Steppin' it up

Life has been so busy here lately. Lots of house projects and running our tails off to and from Home Depot and Lowe's. Whew. We finished the bathroom finally ( as you saw) and last weekend we finished putting up our privacy fence. We already had it around the perimeter of the yard but we finished the gate and the other side of our house as well. It looks way different but I'll get used to it. It really gives us our privacy now. Not that we'd run around the yard naked or anything but our neighbors are used to being chummy and sharing yards etc. (with our home's previous owners) and we're not unfriendly BUT we don't get into that kind of neighborly socializing either. The little boy next door used to poke sticks through the fence at our dog and more recently we caught him in our driveway, creeping up on her through the gate and tantalizing her. So, in a way, the privacy fence has put a stop to the nonsense. You can't pick your neighbors, I guess. But we're civil.

Last Thursday, I got out with a girlfriend for some much needed "girl" time! We went and had some yummy food at a favorite pizza place of mine and we chatted for what seemed like FOREVER. We probably could have talked all night if we'd had the chance. But we didn't. ** sigh **
After we ate (way too much) we stopped in at Walmart to get some things. And we both forgot milk. How funny! So that was our long awaited Girls Night Out..... We put Girls Gone Wild to shame!

The weather has been screwy lately - We get a really nice day and then we get a really crappy day. I heard that this weekend may be really nice. In the 70's maybe? I can't wait to get the mulch all laid out and our flowers all planted.. I guess we don't really need to plant much but at least hope that what we planted last year, holds up again this year. I'm not looking forward to bees and wasps of course but I've been trying really hard to overcome my fear of both. It's hard but I'm making an effort. Not easy when we already have a couple of "mud" spots on our window on the front porch. We have a captain's window there and for some reason, that is where the bees/wasps set up camp each year. My dear husband usually gets to it early - He knows how crazy I am with it.

In other news, my inlaws bought a house and they go to settlement on Friday - Everyone's excited for them having a home of their own, again, after all these years. It just makes more sense to them considering what they've been paying in rent each month. They could be paying a mortgage and not have all the restrictions of the apartment complex. They can't barbeque or plant a garden; all things they really enjoy. So it'll be nice to have a place to really call and treat as their very own. Luckily they hired movers, so we really only have to help with painting etc. It should be fun.

My week is moving along quite nicely and I'm so looking forward to having another Sunday off. AWESOME.

Nice and refreshed

We made our trip to Weber's last night with a quick stop at Walmart on the way home, so I could get some cleaning supplies. It was a fun trip as always, even if we were the only other car there. I guess I didn't realize it was going to be so cold last night! It was yummy and I enjoyed the outing with my niece, my sister and my madré. When I came home, I made my mom's favorite Marshmallow fluff cake (pics below) and cleaned the bathroom. I was so tired by 9:30, that I turned in for the night and couldn't believe I woke up at 4 a.m.! Yes, and I was wide awake.. so I can only assume that my body had enough rest. Needless to say, I didn't get up, I forced myself back to sleep until just about 9 am. What would I have done at 4 am? So, we're off to the doctor at noon for my mom and I'm hoping for nothing serious. She looks really bad; when I saw her last night, she is so thin and hardly ate her sandwich. : ( I'm sure we'll spend some time together after the appt and will probably grab dinner somewhere in that time before she has to head to work. Hope you all have a great weekend! Fingers crossed for WARM weather. I couldn't find a picture....
Here's the recipe:

You need:
1 box of Devil's Food Cake (bake according to instructions, for a layer cake)
2 small jars of Fluff
1 bag of shredded coconut

Let the cake cool and ice it just as you would a layer cake; covering the center with the Fluff AND the coconut.
Ice the rest of the cake and cover with remaining coconut.

I really slathered on the flakes but held it over the sink and brushed off a lot of the excess.

Dreams

Do you ever have a dream and when you wake up, you realize how bizarre it was? I think that's the deal EVERY morning for me. Sometimes they're just plain crazy but yet it seemed to make sense while I was dreaming. Weird.

Anyhoo, I'm home today - Hoping to get into the doctor. My mom has been really sick and I'm worried about her. She's so stubborn and will never go to a doctor but I guess she's concerned now, because she finally made an appointment and is supposed to go tomorrow. I'm hoping they can get her in today but we'll see what they say. She's had fevers the past few days and that's what worries me most... but I'm hoping it's just a cold or bronchitis. Something MINOR. I'm not going to get too wordy on this subject - Please just say a prayer or two for her.

We'll see how the day plays out; we're supposed to have our official first outing of the season to Weber's Drive In. Just the girls! I'll update later with a more interesting post.

Before AND After of the bathroom remodel

Yes, you will agree that it was a major transformation! Whoa.

Lock Down

I unblocked my blog finally. I won't get into the details; it's kind of silly.
But I'm back and I'm PUBLIC. : ) So many things to catch up on. I could probably post about 3 new entries today but I'll run down the list of "new" with me.

- We finally finished the bathroom remodel and I love it! It could possibly be my favorite room in the house now. I will post the AFTER pictures very soon. Promise.

- My husband is one hard working man. Truly. He really gives 110% when he does something and I'm very grateful for his wisdom, strength and determinaton.

- I'm super thrilled that Spring has sprung but I'm not feeling the wearin' of the flip flops yet. I miss my flip flops. The higher, the better! I love the platformy type. Can I say "platformy"?

- My next project in the house is the kitchen. It's not nearly as scary as the bathroom was -- it just needs a little updating, circa 2009.

- I'm so DAMN proud of my sister who is an excellent pediatric nurse... So much so that she was nominated for AND selected for the Excellence in Nursing Award! So proud of her! I knew she was deserving of it - She was up against so many other hard working, excellent nurses and by way of recommendations from her colleagues: doctors, manangers and co-workers alike, she was selected as the recipient! What a nice accomplishment. She has definitely found her niche in life. I might go on and on here so I'll stop now. This is supposed to be a snippet!

- I have been on an emotional roller coaster lately - Lots of tears and 47 other emotions, but lucky for me, I'm a pro at hiding it from others. It's kind of a talent. I cry a lot in private so it's not like I'm holding it in. It's not that I cant't talk to my friends/family/husband but I've always been the one who struggles privately. A preference, I guess.

- I have a lot on my mind. Some of which I want to "talk" about. I may just do that, VERY soon.

- I'm mad that I forgot to stop at CVS on my way home for my RX and now I have to go back out. Ok, that is a silly thing to be annoyed about.. I know it could be worse. : )

- I just finished reading Water for Elephants. It was an excellent book and I'm anxious to see the movie now. And the upside? Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. Bound to be a great flick.

- I'm excited that the drive in is open for the season! My niece is so precious.. She knows that I love going so she won't go with just my sister. She said they have to wait for me. How cute. So we've planned an outing for this Thursday. Oh, and I don't mean a movie DRIVE IN... it's the root beer kind.

-I'm signing off now and headed back out to CVS. Hope you all have had some exciting, love filled days.

Temporary Fix

Well, first of all, I have to say that this Tsunami in China has got my stomach in knots. I fell asleep with the news on this morning and dreamt it happened to us. I managed to somehow stay safe and ended up pulling my sister and my niece out of a wave. Just thinking about it has me so scared. I woke up praying for all of those affected - I hope that the nightmare is over soon. How devastating.

On another note, I'm trying to make my blog private and I'm not sure how to do it!
Well, I can do it but then my followers can't see it! Ugh. What happened? Well, my dear friend shared a link to another gal's blog and I happened to be a follower on that blog. She posted the link on Facebook, of all places, and that means that EVERYONE who sees it can click on it and it could, if they click my photo, lead to MY blog. Yes, I realize it's the world wide web and people have had access to it a million times over. But I'm just not keen on the idea of half the people I went to high school with, reading my blog. Weird? Maybe. Sorry to sound like a wacko.

Rain Rain Go Away!

