Well, today was interesting.

So Isaac had his surgery last week and I think it went okay. I'm not saying that because somehow after his surgery I lost him and am still trying to locate him to make sure that he's okay. I know where he's at, promise. I say that because after his surgery he's still had a lot of pain. We're hoping that it's just because he still had his stint in (they require him to keep it in for a few days after surgery) well, had his stint in, he finally got it out this morning. And he's done plenty of research  and apparently the first three hours after you get your stint out are the most painful which has been true for him. If he's still in pain a few days from now then he has to go back to the hospital because they may not have gotten all the kidney stones and he would have to have surgery... again...

We're keeping our fingers crossed.

And then today when I went into work the air conditioning was broken... just on our side of the building... that was special. We would go outside into the 90 degree heat to escape the 95 degree heat in the building. That was interesting. I have never sweat so much inside a building, unless I was working out. But I'm pretty sure that that was on purpose. Um, yep. Just checked with myself. It's really fun when you can't hold onto anything because your hands are so sweaty. Or in terms of paper you try to let go of it but you can't because it sticks to you. I'm hoping that it's fixed tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath so I'm wearing a dress. We were told today that we could go home and change but I didn't because I would have to shave my legs and that would have taken too much time. I think I will tonight though, just so I'm prepared.

Here's to better tomorrow for us all.

Well, hello there.

Hi.

This is going to be a somewhat short post as I'm tired and it's starting to get late and I have to be up at 4am tomorrow. But I know I've been silent for a while (quite a while) and I'm sure some of you want to know what's been going on in my life.

The big post that's (still) coming is about my little sister's graduation that happened in May. Um, that's not this post. :)

So at the beginning of June Isaac went to Long Island for a week for business. While he was there he texted me that he had to go to the ER. Thankfully it was on a weekend so I drove all the way out to Long Island because he had to have emergency surgery for kidney stones. Well, let me rephrase, he had to have emergency surgery to put a stint in so he could pee because the stones were too big to pass and they weren't letting him even go to the bathroom. The machine to take the stones out? Not at the hospital at the time. So we had to make all sorts of appointments once we came back to Jersey to get him in for that. The machines to do the surgery are incredibly expensive (and housed in mac trucks, for real) and they rotate to area hospitals because a single hospital can't afford one on it's own.

However that's not the surgery that Isaac's having but it's still taken him a month to get in for surgery nonetheless. Luckily the surgery he is having is finally tomorrow and so he'll finally be pain free and be able to exercise like he had before. I'll let you all know how it goes.

And then this past week my parents came to visit and we had a really great time. We walked the city, ate some really good food, went to a ballgame and saw a live show. I always love when they come to visit and this time was no exception. Currently they're visiting my little brother and I'm sure they're having a great time with him.

Okay off to bed now. I hope y'all have a great night.

This is where we (sort of) play catch up and I humiliate myself (inadvertently, and again, yes always again)

So my really neat post (that's been coming two weeks now but I've been so lazy that it hasn't happened yet) is going to have to wait a little longer. I was going to upload my pictures to my computer but my camera (no not that camera, yet) battery is dead and my adapter cord won't charge my camera so alas that post will have to wait. (I promise the battery is charging now.)

So let's move on to the embarrassing part shall we?

So this week my co-worker Theresa is gone on vacation. Well, really just today and tomorrow and then we all have Monday off but anyways, I always get sidetracked don't I? Theresa opens the office in the morning and so because she's gone today and tomorrow it was my turn.

Let me just point out that I was all set and ready to go. I was going to get to work at the right time (earlier than normal for me), open the office and be ready for when the other people I work with in the morning got there. And as I reached in my purse to fish my keys out so I could grab my stuff and walk out the door, I fumbled.

There. Were. No. Keys.

I mean I have a rather large purse, so sometimes when you reach in for something you can't always find it on the first try. So I took my purse over to the couch and started pulling everything out.

There. Were. No. Keys.

So I called my husband who had driven my car the night before and he swore up an down that he had put my keys back in my purse.

I'm sorry. THERE. WERE. NO. KEYS.

I kinda (read: a lot) freaked out on him and hung up so I could hyperventilate alone.

He then called back and told me that, oops, he had them, and suggested I ride my bike to work as if that fixed everything and he did nothing wrong.

(DISCLAIMER: To all men reading this. Please don't tell your partner that they can ride their bike and act all happy like you fixed the problem when they have no way to get all their crap there with them on the bike and THEY HAVE TO BE AT WORK IN 20 MINUTES. Because honestly, your partner is not going to make it in time and it's going to make your partner so much more ticked off because IT DOESN'T SOLVE ANYTHING. Please don't then suggest they use a backpack and still bike to work. Also girls (read: me) wear makeup and nice clothes and we do our hair, all of which has to be vastly different when we ride bikes. Please note it takes more time to change along with packing a backpack, making us even more late. Just think things through before you think it's a good option and get all happy with yourself and pat yourself on the back for such a good solution. Also please when you pick us up in our car from work at the end of the day still suggest that it's a good option and still act all happy with yourself and like we're making a big deal over nothing. PLEASE JUST DON'T SUGGEST WE RIDE A BIKE WHEN YOU HAVE OUR KEYS. It would really make everything better.)

I hung up on him and freaked out a little more and called my boss who luckily was already on his way to work. (As a side note to the disclaimer: Men, it's already embarrassing enough that we have to call our boss to let them know we'll be late on the first day we're being trusted with a lot more responsibility but that much more humiliating when said boss has to give you a ride to work, BECAUSE A BIKE IS NOT AN OPTION HERE. Okay, I think my rant is over. Please note that the caps aren't actually shouting, they're just for emphasis because italics don't seem like they do enough, they seem much more like whispering to me and whispering is not what is needed in this case. Longestsentenceever.)

Let my just say that my boss was really nice about giving me a ride and he didn't mind at all, while I felt really out of sorts and like I kind or ruined everything. I know this goes back to me being a control freak and when things don't go to plan (when I plan things out) I'm not very good at surrendering and being okay with things not coming up to the par I set. Also in a job situation I want to show leadership and accountability and even when things (especially when) are out of my control I still take ownership if they go badly, regardless if I could have done anything to change the outcome.

But overall today was good. Work was good (still showed up late) and that's what counts. (I'm working at putting it all in perspective.)

Here's to another really great post soon. :)

This is the title.

I have been pretty craptastic about posting lately.

Yup, still apologizing and still sucking at it.

Okay, had to get that off my chest.

Anyway, camera is still back ordered so I don't look like a loon... yet.

But I did get this over the weekend.

And she's pretty and she's shiny and yes true to form I've already taken one of my knees out with her.

See, there's this little thing called clip-less pedals, which is more of a misnomer than anything because you clip your shoes into the pedals. And I took out my knee trying to unclip while I was trying to stop and yes, also true to form it was very unladylike and involved plenty of swearing. (Don't worry my knee is fine now, just a little banged up.)

I ordered her last week and Isaac and I picked her up Friday and spent three hours while I got fitted and everything adjusted properly for her. And then Saturday we went riding, and even though we only did 8 miles (I blame the bike seat wholly) and I was rather clumsy (what's new) it was really exhilarating being back on a bike again.

I've been knitting plenty lately. See below.

These are cowls, knit out of mohair and I love them but they take a damn long time to knit. Currently they're folded in half which is why they look kinda funny.

And I've recently bought this:

Which I will be knitting into these. (Even though I don't really relish knitting socks.)

(Picture from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's blog)

And I am so looking forward to knitting rainbow colored socks.

So that's about it for me. It's really quite boring around here but still really good.

Talk to you soon, er, maybe I should stop making promises. :)

And then there was this

12. This Sloth
This sloth kind of feels like you should update your blog more frequently.

This all comes from here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/animals-who-are-extremely-disappointed-in-you.

Very funny.

Hi

Um, yeah.

I've been gone a while.

Yes I know this might be an understatement.

I didn't mean to stay away this long but, well, I did. Again, I feel like I always have to say nothings wrong, because normally that's not what my silence means. It just means I'm too busy, uninspired, or sick. It's been a mix of that.

Isaac and I finally did our taxes last week. We've been putting it off because normally we owe and so we dread it. But this year? This year we're getting money back. I am so excited about this. Although I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with the amazing amount of money we spent moving 3,000 miles, twice.

And? I'm finally going to get my precious.

I honestly don't think I can tell you how excited I am. There are no words. But if you see me clutching something that looks like this and laughing like I've lost a few bolts just know. MY SHIP HAS COME IN FOLKS, MY SHIP HAS COME IN. Yes the caps are necessary.

