Catching Up

I mentioned recently that I am timidly cautiously exploring some job opportunities. I'm still working on that... we'll see how it goes. I am working towards working from home, but it will be a slow (and hopefully steady) process. I am far to obsessive and cautious to dive into it too quickly, I want to make sure it is a steady and viable income before I make the move. I had assumed/planned that I would stay at the college until that time, but I am considering otherwise now.

I am increasingly unhappy at the college, for a few different reasons: I really miss Kim being there. Hardly anyone that I knew through her even talks to me anymore - even when I pass them in the hall. I rarely have opportunity to see our mutual friends - most of my contact was on my way to her office b/c they are mostly in her old building, or on the way to it. My boss (not my direct supervisor, but the head boss) is increasingly hostile towards me and difficult to work with... she really makes my job miserable. Add to all that, with the state budget crisis, my hours have been cut. While Kim and I are both enjoying the extra free time that gives us, it makes my income so low as to hardly be worth it. All those together spurred me to start exploring my options a bit. And as I did, a very odd thing happened... I found myself becoming *excited* at the prospect of such a major change and energized by my prospects. That was such a novel thing for me, but the buzz has stayed.

I went on my first interview, and I feel like it went really well. I was on my game, I presented myself well, I felt encouraged at the way I handled it. All in all it was a good thing. I haven't heard back yet - she was still taking interviews through this week. I won't be taking the job, if it is offered, for several reasons; but the interview felt like a success and it was a great start to getting my feet wet.

I have another interview lined up for the first week in November. I am feeling excited about it, but a bit nervous. This job was definitely a reach position for me, so though I feel my chances are slim, I am encouraged that I even managed to pull out an interview. If, by some off chance, I am offered this position, I would definitely take it.

Other than the job front, not much going on lately. We've been traveling quite a bit - day trips mostly - but nothing new there. I love that Kim is as into fun and adventure as I am. I love being on the go. After Kim gets back from her business trip on Friday, I think we may check out a pumpkin fest on Saturday during the day. Saturday night we have another meeting at our church with the Welcoming Congregation group. Our turn to present is coming up in 2.5 weeks. That will be fun. Right after church on Sunday, we will be staying to have pizza lunch with the youth while volunteering on a project they are working on. I'm looking forward to that too.

My biological clock is ticking like a nanosecond alarm clock on speed these days. No, I don't have any real news on that front... just thought I'd share anyway.

I'm thinking of writing a coming out letter to my grandparents. Even typing that sounds drama-filled and bizarre. It also feels slightly redundant, but important to do anyway. *sigh* Maybe I'll go into it more in a future post.

Ok, I think that's it for now!

Pillow Talk

I was pretty close to dozing off in bed the other night, when:

K: So, honey?

C: Mmmm-hmmm?

K: I was wondering something, and I thought I'd just ask, since you've had more girlfriends than I have.

C: *suddenly wide awake* You know, dear, no conversation that starts out like that ever goes well. Ever. It's like a rule or something.

K: Well, I was just curious about something.

C: Yes? warily...

K: Do you think it is unusual that I like ...? Or do lots of people like to ...?

C: Hmmmm. seriously considering the question

C: Well, I...

K: interrupting Cause I was just wondering if, in your experience, others like it too, or if it was just part of what makes me such an exceptional lover?

C: Uh, well, thanks for clarifying how I was supposed to answer! Obviously, it is uniquely *you*, because you are such an exceptional lover, and no one else in the whole world would ever even think about doing that. *whew, glad she interrupted before I finished stepping into that minefield!*

K: Yeah, that's what I thought. I just wanted to make sure.

I. Really. Hate. Change.

So, what on earth made me apply for four separate jobs this afternoon, and already agree to interview at one of them... tomorrow afternoon!?

Good hell.

I think I've lost my mind.

So, two dykes go on a date...

and, where does one take their wife on a date when living in East Jesus, you ask?

Judgement House, of course!


(Don't worry, we didn't get ourselves saved.)

I like this kid.

So this is the first week back to school at East Jesus Community College. As I am sure you all can imagine, I love the first week back b/c of the huge influx of rude, stupid, crazy people. I have a particular dislike for the first week of classes b/c I have to be a greeter for students and new faculty. I have to stand near the entrance of my building and tell the lost where to go. (Yes, it a huge temptation to tell them where I really want them to go.) The traffic ebbs and flows as classes get started and end. I noticed this one kid come during a particular busy time and just sort of look around. I asked if he needed help finding something, and he said he was just hanging out waiting for his girlfriend to get out of class. I loved his shirt... "I don't like people." After the busyness died down for that round, we had this conversation...

