The Reno Routine

Life has been SO different since moving to NV.  I was used to waking up every morning between 6:00 and 8:00 (depending on if it was a gym day), heading to work and working until 5:00ish, spending time with Aron/family/friends, watching some reality TV, then hitting the hay. and repeat.  As much as I love having a break and being blessed enough to not feel stressed about finding a job... I'm getting a bit restless. 

Here is a typical day right now:

5:30 AM- Aron's alarm goes off (I immediately roll over and go back to sleep)
6:45 AM- Aron heads to work
7:00 AM- I wake up, make bed, have some one-on-one time w/God
7:45 AM- eat breakfast, turn on the Today Show, search online for jobs
8:00-8:30 AM- apply for jobs that match my background ( I should note here that we are living in NV, therefore, we are faced with living in the state that currently has the highest unemployment rate.  Needless to say, finding jobs that would suit me have been rather difficult.)  This is also the time that I occasionally Skype with Britt or mom. 
8:45 AM- put on workout clothes and head to the gym.  I then talk to my only friend, Tammie, our complex housekeeper in between breaths on the treadmill.  :)
10:00-11:00 AM- head back home, shower, get dressed and ready for the day
11:15 AM- plan/create fun things for Dani's shower!!! EEEE... soo excited for this event (being super vague in case she reads this)
12:00 PM- make a turkey sandwich, watch some shows from the DVR (HOW DID I LIVE W/O THIS FOR SO LONG!?), continue scanning ads on Craigslist and other Nevada-specific job sites and email to those that apply.  May I also mention how frustrating it is that MOST ads don't offer a company name, physical address or phone number??  I hate having to follow-up via assigned Craigslist email at the top.  bleh. 
2:00 PM- cabin fever sets in and I usually head to Wal Mart or other stores for which I have gift cards. I've been making some pretty fantastic dinners with our new kitchen gadgets and my new-found free time, therefore, I like to buy groceries every couple of days for fresh ingredients and to experience the goodnesses of "People of Wal Mart" for myself.  Never disappoints.

3:00 PM- phone calls from friends in the east begin since they're getting off work at this time.  I usually talk on the phone with friends or family for a couple of hours in the afternoon.  Thank goodness most of them are "in" the network with me.  ha.

5:00 PM- I begin cooking/experimenting with food for dinner.  Currently, I would be lost without the following:  salad spinner, rice cooker, crockpot, Henckels knives, and our Rachel Ray bubble and brown bakeware!

6:00 PM- Aron gets home from work and we eat the (most of the time) delicious meal! 

Tuesdays and Thursdays are our gym nights together and we're going to start heading to small groups on Monday nights.  We were invited to a women-only and men-only group by a married couple at the church we've been going to (Living Stones) and next week will be the first time we are able to check those out. Aron and I are pretty anxious to get involved and have the chance to spend time with people outside of Sunday church services.  Slowly, but surely, we're getting plugged in...but it's been an adventure to say the least.  I'm so not used to this little social interaction throughout the day and I've been really frustrated with how many doors have shut regarding volunteer and job opportunities.  I know that God has a plan, but I'm being challenged daily to keep that in mind.  The doors to school in the summer have now shut and it's looking the same for fall.  I will spare everyone the nitty gritty details on that revelation.  I pray that He reveals the plan soon because I'm not quite sure how much longer I can go with this "routine".  Aron has been the MOST amazing, supportive, loving husband through my rollercoaster of emotions over the last month and I am so proud of his success here.  He's such a rockstar at work and is doing a wonderful job of checking his work stress at the door when he gets home and concentrating on having a productive and fun evening here at home. 

Well, there you have it.  Some people have asked what I've been up to and I decided to share that with everyone.  I have had some good leads today for jobs and am trying to enjoy the time at home while I have it in the meantime. 

Fashion Friday (on a Tuesday)

I am not having a successful time trying to retrieve cell phone pictures that I took at the Social Security office last week, so, alas we are going to enjoy the "Maverick-ness" that some Reno-ites possess.

This guy has no worry of what is "cool" or "trendy", he's his own man.  His beard hair is actually so long that he is wrapping it up and AROUND his ears so as not to eat it with his enchilada.

You go, individualistic man, you go!

and it begins... FASHION FRIDAY!

I've had some requests to discuss fashion on my blog once I moved.  After a day of deliberation I decided to take on this challenge.  I will talk about new trends I'm into and/or trends I'm seeing in Reno.  Please be aware that most of the comments and pictures I use will be generalizations, but if something makes it on the blog it means I've seen it enough to talk about it.  just sayin'. 

Day 1: PAJAMA JEANS!

