Matt and Alisha Go West

M'Brannen, you are going to be so disappointed

2008-11-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

But at least this proves that I read your blog EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

This picture was from when we sold my car last summer.

Goodbye expensive German parts. Hellooooo nerdy American sedan.

p.s.-Nan, if you are reading this, I tag you. If we are in the business of resurrecting blogs, I'm not going to be the only one! See the M'Brannen blog for details.

I'm only doing this

2008-05-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

so Christina Brannen will have something to read while she waits on her baby.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
Stressing about the AP US history exam. Wasn't worried about the class-my grade miraculously increased after my teacher backed into my mom's car.
Getting ready for prom (to which I wore a dress with feather trim. I kid you not.)
Hanging out with Lauren pretty much anytime I wasn't at school.
Driving around, because I could, and gas was like 87 cents/gallon that summer.
Listening to the Backstreet Boys.

5 Things on my To Do List:
laundry
filing bills and papers
hanging curtains
making dinner
put husband through seminary

5 Snacks I enjoy:
McDonald's yogurt parfait. The first week I discovered them, I ate three.
Dried apricots
Chips and guac/salsa
Black olives
Peanut butter

5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Shop at Central Market for groceries
Buy a building for our church
Build an underground speed train to Georgia
and Hawaii while I'm at it
Buy an old farmhouse and fill it with children and puppies (NO CATS!)

5 Bad Habits:
avoiding laundry
avoiding filing bills and papers
avoiding hanging curtains
avoiding making dinner (hello, frozen pizza. you look lovely.)
reading peoples' blogs instead of calling them

5 Places I've Lived:
Greenville TX
El Paso TX
Garland TX
Waxahachie TX
Alpharetta GA
Athens GA
Carrollton TX

5 Jobs I've Had:
Cheerleading coach
Toy store clerk
Sales rep
Receptionist
Exec. Assistant

Good Stuff

2008-03-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

1) My friend at work just got new carpet in her house, installed by (ta-da!) Empire Carpet. Although The Voice did not come to install the carpet himself, she said that she is very impressed with the result. I knew they wouldn't let us down.
2) This is the second day that I have worn sandals to work. Good-bye socks! Good-bye boots! Hellooooo toenail polish remover.
3) Spring green is the most hopeful and wonderful color of all. And I should know, because in 4th grade I tried to invent a new color from scratch.

A few things

2008-03-17T16:51:00.001-07:00

1) do not,under any circumstances, try Creme de Menthe Hershey's kisses. They are the epitome of perfection in taste and texture, and you just might spend the last ten minutes of your work day eating them. At least, like sunflower seeds in the shell, the time it takes to unwrap one slightly reduces the number you are able to eat. Slightly. And by "you," I mean me.
2) is there a more comforting voice than that of the Empire Carpet man? I just love those commercials, because they haven't changed since I saw them watching Bewitched re-runs the summer after second grade. At a mall kiosk this weekend, I saw an Empire Carpet man bobblehead doll. It was the first bobblehead doll I ever wanted to own (of course I didn't buy it though. It doesn't come with the voice).
3) I mistakenly discovered a restaurant where I can go and order fried dill pickle slices ANY. TIME. Thankfully it's 25 miles away but that may not be far enough. I have decided they must be like sushi, which, as people who like sushi tell me, consumes your thoughts and appetite after you discover you like it. I wanted more of those pickles from Saturday lunch until the unfortunate Hershey's incident this afternoon.
4) Time my neighbor thinks is most appropriate to listen to Brad Paisley CD: 4:13 a.m.
5) Matt is on Spring Break. We'll try and go somewhere fun or something so we'll have more interesting things to post here.
6) Thanks for stopping by.

What?

2008-03-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

I did make the caveat that I blog on the rarest of occasions. So my nearly yearlong absence was purely an effort to comply with previous statement.
Do you believe that? (This, of course, being a rhetorical question since the two people that used to check this blog have long since stopped).

