I'm finishing up a nice weekend of doing very little. It was nice.

Did the taxes on Thursday night, so that is now off my mind. I'm currently printing out all the paperwork as the IRS has 'accepted' it all. Turbo Tax is a god send. I love it. I would say that this is probably the last year that I will be doing it myself, since next year we'll have the house, etc. We'll see-it might be good for me to learn more.

Friday night we just hung out with each other. I napped when I got home from work, as things had been crazy. Our office is moving to Bloomington in just two weeks, so the insanity has started. The phone systems is still being a pain in the ass and no one seems to know how to fix it. The fax machine broke, the copier went a little crazy and the shredder jammed. Is it Murphy's law that it all has to happen on Friday at one time? Plus, these people have a ridiculous problem of having to meet on every little itty bitty thing. We had to form a 'move committee' that has been pretty ridiculous so far. Then, a decorating committee and an Open House committee. Can we say dorks? I like these people but....I guess I don't know what these people are!

Saturday my friend Jeannette and I went to our friend Terri's wedding shower in Maple Grove. We all worked together at TM and have remained pretty close. What is it about showers and woman? I'm learning that I don't enjoy them all that much. The dumb games are soooooo cliche! Plus, when you're just friends instead of family, you end up not knowing most of the people and sit there like dumb asses. Finally Jeannette looks at me and says, "Do you wanna go?" YES!! It's more of a courtesy thing and plus, you like your friend. I've got another one to go to in April. HELP!

So, when I got home I slept again for another 2 hours. Since I'm recovering from a cold, I can't seem to get enough sleep. Then, Mike & I decided to go to Slumberland to start checking out couches and mattresses. We have no idea what we want or like, so figured this was the time to try stuff out. The place was dead, so they left us alone. We didn't really come to any final answer, but we did find the table we want for the kitchen. After this, we headed to Target and Kohls. I was very disappointed in Kohls. I now realize why I don't shop there very often. I wanted to buy this cool Happy Days bathroom set for the new place. It's a 50's style them with all kinds of cool rugs and accessories. However, the cost put a halt to the decision. Either I'm cheap (which is probably the right answer) or it was overpriced, either way I walked out extremely pissed. $16.00 for a border that won't even cover the bathroom, $20 for a towel, $13 for a soap dish in the shape of record, it went on and on. Individually, it was fine. But when you put it all together? Can't afford it. So, then I went into the mode of 'we can't afford anything because we'll be moving and there will be all this other stuff we need and maybe I shouldn't even paint because paint can be expensive and we need to buy a couch and blah blah blah". Basically, I just was ornery. I guess I'll just figure out a cheaper way of doing things.

We watched SNL with Ben Affleck, which was really funny. It seems like that show is only good when they get the right host. During commercials we watched Friday After Next with Ice Cube. This third installment of the Friday movies has become something of a cult favorite with us. It's dumb, but SO funny. My favorite line: "You like that your son's a fag now?" and "Hey Big Momma. It's me. Craig. Your favorite grand-son. The smart one, not DaDa."

Today I watched Turner and Hootch on TBS. I forgot what a cute movie that was. I miss Tom Hanks doing comedies. Then, I started packing up all the little knick knack crap that I have. I spent most of the day doing that, including cleaning out the storage closet and labeling all the boxes in there. Can you tell I want to get out of here soon?

Then, back to work tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the voice mail system on the phone works. Otherwise, hell to pay if people can't get their messages!!!!!!!!

Another quick update...

We bought a town home last week! As my friend Jeannette said to me tonight: "Wow. You guys are grown-ups now!" She's 24.

It's located in Cottage Grove, and we close on March 29. Fast. But, I guess when it works, you gotta jump on it. 2 bedrooms, a loft, 1 1/2 bath, deck, garage, yard. All the things we wanted and more. We're very excited. And the cool part is that the street we live on is Hamlet Lane. Get it? Shakespeare? Our Cousin? It's like it was meant to be. And, we knew it was right when we drove the road and saw just 5 minutes away the following: Target, Menards, Cub Foods, Blockbuster and TCF Bank. What more could you ask for?

To make things just a little more insane, my office is moving to a new location on March 27. Our first day in the new office is March 29. The day we close. And I'm coordinating the whole move because I'm the office manager. Whoo Hoo! (Work is still going pretty good)

We had a nice birthday party for Mikey on Saturday, which was his 28th bday. Dave, Charlie, Sara and Tyler drove up to spend the night, in addition to Gabe, Shanda and kids, and Matt, Jill and Sam. Quite the houseful! We had a lot of fun, laughed, ate tacos and cake. Stayed up late, slept late, it was just right.

That's all for now. Time for Newlywood with Nick and Jessica! That's my guilty pleasure.

Oh, one more note: we can have a dog at the new place. Let's just say we can't wait. Dog names anyone?

I just realized that it has been WAY too long since I last posted. My apologies.

Brief update and I promise to post more later...

