Monday, December 28, 2009

I'll Never Do That Again


It is surprisingly difficult to come up with 1 thing each day that you want, especially when everything you want can be solved with only one wish, on one day - lots of money!

So, I thought that maybe I would do this again next year. Unlikely! I will keep to my normal sporadic posts, and maybe instead of 1 a day I will just accumulate one list and get it all off my chest in one post.

I hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful and you got everything that you asked for.

The next holiday on our list, New Years! Yup, the biggest drinking holiday of the year (don't we say that about every holiday?).

What's your New Years Resolution?

Friday, December 25, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 25

Welcome to the final edition of All I Want for Christmas.

Today all I want for Christmas is:


To be with my family.

I hope you all have a wonderful and happy Christmas!

Christie's Wish List:

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 14

Now, I am going to get into some selfish, vein, and stereotypical stuff.

Last night, Lover and I went on a hunt for ice cream! We decided that A&W was going to be the best we get. Yumm, right? One better our A&W is an A&W AND a KFC, double yumm!

We pull up in the drive-thru, because like I was going to put on a bra to go inside at 10 at night! I knew EXACTLY what I wanted!

"Can I have the biggest root beer float you have, please?"

The voice spat back at me, "I'm sorry we no longer sell A&W products."

Me, "WHAT!?"

Lover, "Huh? Oh it's all changed!" points to the menu.

Me: "HUH? Ugh! What the fuck?"

Lover to the speaker lady, "Do you know where other A&W's are?"

The Bitch spat back out, "They're all on the west side. 75th ave and Dunlap or Thunderbird."

WOW! Like I am going to drive all the way over there!!!! That would be like a 60 minute drive for some ice cream! Ugh! we ended up going to Safeway and getting ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and nuts. I had a BIG bowl.

This morning I didn't feel do hot! I felt ROUND and blubbery, and like I needed to lay off food for a month. Leading me to the 14th item on my wish list...
All I want for Christmas is...
To loose 20 pounds!

Christie's Wish List:

1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.
7. A milkshake.
8. Work Out.
9. No student loans.
10. A massage.
11. My nephew.
12. Get caught up.
13. Motivation.
14. Loose 20 pounds

All I Want For Christmas - Day 13


Just over a week ago I started another course on the journey to obtaining my MBA. With each class I am reminded of how UNmotivated I am to actually go to school. In fact, the only motivating me to continue my education and get an MBA is:
1. I can't afford to pay back my student loans, just yet.
2. The job market sucks and everyone is wanting an masters, not a bachelors! BOO!
BUT... I still can't afford to pay back my student loans, so I have no choice BUT to continue with school.... So for the 13th item on my wish list...
All I want for Christmas is...
Motivation for this class and all coming classes!
Christie's Wish List:
1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.
7. A milkshake.
8. Work Out.
9. No student loans.
10. A massage.
11. My nephew.
12. Get caught up.
13. Motivation.

All I Want For Christmas - Day 12


YIKES! I let myself get far behind!


I guess it has been a busy week and I've had lots of things to do and get caught up on. SO! I guess that leads me to #12 on my wish list.
All I want for Christmas is...
To get caught up!


Christie's Wish List:

1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.
7. A milkshake.
8. Work Out.
9. No student loans.10. A massage.
11. My nephew.
12. Get caught up.

Friday, December 11, 2009

You can't be in the club anymore!

We interrupt this Christmas Blog for one of my tangents....

Remember back in the day when you and your friends started "secret club." The kind that met on Sunday afternoons when all the Mom's gathered for their weekly book club meeting to talk about the latest book. Only, now that you are able to read and you remember the sounds they made your questioning whether or not they were talking about a book or sex.

I bet you remember the exact Princess Barbie sheet you draped over your dresser and bed to make little fort and the exact color of gel pen you used to make the "NO BOYS ALLOWED" sign that you pinned to the Princess Barbie sheet with scotch tape, because you weren't trusted with anything else.

Remember when Becky promised she would bring cookies for everyone, and you could already feel the gooey deliciousness in your mouth, only to find that Becky didn't come to the meeting, which inadvertently left you with Sarah's crummy crackers and cheese? So, you being the leader of the group decided that Becky was kicked out of the club.

OH Ooorr! Do you remember when everyone took a task to do to help the club get better. Sarah had to bring stuffed animals to guard the fort, you had to type up the club rules (because only a REAL club had rules), and Jessica was assigned to bringing extra sheets to expand the fort in the hallway? Yea! I bet you also remember when Sarah forgot to bring the guard animals and how upset you were and that you also KICKED HER OUT OF THE CLUB!

