Summer (Alien Ant Farm)

I am SO ready for summer to be here. For about a week prior to Christmas, I was staying at my dad's house. I figured it would be easier getting to work if I walked to the bus stop vs. driving down a potentially icy road. It just kinda sucked not being in my own home (sleeping in my own bed, using my own bathroom, etc). But, on the other hand, it was quite nice to have my dad there, making me breakfast (waffles & bacon) & dinner (pork chops & potatoes, fried rice) everyday.

Work was only closed for half a day (on the first day of snow), but nobody from my dept came in that day. We didn't want to risk the treacherous roads. Really, do you blame us?

Christmas was to be a low-key day. There was minimal gift giving - I gave Jeff pajama pants & an ornament - two things I give every year. His mom couldn't not give us anything & so from Cost Plus/World Market, she gave us some guacamole stuff (just add avocado), chocolate/peanut butter covered pretzels, soup mix, a beer for Jeff & some shower stuff for me, an Amazon.com gift certificate & tix to a M's game next year.

I bought my own Christmas gifts this year - two sweaters & a pair of black corduroy pants from Eddie Bauer - all on sale, of course. I also picked up a pair of (snow) boots from Nordstroms, albeit a little bit too late for the snow we just had. Oh well, they ought to last me quite some time & I'm sure this isn't the last of the snow in W. Wa.

Next year, we're trying to figure out a way to go to Hawaii for the holidays. Originally, I wanted to go for Christmas (while Jeff already had the days off work), but that may not happen now because his mom can't get the time off her work. Bah!

I'm really looking forward to some new shows starting up again in January - Biggest Loser, American Idol & then Survivor in February. Three of my favorite shows.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. no snow in the forecast
2. 2008 is almost over
3. fried rice recipes
4. installed camera software
5. 4 wheel drive

Merry Christmas!!

All For You (Sister Hazel)

I'm not quite sure what I did to deserve this, but I'm SO VERY THANKFUL that the light was on & that I looked at my slippers before putting them on when I got home tonight. Thanks, Tubbs. I love you, too.

Friday, I was driving along & flipping through the radio stations & came across 106.9 playing their Christmas music already. The DJ guy came on & said they had been playing since 3pm. Sheesh! It's not even Thanksgiving! What's next year going to bring? Christmas music from Halloween forward (I hear the Christian station was playing Christmas music on Halloween night [only] for a more "positive" sound).

Saturday, I hosted my annual Stamp-a-Stack. Lots of folks making lots of Christmas cards. The Christmas Music station came in handy to get folks in the mood. Bonnie even broke out in song. It was awesome! Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do for my Christmas cards. Ugh!

Oh, but one cool thing I did was catalog all my old/retired stamp sets. I now have a binder full (well, not full, but you know...) of all my stamps. I can page through and say, I want to make a card with a flower & then go through & find all my flower stamps. Awesome. Organization is cool.

Sunday was a lazy day, really. Randy came over & the boys watched the Seahawks lose. Big surprise there. But first, we got lunch from good ol' Taco Bell. And, then I had to go back to TB & give them a piece of my mind after they shorted us nearly half our order. Seriously, I realize that counting to 12 requires more than 2 hands, but take your shoes off & count w/your toes if you have to. Cripes. And yes, I also realize that I may have ate some other bodily fluids while enjoying my 7-layer burrito, but it was worth the rant at that restaurant. Go, Jen go.

Sunday night, Kat & I (et al.) spent a couple o' hours at the Supermall for their Night of Giving. Most stores offered some kind of sale - 10 - 30% off, BOGOs, etc. I'd say the best deal I got was a pair of tennis shoes from Naturalizer that were originally $69 that I paid $18 & change for. Score one for me.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Time off work
2. Games
3. Food Savers
4. Health
5. Disposable slippers.

I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)

I'm kinda sad about it, but my 5 day weekend is quickly coming to an end. I had a busy weekend, for sure. I think that's why it seemed to go by so quick.

My long weekend started on Thursday night when I met up with Kat, Aimee, Desiree & Tracy for Girls Night Out at the Melting Pot. For only $24 per person, we enjoyed some mighty tasty cheese fondue, salad & chocolate fondue. Yes, I was just there, but oh, it was SO worth it to go back!

Friday was busy day full of errands to the dentist (no cavities, but I got a cool little [I mean little] toothbrush), the hairstylist (just a trim, kids) & the doctor (to get a couple [yes, two!!] inhalers.

Saturday morning was a blur. Saturday evening, I met up with Kat in Factoria (where I purchased my long-awaited Food Saver) & we went to my holiday dinner at Salty's. Some of our holiday parties have been boring or the entertainment was no good. Not this time, though; I had a blast! There was an incredible buffet, a live band, a game of limbo. Oh and lets not forget about the wonderful prizes, of which I didn't win (boo).

Sunday night, Jeff & I met up with my friend Jen to watch another co-worker in her first Improv performance. It was her 201 class just doing a bunch of games. Some were better than others, but ALL were better than I'd ever be. After the 201 class performed, the 301 class performed a bunch of games. Afterwards, Jeff & I headed to one of our favorite northend places for some Happy Hour dinner. Yum.

The only thing planned for Monday was to see Jason Mraz at the Paramount Theatre. I didn't realize this, but I only know two JM songs - You & I Both (which was performed MUCH slower than I was accustomed) & I'm Yours (one of 5 songs he did as part of his encore). It was a pretty good show, even though I didn't know most of his music. The best part had to be when two girls stood up & were dancing to some song & an usher came & told them to sit down. Many people (myself included) clapped when they finally did sit.

Tuesday was reserved for stamping & I wanted to do a little cooking. I finished prepping for my Christmas card stamp-a-stack scheduled for this upcoming weekend & I made 4 cards that I sold to a co-worker. I have to admit, it took a little bit longer than I had anticipated. I only had time to cook one thing today - a Rachael Ray version of Shepherd's Pie recipe, w/a couple of adjustments based on some of the reviews. It was FAN-TAS-TIC! Definitely going in my recipe box for future dinners.

Happy (Sister Hazel)

This was me doing the HAPPY DANCE tonight as Barack Obama was announced as the President-Elect:

Yeee!!

The Gift (Jim Brickman)

Last week, I get an email from Jeff that said my gift has just arrived. When I got home from work, I didn't see anything unusual laying around. So, I asked him (in between his calls) if my "gift" was from one of the kitties. He says no. Thank goodness. The last thing I wanted to do was clean up some puke piles.

So, after he was done working, he leads me down into the dining room where my new KitchenAid stand mixer was. Yeee!!! I've been wanting one of these for a long time, if for no other reason, they just look cool. And now, I have to figure out what I'm going to do with it (I don't bake, I cook).

Do you have any suggestions? Please, let me know.

Home (Daughtry)

Yesterday, I was up in the Northend and, on my way home, thought I'd stop at the hospital to see how my dad was doing. He was to have been discharged from the hospital today. As I walked up to his room, that wasn't my dad in the bed. Thank goodness, I didn't go all the way into the room before I realized that it wasn't him.

The gal at the nurse's station said he was discharged earlier in the afternoon. So, I went to my dad's house & sure enough, he was there. He was quite a bit more coherent than the first time I saw him (the day after his surgery). He was still moving around like he was in pain, saying he was only going to be traveling from his bedroom to the bathroom to the living room chair & that it hurt to spend much time on his feet.

He said that the surgeons had to move his diaphragm & so now he is constantly hiccuping. While, physically, he may have been in pain, vocally, he didn't show any signs as he went on & on about the life my sister has chosen for herself.

Today, I brought him a lasagna to Food Save & freeze for future eats as he's not able to eat much right now. He was up on his feet for a good 15 minutes (at least) while we took care of the lasagna.

I think he's well on his way to a good recovery.

Doctor Doctor (Thompson Twins)

Yesterday, my dad had bypass surgery & an aneurysm repaired. Today, after work, my sister & I went up to the hospital to see how he was doing.

We only got to spend maybe 10 minutes with him because about 2 minutes after we got there, the nurse came in & gave him a shot to put him to sleep. He conked out relatively quick after the shot.

The surgery went well, but my dad said it wasn't as expected. I don't know if he meant that something happened in the surgery itself or if the healing process is different than what he expected. He wasn't 100% coherent, so it was hard to hold a real conversation. But he kept saying that he was either really, really hot or really, really cold & he appeared to be in pain & the only pain meds he was being given (I think) was an epidural.

But, here's Dad giving his thumbs up that he survived the surgery. There's still a LOT of recoverin' left to do.

Finally Found (The Honeyz)

A couple weeks ago, we replaced Jeff's wedding band with a new titanium band, with the thought of as soon as we replace it, the old one will show up again. Guess what showed up again? The ring.

So, which ring is he wearing now? He isn't.

Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)

Last night, Amy, Derik, Aimee, Nicole & I went to Auburn's 4th annual S'mores Than You Imagine event held at Game Farm Park. There was S'mores (of course), Starbucks provided some warm beverages (coffee, cider & hot chocolate), face painting, a bon fire & ghost stories.

It was kinda a neat family event (read LOTS of kids running around). The night was perfect - no rain, full moon & thank goodness I had that blanket in my car to put on the metal bench.

Though, we didn't stay for the whole thing, I would go back next year (as long as it wasn't raining). I'd be sure to wear much warmer socks, too. Oh, and I'd get in line as soon as the Starbucks arrived. Good times!

Ring Around the Rosie (Various)

Jeff lost his ring sometime around the time we went camping back in August. We've looked just about everywhere for the darn thing & couldn't find it. So.... Last Saturday, we went back to the Shane Co. & bought a new ring for him.

