What I Was into in February

Another month - come and gone just like that. I don't know what your February held...but I suppose if you read my blog on a routine basis, you know what my February held! As always, this is just a small recapping of the things I was interested in and amused myself with while the chilly days of February flew by! And by chilly I mean, holy crap this past month was frigid!

Books I Read

The Professor & the Madman by Simon Winchester - This was the book club selection for our February meeting and it was yet another book I'd have never chosen on my own time - but I read it for book club and it was actually fairly good. This book is non-fiction and tells the story of the creation of the English Oxford Dictionary and the intersection of the lives of the two very different men who were tantamount to it's creation. The book is pretty short and sweet and I must say, proved to be more interesting than I originally thought.

Riveting, no doubt.

A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Another book club read! This book was certainly a different one - a utopian novel set in a "brave new world" where people are decanted, (not born) are grown to serve a certain purpose in society, conditioned for only happy feelings and taught to have as many partners as possible - enjoying oneself is key. I wasn't at all surprised to see that this book has made numerous banned book lists over the years; I can see why it would have caused a stir...especially since it was published in 1931. A good book though and I really enjoyed reading it. Word from my Mom is that she hates it...

Not sure I'd want to live in this world...

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon - The sixth book in the Outlander series; I finally had the time on my hands at the end of the month to put this book out of it's misery, ha-ha! I think I've been bouncing around on this book since sometime in late December. The story follows Jamie and Claire as they face the oncoming Revolutionary War - Claire knows what the future will hold for the young country of America and she must help Jamie and their family navigate the dangerous waters that war will lead them through.

Finally finished this one!

Books in the Queue

Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall - Our book club read for April; this is the story told in the Gone with the Wind but from the perspective of a slave on Tara Plantation. I'm really looking forward to reading this one!

*And to be honest, I have got so many books on my bookshelf right now that I still need to read, there is no telling what I'll end up reading next. So this section will just have to be left at the one book because what I read next is anyone's guess, ha-ha!*

Can't Miss Television

Being Human (UK Edition) - I watched the remake of this; the US version, on SyFy pretty religiously and so when I discovered the original was on Netflix (seriously, Netflix has opened up so many doors for me with television watching...) I had to check it out. I love the similarities and differences - I also absolutely love Russell Tovey and Aidan Turner, who play George and Mitchell. So far I've only made it through the first season and a wee bit into the second season but I'm enjoying it immensely! The show follows (much like the US version) Mitchell (a vampire) George (a werewolf) and Annie (a ghost) as they struggle to fit in with the world around them and be something similar to human. I think my favorite part is that Annie makes tea all the time because that's all she really is able to do...at least at first. Ha-ha!

It's hard to "be human"

House of Cards - Season Three! Spoiler Alert if you haven't watched this far - and that means you Ginger! The story picks up six months after Frank has taken his place in the Oval Office; his approval rating is not great, Claire is bored with only being the First Lady, tensions with Russia are high and a once trusted friend is turning his coat...and that's only in the first five episodes. Where the Underwoods always seemed to have a firm grasp of every situation they were presented in seasons one and two, their hold on power in season three seems tenuous at best in season three. Perhaps the House of Cards they've built themselves is about to fall? I'll have to continue watching but I must admit, I'm proud I didn't just blaze through all thirteen episodes in one sitting - I have a wee bit of self-control.

Oh the Underwoods....

Ellen's Furniture Design Challenge - This was a show my Mom and I saw preview for and just decided on a whim to check it out; it has really been a neat show. Six designers were chosen by Ellen DeGeneres and each week they have to make a piece of furniture that falls within certain guidelines. As with most any show like this, each week a contestant is eliminated. We had an early favorite who went home after four weeks and now with just the finale to go, it's anybody's game but I think everyone in our house is cheering for Tim to win. I've been so impressed (and at times horrified, ha-ha) by the level of creativity and skill that these designers have showcased over the weeks and thoroughly enjoyed watching it!

I like that yellow chair....

