Sorry about not updating about the weekend, today. I got a late start, this morning, baked some Starbucks Banana Walnut bread, got frustrated during clean up, and then found myself needing to start dinner. In any case, it will happen in the next couple days, I promise. However, so as to keep you informed, here's another fire update. I will continue to post pictures to the album on Facebook, so if you go to yesterday's entry and click the link, it should have the most recent photos included. Also, I found a better website for more detailed, accurate information...and to keep posted on evacuations. If it eases anyones fears, the evacuation places for animals are both located in Lancaster which is near us, so there's no question that it's safe for now. As far as where the evacuations are, the closest one is still over 40 miles away, and they've been good about getting people out in plenty of time. They also have said they're making it a point to work hard keeping it south of the 14 highway. Here's the link to that site, if you're curious:

http://inciweb.org/incident/1856/

And here's a picture from that site of where the fires are in comparison to us. We're in Rosamond, CA. Palmdale is about 30 miles from us.

Also, some people have asked what we would do should we need to leave (which isn't likely). Heidi has a sister in Washington that has offered her place to us if that became necessary, so that's the plan, for now. Don't be worried, though...we'll be okay and chances are slim that it would get this far, anyway. We just wanted to keep you posted so you're not concerned (hope it worked :)).

Okay, time for some rest. Have a good night!

It's been a long...and slightly eerie weekend. We got home from the fair late both nights, so I haven't had a chance to write much in here. I'll try to get more caught up and get videos and pictures up on here tomorrow. For now, a fire update. Yes, the wildfires are getting closer...and this evening we can even see some flames in the distance. The fires are still a good 60-70 miles south of us, but they're up in the mountains, so it's easier to see. We are in no immediate danger. And while flames aren't as fun...the smoke clouds have been kinda pretty in a weird sort of way. I'm going to put a link for you to see our album, thus far, of smoke pictures. And we'll keep you posted on the progress of the fire. Here's the pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2045453&id=48701321&l=80d3c08a53

and if you're interested in keeping more up to date on the fire info in your own real time, here's the link to the website we've been looking at (keep in mind that we're in Pacific Time, so it's 2 hours behind the midwest. Refer to the Station Fire. That's the one closest to us):

http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current

Sorry if this concerns anyone more than it should. I figured some info is better than none. We are being safe and informed and aren't in any danger right now. You can pray that the fires can be effectively contained regardless... Thanks :)...and have a good night.

ADAM'S HOME! And because of that, it kinda feels like Saturday...I've been a little unsure of what day it is for most of the day. I guess that's okay, though. It's better to have two Saturdays than it feeling like a Monday tomorrow or something. I don't really know where I'm going with this.

This morning, I woke up early to go to the DMV for what I was hoping would be my last trip there. It's been quite the saga trying to get my registration and title switched to my married name. Chase FINALLY sent me what I needed to have to get it all done...I thought...until I was IN LINE and realized that they only sent me a letter of permission to have it changed and registered to my new name in ILLINOIS. Now, I don't know if any of you have picked up on this yet, but...we don't live in Illinois, anymore. You'd think that Chase would have picked up on that, too...when I changed our address, registration, and insurance to California. But whatever...after arguing with the guy, hanging up on him, and coincidentally calling back to get the exact same guy, I was told they'd fax a new copy of the letter to the DMV. Thank goodness...OH WAIT...in three business hours. What the crap is the difference between a REGULAR hour and a BUSINESS hour?! Regardless, I got up to the window and explained my frustration and saga to the woman...and after a lot of silence and her looking things up on her computer, she checked the fax machine to find nothing, and had mercy on me and changed it all anyway. I profusely thanked her and was REALLY glad to walk out with my new registration and the hopes I won't have to return to the DMV again until next June.

The rest of the day consisted of some laundry...vegging out playing games on the computer...being frustrated trying to find the car rental place to pick up Adam...coming home...driving out to the base to get my ID to find out that we can't 'cause everyone went home 30 minutes before we got there...watching Hell's Kitchen and Shaq Vs., and eating a flatbread pizza. We were originally going to go out to the fair tonight, but by the end of the day, neither of us were up for it, so we'll save that for tomorrow and/or Sunday.

And so that you're all not too worried....LA County is HUGE...and while part of it is VERY nearby us (only 10 minute or so), the wild fires are further away. Adam, however, did have to drive through some areas of a lot of smoke to get home...but he's safe and unscorched :). We'll keep you posted, but from what I heard, they're starting to get them under control. Adam theorizes that some of the haze around here might have been leftover smoke...but I think it may have just been a bit cloudy.

And with that, I am going to wrap up for the night. I know it's hard to post comments on here if you're not a blogger, gmailer, etc...but feel free to shoot us an email/facebook message/etc. While this is probably considered fishing...it's always nice to get an unexpected word from back home. We miss you guys. Peace out.

(oh, and other than being excited to see Adam...Lacy's still been uncharacteristically well behaved....not that we mind.)

Here are the pictures I was too lazy to upload earlier...let's just say I got a second wind.


This is a toad picture requested by Matt when he heard that I was freaked out by unexpected toads hopping in my yard last night. Coincidentally...they scared me tonight, too.

Here's a better, less blurry one.

This is the fur I brushed off Lacy AFTER her bath and AFTER she was brushed at the groomer...who said, "You wouldn't BELIEVE the amount of hair that came off of her."

