From Pennsyltucky

I'm moving.

2011-07-05T13:03:00.002-04:00

I'm moving my blog over to a wordpress site. The new address is: https://frompennsyltucky.wordpress.com/

I'm hoping that my few readers will come along with me, as many things in my life have changed, so I thought it was time to keep up with it all.

See ya there!

Progress!

2011-01-21T10:19:00.002-05:00

Things are moving right along on my weight loss journey. I have been sticking to the Weight Watcher's Plan for more than three weeks now, and I'm starting to see quite a bit of progress.

In my closet reside three different sizes of jeans.

1. Jumbo-Ginormous

2. Ginormous

3. Haven't worn since I was 24.

In a strange turn of events, My Jumbo-Ginormous pants are baggy, and my larger-cut versions of the ginormous pants are comfortable. But the most exciting thing of all? The smaller-cut versions of the ginormous size I can actually wear! YES! You see, I haven't worn these pants since I first met Sweetie. That was four years ago.

So, Progress!

But, my ultimate goal would be to wear size "Oh God! When I was 22 I totally wore you!" Which is in this line up:

4. Haven't worn since I was 23

5. Wore for a blip of time and on bloated days when I was 22.

6. Oh God! When I was 22 I totally wore you!

Ahhhhhh, the good ole days. Days when I could walk into a "normal" store and buy clothes that were cute...not feedsacks to cover my "fluffy" body. Also known as the days when I didn't have more than one chin, and my ass looked Goooooooooood. So good in fact, that I used to wear short-shorts...and turn heads in a good way. Days when guys acted like gentlemen toward me, and not as if I was invisible. (That happens a lot now, rarely does a man hold a door open for me when I'm out and about, even if my arms are full of stuff, they will let it swing shut behind them--this is a complete change from my "fairly hot bod" days.)

Point is, I'm well on my way to at the very least, the pants that I haven't worn since I was 24. Go me! The best part of all of this? I haven't even ratcheted up my workouts yet! I'm just doing 30 minutes 3 times per week! Imagine what will happen when I kick it up a notch to working out 5 days a week for an hour!

Visions of new clothes are dancing in my head.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Sweetie promised that when the clothes in my closet were all too big, he would take me shopping and pay for new ones!! Hell Yeah that's incentive! (And don't think I'm not adding bags and shoes to that! I am me after all!)

Oh, yeah, right, it is Fitness Friday, so ya'll wanna know my weight? 227. That's right baby! 10 lbs down!

The Trouble With Labradors.

2011-01-11T18:48:00.002-05:00

I know you've all at this point viewed pictures of my two babies, Mojo and Macie. They are my children, or at least the closest I plan on getting to having offspring of my own. They're cute little buggers, but lately Macie had been having a smelly problem. Anyone who has Labradors probably knew this, but I had no idea that Labs are particularly sensitive skin dogs. They are very prone to dry skin and other skin allergies. I had no idea until I couldn't take the smelly gymsock smell that permeated her coat just days after she had been bathed.

Poor dog smelled like a gym locker. Yeesh. I had tried everything I could find. I even went to the pet store and talked with some of the associates. I dropped a lot of money on "fixes" that did not work. At. All. Finally, I was at the end of my rope and Googled smelly lab...yes that is what I googled "smelly lab". At that point I was introduced to the fact that poor Macie wasn't alone in her stinkiness.

I read all of the petowner message boards I was pointed to and got quite the edumakashun about the breed and the skin problems that come with it. Having never owned a Lab in my life, I had no idea these dogs were such sensitive little guys. So, armed with this new information, the fact that Macie had some severe dandruff finally made sense. She wasn't chewing her hair off or anything, but she sure did itch herself a lot, and since I never found a flea on her ever (good flea stuff buyer that I am), I knew that couldn't be why she did it. Everything came together for me while reading the boards...as Oprah would say, it was my "A-ha! Moment".

So, I read on to see what others had done. I kept seeing the same product mentioned over and over. It was one that I had never heard of, and after a quick call to the local pet stores, was surprised to find that they didn't even carry. We had to buy it online, and it didn't come cheap, but it is a total miracle! So, for others out there in my situation, I'm ready to "endorse" an awesome pet shampoo, conditioner, and doggie-coat deodorizer. Seriously, this stuff works or I wouldn't mention it. It's called Nova Pearls, and it is a god-send to us.

This is the shampoo
This is the Conditioner

And this is the deodorizing spray.

This is my happy, not stinky anymore dog.

Well, she sorta cares.

Look how shiny her coat is! She's super-soft now too, it's like her puppy hair never left. And, she smells fan-freaking-tastic! It's been two weeks since her last bath, and there isn't even a hint of the stinky gym socks anymore. It's awesome!

(I am in no way affiliated with this product, they have no clue who the heck I am, and wouldn't care if I ceased to exist.)

Beee-you-tee-fulll Sunrise.

2011-01-07T19:46:00.003-05:00

This was the view out of my windshield on my way to work this morning. (Unfortunately you can't see the falling snow very well) The sunrise was beautiful, and once I got past that treeline ahead it was so pink! And all was reflecting off of the snowflakes in the air. Gorgeous! I couldn't get a picture of that though, because I needed both hands to drive. Our road was a rough drive this morning. Happy Weekend everyone!

Fitness Friday

2011-01-07T06:08:00.008-05:00

I want to start off by saying that I have gone four days with no junkfood. This hasn't been easy, feels like I should be in "ding-dong rehab". lol. I did work out on Wednesday, and I will work out again today, that's my way of easing into the every day workouts. My biggest complaint right now is that it is so freaking expensive to eat healthy. Seriously. It costs almost twice as much to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Especially in the off-season. I would love to eat the organic versions, because I don't like the idea of ingesting chemicals, but those are even more expensive. I think that is the main reason a lot of people are overweight. When you have an extremely tight budget, especially if you have multiple mouths to feed, healthy food can seem like a luxury. And lets face the facts here, it's not like there are coupons for apples.

One of the things I have been consuming is the GNC Total Lean Lean Shakes. If you follow the weight watchers program, these shakes are three points apiece. They work well for me when I'm in a rush because I throw two scoops and 8 ounces of water into a bottle, shake, and run. I have the Vanilla and the Swiss Chocolate versions at home, but there are more flavors. And, GNC is running their Gold Card promotion right now. They've extended it through January 10th.

Because I am easing back into my exercising, I haven't been doing my Jillian Michaels DVD's just yet. I will start back up on those next week. They are killer. Seriously, if you want to work out, but can't afford a gym membership, these DVD's are the way to go. She has several out right now and they are about $10 each at Walmart. I'm telling you, when you are done with that video you KNOW you were exercising. I spend a lot of time cursing at my TV.

Another few suggestions, Jello sugar-free pudding with a tbsp of sugar-free Cool Whip. This snack is low in WW points, and helps curb the sugar craving.

For the salty fix I recommend Pringles Snack sticks. They are really yummy.

What I like about these snacks is that they are already portioned for you, so it is a no-brainer. No measuring necessary.

Now of course, you don't want to make a habit of eating these all day long, but they are great when you are really craving junk.

Now, my weight for this week is 235. As usual, it is a work in progress, and of course, I indulged over the holidays--including New Years. And lets face it, ham, cookies, and alcohol is no way to lose weight. So, now I'm back to my uphill battle. I'm on the "serious track" right now, so that number WILL be smaller next week.

P.S. I don't have a personal stake in any of the products I have recommended. They have no idea who the hell I am and if me or my blog disappeared next week, they would not bat an eyelash.

Happy 2011!!!!

2011-01-04T20:12:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everybody! I woke up on new year's eve to the following:

That my friends is a ditch on our property. We actually had a huge snow melt, and my entire yard was flooded. Life in the country sure is fun. I'm not kidding when I say I was standing up to my ankles in water, all from the snow melting.

Luckily, along with the melting snow came balmy temperatures. It was 58 degrees on December 30th, in Pennsyltucky! Far out! But, that only lasted a couple days. Now we are back down to freezing temperatures, and it is snowing again. Such is life near Lake Erie.

But, I wanted to take some time to wish you all a very Happy New Year! It's 2011!

Oh, and I'm getting married this year!!!! (Sorry, still a little excited about that.)

Christmas, Finals, Wedding...oh my!

2010-12-21T20:05:00.007-05:00

OK, so I know that I didn't do my Fitness Friday post on Friday...I have a very good reason though. Last week was finals week for school...ugh. I detest finals week. It's truly the most awful week of school...aside from midterms of course. They both rank right up there on about the same level. The only difference between the two is that the week of finals is when most projects are due as well. So, I was completely engrossed in "school-world". All of this doesn't mean that I didn't weigh myself though. My new weight is 233. So, I lost a pound. Not bad...but not as good as I was hoping. I will be posting again on Friday, for those following the saga.

Christmas...ugh. I used to love Christmas. But all it has become to me in recent years is two weeks of complete stress. Mike is a Christmas nut. He would never, ever admit it, but he is Clark Griswold at heart. Basically, he is a really annoying nut who carries around lights, extension cords, and timers. Oh, and makes me his very unwilling helper. No matter how many decorations we put outside, he always finds another spot that "needs something". Move on to the indoor decorations. This is my realm--whether I like it or not. Mostly anymore, not. Luckily, as you all know from my earlier post, I was able to scare up some "minions" for the tree that resides in the Family Room. Oh, how I love minions!

I love you my "minions"! I need more! Brothers! Get on this! However, no minions were to be found when I had to put up the tree that I refer to as my "pretty" tree. Behold, the "pretty" tree:

OK, so I am aware that the tree skirt doesn't "go". This tree has been a work in progress, and used to be Blue and Silver, so at that time it did "go". But since the first year, I turned to the colors in the room as inspiration for the tree. And though you cannt tell from this picture, the color palette for that room is autumn tones. "Pretty" tree--check.

Next on the list of "Crap for Christmas" is buying presents. This is not my favorite, and thus, is still not finished. I. Hate. To. Shop. Yes, I realize this is not a normal thing for a chick, but I do not enjoy the crowds, the lack of parking, the helpful salespeople (which is strange since I work in sales), the holiday carols playing over the store intercoms (mocking me), driving in bad weather to spend hours at the mall, nor waiting in line at the cash register. Shopping--not check.

Wrapping--oh, my favorite! It really is. I wrapped all of the presents that Sweetie bought so far (except for what he got me) and thoroughly enjoyed every sweet second of it. Observe: That's not all of 'em, just a small selection. I will be wrapping more as well, the only thing that makes shopping worthwhile.

Next on the list is cookies. Normally, I do about a bajillion different kinds. This year, I am doing three. That's it. If they don't like it then they can bake them. I do not have the time.

On to drama-creator in my life number three...wedding plans. This should not be a problem. I am slowly beginning to understand why the brides on Bridezillas are well, bridezillas. Planning a wedding is really, extremely, exhaustingly stressful. Aside from figuring out all of the logistics, and the money portion of the wedding, I still have to pick out my dress (which I haven't done, because it requires shopping, and worse than that it requires shopping and trying things on...I'm allergic to trying things on. I don't even like to try on shoes.) and I have all of these meetings and appointments that I have to get done now. I mean it, I have to get the bulk of it done now. I am on break from school right now, so my schedule is only half as crazy as normal. For some oddball reason, the vendors for my wedding can't seem to make it to a single scheduled appointment. And frankly I am getting tired of hearing the myriad of reasons why. I do not have time for the drama. My wedding date is not waiting, and I am running out of time. I am pretty patient as it is, but my patience is being pushed to the breaking point. I actually had a meltdown at work today, Bridezilla style.

Seriously...me. I broke down. Freaked. Lost it.

The wedding planner from the venue that I am using cancelled. This isn't the first time. But, right now, we really need to get some of the things that are being done there nailed down, set in stone, finalized. Such as what the hell we are going to be feeding people. I honestly have no time for these delays, so I was really mad. Funny thing is, she cancelled with me over my voicemail. I think she actually asked for my voicemail, because then I couldn't lose it with her.

After my initial meltdown, I happened to get a call from Sweetie, who had gotten a message at home from her off of the answering machine. Boy, I thought I was mad. He was livid. He's the "money-man" by that I mean that he wants numbers right now. Plus, he's sick of all of the cancellations that are going on as well. Especially since he works third (oh, did I mention that chink in the schedule?) and the meetings are hard to come by, and, as I said, this is not the first cancellation. So he was losing it on the phone. The innocent person who had to hear it? That would be me. Like I wasn't mad too! Thanks so much Wedding Planner Lady!

Anyhoo, now I'm home, my blood pressure is starting to return to normal, and I am pulling the last stinkin' batch of freaking cookies out of my oven...

So how's your holiday going?

Merry Christmas.

Fitness Friday

2010-12-10T06:46:00.002-05:00

Well, it's Friday, so it is time for my first "Fitness Friday" post. This is going to become a regular thing. Today I'm going to talk about something that sucks the life right out of your healthy eating plan, stress bingeing. Raise your hand if you do this . This is one of the worst habits that I have. I am by nature a nervous person, so I get upset and stressed out really super easy. I don't deal with this by losing it, I deal by eating everything in the immediate vicinity that is not nailed to the floor.

Unfortunately, when it comes to stress eating, vegetables and fruit are out of the question. When stressing out, the only options available are the foods that are "comfort foods". You guys know what they are: doughnuts, cookies, chips, french fries, Big Macs, ice cream, a handful of Hershey's kisses...stuff that tastes like heaven, but later makes you feel like hell. These foods to do absolutely nothing for your energy level.

Handling stress is a real problem for me, and I can get stuck in the rut of grabbing crappy food and scarfing it down. And lately, I've been stressed to the max. That is why when I weighed myself this morning and found that I have gained weight this week and not lost it, I wasn't at all surprised. I was surprised at how much I have gained however. That never ceases to amaze me. I haven't stuck to my plan at all. With Mike back on third shift, evaluations at work, the last week of school, trying to deal with holiday madness, and wedding stuff weighing on my mind daily, I've managed to pack on seven pounds. Yup, seven. 234 this morning. Not good.

