Good Morning at 5:30am lately...

And so goes another week of Madison trials! She has taken to getting up around 5:30 every morning. Those of you who know me well know that I'm just not a morning person. Night? Absolutely. So with my sleep problems still entact, this isn't helping. But hey, when she has to pee, she has to pee!

This morning I was so tired that I fell asleep on the couch watching her play on the floor. I heard some paper rustling, but I thought it was just the plastic bottle label she likes to play with. To my surprise when I woke up, she had chewed up an entire People magazine! At this point I was like, Whatever. I'm too tired.

Madison had a great weekend with cousin TJ. She follows him around the house and pretty much does whatever he does. It gave us a bit of a break too with 4 people watching her. Grandpa Barry babysat on Saturday morning and she was a little bit of a poop outside. He found out she likes water-he was trying to wash the car and she kept trying to bite the water and the hose. ;) Her new kennel is working much better. She goes in voluntarily, but still cries when you leave. I don't feel as guilty about her being in there now that she can see what's going on.

Jenni's wedding reception and dance was very nice. Food was amazing. It was nice to see family and hang out with my cousins. We all took a lot of pictures and goofed around. It's great to see all my cousins are growing up into such nice adults!

Work is very slow this week. Makes for some long days. Lots of complaints about silly things, which tends to happen when there isn't much going on. Some days I can't believe that I work with people that resort to saying things like, "why does she get a new desk and I don't? Why does it take precedence over my file cabinets?" To be frank, I don't care! A job is a job and I'm just doing mine.

The dumb thing of the week that I did was this: I forgot my keys in Rochester! As I sat down in my car on Monday morning and reached for my purse, there were no keys. It was then that I realized they were probably sitting on the counter back home. Mike was driving all weekend and he was using his keys. What a dummy I am! Thankfully we have a spare car key, but I was an hour late to work because Mike had to drive home to give me the spare. :)

Another 7 days of work, and then I am off for 10 glorious days in July while the NY Webb's make a visit. I honestly can't wait to catch up on some sleep and relax. This sleep thing is making me feel 50, not 29.

Slow down? Not me.

I was just thinking last night that I don't know the last time that I've sat still for more then 20 minutes on a week day evening. If I'm not watching Madison like a hawk and running her outside, I'm cleaning, or I'm watering the flowers, something. I think I need a break. I just want to get back to reading my book so I can finish it! Sound familiar? It's like I'm a new parent!

Maddy is in Day 3 of crate training. The last 2 days she has not gone to the bathroom in the crate-Sunday must have a taught her something! She still does not like to go in there, even with treats, but she seems to do okay. She is raring to go when we get home, so we have to do lots of playing and walks.

Last night we made another trip to PetSmart to investigate a larger, wire crate for her. Plus, we had to return the gate, which made no sense to keep since she can jump it. What was cute is that there were some puppy training classes going on. There was a boxer, jack russell terrier, golden retriever, and 2 mixed breeds. Maddy was so excited! We definitely need to get her involved in a class. Afterwards she was able to greet a few of the dogs, and then she tried to paw the Jack Russell in the face. I think she just wanted to play, and that was her way of letting him know. Plus, she was larger then him.

We came home with a new crate, a water dish, treats, and a floor mat for her food. She promptly tried to chew the floor mat when I layed that down for her bowls. She is really a chewing machine. This morning she again ran over to crap in the neighbors lawn because she doesn't like getting wet when the sprinkler system comes on at 5:30am. Thankfully, these people adore her and I obviously pick it up. I warned them that she is doing this, and they were so nice about it. It's really appreciated!

Tonight Bryan & Mary are coming with their new baby Hanna! We have not seen Hanna yet-she is just a month old. The pictures we have seen are great-she a cute little chub. Also, my former boss at TM and great friend Alana had a baby boy on Monday! He was 2 weeks early. My co-worker Andrea also had her baby last week. Another boy. It seems like everyone is having babies and they are all coming earlier then their due date.

Work is fair right now. I'm still really tired-even without the caffeine. I think I'm sleeping soundly but I just can't seem to get enough sleep. Madison had me up at 3am today to pee, and then again at 5:30am. That can't help, but what can you do? She's been really good about going back to sleep. Hopefully this weekend I can get a little extra sleep. I guess the other thing I have to get my butt in gear on is exercise.

She's a cat

This morning, as I'm eating breakfast, Madison the puppy comes out from the kitchen from where she was eating her breakfast. She didn't see me at the table eating, so I called to her. She saw me across from the table, so she hopped up on the dining room chair, climbed onto the table, and walked across it to meet me. Can we say CAT anyone?

Madison met cousin TJ this weekend, and they seemed to get along well. TJ was a bit jealous of the attention I gave Madison-so he peed on my foot in the sunroom. Her scent was there on the rug and I think he made his point! Later, he laid in my lap while Maddy chewed on a toy. When I left, he did his usual loud barking to signify that I am not to leave! Although he looks a little rough, he is about 75% TJ. I'll take that over anything.

Maddy was a big hit with Mom & Barry, as well as Pam who stopped by. We then made a trek over to Byron where she met Dad, Debbie & Janelle. Puffy the dog did not care for Madison at all. Dad had to keep her separated. Janelle's comment made sense: "Puffy is a widow now." But, they all enjoyed Madison as well, especially Dad. Maddy has a tendency to melt some hearts. Especially hurting hearts. She is a special little dog.