I don't like you, Rain. You are unwelcome here. Please leave. I heard that tomorrow is going to be close to 6o, so I hope the weather channel is accurate. I'm heading out with my mom tomorrow for lunch and then some odds and ends that I need to pick up. Jeff and I are headed to a St. Patty's social on Saturday and I never bought an Irish shirt! I kept putting it off and now I'm pretty sure there will be NONE left. So close to St. Patrick's Day? Chances are slim. We went to this same event last year and had a great time, dancing and mingling. They even had a chinese auction, which I love. I'm really looking forward to going. I even took the day off Sunday, so I don't have to make it an early night on Saturday. Ahh, a 3 day weekend! Nice. We haven't started the work on the bathroom yet; Jeff is home next week so he's all set to get down to business. We still have to get all of the stuff for it. We need flooring, a vanity, a toilet and of a mirror. We want to stick with a medicine cabinet though, because we do like keeping things in there. I'm fine with a medicine cabinet or just a nice mirror. So many options we have; hard to make a decision. When it comes to money, it's not hard to make a decision. I like to stick with a budget. We're thinking we may go with the ensemble below. Still on the fence, because the reviews weren't that great. Something about the color being off. Hmmm.. Guess we just really have to go to the store and look at things.
I can't believe that I'm ready for bed right now - Maybe it's the rain or the fact that I know I have an early day tomorrow. We were supposed to get our pooch to the vet for her yearly shots but the weather was so miserable, I rescheduled for Saturday. I don't like to rush around in the rain. People drive like idiots in the rain. Some do, at least. Last night we went to church since it was Ash Wednesday and it was a pretty long service beccause of the people who show up ONCE a year. It was standing room only, at one point. That's crazy.
Well, I'll head to bed soon - Here's the photos of what the bathroom MIGHT look like soon.

*whining* down

I'm such a slacker; I've been off of work for the past 4 days and I'm really bitching that I have to go to work tomorrow?! I had off Wednesday and Thursday because my sinuses were just RELENTLESS and have been wreaking havoc on my head. I wanted to stay in bed all day but I knew I'd be so unproductive so I forced myself up and made myself useful. It wasn't easy. I'm not sure what I got done in those 4days but Friday and today were productive days, I guess. We were up early today and headed to breakfast before lots of trips to Home Depot and Lowe's... to price vertical blinds and get all of our ideas down on paper for the bathroom remodeling. And can I say that the people at BOTH home improvement stores were LESS than useful? I couldn't believe how rude they were! We're first time home owners so give us a break, people. A little help or friendly "knowledge" would have been nice. We asked this one guy about installing a new toilet and he looked at us like we had 3 heads. SO condescending when he spoke. I was pretty annoyed. But we carried on and still were able to get some ideas on what vanities and mirrors that we might want. We took a trip to Bed Bath Beyond as well and were able to buy a new shower head - Jeff has wanted the dual kind for a while now so we were able to find a pretty nice one and I had a 20% coupon so that made our purchase even more fun! I think having a dual shower head is quite odd so far...Water coming from all directions - but I'll get used to it. I also finished my online course tonight - I took the final and my score was a 97% out of 100. I was a little disappointed that I got one wrong.. But that's just silly. I hope I can get to bed soon..I always seem to end up in bed LATE when I have to work the next day and yet will turn in at 9 when I'm off the next day. Weird.

Friday and it's raining? Really?

Well I'm still glad it's Friday because my weekend is officially here but I'm not glad that it's so gloomy out right now. I got up way later than I usually do on Friday and haven't started any of my cleaning. I always have it done by this time. Jeez, I need a big hot cup of motivation right now. Although, I did make a pot of coffee and accidentally made it way too strong, so a few more gulps of that should get me moving. Always does! Kind of looking forward to today even if it's miserable out; the husband is taking a half day at work so we can pick up his truck. Apparently, there were 3 recalls to his Titan, so we took it into the shop for a checkup. So, on the agenda is picking up the truck and running some errands together. We really want to take a trip to Blinds to Go so we can get prices on a vertical blind for our living room window.. we have a nice bow window and we've covered it since we moved in with these huge drapes I bought at Bed, Bath Beyond. It really takes away from it. So I'm kind of anxious to change it up. It's time to make it actually look like a bow window. Other than that, we're taking a trip to Home Depot so we can get some things for our bathroom. I think, this weekend, we're finally going to start on it! It really needs an overhaul. Did I tell you that it's yellow? Well, the paint and trim is hunter green, but the tub and toilet and vanity are yellow! We've lived with it thus far but had plans all along to re-do it .. so hopefully the project begins soon. I should post a picture of it. ok, I will. I just sat down before I posted, and paid bills. ** GASP ** Being a grown up sucks sometimes. : ) Where does it all go? Hope you are having a great Friday and have an even better weekend!


Here are the photos ( I usually have a matching hand towel - YIKES!)
See how old and country lookin' it is? Gahhh!! ( at least now I have some BEFORE shots)

I do love the skylight though..

Miracles?

** First, you have to push PLAY **

Miracle...

celine dion miracle songs | music videos | lyrics

On November 8, 2010, a true miracle came into this world. My sister gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, baby girl she named Chloe. She and her huband were so overjoyed by the birth of their baby girl; I don't think anything could ever come close to comparing with it. We say that Chloe is a miracle baby because, in all honesty, my sister "shouldn't" have been physically able to conceive in the first place. My sister has struggled with Crohn's disease for some years now; I can't count on one hand, the amount of drugs she has to take on a daily basis to keep it under control. It's pretty serious. She had emergency surgery some years back and the doctor told her then that she was lucky she'd come when she did because he wasn't sure she'd have "made" it much longer without that surgery. That was a scary time in her life .. as you can imagine. They basically told her that her insides were all "out of sorts" and her intestines were in bad shape. In layman's terms, I can only tell you that it was much like what happened to Marley in the movie Marley & Me. So they went in an fixed it the best they could. Having a child or conceiving was most likely not an option.. Coming off of the medicine would be too risky and her physical ability to get pregnant seemed unlikely as well. Then, in 2010, a miracle happened! My sister not only concieved, but carried to full term, a beautiful, healthy baby girl! Here's where I explain the rest of the miracle... When my sister went into labor, the baby was slow in coming. The doctors decided that she was going to be born via C-section because she was in some distress and it would be better for mom and baby. When they went in to perform the Cesarean, they accidentally cut my sister's bladder. I know that sounds like crazy malpractice stuff but they told my sister that her bladder was actually "not where it was supposed to be" .. They said that most of her organs were "misplaced" in some strange way.. I can only assume this was all a result of the Crohn's complications and the shape her intestines etc were in when they did that first surgery. In fact, the doctors agreed that there was humanly no way possible way for my sister to have gotten pregnant based on the "location" of her organs etc... They were so mystified as to how she was able to concieve based on what they'd seen. I mean, they never expected her bladder to be where it was, which is how they unintentionally ended up puncturing/cutting it. My sister said that the doctors even called her a "miracle". I don't know how much my sister prays or if she does but I would be willing to bet my next paycheck that God had a hand in this. Sometimes he sees fit for these things to happen and I guess it was time. He knows when a heart needs healing or when your life is ready to accomodate new beginnings or endings. I can't explain it any other way. I mean, if your body is not "equipped" to concieve and it does, how else would YOU explain it? Luck? I guess we all have our own theories but as long as I live, I'll consider my niece Chloe a miracle and I know my sister will too. I look at her pictures and I think of how blessed my sister and her husband are with a true gift from God. I find myself just thinking to still in disbelief sometimes. I'm not questioning it - I'm so very grateful; I just never expected it. No one did. I know that there are so many different "types" of love but the love that you have for a child must be SO different, when you hold her on your chest for the first time, you must wonder how you ever lived without her. It's the kind of love where you just know that you'd lay your life on the line for her and that you always want to protect her. I can only pray that one day I can feel that. God is always working & He clearly was in this case. He has bestowed a blessing upon us, that many people only dream of. Well, my sister did dream of it, but then it happened!
With no medical intervention. That is a true testament. To say that I'm happy for my sister is an understatement; I can't explain the depth of the joy in my heart. She is a mother now - I couldn't have wanted this more for her.