Today is my 29th birthday. Mellow day. Celebrated with the family on Saturday night at my folks. 20 people showed up. I didn't know they all liked us that much! Just kidding. Nice time. Nice gifts. (Including my new Elvis clock that is shaped like a 45 record. At each hour it alternates playing Hound Dog and Don't Be Cruel. It is driving Mike nuts. I love it.) I also received Season 2 of Little House on the Prairie. My husband knows what I like!

Tonight, we went to look at a few townhomes as the search of our own place begins. Have a good prospect.

We then went to the Olive Garden. EXCELLENT food. This is one of my top faves.

I received a stirring rendition of Happy Birthday on my answering machine from Pat, Alissa and Paige with memorable 'cha cha cha's' inserted as well.

My new job is going VERY well. I like the people, what I'm doing, and feel very comfortable in the setting. It is somewhat akin to slipping on a pair of old sneakers. Comfy. And I know how to use them. These people also gave me a card, a lovely cake, and sang to me today. They've known me all of 2 weeks tomorrow!

I will post more later this week. Gotta hit the sack.

What a hockey weekend.

Friday afternoon we went to the matinee showing of Miracle. Great movie, well done. Kurt Russell nailed the role, just as predicted. I have to give him a nod for not doing the 'Fargo' accent. I read an interview with him that he said he tried to do the accent the 'right' way. His explanation was that he was from Massachusetts, and he understands how the accent gets overdone.

Saturday we were at the Excel Center by 8:30am. Practice went until 11:30. Took lots of pictures and saw tons of players. Modano, Messier, Jagr, Bertuzzi, Sakic, etc. We also experienced the autograph seekers who will do whatever they can to trample you. Very annoying.

Then, we headed over to the Fantasy thing which was great. We met and chatted with Barry Melrose, saw Ted Lindsey, Gordie Howe and Neal Broten. Saw the Bud Light Falls guys from the commericals, mullets and all. Stood in line for an hour to have our picture taken with the holy grail: the Lord Stanley Cup. Did you know he only paid $50 for it? And as some of you have seen, we had hockey cards made of ourselves. That was a blast.

Overall, people were friendly and excited. Over 100,000 people made their way through there so you can imagine how tired we were at the end of the day. Hockey at its finest, where it should be. The State of Hockey.

This week is my last week off. I've been doing some errands, etc. Spent too much time at Barnes and Noble today. I could have bought out the entire store as usual. I looked at some great books though. I think some day I will have to devote an entire room to becoming my library.

This weekend we head to Duluth for the UMD-Gophers series. Thankfully, we found out that we do not have ajoining rooms with Mike's parents. That happened to us one other time and it was also on Valentines Day. We found out that you should never have adjoining rooms with your parents in a hotel if you can help it. :)

A great CD that I purchased over the weekend is the VH1 Storytellers Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. 12 songs, mixture of both their tunes, lots of great stuff. I highly recommend it.

Welcome to Blogger, Dad!

Just got back today from my visit to the "Grove", or Spring Grove, MN. Had a nice visit with aunts. Spent the night, which I wasn't intending to do, but worked out well. I hadn't had the opportunity to chat with either of them much in the last year or so. Yesterday, before I left, Sandra and I took a ride down to Rooster Valley where much of our family farmed for many years. The house they lived in down there is falling in, and the land is owned by some one else. I did some trespassing, and climbed the fence to take a few photos. It was absolutely beautiful down there. No noise, not even birds. Just snow and cold. I had never had a chance to visit the Valley in the winter. I cannot imagine how my grandparents did it in the winter time down there. Charm pointed out that one year it snowed so much that they could only see the very top of the barn in the back where Grandpa didn't shovel it out. That's major!

Woke up with a cold yesterday morning, so made a detour to spend the night at the folks. Played with the dog and took mom to work this morning. Then, did a little shopping for some new work clothes. Yep, I said work clothes. I accepted a new position this morning and I start on Feb. 17. I'm nervous, but I think I made the right decision. Thanks to Mike, Pat, Mom, Dad & Barry for their helpful and encouraging words.

As Mike indicated on his blog, we are going to see Miracle tomorrow. Tonight at the Xcel Center, they unveiled the new Herb Brooks statue. It's the pose of him with his hands in the air as they won that miracle game. What was cool was that his son Dan gave a speech tonight, and he wore plaid pants like his Dad did in those years. Funny. We're really looking forward to our big hockey weekend. (or weekends I should say.)

Congrats to Alissa and Pat for an amazing school project! I would say that Alissa with her art skills may have a career path blooming. Pat, where were you when I needed help on school projects? Just kidding. I never had cool assignments like that one.

Sorry for the delay in posting. Much has been going on.

Still working on the job front. As of right now, I should be writing cover letters, but I'm being a little bit of a procrastinator this evening. Oh well.