This is Lacy in her little bandana they gave her. I don't know completely why...but she's been REALLY good this afternoon. Maybe she likes being pretty, or her bandana...or maybe she's afraid I'll bring her back :-p. I don't know.

Alright peeps. Enjoy and goodnight.

My apologies for the lack of entries. I do admit that we have had our internet back since Tuesday evening, but I've been keeping myself busy to kill the time while Adam's been gone, and I just haven't done it by writing in the journal.

So...Tuesday was the big reveal day of the Extreme Makeover House. It went well, and since then, their dog has been returned to them...AND...I got word that my picture not only made it in the house before the reveal was filmed...but was also hung in the dining room. The family said they noticed it right away and there's a chance that it'll make the episode airing in October. It makes me feel good that I was able to be a part of everything. I'm excited to be able to watch the show with everyone in Champaign. It gives me something to look forward to and makes me a little less homesick knowing that I have been and will be a part of the excitement. Here's a picture of the drawing for your viewing entertainment:


Lacy had her first ever grooming appointment, today. I was a little nervous because she has a sore on her leg that she's been pretty touchy about. They said she did a great job with everything...except her nails and ears. She usually is nervous about both....she had a bad experience with that at a vet once and has been snippy about it ever since. At least she's clean now...matt free...and has a lot less hair to shed. However, I brushed her again when we got home and had massive amounts of hair come off still. I took pictures, but frankly, I'm feeling too lazy to upload them from my camera, right now....and I'm busy finding creative ways to sneak the First Aid Spray close enough to Lacy to spray her sore without her having warning.

So...tomorrow, I think I might ONCE AGAIN brave the DMV office. I was SUPPOSED to go today...with an appointment...meaning no wait time...BUT I didn't have the title, yet...so I couldn't go. Guess what came in the mail, today. Yeah...the title. So...I'm conisdering going tomorrow morning at 7:30 and getting in line. We'll see how that works out. Hopefully, this can be the end of the saga of getting my name changed.

Well, for now...I'm gonna go. Perhaps, now that the internet is back up and running, there will be more regular updates. Have a good one.

Once again...I'm writing to lament the fact that AT&T has yet again failed us. The modem was supposed to be here today at the latest...but it looks like I'll get to spend some more quality time on the phone with them tomorrow...grrr...

In other news...Adam's in Texas for work, again. He's gone a week, this time and will be home on Friday. We went grocery shopping before he left because he was worried I wouldn't eat otherwise. I guess eating cookie dough every day last week and forgetting lunch on a few occasions tipped him off to that one :). No worries, though...I am stocked and ready to go.

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition reveal is tomorrow in Philo. It has been really hard hearing about all the awesome stuff going on there and not being able to be in the mix of it. Yesterday, four celebrity chefs (including Rocco Despirito) from the Food Network joined in the festivities. I think it's been somewhat of a blessing not having consistent internet availability so that I'm not able to dwell on things as much. My picture I drew of the old house made it to Champaign, though. Elizabeth Giger and Scott Olthoff rock and got it into the new house this evening (THANK YOU!). I don't know where exactly it'll end up, but I'm glad it'll be there for the Montgomery's when they get home.

More importantly, though, I hope their dog will be there when they get home. It's been killing me, the last couple of days, to think about Samson (their dog). He was staying at Nathan's sister's house and got stressed, broke off his collar, and escaped...and is still missing. Nathan found out about it this evening...so just PRAY that he is returned home before the big reveal tomorrow. That would be horrible...and my heart is breaking for them...

So...I have an eventful week ahead. I'm going to catch up on some doctor's appointments, take Lacy to get groomed (she needs it...she's getting matted...which is a first), hopefully have the sprinkler people come fix our sprinklers, go to the DMV AGAIN to try and finish getting my registration and title and such switched to my married name, and whatever else comes my way in the meantime. Hopefully getting the modem will be somewhere in there...there's a lot you can't do when you're worried about an unsecure connection.

Well..I'm not going to push my luck with the length of time i'll be able to be online without interruption and call it a night. Peace out....

It's been a tough week for me. All the excitement back home keeps me in a pretty homesick and disappointed state. It's just hard getting over the fact that all this happened so quickly after we left. That and I think I just have too much time to think about things, sometimes...and when you're already in a slump, negativity comes naturally. I've been having a hard time feeling left out of things, which is something I'm just going to have to get used to, I guess, 'cause I can't be included in much when I'm not there to be included. I'm doing my best to try and get out of the slump for Adam's sake, but I'm learning the hard way that moving away is not as easy emotionally as it is to pick up and go materially...

Not to mention the fact that we STILL don't have our modem...and why? OH RIGHT...because they didn't SEND it...so after 2 hours or so on the phone with them, we supposedly have one on our way and should be here by Monday...we'll see. I was pretty forceful, to say the least, by the time I had been transferred and put on hold countless times...I didn't have it in me to be cordial, anymore. I demanded a direct line when I was told to call and be put on hold again...and finally got somewhere. We'll see how quickly the results come to fruition.

Wednesday, I spent most of the day doing a drawing to sent to Illinois. I'll post it in the coming week or so. It was good to draw for someone. That's generally when I have the most motivation TO draw...when it's as a gift for someone else. I'm hoping that since I have good connections, it will end up in Ty Pennington's hands and in the Montgomery's house for them when they get home...but Nathan will get it eventually, regardless, and that's pretty cool. I just checked, and it's actually in Champaign, so it will probably be on it's way to Elizabeth, then to Scott, then potentially Ty, by tomorrow...sweet.

