Putting out Fires

I admit that I’m addicted to reading blogs.  I do it for hours some nights when I’m home alone, and sometimes hours when I’m not (that drives Ryan nuts but hey!  he told me I should have a hobby!).  For the most part it seems that blogs out there are filled with people talking about things that they can’t talk about in real life to the people who are in their real life.  I don’t think I’m like that.  I find lots of times that I’m trying really hard to be witty, or to write something that I think other people might be interested in reading, but i don’t very often talk about things that are really upseting, or things I’m super worried about, or anything too terribly private.  I know it has a lot to do with the fact that my husband reads here, my in-laws read here, my girlfriends read here, friends I had in high school found me here, and the other day someone at my work told me that he accidently stumbled across it….  I just don’t feel that comfortable saying what I’m feeling all the time.  (unless there’s alcohol involved of course) 

So I’m wondering:  do any of you have a secret blog?  I know that some of the blogs I do read are secret blogs and I sometimes envy your ability to say what you need to say.  I feel like this blog is thearaputic for me in that I get to have this one creative thing in my life, but as far as it being an outlet to vent about what I want to freely?  Its not.  And honestly, sometimes I feel like I’m tethered to this blog.  I know I’m not alone in this, but I really love when I write something and it interests people enough that they take the time to comment.  But I don’t want to feel like my happiness about my blog depends on that, you know? 

At any rate, I’m coming up on a year of blogging now and I really can’t imagine not having it.  Its inspired me to take more pictures and to try to find humorous things in my life.  Plus, I got a postcard from the Badlands as a result of this thing.  And that’s pretty cool.

I’m off today!  My girlfriend Erin is in town from far, far away and I haven’t seen her in over a year, so I took the whole day off to devote to her.  Erin is one of those people who calls me twice or three times a week just to tell me that she loves me.  I couldn’t feel more blessed to have a friend like her. 

So I’ve stopped blogging from work.  I knew in theory that I could get in trouble reading and writing blogs from work (even though I don’t blog ABOUT work), but I figured that it fell under the ‘reasonable personal use’ policy for use of company property.  Until a friend of mine told me the other day (on IM of course) that there are hush hush emails going around to managers about the company watching certain people’s emails, IM conversations, and BLOGGING HABITS.  I immediately felt my stomach drop and imagined my life on a firefighter’s income.  Lord. 

I’ve finally got the guts up to start applying for other jobs.  As most blogs I read talk alot about how they hate working, or their job, or both, I just assume that its a given that everyone hates their job.  And here I am at 6:45 on a weekday morning, having just had a leasurely breakfast that I made with my husband, having walked the dogs, now I’m blogging, planning my house cleaning strategy, then I’m off to spend the day with a friend.  I could live this life. 

More on work (OK, OK, so I do blog about work):  I heard yesterday that there was just a big lawsuit filed against my company by two women engineers who had experienced sexual harassment and reported it.  They were shortly thereafter laid off.  Since I’ve been back from England, one of the two guys I was having problems with over there has been exacting his revenge on me for not taking his advances seriously.  He has purposely set out to make me look bad to my management.  It got so bad that I finally went to my management and reported that because of a ‘personal problem’ with him I felt that he was bad mouthing me unjustly.  My managements response?  The problem guy got wind of the whole thing and cornered me in my office TWICE to discuss it loudly with me.  Then my management called me in and basically said they believed him.  I didn’t tell them what happened in England, but I hear through the grapevine that they’re trying to figure out anyway.  Fine, go ahead and dig yourself a sexual harassment hole. Long story short, I am so sad about the fact that this stuff actually goes on in the workplace.  In my 5 short years as an engineer, I’ve had serious honest-to-goodness problems with men being disgusting THREE TIMES.  Have I mentioned the time that a guy drew boobs and other female parts on a picture of me then passed it around?  Yeah, his punishment was to have a ‘meeting’ with his manager. 

No point to this post really.  I’m just working on feeling relaxed today.  It is so nice not to have to think about going into a place where my stomach starts aching as soon as I hit the gate. 

She’s lucky to be alive.  Today it wasn’t the wolf next door that she should have been afraid of.  Today it was me and my high-heeled foot ready to deliver a swift kick in her ass.

