What a Snoog!

I am trying to get caught up on my blogging, so some of the upcoming posts may be pictures from quite awhile ago.  That being said, they are still cute and I want a record of them, so forgive the tardiness. 

At the beginning of November, Sary called me pretty stressed out.  You know the best thing about being unemployed?  I could do something about it!  She needed a fairy godmother, but instead she got . . .

Cinderella!

We had fun just hanging out, making jewelry, cooking, going out with Auntie Muriel, and, OBVIOUSLY, cooing over Cal.

 Buddies

Cal loves to press his forehead against your face.  Those are "Cal kisses."

 

 What a big boy!

I miss you guys!  Can't wait to see you for Christmas.

Too good of a cause to pass up

Many of you may have already heard about this cause from my sisters, but with it being gift buying season and a cause is near and dear to my heart, I thought I would put in my two cents as well.  

Remember the orphanage in El Sal that Sam and I volunteered at last summer?  Well the most recent pair of volunteers just so happened to include an amazing photographer who spent all summer trying to capture the spirits of the residents.  See for yourself . . .

Aren't they adorable?  Well, they created a calendar from the pictures and are selling them to raise money for the Hogar.  They are only $15 and 100% of the proceeds go directly to the orphanage.  So if you want to help these cuties and see them everyday as a reminder, you should contact me.  Or you could pull a George Costanza and give your friends and family's gifts to someone else . . . Only a real someone in this instance.  :)

I've joined the club

You know those girls who have a weakness for men in uniform?  That never used to be me.  Then I married Sam.

MEOW!  I love those dress uniforms.

Here we are all gussied up for Sam's graduation, but I have had to come to terms with the idea that he will always out-dress me at fancy functions from now on.  I guess he can be my arm candy. :)

 

 

No more hotel

When we pulled back into San Diego for good Wednesday after spending three months in the world's most claustrophobic hotel, I rejoiced.  I gazed lovingly into my full sized fridge, spun with outstretched arms in our second bedroom, intentionally dirtied more dishes than necessary just to have the joy of sticking them in the dishwasher, and strongly fought the desire to lay face down on the dining room table from the sheer joy of not having to eat three meals a day on a loveseat anymore.  Then reality hit . . .

Sam: "We should probably clean this place before putting everything away.  It is pretty dusty."
Laura: "Clean?!? Oh crap."

As I grudgingly got out the 409, I found part of me wishing I was back in Port Hueneme, conveniently vacating my room at approximately 1:30 everyday for housekeeping.  Sigh.  The grass is always greener on the other side.

I can prove it . . . I'm the real deal.

 I know, I know--I haven't blogged in like a month.  I go on kicks and just haven't felt like it.  Maybe I will start being better and maybe I won't.  But here is one for now . . .

 

That's right, people.  That is my name on the official group fitness schedule!

I got my group exercise certification (actually months ago but I have been putting off posting),  and I taught classes up in Port Hueneme for the past couple months.  Woohoo!  I have now taught Step, Pilates, Weight Training, Zumba, and even started a Hip Hop class on base.  I LOVED IT!  I have to say that my favorite class to teach was Zumba Gold, aka. Zumba for senior citizens.  Hilarious.  There are about six little old ladies (and I mean probably late 70s or early 80s) that would come to shake it on Friday mornings.  Awesome.  My goal: be the spunky when I am 80!

Now I just need to find a job down here in San Diego.

Have a "Hard Core" Halloween!

A few weeks ago (don't ask me WHY they had it so early), the base had a big Halloween party. Everyone in Sam's training class was supposed to go in a united theme--the 80s. Really creative, I know. So instead of being the typical, side pony-tailed aerobics instructor type, Sam got his own idea.

(Side Note: Many of you probably don't know this, but Sam gets SUPER into dressing up when it is his own idea. If I try to force him into a costume of my own creation, he is not so interested. But when he comes up with the idea, he runs with it! )

Another thing you may or may not know about Sam, he is a HUGE music buff.  So he decided we should go as Slash and Axl Rose from Guns 'n Roses. I was shocked by how many people actually recognized who we were. I guess that just proves that I am not really a child of the 80s.

