reasons to love arizona

For whatever reason, Phoenix made it onto my nice list this week.  See below.

1.  There are more turtledoves than pigeons
2.  I save money on umbrellas
3.  Hobby Lobby is 5 minutes from Seth's house, in the Target Plaza
4.  I get to call myself a Phoenician, which makes me sound important
5.  Coke freestyle

6.  I can wear tank tops and shorts at the same time and not feel cold
7.  The look of joy on Seth's face when we pull up to Firehouse Subs
8.  Geckos
9.  The friendliest cashiers and Walmart greeters you'll ever meet
10.  Bougainvilleas

They are EVERYWHERE.
The grass in the background is not.

11.  A few Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist teach here
12.  There's an adoration chapel 10 minutes from Seth's house and 2 minutes from mine

Francine, I do this for you.

1. The first rule is to post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 things about yourself/your life.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.      I'm such a rebel.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.

No shame.

1.  I hate it when jeans pockets are pulled inside out.
2.  I had a pile of clothes I've been meaning to iron for the past 2 months (no, there are no pj's).
3.  I'm a pro at writing resumes.
4.  I'm slightly embarrassed about loving Taylor Swift's music.  
5.  I really want to own a bicycle.
6.  I'm moving up in the alphabet in 6 months.
7.  I love making fun of terrible movies.
8.  My mom is awesome.  (She still buys me chocolate, and sends it to me every week.)
9.  I love other people's gardens, but not quite enough to want to have my own.
10. My nails are a really awesome color of purple, thanks to my housemate.
11. I feel really important when I put on sunglasses.


1. Favorite go-to meal/recipe? (I just need more ideas to add to my rotation)  


Ha.  I'm humored that you would ask, since I spend an average of 4 minutes cooking every week.  (Seth loves me anyway.)  I'd say either the can of Progresso soup I have sitting in the pantry or maybe pancakes.  I can send you the recipe if you want.  Hope you find that helpful.


2. Drink of choice?


Chai Tea Lattes made with soy milk.  Of course I can't afford them, but they're pretty fantastically delicious.  I also love peach sangria!

3.  Would you rather read the book or watch the movie?


The book snob in me says read, the sloth in me says watch the movie.  I prefer both, so then I can tear apart the movie with my finely tuned critical skills. 

4. Public, private, or home schooled?


Me or my God-willing-future-children-to-be? I was pretty happy with public school.  I have no idea where my children will go to school...one thing at a time!

5. If you won the lotto, how would you spend the money?


Seth and I seriously talked about this just yesterday.  So many things!  I would want to pay off all of my friend's student loans (and my own).  I think I'd take my parents to Ireland, and set up a college fund for these God-willing-future-kids-to-be that I don't have educational plans for.  Maybe a few several pairs of shoes.  And lots of fun pens and stationary.

6. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?


This one's hard!!!  Near all of my family and friends, if that was possible.  I don't exactly have a place nailed down, but I'd like to live somewhere with four seasons and grass and trees and water (sorry Phoenix).  Light on the snow.  Heavy on the sun.


7. Favorite way to waste time/procrastinate?


Ugh.  I wish it wasn't facebook.

8. What is your love language?


Quality time :)

9. Favorite movie?


Jane Eyre.  

10. Favorite TV show?


Downton Abbey/Gilmore Girls.

11. If you could spend one day doing whatever you wanted, what would you do? 


I think I'd like to fast-forward to September 29th, please :)  

Bucket List?

I updated my bucket list today (on tadalists.com, where I indulge my list-writing heart by writing dozens of lists) and had to laugh at myself.  At least my bucket list isn't cliche like everybody else's.

1.  Make and fly a paper lantern.  (Okay, so far not too bad)

2.  Run a half/full marathon. 

I know that I wrote this item two or so years after running a half marathon.  Why did I add something I     already accomplished to my list?  I don't know.  

3.  Write a sweet blog.  

Check. 

4.  Publish something.  

I've got time.

5.  Bake a signature dish.  

FAIL.  I'm desperately trying to find what tastes my garlic and cheese loving fiance and I have in common.  His suggestion:  "If you can't think of anything to cook when we're married, you can always make me a sandwich."  Does a ham and cheese sandwich count as a signature dish?

6.  Make my own cookbook.  

See above.

7.  Get my hair to stay curled for more than 10 minutes.  

Pretty sure this will never happen, but I'm holding onto hope.

8.  Eat a bagel and cream cheese. 

I suppose it's time to start upping the standards for what makes it on here.  

Road Trip!

I think one of my favorite things of being young is having the freedom and energy to have spontaneous adventures.  Like this weekend, when I drove to Vegas.

Don't be too scandalized, dear readers, because I went there to visit my father.

My dad flew down for a business convention for uniforms (Seth's family didn't buy that we were going to a "leather show" in Vegas).  We embarked on our 5 hour journey after deciding just the night before that we were going.  We were there for under 24 hours, but had a great time!

Driving through Arizona is a lot like driving to Utica in the wintertime...raw, deserted, and lifeless.  There was nothing rock, dirt, and cactuses for about the first two hours (God forbid if you need gas or have to go to the bathroom).  I wish I remembered to take a picture, but alas, I did not.  But it looked something like this:

Fine, I'm exaggerating.  It looked more like this:

I'm still kind of torn that there are no trees, but I suppose it's beautiful in its own way.

We spent a wonderful evening with my dad, going to the Guardian Angel Cathedral for Mass (which is located right on the strip...I love how the Catholic Church is present even in the darkest places) and having dinner at the restaurant at the top of his hotel.  Because my dad thinks of everything, he got us a table by the window so we could see the city and the strip at night!  And I do have a picture of this...but a blurry, terrible one.

The quality of this photo is a bit embarrassing, but I'll save my face and blame the waiter.

After breakfast with my dad, Seth and I left for Phoenix the next morning and made a stop at the Hoover Dam.  It was so windy that I'm still pulling the knots out of my hair. (That may or may not be another exaggeration.)  We got some better pictures here. 

I think my favorite parts of the trip were seeing my dad smiling at us as we drove up to the hotel, and getting to talk with Seth for hours on end in the car.  I love unplanned adventures!

What boys do on a Saturday night

I never thought anyone could love Disney songs more than me.  Yes, Seth can.

Love Songs

Since my four followers (+/-3) know Seth pretty well, I'll share a little something I think you'll appreciate.   He sang this to me yesterday:

I love my fiancee!
I love her more than Sesame Street,
I love her more than muppets,
I love her more than my own two feet,
I love her more than puppets.

I love my fiancee!
I love her more than Mario,
I love her more than Nintendo,
I love her more than elbows,
I love her more than a game show.

I laugh at this every time I think about it because it's so Seth.  He's the only person in the world who would compare me to an elbow.  I think if I was to sing him a comparable song, it would go something like this:

I love my fiance!
I love him more than lists of words,
I love him more than beep-beep birds
I love him more than Hallmark movies.
I love him more than Snoopy.  

I love my fiance!
I love him more than pencils and pens,
I love him more than my contact lens.
I love him more than soy cheese,
I love him more than Grace's A.B.C's.*

*But it was really close ;)

Feathered Friends

Why not two posts in one night?  I don't have to work tomorrow after all.

I learned something insightful about myself yesterday:  I love stupid animals.

I should have noticed this a long time ago when I begged my mom for rabbits, fish, turtles, parakeets, hamsters, and Jordan.  But it really hit home a day ago when I was eating lunch with Seth by a duck pond. I only had to see a few of these birds of lesser intelligence before I took off running to the edge of the pond to fling my sandwich at them, abandoning a very confused Seth.  There's something about their thumb-like heads and awkward waddling bodies that make ducks so pathetically lovable.  Seriously, how can you not love this??

Here's a few pictures of Seth and I at the pond (courtesy of Seth and friendly passerby with a moustache and an oversized cowboy hat.  I live in the Southwest).  

                                          I'm cracking up as I write this.  I promise

                                          there was more than one duck here.  

                                           Cool fountain in the back, yes?

This post probably doesn't have a point.  I'm learning.  But did you like it Mom?