I know at least one puppy getting coal this year!

Last week I finally got around to making puppy a Christmas Stocking. I know, I need help... but if hubby and I each had one, it is only fair. I even had enough of the same material left that I used last year... so all three match!

Today I ran out to get a new outfit for my work holiday party this week. Working from home, my work clothes are pretty sad... in any case, puppy was left alone in the house. Normally this is not an issue. This time however, she was a very bad puppy. I have the cutest little fake squirrel that I put at the bottom of my LA Palm Christmas Tree. I have this tree set up in my office this year. Here is a picture of the tree in our Cally house last year.... note the squirrel way at the bottom......

Here is what my cute little squirrel looks like now......

The back of his skull is half eaten and his tail is only hanging on by a thread. My dog is so getting coal in that stocking this year!

Busy Bee...

My family is coming down for a holiday weekend visit... both my side and my in-laws. Its going to make for a house full of people and hopefully a fun time.

I am however in full prep mode. Every time I sit down to try to post something, I think of something else that needs to be done. This weekend was cookie baking weekend. I made Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chips on Friday. Saturday was Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate chips and Triple Ginger Snaps. Then on Sunday it was a loaf of Banana Orange Cranberry Walnut bread, inside out Almond Joys, and Spritz cookies.

I had to laugh with the spritz cookies. Normally I use the wreath and tree patterns with my press, but I seem to have lost the wreath one. I did not want all trees, that is dull, so I went digging in my pattern and tip jar. Really I should say my mom's old pattern and tip jar.

She gave up on baking cookies a while ago and I inherited the jar and press. In the bottom of the jar I found the perfect new pattern. A puppy dog! Funny how all these years I never even noticed that one. I've turned into a dog person. Heaven help me. heehee Here's how they turned out.. oh and they are just as yummy as they look!

Time....

Its only Dec 5th and I'm already behind. I need more time. All day long I work and work and then I get to get off of work and just start the house work. I work and work around the house and yet the list never gets smaller. I'm not getting any closer to the me I want to be because I just don't have time to figure anything out.

God I hope January is better and I can actually carve out some time to maybe work in the great craft room I have been putting together... or even post a few decent entries to this blog that don't just entail me re-capping a day or sharing something cute the dog did.

I don't even have kids and I can't even find time to do what I want to do.... I think I need help... but to tell the truth I don't even know where to start!

OK and seriously, why can't I learn how to spell BECAUSE? 33 years old.. I should be able to learn that one. Seriously.... every time I spell it wrong. Even Hubby noticed it since I don't spell check my emails to him.

Gotta love the flu

I was sick yesterday.... boy was I sick. Nothing like spending the day laying on the couch only getting up to throw up or let your poor dog outside. Granted it snowed here yesterday too and my poor dog likes to get her rope tangled up. SO letting the dog outside consists of bundling myself up and then dragging myself outside and down the flight of stairs on the deck to free the puppy who has wound her lead around god knows how many shrubs. Not exactly fun when the earth is spinning way worse than normal. I resorted to actually just letting her on the deck and hoping she would pee there.... but of course my puppy is too well trained for that! What was I thinking training her like that.

At least today, although still weak, I'm actually sitting up and working... not to mention not puking any more. Sleep still sounds better than work... but I'm running out of days off!

I guess I should be happy that I did not get sick until after the holiday weekend. We had a pretty good time. My sister had the big thanksgiving dinner and an even bigger surprise for us when we got there. They are expecting their first child.... actually our first kid in the family. My mom was thrilled that she is finally going to be a grandma. I can't believe I'll be an aunt! My sister on the other hand is sick as a dog. Well actually I guess she is sick as an expectant mother. Turns out god awful morning sickness pretty much runs in the family. Kind of makes me want to go and stock up on the birth control specially after one day of the flu yesterday!

How can I be mad when its so cute!

Puppy has a thing for shoes. She does not chew them, well except for the occasional shoe lace, but she has not ruined any yet. I know its only a matter of time. She only gathers them when left alone. I think they smell like us and she just wants us close to her. Its kind of endearing... but not really a habit I'd like her to keep.

I work from home and Puppy pretty much sits on the couch in front of the window either sleeping or watching the comings and goings on the street. Usually about every hour or 30 mins or so she will come into the office and make sure I am still there. It had been a while since she came and checked in on me, so I went and made sure she was not into anything she's not suppose to be in. As I rounded the corner I noticed the top of one of my boots on the couch. I was about to scold puppy and tell her no when I noticed it was not just one boot, but both.... and she had them lined up so perfectly. How could I yell at my little puppy's organizational skills!

Gotta love the holidays...

Man life has gotten a little hectic again. At least its not too crazy. Puppy and I are currently laying on the couch taking a break. Its been a long day. She's been helping me mix up cookie batter tonight. Well helping if you call being underfoot and licking up all the flour I spill helping.

I'm putting all the bake ware that I got for the wedding to work this year and making tons of Christmas cookies. Since I'm rapidly running out of time I figured I would mix up and freeze what I can. Oh and plus I made my sister some triple ginger cookies for hosting thanksgiving this weekend. Shoot, I was suppose to take a picture of them all boxed up. Oops... Guess you all will have to use your imagination. =)

I also had to finish up my invites for our family holiday weekend. We are having our family down in December for a holiday dinner. I figured we could make them drive to us one of these times! Not to mention I had 2 birthday gifts to wrap and a wedding gift. I swear I am going to have at least 3 bags for our 3 day thanksgiving trip up north to Michigan. Oh wait... that's not even counting Puppy's bag. Its probably a good thing we are taking the pickup truck. I don't think it would all fit in my jeep.

Well, I've still got gifts to wrap. One of the ladies at work always organizes gift tags for the Goodfellows. I'm not sure if that is a local Detroit thing or not. They basically help under privileged kids. Each tag is for a kid. I got two of them this year. Two boys.... Hubby was pretty funny. Apparently I have no idea what boys would like... go figure!

Guess I should stop rambling and procrastinating and get to it. Tomorrow I get to work all day and then make stuffing, pack, clean the house some, and god knows what else. My puppy is out cold all curled up next to me. It would be so unfair to get up and disturb her.. maybe those toys can wait a little longer to be wrapped...

I still have my job, and that is a good thing.

We have been in limbo at work for the last couple of days. On Tuesday our CEO sent a lovely email to everyone telling us that staff cuts are needed in order to cut our expenses. He said that they should be done with the cuts by the end of the week. So we have all been on pins and needles worrying about it for the last two days. Note to any CEO in this position... just make the announcement when you are ready to actually lay the people off. Don't leave your employees hanging like that. Its not nice.