The original ring was a simple white gold band. To get the same ring was going to be upwards of $500.

After trying on several titanium & tungsten rings, Jeff opted for the $70 titanium ring.

If he loses this one, we're not out a super-huge ton of moulah.

What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)

Man, it's been F-O-R-E-V-E-R since I've posted anything. I've been such a slacker! Or, maybe not a whole heckuva lot has been going on since I last wrote in my blog.

I did a vendor fair a couple weeks ago. I got a couple leads on that for stamp camps & made two sales. Yee!! Doesn't sound like much, but these vendor fairs typically aren't very successful anyways.

We did our annual Girls Night Out at the Melting Pot. Tasty as always & this time, there were 8 girls instead of last year's 6. Yee!! I only wish Amy & Kim could have been there. Next year, girls. Next year.

I'm getting over some sort of sinus deal. Not sure if it's an infection or what, but I'm glad it's nearly over. Unfortunately, because of it, I spent much of last weekend doing a whole lot of nothing, but fortunately, because of it, I got to spend much of the weekend doing a whole lot of nothing (read catching up on shows).

So, after chatting with Airi last Friday at our Goodbye Trina dinner, I realize that I watch FAR too much television. I'm just not entirely sure which shows to stop watching just yet. It's still early in the season and, well I'm a couch potato apparently.

This morning, the bank across the street from my work was robbed & a suspicious backpack was left behind. We had to evacuate my side of the building for about 25 minutes while the investigators were investigating.

Jeff's sister & her boyfriend purchased their first home down in P-town. We were invited for a bbq this past Sunday. It's a quaint (read TINY) little place, but it's so stinking cute! It's perfect for a pre-kid, first home. I gotta say though... DON'T TAKE DOWN THE RHODIES!!


Today, I am thankful for:
1. www.allrecipes.com
2. neti-pot
3. fast acting tylenol
4. in-home laundry facilities
5. HOT water

Somebody's Eyes (Karla Bonoff)

For the past several months, I've been a loyal lurker on Matt Logelin's blog & today, he just announced the launch of his online store, Garden of Awesome.

I encourage you to visit Matt's blog, read up on what an amazing father he is, then go buy as much cool stuff as you can to help support him and his beautiful baby, Madeline. You, too, can be a stranger friend.

Warning: You'll need lots of time & lots of tissues if you're going to read his blog (especially from the beginning) but it's worth every tear you shed.

You Can Run But You Can't Hide (Triple Image)

Tubbs & Shiggy aren't very good at playing Hide & Go Seek.
I found both of them & took their pictures.

After the Rain (Nelson)

Here's the before & the after of the house where the tree was struck by lightning.
It had to come down.

Now the house is... Bare. Exposed.

So weird to finally see this house after 5 years of living here.

Baby Face (Art Mooney)

My good friend Amy has submitted her son's picture in a radio contest - Cute Baby of the Week. He made it into the top 10 & is needing some votes. Not that he NEEDS votes (he really is a cutie patootie), but they really want to win so I'm encouraging you to go ahead & vote for Derik.

All you have to do is send an email to warmcutestbaby@gmail.com & reference baby #6 / Derik. You can vote once per day until next Thursday. It's that simple.

And then, I think Mia's picture should be submitted for the following week's contest because she's so stinking cute too!

The Best Things in Life are Free (Janet Jackson)

This morning I was sitting on the train, reading a Dean Koontz novel & listening to my mp3 player when I faintly heard the familiar ring that is T-Mobile. The gal across from me looked at her cell phone & then put it away. Crap, that means it's probably mine & who's calling me at 8am on a Friday? It's my good friend Kathy, who I haven't talked to in several weeks, wanting to know if I wanted to go to the Seahawk game tonight. "Well, I really don't care for football," I tell her, but she says, "Who cares? It's free tickets to a sold out game!" Good point. "Okay, I'll go."


Aside from the Bacon Bowl several years ago & the annual March of Dimes walks that I participate in, I had never been to Qwest Field. Our seats were up on the 300 level & several rows up at that. Quite reminiscent of the 'nosebleeds' at Safeco Field & the view was just as good. Other than the fact that it was very cold & very windy up there, I had a great time; I'm glad I went.



Today, I am thankful for:


1. Winning sports teams
2. $9 dues
3. ATM projects near completion
4. Mel's Market
5. Free parking

Take My Breath Away (Berlin)

Mother Nature - 1, Jen - 0

Friday night, Jeff & I went camping with his parents. It was kinda a last minute trip. Sorta. Well, there were a few requirements (not too far, must have toilet, must have fires allowed, must have availability).

It turned out to be more last minute than I think anyone wanted it to be. We've known for weeks that we were going camping, but nobody would make a reservation. And by the time we were ready to make a reservation, there was nothing available. And where there was something available, no fires were allowed. Ugh!

