Things My Betrothed Says, #1

Me, touching D.H.'s unshaven face: They aren't even stiff anymore, it's soft now.

D.H.: That's what she said...*pause*..(disappointed) ahwwww.

Meet the newest member of our family!

Everyone, say hello to Roomba! D.H. found a screaming deal on this little guy, so we decided to try him out. And boy, are we ever excited to have Roomba around!! We set him up in the living room today to see what he could do, and spent a good half an hour just watching him zoom around, cleaning everything in his path. We are such proud parents. Our lives will never be the same!

For your viewing pleasure

Here are some pictures of Kami and I and our yearly pilgrimage to Moses Lake, WA and The Gorge to see Dave Matthews Band. This year the opener was G. Love and Special Sauce, which was pretty freakin' awesome.

G. Love. And yes, I did buy some boy shorts that say "booty call" on the back.

Just us girls, being awesome.

A very large, very weak, $16 margarita

This is the bathroom at a little gas station we always stop at. Our names were still there from last year! Woo!

We also caught these little beauties dancing their hearts out. They did this for 45 minutes straight that we saw, and then the crowd filled in so we couldn't see them anymore...but I'd like to think they just kept going.

Well, who can blame you, you've gotta lock that down...

D.H. and I officially got engaged on Friday night. It was appropriate because we ended up going to Geppetto's that night, a pizza place we went to on our first date. We even sat at the same table. When we came home and were getting ready for bed he knelt down next to the bed and said, "I love you more than anything, and I want to be with you always...will you be my wife?" I cried and laughed and we kissed and it was wonderful, and I've never been so happy!

The ring is perfect, we actually picked it out together when we were in St. Louis a couple months ago. I love it almost as much as I love him. :)

We will be getting married in Mexico on May 7, 2010. I can't wait!!

I forgot about these...

I forgot these pictures were on my camera...thought I'd share.

Diana and me at her wedding. Yes, I've gotten chubby. ;)

Me and my honey. He's adorable.

Me, D, and Betharoonie

Also, I made this beautiful bruschetta tonight - with tomatoes, garlic, and basil from my garden!! All I had to buy was the bread. It was awesome. And delicious.

And in other news...I just saw a Simpson's episode that I've never seen before. I didn't think that would ever happen.

Adventures!

Adventure Number 1: Meet me in St. Louieeee!

The company D.H. works for flew the two of us to St Louis for a Cardinals game. They are headquartered in St Louis, and had rented a skybox and invited the out-o-towners to come visit. The trip started out rocky, but ended up being completely fantastic. When we got to the airport at 7:30, we waited in line to check in at the kiosk. Then we waited in line to check our bags, and by the time we got up there (29 minutes before our flight was scheduled to leave), we were told our bags couldn't be checked any less than 30 minutes before the flight, and we'd have to go "stand in that line over there." Yup, the 2-hour-long wait line. There was nothing he could do (except walk us over to one of the other computers and have them check our bags!! But naturally that would've been FAR too much to ask) so we waited in the loooong line and missed our flight, only to be told (by the same guy! Ugh!) That we should get to the airport 1 1/2 hours before our flight. "WE DID!" we kept saying, but they wouldn't listen. So they booked us on a flight for 5:00 that evening. We checked our bags right then (crossing our fingers they wouldn't lose them between now and then) and headed back to my house in Salt Lake, where we pretty much wasted the whole day. D.H. missed the dinner he was invited to, where he would've hob-nobbed with all the big wigs of his company. When we went back to the airport for the 5:00 flight, we had seats far apart from each other because they simply couldn't get us seats together on such short notice. Stupid Delta. I hate them.

Once we got to St Louis, we got our rental car (a Chrysler PT Cruiser!) and made our way to the hotel. We checked in, found the elevators, and located our room, I took two steps inside and stopped short and said, "is this a smoking room??" The bell-hop assured me there were no smoking rooms in the hotel, but someone had DEFINITELY been smoking in that room. I said no, no, no, so down the elevators we went, back to the front desk, and were assigned another room. I can't even tell you how excited we were about this - they put us in a two bedroom suite! It was incredible! It seemed larger than the first floor of my house. We had a huge bathroom with a jetted tub, an entire bedroom with two beds for us to jump on...we were in heaven, especially after our wretched day.

The rest of the trip passed fairly uneventfully; we went to the baseball game, we had drinks with Arch's executive secretary and some of her friends, we did a little shopping, saw the Gateway Arch, and had a lovely time.

Adventure Number 2: Diana and Nic's Wedding

We ventured to Tennessee for my girl Diana's wedding, which also ended up being really fun. I got to see Diana and some other friends from pharmacy school, it was CRAZY hot and humid - ugh - and we drank and danced and partied all weekend. It was particularly nice because the reception was in the hotel, so we didn't have to worry about stumbling home in the middle of the night. Diana was beautiful, and she and Nic seemed so happy. It was a wonderful time. D.H. and I did a little exploring and we found this great antiques store - well, more like a warehouse! It was huge! - and did some shopping. I'm so spoiled - D.H. bought me the most darling little antique pearl and diamond ring. :) Oh! And our rental car was a Chevy HHR. What is it with us and the crappy rental cars??

Adventure Number 3: Las Vegas, Baby!

Blink-182 is doing their reunion tour, so we got tickets to the Vegas show at the Hard Rock Casino. It was so fun! They played lots of old stuff that we remember from high school, and oh! the people watching! There aren't even enough words for how fun the people watching was. I love Vegas, and D.H. had only been there once before, so we did some exploring, some shopping, lots of eating, and we had a great room at the Trump International Hotel (even the bathrobes had "Trump" embroidered on them - it was ridiculous). We considered getting married, but decided we both wanted to live to see our next birthdays, and if we got married without our mothers that probably wouldn't happen. On our way home we stopped in St. George and had a little dinner with Crashley, it was SO nice to finally see her again!

Now the little adventurers are broke, so no more vacations until we go to Pittsburgh for Christmas, and I meet his WHOLE family....eesh!

Things My Boyfriend Says, #2

Me: What did you do to your face?

D.H.: I burned it with a soldering iron...I actually had solder in my sideburns.  It was pretty cool.

Me: 'It was pretty cool.'  You're such a boy.

D.H.: What?  What's not cool about metal sideburns??

Bountiful Summer Sweets

I found this A-MAZ-ING recipe on my favorite recipe blog for strawberry shortcake, and while I usually keep the best recipes to myself because I'm selfish for good food, I have to share this.  It's just too easy and WAY too good.

Strawberry Shortcakes
Courtesy of The Smitten Kitchen 

Serves 6

1 2/3 cups (224 grams) all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon (20 grams) baking powder

2 hard-boiled egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (84 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest (optional)

2/3 cup (168 grams) plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Shortcake assembly

1/2 pound strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream, beaten to soft peaks

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and zest, if using, and pulse until the flour resembles coarse meal. Add 2/3 cup of cream and pulse until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather into a shaggy mass. Knead a couple times to make it into a cohesive mass and then pat it into a rough circle about 6 to 7 inches in diameter, and 3/4 to 1-inch thick.

Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 6 wedges and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Alternately, you can use a cookie cutter to make shapes of your choice. Chill for 20 minutes (and up to 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the shortcakes very lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle lightly with the coarse sugar. Bake until risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn the pan around halfway through to ensure even cooking.

While the shortcakes are baking, toss the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl. Let stand several minutes. (If the strawberries are extremely firm, do this 30 minutes in advance.)

Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and set the tops aside. Place the bottoms on dessert plates and heap strawberries over them. Spoon whipped cream generously over the strawberries and replace the shortcake tops. Serve immediately with any remaining whipped cream on the side.

Things My Boyfriend Says, #1

D.H.: Heath.  All guys named Heath are gay.

Me: What about Heath Ledger?

D.H.: Well...he's dead, so he might as well be gay.

D.H.: Your ass is getting bigger.

Me: *death stare* Never say anything like that to me again.

D.H.: No, I like it!  I like it!!

I. Am. A. Loser.

A big, fat, loser.  I'm so sorry for not keeping up my end of the bargain with this blog; i.e., keeping you apprised of the daily drudgery (and not so drudgery) that is my life.  So here is a quick update.

