That’s right!  The sun finally decided to grace us with its presence today!  While it’s still a little cool outside - there is hope for Spring!

Not a whole lot has been going on around here lately.  I’ve been keeping pretty busy with work.  Things have really picked up and I’m in full swing in my new position (started after the wedding).  I find myself getting frustrated with people on a daily basis now.  Mostly because people don’t do their job within the alloted time and then we have to scramble to make things right.  I guess we must be pretty good at scrambling to correct other people’s mistakes because I have a number of e-mails thanking us and telling us how great we are and this is why they love us.  They’re little affirmations that I keep when all has gone to pot and I need the motivation to make that 50th phone call to ensure that the previous 49 have been understood correctly.  Gotta love work.  They’re finally going to give me a commission on the work I’ve been doing (pays out quarterly) - so that’ll be something to look forward to cashing in on!

In other news - Kevin and I are taking a little mini-vacation to Vegas at the end of March.  We’ll be out there for about 3 days - just long enough to see a few things and get out before we have time to gamble our life savings away!  We’ve never been to Vegas before so it should prove to be a good time.

I’m still loving my Pontiac G6.  It’s the bestest car ever, I swear.  It’s been handling like a champ with all the snow we’ve had this winter, it’s a charm to drive on the highway, and it slips through traffic like nobody’s business.  It’s taken quite a bit of adjusting when parking though.  This is my first “mid-sized” car and parking it is a bit more tricky than my previous cars (which were all compacts).  I can no longer just whip into a spot and leave it just like that… I actually have to back out and adjust now.  How unfair!  Hah, just kidding.  That is seriously my only complaint - it’s big.  But that’s what I was looking for after the Versa tried to take a bite out of the Tahoe.

I’m seriously looking forward to better weather.  I’m so antsy to get outside… go to the vineyard… take a walk on the trail… ride my bike and use the new bike computer thingy that Lindsay got me for Christmas.

Spring will quickly lead to Summer and before you know it Sarah & George and Amy & Joel will be getting married!  I’m standing up in Sarah’s wedding - so the hunt is on for that perfect pair of black strappy sandals that won’t dice my feet to pieces in 20 minutes!

Now, back to my regularly scheduled Saturday business

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I’m sure you’ve probably heard by now the devastating news. And if you haven’t… here you go.

Almost two weeks ago now I was in a car accident. It involved snow, my tiny Nissan Versa, and a very large Chevy Tahoe. The actions consisted of me losing control of my car in the snow, my tiny Nissan Versa swerving into oncoming traffic, and connecting with the front end of a very large Chevy Tahoe. Ouch. The paramedics (and pretty much everybody I talk to) say that I’m extremely lucky to be able to walk away from what happened. My knees are bruised from running into the dash and my chest is sore from the seatbelt and the airbag. This is one time in my life that I can say my height finally paid off. Being so tall - I have to have my seat as far back as it can go in most cars - thus putting me as far away from the airbag as possible. When the airbag deployed, I was not hit in the face like most drivers are when they get in a wreck. I believe being so far away from the airbag saved me a lot of pain in the facial area. My face didn’t hit anything. My glasses were even still on my face! Two weeks later - my left knee still hurts a bit when I go up and down stairs and my sternum still hurts a bit (but it is getting better). After about a week and a half our insurance company decided to call the car a “total structural loss.” Just from looking at the car after the accident, I could have told you that.

Anyway, we jumped through the hoops and waited our turn and finally got the settlement check. I had been out to test drive a few cars in the mean time - just so I wouldn’t feel rushed when the time came to go buy something. I ended up deciding on the Pontiac G6. They had the best features for the dollar and the best experience at the dealership. They were very low pressure and all around nice. The car is just amazing. It has all the bells and whistles I was looking for (including remote start - what will now become a necessity to me)! I’m really anxious to get the car out on the highway this weekend and stretch its legs. One of my major complaints about the Versa was always how much it drifted around on the highway. The G6 is quite a bit heavier and should not have that experience!

