Day 264 (December 29th)--House of Charity

Today I volunteered along with a community group I am involved with, to serve meals at the house of Charity in Downtown Minneapolis. I was on the hots side and served over 134 people by myself! They said it was a good thing our group showed up or they would not have been able to get everyone served. Upon talking with the assistant manager I found out that the people are amongst the increasing number or people have jobs but cannot afford the cost of food because every bit of their paychecks are going to meet their mortgage. I am planning on helping out here at least once a month.

-Jackie

Day 263 (December 27th)--Caps

I love stuffed mushroom caps so today I decided to try and make some. They were good but not restaurant quality. I might try to make them more often anyway.

-Jackie

Day 262 (December 26th)--Forgiveness

Early in 2008 I had a friendship of mine come to an end after 14 years. There was a lot of hurt on both ends and I spent a good part of the year struggling with this. Over the last few weeks I have been finding myself really being able to let it go and today I was able to send a letter of forgiveness to this former friend along with an apology for things that happened on my end. I am sure if I will ever be at the point where I can be friends with this person again but it's enough to be able to forgive and move on....

-Jackie

Day 261 (December 25th)--My RAK

I have been very inspired by Jen's everyday giving blog (see link on the side of this page) and all the Random acts of Kindness she has done. She has reminded me you do not need a lot of money or be a board member of a charity to help them out. The little things can help just as much. So today I figured out what my main Random act of kindness for the year will be. But you will have to wait and see because it will be the subject on a new thing coming soon....

-Jackie

Day 260 (December 24th)--It takes a village

My family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve and then has a more laid back day on Christmas itself. Tonight as we were opening gifts we found out that my Mother has bought in all of our names six tons of bricks (I believe it was six tons) to help build a hospital in Africa through Worldvision. I was very excited to hear about this as this is something I have been wanting to do.

-Jackie

Day 259 (December 23rd)--Family Style

Today for our work company Christmas party we went to Buca, which is an Italian Restaurant in Minneapolis. The meals there are served family style so I had a family style dinner with my co-workers. We passed around many dishes from Eggplant parmigiana to Brushetta to garlic mashed potatoes. I also tried Clam Muscles for the first time. YUMMY!

-Jackie

Day 258 (December 22nd)--Care Package

I have a friend who has had a pretty rough year. She is really struggling to get into the Christmas spirit this year so I decided to send her a small care package to let her know I am thinking of her. I am hoping it will brighten up her Holiday season. It went to Atlanta and will probably get there after Christmas.

-Jackie

Day 257 (December 21st)--I blew it off

I am a HUGE football fan and I usually do not miss a Sunday. This week I decided I did not want to get myself worked up so I took a break from all football games and spent the day reading/napping instead. I need to do this more often.

-Jackie

Day 256 (Dec 20th)--DOing my research

I attend a church where their motto is "Real and Relevant". They have been doing a series of sermons inspired by the book "UN CHristian" by David Kinnaman which is based on studies done as to why younger people are avoiding the church. I decided to follow up with the information presented in the messages and read the book. What I loved about this book was it did not just present the problems the young people are presenting but also possible solutions to those problems. I bookmarked so many points I will be purchasing this book on my own.

-Jackie

Day 255 (December 19th)--When life hands you lemons

This weekend I was supposed to drive down to Iowa with my friend Michelle to celebrate my niece's first birthday. We had a hotel right on the lake and were very excited about it. But there's a blizzard warning in Iowa this wknd. Usually I would have a fit and sulk when my plans change like this. But I took those lemons and made lemondae. I ended up making plans for lunch and shopping with Michelle tomorrow. We are going to go before the snow hits. Should be fun! =)

-Jackie

Day 254--(December 18th)--Densensetization

Today we were able to get an excercise bike for free. My hubby put it in the bedroom--while we were trying to today our dog Pretzel would just freak out. First he would bark, then he would jump up on his and then bite our feet. We ended up finding a way for him to get used to it. He likes to be wrapped in a blanket when he is on the bed. So we curled him up in a blanket while we worked out. After that the barking, jumping and biting ceased.

-Jackie

Day 253--(Dec 17th)--Happy Feet

Back when I interviewed for my current position, I was told it was a casual environment and many people even wore slippers around the office. I had been reminded of this many times since I started (9 months ago) but I never took that step. Today was a bit of a stressful day and my feet were cold. So I took the big step and put on my slippers. They are not just any slippers, however. They are Green Bay Packers Happy Feet slippers. Yes it is true too--Happy Feet slippers are just like walking on clouds. They have a really cute pair of NY Jets slippers too...might have to get those to wear at home...

-Jackie

Day 252--Dec 16th-Don't Break the Ice

Here in MN this week it has been c-c-cold and snowy too! =) I took my dog out this afternoon and as we were walking through the yard the area we were standing on fell through---it was a thin sheet of ice over the snow! I thought it was funny and my dog thought it was a game--he kept taking the chunks of broken ice and throwing them with his mouth across the yard!

EXTRA CREDIT: This morning it was freezing so I put a cup full of bottled water on our deck to see how long it would take to freeze. After 40 minutes there was a layer or ice on it...but I went to the office and forgot about it. When I got home it has froze solid and left a crack all the way around the plastic cup that was holding the water. Talk about your water displacement!

-Jackie

Day 251 (December 15th)--Driving while Impaired (it's not what you think)

Minne-snow-ta, is known for it's snowy and bitterly cold winters. Today we had bitterly cold roads as well as icy roads. It took me twice as long to get to work.

But here's where it gets interesting. I am driving to a clients house out in the country and I run out of windshield washer fluid. I have to navigate my way on a 2 lane highway with a very dirty windshield and a impatient driver on my tail. I make it to the gas station and wipe my windows and replace the washer fluid (Note: I got the car in May, this is the first time I have had to replace the washer fluid). I begin driving and his the washer fluid button and get no fluid. I stop at a service station and talk to a mechanic who says it is either frozen washer fluid or a frozen hose but to wait it out and see. I cancel with my client and navigate my way back to work. I go to leave and warm up the car. For kicks and giggles I his the washer fluid button. It works! Makes me thankful it is something I can look back at and laugh, however I do not want to be stuck in this situation again.

-Jackie

Day 250 (December 14th)---24 hours straight

The orgininal Jen has one of her new things last year be eating nothing but candy all day. I decided to put a twist on this. For one day I ate nothing but Shrimp Salad Sandwiches and Chicken Chipolte appetizers. It was interesting but NOT something I want to do again.

-Jackie

Day 249 (December 13th)--Alexandra House

With being a Social worker, I have come to know a lot of good charities out there. One of them that has really touched my heart has been the Alexandra house which is a shelter that helps battered women and their families.

Today the local high school football team was collection donations while bagging groceries though I did not have enough items to bag, I made a donation to the Alexandra house. I am also hoping to do some volunteer work with this organization in the new year.