Aron and I haven't found a church "home" quite yet, but the church we checked out last Sunday provided my first "Fashion Friday" blog material.  The woman sitting directly in front of me was wearing... Pajama Jeans?  Don't get me wrong, I'm a SUCKER for TV ads, but I always kind of figured that Pajama Jeans weren't going to do well and I would stop seeing ads for them in between "The Price is Right" and "Maury".  I felt like the fashion industry was stretching their creativity w/jeggings, but this has gone too far.  Please settle with jeans OR sweats... not a combination of the two. 

2.  Farrah Fawcett...is that you???

I kid you not, EVERY store I step foot in I can spot 2 or 3 women who look like the iconic woman above.  Women are LOVING the UV rays, small-barrel curling irons and bleach in these here parts. 

That's all for now.  I'm off to attempt making meatballs for the first time.  Trying to be a domestic diva housewife until I figure out what I want to do with my life.  :)

"The only proof that he's been here (for 3 hours) is the broken glass in our fireplace!"

Overall, we are really enjoying our new place in Reno.  My mom drove out with me last Saturday and has been a HUGE help in unpacking (what seems like) thousands of boxes, making trash runs (we live on the 3rd floor of our building), cooking with our amazing new kitchen toys, and exploring the area with me (i.e. shopping for fun things with our wedding gift cards).  Our apartment is quite amazing and I am pretty sure that I smile each time I get to load/unload a DISHWASHER, clean our granite countertops or walk to the clubhouse for a free hot beverage. 

The retail employees are super friendly here and we've been pleasantly surprised by how customer-oriented most places have seemed to be...until today.

Today was the first time I've been really disappointed in Reno.  We were scheduled for an 8:00 AM appointment with Charter (cable/internet) and got a call at 8:30 saying that the technician was on his way.  He showed up at 8:45 and began installing our cable/internet.  Since I know NOTHING about this process, I assumed that him seeing him walk around our apartment, make random calls and climb the stairs outside to get to our electrical box (for about 2 hours) showed that he was working hard!  Not the case.  At about 10:45 I heard him on the phone telling someone that he "forgot his meter and isn't quite sure if this apartment has any signal for cable...at this rate I will be here all day, man." This was after he asked to borrow our barstool to reach the back of the TV and broke our cute new candle decorations for the mantle.  I hear this conversation and get quite furious.  I felt dooped!  My mom and I had plans to get out of the apartment and sightsee, but put this on hold once we realized it was going to be a quick process to watch some television and browse the 'net.  I text Aron the title of my blog and he heads home from work to see what the H is going on since Clowny McClownerson can't seem to tell me what's taking so long.  Aron gets home at 11:45 and inquires about the length of the process.  Sure enough, the tech. can't get a signal and hasn't called for help.  He's simply been calling around to see if anyone has a meter he can borrow since he left his at home!?  He tells Aron that "normally you can get through your day without a meter...but, gee, not today I guess?" (as he's hardy-har-har'ing)  After Aron inspects the box with him and discovers that every other person in our building magically has cable he politely asks the technician to leave and have us re-scheduled for Saturday. 

In the meantime, I decide to make a corporate complaint since 4 hours of our day was wasted without a single ounce of progress being made and the supervisor on the other line takes 30 minutes worth of notes and tells me that someone can be out as soon as next Tuesday.  After some stern disagreement about this arrangement (since it took us two weeks to get someone out here in the first place) he tells me that they can try to "squeeze us in" on Saturday, but there won't be any guarantees. 

I'm hoping that my next blog post will be made from within the confines of our apartment, instead of the lovely clubhouse I've been walking to daily.  Oh well, at least I have my free latte. 

the honeymoon post

The last time I blogged I wrote as a Reis.  I'm now a Riddle and am one day away from meeting my husband in Reno!  Today is probably the calm before the storm, thus, my quick blog post.

The professional pictures from the wedding aren't quite done so in the meantime I will update you on our honeymoon! 

We arrived in Antigua to 85 degree temperatures, humidity and lush vegetation ALL around us.  It takes quite a while to get there from the western half of the US but after escaping snow and single digit temps. we sure as heck didn't care.  We stayed at an all-inclusive resort through Sandals and it was honestly the best vacation of our lives.  Our room was a honeymoon suite that walked out to the beach, but we could also use one of the 5 on-site pools, 1 of which had a swim-up bar and pop music bumpin'.  We had a mini bar that was re-stocked each day and I about peed my pants when I saw 5 cans of Diet Coke!  Truly paradise.  There were 10 restaurants onsite (Hibachi-style, Italian, Fine Caribbean fare, British pub, Tex Mex, and more) and we never ate the same meal twice.  Also included was any drink you could think of from one of many bars or restaurants and I drank between 2-5 banana sipsops (fresh banana squeezed into a blender with coconut cream, rum, grenadine, and a splash of milk)/day before Thursday when I found it impossible to take another sip of anything containing alcohol. 

