If You Give a Mouse a Cookie... He will Make a Crappy Movie from an Amazing Book. AKA CUBICLE CHRONICLES.

Happy Hump Day, and welcome to my first real edition of the Cubicle Chronicles. 

In case you forgot, here are the characters involved (and you can add "The New Girl" to that list):

Anyway Once upon a Tuesday, I was taking a little break from my work. I was standing by my cubicle, occupying my time by engaging in idle chit chat with The Biker, The Blonde, and The Giver. Our conversation ranged from some of The Giver's problematic accounts to sparkly sweaters and secret Santas (we are very mature and intellectual), when all of a sudden, The Giver's face went completely pale.

"Alyx..." she whispered, then, "ALYX!" It was almost a shout, and I knew there was something wrong. Being the wuss that I am, I automatically assumed there was a spider ready to wreak havoc, so I jumped out of my cubicle and turned around to look. Just as I turned around, there he was - the totally vicious, blood-thirsty menace - THE MOUSE. He looked a little like this:

He scurried behind my drawers, and I ran away, shrieking and whimpering like a little girl. I almost trampled The Blonde as I was sprinting away from my desk. Eventually The New Girl got the courage to go investigate (by "investigate" I obviously mean kick a bunch of stuff until the blood-thirsty fiend was scared s***less and ran away to torture some other poor soul).

We put down a sticky mouse trap, I moved my purse out of my bottom drawer, and I kept my feet 3 inches off the floor for the rest of the day. And so far, we have managed to live happily ever after.

...Until he strikes again.
**************************************************************************************
In other news, it's that time of the month (dude. I'm pregnant... not that time of the month).

For December book club, we are going to do something a little different. The theme for this month is:

Instead of picking one book, we can all read whatever we want, as long as it fits the theme. If you so desire, you can review the book and the movie, and link both up on the last Tuesday of December. We figured this would be an easy way to get around those pesky library waiting lists. Plus, it's a great way to pick up one of those books you've been meaning to read.

Another way we have decided to get past those waiting lists is by picking the books a couple of months in advance. That would be why we are asking you for your book suggestions for January and  February now.

Gone Girl Review Link Up

Hi friends! 

I'm a failure at book club this month - I didn't get the chance to read the book. After last month, I'm very hesitant to spend my money on a book that I'm not sure I'll like, so I'm waiting to get it from the library. I'm currently patron 58 out of 95 on the waiting list, so I'm sure it will be a month or two until I actually get to read it.

via

So... sorry, you don't get any commentary or a grade from me. Instead, you'll just have to link up and read what everyone else had to say! Don't forget about the google video chat on Thursday!!

It's always Funny when Someone gets Hurt. Fill-in-the-blank.

Oh, wait... that's not how the saying goes. 

It is in hockey, though. And you know what?! I think I just might become a hockey fan, because it's pretty hardcore when they start to slam each other against the glass and put each other in headlocks.

A week and a half ago, we went on a date night to a hockey game. Even though our team lost, we had a great time. I think this hockey date night might become a regular activity in the Garner household.

Note: These pictures are not the greatest. Sorry!

************************************************************************************
In other news... I have someone I want to introduce you to. Except... we are going to play a game of fill-in-the-blank for awesome points.

Hey, I’m Madison! _a. name of her blog (100 pts)_ is where I blog about life and all the dorky, silly things I come up with. Sometimes this means I will be a bit overly _b. adjective, find the answer here in the subtitle of her blog (500 pts)_ by starting a project and failing miserably. Other times I’ll share some funny pictures I’ve come across and discuss them. I am a huge _c. find the answer in the last paragraph here (last paragraph first line, movie/book) (1,000 pts)_ fan, a bit of a gamer, a fantasy novel nut, and an anime lover.

If you don't feel like playing for awesome points, you can find Madison at any of the places below: 

Blog//Twitter//Pinterest//Facebook

Don't forget to link up tomorrow for the book club!!! I guess I should probably get to reading the book...

