The Busy World of Robin Scarey

Summer Planning

2009-03-24T10:15:00.002-05:00

My summer weekends are quickly filling up!
That's pretty much all I have to say about that so...that was a pointless post...except it let you all know that I'm still around!

I plan on doing a crap load of camping this year. I only got out to camp twice last year and that wasn't nearly enough.

Periodic Update

2009-02-04T12:54:00.001-06:00

It has been a while! Got a new job, YAY!
It is going well, Still in training. Learning lots - hating MED TERM!
I am always thinking that I have everything. Yuck!
Emma and Murphy are doing well
Amy is too
Excited for the upcoming Vegas trip in March!
YAY!

Today is the day

2008-12-31T12:16:00.003-06:00

Today is my last day at IBM...technically it's Friday but the site is closed tomorrow and Friday so...today is my last day on site.

This is certainly not bad news, I have taken a job at Mayo Clinic and am very excited for the future there. A bit more stability and better pay...can't complain!

It is kinda bittersweet to say goodbye to everyone but I'm ok with it...I have often said that they aren't my friends here. Some are on better terms than others but I have never divulged anything to anyone here other than some basic stuff. I am certainly "friendly" with them, but not friends. It's ok that way.

5.5 years of trying to get into Mayo has finally paid off!

It's a girl!

2008-11-26T09:00:00.002-06:00

The baby is here! Now here is the story...

Erika was having uncomfortable feelings all day yesterday and when I talked to her at 5:30 we decided that she would call my mom and get to the hospital...She went, they sent her home. Later on, 3:30am she went back to the hospital...they sent her home at 6:30am. She went home, took a bath, got up and went to the potty and had the baby at 8:40am. By herself in her bathroom :(
Everyone is ok, they got to the hospital in an ambulance and everyone is fine
I'm so disappointed that they let her go home. They said she was only 3 centimeters so I suppose they had no indication (EXCEPT LABOR PAINS ALL DAY AND IT WAS HER DUE DATE) that she was going to deliver.

No name has been chosen yet...

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

2008-11-24T08:43:00.002-06:00

In 1999 I worked for a small credit union. Just myself and another woman worked there and I only worked part time it was so small.
People would often call up and ask for money to be extracted from their account in a check form and prepare them for pick up. No big deal, that was my job and I did it with gusto. I loved my job. What I didn't like, and honestly never understood, was the people that would call for a check and then proceed to tell me what they needed their money for. Even worse was the people that called for a check, tell me what they needed it for and were lying about it. For instance:

**Exaggeration**

"Good Morning, Credit Union"
"Yes, I need to have $350.00 made out from account number 157 payable to me"
"Okay sure - when will you be in to pick it up"
"Hmm I'm not sure, you see I need the money because last night a tree fell through my attic window and ice is penetrating my entire third floor" (It's June)
"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, I will have your check ready for when you come in"
"Yea, I need to get the money to the contractor today so they can fix it up!"
"Oh that's rough"
"OK see you later"

or

"Good Morning, Credit Union"
"Hi I need to have all my money, I have to go to the dentist"

Seriously man, I don't care what you need your money for. My job is to give you your money whenever you need or want it.

Likewise, when we would process loans they did the same thing.

"I need a loan application"
"For what type of loan?"
"Car please"
"Here you go"
"My car got wrecked last week so I need a new one"

Again, I don't care.

Another thing that gets to me is when, for instance, I'm running late with a particular friend she says:

"We can just say that we were traveling up 52 and there was an accident and we got caught behind the car that did it and it backed us up"
and I say...
"Why don't we just say "Hey - sorry we are late, we got a late start"?"

or

"Just tell her you are allergic to it"
and I say..
"Why don't I just say "You know, I'm not to fond of fish, can we try something else?"

No need for elaborate stories.

Because I won't say "IN YOUR FACE"

2008-11-05T09:43:00.003-06:00

But I will post his acceptance speech - it moved me in so many deep and powerful ways...

Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.

Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.

To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Weepies and Palin and Trick or Treating and Forums and Dirtbags and Weddings and Babies and Birthdays and Naps

2008-10-24T13:35:00.001-05:00

Just some randomness from me today...

#1 - So awesome that the Weepies were on Dirty Sexy Money the other night! Much love for the Weepies!

#2 - I wish I had a $150,000 wardrobe for me and my family. Must be freakin nice. Palin is a J-O-K-E.

#3 - So Illinois (I don't know if it was a particular town or the entire state) has banned trick or treating for anyone OVER 8th Grade (about 13), unless, they are special. What is the big deal if a few kids want to dress up and go around with their friends to get some candy...it's not like the candy is *that* expensive that you can't give a few pieces to some kids that want to have fun.

#4 - I've been chillin in the Norther Berkshires Forum lately, reading what people are concerned about there and I was told that I shouldn't have an opinion because I didn't live there. I am literally so irritated with that comment that I can't comment back. 1st of all - I can have an opinion on anything I want to have an opinion on and #2 - I can blog about it where ever I want to, and #3 just because I don't live someplace doesn't mean I don't have deep connections to it - I grew up there, my family still lives there, I am very much in love with where I grew up...so wtf is the big deal....to go along with that, all they do on the NBF is bash Barrett...Apparently the DMV has moved onto main street and they brought the mayor into the debate...last I checked DMV's are state controlled, not city. What a bunch of losers, and they can't spell properly. A few spelling mistakes is acceptable for the sake of typo's but there is seriously a lack of education on some of these people.

#5 - I had the iPod on shuffle and today I was driving back to work and Dirtbag came on by Wheatus so I'm singin along and having fun, I get to work and pull the iPod out of the holder, go into the office and put my headphones on and accidentally start the shuffle all over again and song two was Dirtbag by Wheatus. Weird.

#6 - My cousin is getting married tomorrow...I can hardly believe it!!! Growing up it was always him, Kerry, and I. We were like the 3 Holy-terror's. He's the first of us to get hitched and I wish I could be there!

#7 - One month to go before I'm an AUNTIE!!!!! (for the sixth time, but still, I'm excited!)

#8 - Heading to Windom this weekend for Madi's 4th and Adison's 1st birthday party. Kids grow up so quickly.

#9 - I'm exhausted and I'm going to take a nap now (if I really could...damn work, maybe on the rid to Windom)

HS Reunion....Nostalgia hits

2008-09-17T11:54:00.001-05:00

The other night we were hanging out at the fire swapping stories of high school days and what we were like back then.
I started to describe who I was, the girl that didn't have a lot of friends, the girl who went to class and usually sat in the back, the one that had no extra curricular activities, didn't attend the football games etc. I basically showed up, went to class, and that was about it.
After I started to describe who I was I stopped and said, "That's not the way I started out...it changed the first half of sophomore year" I described who I had started out to be, the girl that showed up to dances, went to some games, joined SADD, let people copy her homework, really TRIED to fit in.
Of course, the obvious question came up - WHAT happened to make you change?
I didn't realize that I had remembered this situation so vividly but still, to this day, it was a life altering situation for me and it didn't even happen to me.

I went into 3rd period Social Science class - Mr. Petropolus' class. The walls were pale yellow and sponge painted with blue and green and pink. Very pastel. The room was directly to the left of the library. I sat 2nd row up against the wall. "Mark" sat two rows over, one seat back. I'm sure we were talking about the Shi'ites or the Sunni's since that is what that class was about. Mark got up to leave the class for a moment, maybe he had to potty, maybe he forgot his homework or book in his locker, I'm not sure. Mark was a bit like me, someone that showed up to the games, would have played if he was so inclined. Maybe he did play a sport, I don't remember too well, our paths didn't cross often but when they did, we didn't have anything to talk about. He tried very hard to fit in, he always hung around the athletic boys and joined group after group. The other boys made fun of him behind his back and called him names, but they let him tag along.

So this one day - they day Mark left class, I remember I was sitting sideways in my chair, back against the wall, obviously Mr. P wasn't saying anything important or I'd have been taking notes like a good girl (ha) and I saw another boy put a tack face up on Mark's chair. Mark always sat the same way in the chair, right leg tucked under the thigh of his left. Obviously when he sat down he would have punctured his ankle. I remember Mark came back and sat down, let out a small howl and then after a look of dejection, smiled it off. I'm sure now that it was a case of boys-will-be-boys, but right at that moment it was so much more. To me it said "you can try all you want but they are just going to pick on you, give you a fake sense of family and friendship, and then they will hurt you and laugh at you". Wow hello. I don't know how long after that came out that I stopped letting people copy my homework, stopped going to the dances, etc. One girl that I pissed off by not letting her copy my work - or was it in gym class when I didn't "try" at volley ball in gym - she put a tack on my seat on the last day of graduation practice. I happed to see her do it so thankfully I didn't sit on the tack, but I don't know if she knows that I know, or remembers she did it.

Do you think I hurt myself in the long run, missed out on the "high school" experience? I can't say. I liked high school to a point. I had an after-school social life, I had friends, and the ones I did have didn't ask me for my homework and if they did they didn't put me on the back burner after they finished copying it. The friends I had invited me to their houses and into their lives. I can safely say now though, it didn't matter a lick. I have just one friend from HS that I still have now - I can't say that, let me take that back. I have some pals from HS that I still have myspaces with and exchange some messages and say hi when we see each other but there is one person (Tammy - you don't count, we didn't go to the same school). One person that has been my friend through it all - from the time we met when we were 3 to middle school, through HS (even though she was friends with all the cool kids, she let me tag along sometimes because she was a good friend like that...and most the time I didn't want to go anyway LOL) and then even today I call her one of my best friends. She even drove across Florida to see me when I flew into Orlando for 2 days. I was and still am touched. MY POINT is this -

High school was good, I had my own fun, but I did it my way. I doubt most of the people I graduated with liked me or even knew me and I have come to accept that as reality. I didn't make it easy for them to know me or like me. If I had it to do over again would I change anything? Maybe...I might have tried to make more of an effort, join in things. I know that the friends you make in HS don't often stay life long friends but it might have been nice to at least try to have another friend like Christie. Someone that would stay a life long friend.

My 15th HS Reunion is coming up in November, and I can't make it. I used to say "Why bother going, I didn't like them then, I won't like them now" and that's not fair. I didn't know them then, they didn't know me then, and I certainly don't know them now. People change after HS, life is no longer petty and silly. Experiences shape a person and they suddenly become easier to talk with - they have lives and have figured out their values and whatever. I know I have.
Of course there are some folks I didn't like then and certainly wouldn't like now....some just made my life hell because they could and there is just something mean about that that doesn't go away.

Overall - I would give the people in high school another chance if they did for me. I can't believe I just typed that LOL

I think I'd be scared to go to my reunion. I can't imagine "knowing" 160 people and going back and no one knowing me, remembering me, or liking me. Knowing that having known all these people and I made absolutely NO impact in their lives at all. I'd hate to have them all look at me like I was still the same person I was in HS, a stand-offish beatch. But is this me reverting back to the girl that wants to fit-in? I don't think so, I think it's someone realizing that having friends - any friends whether good friends, close friends, distant friends, acquaintances, - is NOT a bad thing.

Marcus Buckingham

2008-09-12T09:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had the astounding opportunity to photograph an event held by Ideation Consulting and TCHRA that had Marcus Buckingham as their keynote speaker. They also had Sara Christensen from Ideation Consulting present about her People-Centric work environment philosophy, and Jody & Cali from CultureRX present their "Work Sucks: and how to fix it" philosophy.
I was totally inspired. If none of you know how Marcus Buckingham is, I suggest you follow the link and read up. He has appeared on Oprah and is a world renowned motivational speaker. He has a strength-based work idea where we don't work on our weaknesses to make us better but work on our strengths to make them better and in turn - make us a better and more productive employee. He wasn't talking to people like me, the employees, but to our managers and HR professionals to focus on our strengths but inspired me also to FIND my strengths and gear my work and my manager to see that just because I don't do a certain task well doesn't mean I am a bad employee, I just don't do something well and ya know what - that's ok, because someone else out there has that as their strength.
A lot of what he said can be related into child rearing. For instance - a lunch mate told this story - a woman was having issues with her daughters report card. She consistently was failing/scraping by in Math while she excelled at English. The mother, after hearing Marcus speak, decided that this is what she was going to do: she got her daughter a tutor for math - just so she would pass and she let her daughter THRIVE in english, her strong point. The school was astounded that the mother didn't care her daughter was just recieving a "D" and she was ok. The mother said "why not? She isn't good at math, that's ok. I don't care as long as she graduates". It spoke to me - Let your kids do what they are good at and figure out why they are failing in the other subjects but if they just aren't interested, don't push it. We don't all need to excel at all things!
Anyway - if you don't know Marcus Buckingham, look him up - his book is "The Truth About You" (well one of them, but this one is his most recent), it's not in stores yet but shortly!!!

The Soundtrack to my life!

2008-08-28T09:12:00.002-05:00

I just did this on myspace but wanted to see different responses. I didn't think the iPod was feeling me today. Oh and I skip songs that aren't mine!

Opening Credits: Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
Waking Up Scene: Blister in the sun - Violent Femmes
Car Driving Scene: Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
High School Flashback Scene: The Former Years - Katie Sawicki
Nostalgic Scene: Mudfootball - Jack Johnson
Bitter, Angry Scene: Til You're Dead - Melissa Ferrick
Break-up Scene: You Can Make History - Elton John
Regret Scene: Every Single Day - Lucy Kaplansky
Nightclub/Bar Scene: Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Fight/Action Scene: Give Me A Beat - GirlTalk
Lawn Mowing Scene: A Long December - Counting Crows
Sad, breakdown scene: Let it Go - Marc Billz
Death Scene: Your Song - Elton John
Funeral Scene: Hummer - Smashing Pumpkins
Mellow/Pot-smoking Scene: To Let You See Me - Melissa Ferrick
Dreaming About Someone Scene: I Enjoy Being A Girl - Doris Day
Sex Scene: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! - Abba
Contemplation Scene: Hard to say Im sorry - Chicago
Chase Scene: Dirty Laundy - Bitter Sweet
Happy Love Scene: Beautiful In My Eyes - Joshua Kadison
Happy Friend Scene: Life's A Dance - John Michael Montgomery
Closing Credits: How Far We've Come - Matchbox 20

All in all, I'd have to say not far off. some of it actually makes sense!!!!

Goin for the gold

2008-08-14T12:48:00.001-05:00

Oh oh oh I love the Olympics! Ok so I like watching gymnastics (they don't call it gymNICEtics), and swimming. I want to catch some diving too. Softball isn't too bad either
LOL

My Very Second!

2008-08-11T08:29:00.003-05:00

So a while back I did a picture restoration for someone, got some cash from it, that was cool. Then I kinda did a wedding for a friend, just some candid reception shots, again no big deal, it was a favor and gift for her. This past weekend, however, even though it was for a friend, was my very first (and I say second because of the two listed above) project that is out in the ether. My friends parents have their 40th Wedding Anniversary and she commissioned me to make a DVD using pictures of their wedding, children, grandchildren and lives together.
HOWEVER, when she played the DVD at the party she wanted me to have some business cards. Well, that required me to have a business name and information available. What a scary step to take. And once I finish cleaning up the pictures I'll publish the address where send people to look at my pictures. I never did get around to making business cards but I did make some brochures with my skills listed.
Very scary indeed.

Must Document before I forge.....

2008-07-22T14:03:00.003-05:00

I'm slowly forgetting my dream so I must write it down before I totally forget.

I had a dream (obviously) that Amy got a job and it was on the moon. So we went, and some how our entire HOUSE was transported up there with us, we didn't need any special apparatus or anything, just had to be there. It was dark, very dark. I took Murphy outside to potty and she couldn't go into the street because it wasn't really a street.
Then I got a panicked feeling that during our tenure on the moon we would run out of light bulbs and it was a most horrible feeling. So we went on a ride (in the Daewoo we haven't had in years) and found a mall like structure so we went to it, but it was office buildings, well I refused to let that be the end so I kept walking around it until I found an Emporium. (an emporium of all things) and it had light bulbs, so I decided that it was time for us to eat since we found out at least WHERE we could buy light bulbs. So we sit down in this cafeteria like place with long tables and sat across / amiss a family also working the same job was and we talked for a few minutes about life on the moon and the guy told me there was INTERNT on the moon. I was so excited that i could email my family.
Time moves slower on the mooon than Earth so when my alarm was going off ths morning i kept say, no it's not 20 more minutes, it's really like 45 minutes. I woke up late. b

2008-07-16T14:15:00.003-05:00

I have always tried to be polite in my years. I've held doors for strangers, let pregnant women and elderly (or anyone that looks like they have more to do than me) cut me in a grocery line. I've said my pleases and my thank you's and done my best to give a wave to the people that let me in while merging or yielding. I've let people copy my homework, look at my test answers, steal words from my essays. I've all but bent over backwards for friends that are homeless, boyfriends whose cars have died, and housed kitty cats that are going to be put down.
I listen to my friends when they cry, laugh when they laugh, and rage when they hurt. I am friend like no other and to have me on your side makes you have a leg up. I am an auntie that adores her squishees, a daughter that is always the best, and a grand-daughter that always listens to the same stories 5 times because it's her gram's inclination to tell her those stories.
I have a very strong work ethic, if you say you are going to do something, you do it. If you are hired for a job, you complete it. You show UP everyday and on time and you come prepared to do your job. You don't talk back to your boss, you do as they say and you keep your mouth shut until after hours, and if that means that sometimes I take my job home with me, then I have to.
On the flip side I have an attitude. I don't take kindly to people who hurt others, who hurt animals or children. I glare at parents that let their children run amuck, or won't answer them when they are obviously trying to get their attention, who scream at the top of their lungs and do nothing to satiate them. I have little, to no, patience for people that drive poorly, use improper English, and use the word "like" ad nauseum. I have no tolerance for people that don't value life and are quick to gun down someone that doesn't agree with them (gang bangers, white power, etc)
I also like things the way I like them. If I ask you for a cheeseburger plain and it is your job to give me a cheeseburger plain, I expect my cheeseburger plain, and please, do not be offended when I get pissed off that my cheeseburger has pickles and ketchup and mustard on it and I had to drive all the way BACK to your establishment to get what I wanted in the first place. That is your job, do it correctly. Especially do not mark your product "Double Checked for Accuracy" if it is still coming to me wrong. I like certain flavors together, they are harmonious to my pallet and to have it any other way is just not worth my money. So when I ask if you if there is crab in a ragoon and you say NO and one comes with crab in it, I will not take kindly to you, especially because the taste and smell of crab makes me want to vomit.
I get frustrated when trying to ask a question, and because you don't speak the same language I do, you misunderstand me and answer something I didn't ask. Please don't think I'm mad that you are speaking another language, I am not. I'm frustrated at the situation. Because of that I ask the g/f to ask for me, she has more patience than I do and handles issues like that better than I do. I do this because it's easier on me, and easier on the person I'm trying to communicate with.
With all this said I believe that I'm a just person, a morally competent person, and someone that is more than able to raise a child with a proper belief structure and moral code. I believe that I can teach a child the value of life, the value of friendship and family, the value of a dollar, and the value of a job well done. And while I do have my quirks and my impatience is widely known, I do have a partner that will help me out. Anyone that truly knows me, my personality, my wit, my talents, my family values, my...CHARM...my anything will rightly agree that me as a parent is right as rain. (I don't know what that means.) They will tell you it would be ashame if I never had a child to pass along my knowledge to, my name, and my being.
I agree.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Soap in eyes may cause watering.

2008-06-25T09:01:00.003-05:00

I think I'm having a bit of a problem with people that are "sue happy"
Not that this case that I'm talking about has anything to do with "Sueing" anyone, but it has to do with an injunction to against a Rochester city council member who might have voted with his own best interest in mind.
There is a guy saying that one of the council members is voting to allow a certain construction company a contract because his lumber company might benefit. Ok, I can understand that, the two companies have done business in the past. The claim, however, is silliness. Last year the two companies had only $6,000 worth of business. That is so minimal, it's laughable! $6,000 for a construction company is an "Oops! My regular lumbar supplier ran out of 2x4's and I need some really quick!!!!" and it was a one shot deal. Seriously.
Did you hear about the woman whose daughter got kissed on a school playground and she sued the school board? Yep.

