A Year Already?

I can't believe it's been a year (on the 13th) since I started this blog. Oh, and a year (on the 16th) since I got married.

It's been quite a year. Be prepared for quite a profound post to come.

Oh wait, I'LL BE IN NEW YORK CITY BOTH OF THOSE DAYS! No way can I post from NYC.



Oh who am I kidding? I posted multiple times while on my freakin' honeymoon. I won't skip posting from NYC!

Seriously?

Is this really going to deter thieves from stealing my packages???

Kudos to Sur La Table for fast shipment. I ordered my new cutting boards on Tuesday night and received them today!

Oh yeah, there was another box in there. From QVC. Yes. Love them! It's a wall patch kit for the hole in our bathroom wall.

Have a fabulous weekend!

New car?

I got an offer today to buy my aunt's car. She's getting a new one next week. The one she wants to sell me is a 2004 Saturn Vue. (When we bought dave's Saturn Ion in February '05, I said "my next car is going to be a Vue!") It's a v6 AWD, leather, 20,000 miles. Sounds perfect, for $15,500. It's in great condition, and I know where it's been (never been smoked in, never been in an accident, etc.) My car will be paid off in September (or before) and my cousin asked about buying it from me. Both such GREAT offers. It would be SO easy to sell my car to my cousin, and buy my aunt's Vue. BUT, just this week, we decided that when my car gets paid off, we are going to focus on paying off credit card bills and then start banking some money for when the day comes that I go to part-time. You know, the responsible thing. It is not easy to decide between what I want so badly (a new car!) and what I know I should do (live for a while without a car payment...something I've NEVER done before). SO, we're taking the responsible road and not buying her car/selling mine. I may regret not having a great deal on a car I want, but I know that the Vue would cost me so much more in gas. I drive 25 miles each way to work, and my car does pretty well. I have yet to spend $30 to fill-er-up. I know that would be out the window with a Vue.
So, wish me luck in keeping up with what we plan on doing and not buying a new car in the next 2 months!

A first for me!

I'm 30 years old, and tonight, for the first time ever, I went to a movie by myself. Yay me! I know, no biggie. But I never could do it before. Tonight I had a couple hours to kill before work, so I went to see "The Devil Wears Prada". Yes, a complete chick-flick. But it was a good one. I enjoyed it, and may make it a habit to enjoy movies on my own from now on! Tomorrow I'm getting my hair did!!!

That's a negative

You know me. You have for about 5 years. For 4 of those years, I have worked late-nights. Until 3am or so, not getting home til 330-4am. For 4 years I've been going to bed somewhere between 430-5am.

There is a general rule that goes along with said bedtime. Do not call me until about noon. Sometimes that is pushing it! But do NOT, unless you are my family or very very good friend and it's a dire emergency, (like going in to labor with no one else available) call me at EIGHT THIRTY AM. I did not answer your call. I did have to get out of bed to get the phone though, which disturbed my cat's slumber, which is the worst part of it all! Your message said "I have to work, my mom has to take Billy Boy to the doctor, can you watch Tommy Boy for an hour this morning." I'm sorry. This may seem like an emergency to you, but....your mom could easily take Tommy Boy with her to the doctor. Yes, it might be a bit inconvenient, but he's a good baby. He could handle it. There's no reason for you to have called me at EIGHT THIRTY AM. (You are also the one who had the radio on my competitor's station when I babysat a couple months ago. I've babysat for you since then. Never at 8:30am).

*disclaimer: if you are one of my closest friends and are getting ready to have a baby THIS MONTH, you can call me at ANY TIME and I will be there for you! ANY TIME. Even BEFORE 8:30am!!!

I didn't really get tagged

But this kind of seemed interesting, and I've never "used" Wikipedia, so I wanted to try it

Instructions:
1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. In the Search box, type your birth month and day (but not year).
3. List three events that happened on your birthday.
4. List two important birthdays and one interesting death.
5. One holiday or observance (if any).

On January 19
Events:
1. 1977 - Snow falls in Miami, Florida. This is the only time in the history of the city that snowfall has occurred. I was born during an ice storm. I don't feel sorry for Miami
2. 1994 - Record cold temperatures across the eastern half of the United States brings temperatures below -20°F in many locations, such as Ohio and Kentucky. this was just a normal winter day in Wisconsin
3. 1983 - Klaus Barbie, Nazi war criminal, is arrested in Bolivia. i never knew barbie got arrested!

Births:
1. 1807 - Robert E. Lee, American Confederate general (d. 1870) that's kind of my uncles name. he's not that old though.
2. 1923 - Jean Stapleton, American actress gotta love that dingbat!

Death:
1. 1906 - 1847 - Charles Bent, New Mexico pioneer (assassinated) i wonder if anyone ever told him to get bent

Holiday:
1. The unofficial National Popcorn Day i LOVE popcorn!!!

That's it. If you try it, let me know what you come up with!

Who Knew?

Probably you.

I learned something from my nieces last week. They are 8 and 5. We went to the Children's Museum, and somehow a conversation of fruits and vegetables came up. One of them said "A cucumber is a fruit." WHAT? Seriously folks, I feel a little stupid. "If it has seeds, it's a fruit. If it doesn't, it's a vegetable." Huh. I guess I wasn't paying attention that day. (One question: what do you call the English-or SEEDLESS-cucumber?)

Well this changes a lot! Cucumbers are fruit. Squash is a fruit. Tomatoes are fruit. Dang! Maybe I can tell Dave (who doesn't eat vegetables) "Honey, squash is FRUIT! You can eat it!!!"

Time

Where has it gone? In just TWO WEEKS, I will be staring at this clock live and in person



Yes, the clock at Grand Central Station in NYC. We're staying VERY close to Grand Central. And I can't wait to get there. It's been 9 years (to the month, actually) since I was there last. Not the best time of my life, unfortunately. I was visiting a friend. Same friend this time, but it will be different. Have I mentioned I can't wait to get there????

Ok, I think I'm going to go look up how to fill in those holes in my front yard left from pulling out those bushes.

Rachael Ray Show

Yes, Rachael Ray is getting her own show. She begins taping in July. OOH, we're going to NY in July! She tapes literally .23 miles from our hotel. OOOOOHHHH! That would be SO COOOL! She is my cooking HERO. LOVE HER!



She's taping Tues-Thurs, 11am & 2pm. You can request to be at a taping right on her website.

Oh yeah....WE'RE FLYING IN LATE ON THURSDAY AND LEAVING MONDAY AFTERNOON.

DAMN IT!!!

It's all about me, right?

Here's another survey!

1. My ex is...a passing thought
2. I am listening to...Quaker Steak & Lube commercial
3. Maybe I should...try to explain
4. I love...my life
5. My bestfriends...are forever
6. I don't understand...a lot
7. I lost...my mind
8. People say...stop
9. The meaning of my screen name is...my job
10. Love is...the best thing ever
11. Somewhere, someone is...not understanding
12. I will always...have myself
13. Forever seems...hopeful
14. I never want to...hurt you EVER again
15. My mobile phone...is somewhere...in my purse?
16. When I wake up in the morning...morning? i think "why am I awake!"
17. I get annoyed...people who don't listen
18. Parties are...fun...for the most part
19. My Dog is...no dogs for me
20. Kisses are the best when...they're from someone you love
21. Today I...babysat
22. I Wish I...hadn't
23. Tomorrow I will...work
24. I really want...to be in NYC!
25. My room is...messy

Worlds Worst and Best Shovels

I went to the store today to get a shovel. After last nights de-landscaping, I needed to finish up. I needed to get to the root of the problem, so to speak. So, I bought a shovel at a discount store.

I got home with said shovel, used it for about 5 minutes, and the damn thing BROKE. Seriously. I wasn't hitting someone with it, I was trying to dig. Isn't that what shovels are for? Well it broke right where the metal meets the wood. I offer you a version of the worlds worst shovel. I can't find the exact one online, unfortunately.


So, we took that one back and went to a different store for a new shovel. Twice the price and ALL METAL, it's called "The World's Best Shovel". So, we bought it. And you know what? I believe it. I pulled out some NASTY roots with that thing, and it's still working.

Here you go, the World's Best Shovel (mine says it right on the shovel) from Fiskars of all companies. I thought they just made scissors.


And the damn bushes I pulled out with it:



This was the last of the 3, and was as big as the other 2 put together. On here it looks like a big scary animal ready to bite!



Next? The roses. Wish me luck.

Another weekend gone!

It was a busy one, but a good one! Friday night was volleyball, and it seemed like everyone brought their kid with them! Shawn brought Kalina (13 months), Sarah brought Vincent (7 months) and Mary brought Grace (almost 3 years). It was a fun time, and finally a decent (but a little warm) night for volleyball. Saturday was another work day, then to my parents' house to celebrate Father's Day. It was just going to be me and dave with my parents, but my brother, sister-in-law and their 2 kids joined in. It was also a good time. Sunday we got up and headed to Dave's brother's house for a second father's day. more good food, a little wine...and I was BEAT. I thought I'd fall asleep at the table. I only had 2 glasses, but ended up taking a 2 hour nap when we got home. Then it was off to work for me, as another week started!
Today I slept in as late as I could. So when 2pm rolled around, I felt the need to get my butt out of bed. So I went to work out, then came home and mowed the lawn. Then I pulled out a plant we don't like. And Dave cleaned the gutters. We have a lot of plans for our landscaping...we'll see how it all goes. We're going for the minimalist look though, that's for sure.
So, here we are. Another week. Hope yours started off good!

What time of day are you?

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Wanna hear a story?

If so, keep reading. If not...then, well...don't! :o)

It's the story of my friend Dena. Those who know me know of her. So I'm telling those of you that don't know me!

The story starts in 1986. Yes, 20 years ago. If I remember correctly (which it is possible I don't), I was reading one of my brother's magazines and in the back there were pictures and ads, if you will, for pen-pals. One of the girls was 3 years older than me, and I thought "What the heck!" (I was 10. I said heck. I'd say hell if it were to happen today)! So, I wrote to this girl, Marcella, who lived in Brooklyn, NY.

A few weeks later, I got a letter back. Only it wasn't from Marcella, but her cousin Dena. Marcella was bombarded with letters, and Dena was my same age, so she gave her the letter.

For a few years we wrote back and forth as often as we could, comparing likes and dislikes and things that young girls do. Boys and music and all the important things. After a few years of writing, we tried talking. But before talking on the phone, we figured we'd send cassette tapes back and forth. I'd talk in one and tell stories, then send it to her. She'd talk on the other side and send it back to me. We did this because, being the age we were, we thought it would be a FORTUNE to talk on the phone between Wisconsin and New York. The first tape I got from her...well, I was a little naive to say the least. I didn't know not everyone talked the same! I didn't know there was such thing as New York accent. (Or a Wisconsin accent, if you must think there is one!)

We talked on the phone a couple of times, but it really was easiest to write our letters. We even had nick-names for each other. She was Doc (her initials are DR) and I was Kid (mine being KD). My first car had license plates of GOKIDGO.
Anyway, we continued to write until 1997. Yes, after 11 years and a couple failed attempts, we decided to meet. I flew out to New York in July, and what happened next is a story in itself. Without getting into too much detail, I will tell you it was not a good experience. Two 21 year old girls who lived WORLDS apart completely clashing after all that time. It was just weird to think we wouldn't get along. But we didn't. It was bad, and after some nasty exchanges via snail-mail, we stopped communicating alltogether.

After 2 years, I wrote her a letter. In it I basically said that I wanted closure. If we weren't going to be friends anymore, then I at least wanted it to end on good terms. I got a letter back from her, and I couldn't believe it. She was apologizing for the way my trip had turned out, and telling me she was glad I'd written.

We continued from there, sending emails this time rather than letters. We'd caught up with technology and it was SO easy to communicate. We became closer than we were before. Letter/email communication is a very interesting thing when it's all you have. We still don't speak on the phone very often (unless it's big news, like when I got engaged), but I think we have the most open friendship because of it.

SO, after 6 more years, it was time for another trip. I had asked her to be in my wedding, and it would be the second time we'd ever met. I knew it would be an emotional time, so I planned a trip out there to be kind of a buffer. February '05 came and I was to head out. That week, I got sicker than I'd been in a LONG time. It was the first time I called in sick to my job since I started in July '02. Come to find out, Dena was sick too. And a snowstorm was headed to NY. So, my trip got cancelled. Fast forward to July, just 1 day before my wedding. Dave and I on the way to the airport to pick her up (along with her boyfriend Greg). I was SO nervous. I thought I'd get sick. I considered her one of my best friends, yet I hadn't seen her in 8 years, and that was a disaster. When I saw her coming down the escalator at the airport, the fear and nervousness drained out of me, and it was like it was supposed to be. Seeing an old friend after a long absence.

I didn't get to spend a lot of time with her that weekend, but what time we did spend together was great. We've both grown up a LOT since that first visit. Dave and I are going to visit her next month, and we can't wait.

And that is the story of my friend Dena. I hope you enjoyed it!

Neglect!

I feel like I've been spending too much time on myspace and not enough time here lately. So, I'm taking a break from myspace and focusing on blogger! (As if it really matters!)

So, 3 weeks ago, I went to the doctor for a consultation and she said "let's get some blood, we'll test it, and go from there." So, I did that. She said it would take about a week for the results. I gave FIVE VIALS of blood. (I know...could have been worse, but it seemed like a lot!) Anyway, I waited and waited to hear back. 10 days later (last friday) I finally get a phone call. What did they say? Huh? Wait for it.....

The tests were inconclusive and we need to you come back and give 5 more vials of blood.

So yeah, that's what I did today. I sure hope tomorrow's more fun!

Gettin' a Packer Fix!

Today was the Brett Favre Celebrity Softball Game. It was SO fun. It's where we got engaged in 2004, and we wanted to make it a yearly tradition. We couldn't go last year, but we made sure to get there this year. They have fun on the field (it's Packer offense vs. defense) and make it a great time for everyone. The weather was good, traffic tolerable...all-in-all, a very good day.

Favre up to bat

Last season out-of-nowhere superstar, Samkon Gado

Donald Driver, hitting one of his (at least) 2 homeruns of the day

The score when we left was 21-8, offense. It was a lot of fun, and now we're ready for some football!!!

Your pronounciation lesson for today

You are VERY into sports. So much so that you WORK FOR ESPN RADIO. So, I shouldn't have to explain this to you. But apparently I do.

Dirk Nowitzky. He is from Germany, currently playing his eighth season with the Dallas Mavericks. But you already know that, because as I said, you work for ESPN Radio. You must not, however, know how to pronounce Nowitzky. Now, I know it looks like it might be "no-witz-key". It is not. So stop saying it that way. Say it the right way, please. Nuh-vitz-key. Easy enough? Yes, it is. It must be, because that is how almost everyone that has anything to do with the NBA pronounces it. Now, I've not heard Dirk pronounce his last name, but I'm pretty sure he would not say "no-witz-key", being from Germany and all.

Thanks. Have a good day.

I got nothin'

So, here you go. The ABC's of me. Again. I stole this one from my friend Vanessa. Feel free to steal it from me!

A- Available?:*Nope
A - Age?:*30
A - Allerigic to?:*nothin'

B - Best Friend?:*Dave
B - Beer?:*yes please
B - Birthday?:*Jan 19

C - Crush?*great local band!
C - Car? *one with lots of hail damage
C - Candy?:*Chocolate

D - Day or Night?:*night
D - Dream Car?:*i'm trying to find it!
D - Dog or Cat?:* Cats Sami & Blu

E - Easiest friend to talk to?:*Dave, Sarah
E - Eggnog?:*Yum!
E - Email?:*way too much

F - Favorite Month?:*July
F - Favorite Color?:*yellow
F - Favorite Memory?:*so far? getting married

G - Gummy Bears or Worms?:*bears
G - Giver or Taker?:*Giver
G - Gum?:*not so much

H - Hair Color?:*brown
H - Height?*5'5"
H - Happy?:*Absolutely...for the most part

I - Ice Cream?:*MMM! Breyer's Twix ROCKS!
I - Instrument?:*none
I - Idol?:*American? NO thanks

J - Jewelry?:*have a bunch I don't wear
J - Job?:*pretty fun!
J - Jail?:*haven't been

K - Kids?:*just my cats
K - Kixboxing?:*don't hurt me!
K - Kindergarden? *Ms McWilliams. She was SO cool!

L - Longest Car Ride:*Madison to San Francisco
L - LOVE?:*ABSOLUTELY!
L - Last Kiss?*after lunch today

M - Milk Flavor?:*chocolate please!
M - Most Missed Person?:*too many
M - Movie Last Watched?:*Kiss The Girls...the book was better

N - Number of Siblings?:*One older brother
N - Number of Tattoos?:*2 or 3
N - Name?:*Kari

O - One Wish?:*If I tell you, it won't come true
O - One Phobia?:*fire. i can watch a contained one (like a bonfire) but that's it
O - One regret?:*not knowing

P - Pet Peeves?:*idiotic drivers
P - Part of the Opposite Sex's Body You Like Most?:*his left ring finger with the wedding band on it!
P - Part of your Personality You Like Most?:*dependable

Q - Quote?:*Vern Tessio: If I could only have one food for the rest of my life? That's easy. Cherry Pez. Cherry flavor Pez. There's no doubt about it.
Q - Quick or Slow?:*Both

R - Reason to Smile?:*life is good
R - Reality TV Show?:*Real World, Big Brother
R - Reasons to Cry?:*not knowing

S - Song Last Heard?:*Hmm...Sammy Kershaw, She Don't Know She's Beautiful
S - Season?:*fall
S - Shoes?:*went shopping for them today!

T - Time You Woke?*11:30am
T - Time Now?:*743pm
T - Time for Bed?:*4am

U - U Love Someone?*Very much
U - Unpredictable?:*not really
U - Underwear?:*yes

V - Vegetable You Hate?:*lima beans
V - Vegetable You Love?:*corn
V - Vacation Spot?:*NYC next month!

W- Worst Habits?:*not knowing when to stop
W- Where Are You Going to Travel Next?:*Appleton this weekend for the Brett Favre Celebrity Softball Game
W- Weather Right Now?:*Sunny and warm

X - X-Rays?:*not for a while
X - X-Rated Porn?:*is there any other kind?
X - X-tra special someone?*I've got a couple!

Y - Year You Were Born?:*1976
Y - Year It Is Now?:*2006
Y - Yellow?:*my car

Z - Zoo Animal?:*tiger
Z - Zodiac?:*Capricorn
Z - Zoolander?:*Haven't seen it

6-6-6

Why do those numbers signal the end of the world? Because Damien made it so. We went to see "The Omen" today. Man, you can tell it's the end of the school year. Teenagers EVERYWHERE. Laughing. There was not much funny in this movie! Dave and I made a pact that if and when we have teenagers, we will tell them to be quiet at the movies. They'll understand when they're 30. Yeah, they won't listen. But at least we can say we tried. When we got out of our showing (which wasn't packed, but wasn't empty either) the line was REALLY long. And full of more teenagers. I'm so glad we went when we did.

