The Other Side

A few weeks ago I was asked to go to my alma mater for a career fair and represent the company I work for. I agreed to go and talk to the students.

That night I had to go to the city and find some khakis. No, I did not own a pair of khakis, go ahead and judge me.

I head there and after driving around the parking garage forever, found a spot and headed in. I happened to find the two ladies I would spend my day with on my journey in. We got set up and went over a couple things. The students started coming in and didn't stop! The day went by so fast!

How crazy for me. I was on the opposite side of the conversation just a couple years ago. It was a great opportunity and I really enjoyed being able to be there for students to ask questions and be able to relate do easily. One guy even commented on how I was probably in his spot not long ago.

Maybe I'll go to the next one too and be able to talk to more and more people.

Even though it's only been a couple years, all I ever got from companies was candy, pens, and stress balls. Now they have stuff like magnetic koozies, ear buds, flash lights, and who knows what else I didn't see!!

Behind

Whoofta.  Totally slacking on my part, eh!?

Sorry.  I'd be lying if I said blogging was the only thing I was slacking at!

First of all, my new year's resolution.  I went and rode yesterday.  That brings the total to two days.  Oh boy. 

Next, running.  I've gone once. 

I'll blame both of those slackings on the weather.  I'm a wimp.  I know.

Lastly, quilting.  I currently have four going.  Can't blame this one on anyone/thing but me.  MS's Christmas gift was given back to me so I could put a label on it.  I finally started working on it:

Yes, I call my unborn unconceived niece/nephew "Superman"  it makes Pa happy.

Just gotta put in the date and that it was my first and I think it's ready to be sewn on.  (That'll be a tassk in itself!!)  Lately, I've really been wishing I would have paid more attention in home ec class in junior high!

The front of the one MS and I worked on together is complete.  I just need to trim it up and baste and quilt and bind  (and hopefully remember the label before I do all that...).  I think I'll wait until she comes back to help again!! 

I finished the front of the big one I'm working on.  I'm pretty excited about it.  It's much bigger than I anticipated.  I'm not sure if I'll keep it or what I'll do with it.  It's getting put on the back burner for now.

And lastly, I have one started (pieces are cut/need to go get a new piece of fabric).  This one has to be done in less than a month.  I have to have it pieced and labeled and basted and quilted and binded in less than a month.  Oh my.  I started it Monday.  I'm not sure how it's already the middle of February.  Totally lost track of time!!! 

I better get busy!

Februnary

I was a slacker last week.  I said I was going to start running February 1.  That didn't happen.  Some more exciting/fun options came up and I couldn't say no!  I have no will power.

BUT,

I did start yesterday.  Believe me, I did NOT want to.  Someone even tried to talk me out of it.

And then I got home.  I was welcomed home by two crazy, highly energetic hounds.  Whoofta.  I decided I'd better go so they didn't drive me crazy. 

We ended up going two and a half miles.  Not bad for not running since November.  I started at week three of the C25K program and didn't feel too bad.  Today is another story...

I have until May to get up to running a 5k.  I've wanted to run in it with my sisters and ma for the past few years.  These things called finals seemed to get in the way.  But not this year!  Let's hope the dogs keep motivating me, because I would be happy sitting at my sewing machine instead!!

O Christmas Tree

I'm only a month or two behind on this post, no big deal.

DJ and I had just moved into the house in December 2011, so when I suggested getting a Christmas tree that year, I immediately got shut down.  My boss ended up giving me a little metal red one that is a little over a foot tall.  And that was my tree.  Sir Scrooge (aka DJ) won that time.  Ma ended up giving us some ornaments for Christmas that year and I found two 2011 ornaments on clearance after the holidays-- one for JW (UC wasn't with us yet) and one for DJ and I. 

Fast forward a year and I break out the little red Christmas tree.  I load it up with our six ornaments (all it could hold, mind you) and sigh, thinking there's my tree for the year. 

During my Christmas shopping excursions, I would price fake trees and ask DJ if I can get one.  I was shot down every single time.  He told me to wait.  I decided I would wait until after Christmas and get one on clearance.  I was satisfied with the idea of that.

And then I asked him if we could get a real tree.  With a little help on persuading him from MS, he threw the chainsaw in the truck and off we went.  I found some I would settle for, knowing I had very little time before he would call it quits on me, but had him drive around just in case there was a better one.  And then I found it!  I was in love.  We got out and he cut it down for me and we carried it back to the truck.  We threw it in and headed home.  We were pulling out when we spotted some really nice full ones and he asked if I wanted one of them instead, I said no, I loved ours.

So we came home and we set it up in the garage to dry.  We moved the furniture around and made room for the tree and then brought it in and dressed it up.  Two strings of lights plus our six ornaments that were moved from the little red tree made me fall in love with it all over again.

Here it is:

The Holy Knollies' first real Christmas tree!  Sorry for the terrible photo quality-- I should adjust the settings on my phone.  You can even see my awesome windmill tail on the wall!

 

I think everyone who saw it laughed, including DJ.  So it was a little bare towards the top!!

 

  A couple of ladies at work gave me some more ornaments and by the time Christmas rolled around, it was pretty full.  Ma ended up giving us more ornaments this year and I hung them on for a few days before DJ said it was time to throw it out, what a sad day that was.