They finally announced the lay offs this morning. My Boss and I are the only ones in my group who work remotely. So my one friend sent me an email at like 9 saying that Boss was in the office and was going to talk to us all in a few mins. So then I'm sitting there for like 20 mins figuring they were in their meeting and wondering why he did not conference me in. Let me just say I was getting nervous. Then my phone rings and its Boss, not on his work phone, but on his cell phone. SO he wants to have a private conversation. Man my heart sank. He was just calling to keep me in the loop. Thank god!

We did lose one of the girls on Boss's other team, not any of the ones I work with regularly or know very well, but its still going to be quite an adjustment. I pray that she will be able to recover and it will all work out for her... though I know times are not exactly getting any better any time soon. So we will all probably have some shuffling and re-org stuff to deal with... but not as bad as the poor girl who is now unemployed.... and the others I have yet to hear about.

arrrgggghhhhhh!

OK I totally just typed a lovely, witty, and humorous update post...... just to have it lost when I hit the publish post button.

So not in the mood to re-type it.... I am at work and as I said in my clever lost post, my boss does not pay me to blog... but how cool would that be if he did?

I will however promise to catch up later this afternoon... if the computer survives that long!

Puppy's trip to the salon

I know I'm a dork.... but my puppy went to the groomers yesterday and got her hair and nails done. I even bought her a new shirt to wear in the house to keep her warm. She has a very short coat and no body fat to keep her warm. So its not just for the fashion statement! haha

Check out her nails.. they painted them pink to match the new outfit! How cute! Hubby said I had to get a pic of her with her coat on too... Puppy has her hair and nails done and is all dressed up to hit the town!

Too bad the "town" consists of her going in the back yard to do her business! =)

Lesson for Today

If you see an odd brown spot on your carpet, DO NOT rub your fingers in it to see what it is. Just go and get the carpet cleaner.

Actually I guess I learned two lessons today - dogs are not always that great at being able to avoid their own piles of poop, especially when you have a dog who runs around like the devil is chasing her and loving every minute of it. I guess I just always assumed they would have an built in sense to at least keep out of their own old piles of poop. Hey, there's another lesson: mommy and daddy dog owner should be better at picking up the pile in the back yard.

Any ways, back to the carpet.... I turn around and notice this weird spot. Since puppy is fully house trained and had not had an accident in a while... I was wondering what the heck I spilled and when. So there I was rubbing my finger in it and then smelling. Oh yeah it was poop. So then I was all ewwww when I looked at the rest of the carpet. There was a nice little foot path from the back door all through the dining room and living room ending ( or course ) on the couch.

All I have to say is thank goodness for the Bissel Little Green Machine. It does work wonders on both carpet and upholstery! Puppy and I are now learning a new trick. Its called "Sit and Stay on the door mat until I can check your feet!" I have a feeling my dog thinks that I have finally and completely lost my mind!

I'll never understand...

Every time I scroll down this blog and see those pictures of me on my honeymoon it kind of shocks me. I guess its actually seeing how I look. You know how we all have way better pictures in our heads of what we look like than what we actually do look like. I feel like I'm 20 pounds lighter than I look in those pictures. I know, it does not really matter... but still... it shocks me.

You would think it would shock me into finally re-starting that diet and losing those last 20 (ha, ok more like 40) pounds... no its really just pushing me further into that apple pie I baked this weekend and the Halloween candy that we still have left over. So not a good thing! Perhaps I will have a yogurt first... that's got to be better than polishing off half an apple pie! heehee Oh and the rest of the candy is going to work with hubby tomorrow!

Just wanted to share a really cool idea from Lotta over at her Mom-O-Matic blog. I hope everyone reads Lotta musing over raising kids and life in general. She's great and has a terrific idea to help easy the Christmas pain some of us may be feeling this year! Let her know if there is anything you can do to help with the give aways!


http://mom-o-matic.blogspot.com/2008/11/hunting-and-gathering.html#links

Honeymoon Pictures - Maui

Most of these pictures are from our drive on the road to Hanna. Maui is a really pretty island. Most of it is filled with locals. There is a resort area.. but Hubby and I only stayed there for one night. We drove around the entire island. There are some beautiful spots. I had to laugh because it seemed like every 15 mins I was saying "oh look how pretty". Hubby just kept saying "yep".

The best part of the island though was spending time with Hubby's cousin. He's lived on Maui for some time now. Since hubby is an only child, it was fun hanging out with them and hearing all their little kid stories. Plus my new cousin is a fun guy. Easy going and kind. I forgot my camera though that day... so no pictures. We did go on a great hike. I kept teasing Cousin that he was trying to kill off Hubby's old lady already. It was quite an adventurous hike through a "rain forest" looking for a swimming hole. We finally did find the swimming hole and the boys had fun jumping off the rocks. I just walked in and tried not to scream each time a minnow nibbled at my toes! I'm not exactly the adventurous girl! =)

Wedding Pictures

I don't have too many pictures of the wedding on my computer. Most of them are hard copies people have given me, but here is what I do have.....

Me and Sweetie waiting for the ceremony to start

Ceremony Spot... The weather could really not have been any better. It was chilly taking our pictures early... but by the time we got out there to make our vows it was perfectly warm and beautiful!

The cake.... there was also a groom's cake, but since it was a surprise for my groom they did not put it out until we were walking down the isle.

The reception hall. The guys ended up running around and setting up all the center pieces. They did a pretty good job!

Here are our place cards... they were apples.

Here my new hubby and I are opening a gift from my sister and her hubby. They gave us a cute "just married" tote bag to take on our honeymoon and some luggage tags. The bag was a hit everywhere we went!

as promissed...

here's my new hair and puppy's halloween costume.....

Maybe its the new hair...

This afternoon on my normal lunch time dog walk, I actually stepped outside of my comfort zone. It feels kind of good. Silly too for not doing it sooner. My one neighbor across the street was out with her dog and two lovely daughters. They were all running around and playing. Since puppy has been dying to meet their dog, I decided I would take the initative and go introduce ourselves.

Normally I think that I should do stuff like that, but usually talk myself out of it becuase I don't want to be a pain or intrude. When really I think its more like I don't think I'm worth their time, or I don't think I'll be interesting enough, or I don't look good enough... blah blah... basically me and my self worth issues getting in my way.

Today I don't know what it was, I just said to suck it up and go with my first instinct. The one that wants to be out going and approachable. The one who likes knowing her neighbors and does not mind if they want to come over to chit-chat. I'm slowly learning nothing ventured is nothing gained. I did not think or over analyze. I just said screw it and went to meet the cute neighbor family. They were very nice and sweet too.

