Time For An Update February 7, 2010

So it must seem as though I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth since it’s been almost a whole month since I made my last post. I just took a little peek at that post and much has stayed the same. I still really miss the warm weather and hate winter. In fact, right now it’s snowing and is supposed to keep on snowing well into Tuesday, stop on Wednesday, then start right back up on Thursday. It would be so wonderful to be ridiculously rich and build a sort of greenhouse or conservatory around our house and property so it can be warm and green all year round. Of course if I were that rich I guess that I could go live anywhere warm that I wanted. One thing that did change is that I started a new job last week. In my last post I mentioned that I sent in an application to a casino and that’s where I now work. I’ve only been there for a week so I have a couple days left of training and such and then I’m on my own. Sadly I don’t like it at all but I’m going to really try to hang in there for six months until I’m allowed to switch departments because it’s so hard just to get hired anywhere. It’s a pretty tough job because it’s all physical labor the whole day and feel rushed because you have to get so much done during your shift. Not to mention that it’s also disgusting.

Last weekend (1/30) I drove up to Lynsie & Josh’s place to hang out. So we hung out for a bit at their place and then walked to a couple of bars. I really don’t know when I’ll be able to go out with everyone again because it looks like I might get stuck working every weekend

I set up my camera and a light downstairs because I wanted to do some silly pictures but nobody else did so I just have these of Sadie & Lynsie. After I took only a couple everyone wanted to get going to the bars.

Jessie A. & Jessie W. playing around with mine & Lynsie’s glasses.

Jessie hiding from the camera

Josh & Lynsie

Dan & Josh

Lynsie & I.

Poker Party January 12, 2010

On Saturday Jessie and Max hosted another poker party. I don’t know how to play but I go to hang out and see everyone. I’m glad that I got there early because I got to see Caitlin for a little bit before she left pretty early and because of the whole parking situation. Usually when it’s warm out everyone can just park in the yard but in the middle of winter there’s a crapload of snow everywhere so lets just say that everyone was having some problems with parking and getting stuck. Towards the end when a few people were out of the main game they tried to teach me how to play with pennies. I think I got some of it and won a few hands but I think that I’m ultimately hopeless when it comes to poker. I think that I’m more of a Liverpool Rummy type of person. So anyways here’s a few photos from the night. Lynsie ended up taking a bunch with my camera since I was being lazy with it:

Me & Lynsie sitting at Jessie’s computer goofing around on facebook which usually yields pretty funny results when viewed (the comments & wall posts) the next day.

Jessie W. & Jessie A. I don’t know what they were wrestling about.

me, Lynsie, JW, & Jessie

If Phil won’t propose then Lynsie will!

Brad

The table.

Jessie, Lynsie, & Josh

Jessie A. & Jessie W.

uhm?

My penny poker mentors and I.

Josh & Dan.

Max & Jessie.

Why doesn’t anyone else like banana Tootsie Pops?

Christmas time already? December 20, 2009

I can’t believe that it’s already almost 2010! Last night we went over to my uncle John’s for my dad’s side Christmas party. I really didn’t end up taking as many photos as I wanted. I always feel weird being the only one snapping pics. Even before we got there my mouth was watering for aunt Kathy’s deviled eggs. By the end of the night I must have consumed almost a dozen. I guess I should learn how to make my own at home.

Here’s the few photos I got:

Jessica, Darcy, Lauri, & Troy.

Emma (Mitchel’s girlfriend), Mitchel, Nick, & Midge watching some air hockey.

Emily & Deja.

Tracy & Payton.

Sean & Craig.

Rick, his girlfriend Diane, Mitchel, & his girlfriend Emma.

Mikayla (Dan’s new fiance) & Dan .

This was going to be a nice photo of Derek and my dad but all of a sudden they started wrestling. Sometimes family gatherings are like watching some sort of nature program and in this case the younger generation is trying to show dominance over the elders.

Nick.

Oh yes, and uncle Steve kept referring to me as “Pam” all night because he thinks I look like Pam from The Office. Ugh, I don’t even know how many time I had to exclaim “I don’t look like her!”  That whole thing is getting to be pretty old.

Halloween November 3, 2009

First I must say that I love Halloween! It’s the only holiday that I even really like. Second I must say as a warning that this is going to be a long post. With that said, on Friday everyone met up at Josh & Lynsie’s for their Halloween party.

Our hosts, Lynsie & Josh.

Little Sadie is so cute in her coat.

Josh, Jessie, Phil, Rachel, & Brad.

Jessie & I. I must say that I loved dressing like this, it was my first attempt at wearing victory rolls!

Max & Jessie. Max went as that scary Sham Wow guy.

I just thought this was a pretty funny photo of Caitlin.

Caitlin & her boyfriend Cody. Cute, right?!

