Grew Up Rural

Does anyone read this blog anymore?

2010-03-08T16:56:00.001-05:00

For those of you who still read this, life has been great since my last post! I decided to go back for my Masters degree and recently became engaged a few months ago. It feels great to be loving life and actually enjoying myself!

The last chapter

2008-01-28T15:39:00.000-05:00

I won't be posting to this blog anymore. It's served its purpose the last two years. I do plan to read and comment on other blogs as that's what I normally do on my lunch break. I will keep posting as Grewuprural though. If I decide to start another blog, I will let you know where I am located.

Eight Years & Five Months

2008-01-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

It would have been eight years today. Do I regret my decision to end things? Absolutely not. Then why am I writing about it? Eight years is over a third of my life. That's a long time. I kind of wish I could get back some of those years, but it's done and over with. If there was a way to get those years back, I would have done more things for myself. I am using those years as learning lessons for myself.

The past five months have been some of the happiest for me. Looking at it today, I am so glad the relationship didn't make it to the eight-year mark. If it made it there, I wouldn't have met some really awesome people that have entered my life, especially a certain person that I live with.

2007-11-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

It's been one of those months....busy with work. I have a four day weekend starting tomorrow. All I want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and watch a good movie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

New Part-time Job

2007-10-25T07:28:00.001-04:00

Last night, I started my new part-time job. It was awesome. I will definitely enjoy this job. While I was working last night, the Red Sox were playing the Rockies in game one of the World Series. My roommate knew I was slightly disappointed that I would not be able to catch game one or two (I work tonight also).

When I left work last night, I checked my phone. While I was working, he texted me an update early in the night. I thought that was really sweet because he's not crazy about baseball. I texted back and then he says that he is recording it for me. How awesome is that?

The Usual

2007-10-23T22:35:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted much about my personal life lately. Everything with the roommate and I are doing well. Life couldn't get any better than this right now.

Same Sauce Different Recipe

2007-10-23T22:20:00.000-04:00

Last week, I made pork chops with an awesome sauce. Well, I took that same sauce and created a simple Chinese-like dish.

Chicken breasts
Rice
Chicken Stock
Pineapples
Frozen Broccoli or Mixed Vegetable
Sauce from other recipe

Cut chicken up into bite size pieces. Create the sauce. I put the chicken in the sauce while I prepare the rice and vegetables.

I cook my white rice in the microwave using chicken stock. Follow directions for rice. Once done, set aside. I use frozen vegetables by Birds Eye that steam in the bag. Follow directions for frozen vegetables.

While those are cooking in the microwave, I put a little olive oil in a skillet. Let it get hot. Put the chicken in the hot pan. Add the remaining sauce to the skillet at this time. Cook chicken thoroughly.

Once chicken is cooked, combine the chicken, rice, and vegetables together in a big bowl. Do not put the sauce in the mixture just yet.

The sauce is much better if it is thickened with corn starch diluted with cold water. Pour the corn starch mixture in the sauce in the skillet. Constantly stir to allow sauce to thicken. Once thicken, pour sauce over chicken/rice/vegetable mixture.

This is great as leftovers.

Need recipe title

2007-10-17T19:36:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted. It's been a busy month with working 70+ hours per week. I have been reading blogs during my lunch break, but haven't had time to put together a decent post. So, tonight I bring you my most recent gluten-free, dairy-free creation: Pork Chops.

I just threw bunch of ingredients together. I didn't measure anything, just eye-balled everything.

Sauce:

Dark brown sugar
Gluten-free soy sauce
Honey mustard (used French's)
Honey
Sherry cooking wine

Mix everything together in a baking pan. I used my 13x9 corningware pan. It's what I had on hand.

Add pork chops. At the last minute, I sliced an apple. Arrange the apple in the sauce. To be creative, I gently sprinkled some nutmeg on top of everything.

I cooked them at 350 for 25 minutes, turning once at the half way point. Next time, I would only cook them for 20 minutes.

While cooking, it made the house smell really good. It got two thumbs up from my roommate.

Served it with butternut risotto* (used soy milk) and southwestern seasoned corn.
* On the risotto, I sprinkled some nutmeg.

The flavors were great. I need a title for this recipe. Any suggestions?

Fallen for him

2007-09-24T22:56:00.001-04:00

It's been over 3 weeks now living with my roommate. He's a great roommate. Always there to lend a helping hand whether it's with moving something to preparing dinner to making me laugh when I have a good or bad day to watching movies that I have never seen even though he's seen them a million times. He's very patient and understanding in regards to my gluten and dairy free lifestyle.

I look forward to coming home every night. I want to leave work so I can hang out with him. There's something about him that I really like. This is so cliche, but he's a guys guy; big, strong, but yet has a soft side. He doesn't watch your traditional sports, which surprisingly, is fine by me. He keeps my attention, which can be very hard to do considering that I get bored very easily.

As you may have guessed, I have fallen for him. So far, I am enjoying the ride. I can only imagine where this ride will take me. I am so ready for the adventure.

New PT Job

2007-09-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

That's right. I have a new part-time job. I'll be starting there in early October. I am extremely excited as I have never worked in this part of the job sector before. It's kind of like retail, but the store offers necessities. The discount is behind awesome considering the type of store. Let's just put it this way, the discount will come in great use in regards to the culinary lifestyle changes I have made in over the past year or so.

Happy Happy Happy

2007-09-18T14:51:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I last posted. It's been a really good month.

Towards mid August, I started thinking about finding a roommate to share my apartment. After some thinking, I realized that I wouldn't be able to find a roommate because of my apartment. Don't get me wrong, it's a decent apartment but not for the money I would be asking. So I decided to start looking to share a house/apartment with someone else. I went looking and found a few that were worth considering. After some comparing between the places, I decided on living with a single guy who happens to live near my full-time job. I know, I know...a single female living with a single male who she does not know. We are both taking chances here. Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut instinct and that is what I did. My instinct has not failed me yet.

My roommate and I get along very well. I am expanding his cooking skills and he is helping me extend the number of movies I have watched. Before I moved in, the number of movies I have actually seen, very low. In the almost three weeks I have lived with him, I have seen at least four, if not more. That's a lot of movies for me. To make it even better, he's great eye candy. You can look but don't have to touch.

For almost the past two months, I have made many choices that have changed my life. Thankfully, all the changes have been positive. I am glad that I am making these changes. I believe everyone needs some change in their lives once in a while.

Overall, I have been really happy since the beginning of August. So happy, that some of co-workers are telling me that they notice my new found happiness. I guess this is what happens when you rid of things that bring you down.

The next post will be about my hiring experience at my new part-time job.

