I've got a confession to make

I think I watched 12 hours of TV yesterday. I watched HGTV like it was my job. I also watched "Criminal Minds" which was scary and "Psychic Kids" which was weird and I changed it quickly.

You may wonder where I found the time to watch so much television. Well, I am still unemployed. I was almost hired by a Pre school. I had the paperwork and everything...until California told me none of my college credits transferred into Child Development. I mean, the good news is I do qualify to teach K-8. I just have to contact the county I worked in and get some paperwork from them.

You know how hard it is to get motivated to do anything when your husband is at work and you have a big screen TV? I can't even shop to spend my time because I don't have any income to spend! All you full time workers not feeling too bad for me? I'll keep praying and eventually I will land a job. If not I'm going to have to go back to Ann Taylor Loft and may suffer a MAJOR relapse and become a shopaholic again!

Stay tuned for a review of the year. I'm currently brainstorming on how to make it not totally boring and/or narcissistic.

Love, Kaley

Squeaky Toy

I am sorry I have been absent for so long. Nick and I were gifted a "Flip" video camera for Christmas. We decided to see what Molly Weasley would do if we played sound bits of squeaky toys (for which she has a special place in her heart) on Nick's laptop.

Please excuse my sadistic amusement at this low brow prank played on our family pet.

Christmas! sans family

There are a couple of Christmas songs taunting me right now. I had never even paid attention to the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" for example:

"Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents under the tree.

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light beams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams"

I'd be lying if I told you that I didn't immediately tear up during such renderings of this classic yuletide tune. I will miss my fam during this holiday. Hopefully they will end out many beams of love light. However, Nick, Molly and I will make the most of our 74 degree Christmas. This will be our second Christmas married- but last year we had the stomach flu. Home is where your husband is.

Also, I've always dreamt of a white Christmas. Well, while it is warm and sunny here, MD was declared to be in a state of emergency because of two feet of snow. I. Am. Jealous!

In other news, I am not a dog person. I don't like them. I like cats. I've been watching Dogs 101 to try to harbor some more love for Molly. I know that I will not ever love Molly like I these crazy people love their dogs.

And I quote, "He is like my boyfriend and child all rolled into a package that can't talk back" There was also a harrowing story chronicling how a dog with dreadlock fur inspired a family to open a yarn shop. I'm pretty positive Molly will never inspire me to go eat bratwurst, but I've been wrong before.

Good Golly Miss Molly

Molly Weasley came from a labrador rescue. She was tagged as a chocolate lab mix. Our friend Nikki who worked at a veterinarian's office told us she thought Molly had some pointer in her. After looking up pictures of pointers and reading about their demeanor (shy, couch potatoes) we decided Molly has a major amount of German short haired pointer in her. See for yourself:

This is Molly:

This is a German short haired pointer. Not that anyone actually cares about this post.

In other news, I was watching House Hunters and decided to look up the town they were house hunting in. I found an article entitled "Three arrested in Manatee Burglary". Of course this piqued my interest. How could a person steal a manatee? Why would a person steal a manatee?! After much rereading I figured out the article was referring to Manatee County... not an actual manatee burglary. My bad!

Love, Kaley (and Molly who might be part pointer)

PS Nick is making hamburger subs tonight! Woot woot!

Watkins Family Christmas Hour

My dear, dear husband took me to Los Angeles to see the Watkins Family Christmas Hour. It was at the Largo theatre in Hollywood. You heard right- Hollywood, California. You would also be right in assuming that I played the theme song to "The Hills" (Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield) while driving into the city. I even SAW the Hollywood Hills. I still can't believe this East Coaster is seeing all of these unbelievable sights! Nick and I even drove by Paramount Pictures!

This is the only shot I could get of LA. It didn't occur to me to shoot a picture until we were driving home...