Me: *looking obviously at his shirt with a grin* Me either.

Student: *quick as a wink* Sucks to be you then, huh... with a job like that?

Me: *laughs* Tell me about it!

Student: *laughs*

Ahhh, it had been a really stressful morning. I really needed that bit of comic relief. And seriously, he had perfect timing with his retort.

Rainy Day Rewind

We really had an outstandingly wonderful visit with Anne and Brook last weekend. They are always such gracious hosts and seemingly always up for a visit. Even when I email out of the blue and invite ourselves to come and visit in less than two weeks. Obviously, I have no manners. It isn't my fault - I was homeschooled. Ahem. I really enjoy spending time with them. And I love that Kim gets to meet a part of my family who are loving and supportive of us and our relationship. That is such an awesome thing for me.

We drove up early Saturday morning, after our stay over in Fredericksburg. We actually got up and out as planned that morning (a rarity for us) and were making really good time. Then we missed (what turned out to be a rather critical) step in the mapquest directions, because the margins never fuckin' print right(!!!), and managed to get ourselves lost. We went from being right at the D.C. border (from Virginia) to being in Maryland, nearly to Baltimore. Uh, yeah. Once we managed to get ourselves back into D.C. proper, we were even more lost, b/c we entered the city from a totally different direction. We had to call out the rescue squad (aka Brook) and sound totally stupid. Again. (Yes, we got lost last time we came to visit too.) All told, we arrived about 90 minutes after our planned arrival time. And that doesn't include the extra 30 minutes of *get lost* time that I built into our schedule of when to leave that morning. Fun, fun.

We had time for a bit of visiting before we decided on our plans for the day. We had fabulous Lebanese for lunch, we really enjoy that place. Brook did the ordering for us - we all shared dishes from the mezza menu. After a quick pit stop at home, we were off to the Museum of Natural History. It was my first time, and I could have spent SO MUCH MORE time there. I have an absolute love affair with museums. I could easily spend hours in probably any museum in the world. I find them so fascinating. We checked out about 3 exhibits and then it was time to start for home. I really, really want to go back!

When we got back to their place, Anne tempted us into a light snack before dinner, with the intoxicating aroma of baking bread. Kim and I (Amanda was catching a quick nap.) each had a nice thick slice smothered in real butter. O.M.G. It was orgasm on a plate. Have I mentioned how much I love bread? And it was very good bread. It had great holes. YUM!

After a bit more visiting, we headed to dinner. The three of us got to try Ethiopian for the first time. We all enjoyed it. It made for very interesting eating though! (No dishes/plates and no silverware.) It was a cool experience and great food. Brook did the ordering for us. (Notice a theme here... starring Brook as rescue squad?) We wouldn't have had a clue what to order, and he made great choices.

We took a short walk after dinner, so we could see a bit of the D.C. night life. It's a happenin' place! We finished up the evening back at their place. Great conversations and lots of laughter ensued. Our stuffed selves still managed to find room for a piece of Anne's fabulous homemade pie ala mode. Most of us had blueberry, but Amanda got to try a piece of plum pie - her first time. She approved. :) We decided it was time to call it a night when I could no longer hide that I was falling asleep at the table. I was totally zonked. I think I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Ooooh yeah, they had a great guest bed. We were so comfy and the quilt was gorgeous. Not quite as erotic as the one in Fredericksburg though. ;)

We had a great homemade breakfast before hitting the road the next morning. Handmade chocolate croissants (drool!), excellent french toast from homemade bread (my wife still gets the award for best french toast though!), and BACON. Plenty of delicious bacon. Have I mentioned that I like bacon?

All in all it was a great visit. We can't wait to go back!

Ummm, ok...

Background: I've put together "how-to" guides for the stupid fucks instructors who can't seem to figure out the more basic tasks that come with their jobs. I recently mailed out this semesters newsletter and mentioned, as I do every semester, that I have these how-to guides available for anyone who would like them.

Here is the email conversation I have had today with one such stupid fuck instructor.

Courtney,

I received the newsletter in the mail today. (Yada yada about what she found most helpful, in an attempt to win a gas card - bribery!) I would appreciate having all of the how-to guides sent to me. You can mail them if you want (yada yada home address), but I would prefer you email them to me, if you have an electronic version, because I don't want to wait for them to come in the mail. (Emphasis mine - it's important.)