So, what does everyone out there in cyber space do to deal with stress? I'm looking for ideas/suggestions here. Don't be shy. You would be helping me deal, and I appreciate any help.

I really wish I was one of those people who had the opposite problem and didn't eat when they stress. This isn't really healthy either, but would be way more helpful in my quest to not look like the Stay Pufft Marshmallow Man at my wedding.

So ideas??? Anyone???? Bueller????

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

2010-12-05T10:36:00.006-05:00

Who ordered the white stuff???!!!??? It's cold, it's snowy....did I mention, it's cold???? Here in good 'ole Pennsyltucky, you would think that after thirty five years, I would get used to bundling myself up for twenty five minutes to take the dogs out for ten, but, not so much. I would prefer to throw my flip-flops on and have it done. But, we live where there are four seasons, and you take the good with the bad.

I would much prefer it if it would only snow two days before Christmas, and then stop once New Year's Day arrives, but alas, I don't get a voice in the matter. Oh well, it is pretty. Something about a recent snowfall makes the world look clean and new and untouched again. I would be much more enthusiastic about it if I didn't have to give up my four-wheel-drive vehicle because the cost of gas was more than the payment! Now that I'm driving a rollerskate to work, I'm not as excited about snow. (Stupid oil speculators! If I ever run into you, I'm giving you an asswhumpin'!)

Looking outside at the white landscape turns thoughts to Christmas, and all of the stuff that is not done yet for the holiday. As of right now, Mike and I have bought a grand total of one Christmas present (Michelle, I got your back, at least you know you'll be opening something Christmas morning!) Nothing else is done...oh wait, that's right, I hosted Thanksgiving this year at our house. Due to my quick-thinking, I used the "free labor" and put those kiddos to work! The tree in our Family Room is done!

Here's a picture of the kiddos that were used in my "Christmas Sweatshop". Clockwise from Top left is: My nephew Tyler, my great-nephew Isaac, My nephew Tanner, and my great-niece Tola. Cute kids huh? Enough chit-chat! To work with you! No pumpkin pies until that tree is done! (I'm such a meanie!)

Here I am putting hooks on the ornaments. I look thrilled, no? That would be because after searching and searching, I couldn't find the hooks to put the ornaments up with...but because my Mom was Mrs. MacGyver, I didn't let that stop me. I made hooks out of paper clips...there's a hint for Heloise!

So, because I was fashioning hooks out of paperclips, it took a little while for the kids to get the ornaments to put on the tree, so they waited somewhat patiently in line for their turn.

Tola was so funny, she is a definite Christmas Nut, and wanted to hang all of the ornaments up...If I had a nickel for every time I heard "OOOOOh that's pretty! Can I do that one?" I would be on an island in the Caribbean right now instead of in the frozen tundra.

This picture is Tola in heavy negotiations with Tyler for a purple-glitter snowflake. She loved those snowflakes, so I'm going to get some for her for Christmas. Shhhhh! Don't tell her!

My elves, busy at work! They really want some pumpkin pie huh?

Isaac was so funny, you could tell he wanted to be the "cool boy" and not get excited about the pretty ornaments, but when I would unwrap each one his eyes got really big and he got this expression of Wow! Too cute.

Work my minions, woooooork! Bet you didn't know that I had minions, did you?

Ahhh, getting closer. More ornaments than room on the tree...

A lot of Tola's hanging was very low on the tree. I wound up moving them after everyone left. Due to the four-legged children I have.

The finished product. One of the prettiest trees I have ever seen.

I'd like to thank my minions for a job well done! "Can we have pie now Aunt Minnie?"

"Sure, once you get the lights hung up outside!"

"We're going home to have pie Aunt Minnie. Mooooooooooooooom! She's trying to make us put up the outside decorations now! Aren't there child labor laws????"

Well, it was worth a try. I don't have free labor like this often.

I'd like to thank one of my "former minions" my cousin Elizabeth, for taking all of the photos. She's a freshman photography major. And, because she is now nineteen, she's over listening to me when I bark out orders...all good things must come to an end I guess.

But, she did a really good job helping to corral the "staff" and help them get the ornaments on higher branches. Plus, she took some nice candids of the day.

This is Elizabeth, who used to be tiny and wore pigtails and thought I was cool...now, she's grown up and arty and ridiculously smart. (Runs in the family.)

Thanks all of you, because if you hadn't helped, I'd be putting that tree up today. Thanks!

Okay Guys, I realize it's not Friday, but I have put this off long enough...

2010-12-01T20:39:00.007-05:00

This was me at Halloween. Well, me, and the girls in the family. The girl in the ginormous Police hat is my Sister-in-Law Raine (married to my brother Jim, and expecting the new addition to my family...right now I'm calling the new addition "the Nugget"). The feisty feline is my Sister-in-Law Nan, my wine-drinking partner (see photo below). The cutie-patootie blondie in back is Alley, my Cousin Billy's girlfriend (she's dressed as Alice--so adorable!) And, the chubbo dressed as Little Red Riding Hood would be me. Don't be saying to yourself "geez, she's really hard on herself." Because, you see, it's the God's. honest. truth. I look like Little Red Riding Hood twenty years after the whole debacle with the Big Bad Wolf, and she's really let herself go...although, she does have some awesome rockin' hair going on. I look like I ate all of the goodies in the basket that was being delivered to Grandma...thrice.

(obviously too much wine here, folks...lol)

What's the point of all of this? Well, obviously it's not because I'm overly proud of myself. Because I used to look like this:

(I was 21 here. The cute blonde is my friend Jennifer)

(Taken the same night. The Guy is one of my old "pool-playing buddies" Tom)

(I was 19 here, That is some hair, huh?)

(Fifteen here)

(Sixteen here)

(This picture serves no other purpose than that it makes me lol. I was so cute and drooly huh?)

Now, to the point of all of this. I said a while ago (yes, I did) that I would start posting my weight on Fridays. I have certainly put this off. I know it's not Friday, and I will start posting a regular "Fitness Friday" post. (I would be happy if my readers, small group that they are, would like to join in. Whatever point you would like it to serve to you is fine. You don't have to post your weight like I'm going to be doing. That's very personal. But if you want to do that too, it would be awesome!) I'm going to reveal just how pudgy and out of shape I am....okay....drumroll please....

227lbs

What, you can't read that???? Okay, yes, I weigh 227 lbs. (Hello world, I now feel completely naked...)

Nobody but me (and one of my BFF's Shanna) knew what it was that I weighed. Not "fo sho". Sweetie's been trying to get it out of me for a long time. He doesn't even know. Good thing he's not a web surfer.

I'm ashamed of how unhealthy I have let myself become. Here is a list of stupid things that cause this:

1. I have a monthly gym membership that I have paid for for going on two years now. I never go.

2. I eat late at night because I have trouble sleeping.

3. If given the extra time, I take a nap rather than exercise.

4. I buy healthy food and it goes to waste because I am too "tired" to fix a salad.

5. I have lost my old habit of vitamins, lots of water, and using the alloted gym time at work (that I get to use on company time--mind you!)

The time for excuses is over. I have a wedding in less than 220 days. I have to get a handle on this SEVERE PROBLEM. And it is a SEVERE PROBLEM.

You may ask yourself "What brought this on, Minnie?" Well, I just finished watching the Biggest Loser Reunion Special. Now, for friends of mine, they know that I love. this. show. BL is awesome. Anyway, I'm watching it and realizing that I weigh as much as the contestants do! I could be on that show! I don't want to be on that show, that would be something I could never ever do. But, I can put myself out there in the world--on my blog--and have a place where I am held accountable for what I have done to myself.

I literally have my engagement picture session on Friday. It will be the LAST TIME I will be that fat. That's the mission. I choose to accept it.

See ya Friday...

Oh, and don't tell anyone what I weigh, OK?

Just Checking In...

2010-10-27T07:28:00.003-04:00

This is going to be very quick, as I am getting ready for work, and still have to take my two mongrels outside.

My "giveaway" went over like a lead balloon...lol. But, I don't have a ton of readers, so that's okay. My Sister-in-law Raine is expecting, so I'm going to put the extra Fundoodies in her shower gift. Hopefully, it will be the gift that keeps on giving ;)

I'm going to the gym tonight. A huge (literally) Biggest Loser fan, I am so inspired by watching that I realize it's time to get off my ass and do something about it, fer ruhl.

Anyhoodle, I'll be posting about my weight loss on here, since I need to be accountable to someone other than myself. So, weekly I will be posting my weight. That is very scary, because anyone could read this. But, dammit, I'm gonna do it!

So, Friday, and every Friday, you will see my number...fat jokes optional.

Minnie

I was just thinking about this,

2010-10-07T07:20:00.004-04:00

Doo Doo head, Fartknocker, Butthead, Hosebeast...all names my brothers and I used to call one another. We were so mean with the horrible names. My brothers used to call me L.A. (stood for lard ass...nice huh?) so that they could "swear" without being caught. I used to swear at them in Spanish... Once in a while the word faggot would slip out of our little mouths. (I know it's not politically correct, but it was the 80's and kids threw that word back and forth to one another all the time). If that happened we would take in a very deep breath, because we knew if Gram overheard us, we'd have to look it up in the dictionary. She had a very deep hatred of us calling one another that. I can hear her now: "I don't know why you all think you are so cool when you use that word! Look it up! You are just calling one another a bundle of sticks!" And, she was correct. We'd pull the dictionary out (with her standing over our shoulders) and look it up. There it was Faggot: a bundle of sticks.

That page was so wrinkled and worn, we could turn right to it after a while. Like I said, we were mean to one another. We're not anymore though. We've grown to really love and respect each other. I've found that since we've "grown up" my bros are two of the most wonderful, loving men in the world. We've had to hold one another up during some really tough times. I have nieces and nephews because of them. John is the best Dad I know, and Jim will be when the child they are expecting in May is born. Those two little Fartknockers turned into wonderful guys.

Which brings me to why I was thinking about this today. My nephews have gotten to the name-calling stage. They don't call each other butthead, or fartknocker, I swear, those two have a language all their own. Their name of choice? Dooner. Um, I have no idea what it means, but that's what they say. "You're a Dooner!" "You are such a Dooner." "You Dooner."

I asked them once "What the heck does that mean?" They just shrugged their little shoulders and grinned. It was then I knew...this is a replacement curse word. They think they are getting away with something.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...They're going to be Awesome Men.

Sound the trumpets! I'm givin' sumpthin' away!

2010-09-30T21:16:00.006-04:00

Tell your neighbors, tell your friends--read my blog dammit!

This is my very first give away, and it is a cool one, especially if you have a bunch of crumb-snatchin' littles runnin' around the ole homestead. (I've really got to stop the Frontierville-speak, it's a sickness I tell ya!)

A little bit of a backstory here...

I'm an Auntie, but you all know that. What you may or may not have known is that I was also at one time an Elementary/Special Edumakation (he he) major. I love learning about how the rugrats learn, and I only switched majors because I ran out of courses I could take in the evenings. (I work full-time and have adult responsibilities unfortunately, so I couldn't continue my classes, which sucked because I was awesome at that major...4.0 GPA. Then I switched to Marketing. Let's just say I'm reeeeeeally not cut out to be a businesswoman, but I want that stupid piece of paper anyway!)

Anyhoo, my wonderful S.I.L. (Hello Nanners!) was talking with me one day about how she and my Brother (Hey Johnny-boy!) were trying to figure out a new chore system for their house. No kidding guys, the very next day I was on one of the blogs that I lurk often (I'm a lurker, I can admit it, I don't always comment but I do read a lot of blogs) and saw this card game. Long story short, I got on their website and ordered it.

I waited about a week and a half and still hadn't received my little gift for my brother. So, I contacted PayPal, who in turn, contacted the seller at the site. Turns out, the seller was having issues at the time with PayPal not emailing the orders to them in a timely fashion (bad PayPal! very very bad!). She assured me that she would drop my order in the mail that very day. And behold! I received my shipment three days later!

The company involved is called Fundoodies (how cute is that?) and they can be found at http://www.fundoodies.com/ and the girl who handles these orders is THE BEES KNEES man! Because she sent me TWO SETS! One to give to my fam, and one to do whatever with. So, I'm giving it away to ya'll!

This is what it looks like:

Now, this is a game for your kids to teach them how to do chores. It's personalizable for your fam, and has a cool little chart to go with it. I gave my SIL the game over the weekend and she was thrilled. The nephews couldn't wait to give it a try, which of course, is the reason I'm an awesome Auntie--who else could get the kiddos excited about doing work?

So, here are the rules (this is a contest, of course there are rules!):

1.) Please take a gander at the fundoodies website...let's give this wonderful lady some love!

2.) In the comments section of this post, answer this question: "What was your least favorite childhood chore?" (I can't wait to see what gets posted here...)

3.) I will hold the contest open for one week and it will close at 8PM on Friday, October 8, 2011.

4.) I will draw one person's post at random and they will win the giveaway.

4 1/2.) Hey, show me some bloggy love and give me a follow if you get the chance ;) (not necessary to win--I don't want to be accused of bribery).

Ahhhh, Philosophy...

2010-09-15T21:30:00.003-04:00

...How useless I find you to be...to be, what is useless??? What is to be??

Um, yeah.

This class is a total waste of my time. Much the same as Algebra was. Never mind the fact that I just got my first test back and it was a 70%...which doesn't make me (overachiever) happy at all. I hate classes where there no black, no white, only shades of gray. Be freakin' specific! Give me the right answer and I'll learn it.

Not only that, but, every time I see the name Socrates, I think of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (So-crates! lol, I'm afraid I'll actually call him that name because that is how I have pronounced it since 1989.)

