Constant happenings and random occurences

Good News Everyone!

2010-02-02T23:39:00.000-05:00

Holy crap. It's been forever since I have updated this thing. Well, good news, I finally bought a computer!
I'm very happy with it so far, but then again it's only been 2 hours. I'll have more to add later. Stay tuned for updates about my life, or just check back periodically when you are bored. I'm fine with either one.

Wizard Angst

2009-09-10T23:03:00.000-04:00

I really want to update my blog. However, things are preventing me from doing this:
1) My computer is kaput. It has breathed it's last breath. It is no more.
2) I can't buy a new computer because we bought new glasses, my car died and needed it's own computer, and then our water heater broke. If none of these things had happened it still may not have been prudent to spend the money on a new computer but, seeing how they did, the point is moot.
3) If (miraculously) I had an extra $700 for a computer I think I would have gone to Wrockstock instead.
4) That line of thinking just makes me want to lay in bed and cry because I miss my friends that live all over the USA and Wrockstock would have been my only chance to see them all together.

Since I don't simply want to write a blog reminiscent of my teenage angst years, I would like to refrain from going in depth on any of these topics. So....I'm out of ideas. No blog.

I'll think of something sooner or later. Eventually I'll get pictures off my camera and write about what I've been doing. For now though, I'm just going to be sad and annoyed.

Sorry kids.

Faith in Humanity Restored

2009-08-24T15:22:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Sunday, Zack and I went out to run a few errands, nothing exciting just getting odds and ends. On the way home I asked him if we could stop and check out a local park. We've lived here for a year now and keep saying we should stop by, but just never did. So, we drove around a bit, then parked and took a little walk around.
Now, I don't know if you are like me but the large majority of the time I'm pretty disenchanted with humanity. No one is very polite anymore, cars cut you off every time you're on the road and just the general jackassery of people. I know I complain about encounters out in the world a lot more than I say "what a lovely time I had at WalMart.". Which makes me feel negative and I hate being "Negative Nelly" all the time. So, yesterday was exactly what I needed.
As Zack and I walked around the park we realized we were probably the only people there without kids. There were pavilions full of birthday parties and family gatherings. Balloons were tied to the end of picnic tables, the smell of grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and the happy shrieks of children from the slides and swings filled the air. We stopped on a little bridge overlooking a stream and as an elderly gentleman passed us he jokingly told us not to jump in (it was maybe a 5 foot drop into about 2 inches of water). Further down the stream I could see older kids hopping across the stones.
We kept walking until we came to a little train that kids can ride as it's driven around a track. On a bench near the train platform there was a family taking a picture. Dad and his two young teenagers (son and daughter) sat while mom told them to smile. They were all laughing and the dad kept poking or tickling the daughter so she couldn't sit still or stop laughing. She kept jumping up and yelling "dad, stop it!" but you could tell they were all having a really good time.
I felt a little weird just standing and staring at this family, but it was just so fun to watch. I was living vicariously through them for a few minutes. Remembering the fun I had at our park with my family when I was young and wishing I had my own kids to make memories with. It made me happy, nostalgic, sad and hopeful all at the same time.
On our way out of the park I saw a little boy fishing with his dad, little kids running from one plaything to the next and parents looking exhausted. Regardless of how crappy things can be at times there really is so much happiness in simple things. Beyond money woes, crappy jobs, or any other bad experiences sometimes you're just struck by how lovely life can be. I really need to remember that more.

I'm back!

2009-08-21T14:59:00.002-04:00

Whattup Bitches?!!!

Sorry for the profanity, but I'm in quite a good mood. After a while of being depressed (living in a cabin in the woods, being jobless, being poor, my car breaking down and just a series of unlucky occurrences) things are finally turning around. My car is finally fixed so I'm mobile once again and can continue my job search!
Also, I've finally finished making my blog pretty. Yes, it has taken me 3 months to do this. I have absolutely no creative talent for making webpages, layouts, blah, blah whatever. Therefore I have to rely on other people creating them and sharing them with me. I've finally found one that is simple yet colorful, which I think describes me pretty well. This makes me feel inspired. Inspiration makes me want to write things down and share them with the good folks of the interwebs. Hooray! 'Cause I know you missed me ;)

More to come, STAY TUNED!

How different is too different to be friends?

2009-05-12T13:00:00.003-04:00

I need other people's opinions. Lately, I have been internally tormented. I've made new friends, whom I like very much, but we have some pretty big differences. I also have old friends and acquaintances whose status messages I can't help but notice. So, here is my question: how different is too different to be friends?
There are some people who the minute you meet them you learn things about them. Like when they say "let's get together Thursday because Wednesday I have Bible study." Others you notice on Facebook that they have written "What were they thinking passing that law in Maine?!" or it pops up in your feed that so-and-so "joined the group 'Pro-Life'." None of these things are bad, but let's take me for example (since I'm writing this and basing this on my own feelings).
Now that I have learned information that I didn't previously know about the other person, do I need to disclose information about myself? Is not doing so a lie of omission? I don't think that I should go writing on people's walls that it's completely ridiculous to take away a woman's right to choose what she can and can not do with her own body based on when you personally feel a mass of cells is given consciousness. I think I would feel awkward (not to mention rude) walking up to a person and saying "I happen to think that the Bible is a bunch of gibberish put together by Kings to conform the masses and impose their beliefs." Most people really don't want to hear that I am Pagan, but I also don't particularly need to know that you are Christian either. I've never had any problems with any religions as long as there is the fundamental belief to live and let live. That kindness and charity matter much more than which God you attribute your existence to. We are all here. The good, the bad and the ugly. Shouldn't it be more important to use the time we have on this earth to spread love, understanding and equality? Not segregate and scorn those who don't agree with us?
I realize that this is my personal space. I can write my own feelings and beliefs here and hope for support. That is one amazing thing about the internet. You have your own personal space too, and I would never encroach upon your right to say what you feel. But my original question stands, can we be friends? Can I accept that you will always think same sex couples are wrong? Can we coexist when you think that I am a heretic and destined to burn for all eternity? What are the deal-breakers of friendship?