Sunday Confessions Link-Up

Happy Sunday!! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with plenty of time spent with your friends and family. Go ahead and grab a button and link up with your confessions! If you link up, make sure to visit some of the other blogs and make some new friends!
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I totally forgot about the 15 week belly picture. Oops. Here it is, one day before I'm 16 weeks!

How far along are you? 15 weeks, 6 days

How big is baby? See above.

Weight Gain? 5 lbs

Gender? We don't know yet - we find out Dec. 21st. 

Maternity Clothes? Nope - my normal clothes are snug, but they still fit. 

Stretch Marks? Nope!
Symptoms? Moodiness and slight exhaustion  

Movement? I think I felt a flutter on Thursday when I was laying in bed, but I'm not sure. I've never felt anything like it before, though... so I'm just going to pretend that's what it was.  

Food Cravings? None, really.

Belly Button in or out? In. 
What I miss? Having energy... and the ability to do more "extreme" activities.

What I am looking forward to? Feeling baby kick and knowing what it is! 

Best moment of the week? If that little flutter was a kick, then that was the best moment by far.

2. I decided to take Friday off, and I'm so glad I did! I didn't go Black Friday shopping. Instead, I spent time with Mike's family and we all went pheasant hunting. We didn't kill for sport - we ate the pheasant for dinner! 

3. We are getting the nursery put together! We have the trim all painted and bought the paint for the walls this past week - I'm super excited for it to be done. I'll be sure to share before and after pictures once it's done. 

4. I haven't read the book for book club yet... and the link up is on Tuesday! EEK! If you're participating, the book is Gone Girl. 

5. I painted my nails for the first time in months yesterday. They don't even look that bad - I did French tips with glitter! 

So what do you have to confess? Link up below!! 

Today I'm Thankful...

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

I hope you all are enjoying today with friends and family, and today I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to spend quality time with mine.

Eat plenty of turkey and mashed potatoes, and remember how blessed you truly are.

Are YOU One of the Crazy Ones?

Happy Wednesday! 

I hope you guys are all having a fabulous week. I know that I'm really looking forward to eating for two tomorrow.... double the turkey and mashed taters (yes, I know you're not actually supposed to eat double when you're pregnant)!!

Anyway. I'm thinking of doing some Black Friday shopping this year. The thing is, though, that when I think of Black Friday shoppers, this vision comes to mind:

And I want to know... is it worth it? Is it worth pushing past crazed, zombie-fied customers who will stop at nothing to get that last DVD on the shelf? Is it worth becoming one of those crazed people? I have never really been into the whole, "Let's get zero sleep and camp out in front of Wal-Mart like a hobo just to save a few bucks" thing, so tell me - are YOU one of the crazies?

In other news... I've been slacking with the awesome points lately, so here's a nice little score update, and a way to win a few more points. :)

First of all, let me give you three facts about this girl: 

1. She is awesome. No, really - it's a fact.

2. She is a total animal lover. And I love it - she's really good about picking products that don't test on animals, stuff like that. She's also really good at recommending products if you are a fellow animal lover!

3. She is part of the "dirty hair, don't care" club. And she pretty much single-handedly convinced me to join (all while giving great dry shampoo recommendations). Obviously this is a made-up club, but it's a cool one to be a part of. HA!

Now it's your turn. For 1,000 awesome points, tell me two things about Kym. It can be where she most recently traveled, one of her hobbies, anything. You can find everything you need here, on the home page of her blog. 

Some Things I Wish I'd Known.

Happy Tuesday! 

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I sometimes get in these moods where I really miss college. You know, the roommates, the football games, the all-nighters, eating last night's pizza for breakfast. No? You don't miss those things?

Sometimes when I'm longing for the "good old days," I try to think of things that I didn't like about the four years I spent wandering around campus, and though it's difficult to find any, one always sticks out in my mind, and that is this - BOOKS. 

via

Holy balls. I cannot tell you how much money I spent on books in four years. You know what's worse, though?! The fact that it wasn't fun books (you know - the ones we actually like to read, like Harry Potter). No, instead it was books like this one. Or this one. And as much as I love Economics and German, I don't love spending hundreds (and eventually thousands) of dollars on those books.