Of course the most wonderful thing about that class is that the professor is the same age as me...that makes me feel sooooooooo unbelievably old. It doesn't help that the two girls that sit in front of me are high school juniors and I could have given birth to them. Nope, that's definitely not helping. Oh and this is a quote from one of them: "I um, know you are like, older than us, but, um, like how old are you?" My response: "Shut the hell up whippersnapper!" just kidding... "35." Then she says "Duuuuuude, like, I didn't think you were that old, my Mom's only like, a year older than you! I thought you were like 28 or something!" Then I told her to turn around and not speak to me for the rest of her natural life. Just kidding. I did give her the old stink eye though.

Annnnnyway, back to the class...

Tonight's topic was "what is good?" Of course, lots of things popped into my head...coffee, chocolate, tequila, chili-cheese fries, beer, chocolate raspberry cheesecake...but that's apparently not what was meant by the topic. Literally, we talked about what "good" is...I'm still not sure what the answer was, sounded like a bunch of pontificating to me, but Philosophy, I'm finding, is mostly B.S. that was given a name so a bunch of pretentious people could try to out-talk one another.

Seriously, do you know what "wasting my time is?" how about "what spending my money on a ridiculous class that has no bearing on the real world whatsoever is?"

I have never known an hour and a half to tick tick tick by so painfully slowly. Algebra wasn't even that boring. At least in that class, the professor wrote notes so fast that your hands were busy copying, even if you weren't paying any attention.

What a long day...

2010-09-10T23:59:00.002-04:00

So today I had to do something that I absolutely detest. I had to go to the funeral home. The worst part about it all was that the viewing was for a very young man who lost a battle with a diseased liver. Such a terrible waste.

No offense to the funeral director, who I love (Hi Mr. Edder! You truly are one of the most wonderful people I know!) but I have been to his "parlor" way too much in the past few years. The young man was a veteran, which also wasn't easy because the local VFW does a prayer service at the viewing and I was just in time (talk about lousy timing) to see it. My problem is not with the VFW (you guys are wonderful men, and I thank God every day for those of you who put themselves in harm's way to keep us free) or with the prayer service (I pray a lot myself) but they are so hard to listen to without crying like a baby. The gentlemen from the VFW were the same that were there for my Dad's funeral, I recognized so many of the faces. One of the hardest parts is watching these men, all at different stages in their life (I'm talking even ones that you can tell struggle to walk), file by the casket and salute the deceased. Even now, writing about it I am tearing up. Talk about love, family, comraderie, and just plain respect. Umkay, I'm moving on. Rest in peace Michael, you deserve it. Say hi to my family please? Tell them I love them.

Aaaaaanyhoo....after that ball of fun, I went to my brother's house with a surprise for my nephews. I had bought them each their very own desk. They were so excited. My poor brother had to assemble them right away because the munchkins couldn't wait to organize their little workspaces (they are so much like me sometimes--including an addiction to stationary supplies--okay, maybe I feed that madness a litte, but I'm their aunt and that's what I do...nuff said.).

I didn't spend a ton of money on the desks (they were $39 at Wallyworld) but they were supercute and should take them clear to college. They are both identical with metal frames and a glass top that is red glass. The kids reallllllllly got a kick out of them, and I got many many many hugs in return, which as any aunt will tell you is why we spoil them! I helped them sort out the office supply stashes I brought for them (what? come on, like I couldn't part with some paperclips and rubber bands?) they took their time loading some notebooks and other personal touches. I also gave them each a glass that belonged to my Grandmother and they put their pens and pencils in them. I love that my little guys totally get how special family things are like that. They were so excited to get something that was Great-Grandma's that those glasses almost outshone their spanking new desks. My brother is really teaching them the respect of things like that and I love it.

I'll post pictures once the littles have had a chance to totally personalize their little spaces. I think it will be way more interesting to see how each "decorates" their area.

I didn't get home tonight until 10PM...poor Sweetie. He's barely seen me at all this week, and I miss him so much (third shift--you suck butt!), and I can tell he misses me. Now that school is in full swing, I am at class after work Monday through Thursday until 7:20, and after my commute home, I don't walk in the door until 8:20. That would be on the days that I don't have errands to run (grocery shopping, you are right up there with third shift...). I'm looking forward to tomorrow though, because I'm going to go see Eclipse. I'm going by myself because anyone who would be interested in watching it has already done so. I'm late to the party on the whole Twilight thing, but I'll bring you up to speed on the mania of reading the "saga" really soon. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to put me in a straight jacket and send me to a rubber room...

Well, it is now 12:30 in the morning, and I do need to get some sleep, so, until next time peeps!

Hello Again.

2010-09-10T06:58:00.003-04:00

It has been so long since I've posted anything. I'm sorry, and I promise to never stay gone this long again! Mwuh! I've missed you.

The summer went by in the biggest flash that I'm still checking to make sure that all of my body parts are attached. We had a wonderful summer filled with screeching children in the pool, visits from family, a new car for Michelle, a wedding for Wes & Hailey (congratulations to the beautiful newlyweds), lots of golf (for Mike--my golf clubs were sorely neglected this summer), and me knee-deep in wedding plans for next year.

Oh, and LOTS of hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill.

I promise to fill you in with lots of pictures, stories of newly married friends, impending births, our garden, fireworks, stories about our crazy poochies, and my new love--the Twilight Saga (yes, I've gone to the dark side).

Unfortunately, I have to get ready for work right now, so I must move along and get my crazy puppies outside. I will be back tomorrow for a longer post...and maybe some funny stories about my failed summer dieting attempts.

((((HUGS)))) I promise never to leave you for this long again!

AAAAACK! It's like it's summer or sumpthin!

2010-05-27T19:23:00.006-04:00

Okay, these are totally random thoughts in no particular order:

If my dog Mojo does not stop barking, I may have to rethink my stance on animal cruelty.

To the green Pontiac Sunfire that was tailgating the old guy driving the motorcycle today...you are an asshat, you could've caused an accident, and it's drivers like you that make motorcycle people mad at car people...you seriously suck.

To the person who invented french fries...I heart you and want to marry you.

Those of you who are off work tomorrow and have rubbed it in to all of the rest of us...I'm holding up a finger, can we guess which one?

It's freaking hot outside today, like sweat your balls off hot...not that I have balls, but if I did, they would be sweated off and I would have to put them in my golf bag, because that's where I keep Sweetie's balls, and they might like the company.

To the maker of Dell laptops: stop making shiny laptops. I'm sick of wiping the fingerprints off of mine. That is all.

Never, ever eat a french fry out of the deep fryer for less than three seconds...it's not a smart thing to do...donth askth me how I know thith.

I really need to do an actual post with a point, and also, download the pictures from my camera...

I only have one more room in my Pet Poopsie's house on Petville to procure, which is obviously a cry for some serious help.

Seriously, it's freaking hot out...it's like it's summer or sumpthin!

Brontealong....last Jane Eyre Post

2010-04-23T07:37:00.003-04:00

I'm late in posting my last Jane Eyre reflections. That may be because I have watched the movie, but have not finished the book. Thing is, my life can get crazy-busy, and free time to do things that are enjoyable is at a premium, and 90% of the time, sleep rules.

So, my last J.E. post will be about the movie rather than the book. Don't get me wrong, the book is great, but time-consuming as it requires a dictionary at times to check what some of the words mean. At times the dictionary doesn't even have the words I'm looking up and I have to google. That is a little much when I may have fifteen minutes to fit something in.

But the movie...sigh....oh man. I (at first) rented it from Blockbuster. I then went on the wagon with the rest of the folks that have fallen in love and bought it. I now fall asleep every single night with Rochester. Sweetie works third shift, so I am alone at night most times and live out in the country, every little noise keeps me from falling asleep. So, the TV has a sleep timer and I've been putting the DVD in and falling asleep watching the movie. Toby is such a dreamy guy! I'm very interested in finding some of his other movies, just to see more. Melissa and Beth were not only right, but have fueled a new obsession in me. One that Sweetie just doesn't get. He shakes his head and wonders what the attraction is. Although romantic, Sweetie just doesn't get into the period movies. I try to explain, but it is futile. I love the ending of the movie. At that point, Jane has found herself and is so much more confident in her skin, and that is so appealing to me. This is how life is. As I get older, I get bolder.

A people-pleaser like myself can see so much of themselves in the character of Jane. She wants to have friends and loved ones. Once she finds them she is exceedingly loyal. Tending to see the good more than the bad in those around her, and forgiving those who have wronged her are more traits that I share. I have such a hard time holding a grudge, as it is so time-consuming and negative. Jane is the same. Things like that get in the way of living. There is so much of life to be lived. Also, Jane wants to have a voice, one that is heard rather than ignored. I can relate to that. This experience so far has opened my eyes to these things and allowed me to reflect more on the way that I live my life. I want to live it fully, and make sure that what I say is direct to the point. I want to love and be loved, because that's what life is about. All of the money in the world may guarantee that you are comfortable, but it will not make sure you are loved.

Ahhhh, Rochester Is Growing On Me.

2010-04-08T07:32:00.004-04:00

Last night when I got home from work I checked the mail and found that I had received the first disc of the movie Jane Eyre from my rental company. Of course I had to wait until I had fed Sweetie, then did a few minor chores very quickly so I could settle in to watch. OMG! Totally hate that I must wait for disc two. Mailed the first disc this morning at 6:30 AM in the neighborhood mailbox so that the process would go quicker! The rumors are true, this movie is awesome. Even though I'm about a third of the way through the book, and generally know what the ending will be, patience for the arrival of the second half of this movie is going to be hard to come by. According to my calculations, I will have to wait until Monday to receive it, which means that Dancing with the Stars (current guilty pleasure) will have to be DVR'd so that time is free to watch part two.

So now that I've watch the movie, my impressions are:

1. The guy playing Rochester is hot. Um, in the same hotness category for me as to add him to the list of "he's so dreamy" that includes, but is not limited to...Colin Firth, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen, Matthew McConaughey, Neal McDonough, (young)Ben Cross, and Gerard Butler.

2. Something that has always bothered me about books adapted to the screen is that so much is either left out, combined into the plot in a different way, or added to it. Sometimes things like this are okay, but other times, it does nothing to move the story along and leaves questions unanswered.

3. I was born a few centuries after I should have been. I would have loved to have been alive for so many other eras, including the ones involving corsets and full skirts.

4. It would be so much fun to be able to wander through that estate. I love the old castle-like illusion of the manor houses shown in films set in Europe. If I had the money, I would re-do our house to resemble one.

5. I could listen to an English accent all day.

6. I want a dog that looks like Pilot...don't you just want to cuddle him?

I'm seriously considering purchasing this movie. If the second half is as good as the first, I probably will.

I googled the actor who plays Rochester and found out that his mother is in the Harry Potter films (which I have also watched), interesting tidbit. He also played James Bond on the radio. I love checking stuff like that out, you can find out so many interesting things. Ruth Wilson, the girl who plays Jane, is also really pretty in full-on makeup (googled her too. lol). She makes a good Jane.

My First Official Brontealong Post!!! (Do you hear sirens, bells and massive applause?)

2010-03-31T08:21:00.012-04:00

I went online yesterday to put the *highly acclaimed* BBC movie Jane Eyre on my queue on Blockbuster.com (disclaimer--I am not advertising this website, though it is the one we use in our house, and they provide fast service, they have no idea about little old me or my itty bitty blog. Ahem, that is all.) I found out rather quickly that there are literally a gajillion versions of this movie. Wondering right now why I've never seen one!

This one is from 1996, or so it says online. Um, the cover makes it look pret-ty steamy! I may rent to compare. Says that Anna Paquin plays the "young Jane" for all of you True Blood fans.

This one is from the eighties and HEL-LO has Timothy Dalton in it--when he was hot aven! Yum...might have to check this one out as well. It's also almost 4 hours long (239 minutes it says).

This here ditty is from the seventies, the decade I was born in. Actually, it is two years older than me...they don't look at all happy do they? I mean I know it's not exactly a comedy, but they look rather pissed off about something. The Rochester in the picture looks like he's doing the good old "smell the fart" acting.

Ah, yes, the 1971 version with George C. Scott. I don't know if I could watch him as Rochester when the visions of him playing Scrooge would never leave my head.

The 1944 version, with ORSON WELLES???? M'kay, may be worth a view! Elizabeth Taylor is in it too, along with Margaret O'Brien--who I love! Ever see Meet Me In St. Louis? One of my favorite Judy Garland films, well Margaret O'Brien plays Tootie. That movie debuted the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"...but, I digress...

And of course, the 1934 version, which boasts that it is the first adaptation to use sound. And of course, it is a double feature!

So, I put THE movie in my queue...but I have to wait until we watch and return 2012 to get it. Since Sweetie and I have Friday off, that shouldn't be an issue. I should be able to receive it and view by next weekend! Then I'll know what all the buzz is about--hate being out of the loop!

I've begun to read the book. Now, I read this book years ago for school, and of course when you are forced to read something, enjoyment is out the window. Had I picked it up on my own I would have loved it. So far, I wish I had more time to read, because I don't want to put it down. I've fallen asleep reading it two nights in a row. Can't read before bed anymore, puts me right to sleep! The way Bronte paints the picture though is marvelous. When she talks about the chill in the air, I pull the covers closer to myself. When she describes the attitude of Jane's cousins I want to crawl in that book and smack 'em. I know that the book describes the Aunt as "stocky" but I picture her in my head looking like Margaret Hamilton:

It's a compulsion that can't be helped. I feel the same way about the Superintendent of the school. Keep picturing Eliza Jane from Little House on the Prairie.

Okay, so, here's my question, if you were to cast anybody, in any role in your own awesome, mind's eye view of Jane Eyre--who would it be?

Come on, Indulge my craziness!

PINK SATURDAY

2010-03-29T08:09:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to apologize for missing Pink Saturday, something came up on the homefront that kept me from posting that day. My apologies. Perhaps I'll blog about it sometime in the future, not sure yet. Again, sorry guys...I'm going to have to take the time to check out others' posts from Sat. Have a great Monday everyone, and hopefully, I'll have a moment to post soon.

