2011 Blizzard Fake-Out

It's been a long time since I really posted any updates. For good reasons, I just haven't had time. I've transitioned into a life of balancing work and motherhood. It's confusing and stressful to say the least. If I ever had much time around the house to write, it's short lived and few and far between. I'm fairly busy at work so I can't fit in a blog. I typically eat lunch while I work, or take a short lunch because I have to make up time that had been spent pumping through out the day. So, as you can infer, writing just does not fit into the picture much these days.

You may now be asking yourself why I'm writing now. You see, we've just experienced the 2011 Blizzard Fake-Out. For those of us in the immediate St. Louis area, we were supposed to have a blizzard and ended up with about 3 inches of ice, no-to-minimal snow [I am still hoping to have power despite this fake-out, ice on the lines with heavy winds scares me, watch out Eva, you may have company]. Yesterday I stayed home because of the ice, but today I came into work (compliments of Chris' four wheel drive). I am currently one of about eight people. I figure I can use this time to catch up.

With that said, be sure to head over to baby-blog to catch up on the latest of Dano-dano since I plan on posting today.

As for the rest of us, we're doing good. About a week ago we had 9 inches of snow, you should have seen poor Bella going outside. She used her chest to barrel through the snow, and the poor thing didn't want to squat to pee (would you want to shove your tush into freezing snow to take a leak?). We were excited with the aniticipation of 20+ inches of snow, something to rival the blizzard of 1982. It just didn't pan out for us. Others in the Missouri and Northern Illinois area did see the blizzard, but not us. We were, to say the least, a bit dissappointed.

Since I can't really talk much about how exciting this blizzard is (either positive or negative excitement), I figure I'll go back in time to 1982! I was 3 years old when that storm hit so my memories are vague, but I do recall a few things. I remember being bundled in a snow suit, making a giant snow ball with neighbors, and my mom getting a ride to work with her boss. I have very fond memories of that snowfall. Were you around for the 1982 blizzard? What do you remember about it?

Bella in a Pillowcase

I don't know about most bulldogs, but Bella, my beastly bully likes to burrow. Mud is fun, blankets work too! Well last night she opted for the pile of pillows I was using on the bed. [I didn't get to stay there long, Dani was fussy and so I ended up on the floor next to her swing for the rest of the night where I was up every hour to an hour and a half. You would have thought a dog might join me, but I see where the loyalty lies now...the comfy bed]. As we're all very tired these days, I understand how these things happen, but it's amusing none the less and note worthy...Bella burrowed her head into the pillows, but somehow managed to burrow her head right into the pillow case. Yep, my bully had a pillow stuck on her head. I laughed hysterically, partially because it was so funny, but mostly because of sleep deprivation!

It's okay Bella, mom loves you like crazy still and am glad you can make me laugh so hard!

Speaking of lack of sleep and my baby girl Bella, she managed to work her way into Becky's attention when she came to help me out today. With complete lack of sleep and a bad case of depression Chris needed to call in reinforcements for me when I took a video of Dani crying and then talked to him on the phone crying. Reinforcements came in the amazing package of Becky carrying in Subway for lunch with surprise cookies and an Icee! I love Icee's. Anyway, she basically had to babysit for me while I turned to mush on the couch hoarding my food. While sitting in the recliner with Dani, Bella decided to climb up and make herself known! So, be warned fair friends, for those of you that visit, you basically have to babysit me, Dani, and the bulldog. Riley is pretty content sitting back and laughing at us though!

I Voted

Today was productive. I got an ample amount of work done in the office, I had a smooth doctor's visit, and I got to eat Mexican at the newly reopened Carrisillos Mexican!

To top it all off, I voted.

I purchased Chris' birthday gift, got Eva's baby shower gift in the mail, am now blogging while resting with the babies (who are snorting loudly) in bed (I also snuck in a bowl of ice cream).

Lazy Bums

I'm supposed to be on modified bed rest, but I think the rest of the family thought THEY were supposed to be resting...

A Good Vacuum

This past weekend when hanging out in the nursery putting together the dresser from Chris' parents, we noted the filthy appearance of the carpeting. We had cleaned the floor several times, so why so nasty?

