Over the last several days I have wondered how does the apartment that I rented measure up to the list of items that I set out for my perfect apartment. Since I have this handy blog I went back in cyber space and looked at the list that I gave several months ago. I have to admit I did pretty good...
Here is the original list:
Needs:
-pet friendly-two bedrooms-close to the interstate or a major highway
-walkin closets
-patio
-nice kitchen with lots of counter space and cabinets
-washer dryer or hookups
-lots of grass nearby
-fans in every room
-rent to be under 1100: hopefully that will include any of the extras water, trash, sewage, etc.
-large bedroom, with lots of space
Wants:-
Washer dryer in the unit
-first or second floor apartment
-separate dining space, not a whole room but a space for a table
-gym on the property worth using
-pool, preferably a saltwater pool
-separate storage space
-close to work
-a large garden tub
Bonus:
-dog park, I didn't even know you could get this
-Second bathroom
-built in storage, like shelves
-recycling, gotta be green-window seat
Things highlighted in red are items that I did not get in my new apartment. I highlighted two items in yellow because I kinda got them. The kitchen is nice sized but there aren't any lower cabinets, I am still working on addressing this with extra storage. The unit does not come with a fan in the living room (unless a previous tenant put one in and left it) but they will install one (I purchase) at not additional cost. The other items I didn't get were bonus items and in some ways that is why they are bonus. I do hope that they allow recycling soon because that is important.
Well I have to admit that I am getting very excited about this apartment, only 7 more weeks until move in day. I still have so much shopping to do.... AHHHHHH
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Fall snuggles
It has finally gotten below 80 at nights here and that is fantastic!! I am loving that lily and I don't get super sweaty on our morning walks these days. Additionally we are able to go for long walks after work and not die from the heat. But one of my favorite parts of the fall weather is that Lily wants to snuggle more often. She tends to get on the bed while I brush my teeth and warm my spot then she moves over ro her side. Yes she has a side.
I am also loving the morning snuggles that I have been getting the last several days. She is sooo cute.
I attached a pic of her laying on her side of the bed. I just love her head on the pillow. Also yes I am writing this from bed. Too tired after work to get the computer out.
I am also loving the morning snuggles that I have been getting the last several days. She is sooo cute.
I attached a pic of her laying on her side of the bed. I just love her head on the pillow. Also yes I am writing this from bed. Too tired after work to get the computer out.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Spinach Queso
As you may know Monday was Labor Day here in the US, this means that I was off of work and there was a little family party. My parents came in for a few days and that was fantastic, I always enjoy having a chance to hang out with them for a few days. When my mom told me about the gathering she told me to bring something to share... this immediately sends me to my pin boards in search of something to make. Nothing on any of those was really making me think this is what I am going to make, so I continue to think about it. Then, on Friday morning I check plain chicken (see the side panel for a link to the blog) and find this post. I realize this is what I am going to make for several reasons, it was easy and it looked yummy.
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| My dad diving into the dip. |
It was nice to not have to spend a long time getting something together I could enjoy the time that I had with my family and not feel as if I spent the whole day in the kitchen. I did spend a while in the kitchen helping my mom pull together the meal but after an hour or so I headed out to the pool and stayed in there until it was about time to eat.
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| An upclose pic, my mouth is watering right now. |
I often give you a wrap up of the recipes that I try and here are a few reasons why I think you should bring this to your next party or a tailgate.
-It is easy to make, just microwave it up. I would guess that this would be good in a small crock pot should you have one for dips.
-Unlike many queso dips made with velveeta when the dip got to room temperature it was still edible and not at all chunky. It was much thicker but still so good.
-It is easy to make for a few people or for several people
-The spinach tricks people into thinking that it is a healthy dip... hahaha no it is very bad for you.
Well I hope that you try this one and enjoy it as much as my family did, I served this with tortilla chips.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Making new friends part 2
So yesterday I told you how I accidentally joined Events and Adventures and realized that I did not want to pay for friends that I don't like. Once I get home I make sure that I don't like this club, yeah this is not going to be for me. So I start trying to figure out how to get out, I realize that part of the contract says that you have 24 hours to cancel and get your money back... this is now my plan.
In the morning I get on the phone and start calling and leaving messages. I call their 1 800 number and leave messages, I know that this company is going to try and keep me a member by not calling me back. Sooo I finally get a hold of the tool that first tried to sell me, not the closer the other one, after him trying to convince me to stay and me saying no way. He finally tells me that I need to send a letter to the company saying that I want out. As I go over this one more time he at the end mentions that this needs to be a certified letter sent out by the end of the day... uhhh crap. I immediately get my letter together that I have a friend watch me write and sign and then I take it to the post office.
In the post office I certify my mail and decide to actually get a return receipt. I realized that it would be a great idea to know that my letter actually got there so I could know when my money was coming back. Several days pass and I have yet to see the card that I attached to the letter and I start to panic (because that is just what I do), eventually I realize that since it is a certified letter it doesn't matter how long it takes to get there they have to give me back my money!! I think it took about 2 weeks for it to get there...
