friday a.m. may 23

there's a mockingbird outside my window...singing like crazy. I love listening to them sing and imitate different noises in our every day life. Except when the night mockingbird decides to sing before the sun is up. then I'm looking for a bb gun or a small rock. (just kidding)..... I don't think I could ever do that-I'm the person that slams on their brakes to avoid hitting a chipmunk......
what a week. crazy drama at work. tension so thick. *bleh* school is good though. nice teach for this psych class.... will be nice to take a week off though when we're up in Portland and Seattle. oh vacation..... will be SO nice. we're priceline'n our hotel in Portland.. it's kind of exciting, not knowing where you'll be staying; but knowing it'll be a 4 star hotel. So far our bid hasn't been accepted; but it's still a little early on in the game... Portland is going to be so much fun... we love it up there (as does everyone else it seems:)... and Seattle will be so nice, I think we've never been able to spend almost a whole week up there before..hopefully the weather will be nice so we can explore like crazy. We're stopping by my hometown of Coos Bay, Or on the way up to see my grandparents... i love them to death!! they're living in the apartment above a coffee shop in downtown Coos Bay now... which is kind of weird to me because they've always lived out in the country side and had a garden, animals, lots of flowers, and so on...but they're getting old and can't take care of all that work now... I guess it's pretty cute-my mom said she could actually picture Jeremy and I living somewhere like that:)
so I guess Coverdale family dinner has unofficially started...we had friends over 2 nights this week, good times, great friends. but be warned, if you're invited over, prepare to do your best shakeface or else you'll have to sit outside. unless it's a nice summer evening and we're all sitting outside, then you'll have to sit inside. (good thing I don't have to shake face...because I'm terrible at it..guess my face isn't fat enough. .. :) but seriously...i love cooking for people...it's a great way to get to know friends and strangers better.... my only disappointment is our table situation.. our new place doesn't really have a good spot for a big table (or our small table for that matter)...but our guests didn't seem to mind sitting on the floor around the coffee table...especially peter and lauren...but maybe that was because we got to witness Jeremy dumping a half full plate of food on his crotch... it was pretty stinking funny.....
it looks like rain outside. . i'm sitting on my couch with the door open (I LOVE screen doors) with a hoodie on and wrapped up in a blanket..this is definitely more of my weather style. drinking coffee makes so much more sense in cold weather.....
speaking of drinking, i must confess to you my blogging family.. my no drinking month has only been part success..in the past 23 days i have had... 4 beers. not bad though right? I've been drinking 1/2 caff coffee to if not none at all. time to start being healthy again. maybe i'll actually start using my gym membership again.. ha. as soon as my bike is all fixed up too you'll see my riding all over downtown redding.... not the eastside though... who goes there anymore? :) i've turned into a westside snob..... :)
well friends, I have a picture of Wednesday nights dinner (Chicken Fajita Tostadas and Cilantro Lime Rice) but Jeremy hasn't uploaded it yet (apparently shake face pictures are more important) :) .... but i'll start cooking blogs again, now that I'm cooking again.... i've been sitting around for the last 2 hours just bummin.. So I guess I should get going on my day.. schoolwork, housework.. you know, all the stuff you do on your day off. if you're bored today-come by and see me.. I let jeremy take the car to work today.... forcing me to stay home and get things done:)
shout out to the Blacks for helping us get our new washer and dryer!! even bigger shout out to the Peacauts for giving us a washer and dryer!!! Jeremy and I are SO freakin blessed..... God is good my friends... did you ever read Acts 2:42.. go do it.
-amy

