I Finally Broke The Da Vinci Code

Homework
I have decided to take on a homework assignment during my time off during the holidays (work is closed!). I am going to try to watch something I have not seen before every day ... well every other day maybe. I'm not going to push it.

Today, I took on my first assignment. I am watching The Da Vinci Code

Starring: Tom Hanks and the chick from Amelie, Ian McKellan and Alfred Molina
Year Released: 2006

Let's see. I started trying to watch this movie back in 2006. I was at a conference for work in Cambridge, Maryland and there was nothing to do in the area so I was stuck at the resort, 2 hours outside of D.C. in crappy, rainy weather. I didn't mind so much as I can occupy myself reading or watching tv or playing on the internet (mind you these were the days of Myspace, not facebook so no Bejeweled Blitz to occupy my time LOL). The hotel did have a cool feature of having recently released movies available in room. So The Da Vinci Code was one and I was so excited to see it. I bought it to watch and fell asleep within 15 minutes. I had the movie for 24 hours and still couldn't get past those first 15 minutes.
This really bugged me. I loved this book. LOVED this book. As soon as the movie was on DVD, I asked for it for Christmas. I believe it was 2007 at this point. I finally watched it. Tonight. Two years and 3 days after receiving it. After all of the times it's been on cable and TNT, I finally watched it.
My grade:B-
As always, I loved the book way more than the movie. I did like the movie in that it brought the book back to me as I had forgotten a lot of what had happened. I just wasn't that thrilled about the movie. It was alright but it might have been better. I'm not good with words and I'm not sure how it could have been better but I'm fairly certain it could have been better. It's possible that Tom Hanks's hair distracted me a lot too. I enjoyed that the best. He wasn't as bad as I originally thought he would be as Robert Langdon. The end was obviously very good as it was in the novel. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Angels & Demons. I liked that book even more and I've heard that the movie, in some ways, is even better than The Da Vinci Code.

Oh, HELL YES!

I did it! I can't believe it but I actually did it!

Weight Lost this week: -2.4 lbs

Total: -15.4 lbs

Woo hoo!! If I can do that again, how awesome would that be? I'm taking it easy and I am happy with my progress. This is SO fun. I know my husband doesn't notice and/or thinks I'm still ginormous but that's ok ... for now. Maybe he'll notice in another 15 lbs :)

Can't believe it! And over Christmas week to boot! :)

Best Jams of the Decade

The other day at work, my coworker told me that her husband, who has a job as a trivia MC at local area restaurants was going to be using all songs from 1999 this week in between trivia questions. That was my favorite year for music that I can remember. However, as we bring this decade to an end, I wanted to bring out some of the songs that stick out to me over the last 10 years. These songs represent my college life to the present. See if you like any :) By the way, these are in no particular order...they may be in year order but that's it. These are just the songs that when I hear them, they take me to a certain spot in life. Like a moment just captured and I'm instantly back in that time..pretty cool. Keep your eyes posted for edits...I'm sure I'll think of some that I forgot.

Breathe - Faith Hill
Say My Name - Destiny's Child
Smooth - Santana ft. Rob Thomas
Jumpin' Jumpin - Destiny's Child
I Try - Macy Gray
Bye, Bye, Bye - *NSync
It Feels So Good - Sonique
The Real Slim Shady - Eminem
Private Emotion - Ricky Martin
Faded - Soul Decision
Oops..I Did It Again - Britney Spears
Lady Marmalade - Pink, Mya, Lil' Kim, and Christina Aguilera ft. Missy Elliot
Gone - *NSync
Butterfly - Crazy Town
Ride Wit Me - Nelly
Never Had a Dream Come True - S Club 7
Hot in Herre - Nelly
Days Go By - Dirty Vegas
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfeld
Hey Ya! - Outkast
Where Is the Love? - Black Eyed Peas with Justin Timberlake
Shake Ya Tailfeather - Nelly, P.Diddy, Murphy Lee
Stuck - Stacie Orrico
Why Can't I? - Liz Phair
Me Against the Music - Britney Spears and Madonna
This Love - Maroon 5
Yeah - Usher ft. Ludacris and Lil' Jon
Gigolo - Nick Cannon
The First Cut is the Deepest - Sheryl Crow
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day
Hips Don't Lie - Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean
Sexyback - Justin Timberlake
Ridin' - Chamillionaire
Fergalicious - Fergie
Cupid's Chokehold - Gymclass Heroes
Rehab - Amy Winehouse
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Crank Dat - Soulja Boy
Better in Time - Leona Lewis
Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Dance with Me - Debelah Morgan
Hit 'Em Up Style - Blu Cantrell
Around the World - ATC

I'm behind but hey, it's Christmas time...you can't expect much!

This week: -2 lbs

Total to date: -13 lbs

Woo Hoo! Oh yeah...let's see how much I gain after the holidays LOL Merry Christmas to all!

Grrr....

Had a bad week this week. Probably that large popcorn and large Mt. Dew I had at the movies on Saturday.

This Week: +1.2 lbs

Total: -11 lbs

The Princess and the Frog

Today, I did something for myself and I feel guilty about it so I best blog about it.
I went to the movies. Alone. I had no one else to go with! I had to see this! I knew if I didn't now, I never would. Is that so wrong? I did have to run to work so while K. was out, I asked Cedo (Bebe's grandpa) to watch Emily while I ran to work and of course he said yes. I then checked the movie times and found a showing of Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" at 11:45 am.
Oh. My. God. This movie was beautiful. First of all, it was the closest I could get at the moment to New Orleans (what I like to think of as my second home). The animation was at it's best! Beautiful Mardi Gras scenes, hilarious bayou scenes, great music, and a lovely story. Princess Tiana was a great character and exhibited great values. This movie is definitely one for Disney's classic collection. The Shadowman was a terrific villain and of course all of the sidekicks from RayMond and Louis to Lottie and Big Daddy (voiced exceptionally in Nawlins dialect by John Goodman). I loved this movie and can't say enough about it. Go see it. Immediately. That is all...

..And Again...

Once again this week - no gain, no loss.
Total to date: -12.2 lbs

More of the same..

Considering it is the Monday after Thanksgiving, I'm going to have to go with "not too bad." I expected a lot worse.

Lost: 0 lbs

Total: -12.2 lbs

News and Stuff..

I know..scary right? 3 posts in one day?!
So, what do you all think of the couple who crashed the State dinner at the White House? I know it's wrong and it's too bad that they got through security (although they did go through metal detectors and weapons screening) but I'm sorry, I think that was a badass move on their part. To have the guts and gall to just go into the White House uninvited, manage to get in and party with the President and his guests? Really? I'm probably the only person who's jealous LOL. I mean, the lady got her picture taken with VP Biden, Rahm Emanuel, Katie Couric and even the President himself!


Also..what do you think about those 2 wiseguys who flew an hour and a half past Minneapolis due to "cockpit distraction?" Not answering the radio for over an hour? How is that even possible? Any ideas on what was really going on?
I'm also probably the only person who is cracking up at the new commercials for the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie sequel featuring the Chipettes singing "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. Ever since "Single Ladies" was featured prominently in an episode of Glee, I have a new respect for that song. I have to be honest and that although I love some Beyonce, I really had never listened to that song until it was on Glee

I also have to say that I am so excited about the new (classically) animated Disney feature The Princess and the Frog. I absolutely must see immediately. Could anything be better than a Disney movie with a New Orleans setting? Well...I suppose if Patty Duke or Sean Astin voiced a character, I would be in hog heaven but I digress....