I can't imagine what our kids are going to grow up and do.

Don't people realize that the more they SUE the more they end up paying at the store/company? SOMEONE has to pay for their windfall.

I hope more judges start throwing out bogus cases.

I want to know how OJ Simpson can be found not guilty of murder by a court and then turn around and have a civil suit brought upon him for - what, I can't remember, but basically the same thing, like wrongful death - and be found guilty. I'm perplexed.

People, what happened to personal responsibility? There used to be a time when I was walking down the street, tripped because I wasn't watching where I was going and got up and walked away. Now someone would sue the city for that tree root or the raised concrete that made them fall. And on top of that, they sue for about $750,000. FOR FALLING? I could see if you broke your leg and didn't have insurance, or if you had insurance and your premium went up or it was more out of pocket but seriously. Or you were a professional runner and couldn't ever work again. But seriously.

I read the back of my shampoo bottle in the shower one day - and I can't quite remember which shampoo it was but it said "Idiot warnings" and I giggled!
How much warning is too much warning? Do we need a "Contents are hot" on a coffee cup? Shouldn't that be EXPECTED?

Do you know all those papers you sign when you buy a house? It's because someone got away with something BIG and they can't have that again.

I think that is all I have to say right now.

I'm Gay, Give Me Sherbet!

2008-06-24T11:37:00.003-05:00

MMMMM Thanks Paul!

Vending Machine!

2008-06-05T11:01:00.002-05:00

May 24, 2007

End of the day.

Getting kinda hungry.

Trot down to the vending machines.

Oh My God! Twizzlers, perfect!

I put my money in the machine....I watched as the wheels turned...and then I watched as the wheel stopped turning, still clutching my strawberry goodness in it's hold.

NO! I have no more change. I have nothing. I sobbed.

I filled out the refund request - lots of good that will do me now, I'm hungry and have just this carbon copy to keep me satiated.

*sigh*

Lets move forward 378 days.

I got my refund! Guess what I'm going to go have for a snack this afternoon?!?!?!?!?

Rolos!

I put in a request on 12/27 too - I was so hungry for lunch that I wanted a Egg & Cheese & Bacon bagel for a buck 50...I put in my money and it wouldn't open the little slidey door.
I finally got that money refund back today too. I'm loaded!

Watch out vending machine!

Jobs, Bottle Caps, and Trips

2008-06-04T14:59:00.002-05:00

So I've officially changed jobs. My "old" job was sunsetting since the company decided they didn't want to use it anymore. The day my job was to go part time I was able to pick up a different job on site doing something drastically different. I am now in an office with 5 or 6 other people (not jumping for joy on that one) but I have my own little corner and no one bugs me or can see what I'm doing at all.
I have new pictures of the kids up...well of MOST of the kids. Erika didn't send me any new ones yet. Theirs are still from Christmas. That's what you get for slacking.
I even have one of the dog. I love my puppy.

I had an odd dream last night that there was a group of people that had the ability to control the minds of people to make them think they were someone else (the mind controllers were someone else, that was) as well as makes the person being controlled not know where he/she lived or what they were doing or anything of the sort...People observing the mind controlling could tell because the controllers had to have a soda bottle cap (not the new ones, the old ones) attached to someplace on their body. They were trying to get the human race to off themselves. They were succeeding. My friends and I took off in a raft. It was kinda hilarious. We don't raft.

The g/f and I just decided that we *might* be going to Duluth this summer, the weekend before we go to Massachusetts. I love Duluth.

Sitting in this office is dangerous. I get some free food stuffs - mints and ice cream treats.
mmm

Fudge bars mmm

I think I need to eat an orange!

Third Annual Camping Extravoganza

2008-05-28T15:36:00.004-05:00

Went camping!
Came back from camping!

Let's see - where do we start.

We left Rochester at 2:00 (ish) and convoyed with A and H&J. We drove across Minnesota to LaCrosse WI and followed the Mississippi River about two thirds the way down then crossed over into "Dairy Land USA". We arrived around 4 hours later and were relieved to find Mike ready to haul our stuff to the camping area (this was NOT a campground, just a hunk of land in Wisconsin)
Started putting up tents, ours first, H&J's, then A's. Got the Loo standing and ready and then put up J&D's. A&J showed up and popped up their tent then J&B showed up and popped up theirs. J&D showed up last, we already had the fire up! Mike provided us with enough wood to last all weekend and loaded it up to survive through the thunderstorms!
Friday we all had some drinks and goodies. Chatted about the drive and whatever else came out of our mouths. It was a bit chilly but it wasn't too horrible. Finally went to bed around 2ish maybe? I don't know since I don't use a watch while I camp. I was determined to sleep without the rain tarp on the tent so it could feel like we were under the stars. It was nice but C-O-L-D. I didn't sleep much. Finally put on some warmer pants and dry socks and fell asleep. Murphy kept us nice and warm lol

Saturday was nice and warm. We had breakfast, played some lawn games, took a nap, ate some lunch, and then Mike took us over to the tunnel that was to be for a train but it never happened, I guess...It was nice, and cold, and dark.

Got back to the villa and found that dinner was done. We had pork loin that had been marinated in all sorts of different marinades - but since it was smoked, it didn't really matter. We had pasta salads and chips to round off the meal. Later that night we played music and sat around the fire - again! Much warmer Saturday night.
Got up Sunday a little later than normal, had breakfast and watched as B&J packed up and then A & her son pack up too. J&B had planned on heading back early since J's uncle had died. A went home as it was already a long weekend for her toddler as it was! Which left us with 8. We had lunch and played more lawn games and hung out around the fire. Dinner was too be a deep oil fried turkey but no one thought to bring the oil so it was smoked turkey! We also had chips and calico beans. During dinner it started to rain so we all (10 people and 8 dogs) piled into one of the larger tents and ate dinner. After a while the g/f, dog, and myself ran to our car...it was hailing and we wanted to hear the weather so we left. There was a tornado that touched down near Galena IL, which was about 10 miles from where we were so it was really horrible weather. It died down a bit so we walked back to the villa and found that the loo had fallen over (thankfully the girls had cleaned it out earlier that day so not as much was left) and J&D's tent blew down and had 6" of water in it! Our tent had no water but was damp enough to just say we are going to the car to sleep. Woke up, ate some breakfast, tore down camp and then had some lunch and then packed up and headed home! We convoyed home with H&J and I slept ALL the way home. I had to potty and no one would stop so sleeping was the only alternative.
I finally got all the pictures on the net!
Oh and One of the J's and B got stuck in the mud trying to wash out the loo pail. That was hilarious. *snicker*

Confessions of a TV Junkie!

2008-05-15T12:36:00.003-05:00

I got a DVR because I thought it would be more convenient to have a contraption that I didn't have to manipulate record shows for me. Not only shows, but I could fast forward through commercials! NO LONGER would I be a slave to the TV, wasting hours through commercials and boring Reality TV spots like when Ryan says, "And we'll find out......after the break" I know that we aren't going to see who is eliminated from AI until like 5 minutes before the end of the show, so guess what I can do now...I can get through the first 55 minutes in about 5 minutes of fast forwarding and not miss a hell of a lot. BAM! I save 50 minutes of TV watching right there. So I thought I would be a better person, have more time to do things around the house, more time to devote to hobbies and not be tied to a mechanical object that dictates to me when I need to sit down and watch a show.
Oh how wrong I was...well kinda. I don't only watch less TV, I watch less TV more. What do I mean? Well, funny be that if you have DVR you can record a show while you are watching one, or you can watch a show on the DVR while TWO other shows record. What did that mean for me?? No longer did I have to chose between watching Desperate Housewives and Family Guy, or Ugly Better and Survivor, or anything against American Idol. I could effectively DOUBLE my TV watching in less time than it would take to watch DOUBLE the amount of TV, but still more time than if I just watched the one show that I wanted to watch.
I found myself taping shows that I didn't really care about - Super Nanny and Wife Swap. I would record shows that I just "kinda" liked just so I could have something to watch when I came home for lunch. At one point I looked at my DVR TV show line up and saw 43 shows scheduled to be recorded. FORTY THREE! In one week! If those are all hour dramas (which most are!) that's a full time job!!!!
Enough I said. Enough. I got rid of all the shows that were on hiatus, the shows that were cancelled (or changed names like Big Brother and Survivor do that depending on their season title)
I got rid of the shows I just "kinda" liked and realized that I was still ahead of the game. Some of the shows were for Amy (Deadliest Catch, Wife Swap, Super Nanny). Then I felt better. I am seeing the upcoming line up for this season and I don't see much I want to add to my list. Last year at this time I was faced with such dilemnas as "I have 3 shows here! What am I going to do?" God.
So after all the weeding is done, here are the contenders that are still on the DVR

Brothers & Sisters (I like family dramas, there are just so many story lines)
Criminal Minds (I loooooooooove behavior analysis. I wanted to do that when I was a kid)
CSI (Vegas style)
Desperate Housewives (Falling out of love with it, so it may not stay much longer)
Dirt (again, falling out of love...think I won't record next season)
Dirty Sexy Money - LOVE IT
Eureka (it's cute.)
Family Guy (hello, do you know me at all??)
Ghost Whisperer (it still makes me cry)
Grey's Anatomy (because I'm part of that generation that is sucked in)
Heroes (they best have a good start to next season, I'm getting kinda bored!)
House (I will never take this off of DVR, even if they cancel it for 10 years.)
Monk (As much as I watch the show, sometimes I just can't figure out how it's done...)
Numb3rs (I might be done with this show too...not sure)
Private Practice (I'm on the fence still, but LOVE kate walsh!)
Pushing Daisies (it's on there for Amy, I personally think it's dumb)
Psych (Love Gus)
Riches (eh. This last season was kinda bad.)
Ugly Betty (This show makes me laugh my ass off)
Dexter (I need to get showtime back before this comes on again!!!)
The L Word (6 episodes left of the series...*sigh* Last season actually rocked!)
Weeds (again, right now I can take or leave it, but next season looks better, it's going to shake up a bit)
Ace of Cakes (I love to see what they can do with a lump of confection goodness)
America's Next Top Model (I missed this past season, I couldn't fit it on the DVR LOL!)
American Idol (I'm so hooked it's not funny)
Big Brother (Still, after all these seasons, I am still hooked on the antics of pent up house guests, so glad Ryan won!)
Deadliest Catch (For Amy)
Hell's Kitchen (Watch when I'm bored...it's the same show every season)
Project Runway (it's FIERCE!)
Top Chef (I'm falling out like with it. I can't taste what they are making and it drives me nuts)
Survivor (hello, how many seasons have I watched now? Why stop now??)
Amazing Race (I could take or leave it...I watch it if I happen to catch it now)

That's 32 shows if you are counting. If I got rid of all the ones I was iffy about it'd be 9 down, plus Amy's shows....I guess it's not as bad as I thought, but still. I spend way too much time watching TV. Admiting it is the first step.

I actually took a big step this month and said we should get rid of cable (DVR and all) and just have netflix. We'd watch what we could on tv when and if we caught it, but otherwise it was movies and extended basic cable.

I think I had to overdose and hit ROCK BOTTOM before I could make that kind of realization....besides I can catch American Idol and most other shows online anyway hehehhehe

Virtual Tour of my Carry Bag

2008-05-14T14:49:00.001-05:00

Virtual Tour

Because I have very little to blog about I thought I'd take you a virtual tour around my hand bag.
This is not a land of ladies cosmetics or bobby pins. It's the bag of a commuter girl that has to ride a bus 30 minutes to and from work.

I use my over-the-shoulder bag when going to and from work, it holds more and is more comfortably slung across my body than my stiff purse or kelly-esque stiff purse.

First thing I pull out is my bus ticket - it's red with 7 punches punched
Calculator - never know when you might need to calculate (not that my phone doesn't have a calculator on it or anything)
Stride - winterblue gum
iPod and head phones
Two tubes of softlips - One Vanilla and the other is winter mint (which I am now applying to my lips)
RPU bill - I have no idea why it's in my carry bag
Happy Bunny note pad for ideas to jot down
Wallet which has various receipts, a nickel, work key, license and Mayo Health Club card, and some various eating out punch tickets. Of course the pet co and petsmart scan cards.
Check book
2 Oranges
Sudoku book and favorite pen
Date book with all sorts of goodies in it! Stamps and private passwords and reminders and directions
2 Coke bottle tops that I stole from the recycling bin (HEY If they aren't going to use their 3 points, I certainly will!)
Random pens, none that are my favorite, but will work when in a shortage
Keys! House, desk, and car key
Cell phone - nope, no messages.
Camping sign up sheet
andddddd
Hand Sanitizer. Cos you just don't know about public transportation.

And that is what it's like to find yourself wedged into my carry bag.
On the way HOME from work I scrunch up my lunch bag and shove it in there too.

New Business for me!

2008-05-13T10:21:00.003-05:00

Unique Gifts for Graduations! Anniversaries! Birthdays! Weddings! Vacation Memories! Milestones! Retirements!

Do you have a special occasion coming up that needs a heart felt gift?
Send me your pictures either on CD, on a photo card, or to be scanned

What you will get:
- A personal discussion to go over the details and options
- Your pictures set to the music of your choice in a variety of different formats (Discussed at meeting)
- A copy of scanned photos on a CD
- As many copies of your DVD that you want (Additional per/CD cos incurred)
- Your DVD will be ready on your schedule, not mine (proper allowance for time, please)

Pricing varies - Please email for quote
Prices vary based on amount of photos and services needed

Min picture package: 100 pics Approx Running Time : 10 - 15 Minutes DVD
Ultimate Package: +/- 900 Approx Running time: 1 hour DVD

And the winners are...

2008-05-09T12:17:00.007-05:00

And dang that Paul for doing this and inspiring me to do the same. I don't mean to copy ideas but it was a good one.

Here is a list (and how I got the list) of my top ten favorite songs.

I started my list with 32 fabulous songs ranging from my childhood to adulthood. Immediately I decided to eliminate the songs that came out before I was born. There went Abba's "Fernando", Beatle's "Eleanor Rigby", Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias", Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", and Pink Floyd's "Mother".
This left me with 25 fantastic brilliant songs. I decided to further down my list by eliminating songs I hadn't heard within the past year. This got rid of Blair's "Have Fun, Go Mad", Blur's "Song 2", Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", Devo's "Whip It", Styx's "Mr. Roboto", and Men Without Hats "Safety Dance".
21 songs, and how the heck am I supposed to pick which ones I like the best. So I decided to have a contest with the songs. "Which would I rather listen to right now" contest and pit them against one another. Oh it broke my heart to loose the rest.
I cut loose Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes", Lo Fidelity All Stars "Battle Flag", Antje Duvekot's "Dandelion", Ani DiFranco's "Little Plastic Castles", Madonna's "True Blue", Debbie Gibson's "Lost In Your Eyes", All Saint's "Never Ever", Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse", Beastie Boys "Paul Revere", Peter Gabriels "In Your Eyes", and Beck's "Ramshackle".

What could be left after those awesome songs were let go, you might ask?!? Well hold on to your seats for this fine chunk of awesomeness.
(And these are in, by no means, ANY particular order, I could barely let go 11, never mind rank 10!)

To Let You See Me - Melissa Ferrick (1997)
Bring The Noise - Anthrax (1991)
Grey - Chris Pureka (2004)
Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads (1980)
In Your Room - Bangles (1988)
Magnolia Street - Catie Curtis (1999)
Come On Eileen - Dexy Midnight Runners (1982)
Call & Answer - Barenaked Ladies (1998)
Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys (1986)
Bittersweet Symphony - Verve Pipe (1998)

And that, my friends, is the most eclectic top ten you could possibly ever find. (Well, MF, CC, and CP kinda all go together)

Hodge Podge Post. EVERYTHING!

2008-05-08T16:32:00.003-05:00

American Idol

Who didn't see that coming? Enough said.
I'll be happy with whoever wins. They are all good. I'd prefer for DCo to win though. Obviously.

Softball

Had a great game last night. I don't play on the team but I have my own shirt! I'm #1 because I'm cool like that, but my friends decided to name me, and it came out "Boston" YAY!
So anyway, I kept book last night for the first time. I enjoyed it. I didn't like hollering out the names, but I got used to it!
We won! Monday we won something crazy like 32 to 12, last night it was 24 to 12. Everyone had a great night, specially GP and the g/f! Z was a great pitcher and everything was fun. We didn't get home until 11 though, so I'm still kinda sleepy

Camping

Before camping, the g/f and I went over to our friends house - the girl who is hosting the event and her g/f. We hashed out all the details of how to feed anywhere from 14 people to THIRTY FOUR people! Our first annual Memorial day camping trip was for my birthday, 10 people were there....last year we grew to 19ish. This year it's 34 and 5 of ours from last year won't be going!
We decided to make one night - on your own, one night of ribs/pork loin, and the next night would be a deep fried turkey. Charge people $10 or so to have 2 hot breakfasts and 2 hot dinners. The rest of the cash, if any left over, would go to H's parents for hosting our troop. There will be no reason to pay for a campsite or firewood since it will all be provided. I sent out a lengthy email today and haven't heard anything back yet...except from B saying "THIRTY FOUR?!? Christ Ro!" so lol...

This Weekend

That's about it. Heading to Cologne this weekend for some R&R with the brother & Sister - in - law and nephew (on the g/f side). The SIL called today and asked me what kind of ice cream I liked from Schwann's and I about lost my head with excitement to yell out "COFFEE" I swear it sounded like I had tourettes, since taken out of context all anyone heard was me holler "COFFEE" down the hallway. But she laughed, and I groaned and all is well. Going to be brining our small camping grill to make burgers on for Mother's Day. The g/f's mom will be in Arizona and mine will still be in MA the SIL is the next one in line that is a mom. Might have to make her a cake with the nephew or something. That'd be fun! I might make up a batch of sugar cookies and have him decorate them for his mom. They love my cookies. (Because I can BAKE like a champion)

Brianna Lane

I'm listening to Brianna Lane right now...I've been listening to her for a couple of years now and have had the greatest pleasure of meeting her several times and having once also spent a night at her house since she is roomies with a friend of ours. I can say w/o bias that she has such a remarkable voice and her song writing is outstanding. She really captivates my imagination while she sings. She keeps my interest, so visual, and so impactual. If you ever want to try out a new artist - PLEASE try out Brianna Lane I promise you a good listen and hope you buy her albums. (Of course, you kinda have to like women singers, ones that play their own guitars)

American Idol - Final Four

2008-05-07T13:11:00.004-05:00

I have to say that I'm quite amazed that the final four on AI consists of Jason and Syesha. I knew David A and DCo would be there, but Jason and Syesha? I thought Michael Johns and Carley would be there, or Brooke (never thought Carley would go before Brooke though!)
I've had a few favorites through the competition this year and DCo has been my top favorite followed in random order on a week to week basis: Jason, Carley, Brooke.
Last night we were watching AI and right smack in the second line of DCo's first song we had a Weather Advisory come on.

So with David A - I'm sick of ballads. The only time I've seen him get a bit edgy and "rock" was Neil Diamond week with Sweet Caroline (Which, he massacred by far) and with Coming to America (and he even made it ballad like). I'm listening to his "Stand By Me" from last night and I am not overly impressed. I can hear him inhaling and it drives me mental.
However, "Love Me Tender" was good. I am, by no means, an Elvis fan so I'm not biased. I like how he arranged it ... still don't like listening to him inhale!!!!
Solidly - I would have to say that if he wins I'll be ok with it, but will not listen to his music.

DCo - "Hungry Like The Wolf" was pre-empted for me, so I'm listening for the first time right now. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't my favorite of his songs, still I liked better than David A. "Baba O'Riley" was fantastic.....It's only teenage wasteland. This was definitely his week to shine, and my my, I think he did! I'm glad to see him with his guitar and without. He is pretty good, and the only Idol I have ever purchased anything from.