Eventually, I got my card back and my money back and now I realize that I am going to not pay for friends. As I told one of my friends about this disaster we realized all of the cool things I could spend 100 a month on, here are a few of the best ideas:
-Aggie football tickets
-flights to St. Louis
-new clothes
-a new computer, after several months
-new shoes, like nice shoes
-movies
-to be honest the options are endless but what I am not going to be doing is paying for friends
In the end there was a happy ending I got my money back and realized I need to get better about saying no and meaning it. I cannot believe that I bought the lie and didn't really know it until I walked outside.
So if you find yourself thinking, self, should I join Events and Adventures? The answer is NOOOO!!! E and A is a mistake, it is a horrible company and not certified by the BBB (they have a rating of F... I didn't even know that was possible). So stick to something else that is not super expensive.
I hope my mistakes have made you laugh just a little, this was an awesome mistake. I hope you enjoyed it!
In the morning I get on the phone and start calling and leaving messages. I call their 1 800 number and leave messages, I know that this company is going to try and keep me a member by not calling me back. Sooo I finally get a hold of the tool that first tried to sell me, not the closer the other one, after him trying to convince me to stay and me saying no way. He finally tells me that I need to send a letter to the company saying that I want out. As I go over this one more time he at the end mentions that this needs to be a certified letter sent out by the end of the day... uhhh crap. I immediately get my letter together that I have a friend watch me write and sign and then I take it to the post office.
In the post office I certify my mail and decide to actually get a return receipt. I realized that it would be a great idea to know that my letter actually got there so I could know when my money was coming back. Several days pass and I have yet to see the card that I attached to the letter and I start to panic (because that is just what I do), eventually I realize that since it is a certified letter it doesn't matter how long it takes to get there they have to give me back my money!! I think it took about 2 weeks for it to get there...
Eventually, I got my card back and my money back and now I realize that I am going to not pay for friends. As I told one of my friends about this disaster we realized all of the cool things I could spend 100 a month on, here are a few of the best ideas:
-Aggie football tickets
-flights to St. Louis
-new clothes
-a new computer, after several months
-new shoes, like nice shoes
-movies
-to be honest the options are endless but what I am not going to be doing is paying for friends
In the end there was a happy ending I got my money back and realized I need to get better about saying no and meaning it. I cannot believe that I bought the lie and didn't really know it until I walked outside.
So if you find yourself thinking, self, should I join Events and Adventures? The answer is NOOOO!!! E and A is a mistake, it is a horrible company and not certified by the BBB (they have a rating of F... I didn't even know that was possible). So stick to something else that is not super expensive.
I hope my mistakes have made you laugh just a little, this was an awesome mistake. I hope you enjoyed it!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Making new friends part 1
As you know I recently moved to Texas and I have been here for several months now and I am trying to find a new great group of friends. I miss my friends in St. Louis, I am so glad that with the internet and cell phones I am able to keep in touch with my friends and I am able to talk to them all the time. However great that is, I do really want some great friends here in the DFW metroplex. I figured I would share with you the different tools that I am using to make friends and the few amazing mistakes that I have made along the way... already.
One of the girls from work mentioned that I should think about trying Events and Adventures. So as young girl I hopped on the internet and tried to figure out what this was all about. Their website is very odd, there is almost no information and then you have to call this 1-800 number and get info. Once you call you schedule an appointment... At the point I make the appointment and I am somewhat skeptical about what this is going to happen.
I take off early to go to the appointment, which is aggravating but making new friends is hard. So I walk into this meeting and there are some strange people in the waiting room and the woman at the desk hands me a pile of forms to fill out. One of them is clearly a personality thing. I tried to be honest but at this point I am willing to try anything. I fill out the form and then meet with this super not awesome guy. I am pretty sure that I was going to be his first sale.
As I listen to him, he talks about how awesome it is going to be and I ask politely about the cost and he moves on. Then he keeps telling me how this is going to be the best thing I have ever done for myself. At some point he brings in several other people to evaluate me, I am still a little ticked about not knowing the cost of this adventure...
Finally a gentleman, I shall call the closer come in. This guy is from Houston and still wants me to join this club and he thinks I will maybe be a fit. In the midsts of all of this I somewhat testily ask about the cost. He finally tells me that I can pay lots of money and find friends. I try and say I need to think about it, but apparently you must choose on the spot. I waffle for a while and if you know me at all you know that if you push hard enough I will cave.
But I think the best part of this, is when the closer tells me that I am too shy to make friends in Dallas and that if I don't join I will be lonely and alone forever. Keep in mind that this is not a dating service but if you are married you get kicked out (and yes you still have to pay the dues every month until this runs out). So I eventually sign the paper for 100 a month and I can cancel after 6 months if I don't love it.
One of the last things I had to do was write down why I was joining this club and I almost wrote down that I was conned into this but that is rude. So I promptly hand over my credit card and say OK sign me up. As I walk outside the building I realized three things:
1- I am going to pay 100 month for friends
2- I didn't even like these people
3- I bought the lie that I was so shy that I would never ever have friends, so now I am paying 100 for friends that I won't even like?!?!
