Calmed Down

I'm back from my trip, the work move is done, things are finally starting to look normal again. I'm thrilled!

My trip to NY was great. I left on Wednesday, the 2nd and arrived in Binghamton around 9pm. I was greeted by a young lady who was very dressed up, wearing funky sunglasses, and holding a sign that said, "Taybe."

"Huh." I thought. That's a different name. Then I started thinking, 'I wonder where Pat and Alissa are?' No one was around at all.

It hit me. The young lady dressed up was Alissa, looking oh, about 25. And the sign she was holding was referring to my imaginary friend Taybe!!!!!

They got me. Pat was standing around the corner laughing his head off. I was just totally in another frame of mind, not paying attention to my surroundings, and they nailed it to me good!!
Kudos to them.

Thursday was a nice day for me to sleep in and relax while they went to work and school. Pat and I hung out in the afternoon and greeted the girls from school. Alissa's boyfriend Nick came over for dinner that night. As I told him later (jokingly, but I meant it too!) he is a fine young man. He and Alissa have very similar personalities and get along well. And I was also impressed with how he related to Paige and actually talked and joked with her. He also did not have a problem with talking to any of the adults. (Can I call myself an adult?) Good kid.

Friday morning the girls headed off to school, while Pat, Lyn and I went to an assembly at Paige's school. They do this monthly. The coolest thing was the kids had been collecting money to try to raise $188 for a school kit to donate to the tsunami relief effort. This one kit can service 80 kids. However, the kids raised $1000! It was so neat-they were all very proud. A community service program in Greene also decided to match the funds, so they were able to send a total of $2000 to UNICEF. How awesome is that? And this is just grades 3-5!

Pat and I headed off to Cooperstown afterwards, to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This was my third trip, and just something I wanted to do. I had not been there since Kirby Puckett was inducted in 2001, so it was nice to see his plaque, with Dave Winfield's, up on the wall. Granted, Kirby is no longer held in as high esteem as he once was, but he is still my favorite ball player. The hall is going through some changes and renovations. There weren't as many exhibits as there usually are. I suspect this is a good time of year for them to make their updates and prepare for the summer months. Still, always a cool experience. And Cooperstown is just a great town to go visit.

Friday night we watched the Manchurian Candidate with Denzel Washington. AWESOME movie. Freaky. The kind that really makes you stop and think. Keeps you guessing. Highly recommend! Saturday we watched Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen with Lindsey Lohan. It was a little questionable at first (this was more of a Paige movie) but it ended better then I thought it would. Cute movie over all.

Saturday Alissa had dance class, so I was able to catch her practicing for her recital next week. It was so cool to see her strut her stuff! Very impressive, and I'm glad to see both girls becoming so involved in dance.

We made a trip to Barnes and Noble while waiting Alissa was at class. Again, this place is dangerous for all of us Webb's. We love books WAY too much. But, as I said to them, at least we are spending our money on books, not booze. Well, unless you count Pat and Lyn's wine collection. :)

Saturday evening we ate at the Spiedie pit in Binghamton. (Yummy.) Spiedies are marinated meat (chicken, beef, pork) on a sandwich. However, you must use the special Spiedie sauce and grill the meat on kabobs. It's then pulled off on to a bun. We have long been out of the marinade at our house, so I made sure to stock up on a few bottles before I left.

My flight back on Sunday sucked. Philly was packed, the flight to Mpls delayed. I didn't get home until after 7pm, about 2 hours later then I should have. I slept in, went into work at noon, and commenced the office expansion move that evening at 5pm. Got home at 9pm. We're still working out the bugs of the move, buying cords, etc. But it went smooth and I was much better equipped to deal with things having come back relaxed and refreshed.

Now, it's back to doing the things I've been putting on the back burner at home and at work!
And, thanks to Pat & Lyn for feeding me and letting me come to visit and relax. I needed the family time and the away time!

I thought he was dead by now...

Jesse Helms is trying to raise money for his senatorial library. I thought the guy was dead by now. Turns out he's 83, still bugs me, and still, of course, is a Republican.

Helms is apparently extremely wounded at the thought of former President Clinton doing anything ever again with his life. There has been talk (and it's just talk so far, people) that Clinton is jockeying for the position of U.N. secretary general when Kofi Annan retires. So, old Jesse sends a letter saying the following (and remember, this is supposed to be for fund raising!)

"I’m sure you might agree that putting a left-wing, undisciplined and ethically challenged former President of the United States into a position of such power would be a tragic mistake.”

Included with this letter is a petition urging President Bush to “rebuke all efforts by Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and every other liberal in Congress to push for Bill Clinton to become Secretary-General of the United Nations.”

Here's my response: Get A Fucking Life

If I hear liberal in that context again I am going to scream. What the hell is wrong with being a liberal? Don't we live in a free country where it's encouraged that we all have different ideas? No, wait, maybe that was just a figment of my imagination. It's guys like Jesse Helms that make me rage more then anything.

Let's not give money to this man for a damn Senatorial library. I don't think it's worth spreading the ideas of this 'conservative'.

The big 3-0 is coming....

My best friend Jill, from college, turned 30 on Friday. We went to their house for a little celebration with her family and to christen the new addition on to their house. I'm only about 4 1/2 weeks behind her, yikes.

We had a great time. Both her parents and Matt's parents were there, as was Matt's sister and new fiancee. We love their parents and don't get to see them that often, so it's always fun when we can get together with them. Plus, seeing Sammy (age 1) is always a bonus. :) He is a riot and kept us all very entertained.

Mike & I also decided to give Madison a test run on being alone in the house. We've done 2 so far-one hour and two hours. This was 6 1/2. It did not go well.

She ate a LAMP. A LAMP people! Granted, it was a small one that sits on the table, and is decorative and hangs from a little pole and swings and has fancy stuff on the shade. But, it was not plugged in, thankfully, because she ate through the wire, complete ripped the shade apart and left it in shambles! Then, I went upstairs and found that she had ripped up a pillow.

This dog is clearly not ready to be on her own. And it was our fault. She is just about 11 months old, but I think it's going to be quite some time before she has any freedom!

(And I really liked my lamp a lot.)

Saturday, we did not do anything. I mean nothing. We physically did not hardly move. I did not get out of bed for more then an hour the whole day I think. I felt like a bum, but in the end, I think it was a good thing. Work has been insane for the last 2 weeks, and I just felt like I couldn't get enough sleep. I think I got enough!

I'm leaving on Wednesday for a short visit to upstate NY and brother Pat's. I found a great airfare and just couldn't turn it down. Plus, I needed a break. I can't wait to get away from work! I'll be back Sunday evening.

On Monday, back to work, where finally commences the move of our office. Actually, we are just expanding and moving some people into the new space. This move has been ridiculous to coordinate. It's harder then when I moved the entire office to our current space last March. The logistics have been a nightmare. I will be happy to see it all come to an end.

:)

Johnny....

If you take a moment to read my brother's blog, you'll find that my comments will be much the same regarding our grandparents and Johnny Carson. It's how I came to love to watch The Tonight Show.

Grandma Webb always said she liked Johnny because he didn't have to swear or be dirty to be funny. He might get a little naughty and his jokes might have 'other' meanings, but that's what made him fun and why Grandma thought he was hilarious.

I don't remember watching The Tonight Show with Grandpa. He always had very full days and wanted to get his sleep. Grandma, on the other hand, was some what of a night owl. It was a treat to get to stay up and watch the show with her.

The Tonight Show also signified that the hour was late. As a kid, if I heard the first strains of the show's theme song, I would always think, "WOW! It's REALLY late and I'm still awake!" Or, if I was sick with the flu and heard the song I would think, "Maybe they will let me watch the show cuz I'm sick." Whatever the reason, I think kids associated with Johnny that late night grown-up thing, where they could stay up late because they were adults.

I watched his final show with my other Grandma in May of 1992. She happened to be visiting us and we sat down to watch it together. This grandma was also a night owl, and she liked Johnny too. I remember thinking that this was a historic moment-so I made sure to videotape the episode. I remember my grandma and I both were brushing away a tear or two. I watched that very show not too long ago and it still brought tears to my eyes. I honestly thought Johnny would be around forever.

And so, Johnny, we bid you a very fond farewell.

"I bid you a very heartfelt good night."

After a holiday hiatus, I am now back to blogging.

The holidays were quiet and fine. Being a part from Mike was tough and I hope we don't have to do it again. It was nice to be home and with my family for Christmas Eve. We always have fun, and it was especially nice to have Amy with us for the first time since she went to Salt Lake.

Everyone was very generous, as always. Especially my parents. We received a cool door knocker engraved with The Lemke's from my dad and Debbie, and a card table and chairs from my mom and Barry. Other cool gifts were: Coca Cola stuff for my kitchen, books, CD's, DVD's. Pam gave me an enormous Coca Cola Santa Claus cut out from the grocery store. It's really great. At Christmas time it will be fun to find a place for that to sit out.

I also bought a small jukebox to sit in the kitchen. It's just a table top one that has pre-programmed partial songs from various artists. Nothing fancy and didn't cost much. It's also a radio. I am considering building a jukebox like my brother did. I'm checking into the ideas and if I think I am creative and handy enough to do so.

