Walk a mile...

Soo...it's been a little while since my last post.  Here's a little update on what Ben and I have been up to the last couple weeks...

I mentioned before that my company was going to go on a harbor cruise in a yacht...but the yacht wasn't ready so the owners decided to hit the race tracks instead! They said "We're going to have a Del Mar day...we go to the Del Mar races and have some fun betting on the races and getting some food. It's really a good time. We'll get a bus or something to take us down." So I was thinking..ok that's cool...I won't bet cuz that's against my religion, I'll just go down for the ride. And I thought ok...a bus ride. That should be interesting...little did I know it was a LIMO bus! I walked in and almost peed my pants! It's like what you see in movies. It was so crazy cuz I walked on (I was the last one on) and everyone was sitting in there with their beers and the huge flat screen tv's on both sides of the bus, a pole (I think for strippers...I swear) and all the flashing neon lights. It was quite a sight to behold. I had been a little leery of going because I knew everyone would be drinking...but there was another LDS guy who went, and we sorta did our own thing.  The company ended up giving us all $150 dollars for the day! $50 was for food, and the hundred was for betting. Josh (the other LDS guy) and I reasoned that we would stash the fifty, and buy some food and some random bets with the hundred.  Whatever we didn't feel like betting, we took home to spend on our spouses. Some of you may find that a little dishonest...but we figured they gave us the money and we could use it how we wanted. So we made a couple bets (this we figured was ok because it was NOT our own money)...and it turned out to be fun! See the pictures I got...

The guy on the left is Dave, the partner who hired me, and on my right is "Izzy" our intern!

Left:Pete (he does equities) Center: Bob (C.E.O.) Right: Josh, my mormon buddy!

This is a fantastic shot of our stripper pole and flatscreen...and the apparent trend of older men in short shorts. Wow...

Far left: Fitz (NY accent, hilarious guy) Center: Our newest trader, Steve Right: Chris (the third partner of the company, and the one I work with the most)

Here's us Mormon betters! Josh told me to keep this off facebook...so blogger will just have to do!

Some boring shots of lame horses that I don't think even raced...

I wanted to get a shot of the BEAUTIFUL venue! This race track is a BIG deal. A lot of Hollywood stars have spent some time here...

Me being silly with my betting tickets. I think I won $3.80 from this race. 

My glory shot. Isn't it so cool?! This is a turf race, where the horses run on turf, and are literally just inches from where you're standing. Behind them are the stands we sat in for all the other races. 

Sort of a group shot...there were 17 of us total. Obviously we're not all in here. 

So don't worry...I'm not taking up a life of gambling. By the end of the trip I was ready to be home. The music in the bus was REALLY loud, and everyone was boozed up.  You can definitely tell when the Spirit isn't residing somewhere.  I missed my husband and my dogs...and just the quiet life I lead. I was only gone for 7 hours...and that was almost too long!  I DO work for a great company though...they always ask about Ben and his company, and how I'm doing and if I'm ok. They are very considerate and I feel important working there!

On another note...Ben and I sorta started a little tradition! Last weekend we walked from our apartment to South Coast Plaza with our dogs to give them some exercise (actually to wear them out so we could sleep in) and to get some ice cream! It was a nice walk, and we got some pictures...but they aren't very attractive of me..because I had spent NINE and a half hours at traffic school that day!!! The things I do to save money on insurance...it was HELL. And when Ben hugged me when I got home after hitting EVERY LIGHT... I lost it and bawled (hence the need for ice cream). ANYWAY...I'm not going to post those pictures. Long story short, we decided after that we were NEVER taking the dogs again. It was too hard to keep them from running into the street.  So this weekend we walked over again to return something to Best Buy, and buy me some more makeup! We ended up buying a few things (one of those cool pads you can hook into the computer and literally WRITE on...and it transfers to the screen!) and then as we were deciding which route to take home, I remembered that MAMA MIA was playing at a small theater across the street. So we walked the OTHER way to the theater (this made for a long walk...) and made it just as the lights were dimming! It was such a fun night and we got like 3.5 miles of exercise! We loved it so much we are considering selling BOTH of our cars and walking everywhere! hahaha...

On ANOTHER note...we almost threw our dogs into the ocean this past week.  lady was sick and Ben came home more than twice to find a nasty mess all over the cage, all over Figaro...and other things. But after eating some rice she is feeling MUCH better. TMI for you all maybe...but I just wanted to say that I DO love my dogs even though they are a PAIN! And it has taught me a lot about what parenting will be like...(I think)

Ok peace out!

Gluten-free!

So I know some of you know that Ben has Celiac, which means he's allergic to wheat...but for the rest of you...read on.  Being allergic to wheat is a really tough thing--it makes meal time much more complicated! Celiac disease is actually an allergy to gluten, which is in wheat, barley...stuff like that.  The safe foods are rice and tapioca derived things.  Ben was doing really good with his gluten free diet, and lost about 20 pounds in less than 6 months!  Celiac also makes you really tired when you eat wheat, and when you stay away from it, your energy level becomes a lot higher! About the time Ben and I got engaged, he stopped eating gluten free. With the vacation to New York, and all the traveling we were doing, it was just too hard. And it's really tough cuz as soon as you cheat once...you're in big trouble. You'll just wanna keep cheating! ANYWAY...after a horrid experience with the cabbage soup diet, we decided to start eating gluten free together! So for about a week now we have slowly been changing our diet, and we already feel a LOT better! Our appetites have really shrunk.  For dinner tonight all we ate was a half of a chicken breast, and a baked potato! And I'm STUFFED! The thing that really helps is that when you eat rice bread and rice products, the rice expands in your tummy making you feel more full! 