So on a day such as today, if something abnormal happens, it's because the devil did it. Right? My phone wasn't letting me get my voicemail. I put in my password, and it asked me to put in my password. Repeat. I had to start over. THEN, the soda machine took the dollar the opposite way the picture shows. AND, my sub took a long time, so they made good by giving me a free cookie without me even complaining. Now, I know my cell phone sucks sometimes. Like when I try to erase a particular contact, it freezes and I have to take the battery out and put it back in to use it. Only with THAT particular number. And the soda machine will take whatever it feels (or doesn't feel) like taking. And sometimes customer service IS a priority. But because of those 3 numbers, it's the beginning of the end of the world.

Whew!

It was quite a busy weekend, but it was ALL GOOD!

Friday I got up early so I could spend time with my friend Sarah and her 6 month old, Tatum, in town from Texas. It was so nice to see them. Tatum's at that stage where she cries at anyone except her mom, so I didn't hold her much. But it was really good to see them both. Hopefully they'll be back in September.
Friday night was my remote at the speedway, and after a short bout of rain, we got everything set up and it was a good time. I left before the races got underway. I was SO tired. But the local Pepsi folks were there with their new promotion vehicle, and it was way cool. It's the Toyota FJ Cruiser. I don't need anything that rugged, but it was neat. I'm more up for a Nissan Murano, and that still won't be for a while yet. Who knows what I'll want by then!
Saturday we did yard work and while Dave was away, I started cleaning/drinking wine. I was making some desserts for the baby shower, as well as preparing dinner for Rob & John, and I had to go to the store to get chicken. Then I realized I'd already had 3/4 of a bottle of Wollersheim Winery Prairie Fume. So, I had to wait til he got home to take me to the store. We had Chicken Parmigiana for dinner, and 4 more bottles of wine. It was a good time!
Sunday, I got up "early" and started preparing for the shower. Thankfully, Gertie & Jess showed up to help finish, and there really was just enough space for everyone. Lots of good times, great gifts for Babe, and a LOT of leftover food. I sent a bunch home w/Babe and some with my parents.

Now I'm watching "The Game" with Dave and Blu, and relaxing from the weekend. My week starts in about 3 1/2 hours, and I'm NOT ready for it!!!

Friday randomness

just some things about me that you might not know. You might not even care. But I'm doing it anyway!

-I'm addicted to Milio's subs. #2 or #15, please. On a french roll.
-I think people tell me things just to see if it hurts me sometimes. It does, but I don't tell them that. Is that bad?
-I don't care that he hasn't spoken to me in 4 1/2 months. Yeah, I bring it up on here sometimes. But I don't care. I wish he would just be gone from my life.
-I'm going to New York in just over 40 days!!!
-I am going for a face-to-face interview for a volunteer position at Domestic Abuse Intervention Services on Monday!
-This weekend is super busy! My friend from Texas is in town, I'll see her Friday. I also have a remote at another speedway Friday night. Saturday, Rob & John are coming over for dinner. And Sunday is Babe's baby shower at my house. Hope I survive! (I would link to Rob, but I don't know his site off the top of my head. It's in my bloglines!)
-I recently saw a show with the Q1 Tower in it, and now I want to visit Australia just to see it! (Come on Rob, get going, would you???)
-If I find a new blog I like to read, I will probably go back to the BEGINNING and read the whole thing. If I can make it through and still enjoy reading, I'll add it to my list!
-Dave and I may not talk all day when we're not together (he's at work or out of town or something) but no matter what, we'll call to say goodnight EVERY night we're not together. Which is every weeknight, since I work overnights!

Is there a point to this post? Maybe. I guess we'll never know.

Happy Friday! Have a fabulous weekend!

Who the HELL does that?

There was an ad for a craft store in the paper the week of May 7th. There was a ready-to-finish mission bench in said ad, similar to the one pictured above, on sale for $39.99, regularly $89.99. I went to the store, and the woman said "We didn't get those! Here's a rain check, we'll call you when it comes in."

Fast forward to today. May 31st. I call the store. First, my rain check isn't in the little box. I just want to know when they're getting the benches.

"We don't have any. Don't know when we'll get any."

I said "So you put something in your ad, it doesn't come in, and you don't know when it will? It's been almost a month!"

"Mmm Hmm." As in "Yes. Completely normal for our store".

I think she was trying to say something else when I said "I guess I'll cancel my order" and hung up.

Seriously, is this NORMAL? To put something in your store ad and not know when you'll actually get it?

It's just a name!

Celebrity baby names are usually something to ponder. Courteney Cox's baby girl, Coco. Gwyneth Paltrow's kids Apple and Moses. Jason Lee's son Pilot Inspektor. (I'm serious. These are real life names).

In the past week, we've learned of at least 3 more.

Angelina Jolie gave birth to a girl, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. That's quite a name.

Gwen Stefani gave birth to a boy, Kingston James McGregor Rossdale. Another name to live up to.

Then, good ole Mira Sorvino gives birth to a boy she named Johnny. Finally! A name I can remember without googling it!

I'm waiting....

I'm waiting for Dave to find a movie editor online so we can get a video on the web. We spent $2 on a cat toy over the weekend, and it's the best $2 we've spent in a LONG time. The cats have gone nuts over it, and as soon as I can get the video up and running, you'll be able to see it! Now you're waiting too, huh?

That cracks me up!

So last night was our yearly event at one of the local speedways. It was my 3rd consecutive year being part of it, and it's always a lot of fun. The people are VERY good to us, so I never mind going. We only get paid for 90 minutes, but we're there for nearly 5 hours. It's ok. A free night at the races and the "clout" to go anywhere we please. It's cool! There's just one thing...being too close to the track kind of freaks me out. So when the option of doing the blindfold race came up, I said "NO THANKS!" See, the blindfold race is when the driver is...yep...blindfolded. He has a passenger directing him around the track. Believe it or not, I was the passenger 2 years ago. At that time, I didn't think telling my boss I didn't want to do it was a good idea. Hey...I'd never done it before, so I didn't know how scared I could possibly get. So, I did it. We hit the wall pretty good that year, so when it came up the next year, THAT is when I said "Been there, done that. NO thank you!" This year, Zak got to do it. He wasn't nervous until about 10 minutes before the race was to start. I can't tell you how hard I laughed when the guy at the track said "Come back here in a bit so I can show you how to start the van you'll be driving. We use a screwdriver on this one!" I stood outside the track (right at the wall) without my camera again (when will I remember?) and watched Zak and a listener (his passenger) take the lead right away. Then...what the hell? I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when a bump into the wall caused the van (you know, the one started with a screwdriver) to completely die. They sat in the middle of the track for the remaining 2 laps. Unbelievably, no one ran into them while they were there. Oh, maybe it's because 3 of the other 4 cars were tied up in a crash and couldn't get out. It was quite a site. So if you ever hear of a local race track in your area doing the blindfold races...you might want to check it out! SO much fun to watch!