One more note. Has anyone else noticed the new commercials about some kind of "maps" or something featuring Luke Wilson? Has he become ginormous or what?! I really enjoy the Wilson brothers (Owen and Luke) but I have to say, sorry but Luke looks very strange in these commercials. Just an observation...
Oh and a special "Holla" to my bff Danielle for sending me awesome pictures so that I might understand what "scene" means. Apparently it's kind of like a way of dressing/lifestyle for teens these days...like emo, goth, prep, punk, etc Now there's something called scene...and it's awsesome. LOL

un-Popular

Ok, so 2 blog posts in one day - I know! Shocking!
I was just thinking about stuff and had a thought (I know, that's shocking as well!). I'm 31 years old yet there are times when I still feel like the most unpopular person/nerd/unaccepted. I sometimes feel accepted but then there are little things that make me realize that I'm not as sophisticated as some of these people and therefore, I am left out. I don't like that feeling. It sucks. It makes me very self-conscious. I come from Ypsilanti. One of the hotspots for Kentucky and Tennessee refugees of the early-mid 20th century because of the manufacturing jobs. Well, Ypsilanti is a lot like "down south." You will find people who have lived up here for 40+ years and still have a thick mountain accent. I seem to think that I have a lot more of those characteristics than not. Simply put, I feel like I am more white "trashy" then I originally thought. I think this makes a bad impression on people and therefore I am shunned sometimes because of my "rough edges" (rough edges compared to those around me). Sorry that I wasn't a drama kid or went away to camp when younger or traveled to Europe or that I don't live as green as I should or drink coffee or eat chocolate. I'm weird ok? I get it. Just don't treat me like I'm ok some of the time but not always. It's not cool to blatantly leave someone out. No one wants to be the last kid picked if you know what I mean.

From Wicked
Popular!
I'll Help You Be Popular!
You'll Hang with the Right Cohorts,
You'll be Good at Sports,
Know the Slang You've Got to Know.
So Let's Start,
'Cause You've Got an Awfully Long Way to Go!

Turkey Day (and it's aftermath)

Wow..what a week and it's only Friday. A belated "Happy Thanksgiving" to you all. I'm thankful for all of my friends and family, particularly around the holidays.
Yesterday was the holiday and I have been running ragged since last Saturday getting my house in order. Last saturday, the grandparents were gracious enough to take on bebe' so that myself (and husband...) could get the house cleaned for hosting Thanksgiving this week. Let's just say that I did that. Me, not husband, but that's fine. It's not a surprise *sigh*
So, after hours of tidying, my dining room table was in sight once again! It was no longer covered with baby clothes, diaper bags, extra purses, picture frames, etc. I also managed to file away papers like account statements, receipts etc as well as hang up many pictures of Emily that have been just laying around waiting.
Yesterday we hosted Thanksgiving with Kurin's family in attendance. Gay and Benjamin, Cyndie, Edwin and Tony, Kevin and Melissa, my parents and bebe'. Gay provided the turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing, C provided the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie, I made rolls and green bean casserole, my dad made hashweh and my mom made a pineapple topped cheesecake and pumpkin roll. Whew! Talk about a TON of food (Bebe' wouldn't TOUCH it!)!
Today is Black Friday - time to go out and get those deals at all of the stores that are opening at 12 am, 3 am, 4 am, 5 am, obnoxious am. Geez! Well, as of yesterday, I am sick as a dog. No shopping for me! I am currently without a voice. This sucks. Especially when I am trying to call the FORD dealership to make an appointment for my P.O.S. car. ***tangent*** On Wednesday, as I was driving home from work, my gas pedal was stuck. This has happened very slightly now and again but seriously, I would brake say to let someone in front of me turn or what not and then when I'd go to give it gas, I couldn't push the pedal down. Do you know how scary that is??? It was kind of like I was in neutral but I wasn't. It was horrible! I told my husband so he told me to take it to a dealer. My car is also burning oil. Every time it's time for an oil change lately, the little stick has like nothing! I go in even before 3000 miles or 3 months and STILL low on oil. Haven't been able to find leaks so who knows. This car is a P.O.S. Literally. I have had little problems with it ever since I bought it. I bought it brand new so it's not a used one, I swear I got a lemon. I think the guys who made this one on the line were disgruntled or something. However, I will not give up on Fords. I love my Ford vehicles. I just hate this one. I had to get a new transmission last fall with only 60,000 miles on the car and it was only 3 years old! WTF?! I do not want to pour a ton of money into this car anymore. That transmission cost me about $2500 approximately 2 weeks before my baby was born. Nice... I am very grateful that I don't have a car payment at this point however if I have to get a new vehicle (even if it's a newer used vehicle), I would rather have a small car payment then a hassle every couple of weeks.
So, it really hasn't been the best of holidays. I hope Christmas time is better. I love the idea of the holidays but I never really enjoy them. With Christmas now, I am reminded of how many people have so little and it makes me so depressed. My mom took 2 angels off of the giving tree at church and one she took was a 64 year old man who would like socks, underwear and a sweatshirt. It absolutely broke my heart. How can I complain about my dumb car when some gentleman out there just wants some socks and underwear for Christmas. I wish I could help everyone. I get more depressed as the years go by. I give everything I can but it's not enough. I can't volunteer anywhere because of how I am. I would be a wreck the whole time. I'm much better at buying things for those in need or donating money. Just hearing stories, upsets me so much that I'm out of it for an hour or more *sigh* I'm very useless :(

So, I am not going to discuss this anymore, I have to get some rest as I am very ill and need to recuperate before returning to work on Monday.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!

A Good Thing...

I dropped another 2 pounds this past week! Holla!

That is just motivation for me to keep it up through this scary Thanksgiving week. I really think a lot of it involves my switch from regular Coke to Coke Zero. However, I have still had my regular here and there but usually only at restaurants or something because they don't have Coke Zero and I am not drinking nasty Diet Coke. Blech.

So....

Weigh-in: -2 lbs

Total to date: -12.2 lbs

Another note on courtesy...

So, tell me if I'm wrong but these pet peeves of mine are on hyper-drive lately. I am having an event on Sunday. Invites went out about 3 weeks ago. I did online invites through evite.com. This is a nice thing to do for casual get togethers and people can view the invitation online and RSVP very easily. The most awesome feature that I found on there is that you (the host) can see if/when someone opens their invitation. Now, what is really ticking me off is that I see that some people have looked at the invite and not responded. That's fine, I understand opening it, waiting to see what your plans are, etc. Here's my issue...
Someone I invited, recently had an event of their own and on their social network status constantly said things like "come on people! Send in your RSVPs" or "I wish people would hurry up and RSVP" etc. So, this person has not yet RSVPd to my event which is the day after tomorrow. What gives? I know it's stupid and petty but that kind of stuff annoys me. It's kind of a "you have to do for me" attitude with an "I don't have to return the favor" spin on it.
So, this really annoys me right now and falls under the courtesy and etiquette things that make me crazy. Gotta go! I'll be back to bitch more after this break :)

Courtesy...

I enjoy not being ill. I am grateful for this actually. However, I become very perturbed when co-workers continue to come in sick. It does nobody any good if you come in and are coughing and hacking and sniffing and everything else. Just stay home. Don't be a martyr. Please. I don't want whatever you have. I don't mean any offense. Really. It's just common courtesy. This goes for people out in the public too. It's fairly common practice to cover your mouth and nose with your hand or sleeve when you sneeze or cough. Making the loudest noises possible when you sneeze and not covering your mouth/face/nose makes me a very angry person. It's not nice, it's not funny to sneeze as loud as possible. We all know you are capable of controlling your sneeze "levels". We've heard them at normal tones. It's NOT cute or funny. Cover your damn mouth/nose/face when you are sneezing, coughing or any other cold-like symptom that involves mucous of some kind (whether it be microscopic sized spittle or large chunks of goo). I'm tired of getting grossed out and feeling like I'm going to get stuff because of your irresponsible behavior.