You know what I wish Nebraska had had oh, so long ago when I was in school? Textbook rentals. They came up with the genius idea my senior year, but I didn't buy into it. I didn't really get the fact that it was so dang easy, convenient, and cost-effective. I definitely didn't realize you could do it online at a site like this one. 

I think if I could tell 18-year-old Alyx one thing, it would be this:

RENT YOUR TEXTBOOKS. Your overflowing bookcase will thank you. Or maybe it won't, because if you had rented your textbooks, your bookcase wouldn't be overflowing with those books you couldn't sell back...
*************************************************************************************
In other news... two winners didn't contact me, so we've got two new ones!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This is a sponsored post for which I will receive compensation. The thoughts, opinions, and ideas included in it, however, are my own.

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Happy Sunday!!! 

You know the drill. If you link up, please take the time to visit some other people - this is a great way to make some new friends!
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> My one and only confession: I've spent the past few days away from the computer - spending as much time as possible with my husband and friends. Because of that, I haven't had time to blog or visit blogs. Instead of spending my Sunday "confessing," I'm going to spend time catching up on emails and visiting your blogs (and reading last week's confessions, since I haven't gotten around to that, either)!

Love you guys, have a happy sunday!!!

Bumpdate. Weeners. Lurve.

How far along are you? 14.5 weeks

How big is Baby? 3.5 inches long and 1.5 oz. The size of a lemon! 

Weight Gain? Well, see... my doctor thinks it's almost 10 lbs, but my "pre-pregnancy" weight is my weight without clothes on. According to my scale, though, I've gained between 5-6 lbs. 

 Gender? We don't know yet - we find out Dec. 21st. 

Maternity Clothes? Nope - my normal clothes are snug, but they still fit. 

Stretch Marks? Nope!

Sleep? I'm finally sleeping through the night. 

Symptoms? Still the mood swings, occasional migraines, and pain in my lower back.  

Movement? None that I can feel, but I know the little rascal is probably kicking away. 

Food Cravings? SUGAR. Seriously - candy has been my downfall.  

Labor Signs? None. 

Belly Button in or out? In. 

 What I miss? My body. 

What I am looking forward to? Having a belly that doesn't look like just chub! 

Best moment of the week? Hearing baby's heartbeat - a good 160 bpm.

************************************************************************************

So there's the bumpdate. And now I have some weeners for you... Four, to be exact. In case your mind is in the gutter, that's funny accent for "winners." If your name is on here, you better email me by Sunday, or else... I pick a new winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

And finally. You guys are amazing. I lurve you all - really, I do. I love that you don't judge me (or if you do, you keep it to yourselves), that you're there to offer me kind words and virtual hugs when I need them. I love this little community that we have, and I love that we can be so honest and open. I love that we are friends. Thank you.

Warning: I Just Deleted a Vent Post, but Let's get Together for some Hot Cocoa.

No, really. 

I had it all written out, and I was bawling as I wrote it, because I am so frustrated. As soon as I was done writing, though, I felt so much better, and I was just fine with hitting the delete button. 

I sometimes wish that I had a best friend here. Someone that I could invite over for hot cocoa and a night of chit chat mixed with comfortable silence. I don't, though, and sometimes I feel really alone because of that. 

I just realized that I'm not alone. I have you. And this is what I look like now, sitting here with my hot cocoa, ready for our chat. 

And here's what I'll tell you: 

I'm upset for lots of reasons. I finally had the energy to go to the gym, but things didn't work out. I'm sick of craving sugar all the time when I rarely ate it before I was pregnant. I hate these extreme mood swings and I hate these migraines. 

I feel guilty for complaining about being pregnant, because I know how many people would love to be in my shoes. I love the fact that I'm going to have a baby, but I hate the fact that I'm the heaviest I've ever been, I have no energy, and I'm a crazy lady - happy one minute, bawling the next. 

I'm worried about life. Where I'm going, what I'm doing, bills, and becoming a mom. 

