Seriously. Can't. Wait.

Stitch 'N Bitch and other random thoughts

So the other day at work I got a text message from Jodi, a friend in my branch, that said something to the effect of, "How would you feel about having a knitting and crocheting club every Wednesday?" I of course laughed hysterically and my coworkers asked what was going on. I read them the message and my AB, Cass, goes, "Oh, like the Stich 'N Bitch club!" Uhhh, what club? Apparently it's big and you can buy the book here. Well, seeing as how I still hadn't finished my blanket that I learned how to do over Thanksgiving, I thought it was a great idea. Well, Jodi came over and brought The Way We Were and we stitched it out. Our friend Geoff came over too. I think he got really bored.

I don't know if you have all heard about the weather out here but let's just say, I'm lucky to be alive. Which makes me wonder, how in the world did Adam and Eve survive? I walk outside buried in a sweater, scarf, coat, and gloves. I slush through snow in sub-zero temperatures only to find relief in a heated car or building. Seriously Eve, how'd you do it?

Has anyone else noticed how stupid ALL perfume commercials are? Anyone got an explanation for that one?

And finally, my quest to like fish has been seriously halted. The wedding that I went to last week had crab and I ate it. I was a good girl and ate all that was on my plate. When I got home, I tried a Healthy Choice meal with fish. I'm seriously trying here folks. But when I put that fish in my mouth, I nearly died. I could not get it out of my mouth fast enough. It, like coffee, tasted a little like death. It may be awhile before I try any fish again. By the way, I do realize that a frozen dinner may not have been the way to go in expanding my fish exposure.

23!

Remember when I said I loved mail? Well, I still do! My parents sent me a party in a box. It included a birthday banner, balloons, streamers, and a cake among other gifts. :) I invited a few friends over, including one whose birthday is one day after mine, and we had a semi-surprise birthday party!
Jesse helped me blow up (and pop a few) balloons.Jessica was the one that we surprised. Birthday buddies! I made the boys make my cake for me. Blake baked it and Jesse frosted it. It was delicious! We ate it straight out of the cake pan. Mmmm.

And more mail! I love getting flowers! Thank you Karlee and Tyson for the beautiful flowers!

Thanksgiving Adventures

So you know those times when you have so much to write, you don't want to write anything at all? This is one of those times...

Thanksgiving was surprisingly eventful. First of all, for family home evening, we made grateful turkeys. Here are just a few that were made.

We have on the top Brett's and Christina's and mine is on the bottom. We love crafts.

My going home story is really long and I don't want to write it all out. If you don't already know and want to, give me a call. While I was home though, I learned this little trick.

I'm still perfecting crocheting, but you can all have babies now because I can crochet you a blanket.

The day after I got back to Chicago, this cute family came to visit. It was really fun to see them again and their newest addition, little Abigail!

And then, when I got a minute, I Christmased my apartment.

It's nothing like my mom's decorations but at least there is Mickey!

I also went with a group downtown to watch Mickey kick off Christmas along Michigan Ave. Mickey and all of his friends were there in a parade but it was so crowded, I couldn't get any pictures of the floats.

I was able to get a shot of a balloon. I think he is the mascot to some bank. I'm good at getting impressive shots.

We also did a little bit of sight seeing and I saw theaters that I had heard about but never seen. It just goes to show no matter how many things I do around here, there's always something I haven't seen and a new adventure around the corner!

Work hard, play hard.

Blind basketball + my brother = I'm so proud. He's the tall one with a blue shirt and short, black socks. I wish I had his basketball skills.

"In Her Eyes." Austin is on the right.

Some people use beer. Missionaries use Mountain Dew.

Blind basketball take 2. This one gets better closer to the end but it's kinda long so you are going to have to wait for the goodness.

I hope you enjoyed my crazy brother's activities as much as I did.

Sears is cool.

Want to play a little game and maybe win a cool prize?

Just do it.

Foxes, Raccoons, and Deer! Oh my.

There is a lot of wildlife out here. Most of it is dead on the side of the road, but lately I've seen a lot of life scampering across the streets.