This is what I came home to today:

Starting tomorrow that little piece of shit is back in the crate.

So there are 7 of us girls who have been exchanging Christmas gifts every year since like, well, forever.  I’m not sure exactly how it started, but the gift giving has manifested itself into an ‘opportunity’ to be crafty and creative.  Listen folks, I have like a single ounce of creative blood in my body.  Every year around November I start to panic over what my gift will be.  Usually I’ll end up getting an idea from my mom or the newspaper, and I always manage to pull something off in time, but I am constantly amazed by the absolutely amazing gifts my girlfriends are able to put together. 

I’m not kidding people, we’re talking about some major crafting talent here.  For example: 

Here we have the most comfy blanket in my collection made by Miss Rebecca.

Then there’s this beautiful bulletin board made by my real estate  agent friend Mini. 

Kelli knitted (that’s right I said KNITTED) this shawl that I LIVE in at home.

And this picture is actually cross-stiched by KC.

You see my problem here.  I love the gift giving, and it makes it really fun that all the gifts were made with love, but this year I just don’t have anything.  Nothing.  I’ve scoured the Internet, read through crafting books, put my mother on alert months in advance, and still nothing.  I’m anxious to get past the point of having no idea what to do, and to the point where I’m excited about what I’m making for them. 

So this year I’m cheating.  I’m asking for help.  If you have any creative ideas for presents, please email me at methodbrat@yahoo.com .  If I use your idea, I’ll make sure to make one extra for you too!  (and I say email because those girls read here and I’d hate for the surprise to be ruined, of course!)

As promised: 

5 years ago : I was still in college in Flagstaff.  Ryan and I had just moved in together.  More correctly, I’d moved out of a bad situation into an apartment with Ryan and his roommate Jeff.  Ahhh Jeff.  The most stellar specimen of a human being ever to be born to this earth.  We didn’t get along well and on a daily basis he would blow his pot smoke out his window and it would blow right into our room.  Nice. 

1 year ago : I was in my first 6 months in this awful job and in the last year of my Master’s at ASU.  Oh, and Ryan was in the throws of his helacious fire academy.  I can easily say that was the most trying time in our marriage.  I figure if we came through that with flying colors, we’re set. 

Yesterday : Yesterday Ryan and I had lunch at Tropical Smoothie Cafe (mmm!), and after work we hit the gym then went to a college fair to represent NAU!  LUMBERJACKS!

5 Song I know all the words to:
OK, this one isn’t fair because I have a true talent for memorizing songs.  In fact, when the radio station I listen to plays 80s music, I remember all those songs too.  And songs I’ve never heard before, yeah I can guess what’s coming. 

5 Snacks:
Luna bars, apple with PB, popcorn, stinky cheese, and I adore Cheetos when I’m feeling really bad

5 Things I’d do with a $100 million :
I’d buy Ryan all the things on his ‘want’ list
I’d take a one month trip with Ryan
I’d move us to Colorado where we could live in the forest and he could be the fire chief of a little tiny fire dept
I’d buy our dream home (with a gourmet kitchen and a huge yard for the pups) and give my little bro this one, to burn or whatever
All my family memebers would get a small amount of money specified for doing someting fun

5 places I would run away to :
Kauai 
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Forest
Florida
San Diego
Germany

5 things I would never wear :
Shirts where your whole stomach hangs out
Pants where all you see is thong in the back when you sit down.
A trucker hat
A side ponytail (remember when that was cool?)
Short shorts

5 favorite TV shows:
Amazing Race
Will and Grace
That 70s Show
Alias
So You Think You Can Dance (yeah, I’m obsessed.  go ahead and laugh)

5 favorite toys:
This one thing that I can’t put on here because my in-laws read my blog
My laptop
My Pathfinder
My hair straightener
OH!  The video poker game in the pooing bathroom. 

5 people I am tagging:

Hey!  I just made friends with some of you people.  I don’t want to piss you off!  So, I’ll tag people who’ve known me for a long time.  Just cause I can.  Min.  Erin.  KC. Jen.  Bec.