Combo Condescension

2007-05-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

So I had to stop for gas on the way home yesterday, and called offering to pick up some snacks for a studying Matt. I bought several varieties of Combos at his request, and some Smartfood popcorn (hey, it can't hurt the grades, right?). On the way home I entertained myself by thinking about the seemingly ridiculous claim that Pepperoni Pizza Combos are "crunchy oven baked pizza crusts with a Zesty pepperoni & cheese flavored filling." I mean, powdered pepperoni?Grodiness.
Cut to my arrival at home today, where aforementioned Combos sit open in front of this very computer. I would not normally make such a culinary bungee jump into the abyss of artificial flavor. But I was really hungry. Really. So I ate a Pepperoni Pizza Combo and darn it if it wasn't completely delicious. Darn it.
So now I add Pepperoni Pizza Combos to my list of guilty pleasure foods. And by this I do not mean something that is only high in calories or expense. I'm talking about processed, cheap, (dare I say redneck?) foods that you will barely admit to liking. Also on my list: Banana Moon Pies (strange because I usually hate banana flavoring) and the occasional combo meal from Captain D's.
Anyone else feel like confessing?

Sidewalk Cafe?

2007-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

So yesterday morning I walked out of the apartment in the rain. There on the sidewalk I saw a lone, unwrapped slice of Swiss cheese. I had mixed emotions: one, I found it pretty hilarious that this one piece of cheese found it's way to my sidewalk and two, I felt pretty sad for the person who was going to bite into a cheeseless sandwich. Then again, Swiss cheese is really not too delicious anyway, so maybe it was on purpose or at least for the diner's good that is was discarded. Poor, sad piece-o-cheese.
My random sidewalk sighting reminded me of some story (help me out if you know the reference) of a person that collected single puzzle pieces that he found. I remember thinking that it would surely be a small collection as I had never seen a lost puzzle piece just sitting alone somewhere. (English majors and other obsessors will note use of the past participle "had" instead of "have"). Lo and behold, just last fall I was at the tire store at our local Sam's club when I spotted a single jigsaw piece right there on the floor in the shop. And then I had to rethink just about everything.
Just for fun-what's the strangest/funniest/still-blog-appropriate thing you've ever seen on a sidewalk?

This is a test...

2007-04-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to see if anyone is still paying attention, not that we've given you any reason to check back in. (Insert excuses for not having blogged here:_________). Anyway, maybe we'll give this another shot. Blogging sure beats unpacking and breaking down boxes for now. Of course, there has been a marked decrease in productivity since I discovered this http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094582/ is now showing EVERY WEEKNIGHT on one of our 11 channels. But if you promise to visit us at our new place I will stop watching long enough to at least get the house ready for your visit...

Just when you thought it was over...

2006-09-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

We're back! I'm sorry to tell you that not a whole lot has transpired (other than the normal) in the past few weeks. Today is just another Saturday (except that it's a three day weekend!). We didn't get going early enough today to make it to the Dallas branch of the Bulldog Nation football watching party, but maybe next week. It will be nice to be around some more dawg fans. Anyway, instead we are going to find an old movie to "rent" at the library and then join the horde of Saturday Wal-Mart shoppers to rustle up the ingredients for (I think) some chicken tortilla soup. Yum (I hope).
Otherwise, the beat goes on. Matt finished his take home final for Greek III and starts his first "real" semester next week (prayers appreciated). I am really liking my job so far and am still holding out hope that we will be able to find an affordable (read: dirt cheap but not too dirty) place closer to work to rent. Meanwhile, we are thankful for the ever-so-slight dip in gas prices this week.
Well, there you have it. All the news I can think of to post. Now if that doesn't make you want to come visit and get a sampling of the glamorous and heart-stopping lifestyle around here I don't know what would. The offer still stands: first visitors will receive an extra-special prize (TBD). Stay tuned...

Time Flies

2006-07-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

So, I can't believe how long it's been since we last posted. I must publicly apologize to one Christina Brannen for previously bugging her to update her blog (but then, she does lead a much more interesting life, what with the fires at school and the cookies). And worse, I don't even have a plan as to what I'm going to write about, but I feel like I need to at least make the effort. Here's what's going on in the 75044:
-Matt is almost finished with Greek II, which is proving to be more of a challenge than Greek I, especially since he's been working a little later (or earlier, depending on how you look at it).
-I am enjoying my new job at a large Dallas construction company. I am working in the front office and getting to do all the administrative things I love, with lots of nice people around. It's good.
-I am not enjoying the commute to my new job. I have eaten my words and swallowed my pride and become (gasp!) a commuter. I get up at 6 and leave at 7 to make sure I have a few extra minutes to make it to work by 8. I leave at 5 at get home around 6 and try to be asleep by 10. Therefore, I have very few hours to keep up with my correspondence, so please accept my apologies. The good news is that we hope to move closer to my job/Matt's school, which will lead to much more free time.
-We are really liking the church we posted about before, and it looks like we will move into a separate building sometime in September.
Well, that's pretty much the update for the every day. This weekend Matt has a take home exam for Greek II and Abbie and I might spend Saturday at Granny's. More edge-of-your-seat details to come...