Lessons in Marriage

Hard to believe that I'm almost married for a whole year already! Not really until April but I've been thinking alot about it lately. Unfortunately, the reason I've been contemplating so much is because I have a few friends whose marriages are in discord right now. These are people who've been together for years and all of a sudden, something has changed and they're finding themselves on the verge of divorce. It scares the heck out of me that it could happen to me one day. I find myself going through crazy spurts of analyzing things in my own relationship. I've also realized that I haven't really been the best wife I could be, thus far. Sure, I'm "new at this" but I've been able to use some of the insight I've gained and 'change' some things about myself and my role as a wife. Part of my 'adjustment' was the big step I took this past weekend. I saw a little ditty on the news a couple weeks ago about Financial Infidelity and Jeff jokingly said that I was guilty of it. In reality, he was right though. We've been together for almost 10 years but only married just about 1 year and I've always kept my financial standings etc.. to myself. I've never really opened it up to him and it wasn't because I was hiding anything bad, but I just felt like it was MY personal information and not really something I wanted to share. One day, he expressed his feelings about it and said that he felt I 'hide' my finances from him. Like, what I owe in bills and how much I have in the bank. Honestly? He's right. I did do that and I realized that we're married now and we need to share these things with each other. Now, keep in mind that the "things" I've hidden from him are just my credit cards, and my student loan stuff... I told him a while back how much my salary is at work & even that was a big step for me. So I was at work last Sunday and was thinking about it LONG and HARD and I realized that I do in fact want to share these things with him. So I typed it all up on a sheet of paper and gave it to him when I came home. I can honestly say that I think it really turned our relationship in a good direction - he seemed so pleased that I was finally opening up to him about my financial health. I know it might seem silly but it meant a lot to him and I feel so much better about it now. I showed him that I have 3 credit cards, (which I don't use - I used them to biuld my credit)... and I gave him the total owed.. then I told him how much my student loan is for and I also made sure I told him that I'm behind on it because I am past due about $500 which I know is a big deal because they sent me a letter saying they can garnish your wages, take your tax refund etc.. So I called right away and arranged to make a payment very soon! As in this week. So yes, this was all a BIG step for me in the right direction and I feel so much better about it now. He wants me to think about a joint bank account eventually and I said that I'd consider it but first I want to get my student loan situated so they don't try to get me through my bank account. That would really suck and I'd feel really bad. I know I have married "blogger" friends.. (Amy, I almost called you one day for some wisdom) -- So, married friends, please let me know how you "make it all work".. because I'm quite clueless and a little nervous. I have so many questions.. Like how do I buy him a gift and not feel like I'm using HIS money, or how do I take money for shopping or something and not feel awkward? I feel like I'm losing some of my independence on one hand and on the other I feel like I'm supposed to be doing this. It was a hard pill for me to swallow when we went and filed our taxes JOINTLY..It wasn't the sharing part it was just the idea that it's JUST ME anymore. but, again, I realize that I'm not a single woman anymore.. I'm in a marriage, a union.. we're in this TOGETHER. See? I'm starting to catch on! ; )

Spring Preview!

I am thrilled that it's going to be in the high 60's today! I can't wait to open up the house and air it out - I love having a breeze running through while I clean. And clean is what I really need to do. I dust and clean every Friday (and more as needed) but I haven't really been around the house with the Swiffer lately. We have all hard wood floors in the house, so that means we have dog hair out the wazoo. I'm not kidding; I looked under the bed yesterday and thought we had another dog! So, I'll be swifferin' all over the house today and then shining up the wood floors. I can't wait to take in the beautiful weather. And my hubby texted me that he's taking a half day so that he can enjoy the sun too, that means I had better get a move on with my cleaning so I can free up the rest of the day to spend with him. It's going to be awesome! Hope you're all having nice weather no matter where you are - Hoping that the "S" word is a thing of the past! : )

Sunday blues

I don't know where the time goes. It seems I just get excited about my weekend being here and getting started and before I know it, it's just about over. I whine every Saturday night because I don't look forward to working on Sunday. It sucks. Everyone I know is hanging out on a Sunday and enjoying what's left of the weekend and I'm stuck in the office, by myself. I really don't think I'd mind so much if I had some company. I listen to music etc.. to keep myself occupied, or I should say, to liven the place up. I have a routine with the music too; Monday through Thursday I listen to whatever I have in my Media Player library (which ranges from country to freestyle to pop)... BUT on Sundays? Strictly, Classical. I don't know why other than the fact that I find it soothing. I have it set to my stations in the car too - it's my "de-stressing" music. If that's a word. : ) I can't complain entirely though - I had a really good weekend. I spent all of Friday afternoon with my two sisters and my 2 nieces - having some lunch (another story) and good laughs! Then my day continued on with my sister and I shopping a bit and stopping for some dinner at Red Lobster (2nd meal horror story of the day). I had such a great time with my sisters. We don't spend nearly enough time together. Today I picked up my mom from work (Saturday routine) and we had a quick breakfast, drove to the flea market, which ended up being CLOSED and then we ran some errands together and called it a day. So I guess I've been pretty busy this weekend and can't complain too much. I thought about taking this coming Thursday off, because the weather's supposed to be SO nice. Hmmmm......

Friday Fun

I was up early, made it to the store to get food for my dogger, stopped at McD's for a coffee (which turned out to be a cup of MILK).. Bleh... TOO MUCH CREAMER. Then came home, dusted and cleaned a little. Now I'm waiting to head out to my sister's to visit for a while. It's going to be so awesome. All 3 sisters and both of my nieces! Take a look at the little bundle I'll be holding half the afternoon.

Hot Diggity Thursday!

I got a chance to see my mom, my niece & my sister all at once tonight. What a nice treat! I even got to tuck in my niece at bedtime and spend some time chatting and laying in her bed. Her new BIG GIRL bed, I should add! When my sister first bought my niece's crib, she bought the kind that converts into 3 types. It went from crib to daybed and finally, to a full size bed, this week. I actually cried when I saw it all set up and decorated with all of her girly black and pink bedding (ala Justin Bieber). She's growing up so fast. It's a good idea to get that type of crib/bed, I guess, because it really lasts a long time & through many transitions. Although, she did have to buy a full mattress for it. Not so bad considering how much use she's been able to get out of it so far. I headed home fairly early because I was so tired! It's tough getting up early on Thursday morning and then trying to stay up late since I'm off on Fridays. Never quite works out that way for me. I'd rather get up early on Friday anyway so I can get my day and errands started. I'm going to my oldest sister's house for lunch so I'm thrilled about that. I get to spend some time with my other niece. She's getting so big and so darn cute! She's 3 months already! Wowsers! I'll have to post some pictures; I'm definitely taking my camera with me. My sister goes back to work next Monday so it'll be tough for her to leave her little angel. Poor girl. I wish I'd really been able to get over and visit the two of them more often while she was home on maternity leave, but I could only ever get there on a Friday really and always seemed to be doing something. I kind of regret it now. Well, I'm off to dreamland and looking forward to a great weekend! Hope you are too.

Lazy Bones

I'm just not finding the motivation to get a good blog post in tonight so here is what I'm thinking:

- O.M.G.. The Justin B movie comes out Friday; I'm hoping I can take my niece. It will probably be torture for ME but she's worth it.

- My new favorite juice is Juicy Juice Punch. I used to drink it all the time when I was a nanny and now I'm stuck on it again. It's one of the better juices out there. I have to get away from so much soda and iced tea.

- I am so glad tomorrow's Thursday and my weekend will start at 5 sharp! I have had a nutsy week and just want to relax and sleep in. I almost called out several times this week.

- I feel like crap and am not sure if my throat scratchiness is from my reflux or my cold. (did I spell that word right? Is scratchiness a word?"

- I never take anything medicinal -- But I bought some children's allergy and cold.

- My dog is asleep next to me on my husband's pillow. Seems like a fair trade; she doesn't snore NEARLY as loud as he does.

- I have lots of things I want to "talk" about but have refrained thus far. One day I will get my thoughts together and let it all out. Be prepared.

- I often get the urge to blog from work but I hold back because I'm afraid that my employer will see it. But honestly, I have never said anything derogatory about my employer so what am I worried about?

- I have been such a slacker with my online course that I'm taking. I've gotten behind in the lessons but have to make an effort to catch up tomorrow night.

- I downloaded OpenOffice on my laptop tonight - I hope it works. I really need a word application on my computer.

- I'm turning in for the night... Promise to post much better tomorrow.

30DS

I finally decided to check it out last week. The 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I kept seeing it when I went into the fitness programs on Comcast and I heard such good things about the results! So, last week, I finally turned it on and man, did I get a workout? I could hardly move the next day. I mean, I haven't used some of these muscles in Lord knows how long so it really was an eye opener to just how out of shape I am. The worst part for me was sitting down. I had to just "plop" down because my legs were not dealing well with the bending process. But even after the burn that I was feeling (which is a good sign that you're doing it right), I came home the second night and went right back to get started on Day 2. And it wasn't there!! It was GONE from Comcast! I was so pissed that I called Comcast and the lady told me that it had been deleted because of some expansion they were doing. Well that means nothing to me, I was not understanding it. It was supposed to be available until February 21st. Dude!! So anyway, I didn't let it stop me! I ran my sore butt to Wal*Mart and bought it for 9 bucks! What a deal! So I'm getting back to it this week and I hope I can stick it out for the full 30 days. It's tough but I'm really looking forward to the results.

Busy Bee

That's me in a nutshell for today. I have so much to do and I've not found the ooomph to do it yet. I was wide awake at 7 a.m. since I went to bed so early but I refused to get up simply because it was my day off. So I woke up - AGAIN - at 10 and now I feel like I slept too long. Don't you just hate it when that happens. There is such a thing as too much sleep, I guess. I definitely have to clean the house today & get to the post office. My sister is going to let me know if she wants to do lunch; she's been dealing with a nasty cold and hasn't been able to taste anything. Whenever I get like that, I don't want to eat. What's the sense? I always recommend hot and sour soup to anyone who has a cold like that. I'm telling you, it really clears you out. We had a full house last night! My sister came over so I could print up a resumé for her, so we had dinner and visited a bit and then shortly after she left, my brother came over with his girlfriend to have their taxes done. I've been doing them for a few years now. If they only knew how easy Turbotax is to use! It basically walks you through it. I'm a little nervous this time though. His girlfriend's refund jumped like $1200 when I entered her 1098-T form. (She's a full time college student) Does anyone have any experience with this? If you do, please advise. I went over it like 3 more times and it seemed ok so I pray that it is. I don't want her getting audited or owing money. It just seemed so drastic. Good for her if it's right though. This was the first year I didn't do my own taxes - I actually filed with my husband. That was a change for me - I wasn't used to doing that. Wow. Sucks that we got less as a couple than I usually did single. I think it may have had something to do with his unemployment from last year. But it's just as well.. your tax refunds are always something to look forward to. We had big plans for ours to re-do our bathroom but we'll just do it bit by bit. No rush, really. Guess I better get off the computer and start on my housework so I can shower and be ready JUST IN CASE my sister decides she wants to go to lunch. I can't go looking like this... Trust me. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Slacker

What I should be doing:
Working on my Wednesday Lesson of my online course that I'm taking.
Folding the laundry that I'll no doubt tumble at least 2 more times.
Putting my clothes away that I did manage to fold.
Going over my bills for the month and entering them in my "to pay" calendar.
But, I'm here visiting instead. Catching up on all your blogs and trying to come up with something post-worthy. Sorry if any of you were on the receiving end of, yet again, MORE snow. My corporate office is in Chicago, so almost everyone was working from home today because their total accumulation was in the 30's. As in inches! I may be a little off but they were anticipating that much so they planned ahead and they set up 'shop' from home. I wouldn't have minded doing that - Sitting at home in my flannel pj's and my slippers? Oh, how I wish Spring would just come knock on my door and tell me it's finally here! I stole a couple hours away last night and went to dinner and a movie with my movie buddy. We saw The Rite w/Anthony Hopkins. It was a great movie; he's such a wonderful actor. I'd have to say this was one of his best roles yet; I sure hope he gets an award. I know the concept is a little controversial to some, but it really was a great story. And last but not least, I totally feel like I'm getting sick! I never (knock on wood) get sick. I am obsessed with washing my hands constantly, using my hand sanitizer like it's my job and just keeping my environment - GERM FREE. So now, I'm so annoyed that I may be coming down with something. I get this weird scratchy feeling in my throat - I know it all too well. YUCK. Someone at work was just out for a couple of days with Bronchitis.. But I thought Bronchitis wasn't contagious? So now, I wonder what it really was. I can't stand it when someone coughs or sneezes right out into the air that we all share/breathe. Grown people who don't cover their mouths? So, I hope I'm not posting in a day or two how I feel like crap. :(

February already?

I can't believe it's February already but I'm so happy because I love HEARTS! Anything cutesy and heartsy and Valentine's day related! The husband isn't into the girlie Valentine's décor so I haven't gotten too carried away with it. I love using our front window (bow windows display things so well) to put decorations in, so I just put two hanging hearts in it and the candles light it up nicely. I will add some more things to the house, when he's not looking. haha In other news, things have been status quo here. Not much new and exciting to report. I'm still cursing this nasty WHITE stuff that we have on our lawn and all over the streets & now I hear that we may be getting MORE? I hope not. YUCK. We did an overnight in A.C. for my sister's birthday and that was a great time. We had a light dinner with lots of laughs, some entertainment at the karaoke bar and finished up early with some dancing. It was a nice time away with just the girls. Then I had a great time last week with my niece. She slept over because my sister had to work overnight and I loved having her here. I always do! We watched some iCarly, played some educational games on PBSkids(dotcom) and then I tucked her in and read her Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty. She loves the story of Rapunzel so she was thrilled that it was in the story book. She's already asked me to read it to her again when she comes over. My sister bought me the Grimm's Fairytales book about 7 years ago. She inscribed the inside cover and wrote that I could read it to her future nieces or nephews... Ironically, I'm reading it to my niece. I wouldn't have it any other way. Being an aunt is so rewarding and makes my heart so happy and very full. We had a great time together and I got her off to school in the morning. I would've preferred to spend the whole day with her but I wouldn't have been a very good aunt if we played hooky and I'd kept her home. She loves school too much anyway. I'm looking forward to the weekend and spending some time with friends that I haven't seen in a while. Game night always rocks & then Sunday we're off to a Super Bowl party. While I'm not a football fan, I still like to socialize and enjoy yummy snacks! Tomorrow night I've got plans for a dinner/movie date with my good friend Stephanie.. Not sure what we're seeing but I'm leaning towards Black Swan. I hope she concurs.

Karma

I'm sorry. I know there are mixed opinions on this one but give me a break. It's funny.. and truth is no one knew WHO it was until she made a stink about it. Today, reading about her shady past, I feel like karma just paid her a little visit. I'm glad she didn't get injured in any way.. To Laugh or not to laugh?

Down the tube

My day, thus far, has been anything but productive. NY & Co was a big fail. What happened to their clothes? Not to mention that they're not that cute anymore, but I looked at a top that caught my eye & it was $43. I'm a frugal shopper so that might be too pricey for me to begin with, but WOW. So I took the outfit back and was issued a store credit. Maybe I'll shop online with it; they're bound to have some cute accessories (although then I have to pay shipping). Whatever. So I did meet my sister at the mall and we had lunch and chatted about everything under the sun. We usually do! Guess that was the highlight of my day. I need to get my hair/bangs cut BADLY and I wanted to pick up some new makeup, but I came right home after I left the mall. I honestly feel like laying down and taking a nap. I guess I'm just in a funk now. My mom is really sick and won't go to the doctor - she's very stubborn. I have a lot of things going through my mind about it. She always seems to be sick (as in achy body, etc) and it scares the hell out of me that it's so frequent. Today I had a lot of guilt that I haven't pressed her to go to the doctor but I can't physically MAKE her. She'd be all over me if I thought I had something wrong and she would go to the doctor's WITH me but I think she's just afraid of what she might hear. I don't know what's wrong with her; I'm not a doctor. I just have some crazy notions in my head - and I want her to get checked out. She hasn't been to a doctor in years - maybe a wellness check is all she needs. Some vitamins? I know she's had high blood pressure in the past so that's a concern. My mom is literally about 5'2" and weighs probably just over 100 lbs. She is all bones and the smoking doesn't help. She could live on cigarettes and Pepsi. In fact, I feel like sometimes she does. I called the doctor today to see if I can get her in there on Monday but the answering service said their phones are forwarded for the day. Great. I could make her an appt with my own doctor but I know they're tough when it's a new patient. Sometimes they're accepting new ones and sometimes they want you to jump through hoops. She has to go no matter what. I just have to convince her somehow and I won't take no for an answer. Wish me luck.

On the agenda

It must be Friday because I'm still running around the house in my pajamas and making a mental list of what I need to do today. As always, my Friday ritual definitely has cleaning on the list! I also need to get out and return an outfit that was a gift from Christmas. My sister bought me a cute outfit from New York & Co but they always run big there. The top is one size too big and of course, when I went there last, they didn't have the size I needed so now I'll either have to find another or just get store credit. No problem. I love going to the mall by myself; you have no one trailing behind you or pulling you in another direction. So nice that I can get right in and right out. Tomorrow the girls are headed to Atlantic City for my sister's birthday. We go every year (that's what she likes to do). We usually have a light dinner and some drinks at The Irish Pub and then just head out for dancing later.. and of course, we have to stop at the karaoke bar. That's always a blast! I've got to be honest though, every year, I'm so excited to go and can't wait .. but this year, I don't really feel like I want to go. Maybe since I'm married, I just want to stay at home. It just feels weird. I wouldn't have minded if we stayed local and just went out dancing etc. But I'm just going to suck it up and go. I know I'll have a good time. I also just started my online course this past Wednesday and it wasn't really what I thought it would be. I guess I thought that it was going to be somewhat interactive but it's not. I basically just log in to the "classroom" and read. There are quizzes, a discussion area and will ultimately be a final exam so it's not all that lame. : ) just looking forward to adding some education/skills to my résumé. I really want to get into the medical field in an administrative position. *Fingers crossed* Well, I'm off to get my Friday started & get all my errands done. Hopefully. Have a Great Weekend!

no words ...

I lied - I do have words for this one but none that I could repeat and even sound remotely like a "lady". Before anyone reading this, thinks it's about the "A" word; it's not (strictly) about that. Everyone has their opinions on THAT but the plain and simple fact here is that this "doctor" murdered babies. Real, LIVE, babies.
He is insane -- An example of the evil that lurks among us in this world-

Tuesday Blues

I felt so awful when I woke up this morning & I waited it out for a bit before calling off for the day. I don't like doing that and leaving my work for someone else to do but I guess we all pick up the slack for each other. I decided to lie down for a while (actually watched two really good movies) and now I'm feeling a bit better. I called my mom & asked her to go to lunch; so spur of the moment but I know she's up for it. I just hope that the roads aren't crazy. I heard there's tons of ice on the roads and that makes for a very treacherous drive. My awesome husband was up earlier than usual, shoveling and de-icing both of our cars. He's such a good man. I figured I'd utilize my time home today & make a really nice dinner for all of his hard work he does around here. I'm still thinking about what to make, and I'm scouring the net for ideas. I want something yummy but it has to be EASY and have FEW ingredients. I know, that sounds so boring but you'd be surprised how many great meals you can make in less than an hour and with only a few ingredients. Ok, maybe not a FEW, but at least under 10. I'm off to shower & get ready to head out. Hope you're all having a great week so far.

Another productive Friday!

I actually went to bed fairly early last night, even considering that I didn't have to work today. I was able to get up early enough to meet my sister for breakfast, at our favorite spot for the BEST deal on breakfast. Seriously, the diner that we go to has a GREAT breakfast deal, Monday through Friday. You have to get there before 10, so we're always rushing out the door, and just making it there! It was so funny, the first time we went, I thought our waitress gave us the wrong check. No lie - our check today: 2 coffee, 2 small OJ, 1 eggs/bacon/toast/homefries, 1 eggs/scrapple/toast/homefries for a grand total of - $8.51 I kid you not. Is that not a great deal for breakfast? I don't think I could go anywhere else and get that deal for even ONE person. So then after a quick breakfast, I made my run to the store for cleaning stuff, came home and cleaned, threw in a load of laundry and headed back out to register for an online course I'm taking through our community college. I can't wait! It's a non credit course, so that stinks but at least it's something I can add to my resumé - since it's an admin medical course.
Then my sister invited me to my niece's Family Involvement Day - so that was a nice treat! My niece had no idea I was coming so she was pretty surprised when I walked in! The theme was Winnie The Pooh - apparently it's his birthday so they had all these Pooh-themed activities. It was really cute. The kids were so happy that their moms and dads came. I always get so upset when I see a child who didn't have anyone show. My niece took my hand and led me around the room showing me her cubby and some of her works of art. She was very proud. : ) Finally, my sis and I ended up back at my house, ordered take out and relaxed a bit. Now I'm so tired and can't wait to just fall into my comfy bed and stay under the covers until my big blue eyes open tomorrow. But that really doesn't work because my husband's idea of sleeping in is until about 7 and I feel like a bum if I stay in bed.

Old school

I went back to an "old" Blogger template for now. At least until I'm able to sit down and edit a little more. Everyone has such cute blog backgrounds etc, I just haven't had the "ooomph" to sit and fiddle with all of the possibilities. I've been updating almost regularly though; that's a big step for me! I've been trying to catch up on my reading so I've not been spending as much time in front of the computer lately. So not like me. :) I guess the reading kind of tires me out which is good because I'd really LOVE to have one night of really GREAT sleep. For some reason, my sleep is always broken up. I have not slept through the night in ages. U-G-H. Not fun. But yay for Thursday!! My weekend has begun.

All discombobulated

* I took a stab at spelling that so I'm sure it's not quite right *

As you can clearly see, I've been trying to tweek my blog a bit. I needed a change; something new and jazzy. BUT evidently I need to "tweek my tweeking" because I done messed it all up. I just realized I am missing a whole handful of "stuff" on my blog. My archive links are all gone, my profile info and picture have disappeared.. etc. Dang it! I promise I'll get to fixing it TOMORROW. It's diffcult, being on the lap top, to get into all of the editing. Hope you're all having a fantastic week - Snow days all over!

My niece Chloe

My oldest sister, whom we all were sure wouldn't have children (due to her struggle w/Crohn's and some other past issues).. gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this past November! We're all so thrilled with her arrival and look forward to watching her grow and learn, but most of all, look forward to all of the happy memories.
Here are a few pictures - I've been greedy and haven't shared. I posted one of my beautiful sis too - in all her pregnant-glowing-glory. *in the last photo, Chloe looks as if she's "getting rid of something" but I think she was just leaning forward*

Early Weekend

Well I called in sick today - I have a sucky sinus headache and I really just wanted to lay in bed all the live long day. I finally roused around 9:30 or so and decided I should be doing something productive at home since I wasn't doing any such thing at work today. So I threw the bedding in the washer and I cleaned the kitchen a bit. Heavens to Betsy, my kitchen floor is linoleum and it's driving me crazy to see how it just doesn't come as clean as I'd like- so I decided today that I really need to scrub it on my hands and knees. Who does that anymore? Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works wonders on that kind of stuff so I guess I'll be off to the store and hopefully getting that floor all spic-n-span before the weekend's over. Other than that, my weekend plans include maybe having a sleepover with my niece & having my cousin and her husband over for dinner on Saturday. That should be nice. I love to entertain - so I hope they don't cancel. I was planning to go all out and make a nice big dinner but we have church at 4 so I may opt for pizza instead. Kind of cheap of me but it's much easier to visit and socialize when I'm not prepping and then cleaning up a messy kitchen. Right? Right. Guess I better get my butt off this computer chair and start tidying up the rest of the house now. Happy Thursday; it's almost Friday.

Blog Challenger - Post #7 - How you came across Blogger...

and how it changed your life.

Hmmm.. I'm wondering if it has really changed my life in any way. I guess in a way, it has. Blogger is the best thing since sliced bread. How cliché of me? Since I started blogging, 5 years ago, (holy cow!), Blogger has been a way of me journaling the good, the bad, and the ugly of my life. And sometimes other peoples'. Oops.
But, all joking aside, Blogger is just an awesome way to make friends (even virtually), and to keep friends etc up to date on what's happening in my life, what's bothering me, what's making me happy or sad. I love reading everyone's posts/stories and seeing pictures that you all share. It's like I have all these friends that only exist in the blogosphere but I love it! Sometimes, my friends aren't always there to lend an ear and as long as I have my blog, I always have someoene who cares about what I have to say. We often share the same trials and tribulations and it's so awesome being able to relate to someone on so many levels.
My husband does not "get" the blogging thing AT ALL. He thinks I log on and just start telling everyone about my life etc... complete strangers. *GASP* Strangers??? Bite your tongue. These are my friends! ** corny clip art below **

Year in review

What a year it has been! Hard to believe we're saying goodbye to 2010 already and will bring in 2011 in just about an hour. So many wonderful things have happened this year!

* Jeff and I got married (after 9ish years together)
* We celebrated our first year in our first home
* My oldest sister, truly by a miracle, delivered a beautiful baby girl!
* My father-in-law beat prostate cancer. (thank the Lord for the early detection)

There are so many other things that I could list but those are the ones that stuck out right now. I'm praying for a fantastic new year in 2011. I'm trying not to make any resolutions because I don't want to let myself (or anyone else) down. My biggest resolution (if I was making one).. as always, is to get healthy & lose some weight. But we'll see how that goes. I hope that 2011 is the start of a great new year full of wonderful new memories!

My latest read

Have you read this Beth Moore book yet? I saw a short review on it some time ago and immediately decided that it was something I wanted to read. I decided to put it on my Christmas list and Santa Hubby brought it! I can't wait to start reading it. If you've already read it, be sure to let me know what you thought of it.