I had a job interview last Monday that went well. 2 freaking hour with 6 people. Now, if that doesn't get old fast then I don't know what was. I knew one of the 6, worked with her at TM. She said I came across very professionally and answered all the questions. Just not sure if I want to go back to public health as well as doing the job I applied for. We'll see. I have another interview for Friday that is with an organization called Elder Care at home. It's basically working with the elderly and coming in to help them out with stuff: cleaning, groceries, visiting. It's only PT, but I thought I might do it awhile to get some money coming in. Another we'll see.

Last week I drove down to Rochester on Tuesday. I was planning on going south to visit the relies, but the weather wasn't good. Instead, mom took a half day off and we went to the Grandparents. We had a nice day. Grandpa was at a doctors appointment, so we only saw him for a little bit. Otherwise, we hung out with Grandma. I cleaned for them, while Mom and Grandma did some sorting of their extra bedroom. You wouldn't believe the things they save. Grandpa has a brown polyester leisure suit in PRISTINE condition. His response? "that was a darn nice suit. I just outgrew it a bit." Grandma has practically every winter coat she's ever owned, including some really cool vintage ones from the 50's. She also still has her fake fur coat that Grandpa bought for her in the 80's. Hilarious. Grandma seemed to enjoy sorting through stuff. Once you jogged her memory, she seemed to remember more. She still struggles with being dizzy, tired and shaky. I know her Altzheimers place a role, but the meds she is on for it also are a part of the deal. I just wish we could get her a better quality of life. Her comment was sad. "I never thought I'd end up just sitting here staring at the wall. And I never thought my house would need someone else to clean it." Food for thought.

Visted Pam and Charlie one night and had Pam in stiches telling her about the movie Jackass. She will have to rent it. Thursday I went to see Sue at the Crosstich Shop. They are going out of business at the end of this month-it sucks cuz it's a great business. Just too costly of a lease. Otherwise, I just hung out with the dog during the day and visited with my dad on the phone for a few hours too.

I just finished reading The Da Vinci Code this morning. Everyone is reading it, and I knew I had to as well when I read the subject matter. PHENOMENAL book. It's really a page turner and keeps you guessing at every moment. Historical fact mixed in with a mystery. I've got some more research I want to do now. Mary Magdalene the wife of Jesus? Being Catholic, raised a certain way, this stuff is so intriguing. Without getting into things further, I'm very glad I read this book. I highly recommend not only this one but Religion for Dummies as well.

Watched the Super Bowl a bit. Nothing major. Saw Janet lose her top. So stupid that the FCC has got to get involved. Whatever. Made for interesting show. Great game as well.

Friday night we went over to Matt and Jill's. Sam is now 3 months old and growing like a weed. He's smiling now and making lots of cooing noises. Watched him get a bath which he just loved. Matt's parents were driving up from Oshkosh and we wanted to visit with them. Great people-super nice. They arrived around 11pm and see we chatted with them until 1am. Poor Jill had been up with Sam the night before so she looked like she was going to drop. Thankfully, Grandma McMillen said she'd get up with Sam in the night. Jill has decided to be a stay at home mom for now. They're only young once, and if you can do it, I say go for it. I advocate both-just depends on the person. I have no idea how I will be when the time comes.

Leaving for Spring Grove in the morning to visit my 2 aunties down there. I haven't been down since August, so I thought as long as I have the time, I should go. They feel a little abandoned since Grandma died and no one is making as many visits. Then I think I'll try to visit a friend or two in Rochester. Make my rounds and be back by Thursday night I think. Mom is working the crappy late shift until 7pm, so she won't be around much.


Survivor last night anyone? I haven't watched it since Australian Outback, but it was fun to see the all stars come back. Gotta love Rudy and Rupert.

Okay, so I'm now unemployed.

Glorious? Well, not really. Not yet anyway. I've caught up on sleep, reading, knitting, and I am now in the process of completing bulldozing our den and throwing everything I haven't looked at in the last year in the garbage. I went through an entire box of cassette tapes last night. What do you do with old tapes? I realized that most of the ones I really liked I've bought on CD. I threw out a ton, but saved about a box of them. Some I just want to save. A good example: On Christmas Eve we had to explain to my younger cousins (Hannah, Grace and Tyler) what LP's and 45's were. They had no clue. They Grace says, "Oh, I think I've maybe seen one."

I own more books then a small town library. This is not a bad thing. It just makes storage a problem. I swear that when I have my own home, I am making a library out of one room.

We also bought a DVD Storage Unit. We already own, like, 100 Videos. DVD's are creeping into the 30's and 40's. Mike had the lovely task of putting the thing together, a cheap sauder deal from Office Max. Let's just say it was a lot harder then it looked. But, it has a place in the living room now and looks pretty good. I also purchased a few more Rubbermaid Tubs and a truly ugly, but cool pair of shoes. Mike says they look like bowling shoes, and if you've seen the ones that are making the current fashion go round, you'll know what he's talking about. I swore I wouldn't buy a pair, but they were $5 at Target and they did look cool. As my niece Alissa would say, "Aunt Kristin, you're almost cool." Hey, it's better then not being cool at all.