New Year's Eve was quiet. We went to Pam and Charlie's and laughed a lot. I drove down to visit my grandparents that day. They had visitors, but it was nice to see the Olsen's from Burr Oak. I hadn't seen them in years. I talked with Grandpa and Grandma about some family history stuff and they were able to fill me in on some information. Grandpa told me that over the years he had heard many times on what a nice man my great-grandfather Paddy O'Brien had been. Since Grandma was just two when her dad died, we never knew much about him. Pat and I were just saying to each other how DUMB we all were to have never asked Aunt Katy or Uncle John more about their dad. Being the oldest, they could have told us things about him. It's funny how you regret these things. Anyway, Grandpa said that he had always heard that Paddy was just a really great guy. And having seen some items written down by my great-grandmother, she must have really felt his loss. One of the items I have seen written was 'when we lost my dear Paddy.' Oh how I wish I had known Grandma O'Brien!

Grandpa and Grandma continue to go down hill, which is really hard to see. It's funny how roles become reversed. I cut Grandma's finger nails for her while I was there. I thought to myself, how many times do you think she did the same thing for me when I was little? We both laughed that neither of us like our nails long-just kept short and rounded off. We talked a bit about how she wanted to be a beautician after she no longer could be a nurse. She said, "I had forgotten all about that. How did you remember?" I used to pester Grandma all the time to tell me stories about when she was growing up and the things she wanted to do. This was one of them. She gave lots of woman in the Burr Oak and Bluffton area perms over the years, or set their hair in curlers!

On New Year's Day I woke up feeling like crap and have yet to shake it. Seems like the flu is really hitting hard at our Office. Some people have been out as much as 5 days. Yikes.

Today, Greg Sellnow's column in the Post-Bulletin says that Emma has now replaced Emily as the top Girl's Name of 2004! I'm happy to report that Kristin (however which way you spell it) is not in the Top 10. I believe I may round out the Top 50, but that's as good as it gets. :) Jacob is still the #1 boys name, beating out Michael for the 5th year in a row. Other such funky names getting face time: Shakira, Justice, Lexus. Oh. My. God. I know that I like wierd names, but I guess I draw the line at naming my kid after a car. I'm still hanging on for naming my kid after Johnny Cash. How cool would it be to have a middle name like CASH? Yeah, let's just say that I have my doubts that my husband would EVER allow this to happen!

Speaking of names, more friends are having babies. Mike's friend Amy in California just announced that they are expecting. Surprisingly, there are not too many of our friends left that are without kids. We also spent time with Matt, Jill and Sam this past weekend. Sam had us in stiches. He is now 15 months old and talks jibberish and is just a fun kid to be around. In some ways I can't wait to be a parent after being with him, in others it freaks me out to no end. We'll see what the future brings, I guess!

Madison update: she went to the vet on Friday. No ear infection like I thought. She has now determined that she doesn't like the vet or the techs there! She went from 37lbs on August 25th to a whopping 56lbs! The vet would like her to lose a few to keep her hips in better shape. Mike calls her tubby now. Believe me, the dog is not fat. They would just like her to have more of a 'waist' as the Vet calls it. I don't want a fat dog. That's a fear of mine. So, her treats and food have been reduced and we'll have to crank up the walks more. Otherwise, she is still a happy, talkative pup who pretty much runs the house!

Today is my last day of work before the holidays. WHEE!

Currently, I feel like someone has stomped on my head, kicked me in the gut, and sliced my brains open. I'm weaning myself off the anti-depressant Lexapro and it's kicking me in the ass. Mike just keeps quoting this episode of Friends where Chandler tells Rachel (who has tried smoking), "You've got to keep going because it's about to get sooooo gooood." I've found that taking a large handful of Tylenol can help me through for about two hours. Yikes.

I'm heading to Rochester with Madison tomorrow to celebrate Christmas, while Mike heads for Duluth. We visited his mom on Friday night at the hospital (just a quick trip up and back in the same night) and she looked pretty good. She will hopefully be heading for a nursing home to recoup in a few weeks. I'm sure the driving to Duluth from Babbitt daily is getting to be a tough one for Mike's dad. It's an 1 1/2 hour drive one way.

Madison has discovered that she likes to play fetch, A LOT! We bought her a tennis ball that she loves to ran after. I tried to get her to play fetch with the neighbor dog, but she was more interested in just chasing the dogs, not the ball. Yesterday she chewed a hole in a small football we have. Then she carried it around the house with her snout stuck inside. It was hilarious. She is quite the goofy dog.

Big news I read online yesterday was that Lisa Marie has decided to sell Elvis' estate. She will retain Graceland and her father's personal effects, but has decided to sell the bulk of Elvis Presley Enterprises to a company that can continue to market and expand her father's image and legacy into much more and continue to introduce him to new generations. While I understand the rationale behind this, I still think it's crap. I wouldn't give it up. I think she's getting something like 35 million for it, and they have about 13 million in debt that will be paid. But that estate makes over 40 million a year and I just can't see what you'd want to get rid of it. Yet, I suppose that Graceland will make up a lot of that too. It is the 2nd most visited private residence in America after the White House. Anyway, interesting argument.

We had a discussion at work yesterday on what is your best and worst holiday. It was a good question because it makes you stop and think and all holidays, not just Christmas. I decided that the worst Christmas was when Dad and Mom decided to separate 2 weeks before the holiday. Let's just say that it wasn't much fun that year! However I do remember specifically that I received my first Walkman that year. It did not have a radio, and it only had the Fast Forward, no rewind on it. Lasted me quite awhile.

My best Christmas was when I was about 5. Driving to Linda and Sig's house in Kasson, Pat pointed outside in the sky to me and said, "LOOK! It's Santa!" And sure enough, there he was in the sky with his lights flickering. Later, Santa showed up at their house too! It was great. I received a Dukes of Hazzard sleeping bag that lasted until we threw it away just last year.

A close second was the year that Dad got our dog Wimpy for us. They put a little bow on his head, and I had to close my eyes while they put him on my lap. He licked me in the face right away and I just loved him. He was so cute.

Happy Holidays!

I got an MP3 player. It's cool. I love my husband.

'Nuff said.

"Oh the weather outside is frightful"...NOT!

It hasn't even snowed since Thanksgiving and just yesterday the temps finally went low enough to warrant a hat and scarf. This morning it was 7 degrees. I just want some snow so it feels like Christmas. I really don't want a bare holiday!

Mike & I both had Friday off last week, so we had a nice long weekend. We actually didn't do much, but it was just awesome to be at home and hang out. I finished my Christmas shopping and did up all the wrapping, as well as getting the Christmas box off to Pat. Now, baking commences. I managed to get caramels made, caramel bars, Kringla, and chocolate balls created. Caramels are awesome!

Friday night we went out to dinner at the new Green Mill in Hastings and then went to see Ocean's Twelve. Not a bad movie, but I didn't like as much as the first one. I thought that the first one with a setting in Vegas was perfect. However, there were a ton of great one liners which made for a funny movie as always.

We did see some good trailers for upcoming movies. There is a Vin Diesel movie coming out that is sort of a cross between Daddy Day Care and Kindergarden Cop. Looks cute. I still need to see the Polar Express and Ray. Mike would like to see National Treasure, which I think I would like to see as well.

I think we're going to go to Duluth on Friday to visit Kathy in the hospital. I haven't been up there yet, and since I won't be going for Christmas anymore, I'd like to see her after her surgery. I sincerely hope things start going better for her. It sucks that she will have to be in a nursing home for the holidays.

I also have to pass along a web site that made me laugh so hard I cried. It's gross and juvenile, but that's why I like it. It's called the Poop Report. I managed to find it doing some searches on the death of Elvis. (I was bored.) This, of course, led to stories about how he died on 'the throne'. What made me laugh was the comment that someone posted in August 2004:

Anyone catch the Watkins Glen race yesterday? Tony Stewart had stomach cramps the whole race. After he won he spent a half hour in his trailer before he went to the winner's circle. The commentator said he had to change his suit. I wonder how many laps he had to sit in his ass puddle.

OH. MY. GOD. What could you do if you had to go during a race? What choices do you have? My guess is that you have none. You crap your pants and hope for the best. In Tony's case, he won the race. :)

I must also point out that Pat and I have determined that we get this aversion to potty humor from our Uncle Mike who taught us that farts are funny. It's just a fact of life.

If anyone needs any last minute ideas for the loved one in your life, I suggest that you purchase this lovely book called: Turd Ferguson & The Sausage Party

Another quick note...

I found out yesterday that a classmate of mine from high school passed away from Leukemia. Not sure how to feel. It's one of those things where you haven't seen this person in a long time, but during school, you were pretty good friends. It's bothering me.

I also dated Brandon on and off through h.s. and college. The last time I saw him was in 1994. He was on a road of drugs and alcohol and I wasn't interested in even keeping the friendship going anymore based on what I was seeing. But it was wierd-I always wondered what happened to him. I had crappy thoughts about him-he hurt me pretty bad in the romance department. Yet-now-you just feel really bad for having those thoughts.

I first knew him at St. Francis during CCD classes. We were good friends back then, always goofing around and trying to get through those darn classes. Later, in JH and HS, we hung around in the same crowds. But, you know the way things go after you graduate-everyone goes their own direction.