FML on St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T19:58:00.003-04:00

Today is St. Patrick's Day. This is usually a pretty fun day. This year Zack and I were going to be low-key. The plan was: go to McDonald's and get dinner and a shamrock shake, stop at the beer distributor and pick up some Guinness, pick up a few random things at Walmart, go home, watch a movie and drink the Guinness.
Here is what actually happened: go to McDonald's and they are out of shamrock shakes, pull into the beer distributor and see that they close at 6 on Tuesdays (it is 6:10), lady comes and opens the door to the beer distributor and asks what we need (woohoo!), she tells us they are all out of Guinness.
Seriously.
FML

My fleeting youth...

2009-02-17T00:27:00.009-05:00

Most anyone who reads this knows that I had a birthday this past Sunday. I need to actually write about the trip Zack and I took to Baltimore last week, which was our big Valentines Day/birthday event. However, laziness and valentine candy sugar shock have not yet worn off. I'll try to get around to that soon.
In the meantime, I wanted to share my birthday with all of you.

We ended up going to the grocery store and I saw these and thought, hey birthday cake! I'm not a big fan of cake, and I actually only ate 2 of these before we threw them away. They were $1.84 (leftover valentine's day sale).
Zack sang to me and I posed with tiny cupcake.

Zack couldn't work the camera and it made me laugh.

Then I realized I was getting older and was sad (also, Zack yelled at me for laughing at his camera skills).

So I made a wish and blew out my candle.

Then smiled and posed again in hopes my wish would come true. It did not. I bought myself a present, a $2 scratch lottery card. I hoped I'd win back my $2 and feel like I'd had fun and not just wasted money, but alas, nope. The lottery gods hate me.

Oh well, I bought enough post-Valentine's Day candy to make me feel better about it.

Just to let you know my pretty red sweater was a present from my mom :) and possibly Dad, I just assume clothing is picked out by my mom. Thanks Mom & Dad!!

Weekend in Philly

2009-02-02T13:55:00.002-05:00

The third weekend in January I had planned on my friend, Dawn, to come visit me in my little cabin. When I hadn't heard from her I wasn't all that surprised. She called me on Thursday to ask if we'd like to completely change our plans and invited Zack and I to Philadelphia. Her fiance, Jason, had an extra ticket to the Metallica concert. Pretty freaking awesome. So we packed ourselves and dogs and headed to Conshohocken.
The plan was to go to Dawn's apartment, hang out for a bit, then the boys would go pre-concert and Dawn and I would go to Sarah's place. This did not happen.
When Zack and I arrived at Dawn's there was lots of yelling. Dawn had apparently misplaced her engagement ring. Since someone I know recently lost their wedding ring...i knew how she felt, but also was pretty sure it was somewhere in her apartment. Jason was not so sure and was pretty angry.
Dawn and I decided to drive out and retrace her steps from the day before. This involved going to an ATM (we were also looking for her debit card that she could not locate) and a goodwill donation box outside a dry cleaners. We called the number on the donation box and they said when they came to empty the box they would call Dawn. She would be able to come up and rummage through things to see if it was in there.
We headed back to her apartment to keep looking there. The boys left soon after we got back. We called Sarah and explained that we couldn't come over because we had to search the apartment. Sarah decided to come to Dawn's instead.
More looking, more looking, Dawn's freaking, Johnny Ohio is watching TV. Finally, I am about to ask Dawn if she looked in the pants she was wearing yesterday when for whatever reason she sticks her hands in her back pockets. She looks over at me with this weird combination of terror and joy and pulls from her back pocket...her engagement ring!
If you have ever met Dawn, this is really not at all surprising. So we laughed, then ordered Chinese food and watched Juno with Johnny Ohio. Sarah came over for a bit before heading to another friend's birthday party. Later Dawn and I went to a super cute little bar for martini's and girl talk.
The next morning we ate breakfast together and then Zack and I headed home before anything froze in the cabin. It was unbelievably cold that weekend, mostly in the teens, but colder with windchill.
It ended up being a very fun, very Dawn weekend.

Nature, up close and personal

2009-02-02T10:24:00.001-05:00

Four of the deer that were in my yard yesterday. There were three more, but they were all behind trees and stuff. They just grazed and hung out for like 40 minutes. This is life in the woods I guess.

My Yule Ball Experience: The Crystal Ball

2009-01-30T11:45:00.008-05:00

So for those who know, I am a member of the Harry Potter fan community. For those who may not have known, well, I just outed myself so there you go. At the beginning of January I traveled to Pittsburgh for a Harry Potter/wizard rock filled weekend.
Thursday, January 8th, I went to Rose's house for a wizard rock jamboree with the members of PAW (Pittsburgh Area Wizards), Matt (The Whomping Willows), Justin (Justin Finch Fletchley and the Sugar Quills) and their friend/merch girl Sam. The house show was pretty laid back. The guys sat on the couch and played accoustic. It was a tiny bit cramped and there were cats bent on sabotage or joining in the fun, I'm not sure which.
Afterwards we went to Freya's place. She made food and got an awesome cake because at midnight it would be Matt's 30th birthday! He was a little sad, but I think being at Freya's made it ok, because how can anyone be sad at Freya's? Well, if you haven't been there before, you can't be sad there. The food is insanely good (JP baked bread!), JP makes super fun drinks and you just can't beat the company ;)
Friday Freya picked me up and we went to get Rose. After stuffing pillows, sleeping bags, suitcases and formal dresses into the car we were off to Loudonville, Ohio, aka middle of nowhere! We were warned by both Freya's parents and my own that there was a bad snow storm and we were headed right into it. Informed, but not deterred, we set off.
The drive was actually not that bad until we got to what should have been about 30-45 minutes away from our hotel. The snow really started to come down then and we sat in traffic and snow for close to an hour.
Once we got to the dirt road that was going to take us to our hotel, we hit problems. Of course the dirt road was covered in multiple inches of snow. Being sensible people we took it very slow. Regardless of how careful we were, driving on a windy dirt road, covered in ice, covered in snow is kinda scary and dangerous. As we drove around the base of the mountain next to a rather large creek, we came around a corner and had to slam on the brakes. We slid a little bit and stopped just before hitting a) the side of the hill and b) the ditch on the side of the road. In front of us was a fire truck (stuck in the ditch) and very intelligent firemen who were all standing in the road. An officer of some sort came over to us and told us we had to turn around. Freya panicked a tiny bit at the thought of turning around in her standard on a narrow slippery road. We asked if we would be able to get around, or how long it would take to get the fire truck out of the ditch. After a very comforting chortle from the officer he told us no, we had to turn around. Apparently in front of the firetruck was an ambulance because a car had flipped off the road and was upside down in the creek! Now completely terrified (not to mention very very late) Freya got us turned around and the officer gave us new directions to our hotel. So, we needed to go out of the way, but it was still possible to make it to our dance! Silver lining!

More harrowing driving ensued. We barely made it up hills, we needed to back up several times to get enough momentum to carry us over. We slid down hills and around bends. We nearly drove into another car. It was stuck in a ditch and I got out and helped push (yay me!). Finally we get to our hotel (the term 'hotel' is used loosely here). They did not accept credit cards so we went in, paid in cash and got a key (like, an actual metal key). Then the guy tells us "Ok, so to get to your room go back out the driveway, turn left and go up that hill." To which Freya replies "you mean the hill we just came down?" and we all thought "and watched another car slide down and off the road? The one we won't be able to drive up?!" Guy says, "Yeah, don't worry if you get stuck someone will help you." I really thought Freya was going to lose it here, but she kept it together, got us back down the driveway and we tackled the hill.
After one or two tries and all of our growing worry and aggravation I asked if anyone would be opposed to getting ready in a bathroom at the dance. We agreed to deal with our hotel later, and head off to Landoll's. We got there after a little more sliding, a lot more stress and as we pulled into the only parking spot left (the handicapped space) we took a minute to collect ourselves. None of us wanted to go back on those roads, or get back in the car after six hours of driving. We went in and asked if there were any rooms available at the hotel (damn the cost!) but no, there weren't. Then at the prospect of having to deal with all of this again in just a few hours, Freya cried.
We decided to venture down to the event center and sign in before getting changed. We were supposed to do that by 7 and it was then 7. As soon as we walked in we saw our wonderful wizard rock friends, Matt and Justin. They asked if we got there ok, Freya began to cry again and walked outside. They both turned and looked at me and I explained what all had happened. Beth (the girl checking us in) overheard and informed me "Oh yeah, that overturned car was our friend Squibgirl, her husband and another friend." Apparently, they were all ok and would be at the dance soon. I felt very stupid complaining about our trip after that.
Matt went out to comfort Freya, and Justin asked if we would like to get ready in their room. We graciously agreed. A few minutes later Justin was walking us to our car to get our things and informed us that we were not allowed to go back to our hotel, get our stuff we were staying in
their suite. I hadn't noticed his wings and halo before, but yep, there they were.
We got ready in their sweet with a heated bathroom floor (so perfect because all of our feet were frozen), and the three Cinderella's finally made it to the ball. We drank, ate, drank, danced and drank some more. We met lots of cool people and after the dance got changed and went to the pool. We hung out there, drank some more, and Freya jumped into the pool with my old prom dress. All of the previous worries were erased and we got to just enjoy a wonderful night with new and old friends.
Stay tuned for more adventures in Ohio!

If you would like to see more photos, but aren't on facebook, follow this link to see more of our shenanigans!

New Years Resolution

2009-01-30T11:41:00.003-05:00

Well, I haven't been very good about keeping my blog updated. New Years Resolution: I'm going to try and be better about that. I'm sure all four of you who read this have been getting very worried and wonder what is happening in my life. So, I am going to skip December but recap on January and then try very hard to keep anyone who cares up to date.

Here we go:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Josh's Wedding

2008-11-20T23:57:00.008-05:00

After my super fun trip at the end of October to Pittsburgh and then Chicago, I came back to our quaint cabin for a whole 2 days. Just enough time to unpack, re-pack, fret over what to wear and head back to my parents.

Zack and I dropped off our puppies, and left Zack's truck for our friend, Ben, to take a look at. My very sweet parents let us borrow their ginormous Honda Pilot for the trip, along with their Garmin, which is just fun to play with.

I had a few difficulties that weekend. While in our cabin I manged to hurt my eye (scratched cornea, I believe). I opted to go to the wedding and not the doctor. So, I had to wear my very old glasses for a few days. Yes Josh, that's how important you are to us. My health be damned! We weren't going to miss your wedding! I mean, come on...open bar and drunk gymnasts.