After drawing, I made some chocolate mousse:

It turned out well, but it was really rich, and after a big dinner, Adam and I couldn't stomach it to finish it. In fact, we only got about 1/4 of the way through and put the rest away for another day. It was almost like chocolate frosting, it was so rich. At least it was good.

Yesterday, like I said, I spent a lot of time on the phone. AT&T, USAA, various doctor's offices...by the time I was done, I was ready to do something mindless not involving communication...so I watched Gilmore Girls. Adam and I then drove to Tehachapi to go to the farmer's market there...only to find out last Thursday was the last one of the year. So...disappointed and a little frustrated (the theme of the day for me :-p), we went to see (500) Days of Summer, instead. It was a really good movie up until the very last line...which could be construed as poetic and symbolic...but was not a good choice in our (and it seems others) opinion.

By the way...it's been rumored by a Champaign radio station that the air date of the show will be October 25th. Adam and I will actually be in Champaign that day...and are trying to work out arrangements to stay an extra night and watch it with everyone down there.

And that's all I have for right now...I think I might go make a dent in that mousse. Peace.

STILL no modem...though the UPS truck did, again, drive by our house today. 3-5 days...riiiight. Fortunately, I've had decent luck during the day with the internet connection...so I've taken to trying to update now incase it's not free to do so later.

Last night was not a good night for us. We discovered that the cat had decided to pee on a bunch of our stuff. Granted, it was our fault that it had been lying on the floor...but that didn't change the fact that I was very angry with the cat...especially when we had to throw away several bags and books...and are hoping to be able to revive a few more things. After several suggested remedies we discovered online...we called it a night...exhausted, frustrated, tired, and definitely ready for sleep.

This morning...I became a little more homesick than I've been so far. ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has been saying they'll be in Central Illinois for a while, but today was the day they announced the official location and family. I was very much hoping it would be somewhere I wouldn't recognize and people I didn't know so that I wouldn't be disappointed not to be there....but....not only was it a family from the Champaign area...but they are also members of the church we went to and run the ministry that our church was heavily involved in. Nathan Montgomery is the director of Salt and Light (saltandlightministry.org) and, as I said, a regular attender at Windsor Road...so not only is he from Champaign....but I know his family. All morning, I got texts, read Facebook statuses, and talked on the phone to people in the thick of it...and I must say...it's killing me not to be there. I really really wish I could be more a part of it than a bystander watching it happen from afar (but I'm so glad I've had internet so much today to be able to stay as connected as I have). It's hard knowing that tons of my closest friends are all rallying together...and there in person seeing it all happen...and I'll have to wait until the day after it airs to be a part of the process. Here's a link to an article and the website you, too, can keep posted on the progess:

http://extremebradyhomes.com/index.php/news/press-releases/extreme-makeover-home-edition-rewards-the-generosity-of-a-big-hearted-neighbor/?id=16

In other news...we're going over to grill at the Lucas' tonight. I'm hoping the tri-tip i've been marinading turns out well. We'll be indulging in that, fresh corn on the cob, veal burgers, and whatever Heidi has in store for us. It will be nice to spend some time with them. It's been kind of a lonely couple days for me.

On a happier note...we're getting a washer and dryer tomorrow. Some people at work were getting rid of it since they're moving and are giving them to us. I'm not sure of the energy efficiency of them or anything like that that I'd look into when purchasing them new...but it will be worth whatever money it will require to free up the hours that we would otherwise be spending at the laundromat that we will now have for other things.

Well...back to the grind. Hopefully...the next time this is updated will be from our very own internet connection. We can only hope...

So...we still don't have our own internet...but...I've gotten the "free" connection to last long enough to do some sort of update. It was a pretty eventful weekend.

Friday, I spent most of the day drinking coffee, eating cookie dough, and watching Gilmore Girls. It was wonderful. Then, I went to the Lucas' that afternoon...where Adam met up with us later to babysit Colton and Jack while Heidi and Jedd had date night. It seemed a little odd, though, that Dominos kept me on hold for 15 minutes...I hung up...they answered...and told me that I'd be on hold for another 15 minutes before they could take my order...and yet, Adam went TO the store, made an order, and had pizzas to us in 15 minutes. There seems to be something wrong with that...maybe it's just me. We enjoyed babysitting. We had dinner, walked to Foster's Freeze and back for some ice cream, and then watched Follow That Bird (the perfect excuse to subject Adam to a Sesame Street movie without objection.) There was a moment of excitement for Adam though...as the Belleville News-Democrat (his hometown newspaper) made it's cameo. He also enjoyed his return to Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt.

Saturday, we woke up late(ish) and had some homemade croissants. I now know how Pillsbury made their money. While they were good...a 2-3 day process is a little labor intensive for 8 croissants. It's worth doing once in a while, though.



Then we went to Palmdale to return some clothes and go kitchen table shopping. We didn't end up getting anything...much to the dismay of the very pushy salespeople...but we're closer to making a purchase. After I had had enough (which didn't take a whole lot...I'm not a big fan of shopping) we had lunch at Souplantation. It was a buffet style soup, salad, etc. place. I wasn't that impressed...and it was a little expensive...but Adam liked it, and said while he wouldn't go without a coupon, he'd consider going back with one. That evening, we packed a picnic dinner, met up with the Lucas', and went to watch "Grease" in the park.


