cloud photos

So I have this thing with taking pictures of the sky with my phone out the window. While I'm driving. It's quite the dangerous past time, I know. And my phone camera is not really the best quality. The below photo was one I snapped yesterday as I drove to work (appx 6:50 am). I tried to take one out the window this morning on the way to work but it was 5:50 in the morning and the sun wasn't up yet but the sky looked ohsocool. . . but alas. 3.0 mpx doesn't do well with low light. I've posted a couple of thse on facebook, but I thought I'd share here 'cause I love the sky. And for some reason, these photos fit my mood this afternoon. Also, I'm listening to the Civil Wars on Spotify and the music fits well.

sunrise from Shawnee Mission Pkway

 "Super cool sky day" in February. This was in the Target parking lot.

 Nice sunsetish clouds

Incoming storm

All for now :)

I wasn't supposed to go to the Dentist today

But we showed up anyway. I was a week early and when I tried to get out of it, they managed to "squeeze" me in anyhow. But at least we moved the appointment up and I got the morning off with Jered to eat at Panzone's ($.99 tacos!) and lay out at the park. This dentist experience wasn't nearly as traumatic as my last one. I recall facebooking something having to do with seeing the fine dust of my tooth enamel floating in the air before my face. . .  Of course, this time I came prepared. My dentist has CD walkmans (walkmen?) and a plethora of CDs to choose from in order to "drown out the sound of the drill". Love it. Of course, their cd collection leaves a little to be desired so today I brought my Ipod. I figured the occasion was ripe for "Barb's Best" playlist and while having my teeth drilled does not rate very high on the list of things I like to do, I did actually find myself tapping my toes a bit during the procedure. Such is the power of music. And to top it all off, I kept my appointment for next Tuesday to do round three of fillings (out of four). Since normally there's like a 4-week waiting list to get into this place, I consider myself more lucky than condemned.

As I type this I was moved to get Itunes up and running and I am now listening once again to my playlist. Nope. Not ruined by torturous dentist memories. Just had to check.

Awake My Soul!

Love it.

Speaking of music, on my list of songs were some from albums that I just began listening to this past summer. Laura Marling's The Devil Spoke and Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs and Collective Soul's Self Titled II. Man, I can't wait for summer! I can't wait for swimming and camping and hiking and road trips :)

Twelve days till we go camping in Weston! Yay for anniversaries and chances to get into the woods!

Missouri River at Weston

Just hope we don't get ticks. Ick.

. . .

What did I last blog about? Not sure. Not sure when it was either. These days are going by in a blur. I wish I could grab each day in my fist and just hold hold hold onto it and savor it. But alas. . .

Easter was good. We chose instead of darting from one family to the other to another to just simply stay home and invite others over and it was just my dad and a couple friends from work but it was so nice and relaxing and beautiful. I am holding onto the memory of that day and it somehow got me through the next eight.

Work. Oh, work. Eileen told me today she loved my smile. She was stressed because instead of being in my department today (with her) I was opening the deli. To be honest, I'm past the point of stressed with the turn of events at work. But that's okay. I have looked stressed in the eye and laughed. So I laughed this morning. Then I took my to-do list and tore it in half (mentally) and smiled and said, 'it'll
all be okay'.  And it was. Of course it was. Gotta keep things in perspective.

And it helps when Jered comes and gets me for lunch at Subway. It was quite the beautiful day too. Smile.

So I'm taking this opportunity to chill out the night after my 6-in-a-row and before having my cavities filled tomorrow (floss, people!). I'm watching The Voice (the only TV show I've seen now two consecutive weeks) and blogging for the first time in an indeterminate amount of time. I just got my clinique in the mail (such a vice) and I wrote all the bills. Nice.

Last week, Jered and I did finally put down mulch in our back yard. Of course, since then jered's been spending large amounts of time picking out helicopters. No hard core gardening going on yet. We've got our plots and we've got our seedlings grow, growing away inside. We're waiting until May. For our anniversary we're camping (naturally) and when we get back, I think that's when we'll put our plants outside. The weather lately has made me second think putting our little plants outside in the wind and rain and near freezing nights.

So of course, there's lots and lots and lots more going on than mulch and plants and clinique and work, but my brain is done and I'm gonna watch the last half hour of this show and probably finish Mockingjay (for the second time).

Btw: Do you know how many pharmaceutical commercials I've seen in the last 1 1/2 hours? Goodness gracious, America. This is a reason why I don't watch TV!

Day off (!!!)

Day off and it was supposed to rain. I awoke at 6:45 to the rising sun outside our bedroom window and I watched it rise till 7:30. Then I fell back asleep till 9:30. Oh, sweet day off!

Of course, then we did our taxes. I won't even bother to say here how much we owe. Let's say it's a solid chunk of cash that we do not possibly have on hand thus we will need to file for a payment plan through the IRS. Who knew they did such things? A blessing after all.

At the park we laid out a blanket and rested. I opened my eyes to see a gigantic spider mere inches from my face. However, I must've scared him (or her) because then he bounded off away from me. I took this as a sign that my nap was over and I must get back on board for book three of the Hunger Games. I am the first of Target Food Side Team to move on to the third book (though this is my second time through). It's really quite funny to see everyone get so involved in this series and to watch them one by one work their way through the books. Hilarious, really. I wish I could bring in a video camera and get some of this stuff on film. I admit that this past weekend was an "off" weekend for most of us and included far more chatting and laughing and goofing off than hard core working. As long as all the work gets done, right?

Last night we watched Elizabethtown. This is probably my favorite movie ever. Not that it's the best movie ever but it's definitely my favorite. I'm sure I've blogged about it before. It always begins this time of year when I begin to listen to the soundtrack (have I mentioned before that my CD collection is loosely organized by month?) and then I think to myself, "Well, now I really really want to watch the movie" which leads me to watching the movie. Every April. This is where I must interject that I am not a watch-a-movie-lots-of-times type person. If I see a certain film once every five years or so, I call that good. Longer time can pass, even, and I'm good. To watch the same movie once a year (at least) every year (for the past 7) means that it's my favorite movie ever. Watch it. It's a good one.

We're in the midst of Holy Week. I am super excited for this weekend. I work on Saturday but I do have Good Friday off and we're hanging out with the Youth Group. It's gonna be a good time ;)  Then Easter itself will be pretty fun. Church with Dad in the AM, then back to our place for lunch with friends in the afternoon. Perhaps some Easter hummus if Cari brings it. Definitely planning on making ham and red potatoes. And a Pane loaf Jered picked up. Yummm. If it's nice, we'll eat outside. Maybe turn on the fountain. Perhaps the twinkle lights when it gets dark. Enjoy some communion under the stars. We know people who don't have family in town and what better way to celebrate Easter than to come together as one big Family? That's what I think this holiday is about. Celebration of the resurrected Jesus and all coming together in joy!