WHY?

Ok, we have season tickets to Badger football. It's REALLY nice. We have a lot of fun when we go, and it's kind of a family thing, as Dave's parents have tickets as well. The tickets aren't in our name, a friend of Dave's family actually has them. We have to shell out a LARGE chunk of change each year...it amounts to about $100 per game for the two of us. Each year we think "should we do it?" and so far, the answer has been yes. We'll continue as long as we can, because we know that once we give them up, we're never going to get them back.

Anyway, that's not the point of my post. The point is having to pay the person we get them from. She reminds us frequently that payment is due. We send a downpayment sometime in March I think. Then in April, we send the rest of it. It hurts, really. But what REALLY gets me is WHY I had to pay this money in March and April, when it's MAY and NEITHER check has been cashed yet. It is infuriating. If she would say "send me a check, I'll let you know when I'm going to cash it" that would be great. Because every year, payment time sneaks up on us and we dont' have a chance to save up. If she asked for the checks and said "i'll cash them on this date" then we'd send the check and start saving. You know? It's SO annoying!

Since I titled this post "why", I'll ask another question. Why the HELL does it smell like a skunk in the studio???? I showered after my workout tonight...it's NOT me!

What 'Chu Talkin' Bout, Willis?

I was reading random comments on random myspace accounts...and I came across this comment:

AAEE YOW WHAZ UP GIRL HOW U DOIN....HAVE'NT HEARD FROM YOU IN A LIL BIT, WHATZ UP..U KOOL..WELL I JUST STOP BY TO SHOW U N UR PAGE SUM LUV IIGHT IM OUT


Seriously...what the hell does that say? The kid is 17 I think. I would think it would take MORE time to try to spell like that than to just spell correctly. Sad thing is, I know they really talk like this too. So they have to take the time to spell like this too, or they won't sound cool. Do you think he spelled everything out the right way, and went back and corrected it? Or do you think he thinks "whaz" and "iight" are really words?

You can visit me....

http://www.myspace.com/willcookforyou

Feel free to stop by and say hello!

Liars

Is there anything worse? Not much, in my book. I can't stand a lie. And I'm sorry, but "I just didn't tell you" is about as bad as a lie, when you had every opportunity to tell me. Stop the lies. If you have nothing to hide, there is NO REASON to lie.

Thank you. Good day.

Just something to think about

Is it just me, or is it WAY too easy to get mad at something? It seems to me (and I've been guilty of it, that's for sure) getting mad is easier than dealing with the reality of something. When something upsets you (and in saying you, i'm talking about me), you shut down and get angry. You have every right to be mad. Right? That's what's going on in your head.

But if you let the person that made you mad explain their side, you might not be so mad. Again, in saying "you", I mean "Me". But that's too painful. It's too damn easy to be mad. But it's not fun. So why do we do it?

We need to question things. Why did this make me so mad? How can I get over being mad?

Like I said, just something to think about.

Rain Rain Go AWAY

Come again some other MONTH, please! This is ridiculous. I can't tell you when the last time was we went a day without rain.

Here's the radar right now:


It's just not cool

Can you see how long the dandelions are in my yard? We haven't been able to mow the lawn in so long...it's ridiculous!



And this is what the sky has looked like for what seems like FOREVER.



Dang.

Tim & Faith

McGraw and Hill, for those of you not "in the know". (Shame on you, by the way!) :o)

They're performing here on Thursday night. I won't be attending the show (I gave my tickets to Dave's niece), but it got me thinking. They are truly a success story. They were both doing well in their careers before meeting, and eventually marrying in 1996. But since then...i think both of their careers have definitely benefited. They're the all-american couple, and have lasted 10 years, which is an ETERNITY in celebrity world. (Think Kenny Chesney/Renee Zellweger). They've got 3 daughters, and have this philosophy to not be apart more than 3 days at a time. They've lasted through a lot...Faith's hairdos and Tim's run-in with the law, just to name a couple. Kudos to them.

Dang it...now I kind of want to go to the show. There's no way I can get those tickets back, is there?

Strawberry Pickin' We Will Go!

This is a picture of my cousin's son Matthew, about 7 months old, pickin' strawberries. How cute is he???

I'm tempted to turn this into more of a picture blog. With pics like this, why not? :o)

Dang it

I'm tired. Just plain ol' tired. That's it.

Surprise!

We finally have a kitchen table. We gave the old one away before we moved into this house 11 months ago. We found this one back in April, and it took about 6 weeks to get it. I didn't tell Dave it was being delivered yesterday, I wanted to surprise him. I did...he almost didn't see it! Now he can't give me grief about not seeing those flowers!

It has a leaf (that is not in) and a 4th chair. I can't wait to have people over for dinner to actually use it!

Oh. My. God.

This is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Thanks, Rob, for putting it on your blog for me to steal!

Watch video of Joan Rivers apparently WASTED here. I've always thought she was a little crazy, but WOW, this is great!

When is it too much?

So, I went to my local place for a sub on my way to work tonight. I almost always order the #15 on a french roll. When I said "#2" tonight, the guy said "Throwin' me a curve ball, huh?" It dawned on me at that point that I might go there a bit too often.

I was going through my blogs tonight and refreshing some of them, and realized I hadn't updated you on the situation in THIS blog, with the person that I made mad not speaking to me. The "incident" happened around January 12. It is now, officially, May 11. I see him every night when I come to work. He has still not spoken to me. The sad part? I've had no reason to care.

That's all I've got for now. Good day.

Is it the weekend yet?

No? Damn. Do you ever just have one of those days? I thought so. Everything comes down at one time, and you feel completely consumed by anger and frustration? All you want to do is yell and scream? But you know it's not going to get you anywhere, so you just hold it in and pretend all is well?


Geez, sorry you feel that way. I don't know what it's like. I was just wondering if you did. I heard it sucks. Hopefully you'll get an unexpected call from a good friend you haven't talked to in AGES, and it will make your day. (Thanks, Jake!)

There's a bird in there!

We did some yard work this afternoon, and when we were finished, I looked up from under the deck and saw a bird's nest. Lo and behold, there were birdies in there!




I went up on the deck and looked down and saw that there were actually a few in there. I couldn't get pics of them all, because I was looking through the slats in the deck.