Waiting for the movie to start...

Watching the screen go up...

Let the fun begin.

Not only did we have fun watching the movie...but Adam also won a Pujol's jersey in a drawing. Of course, the drawing was to soley benefit the man running it...but...he won a nice jersey for only $2...so it was worth it, right? Here's a picture of him in it. I know it's hard to prove it's him with his head cut off...but he made me take it like that so "it will be like a magazine ad."


I was hoping that, after that, I'd win the Macbook Pro or Macbook Air from the local NPR station we donated to...but alas, being that I haven't gotten a call, I'm pretty sure we didn't.

Sunday, we went to Sunday school at Wayside Chapel (the church we've been going to). And while we've been going to this church since we've been here...and enjoy the people we've made friends with in the process...we decided to search for a new church to go to service at. We will still probably go to Sunday School...and possibly service once in a while...but we want to see what other churches might have to offer that might be more suited to what we want in a church. Therefore, we visited the Church of Christ with Jedd and Heidi. It was nice. There were only about 30 people there, and most of them said hello to us and welcomed us. There were no instruments, and we sang mostly hymns...but it seemed more homey and we agreed we liked it better...but it still wasn't everything we had hoped...though we also agreed that we wouldn't mind going to visit there once in a while. Heidi showed me a website, though, of a new church plant in the Lancaster/Palmdale area. Originially, we had wanted to stick with churches in the area in order to meet people in town. Now that we have made some connections...I think we feel more open to look other places. I'm excited to see what this church is like. The pastor is from St. Louis...and was an art major before seminary. He's a younger guy...and the congregation is also younger, but I like that. Here's the website, incase you're interested: thewellav.org I think it'll be interesting to check out.

After church, we went to the Lucas' for fajitas. They were delicious, and as always, it was fun spending time with them and the boys. Adam's been bonding quite a bit with the boys lately. It's fun watching them do things together.

After lunch, we went to the laundromat, Adam went grocery shopping, we watched some Gilmore Girls (a common theme lately...especially without reliable internet...our usual source of TV shows to watch), and then went to bed...being that we had been up late several night in a row prior.

Today...we received a cool wedding gift in the mail from Jill and Denny Doss. It was a picnic/insulated carry bag for wine...along with a really neat, engraved bottle of wine. Everything, other than the printed label, was personally engraved on the bottle. It was pretty elaborate and very cool. The bag came with a gel ice pack, a cheese board, cheese knife, and a cork screw. It's neat...here's some pictures:





And with that...I'm going to try and get geared up to clean a little more before Adam gets home. I hope this was a fair compensation to daily updates. Hopefully, our modem will come in the mail soon...and we'll be back up and running more consistantly.

Have a great day!

We are, again, without our own internet connection. Hopefully our new router will make it here soon. It makes for a longer day when you feel disconnected and don't know what's going on in other people's lives :-p.

To keep you slightly updated...the dreams last night consisted of Will Ferrell being in love with me and me having to tell him I'm taken...and then him hiding on the roof from people coming after him...or something. Also, someone breaking into my house (well, she was let in by the sheriff) and executing a birthday party for her husband. I didn't know her and was mad about the whole thing, so I kicked her out and ate the cake.

I started making croissants, today. They're very involved...and won't be done until tomorrow...but I think they'll be good. I also watched numerous hours of Gilmore Girls. It was just one of those days. And in my defense, much of it was more listening to the show while I cooked and cleaned up the huge mess I made in the process.

We went to another Jethawks game, tonight. It was fun...and one of Adam's coworkers gave us free tickets. Also, one of the guys behind us was really drunk and lost 11 dollars out of his pocket during the YMCA dance. Though there were NUMEROUS attempts to give the money back to him...he swore up and down that it wasn't his and the beer fairy must have come...so we made ourselves 5 dollars. Krista got the other 5...and he kept the one...thinking it was sweet that he made a dollar. Too bad we won't be around to see him when he realizes how many he lost.

Now it's time to say goodbye to all our family...M-I-C....errr....g'nite.

After almost an hour on the phone, most of which was on hold, AT&T has confirmed that our router is broken (which I already knew and told them to begin with...but what's an hour of my life?!). You may wonder, then, how I'm managing to post a blog. Well, you can go ahead and thank the people that have a router that is not password protected for that one. We just wanted to reassure our loyal followers that we are alright...and will be back up and running legally in hopefully a couple of days. Until then, we'll get what we can out of free airwaves.

Quick wrap up of the day:
-I went to some places on the base including Jungle Zone (and indoor play place for kids), Story Time at the Children's Library, Subway for lunch with Adam, and the Commissary with Heidi and the boys. By the time we got back from that...I was exhausted and ready for a nap...which, by the way, I was robbed from by the lovely people at AT&T. So..I crashed for the 30 minutes between Adam's coming home call and him arriving.
-Then we ate dinner (tortellini, organic corn on the cob, spinach salad, chocolate chip cookies) and watched some Ace of Cakes.
-We then sat on what Adam refers to as "The Veranda"...otherwise known as our back porch...and now we're getting ready to turn in for the night a little early.

