Weekend Review {6/11}

FRIDAY

Friday I worked until 2:15.  Only that long because it was pouring buckets outside and I didn't want to trudge through the rain to get to my car to go home.  Once I got home, I took a nap and then headed to my massage appointment at 3:40.  My massage was excellent.  I opted for #TreatYoSelf dinner since Teh German had went out of town for his dude's cigar weekend earlier in the day.  I splurged with some KFC for dinner, which was awesome.. until I opened the box and they had put mashed potatoes instead of coleslaw in my order.  BOOOOOOO.

I started meandering around the house aimlessly and finally decided to go to Walmart and take care of the grocery list.  It was a poor life choice since our Walmart is in the middle of some type of renovation and nothing is where it should be and aisles are missing and there were a millionty useless employees loitering around and so many items I needed weren't in stock.  #FirstWorldProblems.

Since I was unsupervised, I decided to wander down the home decorations/clocks aisle and discovered a pretty cool blue map of the world that would be perfect for First Child Room.  I added it to the buggy and continued my shopping experience.  Eventually, I checked out and headed home.  I put the groceries away and headed upstairs to deliver the map to it's final destination.  Since it wasn't complicated, I went ahead and hung it on the wall.  I also put away the wrapping stuff I'd left out pre-Honeymoon.  As I was sitting in the big chair, petting Meri, I noticed the bookshelf that no longer fit in the room needed to be relocated.  I decided to bring it downstairs.  Rather than deal with it then, I left it against the wall and moved on to another project...

Laundry.. then purging.  I had 2 bags of stuff to donate already out, but after bringing them downstairs to put into Yurtle, I made a pit stop in the office and started going through the drawers of crap I hoard.  I found a router from 2008.  Guess what I'll never use again?  That router.  Goodbye.  So many power cords that haven't been used in years.  Books I'm not interested in keeping.  Just stuff that was unnecessary to hang on to.  Bye, Felicia.  After getting all the donate stuff into Yurtle, I moved on to the next thing...

Cleaning picture frames.  This is Teh Running Bestie's fault.  Once I saw how much of a difference it made to clean the glass on picture frames before you hang them, I became a convert.  Now I have to clean every picture frame I buy and if you haven't seen our "shrine" wall, we have a LOT of picture frames.  I sat up a cleaning station in the floor with glass cleaner, paper towels, empty frames, photos to go in some frames, a notepad (to make a list of photos I needed for specific frames), my water cup, and my phone (which was playing my audiobook).

Teh German texted me around 0030, while I was cleaning frames, that it was his bedtime.  I responded and continued cleaning.  After the frames were done, I wasn't tired yet, so I cut up the ripe cantaloupe that was diffusing throughout the downstairs.  After that was done, I headed upstairs to put away the dried laundry and then finally went to bed after 0100.

SATURDAY

Saturday, Teh PT Wife, PT Kid, and Teh Dental Hygienist went to brunch the Wild Dunes resort.  Since it was far, far away, took almost an hour to get there.  After brunch, we went to Belk's, I spent money, of course.  Then to Sam's, then back home.  After getting back home, more motivation struck me.  I took photos of the bookshelf to sell on FB, then decided to see if it would fit in the dining room (nope) or the office (yep).  Since it would fit in the office, I decided to rearrange the furniture to make it work better.  I sent Teh German a picture of my in progress work, and then he came home to something completely different.

Final positions

I had to show Meri that she could still look out her window.

While furniture was being moved, laundry was going.  After the rearranging was complete, I sat on the couch and worked on Honeymoon photo edits.  Eventually, Teh PT Wife said it was time for dinner and we headed towards Outback since she had a few gift certificates.  Since I had called ahead and we were told there would be a 30 minute wait, we made a pit stop by Michael's so I could pick up some frames.  All wall frames were 50% off, I also found a laundry room sign that I loved, and I picked up flag shadowboxes for my I Love Me wall, which I've been planning since 2014.