We ended up going to The Dalles, about 25 miles east of Enumclaw, early Friday morning to see if they had anything available (we knew they had [stinky, hole in the ground] toilets & fires available). We reserved a spot & drove back to Enumclaw to let the 'rents know we got a spot secured, did a little grocery shopping & headed back to The Dalles & waited.

We were both exhaused from waking up so early, quickly packing the car, eating a big breakfast at The Lee & then driving out to The Dalles. Once camp was set up, I had to close my eyes for a few, but we had no air in the mattress so I sat in my chair, trying to sleep.

Bob & Penny made it out to the site a couple hours later & we learned while setting up their tent & stuff that they didn't have the plug for their air mattress. Crap. Bob drove back to Enumclaw to pick up a new, er, make that 2 new twin sized air mattresses to put in their tent. As it turns out, 2 twins is NOT the same size as 1 queen. It was quite funny watching Bob & Jeff get the twins in the tent & even more funny watching them try to zip the tent closed. Good times.

Once I laid down in bed, I absolutely could not breathe. I don't usually use my inhaler so I didn't bring it. I should have brought it. I was up ALL NIGHT LONG, coughing & wheezing. I think I got *maybe* 3 hours of sleep Friday night. I offered to go back home Saturday to get my inhaler, but was told that was silly. Let's just all pack up & go home.

So, we did. But first, let's have breakfast together. We ate at The Kettle & it was DELISH!! It just might be our new spot on the way out for breakfast.


Today, I am thankful for:
1. The Olympics being almost over
2. New shows about to begin
3. Van Hoof
4. Credit Cards
5. Trees that can survive 700 years

Summer (Alien Ant Farm)

Man, I gotta stop doing this. It's hard to remember what's been going on when I wait so long in between posts.

At the very end of July/beginning of August, I went to my first Stampin' Up Convention in Salt Lake City. It was VERY warm (upper 90's - low 100's). I had an incredible time!! I learned a lot of various things that I want to incorporate into my SU business. We'll see how long the momentum will last.

Speaking of stamping, my company has asked me to make the invitations for our 'Autumn Extraordinaire' a.k.a. holiday party. I've got the invite all planned out, but I'm just waiting on approval for the verbiage to use.

And, when I was showing one gal on our Social Committee who was approving the design, etc. of the invitation, another gal came over & wants me to make some invitations to a Soup Party she has each year. I already have the design down on that one, but am waiting on the color choices. Perhaps we'll get it figured out tomorrow.

I'm super excited about these!!

Next on the agenda is to get a stamp camp planned for my home & then start working on my Christmas Card Stamp-a-Stack, where you'll get to make 16 cards (4 each of 4 designs) for just $20. How nice will it be to have all your Christmas cards done early so that by the time Thanksgiving or Dec 1st rolls around, all you have to do is drop your cards off in the mail? I would LOVE for this to be me this year. Even though I make cards, it still seems as though I tend to slack on sending them out.

One of my goals this year is to make birthday cards for all my co-workers. With 130ish employees, it's a mighty task, but I'm up for the challenge. It's fun receiving home-made cards, don't ya think?

Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)

I was planning on having a stamp camp using all retiring stamp sets on July 26th, but for various reasons, not very many people could attend & so for the few that were attending, I decided to take my stamp camp to them. But first, we were going to do a Girl's Day Out.

'

Aimee, Nicole, Tracy, Debbie & I went to breakfast at Chanterelles. I'm not a huge fan of coffee, but I drink the ocassional cup o' joe & I know what tastes good & what doesn't. Chanterelle's has the BEST vanilla latte ever AND it's the size of your head. All for under $3. You can't beat that!

'

Next stop: Edmonds Museum Summer Market. Lots of booths selling lots of cherries & flowers & hand-crafted jewelry & such. I bought a pair of pretty earrings to go with any of the pink shirts I own. I also bought a couple forks for camping (Jeff will be able to roast his hot dogs over the fire with these bad boys). Seriously, some people are so innovative (I like thinking inside the proverbial box, I suppose) - these forks have golf club handles & actual silverware fork tips attached to the end. I haven't used them yet, but I'm guessing the only downside to these is that because it's an actual fork, you can probably only roast one hot dog at a time. Good thing I bought two.

'

Can't have a girl's day out with out getting pedicures so Kara Nails is where Tracy & I headed to next (while Aimee & Nicole went to the pet store & Debbie went home to install her new garbage disposal). Tracy & I just had regular ol' pedis, but the gal who was already in the chair before us was having a honey pedicure. I had never heard of this before, but the gal said it was Heavenly. Tracy & I agreed we WILL be back for it. You can count on that!

'

Last stop was to Tracy's house where we did end up doing the Adios Amigos Stamp Camp afterall. Just a few girls, but it was A-OK. It went by rather quickly (quick enough to get Nicole to the pool for her swim meet.