As I start the long drive back to my place I realize that I don't want to join this club and I cannot believe that I fell for this. I immediately realize that I am going to have to get out of this ASAP, good thing I read the contract and know how to get out of this... come back tomorrow to find out how that worked for me.
One of the girls from work mentioned that I should think about trying Events and Adventures. So as young girl I hopped on the internet and tried to figure out what this was all about. Their website is very odd, there is almost no information and then you have to call this 1-800 number and get info. Once you call you schedule an appointment... At the point I make the appointment and I am somewhat skeptical about what this is going to happen.
I take off early to go to the appointment, which is aggravating but making new friends is hard. So I walk into this meeting and there are some strange people in the waiting room and the woman at the desk hands me a pile of forms to fill out. One of them is clearly a personality thing. I tried to be honest but at this point I am willing to try anything. I fill out the form and then meet with this super not awesome guy. I am pretty sure that I was going to be his first sale.
As I listen to him, he talks about how awesome it is going to be and I ask politely about the cost and he moves on. Then he keeps telling me how this is going to be the best thing I have ever done for myself. At some point he brings in several other people to evaluate me, I am still a little ticked about not knowing the cost of this adventure...
Finally a gentleman, I shall call the closer come in. This guy is from Houston and still wants me to join this club and he thinks I will maybe be a fit. In the midsts of all of this I somewhat testily ask about the cost. He finally tells me that I can pay lots of money and find friends. I try and say I need to think about it, but apparently you must choose on the spot. I waffle for a while and if you know me at all you know that if you push hard enough I will cave.
But I think the best part of this, is when the closer tells me that I am too shy to make friends in Dallas and that if I don't join I will be lonely and alone forever. Keep in mind that this is not a dating service but if you are married you get kicked out (and yes you still have to pay the dues every month until this runs out). So I eventually sign the paper for 100 a month and I can cancel after 6 months if I don't love it.
One of the last things I had to do was write down why I was joining this club and I almost wrote down that I was conned into this but that is rude. So I promptly hand over my credit card and say OK sign me up. As I walk outside the building I realized three things:
1- I am going to pay 100 month for friends
2- I didn't even like these people
3- I bought the lie that I was so shy that I would never ever have friends, so now I am paying 100 for friends that I won't even like?!?!
As I start the long drive back to my place I realize that I don't want to join this club and I cannot believe that I fell for this. I immediately realize that I am going to have to get out of this ASAP, good thing I read the contract and know how to get out of this... come back tomorrow to find out how that worked for me.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Going to the park
In the past several days Lily and I have been to a park near the house, this park is amazing. I am trying to get out more and see what is available in arlington. So the other day after work Lily and I hopped into the car and decided to head up to Veterans Park. In that the majority of the time my posts are all words... this will be mainly pics.
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| In the car, Lily is thinking 'Mom, let's get out there and smell stuff' |
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| One of the paths, love the trees |
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| From here you head into a wilderness area |
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| Doing a little off the leash work |
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| A man came around the corner and scared us so we got back on the leash |
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| She looks so cranky |
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| I really like this pic of the two of us |
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| I love bridges |
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| I love the water tower in this pic |
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| I liked this sunset at the end of our walk |
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| At the end of our walk, so ready for cool air and water |
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Cookies... Oatmeal Cookies
I really love to bake and recently I have found that I really enjoy making Oatmeal Cookies. There are a few things that I really love about these cookies: 1- they are really easy to make, 2- it only makes 2 dozen so I tend to pace myself, and 3- these are super super chewy. I have made these cookies several different times and loved them every single time. I will admit that my cookies spread out a whole lot and that is a little bizarre but I am not sure how to fix that. This recipe is from MarthaStewart.com and this is the link. I am going to reproduce this recipe for you so that you can see where I think the essential parts are.
Oatmeal cookies
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| The most amazing oatmeal cookies, ever |
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup water (yes water, this surprised me too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal (I use instant even though it says not too, it's because I am a badass..)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg (I do not use fresh, but you could)
Directions
1- Preheat oven to 350 C and line baking sheets with parchment paper (I firmly believe that the parchment paper is important and must be used for all baking)
2- Cream together the first three ingredients (butter, sugar, salt), then add the next three (egg, water, vanilla).
3- Mix all of the dried ingredients together in a different bowl
4- Slowly mix in the dry to the wet ingredients
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| The batter all mixed up... yes I did use a 311 reference right there! |
5- Scoop your dough onto your lined sheets
6- Bake for 20 minutes, I turn once at 10 minutes
7- rest on the sheets for 5 minutes and let cool on a baking rack.
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| These look good enough to eat right... |
One of the things that I think makes these very good is the parchment paper, I have started to use it whenever I bake something on a cookie sheet. I find that this makes all of my cookies taste like they are from a bakery, the right amount of chewy still crunchy edges. This does mean that if you want destroyed cookies, feel free to omit the parchment paper.
I hope that you enjoy these cookies, I really really like them and my grandfather does too. Also if they crumble you can use them as an ice cream topping, to yummy.
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