All Smiles Here

2007-09-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

A lot has happened since the last time I have posted, but I am really happy with myself and my life right now. This is the happiest I have been in a really really long time. My co-workers at both jobs have mentioned how much happier I am. Life is going well right now.

I'll post at a later time why I have been so happy lately.

2007-08-15T16:34:00.000-04:00

Garfield is one my favorite comic strips.

Working Under Pressure

2007-08-15T16:19:00.000-04:00

There is nothing like working under a tight deadline. I feel the pressure in my stomach, on my shoulders, and in my mind. Oddly enough, I like working under pressure. Sometimes, I actually produce my best work while under pressure. This time though, working on the tight deadline was not my fault. I didn't procrastinate! Yippee!! My boss had to go out of town unexpectedly for a few days, so my reports had to be done before he left.

Normally, I take my time while working on these reports. I want the reports to be as accurate as possible. I mean, I am working with money here. I completed these reports in one day, today that is.

Gotta love working under pressure.

Gluten & Dairy Free & Single

2007-08-13T22:26:00.001-04:00

Now that I am single, I want to spend some time to myself, however, I do want to date people. However, I am really nervous about dating because of my dietary restrictions. When I tell my friends what I can and can't have, some of them look at me like I have ten heads. I can only imagine telling potential dates of my dietary needs. It's not like I can hide these dietary restrictions. As soon as I am contaminated with gluten or dairy, I am sick. I can actually feel the gluten or dairy as I am eating it. I know too much information. But you get my point.

I think dating and maintaining my gluten and dairy lifestyle will be a challenge. But I like challenges. I have never turned down a challenge before and I am not going to now. I am just going to have to find a person with my same dietary restrictions or a find a person who is understanding and likes a good challenge.

Love

2007-08-13T22:18:00.001-04:00

I stopped loving my ex-boyfriend over a year ago. However, I didn't do anything about my feelings at that time. I didn't discuss my feelings with anyone. I kept going on with life like nothing was wrong. I am not sure what I was waiting for. A sign that the I could relove him again. Not too sure. I guess mentally and emotionally I shut myself off towards him. We just lived together like roommates. Then I decided I couldn't physically go on with the relationship. That's when I had to end it.

I guess at an early age, I learned how to stop loving someone quickly. Maybe that comes from having so many people come in and out of my life in a short period. I do not enjoy not loving someone when you really should. It's a hard feeling to explain. In a beginning of a relationship, I have noticed that I start loving people early on. However, if for some reason the relationship is not working, I can stop loving them quickly. It's almost like I have a switch inside of me.....turn love on....turn love off. Sometimes I feel like Coldheart from the Care Bears.

I guess that's just who I am.

Update on my Beef, Beans, and Rice

2007-08-10T12:36:00.000-04:00

Last night, I was hungry for something that stuck to stomach. Enter in my chili recipe. I took this recipe and add a few more items.

I added hot sauce, garlic, onions, green peppers, and dark brown sugar. I sauteed the garlic and onions with green peppers. Once that got going I added the beef. I followed the recipe like normal. Once I tasted the final product, it was a little too hot for me to handle. Looking through my pantry, I decided to add some dark brown sugar. My taste buds were doing the hokey pokey, it was that good. The dark brown sugar gives it a subtle sweet flavor. When I took a bite, I first experienced the slight sweetness then the heat.

Definitely will make again.

What do you add to your chili?

Finally A Posting

2007-08-09T22:53:00.000-04:00

It's been over a week now. I am happy and relieved. It feels like a load of bricks have been taken off of my shoulders. Yet at times, I wonder what the hell did I do a week ago. There are times I cry, there are times I am smiling from ear to ear. There are times I feel like I made a mistake. I am looking forward to reclaiming my independence.

What exactly am I talking about? I ended my seven and half year relationship with my boyfriend last week. If you review my posts from either last July or August, I was not happy with our relationship. Well this past Thursday, I snapped mentally and emotionally. I didn't snap at anyone, just myself (if that makes sense). I wrote my boyfriend a letter stating that I would like him to leave. I cried as I typed that note. It was one the hardest things that I have ever done. Writing that letter was much harder than putting my father in jail.

I prefer not to discuss all of the reasons why I made that decision, but the above referenced posts will give you the reader some insight as to why I ended the relationship.

I refuse to be one of those people who constantly bad mouthes their exes. Growing up, I saw this attitude from my parents and step parent towards each other. It's not classy, healthy, and it's just down right depressing and hard for me to do. I will have nothing but good things to say about him. I realize and understand that everyone has their flaws. No one is perfect. Some people may say, "Why did you end the relationship then?" Those people do not need to know my explanation. I just prefer to take the high road.

It's finally starting to set in that I am by myself again. I understand when other bloggers state that they miss having that other person in bed with them. There's this cold feeling. Slowly, I am adjusting to this cold feeling. I don't like the feeling, but it's something that I am learning to handle.

Here's a question to anyone reading this: Do you keep the things that an ex has given you? I have some nice items that he gave me throughout our relationship. This was my first real relationship and my first real break up. So, I am not sure what I should do. My heart says to keep these items and move along in my life.

One of my coworkers gave me a card today, it said, "Boys go to Jupiter to get stupider." All I could do was laugh. I understand that the card was to make me laugh and it sure did. I keep that card in my desk in my glass box with the words "Pull out for laughter". That card came in use today when several things were not going to plan. I just pulled out that card and it made me laugh. I was able to regain my mind and plow forward with my projects. She doesn't realize how much that card meant to me.

A lot of times, actions speak louder than words. However at times, words do speak louder than actions. As in the case of my letter and my coworkers card.

2007-05-23T16:14:00.001-04:00

I haven't disappeared, just haven't felt like writing lately.

Let's see...what has been happening. The carpets are finally okay. However, I still don't have a desk. I am actually saving up for a new desk. Yes, you read that right...saving.

I have been going to physical therapy for the past few weeks. The therapy is working. I just have to find time to do the exercises at home. Here's the problem with my knee, I somehow badly bruised the cartlidge between my knee cap and the bone behind the knee cap. The cartlidge between those two bones does not get a regular supply of blood. Due to this, there will be irriation. To help the blood circulate in that area, I have to do my exercises. Over time, the cartlidge will start to heal. It hurts the most when I am sitting for too long. The doctors call it "a movie knee". I am constanly getting up and down because of the irritation.

Lately, I have noticed that eating out at restaurants is becoming a lot more difficult for me. The cross contamination of gluten is killing me. Recently, I went to two restaurants that offer gluten free menus. I specified to the staff about my gluten-free needs. However with both meals, I could feel myself getting sick as I was eating my food. The weird thing with me is, I can actually feel if I will be getting sick as I eat the food. It's as soon I digest the food, I can feel the pain and other effects. I am lucky that it does not take too long for me to feel the "poison (gluten)".