I miss being myself. I'm not me - I'm me with a parasite inside of me that changes my moods, my favorite foods, and makes me feel ugly all the time. 

I miss my best friend. I don't have a best friend in Lincoln anymore (Mike doesn't count), and I miss it - I miss it a lot. 

I wish I had more time. I haven't had the chance to do any blog reading this week, and I feel like such a bad blog friend. I hope you can forgive me. 

I'm being a conversation hog. Don't you have anything to say? 

Yahoo! Q&A thinks I'm an Idiot. The Neighbors' Magical Night.

Hola!

So before I show you why Yahoo! thinks I'm an idiot, let me give you some background....

Last Wednesday was my birthday, and Mike surprised me by arranging for my best friend to come visit from out of town to surprise me. Once she was in town, she and Mike went and bought a ton of helium-filled balloons and some streamers to decorate the living room. Obviously one of my first thoughts upon walking into the living room full of balloons was, I can't wait to suck all that helium and sing ridiculous songs.

Because we are incredibly cautious and like to do our research, though, we turned to google for an answer to the ever important question:

And here's what Yahoo! Answers had to say.

"What a stupid question.

Who in their right mind would do that to their unborn child?

Source(s):

Common sense."

... apparently I was absent when they handed that stuff out. In other news, there's a giveaway here and another one three here. In other other news... I have a spiffy new blog of the month, and she's hilarious. I haven't ever lied to you before, so just trust me on this one. If you don't believe me, you can read her hilarity below... or go here to read the most hilarious skunk story ever.

************************************************************************************

My name is Verity. . . it sounds like charity with a V.

Here's a few things about me:

I'm married to Jacob. I like to call him Jake, Jack, Jacob, J, J, Jay. . . all kinds of things. To me, it's pretty understandable who I'm talking about, but on more than 9 occasions, people have asked me if I feel badly talking about so many different men on my blog. When I try to explain that all these different men are really just the same, one man, they get weird and walk away. I don't know.

Another thing; like Alyx, I'm a November baby. We're clearly the best, but I'm biased.

I'm random. I feel like random stories are real glimpses of what people are like, so I love hearing about others stories! Indeed, tonight while I was in the bath, I washed my face and got a very unreasonable fear of something being in the tub with me, so I opened my eyes with soap on them, to make sure nothing was swimming with me. J did not appreciate me yelling for help with my burning eyes, but luckily they are fine now and luckily there was not something like a rat or roach swimming with me [Alyx here: ummm please tell me none of you have ever shared your bath with either of these creatures. I would scream and cry].

Also, I feel like I blog a lot about my neighbors. We live in a complex with 10 units, and they are rad. But the walls are thin. So thin that we hear many, many magical nights of our neighbors. Also, we used to knock on the wall we shared with our favorite friends. . . but now we just try to be louder than everyone at all times of the day and night. We'll open our windows and shout at 6 in the morning. We'll vacuum at midnight. I don't know. It's fun.

So that is me in a total nutshell. I never understood that saying. That is me in 3 paragraphs and a few sentences.

The end.

PS. Ending blogs is really awkward to me. [Alyx again: this is why I felt it was necessary to blog-stalk Verity and retrieve this glorious photo for your viewing pleasure. End awkward moment.]
************************************************************************************
Now go visit Verity! I promise you... you will love her.

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Happy Sunday!! 

You know the drill - grab a button and link on up! Be sure to stop by some other blogs and make some friends while you're at it!
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I went to the thrift store yesterday and bought Christmas decorations. You know those buildings that make a village? Yeah, they had those, and we bought six. We also bought a couple of wreaths. I'm really excited, because we paid almost nothing for all this great stuff!

via

2. We went grocery shopping for the first time in over a month yesterday. Like, we were to the point of having almost nothing but canned beans in our food storage area. We left WalMart with two carts full of groceries so that we could re-stock our food supply and storage.