-Jackie

Day 248--December 12th--Unplugged

We saw on Oprah a couple of months ago a helpful hint to save money. A viewer talked about how she saves money on her electric bill by unplugging all the things she uses when she is not using them. With the exception of the alarm clock, microwave and fridge/freezer, we started doing this.

Today we got our electric bill and it went down by $30! I showed my husband and we were both in shock.

EXTRA Credit: I wore one Christmas Sock and one white sock to work. Just felt like making a statement.

Day 247 (December 11th)--I finally figured it out

Some background on me is that until this year I had never had a car with a rear windshield wiper. My first car was an 88 Grand Am, then I had 3 different Dodge Neons and then my current car which is a PT Cruiser. This car come with a rear windshield wiper. The gadget to run the rear wiper is a little tricky and I could never figure out why it did not spray washer fluid. Today I was fiddling around with it on the way to work and finally figured it out. Yay! This may seem like a boring new thing, but in Minne-snow-ta! It's huge for me to have this and be able to work it!

-Jackie

Day 246 (December 10th)--Sweet Potato Fries and Mormons

Today I spent much of my day in the car heading up to a small town for a client team meeting. We had lunch in "the new restaurant" in that town and my sandwich came with sweet potato fries. They were okay but not a huge favorite in my book.

Extra Credit: On the way out I got stopped and evangalized to by some mormons waiting at the crosswalk. I have nothing against mormons I just do not want to be preached to on the way to my car after a client meeting. I told them I had a 2 hour drive home (which was true) and I was already running late. They told me to check their website. I went home with a migraine from all the driving and such.

-Jackie

Day 245 (December 9th)--If I could be sweet

Today I was picking up some groceries on the way home when I found the Nature's Sweet tomatoes. They come in a special container that you do not refrigerate. So I tried them. They are a lot better than the cherry tomatoes I have been getting lately...too bad my husband feels the same way.....I keep catching him grabbing one or two at a time on the way through the kitchen....

-Jackie

Day 244 (Decmember 8th)--That makes you larger than life

I was a little bored this evening and needed to figure out a new thing to do. I began to organize my CD shelf when I came across one of my Backstreet Boy Cd's from my College Days. I put it in and began to listen to Larger than life. It was then I remembered the scene from Napoleon Dynamite. So I did a cheesy reenactment of Summer's skit from the movie. I do not know that much sign language so it was a little off but it was funny!



-Jackie

Day 243 (December 7th)--Broke my Goal and then some

In January I set a goal for myself to read 50 books in one year and then list them all on my website (which then was Xanga). About a month ago I broke the record and decided to shoot for 52 books in a year--one for each week of the year. I ended up breaking both records. I finished book #53 this weekend and am halfway through book 54. It's not speed reading without remembering either--I take time to enjoy each book and remember them a great deal. My husband wants me to make a goal of 60 books by December 31st....I am not going to even try that!

-Jackie

Day 242--(December 6th)--Gators and Craft shows oh my!

Today I went to a Craft store in the Sports Center my city was putting on. I found some nice gifts for my Brother and niece. Unfortunately, there was a nice hand carved box I originally wanted to get my brother but since we are in a recession and finances are tight, I could not afford it. The gift I got him he will love though. =)

I also watched a College Football game for the first time! Gators vs Bama! I was rooting for the Gators and was glad they won. I really like their Quarterback...he seems very genuine!

-Jackie

Day 241 (Dec 5th)---Eggs Dino

I was seeing my out of area clients today and on my way found out the small town restaurant I normally go to closed down because of the recession. =( So I stopped for Breakfast in the small town of the first client I saw at a hole in the wall called Dino's and had Eggs Benedict for the first time! I think I will have it more often. It was delicious!

-Jackie

Day 240 (Dec 4th)--You know you are in a recession when....

Today Mike and I went to McDonalds and they have substituted the Double cheeseburger with the McDouble--same thing but one slice instead of 2 so it could still be on the 99 cent menu. So my husband and I got that. But then when we were leaving our server gave us 2 small fries also! We didn't order them but did not argue! Never had that happen before!

I will say I do not like this recession at all and would not wish Obama's job of cleaning this big mess that built up over the last 4 years to anyone! (NOTE: PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS MY BLOG AND I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY COMMENTS AGAINST OBAMA IN. I feel that as our new President people need to come and support his Presidency instead of being hateful and saying rude comments. I will step off my soapbox now...)

-Jackie

Day 239--December 3rd---Why??

Today I had a meeting downtown. The last time I was downtown I could not find the destination I was looking for--Block E by the Hard Rock Cafe and the Target Center amongst other things. Today I ended up driving right by it on the way home. Why is it that when I am not looking for a destination it is right in from of me?

-Jackie

Day 238--(December 2nd)--Wrong Month

Today I was getting working and planning the day around a doctors appointment I had at 4PM this afternoon...or so I thought....I went to my insurance's website to check my upcoming appointments....I had an appointment all right...on the 2nd of JANUARY! :0 So I had the right day...but the wrong month!

-Jackie

Day 237--Dec 2nd--Here's the Story...

....of a lovely lady....yeah....you get the spiel. Today I began reading a book I have been waiting for (for months). I was #75 on the waiting list to start out with, if that gives you any idea. It's called "Here's the Story" by Maureen McCormick....better known as Marcia Brady. I was worried at first that this book would mirror the horrible read I had when I read Valerie Bertinelli's Book "Losing It."(that book was TERRIBLE). But this has been a pleasantly surprising book to read. She does not make excuses for herself or flaunt her past trists with men (like Bertinelli did.) She was honest about her upbringing and Life's lessons.

-Jackie

Day 236--(Nov 30th)--Our own Turkey Day

Thanksgiving was a little Rocky for me this year for reasons I do not want to get into (family stuff) but I have always wanted to have my own Thanksgiving dinner so today we did. Watched some (terrible) football games and had our Turkey, rolls and Mashed Potatoes. Here are some pics of this. I posed my dog for the one by the stove. He would not normally jump up like that! =)

-Jackie

Day 235--November 29th--Random Sernenade Part 2

Last year I started a yearly tradition to bell ring for the Salvation Army. This year while doing so I was randomly serenaded by a donor to the Red Kettle. I did not know the song...it was something about giving a penny and God blessing you. My volunteer work there each Holiday season warms my heart and I enjoy helping out!

-Jackie

Day 234--November 28th---where do I begin?

Today was one of those days where I did a lot of new things....here they are in no particular order.

-Watched Sisterhood of the Traveling pants too and did not like it. It was as if they smooshed the last 2 books together into one big mess!

-Watched the Polar Express. This could become one of my favorite Christmas movies!

-Tried Cerries Chocolate covered Cherries. I think I will stick to the Queen Anne kind from now on.

-Jackie

Day 233 (November 27th)--Bread Pudding

At Thanksgiving dinner we had many people bring in their signature dishes. Someone brought in bread pudding and I tried it. I did not like it very much. I like bread and I like pudding but warm bread pudding...not for me!

-Jackie

Day 232--(NOv 26th)--Peanuts!