Dinner was silly and delicious and afterwards, we went by Ross to peruse.  I ended up buying more picture frames (never enough picture frames!!!).  When we got home, Teh PT Wife helped me carry all my shit in the house.  I immediately started being productive.  The super awesome laundry room sign had the hooks in the wrong direction, so I had to completely relocate the hooks.  This required drilling new holes.  Which I did, #LikeAFuckingBoss.  Then I went and hung my sign over the door. 

After, I cleaned all the new picture frames I'd picked up and then it was "early" (at 11ish) bedtime.

SUNDAY

Sunday morning, we went to brunch at Iron Dog.  We being Teh PT Wife and Kid, Teh Dental Hygienist and Teh AF Maintainer, and I.  I took the opportunity to deliver Australia souvenirs.  After brunch, Teh PT Wife and Kid ran some errands with me since they had ridden with me to brunch.  Car wash, Walmart (ugh), Lidl, then a drop off at Goodwill and then home. 

By the time we got home, Teh German and Teh PT Husband were back from their trip.  Thankfully, this year's review didn't include any tales of almost being crashed into.  I had started taco soup in the crockpot before brunch, so dinner was already ready whenever we got hungry.  We started watching Arrested Development (we're not sure yet, but we're still in season 1) and I set up the Apple TV to use my photos as the screensaver and around 6 Teh PT Wife asked me if I wanted to go for a workout walk, to which I said yes.  After a 3 mile walk, I came home and showered and then it was dinner and Arrested Development time.

______________________________________________

And then the weekend was over.

This should be a quiet week, since the schedule is empty.
Tomorrow is primary elections for SC and I'm excited to get a NEW "I voted" sticker.
Friday night is Incredibles II.

My goal this week is to finish editing photos and start working on honeymoon blog posts.  I also have a shutterfly credit for an 8x8 book that would be awesome to use for honeymoon photos, but we'll see.

Five on Friday #151

EINS - Random Shit

-My management gets me:

-Apparently the YouTube video in my solitary post while we were on vacation didn't post properly which kinda crushes me, but now it's fixed.  Ugh.

-Thanks Australian Nestle.. but let's not kid ourselves about if I'm going to eat this whole Kit Kat at once or not.

-If you are not Australian and go to visit Australia and you don't come home with a kangaroo testicle bottle opener, you're doing it wrong.

-I kept a daily "journal" of sorts of the activities we did on our honeymoon which means that there will be blog posts.  I'm also going through over 2000 photos, 500 of those being underwater photos, which require A LOT of editing to put the red back into the photos. #UnderwaterPhotographyProblems

I will say that I was shooting underwater with an action camera (aka a GoPro like camera, but an off brand), so my photos are definitely not DSLR quality.  The lesson I've taken away from this experience is that next time, I WILL rent photography gear or have my own because I know how I like to shoot and with a GoPro does not meet my needs.  I do not feel like taking pictures while diving deterred my enjoyment, quite the opposite because I was always hunting for cool things to take photos of.

-Our new AND FINAL range arrived yesterday and I'm satisfied.  Also, I don't care anymore.  I'm tired of fighting everything always, and as long as there were no obvious marks on the damn thing, it was staying.

-I teleworked on Tuesday and Wednesday because jet lag is a valid excuse.

-Teh German is going to his cigar event this weekend with Teh PT Husband and friends and Teh PT Wife and I have already planned brunch and dinner and a weekend without husbands.