Signed,
Annoying
Instructor

Dear Annoying Instructor,

I have attached the "how-to" guides you requested. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Thanks,
Courtney

COURTNEY,

I HAVE YOUR EMAIL BUT I AM NOT GOING TO OPEN THE ATTACHMENTS BECAUSE I AM ON DIAL UP AND MY COMPUTER SAYS IT WILL TAKE OVER 2 HOURS TO DOWNLOAD THEM!!! DO YOU SEE HOW UNACCEPTABLE THIS IS?!? YOU REALLY NEED TO REALIZE THAT NOT ALL OF AMERICA HAS FAST INTERNET AT HOME YET!! I SAID THAT YOU COULD MAIL THEM TO ME. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO EMAIL THEM. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. IT IS KIND OF POINTLESS TO HAVE HOW-TO GUIDES IF NO ONE CAN GET ACCESS TO THEM. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THIS MESS.

Signed,
Annoying Instructor

Hello! Rude, much? Can we say overreaction?? Sheesh. Is it any wonder I really hate my job some days. FTR, the newsletter did mention that these were full color, multi-page guides. AND this particular instructor has always emailed me from her full-time job before, where she does have high-speed internet. But all that aside, do we still need to be so rude? Good grief. That was this morning... I haven't responded yet. I don't think I can be polite. *eye roll*

I hate phones. # 3,279

*phone rings*

Me: East Jesus Community College, Division from Hell, this is Courtney. How may I help you?

Dumb-ass Student: *garble, garble, crackle, garble*?

Me: *fucking cell phones* I'm sorry. Could you repeat your question?

DaS: I'm trying to order my books for class online, and the link-thingie to get to the bookstore isn't working.

Me: Ok, hold on just a moment. *tries link and it works perfectly and quickly* Ma'am? The link seems to be functioning properly. Can you tell me what page you are getting a link from?

DaS: It is a direct link that I have saved in my favorites thingie.

Me: Hmmm. Well, ok, let's try going through a different way, just in case your link is expired or something. We can get there through the current students page on the main website. So, first go the EJCC home page. Do you have that web address?

DaS: Well, I can't do that right now, b/c I don't have internet access.

Me: *crickets* ... *stunned silent*

DaS: Uh, hello?

Me: Um. Sorry. You, um, don't have internet access right now?

DaS: Yeah, our phones and internet and everything are down.

Me: So, uhm, do you think that might be the problem with the link to the bookstore?

DaS: I wouldn't think so. I mean, I have it saved in my favorites and everything. Do you need internet to go to a page you have saved?

Me: Uh. Yeah, I think so.

DaS: Well, that stinks! Shouldn't the online bookstore be accesible to everyone, whether they have internet or not?!

~
Me: *crickets*

~
Me: Would you like me to transfer you to the bookstore, so you can talk to them?

I am not ready for this to end.

I am absolutely not (not. Not. NOT. *not.*) ready for the babies to leave. I'm just not. How on earth have 2 and a half weeks gone by already? I feel like we made the most of this last day. I think we made the most of the whole trip. But I am just not ready for it to be over. It is so very hard.

This sucks.

Sigh.

Size Matters

I treated the girls to Chinese take out for dinner tonight, while Kim and Amanda have their mother-daughter night. We decided to order a few dishes and have our own, at-home, Chinese buffet. I was making Mary's plate first.

MM: Whoa! Whoa, whoa! You're putting a lot of food on my plate, Courtney.

C: Oh, sorry, punks.

MM: You have to remember that I am only a small child. I cannot eat like a grown up adult. My size is small.

C: *trying very hard not to laugh* You're absolutely right. I'll remember that next time.

Bath Time

The kids have an opportunity to earn an allowance while they are here. Since they are joining the family, they get all the perks (and responsibilities) that go along with being members of the family. They can earn $1/day by getting everything done on their to-do list each day. The things on this list are meant to inspire good habits and routines. Twice daily teeth brushings are just an example of things that are covered. Another thing is a daily shower, in an assigned time slot. (Yes, I understand how OCD this sounds, but, for this at least, keep in mind that we have now doubled our family size, in a very small house, and an extremely limited hot water tank.)

We were discussing allowance disbursement tonight, and it came up that the girls had not taken showers this morning. I decided to give them an extra chance to have an evening shower, so they could get their $1. Madison took me up on it. Mary reluctantly went for it, but quickly changed her mind. We then had this discussion...