I was flipping channels on TV tonight and found a special on Charles Schulz, the writer of the Peanuts comic strip. Being a MN girl and Charles Schulz being from Minnesota, this was a great documentary to watch. It was really interesting to see how he poured out so much of his heart and soul into the comic strip. The Theme park in Mall of America used to be Camp Snoopy which was a lot of fun...now it is Nickelodeon Universe and it is..dumb!

-Jackie

231--(November 25th)--what a disaster!

Tonight I had planned a gathering at Shout House (Dueling Pianos) on Block E. I have a tendency to get lost so I got my directions and left the house early. It didn't help---I for the life of me could not find the place....so I gave up and went home. =(

My hubby was hungry so we decided to go to a resaurant by our house. It was 8 PM. We went there and it was closed for the night. Restaurants closing at 8PM is STUPID in my opinion! So we went to a second restaurant and could not get in the parking lot. So we ended up at a hole in the wall (in a good way) pizza place we used to frequant more when we lived closer.

In a nutshell: I planned a gathering I could not find, went to a restaurant that does not stay open past a 8 years olds bedtime and had to go to 3 places before having some tasty food.

-Jackie

Day 230--(Nov 24th)---A triple Triage

I do not know if I wrote this prevously but this wknd I coughed so hard I bruised a rib on my right side! So last night I was in a alot of pain early on plus was physically sick so I called the after hours care plan # provided by my Health Insurance Provider. The nurse there was very helpful---she offered some great tips and I felt better towards the end of the night. Which leads me to my extra credit----I got 3 Yahtzees in one game last night while playing my husband and got a score of 452.

-Jackie

Day 229 (November 23rd)--Klutz!

After Church is morning I had some errands to run. Maybe I should have stayed home. On my trip to Target I knocked a bunch of clothes off the rack when checking a price on a sweater. THEN the Mountain Dew 12 pack I had came open and cans rolled along the floor. To add insult to injury, when I got to the grocery store my cherry tomoates spilled all over the floor. Here's the kicker---at church I coughed so hard I felt pain in my right rib--so now I have a bruised rib on top of everything else.

-Jackie

Day 228--(November 22nd)--Walking in someone elses shoes

Today I was walking to the store and there was fresh snow on the ground. On this fresh pile of snow was a set of footprints that led all the way to the store. I walked the whole way to the store in this set of footprints. The person who walked there had an interesting way of walking, putting me off kilter at some points. On the way back I made my own set of footprints. =)

-Jackie

Day 227---Saying goodbye to old "Friends"

I am a huge fan of Karen Kingsbury (the author). She has written 3 series of books revolving around a family called the Baxters and all of their trials and happy times. Each time I get a book of hers I tend to read it in one day. Today I read the last book in the Baxter series. The last two years have had some really high highs and low lows for me personally and over the last two years these books have helped me through some of those times.

(Note: There may be another upcoming thing regarding Karen Kingsbury soon. Be on the lookout! Also--if you have not read her books yet--I highly recommend them!)

-Jackie

Day 226 (November 20th)--Double time, go!

I strained by back last week from all the coughing that came with my Bronchitis. So last night I had a strained back AND was freezing because it was in the single digits and very windy here in good ole MN! To alleviate all of this I ended up taking 2 showers within an hour of each other AND to add some ambiance I took them by flashlight. I have this flashlight that is supposed to resemble the light of an Olympic torch (I got it at an employee appreciation event in August). It actually made the environment more relaxing. So my nighttime routine was done twice in a row last night!

-Jackie

Day 225 (November 19th)--Compression

EPILOGUE: I LOVE THE HOT APPLE Blast at Caribou Coffee. Delicious! My favorite drink there!

This is a small new thing but it is one of those little thing that tends to impress me. At work today I found we had gotten some compression dusters in for our computers. This is a good thing. I tend to eat my meals I have at work (breakfast and lunch) at the computer then the crumbs get in their and it is one big mess. I had fun putting the duster to work today...I think I need some of these for my home computer. =)

Extra credit: At 3 PM I have a meeting with my Mentor at Caribou Coffee. I am going to have a HOT Apple Blast which will be my new thing #2. I will post an addendum with my thoughts on this drink that is easy on the eyes. (I am NOT a coffee drinker....I rarely drink a coffee drink but do like their non coffee creations.)

-Jackie

Day 224 (November 18th)---The Center cannot hold : my journey through madness

In yesterday's post I mentioned the training I went to. Our keynote speaker was supposed to be Elyn Saks, a woman who with schizophrenia who studied at Oxford and went on to do many wonderful things in her life. Unfortunately, like me she was unable to do the keynote speech because she developed bronchitis. But she had written a book which was not read for me at the library until today. So I read Center cannot hold : my journey through madness by Elyn Saks. This is the first memoir sort of book I have read which covers the authors struggles with Schizophrenia. I am not finished yet as it is 300+ pages but it is really good so far.

-Jackie

Day 223 (November 17th)--A new form of First Aid

Today I went to a training my supervisor signed a small group of us on concerning Mental Health issues. It was really interesting. One of the breakout sessions I went to was called Psychological first aid. It was covering how to provide assistance to those who have recently experienced a traumatic situuation. Like First Aid, I received a card when the course was over but this card is a pocket guide to carry with me and go over when I may be in this situation. I really enjoyed the trainings I went to and just wanted to share with you one interesting point that was brought up in the keynote speakers time.

"I worked with a patient who was diagnosed with late onset schizphrenia. Prior to this she had been hospitalized and treated with cancer. She stated 'I was treated well when I had cancer.' When you or someone you love has an illess such as cancer people send flowers and come to visit. When you or a loved one is suffering from a mental illness, one tends to feel isolated. The flowers do not come and the visitors are few and far between."

(NOTE: This was a point that had a big effect on me. This is not a point to debate whether mental illness is as serious as other physical diseases. Thank you.)

-Jackie

Day 222--Nov 16th---The Early Bird and a Race to the Finish

I was having a hard day today due to the side effects from the Z Pack and having to turn back halfway to church due to the coughing attacks (for some reason I was hacking the most in my car).

Anyway, in efforts to cheer me up we put up the Christmas tree and decorations. We have never put up the tree before Black Friday before. I will have some cute pictures to post from this very soon. I am just waiting on stupid Qwest. I have had 2 months of no internet service and finally when I get a tech friend to look at the system it ends up being a bad modem on their part. Sheesh!

EXTRA CREDIT: Today marked the end of my rookie Nascar season. I finished 8/16 in the pack. I am not sure if I will do this again. I did this through my old church and decided to just finish it out. Nascar season tends to be a little long for my liking though. No wonder Jimmie Johnson won 7 million for finishing first this season!

-Jackie

Day 221 (November 15th)--DIY and John Wayne

I have been staying in this wknd because of the nasty nausea and tiredness I have been feeling. But since I have been staying in I finally have been able to do something I saw featured on the Rachel Ray show. I have been able to DIY (do it myself to fix up) my old clothes. I have this dress I got at the fall swap but it it too tight in the middle. So I made the dress into a babydoll top and a matching hair ribbon. It is not 100% finished yet (I need to find something to wear over the top) but it was a fun thing to do.

