Stressed/overwhelmed/busy

I can't wait until I have a few minutes to post more pictures (like from our lovely weekend outings). But after a warm Thanksgiving at the Bares', Jurm and I got a Christmas tree this weekend. The house smells so delicious when you walk in and out of the living room it really makes me feel like Christmas is closer than we think. I decorated it all by myself! It turned out rather precious. Before and after below.

I can't wait to put up the lights outside!
<3
-merry times ahead

YIKES

Its been almost one month since I last blogged. I am a terrible blogger! That just shows how busy I have been. So much has happened since then. Particularly our weekend away in Patagonia, Bisbee, and a peek at Tombstone, Arizona. Pictures soon. Just have to get through this tough week of school before the Thanksgiving break.

-be back shortly

Official Thoughts of the Day

I am drowning in lengthy assignments with no sign of lifeguards on duty to rescue.

I have been taking my vitamin more frequently and it feels good.

Sometimes I wish I were 1 year older.

I feel left out of fun things more often when I am too busy to participate in them as opposed when I too have something fun to do.

My room is messy, and I have no time to clean it this week.

Enjoy my company like I enjoy yours, it makes me feel appreciated.

-Distracted 

Orzo, Another Black Beast, & Swimming Lessons

This weekend was rather lovely. I feel like I say that every weekend! Perhaps its because I live for the mornings I can sleep in and that no assignments are due, or that weekends mean outings with my favorite person, or that I have the time to cook real meals... But! I digress.

The Cats won their homecoming game against the Washington Huskies, and I picked up some pumpkins from Trader Joe's (only $2.99 any size!) that have yet to be carved! Other than that, I made some Orzo for dinner Friday night and it was easy and yummy and made with things that are probably already in your pantry. I added chicken to make it a bit more substantial. A fantastic improvisation if I say so myself.

Samantha's Easy Chicken Orzo How to:

Orzo Pasta- 99 Cents at Trader Joe's
Crumbled Feta Cheese- 2.99 at Trader Joe's
Olive Oil (extra light worked well)
Basil Leaves (I used McCormick's sprinkle bottle)
2 Chicken Breasts (I grilled it seasoned with garlic salt and lemon pepper)

Made plenty for Jeremy and me, ate it again for lunch today and still have some left!

First follow directions on the package for the Orzo pasta, like you would cook any other.
Next drain and add a bit of olive oil to the pasta just to coat.
Add chicken breast pieces chopped up bite-sized
Add full package of crumbled feta (or other cheese to your liking)
keep stirring so that all ingredients are evenly distributed
Sprinkle basil leaves for a little color and a lot of flavor

yummy warm or cold the next day!

And Jeremy's dad got his new BMW delivered from Germany yesterday. Simply adding to the fleet of excellent black cars... although mine isn't as excellent as it is pretty good. :) I will catch up one day! It is a 335d- a diesel BMW with an environmental package. How green! Minus the poopy brown interior color it is a pretty looking car. 

Also, I love receiving picture messages from my family of my little sisters and their adventures while I am out here having my own. 

Here is Ella after swimming lessons at the YMCA in Encinitas. I wish I could be there taking them to swimming lessons like I used to.

-warm thoughts

IBM Family Night and a Lovely Saturday

Last night was so much fun! I was happy to spend an entire evening with Jeremy. Every year IBM holds a family night at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. -A place we have visited often in the past year. But all the same it is a lovely night! The weather was so great, no wind at all. We sat and ate dinner on a quiet patio out in the peaceful desert environment under the stars with soft music playing in the background. We watched a little show about birds of prey, pet a snake, and saw a mountain lion and a beaver just to name a few. It's a great place to visit. It was cool to go to IBM family night for a second time, since we tried to do things that we didn't do last year, or when my parents visited with us over the summer. Here are some pictures from the event.

This is a Chihuahuan Raven. It was trained to fly all around the auditorium. Its wings flapped right over the heads of the audience. Just the flap of the wind from underneath them is so powerful it really makes you think about how amazing birds really are. We just forget about them until they poop on our cars really.

 This is a Ferruginous Hawk. She kept screeching every once in a while it was a bit intimidating. I was afraid for the small children in the audience since they could be mistaken for small rodents/delightful snacks.

 This was in a cave exhibiting the lifestyle that bats would have. There were no real bats of course, since they are sensitive to human influence. But these were fun pictures :). We took them last year also, so it has become a tradition at the Desert Museum for us. 

 He would make a handsome bat.

 yay

After the dinner and walking around the museum, we went home and watched the latest Indiana Jones movie. I really enjoyed spending some relaxing QT with my man out and about as well as cozy and at home.

