My 25 Things - I'm a follower

1. I like making lists and I REALLY like marking things off as being done.

2. I've lived in Illinois, DC, Hawaii, Nashville, and Australia. In the past 5 years. I have a Massachusetts phone number, and I refuse to get a Tennessee driver's license.

3. I often wish chewing gum wasn't invented - I hate it when people chew it loudly and snap it in confined spaces.

4. Makemake au i ka hula a me 'olelo Hawaii. I like to hula dance and speak Hawaiian. I have Kumu Em to thank.

5. I LOVE ice cream. LOVE it. I guess my dad's motto (if you don't eat enough ice cream, you'll get sick) stuck with me.

6. I am going to take a sewing class (to learn to sew with a machine) and I'm very excited. This will help speed up my quilt-making process substantially.

7. I have recently started to like white wine and champagne (I have liked red for a while). Thanks Lou and Lee & Amber.

8. I'm worried about where the CG will send us and somehow that translated into me pestering the Commandant about it in my dream the other night.

9. I have a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies. So far, it's brought me Jen P, Jen M, Marta K, and my husband. I haven't done anything productive with the degree itself yet. Perhaps I'll go back to school again and get something useful.

10. I won my school spelling bee in 5th grade.

11. I stick my tongue out when I'm concentrating. Just like my sisters.

12. I wish I lived closer to my sisters. I love them and miss them a lot.

13. The number 4 has been my soccer number and my favorite number for a long time. I think it was because I really liked Joe Dumars at an impressionable age.

14. I like taking photos and want to learn how to take better pictures.

15. I really miss both Hawaii and Australia. Sometimes it seems like a dream that we really lived there. A really great dream.

16. I only saw Goonies in the past 5 years... Jen M, I have you to thank for that.

17. I know the military phonetic alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie, delta...). I rehearse it when I'm getting my teeth cleaned or any dental work done.

18. I have started liking drinking hot tea. Before, I just thought it tasted like dirty water. I want my cuppa! I think Irish Breakfast with milk is my favorite thus far, well, and chai with milk.

19. I promote Google (gmail, picasa, etc), Netflix, and Etsy like I have stock in them. I don't. I have Starbucks stock and it's crashing like a bad computer or whatever crashes dramatically.

20. On our first date, Shad asked me where I grew up. I said, "Wyoming." He said, "The State?" I said, "No, the city." I asked him where he was from. He said, "Jupiter." I said, "The planet?" Hahaha.

21. I know more about surfing, basketball (sports in general), and the Coast Guard than I ever thought I would now that I am married to Shad. I even laughed at his Dirk Nowitzki joke this week. (They sometimes call him Irk Nowitzki because he has no D). Hahaha.

23. I like JEOPARDY. It's one of the few tv shows Shad and I watch regularly. I kind of think that we're almost like in the movie "White Men Can't Jump" - almost.

24. I know the first verses to both the Brazilian and the Australian national anthem. I'm sure that will come in handy someday.

25. I'm thankful for my family and friends!

WW: A sculpture at my place of employment

(taken on my camera phone)

And yes, they're babies climbing up a DNA.
Someone thought this was a good idea.
Me? Not so much.

The currency results...

At the time of the original posting, these are the exchanges...

57 Reais = 24.61 USD
220 Mexican = 15.96 USD
5 Pounds = 7.41 USD
25 Canadian = 20.55 USD
100 Costa Rican = .18 USD
10 Turkish New Lira = 6.25 USD
5 New Zealand Dollars = 2.81 USD
50 Euros = 66.78 USD

For a total of $144.55 USD
*note, I rounded to my own discretion. Deal with it.

So here's the tough part - Swiss Miss guessed $140. Ricardo guessed $146.70. I never specified if it was closest or closest without going over. Beth, good try with $120.

And being the "nearly everybody wins" as associated with my maternal heritage, Swiss Miss and Ricardo get a prize. I just have to figure out what it is, and how to get it to Swiss Miss. Swiss, anything you miss from the great US of A?

I think I have my sign

Regarding grocery stores, that is.

The other day when I went to Kroger, I saw this...



Kroger loves me! That's reason enough to be a loyal customer, eh?

Sneaky Sneaky

We go to a huge church here in the South. CO and I looked around last Saturday (we go to a Saturday night service to avoid the crowds) and were still overwhelmed by how many people were there. We really miss our old churches - Cape Cod Vineyard, Elevate, and the Docklands Church. There's just something about a small church that makes us feel recognized, loved, and part of something... I don't know how to describe it. Yes, the bigger churches have ways to be more involved, but often it comes quicker in smaller churches.

We've been here about a year and a half now (minus the six months in Australia), and have been going to the same church since February of last year. And we've never joined a small group because you have to be a member first. And being a member requires commitment (as well it should). But, with CO in school and the church being a 30-40 minute drive away, it was hard for us to commit to much more than weekly services.

Until now. Our upstairs neighbor told me about a Bible Study going on in our neighborhood, and that sounded good to me. Turns out it's at our church. And I signed up for it. I'm still not quite sure if I'm allowed to go. Wait - yes, I just said that! I'm not sure if I'm allowed to go to a Bible Study!! No one asked if I was a member, so maybe their requirement is for their House Groups/Small Groups/whatever they're called, but anyway, I sure felt sneaky!

Not that he's exact or anything...

CO and I share a car. Last year, I dropped him off at school and picked him up. This year, I get spoiled and CO drops me off at work every morning and picks me up in the evenings on his way to and from school. I work 8-5, but sometimes it takes me a little bit of time to wrap up whatever project I'm working on, and actually head downstairs to where he picks me up. Here's today's dialogue about what time he was going to pick me up (done via email).

CO: What time should I pick you up today?
me: Just after 5, is that ok?
CO: Yes, see you then.

...

CO: Running 12 minutes late.

Who says that? TWELVE minutes late? Not ten, not fifteen. Twelve.

That's my husband.

Go sister go!

lobster
Originally uploaded by tuppus

Today my sister is running a marathon (her first) in Arizona. I think I'm a bad sister because:
a) I'm not going
b) I don't even know what city it's in!

But anyway, I'm really excited for her that she's doing this incredible thing that I don't know if I could do. She's been training in MICHIGAN. Recently. Training for a marathon in Michigan in winter is NOT something that I'm really eager to do. So just there she gets major credit.

As I type this she's already running and has been running for a few hours. I hope she's doing well and gets an unexpected second wind :)

Although I can't be there, I am thinking of her and I do love her! I love you lobby!

Go sister go!

And you thought I was joking...

There really is express access to the elf kingdom in my building. The only issue I have now is how to open the door.

Wordless - uh... Thursday?

The Brighton Beach Boxes

Books?

Now that I'm putting off the pesky unpacking, I think it'd be a good idea to read some books.

Some that are on my list to read:

- 3 Cups of Tea
- Mother Warriors (yeah, by Jenny McCarthy) - Oprah brainwashed me to want to read it
- The Life of Pi
- and then I get stuck. What books should I read?

Day 2

Today I actually got logged into my computer and most of the programs that I need to use for my new job. That's super-exciting.

I would like to say that now I am making what I made a year ago, plus a latte, per hour. And the last hour of work today, I went downstairs, got the mail, then proceeded to type zero's. All for more money than most of my jobs in recent history. Nice. I think I might like this.

I'm pretty excited- my boss is doing some really cool research and me typing in zero's actually might help with the project.

Gluteraldehy... what?

I got a job.

That in and of itself is a major statement. After months of searching (and angst) last year I was not very optimistic heading into interviews that I would actually get something. People once impressed by the left side of my resume then take a gander to the right side of my resume and see that we move every year or so. Here in the South, that's grounds for not hiring someone (aka a Yankee like me). But, I applied to the university that CO attends - more specifically, to their temporary service. Yup, I'm a temp.

Again, even that was not enough to make me... what's the word... optimistic. I had applied there last year and never heard a peep from them. Phone calls and emails left unreturned. I went into the interview curious of why I was not placed in a position last year, and highly doubtful of anything that will come in the next few months before we are restationed. So, in my interview last week, I casually asked about last year. My recruiter looked at my file. More accurately, my recruiter looked for my file. And couldn't find it. Anywhere. That explains a lot.

Fast forward to last Friday - my recruiter called me with a position! Woohoo! I have a legitimate excuse not to unpack boxes! Yay! Boo, I won't be able to play on Facebook for hours on end. I started today, Tuesday. My position involves "Microsoft Office use and maintaining a database" it also is potentially long-term as they are looking for a permanent placement for this position. Sweet. (I am potentially nervous about whether or not I say CO will graduate in May... but we'll save that for later).

I go to work today. I'm on time. I look good, certainly better than my sweatshirt/jeans combo I've been employing for unpacking. My boss takes me on a tour - good stuff to know. The tour involves ENTERING A CURRENTLY OCCUPIED SURGICAL ROOM. Well, I didn't need to scrub up or anything, but seriously, it was the control room for an operating room and I am fully convinced the surgeon looked at us when we entered the room. Ok.

I had problems logging onto the programs I need to use to do my job, so the only thing I really could do was either organize my cubicle or do the one assignment my boss has for me. That assignment - TRANSCRIPTION! Um... medical transcription? I watched ER back when it first came on. I've been to a doctor. I've been in a hospital (today). Other than those last three facts, I'm not too sure I'm qualified to type out those notes you have spoken onto the little tape recorder. But yes, I did it, and I think I did pretty well.

After all, the transcription was interesting. Not the typical words that I usually use, mind you, a whole new set of words. Words that included "gluteraldehyde" and "flowcytometry." No, I still don't know if they're spelled correctly, and NO, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY MEAN! I think I still got the basic gist of what the whole transcription was about though... you know, if the doctors cut something out of you, do you know where it goes? Sometimes you get to take it home with you (Cousin Beth?) or sometimes they send it to a research lab. When they send it to a research lab, they have to process it in such a way that the research lab can do their magic. And that process of how many grams the sample can be and how to prepare the slides - that's what I was typing!!

Oh, and I learned where the mail room is. It's in the basement, 12 floors below my cubicle. I hopped on the elevator and ventured down to the underworld. Nothing on the Basement floor is signed. No maps to show you where to go -you just have to know where you're going. Today, being my first day, I am reading the signs posted next to each and every door. And about two doors before the mailroom, I saw a sign reading "Express Access to the Elf Kingdom". I had always wondered where the express access was - I'm so tired of taking the normal route. ;)

I think it'll be an interesting next few weeks, if not months!

We're rich! Plus a contest

In our seemingly unending moving, I have found the following in foreign currency:

- 57 Brazilian Reais
- 5 British Pounds
- 220 Mexican Pesos
- 25 Canadian Dollars
- 100 Costa Rican Colones
- 10 Turkish Lira
- 5 New Zealand Dollars
- 50 Euros

... and that's not even counting the coins or the Australian money we have.

Any one want to guess (not using a currency converter) truly guess how much it's worth in US Dollars?? I'll send a prize to the closest person who I don't think cheated.

Loyalty

I don't know what it is, but I have some unnatural attachment to whatever grocery store I patronize. It could be that we move so often the grocery store is one place I can kind of get attached to - I end up going there at least 2-3 times per week, sometimes more. After all, that is even more frequently than we go to church...

Anyway, we have a few different options for grocery stores here in the South. We have Harris Teeter (expensive but good produce), Kroger (good price, very close, valet valet?!? parking), and Publix (expensive, but what CO grew up with, and a thirty minute drive). All three are chain stores, and Kroger is pretty good, so we've been going there. There are actually two Krogers that are probably the same distance away from each other and we refer to them as "our Kroger" and "the ghetto Kroger." The ghetto Kroger is in the worse part of town and has a completely different aura about it. It attracts a different social strata. The produce isn't quite as nice. The store is dirtier. We don't go to that one very often, elitists that we are... ;)

This week, we're getting a new Publix which is about a block closer than the Kroger. Publix is sometimes a little more expensive than Kroger most of the time, but has good sales. CO LOVES Publix. Loves them. But strangely enough, I feel some loyalty to Kroger, who has been there for me. How can I switch from the grocery store I know and love to another? Perhaps I'll go there to visit, but I still want my Kroger to be my grocer.

Thai anyone??

Now that we're in our new house and (kind of) settled in, I'm anxious to try making some Thai food. Anyone have any easy Thai recipes? Pad Thai or Pad See Eew? Lemongrass chicken?

My new favorite...

Buttered Linguine with Romano, Tomatoes, and Basil - from Confections of a FoodieBride

1/2 lb Linguine
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp basil, chopped/chiffonade
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated
Salt, to taste

Cook pasta 6-8 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.

Toss hot pasta in a large bowl with butter, pepper, tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Add 1/4 cup pasta water and toss to moisten. Add additional water if necessary. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Yields: 3 servings (entree)
Source: Heavily revised from Everyday Pasta, 2007


Julie's notes:

• I used pre-grated Parmesan (the kind in a green "can") once in a pinch, and it worked ok, not great.
• I like to let the pasta cool just a little before adding the cheese. I found I got lumpy, stringy, melted cheese otherwise. I like sprinkling it on just before serving.
  

Return to Wordless Wednesday (WW)

CO surfing.

We will now return to the regularly scheduled broadcast

The travels are over. We're... I'm unpacking. We're back in the city in the South, and CO started school last Monday. Thank heaven, internet was installed this afternoon.

Hopefully I will return to blogging normally.

Anyone still read this? Dad?

Things we'll miss about OZ

CO and I made some lists to help process our return to the US.

Here's our "things we'll miss about OZ" list

• People - another list to come
  
• Bells sessions
• AFL (Aussie Football League) - especially the Western Bulldogs
• Taking trams - in particular #16 and #96
• The Esplanade and our apartment there
• The Prahran Market and the Pasta shop there (yummy gnocchi!)
• Great wine easily accessible
• Docklands church
• Bunnings, Woolworths/Safeway, and Qantas commercials
• The train to Werribee
• Visiting our aunt and uncle's farm in Murgheboluc
• Excellent Thai food
• Coopers beer
• Kath & Kim (the Aussie version)
• Currency exchange rate! (instant 30% discount!)
• Sales tax & tip included in prices
• Glen from the morning show and his "infomercials" every 10 minutes
• Albert Park & Albert Park Lake
• Today Tonight with Anna Coren, Matt White, and that new girl
• Rove!!
• Living "simply" - only 2 bags each!
• St. Kilda sunsets
• Little penguins on the St. Kilda pier
• Great fish - yummy!
• Traveling, exploring a new place
• Shortening words in the Aussie way (ie breakfast = brekky, biscuit = bikkie)
• The mx (the free paper on the public transport) & "easy" Sudoku there that we can't finish
• The people at the internet cafes
• The buskers outside Safeway (Reub's in particular - "the first cut is the deepest")
• Kettles in every apartment or hotel room