Thanksgiving & Black Friday (it's a long one)

Thanks to being dragged out to the middle of America, I have A LOT more to be Thankful for that I miss…. This year has been crazy. With lawsuits, trials, moving, jobs, pressure, bad news that is never far being the good news, and all that’s come with it. Being far away from everyone you know makes it that much more clear who is really important to you and REALLY points out who you can count on. While there are going to be people I don’t put on this list, doesn’t mean that I forgot them or that I’m not incredibly thankful for them. So for brevity's sake, here’s the gist of what I’m thankful for.

Being saved. :-) Yay for knowing where you're going... Wow I'm a poet and didn't know it.

Food that I’m going to cook and enjoy eating.

The roof over my head that I don’t pay squat for! Lol… Seriously, the fact that A doesn’t mind me taking my sweet time to find a position that I can be at for the long haul out here is really awesome. Granted the non-existent savings is suffering but it’s nice knowing that he’s not resenting the hell out of me while doing so. He’s pretty great. :-) Did I mention that I love him? Cause I do.

My Dad is amazing. Keeps me on track in what I need to be doing while helping me see what I should be doing. Definitely helps when needed (which is A LOT these days) and never complains about it (which in and of itself is enough to be thankful for). He makes sure I’m safe, happy, healthy, and get where I’m going in one piece (even when it requires him to follow along for 1700 miles). I love my Dad, don’t know where I would be without him.

My sister, Laura, for all her support throughout the last few years in her stellar strides to be an awesome big (little) sister. She keeps me grounded and is always willing to show me how to do something amazing without spending more than I could ever afford. She listens when I complain and then immediately makes me see what I do have that gives me no right to complain. And then throwing the kids in front of me to make me smile. Damn I love those kids.

Speaking of, those kids… Those three can make me smile and laugh so hard I can’t breath! They are the greatest kids I know and I miss them so damn much.
 

My whole family (minus Robert who is a douche) that seems to come out of the blue and help, inspire, listen, and calm me when I need it the most.

My friends and BEST FRIENDS for reminding me to get things done, and get it done NOW. They make me laugh and keep me positive while completely letting me being a total twat around them. They let me vent about my frustrations with where I am at almost 30! And complaining about where I’m not. They make me smile when I think the only thing I can do is cry. They watch my alcohol intake and make sure it’s sufficient for a damn good time. They are always down to go out for dinner and debate about what tastes better. Hhahahahahaha They are there to help me and make sure I don’t feel so stressed, especially about this whole wedding thing. :-) And all my wonderful friends that are going to be there. So thankful for them!

Oh and I said I was going to add it to the list… getting the recipe for making home made TWINKIES

 

So I made a Thanksgiving meal yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa booooiii....

It's been awhile since I've been able to actually cook! Especially a full meal. So yeah. I made: Coke Ham (a layla special), Corn, Stuffing sans Turkey, Mashed Taters, rolls, cookie pie, pumpkin pie and jello shots. Jello shots were mostly for me though hehehehehe

 

We ate, we skyped (with Laura & Kids), we were on the phone most of the day... well A was, me not so much (sore throat).

 

And yet, we still went out.

 

Trying to get as much money as I can with the whole Mary Kay thing so I spent a great deal of time yesterday looking at ways to "promote my business" this holiday seasons. One great idea that stood out to me was giving away $10 of shopping via my website. www.marykay.com/lalkire. you put "$10 sign up reward" in the comment box and when I process your order I take $10 off. (If you're reading this feel free to take me up on this offer). That way I have your contact information in a secure location without being creepy about asking for it. Cause we just met less than ten minutes ago, I'm giving you a sample and then you're going to give up your address and phone number??? How about this, I give you a sample, my card, and this certificate and then it's on you. NO pressure. I love it.  Handed out 6 last night at Target during their early door busters, mostly in the kids section. One to an employee who was running frantic trying to help people find what they need. So we shall see.