I just have to wait, until our return comes in. In May. The good thing about age is that times goes fast. No I did not say I'm old.What are you implying?

Also I've been nursing a killer cold. Like I've lost at least half of my voice and I've been sleeping like a zombie. Which is saying something because I sleep like I'm dead anyhow. But the waking dead now? I mean I don't even remember my husband trying to wake me up this morning after my three alarms went off and I keep my phone across the room (alarm clock) I don't even remember getting up to get it or turning off three alarms.

But this Sunday Isaac and I drove down to Cape May and walked the beach which was great. It was sort of warm and very sunny and I'm just so glad that by moving we didn't have to give up the beach. I would have severely missed that so I'm very glad that I didn't have to give it up.

And then today my bosses boss took me and my coworkers (this includes my boss and one other coworker, we're a team of three) out to lunch today which was really sweet of her. It was her and my boss' way of thanking me and my coworker for the work we've put in lately. (Before I joined the team I am on it was my boss and my coworker (the word coworker is starting to look funny) so he considers all three of us a team and that he's not really our boss, even though we give him the respect of being so. But yes we pull pranks on him, though it's all out of respect... Um, yeah.) Even though my coworker has put in more work (she pretty much kicks ass) than me but she's salary and I'm not so I don't really have a choice. But anyways, that's neither here or there. There have been changes in our department lately and on top of training me it's been a lot and we've handled it well, so yeah. Lunch. A really nice lunch too.

I can't think of anything else right now so here's to not staying away so long next time? Have a good evening.

I'm pretty sure this is just an East Coast thing... And also, Eric Hutchinson is not a tailor. Just to clarify.

So I've noticed that out here people tend to throw an "s" on the end of words that they say when they don't belong there. I've noticed that they do this... a lot. Or should I say a lots. Or "Hey yous guys." I'm pretty sure that I could go on for a while but I'll spare you. (I only said that because I can't go on for a while, I'm pretty short on brain power right now and really need to go to bed.)

The one time that I do this on my own is when I sing Eric Hutchinson's songs. And with his one song "Outside Villanova" I tend to crack myself up pretty hard. (I need to remember this on days I need a laugh.) Because his lyrics tend to take on some wacky meanings. Such as "And I start to relax as I cut her some slack". I almost couldn't even type that correctly because that is not how I sing it and now have it seared into my head.

I sing it "And I starts to relax as I cut her some slacks". And yes this cracks me up to no end because it's such an odd lyric that I've changed it too. And come on, how is it not funny that he's now making her some pants?

Just me? Hm. Okay.

Promise still sober. I'm pretty sure it's the tired loopy me coming out. This means I should go to bed.

Night all.

Oh and actual song below.

Someone, please stop me now.

Okay, I have something to admit...

I bought another pair of shoes.

I promised my husband that after this past weekend I was done buying shoes but then I found these and had to have them. I should probably mention that they're as comfortable as wrestling shoes (Those are extremely comfortable if you've ever worn a pair. It makes me want to buy a pair... Um, I just said I'd stop right?) and they're 4 inches high. Win, win. Those two things pretty much sold them to me right then and there. Which is why I had to have them. See the admission above.

I'm done now... Right?

Apparently I got a little delirious this weekend...

Sometimes (like this past weekend) I like to convince myself of things that I can do that just aren't true.

Like wear high heels...

I have flat feet. Like FLAT. My entire foot touches the floor. Flat feet + high heels = bad call.

Yes I know this.

But this past weekend I talked myself into believing that it wasn't true. So I bought high heels, wore them around my house all weekend, and then took them back today.

I got these instead. I'll still get plenty of height and be able to walk when I step out of them.

Much. Smarter.

I'm blaming St. Patricks Day.

Is there bad luck in that?

I think that my skin might be against me which really sucks because it covers MY WHOLE BODY.

Let me explain.

A few weeks ago I started to notice that my skin was really starting to itch, all over. And the more itched the more I needed to itch and when I would stop my skin felt like it was kind of on fire. Also my skin has now started to mark up really easily every time I itch or even touch it too hard (that part is called dermographism because I could write on my skin and have it show what I wrote. Yay me. As if I need to be weirder.) and sometimes it produces hives. I have at least found a temporary cure for the itching which is taking Zyrtec everyday. But the dermographism is really embarrassing.