Syesha - When she started singing "Proud Mary" I thought - Uh oh! This song is way too big for her, the judges said pretty much the same thing. BUT I liked it better than that of the original. Her second song "A Change is Gonna Come" was very nice. I didn't know the original so I had nothing to base it against, but I really enjoyed it. I was moved during the judges review when she cried like she did. (No, I did not cry, but I felt something for her feelings) Overall - I think she had a solid night, but I think she will be in the bottom 2.

Jason - Jason Jason Jason...forgetting your lyrics this far in the game? Tsk Tsk. However, if any of you have seen the same performance from Bob Dylan himself you'd know he has forgotten his OWN lyrics to his own songs, so who are we to critique that? I figured that he'd do a reggae hit "I Shot The Sheriff" wasn't what I thought, maybe "One Love" but...I can't talk to that song, I'm not a fan of reggae music so I didn't like it. "Mr. Tambourine Man" - a drug song. I'm not shocked. (Followed from a Reggae hit?) Even though he forgot the lyrics and my defense of that, I still didn't like his vocals on it.
Obviously, if he doesn't go home, it's because he has a huge fan base that overlooks such things and he played to them.

I checked DialIdol.com and found the DCo was #1 (YAY), Archie was #2, then Syesha, with Castro OUT. I can see that.
Fox is pimping Archie to win. He should just go be with Disney and forget the rest of this.

Robin Scarey - CANCELLED!

2008-05-06T12:59:00.004-05:00

The "Powers-that-be" Be at it again.

I was flipping through the internet yesterday - through my daily onslaught of trashy tabloids via email and there were 4 words I saw that I just didn't want to see! In simple, but non-retractable words I saw "Men In Trees, Cancelled" NOOOOOOOO I wailed (in my head)! It can not beeee. I always enjoy the light hearted dramedy and their beautiful scenery that makes me say "I want to move to Alaska" every single week. I am captivated by Jane and her Snow-Plow/Sanitation Worker husband Sam....the saga of Patrick losing his memory and poor sweet Annie's battle to move on. I even bawled with Marin when she thought Jack wasn't going to return even though the spoilers told me he would. I enjoy watching Mom-Mai and Chief Celia battle for Patrick and by god, I even like Ben the bartender and Theresa. (I don't like the hooker and the priest though.)
Much of my disappointment sits with this shows constant moving around. It was most likely their demise. That and it didn't have a lot of publicity.

**UPDATE 5/9/08** Appears they have now cancelled Women's Murder Club too. Rat bastards. **Update Done**

Of course, with the cancellation of ANY good show, I had to think back to OTHER good shows robbed of their future by being yanked just too soon. Studio 60. Definitely yanked too soon. That show made me howl! Book of Daniel. It was cute and witty....and so what if the guy thought he was conversing with Jesus. Close to Home (between Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs). And even though it ran for a few seasons - Everwood was definitely axed before it's time. Sisters was a mid-season hitter that didn't make it. Cashmere Mafia doesn't look like it's coming back either! I even liked Big Shots with all it's business with the fellas. The L Word shouldn't be done after 5.5 seasons...I wish it to go longer, obviously (good solid run for lesbians on a premium channel!) Popular should have stayed good, like season one! Wonderfalls! I loved that show. Definitely loved that show! Quite the obvious show that was cancelled before it's time was Family Guy but by thanks to the nice powers-that-be, came back and proved to be a billion dollar windfall, now signed on until 2012!!! 4400,

I think that is as far back as my memory goes, come back to me with other one/two-season "Cancelled before their time" shows. I love to travel down memory lane

On the day I turned 33...

2008-05-05T11:08:00.007-05:00

Or should I say weekend, or entire WEEK? The G/F treated me to HuHot on Thursday and then a movie! Friday night we spent time with J & B playing cards, Saturday night was the PARTY at J&B's! Sunday we were at J & B's for a cookout. Such a nice and relaxing time!
The party was very nice. Kate was there, Vaz & her g/f, Alissa and hers, H & J, Dana (Jamie was away), Amber, J & B, G, Rox and Amy came over for a bit! Gary & T were there too along with the boys and their girls. Rox brought me strawberry pretzel desert! Nice! Kate got me a gift card for iTunes, way more than that was expected, but love her for it dearly anyway!
I had a tiara, it said BITCH. It rocked.
Did I mention I might have had too much to drink?
I had a very nice 33rd birthday. Not many people remembered it though...Only Susie online sent me a Happy Birthday note....(all my friends here remembered because of the party), and my mom and sister called. Meg didn't, nor did Chris, or my gram...the three that usually remember. Ah well...It's still 100 times better than my 23rd birthday. - Another story for another time
(Gram, Gramp and Meg ended up calling...they didn't forget)

Baby Mama

2008-05-02T15:37:00.006-05:00

Oh what a funny movie Baby Mama is. If you live under a rock and don't know what this movie is, it's about a woman (Tina Fey) that has put motherhood off and finally wants to have a baby. Apparently, medically, she can't. She harvests her eggs, gets some sperm and has them implanted into a surrogate (Amy Poehler), someone that appears to have less class and intelligence than that of Tina Fey's character.
Steve Martin plays a whacky-earthy-health nut - guru that lightens the mood and at one point made me feel really uncomfortable with his eye contact!
Oscar (Conrad from Weeds) gives some humor as the door man who applies the name "Baby Mama" to Tina's surrogate.
Not to mention the lisp-having birthing coach Siobhan Fallon!
I really enjoyed the movie and I'm pretty sure I snorted once or twice. I believe half way through the movie I though "I need to own this when it comes out".
I've been missing Ms. Fey on SNL, especially when she is with Amy. I was thrilled to see them back together again!
Other SNL cast members that appeared: Will Forte, Fred Armisen,

If I Only Looked at the Map...

2008-05-01T15:09:00.005-05:00

I'd have KNOWN that the bus I should be taking lets off 2 blocks from my house rather than having to walk down to John Marshall, get a transfer, wait 20 minutes and finally get to work. I can take just ONE bus and spend just 19 minutes on the bus and walk just two blocks. AND I get to sleep in! Rather than walking 15 minutes to get the bus and catching it at 6:53 AM, I can walk 5 minutes and catch it at 7:12 AM! That's about a half hour extra sleep! Now I'm liking the bus much better than before. I can get HOME at 4:30 instead of 4:45 too... That's nice. Nice. Nice.
*Sigh* Why didn't I look at the map? (I'll tell you why, because the title of the map was non-descript and indicated it was picking up and letting off elsewhere!)
I feel like singing "I'm A MAP"

It's not EASY being green, but it can be done!

2008-05-01T09:25:00.006-05:00

Going Green Project

Goals:
Use less water
Obtain/Create less waste
Recycle more
Reduce fossil fuel usage
Use own purchased bags at store
Educate others
Reduce energy consumption
Save the rain forest (and some will laugh when they read that sentence if they know me *REALLY* well)

How I'm/We are doing:

I suppose having grown up in an area that recycles cans for 5 cents a can I am used to the act of separating my garbage. I have now become a little more attentive to my separation lately.
I have a bag full of cans that needs to go to Watson's. I get paid for it! They pay per pound, not per can but that's alright, money is money.
We have purchased a recycling/bin station that we use in our garage so when the paper bags in our kitchen fill up we bring it to the garage, when those fill up we set it out for the recycling truck.

Using less water is something I'm still struggling with. We have started to take the water gathered by the humidifier and use that in our washing machine. While it only gathers about 1 - 2 gallons at a time, at least it's 1 - 2 gallons. We would like to start using the grey water around our house for outside watering but haven't started that yet.
I make a very conscious effort to turn off the water while brushing my teeth.
I don't ever take a bath, only a shower, so that uses significantly less water.
We try to conserve while using the toilet as well.
Washing dishes will always be a tough one for me. I can NOT put my hands in cold water that has bits of food floating around, gloves on or not. I have, however started having a pan full of water, dipping my sponge in there and getting a lot of dishes soapy then rinsing them off instead of letting the water run.
This summer I will be setting out some pails to collect water so that I can use that for washing the car or cleaning the grill or watering the plants / lawn when there is less rain.

I'm still not sure how to execute the "Obtain Less Waste" option.
I don't purchase CD's anymore, I buy all my music on iTunes and burn my own CD's when needed.
I don't bring bags home from the grocery store unless it's an unexpected stop. I try to get only paper bags for reuse in recycling, but will take plastic. I then take the plastic bags to the Dog Park where people use them to clean up after their dogs. They are always appreciative.
When asked at the store if I want them to print me out a receipt, unless I need it, I say no.
If I can carry it to the counter, I can carry it to my car.
I reuse my water bottles SEVERAL times before putting them into recycling
I burn my junk mail when having a camp fire. It's great for kindling, bad for things flying up into the air, but I use the screen and it's all good. (and no, I don't burn the plastic in the envelopes, or the glossy colored pages)

I have started taking the bus....so has the g/f (well, she hasn't yet, because her recent schedule doesn't allow for it, but will starting Monday).
Not only is this good for the environment, but for my pocketbook as well! A round trip to work twice a day (I usually went home for lunch) is 9.2 miles. That's 46 miles a week, 184 miles a month, 2208 miles a year! With gas at $3.50, I am saving about $650 a year on just taking the bus!!! Plus, ya know, the environmental factor.

For Christmas I asked for those green bags you get at the grocery store. I think I got 10 or so. I also purchased some heavier canvas bags at Old World Market for some heavier items.
I always forget them in the car, but always trudge back out and get them. They are *NOT* that expensive - maybe $2.00 each! HyVee at Barlow's even gives us a 5 cent discount for every bag we use instead of theirs!! I figure that if I use my bags everytime I shop (except for those surprise trips listed above) I use 7 bags for a big trip to the store, 2 - 3 on small trips. Looking at my check book register I see that I've been to HyVee/Cub/WalMart 18 times since 3/26 (so that's approximately a month!) and gauging on the price spent I figured I used about 50 of my own bags. I got back $2.50 (if I did all my shopping at HyVee) Which clearly pays for itself. In a year all my bags will be paid for! They are super sturdy and can fit more in them than a regular bag also.
I heard that some places in California may start charging 15 cents per bag use. Using my 50 per month, you'd pay $7.50 a month just on bags. $90 a year! I wish Minnesota would start charging for bags!

I've sent out two mass emails so far - one for Earth 60 and one for Earth Day. I included some helpful tips on how to easily save energy and recycling and whatever. I hope that people read it. If not, at least I put it out into the ether.

The g/f and I got a new furnace this year. I didn't notice anything on our heating bill, but I'm hoping it beats the old beast we had before. I want to get better at replacing the filter though. That should save a bit of money and reduce energy usage.
Our dryer used to take 2 cycles to completely dry a decent sized load. We paid $75 to have a hole drilled into our house so that we could properly vent the machine and now it only takes one cycle!
I wish we lived someplace where we had a bigger yard so that we could line dry, but that's out of the question. I do, however, rack dry a lot of shirts and sweatshirts and sweaters.
We are in the process of replacing all of our light bulbs to those curly que ones. As our old light bulbs burn out, we put the new ones in.
I try to unplug things we don't use often.
I'm trying to be very conscious about shutting off lights (I do leave one on for the dog when we aren't home at night though)
I've been paying attention to shut the TV off before I leave the house! Go me lol

And saving the rain forest. LOL
I have absolutely NO idea how to save the rain forest except that I play Lil Green Patch on Facebook. I have saved 19 square feet already and in March the entire facebook community saved 13,644,308 Square Feet! Just by playing a silly online game! The sponsors of the game contribute money for our usage. It's neat. I send plants to my friends and they send them back to me. Not to hard. I can only send 20 per day, but still...it's my own little part.

So that's me, that's the green me. I'd love to hear any more ideas anyone has!

Oh and be sure to watch the Human Footprint on National Geographic channel! It's very eye opening!

Is it that I like music played on commercials or is it that the music I like is commerciable.

2008-04-30T13:00:00.004-05:00

Fluke - Atom Bomb (Car Commercial)
Wraith Pinned to the Mist and other Games - Of Montreal (Outback Steakhouse)
Yael Naim - New Soul (New Mac Air Book)
Antje Duvekot - Merry Go Round (Bank of America)
Hem - Let Go (State Farm Commercial)
Feist - 1,2,3,4 (iPod Commercial)
Smiths - How Soon is Now (Charmed Theme)
M.I.A. - Gallang (Honda Civic)
The Weepies - All That I Want (JC Penneys)
The Weepies - Stars (Old Navy)
Brazillian Girls - Lazy Lover (Some body wash commercial)
Psapp - Hi (Disorono)
Sneaker Pimps - Spin Spin Sugar (Can't remember where, but I've heard it!)

Funny thing is - I knew all of these songs before they were in commercials. Am I ahead of the curve? hmmm

So if Brianna Lane, Chris Pureka, Catie Curtis, Doria Roberts, Melissa Ferrick, Katie Sawicki, The Waifs, Be Good Tanyas, Edie Carey, Ellis, Girlyman, Pamela Means, or the like end up on a commercial - It'll be fantastic for them!!! Because you all know you just looked at those songs up there and said "oh yea, I remember that song!" (at least to a couple of them) If you don't, go look them up and you will remember them soon enough.

And while I'm on music - Wycleaf Jean took lyrics from WuTang's C.R.E.A.M. for his song "Sweetest Girls", and I'm ok with that but...I was over J&B's and no one knew the original song. I pulled out the iPod and put on WuTang's song (because of course, I must have WuTang at my finger tips?!?) and no one knew it! I'm not totally surprised about that but it made me realize that I'm old. 1993, when the song came out, was a LONG time ago to these kids, and to me it was just like yesterday.

Take me back to the Black Hills

2008-04-29T15:11:00.004-05:00

So Doris Day just came on the iPod and serenaded my eardrum with "Take me back to the Black Hills, the Black Hills of Dakota". Two years ago the g/f & 2 other friends of ours went to the Black Hills...and it got me to thinking about how much I would love to go back! We first went to the Badlands - it was absolutely a sight that can not be described. It was an ocean bed at one time and it's the remains of that. It's breathtaking. Then we drove on into the Black Hills. South Dakota is pretty flat and then all of a sudden it's MOUNTAINS. We took our first trip up to see Mt Rushmore the day after we got there. We curved up the windy mountain road, not unlike Route 2 in Massachusetts and all of a sudden we rounded a bend and there was Abe Lincolns face! I was awe struck and speechless. All my life I had heard of the great Mt. Rushmore carved into a mountain and there it was - right infront of my face. A few more successions of curves and the entire monument came into frame. It was a grand sight and I felt like I was looking at the cover of every history book I had ever had before. We did all the tourist-y things like learn how the rocks were carved and who designed it and how long it took and did the nature walk and saw the night time lighting of the faces. Then we returned to our campsite to sleep - and return the next day for other area attractions.
As much as we did that week at Mt. Rushmore, nothing will beat the first moment I saw the rocks. I still get emotional. I'm such a freak. While I have been on many other excellent vacations before, that was the first one I've been to that had historical significance to me, gave me a sense of national being. I suggest going if you ever get the chance...your kids won't appreciate it, but you might!

Thus I must and thus I won't.

2008-04-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

I'm not much of a blogger, although I think about it all the time in my head. Thus comes the I must. I have too many thoughts running through my brain to keep in there lest I forget. So I must. I also have some overwhelming urge to join the gagillions of other bloggers in getting my own words out into the ether. So here they are.
This leads me to the Thus I Won't. I won't talk specifically about my job or co-workers. Not really wanting to get canned for less than pleasant words I'd like to use some days. I probably won't talk about any of my friends by name. They didn't sign up for this, I did. Doesn't mean I won't talk about them though! aaahhh hahahah. Probably won't talk much about the g/f either. She's not much of an online person anymore and probably doesn't want her airs aired in the internet air.
And thusly, I will mostly likely type about reality tv...some things entertainment, new music, my dog and her neurotic tendencies, being green, trips, my family, my friends and camping, and possibly politics and the what nots of life.
And while it's called "The Busy World Of..." sometimes I'm not all that busy. I suppose we will see if I update this or not. Poke me if I don't.

Ode to my puppy

2008-04-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

This is for my pup's first birthday

I love my dog. I don't think I've mentioned on here yet that I do...I say it daily.
I love *just* about everything about my dog.
I love that she goes bananas when a simple bird is in the front yard - running from the chair to the door to ring her bell and back to the chair in RECORD speed only made by Murphy.
I love that after the dogpark that she gets so tuckered out that she is submissive for a bath but as soon as the bath is over she is full of the devil again.
I love that when we go to the dog park that she whines from the point she KNOWS where we are going to when we get there. Oh she knows.
I love that when I say it's time to go for a ride to pick up mommy from work that she jumps up in the truck, sits on the center arm rest and waits for me to get ready - looking straight out the entire time.
I love that when I'm driving she nudges to get under my arm so I have to cuddle her while I drive. She doesn't succeed often though
I love that at night time she will crawl under the blankets and fall asleep but gets super hot and pokes her head out and collapses at the bottom of the bed where it's chilly
I love that she is a peanut butter WHORE
I love that when we go to the dog park she takes on the big dogs. I mean she takes them on and can out run them (with Murphy short cuts, of course)
I love that when we go to the dog park she heads STRAIGHT for the mud puddle and you can hear a chorus of 10 people groaning as the beautiful white puppy is white no more!
I love that when we are done with the dog park and when we get back in the truck (on a towel of course) that she gives me a kiss on the cheek as if to say thanks mom!
I love that she runs to fetch a ball but never brings it back
I love that everyone at the dog park knows Murphy by name and her birthday is coming up and they want us to have her party there.
I love that she wiggles her butt when I pull out her sweater or jackets...she knows it's walk time or park time
I love that she runs down stairs and sits on the electric blanket looking at me or the g/f to turn it on for her
I love that I can come home from work and find my two girls cuddled in bed and I can join in the napping
I love that she can sit, lay, roll over, sit pretty, dance, up, couch, stand, wait, watch, stay
I love that cocks her head to one side and then the other
I love that the g/f and I say funny stuff as if we were Murphy saying it "What is it, Timmy in a well girl???"
I love that I come home from work and the g/f says "MOMMY'S HOME" and she goes crazy jumping all over me
I love that we have taught the nieces and nephew to hold her treats just right so she will follow commands for them (sit, stay, no bites)
I love that when I say "NO BITES" that she whines and tries to bite me without biting me
I love that she wakes me up by biting my hair
I love that she loves frozen green beans as a treat
I love that she smells so good when she comes home from her doggy retreat and spa!
I love that she is so good with kids
I love that she rings a bell to go potty outside
I love that when she is on a walk she soldier belly crawls in excitement
I love that she was born on April 19th (19th is a "special" number for me & the g/f)
I love that when I say "BED TIME" she runs as fast as her paws can go through the house and up the bed stairs and sits to wait for me to follow
I love that when I am down stairs I can hear her being naughty just by the way she walks through the house.
I love that she loves our neighbor kids so much she almost knocks them over when they come to play
I love that when she knows she is going to the dog park she jumps up at the window with the ball in her mouth
I love that after company stays overnight she runs around the house looking for everyone after they are gone
I love that when she gets super tired she crashes hard - so hard that she will flop against my ear and just stay there for the night if I let her
I love that when we go for a ride with the windows down she puts her head out the window and pulls it back in her muzzle is all crazy
I love that when she wakes up from a hard sleep she gets "bed muzzle" (like bed head LOL)
I hate that she jumps up on people with her muddy paws at the dog park - except for the ones that dress up - are they dumb or something? Who wears Ralph Lauren to a dog park?
I hate that we can't find any toys for her that she doesn't destroy in just a day and she eats it
I hate that I can come into the room after being away for 3 minutes and find something destroyed
I hate that she can't "come" - apparently there is too much fun stuff out there mom
I hate that she has chewed through about 4 leashes now and we are finally reserved to having to put the leash in a crystal vase when we come inside so she can't get it
I hate that she has chewed through 6 pairs of my shoe laces, 1 pair of my shoes, 10 of the g/f's shoe laces and 2 of her pairs of shoes
I hate that all my pants have frayed bottoms because Murphy has chewed through and pulled/ripped the rest
I hate that I have almost no socks left because she has tugged them all off my feet and they now all have holes in the toes or heels
I hate that I had to get a taller laundry basket because she could get in and get our dirty clothes and parade them around the house with company over
I hate that I say the word "Naughty" more than "GOOD GIRL"
I hate that she barks at the garbage truck or the plows or the street sweeper, but I love that she ONLY barks at those and NOT busses or trucks.
I hate that when she gets super tired she barks like a maniac...it's our cue that it's her bed time
I hate that everything I hate, I love about her!