T-ttt-ttht-that's all Folks.

ADAM'S HOME! (Not that I'm excited about that or anything.) He got home about half an hour or so ago...freshly awaken from his slumber in his boss' car. He had a good trip, but he's glad to be back...especially since he'll be going to Fort Worth again in a couple weeks. Oh the life of a grown up.

I spent most of today cleaning the house up for Adam's arrival. I remember him saying at one point (thought I don't remember how it came up...I think it may have been in an answer to some silly quiz on Facebook I made him take) that he doesn't like coming home to a messy house...so I thought I'd do what I could to avoid that happening. I think I did alright...though I didn't make it to our bathroom....but you gotta have something to look forward to, right?

I also took some time, today, to search for free offers online. I'm not sure why...I guess I just had the urge. I ended up finding a coupon only valid for today for 2 Free Tacos at Jack In The Box. I debated for a long time as to whether or not it was worth redeeming. There's a JITB right down the road...literally...you don't even have to turn. After some warnings I did not heed and Adam's suggestion to go if I hadn't eaten yet, I ended up getting my tacos. I felt guilty, though, not spending ANY money, so I ended up getting an egg roll, too. This was my first experience at the Jack...and while the food tasted good...I didn't feel very healthy afterwards...so naturally, I ate some cookie dough and sat around for the rest of the night. But here's the kicker....Minutes after I pulled into our garage with my freshly deep fried foods...Heidi called to invite me to dinner. I wish I had gone...but Adam was on his way home, and I was fairly certain that fast food egg rolls and tacos would NOT taste good after reheating...so I stayed put.

On a slightly different note....I had a dream that I went to the White House. I wasn't sure why I was told to come or who had asked me...but I knew I was to go to the 5th floor and check in (I didn't know it had 5 floors...). When I went, she called someone about my appointment and was told to let us up for dinner with the president. For some reason, I was thinking the president was still Bush, I think...so I was surprised to find The Obamas waiting for me. I asked where their older daughter was...and they said, who knows. She had been unruly lately, and they decided it was best to let her learn her lessons on her own. Then I came home and told people they would never guess who I had lunch with...and Adam was like....Heidi. I said, no...the Obamas. Then I called my little brother who didn't believe me and then was jealous. The end.

So that's that. I didn't go to the pool today because I didn't feel like going by myself...and was feeling satisfied in my cleaning endeavors (and all the breaks in between tasks). Tomorrow, I'm going with Heidi and the boys to the base for story time at the library, playing at the park, and lunch with Adam. Then, perhaps I'll get to our bathroom.

Until then....

Adam's still gone in Fort Worth, but is having a good time. Lacy misses him (I'd say I do...but then I'd be "that guy". :)). Here's the fun and excitment that happened in his absence:

I woke up at 7 this morning to get to the DMV right when it opened at 8...only to find that the line was already 25 minutes long outside the door! (Side note: I had to go to the DMV because they wouldn't let me register my car under my new name until I had contacted that bank and they changed it on the title. I had a letter sent to me from the bank confirming that they had updated all my accounts to reflect that change...and thus, I was going back to update my registration.) Well...long story short...my registration ISN'T changed. They said that they can't do it without an updated copy of the title....WHY DIDN'T THEY SAY THAT LAST TIME?!!! They also tried to tell me that the only car registered to my name was a '84 Chevy...I don't own, nor have I ever owned, neither an '84 OR a Chevy! Then they tried to tell my that the car I DO own is a 2004 and not a 2003. Needless to say...I left with a hatred for the DMV. A GREAT way to start the day.

Then I got home and decompressed for about an hour...watched a little TV...had some lunch...and decided to go to the laundromat. That WAS a good idea. I got to read a bit (I've been reading "The Last Lecture" while waiting at the laundromat on various trips.) and it was nice just to be away and in quiet, for all intents and purposes, by myself for a bit. Of course, I ripped the laundry bag on the way to put clothes away once I got home...but at least the clothes are still clean.

After the laundromat, I went to the store. I found out that there's trouble on the homefront for Jillian and Ed...but after watching Good Morning America and finding out it's false, am glad I didn't give in and buy US Weekly just for that. I did, however, buy Crush, spinach, pasta, and grapes. Then, I went home...ate dinner...and tried to watch "Hair." After the first few scenes being more wranchy than I had hoped...I decided to watch "Jesus Christ Superstar" instead...which was a very good decision.

I now have wasted an hour or so on Facebook and am going to open up the windows to let the breeze in and get some sleep. Maybe I'll go to the pool tomorrow. Hmmm... For now...g'nite.

Well, Adam's off in Fort Worth for a few days...and in his absence, I nearly forgot to write in the journal. Like I said yesterday, it's been helpful in recounting blessings of the day to write in here, so it's a nice way to wrap up before bed.

We spent the majority of the day together at church. We went to Sunday School and the service...and came away feeling like, after the time we've spent there thus far, we might visit some other churches. We love our Sunday School class and the people we've met there...but we just don't feel like we're getting what we should out of service. Granted, we were spoiled at Windsor Road and won't ever find anything that compares...but I think we felt more at home there and that's something I need to feel more at home here, period. We'll see what our search turns up. We may very well remain at the church we're at, but I have to know that it's the best option...and without having visited any other churches, I can't definitively say that, yet.