 

Goal is to sell $300 by the end of the month to keep me on track for my car (which I desperately need out here, one car between us is not enough when you have to spend 15 minutes warming it up every time you want to turn it on, never mind the reliability of it).

 

Anyways, so I was "warm chatting" with people and got to talking to a woman who came down from Canada. She drives down from Saskatoon every year for shopping and to see a cousin. Apparently when you're from Canada and you shop in America, if you spend more than $25 you "apply for a refund" with the Canadian government and they get it back from the US. So she was doing her strategic shopping and making sure to spend at least $25 everywhere she went and keeping all receipts aligned. Telling us that every year she gets enough in her rebate to cover the gas for the trip down to see her cousin and do "all this crazy shopping".

 

Another woman I was talking to (can you tell this is why I decided to go with Mary Kay before coming out here, gives me a purpose and a reason to talk to people I'm normally too shy to talk to) was saying that last winter was a breeze this winter is already showing signs of being "real nasty like". At least she was nice, though we need to learn to stop saying that we're from Los Angeles, people get a little hesitant to keep talking once that cat comes out of the bag. THAT was real clear with this woman.

 

We got home around midnight and knocked out. I just barely woke up. Didn't know cooking and shopping could take that much out of you. OYE...

 

It was snow flurries last night, still is right now in fact. Sun is shining and it looks like glitter drifting through the air, pretty cool on that aspect if you're inside. If you're outside, holy hell is it cold!

 

Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving and happy shopping

<3

L

Cultural Exchange

and spelling errors.
In seeking out the best way to start my empire via Mary Kay out here in ND I am constantly reading and trying to get a grasp of LIFE out here. It has not been an easy task. So, while at the grocery store I pick up all the free literary offerings. One, entitled BE Magazine, that has just started publication last month had 9 BLATANT spelling errors. I read, and then I recycled. Cause ain't nothing good going on there, at least not for me. Maybe once I have a few kids or am over the age of 60 then there might be something that interests me... until then... nah... I have enough spelling and grammatical type errors on my own...don't need to dumb myself down anymore than that.
However, there was one called City Magazine, that gave me one of the best laughs of the week. (see it at: http://thecitymag.com/image/cache/441648_Nov_CM.pdf page 28) Titled How to Address the Challenges of North Dakota's New Community Culture. I was rolling, since this is exactly what I was talking about doing before I left to drive out here. Create a space for people from out of state to identify, study, understand... okay so not really what I was looking to do but it was close enough to make me literally laugh out loud. "form a community culture team" I'll show you a community culture team, how about we start learning recipes from each other instead of just what we know and learn how to properly say Sacajowea er whatever ... ok I'm being snarky but you know what I mean... Sounded pretty cult-ish but yeah. Nice thought North Dakota, bravo. Moving on.

So congrats City Magazine you got my attention. Made me laugh and said EXACTLY what I was thinking... and then I flip to a story on some guy that had step-dad issues and made a lot of money blah blah blah... what the hell is a day-maker??? In his hobbies the man listed "day-making"... what in the world is THAT!?!?!?!? Google'd it and deciphered that it's about making life easier?? Your hobby is to make the day easier?!?!?! I'm so confused, and here I was thinking that I was starting to understand this area.

So here's what I was working on for you guys. I might have figured it out, cause I know I can't figure out "day-making"... but I've heard this, I've asked about it, (which is a lot like asking people in Cali why they call Coke a "soda" and not "pop"... that look on your face, THAT'S the look I got when asking about this)... the phrase is "ohhhh for funny!"

WHAT
does
THAT
mean?!?!!??!!
I've heard it a few times over the course of the last week. And frankly it's been driving me bonkers....
After careful research, and making myself look like a total ass to complete strangers, I have come to a conclusion... it's the North Dakota way of saying "ohh that's just too funny!" apparently, it's easier to confuse the living crap out of me and say Oh for funny!

Seriously....