While on the topic, wash your hands after using the restroom! I know you didn't...there are 2 stalls, I was in one, you were in one. You finished first and left the room. How can you do that? Especially knowing what goes around? It takes 30 seconds! Dang!

The trigger for my rant? I leave you with....
H1N1 Death Reported in Washtenaw Co. (and NO, I am not paranoid over H1N1...but people need to be cautious)

It just keeps going and going...

This week: -2.6 lbs WOO HOO!

This also marks my loss of 10 lbs! Yay!

Total = -10.2 lbs

Boo!

Ok, I'm up 1.4 lbs. This doesn't surprise me as I have been a total cow of late.

Side note: I don't trust people with pixie cuts. If you're one, I apologize - I don't mean you :)

Total : -7.6 lbs.

Weight Update

This week: -2.6 lbs WOO HOO!

Total: 9 lbs

....more blogginess to follow later....

Because I Can Hardly Keep My Eyes Open

It's been a long day. Halloween celebration at work which is usually a pretty big deal. Everyone goes nuts..trust me..nuts. I'll post pics maybe tomorrow. It's insane. Anyway, the day started off on the wrong note. I was awakened at 4 am to bebe's gloworm playing music all of a sudden. I thought she woke up but she just hugged it. So of course could I sleep again? NO. I was up until 5:30 am when I thought, I better lay down for a bit more because "it's gonna be a long day." Yeah...nice that I woke up at 10 minutes to 8 am when I should be leaving. Not cool since I still had to finish my costume, make a CD for a friend and make sure I had everything to go. Grrr..
I managed to sew the last piece of my costume while standing in the kitchen and putting on my shoes. I still forgot Emily's diaper bag (because she would be joining me later in the day for my work Halloween party). *sigh* Well, I did pretty good considering.
By the time I got to work, I sat in my car to put my costume makeup on and I totally looked like a drag queen. It was disgusting. I was nearly in tears. I was so frustrated! I was also a complete b!tch. I felt quite upset that I was going to be the only troll so I looked and felt just dumb. I got over it though.
My dad was a bit late bringing bebe' to the party but it still worked out ok except for the fact that I dropped her socks in a puddle and therefore she had to go around in her adorable costume looking like a hillbilly with no socks on. *sigh again*
Something really bothered me today. There is a gentleman who works at work who is a little older than the majority of the employees. He is a fairly recent hire and is probably in his late 50s or early 60s. I saw that he signed up to bring something for the cookout and everything so I thought that was cool. However, at lunch time, I saw this gentleman and he was sitting at a table all by himself. It made me so upset. From the point I noticed this to at least the time I threw my plate away, no one had sat down with him. Did I? No. I regret this. I was starting to get very upset so I left to go find my dad and bebe'. I should have said hello and either invited him to sit with us or go sit with him. I wish I had. It's still bothering me. My momma told me that someone may have sat with him after I got up. I hope so. I wouldn't want to be in that position and I intend to say hello to that man on Monday and tell him that I really liked his green bean casserole :)
I get like this a lot...especially around this time of year. I start really feeling bad about things and can't get out of funks. I think it's seasonal or something.
We then left my work party and went to see Grandma at her work. We were both pooped. Did I get a nap? Nope. Had to send off an eBay item (woohoo!) and take care of business!
Well, this was sort of a ramshackle pointless post but perhaps tomorrow will be a better blogging day.

What's up? (or should I say down?)

What's up? As the title of this blog states, I should say, "what's down?" What's down is my weight! Not by much but I've got a good start.
October 5th - start weight (Ha! Like I'd tell you....)

October 12th - -4 lbs

October 19th - -2.8 lbs

October 26th - +.4 lbs (I mistakenly read this earlier as +.2 lbs...oops!)

So in total, I am down 6.4 lbs since October 5th. It's not a lot but it's a start and I'm semi-proud of myself. I've really stuck to this as closely as I can. I think I'm doing ok. The 26th kind of made me very upset but I'll keep trying.

I also made a huge decision with regards to my addiction - Coke.
I have been very good at having only one soda a day since October 5th. I have had more than one on about 2 occasions but based on the principles I'm following, I was within the rules. Today, was different. I had my usual pop at lunch feeling completely guilty all the while. My coworkers K and C and I were talking when the conversation turned to my problem with pop and how C drinks Coke Zero and K enjoys Diet Dr. Pepper. I can't do diet. I just can't. I remember when my mom switched to Diet Pepsi and I felt like I was drinking cold medicine or something. That after-taste is just beyond anything I could tolerate. I was never able to get past it and now if I have a sip of diet, I feel like I'm going to gag. I know, I know, it's just a psychological thing but still...
I felt brave today. I, along with C and K's encouragement, bought a Coke Zero out of the vending machine to give it a try.
Oh. My. God. It was good..not just good, but pretty damn good! I quite enjoyed it! The after-taste I feared wasn't there and it was like I had discovered the most wonderful thing in the whole world. I truly, truly enjoyed it! I even....*gasp*...finished the entire bottle. Look! I have proof!


I am also in love with Morningstar Veggie burgers right now; especially the mushroom ones. Slap one on a sandwich thin with some mustard. YUMMEH! I haven't been very good this week. I'm trying but it was difficult a couple of days. I don't snack, my problem is just food in general at my meals. Grrr...BUT, I'm trying.

A Birthday to Remember...

Last Sunday was Emily's first birthday party. Anyone who's anyone was there LOL Family included myself, Kurin, Grandma and Cedo, Grandma Debbie, Great Grandma Gay, Benjamin, Uncle Kevin, new Aunt Melissa, Cyndie, Aunt Brenda, Karen, Aunt Faye and Uncle Clyde, Teresa, and JoAnna, Aunt Violet and Uncle George, Aunt Marianne and Uncle Anwar with Kristine, Mark and Christina with Isabella, Ron and Cherryl with George and Jack. Friends that came were Auntie Danielle and Jeff with Orion, Leslie with Izak, and Audra with Madison and Mackenzie. I hope they all had a good time. We had thought that it would be nice out so we could utilize my parents' deck with the awning but it was a bit chilly so we all ended up in the house - a little too cozy if you ask me. I get all weird in crowded situations - that is why I do not go shopping the day after Thanksgiving..I usually have a panic attack (no joke). So, I was a hot mess both literally and figuratively. It was hot in the house with 800 people inside but I was also flustered because these 800 people were talking to me, asking me stuff, I'm trying to make sure all goes right blah blah. Thanks to my parents who basically did everything like, oh, providing the food and the house!
I got the beautiful cake at Queen of Hearts bakery in Depot Town. It was phenomenal. I never even got a piece! Gone!


The food was great - my parents made a couple of different Italian type casseroles with a nice salad and bread along with appetizers.
Bebe' even got her own little mini-cake complete with mini-ladybug decoration :) She was a little confused at first as to what to do with it so I assisted her in getting started.

She had a really good time. All of the kids were so good. I had no idea what to have for them so I didn't have any games or anything - they were all so well-behaved and entertained themselves. Emily and Izak (6 weeks apart) had a fab time together. Besties!
Bebe' got entirely too much stuff. Tons of beautiful outfits and lots of fun toys and books. We are very happy to have such a wonderful group of family and friends.