I am reading Hearts of Atlantis by Stephen King this week. It's different, and I'm still not quite sure how it will all come together (short stories) but it's interesting. I'm dying to read The DaVinci Code, but I have to see if I can get Barry to loan it up before he reads it himself.

I also discovered by favorite Dr. Seuss book tucked away in a tub. It's called: A Fish Out of Water. And yes Pat, I wrote in it and one it with my name. It was a sickness, I say. But this one does not have any pages ripped out of it. I must have reserved that feature just for your books. Nonetheless, this is an excellent book about teaching children how much food you should give to your gold fish.

Friday is the funeral of my Uncle's Charlie's mother. She passed away last Friday. The funeral is at noon, so I'll be taxing over my mom, aunt Linda, and Uncle Dave. I feel bad for Charlie-he's had a tough few years of losing his loved ones.

Last, I am now a fan of Napster again. I did my first paying download of $.99 and bought the single "Hey Ya" by Outkast. I can handle this price and it goes right on my hard drive and I can do whatever the hell I want with it. The Napster Card is now finally in effect. I looked long and hard for it before Christmas after reading the Newsweek article about it (15 songs for $15 on a card) but they did not introduce it until this month. I think I'll buy it. Anyone have any words on portable MP3 players? I have yet to check one out anywhere and I'm wicked curious to know if they're cool. (I'm a little behind the times in this area).

Pat- how's Project X?

Belated Happy Holidays to all and I hope they were enjoyed.

A couple of my highlights were : Season 1 of Little House on the Prairie on DVD. (I have wanted something like this for so long, I just couldn't believe it. My husband rocks. And by the way, I'm a nut for that show. I've seen every episode at least twice. I cried when Michael Landon died.)

Also received on DVD: It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, The Poseidon Adventure, and Say Anything.

Books: many. Cash by Johnny Cash (just finished it-very good), An Elvis Scrapbook, a book on writing, another on Archiving and Saving old photographs, plus some others I'm blanking on.

Picture of Johnny Cash, in his younger days, flipping off the camera. Dad found it on the internet for me.

A new game called Tri-Bond. We have not played it yet, but it lists three things that sound unrelatable, and then you have to figure out what they have in common. Easy Example: Polar, Black, Grizzly= bears

Many cool Elvis things. And some nifty Coca-Cola items, including an antique crate that the bottles would be stored in.

And, our new digital camera that we purchased just a few days before Christmas was a blast in itself. Took a ton of pictures. Hopefully I'll have a website up soon to upload some of them to.

New Year's Eve was quiet. We went to our friend's Gabe and Shanda's, however their 4 year old Tyler suddenly felt horrible, his ear hurt, so Shanda and I trucked him to the ER at 9pm. Ear infection, so it was 11pm before we got back. Watched the ball drop and went home.

I'm still at the job. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last day. They are playing games. I just want out.

We watched Bruce Almighty on Friday night. Okay movie. Not great, but there were some memorable moments. It did drag on at times. One movie we are watching frequently on the movie channel is Two Weeks Notice with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. Hilarious. Two of my favorite actors these days.

Might I point out the movie Serendipity? It came out a year or so ago with Kate Beckinsale and Joh Cusack (of course Jeremy Piven has a role). It's a darn fine John Cusack at his best movie.

Spent the weekend up north celebrating the Lemke Christmas. Lots of Fun.

Nephew Alex was the winner, hands down, for the total amount of presents. Only grandchild. You can imagine. He kept saying stuff like, "OHHHHH!" He didn't rip into the presents, but enjoyed looking through them. The clothes he received were just thrown aside.

Clothes are no fun when you are almost 2!

I received a wicked cool pair of Sorel Boots. I have the worlds poorest circulation in my feet and can spent a short period of time outside before my feet feel like I'm going to lose them. My father-in-law has said since day one that I needed a good pair of boots for snowmobiling. (Or 'bile' as Alex calls it!) These are good to -40 below. Comfortable and warm. I'm set!

Mike received the Lord of the Rings and Two Towers DVD sets. He did go see the latest edition in the theaters last week and said it was very good. I'm not into the trilogy so I haven't asked a lot of questions. He is currently watching the extras on the DVD's. I think they each came with like 4-5 DVD's a piece. Holy Crap.

The highlight of today is that we finally bought a digital camera! A Fuji Fine Pix A210. I like it so far. Mike is threatening to take inappropriate pictures. 'Nuff said. Can we say DELETE?

The rest of my week at work has been yucky. However, the boss now makes it a point to say good morning and good night to me each day since I gave notice. He never bothered to do that much before! It's a very long and tiring story. I hope that I can find a job I like. I'm so tired of this.

I'm starting to feel like a little kid again. Only 3 more days until Christmas Eve!

