Doug's 30th Birthday Day 4

Today was the last day of our 4 day birthday weekend. We slept in just a little bit and then headed to Arlington to the National Cemetery. Once again, the weather was perfect so I wanted to make sure we were outside to enjoy it. After a day of rest yesterday, we were ready to stretch our legs again.

The cemetery was beautiful. Very somber, educational, and a big reality check. I just could not believe the rows and rows of graves. They stretched on for what seemed like forever. We opted for the bus/trolly tour since the grounds were so large. It hit the three main areas: The Kennedy's graves, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Arlington House. Along the way, the tour guide pointed out other notable gravestones and memorials. It would take a lot of energy and time to do the whole cemetery so we plan to go back to view other areas you have to get to on foot. We did get to see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and we got to see a funeral procession.








After we left we drove through Georgetown, Adam's Morgan, and Chevy Chase. We got to see the area, some embassies, and some really big houses.

Doug and I had a great long weekend and we are so sad it is over. I can't wait until he has another Sunday off so we can go out gallivanting again.

Doug's 30th Birthday Day 2 &3

Day 2 of the 4 day weekend was the official birth-day. We started off the day in Towson. It's a small college town north of Baltimore. It was a town we had not visited so we decided to drive around and see what was there. Since the weather was nasty we opted to drive around town instead of walk then headed inside the mall to do some shopping.
For lunch we went to a local wing chain right next to campus, Bill Bateman's. They have a great atmosphere and a huge menu but we thought Buffalo Wild Wings is much better. We would go back to hang out with friends, eat, and have a few drinks but not for the food alone.



After our trip to Towson, we went back to Doug's Mom & Dad's house for birthday cake.





That night we met friends in downtown Annapolis to bar hop. Yes, bar hop. It was my first trip to downtown Annapolis and I can't wait to go back. It was so much fun. They had tons of shops and restaurants and everything was very historic. It reminded me a lot of Charleston. I want to go back down during the day to really see the downtown area and the waterfront and learn about its history. I also want to go back on a nice, warm night so we can enjoy more of the nightlife. Pretty much all the restaurants turned into bars and stayed open until 2. You don't go out there to stay at one place. You must hop. There were just as many people walking from one place to the next as there were inside the restaurants/bars.

We went to 4 bars (Rams Head, O'Briens, Pussers, and Armadillos) and I took pictures at 2. It was a yucky, misty/rainy, cold night so I kept the camera tucked away. Plus some of the places were so dark I do not think the picture would have come out good. We had a great time and can't wait to do it again. Thanks again to everyone who came out and made Doug's 30th birthday unforgettable.






And day three... we napped... and recovered... :)

Doug's 30th Birthday Day 1

So this year Doug turns the big 3-0. He is not too happy about it but he is making the best of it. We both took today and Monday off so we could have a nice four day weekend. Our original plans were to take a trip to Augusta and celebrate with friends there but that did not work out. So we decided to stay close to home and go on some day trips.

Today we went to the 100th Anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C. We had both never seen the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom so we decided a quick trip down there would be perfect for this beautiful day. It was not so quick! Since it is forecasted to rain the rest of the weekend and the weather was just perfect today, everyone in and out of the country decided to do the same thing. I felt like I was at the UN with all the foreign languages I heard. And there were people EVERYWHERE! Parking was a nightmare and the city had no organization for all the traffic. I was seconds away from an unorganized induced panic attack. Ha! To get a place to park, I had to follow someone leaving to their spot and stand guard in front of it after they left until Doug brought the car around.

But it was well worth the almost panic attack...







We wanted to tour Arlington National Cemetery but it was too hot and we were tired from walking around at the Festival. We did drive by the Pentagon. I did not realize how close it is to D.C. It put 9/11 in a completely different perspective for me. I want to take a tour of the 9/11 memorial there.



For lunch we headed to the National Harbor. They have shopping, restaurants, and a marina since it is right on the water. We walked around some after our lunch at Cadillac Ranch. (Definitely going back there one night. They had three bars and a mechanical bull! Plus the food was yummy!)





For dinner Doug's parents took us out to G&M, Doug's favorite seafood (CRAB CAKE) restaurant. You may remember it from a previous post http://heatheranddougnunley.blogspot.com/2011/08/maryland-pictures.html




All in all, it was a great day 1! Hopefully the rain will be kind to us tomorrow for our night out. Stay tuned for more of Doug's BIG 3-0 Birthday weekend!

From Heather's Kitchen

So it has been awhile since I posted any new recipes. So to make up for it I have 3 1/2.
The half is the new Kraft Fresh Take.

Think of Shake and Bake but better! It's quick, easy, and so yummy.
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/kraftcheese/freshtake.aspx?cm_mmc=BrndSrch-_-Google-_-traffic-_-kraft+fresh+take_43700003189401338

All my recipes today are quick and easy. 5-10 min preps and less than an hour cook time.


Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

4 cups Shredded Chicken (I use one large can of chicken for me and Doug)
1/2 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Mayo
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
2-3 Stalks of celery (Depends on how much you like celery)
1 cup Shredded Cheese
Hamburger buns

1. Cook chicken, hot sauce, and water in skillet on medium heat until hot and not soupy.
2. Mix mayo, ranch dressing, chopped celery (finely), and shredded cheese.
3. Fill buns with buffalo chicken mixture and top with dressing mixture.