Movies I Watched

American Beauty - I have heard so much about this movie over the years and since Netflix has opened the door to so many different options; I decided to watch it. The story follows the life of Lester Burnham; a middle-aged man who has a listless marriage, a teenage daughter that despises him and a job that he hates. Lester has a bit of a midlife crisis: quits his job, starts smoking dope and lifting weights, buys the proverbial midlife crisis hot rod and even becomes a bit too obsessed with his daughter's best friend. The movies ends in a way I certainly didn't expect but I enjoyed it all the same and it was certainly an interesting tale. All this time all I've ever heard about this movie is the weird obsession that Lester has with his daughter's friend - and while that's a part of the movie - there was so much more to it than that. I think I could watch this movie over and over and get something different out of it - but the main theme is to live life; be an active participant and don't go through your life in a daydream.

This movie was...different...

Fargo - I loved the television show that premiered in early 2014 that was based on this movie and again, courtesy of Netflix I was finally able to watch this movie. It cracked me up...and it probably wasn't supposed to do that but it reminded me so much of the TV show and the accents that each of the characters have - well they're hilarious! Fargo follows bumbling car salesman Jerry Lundeegard as he tries to orchestrate his wife's kidnapping in an effort to get money; the kidnapping goes horribly awry, things spiral out of control and police officer Marge Gunderson must follow the clues to solve the mystery. I enjoyed the movie - I think I enjoyed the TV show better. I know, probably a sacrilege or something...but oh well. *I've since read that this is considered a "dark" comedy, so maybe it was supposed to crack me up...in a weird way...*

Also another interesting movie...

Snowpiercer - Oh what a movie; I've been back and forth about watching this for about a month now and I finally decided to bite the bullet (train) on Friday night and just watch it. The films follows the survivors of a global apocalypse who live on board a train called the Snowpiercer. The train circles the globe and a class system has emerged on the train; Curtis, a member of the lower class located at the tail of the train leads a revolt to get to the front of the train and make changes. The film itself was a bit odd...but also intriguing and as the group of revolutionaries move closer to the front of the train, the cars become more extravagant and amazing. I'm glad I watched it but I don't know if I could recommend it...not because I didn't like it, but I don't know if I know anyone else who would like it!

Fighting your way to the front is dangerous...

Despicable Me 2 - I finally got around to watching this one, courtesy of my minion-crazed friend Katie. I loved Despicable Me and I'm not sure why it took me so long to watch this one, but I loved this one just as much as the first. The story follows Gru as he is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help seek out and take down a new and "evil" threat. The antics are made funnier as Gru navigates the waters of romance, raising three girls and corralling all of his minions; made especially more challenging when some of them are snatched and turned a funny shade of purple...ha-ha! As my sister also pointed out - the guacamole hat is delightful; someone should make that a real thing.

Altogether more delightful.

Horrible Bosses 2 - The last day of the month was obviously sequel day...ha-ha! I'd been waiting to see this since it came out last Fall and this was the first opportunity. I absolutely love the Horrible Bosses trio and the first movie is most likely one of my favorite comedies - ever. The second one...well, not so much. The story follows Nick, Kurt and Dale as they endeavor to be their own bosses, try to sell their invention and have it stolen from them...which leads them to plan a kidnapping in an effort to steal back their company and their money. Hi-jinks ensue and Jennifer Anniston and Kevin Spacey makes cameos as two of the three original Horrible Bosses...but it just didn't quite have the same magic as the first.

A bit more "horrible" than the original...

Music I Listened To

House of Cards Soundtrack by Jeff Beal - This music is very intense and somewhat empowering. I guess it makes me feel a little bit fierce, ha-ha. I must confess, I listened to this music when I went on all my job interviews because it made me feel a little bit like I could take over the world. :)

Outlander Soundtrack by Bear McCreary - Another companion to a show that I love; all of the music on this soundtrack is just really beautiful Scottish music and I love it. I joked with my Dad that maybe I enjoy the music so much because of our Scottish ancestry; regardless of why I enjoy it, it's certainly beautiful music.

