A bonus!!

I got a bonus today! Yay!!! Mr. Weill said he had to spend his money before Obama takes it all away. Too bad election is only 4 days away and thus that impending threat ends.

Last night Chad and I had our own little Halloween celebration, if you would call it that. We carved pumpkins (which I discovered is not at all as easy as it looks but I think it was definitely worth it), watched The Corpse Bride while craving those pumpkins (loved it! it's a musical believe it or not), and got sick off of candy corn and candy pumpkins. So I discovered when we finished that this was also Chad's first pumpkin to carve. I thought we did really well for the first time. His turned out really well. We took pictures. I'll have to post them when I get home.

Happy Halloween and Reformation Day!

I know someone really famous

I just got back from a lunch date with my husband. I'm so so full and feel like I can't even move around the office. We went to a Aladdin, a Greek restaurant downtown. And get this - our meal was only 5.46! And that included an appetizer! All thanks to this site (click on site). They give you a 2 week free trial which we're using now. I've gotten coupons for 2 for the price of 1 meals at two Greek places, two Mexican, 1 Indian restaurant, and a whole lot more. They have a lot of shopping coupons too. Chad bought 2 dvds for the price of one this past Sunday. The bad part is that you have to use the coupons by the time the free trial ends. I don't know how much membership is but we're thinking it may be worth it with all this free stuff! And it's stuff that we were going to buy anyway!

Yesterday Chad got his absentee ballot. I got to put my notary power into use! He had to fly it to Olive Branch last night putting him home at 3 in the morning :( Oh well...time is money and that was a 5 hour paid job! Anyway, here's the real story I'm getting at....I personally know one of the presidential candidates! I'm sure you've all heard of him. Ted Weill of the Reform Party. He's my bosses dad. I've met him on a few occasions. Mr Weill (my boss) is kind of embarrassed about it. In fact, he had me go the Secretary of State's Office to turn in his dad's paper work because people know him there and he didn't want them to think that he supported him or was voting for him. So this morning I came in and teasingly told him that I saw his dad on the ballot last night and I kind of felt an obligation to vote for him since I had such a key part in his being on the ballot. Then he told me that word somehow leaked out at his son's school that his grandfather was running for president and that the school was holding their own election for the kids to see how they vote and his dad won! So, Mr. Ted Weill may not win the presidency but he's got the vote of Jackson Prep!

Gas is 2.08 now!

Not really much to say

I went home to Natchez this weekend. Every time Chad and I go to Natchez my family is always busy so we don't get to spend much time with them, so that's what I did! I had a really good time and got some good shopping bargains :) However, I was by myself, so I was very, very, very happy to get back to Jackson, to Chad!

Sunday was Chad's first Sunday as intern at First Presbyterian Church in Brandon. He gets to lead the responsive reading and later will be teaching a Sunday School class (I don't know if they call it Sunday School in the Presbyterian church?). I lied to him and told him I wouldn't be coming back till that night but I surprised him by showing up just in time for church. He did good, I was proud of him! Though I kind of wish I had stayed in Natchez. He was planning on surprising me by washing all the clothes that afternoon. So alas, I returned home and had to wash five loads of laundry on my Sunday afternoon :( But he got to catch up on his reading for class, so it all worked out....I guess.

Tonight's agenda is Heroes - YAY!!!!! And chili for supper, yum!

Oh, my mom has a blog. (Click on blog).

recipes

This is what I cooked for supper last night. And it was all so so yummy! My favorite was the soup. Chad really liked the sandwiches.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 8 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 8 slices French bread
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded cheese and garlic salt. Beat until smooth.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread cheese mixture on 4 slices of bread, then top with the other 4 bread slices. Lightly butter both sides of each sandwich. Place sandwiches in skillet, and grill until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Spinach Souffle Bake
serves 12 (I divided it by three)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 (10 ounce) packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease sides and bottom of an 8 inch square baking dish.

1. In a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese and eggs. Stir in spinach, salt, nutmeg, and 11/4 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese. Mix until well blended. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
2. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until firm. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tomato Basil Soup
serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (11.5 ounce) can tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 20 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, vegetable juice, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil. At this point, you may puree the soup if you wish. Add the cream and butter; return to medium-low heat, and stir until butter is melted. Serve immediately.

a boring day at the office

I am so so bored. I've done absolutely everything here at the office. I've even been racking my brains trying to come up with stuff to do - but nothing. It's amazing how slow time moves too when there's nothing to do. One whole hour and fifteen gigantic minutes till I'm out of here....ugh.

The Andrew Peterson concert was amazing! Though getting back at 2 o'clock in the morning wasn't so amazing, especially when you have to be at work at 8:30. So I guess, come to think of it, though I am incredibly bored right now, it does beat being miserably tired all day like yesterday. When I got home from work I went straight to the couch and didn't wake up till Chad got home at nine. Some chicken strips, french fries, and two episodes of House later, I was back asleep for the night!