After church, we scarfed down some lunch and went to Lancaster to drop off Adam at the house of his boss. She drove him to LAX to catch the plane. Not to sound sappy, but this is the first we've been apart since we've been married....so it's a little strange...but somehow, it was a little easier than before, too. I'm looking forward to him coming home, Tuesday night, though...and it'll be a little strange to be sharing the bed only with a dog and cat. At least they'll keep me warm.

The rest of my day was spent with the Lucas'. We went to the pool...but only to find it closed about 3 minutes after we arrived...so we spent an hour at the park, instead. It was nice hanging out and talking to Heidi...and she got the first taste of my emotional side. At least she's broken in, now. I went back to their house with them for a delicious dinner, some coffee, and more good conversation.

I didn't get back here until late...and now have been bumming around on the computer for long enough. I'm hoping to wake up "early" and get to the DMV right when it opens to get my registration changed over to my new name. So with that...I'm going to go shower and get to bed. Have a good night!

It's another late night for us...but so totally worth it. We spent today in Pasadena visiting Candace before she leaves the country. It was SO nice to see a familiar face (as it has been with other visitors). Today was one of those days that made you realize that it doesn't really matter what you do when you have good company. We spent most of the day just walking around Old Pasadena and window shopping. We stopped in Gap (only to buy socks, though. I wore the shoes from our wedding...which were MUCH more comfortable that day, for some reason....and quickly ended up with blistered, painful feet...so we bought socks hoping to remedy that. Of course, while they helped the blisters, they made the shoes too tight, so my feet are happy to have a break), Crate and Barrel, an antique store that was going out of business, a lawn furniture store, and a couple other places.



An awkward specimen of a wedding dress we found in a boutique as we were walking. Candace's question was if a man or woman would design a dress with such, shall we say, attention drawing flowers. Wow.

Somewhere mid-walk, we stopped at 21 Flavors, a frozen yogurt place recommended to us by one of Adam's co-workers. It was good...even though I immediately spilled chocolate on my shirt. Oh well.



Candace and I enjoying our frozen yogurt treats.



Adam...on the other side of the table...enjoying his selection.

We found this little courtyard place to sit and eat our snacks. It was nice and a good place for people watching. We started our journey here and returned a couple times in the day to take a load off. The restaurants in that area, however, were a little pricey, so we traveled on in search of a place to eat. We eventually decided on a sushi bar. I was a little frightened because I didn't know how much I'd like it. It was alright...but my favorite was the Philadelphia roll. We also learned that soy sauce that says less salt doesn't mean a whole lot...it's still very salty. Regardless, though, we all enjoyed our meal.



Adam and Candace at the sushi bar.



Adam enjoying some of Candace's shrimp sushi.

By the time we were done with dinner, we realized it was a lot later than we had thought and how fast time flies when you're spending it with good people. We walked back to the parking garage and headed back to Candace's campus to say farewell. Here's a view from the parking garage of where we spent our afternoon. It was a lot more impressive from the ground :).



We had tons of fun with Candace and didn't want to have to leave...but knew that we had to. We said goodbye, fired up the GPS, and went on our way. For whatever reason, the GPS took us a completely different way to get back...and while it was very pretty...it was also very windy and made Adam a little tense. We did a lot of going up and down and around and all over mountains. This is just a little taste of the long (and far more scenic) ride that we had



So now we're back home in Rosamond. We had a great day and will miss Candace...but wish her luck teaching overseas. Adam's packing for his trip to Texas tomorrow...and I'm going to go get ready for bed. Thanks for reading this and giving us motivation to keep it up. It's nice to recount our days and all we have to be thankful for. Enjoy!

Highlights of today:

I ran...though the dust made my sinuses feel crappy and my head hurt.
George got out...I don't know for how long or where he went...I just know he found his way to the front door and meowed.
We walked to Foster's Freeze for ice cream.
Adam got his new computer at his new desk in his new building.
It's payday.

Tomorrow we get to see Candace!

Stay tuned.

It's super late, so we're gonna make this a fast one. It's our 2 month-iversary...and we celebrated at the Jethawks (the local farm team) baseball game. It was $1 beer night, so a bunch of Adam's co-workers were there (some of their heads are in the picture above). It was good to meet the people he works with and his boss and we had a lot of fun. After 11 innings, the Jethawks were defeated by the Mavericks 4-2. The two mascots (Kaboom and Stealth) were getting restless and started 'fighting'. Many people almost got beaned by foul balls. Adam actually retrieved one, but very kindly gave it a girl whining that adults were the only ones who ever got the balls. Among other festivities were the kid run where they let all the kids run across the outfield...and fall...and fall over each other...which was pretty funny. We also enjoyed cringing at the "Hawkettes"...which, as the name suggests...are the Jethawk cheerleaders...who also happen to be very very underage, unenthusiastic, and pretty awful dancers...though the random staff guy who danced with them was pretty entertaining. And for anyone wonders if it gets cold in the desert...the answer is yes. We were both very cold by the end of the game (it's 66 with a lot of wind) and comtemplated running the heater in the car on the way home. Speaking of which...our air conditioner ran for 1 minute, today. I don't think it got above 85 at our house. In anycase...We'll leave you with this picture. Proof that we participated in the festivities of Thirsty Thursday...though do not be alarmed...Adam did not drink all those cups on his own.



Cheers.