If they can’t spell it...

2007-10-22T15:21:00.000-05:00

Driving down the street today I passed a McDonalds as I do every day.
I read the marquee like I usually do, I like to see them notify the American's in our town that they are conducting interviews - in Espanol.
Today it was different, and I read it as my mind said it "McRib is back" but I noticed something - it was spelled M-I-C-R-I-B. MicRib.
Now seriously, they sell the item on their menu and they can't even spell it?!
I can't say I'm overly shocked, just amused

And what is that on the door knob?!?!?

2007-09-26T00:28:00.000-05:00

Lets take a few minutes to recap the fun weekend I just had...not only was it fun it was....bizarre, disgusting, entertaining, painful, and long!

We headed out on Friday right after work (We being me, the g/f, J, & B). We went straight up to G's, Rae, Brianna, & Heidi's house. We hung for a while, caught up, had pizza, labeled some CD's and had some liquid of the refreshment nature. Brianna took the corner and she sang her new CD "Let You In" from Track 1 to Track 11 (missing St Jude because of musical instrument difficulty). It was perfect from beginning to end. She even managed to put the word KUDZU in one of the songs. Rock on! Afterwards there was more hanging out, more music played, more liquid drank and pizza snacked on. It was a great night!
Woke the next morning and headed out to the Renaissance Festival. We get maybe half way there and I thought I was going to die. Had to find a bathroom quick smart. Of course, traffic was backed up and people were laughing at me and it wasn't nice. We get back onto 169 and head down towards the festival leaving the check in of the hotel to later on that night. More backed up traffic. We get to Ren Fest and park in the year 2000 (literally) and walk down towards the show - year 1570 or something. It was a hike. We toured around, poking our heads in shops, saw people in costume (complete with a drag-wench) and sampled some food and took a trip to the Privies. We saw a jousting competition and then caught the Puke & Snot show. Spent way too much money on food so we decided to head out and catch a Perkins. We ate dinner (at one of the last establishments in Minnesota that allowed you to smoke while you eat at the table). After that we headed out to the hotel.
There are seriously not enough words to describe this place. It was seedy first of all, smelled of cat urine and that was just the lobby. We get into our rooms and first notice the bathroom - it was one BIG room with no specified tub, just a curtain and shower head, toilet and sink. The sink had RADISSON soap on it which was quite hilarious. The rest of our room was ok. I mean it was smelly and unkept but it was "ok". We go next door to J & B's room and almost vomit immediately. There was blood splatter (faded) on the ceiling, blood on the pillow (again faded but still) and on the lamp shade. Vomit on the wall and fecal matter in several different places. So we go to turn the door knob to get out of the room and there is man juice all over it. Yea, we got our money back and went to another hotel!!
After spending the entire previous day walking my poor feet were ready for a day in hot water. That wasn't going to happen. We ended up at IKEA (YAY IKEA!!!!) and then across the street to the Mall of America. So much fun!!!
Murphy had a puppy sitter this weekend and was glad to see us show up at home when we finally got there. It was a very interesting weekend. Brianna rocked, Ren Fest was...interesting, hotels were disgusting and my poor feet still haven't gotten back to fine. lol.
Hope yours was good too!

9/11 Remembered

2007-09-12T09:11:00.002-05:00

Each generation has a tragedy to "call their own". Just like the Kennedy Assassination and the Challenger Explosion, our generation will have "Where were you on 9/11". Not what were you doing when you found out, or where were you when the planes hit, that part is just assumed. The question still posed as "Where were you on 9/11".
I am ashamed to say that I was sleeping, but I was. The windows were open and the curtains flapped like birds against the wall. The sunlight had been pouring in for hours and by all practical purposes it was a beautiful early fall day in the Berkshires. That day on 9/11. The phone rang, Amy reached for it. I heard her with a groggy hello greet the caller. Suddenly I was jabbed in the ribs and was demanded to release the remote. I gave it to her, still unaware of the tragedy the rest of the nation was coming to realize. Quickly slumber bliss turned into dark horror. I rolled over and joined Amy sitting up in bed, mouths agape.
Sadly at this time we still did not know of the anguish that would befall the nation. All that had happened was a plane flew into one of the twin towers. It could have been an accident. It had to be, Who would fly a plane into the twin towers on purpose? Then as we watched, Amy already having hung up, a second plane hit the other tower. The heartbreak could be heard in the news caster voices as they tried to maintain a certain level of professionalism. The plane flew in and all that came out the other side was putrid black smoke and blazing orange flames. When I look back I can still envision the sight in my minds eye. Quickly we switched from the local stations, away from Ed Dauge and Lydia Kulbida, to CNN. Maybe they could tell us what others couldn't. Claims of terror, hopes for accidents, reports from the officials...say where is the president? Sitting in a classroom reading books to children later to be condemned for that choice, I still agree with. No need to alarm young children just yet.
More reports trickled in after knowing that the twin towers were hit. A third plane flew into the pentagon and yet ANOTHER plane was somewhere over Pennsylvania making a bee-line towards the capital. Anxiously we all awaited what would happen. Then nothing. Several brave people knowing what had transpired earlier took some of the sting out of the gushing wound. Flight 93 crashed in an empty field. Later we were to find out that another plane that was scheduled for LA was grounded contained bags filled with manuals for this.
I called into work that day, so did Amy. There wasn't going to be any way to concentrate. We sat glued to our television set, moving between the bedroom and living room and occasionally surfing the web to find out all the details we could. As we learned more about this al queda and some guy named Osama Bin Ladin who has a different spelling of his name depending on what news station you are on. We heard of gas price increases, nuclear reactors are in danger, poisons in our subways, watch our mail. Panic has grasped our country and we have no one to turn to but each other. Just when we thought the tragedy was enough and nothing more could possibly happen, it did. Reports were coming in that the structural damage to the towers was so great that they could fall over. As we watched the news for more details breaking news came from New York City. As people came pouring out of the towers they collapsed upon themselves. Down went one and then the other. A hole in the New York City sky line slightly smaller than the hole growing in our hearts for the people still inside the towers and for the family members watching this unfold.
Feats of heroism, pleas for help, frantic searches for loved ones, friends, and co workers started. All the rest of the nation could do was sit and watch, helpless, scared, and sad. Desperate to reach other family members or anyone they just might have known living in NYC or Washington DC.
Personal stories started to be heard as cluttered phone lines began to free up. So-and-So's co-worker's daughter works at the Pentagon and if she wasn't out picking up her dry cleaning that morning she would have perished in the attack. A friend of a friend lives in NYC and could see the planes fly into the towers. Personal stories that made us sure that we weren't dreaming, this was real, and we did have to deal with it.
I had been to those towers just once before in my life. I was about twelve and on a Girl Scout field trip, my mom the leader. I vaguely remember going up into the towers. I remember seeing lots of flags and getting into elevators and off of elevators just to keep going up - the elevators were staggered so that they could reach the top. We got off on the observation deck and got to put our feet on the railings and foreheads on the glass, peer down at all the little cars, busses, people below. I had been in one of those towers, though I don't remember which one or any other significant fact about it. I had been there. I somehow felt attached to it at this point.
As the days wore on and gas prices did not increase, no more survivors found, reports complied, families coming to the realization that their mother, father, brother, sister, husband, child would not be coming home, the nation mourned. We all felt the impact of 9/11. Television networks cancelled their shows so that their families could be with their loved ones and we would do something OTHER than watch some dumb cooking show when everyone else is doing family things. We all went to our local grocery stores and big box stores to gather supplies and send them to New York. We donated our money. We went to church, we prayed, we bought little trinkets that reminded us of that day. We put up our American flags, we wrote and sang songs about the tragedy, about the nation. We were putting on our reds, our whites, and our blues and showing the world that we would not be destroyed. We would not let the lives of over 3,000 innocent Americans and foreign countrymen be forgotten. We pledged our faith and hearts to finding who did this and making sure it never happened again. We cried REBUILD! Rebuild.
Just six months after 9/11 I went back to the towers. This time there would be no country flags, no rides in the elevator, no foreheads on the glass in a gift shop. We first went to ground zero and were told to come back - you can't get any closer without a ticket (mind you , I still have the ticket). So we got our tickets and our viewing wasn't for quite some time so we did other things around the city. We walked towards the harbor on Wall Street and passed a small fire house. We stopped to look at their display case that listed the names of their fallen brethren. We realized that if we could walk from Ground Zero to there then they must have been one of the first on the scene. Our heroes that day. We were on the Staten Island Ferry (quite by accident...you certainly can't get to the Statue of Liberty on it.) and on the way back into the city you could just see the hole, the vast empty space that once was two of the tallest buildings in the world, a symbol of economic prosperity, and quite phallic. We departed the ferry and made our way back to the site. We recognized the streets from the news. The same streets that thousands of people ran down, screaming and crying we were walking the other direction. We paused briefly at a small church adjacent the site, not one scratch to it, not one window blown out. We craned our neck to look at a hole in the ground. Not just any hole - THE HOLE. All the debris had been removed, safety nets still hung on touching buildings that were in danger losing windows still fragile from the blasts and falling of the towers. We stood for what seemed an eternity with other people there making their own personal pilgrimage. Each one of us there for different reasons and for all the same reasons. We had to see for ourselves the cowardice, the sadness, to be close to a national symbol that was no more. We left the site and passed the famous wall of pictures - pictures of people still missing or of people that perished in the attack. Our hearts heavy, we left the site and went to Time Square. We had to move on.
Six years later there is still a hole there - people debating what to do. Rebuild, make a park, leave a hole, we still have nothing but a hole. We have gotten no closer to finding Osama or made any significant advancements in defusing al queda. But one thing rings true. We haven't forgotten. We can't ever forget.

Murphy Update at 2 Months!

2007-08-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

We just entered the second month of having Murphy!
We had our 4 month check up yesterday (she will be 4 months on the 19th) and she weighs an entire 8.6 lbs. (She was 6.2 last month) which means she isn't quite 10 lbs yet so she can't get her rabies and distemper shot at the same time. Have to go back on Wednesday for the rabies shot.
She has been enrolled in Puppy Kindergarten and starts on Sept 10th. Since last month we have not only mastered the sit & lay, we have mastered roll over AND shake. The other night the g/f and Murph were working on fetch with a tennis ball. She does alright with it! We are working on fetch, stay, sit pretty, loose leash walk, and play dead. She loves her Charlee Bears and will do whatever we ask for 'em. I'm sure you've all seen my default picture - she gets very excited when she sees us and wiggles! That was a picture of just that. She is growing like a weed and you may see a bit of apricot on her, her spine, top of her head, front of legs and parts of her ears are changing. Her white fluffy puppy fur is making way for her adult hair.
The vet said that she has excellent muscle tone. I can't imagine why (sarcasm) she chases other dogs like a champion! We went camping in Wisconsin with a few other big dogs and Murphy chased the big dogs into submission. She keeps right up at the dog park and even jumps in the creek with them! When she isn't at the dog park she can be found in my front yard running full throttle in circles.
We have been camping a couple more times since last update and Miss Houdini has figured out how to get out of the tent so we had to ziptie one end of the tent while creating a loud barrier for the other side incase she gets up in the middle of the night.
She is able to go through out the night without having to potty. When I get up at night I leave the gate open and let her follow me if she has to potty but a lot of the times she will look up and then go back to sleep. We are doing "ok" with the potty training. She does most of her business outside but we still have accidents. She doesn't bark at the door to let us know she is sitting at the door waiting. The bell system didn't work when we first tried it - she was scared of the bell. We are going to try again, she thinks the bells are toys now. So again, we try the training.
Last night was a sad marker for us - she slept on the floor and on her doggie bed for the first time, which is good for her, but it means she wasn't sleeping in the bed with us :( She needs her space and I understand but I miss her. I love when she wakes me up in the middle of the night by chewing my hair so we can play and cuddle for a few minutes. (and it means it's time to potty)
She has gotten out of the biting phase with the kids up the street and new people she meets. She only bites us when we are rough playing and we still discourage it. She will be losing her pointy teeth in the next few months!!! yay! Her 6 upper and lower adult teeth will be coming in anytime now - they start around 4 months.
She has been enjoying her rawhides more and more, and we got her a bigger kennel for during the day. She still squeals when we put her in and shrieks like a banshee. But at least it is open to the room and she can look around and enjoy the fan and tv.
She loves to watch the Animal Planet and barks at the dogs that "bark at her". We have also discovered that we hate & bark at the following: lawn mower, microwave when it dings, vacuum cleaner, swifer vacuum, dehumidifier when it starts up, the washing machine, and - the printer! Anything really that starts suddenly with some loud or obnoxious noise.
She is still bringing rocks and sticks into the house and we are still throwing them back into the yard.
She is still as adorable as can be, cuddly as can be, and smart as can be. We will keep her heheheh

Murphy Update at 1 Month!

2007-07-03T13:32:00.000-05:00

It's been close to a month now, a few days shy and Murphy has gotten bigger as in longer AND heavier. Of course she was only 3.9 lbs to start off with when we brought her home. The g/f has been working hard with her to learn new things - so far we have seemed to master Sit, Lay Down, and is learning Roll Over right now. Murphy doesn't pay attention well when other people are around though.

The neighborhood kids have taken a keen interest in Murphy and take her for mini-walks up and down the cul-de-sac. Murphy prances around like a bunny knowing she isn't on an official walk, but is out for a good time. (Official walks mean business - exercise and potty time).
We have mastered walking down stairs now. She will run down the stairs into the family room full throttle and try to stop but will slide a good 4 to 5 feet on the wood before she hits the sofa.
She is kenneled during the day while we are work, only 2 - 3 days per week. It makes it hard to get her into her kennel at night time and she usually ends up at the bottom of our bed because we are too tired to listen to her whine all night. Yeah yeah, starting bad sleeping habits but it's not like she's a Great Dane - she's a mini-dog. This morning I woke and looked at the end of the bed and she wasn't there, during the night she had crawled up and was sleeping right between our heads on a special pillow. Spoiled baby is what she is!
We have taken a camping trip and she enjoyed it a lot! She loved taking the long walk to the potty's and loves to run around with sticks in her mouth.
While she is a very good dog, she can also be the red-headed step-child. She is still biting, but more puppy biting and is starting to break that! She grabs ahold of pant legs and growls at it, shaking her head, body, and the pant leg all together. She will also do this when you wear shorts, she doesn't discriminate, she leaps up, grabs, and shakes, hanging every so cutely off your short leg. She has gotten into the toilet paper and dragged it around the house and just yesterday she was left outside on her leash and was being awfully quiet so when I checked on her I was greeted with a black muzzle Murphy - she had dug through our flower box by our front stoop.
We have been to the dog park a couple of times and both times she's been very submissive to the other dogs. The first trip she got her butt kicked, the second she just laid under the picnic table watching everything and was learning the ropes. Of course, she has such long hair (which isn't really *that* long) she had to have a bath the instant she got home!
Murphy is also an attention whore. She whines and whines when no one is paying attention to her - and it's not to just us, strangers. If they don't stop to pet her or admire her in some way she whines and sometimes barks. That is going to be annoying some day!
Yesterday she pee'd on our neighbor. While she got a "Murphy! No!" right away - when we got inside, she got a high five and a special treat. I'm pretty sure Murphy was already going potty when the neighbor picked her up.
We (me) call her everyname in the book though - Murph, Smurfy, Murphinator, Smufette, Smuphinator, Murphy Smurfy. I've decided that she is going to be smurfette for halloween. It'll be the only day I will probably ever dress her up!
The g/f attempted the first nail cutting and it went ok! She slept through the entire thing, even that one time we got to close to the quick and she bled just a little :(
Anyway - we have met a lot of new friends, humans as well as animals, and are meeting new people every day! We are going camping again next weekend and the weekend after so she is going to turn into the camping pro pretty soon! We have a vet trip coming up soon, so a weight and health update should be coming shortly. She will be getting her rabies shot and licensed!

My Family Came to Minnesota

2007-05-15T11:59:00.001-05:00

Everyone arrived safely with no delays on Saturday at 3pm. The g/f and I had just gotten to short term parking when mom called to say they were on the ground and what carousel to meet them at. Logan and Hailey ran up to meet us and it was fantastic to see everyone again.
We got to the Hotel and checked in - got the luggage upstairs and then Logan, the g/f, David, and

I took off to the Metrodome to see the Red Sox lose (sorry) to the Minnesota Twins. David was on the big screen at one point behind some chick adjusting her hair. That was great! I gave Logan my old digital camera for the game.Yes, so unfortunately, the Sox lost 2 - 1. I know Susie watched the game, we texted during the game! How fun!

While we were at the game Laurie and Hailey swam in the pool and had pizza for dinner and got to relax a bit!
The next day we went to the Children's Museum and the kids had a great time exploring and playing. Logan loved to explore the "Earth World" and be an ant, climb trees, and play in the water while Hailey loved playing in the sandbox outside and then she discovered the hand dryers so we spent a good half hour watching her wet her hands very briefly and then run to the air-dryer to dry them off, shriek, and then do it again.
The next day, Monday, we did some shopping and hung out at home, a nice relaxing day!
Tuesday we went swimming at the YMCA! Logan was very apprehensive to get in but managed it well with two noodles and a fish that squirted everyone (and when I say everyone, I am including the old lady that was doing her swim-aerobics). Hailey jumped right in and liked to go in circles. J&B came over for a fire and smores and dinner
Wednesday we went to Silver Lake to feed the geese. Sadly most of the geese have gone back home but there were some there, including a family of geese! We ventured on to Silver Creek playground where the kids played for a little bit until we realized the kids were getting over heated and I forgot the sunblock. The g/f took her final and then we went out to eat at Fazoli's and then off to Dairy Queen!
Thursday we stayed home and made cupcakes for the birthday party later on. We gave the kids their birthday presents - Logan got a SPIDERMAN Digital Camera and Hailey got a DORA sprinkler. We played in the sprinkler for a while until Logan got pissed at the g/f and then the fun was over - or was it? They made up and kept playing. We then went out to Buffalo Wild Wings where The TFM (and a couple non-TFM'ers) showed up to celebrate my birthday the week before. Then it was bed time...
Friday we went back to the YMCA, went to the Silver Creek Park, AND Dairy Queen. Then it was time to pack everything back up for the trip back up to the cities to drop the family off the next morning :(
We had a great time playing with the kids and I *might* have a short slide show up of it soon. :)

Carbon Monoxide Detectors! Get your happy ass one.

2007-03-22T13:39:00.000-05:00

This is from my friend Jenn - please make sure you have yourself a good CO Detector!
****************************************************************************

Ok, so whether you rent or have your own home, GET CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS!!! Our maintenance guy told us to get one when we moved here and I did thinking, ok what the hell.

Well last night Luke and I were laying in bed and ours went off registering 117. We didn't know if we should call or not so we had the fire department come out and they called the gas company to get here. Each time our furnace kicked in the number would climb higher and we had to go sit outside in the fire guy's truck. It was a little scary! When the gas guy got there he said if we had just gone to bed and the furnace kept running, we wouldn't have woken up this morning had we not have that alarm. So..........I'm putting it out there now, spend the money on these detectors! They work and they saved our lives last night!!!