Well, for starters, I blame my furry children Riley and Bella. We have a dusty, furry, and pet dander filled house. Our second culprit was not having a good vacuum for these things. We had a vacuum. It was given to us by Rachel M. and it served us all right for some time (since she returned to C-ville to sell her condo). It, like most vacuums was one of those semi-durable guys that lasts for several years and dies off slowly (as in, not a lifer like a Kirby). The problem is that our house gets DIRTY, so this vacuum that would have served some families for years wasn't up to the Spann challenge.

So, we went to Lowe's to look as some vacuums and ultimately we spent more than we should have on a quality (or what appears to be quality so far) Electrolux vacuum. It is the first vacuum I think I have ever bought. I've either borrowed a vacuum or had a hand me down. I feel like a real adult now!




Thus far I can say that it is AMAZING. Even though the nursery floor had been vacuumed and cleaned several times, this thing was full of dust and fur within one pass over the floor. The real test was to vacuum the living room rug, which turned out to fill the vacuum up TWICE!

So, I spent parts of my weekend vacuuming in between shopping with my mom, going to Eckert's, making apple pies, working from home, and finishing Eva's baby shower invitations. It was a productive weekend and I'm thinking now about all the other things I can vacuum!

Let the Jealousy Begin

I thought the 4 of us were napping together (me, Yadi, Bella, and Riley). In fact, when the phone rang to wake me the four of us were still snuggled in bed like one cozy happy family.

When I got out of bed I noticed some stuffed animal "residue" at the foot of the bed. It wasn't there when I went to lay down!



I decided to inspect further after seeing from afar, some disturbance in the nursery. I am sad to report that there is a sheep down. I repeat, WE HAVE A SHEEP DOWN! [Ok, so we really only have a sheep missing a hoof, excuse me for dramatizing]



I suspect this is a random act of violence. I placed the sheep in a low post on a shelf and I have what I suspect is a bored bulldog (aka Bella). The combination can be, and is obviously lethal.

I should have known, Bella is already competing for toys!

Farewell Pat

Often times I would look out the back door into the yard and see Riley standing at the fence. His giant head peering over letting out one bark after another. Knowing Riley the way I do, I always knew these as "hey, pay attention to me, I want you to pet me" barks. They were the same barks he gave to neighbor Terry (aka The Vegetarian).

These past few years though, Riley has split his neighborly barking among a few neighbors. One neighbor even gets Bella hopping around and eager to paw or bark for attention (as opposed to merely biting Riley's ankles). I had always thought that it was the neighbor dog Buddy, that runs along the fence with Bella that got her all wound, but it wasn't; it was that dog's owner, Pat that got them both so excited.

So it goes that I'd hear barking outside, I'd look, and there my two beloved children would be, barking at the fence. I'd see Pat wave finally, I'd send a wave back and go about my business while I watched him and his dog, along with my dogs hanging out at the fence. It was a little while later I learned that he made special trips to the fence with treats for my dogs.

Pat was a really great man who had a kind heart. It was Pat that knocked at my door to notify me that someone threw a rock through my car window. I saw Pat at least twice a day if not at my fence, always taking his dog Buddy for a walk.

I'm very heartbroken and sad about the death of a man I hardly knew. Perhaps I'm sad for my dogs who will never understand why their pal will never again be over for treat time at the fence. Perhaps I'm sad for Buddy who is now without his faithful master. Perhaps I'm sad for the entire neighborhood, as we've lost a really great person and neighbor.

Anyway it goes, I'm sad. January 25, 2010 -- Rest in Peace Pat, you were a great person.

NaBloPoMo Day 29 Post 29 - Playing With Balls

I like to decorate balls. You know, the kind that are glass and hang on Christmas trees! @ironstef came over and we glued, painted, and laughed about some balls. [What else do you think girls do when we get together??]



Here are some of my creations:





And here are my favorites modeled after my babies Riley and Bella...




@ironstef will have to comment here and leave a link or some photos of her finished ornaments!!

NaBloPoMo Day 23 Post 22 - It's That Kind of Day

Maybe it's the energy in the air. Perhaps it's the three day week. Most likely it's the sugar I've consumed, but I'm beating this day better than any abusive husband can beat his wife despite how it's started out!