You HAVE to hear someone say it... it's not something you can simple read about. Call me sometime and I'll impersonate it for you.

The girls at Club Fido have said it a few times and, frankly, they are totally the ones who let me bug the crap out of them asking questions like I'm a fucking martian trying to figure out their strange race of peoples. Love them.

That's all for now.
<3 L

Spinouts and new tires

SOOOOO
we got dumped on last weekend. In a non dirty sense... 16 inches of snow in less than 36 hours. Friday night it started and then all through Saturday. We stayed inside... obviously... laughing at the people outside trying to drive thinking 'why in the world are they leaving their home'... Everything was cancelled or closed. When it started to ease up Saturday evening we called out for pizza only to be told that the three drivers had all gotten in accidents and they weren't doing delivery for the rest of the weekend. Crazy.
Bismarck even cancelled their veterans day celebrations. THAT'S how bad it was.
So we went out Sunday, just to get out of the apartment, mostly from me going stir-crazy.
Went to eat at a place called Krolls, since we left the house at 9:30 and nothing retail can be sold or open before noon on a Sunday (yeah, tell me there are no Mormons making the rules in this state). So we ate there, pretty decent food. I took a picture but don't know why it;s not uploading. A bird (dove I think) flew into the window RIGHT by where we were eating... and BAM cracked the glass, the bird bounced on the ground and flew away. Not totally sure how far he got before the brain injury registered... but he made it out of sight. Pretty sure A pissed his pants a little bit. And now the crack looks like a gun shot... pretty cool if you ask me.
Then we went to Walmart (aren't my posts ever so exciting...) where a damn good looking "native" told A "nice job scoring a white one, you must not be from around here...".... I laughed, A did not.
Went to visit the cats at Club Fido (the kennel they are staying at while the house is being built). Great place. Rebekah and Sarah were there and totally taking care of business. Cats seem to like them, my cats are friendly (except George) but they seem to really like the girls. So we played with them brought in refills of wet food for them.
Keep in mind, I'm driving all day. A is happily riding shotgun since he's never driven in the snow. I keep telling him we need new tires that are REAL all-weather, not California not-so-all-weather. I get dismissed and he promises not to scream and throw a fit every time we slide a little. Which we did... a lot.
Monday fun day... er, not
I drop him off at work, all is well, I drive to go to Hobby Lobby to get stuff to make care packages for the lovely people I miss back home (if you're reading this don't get your hopes up, my projects have been delayed due to the next part, just warning you). As I go to press the breaks the lovely ABS kicks in and I SLIDE every so gracefully... into the intersection.
FML
I manage to make it THROUGH the intersection and people just look at me as though I was just THAT much of an a-hole to blow the stop sign. Sorry folks....
I call A...
He is reassuring and says "just be more careful and stop sooner"
Fine
I decide Hobby Lobby isn't the place for me and head to WalMart (or Wally World as I like to call it) to park in the sun and let the tires dry up a bit.
Mother Nature had other plans for me.
I am no longer a fan of Mother Nature, as she is a vengeful bitch.
Background - Saturday in my delirium while it was snowing, opened the balcony door to get some "fresh air" and proceeded to let in some snow... I swept it up and triumphantly exclaimed, "take THAT mother nature"....