Jennifer

Magic Garden

2007-03-09T09:05:00.000-06:00

This is basically for my friends in the Capital District

Anyone rememeber the show "Magic Garden"? There is a a clip of the story box on my page, go watch. I got a happy tear watching it. caroleandpaula.com has some more

~There are no locks on storybox!~

Plumbing Woes, Shovels & Icy Roads, Overnight Lows, and another Computer Goes (pssshhh-lunk)

2007-03-05T09:45:00.000-06:00

Last year the g/f and I ripped out a lot of carpeting in our family room. Lots of carpet. We replaced it with flooring...pretty nice flooring. Her dad and she laid it themselves and it looks marvelous! Later that same year we spent a lot of time refacing our bar and varnishing and staining and measuring and cutting and had a marvelous incident with having to go to the bathroom while having oil based paint on your hands (oh lord now that was fun).
Early this year maybe or late last year we had the humidifier running and it over flowed because someone (me) didn't put the pan back in properly so it didn't read "full" when it was full. We had water everywhere. On the new floor and all and it was seeping under the bar and it was a mess. I got that cleaned up and PHEW that was great and I got it cleaned up all by myself because the g/f was working 12 hour overnights.
This past weekend while the g/f was working 12 hour overnights (hence the Overnight Lows) I went downstairs to watch TV on Friday night. Monk was on ya know and I was excited to watch the season finale. I turned into the back part of the room from the doorway to get my popsicle from the freezer and my socked foot immediately was thrust into cold water. I whipped on the light and saw, to my utter disdain, water everywhere. Not only water but it looked like there was a backup so there was food pieces intermixed. I was so out of my element that I could have thrown up a little in my mouth if I ever threw up at all. I got it all up, the water that was. I grabbed all 10 towels in my house and ran back downstairs (after having broken a beautiful picture frame because I didn't balance it properly) and soaked up all the water, put out a fan and the dehumidifier, moved the bar and sopped up the water underneath it and kept some towels down so I could keep stepping on the floor and it would come up on the sides. I figured I had done what I could do and would keep checking on it during the night. I was done for now, the rest of the bits stuck to the counter would have to wait to the morning as I was thoroughly disgusted as it was.
Saturday was uneventful, finished up getting the ice off of the driveway - had about 2.5 feet of snow this past week, week and a half period. I have had enough snow this year already.
The g/f - still on overnights - slept Saturday and was up at 5 to go back to work, leaving at 6:00.
Sunday comes and with the g/f sleeping, I clean up the rest of the downstairs, washed and dried all the towels and got things looking normal again and prepared for a plumber to come out and look at this crap. I finished up all the laundry and what not and went up to do the dishes and then wash out the oven. After about half hour of dishes washing (I should mention that when the sink went shitty it got all our bar glasses and plates all yucky, hence the half hour of washing, I normally only have a few plates in the sink). I shut off the water and heard a tinkling noise - thinking it was the washing machine went down to check on it since it should have stopped long before and walked into round 2 of a sopping wet floor that was three times worse than Friday night. I ran to the laundry room and grabbed all the towels I had just washed and dried and that wasn't nearly enough. I got blankets and sheets and ran upstairs to tell the g/f. It was about 4pm so it was close to when she was going to get up anyway and she came down and she found the shop vac that I forgot about! (I forgot to empty it out the last time I had used it and that bit of information will come into play later) Gallons and gallons of sucked up water later, four fans on the floor with a dehumidifier I went into the laundry room to start ANOTHER load of towels while the g/f sucked up the last bits of water that we could get at the time I see that the slop sink is backed up from dumping in all the gallons of water from the other room...when it so clearly comes to me that I never emptied it from when we ripped the ceiling down MONTHS and MONTHS ago. Again, would have thrown up a bit in my mouth if I ever cared to throw up. I have no gloves and wasn't about to stick my hands in that, no way no how. I decided to let it stand for a bit and pick up some gloves after I brought the g/f to work again (poor girl) Oh, and I didn't get to finish cleaning out the oven because I couldn't run the water in the sink so I wiped it down with paper towels to at least get the cleaner out of the oven, so that left us with no way to eat dinner. Fine, screw it, let's go out. We stop at Kwik Trip on the way to her work for her coffee's and soda's and mini-whoppers. I looked for rubber gloves. They didn't have any. I picked up some paper towels because I'm, at this point, out and desperate since I'm out of towels and paper towels. Genius struck me and I went over to the food station and found the employees gloves for food handling and took about thirty of them. Put them in my pocket and walked out (after paying for the rest of my stuff).
I get home and put my hand down the slop sink, all food-handling-plastic-gloved up and there is nothing blocking the drain. What the hell? This is the most disgusting thing I have ever done and since these aren't RUBBER GLOVES they are prone to leaking. This results in some dry-heaving at this point. I was so frustrated. I did another pass with the vacuum around the floor edges and get some more water up and sit down to watch some TV. Amazing Race, Family Guy, Brothers & Sisters, The L Word. In between I did some vacuum's, and the flooding sink has gone down to 2/3rd's what it was before, and the blocked sink is still as it was.
I went upstairs at 11:30 deciding I was done. I can't handle any more anything. I just want to go to bed.
Then the phone rang. The g/f called and asked about the status and I filled her in. Since I didn't know what to use on the sink (the clogged one) I told her I was leaving it as is because Mommie Dearest here (me) got rid of all the wire hangers! She said to unscrew some stuff and have the buckets ready to capture the crap coming out and I was like - ugh, it's 11:45 and I wanna sleep. So I went down stairs again and got down on the floor and decided that 1 - there was no unscrewing anything and 2 - the bucket wouldn't fit under the big pipe. I then remembered I had an old closet in the other room that might - just might- have a wire hanger. It did, so I got some of the water going down it but didn't want more gunk going down the drain so, with my food-handler plastic gloves on, started scooping up the grosses gross of all gross stuff ever and dry heaving and heavy gagging again, ensued. It wasn't going down nearly enough, the angle of the pipe going down didn't allow for a wire hanger and since I already ruled out unscrewing....I was dying. and tired. and WAY out of my element. I don't do crap like this lol.
Finally all the gunk is out of the sink, the water is down the drain and I rinsed out the sink. I check on the floor again, give it another vacuum up and head back upstairs. I looked at myself in the mirror. I had dirty fingernails, smudges on me from trying to wipe out an oven with paper towels, hair all yucky, feet are more than likely the grossest thing ever and decided that I just could NOT get into bed in this condition. I had to shower. So I climbed in and showered and halfway through looked at the empty towel rack and just shook my head. Now the fuck what. No towels in the house were clean at this point, it's 12:45 in the morning and I'm in no mood to air dry. Jumped out of the shower and ran to the bedroom and thankfully found my bathrobe that doubled as a terry cloth towel for me last night. Now, at 1am I can go to sleep. I'm so damn tired.
I get up early this morning so I can pick up the g/f, bring her home, and then get myself to work. I went up to the computer room to refresh all my podcasts I listen too and plugged in the iPod and went down stairs to finish prepping for work. I go back upstairs and the refresh had stopped and the iPod wasn't showing up as a device. wtf now. I shut down iTunes but it wouldn't open back up. I restarted the computer and got through the booting up and then it was plain black screen. Then I got the HP screen then I got the black screen again upon third boot. I mean seriously. Now what?!?!
The g/f has been working overnights the past three nights, right now she is exhausted and the plumber just arrived at 9:00 this morning and all she wants to do is go to bed. - Oh and she just called to say that the plumber can't get through the clog. I guess I'm glad taxes just came in.

Give me a Cello anyday bozo.

2007-02-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

Not that this is the biggest news ever - because it's not but I now have a firm grasp on *THE* underlying trend I find in my favorite songs.

They are all heavy strings - cello and/or violin.

I have always know I liked the strings but good lord - I didn't realize how MANY of my favorites have such influences.

I can trace this trend back years to Beatles songs (Eleanor Rigby) and my most recent loves (some Chris Pureka and Jane Siberry)

This might also be why I have always wanted a string quartet at my wedding ceremony and reception. I don't care if you can't dance to it, it's what I want and it's my wedding. Besides, who dances during dinner??

The End.

New England Patriots v. Minnesota Vikings

2007-01-18T09:25:00.003-06:00

Ok peeps - been getting some flack that it's a shame on me for not having the Pats as my #1 team. While I am a Pats fan by birth, I am a Vikings fan by choice...I hated football until Amy came around. I learned about football with the Vikings and they wedged a spot in my life, I "grew" into them. Besides, I must watch them every week and I LIVE in Minnesota (and otherwise would be killed if I was a Packers fan). I will always cheer for the Pats, don't you worry. I'm proud as punch for them when they win the Super Bowl but those damn Vikings - just have to love 'em! (I'm still not the biggest football fan, but now that I understand the game, I can appreciate a good game)

Bon Anniversarie

2006-12-07T08:40:00.001-06:00

Happy anniversary to me - 2 years today I quit smoking.
That is approximately 14,607 cigarettes not smoked and $2,191.05 saved.
My pockets don't feel any heavier but then again, neither do my lungs.
I'm pleased with myself but it's still a constant battle, I still want one sometimes and sometimes I even find myself getting ready to get up and go have one...then I realize "oh dumbass, you don't smoke anymore". Ah well.
2 years down, many more to go. YAY me!

Phone Booth: A Memory...

2006-11-13T08:10:00.001-06:00

Picture it: Elms College - December 1994. (If you have no idea what an "Elms College" is, join the rest of the population of the USA) I was in the dormitory - 2nd floor in some direction, north, west...upside down? I had no long distance on my telephone because - well, I wasn't responsible enough at 19 to have that.... I went into the "phone booth" (which was really a closet with very hot pipes & a pay phone inside it) and went inside, closed the door for some privacy and made my telephone call. I have absolutely no idea who I was calling at the time, maybe Tanya - who knows. A short while later I went to exit this "phone closet" and found that the door wouldn't open. I got a little nervous. I had no money to call anyone and once I called them, what on earth would I say? The only people's who's phone numbers I knew were people from home (2 hours away). Luckily I remembered that my mom had Jessica's phone number (the gal across the hall) so I called my mom collect and then proceeded to call Jessica collect. The first time she didn't accept the charges. The second time she didn't answer, the third time she finally did. "Uh Jess, Could you come out in the hall, get Tina and get me the hell out of this phone booth?" Then it started getting hot. I should mention here that Jessica was less than 30 feet from the phone booth. I didn't want to "Scream out" because it was 24 hour quiet hours and thought I would get in trouble again. The night before I had gotten into trouble because Jess and I were watching Jurassic park and some damn dinosaur popped up into the jeep and scared the shit out of me...I screamed. The night before THAT Jessica and I were watching Striking Distance and someone jumped out of a closet and I screamed at that. I thought if I had screamed again that Sange would kick me off the floor so...I just ended up calling Jess.

I don't really remember much after that. I must have sweat it out or something but I vaguely remember fire trucks and Tina thinking I was physically "stuck" in the phone booth, not stuck as in they couldn't open the door. I think it was a credit card or something slid up under the door jamb mechanism that got the door open. I have to say that that memory has stayed with me for about eons now. My bathroom door wouldn't open the other day and panic ensued. I looked and saw the hinges were on my side of the door so I was ok.

But...it's so murky!

2006-10-02T13:48:00.000-05:00

This blog is all about a special place for me as a child...

You may not know the exact lake that I speak of, but you know the lake. It doesn't even have to be a lake, it could be a pool, a park, a tree house. It doesn't even have to be a place at all, it is just a favorite memory.
Set in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts lies a lake. Not just any lake - because there are quite a few, but a particular lake, a SPECIAL lake. The lake is nestled in the trees and is an astounding sight in the autumn. It has lake houses on one side, a public beach on another, a campground and a YMCA camp on the other. An overwhelming majority of the locals call it "Fish Pond" but I do not. I was taught as a very young child to call it by it's proper given name. "Windsor Lake". Now, any of you that DO know of this special little man-made lake is likely to say "Robin, seriously...Windsor Lake Fish Pond is just a hole in the ground - and the water isn't even that great, there is no beach, they took our docks away and there aren't life guards much anymore, plus the "lake police" are nazi's!" But this lake is much more than that to me. It is that one place I can go - either in person or in spirit - look around and get tears in my eyes.
I remember as a child, my gram, two cousins and I would get into our swim suits and head out on our daily adventure. We would pack our lunches in the lunch basket, get the blankets, towels, beach toys, chairs and hats and gather into my gram's grey oldsmobile - the one with dark green velvet seats that were worn from wet - lake soaked bathing suit bottoms. Of course one of us would forget something so we only made it as far as East School (yes it was still called EAST back then) before we turned around. We would be off again, driving up Kemp Ave and crest the plateau to head back down Kemp Ave and there it was. A break in the trees would reveal to us our salvation - our summer joy...the lake. We would drive down the road - each inch agonizing in the summer blaze. My gram, the always careful driver, put on her directional well before the turn - always leaving the people behind us irritated that we didn't turn left when they thought we were going to turn left. Finally we turned into the entrance of the lake - later to be named "George Fairs Way" in honor of my grandfather - and pull up towards the check in hut. There sat this old man, I can still see him today, his family used to run the Mohawk Theater on Main Street which is now in disarray with a local valiant effort to have it restored (ask me about my trip to the Mohawk when I was in 5th grade to see the Goonies and won a game of Monopoly - ok that was about the entire story). My gram would always pull up to the booth and wave with one finger to let him know we were coming through. We had a season pass on the back passenger window - gram always made me roll up my window so that the gentleman in the booth could see we were paid up. I always complained. It was hot! The man knew who we were - not only did we go to the lake every day - as I had said, the road was named after my grandfather, everyone there knew who George was, who his wife was, his kids and grand kids (us). We would always remind them who WE were too. Self inflated sense of pride. If it was a particularly hot day we would have to wait in line and I always remember looking off to my right to a clearing in the trees and there was a path that led to the Sunshine Camp area - it was were the mentally handicap kids had camp.
We would pull around to the parking lot, never up the hill, always around the loop and NEVER down towards the campground. I don't know how my gram used to corral us long enough to unload the car before we jetted off across the lawn, past the playground, past the wood shed, down the hill, jumping over hundreds of people to find the best spot. We dropped all of our stuff on the ground, our over clothes half off before we heard "Kids, wait for me". What words could a hot, excited child like to hear less? Probably "it's time to go", but waiting for my gram to approve our spot was wrenching. I think she just wanted to view where we were so she could keep an eye on us. I don't think she ever fully trusted the life guards.
At first we were only allowed to swim in the kiddie section, this little roped off designated area that really was no bigger than 8 ft by 10 ft, if we were lucky. My cousins Kerry, Jimmy, and I were all one year apart so our abilities to leave the confines of the kiddie area were spaced out just that far. The days that we longed to play Marco Polo with the rest of the group, do hand stands under water, and play "Find the rock" were agonizing. My grandfather had to give us his OWN swimming test to see if we were able to leave the kiddie puddle. Kerry got to leave it first. Then Jim, and then me. Always last. Since I had swimming lessons at such a young age I got to move out of the kiddie section just 3 weeks after Jim and he left it one YEAR after Kerry. (That is the middle grandchild coming out in me....the constant need for validation and kudos! I'm over that now.) Of course, now that we were out of the hell pool we were still bound by strict guidelines - now we could only go out as far as our shoulders. Oh the horror - the diving board was even further out! Sometimes we would try to cheat and go a little further out but we would hear "JIM! I see you!" or "KERRY, Back in now" All I got was "ROBIN" and that was enough. We had to wait for another "George-approved" test before we could make our way to the docks. And once THERE - then we weren't allowed to swim underneath the dock or behind it like all the cool kids, there were rumors of snapping turtles under there. Rules. Not Lake rules - Helen & George rules. But no matter, it was the lake, it was summer, it was the days of being able to run out of a lake, stand over your grandmother while she is reading her book while you are dripping wet and probably ruining her book to beg her for your allowance to run to the concession for some fried dough or those large pixie styx, sometimes an ice cream treat if you budget wisely. She would always say no, of course, and that we had to wait for our lunches. I think we ate at 10:30 every day so we could make the afternoon come quicker - quicker we could have our ice cream treats. Gram prepared our plates of sandwiches and chips, carrots and whatever else she packed away...usually a pickle I would always refuse. I remember we would have bologna (wunderbar bologna) & cheese, or ham and cheese or a fluffernutter. We gobbled it up and then were obligated to wait that - what seemed to be an eternity - half hour wait. Of course that is an old wives tale giving parents enough time to clear up after the kids eat. We would run up to the play ground - the same one we ignored on the way in and if we were lucky - find a swing. If no swing then we would hop on the thing that went around (sometimes we were even luckier - someone's older brother or sister or dad was there to make it go around really fast!) or down the slide. No one liked the slide because it was metal and it was hot (who thought it would be a good idea to have a slide at a lake - metal, sun, wet bare asses...good combo!). We'd watch people on the teeter tatter going up and down. I was always scared of it so I sat out. If Kerry and I felt like talking we would sit on the special rock - this really large rock that had a half moon chunked out so it looked and felt like a chair.
Finally the half hour was over. We knew this because we had our eyes glued to the arch of the hill where we could see our gram stand up and wave to us. Again, we dashed madly across the green grass and ran right back into the water without even a hello to my gram. Once a week the drama major's from the local college treated us to a kiddie show - Something Different. There was a LARGE blue board with two box openings at the top. They all had on different colored shirts with the "something different" logo on it with their names on the back. They would come out singing "Hello we're something different, hello we're something new, we're here to entertain you and have some fun with you" - they would go on and sing their names and something else and holy hell - it has been over 20 years and I still remember the words as if it were yesterday. There was one woman I remembered fondly - her name was Susan and occasionally I will see her around North Adams and I have to fight the overwhelming urge to run up to her and hug her like she is a long lost relative. Anyway, these something different actors would have costumes and put on skits, sometimes with puppets and ALWAYS with whipped cream pies to the face! Nothing was funnier than the pies to the face. They had different sized colored boxes - red, green, yellow, and blue boxes that they would use to create scenes with - scenes that only our imaginations could see. We would sing along and laugh and have the best time. At the end they sang a slowed down version of the same song ending with "we'll be back this time next week to have more fun with you...".
Even now as I recall these memories I am filled with a sense of youthful enthusiasm, a feeling of joy, warmth, happy tears, sadness for days gone by. As we started to grow up the trips to the lake took a back seat to bike riding, baseball, having friends over for the day. I did spend time at the campground as a young teen, I gained many memories of friends I still have - of New Kids on the Block birthday parties (NOT my own) and baby-sitting for a young girl that has since died in a tragic car accident. I remember taking a canoe ride with Jim and our friend Shane and the dang thing flipped over all on it's own - at least that is what Jim and Shane expected me to believe! Our 8th grade class trip was a cook out at the lake and as a teen my best friend and I would go daily to socialize and swim a little - but it just wasn't the same without Helen, our lunches, allowances, and rules.
On the day before I moved away from Massachusetts I went up to the lake. I followed the same familiar path I had taken many times in my youth. I crested Kemp Ave, descended towards the lake peeking through the trees. I pulled up George Fairs Way, taking a photo as I drove past. It was a warm but windy July day and there were surprisingly few cars in the parking lot. I got out of the car, walked passed the play ground - the round wooden thing gone, so were the teeter tatters. They were said to be dangerous. The slide was still there. I walked past the wood shed that was now locked up so people could pay for their wood. I glanced to my right where the Something Different crew would set up - "Hello we're something different..." - I topped the hill and stood under the tree where my gram would always sit. They added a nice bench, got rid of the docks in the middle of the lake. I watched as my nephew - just 9 months old - go into the lake for the first time. I hoped for him the same summer fun I had as a kid, no, I prayed for it. They were carefree times, energy filled, and life lasting memories. No, even though I am a local I will never call this place "Fish Pond" it deserves it's proper name. I will always come back to Windsor Lake to reminisce about life, my grandparents (who are still very much alive), or childhood - whether it's in person or in my heart. I don't have a childhood house to go home to - we moved around a lot as a kid, but I have something better - I have a lake. I turned around and made my way back to the car glanced back to my left and smiled - "we'll be back this time next week to have more fun with you...".