For example last week, I saw a raccoon coming out of our garbage area. Needless to say, I've been terrified to take the garbage out since.

That same week, a fox was crossing the street and scared me to death. The fact that it was a fox was exciting, the fact that I nearly hit it with my car was the scary part.

And yes, there are many deer. There are many forest preserves here and I often see them as they are crossing the highway to get to the other section of their home. I swear that the one I saw yesterday actually looked both ways before it crossed. I think the deer out here are used watching for cars.

As nerve-wracking as it can be driving past an animal that could total my car, I always think of this story and laugh. If I do hit a deer, you better believe I will be calling AAA and saying "Uh, hi, my name is Ashlee Adamson, I have AAA, and I just hit a deer."

For Claire.

You asked for it...

Working in fashion has really changed me. Notice the argyle tights?

I love getting mail!

I've been a really lucky girl as far as getting mail. I owe it all to my adoring fans. I want to say a special thank you to all of you that I have received letters and or packages from. My eyes light up every time I get something other than a bill!

Here are some of the fabulous things that have shown up at my doorstep or in my mailbox:

1. Brian Regan: The Epitome of Hyperbole. This video single-handedly put me on the young single adult map. It was the focus of my first apartment party and has created a tight bond between those who attended. It was also very educational (The big yellow one's the sun!) and I highly recommend watching it to anyone. Thank you Jeff for sending me this fantastic DVD!

2. Greeting cards. Thank you Terry for making me nearly pee my pants as I opened the card with the cat smoking a cigarette. Not sure why that's so funny but when you live by yourself, you take what you can get for a laugh. Thank you mom for the Halloween card with the cat with the mustache. Again with the laughter. Not sure why the cat theme is so prevalent. Am I the cat lady?

3. The biggest Halloween tin EVER. A giant-sized tin filled with munchie goodness such as cookies, pretzels, and popcorn. Who needs to go trick-or-treating when it just shows up at your door? Thank you Grandma and Terry for the continuous snackage.

4. The BYU Police Beat. This is an actual account from the BYU newspaper: BYUPD received a phone call at 7:49 p.m. reporting loiterers at the gazebo at the Alumni House. Upon arrival, police discovered a group of students composing poetry. HAHA!! I freakin' miss the police beat. Thank you Mitchell for keeping me away from the verge of a breakdown. Let's pretend that "composing poetry" is code for "smoking pot." This way, the BYUPD might actually serve a purpose.

5. Happy Birthday to me!!! Meet Bertie:

The newest addition to my family showed up miraculously as if from nowhere. I got a note saying I had a package in the office. Little did I know the newest member of my family had just arrived. I named her Bertha, Bertie for short. I love her and she loves to make me deliciousness. She's really good at chocolate chip cookies. Trust me.

Thank you Mom and Dad for this little beauty! I will cherish her always.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you ALL!!

As you can see, I really do love getting mail.

Happy Turkey Day!

Family Home Evening

We did this a couple of weeks ago for the activity. The boys were amazing at it.

(Sorry it's so choppy, it was taken on my camera.)

A day in the life...

• Getting up before 9 a.m. does not suit me well. Especially on a Saturday.
• I bought my first pair of fashion boots. I took a buyer apprentice from footwear for support and guidance. Not sure if she was a help or a bad influence. Either way, I now have a couple new pairs of shoes.
• It's cold here. I had to go shopping for some serious winter wear. The rest of the Chicago suburbs were shopping today as well. I think 90% of us were at the Woodfield Mall.
• At the mall, I realized we have just over a month until Christmas? I need to know what y'all want. I show you my list if you show me yours...
• I am scared to buy baby clothes for my future niece. What if her momma doesn't like them?
• Brown skirts are not available for purchase.
• I have a problem with browning meat. I need a better technique so that it doesn't look all gross and stringy.
• I am apparently the fun hub for the branch. Sweet.
• Leatherheads is about forty minutes too long.
• It is possible to spend at least an hour talking about your favorite episodes of The Office.
• I still hate laundry.

Good night!