and so her vengeance began
As I was starting my turn in the intersection of a "major highway" and main street... I lost control and spun out ... in the middle of the intersection....
oh happy day
So when the car finally decides to stop I'm facing the wrong way against a curb on the WRONG side of the intersection. A nice young man jumped out and helped me get the car back to where it needed to be while informing me that "everyone has done it at least once... you're not from around here, chances are you'll probably do it again, get some tires, and why isn't your truck a 4 wheel drive"
I call A...
He is reassuring and says I need to buy sand bags to weigh down the back of the truck....
SO
projects are at a halt
I head to a place called Menards, awesome store, like home depot for high end contractors and women with OCD in home decor and repair. I LOVED IT. Got some rugs, a couple of shovels, and some sand and headed out. They even had "courtesy helpers" (ie-high school kids) to load stuff into the car for you. So whipper snapper loaded in the sand bags and put them "evenly over the axle to help with stabilization, you're not from around here..."
AHHHHHHHHH
I go home. I am defeated enough for the day.
I see a nice open parking spot with NO SNOW in front of the apartment, I figure, hey I've got to leave in a couple of hours to pick up A why not just park here.... the sun is out...
Just as I'm pulling into the spot... the truck decides that it is done, that the snow that is compacted underneath it is too much and its just going to spin the tires....
Long story short, I'm stuck.
I call A
He is reassuring and tells me to just shovel the area around the tires and all will be fine.
It's twenty minutes before I need to go get him. I start shoveling. I add cat litter (it was in the back of the truck from when we dropped the cats off)... I add sand, cause hey, it's there. I shovel some more.... Everyone at my complex seems to work til at least 6 cause NO ONE is around.
I call A
I tell him "I quit! I hate North Dakota! Why did you bring me to this Godforsaken iceland....get a ride home, the truck isn't cooperating, I hate it here, I want to go home. I dont have these problems at home. I'll take smog if it means not getting stuck on frozen water!!!!"
He is reassuring, laughs and says ok.
Twenty minutes later him and his co-worker are shoveling around the tires and his co worker leaves. (sidebar - I like his new co-worker, enough that I didn't kill A when he told me that he invited him over for Thanksgiving... since now I actually have to do something for Thanksgiving). A comes upstairs and says "Hi babe, can you come down and drive the car for me please". I love him. He's so patient with me and all my drama queen-ness. So, I drive, he gives it a nudge, and BOOM back on the road. I pull it around to the garage and all is well.
We get inside and he says, tomorrow you don't have to go anywhere, I'm driving work truck, I just need you to take the truck in for tires to be put on the back, here's my card.
Needless to say, now I have ACTUAL all-weather tires on the rear so even though I skid a little I don't sit there and spin out. Discussion the other night was that I'll need to get the next new car and it will be something that is All Wheel Drive and "northland edition" (automatic start and kickass tires)... and so the search for Layla's car begins.... Dad is back home in CA and totally helping with the search. As much as I would love a subaru, they cost too much for upkeep so it'll probably be a Durango or a Jeep Grand Cherokee (WHAT??!!??!?! I love my Jeeps).
That is all for now... Got something I'm working on for you guys next, but still need to do some research on it to make sure I bring you the facts!
<3 L

I'll show you crazy

well, not really. But I can act like it that is for sure.
Long stories short over the last week-ish.
Took all pets to vet, 4 cats, 1 giant dog. Obviously, this did not work, but like I've said I will always try. Half way into the drive to the vet the dog managed to bite her way out of the METAL crate to get out and was flipping Georges (skiddish cat) crate around trying to get to him, what he did to piss her off I do not know. But I almost crashed trying to stop her. Barely made it to vets before losing my mind or one of the cats. Ended up having to call a friend to come pick up Pebbles (giant dog) and drive her home for me.
Needless to say, she did not make the trip up to ND.
She's currently with another foster in Los Angeles and I'm trying to work with Ace of Hearts to try and figure out a way to get her up here to be with me ASAP... based on rate of returned phone calls, I'm not holding my breath.
Got some cats beds and am going back today to visit the cats again. I miss them bunches
A hired "movers" to help lug stuff around to apartment and to storage unit. Based on my previous experience with movers I was apprehensive to say the least. However, to my shock and great delight, they rocked! They stuck to their original quote and were totally cool... must be due to the fact that they are from Long Beach CA!!! Nicest guys and since they didn't try to add on a bunch of extra charges they were paid for 4 hours instead of the 3:15 they were charging for, seriously they rocked!
Dad was here with us for the first few days. Total blessing. We had to drive to Fargo to drop off the moving truck so we figured we'd find somewhere to shop there as well... Went to a place called farm and fleet... And I moo-ed walking through the place. Cause I'm okay with being fat, I know I am, you know I am... why not have some fun with it?!? Not like I plan on being fat forever. Anyways. We're shopping for BASE LAYER clothing, something I've never even had to think of and yet now I need. Let me tell you since I bought them, haven't been outside without them on! It's cold! Borders on freezing most days up here. However, my hair looks FANTASTIC! ;-)
Dad even helped me find some boots and when we got the register. HE PAID! Totally bought me all me need to have stuff. I love my dad. I don't count on it but I know in the back of my head, when its something I need, he's got my back (and apparently now my butt) covered.
Dad left the other day, I totally cried. It sucked, so I went to visit the cats to cheer myself up. Nice peeps working at the kennel place too.
Further proving my theory that the nicest people I've met, all Non-ND born. Not a single person I've met from "out of state" has been mean, rude, snotty, or otherwise terrible. They've all been awesome.
Can't really say that about the ND natives, they've been pretty crabby. Dude at Men's Warehouse was pretty nice, but made it clear that he didn't "appreciate" all "these people" coming in and "changing" the landscape. I get it, no one likes the frakking. But according to your commercials, your economy DOES. "Oil Can" is the big slogan here that I've noticed so far
A came home early yesterday, he was going to be out on the boarder of Montana until Saturday. But thanks to some giant storm coming in he came home late last night. And everyone at Walmart keeps talking about prepping for the storm.... and I'm over here like "where's the pancake mix?" Will let you all know what's going on with that. It's cold and a little cloudy but thats about it. OH did I mention? NO MOUNTAINS!!! FLAT LAND AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE... and with no smog, it's pretty far... but NOTHING for landscape. I've lost my sense of direction and am constantly turned around. The only good part so far on that note is that gas is so cheap and this "city" is so small that I can let myself get lost to try to find my way back and all the little shortcuts and what not.... and it doesn't kill my bank account. Drove around for almost 2 hours yesterday just trying to get a feel for the layout here.... cost me less than $6...
More to come later. Will try to update with pics on "STORM"... oh look... it's snowing...

Not the North Dakota Way

According to A there was a campaign ad against someone named Heidi...
See it here: Ron Berg Ad
It made A laugh, it made me giggle but while I might even agree that they might have valid reasons not to like her, there are A LOT of things that happen in the rest of the country that those women would say is "not the North Dakota way".
I'm current at point of supreme frustration with my life.
Trying to get things together for wedding with Mares being totally preoccupied with her own wedding, that thus far hasn't even been approved by her church yet, and not being sure if I can even MAKE it to her wedding. Nevermind trying to force her via phone to get into a DB to get the size right on the dress so I can order it. That just Mares! His mother is being totally unreasonable (considering she's not having to do anything FOR this wedding) on a lot of issues about the wedding, especially the ones she is creating. It's hard for me to tell someone to back off when they are under the guise of "good intentions" and what they think their son "deserves" regardless of whether or not he even WANTS it.
Oh did I mentioned I picked probably the most chaotic time in my life to start my Mary Kay business, cause I did. Terrified and excited, all at the same time...
Don't read this as complaining, because I'm not. I am actually really excited about all the change that is happening in my life during in the next four months. Quick recap
Starting Mary Kay
Moving to North Dakota
Buying a brand spanking new house
Officially adopting Pebbles
Going to Las Vegas for New Years
Getting Married
Going to Hawaii to see a great friend get married and take slightly belated Honeymoon.

These are all huge! And will all happen in the next, well technically 5 months, but within the near future.
It's madness.
So yeah, not sure how to feel about North Dakota. I feel like a lot of my views line up with those of the natives, but based on the communications I've had with a few of them... they're not exactly happy to have intruders, needed  or otherwise. Just hope I don't have a bunch of women telling me my life isn't the North Dakota way... cause I come from California... I'll tell you to take your way and shove it.