Ketchup Day

It has been a really, really long time since I've done a "Ketchup Day" post. But as I sit here and think about what it is that I want/need to write about, it is a hodge-podge of stuff so I was having trouble coming up with a title. Then it occurred to me--it's Ketchup Day. Because I'm catching up, you know.
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We made the leap and ordered CORK FLOORS for our entryway, kitchen, and half bath. I am still so nervous about the whole thing, because this wasn't an easy decision. It is the largest investment we've made in our home so far, and I just really, really want to love it when it's all said and done.

Obviously, in an ideal world, I think we'd all love to have gorgeous, continuous flooring all throughout our homes. But we're not dealing with a new build; our house is 40 years old. An "open floor plan," we do not have. We wouldn't have been able to match our existing hardwoods in a way that was satisfactory or affordable for us, so we had to look at other options. We couldn't get behind the idea of tile, so... we're taking a chance on the road less traveled with the cork.

And, well, I'm shaking in my boots about it. It's just such a huge change. But I haaaaate the current parquet, so I figure that at the very least, it has to be an improvement. Right? I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but nothing really is.

Here are the photos of the floor I shared when we were going through the process of debating and deciding:

{Cork with our existing hardwoods--which are staying--in the dining room and formal living room/playroom. There will be a transition strip here, just as there would be if we had done tile.}

{Cork next to our carpet that we have just in the family room}

{Cork with the white of our cabinets and with a peek of our countertops}

The floor is scheduled to be installed (by a pro) the week of August 20th. We have a lot of prep work to do leading up to it, including as much demo of the old floor as we can manage on our own. Every square foot of it that we rip up ourselves saves us like $2 or $2.50 so YEAH.

Here's hoping that the cork is everything we dream it will be!
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The Olympics have made me a completely worthless human being. Seriously, if I'm not working or taking care of/playing with Nora, I have my ass parked on the couch in front of the boob tube. It's addicting; I can't turn it off.

I have always loved the Olympics, especially the summer ones. I still vividly remember watching the '96 games while we were at my dad's for the summer. I was 14 and just obsessed! It was so cool back then to have them in the States here; I'd love to have them back again. The worst thing about being in a different time zone from the games is THE SPOILERS! I feel like I can't go anywhere without seeing something Olympics related so I've been staying away from all news sites. And I find it to be completely obnoxious when people announce stuff on Facebook.

I can watch pretty much any event, but my favorites are swimming, gymnastics, diving, the track and field events, and volleyball. I have to say that I'm pretty sick of hearing about the decline of Michael Phelps, but it's nice to see the other American swimmers succeed. And the women's gymnastics last night? Incredible. I cried.The lack of sleep is surely going to catch up with me at some point but for now I am hanging in there. So far, the late nights have been worth it!
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We had a mini family reunion of sorts on Sunday. My cousin and her husband were visiting from Shanghai (where they currently live), so my mom invited a bunch of our extended family members over to her house for a barbecue.

We had great weather and my cousins brought all of their kids, so it was a lot of fun to see all of them run around together. There are five kids who were all born within 20 months of each other, and it was hilarious to see them all interact. I get such joy out of seeing my girl with other kids, because she just seems to love them so much.

{Jake, 18 months & Nora, 22 months}

{Nora, 22 months & Logan, who will be 3 in September. I love the way Nora is looking at her!}

{Ring Around the Rosie}

{The Toddler Club + Michael}

{We also did a big birthday cake for my grandma, who turned 80 in April}

It was one of those perfect summer days that for some reason reminded me a lot of my own childhood. Kids running around outside having fun all day... I didn't want to go home!
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On a final note, I can't believe it's August already. I love summer so much that I'm not ready to begin even thinking about the end of it yet. But I know that before we know it, we'll be welcoming football, apple picking, and crisp mornings and evenings back into our lives. I do love fall; I just don't like what comes after it.

Here's to making the most of the rest of the summer. Cheers to tank tops, shorts, flip flop tan lines, bare feet, sidewalk chalk, cold beers, and sleeping with the windows open!

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Ketchup Day

Welcome to Ketchup Day: March 2010 Edition. Come on in and sit down for a while. :)
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So I have fallen into "crappy blogger" mode again this week. I wish I could get back into the routine of it, but it has been hard. I have been so busy, though. We haven't been cooking hardly at all, and it seems like there haven't been enough hours in each day. I'm exhausted!