So, off to Buffalo, New York.

The ceremony was in a big beautiful church, and of course everyone looked loverly. Then the wedding party left to take pictures (for a very long time), so the rest of us went to the bar. My eye hurt a bit so I hung out in our room for a little while just resting. Zack, Dom B., Mikey, Jessie, Watson, Adam, Jay, and Christie went to The Chocolate Bar. After that I joined them and we went to an Irish pub across the street.

After the warming up, we went on to the reception. Josh and his lovely bride, Megan, had the foresight to provide a shuttle from the hotel to the reception hall, a very cool microbrewery. On the third floor we found a beautifully decorated hall, full bar, hors d'oeuvres, candy bar, coffee bar, dinner buffet, two cakes, I could go on and on. Megan's attention to detail was amazing, it was like a set up for a wedding magazine. I'm glad I'm already married, I wouldn't want to have to live up to that.

We all ate, drank and were merry (some a little more than others). It was really a great time. I could tell you about the shenanigans, but it's best to just leave you with this picture. It explains most of it, and you can always check out more pictures here.

Kitteh Insaniteh!!

2008-11-18T13:18:00.001-05:00

Possibly the weirdest thing I have ever seen.

MEG - Precious @ Yahoo! Video

October rewind

2008-11-17T12:18:00.010-05:00

I did a lot this past October, but never really got a chance to blog about it. I wouldn't want people to think that they aren't important enough to make it on the blog, so I shall rewind a bit and catch up with my life.

This is Matt and Justin, or The Whomping Willows and Justin Finch-Fletchly respectively. They are two amazing wizard rockers who performed at the PAW (Pittsburgh Area Wizards) Halloween party the week before Halloween. I came to Pittsburgh specifically for this show. It was awesome and they are both two super talented and funny guys. We all went back to Freya's place afterwards and hung out until an ungodly time in the morning. At which point I had to drive to my parents house and sneak in. I have to admit, that was actually kind of fun too! More photos.

My week in Pittsburgh was super packed. One of my friends, Allison, happened to be in town from Colorado at the same time. We met up for brunch and had a good talk about remodeling homes and married life. Then she locked herself out of her parents house and I had to take her to her grandmothers. It was a good thing she was home!

I also got to meet up with one of my best friends, Laura. We had dinner at the new Sharp Edge that opened on 19. Sharp edge is so fun, they have tons of imported beers on tap and will let you sample anything you want. Laura also brought some friends from her work and we had a really good time drinking and hanging out. Is there anything better than just sitting around with appetizers, drinking beer and talking about The Big Lebowski? I think not. Also, just to make a note, this was the second time on my trip that The Big Lebowski came up. I did not start any of the conversations and they were completely different groups of people. Weird.

On Thursday of my trip I woke up and went to meet my old boss from Shadyside, Maria, and her daughter Iris. We got coffee and talked for a while. It was really nice to catch up and see Iris again. When I saw her last she was one and a half with barely any hair and a limited vocabulary. Now at almost 3 she has a full head of curly hair, can have a whole conversation with me, and is half as tall as I am! Well not really, but she is darn tall for her age!

Thursday night I met up with my brother and his new girlfriend, Christie. We went to Molly Branigans, where our waitress ignored us and they were having some sort of trivia contest that was loud and no one was playing. We still had a nice time. Christie and my brother are totally gross and in that "new relationship" stage. It's mostly amusing and I like anyone who makes my brother happy. Luckily for me though, she seems very cool. She can follow Jon and my sense of humor, which is awesome, because it generally just makes people confused or in my mothers case, angry.

Friday Jon and I were off to Chicago! Neither of us had seen our niece yet. So, we took a road trip out that way to spend the weekend with Chris, Lisa, and Claudia. We just hung out and played with the baby.
Jon and I got to pass out Halloween candy to some neighborhood kids. Claudia was dressed in a little devil outfit. She was originally going to be a chili pepper, but the kid just keeps growing and she got too big for it!

We also played a PlayStation karaoke game. Which is unbelievably fun. I really thought I knew more lyrics to "Step by Step" but I guess I've let down my childhood friends with my lack of NKOTB knowledge. Jon and Lisa, however, rocked the house with WHAM! Or A-HA, I can't remember.

Either way, these two are born rock stars! I don't think Claudia minded the singing (she didn't cry anyways) but she did seem confused by the insanity of her family.
After our visit Jon and I headed back to Pittsburgh. Monday night I met up with Giancarlo and we went to see Zack and Miri make a Porno. I highly recommend it. If you think Kevin Smith films are funny or if you like Pittsburgh (I fall into both categories so I loved it) go see it.
Then I headed back to my little cabin in the woods only to return again two days later. Which will be discussed in another entry. See more Chicago pictures here.

Brett's Christening

2008-11-17T11:46:00.005-05:00

Sunday Zachary and I travelled to Reading for Brett's christening. It was wonderful because we got to see a bunch of family! We also will get to see everyone again in just a few weeks for Tristan's christening on the 7th. Yay babies!
Unfortunately, it accidentally worked out that Zack and I manned all the cameras and recording devices, so we aren't in any photos.

Christmas Lists

2008-11-13T21:38:00.003-05:00

As always, I post our christmas lists for anyone who wants to buy Zack or me a gift. They may change and just so everyone is aware these are a little more "wish list" type lists this year. I don't expect anyone to buy me a $150+ gift! But for example, please don't buy me individual Harry Potter books, because at some point (maybe after christmas) I want to buy the complete set. I'm also holding out on DVDs until after Deathly Hallows so I can get the box set that I am sure they will make. Thank you in advance for all of those who love us enough to buy us things. We are very lucky :) And please let us know what we can get you for christmas too!!