FAQs

Q: How's Chicago?
A: Chicago is fabulous! Technically, I live in the suburbs and I don't go to Chicago a lot but I LOVE it here. I love it more and more everyday. The weather turned from lovely 70s to freezing last week but it's okay because I have friends to keep me warm! :)

Q: How's your ward?
A: My ward is actually a branch which is the equivalent of a baby-sized ward. Due to our size, we are all really close. It's not hard to get most of us together to do something on the weekends. Generally, each Sunday, we decide what we are going to do next weekend. When asked today, one of the guys said, we should not make plans this weekend and go on dates instead. Apparently we were taking up his prime dating time! That's how often we are together.

Q: How's work?
A: Work is good. I like my job though it is challenging. Unfortunately, I think I tell you all more about the challenges than the good parts. The thing I don't like about my job is that I am kind of doing two jobs. The program that I am in requires me to do "homework" which I don't enjoy. That will be over in a couple of months though and I can concentrate on one thing.

Q: What do you do?
A: I buy clothes. I work in an office and I buy clothes. When you go into a store, somebody had to decide what merchandise to put in the store. I am one of the decision makers. Okay, well, I am an assistant to the decision maker. Ultimately, my buyer decides on the product but she often asks for my opinion. I am training to eventually have her job.

Q: When are you coming to visit?
A: I am not coming until Christmas but you are all welcome out here! I don't think i would recommend the winter though. It's pretty cold.

Any other questions?

H a double el oh double you double e n spells Halloween.

Amy/witch, Jess, me/moose, Kara, Tamar/go-go girl, and Jodi/lamp (she really did have a lamp on her head.)

Ihop afterwards. This time I did not have hot chocolate spilled all over me so we count it as a successful visit.

Better shot of the lamp (though it's still hard to see since I'm still stealing other's photos.)

Yes, I dressed up as a moose and I liked it. I did not however, love the 8 stake dance I went to. I love the people I was with but I'm such an awkward dancer. Ick. I feel bad for the people that have to watch this white girl who ain't got rhythm.

Road Trip!

Nauvoo Illinois holds a very important history for the Mormon church. In the late 1840's Mormons were forced out of the area by law. They had to cross the Mississippi River in the winter and traveled to Utah, arriving July 24th in the Salt Lake Valley. This momentous journey gives you lucky Utahns an extra day off of work and allows me to travel only five hours from my home to see an incredible history.

I've stolen pictures from some of the people I went with (which is why they are so small) and will recap my adventures. We had an amazing time and the eleven of us that went got even closer than before. I love my branch more and more every day!!

This is the Nauvoo temple. It was originally built before the pioneers left and finished by those who stayed behind. It was burned down not long after that and was restored in 2002.

Jessica and Ana Maria with the temple in the background.

The temple is in between "downtown" Nauvoo and "Old Nauvoo." Downtown is a cute area, not very big, but the kind of place where everybody knows everybody. Old Nauvoo reminds me a lot of The Village. It has been pretty well preserved and restored over the years to give it the feel that it had 150 years ago.

While we were there the city was having a Halloween festival. Blake, Jodi, and I decided to take advantage of the festivities as shown in the picture below.

The guys stayed at a house from that time period. It was a little creepy and I am so grateful the girls stayed in a hotel! This picture is in the house but it makes me laugh because it reminds me a lot of another picture taken a few years ago from another group of friends.

My guy friends all seem to like to cuddle with each other! Weird? Maybe...

While in Nauvoo, we wanted to partake in some service. Our task was basically this: Take that pile of bricks and move them to this other pile. Nice. My hands still have chunks of skin missing. This is Brett and I enjoying working with bricks in the mud. Or maybe it's just me watching Brett work.

Walking the streets of Nauvoo is amazing this time of year! The leaves were changing and the weather was beautiful and it is unreal to walk on such a historic site. This shot is Ana, me, and Jodi as we were walking the brick sidewalks.

Part of the ambiance includes going into shops that help explain the history of the city. When you go in, you are greeted by senior missionaries dressed up in garb from that time period. We went into John Taylor's house. After he left that house, he went on to become the third prophet of the church. We also went into a blacksmith's and they teach you how a wagon was made. I loved that! It was absolutely fascinating. Then, they teach and show you how a horseshoe is made. I got to keep the horseshoe and it is now hanging in my office. (It's not life size but was made just to show the basic process.) After that, you are given a "prairie diamond" ring which is a nail shaped into a ring. As you can see, we thought they were pretty cool.

