Ashley's Weekly Highlights

• Tuesday morning: Oil change for the buick--it's running like a dream at 65K miles
• Tuesday evening: Went to bed at 7:30 with a 102 degree fever
• Wednesday: slept until 9am while Bryan cared for Katie; didn't turn on the computer ONCE
• Thursday: Attended half a district meeting while neighbor Amanda watched Katie; came home to a clean kitchen--thanks Amanda! Then the electricity went off; the 3 teenage Burks spent an hour at our house since they were locked out.
• Friday: Christmas dinner with office staff at Asiana (more sushi)
• Today: listening to Dave Ramsey while playing with Katie's ark

Our Little Climber

Katie's not quite a crawler yet--but she likes to slither!She's still in 6 month sleepers, but the 6-9 month sleepers give her extra wiggle room. Unfortunatley, the matching caps for her 6-9 month sleeps are a little out of her league.

Big Dog

Happy Valentine's Day Omi and Granddaddy!

Special Sushi Sunday Supper

The fried rice was yummy, too!

5 Ways to Get Your Resume Deleted from My Email Account

One of my job requirements is finding staff for agents in District 44. Needless to say, I've come across many resumes in the past few weeks. Here are some real-life examples of what NOT to do when sending a letter of inquiry or resume to a potential employer:

1. Don't Play the Pity Card: "I just lost my 4th job in three years due to the economy..." Um, four jobs? As a hiring personnel, I'm thinking there's more to blame than the bad economy.
2. Don't throw a bunch of buzz words together and call it an objective: "To secure a career in a company that promotes through advancement and education while exhibiting my experience"
3. If you're responding to a job post where the hiring company isn't listed, don't write: "I feel that I would be an asset to your company"
4. Don't misspell the job for which you're applying. Example: "I'm applying for your data enrty position"
5. And finally...don't send your email without re-reading it at least once: "Thank you for taking the bitchy time out of your busy schedule to review my resume. I would like to explore the possibility of joining your company in a capacity which will provide the opportunity to learn and grow professionally."

It's been a busy week! But here are new pictures of our Katie-girl

Stimulating the Local Economy on Valentine's Day

Yesterday we helped out a couple local small business owners. First, (once Bryan returned home from work), we went to the local gormet chocolate shop in downtown Waukesha, Allo! We bought an array of truffles that were so rich we could only nibble on them!

Next, we ordered a pizza from Papa Murphy's --a papa's favorite (discarding the mushrooms and adding pineapple). While we enjoyed our pizza, Katie did some pilates.

Dave Ramsey Pick-Up Lines

You look familiar ... didn't I deliver a pizza to you last week?

You're so hot you could melt my debt snowball!

When I saw you, my jaw dropped like the value of a new car.

You look so good, I could sell you on eBay!

For those of you who don't know Dave Ramsey...check out his financial concepts at www.daveramsey.com! Here, you can also listen to free archives of his radio broadcasts. (I like to listen to his show as I'm cleaning up the kitchen or playing with Katie.

HT Ruth

Happy Valentine's Day, Bryan!

I would have written "Love You," but I ran out of candy!

Learning Optometry

Hard at Play

Heading Out- Again!

Today, all 4 of us went on the walk!

Three Things That Make Ashley Smile in the Morning

These 3 mugs are made by Sonoma Home, and they are my favorite mugs for hot drinks! They definitely do their part in making my 8 O'Clock Coffee more enjoyable. I need one more in winter decor to make a set! So if you see one this summer at a rummage sale, please pick it up for me!

Drink of Choice

Consumer Reports shares its best cup of coffee...8 O'Clock Coffee! I'd also like to add that I buy this coffee for about $1/bag due to Pick N Save specials and double-coupon Wednesday. Also, the company that sells the coffee offers Accumu8 Rewards (similar to frequent flyer miles).

Little Feet

Good Girl!

Lost our jobs...

According to Nancy Pelosi, everyone in America including Katie lost their job during this recession. Take a peak at the wonderful House Speaker we have. Go here for the article.

Sweet Potato and Play

She had a great time eating and playing with Dad.

Afternoon Frolic

The temp rose to 40 degrees today, so Bryan, Shadow and Katie headed out. Mom read a chapter of the latest Nicolas Sparks book while enjoying a cup of cappichino.