Professional

When most students involved in band graduate high school they stop playing. Few of us continue on as collegiate musicians. As a student who majored in a discipline other than music, I thought once I graduated college I would rarely play my instrument again.

Just a few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity of a life time. My heart longs for music. As and SAI, I love music, value and cherish it. And the music minister at my church asked me to play a special for a conference our church was holding. I was so nervous, as I have a HUGE performance anxiety. But I was also excited. I thought it would be just a one time thing, but about a month ago, our music minister asked me to play again! My heart leaped for joy! I thought, 'maybe I did a good job after all'!

And so it began. That night, after church, my music minister asked if I would be willing to play in the praise team, every Sunday. I joyfully agreed, and two weeks ago was my first full time Sunday. Never did I think I would need a flute stand, but last week I bought one.. It makes me feel like a professional. A musician again. It brings unspeakable joy to my soul by playing praises to my God and King.

It was very comical, even my music minister had no idea flutes could have stands, and they were all amazed when I showed up yesterday to church with my newly purchased stand.

Again, it makes me feel professional. And I have a great time playing in the praise band at my church! To God be the glory for his infinite blessings!!

Focus

It has been titled the 'game of the century' and I am so excited to live, work and play in the town where heaven is, Tuscaloosa. ROLL TIDE!

No where else have a lived or anywhere I have heard of that your teams call sign is a greeting, a condolence and 'the right answer to any question.' I will never forget the conversation, 'Don't know what to say? The appropriate answer is ALWAYS 'Roll Tide'.'

#1 LSU vs #2 Alabama. Wow, what a concept. It is so hard to stay focused and not thing of the million things I have to get done before tomorrow, as well as the million things I have to do tomorrow.

Since Hunter was at basic all summer, he wasn't able to purchase student tickets this football season. However, he has been able to go to every game so far through ROTC or the student ticket donation system. We don't have high hopes for such a popular game... but we will see.

My parents and Aunt and Uncle are coming up for the game and I am so excited to see them! It will be my Aunt's first college football game she has ever attended.... I have to say, she picked a good one.

So here's to a crazy, chaotic, fun filled weekend! ROLL TIDE!

Semi-homemade dinner

I love to cook. It gives me some of the greatest joy in life. With my busy schedule I am often tired and worn out by the time I get home. Two nights ago Hunter and I were pondering what we would eat for dinner... I hadn't put anything out to thaw that morning, so unless we wanted to eat late, the meat needed to be something that didn't have to thaw. So, in the spirit of Sandra Lee I took my groceries and went to work.

Hunter loves steamed vegetables. The fact that he loves veggies blesses my soul... and he always wants them steamed, I guess that comes from his Asian roots. :)

So, we had: Beef tips (precooked, heat and serve from the grocery store), rice, steamed broccoli and corn.

The key to this meal was getting everything ready at the same time.. each component took different amounts of time to cook.. During this meal, I used all four burners on my stove.. I wish I had gotten a shot of that.

Now, most everything was pretty basic, heat the corn add seasonings, cook the rice and season.. warm the meat.. so I wanted to spruce up our meal by adding a little something to our steamed broccoli.

I steamed the broccoli by placing it in about an inch of water in a pan on the stove, let it boil for 3-4 minutes and then drained the water. Afterward I added a little soy sauce and some seasonings to the pan and cooked the broccoli a minute or two more, infusing the soy sauce.

And, we're done... a meal in less than 30 minutes. And Hunter seemed to enjoy it. :)

Like I have said many times, cooking at home saves you MONEY! It is good together time as well. Meals don't have to always be fancy and tough to be enjoyable... quick throw together meals are great too!



Restaurant Coupons

Have you ever used a coupon at a restaurant? The most commonly seen coupons are the Ruby Tuesday coupons that they mail to you.. But have you ever looked through your Sunday paper.

On any given Sunday I get the following coupons: O'Charley's, Logan's and Olive Garden... among others.

Last Sunday I got a special BOGO Entree coupon for Logan's. I decided that Hunter and I would try it out one day and see how we could make the coupon work for us.

Hunter loves to make fun of my couponing.. but yet, he loves the money we save too! He even calls his mom to brag when I make a good buy. ;) Silly boy. So lately, we decide were we want to go eat, based on what coupons I have.

Sunday we both got a steak with two sides, and drank water. With our BOGO entree coupon our meal came up to a total of $14.00 after tax and tip was added. How great is that??! We smiled to ourselves and were very happy. Our food was good, and $7.00 for a steak and two sides is a deal that can only be rivaled to home cooking!

Yay coupons! Most restaurants have loyalty clubs that will mail you coupons. Sign up, yes.. it may be a little like spam, but saving on your meal is worth it!