Always on My Mind

Today was a long, stressful day (but it was fun and worth it in the end). I thought I'd be asleep about 3 hours ago after Emily's big first birthday bash but I'm still awake because there are a few things on my mind.
1. What I thought was an incisional hernia probably isn't but it still worries because I'm not exactly sure what it is. Have I ever mentioned that I'm a hypochondriac?
2. I'm bothered that I tried to call a family member to see if they were coming to Emily's party (after not receiving an RSVP) and also to wish this person a Happy Birthday as she shares one with Emily. I left messages and never heard back. Another family member was able to get a hold of her. It just makes me sad.
3. I'm obsessed with GLEE
4. There's just not enough time for anything. I feel like I try to get things done but everything multiplies by 8 or something before I make a dent in anything like laundry, dishes, tidying up, etc.
5. I've cut myself down to 1 pop/day (well, today I fell off the wagon and had at least 2) in hopes of working on losing weight. I obviously have no time at the moment to dedicate a lot of time to exercise so I'm hoping that by watching what I eat and stuff I can at least give myself a kick start. I need to lose 92 pounds.
6. I'm obsessed with GLEE - see, I told you!
7. I miss Granny a lot
8. I need to finish this book! I'm loving it and need like a nice long afternoon or day off to just finish it.
9. I'm stressed. I just don't think my husband gets it.
10. My hands hurt because I dove for home plate this morning aka I fell on the sidewalk under the breezeway and slid across the pavement. Ouch.

More to follow on Emily's 1st Birthday....

Birthday Girl!

Today is Emily's 1st Birthday! Woo Hoo! We survived a whole year and she's still doing fine haha.
I won't go into any labor and delivery stories as I have none. I basically went to the hospital at noon like they told me for my scheduled c-section at 2pm. They pumped me full of fluid and I waited, and waited. There were several emergencies before me so I kept getting bumped which was fine.
They finally wheeled me to the operating room. That is when I got very scared. Up to that point, I had been like "whatev." No, literally, I probably said, "whatev." About 10 people wheeled me down there and I remember my anesthesiologist bumping the corner of the gurney into a doorway and saying something about his bad Asian driving (because he is Asian). Everyone in the halls of the Labor/Delivery area stopped as I was being wheeled by and wished me luck. It was very nice.
The OR was SO SCARY. It was huge and loud and clean. They bent me over to give me the epidural to numb me from the neck down. I laid back and got violently ill (which apparently is a side effect) but then I was fine. I couldn't feel a thing. It was very weird knowing they were cutting me open and taking out bebe' and not seeing it and not feeling it. I just kind of felt them moving around. I remember the anesthesiologist and his partner talking about the Red Wings. Kurin was sitting there but I don't remember him doing anything except when they got her out, he went to take pictures of her because I obviously couldn't see her or move.
I also remember a lot of counting after the fact. I learned later that it was the nurses counting all of the instruments before and after (thank goodness everything was accounted for or they may have left something in me!).
Poor bebe', she came out and you hear all of this hustle and bustle to get the baby all cleaned up and checked over and she had a little fluid on her lungs and she was clamshelled. This means that her feet were up at her ears like she was folded in half. Apparently, when Kurin showed the pics to our family waiting in the waiting room, they were all a little worried because, her feet were by her ears! They whisked her off to the NICU to get her breathing stabilized and check all of her oxygen and fix her legs and stuff.

It took SO long for my anesthesia to wear off. It was weird. They wheeled me to my Mother/Baby room where I would spend the next 3 nights. They did manage to wheel me into the NICU so I could see Emily. She was hooked up to a million things and it was way scarier now than when it was happening. I couldn't do anything. I was still frozen from the medicine.
That night was weird, I had the baby, but didn't have her until they took me down to her at about 9pm to try to nurse her which in itself was so scary because it was the first time I held her, first time to nurse and she was hooked up to all kinds of stuff and I was scared and frustrated. They thought she'd get to come stay in my room the next day as all of her stuff seemed to be doing really well. Surprise! I tried to feed her again at midnight and when I got back to my room, they followed me back and she could stay! She was doing just fine :)
She was squeaky. There wasn't really crying, just little squeaks.
I love her.

It sounds weird but in a way, I miss her. I miss having all of my time with her when she was just little and holding her. Maternity leave was so good for us. I just sat with her all day.

Now she's a big girl who shakes her head no and likes to take her pants off and play with dog toys *sigh*
This weekend is the big birthday bash so more to come...
Happy Birthday, Emily! I love you more than anything :)

You Wasting My Life!

A tribute to a dear friend (no, there's nothing wrong with her or anything..I just appreciate her and the humor she brings to my life)...

I work with a a wide variety of people of all different ages, races, and nationalities. One of my favorite people to work with is Dr. L.H. (I will refer to her as L for this post). L is Chinese and she - is - awesome. What makes L awesome? Probably the greatest thing is her sense of humor.
Allow me to give you an example (it's funny to those who work with her so it may not be that funny to you but it's cute): At one point in time, several years ago, L thought that our superiors felt that she didn't work hard and wasted a lot of time (which in my opinion is totally untrue and I think she knows that now as well). One day, one of these superiors saw L with a large container of water and that she was using a very tiny container to move the water to another large container (rather than pouring one into the other). He asked, "L, what are you doing?" Her answer, as she continued what she was doing, "Oh....I just wasting time." Well, even that got a laugh out of the superior.
Often times when asked how she is or how things are going when she is stressed or being funny, her reply will often be "oh, you know, just wasting my life" or "same ole shit (said "sheet").
She is one of the nicest people that I know and I enjoy listening to her tell stories about her two children who "drive her crazy!", China and Chinese culture. I was fortunate enough to attend a conference with just her about 6 years ago in Bethesda, MD (Washington D.C. area) and we had a great time.
What triggered me to write this is an incident from yesterday. It was just something small but again, her sense of humor can just make my day. Yesterday, L came into our area and we always like to tease her by saying things like "uh-oh, here comes L" even though we all love her. I'm not exactly sure what happened but I just heard her yelling across the lab "..something, something, drive me crazy! duck, duck chicken!" Really fast. When I repeated it, she cracked up laughing because obviously she had not said duck, duck, chicken but some kind of Chinese swear words.
In conclusion, I just wanted to say to L, I adore you my little Asian friend and will always enjoy your company..even when you lie to me and say that you know Jackie Chan (I always ask her if she knows him) and even the times you make me eat chicken feet. :)

Preparations

October is coming entirely too fast!
Not only is it Bebe's first birthday but we have my brother-in-law's nuptials which is the first weekend, husband's birthday, doctor appointments, and scrapbooking classes - I suppose I'm supposed to find time to work out in here too with working full time and everything else like keeping my house semi-tidy, etc. Dang I'll never lose weight. Ah well, I'll just stop eating for a bit and all will be right with the world.
Back to important things. Bebe's first birthday is quickly approaching which means I have actually started planning her birthday party! Yes! I am actually on the ball this time. I had invitations made and already sent out last week, they are gorgeous! I found an awesome website called First Wishes that specializes in baby's first birthday things that are themed. They have John Deere, Ladybugs, Princess, Prince, Fish, Barnyard Animals, etc. all specifically for first birthdays. They have everything from coordinating balloons to hats to treat bags to vinyl personalized banners, and more. I chose to stay with the ladybug motif as that was the baby shower theme as well. It is absolutely adorable. We got some balloons, a banner, dessert plates, and hats. I'll get coordinating paper products and stuff locally.
Bebe' is having her 1 year portraits taken this Monday. We are having a family picture made as well. I'm looking forward to it. I bought Bebe' an adorable birthday ensemble off of etsy that has a personalized foo-foo birthday hat that has a "1" and "Emily" on it, a onesie with a cupcake with 1 candle that says "Emily" and a coordinating big foo-foo tutu! I am so excited for her to wear it. Trying it on, she made the face she makes when she doesn't like food so I'm not sure how it's going to go but let's just keep our fingers crossed.
This week marks Bebe's first roadtrip. We're headed down south to visit family in Kentucky. It should be fun. I haven't been down there since 2007 as I didn't go when I was pregnant last year. I am a bit sad though that we won't have Granny with us this time.
I hope to have more to update on Monday after the portrait session. Until then...

