Welcome to the 21st century...

I finally caved in and got an iPod (well my parents did). I am trying to do more walking/jogging/working out in general and so I decided it was about time that I get an iPod to help pass the time. I asked for one for my birthday from my parents and today it finally arrived; my shiny, new silver 8GB iPod nano. It's so beautiful... and small. I don't know exactly what I was expecting size-wise, but most of my friends have the classic or touch iPod, so this is definitely smaller and cuter.
Now, I need to get some accessories! I need a case, armband for workouts, and a cord adapter to play out of my new car stereo. I was scoping out this sweet hand-made armband at Etsy by Ohmay. I don't know if this is the most practical (I still need to do a better cost/benefit analysis), but it is cute.

Electronics seems to be the theme in my life right now. I don't know if my family and friends are trying to tell me something or if it's just a coincidence, but I have been getting a lot of electronic gifts lately. In addition to the iPod, I received a fancy new CD player/radio for my car from Jon for Christmas and a wireless router for my birthday... it's so nice to have these little luxuries that I didn't have before. It makes life so much easier (I am using wireless internet right now because, that's right, no more cord for me and listening to my iPod!).

Well... I guess it is about time I joined the rest of the world and jumped on the iPod craze... who knows what necessity I will discover next!

Aging like milk, not wine

Tomorrow is my 23rd birthday!
I'm kind of scared about turning 23, not necessarily because of the number, but instead what that number brings. This is the first year that I am truly on my own and no longer a dependent upon my parents. This will be the first full year that I will have a full time job and be working in the "real world," no more fun & spoiled summer internships.
Right now at work, I definitely have the position of the "baby." Many of my co-workers tease me all the time and say that I'm not old enough for certain information or privileges at work... which is so much fun and I secretly love the attention. I guess I am most afraid of losing that "baby" status. It's not like anyone is coming in to replace me, but for some reason I just feel like I am going to lose that after tomorrow.
At the same time 23 brings so many fun and exciting opportunities, like this is the first full year that I am truly on my own and no longer a dependent upon my parents. I am an independent and can fully take care of myself, how good does that feel? Also, this will be the first full year that I will have a full time job and be working in the "real world," I love the responsibility and amazing opportunities that I have been given at work
I can't wait to see what tomorrow and this year brings!

House Hunting

I officially started the house hunting process a couple months ago. I have been constantly searching the web and even went to a couple open houses to see what I could get for my money and understand the realtor, emotional process. But atlas, I have decided that the actual purchasing of a home needs to be postponed for at least a year or two and I have signed another year lease for my current apartment. My current apartment is really working out well and I have finally got to the point where I can say that I really don't need anything else, which is allowing me to save a lot for when the time does come to purchase my first home.

I have been using several websites for research. Zillow.com is by far my favorite, which has provided a great source of information (although my parents tell me I can't completely trust it). Zillow uses Google Maps to plot houses for sale by owner and realtor, showing photos and a plethora of other useful information. In Missouri, it provides zestimates of the value of the home in 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years and compares those results to the estimated values of the zip code, city and state; I have found this tool extremely interesting. Probably one of the most convenient tools is the street map that shows the appraised value of the home compared to all of the homes in that neighborhood (even the homes not for sale)!  How amazing is that, it does all of the detailed research for you!

While my purchase of a home has been delayed at least a year yet, I will still continue my search for the perfect starter home. I am thinking The Legends area maybe the newest, up & coming location in the KC area....

Crustless Quiche with Veggies

Last summer I was on the South Beach diet, which worked really well for me... last summer. I think I was somewhat brainwashed about eating too many carbs, especially eating them in the morning. Although I can say that when I eat a good-portioned, low-carb breakfast I am less hungry when lunch time comes around.

Anyway... I like to make a breakfast quiche or casserole of sorts on Monday mornings to last me through the week, so I have something warm, tasty, and quick to eat in the rushed mornings. I usually make the quiche on Sunday night and put it in the oven before I get into the shower on Monday morning, by the time I am ready for breakfast it is cooked perfectly!

I finally came up with the following recipe low-carb recipe. I like to change up the protein, veggies and cheese from time to time, like turkey bacon, broccoli, peppers, & cheddar (listed below); turkey, asparagus & swiss; crab, mushroom & feta, etc. I have also listed the nutrition facts below, I am actually a little disappointed in them... the first time I had calculated the totals, it was much less in total fat & cholesterol, but still not too bad compared to the standard quiche or breakfast casserole.

CRUSTLESS QUICHE WITH VEGGIES

Ingredients:
2 eggs
6 egg whites
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/6 lb. turkey bacon, cooked & chopped
1/2 cup frozen broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup green peppers, chopped
1/4 cup low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Beat the eggs and egg whites, mix in all ingredients.
2. Spread into a shallow baking dish (about 7x11").
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Makes 6 servings.

All Itchy

For the past couple days I have been dealing with an ugly, itchy rash on my face. I started noticing a little swelling on my lips on Saturday night. Sunday my lips were full-blown swollen and the rash was starting to attack my eyes, so I called my uncle (who is a doctor) and had him check it out. We had narrowed it down to a virus (because I had been sick with a fever the previous week), stress, or some allergic reaction. I planned on going into work on Monday and stopping by the in-house clinic first thing in the a.m., but it didn't quite work out that way. At 5 a.m. I woke to a very unpleasant reflection of swollen lips and eyes and a very blotchy, red face in the mirror. Immediately at 8:00 a.m. I had secured a doctor's appointment for 9:15... hoping they could fix me all up and I would be back into work that afternoon...no such luck. My doctor gave me a good dose of steroids and other meds to keep me itch-free and set me up with a dermatology appointment for the next day to nail down the evil itch culprit. On a good note, I was able to get into the dentist Monday afternoon and I feel so much better and love having my teeth cleaned!

Tuesday I woke up with an even more swollen and red face, and had to sit through the pain and itch until my 10:15 dermatology appointment. My dermatologist was able to pin-point the cause of my nasty break-out, a new face wash with hazardous preservatives in it: Methylisothiazolinone (MI) & Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MC). I spent the rest of the day sleepy from the Benadryl and itch-free. Boy, did I learn my lesson about saving $.50 and buying generic, that mistake cost me over $150 in meds & doctors bills.

I was very impressed with my boss through this whole ordeal, he was extremely understanding and very willing to let me work from home on one of the company laptops. I had arranged to pick up a laptop this morning to work from home, but I was feeling and looking better last night and thought I could make it into work. Now the rash just looks like I have a wind or sun burn from skiing. Although my face was really itchy all day, it felt so good to get back to work and be worthwhile and productive instead of a bum. I will definitely be playing catch-up for the 3 sick days I have had in the past 2 weeks!