I just want to GRADUATE, (again)!

Wow... this week has been a whirlwind.

My advisor here makes me sick, like... when I have to meet with him I have a nervous break down and feel the need to throw up.... sick. He is rude, and never really helpful.

When I went for my final semester of advising I was a NERVOUS WRECK, to say the least. But, I got the classes I wanted, and he actually filled out my graduation paperwork with me. This visit was not without another very uncomfortable conversation about my money and marriage, or lack there of. But, I was happy with my classes, so I left with a smile. It may have been I was just glad to get out of there... Only time would tell.

This was about a month ago. Here I am this week, trying to register for classes and lo and behold... one of the classes I had been advised to take, was no longer being offered. No notice, no warning. Just when I searched for the class to register, it did not exist.

After a whirlwind of emails, to which my advisor never responded, another teacher told me I would have to wait until the summer to take the course and graduate then. I thought, this can't be happening... I have worked so hard... done so much... I emailed a few other people, asking what my options were. I was desparate for answers.

Finally on Wednesday I was emailed with an alternate course to take, after emailing my advisor again, and copying the chair to the email. I thought I was safe! However, when I tried to register for the course, it said I didn't have the prerequisites.

I was frantic. I emailed the professor and after discussing the prerequisites with her, I had more than enough. The prerequisite was statistics... Um, hello? Math major calling!

Again, I thought I was safe. She told me to expect an email from her Office Associate when it was clear for me to register. Upon receipt of the email, she had opened a spot in the wrong class for me. Again, my heart sank.

After a long discussion and a friendly bond created from one office associate to another, the mistake was corrected and yesterday, I finally finished registering for what will be my last semester as a math major! Thankfully, I emailed the graduate school and none of my already processed paperwork has to be redone.. another burden off of my shoulders.

Praise the Lord for His infinite blessings! His hand was definitely all over this situation! Even though it was a bumpy ride, I am going to make it out with my Masters degree!

I honestly can't wait to get out of this math department. It is the source of all my woes during the past two years, mainly due to my poor advisor. I have put in an application for my PhD in Higher Education Administration, and I am still waiting on the results from that and whether I am accepted or not. We shall soon see.. I should get my letter sometime around February 2012. And I look forward to seeing what God has in store. Regardless, beginning in January, I will be putting applications in to schools all over the state. The journey may take a big jump, again. And I can't wait to see what happens.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

I am in love with all things spicy. I love hot wings, but I am not necessarily a fan of the mess. I first had a buffalo chicken pizza while in DC with Mary-Anne at California Pizza Kitchen.

So, earlier this week I had grilled chicken and didn't want to just have plain left over chicken. As I was sitting at my desk I pondered what would be easy and tasty. Taking inspiration from my friend Jackie I decided to just try something, so I settled on what I would hope to turn out well... The end result? Buffalo chicken pizza.

Disclaimer: I am a total measurements girl - it goes with the OCD, but for some reason I just threw this together... next time I will try to better the recipe.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Pizza crust (store bought, home made, you choose)
Ranch
Buffalo Wing Sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
2 Chicken breasts (grilled or boiled)
Cheese


I first prepared my crust and then did a thin layer of ranch dressing, in place of pizza sauce. I chopped my chicken and then tossed the chicken in a bowl with the buffalo sauce. I then spread my sauce covered chicken over the crust and ranch and topped with some shredded cheese. I forgot to take pictures throughout, but here is the finished product:

Note: This recipe was a total miss with Hunter! HAHA! However, you can't blame him, he doesn't like wings, ranch or cheese.... So there was no hope. But, he at least tried it! :)

200 days

As a math person, it is in my nature to use numbers all the time. A while back I started a countdown (I am very fond of countdowns).

Today marks 200 days until I graduate with my Masters degree in Mathematics!!!

I am so excited to be close to accomplishing this goal in my life!

This road hasn't been easy. And I am beginning to experience what most call senioritis. I am tired, worn out, and weary. The Lord knows our every thought and need and he has blessed me in many ways already this week.

It is a beautiful thing to be able to discuss the Lord, reading the bible, or just reading devotionals with the one you love. To share a true bond like this has blessed me beyond imagination.

And, just as God knows exactly what we need, I leave you with a segment of today's Girlfriends in God devotional.

Rest

Refreshment

Rest

Refreshment

Reflection

Response

Reflection

Redirection

Reinforcement

Girlfriend, exhaustion is epidemic among us gals. I tell you what… let’s talk more about this tomorrow. For today, just rest in knowing that God has a plan for your life and that He loves you dearly!