A Quick Update

2006-07-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

I realized that it's been a little while since my last attempted post and even longer since we posted about any actual happenings. So I will make a quick rundown of all the glamorous and heart-stopping events that have been taking place.
1-Matt has been working nights at UPS. They offer great benefits even to part time workers, including *t*u*i*t*i*o*n* r*e*i*m*b*u*r*s*e*m*e*n*t* which we are more than a little excited about (can you tell?). He is coming up on his thirty days seniority and I think they are really appreciating him there since he goes the extra mile and does things like a) show up for work, even when the Mavs were in the finals, and b) actually work hard. He is such a great worker that he is the proud recipient of the Employee of the Week Award this week. You should probably call and congratulate him.
2-Matt is already finished with Greek I and enjoying a week off before Greek II. We haven't gotten the official grade back but he seems to have done pretty well in his very first seminary class! He has been preparing for the second session by sleeping a lot and watching hours of Mad About You reruns. Oh, and also studying some.
3-I am still in the hunt for gainful employment. My last interviews did not lead to an actual job, but I have a couple more possible interviews set up for this coming week. This has been frustrating at times, but we are trying to rest in the promise that God is not letting my job situation slip through his fingers. I worked this past week as a temp at an office interior design firm. It was really fun to look through all their fabrics, organize their samples, and sit in their cushy ergonomic chairs. It was not quite as fun to get eleventy-nine paper cuts from alphabetizing their big, heavy, binders, but I would do it all over again because of the most important benefit-a real, paper paycheck. I wonder what those look like these days...
4-In our free time we have enjoyed watching this summer's edition of "So You Think You Can Dance." If you are not watching this, you must start this Wednesday. I know you will like it-what other show can appeal to my sister, my husband, and my granny (who calls each week to talk about it!)? And Natalie, you must try out next year. The breakdancing lawyer niche really hasn't been saturated yet.
5-We think we have found a church. This, unlike the job situation, seems to have worked out much more quickly than we had hoped. We visited three churches and found one that is a brand new plant by a much larger PCA church in town. It has only been meeting for a couple of months (as a Sunday School class) and they are hoping to be worshipping on their own by Labor Day. It is a small, friendly community with teaching and doctrine that seem to be very similar to Redeemer. Hopefully we will be able to get together with the pastor in the next week or so to get the whole scoop.
6-Through church and Matt's school we have made a few new friends. We have hung out a couple of times with some young couples from church, and I went to a get-together for the wives of seminary students and met some really neat ladies. Of course it's not like having our old friends here, but it's a start. It's been really neat to meet people from totally different backgrounds but knowing that we have in common our brotherhood (or sisterhood) in Christ.

Well, if that was brief update I'd hate to put you through a whole one. We miss you Georgia people and hope you are doing well! More later...

Terrible Things I Have Learned...

2006-06-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

in the past day or so.
1-Paris Hilton wants to record a reggae album.
2-Anna Nicole Smith is pregnant.
3-Pushing the "back " button while you are previewing your really long, thought-out post will result in your work being erased. Which is why this is all I can stand to write at the moment. Will try again soon.

We are still...

2006-05-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

alive, though you wouldn't be able to tell from the activity (well, lack thereof) on this blog. In a quick review, we finally made it across the country after two days of travelling at roughly 57 miles an hour. We made our trip faster than on the Oregon Trail game (and, we didn't have to ford any rivers), but much slower than the thousands of vehicles that passed us doing 80 on I-20. But we got here just the same. For now, we are working on assimilating our stuff* into the parent's house. And going to interviews for jobs, which is good. Hopefully this weekend we will get the chance to finally catch a breath, watch Wednesday's LOST and Top Chef (no spoilers, please!), and find something to do that is blog-worthy. Thanks to the three of you that still check in on us-more later....
*this is not including the 1000 cubic feet of "stuff" that is crammed into our storage unit. To say we are getting our money's worth would be an understatement. I just know we are going to hear that thing exhale in relief when we move out.

