Remembering the good times!

Dawn called me this weekend to tell me that she saw Moses who went to college with us. Well, I saw Moses this weekend too. In this picture.
Dawn and I rarely ever have taken any pictures together. I found this one when I was looking through some pictures. What a great picture (not so much). This picture was taken at the same event as the previous one of Moses dancing.

I found another picture of Dawn and I together. This time with a hot man in bed. Works for me.

This is a picture of my cousin Ryan. He was excited because my cousin's dog was in the house. I love this picture.

This is a picture I took when I was in New York City. I don't even remember taking this picture, but I think it's gorgeous.

I love my scanner! Hopefully, I will have more to share soon!

The highlight of my weekend!

I got to see my Dawn this weekend :) :) :) Dawn and Nick were driving through St. Cloud on their way back from Nick's parents and stopped to have ice cream with me. We went to Cold Stone Creamery (um, yum!) and then went to Barnes and Noble to walk around, bought a couple of books and talked to a CUTE guy.

This short visit made me realize how much I miss seeing Dawn on a more regular basis. We talk everyday on email, but it's not enough. I don't get to hear that laugh...it makes me laugh and then we both get made fun of! I miss our shopping escapades, I haven't bought any cute clothes since we last shopped together.

I miss you Dawn!

Random Pictures

I said that I would share some pictures I've taken in the past few weeks. Nothing too exciting, but here they are!

This is a view of Duluth, Minnesota from a boat ride that we took in the harbor on Lake Superior during our work conference.

This is a view from my hotel room deck in Two Harbors, MN. I love Lake Superior and the whole North Shore. GORGEOUS! If I would have had more time I could have taken some better pictures.

I took this picture the morning on the second day of our conference. I didn't think that it would turn out because of the sun, but I think it looks awesome.

A friend of mine has wanted to see pictures of my apartment for a long time, so I finally took a few. This is my favorite room in my apartment, my dining room. I LOVE my table and chairs!

This is my kitchen. My kitchen and I spend a lot of time together.

I obviously have many other rooms in my apartment, but they are messy and dirty, so I didn't take picturs of them. Actually, I did take a few, but I'm not so sure I want to share them!

Strangely Busy

I've been strangely busy lately. It's really weird!

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, I had a work conference in beautiful Two Harbors, Minnesota (right on Lake Superior). Once I'm at home, I'll share some pictures here. It's near Duluth and I ADORE that area of this state. The work conference was interesting to say the least. We were divided into teams (from people all over the bank) and then did various activities with them. After a whole bunch of activities, there was a dance...let's just say...that was um, interesting. Never have I heard of a company that almost encourages their employees to get sloshed.

I spent the rest of the week recovering (well, I still had to work, but the nights I just spent doing nothing). Last Saturday, I went to this party that a completely neurotic chick at BN was throwing. She's just crazy. There is really no other way to go about describing her. Anyway, it turned into a birthday party for another one of my co-workers that I really enjoy, so I decided to go. We were going to Crazy's house and then to a bar to watch a band that Crazy's boyfriend is in. I went out to my car to leave for the party and my car was dead. No lights, no radio, nothing. I used this as a good excuse to have a cute guy pick me up from the bar and bring me home (and my friends that picked me up - the birthday girl and her boyfriend) got into a fight and left early, so I really had no ride. Said cute guy came to the bar after he was done working and we stayed for about an hour and then he brought me home.

The next day, I had my car towed, but the place I brought it to fix it wasn't open until Monday, so my Mom let me borrow her car. It's a brand new 2007 Toyota Camry. That thing was NICE! I didn't want to give it back! After my car was fixed (I had a new battery installed right before I went to Winnipeg and apparently they didn't tighten the negative battery cable because it came loose, so I didn't have to pay anything and they reimbursed me for my tow!), I gave my Mom her car back and then she took for supper!