Drops in the Ocean by Hawk Nelson - Another great song I've come upon while listening to K-Love; it has a great beat and and awesome message - which of course are two things I really love!

Theater & the Like

Sleepy Hollow: The Ballet - Which didn't happen because snowpocalypse happened on Saturday the 21st and it coincided with the stomach bug of 2015. So, this part of the post is a bust. And yes, we were all really sad about this. :( I guess I'll make it to the Kennedy Center at some point, but apparently in February of 2015 it wasn't meant to be.

Yummy in my Tummy

Kirkland European Cookies - Oh my you guys. Our church has a Valentine Banquet/Silent Auction for gift baskets and this year, my family won a tea basket. A packet of these cookies was included with the basket and they are to die for. All manner of chocolate and shortbread awesomeness in one box.

Oh my yes - these are lovely!

Albanese Gummy Bears - A little treat that my Mom brought back from her weekend visit to Indiana; these are the absolute best gummy bears ever in creation. I discovered that the peach gummy bears might actually be my favorite; they are the most delightful.

Yes please - I'll take all of them.

What I'm Looking Forward To

Starting my new job! What!! That's right - March will bring with it the awesome start to a new journey for me, working at Creveling Wealth Management. I can't wait to start this new job! It will be so awesome to see how things unfold, learn some new things, step back into the work week hours of 8-5 and have the weekends to get on with adventures again.

Hopefully some more Spring-like weather! Although I've been warned that the snow in Virginia likes to hang around sometimes till almost April, so that may not happen. I guess I'll take whatever comes, right? Can't do much to sway Mother Nature! 

Watson Wednesday - Snow Day Edition

Snow Watson (#snowwatson) in action - living the dream!

You Might be Seeing a Theme Here

So - as you look through all the pictures from this past week, you may begin to notice a recurring theme - there is a lot of white. Mostly because that has been the landscape for the entirety of the past week and weekend. It started snowing last Saturday and has continued to do that in some form or another almost every day this week. I don't know what your sentiments are on Winter where you live, but I've about had enough of it to last until at least November or December.

Monday - we welcome Winter Storm Octavia...

I don't know why I'm making this face _ guess I was confused by the snow?

I was off work on Monday and so I battened down the hatches to wait for Winter Storm Octavia to arrive - and arrive it did around 10:30 or 11. Nothing too crazy but snow just started to float down and down and down and continued to do so all day long and into the night. A friend of ours stayed with us on Monday night so she could get to and from work in the snow on Tuesday morning - she lives in the mountains and it isn't exactly easy to get down back roads in the snow - and so we had a grand time watching the snow fall, eating taco soup and watching some Monday night TV together. My parents probably had a less grand time on Monday night; my Mom was flying back from a weekend in Chicago with a friend and once she got to the airport in DC, she had to catch two metros out to Vienna where my Dad picked her up and then they slowly crept home on snow-covered roads. I was glad I missed that experience but it was silly of me to think that...because I'd have my own, much worse experience later in the week.

Puppy tracks in the snow.

Monday night, before the snow plow truck arrived. 

I've had so many friends in MS text me and tell me how pretty/beautiful/lovely the snow looks and let me tell you - it does look lovely and beautiful and pretty...for about an hour. After that, along come dogs to pee in it, plow trucks to crunch it up, people to walk through it and make it brown and gray and black and gross. It has been so cold here that snow piles up in mounds 6-8 feet high and will honestly probably be there until sometime in late March or early April when Spring arrives and properly begins thawing things out. This Winter; my first in Virginia, has certainly been a crash course in learning all about the realities of snow. I still love it but this week has tested that relationship 100%...especially when Saturday rolled around and it looked like a blizzard outside. At this point, I have seen enough snow and when I look at the forecast and see that it's scheduled to snow again...well I just want to scream a little bit.

The "pretty" snow makes everyone;s cars look messy (okay, that's really salt that they use to keep snow from making roads slippery...but still)...