Group shot from left to right: Geoff, Jessica, Jodi, me, Ana, and Blake. We had such a good time I didn't want to come back!

We also took some time to go over to Carthage, Illinois where Joseph Smith lived his last days. We took a tour of the jail where he was eventually martyred and it was unbelievable to be standing in the same place he stood. Another thing that I thought was fascinating was the size of the jail. It is the size of a small house. The jailer lived there with his family and the prisoners could stay in one of two small rooms. It boggles my mind to think of the humongous prisons that we have now that aren't even big enough compared to this little jail. This is a picture of all of us in front of Carthage Jail, alongside a statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

It was an awesome experience!

My New LLove.

My job is cool. So cool, that even LL Cool J wants to work for Sears. Of course we're gonna let him. Then he wants to make sure we are just as excited about his new apparel line as he is, so he comes to my office. I sure like that LL.

Holy Cow! The Cubs just won the World Series!

My mom and pop (aka-the future grandparents) were so kind to come visit and spoil me! Among the festivities was my first Cubs game. Woohoo!

Wrigley Field is cool. Go if you ever get the chance. This Budweiser sign is someones roof. They probably get paid bank. In the upper right corner are bleachers on someone else's roof. They surround the stadium and are packed by the time the game starts.

Vince Vaughn threw the opening pitch and led us in the seventh inning stretch. I have an unexplainable crush on that man. Actually, maybe I can explain it. He's TALL. I love it.

My awesome shirt. For those of you who don't get it, enjoy the shot of my double chin.

This was the winning play. If I remember correctly, the bases were loaded and three of them made it home. Go Cubbies!

The Cubs clinched their division though the fans celebrated as if they had won the World Series. Check out the awesome old-fashioned scoreboard.

The fans stayed in their seats for a solid ten minutes before anyone moved. Only the crazy tourists left early. (Us.)

Wrigley Field sign. Cubs clinch!

The after party on the streets of Wrigleyville. Awesome. We gave high fives to many strangers.

We actually rode the downtown trains to get in and out of Wrigleyville. This is more like the subway in New York than the trains that I have ridden before. Dad wanted an artistic shot. It didn't work too well here.

Maybe I should start saving up for a Bears game?

In other news: THE OFFICE! My TV, cable, and internet are all set up and I'm loving it.

Work however I am not currently loving. I had a major breakdown on Friday and hope to recover some of my dignity next week. I am actually going in today to try to get caught up because they made me go home at a normal hour. They thought I was too stressed. Whatever. I can take it. Sort of.

It's a good thing I can laugh at my life sometimes though. I just got a text from my bro on the mish. (He can send an email to my phone and I am still baffled at how.) He asked me to call my mom and dad to tell them to check their emails. Of course, I'm thinking he's dying or something. So I hurried and emailed him back, asking what he needed. He says he's trying to get a quad for a member. I asked him what a quad was because apparently I was not in church mode while reading and he responds with, "a quadruple combination of the holy scriptures my friend." Oh, that quad! hahaha. Maybe you had to be there. It was funny.

And Zjani, I failed you. I am sorry I couldn't complete your assignment. I know no boys here.

And Mike, a BAP is someone who is in the Buyer Apprentice Program. Not the Banana Appreciation Pack or anything of those sorts.

It's been awhile

I haven't posted in quite a long time so I have a lot to tell you about. Last weekend I went to a nearby city with a fellow BAP and we went to the biggest movie theater I've ever seen to watch the Dark Knight. It was pretty good, probably amazing if you are into superhero movies. The Joker is one of the most twisted minds I've ever witnessed. Whoever comes up with all of that stuff probably has an even more twisted mind. Then to put it on film...man! After the movie we walked around a little outdoor mall and found this cute little thing. A Lego giraffe! Cute!