13 Things that yank my chain.

2006-08-11T08:32:00.001-05:00

Haven't been in the office for the past two friday's so...here ya go another one.

13 Things that yank my chain.

1 - Bad Drivers. This encompasses an entire portion of drivers though - those that don't use their directionals, those that don't know how to merge, those that pull into my lane and go slower than they should be (like yesterday when I had to follow someone doing 45 on 52 which is 60 mph...my exit was coming up and couldn't pass), anyone that doesn't MOVE at a green light, people that tailgate, drivers that go slow in the snow. Obviously people that cut me off. People that slam on their breaks (for no reason). Yes I don't like drivers in general but bad drivers are the worst.

2 - Along the lines of bad drivers are bad walkers. It bugs me to NO end when pedestrians do not use crosswalks, and when they do use crosswalks they walk against the walk/do not walk sign. Drivers like myself rely on those "WALK" and "DO NOT WALK" flashing lights to know if there might be pedestrians in the walkway. I honk at walkers that walk during the "DO NOT WALK" sign. I do.

3 - I've been made fun of for this one... I have absolutely no patience with fast food chains that mess my order up. Especially when I'm in the drive-thru. (usually it's only when I'm in the drive-thru). I take the drive thru for a reason - either I'm in a rush and can't go in or I'm lazy and don't want to go in, either way it's a safe bet that I do NOT want to go into the facility. My orders are simple. Cheeseburger plain. I have asked for cheeseburgers plain for YEARS. (and for years they have been messed up) so I tried to reword my sentence. "Cheeseburger with nothing on it" which usually results in me getting a hamburger. Cheeseburger minus everything - they have no idea what I'm talking about so I get it all. "Plain cheeseburger" also doesn't register. "Cheeseburger plain" I can guarantee I'll have ketchup on it. Nayway - I have taken to sitting in the drive thru and checking my order before I leave. Screw the rest of the people behind me. I have also gotten to ordering something they can't mess up. i.e. nuggets or something of the like. The other day I was in the drive thru and ordered a mcdonalds ..2 for breakfast (Bacon, cheese, egg biscuit - not even an option for sausage) and I got sausage. I was sick of getting all the way home or to work and finding out my order was wrong. Sticker on the food says "double checked for accuracy" Double checked my ass.

4 - lAm3rZ Sp33k and undue abbreviations - Ok I've been online wayyy to long. I hate when people type with numbers. It drives me insane. I hate when they replace the entire sentence full of letters for numbers (i.e. lam3rz sp33k) or just once (i.e. any1) I dislike when people type "u" for "you" "1" for "one" "r" for "are" "y" for "why". My favorite is "ctc" or "hru" (care to chat and how are you) Seriously. It doesn't take that much time to type out all the letters involved in constructing the sentence and it makes the person look just a bit smarter. (I must make a statement here that there are some abbreviations that I do use i.e. LOL and BRB but those stuck from when I was much much younger...I've grown out of all the other abbreviations)

5 - Telephone - I really just don't like the telephone. I only like it to call people I don't see often. Otherwise, send me a text (NOT txt, put in the extra "E"!!! hah). That was a simple one.

6 - Up until a couple weeks ago I would have said my Moxi. Seriously it would go out at the most inopportune moments and screw up my recording. Dink.

7 - Sometimes I think people in general - I have a very low tolerance for stupidity. People that lack of common sense drives me insane. 99% of the people on those Jerry Springer shows and the judge judy shows...yea gotta go. And they spawn. It's insane.

8 - Pop Music today. What the hell is wrong with music today? Do you know what it's going to be like when our generation hits the nursing homes? We'll be callin people pimps and bitches, slappin people's badonkadonks, showin off the grills, trollin for booty, feelin our lovely lady lumps and we won't know how to speak proper english while we are there. I can't stand it when people don't speak proper (leave out verbs or change verbs to "we be..." no you don't be..you "ARE"). Yes. I just can't listen to something at 6AM that sounds like soft porn.

9 - Other peoples bathrooms. I am not saying anyone has a dirty bathroom, that's not it, I just have a hard time taking a SHOWER in someone else's bathroom. It's the whole foot fungus thing. GOD FORBID I have to take a bath at someone else's house, I would probably do it fully dressed. Thinking about it makes me squirm.

10 - Show boaters / one uppers - not everything is a contest, you don't have to one up me, you don't have to show off what you have. a wee bit of modesty goes a LONNNNNG way.

11 - I don't think I have anymore...I don't like the standard terrorists, animal abusers, child abusers etc etc but I can't imagine anyone would so I don't feel like typing about it.

SO I say here - I am eating 12 & 13. They aren't missing. hah

13 Things I Dig...

2006-07-20T14:06:00.001-05:00

Thirteen things I'm into right now

1 - Totally into Moxi. I have just about everything scheduled to record, I can record two shows at the same time AND watch something I've previously taped while the other two are recording. I have already gone through the fall line up and prepared what I will be watching. I am NO LONGER a slave to my TV. I watch what I want when I want and I do it in less time (since I can fast-forward commercials) so. If I am on vacation I can say - be on vacation and not worry that Ghost Whisperer is on and it looked really good this week. No more do I have to choose between The L Word and Grey's Anatomy (like there is any question which one I would watch - plus Grey's is moving to Thursday) I can schedule my Numbers and Monk at the same time and it's ok! Amy gets irritated that I play with it while something is on TV, and that's understandable, but it is never anything important. hah

2 - Wickedly love my Pandora - www.pandora.com and create your own radio station. You say what artists/songs you like and it will spit back at you songs/artist it thinks you will like in return. You, from there, have the option to veto songs (watch it, you can only veto just so many per hour) and you have the ability to buy it right there from iTunes, approve the song, add it to your favorites for call back later on, see some background about the performer AND put any song on the shelf. Say you like Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel but you have just had enough hearing it - it's played at least once a day - you can put it on the shelf for a month and not worry about it, AND you don't waste a skip (I don't think)

3 - Chris Pureka (haah I typed Christ) - SO anyway Chris Pureka. If you are reading my blog you are likely to know who Chris is anyway but for those of you that do not - take this time right here and go educate yourself www.myspace.com/chrispureka she is super talented and super cute. (Plus if you look in my pictures you will see a picture of she, me, and amy) Her new album is in the works and I'm just thrilled that she will be coming back to Minnesota in October and can hardly wait to go to another show, a show of HER this time, not her opening for someone else. All Chris Pureka - all the time is how it should be. She is just phenom! Which leads me to ..4 and the next phenom -

4 - Brianna Lane - First I have to thank G for getting me super addicted to Brianna and for Chris (even though I heard of Chris before G but not to the magnitude I did until after..) First I have to say that I have seen Brianna 4 times and going to see her again tomorrow night. I am not stalking her, no but I am absolutely impressed and amazed by her talent. Amy and I were chatting about Brianna after her show and the g/f had the brilliant insight to say that the thing about Brianna is that she keeps your attention. And she is right - While others are writing about feelings and blah blah Brianna brings it to life with visuals, with Brianna I can see the porch light being out and someone forgetting and trying to flip it on, I can see the zipper pulls in the jars, and I can see the man in the raincoat. PLUS she is a fantastic performer and very very down to earth...go check her out too! www.myspace.com/briannalane (she looks like the g/f's sister in law P)

5 - Bill Bryson - Right now I'm reading "A Short History of Nearly Everything" and I'm just about to the part that Einstein is born (It's on the same page that I am currently reading just haven't quite gotten there yet) and the book is captivating. Bryson has this way of taking something mundane and turning it into comedic genius. While this book is still a bit dry because it's so factual, he throws in sentences for the common person and facts about scientist that keep me captivated. I have been hooked on Bill since Erika's friend Colin from Ireland mentioned him years ago - the book Made in the USA (a.k.a. Made in America) was great - talking about the origins of words we use, how we butchered the words from other countries and made them our own etc. He even mentions a professor that I had in college while discussing cussing (and mentions the college I attended and the book that Jay wrote that I read. Even though he exaggerated in the book - my professor not Bryson). I think, by far, my favorite Bryson book so far is A Walk in the Woods. Seriously I was reading it on the bus from IBM to Mayo and I read one part about why Bryson wanted to walk the Appalachian trail (so he could tell others he $hit in the woods) and the way he phrases things made me laugh out loud...people on the bus thought I was crazy....mind you the rest of the people on the bus WERE crazy... If you have the time to read, check out one of Bill's books. He does a lot of travel books and nostalgia books so, you will probably find him in the TRAVEL section of your library or Barnes & Noble/Bookstore.

6 - I'm into my camera man, not my "Camera Man", My CAMERA, man. It is so sweet. It is so sweet that I'm not sure why I even had to think about it. I am loving that Amy and I saved $125 on it by seeing it online cheaper (BestBuy honored the online price) AND we had a "Save 12 percent" coupon which took off another $58 bucks. (and we had a gift card from when we bought the computer as a reward) so we saved a chunk of change on it. We planed to buy it w/o the $125 savings but it made it all the more enticing when we realized how much we could save, and still get the 1Gb chip and get some LCD covers. Now onto the camera - Night photos. It takes fantastic night photos. 12x Optical zoom. Not only am I going to Mt Rushmore in 3 weeks, I will be able to see the boogers up Jeffersons nose while I'm there. The zoom is insane. I was sitting on my bed and about 15 feet away is the bathroom so I zoomed in just to see what I could see (and it wasn't the other side of the mountain) but I could see a single hair on the bathroom floor. It was brown. I'm going to have good times with that puppy.

7 - Reality TV - SOOO hooked on reality TV right now... Project Runway is back on, Big Brother 7: All-Stars, Hell's Kitchen, Treasure Hunters...seriously, it's insane fun! I was bummed that Malan got booted on PR Wednesday Night - he touched my heart when he said his mom threw his book down and said he'd amount to nothing...and I love his laugh hahah - Angela sooo should have gone home. She looks like she should have been on square pegs. BB7 - so sick of the BB6 alliance, I had enough of BB6 during BB6. Pullin for Jase to take it and run! I just like him this season so much better than BB5. Hell's Kitchen! Sarah just needs to go. She should have gone last week. Rootin for Heather man, rootin for Heather! (And K-grease). TH= Wild Hanlon's...I kinda miss them. haha. Pullin for the southie boys or ex-cia. Kayte is making me sick. SOON comes on - Americas Next Top Model, Survivor, Amazing Race, and American Idol. And while it's not your typical Reality TV - I am loving America's Funniest Home Videos. I watch it every night and I laugh like a crazy person. I am sick of the pinata's and I'm sick of guys getting hit in the junk, but otherwise I love it. I love when people get scared, but I have a hard time watching because I'm laughing so hard that I can't keep my eyes open to watch the succession of clips!

8 - Camping. Never thought I'd see that one. Camping has been so much fun now that I am doing it as an adult. A few years ago the g/f and I went to Duluth for Labor Day and it was the best camping time every, the next year we didn't camp because we had just moved into our house and were occupied with that on the weekends. This year though - for my birthday we went camping, a group (TFM) came with as a group event and it was GREAT! There was fire, frothy beer, food, friends, fun games, frisbee, and G played us the guitar - other sites clapped too! We are planning another camping trip for the first weekend in August (for half the TFM) and ANOTHER in South Dakota for 4 days in later August (for another sect of the TFM). I don't drink much but I like to relax and have drinks and enjoy the stars and fire and chatting and music. (and the one is SD will be filled with prime opportunities to use my new camera!!!)

9 - I'm really digging my new floor in the family room (finished basement). I will have to post pictures of what we moved into, what we changed it to, and what we changed it to - ripping up carpet, ripping out entertainment centers, recovering the bar, laying new floor, putting up a new ceiling, updating light fixtures. It's a whole new room! So the flooring - We go to Menards see (Save big money at menards yo) and there was some flooring on sale but decided that we liked the next step up (it was still on sale, but not as good a price) we initially decided or thought about this color that is light oak - you find it in any of the cookie cutter houses that are out there now. I decided that I liked the Walnut (I think it's Maple really) better. It was a warmer wood with a busier design AND it wasn't something you'd find in every pre-fab home. So the g/f and her dad laid the smack down on it last weekend. It's sweet.

10 - The word "Word". Such a kickback...and here I thought I was the only one using it and getting others to say it when I start to watch tv and OTHERS are using it, I was so excited. Word yo! Word, right Dana?

11 - The g/f, My sisters (and family) - so yea now that I'm older I do appreciate my sisters more. Erika is 6 years (almost 7) younger than I am, and Meg is 12 years younger. Now that we are all out of high school, Erika with kids & a home, and Meg away from home too, we actually have things to talk about. I worry sometimes that when my mom dies in the future that we are going to lose the glue that kept us together but now I don't think we will. We have such a generation gap sometimes that I worry but I think we will be ok, I love my sisters they rock. :) And of course my family. and my g/f. My gram is. Honestly, there is no word for her, she just is. She makes me laugh like i've never laughed, she makes me happy, and sad, and she keeps me informed (and then some) she helped me be who I am today and at 87 years old, she still watches my niece and nephew. My gramp is just like my gram only a guy hahah, he is hilarious and the two of them together is enough to make anyone get dizzy haha. My mom - my step dad (fill in mushy stuff here) I could go on for hours about Logan and Hailey so I won't. but without my family I'd be lost. Which brings me to the g/f - ya know when you are in the store looking for those sappy valentines day cards and blah blah they are sticky sweet and all that? she's all that PLUS those stupid campy cards that make you groan and laugh :) I am so thrilled that her class is done for summer and I get to see her again! She figured out in this past year (not including weekends) that she and I have seen each other for 45 hours. And folks, those aren't 45 hours in a row. They are 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, and a whoping 25 minutes when I decide to stay up late to catch a TV show with her. It's horrible, but we shall overcome.

12 - TFM. I say TFM a lot on here and I'm not sure anyone knows what it's all about. It's basically a group of women that are friends. There is this national thing about the gay m@fia/lesbian m@fia (that would be the "M" in TFM) and we would joke that we have our own sect of it. There are about 13 or 14 of us with a few other honorary members here and there that we don't hang out with as much but do on occasion. Now the "TF" is the funny part. G, the g/f, and I went to the Catie Curtis show in March and the opening act was the 3 alto's or tenors or something (I can't remember at all) so the 3 singers and while being presented onstage they were introduced as "The Folk singer, the Rabbi, and the Sexologist" (ya know like the beginning of the joke) and it was OUR job to figure out which is which. Well a guitar fell down and one of the chicks went to fix it and she said "well, I'm the folk singer" and we all giggled and while she was re-tuning her guitar to fill the time they told us who was who and the rabbi chatted for a minute then the sexologist said - well I can give you a demonstration on where to find the g-spot. and we all roared - it had to do with taking two finger (TF) and position them in such a way to reach it, and she used the roof of her mouth as an example. So there you go - TFM. SO ANYWAY - These girls are so much fun that I'm going to be sad in a few years when we pack up and move. Now that we are all adults with homes and jobs and lives our friendships have matured as well, there is no more campiness, not cattiness, (well not totally) and we generally have a group that gets along. It's almost impossible to have a group of friends that large that all get along and some of us don't but we are all big enough to at least "deal" with who we can't. My top 16 has 6 of us, and a few others are floating around in my friends list. I don't know when we are going to move (3 or 4 years maybe) so I don't think about it now, but one of us is leaving at the end of August. Luckily for the g/f and I she is going to Massachusetts so we will see her on our trips back home. (Like this new years eve we might get to spend with her then drive home the next day - depends on everything else going on at that time and it's still like 6 months away). We have a lot of fun together - camping, game nights, fire pits, bar nights, dinners, bbq's, pride, etc. I am not looking forward to moving and trying to find friends like these again...it just simply can't be done.

oh and

13 - (I almost stopped at 12!!) hmmm how about COFFEE ICECREAM!!! While this isn't new to me, it's a favorite of mine. I hate Coffee, that is - I hate drinking it. I love everything else about it, the smell, the flavor, the color, just everything but I can't stand brewed coffee. I love coffee ice cream so much it is insane. It was hard to find it when I first moved to Minnesota...the local companies didn't make it, then I started to see Edie's in the store and THEY sometimes carried coffee, then I saw STARBUCKS came out with ice cream - and of course it was coffee! Then Breyers made it's way in and then, then, then the bestest thing to Coffee Ice Cream happened. I discovered Coldstone Creamery. They have this coffee lovers thing that I just adore - it's coffee ice cream, caramel sauce, almonds, and toffee chips. OH MY GOD. To die for. My obsession with coffee ice cream started with Friendly's...and anyone that's had Friendly's ice cream and then someone else's - the other ice cream tastes weak and isn't NEARLY as creamy. Friendly's has delicious coffee ice cream and they have this peanut butter sauce they put on their peanut butter cup ice cream sundae (and other sundaes) and one day I decided that I liked the coffee ice cream, and I like the peanut butter sauce so I should put them together. oh snap. wow. So now that I'm out here in MN and there aren't any Friendly's out here I have my mom go buy some sauce from Friendly's and mail it out to me. I am dying for some, I haven't had it since Christmas.

Erika - go buy me some and ship it out, mom isn't feeling good. I need it. Oh and the g/f wants some Dunkin Donuts coffee please. I could also use a tub of Fluff please, and some Molly's smilie face cookies AND some of the maple walnut cupcakes from Molly's and I need a couple Everything bagels from Dunkin Donuts....I think that's it, go buy it and send it :) Everything else I'll get when I'm home next *hugs*

Ok done...so Thanks Moxi, Pandora, Chris Pureka, Brianna Lane, Bill Bryson, Sony, Reality TV, Minnesota State Parks (and South Dakota too), laminate flooring, the letters w-o-r-, and d, My family/sisters and my gal, my friends in the TFM, AND coffee Ice cream...I love you all so much :)

WORD!

Friday Thirteen

2006-07-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

I stole this from someone that posts a regular meme on every Thursday. I'm going to do it on Friday and go with the number 13 (as in Friday the 13th)

SO here is the theme this week:

13 Jobs I've had.

1. Paper Girl. Ya know, it doesn't really sound like much but it is/was. My paper route took me from just above city hall, through city hall, up main street, down holden st, into and up the concourse, up the dowlin block, up eagle street, around the library, and finishing off across from the post office. I was 11ish. I had 115 papers in total to deliver. I hated Fridays and Saturdays! On Fridays when we got paid I would stop off at Dream Machine and play there for a little bit - I was a regular at Centipede and Skee-Ball. I rocked. I finally gave up that route to Kim Santelli (I didn't know her at the time but she ended up being a really good friend of mine later in life). I used to skip people on purpose because I was lazy and didn't want to walk three flights. Later on I ended up with another paper route but that is another number later on!

2. Burger King Bi-atch. It was the only place that hired when you turned 15. I took it. I was taught chicken/fish/fryer first, then burger board, then whopper. I moved up to cashier really quickly and then took the drive through spot. Everyone wanted those jobs because you got to see and talk to people...but I got them because I was good with a register - always have been, always will be. I don't remember much about BK but one time they needed help in BK down south county and I ended up being the first person they asked to go down there. That was the first place someone asked me for a vegetarian burger...blew my mind and I think I asked them "do you mean cheese on bread? like a cheese sandwich? why even say burger then?". That was about it for that job, that was 16 years ago, I don't remember too much about it. I know I hated sterilizing.

3. Paper Girl. (Again) This time I had a route closer to home. Not that anyone is going to know this route, I do. I would pick up in front of my house and run up the street with three papers - (on East Main Street) then I would get settled with my papers - go down towards Berkshire Landing, up back towards east main, down towards main st, down gallup st, up park ave, over kemp ave, up towards windsor lake, down bradley street and then back home. It was QUITE a long route for me. Eventually I found out that my best friend's dad & brother had a route similar to mine (on the opposite side of the street of all weird things) so we got together and traded customers so I could stay closer to home. This was the route that had me deliver papers to my grams house - I stopped in one day to get a sprite and when I was done I thought I'd be badass and twist the can in half, as I did so I sliced open my left thumb. My gramp told me I needed stiches but I flat out refused.

