UPDATE!

Sorry it took so long for me to write!  As I said before, the week was jam-packed with loads of fun!  Crap, that was last week that was busy... Well this week was too.  I even added some more stuff.

To sum it up, today (Friday) I had a training all day, got home, did laundry and now (at 6:45pm) am sitting on my bed wondering if I just give in and call it a night or if I should go get a boring movie (so I can at least justify going to sleep at this anti-social, she-has-no-friends hour).  That's a tough decision!

So all in all it was a busy week.  I forgot to mention... I scheduled an APPOINTMENT on Wednesday.  (dun dun dunnnn) So I had to reschedule my (boys, cover your eyes again) "ladies appointment".  (Still hate that word).  I decided that I would get surgery on my foot to get rid of the bunion.. which is also an ugly word  I didn't entirely "decide" to get surgery, but when I was asked if I wanted to get surgery now or wait until I take longer to heal, I said now.  I found out that I had to get two big procedures done instead of just the one.  Awesome.  So I will be out of my own shoes for 12 weeks following the procedure.  Too bad I just bought cute new shoes.  Instead I'll be wearing awesome velcro hospital shoes. 

Be SO jealous. Oh, by the way, I just signed up for a gym membership for $100 (start up, etc)... too bad I'll be out of THAT stuff for 3 months.

So anyway,  while I was at the doctor I was waiting for x-rays when I saw this nice older lady walk into the bathroom.  She was in there for about 6 minutes (I had been texting back and forth with a guy I just started talking to (we'll come back to that) and that's how I knew) and when she walked out she had a long piece of toilet paper following her.  It was tucked into the back of her pants, just blowing in the breeze of the clinic.  I would have stopped her, but she seemed to enjoy it.  She was definitely smiling.

How does that even HAPPEN??  So I googled it and here's what a guy said (to someone else who, like me, still doesn't understand): "if you're someone who flushes before standing up, you have to trust that when you let go of the tp that it did, in fact, drop, and wasn't stuck on the far end. It's harder to lose track if you get up and look in the bowl before flushing, but it's possible to be so distracted that you forget to reconcile the inventory"

..... well that explains it.  NOTE TO ALL OF YOU PRE-FLUSHERS: Reconcile your inventory!  I think that's a great line, by the way... "reconcile the inventory" when talking about restroom dooties.  :)

I almost forgot to tell you!!  I have a date tomorrow.  My family decided to go to Iowa and I was going to stay home (this was decided early this week after the long hours).  I had been messaging a guy on Match.com and he asked me on a date yesterday. I told him "sure, why not" (I'm a hopeless romantic, what can I say). So we're meeting for coffee at 4 halfway between here and Morgan.  My membership on Match is over on October 12th so I figured I might as well go on one last date.  Wish me luck!!

Just another day in the life..... it's the WEEKEND!

This makes me laugh..

So.... What constitutes "Appropriate"?

So here I sit... at a trade show.  Well, "sort of" a trade show.  It's more like a group meeting where a hundred manufacturer reps from the US and Canada come to one hotel conference center in hope to attract the attention of a potential prospect.  Infection Control Practitioner's.  These people are out of control!  Not really.  Our 6:30am start time was delayed to 7:30 due to the slow start to their day.  Sleepy heads... :)


The way this one works is that they have a seminar they sit in on for approximately 2.5 hours, then they walk around to all of the manufacturers for 30 minutes.  Another hour of seminar, 2 hours of lunch and mfg reps.  Then we're finished.  So basically: in between restroom and coffee breaks they come and speak with us about our products for controlling/preventing infection.


So the way it's set up is one large conference room for the seminar, then 4 large rooms that hold 11 tables each for manufacturers (i.e.: me)... all with two (a couple have only one) sales rep(s).  IF your math is correct, that should tell you that there are +/- eighty-eight sales people here.  How many of you love sales people that jump down your throat to try to sell you like.... a car?  Imagine someone walking around with thousands of dollars of medical equipment and they're working 100% commission.  These sales people are even trying to sell to OTHER sales people!!  


So anyway... we're next to this guy that works for a company that sells some type of hand sanitizer   That's awesome.  I love hand sanitizer.  He has this huge, intricate display that (even if you don't love hand sanitizer) makes you want to just buy it all!!  But really.  That's kind of a lot of "hanitizer" (as cousin Anna calls it... Hand Sanitizer is "too long to say fast").