-Mosquitoes that bite me THROUGH MY CLOTHING make me rationally angry.  See also: mosquitoes that HURT when they bite me.  It's one thing to make me itchy after the fact.  It's something completely different when I can feel it happening.  #DIEMOTHERFUCKERDIE

-The Caps won the Stanley Cup last night and it was EPIC.  We're not bandwagon fans, but we are new fans.  We have been Stingrays fans since we've been here, but after learning that the Stingrays feed to the Washington Capitals, I bought tickets at Thanksgiving for Teh German and I go to watch the game.  Since then, Teh German (and by default, I as well) have kept up with the Capitols.  Although at heart, I will always be a Carolina Hurricanes fan, the Caps are my #2 team since our local team feeds there.  Teh German was concerned during our overseas honeymoon about the potential to watch the playoff games (although we didn't actually not do things over watching the game, so he doesn't lose #BestHusbandEver points for that).  This is the 2nd time that hockey playoffs were potentially going to effect our vacation plans.. sooo that's a thing, lol. 

-My Audible account was going to renew at the regular $150 a year price and I wasn't about to allow that to happen (since I had paid $99 for 12 credits) and I had 2 credits I had to use before my account renewed, so I purchased From Lukov With Love and The Alice Network.  Fingers crossed I made good life choices. 

(I'm not linking these because I'm lazy, but here's a link to my Goodreads Lists)
My audiobook queue looks like this:
Every Note Played
War Storm
Us Against You
The Alice Network
From Lukov With Love

This doesn't include ebook/hard copies that I need to read:
Grave Mercy
What Happened (I have requested the audio version from the library and if it ever gets to me, I'll listen to it instead of read it since I've come to accept that I audiobook better than read books since I often need/want to be doing other things than just sitting on my ass flipping pages (i.e. cooking dinner, doing a puzzle, driving.. etc etc)
Beneath a Scarlet Sky

ZWEI - Money Shit

Honeymoon don't count.
I'll have something for this next week since we'll have been back at home for a week by then and my purchases will be reasonable.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING REAL QUICK.

There is a way, to set up Apple/Google Pay on your phone and THEN.. AND THENNNNNN....  you can just tap your unlocked phone on certain card readers and IT LETS YOU PAY.  IT'S LIKE MAGIC, GENTLE READERS!!!

I learned of this while we were in Australia, having to admit to every retailer where we used our *new* chip cards (which they've had since before 2012, FYI) that Americans live in the stone age of monetary technology.  We still had to sign our credit card slips like pigeons peasants.  Then I set up tap to pay and MY LIFE WAS CHANGED.  I wanted to pay for everything.  I'm sure Teh German didn't mind one bit. 

I was concerned that I wasn't going to be able to use tap to pay when we got back to the US...

BUT I CAN.

AND I DO.

AND IT'S AWESOME!

DREI - From My Phone Shit

When you pack/hoard apple sauces and forget what you've done and then discover it later.

You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same.
I want this for our bedroom.  I've decided.

I think it was like a rich woman's "coat" but really it looked like a straight jacket.

I'm still perplexed by this.

When Husband gets you and starts talking to you through his sammich box since it "had" eyes, a mouth, and arms.
#BestHusbandEver

The cutest little check delivery plate at a cafe in Sydney where we had breakfast the first morning.

Dear China, I think this is too much.
No, I do not think.
This is definitely too much.

MORE OF THESE NEED TO BE EVERYWHERE!
I struggle constantly at school to fill my water bottle at the old shitty fountains where water barely spits out.
When I saw these at the airport and it even fit my new monster water bottle, I was in lust/love.

You can't read this, but it says Yolo County.
So Yolo is a real thing... real place.. whatever.

These were at our SF Air BnB.
I hadn't yet seen the succulents around town in SF.
Succulents like treeeessss!!!
There are photos, but they haven't been processed yet.

2018 life.  There's a hub in the middle of the table with multiple outlets.

There's been a random stain on the passenger door headliner that has been driving me crazy for over 6 months that I've had intentions to clean but I keep forgetting.  While Teh German was driving us home on Tuesday, I finally took the chance to "clean" it.  I haven't checked it since I wiped it off with water and scraped off whatever was on there with a flat object.  I assume that means it's good enough for government work because I haven't noticed it.