two weeks later

sorry friends. it's been 2 weeks with no blogging. you know sometimes you just forget? Yea, we've been pretty busy lately... between moving, Jeremy getting in a car accident, school, and work... *bleh* I hate feeling like this. but our home is coming together quite nicely..still have quite a few boxes laying around..and we're getting our washer and dryer this week from Candace and bobby!! sweet! we need a truck though sometime this week to go get them, so if you know of anyone.. let us know. We'll feed you and pay for your gas, cool?
I went up to my parent's house this weekend up in Susanville... it was a good escape from the heat and just a good time with my parents. I love my parents..my mom and I get along so well-never a dull moment. We drove down to Chester and went into all the cute little mountain gift stores.. I got this book called "In Defense of Food".... looks like it might change my eating habits a bit, I want to anyway... start eating more veggies, less meat. My sister is growing a "lettuce bowl" for me right now for a housewarming present-I'm SUPER excited about that, fresh lettuce, so good.. well fresh anything is better than going to the store. Emily and I are going to be dreaming up a community garden which will be at their house... we'll start tending the garden this fall..... getting it ready for planting next year. you interested? talk to one of us... I'm sure we'll come up with some bad-ass club name.. you'll pretty much want to be in it. . if you know what's good for you.
Jeremy and I went to the Door this morning. It was strange but very refreshing to go to another church. It's great to hear the passions on their hearts. Steve has such a great heart for the church community/family and it is so evident in his preaching...and just in their community.. we had SO many people come up to us and just talking about life... I like that. Went to Chipotle for lunch with the crew.. good times. I miss going to lunch after church...there's something about it, good bonding time.
I killed a black widow the other day. pretty much emptied a whole can of Raid on that sucka. Good thing b/c I don't think Jeremy would have gone outside until the spider was gone. We washed our cars together last night for the first time ever. Isn't that weird? I thought so...anyway, Jacob is a happy little Honda now, all nice and shiny. I'm sure though some bird will be delighted to leave me a nice little present any day now.
So I got a mtn. bike from my mom... I am pretty sure I'm going to start biking to work. it's pretty close...just a few hills in between me and Sunset...and meaning I'd have to leave for work even earlier...which when you work at 5:30 or 6 in the a.m. can be pretty early. BUT, I'm trying to live so greenly... why not? And to save on gas money would be very nice.. I'm sure Jeremy wouldn't mind driving Jacob to work, with the air on full blast :)
So the Coverdale family dinner will probably start up in a couple of weeks..... I'm thinking it'll probably be a BBQ for the next 3 months :) . . . so, keep your eyes and ears open for more info on that... I'm excited to have people into our home, feed them, get to know them, meet some needs. it's what we're here for. Steve from the Door spoke on Acts today..he touched on Acts 2:42 (remember that old Celebration crew?)..... and how they sold everything they owned, so they could give to everyone that had a need..... . . . go read it tonight. read it every day.
anyway... just a few things I've been thinking about lately. . . time to shower and put some laundry away....... hope my bloggin family is doing well...

the end. chapter 1.

goodbye #24. goodbye manor. goodbye Joann. goodbye Walter the skunk. goodbye little tiger striped kitty. goodbye palm tree. goodbye amazing sunsets. goodbye smoking neighbors. goodbye screaming children. goodbye coin-op laundry. goodbye stairs. goodbye tiny oven. goodbye. goodbye. goodbye.
crazy. I've spent the last 5ish years of my life at the manor. it's strange to think that's not home anymore. I'll miss that place. it's pretty much been good to me my time there. Jeremy and i went over and cleaned up today. man. after seeing all the dust that accumulates behind your dresser, bed, and refrigerator... i want to start cleaning mine like every 3 months. the same with all that deep cleaning. i consider myself to be a pretty neat and clean housewife-but doing the deep clean always sucks. but that's when you need some good music, a good breeze blowing through the house, and some yummy essential oils wafting through the air. yep. i was cleaning out the dishwasher and i said to Jeremy, "I wonder if anyone actually cleans the inside of their dishwasher?"...he says, "Anna probably does." :) So Anna, do you? I read in.... real simple I believe that if you put a packet of lemon-lime koolaid in the soap dispenser and run it through an entire cycle it'll totally get rid of the yellowish-lime buildup...never tried it though. i don't think I've ever actually bought koolaid before...too much sugar. and now my dishwasher's name is Jeremy, and I don't think he'd really appreciate it if i poured a packet of koolaid in his soap dispenser... hhmm, his soap dispenser?.... anyway...
we absolutely love our new place.. except the fact that it is a COMPLETE disaster right now. I'm actually amazed that I'm sitting here so calmly not stressing out about all the boxes everywhere..or maybe i am.........
totally posed. I'm not stressing out about un-packing. I'm stressed about my 6 page paper that's due tomorrow in my psych. class that I haven't even starter. sheesh.
can I just say THANK YOU so much to our wonderful, incredible, strong, burly, handsome moving crew that helped us out yesterday. seriously. to be loaded, unloaded, with the bed set up in under 2 hours? incredible. we could not have done it without you. we owe you BIG time. as soon as my kitchens unpacked..we'll have a BBQ and you're coming over. you know who you are..but in case you don't:)-Chris Cable, Andrew Borgic (Rosetta you and Myra can come too, for moral support:), Jason Jones, Tyler Faires, Jesse&Lyn Rosten.... amazing to have friends like you. Jeremy and I are so thankful to be part of such an incredible community.
speaking of community, I'm missing the stirring tonight. kind of a bummer...but I just couldn't do it, gotta get that paper done...and get some sleep...and get some food in the fridge. speaking of the fridge...our isn't doing so hot right now:( bummer. my mocha almond fudge ice cream is now mocha almond fudge milk. hopefully the freezer does better and the fridge part too... would hate to be that tenant that moves in and wants a new appliance! :) oh well...
I'm making this month my vox dei of early2008. I'm giving up drinking. no not drinking all together-that would be crazy! I wouldn't survive without my water! I'm not going to drink beer, wine, liquor, or anything like that for a whole month. I know I don't drink alot, only every so often do I indulge in a tasty beverage...but it's always good for the body and the soul to give up something every once in a while... I'm contemplating giving up caffeine again for a while... i know, I'm crazy. what can I say? but seriously-hold me to it.
well I'm going to go browse through craigslist for a while...then time to get working on my paper. but first... i need to water my petunias....