Perhaps its the new hair. I feel brave and a little funky. The scared and sad girl is still there, but I don't know, maybe now the real me is a little closer to the surface. Who knew all that hair was holding soo much baggage?

mixed feelings day

Man I am all over the place today. Part of me wants to cry, part wants to dance, part is anxious, and another part can't wait for the next thing. My hormones being all over the place this week too probably is not helping.

Last night I got a hair cut. Well, really I got them all cut. hardee-ha-ha I had a lot cut off. No more safe and simple ponytail for me. No more taking comfort in the fact that even for dress up days I can make a fancy ponytail. My hair with all its imperfections are out there for the world to see. This is actually quite a big deal for me. For the first time in years I am determined to accept my hair and go with it. So it flips out and curls goofy. So its thick and full and never lays symmetrically on my head. One side will curl under and the other will flip out. SO BE IT! Here I am world with my crazy imperfect hair!

I have to say I do like the cut. I'm still getting use to the styling of it... but today I just washed and let it air dry.. which it actually did. The long hair would only reach full dryness sometime while I slept that night, after washing it in the morning mind you....

Although at the same time that I am loving the new freedom of just letting my hair be and not trying to always have perfect hair... I am also missing that ponytail. I miss having it to play with. I miss the idea of being able to do so much more with my hair.. but telling myself I was just choosing not to. I miss my hair. Its kind of weird, but I guess its just the simple truth.

I suppose I will try to remind my self why I was so ready to chop it off... the knots in it, the constant shedding all over my house ( I swear there is more of my hair than dog fur on my couch ), the bulk of it always being every where.. and of course that god forsaken boring ass ponytail!

Ok, missing it a little less. I like the new freedom and I have faith I will even grow to appreciate the crazy imperfect curls. Although I suppose I have more work. I must confess that I tried to take a couple "self portraits" but thought my hair was a disaster area and I looked like crap in all of them.... still working on accepting that wonderfully not perfect life thing.... its getting there, maybe next week when the hormones calm down I'll be ready for that picture!

My puppy is growing up

My little girl is becoming such a big girl. We've been working with puppy since we got back from the honeymoon on letting her have more freedom in the house. I must say she is passing with flying colors. She's hyper and crazy, but adorable and trustworthy at the same time. Sure she jumps up and plays with us, but when left alone she mostly just sleeps on the couch. She's allowed on all the furniture except the bed. So the couch is good.

When I'm working she politely comes in and noses my knee when she wants to go out... or she paws the doors. I'm still working on breaking that one. Pawing the glass sliding door in the winter is not a problem... the screen door does not stand up as well though in the summer. Of course I've had a couple phone conversations interrupted with a barking dog, but for the most part they were work people who I don't have to worry about! =)

I can't believe that after all these months of watching and worrying my little puppy is finally house broken. She even sleeps all night on her own in her own bed. If I think about it tonight I'll try to get a picture. She's so cute all curled up in her bed with her blankie. Heck, usually she's the last one out of bed in the morning. I guess the teenage years have begun! She's sleeping late and would rather do her own thing than hang out with mom and dad. haha Well, she still does like a good cuddle in the evening before bed.. so maybe we are just in the early pre-teen. There is still a bit of my little puppy in her! Thank god!

Birthday Suprise for my hubby

A few years ago my mom gave me a nice watch. I loved this watch. One of those Citizen Eco drives. It never needs a battery. All broken in and I'm use to the profile. I'm clumsy, so watched take a beating with me. This watch has held up wonderfully.

I could not find the watch after the move from LA. The watch I love. I have been so bummed about losing, but figured I would not really freak out until I had actually unpacked everything.

I finally got the dresser cleaned off this morning and found my watch.. in my jewelry box, which is funny because both me and hubby looking in there. I triumphantly go out to the living room to tell hubby I had finally found my watch. He gives me a funny look and finally says, damn. The poor guy had gone shopping last night for my birthday present. He bought me the same watch for a replacement. I was laughing and told him we can return the new one. He said it was not fair though because he won't get the bonus points now for being such a good and thoughtful husband. I told him he still gets the bonus points. Besides, I've been saying all along I would find the watch as soon as I bought a new one! heehee

Although now the poor guy feels like he has to start all over again with the b-day gift for me. I keep telling him not to worry but I know he will until he finds another perfect gift.... I am a pretty lucky girl sometimes!

Cookie baking night

Its my twin sister's and her husband's birthday next week. Since my brother-in-law loves treats of any kind, I decided to send some chocolate chip cookies his way. Its been a long week. I'm still trying to get settled in. I was suppose to bake them on wednesday, which got pushed back to thursday... considering our b-day is on monday, my sister's gift is going to be late. At least my bro-in-law might still get his on time! =)

The cookies turned out pretty good. I finally got to use some of the new baking gear from my shower and wedding. Most is pretty good. I have to say though the cookie scoop from Martha Stewart sucks. Normally I trust Martha's products. Say what you will about her, but her perfectionist ways usually translate to pretty good quality crap that she sells. I must say the cookie scoop does not live up to my standards... and I would be willing to bet my standards are way less than Martha's would be if she actually used the cookie scoop she is selling. It kept getting stuck and would not clear out the cookie dough.

So next time you are baking cookies, don't fall for the popular opinion that seems to be all over the place today. Homemade cookies are suppose to be irregular and imperfect. If you want perfectly sized and uniform cookies, just get the chips ahoys! =)

So I ditched the scoop. 5 of the cookies in my picture are my old fashion style of just using a spoon from my normal silver wear. Can you pick them out? I bet they will be the best tasting ones too!

Time Flies...

Oh my goodness, I can't believe its been almost a month since my last post. Then again, it has been quite the month.

My sweetie, although still sweet, is now also my husband. It still makes me giggle to call him that. He of course calls me his old lady. I don't think he has even once said wife to me. Its his term of endearment... I try not to focus on the old part! haha

The wedding was wonderful. Crazy before hand, but once we got to the big event I just put everything in auto pilot and left it up to my attendants. Apparently making the boys get to the hall early was a good idea. They were the ones who ran around and got all the center pieces and candles taken care of. =)

Everyone kept saying what a great party it was. I was happy. I was so worried no one would enjoy themselves. The weather was great, our vows ( which took more than a few days and some fights ) were a huge hit, the food was awesome, the DJ rocked, and the hall was beautiful. I really could not ask for a better day. I promise to post some pictures at some time. I'm still trying to get back into this real world thing!