Me: Ok, Mary, you don't have to take a shower tonight, but you realize you won't earn your money if you don't?

MM: Yes. But I am just SOOOO sleepy. I can't do it tonight.

Me: Ok, that's fine.

MM: It would be so much easier if I could just take like, 5 showers in one day, and then just skip the next few days.

Me: *trying not to laugh* Yes, that would be easier, wouldn't it?

MM: Yeah. *wistful*

*silence*

MM: So, um, could I?

Me: *laughs* No. Punk.

MM: Well, what about just for tomorrow? Could I take two showers tomorrow, and still get my allowance tonight?

Me: No, I don't think so. It only counts if you take a shower each day.

MM: Oh, ok. Will you cuddle me?

Hello, my name is Courtney...

and I am an anal-retentive control freak.

While the kids are here, they are sharing my computer. The main purpose is to play games. It is absolutely, positively e.x.c.r.u.c.i.a.t.i.n.g. for me to watch them play *my* computer games and not do them exactly right. It doesn't even seem to help that they are all playing under their own screen names, so it isn't like they are ruining my perfect scores. *eye roll* I can watch for a little bit. Then I shift to offering (usually welcomed) helpful hints. Then I start directing... pointing at the screen... do this, go there. And finally... well, you can see where this is going, right?

Last night, I actually reached the point where I took the game from Mary, and played it *for* her. I would give it back at the end of each level though, so she could hit the start new level button.

I hate phones.

*phone rings at work*

Me: "Division Office", this is Courtney. How may I help you?

Caller: Hi, is this Dean M.?

Me: Uhhh. No. This is Courtney.

Caller: Oh, you're not Dr. M.?

Me: No. This is Courtney. May I help you?

Caller: Well, can I talk to Dr. M.?

Me: No, she is away on vacation until next week. Is there anything I can assist you with?

Caller: So I can't talk to her?

Me: Nooo, sir. She is out of the office. Would you like to leave a message?

Caller: No, not really. I'd prefer to actually speak with her.

Me: She. isn't. here. today. She will be back next week. You may call back then, or I can take a message to have her call you.

Caller: I don't mind waiting. Can you just put me on hold?

Me: Sure, why not?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L: Is that hold light for me?

Me: Nope. It's for Dr. M.

L: But I heard you tell them she wasn't here.

Me: Yep. But he wanted to wait.

L: Long wait. *snicker*

Me: Yep. *rolls eyes*

L: You just gonna leave it like that?

Me: I haven't decided yet.

L: LOL

Just smile and nod

We paid a much needed, and long overdue, visit to our BFF, Brandon the Bartender, last night for an impromptu date night. I can always tell when we have been socializing with him because my wife gets a bit whacky more fun exciting. Because of this, I have perfected the smile and nod routine. I could tell you some stories about the ideas my wife comes up with. Nearly as exciting as her ideas though, are the conversations that she initiates from total left field. Last nights conversation went something like this...

C: *chattering on about something*

K: *totally randomly* I bet some of our friends have a hard time imagining *me* married to a man.

C: Uhhh. Yeah, probably.

K: Well, honestly, I just can't imagine *myself* married to a man either. Not anymore, I mean.

C: *whew!* Guess I can cross that off the things to be worried about list.

Bedtime

C: *popping up out of bed* Oh! I almost forgot to take my bitch birth control pill.

K: Good job remembering, dear.

C: Yeah... wouldn't want to get knocked up this month.

K: *SPEW* lol

Quarterly Shopping, Q&A part 1

Sassy asked:

Why not more shopping at Sam's? There are three parts to this answer. 1st is that I do a bit more shopping there than what was listed on this month's shopping list. That was just all I needed this month. So it isn't quite as bare as it looks. 2nd is that, like I mentioned in an earlier comment to Maria, I really don't like that we shop there. I have quite a few issues with walmart/sam's club, but those issues aren't (yet) sufficient enough to completely wean me off of Sam's. I do strive to break my dependence on them as much as possible though. But for most of the things we purchase there, we have such a massive price difference from anywhere else I can buy them. I can't really justify the cost to my family just to appease my conscience. 3rd, and probably most important to this discussion, we're brand snobs, pure and simple. LOL We buy very specific brands of almost everything. There are very few items that we don't care what brand we buy. And most of the things we buy, Sam's either doesn't carry our specific brand or the specific product within that brand. Examples: we only buy glad force flex odor shield trash bags - they carry many glad products, but not that one, they also carry hefty ultra flex... but there is only one we buy. They only sometimes carry our toothbrush heads. There are several more examples, but that really lowers the number of products we shop for there. I also try to buy very few food products there.

Coupon Sites? I don't often use coupon sites, though I occasionally will stumble across one I really want to use. I mostly use coupons sent to us for products we use (I let companies we are loyal to know it - companies really appreciate knowing those things.), coupons sent to us by the stores we shop at (we get coupons from all the stores on my shopping list, except sam's), coupons I get online at the stores websites or pick up in store, and coupons I print off from the companies websites.

Meal planning? Well, as mentioned, I plan our meals a year at a time. We buy our beef in bulk, from a local farm, a year at a time. I buy our chickens a quarter at a time, at our health food store, locally delivered from a farm here. The meat goes in the deep freeze. When I sit down to plan our meals for the year, I, pretty much unfailingly, follow a plan - it makes it easier for me to figure out meals. So, for us:

Sunday - used to be for Amanda to plan and cook, but she is really slacking on the job, and it is definitely not my hill to die on, so starting this quarter, I'm taking it over. I don't have a firm plan for this night, except EASY. I'll figure out a more precise plan for it as I start working on next year's menu.

Monday - Beef

Tuesday - Seafood, Pork, or Vegetarian. We do not eat a lot of any of these, so once or twice a month works out just fine. Also, if I need to cancel a meal later in the plan b/c I know now that we will be traveling, I have often moved a cancelled favorite into this spot. Not counting that though, it averages out to once a month each for pork and seafood, and twice a month for vegetarian.

Wednesday - Kim and Amanda's night out. When I have my act together and am not exhausted, I will cook something super easy for myself or heat up leftovers. Most of the time, I use my allowance and get delivery.

Thursday - Chicken

Friday - Soup 90% of the time. For a little variety I sometimes throw salad or sandwich in there, but that happens maybe once a quarter. It is pretty much soup night.

Saturday - Fun night... pizza, egg rolls, snack night, date night (Amanda fends for herself), occasionally delivery or take out. But usually home cooked, just a fun meal.

So within those parameters, I then start filling in meals. I try to add in a few new yummy sounding things each year, but we mostly eat favorites. I plan on cooking a whole chicken once a month (roast chicken dinner) usually, and then after that meal, I divide up the leftovers (I usually get three more meals worth of meat, plus broth) and freeze them for the chicken dinners the rest of the month. I figure out how much beef of each type I have (ground, steak, roast, chunks [for stew/stir fry/kebabs]), and then figure out what meals I want to have of each, and then divide them up in the menu. Once a month (usually first Saturday of the month), Kim and I have date night, where we go out for a meal (we date weekly, but usually work it around meal times). Once a month, usually the last Saturday of the month, but shuffled around for holidays and parties, we have snack night - everyone picks one snack to contribute and then we all share them for dinner. From there, I just plan meals, trying to get every one's favorites in.

I think I am saving money, especially on the things that I buy in bulk. But groceries are just so outrageously expensive these days, it can make it hard to appreciate it. Hope this helps - let me know if you have any other questions! (In some ways it is easier for me to answer questions, rather than just try to think of how to explain everything. :) )

My Jerry Springer life

So I'm at work, and an adjunct, who appears to be of Indian descent (that is a relevant observation), comes by the office and asks my supervisor if she can use her master key to let him into his locked classroom. While he waited the couple of minutes for her to finish a phone call, we chatted casually... the weather, the holiday, that sort of thing. Finally she is ready and they head off down the hall, out of site, but not yet out of earshot.

Adjunct: I noticed the other woman's last name was. She doesn't look Indian...?

*darn! Now, they're out of earshot!!*

Couple of minutes later...

Supervisor Linda to me: He asked me about your name.

Me: *snickering* I heard.

Linda: LOL! I wasn't sure how to respond...

Me: Me either! I was really glad he asked you instead of me. *snickering*

Linda: LOL!! Well...

Me: Yeah... just imagine trying to explain, it's *not* my name. It is my wife's ex-husbands name.

Linda: Yeah... tough one that. hahaha

Quarterly Shopping, Part Two

Ok, I'm back! I've been really busy the past week. We've been doing some much needed home projects, and rearranging furniture. When we weren't working on those, I was busy planning out the shopping trip. A lot of work goes into it, but I definitely think the pay off of not having to do it again for a while is worth it. This post will hopefully go a bit more into the how-to of our shopping.

