Before and After

I was checking out this sweet website Zachary told me about, when I saw a chance to get a free Schick Quattro razor. Being that I am cheap and love to get things for free, I headed right over to sign up.
I went in thinking that it would be cool to get a free razor. I now realize that the capabilities of this razor are truly amazing. (Please click for a full size picture.)

Toasters and chickens

Toasters: I got a message from Elizabeth's wedding planner reminding me (letting me know) that I am expected to give a toast at the reception. The likelihood of this had dawned on me last week as I was talking to another friend about his upcoming wedding, but I somehow managed to dismiss it.
I now have about a week and a half. I am accepting suggestions. :)

Chickens: Does anyone else think the big bucking chicken commercial for Burger King is hilarious? I laugh every time it comes on.

Last Week's Music:

"so quiet, another wasted night, the television kills the conversation"
Again I go Unnoticed - Dashboard Confessional


"your words fall to the floor and break like china cups"
Tea and Sympathy - Jars of Clay


"sometimes he thinks that he's on his way, but I can see...that his break lights are on"
Taylor - Jack Johnson

My new ride!

Well, I don't actually *have* it yet, but this is the 4Runner we're in the process of buying. It's coming from a dealership in New Jersey, and we have to deal with all the paperwork through the mail, so it may be several weeks before I'm actually driving it. We couldn't find any around here that were what we REALLY wanted.
It's a 2000 SR5. And to save Zachary from having to ask, yes it is 4 wheel drive, but no it's not a stick. I wanted an automatic since I'll be driving to and from work in rush hour traffic everyday. Easier for me! Anyway, I'll share more details when it actually gets here.

I realize that I leave for California in 15 days, but for some reason, it doesn't seem soon to me. I can't quite figure out the reason.
Last night, my bride's-matron dress arrived. I don't think that is actually a word, but apparently I cannot be a bride's maid since I am married. Anyway, it was too big and REALLY too long, so I took it to be tailored. It will be ready the Monday before the wedding. Now I just need to find some silver shoes to wear with it. Oh, and I need to send a present. Maybe I should go do that now.

One-Hundred

You are currently reading my 100th blog post. As you may have already noticed, in honor of this milestone, I've updated the look. You weren't supposed to see it until this post, but apparently I did something wrong. Oh well, close enough! :) I'll update my picture soon.
Per Kayla's suggestion, I've also added a Lyric of the day section.
And finally, I've composed a list of 100 things about myself. If you're one of those people who doesn't read long posts, you may leave now.