Tuesday, I was sitting at work and one of my co-workers came back from her lunch and says, "Your sister goes to Tech right?" (my sister is 16 and goes to Tech HS). I say, "yes" and she proceeds to tell me that her school is in lockdown because a girl made a 911 call saying that a guy in the school had a loaded gun. I immediately called my Mom, who sounded a bit shaken, who had gotten a text message from my sister saying that she was okay.
Turns out, the whole thing was a hoax and the person who made the 911 call never really saw a gun. Good thing you scared the crap out of a whole bunch of loved ones, friends and family members and costed the city a whole crapload of money by your little fake 911 call. There were 50-70 cops called to the scene!! What are people thinking???

That night, I went to my sister's soccer game and then my Mom bought me a sub :)

Wednesday night, a friend of mine that I haven't seen in forever came to my apartment for dinner. He's been in Germany for 3 years in the Army and is home on leave right now. That was a good time. We talked and had dinner and watched episodes from the first season of Grey's Anatomy and now I'm hooked. So, I'm Netflixing Seasons 1 and 2 and hope to catch up so I can watch Season 3 as it plays now. I taped last night's show to watch later.

Last night, I went out for drinks with people from work (the bank) and my friend Michelle that is on maternity leave came out. She's hilarious, so I had a great time!

Tonight, I'm supposed to go to a home jewerly party (like Tupperware), but I decided that I'm not going to go. So, I'm going to go home and make friends with my couch. I need it!!

I'll be back this weekend with some pictures!

Post Filler

I have a real post to make, but I don't have the time or resources to do it right now and I feel like posting. That, and I don't feel like working. So, more Unconscious Mutterings (for link, please see post below). I just picked a day from the archives and used those words.

Statistics :: Math Class - I really, really miss taking Math classes. I know that's really weird and makes me a total nerd, but I LOVE Math. I almost majored in it in college and kick myself quite often for not doing so. Not because I'd love doing that job, but because I'd be making a butt load of money while figuring out what I really want to do. I know money isn't everything, but I sure hate the job I have now. I have to keep it until February before I can start looking for other jobs.
Grin :: I was talking on the phone last night to my friend Shanon and she made me grin big. But, I can't tell you why.
Saturn :: the person's husband that picked me up and dropped me off before and after our work conference had a Saturn. Not a bad car. My Mom almost got one in 1990, but instead got a little shit kicker Geo Prism which is now my sister's car. My Mom just bought a brand spanking new Toyota Camry. My sister calls it my Mom's Ghetto Car. Because it's black and has these weird windows and really shiny rims. My Mom definitely did not buy that car because it was a ghetto car.
Fulfilled :: How I feel when I make something in my kitchen that someone enjoys. Whether a meal or a baked good brought in to work. It feels like what I should be doing.
Life plan :: I wish I knew. I have so many different directions that I'm interested in. Am scared to go down certain roads in case I change my mind again and waste even more money on education I won't use. I know that I need to move. But, I don't know where. Bah.
Cult :: I was in one of these. Okay, it wasn't a cult...but might as well have been. Dawn was in this group for awhile in college too, but that's not how we met. I don't regret being in this group because I learned a lot about myself about other people. Especially how to really piss off roommates. Man, that was interesting. I've never met more uptight and hyprocritical people in my life. I should do a little post on my experiences with them. My Mom used to send me postcards (because she knew they got the mail) and would write things like, "I hope your roommates are treating you a little better" on them. My Mom rocks.
Lily :: a flower I don't care either way about. Also the name of one of my co-workers cute kids.
Stalemate :: What always happens when I play Monopoly. We just give up.
Celebration :: Birthday party. I haven't had one of these in a long time. This year, my Mom, sister and I went to a restaurant on my birthday. I guess that was a mini-party. It was fun regardless of how many people were there.
Underwear :: I have on the BEST underwear today. I LOVE them! They are boy cut and bright red. And they have those candy hearts on them that you can get around Valentine's Day. They just make me happy and I love the cut. I need to get more of a similar variety.

This post brought to you by my brain.

More Unconscious Mutterings.

1. True love :: something I haven't found yet. I'm excited for the possibilities though.
   
2. Age :: mine = 25. Sometimes I feel like I'm still 20 and sometimes I feel like I'm about 80. I think I need to start taking better care of myself.
   
