. On a good week I'll make it 3-5 times, but usually it's only 1-2. Since Taylor was going to Atlanta, we decided to end our membership at the end of October.

I typically work out every Saturday (unless I'm sick or out of town) and last Saturday I decided to do some non-gym exercise. I donned my thick sweats, thick socks, gloves, and beanie and trudged out into the 37 degree morning. I brought along my iPod and 5 lb hand weights. It was raining and windy, and my cheeks were burning quickly. After 25 minutes, I felt chilled to the bone and the rain was coming at me horizontally. I hopped into a hot shower afterwards, and still was shivering an hour later.

I need to find a friend with a treadmill or elliptical in their home so I don't lose my motivation to exercise. I do a lot of walking in the hospital, but I rarely walk more than 10 minutes at a time. I'm hoping to have good, convenient access to a gym in Atlanta...I need to work off all this extra Michigan weight I've gained. This place is so depressing...

Cluster

Your Personality Cluster is Extraverted Intuition

You are: You are a true wordsmith and a master of words. You are original, spontaneous, and a true inspiration. Highly energetic, you are up for any challenge. You are entertaining and engaging... both to friends and strangers.

Cheaplander

Recently, I've been getting into a blog called Cheaplander that gives tips on ways to save money, living within your means, making informed purchases, and other ways to deal with this depressed Eeekonomy. Since I've lived in MI, I've been the most broke that I've been since being married to my husband. We started out thinking that I'd be a full-time student here, and took out a student loan large enough to cover the expenses that we anticipated for 6 months that his income could not cover. We knew that the cost of living in MI was much lower than CA, and we tried to pay for our move and expenses to get our home set up as frugally as possible.

Then the student loans hit. We knew that they would eventually, but they all came at once. Suddenly we had a $1700 monthly burden to include in our monthly expenses. Taylor's first-year FO pay was only occasionally high enough to cover his loans. I got a job in March, and we've been trying to break even financially and cutting out unnecessary expenses.

First, we cut our cable. We did a package deal through Comcast (phone, internet, cable) for $99...but it actually ended up being $127 per month. We never used the home phone, and we realized that most of the shows we watch are on the main networks. So we trimmed our services to high-speed internet only for $56 per month. A few months later, they had a promotion running where we could add basic cable for $3/month...totaling $59 per month for cable and internet. I figure that the cost was worth is just so Rosie could get engrossed in Disney Channel and I needed mommy-alone time.

Another thing we cut was our clothing budget. I had a slew of lovely places in CA that I could find terrific clothing deals, especially at thrift stores. I love getting new clothes, but I had a closet full and tried to get by with what I had. For the first 7 months of my job, I got by on only one black pair of slacks. I'd wear them 2-4 times per week, and they were getting faded and threadbare. I treated myself to a new work outfit a few weeks ago, and I felt like a new person! My confidence at work really went up...just having another option to wear. Then two weeks ago I found another pair of pants I liked on sale, normally $54 for $20. I paired it up with a 40% off coupon, and walked out of the store for $13. Yesterday, I went to sale and got two dresses and a fancy white blouse. I got all the items off the clearance rack, got another 25% off for "friends and family day" plus used a $10 off text message coupon (that I signed up for while waiting in line) Three new items for $34 (normally $124). Then we went across the street to the kids clothing consignment shop and got Rosie 3 gently-used shirts, a sweater with matching scarf , and a book for $13.

My food spending still needs improvement. I eat out way too much, especially on my lunch breaks and while traveling. I need to curb my non-healthy eating so I can continue to fit into my new dress featured below.


If anyone wants to find out more of my bargain shopping tips and tricks, let me know. I'd love to go out shopping with you.

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are intelligent, outgoing & stylish. A true girly girl, you love shopping & makeovers. Although you are a generous friend, you can be coy, tricky & very persuasive in order to get your way. You are known to zone out occasionally during conversations, but your friends forgive you because you are understanding, supportive & know how to throw one heck of a party!

Weekend with Rosie

Friday:
...Turning in the bottles and cans for recycling (Rosie collects $4.80)
...Eating at a new restaurant that makes their own root beer
...Hanging out with Erin

Saturday:
...Making sausage, ham, and 3-cheese breakfast casserole
...Seeing High School Musical 3 with Hillary
...Buying a few new clothing items each (for next to nothing)
...Rosie lasertagging at Zap Zone for a birthday party, while I enjoy gelato at the cafe next door
...Reading Dr. Seuss books together

Sunday:
...Sleeping in late
...Eating homemade raisin spice oatmeal
...Going to church
...Going to ward choir (WebKinz club downstairs, adults singing upstairs)
...Eating a simple dinner of corn, green beans, and leftover breakfast casserole
...Getting into pajamas at 5:30 pm to relax and prepare for the week ahead

So far, Taylor's 5 for 5 on working reserve days this week. When his other pilot friends transferred to ATL, they only got called once or twice during the whole month. Taylor's had to work every day, and usually only has 90 minutes get dressed, drive, and report to the airport. He is lucky if his schedule is updated online before he gets the crew sched call. It's going to be a long month if his schedule continues this way. I hope he gets a decent line next month.