And it's not going away.

I've looked into it and it could be anything from gluten intolerance to a lack of certain vitamins and minerals. So I switched my oatmeal to one that doesn't contain any gluten (because I recently started eating oatmeal for breakfast so I thought that might be it), I've ordered a really good set of vitamins that I used to take and I'm looking at starting to drink coconut water religiously (which I have no problem with, as I really like it).

I really want to go see a naturopathic doctor but they don't license them in NJ or PA so I'm going to have to pay 100% out of pocket if I want to see one. I still need to check and see if they're licensed in DE.

Any thoughts?

And on a completely different note I think I'm going to start wearing heels for work. I've been thinking about it for a little while now and I've decided to do it. (We'll see if I stick with it.) Practically every girl I work with now wears them and so part of it I feel like is an unspoken expectation. But also I've always wanted to wear heels and just never had the balls to do it. I also think it looks more professional. So I bought two pairs today that I love, and yes they're kinda high. (go big or go home huh?) Pictures below and also new music after that.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Except mine are just black leather and not patent. This is the best picture I could find.

Bess Rogers - Out of the Ocean 

Catching up

See, I say I'm going to blog more and I don't really... Apparently this is a work in progress...

And for the last time, promise. (Okay, we both know this isn't really the last time right? We'll just go on pretending it is though m'kay? M'kay.)

(Yes I took this picture when no one was looking. I don't want them thinking I'm weird or anything, I'm trying to hide it as long as possible. I was just really touched that they were so happy to have me... I mean abduct me.)

Yes the new job is still going really well. So, so happy.

Oh and Bill, (my new boss) got these sticker white erase boards that you peel the back off and can stick anywhere. He got quite a few in the pack he bought and so he gave some to me and Theresa (my other co-worker) and so tonight I went out and bought some dry erase markers to use. We are all so excited about these sticker white boards. Sad, yes I know. We like how organized they'll help us stay. Still dorky, I know.

Sadly, I'm also very excited about these dry erase markers. (This is probably why I created the Easily Amused People of America club in high school.) I was looking for fine point markers and I found the only pack that had every color of fine point markers. I looked everywhere and didn't see another pack like it (this only made me clutch the one I found tighter) so I'm really excited to start using them tomorrow. It then made me think how I probably didn't have enough writing pens for work (I have plenty) and so I bought more of the ones I love tonight online because you can't find them in stores.

Love, love, love these. Although I'm not sure I bought enough of them... Just kidding. I'm pretty sure I'm going to give some away. 

Remember these Lizzy?

And I'm also making some more Alice gloves for some guys at work. However, I refer to them as fingerless gloves and I don't let on that they're called Alice gloves because they're based off of the gloves that the character Alice from the Twilight novels wore in the movie New Moon. (I still laugh internally every time I think that these boys are so clueless and would be mortified that they were wearing gloves that a Twilight character wore.) But anyways.

They brown and orange pair are for a guy who asked very nicely and is waiting rather patiently (which is why they are the first ones I cast on) and the black and gray pair are for a guy who literally asks me about them everyday and so gets teased mercilessly and probably thinks they're never coming.

Oh and new music.

While this album isn't exactly new it's new to me and I love it. It reminds me of the Northwest and the gray rainy days which I miss so much.

And I think that's all I have for right now. I hope everyone's doing well. Have a good night. :)

I honestly can't wait for tomorrow

So tomorrow I start my new position (please raise your hand if you're entirely bored of this topic) and I'm super, super excited. I already love the girls I currently work with but I love my new co-workers (I already work with them just not nearly as closely) so much too. And one thing that makes me really excited is how excited they are to have me (yes I know they already asked to have me become part of their team, but I don't think that even with that they would have to be as excited as they are).

Here's an example. There's a white board on the wall in the office that I'll be sharing with them with our list of to-do's on it and as part of the list my new boss wrote "abduct Sarah". Tonight when I was moving my stuff into my new desk he asked me to check it off. I actually didn't believe him at first because I didn't see it. And then I saw it and it was so super sweet to see how excited that they are to have me that they added me to the list.

This is why I love my job and I'm super excited about my new position. I know the work is going to be hard and not always fun but by having really great co-workers it's going to make it fun even when it's not.

And comparing it to the last job I had (not the one I'm transitioning from) where I felt like a stress ball going to work everyday in a negative environment. Dudes, it doesn't even compare. So. Much. Happier.