When the snow melts, it slides down the car & forms huge icicles that look like they are anchoring the car to the ground. Pretty funny.

Tuesday afternoon exploration party across the frozen tundra....

I guess his food bowl makes a good nap spot?

Wednesday was a gorgeous day - the forecast called for snow but I just had a hard time believing that with how nice it was outside - I should have believed it though. I spent the day running errands for my new job; I had to go pick up paperwork to fill out and I went to have fingerprints done. I have to say, I am so excited about my new job; the people I will be working with are absolutely great and I can't wait to join their team! We all clicked from my first interview and I know I'll love working with this company. Once I finished running around the countryside on Wednesday, I went home for just a little while before going into work and out of nowhere...literally, out of a clear blue sky, over the mountains came a crazy blizzard! It only lasted about fifteen minutes but it might have been the wildest showing of weather since I've been here. Huge flakes swirling so fast and thick that within minutes, the view of the road had been obscured from view and the back porch was completely covered - it was wild - and just like that, it was gone!

About the business of work business...ha-ha!

A puppy paw in the snow, tracking a kitty paw in the snow - Watson has cat fever bad!

The snow arrives out of nowhere...

Covers the deck in a matter of minutes...& did I mention you can normally see the highway & the mountains from here?

Traffic lights plastered with snow!

Even the weeds in the field had a pretty intense dusting of the stuff!

The weather really got fun on Thursday when the highs hovered somewhere in the single digits and when the wind blew (which was basically all the time) it was in the negative - you guys, that is COLD. So far Watson has done really well with the cold but once it got this cold...well, I think he has reached his limits. Even with his toasty sweater on, when I take him out he immediately finds a potty spot, uses the restroom and then turns tail and hauls for the front door. He does still love snow and bounds through it with wild abandon; even when he sinks into the snow up to his neck he happily crawls himself out and keeps right on exploring. He's adjusted so well to living in Virginia and the snow but I do think he's really not too interested in frigid cold, ha-ha.

The many faces of Amelia at Kitchen of Hope!

She wasn't quite awake when I took this picture, bless her.

Frigid Friday morning solution - just curl yourself around the heat vent!

The gigantic snow piles at the mall - huge hills that will probably be with us till March...

Friday when I got to work, I got some rather ominous news - news that should have told me what my weekend might hold - but I tried to remain optimistic. My assistant manager had been sick with some strain of a stomach virus/flu on Tuesday and Wednesday but she was back at work on Thursday; even though she felt pretty weak. That alone wouldn't have been too alarming but on Thursday and Friday two other co-workers went down with the same thing and when I got told that on Friday at work...knowing that I'd worked with all three of them at some point over the past week, well I got a bit worried. I passed my afternoon at work, went home and had pizza for supper (I know...oh gee...) while the parents and I had a House of Cards marathon and then I went to bed, excited for Saturday: we were going to see the ballet Sleepy Hollow at the Kennedy Center and I was praying the snow would hold off. I prayed for the wrong thing...ha!

Watson (who has been hashtagged as #snowwatson by Hope) exploring the snowy streets on Friday afternoon.

Peering around the trees at something across the golf course...

Lemon cupcakes that I won in a Facebook post - pretty tasty.

Saturday - oh can I just attest to what a miserable day it was. I woke up at 5 AM with stomach problems of a whole different nature than throwing up and dealt with that until almost 8 AM. My stomach felt so unsettled and all I could do was try to tell myself that I was NOT getting sick...I was not. Of course, the sky started pouring snow around 8 AM and it was not light and fluffy! We weighed our options and decided we'd try to make the drive into DC so we didn't lose our tickets to the ballet - we'd just take it slow and steady and my Mom was certain I'd feel better once we got to DC. We were operating on optimism here people! The best idea of the day? My Dad suggesting that we bring some plastic bags in the car just in case - which, thank the good Lord we did because we hadn't made it 45 minutes down the road before my stomach problems took a turn for the worse. The dreaded stomach virus/flu/illness had struck and it had struck at a horrible moment. We got almost to the Vienna Fairfax exit before realizing that as slow as we were moving, we weren't even going to make it to the Kennedy Center on time for the ballet.

