First, I promised an update. Andy made it home safely. He got home after midnight, which I didn't like. But, he did make it home safely even though it was snowing in the mountains. Driving in snow is difficult enough without adding in having a heavy trailer behind your truck weaving back and forth :( soo glad my prayers were answered, and andy made it home safe :)
Secondly, I can't help myself, I must vent about tiger woods. I am SICK of all these famous men cheating, lying and thinking that they are above the law. Why won't he talk to the police? If i locked myself in my house and resisted being interviewed by the cops over an accident, they'd bust my door down and arrest me. but b/c he's tiger woods he can just keep canceling their appointments for him to be interviewed?! why?! how?! also, i find it interesting that just two years ago he was talking about Michael vick saying, "if you do something wrong you need to be honest and just come forward and tell everyone what happened." (i heard the sound bite on the radio). but now that the tables are turned he's being a coward and not owning up?! and to top that, he's making up the most ridiculous cover-up story that i've EVER heard. then on top of that he proclaims he won't be attending his golf tournament for his charity b/c of "injuries." well, he was injured last year, and he still showed up and thanked ppl for coming and raising 30 some million dollars. i'm just sitting here thinking, "HELLO!? do you know what a #$@##$% you're making yourself look like? your story is ridiculous, and everyone knows it's a lie. now you're backing out of even appearing at an event where a lot of people are spending a lot of money on the assumption that you'll be there. i mean out of decency to your charity you should show up. mainly, i just hate cheaters. maybe he didn't cheat. i don't know. but what else could've happened at 2 a.m. to cause tiger woods to leave his home going that fast and losing control? and why else would the wife be chasing after him with a golf club? but it doesn't even matter. if he cheated or if he didn't, it makes me EXTREMELY angry that he thinks he is above the law b/c he can hit a golf ball. he should be treated exactly as every other human is treated in america if they get into a car accident. GRRRR.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
i thought holidays were supposed to be relaxing?
Well, my Thanksgiving weekend was interested to say the least. First of all, Andy came a week early to help me pack up the lake house. i can't say enough about how grateful i am for andy. he literally packed my entire house and cleaned the entire thing. it was sparkling clean! he also loaded everything but a few of the bigger items all on his own. well after a week of stressful packing and work issues it was finally wednesday. it was then that i realized that i had told my brother i would make homemade noodles.. but i'd packed up my entire kitchen. YIKES. so andy and i bought a ton of stuff at walmart, that i didn't need to make these noodles. these noodles aren't just any noodles. they are my grandmas noodles that i grew up eating at every single holiday. i had never made them on my own. my mom and i made them once, but there is something very different about making them on your own! i was scared, and i didn't have a kitchen full of appliances. i managed to mix them, roll them and cut them. 
then, i let them set out over night. i woke up at 6 a.m. in order to boil and cook the noodles for our 3 p.m. thanksgiving meal. it was at 6 in the morning that i realized that i had a can of chicken, but no can opener. andy to the rescue. i dragged him out of bed, and he used the one knife i had to get the can open. he's a miracle worker! haha i was scared to do it alone but guess what!?!i made them on my own and they were DELICIOUS! 
After the noodles were cooking, it was time to move out some of the heavier things like my bed, my couch and my huge tv and tv stand. i had told andy all week that i was certain i was strong enough to help him lift my large, leather couch.. but as i put my hands underneath and tried with all my might.. i realized that i wasn't as strong as i once was. lol. i was pulling up as hard as i could.. and the couch wasn't budging. well andy gave me a pep talk and i don't know how but i turned into the incredible hulk. i lifted that couch with pride! and the mattress! and oh did i feel it the next 2 days.
anyway, then we made our way to myrtle beach. i must admit, i sort of loved it being in the 70s on thanksgiving :) we were going to a condo that my brother's girlfriend carmen's mom and dad had rented. so it was carmen, her parents, her little boy caden, chad, andy and me. we had so much fun! caden absolutely loved andy. i'm telling you, all kids automatically LOVE andy. and i mean love.
even carmen's parents were like, "ummm, do you spend a lot of time together or what? he LOVES you!" and i was like "no, this is only like the 4th time caden's even seen andy." haha it must be a red-head thing.
the meal was great, and my noodles were a hit! after eating, andy and i were both stuffed but we couldn't help but focus on how lucky we were to have eachother. we are so in love. andy and alicia's first thanksgiving as a couple, not just best friends :)
after eating andy and i made it down to our hotel. once we were there we changed into our swimsuits and got into the hot tub. with my soreness from lifting a couch, and a matress above my head.. i needed it. lol. in our hotel there was a bowling and pool table floor, so chad and carmen came over to hang out. we ended up playing pool. i'd never played pool before except just messing around, so i wasn't familiar with the rules. andy went first and hit in a solid, and i was on his team. then chad went. it was my turn, and i proudly went up, aimed and fired.. i hit the striped 4. i was sooooooooo excited only to look over to andy who was giving me a stern look.. and chad who was high-fiving me. then andy explained me the rules. oops. but i'd like to say that in that game i also ended the game my hitting in the 8 ball and not scratching.. so i was pretty proud :)
after that we went back to our room. i was having my monthly visitor, and i was in extreme pain. often times i get these HORRIBLE cramps. i wanted drugs badly, but i didn't want us to lose our parking spot right in front of the hotel b/c we were leaving the next morning at 4 a.m. for black friday. the other parking lot for the hotel was super far away, and i didn't want to have to walk at 4 a.m. to our car. so, to my complete surprise, andy offered to walk and get me some medicine. i was in SHOCK. this man can't be real. well off he went at 9:30 at night. he ended up having to walk 1.3 miles before he found an open store. and with the sun down, it was in the 40s. and he was followed by a scary homeless man asking him for a cigarette. he came back with all these medicines and chocolate. i repeat, this man can't be real.
well 4 came all too early the next morning. we were on our way to kohls, and andy was being very supportive. he didn't complain once. after shopping for a few minutes, he got in line and let me continue to shop. i just kept coming back and piling more and more stuff on him. he stood in line for an hour and a half as i shopped. he was such a trooper about it too. he spoils me. a lot.