I guess it's bothering me cuz it's someone my own age. Our own mortality seems so far away-yet it can happen at any time. I've only lost 2 other people near my age-Mary when we were 16, my friend Syrentha to breast cancer when she was 31, just three years older then me at the time.

Anyway, just having those thoughts. So, I watched It's a Wonderful Life last night to make myself feel better. I can never watch that movie without getting goose bumps at the end when his brother Harry says, "To my brother George Bailey: the richest man in town."

"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." So, thanks to all of you, my family and friends. For without you, I would be nothing.

"I'll see you tomorrow night."

Those words spoken by Tom Brokaw each night will be missed. I like Brian Williams, but it's going to take some getting used to not having Tom around on a regular basis anymore. I'm glad he stuck around through the election, because that is where I will miss him most.

I have to admit, I am a news junkie. It's what I wanted to do for a living for a long time. I studied anchors and reporters alike and took away certain styles and ideas to use as my own. Nationally, it was Tom Brokaw and Connie Chung that really finalized my decision to go into Broadcasting in college. Locally, it was people like Paul Majors, Don Shelby and Pat Miles (even Ernie Hain from KTTC's farm report in Rochester during the 80's) were all big influences.

When I ran into Ernie during my summer job at the Mayo Clinic in 1995, I couldn't believe my luck. The first words out of my mouth when I was introduced to him were: "ERNIE HAIN! I used to watch you on the farm report when I was in kindergarden!" (I'm sure he just loved that one!)

I worked with him over a 3 month span and learned a ton from him. He always told me that he believed that Tom Brokaw epitomized what an anchor should sound like. And, Brokaw's style of reporting was also to be commended. On the flip side, Ernie voiced this question: "I always wondered who the hell Barbara Walters slept with to become an anchor on television?"

In the last few weeks it has been of great interest to me to see how Brokaw has evolved. He admits that he is a political junkie and you can truly tell that when reporting on that stuff, he is at his happiest. But, he does so well with softer stories too. Just a few weeks ago I caught the tail end of a story that just overwhelmed me. It was a soldier in Iraq who had been killed on the day his first child was born into this world. You could truly tell that Brokaw was just as deeply affected by the event as I was. That's getting in touch with your audience.

And perhaps we'll never have as great of an anchor as Uncle Walter-Walter Cronkite. But, to me, Brokaw comes darn close.

I didn't expect him to get emotional at the end-but on that last day on the Today show, his emotions finally did catch up to him and he was hard pressed to speak without breaking down. Hat's off to you Tom. You're one of the best.

Okay, if this isn't scary, I don't know what is. Apparently, this is how Elvis would look now. He would be (or is) 70 in January. YIKES! I hope he would have looked better then this!

Trying to take a Christmas picture with a dog, a digital camera, and a timer!

The holidays are officially upon us! We had a really great Thanksgiving. Nothing major, just time at home with family. I missed out on the Webb's celebration, but was able to hook up with my dad later on in the evening. Dad and I did some jamming on the guitar, as I had some questions about how to play a few Johnny Cash songs. I wish I had someone to jam with on a regular basis-I really enjoyed singing and playing with him again.

Otherwise, we hung out at home mostly. Mike braved the crowds on Friday morning by arriving at Besty Buy before 6am. He said he'll never do that again. He ran into my cousin Sara and my aunt Steph too. They are all brave souls.

I do not shop on Friday morning after Thanksgiving. As a matter of fact, I try not to go to stores during the holidays at peak hours. I am not a good crowd person and find myself getting irritable and angry. Not a good thing at all. Thank god for the Internet. (or Internets as we've been calling it lately, as the Prez did during the debates) I've done 90% of my shopping online and am for all purposes, finished. It's awesome. I would love nothing more then to contribute to my local communities by shopping at their establishments, but I just can't handle the people. Holidays make people CRAZY and DUMB.

Friday night we met up with my step-brother Matt and his girlfriend Tiffiny. To celebrate our parent's birthdays, we took them out to eat at a new bar and grill in Rochester. Good food, great atmosphere. We had a lot of fun.

Saturday, my aunt Sandra came up to make Christmas cookies with my mom and I. That was fun. This is only the second time we've been able to do this, since Sandra lived in Illinois for 30 some years. Now that they are back in Minnesota, we are trying to make it tradition. We also went shopping at the store my aunt Pam works at now. Cool place, lots of deals.

I put the tree up last night, but tonight I'll get the lights and the ornaments up. We have an artificial tree (no comment) and the minute I started unpacking it, Madison grabbed a branch and off she went. I think she may have injested something because she woke up at 4 am yacking. Who knows? it's going to be interesting to see if she leaves the Christmas decorations alone.

Madison was pretty well behaved on our holiday. She managed to do some digging in the front yard at my parents, and broke a bowl in the kitchen. Otherwise, pretty good. Last night I began my workouts (I've gained way too much weight-it's time it comes off.) in the basement with TaeBo. Madison seemed to think all the moving I was doing meant it was time to play, so she wouldn't stop barking and pulling on me the whole time. We're going to have to figure out what to do about that in the future! I take her for a walk about 4 times a week, so I'm hoping that coupled with a true workout I can lose some of this fat.

I read a really great book last week called Tender. It's a fictional account of a kid named Leroy Kirby who grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, moves to Memphis and makes it big as a rock-n- roll star. Sound familiar? It has a zillion ties to Elvis, but you could say this is a fictional account of what could/did happen to Elvis. It made for an interesting read.

I bought the DVD Bells of St. Mary over the weekend to add to my Christmas movie selections. It's not really a Christmas movie, but they only sell it at this time of year. I love old movies and this one has Bing Crosby playing Father O'Malley, the same character he played in Going My Way, another favorite. I started watching it last night and will have to round out the others over the week. It's a Wonderful Life, Charlie Brown, Grinch, Rudolph & Frosty. This is the way I get into the Christmas spirit along with Holdiay tunes. In some ways I dislike this time of year, in others I love it. I'm sure having kids of our own will make it even better.

I'm sorry, but this photo still cracks me up.

Sorry for the lack of posts. It's been a busy few weeks and I've been in a bit of a post election funk.

In missing my doggie TJ lately, Mike sent me this email from a veterinarian with a great explanation about the lives of animals. I thought it was absolutely perfect.

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane could learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life like loving everybody and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay here as long as people do."

There have been many a day that I don't know if I would have survived without the love of my pet to get me through.

Happy Thanksgiving-we have much to be thankful for in spite of the world in front of us at this moment.

To you Mr. Bush!

I am very angry right now. It's difficult for me to do any reflecting at the moment, so perhaps at another time I can post my feelings.

I worked very hard to educate people during this campaign. It's disappointing when you lose, especially this closely. I'm not a person who gets angry after an election that I lose, usually just sad. This time I'm pissed. I'm truly scared to whether another 4 years of this nonsense.

The above photo is what I feel like doing to America right now.

VOTE!

"My owners are retarded for dressing me this way."

Our first attempt at cool pumpkin carving.

Election Day is 11 Days Away

Undecided voters, people that don't like either candidate, people voting for Bush, whoever. I ask you, for the sake of your future grandchildren, to read this article. Take a moment and think about where things are going in this country. Can we afford another 4 years of this?

Here's just a little piece from Molly Ivins column:

You probably don't remember the time he (Bush) visited the Youth Opportunity Center, a job training site in Portland, Ore. Hailed it as a model, praised the center and its staff. A month later, he cut it out of the budget.

I'm not saying Kerry is perfect. In fact, for some people, this bumper sticker I saw the other day sums it up: "Kerry sucks less then Bush." But if there are so many Republicans out there that are fed up with the direction of our country too and are now voting for Kerry (my father-in-law is one), doesn't that say something?

Until election day, I'm going to keep pounding this point home. So those of you who are sick of all my Kerry pushing & political talk, maybe it's best you don't read my blog until after November 2. Cuz it ain't gonna stop until then.

Thoughts...

Maybe it's because it's fall, or the weather is dreary, but my thoughts keep returning to my Grandma...

At the end of September, it was two years since she had passed away. It still feels like there is something missing. It was such a joy to be able to go to her place as an adult and talk about anything. We'd have snacks (donuts!) and just chat about all kinds of stuff. In the last year of her life it became more about helping her out. Getting groceries, cleaning, those kinds of things. But it's the talking I miss the most. And knowing she was just there.

At her funeral, I read a memorial that I wrote. It was important for me to do that because she had always encouraged my writing. What I wrote for the funeral wasn't much, and I wanted to write it and say much more, but what I came up with is all that I could at the moment. Getting up to read it was much harder then I ever realized. I just wanted to convey to everyone what an amazing lady she was. I wish I could be more like her. And I wanted people to stop and think about their own grandparents, parents, etc that were still around and not waste that precious time with them. I wish even now that I could be closer to my Grandpa and Grandma Webb so that I could help them out with the cleaning, appointments, food. And I wish I could be closer to my parents so that I could help them as well.

I've always been afraid of death. When my step-sister Mary was killed in a car accident when we were just 16 freaked me out. I slept on the floor in my mom's bedroom for 3 months. After that, I avoided funerals and any mention of death just scared me. My dog was getting old, I was afraid to lose her. My grandparents were aging, I didn't want to lose them. I just couldn't deal with any of it. When Grandma died, my dad suggested that I use this experience as a way to overcome this fear.

At first, it wasn't easy. That night, after she died, I woke up screaming from a nightmare. At the funeral home, I was a mess. I had not been back to that funeral home since my grandfather had died some 19 years before. I didn't want to see her lying there. But, with me sobbing, and my mom and Mike on either side of me, I went up there. She really did look nice-more like herself then she had in many months. But, it just didn't seem right. It seemed like she would sit up and start talking to us.

By the end of the evening, things were easing. One thing that always helps is humor. My cousin Cindy's son Ryan (age 8 at the time) asked his mom if he could go up and tell Grandma something. When she gave her consent, he walked over and said in a low, confidential voice, "Grandma, when Derrick (his brother) was little, he called it a Bagina." I laughed so hard. It was the most random thing in the world, but Ryan knew how much Grandma got a hoot out of the things little kids said.

What I didn't imagine was that saying goodbye at the grave site would be the hardest part. I thought if we could all just get through the funeral, things would be better. But it was that final goodbye, in the rain, with the church bells tolling that hurt the most. It was like a movie-a small country church, people gathered under umbrellas, soft crying and talking. I just remember walking up and kissing her coffin, then putting my hand on top of the stone she shared with Grandpa and thinking, goodbye.

One of the moments out of the whole entire process that stands out is the experience between my mom & dad. My grandma loved my dad-no matter what. And dad thought the world of her, as did my step-mom. Grandma didn't judge, she just took things as they were. When Dad arrived at the church and was greeting people (many he hadn't seen in years) he came to my mom. He put out his hand to Mom to shake, and then put his arm around her in a hug. That put things to right in my mind, after all these years. I appreciated the gesture, as did my mom. And I have my grandma to thank for that moment.

And so, as I said at the beginning, I'm not really sure why I felt pressed to write this today, or why I was remembering. But, we all miss Grandma still, and I know we always will.

What gets me through is thinking of the reunions she must have had when she got to where she was going.

Corrections...

In talking with the few people who do read my blog recently, I've found that my original 'tone' did not come across accurately in the political debate I engaged in with my dad. A little information...
a) Yes, my dad did fire me up, but in a good way. I don't get to debate politics very often, and I enjoyed this exchange very much.

b) I was not angry and I am not angry now. I apologize to Charlie, who I inadvertantly put in between the exchange. I meant only to thank and express my gratitude to Charlie for all that he has and continues to teach me about many things. He and Pam have always been my other mom and dad.

c) I've learned (again) that blogging is no place for family discussions about politics, religion, divorce, or any of those those 'off limits' topics that often create angst.

My apologies for those I offended or upset.

On to other things...

Mike won tickets to the Twins playoff game on Saturday. (Caller 13 on 93X) Great game, even though they lost. It's been a long time since I've been that into a good baseball game. A good time was had by all.

Yesterday, we drove up to Ham Lake to visit with Mike's cousins and to see Aunt Shirley who is in town from Florida. Madison was able to enjoy time with a new playmate-Honey the golden lab. Beautiful dog, they are also close in age and had a blast chasing each other. She was tired last night!

I'm in the midst of a Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Ritchie Valens music fest. I finished reading the book I just bought: A Man Named Cash. It was okay. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but still a good read. So, that got me back to listening to my Cash stuff. Then, I started listening to this great CD called "Not Fade Away" by a bunch of artists doing Buddy's tunes. Then, I started thinking of La Bamba, and lo and behold, I caught the tale end of the movie on AMC tonight too. Plus, I've been buying up on E Bay the last few weeks some old black and whites of Holly, Waylon and Ritchie for my 50's style decorations in my bathroom. They look awesome. My goal now is to learn the song "Wishing" on my guitar, which is a tune that Buddy wrote for the Everly Brothers, but they declined. On the tribute CD, the version is so cool. We'll see if I can polish off my guitar skills enough to figure it out.

Now I'm currently reading Bleachers by John Grisham.

I'm testing out picture posting on Blogger. This is Sophie, my friend's new baby girl. 

Debating is Healthy.

I've enjoyed the healthy debate between my father & I over the last few days. It's given me time to think about things in general and in politics. I always learn something. It has led to some conclusions in my mind and sorting out other feelings in another part of mind. All those are good things.

I did get to thinking about divorce, and I wanted to post something about that.

Things are tough when parents separate. When you are young, you don't understand the reasons and what is really going on. In the last few years, my mother has answered many of those questions that inevitably start to pop up as you analyze those previous times in your life. There are no easy answers, and she is the first to say that there was no finger pointing, they were both at fault. As I've gotten to know both of my parents in a different way over the years, I've come to see them in a different light. I see their backgrounds, their personalities, and how they did the best they could with the tools they had. No one ever said being a parent was easy-and I'm the first to admit that I was not an easy kid to raise.

I appreciate my father's honesty of the situation and his response. It's no secret that we don't see eye to eye on many things. But, I also know that my dad gave me a love of music and books, writing, and sports, and those are all things that are part of my personality, and I thank him for that. Those were all important tools in growing up as well. I don't know what I gave to him, maybe I wasn't able to give anything, but for as many times as I've been angry with both my parents, I have never wished that they were someone else. I'm glad my parents are who they are and I'm thankful for what they did give me.

Moving along...

Briefly, I couldn't handle watching the VP debate for longer then 15 minutes last night. I watched the Twins game instead.

My car went kapoot yesterday. It's leaking anti-freeze, so we had to leave it at Midas while Mike took his parents van to work (they just got back from Hawaii and were staying at our house overnight) while I took his car. Things got worse from there! The guy from Midas called to say that the battery was dead in the car when they tried to start it. My brakes needed to be done, and I needed an oil change. Thankfully, some of it is under warranty, which knocks the price from $1600 down to around $500. The car has not had any major problems in the 2 1/2 years I've owned it, so I feel lucky.

I came to work at 6:45am this morning, since I had to drop Mike off at work in order to use his car. Mine should be finished shortly and I should have a nice, fixed car. Fingers crossed!

Pat sent pictures of Alissa from Homecoming. She looked amazing! So hard to believe she will be 16 in February. Cute dress, awesome shoes, and a hottie senior boyfriend! Plus, her Gwen Stefani 40's style hair was great. The little girl that said, "I'm hottttt", has grown up!

Tomorrow is our anniversary. Wow. I sure wish I could do our wedding over again. It was such a blast. We aren't sure what we'll be doing to celebrate-probably nothing more then going out to dinner on Friday night or something. We've gone on two weekend trips the first two years of our anniversary, but last year and this year we've had to forsake that due to money. We hope to go back to the Bahamas this Spring.

GO TWINS!

We know where I DIDN'T get my political views from...

Thanks Dad, for giving me more fodder for my blog. It's people like you (and I hate to use that phrase, but it's the truth) that people like me are trying to get to understand that voting DOES matter. It DOES affect you. I know, I know, you've said time and again that you are an old, cynical newspaper writer, but you've been this way for as long as I can remember. Case in point:

My interest in politics began young. Thanks to my Uncle Charlie, he gave me an amazing foundation to learn about them and what it means to take an active interest. My parents didn't give a crap (rather Dad didn't) and so when they dumped me off at my aunt and uncle's every Friday night while they went out with their friends, I got a front seat to learning about democracy. Charlie is also black, which gave me another point of view to see the world and politics from. And so, in 1984, Walter Mondale is running against Ronald Reagan. I was so excited as I learned how things worked for an election. On election night, I created my own 'poll' so to speak by giving out ballots to my Mom, Dad, Brother and one for myself. I had everyone vote and put it in my little poll envelope which was taped up on the wall in the living room. If memory serves me, my brother didn't want to participate, Mom voted for Mondale, I voted for Mondale, and Dad wrote on his ballot "don't care". Isn't it nice to see the encouragement from my family?!?

I guess I'm thankful that one of the main male influences in my life was Charlie. And luckily, he was there during the formative years of my youth. Dad wasn't around as much because of his divorce from my mother, so I spent even more time with Pam and Charlie.

To this day, I still learn about politics from Charlie. In fact, when Wellstone died and everything went to crap in Minnesota, I spent three hours at his place learning how to deal with it. We rehashed it out, discussed the outcome, what could/should have been done, everything. In the end, I came away feeling much better and learning again what a great thing we have in this country, even when it doesn't go the way you want it to go.

Dad, you are now 63. You say you are apolitical and this stuff doesn't affect you. What happens when you decide to retire? Will you have a prescription drug plan in place that will not cost you an arm and a leg? Will you have enough money saved, like Grandpa managed to do, to care for you and Debbie? Even then, as we have seen with Grandpa, it still costs a ton of money to pay those bills, even when you are healthy. These are the issues we all have to care about because they will directly affect us in some way. Social Security is there now, but it won't be there forever. Companies like Enron have taken their employees 401k plans and flushed them down the toilet. We have to elect someone who can at least get us on the road to figuring out what can be done.

