STOP!

Go check out my photo blog... and search for "Baseman Studios" on Facebook...

Some pretty sweet stuff going on...

.. and you're missing it all!

Hairy Mess..

If Joel and I had dark hair, our bathroom would be cleaned at least 5x a week...

gross.

Note to self:

Be thankful for a non-shedding husband (he never even sheds his blondies)... and be even more grateful we're both blonde!

Personality...

Since we're on the subject...



And after taking a detailed personality survey/study... I'm fully willing and ready to admit that I'm 50% the guy who says it's half empty, 20% the guy who says he ordered a cheeseburger, 20% the scatterbrained one, and the rest of my personality is that jolly woman proclaiming the glass is half full.

Arg, those people bother me. :)

It's morning, you're not supposed to be happy!!

Taste in art

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Balanced, Secure, and Realistic.

6 Impressionist, -4 Islamic, -8 Ukiyo-e, -23 Cubist, -8 Abstract and 0 Renaissance!

Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects. Impressionist paintings are balanced, use colored shadows, use pure color, broken brushstrokes, thick paint, and scenes from everyday life or nature.

People that like Impressionist paintings may not alway be what is deemed socially acceptable. They tend to move on their own path without always worrying that it may be offensive to others. They value friendships but because they also value honesty tend to have a few really good friends. They do not, however, like people that are rude and do not appreciate the ideas of others. They are secure enough in themselves that they can listen to the ideas of other people without it affecting their own final decisions. The world for them is not black and white but more in shades of grey and muted colors. They like things to be aestically pleasing, not stark and sharp. There are many ways to view things, and the impresssionist personality views the world from many different aspects. They enjoy life and try to keep a realistic viewpoint of things, but are not very open to new experiences. If they are content in their live they will be more than likely pleased to keep things just the way they are.

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy

Interesting... I'd say its a pretty valid judgement.

Haha!

I got hit on today... lol. :)

I was helping a customer in the drive through who was sitting in the back seat. One of his friends was sitting in the front passenger seat and all of a sudden I see him gesturing...

And he's making a telephone signal thing with his hand up to his ear, and pointing to me and then himself back and forth a bunch of times... all the while grinning and acting like a fool..

wow.

It made me giggle.

Also, today is my one year anniversary with Wells Fargo... and my 3rd to last day. :)


And we might get to keep the workers until Sunday afternoon! :)

Groceries..

Some grocery shopping data:
x For every minute spent in a grocery story, an average of $2 is spent.
x Grocery stores are really empty, and a lot can be accomplished at 7:30 in the morning.


Note to self:
x Never spend a considerable amount of time in a grocery store again for a while...
x Also, early grocery shopping gives a wonderful start to the day!


Please note: the random sampling of population at the local Hy-Vee consisted of one, but very important customer. This was a fair data sample, and no animals were harmed in this study.

Blegh.

I'm stressed already.

Money's hard to stretch, when it seems to already be at the breaking point...

And PP of I convention/competition starts a week from Saturday... and I'm still picking prints out, much less editing, printing samples, and getting the final product mounted, etc.

Whoooo... And I'm a primary shooter this Friday in the weddings class, which means I need to be prepared to create the poses that I missed last Friday due to the truck... mm.

And I had a migraine today... as did Joel.

But meeting was good. And the workers are coming Friday night (which is a little more to do.. okay a lot, because I haven't cleaned house in a while.. :D), but I'm really looking forward to that!

Mail

What, so the mail doesn't run on inauguration day or something? Hello...

Second day that my PP of I convention form (which is already late) has sat in the mailbox... waiting to go out in the mail.

Hmm...

Sunday...

So just in case you lost all hope and thought that I'd gotten stuck in a depressing rut of gloom...

I had a really good day today.. So awesome to have Joel back home!

We had a little meeting this morning... all of 6 people including us, but we still managed to take up 50 mins! Great meeting, though.