Christmas is just around the corner. All my shopping is done and the gifts are under the tree! Now that the whole car fiasco is taken care of, I finally feel the holiday spirit! It’ll be nice to have a four day weekend. I’m really going to need a break from work with all the crazy projects we have going on right now!

I hope you all are well and I wish you a Merry Christmas!

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Hello Ladies and Gents! Mrs. Kevin Trueblood here!! It’s been quite some time since I gave you all a little post about what’s going on. Things got really busy right around wedding time. Not only was I planning the wedding and driving to the suburbs every weekend for about six months, I got switched to a new sales team at work. So, needless to say, things were pretty hectic around here for quite a while. I’d like to say things have gotten back to normal, but I don’t think they’re quite there yet. We’ve started to go back to Schooner’s on Friday nights (very nice), and we’re trying to get back into cooking a few times a week. We’d been so busy and out of town so much we didn’t hardly have time to buy groceries! Kevin and I have a goal for the month of October: don’t drive north-east. We’ve been that direction so many times in the last few months that we’re pretty sure our cars could drive themselves up there. Thus, we’d like to extend the invitation to everybody to come visit us! We’d love to have anybody and everybody down here to spend some time!

Ah, the wedding. Everything was great! The rehearsal dinner was beautiful. Kevin’s mom did a really nice job with the table decorations. The food was very very tasty as well! The day of the wedding started off a little choppy. The salon had been driving me crazy all week changing our appointments around… but once I showed up and communicated with them in person what was going to happen, it was all good! When we got back from the salon my dad had Subway sandwiches waiting for us (no onions or peppers so our breath wouldn’t smell), and they were very delicious! Getting dressed really took no time at all. We all got ready just in time for the photographer, Neil, to show up. He did such a great job. I HIGHLY recommend him! He just really made the day go a lot smoother… making sure we were where we needed to be at the right time… and to stop and look at certain things so we didn’t miss them. It was really nice. We had the majority of our pictures taken at the hotel (but I’m sure you already knew that because you were all watching us (how fun!)). The ceremony went by in a blink of an eye! Did you like my music choices? Bet you’ve never heard those songs before. In case you’re wondering… The bridesmaids walked into “Loquasto International Film Festival” by Mark Mothersbaugh, and I walked in to “Let me tell you about my boat,” also by Mark Mothersbaugh. Wondering where these crazy songs came from? Check out “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” soundtrack. Our recessional was a selection from Vivaldi (Concerto for Lute, 2 Violins & Bass, 3rd Movement - to be exact). The cocktail hour was pretty good - I guess? I was in the receiving line the whole time - but that’s alright! Neil was a most excellent photographer at that point - he brought me a drink! Way to go! The reception was so much fun! The food was to die for. Not to toot my own horn or anything - but oh my GOSH was it all so delicious! The cake was amazing - double devil’s food chocolate with Irish Creme mouse filling! So good. The DJ did an awesome job as well! Everybody in the suburbs knows to use Sounds Abound as it is… but Larry did an awesome job. We had a lot of “must play” songs picked out and he got them all in there, with a few extra party songs as well! Somehow the bride managed to fall down doing the electric slide… I guess I was just really into it!! All in all, the night was over way too fast. Before I knew it the lights were coming on and people were going home. After the reception, Kevin and I stopped in the hotel bar to have a few more drinks with some friends. I think we really just didn’t want the fun to be over so soon!

The honeymoon was a lot of fun. Note for future reference - Cabo San Lucas is HOT in the middle of September. So hot in fact, that we could hardly keep out of the pool. Luck for us there was a bar IN the pool so there wasn’t much reason to get out (except for the essentials). The resort was beautiful, the food was OK, and the view was amazing. We only went in to town once - to go to Cabo Wabo. I had the most delicious burrito I’ve ever had in my life! Other than that, there isn’t much to tell!