1. My name is Katie Ellyn which means "Pure Light"
2. I am 5 feet tall.
3. I love God.
4. I love my family and friends more than anything in this world.
5. I love my husband, and he is WAY too good to me!
6. I go running at least 3 times a week (unless I have shin splints).
7. I still own (and wear!) a pair of pants I bought when I was 15.
8. I recently stopped wearing a pair of shoes I bought when I was 16.
9. I love watermelon bubblicious.
10. I have a knack for remembering lyrics and movie lines.
11. I hate the way I look with short hair.
12. Vacations stress me out.
13. I went sky-diving when I was 16.
14. I've often been called "cheap"; I prefer to think of it as "thrifty"...
15. I only buy clothes if they're on sale!
16. I like to take tests.
17. I once bought hundreds of pens in an eBay auction so I could have the fat ones for work.
18. I disagree with people who say "Highschool is the best years of your life".
19. I'm the pickiest eater I know.
20. My favorite necklace is from Hawaii and only cost $1.
21. I don't know how to answer the question "where are you from?" so I usually say "I call California 'home'".
22. I wish I was better about not getting mad.
23. I can do 12 pull-ups.
24. I dread going grocery shopping.
25. I don't wear gold jewelry.
26. My favorite magazines are FitnessRx for Women and Reader's Digest.
27. I always watch the preview on a DVD before watching the actual film.
28. I love to eat apples with peanut butter.
29. Pink Lady apples are my favorite.
30. I get motion-sickness easily.
31. I love rollercoasters.
32. I believe Dramamine is not just for airplane trips, but also for riding roller-coasters!
33. I only like snow if it is under my skis on a mountain.
34. I like filling out forms.
35. My favorite video game ever is Mario Kart on Super Nintendo.
36. I'm very sarcastic.
37. The only bone I've ever broken is my toe.
38. I'd rather go to bed early and get up early than stay up late and sleep in.
39. I wish I was better about keeping in touch with the people I love.
40. People I barely (or don't even) know seem comfortable talking to me...about everything.
41. I'm usually happy to eat cereal for any meal.
42. I look awful with blonde hair.
43. I was home-schooled for 4 ½ years.
44. I was shy as a kid.
45. I was rebellious and a little wild as a teenager.
46. My running shoes cost more than any other shoes/clothes that I own.
47. I love clean surfaces (countertops, tables, desks, the dresser) and I don't like clutter.
48. I don't like coffee, though I used to work in a coffee shop.
49. I like to read.
50. I like to write.
51. My shoe size is 6 or 6 ½.
52. I don't drink soda.
53. I'm terrified of spiders.
54. I often burst out in song for no apparent reason.
55. I have a hard time sitting still without shaking my foot or fiddling with something.
56. My nickname is Bean.
57. I enjoy my job.
58. Even though I don't keep a journal, I like to buy cute journals and notebooks.
59. I wish my life had a soundtrack and I could hear music that fit the current situation/mood.
60. I've never had braces.
61. I try to eat healthy, but I think most vegetables are disgusting.
62. I don't know why it's spelled vegetables, but pronounced vegstabulls.
63. I like when I buy a new CD and the lyrics are inside the front booklet...
64. I read all of them.
65. People often tell me I look younger than I really am.
66. I don't like black socks.
67. I love camping...especially if it is in a campground with a restroom/shower building.
68. I wish my family lived closer to me.
69. My eyes change colors.
70. I brush my teeth at least 4 times a day.
71. Based solely on taste, I think tomatoes should be classified as vegetables, not fruit.
72. I'd much rather use a Mac than a PC.
73. I can change out a flat tire and put on a spare!
74. I can't juggle.
75. I like to wear pink.
76. I refuse to watch scary movies that seem even the slightest bit evil.
77. I love Seinfeld reruns.
78. I'm borderline obsessive-compulsive when it comes to keeping up with finances.
79. I hate the smell of public restroom soap.
80. My favorite author is John Grisham.
81. I've lived in 3 different countries and 6 different states.
82. My first car was a white Ford Escort.
83. I've been accused of being a control-freak.
84. I cut the neck out of most of my T-shirts. They're more comfortable that way.
85. My favorite pizza is Papa John's!
86. I love to collect cute boxes.
87. I've never been to DisneyLand or DisneyWorld.
88. I prefer blue pens to black ones.
89. I often flip a coin to help me make a decision.
90. I don't like halloween decorations.
91. I rarely leave the house without bringing along water to drink.
92. I don't really like animals. Except turtles.
93. I pay all of our bills online.
94. I *hate* being late.
95. I don't like things that are grape- or cherry-flavored.
96. I like to take walks.
97. I've had at least 5 flat tires (those are the ones I can remember).
98. I have a tendency to be very analytical.
99. I usually wake up a few minutes before the alarm is set to go off.
100. I like to make lists.

painting

If anyone hasn't checked out Eisel's blog, click here and check out the Toasted Coconut paint sample.
I'll wait.
Okay, now picture that color inside my garage! Whew, I thought I'd need to post pictures but that was easier than I expected. :)
Last weekend we painted our garage. Although our house is new, Centex doesn't actually finish the garages, so ours was still drywall and tape. After seeing some others on the street that were finished, we decided to do ours as well. It was a loooooong job. Took us pretty much the whole day on Saturday, and the ceiling was definitely the hardest part.
Anyway, we did take some pictures, but since we haven't gotten any type of shelves yet, it's not ready for the big "after" picture.
With the leftover paint, we've decided to tackle the small downstairs bathroom this weekend. I realized about half way through the taping process that we didn't take any "before" pictures. Oh well. Guess it's about time to get back to work.
Congrats to Kyle and Lyndsay and baby Isabella!