3. I hate grocery shopping with a passion. This is probably why it took us five weeks to make a trip to the store.

4. I like fake Christmas trees. As in, I prefer them to the real ones. Mike wants us to get a real tree this year, and I told him it was the last year we are going to do it. Fake trees are so much more cost effective, plus our cat won't be as likely to eat the tree.

via

5. I'm SO excited for Christmas. That's probably why I'm so focused on it. We won't have a big Christmas this year since I don't even get Christmas Eve off of work, and we are trying to save money for baby, but I just love the spirit of the season.

So... there are my confessions. Have you entered this giveaway yet? How about this one? 

Link up your confessions!! 

Oh, Life is just "Peach"-y.

Have you entered the Birthday Giveaways??? 

How far along are you? 13 weeks

How big is Baby? Almost 3 inches long and almost 1 oz. The size of a peach! 

Weight Gain? A pound and a half

 Gender? We don't know yet, but you can vote!

Maternity Clothes? Nope - my normal clothes are snug, but they still fit. 

Stretch Marks? Nope!

Sleep? I'm sleeping a little better, but still wake up to pee occasionally. 

Symptoms? Still the mood swings, occasional migraines, and pain in my lower back.  

Movement? None that I can feel, but I know the little rascal is probably kicking away. 

Food Cravings? SUGAR. Seriously - candy has been my downfall.  

Labor Signs? None. 

Belly Button in or out? In. 

What I miss? Energy. 

What I am looking forward to? Having a belly! 

Best moment of the week? My best friend came and surprised me on my birthday, and Mike was able to keep it a secret and make it a surprise!! One of my other best friends brought over eight boxes of children's books for us to go through for baby. I feel so blesse

******************************************************************************************
And now, because it's Friday, it's time for my favorite things! 

But... I'm doing things a little differently this week. Instead of telling you about my favorite things, I want to give you my favorite things, all wrapped up in a nice little package and sent to you in the mail.

You have to win, though - I can't send this stuff to everyone.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Older, but not Wiser. The Guy on my TV is Smoking Pot... I Think.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY... to me!! 

I'm another year older, but not really any wiser. I like to get presents, but I also like to give presents.

You know who else likes to give presents? Some of my amazingly kind blogger friends!! And I've got a few awesome giveaways for you all to enter.

There will be three winners. You must complete all mandatory entries to win a giveaway. The Made with Love giveaway is open only to those with a US mailing address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
PSST.... You may want to come back tomorrow, because I may or may not be giving something away myself! :)

Will I Ever Get These Things Done?

Hi guys!!! 

So... tomorrow I'll be 24. That means I have one year to do twenty-five things. I think I can cross a few of these off my list, but we'll see how much motivation I actually end up having!

25 Before 25

1. Have a baby. Yes, I realize this is cheating because it's going to happen, but I always wanted to have my first child by the time I was 25, so it's going on the list.

2. Participate in a triathlon. Not a big one - just a triathlon. I really want to do this, and I've been putting it off for years.

via

3. Run a 5k in less than 28:00. My fastest 5k time is 28:40, and I want to beat that.

4. Go to a state that I've never been to. This is far more realistic than going to a foreign country I haven't visited, but I'd take either one.

5. Learn to make homemade noodles. For chicken noodle soup!

6. Go horseback riding. It's been a few years since I've gone for a ride, and I miss it, so this is on my list.

via

7. Sell my bike and get a road bike. I don't have much more to say about this. I currently have a Trek hybrid, and I love it, but I really want a road bike.

8. Start a garden. I hate gardening... but I guess I should probably try it out.

9. Try to like carrots. This one is probably impossible, but we'll see how it goes. I'm really going to try to trick myself into eating those nasty things.

10. Go water skiing. My in-laws recently got a boat, and I fully intend to go out every weekend until I've learned how to water ski.

11. Try sushi. I've had it before, but I want to be brave and try it again.

via

12. Ride an exotic animal. I don't care if I have to go to a zoo or a carnival or steal an elephant from one of those places... I WILL do this.

13. Sew at least ten things. It doesn't really matter what they are, but I'd like to find the time to get better at sewing.