Christmas has come and gone so fast!

All the planning & crazy shopping for weeks - even months - and it's all over that quickly? Wow. Christmas was a wonderful day as always for me. It's never about the gifts for me; it's always about the time we get to spend with family. It's what I really treasure the most about it. On Christmas morning, my sisters and I usually go to my dad's (with our spouses/significant others) and we exchange gifts with my dad and stepmom and then enjoy a nice home cooked breakfast. Then Jeff and I go to his parent's home for a late lunch/early dinner and spend time with his family there. Finally, Jeff and I come back home and spend the rest of the night with my mom and usually my brother when we exchange gifts and have some light fare. My sisters will usually stop by before calling it a night too. It's always a busy day full of great times spent with family. I had to work the day after Christmas this year, which I haven't done in a long time. It really sucked to have to get up early in the morning and trudge to work. I should've planned my vacation time better and I could've saved a day or two to use this month. But oh well.
One of my favorite parts of Christmas day is when we go to church. I always like going to church but on Christmas, it just seems so different. It's a feeling that I can't quite explain. My only gripe is all the people who don't step foot near the church all year and then decide to make their once-a-year visit on Christmas. It's always been something that annoyed me. I couldn't believe how many people were there! The church was filled to capacity, so much so that people had to start lining the walls and standing. Craziness. But I guess I can't fault them entirely, at least they went, right? Ok, rant over. Sorry. I hope you all had a fantastic holiday with your families, whether it was Christmas or Hannukah, Kwanzaa.

TGIF - Amen!

Lots of errands to run today. Ok, not lots but enough. First I have to pay the sewer bill that I seemed to have forgotten about & then I'm off to Wegman's to drop off a picture for my niece's birthday cake. Guess what it's a picture of? Justin "Beaver". That's what she calls him; so funny. Yes, that's what kind of cake she wanted. My sister, I think, is worried that she's all into a boy but I think it's totally harmless. She's almost 5 - it's cute. So her party is at the skating rink tomorrow and initially I wanted to partake and skate but now I'm rethinking it. I haven't skated in years so I should just watch and help chaperone, right? :) It should be a lot of fun. It was planned at the same place last year but then we got all that awful "S" word and the rink closed. My sister never had a chance to reschedule either. That stinks. I'll post some pictures from the party.. hopefully none will be off me on my butt!

Post #6 - Blog Challenge - YOUR FAVORITE SEASON

My favorite season, hands down, is SPRING! I love it because it's not cold and not too hot - it's the in between. Summer can get too hot and winter, well, you know I hate the cold and the "S" word. Spring is beautiful - I can't get enough of beautiful blooming flowers!

I said Hey, What's going on!

I really want to sit here and blog until my fingers ache because I have so many things to say but seems I forgot one minor thing when I was at the store just now. Uh -- dog food. Seems it's quite vital to a certain furry-someone's continued thriving so I must take off my comfy slippers and stretchy pants and head back out in that crippling cold BUT not before I at least leave you with a quick update - of sorts. Here are some things off the top of my head:

♥ I found the Beth Moore book "So long Insecurity" at Walmart for a great price but didn't buy it for myself because I was sort of Christmas shopping. I may get it for Christmas though. It's on my list. (I don't really have a list)

♥ I have tickets to this Friday's taping of the Dr. Oz show - I was stoked when I finally got through on the phone a month or two ago and COULD NOT wait to go! But now, I don't think I will be going. For starters, I couldn't find anyone to go with me and I don't think I really have the extra duckets for the bus up there. I'm a little disappointed. I love the Dr. Oz show.. I think he's pretty awesome. If you click on the Pay*Pal link on the sidebar, please feel free to donate to Dawn's Dr. Oz Show Bus Fund".

♥ Someone posted the following on her Facebook status this week: "I realy need a job. Does anyone know of any place that's highering" Oh. My. Word.

♥ My niece made a placemat in pre-school for Thanksgiving and on it there were leaves to write names in. Names of those whom you're thankful for - and yes, I made the cut! I was so touched. My sister sent me a picture of it. She even wrote my name herself. Well, she doesn't call me by my real name.. which is even cuter.

♥ My niece also just was awarded Student of the Month. My sister had a serious case of Proud Mama! And I, of course, was one PROUD aunt.

♥ We have all our lights and tree finally up BUT my OCD is coming out and I'm having a hard time dealing with the rearrangement of the living room and how certain pieces of furniture are where they just don't belong or LOOK like they belong.

♥ I had my heart set on a job that I was pretty hopeful for..But I called 4 days after I applied and they'd already filled the position. Not nice. I prayed on it so I know that I didn't get it because it just wasn't right.

♥ I finally got out with a great friend of mine last week - It was so nice to sit and talk and catch up. We don't get to do it too often but it's awesome when we do. We always laugh and have great conversation. We went to Moe's SouthWest Grill & it wasn't too bad.

♥ I played a prank on above mentioned friend today. She had left a private message for me on Facebook about how she was sorry they couldn't make game night but it turns out she's started a new medicine and it has her constipated pretty badly. So I called her today and told her that she didn't send me a private message, that she in fact, posted that on my WALL for everyone to see. Well, after she gasped louder than I've ever heard and said "OH NO!" I just busted out laughing. Is it bad that I waited all day to call her and do that? She knows me though, so she wasn't upset.. she thought it was funny in fact. I should have at least let her run to the computer! haha

-- Ok, I've written too long and I don't want to get up early to make eggs and bacon for my pooch, so I'll conclude here and head back out to the store. Bleh!

Post #5 - Blog Challenge

Tell us your 3 favorite colors: Hmmm, I had to think about that one. Although I'm pretty consistent with my favs. They are: (insert drumroll here)... Black, Brown, Burgundy. Yep that's it. At least currently. Boring, right?

30 day challenge - Post#4 - My closest friends

This is an awesome topic to write about. When it comes to friends, I'm all about QUALITY and not so much QUANTITY. I don't have a ton of friends and most of the ones I do have, are mutual friends or just acquaintances but my CLOSEST friends are truly who I treasure the most. My closest friends are the ones that I trust with my secrets, my fears, my doubts, etc. My closest friends are the ones who have been there through it all and we can always count on each other. I let them "in" and I'm not afraid to. They're awesome and I'm so thankful for having them in my life. I regret to say that along the way, I've lost some of my closest friends but I guess if we were truly meant to be, we would have been. I'm lucky that I'm able to say one of my closest friends is my sister. She's probably the ONE person that I trust with EVERYTHING. She's definitely my BEST friend.

Thanks

Well I did end up getting behind, even after I promised myself that I would stay on top of blogging. I even was convinced that the 30 Day challenge would be the motivation but alas, life has been busy and I've been a slacker. Sorry folks. I will definitely catch up on the challenge and get back on track. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. Ours was pretty nice. We had a scrumptious dinner with my in laws and even played a few rounds of Catch Phrase. Boy, are my in laws (including my dear husband) COMPETITIVE. Woo, it gets ugly! But it's all in good fun and I had a really nice time. We all prayed as a family & also noted that my father in law just finished his last treatment. He had 39 consecutive rounds of radiation for prostate cancer and just finished his last one, before Thanksgiving... so that was something to really be Thankful for. We can only pray that when he goes back to the doctor, his scans come out clear. I'm Thankful for a lot of things this year. Good friends, good health, family, church, my new niece Chloe who arrived this month, my job (even though I'm not always a fan of it).. my home, my family, my husband, and just LIFE itself. I could list a million things I'm Thankful for but that's just the tip of it. I'm even Thankful for my blogger friends and the happiness they've all been blessed with.

In other news, we actually put all of our Christmas lights up last night. Yep, we did! And we even did the rest of the house - inside. I have all my Christmas/holiday things out already and I love it. We're in the spirit already and it feels so good! I can't wait to see everyone on Christmas Day when we get together. I love seeing my family altogether at one time. It's so rare but so precious.

30 day challenge - Post #3 - Fav TV show

I'm not much of a TV gal, at all. In fact, I can hardly tell you what's on TV these days. BUT I do have 2 favorites that I try to never miss. I love DROP DEAD DIVA on Lifetime, which airs in the summer months. It's quite a cute show & it's one of, if not the only show that I'm actually committed to. Other than that, lately, my fav show is The Big C, which airs on Showtime. It's a drama & comedy, (dramedy?) and it sort of makes you want to LIVE LIFE.. and not be afraid to do things you've never done etc.. Other than those two shows - I much prefer a good book to the 'tube' anyday.