i guess the people in line behind him kept teasing him, but he still just stood there with a smile. we then went to walmart, target, toys r us, the mall, etc. it was a successful shopping day :)
finally around 4 p.m. my parents and grandparents on my dad's side arrived. the condo my mom had gotten for us all was amazing! as a group we went to the christmas show at the carolina opry. it was so much fun! the singing was absolutely amazing. as was the company :) i love family! the next day we walked on the beach and enjoyed the 70 degree weather on the beach. the view from the balcony was amazing and so, so relaxing. as a family we went to see old dogs.. sooo funny! the whole family ages 2-80 loved it! i recommend it highly. everything was going so beautifully. i should have known that it was too good to be true. sunday morning we said our good byes and went back to the lake house so andy could get his truck and trailor and make the loooong drive back to ohio through the mountains and hellacious traffic. well i followed him to the gas station to say goodbye. when i came out from surprising him with slim jims and drinks for his drive, i knew something was wrong. andy had his serious face on. i looked down and instantly knew why. one of the tires on the trailor was smoking really badly. andy drove over into a vacant lot and got his huge tools out (which by the way amazes me that he knows how to use). it turned out it was the wheel bearing. it was completely destroyed. i don't know the car terms to go into further detail. but it was bad.
and since it was sunday, every tire and mechanic place was closed. so good news - andy gets to stay another day. bad news - andy has to miss work, and he's COMPLETELY stressed about getting it fixed and the cost therein. i tried to keep the mood light in the lot. i smiled a lot, took pictures for the blog, etc. he wasn't amused. 
andy tried calling every single garage in the town. all closed. after lots of calls we decided to just leave it at the gas stations, pray no one broke into the trailer with all of my stuff, pray that someone could fix it in the morning, and pray that andy's boss didn't fire him for missing another day of work. at this point i'm feeling extremely guilty. it's my fault he took a week off to help me move. it's my fault he had to bring his trailer down. etc.
we tried to make the most of our extra day together, but we were both too stressed for that to happen really. we were finally settled in when i heard the news that my nephew brenden hurt his head badly. he was trying to pull onions to make a compost (so cute) with his sister lexie and his friend luke. as he tried to pull an onion out of the ground, he fell back and hit his head on a cement corner. lexie was emotionally a mess, and brenden was in a lot of pain. there was a lot of blood and tears, but i've heard he's doing much better now. i didn't sleep a wink last night. i was so worried about b and about andy getting back safely.. ugh.. andy finally found a place to bring it to this morning, blacks tire. he gets it there at 8 a.m. well at 1, they still haven't started. making a long story short, i had about 4 meltdowns in the morning worried sick! as did andy. he finally left around 3 p.m. which means he will be driving through the mountains with a HUGE, heavy trailer on the back waay to late for my liking. pray for him please. i'll update you as soon as i know :)
then, i let them set out over night. i woke up at 6 a.m. in order to boil and cook the noodles for our 3 p.m. thanksgiving meal. it was at 6 in the morning that i realized that i had a can of chicken, but no can opener. andy to the rescue. i dragged him out of bed, and he used the one knife i had to get the can open. he's a miracle worker! haha i was scared to do it alone but guess what!?!i made them on my own and they were DELICIOUS! 
After the noodles were cooking, it was time to move out some of the heavier things like my bed, my couch and my huge tv and tv stand. i had told andy all week that i was certain i was strong enough to help him lift my large, leather couch.. but as i put my hands underneath and tried with all my might.. i realized that i wasn't as strong as i once was. lol. i was pulling up as hard as i could.. and the couch wasn't budging. well andy gave me a pep talk and i don't know how but i turned into the incredible hulk. i lifted that couch with pride! and the mattress! and oh did i feel it the next 2 days.
anyway, then we made our way to myrtle beach. i must admit, i sort of loved it being in the 70s on thanksgiving :) we were going to a condo that my brother's girlfriend carmen's mom and dad had rented. so it was carmen, her parents, her little boy caden, chad, andy and me. we had so much fun! caden absolutely loved andy. i'm telling you, all kids automatically LOVE andy. and i mean love.
even carmen's parents were like, "ummm, do you spend a lot of time together or what? he LOVES you!" and i was like "no, this is only like the 4th time caden's even seen andy." haha it must be a red-head thing.the meal was great, and my noodles were a hit! after eating, andy and i were both stuffed but we couldn't help but focus on how lucky we were to have eachother. we are so in love. andy and alicia's first thanksgiving as a couple, not just best friends :)
after eating andy and i made it down to our hotel. once we were there we changed into our swimsuits and got into the hot tub. with my soreness from lifting a couch, and a matress above my head.. i needed it. lol. in our hotel there was a bowling and pool table floor, so chad and carmen came over to hang out. we ended up playing pool. i'd never played pool before except just messing around, so i wasn't familiar with the rules. andy went first and hit in a solid, and i was on his team. then chad went. it was my turn, and i proudly went up, aimed and fired.. i hit the striped 4. i was sooooooooo excited only to look over to andy who was giving me a stern look.. and chad who was high-fiving me. then andy explained me the rules. oops. but i'd like to say that in that game i also ended the game my hitting in the 8 ball and not scratching.. so i was pretty proud :)
after that we went back to our room. i was having my monthly visitor, and i was in extreme pain. often times i get these HORRIBLE cramps. i wanted drugs badly, but i didn't want us to lose our parking spot right in front of the hotel b/c we were leaving the next morning at 4 a.m. for black friday. the other parking lot for the hotel was super far away, and i didn't want to have to walk at 4 a.m. to our car. so, to my complete surprise, andy offered to walk and get me some medicine. i was in SHOCK. this man can't be real. well off he went at 9:30 at night. he ended up having to walk 1.3 miles before he found an open store. and with the sun down, it was in the 40s. and he was followed by a scary homeless man asking him for a cigarette. he came back with all these medicines and chocolate. i repeat, this man can't be real.
