Date Night!

We are on our way out to dinner, just thought I would document our date outfits. We both have on jeans  from the same company and plaid button up shirts.  When I saw that Bob had on the same outfit I tried to change, but he wouldn't let me, haha. Gotta love marriage- you become a little bit more like the other person every day! Hope I don't start growing a beard...

Well, so much for that

After having some issues with the high fruit diet, I think this marks the day we officially fell off the wagon.  The new pizza roll flavors clinched it for Bob, I think.

I would say something about moderation, but he bought six eight bags. 

Talk soon,

Emi

I did it!

Sorry for the pauses, I didn't think of what to say before I started filming.  I didn't mention everything just to keep it from being an hour long. Hope it was nice for our faraway family to see our new place!

Click Me!

Love,

Emi

Need a rain check

I've had a bad head ache since last night so I won't be doing a video today, but I have the day off on Sunday and Monday so one of those days I will post it up.  Here are some pictures if our dinner a few night ago to make up for it. It was my first attempt at potatoes fondant, and we had some sweet BBQ chicken meatballs with it and a simple salad. Then I made a sort of strawberry tart thing, using some almonds and cookies for the crust, sliced strawberries In the middle, and a topping of "whipped cream", which is actually whipped coconut cream with sugar and vanilla. After a few fails with the coconut, I found out I have to almost freeze the can of coconut milk to get the fatty cream to separate and thicken enough to use. It isn't as stable as traditional whipped cream and needs to be eaten cold, but it tastes fine and helps with dessert cravings. Unfortunately, my photography skills are still less than stellar. My Dad teaches photography in high school, but nothing has rubbed off on me as of yet.  Oh well.  

Have a good night!

Love, 

Emi

It's a baby!

Look what we found at the market today while perusing the "exotic" fruit section.  It's so cute I started squealing and made Bob take a picture.  Ignore how I look, we had just finished at the gym and I was in need of a long shower and a hair brush.  Dramatic pause for effect...

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                 Tadah!

It's a baby pineapple! If they had been less expensive ($6 a piece) we would have bought one (or a hundred), but that isn't in our budget at the moment.  So I sadly left them behind for another day.  We did get a lot of other fruits that I am excited to dig into. Our casaba is so ready to go it is sticky on the outside! We are still on our new diet, trying to eat as little dairy as possible and limit junk foods.  We had a relapse this weekend during a visit with friends, it's hard to kill old habits and so much celebration food is either full of cheese or cream or butter.  Plus Bob has an almost Pavlovian craving for frozen yogurt whenever we see this friend, it's pretty cute. But now that we are home we are back on the horse and feeling better for it.  

     I finally have the apartment almost the way we want it, so hopefully after a little tidying on Friday I will be able to put up a post to show how it looks.  I'd like to post a video but we will see if that's possible or not, I haven't tried before.  Hope everyone is having a good week!

Love, 

Emi

So so sorry!

     I haven't updated in months, I'm really sorry. Part of it was just being busy, but a lot of it was me being lazy.  Bob and I have both been working a lot, did I mention I got a new job?  I work at a popular toy store/ baby products store.  Usually I'm in the baby department, and it has been really fun so far.  TONS of cute babies to coo at every day, and I get to help people pick out gifts and set up baby registries all day.  

     Of course there is cashiering and cleaning, and I get the occasional grumpy Gus, but I have fun almost every day.  I even got a raise already! 35 whole cents...it sounds a little less impressive when I say the amount but it was nice anyways, my first raise at a "real" job ( I got raises as a babysitter/nanny but that was so much more personal and intimate, it's a different situation).    

     Unfortunately, as much as I like my job, I've just started working towards getting a new job.  I have the closing shift a few nights a week, and Bob and I are both getting tired of me getting off work after 10pm, especially because he rides his bike over to pick me up when I work nights.  And I feel really awkward trying to push people to sign up for credit cards. As a person  currently in debt, why would I want to help someone else get into debt themselves? Especially our less affluent customers, or those whose English isn't very good.  The whole idea makes me feel very guilty.  