For starters Bella, my adorable beastly bully dog got stuck in the compost heap again this morning. So I had to trek outside in the land-mine filled yard half in my work clothes, and half in my pajamas to free her.


Then I had to lug a crap load of belongings into work. I was running late since I had to gather it all up in addition to my time spent saving my beastly bully.

I left the house, got into the car, started the engine, realized that I'd forgot my phone, turned off the engine, went back into the house, locked up again, back to car, you get the idea...could have been worse, but annoying none the less.

I got to work, got onto the elevator, pushed the floor 7 button (lady in elevator with me was going to floor 8). The elevator stops at floor 7, doors do not open, the elevator then goes up to floor 8 and the doors open half way. We both push our way out in a fury worried that at any moment the elevator is going to dramatically drop hundreds of stories just like it does in the movies!

At lunch, I go to get a bag of chips from the vending machine (my blood pressure is low do to an overdose of a medication that I am supposed to cut in half but am too lazy to do thus requiring me to eat something salty (so my excuse goes)). They got stuck in the machine.

We'll just have to see how the rest of my day carries out! If I keep up the sugar intake, nothing will bring me down! Mwahaha!

Some words...
ROAR: Acronym for "right of admission reserved". Typically seen on clubbing/rave tickets, it means that if you're drunk or high, the bouncers will kick your ass out!
ninja skills: Ability to do something without being detected or suspected.

Finally, The Results Are In...

Well, it's been a while since I've written, and you can all blame work for that! I've been working 12/13 hour days most days for about a month now. I've also got a lot of personal stuff going on too. I've been wanting to get around to writing some more, but just can't seem to find time. Since we hit a deadline yesterday, I'm making time to post! Here we go...

So much for polls, they only tell me what I already know!

First the results of the brownie poll. My question was, "what is the best part of the brownie", and your choices where, "corner", "middle", or "edge".
....and the winner is....

Corner

I already knew that though!

The second of polls had to do with a dog contest I was participating in and did not win. I had asked you all to help me choose a photo to submit, your choices were the following:




As you may be aware, there was a tie between Bella as a puppy and Riley with a corncob. The whole point of this poll was to help me decide but instead the poll only narrowed my options down to the two photos I had already really decided on...oh well!

The picture I chose to submit was Riley with the corncob. As I mentioned, we didn't win, *sigh*! Thanks for participating though, that was great fun, wasn't it?!

If you read my last blog, about cat pee, you might be interested to know that I've received a nickname based upon that very true and sad story! Bernie has dubbed me "la reyenita de la gata orina" which translates to "Little Queen of Cat Pee"!

Ahead now with words...and speaking of words, I heard one today that gave me a chill along my spine! Parlance...now most of us have heard the word parley...and so parlance is just a variation on that word (which means vernacular; vernacular is the term I more commonly use in lieu of parlance). Parley comes from parle which I believe is the sourced from parable (you know, the stories told to teach us stuff, like "don't cry wolf"). I of course heard the word on Twitter [where else do I socialize?] from @ibificus: "I think it's what would be called, in modern parlance, an epic fail. http://tr.im/B61y The laughing cop makes it". Did you get a chilly spine?

Okay, off to the urban words yo (I owe you many):
microvisit: The real-world equivalent of microblogging. Stopping by to talk to someone for 140 seconds or less. [Here's a funny video about this...from @That1EBD]
renob: "Boner" spelled backwards; a less derogatory way to coll someone a boner.
less than three: The literal form of <3; which is in turn supposed to represent a sideways heart (love). [I've wondered if "<3" is love; is "< B" broken hearted?? But after entering that in, I realize the compy only sees it as bold text, oh well]
lickle: To tickle by licking.
phishing: Tricking people so you can steal their personal information. Usually done over the Internet.
askusation: A question and an accusation.

A Pros and Cons List

I may not be the smartest girl, I may not always make the right choices, but I do have some principles I try to live by; for example, these days I try to avoid negatively impacting anyone's life. Now there will certainly be times that this cannot be helped. If you hit me, I will hit back; SHWAP, negative impact. If you insult me, I will sharpen my pencil and jab you back; SHWAP, negative impact. If you make me design a nasty and huge cantilever, I will get cranky; SCHWAP, negative impact.