well 4 came all too early the next morning. we were on our way to kohls, and andy was being very supportive. he didn't complain once. after shopping for a few minutes, he got in line and let me continue to shop. i just kept coming back and piling more and more stuff on him. he stood in line for an hour and a half as i shopped. he was such a trooper about it too. he spoils me. a lot.
i guess the people in line behind him kept teasing him, but he still just stood there with a smile. we then went to walmart, target, toys r us, the mall, etc. it was a successful shopping day :)finally around 4 p.m. my parents and grandparents on my dad's side arrived. the condo my mom had gotten for us all was amazing! as a group we went to the christmas show at the carolina opry. it was so much fun! the singing was absolutely amazing. as was the company :) i love family! the next day we walked on the beach and enjoyed the 70 degree weather on the beach. the view from the balcony was amazing and so, so relaxing. as a family we went to see old dogs.. sooo funny! the whole family ages 2-80 loved it! i recommend it highly. everything was going so beautifully. i should have known that it was too good to be true. sunday morning we said our good byes and went back to the lake house so andy could get his truck and trailor and make the loooong drive back to ohio through the mountains and hellacious traffic. well i followed him to the gas station to say goodbye. when i came out from surprising him with slim jims and drinks for his drive, i knew something was wrong. andy had his serious face on. i looked down and instantly knew why. one of the tires on the trailor was smoking really badly. andy drove over into a vacant lot and got his huge tools out (which by the way amazes me that he knows how to use). it turned out it was the wheel bearing. it was completely destroyed. i don't know the car terms to go into further detail. but it was bad.
and since it was sunday, every tire and mechanic place was closed. so good news - andy gets to stay another day. bad news - andy has to miss work, and he's COMPLETELY stressed about getting it fixed and the cost therein. i tried to keep the mood light in the lot. i smiled a lot, took pictures for the blog, etc. he wasn't amused. 
andy tried calling every single garage in the town. all closed. after lots of calls we decided to just leave it at the gas stations, pray no one broke into the trailer with all of my stuff, pray that someone could fix it in the morning, and pray that andy's boss didn't fire him for missing another day of work. at this point i'm feeling extremely guilty. it's my fault he took a week off to help me move. it's my fault he had to bring his trailer down. etc.
we tried to make the most of our extra day together, but we were both too stressed for that to happen really. we were finally settled in when i heard the news that my nephew brenden hurt his head badly. he was trying to pull onions to make a compost (so cute) with his sister lexie and his friend luke. as he tried to pull an onion out of the ground, he fell back and hit his head on a cement corner. lexie was emotionally a mess, and brenden was in a lot of pain. there was a lot of blood and tears, but i've heard he's doing much better now. i didn't sleep a wink last night. i was so worried about b and about andy getting back safely.. ugh.. andy finally found a place to bring it to this morning, blacks tire. he gets it there at 8 a.m. well at 1, they still haven't started. making a long story short, i had about 4 meltdowns in the morning worried sick! as did andy. he finally left around 3 p.m. which means he will be driving through the mountains with a HUGE, heavy trailer on the back waay to late for my liking. pray for him please. i'll update you as soon as i know :)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
it's the most wonderful time of the year :)
Ok, i have to get better at this whole updating my blog thing! things have been pretty hectic, though. i must admit.
in the past month i've been packing up my lake house. i just didn't feel safe there, so i'm staying at my brothers until february. i'm so excited to finally move back to ohio - and this time for good! andy and i will be living somewhere on the west side of columbus near his job. i've been applying for jobs like crazy, but i haven't had any luck at all. i don't get it, though, because i can get any job - even jobs i'm not qualified for - in nyc, utah and north carolina.. but i can't seem to get a job in ohio to save my life :( pray for me!
a few weeks ago andy flew down for the train concert. while i was sitting there waiting for him, i couldn't help but realize how much love is in the world. to me, you see the saddest and the happiest people in airports -- but both have such strong emotions b/c of their love for the person coming or going. i sat there crying as i watched families saying their goodbyes; children holding to their fathers legs begging them not to leave; wives holding to their husbands hand so tightly; fathers begging the mother to not leave them with 4 children all under the age of 6; best friends parting, unsure when they'll see eachother again. all of them... drenched in tears. and i could certainly relate. going to school 2,000 miles away and now living 4 states away has put me in a world that has come all to used to saying goodbye in airports. and you know what? it never gets easier. it gets harder. sadder with each goodbye. i was always surprised at how well my parents kept it together when we parted at the airport when i was at byu. once i asked my dad why they didn't cry. he told me they stayed strong for me, but that he'd never seen my mom weep so tenderly as when she got in the car after dropping me off. and for those of you who know my father, although he didn't mention his tears, something tells me his tears numbered to millions. but anyway, then there's the flip side. the people who are picking up their loved ones. these displays of love are my favorite, by far. three of my favorites from this particular trip.
1. a father with three children. the little girl's hair is unkempt, put up in what appears to be a side ponytail gone bad. her shirt is on backwards, her shoes on the wrong feet. a little boy who has gum in his hair, who keeps complaining that it's "tickling his head." the father replies, "i don't know how to get gum out!? just wait 15 more minutes, your mom will fix it." and the third child, the oldest of the three, probably about 12. well he looks fine, but he keeps yelling cuss words and lets just say continues to let out air. all three are running in different directions. i hear the father say on the phone, "I pray she never leaves again." after he gets off the phone, i see the little girl wandering off. so i get her and bring her back. he says, "thank you so much." to which i reply, "your children are adorable." PAUSE. SIGH. "You should see them with their mother around. A week with only me, you'd think they were homeless."
2. a little old man with a walker. he is sitting there and i notice he's writing in a notepad, his hands shaking. after a minute, i notice he is crying. he's beside me, so i can't help but look to see what he's writing. it's a journal. it says, "it's been 5 years since linda passed. i haven't seen any of our children since. today will change that." i had to go to the bathroom to control my tears. when i returned i handed him a tissue. he looked at me and smiled. we had eye contact for what seemed like a year. my heart broke for this little, lonely man.