Back to the subject at hand- I got to see the Watkins. I kind of thought it would be all Christmas music, which it wasn't. It was merely sprinkled with the occasional Christmas tune. NOT that I mind by any means. The Largo theatre smelled of patchouli and had odd mannequin statues all about it. Nick, my awesome husband, scored second row seats. It was, for lack of a more musically informed phrase, the bomb. I'm just not sure what it would be like to be that talented. They had plenty of guests Jackson Browne included. Nick gave me the stink eye when I didn't know who that was, but then he played me his song on his iPhone. Apparently J.B. is kind of a big deal. Mom- you should be jealous. I think they play him on your radio station quite a lot.

Of course then we stayed after and I made creepy eye contact and begged for a picture. However, this being my third meeting with Sean, I was able to keep some semblance of a normal expression on my face. No seriously, check my face in the other photos below. Embarrassing!

And so, my life is complete. Maybe I will conquer unemployment by being their roadie or something.

Domestic goddess

While in San Diego I have been stretching my culinary wings. I have successfully made many dishes. Lasagna, Green bean casserole, fried chicken, tacos. I mean, I have had success. Last night I meant to make teriyaki chicken. I had marinated it overnight. Nick came home from a long, hard day at work to find me- burning his dinner. I don't know what happened. When I say burned- I mean like black and tasting of smoke.

So, the only alternative I had was to serve him quesadillas made only of mexican cheese. We've been married for a year, but really only a few months if you count the time we've actually lived together. I guess what I'm asking is- are these failures typical of an early marriage?!

I have many, many regrets- Mostly my hairstyles.

When I was younger, I was not attractive. In fact I would like to state that I was not put together until I graduated college. My Granny sent me several lost pictures from my childhood in her Christmas card to me.

Let's start with 5th grade.

What's with the bangs? No, I didn't just get my wisdom teeth out- my cheeks were just that chubby. Also, Mom, what is with those curtains?

Maybe it got better in High School you say. Nope! This is after my freshman year. I went to WVA with my grandparents. Cool pigtails right? Nope! Why didn't I know I was so dorky? The highlight of this outfit for me are my fake birkenstocks called "Bjordnals" or something. I actually think my Great Aunt Nita's shoes are more in style than mine!

Surely, you say, surely college must have been better. Well it wasn't. Tara and I both wore belly shirts though I assure you neither of us were aware of how ridiculously short our shirts were. At least Tara's long torso offered an excuse! I have no such thing! Also, my pants are from Weathervane. I used to wear that like it was my job.

Good thing Nick didn't meet me in Middle School- he would have the image of me (which I did not share) stuck in his head forever and could never have seen me the same!

Collateral Damage.

The story began on a rainy night in SoCal. My husband and I, feeling soft of heart, decided to let our puppy roam free about our room while we went out for dinner. Though she had a bad history, first impressions aren't always the best. No crate. No worries. Right?

WRONG!

Please note the baskets torn from the shelves. Personally I'm impressed she pulled half my clothes off the hangers. Bonus points because she didn't poop on the carpet or chew anything up. She settled with creating chaos.

(I stole this from their MySpace, but aren't we all going to copyright hell?)

Our date with The Watkins Family Christmas Hour grows closer and I am getting excited. Especially since I moved to California right before W.P.A played in naptown! The irony!

And finally, I spent four/five hours with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince tonight along with it's special features.

The result being that I am excited for the upcoming movie and THEME PARK (Meet you in Orlando Lp?). I appreciate the adaption slightly more, but am still disappointed at some choices they made.

It never rains in Southern California

I can say with gusto that this is not true today! I awoke to a peculiar wet substance hurling itself towards earth. True, it has been in the 70's for two weeks with varying degrees of cloud cover. Consequentially, there is a wet dog smell pervading my house. Molly being the culprit.

I would like to inform you that "Sunny" San Diego has an annual rainfall of 9 inches a year with 80% of that falling from December through March. Well, I know why I haven't seen rain before now! In contrast Annapolis has an annual rainfall of 40 inches and it's broken up pretty evenly throughout the year. That's right- I'm going to complain about MY rainy day when you get 30 more inches!

PS

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince comes out tomorrow! While I hated it in the theatre I'm hoping a second viewing will cause me to warm up to it.