This is a classic example of the "You hurt my feelings, so now I am going to hurt yours MORE" attitude. I thought everyone moved past this in 6th grade. Apparently, we didn't, and apparently it is following us all the way through the completion of our MBA.

The degree program I am completing requires team assignments (luckily it's the same team throughout the class). Generally, teams handle the assignment by splitting up the work, submitting it on a early date, and one person compiles it all, edits it and turns it in. It's a full proof method to an A. However, sometimes shit happens, it's inevitable and the person who SAID they wold write 300 words on cow dung, backed out and now the rest of the team has to figure out what to do next. Welcome to the real world!

What I am about to tell you happens often, and my often I mean there is always someone from one team your brings it up or suggests it.

One team member suggests that in the event someone does not complete the work he or she was assigned/volunteered to do, then he or she's name will be removed from the assignment.

Fair, right? It sounds fair. If Jane didn't do the work, why should she get credit? I'll tell you why...

BECAUSE SHE IS IN THE TEAM TOO!!!

Now, let us take out the obvious excuses as to why Jane didn't so the homework: She didn't pay her internet bill, so she couldn't submit the work? Her dog ate it? She dropped her cell phone in the toilet at the bar and hadn't gotten around to getting a new one, so there was no way she could call to tell you what happened? Wait, that was me. Anyway, now that we have all the bull shit excuses out of the way let's focus of those that have merit.

My grandma died. Some of you might be thinking that this is not really a good excuse. Well, I am close to my grandmother and if she did die, I would want some time to grieve. And I can guarantee that the LAST thing I am going to be doing is writing about cow dung OR letting my team know that I will not be writing about cow dung. The team all of a sudden takes second priority and I no longer care for their well being.

I digress...

Jane has no valid excuse and her grandmother died 3 years ago. Should her name still go on the assignment? YES! Why?

BECAUSE SHE IS IN THE TEAM TOO!!!

Let me explain further with more explanations:

1. If you think of a classroom like a business you would have the boss (the professor) and the employees (the students). By removing an employee from the workload (for lack of participation) the team would be in a sense "firing" said employee. Well, the team does not have the authority to fire the employee; that is the boss's job and should be left up to the boss. The employees' job is to inform the boss of the situation so that the boss can handle the situation properly.

2. You're reverting to your childhood self by saying, "If you are not going to bring me any cookies, then I am kicking you out of the club." You're an adult, behave like one, even when you are challenged by adults behaving like children. Stooping to their level makes you no better.

3. Regardless of which team member participates or HOW MUCH each member participates it is still a team effort. If I decided that I was going to do JACK SHIT (hypothetically of course, not physically) I am still apart of the team. I may not be acting like much of a team member, but you can't control that.

4. It's a threat, more so a scare tactic. "IF you don't do the work, you don't get your name on the paper!" Is that the best you can come up with? My NAME doesn't go onto a piece of paper? You really convinced me to write that paper on cow dung. In fact, I am so worried about my name isn't going to go on the paper, I am going to write 600 instead of 300 words. The point is... If someone is not going to do the work, it doesn't matter if you threaten them with assignment points. I'll call your bluff, and raise you a trip to the managers office where

5. An eye for an eye. We are not in the Roman days and we all know this method doesn't work. It will always end in someone's death. For example:

I take your eye.
You take my eye for taking your eye.
I take your other eye for taking my eye.
You take my other for for me taking your other eye.

The result: You and I are both left blind!


END TANGENT

All I Want For Christmas - Day 11



I miss my nephew more than I can even explain. Whenever I go shopping, Lover has to physically and mentally keep me away from the little boy section so that I don't get wrapped up in how much I love and miss him.

Papa (My Mom's boyfriend) named him Mean Motor Scooter before he even saw him and it's kind of catchy.
There is no way that I can say no to those pretty blue eyes, this little man will always have a special hold on his Auntie!


All I want for Christmas is...


To spend it with my nephew.


Christie's Wish List:

1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.
7. A milkshake.
8. Work Out.
9. No student loans.
10. A massage.
11. My nephew.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 10


I think I am starting to run out of things that I want. And then I realized that for Lover's birthday a few weeks ago, I got him a massage and I remembered how long it has been since I have had one. So today,

All I want for Christmas is:

A 90 minutes massage from Massage Envy
Christie's Wish List:
1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.
7. A milkshake.
8. Work Out.
9. No student loans.
10. A massage.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 9


I think about money a lot. I love money. For those people who say, "Money doesn't buy happiness," well, you are right. Partially right, that is. Money cannot BUY happiness, but money sure can make things a-whole-hell-of-a-lot better!