Yesterday was her first try in the crate for about 2 hours. She pooped in it and pawed at the door. Hopefully today she will understand that if she poops and pees in there, she will have to lay in it all day long. I now understand how Pat felt too about putting Dizzy in a crate. It's not fun and I feel bad. But, the vet said it's the best thing you can do for her. She still is having accidents, but it's always because we are not watching her carefully. She has also learned to sit in just a week-and is starting to know her name. Much to learn!

We received our security deposit of $400 back from the apartment, so we went to buy a grill yesterday! We had grilled barbeque ribs and they were tasty. The rest of the money goes to each of us to spend a little on ourselves. I've gained a few pounds and can't get into some of my shorts. nice. So, I need to buy a few new clothes.

Today is my 7th Day of being caffeine free. I do not enjoy it at all. But, I am determined to do this for better sleeping habits. It is helping and I seem to be sleeping sounder. I can't wear the sleep mask because SOMEONE ate it! All in all, I wake up feeling more rested. I'm existing on water, lemonaide, gatoraide, and Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi. Back in the day I used to drink PepsiFree. It's hard to find Caffeine Free Pepsi or Coke at all. Diet Pepsi tastes better then the Diet Coke. Why should it taste different because of caffeine? I have no idea. But it does. Has anyone tasted the new low carb/calorie Coke?

This weekend we head back to Rochester for my cousin Jenni's wedding reception. We haven't had a wedding dance to go to in a long time, so this should be fun. All the cousins are 21 (except Allie) and over so we can have a few drinks together. Nate is also home from Hawaii. Mike is going to go to a bachelor party in Rochester for one of our college roommates, who is a McCabe from Lanesboro. (Grandpa worked for his grandpa, Dad knows his Dad, etc) I like to call him Kyle Petty-looks just like him! Anyway, Doug's party is Saturday night as well.

Puppy training tips anyone???

Chewing, Chewing and more Chewing!

Our evenings are spent trying to tire out Madison so that she won't chew the house apart, and will sleep through the night! The sleeping is going well and she usually only has to go out once in the course of the night. She seems to understand that once the lights are off in the bedroom, it's time to sleep.

She is starting to understand her name-except when she is outside! Then, she chooses to ignore and wander. She is starting to understand the concept of sit and outside too. No accidents in the house last night-she keeps going over by the door to let us know she has to go. Otherwise, we pay attention to where she is sniffing and that usually when she has to poop.

On Monday she jumped the gate in the kitchen that we had her penned in with. She had a lovely day of having the house to herself! Thankfully, she didn't damage too much. She did manage to get a hold of my CPAP sleep mask and chewed it up. That is, of course, the most expensive item she could have chosen. :) Otherwise, just Mike's hat and a magazine were casualities. Wednesday/Thursday were spent in the basement. She has her box, blanket, and toys. It's cooler down there for her and she has the run of the whole basement. yesterday she even went to the bathroom on the 'puppy training pad' by the door. We thought that at least we could still work on the potty thing even if we can't be there with her.

Life is pretty much all Madison right now! We haven't gotten a whole lot done, plus it's done nothing but rain. It's really starting to get ridiculous. Tomorrow we are driving down to Rochester for the day to visit TJ and show off Madison. She likes the car, and actually calms down more when she is in there!

Side note: I saw a bumper sticker this morning that I caught my eye. It said 'fety driving'. I'm like, huh? Then I realized that it was 'safety driving' and the first two letters were gone. How safe is this truck actually driving then???

Currently listening to: The Mavericks "Oh What a Crying Shame"
& Lisa Marie Presley "Lights Out"

It's Official

We took the plunge and become 'pseduo' parents this weekend and adopted a dog!
She is 12 weeks old and is a Golden Retriever mix, but is all black. Her name is Madison! She came to us from the town of Madison near Montevideo, MN, so we just named her after the town. Maddy for short.

She learned how to go up and down the stairs yesterday, with some help with treats. She's not so sure about the leash and the chair outside, but is getting used to it. We are working to see if we can just keep her off a chain when she is going to the bathroom. She will stay in the yard for the most part, but likes to wander when she sees people.

Today is her first day alone and she didn't like it when I left. I'm worrying about her all day today, but I'm sure she's fine. I assume she'll spend her day sleeping. We blocked off part of the kitchen with a gate because we don't have a dog crate for her yet. This way, she has the freedom to wander around and can look outside. I just hope the potty stuff works okay. She's only had a couple of small accidents so far and has not pooped in the house yet. In short, I'm loving my doggie. She will get to meet TJ this weekend!

That pretty much took up most of our weekend. Matt, Jill & Sam came over Saturday night. He took a liking to Madison and was pulling her hair and patting her. Thankfully, Madison was fine and liked licking him. (she is a BIG licker!) Sam is growing like a weed and is so cute. He likes to babble and is a pretty happy guy. Matt & Jill seem really happy being parents.

Otherwise, we have spent a lot of time outdoors with Madison. She is getting acquainted with the 2 neighbor dogs across the street. She is starting to learn her name a bit and is getting 'outside' pretty good. Lots to teach her as she is at that critical age of learning!

Like Family

Friday night was a tough one for me. Mom called and said that what we figured was true-TJ has a tumor. It's a bad one, pushing from one side into the other lobe of the brain. The vets said they could do chemo/radiation, but these types of tumors don't respond well to treatment. It's probably been going on for up to 6 months, and it's probably genetic. So, they sent him home with prednizone and said to make him comfortable and give him lots of love. By Saturday, he had perked up quite a bit and Mom said he was more like himself. I hope to go home and see him, spend a little time with him, before things get too bad.