Reality Check

Remember that job I told you about? That great substituting job at a Christian School? Well, I have officially made 50 dollars from that job in three weeks. Let's just say that I'm going to start looking for something else. I had to get fingerprinted for it too, which was 100 dollars, so technically I have made -50 bucks. I have an appointment with a job counseler through Fleet and Family Services. Hopefully she can either bring about a miraculous education job ( there are none) or just shed some light on this whole employment situation.

Also, my dear husband is on a six day duty schedule. Meaning he is gone every sixth day. Don't get me wrong, it's 100% better than seeing him once every couple of months, but it still stinks. Especially since I am unemployed and bored. You can only clean a 950 square foot townhouse so much. So Navy wife reality has hit me. Husband gone, life in upheaval... That sounds so depressing!

To ward off the depression I have decorated for Christmas! Check it out!

I hung garland and ornaments on our balcony. I refuse to be a scrooge!

Ornaments in a vase.

Nutcracker and poinsettia candle.

Basket of cinnamon pine cones by Molly's bed to keep the smell down.

Check out the string of lights on our sailboat!

We also went to Coronado to check out the Hotel Del Coronado all lit up! See, I'm not that depressed!

Christmas tree is barely visible in background

Hotel Del Coronado. Supposedly it is haunted! Too bad I don't believe in ghosts!

"I see dead people"

And last but not least- Molly hasn't pooped in the house in a day and a half. It's probably only a matter of time now.

Couch

Here is my couch! I love her. I will see how much discount I get tomorrow. It better be a lot. It's weird to have a couch. I can sit on it. I can lay on it. I can look at it.

Suffice it to say- it feels good!

They say it's your birthday!

So for my first b day away from home, besides college, we decided to go downtown to Little Italy. I know, how cosmopolitan is that?! I threw caution to the wind and did something I never do. I curled my hair AND wore heels. I mean, I'm in a new city. New city, new look! The food was the bomb. The waiter even put a candle in my tiramisu. Nick brought home MORE flowers! Oh, and even though he got me a bomb purse he may have been able to secure tickets to the Watkins Family Christmas Hour in L.A.!!!!! Ahhhhh! Sean, Sarah, and christmas music! I hope this works out and we do get the tickets.

All in all it was a good day. However, you may note that I still am as pale as a vampire, or maybe one of those people who were locked in dungeons and got leprosy. I will remain pale despite the sunshine.

Molly Weasley has a way weak stomach.

Flowers Nick bought me... because he's home!

Usually I post blogs about how much I miss Nick. Now that I'm in San Diego I don't miss him... But I miss everyone else!! I mean everyone. If you read this blog- I miss you! I'm thankful to have some friends here, but according to the old Girl Scout mantra:

"Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold"

So, new friends, I am thankful for you! Old friends, I miss you! Mom sent me this picture today of four generations of our family starting a new tradition at our house- an outside tree! I miss you guys!

Also, I made my Aunty M's cake, which she took from the pioneer woman blog, and I didn't food poison n-e-one! I think Nick is going to start making me cook.

She looks innocent...

And lastly an update on our puppy- Molly Weasley. She would be the perfect dog, except for the fact that she pulled a Houdini and got out of her crate. Then she knocked down the Thanksgiving leftovers eating all of the turkey and getting cranberry sauce into my carpet. Did I mention she has a sensitive tummy? Yeah, all the turkey caused her to coat the office with diarrhea. I mean everywhere. Like if someone had been murdered and the blood was everywhere. Like if a paint bomb went off. Futon, duvet, doorknob. You name it- dog poop on it. Needless to say Nick and I picked up a Bissell Little Green as soon as the Navy Exchange opened.

Feeling sorry for myself, I bought a decorative plate to put in my kitchen.

Oh, and it's my BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!!

Love, Kaley

And in case you were wondering... It was 72 and sunny today. Two days ago it... rained! And I thought it was a plague of locusts because that seemed more feasible than rain to me.