Take today's Christmas wish for example, all I want for Christmas is...


My current and any future student loans paid off.


Do you know how much it effing costs to go to school these days? It's expensive! To add to it, no one is hiring, but they want you to have a degree, so that when they decided they are going to hire someone, they can pick up, because you are qualified and then cross their pretty little fingers that you will desperate enough for a job, ANY job, and pay you about the same and a high school graduate is being paid to clean gutters at the local Pigley Wiggley. Education, huh? I might have a Master's and $60,000 in debt, but at least I don't have to clean gutters!


That's really want it feels like. I'm no longer different from gutter cleaner, expect he is cleaning gutters and I feel like the gutter. YIKES!
Christie's Wish List:
1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.
7. A milkshake.
8. Work Out.
9. No student loans.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 8

Today, I just want...

Everything to fall into place, at the right time.

I have nothing else to add...

Christie's Wish List:
1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.
7. A milkshake.
8. Work Out.

Monday, December 7, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 7


Last night I had a craving, I have this craving often. Rich & Creamy.


All I want for Christmas today is...


A Jack In The Box vanilla milkshake with extra whipped cream and two cherries...


They are my favorite, and besides the Weed Bowling Alley (local BA backhome) they have the best milkshakes that I have ever had. They taste almost exactly like what you would get if you ordered one in a restraunt, but better!


What defines a good milkshake?


1. Texture. The milkshake has to be rich and creamy, but a thick rich and creamy. I want to have to struggle to suck it's delicious white material out of the straw. Mmm...

2. Sweetness. Milkshakes can't be too sweet, but they can't be NOT sweet either! A non-sweet milkshake would most definitly defeat the purpose.

3. Ingredients. You can't be lazy and just blend some ice cream and milk together and call it a milk shake. Melted ice cream is NOT, I repeat, is NOT a milkshake. Milkshake requires a specific syrup. The flavored syrup can make or break a milkshake.


Word of the wise. Wendy's milkshakes SUCK! They are horrible. Jack in the Box was closed my the time I felt the urge to satisfy my sweet tooth. I was left with othe alternatives, all closed - except for Wendys. I will never eat a milk shake from Wendys ever again. YUCK!


Can anyone guess where I am going to lunch today?


Christie's Wish List:

1. Paid off furniture.

2. My dream home.

3. A nap.

4. My hair done.

5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.

6. Laser hair removal.

7. A milkshake.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 6

Welcome to Day 6 of my all I want for Christmas special.

All I want for Christmas is...

Laser hair removal

How many of you are SICK and tired of shaving? If you are like me, then you don't like ANY hair what-so-ever! The only hair my body should have in on my head, and my eyebrows. That's it!

My hair grows so damn fast, it seems like when ever I shave, the next day I need to shave again. I don't have time for that crap and I don't have the energy for that crap. I'm sick and tired of my toes and fingers turning into prunes because I'm in the shower so long... SHAVING!

I'm tired of cutting myself and the bleeding not stop for HOURS! I know I am not the only one who has noticed that when you cut your self shaving, even if it is just the smallest of cuts, that fucking thing produces to much damned blood, it NEVER stops! So this year for Christmas, I want laser hair removal. Not just one session either, I want a WHOLE subscription for it, so that I can keep going back until I have absolutely NO MORE hair!




Christie's Wish List:
1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event.
6. Laser hair removal.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 5


All I want for Christmas is:


The new PostSecret book, so that I can get a ticket to go to the event at The Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe on 12.07 @ 7pm!!!!


If you don't know what PostSecret is you should go here. Some of the stuff I don't believe, some of it I laugh at, some of it I cringe at, I get teary eyed at, I smile at, or I get angry at. MOST of the secrets have me wondering if the C.I.A is taping into my brain and broadcasting my life little pieces at a time to the general public. Then, having them conspicuously post these as there secrets. I am almost always grateful to know that I am not the only person in the World, state, country, who thinks or does certain things. Those are my secrets and I'm not telling which ones are true!

Christie's Wish List:

1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.
4. My hair done.
5. The new PostSecret book/go to the event

Friday, December 4, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 4


It's DAY 4!!!!


All I want for Christmas is:

My hair done.

For the last couple of weeks, I have sat in my desk at work and picked off my split ends. It's really amazing how many you have, or how many strands of have your have. Either way, I need my hair done. I need a weave of colors put back into it, including 2 dark browns, because my hair is getting far lighter than what I would like. I need it re-layered. Not horrible big gaped layers, but a little bit of layer. This would be wonderful! Something similar to this girl. Except a little bit more light brown, less red, and some blond highlights.