Varmints!

2010-03-22T09:42:00.003-04:00

We have an invader in our pond...

This is not our invader, I haven't gotten a picture of him yet, this is a picture from the internet.

We have a muskrat.

Sweetie is not pleased, and he will have to trap it out, which is something we don't like to do, but these little varmints are destructive.

I wish he would just move along on his own, but because Sweetie dealt with the Great Muskrat Invasion of '02, we know that won't happen.

I'm trying not to name him because that will make eradication harder...it's the animal lover in me, but I know he can't stay.

P.S. Check out the orange teeth on that sucker! I wonder if they all have orange teeth...

My Return to Pink Saturdays.

2010-03-20T09:20:00.007-04:00

Hi all! I've been away for a while, our family has been dealing with a lot lately and it has kept me from blogging. Now though, I have decided to blog to help heal, sort of. I love blogging for Pink Saturdays, and I love the idea behind it. So, I always felt most guilty about not blogging on Saturdays. Life must go on, and part of my life now is planning my wedding. Which brings me to my Pink Saturday picture. It is not a picture I have taken myself, rather, it is an idea for the topper to my wedding cake. This can be found at Personal Creations:
Now, most of you know that my name is Minnie, and Sweetie's name is Mike. Let me tell you that my family was thrilled when they found out that I was dating a guy named Michael...I had finally found my Mickey in their eyes. I have been receiving Minnie Mouse stuff my whole life from my family, and now Sweetie often finds a Mickey item among his gifts at Christmas and on his Birthday (welcome to my life, Sweetie). So I knew that I wanted to incorporate Mickey and Minnie in the wedding somehow, though I didn't want a Disney theme at all. I thought that this would be a fun way to do that. What do you all think? (The teacup would be personalized with our names, and if they can fit it, the wedding date.)

A new, and wonderful idea is to introduce one of the other Pink Saturday participants to everyone. One of my favorites is found here: http://www.charmschooljewels.blogspot.com/ (sorry guys, I'm still a bit of a spaz when it comes to linking stuff, I'll figure it out eventually). From today's post, I see that she has a wonderful sweetie as well. I guess I'm not the only one who pulls their honey into their madness! If you check the archives of my pink saturday posts, you will see a picture of my very manly man in pink slippers that he gave me permission to put in my blog. He's very secure in his masculinity you see. Or, he knew I would put it there anyway...

Saturday funny for today: Sweetie trying to make himself breakfast and trying to get sausage out of a Bob Evans tube-style package. Picture it, he cuts the end off and stands there squeezing out the sausage looking at me saying "how the hell does this work?" LOL!!!! Someone does not make himself breakfast often...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!

2010-03-17T09:28:00.000-04:00

That is all.

St. Patrick's Day...The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

2010-03-15T21:26:00.003-04:00

I love St. Patrick's Day. When I say I love it, I don't mean it like "I love that dress", I mean it is my absolute favorite holiday of the year. Ya'll can keep Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, St. Pat's is where it's at! I have the most decorations for this holiday, and I add to my collection every year. I have more than four shirts, shoes, numerous hats, jewelry, socks, etc., all with a St. Pat's theme. When I lived in the "Big City" (if you can call Erie, PA a big city) I used to take the 17th and 18th of March off and party hardy! Now that I live in the sticks, I can't really do that, there are too many other obligations. Sweetie and I do throw a party every year that we've been together for the holiday. I've given him a new appreciation of his Irish background and influenced his love for the day as well. We even have a four-foot-tall shamrock that lights up that we put in our yard for the special event. This year our party is on the 20th, and I can't wait. Our family needs a fun time, reason to celebrate something. We've had enough heartache and sadness for a long while.

So, I was pulling out my decorations for the day, and I am MISSING STUFF!!!!! I can't find one of my boxes of celebratory junk! The box with my pub signs (yes I have multiple) and bedazzled shamrocks (those number more than one as well) is missing. Not good. I don't know where in creation I could have put them. I'm freaking out here. So, I'm going to have to tear the house apart to find them. I will find them!

Bronte-along: All You Ever Wanted To Know...

2010-03-15T17:16:00.003-04:00

I will be participating in something new and fun, the Bronte-along! It is the brainchild of the woman found here. I'm ordering Jane Eyre today from Amazon, and will be discussing it on my blog. We've also been urged to watch the movie, check Melissa's blog--according to her, we will all want the lead male character by the end. If it's anything like Sense & Sensibility, that is probably true. So check back with me! Let's discuss!

Wasting Time

2010-03-14T08:35:00.003-04:00

Really. That's what I am doing here. It's 8:30AM, really 7:30AM, stupid time change thing. I'm not wanting to do a single thing that I need to do today. I need to finish cleaning, file my student aid forms, and do laundry. I don't want to do any of that. I want to take a nap, veg out, and find a moment of peace this weekend. So here I am playing Social City on Facebook, drinking coffee, blogging, and feeling extremely guilty for not doing what I need to do. I got a lot accomplished yesterday though. It may not look that way to the untrained eye, but I know how much stuff was taken care of, and how long it took me.

Little Women is on the TV, such a good movie, such a great book. I loved Louisa May Alcott when I was a girl. I read all of the books, and I'm that they never made a movie about the rest of them, they were all good. Also, out the window, what was darkness has lightened up to a gray, wet morning. Not a help for my lazy mood. It is cool however, to sit and watch the flocks of birds as they land, sit for a second, then move to a different part of the field next door. The snow is almost gone, there are just three parts of it left that once were snowbanks that stood almost as tall as me. The ice is nearly melted on the pond, with only a small oval of it still in the center, where the pond is deepest and holds the cold longest.

So, here I sit, daydreaming about being able to stay at home all of the time, take care of the house, yard, dogs, and just be creative. It's been so long since I've had idle time to paint, crochet, read, bake, or do any of the things that spell joy to me. As I was going through some of Mom's things yesterday I thought about how I would really like to scrapbook some of the cool stuff I found for my brothers' families. I would love to make scrapbooks for them with our family information and sentimental stories. Our family may not have had a lot of money, but we were once a colorful, close-knit bunch. Thinking about it now is bringing tears to my eyes, because I miss them so much. It's strange to think that now my brothers and I are the oldest in the immediate family. Oh, we have Aunts and Uncles left, but Grandparents and Parents are all gone. So quickly. I think that the silence in the house is contributing to this introspection. The little ones in the family are missing out on the most, because they only have one grandparent left. Their Mother's Mother. Sad. Well, I've got to get myself out of this little funk and get moving, otherwise nothing will get done today.

Tidying Up...Let's Just Heave It All Into The Trash.

2010-03-13T16:08:00.003-05:00

I'm in the midst of the great hoe out of my office/work area/holiday storage room gone terribly, terribly wrong. Actually, I'm at the half-way point...I think. I can't believe I had so much stuff stashed in this room. Oy. Cleaning it has been a nightmare, but I may be on the downhill slide. The "drop-off" occurred last night, both brothers, one sister-in-law and Sweetie helped to bring all of the aforementioned junk into our house. It was surprising and sad to peel back the first layer of the things that came from Mom's Some of it was mine anyway, from the time I spent with Mom after my roommate moved out of state. Other stuff was Mom's. Actually, a lot of sentimental stuff and paperwork. I haven't gone through that, but one thing I did unearth was the guestbook/memory book from Mom and Dad's wedding. It made me kind of sad that Mom never filled much of the book out. Not a huge shock, because our baby books are like that too. She started filling them in, but never finished, and what is filled out is sparse information. I'm glad I don't need to know a lot of that stuff.

Sweetie brought me roses when he came home from work this morning. I think he feels a little bad about jumping all over me because of the arrival of the junk. He knows there's no way around it, the stuff has to be gone through, he was mainly upset because it messes with his orderly sensiblities. We made up though, we don't really stay mad at one another long, it's a waste of time and energy.

It's been raining all day. Which is good because of the work I need to accomplish, but bad because it has been really gloomy in the house today. No sunshine coming in the windows makes for a "wanna nap" kind of day.

I just really want to finish this room. I did get "before" pictures, and I'm ashamed to say they are bad...really bad. It was a disaster area. It's looking better now, and the further along I get, the better it is looking (yay!).

Well I'd better wrap it up. I figured I'd drop in for a second (to give myself a cleaning breather) to keep ya'll up to speed on the progress. I'll be back tomorrow with another installment. Ta-Ta!

What A Day...Should've Stayed In Bed.

2010-03-12T21:19:00.003-05:00

Today started off foggy...really, really foggy. Literally, it was so foggy that the wind was blowing it around into a swirling mass. Not a huge surprise that it was so foggy, because the temperature last night did not fall above freezing for the first time in a very long time, so the fog was caused by the warm temperatures combined with the cold off of the melting snow. Made for some good times commuting to work today. I love low visability. I got home early (meaning I didn't stop for any errands, just went straight home) to prepare for the impending drop-off of junk that my bro was going to bring by. More on that later. Anyway, when I got home, Sweetie had just gotten out of bed. I could tell by his major bedhead and bleary eyes. He was letting the dogs outside as I was pulling into the driveway. So I stood outside with him for a little bit, listening to him complain to me about said drop-off. Have I mentioned he's anal-retentive about clutter??? OCD?? Oh, yeah. After listening to him list and categorize all of his complaints, then telling them he was more than welcome to write them all down and submit them to management, I went inside to do a little quick cleaning, as I would be doing just that all weekend and I wanted to get a jump-start on it. So, while I was doing that, Sweetie finished letting the dogs out and put them back into their crates while he cleaned up the yard a little bit. I dusted and unloaded, then reloaded the dishwasher in about 45 minutes. Sweetie came in from outside and came to the kitchen and we chatted about bills for about five minutes, then he said he was going to run into town really quick to pick up a lottery ticket. I told him to let the dogs out of their crates so I could feed them...that's when all hell broke loose.

Apparently, even though Mojo, our shepard had already been outside less than an hour before, and peed on every spot he could find in the yard to pee on, he decided that today would be a good day to mark his crate as well. I swear to God, that dog has a huge bladder or something, because his crate was filled with pee...of course my resident neat-freak blew a gasket. I mean blew. his. top. Not that I was pleased, because now I had to clean the crate, and the dog--to top it all off, none of us had eaten dinner yet, and my brother was on his way over with a truckload of stuff from my Mom's. Joy.

That was my day...how was yours?

This Makes Me SOOOOO Happy!

2010-03-11T18:50:00.006-05:00

Um, it's hot in my house! Can you believe it? It is actually hot in here. 77 degrees to be exact. In March. In Pennsyltucky. Who knew. Funny thing is, it isn't that shocking for March, just shocking for how early in March it is. When I was driving home it was 64 degrees at 5PM. That is unbelievable. I'm getting ready to put on shorts and a t-shirt, because it is too warm in here for jeans and a sweatshirt, and that makes me giggle like a little schoolgirl.

On to other news, I got another pair of contacts today. This is an on-going battle for me. The wonderful eye doctors that have put up with me for years all know that I have issues with contacts. This annoys me because I hate to be chained to the very thick glasses that I have to wear because of my awful eyesight. I have had that ball and chain since the third grade, and it is getting mighty old. This new eye doctor (wonderful woman that she is) has tried me on three types (at no charge...told you she was wonderful). She said she will keep trying until she finds some that work for me. (Did I mention I love her?) The ones I have in now are semi-comfortable. The left eye is bothering me still, but that is to be expected because that eye is the worst for contacts. Two things keep me in the realm of sucky contact wearer person: I have a birth defect in my eyes that has to do with astigmatism. NORMAL people with astigmatism have egg shaped lenses (or corneas, or something like that) that run horizontally or vertically. My deformed eyes run diagonally...yep, it's confirmed, I'm a medical weirdo. The second thing is, Dr. Wonderful (which is how she will now be referred to for the sake of me not having to type "my new wonderful eye doctor all the time) tested my eyes to see how quickly the tears evaporate after I blink. NORMAL people's tears take between ten to fifteen seconds after they blink to evaporate. Mine take, get this, three seconds. No wonder my eyes are itchy and irritated even when not wearing contacts. Thankfully, Dr. Wonderful cracked the code on that one, which makes me wonder: why didn't any other eye doctor check me for this after my repeated complaints to them? Anyhoo, she told me to take fish oil capsules for a while to see if it helps. If it doesn't, then I get to go in for a wonderful procedure where they plug the lower tear ducts on my eyes. That grosses me out, so I'm saying "go huge fish oil capsules that cost me $40 from GNC for a one-month supply, Go!"

I think my dogs have spring fever. I know I do, so it would make sense that they do as well. Problem is, this has caused them to take three times as long to go to the bathroom when they go out. They have to sniff everything, especially now that the snow is melting. This wouldn't be so bad except I have to go out with them and stand there...and wait...and wait...and wait. They will not (even if they could be trusted to do so) go outside by themselves. If I attempt to reenter the house after letting them out, they run right back to the door to come in. Separation Anxiety anyone? This is what requires me to get up at 4AM when I have to work the early shift (7:30-4:00) at work. This is why I'm tired and cranky on the week I have early shift, which coincidentally is this week.

And lastly on the new news line, is that I'm going to attempt to clean my office/crafting area/storage room for all things holiday. This will please Sweetie to no end since he has been after me to hoe through that room, um, for three years (she says sheepishly, while blushing). Basically up to this point I have painted the room purple (my fave color) and then proceeded to fill it with a large amount of crap. If it didn't have a home it went in that room. All of the stuff that I kept of my Mom's is in that room. One of the reasons it has to be done is because my lovely brother John is bringing over more of said stuff on Saturday. So, to keep Sweetie from busting an artery, I must clean and reorganize that room (especially since he has no idea about the drop). The other reason I'm going to do it is because that room pisses me off too. I don't like not knowing where anything is in there. I haven't seen the top of my desk since it was moved in, and have taken over Sweetie's desk (which makes him so happy, since I have added to the overall clutter of his office--you love me Sweetie, remember?) since I cannot use mine. Plus, I have all kinds of paperwork for the wedding, and other organizing that I need to do, and that room absolutely needs to be the hub.