The Best of the Rest...

I have been on a mission lately. That mission has been to find the best LOL sites ever. Those sites that make me crack up until I almost pee my pants. The sites that make me stay up way past my bedtime looking at cats talking funny, strange people at Wal-Mart or awkward family photos. I have been slowly passing these sites on to my friends but it may be best if I just compile them all in a list here. I'm sure I will need to add to it as I'm sure to forget some of them.
Enjoy! Don't LOL too hard :) **Please remember that this is all in good fun and that some may be raunchier than others or may offend so don't say I didn't warn you. Read at your own risk **

I Can Has Cheezburger - the site that started it all
Off-shoots of ICHC are:
Failblog
LOL Celebrities
Totally Looks Like
LOL News
Engrish - please remember it is all in good fun (this site may offend)

Awkward Family Photos
Look at this Fuc*ing Hipster
We Have Lasers!
This is Photobomb: Photojackers of the World Unite!
Picture is Unrelated: WTF pictures and videos
This is Why You're Fat - Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks
Bad Parking
Don't Judge My Hair - Epic Hairstyles
My First Fail - Baby Fails!!
People of Wal-Mart - the newest of the Epic LOL sites

Item Not as Described - Free is a 4 Letter Word
You Suck at Craigslist!
Lovely Listing - Odd Finds in Real Estate Listings

Urban Dictionary - although this isn't truly what I consider a LOL site, it does come in handy
140Pedia - Everything you need to know in 140 characters or less (Wikipedia as told by Twitter)

Apostrophe Abuse
Apostrophism
The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks
Grammar Bitches
The Grammar Vandal
Literally, a Web Log - An English language grammar blog tracking abuse of the word “literally”
Lowercase L

Passive-Agressive Notes
That's Punny!
Say What?! - interesting signs
Bumper Sticker Madness
Vanity Plates: Creepiness in 8 characters or Less
Ask a Urinal - Wisdom from Bathroom Graffitti
There, I Fixed It - Epic Kludges & Jury Rigs
Cake Wrecks

The Senate's Lion

Kurin woke me up very early this morning to tell me that Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) had passed away. My husband knows that I find it very important to know when famous persons pass on especially a Kennedy.
I obviously didn't know Senator Kennedy but who didn't know of Teddy Kennedy? The youngest member of probably the most famous and powerful family in this countrie's recent history. From the pictures, he was an adorable little boy, a handsome young man and a long-standing fixture in the Senate of the United States.
I am very saddened to learn of his death. He has always been around. If you want something solid to look at in our government, it was Senator Kennedy. He is really the only Kennedy that my generation was familiar with aside from JFK Jr.
Senator Kennedy was a man who fought for civil rights, women's rights, workers rights, education reform (no child left behind), health care reform and the rights of the disabled among so many other righteous causes. He was a powerful man and did his job with the gusto that many lack.
I admire Senator Kennedy so very much. He was such an accomplished man even in the face of tragedy after tragedy in his family and even when facing scandal.

Being the support of his, for lack of a better word, ginormous family when his 2 brothers were gunned down within 5 years of each other, an older brother killed in WWII, a sister killed in a plane crash, another sister who suffered from mental retardation and was institutionalized, his own plane crashing, a wife who battled alcoholism, a son who lost a leg to cancer, a daughter who suffered from cancer and a scandal in which he was the driver of a car that plunged into a pond in Chappaquiddick, killing his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. He had been the family patriarch during the weddings of his nieces Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver, the trial of his nephew William Kennedy-Smith, the death of Robert Kennedy's son by a drug overdose, the death of another of Robert's sons due to a skiing accident and finally by the plane crash killing JFK's son, his wife and her sister in 1999 and his fatal battle with brain cancer, dying 2 weeks after his sister, Eunice.
Most people, myself included, would have snapped by that point but not the Kennedys. They fascinate me - I cannot fathom what their family is like dealing with such tragedy but doing so much good for this country. Such a tight-knit family who really have had too much put on them. They have survived and perservered. It's a shame to lose such a great man.
Thank you Senator Kennedy for all of the service you gave to this country and for making it a better place. May you rest in peace and you will be missed. God Bless You Uncle Teddy.

The Envelope Please.....

Bebe' got honorable mention! They name a king, queen, prince and princess but they also named Emily as an honorable mention - my thought is that she was super-close to the princess spot. Thank you all who voted. We appreciate everyone's enthusiasm and support and your votes ($) go to a great organization that does wonderful charitable works.
From the Ypsilanti Jaycees website Funny thing, my hairdresser's daughter was princess! Pretty cool! Thanks again to all of you for your faith in Emily. She will uphold her honorable mention...honorably ;)

Captcha Fun

I got this as a captcha yesterday when leaving a blog comment for a friend. It's my new favorite word.

Heritage Festival Weekend

I think the song goes "...you must have been a beautiful baby..." and that is what we believe in Emily. Don't get me wrong. I am not a stage mom, nor a pageant mom (Lord, those women need help) but I did enter Emily into the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival's Beautiful Baby Contest sponsored by the Jaycees. This is the picture we submitted.

The contest is based on votes purchased ($0.25/vote). There are prizes of savings bonds for a king, queen, prince and princess. The best part of the contest is that all contestants can walk in the Heritage Festival parade in a decorated stroller or wagon. I went on a mission to find a wagon which I did thanks to Heather M.! It was brand new in the box and a perfect little red wagon to decorate!

I was a nervous wreck the night before the parade and didn't sleep well. I was afraid I would over sleep and miss the being in the parade. It was fun that Kurin came to record it on our camcorder, grandma and Cedo came to see, Aunt Brenda and cousin Karen watched us and Gay and Ben came down too. I hadn't been in or to the parade since I was a senior in high school and marched in it with the LHS marching band. **Tangent: Ok, no offense to anyone who may have/know someone in the current band but boy did they look sloppy! No uniforms, just polos and shorts with tennis shoes. The lines were not straight. The sound was alright though. The band is huge now so that's a plus. They also have a trailer to carry equipment! WTH? I miss it but it's not the same if you didn't wear the cowboy hat with the white heeled orthopedic shoes :)**
The parade was a lot shorter than I remember, well, it always seemed to take hours to march it back in the day and walking at my own pace with a bunch of other families was a ton different than standing at attention or marching while playing the fight song ;)
The weather was phenomenal. It was actually CHILLY! Yes, CHILLY! I had on a long sleeved zip-up hoodie and we had to put bebe' in a sweater and jacket over her clothes. Unbelievable. At parade time, it was probably in the low-mid 60s! In August! Unheard of! Enough exclamation points! haha
It was a great experience and bebe' seemed to enjoy herself except near the end she seemed to get tired and kind of flopped over in the wagon. I'll definitely enter her again next year. It was a lot of fun and the Jaycees did a great job.
By the way, we are assuming that Emily did not win as we were not notified. That's ok though. We can't seem to find out who won. There is no longer a local newspaper and none of the related websites have listed the winners of any of the contests. Here are some pictures of our winner:


Emily and daddy before the parade and Emily yawning after waiting to get started
Here we come! As you can see in the second picture, she's just about had it by this point :)

Ohmigodyouguys!

I found the sheet music to Legally Blonde the Musical and actually tapped out a few bars of some of the songs the other evening. Other than my piano being seriously out of tune, it was AWESOME. I cannot wait until I can devote a little more time to it than I have right now. It was so exciting!

More Ramblings...and a bit of Sunny Days

Some things seem to be brightening up. It looks like I'm going to Kentucky with my mom, bebe', cousin Karen and Aunt B. Hey...it will have to pass as a vacation. Lookout Harlan County, here we come!
Granny's headstone has been installed ... finally. I haven't been to see it yet. Sometimes I feel just blank about it but then I get really sad. It's like sometimes it's more real than others. I know those of you who have lost someone might know what I mean.
On a happier note, bebe' is getting her 5th tooth! It's little edge has popped out of the gum. She is getting to be quite the little girl lately. She sits up and acts like such a big girl. She likes to play Pop-Up where she is sitting on my lap kind of squatting like and then she "POPS" up straight and laughs and laughs. She also loves her toys. She especially loves her Zoo activity play toy that sings songs and she can put the animals on a turntable and watch them go 'round and 'round. She is also very interested in me talking. She will sit in my lap and just stare at my lips and touch her fingers to them. It's super cute when she does this while I'm singing her nighttime songs for bed and she's very sleepy.
The beasts dogs went to the vet this weekend. Theodore is at 74 lbs and is in great health for what the vet terms "middle-aged", at 8 years old. What impressed me most is how impressed they were with his teeth! They thought we had been having them brushed regularly. I love the pooches but I'm not too keen on the idea of trying to scrape their plaque. The doc said his teeth are like 98% of perfect! Sweet! Oreo is a whopping 76 lbs. He is very thick. I don't know any other way to say it. He's thick. Like a log. He did very good and has only been itching the last 2 days because they gave him a dog biscuit and those make him itch (boo...). Other than that, everyone is in fine health! Thankfully our animals are in good health as it is so costly to take them to the vet. Once a year I can handle. I believe in maintenance...just like with any vehicles :)
BFF and I are back in business on eBay. We took a break..well, I took a break because my lazy butt just couldn't get motivated to post anything. I listed 3 items and wouldn't you know that within 48 hours, 2 of them had sold! Yay! I'm looking forward to selling more and we are looking into other opportunities for selling as well. Also, BFF needs to get her etsy store up and running too. I'd like to get started but anything I did for etsy would have to be small and quick to make.
Speaking of quick to make (as if this post isn't long enough), I have decided on what I am doing for Christmas for my husband's family this year. I hope they go over well. I doubt they read this blog but I'd hate for anything to get leaked early. I don't care so much if they know what they're getting, I just don't want them to not like it ahead of time LOL.
Well, I will try to be more regular about posting. I've been in a deep funk the last few weeks and I'm trying to pull myself out.

OH! One last thing....Phillipa Gregory's latest book came out today The White Queen!

OMG, I can hardly wait to get it!!

Another Wasted Weekend

Boo. Another wasted weekend. I feel like a skipping record. I know, I know, I always complain about not having plans or not going on vacation or anything but I am sorry.
I'm completely drained.
I feel like I can't concentrate on anything.
I need a break.
I need to get away.
I've been told to take a day off of work. I really can't do that. If I were to just stay home one day, every little thing that needs to be done around here would pick at me and I wouldn't relax anyway.
I want a day to absolutely relax.
No worries.
I don't want to have to worry about the baby.
I don't want to have to worry about my husband, K.
I don't want to worry about what I need to fix for dinner or what laundry needs to be done or that I need to vacuum so bebe' can crawl on the floor.
Do not get me started on my flooring. I need new carpet and linoleum (or something) on my first floor very bad. It sickens me. We also need a fence. We really need a fence considering what happened with Oreo last month. But hey, no one else around here seems to care and I can't do it all myself. I think that my husband thinks I can and/or will. Well, I can't.
I am slowly losing it.
I'm tired.
I'm exhausted.
I'm serious, my life is just on repeat. It's work 5 days, hustle home, go to the grocery store when I have time, have lunch with momma on Wednesdays, Danielle on Fridays and the weekends are just blah. Things should get done but they don't. I don't mean your basic household chores; I'm talking about the above things like getting new flooring, or going to a movie but no. So what do I do? I entertain my baby for about 12 hours a day because Lord knows she hardly naps :) Then, I go on facebook (which is my only connection to other people it seems like) and end up posting new pictures, writing to people and that's it. Oh and there's no time for any stuff like crochet or knitting because even when I do have time, I feel guilty and feel the need to vacuum or something.
I was supposed to go to Kentucky in May but had to cancel. I was supposed to go to the Basket Farm in May but it was cancelled. I was going to go to Indianapolis to visit a friend and that had to be moved because of another commitment. Grrrr! Now my cousin wants to know when I can go to Kentucky but I don't even know if I'm up to going! It almost seems like too much of a hassle. Also, my mom has mentioned going to Chicago in November for overnight. I don't think I can do it. I can't leave bebe'. I'd worry too much and wouldn't enjoy myself and to all of you saying take her with me..um, no.
I have also been beating myself up a lot lately because I let a lot of what some stay-at-home moms say to me, get under my skin. I take things way too personal. I know that. It just doesn't help hearing things that just make my blood boil. I'm sorry that I can't afford to stay at home and play all day and go to the gym and eat dinner out with friends every night and do all kinds of fun stuff - it's not that I don't have the money, I do but I can't blow my money like a lot of people do. I don't want to have my home foreclosed on ever, I don't want to rely on parents or others for money, I don't have credit card debt, and I don't ever want to have any. I don't live a life of leisure. I have a home to contribute to and my parents paid good money for my education (or lack there of but that's beside the point..) and I would feel something awful by sitting at home and wasting it. I know, I'm going to get called out by all the stay-at-home moms. Believe me, it's not all of you. In fact, it's only a couple. The fact remains that there are a lot of times that I feel very inferior because I work. I'm the first to admit that I'm jealous. Oh heck yeah I am. However, I love my baby more than I could love anything I thought I could. She is very happy and rarely cries. I'm very fortunate in that respect but it's just not an option for me to stay home. I guess what I'm saying, is that in an effort to keep my mind healthy, I am going to lay low from facebook and the like. I just thought I was able to handle the comments and such about "oh, you're not staying home with the baby?" and the like and I can't. I love my job. I love the people I work with - they're the reason I love my job. The science-y stuff is cool too. I guess I had to get it out.
To those of you who read this or "follow" me, please trust in me that it's not you.
I apologize for the worried, and whining tone this particular blog took. I promise my next one will be more fun! I really just needed to get it off of my chest.
Take care....

Warm Weather Weekend

Lots done this weekend. I went to Plymouth's Art in the Park on Saturday morning with my mom. Found some cute altered jackets for bebe'. Scored some awesome jewelry for myself.

I was then lucky enough to attend a graduation party for my dear old friend Caroline. I've known Caroline since she moved into our school district in I think 4th grade. So a really, really long time. She graduated from EMU and had a luau themed open house. I rarely get to see Caroline so this made my summer. I also got to see her brother Jason who I was also friends with in high school (he being a couple of years older...class of '94).

Jason and I with Alex and Emily...Emily is as fascinated with Jason's hat as I am that he no longer has his "Ponch from CHiPs hair" LOL

and his wife Stephanie who I have become really good friends with.

This is Stephanie and I with Emily and Alex - she's pretty much awesome

Caroline has a 10 year old son, DeCarlos; Jason and Stephanie have a son Griffen, daughter Mackenzie and 19 month old Alex. It's a real treat when I get to see them so that was the highlight of my weekend. Also, Jason makes bad-ass cakes and did a fantastic job on the cakes he made for his sister's graduation (see above).

Caroline, myself, Emily and Stephanie..I'm hoping Stephanie's shot came out better...