The honeymoon was just as cool too. We spent a week in Hawaii. Four days bouncing around Maui and 3 days on Oahu. It was so nice to not have anything to do but enjoy ourselves. Seriously, it was relaxing and funny. I'll have to fill you all in on our hotel choices and recommendations in the next few days.

Unfortunately, while hubby and I were enjoying paradise, my Aunt passed away. She has been battling Pancreatic Cancer for some time now. The Drs told her the day before my sister's wedding in June that there was nothing else they could do. I was hoping for some more time, so that she could at least enjoy my wedding, but I suppose that was not in the cards. I take comfort in the fact that she went fairly quick and her suffering is now over. I was pretty sheltered from the day to day survival my mom and grandma have been dealing with for the past few months. At least they can now try to get back to a normal life.

My aunt was a great person. She loved me and my sisters like her own. All her friends at her wake knew us and all our stories. She will be missed terribly. Every year for thanksgiving, the woman baked at least 30 pumpkin pies. She was the pumpkin pie lady.... as we get closer to Turkey day... I'll dig out her recipe and share it. I promise!

So now I am back to reality. Trying to still get the new house unpacked, get caught up with 2 weeks worth of missed work, remembering to use my new name, and train my poor puppy to re-learn her invisible fence boundaries. I thought life was suppose to slow down now that the wedding was done! Someone forgot to tell the powers that be who are responsible for sending stuff my way! I could still use a vacation... maybe no more life changing events until after the holiday... please?

Does this mean I'm an adult?

As I sit here eating my Honey Nut Cheerios a thought has danced across my mind. I can remember when eating Cheerios, even the honey nut kind, was like asking me to eat a worm. Why in the world would you eat boring old Cheerios when you could have Lucky Charms, or Coco Krispies, or better yet, Count Chocula.

Now my mornings consist of skim milk and cheerios. I splurged on the extra 10 calories last time I was at the grocery store and decided I'd go with the "sweet treat" of the Honey Nut version.

What happened to the little girl who could handle mornings full of sugar? Oh wait, she's living in a subdivision, walking her dog every day at 6AM, getting married, and basically functioning as a full fledged adult. My goodness.

Oh well, its not all bad. At least my mom does not yell at me to make my bed every day! Sorry mom, my bed is a mess! Perhaps that little girl is still in there some where! =)

13 days and counting....

I'm still out here. Still reading everyone else's posts... trying to find the clarity, time, inclination, and inspiration to post myself. I just can't seem to get much more than these quick "updates" out there.

We are just under two weeks until the wedding. I'm going a little crazy with all that has to be done. Its kind of a lame excuse, but its all I have. Last night sweetie was living up to his name, being very sweet and working his moves in anticipation of well.. errmm.. gettin' some sweetness back... I won't say it was not working, except all of a sudden I was a crying, mascara every where mess. He does switch very quickly to holding and comforting mode though. Poor guys, not exactly the intimacy he was planning.

So my to-do list is about to get made. I'm heading back to Michigan on Thursday for the big event. I have to work in the office for a few days before I leave for 2 weeks. The ladies backing me up need some in person training. That only means that in stead of having one more weekend home, I'm going back on the road. I have to be packed for the wedding and honeymoon by Wednesday. Plus god knows what else I'm forgetting. Oh and puppy has a weird bump on her shoulder. It does not seem to be bothering her at all. I've pushed and felt it and she just sits there. I'm watching her like a hawk to make sure she does not chew at it... and so far nothing.... but considering we are about to leave her with her grandpa for a week and a half... I also get to add find a vet and take puppy in for a check up to my list this week.

So what's on my plate for this week:
Stress
Stress
and more Stress

Holding on to my sanity as best as I can. At least the cry seems to have settled my brain for a few hours... and I have been sleeping like the dead! I'll try to keep focusing on the good things. =)

frazzled friday

I can't believe its finally Friday. I wish I could be more excited, but I'm worn out today. This has been a long week. Working all day and then quitting just to keep working at home on wedding stuff and dog training. Even though the weekend is here, that just means 2 days of nothing but running around and more work.

We are heading up to Michigan today. Lots of last minute wedding stuff to get done. We have to pay the final bill at the hall, DJ, the florists, and the caterer for the rehearsal dinner. Then finish up our ceremony plan and seating chart. Heck we have not even started the music lists. We both have our bachelor/bachelorette parties on Saturday.... and we have a work function to go to for me on Sunday. Although the last two things should at least be fun. Oh and don't forget the head up to MI part entails an 8 hour round trip in the car with puppy.

Speaking of puppy, she is adjusting better to the new fence system. She's no longer terrified of outside. She even is getting close enough to the flags to hear the alarm. She does not run to cower by the door any more. She runs into the yard where she is suppose to go. I suppose that is a good thing. I figure next week we should start phase two of the training with her.

This morning, with my very short rope of patience, puppy and I are having a battle of wills. She was wandering around outside this morning on her very long lead. I thought, "cool, she's getting use to this yard and her boundaries." She was thinking, "what is that smell? OMG ITS A RABBIT! MUST GET THE BUNNY!"

Thankfully she did not see the actual bunny dart away from her. Her nose was seeing and it was buried too deep into a shrub, but the terrier in her was on the trail. She was so excited. Her tail was just wagging. I let her follow her trail all the way to the flag boarder. She actually stopped when she heard the alarm. Of course she still wanted that bunny. So for the last hour its been her whining to go back out side. Seriously, she's been in her crate whining for an hour. This is not the puppy I need today. Too bad she's just a dog and can't tell when mommy is in a bad mood.

Guess I should be the bigger person ( haha the only person ) and let her out. Not to chase the puppy.... just to make sure that whining is not about having to do other business! The bunny hunt did interrupt that this morning!

I guess I'll have to work on the attitude for this weekend! Hope everyone has a great one!

Crazy Weekend....

I hope every one is dry today. We are, but from the news reports it sounds like a lot of our neighbors are not. There is flooding all over the place. You should see the standing water on the main street over from ours. Schools are all closed and a couple counties have declared states of emergencies. Thankfully we are on the high side of our sub. There is a marsh a street over and it was over the road on Saturday, but Rita and I walked over there today and it is fine. I have not heard the sump pump go on either... so I'm assuming that is a good thing.

Poor Puppy had a lousy weekend. First off she got wet every time she had to go outside. Sweetie took her for a walk on Saturday and it was raining so hard she just stopped walking. He said she sat down and looked back at him and was like, "come on, you have got to be kidding me!". So they came home. Then she was sick, and threw up her breakfast. You should have seen Sweetie running her to the kitchen and the per go floors so she would not make a mess on the carpet. That poor dog looked so sad. She just sat in the corner of the kitchen while I mopped the floor.

