Survey Savvy

So, I might be a stay at home mom full time, but I have found some side jobs.  My new thing is giving my mind over to science.  I love living in a BIG college town.  I also loved living in a SMALL college town.  Rexburg had its perks, but Norman has some too!  In a BIG college town, the school focuses on research and that means sometimes they need research participants.  In comes me.  A few weeks ago, my awesome friend told me about a memory study that she did that only took an hour and she got $20! UM..AWESOME!  So, I set up an appointment and swapped babysitting with another friend so she could do the study after me.  I stared at a computer and clicked the right mouse button every time I saw one picture and the left mouse button when I saw another.  It got boring after awhile.  (They did throw things in to change it up and make it more difficult, but yeah it was the easiest $20 I ever got.)  Then Will got an email from a psychology teacher in his building looking for students to participate in another memory study.  This one is INTENSE!  I don't get paid as much.  I get $8 an hour and I'm supposed to do 4 hours.  I'm usually only in there for 45 minutes for each session though, and they round up the time, so that is nice. The intense thing about this study is I wear a brain imaging net!  It looks similar to this. 

This study is collecting data and audio and visual response in the brain.  All I have to do is look at the computer and every time I see one image or hear one particular sound, I'm supposed to click the left button.  They can be together or by themselves.  The visual image is hard to see and they will have it displayed for only a second and the brightness changes too.  The volume for the sound also changes.  There is a separate but similar picture and sound that whenever I see or hear I'm supposed to click the other button. It's actually quite hard because the images are so similar and I only see them for a second.  Anyway, I have been doing this study in the morning before Will goes to school, so he stays home with Evelyn.  I have two more days left of this study.
Another awesome SURVEY I did was at the grocery store!  I just had to answer a few questions about a new meat product, and I got a $20 gift card to the store!
Next, a few months ago the State Fair was going on.  I went with my dear friend Amanda.  While we were walking around, we entered the Car Show area and found a Ford dealer telling us about a way to get $50 for just test driving a car.  So, naturally we signed up.  Later, Will and I went on  a date to test drive a car a few weeks ago. :)  We're so romantic.  Anyway, we get to the Ford dealership and we feel like dorks, because we're really not interested in buying a car right now.  We told the guy that we'd probably be looking for a bigger car in a couple years, but not anytime soon.  So, he's like, well let me just sign the paper for the $ then.  If you test drive a car now and get all excited about one, then when you want to buy it, it will be completely outdated, so basically it will be a waste of our time.  (It was also a waste of his time...but he didn't say that.) :)  So, we were only there for a couple of awkward minutes.  But instead of spending any money on our "date" we got paid!  We're awesome.  (Don't worry that wasn't all we did on our date.)

 At the fair.  They had a bubble mania thing.  It was FUN!

 There was also a petting zoo!  It was pretty cool.  They had a zebra and a kangaroo and a few other random animals I would have never expected too see.

Finally, last week was OU's Homecoming.  We decided to take Evelyn to the parade.  We started to walk around afterwards and ended up at the family fun zone they do for free every game.  We got some little free things, but nothing that exciting.  As we left the "fun zone" we walked by the fitness training center and saw a bunch of people walking in and out.  We thought we'd check it out, but noticed they all had wristbands on.  So we commented about it to each other and someone overheard us and gave us their extra wristbands.  Turns out there was about 20 different food vendors giving away food to Season Ticket Holders or donators or something.  (We're still not sure on who got the wristbands...)  But, we got LOTS of Yummy food!  It was amazing.  I was pretty happy about that. So, there you have our money making ways.  I love life.  It's grand. Enjoy some pictures of our crazy life.  

Evelyn meeting Boomer & Sooner, the OU Mascot!

Evelyn hanging out on the Sooner Schooner.  (Schooner is the name for a covered wagon.)

After the parade, we saw the band relaxing.  We thought she'd love the sousaphone.  She seriously did!  She was just hamming it up for the camera.  The Band members loved her.  Seriously she knows how to smile for the camera.  It's amazing!

The crazy crowd.  People are everywhere.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

P.S. This happened to be the game that OU lost.  SADDEST DAY EVER!  Yes, I'm a football fan now.  But, I still love my Sooners and they will still do some great things this year!  They may not be the greatest team in the nation, but they are pretty good.  Also, don't you think it's AWESOME that Oklahoma has 2 Teams in the top 10!  What other state can say that.  More Proof that  OKLAHOMA IS GRAND!