(But yes I miss my friends and the West Coast desperately.)

Checking in.

Yes, I know I have been absent from blogging as of late, and being on the East Coast makes it more important that I blog more because I am so much farther away. So I guess here's kind of a weekly wrap up (or maybe a few weeks worth?).

Here's my excuse for not blogging (because honestly, they're all excuses I guess if you come at it with the mind set of what is important to you will happen and the rest will kind of slide off). For the past three weeks or so I've been working the evening shift at work (it only goes until 7 which isn't late, I've worked far later) and it's enough that it throws me off my entire day. It's a temporary thing which is good because I will always prefer the morning shift. So I stay up later and get up later, eat lunch later (I'm pretty sure you see the running theme here...) and for at least the first hour at work everyday I feel disoriented. I have no idea why that last one happens and it kinda freaks me out because I'm used to being sharp and on my game. All of it I guess I'm saying, throws me off enough that everything in my week days ends up being rather altered. But I just got word on Thursday that I will finally be moving into my new position next Thursday which makes me really stoked.

I'm hoping that will help me start blogging more? We'll see, I'll try to make the effort.

Isaac and I have seen quite a few movies lately including The Vow (which I loved), Underworld (whatever the newest one is called) which was great, This Means War, Act of Valor, and Safe House.

Also new music:

This last one hasn't actually been released in the States yet and I honestly can't wait until it is. So much so that I've found the album on grooveshark and play it constantly. When I'm not at work that is. I just sing it in my head all day when I'm at work.

Have a good weekend all. :)

I'm pretty sure I'm the smartest person alive right now...

Just a quick drop in because I have to tell you guys how smart I am.

Really.

No joke.

I figured out that you don't need a sweater stone or any other fancy contraption when your sweater pills.

I know...

I'll give you a minute to calm down.

(Here's a paper bag.)

I figured out that you can use a nail file instead.

It doesn't crumble like a sweater stone and you can use it over and over again. Not to mention they are easy to find and cheap to buy.

I know. I am so smart.

I have no excuse. I'm just lazy.

Because honestly that's the truth.

Well I did have a monster cold last week, but besides that... Um, yeah.

So let's catch up.

A few weekends ago Isaac and I went to Tarrytown, NY which is a 2 hour drive one way. Remind me to go the way we went home next time because going cost us at least $30.00 in tolls and home was like $7.00. No. Joke.

It was the day after we had finally gotten snow so it was a really pretty drive both ways. I know you're asking yourself, what's in Tarrytown, NY, right? Well if you know me you know one of the top answers would be yarn, and you would be right.

I've always wanted to go to this yarn shop called Flying Fingers. I love a brand of yarn called Manos Del Uruguay and they literally carry every color and type of yarn of Manos. I used to peruse their website on the West Coast in love with all the colors and I mean ALL the colors they dye yarn in. So I was pretty stoked that we finally lived close enough to go. I also got some yarn for take two of the Oh Deer! mittens, that I have yet to start... Did I mention I've been lazy?

I made fingerless gloves for all my coworkers (the three I work closest with, I haven't had THAT much time) and gave them to them last Thursday and they were all really excited to get those. And this past weekend Isaac and I went and saw the newest Underworld which was really great, even for the exorbitant price it cost for one ticket.

And now I'm working on making a cowl that I've been working on for ages (It's had a lot of downtime, and I mean a lot) but I really want to finish it so hopefully that will happen soon.

And work is great although I haven't transitioned over into my new position quite yet, we just hired the girls that are taking all our places and they started last week. And for some reason I'm the last one left to transition and I won't until these new girls have it down. Pray for me that that's soon because while I love my current job I'm really excited about my new one.

Happy Monday. :)

I'm pretty sure that Canadians are the spies of the knitting world.

I mean what other system has TWO sizes of needles? (evidence below) It's like they're hiding something.

Okay, but all of this is really to distract you from my awesome news that I got this week.

...

I'm being promoted.

Yes, this is so amazingly awesome I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

I know I've only been there slightly over a month and so I'm really very humbled that it's all happening so fast, and amazingly excited.