So, now, when it comes to having children, I have to make a pros and cons list. You might think that you know me, and as such, you would believe that I'd be decent with kids. You might suspect that I would encourage them to do well in anything they desire, I could be an inspiration, I could harbor intelligent beings...I will not deny those possibilities. But, if we are going to consider possibilities, there are some others that must be thought of, as I would not want to have a bad impact on children especially. Here is part of my list...

One Hand	The Other
a.k.a. the pros	a.k.a. the cons
Having seen the humans that have reproduced, I feel compelled to provide at least one decent human being for the future. This is not arrogance, it is the reality of things	Having seen the quantity of human beings on this planet, we need no more, I have strict moral/ethic beliefs in any couple having 2 kids, one to replace each adult...seems no one follows my logic
	I think my patience would run low very quickly
	I can suffer from severe depression, I worry one day it will go too far, my children would be motherless; what if it were one of my children that found me??; what if my children thought I didn't love them; what if they thought I was weak??
I think I would be good with kids	If my depression is hereditary, I do not want to pass it along. I never, and mean fucking never want someone to suffer from this. It hurts in ways I can't explain.
Apple picking would be more fun that it already is!	Postpartum Depression...could kill myself, the child, or both.
	Screaming kids make me want to smack them, and people can't just go around smacking their kids these days!

Seems I'm stuck. People think I am a terrible person. I don't like to judge anyone else, but it seems they like to judge me. They think I'm immoral and unjust. They think my logic is flawed. They think I'm a monster. It's sad that when I speak out on my truths, I'm judged for them, thus pushing me back into my corner to hide. It makes me realize that I can't speak out. It makes my heart break, more than it's already bruised and tattered. But I guess on the good side, there is at least one person in this world that takes the consideration of children serious! Also on the good side, the dogs don't need to stress about being replaced too soon!!

I Always Say Too Much!

Okay, I have an agenda of topics, so pardon my "bulleting"...I've had a magners, some chocolate, and a long effing week...buckle in and hold on to your britches!

ONE...I've decided to be Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween. I'd love to have the whole berry gang too, so if you feel compelled to dress up, and if you feel compelled to hang out with me [for plans yet undecided], then please, by all means, pick one of the gang and dress up with me! I plan on making my costume, but if I fall short on time I'll be dressing up in a premade sleazy Shortcake costume. Mike, you'd make a cute Huckleberry Pie. If we were talking in person I'd use my smirk to charm you into to it! ;)

TWO...this story was boring, I deleted it...I will assume you are grateful. Please save your thanks for later! [Had to do with me using power tools is all]

THREE...I was going to complain about going to the girly doctor. I even had it all written out. But, then I felt like it revealed too much medical information that I shouldn't share. I will assume you are grateful. Please save your thanks for later!

FOUR...So yesterday I got home from a really long day of work. I walk in to find out that my beautiful bully Bella was grey. You may not see the alarm in this, but you should know that she is a white furred doggie....covered in ashes from rolling in the burn pile. To say the least, I was not pleased, but this did mean that she and I had to shower together [the only real productive way to bathe a dog]. Here are some snapshots!

the bait	the beast	smile!

FIVE...Just a few things to some people who may or may not read any of this...Shane posted on Facebook today, he IS alive, I am completely elated with this knowledge, I hope to hear more! I am hoping @ibificus is enjoying his Friday that is leading to a hangover for Saturday...which is sure to be "impressive". Those boys in Ireland worry me sometimes! Speaking of boys in Ireland, another I'm sure I should worry about is @FrankieP. If there were ever a human that enjoyed scaring themselves, it would be him. I could see him dressing up in frightening costumes and then jumping in front of the mirror for the simple pleasure of the heart racing fright he might get! He inspired a nightmare I had about a masked person. To @sheehanpaul, I hope you are enjoying your trip to the west coast of the US. You inspired a dream I had about a Tommy Gun [see nightmare link above]! To my sis Holly, I've not heard from you in days. Yes I am aware I should sign into MySpace more often, the phone works both ways, etc; anyway I hope you are well. Becky, I got the invite, I plan on attending the shower. Brandy, I got the invite, I plan on attending the party. Mike C., your birthday is approaching, what would you like to do? Kelly G., your birthday is approaching, I have some gift ideas! Kelly P.-F., we need to get together sometime for tea, popcorn, and board games!