This weekend, I went to the Chicago temple with the branch. It was the first time I've been to the temple in a long time and this one is so different from any other that I've been to. Different physically, not the work that is actually done. It kind of just looked like a regular church building at first glance. It was good to spend time with the branch members and to have a little spiritual time after a crazy week at work. On Saturday, I went to another progressive dinner. This time, each apartment had a color theme. I was joined with yellow so I made "Ain't Yo Momma's Banana Pudding," a Paula Deen recipe and it was a hit. I may or may not have been two cookies short for the top because I may or may not have eaten two cookies. Next time I'll just have to spread them out better.
The other apartments were brown-chili; green-lettuce wraps; pink-veggie pizza that was spray painted pink with food coloring; orange-homemade mac & cheese; and yellow-yellow cake, banana pudding, and lemon tarts. YUM! Here is a shot of most of the group.
Laura, Andy, and I were on the yellow team. (Andy doesn't believe in being photographed.)
As for some other random updates, I finally bought a TV! I can't wait for the premieres of some of my favorite shows such as The Office. Thank you for all who helped me make this difficult decision of what TV to purchase. After I thought I had decided on a Vizio, I went in the store to find that a Toshiba was on sale for the same price as the Vizio. After much polling and deliberation, I went for the Toshiba. I can't wait to actually use it. Thanks to my mom and dad who will be helping me move it into my apartment next week!

I have not seen Fred lately but I am still scared he will show his huge head at my weakest hour. I have found two crickets since then though. Apparently Fred is not eating them. My most recent dilemma is again targeted at my car. The past few months have been really hard on my car. First, it broke down three days before I moved here. Second, somebody ran into it and dented the rear driver side door while I was not around and didn't leave a note. And now, it is flooded. Yes, my passenger floor is soaked to the core. To make matters worse, it leaves a musty, moldy smell. Unfortunately, I found this out while all of the auto shops are closed. I hope we can come up with an easy fix. I just bought a TV, I can't afford a new car too. Though I would really love to try this on for size. Ford Escape Hybrid. Beautiful and green.

Meet Fred (but don't get too attached)

I am afraid to be in my apartment.

This is Fred.

I wish he were dead.

Walking on my floor I dread.

He is making me lose my head.

Drop dead Fred!
Okay. This thing is so big, I am afraid to walk around in my apartment. The problem is, he is also so big that I am terrified to kill him because of the cleanup afterwards. I need you dad! Can you come a little sooner?

Yes, I really named him this morning. At work today, I was telling some folks about my dilemma. This guy, totally mocking me, asked if I had named it. I couldn't believe I actually had! He sighed and said, "Girls." At least he gave me useful advice. I think if I can get the guts, I may just end up vacuuming Fred. Too bad I have a bagless and can see what I suck up!

Major Milestone

I made potato salad! This is a huge deal as I love this stuff but was always intimated by the thought that mine would never compare to my mom's. For my first time, it was decent; however, it was definitely a learning experience. I will share with you my struggles if you promise not to mock me too much. First of all, in my cookbook that my mom made for me, the prep time said 30-60 minutes. Laughable. I hope to some day only take that long. I'm guessing the whole thing took me nearly 3 hours. (Note: I did no multitasking but if I had, it would have still taken my slow self 2 hours.) Secondly, as embarrassing as this is, I have never hard-boiled an egg before. Here is how not to do it: 1) Don't boil the water before you put the eggs in; 2) Don't try to put the eggs into already boiling water as they may very easily crack and then you'll have to get it out of the way too hot water and start the process all over again; and 3) don't do it for too long.

My other struggle was the potatoes. My pot for them was initially too small but the other pot I could have used was unfortunately boiling eggs. So I waited for the stinkin' (literally at this point) eggs to finish boiling and used the pot for the potatoes. I checked on the pots a couple of times to make sure they weren't boiling over and that the water was actually boiling, etc. When they had done their time, I opened the smaller pot and there was no water! The water evaporated and the potatoes were now cooking on the pot! Urg. Luckily, they must not have been doing that for too long because they ended up working just fine.

The last struggle I had was that I added too much miracle whip. Luckily, I had some left over potatoes to add so it made it all better. Whew. I'm glad that's over.