14. Read 100 books (children's books don't count).  I figure I'll have some time on my hands when I'm on maternity leave. Maybe.

15. Donate more to the needy. Whether it's time, money, or belongings, I'd like to give a little bit more to those who are less fortunate than myself.

16. Show my husband how much I love him. I'd like to be a little more active in how I show my love to Mike. Whether it's leaving little notes or making him his favorite dinner, I want to be better.

17. Go to a blogger meet-up. I have so many of you that I'd love to meet, and I'd like it to be before I'm on my deathbed.

18. Start a charitable organization or project. I'd really love to start some sort of organization that encourages (and helps) less privileged young women to not only graduate from high school, but to go on to college. So many young girls don't even get the chance to finish high school, whether it's because of abuse, petty crime, teen pregnancy, etc. etc., and I want to be there to encourage them to stay on the straight and narrow - to show them what their life could be if they really tried (and had positive influences in their lives).

19. Build a snowman. 

via

20. Host a party. I don't really care what kind of party it is, but I want to host a party!

21. Learn to change my oil. Mike always changes the oil in the car, and I want to learn how to do it!

22. Go skydiving. I am scared to death of heights, but I'd love to do this.

23. Go to an amusement park. I've been to plenty, I just have to put it on this list so that it gets done. I'd love to take the little one to Disneyland. :)

24. Be debt free. Uh... except student loans. There's now way that THAT one will happen.

25. Take chances, make mistakes, and learn from them. 

I'm a Lazy Butt Face

GUESS WHAT?!?!

It's my birthday week. I have a bunch of super amazing bloggy friends who have oh, so generously decided to give of their time and talent for you guys, but I was too lazy to come up with a week of giveaways (read: I forgot about it until 11:00 Sunday night and didn't want to spend an hour putting together a post for today), so you will have one big day of giveaways galore.

That day will just so happen to fall on my birthday. Also known as this Wednesday. 

What can you expect until then?

Oh, the usual. 

-A picture of me holding some fruit or vegetable and complaining about headaches and back pain and becoming a psychopath.

-A list of 25 things that I want to do before I turn 25.

-Probably some story about how awesome my parents and husband are for allowing me to live to the ripe old age of 24.

Actually, that is a lie. There is only one day between now and Wednesday, so I will not write about all those things, because you already know how lazy I am. I'll probably just pet my cat instead of writing blog posts, because you all know how cute and lovable he is.

He loves me. Obviously. 

And now I'm just going to leave, because this was the most pointless blog post you've ever read. But just for fun... Let's have a vote, shall we? 

What are the Garners going to have?
	Boy
	Girl
	Who cares - it'll look like an alien either way!
	Giant
pollcode.com free polls

PS: Speaking of votes, the book for November is "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. If you're checking it out from the library... good luck. I'm number 97 on my library's waiting list (and that's for the ebook... the hard copy has over 100 patrons on the waiting list).

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Hey guys!

You know the drill - grab a button and link up your confessions below. Make sure to link to an actual confessions post, and to visit some other blogs and make new friends while you're at it!
  <center> <a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I'm bailing on confessions this week. It's 1:00 a.m. and I just woke up... I felt so crappy yesterday that I even had to turn off the husker game early.

2. I still haven't had the chance to read all you guys' confessions from last week. I promise I'll do it today. I was going to do it last night, but...

3. I'm not doing a very good job of bailing. I just keep thinking of things I want to say.

4. I changed my blog design... again. I just get bored having the same design for too long.

5. I can't just leave you with four things. You know how I feel about groups of five.

PS: If you're in the Blogger Book Club - the book for November is "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. 

Remember the Time I Talked about Breakdowns?

Yeah, just had one. One in which I got home at 10:00, walked into a disaster of a house, and flipped.

I took the laundry and threw it all in the laundry room [very angrily].

I grabbed candy bags and wrappers that were on the couch from trick-or-treaters and threw it into the trash [also very angrily].

I flipped out and screamed at Mike for not having emptied the litter box two days ago when I asked him.