Phew, that was a lot...now, your words...
peep this: similar to "check this out".
anysexual: One whose sexual preference is not limited to man or woman or both. Targets include dinosaurs, rocks, fish, plankton, and balloons. To see an anysexual, please peep this!

First 5k!

I ran my first 5k today. I am really proud of myself because I only ended up walking at most an 1/8th of a mile (5k is about 3.15 miles). What is more impressive is that I ran it with Riley and Bella. Riley (who actually ran with Amanda) would pull this off without a doubt, he's agile! But Bella with her short nose and legs, I wasn't too sure. When we run our normal 2 miles, she's pulling me back and randomly sitting when she feels like, MID run! I am so proud of her!

We ran it in 37m42s. I know it doesn't SOUND impressive, but for me, it is! I run a 15 minute mile, which is slow. So I totally rocked this time!

Now, off to devour leftovers. NOM NOM NOM!

Ketchup Words

This is the t-shirt I bought today. Imagine if you will, the beasty creature as my dear beloved baby girl/princess Bella the Bully!


Words....

peen: A derogatory term used to denote someone who is annoying. Short for "penis".

Mormon Assault Vehicle: A station wagon, minivan, or any other kind of vehicle that is targeted at the "family" demographic. Also "M.A.V."

shoop: To have sex.

aibohphobia: The irrational fear of palindromes (words read the same forwards and backwards).

In Use:

Guy1: Hey what's your name?
Guy2: Bob.
Guy1: AAAAAAAHHHHH! (runs and hides behind sofa)
Guy2: wow
Guy1: AAAAAAHHHHHH! (runs and falls down stairs)

Good Morning Heartache, You're Like An Old Friend

I find this whole blog thing funny. First of all, as I've always said, I write for me, not you. I sometimes find that I enjoy reading my own blog more than reading others'. I'm not being arrogant either; it's just that no one seems to have my sense of humor. So when I read my blogs, written pretty much how I actually talk, I find them very amusing, I enjoy what I have written, and really, we are truly the only one's that can make ourselves happy; we had better damn well try!

Second is that I tend to read/write blogs that are really just metablogs (metablog=blog about, or refering to, other blogs). I love it! I love knowing that there are enough literate people in the world who care enough to read and share. One disheartening thing about reading (books, blogs, anything really) is that I often find that I want to share everything I've read with someone in particular who tends not to care. The said "someone in particular" varies depending on what I'm reading, but the feeling is always the same. I share what I read with said humans and all I get is a look of "okay, I'm glad you enjoyed, can I carry on and forget we had this conversation". There is never a discussion, never an excited glimmer, never a "but ma, all my friends are jumping off the bridge, I wanna go too" moment. I want someone that actually cares for once to listen! So start caring "Mr. I'm Going to Ignore You"! I suppose I could also be saying "Mr. I Hope You Get Stuck In A Foreign Country" or even "Ms. Oh Cool, I Only Read Things That Come From Starbucks"! Ugh! [As a side note, for those of you that do seem to care, forgive me, for it is not you that I may speak of, and Holly, you should know I am talking about You!]

Anyway, on days like this when I fear I may have accidentally given myself a concussion before 8:00 am (long story, but I can't function, must get looked at); I find the best way to calm down is to take some deep breaths, minimize everything on my screen, and daydream of my dream job (sheep herding, stop laughing, I'm being serious damn you). My work desktop image is one taken from a friend Kelly (pic shown below). It's calming, it's also reassuring; then I recall that these fine animals will be eaten and it all strikes me back into reality. Reality, where I should be right now if I could only think . . .



Things to Share-
My boss Steven Crang in an HOK blog interview! Click here to see it!

Bella is better, after a visit to the vet, and many drugs, she's getting back to her spunky self!

Word-
oh, snap: Interjection conveying unpleasant surprise. Popularized by Tracy Morgan on the TV show Saturday Night Live.