So, I'm sitting on the veranda drinking wine and eating some crackers, and its beautiful outside, but Erin says its a little cold for her taste and she's dying from not having a lactaid with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Today Erin went to a park with Heidi and her kids and got a little sunburned. Then they went to Foster's Freeze and everyone 25 or under had corn dog kids meals. Erin was frightened by the day care people who brought 11 kids to Foster's Freeze and were pretty bad at their job. Then she came home and made soup and sandwiches and probably did some other things too.
I, on the other hand, had a very unique day. It involved some of the most severe boredom I've had since starting as well as a lot of excitement. Well, I figure you don't really need to know about the exciting things, but the boring things involved sitting on a bus for a long time, listening to boring talks about mundane things, and waiting outside of fancy rooms for our turn to go in. At several points I contemplated falling asleep standing against a wall.
In slightly different news, I think I will be going to Fort Worth on Sunday. It should be fun to see how things go there, and if anyone wants to visit Erin Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon, she'll be available. That's about that.
Also, the ignition on the car feels buttery smooth.

We had a casserole in the crockpot. It wasn't good. And now a word from our sponsors:

Ferrell Sings "West Side Story" on Letterman from Will Ferrell

Good Customer Service was NOT the theme of the day...

This is the first day I've had a car on a weekday since Adam started work. Of course, I couldn't take the key out of ignition if I wanted it to work, again...unless I wanted to chance it and whack it with a hammer to get it to turn...but we weren't too excited about finding out how many times that would actually work before it stopped working...and I wasn't too keen on getting stuck in Lancaster by myself without a working car. So, I drove to AV Ford and bought a new ignition cylander...which cost over 140 dollars. I was pretty shocked, but tried not to show it in order to maintain what little credibility I might have with the people there. Granted, it wasn't easy to get this part...the person in parts told me I had to go to service...the person in service told me to go to parts...but I eventually came away victorious.

Then I went to Best Buy...which doesn't open until 10...or 10:05ish in this case. I was the 2nd person in line at the Geek Squad counter, but of course someone who had gotten there far after I had butted in front of me...grr. All I had gone for was to trade in a faulty Wii Remote for a new one like the dude on the phone said I could. After a good 15 minutes or so of confusion, the woman behind me getting pissed at me (seriously) and the guy asking a lot of repetitve questions...he told me that my warranty was a product replacement one and the only way he could replace it was if I bring the entire system in...and they'd give me a new one. Doesn't it make a lot more sense business and budget wise for them just to give me a new remote and not lose the money on an entire system? Whatever.

By the time I got home, I was pretty tired and cranky. So, naturally, I ate some cookie dough :-p...and my left over eggplant parmesean. I watched the view...and then I decided to start a new drawing. I thought it might make me feel a bit better...and it did. I probably won't take pictures of it every step of the way...but sometimes it's fun to see what my pictures look like now compared to the finished product. It maks me feel better, sometimes, about the way they end up turning out. Here's the start of the first E.Kuester drawing of my life:



I also found time, today, to start working on figuring out our wedding album out a bit, repot some plants in hopes they'll be revived, make a very good grilled chicken salad for dinner, do some dishes, and attempt to conserve as much energy as possible since we both ended up getting up earlier than normal so Adam could get a ride to work...(and I didn't take my usual 7-8 nap...which usually gets me through the day in higher spirits.

While repotting plants...I inadvertantly sat in the grass. Normally, I would love that. I love the way grass feels. But ever since we moved here (and perhaps it's this type of grass...I don't know) I have had a sudden allergy to grass. It doesn't effect me if I just walk in it, but if I sit in it, my legs break out and get all itchy...and then for a good 20-30 minutes or so, end up looking like this:



It's not exactly fun. And you'd think with a result like that, I wouldn't forget as readily as I did, today. Oh well...

Back to the car. We got a replacement cylander that you can set to your keys you already have...thereby saving us the money and trouble to get new keys programmed (Ford keys have to be programmed to your car or they won't work) and the inconvenience of having a seperate key for the doors and the ignition. Adam had the old one out and the new one constructed and put back in in a little over an hour. And considering the price of the part, he probably saved us a good chunk of dough. Speaking of which...our electric bill was WAY cheaper than we expected it to be. Granted, it didn't include the gas bill...which we're used to both being combined...but we were both pleseantly surprised by the amount.

Well, it's time to sign off and get some rest. Who knows what tomorrow has in store. Adam will have the car once again...and I will continue to delve into the world of Domestic Engineering. G'nite folks.

Adam dropped me off at the Lucas' this morning to take care of Molly while he went to Autozone to buy a part to fix our car. They had the part, but not the part necessary to cut it to fit different programmed keys such as the ones have. Well, you'll be happy to know that, after some whacking on the car and keys with a hammer, the car now is able to be started...but it only works if you a. don't take the key out of the ignition...or b. hit the key with a hammer before trying to turn it. This being said, it seems fairly obvious that we are not going to settle with either solution and I will be making a trip to Lancaster, tomorrow, to bring the car to the dealership for repair. At least we were able to return the Brown's truck.

Sidenote: We're not sure it actually reached 100 today...if this is, infact, true...that would be a first in over a month.

Adam's not feeling so well, right now...which stinks. We don't really think he's SICK though...just more so had too much grease, today. You'll understand that as you read on.