I started crying because I got home from work and went straight to the gym and running errands. I was about to fall over from being so tired and hungry.

I yelled at Mike about the house being a disaster, and how I'm just ready to be finished with being pregnant.

I locked myself in the bathroom and took a hot shower while I cried.

And after it all, Mike came in, gave me a hug, and told me that he loved me. He may have also proceeded to tell me how lucky I am "to have a husband with such thick skin." [<--see b="b" re="re" we="we">real
 over here]

Basically.... our life isn't perfect. I flip out over stupid things, and at the end of it all, Mike is right there waiting for me. It's not always rainbows and sunshine, but even when I want to punch that guy in the face, or he wishes that I would somehow lose my ability to talk [read: nag, yell, whine, etc], we love each other in spite of it all.

That, my friends, is why I revel in the imperfections of life and love - because I have that dude at my side. Not just for today or twenty years from now, but forever. 

That One Time I Cried.

Yo homies. 

It's the first of November, so you should probably check out some of the new blogs I've got hanging out on my sidebar (especially November's Blog of the Month).

Today's post is about how much of a sissy I've become since this baby decided to make itself a home in mah belly.

That one time I cried... 

- when Mike started bouncing Zeuss like a baby. I have no idea. I just looked at him and started bawling and said, "In six months that will be our baby!"

- when I woke up in the middle of the night and realized what a horrible world we live in. I may or may not have broken down and cried, "I can't bring a child into this world!!"

- when all I wanted was some sleep and a taco. I was just standing in the middle of the living room, having a conversation with Mike and it hit me - I was tired, and I was starving. Enter meltdown.

- when I just wanted my mom and dad. I was about to jump in the car on a Wednesday night and drive 4.5 hours just to go home and give them a hug.

- when I saw our little monster for the first time (and heard its heartbeat). I just looked at the ultrasound screen with a big goofy grin and tears running down my face, all while tugging on Mike's sleeve, asking him, "DID YOU SEE THAT? DID YOU HEAR THAT?!"

************************************************************************************

In other news... I was a blog angel for the month of October. Turns out, I also had a blog angel. Let me talk about how awesome Genna is before I talk about how lame I was.

Genna was my blog angel this month, and she freakin' rocked it. I got to know her and her blogs through the comments she left here, and I'm glad I did, because she is awesome. AND she's getting married soon, and I can't wait to follow her through that journey!! Basically, she was a fabulous blog angel and she wins at the game of life.

Because I'm sending you all a subliminal message via the McDonald's cup

Me. Oh, gosh. Let's talk about how much of a wreck I was this past month. I will blame part of this on being pregnant. But only like, .05% can really, truly be blamed on that.

Throughout the month, I tweeted a few of Allana's posts, commented on her blog, and sent some people her way. I wish I would have done more, and I'm pretty bummed that I didn't.

Allana, if you are reading this, I'm sorry!! I really have enjoyed getting to know you through your blog, though! And can I tell you that you have some of the most beautiful wedding photos ever? Because it's true. Anyway, I'm glad I was paired with you and introduced to a new blog in the process!!

As always, a HUGE thank you to Rosie for busting her butt to get this thing organized and running smoothly.
************************************************************************************
FINALLY, Vote for this month's book!!!

What should November's book be?
	Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
	The Search by Nora Roberts
	A Perfect Evil by Alex Kava
pollcode.com free polls

A synopsis of each:
Gone Girl: Marriage can be a real killer.  On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 

The Search: To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life—a quaint house on an island off Seattle’s coast, a thriving dog-training school and a challenging volunteer job performing Canine Search and Rescue. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare. Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf Killer, who shot and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands...

A Perfect Evil (set in Nebraska!! EEK!): A deranged killer is performing his gruesome rituals undetected in the terrified community of Platte City, Nebraska -- and all evidence points to recently executed serial killer Ronald Jeffreys. It takes the expertise of FBI profiler Maggie O'Dell to reveal that Jeffreys was convicted and executed for two murders he didn't commit and that the real killer is still on the loose. Can she unmask this maniac before he takes another innocent life?