     One other problem with working retail is the schedule.  It hasn't made too many problems for us, given our natural reclusive tendencies as a couple, but knowing when I work and don't work more than two weeks in advance would be great.  Bob works a regular Monday through Friday schedule, 8a.m. to 5pm. (often six p.m.though).  I could work from 9-5, 10-2, 5-10 or 2-10, any day of the week.  Again, not a big deal, but if  we could both have weekends off together, just to relax or go to Sacramento for more than eight hours, that would be very nice.  

     So, in response, Bob bought me some typing software so that I can learn correct form and pick up speed.  I'm hoping I can get a simple administrative assistant job sometime in the next few months, start making at least $10 an hour again, and get off work in time to make dinner again.  When I use the correct fingers for each letter, I type about 10 words per minute, which is both laughable and depressing, but with time I will get better.  My goal is to get up to at least 60 words per minute, but 100 words per minute would be awesome.  That's about my reading speed, I just need to get the muscle memory going  so my fingers catch up to my eyes. 

     We rejoined the gym, 24 hour fitness again, and as usual Bob is perfectly skinny again and I've lost MAYBE two pounds.  It's slow going, but feels good.  We are in the process of changing our diet as well, we've cut almost all dairy out, are lowering meat and severely limiting  processed foods.  Our budget doesn't quite match up, as fruits and veggies can be expensive, but luckily two of my favorite foods are very cheap, and whole grains! White rice and homemade popcorn help a lot.  I miss everybody tons, but we are doing well so I hope no one has been worrying about us.  Love, Emi

ps here's the Father's Day card I made for my Dad. He wasn't feeling well today so we didn't get to see him, but next weekend hopefully I will be able to give it to him in person.  I found the idea for the front on a blog, and thought it was a great fit because he read The Hobbit to me twice as child.  Thanks, Dad! (The inside reads: "You are not nearly short enough, and your feet are only half as hairy.  You don't even eat second breakfast! Alas, you make a very poor Hobbit indeed. Luckily for us you make up for that by being an awesome dad. Happy Father's Day! Love, Bob and Emily".)

Where we are

I suppose it's time, for those that I haven't been able to update over the phone or in person, to hear about where we are/what we are doing now. Bob began working at the new dealership this Monday. Just in case he signed some sort of non-disclosure/no social media agreement I won't put the name here. But it rhymes with oats flagon and dottie Ahem. Anyways, Bob really likes it at "Oats-flagon and Dottie", everyone has been very nice to him so far and, unlike the other dealership in Arizona (which will from now on be referred to as it-which-must-not-be-named), they are actually training him. By this I mean there is a real human being taking time to stay with Bob during the day and show him how things are done. Just fantastic. Not to mention he is getting the hours he was promised, is not fighting for a bay, and hasn't seen any of the illegal/unethical practices that he witnessed at it-which-must-not-be-named. I'm so happy that he is happy.
All of that said, the work is difficult, and the learning curve is steep so he feels like a giant noob all over again. I think it's cute.
As for me, I'm still trying to find a job. I'm sick of the job search, after all I JUST got done doing this back in Arizona. The good news is there are loads of jobs available in San Rafael; almost every street I go down has a "now hiring" sign somewhere on it. I got some great help with my résumé, and I even have a second interview tomorrow at a "soys tar bus". Wish me luck!
We are currently living in an extended stay in San Rafael, a few miles from Bob's dealership. It sounds about as exciting and fun as it is, but at least we have a place to sleep and we don't have to commute from Sacramento every day. One cool benefit from staying here is the mini-kitchen we have. It is set up like a basic hotel room, but then near the door we have a full-size refrigerator, a microwave, a small cooktop, a toaster, a coffee maker, and cabinets. While looking in those I found a pot and pan, three big plates, three small plates, three bowls, three mugs and three cups. There is also a drain rack, silverware, a cutting board and a spatula and spoon. I took pictures for your viewing pleasure. Now for those wondering why we would stay in a hotel for THREE WEEKS (help me!) instead of moving into an apartment I would like to say: we tried. We really did. But as it turns out, San Rafael is not only a place of great job opportunities, it is also a place of zero available apartments. At least anything within our timeframe and/or budget. We got lucky and found a studio about a mile and a half from Oats-flagon and Dottie for the bargain price of $1,100 a month, but it won't be available until the first week of March. Eggroll is staying with her grandparents until we can move in. I call them her grandparents because it drives my Dad nuts. Hehe.
Goodnight!