Leen's Christmas List by kce106

Zack's Christmas List by kce106

Sweet soda of mine

2008-10-26T00:17:00.002-04:00

If you are a fan of Guns N'Roses, or a fan of Dr. Pepper, you totally need to check this out! I'm getting myself some free soda! Personally, I don't really care about "Chinese Democracy".

Tristan Xavier Whitbeck

2008-09-23T13:52:00.005-04:00

I know, I know! I'm a terrible Auntie for not doing this sooner! For anyone who reads this and is unaware, my sister-in-law, Anne, had her baby! Zack and I were fortunate enough to be able take time and drive up to Scranton to visit Anne, Michael and new baby Tristan in the hospital. We got to hold him and pass him around. He was so adorable.
He was just a tiny little thing, only 5 lbs 14 oz and 19.5 inches long. He was born on September 22. Annie was doing great in the hospital, and from what I hear, still is! It seems the new parents have gotten into a groove and are very happy with their newest family member.
This is the outfit we took to the hospital. We bought a teeny tiny outfit so he would have something to wear :) So cute!

Cabin Update

2008-09-14T14:42:00.007-04:00

Well I said that I would get pictures up here eventually. I have some before and after shots of the different rooms. Please remember that we are still working on everything. There's always more cleaning and painting to be done. It also seems that every time we get something accomplished something else happens that we have to deal with. Right now we are dealing with pests. There is some sort of nocturnal creature in our attic/ceiling. It could be flying squirrels, mice or rats. We had a professional come out and give us a better idea of what we're dealing with and an estimate to get rid of things. Unfortunately, being in the middle of a forest, it could really be anything and we have yet to find any definitive evidence. They are leaning towards rats, which is quite expensive. So, Zack and I are trying some traps and we'll see how that goes.
On to the pictures.
The kitchen before:

The kitchen as of right now:

bad picture of the bedroom:

The bedroom now:

The other room upstairs before:

And so far:

"If you don't vote, you're a moron."

2008-09-11T21:07:00.002-04:00

I stole this from another blog I read, but I felt the need to re-post and share with as many people as possible. I love Craig Ferguson, I watch him anytime I can stay up past 12:30. It's rare that celebrities actually say what they think in a smart, funny, coherent way. It's like an 8 minute video, but you have to watch it. I was starting to get annoyed and a bit apathetic about voting this year, now I'm all enraged and want to make sure I'm registered and make sure other people do the same! I don't care who you want to vote for! I don't need people to agree with my politics, nor do I need to agree with yours! Stop arguing with people about who is better or worse and go do something. Ok, watch the video now.

Our new home, the cabin

2008-09-06T10:36:00.009-04:00

Everyone has been waiting for this so here it is, a detailed explanation of our current living arrangements. If you need our new address or phone number I want to let you know that I do not post that kind of information online. You can leave a comment here asking for it, or shoot me an email and I'll send it out to you ASAP.

A short version of what is going on is that the Glatfelter Company put some land up for sale and Adams County bought it. Adams County wants the state to now take control of the land and pay them back for it, the state is currently trying to come up with the funds. This is a really good article that explains all the detail of the land and what is happening with it.

There happen to be two houses on the property, one was a large house used for hunting trips by guys from the Glatfelter Co., the other was a small cabin that one of the Glatfelter employees lived in for about 20 years. The cabin itself (according to the stone steps in the front) has been here since 1946. Since nothing is being done with the land as of yet, Adams County asked the State to kind of police/keep an eye on the property. The county wanted people to live in the houses on the property to avoid squatters, meth labs, people acting all crazy in the woods (I don't know what exactly). So, one of Zack's coworkers is living in the hunting cabin with his wife and Zack and I are living in the small cabin. We've put a lot of work into it (painting, new kitchen floor, refinished living room floor, new shower, appliances, a serious amount of cleaning and yard work) and it really isn't that bad. So far my biggest problem is just that the porch on the back of the house has a good amount of wasps inhabiting it, so I'm a little afraid to go outside during the day.

I had good before and after pictures, but I hesitate to show any of the before pictures until I get the after ones uploaded and our camera seems to have disappeared amongst the clutter. So, another blog with pictures will be coming shortly. The picture of the outside of the cabin was actually taken at least 2 months ago before we knew we were going to live here. It looks pretty much the same but the grass is a lot shorter.

You think you had a bad day? I think not.

2008-08-16T08:25:00.005-04:00

So, my friend Dawn is the unluckiest person in the world, and I'm really not sure why. She is a wonderful person yet bad things keep happening to her, well at least this week they did.

Her week started with her fiance's grandmother falling and going to the hospital. Then she came home from work to find her dog, Pumpkin (mommy of my puppies Tubby and Lulu), had blood in her eye! She took her to the vet who couldn't do anything and sent her to a veterinarian opthamologist! I never knew such a thing existed until now! So, after spending quite a lot of money on her beloved pet she got eye drops that she needed to give her for a whole week. This may sound trite to some, but anyone with pets knows how anytime you leave them alone, you wonder if they will be OK. Well, after all this crap happened while Dawn was at work on Wednesday she heard fire trucks going down the road. This may not even phase some people but a few years ago when Dawn lived in another part of Philly she came home with her friend Dayna to find her road blocked off by fire trucks and firemen stomping around the yard of the house she rented. The bottom floor had an electrical fire (directly below her bedroom). To her great relief a neighbor knew she had pets and went into her apartment and brought the dogs outside. Once again, if you have pets you can understand the emotional trauma this causes. When the apartment next to me caught fire, there wasn't even smoke in my apartment but it was so hard for me to even leave the dogs alone at all. Magnify that by like a million!