Now we’re back to Normal and trying to relax and get our lives back together. I’m really happy that the wedding business is all over. I had fun doing it… but it was so stressful and so time consuming. I’m just ready to relax and enjoy other people’s weddings now!

Here are some pictures for you! (Click on the thumbnail to be taken to the photo gallery)
 

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Hello!  I bet you all thought I dropped off the face of the earth!  No such luck. 

Kevin and I have been pretty busy lately getting things together for the big day.  Every other weekend is booked up with planning events and the like.  I’m so anxious to see everything come together.  Not to toot my own horn, but I think it’s going to be a great party!  We crossed the food tastings off the list the other weekend.  Oh my, it’s all so delicious!  I’m fairly positive that everybody will enjoy it - even the vegans!    It really struck me the other day how close we actually are to the wedding day!  Two and a half months away!  It makes me nervous - but so excited!  We’ll have the invitations sent out soon… once my calligrapher finishes addressing the envelopes (I love you, Mom)!  I think I’m mostly just excited to share all the planning that we’ve done with everybody.

Work has been going really well.  I’m pretty settled into my position.  Everything is still really great… people and work in general.  Some days are tough to get through… but the good days out-weigh the bad ones by far.

Kevin and I both have new bicycles.  We go on bike rides a few times a week.  I love my bike!  I’m a real dork about it.  My mom got me a bell for my birthday.  It’s the best thing ever!  Now, when I’m biking down the trail I just ring my bell and people get out of my way.  Nifty!

Kevin’s birthday is tomorrow, so in honor, we’re going on an “Uptown Normal” pub crawl this evening.  Lindsay will be coming in from DeKalb to celebrate with us… people from Kevin’s work will be coming out as well.  It should prove to be a great time! Kevin’s company launched a new radio station on Friday.  It’s a country station.  It’s going to take quite a bit of getting used to for me.  I’ve never really cared for it… I’m not sure that I ever will… but I’ll be supportive and listen when I have to, I guess.  He’s really hyped about this station.  Everybody is, really.  It’s been a long time coming and a big secret for a long time - so I’m glad that’s out!  I hope they do well, really.  It’s their turn to shine and be on top!

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Earlier this week as I was walking to the printer to pick up a job ticket at work a thought crossed my mind that I hadn’t had in quite some time:  “I’m happy.”  It seems that for the last few years there have been nothing but obstacles to overcome.  It’s not to say that I haven’t been happy at all over the past few years, but right now… everything is happy… and it feels great.  I’ve finally gotten to the place in my life that I’ve been trying so hard to get to for so many years… and now that I’m here, I couldn’t be happier.  Sorry for the cheezy intro here, but I’ve been meaning to say it for some time now.

On the wedding front…
Last weekend Kevin and I spent our Saturday up in the suburbs taking care of wedding business.  We met with the DJ, two pastors, and registered at Crate and Barrel (to finish up our registry business).  The DJ is going to be great.  He has an awesome sense of humor (he actually laughed at Kevin being corny) and he’s excited that I just want to have a huge party for the reception (awesome).  We met with two pastors, only one is really worth mentioning.  Pastor Don Niswonger from Grace Methodist in Naperville will be performing our wedding ceremony at the reception hall.  He’s such a nice man, and he’s genuinely interested in our lives.  After one of our previous experiences with a “man of the church” it was such a breath of fresh air to speak to somebody who is open-minded and willing to accept Kevin and I for who we are.
My mom met with my florist this week to get that aspect started.  She just brought my ideas to the table to let the florist know what I’m thinking so far.  It’s really nice to be able to cross some things off the never-ending list of things to do!    Thanks, Mom!

Kevin and I spent this morning cleaning up the apartment.  Windows wide open here finally!  It’s so nice that it’s getting to be Spring time!  I really like being able to let some fresh air in here after being shut in all Winter long!

