Determined to have a good week!

I'm celebrating my 30th birthday this week, and I decided over the weekend that it's going to be a VERY good week.

I'm not going to let work and car troubles bring me down. I worked a normal day today (well 9.5 hours...but much better than I have been!). I gave two very good presentations - one good thing about this new job is that i'm doing alot of presenting - something I KNOW I need practice doing.

Tomorrow night i'm going to a girly Christmas party with friends from my old job who I miss and adore.

Wednesday night, I have a meeting to discuss a conference that i'm really excited to help organize and go to.

Thursday is my birthday. My parents are taking me to a really fun new restaurant. And i've promised myself not to get hung up on what I *haven't* done by now, or the number 30. I'm sure it will feel no different than 29.

Friday, Chris is throwing a little shindig for me at one of my favorite bars, and at least 80 of my friends and family are coming. If that's not something to be excited about, i don't know what is! I also have that day off and have scheduled a cut and color with a new stylist who can hopefully mix it up a bit for me. I am excited. It's going to be a VERY good week, I tell you!

I'm trying

I've been trying hard to get back here and blog. And mostly it's been neglected because I haven't had a lot of good things to say. So I guess i'm going to vent a bit here. I'm having a rough time these days dealing.

My new job has been really rough. I tried to escape a situation I felt was a dead end and I was working WAY too much, and I jumped into another situation with similar frustrations. Just different clients and (fun) coworkers.

Chris has been battling a skin infection for 4 months. No lie. It's gotten worse and doctors can't figure it out and he FINALLY got into a dermatologist last week for them to prescribe MORE cortizone creams and we wound up in the emergency room last night because he had a severe reaction to the combination of meds.

Chris' grandpa is in the hospital and not doing well. He is 96, but it doesn't make it any easier.

I got into a car accident this morning with our new car. I'm okay, except for some stiffness in my neck and back. I'm crossing my fingers that it feels better, not worse tomorrow. It was not my fault, but there were five cars involved, and the car that was at fault only has state minimum coverage - which in ohio means $7500 that has to be split between all the cars that were damaged. And I realize it could be worse, but i'm REALLY upset to have to fork over $500 for a deductible on this car that we JUST BOUGHT and the accident was NOT my fault, and we've been working REALLY HARD to get our credit card debt paid off, and that takes a big chunk out of what we can pay off this month.

Oh yeah, and through all the stresses, i've gained weight. At least 10 pounds. I have three pairs of work pants that I can't wear right now because they are so uncomfortable.

::::and i'm done::::

What a Crappy Day!

Boy oh boy!

• I started my day with an 8am Dentist Appointment. Let me tell you how fun those are.
• I got into work by 9am - the latest i've ever gotten there yet, because the latest i've been there before this was 8:30 am, when i've been told we start officially at 9am. I got lectured on being "late" even though I notified my bosses about my appointment.
• My web filters at my new job now block gmail. Ugh.
• They FORGOT to transfer my email and i lost everything for the last two weeks and still have no email.
• I didn't take lunch until 3pm because of work insanity.
• Had to spend said lunch getting a new phone because last night when I dropped it in the cupholder of my car, I forgot there was a glass of iced tea there.
• I worked until 7:15pm.
• I couldn't find my car in the parking garage.
• After finally finding it i tripped and fell, skinned my knee, jammed two toes, and have some nice bruises on knees and elbow.
• I am really sore and stiff and had to call and bail on canvassing for Obama tonight - something that really really means a lot to me.
• Cried in the car on the way home talking to my Mom. Thank goodness for her. I don't know what I'd do without her!

I think i'm going to self-medicate with an Oktoberfest beer now!

Work Update!

This is long overdue because...(drumroll please)...i have been working myself to the bone at my new job!