In other news, we had a pretty fun day...which was nice after the night we had had. Sunday school was very interesting. We've started learning a bit about Hebrews, and today we talked about the history behind the chapter and what life was like when it was written. (You'd love this class, Ben :)). In addition to learning a lot...we also eat a lot. Today, Mike brought a homemade breakfast pizza with lots of cheese, cream cheese, sausage, eggs, etc. Paul also brought some homemade "sweet kind of sweet bread type thing...it's really more of a muffin in bread form" that Bethany made. We, of course, had to eat that, too.

After church...we went to the Lucas' to take care of Molly. We're not gonna lie...we had a lot of fun with her. (More later.)

Adam's Aunt Julie and Uncle Jack came into town for a few hours to visit. They got to see our place, see a bit of Rosamond, ask Adam questions about his job...and then we traversed together to Palmdale for a late lunch. We ended up eating at Johnny Carino's, which is an Italian restaurant that really believes in garlic and oil...yet another part of why Adam isn't feeling so hot. He had a panini...and homemade potato chips...which probably did him in. But we had a good time...and at the time, enjoyed our meals, for the most part. It was fun to get to visit with them. It's always nice to see familiar faces around these parts.


This is Adam showing Julie and Jack about the airplane he'll be working on in his obnoxiously large airplane book that my mom so kindly bestowed on us :). You could only consider it a coffee table book because you could literally use it as a coffee table.

After Jack and Julie left, we decided we should probably do some laundry. So we did...and then went to pay Molly one last visit before the Lucas Family got back from their trip. She was pretty funny. A lot of times, she just lays around, but she seemed to be really happy to see us. She did a good bit of laying around, too...but a lot of the time, she sat with us...put her head in our laps, followed us around outside...but our most favorite, entertaining thing to do with her was to get her to shake. This seems like a pretty standard dog trick, these days...but somehow...When a dog is HUGE and uses great force and intensity in getting her paw in position...it becomes way more amusing. Heidi said you have to be careful or she could take you're arm off if you're not expecting it.:



I mean...come on...that's entertaining. (Or maybe you had to be there, but these movies will always put a smile on my face.) As will this:



I think that was probably the most fun I've ever had dogsitting (Sorry Abby and Bella...). Once we got home, we ate a Farmer's Market Avacado for dinner (we weren't really that hungry after lunch...and I didn't even eat half of mine)...and followed up with some of our free pint of Starbucks Java Chip Ice Cream (AMAZING! Adam thought it was a little strong on the coffee flavor...but come on...that's the point....though it probably doesn't help his unsettled stomach much...then again, that orange juice probably didn't do much good, either.) After some TV...we played a little Wii...which, in hindsight, probably wasn't a good idea for him...but it didn't really hit him much until we were already into it a bit. After a couple games of tennis and bowling, he was done for...and is currently fighting hiccups in addition to everything else :-p.

BUT...like I said...all in all, we had a great day...and Adam will be fine in a bit...so hopefully tomorrow will be another of the same. Welcome Home Lucas'...and have a great night!

You must have guessed (and have probably been waiting for this) that our life couldn't stay easy, smooth, and well adjusted for too long before something "exciting" happened to us. Perhaps the unusually late time of this post would be a clue to you that this time in our lives is upon us (as though anyone actually regularly checks the time of a blog post.)

At about 7 this evening, after having leftover buffalo burgers, tater tots, and cauliflower (had to throw that in for you)...Adam dropped me off at the Lucas' to hang out with Molly (their dog) for a bit while he went grocery shopping. He called around 8 to tell me he was on his way to come pick me up. Talking on the cell phone while driving is illegal in CA, so he normally calls right before he leaves. I got a call about 5 minutes or so later and assumed he was calling to tell me he was there...but rather, he was calling to tell me he can't come because he can't get the car started. The key won't turn in the ignition. Thus, I started my half hour walk from the Lucas' across town to the grocery store parking lot that Adam was in...hoping that my key might do the trick.

Alas, it did not...and after Adam tried, I tried, a random guy that had parked next to us and heard my frustration tried, and our friend Ryan who came to pick us and the groceries up tried...we lost hope and determined it is very much broken. After calling USAA for some roadside assistance, and waiting about an hour and a half...the tow truck FINALLY showed up. Even the tow truck guy insisted on trying to get it fixed...which resulted in this:

So...now, about three hours later...we are home. Our car is parked on the street...and we're left to figure out what the next step is. This is rather inconvenient considering we only have one car, we're dog sitting, we have Sunday School and church in the morning, Adam's aunt and uncle are coming to visit tomorrow, there's not any garages open on Sundays to fix the problem, and Adam has to work on Monday. Fortunately, we have some awesome friends from church (Ryan and Sandy Brown) who have very graciously loaned us their extra car to use for a while. We also ran into the next door neighbor in the parking lot who offered to drive me to the Lucas' (before we were offered the Brown's truck) if I had no other way to get over to take care of Molly. We're lucky to have met good people...and I'm definitely glad we made that effort.

On a lighter note, my dog is crazy. I somewhat blame Eli's dogs for teaching her this method of sitting on things...but here's some comic relief. The following is what happened when her toy got stuck on the random landing area at the top of the stairs and she was waiting for one of us to come get it:



So, pray that our car might get to where it needs to be and be fixed without too much stress both mentally and financially. Tomorrow will be interesting...but for now...goodnight!