New Family Member

Welcome our new additon to our home, Gracie.

Update on Gracie: 21 October 2007 - Unfortunately, Gracie fell ill on Friday with Parvo, and succumbed to it last night. We all miss her.

Busy Busy

I guess it is a good thing that I have a full time job in my field and I'm engaged. I don't spend that much time online except when she isn't home, and even then, it's not that much. I'm usually too tired to do anything but eat, watch TV, and read a little bit instead of spending time on here.

Nothing much has been going on the last month or so. I've been spending a lot of time outside for work as I'm monitoring the construction of a retaining wall. (Yes, it's as exciting as it sounds.) But hey, it's for what I went to school, to make sure those building are doing it the way the engineers designed it.

Soon, however, I would love to be the one who designs. I like my job, but it's not exactly my field. It's my first job out of college (finally!) that uses my education, and I'm going to stay with it for at least a year. Alia and I are thinking of moving north of the city to Cranberry Township. It's a nice area, plenty to do, and not too far from the city, but far enough. It is also in a great school district which we'll have to worry about eventually. If we do move out there, I would love to find a job out there, since right now, if we moved, it would probably take me an hour and a half to get to work in the morning from there. Oh well.

See you in a month or so.

Alia and I

By the way, she is not sitting, and I am not standing on a box. I'm glad she's not here to see what I just typed.

Five down...

One to go. One sibling that is. Alia and I went to visit my sister Mimi and her family last weekend. We had a great time. We went to the local Catholic church's summer festival, where both my nieces won some nice prizes (but I have no idea what they were). We also went to Chocolate World, where the chocolate smell is enough to make you nauseous, well, at least me. Both the nieces loved Alia and hugged her first before they hugged me when we left (what's up with that?). And Mimi told her that Alia fits right in with the family. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. I'd like to go visit Kate sometime before the wedding, so we'll have to find time when it's convenient for both Kate and her family, and Alia and I.

So Kate, just let us know.

Update

Okay, so the thumb is not broken, but it still hurts like the dickens. I was told it was a sprain, so the ligaments on each side are causing it to swell up pretty well. It will be like that for a while.

I didn't work too much last week or this week. Only 41 hours last week, and I think only 48 hours this week. I wanted to work more, but oh well. When there isn't stuff to do, there isn't stuff to do.

We also got a new neighbor. I was told it was a northern brown snake. Kinda tiny, but cool.

Busy Busy

It's been a busy month. Working a lot, went to New York for a wedding, got to spend time with the future in-laws, spending time with the future Mrs. C.

Then last week, I either broke my thumb or sprained it. Went to the ER last night, waited four hours (which I wasn't really upset about. It was just a thumb. But it's the ER that I went to that sucked), just to be told by the Dr. that he wasn't sure. They had X-rays and everything. So, later this week, I'll have to see an orthopedist and call my doctor for follow ups. Yeehaw.

And this weekend, I get to go to see my Pennsylvania sister and her family.

End of the month, going to KC.

I'm just so thankful that I'm not in school any longer.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day!

Myspace Graphics

Our First Garden

I'm so excited! Yes, I am a geek, but this is our first house and our tomatoes are beginning to show.

Our first tomato Another tomato
Oregano
Parsley and Rosemary
Sage, Thyme, and Basil
Some purple and red flowers. I don't know what they are.

*I should note that Alia picked all the flowers and herbs. I picked the tomatoes. But we both make sure everything is watered daily if they need it.

Something to brighten your day

Blame my sister

Forgive me for the rude gesture....

You Are the Middle Finger

A bit fragile and dependent on your friends, you're not nearly as hostile as you seem. You are balanced, easy to get along with, and quite serious. However, you can get angry and fed up with those around you. And you aren't afraid to show it! You get along well with: The Index Finger Stay away from: The Pinky

What Finger Are You?

Our New Home

I know, we've been for two months now, but I'm finally showing pictures of Alia's and my new home (or rental, but it's a house.) Front Door Rhodendendrons Backyard

Shelves

I'm getting a new computer!