Just remember: "No man is a failure that has friends." But what Pat and I are wondering is whether or not Mr. Potter ever gives the money back! And Pat is really wondering why the hell Uncle Billy doesn't fess up and take responsiblity for his actions!!! Face it, Mr. Potter should have had the shit kicked out of him by Mr. Martini or something. Don't you think? Or maybe Harry Bailey since he was the big war hero!

Alternate endings anyone?

I quit my job yesterday.

Not fun. But, I made my point and said the things I was feeling. Was asked to stay, I said no.

I am not relieved quite yet, but hopefully it will set in soon.

Sorry about the lack of posting. Holidays are upon us.

We had nice Thanksgiving. Mike went to his parents, I went to mine. I had dinner with mom's family at Pam & Charlies. Poor Charlie had to work his last night shift at the hospital and didn't get home until 8am. Tyler woke him at 1pm just as we sat down to eat. He was happy that he no longer has to work those shifts anymore!

Great food, good turkey. I made the Pumpkin Pie the night before with my brother giving me crap on the phone through my mother. I have now officially ranked #2 in the family for the best Pumpkin Pie. Grandma is still #1. Sure wish I knew what she had done to make hers so good!

After hanging out there for awhile, I ran over to my dad's side of the family to visit with them. Unfortunately, I missed my grandparents by just an hour. It's difficult for them to be away from home at any great length. I ended up hanging out at Uncle Mike's house until 10pm ! I had not visited with many of my cousins and my aunt and uncle in almost a year. My aunt Sue also taught me how to knit! Uncle Tom kept asking WHY I wanted to learn this-Uncle Mike asked why I didn't just go buy a scarf. :) I think it's a valuable tool to know and I'm excited to keep going. It's a bit funky looking, but it's actually quite relaxing.

Friday I hung out with my mom most of the day. We didn't really do much-just took it easy. Then I went out to my dad's in the afternoon and visited with him for quite awhile. Later that night I did some late night shopping with my cousin Sara and we were both able to take care of a lot of our Christmas shopping. It was awesome being there so late!

Saturday I hung out at home again, and knitted. Matt and Tiffiny came down to celebrate Mom and Barry's birthdays. We went to Timber Lodge. Good food, nice time. Hopefully Mom and Barry enjoyed being treated to a dinner and gifts. It sure seemed like they liked it! It's cool to finally be able to afford paying for a meal after all these years of your parents taking you out. It was a pleasure to split the bill with Matt.

Work is a bit insane this week. Just gets busier and weirder by the minute. I was sick on Tuesday, but felt so guilty that I came in later in the afternoon. I'm thinking my flu shot did the trick at keeping things at bay. I've just felt a little bit yucky for a few days, but able to get pushing through. I sincerely hope that I did the right thing by getting it. First time-but after how sick I was at this time last year, I can't afford to go through that again.

Still looking on the job front. Have a headhunter. Getting a decent start anyway.

This weekend is nothing major. The tree is up, so I'm going to wrap Christmas presents and get that taken care of. Mike is going to a Christmas party in Duluth at his buddies' house. I usually go, but just not in the mood this year. I'm sure he'll have more fun without worrying about me and if I have people to talk to!

Two new shows we are liking: The Tracy Morgan Show (so far...) and Viva La Bam on MTV. Last night's episodes of Scrubs and Will & Grace were to die for funny. I haven't laughed like that for a long time.

I was out Christmas shopping last weekend at an outlet mall, and at the toy store I found a small Hermie the Elf key chain for $1.99. I came close to buying it for you Lally. But, I'll let your typo go by this time.

Yes, I was Christmas Shopping. I am about half way finished and am trying like mad to get done before Thanksgiving. I do not enjoy Christmas shopping and do not care for Christmas all that much. I hate crowds. Online shopping is very helpful. I am trying to save money this year and am making a few gifts. I just finished a 'no-sew' fleece blanket for my nephew. It's not perfect, but it'll work. I'm going to try my hand at a pillow tomorrow, while finishing up my latch hook rug of Santa. As my friend Jill & I coined our craft attempts "butt-ugly crafts" you can imagine how simple these projects have to be for me. I am going to attempt to learn to knit in a few weeks when I am home for Thanksgiving.

Mike is off deer hunting again this weekend. Second weekend in a row of being home alone. I am getting stuff accomplished as well as relaxing a bit. I haven't done a lot today due to feeling like crap. I'm having some medication adjustments and it leaves me feeling like I'm coming off an addiction. I've spent some quality time on the couch let's just say today.

Saw Matt & Jill's baby again last weekend. His nickname is 'Sammy the Bull' after a mobster. It's appropriate and cute cuz he's just a little guy. But in the week time span since I had last seen him, he had filled out. Technically, he wasn't supposed to arrive until next Tuesday! They are certainly enjoying him and seem to be settling in quite nicely. I'll admit I am moving closer to that direction of having a kid soon, but not there just yet.

Off to finish a few projects on the computer tonight...

And may I saw welcome and Uff Da to you Pat for joining the Sons of Norway.

May I just make a brief correction to you, Lally?