BIG EMILY NEWS: Bebe' has started crawling. Yay! She is so funny. She crawls all over now and loves to go after everyone's feet. She is also fascinated by feet at the moment, particularly those wearing flip-flops (and if you make them flip or flop, she loves it). Her favorite feet however are my dad's grotesque Fred Flintstone feet. Anyway, she is crawling all over. It's super-cute and she's really working up her appetite and then she gets super tired at night. It's so sweet. Unfortunately, this also makes me, mommy, very sad because I don't want her to get bigger anymore. I'm scared that I won't be able to handle her and I'm afraid of what the future holds for her. I will worry about that more later.

One more bright spot for the upcoming week - Drew & Mike are BACK!! Reunited tomorrow morning at 6am and I am extremely thrilled. I discovered them about 6 or 7 years ago and can't go a morning without them. I always feel "off" if I miss them - I even stream it when I'm out of town and in a different time zone. This is exciting and I hope they do well...I'm sure they will.

Randomlings

I'm a little restless today and felt the need to post (as uninteresting as this may be). I did have a lot of fun making new Face-In-Holes last night. You can check them out here.
Also, I suppose I better watch what I say on Facebook as it seems I'm being "tattled" on. Some people seem to think I'm really "down" lately. Well, maybe I am but I write what I feel at that particular moment. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm really down. I am, but not that bad.
In other news, I am enjoying the latest books I'm reading. Right now I am reading Pillars of the Earth. I'm listening to Maeve Binchy's Heart and Soul on my iPod and really enjoying it. I owe a big thanks to Danielle and my mom for loaning me so many audio books. Danielle by sharing her DVDs and mom for checking them out at the library for me.
Until next time....

Long Weekend

Fourth of July weekend went off fairly well. I was very fortunate to have the day off of work (considering they used Friday as the "observed" 4th) and we used that day to have bebe's 9 month portraits taken. My mom and husband both joined Emily and I at JCPenney portrait studio. Little Miss Smiley as documented on my facebook page decided to sit on the backgrounds and just stare at the photographer. No smiles, no crying..just staring. She cracked a few smiles finally (thankfully, she had 3 outfit changes!). On the third outfit, bebe' wailed. She was not having it. We tried sitting her on a small couch in the photo and that was the end of that. The wonderful people of Briarwood's JCPenney Portrait Studio were kind enough to tell us that if we wanted to leave and feed her or whatever, they would be happy to squeeze her back in and try again in her last outfit. Out in the mall, bebe' quieted down and chugged a bottle. We ran into my co-worker Eric and his family, chatted with them, Eric managed to sneak a smile out of her so we were like "let's go! She's on!" Bebe' was like a pro the second time around. We got a lot of great shots and again, the people were so nice for allowing us to sneak back in and save our sitting without charging us an extra sitting fee or anything (I get free ones anyway for being in their portrait club). Plus, I had a coupon for a free 10 x 13..holla!

My mom and I went to JoAnn's later that day and I bought a bouquet of fake flowers that were really very pretty - I meant to take a picture. My momma took me to the cemetary so I could put the flowers with Granny. I hadn't left her anything yet. I felt silly doing it. Not silly at Granny, but silly for me. I'm still very angry that she's not here. I'm not angry at her but I'm angry because I don't think it should have happened. I miss Granny.
My mom and dad had their usual 4th of July cookout celebrating eating and my dad's birthday (go figure, the foreigner was born on America's bday) more than America's Independance but I digress. Granny was always a sweetie, but in the later years, she became really angry about cameras. REALLY angry. She would actually yell at us, well, snap at us if she so much as saw a camera in the vicinity. I had to explain to her when my baby shower was coming up that there would be cameras but no one would take her picture. She was so concerned about people taking her picture and she would talk about my mom and aunts and cousins by saying "everytime I turn around they've gotta stick that in my face." Truth is, once we knew it bothered her, we did everything to avoid that but she would still get mad. My cousin had a birthday party in the fall right after Emily was born. People were taking pictures of my cousin (it was her birthday), and/or the baby and Granny was all the way across the banquet room and had a fit! It was sad. I don't know why she got that way. Up until about 4 or 5 years ago, I have TONS of pictures of Granny and she was fine in them. Anyway, it was odd being able to take pictures at the cookout this year. I think Granny would have been alright. My mom and I had a good way of convincing her (truthfully) that we wouldn't take her picture. She probably would have been ok with it because of Emily. That is one thing I am thankful for. She did come to the hospital to see Emily after she was born and held her and let me take pictures of her doing so (she called me Sharon the whole time - something she never did before or after that day); she also came to my house a couple of weeks after we came home and we got a picture of our 4 generations: Granny, Momma, Myself and Emily.

If You Act Now...

One more sad note for the week. We salute you Billy Mays. May you rest in peace. I hope there is a lot of OxiClean in heaven (although I imagine it wouldn't be needed) as well as Orange Glo, and Hercules Hooks. Rest well friend. We all really digged you.

On a Lighter Note...

After a pretty rough week, one thing did manage to get a smile out of me (other than Emily of course...). I got an e-mail from TVonDVD.com; a website which I had signed up to be notified when certain shows were released on DVD. It is quite rare when I get these so when I do get one, I look and don't delete it as spam as I normally would with something like this. THIS is what I found in my inbox:

YAY!!! September can't get here quick enough!

What a Week!

Wow. Where to begin? This week has been some kind of crazy that's for sure.

First of all, many of you may have heard over on facebook that our dog Oreo ran off on Tuesday afternoon. He was let out of the house to go do his bizness but got away from my MIL before she could get him on his tether. She thought he would come home (as he had when he ran off with Theodore before) but he had not returned by the time Kurin arrived home. I arrived home to find my husband frantically looking for the dog who had by then been gone 4 hours. We searched, and searched. My BFF came to help and my parents as well. No luck. Everyone kept saying, "he'll turn up" etc. I immediately updated my facebook status with all of his info (because I know there's a bunch of us that still live in the area I live in), reported him lost to the humane society as well as to the internet site through which he is microchipped.
The following morning, I was at work and I was a total hot mess. I faxed my LOST poster (no, not the Sawyer & Hurley LOST...) to all of the local vets, clinics and shelters and called and filed an official report with the Humane Society of Huron Valley who were completely awesome. My supervisor recommended I go home to start passing out fliers because lord knows my head was not at work. I met my mom and aunt for lunch like I usually do on Wednesdays and followed my mom back to her office. She was kind enough to make me a few copies of the flier to post up in my area.
I headed home, still very upset (keep in mind, that I'm the one that's always crazy emotional but I had to be the "strong" one this time as Kurin was incredibly upset about this, not that I wasn't but he was devastated and had to attend training and was unable to leave). I pulled into our driveway and I literally did a double take. Here I was, preparing to take Theodore out on a jaunt hoping to attract Oreo back, when there sat Oreo. He was just sitting there next to the side door that we go in and out of. He was seriously looking at me like he was saying "lady, it's hot out here, could you open the damn door so I can come in?" I could not believe it. I was so happy. I was screaming and jumping and he was absolutely fine. No dirt, no injuries, nothing. BFF says he just wanted to go camping. So, I say an extra little thank you to all of my friends who really said some kind things to us during that hard 24 hours. Thankfully it was only 24 hours but I hope it never happens again....

Of course the other hard part about this week is the passing of Michael Jackson yesterday at the age of 50. I just can't believe it. This was "our" music icon. My generation's Elvis. He was the King of Pop no matter what kind of inappropriate things he may or may not have done, no matter how strange his appearance became, he remains probably the greatest entertainer I will have ever known. The music! The album "Thriller" was my first regular album (regular meaning not Sesame Street or Disney). I had the vinyl, then the tape and it was also one of the first CDs I purchased (when I joined Columbia House like everyone else did). That album is still one of my favorites. Can anyone forget the video to "Thriller"? I remember watching it when it debuted. I also remember watching it and being scared out of my mind when MJ turned into a werewolf. His big yellow contact lenses freaked me out!