3. a girl chewing her nails. she is clearly dying to see whoever it is she's waiting for. she keeps pacing back and forth. as flights are delayed, she yells out cuss words. i hear her on the phone yelling at us airways, demanding that the flight stop circling the airport. her enthusiasm was intriguing to me. who was she waiting for? every time people would start coming out, she'd get so excited -- pushing everyone out of her way, including me and little children. she started to smoke at one point. a security man came over, told her to put it out. she wasn't happy. she yelled at him and put it out. then she said, "great now my breath smells!?" i offered her some gum. she didn't even look at me, she just grabbed it quickly. it ended up being her boyfriend, who had just gotten back from iraq.
and then there was me. waiting on the love of my life. our embraces when he leaves are tearful with my nails digging into his arm as though that will make the minutes last longer - it doesn't. our reunions are happy. a joyful hug. a long, special kiss.
andy's visit was amazing. we had so, so much fun! the concert was amazing. uncle kracker opened. he was actually really good live, which surprised me. as always, though, i had the most annoying girls to the right of me. they kept screaming and yelling obscenities, explaining what they wanted to do to uncle kracker. at one point they did get the guitarist's attention. when he heard what they were proposing he just shook his head in disgust. these girls were gross. they had hair to their knees in ponytails that kept whisping me in the face. neither of them were wearing bras and they were both well over 250 pounds. they kept drinking and drinking, which of course only made them louder and more inappropriate in their comments. anyway, it didn't detract from how amazing train was. i found myself really missing his solo album songs though. i think i like them more than most of his train songs.. which i didn't realize until i was there and he didn't sing a single one of them :( anyway, andy, chad, carmen and i had a lot of fun. it was funny though, on the drive home it was like 1:30 and andy and i were DYING. i mean DEAD tired. am i really getting that old? haha
Andy left very early on Monday morning. the week was slow! but andy came back saturday with his truck and a trailer so he could transport all my stuff back to ohio. i was so worried about him driving! but he made it safely :) that night we went to see the movie "the blind side." i really, really liked it. when we got in the car i said, "well, if my parents see that then there will be a large black boy in our home at christmas." we both laughed.. but secretly, i think we're both wondering if that actually might happen :)
so that brings me to now. i have to work while andy is at home packing and cleaning. i HATE that he's doing it all alone. i HATE that i'm at work with people who are extremely rude to me daily. ugh! oh, and yesterday was our anniversary :) i love andy, and i can't wait to be his wife. only 137 days until our wedding!
thursday we are having thanksgiving with my brother, his gf and her parents and her son, caden. i'm so excited to eat like crazy. i'm making homemade noodles.. my favorite :) then on friday andy and i are going black friday shopping. SOOO EXITED :) and that day my parents and grandma and grandpa coffman will be arriving. things are looking up for this week.
what am i grateful for:
andy
my precious family
the gospel
my job (even though it ends in february)
technology
did i mention andy?
did i mention my family?
oh, quickly i'd like to say something about the whole rihanna thing. the whole thing doesn't make sense to me. in interviews, she doesn't even shed a tear. as someone who's gone through it and met many women who have as well in various support groups, i have NEVER seen someone talk about their attack in such a calm, almost happy sort of way. not to mention, i think it's odd she is giving the world such intimate details. speak out against domestic violence - absolutely! she should! go into details.. hmm, not so sure on that one.
in the past month i've been packing up my lake house. i just didn't feel safe there, so i'm staying at my brothers until february. i'm so excited to finally move back to ohio - and this time for good! andy and i will be living somewhere on the west side of columbus near his job. i've been applying for jobs like crazy, but i haven't had any luck at all. i don't get it, though, because i can get any job - even jobs i'm not qualified for - in nyc, utah and north carolina.. but i can't seem to get a job in ohio to save my life :( pray for me!
a few weeks ago andy flew down for the train concert. while i was sitting there waiting for him, i couldn't help but realize how much love is in the world. to me, you see the saddest and the happiest people in airports -- but both have such strong emotions b/c of their love for the person coming or going. i sat there crying as i watched families saying their goodbyes; children holding to their fathers legs begging them not to leave; wives holding to their husbands hand so tightly; fathers begging the mother to not leave them with 4 children all under the age of 6; best friends parting, unsure when they'll see eachother again. all of them... drenched in tears. and i could certainly relate. going to school 2,000 miles away and now living 4 states away has put me in a world that has come all to used to saying goodbye in airports. and you know what? it never gets easier. it gets harder. sadder with each goodbye. i was always surprised at how well my parents kept it together when we parted at the airport when i was at byu. once i asked my dad why they didn't cry. he told me they stayed strong for me, but that he'd never seen my mom weep so tenderly as when she got in the car after dropping me off. and for those of you who know my father, although he didn't mention his tears, something tells me his tears numbered to millions. but anyway, then there's the flip side. the people who are picking up their loved ones. these displays of love are my favorite, by far. three of my favorites from this particular trip.
1. a father with three children. the little girl's hair is unkempt, put up in what appears to be a side ponytail gone bad. her shirt is on backwards, her shoes on the wrong feet. a little boy who has gum in his hair, who keeps complaining that it's "tickling his head." the father replies, "i don't know how to get gum out!? just wait 15 more minutes, your mom will fix it." and the third child, the oldest of the three, probably about 12. well he looks fine, but he keeps yelling cuss words and lets just say continues to let out air. all three are running in different directions. i hear the father say on the phone, "I pray she never leaves again." after he gets off the phone, i see the little girl wandering off. so i get her and bring her back. he says, "thank you so much." to which i reply, "your children are adorable." PAUSE. SIGH. "You should see them with their mother around. A week with only me, you'd think they were homeless."
2. a little old man with a walker. he is sitting there and i notice he's writing in a notepad, his hands shaking. after a minute, i notice he is crying. he's beside me, so i can't help but look to see what he's writing. it's a journal. it says, "it's been 5 years since linda passed. i haven't seen any of our children since. today will change that." i had to go to the bathroom to control my tears. when i returned i handed him a tissue. he looked at me and smiled. we had eye contact for what seemed like a year. my heart broke for this little, lonely man.