Anyway, so Dawn heard fire trucks and although it frightened her immediately, she tried to remain calm and tell her self she was being silly her dogs were fine, it wasn't her apartment, she needed to calm down. At 5pm I guess they had the news on and they got the first report of a fire on the 200 block of Washington in Conshohocken. It only took her a few minutes to realize that holy s#*t! She lived on the 200 block of Washington in Conshohocken! She immediately left and drove to her home and this is what she found

Now, before anyone gets too worried, no, this was not Dawn's building. The building that is burning was under construction to be high end apartments. Last Wednesday the construction workers sparked something and the whole place went up like freaking kindling (it had little in it other than 2x4s and plywood). There is now nothing left of that structure except elevator towers and ash. Dawn's complex is the buildings behind the fire. It is set up as a square, with four "L" buildings making up the corners, her building happened to be the furthest one from the fire so it sustained no damage. The 2 closest to the fire however, they weren't so lucky. The building you can see on the far right of the picture is a total loss. Parts of it were left standing but it was such a danger that they had to demolish it. Another building, not shown in this picture, sustained some pretty heavy damage as well, and I'm not sure if people will ever be allowed back in even to gather things that might be left.
When Dawn arrived she had to park blocks away and walk down to the complex. Even though her building wasn't in any immediate danger the firemen and police would not let her inside to get the dogs. Obviously distraught, Dawn found a way in anyways and got Pumpkin and Rudy and left. She and her fiance were staying at his parents house. They weren't allowed to get anything from their apartment so they had to go out and buy clothes for the next few days and anything else they might need. Sunday they were allowed back into their apartment. I haven't heard from Dawn yet so I don't know how she is doing but she has enough to keep her occupied for the moment. She has a job interview today, and later this week she flies to ummm...somewhere far away to take her test that will make her an optometrist.
So, everyone think good thoughts for Dawn! She is probably pretty darn stressed and needs a little extra good karma, if you have any please send it her way.

If you want to see some pretty scary footage of the apartment fire go here, or simply type in to Google "Conshohocken Inferno." Yeah, inferno.

If you don't have anything nice to say...

2008-08-13T08:36:00.002-04:00

So, for those who surf the web a decent amount, this small rant may hit a chord with you. I rarely use my blog as my platform to discuss the world at large or my problems with it, but today that is what I'd like to do.
How many people have had this scenario happen to them (or something similar): you are on the Internet and decide to read, lets say, a news article. Well the article gets you to thinking and you have comments about it, so since it is the Internet and everyone on the Internet welcomes your comments, you may leave one, or go to a forum and leave your opinion for others to read and enjoy. As boredom persists you are curious if others had similar comments to you, so you go back to that web page and see what other people have written and there it is...someones very rude comment directed at what you had written! Not simply "I disagree with your point of view on this subject" but "That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, you are an idiot for saying it, go die." Now, I have exaggerated a tiny bit (really not that much) to make my point. These types of things bother most people and can enrage some to leave angry, belligerent, and childish comments in return ("nuhuh, you're the stupid idiot!").
Unfortunately, I am not perfect (I know, shocker, right?) and I have at times let these ridiculous comments bother me to a point that I realize I am being foolish for letting this stranger get to me at all. I was discussing this with Zack and he gave me an interesting insight into the world of the Internet dork.
Most people know that Zachary plays World of Warcraft, but luckily he still maintains a job, a relationship and in general does not let it consume his life. He will go online to forums and discuss the game with other players, one thread, he tells me, is actually called "bored at work." He has told me about this thread a number of times and the silly, fun, time filling links and posts people will add to it. He has also informed me about trolls. These are people that just out of boredom will go somewhere and post a comment/message that is the exact opposite of what the general consensus is, basically just to be an ass. To stir up trouble and then when people write angry and emotional rebuttals, they mock them and I'm sure are quite proud of themselves that they can anger strangers and feel superior to someone on the Internet.
You can probably assume from my tone that I find this completely deplorable. Alas, what can be done? The Internet gives people the anonymity and courage to be complete jackasses to complete strangers with no risk of retribution.
I like to think of it this way, and although I will see these "trolls" and they will probably make me angry, I have a new way to look at it, and maybe it will help other people out there. Whenever I see that someone is just trying to bate me, or tick people off in general, I will wonder why they are doing it. Is it because they have no true friends to value their opinions? Because they don't have a fulfilling job and are angry at the world? Or are they an Internet pariah who lives in their mother's basement at 35 or 40 years old and does nothing but searches the web for people to make feel inferior because they do not share their vast knowledge of World of Warcraft (for example).
Now, I realize that my blog is public. I can easily set it to private if I didn't want strangers to read it or leave me comments, and I can easily avoid reading comments/posts elsewhere on the Internet. But I like to use the Internet as an opportunity. Where maybe someone will happen across my blog, find it amusing or interesting, possibly tell me so, and go on their merry way. Having filled a few minutes of their life where they had nothing better to do.
Well I guess that is just me in a nutshell; I spread sunshine, while others try to spread gloom. Just call me Rainbow Brite.

The Bronze Gods

2008-08-12T09:13:00.002-04:00

YAY for America! Our men's gymnastics team did it! So many people said that they weren't even going to make it to team finals and what happened? We got the bronze!!! Eat that Germany, Korea, and Russia! We even gave the Japanese a pretty good run for the silver.

I'm so amazed and excited for our friends that I don't even know what to say. So, I will just reiterate what I had to say before the Olympics started because, my friend has an OLYMPIC MEDAL! Do your friends have Olympic Medals? I think not!! YAY KAI WEN TAN!!!!!!!

Brett Francis

2008-08-07T08:46:00.007-04:00

Another baby Roeder was born yesterday. His name is obviously Brett Francis, he was 5lbs 13oz and 18 inches long. He came into the world around 11:30 a.m. I'm told. There was a little stress in the delivery room, although he did cry when he first came out, he was having trouble breathing. Brett is currently in the NIC unit, so Sandra couldn't even see him for a while yesterday (boo! but hopefully she got a chance to get in there last night). Everything seems fine, but he will have to stay there for a few days. Sandra is doing well also, when we saw her yesterday she was sitting up and fidgeting around. She will get to go home Saturday probably, and we are all hoping that's when Brett can go home too!

Degrees of Bacon

2008-07-15T22:09:00.002-04:00

So, the other day Zack and I were sitting watching TV. There was some reference to Kevin Bacon and Zack says "you know, I bet that I am 7 degrees from Kevin Bacon." Of course I laughed hysterically, for two reasons: one - there was no reference to the game on TV; and two - (as I informed Zachary) I believe that you have to link people through movies, not simply who they know. Zack wanted to use the fact that we have two college friends who were in a movie, and link from there. Then he came up with an even better idea. Bart Conner (some famous gymnast guy) has been in a few movies, and Zack was on ESPN, with Bart Connor. I was still laughing, but it sounded intriguing. We spent the better part of an hour discussing movies and actors. It was actually kind of difficult being that neither of us has seen that many movies, especially ones with Kevin Bacon. But after some deliberating (and checking IMDB to make sure those people were actually in those movies) we came up with this:

1) Zack was on ESPN with Bart Conner
2) Bart Conner was in STICK IT with Jeff Bridges
3) Jeff Bridges was in THE BIG LEBOWSKI with Steve Buscemi
4) Steve Buscemi was in THE WEDDING SINGER (among others) with Adam Sandler
5) Adam Sandler was in ANGER MANAGEMENT with Jack Nicholson
6) Jack Nicholson was in A FEW GOOD MEN with...tada!..Kevin Bacon!

We were actually pretty darn amused with ourselves when we came up with this. Of course we figured they may be a more direct way if we knew more movies and/or actors. I did a quick Internet search and found out here that Zack is really only 3 degrees away from Kevin Bacon, but I think our way is much more fun!

Moving on

2008-07-11T14:24:00.003-04:00

Well, to those who know or care, Zachary did not get the job we were hoping for in State College. It looks like we will be moving closer to his office (near Gettysburg) at the end of August.

Pictures from Olympic Trials

2008-06-26T08:40:00.000-04:00

My friends are sooo much cooler than yours!

2008-06-24T18:41:00.007-04:00

Most of you who read my blog are my friends and family. So, you already know a lot of my other friends/family, and are well aware of the people in my wedding party, because you were probably at my wedding. For those of you who weren't at my wedding and did not have the privilege of meeting my friends, here is a picture of my closest friends and family.

Do you see that guy next to me (I tried to point him out for ya)? Yeah, that's our friend Kai Wen (aka Kevin) Tan. Yeah, you know what he's doing now? He's going to the Olympics. Yup. China. Olympics. Our friend.

Once again, I realize that most people who will read this post are probably even better friends with Kai Wen than me. I don't care. My friends are so much cooler than yours. Seriously, are any of your friends going to the Olympics? I didn't think so!

OK, I'm done bragging, and I'm sure that all of your friends are great people too, but...well...my friend's going to THE OLYMPICS!!!

Jubilee Day!

2008-06-17T17:35:00.003-04:00

As music from two stages rings through the downtown on Thursday, patrons can enjoy great food, fun games, and exciting amusement rides. The event also features wares from local and regional artists and craftsmen.

This is where Zack and I will be on Thursday! Most people probably haven't heard of it, and even the locals I talk to really aren't all that excited, but I have to words for them - CARNIVAL FOOD. It's the food people! The food is what makes me want to go to Kennywood every year even more than the rides! Potato patch fries, hot dog on a stick, fresh sqeezed lemonade, square ice cream cones! It's the best part of any festival or fair, meat kabobs, giant sugary drinks, fresh kettle corn, funnel cakes and my favorite...deep fried oreos. Yes, possibly the single most unhealthy food ever created, the deep fried oreo is pure bliss. Warm moist cookie and cream (not soggy, just soft) covered with a crisp funnel cake batter and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It may sounds crazy to some, but this is truly the reason Zack and I will be going to Jubilee Day. It's also fun to get out of the house, do something different, be somewhere where everyone is having good, old fashioned summer fun. However, it is nothing compared to the deep fried oreo.