As we were driving out of the driveway, Joel thought it would be funny (and wanted to freak me out) to drive onto the snowmobile trail... And funny it was. I didn't want to climb out of the truck to get a picture, but sure enough, we were stuck good in the ditch. It took the help of our elder and a random stranger to get that thing outa there.... and soon enough we were on our way home. :)

I made some brownies after lunch for the kind people who helped me jump the truck this week.. (thanks again, guys) and played some piano.. which was relaxing and nice.

Gospel meeting was really great also... as was supper.

A good day. :)

And no school tomorrow, since its Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Yippee... still have work though.

Ahhh...

The truck started this morning.

And again after work.

*sigh*

Life is beautiful. If now I could just wake up on time, especially when Joel's not around to rouse me out of bed...

And I miss Joel.

A lot.

What. A. Day.

I had a superb day.. superbly bad.

It all started when I woke up to me dropping my phone down the front of the bed. And then I realized that it was light outside. And then I was frantically trying to dig my phone out and squint at the clock at the same time. 8:08. Ugh. I had set my alarm for 5:40 so I wouldn't be late to the first day of our Weddings class in the church. Well.

So I hopped in the shower/got ready. And realized that I still had to deal with le truck. Last night at midnight I decided to quick read the instruction manual for the jump starter that I had bought. Except I had bought a battery charger, not a jump start, so it had to be plugged into an outlet in order to charge the battery in the truck. And all the industrial extension cords were in the van, which was in Wisconsin with le husband, who also would have been helpful in this entire scene. ... So I couldn't even use it.

So after getting ready, I had a decent little despair-filled sob-fest with myself, and then Mom, and then Joel (sorry, you two)... and finally was saved by one of the friends and the jumper cables that Joel had so helpfully left in the truck for me.

Wow. Got to the church for this weddings class at around 9:30 and left the truck running because I didn't want to shut it off (like the night before at WalMart for an hour).

Yadda, yadda... so class gets out early at 10:30... and I'm just about to leave the parking lot when a girl from class says, 'Hey Mariah, can you come give me a jump?'

SURE! I'd love to. Actually, yeah, why not, because I totally feel for people in that position now. And it turned out that her battery was fine. Something else was not. Le vehicle would not stay running unless revved up. Hmm.

So in between offering her my vehicle to sit in and get warm, and running her to WalMart to get Heet (which didn't work), her making phone calls... we realize that she's going to have to have it towed back to her house. Which is all the way out by the college. So I take her home. And then go to work, since it is now 12:30. And the truck hadn't been shut off since it was started that morning. Joy.

(Btw, to be fair, she did buy me Subway for lunch quick... kudos to her for that!)

Wow. Work was fine... after I had a brief emotional moment where I wanted to go home, throw on sweats, and devour all the chocolate in the house. (Emotional eating, anyone?) I realized how much I'm going to miss my service manager. Must. be. strong. Anyway, didn't get out of there until nearly 7:00 (yes, the bank lobby closes at 5 and the drive-through at 6). And I'm all walking out to the truck with someone to give me a jump to get home... and dadgummit, wouldnjaknowit! Stupid thing starts. Maybe because it's above 0 degrees?

Whatever. So now I have to work tomorrow, but it's all good because the truck was probably just being temperamental (I mean, seriously, -25 degrees actual temp??) and hopefully not something seriously wrong like the starter/alternator/peeling surface on the dash/low headlight fluid/etc.

And I have my nice, industrial 100-ft long extension cord and battery charger all ready to go for tomorrow morning.

Let's hope I don't need it.

I already have to bake 2 batches of brownies for people and all their help in getting my truck going this week.

TNK!

Soooooo....

I really want to apologize to everyone that I've talked to (and those that have read my blog!) in the last month.... because I've been complaining and whining about my job. Endlessly. So sorry.