3. a girl chewing her nails. she is clearly dying to see whoever it is she's waiting for. she keeps pacing back and forth. as flights are delayed, she yells out cuss words. i hear her on the phone yelling at us airways, demanding that the flight stop circling the airport. her enthusiasm was intriguing to me. who was she waiting for? every time people would start coming out, she'd get so excited -- pushing everyone out of her way, including me and little children. she started to smoke at one point. a security man came over, told her to put it out. she wasn't happy. she yelled at him and put it out. then she said, "great now my breath smells!?" i offered her some gum. she didn't even look at me, she just grabbed it quickly. it ended up being her boyfriend, who had just gotten back from iraq.
and then there was me. waiting on the love of my life. our embraces when he leaves are tearful with my nails digging into his arm as though that will make the minutes last longer - it doesn't. our reunions are happy. a joyful hug. a long, special kiss.
andy's visit was amazing. we had so, so much fun! the concert was amazing. uncle kracker opened. he was actually really good live, which surprised me. as always, though, i had the most annoying girls to the right of me. they kept screaming and yelling obscenities, explaining what they wanted to do to uncle kracker. at one point they did get the guitarist's attention. when he heard what they were proposing he just shook his head in disgust. these girls were gross. they had hair to their knees in ponytails that kept whisping me in the face. neither of them were wearing bras and they were both well over 250 pounds. they kept drinking and drinking, which of course only made them louder and more inappropriate in their comments. anyway, it didn't detract from how amazing train was. i found myself really missing his solo album songs though. i think i like them more than most of his train songs.. which i didn't realize until i was there and he didn't sing a single one of them :( anyway, andy, chad, carmen and i had a lot of fun. it was funny though, on the drive home it was like 1:30 and andy and i were DYING. i mean DEAD tired. am i really getting that old? haha
Andy left very early on Monday morning. the week was slow! but andy came back saturday with his truck and a trailer so he could transport all my stuff back to ohio. i was so worried about him driving! but he made it safely :) that night we went to see the movie "the blind side." i really, really liked it. when we got in the car i said, "well, if my parents see that then there will be a large black boy in our home at christmas." we both laughed.. but secretly, i think we're both wondering if that actually might happen :)
so that brings me to now. i have to work while andy is at home packing and cleaning. i HATE that he's doing it all alone. i HATE that i'm at work with people who are extremely rude to me daily. ugh! oh, and yesterday was our anniversary :) i love andy, and i can't wait to be his wife. only 137 days until our wedding!
thursday we are having thanksgiving with my brother, his gf and her parents and her son, caden. i'm so excited to eat like crazy. i'm making homemade noodles.. my favorite :) then on friday andy and i are going black friday shopping. SOOO EXITED :) and that day my parents and grandma and grandpa coffman will be arriving. things are looking up for this week.
what am i grateful for:
andy
my precious family
the gospel
my job (even though it ends in february)
technology
did i mention andy?
did i mention my family?
oh, quickly i'd like to say something about the whole rihanna thing. the whole thing doesn't make sense to me. in interviews, she doesn't even shed a tear. as someone who's gone through it and met many women who have as well in various support groups, i have NEVER seen someone talk about their attack in such a calm, almost happy sort of way. not to mention, i think it's odd she is giving the world such intimate details. speak out against domestic violence - absolutely! she should! go into details.. hmm, not so sure on that one.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
carving pumpkins
I wanted to do a special post for pumpkin carving and trick-or-treat. my experiences in both this year were hilarious and fabulous.
first, we did pumpkin carving while i was in ohio. andy, b, lexie and i started around 5 p.m. i completely forgot how disgusting it is to pull out all the grossness from inside. luckily, lexie was kind enough to help me. she's up for anything. and it's adorable! after about an hour my dad meandered outside. we called him over and he grabbed a pumpkin. somehow - i have no clue how!? - he had his pumpkin cleaned out in about 3 minutes. surprised, i told him to pick a stencil out. he told me that those things were "trash" and he was going to do it his way. so, he got his little pocket knife and without even drawing an outline started to carve. andy and i were trying to hold in our laughter. when my dad proudly held up his finished product, we were all speechless. it had one eye up really high, the other being lower and barely a slit open. he said that was because it was "winking." lol. he had two little buck teeth and a triangle nose. it was a sad little pumpkin. he brought it in proudly to show my mom. her response was, "what is that?!" lol!! so she took over. with the help of a stencil she was able to use what he'd done and create a masterpiece. it looked amazing.
After awhile, we were all ready to go in. andy took charge and helped the kids and i get our stencils on our pumpkins. andy's patience and energy is astounding to me. i'm always joking with him that when he gets to be my age (23) he won't have all that energy. lol. but seriously, he is amazing. he just takes care of everything! lexie and b started carving away. and i'm here to tell you that lexie is one hardcore, strong, multi-talented chick!
she carved her little heart out! and didn't complain once! not once! she is such an amazing little girl :) in the meantime, andy was given my mom's huge pumpkin to put out front. this was a huge responsibility that he took very seriously! he was working so meticulously on this pumpkin! his concentration level was at a high. lol. 
he and i are so different. he has his architecture mind and i have my writers mind. we go about just about everything differently. i go for it emotionally, he goes for it logically. haha. but, his hard work and careful execution paid off. his pumpkin was amazing. 
i was proud of my little ghost pumpkin too! although no one seemed impressed.. i sure was with myself :) i ended up bringing it to my grandparents so they could have one to sit out on their step. they seemed very excited about it.
little lexie was the second finished. her cat was amazing! b took a little longer because, the poor little thing, had the thickest pumpkin of us all. but the end result was fabulous. they looked great, and we really did have so much fun doing it together as a family.
family truly is heaven on earth.