EXTRA CREDIT: My husband and I were having a BLAH day and were watching TV. We saw there was a John Wayne western on so we decided to watch it. I had never seen a John Wayne movie prior to today. It was pretty fun to watch. I cannot remember the name but the premise was John Wayne's brothers family was killed after an attack by the Indians and the Youngest daughter was kidnapped so John Wayne and the "adopted son" of the family go off to rescuse the youngest daughter. My husband says most of his movies end with him dying. This one did not.

-Jackie

Day 220 (November 14th)--Z Pack

I was given a Z Pack to help with my Brochitis. It is supposed to do the work of 30 doses of Antibiotics in five days. I have been feeling better in regards to the bornchitis but now I am on a med so potent it make me sick in other ways. It's so strong it gives you flu like symptoms like nausea and not being able to keep food down. It says only 5% of the population get these symptoms. After reading the online thoughts of those who have had a Z Pack...I beg to differ.

-Jackie

Day 219 (November 13th) F'REAL!

UPDATE: As I guessed I have Bronchitis. I also have a great doctor who took the time to do all the necessary tests and put me on some strong meds. I am doing better and hopefully will be back to 100% soon!

Today I was dealing with a raw and scratchy throat because of all the hacking I was doing. When I worked at the election I heard about these really cool milkshakes.....so today I went to the holiday station store and made my own F'real shake. They are $1.99 and are pretty big. You pick your flavor of ice cream and put it in the blending unit and it makes the shake for you. They are very tasty. I had a cookies and cream one. I wish they had more flavors of the shakes. They also have smoothies. I will have to try one sometime.

-Jackie

Day 218 (November 12) chamomile tea

So this cold is hanging on but after checking the symptoms on Wed MD I am thinking it is more of bronchitus. I will find out Thurs afternoon when I go see my Doctor I guess....

While looking on Http://webmd.com they suggested chamomile tea to help with the scratchy throat and to help me relax. I bought some and it is really cheap ($2.00 for a box of 20) and I actually liked it. It is relaxing and brought me a bit of relief. I am going to try and phase out some of the pop I drink and replace it with this in the PM. It's such a relaxing drink! (For those of you who do not know chamomile tea actually comes from the Chamomile flower and has no caffeine).

-Jackie

Day 217--(November 11)--Gargling Salt Water

I got the start of a Nasty Cold last week and it will not seem to go away. I have a nice scratchy throat and persistent cough. I looked online and it said gargling salt water would help relieve my throat so I would not cough as much. I tried it; worked okay the first time---the second time my throat would not tolerate it. I do not think it is good for more severe colds.

-Jackie

Day 216 (November 10th)--Random, very Random!

The day after the election I got hit with a nasty cold that reached full force on Friday. Last night I was having some quality couch time trying to get rid of it and was bored....so I watched and episode of the TV show Chuck. I generally do not like shows about undercover CIA agents but it was not too bad. He met up with his girlfriend from college and helped save people from a biochemical attack. Good times.

-Jackie

Day 215 (November 9th)

ADDENDUM--I actually researched Packer Backer bars here in MN...there are quite a few. I'd rather go to them from now on...

Today I went to a Packers vs Vikings themed party...and I did not think i will attend one of these again. There were a couple of people who took the insults too far and one of them kept slamming the Jets who he KNEW I liked and respected a great deal. Next time I am going to a Packer themed bar! I don't need that!

-Jackie

Day 214 (November 8th)--Listen to your stylist

Today I went to Fantasic Sam's for a haircut. I like my hair long so I am generally picky about what styles I will let them do. Today I listened to the stylist and let her put layers in my hair. See above for the result. I also decided I no longer like Great Clips--from now on I am a Fantastic Sam's Girl!

-Jackie

Day 213--November 7th---I worked how long to pay for this?

I have been reading books on stress management. In the book Stress Management for Dummies, there is discussion about thinking before you buy. Asking yourself a few questions including: is this worth the time I had to work to pay for this? So when I have been out shopping today I have asked myself these questions. It really makes you think!

-Jackie

Day 212 (November 6th)--Mad Money

I have a list of some new things I want to accomplish before the end of the challenge. Watching the above movie was one of them. I loved Katie Holmes from her Dawson's Creek days. It was a good movie and very thought provoking. It also covered the lengths some people will go to to get money......not one for my to buy list but it was enjoyable.

-Jackie

Day 211 (November 5th) People watcing

Today I was at Barnes and Noble enjoying my time off and taking in sme magazines. I decided to do some people watching and did a sort of case study of a job interview going on at the Starbucks in the store.. I asked myself; would I hire this person? Do they answer questions well? What are my impressions of this person? It was pretty fun!

-Jackie

Day 210--November 4th---Many things

Whew! What a tiring day. Here are all the new things I did today.

-Opened up the polls for the first time.
-Processed and fed in ALL of the absentee ballots
-Saw many people become voters for the first time.
-Got to print out the election results in my precinct and modem them to City Hall.
-While at City all on Election business, got to see it become official that we had a new President. =)

-Jackie

Day 209--The votes in my hands

Since I was promoted to head election judge, I was in charge of picking up the Accu-Vote and bringing it to the polling place the next day. So I had the privledge of having the voting machine for the night.

-Jackie

Day 208--November 2nd (Crystal Skulls)

Since we attended Church Saturday night, Mike Pretzel and I took in an early morning movie in our humble abode. We watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I am not a big fan of Indiana Jones but thought the movie was okay.

-Jackie

Day 207--(Nov 1st) Show me how to dance

Today I got a line dancing DVD from the library. I got it home and took the first "lesson" where i learned to dance the electric slide. It's a fun dance and I look forward to practicing it at the next wedding I attend!

-Jackie

Day 206 (October 31st) Garage Party

Tonight, in celebration on Halloween; Mike, Pretzel and I went to our friend "A"'s for a Halloween get together. We played games and ate in his garage while waiting for the trick or treaters. It was a lot of fun (Photos to come).

-Jackie

Day 204 (October 29th) Thank you

I stole this one from Jen (Everyday Giving). I wrote a thank you card to the mailman. It was still in there when I got the mail today but I am hoping he/she saw it.

-Jackie

Day 203 (October 28th) Having a Matzo ball

I have been wanting to try this for a long time so today I seized the day and did I. I made and ate for the first time, Matzo Ball soup. Yummy!

-Jackie

Day 205---Took the test.

I went to this link http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage?id=5542139 which was a test to see which candidates philosophies matched you the most. It validated my vote all the more. I passed it on to others as it was both legit AND valid...unlike a lot of the ads and e-mails floating around!

Day 202 (October 27th)--Parade Wave

When I was driving home today I was trying to think of a new thing to do...then I thought of one I have always wanted to drive down the street waving at Random Pedestrians so I did. I think I confused a whole lot of people, LOL!