VIER - From the Internet Shit

I've been on a #LadyPower/#GirlPower/#WomanPower kick for a hot minute now and this commencement speech had me in tears because it spoke to me so strongly.  Be the wolf.

More on #LadyPower...
I'll eventually talk about this in a book review post that I'll eventually do (probably maybe), but if you haven't read Dear Madam President, DO IT.  Even if you weren't a Hillary supporter, this short book (2.5 hour audiobook) is a letter to the eventual first female president and discusses some of the issues that most women in leadership positions have probably encountered.  There is some discussion of why Hillary lost aimed towards "because she is a woman", there is talk of the author's personal struggles with her sister's death, but there are awesome messages that hit home about not hiding your feelings because being stoic is expected that hit home so hard that I was bawling at 30,000 feet in the air surrounded by strangers while flying from Sydney to Auckland and I wasn't even a little bit sorry.. although Teh German was pretty concerned about me.


Funny definitions of different country's flags.

FÜNF - Things that made me happy this week

1. Being in America again.  I love traveling, but I also love knowing WTF is going on.
2. Reuniting with Meri and Pax and Teh Running Bestie.
3. OUR MOTHERFUCKING MIA SUITCASE finally being in my possession.  What a fucking saga that turned out to be.
4. Photo editing and free trials of Adobe Premiere Pro.
5. Listening to the Darth Vader breathing in our underwater videos.
6. Sweet tea and cheese biscuits from Jim n Nick's to eat away frustration.
7. Purposely calling someone to piss them off, even though I know Teh Running Bestie's work phone number changed.  #NotSorry
8. Neighbors who ensured that our shit was taken care of while we were gone (Teh PT Wife, Roux's Humom, Home Police Department who did drive-bys every day).
9. Good outcomes of Teh German's work meeting he's been dreading since he found out that it was imminent.
10. TEH CLOUD (aka, our bed).

Happy Friday, Gentle Readers.

The Start of Megan's #GirlPower

I'm going to bring you back to the 90s with a Gatorade commercial and tell you how it changed my life......

I remember this commercial from middle school.  I know it was 7th grade distinctly because I would go around singing this commercial and when someone would respond, "No you can't!"  I would yell, "YES I CAN!"  (I was a real gem as a 13 year old).

But my point is... this little jingle meant more to me than I would realize until years and years later.
To this day, when someone says, "No you can't," I still respond with, "YES I CAN!"

I honestly believe that this commercial was the start of the woman I am now.  The woman who doesn't back down.  The woman who believes that, "Anything you can do, I can do better."  I don't need to be able to do things better, but in my world, I can do anything anyone else can do if I want to.  This commercial is essentially my theme song and I want to remind YOU:

Anything I can do you, you can do better.
Anything you can do, I can do better.

Five on Friday #150

EINS - Random Shit

-I hated everyone by 0800 on Monday morning.  The week went exactly as Monday morning projected....

-I had a massage on Monday (Thanks Teh WJL!) and there was construction going on next door and I just powered through it.  Fortunately, it was intermittent during my massage, but I was told that the appointment before mine was pretty bad because it was constant construction noise.  Least favorite thing after a massage?  Being asked to spend more money.  It's one thing if you ask me if I want to schedule another appointment, but asking me to buy a subscription package or special group prices doesn't relax me.  You gave me a massage, not a lobotomy.  Nonetheless, I did fall asleep on the table, so it was definitely a good massage.

-New range finally arrived.  It has scratches on the glasstop.  I wish I was kidding.  I am also being SUPER anal since this is a replacement for a damaged range to begin with.

-I bought an insulated water bottle.  I won't lie.  It's ridiculous.  I went for the 40oz bottle which is awesome and stupid.  Awesome because it holds FORTY OUNCES.  Stupid because it doesn't fit in Yurtle's cup holders... /rolleyes.

Yes, this bottle is bigger than my head.