What a weekend!

2006-05-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

We are still recovering from this busy (but FUN) weekend. Saturday night we enjoyed our last (boo!) chance to be spectators at the annual Twilight Criterium. In my opinion this might be the best event in Athens. When else are you going to go downtown, perch yourself precariously on a curb, and yell at strangers (who can't hear you) zooming by at 45 miles an hour? We had a great time and walked home hoarse, but happy. After church (and a nap) on Sunday we were treated to a going away party by our very dear friends. We had a blast hanging out at the park, throwing the frisbee, chatting, and of course, eating. They did a great job throwing the perfect party. Of course, the eternal irony of going away parties is that they make you realize even more how wonderful the place you are leaving actually is! Thanks again to everybody who helped organize the party or came to visit with us :)

I Stand Corrected...

2006-04-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those of you who are still faithfully checking in with our slow moving blog. Now, in breaking news we bring you developments from, well, two weeks ago. First, I must confess that I wrongfully slandered Uhaul. Their slogan is not "Adventures in Moving" but rather "America's Moving Adventure." Secondly, the trip went off without a hitch (pun intended). Due to my Dad's inability to relax, sit, and/or sleep when there is road to be covered, we decided to leave Wednesday night instead of Thursday morning. We made a pretty good haul and stopped at a brand new Holiday Inn Express in Tuscaloosa. We enjoyed a tasty (free) breakfast and hit the road, stopping for lunch in Rayville, LA for lunch (for us and the Tahoe). There we found a little spot by the name of Big John's Steak and Seafood. We pretty much had to eat there since my dad has been referred to as "Big John" in our circles for several years. This is one of those places where a person could spend an entire week's Weight Watchers points by walking in and inhaling too deeply. We enjoyed the hot lunch buffet, complete with a fried meat from every living animal. The clientele consisted mostly of dirty construction workers or retired "ladies who lunch." The manager was very friendly, and invited us back next time we're "passing through." We give Big John's four stars. The final photo from our trip was taken at exit 48, Pearl, Mississippi, where Christy, Lisa, and I once huddled in a hallway with a couple dozen ladies on their church retreat in a tornado watch. Good times. Well, stay tuned for more THRILLING adventures (if you can stand anymore excitement)...

Hang in there...

2006-04-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Don't give up on us just yet! I am still in the early stages of figuring this blog business out. I think I did manage to fix it so that you don't have to use a blogger account to leave us a comment. I am also working on posting some pictures from the trip, but I am a little nervous about allowing my camera to fraternize with what is surely a diseased library computer. Anyway, we appreciate your patience and would like to remind you of our money back guarantee* while you wait.
Thanks,
Management

*If blog reader is somehow dissatisfied with blog content or lack thereof, aforementioned reader is due back any funds they may have spent on the blog, with a USD limit of $0.03. This offer not valid in AK, HI, or GA. Please send SASE for refund return and allow six to eight weeks for delivery.

The "Adventure" Begins

2006-04-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Since we are getting ready to hit I-20 for the first of several times on our journey to Dallas, we thought this would be the right time to start our blog. We have rented a U-Haul trailer to pull behind my (Alisha's) Dad's Tahoe on Thursday. Now, I have noticed on more than one occasion that U-Haul likes to use the slogan "Adventures in Moving" and I find that a little unsettling. Here are the definitiones of adventure:
ad·ven·ture ( P ) Pronunciation Key (d-vnchr)n.
An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature.
An undertaking of a questionable nature, especially one involving intervention in another state's affairs.
An unusual or exciting experience: an adventure in dining.
Participation in hazardous or exciting experiences: the love of adventure.
A financial speculation or business venture.

"Adventure" does not sound as appealing as "easy moving" or "the joy in moving." "Adventure," I'm afraid, could easily be paraphrased "Mishaps in Moving" or "DidyoueverexpectTHATtogowrong? Moving." In fact, I am pretty sure that I do not want any of the above definitions involved in my moving experience. Maybe we should have rented a Penske truck instead...