'

Aside from girl's day out, I have been mighty busy making card fronts (they're not complete cards - it's just the front & looks quite like a postcard) to swap with other demonstrators when I go to my Stampin' Up Convention next week in Utah. I am making approximately 140 card fronts. Most of the time, I get my ideas from other demonstrators who've posted pictures of their cards on a website I frequent. But, since I was swapping this card, I didn't want to accidentally swap with someone whose card idea I stole. So, this one is all on my own. What a mistake. I think it's a lovely card, but there's over 1200 pieces (of various sized cardstock) that needed to be punched out. I have punches, but now, I also have a very cramped hand.

'

Last weekend, Kathy, Jeff & I went to the Mariner's game at Safeco Field with my company as part of our Summer Event. The M's lost, of course, but I had a good day. Took lots of pictures, of course. Check 'em out & tell me what you think (esp. of my artsy-fartsy purse picture).

'

Today, I am thankful for:

'

1. Friends

2. Flickr

3. MyPublisher

4. Free Games

5. Mono-Adhesive

Don't Wait Too Long (Tony Bennett)

Cripes. Where do I begin. When I started this blog, I didn't think I would go this far in between postings. Well, things happen & look. It's been a month and a half. Big deal. At least I'm posting now, right?

Back at the end of May, Jeff & I went to our first M's game of the season. It was the train car giveaway. If I go to no other game, I MUST go to the train giveaway game. I have all the trains since they started giving them out. This year was the JJ Putz Flamethrower Express train.
Jeff & I didn't stay too long, though. The M's had given up something like 4 runs in the first inning. We left The Safe & went to Greenlake Bar & Grill for some real dinner.

Thanks to Facebook, I was able to find a friend that I had gone to college with over 10 years ago. Kat & I met up with Alicia for some tasty Happy Hour goodness at Newport Bay Restaurant down in the Southcenter area. Funny thing - As it turns out, Alicia is my Aunt Jane's neighbor.

Kat & I met up with Trina at good ol Chutneys for some tasty Indian grub. Mmmm... We love Chutneys!!

Steve celebrated his birthday with the Groovy Franken Friends. He wanted to try some place other than Famous Dave's. So, we all met up at The Outback in the Southcenter for some ok steak-y type foods. I think Jeff's prime rib was still moo-ing.

This past weekend, the GFF's (minus the Lee clan) got together for some camping action at Hause Creek. Jeff, Randy & I drove up Friday afternoon (first stopping at the liquor store for Randy, FedEx for Jeff & then The Lee for all of us to get our lunch on). Trina joined us late Friday night, er, shall I say EARLY Saturday morning (after 1am). David & Katherine joined in on day two for one night only. While there, we checked out Rimrock Lake, which is absolutely beautiful! We didn't go in, though. Too many frogs on the shore. It was a long drive to & fro, but overall, I think everyone had a good time. Next time, we'll find a place that's just a tad bit closer.

Kinda sad about one of my pictures that didn't turn out when I uploaded it on Blogger. The other day on the way to work, there was a motorcycle that pulled out in front of me in our community. I could tell there was someone on the back. When I got up closer, I could see this someone was a rather large ogre. It was Shrek! This guy had a huge Shrek doll on the back of his bike. I only took a couple of pictures (I was driving afterall).

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Warm camping temperatures
2. Spaghetti w/taco meat, carne asada, Caesar salad & garlic bread
3. Easy camp set up
4. Easy camp tear down
5. Not needing jumper cables afterall

Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)

Cripes! It's been nearly a month since I blogged last. I think this is the longest I've gone in between posts (whereas Katt is going for the record & hasn't blogged in over 1 year [hint, hint] yet still has her blog up for us to look at & wonder if she's ever going to do anything with it. You never know...). Anyways, I promise I'll try better at keeping it up-to-date. Bah, who am I kidding... You'll get your updates when I'm good & ready to post 'em.

So, what's new?

Last I posted, we let Shiggy out on the kitty leash. We attempted to let Tubbs out recently & he squirmed out of the harness & tried running away. Bad kitty.

One of my friends had her baby at the beginning of the month. I met Derik for the first time last Friday & he's so stinkin' cute!! A big boy, too! In the first 12 days he'd been out of his momma's womb, he's grown a whopping 1 - 3/4"!!

My parents-in-law + Jeff & I met up with Steve & Airi for a Steve-prepared BBQ lunch a couple weeks ago consisting of halibut, steaks, shrimps, caesar salad, asparagus, mushrooms & probably something else I'm forgetting. I say it everytime Steve cooks for us - YUMM-O!! Steve is the Grill Master & I long to be just like him.

Speaking of Grill Masters... Last weekend, Jeff & I picked up a new CharBroil Dual Fuel BBQ. It's Dual Fuel because it can either be hooked up to a propane tank or to the natural gasline attached to the house. Finding this grill was a bit of a challenge & I don't know how many miles were wasted going back & forth trying to find a grill that would support both propane & natural gas. Much of Saturday & part of Sunday were spent assembling the new grill. Next on the to-do list is finding out if our grill model is compatible with the conversion kit we bought to go with it.