I promise I'm going to try to be better again really soon. We've had nice, sunny weather the past few days (still cold, though), and it's like my energy is renewed just from seeing sunlight. As the weather gets warmer, it'll only get better. I can't wait.
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My time at my current job is winding down. It's starting to feel a little weird; I think I'm in a little bit of denial! I've been here for 3.5 years and it's always strange to make such a big change.

Yesterday, my department went out to lunch together one last time, and next week, I have another lunch and a farewell cake planned in my honor. At least I'm lucky enough to be leaving on good terms, right? I feel blessed.
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Aside from my job change situation, another thing that has been keeping me really busy this week is a CAKE! I'm working on the most complicated cake design I've done yet. It is kicking my butt. I've spent every night this week working on it, and tonight will be the biggest night yet. The cake is for Michael's grandfather's surprise 80th birthday party, and the party is tomorrow, so... well, needless to say, it'll be done soon. I'll reveal tomorrow!
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I'm actually looking forward to the Oscars on Sunday, even though I only care about maybe six of the awards. I find everything else to be tremendously boring (I don't even really care who is wearing what), so I'm planning to DVR and fast-forward to the good parts.

My guesses for the big awards:
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) for Supporting Actor
Mo'Nique (Precious) for Supporting Actress
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) for Lead Actor
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) for Lead Actress (I love, love, LOVE her. I really hope she wins.)
James Cameron for Director
Avatar for Best Picture

We'll see how it goes. I don't really think there will be any surprises this year.
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I've been up for a new phone for a while now, but haven't been especially motivated to actually go and get the upgrade. We're sticking with Verizon, so I'm sticking with BlackBerry. I currently have the Pearl, which I've liked, but I'm ready for a "full-size" BlackBerry. I can get the Tour or the Curve. Anyone with any opinions on that? Just curious.
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I think that does it for now. I hope everyone is well, and I hope you all have fabulous (and SUNNY!) weekends.

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Ketchup Day

It's Ketchup Day: January 2010 Edition. Enjoy!
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Life has been busy and keeping us on our toes. Blogging has been difficult this month, but I'm trying to keep my head above water. I'm happy that January is almost over, because February is a short month (even though it always feels long), and once March hits, it's almost spring.

Every year that I live through winter, I hate it more and more. Don't get me wrong; I like having four seasons. It's just that I wish winter only lasted through Christmas. Really, I'm starting to believe I'm not meant for the cold. I dream of picking up everyone we know and love, and moving (all together!) to a warmer climate. Wouldn't that be nice?

As much as I'm bitching about the cold, we really had a nice weekend. Yesterday was sunny and relatively warm, so we took Tessa for a really long walk. Today wasn't as nice (it rained), but the temperatures were in the 40s so it is hard to complain. Although I always appreciate the warm days that are a reprieve, I'm always a little bit bitter about them because I know they're just a tease. This week, we're back into the 20s and snow, snow, snow. BLAH BLAH BLAH.
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Remember the heart-wrenching story about little Maddie? Her mommy, Heather, had a new baby on Friday. I couldn't be happier for an internet stranger. The child she lost cannot, of course, ever be replaced, but I feel like love is so tremendously healing, and that darling little Annabel is the best thing that could have happened for her parents.

Ironically, someone else had a baby this weekend, too. Jenny, who I've written about before because her blog was the first I ever saw and read, welcomed her third daughter on Saturday. Like Heather, Jenny lost her first daughter much too soon. Allie died of leukemia in 2004 at just 9 months of age. Today, her second daughter, Maggie, is 4 years old, and the family is now complete with the addition of little Katie.

Happiness all around!
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A few of you have asked (in the comments of other posts) about our upcoming vacation plans. Well, the truth is that we don't have any. Yet. But we're working on it.

We have several ideas, but we have quite a few balls up in the air right now and we need to get everything straightened out before we start making decisions about any vacations. We're hoping that our next trip will happen around the end of April, but we'll see. I'll be sure to keep you all posted about where we're going next! :)

I think that by the time our next one rolls around, this will have been the longest stretch we've gone between vacations since before we were married... so I'm sure I'm going to be really ready!
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I've made quite a bit of progress on my 101 in 1001 list lately! I went in on Friday and crossed off and updated a bunch of things. Woohoo! Check it out, if you want.
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We've been watching football all day. Earlier, we went to Champps for the Jets vs. Colts game. I didn't really know who to root for, as I hate Peyton Manning, and I couldn't in good conscience root for the Jets (they are division rivals for the Bills). By the end, however, I realized that I would have preferred the Jets. I think. I guess I'll never really know. But I found myself scowling when I realized that Peyton and the Colts would be going to the Super Bowl again!