I know what you'll say-I'm young, I'm still idealistic. Your damn right I am. And I hope I stay that way because at least that still gives me hope for this country. When people stop voting and stop caring, we're screwed. No wonder things are going the way they are right now. And I think that you have it the other way around when you mentioned that Kerry is a 'puppet'. Who the hell do you think is running our country right now? Not Bush. CHENEY. Bush is his puppet.

If you vote for Bush, fine. I'll just be happy you voted at this point. And I'm not one of those lunatics that hate everyone that doesn't vote the way I vote. I respect your opinion. This is just mine.

End of Rant. And Dad, thanks for the writing skills, and I still do love you!

"I thought the President was repetitive and reactive."

-Kate O'Beirne, National Review Online’s the Corner


The above quote sums up my feelings on how Bush did in the debate last night. I've been somewhat worried in the last month about Kerry, but last night I felt that he stood tall and presented us with the facts. He looked presidential and he kept his cool. Bush's facial expression during Kerry's speaking time were reminiscent of Al Gore's constant huffing and puffing during the 2000 debates. Did somebody in the Bush camp forget to teach him how to use his 'neutral' face? Kerry seemed to concentrate on taking notes while Bush spoke, and there were just a few times I saw a facial reaction. Even then, it was no where near the frustrated, annoyed and belligerent look that President Bush kept conveying.

While the President is said to be 'folksy' and tries to come across as everyone's friend, I don't see that. I get the folksy, but I've never felt like he was trying to reach out to me. But, he may do better during the Town Hall Meeting debate because it may fit his style a little better. I'm still confident that Kerry can come across that way as well. Even John McCain commented that Kerry 'came out slugging.' Another key quote I liked about Kerry was from Tim Russert: “Tonight he seemed to find his voice for the Democratic view of the world.”

This morning on the Today show as Matt Lauer was interviewing someone from Bush's camp, Matt asked this person about the whole 'flip flop' thing they keep using against Kerry. Lauer said it to this effect: Isn't the ability to be flexible on key issues, make decisions based on information (even if it means changing where you were going) and admit that some of the things you have done were wrong are what people want to see in a President? This dude's response was that President Bush is flexible and that's what he is doing. Ummmm, no. If that were the case, he'd be able to step in front of us and say that he made an error in the invasion of Iraq and that he is doing his best to fix it. The guy DOES NOT like to admit that he is wrong!

The tides are changing...check this out from John Eisenhower:
As son of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is automatically expected by many that I am a Republican. For 50 years, through the election of 2000, I was. With the current administration’s decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, however, I changed my voter registration to independent, and barring some utterly unforeseen development, I intend to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry.

I had to laugh while watching 60 Minutes on Wednesday night as Mike Wallace interviewed one of my favorite NASCAR drivers, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Turns out, Junior's a Republican. In some ways it surprised me, but in others it didn't because A) His Dad was a Republican B) He's from the Deep South C) He makes a lot of money. Not that any of those reasons automatically point to a Republican, they are just very common qualities found in many of them.

And it's no secret that the candidates are trying to appeal to the coined term 'NASCAR Dad'. Junior was quick to point out that many of his fans (and they showed a bunch of rednecks sitting outside their motorhomes at the track drinking beer, sitting in kiddie pools, and waving their rebel flags) are typically white, southern, and conservative. When Wallace questioned him on the rebel flag bit, and if NASCAR was pretty much all white, Junior said that they go hand in hand. Although Junior considers himself a 'good ole boy', he did say that he didn't agree with the rebel flag and that the sport is predominately white and that it didn't fit with his personality, although all the other stuff did. (In which Wallace replied, "So, if you weren't a driver, you'd be sitting outside your motor home, at the track, drinking beer and raising hell?" The answer? "Yep.")

Anyway, I just thought that was interesting. That's my two cents on the evening.

As for new television programming this Fall, I have only watched Joey. And, I like it. It's dumb and funny and a nice guilty pleasure. The writing isn't as good as Friends, but it still is enjoyable to watch because the character of Joey is likeable. Mike & I have always loved Joey and the dumb things that come out of his mouth. Plus, I really like the guy who plays his nephew. Drea de Matteo that plays his sister is okay, I'm not overly fond of her. I just read the other day that she is dating Shooter Jennings-none other then the son of the late, great Waylon Jennings.

Otherwise, the television doesn't get watched much when Mike isn't around. Some nights when he is at school, I don't even turn it on. I've been re-reading my Little House on the Prairie books for some reason. Return to the days of being a little kid. It's funny how much more I understand of the books now then when I was little. Yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble and purchased Bleachers by John Grisham and A Man Called Cash (brand new) by Steve Turner. The latter I just started today and it's already excellent, but sad.

This weekend: nothing on tap. Mike's with the boys at his NOME weekend, so it's just me and Madison taking it easy.

To quote James Brown, "I feel good..." Or at least I'm getting there.

Went to the doctor for a follow-up on Friday for some other tests I had done, so they checked me out for my sickness crap too. Not much that could be done. Just that typical upper respiratory stuff. Otherwise, I was given a clean bill of health. My heart is in fantastic shape, my weight is normal for my height (although I disagree because I found out I have gained 12lbs since February). My blood work was good, with the exception of some elctrolite that I have to have re-checked. All in all, the symptoms I was experiencing before getting sick (shortness of breath, bruising, insomnia, sleep disorder, etc) all look like they are side effects of the medication I take for depression. So, to sum things up, it's all in my head.

I'm working on things. I'll get there.

My co-worker Amy had her baby last Thursday morning. Sophie, 7lbs 8oz. I stopped at the hospital on Friday to visit with them and she is absolutely adorable. Amy was in labor for 48 hours, pushed for 1 1/2 hours, and ended up with a c-section. The baby wasn't coming because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck FIVE times! Mom and baby are fine, although Amy is obviously recovering, slowly, from her surgery. Poor thing-she looked tough at the hospital.

My cousin Jenni also had a baby girl on Monday! Congrats to Jen and Tim, and the new grandparents, my Uncle Mike & Aunt Sue. Emily Elizabeth, in the same 7lb range as Sophie. New babies everywhere! I can't wait to see Emily. We haven't had a new baby in the Webb family for a very long time!

Her picture reminded me of when Jenni was a baby. I remember when she was born (I was 4) because although I liked her very much, I was also a bit jealous because of the attention Grandma Webb was giving to her! I also remember when my cousin Molly was born because she had to spend some time in the hospital. I have a vague memory of looking at her in the nursery of the hospital window and wondering why we couldn't hold her yet. She had lots of red hair! I wasn't as jealous of Molly, because I was older.

When I got home on Friday and showed Mike the pictures of Sophie, he asked if I was getting baby fever again. (I had it bad last October after Sam was born). He's always checking to see if I have it!

Mike & I went over to Cretin Durham Hall H.S. in St. Paul last night to watch Tyler play football for Century. They lost, but it was really fun to see him play at the JV level. They had him at running back, and I can't remember what he played on defense. He scored a touchdown as well! I'm glad we at least got to see one game this season. Sometimes it's hard to believe that is my little buddy that I used to carry around and take care of when he was little!

Fall is here...temp was 41 degrees this morning. It was awesome to wake up to. I love Fall weather. And, yesterday was Paige's 9th birthday. Happy Birthday kiddo!

Mike & I have now known each other 8 years as of yesterday. We'll celebrate anniversary #4 next week. Things have been tough lately as we deal with adjusting our schedules to his with school, taking care of his parents, worrying about grandparents, trying to remain social and have fun, on top of every day responsibilities and running a house. I realize daily that marriage is about communication, compromise, love and understanding. And, it's only your spouse that can laugh at your dumb jokes, love you even when you look like hell and are coughing your brains out, share in the responsibilty of a pet, understand when you lose a family member, feel your pain at losing touch with friends, it goes on and on.

There was much discussion when we started living together because of friends and family that didn't necessarily agree with that idea. For me, and I think for both of us, it came down to helping us be sure that this was what we wanted. Many people say that when you get married after living together, the divorce rate is higher because there is no difference in the feeling of being married and living together. Experts say that couples still have a tendency to think they can walk away from it all with no strings. I can honestly say that was not the case with us. The day we walked back into our apartment after getting married FELT different. I knew that there was no walking out that door without looking back.

After watching my parents go through a divorce, this was my way of ensuring that this marriage was going to last. No one has a crystal ball and no one can predict the future. But for me, this was my peace of mind. I'm not saying we didn't have the usual ups and downs of the first year of marriage. It was just that we knew how to deal with them. I love being married, and we really do have a great relationship, but we've also worked hard at achieving that. And it helps that we are also friends and like many of the same things. One thing that always stumps us though is our personalities. We are opposites here, but since we like many of the same things (i.e. hockey was the first thing we talked about) that is our common ground. But, we also are alike too in that our values are similar. We both think the world of our grandparents and spent a lot of time with them, our families are important, we believe in respect of one another, our ideas about raising kids are similar, we pretty much agree at what direction we want this country to go in, and we are both liberal. (me WAY more then him!) I guess it all comes down to a perfect mix of things that just work.