-Bathing suit update!  The final bikini came in and it was a DEFINITE keeper.  I didn't get pics because I was too lazy to go upstairs to fetch the bottoms, but the top has underwire AND provides SUPPORT and damn deese titties were lookin' fiiiiiiine..  So in the end, I kept the fine titty top and matching bottoms, the colorful bikini, and the blue tankini top (which I will match with bottoms I already own).  Good bye bikinis I've had since GTMO (no, I'm not kidding.  That would be circa 2010).

-I have a coworker that sometimes nods off at his desk and it makes me laugh.  I'm not one to judge, having fallen asleep at my desk more than once, but when another coworker needed to ask the sleeping coworker a question, I suggested he try again in 20 minutes.  We laughed about it and within 20 minutes, sleeping coworker was functioning again.

-Mother's Day gifts were a hit.  Of course.  #LikeABoss

-Sooo I unintentionally bought a new computer on Tuesday....  What had happened was... before school ended, I had packed up my stuff to leave work and my bag (with my laptop in it) fell and hit the floor.  Oops.  Sometimes, weird shit happens and everything is ok, I had a feeling that this was not that time.  I was right, I took out my laptop and it was dented on the edge and the bottom frame was cracked and wouldn't seal back shut.  Fantastic.  This wasn't doing anything to affect performance, so I told myself that when school had ended for the semester, I'd take it to Best Buy and see about getting it repaired.

Side note: You better believe I paid for that "we cover everything" insurance from Best Buy.  Thus, taking in my computer for damage wasn't a question of if, but when.  I also had a cluster of bad pixels on my screen, so I had been planning on taking it in for that prior to it's fall.

Since I know that I won't need my laptop while we are on vacation, I decided that right before we left would be the perfect time to drop it off at Best Buy.  So I went by on Tuesday expecting to drop it off.. and then the lady told me that they wouldn't repair it, but replace it.  AND THEN... they no longer carried my computer, so I ended up with a new baby.

I had to pay $300 more, but for the upgrades and the lighter weight, it was worth it.  I only "used" $100 of the insurance plan I originally bought, and I got the entire refund for the Asus computer that I originally bought and the prorated amount for the unused insurance.  You better believe I got another warranty plan with the new laptop.  Now it just needs some stickers.

Just carrying this box around like a cool kid.

-I've been considering a new radio for Yurtle.  One that includes navigation.  But I'm supppperrr cheap and one that integrates with my steering wheel controls and uses my current back up camera is my preference and that seems like a unicorn idea.  I was going to talk to someone at Best Buy about my options yesterday but there was only one person working in the department and he was on the phone for waaayyyy too long for me to keep waiting on him, so I left.  Teh German said something about a place in West Ashley we could go talk to, so maybe when we get back?  It's not a high priority, but I'd like to know my options.

-While packing for Australia I stumbled upon my World of Warcraft installation discs for vanilla and Burning Crusade.  I'm donating them.  The new computer doesn't even have a disc drive.  #Welcometo2018

-I kept my mobile wifi device that I purchased when I was in Australia in 2012.  I'm not sure if it will still work, but I'm bringing it with us and if it still works, that'd be awesome.

-With the new computer, came some changes.  I migrated (back) from Firefox to Chrome.  I haven't decided which browser I actually like better.  I think Firefox works better for my personal stuff and Chrome works better for DoD/work things.  The only thing that I'll ever use Edge or Internet Exploder for is if it's a work link that will NOT work with Chrome or FF.  No.  Just NO.

-Is it weird that I sit at my desk with my little tooth brusher after eating lunch?  #DONOTCURR
I did at least make sure that no one was around before I started pickin' at my teefs.

-On Wednesday, I went by the pizza place a few doors down from my office to get a "woe is me, my vacation starts tomorrow, but first I have to survive today" brownie.  A guy walked up to the counter and asked how he could help me and I told him I needed the biggest brownie they had.  He said there might be a corner still available and I said, no no, I need the gooeyest middle piece.  He told to me take my pick.  I explained that my vacation started on Thursday but first I had a project to finish today and I needed a brownie to power through it.  He started to walk away and said, Oh, then you really need this brownie.  It's on the house.  Take it.  I protested and said I'd pay for it and he said, "Too late, I've already walked away."  Faith in humanity restored.

-Meri has to get medicated for long distance drives....  She was sooooooooo high for our drive to MD.

ZWEI - Money Shit

-Sam's Club things
-Things for the back porch (rug, pillows, etc)
-groceries
-dog food (oops)
-The labor for Yurtle's unicorn horn to be replaced (aka her radio antenna)
-dog nails clipped
-new leash for Mer-Mer
-insulated water bottle (because peer pressure)
-new computer... oops
-Gas
-KFC
-another insulated water bottle for Teh German (dammit Amazon for making shopping so easy)

DREI - From My Phone Shit

In honor of upcoming Australian adventures...
What kind of music do kangaroos listen to?
Hip Hop

This makes me so fucking stabby.
They removed a pretty median and repaved the intersection...
BUT THEY DIDN'T FINISH REPAVING THE ENTIRE FORMER MEDIAN.
asdlfkjeg;oerjg;ofivefoiefofvalkdjf;lejg;oierfjv;aodvjadsf UGH!

Avocado toast with shrimp and mushrooms...
Breakfast was avocado toast and lunch was supposed to be shrimp and grits.
FIXED IT.

Then there's there guy...
Fun fact, he used to fly S-2's in the Navy...

Goodbye sweet ROG laptop.  I will miss you.
We had a good run.
I'm sorry our relationship ended sooner than we anticipated.

Went into Kirkland's to look around and found the PERFECT pillow for Teh German.

And a self-representing candle.

And a ridiculous pillow for myself...

I've had this hat since 6th grade.
Teh German will likely be wearing it on our dive cruise to protect his ears.

This is what packing looks like.... FML.

I love when I surprise myself with snacks!
I had forgotten that I had put applesauce in my bag when I left work for the trip.
SELF-FIVE.

#ChallengeAccepted
One does not leave just a few Oreos in the package to go stale while you are away for a few weeks.
NO.

I won't lie.  I might have made some inappropriate noises while eating my KFC on our drive to MD.

VIER - From the Internet Shit

FÜNF - Things that made me happy this week

1. Most excellent audiobooks and the awkwardness that is listening to a sex scene with anyone else in the same room...
2. A tittastic bikini top
3. Sitting outside at work
4. Accomplishing pre-vacation tasks
5. 4 days until vacation
6. 3 days until vacation
7. 2 days until vacation
8. 1 day until vacation
9. 0 days until vacation
10. HONEYMOON ADVENTURES!!!!!

Happy Friday, Gentle Readers.

Shit Teh German Said #21

tM: Teeth are NOT tools!
tG: They are, we're pretty much monkeys.


Discussing if Christopher Walken was still alive.
tG: He's still ...Walkin.


Drunk tG: Alexa play Chop Suey by System of a Down.
Alexa (verrrrrry slowwwwly): Playing... Chop... Suey... by... System.. of a... Down...
tG: Wow, she really struggled through that.
tM: You didn't really give her a lot to work with.


tM: That's how much I love you, I have explosive feelings for you. (regarding yelling sometimes)
tG: It smells like you explode sometimes too.. (regarding a lingering bathroom smell from earlier)

Singing to Teh German with Alicia Keys.
tM: My hair is on fiiiirrreeeee
tG: My ears, too...

As I was taking the above selfie until I got it perfect:
tG: White girl problems.


tG to the dogs: You guys expecting something?
tM: Yeah, bully sticks.
tG: This is not the Make-A-Wish Foundation.


Kid beside us at a pizza place is playing with pizza dough.
Teh PT Wife: I would take that dough and eat it [instead of play with it].
tG: I would take that dough.. and make it rain.






Shit Teh German Said Edition 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21