Lindsay is coming to visit tonight!  I’m totally excited!  We’re going to be visiting with one of Kevin’s old co-workers who is moving away, and then we’ll be heading out to Daddio’s to see Mike and Joe.  It’s so awesome to go to bars now that they’re all non-smoking (for the most part, some of them have had exceptions made)!  At the end of the night you don’t end up smelling like nasty bar floor!  It’s so great!

Anyway, that’s all I have for now!  Time to take care of more cleaning business!

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Hello again, everybody! Everything is going pretty well lately. I’m really starting to get the hang of my new job (my training is finally over), and I love it! It’s really great to be able to finally be in the print industry. I’m glad that I’m not working in production, but that I’m still close enough that I get to go out to do press-checks and bindery-checks. So it’s nice to still be able to see those processes even though I don’t have hands-on with them (which I’m pretty happy about as well). As I’m sure I’ve said before, everybody that I work with is really nice. They all seem to be really good-hearted people.

Thursday night Kevin was making an appearance at a huge car sale in town so I decided to stop by after I got off work that night to take a look around. Lately I’ve been feeling that it was time to replace the Cavaliere with something a little nicer since I’ve started my career and the next phase of my life. We were browsing down the aisle and all of a sudden, there it was! The Nissan Versa! The car was introduced in the States last June as a hatchback, but it wasn’t until this year that the sedan was available. I spoke with a salesman and decided that I needed to take this car for a spin. I was very impressed from the second that I started driving it… plus all the features that the car offers are amazing! I decided that I’d need to think it over and budget my finances before I would get myself involved in a loan. That night I did some research and slept on it.

On Friday I decided that it was a go! After dinner on Friday, Kevin and I went back to the sale and started to talk numbers with the salesman. After about 4 hours of processing and paperwork, I was out the door! I’m now the proud owner of a Nissan Versa! It’s so much fun to drive, and it’s such a cute car! Some of the key electronic features that made me ga-ga for the car, you ask? Six disc in dash CD player, auxillary jack for my iPod, RDS on the radio, power windows, power locks, power moon roof, and the best part of all is the Key Fob. I never have to use a key to work with this car. I simply leave the fob in my purse and I can do everything! When the key is withing radius of the car you can press a button on the driver’s door handle to unlock the doors/trunk! There is also a button on the trunk to unlock the doors/trunk as well as a push button to open the trunk! As if thise wasn’t cool enough… it gets better! When the fob is inside the car all you have to do is turn the knob where you would normally insert a key and the car starts! It’s so amazing… so much convenience, it’s great! The car also has one of those new CVT transmissions, so you don’t feel the car shifting gears. It’s just one fluid motion, and all of a sudden you’re going 40! Anyway, I’m really pleased with the car, and I can’t wait to take everybody for a sping! Here’s a picture of the base model of the Versa. I can’t seem to find many pictures of the sedan on the internet, so this will have to do until I get some pictures of my own!

Last night was the Employee Appreciation Party. This party replaces the Holiday Party. They decided to do this and have it later in the year because more people are able to attend because it’s not around the busy holiday season. The party was Mardi Gras themed so there were beads to grovel for and jambalaya to eat. There were all kinds of games that you could play to win little keys for a treasure chest. The keys I wont didn’t open the chest, but Kevin won one key that worked. He ended up taking out a little thing called a “Cajun in your pocket.” It has 6 different buttons on it that say different sayings; pretty funny! We didn’t stay very late because after the prizes were gone and the raffle was finished we figured we should get going. Too soon to make a party-animal out of myself in front of the co-workers!

Wedding plans are going well.  We have an appointment with a Pastor this weekend that may be able to officiate our ceremony!  He sounds like a very nice guy, and he’s aware that we’re living together, and he’s okay with that!  I’ve learned we need to cross that bridge before we get started, so that’s one less thing to worry about!

