Saturday, February 23, 2008

A few things...

before I head to bed.

For the first time this Fall/Winter, I am sick. I came down with some kind of head cold last night, and I've been miserable ever since. To top it off, Tony had duty today. I have two theories as to how I developed it. First, I think I might have developed it by being overwhelmed (I fully believe in Louise Hay's thoughts on health and causing your own dis-eases.) And this past week would have been the one to cause some kind of cold. I was so overbooked with school, cramming for my midterm, finishing all the other school work, doing the MOMS Club newsletter, baking for something that was supposed to happen today, helping to plan an Earth Day event, continuing to go to workout classes, on top of normal parenting/wifely duties. I started to get a sore throat on Thursday, but kept trying to do positive thinking. It didn't go away, until I got done taking (and passing) my midterm, and all of a sudden this tension just disappeared, and my throat felt better. I think if I hadn't come into contact with any germs, I would have recovered fine. However, like I said, last night all of a sudden, I felt like crap. My second theory is that while taking my test in the wonderful computer lab, I probably picked up some gross germs since I don't know how many people use the same computers. I did use a hand sanitizer afterward, but I'm guessing that didn't cut it. I'm hoping I start feeling better fairly fast.

I passed my midterm!!! Actually I did better than pass, I got an 88%! I was surprised the test was so much easier than the rest of the class. I expected it to be just as hard, if not harder. Now, I need to do 2 chapter assignments tomorrow: a chapter test, and an observation, and then start catching up on my computer class which I put on hold while I focused on science. Four more weeks.... I can do it. :)

All right, I was going to write more, but my head is killing me.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Lunar Eclipse

This morning we woke up at 4 am to try to see the lunar eclipse. We got dressed and headed outside and saw nothing but a dark, cloudy, rainy sky. :( oh well.

Been busy studying. I don't even have time to cook good dinners lately. Even if I tried, my brain is so fried right now, I'd probably burn down the house somehow. We've been relying on easy dinners and the new restaurant that opened up in our Little America. Man, we don't even have to leave housing to eat! hehe. There's pretty much two things that we can eat, tomato pasta (which the guy makes awesomely with carmelized onions!) or veggie pizza, which tastes pretty good as well. I miss my home cooked meals though. Can you tell I'm so tired of these classes?!?

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Bummed... and exhausted....

Last night I joined a bunch of girls for a girls night out (only 3 of them were personal friends.) It turned out to be a disaster. First, we couldn't find any dance clubs after walking around forever in Catania. Around 11:30 we finally decided to head to Deja Vu, a club in Motta which is actually a strip club during the week, but on the weekends it's just a dance club. (I swear it looked like Sopranos with all the Italians and the strip club atmosphere of the place LOL)

Well, after a while, it picked up, and the dance floor was packed. I didn't dance. I barely sipped away on my orange juice and vodka that my friend recommended. The music was the same over and over, they never varied from the Soulja boy type rap, which is fine for once in a while but not over and over the entire night. I did have fun people watching though.

I don't know what time it was when we finally decided to leave. It was at this point that for some reason (don't ask me what it was) the DD picked up two guys that needed a ride to base. Two wasted guys. Two wasted guys who thought they were the most original in pick up lines, and even though they were told repeatedly, they didn't understand the concept that the entire bus was full of women who were MARRIED. Well Drunk Dude #2 ended up passing out, so he wasn't much of an issue as the other guy.

Then on the way home, everyone (minus G and I) decided they wanted to eat at McDonald's even though we had decided to just go home. My friend G and I are adamantly opposed to McDonald's due to the whole vegan aspect, but also because of health reasons. McDonald's doesn't care about the trans fat they're pumping into your body as long as they make the $$. Anywho.... To top it off, McDonald's was back in Catania! The drive to and from there would add about 45 minutes to our drive! However, our opinion apparently didn't matter. So, when we got there, we stayed in the van and waited.

While we were waiting Drunk Dude #1 came back and continued to tell us how pretty we were and how he'd like to see us again. We reiterated the fact that we were married, and had no interest in him whatsoever. He continued to show us his ignorance and annoying drunkenness while we were silently hating this whole fiasco. Dude finally left after figuring out how annoyed we were. A few minutes later, one of the girls came back near tears, really mad at something Drunk Dude #1 had just said to her. She didn't even remember what he had said, but she had told him off for it.

Finally everyone filtered back into the van. Drunk #1 apologized for whatever he had done, and we headed home. Drunk #1 continue to act like an ass as he spit on the door, and threw his trash of the floor of the van we rented. So G told him to pick up his trash, and as he was standing up to open the window, she pushed his arm away from the window, and said, "The ground is not for you to throw your trash on. Where did you come from that you can just throw your garbage out the window!?!" (You go girl!) Dude sat back down muttering under his breath, while Dude #2 tried to keep his friend quiet. We finally pulled in front of Nas 1 where the driver (much to our relief) told the guys to get out. They were mad the driver wouldn't take them to Nas 2 even after the driver had originally told them Nas 1 in the very beginning. As we were driving off, Dude threw his cup at the van. All I could say was... wow. unbelievable.

