Good times had by all...

This weekend marked the occasion of the Malone's housewarming/Superbowl party. We had a wonderful time. There was lots of excellent food to be had...and even more excellent company! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Next week is our housewarming...I am hoping to make it a similar success. Jim just informed me that he may arrive early for his Musicbox Concert trip...which would mean he would be the representative of my Iowa peeps at the party ^.^

Met a few really neat, new folks last night...I love good conversation ^.^

Thinking about plans for Valentine's day...*ponders*

Also working on the job finding here. I am signed up to take a couple of exams for a couple of positions that I applied to. One of them would be at the University. I got in touch and talked to someone at a local temp/employment agency that offers lab work. I am pouring over the listings every few days. Keep your little fingers crossed :P

Hark...the laundry summons ;)

...so I spend a good part of the weekend under the weather. I was fine most of Saturday and then started getting the ickies around evening time. Sunday I was mostly zombified. Sabe took care of me...we watched movies and played video games together (that is what one is supposed to do when convalescing after all).

Waiting on my stuff so I can file my tax returns...and it seems good ole Eurofins is dragging their heels. Theirs is the only paperwork that has not shown up! *sigh*

I have an interview at one of the local temp agencies here on Wednesday. They will attempt to help me find a lab job ^.^ Everyone keeps your fingers crossed. The lady I talked to seemed to immediately get that I wanted lab work...not production. I am hopeful. If not I also sent in an application for the local Library system to work there part time.

Chatted with Mr Jim today for a while...things in Jim world seem well ^.^

Saja told me she may come visit us over Spring break...it would be great to have her here. She and her family are currently having a rough time so I think a break would be lovely for her.

Sabe and I are kicking around the possibility of going to Acen...it is looking plausible as we have friends we could stay with and Chicago is only two hours away. We are not so sure we are going to make it to Gen Con this year though...

Forge Midwest is coming up in March...and we were going to attend...but now it has been moved to a weekend when Sabe has to travel for work. *Sigh* We are however going to host a couple of Iowa peeps that are planning on going ^.^

Time to turn my thoughts on the production of dinner type objects...

Enjoyable day yesterday...

We took Autumn in for her rabies shot at one of the local vet clinics. I think we have found our permanent vet. Dr Miller was very good and nice too boot.

We made a trip to the library for more reading materials...which is always a wonderful thing for me. I loves books! I got three new ones to read and returned the two I read in the last two weeks.

The afternoon was taken up by Madison Games day which took place at a local pizza establishment. The gaming was fun (once we got started)...the lunch experience there not so much. The service was painfully slow...and rude to top it off. The food would have been mediocre if it had not been burned around the edges which made the pizza taste of charcoal. *yuck*

While waiting for peeps to game with Sabe and I played poker...he now owes me his soul :P

When we got home I made enchiladas and we watched "9". I liked the movie...even though I agree with Sabe in that the plot is a bit overwrought. I like the atmosphere of it though.

As we were going to sleep Sabe and I made up haiku about our cats ^.^

Look! empty glass box,
a new space I can explore,
I are a catfish!

Little plastic dice,
stop hiding in that small bag,
I hear you, click, click.

If I were a month, I'd be October.
If I were a day of the week, I'd be Saturday.
If I were a time of day, I'd be 5:00pm.
If I were a planet, I'd be Venus.
If I were a direction, I'd be East.
If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be a large overstuffed armchair.
If I were a liquid, I'd be mint tea.
If I were a gemstone, I'd be an amethyst.
If I were a tree, I'd be a Cherry tree.
If I were a flower, I'd be a Lilly.
If I were a kind of weather, foggy and cool.
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be a cello.
If I were a color, I'd be burgundy.
If I were an emotion, I'd be calm.
If I were a fruit, I'd be a raspberry.
If I were a sound, I'd be rain on a rooftop.
If I were an element, I'd be fire.
If I were a food, I'd be a a cheese pizza.
If I were a place, I'd be a mountain lake.
If I were a material, i'd be satin.
If I were a taste, I'd be a bit sweet and sour.
If I were a scent, I'd be lavender.
If I were an animal, I'd be a cat.
If I were a body part, I'd be the eyes.
If I were a facial expression, I'd be quizzical with and arched eyebrow.
If I were a song, I'd be "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve.
If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be red pumps.

So Sabe and I are sitting downstairs watching a movie last night...

My eyes wander about the room...and I go wait...that is not right.

"Honey...Were those two spots up on the ceiling when we moved in?"

"I don't think so..."

"That looks like water damage."

We investigate further and find that the brown spots on two of the ceiling tiles are sort of squishy. So yes, water damage! The spots in question are below where the bathroom is situated (which the seller completely remodled o.O). So something is leaking in there...somewhere...

I don't think it is a big leak...the ceiling tiles in the basement are thin plaster type things. It is just one of those things that one does not plan on... *sigh*

So now a plumber needs to assess the situation so we know what we are in for...


Things would be easier if I could just find a job...

...it's my random ramblings for this week :P

Had a pretty busy weekend. Friday we had to be in Milwaukee at nine in the morning so that made for an early day...and we had stayed up late the night before as we had gaming that night (which was a lot of fun). After the appointment (which went well) we decided to grab some breakfast at a cafe and head home. We squeezed in an afternoon nap...and in the evening we hooked up with some friends to try and play Dune (the board game)...unfortunately Sabe and I both ended up not liking that particular game. So we fled and went to watch something from our netflix list.

Saturday we slept in...in the evening we got together with James and Kristin. I made a Mexican feast and cinnamon rolls for everybody. James made a cocktail for us to try. We also re-watched "Ink" since Kristin asked about it and James had not seen it either. It was just as good seeing it the second time ^.^

Yesterday we mostly vegetated...but we did do the mountain of dishes that resulted from Saturday's festivities. We also got the office whipped into shape to the point where our floor space in there is now clear of boxes. Did not go through all the paperwork...but made it through a good deal of it :)

I have been getting back into playing video games...so nice to have the time...I almost forgot how much I enjoy them :)

I have also been reading like a fiend. I am currently reading Wally Lamb's latest book. We got library cards last weekend and I plan to make good use of mine ^.^

...I are not dead ;)

I am settling into home...last night Sabe and I organized the downstairs game/theater area. There are still a couple of boxes and totes that will need attention eventually, but it is now a nice and usable space. Tonight we are having friends over to give it a tryout ^.^ And next week we have our first official dinner with friends in our new home.

Time to plan a housewarming event. First, however, we need to tackle the office which is still in a state of chaos. Mind you the rooms are going to be organized and functional after this, but they are not going to be finished. I have plans for nearly every single room in this house that includes some sort of change and improvement.

We were thinking of a wine and cheese party as a possibility for the housewarming. We are attending James'and Kristin's housewarming in February.

Sabe and I had a lovely Sunday...we did some shopping for the terrarium and the house (we won't mention the video games..ahem), saw a movie, and went out for sushi. I love my boy! He is made of awesome ^.^

As I mentioned above, I am currently in the process of converting one of my tanks into a plant terrarium. What fish I have left after a recent infection nuked my tank are going to a smaller, easier to keep tank. I am tired of putting so much work and love into something that fails on me in a heartbeat... This is the second time in all the years that I have kept tanks now that my tank crashed for no explainable reason...just one fish caught something and wham everybody except one or two lucky critters succumbs to the plague o.O I even lost Rasputin, my sail-fin pleco, who was the toughest fish ever. I had him for years now :(

In happier news...I am back to gaming. I have joined one of Sabe's gaming groups with Willow as our able DM. We had our first game on Friday and I had a blast. This week Sabe is starting his D&D game back up and I am joining that as well...good times to be had!

Right now I am watching my kittens having a slap fight while playing with the same toy together. So much cute my head may 'splode ^.^

The Holidays are now officially over and it is time to settle back down.

We went to Des Moines over New Years and celebrated with peeps there. There are already a few plans in the making for people to come visit us here over the next year.

Currently waiting for Sabe to get home so we can spring the Woofs from their imprisonment. A friend of ours looked after the girls for us during the weekend. We got a good cat style scolding from both when we walked through the door on Sunday night. Today they have been stuck to me like glue.

Plans for 2010...hmmm, mostly find a job that I can be happy with...maybe, take my GREs and perhaps look into Grad school here at the university.

Mostly just continue to take life one step at a time ;)

Happy New Year everyone...lets hope that 2010 is good to us all!

...we have returned from our Holiday trip. Actually we got back on Sunday evening...but I spend yesterday recovering from traveling and doing battle against our mountain of laundry :P

Picked up the woofs last night. They did well at the boarding kennel and the vet said they were in good health but both need their teeth cleaned.

Autumn is the squishiest kitten ever. She is a cuddle-muffin. She wakes me in the morning by purring and trying to push her little self as close as she can get to me. Both the cats had a fabulous time with all the attention they got at Sabe's parent's house over Christmas. The Christmas tree was a big attraction for both of them...they slept under it together (Sabe got pictures). Autumn tried repeatedly to climb it...just to be plucked from the tree by one us.

We had a wonderful Christmas. I really enjoyed meeting Sabe's parents and siblings. Everyone was just awesome ^.^

At the moment we are trying to figure out if we can make it back to Iowa for the New Years weekend. Trying to arrange for critter care and such. If we go we shall stay with the Saja-monster.

Other than that I am cleaning the house...how do things get dirty when there is no one around to make them that way?

Happy Yule...Merry Christmas...Happy Holidays...and so forth ;)

I figured I would get the seasons salutations out there for everyone :) I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday season. For those whom I do not get to share it with directly this year you are all missed ^.^

Done with the Christmas shopping now...Sabe and I went to the mall on Monday and divided and conquered.

So far we have gone to see a lovely play, and enjoyed a candlelight concert by the Saint Louis Bach Society. Today we wandered about the museum to enjoy an exhibit of Japanese screens. My favorite was a beautiful piece of two contrasting six panel screens...one painted with a maple tree in fall and the other displaying a cherry tree blossoming in spring.

I got a patchwork kitty at the museum gift shop... *squee*

Things have mostly been quite mellow...I like this!

The other night Sabe, his mom Kathy, his brother Patrick, and myself played a board game called "The Witch of Salem" together. The game as it turns out is based on the novels of a German author whose books I have actually read as a teen. ^.^

The cats are having a great time stalking about in a large house with lots and nooks and crannies for them to hang out in. Also there a many folks to heap adoration on the little furry nuggets. Something which Autumn is taking full advantage of.

Time to waste some time playing video games or perhaps to return to the current book I am immersed in...