I really, really, want this for another reason as well. My work Christmas party is coming up on the 16th and I always try to look my very, very best on this day. Not really to impress anyone in particular, BUT because my work has a lot of men, in fact I am 1 in 3 women who work here. So, the party is where they bring their wives. Girls will always compete with one another, not that I in any way what anything other than a work relationship with their husband or boyfriend. It still feels good knowing I am the prettiest girl in the room, and there is NOTHING wrong with that. :D

Christie's Wish List:

1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.

3. A nap.

4. My hair done.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 3

All I Want for Christmas on Day 3 is...

A nap.


I could really use a nice nap. One in which I don't have to listen to our upstairs neighbors do the dirty. One where the T.V. is shut off, because the microwaves (or are they magnetic?) disturb my sleep. One without a crying Cinderella; while I love this girl, sometimes I think she does things on purpose - like cry at 2 am in the morning and Lover just ignored it in hopes that I will get up and calm her (I do), and she still doesn't calm down so I lay down and let her fall asleep on my belly while she is on her belly and I wake up an hour or so later and she has drooled all over my boobs and it dripped into my armpit and I go to put her in her OWN crib, he OWN bed and she wakes up and starts crying again. Yea, that! I want none of that during my nap.


What I do want, is to curl up in my beautifully soft and plush bamboo blanket, to lay on my freshly washed sheets, rest my head of a that perfectly plump pillow, sink into my bed like I was laying on a bundle of feathers, and dream about laying on the beach in the late spring, sun glistening off of my forehead, toes in the sand, and reading a nice romance novel.


THAT is what I want for Christmas today and I don't think it is too much to ask.

Christie's Christmas Wish List:


1. Paid off furniture.
2. My dream home.
3. A nap.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 2


Its Day 2 of The All I Want For Christmas special.

To know me is to know that I don't ask for much. In general, I take initative to make sure that people are comfortable, happy, and have what they want when in my presence. I hope that others would do the same for me. After all, doesn't the phrase say, "Treat people the way you want to be treated."

Today, is out design center appointment. This probably means nothing to you, but to me it means the next 30 years. Lover and I get to pick out everything we want for our home from the tile and carpet, to the cabinets and accent walls. We have a limit of $19,740 in upgrades (all of which will be rolled into the mortgage). $3,800 of that is reserved for our BIG master shower. We choose to forgo the shower and seperate tub, for one bigger shower instead. I know what you are thinking. And you are totally right! That is exactly why I want a big shower. Having a big shower leaves a little amount of money left to upgrade.

The following needs to be upgraded:

- The laminate tile to ceramic 18X18 tile
- The carpet to that new stuff where the elephant lived on it and then they cleaned it and it held up REALLY well. Yea, that recycled stuff. I want that.
- From Oak cabinets to maple (I hate the seeing age lines on wood, eventually we will upgrade to bamboo cabinets, cause I LOVE bamboo everything)
- Sun Shades on all the windows, because here in AZ we need all the protection we can get.
- A Washer and Dryer
- Upgraded appliance (fridge not included)
- Painted accent walls We figure that those 3 upgrades will pretty much take all of our money for upgrades.

Which is really sad, because that leaves no spare money for the fun stuff like:

- Surround sound throughout the house (see, this is nice because the speakers are flush with the wall, there are no wires showing, and it's THROUGHOUT the house.
- Our fridge. It would be awesome if we could roll this into the mortgage
- Nice lighting, cause lighting can be really expensive.
Pool table
A Bar (yea, I will have one, maybe not right away, but I will.have.one)
- Granite counter tops
- Marbella in the bathroom instead of the white ceramic.

All I want for Christmas is...

My dream home, equiped with all that was mentioned above.

Christie's Christmas Wish List:
1. Paid off furniture
2. My dream home

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

All I Want For Christmas - Day 1


It's Day 1 of the All I Want for Christmas edition in this blog.

We're buying a house, and the other weekend we bought furniture. Technically, we put it on layaway, same thing, right? We plan on using the First Time Home buyer tax credit that we will get to pay it off. However, this is assuming that we close escrow by June 30th, which might be a problem depending upon when they have the house finished and ready for us to move in. It would be so nice if that furniture was paid off before that time. Let's say, today! And without someone else's income other than mine and Lovers.

All I want for Christmas is...

Our layaway furniture to be paid off.

Christie's Wish List:
1. Paid off furniture