3. Stern :: A teacher I had in elementary school, Mrs. Christie. Thinking back, she was really a bitch.
   
4. Elastic :: waist pants, the clothing choice for the buffet.
   
5. Rustic :: western decorating. Wagon wheels, saddles, cowboys hats. Yeehaw!
   
6. Enhance :: the flavor of your sweet desserts with a punch of salt.
   
7. Jackson :: Janet, Ms. Jackson if your nasty.
   
8. Inherit :: money. I wish I had a long lost relative! Oh the things I could do...
   
9. Devious :: not me very often. I'm a horrible, HORRIBLE liar. Fun story. I was debating going to Boston in October for this big get together and to meet my good friend Shanon, but wasn't going to tell Shanon that I was going. So, I was looking at plane tickets one day at work and she was looking while she was at work. She called me to tell me a good price while I was looking at another site that had a SCREAMING good deal. I told her that I wasn't going to decide if I was going until after I got back from Winnipeg while I was booking my tickets. Right after I booked, after we had hung up the phone, I emailed her and told her to call me immediately. Yah, good secret keeper I am. She called me and I decided I wasn't going to tell her, but I couldn't. I just yelled, "I'm coming to BOSTON!" There is NO way I would have been able to keep that secret until October and to hear about her going and packing, etc. So, I'm going to Boston in October :D
   
10. Scapegoat :: I wish I had one of these for the reasons that I don't ever clean my apartment. But, I don't. It's all my fault.
    

I was in Canada, eh.

I set off at 8:30am last Friday morning for a lonnnnnnnnnngg drive to Winnipeg. It was a very uneventful drive. Very long and very boring. I stopped in Rothsay, Minnesota to visit the giant prairie chicken.

The rest of my drive was long and flat.
Along the way, in North Dakota, there were all these really nice billboards.
Have a great day!
Be kind.
Be grateful.

This place:is my little version of hell. The is the Canadian border. I had a few problems at the border. I was questioned by three different guards and had my car searched by two of them. It just made me all weird and nervous. Sigh...I made it though. I actually had a really bad dream last night about the border! Baggage much?

One of the first things I actually saw in Winnipeg (meaning that I wasn't driving) was a little barber shop that apparently is mine!
Saturday morning, we met at Baked Expectations, for lunch and CAKE. The people I visited meet every month for cake at Baked. The food and cake was amazing!! I had a triple decker grilled cheese sandwich. Three slices of bread, two kinds of cheese, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. Yumm!!
And I had the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake. DIVINE!
We had gorgeous weather the whole weekend. I took this shot in front of the Legislature building. I have pictures of the actual building, but they aren't as good.

We went to a great store called Mea's that had all kinds of hats, scarves, jewerly and purses. I was convinced to buy this hat and I just love it!

After Mea's, we went to LUSH I LOVE this store. LOVE. It's fresh, handmade cosmetics. I bought a bunch of different soaps and some great bath products. I took this picture before they caught me with my camera.
They had some intersting flavored chips in Winnipeg.
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
I had my first Slurpee! (We don't have 7-11 here) I got dragonfruit flavor. It was so good. And it was as big as my head!
On Saturday night, we stayed at Jackie's house. Her cat is very silly!
We visited an Iniut sculpture. I can't remember the actual name right now, but it was how the Inuit people communicated with each other. Of course, I just HAD to take pictures with it. I love taking pictures with statues!
Winnipeg had "Bears on Broadway" during the summer. They are polar bears painted by various artists depicting Winnipeg/Manitoba scenes.

We went to a great Indian restaurant called the East Indian Company for our last dinner together. It was amazing. Of course, I had to take a picture with the statue out front.
I headed out of town right after dinner thinking that I could drive all the way home (over 6 hours) that night. I was wrong! It was getting dark before I even hit the border. The sun was setting on one side of me and the moon rising on the other. It was gorgeous.
You can see the moon in that picture on the far right.
I spent the night in a hotel in Grand Forks, North Dakota because there was no way I was going to make it home.
I got up Monday morning and explored Grand Forks a little bit and then headed to Fargo. I haven't been back to Fargo/Moorhead since I graduated college in December 2003.
After driving around for a bit and going to the mall and grabbing a great sandwich, I headed home. It was a great weekend and I'm so glad that I went.