Letters...we get letters...we get lots and lots of letters...

In the mail today I got letters from three (3) different lawyers who want to go to court on my behalf to handle my traffic ticket.
The trouble is, I can't decide which one to go with. Any one of them can handle my ticket for a fee that is less than the fine!!
Oh wait, that's not the problem. The problem is that I already sent off my request for traffic school.
If only I'd known.

**Bonus points for the first person to correctly identify the song in the title.

One man's trash

...may look pretty tempting to another dude who happens to drive past it while it's sitting on the curb.
We cleaned out some of the garage last weekend. Hopefully we'll be painting it within the next few weeks. Some things we took to Good Will. Others were old, broken and kinda smelly, so we decided to throw them away. An old suitcase and a broken keyboard (the piano type, not the computer type) among other things.
Wednesday is trash day in Silver Oaks, so this morning we made our pile out by the street.
As I was getting ready for work, I noticed a burgundy Toyota Camry driving slowly down the street. It came to a stop right in front of the house. A dude got out and looked around suspiciously before picking up the suitcase, looking it over, and tossing it in the backseat. Then, he opened the top of the garbage can and pulled the keyboard out, adding it to the backseat collection.
He looked around one more time before slipping back into the car and driving away.

SAPD

We are headed south on 1604, cruising along with all the other vehicles on a leisurely Sunday morning. Coming up over the hill, I see a police car parked in the grass off the shoulder. Instinctively, traffic slows. There are 3 cars in front of me, but none behind. That is, until the cop pulls out and turns on his lights. I slow down and turn into a parking lot while asking J, "What's the speed limit? He's gonna ask me." We think it's 70. My license and insurance are in my hand by the time Mr. Police Officer gets to my window.
He isn't much for small talk.
"Hello."
"Do you know what the speed limit is?"
"70?"
"No, it's 55. You were going 70. Do you have your license and insurance?"
I hand it over and he starts to walk away from the car. As an afterthought, he spins back around and barks "Stay in the car."
Several minutes pass, and I am painfully aware that he is back there writing me a ticket without even giving me a chance to explain that I am a good person, just on my way home from church with my husband. Oh well, it probably wouldn't make a difference to him.
Suddenly, he is at the window again, telling me to sign by the X.
"You're not admitting guilt, just agreeing to appear in court on the 17th."
"I have to go to court?"
"You don't have to." He sneers. "It's up to you how you wanna handle it."
"Oh, uh, okay." I stutter as I sign by the X.
He tears off my copy and hands back my documents adding "Slow it down, Ms. Myers."
"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Apparently I don't get tickets often enough to know that just because I agree to go to court does NOT mean I have to actually go to court.
I think I will go to traffic school instead.

Remember WAMU?

They actually called me this afternoon. I was at work (obviously) so I got a voicemail:
"...I'm calling regarding the telephone banker position which you applied for at a recent job fair. We'd like to talk to you a little more about the position. Blah blah blah blah blah....."
RECENT?!
Needless to say, I am not interested. But I was decent enough to leave a "no-thanks-but-thank-you-for-the-call" reply voicemail.

It's hump day! :)

Do any of y'all actually *say* that? Other than mom? :) I've heard 3 of our trainers use that term since I started.
Anyway.
I think winter is over in San Antonio. Or at least gone for a good while. We've been getting highs in the 80s and I *LOVE* it! J and I have been taking walks around the "neighborhoods". (That's in quotes because they're still very much in the development stage.)
We went to Sunday School at OakHills Sunday. Before you laugh at my seemingly repetitive statement, let me say this: We will be going to a different Sunday School class at Oak Hills on Saturday. We had kind of a bad experience while trying to get involved in a Life Group from that class, it made for a hard Sunday afternoon. However, we aren't convinced that that means this isn't the church for us. The service was great, we got to hear Max Lucado preach and his message was one that we both really needed to hear. We've been in contact with another Life Group that we plan to attend next Tuesday evening.
That's it for now. I have to grab some food before I head back to work!
Happy Hump Day!