Ever since I started (which yes, wasn't very long ago) it's been made very aware to all of us that they promote within and to think of where in the company you wanted to go next. Very quickly on (yes I realize there is no other amount of time it could be) I realized what department and position I wanted to move into next. And so as we were advised, I made my intentions known. Little did I know that they actually were looking for help in that department. I was thinking in maybe a year or so I would be looked at to be promoted. So on Wednesday when I was pulled into our head HR's office I was literally shocked to find out that I was being asked if I wanted to advance.

I know I've said it before but I really love everyone I work with and especially the two people in department I'm moving into. All three of us think along the same lines and have similar personalities, this makes me even more excited about it.

I'm pretty sure I'm making midget mittens...

So you remember these?

Yeah, mine don't quite look like that...

I'm pretty sure that mine will be midget mittens. No. Joke.

I made the point of making sure that I got the right yarn and used the right needles. Then it all went to hell. I know that you won't be able to tell it by the picture below but I'm pretty sure the one I'm making will fit a five year old.

I am going to go ahead and knit it up so I can see how it goes and get the kinks out. I think it might be a christmas tree ornament. Really. That or I'm making one glove for a five year old.

Then? Then I'm upping the needles and the yarn.

Apparently this is how I'm supposed to learn about knitting stranded mittens. Being humiliated.

Score one stranded mittens. Score zero Sarah.

I know I know, next time start with a gauge swatch.

This would save me so much humiliation but how else would I provide you with material to tease me?

Just a sneak peak

So I was finally able to get my yarn today to start the Oh Deer Mittens. I got it this morning but I wasn't able to start them until this evening because I had to finish up a present that's going out in the mail tomorrow. It's a surprise just for fun for someone dear to my heart, and that's all I'll say about that.

I've been itching to cast them on and terrified at the exact same time. I still feel like I have no idea what the hell I'm doing with knitting and these babies are really intricate on small needles. Pray for me.

People always tell me what an excellent knitter I am and maybe it has to do with how well I discount myself but I think the stuff I can do is really plain and simple. These mittens seem so advanced to me that I'm a little terrified taking them on, but all knitting projects that include something that I've never done before do this to me so apparently it's just me. Neuroses at work people.

I'm only on the fourth row of the corrugated knitting on the cuff. (Not that that means anything to you, it's more for me if I forget my place in the morning. You're welcome.) But here's what it looks like so far. Also, the colors are not actually that abrasive.

These are the actual colors.

And a picture of the store front of the knitting shop we went to this morning because I thought it was funny and endearing.

Okay, I so need to go to bed now. Night all.

I'm pretty sure of a few things right now.

Like how Dakota Skye is my new favorite movie.

One of the lovely things about Netflix streaming is that you get to watch movies that if you actually had to go out and rent them you probably wouldn't. Not that they don't look appealing but because you don't know anything about them and you don't always want to take that chance. But Netflix streaming? Same price for as many movies as you want so the ability to take a risk (movie wise) goes up.

I don't know why I love this movie. Well I do, they really made you feel the human connection in this movie and you don't necessarily get that in a lot of movies. Especially in little small independent indie movies. Well, at least for me.

And bam.

Alice gloves are back, and kinda with a vengeance too. I made the complete pair over the weekend and the one on the needles I did 7/8th of today and I'll cast off tonight. I was going to make these for my family for Christmas but I didn't plan on everything else taking up so much of my time so it didn't happen. But don't worry, they got Christmas presents and they're all fine.

I'm waiting until Friday to buy the yarn for these.

Pattern by Natalie Selles.

Because I really, really want to make them. And even though I don't do mittens, or Latvian colorwork I really want to attempt it (Please check back for my complete frustration) because I love, love, love them. And I keep looking at them and the urge to knit them isn't dissipating.

Happy Tuesday all.

In which I find the solution to the problem

I've had my trusty little macbook since August of 2006. Sure we've had a few problems but for the most part it's been great. Yes, there was the massive crash in November of 2009 (luckily I had Apple Care and they completely replaced my hard drive for free, and yes, I had been backing up regularly thank you very much), and my built in webcam stopped working (that was an easy quick fix that also cost me nothing when I took it into Apple), but besides that it's been smooth sailing.

Okay well that's kind of a lie. I've known that my CD drive has been going down hill for a while now and I've been pretty loathe to do anything about it. I saw it slowly die and kept telling myself everything was fine. But now I really can't do anything more but own up to the fact that it's gone and if I want to have one in this computer I would need to replace it.