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Work so far has been pretty interesting.  I’ve spent the last two and a half weeks observing different people around the building.  I guess I should mention that I haven’t really done anything at work for that same amount of time.  I’m really anxious to get in there and start working, but this six weeks of training is pretty intense.  I didn’t figure it would be so draining, as it’s simply a desk job, but sitting and watching people do their jobs can be pretty boring.  Almost every day has been a struggle to stay awake… but thanks to my overwhelming amount of left-over Starbucks coffee, I haven’t fallen asleep just yet.  From what I can tell so far, I’m really going to enjoy my job.  I’ll get to see the presswork every day, talk with customers, get things moving… it’s going to be great.  The sales representative that I’ll be working with is really nice.  She’s very involved with the St. Jude charity runs and things like that.  I finally got my desk on Monday (it’s right next to Nancy’s (my sales representative)).  It’ll be nice to sit right by her in case I have any questions.  Tomorrow starts my 7 days working on the production floor.  It’s going to be really interesting, and probably a little weird to be out there.  Fingers crossed that I don’t get run over by a forklift! He he he  In February they’re sending me up to the Chicago office for two days.  My first business trip!  How exciting!

Wedding plans are coming along.  Save the date cards have been sent out.  Lauren and I found bridesmaid dresses last weekend.  And I’m pretty sure that’s all I have for now!

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As of January 15th, I will be employed by Original Smith Printing of Bloomington, IL as a Sales Assistant.  It’s basically a customer service job, but I only work with one sales representative’s clients.  I can hardly wait to start this job!  It’s going to be so great!  I’ll be making twice as much as I am at Starbucks, so I’m really happy about that.  I don’t really have any more details at this point in time about the job… I’ll have to update once I actually start!

In other worlds… the wedding planning is coming along quite well.  I have a dress, a hall, and three bridesmaids!  Working on Save the Date cards this week… and of course, getting my address database complete!

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That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I’m officially engaged!

Friday night Kevin and I headed up to the Kishauwau on the Vermillion. Our cabin was absolutely adorable! It had everything we needed to be comfortable for the weekend; a tv with dvd/vhs, a comfy couch and recliner, a little kitchen with a table and chairs, a very comfy bed , a wood burning stove and a great whirlpool in the bathroom. That night we went into Utica to have dinner at a place called Canal Port. The food was “most delicious,” as Kevin would say. On our way back to the cabin we stopped at “Papa Murph’s” liquor store to pick up some beer. Because the outside of the building looked pretty shady, I opted to stay in the car and wait for Kevin. He reported that my suspicions were right; the place was pretty creepy inside. The rest of the night was spent enjoying a nice fire and a movie.

Saturday morning we got up pretty early and headed into town for some breakfast. We couldn’t find the restaurant we were looking for, so we ended up driving all the way to Peru to have breakfast and do some grocery shopping. We ate at a nice little diner called the Liberty Restaurant. The food was okay (of course everything pales in comparison to the meal we had at Canal Port). After breakfast we did our shopping at HyVee (my first experience), and I had a blast with the tiny shopping cart. We picked up some snacks and preperations for dinner that night. After dropping our groceries back at our cabin, we went back into Utica to check out a winery that we saw. We got a private tour of the winery and we got to speak one on one with the winemaker. It was really interesting to see everything that goes into making a bottle of wine (especially on a smaller scale like that). After the tour we went back to the shop where the wine is sold and purchased a few bottles of wine. My favorite was called HalloWine. It tastes like apple cider! There are a lot of spices and delicious tastes in this one. Next a short stop at a fudge shop to pick up some dessert, and then back to the cabin for the night. We borrowed a season of the tv show, House, and watched a few episodes while relaxing. Kevin decided that he was going to cook dinner, so I just sat back and enjoyed the down time, however, I was encharge of lighting all the little tea light candles we bought earlier in the day. Dinner consisted of marinated chicken breasts (garlic and butter, I believe we were told), with twice baked potatoes and brown rice; all of which was very delicious!