Painted-face-a-phobia?

Oh boy, lots & lots to say...this could become a rambling mess, but I'll try to focus it up a bit...

1. Thanks to Janet, I found this pool of pictures called "Looking Into the Past"; pictures of pictures . . . please take a look for yourself! I think JPo would really appreciate these.



2. This may be totally morbid, but that is me. I went to dad's grave for Father's Day. I took him flowers and beat myself up the rest of the day because I can no longer remember what his favorite color was. It's hard to lose memories you can't bear to lose. Before you know it, they are gone.



3. Bella has some odd bumps all over her bully dog body. Best guess is that they are hives. Can't find the cause, they don't appear to be getting worse, but I can't say for certain they are getting better. My poor sweet baby! Any ideas?

4. I am going to start Geo Caching. Not sure what it is? Well here is my summary: modern day hidden treasures. Go check it out for yourself. James already told me that he is in for this adventure, and I know Amanda will be involved. It's very interesting, though I need a GPS unit! Here is a website you can check out: GPS GeoCaching

5. DUDES, no one told me that Tim Burton was making an Alice in Wonderland. Even worse is that no one told me Johnny Depp is going to be the Mad Hatter. Oooh, let the nightmares begin! (Trust me on this, A-in-W has always scared me to the point of nightmares, so yes, I am a complete and total sissy (side note: make up covering the entire face and masks really really scare me) could some one please tell me what this phobia name is)!



6. Some quotes from the book I'm reading that some of my readers will find amusement from:

"I have it on good authority that her feet are like ferryboats. They strap them under her gown to keep them from flapping when she walks."

"I don't trust anyone who appears so trustworthy. They must be up to no good." (Click here to recall why this sounds like me)

"Do you think [they] are poofters, or are they, you know, just fucking French?"

7. A 105 degree F. heat index is really much warmer in St. Louis than Jamaica. Maybe it was the rum in Jamaica that made it feel less painful?

8. An ad in the Planetizen online mag., for HOK, my employer:



9.Words:
man stand: The act of a man standing outside of a shop while his wife/girlfriend/partner shops inside. Man standing involves looking into space, at other women, or in the case of multistory shopping centers, leaning on railings of an upper floor watching people below.

break the seal: The point at which you first [urinate] after you have been drinking alcoholic beverages. After that you will have to [urinate] a lot more often.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

I wrote here if you are signed up to read: My Private Blog. It's a blog I started that is about me and all the madness that happens in my head.

I read these books: Bloodsucking Fiends, A Love Story; Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bible; Broken.

I read these blogs: kottke.org, Barbaric Gulp, Heavy Backpack, and my newest fave-I Did Not Know That Yesterday!

Things related to people: Bella learned to poo and jog at the same time; Riley was coaxed to poo by telling him "it's okay, everyone poops"; I missed my Cousin Betsy's party so to her I say "Congratulations!"; I love Tim Armstrong; hang in there Mike C. and Holly; Eva and I are talking about getting tattoos, nice idea, we'll see if it happens soon; I got Bernie's CD in the mail last week, it's great, check it out!

Other things I did: went to a food cooking demo class; bought a trifle bowl, new patches, and insulated bag; lounged, jogged, biked, rode roller coasters, played in a water park, and walked a lot; ate ice cream and cookies and ate too much food in general; got annoyed, got some sleep, had insomnia, got worn out; took some pictures; picked some berries; went to see Rancid (oh how I love Tim Armstrong). I'm sure there's more!

I'm happy to say that True Blood is back on HBO. I could just eat up that vampire Bill!

Words you missed:
trade junk: to have casual sex
remasculate: To grow one's balls back after they have been shrunken by an especially effeminate activity. The opposite of emasculate.
gradumacate: To successfully complete four years of edumacation with passing grades, capped off by attending gradumacation.
e-haircut: A change in a person's online identity. Also called an "i-haircut".
shark:To engage in overt attempts at procuring a partner of the opposite sex. You can accuse someone of sharking by putting your upright, straight hand up to and at right angles to your nose and forehead, and weaving your head from side to side as if you were a shark in the murky depths.
chesticles: Female breasts.
work hot: A person who may or may not be hot, but is the most attractive person in the set of people you work with so you lust after him/her. [Ed. note: There is always someone to lust, isn't there?!]