Nevermind

I had this post all written about what we did over the weekend. But then I thought "Does anyone really care what we did on our date? Probably not." So, it's gone. The jist of it was this: we went out on saturday. I planned a date for us. It was a surprise to Dave. We had a really good time. Sunday we drove an hour for fresh brats, and they closed 15 minutes before we got there. Then we went shopping and got a new weed wacker, because the stupid one we got last summer (electric, not gas) won't take a charge anymore.

Aren't you glad I cut out all the boring crap?

Hope you had a good weekend!

What is that NOISE I hear?

This is just a thought. Kind of a general rule-of-thumb for not annoying a friend.

I work for country radio station #1 (of course we're number 1. duh.)
We now have direct competition with country station #2. It's a FIERCE competition. Think Cubs vs. Brewers. Or Packers vs. Vikings. That's how it is. We've been #1 for a long time, and were the only game in town for a while. This OTHER station is right down the road, and are trying to take our listeners.

So, on to my point. You are my friend. You ask me to come over and watch your boys while you run a quick errand. The LEAST you could do is make sure that station #2 is not playing in your boy's room! First of all, he's 5 months old, so I know it's not him tuning the station in. Second...COME ON! Seriously, I could care less if you listen to the other station. Everyone has their own choice and opinion. But I don't want to KNOW about it. You can have any other station in town on your radio. Just not country station #2. It's like a dagger to the heart, really. I should have taken that $20 you offered me for watching them.

Ok, I feel better now. Am I unjust in feeling this way? Probably. But like I said, it's a competition. And who wants to know their friends are rooting for the competition? Just humor me and at least pretend you listen to my station!

Who did that?

May I be personal here? Yes? Thank you. Oh right, it IS my blog. I can say what I want, huh? Here goes.

Having gas really bites! It's not embarrassing when you're in the car by yourself. Or anywhere by yourself for that matter. BUT...when it happens while doing an elliptical at level 17 with 3 other people on your fitness team AND the personal trainer within 5 feet of you...THAT bites. And doing situps while passing the med ball to the person whose feet are intertwined with yours...you better pray to God you can keep a lid on things.

Not that I would have any personal experience with this. NEVER.

It's WISconsin, not WESconsin!

Have you ever looked at the name of a Wisconsin city and said to yourself "What the hell???" Like Oconomowoc or Kaukauna? How about Pewaukee? Oh, and Oregon, Wisconsin is NOT pronounced the same as the state of Oregon. Here's your answer: Misspronouncer! It's a pretty cool site, helping you pronounce things like the name of Madison's Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. No, it's not like it sounds. It's Chess-lev-itch. Seriously. Anyway, check it out. It's kinda cool. Oh, and the best part? It says, right on the top of the cities page, "Please slap anyone who says WESconsin!"

Beer, Rain and some Crazy Legs

Friday was a good day. An unexpected chance to hang out with Babe. We went shopping and to lunch, and she rode with me while I went to pick up the packet of information for the following days Crazy Legs Walk my dad, brother and I were to participate in. I'm sorry she lost her keys, but at the same time, I was glad to spend some time with her. Friday night we all went to dinner for Gertie's birthday celebration. Of course when you turn 30, it can't end at dinner, so we went to the bar for a while. Ok, so longer than a while. Gertie was actually probably asleep before I even left the bar. It was a much needed night of beer drinking and not worrying about anything...like driving!

Saturday morning...came all to quick. I had to be at my dad's at EIGHT AM! That's not very many hours after bar time, but I made it. We headed downtown without my brother (It's going to rain all day was his excuse. It didn't rain a drop during our walk.) It was such a nice day. Yeah, it was cloudy and cool...but I NEVER get that kind of time with my dad. It comes along so infrequently that I forget how nice it really is. I have to make more of an effort. I am, in a way, glad that my brother didn't come. It was a quick 2-mile walk, and then we made our way home. I didn't do much the rest of the day except try to catch up on sleep while FINALLY watching 24. We've just watched the first 8 hours....LOVE netflix! It'll be a while before we can catch up, but we're working on it. We really enjoy the show, and can see why everyone else does too!

Sunday...NOTHING. I got up at 10, went back to sleep after dave left at 11:30, and got up again after 1. I watched Back To The Future, part of Road Trip, some basketball. Oh, I did dishes and packed up some stuff I'm gonna try to sell. Other than that, VERY uneventful day. A nice rainy day to spend in bed. And now I'm at work, picking up the pieces a co-worker "forgot" about. I HATE that. I don't mind having your back sometimes. But EVERY DAMN TIME? That is just ridiculous. If you need me to do it as a regular thing, just let me know. But quit with letting ME figure out it needs to be done. You do it because you know I'm not the type to just let it go undone. Unlike you.

Happy Monday!

ALL TOGETHER NOW...FINALLY!!!

Yes, he's coming back. If you're a fan of the Packers (or sports at all, really) you've heard the details. "I don't know if I'll come back. I haven't made my decision. I don't want another losing season. What are they gonna do, cut me?" It was very irritating, as a Packer fan, to have to listen to all that. In the beginning, I think most fans wanted him to come back. At this point, we are just happy he's made a decision. It's taken so freakin' long, I think it wouldn't have been so bad if he'd retired. Yes, the Packers "need" him. But for the love of God, if we (as fans) had to endure much more "build my team, THEN i'll make a decision", we would have preferred he just walk away from the team and the NFL for good. That being said, I feel ok proclaiming:
THANK GOD BRETT FAVRE IS COMING BACK TO THE GREEN BAY PACKERS FOR ONE MORE SEASON!!!

Gertie's Thirty!

Please stop by Gerties Place and wish her a very happy birthday! She is THIRTY today! Woo Hoo! And she partied this weekend like she's still 19! Oh, I mean 21! :o)

Here's a picture of me with Gertie and Babe in our younger days!

Dear

Guy at the Gas Station at 6:15am
If you don't have time to actually FILL your cappucino cup (rather than pulling it away while it's still running and have it spill) OR to wait for any change you might be getting at the register, maybe you should rethink your plans. Get there a bit earlier or skip the gas station today.

Guy Who Was Put On This Earth To Bring Other People Down
I am VERY happy with the amount of money I'm getting from the insurance company. You can see it in my face...I'm practically bouncing down the steps. Please don't say "I got that much. You should have gotten a lot more!" Because you know what? That doesn't do anything for my mood. Thankfully, I was happy enough that I went about my day without thinking too much about what you said. I'm still QUITE thrilled with the money I'm getting.