4. Baby-sitting. This really was my job in my junior year. I would go over after school and stay with Dan (8 or 9) and Angela (baby). I earned my money damnit. The kid (dan) used to spit on me, he was super mean and very uncontrollable. I remember I found a tape in their house of Kansas and made a copy of it, because I am such a pirate. The parents were super nice and I still see them every once in a while when I'm home. Nice folks.

5. Stop n Shop. I had to bust my ass to get that job. I went in for my initial interview with tons of other people (it was a store that was just opening) and the girl in back of me got the job of cashier and they had told me there none left. My step dad called and ripped them a new ass and I got another shot at the job. We trained for quite some time and travelled to different stores to train. They used to have competitions for the cashiers to see who was the fastest with the best accuracy for onspot cash and price and I was always top 2. (see, still good with that register). I used to dream of the beeps - my alarm clock would often work it's way into a dream about work. hah. I remember working with Michelle Dorman and Jill Campedelli - one day on break Jill had a soda and was going to throw it away but she was going to throw it in the mail box on accident -she's a riot. I remember this is where I learned what "flavor savor" was (moustache). Yea, totally inappropriate from my boss talking about that huh? Also this was the place where I got to "check out" Judge Reinhold. and saw Christopher Reeves be a jack ass to a young fan and wouldn't give his autograph. Anyway - I quit that job. About a month or two before prom/graduation/college visiting days I put in for the days off...a few days before I put in a follow up note to ensure I got the days off and Bill (the boss) told me that he can't guarantee me those days off. I told him to go ahead and schedule me and I'll call in sick. So I went to my dads house and got job 6 and told Stop n Shop to go be badass elsewhere.

6. Mobil/Convenience Plus. So after I told Stop n Shop to go stick it I started to work at the Mobil station on Curran Highway and the one in Williamstown (before it was made over into a DnD/Mobil/Shell). The store in Williamstown was seriously a hole in the wall and it was right by a mental institution and we'd get all the whacko's in. It was torture. You never knew who was coming in and/or why - like the guy that bought 10 packs of cigarettes per day. The guy that owned a restaurant in North Adams that would come in and buy $400-$500 worth of scratch tickets per day. It was insane. I met Sinbad there. I quit working at Mobil when I went off to college, where I had a couple work-study jobs that I won't get into.

7. Cumberland Farms. This was the next job I had - it was the same as Mobil station only this was on Rt 2. People from NY going to Boston would drive it and vice versa. I'd often get tourists in and ask directions - I'd hand them a map. I'd get people come in and ask me where Rt. 2 was. Seriously buddy. I think I even saw a Ryder truck full of hippies (travelling in the back of the Ryder - so Illegal!

8. Walmart. I ran register for a while - Like I said - I rock the register. Then one day they said "we need help in the Radio Grill" and put me in there. GOD I should have protested. Once I was in I couldn't get out. Everyone that was there quit leaving me and one other chick to work the entire schedule. Management wouldn't help. I'm not so good with food industry. Then I got to run the damn place - I begged management to get someone in there so I could leave. No go. I did like doing the ordering though, that was fun. I hated closing up - people were asses. Specially the workers - they all went on lunch at the same time and wanted their food at the same time. Like that was going to happen. I finally got out of that job when one day I got a call from my mom "get your resume together and get down to city hall" word! Oh and the only reason I stayed on at Walmart so long is cos it paid the sorority dues and housing fees to live there.

9. NAMEFCU - That would be a credit union. It was me and Gail. Oh Gail, how I miss her...she made me laugh and laugh. My mom worked down the hall in the Mayor's office and could hear us giggling like school girls. She told the best stories, and they were animated stories. She is the one that got me hooked on the Harry Potter series. I just love her. Anyway - the job was super neat but it was only part time. I got to do credit reports, write checks, fill out loans, process loans for approval, balance the statements, deposits, payroll...just about everything. I loved it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Then...I moved :/

10. CVS - Had this job while I worked at NAMEFCU - needed to make rent, right? It was stupid, lots of people buying cold medicines, buying pictures, and stealing condoms.

11. Subway - So like I said - I moved. Not only did I move, I moved to Alabama. To a town that has a population of 1,053. I could go to Phil Campbell and work at the Piggly Wiggly or drive into Haleyville (birthplace of 911) and work for Michelle's friend Shari (who has since died) working at Subway. I chose subway. Only because the piggly wiggly reminded me of price chopper and i hate price chopper. The subway was ok to work at, itself, I learned all i needed and I sliced veggies and onions, and prepped the bins and the meats, made the bread and stocked whatever...ya know the usual. The job itself was a job, it got me back home eventually but here was the kicker - it was in the deep south. On any given week I would encounter 4 types of people - The Religious, The Southern Woman, The Civil War Fighter, and The Footballer/Cheerleader. All typical of the south. Religious folks would all ask "have you been saved?" each and every time they came in. (I just started saying yes to get them to leave me alone), The Southern Woman with her big hair and drawl would say stuff like "Is it true ya'll yankees shoot each other dead up there?" - yea lady, that's why I'm still alive. The Civil War Fighter would come in with his t-shirt on that said "and the south shall rise again" and I'd think - only to have the yankees put you down again. and of course the footballer/cheerleader coming in being all teen-ager like and creating headaches. I learned that any stereotype I knew of the south did exist (like when three old guys were waiting in line and they were talking about the 2000 election that was currently being recounted for the umpteenth time one guy said "well if anything happens to Gore we'd have a damn Jew in the whitehouse" !!! he said that, no lie) but I also learned that not everyone down there can be stereotyped...I ate at tons of mexican restaurants (the ones up north suck, by the way) and a few road kill cafes (they will cook your kill if you want them to). Oi BUT nothing is better than driving down the road flipping through one MILLION stations of christian music than coming upon a peanut stand and getting nice hot peanuts in a shell and eat them all the way home!

12. Capital Motorsports. So I got home from Alabama to Massachusetts and got lucky. I applied to an ad in the paper for a invoicing clerk and I got the job, BUT it was part time. My bosses were impressed by my computer knowledge/abilities that they hired me full time - half to do invoicing and half to do their computer work. I did so much there I don't know where to start - I stated off running credit cards and labeling boxes for delivery then I started to occasionally take catalog orders to taking little orders to taking FULL time orders. (Mark down SALES on my resume) Then I also managed the photograph library with all the parts we sold (race car parts btw) and took pictures of items we didn't have in the library. THEN I was the co-ordinator for the catalog and was in charge of keeping prices up to date as well as the layouts. I also managed the magazine publications (ON TOP of my sales job) and then we started up the website (which is just like the catalog) complete with shopping cart and online ordering. The website I created in 2001 is still in use with very very very minor updates (mostly just new items and pricing updates). I created the beast and it still lives - It was an enormous undertaking. I taught myself how to use Front Page to do the job and used Photoshop ad nauseam. GO ME! My co-workers were funny but my bosses... They were a husband/wife team, really small company (10 or 11 people). She doted on her dogs and was a work-a-holic and perfectionist. Drove me insane most of the time. He was a big ol bear, and if you listened really close (or just happened to be in the next room like I was) you could hear their fights. Nice. Knock 'em down, drag 'em out. She was a bear. But...now that I don't work there I miss it. I dream about the place often and always think about the wife asking me to take my job back. hah. I could tell you stories and stories about the people we talked to on the phone. Lets just say that amateur race car drivers are a few nuts short of a tight tire.

13. IBM. Current job that I have here in Minnesota. I do a lot of everything from creating projects in a database to creating resource records in it. I manage the data going in and coming out and oversee the world wide team to make sure they are also doing the same (I have counter parts in Japan, India, Israel, China, Egypt, Korea, and Germany). I don't do just that, but I really prefer not to talk too much about my current job.
I can say that a lot of people come to me for technical support and I am QUITE OFTEN simply amazed that these people work at IBM too. - "How do I close the program" (use the big red "X" at the top of the screen). I love the people I work with and my team mates out in Vermont

SO there it is folks - my 13 jobs. (I had more but cut a few out because they were stupid like the time I worked at Cascade and slit open my finger - that's all I remember, or when I worked for the Sierra club and worked for like 2 weeks and quit because I can't sell cookies to a fat girl with PMS...soo...not my complete history but some of it)

Remember that time we went to Pride and...

2006-06-26T16:00:00.003-05:00

Inspired by Regina Spektor via Gillian

Remember that time we went to Pride 06

Remember that time we went to pride and went to Independent to eat and Gillian dropped her beautiful drink on the floor?
Remember that time we went to pride and went to see Brianna and Katie play and left Katie 4 Quarters and a pen?
Remember that time we went to pride and went to the Townhouse and ran into Gretchen there by some weird twist of fate?
Remember that time we went to pride and Rae told Devin to just go talk to some chick and she DID! HERO! Chick was married though hah
Remember that time we went to pride and walked around and saw lots of rainbow things hah
Remember that time we went to pride and Gillian got videotaped for channel 5 news? So got the pictures
Remember that time we went to pride and everyone kept asking Amy where she got her "Yes I am in the right bathroom" t-shirt?
Remember that time we went to pride and the little Rainbow Family kids were singing Rent songs? So cute!
Remember that time we went to pride and saw Ellis and Brianna and Pamela Means all in the RAIN?
Remember that time we went to pride and had funnel cake?
Remember that time we went to pride and it rained and rained so we sought shelter in the crowded beer garden?
Remember that time we went to pride and ate at Joe's? ("Eat at Joe's" hehe)
Remember that time we went to pride and Gus smiled for the camera while it was raining while Brianna was singing?
Remember that time we went to pride and went to Bryant Lake Bowl and saw Ellis, Brianna, and Pamela (again!!!)?
Remember that time we went to pride and Pamela signed all our CD's as "thanks for watching with the squirrels" hehe
Remember that time we went to pride and went to Twilight! Gay times!
Remember that time we went to pride and we all got crazy cab drivers?
Remember that time we went to pride and went to the parade and saw Rochester peeps - Dave walked in cowboy boots the whole way!!!
Remember that time we went to pride and Amy truck got hit and the mirror glass fell out?? That sucked.
Remember that time we went to pride and had the best gay times ever?!?!?

South Dakota - A Story Unfolds....

2006-06-26T13:45:00.000-05:00

So last week J, Dirty D, the g/f, and I went to the Badlands/Black Hills in South Dakota. Here is
the jist of the story -

Day 1
- The g/f & I were late picking up Dirty D & J. (Not too bad about 15 minutes)
- Started to play the alphabet game on signs/cars...J led, Dirty D took over, the g/f & I paired up since the g/f was driving...the lead kept changing hands
- Stopped in Jackson to see the g/f's mom, pick up some binoculars & Bars - Bars were a BIG hit
- Saw the g/f's brother Brent hauling pigs on the other side of the highway
- Saw a million Wall Drug signs (and Murdo signs)
- Hit Sioux Falls and the g/f/I won the alphabet game with "Z" in Zoo
- Drove and drove on a gamillion miles of flat land, hit a crest and ran into a valley with Lake Francis Case and the Missouri River
- Stopped in Belvedier for gas and was asked by some guys from Illinois if we saw them on the side of the road would we stop...blah blah car problems and the g/f said "depends on what side of the road I was on..." always the diplomat.
- Stopped at Jigger's for lunch - Indian Taco's were good!
- Went to the Badlands - You'd have to see the pictures to understand how gorgeous it was and those don't do it justice.
- J and Dirty D climbed up a hill the g/f dubbed "The Boob" (pictures!)
- Dirty D slid back down the boob on her butt!
- Got our first taste of hilly terrain that was going to come.
- Wall Drug came next - stopped and shopped a bit
- Saw where Dirty D lived when she worked at Wall Drug years ago
- Did some HILARIOUS Madlibs on the rest of the trip to the Black Hills
- Got to the campsite (that we didn't have a reservation for - and apparently didn't need since it was crazy dead there)
- Found out there was a statewide FIRE BAN! Asked - how are we going to eat?!?! All we brought was grillable food. Owner let us have a small fire with water nearby.
- Set up camp and realized - the g/f didn't pack sheets and Dirty D brought the wrong size sheets
- "Ran" into Hill City for some beer and to see if we could find sheets and a propane grill.
- The trip to Hill City was winding and desolate. Except of course the 25 deer we saw on the way. We had to not say "DEER!" every time we saw one so that the g/f didn't panic!
- the g/f went into Best Western to ask if she could buy some sheets. That was a big "no".
- No Propane Grills around. Hardware store was closed. No Walmarts. Went back to camp
- Saw 20 deer on the way back through. We counted. We were able to say "Wildlife way back on the left" instead of "DEER OVER THERE!"
- Put some charcoal in the grill at the campsite and lit it up (see Dirty D's page for the fireban fun picture). Waited about an hour for six bratwursts to cook.
- Played some Egyptian Slap something game - super fun
- Bed time!

Day 2
- Got up and had some breakfast (FIREBAN - no hot food)
- Dirty D and J saw some lady walk up the stairs and biff it - she needed 31 stitches on her leg.
- Went to Mt Rushmore. Left Mt Rushmore...oh went BACK to Mt Rushmore - Parking lot was a bit confusing. Thank goodness for a year pass!
- Explored Mt Rushmore - spectacular site!!!
- Chatted with one of the original workers on Mt Rushmore and bought his book.
- Caught a short movie on the making of Mt Rushmore
- Got someone to take pictures (my default picture right now) and the lady called the g/f a "He" (not the first time on the trip, nor the last)
- Saw the sculptors studios and took some pictures
- Went to Crazy Horse. Did not pay to get in, took pictures from the road. (Mt Rushmore was $8, Crazy Horse was $25 and not finished.)
- Oddly we parked next to a car from Kuehn (the place we bought our truck)
- Took off for Custer State Park. Took Needles Highway first
- Went through a couple tunnels then hit the tunnel of all tunnels - pictures on the site!
- I ran through the tunnel following another car so she could take pictures of the g/f driving through
- the g/f made it through the tunnel
- Stunning scenic shots and photos of the needles
- Encountered tons of hills, turns, corkscrew corners, hills going up, hills going down, impatient drivers from California.
- Stopped for cold sandwich lunch and saw a family with twins, they left and another family with twins showed up.
- Started on our journey onto the Wild Life Loop where we were told that there was wild-life-a-plenty. This was a lie. We saw ONE buffalo, couple of Burro's, group of Turkeys and some deer. The wildest thing on the wild life loop was a red tailed squirrel that darted infront of us.
- We get off Wild Life Loop and headed toward Keystone (where we were staying) and THEN found all the buffalo...tons of buffalo. They stopped traffic, it was neat.
- Drove up and down and around more curves and spirals and stuff
- Got to the Cosmos and encountered some very interesting stuff - look at our pictures to see it - we were standing up but looked crooked, standing on walls, the g/f and I were about the same height at one point.
- The g/f & I got picked on at the Cosmo's a lot because of their height differences - we got a group shot there, really neat stuff.
- Went to Rapid City to find a grill (and sheets). Went to ShopKo - got the sheets, no grill. Went to Runnings Fleet & Farm, no grill. Made our way to Walmart and finally got a grill.
- It was raining. Fortunately the rain produced a rainbow AND some awesome lightning. It was the only rain on the entire trip!!!
- Got back to the campsite for some dinner, beer, and cards
- Woke up at 3 AM to our neighbor lady having an orgasmic Charlie Horse. *haha*

Day 3
- Woke up and had Eggs, Bacon, and Percolator Coffee (which took a million years to brew)
- Drove up to Deadwood for the day
- Went into the Saloon ..10 where Wild Bill Hickok was murdered and read about that (it was the original site, but not bar since it burnt down years earlier)
- Went to the recreated Saloon ..10, it was interesting
- Went to lunch at Diamond Lil's - owned by Kevin Costner. J had a buffalo burger
- Went gambling at the Silverado. Spent about $3. All on the nickel/penny slots! They were selling PLAYBOY at the main counter, just out in the open.
- Went down the street to see a re-enactment of a main street shoot out. (It wasn't the Hickok shoot out unfortunately, but still funny!)
- Took the trolley back up to the car and went up to the Mt. Moriah Cemetery
- Saw Wild Bill and Calamity Jane's grave sites
- Drove over to Sturgis to see what's up over there. (Nothing, we were there the week after Bike-Week)
- Found the spot were the g/f got her tattoo
- Made our way to the Petrified Forest.
- Had a lesson by Scotty - then he sent us off on our self-guided tour.
- Saw many of stumps and logs that were petrified in their original location and some in MAN MADE locations
- Saw a TREE STUMP that weighed 4.5 TONS (according to sign earlier - it's about $3.99 a pound = $36,000)
- Parked next to a car from Austin MN
- Made way back to camp and had dinner
- New Camping neighbors showed up - they had a clown car of kids getting out - 5 in total
- Went to the night lighting of Mt Rushmore (couldn't hear the speaker)
- Went back to the campsite and the g/f kicked our butts at poker (J went into the hole $2,500 or so)

Day 4
- Got up to Pancakes and Eggs - again coffee took FOREVER to perk
- Because there was a FIREBAN so we couldn't cook at full temps
- Went to Rushmore cave
- Beautiful Cave - lots of stairs and hitting heads and slippery passage ways
- J & Dirty D went on a horse ride while The g/f & I did some gift shopping
- Did some more shopping as a group up and down the Keystone Strip - found a Christmas ornament
- Went back to the campsite for some more Egyptian Slap something games
- Went to dinner at Flying T's Chuckwagon Cowboy Supper
- Sat at picnic tables, sang along to songs (see pictures) and ate off tin plates and drank out of tin cups
- Allowed to go back up for seconds and the g/f was given 4 pieces of cake
- Some old fellow (seen in some of the singing pictures) root-toot-tooted right next to/into J & Dirty D's faces
- Had a post supper Wranglin T's show & Comedy
- Played more poker and the g/f kicked butt again until the g/f and I had to play blind. I ended up winning.

Day 5
- Packed up and left
- Drove past the Badlands again
- Wanted more of Mary's Bars
- Played more Madlibs
- Kinda quiet ride - more reflective and sleepy

My Nephew Is The Shiz-nit!

2006-05-04T13:48:00.000-05:00

Logan (and Erika & Hailey) called to wish me a happy birthday
Logan and I were chatting
I said, "What's your new room like?"
He said, after thinking a few seconds, "It's like a square."

God I love him! I miss him tons!!!

**Previous myspace post**

This weekend was FULL of life lessons.

2006-04-06T08:38:00.001-05:00

What I learned this weekend...

1) I learned to eat the ketchup and shut up
2) What you get when you cross an Old Lady, Oxygen Tank, Walker, a Twisted Ankle, Ambulance, and a Bingo Parlor
3) The Churros are better than the Fried Ice Cream
4) Finishing books makes me sad
5) The link between Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger...spooooky!
6) Big Love is realllly on at 9pm, not 1am as previous thought.

Ok, so what am I on about?

1) I watched a very disturbing documentary on National Geographic channel last night about MS13. Honestly enough to make me stop complaining that McDonalds F*'d up and put ketchup on my burger when I asked for it plain and to just shut up and eat it. I might get shot otherwise...and like the g/f said "and they worry about us getting married" heh.

2) She's going to play Bingo, no matter what you say so just let her play Bingo

3) I don't often get desert at Dos Amigos but OMG I don't know why I thought I was ever going to anything but Churros there. Next time I go I am only going to eat desert hehe

4) I finished "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" this weekend and it made me sad...Bill Bryson makes me laugh and the book is now over. I have other Bryson books but with the end of each there is sadness...I want them to go on indefinitely.

5) Kenny Chesney put out the song "You had me from hello" near 1999 (at least that is when the album with that song came out)...Rene Zellweger said "you had me from hello" in Jerry Maguire in 1996. They married in 2005. Weird. (Actually I realized that a while ago just never blogged about it because it would make a boring blog in and of itself)

6) I was so consumed with watching The L Word and Grey's Anatomy at 9 PM on Sundays that I had no idea that Big Love was also on at 9pm....I was waiting up until 1am to watch it and not getting to sleep until 2am...all the while missing documentaries on National Geographic about MS-13 that give me nightmares.