I finally climbed into bed at 4 AM, and I had thought we'd be home at a decent hour since we all had kids! ha! I completely forgot about doing the last few steps I needed to do on my science lab (I needed the moon's and street light's light spectra,) and just passed out instead. So, this morning I woke up so exhausted, and still needed to finish up my school stuff, which I put off in order to go out last night. I had wanted to hurry and be done with it, so that we could try to go to an Italian farm with friends (something that had been planned for a few weeks.) Well, I finally got finished with everything at 7 pm (after barely failing my test, turning in my lab, and getting a C on my 4 page observation.) So, needless to say, we didn't get to go. During my test, G came by and brought some stuff from the Italian's farm: some freshly picked & grilled artichokes, fresh fennel, and lemons. OMG I so wish we could have gone!!! I'm so bummed!!! They had such a great time picking all the food and hanging around the farm. I'm so jealous. Oh well... even though my grades sucked this week, at least I got everything turned in.

Now, I need to immediately start on the next two chapters, get them done within the next few days, because on Friday those two chapters and my midterm are due.

I cannot wait to be done with these classes.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!
(Remember to have a heart for animals too!)


Today, Carlee and I went to MOMS Club Valentine Lunch Bunch. I didn't have a chance to make anything, so I cheated and threw a pizza in the oven. The commissary just started carrying Amy's roasted vegetable pizza again, and it is SOOO good. So, anyway, I took it, and everyone loved it. No one could believe it was so good since it was a vegan pizza (who knew vegan food could be so good?) So now, everyone was talking about buying it, so hopefully it will help the demand a little, and the commissary will keep it on the shelves.

We don't have any big plans for Valentine's. Tony already gave me my gift the other day, Jack Johnson's latest album. We might go out tonight, not sure. If not, I'll just make Tony's favorite recipe out of Veganomicon (the creole stuffed peppers and messy rice.) Possibly, if I'm feeling up to it, I'll make him some peanut butter cookies. :) And if I can find blood oranges at the market tomorrow, I will be making these delicious little things from VeganYumYum. Hopefully (if we're lucky) we'll have a belated Valentine's gift!!! lol :D

Sunday, February 10, 2008

It's decided!!!

We're going to start trying for another little one!!!!

Yep! While in line at Subway's today, Tony turned to me and out of nowhere, said, "Okay, let's do it. Let's have another baby."

AHH!!! YAY!!! I'm so excited!!!

:D

Friday, February 8, 2008

I've always hated politics... but maybe not for much longer

I've found my political views defined... FINALLY! I'm a CRUNCHY CON! My friend recently told me about this book, and I've only read the description and reviews and I've finally found something that pinpoints my personal views. I'm ordering this book right away, and I can't wait to read it. Once I do, I will definitely give an update/review.

A Crunchy Con Manifesto
(from the Crunchy Cons page at Amazon.com)

1. We are conservatives who stand outside the conservative mainstream; therefore, we can see things that matter more clearly.

2. Modern conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character.

3. Big business deserves as much skepticism as big government.

4. Culture is more important than politics and economics.

5. A conservatism that does not practice restraint, humility, and good stewardship—especially of the natural world—is not fundamentally conservative.

6. Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract.

7. Beauty is more important than efficiency.

8. The relentlessness of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and wisdom.

9. We share Russell Kirk’s conviction that “the institution most essential to conserve is the family.”
All I can say is OMG! OMG! OMG! I can't wait to read this book! (Did I already say that? lol) I've never fully agreed with Republican views, nor Democratic views, and yet I agree with some points on each side. I care about so many things... I've been ridiculed for going veg, for caring about animals, for caring about the environment, for caring about my health. I've been told I was "turning Dem." I've been told, "Oh, how sweet, you think the world can still change," for caring about humanitarian efforts. I've felt so out of place in today's mainstream society with my own personal values, morals, beliefs, and the way I want to live my life. But this... this just describes me to a T. I really hope this movement gains some ground, because there are so many people that think the way I do, the way this book is describing, and can you imagine the good a group like this could do?!?

Monday, February 4, 2008

+++Veggies+++

I have a bag full of tomatoes in my refrigerator, and half of them are mangled, bruised, and smashed. Why? Well, my husband (who is borderline OCD) doesn't quite understand (even though we've been veg for almost 6 months now,) that we eat a ton of vegetables, and they're not all going to fit into the crisper drawers.

Seriously. My whole fridge is vegetables! Tony, stop trying to cram everything into those two little drawers!!!!

PS - Tony went vegan!!! We are officially a vegan family. YAY!!!

:)