So when John and Marilyn, whom I lived with in the area before getting married, offered me a great opportunity at their health food store... I seriously considered it. And accepted. :)

I'm really going to miss my service manager (she's simply amazing!), my 401k (and company match starting in 2 days), 4 weeks paid vacation, and all the sweet free products that comes with working at a bank... but leaving Wells Fargo is such a relief to me. I put in my two weeks today, and plan to start at TNK the first week of February.

Here's some pictures that I took back when I did an assignment about colors in a business. They have a cute little store that's always bright and cheery. I'm really excited!

Cold!

Sooooo cold.

And the truck didn't start. Twice.

Joel thinks the alternator is going bad.

Or it could be that the 230,000 mile engine/tranny combo is getting tired and doesn't want to get up in the morning. Or afternoon. Or evening.


I think we're related.



Here's my darling hubby (not then, of course) a couple years back after going muddin' with the truck... cowboy hat and all! :)

Hah... Overwhelmed

I sense a lot of stress in my future. And I'm a touch overwhelmed and panicky-feeling about it already.

So my weddings class is going to give me some great experience, but it's going to be extremely difficult. As I mentioned before, it should be considered a 6-credit hour class since we spend six hours a week just in class. The four hour lab time on Fridays is done all on location in churches for now and outside later. The huge class is split up into 4 groups which will rotate in and out of two different scenes (the altar with lights, and window light). And then within that rotation, one person gets 20 min to get 3 poses, and the other people in the group have 5 min each to get 1 pose each. And starting in February, one person has to stay after and do an hour of independent shooting with an assistant... and turn in the photos unedited, uncropped, etc.

Make any sense? Don't blame you. It took nearly 2 hours for that whole concept to sink in with me. The worst part? We have to find our own models to be bride/groom every single Friday.

And since it was improbable that Joel would work here the rest of the week (as he hadn't yesterday or today), the idea came that maybe he should call up the fam in Wisconsin and see if they could use any help this week. Even though they're a bit slow, Mike said he'd take him... I'm so beyond grateful for them that it makes me emotional.

Yes, it does mean he'll be gone until Saturday.... but at least he's working, which not only is paying bills, but also keeping him occupied.

Dont worry about me, I have chocolate.

School

Only the first day back... but I'm soooo pumped to be back in class again!

I've got a decent schedule, with only my major class Monday and Wednesdays starting at 9:00.

Then on Tuesday and Thursday, I have three different classes: Advanced Electronic Imaging... which isn't really Photoshop; a "lecture" hour for my Weddings class; and then a Studio Promotions class, which is about marketing and the business end of things. However, the first one starts at 11:00... so that will be a refreshing change from 8:00 class every morning. I'll get so much done in the mornings! Or something.

Then on Friday I have a four hour "lab" period for the Weddings class... which is a four-credit hour class that meets for six hours a week...?? Hmm. Whatever.

I think possibly the most exciting thing about going back to class is the fact that I'm back to my usual 15-20 hours a week at work. :)

Seriously though. I'm super excited to be in my last semester of school!

King Benny!

So this is one of the friends up in MN that I randomly met though my cousin Shanna once upon a time. A little different generation, so nothing more than a simple "hi." Anyway.... he's an amazing songwriter/singer/guitarist. I happened across his website again the other day as I was looking at a random person's photo blog. She's really talented btw. So crazy.

BenjaminStockwell.com

I guess he's got a cd out now, which I would love to get my hands on. Very mellow, easy listening music.

Btw... did you realize that I just figured out how to do the whole link thing? :)

Mmmm...

Note to self:
All other things equal, when a college kid (or young married couple)'s cupboards/refrigerators are full, the bank account is empty and vice versa.

Ugh. So in-depth grocery shopping was a blast. But even though I stuck strictly to my list, I still overspent. I'm ready for Joel to work a little more so we get a little more than $25/paycheck, like this week.

Anyway, since he's off snowmobiling for the weekend and having fun, I'm going to blow off vacuuming and balancing the bank statements to read a book and enjoy a nice cold glass of chocolate milk, both of which I haven't done since high school.