We were entertained with: salsa lessons, snorkeling, scuba, sea kayaking, sailing, ziplining, a couples massage, dancing, a talent show, local beach vendors, the sunshine, and... well, each other.  It's a honeymoon.  Get over it. 

Aron and I had an AMAZING week, but were ready to come home and get a 'move' on with life.  :)  In fact, the movers showed up 8 hours after we got back to Salt Lake.  Many more posts to come from Nevada.

Here are some pictures from the trip.  Enjoy!

four.days.

If I don't blog tonight I won't for about two weeks.  So, here goes...

Shanna arrived on Saturday and we had a night of bachelorette festivities.  It was wonderful!  Shanna, Britt, Dani, and Cat did a wonderful job making me feel special and planning a super fun evening. 

We finished welcome bags for the out of town guests staying at the Hyatt Place and are just about knee deep in tissue paper, boxes, decorative items, mason jars, and sparkles.  :)

This week has been mildly stressful as I'm trying to organize everything for not only the wedding, but also our move.  The moving company will be at Aron's the morning after we return from Antigua, therefore, everything that needs to be moved from my place has to be to his by this Sunday.  Thank GOD for Shanna.  I would have been lost without her this week.  We've taken numerous trips up to his place to unload my stuff and she's been such a trooper.  World's best Maid of Honor.  We took a mini break last night for some Thai food and "Bachelor" with mom, Deb, Andrea, and Garrett.  It was wonderful to laugh and not think about logistics for two hours. 

Today, we met with Britt for lunch at Cucina and I treated Shanna to high tea at the Grand America--sooo lovely.  I'm hoping to finish packing for Friday night, Saturday night and the honeymoon tonight.  I'm a goal-setter.  ha.  We'll see if I can accomplish them...

Aron will be here TOMORROW!!  I have missed him like crazy and know that my stress level will come down about 10 notches once he's here.  He's my calm and voice of reason most of the time.  I can't wait to be his wife, take a nice Caribbean vacation to escape this torturously cold weather and live with him in NV. 

Let's Begin Another Decade!

Happy New Year!! 

 This is what happens when I'm alone w/the camera waiting for fiance to arrive!

 To those who were with us on Friday:  my apologies.

Our holiday weekend consisted of friend time, wedding details, more friend time, details, friends, and mas details.  It was so wonderful to have Aron here one last time before the festivities begin!

We're 12 days shy of being wed and I couldn't be more excited right now. I just sent out the weekend timeline to family and out-of-town attendees and will be finishing up our "photo ops" for the photographer and family members tomorrow.  I've also been overcome with thankfulness for our friends who have volunteered their time for wedding coordination/set-up/clean-up next weekend.  So many people have offered their hands and creativity and we would be lost without them. 

Slowly, but surely, we're getting everything crossed off our massive to-do list. 

Shanna, my bff since 2nd grade and Maid of Honor, will be arriving in Salt Lake City on SATURDAY... 5 days from now!!  We always have a magnificent time together, but in the meantime I've put together a prediction of what my 2011 schedule will look like this year:

January- we get married and spend a week in Antigua before moving to Reno for good on the 28th.

February- we head to ID for an open house and make some pit stops in SLC to spend time with friends.  I find a job.

March- we head to LA to visit the Whites (and G MONEY...and ELLEN??)  We host some newlywed (ish) visitors in Reno.

April- trip back to SLC for Dani's shower and some quality friend time!  Weekend trips to Napa, Sacramento, San Fran, and Redwoods begin.

May- hiking and outdoor exploration of the greater Tahoe area.

June- FRIBERG WEDDING!!!  Salt Lake, here we come!

July- warm weather= more visitors... come see us!

August- We host a group of groupies for a long weekend!!!

September- it's my birthday...I want Vegas.  Maybe we can find some friends to meet up with us. 

October- At some point we will be heading to PA for the SIEMINSKI WEDDING... I'm predicting this month.  This is also Aron's birthday month.  hrm... dirty 30.  This is big.

November- Thanksgiving in Reno w/Riddles & Mama! 

December- OH for Christmas w/my dad's family for the first time!

This year is going to be amazing and we are open to as many visitors as humanly possible!  Perhaps we can delay in making friends if all of our friends from UT fill up our time?  :)

Perma-smile has set in...