While doing all this driving to find the *perfect* bbq grill, I had seriously contemplated getting rid of my Xterra for a more fuel efficient vehicle & then thought better of it. While the X is still a "gas guzzler", it's very close to being paid off. I decided having no car payments for awhile would benefit me far more than having car payments for the next 5 years. Perhaps I'll sock away a little stash of moolah & use that for my next vehicle rather than finance 100% of it.

I'm all set to go to Salt Lake City for a Stampin' Up convention at the end of July. This will be my first time going to convention & the primary reason I'm going this year is because it's SU's 20th anniversary & I just feel they are going to do some extra special things for the demonstrators in attendance. I could be wrong, of course, but I just have this gut feeling that I shouldn't miss out on this one particular convention. Besides, I don't foresee myself being a demonstrator during the next big anniversary celebration (5 years from now).

I'm really proud of my old buddy, Scott, who trained for & ran his first (full) marathon in Memphis a few weeks back. He raised money through Team in Training for leukemia (I believe). He's really taken to this running thing & has signed up to do another marathon, this time in San Fran. If you've got a spare dime & wish to donate to yet another wonderful cause, feel free to click his link above. I'm sure he would appreciate your support.

I too have taken up a (small) liking to running. It all started over a year ago when I said I think I might want to try this running thing. Trina & I ran a VERY short distance at the March of Dimes walk in 2007 (because I was carrying a camera, a medal I had won, keys, etc. - not very conducive for running). This year at the March of Dimes walk, we ran quite a bit further (I left the camera in the car this year, therefore very few pictures were taken). Since then, I've actually gone on my own a few times around the neighborhood.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. So You Think You Can Dance
2. Stimulus packages
3. Aspiring to be the next Grill Master
4. Becoming friends with other people's friends
5. Summer is virtually here


What irks me today:

It's been quite sometime since I've posted "what irks me today". Today, I was totally annoyed with people who were just unaware (unaware = rude) while walking outside today. One man was so enthralled with his conversation with his pal that he nearly ran me over in the crosswalk. Another guy wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings that he just about walked in front of me (I ended up going around him the other way, otherwise, I would have ended up walking into a tree). Grrr...

Chains of Love (Erasure)

Last Saturday was a special day for one of our kitties: Shiggy got to go outside. In the 4 or so years that we've had him, the only time he had been outside was when we took him to the vet.

It was a pretty nice day outside. Jeff, Randy, Trina & I were sitting outside, enjoying cool beverages along with some chips & dip when Trina asked about letting the cats outside.

We had a leash, but the last time we tried putting the harness around Shiggy, he was so squirmy that we never tried again. This time, Trina helped & Shiggy squirmed, but we were able to get it on him. He was a little wary at first, but was mostly just curious about what was going on outside (smelling EVERYTHING!!). I don't think he'll try to escape the indoors like Tubbs does, but we won't let Shiggy out every day either.

And no, we didn't tell Tubbs that Shiggy went outside, nor did we let Tubbs see Shiggy out there either. Don't wanna have jealous kitties.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Que Pasta Mexican Mac & Cheese
2. Blooming shrubs & trees
3. Not having allergies
4. Receiving SU goodies
5. Kitty leashes

Fever (Peggy Lee)

I'm blaming it on the exercise.

Last week, Jeff & I had a conversation about how we need to be more active (actually, he was doing most of the conversing while I listened, nodded my head a few times & threw in a couple of "uh-huh's"). I agree & admit, though, that I especially have been on the lazy side as of lately. I wake up early, work all day & the last thing I want to do at night is make sweat pour out of my pores.

But, I mustered up the strength last Wednesday & spent 20 minutes on the elliptical, though, if I'm being perfectly honest like Simon Cowell always is, I was pretty much ready to be done after 2 minutes. I kept going though. Jeff would have been proud of how I persisted through.

After my 20 minute stint, I happily got off & unplugged that so-called fat burning machine, said good night to John Tesh & went back inside the house. And it all went downhill from there.

Here I am, 5 days later, still feeling like poo. I've done nothing but lay on the sofas downstairs, watching television, sweating & complaining about how hot I am in between slightly restful bouts of sleep.

The NyQuil isn't doing much to make me sleep any harder & the Riccola isn't making my sore throat any less sore. I'm just a funky mess!

Yeah, I'm blaming the elliptical.

In spite of feeling like death warmed over, I can still find things to be thankful for:


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Having 130 hours of Personal Leave for moments just like this
2. Lots of recorded shows to catch up on
3. OJ (The juice, not the accused murderer)
4. Cool showers that helps to ease my aching hair
5. My spouse who is graciously putting up with my bitching, coughing, sneezing, nose blowing, feverish, lethargic self

Baby, Baby (Amy Grant)

My cousin, Deborah, had her twin girls tonight (about a month early). Sarah Faith weighed in at 5lbs at 8:47pm & Naomi Hope was born 4 minutes later & weighed a whopping 4 lbs 10 oz. It sounds like the labor went REALLY fast (less than 30 minutes of pushing).

