Marriage License by Norman Rockwell
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Friday, December 31, 2004

That's my bear :-)...

Current Mood:

Mom found some old pictures of Steve and I just HAD to add them into the blog :-)...


Steve's college years


Steve with his sister, Tammy


Steve in high school, hung over :-).
Now THIS picture took me by surprise because at first glance, it doesn't look like him :-).



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Thursday, December 30, 2004

WOO HOO!

Current Mood:

Got this email from INS today:
Application Type: I765 , APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION
Current Status: On December 28, 2004, after approving your application, we ordered you a new card. Your card will be mailed to you as soon as it is ready.

That means as soon as I get that card, it'll be legal for me to work in the States :-)!

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Wednesday, December 29, 2004

VrrrRAM VrrrRAM!

Current Mood:

{sings a la Conga style} I installed more mem'RY! I installed more mem'RY!

I updgraded my laptop RAM to 512 MB last night :-). It came with only 256 MB when I first bought it :-). So since I've got twice as much RAM, my machine moves much faster when I boot up. I know, I've timed it :-). It used to take 3 minutes flat. Now it takes 2 minutes :-).

Think of RAM as a highway where lots of cars carry information from Point A to Point B. I used to have just a 2-lane highway. Now I've got a 4-lane highway :-). Information gets transferred from A to B much quicker, and thus makes the machine faster :-).

That means I don't have to stand up and make coffee before my machine finishes booting up :-). That also means I don't have to wait as long when I shift from one running program to another--I usually have 3 or 4 programs running at the same time when I work :-).

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Monday, December 27, 2004

Getting rid of the snow

Current Mood:

I've never seen this much snow in my life.

Well, not that I've seen MUCH snow in my life--I'm sure it's worse in many other places, but for someone like me who comes from Manila, this is a lot of snow :-). I've only ever seen ice like this in freezers :-).

Steve shoveled a path from the back door to the yard yesterday. At first it was just simple shoveling,

and then when the ice got thicker he had to break out the sledgehammer.

Here are some other pictures of how thick the ice was in some parts:

Jack didn't like the snow much either :-)...

Okay, okay, he was actually yawning :-). But you can just see him saying, "It's so COOOLD!"


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What a Christmas :-)!

Current Mood:

It's time to go back to work, but man, what a Christmas :-)! Naturally I took pictures with my new digital camera ;-)...

We baked Christmas cookies again this year :-). One of the cookies I decorated was an owl pulling out someone's entrails :-). I know, I know, not very Christmassy but Steve started it when he baked a two-headed gingerbread man :-). When he first saw my cookie he had this half look of disgust and said, "My wife made that!" but I know there was a hint of pride in his voice :-).

He wouldn't let me do anatomically correct gingerbread people though ;-).

I'm so thankful for all the wonderful things we received this year. When I first saw the gifts by the tree I could hardly even SEE the tree, it was swamped with gifts for everyone :-).

John and Judy gave me blouses and sweaters and gloves and scarves! I don't know how Judy does it, but everytime she sends me clothes she always gets them a) in the right size; and b) that look GREAT on me :-). And it's always at the right time too--I was just telling Steve I needed a new white turtleneck and what do I find in one of her christmas boxes? A white turtleneck with a gorgeous Christmas tree brooch :-)!

Oh oh, and look at one of Steve's gifts from John and Judy too:

Steve lovingly calls it "his major award," just like in the Christmas Story movie :-).

We also got other wonderful things such as 10-piece cookware, a spice rack and an electric blanket from Steve's mom and dad. Ohhhh that electric blanket works wonders :-). It's the dual-control kind, so I can have it extra warm on my side and Steve can have it a little less warm on his side :-).


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Saturday, December 25, 2004

Royal Movies

Current Mood:

While I'm waiting for my husband to wake up (I still don't get why he wouldn't want to wake up early on Christmas morning :-))...

Wait... {bed rustles...I turn and he's a little awake! YAY!}

"Are you blogging?" he sleepily asks.

"Uh-huh :-)."

"Keep blogging." Then he rolls over and goes back to sleep.

"But but..!"

"...I still got fifteen minutes."

See what I mean? :-)

Anyway, as I was saying, we watched a couple of movies in the past two days. We saw Princess Diaries 2 and King Arthur :-). Princess Diaries 2 was funny :-).

King Arthur was... well... well it's typical Bruckheimer :-). At least he didn't go into the Lancelot-Guinevere thing as most movies usually do. Even though it was marketed as being more historically accurate, I'm not entirely sure two-handed swordfighting was a Roman method :-).

{looks at the bed} Oooo he's up! He's up! :-)


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CHRISTMAS!

Current Mood:

Christmas! Christmas! oh BOY CHRISTMAS!

Steve's sister Tammy and her family will be driving up to Little Rock today so we had Christmas dinner last night, as well as opened presents to and from them :-). We got Tammy and Jairus a nice wok dinner set, and we gave gift cards to the girls.

Since Steve said I wouldn't understand their gift unless he gives me HIS gift, he also let me open his Christmas gift a day early. It's a digital camera! I've been wanting a digital camera for a LOONG time :-)!

He was right by the way--Tammy and Jairus got me a memory card for the digital camera :-).

Tammy and Jairus also got me a breakfast tray! I put that on my Christmas list because I wanted to be able to work in bed--just lay the laptop over it and there you go :-).

Abby and Margaret gave us goodies that they made themselves, and Sam and Blake gave us a really neat bamboo plant in a lovely blue vase :-).

Some of our neighbors (Ray, Rhonda, Blake, Caleb, and their little toy chihuahua Stewie) were over last night too--it was really nice having them over for dinner :-). Rhonda gave me this pretty blue scarf that'll look really nice with the gorgeous blue sweater that Judy gave me two weeks ago :-).

And this is all just Christmas Eve ! Christmas DAY hasn't even started yet!

{smiles} My best Christmas gift of all though is that I'm in Memphis, and I'm not on vacation :-). I live here now :-). Steve and I have waited 8 years for this--to celebrate Christmas together and not having to think about my going back to Manila.


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Thursday, December 23, 2004

It SNOWED! It SNOWED!

Current Mood:

It SNOWED! There's a good 3-5 inches on the ground! My first snowfall! My first white Christmas!

It's so PRETTY, too...I'm going out there with Steve (once he wakes up) and I'm making my first snow angel :-)!



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Wednesday, December 22, 2004

I'm home!

Current Mood:

Man, that trip must've taken more out of me than I thought. I fell asleep at 5pm and didn't wake up until 12 hours later.

I'm so happy to be home. I realized on this trip that I'm not one of those people who live for business trips. It sounds exciting, and it is, but I just miss home too much :-).

The meeting went very well, though :-). If the potential client refers to the Letter of Intent as "sexy," I think that's a good sign :-).

We're going to have to go back in January, though. For three days this time. I'm hoping I won't need to drive 3 hours back and forth on the next trip :-).


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Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Made it!

Current Mood:

Made it to Nebraska and back--that was such a relief :-). Having the GPS system was a HUGE help :-).

Can't stay... have to return the car and make the 7:45 am flight. I'll talk more when I get home :-).


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Monday, December 20, 2004

Minutes before the drive

Current Mood:

It's 6:55am right now and in a few minutes Louis and I will be driving to Nebraska. I'm so scared. Thank goodness that when we first got the car last night it was midnight--there weren't as many cars on the road. I would've hit one for sure.

Keep your fingers crossed. I'll let you know what happens at the end of the day.


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Sunday, December 19, 2004

My favorite webshots wallpaper

Current Mood:

I love this Webshots wallpaper, it's my favorite:

Aside from the fact that they're all just so darned cute, the puppy in the middle looks like he JUST got the joke :-). "OOOHHH, I get it {heh heh}."


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Today's the day :-)...

Current Mood:

Today's the day I make the trip to Nebraska. I'm so nervous--particularly because I'll be driving from Kansas City to Nebraska with Louis. I haven't driven in 3 months. Steve takes me to and from work every day (I'm so spoiled :-)).

{thinks about it again} But I guess my real anxiety is that this is the first time Steve and I will be apart for more than a day since I'd gotten here in July.

{giggles} I know, I know. "Apart for a DAY! Oh the horror!" I'm talking like a true newlywed. Don't I just make you sick ? :-)


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Saturday, December 18, 2004

Okay, time for bed

Current Mood:

2:15 am. That's it for me :-).

...And to all a good night :-).