I'm finally owning up to this fact because I haven't updated my Mac software in a while. I was pretending that everything was fine, I had Leopard and that was good enough for me. That was until they recently release Lion and now I was two behind and I was suddenly unable to do some stuff (not a lot but enough to know I was starting to be hindered).

I'm owning up to it because you have to install software updates in order otherwise they won't work and I had to buy Snow Leopard and install it, (bum bum bum) with a disc. I even went so far as to delude myself that if I bought the disc the CD drive would work. You know "If you build it they will come." except it didn't happen anything like that. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

So after Christmas I finally broke down and bought Snow Leopard (I talk about it like it's so expensive and it's not, it's actually really reasonably priced. I talk about it like this mainly because I didn't want to admit my CD drive had bit it.) and it recently came.

When I got it I even remember unwrapping it and thinking legitimately that my CD drive would pull through for me just this one time so I could install Snow Leopard. (Because after Snow Leopard you can just download the new software installs. I literally just had to get through one more software update and I could be free of my CD drive forever.) So there I sat defiantly shoving the install CD in the drive and watching as it instantly popped right back out. Over and over and over again.
(I did mention I had deluded myself right?)

See? Legitimate copy.

So then I finally thought, there has to be a better way. So I looked up how to install Snow Leopard a different way and low and behold there was an easy way to upload it from a usb drive. I "found" a copy I was able to do this with and with a little help from a tutorial (okay, who am I kidding I followed it to the T) I now have Snow Leopard!

Okay so that's my exciting news for the night but now I must go to bed (don't forget I am three hours ahead).

Oh, and I totally forgot Vampire Diaries is back on the air and I can't wait to watch it in the morning! (Too much? Oh well.)

Night all. :)

You must read this.

Um, not this post. I think I need to learn how to title better. Or stop over analyzing. One of those.

Anyway.

This is going to be a throw back to world events that happened in 2003. You know the whole we invaded Iraq based on a flimsy accusation of WMD.

I never agreed with the war in the first place but I pretty much tuned out the nitty gritty details of it. I knew it was going on, saw the night fire fights in Baghdad and the city burning. I knew the whole cluster fuck we made of their government but that's where I stopped. I didn't want the view point that the tv was going to give me of the politicians involved because our government was going to give us their version and not necessarily the truth.

I remember having a discussion over dinner with my family during the summer that this was all going on and I expressed a point of view that really got me nailed to the wall. I'm going to share it with you in a second, but first I want to give a disclaimer.

I am very highly supportive of the US troops, several are dear close family friends. I appreciate and am in awe of the sacrifices they make every day to keep us here safe.

With that said, I think that the other side of war needs a voice too. While our troops protect us, they also cause what we have benignly termed "collateral damage". These are people's lives, not buildings or other inanimate objects. Living breathing people.

So anyway at dinner I stated that I felt badly and really abhorred all the innocent lives that we had taken simply because we were looking for WMD. I know it's not that simple, I really do. But it makes me angry that we raid people's homes, take their possessions, and mistakenly shoot people or create situations in which innocent people are killed which wouldn't have happened if we weren't in that country. My family took this as I didn't support our troops because I said that I hated what they did. These are two different subjects entirely in my mind.

Please don't mistake my support for our troops, I just really hate war and all the horrible atrocities that happen because of it. No matter what side it's on.

Well, (I know we're finally getting to my main point, sorry for my long winded POV) I'm finally getting an inside view of Iraq during that period of time. It was written by a Iraqi woman (who anonymously named herself Riverbend) during the Iraq war and part of her blog has been made into two books (which I recently found, obviously). But you don't have to buy the books (you can to support her) but you can still read everything she wrote on her blog because it's still up at http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com.

I encourage you to read it, even just a little. I've just started and I really want to read the whole thing but I can tell you it's going to be an undertaking.  For me it's important because I find it riveting, I love reading her honest point of view and I can see what actually happened during this period of time. She's not always going to write nice things about us as American's and I'm okay with that. I don't mind seeing both sides of the coin. I hope you do too.

Also as a complete side note I recently joined a site called www.goodreads.com where you can post the books you've read and are reading and find good suggestions for next books to read. You can link up with friends profiles to get more suggestions and to see what they thought of books. If you already are on good reads and want to link profiles or want to join and do so just let me know.

Happy New Year. Here's to a fantastic year.