here's a question

Why were exit ramps on Interstates invented?

Seems easy enough - so you can get off the Interstate and start slowing down before your stop, that way you don't disrupt the flow of traffic going 75mph behind you.

NOT so you could slow down to 40mph ON the Interstate before even getting on the exit ramp in your dual-exhaust brand new Cadillac, you idiot in a car who probably shouldn't be driving at night.

growing up?

Is it finally happening? Can it be true? Am I finally growing up?

Well, no one can be sure of that, but we can be sure of this; the car is now in my name, and I have started getting quotes for car insurance on it. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be; who knows why I put it off as long as I did.

And then there's the student loans. It only took me four and a half months to do my student loan exit counseling and to call my loan provider, get the loans consolidated, and pick a time for them to start coming in. Five and a half years of college, four and a half months before I get around to figuring out how much I owe. Yeesh. It's a good thing they give you six months after graduation to start paying!

Next? A house? Puppies? Not sure what's going on next...but I've made it this far...

Wreck Me Russian

For this drink, you will need raspberries, raspberry liqueur, and vodka.

In a glass, take raspberries and muddle them up (crush them). Then pour enough raspberry liqueur over them to cover the top, then fill your glass with vodka.

Pour in a mixer, shake, and strain into your glass, which is now filled with ice.

Enjoy!

Wednesday

This last Wednesday, the 18th, Aaron came to Deadwood after I got off work and we spent the evening downtown, gambling, losing money, and seeing random people at random places. I lost a bunch of money, but it was a lot of fun anyway. Then we went over to the Old Style #10 Saloon and met up with a friend of Aaron's who he used to work with when Aaron worked in the kitchen, Bryce, and his girlfriend, Liz, who I work with (sort of; she's at the hotel, and I'm at the player's club, but we share a counter and office), did some gambling, had some drinks, and hung out for quite a few hours.

It was a lot of fun. With the weird schedules that Aaron and I have, we rarely have a whole day off together, and when we do, we usually don't do much with it, let alone hang out with any couples. Previously, hanging out with Aaron's friends, I usually feel like a third wheel because I'm usually the only girl. But this time was a lot of fun, having another girl to talk to while the boys talked. We definitely need to do that again.

The weather is finally warming up, and instead of snow, we've been getting rainstorms! Spring is finally here, I think! Which means I made it through yet another winter without having to buy snow tires. Sweet. But now I need to get just regular ol' new tires before these ones wear out. Thank goodness for tax returns!

crazy/random

Ever notice that feet smell like peroxide sometimes? I always thought that was weird.

This morning, driving home from work, we had rain, thunder, and lightning! I've been waiting months and months for that stuff, and here it is, finally! I hope this means no more snow! Or, if we DO get snow, that it's cold enough to kill all the buggies that are now hatching and invading the apartment.

I found a new freckle on my hand the other day, which was weird, because I haven't really been outside that much, and it hasn't really been that sunny until just recently, so I'm wondering where it came from. I'm genetically predisposed to freckle in the sun thanks to my mother's fair complexion and hint of reddish hair in the family, but I'm just not sure where this one started from. Oh well.

It's time for sleep now, and another 9 hour day at work tomorrow night. Whoo!

who knew this barrel of laughs would be a powder keg?

Let's see. Anything new and interesting? Not especially, I'm just bored, mostly. Mom came to Deadwood on Saturday to hang out with me and some people from her leadership group after she "drug me around town before dropping me off at work" as she said to her group. I won $10 at 3 Card Poker, which is impressive, since I wasn't entirely sure what to do at first, having only played once.

Today was a beautiful day and Aaron and I went to the City Park here in Spearfish and took a walk around the D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery and the park to see what all they had re-done since the last time we'd been there. It was so warm outside, and since it was a weekend, everyone was out with their puppies and babies and small children darting about into traffic.

Small children are weird, scary, and a little gross. No, change that; mostly gross. I watched a daddy give his little girl a drink of his Propel Fitness Water bottle today, and as she slurped and drooled all over it, I shuddered. Gross. That's all they do mostly, drool on stuff and get their little germies everywhere. Actually, parents give their children the germies by sharing foods and drinks and silverware with them, not the other way around. Apparently babies are sterile in that sense when they're born, and the parent gives them those germs. Gross.

And kids are just loud and stompy and demanding and drooly. If I wanted to hang out with people like that, I'd go to the bar and talk to the drunks. At least you don't have to change diapers that way. Usually.

Aaron and I are still trying to narrow down where we want to live when we grow up. We've got some states weeded out, but there's still plenty of places to choose from. We just need to print a map for each of us, then decide where we'd not want to live, compare, and find the states we BOTH wouldn't mind living in. It's a start. Except my printer is out of ink, and I don't want to buy a cartridge for $20-30 just for that. I could get a whole new (cheap) printer for that much money WITH an ink cartridge in it!

Well, I really didn't have much to say, I just realized that I hadn't posted in about a week and thought maybe I should while I was up and about. Auf Wiedersehen!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone. Although it doesn't feel like Easter to me because I have to work at the casino.

Aaron and I have been babysitting a pit bull for one of his friends' parents since Wednesday over at their house. Her name is Sam and she's about the happiest dog ever, and doesn't try to eat me when I come home late at night from work, so she's okay in my book. It's been a LONG few days because it seems like we don't spend enough time together, or in the apartment, or doing anything except going between the house and the apartment and work. Today is the last day we're looking out for her, and last night was the last night we spent there with the dog. And thank goodness, because the bed we were sleeping in was just about the most uncomfortable thing on the planet.

Things have been busier and busier at work, and I guess a lot of new things are going to start happening this month at the Player's Club desk, so that's going to be interesting. A lot more people are coming out and staying at the hotel and taking trips to the area, so we are keeping busy, which is a nice change from the doldrums of winter time.

Anyway, that's about it for now. I'm going to go lay down in my OWN comfy bed and relax before getting started for work.