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So THAT'S what Blogrolling does!

Current Mood:

I've been visiting other blogs and I often see a link to Blogrolling so I decided to check it out.

See those links to other blogs on my sidebar? I used to have to add those links one by one by myself. Every time I see a blog that I like, I go into the template and mess with the HTML code, tedious stuff like that.

Blogrolling made it a whole lot easier: you sign up for a free account, then you make a list of links (a "blogroll") that you'd like to display on your site. Then you make blogrolling generate the code for the list of links. You copy THAT into your blog and voila, your entire list is displayed on your website :-).

What's the advantage of blogrolling versus doing the codes yourself? Well for one thing, if you had a link to say, 50 sites, you won't have a LOOOONG html list code that you have to maintain manually. The other advantage is that blogrolling lets you know when a link has been updated, as early as 30 minutes ago. Now that's handy, especially for blogs :-).

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INS Update

Current Mood:

Got an email from Immigrations today :-)...

On December 17, 2004, the results of your fingerprint review for your I485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status were received, and processing has resumed on your case. We will mail you a notice if further action is needed, or when a decision is made.

If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision or advice from USCIS within the projected processing time frame*, please contact the National Customer Service Center.

National Customer Service Center (800) 375-5283.

*The projected processing time frame can be found on the receipt notice that you received from the USCIS.*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.

Sincerely,
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)


I haven't gotten a similar email about my other application--the application for the Employment Authorization Document, which allows me to work in the U.S. I thought that was unusual, considering my fingerprints were for both applications :-).

Well, maybe next week :-).

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Our cookie won!

Current Mood:

The Memphis office had a cookie decorating contest yesterday. Today was the judging and our cookie won! We had Jean, Cara, Mary and Ryan on our team :-). We decorated our big plate-size cookie with a house with a Christmas tree and a snowbank and we used sprinkles as snowflakes :-).

It was neat how everyone contributed to the design and the look of the cookie. That was the most fun part :-). Us actually winning the contest was an added bonus :-). We each won a $15 gift card to Rafferty's :-).


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Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Happiness is...

Current Mood:

Happiness is when you crawl into bed at 1:30 am with cold feet and your husband responds by sleepily rolling over and wrapping his legs around them to keep them warm :-).

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Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Rachel's Wedding

Current Mood:

Rachel just sent our UP RCY group one of the pictures from her wedding :-). This wedding was last February I think.

That's me, WAAAAYY in the back :-).



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My first business trip!

Current Mood:

I'm so excited! Sunday I'm going on my first business trip! I was asked to go with other ePMAX employees to Nebraska to meet with a potential client :-).

My only fear is that it's going to be C-O-L-D in Nebraska. I'm going to have to majorly dress in layers :-).

I'm leaving on Sunday, meeting on Monday, then coming back Tuesday :-).


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Sunday, December 12, 2004

Busy Weekend

Current Mood:

We were busy this weekend :-). Saturday we did our Christmas shopping, and then that evening we went to Teresa's Christmas party at her home :-).

Teresa's parties have always been the stuff of legend. THIS year the schedule was that the dinner buffet starts at 5:30, sleigh rides begin at 6:00, Santa arrives at 7:00, teddy bear decorating and other crafts are from 5-8 pm, and Christmas movies start at 8:00.

I was hoping I could get a chance to ride in a sleigh--I've never had a sleigh ride before :-). But the kids were just too excited to ride on it that Steve and I weren't able to go. That's okay though, we were able to pet the horse :-). And I was able to take pictures and I got this REALLY great shot of a very exhausted Frosty the Snowman (who was there assisting the sleigh ride elf) on a stool :-). As soon as the film gets developed I'll upload the pictures :-).

Then Sunday Steve's mom and I went Christmas shopping for HIM (I can't tell you what we got--he reads this blog too ;-)).


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Friday, December 10, 2004

Fingerprinting almost foiled

Current Mood:

Today I was scheduled to go to the local US Immigration & Naturalization Service office to have myself fingerprinted for their records (Biometrics is what they officially call it :-)). I was told to bring a means of identification (I brought my passport), my confirmation number, and my two notices.

Steve and I got there early and, surprise of surprises, I was called earlier than my actual appointment time :-). I thought that was great :-).