Phil & Jessie

Jessie got a little lap dance by Lynsie’s brother.

The three photography students – me, Ashley, & Jessie. Kisses!

The Next night was Halloween and also Jessie’s birthday so we went out to eat at the Orchard, played apples to apples at Jessie & Phil’s, then went out to The Dive Bar for the rest of the night for some dancing.

There was a guy going around the dance floor with a vampire blow up doll.

We made a few trips outside in the very cold night air which feels pretty good after being in a very hot & crowded club.

The birthday girl!

One sad thing – they no longer offer the ladies drink free here because some guy sued them for gender discrimination. This makes me sad, very sad. I was waiting until 11pm for my free drinks but they never came In return I think they should at least offer some special like $1 drinks instead of charging a crazy $4 per drink. I was very thirsty so I bought 1 drink then refilled the glass a few times with water in the restroom. I get to see the ladies again next Sunday for Rachel’s baby shower, then again in a few weeks for Caitlin’s!

Father Hennepin State Park August 13, 2009

I spent August 3rd through the 8th with my parents and aunt Mary & uncle Dan. (& Craig for 2 days) We stayed at Father Hennepin State Park up in Isle, MN on Mile  Lacs Lake. Craig came home during the weekend while I was up at the cabin in Amery, WI and the day after I came home the two of us drove up to stay with the others in the campground. I think this was my first time camping that I really didn’t need any bug spray! The park has a really nice long & sandy beach, paved paths, and some hiking trails. The downsides were that it was crowded and the sites had no privacy and the park itself is kind of small. I think it would be the perfect park if the campsites had more privacy because that was a BIG downside. There were people walking through our site to theirs and while sitting around you almost had to look at your neighbors because they were so close with nothing seperating the sites.

Luke riding in Craig’s lap. Craig put on the brakes and poor Luke’s head smacked into the horn on the wheel. It was pretty comical but also a good reason your dog shouldn’t ride on your lap.

Gracie in the back seat where she later threw up a clump of grass.

Craig & Luke on a dock on our first walk around the park. Notice how you can’t see the shoreline on the other side of the lake. Mile Lacs is huge!

Nice sandy beach.

Me.

Dan & Craig.

Duckies!

It seems like everyone has these recliner chairs now.

Playing some washer and box game. (Almost the same as but not as good as cornhole).

It took some time for Gracie to get used to being tied up because at home she’s always running free.

Sunset!

Dad & the puppies.

Some funky mushrooms.

More duckies! (I love ducks).

On another walk.

We played a very loooong game of Canasta followed by a couple games of Liverpool.

The only deer I see the whole time I’m there & it’s an albino one!

The Past Week Or So July 8, 2009

This past week or so I finally got to see some family that I almost never get to see since they live in Kentucky. My aunt Connie, cousin Melissa, and cousin Niki and her new hubby Teddy came up to visit us. On June 28th we met up at my uncle Greg’s for a little pool party.

 

Teddy & Niki

 

Niki & Melissa

 

Aunt Connie

 

Uncles Jerry & Greg getting competitive.

 

Me & Niki.

 

Then on July 2nd I ran up to the mall to hang out for a little while with them and have some dinner at Kokomo’s with the family.

Niki, Teddy, & I.

Sadly this is the only photo I took at the mall. I guess I was being lazy with the camera.

 

On the 4th of July we went back to Greg’s for a little get together.

My cousin Jaspar and her husband Kale.

(too bad I didn’t notice that he blinked when I took the photo.)

 

Teddy, Niki, & Chad.

 

Ryann & Connie.

Poor Ryann had only a couple of days to visit and had to go right back to L.A

 

Melissa & Erin.

I wish I could be that skinny & tan!

 

Ally & Chad.

 

Mary & Dan.

 

Craig & Chad.

(Craig doesn’t take many normal photos.)

 

Niki

 

Brett & his girlfriend Molly.

Poker Party June 15, 2009

This past Saturday it was time for the poker party over at Jessie & Max’s. I don’t play poker, and really don’t know how but I decided to go anyway because I would like to spend as much time with my friends as possible. It started out with two large poker tables and Colette and I sat and were supposed to watch how to play but of course talked the whole time & didn’t learn much. Once Ron was out of the game we went into the living room so he could try and teach us. I think I learned a little bit at least. Then we played Yahtzee and I ended up rolling a yahtzee on my second roll! I think I still lost by about 4 points to Lynsie though.

Since I ended up taking so many photos I think that Jessie‘s idea of posting them as collages is a really good idea!

 

 

Jessie got us to go outside for fireworks off in the distance, which didn’t hold our attention too well and we started acting pretty goofy:

 

Someone had the idea to have the girls pose with Josh. As you can see it was a fail but really funny:

 

Dan’s turn:

 

Some more fun: