Mini stories

So many things to tell you that it can only mean one thing.  It's time for.....mini-stories!!

Being in awe of my sister
My sisters rock.  First there is my older sister, Aarti, who you all know of who passed the third round of the Network Star last night.  Whoop, whoop!!  Roo-roo!!  Yeee Haaaaaa!  She is doing so well and I was especially proud of her yesterday as the judges fell more and more in love with her!  I hope you are all watching.  :)

Then there's my younger sister, Crish, who has become an exercise machine!  She did the 30 day shred and I won't embarrass her by posting her after pictures but let me tell you, she could punch you and it would hurt.  I could punch you and you would feel like a strong wind passed by your arm.  I'm so inspired by her.  She works out every morning before work.  I really want to get back in shape and need to really get organized with my day so that I can fit in a work out.  I'm starting to get my priorities straightened out and that is exciting stuff.  She is definitely my inspiration (and my body-guard...watch out)!

Car
I have had my Honda Civic for 5 years now.  75,000 miles and it's doing great!  The car prior was a Pontiac Sunfire and oh my gosh, that was a piece of shit car.  Excuse my language but if you heard the stories, you would definitely agree.  Once the Sunfire finally went bye-bye, the only thing I wanted in a car was reliability.  I didn't care about looks or flashiness...I just wanted something reliable that wouldn't put me in the mechanics once a month.  Enter the Honda Civic and it really has met the need!  But recently I've been getting bored and so Rich and I have been talking about cars.  Ideally I would love to stay with a Honda but the I just can't get in to the CR-V.  It looks way too feminine to me.  Thought about the Hyundai Santa Fe but it has no personality.  Rav4 - the same.  Bor-ing.  And then there is the Kia Sorento.

Well hello good looking!  Isn't she a beauty?  We went to take a look this past weekend and I have to say that I fell in love.  I'm still feeling cautious about the fact that it's a Kia.  How reliable is it?  How well made is it?  Is the warranty plan so fabulous because the cars are that crap?  It's so hard for Kia to break through the mold of their debut on to the market as the 'cheap car'.  We looked at 3 year re-sale value and the Sorento simply does not compare to the CR-V.  Hondas always hold their value so well.  And let's be honest...they are one well put together car!

So in the end, I will continue to dream.  I'm still a couple years out from really buying a new car.  Priorities, priorities...

Education
Speaking of priorities!  I really need to go back to school.  Rich and I are under the 'baby timeline'.  Neither of us really want to be in school while we're parenting.  We've heard from our friends that that sucks and I can definitely see that being just really difficult on us both.  So now is the time. 

Urgh.  I.  Hate.  School.  Which actually is a crazy thing because I love learning!  I'm just not a text-book learner.  Give me a batch of seeds and show me how to grow a garden and I'm your woman.  Teach me via a book and you'll find me a sleeping under the shade of our ficus tree.  But I think I'm going to have to suck it up and just go.  Bank loan here I come.  Urgh.

So I'm thinking about a Masters in Counseling in Human Relations through NAU.  I thought about other schools and other programs but I really want to go to a good school.  I heard University of Phoenix could get me a degree fast and easy but I think I want something better on my resume.  This kind of degree should still allow me to get licensed as a Counselor but I don't have to do as many internship hours so it might be the best shot! 

Dog update
Well Shila went in for her check up.  It's been a month since she last went in.  I am happy to report that she is doing much better!  I am going to switch her to a different glucosamine called Phycox as it is supposedly even better. Only downside of all of this is that she has developed worse allergies - either to the new food or the supplements.  She's licking her paws quite raw so I'm now working on getting that under control.  She's also gained 2 extra lbs in this past month due to the food change.  I swear!  If it's not one thing, it's the other!  But...it's all worth it.  :)

Taz is fine.  Same old, same old.  Oh, I did get my forth bite last week from wonder boy.  That was fun.  Not.  Is it sad that I am now used to getting bitten by the guy?  Arghhh....

House
Sooooo.......we're back looking at houses again.  Yes after we got the house painted and worked on the picture wall!  We've been looking for a month now and finally saw a few homes in a desirable neighborhood that we're starting to like.  Amen!  But.... we're still feeling stuck with the current house.  No decisions as yet but we did see a house that I really did fall in love with yesterday.  Sigh....I can dream, right?  I soooo could see ourselves living there!  But, we'll probably just stay in our current house for a couple years until we're ready to start a family and we're done with school.  Who knows!  I have a love-hate relationship with big decisions!  It could be so exciting but at the same time it's scary.  Who knows if now is really the right time, you know?  Maybe we should just focus on our education first.  Then look at the car.  Then the house.  Then babies.  :)  Woah.  Do you like how babies came last?  Hahaha!!!

Books
Hmmm, thoughts on reading books on the Nook, the Kindle or the iPad?  Rich has been trying to convince me to get an iPad and start reading books on that thing.  Well 5 minutes in to playing with the iPad at the Apple Store and I was feeling nauseous.  I know.  Silly, huh?  The screens kept moving too fast!  I actually kinda like the Nook.  It feels more like a book and is simply to use.  But in the end, I decided that nothing feels as good as a paper book in your hands.  Rich realized that I had made my decision and was deflated.  I wondered who the iPad really was for!  Well I got my answer.  While I was in Omaha my husband ordered the iPad for himself.  :)  Uh-huh!  I see how it is!  It's coming in on Thursday and Rich is thrilled to bits!

Birthday Boy
Ahh, yes!  Rich had his birthday this weekend.  It was a birthday weekend BONANZA!  :)  On Saturday we ran errands together, looked at houses, went out a birthday dinner at a pizzeria joint in Phoenix called The Parlor (highly recommend it) and then out for drinks with friends.  Sunday, it was breakfast at Bosa Donuts, indoor rock climbing, looked at cars, lunch at Jimmy Johns (the best sub place...e-ver), looked at my dream house and then coffee shopping at Barnes & Noble.  Really?  I cannot hang with this boy!  I simply cannot keep up with him!  I'm exhausted!  :)  But he did have a good birthday.  My camera ran out of batteries so I don't have pictures.  Sob...

And that's it for now!  Have I bored you to death???  :)  And now I have two hard boiled eggs to eat for dinner and the Bachelorette to watch.  WooHoo!!

Peace,
~k
ps - I did not check this post for spelling or grammar so apologies there!