Then the problem arose: I had no identification that carried my married name. The lady said, "Did you bring your marriage certificate?" And I said, "No, I wasn't told to bring my marriage certificate--just the confirmation number and the passport and my notices."

So she asked her supervisor and the supervisor told me that I had to go home to get my marriage certificate because I had nothing that ties me to the Slish name.

So I said, "Okay..." then in a last ditch effort I asked, "Will his name on the annotation in my passport work?"

I showed my passport and in the annotation was Steve's name, indicating that he's the person I'm supposed to marry. The supervisor looked at it and said, "That'll do. Good thing you showed me that, you saved yourself a trip."

Now on one hand I was REALLY relieved that that was an acceptable means of verification and I didn't have to go back and get the marriage certificate; but on the other hand, it made me wonder why they didn't think to look at the annotation in the first place... or at least tell people that it would be a good idea to bring your marriage certificate anyway. If I didn't ask, I would've ended up making a return trip that really wasn't necessary.

Lesson learned today: any time Steve and I have to go somewhere regarding my papers, bring the marriage certificate :-).

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Thursday, December 09, 2004

How Steve is a lot like Arlo

Current Mood:

Substitute dog for cat and this Arlo and Janis strip is pretty much on target :-).

As a matter of fact, the last panel reminded me of a picture I took two years ago:

An example of how Steve spoils me:

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Dave Barry blogs!

Current Mood:

Wow! Dave Barry has a blog! He's one of my favorite authors, too--he's just SOOO funny :-)...

At first I was excited when I saw that his blog was on blogger too ("Dude, I blog in the same place as Dave Barry"), but when I started reading the entries, the latest post talked about moving the blog to the Miami Herald.

That makes sense I guess, but it was still kind of disappointing. I was THIS close to rubbing elbows with Dave Barry... or at least our blogs rubbing elbows anyway ;-)...

Nevertheless, I put a link to his blog on my sidebar :-). He shares the Celebrity Blogs space with The Incredible Hulk :-).


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I got my business cards :-)!

Current Mood:

I got my business cards last night :-)! WOO HOO :-)!

That was quick--I ordered them on November 27 and I got them on December 8. That's only..(counts)... 8 business days! The delivery option I'd chosen on Vistaprint was the slow option (which they said would take 21 days to ship).

I guess I got really lucky about that :-).


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Well....

Current Mood:

Well maybe my FIRST cup of cofee is going to be regular strength and anything after that will be decaf ;-)...


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Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Shhh...

Current Mood:

I've been trying to cut down on my caffeine for the past couple of months. It gets me too worked up. It would be a good thing if it was just energy, but it's also anxiety. It makes me too jittery and nervous. Then I tend to overreact to things and I become an obsessive worrier (okay, even more than usual :-)).

I've been really successful so far drinking just one cup of coffee a day instead of my two or three. But I have to admit, I miss the taste of it.

Now that I've been doing 1 cup of coffee a day for about two months, I think I'm ready for the next step.

Don't tell anyone, because I used to make fun of people who did this too...

I'm going to start drinking...

decaf!

I know, I know... shame on me :-). Believe me, I wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary :-).


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Wednesday ALREADY?

Current Mood:

Don't you just hate it when you think it's a certain day and it's actually the day AFTER?

(thinks about it again) Okay on normal days that would be great... like if I thought it was Thursday and it was actually Friday, you can't beat that :-).

But if you had a list of things to do for the week and you were trying to do as much as you can with the time that you've got, then it's a problem :-)...


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Monday, December 06, 2004

A Sims Weekend

Current Mood:

I'd forgotten how addicting that game can be. You can spend 3, 4 hours straight on it and STILL want more time. I have the most fun building the houses, but the gameplay has gotten really interesting too now that I have Makin' Magic. It's fun just trying to find out what kind of spells you can create...


I used the Beauty or Beast spell to turn my party guests into donkeys :-)...



I heard a gurgling from the
garden and I found an egg!



It's a DRAGON! How cute!
The program called him Burnie :-)



I fed it...



I petted it...



I groomed it...



AAAGHH Burnie NO!!



You can probably guess my reaction when I tried to put it out and this happened...
"Oh, $#!+...Oh $#!+!" :-)



Does Burnie care? NOooo, he's too busy setting my house on fire :-).


And what happens to me?




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