Tonight I'm finally making Chad a birthday cake (I know, two days later). His favorite cake is German Chocolate so that is what it will be. I hope, Claire, that you and Wesley like it too because it will be accompanying us to Natchez this weekend so it won't stay at my house and be consumed by me and my growing hips. Even though I don't like flavored chocolate, I will still eat every single bit because it's sugar!! That is how addicted I am to sugar, it can exceed my dislike for the flavored chocolate. It's makes no sense.

I'm so glad tomorrow's Friday! A new paycheck and a road trip! yay!

Today and six random things about me

My mouse is dying and I don't think I have any batteries left here. Good thing I'm only working for a couple of hours today. My boss is on a hunting trip in Michigan so yesterday I didn't come in at all (which means my house FINALLY got completely picked up, yay!) and today I'm just staying till I finish up some filing and till the mail comes.

Today is Chad's birthday. I think it's going to be pretty sad because we've already done the big celebration stuff. I gave him his big gift while we were at the restaurant Friday night. I gave him a trip to St. Louis - specifically the City Museum. When we were dating we had talked about what places we wanted to see and go to one day, and he said the City Museum. I have to say it does look pretty cool. Check it out for yourself - www.citymuseum.org.

Tonight we're going to a free (yay!) Andrew Peterson concert in Tupelo. I'm so excited!! I've never heard him in person but I hear he's really really good. I love his cd's so I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Sooo, since I had the great honor of being tagged, here are 6 random things about me:

1. I love chocolate but hate the flavor of chocolate. I know kind of confusing, so let me explain. It's more like chocolate flavored things that I don't like. For examples, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate milk shake, etc. - can't stand those things! But when it comes to chocolate bars, just plain ol' chocolate the way God intended it, um um, so good!! I will say that brownies are in exception to this rule. They taste more like "real" chocolate instead of that nasty imitation stuff.

2. I have a sock phobia. Seriously, socks are the grossest things on the planet. I'll freak out if one gets on me. I don't mind mine so much but I only wear them when I absolutely have to - when I have to wear tennis shoes. Uh, they're so gross!!

3. I use to be a Civil War nerd. I could tell you about every single battle - all the details, I had a gazillion books about the war, I collected Civil War Barbies (I guess they would actually be called Kens). Those are just a few things, it was bad. In fact, it use to be my dream to visit all the major battlefields in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland for my honeymoon. I changed my mind when I got a little older :) Though Chad has promised me that one day we'll do that, so the nerdiness is still in there. This is probably why I can't say much about my husband's Star Wars nerdiness.

4. Gah, this is getting hard to come up with things!.....I love John Wayne movies. Really any western, but John Wayne, he's my man!

5. I would rather do dishes for a week than cook for one night. I will say that my hatred for cooking is getting better. It use to be I would rather do dishes for a month than cook one meal. Maybe one day I will find joy in the act of cooking but for now the only joy I receive from it is knowing that it is 100% solely in act of love for my husband and I wouldn't do it for any one else.

6. I use to hate my husband. Like seriously, loathe him. (I know Christian's aren't suppose to hate, but I'm just going to be honest, I'm a sinner and I hated). Of couse this was way, way before I had any idea that he would be my husband. When I was in 7th gr. he teased me in front of a big group of people (more like chewed me out - he must have been having a really bad day and took it out on me) for being shy, and from that day on I couldn't stand him. Of couse he remembers absolutely nothing about it, and doesn't believe that this really happened, but I can assure you, it did. I guess the jokes on me because now I LOVE the guy I use to hate. Funny how things change.

This is a way, way too long post. I hope people read it.

Oh yeah, Claire, you're tagged.

Yay for fine dining!

Chad's birthday is on Tuesday but we're having an early birthday celebration tonight. When I bought my wedding dress at David's Bridal, I got a $50.00 coupon to be used at several restaurants. We're going to redeem that tonight! Of course the catch is that you have to spend at least 100 dollars but considering the entrees are between $24.00 and $34.00 a piece, I don't think that will be too hard to do. I've been keeping the place a secret from Chad but I know he never looks on here so here's the place: http://www.elixirms.com/. I'm so so excited! We're definitely getting the sushi appetizer. I haven't decided which entree I want yet. I guess I have till tonight to decide :)

I bought a new dress just for tonight. I'm actually probably more excited about the dress than the meal because here's why: I've had my eyes on this dress for a long time but when I tried it on before, I couldn't get the zipper zipped and was not about to go up a size. I'd rather go without a dress then get anything but an extra small! Anyway, so when I tried it on again this week, I got it zipped and it fits perfect! It's amazing what cooking every night instead of going out to eat can do for one's figure!

Goal for this weekend: Get the house picked up and cleaned - SPOTLESS!

funnel cake, tram ride, farris wheel, blooming onion, and taffy =

THE FAIR!! We went to the fair last night. It was a lot of fun. That's all for now :)

Yay for The Office at eight tonight!

day two accomplished = mission accomplished!

Last night I cooked meat loaf, onion roasted potatoes, and Chad made green bean casserole. The past two meals have made enough left overs for the next two days so my goal for the week has been accomplished!!! (we leave friday afternoon for his parents that's why I only have two more days to go) Two meals, not too bad. I think I can get use to this :)