 

For some reason, the picture of Axl that we used as inspiration won't link into my blog.  Annoying!  But Sam drew the tattoos exactly to match, and I really did look just like the original picture (minus the fact that he was topless--meow).  We decided the cigarette was too nasty to include, even if it would make Sam more authentic. :)

HAPPY MOLE DAY!

That's right, folks.  It is October 23rd . . . Mole Day!  Today is entirely devoted to celebrating that fabulous number, 6.022 x 10²³.  For those of you non-chemistry lovers out there, a mole is a number similar to a dozen.  You could say you have twelve donuts or a dozen donuts.  Same with a mole.  You could say you have a mole of atoms or 6.022 x 10²³ atoms.  Lovely, isn't it?

So to celebrate mole day, I decided to do a little real-life chemistry.  I cleaned all of the rust off my beautiful chrome handlebars and fenders with aluminum foil.  Yep, no fancy products needed.  Rust is just oxidized iron, so I wet some aluminum foil and scrub, scrub, scrub, looks like new.  The aluminum acts as a reducing agent to get rid of rust.

Now you see it . . . 

 Now you don't!

Go for it!  Do some chemistry today, even if it is just pouring vinegar on some baking soda and watching it bubble.

Sew and Tell Numero Dos

I did it again!  I successfully sewed something for Amy's "Sew and Tell." I followed the free Amy Butler Nigella Yoga Bag Pattern.

I LOVE this fabric and part of me wishes I had done something with it that I would carry more often than my yoga mat.  Especially because this pattern was a pain and I made a lot of mistakes.  Oh well.  I daresay that I can find other stuff I like too.

I can definitely see how this is addicting.  Sam asked if I am going to need a new bag for everything I own soon.  The answer--yes.

Sew and Tell

My sister-in-law hosts a "sew and tell" on her blog every Friday, and I finally have something to contribute. Hooray for sewing my first bag ever and only having to call Amy once. I figured out everything else on my own (admittedly using google a few times). I am pretty proud of myself.

The glorious product:

Outside

Inside

What do you think? I think I will modify the pattern a little next time, but this was a good place to start.

My losing streak

That's right. I am a a natural loser. I enter all sorts of door raffles, giveaways, you name it, and I never win. Then there are those freaks out there (-cough- Amy) who win everything they ever enter. So not fair. I did win a door prize ONCE at the American Chemical Society teachers' luncheon--a chemistry demo book. The way I reacted, you would have thought I won a car. I was that thrilled.

So here I go again to try to win another giveaway on my cousin Amber's blog. If Amy is my sickening sister in law, then Amber is my sickening cousin. :) She has a Halloween goodie box up for grabs, and I want it.  So here it goes . . .

My favorite Halloween photo--the KILLER Yzma pumpkin Sam and I (fine, mostly Sam) carved last year.

 

1. What is your all time best Halloween costume?
When I was in Kindergarten, my mom made me an awesome princess riding on a horse costume. I wish I had a photo with me. My legs were the horse's two front legs. So cute!

2. What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Busting out the Halloween bows my mom made us and the decorations on October 1st.

3. What is your favorite Fall tradition?
Stuffing my face with pumpkin chocolate chip bread--over and over and over.

4. What is your favorite book?
I can't pick favorites!!! But probably the whole Harry Potter series, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

5. Name 3 great things that happened to you today.
I just woke up thirty minutes ago, so sleeping in until almost 10 should definitely count! But yesterday Sam and I went thrift store shopping for Halloween, and Sam surprised later last night me with a frosty. YUM!

6. What is your all time favorite dessert?
Hot brownies straight from the oven with ice cream on top.

7. Tell me something you look forward to doing in the next month.
Meeting my new niece!

8. Tell me something you are going to give someone else for Christmas.
The only presents I have picked out are for people who read this blog. So I am pleading the fifth. All I can say is that maybe I will use my new sewing skills . . .