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I’ll admit, I’m tired today. I need the refreshment that only You can give. Send the Holy Spirit to reinforce my spirit today! I am expecting His energizing force! Help me to reflect on You and Your goodness all day long.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

I pray today that the Lord would fill your cup, and mine, to overflowing. To bless us beyond our imagination. To use His strength to carry us through the trials and snares of the life. Lead us and guide us oh God. Show us your way, and teach us to walk in it! Make our paths straight oh Lord!! Help us to not stray from You. ~Amen

800+ miles

So many friendships are broken after high school and college. There are few lasting friendships that truly bless us.

I am fortunate enough to have one of those friendships. Yeah, I had my worries, and I am sure my bestie did too. Never in my life did I know that I could grow closer to my best friend when she moved 800+ miles away.

But, it's the little things. Things like chatting on Gchat every day at work. Texting up a storm and calling when we can. Skyping to work out together, or just watch a TV show together, like GLEE. :) Those are the things that have held us together and have made our bond stronger. Never could I have imagined a better friend, a truer bestie.

Just this past week, in light of my love for snail mail, I received an adorable card from Mary-Anne!

Isn't that cute? And, check out the back!

Mary-Anne and I complete each other. She an English person, we have completely opposite thought processes and ideas. Math and English make best friends! I help her with problem solving, she edits all my research papers. To us, it is a win, win.

So, to my Brain, my best friend. Thanks for your thoughts and kindness! Here's to many more wonderful and fun filled years!

Pizza Rolls

Last week when I got home I was craving pizza. I had had a long day at work and with classes and did not feel like venturing out for food. I wanted to use what I had at home, and here is what I ended up with.

Pizza Rolls:

1 tube, crescent rolls

pepperoni's

pizza sauce

assorted cheeses

I layed the crescent rolls out in the individual triangles, and at the base of the triangle, put a small spoonful of pizza sauce. I then layered three pepperoni's, and a pinch of two types of cheese onto the sauce. I used cheddar and parmesan.

I then rolled them into crescents, being careful to keep my ingredients inside, and baked using the directions on the crescent packet.

YUM! No hassle, no driving, SUPER CHEAP! A college kids dream, and fun if you have kids! Enjoy!

CVS Trip - Oct 3

If you go to a couponing class or ask a couponer, they will tell you that you can get the most for your money on personal care items at CVS. The trick to grabbing the best buys at CVS are:

1. Enrolling in their ExtraCare card program. It is free, and they don't spam your email. With an ExtraCare card you can get what is called ExtraCare Bucks, or ECB's for short, on qualifying items.

2. Rolling your transactions.
ECB's vary in amount by the products that you buy. It is like gaining free cash. Last week, I bought a bottle of Dawn dish liquid for $0.97, and received $1 in ECB's. Those ECB's can be used at any CVS, just like real money or a coupon! So, you can say I either received my dish soap for free, or got another item for $1 off.

Here comes the essential part. You must 'roll' your ECB's. Say I am going to CVS, I need shampoo, body wash, dish soap and contact solution - the items I needed last week. I split my transactions. I bought shampoo and body wash and gained $6 ECB's, then I bought the dish liquid and contact solution. I was able to use my $6 ECB's along with my coupons for $7.25 off my total purchase.

How my trip measured up:



Price at Walmart $3.48 each

(2) Pantene shampoos @ 2 for 6.97, I had a $3 off two coupon so I paid  $3.97 for the pair, I also received $1 in ECB's for this purchase, so all told, I spent $2.97 for two full size bottles of shampoo - That is $1.48 cents EACH!

 (2) Softsoap body washes @ 2 for $6, I had a $1.00 off coupon and received $4 in ECB's for the pair. So, I paid $1.00 for the pair, that is $0.50 EACH! These sell for $2.98 at Walmart.

The total cost of my first transaction was $10.14, with $5 in ECB's received. :) I used a total $4 in coupons.

Then I bought (1) Dawn dish liquid for $0.97 and used a $1.00 off coupon, dish liquid=FREE! I always use my ECB's to make emergency purchases, and since I left my contact solution at home this past weekend I bought a twin pack of contact solution that was on sale. I used my $5 in ECB's and received $3 more ECB's with the purchase. The twin pack was $13.79

Sells for $13.98 at Walmart

$13.79-$8 in ECB's, That means I paid $5.79 for pair, practically getting one whole bottle of solution for free. :)

The total cost of trip number two was $11.13 (I had to purchase pencil lead for my emergency item with no coupons, the woes of graduate school) and received $3.00 in ECB's. I also used a total of $7.25 in coupons and ECB's.

This was my first time rolling transactions and using my ECB's to pay for the next transaction. It didn't take much more time that planning my regular list. I looked to see what was on sale, marked what ECB's I would get, and then split my transaction to maximize my savings. Overall, I would say it was a very successful trip!