I'll try to post some pictures in a few days to show you guys the goings on of "downtown mechanicsburg." If you want to check out the history of Jubilee Day, you can do that here: http://www.mechanicsburgchamber.org/JubileeDay.shtml>

P.P.I. (probably politically incorrect)

2008-06-14T12:20:00.002-04:00

This isn't my normal blog post. I generally try to stay away from the negative and just let people know about the good things that are going on in my life. Today I am home alone since Zack is working and I need to rant. Since I can't rant to him, I have come to the Internet.
Zack and I each have a bank account with PNC, we also have a savings. Before we got our tax refund we ended up needing to use some of our savings for bills and were below our minimum amount, so we were charged a service fee. Shortly after, I put the money back into our savings and assumed all was well. I was wrong, I just looked today and at the end of May we were charged another service fee. I thought to myself "What the heck? I am going to call them and see what is up." So I call PNC, spend 5-8 minutes while they tell me "All of our operators are currently assisting other customers" and "your call will be answered next" with interludes of non distinct music. Finally a woman answers the line and I can't understand a freaking word she is saying! Finally she verifies who I am (by my bank card, yeah no one could pretend to be me with that) and I tell her my problem. Basically, even if I put more money in my account in the first week of my statement, it's an average of all 30 days, well my average was below my minimum so I got charged again. Nothing she can do, blah, blah blah.
What happened to customer service?!! What happened to people in America dealing with the problems of people in America?! I hate to sound like an ignorant, other-culture-hating person, but seriously, what the hell?! I would just like to once call a help line and get someone with a southern accent, or a Brooklyn accent, I can barely understand those people either, but at least we're giving jobs to our own countrymen! I don't think that I'm a bad or hateful person, but my sphere of caring goes like this 1. my own biological needs (food, shelter, etc) - 2. my family - 3. my friends - 4. my workplace (it directly affects #1) - 5. my state - 6. my country - 7. countries with my friends or family in them - 8. elsewhere on earth. It isn't that I don't care about others plight, it's just that there's other stuff I care about more.
I could probably write more, but I should save it for another day and another rant. The most annoying thing was that I only looked at my bank account while killing time waiting for this documentary on Roman Polanski to start. Now it's probably half over. ::Sigh:: What a world we live in.

I thought I would do better!

2008-06-10T21:55:00.000-04:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Average

Take the test!

I bet if I had kids I would have scored higher.

New Vacuum

2008-06-10T09:31:00.003-04:00

I bought a new vacuum!! This is exciting to me for many reasons. As Zack and I get older we begin to realize that some of the things that we have received from family and friends (although they were perfect at the time and completely served their purpose, thank you all) are getting a little shabby. Which is usually the reason that someone gave us the thing to begin with. We have had two previous vacuums, one from Zack's grandmother that he had in college, and then after we moved in together my brother, Chris, gave us his old vacuum. Both were Hoovers actually. Well I am quite excited because I have, for the first time, bought my very own vacuum.

Many who know me are aware that I have an affection for Kohl's. Their prices are much better than department stores usually and I keep getting coupons in the mail! Last week I received a 30% off coupon and decided this was the time to get my new vacuum. So, yesterday Zack and I went to Kohl's and bought this vacuum, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. I came home, put it together and vacuumed. I had to empty the canister after vacuuming about 8 square feet. I knew it was all there, but it's just so gross to see it. It has more attachments than I will probably need or use, but I'm so happy that my apartment is cleaner. After having the windows open and the insane amount of pollen I could see covering things in the house I knew this was a necessary purchase. Also, it was on sale at Kohl's (10% off) and then I got my 30% off and also I had a gift card lying around from Christmas! So in the end our new vacuum only cost us about $70 after tax! Hooray!

Please welcome to the world...

2008-06-04T20:10:00.006-04:00

Claudia Jean Eakin

After much deliberation a name was finally chosen. Chris told me they knew they were going to wait until they saw the baby to pick a name. I love Claudia! Personally it reminds me of The Babysitters Club books, and Claudia was the trendy one who hid candy all over her room, can you guess she was my favorite? Jean (I'm assuming) was chosen for my late grandmother Jean. I'm just thrilled about my new neice and her name, I think both are just too lovely for words! I can't wait until I get to see her and hold her!!!

Beautiful Girl

2008-06-03T19:58:00.003-04:00

She is here!

2008-06-03T08:54:00.002-04:00

I received a phone call from my mother at 4:23am to tell me that Chris and Lisa (well I suppose more Lisa than Chris) had their baby. As far as I know she is perfectly healthy, weighed 9 lbs, is roughly 20 inches long, has brown hair, blue eyes and considering she was 11 days late I think she should be my daughter! I will settle for being her favorite aunt for now though (sorry Jen and Beth). I still don't know her name or have any pictures, I'm waiting to hear from Chris. I know he must be exhausted, but he can't leave us in suspense for too long.

She's on her way!

2008-06-02T21:47:00.002-04:00

Despite the fact that baby girl Eakin was due on Friday May 23, and it is now 10 days later, she is on her way! Lisa had to go into the hospital very early this morning to be induced, but I recieved a text from my brother saying she is expected tonight around 10 or 11pm. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she fakes us out again and hangs out in there a little longer. So far she seems to be taking after her Aunt Kathleen, but no one is getting mad at her for being late (except maybe for Lisa)!
I need to be posting about all of the other things going on in my life, but I just can't think of anything else right now! So, as soon as I have baby confirmation (and her name!!) I can move on. Stay tuned world, she's coming!!

A new start

2008-05-08T11:42:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my new blog. If you had my yahoo360 page bookmarked, please mark this one instead. I will only be writing in this blog from now on. It's much nicer than the yahoo one, plus it's linked to my Google account, so I didn't have to sign up for anything new! Yay! For a while now (as those with yahoo360 accounts already know) the yahoo 360 "team" has been posting that the 360 pages will be shut down at some point in time. I've been a bit irritated with them anyways since they shut down yahoo photos and adopted Flickr. Yahoo photos was free and had no storage limit, unlike Flickr. I thought Y.P. was easier to organize as well.
Alas, here we are. A new start. I will still be posting photos and relaying those important details of my life to everyone, no worries. So keep checking back, or do that thing were it tells you when I put up new stuff (subscribe or something? I don't know. I basically just copy everything Freya does, it's how I get by in this techno-savvy world we live in).
Later!