St. Patrick's Day is coming up, my FAVORITE holiday. I claim my Irish heritage more than the others in my background, mostly because it is the most colorful heritage I can claim, but also because then I can blame my love of the liquid libation on that. We are having our annual party the Saturday following, so I also have to deep clean the house. I'm not talking de-clutter, I'm talking shampooing carpets, washing down walls, disinfecting within an inch of my life. Sweetie is a neat freak that puts all other neat freaks to shame. To me what is clean to a clinical level is to him passable. I'm definitely the Oscar to his Felix.

So that's the skinny on life for me right now. I'll be busy as heck. I'll try to take pictures of my Hurricane Room so the before and after shots can be recorded for posterity. I'll also take more pictures of the tiling job we did, but I'm waiting for Sweetie to trim it out so I'll have a final finished look pic for you. So, ta-ta for today.

Ten Truths That Nobody Tells You About Grout.

2010-03-11T04:59:00.004-05:00

1. When Sweetie tells you he needs your help, he doesn't take into account that you are controlling about home-improvement projects and you will finally make him move and do it yourself. His only job will be sponging up your mess.
2. Make sure to wear some sort of latex glove when using dark-colored grout, unless you want your formerly semi-feminine hands to look as if you've been working on a carburetor for the last five weeks . (This is true no matter how much you scrub your hands...finally you just give up any idea of having feminine-looking paws.)
3. Yes sanded grout looks better with natural stone, but it's a real pain in the patootie to work with.
4. There is a warning on the box of grout mix politely telling you not to inhale any of the grout dust or you could end up with lung cancer. Do these people ever work with their product? There is no non-dust producing way of dumping the mix into a bucket to mix with water. They do not include a respirator with the box. And this is sold to the public--why don't they just make the stuff out of asbestos dust and just have it done?
5. When the home-improvement people try to sell you on the sponges made specifically for tiling projects, listen to them. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time cleaning up little tiny pieces of carwash sponge that deposit themselves on your project. The money is worth saving your time.
6. Don't start this project at 7PM on a weeknight when you have to get up for work at 4AM. If you do this you will be in trouble. No matter how easy the project looks like it is, grout is evil and it will fight you.
7. When you do not have them, those turtle-like kneepads that they sell for flooring projects sound like a gift from God about three hours into a flooring project. My knees still hurt this morning. Slate tile is not forgiving to your limbs.
8. When butting this tile up against your light-color, natural-stone fireplace, dark grout and tile is a beautiful contrast. Keep in mind though, that you will be scrubbing this grout off of the beautiful, light-color, natural-stone fireplace for three hours or more with a toothbrush to keep it from staining.
9. Keep one of those tiny little whisk brooms with a matching dustpan handy. You know, the ones that you see in the store and wonder to yourself "what would I ever use that for?", when you are working with sanded grout you suddenly know why that would be a crucial tool for the project. Especially as you attempt to sweep the grout crumbs up with your hand, you will wish for that nifty little household tool.
10. If you can afford to hire a contractor to do said project, hire one...and because you are well-off enough to do this, you also have the money to head to a spa and have a facial and massage while the project is in progress. It will be much more gratifying to come home to your finished tile project with tighter pores and loose muscles. Seriously.

Blogger makes me mad sometimes...

2010-03-10T17:43:00.002-05:00

I should learn to write my blog, then copy and paste...for some reason, if I take any amount of time to write, it will not publish and I lose all of the work I've just done. This makes me so angry. I was actually writing a nice, upbeat post about how beautiful it was outside today, but this pain in the butt glitch has reared its ugly head yet again. Now I'm agitated. Sorry, maybe the weather will be nice tomorrow to put me back in the mood, or perhaps I will get one second to myself later to rewrite.

It's Beautiful Out There...

2010-03-09T12:18:00.002-05:00

I really wish today were Saturday. The temperature is in the fifties and the sun is shining. Not bad for March in our little corner of Northwest Pennsyltucky. However, rather than being able to hang around outside, I'm stuck in my partial cubicle in the office at work. NOT FAIR. It is so hard sitting here, looking outside my window and wishing that I were one of the myriad of farmers that lives in my small town. Even though there is work to be done on a farm, you have the time to bask in the sweetness of nature, especially during days like today. I love, when the weather is nice, checking my trees and shrubs for signs of spring. To see how big the buds are getting, just knowing that green is not that far away.

I joke with Sweetie all of the time about winning the powerball, just so that we have the time to stop and smell the roses. Like Ferris Bueller says "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." No truer words were ever spoken, especially on a beautiful day like today. Makes you want to play hooky.

Time Flies By

2010-03-06T17:18:00.002-05:00

It has been a very long time since I have written about anything on this blog. Our family has been going through quite a lot. Since the last time I have written, we have lost the fourth person in our family in four years. So much death lately, I'm beginning to wonder if anything happy can happen. I'm trying very hard to get out of this funk that I am in, but am stressed beyond my capacities some days. Some days it seems very hard to get out of bed. I think perhaps it would be a good idea to put my thoughts down, but I hate dwelling on the negative all the time. It's just so hard, having lost Mom in 2007, Dad in 2008, Grandma in 2009, and now George in 2010. I know that life goes on, and that none of them would want us to just stop living and loving life, and I know that my family would want me to be enjoying the thought of Mike and I getting married next year, but it is so hard to push the thoughts of missing them and the sadness involved out of my head. I'm going to try to though. So, hopefully, I'll be back to myself soon.

Sometimes I Wish Time Could Stand Still...

2009-12-16T12:56:00.002-05:00

There are things in life I'll never understand. Like, was it totally necessary to lose Mom and Dad within two years time? Then, what was the cosmic reason we had to chase those deaths with the death of our Grandmother who raised us? Why did all three have to miss out on my upcoming wedding? Was all of this really, absolutely necessary?

The constant drama is getting old. I would so much rather report on the beautiful little mundane happenings in my life. But instead I'm dealing with finals at school, the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and now, the diagnosis of Cancer for my Mom's boyfriend. This man has been in our lives since I was about sixteen years old. Ironically, he has the same type of cancer that my Mom had, and it's terminal.

I wish I could freeze my life sometimes. Pick a moment in time when everything is okay, when everyone is happy, healthy, and just freeze that time.

Please pray for George.

Happy Birthday Sweetie

2009-06-02T09:21:00.003-04:00

Today is Sweetie's Birthday...it hasn't started out on a great note.

Mojo had an "accident" last night in his crate, a BIG accident. I didn't know a dog could poop that much!

So he's spending his day off bathing the dogs, and spent his morning hosing Mojo's crate down.

Hopefully, the rest of the day goes better.

I'm so lucky to have him, he is just the most wonderful guy!

Happy Birthday to my Sweetie!

PINK SATURDAY

2009-05-30T11:05:00.003-04:00

I have some exciting news!!!

I bought a pink geranium!!!

JUST KIDDING...that's my pink saturday picture...he he he.

No, here's the news: wait for it...wait for it...

SWEETIE PROPOSED!!!!!!!

I said yes by the way ;)

I'm really excited! He's wonderful, and we are very happy.

Happy Birthday PINK SATURDAY!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

In The Pink

2009-05-09T09:47:00.003-04:00

As you may have noted from previous posts, I love flowers. Every year I spend hours on my flowerbeds, and the numerous pots and hanging baskets that are crowded on our deck and patio. This particular flower is a flower on the sweet potato vine that I had on my deck last summer. These are interesting in that the blossoms only open for a short period of time every day. They are so pretty and delicate, a pinkish lavender color. Last night Sweetie rented Marley & Me for us to watch. I really wanted to see it in the theater, but had a feeling it would have a sad ending. When this was confirmed by friends who had gone to see it, I--being a complete dog person, knew I did not want to sit in a theater blubbering with numerous strangers around. Boy howdy, am I glad we watched it at home! What a great movie though! I highly recommend it, especially if you've ever owned a lab. We laughed our butts off because we have our beautiful littl lab, Macie. Who is a total trouble maker. Funny thing is, I picked her when she was a baby because she was the quietest puppy, and also the runt. She was from the litter that Sweetie's parents had at their house, so I had first pick. What a sweet beautiful little puppy--that day.

We brought her home, and she's been a trouble maker ever since. I could really relate to the characters in that movie. Lab puppies are just so adorable, that you really don't realize what you are getting yourself into. Just look how cute!

And she was so tiny.

Always comical, everything she does makes you smile. She still sleeps like this sometimes:

After losing Max last year, I know the years will go by too quickly, and that eventually she'll be known for being the "Best Dog". Right now though, when she chews up another textbook, she'll be the "worst dog ever"...LOL. But how could you not love these eyes:

PINK TIME!

2009-04-27T06:33:00.001-04:00

Today's edition of pink only has a very small touch of it. This is a picture of Sweetie and our dog Mojo playing, notice the "PINK" is the ball they are playing with.

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY (even though it is Monday--sorry guys, I'm entering finals time at school, and I'm swamped.)

PINK SATURDAY!!! YAY!!!

2009-04-18T02:00:00.000-04:00

These pictures are the weeping cherry tree by my deck. In these pictures the tree is in full glorious bloom...sadly, it's still too soon in Pennsyltucky for the blossoms...

I took the pictures last May. I can't wait for the warm weather!!!

Happy Pink Saturday, Ya'll!

What a Week!!!!

2009-04-17T15:08:00.003-04:00

Jeez this week has been exhausting. Seriously. Physically and mentally draining. I will be so, so glad when school is over for the semester. It has been increasingly hard to drag my butt out of bed at 4:30 AM all week. I'm only 33, but it is making me feel ancient! Especially when I get to class and I see all of the 18-20 year-olds looking bright eyed and bushy tailed--I just want to smack them!

(I would never actually do it, I just feel compelled to. You know, like when you are behind somebody on stairs and you think "I could just give them a little shove..." Oh, I'm the only one? Wow, maybe I am a tad evil...)

Pink Saturday & Sunday

2009-04-05T16:18:00.002-04:00

PINK SKIES IN MORNING...

We honestly get some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets at our house. This is a shot from last August, and believe it or not, was around 6:30 am, around the time that I leave the house for work. Once I saw how beautiful the sky was, I hightailed it into the house to grab my camera. The picture is lovely but really does no justice to how heavenly the sky was that morning. Happy Pink weekend to everyone, and may your mornings always be this beautiful!

Pink Saturday, the Monday Edition

2009-03-30T09:20:00.001-04:00

Above is a picture of my sweet peas. They were the are the first flowers I plant each year, and by far the most fragrant and beautiful. By the first frost of fall, they are generally taller than me!

Happy belated Pink Saturday.

**In regard to the lateness, we were unexpectedly away from home for most of the weekend. Sorry guys!

In My Head There Is A Happy Place...

2009-03-24T15:01:00.004-04:00

and when you work in Customer Service, you have to go there, mentally, on a frequent basis. Today, quite frankly, has been one of those days. The kind that suck with a capital uck.

I've had every kind of customer on the phone today. The irate kind, the confused kind, the "way too old to be allowed to use the phone" kind, the "I'm going to ask you a question and then answer it myself, negating the necessity of this phone call" kind, the million question kind, the "I want to talk to the supervisor" kind, the "you sound kind of young" kind, the perverted kind, the "wrong company" kind, the cuss-word-a-second kind. You name it, I've dealt with it today.

Remember the old Calgon commercials...I may have been a small child at the time that they were in fashion, but I want to say: "Calgon! take me away!"

I need a beach, warm weather, an adult beverage, a shoulder rub, and good book...and in my head, that's where I am.

Toasting you with a mental Mai Tai,

Minnie

PS: Check out the link below for a cool giveaway!

http://calamitykim.typepad.com/calamity_kim/2009/03/calamity-kims-apron-celebration-giveaway.html and here is a picture: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3602/3382818222_1710cedbf0_m

Pink Saturday.

2009-03-23T08:57:00.003-04:00

This is a picture of my Best Friend from High School's little girlie...She's such a cutie.

**NOTE: The reason I was late posting was because my sweetie and I visited the local casino for the first time this weekend. We had such a blast. If you go in with our attitude of "I'm not blowing more than $5" and stick to it, you can have a lot of fun. There is so much to see in there, even if you aren't playing. The lights and the noise, it's all so exciting. I can totally understand how a person can get hooked on it!

Happy Pink Saturday Everyone!

2009-03-06T21:17:00.002-05:00

Ahh-Easter...

I was thinking about what to post today, because, to be completely honest, I am not a "pink" type of girl. I was always into lavender and purple growing up (still am). So I don't really own a lot of pink. Then I thought about last Easter, when I bought the most beautiful pink hyacinth. I buy one every year, and we plant the bulb by the front door so that when you walk in and out of the house, you are greeted with their wonderful smell. Someday, when I am long gone, and the house is sold, the new buyer will wonder what exactly is up with fifty or so hyacinths in the flowerbed. :) But they just smell so pretty, don't they? This year I'm going to try to find a white one I think.

As I was finding the picture in my files on the computer, I came across this picture of our beloved dog, Max. Max passed away in August of 2008, and we miss him so much. He was the perfect pet, so sweet. And of course, he indulged my "dress-up" inclinations. Poor Max had so many different bandanas, one for every holiday. I just miss him so much, I think Sweetie misses him more though, because Max truly was his best friend. It's hard not having him around sometimes, but nice to run across these pictures. Thank goodness I'm camera-happy. Everyone that knows me might complain about it, but I do catch some of the best moments.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hugs,

Minnie

ABC's of Me...