I would also make my dad play the tape on the way home from Granny's every day when he'd pick me up after work and I would get so scared at the end when Vincent Price would talk. But I love, love, loved it! I also always enjoyed watching old footage of the Jackson 5 with a little Michael singing and dancing. He was so cute!
This will definitely be one of the more tragic deaths I'll probably ever remember. My parents remember where they were when Elvis died; I'll remember where I was when Michael died.

Coach (no, not the show starring Craig T. Nelson)

Thanks to my friend Roxanne K., I got an awesome deal on this Coach purse (...well, my mom did). Roxanne passed on a coupon for 20% at the Coach factory store when she saw that I was going to Frankenmuth. We were going to stop at Birch Run outlets and go to a few stores so this was very nice of her. Last year I got a super-fantastic deal on a Coach purse but doubted I could top it.
Well, I saw this bag at the back of the store and all of these people were around the table with these on them - best of all, it's all leather and PINK. They are $329 retail. They were marked down to $199. From there, they were on clearance for the weekend 50% off ($99). SO...I got another 20% off of $99 and the purse was literally like $80. You can't even get a "not" Coach purse for that! Yipee! Thank you momma and yes I know it's part of my Christmas present.

Teeny-Tiny Ein(stein)y

About a week and a half ago, I tracked down my prize and my mom was kind enough to stop and get myself and my boss one:

The hunt is over!

Gut-Rot

My newest blog post was going to be about my fun weekend and things I accomplished but with the recent happenings at work, I don't have the heart to talk about such things.
Yesterday, the company I work for laid off a couple of dozen people and reduced the hours of another couple dozen. I've been here for 8 years and I've never seen it like this.
It was so sad, I can't imagine being in the position those people were put in. I feel empty, like a survivor of some kind of weird tragedy. I know it's happening all across the country and especially here in Michigan but no one here ever thought it would come to this.
So please keep my friends in your thoughts. We are/were a close-knit company and hopefully they can return in a few months.

My Mission (Should I Choose to Accept It aka If I Have Time).....

1. I must, must, must find my prom photo albums. I have fantabulous pictures of a bunch of friends in there that I must scan and put on facebook so that people can laugh (good natured laughing of course).


2. Still need to complete my homework from Kerry by watching The Da Vinci Code. I have actually inserted the disc into the DVD player. Baby steps people...

3. Have to find the Einstein Bobblehead Happy Meal toy from McDonald's. I think I may have this one pegged but I will know tonight. Must get 2: One for myself and one for my boss (he loves toys too). I would take the Easter Island Head too..



4. Start a crochet project that I hope Stink (aka Danielle) can help me with to be done by July 4th for my dad's birthday. I'm not holding my breath but we'll see.

5. Mail pictures of Emily to Kurin's relatives in AZ and IL. Grrr....I got the envelopes addressed but need to organize my pictures to give to them.

On the Spot

Thanks to my dear old friend Jobi, I have been tagged to list 10 honest things about me. Let's begin....

1.) I am the most paranoid, worrisome person that you could probalby imagine. I'm fairly good at not showing it all the time but my mind is constantly on overdrive worrying about this or that. I cannot relax. It's impossible.



2.) One of the hardest things for me to do is have my blood drawn (or IVs put in). I get sick, throw up and or pass out; it's not pretty. Imagine my horror when I realized this would happen multiple times while pregnant! It's totally psychosomatic - for example, there was a woman at work who would draw blood on occasion and I would see her walking by with her little basket of materials and immediately start to be sick. I'm just not right! :)

3.) I was a "refugee" in 2002 after a fire destroyed our condo. It was uninhabitable for 6 months while being rebuilt and our items were in storage for that long as well. This incident probably changed me the most. As a refugee, I lived in my in-laws' finished basement. For 6 months. That's a long time.

4.) I am lucky to have the awesomest best friend. She and I were besties from at least 6th grade through high school. We both went to the same University but lost touch as we were busy with school etc. Four years ago, we reconnected and it is like we had never been apart. It's not like we were mad or anything...just busy with school and other things. It's sad kind of but I am lucky enough to work with her every day now! Well, I did. We're in separate labs now but it's still more than awesome...I mean, who else can I call up on her extension at work and just randomly babble about stuff that only I think is funny and she will listen and laugh even if she could care less? That's Danielle!

5.) I hate chocolate.



6.) I was always scared to join sports in school for fear of being made fun of because I was no good but once I started working at my employer, I joined the softball team, soccer team and bowling league. I only lasted 2 games with soccer but played for 5 years on the softball team and 6 years on the bowling league. Who knew? I really liked softball.

7.) I drink entirely too much Coca-Cola. I recently cut down to approximately 16 oz per day. Don't ask how much I was drinking, I don't even know.


8.) I have played the piano since I was 3 years old. I now have my piano in my house and would love to play but get anxiety over it. I don't think I remember how to do it and that makes me incredibly sad.


9.) I would love to have a second home in New Orleans


10.) I have listened to the Legally Blonde: The Musical original broadway recording every day since April 21, 2008. Yes, I know...lame. :P


So, there you have it. That's as honest as I'm going to get right now.

Roots Followup

--Finished Roots yesterday (as audiobook). Took so long because it is hard to read such atrocities and I am fortunate enough to have been able to "take a break" from listening about it when I couldn't handle it. They (Kunta's family) couldn't take a break and I'm so glad I finally read this and really now seem to understand the plight of slaves. Sure, I've read books before with slave characters or freed men of color but there was something so personal about this story that it just seemed to finally sink in to me how it really was.

--One of the awesomest books I've ever read. Read it. Really.

Homework Pt. 1

Homework assigned to me by Kerry M. - and she thought I wouldn't do it. I thought it best that I do a report as well.

Stepbrothers
A comedy starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly

Date Watched: Sunday, May 17, 2009
Grade: A-

I initially began watching this film several months ago, only to turn it off because I was very tired and didn’t want to miss any of it.
Kerry seems to think that I only watch Best in Show and would like me to broaden my horizons by watching this film. It wasn’t exactly a question of whether I would like it or not but when would I have time? I also did not want to disturb my “disturbing” habit of watching the same things over and over and over like I so often do. The fact is, I own this movie. I’ve owned it since December 25th, 2008.
Before leaving on her 1 year wedding anniversary trip, Kerry assigned me to watch two movies. I actually had time on Sunday afternoon where all I was doing was writing out some note cards. Kurin was outside doing yard work and Emily was napping. Yes!
I popped the DVD in and enjoyed it a lot. Some of my favorite parts include:
1. “Did we just become best friends? “ – Brennan (W.F.) “Yup!”- Dale (J.C.R.)
2. The fact that they both sleep walk and Brennan’s character puts his mother’s purse in the freezer.
3. Brennan’s younger brother and his singing family singing Sweet Child of Mine. Awesome.
4. The end where Horatio Sanz plays the lead singer for the Billy Joel tribute band “Uptown Girl” – they only play Joel’s 80s songs though.
5. The finale: When Brennan sings and Dale plays drums.

I loved it. I can see this easily becoming one of my new favorites. Totally better than Semi-Pro which I forgot to tell Kerry I watched one night on cable and hated it.
**Special coolness rating goes to Mary Steenburgen (one of my faves) for being Will Ferrell’s mom in this and his stepmother in Elf. She also starred in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (one of my FAVES) with John C. Reilly.