I have been gluten free for almost a year now. Since then, I have realized that I am becoming for more sensitive to cross contanimation. This is making it hard for me to eat out at other people's houses and at restaurants. Due to my sensitivity, I will be making my own birthday cake. I plan to make Karina's Coconut Carrot Cake. I made this cake for the holidays and everyone (gluten-filled people) couldn't believe there was no gluten in it.

Well, I am planning to have a good weekend as I will be celebrating my birthday up in Portland watching a Sea Dogs baseball game on Friday night. Technically, my b-day isn't until Sunday, but I like starting it early.

Today's Comic - This made my day

2007-05-10T12:30:00.000-04:00

I love the Non-Sequitur comics. I wish I could have those visual aids as an accountant and HR rep. I'll update more when I have a chance.

Catching up

2007-04-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

Since I last posted, our apartment sustained water damage, I have had several doctor's appointments, my car needed major repair work, and both of my interns are done for semester. It's been a crazy week and half.

Due the water damage, we had mold on our bedroom carpet. The mold actually grew on the bottom of my desk. So, I am currently without a desk which means no computer right now at home. It stinks not having a computer at home.

Back in February or prior months, not sure when, I strained my ACL in my knee. Now I have to go to physical therapy starting early next month. I also went to see my OB/GYN doctor. The birth control pills that he prescribed sent me through a loop. I was constantly moody and could snap on anyone at any time. I know this was one of the side effects, but I just could not handle to emotional rollercoaster. I have tried several different kinds of the pill, but I get severe side effects from them. Normally, I am a calm mild-mannered person. My doctor and I decided to try no birth control pills and gave me another prescription to regulate everything. Let's hope it works.

I am hoping that next week will be much calmer than the previous two weeks. I have been itching to get back into the kitchen to make some sweet gluten-free desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth. However, nothing will ever replace ice cream. During the past two weeks, I actually had ice cream and chocolate for dinner.

Beef, Beans, and Rice

2007-04-10T09:57:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been craving beef, hamburger in particular. I made my boyfriend hamburgers for dinner. I wanted something different though. For my dinner, I started thinking back to the days when my family couldn't afford alot of food. We always had rice and hamburger on hand because back then, it was cheap. Well, those ingredients were my base then I started to clean out the pantry and freezer for the rest.

Ingredients:

Ground beef (I like 80/20) - I know it's not the healthiest, but it has so much flavor
Favorite Spices - Cumin, Cayene Pepper, Chili Powder, Salt Pepper
Gluten Free Beef Broth - can use water instead
White Instant Rice
Red Kidney Beans
Can of Hunt's Diced Tomato with Sweet Onion
Mild Thick and Chunky Salsa
Corn Kernels - thawed - I had frozen on hand - Use whatever you have

I used my 5 quart dutch oven pan to brown the meat. I added my favorite spices to the meat as it was browing. Once the meat was browned, I drained grease from the meat. Put the meat aside. I quickly rinsed out the pot, but leaving some grease in there for flavor. I then boiled the gluten-free beef broth. Add equal amounts of instant white rice. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked, add the drained meat, kidney beans, diced tomato, salsa, and corn kernels to the pan. Stir. Adjust the seasoning levels to taste.

I made a big pan of this so it would last me for a week. I think I will add some sharp cheddar cheese to it for lunch one day.

Enjoy!

HR

2007-03-29T17:07:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I don't like being the Human Resources administrator. At times, you are put into tough positions. On one hand you are a co-worker to these people. Other times you are their friend through work.

No one ever tells you how hard HR really is.

2007-03-20T15:16:00.000-04:00

I'm still alive. I haven't had time to write due to work. Will try to write more as the month end nears.

Tortilla Casserole

2007-02-06T08:44:00.000-05:00

While shopping in my local market, I found Dr. McDougall's Vegetarian Tortilla Soup Mix. On the back, it gives a recipe for Tortilla Casserole.

The recipe sounded good, but it needed more flavor. This recipe can be altered in many different ways. So here is what I did:

1 Package Dr. McDougall's Tortilla Soup Mix Pouch
4 Cups Water (I used gluten-free chicken broth)
1 14 oz Can Stewed Tomatoes (with liquid)
1 Cup uncooked white rice (To use brown rice, substitute 4 cups previously cooked brown rice for 1 cup uncooked white rice)
1 Small Onion
1 Garlic clove, minced
Raw chicken meat (I like to chicken breasts with rib meat and use the rib meat for this dish)

Seasonings: (Use what you like)
Cumin
Black Pepper
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper

Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 Lime
Handful cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour dry soup mix into a 3 quart casserole dish. Add water, stewed tomatoes (with liquid), rice, onions, garlic, chicken, and seasonings. Stir. Place casserole uncovered in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cover loosely with foil and bake an additional 25 minutes. With ten minutes left, spinkle on cheese. Use as little or as much cheese as you like. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Right as I was serving, I squeezed some fresh lime juice and placed some cilantro on top.

This recipe makes about 8 servings. I had a lot of leftovers.

I have been tagged

2007-02-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by TAB to list 6 weird things about myself.

1. I don't like watching movies in movie theaters.
2. I consider Valentine's day a made up holiday, which was created by Hallmark.
3. I have had only one serious relationship in almost 26 years. The relationship is now in its
seventh year.

Do you have any weird things you are willing to share?

A little of everything

2007-01-31T15:24:00.000-05:00

I am not particularly fond of this time of the year. Why? It's TAX TIME! Granted, I am not a tax accountant. Thank goodness. However, I help oversee a payroll that consists of approximately 285 part-time employees. The part-time employee base is mixed; students, home makers, and retirees. The students are the worst around tax time. The students start coming in asking why there weren't any federal or state taxes taken out of their paychecks. They were hoping for a refund. I try to explain this is the most basic terms possible. Some students get it, some students will never get it. The students who don't get it, better hire a tax attorney right after college or marry someone who has a clue about taxes and withholdings.

This time of the year also brings a new host of fresh meat, interns that is. I have two this semester. One of them is great right off the back. He actually gets here right around the time I do. Impressive. The second one, well, I just get this vibe that I am not going to like him too much. However, I must treat all interns the same. I think the second one is fake. Fake pesonality; faking to be interested in this internship. Yes, I know I hired him, however, he was the second best out of the pool. What was I to do? Only three more months.

I found some great recipes last week. The first one is San Francisco Pork Chops. Not too sure why it's called San Francisco. I was able to convert it so it was gluten free.