since my latest scare at the lake, i've been living with my brother. so, i went trick-or-treating with him and his girlfriend carmen and her little boy caden. he was dressed as a priate. and sooo cute. well, we were driving to go get our candy on when i looked over at caden. he looked sad and wouldn't smile at me no matter what i did. all of a sudden, he started throwing up. all over his costume and his car seat. chad pulled over, and we changed his clothes. but he wasn't done. about 20 minutes down the road.. he threw up again :( so needless to say, we didn't go trick-or-treating :(
first, we did pumpkin carving while i was in ohio. andy, b, lexie and i started around 5 p.m. i completely forgot how disgusting it is to pull out all the grossness from inside. luckily, lexie was kind enough to help me. she's up for anything. and it's adorable! after about an hour my dad meandered outside. we called him over and he grabbed a pumpkin. somehow - i have no clue how!? - he had his pumpkin cleaned out in about 3 minutes. surprised, i told him to pick a stencil out. he told me that those things were "trash" and he was going to do it his way. so, he got his little pocket knife and without even drawing an outline started to carve. andy and i were trying to hold in our laughter. when my dad proudly held up his finished product, we were all speechless. it had one eye up really high, the other being lower and barely a slit open. he said that was because it was "winking." lol. he had two little buck teeth and a triangle nose. it was a sad little pumpkin. he brought it in proudly to show my mom. her response was, "what is that?!" lol!! so she took over. with the help of a stencil she was able to use what he'd done and create a masterpiece. it looked amazing.
After awhile, we were all ready to go in. andy took charge and helped the kids and i get our stencils on our pumpkins. andy's patience and energy is astounding to me. i'm always joking with him that when he gets to be my age (23) he won't have all that energy. lol. but seriously, he is amazing. he just takes care of everything! lexie and b started carving away. and i'm here to tell you that lexie is one hardcore, strong, multi-talented chick!
she carved her little heart out! and didn't complain once! not once! she is such an amazing little girl :) in the meantime, andy was given my mom's huge pumpkin to put out front. this was a huge responsibility that he took very seriously! he was working so meticulously on this pumpkin! his concentration level was at a high. lol. 
he and i are so different. he has his architecture mind and i have my writers mind. we go about just about everything differently. i go for it emotionally, he goes for it logically. haha. but, his hard work and careful execution paid off. his pumpkin was amazing. 
i was proud of my little ghost pumpkin too! although no one seemed impressed.. i sure was with myself :) i ended up bringing it to my grandparents so they could have one to sit out on their step. they seemed very excited about it.
little lexie was the second finished. her cat was amazing! b took a little longer because, the poor little thing, had the thickest pumpkin of us all. but the end result was fabulous. they looked great, and we really did have so much fun doing it together as a family.
family truly is heaven on earth.
since my latest scare at the lake, i've been living with my brother. so, i went trick-or-treating with him and his girlfriend carmen and her little boy caden. he was dressed as a priate. and sooo cute. well, we were driving to go get our candy on when i looked over at caden. he looked sad and wouldn't smile at me no matter what i did. all of a sudden, he started throwing up. all over his costume and his car seat. chad pulled over, and we changed his clothes. but he wasn't done. about 20 minutes down the road.. he threw up again :( so needless to say, we didn't go trick-or-treating :(
it may be time to say goodbye to facebook
so, after a few days of literally crying over facebook, i'm starting to think that it may be time for me to get rid of it. i don't know if i'm overly sensitive or what.. but am i the only person who gets hurt when people ignore their messages to them? i mean how am i supposed to feel when i write them messages and they ignore me but write back everyone else. then, i posted my engagement pictures. and a lot of people commented on them. but a ton of people didn't. it really hurt my feelings. i've been there for so many of my friends as they've gotten married. i've been excited for them. i've helped them with anything i could for their weddings. but now that it's FINALLY my turn, no one seems to care. i kept ignoring it.. but i can't ignore it anymore. i feel like no matter how much i do for other people, it's never reciprocated.
anyway, a few weeks ago i went home. it was a lot of fun. thursday i picked the kids up from school and played with them. friday we got a ton of wedding stuff accomplished, then babysat the lexie and camryn. we made cookies.
it was adorable. camryn had this little cat tail on and she wouldn't take it off. soo hilarious! saturday we had engagement pictures taken, which ended up being a lot of fun. sunday we went to church then carved pumpkins. monday we had lunch with my grandparents and played with the kids. tuesday i sadly returned to north carolina.
sorry this post is a bit depressing. but i'm really feeling upset. i don't appreciate being ignored. and i REALLY am bothered by the fact that all of these girls who were married in the last 5 years and had all my love, support and help are now ignoring that it's finally my turn. :**(
anyway, a few weeks ago i went home. it was a lot of fun. thursday i picked the kids up from school and played with them. friday we got a ton of wedding stuff accomplished, then babysat the lexie and camryn. we made cookies.
it was adorable. camryn had this little cat tail on and she wouldn't take it off. soo hilarious! saturday we had engagement pictures taken, which ended up being a lot of fun. sunday we went to church then carved pumpkins. monday we had lunch with my grandparents and played with the kids. tuesday i sadly returned to north carolina.sorry this post is a bit depressing. but i'm really feeling upset. i don't appreciate being ignored. and i REALLY am bothered by the fact that all of these girls who were married in the last 5 years and had all my love, support and help are now ignoring that it's finally my turn. :**(
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
stick a fork in me.. i'm done
Last night was easily the worst night of my life.
I met my brother Chad and his girlfriend Carmen for dinner. at this dinner i may or may not have ate my body weight in pizza. lol. anyway, i was driving home, and it was dark.. about 8 p.m. my road is so dark and creepy now that the summer lake-goers are gone. when i pulled into my driveway i noticed something very odd. there was an older man in the street playing with a remote control car. i honestly almost hit him. when i pulled into my driveway i was shaking b/c i was scared. i'd never seen him or a remote controlled car before.. and i'd never seen anyone after dark out on the road. as i was shaking, trying to unlock my door he stopped playing with the car and picked it up and just stared at me. it was the most horrible feeling. i just shook it off, though. i went inside and watched the biggest loser. i love that show! i always cry watching it, though.. lol.
i went to bed pretty early at about 10:30. i fell asleep quickly. all was well.
at 1 a.m. i heard the loudest thud/bang ever. i am a dead sleeper people. i'm telling you, humans yelling can barely wake me up, so this noise was loud! there was someone outside my bedroom window. i was scared. ok i was more than scared. sometimes i am awoken by a loud noise or bad dream, and i can feel the holy ghost confirming to me, "it's ok alicia. you're ok." but this was different. i did not feel the comfort i usually feel. instead i felt scared and i knew i wasn't ok. i heard in my mind and heart, "it's not ok, call for help. something is wrong."