After dinner we opened a bottle of the HalloWine from the winery tour. As advised by the wine maker, we heated it up a little in the microwave, and oh my gosh was that great! It was so warming! A few minutes after we sat down on the couch, Kevin said that he had a Christmas present he’d like to give to me a bit early, if that was okay with me. Of course, I’m not one to object to presents! He brought a bag over to the couch and pulled out a tiny little box. At this point I’m thinking “oh my god oh my god oh my god!” I opened up the box and there was a key inside. So I immediately thought this key led to something special! He informed me that it is the key to the mailbox at our apartment (which he hadn’t given to me yet (I moved in July first)). So it was on to the next gift. He pulled out another tiny little box. At this point I’m thinking “oh my god oh my god oh my god!” I opened up the box and there was a little piece of paper in there with his last name on it. He explained that he finally put my name on the mailbox at the apartment and this was the old slip of paper that was in there displaying his name. At this point I’m starting to feel a little uncertain as to was was really going on. So it was on to the next gift. He pulled out yet another tiny little box. At this point I’m thinking “oh my god oh my god oh my god!” Only this time, Kevin gets down on one knee just as I open the box and says “Will you marry me?” I started crying immediately, of course, and didn’t give an answer because I was so overwhelmed. After much hugging and crying, I managed to get the ring on my finger and Kevin asked, “I take it that’s a yes?” I said, “yes” through more tears. I’m so extatic right now, I can’t even explain it! I’ve had a smile on since last night and it just won’t leave!

This morning we woke up pretty early and got to making some breakfast. Checkout time is at 11:00 so we had to pack up and head out shortly after we finished eating. We decided to stop by Starved Rock to take a look around. The trail was pretty slippery from the compacted snow, but we made it to the top unharmed. We borrowed a pair of binoculars from the visitor’s center so we could really get a good look at the top. It was a great thing that we had these with us because there was a bald eagle flying around that perched on an island not too far from where we were. I pulled out my camera and telephoto lens and snapped a few pictures of it. It was really cool to see and eagle out in its natural habitat. After a little while we journied back to the car and decided to go for lunch at the Starved Rock Lodge. They had a HUGE buffet spread set up for Sunday brunch. The food was absolutely amazing! They had breakfast and dinner/lunch selections to choose from.

Kevin and I have dubbed this as “The Best Weekend Ever!”

Click to see pictures from our weekend!

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Work has been crazy. I’m on the schedule to open four days in a row this week (of which I just finished my third). The weather can kiss my bum! As if it isn’t hard enough to wake up at 4 a.m. and go to work, the world decided to coat my car in, literally, a quarter inch of impenetrable ice. This made for a lovely morning. The only bonus to the nasty weather was that Statefarm, ISU, and Weslean were closed today. This, in turn, means that all high schools, middle schools, and grade schools were also closed, along with an unknown amount of other businesses. The reason this is a bonus? We had about 1/4 of the customers today. It was really nice to just kind of relax at work. The morning rush never came… the majority of the regulars made it in… but they were severely delayed for the most part. What a great day!

Earlier this week Kevin scheduled a massage for me with the woman that he goes to; Massage by Janet. I’ve never had a massage before… but let me tell you, this was awesome! Every minute of it felt so great! It was really nice to be able to go do that after such a long week. And, hey, maybe it’ll make getting out of bed tomorrow just a little bit easier!

Plans for this weekend include seeing Mike at Joe play at Daddio’s and a whole lot of catching up on sleep!

Next weekend Kevin and I are going to be heading out of town for a few days. We’re booked at Kishauwa on the Vermillion. This place apparently used to be an old Boy Scout camp. It has since been converted to a mini-resort type of place. There’s quite a bit to do in the area, and it’s supposed to be pretty scenic as well! I’m really looking forward to having a nice lazy weekend away from work! I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

For now, it’s off to make something delicious for dinner!

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