The other recipe is from one of Rachael Ray's cookbooks. I can't think of the name, but it has spinach, black beans, red peppers, onions, garlic, and other items. I'll post one day. It's a good recipe to add your own twists too.

I am looking forward to trying a recipe boyfriend and I found in one of our New England cookbooks. Basically, you take salmon, vermont maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter and grill it. Don't have a grill, so I am going to make it work on the stove top. Will let you know how it works out.

Thanks, aLs for adding my link. Check out his blog, if you have a chance. It's always a good read.

Seven Years

2007-01-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

In my short life span, I have had only one real relationship. I dated two other people prior to my current relationship, but as you can see it didn't work out. This one real relationship has lasted seven years as of Sunday.

Boyfriend and I met during my freshman year and his sophomore at college. We met on the internet back in December '99. We communicated through email for about a month or so then decided to meet. Less than two weeks, we were actually dating. We instantly clicked.

In the seven years, we have had our fair share of battles, but nothing too big. We agrue once in a while. I like to think that we bring the best out of each other.

In the seven years, there were a lot firsts for me:
* Attending professional basketball, football, baseball, and hockey games
* Attending college hockey and basketball games
* Trying Portugese food
* Exploring a lot of Southern New England
* Attending a NASCAR event (I enjoyed myself)
* Trying New England Clam Chowder
* Trying clams, quahogs, oysters, little necks
* Trying a variety of new seafood (Little Necks)
* Watching my boyfriend try some of my food from backhome, scrapple and Tasty Cakes.
* There were many more first items during this time, but I can't think of all of them

It's been a good seven years and looking forward to many more. Yes, one day, we will eventually get married. But, I am in no rush to get married. It will happen in the next few years.

My boyfriend and I have it easy, we don't celebrate our anniversary! We spoil each other year round.

Recap

2007-01-26T15:00:00.000-05:00

It's been over a week since I last posted. I had a bunch of deadlines that I had to meet last week. Never want to go through that again.

Recently when I am watching television, I noticed that I would rather watch Trick My Truck on CMT (TMT) over most other television shows. Not too sure why. Maybe it reminds me of being back home, where life was easier and calmer. I know TMT is based on MTV's Pimp My Ride. However, I can't stand MTV's version.

Thinking of about being back home, I miss scrapple. I sooo miss this breakfast treat. When I was home visiting my mom last time, she took me to an auction. On the auction premises there was a small restaurant operated by an Amish family. (Not sure if they were actually Amish or something close.) There they had homemade scrapple. I cheated! I had to have a piece. The piece of scrapple was one inch thick and about 6 inches across. It tasted so good. Unfortunately, I paid the price, but that is the one and only time I have ever cheated while being on gf diet.

Frustrations

2007-01-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

There are some days I just want to punch something, cry, and go for a long walk all at the same time. I have been feeling this way since the beginning of the year. When I am angry, frustrated, or sad, I get like this. I am not angry or sad, just frustrated that there isn't enough time to accomplish everything in one day. I don't allow myself get stressed. I actually do quite well handling stress. I have a lot on my plate both personally and professionally at this time.

I usually manage my time quite well. I make lists prioritize them and usually follow them. I need to work off of lists. I have been staying late and coming in on the weekends to catch up on my work. By staying late and coming in on the weekends, I am neglecting somethings in my personal life. It's a vicious cycle.

I was going to watch Sunday's AFC Championship game (Go Patriots!) with my boyfriend and his family, but I am thinking that my time will better spent working during the day and prioritizing my personal life at night. I don't know when I last balanced my checkbook. Don't worry, I check the balance online and have a mental account for everything, but come on, I am an accountant. Even though it's online, I still need to have everything in my check register. It's drilled in me.

I am hoping once my new interns start in little over a week, things will calm down at work. Some of my other co-workers don't understand that my two interns do a lot of work for me. When they aren't here, the work is left up to me. The vicious cycle starts again.

During the summer in college, I was able to walk after dinner. I would go walking/running 10 miles 4-5 times a week. Talk about feeling relieved. I used that time to clear out my mind. I didn some of my best thinking during that time. Once I finished college, my company allowed employees to join a gym at a discounted rate. I enjoyed that time too. The company that I have been with for the past 2.5 years, doesn't have anything like a discounted rate for a gym membership, etc. I am not about to pay those outrageous gym membership fees.

I am also not about to go walking in the New England weather. Yes, the New England winter weather has finally arrived. I left the apartment around 7:00 this morning and it was 10 degrees. Not sure what the temp was if the wind chill was included.

I need to find something to clear my mind and get rid of my frustrations.

Childhood Memory

2007-01-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

I went to my part-time job last night. As I entered in the breakroom to put away my belongings, there it was on the refrigerator hanging. The paper was approximately 4 x11 with 8 boxes displaying the products that were being sold. You could put your name and phone number along with how many of each product you wanted. Each product sold for $3.50.

I stood there starring at that simple piece of paper. It was one of my manager's children selling these products. I used to sell these products as a young child. I always looked forward to selling and consuming these products as they only came around once year. After you were finished selling them to family and friends, you would go to the local market to sell more products with other children and adults.

I realized at that moment, that I could not buy any of these products for the first time in my life. I wanted to rip that piece of paper up when I realized that I couldn't consume these products anymore. Damn my gluten intolerance! I know I could probably make something very similar to what was being sold, but it's just not the same. I can't wait to see that piece of paper leave the refrigerator. It's a constant reminder of what I can't enjoy now.

Does anyone know what product(s) I am referring to in my post?

Warning Labels

2007-01-09T15:56:00.000-05:00

Wacky warning labels

Never thought of putting a warning about not ironing your lottery ticket.

Nothing much

2007-01-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

Just have been laying low trying to recover from last week. I am still sick with this annoying cough. Finally made an appointment with the doctor for today.

A New Year

2007-01-03T16:34:00.000-05:00

I thought I was well rested. Hah! Now I have come down with an annoying cough and sore throat. Non-drowsy cough syrup makes me loooopppyy. But cough syrup is the only thing that works for me cough & sore throat. Currently it's a lose-lose situation.

No news in regards to my father's condition. My brother said he would try to find out some more information.

Other than that, trying to lay low and get rid of this annoying cough. Hope everyone had a nice New Year's.

Well Rested

2006-12-29T15:54:00.000-05:00

The madness is finally over. Only another 329 days until the unofficial start of Christmas begins. Enough with that for now.

Over the Christmas holiday, I receive an email from my half-brother who lives in Florida stating that our father was in the hospital. My brother and I do not speak to our father. He heard the news through one of his maternal family members from back home in the Mid-Atlantic. I know my brother probably couldn't get much information about the hospitalization, etc. I know my father has to be really sick for him to be hospitalized. He absolutely hates hospitals and doctors. I am actually surprised that my father has lived this long.