-Jackie

Day 201 (October 26th)--Toaster tops?

Today I discovered something I find to be wonderful (I do not like to do shameless plugs for my new things but this one deserves it.) I tried Eggo Toaster Muffin Tops. They come in with 32 muffin tops--4 to a section. You put the section in the toaster and Voila. The best part of the muffin. Now comes from the Toaster! YUMMY!

-Jackie

Day 200 (October 25th)--Flea Market

Today our scrapbooking store was having a flea market. So I went. It was disappointing. Too crowded and not a variety that I was looking for. I stayed 5 minutes and spent 1.75.

Extra Credit: I preserved some pretty fall leaves by finding out via the Internet that you can preserve leaves by putting moisturizer on them. I liked this new thing much better.

-Jackie

Day 199 (October 24th)--Unwanted Promotion

Today I got a call from the City Election official. The head judge at my polling place supposedly had to drop out because of doctors orders. So today I was promoted to head election judge. I am not thrilled about it but at least it will be a nice bit of extra money!

-Jackie

Day 198 (October 23rd)--Got Shot

I am deathly afraid of needles but today I got a flu shot to help prevent getting sick this winter. The nurse was good at it too. Barely felt a thing!

-Jackie

Day 197--(October 22nd)---At Home

With my job one of the perks is I get to work from home once in awhile. Normally I either work from home the whole day or go home after a late morning appointment, or after lunch at the office. Today my plans unexpectedly changed so I left the office specifically to eat lunch from home. I went home, ate lunch then finished off my day from home. I had a delicious lunch too--Grilled cheese with Portabella Mushrooms and onions and those apples from the orchard with Carmel dip. YUMMY!

-Jackie

Day 196(October 21st)--Herbal remedies

Today I was pretty stressed out---with many stressors adding to the equation. So I decided to pamper myself and use the herbal spa kit I got as one of the things from the Fall Swap. I liked everything in it except for the bubble bath---the bubbles did not last as long as I like them to. But the kit does soothe and relax me. Yes, I will be doing this one again...and again...and...again?

-Jackie

Day 195 (October 20th)--Jump Jive and Wail!

Today my hubby and I went to the Grocery store and while we were there the song Jump Jive and Wail came on which is one of my favorite. So I began dancing in the Pop aisle. I just could not control my feet...and my hubby just looked at me like I was crazy!

-Jackie

Day 194 (October 19th)--Silhouette

Today I read a Silhouette Romance novel. I tend to stray away from some of them because they are all flesh and no story line but this one was actually pretty good.

-Jackie

Day 193 (October 18th)--Apples and Horses and Fluxx

PLEASE SEE DAY 189 for an important update on Ratchet also! =)

This morning I went with my friends Michelle, Jodi and Steve (and Jodi's niece and nephews) to the Apple orchard. I got to pick my own apples and taste test kinds before deciding which ones I wanted to pick. Michelle and I also had some delicious BBQ pork sandwiches as well as visited with some horses. I found I was especially fond of the Sweet 16, Regal and Fireside Apples.

EXTRA Credit: Tonight Mike and I went to our friend "A"'s and played Sequence as well as a card game called Fluxx. It's an interesting game and the rules constantly change. But it's not one of my favorite games. (As you can see in one of the above pictures Mike pretends to smoke a cigar but it's just a chocolate stick).

-Jackie

Day 192 (October 17th)--Chips and Vinegar

Today I went to Jimmy John's and took a big step. I tried the Salt and Vinegar Potato chips. They are a little too potent for my taste but I do enjoy their Turkey Tom sub. YUMMY!

-Jackie

Day 191 (October 16th)---Fall Sawp

The Community Group I am assistant organizer for had a swap tonight. You brought in items from home you could no longer use (like clothes, household items, beauty products) and swap them out for other items. There were 23 women in attendance and LOTS of items! So we were divided into groups and started with the letter of the room we got in our goodie bags. Then you rotated rooms every 15 minutes. The first round you could pick 15 items per room and the next round was a free for all. They also had refreshments: drinks and appetizers. I went to this swap and left with so much more than I came in with. Here is just a small sample of what I went home with.

-2 seasons on DVD of a TV show I like and a Latin Dance workout DVD
-2 sweaters, a dress, 2 tops and 2 really cute sweatsuits....some still had the tags on them.
-Some Mary Kay items (I think a former cosultant was getting rid of all her stuff)
-New picture frames and photo albums
-Lots of lotions and cosmetic sets.
-A really cute new bag for work.

*There was a breadmaker too but someone who got assigned to that room first got it. =( Oh well, I had so much I was barely able to carry it!

They are going to have future ones of these in the winter and spring; I am looking forward to it! Next time it will be in a community room which will probably be better...the bathroom was one of the rooms with items and I ended up having to stop at a gas station on the way home to use the bathroom!

-Jackie

Day 190 (October 15th) Would you like some cheese with that wine?

Today a small group of my coworkers and I went to an all day conference. After work my co-worker invited us over for a Cheese and Wine party. We had seven different types of cheese, Carmel and apples and apple spread (I bypassed the wine for Apple cider). We also played Apples to Apples (which I had never played before.)

-Jackie

Day 189 (October 14th) Save Ratchet

EPILOGUE: The response has been so overwhleming that Ratchet has been saved! The Military reversed the ruling and now Ratchet is on a plane headed home! I am so thrilled!
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DISCLAIMER: I have strong views on this post. Which is why I did this new thing. You have a right to disagree with me but would prefer to have any negative comments about this left out of the comments section. Thank you.

Today I heard the story of Ratchet which moved me to tears. I actually heard it on two different Radio stations. A female soldier serving in Iraq rescued a dog from a burning area in hopes of turning it over to the ASPCA. On the way to the airport the US military confiscated it and are planning to kill the animal for no reason. All she wants to do is bring the dog home and find a good home for it. It just frustrates me as a HUGE animal lover.

So I signed the petition going around online through the ASPCA. For those of you interested in signing it too here is the link. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/clemency-for-ratchet.

-Jackie

Day 188 (October 13th) Split Pea and Ham--Sam I am I am

Tonight I went to my first small group mtg at my new church (another new thing) and we had soup before the group started. It was split pea and ham. I had never had that type of soup before and while it was homemade and I had some.....I do not think I will have it again. Not my cup of tea (or bowl of soup.)

-Jackie

Day 187 (OCtober 12th)--Little House on the Prairie

Today my Mom and I saw Little House on the Prairie, the Musical which is premiering here at our NEW Guthrie theater. We had lunch inside the Guthrie Restaurant and enjoyed the little house musical soon thereafter...Melissa Gilbert was playing Mrs. Ingalls and she did it so well. I was unsure of how good Little House could be as a musical but it was WONDERFUL! We had a great time.

Oh and...on our way out the Silly MN Vikings game was ending at the same time...the MN Vikings fans all looked grouchy so I thought they had lost. Come to find out they WON but played so terribly none of their fans cared about the win (and they were playing the Lions who have yet to win a game.)