My cousin, Molly, had her first born about 2 weeks ago. Owen Cosmos (my cousin-in-law is a huge Carl Sagan fan I'm told) was also born a few weeks early. I haven't talked to Molly, but according to her mom, Molly & baby are doing okay. It's taking a little bit to get used to motherhood, but they're doing fine.

And I can't forget to mention baby Mia, quite possibly one of the cutest babies I've seen in a really long time. She looks an awful lot like Steve. I hope she doesn't start snoring like Steve does, though.

Next Tuesday, I've got a baby shower for baby boy Buscarino (a co-worker who hasn't named her son yet). Next Saturday is Amy's baby shower for her soon-to-be born son, Derik Braden.

What is with all these babies lately? I'm glad I didn't drink the water last summer! Perhaps next summer, I'll take that big gulp, though.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Healthy babies
2. Happy new parents
3. Speedy deliveries
4. Raising money for those premature babies
5. Those sponsoring me in my March of Dimes walk

I have been in such a blah blogging mood as of lately... So blah that I haven't even wanted to update my blog. Maybe there's just not much to write about that my (few) readers would care to read about.

Steve & Airi had their baby girl 3 weeks ago. Baby Mia is so adorable & looks just like Steve.

Kim & Henry got married this past weekend. I've been thinking about her (& London) a lot lately & hoping they're having a marvy time on their honeymoon. I'm counting down the months before we'll get to travel across the Atlantic to visit with the Romero's.

I've recently tried a new home product called Two Sisters Gourmet. It's quite similar to Tastefully Simple (as far as products & prices), but there are a few differences. I tried 4 different dips this past weekend & I'm hooked! I'll be having a party at the end of April to help spread the word... Let me know if you're interested in coming or sampling some of the goodies.

Tomorrow, I celebrate my 7th anniversary at my job. It's the longest commitment I've ever had & it's passed in a blink. Crazy! Even moreso, my co-worker Faith (a.k.a. Hellboy) celebrated her 30th year today. We ordered a German Chocolate cake from Borracchini's Bakery (talk about delish!!) & had a mini party, complete with balloons & champagne poppers.


Today, I am thankful for:

1. Greek starting up again in 2 weeks
2. Flickr
3. Corporate credit cards
4. LOW insurance rates
5. Baked chicken

Hey Baby (No Doubt)

Last night was the couple's baby shower for Steve & Airi & their soon-to-be child, that I planned for them. I've never put together a baby shower before. I've never put together any kind of shower before. I think it turned out pretty okay, though, if I do say so myself.

I wanted it to be pretty low-key, yet fun & still kinda 'shower-y' so that the guys wouldn't feel totally out of place in what is typically a "girl's event". As it turned out, the guys were almost more into it than the girls were, especially with the games.

We played 4 games, of which the guys won 3 of them:

1. Guess how many 'poopies' were in the diaper - Steve came closest & won movie passes for two, plus some candy.

2. Guess the baby animal - Jeff had the most correct & won a nice big tub of animal cookies.

3. Guess how big Airi's belly is (with a piece of yarn) - Ann won a Famous Dave's gift card for coming closest.

4. Identify the jars of baby food - David & Katherine tied at this one, both guessing 5 of the 7 jars correctly & won a certificate to The Met.

Woo! Good job & thanks for playing.

Next, presents were opened by Steve. A few of the items received were receiving blankets, swaddlers, onesies, bibs, socks & the well needed diapers (direct from Randy's personal stash - thanks, Randy!).

Finally, what's a night with the GFF's without poker? For those who stayed & played, $5 was the buy-in. I was down to $1.85, but two wins back-to-back got me back up & on my feet again. My high point was $9-something, but I lost a few to Randy in the end. When I cashed out, I was still above my original $5. Good times, my friends. Good times.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Get togethers with friends
2. New poker "felt"
3. Punch
4. Leftover party foods
5. Poker

Jingle Bombs (Achmed, the dead terrorist)

Dashing through the sand

with a bomb strapped to my back

I have a nasty plan

For Christms in Iraq

I can't believe how much time has passed since I last posted, yet not a whole heckuva lot has happened. Same ol', same ol' really. Let's see if I can remember the highlights...

I cooked a turkey dinner last Saturday for my dad & Helyn, who came over for the first time in 4 1/2 years specifically for dinner. I've been to his house for BBQs, but he's never come here for dinner. Until now. Maybe that will change now that he knows I "can" cook. Probably not, though.

I'm done kitty sitting Nutmeg. I enjoyed Nutmeg's company, but she's not exactly a next door neighbor either.