The last time I acutally saw my father was before I went off to college. It was not a good time. I had to call the police and have him arrested. He has hated me from that point on. We never got a long since I can remember from my childhood. We are two completely different people. If he is to pass away, I will not attend any service for him. My father's family hates me just as much as he does because I decided to better my life and not stick with the family. I will cry when I know he has passed on, but that's only because I have some of his DNA. After that, life goes on.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-22T14:55:00.000-05:00

Staying home for the Christmas holiday so I can work both jobs. I do have off Sunday and Monday. Looking forward to spending time with my boyfriend and his family. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas. I'll wish the Happy New Year part when it approaches. -Monica

Gluten Free Beer !

2006-12-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/AnheuserBuschOffersSorghumBeer.aspx

On Monday night, I have decided to completely give up all wine, gf beer, and other gf liquors. I can not handle liquor what so ever. I had a frozen strawberry shortcake with dinner. There is very little liquor in this drink. Well, I started to turn red and get warm just after two sips. I will not go thru this any longer. So, I have cut out alochol all together.

But to my gluten free friends who can handle gf beer, cheers!

Another Weekend

2006-12-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like being sick. I have a sinus infection that will not leave. I have had it since Thanksgiving weekend. This weekend I worked and rested. I did bake a little for a party on Tuesday. I have a doctor's appointment soon.

I decided what I am going to about the company holiday gathering. I will be taking a half day off from work. I will not go to the company holiday gathering. However, I will be using this time to visit a former supervisor from my job in college and taking her out to lunch. I know I am avoiding the gluten-filled situation by not going to the company holiday gathering. I am one who usually does not avoid things. It is hard for people to understand this. I can't risk myself getting sick and then not being able to work my part-time job.

Gluten-Filled Holiday Gathering

2006-12-04T14:57:00.000-05:00

We just found out where our company holiday gathering will be this year, a local BBQ tavern. I feel selfish for saying this, but doesn't anyone here at work think about me. I mean, we have a very small staff. It's not like I am just a number with my work. A BBQ tavern is not the best of places for a person with a gluten intolerance and celiac disease. It's just not asking the cook/chef not to put a bun on my sandwich. There is another whole issue about cross contamination. I get sick from one measley gluten containing crumb!

I am going to try to ask if I can skip the get together. I have tried this in the past, but it does not work. So, what I am supposed to do? Just sit there and watch everyone eat and drink until their heads and stomachs explode? I think not! I need to come up with a way to get out of this. Calling out sick is not an option as I have a monthly report due that day.

I have tried explaining my condition to my peers. Do you think anyone actually listens? Nope. Time after time, pizza, sandwiches, cookies, gluten containing items are ordered for meetings. I have spoken up before about ordering something that I could eat. The answer is why don't we order a salad for you. If I wanted a frickin salad I would have said so. When I know we are having a meeting in advance, I bring one of microwable gluten free meals. Amy's gf (gluten-free) veg lasanga or Amy's gf mac n cheese are good. Nothing like homemade, but it's gf food. I can't exactly bring my own food to this place.

If anyone has any idea how to get me out of this, please leave a comment.

Snow and Lights

2006-12-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

It snowed today. Granted, it melted as soon as it hit the roadways, but it did accumulate a little on grassy surfaces. Thankfully, the sun is trying to come out today.

Last night, we went to Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield, MA. I enjoyed driving around looking at all of beautiful light displays. There were several worlds sponsored by different companies. There was a toyland section sponsored by none other, Hasbro Games. There was another section sponsored by a local landscaping business which displayed dinosaurs. Overall, it was well worth the trip.

Starting with tomorrow, I will start posting about how to shop for sheets, etc. I realized over the weekend while working at my part-time job, people are absolutely clueless how to shop for sheets. There are people who don't know their size of their own bed.

Another Gray Day

2006-12-01T09:32:00.000-05:00

It is still gray outside and now it is raining. Thankfully, it's not snow. I like playing in the snow, however, people up in Southern New England do not know how to drive in it.

Who stole the sun?

2006-11-30T10:56:00.000-05:00

Has anyone seen this object lately? It's been missing from our New England skies for what seems like forever.

I lost count what day we are on for grey clouds, drizzle, and fluctuating temperatures. Once in a while, I do enjoy a day with grey clouds. However, this is too much for me to handle.

Non-Sequitur

2006-11-29T13:45:00.000-05:00

I love this comic on so many different levels. This is true for a lot of people out in the world! This is one of my favorite comic strips. It's right up there with Garfield and FoxTrot.

Weekend

2006-11-29T09:33:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving dinner was gluten free and delicious. Karina's dark chocolate brownies were a hit with my co-workers and my boyfriend's family.

The day after Thanksgiving was certainly interesting. I arrived at the store at 5:30am. Yes, you read that correct. The store opened at 6am. When I arrived to work, there were people already waiting there to get in. I can think of a million things better to do than wait for a store to open before the crack of dawn.

Overall, it was a busy weekend. So busy, I ended up getting sinus pressure/cold. It is a combination of the flucuating weather and working so many hours as to why I am sick. The weather is so wacky right now, we had a few days in the forties, then we go up to the mid sixties for a few days, then right back down to the low forties. No wonder everyone is so sick right now. This is New England, we are not supposed to mid sixty degree weather in November!

Well it's back to counting those beans.

Holiday Season

2006-11-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

While out this holiday season, please remember these few items,

1. Be patient with your local sales clerk in your local retail stores. Remember, they are human
too. It is not their fault that the store is out of the roasting pans, gravy boats, knives, chargers, glasses, or other items needed to have that Martha Stewart picture perfect holiday dinner.

2. Understand that the sales associate does not control the prices or coupons limitations. There are many different factors that control the prices of items. The sales associates do not control this. If you don't understand, go into your local library and lookup retail management and the economy. This should be a good start for you.

3. Do not ask the sales associate to turn off the Christmas music. Yes, Christmas music is playing over the speaker system and local radio stations. Once again, the associate does not have control over the Christmas music. Trust me, the associates have already mentioned this to store management. Just deal with it and enjoy it.

4. Be patient with other shoppers. Not everyone is as organized or as perfect as you. If you have nothing nice to say to another shopper, keep your mouth shut. The associate does not want to become a referee. Most likely, the associate will want to tell you both to shut the hell up.