I broke down many times on the way up north. I just can't imagine life without that little bugger. He's asked for so little and given so much happiness.

With the rain we've been experiencing for the last few weeks, I need some sunshine. I spent 3 hours last night planting flowers and putzing around outside. I can't sit still, I don't want to sit still. I did the laundry, I did the bills, I sent out some mail, printed out some pictures, you get the idea. Tonight, cleaning the basement.

We did have a nice, all be it short, trip to Babbitt. It was good to see Alex and hang out with him. He's got quite the attitude these days-the terrible two's have set in. He really likes the word "NO". Imagine that? And when he wants something from his Uncle, he just keeps saying, "Mike. MIKE! MIKE! MIKE!" What's cute is when you point to someone and ask who it is. It cracks me up. "Das Grandpa!" "Das Bob!" It was good to have a little one around for some smiles.

And, Joey the Wonder Dog is going to win us $10,000 hopefully! America's Funniest Home Videos (which I never watch, but caught last weekend) is looking for your ugliest dog videos. Well, Joey is a Husky-Wiener Dog mix. Can you get any stranger? He's a cutie. We taped him playing with his favorite bowling ball and pin. He barks and paws at the ball because it drives him nuts that he can't pick it up! I told him if he wins me any money, I'll buy him all the bones he can eat. :)

New 'do, New Outlook

It goes with my personality.

When things are stressful and I feel a bit crazed by life, I always end up doing this.

I get a haircut. I dye my hair. I clean. And I don't sit still.
I have done all of this recently.

Last night I cut off about 3 inches of hair and dyed it dark brown in an attempt to get back to my natural hair color. I love it and it feels a 100% better to have the weight of all that hair off my shoulders. I also have not been able to sit down to read a book, because then my mind wanders. So, the answer is to be gone as much as possible each night this week and do chores around the house to keep myself going. So far, so good.

TJ Update: He was at the U of M yesterday and stayed overnight. He is going to have a CT Scan and possibly a spinal tap. The vets are awesome-they told Mom and Barry to keep their hopes up. It could be encephilitis, not a brain tumor. They can treat the encephilitis and it could explain the seizures, the loss of vision, his behavior, etc. I'm willing to accept the worst, but it's good to know there is hope. Fingers crossed, lots of prayers have been said.

Mike & I are heading to the Northwoods today after work. I have not been up that way since January, so I'm looking forward to getting into the great outdoors. I'd actually like to be able to do a little fishing because I'm craving walleye. But, I don't know if there will be time or fish to catch!

Have a great Memorial Day...and I ask that you remember the reason we have this day off. Take a moment to honor those who have died and if you get the chance, go see the new WWII Memorial. I can't wait to see it.

Life is always changing, and I struggle with that.

TJ, my parents dog, (and my dog too in many ways) has been suffering from seizures for last week or so. He hasn't really been himself for almost a month, and the vet thinks he may have a brain tumor. I was so hoping that they would just say that he got into something, needs medicine, and that's that. But, it's not sounding like that is the case.

I watched him for a 2 days almost over the weekend while my parents attempted to go on vacation. But, he had a seizure by the early afternoon of the first day, and another in the night. I was so paranoid that I didn't sleep hardly at all and kept getting him up to see if he was okay. It's the most horrible thing to see him have a seizure. I cried my eyes out each time and held onto him and tried to remain calm. But, it's difficult. Mom is going to check with the vet again, and at the U of M to see if there are any other options, but MRI's and CT scans are going to run very expensive. So, it's really up to them. TJ is only 6 and it just doesn't seem fair. We all just want our crazy, wild dog back again.

I just lost my dog 6 years ago-and she lived to be 17. Our Airedale was 11 and went only 6 months before Taffy. I don't know if I want a dog of my own. It's a hard thing to take when you lose them. I guess I'll just keep praying that TJ is not in pain and that it may possibly be something else. And then come to terms with it all.

To be honest, I am a big baby when it comes to animals in trouble. My mom used to make me turn off Lassie when it was on because I would cry when she would be lost and trying to find her way home. I distinctly remember an episode of Little House on the Prairie when Laura loses her dog Jack to old age. I cried to bad that Mom threatened to turn it off if I didn't stop. The worst movies for me as a kid were Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. I was in 4th grade when I saw both of those movies in class (on the old film projectors that you ran the film through) and when they were over, I was a mess. My whole desk would be wet from crying. I guess I'm just ultra sensitive to animals, especially dogs. And now, Dad with Norman, I'm so bummed. Norman is just the sweetest thing in the world.

Anyway, tonight we are cleaning out the apartment and handing over our keys. We haven't lived there in a month, and tonight we have a good session of stuff to tackle. Hopefully it won't take too long. Then, it is all official and we can turn the page of that part of our life. I hope it finally makes us feel like we have completed everything.

Ummm, No.

"Producers have visited the Hernando, Miss., area looking for possible locations for a movie based on the life of Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash. "Walk the Line," now in preproduction, is expected to star Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash."

Unfortunely, I can't see either one of them as John or June. Suggestions, anyone?

It's only Wednesday.

It seems as though it should be Friday by now, for some reason. Long week for me, not sure why.