I am crazy in love with this goofy guy.

I have been completely exhausted and had no energy for the past two months, so I went to the doctor yesterday and discovered I have a "sluggish thyroid" and now have to take thyroid medicine because my body evidently thinks it is okay to act like a 70-year-old woman. 

 I bought the CUTEST new shoes on clearance the other weekend.

It has been raining for two weeks, and I'm ready for it to stop.

I got a new, shiny iMac for myself with my tax return

I planted tomatoes, strawberries, onions, peas, zucchini, watermelon, rhubarb, mint, artichokes, peppers, and lots of herbs in my sweet little garden.  

I am going to Tennessee for my lovely Diana's wedding next weekend, and I'm super excited to see her cute self!

I have been officially graduated from pharmacy school for two years now, and I still feel like a kid playing house.  I also got a B+ in my finance 504 class this past semester.  On to the next!

My job by turns delights me and makes me want to gouge my eyes out.  But it's still better than retail.  

So there you are!  I'll try to be better now that I'll hopefully have a little more energy and can get by with less than 14 hours of sleep a day.  Hopefully.  :)

Hooray for Vacay!

So, I'm off to Florida with D.H. for 10 days...and it couldn't come at a better time, because after being 70 degrees here earlier today, it is now snowing.  A lot.

Hello my darlings...

Sorry for the belated post!  Things have been fairly busy for me lately.

-I am taking Introduction to Corporate Finance this semester, one of the four classes I need to finish with my MBA.  So far I have learned one very important lesson: I am not very good at finance.

-I am in love with a boy from Pittsburgh who currently lives in Price, Utah.  His name is DH Hamilton, and he is a coal geologist for a mine near Price.  He works upwards of 50 hours a week, so we only get to see each other on weekends.  We typically spend Friday night through Sunday afternoon together, and love every minute of it.  I'm not sure if it's fate or luck or kismet that brought us together...but whatever it is, I'm very grateful.

-Work is going well - they are remodeling our building, so things are a little hectic at the moment.  Today they were glue-ing down the carpet, and the fumes gave me a migraine and I had to come home early.  But I still have the easiest job ever and it's paying the bills, so I can't complain.  

-Somehow my computer erased all the playlists from my iTunes.  I'm not happy about it.

-I'm going to Florida for 10 days in March with DH, and I'm going to meet his parents...I'm a little nervous!!  But I'm more excited than nervous, because I will get to go to Disneyworld and lay on the beach when it's still only 40 degrees in Utah!  Yay!

-I am writing this post as a way of ignoring my homework.  But I can't think of anything else to say, so I guess it's back to work!  

Is It School Picture Time Already??

It sure feels like it!!  I'm not sure of the reasoning behind it, but at work they have this wall where they have 8x10 professional framed pictures of all the pharmacists.  And because I'm fairly new, it's my turn to have my picture taken and put up on the wall!  Well, it was very strange.  I left work, went home, got all dolled up, went to the photography studio, had a bunch of photos taken, chose the one I liked best, and then headed back to work.  And here's how it turned out:

Don't I just look all professional and fancy?  The strangest part was there were two extra 5x7s that they gave to me.  What am I going to do with them?  (And why do they order them if they're not going to use them?)  I guess give them to my mom, like I did in 7th grade.  :)  

The Ten Rules

So, my ADORABLE Dad just sent me this e.mail.  (He said, "this is the way it should be.  #9 is my favorite."  He is so funny!!)

Ten Rules For Dating My Daughter

Rule One:

If you pull into my driveway and honk, you'd better be delivering a package, because you're not picking anything up here.

Rule Two:

You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below the neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:

I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to insure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:

I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a 'barrier method' of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate... When it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:

It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you to expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is, "Early."

Rule Six:

I have no doubt that you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it's okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:

As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:

The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter:

•Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool.

•Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns with eyesight.

•Places where there is darkness.

•Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. 

•Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka zipped up to her throat.

•Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies that feature chain saws are okay.

•Hockey games are okay.

•Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:

Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless God of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:

Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car. There is no need for you to come inside. 

......That camouflage-painted face at the front window is mine.

P.S. The word 'rule' looks really weird after you see it a bunch of times...