20 minutes later the police were there. can i just say i hate how some policemen act?! they treated me like i was stupid. "are you sure it wasn't a dream?" he says.. um sir, i'm not a 5 year old nor am i delusional. i can tell the difference between reality and almost peeing my pants for fear of my life. they surveyed the area. the state trooper told me that he didn't want to scare me, but that if the intruder wanted to rob someone - he would've picked one of the huge houses on my road that are vacant b/c their owners only live there in the summer. this intruder, apparently he said, wanted ME. my neighbor confirmed that he had heard a loud noise, and he heard someone walking in the gravel. the saw some large footprints around my home.. which they just explained away by being my landlord or any number of ppl.. ANNOYING my neighbor said he was sitting on the couch with his gun waiting for the intruder to just try to get into his house. i'm like WTF!? you didn't think, "hmm alicia lives alone and has no weapons.. maybe i should help her."
what is wrong with ppl?!!?
anyway, the police left, and i felt sick to my stomach. andy was amazing through it all. he called for help, he stayed on the phone with me.. he tried to keep me calm. as i was talking to him, one of my outside lights shut off. this freaked me completely out. it couldn't have burnt out, andy had just replaced it. so i told andy, enough is enough.. i'm getting out of here and staying in a hotel in the city where i work. he confirmed this was a good idea. the 10 ft from my door to my car was the most scared i've ever felt! i squealed out there like i was a nascar driver on crack. i pulled into the holiday inn express at about 3:30 a.m. it was here i was informed that they were completely booked. how!? it's a tuesday in october?! so i went to the best western down the road. they had a room :) 110 bucks later i was in a room, and i felt safe. but, 8 a.m. came all too early.. and i'm really just not feeling up to par today..
this being my second incident, i'm done with my lake waccamaw home. it breaks my heart b/c andy and i have worked so hard to make it into such a home. we've put so much money and sweat into it.. but i just can't stay there any longer. i don't feel safe, especially now that the summer crowd is gone.
so... now i have to move - again.. i have to find somewhere that will let me have a 5 month lease.. how i'll find such a place that is safe, i don't know!?
i'm trying to put it all behind me, but i'm still a mess today. i'm still feeling violated and scared.. and i hate it. thank goodness i'm going home tomorrow. please pray i can find a place to stay!
I met my brother Chad and his girlfriend Carmen for dinner. at this dinner i may or may not have ate my body weight in pizza. lol. anyway, i was driving home, and it was dark.. about 8 p.m. my road is so dark and creepy now that the summer lake-goers are gone. when i pulled into my driveway i noticed something very odd. there was an older man in the street playing with a remote control car. i honestly almost hit him. when i pulled into my driveway i was shaking b/c i was scared. i'd never seen him or a remote controlled car before.. and i'd never seen anyone after dark out on the road. as i was shaking, trying to unlock my door he stopped playing with the car and picked it up and just stared at me. it was the most horrible feeling. i just shook it off, though. i went inside and watched the biggest loser. i love that show! i always cry watching it, though.. lol.
i went to bed pretty early at about 10:30. i fell asleep quickly. all was well.
at 1 a.m. i heard the loudest thud/bang ever. i am a dead sleeper people. i'm telling you, humans yelling can barely wake me up, so this noise was loud! there was someone outside my bedroom window. i was scared. ok i was more than scared. sometimes i am awoken by a loud noise or bad dream, and i can feel the holy ghost confirming to me, "it's ok alicia. you're ok." but this was different. i did not feel the comfort i usually feel. instead i felt scared and i knew i wasn't ok. i heard in my mind and heart, "it's not ok, call for help. something is wrong."
20 minutes later the police were there. can i just say i hate how some policemen act?! they treated me like i was stupid. "are you sure it wasn't a dream?" he says.. um sir, i'm not a 5 year old nor am i delusional. i can tell the difference between reality and almost peeing my pants for fear of my life. they surveyed the area. the state trooper told me that he didn't want to scare me, but that if the intruder wanted to rob someone - he would've picked one of the huge houses on my road that are vacant b/c their owners only live there in the summer. this intruder, apparently he said, wanted ME. my neighbor confirmed that he had heard a loud noise, and he heard someone walking in the gravel. the saw some large footprints around my home.. which they just explained away by being my landlord or any number of ppl.. ANNOYING my neighbor said he was sitting on the couch with his gun waiting for the intruder to just try to get into his house. i'm like WTF!? you didn't think, "hmm alicia lives alone and has no weapons.. maybe i should help her."
what is wrong with ppl?!!?
anyway, the police left, and i felt sick to my stomach. andy was amazing through it all. he called for help, he stayed on the phone with me.. he tried to keep me calm. as i was talking to him, one of my outside lights shut off. this freaked me completely out. it couldn't have burnt out, andy had just replaced it. so i told andy, enough is enough.. i'm getting out of here and staying in a hotel in the city where i work. he confirmed this was a good idea. the 10 ft from my door to my car was the most scared i've ever felt! i squealed out there like i was a nascar driver on crack. i pulled into the holiday inn express at about 3:30 a.m. it was here i was informed that they were completely booked. how!? it's a tuesday in october?! so i went to the best western down the road. they had a room :) 110 bucks later i was in a room, and i felt safe. but, 8 a.m. came all too early.. and i'm really just not feeling up to par today..
this being my second incident, i'm done with my lake waccamaw home. it breaks my heart b/c andy and i have worked so hard to make it into such a home. we've put so much money and sweat into it.. but i just can't stay there any longer. i don't feel safe, especially now that the summer crowd is gone.
so... now i have to move - again.. i have to find somewhere that will let me have a 5 month lease.. how i'll find such a place that is safe, i don't know!?