I will add more as time goes along. If you have any suggestions to add to this list, please leave me a comment.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T13:48:00.000-05:00

One more day to Thanksgiving. I am actually looking forward to turkey day this year. I am not nervous about eating at my boyfriend's parents house in regards to my gluten intolerance. I am really looking forward to devouring my desserts; dark chocolate brownies, maui wowee bars (both recipes from The Gluten Free Goddess), and gluten free appie pie from Whole Foods.

During this time of the year, most people think about what they are most thankful for in their lives. Below, is my list what I am most thankful for this year:

1. The support, attention, and love from my boyfriend, family, and extended family in getting
myself healthy.
2. The fact that our jobs allow us to have a roof over our head, food in our stomachs, and heat to
keep us warm during the upcoming cold New England winter months.
3. That I have my mom and my half-brother to call family after not speaking and losing contact
for several years.

What are you thankful for this year?

Cleaning the Fridge

2006-11-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

I like making sandwiches at work. I don't like making them at home because I never have enough time and they taste fresher when I make them at work. My coworkers have learned not to ask me what I am making.

I think I have found a new sandwich I like:

2 pieces of Whole Food GF Cinnamon Raisin bread, toasted
1 can Tuna Fish, drained
Sweet Relish, to taste
Mayo, to taste
Black pepper
2 Tomato slices
2 slices of your favorite cheese (I only had American on hand)

While toasting bread, mix the drained tuna fish, mayo, relish, and pepper. Once the bread is finished toasting, put the cheese on the bread. Then add your tomato and tunafish. I actually like this as 2 open faced sandwiches.

The other sandwich that I like is taking the bread from above, toasted, and adding ham, mustard, tomato, and cheese.

Voting

2006-11-07T11:45:00.000-05:00

Today is Election day. This was my second time voting since I turned eighteen. I registered in 2004 for the presidential elections. Prior 2002, I was resident of another state. Voting was not practiced in my household when I was growing up. My father had a lot of issues, but voting and religion (won't discuss this here) were his big issues. We really never spoke about those two topics in our household. My father didn't vote because if you registered to vote you may have to serve jury duty. What he didn't realize that if you collect unemployment, you may have to serve jury duty also. He collected unemployment several different times...what an idiot. He also would not allow my mother to vote either. Talk about controlling and manipulating. No wonder why mother divorced him.

I really didn't understand what voting meant until after the 2000 presidential elections. After the '00 presidential elections, I registered to vote. Now, I look forward to voting. Next year, I will make sure I vote in the local primaries. I couldn't this year because I moved and filed to late to vote in the primaries. More than ever, I see and understand the importance of voting. This is one of the ways to let your voice be heard.

Not so good, then great

2006-11-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I went to work to finish up some loose ends. While I was working, we had a cheerleading competition. I was being lazy, so I went up to the concessions stands for something to eat. I had 3 hot dogs w/ no buns of course. Everything was fine. Then I decided to go a nearby restaurant for a quick chocolate milk shake. Well, something didn't agree and I was sick for the rest of Saturday night. Not sure what did it though b/c I have had both of the items many of times before....just not one right after the other. I'll have be more careful about missing my foods.

On Sunday, we went to the Boynton Family Restuarant for some gluten free pizza, beer, and dessert. The pizza and chocolate mousse cake were delicious. As for the beer, well let's just say that I can't handle any type of beer. My boyfriend loved the dessert. He thought the pizza was good just a little too much sauce for him though. I liked the pizza so much, I bought an extra one to go. The restaurant just started carrying their gf menu. I know I will definitely be back there soon.

In March, Nickelback is playing at the DCU Center. I definitely want to go. Not sure if I want to go by myself or with someone else. Regardless, I know where I am going to eat before the show. You guessed it, the Boynton Family Restaurant. It's only a couple of minutes from the DCU Center.

Christmas Music

2006-11-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

I go into work (my part-time job) on Thursday night. As soon as I walk into the store, I hear Christmas music. As I hear this, I am thinking Halloween was two days ago. Don't get me wrong, I like most Christmas music, however, playing it in the first of November is just insane. Let's put the Christmas music on after Thanksgiving. That makes more sense.

Since my last post, I have been keeping myself busy by working both jobs. We went to Trader Joes a few weeks ago. I love that store. I like all the odd items they carry that your normal mega market doesn't. This weekend, we are going up to Worcester to get ourselves some gluten-free pizza and beer. I have found two liquor stores in my area that carry gf beer. I am willing to try the gf beer. Let's hope I don't turn bright red after two or three sips. Most of the time when we go out to eat, I order water. I can't even handle soda or most fruit juices w/ high fructose corn syrup.

Since I have turned 21, I probably have had a total of 20 drinks in a 4 1/2 year span. The closest I come to liquor would be a frozen strawberry shortcake. Very little liquor. It's more like a thick milk shake. Smokey Bones and a local restaurant make these frozen strawberry shortcake drinks.

Weekend

2006-10-16T16:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend was nice and relaxing. We participated in a local walk and went up to Trader Joe's. I love that store. Spent a lot of money, but it is well worth it.

I can't wait for Friday. We are going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I am excited. I have never seen them in concert before. It should be an awesome show.

Not much else, besides the fact that I determined which side of the family my gluten intolerance comes from. Of course, it comes from my father's side of the family. Even though I haven't spoken to any of his family in almost ten years, I was able to put together the puzzle pieces why my father was always so sick. I will guarantee that my father has the gluten intolerance. To make his situation worse, he won't see a doctor for anything. He will probably kill himself from drinking too much alcohol, especially beer. Waiting for the day I see his obit in the local paper back home.

2006-10-13T10:12:00.000-04:00

There are many times during the day that I feel stupid around my co-workers and people in general. It seems to me that everyone has their special subject in which they know all too much about. I on the otherhand do not have that special subject in which I know too much about. Sometimes I feel like jack of a few trades and a master at none. Everyone around me seems to be a master at one subject.

I have been in the accounting field for almost 3 years. When I am around other accounting people, I feel absolutely dumb founded. These people understand the complexities of the accounting world. Granted, I understand that some of these people have been in the industry as long as I have been living. Sometimes I think that I chose the wrong major/job for myself.

It is kind of depressing knowing that I don't have one special talent.

Calmer Pace of Life

2006-10-11T16:39:00.000-04:00

October is starting off well. It's been relatively calm for me for the past 10 days or so. It's calm by my standards. For others, my calm life is too hectic for them.

In little over a week, we will be going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers! I am so excited to see this concert. I can't wait.

The gluten-intolerance is getting easier and easier as the days go by. We had a conference one day this week and lunch was the dreaded, pizza. So I positioned myself as far away as possible. While everyone enjoyed their pizza, I sat comfortably eating Amy's vegetarian rice lasagna that I brought to work with me. It is quite good, but expensive though.