-Jackie

Day 186--Can do--fondue!

Today I was supposed to be going paintballing but that did not happen due to circumstances beyond my control. So today my husband and I got out the cheese and the fondue pot and made fondue. It was a little bit of a disaster. I made one batch based on the recipe. My husband hated it. I made it with straight cheese after that. That worked well but then my husband was so grossed out by the last batch he had lost his appetite. Bummer.

-Jackie

Day 185 (October 11th)--The perfect belt

Lately I have been having a difficult time trying to find a belt that is not too small or not too big but at a good price. I had looked all over and today I found one at the drug store. They were selling belts for $5 so I thought I would give it a shot. The belt fit perfectly.

-Jackie

Day 184 (October 9th)--New Bridge

Many of you may have heard last year about the collapse of the 35W Bridge here in Minneapolis last year which took 13 lives and left many other people injured. Construction was completed recently on the new bridge and today I drove across the new bridge for the first time and said a prayer for the families impacted when the old bridge collapsed.

-Jackie

Day 183 (October 8th)---HALFWAY THROUGH

Today marks the halfway mark in my new things a day challenge. I ended up doing today's new thing at work. I learned how to take the first step in how to pursue Guardianship for a client. I can't get into specific details but I am learning how to take steps to do this, something I have never known how to even start doing before now.

-Jackie

Day 182 (October 7th)--Throw it out

I am not sure if I have mentioned this in previous entries, but we ended up leaving our last church due to some very serious things. Tonight when I was cleaning I came across the Welcome Packet I received when I went to the first service there. With the help of my puppy Pretzel I ripped up and disposed of the welcome packet (Pretzel held it down while I tore it up.) Kind of a symbolic gesture...out of sight, out of mind!

-Jackie

Day 181 (October 6th)--Grouplink

Tonight's new thing was going to Grouplink at our Church. Our new church is different that those I have gone to in the past as you have more control over the type of small group you want to be in. They had a separate night for married couple's grouplink but with Mike's crazy schedule I decided to join a Women's Group. At this Church you spend time mingling, getting to know others and talking to small group leaders...from there you decide what small group you want to be in. I found a group that is Women in various stages of life (no small groups with all mommies of toddlers like i have been put in in the past) and the group meets 2 miles away from my house! Our first meeting is on Monday and I am looking forward to it!

-Jackie

Day 180--(October 5th)--Out with a bang!

Today I was in my own little world. I will not lie, the wknd had been a stressful one. I decided to go to the later church service so I could have some time to eat breakfast at home and read my book. I turned on the stove to boil my eggs and went back to my book. Five minutes later I heard a huge crash in the kitchen. I went to look and there was glass everywhere. I turned the burner on that my tempered glass cake pan was on. I spent the morning getting all of the broken glass out of the kitchen, off the burners and off the nearby carpeting. I am just glad no one got hurt.

-Jackie

Day 179--(October 4th)--90210athon

Today was "one of those days." So I decided to do something that I have wanted to do for a very long time....have a 90210athon (the old series not the new...) so I got my Season 2 DVD's out (Season 1 is a little boring if you ask me.) I did not get all the way though since the running time for all of the discs is 24 hours. I DID however get through the whole part where Brandon's Girlfriend Emily got hauled off to the Psych hospital and such.....reminds me of back in High school when I would borrow the Videotape from my best friend because I had Youth Group on Wednesday nights when it was on.....I would never miss an episode!

Day 178 (October 3rd)---Shoe Wash

Today was one of the fun days where I was able to bring my dog to work. I got to work at 5:30Am and right away my dog decided to "DO his business." I picked up after him then got the work garbage together (to take out as it was my turn.) I notice the smell of dog poo the whole time. In the car the small was still there. I found out that I had poo on my show so I spent the time getting if off in the bathroom at work before the others got to work. Thank goodness there is a shower with a sprayer in our bathroom!

-Jackie

Day 177 (October 2nd)---Quiet and Serene

Today I went to do my Yoga DVD and my husband had been messing with the TV again (hooking up his Game cube, etc) so I could not get the sound working on the DVD. Since he was out running errands and would not be back for awhile I did the Yoga without the sound on. It's a lot harder to concenrate on the DVD and my breathing without the sound and the calming music on.

-Jackie

Day 176 (October 1st) In Sequence

Our friend "A" has themes things he specifically likes to do for 2 month spans. He calls these things themes. One theme was an outdoor theme, another was a restaurant theme. His current theme is a Board Game theme. To celebrate this, tonight Mike and I went to "A"'s and played Sequence. Neither Mike nor I had ever played it and it s a lot of fun. This is certainly a game we would like to add to our board game collection!

Day 175 (September 30th) Document the day

I was inspired by Jeanne (see Life of Something like it blogsite.) To document my day in photos. These are just some of the photos but you get the idea....my drive to work (isn't my car interior cool?), lunch at Arby's, starting the work day....time at home.

-Jackie

Day 174 (September 29th)--On a Rainy Day

Today was rainy and cold which made me feel very unmotivated early in the day. So I took a small break from work and treated myself to a hot Chocolate. I normally do not get Hot Chocolate unless it is complimentary but I might have to more often. It was a nice treat.

-Jackie

Day 173--September 28th (Smallville)

Today was day 2 of being sick. The only thing I did yesterday besides sleep was go to evening service. Today I was pretty bored because they were showing the silly Vikings game instead of either of the more important games (Packers or Jets games). So I was flipping channels and watched an episode of Smallville. I know it has been on forever but I never got around to watching it. I think I know why now--I don't like it. Too violent and melancholy for my taste. I think I will stick with my shows for now (the new 90210, Fringe, The Hills and One Tree Hill.)

-Jackie

Day 172 (September 27th)--ZZZZZZZZ

Today I was supposed to go walk as part of a team through the company I work for (It was for the National Alliance of Mental Illness which raises money for Mental Illness trainings and programs). But I woke up with a runny nose, sore throat and the sweats. So I decided to take it easy at home. I went to the store and got cold medicine that had both the AM and PM doses in it. I settled in on the couch and fell asleep for 4 hours because I had taken the nighttime dose of the med instead of the AM dose. Good thing I stayed home!

-Jackie

Sept 26th--In a small town

Today I had to see my out of area clients...one of them lives in a small town where the main street is a block long and the road leading there is full of cows and farmland (nothing wrong with that.) Today I ended up stopping at their corner gas station and trying Honey Mustard Kettle chips and the Mn Twin's Root Beer. I am a huge root beer fan and that flavor was NASTY. The Honey mustard chips were surprisingly good. Didn't even end up stopping for lunch they were so filling!

-Jackie

Day 170 (September 25th)--Make a Wish

Today's new thing invovled Cold Stone Creamery. They were having a free ice cream night where a large percentage of the proceeds went to Make a Wish. I got Emily's Flavor with the nutter butters and yellow cake. Hubby got Jack's flavor with Oreos, Fudge and Chocolate chips. (I tried a bite of it...too rich for me.) It was a great chance for hubby and I to get out of the house and to donate to a great cause! I have to give thumbs up to Facebook for all the advertising they did about this event. Way to get the word out!