-rather lovely indeed

my new edition

Welcoming my new car into my life was difficult today considering the circumstances surrounding the event. -I'll explain later. But for now, say hello to my pretty new baby 2010 Mazda3. Still thinking of its name...

zoom-zoom

He's the one

Credit

Received my first Corporate Credit Card in the mail today. Its blue and sparkly and shiney and has my name on it. I've never had a credit card before so this is exciting. Its not that I am going to spend on anything that I am not supposed to for work, but I feel rather important having one.

Oh, and I got a RAI$E at the museum. YE$!!

"Don't worry, I'll put it on the corporate card."

Jetta or Mazda?

I've narrowed down the car search to two vehicles with decent lease deals going on right now. I've test driven both twice and there are positives and negatives about both.

The decision is between:
The 2010 Mazda 3 sedan and the 2010 Jetta Limited Edition Sedan.
Both would be white or black. I've had a white car and they are easy to clean, but I love black cars because they are so sharp looking.

It's awful because:
1. I have to make monthly payments
2. My poor Explorer (Betsy) will need to be traded in and it will leave me sad.
3. My dad has to cosign with me since I have never had a credit card/ thus no credit.
4. Car insurance rates go up on a new/leased car.
5. I can't decide which one I prefer looks/feel wise because I have always driven an SUV, so these sedans are not my personality, not my style, not my anything! But they are the cheapest and most fuel efficient decent looking cars around.

It's good because:
1. I will be saving money on gas.
2. I will have maintenance taken care of.
3. I have the option to buy at the end of the lease.
4. If I buy I will end up paying less than I would have had I purchased the car with a car loan since there is no interest, I am only paying the depreciation on the car.
5. I will no longer have to walk to school/ lose hours at work.

Ultimately the price has to be right... But anyone have any votes?

 

Official Thoughts of the Day

Walking to/from school in 100+ degree heat is awful.. I hate sweating.

I wish it was socially appropriate to punch people in the face for their actions.

It's neat that I met Douglas Trumbull today.

I might be leasing a car soon. 

Saddest day ever

My baby died. :( 

I drove to school on Thursday morning and I experienced some car trouble. It was making this strange whurrjrrjrrjrr sound and it wouldn't go over 30 mph or 3 rpm even. Upon arriving hysterically to the Zone 1 parking lot, I called the local Ford dealer and asked them if I could bring her in. She spent the night at Jim Click Ford and woke up feeling better apparently, because she didn't want to make the noise for them. They told me all was well Friday afternoon and I went to pick her up. Upon leaving the service department driveway, I heard the same whurrjrrjrrjrr noise and stopped. I summoned the service manager who said plain and simple, "ma'am you probably shouldn't be driving this." She spent another night at the dealership. Saturday afternoon they called and broke the news to me that the transmission was out and needed to be replaced. Since my family is poor and so am I, the $4500.00 fix is not going to happen. My car is worth $1600.00 with the junk transmission. Anyone know someone who can fix this for cheaper? Anyway, Father says some kind of lease is the best bet for me now since he can't afford to help me out on this one. I wish this would have happened when I wasn't in school a week before midterms... I guess the 2 mile walk to class will give me some more exercise. I hate being dependent on people.

-Depressed

Kira is 1

How fast another year has flown. 3 weeks ago Kira turned 1 year old! I am an old lady, and an old sister.
I wish I could finger-paint like Kira.

It was great to see family and close friends

And of course my sleepy dog.

-Family

Chicken & Waffles and My First Omelette

After the first home football game of the season, (Go Cats)

Jeremy and I went to this new Chicken & Waffle joint called May's Counter. It was so yummy!

I also cooked my first omelette for Jeremy Sunday morning. I personally don't like eggs, so making an omelette was an experience. He said it was delicious! I used leftover carne asada steak, green bell peppers, onions, garlic salt, pepper and milk for fluffiness. 

Besides having a bad dream this weekend, I had a lovely one. I plan to post pictures from Kira's first birthday as soon as I can. 

First day of school as a Junior in college

Well, it was ALMOST my last first day of school. Second to last to be precise. And for the first time I really felt "old" on campus. Thinking about the figures here, I only have 3 semesters of undergrad left. Crazy! -Since I will be graduating in December 2011. I guess you can call me the 3 and 1/2er. :) yay! My classes so far will be challenging but I believe a healthy balance as well. I have Advanced Spanish for Heritage Learners, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and The Structure and Meaning of English words on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And on Wednesdays I have my Junior Pro-seminar. I have been told I am crazy with the classes I am taking at the same time (for an English major). One thing I am worried about though: memorizing the first 18 lines of Chaucers Canterbury Tales General Prologue in Middle English by next week. If we do not pass this test, the professor said he would drop us immediately from the course. (Isn't pressure just LOVELY?) But looking at the syllabus for each class, I think everything will be fairly spread out and balanced. Just the end of the year projects and papers will likely hit me like a ton of bricks... But hey, I don't have to worry about that until December right??