2009-03-02T11:54:00.001-05:00

A - Age: 33
B - Bed size: King
C - Chore you hate: It’s a toss up between vaccuuming and dusting.
D - Dad's Name: Ray
E - Essential start your day item: coffee
F - Favorite actor(s): Matthew McConaughey (he’s so pretty), Vince Vaughn, Dane Cook, and Jack Black, because they are funny. Also, Viggo Mortensen, well, because he seems dangerous. I’ve probably hit all of my sub categories
G - Gold or Silver: Silver
H - Height: 5 foot something. It varies any where from five foot four to five foot six. Depends on who is doing the measuring I guess. My doctor’s office makes me the tallest.
I - Instruments you play(ed): saxophone, trumpet (for a limited time). I can also pick out a tune on the piano.
J - Job title: Domestic Sales Associate.
K - Kid(s): Yeah, he’s 45 and gives me way more grief than a five year old…
L - Living arrangements: with my Mike (who I pick on and tease, but is the most wonderful man in the world.)
M - Mom's name: Carol
N - Nicknames: Minniewheat, Min, Minnie Mouse, Min-Min, Minnie-me, Minnie Driver, Minnie-ola, Minerva, I have a ton of them.
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: When I was two, I had scarlet fever—and was a very sick little girl.
P - Pet Peeve: There are four things that irritate me when it comes to people: Laziness, lack of common sense, irresponsibility, and being just plain rude—all of these things are unnecessary and the reason that our world is in the state that it is…(and Minnie dismounts her soapbox with a double-flip, half-twist…)
Q - Quotes you like: "Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be." -- John Wayne
R - Right or left handed: Righty
S - Siblings: 2 brothers, John and James
T - Time you wake up: 4:30 AM. Every day.
U-Under or over the sheets: under
V- Vegetarian?: Not on your life. I like prime rib too much.
W- Winter activity you love: snuggling with Sweetie on the couch, listening to the fireplace.
X - X-Ray lately?: No, the last one was for a filling in my teeth about two years ago.
Y - Year you were born: 1975
Z - Zoo's you've been to: Erie

PINK SATURDAY

2009-02-28T04:30:00.000-05:00

Perhaps it is because I'm eager for spring, but I thought that I would post some interesting pictures from last spring. Note the beautiful pink sky and rainbow. This was not necessarily a sunset, because this is actually the easternmost part of the sky in relation to where I live.

This was actually right after a thunderstorm blew through our town in May. Picture of the storm's wind below:

Just more evidence that God is good. Even after a nasty storm, you get a beautiful PINK sky and double-rainbow.

Happy Saturday Guys.

Pink Saturday, late again...

2009-02-23T07:05:00.003-05:00

So I'm late with my pink saturday post again. I have a very good reason though, and I will be posting about it very very soon. It's actually really exciting, so I'm looking forward to sharing with everyone once I am able to show ya'll.

My entry for the PINK SATURDAY is my cactus plant. It is called Faerie Castle. I'm sure that you understand why, with all of the little turrets. I'll admit that I don't know much about cacti, and I sure hope I don't kill it--it is way too pretty.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Sweetie.

2009-02-18T12:51:00.003-05:00

1. How long have you been together? It will be three years in October

2. How long did you know each other before you started dating? We started dating the day after we met…and have been inseparable since.

3. Who asked who out? He asked me.

4. How old are each of you? Our birthdays are both in June. He will be 46, I’ll be 34.

5. Whose siblings do/did you see the most? It’s a toss up.

6. Do you have any children together? No, and we don’t plan on it. He has two grown children from a previous marriage, and I don’t have the energy to have children right now, and by the time my schedule frees up enough to devote time to a child, I’ll be old enough that complications could be involved. I’m very happy with my “Aunt” status.

7. What about pets? Oh yeah, a zoo. Macie is our black lab, she’s going to be 10 months old at the end of February. Mojo is our German Shepard, he will also be 10 months old at the end of February. They have the same birthday—interesting huh? Marvin is our fat tiger cat. He is almost 11 months old (I know, we got them all around the same time—we’re a little nutty.), and the fish (who I call Molly) it’s a huge goldfish—the only survivor from a tank that was full of fish for the past 8-10 years.

8. Did you go to the same school? No, I went to Northwestern High School, Mike went to Conneaut Valley High School. But they’re only about 7 miles apart.

9. Are you from the same home town? No, but close, we grew up about seven miles from each other—but the years are the real separator, since he’s 12 years older than me.

10. Who is the smartest? That’s really a toss up. He knows some really technical things, especially about how to fix machines, but I’m great at useless information. I kick butt at trivial pursuit.

11. Who is the most sensitive? Probably me.

12. Where do you eat out most as a couple? Different places, Red Lobster is a biggie, so is Applebee’s, our new favorite is Joe Root’s Bar and Grille, and of course, Mike is a huge Olive Garden fan.

13. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Washington DC.

14. Who has the worst temper? We have about the same temperament. Both of us are extremely easy-going and it takes a lot to make us mad, but if you get us to that point, get out of our way!

15. Who does the cooking? Puhleeze. Me. I do the cooking. Unless it’s Valentine’s Day.

16. Who is the neat freak? Him. Him. Him. He’s like Monk, only more annoying about it. (The man vacuums our yard. Seriously. Go see my myspace). So, I let him have his little tirades. I can only get so much done in a day. He’s learning to deal.

17. Who is the more stubborn? Oh. That would be me, definitely.

18. Where was your first date? Dinner at his house—which he cooked (yeah, he used to cook).

19. Who has the bigger family? Same size. I have two brothers, he has a brother and a sister.

20. Do you get flowers often? Yes. I love this about him.

21. How do you spend the holidays? Mornings at our house. Early afternoon with his parents, and evenings with my family.

22. How long did it take to get serious? I honestly think we were serious the second we met. He’s my soulmate, and I’ve never, ever felt such an instant connection.

23. Who eats more? Depends on the day. I’ve seen him pack some food away, but I can do that myself.

24. Who’s better with the computer? I am when it comes to operating it. He’s better at trying to figure out why it won’t turn on…

25. Who drives when you are together? Depends. He does most of the time, but I do too. I have a longer work commute though, and don’t want to drive on weekends usually.

Happy Belated Pink Saturday!

2009-02-16T21:29:00.005-05:00

This is such a pretty little pink package. One I wrapped especially for my Sweetie. Inside was a picture that I had a wonderful Caricature artist from Erie do for me. If you want to see his work, or have him do one for you, go to www.savethedoodle.com.

The caricature was of Sweetie and I wearing hats from our favorite sports teams, which of course do not jive. We have little teasing arguments about who is superior.

I framed and matted it with a blue matte, and the frame is the same color as the woodwork throughout our house, which I knew he would love, because he is very matchy-matchy. I'm not, but like to make him happy. He absolutely loved it, and it made him a little misty, which made me happy, because I knew he loved it.
All in all, it turned out to be the perfect Valentine's Day surprise for him.

**On a side note, again the lateness of the blog--please forgive me, we had this wonderful windstorm on Thursday and Friday last week. It made for some sketchy power outages. I promise that next week you will see the PINK SATURDAY at it's regularly scheduled time. Thanks guys!

Pink Saturday, er, ah, Pink Monday (I can explain...)

2009-02-09T14:33:00.004-05:00

So I wrote Saturday's Pink Saturday blog and hit "publish post" and that's when it happened--buh-bye internet for the weekend. I thought that it may have saved it, but no such luck. So I'm reposting today (first day back online) and realizing I have no idea what my previous post was about. (My short-term memory is awful, and anger at my computer did not really help things.) I can't even remember what my original pink picture was (blasted memory, I probably better start doing word puzzles to stave off dimentia).

So here's the new and improved pic for PINK SATURDAY:

This is a picture of one of my babies. It was taken in July, when she was truly a baby. The pink is of course, her scarf. My sweetie said that it was mean to put it on her. But I explained that they are only little and cute for such a short period of time and I was taking advantage of it. (She is a black lab after all!) To illustrate my point, a much more recent photo below:

This is a picture of both of my babies. Macie is on the left, and Mojo on the right. They are both now almost 9 1/2 months old. They were about 8 months in the pic above.

Time flies.

Congratulations...

2009-02-02T10:01:00.002-05:00

to the Pittsburgh Steelers and all of their fans!

It was a good, close game. I love nail-biters!!!

Congratulations also to the Arizona Cardinals for a hard-fought game.

of course, as always, Bills still Rule!!!!! (Next year is our year!)

PINK SATURDAY--Maybe 'cause it's close to Valentine's Day...

2009-01-31T04:25:00.001-05:00

I’m one of those very lucky girls who have a guy that gives them flowers. A lot.

My sweetie had given me more flowers within one month of meeting him than I ever received from the boyfriend who had gone before him that I dated for 10 ½ years. I’m also happy to say that he has wonderful taste too, and often picks out the flowers one at a time for a bouquet.

I’m quite lucky.

ENUFF ALREADY!!!!

2009-01-29T16:13:00.001-05:00

I. Hate. SNOW. Seriously.

I used to not mind it as long as it didn't interfere with my life overmuch. But our fairly benign relationship is over...you hear me snow???? O-V-E-R!!!

I mean, winter is one thing, but 18 inches of the crap in 9 hours, now that's a bit much by anyone's standards. I could have let it go, but I had to waste my last vacation day on you!

I wash my hands of you!!!

I will not stick up for you anymore and say that even if you are a pain, at least you are pretty.

We are done, you get it? Done!

Pink Saturday

2009-01-24T04:02:00.000-05:00

If you look at my blog and let your eye go right a little, you will see a tiny pink button that is flashing. It says Pink Saturdays. If you are curious, click here to see what it’s all about: http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/01/pink-saturday-january-17-2009.html
This is my first entry:
Note the pink in this entry happens to be on Sweetie’s feet. This picture was taken at Christmastime in my brother’s mudroom. Sweetie happens to be wearing my future Sister-in-law’s pink fuzzy slippers. (Future Sister-in-law as of Christmas Eve I might add—yay!) Anyhoo, it was just comical to me and I had to snap a photo for posterity.

I figured that it would be a fun first entry for Pink Saturday.

Hugs!
Minnie

Happy Friday Ta Me.

2009-01-23T12:28:00.001-05:00

I woke up late today. Not good, but if I continue with my story you’ll get why. This semester for school, I have class at 8 AM. Okay, not so bad one would think, but then I tell you that in order for that to happen I have to get up at 4:30 AM, and am not kidding. You see, I cannot function without a cup of coffee, so the first five minutes of the morning are comprised of drinking that in order to wake up. Then, because in the wintertime we heat mostly with wood, I have to load up the woodstove in order to make sure that I don’t see my breath while I finish getting ready. After that comes the fun part—my zoo. Both dogs have to be taken outside one at a time on a leash (because they do not listen to me when presented with the vastness of nature). I long for the day that I can just let them out the door and not worry whether or not they will run away. That day is a long way off though, either they’ll have to be geriatric, or I’ll have to win the powerball so that I can put up a six foot stone wall around our property. Outside time can take up to thirty minutes, if I’m lucky it will only take fifteen to twenty. After outside time, the dogs are returned to their crates and the cat is taken care of. I clean his litter box every day, feed and water him and then move on to the fish, who gets his little light turned on and his daily allotment of food flakes. By this time I’m at about 45 minutes into my day. Then we feed the dogs, one at a time, because Mojo is an eater and will steal all of Macie’s food. I feed Mojo first, then take him out. This takes another 45 minutes. Then I feed Macie and take her out—45 more minutes. We are now officially at about 2 hours and 15 minutes into my day. While I’m doing all of the above, I’m also bustling about packing my lunch, fixing my hair, brushing my teeth, make-up, picking out what to wear, doing a load of laundry, making the bed, loading or unloading the dishwasher…you get the idea. Before you think about when I shower, let me just say I have to do that at night before bed, there is absolutely no time in my morning to do that. I can get thrown off my schedule with five minutes spent the wrong way. So when I get up at say, 6 AM—I’ve pretty much messed my day up.

So basically now I’m tired from running around like my head was on fire and my ass was catching, Sweetie is mad at me because he had to do all of the above stuff save filling the fireplace and taking the dogs outside for their first outside of the day (he’s working third, so he has to do this as soon as he gets home, instead of relaxing), and I have to go grocery shopping.
Anyone else having one of those days???

Resolutions Schmesolutions.

2009-01-21T13:09:00.002-05:00

I'll have to post soon to catch everyone up on what's been going on in the family lately, but for today I thought I might go over all of the resolutions that I have broken so far, and 'splain myself. Accountability, I'm all about accountability.

Resolution #1 Lose Weight.I have made this resolution every single year since I was thirteen. I think that at this point, I don't even need to say it to anyone anymore. Now, I have broken this rule every year save 1994-1997. Those were the years that I was "thin" Ah, the good ole days. I broke this rule under the sub-category of "eat healthy", as you all know, this is lumped in the "Lose Weight" category along with "exercise more" and "take vitamins". I have also broken the other two sub-categories, but "eat healthy" was first broken around 8:15 AM on 1/1/09 when I ate four Christmas cookies with a cup of coffee for breakfast.
RESOLUTION BROKEN.

Resolution #2 Get Organized.This is perhaps my most pathetic attempt at resolutions. This resolution has been on my list since I turned 30. I figured that once I was 30, I needed to start taking control of my life. This resolution has been broken every year as well. This particular year I broke it under the sub-category of "prepare dinners on weekends, so I have time to study". Yeah, um...officially broke it on the weekend of 1/10-1/11. Have been scrambling this week to figure out a way to study while cooking, and somehow still manage to clean up and deal with my zoo. So far, it sucks.

Resolution #3 Finish the Redecorating.This resolution is now officially two years old. Slowly but surely I am getting very little of this done. So far, I've managed to paint my office, procure some artwork for the formal living room, purchase some new furniture for the family room, and finally pick out wallpaper for the kitchen. We'll eventually get there.

Resolution #4 Stop Being a Doormat.I really really wanted to be able to do this one this year, but I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I mean, it really is easier to inconvenience myself than put others through that...

Resolution #5 Stop Procrastinating.I'll get to that tomorrow, really I will.

It's That Time of Year Again...

2007-06-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

My Birthday is a week away (woo hoo). I'm really not feeling it this year. I don't really want to be 32 to begin with, and the month hasn't exactly started out with a bang. Actually, this year is really turning out to be sucky (other than my "new guy" Mike, that's one of the few good things right now). And I don't think there's enough Birthday cake in the free world to change my mind.

Thanks Guys!

2007-03-12T15:50:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for all of the prayer for my Mom and my family, it is appreciated. I was spending all of my time ranting on my last entry that when I read it, I wanted at first to take it off, but then I thought, no, that's how I feel too. But I just wanted to mention how wonderful all of my friends and family have been. I received E-cards, voicemail, snail mail, visits, telephone calls--all of which were comforting and I thank you all. I am so grateful that I am surrounded by such fantastic people in my life.

A Sad Time

2007-03-12T15:08:00.000-04:00

My family has been going through a really rough time. My Mom has passed away. She was 51 years-old. I held it together through all of the stuff that surrounds a death, the calling hours at the funeral home, the funeral, burial, and the planning for all of it. But in reality, I'm really really mad. I'm not mad at anyone in general, I'm just mad about all of the things we are going to miss with my Mom. She won't be there when I pick out my wedding dress(if I ever get to wear one), or if I happen to have a child. I won't be able to ask her for her advice about any of these things either. All of the things that a girl asks her mother advice about, and I am going to have to do them without my Mom. And that just pisses me off.

I know life isn't fair. Believe me, I've gone through enough crap in my 31 years on this earth to know that, but I didn't expect to be motherless so young.

Life Goes On...At Least That's What I'm Told.

2007-03-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

The fun times never end. My family has gone through this before, I was 19 at the time, and we lost my Grandfather to cancer. Now, I'm 31 and we're about to lose my Mother to it. She has fought the good fight, but she is worn-out and her body cannot take any more of the treatments. It's very sad because, aside from the fact that she is my Mom, she is very young, only 51 years-old.

I keep feeling sorry for myself. And I shouldn't. I should revel in the time that we have left with her, but it is still very hard. No family should have to go through this.

Bring On 2007!!!!!

2007-01-05T14:14:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to see 2006 go. It was one of the crappiest years of my life! Between my Mom being sick, and the breakup, I've never in my life been so happy to bring in a new year. I have wonderful news to report. I've met someone new, and so far his resume has been very impressive. Now all of you that know Chet, I'm hoping that you'll give Mike a chance...he's very nice. And you guys know that I hope that Chet finds someone just as wonderful. I'll always wish that for him. He deserves to be completely happy. And before one more person asks me...yes I miss him. I dated him for almost 10 1/2 years! Of course I miss him, how could I not? And no, I haven't talked to him recently. But I hope that all is well with him, and I hope to see him sometime soon.

As some of you may know, my Mom made a return trip to the hospital between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cancer has moved from her lung to her brain, and she needed to start radiation all over again. This has been pretty hard on my family and especially on her. She thought that she was done...only to have to start all over. Plus her short term memory is a little iffy, she basically cannot remember about a month of her life. So, I would appreciate any and all prayer on her behalf. Again, she is doing much better now though.

My Aunt Diane (Mom's sister) is also struggling with Cancer. Her treatment begins this month, and hopefully will run smoothly and she'll be back to her old self soon. Prayer for her as well.

I'll be glad to put the year of gloom (2006) out of the picture...2007 has got to be better!

Final Exam Hell

2006-11-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

The semester is winding down at school--which means it's time for the big exam crunch. This is a particularly stressful time in which second-guessing oneself becomes second nature, and the usage of vacation time for those of us that work imperative. I personally become stressed out, cranky, emotional and basically extremely hard to live with.

What is so difficult to understand is why this time never gets any easier. One would think I would be an old pro by now when it comes to finals. I'm not. It starts a wave of migraines that do not end until mid-December. Especially this year--Excedrin Headache #377: Algebra.

One thing about it, once they're over, they're over and then it's totally time to cut loose. I will be partying as soon as they are done. I'll find myself a designated driver and then proceed to work on a blood-alcohol level that matches my GPA. (Hey, it's good to have goals.)

I will be so happy to have time off, and besides, that'll mean I'm halfway to summer break (yay!). Oh, but then Christmas shopping will come--boo. I'm feeling pretty Grinchy right now, but it could be a side-effect of finals.

Welcome to the "Crazy Cat Lady" Club!

2006-11-15T13:31:00.000-05:00

I think that some of you may be wondering why I call myself a spinster...the answer is, because I am. If it was forty years ago, I would be a "Maiden Aunt", "Spinster" or "Crazy Cat Lady"--forget that I have no cats. Funny thing is, I never pictured my life the way it has turned out. I always thought I would be married with children by now. Nope, I am...dada da duh da duh "Career Woman". Invitee of all showers, weddings, christenings, naming ceremonies, and all other functions that single women detest going to. You see, when you go to these things, not only are you expected to bring a gift, but also to give of your free time--on a weekend usually, then while you are there, they proceed to politely insult you.

"Don't worry, it will be your turn one day" an Aunt will say, while thinking in her head--"Good thing my daughter married young, this one doesn't stand a chance."

"Maybe you're just too picky." which translates to: "Maybe you shouldn't be so picky."

"Don't worry--I was thirty before I had my first child." which translates to: "You're a year behind, better catch up."

"You know these days, you don't have to be married to have a baby." which translates to: "You better hurry, I hear a clock ticking..."

My particular favorites were during the time I dated Chet.

"No ring yet I see." An Aunt sneered to me while looking down her nose.

"So, you and Chet talking about marriage?" which translates to: "If not, you'd better work it into conversation, you don't have very much longer."

"You're giving Goldie and Kurt a run for their money, aren't you honey?"

"What's wrong with you?"

OK, so the last one wasn't very polite, but was actually said to me at a bridal shower within the last year. When I was asked why I wasn't engaged yet, and said: "Well, he hasn't asked me." I was treated with that as an answer.

The funny thing is, that this behavior is considered socially acceptable behavior. It's totally OK to single-girl bash with wild abandon at these functions. Those who are married--and sometimes not even happily so, are very bloodthirsty when it comes to comments. The only comment that I was ever given by a married woman that was nice goes as follows: "Girl, you don't know how smart you are. Run--Run for the hills, and whatever you do, don't let some jackass slip something on your finger while you're not looking." I won't divulge who this woman was but suffice to say she was above the age of sixty, and a family member.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially since the breakup. How do I deal with these people now? The worst part is that the breakup has left an open wound, and these comments actually really hurt now. Especially the insensitive prying that people have taken to regarding the breakup.

I'm beginning to believe a comment that a co-worker made to me at the age of eighteen:

"You are going to be the crazy cat lady--a total spinster, you're going to have a little yellow house on the corner with twenty million cats, sitting on your porch swing reading Popular Mechanics, threatening the neighborhood kids with a shotgun to stay off your grass!" this, followed by a guffaw of laughter, "Minster the Spinster--hey it kind of fits!"

I STILL HATE THAT GUY.

My Wednesday Rant

2006-11-08T14:55:00.000-05:00

My youngest brother is getting married, I don't know if I've mentioned that before. For anyone who doesn't know me, I have two brothers--James and John. In order of age, I'm the oldest, then John and Jim is the baby. I of course, have struggled with the thought of being the oldest, and not only being unmarried, but having no children as well. OK, so I've had a really hard time with it. I never had dreams of some big career, though my life is beginning to follow that path, I just wanted to have a family of my own. Now I see my dream all around me with my friends and family playing out the part that I had figured for my own. I've been to countless baby showers, bridal showers, diaper parties, and bachelorette parties. I've spent, I'm sure, thousands on other people's weddings, children, and things of that nature. And I've felt left out every single time. Like I'm not part of some club that I want desperately to belong to.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for my brother, I'm just kind of sad for myself. And as I hear the plans for the wedding continue on, and on, and on, and on, I just feel a general disconnect from the normal happiness that I feel. It's probably very selfish to feel this way, and I'm not a selfish person. I don't even care if I have some big showy wedding, I just want to be married, to have that commitment with someone that I love. Sorry everyone, I'm just feeling blue.

So...I'm a turtle????

2006-11-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

I received this email from a friend of mine today that let you see what your "birthday animal" was, and what it meant. Apparently I'm a turtle...which I found to be a little insulting, until I read the blurb that went with it:

If you are a Turtle : You are near to perfect and nice at heart. The examples of your kindness are always circulated in groups of people. You, too, love peace. You wouldn't like to retaliate even to a person who is in the wrong. You are loved due to this. You do not wish to talk behind one's back. People love the way you always treat them. You can give, give and give love, and the best part is that you do not expect it back in return. You are generous enough. Seeing things in a practical light is what remains the best trait of you guys.

So, I wasn't SLOW, which was the first thing that ran through my mind, but just ya know "near perfect" I like that, I think it's going to go in the resume. (HA!) I'm putting a copy of the email in this blog so that you can see what you are!!

LOOK UP YOUR BIRTHDAY AND SEE WHAT YOU ARE.. FORWARD ONTO PEOPLE THAT YOU THINK THAT WOULD GET A KICK OUT OF THIS. PUT YOUR BIRTHDAY ANIMAL IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND PASS IT ON.
January 01 - 09 ~ Dog
January 10 - 24 ~ Mouse
January 25 - 31 ~ Lion
February 01 - 05 ~ Cat
February 06 - 14 ~ Dove
February 15 - 21 ~ Turtle
February 22 - 28 ~ Panther
March 01 - 12 ~ Monkey
March 13 - 15 ~ Lion
March 16 - 23 ~ Mouse
March 24 - 31 ~ Cat
April 01 - 03 ~ Dog
April 04 - 14 ~ Panther
April 15 - 26 ~ Mouse
April 27 - 30 ~ Turtle
May 01 - 13 ~ Monkey
May 14 - 21 ~ Dove
May 22 - 31 ~ Lion
June 01 - 03 ~ Mouse
June 04 - 14 ~ Turtle
June 15 - 20 ~ Dog
June 21 - 24 ~ Monkey
June 25 - 30 ~ Cat
July 01 - 09 ~ Mouse
July 10 - 15 ~ Dog
July 16 - 26 ~ Dove
July 27 - 31 ~ Cat
August 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
August 16 - 25 ~ Mouse
August 26 - 31 ~ Turtle
September 01 - 14 ~ Dove
September 15 - 27 ~ Cat
September 28 - 30 ~ Dog
October 01 - 15 ~ Monkey
October 16 - 27 ~ Turtle
October 28 - 31 ~ Panther
November 01 - 16 ~ Lion
November 17 - 30 ~ Cat
December 01 - 16 ~ Dog
December 17 - 25 ~ Monkey
December 26 - 31 ~ Dove

If you are a Dog : A very loyal and sweet person. Your loyalty can never be doubted. You are quite honest and sincere when it comes to your attitude towards working. You are a very simple person, indeed. Absolutely hassle free, humble and down-to-earth!! That explains the reason why your friends cling on to you! You have a good taste for clothes. If your wardrobe is not updated with what is trendy, you sure are depressed. Popular and easy-going. You have a little group of dignified friends, all of them being quality-personified.
If you are a Mouse : Always up to some sort of a mischief! The mischievous gleam in your eyes is what makes you so cute and attractive to everyone. You are an extremely fun-to-be-with kind of person. No wonder people seek for your company and look forward to include you for all get-together's. However, you are sensitive which is a drawback. People need to select their words while talking to you. If someone tries to fiddle around and play with words while dealing with you, it is enough to invite your wrath. God bless the person then!
If you are a Lion: Quite contradictory to your name, you are a peace loving person. You best try to avoid a situation wherein you are required to fight. An outdoor person, you dislike sitting at one place for a long duration. You are a born leader, and have it in you how to tactfully derive work from people. You love being loved, and when you receive your share of limelight from someone, you are all theirs!!!! Well, well... hence some people could even take an advantage, flatter you to the maximum and get their work done. So be careful.....
If you are a Cat : An extremely lovable, adorable person, sometimes shy, with a passion for quick wit. At times, you prefer quietness. You love exploring various things and going into depth of each thing. Under normal circumstances you're cool but when given a reason to, you are like a volcano waiting to erupt. You're a fashion bird. People look forward to you as an icon associated with fashion. Basically, you mingle along freely but don't like talking much to strangers. People feel very easy in your company. You observe care in choosing your friends.
If you are a Turtle : You are near to perfect and nice at heart. The examples of your kindness are always circulated in groups of people. You, too, love peace. You wouldn't like to retaliate even to a person who is in the wrong. You are loved due to this. You do not wish to talk behind one's back. People love the way you always treat them. You can give, give and give love, and the best part is that you do not expect it back in return. You are generous enough. Seeing things in a practical light is what remains the best trait of you guys.
If you are a Dove : You symbolize a very happy-go-lucky approach in life. Whatever the surroundings may be, grim or cheerful, you remain unaffected. In fact, you spread cheer wherever you go. You are the leader of your group of friends and good at consoling people in their times of need. You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what. You are very methodical and organized in your work. No amount of mess, hence, can ever encompass you. Beware, it is easy for you to fall in love....
If you are a Panther : You are mysterious. You are someone who can handle pressure with ease, and can handle any atmosphere without going berserk. You can be mean at times, and love to gossip with your selected group. Very prim and proper. You like all situations and things to be in the way you desire, which, sometimes is not possible. As a result, you may lose out in some relationships. But otherwise, you love to help people out from difficult and tight spots when they really need you.
If you are a Monkey : Very impatient and hyper!!! You want things to be done as quick as possible. At heart, you are quite simple and love if you are the center of attraction. That way, you people are unique. You would like to keep yourself safe from all the angles. Shall your name be dragged or featured in any sort of a controversy, you then go all panicky. Therefore, you take your precautions from the very beginning. When you foresee anything wrong, your sixth sense is what saves you from falling in traps. Quite a money minded bunch you people are!!