Today's Word:
herm:A hermaphrodite.

Tides of Change

In the tides of change come great new things . . .

Economy got you down? Lose your job recently? Check out this networking website to see what other people are doing! Thanks to Janet for blogging it!

I wanted to say thanks to my sis Holly for actually blogging this past weekend. I am always asking people to blog, partly because I find it so relaxing when I write; partly because I enjoy reading blogs; and partly because I am just damn nosey! In any case, Holly blogged. So thanks! In fact, thanks to everyone that blogs so that I may read...Justin, Janet, Frank, The Carr's, Dan Z., Kelly. I don't even know these people, but I seem to know little insights to their personalities that make me happy to know them, but well, not know them! Moving on . . .

You may or may not know that last week I had two deadlines (and a short week). I won't discuss the details of either (one because I can't due to confidentiality agreements, and two because I'm so glad it's over I don't want to think about it); but I was so happy to see the following e-mail from my boss.



Here is another e-mail that I have saved, and so on days when I'm down, I read this to know everything will be okay if I make it through the day. (I covered this person's name since I didn't get approval to show it here).



It's these little things that really get me through each and every day. I swear by it. If we can't close our eyes at the end of the day feeling happy about something or someone, knowing we did what was right and best for us, then what do we have?

Small list of things that get me by (cont'd)-
Practicing obiedence traning with Bella and watching her learn these simple tasks such as sit, wait, and heel.
Knowing that Riley is a genius of a dog, and watching him teach Bella simple tasks.
Neighbors not recognizing me due to such hard paced efforts and health change.
Bike rides where the honeysuckle is the only thing I can smell.
Being sleeping, laying down, not thinking about sleeping, and simply dozing off into dreamland.

Likes/Dislikes-

Claiming that genetically altered monkey's research done for human health reasons (maybe is, maybe not), is this necessary? Where will it go? Super race? What happened to Darwin's "survival"? Too many questions for me to ponder, thus causing brain overload!

Last of Last Week's Comic Sharing-


Word(s)-
toy: A graffiti artist's term for a novice. More experienced artists will often write "toy" next to the tag or graf of the novice.

nerdrection: When a nerd experiences or anticipates a certain event that is expected to have a positive effect.

I Am Not Smelly!

My favorite smells-
First there is the smell of lavender; then there is the smell of fresh cut grass; lastly there is the smell of the bike trail on a fresh Spring day (no, not the smell of dead animal from winter whose rotting corpse is now thawed and smelling as such; but the smell of the fragrant flowers in bloom mixed with that fresh air smell). There are other smells that are wonderful such as the smell of some one familiar, puppy breath, Bella's ears, that spot on Riley right between his eyes, fresh lemonade, a limey gin and tonic, baked goods, my favorite perfumes, old books, new books, pizza, popcorn, etc. I'm sure we could all name dozens of smells we love or miss.

Why am I talking about smells? Well I smell really good today. I am not smelly! It's a combination between my hair, my body, and my perfume. I'm wearing Inis, one of my three favorite perfumes (pay close attention to that, my birthday is approaching (Ralph, Body, Inis)). I washed with lavender soap last night and I can occasionally catch a whiff of that literally soothes me to the bones. Then there is my hair. It's just the cheap shampoo that I buy, nothing fancy (recycled containers, not tested on animals), but it smells clean and wonderful when it brushes across my cheek.

But seriously, why am I talking about smells? I just didn't have anything else to talk about!

And that paragraph above about not having anything to talk about, it's a lie! You knew that, I almost always have something to say! I also should mention that I do not lie very well. I end up telling on myself (as I just did); or I look rather suspicious when I try to lie. So there you have it, I talk a lot and can rarely lie.

So about my weekend-

I posted a video in my blog at stephysite.blogspot.com. I post so many places, I don't know where else it might be. Probably YouTube (my user name is Stephysite), but I'm fairly certain that is set to private!

I went for two bike rides, one with Eva, and one alone. I've video'd both rides, but the content is shaky at best. The audio for the ride with Eva is classic! Deadly classic! I will post that when I get the chance.