Genius!

I just downloaded the new version of iTunes. One of the new features is called Genius - you select a song you like, and Genius will scan through your library to find a custom playlist similar to the song you chose. I've made quite a few Genius lists, and everyone has been spectacular! Here are a few examples- I entered a song I love, and these artists were immediately linked:

Landed - Ben Folds :Aqualung, Jason Mraz, Sufjan Stevens, Beck, Howie Day, Dave Matthews Band, Damien Rice, The Fray, John Mayer, Regina Spektor, Jet, Snow Patrol, Better Than Ezra

Dig - Incubus: Angels and Airwaves, Deathcab for Cutie, Paramore, Stone Temple Pilots, OAR, Muse, Frou Frou, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Fall Out Boy, Muse

The Special Two - Missy Higgins: Sarah McLachlan, Holly Brook, Sara Bareilles, Josh Kelly, Kelly Clarkson, Ingrid Michaelson, Colbie Callait, Imogen Heap, Justin Nouzuka, Annie Lennox

Every Breath You Take - The Police: The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Clash, Duran Duran, Journey, Sting, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Barenaked Ladies, The Cars, Matchbox Twenty

Some of the combinations may sound odd at first, but it matches upbeat songs to others upbeat songs, and ballads to ballads. It's apparently based on feedback from listeners in the iTunes store, for what songs other people purchased. You can also link it up to purchase new stuff, but since I've got over 900 albums in my iTunes (yeah, I know I'm insane!) it helps me rediscover songs and artists I haven't listened to in a while. It doesn't always work like magic, but it's worth a try!

Breakfast with Thomas

Last Saturday, I met up with my cousin Thomas for breakfast in Orange County. He was the winner of my blog giveaway...which gave me a great opportunity to get "caught" up with him. He's a few years younger than me, and I don't know him as well as his older sisters Alaina and Jillian. When I lived in Oregon, he lived in Arizona. Then he moved to Oregon, and I moved to Utah. He recently graduated from BYU and moved to California with his wife this summer. His wife's parents live in Michigan, but we missed them on their trip here a few months ago. So this breakfast was my chance to "catch" the infamous Thomas.

A funny story about Thomas: I was at the SLC Olympics Medals Plaza for the Barenaked Ladies concert in 2002. I went with my sister, and a guy caught my eye...smiled really big....and ran over and gave me a hug. He was obviously very excited to see me. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place him. So I played along and chatted for a few minutes, racking my brain with recognition for who I was talking to. Then Mary said, "Aren't my cousin from Oregon?" and it hit me! It was Thomas! I hadn't seen him since a trip to Oregon in 1998. In those 4 years, he'd gotten so tall and good looking. I can't remember if I told him at the time that I didn't recognize him right off, but the memory makes me laugh.

Can you tell we've both got the Watson baby blues?

First Down

Yesterday I had my first interview for a job in Atlanta at Emory University. It was a phone interview, but it went really well, and they want me to come down next week to interview in person. The interviewer said, "We've gotten a lot of applications on this position, but you were the only one we've wanted to actually interview." The position sounds right up my alley, even though it's less healthcare-focused than I'd intended. It's still administrative, but it's with the med school.

Since I gave my notice at work in Michigan last week, there's been a marked change in my happiness there. The past few weeks had actually been under control, as far as my workload, and I was feeling a tinge of sadness that I was leaving. But after a difficult experience Monday, and a ridiculous meeting Wednesday...I'm having a hard time imagining staying through the next few weeks. The surgeon who I've been working with since March leaves this week (for Atlanta, consequently) and I've been given a lot of the office's grunt work to fill my time. I'm so glad it's Friday!

Taylor's on reserve in Atlanta this week. He got to play with Clint for two days after returning from California. Yesterday he got called on a ferry flight to Cincy, and then got extended overnight for a few more legs. He didn't bring any extra clothes or his toiletry bag because when he left for the airport, he was supposed to be back in 6 hours. Hopefully he won't have to work much this month....he really needs to finish his algebra class.

Focused

There's a lot of things I've wanted to blog about lately:

- My trip to CA last weekend, and they hellish non-revving return home (7 times a charm!)
-My feelings on Prop 8
-Breakfast with my cousin Thomas (blog contest winner!)
-How I spent my Halloween
-My recent obsession with Pop Rocks and peanut M&Ms (not together!)
-My love/hate relationship with the docs I work with
-My husband moving to ATL and spending all his free time having fun with Clint while I'm stuck in DTW working

But for tonight...I'm focused on my job search. And a little bit of election results in between.