The Land Between Dreams and Reality

SUYL-Single Friday

2012-02-02T22:01:00.006-07:00

Okay, so I don't blog regularly. But, here I am watching the snow fall outside and wondering how much of the white stuff I will have to drive through to work in the morning and I thought I would give this a shot again. Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is linking up to Singles in her SUYL post this week. The last year or so has been pretty rough and I am ready for something to good to happen. I did it last year and connected with someone but it wasn't meant to be. I am hoping that this time I can connect with someone a little closer to home (doesn't have to be Colorado but somewhere in the western half of the US would be nice but I am always open to anything) and maybe something will come of it.

My name is Richann, I am 33 and live in the Denver area. I have lived here my entire life and although I never know where the Lord will lead me next, this will always be home to me.

First and foremost, I am a follower of Christ. While I will never claim to be the "perfect" Christian, I do my best to live the life I believe He wants me to live.

I love kids and can't wait to have kids of my own someday. While I am patiently (okay maybe not so patiently, but I'm trying) waiting for that day, I am surrounded in my life with kids who mean the world to me. First, there's my little cousin, L, she's 5 and I love her to pieces. She can be a little goofy but then, so can I.

Then there are my best friends kids C & J, who call me Aunt Richann (which is great since I am an only child, and don't have nieces and nephews otherwise). It's rough because they live in NE Ohio and I don't get to see them as much as I would like to. But I get out there to see them as much as possible. Last summer when I was out there we took the trek up to Niagara Falls which was great!

The good thing about them living so far away, is that I LOVE to travel, and while NE Ohio isn't very adventurous, it's something different and we always find some fun adventure to go on together. Obviously, since I say I LOVE to travel, you would hope that I have been someplace other than NE Ohio, of course... I have traveled to different places across the US, as well as the Caribbean, Mexico, Ireland, Guam, Hawaii (I know this is the US but it is one of my FAVORITE places to go) and the list of places I want to go, just keeps on growing. I am currently planning my trip to London at the end of May, I am super excited about this trip as a friend has actually decided to join me. I usually do a lot of my traveling alone but it is nice to have someone join you too. Here are a few pics from some of my recent trips.

Disney World Jan 2012

Mexico 2010

Hawaii 2010

When I am not traveling or working ot spending time with my cousin, I like to read, spend time with family and I love Football, specifically the Denver Broncos. I spend my Sundays afternoons watching football games and truly enjoy it. Maybe I can even meet a guy who can handle that trait of mine... ;0)

So there you go. A little about myself. If you want to connect or know of someone who may be a good match for me, leave a comment.

I've Come to Realize... there is a pattern in my life lately.

2011-03-13T19:49:00.003-06:00

I've come to realize that my body is... getting older.

I've come to realize that my job is... not what I want to do the rest of my life

I've come to realize that I need nothing more in life than... God

I've come to realize that I've lost my mind... and I sometimes wonder if I will ever get it back

I've come to realize that I hate... death and loss

I've come to realize that money is... a crutch, more money will not make me happy.

I've come to realize that certain people... aren't necessary in my life

I've come to realize that I'll always remember... my dad.

I've come to realize that my sibling... doesn't exist.

I've come to realize my mom... is one of my best friends.

I've come to realize my dad... meant more to me than life itself, and I miss him more than words can express

I've come to realize my cell phone... has a picture of my dad that I had forgotten I had.

I've come to realize when I woke up this morning... I wanted to stay in bed.

I've come to realize last night... I missed my dad.

I've come to realize right now I'm thinking about... my dad.

I've come to realize today... is another day that I will miss my dad.

I've come to realize tonight... I am missing my dad.

I've come to realize tomorrow... I will miss my dad...still

I've come to realize I really want to... talk to my dad.

I've come to realize my children... will never know my dad.

I've come to realize this weekend... will be hard, cause my dad isn't here.

I've come to realize the best music to listen to when I'm upset... is music that reminds me that I will see my dad again, on the other side of heaven.

I've come to realize that my friends... will stick by my side through the tough times.

I've come to realize that this year... couldn't possibly get any worse... at least it better now.

I've come to realize my husband... will never know my dad.

I've come to realize maybe I should... take time to spend as much time as possible with those I love, because you never know when they will be gone.

I've come to realize I really don't understand... why tragedy has to happen.

I've come to realize my past... is filled with memories of my dad.

I've come to realize parties... aren't the same without my dad.

I've come to realize my life... is unpredictable

This is me

2011-01-20T22:11:00.002-07:00

I just thought I would thow myself into the mix over at Kelly's Korner on her "Show Us Your Singles" link up. I always find it akward to talk about myself but here goes nothing.

(me with my little cousin)

My name is Richann, I am 32 years old and live in the Denver area. I have lived in the area all my life with the exception of the time I spent in central Florida at a small Christian college. I believe that God has someone special for me in the world and I can't wait to meet him. Maybe this is the way God will bring us together.

(me on vacation in Mexico)

I love kids and can't wait to have a family of my own. In the meantime, I spend as much time as I can with my little cousin, I teach the 3 year old Sunday school class with my mom and I spoil my friends kids (who all call me Aunt Richann).

(on vacation in Hawaii)

I love to travel, read, watch movies and spend time in the outdoors. I am very fortunate to live near the mountains, and love to be able to just go for a drive and enjoy God's creation. If you know someone you think might be a good fit for me, leave me a comment. Let's see if God has something in store here.

Grandma

2010-11-10T12:49:00.004-07:00

On Nov 9, 2010 Lois Fanning Barry Schwartz joined her beloved husband, William Robert Schwartz whom had passed away on Oct. 6, 2007. They are survived by 7 children, Robert Barry, Colleen Johnson (Paul), Linda Gilkey (Gary), Cheryl Lane (Mark), Kurtis Barry (Donna), Mark Schwartz (Susan) Jeanell Delon, 12 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren & Lois’ brother, Richard.

Lois was born on Dec 27th of 1930 to Richard & Irene Fanning in Denver CO. She grew up in a loving home at Lincoln & Elsworth with her parents, a brother, her paternal Grandmother and a Cousin. She went to Sherman Elementary, Byers Jr. High, and graduated from South High in 1949. She then went to Barnes Business School where she met her first husband, Robert Barry. They were married in Feb. of 1951. In Dec of 1951 they had a son, Robert and she became a stay at home mom. In Feb of 1954 they had a daughter, Colleen and then they added another daughter, Linda in May of 1955. By this time the one bedroom attic apartment was overflowing and they bought a home in a new area of town call Athmar. In 1959 they made a move to Midland TX with Bobs’ company. The family moved back to the house in Athmar in Denver, which they had rented out while in TX, in 1960. In June of 1963 another son, Kurtis, was added to the family. Soon after this Lois & Bob were divorced and her children became her life. She had to go back to work and was working for a Temp Agency when in 1966 she was asked to go to a job at Cahners Publishing.

Even though both Bill & Lois had gone to the same Jr. High and High schools Lois was 7 years older then Bill so they had never met. After Bills’ divorce in 1972 while working at Cahners they would see each other in the halls and started working on different projects together. There was an attraction there but Bill had done nothing about it. So after a while Lois decided in 1978 to take the bull by the horns and ask Bill out. Right away he said yes. Lois asked him later why he had not asked her out and he said that he thought she was married and would never get in a situation like that. In June of 1979 they were married in a home they had purchased in Cherry Creek Vista with 6 of their 7 children present along with 2 grandchildren. Bill & Lois worked, traveled, hiked and loved their home together. They were the best of friends. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a garden party at their home with about 80 of their family & friends in June of 2004. In 2005 the first signs of cancer showed up in Bill. After a long battle he passed away in 2007. Bill was cremated and was waiting for Lois to join him.

In May of 2008 Lois sold the house in Cherry Creek Vista and moved to her new condo at Aspen Terrace in the Windcrest Retirement Community. Her condo was on the top floor with a balcony where she had a view of the beautiful mountains that she loved. The friends that she made there were invaluable to her. She loved to laugh & talk with her new old friends as she called them. They made her life a joy.

56 Days

2010-11-09T22:16:00.002-07:00

That's how long there was between the day my grandma was diagnosed with cancer to her passing. 56 days... That's less than 2 months. Can I just say, CANCER SUCKS!!!!!!

How?

2010-11-07T17:53:00.004-07:00

How do you want to find out your grandmother has died? I was asked this tonight. How do you answer a question like that? It was a valid question, one that I need to figure out the answer to. Cause it will happen and for me it is going to happen soon. My grandmother, my mother's mother, is dying. I have only had 6 weeks to wrap my head around it. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer 7 1/2 weeks ago. She decided not to fight it. Honestly, with as fast as it has gone, even if she did fight it, I don't believe it would have made any difference. I saw her 2 weeks ago at my cousins wedding reception, and while she was in a wheelchair, she still looked good, all things considered. It's hard to believe how quicly things have gone downhill. Yesterday afternoon, the family was told maybe a week, later last night, it was a few days. I cringe when the phone rings. Afraid that it is going to be the call. My mom asked me tonight what I wanted them to do if it happens while I am at work. I don't know what to say. I know what I want to say... "It's not going to happen so why ask." But I have to face reality, it is going to happen. Do I want a phone call? Do I want someone to come get me? There are many things in life we don't want to think about. This is one of them. And I better go figure it out. The situation is going to come sooner than later.

Teal Toes - Raising Ovarian Cancer Awareness

2010-09-13T22:02:00.006-06:00

In preparation for my beach vacation, I went and got a pedicure today. I went out of my normal comfort zone and decided to paint my toes teal. I didn't really have any specific reason for it just that I wanted to do something a little different.

Well when I was checking the blogs I regularly read I came across a post about Teal Toes. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Ovarian cancer is sometimes called the whispering killer. Too many women with ovarian cancer do not get diagnosed until their cancer has spread. Their survival rate is 45%. Survival rate improves greatly - to 93% - if the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage before it has spread. Only 19% of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at this local stage. Make sure you know what the symptoms are. There is so much attention placed on Breast Cancer awareness (don't get me wrong that is very important as well) but I thought that I would take the opportunity to help get the word out since I painted my toes teal...

Where does the time go?

2010-06-08T21:24:00.002-06:00

Wow... it's been 6 months since I posted. In a way I feel like I have been really busy but at the same time, I feel like I have done nothing. Let's see... since I last posted in December I have done the Christmas thing, went on a trip to Mexico, turned 31, greived the fact that we didn't get to celebrate a special someone's first birthday, tragically lost a friend, flew my best friend out here to have a girls weekend, decided that my next really big trip will be next year to London/Paris, celebrated my cousins college graduation, and took a trip to Florida that was very much needed... not too much but some of those events were pretty significant. My trip to Mexico was amazing. My favorite part was my birthday. We went whale watching and got to see a mating group of three humpback whales and boy did they put on a show for us. An experience I will NEVER forget. January 16th would have been Caitie's 1st birthday. It still sometimes feels like it was just yesterday that I was visiting her in the hospital when she was born. The precious angel will be deeply missed and every January 16, will mark the special day that we were blessed with her. At times I feel cheated but then I remember how blessed we were to have known her for 7 1/2 months, and I thank God for every last day we did have with her. On March 17th, I received news that my roommate from my freshman year, had passed. She was pregnant with her 4th child and suffered a stroke. They were able to save the baby but they were unable to save Kylee. She had such an impact on so many lives. That was evident by the fact that there were nearly 1000 people at the celebration of her life and nearly 400 more viewing online. Not to mention the 1600+ who are on the facebook page celebrating the impact she had on so many. Kylee will be missed by many. I flew Dawn out here the end of March and we had a good time. We don't usually get the opportunity to visit just the two of us. The only times we have had the opportunity it was just moments in the evenings when I was visiting or when the kids were really little. I love the kids but there are times when it is nice to just spend some time with your friend. We got 2 whole days this time around. She flew in late on a Friday night and we spent Saturday up at Red Rocks in the snow. Then on Sunday we went and saw Mary Poppins which was here in Denver. It was so much fun and I look forward to being able to do that more often. One day we will hopefully be able to meet up somewhere fun like NYC or something. I finally decided that my next big trip will be a sojourn to London/Paris. And if things work out right, I will be joined by a friend. Planning on about 10 days, split between the two cities and doing it on a tight budget. If things work out right, I am hoping that between airfare and lodging it won't be much more than $1500. That is some serious budgeting when you think that the two cities are some of the most expensive cities to visit. I will post more details as they are worked out. The trip is more than a year away but I am so excited about it already. My cousin graduated college! He is the first of us and he is the youngest (unless you count the cousins who came along nearly 20 years after him). I am so proud of him and to tell you the truth he has inspired me a bit and I am considering going back to school and at least finishing up an associates degree. We will see how that works out. :0) The last significant event was my trip to Florida that I just went on last week. It was truly a week of relaxation. I spent a lot of time in the sun and in the water. It was so desperately needed as I was about to lose my mind with the day to day drama that I deal with anymore. Just wish the trip was a bit longer. Now to figure out when I get to go back...

