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."