Yesterday we finally got the in-ground fence up and working, which means again she was shocked and traumatized. Before anyone gives me a hard time about the invisible fence thing and what not, just give it a rest. I'm not thrilled with the solution, but it was the only one we could find that would work best for our situation. We rent this house, so putting a real fence up is not an option. We have had her tied up for the last week, but she is a runner and keeping her attached to a post was not good for her either. With the invisible fence she has the most open space and freedom, so once she gets use to her boundaries I know it will be perfect for her.

For training it says to slowly walk her to the border and when the alarm rings pull them out. Well, turns out you can't really hear the alarm, so poor Rita got a zap. It works a little too well. When she got zapped she turned and ran to the house and now doesn't want to go back out side. So now training consists of me dragging the poor girl around the yard, keeping her away from the boarder and trying to get her to stop pulling to go back inside. My neighbors must already be sick of my cheery and happy voice telling Rita what a good girl she is.

I feel like Nurse Ratchet from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The shock therapy does work well. Puppy is a completely different dog even in the house. Now she runs to her pen down stairs. Last week she was trying to dig through the wall to get out of it. This morning she has been laying in her bed for the last 2 hours. Of course she is hiding from having to go outside, but she has been quiet and perfect all morning. Its good for work, but I feel so guilty for it!

At least she seemed a tiny bit more comfy in the yard this morning. I know we will get there. Her shock collar is now set to just the alarm. No shock. I'm thinking of writing the manufacturer and telling them that this should be the setting to start with. That's what I get for listening to what the "experts" who wrote the manual say. Hopefully the one shock will be enough. I think the dog whisperer guy is crazy when he says dogs don't remember, they just live in the moment. Rita remembers!

Slowly but surely

All I can say is that has been a long couple of weeks. We are finally up and running fully at the new house.... although I am still waiting for my office furniture to be delivered. At least we now have Internet thanks to the tech guy who had to come out yesterday and flip some switches. I will never understand why the Internet people even send out the self install kits. I am pretty good at figuring this stuff out... but I have never had one that worked with out having to call technical support. Usually 9 out of 10 times the issue is on their end too. This time I don't think they even turned on the stupid lines. Four days late I guess is better than nothing!

The funny thing is that my office is unpacked, but most of my clothes are still in their boxes. Guess I should work on that this afternoon. I'm running out of fall stuff already. Looks like a shopping trip is in the cards for me! Just what my already full credit cards don't need. Moving is soooo much fun.

Oh and we are less than a month away from the big wedding day. I'm still trying to track down a hair stylist for my bridesmaids, mom, and grandma. At least mine is sorted out. Something tells me the credit cards are not going to recover until after Christmas! =)

Quick Update

Hi All,

Just wanted to check in with a quick update. I am working in the office this week at headquarters. So I don't have as much time for blogger breaks. People may actually walk into my office and catch me. I can't wait until my home office is up and running next week again.

Good news is that the house we went to look at last week in Indiana was perfect, and they were looking to start getting rent as quickly as we were looking to move. So we signed the lease on Friday. Then unpacked the two cars and headed back up to Michigan so Sweetie could pick up the rest of our house stuff and I could stay with my mom and come to work this week!

Staying with mom has been fun. Her and puppy are at home today on their own. Puppy runs around the back yard and "Grandma" sits on her patio watching her. We were lucky she had the week off so she could puppy sit. I would hate to have to crate the dog all day while I was at work!

So Sweetie is in Indiana starting his new job this week, and puppy and I are in Michigan. The Internet in the new house is going in this weekend, so we should be back to one big happy family on Friday. Man its going to be long week! Us girls ( me and puppy ) are already missing our guy too much!

Now the fun begins...

Well we made it to Chicagoland this afternoon. That's apparently what they call the suburbs of Chicago. I think we hit town around 11 or noon. We spent the afternoon checking out where in Whiting the refinery that sweetie is working at is. Whiting is not that big so it was easy to find.

Then we went started to look for houses to rent. There was one in Hobart, but we missed the exit ramp on the interstate so it took us forever to find it going in the wrong way. Plus then our TomTom was high or something and totally kept sending us into a dead end. We finally turned it off and navigated the old fashion way. That trip took forever. We were both tired and hungry, so we decided to find a hotel next.

It took us 6 hotels before we found one under $200 that allowed pets. Seriously, six of them, and with the exception of the first 2, every other one was completely empty. They would rather have empty rooms than let a quiet little 20 pound dog sleep in her crate in one of their rooms. Crazy.

We did finally find a HoJo. Not to scare my mom or anything... but it not exactly in a great part of town. It is at least quiet and there are not many guests. I'm sure its a perfectly safe and fine area... its just not very pretty and so completely different from the corn fields we were surrounded by yesterday. Although I am trying not to think of all those lovely news programs they love to show on tv about how so not clean hotels room are!

So now the real stress begins. Trying to find a house in a decent amount of time so that we are not living out of our suitcases ( or in the case of me and puppy with my mom in Michigan ) for too much longer. I have a feeling its going to be harder than we thought. Everything really close is pretty crappy, and so far all the other stuff we have found is really huge! The three of us do not really need a 6 bedroom house that is almost an hour away from sweetie's job. I don't want to have to clean that! =)

We have a house to look at tomorrow. Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for us! Plus we are going to at least find a nicer hotel. I'm sorry Howard Johnson, but after being on the road for the last 5 days, this girl needs an upgrade!

One more day to go....

We are about 200 miles out side of Chicago tonight. I can't even tell you what the name of the town is. Only that it is about 20 minutes in side the western edge of Illinois. We should be in the Whiting area by lunch time tomorrow.

Today's drive was a fun one. At at about 2 we stopped at a rest stop and realized we had a tire going flat on the trailer. Poor sweetie unpacked all his tools and the spare, got the bad tire off and could not get the spare on the stupid trailer. Apparently the trailer manufacture decided that using a standard lug pattern would just be silly. So they have their own unique one. Thankfully the tire was still holding air and we were only 6 mile away from the next town. Of course we were in the middle of Iowa, so who knew what that town would hold. We were very lucky though. It was practically a booming metropolis... well, for Iowa. The trailer store did not have the tires... but they pointed us in the direction of the House-Auto-Farm Store. They did not have the right tire, but they did have the auto shop so that they could put our spare tire on the old wheel. So we were back on the road, and it only took about 2 hours and $76. All in all not bad, considering this is the second cross country trip for those tires.