Brrrr..... Need I say more?

2009-12-03T16:03:00.001-07:00

Slashlight

2009-11-28T21:15:00.002-07:00

Libby is a bit quirky. Although what little kid isn't, right? At my grandparents house, she keeps a "slashlight" in a basket on the back of the toilet for when she goes in there. She turns on the light, gets her little seat put on and the stool in place then turns the light off and uses her "slashlight" while she is using the restroom. Why she does this, I have no idea but it's so adorable.

Hooray, hooray, it's Thanksgiving Day!

2009-11-27T23:57:00.002-07:00

I know that it is really the day after but I was exhausted when I finally got home last night that I didn't even turn my computer on. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day!

You See... I Have This Friend

2009-11-18T23:44:00.004-07:00

I have this friend. She works with me. She is a real sweetheart. She is also going through a lot lately. She has a tendency to have moments of insecurity. What she needs... is the Lord. Leaning on my faith and the knowledge that God has a reason for everything in our lives, is what has gotten be through the last 2 1/2 months. I want my friend to know that peace, know that if she puts her situation in the hands of the Lord, everything will work out for the better. I have never been the type to be pushy with my faith. I witness through my actions. I have invited her to church many times. I feel that God has put her in my life for this reason. Maybe this isn't the only reason, but it is one of them. Praying for her to be receptive to giving not only her situation to the Lord but also her life. Her life would be so much more fulfilling.

Praise You In This Storm

2009-11-17T21:20:00.005-07:00

I have been in a bit of a funk the last couple days. It is because I am missing this little girl:

We lost her 2 1/2 months ago. She would have turned 10 months ago yesterday. I think of the things we would be experiencing with her. She would be tasting new foods, standing up, cruising along the furniture, maybe even getting ready to walk. We will never know. I think about her everyday. I don't cry as much as I used to but every now and then I have a bad day and I just have myself a good cry. Casting Crowns (a Christian band) was on K-Love today and they played this song. I think it was appropriate for the way I have been feeling the last couple days.

Praise You In This Storm
by:Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen," and it's still raining.

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
I life my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm.

I have come catching up to do...

2009-11-07T17:17:00.014-07:00

I have been a real blog slacker lately. I don't really know why. I have kept myself super busy and time has flown by so much quicker than I can imagine. Where in the world did September and October go? Here we are, a week since Halloween and now just 3 short weeks until we celebrate my absolute favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.

The last time I posted was a day of unbelievable grief, confusion and utter pain. The few weeks following Caitie's passing were so incredibly difficult. Thanks to a wonderfully close family and great friends, I have slowly found my way out of the dark days right after. Shortly after losing her, I started thinking of ways I could make sure she was never forgotten (not that we will ever forget those precious 7 months). First I have decided to get a tattoo. I am going to have to wait till I have the extra money for it, but eventually it will happen. It will be a daisy with 7 petals (for her 7 months of life). I have actually designed what I want. Now please keep in mind, I am in no way an artist and I will be looking for someone to take my rough sketch and clean it up a little bit but this will give you an idea.

The weekend after Caitie's funeral, I was able to escape for a few days. I was off to Florida to visit friends and see my 3 week old "nephew" Gabe. Spent some time with all my Florida kids and some time at the beach as well. It was a real fun weekend.

The rest of September was really just spent trying to muck through life and grieving. October started off a great month really. The first weekend we took Libby to Anderson Farms and played and picked some pumpkins. My friend Linda and her little boy Mason (who is just a couple weeks younger than Libby) joined us for the day. It was a fun day.

I have been attending a Thursday night young adults group for a few months now and I had never really gotten to know anyone. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and decided to join them on the ladies retreat. Once I made a connection with someone, I really started to get to know others. I went to a movie with group of them, went to a party and then had the privilege of spending a weekend with 9 other girls in Silverthorne and really getting to know them. It was a great time and I am looking forward to building friendships with them all. (sorry, some of the pictures are kinda small on here but I had to pull them off FB as they aren't all my pics).

The end of October brought our first big snow storm of the season. We had somewhere between 2 and 3 feet of snow at the house that's what happens when it snow for 50+ hours straight). I love it. The snow is pretty much gone now with the exception of the piles left by plows and the little bits that are in areas that are always shaded. We were setting record highs less than a week after the snow. Typical Colorado...

On November 2nd, I got to meet The Pioneer Woman. If you don't read her blog, you should (http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/). It's hilarious. She wrote a cookbook and she was here for a signing. There were a TON of people there and I had to wait 2+ hours for my turn. I have already cooked a meal from it for the family (with the help of my cousin). They liked it so much, they "hired" us to cook a meal for them once a month. I got to thinking, doesn't "hire" imply payment??? I will have to have a talk with them... ;-)

(The roast before it was put in the oven to cook, it was just so pretty, I had to get a pic)

Now to look forward to the things I have planned for the next 9 months. Not everything is set in stone but they are at least possibilities to look forward to.

-Thanksgiving. I love this holiday. Just spending time with family enjoying a wonderful meal. No rushing around, buying gifts for everyone... just family and giving thanks for all the blessings God has bestowed upon us this last year. This year will be difficult because we will be missing one very important member of the family but we can still give thanks for the time we had her with us.

-I have numerous Christmas parties before Christmas and actually have to decide between a couple on the same night.

-Christmas!!!!

-Cruise to Mexico! I will be taking a cruise with my parents for my birthday. I will have a blog set up for that as well. Look for it!

-The end of March will find my best friend Dawn out here in Colorado! It is my birthday gift to her, and to be honest, it is a gift for me as well. It will be just her coming out (wish I could fly the whole family out though). We will spend the weekend together and will close it out with a night of theater. Mary Poppins is in Denver and we have tickets! It will be so much fun!

-At the end of May, I am going to a conference. It's the Set-Apart Girl conference. I am looking forward to it and will let you know more about it later.

-The week after the conference, I hope to make it out for a visit with friends. Don't know if it will be Florida or not. We will see where God moves between then and now.

-July may bring me to Indianapolis with Ashlee and Libby in tow. We will be able to visit family and friends out there and I am looking forward to the possibility.

-There will be many more plans made between now and then. This is my life right now.

I have a few more pictures I want to share but this post is plenty long already. Will save those for another day.

How Do You Say Goodbye?

2009-08-28T20:51:00.001-06:00

Vacation Spots

2009-08-15T00:40:00.009-06:00

So over at Kelly's Korner, she has asked us to share our favorite vacation spots. While I haven't participated much in the past, vacation is something I know a thing or two about. The hard part is coming up with my favorite spot, or even just a couple. So I am just going to share a few here, in no particular order here they are:

Anywhere you will find these kiddos and their parents. Right now it happens to be Daytona Beach, FLMe, J and C at the beach~ it was just a bit windy and cloudy that day.

Disney World~ The Happiest Place on Earth.

Meeting Minnie at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Cinderella's Castle lit up at Christmas

Glenwood Springs, CO ~ Been going here my entire life.

Hawaii ~ I took a cruise around the islands and it was wonderful!!!!

Sunrise at Haleakala Crater on Maui

Waves breaking on the Big Island of Hawai'i

Napali Coast ~ Kauai

Me at Waimea Canyon ~ Kauai

Ireland

Blarney Castle

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Waterville

San Francisco

There are so many more I could show you... Savannah, GA; NYC; Washington, DC; Caribbean islands. I guess you could say my favorite vacation destination is the World!

I Let Go

2009-07-29T21:41:00.004-06:00

Anxiety has been overwhelming me for the last 7 months. While I have done an okay job of masking it (at times there was just no containing it) it has truly been affecting me in my daily life. From being distracted and unproductive at work, to worrying about it on a daily basis, to feeling like I was failing, my life has been overcome with it. I was gong to explain where the anxiety was focused but just thinking about it, stresses me out. Let's just say, it has to do with these two little ladies:

Let's just say that they don't have the most upstanding of parents. Dad uses them as pawns in his games, Mom, while I do believe she loves them, really would rather be out partying and having fun than to be home taking care of them and spending time with them. To give you an idea, mothers day: She has them since it is MOTHER'S DAY... she leaves them with my grandparents and goes out so her friends can take her out for dinner for mother's day. I know it isn't just me, that thinks that is messed up. Anyway, for the majority of the year, I was worried sick about them and where they were going to be and there was NOTHING I could do, except pray. And I know that is huge, but when you want to get up and physically do something
(or knock someone upside the head) it makes it really hard to give the situation over to God.

Things were getting really bad for me just before I went on my trip in May. I decided that while, I was gone, I wouldn't think about the bad aspects of the situation at all. For the most part, I didn't. For 2 weeks, I focused on my friends and myself. I enjoyed my trip. Although I did miss those two girls terribly (went a month without seeing them and THAT was rough). The break did me good. Shortly after I returned, I finally told my cousin (Mom) that I was sick and tired of her saying she was going to do something and then doing NOTHING. She didn't fight, she didn't care and it ticked me off!!! And I let her know that too. After, that, I decided, that I wasn't going to worry about it. I can't worry about it. I let go and Let GOD. All I can do is PRAY. And I have been doing a lot of that for them. Even though the divorce and custody is all finished, things can change, quick. I pray for their safety when they are with dad, I don't trust him and it scares the heck out of me to know that he is "responsible" for them. When they are with mom, they are living at my grandparents and I know for a fact they are safe there. But when they are with dad, I pray that God will protect them and that they will always know that they are loved by so many. If you feel it on your heart to pray for them, those prayers would be appreciated and I know God will hear them.

Show Us Where You Live

2009-06-13T20:41:00.003-06:00

I haven't been participating in this but when I saw that it was bathrooms, I actually wanted to jump in here. I redid my bathroom recently and I love it so much that I actually love to share it. The color is a little extreme but LOVE it. I still have to do the floor, I want to tile it but that is a cost that I decided to wait to spend. I actually started with the shower curtain and went from there. My friends in Florida gave me the little guy on the counter as a gift (it was a bunch of stuff to make me think of the beach here in landlocked Colorado) and I thought I would complete the look and have a couple. On the wall that isn't shown, I used robe hooks in place of a towel rod. It's so much easier than the rod. I have a canvas painting I picked up in the Caribbean that I want to get stretched and framed that I plan on hanging above the hooks. Enjoy!

Bullseye

2009-04-30T19:37:00.002-06:00

That is what I am now convinced I have on my car. My sweet beloved Honda. I got it in July 2006, my first brand new car. I had to wait 6 weeks for it to come in from the factory. In November, a mere 4 months after I got her, someone ran into my rear drivers side door when I was turning into the parking lot at work. I had to drive a rental car for a month while it was in the body shop. Fast forward to the summer of 2007, I went out to leave for work and there was a huge crack in the windshield! I had to pay over $350 for a new windshield. December that same year I had been at the movies and when I got outside and had the heater running and proceeded to watch the windshield crack all the way across the bottom. I cried thinking about how much it would cost me yet again, right before Christmas no less. Since the crack was at the bottom, I put it off... For over a year. I finally got it fixed in February his year. This morning I was driving to work and a big truck kicked up a rock from the road and it hit my windshield putting a big old chip in it. I was soooooo mad! I leave for my road trip in a mere 2 weeks. I really can't afford to be paying for a new windshield now and I certainly can't be driving cross country with a cracked windshield. Thank goodness it didn't crack before I could get the glass company to repair it. Now I am just praying that the bullseye will stay away from me while driving the open road!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T21:46:00.001-06:00

Manic Monday

2009-03-16T20:23:00.002-06:00

So I'm gonna give this daily blogging thing a shot. If I don't have anything to talk about, I will use some of the many blog meme's that are out there. Monday's will be Manic Monday. Here we go...