This realization was swayed by the fact that I threw up for a second time and so we decided to just give it up and turn back. All the news we saw showed that the snow would eventually turn to sleet and it would make the roads that much worse. So our Saturday fun? Joy riding on the snow and ice, taking 4.5 hours to drive what would normally take us 2 hours to do and throwing up in Wal Mart bags in the back seat! Sound like a good time to you? Ha-yeah right! It obviously exhausted everyone because once we got home (around 2:30...we'd left at 10:30) it didn't take long and all three of us were asleep. It snowed from 8 in the morning and was still snowing when the sun set.

The roads on the way to DC on Saturday - taken before the stomach virus crap took hold...

The only thing I "ate" for about 24 hours. Lovely.

Sunday was a long day as well. I started to struggle back to feeling like I wasn't going to die on the bathroom floor - I was able to sip some Gatorade and finally took the bait on a piece of toast, mostly because my head was pounding due to lack of food. It's funny when your body revolts against you - it doesn't really revolt as a unit; your stomach turns on you but your head is still like "hello...I need you to feed me!" *sigh* Of course Sunday was absolutely beautiful and I spent most of it on the couch. My parents built some amazing snow creatures and played with Watson in the snow for almost two hours; happily taking advantage of the gorgeous weather.

Probably the most snow we've gotten since I have lived here.

Always begging for food...even if it's the first piece of real food that I've had in almost 48 hours.

Playing in the snow is tiring.

All in all, this past week was good but man, the weekend definitely took things to a new level of crummy. I told my Mom that I didn't think I'd had a stomach bug/flu in a long time and I don't care to have it again. Heaven knows, I'm  making the climb back to feeling normal (I actually ate some real food today, ha-ha) but the weekend whacked the week in the face! Eek! 

Watson Wednesday - Número Cinco

A look back at when he was a silly goose.

The Week that Something Awesome Happened!

Yet another post where I'm sitting and writing this while I wait to see what kind of crazy winter weather Mother Nature will deliver to us - supposedly 5-8 inches of snow. Granted, a Weather app that I have also said it's supposed to start snowing in the next 15 minutes and that hasn't come to pass...yet...

It's coming though; the Winter weather. Whether it be a light dusting or a intense downfall, something will happen - so I might as well blog while I wait to see what happens, right? This week has been full of some wonderful moments and one or two crummy ones, but overall it was a week that I'll remember for a good while. Some weeks pass and you don't want to remember them; you wish you could strike them from the record of your life and not look back, this week was NOT one of those weeks, ha-ha!

Watson loves to find new and soft spots to take naps - he especially likes to nap on my bed.

I found these at a pet shop in Winchester & just couldn't resist.

This week could probably best be titled as "I'm Going to get a Job this Week" and that would be the best way to describe it. I was off all day Monday and my only commitment was a job interview in the afternoon. I go through weird cycles before a job interview; I get excited and then I get nervous and then once I arrive at the interview, I feel completely calm. Someone told me once that I did really well in an interview setting and I think I've held onto that and ran with it. Regardless; I went into my interview and really enjoyed meeting the people at the office and enjoyed the time I spent in the interview - I suppose they liked me just fine because I was asked to come back on Thursday and meet with the owner! I took that as a good sign and headed home feeling like things might be about to change for me - and for the better, ha-ha!

Watson thinks he's begging on the sly...

Tuesday morning sunrise! 

Watching the world go by from his spot in the chair...

Tuesday and Wednesday seemed to pass pretty fast and furious - I spent all day Tuesday at Hallmark; working actual 9-5 hours like I had once gotten so accustomed to. Wednesday morning was taken up with a follow-up interview/working interview with another company; this interview also went well and when I went to meet my Mom for lunch, I again had that feeling that perhaps the days of working retail to scrape together money to pay the bills might be something that was about to be in the past. I enjoyed spending Wednesday night at Bible Study with the wonderful ladies at my church; it's a rare and wonderful thing to find such love and support in a group of ladies but I certainly feel like I have that with the ladies group at our church. I was overjoyed about my prospective job possibilities and everyone there was excited along with me!