Topeka, KS

Well at the end of day 3 we are about 10 hours away from Indiana. Tonight we are staying in Topeka. Its been a long couple of days. We ended not hitting the road until almost 7 on Saturday. Its all a blur. It seems like we have been moving for 3 weeks. I suppose with all the packing we have been.

In any case, as soon as I sat in the car for 2 hours on Saturday, my body finally relaxed and the adrenalin that had been keeping me going for the last 4 days stopped working... which just left room for the cold I had been holding off to take full charge. Poor sweetie has been doing to bulk of the driving... and that is really under stating it. I drove for about 3 hours today for the first time. =)

Some how my road warrior got us all the way through California and most of Nevada on Saturday night. We pulled into our first hotel at after 1 am. On Sunday he got us through Arizona, Utah, and half of Colorado. We stayed at little hotel about an hour out side of Denver. Today we hit the road at almost 5 in the morning. Neither of us could sleep. So tonight it was an early night off the road.... hence the post. We actually had time to have a real dinner.

The puppy has been fairly good through it all. She loves the car. Sleeps most of the time and then crawls all over me.... but its not bad. She likes to sit and watch out the front window. I keep pointing out all the new things a girl born and raised in so cal would never see.... 6 states, cows, horses, goats, farms, actual open spaces. The only hard part is that when we stop and let her out she is absolutely insane and crazy. She just has too much energy. Which is another reason for the early stop today. Puppy and I got to go on a nice long walk. I walked her until she finally started walking like a good puppy again. Then we walked a little farther. We both should sleep well tonight!

What happened to Wednesday???

I have been so confused with what day it is this week. In stead of flying home on Sunday like we have for the past year and a half, we landed at LAX on Monday.... I have been a day behind all week.

Not usually a big deal, except for when your moving company tells you that they will be here sometime on Thursday or Friday. They were suppose to call us 24 hours before hand and tell us which day for sure. We never got that call.

I was suppose to unplug the fridge on Wednesday night, of course having been a day behind all week I unplugged it Thursday morning thinking that I was a head of the curve. So there I was sitting at my desk Thursday morning trying to get some work cleaned up before I have all of next week off. I look up out my window and think, "wow, that is a huge moving truck going down the street!" Then the panic starts. All of a sudden I realize it IS THURSDAY, and my house is no where near ready for movers. Heck there were still clothes in the dress, food in that fridge that I just turned off... and boxes scattered every where. I was suppose to have Wednesday night to organize and finish up. Oh goodness.

So I make a panic call to sweetie, who is also at work trying to tie up lose ends. Here's how that conversation went:

me: "A giant truck just drove by the house, please tell me some one else is moving today?"

him: "I have not gotten a call, its probably someone else."

me: "What are the odd that some else is moving the same day and using the same company? If this is our truck you better be getting in your truck and coming home as fast as possible!"

2 minutes later.....

him: "umm, yeah that's our truck, I'm just dropping something off and am on my way."

me: "No talking, chit chatting, or stopping! Get here quick!"

I woke up yesterday with a lovely head cold starting and was a little doped on cold medicines. Not really in the mood for surprise movers. Thankfully sweetie could hear the panic in my voice and got here quick. Plus I think the movers are pretty use to people not really being ready. They were very nice.

Of course you should have seen me flying around the house trying to pack the last of the stuff and figure out what they actually needed to take. Its amazing how fast you can pack things up when you have to!

So not looking forward to the unpacking though! =)

We hit the road tomorrow..... if we both actually manage to remember that tomrorow is Saturday! =)

Bridal Shower

Our Bridal shower was yesterday afternoon. It was a very nice party. Everyone seemed to have a really good time. My mom, sisters and I ran around like chicken's with out heads cut off trying to get it all pulled together at the end. I think I am going to have to be very, very organized for the wedding coming up..... but I suppose I will worry about that in a few days.

For the shower activity we all made scrapbook pages of pictures of sweetie and me. We ended up with almost 3 books full. They are very nice and I will enjoy looking at them as the years go by. If I ever get moved and settled in Indiana, I will try to post some of the pages.

I was very touched by the party and all the guests. We are very, very blessed with people who care very much for us. As I was finished opening all our gifts, I was trying to thank everyone and especially my mom, sisters, and sweetie's surrogate mom for all their hard work... but I started crying. It was kind of funny. I just could not do it. So I turned to Billy and told him to thank every one. I had half the room teary eyed. Oh well. I laughed and told them to bring lots of tissues to the wedding... I am a crier! =)

Now I think I will go online and see about ordering some wedding tissues to pass out. The ladies will get a kick out of that!

Quick Check In

I can't believe its been almost a week since I posted. Its been a crazy week. I'm in Michigan currently, its our wedding shower this afternoon. So I don't have much time to say much. My mom and I are trying to finish up the last minute details.

All is going good. The move is almost lined up. We just have to nail down a car hauler for the '77 Bronco. I'm still not sure if we will get everything packed... but the plan is to hit the road on Saturday. We fly back to LA tomorrow. That will give us 4 days... and of course we are both working all week too. So don't be surprised if my posts are few and far between. I will try to keep an update on the road.... if I can manage to stay awake that long once we find a hotel each night! heehee

At least I have been able to get lots of wedding stuff done this weekend. Had my first dress fitting which was good. Worked out the details with the florist, and Billy started his wedding band. We might actually pull both the move and the wedding off.... maybe! =)

Another week, another ER

Last weekend ended with a family trip to the Vet ER with puppy. This morning it was another trip to a different ER. Sweetie's turn today. I woke up to him coughing extremely hard in the bathroom. He said it felt like some one was stabbing him in the kidneys. I asked if we had to go to the hospital and he said he did not know.

So I went to let the dog out, only to hear him getting sick then. Puppy and I went running into the house. I asked again if we needed to go to the hospital and this time he agreed to it. If my sweetie does not fight going to the dr, its not a good thing.

So 4:45 am I find myself dragging puppy outside to make her "do her business" because I had no idea when we would be home again, and jumping into the car while trying to remember where the closest ER actually was. Thankfully there is one only about 6 minutes from us, since with the amount of pain he was in, sweetie was not handling the car ride very well.

The ER was empty and they took us right in. After about 30 mins he had a cat scan, and 20 minutes later a verdict.... a 6mm kidney stone. Which apparently for kidney stones is a pretty good sized one. My sweetie, he can't do anything small! Of course after about 20 mins of being at the hospital, the stone passed on its own and all the pain went away. Which is a very good thing. I have a rule with sweetie that he never seems to follow. He is not suppose to get sick. I just don't like seeing him suffer.