It all comes right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round

**Previous post from myspace**

Somethings Strike Me Funny

2006-04-05T13:13:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I was in my boss's office (which isn't really my boss, but for all practical purposes, he gives me my work direction)
We were having our Tuesday 8:30am meeting (at 10:30 in the morning). We were working on an excel pivot and all of a sudden he said..

I am a fruitcake

I'm still not sure why but hahahahahah

**Previous Myspace post**

Happy SNOW Day!

2006-01-26T14:50:00.000-06:00

Every winter there is ONE day that just pokes it's head out and screams "TODAY'S THE DAY" and by golly it certainly is the day. It's my official "Snow" day. This is the day I dig out my cassette single of "Informer" by Snow and drive with my windows down, song pumping really loudly, makin up the words at the top of my lungs. Unfortunately I don't have a cassette player in my truck so I burned it to a CD. The song is the same, the nostalgia is somewhat lost though because of it.

Anyway - today is my snow-day. Happy Snow Day to you! Beautiful 45 degree day in January!

**Previous post from myspace**

Weekend Rompings

2006-01-23T09:42:00.001-06:00

So Saturday night was my (and g/f's) friend, Jamie's, birthday, there also happened to be a drag show that night (a TOGA drag show) to which we all planned on going. We (the g/f, myself, Jamie, Vaz, H & J, and 2 of Jamie's other pals) gathered for pizza and cheese/cracker stuff before the show and organized a car pool so that everyone would arrive home safely. We knew we would be meeting at least 3 other friends at the event, plus 2 of the g/f's co-workers (Ash and Rox), and HOPING that at least 2 other folks (Z & G) showed up but I hadn't talked to them so I had no idea if there were coming or not (they did) so we all planned on having a good time and just letting loose. And oh did we ever.
Pre-show party had g/f with 2 bloody mary's and 3 beers, H with 1 bloody mary and beer, everyone else with beer and a couple of us still sober to drive downtown. We get to the event and find our party and look at the table and quickly realize that umm - we need to add 2 more chairs. (at minimum) then as I was sitting there drinking drink number 2 I see G come in and say OH! G is here! yay - shit, god damn, need another chair!! (that's 3 for people keeping count, the table holds 9.) I ask her if Z is coming, she wasn't 100% sure, but thought so...great damn...another chair! (She did end up coming - in her curtains)
Ok so - happy to say after 4 lemonade's they ran out. Nice. Onto the beer. After a while it was onto a shot for Jamie's birthday (I so didn't like my red headed slut...i'll stick with something sweet next time). Onto more beer and then more and more. We were all singing an dancing and whooping it up. Z was kissing everybody, Jamie was onstage for her birthday cat-walk strut, G was power-housing through two chicks who wouldn't let her through, I was smokin, g/f got a rose from a drag king...it was all a good time had. At the end of the night we the very last to leave - I'm not exactly sure why some of us were upstairs and some were down but the g/f called me and told me she was leaving (which when i went down stairs she was almost passed out in the lobby) and G made it down JUST in time to hop into a cab that Z was supposed to be holding for her to share.
One of Jamie's friends drove us home (we were supposed to go back to Jamie's house for after-party but the g/f wasn't feeling well) and that was the last of my truck I saw until 3 the next day...the g/f got sick about the second she got home and I just went to bed (after getting her situated) (and stayed sick until almost 3 the next day!)
Got together for the L word last night with Z, G, and Bndrkt...Probably the only reason I could recall what I just recalled was because we recapped last night, giggling...and NO G - still not a smoker heheh (I forgot until probably 4 the next afternoon that I even had one the night before - had one? more like half the pack) I prolly still smell like it though

**Previous post from myspace**

Let's Hear it for ... ME!

2005-12-07T14:37:00.002-06:00

It's been 1 year since I quit smoking.
(Yes, before you ask, I've had one or two while drinking but never a full smoke or did I smoke w/o a drink)
So yea, YAY TO ME!

**previous blog from myspace**

Moxie-ola

2005-11-29T09:43:00.001-06:00

My bestest most wonderfullest girlfriend in the whole wide world got me Moxie. Do you know how much that rocks? Merry frickin Christmas to me!!!

**Previous blog from myspace**

To my baby sister

2005-10-20T07:22:00.000-05:00

To my baby sister -

Late one night I was sleeping in Gram's den on what is now known as Mollys bed and the phone rang
I heard Gram say "oh great! It's a girl! No, I won't wake them, we will tell them in the morning"
I woke up the next morning and gram told us the news - we had a new baby sister (even though we were expecting a BOY!)
It was a Monday morning so we both had to go to school that day but we could go to see you after.
We rushed home from school and got in the car and went to see you, just a little baby
I remember I had a god awful perm with half my hair pulled up to the side and dangle blue earrings on
I don't know if I really remember or if pictures remind me but I remember holding you
I was 12, I thought I was going to drop you (which I did probably 7 months later off of my bed)
Of course life was never the same again - I was old enough to be a baby sitter now
We got to spend a lot of time together.
Over the first five years there were so many memories for me -
My friends and I made you say fork
I taught you how to count to ten in French and Spanish while waiting for the fireworks in Disney
I pulled you out of the blue car when it wouldn't shut off and put you behind the pool incase it blew up - hey I was 13, what did I know?
I gave you a new name - MEB Goofball Bonehead Beautiful - which as you know, I still call you
Infact - It was on me that suggested your middle name in the first place since I was reading Sweet Valley High Books
I even saw you off on your first day of Kindergarten.
We all saw you get on the bus at grams house for the quarter mile trip up the road to the school
And then I left - I went off to college
Our visits came on weekends, holidays, and summers.
You would occasionally come see me at school but it was never enough
We'd have such good times when we "hung out"
Even though you are 12 years younger than I am we still have a lot in common
Three very special movies, music, picking on our other sister. (WHOM WE LOVE VERY MUCH TOO)
Our special trip to Salem/Boston, meeting Laurie Cabot - the official Witch of Salem, Your first eating of KFC in Swampscott!
Riding the T and sitting next to the very strange man and figuring out what Hahvvid Skwa-ah was
You have changed so much since that day on Molly's bed.
Your accent is gone, You have hair, You have grown into a beautiful woman
I can't believe that it was 18 years ago today I had that horrible perm, blue earrings, and got to hold my baby sister for the first time
No matter how far apart we are from where we started you are still my MEBGGB and always will be
I am so glad that I had the opportunity to watch you grow into who you are today and think that I had a part in helping you along the way
Thank you for that, I love you, and Happy 18th Birthday.

Indian Ocean Tsunami

2005-01-12T15:19:00.000-06:00

I'm back from vacation...
I am still in utter shock from the events in the Indian Ocean. I feel so helpless. Helpless isn't exactly the word. LOST - I want to help but here I am...no money to send, no way to go over and help. All I can offer up is a prayer that the victims/survivors are...well...are. I don't know what else to write.

2004 Recap!

2004-12-10T15:06:00.000-06:00

January - January started great because I was at home celebrating Christmas (2003) and with my family and playing with Logan. He got so big! Patriots won the super bowl!

February - Typical valentines day month. Got our kitty from Jenn at work. Everything revolved around work. Started considering owning a house. Panicked about the thought of money, put the idea off for a bit. Found out P was pregnant!

March - Found out that Erika was pregnant. Started to actually go out and look at houses. Panicked about the thought of money, put the idea off for a bit.

April - Is it possible to do NOTHING through the entire month? Seriously started looking at houses - stopped panicking and stopped looking at the checkbook.

May - My birthday month - We signed our agreement on my birthday for the house, what a present that was to myself! Got the offer accepted and closed deed on May 28th, moved right in (well, not really - had a lot of house work to do first.) Spent all of memorial day weekend taking down wallpaper.

June - June came in, wallpaper, carpet, counter tops went out. A lot of renovations went on during June. I think we officially moved in during mid-june. We did a lot of painting and a LOT of cleaning/organizing/shopping. Got a second job for extra cash (so I could stop panicking!)

July - Still spending a lot of time cleaning and painting and prepping the house for our house warming party in august. C was born, went to meet him

August - Family came out for a visit! Well, mom, David, Logan came out to visit. It was so nice to see them :) Party went well. Went on a river boat cruise, went to a twins game, went to a swanky fancy restaurant, went to a museum, went to a zoo...when the trip was done, i slept. I took well over 200 pictures while Avery was here though....i love digital cameras and yahoo photo albums! Met the future TFM members. The g/f's brother moved to Arizona

September - The g/f's birthday planed a surprise for her present with my mom - Cher tickets. Did more work on the house, this would be the last month that we would do work on the house until at least the new year (as of time writing this, still no idea when I'll get back to painting and unfinished projects). Hailey was born!

October - Had our first game-night at our house, it was fun. P's baby was born and we went to visit her. Halloween, of course!

November - Went to see Cher for the g/f's birthday present. Thanksgiving weekend we were at the g/f's parents, The g/f's brother was home for a visit and the holiday

December - Nothing yet! Planning the trip home, planning the holidays.

Heading to the World Series!!!!

2004-10-21T15:04:00.000-05:00

10-3. TEN to THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a Girl!

2004-10-20T15:05:00.000-05:00

P had a baby girl! Same birthday as Meggie Lou!

It's a Girl!

2004-09-07T14:52:00.000-05:00

Had a nice weekend baby-sitting in Mankato.

Saturday was a bit hairy. Got a call at 4:30 from my mom...Erika's water had broken, she is 1.5 minutes apart and it could be anytime. So I sat. Phone in hand. Waiting. Checking the phone to see if I missed a call. Pee'd with the phone in my pocket. If I had known that I wouldn't be getting a call until 12:15 am, I wouldn't have stressed so much. Erika had high blood pressure during the birth so I was worried. She had a baby GIRL! Hailey Ruth! We are so excited. I can't wait to see her. I don't go home for three months, at least she will be over the cross-eyed/can't focus or hold my head up stage.

I saw 4 or 5 movies this weekend. I was such a bum. I saw "13 going on 30", "The Prince & Me", "Lizzie McGuire Movie", "Wedding Daze", "50 First Dates", and bits and pieces of other movies on the movie channels. I'm such a girl. I should still be a teenager. hah.

They came and left...

2004-08-25T14:48:00.000-05:00

My family came out for vacation and here is a brief recap of what we did:

-House Warming Party
-Mississippi River Boat Ride
-Minnesota Twins/NY Yankees game
-Zoo
-Children's Museum
-Camp Snoopy/Mall of America
-Local Park
-Japanese Steakhouse
-Shopping
-RELAXED!
It was really good to see Logan again. I missed him so much and can't wait until January to see him again (and the new kid on the block)

A called and wants us to watch the nephew this labor day weekend. We better enjoy him now. They grow up quickly.

Rub-a-dub-dub a Snake in the Tub

2004-07-29T14:24:00.001-05:00

We got to see a picture of the little hatchling. He really is a cutie. A ended up having an emergency c-section. I can't imagine going 13 hours through labor and then them saying "Lets do it the other way, which will take about 10 minutes". Could you?

I took a bath last night. No, it's really not a big deal to the average human being. For me, it is. I hate baths. I more than hate them. I uber hate them. I must have been in some serious leg pain for me to actually sit my ass down in a tub. Especially a tub that I did not scour first for about an hour. See...I have this issue. Two issues really and they both revolve around the tub.

Issue #1: I hate foot fungus. I hate the mere thought of foot fungus. I hate the thought of standing on a spot where someone else's feet have been, or better yet, standing somewhere that someone's bare ass has been. Freaks me out.

Issue #2: Snakes. Deathly afraid of snakes. Is it logical that a snake is going to come up through a drain pipe, open the stopper, and come up through? Probably not. Does it stop me from freaking out about it? HELL NO. If I am in a shower that has a stopped up drain, I can't finish my shower. I fear that a snake has caused the drain to be stopped up. I can't handle it. Right now, I'm freaking out sitting here just thinking about it. I get that way on a toilet too, thinking: A snake is going to come up through the pipes whilst I go potty and get my arse. Great, now I can't pee for the rest of the day.

1 Born, 2 to go!

2004-07-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

The g/f's sister-in-law, A had her baby yesterday. A boy. First grandchild in her family. Her other sister-in-law, P is due in October. We tease A that it figures he was born on his due date!

Monday, Shopping, & Texturizing

2004-07-19T13:57:00.001-05:00

It's Monday! No, I'm not excited.

Have I mentioned before that I hate shopping?? This weekend was chock full o' shopping. On Saturday we went to Pier 1, Fleet Farm, Target, Menards, Fabric Store, Music Store. Bought a copper fire pit and that's about it. Sunday we went to Penney's, Children's Place, Pier 1 (actually bought something there this time), Wal Mart, JoAnn fabrics, Wal Mart (yes twice, two different walmarts), Home Depot, Menards. Did I mention that I hate shopping?? Bought some cute outfits for all the babies being born in the next 3 months.

The g/f's friend had her baby on Saturday, so we went to visit her. She was supposed to come over our house on Saturday night with her husband but called and said she couldn't come - But we still had our little "party"

Painted a bit this weekend, the g/f took down some wallpaper in the bathroom. NO MORE PUSSY WILLOWS on the wall!! Thank god. Unfortunately the state of the walls is shot so we have to texturize or put up more wallpaper.

Another World - An Addiction

2004-07-15T13:54:00.001-05:00

A totally uneventful night last night. Paint. That's about it.

I'm back to watching Another World on soapnet at 11pm. I sooo miss that show. Why on earth did they take it off the air? It was about the most "sane" soap opera around. Except for the whole Amanda going into the enchanted garden stuff, but that is NOTHING compared to some of the plots Days has come up with. That show is so silly! But yet I watch it. Every night at 6pm on soapnet. Well at least I try to watch it. If I don't, I go to Dustin Days to find out either what I missed or what is coming...since he has spoilers!

I'm somewhere in 1988 on Another World. I went and found some webpage that reminded me the end of the soap. I had totally forgotten about some of these people. Like Josie Watts. I kept saying to the g/f "she's not in the show at the end". Sure enough she is, Josie Sinclair. How could I have just messed her up with the last name? I'm smokin it.

Planning our housewarming party for 8/15. Can't wait!

Must get to work now...I slacked too much yesterday as it is!

Painting...Painting...PAINTING.

2004-07-14T12:27:00.002-05:00

I have paint all up in my hair. I showered but still have paint all over me! Kitchen is getting near done. I have done the bottom trim and will start working on the upper trim tonight. Then I have touch ups on the cabinets, do the door frame, do the door, lay laminate on the counter, install a light, install a wine rack. What am I smoking? "Kitchen is getting near done"?!?! Right. You all should have seen the house before we moved in. Green/Orange kitchen (Hunter orange counter tops, Green cabinets, green & orange wallpaper). Pussy Willows in the bathroom. Vertical lines in the bedroom. PIRATE SHIPS in the other bedroom. Corduroy in the living room and hall. Wood panelling in the family room. Hula Green in the downstairs bathroom. Green house with a coral/pink door. Carpet in the living room was a yellowing shag and blue mat (1/2 & 1/2) See PICS BELOW!

So far we have removed all the wallpaper. We have successfully completed the living room & hall paint and trim, ripped up the yucky carpet and had new stuff laid. Removed all the doors in the house to paint. Painted the pirate ship room to a beautiful yellow & white. Painted a few doors. Painted the vertical room. Puddied up the grooves in the wood panelling, painted the wood panelling, painted all the cabinets in the kitchen and 3/4 done with the walls & ripped off the counter top. Plus some odds and ends stuff outside in the landscaping and other little things around the house... Not to bad for a months work! Getting the wallpaper off was the hardest part. YUCK!

Family room before, Middle, and final

Spare bedroom before and after:

Bathroom before

Bathroom after

Kitchen Before
Kitchen After
Master Bedroom Master After (Kinda...more work done)
Bonus Room After (No previous available)
Living room (Before)
Living Room After

Door before Door After

Last night was just consumed with painting. I have discovered that the more careful I try to be when doing edging, the more apt I am to get gray/brown paint on white cupboards. hah

I'm debating if I want to get any work done today at all...

It's almost time for all the babies to be delivered!!!! 2 of the g/f's sister-in-laws are about to have babies and so is my sister. A is due 2 weeks from yesterday. P is due end of October. Erika is due Sept 9th. It's all coming up so fast!!! Instead of one nephew, there will be 2 nephews, 1 niece, (those numbers could change to 3 nephews and 1 niece or 2 nephews and 2 nieces .. blah3)

Muffler Drama and Trip planning

2004-07-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Well that wasn't too bad! 20 Minutes wait, 1/10th of what it would have cost and my car sounds 1000% quieter! 1,063 bucks...my god! The dealership was going to replace my entire exhaust system for ONE part!!! The guy I took it to just spot welded in the new part. Goodness. I'm SOOO glad that is done with.

I called my mom last night and chatted with her and Logan. She put my step dad on the phone and he told me he saw a moose for the first time in his life. He was starting to think it was a mythical creature. He loves the moose. Everything is "moose this" and "moose that" but he had never actually seen one of these beasts. Finally last night, he did. He is just besides himself with joy.

We talked about what we were going to do while they were out here. Going to see a Twins/Yankees game. Which I suppose is good, but we are Red Sox fans and if anyone is keeping track, Yankee fans and Red Sox fans don't mesh well. We will be cheering the Twins. It will be fun to take Logan to his first ball game! We are also going to hit up the mall of America (really camp Snoopy) and the children's museum and zoo.

Not a big Mall of America fan over here. And I quote from one of my favorite movies "They should have the parking lot of America to go with the Mall of America" (Drop Dead Gorgeous). I guess since I'm not a big fan of shopping in the first place, a place with lots of shopping really doesn't appeal to me.

Going out to lunch today with my office mate. We got a Chipotle's here finally and when it first went in everyone was all excited because they could finally eat the big-ass burritos that Ozzy eats. Well. Yes, they are big but MAN! That is a lot of food. One burrito and you can have it for breakfast lunch and dinner. Next door to chipotles is Coldstone Creamery. Apparently they have some kick ass expensive ice cream treats. They put an entire candy bar in your goody? I haven't been there yet because I don't want to spend an entire weeks pay on one treat.

Mufflers and Counter Tops

2004-07-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

So I brought the car in to get a new muffler. Apparently it's $1,063!!! I almost fell off of my chair. Not to mention they don't have the part and won't for 3-4 weeks! I gave a resounding "NO" to that one I tell you what. I can take it to a specialist and they can do it cheaper. GEEZ!

Weekend went alright. Nothing overly exciting happened. Bought the rest of our drawer/cabinet hardware and hinges. Started to paint the walls in the kitchen. The g/f took off the laminate for the countertop. Now we won't have a countertop for a week or so. yay. Went shopping. I hate shopping. Although we got some kick-ass deals. I got a $30 purse for $3.50. How can you beat that?? Got some nice stuff for the patio parties. $80 worth of stuff for $17.

33 Days until my mom, dad, and nephew are here!!!

First Post

2004-07-09T12:07:00.001-05:00

What now? Left for work at 7:15, at 8:30 I crawled back into bed. SOO dizzy. Took some Sudafed and am feeling better. not as dizzy. John says it's an inner ear infection. Although I feel nothing. Pressure. Yuck! Tammy was trying to help me do some work but I couldn't see straight so I started bawling and she freaked out on me... "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WEREN'T FEELING GOOD????" However, I have left my car at work. I have no idea how I am going to get it back. I need it by 7pm so I can get the g/f from work.

~~whine whine~~

Kitty is biting me again. Are my fingers made out of her cat food and I just don't know it?

I found a trick to get men-pretending-to-be-lesbians to admit they are male ~grin~ When they message me and ask me for cyber (or whatever they say) I tell them I only cyber with men. 9 times out of 10 the guy will fess up and admit they are so they can get pussy action. What pervs!

~yawn~

I think I'm going to go lay down and finish watching this show on socialites. Trust Fund Babies. How tragic?