Renée Arrabbiata

Prayer...

2009-01-08T07:22:00.001-05:00

My Mother is going in for surgery this morning to repair her injured shoulder. If you have a moment please say a prayer for her, a successful surgery, and a speedy recovery. Thank you.

Blogging Hiatus

2009-01-05T09:54:00.002-05:00

We can't ever take a normal picture, because of my goofball hubby!

It would seem that I have taken a month and a half blogging hiatus... it was truly unintentional. The end of the semester always seems to catch me off guard, though truth be told I am a master procrastinator. December flew by in a whirl of work and studying. All of my exams went well, though I felt a little anxious before our final grades were posted. Summa Cum Laude this semester, my goal is to keep that up while I am here at UTK (although I may feel differently when I start graduate school).

John and I went "home" for Christmas, AKA Los Angeles. We hadn't been back for a year and a half and I was looking forward to the trip for months. We stayed with my parents in their guest room (which is a revamped version of my old room). It was nice to visit family and friends and see familiar places. I know this may seem silly, but I was super excited to see my parents' dogs! After spending a week in Cali we were ready to come home. It was wonderful to go back and visit, but it was strange also. It was the first time I was at my parents' house and felt like a guest. I suppose it is normal, I am married and have a home of my own. I suppose that makes it official, I am no longer a Californian but a Tennessean.

I have 2 more days till the new semester begins, and it is going to be a toughie. 19 units that are going to kick my behind! Fortunately I can make my own hours for work. Speaking of work... I better get back to it!

It's Been Awhile...

2008-11-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy, busy! But here is some fun news... my wedding photographer was voted the best in Los Angeles! Click HERE for the full story and HERE to go to her website.

A Busy Week

2008-11-14T17:29:00.000-05:00

After a very busy week I can finally relax, at least for tonight. The hubs and I are watching Star Trek and Seinfeld and relaxing with our kitties...
Click HERE to waste hours unknowingly.

Monday, Monday...

2008-11-10T07:13:00.000-05:00

Weekend update: we basically ended up not doing anything. We were going to go to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site as well as a Davey Crockett museum. Unfortunately the Davey Crockett museum is closed (it runs from May through October), so we decided not to go. We ended up cleaning and watching movies. Get Smart was super cute, I had no desire to see it but I ended up laughing the entire movie. We also got a new litter box, which may not be exciting for some. This litter box eliminates the need for scooping, it is called the Omega Paw Roll'n Clean Litter Box. I have cleaned it twice since purchasing it, and each time has taken approximately 30 seconds! I HATE scooping, so this litter box is a God send... here is a video:

All in all it was a pretty dull weekend. Oh well, 5 days till next weekend...

To Clean or Not to Clean (right now)?

2008-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

By Saturday morning my kitchen looks like a disaster, and today is no exception. I try to keep it picked up, but after school and work my motivation is often waning. So now I have a dilemma... Should the hubs and I go to Greeneville to see the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site or should I clean and do homework???
I think I already know the answer, I am after all a master procrastinator... Hopefully I will get some good pictures!

Counting down the days...

2008-11-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

Although the hubs and I live in the volunteer state, my family (and some of his) and our friends are in California. Two months after tying the knot we packed up everything we owned and drove to Knoxville. Don't get me wrong, I love sweet tea and apple butter but I have been a teensy weensy bit homesick. I miss family, friends, familiar places, and (this might sound silly) my parent's dogs. We are spending Christmas in Cali, and I could not be more thrilled. In fact I have been counting down the days, so I thought I would add a counter to my blog...

Created by Crazyprofile.com

God Bless America!

2008-11-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to ~~Senator~~ President Barack Obama, who will have the honor of leading our country for the next four years. This was an exciting election, but neither candidate was a true representative of my personal beliefs. I hope that President Obama will lead with courage, honor, and truth in his heart. Senator John McCain's speech in Arizona was full of wisdom, respect, and appeared to be genuine. Whether you are spending today celebrating or commiserating, my hope for the United States is that we will unite (whether you are white, black, Asian, Latino, democrat, republican etc.) in our hope for a better future.