It is almost time to go ring up some sales. Lucky me.

2006-09-27T16:37:00.000-04:00

September has been along and tiring month. It has been non-stop with both jobs. The day job has been busy as we just did a big hiring spree. Accounting professors never tell you the student how much doing payroll stinks.

Feeling Awful

2006-09-18T16:02:00.000-04:00

I have been feeling awful since last night. I know what is causing this feeling, my dinner from Sunday night. We went to a restaurant that has a gluten free menu. I ordered a pan seared chicken breast stuffed with apples, pecans, and sage, basmati rice, and grilled asparagus. The stuffed chicken breast was dry and the stuffing lacked flavor. It needed bacon and/or cheese. All I know is I will not be going back to this restaurant again. We went there one other time before my diagnosis, and we were not crazy about the place. Everyone raves about this place, but to us, it is just overrated. A lot of the wealthy people eat this dining establishment. I am coming to realize that we both prefer "hole in the wall" establishments.

As of right now, I am miserable. It is hot in the office, there are no windows to open up, and I feel awful. What a great Monday.

Peanut Butter M&M's Rule!

2006-09-13T10:15:00.000-04:00

I finally found peanut butter M&M's. This type of M&M is kind of tough to find in my area. These are one of my favorite candies. M&M's and 3 Musketeers are my absolute favorite and are gluten free.

I found another cheese that I am starting to like, smoked mozzarella. I used it last night on my balsamic glazed chicken. I found the recipe in one of my favorite Food Network TV personality's cookbook, Rachael Ray. I can't wait for lunch today, leftovers. I am of a rare breed, I actually like leftovers. I guess that comes from growing up dirt poor and learning how to make ends meet with inexpensive food.

Food Appreciation

2006-09-06T07:58:00.000-04:00

Since learning of my gluten intolerance, I am starting to appreciate cooking for myself and my boyfriend more and more. With the help of some gluten free cookbooks, gluten free blogs, and other blogs, I am starting to understand that there is more to cooking than just satisfying your hunger. I love the smells and seeing the happiness on my boyfriend's face just to have a home cooked meal. I actually now look forward to cooking on my nights off. Thank you to everyone for your cooking ideas.

18 days 'til Autumn

2006-09-05T16:59:00.000-04:00

Only 18 more days until Autumn (September 23rd). The first day of autumn has to be my favorite day of the year. The nights start to get cooler. The air is crisp and refreshing. The leaves on trees start to change colors. High school and collegiate football starts (Go U of D).

When I was younger, this was my favorite time of the year because school started. This meant less time with my father. This was always a good thing. During the fall, I would do my homework in my bedroom with the windows open blowing in the crisp air and listening to alt. rock. School was the one place I could get sanity, especially as I got older. Back home, fall meant harvest and the start of big hearty meals.

Years later, fall is still my favorite season of the year. I enjoy the fact that there is less and less day light each day. No need for air conditioning during the fall. I also enjoy the colors of fall, the nice deep purples, red, browns, oranges, and yellows. Everything in the fall just seems so much deeper and I am happier during this time of the year.

Long Month

2006-09-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday was my first day off since the end of July. I know I took a vacation in the middle of August, but I don't really consider that time off. It is time off from work, but it is not time off from doing things. Once in a while, I need some time to do absolutely nothing. I had that chance Saturday evening. It felt so good.

Saturday night's rest was well needed as I would be working my part-time job all day Sunday and Monday. As with any holiday weekend, the retail stores love to huge sales. Well, the retail store I work for joined the other retail chains. For the most part, the guests were polite. However, there are always a few bad apples. These bad apples expect us, the associates, to make special exceptions because they are so and so and they spend so much money in our store(s). I try my best to work with them, however, there are times I just want to tell them to get the hell out of the store. I think Nickelback's song Rockstar (great song, by the way), sums up how some people act today.

Interesting

2006-08-24T16:33:00.000-04:00

I found this article to be quite interesting. The two places that I have resided are in the top 25.

http://health.msn.com/centers/highbloodpressure/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100142599&GT1=8503

Gluten

2006-08-22T19:48:00.000-04:00

There were six pizzas and a salad in the conference room. This was our dinner lunch for working 2 shows. Of course, I could only have salad. I looked and drooled at the pizzas especially the veggie pizza. I had to leave the office b/c all I could smell was PIZZA!!!!! It's going to be a rough night. All I want is pizza. :-(

Vacation

2006-08-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

Only four more days until we leave for our vacation!!! I am actually looking forward to this vacation. We both deserve this treat especially after dog/house sitting for his parents this week. House/dog sitting was easy, but the commute from their house to my work was a little much. It took me an hour with no traffic to get to work.

I am looking forward to visiting my mom and going to 3 baseball games within 48 hours. It should be a lot of fun. However, I am not looking forward coming back to a bunch of work.

2006-08-02T13:49:00.000-04:00

http://www.slate.com/id/2146628/?GT1=8483

The above is about allergies and how far we need to go. I am not neurotic, but I am careful. I don't like being sick. What are your opinions on the article?

I think people should respect other's allergies/intolerances, etc. but using tax payers dollars to cut down a tree? I am torn with this one. If it was an adult who was allergic, I say keep the tree intact. The adult is most likely capable of not going near the tree. Since it was a child with the allergy, the parent needs to make sure the child is in their sight at all times. I know this may difficult for some, but that is part of a parent's responsibility.

As for the child not being able to bring his snack due to possible airborne allergies, the easiest solution is give your child fruit. He/she can have the crackers, etc at home as a snack. Maybe I don't understand the difficulty here because I am not a parent.

The Cookie

2006-08-02T09:18:00.000-04:00

I went to D'Angelo's last night to pick up dinner for my boyfriend. There were two people ahead of me, a woman who was ordering and a UPS man. I figured let me get the chips and cookie while these people are ordering. As I was walking back from the cookie bin to get back in line, the UPS man says, "Do you really need that cookie?" I am dumbfounded for a second or two. I'll tell him, no this is for someone else. He states, "You are pulling my leg." Then I give him the I can't have gluten speech. He then has enough nerve to say, "You are pulling my leg again." By now this guy deserves a punch in the face! Of course, I am not quick witted so I could not have put him in his place. He then asks me what the symptoms are of this intolerance. I don't exactly want to get into the details of all the symptoms in the middle of a D'Angelos. All I could muster out was, there's a lot of discomfort. Thankfully, after I said that, it was his turn to order.

I know the UPS man may have been joking, but you DO NOT under any circumstance say that to a perfect stranger. Where was this guy's class? He was still in his uniform. When you are in your company's uniform out and about the town/city, shouldn't you at least put a good smile forward for your company's sake and reputation and not say anything mean?