It's Hermie, the elf, not Herbie, who wants to be a dentist.

I take this very seriously. I have a mug in the shape of Hermie's head.

Okay, I suck for not posting for exactly a month straight. Sorry.

Just got back to town after being out since Tuesday at Mike's grandma's funeral. Obviously, not the way you would like the time off, but it was nice to visit with family. Mike's Grandma was a really cool lady and will be missed. My fondest memory (and first impression) of her was when I met her not long after Mike and I were began dating. She was wearing a) a pink windsuit b) had well manicured nails with funky nail polish and c) she wore tons of cool rings. Neither of my grandmothers wore anything like this, so she seemed to be a 'young' grandma. She was buried just that way-with her nails painted and rings on her fingers. We'll miss her a lot.

It's been quite the week besides the funeral-Matt & Jill had a baby boy on Sunday, October 26. He was three weeks early and very unexpected! Samuel Benjamin McMillen, 5lbs 2 oz, 18 1/2 inches. He's a little guy, but sure is cute. Mom & Dad are doing great, but are sleep deprived. It's been a tough week getting adjusted at home. He's had jaundice, so has been in each day to the clinic. Otherwise, he eats all the time, poops immediately, and then pees on them when they change him! I enjoyed holding him last night a lot. Mikey took a turn as well!

Also went to visit Miss Ava Butler, who is now 2 months old. She is just the opposite of Sam-she weighs about 11 lbs now and is a cute little chub. Mike says I'm getting baby fever.

Alex, the nephew, was a big hit all week. He likes being the center of attention and is a big ham. He learned a phrase that will come back to bite us all in the butt. His mom said something about the 'god damn pretzels' and what did he say? "God damn pretzel." I know you're not supposed to laugh, but I couldn't help it. Thankfully he only said it once. On Friday he was pestering me in the bathroom while I was getting ready, so I took a little hair gel and spiked his hair into a mohawk. He had a little flannel shirt and jeans on, so he looked like a little dude. We laughed so hard at him, that he started laughing at himself and was very pleased with all the attention! He's a lot of fun and really loves his Uncle Mike and Auntie Kristin. It sure makes me feel good that when I put my arms out and say come see me, he puts his arms up and jumps right in.

Tonight, Charlie and Tyler are staying over. They went to the Gopher game with Mike today, and then Tyler is making his Metrodome debut in the morning playing football in the Rochester Youth Football All-Star Game! We're excited. He's been studying his plays tonight while we watched TV.

Nothing too exciting besides those items has happened. Spent some time in Rochester last weekend, and visited with my grandparents. Mike and I both got new cell phones this week-switched to better coverage and better phones. We are both of fond of our new flip phones.

Back to work on Monday. I'm sure being gone most of the week will make for fun conversation with the boss!

Exactly 7 years ago this past Sunday, Mike & I met and went out together. On that very day, my niece Paige was turning 1 year old. I remember distinctly chatting with Mike at the bar and saying, "Today is my niece's first birthday!" He probably could have cared less (just kidding!) but I didn't know what else to talk to him about. Then I mentioned hockey and we had plenty to say then.

On Tuesday of next week, we will have been married 3 years. Seems like yesterday. I sure miss the days of college and all the fun we had together. I was just reminiscing with my old roommate Jill about the day Paige was born. She and our friends were just as excited as I was! The week prior we all jumped up when the phone rang thinking it would be Pat. Of course when he actually did call, we didn't think it was him. I remember I posted on my dry erase board hanging on our dorm room door : "I'm an aunt today!" Then, we drove to Shopko and bought her an outfit. :) Can you tell how exciting it was ?

I'm very lucky to say that I met my husband on the night of niece's birthday. Makes it all the more special.

1 year ago Monday, the 29th, my grandmother passed away. It's hard to believe she's been gone that long. We all miss her so much and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her. She was an amazing person and I sure wish I could be more like her! It's difficult losing grandparents. I have to say that it's going to be a really hard day when the time comes for my other 2 grandparents.

Pat and I were emailing about how we can remember the sounds and smells of our grandparents house so clearly. The back door had a sound to it when it closed, very distinct. The front door had another type of sound to it. The house was always so inviting and comforting. The kitchen was always ready for anything: a visit, something to eat, play a game at the table, have the whole family together. I can close my eyes and still see myself sitting at the table, wet hair and fresh smelling from taking a bath. I'd have my jammies on and I would be eating Velveeta cheese on saltine crackers, with a glass of Tang. MMM. Can still taste it. I'd look at old pictures, or play Uncle Wiggly with Grandma. Sometimes I'd color, or draw. Other times Grandma would get out the letters from when her sons were away in the army.

In the summertime, the windows would be open. Pat would be outback letting off fireworks. Sometimes the old Tom cat would come into the yard and cause a ruckus. I remember Grandpa and Pat with a beebee gun shooting at it up in the tree. The music from 'over town' (as we called the Supper Club across the street) would be getting louder. Dad would already be over there playing in the band or hanging out. Mom, Uncle Mike & Sue were getting dressed to head over there. Then Pat & I could gleefully have Grandpa and Grandma to ourselves as we watched Lawrence Welk, Three's Company or The Love Boat. (Barney Miller was a favorite too). If it was a Friday night, Grandpa would head to bed at 10:30, after the news, but Grandma would stay up to watch Johnny Carson. However, if Joan Rivers was subbing for him, she turned it off and went to bed. She always let us stay up and watch with her. Popcorn or Ice Cream were a great evening treat.

Pat mentioned that he can remember their place almost more then our own house. I agree. Perhaps it's because we felt the safest and most loved while spending time there. It was really my most favorite place in the world to be. Burr Oak, Iowa. A very lovely little town.

To quote my newspaper writing Dad: Random thoughts from a cluttered mind...

Took the day off today to recoup. I'll pay the piper on Monday. I will either be fired or will quit. I can't quite decide what will happen.

I honestly don't know what the hell to do with my life sometimes. Is this common in your late twenties? Or is it something that plagues you forever?

Two important purchases tonight: 16 Greatest Hits of Johnny Cash (with us songs as I Walk the LIne, Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues, and A Boy Named Sue.) Second purchase: the single Rubberneckin' by Elvis with the Paul Oakenfold REMIX. have you heard it on the Toyota commercial?

MIke is in New Richmond, WI tonight at a football game with Gabe. Gabe is the assistant coach of the hs football team, and it's homecoming, so he invited Mike down to hang out on the sidelines. Mike misses football so much these days that I think it's really good for him.

Tomorrow, my mom and Barry are coming up. Barry has a board meeting at the History Center, so Mom's just going to tag along. I convinced them to bring TJ along too. I miss my dog.

On Sunday we are going to the Vikings-49ers game at the Dome. My first NFL game! I've been to a NHL game (Wild), NBA (Timberwolves), MBL (Twins and others), Soccer (DC United) so it's about time. My last big conquer will be NASCAR. Since Mike is a niners fan, we'll be on opposite sides. Not the first time! I promise I won't paint my face purple and gold. But I'll probably do some screaming! (I am considering the purchase of the horns with braids on them to wear).

Sunday is also the 7th anniversary of the day Mike & I met and went out. It is also Paige's 8th birthday. Hard to believe both. October 7th we'll have been married 3 years. When do you become the old married couple?

Writing class was a little less exciting this week. However, the creative juices get flowing so much that I come out of there with tons of ideas. Everyone is so supportive and in the same position as you, which really creates a great environment. My friend Terri said in an email that she wants a book dedicated to her. I told her I haven't gotten that far yet.

Haven't had time to post this past couple weeks-working marathon hours at work. Our catalog goes to the printer today. Hallelujah! I can't say that enough. I went to bed at 9:30pm last night and slept until 8am this morning. Still isn't enough sleep in the day for me to recover from the caffeine I've had to suck down to keep on going on. I'm learning to deal with the boss. Not saying it's going well, but I am learning to deal. Came close to walking out last week when I was here at 10pm accomplishing NOTHING because of his anal tendencies. But, I kept my cool. The f word flew a few times on my end, however he did apologize for the 'stress' of the work lately. The I proceeded to work all weekend. That's 3 Friday nights in a row that have involved work. I think it's going to come to the point where I need to say, "This company may be your entire life, but it is NOT mine." What do you think? :)

Started my writing classes last week. They are AWESOME! But I haven't had time to do my homework, go figure!

One more quote about Johnny Cash. His daughter, Roseanne, delivered his eulogy and said the following: "I can almost picture a world without Johnny Cash. I cannot, however, imagine a world without daddy."

How poignant.

There is a poem that starts out like this: "Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep."

For Johnny Cash, he'll never die. Not to me or millions of others. Driving tonight on I-94 to Minneapolis I saw a sheet hanging over the overpass. Thinking it was left over from 9/11 yesterday, I glanced up. It said, "You'll always be a legend Johnny Cash."

MSNBC is asking fans to submit their favorite Johnny stories and I was amazed at the wide range of age groups that were posting. My favorite Johnny Cash story is this, as related to me by my mom.

In the late 1970's, my dad was an Entertainment columnist for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. He did a lot of great columns about music, especially country, which was his favorite. Say nothing of the man in black. Dad set up an interview with Cash, and he was set to call our house at a specific time. The phone rings, and my mom answers it. She hears in a loud, booming baritone: "This is Johnny Cash. May I speak to Steve Webb?" My mom puts her hand over the phone, jumping up and down, and says in a loud whisper: "STEVE! It's JOHNNY CASH!" Guess where Dad was? In the bathroom. Dad yells, "I'm in the crapper!" Mom was mortified. But, Dad did the interview and guess what? He said Johnny Cash was just as cool as you'd expect him to be.

Do you remember that, Pat?