30 Day Challenge - Post #2 - Tattoos/Piercings

This is the entry where most of you, if not all of you, *gasp* in shock! Ha! Maybe not..

Let's see, I have a tattoo on my right leg that I absolutely LOATHE. It's actually a cover-up. Yes. When I was 19, and madly stupid in love, I actually had a name tattooed on me. How freakin' stupid, right??! I know. Trust me, I do. No one was going to talk me out of it. I was going to marry this guy, have his children, live happily ever after. (no idea where he is today or what he's been doing with his life).. But, yes, I did it and then I regretted it. I had the name 'Joe' put on my right lower leg and it was really small. Just the name & it finished with a little red heart. Then years later, as time went on, I regretted it and my mom offered to pay for a cover-up. Well, I was suckered into a much larger tattoo, to properly 'COVER' it. Sure. I wish I'd just kept it as it was. After all they say that tattoos are memories of times/events in your life, right? In MOST cases, maybe. That name was so small and I didn't mind it as much as I mind the one I have now. I hate it. If I had the money, I would get it lasered off. I don't wear shorts much in the summer and when I wear dresses or skirts, I try to get them long enough to cover it. I'll post a picture.. it's ugly. And it hurt like hell!
As for piercings, all I have is my ears pierced. Twice in both. BUT, In the summer of '98 I was feeling a bit daring and I had my lower lip pierced. I originally went to get one of those small little balls put in.. it was simple. But the shop was all out of those, and I was really anxious to get it done, so I settled for a small hoop. Most people are shocked to find out that I had my lip pierced. I actually kind of liked it at the time. But it didn't last long; I took a job for the summer in Wildwood and I was waitressing, so they had me get it removed for the job or I had the option to wear a band-aid. Ewww. Would you rather have your meal served by a girl with a lip piercing or wearing a big band aid on her face? So, that's the story of my tattoos/piercings.


** my leg looks really fat & proportioned oddly - it was my pant leg doing that, I swear.

Thirty Day Challenge - # 1 - My middle name

Hmmm, my middle name. Well, many people who know me, think that my middle name is Marie. But it actually isn't. My full first name is Dawn Marie. My middle name is Dorothy... which also "doubles" as my baptismal name WHICH also is my Godmother's first name. I think a lot of people are surprised to hear that my first name is Dawn Marie. But I just don't go by that name; I've always only been called Dawn. which is fine with me. And so, that's the story of my middle name.

#1 is done! On to #2 tomorrow.

30 day challenge?

Well, I sort of 'stole' this from my adorable, newest, follower, Mere.. It's called the 30 day challenge & apparently several bloggers are posting this as a way to break the ice or even just to motivate them to have a post, every day for the next 30 days. I sometimes need that extra push. I have writer's block a lot. I never have talker's block though. Ask my co-workers! haha So anyway, I decided I'd join in and try this blog challenge.. Not only will it give me a topic to write about each day but it'll also give you a little insight.

I need a swift kick

I really want to write a new entry but I'm just not in the right mind today. I know sometimes, my bloggy friends do a bullet post to catch up on things, so I've opted to do that! I promise I'll be a little more interesting next time. I'm just trying to do some laundry and clean house today.

So -- what's been going on in my world:

- My oldest sister, who is 36, just had her first child. AFTER not thinking that she would ever have children. She had a beautiful, healthy baby girl on Monday night! She was born @ 8 lbs - 8 oz on the 8th! Pretty neat, eh? She was born at 7:45 so she just missed 8:00 which could have been really cool! I love her already & can't wait to see her again!

- I applied for, interviewed today, and was offered a part time job. It's for evenings, a few hours, for a cleaning company. They mostly clean offices, etc.. so I'll be on my own, after hours, and pretty much can choose my schedule. I almost didn't go to the interview today but I really would like to have some extra money for Christmas and such.

- I'm still looking for another FULL time job. Yes, to replace my current one. My drive to work is just too much anymore & I haven't had a raise in 2 years. Granted, I know other people have had wage freezes too and I understand that but I don't make nearly enough money.

- We sort of rescued a Basset Hound & fell in love with her.. but when we really sat down and thought about it, it wasn't fair to her for us to keep her. If we did, it would have been selfish on our part. We were not home enough for her - with the needs that she had. We rehomed her to some mutual friends we know and she is doing beyond WELL! They love her and are so grateful to us for allowing them to bring her into their family. NO SHELTER!

- I really got away from going to church for a while.. and last weekend I made the effort to go back. I went to confession first and then we went to Mass. I love going to church - It's always so refreshing and I always feel so calm afterwards. It helps me to focus on things in life. It brings alot of things into perspective. I pray A LOT .. even when I'm playing hooky from church. It gets me throug a lot.

FALLing in love

Ahh, it's a Saturday in October (nearly November) and it's a brisk but sunny morning.
I think our yard definitely needs a rake taken through it. Oh my; it's so laden with pine needes from the tree right now. And they're all dead so they're all like a yellow color. I don't remember seeing these last year. I just love the colors of Fall. So pretty. Not sure what's on our agenda today but breakfast is definitely on the list. I have a 20% coupon for Denny's so I think we'll go there. I need some coffee; I know that! Maybe we'll hit a couple yard sales too. We love yard sales. Last weekend we went to a community one at my in laws' apartment community and it was great. I bought some nice Halloween decorations for the lawn and we actually found a treadmill for sale. I hesitated asking for the price but the woman had been telling people to "make an offer" so we asked and she said $10. I thought I misheard her! Needless to say, we checked it and it worked perfectly. I was so psyched. It was electric too.. and was a good brand. For so little money! We finally have the first piece to our gym that we're hoping to build in the basement. I used it for the first time the other night and worked up a real sweat! Wow. I haven't used a treadmill in a long time. I'm really looking forward to making it a regular thing to get on there and get my excercise in. Hope you're all planning to have a great Saturday. Tomorrow's Halloween! Lots of places are still doing pumpkin picking and hayrides. I really want an apple cider donut right now.

Bullying

I know you're probably sick of hearing about it.. in the news, on TV, in print. I don't know how you could be but I realize it's really being put out there lately. Unfortunately, it's actually conjured up some old memories of my own in regards to the issue. I was talking to my husband about it the other day and said that I "think" I was bullied in high school. I say "think" because I don't know if it would be classified as bullying or just some jerk picking on me. Either way, I have only one memory of going through this. Or I should say only ONE person, but many memories. And would you believe that the culprit was a boy? I was in 7th grade & this 'kid' just picked on me EVERY day in English class. It was crazy. I was very quiet back then and pretty much just minded my own business. But every day in English this kid would call me names, kick my chair, throw stuff at me. And I hate to say that even after all these years, I've never forgotten. When I say he called me names, I mean he called me NASTY names.. Besides F'in Scumbag, dirtbag and whore, he also called me the "C" word. Yes, really. When I sat back and thought about it this weekend, it made me wonder how the hell a 7th grader even KNEW that word. It's so disgusting. I started to day dream and imagine sitting with his mother over a cup of tea and telling her all about the hell her son put me through and I imagine she'd be pretty appalled at the things he'd said to a young girl. From what I knew about him, his family was pretty well rounded. Just your regular modern family. Fairly well to do; his dad was either a police chief or well on his way to it at the time. I imagine his mother was a nice lady who made sure that dinner was on the table every day and kept a nice house.. always there for her kids. I guess it wasn't until I was older that I thought about those things. You often figure that someone must have a pretty shitty life to treat others that way.. but I really don't think he did. And trust me, this goes beyond the idea of "if a boy teases you, he LIKES you". Sooo not the case. This is the same 'kid' who, under his senior year profile, wrote... PET PEEVE: Fat Chicks. How nice. So now, fast forward, here we are all these years later ( 20 or 21) & I've seen his profile on Facebook via some other classmates' pages. Evidently, life has been pretty good to him. He's now a married man with children AND he's a police officer. Ha, a man of the law.. SERVING and PROTECTING. How ironic. I pray his child/children NEVER have to endure what I did that whole year. I often contemplate sending him a message and just getting it off my chest. If I saw him at a class reunion, I don't know how I'd feel. I really wish I could tell him how he'd made me feel and how MEAN he was to me at such a young, impressionable age. But would he care? Probably not. I don't think he's changed at all. But that's just my thoughts. I can't help but think he's the same prick today that he was back then.

Just say no to winter

I really hope that Fall sticks around for a while. I love the leaves and the crisp air. I loathe winter and snow. I can't believe I even just said the S word. Yikes! Decorating for Fall is my favorite, I think. Even next to Christmas. That's just weird. haha
I'm so glad I went to bed early last night. At first I couldn't believe I was turning in at 10 o'clock on my "Friday".. but I was tired and knew I had a busy day. Luckily, with going to bed that early, I woke up at 8, all refreshed and ready to go! I cleaned the house, polished and got a load in the washer. It's so nice to see it's only 9:30 and my household tasks are done! I have to go pick up our wedding photos today. They are finally finished! Our package came with an 11x14 and two 8x10's so all I have to do is get frames. Silly me thought that when it said they came "mounted", it meant "framed". Not so! I guess I'll take a trip to Michael's and see what they have. I'd like to get a nice vintage frame for our big picture. It'll probably go in our formal living room above the TV or the sofa. Not sure yet. We've got a wedding to attend tomorrow so I'm really looking forward to that. I love weddings! I haven't been to one since my own! heehee I had a crazy dream the other night about our wedding too. I'm pretty sure it's normal to have wedding nightmares BEFORE you get married. But AFTER? I'm thinking no. Not much else has been going on here - just working etc. I finally had a coffee date with one of my best girlfriends last night.. We actually ended up at Saladworks instead of getting coffee but it never matters where we go. We always have so much catching up to do and we could talk for hours! I appreciate her friendship so much. It's so wonderful to have friends that you can really sit with and just gab for hours about life and whatnot. I mean honest to goodness TRUE friends. I hope you all are blessed with friendships like. I may not have MANY but the ones that I do have are genuine and I cherish them.

Apple a day and such

It's only 10:30 on Saturday and I feel like I've gotten alot done already. Laundry, cleaned a little more today and straightened the basement, yet again. I got up at 7 to pick up my mom from work and we stopped for breakfast. I'm not a fan of them usually but the one buffet on the way home has breakfast for $4.99 per person. You truly can't beat that, even at a diner. We get there just as it opens, which is good because I am really turned off by some of the characters I see at those places. Getting there when it opens means that we're 2 of the first people in there. I have seen some nasty antics when I've been there. Totally skeeved!

In other news, I went for my well check up last week and had some blood work done. It came back that my cholesterol was in good order, my sugar was good and my thyroid was fine. (Why she checked my thyroid, I don't know). But my triglycerides were elevated. Damn carbs. I'm a pasta and bread girl. And although I've traded my white pastas and white breads for whole wheat or whole grain, I've not done that well, obviously. So the doctor recommended LOTS of exercise,weight loss, cutting out the saturated fats and carbohydrates, increasing my fiber and taking fish oil tablets. There's a lot you can do to bring down high tryglycerides. The fish oil tablets, I'm still a little leary on but I guess I should try. I really need to lose weight still and I think that will help a bunch. I just ordered the South Beach diet book on Amazon so hopefully I can get alot of insight from that and really get those refined sugars and carbs off of my daily menu. I'm going to start jogging again.. I love walking and jogging and before I moved in with my husband, I was going alot with my sister and did take off some pounds but then I got lazy and stopped. So I'm making it a goal to get my butt back out there and get this weight off. I have weights that I use in the house, but they're mostly building my upper body. The walking and jogging really do it for me. So once I incorporate the 'better eating' with the activity I should be well on my way to a healthy me. I've always said that I'm worried about heart disease since my dad has it and it runs in the family, so I guess I need to make it a point to fight it NOW.

I don't know what else is on the agenda for today. We had yet another potential buyer ask about the bar items we're selling and we got as far as this one atually wanting to come see them. So hopefully she calls me and it actually works out. That would be great! Just don't waste my time saying you're coming. This woman wants to come check them out - If she decides she doesn't want them when she sees them, that'll be kind of awkward. I love Craig*slist but it always makes me nervous how people actually come to your home. I guess it's no different than a yard sale but with that, you're OUTSIDE. In this case, people come to our home and go into our basement.. which means, granted, they don't see our whole house and what we have, but it's just a little scary. So, I'm off to do some more laundry and maybe take a nap. I'm so tired after getting up so early ~ I went to bed LATE.

Getting ready for Fall

I finally was able to open all the windows get a nice breeze blowing in. We have french doors leading out to the deck and I love being able to open those and the door up front in the living room! It creates this great breeze that runs right through the house. I was also able to pull out all the Fall stuff and start getting the house ready for my favorite time of year! My day ended up a little screwy; plans were messed up etc.. but I made the most of it. Picked up lunch and came home to enjoy the quiet before I have to pick up my niece. So excited about that too. I was supposed to have plans with my Mom and she was going to look at a car. Well, I never saw her message last night that she wasn't feeling well and just needed some rest. So I drove over there and accidentally woke her up - Needless to say we didn't have plans after all. This, after I canceled an interview I had with Macy's. I applied for part time seasonal help and I had an interview today. Now that I canceled, the next one I can actually make is NEXT Friday. Dang it! Wish I'd kept it. Wish I'd seen that message from my Mom last night. But what can you do? Just make the most of it. Lots of cleaning I can do and moving things around. We've been trying to sell some things on Craig*slist and that's worked out for the most part. But man, are there a lot of SPAMmers in this world!!?? And people who show a real interest in an item but then just totally fall off the radar. What's the deal there? We got rid of some stuff last weekend. Bar items mostly. We were going to build a nice bar down in the basement (his idea mostly).. but we decided the space would be better utilized if we were to build a home gym. At this point in our lives, we should be worried about our health & fitness and keeping in shape. Not sitting around entertaining friends and getting our drink on. haha! That was a corny statement.. but you know where I'm coming from. In other news, I've been trying like a FIEND to get a new job. I lost count of how many positions I have applied for. I've been trying so hard to get a position in a doctor's office or hospital. I don't have the experience in either but I went to school for some various courses and nothing has developed yet! I think my resumé could use some tweeking, I know it's a little shabby. I'm just not satisfied in my career right now and quite honestly, it's not a career for me. It's a 30 minute drive every day and as you can imagine, I burn alot of gas in a week.. if I was making more money AND actually enjoyed what I did, it might not be half bad. I just feel that I'm in a place in my life now where I need to get motivated and really find my place in the Career world. I've always wanted to be in the medical field.. just not so much the 'hands on". Nursing school would be stupendous BUT funding it isn't easy. I'll figure it all out I guess. Life otherwise, is pretty good.

See you in September

Ugh, I never liked that song as a kid. And now it's stuck in my head. What a dope!

It's hard to believe that summer has come to a close. The kids are all getting ready to go back to school. Running around getting all those school supplies etc. I always dreaded the first day of school. I can still remember a certain smell in the air and the infamous "night before". We'd always walk up to our neighborhood deli and get cold cuts for our lunches. We almost always packed our lunches. And then we'd debate for hours, over which outfit would be the "first day of school" outfit. When I was growing up I had 2 sisters so that meant that my parents had to buy school clothes for all 3 of us. That was pretty costly. We usually didn't go to the big department stores; my parents always knew of the discount places. Most times we were on a one parent income which was my dad's. So usually when we went out for school clothes, we each were able to pick at least 2 or 3 outfits to "start us off". It wasn't many compared to what most kids our ages were allowed. I remember seeing all the fancy outfits and brand spanking new sneakers. We rarely, if EVER, purchased brand name sneakers. We would go to Kmart or Fayva. And all this was fine with me.. It helped mold me into the frugal adult I am today, I think. We were appreciative of what we DID have and didn't really dwell on what we DIDN'T. I know if I had a school age child right now, I'd be one stressed out mom. I get anxious when I have to go to the store by myself and try to get some shopping done so I can't even imagine braving the malls, department stores at Back To School time. Yikes! But I hope all my friends are having a good time at least getting back in the school mode again this September. I have some friends whose children are starting Pre-K (like my niece!), some friends whose children are starting high school and even Kindergarten! I know it's an emotional time even though I'm not a mom. I'm an aunt who loves my niece like my own and I cried when she started PreSchool last year. I was a mess.. and even though I've already done the "first day" once already, I'm going to be a mess again. My sister and I usually make sure we have our sunglasses on so it's not as obvious! haha But isn't it a right of passage? To be blubbering mess? I think it is. To my awesome blogger mommies: Good Luck this year! To Hannah, Aiden and Amelie! Big, Big Days for the girls. It's a milestone! And I know there will be pictures!