Tonight he is back out in the garage working on the bronco, playing with puppy, and giving me a hard time. All is back to normal once again. Well as normal as anyone can be less than 2 weeks away from a move across the country and less than 2 months away from getting married! =)

This is so not like me

I was having a crabby day yesterday, so I decided to do some shopping therapy. I know, not exactly the best activity when you are down and pissed off at sweetie. Really it was more hormonal than anything.





In any case there I was at the mall looking for a cute skirt to wear to my bridal shower next weekend. I ended up at The Gap. Now, for most of the world, a thirty something girl shopping at the gap is probably not that surprising. Let me just say, for me it was amazing. I have never been able to actually fit into anything at The Gap. I've been a plus size girl since high school. In the last few years I have been working on that.... but its only been in the last year ( a wedding tends to be a good motivator ) that I have actually been able to cross the Plus Size threshold. Its still a new feeling. Sometimes I forget and still start in the wrong department... but I suppose we all should have these problems in life! Clothes shopping is actually starting to be fun. I actually look forward to dressing up.





Any who... I have discovered a problem with the new joy of shopping, and I have a feeling The Gap is going to be a bad thing for me. As I was walking around looking for a skirt, I just had to have this:

You would think a purse is not really that bad of a thing.... but I am just not have to have a bag like that sort of girl. My last purse I got a target for $10. I don't think I've ever paid more than $20 for a handbag. Its just something to carry my wallet and keys in. Oh my goodness this bag cost almost $70! I think my time in California has changed me in more ways that I ever thought was possible since I actually bought the thing. The bag is just too cute and I feel so good and confident when carrying it. I suppose that is money well spent.

Did I mention that the new job location will be within an easy 30 minute drive of the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Something tells me sweetie might be taking control of my credit cards if this shopping thing gets any worse! heehee

California Sunset

After living 10 minutes from the ocean for the last year and a half, and with only 2 more weeks left out here; sweetie and I actually caught a sunset at the beach tonight. It was a nice moment. We watched the sun sink into the Pacific and took a moment to reflect on our time out here. I know we will miss the beach walks and weather. It will be fun to look back at this time when we are older and laugh at our young selves. The conversation was as follows:

me: We will have a good story to tell the grand kids.
sweetie: "What did you do grandpa when you lived in California?"
both of us: "Watch TV!"

heehee Of course we did do a little more than that. Saw some nice places, learned how to live together for the first time, got engaged, bought our bronco, and adopted puppy. I'd say that's a pretty good stay in this crazy town!

Of course I did not have my camera... so no pictures of the sunset. Sorry! If we would have planned to see a sunset, then odds are we would have missed it any ways. =)

Opening Ceremonies

Tonight ( or I suppose today with the time difference ) are the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics. In the past this would be met with excitement and joy in my house. I must say though the Olympics have lost some of their shine for me. This has been happening slowly. I think its a combo of getting older and mixing in professional athletes.

I will say this year there is a definite feeling of disappointment for me. I'm not claiming to be an expert and I'm sure some will say this is naive, but it just seems like the IOC could have found a host country with a better human rights track record.

I get that not all countries will have the same set up and work as my country does. I don't expect them to. I do, however, think that there are certain beliefs this country has that we should stand up for.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence)

I'm not promoting a boycott by our athletes. I get that they just want to compete and should not be pawns in a global statement. I am also not saying that war or forcing countries to comply to our standards is the correct or only way too.

I do think though that having our President, the highest representative of our beliefs and standards, sitting happily at the opening ceremonies pretending all is good in this host country, is definitely NOT the right thing. "We hold these truths to be self-evident". Its pretty clear and does not leave much room for interpretation. If they are so clear, then shouldn't we as a country do a little more to stand up for them and help all of our fellow humans find their own freedom?

There are ways to make statements and help the "tired, poor, and huddled masses yearning to be free" that don't involve bombs and physical force. I really do think our world leaders missed a prime opportunity today for such a statement.

It won't mean much and no one in China will ever know, but this girl will make her statement and hope that some day the poor, starving, and oppressed will understand the same freedoms we are so blessed with.

Not my idea of proper work attire!

To the weather lady on the local CBS morning news:

I understand that you have a size zero waist, but now that you have your new additions up top, you are no longer a size zero. Please do all of us trying to greet the day at the ridiculous time of 5 am a favor. If you are going to wear the button down shirt that pulls open and shows full bra and boob-age every time you turn side ways... please, please just keep facing straight. My body image can barely handle the size zero waist that early... so I do not need the reminder that perfectly perky breasts are not any where near my future as well. Let me at least get some breakfast in me before I have to bare witness to that.

Here's a little tip from Stacy and Clinton on "What not to Wear": You have to dress to fit the biggest part of you and tailor to make the rest fit.

Thank you and Good Morning!

Sick puppy

My little puppy is sick today. She has kennel cough. I don't feel guilty enough for having to leave her at the kennel when we go out of town.... now I get to add more because it makes her sick. Poor baby.

She was throwing up most of the day yesterday. She was acting fine, so I just figured she ate something that did not agree with her. By 8:30 pm it was getting worse and we were getting worried. Which meant it was time for our first trip to the emergency vet clinic. Thankfully there is one like 5 minutes from our house. I held puppy on my lap trying to keep a pee-pee pad under her mouth every time she gagged. Not an easy task.

Puppy was of course excited and happy to be going on a trip. Clearly the hacking and puking was not slowing her down. It was not a fun trip for mommy and daddy. First we were worried, then we had to keep cleaning up her messes, and she was in her crazy dog mode which is never fun when people need to examine her. Then I'm guessing they must have suspected Kennel Cough ( which is very contagious and easily spread ) because they made us keep her outside until a room was ready. I had to carry her around the clinic so she would not contaminate anything. Two hours later the Dr finally came in to see her. At least puppy decided to get sick a couple times for her. Its easier to let the vet see first hand, than try to describe the problem.

They sent us home with antibiotic and cough suppressant. Kennel cough is pretty much like the common cold for us. Her throat is sore and irritated so she coughs, and sometime so hard she gets sick. Poor little thing, it is an awful sound. She is also dehydrated, so if any one has any good tips on how to get a dog that is not interested in drinking water to drink more water.... please pass them along! So far following her around with a cup and begging is not working. Although she did like playing with the ice cubes after breakfast today.

She's sleeping now on her bed. Hopefully the meds work quickly! I don't like seeing my loved ones sick.... and let me tell you its even worse when they can't tell you what is wrong. Those puppy dog eyes she keeps giving me are breaking my heart. Its going to get even worse this afternoon when she's standing by the door for her walk, but can't go because she's contagious and dehydrated.

That is one good thing about moving closer to home. There will be plenty of people willing to puppy sit for us, so no more kennels!