As for the first day overall: It went rather smoothly. Syllabus day is simple. But I already have assignments due this week! The most interesting part of the day came at the end. When It began hailing and raining Monsoon style the last 15 min of my last class of the day. Since I had to park far away (about 1 mile) it was a very drenching hike back to my car. In flip flops, people slip on the slick concrete when it is inches deep in water. So you see tons of students barefoot carrying their flip flops. I tried it for a little but then I stepped on rocks, so I scratched that idea. After trudging through the rivers that were the streets on campus in my white shorts, I was then splashed on the legs by CatTran. After saying "seriously?!" out loud to an inanimate bus I finally made it to my car. SAFE! I proceeded home where I showered and scrubbed my feet.

Here's to a good/challenging year.


-upperclassman

Have we forgotten freedom of religion?

It is practically embarrassing to be American right now. First SB 1070 and now all this fear of Islam.
Honestly, the uneducated masses are really turning into a flock of senseless and ignorant sheep.
-Hmm. Not surprised.

Things I currently have issues with:

1. The fact that more and more people think President Obama is Muslim. He isn't, and if he were, WHO CARES?

2. The fact that three proposed mosques in New York, Nashville, and (the more familiar to me) Temecula are being denounced and protested. Have we forgotten what our founding fathers have written? Freedom of religion is one of the most fundamental aspects of our Constitution. So regarding number 1 as well, WHO CARES if there are Islamic mosques being built? Who are next, Buddhists? Mormons? Jews? Hindus? Jehovah's Witnesses? And heaven forbid we target Atheists too. I was a little disappointed when Obama didn't take a firm stance on this (due to all the criticism from O.W.R.C.C.s**). But I am happy he addressed number 1.

3. I sincerely believe with all of my soul that people have the right to believe whatever they want and practice it whenever and wherever they choose. I also believe that humanity has outlived every religion, and it will surpass yours. There are plenty of playgrounds next to Catholic churches where little boys play all day long. No one is protesting that! Simply because a proposed mosque is 4 blocks from ground zero doesn't mean ignorant freaks can deny them the right to practice Islam. Its simply not our choice.

4. Last, believe what you want. IF god created us as a fair amount of people believe, he created us to doubt him, believe in other gods, and practice in many different ways. So quit protesting the Constitution and start promoting human rights, making America look even more stupid than we already do.


**O.W.R.C.C.s = Old white rich conservative christians - aka majority in power in all United States governmental institutions

I hope that these people find justice and peace in their endeavors to practice their faith.
Keep church and state separate please.


-disgruntled 


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2010/08/are_americans_total_numbskulls.html

Proud

He was notified today that he got his first patent.
He's so smart and dedicated to what he does it's finally showing in this new achievement.
So excited, happy and proud of him for all his hard work.
Now on to bigger and even better things... and inventor status of course.
-Cheers to you my love 

Letters to My Future Husband #2

Dear Future Husband,
I noticed a couple today that was yelling at each other about nonsense in front of their small child. Let us never be that way, and handle any difference in opinion calmly and not let it concern/affect our future child. 
Love,
Your Future Wife

Kartchner Caverns

Today Jeremy and I were invited to go down to Kartchner Caverns near Benson Arizona. My friend Lauren and her husband drove us down and came on the tour with us. The caves are a national park, so everything is almost completely preserved. They don't allow ANYTHING but you in the cave in hopes of keeping it preserved and living. Therefore no cameras. I did buy some postcards at the end. The only pictures I could post were found online. I would totally recommend it to my Arizona friends. A totally educational and fun trip. The stalactites and stalagmites were incredible. I walked in with straight hair and came out with curly hair its about 90% humidity in there! Anyway they had this neat light show to music that showcased parts of the Throne Room area of the cave. The tallest column there is 58 feet tall! The butterscotch coloring of the decorations were gorgeous in person. Everything is so fragile-looking. A truly "spiritual experience." What I found amazing was that we have no idea that there are such amazing things going on below the earth's surface millions of years in the making. These pictures do not do the experience justice. It did cost money to take the tour, but it was definitely worth it. I love exploring new places with my man. <3

-Cavewoman

Lazy or Busy? Anyway, long update post

I suppose I have been extremely lazy with posting since my last post was approximately two days from a month ago. OOPS! Well there is plenty to update on since my short but amazing trip to San Diego. Here are a few pictures to bring things a bit closer to "recent."