  I'm really excited cuz today I found a gluten-free blog that had a link for this amazing gluten free restaurant in Denver you can order from online! They have perfected gluten free all purpose flour, so now instead of buying tapioca flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, xanthum gum, and all that other stuff, I can just use this flour as a substitute!  I also bought some pizza crust mix, pancake and waffle mix (we love waffle Saturdays), graham cracker pie crusts, and some chocolate cake mix! It's WAY more expensive than regular ingredients that are full of gluten, but MUCH cheaper than you could buy at a grocery store.  

 

I want to encourage you all to look into a gluten free diet! Today on the phone I found out that the amount of gluten in flour used to be about 7%, but in the past 20 or so years, that has tripled! So recipes are different now to account for the amounts of gluten and stuff in flours.  I feel SO much healthier after even a week, my clothes fit looser, and I feel like I'm in control of my life!  Ben said that after a while the taste of regular bread will become nasty to me...I hope so! I'm just glad that with that all purpose gluten free flour, I can make onion rings and fun stuff like that!  If nothing else, this diet is teaching me how to cook! So I'll keep ya posted on all the fun recipes I learn how to make!  

If anyone has any questions or wants to know more about this fabulous way of life (not fad diet) let me know! I'm no pro yet, but I've learned a lot since I met Ben about how to eat gluten free!

Bond anyone?

So I was going to wait a little longer to blog about my amazing job, because I blogged about the last one and it seemed to be a jinx...cuz I ended up hating that job. But the thing that put me over the edge, is that I found out today, that in two weeks my office will be closing about an hour early (at one) and going on a harbor cruise! Yeah...someone owns a yacht that holds like 40 people so we are cruising the afternoon away, then going "bar hopping" (I'm sure that'll be fun for me and the other two LDS guys...haha) and then to dinner! So 2 weeks from now is my month point, and that's about when I quit the other job. I figure there's NO way things could go south in two weeks since there's such a fun excitement on the horizon! hahaha SO without further ado...ahem...my new job. 

I LOVE it more than any job I've EVER had. It's HARD and I'm learning TONS everyday. Their training method is this: "just give Kirsten a project, without much explanation and she'll figure it out...actually give her 10 projects, see how she multi tasks, and see what kind of product we get..." haha. It's WORKING though! I have become such a little smarty pants! I work with bonds mostly, it's not a stock market firm. These are BIG ticket items. Like everyday we trade 50 MILLION dollars worth of bonds. Some of our traders are making $45-90,000 PER MONTH. It's really cool to see numbers like that and to know basically everyone that works there is RICH. haha. Anyway...besides  my new infatuation with being wealthy...I really do love my job. I have CO-WORKERS now...the other job really didn't! We laugh so hard we cry but still do good work!!! I really thank heaven everyday that I landed such a wonderful job with such grand opportunity! :)

Catch up! Keep reading!!!

I feel REALLY behind because I have a lot of things to blog about and I have just slowly gotten sorta behind! It all started with Wesley's visit to California for a whole week! It was fun that he came a few days after my birthday, and we worked it out so that a couple other friends came that very same weekend!!!

Here's Wes just off the plane at the Orange County Airport!!!

I became the girl version of a plig! hahaha JK

We met Lauren and Jake at Red Robin for dinner...our third time that week eating there! haha

I finally got my picture in front of this horse...

And I was SO excited to see La La! It had been a couple months and I had missed my newlywed friend! :)

We played some cards...in which I ended up losing...and crying...a little. Look at how pretty Lauren's ring is!

Then my sweetest visitor ever came! Little Lincoln Rowley..I love him. I want to steal him away!

Here's the boys laughing at my bawl fest...

We finally got a group shot after like 3 tries. Wes didn't have a lover, so he held the bear. Sad...

Three of my very best friends! They have each been there for me in some of the hardest and most fun times of my life! I love you all!!

And YES I got ANOTHER birthday cake! woo hoo! Ben home made the frosting!!!!

My wish hasn't come true yet..but I'm working on it!

Here's Wes....we had a fun week with him. I got a little fierce...PMS and the fact that I'm a wimp and SUCK at losing...I threatened to cut him or gnaw off his arm a couple times. Sorry bout that Wes...but he ALWAYS won!

Here's Wes at Cheesecake Factory...he about DIED when the waitress asked if he wanted "Ranch AND BBQ sauce, OR BBQ Ranch sauce?" He replied "YOU HAVE RANCH BBQ SAUCE ALREADY MIXED?!?!?!" he got both combinations...haha

Next...our camping trip in Utah this past weekend over the 4th of July! It was a little rough...really dirty and our bed deflated within an hour that night.. ugh it was annoying!!!But our dogs LOVED IT!

Figaro enjoying the relaxation

Our tent is the one in the very back, the green one. We wanted to have a little segregation...haha

My mom's dog INKA..who is normally WHITE. It was SO dirty!

Ben and I riding the 4 wheeler. He almost ran into a tree..and then when I drove he threatened me, screaming his lungs out, grabbing the handle bars telling me "KIRSTEN! IF YOU DON'T STOP RIGHT NOW!!! KIRSTEN! I DON'T EVEN HAVE YOU ON MY LIFE INSURANCE YET!!! STOPPPP!!!!" hahaha it made my LIFE!

Here he is...thrilled that I am telling this story to everyone...haha I'm sorry baby.

Holding my Figaro Migaro...

Ben looks fab...I look drab...

Last but not least...ode to the animals who got to play all weekend in Utah! Our Figaro is REALLY smart and LOVES his big sister Lady! 

Lady loves to show me her concentration face...she's so cute that way!

Here's Inka...all white again!!!

And on the way home from California we decided to show Zzyzx her namesake...and she loved posing with her sign! :)

We've stayed REALLY busy and are excited for a much slower month of July! Love ya all!