Are you a saver or a spender?

Unfortunately I would fall under the category of a spender. I am usually spending on trips or gifts. I figure at this point in my life, I don't have responsibilities such as children. I am going to enjoy my life while I am young. There are so many things in life to experience that unfortunately require money... Don't get me wrong, I am not a shopaholic or anything, I just like to take the little bit of extra money I have and either fly off for a long weekend in FL or buy a little something for someone special.

Do you prefer to walk around barefoot in your home? Shoes? Socks?

The minute I walk in the door, the shoes come off. In the winter, I keep socks on (my feet get really cold), in the summer, I even try to wear shoes with as little fabric/straps as possible. If I could, I would only wear flip flops in the summer, unfortunately that is not a fesible option since I do have to go to work...

Do you talk to yourself?

Not really. If I am frustrated I will but in general I don't.

iPod Touch giveaway

2009-02-13T10:43:00.003-07:00

Katja is giving away and iPod touch over at Skimbaco Lifestyle go check it out!

Desperate Plea for Prayer

2009-01-10T21:49:00.001-07:00

Please pray for my cousins upcoming court date on Monday.
Specifically pray for:
The judge to listen to both sides and see the untruths that are being told.
My cousin to be strong, stand up for herself and fight for her little girl who is the one who is really being hurt in all this.
My grandmother who hopes to be able to speak in court and testify to the reality of the situation and the negative impact this is all having on a precious little girl who needs to be kept safe.
That I can take the time off work Monday morning to be able to be there to not only possibly speak but to be a part of the support system my cousin so desparately needs to have behind her right now.
That the father tells no more lies to manipulate the system to hurt my cousin.
That our family can be strong through this.
That the little girl in the middle of what is possibly going to be a very ugly custody battle, will stay safe, happy and soon be in a home where she can be joyful, and not afraid.

Disney, the big 3-0 and Caitlin Maree

2009-01-01T22:34:00.003-07:00

One really has nothing to do with the other, just thinking about both of them tonight. First I leave for Disneyland in California in 3 days. I am really excited, although the trip coming up means one thing... my birthday is soon too. I never really thought that I would mind turning 30, but right now I am not so happy about it. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would still be single, childless and still living at home at this time in my life. I really do want to just stay 29 for a bit longer. I told my grandpa tonight that if I could stay 29, he could stay 77, and not have to turn 80 in a few years. If only that were a plan either one of us could stick to. I REALLY, REALLY DO NOT WANT TO BE 30!!!! I am taking my laptop with me so I am hoping to blog on it daily, and I will be able to post pictures too. Nothing real exciting but for those who would like to join me, come along...

Daydreamer in the House of the Mouse

On a much happier note... I just want to say... Caitlin Maree, we cannot wait to meet you and love you for the rest of your life, but if you could please do me a big favor and make sure you don't come early and wait at least until I am back from California.

Wonder of Christmas

2008-12-10T22:46:00.001-07:00

The Girl Effect

2008-11-23T14:51:00.001-07:00

Florida Here I Come!

2008-11-18T21:39:00.002-07:00

Well, I am finally making another trip to Florida this year. I am going through withdrawl here. It kind of came up quickly, I found a great deal, cleared it with my friend and I leave in just over 3 weeks for a long weekend in Florida. It might actually be cold here by then so it will be a nice break from the winter weather and a great visit with friends I miss so very much! Can't wait to see you all!!!!

I'm Back

2008-10-16T16:31:00.002-06:00

Well, I am back from my Ireland trip and I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. For a few days I kept waking up really early, as early as 4am and having a hard time getting back to sleep. Today I did not wake up until my alarm started going off so that was great. However, I am exhausted today. I am thinking about my next big trip... I would love to go back to Ireland and do Northern Ireland but I am thinking in the back of my mind, that I may try to do some New Zealand and Australia. The trip would be a minimum of 2 weeks though. I have looked at the tours Trafalgar has, and I don't know that I am going to be willing to spend that kind of money. So I am just kind of looking at what I can do on my own. I figure they speak English there and I will probably not do a lot of driving since you really have to fly to get places. I will have to look into what their public transportation systems are like to see if that would be a viable option in the cities. If I have to, I will just do Australia but if I am going to be down there, I may as well just get them both done. It is a long flight and an expensive one at that so I would like to see as much as possible when I make the trip. I am going to pick up some guide books and see what kind of itinerary I would like to start thinking about. This would be a big trip and will be planned carefully and probably not happen for at least 2 years. I will keep you posted though. Plans can and do change frequently with me until the tickets are bought and paid for. Until then, I am looking forward to my trip to Disneyland in January. Maybe I will do a blog for that one too!

Trip blog

2008-08-21T21:07:00.002-06:00

Well, I am headed for Ireland in about 6 weeks. I started a blog for the trip. Not much to look at right now. But I am hoping to be able to blog while I am over there. That all depends on 1)How tired I am in relation to what time the wake-up call is the next morning (some are gonna be pretty early) and 2)How easy it is for me to find a computer to use since I won't be taking mine. Check it out...
Daydreamer in Ireland

Bullet post

2008-07-26T22:19:00.005-06:00

This seems to be a trend in the blog world lately so I am going to give it a shot...

-My final payment for my trip to Ireland is due in a couple weeks.
-I need to start making purchases for the trip.
-Reference above, I started those purchases today...I got a new rain jacket...

and a new pair walking shoes...

-I need to figure out if I need any new clothes to take with me.
-I want to pack as light as possible so I want to do a practice run with the packing. Maybe next weekend.
-I made final plans for my birthday trip. I am going to California, to spend my 30th birthday with Mickey Mouse and friends.
-Libby is going to be a big sister... That is an entire post in and of itself.
-My dog poisoned herself, eating 2 entire boxes of dCon, rat poison last Saturday night. We made an emergency trip to the vet and she will probably be okay. We'll know more in a couple weeks but for now she is doing well.

I think that is all for now. I will leave you now with a couple pictures from the trip to Glenwood Springs with Libby.

Travel dreams

2008-07-05T23:59:00.003-06:00

I haven't really posted much lately. I really wish I had more motivation to get more consistent with this. Maybe one day. For now I will just post whenever and however often I want. Here I am just 4 months away from jetting off to Ireland. I have a bit more to pay on my trip and in addition to that I have to figure out a way to come up with spending money. I am sure it will all work out in the end. In the meantime, I am busy planning and dreaming for my next couple trips. First off, when my friends B&D finally get settled somewhere I am going to go for a visit with them. I miss them terribly. But until that happens, I am planning my trip for my birthday. Since I had originally hoped to be in Europe for my birthday (cost is what made that not happen), I am now seriously thinking I am going to spend that week at Disneyland in California. I haven't been there in a few years and I have really been wanting to make it out there for a visit. So long as things work out, if I can have at least one person with me, it will be really affordable. I am thinking though with airfare so unstable lately, I really should get those plane tickets booked soon. I found them at a great price. Last but not least, I am starting to consider planning a trip to Hawaii either Fall 2009 or early 2010. I don't know yet. I really loved it there last year and I really want to make to back there and spend some more time in one place. I have such a long list of places I want to visit. I don't know that I will ever be able to tackle the whole list in my lifetime. All I can do is try my hardest. Well, I am off to bed to dream...

Charlie Bit Me

2008-07-05T23:51:00.000-06:00

Happy 4th of July... I think

2008-07-04T17:42:00.002-06:00

Okay, this is going to sound really bad. But I am not all that crazy about this holiday. I think it is a combination of things. First off, it is in the middle of summer and it is blazing hot out. I HATE the heat. I sometimes think I should be living in Alaska, or Antarctica. Somewhere cold like that. Second... fireworks... Don't get me wrong, I love me a great professional show where they have all the good ones. However, I never really understood the people in the neighborhoods setting them off. To begin with, most of the good ones that some people purchase, are illegal in the state of Colorado. These bozos drive up to Wyoming to get these things. They are breaking the law, and wasting all that gas, which comeon lets be real, is more valuable than gold these days, all to buy something that they are going to light on fire, and they usually aren't that good to begin with. If you want some good fireworks go to a professional show and see some good ones. I haven't been able to see a great fireworks show in a few years. I tried to see one while I was in Florida last year, but it was so windy they cancelled the show. But I am one of those lucky ones who have a dog who is terrified of the noises they make. Don't usually get a lot of sleep on the 4th. Or the night before. Last night some bozo was setting them off (the illegal ones) in the neighborhood at 1:30 in the morning. I would love to go up to them and stuff one of them up their.... Happy 4th of July!!!!

A Bit of R&R... at Least That's the Idea

2008-06-25T21:13:00.002-06:00

I am away for three days in Glenwood Springs. For those who don't know, it is a hot springs town in the mtns of Colorado and they have a huge pool that uses natual spring water from the local hot springs. The water comes out of the spring at about 122 degrees but for obvious reasons, they do cool it with fresh water. My family has been coming up here for years... since my dad was a kid. When I was younger, the whole family would load up in their cars and drive up for a 3 day break. You swim all day and when not in the water, you just hang out by the pool munching on cookies, chips, and whatever other junk food you may desire. Well, the family stopped coming up here awhile back. Everyone just got so busy as us kids were all getting older. We all usually make it up here about once a year, just not all together. We are fortunate enough this year, we have my cousins little girl with us. She is a complete beauty and I absolutely adore her. I hope to get some fun pictures while we are here but it will take me a little while to get them up on here. Well, I am off for a night of sleep so that I am ready and refreshed for a day at the pool tomorrow!!!

Friday's Feast

2008-05-09T09:49:00.001-06:00

It's been awhile since I feasted and I thought I would partake this week.

Appetizer
When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?

Of course... unless I am having a bad day.

Soup
Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?

Mostly carpet... an ugly brown carpeting. The kitchen and bathrooms are all linoleum... that is shrinking and so it is pulling apart at the seams as well and the walls and it is disgusting. I would love to put hardwood in the kitchen and ceramic tiles in the bathrooms and entryways.

Salad
Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.

Rabbits run round red raspberries.

Main Course
Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?

Yes, many. My own to begin with. I have two cousins who are adopted and I myself am considering adoption.

Dessert
Name 2 blue things.

The sky and... the ocean. Two of my favorite things.

Dreaming... and hoping

2008-05-05T18:56:00.002-06:00

So I have only just been back from San Francisco (still haven't sat down and gone through all my pictures, better things to do lately... like sleep), and I am already dreaming of my next trip to plan. I'm not talking about Ireland either (which I am going in October). Well, not only have I already booked hotel and kennel for the dogs for my parents and I to get away to Glenwood Springs at the end of June, but I have been furiously researching hotels and such for us to all go to Hawaii together for about a week and a half. I am hoping that we may be able to island hop and see all of the larger islands. I had such a great time when I went last year... was getting ready to head home a year ago tomorrow. I really wished I'd had more time to spend there and see more. I would like my parents to go with me too. I am serious when I say that I would move there... but the financial aspect prevents me from doing that. How could I possibly enjoy living there if I had to work 2+ jobs just to get by and that wouldn't leave me any extra to travel with. Just not realistic. I read a blog and the authors family travels to Maui every year. It is so beautiful and I have to admit, I am jealous... So now I am off to dream and hope that it is possible for me to do this with my parents.

I'm a...

2008-04-25T11:04:00.002-06:00

I am really hoping to work on my post about my trip to San Francisco tonight. I may break it into a couple posts, but I just haven't had the energy this week to weed through the 300+ photos I took on the trip. In the meantime...