I did however have a great night on Monday night. I attended a seminar by Naomi Judd (the country singer whose daughters are Ashely Judd and Wynonna) in Minneapolis. It was in a ballroom, and was limited to about 100 people or so. I was excited because 1) She is involved in Spirit, Mind, Body healing 2) She has a great personality 3) I've always liked her music. Her lecture was about how to take control of your life and get to a better place. Well, I'm at a place in my life right now that I could use a little of that! So, I went. And as I entered the building and went up the escalator, who should be in front of me? Naomi! Got to say hi. I then went to purchase her new book before entering the seminar.

Seminar was fantastic. I took 5 pages worth of notes. She had some great information that makes you stop and think about what one is doing with their life. I'll share one brief piece that hit home with me: You're only allowed to be a victim in life once. After that, you are volunteering.

Afterwards, they announced she would be signing her book. So, like a crazed fan (I walked,didn't run) I went to get in line. After only waiting 10 minutes, she signed my book, shook my hand, and actually took time to talk to me. I mentioned to her that she had once called Dad to thank him for an article that he wrote about Wynonna after she went solo. She remembered him, the conversation, and said again, "I just loved how he wrote it." She said, "You tell your Dad hi, and that I remember him well." Then she thanked me for coming, was glad that I wanted to make changes in my life, and wished me well.

I have to say that I was seriously impressed with her. There was no 'celebrity' put on by her. What you see is what you get, and she says what she's thinking. I came away respecting her more then ever. Then, I promptly pulled out my phone as I was leaving, called Mom and said, "I MET NAOMI JUDD!!" I walked in the door and said the same thing to Mike. Can you tell I was excited?

Yesterday, I received the CPAP machine that I will be wearing at night to help my sleep apnea. I wore it last night and it sucked. They told me to give it a few weeks because there is a definite adjustment. I woke up with a headache today, and didn't even wear the thing all night long cuz it bugged me so bad. Hopefully I set it up correctly, because I did have a one hour training on how to use the damn thing! Mike now calls me Darth Vader at night. :)

Mike's parents, sister and nephew arrive tomorrow. They are all heading to Iowa together on Friday for their annual visit and to celebrate Mike's mom's birthday-the big 5-0! I have not seen Alex since January, so I'm anxious to see how much he's grown. I'm sure he is already talking about going to Uncle 'Bike's house!

I'm home this weekend, I think, on my own working on the house stuff again. I might be dog sitting TJ while Mom & Barry go on vacation. TJ had two seizures over the weekend, which has never happened before, so I'm waiting to hear what the diagnosis was. I love my doggie so much!

No rants today, but I was glad to see that Miramax settled the issue with Disney, and they're still going to find a way to distribute Michael Moore's film.

I caught Mike's cold, so I've been sick all week. Sucked. I still have not received my CPAP (the device I will have to wear to bed at night for sleeping) so my sleep and restless legs are nasty. When I came back to work yesterday and was hit with all the shit that had happened while I was gone the day before, I tackled it head on with the following comment: "I am incapable of bullshit today." Let's just say I made headway with a few vendors that were giving me crap.

On Wednesday night, my step-dad Barry graduated from Rochester Community and Technical College! We trekked down to Rochester for the big night to watch him accept his diploma and cheer his hard work. He deserves much credit for working so hard. I know it was challenging for him, but he did an awesome job. I have pictures, and I'm trying to find time to create a site, so hopefully I can post them soon.

I am heading to Duluth tomorrow morning with my friend Jeannette to go to a wedding. It's Terri, our former co-worker from Target Market. She is marrying her British lovah, as we like to call him. He's from Manchester, England and has a wicked cool accent. We've only met him once, so we are looking forward to seeing him again and his family. We'll get to see how those brits can party! I'm curious to know if all the women will wear large hats. I had a boss that was from England and she said that all the women wear hats to weddings over there. Interesting...

Last weekend my aunt Pam came up to help me decorate my kitchen. It turned out so awesome! We put up a bunch of cool Elvis stuff, along with a few Coca Cola items. I bought a red Coca Cola bakers rack that I put in the dining room, along with what they used to call a 'utility cart' for the kitchen. It has a coke logo on it as well. The kitchen won't have a total 50's look to it, but it will be close. Now I need to paint both bathrooms and I should be done with that part of things. It's fun, but demanding at times. We love our house, but the drive is wearing on me. I wouldn't care if it was just driving, it's the fighting rush hour that sucks. Oh well. I keep telling myself that it's worth it because of the quiet and our location. And it is.

We also went to this furniture place called HOM last night. We always thought it would be too expensive, but it was really reasonable. And, it was huge! They had everything, including an enormous statue of Elvis for $530! Anyway, the smartest marketing tool they put into that place was a cookie shop. A FREE cookie shop. They have a kitchen right there that bakes homemade cookies, and they offer free soda, coffee, water, and juice. There is a little cafe area to sit in while you dine away on those luscious, moist cookies. Yum. The place smells like a home, and feels like one too. What an idea.

By the way, we did find some furniture we liked, we just have to wait awhile to buy it.

Two recent movies: Mean Girls and The Pianoist. I liked Mean Girls more then Mike. I thought it was extremely well written and funny. Pretty accurate portrayal of girls that age, and they went just a tad to extremes for a good laugh. 2 thumbs up. The Pianoist was excellent. Adrian Brody is a fantastic actor who highly deserved his Academy Award for Best Actor. Very sad movie, dark, depressing and it gave the viewer the exact taste of what life in the Warsaw Ghetto was like during the Holocaust. I did not know it was based on a true story. 2 Thumbs Up.

Congrats to Molly who graduates from UW-Madison tomorrow!

*Music* Elvis: 2nd to None

I know it's been a few weeks, but I've got a rant.

What the hell is America coming to? When Disney blocks its Miramax division from releasing a Michael Moore movie, there is a problem. Is there such a thing anymore as freedom of speech? Or are we so wrapped up into trying to figure out exactly what 'freedom of speech' consists of that we fail to see the real reason our Founding Fathers created it? I know that we still have it better then most people in the world, but I get more frustrated every day I watch the news or read the paper. I pride myself on trying to see both sides of the picture. Yes, I am a Democrat. But I still try to make a decision based on the facts, not on partisian sides. But each day, especially this week, I find myself getting angrier with this administration and the crap that we are being fed. And I'm not just mad at Bush and his cabinet, I'm mad at the Senate, the House, everybody. I'm getting tired of career politicians. I'm starting to wonder if there are many individuals out there who honestly 'care' about the average Joe. We can't get our budgets balanced, we can't pull our soldiers out of conflict, we can't stop our gas prices from rising, it goes on and on.

I miss Paul Wellstone. 'Nuff said.

The finale of Friends last night wrapped up everything into a nice little package, the way I think we all hoped and knew it would be. I will miss this show. Hands down, this is my favorite show of all time. I quote it frequently. I still don't think Matt LeBlanc's spinoff will do well, but hey, give it a try.

Still unpacking and getting settled into life at the new house. Thanks to Mom, who came up last Saturday for a few hours, she was able to get some things organized. I was so tired of unpacking, things had just started to lay around and not get put into any kind of semblance of order. Thankfully mom's are very good in this area. Or, at least mine is! Mike was also gone up North last weekend, so I hung out on my own which was really nice. I slept, I read, I unpacked. Just needed a little alone time I guess.

I received the results to my sleep clinic study, which were very interesting. They have identified that I have a mild sleep apnea. This means that I am waking up (my brain is waking up) about 20 times an hour from snoring. The snoring is causing me to stop breathing or have shallow breathing. Apparently, I have a very long uvula (the hangy ball thing at the back of your mouth) and it lays on my tongue when I go to sleep. This creates a suction affect and closes down the air ways! Fun. I also stay in the REM sleep about 15% more then the average person, indicating that I dream a lot. Yep, could have told them that one! The REM sleep is the mentally refreshing sleep, the stage before REM is the physically refreshing sleep. I am not getting enough quality in either of them. The answer is to where a mask over my noise that pumps oxygen into my brain. It keeps that air ways open and should prevent snoring. We'll see if I can tolerate wearing it while I sleep! I should hopefully get it next week. All I know is that I have slept very little this week (I have restless legs as well) and I'm ready to tip over today. TGIF

Last, our visit from Pat & Paige was great. It was short and went fast, but we're so glad they were able to make it. Paige has grown so much and has such a great personality. She cracks me up! And, I've got someone to defend me from my brother at last. When Pat was picking on me she said, "Um, excuse me Dad, but you're not the boss of Aunt Kristin." YAY! And, she had to tease Mike so when she saw him she said, "How's Crusty doing?" This is in reference to Rusty Wallace, who has been Crusty for so long since he's an aging NASCAR driver. Crusty, however, finally won a race recently, so he's not so Crusty anymore. But, Paige is a big Bobby Labonte fan, so she had to tease Mike.

We also spent time with Grandpa and Grandma Webb. Paige and I tracked down the Uncle Wiggly board game, Monopoly from 1953 (I think), Spinner Winner (which we never really learned how to play), the puzzle of the United States, and some of Grandma's old school books and papers. I think Grandma got a kick out of watching us play the games. The old Grandma popped up at one point when she said, "I think you might need some more light over there." She used to always say that when we read or played games. :) Altzheimers is a strange disease. On a rare occasion the old Grandma does show up and it's always a treat when she does. Even though she is still here with us, I really miss Grandma the way she was.

*Music* The Doors Greatest Hits

Moving On Up

It's official, we are completely moved in. What a process!

Although we are going to be living amongst boxes for a very long time, we are able to use the living room, kitchen, bathrooms and bedroom. I don't know where very much stuff is, but it's there!

The only casualties of moving were the following:
1 Coca-Cola Salt shaker
1 ripped bed sheet
1 plate glassed door

Yep, I broke an entire glass door at our apartment. The weather yesterday was just psycho. The temperature reached 88 degrees and was humid beyond belief. There were tornado warnings everywhere and was fast approaching the Twin Cities. I had to run up to the apartment to pick up the rest of the food from the kitchen, so I made a dash up there thinking I had plenty of time.

The longer I was there, the darker and more windy it became. So as I'm carrying the cooler, my last load, out the door I pushed open the backdoor of the building to step outside. As I used my foot to push the door, the wind grabbed it, blew it against the brick wall and shattered glass everywhere. I was very lucky.

I only sustained a small cut on my hand, but of course it bled profusely down my hand. I stood there not knowing what to do, so I went and put the cooler in the car and walked over to the neighbor lady who works at the rental office. She is a dear-more worried about my hand then anything. She went to make the call to the fix it guys, when they happened to walk out to the parking lot and saw the door. I felt so bad-but they were awesome and knew the wind did it. So, I left them to fix the mess as I drove home with my hand wrapped up in kleenex.

I was wearing shorts, sandals and a tshirt. I could have been cut a lot worse. But I still felt like a dumb ass.

The sirens did blow around 8pm last night, but I think it was just cuz of the winds. We were in the midst of cooking a late supper, so we didn't go downstairs. I stood and looked out the door because it was way cooler to watch. There were also wild fires earlier in the day that burned up about 500 acres, so it was crazy. Once again, April in Minnesota is unpredictable in the weather department.

**I like my cousin Molly's idea of posting what she is listening to in the music area. I'm going to try to remember to do so**

Wynonna-What the World Needs Now
alternately with VH1 Storytellers Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson

Sleep Clinic anyone?

At about 8pm last night, I drove over to Woodbury and spent the night at a Sleep Clinic. To sum it up in one word:

Wierd.

The reasoning behind going to the clinic is that I have never slept well. It's probably genetic, according to my dad, and he's probably right in many ways. I have night terrors, I have nightmares (there is a difference), I rock back in forth, I snore (which I never used to do), I have restless legs. All of this makes me feel extremely unrested the next day and I often want to just put my head on my desk and sleep.

Two things that I need to set as goals for myself that will help: stop the caffeine and go back to regular exercise. I admit, I've been so busy with work and moving that I have not gotten back to regular exercise. And the caffeine has been necessary to keep myself awake when I don't get enough sleep. Unfortunately, it starts a cycle that goes around and around.

Feeling like a dork, I came dressed in a tshirt and pajama pants. I also brought along my trusted blanket (yes Pat, I brought it along with me), my pillow, and a stuffed animal. I was informed that around 10pm the tech would come in to start hooking me up for the night. Until then, I was allowed to watch tv, read, etc.

The room looked like a small hotel room. I had a very comfortable sleep number bed, which I highly recommend now. (My number is 30!) The television was mounted on the wall and I had a table, pillows and extra blankets. So, I read through a TV guide, wrote out some birthday cards, and watched Judging Amy (which I've never watched) on CBS.

At 10 pm my tech came in to set me up for the night. Beth was young, very nice, and very talkative. She works 3 nights a week and has to stay awake the whole night to watch the patients. I ended up with electrodes on my legs, 4 on my face, 5 on my head (glued into my hair with this goop) and 2 on my chest. I also felt like ET with a monitor on my index finger to monitor my oxygen levels. It glowed! I was told to lay down (she even covered me up) and she would come on the intercom and let me know what to do.

Her voice came through the wall (very strange) and asked me to do some various things to calibrate the electrodes. (i.e. point your toes, blink your eyes, hold your breath.) Then Beth told me if I needed anything during the night, I should simply speak out loud and she would come in to help me. Then it was good night!

I admit, I had a hell of a time falling asleep. But, the night was fairly typical for me with lots of tossing and turning. It was difficult to move very much because of the wiring. Only once in the course of the night did she come in and wake me. One of the electrodes had fallen off and she had to rewire it, which only took a few seconds. Back to sleep I went.

Out of nowhere, a voice wakes me at 6:45am and says, "Good morning Kristin. I'll be in shortly to unwire you." Scared the crap out of me. And I was extremely groggy. When she came in she informed me that I had snored during the night and had restless legs, but that I didn't appear to have any resperatory problems. I will find out the complete analysis in 2 weeks.

I was home by 7 am, where I promptly ate a bowl of cereal and went back to sleep. I didn't have to be to work until 10am, so I took advantage of the time. When I took a shower, it took me four tries to wash my hair to get out the goop they use. Gross is all I have to say.

All in all, the experience was fine. Just a little strange. My hope is that I find out why I do the things I do in my sleep and what I can do to feel rested in the morning!

Last, we should be completely moved in to the house by Saturday night. We painted last Friday with mom, and I have one coat left to do in the kitchen. I'm painting one wall RED, because I'm decorating with Coca Cola and Elvis, so I want a 50's style look. Red is more difficult to paint with then I ever thought it would be. 4 coats of paint!

We drove to Rochester late on Saturday evening and spent the night so that we could see Amy (who is home) at a little movie night at the Lamb's house. The girls ended up staying upstairs chatting all night, while Mike & Charlie watched Sea Biscuit on Charlie's awesome new tv. It was so loud, it sounded like the horses were galloping through the living room upstairs!

Sunday we went to Dave's for Easter. A nice brunch and some fun with the cousins. Nothing major, home by late afternoon. Wish I could have gone to Grandpa and Grandma's as well.

Pat & Paige arrive a week from today. We are looking forward to their visit. Grace especially can't wait to hang out with Paige she said!

We are currently about 3/4 of the way moved into the house.

Thanks to my parents coming up on Sunday, we were able to make 2 trips with 3 vehicles. All that is really left is the furniture, our clothes, and what's left of the kitchen. On Friday, I'm going to try to paint with my mom. Mike is going to fill some nail holes tomorrow and get things ready. On Mondy night I washed clothes down there and started unpacking the kitchen. The challenge is now finding where to put everything. You never realize how much crap you own until you start to move!

It does feel like our home now and we are looking forward to being there permanently.

On Saturday my friend Jill & I drove to Rochester to go to the wedding shower of our college friend Erika. Some newer shower games that were better then the traditional ones. Great food, and she was happy that we had come. I guess that's what it really is all about. Still haven't met her husband to be yet!

The weather has been "delightful" the last few days with temps reaching 60's-70's. It's supposed to snow again soon, but I guess we can be happy that spring is really coming. The tulips are poking through and that's always a good example. However, the biggest sign that spring is coming is BASEBALL started! The Twins have new turf and it makes the field look really strange. It's probably going to take them some getting used to playing on it with the ball coming off the grass a bit slower now. They didn't get much chance to practice, because it just was completed last Thursday. Talk about cutting it close!

Work is fine. Things have quieted down some what. People are starting to get to know their way around and finding supplies easier. Still occasional freak outs, but we're slowly getting people to be self-sufficient. It's not the most exciting job, but it is a job I can do and do well.

TJ (the dog) came to visit with Mom & Barry on Sunday. He made himself at home on our new bed and layed down for a nap! When we got to the new place he ran around and explored while smelling everything. Dog approved! We also met our neighbors across the street who have a Brittany that looks a lot like Taffy. Of course I headed right over and said, "Can I pet your dog?" Similar behavior like Taffy when she was young-go crazy when someone new comes over. Very soft dog and made me miss Taffy as always. It makes wanting to get a dog even more important.

Easter-don't think we'll be making it down, maybe to Rochester for Sunday, but that is all. Depends on how things go in the moving area. We're trying to get settled by the 19th, so there is much to do.

Need sleepy.

We are homeowners as of Monday. But it doesn't feel like it yet!

Work has survived the move to the new office. Now, it's just hand holding until they all stop freaking out that they can't remember how to wipe their butt or something. I'm just really overtired! but it went better then expected. In honor of my big accomplishment, I received a cake in the shape of little moving boxes with labels on them. I swear, I dreamt the other night that I was labeling my boxes at home like I was at work. Then, in the dream I labeled Mike.

New address will be sent out shortly via email and snail mail to others. Thanks to all for their encouraging words and helpful advice.

The scary part (besides signing your name 30 times) is looking at the date you would pay the mortgage off. YIKES!

Haven't been posting because my life is nothing but a gigantic box to move things in.

Seriously.

Between work and home, pretty much all I've done is pack! Thankfully, our move to the new office location in Bloomington will be completed on Saturday. There are just a few items that need to be packed up tomorrow morning, and we'll be set to go. I'm surprised I haven't started dreaming about labeling my underwear. All I can see when I close my eyes are the little yellow labels with our office numbers on them!

Sunday we do a final walk through on the townhome. Monday, at 3:30pm, we will hopefully become home owners. There has been much to battle with recently, as the seller is a bit of a jerk. Hopefully we are getting all items out of the way now, and not on the day of closing. Pat was right when he said to expect the unexpected. We have expected this and received it. Last night we came very close to backing out, but were able to play some hard ball and get the answers we wanted. Real Estate sucks. (Sorry!)

We brought home our new mattress on Monday. Last night was the first night that I actually slept well on it. It's very comfortable, my body just was struggling to get used to it. Mike slept like a baby the first night. We are thrilled to finally have a new bed after sleeping on a $15 mattress, purchased from a friend, who bought it from a hotel sale. :)

Life will be be quieter (hopefully) after this weekend. Then we start painting! It's exciting though.

Since Dad has been whining about his NASCAR team, I will boast about mine. I rock. Last weekend was the first time I haven't won for a loooong time. Thank god for Matt Kenseth.

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!

The Winnebago Bowl was a success. We had 2 different teams for 2 games, so no real winner of one or both. Flags added a great element to the game. We've decided that they must continue.

I sustained a cool jammed finger injury. The swelling is now gone, but it's blue and yellow. Funky colors! Not broken-had X-rays. Hurts today, just sore.

Camping was great. Nice weather. Wild and crazy Saturday night, as usual. This year's event: pile-driving people out of their chairs when they were drunk.
Sara and I also snorted Pixie Sticks again. Numb nostral and I won't do that anymore. Twice is more then enough!

Gotta say, did miss Grandma being there. It's strange to not have her in Spring Grove anymore. I still haven't even made it out to cemetary since the day of her funeral. Too hard.

I hate work this week. 'Nuff said.

Going up north this weekend, bringing TYler with us for some fishing. Weather is supposed to be HOT!!

MN is still mourning Herbie. His funeral is on Friday at the St. Paul Cathedral. Lot's of great tributes going around. Amazing guy. We'll miss him.

After reading Pat's blog I had to post something. I agree with Alissa completely.
Canoeing should be done EVERY year!
It was awesome.

Funniest thing Paige said to me over the week:
"It hurts my feelings when Alissa tells me my feet stink when I wear these sandals!!!!!"

I also agree with Pat that this was one of the most fun times we've had.

Full report on the antics of the Garness clan after this weekend of camping. Leaving in 1.5 hours from work to relax in the sun and humidity
of Camp Winnebago. Get ready for Dave's "WHOO". And this year we've progressed to Flag Belts for the annual Winnebago Bowl. No more
of this two handed touch football crap.

We still need a trophy.

I am still alive, I promise. Just haven't felt like posting much. Getting things on track, mentally that is.

Enjoyed a nice vacation with my family. Canoeing the Upper Iowa with my dad and the rest of us was great. I would say Alissa holds the record for the most "whoo hoo"'s in one day. What fun they had! Beautiful day weather wise. Just what the doctor ordered for a vacation.

Work is getting a lot better. I'm busy every day and getting ready for the new school year. They say that we'll know when school starts around here because the phone rings off the hook. I guess I'd rather be busy then sitting with my thumb up my butt.

I will attest to the fact that Mike loves his new football game. He REALLY loves it. :)

Camping this weekend!

We also saw Pirates of the Caribbean over the weekend. Cool movie, very witty, interesting story. But, I did something I have never done before: I fell asleep briefly. I was exhausted that day and we went to the 10pm movie. I dozed off about 5 times I think and kept catching myself. I don't think I ever missed anything substantsial, or more then a few minutes worth, but I was mad. I have NEVER fallen asleep in a movie before. Oh well. Mike's joy of the night was the two gay guys that sat next to him and couldn't keep their hands off each other. :)

Spent last Saturday with my two college friends Jill & Erika. We had a nice time catching up with each other and heading back down to River Falls to visit our old college campus. It's changed in some ways, stayed the same in others. The town is definately grown since we were there. Later, we sat on the deck at Jill's house and looked at old pictures. Erika summed up those photos of us doing the strangest things as this: " God we were weird!" But we did have a blast. What I never realized is that I was the one (along with Jill's husband) that was doing most of the goofy stuff. I guess I used to do about anything back then for a good laugh. (Such as: climbing into the dryer at 1am to see if I fit.) Jill is currently 5 months pregnant, so talk centered on that mostly. She doesn't look pregnant, or is hiding it well! But, the baby is moving and that was so cool. I was floored at the questionaire they gave her at the hospital that she has to fill out before delivering. Such things as : "I want to feel the baby's head when it's crowning (eww)" or "My husband wants to catch the baby as it comes out" or "I want to hold it immediately after it comes out or after it has been cleaned". There is a lot to decide on!! She said her husband Matt just said,"Sign me up for whatever I can do." Cute!

This coming weekend is filling up fast. Tomorrow night Pam and the kids are coming up so that Whittney and her friend can attend a concert. I have the usual job of driving them to downtown Minneapolis :) Pam, Tyler & I will go shopping. Then I think they are staying over. On Friday night after work, I am meeting Steph at a mall in Burnsville and doing some shopping with her. She is then going to stay at our place and I will take her to the airport on Saturday morning, where she flies to Florida for work. Saturday evening, my cousin Laurie and her family are in town and we are going to a Twins game! Mike is traveling north for the 4th Annual NOME event. This is where he and his buddies stay at a cabin and drink, swim, and have horseshoe or bocce ball tournaments. He is really looking forward to the big event! Then, next week, I will have my last week of work before my 3 days off when the Webb's from NY come to visit MN!

Work stays the same. Still learning all I can.

Listening to your stories of faith in humanity makes ME feel better, Lally. Keep 'em coming because I'm not getting enough of them around here lately.

Didn't do much for the 4th. Slept in, spent a few hours at the pool, got burned a bit. Never fails. If I wear sunscreen I don't get a tan at all, if I don't where anything, I get red. Last night we went to see The Hulk. It was okay-better animation then I thought it would be. The ending was confusing. Only about 10 of us in the theater and STILL had people talking. I'm beginning to think we are just cursed to sit near people who annoy us during movies. :)

Not sure what we are going to do today. Maybe go to a mall around here that we haven't been to before? But, it's also a beauty of a day out there and I'd like to be outside again. That's the joy of this weekend, I guess. We can do what we feel like doing.

New job is fairing okay still...much to learn. Growing company and I hope that spells security. I seem to be bad luck for the places I've worked at since not even one of them are still in business.

Finished the out of town grad party thing last weekend. Derrick's party on Saturday was a beautiful 80 degree day with lots of sun. The night before we spent the evening sitting in lawn chairs in the driveway at Pam & Charlie's. With a little citronella candle in the midst of us all, it was like we were sitting around a 'mini' camp-fire. Much laughing ensued. Lots of Dave's "wah"s were going on. We also mooned Whittney and her friend as they pulled out the driveway. I wasn't even drinking that night! A good time was had by all.

On the way back from the grad party we drove some back roads up through southeastern MN. We're talking some out in the boondocks kind of roads! As we came up to the town of Houston, Mom showed to me two cemetaries that our great, great uncles are buried at. They are the siblings of Grandma Sophie Garness, whose parents died of diptheria and all the kids were orphaned and adopted out to families. Very cool churches and cemetaries. More pictures to add to the book.

The new Dell is awesome. I haven't been on it much, but it's so fast it makes our head spin. Sunday night we bought a new computer desk that is fricking HUGE. We aren't quite sure where we are going to put everything in the den yet. We are approaching that point where we need to buy a house. We outgrew the last apartment and are now outgrowing this one. It's scary how you keep gaining more crap. Ours is mostly furniture. Currently, my step-dad's old recliner is sitting smack in the middle of the living room. We usually get the cast offs of their furniture. Unfortunately, there is no place to put it. But, since we love the recliner so much, it's still sitting there!

Last night was episode 2 of The Osbournes. It's not so good this season. Ozzy is WAY out of it. Wonder if Jack is out of re-hab yet??

Congrats to Paige and her losing her two front teeth....

And I only have a few races left to go before I HOPEFULLY win the NASCAR family pool. Notice I said, Hopefully because it could swing large points in these races. I figure I'm due-I could use $50.