-Jackie

Day 169 (September 24th)--Ooh La la!

I have heard the ads....Professional, affordable....for Tresemme shampoo but decided to try it for myself. I have a difficult head of hair to work with but I bought the Tresemme shampoo and conditioner....the results? Wow! The natural waves have come back and my hair is a lot more manageable. A+ for this new thing.

(OH, and we STILL have that stupid virus on our computer...I am at the library!)

Day 168 (September 23rd) Red Velvet

Today I had to take one of my out of town clients to look for housing (which I enjoy doing from time to time) and after I dropped him off I was craving something sweet. I went to SuperTarget and got one of their cupcakes. Something told me not to get it but I did anyway. I ignored my inner voice and got the cupcake anyway. It was Red Velvet and.....I did not like it at all. I had never had Red Velvet cake before (though I hear it is a popular choice for those who have groom's cakes). I gave the most of it to my hubby.

-Jackie

Day 167 (September 22nd)--Annoying and Stupid!

Today when I got home from work my husband told me the computer was as slow as molasses and we had an annoying pop up. Sure enough I had an antivirus program attach itself to my computer that I am thinking is really a virus. It is so annoying to try and navigate on the computer, the antivirus thing is constantly popping up and while I can remove the shortcut, I cannot remove the actual program from the Control Panel. If anyone has any suggestions I am open to hearing them. I am going to call Qwest today (as my internet was SUPPOSED to have popup blockers and the updates were supposed to defend against viruses) but I am not sure if they will be able to do much....

-Jackie

Day 166 (September 21st) See a penny, pick it up

Today I had something else planned but decided to do it another time because I was really sore from all that moving! I found random pennies just taking up space in my purse. Since my election judge check was pretty nice I decided to plant some of those random pennies in random places. One in our buildings laundry room, one in an aisle at Target, one at the Gas station.....Hopefully the random change can brighten someones day (or they can have good luck all day like the saying says....).

-Jackie

Day 165--(September 20th)---Move it!

Today hubby and I went and did something I have never done before, I helped a friend move. It's not that I have never wanted to before, it's just been I have either had to work or the friends already had enough help. My friend also moved a block and a half away which is the shortest distance I have had to help anyone move. She is going to be renting out her old house and living at the new one.

EXTRA CREDIT: Lunch was provided over there so I got the try Pizza Hut's new Pasta. Even though I am not a pasta fan I actually liked it...a lot! I tried the chicken pasta. Yummy!

-Jackie

Day 164 (September 19th)--In bed (no it's not what you think.)

Since I saw it on TV a couple of weeks ago I have been wanting to try it. Today I did. I got up at 5:45 and then ate cereal in bed. I seriously have never done that before. Maybe it's because we have a waterbed but I really didn't see what all the hype was about. It was hard to eat (and yes I was sitting up) and then my puppy got mad because I would not put the bowl down for him to finish while I was on the bed. I also do not like to eat cereal for breakfast on a workday, I just seem to get hungrier a lot faster. (Not that's not me in the picture. I think 90% of the population fail to wake up looking at good.)

-Jackie

Day 163 (September 18th)---Getting back into the groove

In college I was a fitness buff. I loved Rollerblading, Abs of Steel, yoga and walking (especially long walks I used to take with my College Roomate, Kristin. I also did some Tae Bo on a regular basis while working the overnight shift right out of college. After I got married my motivation for working out seemed to go away. Sure I take our dog for walks but the longer walks have become few and far between these days.

A year or two ago I bought the pictured DVD in hopes of getting back into the Yoga routine again. Yoga is one workout where I can stick with it and feel so relaxed from it. Today I actually put the DVD in and completed the workout. Since I took a long walk with my hubby and puppy yesterday, that makes 2 days in a row I have worked out. I am hoping I can make the walking/yoga combo a regular thing.

-Jackie

September 17th (Day 162)--Rip off!

Epilogue: I finally did get my mystery shop check on 9/19/08 and the postmark date was 9/8/08. I still don't think I will mystery shop with them again though.

I have been doing mystery shopping for various agencies since 2003....never run into any trouble with payment for these shops. One of the agencies I have worked for specializes in apartment mystery shops. Like I said, never had a problem with them...until now!

In August I did mystery shops for 2 of their apartments. I submitted the reports on time and was told to expect the check to be mailed out around the 6th of the Month (September). I look and look for the check...nothing. Check the mailbox each day after the 6th...no check. I e-mailed the first time and was told the checks were sent out around the 6th. SO I wait...nothing. Yesterday I e-mailed them to let them I know I had not received my check. I get an e-mail from their accounting department stating the check was mailed on the 9th and they would only reissue a check IF I DO NOT RECIEVE THE CHECK WITHIN 60 days! I did the mystery shop because I needed (and was counting on) this extra money. SO my new thing is that I got jipped by an apartment mystery shop company I have worked with for 5 years. Needless to say, I will not be doing any further mystery shops with this company! What a rip off!

-Jackie

Day 161 (September 16th) Educate yourself!

(DISCLAIMER: This post is not to endorse any candidate either way.....I will not welcome any political propaganda towards either candidate in the comments section.) I have decided who I am going to vote for but only discuss this on a need to know basis. But I feel this new thing needed to be done (See post below)

It's election season....with election season comes numerous e-mails that clutter up my inboxes and commercial after commercial of political ads. There has also been a barrage of Propaganda popping up on Facebook lately (so an so joined a group to support such and such a candidate OR so and so says you need to go to this website to check up on so and so OR (and this one really irks me) So and so says such and such candidate needs to shut up.)

I will say I am getting kind of burned out by the propaganda but I will also say this is a VERY important election coming up. With that said I made my own statement today on Facebook. On my status I encouraged people to go to this site to check their facts on candidates instead of blindly following what political ads or e-mail forwards (which I do not read anymore I simple delete) say. If one were to buy a car they would find out the ratings on the make and model they want to get. If one were to rent and apartment or buy a house they would go through inspections and check information. The same should be with voting. People need to do their research and pick the candidate that's best for them....not because of Party lines, not because their friends like so and so and not because of a political ad or e-mail.

(Stepping off my soapbox now)....Just some food for thought.

-Jackie
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Day 160 (September 15th)--Wow!

Today was a long day for me. I had to drive 75 miles each way to get to a team meeting (luckily this should only be a one time thing) and I am still struggling to catch up with work after only working 2 days next week. When I got home I got a pleasantly surprising phone call from my Church. I had put in a prayer request for a couple of things that had come up lately and they were calling to check up on me and see if there is anything that they could do. I have never had a church do that....especially a church as big as the one we currently attend (it has 3 campuses and we have only been attending since late June.) It's refreshing though as I have been to former Churches that prided themselves on coming around those in need but seemed to pick and choose who to come around. It really brought a smile to our day.