That's really all I've got today. I have the house to myself (well, me and the cats) so who KNOWS what'll go on this weekend! I am going to see Phil Vassar in Chicago w/Gertie on Saturday. Other than that? It could get kinda crazy! Or....more likely...I'll spend a lot of time sleeping and cleaning. But it COULD get crazy!

Happy Weekend!

Props to the insurance man!

The check is in for the hail damage claim, and it's a good-un. The check will be forwarded to the lien holder and the money will be put towards the principal still owed on my car. Which means...I now only owe $2000 on my car. That's a significant drop! In a few short months (about 6) I will not have a car payment anymore! And I have NEVER EVER not had a car payment. Well, not since I bought my first car at 18 anyway. After that, I figure I'll use the extra money to get the car fixed. I am SO excited!!!

Idiot!

Monday night I had a conversation with the insurance guy about coming to check out my car and estimate the hail damage. I had plans Tuesday around 1 (my weekly hydrating facial, of course), so I asked if he could come after 2pm. He said no, that he does his inspections in the morning and spends the afternoon at the office. It's understandable, with all the claims from the storm, he's a busy guy. He said "I can check out the car if you just tell me where it will be. You don't have to be there." Ok, cool. I told him to come in the morning, that it would be in my driveway, but I'd be sleeping.
At 11:20am he called. I was sleeping ( I had explained the 3rd shift thing the night before). He said he couldn't make it til about 1:30. Ok, that's fine. I'll go early to my facial and make sure I'm back by 1:30. When I got my car home, I decided to walk to the library, because it was nice out and I knew I didn't need to be home when he was there. I returned home around 2:10pm. I was a little surprised when he pulled up in front of my house at 2:30. Wasn't my initial wish that he show up after 2pm?

Here's something I posted on my myspace account. Yes, I've become addicted to myspace, but I'm hanging on to blogger as well!

The Coward's Meme
1) List 10 things you want to say to people but you know you never will
2) don't say who they are
3) disable comments (i probably won't...)

1. I wish I could help you. I try, but I don't think it works. I don't think I really know how. I'm worried about you. I know you'll be ok. That doesn't stop the worry.

2. I am sorry. God, am I sorry. I just wish you would let me tell you that.

3. I miss you something fierce. They say it's better that way.

4. I have nothing to say, so stop trying to get to me. I just don't want to anymore.

5. STOP IT. It's not her fault. It's no ones fault. Figure out how to work through it, because it's
driving me (and everyone else) CRAZY.

6. I'm SO SUPER glad that we worked it out. Or just let time pass and work itself out. Because I can't imagine life without you.

7. I don't know where to go now. I really am trying, and the effort I'm putting forth is true and from my heart. Please believe me.

8. Why do you have to be so uninspiring and deflating to ones ego? You're not all-that. We could do better without you.

9. I hope it's better than it seems from the outside.

10. There's nothing better than you.

Cheers!

Before last week, I had only seen this soda-pop (I call it pop, some call it soda, so I figured I'd use both) on Food Network. On Thursday (the same day as the hail incident) I came to work and there was some here. Well I figured that if it's still here by Monday (which it is) I would try it. So I did. And I kinda like it. Sort of Dr Pepper-ish, but smoother. It's pretty good. So in case you were wondering about Cheerwine, there you go! My personal opinion. Which should count for a lot!

Speaking of the hail incident, I called the insurance company today. They had questions to ask, and that's to be understood. But when the woman called and one of her questions was "Was there alcohol involved in the accident?" Did you not hear me? It was a HAIL STORM. Drunk or sober, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to avoid it. Unless, of course, I was drunk. Maybe Zak was on to something when he saw my car and asked if I had recently taken a trip through the local mini-golf place. Hmm.

Hope you had a good weekend. Friday we saw Scary Movie 4. Very funny! Saturday I worked early and then had a stamp camp hosted by Gertie and her friend. Of COURSE I had to order more stamps! We also got the garage cleaned out (mostly) of the leftover wood flooring and boxes and junk. Sunday was Easter, of course. I made my "signature" breakfast lasagna for dave's family. When I mentioned not bringing it next year (I've brought it to 3 easters now), his brother said "That's fine. But we'll miss you." So, I guess I'll be bringing it next year. We then went to my parents house for our 2nd easter. It is pretty stressful at my parents' house when everyone is over. It seems like my sister-in-law and I come together when things get tense. So that was really nice. Everything was good, though. Food was good, we ate too much, and went home to chill out. I'm looking forward to next weekend...PHIL VASSAR in Chicago. Me & Gertie! WOot!!!

Funny Pic

My sister-in-law sent me this pictures, with the caption: Where was this store when I needed it???

NYC, Here we come!

We booked our trip to NYC yesterday, then had New York strip steaks for dinner!

It's going to be SO awesome. We're spending our anniversary out there. Initially we wanted to save some money and stay at a lower priced hotel for most of the trip, then spend our anniversary night at a fancier place. We did that on our honeymoon...spent the last night in a cool place, while we'd spent the first few nights at a Days Inn. But, the way it worked out, we're only spending $50 more to stay at the fancy hotel the entire time. The Grand Hyatt New York is awaiting our company!


Dave's never been to NY; I've been twice. The last time was in '97 and it wasn't as fun as it should have been. This time is gonna rock though. We both can't wait. Now we just have to live off cereal and bologna sandwiches until we go so we can afford it!

Dear Mr. Weather Man

I AM SORRY. I DID NOT MEAN TO DOUBT YOUR ABILITY TO PREDICT THE WEATHER. I SWEAR, NEXT TIME I WILL NOT MOCK YOU FOR NOT SENDING US RAIN. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ME EXPERIENCE WHAT I JUST WENT THROUGH EVER AGAIN. CRUISING ALONG AT 60mph WITH REALLY COOL LIGHTNING. NOTHING ELSE. NO THUNDER, NO RAIN. JUST LIGHTNING. THEN BAM. LITERALLY, BAM. SERIOUSLY. GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL? WHILE I AM DRIVING? WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO TEACH ME SUCH A LESSON? THAT WAS SCARY!
Seriously folks, it was the weirdest weather I've ever seen.

Found!

I regularly read Post Secret and recently saw a link to Found Magazine, so I checked it out. Way cool! People send in things they find in books, on the street, on their car, wherever. Some of the notes are hilarious. I'm just waiting to find a picture of my family somewhere.
Here's one of the funniest notes I saw while browsing through the items posted on their website

Don't hide your feelings

She's so obviously annoyed with me! I'm glad she's not afraid to show it.