2006-08-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

Don't have much time to write as this month I have to cram about a month's load of work into a two week space. It's my fault because I am going to vacation.

Went to see Bon Jovi & Nickelback on Thursday. Both bands put on a great show. Chad Kroeger, the lead singer of Nickelback was just awesome. He really knows how to work the crowd. Next month, we are going to see The Rolling Stones and in October we are going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I can not wait to the Chili Peppers.

Will write more when time permits.

A Difficult Road Ahead

2006-07-24T09:07:00.000-04:00

About two weeks ago, I started feeling sick again. I reviewed my diet and realized that the dairy products are making me sick. During this two week time period I had cut out most dairy. I would sneek in a few bites of ice cream during this time. However, this past Friday night, I really realized that my body can not handle dairy products. I was craving cheese so I had a bunless hamburger with gorganzola cheese in the middle. Let's just say thank you pedialyte for my speedy recovery.

I am not sure if this is a side effect of the gluten intolerance or if my body has a casein intolerance. It is very common for people with gluten intolerances to become intolerant to dairy products for several months. I have no problem giving up gluten. It's been quite easy. I have decided that I must cut out all dairy products. This will be extremely tough as I love eating cheese and ice cream and drinking milk. Ice cream always solved most of my problems.

On another note, boyfriend and I were talking this weekend and we both agreed that we are not happy in this relationship. We stopped talking after this point. We are not sure where to go from here.

2006-07-21T09:02:00.000-04:00

Driving to my part-time job last night was interesting. What normally is a 30 minute drive (with some speeding involved) turned into a 90 minute drive and that's with me knowing some short cuts. If it weren't for those short cuts, it would have taken me over two hours to get to my destination. The cause of this massive delay was due to a truck fire on route 4 north.

Despite the minor aggrevation, I realized last night that I do my best thinking while driving. Not sure why, but I am able to solve most of my problems during this time. I had a lot of time during last night's commute to think about where I am in life. I realized that I am pretty happy with my life in general, except for the relationship part. Lately, I have been getting the itch to shake up my life. This sort of feeling comes every so many years. Maybe tonight there will be another massive delay and I will have some extra time to think about what needs to be shaken up in my life.

2006-07-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

He calls me at 4:30 to inform me that he forgot to make an appointment for an oil change. What am I, his personal assistant? He has all day to make this appointment. Can't he do it from work? He has a phone at his desk and has access to the internet to look up the place's phone number. He went into work at 4pm. I know he did not have anything else to today, he never does. But because I am nice and stupid, I went ahead and made the damn appointment. Watch, he'll want me to take the car or come with him. He can be such a pain in the ass and a baby.

I would like to try to talk to him about these annoyances, but I'm never home and when I am, he's having one of his mental days or does not feel like talking about our problems. It's starting to get to the point where I want out of this relationship. Mark my word, there will come a day (real soon), that I will just explode at him and it won't be pretty.

Last question for the day before I go to my other job, how does one handle having financial power over their significant other?

Time to go beat up some pillows now.

Update

2006-07-17T16:29:00.000-04:00

It's only been a few months since I last updated. The past few months have been trying on myself. I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. If you are not sure what this is click here: www.gluten.net . I know and understand that there are far worse diseases/cancers to be diagnosed with. This intolerance has taken over my life. I have to constantly watch what I eat. I am becoming good at diciphering food labels. One thing with this diet is that I have lost weight and inches. Before this intolerance I was about 155lbs and around a size 10. Now, I am not sure about the weight part, but I know I a size 6/8. Not bad with no exercise.

Besides the intolerance, I just have been working. Work seems to take up most of my life. I actually like working because I don't think about problems in my life. Some things have been going through my mind lately and I am just not sure what to make of them. I have been in a relationship for quite some time now and I am starting to question it. There are things that he does that I do not particularly care for. Those things are not illegal, just annoying. I just can't picture him being a stable father. He would never do anything to harm the child but he does not like change, being messy, and can't handle complicated matters. Those items basically sum up one's childhood.

We have been dating since I was 18 1/2 years old. He is my first serious relationship. Something in my mind keeps telling me that I need to explore and be a 25 year old. I understand that there are many people who would love to be in my shoes--dating someone for a long time or just dating someone period. I miss being on my own, living an independent lifestyle. We have been living together for the past 1 1/2 year(s). I want someone who can fend for himself; make his own meals, pay his own bills, balance his own checkbook, etc. I know all of these things seem trivial, but when you work 60+ hours/week and still have to care for yourself and someone else, it's tough. Alot of times I feel like a mother not a girlfriend. I ask him to do things around the house, those items usually don't get done. When I try to talk to him about how he needs to help me around the house, he usually says, I am not in the mood to talk or I am having a bad mental day. These mental days need to stop. It's too hard to explain his mental days. They just happen and lately, it's been often lately. I feel selfish for writing these things down, but honestly, I feel kind of relieved. Must be running...it's almost 5pm.

Busy Weekend

2006-03-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

What a busy weekend. I took Friday & Saturday off to go to Worcester to watch the NCAA Northeast Regional Semi-finals & finals. Unfortunately, the all 3 games were very one sided. But I still had a great time though.

On Sunday I worked at my part-time job. I would love to take some customers and put them in my shoes as a sales associate/cashier. Maybe if I did that, they would have a better understanding of why I can't move faster or why we don't have a certain product in. What really gets me is when I have a customer who is looking for something to finish their bedroom. This is what happens: The customer will buy a bedding ensemble in 1998. At that time, they will not buy the entire set. Which is absolutely fine because bedding ensembles are ridiculously expensive. The real kicker is the guest will come into the store (2006) looking for the finishing pieces. Now seven years has passed and the guest still expects us to have the same merchandise. How dumb are these people? Don't they know or understand that products/times/fashion, etc are constantly changing.

I am so excited for tomorrow. I have the day off and we are getting digital cable and high speed internet. I know, it's about time.

2006-03-23T14:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, my very first post. How exciting.

Let me tell you a little about myself. As you can see from the title of my lovely blog, I grew up in a rural setting in the Mid-Atlantic. At 17, I decided it was time to move to the big city of Providence. I must remind you, my hometown only had a flashing light. There were 3 farm stores (Mastens, Southern States, and John Deere), 1 package store/tavern, 1 hairdresser, and one corner store that had everything. So to me, at the age of 17, Providence was a big city.

During college, I met my boyfried. One of the best things that has happened to me in my short span of a life. We have been going strong for over six years now. I am currently working as an accounting clerk. My official title is Assistant Business Manager. Fancy title, mundane duties.