Random Mews

Welcome to 2013!

Jessica — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 14:57:57 +0000

We’re just one week into 2013, and this is already starting out as an exciting year. First of all, we have a blog post! An actual blog post! What could be more exciting than that?

Disneyland, December 2012

The Spring 2013 semester will see the start of two new classes for me at one of our colleges. I’m taking Windows 7 Administration (I & II) as well as the CompTIA A+ certification course. I always like to brush up on my technical skills now and then. I’m pretty sure I will learn a tip or two over the semester in these refresher courses.

My sister brought her family out to visit for a week during Winter Break. We took a cheese and butter class in Scottsdale. Andrew and I decided to try our hand at homemade mozzarella which turned out quite well for our first attempt. It’s easier than we thought. The instructor taught us a recipe for Lemon Ricotta cookies with fresh ricotta cheese, so that’s next on my list of kitchen creations. Andrew and I use Pinterest to share ideas for baking and dinners. It works really well to post ideas on a shared board for us to browse through.

Noah teaching me Lego building, October 2012

During October my little brother Noah came out to visit and taught me how to build and properly play with a Lego kit. He’s so adorable it hurts! Oh my goodness. I miss him so much. At just 9 years old, he is the sweetest most loving little brother in the world. I just love it when he sends me letters and drawings in the mail. It melts my heart. For Christmas this year, Andrew got me my very own Lego kit. It was really neat to put together but I didn’t have a lot of time to spend photographing it before it got packed away in the Christmas decorations. Perhaps next year I’ll be able to take some cool macro photos of the minifigs on set.

I’m still taking photos whenever I can. Recently it’s been a lot of roses and macro shots. Eventually I’d like to get a nice telephoto lens, but there are several things on my savings wish list that will have to come first. A new computer, a new camera body and a tilt-shift lens are pretty high on that list.

Tumbles, the noisemaker

Digital scrapbooking is a new hobby of mine. It takes up less physical space than the 23 scrapbooks on top of my desk, but I’ve already accumulated 15 GB of digital files. I’m just starting out and learning how to use templates and make my own. So far it’s been a learning curve even for the decent Photoshop user that I am – perhaps because I’m so used to creating with my hands instead of on the computer. I’ve got a half dozen pages created and am starting to get the hang of it. Having a constant blank canvas can be taxing because there are so many fun embellishments and papers to play with. I just love it!

Bee, December 2012

This blog continues to be a catalyst for genealogical connections. Many people find my blog while searching for their ancestor or a recent family member and contact me for more information. Most recently I’ve had two separate individuals from the Karpuk line get in touch with me for very different reasons. It’s amazing that all this hard work is finally paying off. I still go through periods when I’m not sure anyone will care about all my research, especially since I have nobody to pass it on to. I just have to keep reminding myself that there are people out there who may not even be born yet in various family lines who will someday be thankful for my work.

The kitties continue to be a big part of our daily routine. Cheetoe has taken to eating his own fur ever since we lost Olly earlier in the year. The vet says he’s stressed out, and his joints are hurting him so he’s become a compulsive groomer. He’s attached to Andrew like velcro and never leaves him alone. Tumbleweed still won’t stop talking. He’s got the craziest personality of all. Meow, meow meow, meow, meow. It’s never-ending. Lucky is still the sweet one. He’s scared of everything and loves to cuddle and get belly rubs. He’s got a high squeaky voice that rarely comes out unless he seriously wants attention.

So that’s about it for now. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted an actual, real-time blog entry. Enjoy, and happy 2013!

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Wordless Wednesday – Santa Nail Art

Jessica — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:00:31 +0000

Santa Nail Art (2011)

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Twitter Weekly Updates for Oct 7-Dec 16, 2012

Jessica — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:11:36 +0000

Twitter Tools decided to upgrade itself and break spectacularly in the process. I can no longer automatically post my Twitter feeds every weekend like I have done for the past several years.

Here is a list of Tweets that haven’t been captured due to technical difficulties. I’ll try to come up with a different solution over the Winter Break.

16 Dec -Structural sugar! Yum! http://instagr.am/p/TZynyXHClq/
16 Dec – Santa diapers? I’ve officially seen it ALL. http://instagr.am/p/TTf7BOHCoX/
15 Dec – Cinderella’s Castle is all decked out for Christmas at Disneyland. pic.twitter.com/8ZWt62X
15 Dec – We drove all the way to California Adventure to ride the Racers in Cars Land and they were broken both days. #disneyland #disappointment
13 Dec – Ok so, who is this guy? Relationship to you: paternal grandfather of husband of sister-in-law. http://Ancestry.com knows ALL.
13 Dec – Santa Hat pretzel bites! http://instagr.am/p/TMCMNpnCnQ/
13 Dec – These two days of leadership training have been enlightening yet emotionally draining just the same.
12 Dec – Attack of the Rice Krispy Treats! Red velvet, pumpkin spice, gingerbread, peppermint, cinnamon & chocolate. pic.twitter.com/jPy7xKo
11 Dec – Five of my top values? Service, Achievement/Success, Recognition, Quality and Competence. pic.twitter.com/51wmSFs
11 Dec – Well, it was better than expected overall. As I figured, my current and former managers couldn’t be bothered to provide any feedback. #sigh
11 Dec – Very nervous about getting my 360 feedback about my leadership abilities today. Expecting the worst.
10 Dec – Okay week – I’m not ready for you to start yet! Can we rewind back to Saturday morning please?
6 Dec – We’ve spent the whole week cataloguing hundreds of GI Joe parts for our brother-in-law. I foresee 50+ eBay auctions in our near future.
3 Dec – “Oh no! Not a SONG!” – Grumpy Bear
2 Dec – My pottery masterpiece. I call it, “FESTIVE POPCORN BOWL!” http://instagr.am/p/Sv36WgHCqm/
1 Dec – Impromtu cheeeeeese party! http://instagr.am/p/St61GRHCtT/
1 Dec – Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion was really cool. They actually jump-roped an entire pyramid of people. #insane
1 Dec – When I said, “Let it snow!” the pollen from our neighbors’ 7′ backyard weeds is not what I had in mind. http://instagr.am/p/StUjO9nCtx/
30 Nov – Day 5 of no soda. Caffeine detox in progress. #headache
30 Nov – It’s sad when a coworker is excited to say, “Hey! We survived another month!” #november30
28 Nov – I’m loving the weather this week. The highs are only around 80 degrees. We can finally open the windows and enjoy the fresh air and pollen.
27 Nov – Crazy fire-in-the-sky sunset tonight http://instagr.am/p/SjaqfMHCm1/
26 Nov – Meh.
25 Nov – Apparently people at Joanns still think it’s Black Friday. I’m about 93rd in line. #sigh
24 Nov – Tumbles is wishing for some leftover Thanksgrilling ribs. pic.twitter.com/9yO0zVv
24 Nov – “Does this make my chin look fat?” http://instagr.am/p/SbLptAnCiV/
24 Nov – Balls of pollen are floating everywhere thanks to the mutant trees in our neighbor’s backyard. This one inva http://instagr.am/p/SbGP4onCsq/
23 Nov – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house! pic.twitter.com/LutU3MC
23 Nov – Santa’s Beanie butt – one of my favorite sights of the holiday season! http://instagr.am/p/SYQv4YHCgC/
22 Nov – Christmas shopping: DONE! Christmas cards: DONE! Employee gifts: DONE! I’m ready to relax and enjoy December.
22 Nov – Happy Thankgrilling! #thanksgiving #newtraditions
21 Nov – Happy last-day-before-Thanksgiving-vacation Wednesday!
20 Nov – Still can’t get my computer to boot. Tried recovering to 11/16 and 11/12, both points failed.
19 Nov – My computer is still shutting itself off. I think it’s time to get out the repair disks.
18 Nov – Just watched Hamlet with David Tennant. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. #culture
18 Nov – Two out of three kitties agree: I should have stayed in bed today. pic.twitter.com/0Dh4HrB
18 Nov – Safe mode… backing up files to the external drive. #booo
18 Nov – Last night’s automatic Windows updates killed my computer!
18 Nov – My computer is unable to start.
17 Nov – Twilight… oh the drama… didn’t expect the twist! Still a terrible flick overall.
17 Nov – Color FAIL! http://instagr.am/p/SIv7donCpT/
15 Nov – I’m hosting a gourmet five course dinner tonight at a local restaurant for the ladies. I can’t wait to try the French-inspired desserts!
13 Nov – Anyone know of an Android app that will calculate distances like a tape measure?
13 Nov – This is one of those days when I should have stayed in bed. Definitely.
12 Nov – Tumbles has redefined the term “headbutt” for kitties ’round the world… http://instagr.am/p/R9LzQcnCiX/
11 Nov – Supercheese! He’s so handsome. http://instagr.am/p/R54y22nCkY/
11 Nov – There’s a little girl running back and forth through the car wash waiting area in a Superman cape…
11 Nov – It’s beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving ’round our place! http://instagr.am/p/R5VtISHCsT/
10 Nov – Seems like Mother Nature forgot to turn off the air conditioning. #brrrr
10 Nov – A special gift from my Honey Bunches – a beautiful sapphire orchid! http://instagr.am/p/R3USNLHChD/
10 Nov – I haven’t slept in until 11am since… well, I have no idea the last time. Boy was I exhausted from this week! Work is nonstop these days.
9 Nov – I removed my nail polish and discovered it dyed my fingernails. Not cool.
9 Nov – I’m so thankful it’s Friday and it’s even a 3-day weekend! I wish it were payday too.
8 Nov – Is it Friday yet? #exhausted
6 Nov – I wish I had $1 for every time CNN has tweeted the term, “CNN projects” this evening. #doughrolling
6 Nov CNN Breaking News – Barack Obama will be re-elected president, CNN projects. #CNNelection http://cnn.com (Retweeted by Jessica)
5 Nov – When is NOT the best time to open an investment account? 3 days after a catastrophic superstorm / 3 days before a Presidential election…
5 Nov – We just saw Wreck It Ralph in 3D – it was fantastic! Sooo cute! #oreo #whoaaah-oh
4 Nov – Vegas was so much fun! I wish I didn’t have to come back to reality, although I did miss @FloatingCat big bunches.
3 Nov – Crazy night at the Rio with the Carnival World Buffet followed by the Chippendales! #eyecandy
3 Nov – Hello Kitty ROCKS @ Swarovski inside Caesar’s Forum Shops! http://instagr.am/p/Rlb5nvHCh1/
3 Nov – Neon coins from the Fitzgerald’s Las Vegas! http://instagr.am/p/Rk7Z-mnCt4/
3 Nov – Time for our official grand opening Neon Museum tour! http://instagr.am/p/RkxmksHCji/
3 Nov – Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas! http://instagr.am/p/RkxeXWHCjV/
3 Nov – VEGAS BABY!! Checking out the sights with my friend Beth.
1 Nov – Captain, I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat! http://instagr.am/p/RgRX2ynCnt/
1 Nov – Pei Wei is open by Airpark! Hooray!
31 Oct – 2012 Halloween final count: 80. Much lower than previous years. It’s just not the same anymore.
31 Oct Andrew Green ‏@FloatingCat – Sheriff Woody and “Tired” @sundevil99 were our costumes this Halloween. #howdyhowdyhowdy pic.twitter.com/9H63cPyY (Retweeted by Jessica)
31 Oct – Cutest costume: Our neighbor’s daughter dressed as a Bumblebee and did a hip hop dance routine to a boom box tune for candy.
31 Oct – This year for Halloween I dressed in my robe and slippers, while Andrew was Woody from Toy Story. #howdyhowdyhowdy
31 Oct – Happy Halloween!
31 Oct – I was forced to cancel my vacation this Halloween, so I’m going to work in my bathrobe. I’m officially “tired.” pic.twitter.com/Iky7ulxD
30 Oct – Ancestry DNA has successfully matched me with an new 4th cousin on the Cole side of the family. How exciting!
30 Oct – It’s sad how my level of stress is directly proportional to my frequency of tweets. #slowtweetweek
29 Oct – So thankful it’s FINALLY nice enough outside to leave the house. I feel sad for the east coasters being ravaged by hurricane Sandy tonight.
28 Oct – We decorated our empty flower bed with skeletons for my Ghost S’Mories event tonight. LOL! pic.twitter.com/fzDqNmV0
27 Oct – Sad to say goodbye to my lil’ brother this morning. I hope he comes back to visit sometime soon!
26 Oct – We had SO much fun with Noah, DaD and Karen adventuring through Arizona this week. I’m sad they have to go back home!
25 Oct – We took Noah to the Grand Canyon, Lowell Observatory and Meteor Crater. His response: “I just can’t decide which is my favorite.”
23 Oct – Karen, Noah and I painted pumpkins for Halloween today! http://instagr.am/p/RJQBOeHCvK/
21 Oct – Noah’s Arizona adventure began with watching Avengers in-flight, enjoying Five Guys for lunch, then he played my Nintendo 3DS all night!
20 Oct – Today is the day Noah comes to visit!!! Hooray!!! Just five more hours to wait.
19 Oct – Can’t get up for a minute in this place… pic.twitter.com/5Pv4YSCF
19 Oct – I just butt-texted my sister-in-law. Ahhh, the perils of carrying a smartphone in my pocket at all times.
17 Oct – Three more days… but who’s counting? I AM!
17 Oct – OMG Kitty bag w/FUR!! http://instagr.am/p/Q50SNiHCpk/
17 Oct – The forward collision alert in my new car does more than just light up and beep. It also slams the breaks faster than I could react. #wow
16 Oct – I hope the move I just made is career-enhancing, not career-limiting…
16 Oct – Four more days! I’ve got a one track mind this week, and it’s set to FUN!
15 Oct – Gahhhh!! http://instagr.am/p/Qzu20FnCpo/
15 Oct – Just five more days until I get to hang out with my lil’ brother!!
13 Oct – My lil’ brother is visiting next week. I got him a Cars sleeping bag and a special night light to match. pic.twitter.com/SYYrLfJg
13 Oct – OMG THE COOKIES ARE SOOOOO DELICIOUS!
13 Oct – I’m making Brown Butter Caramel Spice cookies filled with dulce de leche! Time to stock the freezer with pr http://instagr.am/p/QvCEESHCuC/
13 Oct – Out shopping to stock up the kitchen. Today is baking day! Making lots and lots of cookies to freeze.
12 Oct – Chaos!! They are never consistent, are they? http://instagr.am/p/QsVcZpnCv4/
12 Oct – “Student apologizes, shoots self in class,” “Man dies after cops Taser him” and “TV host accused of sex abuse.” News makes me sick.
12 Oct – Why don’t I read the news? “U.S. drone kills 16,” “Gang-raped girl can’t leave home” and “Mom kicked, glued kid’s hands.” That’s why.
12 Oct – TGIF
10 Oct – Red Velvet cake from Liberty Market makes me happy! @ Liberty Market http://instagr.am/p/Qn3fJKHCup/
10 Oct Ms. Green M&M’S® ‏@mmsgreen Green goes with anything! (Retweeted by Jessica)
9 Oct – It’s one of those no-gaps-between-meetings days. One thing after another, then another and another.
8 Oct – Milk Chocolate Chip soft batch cookies! #yummy http://instagr.am/p/Qi5REiHCgr/
8 Oct – I got to spend some time with my friend Katie this weekend. She is visiting Arizona from Colorado.
7 Oct – RIP Mark Douglas Holly (1958-2012). We’ll miss you Uncle Mark!
7 Oct – The Gilbert Temple is coming along. The parking lot and palm trees are being installed. http://instagr.am/p/QfRgIrnCnD/