I, ... I mean Chris, saved frogs from the pool, but they went right back in, so, ... eh, yea, so much for saving frogs.

I finished Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson. It was a very good book, I recommend it. Sweet love story.

I went to watch the Cards vs. Cubs game at the Trowbridge's house on Friday. I spent most of the time hanging out with my cool little friend Grace. We ate a lot of popcorn! We had some good conversations about her upcoming birthday party. Her birthday is May 23rd. She will be 4.

I went to a skating birthday party for my niece Grace, who just turned 5! Happy birthday Gracie! I hope she likes everything she got; it was a good party for her! Her actual birthday was April 23rd (Holly, correct me if I'm wrong).

I got a bird feeder for the back yard. I haven't seen any birds eating from it yet. I imagine they are scared off by the thought of Bella the Beast charging at them.

You should read Justin Z.'s blog. Funny stuff! Poor guy got a j-walking ticket. Obviously not enough crime in Toronto!

Side note-
A shout out to baby cousin Sara whose 21st birthday is today! Happy Birthday baby doll!!

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Words of the weekend and today-

frenemy: Friends, yet enemies. Or an enemy disguised as a friend.

NIB: "New in Box", often used for selling EBay items. Refers to being brand new and never used.

Death. It's A Dirty Job

It's Wednesday. This is encouraging. Closer to Friday! I've started the morning out with a good mood despite the poor quality of sleep I got last night. I didn't take any Tylenol PM, which could have been my problem. I also lost my snuggling pillow some where in the middle of the night. Lastly, I ended up with the White Beast, a.k.a. my princess Bella. She was snuggled up to me under the blankets. She's a bed hog though, so I had no bed and no blankets.

I think I mostly can't sleep because I want to read; after days upon days of not being able to concentrate, my mind keeps dwelling on needing to read more. I am reading a book called Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The whole gist of the book is about a boy and girl. The synopsis:

It is autumn 1981 when the inconceivable comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenage boy is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last---revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.
But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door---a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night. . . .

The next book awaiting me to read it is A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. I've mentioned this book and author before. This book is about a guy who gets a dirty job. The synopsis:

Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy, the kind of fellow who makes his way through life by being careful and constant. And Charlie's been lucky. He's married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy, and who is about to have their first child.

Yes, Charlie's doing okay. That is, until the day his daughter, Sophie, is born. Just as Charlie turns to go home, he sees a strange man in mint-green golf wear at his wife's bedside, a man who claims that no one should be able to see him. But see him Charlie does, and from here on out, things get really weird. . . .

People start dropping dead around him. It seems that everywhere he goes, a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Strange names start appearing on his nightstand notepad, and before he knows it, those people end up dead, too. Yup, it seems that Charlie Asher has been recruited for a new job, an unpleasant but utterly necessary one: Death. It's a dirty job. But hey, some body's gotta do it.

Bestselling author Christopher Moore now shines his comic light on the undiscovered country we all eventually explore -- death and dying -- and the results are hilarious, heartwarming, and a hell of a lot of fun.

I have had a book recommended to me that I will soon check out (The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle). I will have assumed Mike C. to know of this author and to provide me with a just opinion. Then lastly there is a book that I want to check out only because the website for it is amazing looking (No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July). I know nothing of the author. I still of course have a list of books I am "reading" such as The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. I've been reading this for a long time. I get distracted, and then get back to it. There is also Shortage of Engineers which describes my life as an engineer very well! I looked on my book shelf last night looking for another book and saw some others I had still wanted to read, or at least reread. So anyway, yes, I have reading on my mind. It's a pleasurable escape from the real world!

Now onto some other thing I like, charts and graphs. A funny and witty little thing I found in the HOK Life blog! It's the GraphJam! Seriously, I find it amusing, I assume if you are reading this blog, you have a similar sense of humor and will also find it amusing! So here you are, Graph Jam (the site might be a bit wacky acting, taking ages to finally load and such, but have some patience).

Word of the day-
9 to 9: A way to say you hustle. Most people work from 9 to 5, but you put in more. You have the 9 to 9 hustle.