Mmm.

Paperclips!

Wow...

So today was really slow at work. Really.

Between yesterday and today, I organized 3 drawers of paperclips. Does anyone else have a intense hatred against small paperclips?? Probably not. But they absolutely do not work for clipping money. So I threw them all away. And all the cruddy rubber bands mixed in there also.

Ahhh... now my anal, hyper-organized mind is at rest at work.

On my summer wish list...

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/onlineProductDisplay.vs?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=9H-235945&page=1&cgname=OSSWMOPSZZZ&rfnbr=158

The suit, obviously... but the body would be nice too... ;)

Work..

So my apologies to anyone that I've talked to in the last week or so. Or 2 weeks. Or the last month.

Work has really been a struggle for me lately, as some of the goals and requirements we have to meet are absolutely ridiculous. And I know I've been complaining about it. Sorry.

It's getting old real fast though, as they're upping the goals per quarter for this year (I made 10 out of the 50 required/80 incentive sales last quarter) by 10. I've been doing better since the 1st of the year and working on it more, but its hard for me to be the 'pushy salesman' type and speak to every customer that comes in about different/new products.

In addition, they're changing the hours and we're going to be opening up at 8:00 rather than 8:30, and closing at 5:30 which means I wont get home until 6:00 at night. True, I only work MWF afternoons, but still... I've been working full time these last two weeks since I've been off of school.

Anyway, sorry to be so negative. I keep telling myself that once we get back up to Wisconsin and Joel will have steady work, I can find a different job (hopefully in my field!!) that I actually enjoy.

Oh dear.

So the truck didn't start this morning... dead battery (so I thought.) After getting frustrated and emotional (hey, it happens when a certain auntie flo comes to visit), I gave up.

Hitched a ride to work with some friends and Joel comes to pick me up afterwards. When we get home, he hops in there and turns the key just to see.... and sure enough, it starts. Go figure. He was like 'Well, I turned off the interior lights....'

I'm a winner.

:)

What the duck?

http://www.whattheduck.net/
A funny photography cartoon. Love it.

Dear Crest Spinbrush,

I had once thought that you'd be of no help to me. Please forgive me.

I must admit that my feelings would have been hurt, had I been you; sitting all alone up there in the cupboard and watching Joel's spinbrush get used every single day while you sat there in lonesome silence. I appreciate your good sportsmanship, however, and am grateful for your efficiency and the lack of effort brushing my teeth now requires.

Please continue my tradition of no cavities, as my free dentist-office-toothbrushes have done in the past. I have faith in you.

Love,
Mariah

New Year's!

Broke, all alone, and having to work the day after New Year's Eve.. Such is the plight of a newly married couple.

Thankfully Lisa didn't leave for Wisconsin until in her own words "the buttcrack of dawn" on New Year's Day and eased us out of our misery. Delightful evening filled with Arrested Development, Phase 10, and homemade habanero salsa with freshly heated chips (which are quite warm to the touch, btw).



My huge suitcase of scrapbooking supplies... which Joel so helpfully carried in... and back out, unopened.


At promptly 12:30 am, we nearly fell off our chairs and decided to give into our old age tendencies by going home and falling fast asleep.

Cheers!

Dec 28th... and Robins...

Crazy, eh?
In Richard and Mary's backyard on Sunday...

Time for a little catch up...

It's been awhile...

To pick up where we left off, Joel arrived home just fine that night and the next day we picked up lunch and went to Ron and Jeanine's for the afternoon. Joel wanted Blair to work some magic on his computer before we all left Wisconsin and that was the last chance he'd get.


We played "Take Two" with Scrabble tiles and found other ways of amusing ourselves throughout the afternoon. I was pretty proud of this... even though "muze" isn't a word.






I thought it'd be fun to get a 'snapshot' of the fam.. minus Justin, of course. It's too bad he couldn't come up there over Christmas.