WOOHOO... Alia just doesn't know it yet. My old one finally died on me, and I'm just glad Alia got hers and I got it up and running. I told her I was going to get one, and I finally ordered it today. It will probably be here on Dad's birthday, but it will be a gift for me :-).

On the job front, I'm working a heck of a lot. I worked 50 hours last week, and it appears that I may be on that way again this week. OT is nice, when you can get it. Soon, I should get a raise as I have officially graduated (again), but I need my transcript or diploma or something to show that I have finished. And right now, I do not miss school. But I have that feeling again that I should be doing something other than what I'm doing. That will go away, right? All I know is that I do not want to go back to school ever again. But I'm sure I'll go back for another Master's and still may decided to finish that Ph.D. I started. Just to have it. No other reason.

Hopefully, Alia will be home soon so I can start dinner as I am hungry, but then again, when am I not? And speak of her, there she is.

Wow..

I did not realize how much I missed having the internet. We finally got it on Saturday. We've been in our house for almost two weeks now. Still haven't finished unpacking yet. Slowly but surely.

Beware the 12th of March...

Doesn't have the same ring as Beware the Ides of March, but oh well.

Some news to bring you all. A and I have found a house that we are renting. Three bedrooms with a basement, so a lot more room than either of us are used to and pretty reasonable rent. We'll see how the utilities are once we start using them, but the main idea is so that we can save money to buy a house next year, hopefully before we get married. Thursday is going to be a busy day as we are having all our appliances delivered. We got a washer, dryer, stove and refrigerator for about $1500. You gotta love the scratch and dent store. In less than two months, I'll be a college graduate, again, but this time I'll actually be working a job where I can use my degree. Yippee!! Gee, can you tell I'm excited about getting out of school?

I know, I'll probably miss it, but I will never go back to school full-time..ever. A wants me to sign a contract stating this fact. I don't what the stipulations are, but I'm not worried.

Well, I have to head off to class. I do not like these late evening classes anymore, especially since I was working all day. Soon, it will all be over.

Where does the time go?

I haven't posted in a while. Between working and school and keeping my lovely future wife happy (this isn't sarcasm, by the way. I do enjoy keeping her happy. :-) ), I have been so busy. I can't believe there are less than two months left in my education (up to this point. I haven't decided if grad school will be in my future...again). Soon, I'll be working full time, and I'll have a roommate again (sorta) and life will be so different. It'll be nice. Spring training starts soon, and you know how much I love baseball.

Just wanted everyone to know I'm still around, just trying to find time for everything that is going on. I'll be back.

Time for an Update

Well, I started my new job this past Monday, and so far I like it. I didn't do much on my first day, just read. But today, I actually got to do something rather than twiddling my thumbs. I can't wait till I can work full-time.

It seems that at the moment I'm pulling myself in five different directions between all my jobs (right now, I have four of them), full-time school, and a fiancee (which is the best part of it all). Soon, one of the jobs will have to go and it is the one I actually enjoy doing, working at the observatory. But I physically can't keep up with everything right now, and it's just the best thing for me to do. Soon, I'll be done with school, and can actually work normal hours, having the weekends off to relax.

It looks like Alia might get a new job soon, too. That means that she (and in reality, we) will have to get a new place. I think we'll just rent a place and I can leisurely move in from my current place. My lease for here runs out in May.

That's all that is happening right now, so I'm going to go. Things are looking up, as I'm ready to go lie down.

Greatest Weekend Ever! (so far)

This weekend turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life. I took Alia to meet Mom and Dad and others of the family (Maggie, Joanne, Tom and their families) as well as Aunt Dorothy. Then, as we were driving back from the airport yesterday, I decided to make it official. Official in that we would be engaged. So I asked her and she said yes. Now, I can refer to her as my fiancee. :-)

Then, this afternoon, I got a letter from a company I interviewed with last week and they offered me a job. So in the span of less than a day, I got engaged and I got a job. I think I'm playing the lottery.

Here is a picture of her ring.

I can now practice engineering...

Well, as soon as I graduate. But I just got back my FE report and it says that I have passed the exam. It's a good thing.