I wonder how many times the weather people are going to "predict" rain before it actually happens. It was supposed to be cloudy and rainy today. It's 71 and not a cloud in sight. LOVE IT!

Happy hump day!

Blast From The Past

Do you ever get a "blast from the past" and wish they would have stayed in the past?

I was friends with this girl, Heather, a long time ago. For whatever reason, we stopped being friends. Well, a couple times in the past 12 years (if i remember correctly, it was around 1995 and 2000), a former roommate of hers that I also knew, called me looking for her. She owed him money (like $1000) and he needed help finding her. Both times, I helped him out. Or I tried. I called her mom's house, said "This is Kari. I'm looking for Heather. Oh, I can't have her number? Well, can you tell her to call me?" And she did. Both times. I really had no reason whatsoever to talk to her except to help this guy out. But she took the bait. Believe me, she was hesitant. But I guess I seemed innocent and trustworthy enough.

Last week, at work, I get a phone call. "I need help with a song. I don't know the name, but I want to hear it!" So I figured it out and played it, all along thinking it must be her. Low and behold, tonight, she calls again. "You're Kari ___ aren't you?" and I said "Used to be" and she said "This is Heather ___." She was nice enough about it, so I took the bait this time. I said "What's going on?" She said "You didn't have to do that to me, you know. I was looking for him, too." I just told her I wasn't going to talk about that at work. Yeah, I know what I did wasn't nice. But guess what? YOU DESERVED IT. And I'd do it again.

Seriously Folks

Our bathroom is DONE!!! We couldn't have done it without a lot of help from Dave's brother-in-law Denny, who did all the tiling. And Gertie's husband. He ripped out the tub, installed the new one, and put together every piece of plumbing in there. I had no idea the time it would take to do all this. We are SO thankful. With all the pizza casseroles in the world, we'll never be able to repay him! So, without further adieu:

The old:




The new

Our vanity and sink

The faucet worth EVERY headache!

The finished product:


Remember, everything in this bathroom was replaced except the actual walls. New tub, toilet, sink, floors, tub surround, mirror, and fan. Oh, we kept the light fixture. That's it! I am SO happy to be able to shower in my own home again!!!

Oh, and most importantly, it meets Blu's approval:

Dear...

Guy In The Big Truck Pulling Out Of The Mobil Station
I see that you are a LOT bigger than me. You should see that my car is YELLOW. So unless I blended in with the sun at about 8:15 this morning, there is no way in HELL that you could have possibly not seen me coming. You are very lucky that I was aware that you DIDN'T see me, or we would probably be stuck together right now, still sitting outside that Mobil station, with my front end sitting in the bed of your truck, waiting for the police to give you a ticket. Luckily I was paying attention and was able to stop. Next time, look BOTH ways before pulling out of a parking lot. Or maybe next time you just shouldn't drive.

Welcome, Benjamin!

This is Benjamin Mathew. He was born on March 28th to Dave's niece and her boyfriend.

Pizza, anyone?

What do you like on your pizza pie? pineapple and anchovies, or just cheese for you? maybe you have a favorite brand or crust preference. have you had NY and Chicago style pizza? Which one is REALLY better? i'm curious! help me out!

As If

As if I needed anything else to waste time on. I tried SO hard NOT to follow along and get a myspace account. Then Gertie comes along and says that she found people I graduated high school with. Well, if you know myspace at all, you know that to see pics and profiles, you must become a member. Dammit. I'm too nosy not to look, so now I have a myspace account. I don't plan to do much with it, blogger takes up enough of my time. But you never know.

Today was a good day. First of all, I was able to sleep til 1pm. First time in quite a while, and that was VERY nice. I went for my facial at Merle Norman after that. Hard to believe I've been going there once a week for almost a year. It's a nice little luxury, and it's free. I love it! Then I did dishes and cooked dinner. When Dave got home we ate dinner, cleaned up the tile in the bathroom, moved the vanity and such in, and got it READY for hookup. Gertie and her husband are coming over Friday, and THEN....get this....WE WILL HAVE A BATHROOM! And we won't have to shower at the health club anymore...which is what we did after that. Then we watched "Teachers". Have you seen this show? The guy that playes "Calvin"....OMG! That's Kenny/Bubba from The Cosby Show! I almost screamed when I figured it out! For those of you that don't know who THAT Is, he was also "The Token Black Guy" in Not Another Teen Movie.

Then I left for work, and here I am. I've got menu's to plan...peeps coming for dinner friday and lunch sunday. then next weekend is easter, and i have to make my breakfast lasagna for that. it's gonna be a busy rest of my week!

Sir Charles is IN!

He was the reason I watched basketball as a teen. I became a huge Phoenix Suns fan. Well, huge for a teenage girl anyway. I don't know when it started, but I do know I got a Suns sweatshirt for my 16th birthday. I was very excited when he was part of the Olympic Dream Team and McDonald's had him on their super size cups and fries. Even though he was long gone by the time I went to Phoenix to visit a friend, it was still VERY cool to see where the Suns played. Those were the days of "Thunder" Dan Majerle, Danny Ainge, "KJ" Kevin Johnson and many more. I loved his attitude. And I still love watching him as a commentator today. So it was cool to find out Sir Charles, aka Round Mound of Rebound, is being inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. Go Charles!

For Reals?

Our bathroom is tiled and grouted, AND our faucet is IN! I will be picking it up on Monday. We're hoping for J to be able to come over sometime next week to hook us up. And then? I can take a BATH. And shower at my own house! And I'll be able to move my bathroom stuff into the bathroom, rather than my bedroom. In a few more weeks, we'll have our kitchen table, and our first MAJOR project will be complete. I am SO excited!

Friday was quite a day. I picked up my nieces at about noon (and showered at my sister-in-laws house) and we went shopping. We had projects to do! We made some molding clay easter decorations that didn't turn out great. We played Sorry. Then we had spaghetti for dinner. Then we made t-shirts for their mom and dad. I took a picture of them and printed it on transfer paper and ironed it onto the shirts, then they painted all sorts of stuff on the shirts. they had fun with that. It was getting late so we (me and the girls) hopped into my bed and started watching Napoleon Dynamite. They both fell asleep, so we got them to bed and I was up all night. So when they got up this morning at 7:45, I thought I'd die. I tried making french toast (which I know how to do) but it didn't turn out well, so we just had eggs, sausage and hash browns. Dave played Trouble with the girls (what a fitting name) and I was SO excited when their mom showed up around noon. Man, that was exhausting. We want kids, but not 2 of them ages 4 and 8!