Mom & Barry leave for Pat's tomorrow-have a safe trip! Pat, hope you've recovered from Dave's visit as well. I received a crazy phone call from them on Saturday night from the baseball game they were attending, during the 7th Inning stretch of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." It sounded like a lot of fun!

Happy October!

I'm still sick...


That's the long and short of it. Not much to post. My life has been nothing but staring at the ceiling, trying to sleep, or watching tv. I wish I could read, but I just can't focus!

I'm back at work today, trying to do something. I was here Monday and gone yesterday. No energy, coughing insanely. I sound like Kermit the Frog. Everyone keeps saying stuff like, "Wow, you sound terrible." "Why are you here?" "Don't breathe on me." "What's wrong with you?" I feel like the plague.

Yesterday I watched part of Days of Our Lives for the first time in a many months. It was retarded beyond my wildest dreams. I watched A Baby Story (which is always interesting when your friends are having kids all over the place), then I fell asleep and dreamed some really strange things. Then I woke and watched Little House (the one where Mary goes blind) and then Coal Miners Daughter was on, which is always a good watch. Watched some Seinfeld (the one where this girl thinks George and Jerry are gay, and the one where Kramer finds the Merv Griffin set), Father of the Pride (kind of cute), Scrubs, and then I actually watched an episode of Law and Order. Which Law and Order, I don't know. It's the one with Mariska Hagartay (is that the SVU?). It was a good episode, considering I'm not a fan of these types of shows. But, when I do watch one, I get sucked in.

Then, I let Madison outside when I was talking to my mom on the phone. She likes to lay out there, so I just let her be. When I got out there about 15 minutes later to check on her, she had dug up the entire tree of wood chips, the chicken wire, everything. THEN, she comes running in and tracks mud on the carpet. At that, Mike grabbed her and up to the kennel she went. He went outside to pick up the mess, I stayed in and cleaned up the carpet. When I let her out a short while later, she knew she was in deep shit. The joys of puppyhood.

Mike's busy with school and lots of homework. He's doing good, but definitely has gone into things full swing now. :)

"You're not dying...you just can't think of anything better to do."

That's a direct quote from Ferris Bueller and describes how I'm currently feeling. I haven't been this sick in a looooong time. Yikes.

Short post-limited energy.

I've watched 13 going on 30 and Mona Lisa Smiles, as well as a dozen episodes of Roseanne and Full House at 4am on Nick at Nite this weekend. I coughed so bad that I think I gave myself a hernia. Mike has slept downstairs and the dog has slept with me.

Anyway, I hope the rest of you have been able to enjoy this beautiful weekend of high temperatures and blue skies. It looks awesome! Get out there and do something because it won't be long before it's gone.

Looooong Night

Last night was one of those nights you just want to end. I got home late because of a project at work. I was rushing to let Madison out, since Mike was at school. When I walked up the stairs, I smelled poop. She had diarrhea ALL OVER her kennel. So, I spent the first 45 minutes of my time at home cleaning that up.

Next, I head into the kitchen. We are infested with these tiny, little flea like bugs. I noticed them on Monday and thought nothing of it. Each day it has gotten worse, especially after I use the bug spray RAID. So, I sprayed down everything, took Madison to the store with me and bought more cleaning supplies. Then, I proceeded to spend the next 2 1/2 hours on my hands and knees cleaning all the floors in the house. (they are in both bathrooms too). When I returned an hour later to check, more bugs were back. We've checked everything and can't find where they are coming from. I hate bugs, especially in the kitchen where you are preparing food. I'm more concerned about using the RAID in there. And trying to keep Madison from licking it.

To finish off the evening, my Mom called. TJ has now joined my other 2 doggies in what I hope is a dog heaven like no other. The time finally came where they had to put him to sleep. I last saw him on Sunday, and he was in tough shape. I don't think he even knew me anymore. Monday night he had a bad seizure, the worst yet. And so, the time was set. I hope TJ is running like crazy chasing chipmunks and cats, his two passions. We'll miss him so much. He was by far the most interesting and personable dog we've ever had. If anyone gets a chance, drop an email to Mom and Barry. They are missing him lots.

And so, Madison heads off to stay with Mom & Barry this weekend while we go to Duluth for a wedding. Hopefully she is a help, not a poop head. :) We are looking forward to a nice weekend with our friends.

Sam Walton should have named his club "Crap Club"

I just got back from a monthly trip to Sam's Club for work. I cannot stand this place. After arguing with customer service for quite some time about a bill (which the corporate office couldn't help me with, so I had to go to the store of purchase) I finally lost my cool. Surprisingly, it worked, and I was able to get them to see where they made their mistakes. I got my money back and an apology.

I used to think the whole Sam Walton idea was genius. Now, since he died and Wal-Mart has taken over the world, I think otherwise. To me, it now represents everything that is wrong with America. They'll probably endorse Bush at the rate things are going.

I started to watch the Republican National Convention last night, but I couldn't get past keynote speaker Senator Zell Miller. He drove me up the f---ing wall. My favorite phrase ole' Zell used about Bush and his Christian ways was this one: "He's the same person Saturday night, as he is Sunday morning." Well, let's think about that. It wasn't too many years ago that Georgie Porgie was yacking his guts out on Sunday morning with a hang over and church wasn't even a glint in his eye. And, the Bush Twins were just a little too cute for my taste. Jenna looks just like her Dad-retarded.

Molly's recent posting of the link to Michael Moore's letter to the prez was great. It was sarcasm at it's finest.

Off to dog obedience class tonight! Mike's at the hockey World Cup, so it's just me & Madison. Help!

Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the extra day off if you have it.

Shut up, Taybe.

I was just thinking about how Alissa and I kept at each other with some family funny phrases when they were visiting in July. Somehow we started talking about when the kids were little and how they can never sit still when you go to an event. Pat mentioned that he had just found one of my old choir concerts from hs on tape and you can hear Alissa (age 4 at the time) saying such things as: "Don't. Stop. I'm hottttt." It was hilarious.

So, whenever she picked on me, or complained, we'd all start saying, "Don't, stop, I'm hot." After awhile, she managed to think up one of her own for me: "Shut up, Taybe."

Taybe was my imaginary friend at around ages 4-5. I don't know how to spell the name, because it's obviously made-up! Anyway, Pat loves to tell everyone how I was a nut case and that I used to freak them out with this 'friend' of mine. Alissa used it to her advantage. :)

To be honest, I knew Taybe wasn't real. I knew she was a figment of imagination. I couldn't have even told you what she looked like. She was just someone to talk to. I only had 2 other kids in the neighborhood to play with, and they were boys. When I got tired of playing cars, digging in the dirt, etc, and I wanted to do girl stuff, I played with Taybe.

She had a dog named Buffy. (That's because I wanted a dog myself.) She lived in two places: at the fire hydrant at the end of the block, and across the street from Mike & Sue, my aunt and uncle. (don't ask me why she lived in two places, I really don't know.) My mom said that I made her out to be very real. I would talk to her in the car and tell stories. Once, when mom drove around a corner too fast, I said, "Mom, watch out, you knocked over Taybe." It was just enough to freak Mom out. I don't remember much more then that about Taybe, but she went away when I started kindergarden.

In my defense, it's been noted by child psychologists that when children have imaginary friends, this indicates a creative and verbal personality. So, when Pat tells me I was a nut job, that's what I say. HE never had any imaginary friends. Mom & Dad just liked the fact that he was quiet and knew how to play by himself. Yes, I was (and am) the resident freak of our family!

It's 3:23 pm.


I am taking a break at my desk because I am out of breath from doing manual labor around the office. Pushing a file cabinet down the hall by yourself isn't easy. Then, I had to start putting together a table for someone, and as I dragged the box into my office I realized that it was damn heavy. I think it's funny that then my boss or someone will come in my office and ask if I'm using my time in the most 'constuctive' way. My answer in the past has been: "Well, if you can tell me who is going to put this item of furniture together, then I wouldn't have to use my time to do it." I'm such a bitch sometimes. It's liberating!

I also went over to the Mall of America today (5 minutes from office) to have some lunch and walk around since I never made it out of the office last week. Our big boss asked if I could pick up some treats for the staff because they would be in a major meeting all afternoon. Well, I wasted 45 minutes of my own time trying to find something. No one at the mall could accomodate a dessert of some kind for 15 people. It just annoyed the crap out of me for some reason. It was also one of those days where you'd really like to buy stuff because you are actually finding things that you like for a change. But, I feel guilty everytime I spend money, so I only bought some soap for the bathroom at Bath & Body. My problem is shoes; and DSW Warehouse had 2 pairs, scratch that, 3 pairs I would have really liked. Oh well.

This leads to the next observation. Mike & I went to my co-workers home last night for dinner with her and her new husband. (They are the ones having the baby I mentioned previously). We had not been to their new townhome yet and we really wanted to see it as they had purchased their's not long after we did. Great place- super cute. It was a model home so it had all those extras that can really make a place. Such things as light switches and fixtures, hardwood floors, just those little things that we do not have. Or rather, do not have quality looking stuff. We liked their kitchen, bedroom and bath a lot. If we mixed those with our living room, dining room, loft and basement, it'd be perfect! Amy had decorated the place so well. We started asking ourselves this: are we too frugal? They have less money then we do, are much younger, and have a baby coming. But, they had all new furniture because they had nothing when they moved in. We're talking bedset, dining room set, living room set, the works. Then, you of course need comforters, rugs, etc. I know she spent some cash. We look at our place and it's hand me down city. Not that we aren't comfortable with it, but it starts to get old after awhile. We've been really lucky. That's when we questioned whether we are too cheap to go just that little extra mile to furnish things well. Or, I questioned, do we spend on other things that maybe they didn't? Such as: DVD's, going out to eat, clothes, whatever we all spend our money on. I have no clue what the answer is.

Okay, so that was Monday....

and I never finished my blog...it's now Thursday. I was out of commission on Tuesday and slept all day at home. Long story short-I take some anti-depressants, missed a dose (which I never do) and it knocked me on my butt. Today is the first day that is better. Anyway, Madison was at the vet for her spaying yesterday. I get a call at work around 10am from the vet asking if they could do x rays of her hips. Diagnosis? Hip displasia. I was a puddle. She is okay fo now-and the vet thinks it won't be an issue until she gets old and arthritic. They want to monitor it and have her come in again for x rays in 3 months. Because she still has a lot of growing to do, it may go either way. There is corrective surgery if it becomes bad, but it costs $3,000.

Otherwise, her surgery went well. She was the hit of the office with her personality. When I came to get her and said, "Hi Baby Girl" as she came out from the back, the look on her face was pure joy. Can you tell she is my baby? Mike's nickname for her is 'puppy' or 'baby puppy' and mine is usually 'goober' or 'baby girl'. We are sad, aren't we?!? Last night was quiet all around with us all being tired, and me not feeling good. Maddie slept most of the evening and through the night, but by this morning she was back to herself. She was playing a bit and attempted to do the play bite, which indicates she is up to her old tricks again. :) It's amazing how fast we've become attached to her in such a short period of time. With all that has gone on with TJ recently, I guess I just freaked out about the hip stuff thinking I didn't want to experience more pain as a dog owner. The vet is awesome-so great- and her exact words were: "I think Madison is going to be around for a long time."

Sorry

It's been a few weeks since I've had a good chance to sit down and write much. Work has been busy, nights have been taken up with errands. Life at its finest!

We hit the Twins game two weeks ago with Mike's cousin Mikey, who was visting. He turned 16 while he was with us, and we had a great time showing him around the cities. Nice kid-and Madison loved to have company and someone who would run all over the house with her. Twins game was nice-I hadn't been to a game in almost 2 years. The new turf at the dome is amazing. I like it a lot more and it looks better then the other stuff. That artificial turf made it look more like indoor-outdoor carpeting. This stuff is much more realistic.

We also took advantage of riding the new Light Rail train into Minneapolis. By parking at Fort Snelling, the ride took about 15 minutes and dropped us off right in front of the Dome. Granted, the trip took about the same time as it would by driving, but you reduce the crap of finding a parking place and paying a small fortune for it. I will gladly do this again for a night out in Minneapolis.

Last week was spent in preparation for the big annual family camping trip. For 2 freaking nights and 1 day it takes A LOT to get going. Granted, this year was the easiest of all because everything is easily accessed in our basement, instead of a small closet in our apartment! I took Friday off, and we were on the road by 3:30. Madison made herself at home on top of all the coolers and had a nice perch to look out the windows and sleep on a blanket. We got down there before 7pm (Caledonia, MN) and were able to get the tent up with everything else before dark. We had some chilly nights, but with enough blankets and sleeping bags it was fine. Madison slept in her kennel, which we had room for in our large tent. She LOVED camping. Getting to run around in the country with other darks, a creek and people that wanted to play with her was perfect. Not to mention lots of bugs and fish to keep her interested! By the time evening rolled around, she would fall asleep at my feet around the campfire.

We had the annual Winnebago Bowl football game. I only played one game this year because I just wasn't up for more. We lost, so it sucked. The others all had fun. We had the new flag belts this year which make for easier capture. But, Derrick still managed to tackle Mike during the first play of the game instead of pulling his flag! (that sounded bad)

Nights were quiet, for once. Grace fell asleep on Saturday night at the fire, so she was decorated in grand tradition. What was funny was that she was the one that was so excited about decorating someone else! Cousin Randy and his family showed up as well, which is usually the only time we see them. Michelle and Dewey had gotten married quietly the weekend before, so we celebrated with a little cake and some gifts. Danny and his girlfriend were there with their 2 month old, Olivia. What a beautiful baby! I hadn't seen Danny in nearly 4 years, so that was nice that he came. Good time overall.

Went to visit Grandpa and Grandma on Sunday, in Harmony. We brought Madison to meet them. She licked Grandma, who thought she was a nice dog and pet her a bit. Same with Grandpa who proclaimed she was a smart pup! I spent a good hour chatting with Grandpa about how they are doing. Not great it sounds-and looks-and he did mention moving to the nursing home in Mabel. We'll have to see how that goes. He has a lot of responsibility in his hands and with his eye site going away, it can't be easy. It's very hard to watch the two people you love as much as your parents slow down and get older.

Madison's obedience classes started last week. We went to the first one without her, as requested, so we could learn what to expect. This week she comes along. I'm anxious to see how it goes! She loves other dogs but likes to whap them in the face with her paw. Some dogs don't take too kindly to that. She is the youngest at 5 months, with the oldest being 6 years. We took some advice from the class already and began working on things. When I let her out now and ask her to wait as I grab the chain, she does. I can't wait to see the dog named Elvis who is coming to class!

Tomorrow I am throwing a shower for my co-worker, Amy. She is due September 15, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she will go early. She is getting so big and round! It's been a great experience to be a part of her pregnancy since Day 1. They are having a little girl and are naming her Sophie. So, tonight I head off to Michael's, Factory Card Outlet, and Target to get all the things I need. I also have a haircut and eyebrow wax later, so I doubt I'll be home before 8:30pm tonight. Thankfully, we are not going anywhere this weekend. The plan is to paint the bathrooms and install shelving in the garage.

Bush and Cheney are in town tonight for a rally at the Xcel Center. This is like the 3rd or 4th time in 5 weeks. The interesting part is that the secret service is requiring all people to check in with their social security number and address. If they are a registered Democrat, they will not be allowed to enter. Nice. That's why Regime Change Begins At Home.

My most favorite t-shirt I saw recently with Bush's picture on it said, "Like a rock, only dumber." Classic. Kerry should be here again in the next week it sounds like. I can't wait until Election Day. I think I may have to take the day off, or take the following day off to recover from staying up to watch the returns!

Can Bill Clinton be our president again, please? (By the way, I'm only on Page 328 in his book. It's good, just has a lot of information to process.)

Giggles

To make you laugh today, check out this site to view a short movie that bashes both Kerry & Bush!!

Next, you have to listen to this song. It's dumb and funny and I gurantee you won't be able to get it out of your head after you hear it. Rumor has it that the children's singer Rafee (remember him? Baby Balooga was a hit) wrote it. Banana Song rocks.

I also want to make a push to anyone who is interested in getting a dog. Madison's brother is the last of the litter to find a home. He sounds just like her-pretty laid back and smart. Even the way they describe how he sleeps is how Madison sleeps! If you know anybody that wants a great puppy, this is the one to get. I can attest to that!

Congrats on the job Molly! Sounds like this is just right for you.

New Hottie

Watched the movie "13 Going on 30" last night. Although not considered a classic or awesome movie, it was a darn cute and feel good kind of flick. Check out the guy from the movie-he's my new hottie. Cute!

One thing I can't be more happier about in the past week: the appearance of more John Kerry bumper stickers. I'd say that I have seen the Kerry stickers outweigh the Bush ones by about 10:1 ratio. Seriously. Either the Republicans aren't pushing their stuff, or the Kerry camp is going crazy (probably this one) but I'm happy to see people supporting Kerry. I thought that his introduction at the Convention was classic. "Lt. John Kerry reporting for duty." Whoever thought of that knew the crowd would love it.

It's Friday and the day can't end soon enough. I don't know what is has been about this week. I can't get enough sleep, Work sucks, headaches abound. I just feel like if I don't keep holding my eye balls open and my head up that it will be fall on my desk with a loud crash, and I'll be out. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture. I now understand why.

I took some old pictures I found into the PictureMaker at Target the other day. Surprisingly, they turned out quite well. Three were these tiny little photos that were at Grandpa and Grandma's. I could tell that one was Uncle Mike, but the others I was unsure. As it turns out, the other two consist of Dad holding a baseball bat on his shoulder. (Aged less then 7 at least) The other is of Dad and Mike together. They look like two little rascals. Pretty cool. The others were of my Grandpa Garness and one of my mom, brother & Me in our back yard. Let's just say that i have a black eye in the picture and look really ornery. I was around 2, so this comes to know suprise to anyone who knew me at that age.

Our time up north was fun. Madison and Joey got along well and had fun wrestling with each other. Alex was funny as always. "Uncle Mike, come here so I can splash you." He has a great vocabulary for age 2 1/2. Madison was whupped after being in the water for 2 days. She saw ducks, loons, you name it. Surprisingly, she didn't do anything but just watch them paddle by. Fun to watch.

Off to the Twins game tomorrow!

Come on get happy...

At the Mall of America the other day there were auditions being held for the new Partridge Family reality show.  Is it just me, or have reality shows gone too far? 

Over the weekend we watched The Surreal Life, which was actually funny.  That's the one where all the celebrities live together in a house and basically act obnoxious.  This cast includes:  Vanilla Ice, Erik "Ponch" Astrada, Tammy Faye Baker, Trishelle from the Real World, Ron Jeremy the porn star, and a Baywatch chick.  Even though Ron Jeremy is gross, he's actually a pretty decent guy, as is Erik Astrada.  Tammy Faye seems like just a softie at heart who is so religious she just wants to love everyone.  I have to admit, I scoffed at this show initally.  Then I laughed. 

I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks because there hasn't been much to post about.  Life moves pretty fast sometimes...where have we heard that quote before?  Over the weekend we had a Housewarming Party at our place for some of the fam.  Thanks to all who gave us such nice things.  We appreciate the 'warming' of our place.  I found out that I am not much of a hostess.  I guess I'd rather just go to other people's houses.  I'm not good at having people visit!

We have a new DSL connection at home, that is finally working as of yesterday.  We are happy to finally have it since our dial up no longer worked very well. 

Madison is still her happy puppy self.  We start her puppy classes in just a few weeks, thankfully.  She's got an 'attitude' going right now where she likes to bark at you when you aren't paying any attention to her.  And she is still eating her poop.  I give up on that one.  Hey, if you want to eat your own shit, that's your business.  Just don't lick me afterwards.  And, she loves to dig.  The tree in our front yard is taking a beating and we'll have to make a run to the hardware store to fix something up to keep her from digging.

Mike was accepted to grad school and begins at the end of August.  I'm so excited for him and I hope this will help him get where he would like to be with his career.  The next 10 months will be challenging, but something we both decided was worth the sacrifice.

We made a trip to the new IKEA store a few weeks ago.  That is going to be a dangerous place for me!  The furniture is so modern and unique-while combining quality and low prices.  We bought a corner unit for our television.  I could have bought a lot more!  I highly recommend this place to newly out of college individuals who needs furniture and don't have a lot of money.  (Molly, a tip! But sorry, no job offer.) 

Speaking of Molly-please know that we have all felt this way at one time or another.  You are not alone!  It's the crappiest feeling in the world knowing that you are qualified, that you have a 4 year degree, and no one wants you.  A job is out there-it is!  I guess it's like romance.  It happens when you least expect it.  My first job out of college was purely by accident.  Keep doing what you are doing and some day you will stop and say:  how is it possible I've been out of college for 10 years ?  Can I stop working and go back to those fun days?  I miss college-something I never thought I would say.  Keep your head held high.

Tonight is the big convention night-John Kerry will accept the nomination.  I have missed the last 2 nights because I basically just forgot-too busy being outside with Madison and enjoying the weather.  I'm mad that I missed Clinton's speech.  Anyway, tonight I hope is the beginning of the end of the Bush reign.  (Still haven't seen Fairenheit 911)

This weekend we are taking some time out to drive up north.  The weather sounds decent and we haven't been to my in-laws all summer.  (mike has, not me)  So, we thought we 'd take the weekend to relax, check out the pontoon boat, and introduce Madison to the lake.  This will be her first long car ride since we brought her home.  She has had diarrhea on and off all week, so here's hoping she doesn't crap all over the car! 

Spoke with my Dad yesterday, who is recovering from prostate surgery.  He is on the mend, but still recuperating.  Keep feeling better!

Dad has also been helping my friend Jeannette with some writing recently.  She has been part of a contest at the Pioneer Press called "Average Joe Sports Writer".  With a pool of contestants, they pit 2 individuals against each other and give them a topic in sports to write about.  Jeannette is down to the final 4 and has done a fantastic job.  The winner each week is chosen by the Sports Editor, Deputy Sports Editor, and online voting.  If you get a chance, check it out and vote!

 

Blah

That's how I feel today.

Vacation was short, never long enough. We went canoeing on the rising Upper Iowa river, which was a blast. (Even though I got burned!) We hung out with family, I went to my friend Erika's wedding, a parade at my Dad's, trip to Clear Lake, Iowa to see where Buddy Holly was killed, went to see Anchorman, did a lot of shopping (MOA included), went to see a folk group play with my Dad, and read my books. It wasn't overly relaxing, but it was nice to be home.

Madison was busy lapping up all the attention she received from all of the extra people around the house. Alissa and Paige really liked her. She learned some new things from Grandpa Barry, which is good. She terrorized TJ each morning by trying to get him to play. Poor TJ, he wanted to play, but it's just too hard for him.

Things are not looking good for my buddy...he has had five seizures in the past 3 days. I found a few tumors on his chest as well. We knew it was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier. Madison will miss him too.

Back to work. There were things to catch up on, but nothing major. I'm just busy today and Friday because my co-worker is out and I'm covering her job too. Can't wait for the weekend.

Welcome to the post college working world, Molly!

Back in the saddle again

I'm back from vacation, back at work. I will post more later on the joys of being off for 10 days. I can tell you a couple things:

1)Madison and TJ woke me up at 5am each day.
2)We saw Anchorman and I thought it was really funny. Pat, Lyn and Mike do not concur.

"CANNON BALL!" I love Will Farrell.

Holiday...Celebrate...

I'm not a Madonna fan, but that song popped in my head. Last day of work! It cannot come too soon. This has been one of those 'weeks' that you wish you could forget. Granted, nothing is as bad as my last job in terms of the stress. This week was just one of those ones where you wonder where the humanity in the world went to!

It's been 4:30am all this week for Madison. Mike & I are butt tired again. She seems to be a big pain in the butt in the morning. Otherwise, she is a great dog. I took her for a long walk last night, but it didn't slow her down any. I think that means that she is growing and can handle more exercise. At the Vet on Wednesday she had gained 6lbs in 3 weeks. The vet guesses that she may reach 50-60lbs total. For some reason, I don't see her getting that big. Time will tell. Her latest thing is that she barks at objects. We're never quite sure what it is that she barks at! Sometimes it's the bath tub, or she sees herself in the mirror. The last few days she barks at something on the counter! She is a funny dog.

I'm heading home at noon to pick her up and bring her back to the office with me. Then at 3pm we are going to leave for Rochester. Our big boss (who is gone today) left us an email stating that we should all leave at 3pm today. What a godsend that will be! His words were: "I know there is no way that I would know if you left earlier then that, but the guilt would eat at some of you and I would get a confession anyway." The guy is a riot at times!

I'm almost finished with Big Russ and Me. Great Book. Then, I will begin the mammoth task of My Life by Clinton. I still haven't finished my Naomi Judd book, plus I know that Pat is bringing a few more for me. I need to get back to reading a bit more again.

We're looking forward to the weekend. It should be a lot of fun and relaxing! Cousin TJ will help keep Madison in line-plus 6 more people to watch her will be lovely to give me a rest!

2 quotes that I've recently found that seem to work for our upcoming holiday and the state of our nation. I hope you find them as enlightening as I did.

"The highest patriotism is not blind allegiance to official policy, but a love of one's country deep enough to hold her to a higher standard."
-George McGovern

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Independence Day!

Only One More Week...

This is my LAST week of work before ten nice days of vacation. I can't wait.

Our weekend was pretty quiet. Yesterday we spent most of the day at Mike's cousin's home on a lake on the western part of the cities. We found out that Madison is truly a water dog. She literally jumped right in the water and started swimming. It was great. She also rolled in dirt and got absolutely filthy so she had to be sprayed down! Later, we took her out on the boat for the first time and she loved it. She actually wanted to jump in the water as the boat was moving. I think she's going to love the lake and the pontoon boat up north when we go! She slept looong and hard all the way home and all night too.

Saturday we did a few errands and went to Best Buy. Mike bought me the Elvis Ultimate Gospel CD that I've been wanting. Awesome CD. I'm not a big gospel freak, but I do like some of them. I had always heard that Elvis had always wanted to do more gospel songs, and that he knew a ton of them by heart. His only album of gospel songs "How Great Thou Art" won 3 Grammy's. It's nice and relaxing to listen to.

I started reading Tim Russert's book "Big Russ and Me". I'm really liking it. His Dad sounds like a great guy. My Clinton book hasn't arrived yet, so I'm hoping it does within the next week. I'd like to take it with me on vacation.

Friday after work I'm going to head home, change, and get Madison. Then we'll head to Rochester for 10 days of hanging out with the NY Webb's and other family. Madison will enjoy her time with TJ-she behaves a lot more when he is around!

La La La...
I'm so tired I don't know what I'm doing. I'm at work in a daze. I need sleep. TGIF.

This week has been interesting to watch all the Clinton stuff going on. His appearance on Oprah was especially enlightening. I like Oprah's interview styles and he seemed pretty comfortable. The crowd certainly was on his side.

I ordered the book last week at Barnes and Noble online, so it should be delivered today along with my Big Russ and Me book. I still haven't finished two other books I'm working on. And I bought a puppy book yesterday too. Craziness. But, I'm looking forward to reading Clnton's book. I can't help it.

I gotta go. I'm gonna fall asleep.