Superbowl Sunday was spent at David & Katherine's home. There was a ton of tasty foods (including my contribution - enchilada ring). We met Tialen & Ann's 2 month old daughter, Lauren. We played a little bit of Texas Hold'em on Steve's new felt. And, Airi & I were the big winners of the mini-superbowl pool that we made up that afternoon.

I had my annual review last week & it was confirmed that I'm just like Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way. Just kidding. I know areas in which I can improve, but I'm not going to complain about my 2nd raise of the year. Ch-Ching!

Joanna, Kat & I went to see ventriloquist Jeff Dunham tonight. I've seen him before on some tv special, I'm sure. What a funny guy! If you haven't seen him before, check him out on some YouTube videos. My cheeks were definitely hurting from laughter.

Jeff let me know this morning that he saved me from something really awful last night. While laying in bed, he told me to look on the floor on my side of the bed. There was puke down there, no biggie. He said Tubbs was standing above my head when he started doing the "I'm going to puke any minute" gag & so Jeff pushed him onto the floor. I'm so thankful that Jeff was 'awake' enough to get Tubbs away from my head! I slept through all of this & had NO idea it was happening.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Hybrid cars

2. Recycling

3. Rechargeable batteries

4. Energy saving light bulbs

5. Reusable grocery bags

What Do You Say (Reba McIntyre)

Her every breath is weaker than the last.
And lately when she sleeps she talks about the past.
Her husband knows she's tired of holdin' on.
She looks at him and says I want to go home.

Sadly, Erin went 'home' on Friday evening.

From my previous post, here's what's been going on:

* I got my Market Salary Adjustment. Not 15% like I thought it was going to be, but 8% isn't bad either. I'll take it!

* I went to Kim's bridal shower & had a hoot. She got some cute & crazy gifts. My personal favorite was the red flower shoes & the worlds ugliest light fixture.

* I'm in the midst of planning Steve & Airi's baby shower. I think I've got it just about all figured out. Now all you folks need to RSVP back to me.

* Jenny had her baby about 2 1/2 weeks early because of her size. Little Fiona wasn't so little; she came into this world at 9 1/2 lbs!

* Cousin Deb found out that her twins are going to be girls. Yay!!

Last Sunday, it was absolutely gorgeous outside. Cold, but beautiful. Jeff had a hard time staying home & so we drove up to Snoqualmie Falls for all of about 10 minutes. Like I said, it was cold! So, on the way back home, we stopped at Jamba Juice because we weren't cold enough.

While I don't fully get it, SMCU is starting some new marketing thing about the 7 Principles. There are a couple YouTube videos out there. They took video & still photo shots of some employees & you never know... I may be on a video someday talking about what makes me feel good.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. The time I did get to spend with Erin
2. Honey Nut Cheerios
3. My camera
4. Recorded shows to watch later on
5. A clean house

Unbelievable (Diamond Rio)

It's crazy to think that another year has just begun. There are a few things I'm looking forward to in 2008:

• Market Salary adjustment of 15% (if my calculations are correct)
• Kim's bridal shower/bachelorette party
• Meeting Steve & Airi's baby
• Meeting Amy & Jeff's baby
• Meeting Jenny & Todd's baby
• Hearing about the birth of Deb's twins (boys? girls? one of each?)
• Going to Mike & Amanda's wedding
• Possibly seeing Gina's play in NYC
• Paying off all debts (my car & credit card)
• Finally making Suze Orman proud & establishing a real savings account
• Buying (& using!) a Food Saver

And one unavoidable thing:

• Erin's passing
  

Many of my readers remember my friend Erin. She was my dancing buddy (many weekends, we could be found at Polly Esthers, dancing the night away. She was also the "cheapskate" who came to Las Vegas & refused to pay for the buffet & got caught eating food she didn't buy). Erin was diagnosed a few years back with a cancerous tumor in her brain & over the past couple months, hasn't been doing too well. Now, it's just a matter of time before she passes & obviously, it makes me sad to know that this once active gal has deteriorated to nothing (both physically & mentally). I just hope when she goes, she goes quickly & that I'm not at work when I find out.

In more happy news, recently, I became in touch with my old friend Scott, who I hadn't seen in I don't know how long. It was long enough that he didn't know I had gotten married. Wow! As much as I really don't care for myspace, it did help us get in touch again. Yay for that!

I also just signed up for facebook because another friend had it. I really don't 'get' it. Perhaps someone can tell me the difference between myspace & facebook and help me navigate my way through it. As it is, I'm pretty much clicking on stuff & I have NO idea what I'm doing, exactly.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. The health I do have
2. The Lee
3. Waterfall cards
4. Digital cameras
5. Rechargeable batteries

What irks me today:

Today, I'm not really annoyed or frustrated by this, but I think it's not quite appropriate to wear your pajamas &/or slippers in public. More & more, I see these (not always) young girls wearing their PJ's & slippers out and about. Sure it may be comfy & warm, but those are the clothes you wear to bed - not out to lunch.