Amelia just couldn't hang with us on Wednesday night...

A look at some days (actually probably weeks) old snow for all my friends in the South.

Snow flurries abounded here...starting on Thursday & coming & going every day since...

Thursday was the day - the day that made this week so memorable - because on Thursday, I got a job! I think I'll save the tale of that for another post but suffice it to say, I went for my follow-up interview and within a little over an hour of leaving, I'd been offered a job. A job that I immediately accepted because I loved the office, I love the environment and I loved the people that I met with - I immediately felt at home in the office and I just knew; I knew after months of prayer for the Lord to bring me the right job, this was THE job. And so I start that job on March 4th and I cannot wait! The reaction from friends and family was absolutely awesome and I couldn't have been more excited - I've spent the rest of the week and weekend on cloud nine and I can't wait to see what the future brings!

Slightly excited about my new job!

Are you joking me with this weather?

Happy (early) Valentines Day - my parents are so sweet!

The weekend seems like it went by in a blur - we drove into DC on Friday night to take my Mom to the airport and then spent the rest of the night trying to find somewhere to eat, ha-ha! It's next to impossible to find food at a sit down restaurant on a Friday night, especially when it's the Friday before Valentines Day! Texas Roadhouse finally came to our rescue and we ate and headed on home. Saturday morning we found ourselves in the same position - the wait time at IHOP: an hour and 45 minutes, the wait time at Cracker Barrel: 45 minutes, the wait time at Bob Evans: 15 minutes, which was really 30 but we stayed there anyway.

Blazing through DC on a Friday evening...

Cuddling with my boo on a chilly Saturday morning.

I worked on Saturday night and when I left for work, it was windy and cold and that was about all. I arrived at work at 5:30 and the skies were clear. Forty-five minutes later, snow had come out of nowhere and the whole parking lot was completely covered with snow - the weather is crazy like that. I wasn't too concerned until it came time to drive home and then things got real. I'd been told that the main roads were fine, but I obviously use different main roads than some other people because my drive home was not fine - it was the ultimate driving test. The roads were mostly covered in snow and I could feel my tires playing tug of war with not sliding me off the road. I made it almost to the house before I slid along for a while...luckily I remembered not to hit the brakes and I managed to get off the road, slowly creep down the hill and back up it to where our house is. I've never been so glad to be somewhere...and I'd rather not have to drive on the snow again! Eek! It's safe to say the road crews were not prepared for this little dusting of snow...

It only took 45 minutes...

Oh look - the road is covered with snow. Lovely.

Walking the dog in negative temps - always an adventure.

Sunday was COLD. Guys, I'm talking it was absolutely frigid and the roads were covered in icy crappiness and I was battling the beginning stages of a crappy cold and no one likes that. After my Dad and I watched a couple cars trying to slip and slide down the road out of our neighborhood, we decided we'd be better suited to stay put and not risk the big slide down the hill. I spent the day alternately sleeping and taking DayQuil and just generally doing a whole lot of nothing. Once the roads were cleared, we did go to church on Sunday night for the Silent Auction/Valentine dinner and then I was all too happy to end the night with tea, Downton Abbey and crawling into my toasty bed while the freezing wind whipped outside the house.

Watson was only interested in staying good & snuggled up.

Dad really outdid himself with our lunch on Sunday.

Sunday night at church - food & friends.

Watson relaxing on Sunday night. He's so weird.

So - that was this week in a nutshell. The awesomeness of getting a job made this week an absolutely wonderful week. Sure, getting a cold wasn't exactly splendid...but nothing could dampen the thrill of my new job. Absolutely nothing. So, here's to many more weeks filled with awesome; I'm sure they'll be happening - because I think finding the awesome in things can be done. You just have to look a little harder some weeks than others.