The second game, Vikings vs. Saints, is still going on now, and it's a pretty interesting game so far. I'd really like to see the Saints pull this one out! I like Drew Brees, and let's face it--I've made no secret of how I feel about Brett Favre. We'll see what happens. No matter the outcome, we'll be gathering a small group at our house for the Super Bowl again this year. I always look forward to that!
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And with that, another weekend comes to a close. I am not looking forward to going back to work this week. It seems like the work weeks are continuously getting longer, while the weekends are getting shorter. *sigh*

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Ketchup Day

Can you believe that it has already been two and a half months since I last did (my first) Ketchup Day? If you ask me, we're long overdue.

New to Ketchup Day? It's basically just a collection of short thoughts to get me "caught up" on my blogging. Things I want to tell you, but don't really constitute their own blog posts.

Lots of random tidbits coming your way...
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We are Texas-bound this weekend! And of course, the temperatures there have decided to plummet just in time for our visit. LOVELY. And all I really wanted was some comfortable 60-degree days. *sigh* Oh well, we will pack accordingly and make the most of it.

We saw an episode of Man v. Food where Adam visited a place in San Antonio that makes 3.5 lb. cinnamon rolls. This I've gotta see.

Here's hoping we have drama-free travel! Keep your fingers crossed for us.

And if you have any last-minute San Antonio/Austin suggestions, certainly let me know!
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At home, we are all decked out the holidays. Following the tradition we set when we first moved into our place, we put up almost everything the day after Thanksgiving. We have a few little things to do, but we'll get that done sometime next week.

Our tree:

I was boycotting Christmas music and Christmas spirit before Thanksgiving (I kept telling Michael to "respect the turkey"), but now I'm letting it all in. The Christmas carols are blasting in the car on a daily basis. Holiday season is in full swing!
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There is still plenty of time to sign up for the holiday round of Operation Baking Gals, if you haven't already. There are several spots left on our team, and it would certainly be nice to be at capacity. Shipping dates are from now until December 16, so head on over to the Baking Gals website and register to bake for Team Heather Drive!

I posted the announcement for this round right before Thanksgiving, so I'm hoping that the slow registration is just because people forgot about it. Right? Riiightt? C'mon people... get into the holiday spirit and help a guy out. Brian needs cookies! :) And if you don't bake, there are plenty of store-bought items that would be much appreciated over there as well.

If you've never participated before, now is a good time to start! I signed up for my first Baking Gals round last December, and look where I'm at now. Ha!
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A few blog housekeeping items:

From now on, when you leave comments on my blog, you'll have to do a quick word verification before clicking submit. I'm sure you've seen this feature on other blogs before. I like to keep things easy for all of you commenters, so I avoided adding it for as long as I could, and spam comments were never really a problem. But for some reason, spam comment activity has really picked up here at Heather Drive, and it's getting ridiculous! So, to make it easier on me, and more pleasant for everybody reading/leaving comments, I have to ask you to complete that extra word verification step now. I hope you don't mind.

Secondly, I'm planning on doing another blog redesign soon, so that'll be fun. I don't know--I just feel like I have to change things up every six months or so. Stay tuned for that!
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This Tiger Woods stuff is insane. All because he crashed his car into a tree. Talk about one thing leading to another...
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We saw The Blind Side on Wednesday night. It was adorable. Sandra Bullock was awesome. It's a must-see. You don't have to be a fan of football; you just have to be a fan of humans. The generous and compassionate ones. And it's a true story, which makes it even better.

Aside from the film itself, it was one of the most miserable movie theater experiences I've ever had. We got there late and the theater was unexpectedly packed, so we were forced to sit in the third row. My neck and back were KILLING me. So if I can enjoy it despite those conditions, you have to know it's good, right?
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I did the most adorable Christmas photo shoot with my nephew, Hunter, last weekend. He's six months and is at a rather perfect age for the vision I had going. I want to share a photo or two from it, but the pics are being used for their Christmas cards, and I don't want to spoil the fun for those of you who read this blog and are going to be receiving one. :)

But... soon! All you need to know for now is that he is *so cute*!
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Alright, I think that's it. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but if I am, I'll just have to wait until the next Ketchup Day... or form deeper thoughts about the subject so that I can designate an entire blog post to it. ;)

Once again, I have grand plans to blog during our time in Texas, but that's dependent on 1) whether we have free WiFi at our hotel, and 2) my mood. Needless to say, it's not a definite. But I'll almost certainly be tweeting regularly, so you can keep up with me by checking out my Twitter feed over there ------>

I'll be back before you know it, y'all. :)

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Ketchup Day

We only went away for three days, but I feel like I've been running myself ragged this week just trying to "catch up" from being gone--at work, at home, and on my blog. I'm doing OK, but I find that I can't organize my thoughts enough or concentrate on one thing long enough to put together a coherent blog post.

Instead, this will jump around quite a bit, with a little of everything! Get ready to read some of the thoughts rolling around in my head, none of which are really worthy of individual posts.
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At this point, I'm happy to say that with this post, I am officially caught up on my blog. For now. I intended to blog from Chicago since our hotel had free internet access, but every night, I just wanted to relax. Looking back, I can't believe I managed to blog every day of our honeymoon last year. At the time, it didn't even seem like a big deal, and it's not like it really took that much time.

Who was that Heather? I'd like to have her back.
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One thing I failed to mention about Chicago... it's currently in the running to host the Summer Olympics in 2016. I had no idea until we were visiting and I saw all of the advertisements everywhere, and also heard about it on the city's local news.

But how AWESOME would that be??

I can't imagine a better city to serve as host. The other candidate cities are Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid. I don't know how good Chicago's chances are, but if it does get chosen, I'll go ahead and say right now that we would seriously be looking into making a trip to the Olympics.

Not only do I love Chicago, but I loooooove the Olympics. The final selection will be made on October 2. I'm anxious to see what happens.
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The day before we left for Chicago, I did a "portfolio building" photo session with a coworker's son. "Porfolio building" = I offered to do it for free. It went really well, and I've spent the last few nights furiously editing the photos to put together a little collage to display at her son's first birthday (totally cute for my coworker and her family, and totally awesome advertising for me).

Speaking of his first birthday... this same coworker has hired me to photograph the birthday party. I'm still only charging about half of what I probably should be charging, but since I'm just starting out, I'm feeling OK about that. At this point, I'm just excited that people actually want to hire me.

Speaking of HIRING me... I actually have a second paid photo session on Saturday morning. It's to take photos of my friend's son. So Saturday's going to be busy! I have to do his session in the morning, then head over to photograph the coworker's son's big birthday in the afternoon. Fun, fun!

I'm working hard and getting excited about the payoff I'm starting to see. I'm afraid to dream too big, but I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me...
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My aerobics classes started up again on Monday night. Well, actually, kickboxing started on Thursday, but I had to skip it since we were flying to Chicago. I'm back on my schedule of step on Monday nights and kickboxing on Thursdays (and regular ol' gym on the weekends, as time permits). So last night was my first class, and wow, it was nice to get back into it. It's nice to have a break over the summer, but I always sort of want to kick my own ass once I realize how much I've let my fitness level slide in those 2.5 months off. Stupid. But the good news is that I'm really not all that sore, so I might not be in as bad shape as I thought. Thank you, 30 Day Shred.

Since I brought that up, I feel the need to confess that I stopped doing The Shred the second week in August. I'm seriously not cut out for DVD workouts. Yes, 20 minute workouts are appealing. But HOLY CRAP did I get bored with it. Sure, the elliptical is boring as hell, but I keep myself entertained with reading my books. I'd much rather spend 60 minutes reading on the elliptical than spend 20 minutes following along with Jillian Michaels, knowing every word she's going to say before she even says it. Knowing the workout by heart made it seem impossibly and torturously long.

The good thing is that I felt so guilty for giving up the 30 Day Shred that I actually started going to the gym more often. Funny how that works.
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Now that our weekend in Chicago has come and gone, this is the first time in over a year that we have not had our next vacation already planned. We've done quite a bit of traveling over these past 15 months of marriage. First came Hawaii, then Charlotte, then Vegas, then Seattle and San Francisco, and finally Chicago. Since I'm a planner by nature, we always had the "next" thing planned. Now? Nothing. It's a weird feeling, and I'm not sure I like it. Since we got married, I've liked always having a trip to look forward to.

We'd like to remedy this by planning our next vacation, but there seem to be a lot of variables. Mainly, where do we want to go? And when? We have quite a few places on our "list," but we're sort of having trouble prioritizing. I think some research is in order.
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I'm feeling the need to tell you that when I did a Google Image search for "Ketchup Day" for this post, I came across a picture of ketchup cake. I love me some ketchup (like, seriously love) but even I think that ketchup cake is wrong on so many levels. I'm thinking that those crazy, ketchup-loving Canadians must be responsible for that. ;)

Anyway, I think that's enough randomness for one day. But this was actually really fun--perhaps more "Ketchup Days" are in the cards for Heather Drive?

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