Breaking up is hard to do...

2006-10-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

My boyfriend and I broke up. Word seems to have spread like wildfire. I subscribe to the notion that, if I wanted you to know, I would have told you; and It's our business. The way of the world today is so electronic that people can harass you about these things much easier. I thought about hiring a publicist (much like Jen and Brad's) who can take these calls and emails and respond thusly: "Minnie and Chet have decided after ten years to part ways, they would like it if you would respect their privacy in this difficult time."

For those of you who want the gory details, or somehow revel in the drama that is other people's pain, I'm sorry, you are getting no dirt from me. This whole situation hurts, for both of us, and I don't want to continually rehash every minute detail for everyone else's benefit. We both need time and space, and if you can't be constructive, don't say anything.

I just cannot fathom why people feed off of others' misery. It's a form of sickness as far as I'm concerned. So if you are reading this, and you know someone in my situation--don't be pushy, if they want to tell you about it, they'll tell you about it.

Procrastinators of the World Unite! We'll Meet Tomorrow!

2006-09-29T07:51:00.000-04:00

OK, so I've never been known for doing things on time (at least I finish most of what I start). As a kid, I was the one doing homework at ten on Sunday night. I work well under pressure, it's actually when I do my best work. Recently this has become more and more of a problem. I'm not entirely sure if it is because of school, or the work/school combo, but I feel as if my life is spiraling out of control when it comes to time. I have none of this so-called "free time" that people speak of. And it's beginning to get to me. If I'm not at work or school, then I'm working out or running errands. I barely have time for my homework before crawling into bed completely spent.

I have to schedule everything. I have to schedule time with my boyfriend, and a lot of the time our schedules conflict, it feels like we barely see each other anymore. We haven't had an actual date in months (Chet, a date is where it is just you and me and we are somewhere other than in front of the TV). It's not his fault though, I bear most of the blame. I'm not available to see him most of the time. It's kinda sad. When did my life become RUSH RUSH, gotta get here, need to go there? I need to start scheduling ME time. The sicker my Mom gets, the more I realize that I need to appreciate the people around me and ENJOY my life. Not just keep running through an endless slew of appointments. OK, I'm done venting.

Wigging Out!

2006-09-13T11:49:00.000-04:00

Ok, so my mother is going through chemotherapy right now. My mom isn't a good patient when she has a headache, much less cancer, so this hasn't been pleasant. Not that any of us expected this to be a walk in the park, but she just won't slow down! And as a result, several things have happened. First, she caught a world-class cold. Rapid weight loss because she does what she wants to do...won't listen to her children who want her to drink Boost. Thirdly, she is driving her oldest child insane because I get to hear how everyone else needs to just settle down, leave her alone, or (fill in the blank). But the fourth point is how her hair loss is effecting me. Now I realize that that sounds really selfish, but I'm not used to seeing my mom with gray hair, never mind no hair. So, I've been begging her to get a wig.

Yes, I realize that its a petty thing to dwell on, but it bothers me. She doesn't look like herself, and perhaps I am being shallow. But once I talked her into it, I paid for the wig and all of the stuff to go with it.

Now, for anyone who never had to deal with this stuff before, you don't just buy the wig and styrofoam head and have done with it. No, no, no--you have special wig shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, styling creme, lustre spray, pick, brush, liners, drying rack, styling strap...is that all???? Yeah I think that might be everything. Here's the thing: The wig $32 (on sale through cancer society) the crap to go with it? $45 before shipping.

By the time I bought my mom a wig--the wig stuff--and a new hat (plus a matching hat for myself), with shipping the order came to $120!! Do these companies realize that most of these people are on fixed incomes because either they are too sick to work, or they have to work reduced schedules because of the chemo???? I'm sure these are rock-bottom prices too. Thank God my mom has us.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now.

Aw...nuts.

2006-09-06T10:21:00.001-04:00

I'm getting crankier with age. I'm starting to realize this. I have no patience. I don't like to wait for anything anymore. Which pretty much relegates me to toddler like tantrums (mostly in my head, I'm pretty sure I'd make a spectacle if I decided to throw myself to the floor and flail). One of the things that I am losing patience with is sports. I used to love sports. I loved to play sports, I loved to watch sports, and I especially loved to sit with a beer and argue sports with anyone who felt like arguing. Not so much anymore. You see, I'm dating a man who is a sports NUT. I should have seen it coming...I knew the signs. I have two brothers afflicted with the same disease. As the matter of fact, one of the things I liked about him to begin with was the mutual interest in the same teams.

OK, that was then. Now, I can't have a conversation with him during sports. He does not even dignify me with a response or glance. It wouldn't upset me if it was when he is watching a specific team, or a specific game...or a RECENT one for that matter.

This all started out innocently enough. The first year we dated he was really into baseball and football. What guy isn't, and to tell you the truth, I didn't mind (except for the world series game he stood me up for--and never even took me along, all I got was a ratty program).

Year two--hockey is added into the equation.

Year three--the addiction gets worse...we begin to listen on the radio too.

Year four--we can't even talk during commercials because these are entertaining too, or it's time for peebreak.

Year five--I know y'all are getting the picture.

Year six--more of the same.

Year seven--The bane of my existence. The ESPN CLASSIC CHANNEL.

Oh, yes! There is a channel now that shows old games in their entirety. This basically means that if a game is called because of weather (which used to be God's way of throwing us women a bone), now these sports-infatuated men can recline and relive some old game. "I can't tell you what I did with ____--Can't you see the 1977 championship is on!" "Honey, I'm sorry did you say something? Why are you so mad? I told you I was watching the 1984 World Series--My God they were tying it up!"

Yes girls--we are doomed. If there is "nothing on" which basically means, nothing he wants to watch, the channel immediately heads to the same spot.

And Men--pay attention: I used to like sports. I used to play sports. I used to enjoy these things. I now cannot stand the themesong for SportsCenter. Take heed, do not ruin the enjoyment of these things for us. We do not mind you being fans. This actually helps us out once in a while (especially when we need help drafting our players for fantasy football). But for the love of God, give us something. I would just like to have the commercials and drive time back.

I'm afraid I will be forced to retaliate at some point.

I could start forcing SoapNet or worse--Lifetime on him. I don't want to have to do it...

Happy Birthday Liana!

2006-09-01T07:43:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has someone in their life that they can count on no matter what. I am so lucky that I do, and not only is she a wonderful best friend, but she's also family. Liana, my cousin is such a wonderful blessing in my life. She is the kind of friend that wouldn't just bail me out of jail, she'd be sitting right next to me in the cell. Lee's birthday is tomorrow, and I just wanted to let her know just how much she means to me. Lian, you've been there through thick and thin. Thank you so much for holding me up when Grandpa died, then being there to lean on when Marty passed away. I'm glad you are there to listen to me gripe, and help me to not cry about my Mom being sick. Sometimes you are the only person who can keep me sane. And I really appreciate it. Through all of our madcap misadventures--which I'm sure we could write a book about--you have always been the steady reliable force. Happy Birthday. I hope that you receive every blessing possible! And by the way, if we keep having these birthday things, we'd better start looking for the little yellow house on the corner, you know, the one with the porch swing... Just kidding, we may have to grow up eventually, but in our hearts, we'll never be old.

Hugs and Kisses
(I'll talk to you soon)

Minnie

My Nephew's First Day

2006-08-31T07:34:00.000-04:00

I have two nephews, Tyler (five) and Tanner (four). Tyler's first day of school was yesterday. I took the day off of work so I could be there to document the occasion on film. These little guys are the apple of my eye. Being an Aunt is the greatest thing. I get to be there for most of the firsts and all of the other cute or funny things they do, and when they drive me crazy I can just hand them off to my brother. What a totally sweet arrangement. We had been eagerly anticipating Tyler's first day at school. It was the next milestone for him and one that we all remembered well from our childhood. Problem was, Tyler didn't want to go, AT ALL. So he was completely beligerant about having pictures taken, and wouldn't look at the camera. And when he actually did look at the camera, it was very hard to get a smile out of him. I can see my scrapbook pages now...the title could be "The Kindergarten Dropout". I was really surprised that he felt this way. Our family had been talking up school for months now, but Tyler and Tanner have a huge shy streak and they are so close in age, that they've really never had to do anything by themselves. I think if they were going together, that it wouldn't have been as bad.

Tyler wasn't alone in his misery. Tanner was just lost without his big brother. He kind of wandered around without anything to do, looking extremely pathetic. Well, my brother has decided to take action. He is going to enroll Tanner in preschool three days a week so that this doesn't happen again next year, and so that Tanner has something to do while his brother is at school. (Now mind you--big sister (me) told him years ago to do the same thing with Tyler. But I won't say I told you so.) (Okay, I told him so!)

I know both of those boys will do wonderfully in school, after all, it's in the genes. Once the first day jitters are over for Tyler, it will become old-hat and all will be well. I wish I could be a fly on the wall today at my brother's house, with the increduluous look of "I have to go BACK????" on Tyler's face that I have a feeling will be there. I'm sure I'll hear all about it tonight, since our family has to relate all of the days happenings to one another. This is one of the great things about the fact that my brothers and I are relatively close to one another. I get to live vicariously. I don't have a family of my own yet, but I can feel my brother's pain. And I did yesterday. Neither one of us wanted to make Tyler go...but it had to be done. And we all felt for Tanner. Especially John. After all, Twenty-five years ago, I was Tyler and John was Tanner. We had to leave each other because I had to go to Kindergarten, and John wandered around looking for something to do, and just kind of waited until I got home. And the "School Daze" starts another cycle.

Banana Splits and the Battle of the Bulge

2006-08-29T07:44:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I have had to struggle to stay fit. This wasn't a problem in my younger years, but just in the past seven or so. Recently I have been working out at the gym at school. This can be a bit intimidating, since the only people who go there are either involved in sports or extremely physically fit. I'll be walking away on the treadmill, thinking I'm doing pretty good...feeling good about the fact that my speed is 3.5 mph. Then some little twit in a blond ponytail will bounce onto the treadmill next to me and start running on it at a sprint. I hate that girl. I'm not always at the gym at the same time everyday, but she shows up anyway halfway through the hour I drag my butt through on the treadmill, looking like she couldn't possibly sweat. I have come to two conclusions, either the gym staff calls her to let her know I'm there (I mean, it probably makes her feel great to watch me struggle and sweat while she breezes through her workout). Or she never leaves, like Quasimoto, she just lives in the bowels of the gym somewhere and waits to hear my labored breathing to know it is time for her workout. Either way, she's annoying.

I've been trying to eat healthy too. This hard to do since my Mom has been sick. Not only do I eat a lot of junk when I'm stressed and worried, but my Mom has been losing massive amounts of weight from her chemotherapy (she has no appetite). So we've been trying to feed her fattening food. I took her out for ice cream last Friday night. Of course, I had to have a banana split too. It called to me...in a small voice similar to Smurfette. "You know you want me..." It was too much, I couldn't resist, and the rest is history...and an addition to the cellulite on my thighs.

I've promised Mike from work that I would run a 5k with him next summer. What in God's name was I thinking? I must be losing it. So now I have ten months to get into shape in order to not die. I don't really want to have a heart attack while doing something healthy.

Thank God for Calculators

2006-08-28T08:46:00.000-04:00

I've never liked math--even a little bit. It still cracks me up that my math teachers used to expound on the necessity of math. Now, I'm not talking about simple math. I have had occasion to add, subtract, multiply or divide. And yes, I know fractions are used when baking a cake. And I'm really good at percentages, especially when shopping. I never as of yet have found any use at all for algebra.

Why do I even care to write about this? This semester I have found myself in an Algebra class. Joy of all Joys. Now mind you that my academic advisor never told me that you had to have taken high school level algebra (and passed it). So I go to this class nervous anyway because I did take algebra in high school. I failed it. I still remember the class with anger. I was fifteen (sixteen years ago) and totally lost. Everything that my teacher spoke of sounded like Swahili. I decided to go to said teacher and just see if I could get some help. She proceeded to yell at me and say that if I did my homework I would understand it. I attempted to point out that I would do my homework if I knew how. I then received a lecture about being lazy. I wasn't lazy, I was just not math-inclined and completely lost. I never did another problem in that class. I never turned in an assignment, and I signed my name to the top of the tests as soon as they were given to me and immediately handed them back to her--blank. I hated that teacher.

So I get to relive the humiliation at the age of thirty-one. Great! The day of class I had to beat traffic from work (fun times!) race to the classroom which was heated to about 112 degrees, and find a place to sit. my eyes roamed the room. It was a sea of eighteen year old children (I say children, because they still look that way to me). They have the look that all freshmen carry with them. The wide-eyed fish out of water look. They are also wearing very new sneakers, jeans, and the girls actually wear makeup. I take a seat against a wall and attempt to blend in. I am fairly successful at this today, because there are actually four other students in the class that are older than I am. This makes me in turn seem younger.

Now for those of you who have not ever been in this environment, the first day of class in college is like the first day at school when you are a kid. The teacher basically goes over what they expect from you and tell you a little about themselves. I have a theory that this is because they don't like having to teach anymore than we like having to learn on the first day.

Algebra class was another story. This guy was hard core. It took him exactly six minutes to go through the above routine, followed by an hour and twenty minutes of actual learning. We went over the end of the class time by six minutes. I took six pages of notes that first day, my hand flying across the page because this man writes and erases faster than Dennis Rodman changes hair colors. I of course, under stand nothing. And was given 122 problems to have done before the next class.

My question is, why is this class required if you are not a math or science major? I have used algebra 0--count it--0 times in the thirteen years since high school. And once I finally graduate, I will use it 0 more times. Go figure.