Seal Beach La Jolla

The smell of the ocean reminds me of home

How does one take a picture with a seal?

Down to Sunny Jim Cave

In the cave

Relaxing at home

Story time with Ella

Feeding Kira lunch

Playtime outside with the hose

The squealing excitement was so adorable!

Cruising with teething biscuit in the pie-hole

Playing whiffle-ball out front with daddy

And Ella too

foliage

Off-shore kayaking La Jolla shores

All wet after flipping over on the way in haha!

I guess that will cover the San Diego trip. Kayaking was amazing I totally want to purchase my own. We went on a group tour with La Jolla Kayak since it was our first time out in the open ocean. But I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Since being home to Tucson I have been working and mentally preparing myself for back to school. I have only 3 semesters left and I am going to be busting my way through them working hard for every grade. Summer indeed flew by. Working really does soak all the time up like a sponge. Time to get back to the grind in just a few short weeks.

As for other interesting things, I spotted my first Tarantula outside of a plastic container the other day. In front of Jeremy's house! We were returning from an evening of cosmic bowling with his work friends when I spotted him on the front walkway. I was okay with him mainly because he was outside and doing his own thing, helping us by eating bad bugs :). He blends pretty well with the rocks. But he's a big one thats for sure.

So over the weekend my love and I ran some errands, which is always fun. Among other things we went to Mesquite Valley Growers nursery to buy some herbs/plants to put in the kitchen windowsill. The house finally has some life to it! We ended up with Rosemary, Basil, and some tropical random plant with a strange name I can't recall. :) Modeling the fabulous Kelly, I decided to name them!

From left to right: Maria, Roberto, and Francis.

So I plan on looking up recipes beyond chicken or potatoes and pesto to use Maria and Francis with. Suggestions? As for Roberto, he is just a looker.

-TTFN

Theres no place like San Diego

I mean -Home. I am excited to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch a flight tomorrow morning to San Diego to spend a fabulous week with my family and boyfriend. It could not be a better Monday :)
Be back soon Tucson, I might miss you. Well I will miss the monsoons, if they get here already!

-flying away

Spontaneous Hike

So Friday evening, Jeremy and I were determined to make our Saturday pleasant by getting out of the house and doing something. We figured since its 110 degrees in Tucson we could drive somewhere cooler and hike. Enter: Mt. Lemmon -Perfect! So it was about 45 min drive up the mountain to the ski lodge where we parked. The unnamed Beemer handled well up the curves, way fun. Anyway, we hiked the Aspen somethingorother trail head. about 2 miles to the top of Mt. Lemmon. It was beautiful! All the pine trees, bushes, etc. Smelled like christmas! It was also about 76 degrees which made it WONDERFUL. :) and yes I still got a little sunburned regardless of sunscreen and tree cover. The only problem I have with "the outdoors" in general is the insane amount of insects. A bee chased me twice, flies and such ran into me along the trail. EW! So I carried a small branch to swat away various critters as they came buzzing by. Anyway, It was awesome because after our hike, just about noon/lunch time, we drove two miles down the hill to the adorable dining establishment called the "Cookie Cabin: and Pizza Too." It was a typical tiny cabin, family owned business where there are little wooden made signs with cute sayings of which I have forgotten. Jeremy and I shared a pepperoni pizza and each had a Sioux City Sarsparilla Root Beer (Delicious). But before we walked up to the lunch place, I ran into my old astronomy professor and graduate teaching assistant. He was heading up to the observatory also on Mt. Lemmon. He gave me his cell and offered us a tour of the observatory when we finished eating. YAY! So we got to see the 60 inch telescope, a 15 inch one, and the control rooms and everything. Most people pay money to have a tour like this! Incredible. Anyway we learned some history and got a behind the scenes look at the famous Mt. Lemmon observatory behind locked gates to the public. :) I felt special.

Here are some pictures of our fabulous day

Here is Jeremy trying to locate the trail head. Look at those trees! I couldn't believe this was 30 miles away from Tucson.

This is close to the ski lodge at the dinky ski resort they have. The moon is on the left side of  the mountain- neat!

before the hike and pre-sun burn

Top of Mt. Lemmon, crazy hair, Jeremy's sausage finger over the lens, and Tucson in the background

Hello Tucson

Found a dandelion and simply had to make a wish and blow

One of the many highlights of the day: Strange man with tiger striped TIGHT bike pants! PAHAHAHA

-Marvelous Saturday