I can't say how glad I am that I purchased his last CD in August. And I'm saddened to realize that the outlaws are getting old. Waylon's gone, now Johnny. Willie's hitting 70. These men were a vital part of my musical influence as a child. One of the very first songs I learned to play on my guitar at age 7 was Folsom Prison Blues. I guess it's just hard to let them go. It truly is feeling like you've lost a grandpa.

John Ritter was a shocker. Having been a big Three's Company fan, and a fan of his new show, it's another sad one for me.

Johnny Cash's death for me is kind of like when Michael Landon died. I watched Little House on the Prairie for more then 75% of my life. He was a father figure to me because Pa could solve anything. As TV guide suggested," When he died a very public death from cancer, we all felt like we'd lost a family member. After all, who had spent more good times with us in our living room?" That's the best way I can sum up the loss of Johnny Cash.

Fall is approaching. It might be 90 degrees in St. Paul today, but that feeling is in the air.

Kids are back in school, traffic on the Interstate sucks, Vikings-Packer game yesterday (hot damn, we won) and hockey is on it's way. When my husband says to feel sorry for me, he means it. I have accumulated many hobbies in the past 2 years since he began watching NHL Center Ice coverage of the Penguins. Good for me, good for him.

In a little over a week I begin my writing classes that I signed up for. I'm really excited and looking forward to the experience. The writing thing is beckoning me in many ways and I hope to spend the winter working towards becoming a more creative non fiction writer. Must run in the blood of the Webb clan. Maybe it's that William Shakespeare connection?

I had my review at work on Friday for my 90 days. Didn't hear anything bad, which is always a plus. I know I'm a good worker. I just have a major personality clash with my boss, I believe. Today solidified that. I honestly can't decide if this place is worth sticking around for or if I'm just banging my head against the wall. If I was able to do my job without all the contact I have with him, I wouldn't mind it so much. However, we need to buy a house and that is the defining factor here. The money is inherently more important at this point in my life. I'm sitting tonight out on the deck reading in my mom's Good Housekeeping magazine about this killer jobs that people have that are so fullfilling and fun. Does such a job exist? I know all jobs are not perfect, but to actually enjoy going to work would be interesting. Or not even to enjoy, but to not dread it? I guess that's the question of the year for anyone. Answers? I'm willing to listen to anything.

Mike purchased Madden 2004 today. I think it's safe to say he is quite excited.

Our friends Andy and Janelle Butler had a baby girl on Thursday, September 4. 9lbs 7oz-Ava Sophia Butler. Janelle was quite large when I saw her 3 weeks ago, so it was no surprise the baby was as big as she was. It sounds like they are really excited.

Mike is in his friend's wedding this weekend here in St. Paul. His parents are coming down on Saturday to attend, so we're looking forward to having them and enjoying the wedding. We don't know many people, but I always like a good wedding dance whether I know people or not!

Congratulations to Pat's tribute to David Letterman. Did Mr. Urda happen to catch the show? I can only imagine how funny he may have thought that to be!

I had forgotten to mention a funny story our cousin Cindy had told to us during the camping weekend about a month ago. I related the story to my mom this weekend and she laughed so hard she cried. I thought you might enjoy it.

Cindy's son Derrick is now 19, and in college. During the camping weekend he got up one morning and his parent's friend Chirp said as he walked out of the camper, "hey, nice moose beard there Derrick." Derrick's got a scrawny goatee he was growing. Derrick smiled. Cindy said to us, "Didn't I ever tell you the story about that?" Apparently when Derrick was about 6 or 7 he walked in on Cindy when she was going to the bathroom. Nothing new for a mom, I'm sure. Suddenly Derrick stopped, pointed, and yelled: "MOM! You've got a moose beard!!" She nearly fell over. As you can imagine, it's been a family/friend joke ever since.

And on that note, good night!

Nothing as exciting as Pat's story of skunk spraying is going on in our lives!

Pretty much just eat, sleep, read a little, work.

Had my first photo shoot for our catalog at work last week. It went well in some ways and crappy in others. I learned the rights and wrongs, that's for sure. Got some great photos of my friend's little guy Tyler climbing on the wall. After the shoot was done, I drove over to Shanda and Gabe's and then had a few beers at Gabe's softball game. Now, I don't drink much anymore. 3 beers nearly put me under the table and I had to drive home too! It sure was fun-I didn't get home until 10:30pm which is a record for me on a working night! I even had a guy ask me where I lived-hot damn! (That may attributed to the fact that I still can't wear my wedding ring because my finger is swollen from my football injury. Whoops.)

Spent a great weekend up north 2 weeks ago. Took my cousin Tyler with and he was able to do some fishing. We spent most of Saturday out on the pontoon boat, which is great. Lots of sun and fun. Nephew Alex is growing like a weed and is a big flirt!! HE really took a liking to Tyler as well. :)

Staying home this weekend, Mike's got a bachelor party on Friday night. Rest and relaxation for the Labor Day weekend. No laboring for me!