i'm trying to put it all behind me, but i'm still a mess today. i'm still feeling violated and scared.. and i hate it. thank goodness i'm going home tomorrow. please pray i can find a place to stay!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Alicia .. AKA pirate :(
So, this weekend started off great. first i went to get my hair cut on saturday. i was really nervous to not go to my girl, but i desperately needed a cut before my engagement pictures on friday.. so i buckeled down and made an appointment. i ended up getting it angeled around my face, a second layer in the back and a trim all around. the girl did an AMAZING job! i was sooo excited :)
Here is a pic right after the cut -
And below is one after i curled it. sorry it's not the best quality, it's a picture phone -
my excitement was short lived, however, because ohio state somehow lost to the worst team in college football. it was at this moment that i decided a few things. 1 - i hate tressel.. it's time for him to be fired. 2 - i won't be watching college football the rest of the season. and 3 - pryor needs to transfer. he deserves better.
anyway, that night i watched "my life in ruins." this turned my day back around! it's my new favorite movie!! i LOVED it. i laughed and cried.. and it was just a great movie that somehow helped my confidence in myself to grow!? as i went to bed, i found myself feeling excited about my engagement pictures. who cares if i wasn't skinny anymore!? you cares that i wasn't tan!? i was going to look great :) well, when i woke up, a new reality sat in. i swear it's impossible for me to have an ounce of confidence ppl! when i woke up, my left eye was extremely puffy above and below my eye!? i freaked out and called my mom. she said to just stay calm and put wet, warm compresses on it. well, i put on glasses hoping to hide the eye and went to church.
went i got to church, i was instantly annoyed. the branch president came up to me and introduced himself. i said, "i know who you are!? it's alicia!" i mean, come on people, glasses don't make a person look like a new human. it hurt my feelings to be honest when a few seconds later, the relief society president (who i've talked face to face with about a million times) came up and did the same thing. the primary children could recognize me, but not my leaders?! my branch has 15 people in it, tops. it shouldn't be difficult for ppl to pretend they care about me and remember that i do exist. i have been in their ward for 9 months. i felt completely unappreciated and invisible -- the usual.
after sacrament had started, in came debbie downer! i hadn't seen her in a few weeks. she wasn't there last week when andy was there. well i noticed she was staring at me and finally she said, "what's wrong with your eye!?" i said, "i'm not sure, maybe an allergy or something?" her reply?! "you look like you have downs syndrome. can you move away? i can't stand the site of you."
EXCUSE ME?!!? i was here first! i am covering it with reading glasses. i'm at church.. what happened to everyone being loving and accepting!? so, i moved down 6 seats and started to cry. what a sunday, huh?
well, after church i left and took some benadryl. i wasn't expecting this, but i fell asleep for a good 5 hours. when i woke up, my eye was completely swollen shut.
the benadryl hadn't helped one bit! i started to get freaked out and decided to go to urgent care. the doctor there was.. well.. interesting. when he saw my eye he started laughing and said, "i hope you don't have anything important coming up!" i replied, "actually, i do.. i have my engagement pictures in 6 days." his reply?! you know his doctorly make ppl feel better reply?! "well, i hope your fiance doesn't mind marrying a pirate! maybe you should get a patch of some kind."
for the second time, i cried.
it ended up being a stye. he prescribed some drops.
so recap - i went to bed saturday feeling confident for the first time in months. sunday i went to bed crying b/c i'd never felt uglier or more invisible in my life.
Here is a pic right after the cut -
And below is one after i curled it. sorry it's not the best quality, it's a picture phone -
my excitement was short lived, however, because ohio state somehow lost to the worst team in college football. it was at this moment that i decided a few things. 1 - i hate tressel.. it's time for him to be fired. 2 - i won't be watching college football the rest of the season. and 3 - pryor needs to transfer. he deserves better.
anyway, that night i watched "my life in ruins." this turned my day back around! it's my new favorite movie!! i LOVED it. i laughed and cried.. and it was just a great movie that somehow helped my confidence in myself to grow!? as i went to bed, i found myself feeling excited about my engagement pictures. who cares if i wasn't skinny anymore!? you cares that i wasn't tan!? i was going to look great :) well, when i woke up, a new reality sat in. i swear it's impossible for me to have an ounce of confidence ppl! when i woke up, my left eye was extremely puffy above and below my eye!? i freaked out and called my mom. she said to just stay calm and put wet, warm compresses on it. well, i put on glasses hoping to hide the eye and went to church.
went i got to church, i was instantly annoyed. the branch president came up to me and introduced himself. i said, "i know who you are!? it's alicia!" i mean, come on people, glasses don't make a person look like a new human. it hurt my feelings to be honest when a few seconds later, the relief society president (who i've talked face to face with about a million times) came up and did the same thing. the primary children could recognize me, but not my leaders?! my branch has 15 people in it, tops. it shouldn't be difficult for ppl to pretend they care about me and remember that i do exist. i have been in their ward for 9 months. i felt completely unappreciated and invisible -- the usual.
after sacrament had started, in came debbie downer! i hadn't seen her in a few weeks. she wasn't there last week when andy was there. well i noticed she was staring at me and finally she said, "what's wrong with your eye!?" i said, "i'm not sure, maybe an allergy or something?" her reply?! "you look like you have downs syndrome. can you move away? i can't stand the site of you."
EXCUSE ME?!!? i was here first! i am covering it with reading glasses. i'm at church.. what happened to everyone being loving and accepting!? so, i moved down 6 seats and started to cry. what a sunday, huh?
well, after church i left and took some benadryl. i wasn't expecting this, but i fell asleep for a good 5 hours. when i woke up, my eye was completely swollen shut.
the benadryl hadn't helped one bit! i started to get freaked out and decided to go to urgent care. the doctor there was.. well.. interesting. when he saw my eye he started laughing and said, "i hope you don't have anything important coming up!" i replied, "actually, i do.. i have my engagement pictures in 6 days." his reply?! you know his doctorly make ppl feel better reply?! "well, i hope your fiance doesn't mind marrying a pirate! maybe you should get a patch of some kind."
for the second time, i cried.
it ended up being a stye. he prescribed some drops.
so recap - i went to bed saturday feeling confident for the first time in months. sunday i went to bed crying b/c i'd never felt uglier or more invisible in my life.
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