The job is going okay. I don't say that to be dramatic, because I'm postive that i'm happier there than at my last job, but it's a HUGE adjustment, and it's not exactly what I expected. My first two weeks there have exposed how HIGHLY disorganized the place is, especially as we moved from an office they've been in for six years, to an awesome new downtown office. I've really got my work cut out for me if I want to be an effective designer. I need to help them be more organized, proactive, and process-driven. I have an ally there he and I are already devising a plan of action for that. I just hope that it will be well-received by our leadership, but it seems to be one of those things we just have to DO -- ask forgiveness not permission.

Alot of this is just nerves on my behalf. I feel the need to prove to myself (mostly) that I can thrive in a creative environment that is fast-paced, and not just in-house in a corporation. I realize also that my communication style is very different than that of my new boss who I've known for a couple of years now. And I have learned the hard way over the last two weeks, that I've been empowered to make decisions and judgements without asking questions to take on a true leadership role in the team. It's scary and feels really good at the same time.

I am going to New York next week for a client meeting and will be working very hard this week to put together a STELLAR family of concepts to show at that meeting with a very exciting client. I am REALLY excited about it.

A Week in Review

I've been relaxing for a week, taking some time away from most everything that is the norm for me. Chris and I left last Saturday for D.C. for four days and three nights, which were really fun-filled and just what I needed! We got to spend a little time with my favorite cousin, our friends the Fordes, and the Niño's. We explored some of D.C.'s neighborhoods, and went to two fabulous museums.

Since we've been back, I went to a very exciting rally for Obama to see the National and the Breeders (for free!). Had lunch with my Mom, and my bro's ex-girlfriend, who's leaving for Australia today to work for a year. I have relaxed a lot. I have taken mid-afternoon naps. I have read and watched 90210 reruns (hehe), and I have been to the gym three times since Thursday! Yay me!

Today, I plan to go back to the gym, do a little cleaning, and get ready to party with the girls tonight from my old job and go dancing. I'm really excited. Monday starts the new gig. I am nervous, but also excited. Wish me luck!

A word (or two) from my vacation

1. I love my husband. he's such a good sport.
2. it's good to let loose.
3. i love the nino's.
4. i love spending the night at the nino's
5. i love the name 'geee mahh" from liam
6. i love the nino's

a fantastic weekend, and a week of endings

Tomorrow is my last day on the job, and i have mixed emotions about it all. It's a very very good thing for sure, but I sure am going to miss alot of the people there, and it's always a little scary making big changes.

But - onto the good stuff. I had a fantastic weekend in Shaker Village. I got to see four very amazing speakers, get to know alot of really great people, and reconnect with some old friends. Shaker Village is an amazing place. I'd like to go back very soon. It's hard to capture the beauty of the place with my cheap little camera, but this photo wasn't too bad.


High Bridge, Kentucky River

It's good to be refreshed and revived. Chris and I are off to D.C. this weekend for a last-minute vacation. We'll be visiting with some friends and enjoying the museums and the city. And when we return, i'm going to work hard to kickstart my healthy habits to start my new job in a healthier routine!

Heading to Shaker Village for the Weekend...

I'm going to one of the coolest Design Conferences ever - close to home in Shaker Village, KY. I even got talked into leading a session there (on sustainability, no less!). I'm really nervous about it, but I think it's going to be a blast. Anyway, as I prepare for this conference, and head out bright and early Friday morning, I leave you with this Shaker Hymn, which is fitting for the weekend, and the cleansing I need to do as I end one job, and move on to another.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'Tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Workout!

My workout routine has been lacking (to say the least) for the past several months because of work. Today I finally got back to the gym after probably almost a month of not going. I'm saying this all too often, and wondering if I need to cancel my membership and exercise on my own because I am wasting money. I want to try to give it one more shot though.

Regardless, I got up at 5:30 this morning and trekked into the gym. 30 minutes on the arc trainer did me in though. I wasn't so out of breath, but I was tired, and really really HUNGRY. I threw in the towel there. I will walk the dog tonight for another 30 minutes, and try to build up my workout beyond that at the gym this weekend. I have no excuse for not going Saturday and Sunday. Really.