First, Kim and Amanda are given a deadline for getting their requests in. I try to give them a month's notice, and then lots of reminders as the deadline approaches. For my own sanity, I give them a deadline that falls 3-4 days before I actually want the lists... everyone stays a lot happier that way. Oh, and they aren't required to list household/toiletry-type items that they need, their list is just for snacky food/drink type things. While they are working on that, I gather up all the notes that we have kept over the past three months of extras that we need. For example, this month we are getting a new case of mason jars, a moleskine notebook for Kim, a meat hammer/tenderizer, and a new potato scrubber. Those extra things that are either one time purchases, or only very, very occasionally need replacing.

Next, I sit down with my master shopping checklist. I know how many of each thing I need to have on hand for a three month period, so as I go through the house, I know I need to have *at least* that many on hand. For example, I know I need to have 6 of our handsoaps for a three month period. I currently have 3. So when I sit down with my final shopping list, I will make a note that I need to get at least 3 more. However, and I will go into this more later, I also follow the guidelines of stockpiling. So while I know I need a minimum of three, I also set a dollar limit on how much I can spend to make it all fit within my budget. I keep track of how much things actually cost (hand soap is $2.49/bottle at Target) and will set that amount, times however many I *need* to get, as the cost in my final shopping list. So my budget for the soap will be $7.50. And here is where stockpiling comes in. If I can find a coupon for the soap, or if Target is running a sale on it, then I get as many *over* three as I can still fit in the assigned budget for that item. Last time, this particular soap was on sale so I ended up getting two extra, which reduced the amount I need to buy this time, which definitely saves money, in case the soap isn't on sale this time.

Now, taking a moment to side note. You may have noticed a few glaringly obvious things missing from my master checklist. Items such as: toilet paper, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, dish soap, and tea/coffee/cocoa. Also: fabric softener/dryer sheets, other paper goods (such as paper towels), household cleaners, and maybe some other things. Well, we don't buy anything from that second set because we don't use them at all. The items in the first set we do use, but I purchase all of those things online, in *very* large bulk orders, and most of them on a rotating schedule, so that I am not hit with needing to make that big investment very often.

Next up on the list making, I start figuring out what food items we will need. I look first at our meal plan for the quarter. Luckily, (because it isn't a task I particularly love) our meal plan is already laid out for the year. I put them together a year at a time, so I only need to refine it when I'm looking ahead to each quarter. I take the time at this point to go through and make note of any trips I know we will be taking, or if I know of a specific event we have going on that will affect the plan and adjust to remove or change those meals. The result is a pretty accurate look at what we will be eating for the next three months. Here you can see a sample week in our plan. (It actually looks a lot neater than that in my real spreadsheet, but oh well.) You may have noticed the shopping list column. That is SO very handy for me. I have a tendency to forget the most obvious aspects of meal planning - like the time it totally didn't register that we would need hamburger buns to go with our *hamburger* dinner. Yeah. In that column, I list every single possible ingredient I might need, including pantry staples like salt and pepper and flour.

Then I turn to my shopping list and itemize everything that appears in each week's grocery list. It gets very long (obviously). I don't have any sample documents from this stage because I do not save them in this state. I then do a sort so all same items are listed together (i.e. 20 rows of flour). I figure out how many times something has been listed, and then put the number in column b, next to the first time that item is mentioned, and then I delete the other 19 rows of flour. Unfortunately, I don't have a sample of it in this form either. But finally, I figure out just how much *actual quantity* of each item I'm going to need. Just because flour appeared 20 times, doesn't mean I need 20 *bags* of flour, kwim? So once I figure out how much I need, the final grocery list starts taking shape. Finally, following the guidelines for stockpiling mentioned above, I take note of how many of these things I already have in the house and then mark them off, or alter amounts accordingly. Oh, also at this stage, I fold in any requests from Kim and Amanda, anything extra I want, and any extras I think we may need. Once the final edit of this list is done, I put together the final shopping list.

The final list includes EVERYTHING we will definitely be buying. The amounts that appear next to most of the items indicate the minimum amount I must get. The prices in the last column indicate the maximum amount I have to spend. If, because of sales or coupons, I can get more than the minimum for no more than the maximum, we have had a very successful stockpiling trip. You can see the stores we shop at in the middle column. After everything is entered into the list, I sort it by store, and then, within each store group, manually sort it by aisle or by the way we move about the store. I don't *always* take time to do the last step, but it is so very helpful when I do, and makes for much less backtracking.

Ok, more, including pictures, coming soon.

Why quarterly shopping?

Below is a blurb that I posted elsewhere about why we do it. I'll add more details tomorrow - I've worked hard today, and I'm beat! (Because I'm also busy putting together the finished plans for the kids' visit.)

I started doing this because I honestly have a strong dislike of shopping. Now I hit all of the stores (Sam's Club, Kroger, Target, health food store) once every three months, and may not be inside them again till next quarter. We get almost all of our fruits and veggies and sometimes milk and eggs at the farmer's market - which is a pleasurable outing - so really, I rarely even hit the grocery store during the quarter. It definitely saves me time. It takes a HUGE majority of the Saturday that I do it, but then it is DONE. And honestly, I've done it twice now, and the second time was quicker and more efficient that the first, so I expect to see that result again. Going to the Farmer's Market is, as I said, a pleasurable outing, and usually gets folded into date time, so I don't even count it. The rare trips to the grocery take, seriously, 20 minutes - and that includes our drive time!

My hope with starting it was that it would also be a money saver too. Honestly? It's hard to tell. I'm not saving money... compared to last year. Which is what I had hoped to do. But *everyone* I talk to says that the costs of groceries is just soaring, and I see that in my own comparisons too. I still have all the spreadsheets from the groceries that I bought last year and there really is a huge difference in many things. Am I saving money over what I *would* have been spending this year doing it the old way? I dunno, it is a tough comparison for me to make. But I know, for example, the bigger amount of bulk goods I buy at my health food store, the bigger the discount I get. So I think I am probably saving money there.

Also, I do quite a bit of shopping - all of our 7th Generation things, among others - online. That saves time, and it saves money b/c I buy huge quantities. But it would be harder to put in that much upfront on a regular monthly or weekly budget. I have all these things set up on a rotating buying schedule, so I never get hit with, for example, laundry and dishwasher detergent at the same time.

More to come!!

I feel so decadent...

Normally posts about food would go on the other blog, but considering I talk about how *healthy* we are over there, I would be far to embarrassed to write this post over there.

Amanda's party is over... I would call it a mixed success. It was certainly interesting. We let her buy lots of party foods on Friday in preparation. We gave her a budget, but what she spent it on was entirely up to her. She bought lots of really horrible junk food. And (fortunately? unfortunately?) there is quite a bit remaining. And Kim and I are both totally PMSing. You can see where this is going, right?

We have totally binged on JUNK today. Crackers, cheese ball, cream puffs, chips... and way too much of all of them. None of it is homemade. It is all packaged junk. Nothing natural, organic, or whole grain in the bunch. I think we're finally winding down a bit... I say that as we're each polishing off a large cup of coca-cola in all its awful, delicious glory... and we're even drinking it out of plastic cups. (My anti-plastic post is coming soon.)

I should feel awful horrible about what we are consuming today. But we all need days like this, right? And we did have green smoothies for breakfast, so the day hasn't been a total waste... ;)

Rescuing Courtney

So we're laying in bed, and are just about to turn the lights out for the evening, when:

Court: EEEEEEEEEK! *total girly-squeal* (While trying to scramble frantically under the covers.)

Kim: What!?? What's wrong??

Court: A fluttery, flying... thing! Ick! Ewww! Get rid of it! Eeeeeek! Please deal with it!!

Kim: Ok, ok. It's fine. I'll handle it.

Court: Thanks baby. Oh, ewWWW! There it is!

Kim: I see it... there! Got it.

Court: *whew* Good! Get rid of it!! Please!!

Kim: *whack!* *whack!* *whack!* There! It's gone. You can relax. *insert super-hero voice* I took care of it.

Court: Honey! Did you KILL it?? *insert completely horrified voice*

Kim: Well... yeah. You *wanted* me to get rid of it.

Court: I didn't want you to KILL it though. :( Poor lil' thing.

Kim: Man, I just can't win.

Court: Well, thanks for rescuing me. But next time don't kill it, ok? Unless it is really icky, or something.

Kim: LOL! Sure dear, I'll remember that for next time. Only kill the really icky ones. And you screeching EEEEEEEEEEEK! at the top of our lungs is not indicative of ickiness, right?

Court: Exactly!

Sleeping Double in a Double a Bed

You may remember from last year that we were shopping for a new bed to correspond with our move. After much discussion, - all in blogland, of course, after all, we wouldn't think of making any major decisions without consulting our bloggy friends - we settled on a double bed. Seeing it in our room now, it is obvious we made the right decision - there is NO way anything larger would have fit. We are really, REALLY enjoying it. It is so comfy, and very snuggly. It makes being cuddly so easy, because we're always right next to each other. It has been a great bed.

Fast forward to last night. We're staying at a very swank inn, compliments of the consultants. We've stayed here before actually, and really enjoy it. But the bed. is. SO. freakin'. HUGE.! A very plush, very soft cloud, very BIG, california king. I hated it. Isn't that an awful thing to say? It is a very nice bed. Beautiful. Soft. Like falling into a cloud. But I kept losing my wife last night. We both slept right in the middle - you could have put another person on each side of us - but it just wasn't the same. There was too much space.

I've very much enjoyed this little day-and-a-half chance to slip away from real life for a bit. But I will be SO happy to be sleeping in OUR bed tonight.

(Besides, it is much harder to use the whole mat, when the mat is so big.)

A to Z, it's all about me!

Swiped from Sassy, though I've seen it several places...

A is for your age:
26... I'm getting so old.

B is for your burger of choice:
Fresh from the grill. Well done. ketchup and mustard. Stuffed with bleu cheese. Mmmmm.

C is for the car that you drive:
Ford Focus, for now.

D is for dog's name:
I don't have a dog. And I can't even think of a dog's name, cause I don't really like dogs.

E is for an essential item you use each day:
Hmmm. Socks.

F is for your favorite television show:
Still Standing

G is for favorite game:
Board - Monopoly, Computer - The Sims, IRL - tennis to play, football to watch

H is for hometown:
Maumelle, AR

I is for instruments played:
HAHAHAHAHA. Ahem. HAHAHAHA

J is for favorite juice:
I have to be careful with juice, b/c I'm sensitive to the acid. But I LOVE good ole, store bought, totally unhealthy, apple juice. I rarely indulge. I love fresh squeezed orange juice. I also love pure pineapple juice.

K is for what you'd like to kick:
The water. I haven't been swimming in a few days... I'm missing it.

L is for last restaurant you dined at:
*ducking in total embarrassment* Applebee's. Hey, you can get drunk really cheaply there!

M is for your favorite Muppet:
Oscar. I can relate to him. ;)

N is for number of piercings you have:
Two, now - one in each ear. At my highest... 18 - nine in one ear, eight in the other, one belly button. I outgrew it. I want my nose pierced now, though.

O is for overnight hospital stays:
Ummm, none. Except when I was born. :P

P is for people you were with today:
Kim. And Amanda, though I'm not sure that counts... she hasn't left her room today, so I haven't actually seen her.

Q is for what you do in quiet times:
These days... sitting naked in the sun, listening to my Zen. Reading. Surfing the web.

R is for regrets:
None.

S is for status:
Madly in love. Happily married.

T is for time you woke up today:
7:15. By 7:30 I was mowing the yard. I rock.

U is for what you consider unique:
I have no clue. May have to come back to this one.

V is for favorite vegetable:
I LOVE vegetables. Green beans in maybe my favorite. But I love lots of them!

W is for your worst habit:
Having unreasonably high expectations.

X is for x-rays you have had:
Several for my knee, before and after the operation. A few on my girly innards to diagnose the PCOS.

Y is for yummy food you ate today:
Italian Chicken Pasta

Z is for zodiac sign:
Libra.

Summer Vacation

The kids are coming for a visit this summer. I am positively dying of excitement! They will be here for about 3 weeks. There is so much we would love to do with them, but gosh, things are so expensive! Especially when you realize that everything we do will be times six. And gas prices... goodness gracious! So in an attempt to fit in as much as we can, and make sure they are things the kids most want to do, we have sent them each a survey. Spencer called me today to let me know that they got them. They are as excited by them as I thought they would be. Check out this snapshot to see part of the survey.

Spencer says he'll mark everything with a one. Except roller skating! I wouldn't put it past him. lol I'm eager to get their surveys back so I can finish planning. We also asked them for a birthday list and thoughts on what they want to do for their birthday party this year. Since I have moved away, we have a group birthday party for the three of them, they get their presents then, and we just do it whenever we end up having our visit. It works out well with each of them having summerish birthdays - July, August, and September. I try to make sure our visit does not actually coincide with anyone's birthday, b/c I don't want the others feeling left out. So far we have succeeded, though with the tight timeline, we are often just a day or two off from a birthday. I'm sure we are going to have a GREAT visit! I am so thrilled they are coming here.