Huntington Dog Beach

Since we are down to only 2 more weekends left in SoCal, sweetie and I decided to take a trip down to Huntington Beach. Not only does HB have the coolest Dog Beach, but they also have the best hamburger shack I have found in this state. Of course I forgot my camera. I'm not very good at remembering that thing!

It was sunny and warm in Torrance when we left the house. I actually went back in and put some sun block on. By the time we got to HB it was over cast, but still pretty nice. Plus the waves were fairly decent.... so there were a lot of people watching to be had.

We started at TK's Burgers. I was a little worried about trying to eat in public with our puppy. She is a little hyper and likes to greet and jump on every one and every dog we see. Her daddy lovingly calls her psycho, but I have been working hard with her on our walks and figured we could handle all the distractions. Plus we got a new gentle leader head collar a couple of weeks ago, which has been a big help. I picked a nice bench on the sidewalk in front of TK's and by the time sweetie came out with the burgers puppy was just laying nicely on the grass next to me. Hardly even noticing the people. She was a good girl. I knew she had it in her!

heehee She's snoring on the couch next to me now. We must have worn her out today.

After lunch we went for a nice walk on the dog beach. Puppy does not quite get the concept of listening to us when we call her. Most of the time, is she even acknowledges hearing her name, its just with a glance back and then continuing on her way. So we have to keep her on leash at the beach. Its kind of sad because you can tell she just wants to run and chase like every one else.... but I know she will get it eventually and will have plenty of time to run free. We even made some good strides on the swimming front. Usually she does everything she can to not go near any of the water, but today she even followed me in a few feet. She still does not seem to really like the water, and the waves scare her though. Of course even the little waves are mid chest for her. I don't like waves that big either!

It was a nice California day. I know I will miss days like this mid-March in Indiana!

Its Official

We are officially moving to Indiana this month. The plan ( as it stands today ) is to hit the road on 8/23. I guess that leaves me and sweetie 22 days to get this house packed up and ready to go. Wait that's not true, 5 of those 22 days will be spent in Michigan. My bridal shower is this month. We had planned the home trip long before moving came up. Goodness, that means only 17 workable days. Its going to be an interesting August!

The funny thing is that the whole point of getting married this October was to avoid having to move 2 months before the wedding. The original plan for Sweetie's current job was that it would end in May or June. We should have been moving then, and already settled in to the new place. You know what they say about making plans.... If you want to make God laugh, just make a plan!

My grandma m has always told me that god only gives you challenges he knows you can handle. I take comfort in knowing that I will get it all done and organized ( at least this is one time being a perfectionist organizing freak is a good thing ), but I also think God has a little too much fun watching me run around like a chicken with my head cut off. heehee

Thankfully this will be the third move for us in a year and a half. We have all our boxes from the last move and I have become an expert packer. Not to mention that you pretty much live lightly when you have to move all the time. The best part about this new job - 3 YEAR DURATION! Oh it will be nice to not have to move in the next couple of years. =)

On a less stressful side, I got the wedding invites in the mail this week. I also managed to book the hotel rooms for my family for the night before the wedding. We are getting married at a golf course closer to Sweetie's side of town. Its only an hour drive from my mom's house, but considering the ceremony is at 1 in the afternoon, we figured it would be easier to be closer. Plus this way I can have my own room and lots of space to get ready in. Sweetie should be booking the honeymoon today. I think that means that anything else that needs to be done can wait until after the move. Man I hope I am not forgetting anything!

Earthquake '08

Considering the fact that we are only going to be in California for less than a month, I have a feeling the Earthquake Gods decided this mid-western girl should have the experience of a good ground shaking.

I must say it is an interesting feeling. At first I noticed my chair was shaking, but my brain was a little slow to catch on. The ground is not suppose to move like that, so I thought I must have been having a stroke or something. Finally my brain caught up and realized my desk and the entire house was also shaking. "Oh," I thought, "this is an earthquake." Of course then my next thought was, "wait, the ground is still moving... what am I suppose to do?" I guess I always expected it to be really short. Granted this one only lasted at most a minute... but it did seem longer than that. By the time I figured out that I should let the dog out of her crate and get both of us outside, the ground had stopped moving. I was almost unsure that it was not all in my imagination. Then I noticed the waves in the pool and the blinds all moving.

Thankfully there has been no real damage reported. Nothing even fell off of its shelf in my house. I was worried though for a bit. I figured if we could feel it that bad the epicenter had to have it worse. I forgot to factor in that these people are use to this sort of thing. They engineer buildings for it. The sky scrapers downtown all swayed... exactly as they are suppose to do. It is actually quite impressive. Heck, the fact that it took me a day to even write this speaks to how this city just rolls with the ground when it goes. =) We all took a deep breath, calmed down, and then went about our normal days.

It is a very interesting experience.... but I'm also glad to be heading back to firmer ground in the near future!

Vegas Pictures

As promised... here are a few high lights:

Lobby at Bellagio:

Miniature Bellagio in the lobby. We stayed at the MGM... but had to go and see the famous Bellagio... it was worth the walk down the strip even if it was 110 degrees!

Sweetie in Bellagio lobby:
Hoover Dam:
Me at the Hoover Dam:


I must say the hoover dam was pretty impressive. Granted I live with an engineer, so in the past 3 years I have gained more insight into the massive construction jobs.... but I think any one can be impressed with the massive under taking this structure must have been.

Vegas Baby!

Its been a while since I posted anything... but I have a good reason. The sweetie and I went to Vegas for the weekend. We have been saying since we came out here that we should go. Since its only a four hour drive. It took us all of the time we've been here to finally go. It was a fun weekend. I'm sleepy now though. =)

I had never been to Sin City before. I think I know why now. Its just not my type of town. I'm a little more low key than anything in Vegas. The high light of the weekend for me was seeing the Hover Dam. Oh and we did at least win $32. I told my sweetie we had to gamble at least once. He humored me, but was dragging his feet. He seemed to walk a little quicker after we won. heehee

Sweetie also has an Aunt who lives there, so it was nice to catch up with her. Plus one of his co-workers got married. This time we could not come up with any excuses not to go. The funny thing was that I forgot it was the end of July as we were planning the trip. I did not ever connect the dots that we were going to be heading to the desert in the middle of the summer. Seriously, people are not suppose to live in places like that. It was just too hot, too loud, too crowded, and too over the top. Neither of us really drink or go for that wild and crazy parting though. Just not our scene I guess.

My mother always made us try new things at least once at dinner before we could declare we did not like it. At least now I have tried the Vegas scene. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow...