Countdown

It's T minus 60 minutes now before we head out of town! I am exhausted from trying to get everything in the apartment straightened up before we leave. I cannot stand coming home to a messy apartment. However, we decided to stop in Louisville tonight to break up the drive a little. I can't wait to hit the road!

We'll be excited to see friends. Hopefully we'll get to see everybody before we have to leave. We've also made a list of places we want to eat at. Sakura is the highest priority for me. Mmmm....deep fried sushi.

Two Days

In two days, we will be on the road back to Memphis. While we haven't been here very long and I like Pittsburgh a lot, I am starting to miss the familiarity and routine of Memphis. It'll be a nice change of pace, and I'm ready for a few days off.

Blue Collar Comedy

I remember several years ago not being able to stand the comedy of Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and the like. It wasn't that I didn't like crass, but for some reason, they just grated on my nerves. Lately though, I have been finding them absolutely hilarious. Last night, Comedy Central was showing a Blue Collar Comedy tour show, and it was absolutely hilarious.

Tonight, Jeremy and I went to a local comedy club that was featuring Jon Reep. We had seen him on Last Comic Standing and liked him, but neither of us had any actual recollection of his routine. He was absolutely hilarious. We were in stitches the whole set. What was even better was that we didn't have to pay for tickets. The club has certain shows where you can get tickets to certain shows for only a service fee. Granted, there was a two item minimum per person, but it was definitely worth it, and we'll definitely do it again

Unbelievable

Today, Memphis played football on ESPN2 and basketball on ESPN. We played two Big East teams. While we figured we would lose to USF in football, we also lost to Syracuse in basketball. I'm at a loss for words right now.

Headaches

I have been dealing with a headache on and off for the better part of 3 days. I don't know whether it is weather related or not, but it is no fun. It doesn't help that it's 90 degrees in the lab today. *sigh*

Password

Jeremy and I caught the first few minutes of that game show Password, and William Shatner is horribly bad, and Regis makes him so funny. One of the answers was bowl, and the clues were soup and container. Shatner answered barrel. Another set of clues was amphibian and Muppet, and he answered Hermit. Once his segment was over, we quit watching, but the part we watched we rewound several times.

Woohoo!!!

Jeremy found out today that he got the job he was waiting for a response on. His start date is January 5th. He is going in tomorrow to fill out paperwork, but a huge prayer of ours has been answered. It definitely is a huge weight lifted. We're still going to take it slow on buying more stuff for the apartment, I am looking forward to having two paychecks again and rebuilding our savings.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

As of today, Jeremy and I are 99.9% going to Memphis for the holidays! Woohoo! It would have been really hard not spending Christmas with family. It was hard enough not going home for Thanksgiving. We are beyond excited at this point, but there is a lot of planning and a lot of things to do around the apartment before we leave. Now that we know for sure, we also have to start e-mailing friends to let them know we'll be there. =) I haven't stopped smiling since this morning.

Christmas Mailings

Jeremy is my Christmas elf this year. Today he mailed all the Christmas presents, so if you're expecting a present from us, it'll be there in 2-3 days. Tomorrow, he will mail off the rest of the Christmas cards, so again, it should get there before Christmas. I feel really great this year because everything is done. =)

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

How ironic is it that Jeremy and I move up north where everyone says it'll snow only to have freak snow and ice storms wreak havoc on the southern state where I used to reside? There's snow in Houston, cold weather in Dallas, and ice and snow conditions in Memphis. Here? There's not even freezing rain. Oh sure, we had a couple of days where there was a light dusting of snow on the ground, but it hasn't been anything that required thick winter clothing or snow boots of any kind. I'm a little disenchanted at this moment.

DC Day 3

Our last day in DC included just wandering around places and getting food to eat. We hit Union Station because we didn't think we could see a Smithsonian museum and do it any justice in the 2 hours that we had allotted. We saw that Union Station had a train exhibit, but it wasn't quite what we had expected. It was cute, but it wasn't anything to write home about. While we were there though, I did get a bowl of clam chowder which I crave every time we go to DC.

After Union Station, we walked around Chinatown for a bit and took some pictures. It wasn't as crowded or exciting as the last few times we went, but it was fun. Afterwards, we decided to just head home.

The drive back was a lot faster than the drive there because there wasn't inclement weather of any kind. I slept most of the drive home while suffering through some very vivid but weird dreams.

All in all, we had a blast with his dad and stepmom, and the trip was well worth it. We aren't planning on going back anytime soon, but it is definitely within driving distance for weekend trips.

DC Day 1 & 2

Jeremy and I left Pittsburgh early and got into DC around dinner time. We got to have dinner with his dad and stepmom, and it was great. We had a good time catching up, and they treated us to very good food. After we ate, we came back and exchanged Christmas presents early. We got this beautiful blue and white fleece throw that had a tiger head and our names embroidered on it. It will be great to snuggle under during the winter as we watch the Tigers on TV.

Today, we got up early and checked out the International Spy Museum. We had been before, but some of the exhibits had changed a little, and we really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we headed over to watch Memphis play Georgetown. It was a very disappointing loss because it wasn't so much that we got beat, but we gave the game away. As much as I hate to say it, it really seems that Evans is a bit overrated and not a good college player.

Although the game was disappointing, we got to enjoy DC in the evening. We went to the National Mall and saw some monuments in lights. We got several really good pictures. We were going to go on a carriage ride, but the carriage person was more than 30 minutes late, and we hadn't eaten (his dad and stepmom hadn't eaten since breakfast). Although we couldn't do that, we did eat at a great burger place. Now, with our tummies full and our legs tired, we're in our room watching Batman vs. Dracula on Cartoon Network.

Washington DC

Jeremy and I are headed to DC to watch Memphis play Georgetown. We're really excited because this might be the only game we get to see the Tigers play in person. Jeremy's dad and stepmom arrived safely yesterday, and we're hoping to meet them for dinner tonight. Of course, if they have other plans, I'm okay in us going out to eat by ourselves.

We're not going to have a lot of time there to explore and sightsee, but it should be a fun trip. It doesn't look like they'll be a lot of snowy weather, so we've really lucked out. It's a little icy here, but it should clear up by the time we get ready to leave.

This roadtrip will be an easy 4 hour drive. We haven't had one of these short trips in awhile. If we do go home for the holidays, it'll be a 12 hour drive home. We'll see what happens though as Jeremy waits to hear back about a job interview.

Finished

Jeremy and I finished baking and decorating all of the goodies that will be Christmas presents in the coming weeks. I would post pictures of the process and the product, but I do want it to be a surprise. As long as the goodies survive shipping, we should be golden.

We are sending some of the stuff back to Memphis with Jeremy's Dad and stepmom, so there will be some packing of goodies required tonight. Otherwise, we'll do that when we get back from DC this weekend.

It's a huge load off because not only do we have all the presents accounted for, there's no wrapping involved. That makes my life easier as a whole.

Homemade

Every year I tell myself that I want to make my own Christmas gifts. This year, it looks like I will actually accomplish this goal. You know what, totally not as good an idea as others would make you believe. Sure, you could theoretically save a lot of money, but the amount of time devoted to it just doesn't seem worth it. It really isn't like I could have started this endeavor months ago, because food doesn't stay good that long. So every evening, I rush home, grab a quick bite to eat, and spend the next five hours working on presents. I will not do this again but by God, I will finish it this year.

Hallucinations

Jeremy and I decided we were going to make the majority of Christmas presents this year. We're not going exclusively homemade, but we are baking like crazy. Last night, we finished a huge batch of goodies, and after we cleaned up, we sat down to watch the end of Monday Night Football. Jeremy was going to take out the trash after the game. When the game was over, I could have sworn Jeremy got up, took the car out of the garage and took out the trash. I remember all of this because I thought about going upstairs to bed but I thought it would be nicer to wait for him to get back. I waited, he came back, and we watched SportsCenter for a bit. At this point, things get a little fuzzy, and I ask him if he's ready for bed. He replies that he still has to take out the trash, which floors me because I could have sworn he already did. It was so real that I questioned him several times about whether he was sure or not that he didn't already go to the dumpster. Jeremy's conclusion was that I had been baking so long that I had officially lost my mind.

We are Blessed

Before bed last night, I was telling Jeremy everything I have to be thankful for, and it was quite the list. While we are in a state of flux until Jeremy finds a job, we are by no means strapped for cash in these tough economic times. Plus, it's not like Jeremy isn't being considered for jobs. He's got several interviews this week, and potentially several more in the weeks to come.

I am also extremely thankful for our family who have been unbelievably supportive of our move. I know so many people who would never have quit two perfectly good jobs to move cross country because one person had a job offer.

During these holidays, Jeremy and I may not get to go home or spend any quality time with our friends and family. While this saddens us, we're focusing on the good. Things could be so much worse.

Cake Balls

Jeremy and I have the technique down. We finished all of the chocolate dipped chocolate cake balls. We shaped the German chocolate ones. Jeremy will be finishing the red velvet and the vanilla ones tomorrow. There may not be enough for everyone, but we've gotten the technique down, so it won't be too hard.

Getting in the Spirit

Jeremy and I bought our adult Christmas tree today. We used to have a small 4 foot tree in Memphis that didn't make the move with us. Today, we invested in a 7.5 foot tree. Since Jeremy cannot have a real tree due to allergies, we bought a nice looking prelit tree. Jeremy is putting it up right now while I'm baking cookies and other goodies for presents. We had a small fingers crossed moment when we didn't think the tree would fit where we wanted it, but we've got plenty of clearance. It'll look nice when it's all put together.

Bizzare

I just took the elevator up to work this morning with a guy in a University of Tennessee sweatshirt. I guess if you think about it, that school graduates thousands of people a year, so it shouldn't be that surprising that the alumni base is just as big. It still makes me do a double take though when I see the power T around here.

Christmas Spirit

Being really busy this year, I am here to announce that I have officially figured out what I am getting for everyone. With a little luck, I should be done Christmas shopping by the end of the weekend. Woohoo! Amazon is wonderful!

Decisions

Jeremy still hasn't found a job he wants yet. He's turned down one offer, and he's been turned down by another, and while he's got several other possibilities and interviews, it's becoming unlikely that he'll be employed before the end of the year. This puts us at a crossroads for Christmas. We stayed here for Thanksgiving because frankly, 4 days in Dallas couldn't justify the $800 a ticket price tag. Christmas would be different though because I'd try to get the time between Christmas and New Years off as well. Without a job, he wouldn't have to worry about time off. It makes it harder to justify the cost of traveling though with only one income. We have a bunch of money saved up just for this occasion, but I wonder if it's more prudent to be frugal now in case he doesn't find a job for an extended period of time.

Fans

Lately, I've been really irritated with not only the coaches of both Tiger football and Tiger basketball, but I've also been pissed at the fan base. While I don't believe that my teams will go through the season undefeated, I do feel like the last games that were lost were due to the stubbornness of the coaches rather then the superior gamesmanship of the other team. Relying on a QB that hasn't thrown a pass in a month due to injury isn't fair to him or the rest of the team. Playing a freshman shooting guard, even a highly touted one, the majority of the game when he can't hit a shot while pulling out players who are making shots because they make one defensive mistake is maddening to everyone. However, they are honestly good coaches and genuinely care about their players, so I'm not ready to jump on them to be fired.

The fans on the other hand I'm completely unwilling to cut any slack on. While I was disappointed in both losses, I realize that the world doesn't end. We are bowl eligible because we won 6 games. We qualify, and it doesn't matter that we only won half our games on a shitty schedule. It's money for the school. If we get invited to a bowl whose payout is $750,000, why would we not go? If the fanbase thinks it's too embarrassing to go to a bowl game, then they need to come up with the money to offset the loss. Forcing the football team to pick a lesser paying bowl bid because it doesn't conflict with a basketball game is unfair to the football players and the program. Come on. Who cares?! It's $750k!

I just hope tonight's game will play out better than last weeks. /rant

Ugh

So I didn't post yesterday, because it would've been more of the same. Wonderful hubby taking care of an under the weather me. I'm still not 100% but I'm at work trying to tough it out.

Thanksgiving 2008 pretty much went down as the worst Thanksgiving ever, but I am glad that we decided not to go home. It was bad being sick here, it would've been infinitely worse being sick on a plane.