So this man from the hanitizer keeps finding the need to fiddle with his display.  By fiddle with it, I mean squatting in front of his computer making SOUND adjustments (it sounds fine, dude!).  So in the quiet of the room (while all of the attendee's are away at the seminar), I've come to notice that he is suffering from a severe illness.  He has excessive flatulence.  Poor guy has gas.  It's not like the occasional *squeak*, it's more like obnoxious, flarp-putty/whoopie cushion.  I don't think he even notices it.  I can't help but giggle (silently)!  I have left the room twice to "get some oxygen" (gain composure).  I'm too far away to know if he's stinky, but I'm sure the stuff is toxic.  He's had 11 cups of coffee and counting.  "STEP AWAY FROM THE CUP!"

Appropriate? I think yes.

So It's 9:30am.  Only 4 more hours.  The good news?  I have allergies.  That's fantastic because I can't smell anything.  By anything, I mean "I can't smell this guys illness".  I'm a lucky bird!  These folks here thinking "that girl with the sniffles is unlucky because she has allergies".  JOKE'S ON YOU!  :)


Maybe he is sick... and I should feel bad.  But I don't.  It's my blernal and he doesn't know I've just made him famous.  You're welcome!

:)

Just another day in the life... of a girl who's happy to have her stuffy nose.

Not So Small-Town...?

I can't even believe it.  Today is only Wednesday.  I like that people have "Wordless Wednesday"'s.  I like it because I'm not wordless. I'm more like word... full?  But that's not a word.  Like the word "blernal".  That's not a word either.


So anyway.
Melissa wrote a nice blog today (that you can see here).  It's mostly nice because I'm in it.  I kid.  It's got a lot of nice comments in it.  She's completely right... We're totally different people.  We have the same sense of humor, the same college degree, work for the same company, and have the same face, but that's about it.  I love the comments we get from people...:

• What's it like to be a twin? (what's it like NOT to be a twin?)
• Do you have ESPN?  (I don't have cable.)  ...ESP?  Still no.
• How long have you been a twin?  (Pretty much my whole life)
• You're tall.  (you're observant.)

The list goes on.  I will add more as I think of them.

She's my favorite twin sister Ever.

So anyway.  We also have a dislike for the same words... 

• Sack - Plastic bag is sufficient.  My uncle had a plastic bag full of almonds and he was running around the house saying "I can't find my nut sack!"...  Ohhh boy.
• Moist - It's just a gross word.
• Pot-hole - a pot-hole is a word for a divot in the ground... a caved spot in asphalt (another weird word).  It's also the word used for an intense objection that a sales person must overcome.  But it sounds so improper and perverse.
• I also went to the doctor and (men, cover your eyes) was asked when the last time I had a "pap" was.  That made me blush.  I can hold my own with medical terms and bodily functions but that one makes me gag a bit.  It, again, feels like she's asking me the most personal of questions.  She THEN asks if I want a male or female OB-GYN.  Did she NOT observe my reaction?  I said male.

KIDDING!

But we went to schedule my "appointment" and I got a glimpse of my calendar.  I should have seen it sooner but it allowed me to realize why I don't "blernal" that often.  Here is this week:

• Sunday: babysit neighbor kids for 7 hours
• Monday: Meeting at a couple of Colleges, and following up from the Tradeshows the week before
• Tuesday: Brainerd all day for work
• Wednesday: Office day, doctors appointment, demonstration on a floor stripper (people cringe when I say "demo with strippers" but this is serious business!) at 9:30pm (until approx. midnight) for work
• Thursday: Tradeshow from 6am to 1pm in the cities, then driving to Duluth for a meeting/demonstration from 5-9pm.  Leaving from the demonstration to camp grounds with my older brother
• Friday: Work half-day then hang-out with the brother, sister, and brother-in-law at Gooseberry Falls
• Saturday: Hangout with the fam at the campgrounds until about 2pm then drive home in time to shower and change clothes to go out with my friend for her BIRTHDAY (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!!) in the cities

Best fraaand a girl can ask for.

• Sunday: Drive to WI (7 hours) to have dinner with family
• Monday: Work from corporate, have lunch with high-level people folks, get emails caught up from the weekend, then drive to Chicago for Tuesday meetings.
• Tuesday: Meetings in Chicago until 2pm then drive home (8 hours).

OK. So that's 9 days.  But it gives you an idea of the craziness that has swallowed me whole in the past couple of weeks.  The good news is that I'm highly caffeinated!  That about covers it!! 

Rebecca-out.

Just another day in the life of "twinkie" #2

Love-Overload!!

This week (especially the second half) has been SO AWESOME!!


So many great things have happened for the people I love.  I have some really great girlfriends... All have stories for the past 7 days.


My great friend Kaia is celebrating her 23rd birthday today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAIA!!! <3), and will be celebrating her second anniversary to husband Josh in approximately one month (minus one day).  SO HAPPY for them!!!

A great friend from Milwaukee just had her first BABY!!  I'm so so happy for Melissa and her husband, Dan.  They are beautiful people with a beautiful baby girl, Anaiah.  Such a princess.

I also just found out Yesterday that one of my besties, Katie, just got ENGAGED two days ago.  ENGAGED!!  (Well done, Nick!) We have been talking about her engagement for months like it was something in the far far future, like we were little girls... and NOW it's come true!!

I have to tell you honestly, I haven't been so overwhelmed with love, for people that have loved me back so wholly.  Their lives are transitioning - celebration of years of life and love, celebration of a new life, and celebration of two lives coming together.  I'm so happy for all of you and I look forward to what the future has in store for you.


On a side note... Maybe I'm good luck.  I don't HAVE good luck (i.e.: dating website gone bad), but my friends have all of these fantastic life-changing events, all at the SAME TIME.  That's good luck.  I need more friends.  More people would be happy.  It only makes sense!


I kid.


Big, loving shout-out to all of my friends... LOVE, Love!!


Rebecca

Cooking vs. Baking

So my parents have been gone since Sunday night.. For those of you thinking "why does that matter?", I will tell you - I still live at home.  I can hear your giggles now (Carl and Melissa).  I moved back home a year ago and the sister and brother are convinced that I will be here forever.  I've become conditionally comfortable with that.  Like when I have the house to myself... when it's the weekend... etc.


So anyway, I was at home Sunday night and decided to cook for myself.  I went to the grocery store and bought food for the week and general necessities that I noticed mom and dad needed at home (see, I'm a good tenant).  Got home, broke out a bottle of red wine, and put marinade on some beef.  So long story, short I had beef and potatoes.  Here is my recipe:


Beef:
- Beef tips (one lb) marinated in allegro original marinade for 2 hours
- Saute in a skillet for 15 minutes with the leftover marinade from the bag


(..........yep, that's it!)


Potatoes: 
- Saute mushrooms and onions in water and a teaspoon of olive (or grape seed) oil
- When they're as cooked as you like, add in diced green peppers (you want them a little crunchy still), and some garlic flakes (I use a lot because I love garlic.... "add to taste".
- Pre-soften 3 medium-sized potatoes in the microwave for 4 minutes (be sure to poke holes in them so they don't explode)
- Cube the potatoes
- Toss the potatoes in the pan with the mushrooms, onions and peppers, and add a tablespoon of light butter
- Move 'em around until they're nice and golden brown


Plate the food and enjoy.  Alone.


So back to the dating website.  I can't remember if I told you or not but I've canceled my subscription (whoo!)  This isn't going to happen again.  I am so happy to be done with that stuff.  But I still ate dinner alone. Dang.  Where are mom and dad when you've over-cooked?!


So then I was feeling creative and decided to bake.  Melissa can tell you: "Rebecca can not bake".


A few years ago (like in 1998) I was baking brownies.  I accidentally put the frosting packet in with the "just-add-water" brownie mix.... When baked, the brownies turn into a chocolate flavored hockey puck.  WHERE WERE MY PARENTS DURING THIS ORDEAL?!  It was a learning experience for me.  When I have a 9 year-old, make sure Melissa is around to help them bake.  


So about 4 years after that, I decided to make cookies... If I was old enough to babysit, I was old enough to bake cookies without burning the house down.  I went through the recipe line by line, tossed the first pan in the oven, and after 12 minutes, pulled out a pan covered in a messy goo.  So I figured it was because I didn't wait for the alarm to sound that said the oven was pre-heated.  So I tried another pan.  Same thing.  I went through the recipe to "troubleshoot" and learned that I missed a seemingly important ingredient.  


Flour.


So I tried (on Sunday) to bake again... I was attempting "healthy cookies" (first mistake).  Whole wheat flour and splenda.  When they came out of the oven they looked like mini-muffins.  and they were solid.  I still haven't figured where I went wrong but I QUIT.  I'm not meant to bake.


Nestle Tollhouse and I are new BFF's.  Buy dough, break apart squares, put in oven, enjoy.  Match made in heaven.


So here I sit.  Cookies in hand (yes there are still some left from Sunday: self-control), and satisfied as a kid that just colored on the walls.
No pictures today... too busy eating cookies.


Just another day in the life!!

God Bless America...

I know this is something that is consistently displayed all over the world wide web today and the last thing you want to do is end your day thinking about something that triggers tremendous emotions, so I will post something "becca-ish" after this...  

I feel the need to post this because it is a significant part of who I am today...