Senator Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech

Senator McCain's Speech

PS - I love the couple hugging at 8:53...

Change is coming...

2008-11-04T20:32:00.000-05:00

I performed my civic duty and voted, either way tonight there will be a historic win. I am an extremely impatient person and I am anxious to find out who our president will be. Hopefully everyone took advantage of the abundance of free food given to voters (Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A). Until tomorrow...

What My Offspring Will Look Like According to VW

2008-11-01T20:15:00.000-04:00

Click HERE to make your own babies!

I can sense my husband's panic already...

No Caffeine makes Renée an Unhappy Girl

2008-10-30T16:32:00.000-04:00

My head is THROBBING! I would kill for a diet coke, or a coffee, or a tea. I have one more hour at work and then the instant I am home I will be having 2 Excedrin and some HeadOn (I swear it works).

Last night after a lovely dinner I was able to convince my sweet♥ to take me to see Fireproof, after all it was my birthday! While I enjoyed the movie and its message, I did feel that much of it was cliche. However, with that said, the cliches could be the major reason that so many can relate and take heart in the movie. Overall, it was a nicely made film.

If you have a moment, please say a prayer for my poor little head...

The 25th Anniversary of Being Expelled from My Mother's Uterus

2008-10-29T14:34:00.000-04:00

It’s official…

I have lived for a quarter of a century, and thus I am now able to officially rent a car. Due to time and financial restraints this is turning out to be a fairly low key birthday, which I do not mind. My hubby is taking me out to our favorite Italian restaurant for dinner, and I am hoping to convince him to take me to see Fireproof (but we shall see).

Birthdays have a way of making you reminisce, and right now my 21st birthday is on my mind. Four years ago I was in a different state, barely attending a college I disliked. My husband wore the title of boyfriend, and my parents did not know that we were seeing each other. I was selfish, immature, and just a disagreeable person all together. Here I am four years later and I barely recognize that person, and I am so thankful for that.

I am looking forward to celebrating with the hubs over wine and (hopefully) tiramisu!

Renée Arrabbiata?

2008-10-28T16:34:00.000-04:00

I have been toying with the idea of starting this blog for a few months, and now on the eve of my 25th birthday I am taking the plunge. I am familiar with the world of blogging, my husband and I have one that is dedicated to updating family and friends about our lives and I also have a blog that is related to my future career. However, this blog is different. This blog is just for me. My thoughts, musings, and rambling about life and/or whatever I find interesting at the moment.

So why Renée Arrabbiata? Names are important to me, they always have been. When I was very young I would spend hours agonizing over what to name my imaginary children. I have always been interested in the origin and meanings of names, and spent hours of my youth reading baby name books. I settled on Renée Arrabbiata for a few reasons.

The most obvious is that my first name is Renée. Renée is a French name, and it means reborn. While I consider myself a Christian I have not quite lived up to the name (born again), and I find myself on a spiritual quest. Each day I strive to improve my relationship with God, and to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. I spend time reading philosophical books arguing about the existence of God, immersed in the Bible, and praying. I am predominantly left brained and have spent my time searching for proof of God’s existence, but sometimes the search for proof can get in the way of the relationship.

I chose Arrabbiata for two reasons. First, Renée Arrabbiata is a play on one of my favorite Italian dishes penne arrabbiata. Arrabbiata is a spicy sauce consisting of garlic, tomatoes, basil, and a healthy dose of red chili. Second, Arrabbiata translates from Italian literally as angry. While I am not an angry person, I am a little hot tempered or spicy if you will. Thus, Renée Arrabbiata: Daily Life with a Little Spice was born.

Whether this blog will be merely a collection of my daily ponderings or a source of laughter and/or knowledge for others, only time will tell...