Beef Ravioli Lasagna Bake
(Makes a 6-8 portions depending on portion size)

1 Jar spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 pkg Frozen Cheese Ravioli
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg Shredded Italian Cheese
2 tsbp Parmesan Shredded Cheese (I put more cause I like Parmesan Cheese)

1. Heat oven to 400 F
2. Mix spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, and water; spoon 1 cup into large greased baking dish
3. Cook ground beef
4. Layer Frozen Ravioli, ground beef, and sauce mix. Put layer of Parmesan Cheese between the two layers. Leave enough sauce mix to completely cover top layer of ravioli and beef.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins
6. Uncover, top with Italian Cheese, and bake 10 mins or until cheese is fully melted.


Tater-Topped Casserole
(Makes 6-8 servings depending on portion size)

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion (optional) finely chopped
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1/4 cup milk
1 cup frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 package frozen tater tots

1. Heat oven to 375 F
2. Brown meat with onions; drain; spoon into large greased baking dish
3. Mix soup, milk, and cheese with beef; top with tater tots
4. Bake 45 mins until potatoes are golden brown and casserole is heated through

More than enough reason

Monday I started feeling a bit under the weather. My nose stared running, I started sneezing, and my head began to feel as if it was in a pressure cooker. I worked a normal day and headed home. It seemed the later it got in the day, the worse I felt. So Doug went to the store to get me some medicine (such a great hubby!). I slept fine thanks to the night time medicine but woke up feeling about the same. I went into work Tuesday a little late with plans of doing just a few things then leaving. When I was getting ready to head home, I went and told my boss I was leaving early for the day and why. She told me to go home, take care of myself, and get to feeling better. This morning I slept in a little and called my boss to let her know I would be in by 10. She asked me how I was feeling and when I told her not much better she replied, "Why don't you stay home?" I told her I had something I needed to do so I was coming in at least to get that done.

Now the point of this blog...

Everybody was surprised when I told them I was moving to Maryland and I do not think those (other than my co-workers) actually understood why. For 5 years it was just me. I had no back-up. It was me and one or two other people in my area (for the last year it was just two of us.) Sure there were TIMES when someone could step in and help but unfortunately this was not always the case. So that meant no call-ins, no sick days, no nothing! When I was sick and called in, I was met with guilt (for letting down my co-workers knowing what my absence meant for them) and displeasure (from my boss who had no one to fill in for me). Being out was out of the question. It was just not allowed. Even vacation days were threatened to be taken away if they needed you to work. It was come in early, stay late, but don't get overtime. Always be available and never be sick. "Oh, you just hurled your guts out in the bathroom. Sorry, you can't go home because we are already short staffed."
After I had enough, I decided to do whatever I had to in order to get out of that place. If that meant moving to MD, then I would go. If my boss's response to me coming in late and leaving early due to being sick is not enough reason for us to move, I do not know what is. I got a job with the only downside being it was in MD. After 6 months, the only downside is its too far from family, friends, and Monterey. I would have never received that response from my previous job. Since I left, things at my old job have gotten worse and more people are leaving/left. It really makes me appreciate my new job and realize how good I have it. It was a hard decision to make but I now have more than enough reasons to back it up.

6 months later

Can you believe it? It's been over 6 months since we moved. It still feels like yesterday to me. Truthfully, it does not feel like we moved. I feel like I am on vacation and any day now we will be heading back to GA to hang out with our great friends. I miss GA so much but I love our life up here. I love our apartment, I love our neighborhood, I love my job, I love we now have money and finally getting our debt paid down and our savings up (finally got a 401K), I love making new friends, even if we went to a new restaurant every day it would take us years to go to them all, and I love the MD/VA/PA area and all it has to offer for us to do. Things I do not love: we are too far from family and friends, we are too far from the beach (no not that beach, the REAL beach... in FL) and Charleston, visiting is expensive, no good Mexican place (we did find an amazing Chinese place so that is a plus), everyone is all about being in shape so that has motivated me to start working out again (like everyday using Comcast OnDemand (cause I am cheap like that) or walking on the great sidewalks and trails they have in the neighborhood), using my camera (I am trying not to be the crazy camera girl taking pictures every time we get together with friends. These things take time but I have warned them and that camera is coming out soon!) and most importantly... I miss weekends off with Doug. We get a Sunday every now and then but I miss having two full days with him. He is taking off 3 or 4 for his birthday and I could not be more excited. We already have plans for 2 of those days. I can't wait to dust of the camera and post some new pics. It the big 3-0 and I plan on making it a great one! Doug already bought his birthday present... a new TV for his game room. Is it strange that his game TV that is only used for him to play video games on is bigger than the TV in the living room... Just saying...
I can't complain about the winter weather because we were lucky to have a very mild one. Spring is in the air and I am loving the warm up. Me and Auburn have been going on walks trying to soak up as much sun as we can. I can't wait for the pool to open up. My pasty skin is dying for some vit-D.
On the Auburn front, she is doing much better. We go back this week to her vet for a check up. Crossing our fingers the food and antihistamines are working and no allergy tests are needed. We also hope her weight is down so we do not have to cut her food intake anymore. Poor starving puppy!