September 11, 2001, I was in my social studies class at Northview Junior High School with Mrs. Ziemer.  I was learning something or other about geography when another teacher came running into the room with tears running down her cheeks saying "they've been hit!". All of the students in the class were dumbfounded seeing this person of authority displaying sheer panic as she yelled for Mrs. Ziemer to turn on the television.  When she turned it on, attempting to change the channel to the news, every channel we passed had the same show on... airplanes and tall buildings..  We watched in horror as they played and re-played the home-videos that had been filmed by unknowing civilians.  Tower 1, then tower two.  School ended early and mourning started for days, weeks, months, years.  Ten years have passed.

To this day, I struggle to look at pictures of the scene because of the indescribable,  overwhelming emotions - sadness for those that lost fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons... daughters.  

So today my parents (see below) went on a vacation to help my moms twin sisters (yay for twins!!) spend their 50th birthday.  It occurred to me that today was September 11th, 2011... Exactly 10 years after the tragic event that sent the United States of America into a whirlwind.  My mind started racing this morning piecing together that my parents were going to Chicago (largest city in the Midwest... third largest in the US) by way of airplane (large flying object) on the anniversary of possibly the most tragic event that has occurred since I came into existence. 

Mom, Dad and I at Melissa's wedding!

I know it's foolish to say "stay home, you don't want to fly today... it's only a 9 hour drive + $53 per night to park at your hotel..." but those were the only words I could get out!  I gave mom and dad each 10,000 hugs and "see you later"s (hate "good-bye") and called them on their way.. JUST to say it one more time.

I looked at my cell phone right after they left to check to see if I had any missed calls or messages from the latest match.com fella, and stumbled upon today's devotional reading.  It's a neat app on my cell phone that sends me a daily Bible verse to make sure my day starts out with the right mind-set (aside from the "10 more minutes, pleeeease!").

Today's verse was Romans 8:6

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace

Now there are many translations to scripture as we all well know, but my mind shot to "worrying about something worldly is foolish and focusing on our ultimate goal is what really matters".  I know that we, as humans, worry about those that we love.  I've been known to worry excessively - always concerned that the "worst" could happen.  What constitutes the "worst"?  If there's a "worst", is there a best?  If yes, what is it?

I had this revelation... I know that every moment we're together on earth is incomparable to the eternity we're going to spend together in heaven with our savior.  That should be something we look forward to, not something we fear.  I'm not saying that we shouldn't be fearful of God, I'm saying we shouldn't fear the "worst" because in actuality, the "worst" would be the denial at heaven's gates.

Think about these things today.  Where were you on 9/11/2001?  Say a prayer for those that you're remembering.  The one's you lost 10 years ago. Know that God hears you.

God bless America.  Praise God for those that are willing to sacrifice.

Rebecca

Long Weekends Are My Favorite

Ohhh dear.  So I don't really have a lot to say, but I figured it's been a while since I've posted.  Maybe even give you an update on the dating website and what other shenanigans I've been up to.

Tin foil Dinners!

This weekend I went camping with a few of the girls I know really well: my sister, her sister-in-law, and her cousin-in-law (who all used to be roommates... ahh the memories).  Just the 4 of us girls.  We ate tremendously well (my waistline doesn't think it was as great as my taste buds did), and had a blast.  All of these pictures are from our camping extravaganza.

This is my favorite from this weekend... Sorry Emma

Saturday night - Melissa was at a wedding...

She's pretty much my favorite sister ever

 I got home yesterday and went to the driving range with my mom, dad, and brother (needless to say I'm a bit rusty) then took a nap, did laundry, and ate dinner.  I'm pretty exciting.  (We know this isn't true because this was on Sunday night when Monday is a holiday... Which means it was like a Saturday night and I stayed home.)


This morning I got online and (after a week of absence from doing so) checked my dating website (after playing angry birds for approximately 1 hour - this does not make me a "gamer").  I was sad to see that a guy that seems really great had sent me a message 10 days before and it didn't register as unread in my inbox.  Which means he probably wrote me off as a jerk.  Crap!  So I sent him a message back (which probably had a filter to go directly from me to the trash at this point).  I then received 4 other messages (all at once... weird) from 2 men in Arkansas (I must look like their sisters), a 46 year-old from Sioux Falls, SD, and a 18 year-old that's still in high school.  Crap again!  I just don't understand the reasoning behind talking to someone on a DATING website that you will probably never see (I don't do "virtual dates"... they creep me out).


Anyway, I was supposed to cancel my subscription last week and in my haste to pack my car and head to the campground, I didn't.  Which means I'm signed up for another 3 months.  Crap a THIRD time!  Not my day.


BUT I had a great weekend and I am ready for my week of crazy (watch out, Fargo!!).  Better go cancel my subscription so I don't get signed up again... Crap.


Just another day in the life... 


Rebecca