Overwhelmed

2008-02-25T23:24:00.001-07:00

Wow. The last few weeks have been a bit overwhelming for me. Nothing real big happened but it's just a bunch of little things. First off I want to share something that has been on my heart since Feb. 3. My parents and I were headed to the grocery store (not the one we usually go to) and while on the way there, we saw that there was an accident on the highway that we were going over. While we couldn't actually see the accident, I knew it wasn't good because they had the highway completely shut down. I work for the PD in the area and I was pretty sure this was going to be our accident. I had this feeling that this wouldn't have a happy ending. Well, later that night after we got back home, I saw on the news that there was in fact a VERY serious car accident in which 2 people were killed. A man was driving down, had some sort of medical episode, swerved into the lane of traffic next to him and struck the side of a van carrying missionaries. The van had 6 people in it including an 18 month old little boy. On top of that the people in the van were missionaries preparing to leave the country to take the good news of Jesus Christ to people around the world. The two people killed instantly were two women, one from South Africa. I am unsure where the other was from. The people transported to the hospital were a woman from Michigan and a family of three from California. On Monday morning I got to work and sure enough it was our accident. We got word that the little boy didn't make it, and his mom was in serious condition and at that point they did not know if she would make it or not. The man who caused the accident came away from the accident uninjured. This whole situation has tugged on my heartstrings from the very beginning. Today the father of the little boy came in to get a copy of the accident report. I gathered all the paperwork and the accident report and gave it to him. When I returned to my desk I was telling my co-worker how the whole thing just broke my heart, and then I started to cry. I see this kind of this day in and day out in my job. But for some reason, this one really touched me. I can feel that connection with them as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a bit overwhelming. I don't know these people from the guy on the street corner and I just wanted to take this man who has just lost his son so tragically and is fighting for his wife to heal, and hold him. It is truly heartbreaking.

Some other news, is my grandmother has decided to move. After my grandfather died back in October, she said she wasn't going to make any decisions about moving and selling the house for a year. Well, she realized how lonely she was in that big house and has decided to move. She is putting the house on the market and she is moving to a senior community where she will have a 1 bedroom condo and all the wonderful amenities there are. I will have to come back one day soon and put a link on here for their website. They are a registered 501( c) (3) (registered non-profit) and they have locations all over the country.

I found out that a really dear friend of mine is having a baby girl this spring. I am so excited. She and her husband live in the Kansas City area but they are going to be out here in a couple weeks for a shower and I will hopefully get to spend some more time with them.

My cousin is doing really well. She is apart from the loser boyfriend who beat her up and right now is out of town with a new guy. This is a guy we were not too sure about when he first appeared, but suprisingly he has turned out to be pretty good. He is taking care of A and L and treating them well. My aunt believes he truly loves A and I can only hope that it is true. Although it would be a lot easier if he wasn't in his 50s but if this is God's answer to our fervent prayers... Who are we to question Gods' will?

I am working with a travel agent this week to book my trip for this fall. I am so excited!!!! I will post here exactly what I am doing once it is booked.

My television is on the fritz... and my windshield is cracked... Again (I just replaced the windshield this summer). I ordered a new TV tonight and hope it is as good a deal as it sounds. It is a 20" flat screen LCD for less that $250. I think I got a steal on it. We will see when it gets in in about a week. Since I bought a TV, the windshield is going to wait for awhile. Probably after my trip.

Well, I should be getting to bed now. I am exhausted and it is snowing out which means I have to leave for work a bit early.

Another year older and Another Getaway

2008-01-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

First off, I am a day late on this... but Libby turned 1 on Friday. I can't believe she's 1! She has had such a turbulent start in life, I can only hope and pray that it will be a better year for her. Sweet darling girl, I have loved you since the day I first met you. You are a ray of sunshine in this world that can be so very dark. Happy Birthday!

I was fortunate enough to spend my own birthday with her on Monday. I turned 29, creeping up on 30 much quicker than I would like. I was telling a co-worker, that it isn't so much the age, but the fact that I am not at all where I hoped and planned to be at this point in my life. I am trying to focus on the blessing I do have in my life, like my family and my dear friends. Dawn, BobbieJo, Amy and Dara, you have no idea the ways you have touched my spirit this last year. Thank you! Aside from a day with Libby, the night before I went to dinner with my parents and grandparents to The Cheesecake Factory where I had the best meal I have ever had. I had the Kobe Burger (oh. my. goodness.), a Bikini Martini (which hit me hard, I am embarrassed to say, in front of the parents and the grandparents), and the Dutch Carmel Apple Streusel Cheesecake. I litterally thought I had died and gone to heaven. On Monday, after the fun with Libby, I met up and Dara and Amy and had dinner and caught a movie, P.S. I Love You. I had actually already seen the move but I really liked it and it's a good girly movie and since it was the girls... I was a nice evening.

Yesterday after work, my mom and I went to the movies. We went and saw Juno, that is a GREAT movie!! It made you laugh out loud, I even cried a little bit at the end. My mom loved it too!

On Thursday afternoon I take off for a long weekend in sunny (possibly rainy) Florida. I will be staying with Ben and Dawn, and will get to enjoy the antics of my kiddos, Chloe and Judah (man how I miss them) I am really looking forward to it. We are going to Blue Springs (with hopes to see the Manatees), and St. Augustine where we will hopefully meet up with BobbieJo and her family. Just 3 1/2 days left of work till I leave. I can't wait!

Pioneer Woman Rocks

2007-12-17T21:45:00.001-07:00

For the last few months I have been following a blog that I just happened upon. Don't even know how I ended up there. I have been enjoying it immensley and just this last week I thought I should take a gander at her archives. OMG! She is hilarious! She is an amazing writer and literally make you laugh out loud whether it is just her writings or photographs. Some of her photos also leave you breathless... she and her husband and their children live on a beautiful ranch and I am telling you the beauty of it could knock you over.... Go check it out!

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman

I am Truly Blessed

2007-12-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight after spending the evening with friends, I was taking Amy back to her house and I was telling her how this year has been so full of things that one would rather not have to deal with and that I am just wishing I could crawl into a hole and come out after the new year and start fresh. It really has been a rough year. But then after I dropped her off and I was headed home for the night, I really got to thinking. After so many years with just a couple 'local" friends, none of whom I really saw on a regular basis, I finally have some friends that I feel really close to here. Don't get me wrong, I have a few friends who I hold near and dear to my heart and I don't know what I would do without them, especially Dawn, but it is really rough when they live 2000 miles away from you. This evening just really got me to thinking, after complaining and feeling really down about the way the year has gone for me, if it hadn't been for this year, I really don't think I would have Amy and Dara in my life right now. I thought, there is one blessing I have in my life and I really need to lean on that. But then I double checked myself thinking... wait a minute now, you have so many more blessings in your life. A great loving family, a roof over my head, my freedom, God and His gift to us on earth in the form of His Son, my health and so many more things. I need to start thanking God for those blessings more often. With that said, I feel especially blessed tonight in the friendship I have formed with these two really great gals. Thanks Amy and Dara for your friendship and support and for helping me open my eyes and see what I am truly blessed with. You guys are great!

One thing totally off topic... Recently we redid my bathroom and I am so incredibly happy with the outcome that I want to share it with everyone.

Slacker

2007-12-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's what I am, a SLACKER! I haven't posted in a month again. I did so well for awhile. I have been busy but not with anything that I want to give enough thought to, to actually write a post about it. Christmas is not going well for me this year yet. I haven't started my shopping or my cards. I am usually just wrapping everything up by now, maybe having just a few gifts left to buy if any, and my cards would have been out last week. I haven't even started them. I am meeting up with a friend of mine next Sunday afternoon to hopefully get them all done. And I am planning on hitting the stores Monday after work to try to get a bunch of my shopping done. Then a couple friends and I are getting together for dinner and gift exchange on Wednesday so that will be nice and hopefully it will get me in the spirit. It is snowy out, snowed a good share of the day. I love the snow. Looks like it has started up again but it is not coming down too much, just light. I always love the fresh snow before people have walked/shoveled/driven through it. It is so peaceful and soothing. If it wasn't so stinkin cold, I would go out and walk to the mailbox... but it is really cold out and I don't feel like freezing.

Simon sure liked him...

2007-11-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a hard time getting to sleep and I caught the re-run of Oprah from earlier in the day. She had some of You Tubes biggest hits on there. I had heard a tiny bit about this guy Paul Potts before. He competed on Britain's Got Talent and he won. Here is why....

I am not one who would ever say I enjoy opera but Oh. My. Goodness. This guy gave me goosebumps and made me cry. I am an emotional person but I don't think music has ever touched me the way this did.

I Now Need a Vacation From my Vacation...

2007-10-29T21:28:00.000-06:00

I am so utterly exhausted. I really should be going to bed, but I really wanted to share a couple photos. I adore this kids like you wouldn't believe and I miss them terribly already. I just left there yesterday. We had a great time and I will fill in the details after I have gotten some sleep. Until then, you can enjoy these two cuties.

Judah and Me (Chloe took this picture of us)

Chloe and Me (It's a self portrait)

I Need a Vacation....

2007-10-24T23:11:00.000-06:00

...wait, I'm going tomorrow. That's right, I am off to Florida tomorrow for a long weekend away. I really need it too. It has been almost 3 months since I last posted and it has been a stressful 3 months. Two days after my last post we lost another co-worker. All I have to say is CANCER SUCKS!!!! Kathi was a wonderful woman, a friend and a mother. She was diagnosed with breast cancer about 4 years ago and fought will all her might to beat it. In the end the cancer won and we lost a wonderful person. We all miss her dearly. Then things went downhill with my cousin. She got back with her loser boyfriend, started doing drugs, left her daughter with my aunt and uncle to take care of and then when they finally tried to get legal guardianship, the little punk took her. For 5 weeks she was in a residential rehab facility and we were hopeful that things would get good again. Nothing ever goes the way we hope it will. Just yesterday we got news that she left with her boyfriend and now we don't know where she or Libby are. I am worried sick about her. We can only do so much but we can always pray. The really ironic thing was that I had a dream about Libby just Monday night. I saw her and I was happy. Now I am just scared... for Libby. If you think about it, send a prayer up for her. She needs all the prayer she can get. Three weeks ago I lost my first grandparent. Grandpa Schwartz had cancer (remember, I said CANCER SUCKS!!!!). There were no services, just the creamation and according to my grandmother I was not invited to come. It's a little hard to describe here but let me tell you, it was very hurtful. To top off the last three months, I just found out this last Saturday, that not only does my other grandfather have bladder cancer but he also has skin cancer.... CANCER SUCKS!!!!!!!!!! I have already lost 3 people to cancer in the last 4 months... I guess I ought to just sit back and ask, who's next. It is a terrible terrible feeling deep in my gut... I am scared...

Like I said... I Need a Vacation.....

ROFLMBO!!!

2007-08-08T00:18:00.000-06:00

I was watching the show Just For Laughs tonight and while it wasn't this exact video (these are British police officers, the video I saw tonight was either Canada or the US), this is HILARIOUS!!!

Update

2007-08-05T17:20:00.001-06:00

I was just looking over my blog and noticed that I haven't posted about some of the things that have been happening. Things were a little hectic there for a little while. First I will start with the really good news. I have a new baby cousin!!! Aidan became a big brother on July 20th. I haven't seen Liam yet though... My aunts father passed away the day after he was born, I wasn't able to make it to the funeral because of work. My mom and I are planning on going over to see them all in a couple weeks though. I have some pictures but I am having problems getting the downloaded tonight. Try to get some up tomorrow... or soon anyway because he is adorable!

Then there's Libby (for those of you who don't know, Libby is my cousins little girl but I adore her and spoil her like she is my own)... they had a custody hearing a couple weeks ago. J gets visitation on Mondays and on Saturday afternoons as long as arrangements are made ahead of time. I have not talked to my aunt about how things went last Monday and he should have her again tomorrow. I will try to get in touch with my aunt this week. I can't believe that she is going to be 7 months old on Saturday! WOW!

Isn't she lovely, isn't she beautiful...

2007-07-31T22:47:00.000-06:00

Okay, I can't help myself, this girl is so beautiful and I don't want to keep that to myself. Here is a picture from this weekend.

First dips...

2007-07-24T20:21:00.000-06:00

Libby made her first visit to Glenwood this week. It is a milestone in our family. We used to spend a whole weekend up there every year... all 13 of us. It was quite the sight. I really miss that and I would like to get some semblance of that started again. Even if it is not all of us. A few of us is betther than none of us. So here is a tiny peek at her first dip in the pool....

You Go Girl!!!

2007-07-18T22:47:00.000-06:00

Anyone who may know me, knows that I am not one to usually step up and voice my opinion. I have always been one to just sit back and let my actions speak for me. I don't know how it works but, it seems to work for me. Most people I meet know where I stand on certain things and I have never spoken up about it... they just know. But I just have to say... I LOVE Elisabeth Hasselbeck. I love that in a line of work where the conservative and religious stances that she takes are very unpopular, she sticks with it and has no shame. She should be an example for other Christians out there to stand up and speak out for what they believe. YOU GO GIRL!!

Florida Pics

2007-07-10T16:12:00.001-06:00

I'm Off... Again

2007-06-29T20:41:00.000-06:00

Well, in a little under 12 hours, I will be on a plane on the way to sunny Florida. It is going to be hot, it is going to be humid, I will probably be miserable, but... I get to see some of my favorite people in the whole world. I can't wait! See you all when I get back!!

New Hairdo...

2007-06-28T20:41:00.000-06:00

Well, I finally got my hair cut. It was driving me crazy... it was so hot and my hair wasn't quite long enough and it wouldn't completely stay pulled up in a ponytail. 100 degrees and hair hanging around my neck just doesn't work well for me. I wanted it cut short, but I don't know that I really wanted it this short. People at work say they like it. I think it is going to take some time to get used to it. What do you think??

Family and Loss

2007-06-19T16:39:00.001-06:00

Wow, it is only Tuesday and this has been a really rough week. It actually started on Friday. I am not going to go into details but there are some things happening with my cousin that are not good. Pray that she either starts making the right decisions in her life so that she can give Libby a good home or she steps away and lets someone else take care of her as their own. That little girl is at an age where she needs a consistent caregiver. My aunt and uncle have been taking care of her for the most part lately. A is hardly ever home and even when she is, she is not the one caring for the baby. My aunt and uncle should not have to raise their grandchild, they should be able to be grandma and grandpa. It is a tough situation that needs a lot of prayer. Libby is a wonderful child who deserves to be raised in a home full of love and care and A does not seem to understand this. Prayer is the only answer to this and having to be patient for these prayers to be answered is really tough.

On Sunday we headed up to my Aunt Linda and Uncle Gary's. They live up in the mountains and we had a mini family reunion. My Uncle Bob was in town from upstate New York and he brought along with him his new girlfriend Fay. We were all there and it was great to see everyone together again. My Uncle Bob just recently (within the last year) split from his ex-wife and we learned a few things about that. We had not seen my uncle in 4 years, which was not unusual as they never came out to visit very often. Turns out that it was mostly becuase his wife didn't like to fly and they would either have to drive or take the train both of which made for a very long trip down here. Anyway, he was here with Fay this last week and we will probably get to see him a lot more often now, possibly even every year. Fay said she would push him on the plane out here. I think I am really going to like her. :) It was a great visit, we sat out on the deck, had lunch, visited and just really caught up with everything happening in eachothers lives. Last night we got to meet up for dinner and a final goodbye before they head back to NY tomorrow. I talked to my uncle and I am probably going get to visit them next spring and I am really excited about it.

On Monday morning, we got some very sad news at work. One of our long time and well respected Lt's passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He will be missed by all. Funeral services are on Thursday afternoon and it will be big. He was known nationwide for his work in law enforcement. It has been a sober couple days around here.

I will try to get some pictures posted tonight.

Isn't She Beautiful

2007-06-11T22:14:00.000-06:00

Spent all day Saturday with Libby. I love that girl so much. She is hard to get a picture of though. I am dying to get a picture of her smile, but she gets so serious when you have the camera out. I finally got this shot of her. I will have her all day this Saturday too. Maybe I will get some more pictures then. Here is the beauty queen...

Libby

2007-06-06T23:51:00.001-06:00

I got to see Libby Jo on Saturday and got this really cute picture of her. I should be with her all day this coming Saturday (and hopefully meet up with my friend L and her son M, he is 19 days younger than Libby) so I hope to have a bunch more pictures then. Here is one for now.

Pictures

2007-06-06T23:48:00.000-06:00

Well, I have been really bad about getting my posts all finished up. I have just been preoccupied with some other things going on. I thought I would get a slideshow together of my pictures from Hawaii. Hope you all enjoy.

The Big Island

2007-05-23T22:52:00.001-06:00

Next stop was the town of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai'i. I went on a tour called the Land of Frozen Fire. It was pretty neat. The best thing about it was that there were only 6 of us on the tour (not counting the guide). Our first stop was Lava Tree State Park. It was a place where a bunch of trees were hit by a lava flow. It is a little complicated and I am not sure if I really understand what happened here but it was really pretty there.

We stopped at this hot spring where there is swimming. It was really neat and reminded me in a way of Glenwood Springs. It's not as fancy with the big swimming pool and everything. But there water is heated because it flows right next to the molten lava, the water is about 90 degrees. It think it is really neat how the pool and the ocean just flow together.

Our next stop was MacKenzie State Recreation Area. It was really pretty. I could spend hours there. It is right on the coast and you are at the top of these beautiful lava cliffs, with the waves crashing below. There are no rails so you are able to see it pretty close (at least as close as you feel comfortable). I was maybe a foot and a half from the edge.. it was amazing.

Back to Hawai'i

2007-05-19T21:37:00.000-06:00

*** Before I get back to my trip, I thought I would give a quick update on my cousin. She is doing well, I went over yesterday after work and helped her finish up packing. We will start actually moving her out tomorrow afternoon. Don't know how much longer she plans on staying in the apartment, although she has to be out by Thursday. Continue to pray for her, as she has a long rough road ahead of her.***

Alright, where was I? Oh, yes... Kaua'i day 2... My favorite day on that island. I went tubing...The company that did the excursion was Kaua'i Backcountry Adventure. It was so much fun. You tube down these old irrigation ditches that were hand dug in the late 1800's. The 5 tunnels you go through are also dug by hand (no explosives). The ditches bring the water down from Mt. Wai'ale'ale, to the sugar cane fields. It was fun, and I would love to do it again.

Here I am decked out in my stylish helmet complete with flashlight.

One of our guides could have easily been my cousin C's long lost brother. He looked like him and also had the as sense of humor as him. I have to share this with you... The Hawaiian word for appetizer is pupu, the word for beef is pipi, and the word for chicken is moa. So you can have a pipi pupu, and then moa pupu. I am seriously wondering if there is some relation there, it's scary... Here is a picture of him... (he's the one on sitting up on the beam).

After we got out of the water, we went to a little picnic area where we had a snack and there was a little swimming hole we could get in if we wanted to. It was pretty.

We sailed out of Kaua'i early that afternoon. We sailed past the Napali coast (the north shore of Kaua'i). It is absolutely gorgeous.

While we were sailing along the coast, they told us to keep an eye out for whales as they had spotted a couple out ahead of us. (I was there right at the end of the migration period for the humpback whales). Unfortunately, I did not spot any, but I hope to go over there again so I could see some.

Well, that is all for Kaua'i. I will continue with it soon (possibly tomorrow)... Next stop, Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

A Quick Detour ...

2007-05-17T22:10:00.000-06:00

I need to make a short detour from reliving my vacation. Although I would much rather stay on the vacation subject. This last week has been a little tough and I need to ask for some prayer. First off, my cousin A... her boyfriend was arrested Monday night for domestic violence. A is doing ok and the baby is safe. J is still in jail, and the earliest he will probably be able to get out is May 29. And I am not sure he will get out then. Please pray for A, that she will stay strong and resist any urges she may have to go back to him (as many domestic violence victims do). Pray that she will see that she can raise that beautiful little girl of hers without him. That she will lean on the family for support.

Also, please pray for my grandfather. We just found out that he has bladder cancer, and according to what my parents told me, it is aggressive. Pray that the treatments the doctors have put together will work, that God will work a miracle. It seems as though I have a lot of people in my life lately who are dying or getting sick. We tragically lost our children's ministry director at our church to a massive heart attack, 2 coworkers are very ill with cancer (neither are doing well at all and I would not be surprised if they did not make it through the year), my grandfather on my mom's side (actually my mom's step-dad) has cancer and I am not sure how he has been doing, but the last I heard, it was not good. I am almost afraid to ask. And now my dad's dad... this is the hardest one of all. I have been very lucky that I still have all my grandparents. And now I have 2, who are very ill.

So pray for these things. Hopefully I can continue my revisit to my vacation either this weekend or early next week. I will probably be helping my cousin pack up and move out of her apartment for at least part of the weekend.

Kaua'i Day 1 April 30th

2007-05-12T21:57:00.000-06:00

Sorry it took me a few days to get to continue on my trip. I have been exhausted all week, never thought jetlag would knock me out this bad, especially when it is only a 4 hour difference.

Our first stop was on the island of Kaua'i, the Garden Isle. It is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands and has no live volcano on it. The wettest spot in the world is here on the island, on Mt. Wai'ale'ale, this stop receives between 450 and 500 inches of rain a year.

We were lucky enough to spend about 2 days on the island.
The first day, I took a trip to Waimea Canyon. It is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It does resemble the Grand Canyon but it's not as big. It was really pretty though.

On our way back from the canyon, we stopped at the shore where there were some blowholes, where the sea is pushed up through lava tubes. It really is pretty.

We spotted a sea turtle popping his head up in the surf, but I didn't get any pictures of him. At the spot with blowholes, I was able to get a picture that shows you how many chickens run wild on the island. When Hurricaine Iniki came through the islands in 1992, it destroyed a chicken farm on Kaua'i releasing the chickens which have run wild since.

We made a couple other stops along the way, and then back to the ship. Ready for day 2 in Kaua'i.

Honolulu April 28th and 29th

2007-05-09T20:22:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I didn't get into Honolulu until about 8:30 on Saturday night but I was traveling a good share of the day so I am going to count it. I got in, rented my car and made my way to the hotel. I stayed at the Aqua Palms and Spa. It is not on the beach but it is definately within walking distance. Parking was $15 a day so I would probably not suggest it if you will have a car and stay there for an extended period of time, but the room rate that I got (AAA rate) was really great, at lesst than $100, you can't ask for much more in Honolulu. I had a great nights sleep (thanks to a really comfy bed) and when I got up I stepped out onto the balcony and much to my surprise, I was able to see both Diamond Head and the beach.

I took my time getting ready and then headed out to Pearl Harbor. At the USS Arizona memorial, they had a small museum and gift shop. You then go in and see a short film about the history of Pearl Harbor and the attack on December 7th. Then you take the shuttle boat out to the memorial. It is really pretty and calm out there, even with all the people.

I then headed off to the ship to set sail for the rest of the islands. They had a sailing away party with Hula dancers and music and also leis and a barbecue on the pool deck.

We said Aloha to Honolulu about 8:00 and headed off for Kaua'i. Stay tuned...

I Made it Home...

2007-05-08T00:57:00.000-06:00

Well, after a very long night of traveling, I finally made it back to Denver about 11:30 am on Monday. It is now almost 1am on Tuesday, and I just now got my pictures loaded onto the computer. I would try to get a post started but I have to be up for work... not looking forward to it and I will have my pictures from my waterproof cameras when I get a chance to sit down to do a post tomorrow night. It might take me a couple days to get it all out but I will do my best. Until then... Aloha.

Aloha, Colorado! Aloha, Hawaii!!

2007-04-28T00:09:00.000-06:00

Well, in about 13 hours, I will be taking off headed for Hawaii!!! I still can't believe I am actually going. It's just so surreal. I have always wanted to go, but I really don't think I thought it would actually happen... But here I am, finishing up some things tonight before I head to bed. I will get up and finish last minute things in the morning before leaving for the airport. I doubt I will have a chance to update while I am gone, but I will definately post when I get back with pictures. Until then... ALOHA!!

A

2007-04-18T22:38:00.000-06:00

Well, I meant to write this post a week ago but time got away from me. My lunch with A was nice. I think it is definately a step in the right direction to heal our relationship. Oh, and can I just say, Libby Jo is the cutest little baby girl. I miss her... I am hoping to try to make our lunches at least a monthly thing... that is until A leaves for the military and wherever that may take her... I only wish that we were closer before she was making this big change. There are still some things pending with her and I am still going to ask everyone to pray for her to make the right choices in the next few months.

It's Getting Closer

2007-04-15T23:44:00.000-06:00

Wow... I can't believe that in less than 2 weeks I will be in Hawaii! It just seems so unreal to me. I really need to start giving some thought to what I am going to take with me and such. I want to pack as lightly as possible as I will have no one to help me lug my bags around the airport. I need to call the airline to check on somethings for my flights, I need to figure out how much money I will have to spend while I am there. I feel like there are another million things I need to do before I go but right now I can't think of them. I should start making a list... In the meantime, I need to get some sleep. Goodnight!

Something to try

2007-04-11T22:32:00.000-06:00

Okay, here's what you do...

Go to Google.
Click on maps
Click on Get Directions
From New York, New York
To Paris, France
Read line 23....

I saw this and I had to see what it said.

Happy Happy Easter (a Little Late)

2007-04-09T23:12:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a very happy Easter! Mine was very good. After church Sunday morning, we went to my grandparents for lunch. The whole family was there (eventually). Everyone except my cousins A and J were there for lunch. A made it a bit later in the afternoon, and she brought Libby Jo (see previous post for pictures of the cutie), and J had to work so he didn't show up until later in the evening, but it was really nice to be able to see him again. We don't get to see eachother very often, so it is always nice when we get the chance. Seeing A was really great. Our relationship has been very strained for the last few years. Libby Jo was born in January (until Sunday, I had only seen her once) and I hadn't seen A since Thanksgiving. She and I got a chance to have casual conversation, which is much more than we have had in a few years. I think we really made a jump when she suggested that we have lunch this week (I work only a couple blocks from where she lives). So we (A, Libby Jo and I) have a lunch date on Wednesday and I am really looking forward to it. Also, I am finally working on getting all 5 of us grandkids (and the new great grandbaby) together for a portrait. There is a bit of a scheduling challenge (it's either in the next 2 weeks or not until the end of August) but we will eventually get it together. I hope to get a nice print from this, have it framed and give it to our grandparents for Christmas. I am going to end this post now, with a couple prayer requests. First my cousin J is having surgery on his shoulder in a couple weeks, please pray that his shoulder can be fixed and that he will have fast healing. Also, A is facing some life changing decisions in the next 6 weeks or so. Pray that she will choose the right path and that those of us who love her can help and support her through these changes.

Libby Jo

2007-04-02T18:12:00.000-06:00

Just got some pictures today of Libby... Wanted to share them.

Pray for little Brea

2007-03-31T14:26:00.000-06:00

Recently I have found a website of a family that brought their daughter Brea home from China about 6 months ago. This darling little girl became very ill and has been in the hospital since February. The family lives in Louisiana but Brea has been in Arakansas Childrens Hospital in the Cardio Vascular ICU for quite sometime. They have truly relied on God to take care of this precious child through many ups and downs. Today, she received a new heart and so far has been doing well. I just want to reach out to anyone who may stumble across this blog and ask you to pray. For Brea, her family, her doctors and the family who lost a child so that Brea could received her new heart.

You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!

2007-03-29T19:01:00.000-06:00

This is what it has been doing all day....

I was laying in bed this morning trying to wake up and hear the weatherman say that there is 6-7 inches of snow on the ground and I literally said... "Seven inches, are you kidding me!?"
Actually this isn't all that abnormal for March here. March is actually on average our snowiest month of the year and so far this March, we had only had 2 inches of snow on the ground (average is a little over 11 inches) which actually fell the night of Feb 28. So we technically had not had any snow this month. Here we are the end of the month... and I thought maybe we got lucky this year. Yeah right. It is supposed to be snowy/rainy through tomorrow. Not looking forward to having to brush my car off again in the morning. I do have to say... at least the roads weren't icy today. We'll see what they are like in the morning.

Do You Think They Do This At Home?

2007-03-28T22:08:00.000-06:00

Alright, I am ready to pull my hair out of my head... You see, I work in an office that is dominated by men. I workin in the office with 2 other women and then there is my boss. He drinks a lot of coffee which in and of itself is normal. However, when he doesn't finish his cup, instead of walking down the hall to the bathroom sink or even the drinking fountain, he dumps it in his trashcan! Anyway, back to the story, we process a lot of paperwork through our office which is important and we have to keep it all on file or it could cause a lot of problems. I won't go into a lot of details, but yesterday one of our files was removed from the office and it should have been returned to us. This afternoon, we realized that it had never been returned. Off I went to track it down. I talked to the person who had taken it from the office and she told me that she didn't realize we needed it back because "they were just copies." Anyway, she had passed it on to someone else and she didn't know where they were. She got hold of him and he said he THREW THEM IN THE TRASH!!!! I just about exploded when I heard this. Fortunately, the janitorial service is pretty bad and they had not emptied the trash cans in the office. We pull out the trash can and sure enough... there's our paperwork... DRIPPING WITH COFFEE!!!! To top it all off, this is not the first time we have found paperwork in the trash covered with coffee. My question is where did they ever get the idea that this was okay and do they do this at home?!? My goodness...

Things to do...

2007-03-21T20:33:00.000-06:00

I made my reservations for my shore excursions on my Hawaiian cruise. I am really excited about them too. In Kauai, the first day, I am going Tubing on the Hanamaulu Ditch system an then the second day, I will be going to Waimea Canyon (the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific"). In Hilo, I will be taking a tour of an area that was destroyed by a lava flow in 1990. The stop in Kona, I will be renting a car for the day and get to drive around and see some of the sights on my own and probably spend some time just sitting on the beach. Maui is the one I am really looking forward to. First, I will be snorkeling at Molokini Crater. Hopefully I will get to see some sea turtles. Then the second day in Maui, will be a really early morning. I will be up at 3:30am on my way to the top of Haleakala, a dormant volcano where I will get to watch the sunrise. Then the rest of the day will be on my own and I will probably be taking some time to nap that day. So, just a little over a month to go and I will be off to paradise. I have already started to give some thought to what I want to do next year. I would really like to make it to Europe (Paris/London) but I am seriously considering taking a couple of small trips and driving around some areas of the country where I have never gotten to see. I have lots of time to consider those plans.

Friday's Feast

2007-03-09T00:09:00.001-07:00

Haven't feasted for awhile so I thought I would partake this week. Will try
to get a regular post up soon.

Appetizer
What is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather it be
different?

I try to be in bed by 10:30, but rarely am I asleep before 11:30, although
lately it has been 1am or later. Not a good thing. I really should be
asleep by 10:30.

Soup
When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?

I give more.

Salad
Describe a memorable meal you've had.

That would have to be the dinner I had the night of my Junior prom. Most
people would cringe at this, but I had a candlelit dinner with my boyfriend,
which was prepared by my grandmother (my whole family, and his mother, were
in the house at the time too). It was really special.

Main Course
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.

I don't do a lot of thinking and analyzing when I read. Nothing really
stands out in my mind.

Dessert
What is your favorite type of fruit juice?

I regularly drink apple juice, but I really like pear juice and Mango.

ALOHA!!!!

2007-02-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

So what I thought would not be happening... is actually happening!!! I am so excited. I got a steal on a Hawaiian islands cruise in addition to the steal on airfare to Honolulu!!! I leave for Honolulu on April 28th and after 7 nights cruising around the Hawaiian islands, I will be back home on May 7th! I can't believe it! My travel agent was even in awe at the prices I found.

Big Fat NO for Hawaii

2007-02-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

So it's not going to be Hawaii... too expensive but I did find the place I will hopefully stay at when I can afford it. I did get my airline reservations for July. I am still in need for something for the spring... I will figure something out eventually, hopefully soon though. Before I know it, spring will be there.

I am a Traveloholic...

2007-02-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

I think I have a SERIOUS problem!!! I am looking for trips again. I know I will be in FL for the 4th of July, however, I do not have my tickets purchased. I need to make a decision. Airfare is going up and I need to do it quick, but I am wanting to wait in hopes that fares will drop. Not likely with my travel dates though. So I should book them tonight. We'll see. I am wanting to plan something for the spring (around the end of April) and am leaning toward Hawaii. But if I go to Hawaii, I want a nice hotel on the beach, not on Waikiki (too many people for me thank you). I would really like to stay at the Turtle Bay Resort on the north shore. But they are really expensive (about $250/night) and I still would need plane tickets into Honolulu (expensive, yet again) and am thinking if I am on the north shore, I really should get a rental car also... So this trip I am fantasizing about could cost me $2000 before I even get there!!!! It probably will not happen. I have also been considering another cruise... I have looked at some Caribbean sailings and am right now looking at Alaska (that would be early May). My fall trip, I have no idea right now, I just know I need to go somewhere. I get restless if I don't go somewhere every couple months. I think I have it down for my future plans... I will take trips in Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jul/Aug, Oct/Nov... I have the vacation time to do it but I don't know how long I will have the $$$ to do it. I am just hoping that when I have children, they will keep me occupied enough that I will need feel the need to go somewhere all the time. I do want to travel with them though, I just know I won't be able to 4 times a year... unless I win the lottery and I am set for life with lots of extra spending money. Time will tell...

I was trying to check a price on a cruise to Alaska (Vancouver to Seattle) but the RCCL site is not working right... I will probably check tomorrow.

Pictures

2007-02-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

It's too late to really write a post, but I leave you with some pictures from my vacation... I could look at these all night and the rest of the week since it is cold and snowy. YUCK!

I'm Back

2007-02-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

I made it home from the cruise. I update with pictures tomorrow (hopefully)!

It's a Boy!!

2007-02-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

L had her baby boy early Tuesday morning!!! M shares a birthday with C!!! I probably won't get to see him till after I get back from my trip but I suppose it will do. As L said, he will be here forever... Just thought I would post that on here.

Worked on packing tonight, not doing too bad. Still have to iron a couple things, and get the toiletries packed. I am ready for it. It is still snowing out. Started up again this afternoon around 2:30 or so. I can't for that week with a guarantee of NO SNOW!!!!!

Friday's Feast

2007-02-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

Here we go.. on time this week...

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?

Two pairs of slouch socks (preferably colored) with the pants folded and tucked in or the pants tight-rolled (WHAT WERE WE THINKING!?!)

Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you

That I am quiet and laid back.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work?

6... It all depends on my mood...

Main Course
If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?

My pretty extensive book collection.

Dessert
Fill in the blank:

I love to snuggle up in bed when it is cold.

Finally Some Relief

2007-01-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I will no longer have to worry about stress at school, I withdrew from classes today. It was not the easiest decision to make though. I was caught in a place where tomorrow is the last day to withdraw and get tuition refunded. However, if I just dropped the one class that I loathe, I would lose my student loan and would have to pay for my other class basically immediately. I am already out the money for the books and supplies which I already bought, I really couldn't come up with the extra money to pay for the class. So I dropped both of them. That is what was the really hard part. One of them I was happy to drop. As a matter of fact, I wrote emails to the instructor telling her that esentially she was the reason I decided to drop the class. It is a huge brick taken off my back. I was so tense last night that I didn't sleep well. Tonight should be better since I don't have to worry about that.

See this? This is the forecast of the rest of the week. Saturday, we fly to Florida for the cruise. I am so looking forward to this trip. I have walked around work all week (the whole two days so far) like an incoherent zombie. It has not been pretty.

So vacation is in 5...4...3...

Why didn't you say so?

2007-01-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

I have been on such an emotional roller coaster lately. I don't quite understand. I have always been a bit of an emotional person but this is much more that usual. It is really stressing me out. I haven't heard from my friend who was supposed to go in for induced labor today. I am hoping everything is alright. She had some other complications so I just hope that she is have a long labor and nothing went wrong. I may try to call her at the hospital tomorrow afternoon. Maybe she will call me in the morning and I won't have to worry anymore.

Work has just been stressful lately. I am so over it right now. I go through these phases where I am just ready to quit and find a new job. But I really don't want to lose the job security and I would be hard pressed to find another job with the great benefits that I have now. So after a long day at work, I had to go to school... the instructor I have on Mon and Wed is a total airhead in my opinion. Fist off, I will be gone next week (on my cruise, woohoo!), which this trip was planned long before I even considered going back to school. Anyway, I talked to her the first night of class about me being gone, and she told me that she would see what she could come up with for me to make up the missed classes (as well as I wanted to know what I would miss as far as assignments, so I could be prepared for when I returned to class the following Monday). So I sent her an email over the weekend to remind her about me being gone and that I was still waiting for her to provide me with that information. I didn't hear back from her (she claims to be really good about responding to email, but both emails I have sent her, have gone pretty much unanswered until late the night before our next class and then this last one until we were in class. She then proceeded to pretty much blast me in front of the entire class about being gone and that she was unhappy about it and on and on... I was so furious about that... I do have to say though, she then gave us her extra credit assignment she would accept for the semester. It seems like it will be pretty easy and she is giving it a pretty hefty point value for extra credit. Then on top of that, last Monday we were given a project to work on which is due next Monday. Since I am going to be gone, I was planning on having it ready to turn in on Wednesday. This assignment was originally given to us with limited guidelines, and she told us to just go with it, she wanted to see what we came up with. So I worked my butt off this weekend trying to get as much done as possible since I also have work and class tomorrow... tonight when she heard people starting to freak out about how they didn't understand the assignment etc, she decided to give us more "guidance" on it. People start asking questions and she starts getting more specific about what she wants, and on and on... now I have to practically start all over, as what I have done already, doesn't meet her "guidelines." Ahhhhh!!!!!! I just want to write her a scathing email telling her what I think of what she has done, but I have to keep reminding myself, this is the lady who will be grading me for the rest of the semester (this is only the 3rd week of classes). So I walk out of there absolutely furious, again wondering what I was thinking when I decided to go back to school... This just topped it off...I am driving home, my mind on school (and my friend, who at this point, I am starting to worry about a little bit), I am on a dark state highway, I look down and I am going 13 over the speed limit, and no sooner do I notice this and go to slow down, I also notice a sheriff's deputy sitting there, and I know he is working traffic enforcement... Sure enough, I pass him and he pulls up behing me with lights, pulling me over... I am going to get a ticket. Although at the same time, I am hoping he will check my driving record and notice that it is spotless... I hand him my registration, insurance and license and proceed to apologize to him. He goes back to his car to do the normal driving and warrant clearance. I know he is writing me a ticket because it is taking too long if he is just going to give me a warning. He walks back up with his clipborad (with a ticket attached to it, for yours truly, he asks for my home phone number (which I willingly give him), then he asks me where I work... this is where the evening perks up... I work for a local police department (this is another reason why I would like to stay at my current place of employment :-)) He just looks up at me with a look of frustration... asks me what I do there (I work in the records office), and then he says to me while handing me back my papers without a ticket, "Why didn't you say something earlier?" "Sorry, sir." "Just drive safe..." Thank you Deputy Compton, you made my day... actually it was probably more like YOU MADE MY WEEK!!!! (just for the record, I know I could have probably saved myself some time and stress wondering if I would be getting a ticket if I HAD said something earlier (we all take care of our own), and I seriously considered this as I saw those red and blue flashy lights pull out behind me, but I also know that I probably really did deserve that ticket and would have taken it. There is a bit of an ethical question with that too... I will tell them if they ask but I don't know if I could consciously try to use that to get out of something I really truly deserve).... So once again, THANK YOU Deputy Compton... He is my angel this week and I will jump through hoops for him if he ever needed anything from our office. So I actually pulled back out onto the highway with a smile on my face and a chuckle in my throat...

2007-01-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

I posted this on my blog here a couple months ago, I was feeling a little down today so I watched it and it made me smile... Thought this could lift someone else's spirits also... Enjoy!

Friday's Feast

2007-01-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty busy lately, so I have missing a few Friday Feast's. This one is a few days late but at least it is here....

APPETIZER:
If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn?

I have always regreted not sticking with the violin when I was much younger, I would love to pick that back up.

SOUP:
Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else?

Just on the phone.

SALAD:
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest, how well do you keep secrets?

8 1/2

MAIN COURSE:
What's the closest you've ever been to a dangerous animal?

I was walking with a friend one time on a path that was right next to a river (known to have alligators) in Florida. We were walking along, and I remember seeing this bird right on the side of the water. We had just gotten past, when we heard this big splash, turned around and an alligator had tried to get the bird for his next meal. He actually didn't get the bird, but it scared me to death and I was ready to get out of there right then.

DESSERT:
When was the last time you lost your patience?

I have been pretty moody lately and have a serious lack of patience... probably in the last week or so it has been really bad.

Long Time, No Blog

2007-01-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I last posted. I am trying to keep up with my school work. This is total insanity. I am only taking 2 classes but they are three nights in a row each week and I work, so that doesn't leave me with a whole lot of extra time when you consider homework etc. Plus, I am now trying to prepare and pack for my cruise... I will be flying to Florida next Saturday...5 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes from now. I am just desperate to get away where it is warm and not snowy... of course being completely away from work for a week will be nice also. Snow... it has snowed every week for the last 6 weeks now... that is NOT NORMAL... Yesterday it was snowing and we have more coming in at the end of the week... As long as my flight is able to get out with me on it on Saturday, I don't care what it does. I have most of my stuff together, just need to pack it in the suitcase and garment bag and then I just have the little things that I still need on a daily basis. My friend L is having her baby this week. She goes in tomorrow and they will induce labor. She is having a boy, I am so excited. I was afraid I was going to miss him, her due date is while I am on my cruise. But I will get to see him this week. It might be a little challenging, I have school Mon-Wed and then I just have Thur and Fri... I will figure something out. Maybe I can take Friday off work too, so that I can finish everything up and go see the baby... who will hopefully by then be home. I don't know, I just have way too many things on my plate right now. Why did I ever think going back to school was a wise idea?

I am finally back

2007-01-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it back from NYC on Tuesday evening and I am just now getting around to posting. I have not been consistent about posting. But I am okay with that. Not like anyone really reads this anyway. I really did enjoy my trip, although there was not enough time to see/do a fraction of the stuff I wanted to do. When I got in on Saturday, it was 72 degrees!!!! That's right, it was so warm they had even had to close the ice skating rinks in the city because the ice was melting. Sunday, I went to the Empire State Building and went shopping. I got the silver bracelet from Tiffany & Co. which I have wanted for sooo long. I love it, but I am afraid to wear it too many places as I really don't want to lose it. So then I think... what was the point in buying it in the first place... so I will try to consciously wear it as much as is appropriate. I had a ticket to the Sunday matinee of Mary Poppins. I loved the show just as much as I love the movie. After the show I wandered around Times Square. There are a LOT of people there!!!! Even in January when the temperature is supposed to be in the 30's. Crazy people... but wait... I am one of those crazy people. Oh well. It started raining that night and it rained all Monday morning. Therefore meaning I didn't get to do a whole lot. I was planning on trying to make it down to Rockefeller to be in the crowd outside the Today show... but I didn't hear my alarm clock. So I finally got up and made it down there and took the NBC Studio Tour. The best thing about the tour was when we got to go into the studio where they tape Saturday Night Live. Other than that it was pretty uneventful. I then headed back to the hotel to eat and then I was hoping to make it down to go out to the Statue of Liberty. They closed the ticket window 10 minutes before I got there. I was really bummed. I plan on going again though.

On Saturday evening my friend D called to wish me an early Happy Birthday as she was unsure if she would be able to call on Sunday. Her daughter C, who I absolutely love and adore, got on the phone and sang Happy Birthday to me. She will be 4 at the end of January. It was so precious and touching. When I got back, I got onto MySpace and D had left me a note that C one day out of the blue said to her mom... "Mom, Aunt R knows how to find our house right?" D said C misses me so much.... C I miss you more than you could possibly imagine. I will get to see them in 3 weeks... my mom and I are staying with them the night before we have to be to the port for our cruise. I am excited even if it will only be for a few hours... that is better than nothing. Well, I will leave now with a couple pictures from my trip....

Birthday

2006-12-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Happy 76th Birthday Grandma "Shorts" (with Grandpa)

I also wanted to add this picture in here. This is me when I was 8 with my grandparents puppy Maj.... Yeah, she's a puppy here. They also later got another Newfie and her name was Ida. They have both been gone for some time now. My Grandma gave us this picture at Christmas.

Christmas and Snow

2006-12-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Christmas is finally over. I am glad, not because I don't like Christmas, but now my countdown to my trips can really begin. I leave for New York in a little over a week and then not a month later, I am off on my cruise. I didn't take many pictures this year, just two. The tree with all the presents and then the pile of wrapping paper after the feast... Oh the carnage.

And this is what the "experts" are telling us. More snow....

Just what we needed when we still have a foot or more on the ground from the storm last week. Where we are, we usually fall somewhere between what they predict for the Metro area and the Foothills. Goodness gracious... 2 feet!?!

It's Gonna Be A White Christmas

2006-12-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

There is no way this stuff will melt before Monday... it's not gonna be warm enough to melt it all. I absolutely LOVE snow. We were sent home early from work today and there is a chance we won't have to go in tomorrow. We will see though. The big wigs at work tend to not think a whole lot of things through. The didn't send us home today till 1pm and we should've been sent home around 9am. Ridiculous.... Anyway, here are some pictures I thought I would share with you. Hope you enjoy.

The snow is up to the door on my car.

See the snow hanging off the side of the neighbors garage...

The stairs down from our front deck...

NYC Plans

2006-12-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I knew I was going to have a problem being in NYC only a few days. My flight gets in at 2:30 on Saturday, so that means, I will have Saturday evening, Sunday and Monday. My birthday is on Sunday. I had a choice of two dates/times for Mary Poppins. Saturday night at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. I thought about going for Saturday night cause then I would have ALL DAY Sun and Mon to sightsee. But I was afraid, that if my flight was delayed, I would miss the show. That wasn't an option. So I will be going to the Sunday 3pm show. I am excited. I narrowed down the things I must see to just three. Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza, and Ellis and Liberty Island. Of course Ellis/Liberty Island will be weather permitting. I am hoping that I get lucky and they have really nice weather that weekend. But I am preparing for the possibility of that not happening. I am probably going to get a ticket for the double decker sight seeing bus so that could be my main mode of transportation. I have to make my reservations for the airport transfers. I looked at getting a town car or something but I don't know for sure. It's not exactly cheap. That's as far as I have gotten with my plans.

Friday's Feast

2006-12-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

Appetizer:
What language would you like to learn and why?
I took French in middle school and high school. I haven't used it since. I would like to refresh that. But I would also love to learn Italian. These will both come in handy when I am travelling in Europe.

Soup:
What is the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?
Got this video from one of the guys I work with... it's hilarious!

Salad:
Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?
Going Overboard. It's an early Adam Sandler movie. I rented it and it was so bad that I actually took it back the video store and got my money back for it. It was THAT BAD!!!!

Main Course:
If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name what would the day be called?
Reading day... I LOVE to read.

Dessert:
Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see
The Holiday. There are lots but that one I REALLY want to see tomorrow... which is when it comes out.

Before I get to that....

2006-12-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is a week later and I have my Friday's Feast ready to go. But since I haven't posted yet this week, I thought I would fill in a little bit before I get to that. I am just trying to remember what I was going to post about earlier this week... now I don't know. It has been a bit uneventful but not boring. Don't remember if I posted about this earlier, but about a month or so ago, I got hit in my car... my car I have only had for 4 MONTHS!!! It's a 2006 Honda Civic and I LOVE IT! Anyway, I got hit and it had to go to the body shop. I missed my car soooo much and despised the rental I got. Well, I got my car back today. I keep thinking, I need to name her... but I don't know what to name her. I am sure something will come to me eventually. I have never named a car so I am going to take my time on this.

Last Saturday my friend L had her baby shower. It was up north so we drove up there together. It was nice to see her again. She moved about an hours drive away so I don't see her as often as I would like. I did tell her that when she has that baby, I will be there a lot more. I need to make good on that too. I will benefit two-fold. I will get to enjoy the baby and I will have the company of my friend again. The thing that stinks is... I am going to be on my cruise the week of her due date. I told her she either needs to have him the week before or the week after. Not that she has any control over it but...

I finally decided what I am going to do for my birthday... I am going to NYC!! I have been there once but didn't get to see any of the sights really. We just drove around looking for a place to park... no fun. I leave Jan 6th and come home on the 9th. I am going to freeze my butt off but it will be fun. I hope to go see Mary Poppins on Broadway. That was my favorite movie when I was a kid... that and the original Cat in the Hat. I still love Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Friday's Feast

2006-11-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

I saw this on another blog one day awhile ago and thought I would give it a try. It would give me something to write if I had nothing else. I had actually kind of forgotten about it until today. So here it goes.

Appetizer:
Have you ever flown a helicopter?
No... but I would be up for it if given the opportunity. I've never even been in one but I would not hesitate at that either.

Soup:
What color is your warmest coat or jacket?
Yellow and Black, and I got to wear it today as it was only 3 degrees out this morning... brrrr.

Salad:
What is your favorite rainy day activity?
I like to sit and watch it rain... if it is in fact actually raining. If it is just cold I like to curl up in my bed under all the blankets and either watch a good movie or read a good book.

Main Course:
Describe your hands--
Plain, I rarely wear jewelry. I have one knuckle that is swollen from arthritis, the rest of my fingers are fairly small although not tiny... I sometimes look at them and think they look old (aside from the arthritis), but then other days, not so much.

Dessert:
If you could only eat one nut for the rest of your life, what nut would you pick?
Walnut... they give me the warm a fuzzy feeling of a good memory with my great grandmother.

A Hug Can Brighten Up Your Day

2006-11-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

I don't think I need to add anything to this....

Contemplation

2006-11-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

Well, Thanksgiving went okay... My cousin was there along with her
boyfriend. Turns out she is 7 months along already. Thursday was
uncomfortable with her and J there. On Friday we all were back at the
grandparents for leftovers and she was there without J. Much better and
laid back. After we ate, we were all sitting there and talking. A started
talking about how she and J had discussed adoption for the baby. I just sat
there and listened. You can tell that she is not sure if that is what path
she wants to take with this baby, and J obviously is leaning toward that.

Today I was talking to my friend about it and she asked if they had
considered a family adoption... meaning me. I have thought about it a bit.
But there are a few things to consider. First the baby is only 2 months
away and that is not much time to prepare, second, I don't know how
receptive she would be to me adopting the baby (we were not on the best of
terms the last time we talked), and third, I would be very concerned that
she and J would change their minds and I would lose the baby to them. I
don't know if I could handle that. But I can't stop thinking about it!! I
don't know if I should put out feelers to other family members (her mom and
dad or our grandparents) to see what their take is on it, or if I should
just step back away from it and hope that they make the right decision and
place the baby with a family and leave it at that. I don't know....

Today is a struggle for Me

2006-11-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here at work in complete shock and can't even think about work, even though I have a pile of it sitting on my desk. The really bad thing is that I am in shock over something that I knew was inevitable one day. I was just talking to my grandpa about Thanksgiving dinner and he informed me that my cousin A would be there and that he thought we should know something before we got there... A is pregnant....

I guess a bit of background on A would be appropriate here for anyone who may stumble upon this...

She is my cousin who I would define as the "blacksheep" of the family. It was not this way until a couple years ago. Half way through her senior year of HS, she ran off to live with her 'boyfriend' whom no one had met. Rather than living with him and not be married, they ran off the court house and got married. Mind you she is 18 and still supposed to be in school. Well, she finally ends up moving back in with her parents and finishes school. She moves back in with her now husband to only have him kick her out a few weeks later. She moves back home, and then joins the Army. She is at bootcamp for I think a total of 2 weeks before they send her home because she is not adjusting. She then proceeds to move in with a guy, J, who she met while she was enlisting. She is still married to the previous guy and this new guy is married with a baby on the way. At one point she moves in with the grandparents and they attempt to help her get her life straightened out.... she can't hold a job and she ends up back with J. In all this there are some extenuating medical issues etc which I will not delve into here. In the meantime, as far as I know, she is still legally married to the first guy (they can't afford a divorce because neither of them can hold a job for any amount of time). J had attempted to enlist in the Army only to be turned down because he had a pending felony check fraud charge. So now she is pregnant...

I knew this would happen and I would always think about how I would handle this and here it is and I don't know what to say. I know a lot of things I want to say but I know they are inappropriate and unnecessary. However, all I can think is how is she shouldn't have a baby because she can't even take care of herself let alone a child. That is what keeps going through my mind, not, how can I reach out to her and try to help her (whether she would accept or not), which, I know, is how I should handle this situation. I am sick to my stomach over this and I am not sure what aspect of this bothers me more. Is it the fact that the lifestyle she has chosen is not the ideal situation to raise a child in and in my line of work, I have seen many situations like this where a child is living, and it all manifests itself in a negative situation for the child? Is it the fact that since all these things with her blew up, she has been unwilling to accept a true offer of assistance to get her life in order, and follow through on it, from ANYONE? Is it the fact that I have not been able to forgive her for the way she has treated our family with such disregard, regardless of all the hurt and worry she has put us through over the last few years (whether she asks for forgiveness or not, I know that the right thing is for me to forgive her anyway and I have been struggling with this for some time. It is a battle I fight frequently, I trust (too) easily and then when someone betrays that trust, I have a hard time forgiving and trusting again)? Or is there a bit of jealousy there on my part, she is just 21, and is going to be a parent, something which I personally doubt she is prepared for emotionally or financially and then there is me, about to turn 28 in a couple months, and ALL I have EVER wanted in my life is to be a mom (the fact that I have not accomplished the one thing I want in my life is something that I have been dealing with and considering for about a year now. I am actually seriously considering adopting in a few years if I am still single and childless by then, but I think this news has just "rubbed it in" (for the lack of a better term)? I am leaning toward the latter two facts, and I think that I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that these are my issues that I need to deal with, not something that I can blame on her. I can lay blame no where but on myself which makes it that much more difficult to deal with.

Soundtrack of My Life

2006-11-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

I just played this game that I got from another blog, and I thought I would
see what it gave me. Try it out.... it will have you laughing too. Here is
what you do:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that�s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don�t lie and try to pretend you�re cool�

Opening Credits: Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You - Kellie Pickler
Waking Up: When Love Comes Down - Point of Grace (oops... I have Christmas
songs in here too)
First Day At School: The Lady Is a Tramp - Frank Sinatra
Falling In Love: So Says I - The Shins
Fight Song: Just a Kiss - Steve Holy
Breaking Up: Ol' 55 - The Eagles
Prom: You Rescued Me - Jamie O'Neal
Life: Whenever You Remember - Carrie Underwood
Mental Breakdown: To Be With You - Jamie O'Neal
Driving: Under the Weather - KT Tunstall
Flashback: Nice N Easy - Frank Sinatra
Getting Back Together: The Hunger - Steve Holy
Wedding: Where I Began - Caedmon's Call
Birth of Child: Hearts In Celestial Union - Gandalf (came on the computer,
it's a little strange)
Final Battle: Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
Death Scene: (There's Gotta Be) More to Life - Stacie Orrico
Funeral Song: If I Was Jesus - Toby Keith
End Credits: One Day Closer to You - Carolyn Dawn Johnson

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in this. I was hoping more of them
would be more fit for what part of my "life" they were associated. I wonder
what it would come out if I tried it one more time.....

Opening Credits: You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone - Brooks and Dunn
Waking Up: I Just Can't Live a Lie - Carrie Underwood
First Day At School: Talk to Me - Lee Ann Womack
Falling In Love: When You Get To Me - Lee Ann Womack
Fight Song: (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole
Breaking Up: Something Worth Leaving Behind - Lee Ann Womack
Prom: You're Not Alone Tonight - Keith Urban
Life: Good Together (Bucket and Chicken) - SheDAISY
Mental Breakdown: Song For Dad - Keith Urban
Driving: She's My Kind of Rain - Tim McGraw
Flashback: Take It Easy - The Eagles
Getting Back Together: Sweet - Toby Keith
Wedding: The Next Time You Go - Eugene Edwards
Birth of Child: I've Got the World on a String - Frank Sinatra
Final Battle: Lie To Me - Pushmonkey (not my kind of music, came on the
computer)
Death Scene: When We Are One - Gabriel Mann
Funeral Song: Is That a Tear - Tracy Lawrence
End Credits: Where We Belong - Jamie O'Neal

Okay, so it wasn't much better the second time around. Maybe it will work
better for others.

30 Questions

2006-11-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

I love these things where you get to answer questions about yourself. As
cheesy as they may seem, I think some of them can really make people think
about things and you could really learn something about yourself with them.
So here I go with another one.

1) What side of the heart do you draw first? Right

2) Can you dive without plugging your nose? Nope.

3) What color is your razor? Blue

4) What is your blood-type? B (don't know whether it's positive or negative)

5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours? I don't think I could take
24 hours tied to anyone. I am really anal about my "personal space"

6) What is a rumor someone has spread about you? I don't know that I have
ever heard one.

7) How do you feel about carrots? I will eat them raw (cooked ones are
slimy)

8) How many chairs at the dining room table? 4, although the dining room
table is only used for craft projects or wrapping gifts.

9) Which is the best spice girl? Don't even remember all their names.

10) Do you know what time it is? Bedtime

11) Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince song? Well this is a story
all about how my life got flipped turned upside down...

12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? If I was by myself
or just a couple people I already knew, I would be okay, otherwise I might
freak out.

13) Whats your favorite kind of gum? I like all kinds. I do really like
watermelon though.

14)T or F: Alls fair in love and war. False

15) Do you have a crush on anyone? Someone at work, but in case anyone I
work with were to stumble across this, I am not going to name names. There
was this guy who I used to work with who I was absolutley crazy about and
one of my co-workers found out about it and sunk her nails into him. That
co-worker is a whole other post in and of itself and maybe I will take the
time to put that down here sometime.

16) Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning?
If I don't know what it means, I don't use it.

17) Do you like to sleep? I LOVE to sleep!

18) Do you know which US states don't use Daylight Savings? Arizona, and
Indiana (don't know if there are any others)

19) Do you know the song Total Eclipse of the Heart? A little before my
time.

20) Do you want a bright yellow 06 mustang? That would be fun. I like the
new retro design and yellow is my favorite color.

21) What's something you've always wanted? A child.

22) Do you have hairy legs? It's winter, do you really think I would waste
my time on shaving my legs when no one sees them except me?

24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake? Neither. Lakes give me
the eebie jeebies, and I have a seriously irrational fear of sharks.

25) Do you wear a lot of black? I think I wear a moderate amount.

26) Describe your hair. Just above my shoulders and drives me crazy because
it flys in my face.

27) Do you have Entomophobia? Do I have WHAT!? (see question 16)

28) Are you an adult? I at least pretend that I am

29) Where are your best friends? Florida, about 2000 miles away from me,
not close enough.

30) Do you have a tan? I never have a tan.

31) Are you a television addict? My name is R and I am a tvholic.

32) Do you enjoy spending time with your mother? I better, I am going to be
on a cruise ship with her in the same room for a week.

33) Are you a sugar freak? Yep

34) Do you like orange juice? I like it although I don't drink it a lot. I
am partial to apple juice.

35) What sign are you? Capricorn

36) What color is your Cell Phone? Black

37) Where do you wish you were right now? Paris

Misc. Thoughts

2006-11-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

I don't really have some deep contemplative writings to put down here. Just a few thoughts that cross my mind on a pretty regular basis:

-- How can people do such horrible things to others. This is such a terribly tragic story that you can feel your heart drop when you hear it.

-- I want to go to Europe. I say this A LOT!!! I really do want to go. As much as I really can't afford it right now, I am going to do everything in my power to make it happen this year. I had been thinking about taking 3 weeks or so in a couple years and spend it over there, but the more I think about it, the less I want to wait. Maybe if I go see Paris and London this year, I can see some other places when I go in a couple years.

-- I miss my friends terribly. They live in Florida and I can't be there nearly as much as I want to be. Maybe I can make a long weekend in January.

-- Is it time for my cruise yet? We have our plane tickets to fly down to Florida. Got them for a steal. Less than $250 for both my mom and I, round trip, non-stop! My travel agent was even amazed.

-- Christmas will be here before we know it. Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away. I have my shopping started (what I haven't done, I have no idea what I am going to get). I will hopefully have my stuff for my cards this week, so I can get them done while I am housesitting the week of Thanksgiving.