It is what it is though - I got up, when I didn't want to, and I did it. I exercised. And I'm celebrating myself for that right now. It's a small step, but a big accomplishment!

Taking my life back

Today was the day that my boss told the office I was leaving. It was a bit of a wild day. A woman I work with who used to be a boss of mine pulled me in her office and started crying, and told me that I needed to help fill my position and interview candidates before I leave. Ugh.

Regardless, I was in at 8am (a tad early), took a 90 minute lunch, and left at 5pm. And I haven't been more productive in months at home! I came home, had some dinner and sent several emails i've been neglecting to send for my professional association.

Then I walked with the dog, talked with my neighbor friend, did dishes, cleaned up my kitchen, put away several items that belonged in the basement, did two loads of laundry (and folded it!), vacuumed upstairs and down, and dusted the woodwork and furniture upstairs. Tomorrow night, Chris and I are going to tackle the yard. It desperately needs to be weeded.

I'm so excited to have energy back! I feel like I have my life back. It's WONDERFUL. I really hope this continues into my new job, because I really had no idea how much the stress was taking out of me until tonight. I feel like a new person.

Now i'm going to go curl up with my husband, who just got home from a late city council meeting!

Struggling

As happy as I am about my new job, and leaving the stressful situation that has been my job over the last year, i'm finding myself sad. And I can't believe it.

When I started this job almost four years ago, I was escaping a job situation where the work was not what I wanted to be doing, my supervisor wouldn't teach me anything, and I felt I was failing for it. It left me insecure, and when I moved into my current job I was terrified of failing all over again.

The funny part is I really did succeed there. I excelled at my job. I knew it, and they knew it. And now i'm leaving that job to go to another small company, much like the one I left four years ago. And i'm *terrified*. Terrified that i'll fail them, and terrified that they'll fail me. And the job i'm leaving was once my dream job - and now this new job has a lot to live up to. I know I made the right choice, but I sure hope I can move forward into this new experience with my head high and my creativity refreshed.

I've been a bundle of emotions today, as I had to tell the team that reports to me my news, and a few of my friends at work. My boss still hasn't announced it. I guess the guilt is getting to me, too. But I can't help but wish things were different, because I don't WANT to leave. I believe in what that facility is doing for pediatric health. I adore (most of) my coworkers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the projects I get to work on, and the beyond fascinating topics I get to research and learn about. The surgeries I have watched, the patients whose lives have changed because of the work our facility does, and ultimately because of the message that I helped put out there about our services, that make people aware of all we do.

I need to stop saying "we" i guess. I just can't help wishing it had all turned out differently.

The Big Announcement!

I resigned from my job yesterday.

I've accepted a position at a small (but quickly growing!) design firm as Senior Designer. I'm very excited about the offer, the position, and the location (I heart working in downtown Cincinnati!). I start October 20th.

Once I got it off my chest yesterday with my boss it felt like a year's worth of stress was lifted off of my chest. I felt a little bad for him, because I know i'm leaving him in a really tough position. But I gave him 3.5 weeks of notice, and have already started working on a transition plan.

It hasn't been formally announced yet, and i'm sure that will be another obstacle to get over, but I'm just so relieved to finally have some much-needed change in my life!

On the Horizon

I have some good news on the Horizon. I will share more next week, but it's got me so excited that I could hardly sleep right now.

Such a bag of mixed emotions: i'm nervous, i'm excited, i'm sad, i'm ecstatic, i'm elated, but mostly, i'm relieved.

I'll share more soon, I promise!

A Small Victory

I had a really bad day today at work. This really is becoming the norm, but I really got frustrated with more things that are not changing. Things that I don't feel comfortable discussing here, but sometimes I wish I could vent my thoughts! Regardless, I realize that the source of my food weeknesses and my laziness stem from stress on my job. Chris told me the other night that he thinks that I require quite a bit of "down time." This was just an observation, and not a judgement, but I really think that my job takes so much out of me that it's really changed me in so many different ways. I find myself mostly wanting to stay at home these days, and not be social, and that really isn't me at all.

Regardless, tonight I decided after a particularly bad day that I wasn't going to just retire to bed in front of the television so that I could do something completely mindless. I had a really really good food day today. I had yogurt, granola and blueberries for breakfast, a trader joe's meal and grapes for lunch. An apple and popcorn for an afternoon snack, and a small turkey sandwich and peas for dinner. I did really well. I didn't stress eat. I didn't overload on snacks around the office.

I knew I didn't have the energy to go to the gym, so I decided to FINALLY try the workout dvd I bought a few months ago. I started at the level one workout for 30 minutes. It was awesome. Just what I needed. I got my heart rate going, and I was sweating quite a bit. And you know what? My stress levels are way lower for it. Yay me!

This video recommends 4-5 times of doing this a week for six weeks. I'm going to do my best to keep up with this, and still incorporate a couple of trips to the gym each week. Work does not promise to get any better anytime soon, unfortunately, so the best thing I can do is help myself get my stress levels back down when I return home from work, right?!

What does everyone else do to relieve stress instead of eat or veg out in front of the TV? I could use suggestions to mix it up!

Yes, I'm one of THOSE dog owners!

My dog graduated from his third round of dog training tonight. He really is a different dog than he was just three months ago! This round focused more on "canine good citizen training." Though he didn't pass the test (and we really only think that's because he LOVES the trainer that was constantly throwing him treats and he wouldn't do anything during the test except go and run to her - which was hilarious and frustrating at the same time!).

Anyway, the trainer plays the graduation song, and does the whole cap and gown thing, and of course, I had to capture that!

How cute is my dog?!

All gushy inside

:)

Tonight I met up shortly with my friend Kelly. One of my oldest and still dearest friends. She was in town from Cleveland for her sister's bachelorette party, and is 6 months pregnant. I haven't seen her since she was very newly pregnant (and what's pretty funny is that I knew then that she was pregnant and she didn't know it yet!). Chris and I crashed the party for a bit to hang out with her. It was so great to see her. And she has got to be the cutest pregnant lady i've seen since the Nino's came to visit a couple of years ago! :)

It's been a great long weekend so far. Chris and I went up to Yellow Springs yesterday. We planned on hiking, but the rain kept us from that, so had lunch and then we shopped most of the day. I bought some really beautiful amber earrings and a hand-cranked flashlight/radio combo. I also bought a Christmas gift for my mother in law. Then we went to Young's Dairy for some fabulous ice cream.

For our anniversary, Chris and I went to the CAC. Then we went out to dinner at Riverside Korean. Wow, was it amazing!

Today I have been pretty worn out. I spent the morning relaxing on my front porch, enjoying the weather. I read and took a nap this afternoon, and Chris went out on a little-mini road trip while I went to church and then to the grocery store. I came home and tried out a recipe from a Rachel Ray cookbook that my Mom gave me last year for a Mexican Chorizo stoop. It wasn't bad, though I substituted the Tomatillos for tomatoes from my Mom's garden, and used chicken Chorizo from the farmer's market to lighten the recipe up. It turned out pretty well.

Tomorrow is a double baby shower for my two cousin's wives. And I'm sure I'll have to field the "when are you having a baby?" question at least a few times tomorrow, and it's very hard for me at this point not to get upset when people ask me that question and not have the urge to say "it's really none of your business!"

But I do plan to enjoy every last minute of that one last day off of work! :)

Four Years

I'm not working today, yet i'm having quite a bit of trouble sleeping this morning as I unwind from all the things going on.

Chris and I took today and tomorrow off of work to celebrate our fourth anniversary, which is today.

I woke up this morning reflecting on that, of course, and marveling at the past year, which I really think may have been our hardest year yet, emotionally, on me. I have really struggled with a lot of things this year. And of course those things have affected my marriage. But I am so fortunate to be married to one of the most patient and understanding human beings I have ever met. He's just so kind and wonderful, and even when i feel i'm at my very worst, he provides me with the comfort I need, the listening I desire, and the patience to endure it all with an unwavering great attitude -- he's my biggest cheerleader.

We've had some really great times this year as well (and it's always best to end on the positive!). We shared a fantastic week-long vacation to Ontario, which is to date, one of my favorite trips we've ever taken together. It really revitalized us both in several ways. We've shared so many fun days together with family and friends, or even just movie nights at home with our dog - we both adore that family time with just the three of us!

He's my best friend, and I'm amazed that these four years have flown by so quickly! Here's to a fantastic year five!

Health Update!

Warning: If you don't like reading about female cycles, please don't keep reading!

About three months ago, I calculated how long i've been regulating my menstrual cycle with birth control. It was a really long time - 6 years.

I decided to go off of the pill and instantly felt a difference in my energy levels, hunger levels, sleep patterns, etc. It was fantastic. That was in May. It's almost September now, and I haven't had a period since that point.

Last week on my other (now retired) blog, I mentioned that I had some tests done. There are a lot of factors that could weigh into all of this besides being on the pill for six months, one of them being the incredible amounts of stress i'm undergoing at work these days.

I had blood work done to check my glucose, my cholesterol, my thyroid gland and several types of hormone deficiencies. I was terrified, and I weighed in at 24 pounds more than I weighed last summer, which absolutely disgusted me. What am I doing to myself?

Well I received the test results last Tuesday, after what seemed like a lot of waiting - and everything came back completely NORMAL. I'm so relieved. I'm on some meds to get back on track with my cycle - just for 10 days though.

But i'm using this to kick myself into gear for what I need to be doing for my own self and my own health. I'm getting more rest. I'm cutting back my eating out. I'm drinking more water, and i'm generally just looking out for myself more. Now the eating and the working out has always been a struggle, but i'm working on it, and I will get there. I'm just so thankful that I have a clean bill of health. Now I just need to focus on eating right and really seriously losing weight.

And i'll admit it, I'm presenting this here for some moral support; I really can use it!

What a long crazy summer it's been!

I'm back! And i'm giving this blog more attention.

It's been a crazy summer. I've been working alot, and I haven't been focusing on myself, or on my own needs and outlets. Some things I have on tap for the last few months of the year:

1. A really cool conference in Shaker Village, KY: I need this! Totally just a weekend of inspiration with other designers

2. Planning a trip for my 30th Birthday: More details on that soon, I hope. Chris and I are hoping to sit down this weekend and next and really decide where we want to go and for how long!

3. Making better health choices for myself: This includes sticking to my regular gym schedule, and not letting work interfere with that.

4. Finding work/life balance: This is going to be my biggest challenge on this list. I'm not sure how i'm going to do it, but I will!

5. Taking the time to work on remodeling my kitchen: Fingers crossed big time here. I can't wait to get that nasty wallpaper down, and possibly take advantage of the fact that my very handy brother is laid off and looking for under-the-table cash work and just things to do in general!

6. Planting a fall garden: I'm hoping to start that this weekend! I can't wait for fall veggies!

Ugh. Why am I so Cautious?

So I'm sitting in a hotel room in Omaha tonight after a party at 10:50pm, because I overdid it last night, and I'd like to have some party left in me tomorrow night for the closing party of the retreat i'm on.

Mind you, on this retreat i'm hanging out with some of the most forward thinking designers in the country, and shaping the future of our professional organization. It's overwhelming, exciting and intimidating along with being one of the best experiences of my career.

One of the designers and advocates for my field that I admire most is out with a HUGE group of girls seeing the Sex and the City Movie, and I stayed in to sleep.

And now I am wishing I was there with them - with HER - hanging out and laughing and crying with those four ladies I love so much.

In other news, I made a new friend -- several of them -- but one that I really hope to maintain a good frienship with and visit beyond this conference. YAY! It's a total coincidence that he and his partner own two bakeries (one specializing in cupcakes) in Pittsburgh!

On the Proverbial Edge

Today I got so frustrated with someone I have repeatedly tried so hard to get along with at work that I came very close to yelling at her.

I felt it right there. It wasn't good.

I have tried in so many ways. Calls, meetings with her, meetings with my boss, emails. You name it. We have completely opposite communication styles, and I have to say that I have never EVER had this kind of a problem communicating with someone.

Even though i'm going to a very intense 3-day conference, an checking email while i'm there for work, I'm so glad to get away for a few days.

In other news, I had a very very nice weekend with my husband. In recent weekends we seemed to be arguing a lot. My thought on it all is that we really haven't had time to spend together, and we were really taking it out on one another by picking fights because we are both frustrated.

We got to sit down this weekend and really talk about focusing on our goals together. Not my goals for my career, and his goals for finishing school and focusing on a career, but our goals together. It was really really good. It's funny how a nice weekend together and a bit of communication can spark the fire all over again! I never said marriage was easy - it's a lot of work.

It's definitely worth it. Chris is definitely worth it.

The Fire

On Sunday afternoon, after a very productive morning, I was lounging on my front porch talking to my Mom, when my sister in law buzzed in on the other line. I switched over to see what she needed (she doesn't call just to gab), and she told me that her Grandparents' house was on fire.

YIKES!

Chris immediately got his shoes on, we packed some sandwiches, water and lawn chairs, and he headed to his grandparents' house. I arrived later with our second car. I can't go too much into it, or my blood pressure will start rising again. But it's absolutely heartbreaking. His grandmother has lived in that house for 68 years. She raised two children in that house. His grandfather has lived there for almost 40 years since they got married when Chris' Dad was a teenager. They've invested their lives in this house.

Chris took some photos of the outside, but it's the images in my head of the inside that are haunting me. I wasn't allowed to go to the second floor without a fireman, so I stayed downstairs.

The photos are here, if you'd like to view them. They lost everything on the second and third floors, which is primarily where his grandparents' live. Chris' stepbrother, niece and nephew live on the first floor. They suffered a lot of water damage and smoke damage, but many of their things will be salvaged.

Derby Day!

People in Kentucky take the Kentucky Derby VERY seriously. That's why celebrating with Jenni and Aaron Huff is such a delight!

Bourbon balls (0r cubes), mint juleps, cornhole, jello shots, KFC (YUM! brands), a visit from the cops, and White Castles at the end of the night.

And a "doing dinner soon is NOT an option, it's a must, by one councilman, Mr. Huff made it SUCH a fun night!

And yes, it's 12:40, and i'm going to bed. But 8 hours of drinking is pretty good for me these days!

Brother Update

My brother took off for SanDiego on a total whim on Tuesday. My parents came home to a note from him - he hadn't even called work. And he hadn't shown up in two days. He hadn't locked up his house, he had windows open and expensive tools in the bed of his truck.

He's clearly very upset and beside himself. I'm so worried about him!

Ugh! Dandelions!

I'm entirely too lazy to take any photos of what I just did, but I filled my small garden trash bin with dandelions I just dug up out of my yard. It's so exhausting!

On top of it, I just took the dog out and spied a few more that I missed. I can't decide if I should go out after more of them, or give it a rest. Chris REALLY needs to cut the grass (and I sure hope he'll be home tomorrow night to do it - in my own defense, the self-propeller is broken on our lawn mower, and I can't get it up our front yard hill, or i'd totally be out there cutting it myself, because Chris is allergic to grass and he's miserable when he cuts it!). Maybe i'll aim to go back out there Thursday night.

I LOVE gardening season, but I sure hate the weeds!

A little too wrapped up in myself

Apparently, with all that's been going on in my life, I haven't stopped to call my little brother.

And he and his girlfriend of nearly six years broke up a couple of weeks ago. I found out yesterday when I went to my parents' house to pick them up to make a drive to Dayton to see my new cousin. My brother had shown up there really really broken up about the situation, and that's when my Mom told me they had broken up almost two weeks ago. Boy do I feel like an asshole.

Tara moved all of her stuff out of Brian's house yesterday with the help of her parents. It's not looking good for them getting back together. I'm really hurting for my brother, and for my whole family, because she really was part of the family.

Chris and I were thinking about it last night: She was at our engagement party, at all of our wedding festivities. Helped us to plan my parents' 25th anniversary party, and both of their 50th birthday parties. She celebrated my college graduation, and my brother's trade school graduation with us. She's become part of our Christmas traditions, and my grandmother even gave her a piece of family jewelery.

The thing is, I know it's what's best for her right now. My brother and I are not very close, and in fact, we couldn't two more different people. He's a typical 25 year old male. He drinks too much, he parties too much, he's promised to quit smoking and never has, and many of his friends are inconsiderate jerks who show up unannounced and will never grow up. I wouldn't want a life like that either.

It really comes down to feeling like Brian and Tara are getting a divorce. I really do hope they get back together...only time will tell!

Stolen from Huff's Myspace

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!!

1. Who was your best friend? Chelsea, Julia, Jason, Julie (I had lots of them, okay)
2.What sports did you play? Softball - but not FOR my high school
3. What kind of car did you drive? 86 Buick Regal. That car was the shit!
4. It's Friday night...where r U? either working, or hanging out with my high school boyfriend, Jeff
5. Were you a party animal? not really
6. Were you considered a flirt? I was actually pretty shy
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir..? nope
8. Did you ever get suspended/expelled? I never had a single detention in my life!
9. Can you sing the school song? They taught it to us for graduation finally. Do you really think I remember a song I sang once or twice?
10. Who were your favorite teachers? Hmmm..Mrs. Kramig, Mrs. Wessels (Art!), Mrs Yeazell (English!)
11. Where did you sit during lunch? I worked the room. I had study hall during lunch, too. So I just wandered around for an hour and a half lunch break!
12. What was your school's full name? McAuley High School
13. School mascot? Mohawks
14. Did you go to Prom ? Yep. Stag. Long story.
15. If you could go back and do it again, what would you change? I'd probably be more confident if I knew then what I know now. I'd get more involved in things like Drama and clubs. And I might have worked a little harder.
16. What do you remember most about graduation? Ha. A bunch of girls in my class got caught smoking up on a class field trip in the last week of school. They weren't allowed to walk and quite a few of my classmates tried to protest.
17. Where did you go senior skip day? We didn't have Senior Skip Day. We had our walk the morning of prom, which traditionally people skipped out on. But if you didn't show up to school that day, they threatened not to let you into the prom that year. So I sat in study hall instead of walking. It was my own little protest
18. What clubs were you in? Art Club
19. Where did you go most often for lunch? we weren't allowed to go anywhere but the lunchroom
20. Have you gained weight since then? Um. Who hasn't?
21. Who was your Senior prom date? Myself. My date fell through at the last minute. He was my boyfriend. He was a jerk, too!
22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? I skipped it.
23 .Who will repost this? who knows
24. Who was your high school sweetheart? Jeff
25. Are you still together? HELL NO! :)

Some of my favorite pics from the weekend!

I only took a few, but thought I'd share!

The Tornado that Hit My House (Inside Only!)

Chris and I are both finally starting to feel better from the flu that hit our house (or as I've been calling it, the plague!).

Our house looks like a tornado hit it. No lie. Last night I was frantically putting away bottles and bottles of medications, picking up used tissues that didn't quite make it to the trash can, spraying and wiping surfaces with santizing spray. And the list goes on.

We have guests coming tomorrow. I'm so excited. And so nervous to get all those germs cleaned up for little hands that might be touching and exploring things in our house.

Tonight on the list: Clean the Kitchen (that's my job), Scour the bathroom (that's Chris' job)
Strip the guest bed and replace with clean sheets and comforter
Move my vanity and chair fromt he guest room to the master bedroom, and pick up the neighbor's pack n' play.

Tomorrow: Go to Findlay Market
Dust Vacuum and straighten everything in sight.
Babyproof!
Relax and have fun.

It's going to be a fun weekend!

Another Update on the Danish Neighbor

So apparently it wasn't my note that made him rent space for his cars.

He got a $500 fine from the city for parking his cars in his yard. This news made me smile so wide it felt wrong. Serves the jerk right!

The Danish Neighbor

An update on the annoying Danish neighbor next door!

A few weeks ago, i got completely fed up with him. I know I've mentioned him here and there on my blog. Some good instances, and some bad. I guess a little backstory is in order:

In July of 2006, Michael moved in with his girlfriend, Yolanda. Yolanda was at least 15 years his senior, but a very sweet Mexican lady with grown children in Texas. She made the most amazing homemade tortillas, beans, rice and any other kind of mexican delight you can think of. And she was always sharing it. Michael went back to Denmark for a couple of weeks in August to get some things worked out with his Visa, and Yolanda was all alone in a strange city with no job, and knowing nobody. The neighborhood really took her in. She instantly became family to alot of us.

Michael's trip of a couple of weeks turned into a couple of months. He returned on Halloween. By the first week of November, things had gotten bad next door, and Yolanda had left. Another neighbor confirmed that he had seen Michael smacking her around on the front porch and dragging her in the house, and she had seen the bruises, too.

Since then i've been pretty leerie of the next door neighbor. He's had a slew of girlfriends, all much older than him (he's about 35), and many with small children. And often, one girl will leave, and the next girl will show up an hour or so later. It's really quite disgusting.

All through the shenanigans of his crazy love life, Michael's biggest hobby/pain for us has been his collection of cars. He buys broken down cars, fixes them up, and ships them to Denmark to resell. He's a mechanical engineer, so he has loads of tools and knowledge to do so. However, having 7-8 cars at a time, he has very little space to put them. So he has been parking them in his yard for the last several months - front and back yard. On top of it all, he changes the oil and dumps the motor oil in the grass and makes MY yard stink for days, not to mention what a sore sight it has become!

Right after Christmas he pulled his truck (one of them) into his driveway, but was parked on the median between our driveways. A median with grass that is my property. He has since rutted the thing so badly that the grass won't be coming back on its own, and we have a nice lawn job on the yard we work SO hard to care for. So i wrote him a letter. I was afraid to confront him, because I really don't trust the guy.

I found out yesterday from another neighbor when discussing it that Michael has rented a garage space to store his cars. As of this morning, there were only TWO cars, and they were in the driveway.

I may sound like an uber bitch, but I feel like i've won a major battle with this guy. At the very least, I won't need to feel so embarrassed to have people over to my house!

GAAHHHH

I really need to get my head back on straight. Seriously. I feel like I need a week break from work to reassess some of my own goals, both personally and professionally. The events of last week (boy it was a bad one, i won't even go into it) really are hitting me hard and I'm just exhausted.

I really can't afford to take more time off of work with all that's going on, but i'm really not motivated to start tackling it all. Alot if it's very exciting, and I have a good opportunity to make some impact with my colleague.

Anyone have any suggestions for renewing of the spirit?

At LOOOOOONG Last!

I got promoted today!

A New Blog

This was in no way a resolution, but just a necessary part of what I want to accomplish this year.

I've started a weight loss blog to help me track my own journey, and a way to solicit some encouragement as well, i guess!

Check in if you're interested, here.

I can't wait to look back a few months from now and read my own journey.

A Happy New Year?

2008 has not been off to a good start in our house. It's really quite frustrating. I won't go into it, but we took this weekend to just relax and slow down. So far, so good.

I took this coming Friday off to invest in myself. I need it. And i'm spending tomorrow preparing for that. Elusive? Yes. But hopefully, there will be good things to share soon!