-Jackie

Day 159--(September 14th)---A bad Apple

Today I was craving a Carmel apple and even though it was pouring rain I decided to walk to the corner store anyway. I decided to get one of those "GOURMET" carmel apples to see what the hype was about. Now, I have had carmel apples before that I thought were a little small or needed more carmel but today was the first time I thought a carmel apple was terrible. I ate half of it and threw the rest away. One good thing was a rang it up at the self checkout along with some rootbeer and headed home. When I got home I looked at the receipt and somehow it rang up as one of those carmel apple pops (though I scanned the code right on the apple) so it only came up as .75. Not a huge loss financially. From now on I think I will stick with the SuperMom's Carmel apples. They are delicious!

-Jackie

Day 158 (Sept 13th)----Mamma Mia

I rarely see movies when they are in the theaters. I think I may take myself out for 1-2 in the year when they are in the actual theatre...prior to today the last time I saw a movie in the theatre was back in May. (I saw the Other Boeyln Girl in the theatre in February but that was for free.) Today I decided to treat myself and I saw Mamma Mia in the theatre. I have been really wanting to see this. Unfortunately the sing along version was not in the theatres here any longer but I don't think it mattered. I think people were singing along just the same. I really want to own this movie when it comes out on DVD.

-Jackie

Day 157 (September 12th)--Rap vs Country

I was driving back from a visit with a client today when I noticed the Escalade next to me was THUMPING rap music. I was already having a bad day and wanted to enjoy the fresh air without hearing whatever the driver was listening to so I cranked up my tunes and gave him a little competition. Rap music vs Toby Keith ......(Beer for my horses)....this went on for a couple of miles until his lane sped up and he drove off into the sunset (so to speak). Then I went on my way listening to my Toby Keith on the way....."mmmm mmmm mmmm mmm mmm I love this bar." (The song after beer for my Horses)

-Jackie

Day 156 (September 11th)---It's not easy being cheesy

Last night I wanted to make sure I had everything ready for work yesterday as I knew I would have a lot to catch up on after being out of work for 3 days. I went to the grocery store and bought items for my lunch. I did not realize it but my new thing ended up being trying a variety of cheesy things....the first being Beer Cheese soup (which was just okay), the second being I bought a sandwich that had pepper Jack cheese on it (I did not like the cheese, too spicy) and the third thing being the new Pringles...the Extreme Kickin Cheddar). I am actually pleasantly surprised with these. They also have extreme dill pickle. I will have to try those sometime....

-Jackie

Day 155 (September 10th) A hot dog on my deck

I was supposed to be back to work today but the migraine in the back of my head had other plans. So I ended up having to use another day of PTO. I went to let Pretzel on the deck and found a rubber hot dog on our deck. I had no idea where it had come from leaving my new thing of the day being finding a random squeaky toy on our deck. I later found out that the toy was from our downstairs neighbors who had moved out and the toy was for Pretzel.

-Jackie

Day 154 (September 9th)--15.5 hours!

As you know I am an assistant to the Head Election judge at my polling place. They are making all judges in my city work full days instead of the former half shifts (because of people not showing up.) Today I worked 15.5 hours at the Primary election where both the Head Judge and I were rookies at leading everything. It got a little tedious because of the low turnout (since it was the primary and the crucial items for our city come on the general election ballots.) It still ended up being okay. I am going to go to bed SUPER EARLY before the General election. That will be a VERY late night and my head judge and I will be the last ones who get to go. At least we get paid well for our times which will help fund a very fun new thing (COMING SOON TO A NEW THINGS EACH DAY PAGE NEAR YOU!)

-Jackie

Day 153 (September 8th) Lollipop Lollipop

Hello!
Believe it or not I have NEVER had a big lollipop before. I have had regular suckers before but never a huge lollipop. That changed today. Ever since I saw a thing of lollipops on one of the reality shows I have been telling my husband. "I want one" He replies with "Why don't you get one then." I found a HUGE one at Walgreens for $1. Therefore my new thing for the day is finally getting a Lollipop. Unfortunately it is better to not eat it when my puppy is around. He thinks he is entitled and will try to come right up and taste it for himself!

-Jackie

Day 152 (September 7th)--Document the journey

Today I was really looking forward to the NFL kickoff. None of my close friends are big football fans like I am (some even end up rooting for the wrong football teams, ha ha!) So it was pretty much my puppy Pretzel and I watching the game I was anticipating....Jets vs Dolphins. In celebration of the kickoff I decided to document my excitement for the game via photos. I think I got at least a couple of cute shots!

-Jackie

Day 151 (September 6th) HELLO KITTY!

I am a huge Hello Kitty fan! I have a Hello Kitty Toaster as well as a Hello Kitty lunch bag that I bring to work. My hubby knows this and bought me Hello Kitty Roller Rescue for Game Cube. With that said my new thing for the day is helping Hello kitty defeat the evil box people, save her town, her friends and unlock new outfits and wands on the way. There are 12 levels to the game, I have made it through 3 so far. It is a really fun game. Maybe I like the saving the town and helping others theme because I am a Social Worker. Who knows?

-Jackie

Day 150 (September 5th)--It's all Greek to me!

Today our whole team went out to lunch in Celebration of a co-workers passing his LICSW (the highest licensure for a Social Worker). I had never been to a Greek Restaurant and today we went to a Greek Buffet. That food is very filling! I mentioned in a previous post that I had tried Baklava and did not like it; if I had had it at this place maybe I don't think would have said that. There was this dish called Grape leaves I could have done without but the rest was delicious! I just loved the dishes they had! It was also $8.00 for the buffet which included a beverage! Pretty good deal....

-Jackie

Day 149 (September 4)--Are you ready for some football?

I am excited that it is Fall....one of my favorite parts of fall is the kickoff to football season. This year there are two things that are different---one is that I am rooting for both the Packers and Jets this season (which you already know) and the other is this is the first season I am playing fantasy football. I am playing with a Fantasy group through Yahoo sports. I am not playing for any money but just to see how well I can do with picking teams this week. The stupid Giants had to go and win which messed up one of my pics, but hopefully I can still come out somewhere in the middle anyway. We shall see....

-Jackie

Day 148 (September 3rd)---A Role of Importance

Today was a busy day for me. Work, a meeting with a client over lunch at BK, a taste test and training part 2........I have worked as an election judge in the elections since 2002. But this is the first time I am serving as head election judge. A big part of my role is to assist in training in new election judges as well as ensure that my polling place is run efficently and the result are modemed over at the end of the night. Due to the fact that this will be such a huge election in terms of numbers and with how this could really change things for us as a Nation, I am very excited to be a part of the election process. Also since we moved to a new city last year, I am working in a whole new polling place with people I have not met before. I am anticipating the Primary to be a bit slower but the General Election to be a VERY LATE night. I took that whole week off of work for a mini vacation...it will be interesting to see how late that one runs. (Back in the 04 elections our polling place had the results in and reported by 11PM...I think there's a fat chance of it this time.)

-Jackie