Random Thoughts

Time flies

2012-01-29T21:42:00.001-05:00

My post on random thoughts commences...

I can't believe that it is almost the end of January already. It feels like the new year has just begun. My cousin and her husband wil be moving back in 4 more months, the family can't wait until they are back north!

One of my co-workers is retiring in 2 days- she can't wait, and while I am so happy for her, I feel more pressure being piled on my shoulders as her work is distributed. I have a project at work that has blown up in size and while I know what I have to do, I don't know how to go about communicating any type of timeframe to others. I am hoping that I gain more clarity on it within a couple of days.

My fingers are also crossed for a certain phone call to come in the next few days for an important person in my life. Stressful days/nights are taking a toll.

This year I need to get out more and meet people.... I also need to get a hold on my finances in a big way. I have to learn to budget ( at least much better than I am now)

From a health standpoint, I am going to commit to continuing on my journey with my transformation with my weight loss. There are rumors at my office about an advanced class being offered for Naturally Slim, I am hoping they are correct :)

Time to start gearing up for the busy week ahead. Have fun my friends.

Still shopping.

2011-12-17T11:20:00.001-05:00

Hi my name is Cathy and I am a procrastinator..... next weekend is Christmas and I am still not done shopping yet. Wednesday night I shopped on Amazon and got a big bunch of things (actually the items themselves are small- and some may be for me...). I still have to get some items. One is a gift card to round out a present and then I have to figure out what to get for a round robin gift.

Each year on Christmas eve we get together with my mom's side of the fam and the 16+ croud do a secret santa $20 limit and people in age from 56+ down to 16. I have no idea what to get.... will be running out of time soon I have a feeling.

Thankful

2011-11-25T10:41:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving is now over and done, and I was blessed to be able to have fun and spend time with almost every person in the family this year :) From a food perspective, it was interesting. I typically have 2 meals a day, with the first being at around 11:30-12:00. The feast yesterday was at 3....., so I planned ahead and had a simple egg sandwich on whole grain toast in the am. That enabled me to not snack on apps beforehand and be hampster hungry! I did have a pig in a blanket that my brother and neice made, but I was not compelled to eat and eat. I ate more than I planned, but stopped before I was stuffed.

After the feast we took a walk/hike through the woods to the nieghboring tree farm- so beautiful, and so New England - rows of different kinds of trees in various growth stages on the rolling hills and surrounded by stone walls and towering old trees. It was so beautiful and peaceful, I really wish I had brought a camera.

I ended the holiday with a trip to my aunt and uncle's to visit more famiy- and arrived just in time for the games. Got to play with the dogs as a cap to the day.

I was SO happy that the scale was the same this morning as yesterday. I had a great time and did not take too much of a side trip on this journey to getting smaller :) I am going to take it as a trial run/precursor to next month and the fun that awaits !

This year I am thankful for all of my friends and family, being employed and doing a job that challenges me, and am so thankful that I took a chance this summer on the wellness pilot program that is really changing my life and its all for the better!

An awesome journey

2011-11-12T08:42:00.001-05:00

I decided to share my amazing weight loss success so far... as of this week I have officially lost 45 pounds! My goal right now is to lose 50 by the end of the year :)

This summer, my company offered a wellness program called Naturally Slim to a select 500 folks. We had to have blood work done before and after the 10 week class to see what success we achieved. I went in with an open mind and was ready to give it a shot. I was at my heaviest ever weight and was NOT happy. This program does not have a special diet and does not require crazy amount of exercise. The mantra is not WHAT you eat, rather it is about WHEN and HOW you eat, and to just move- even if its just walking. At the end of the program we lost over 4000 lbs between the 500 people in 10 weeks.

I have learned that I am not really a morning breakfast person and I don't get hungry until about 10:30-11 in the morning. I have 60+ oz of water a day, and at least 20 oz are h2orange (a blend of oj and water to keep blood sugar level), and of course coffee. I eat SLOWLY and take at least 25 minutes to eat each meal. The best part? I can eat just about anything I want. It seemed at times that I used to mainline sugar, and have realized that while it is good in small doses, it doesn't hold nearly the same appeal that it used to. The program does say to limit drinking and to try and stay away from wine- instead to have beer or a non sugary mixer with liquor. I tend to stay away from alcohol for the most part, so that part was not really a hardship for me. If I do drink it is one drink with a meal (to limit the sugar spike) and to make sure my meal has protein.

I have a couple of shots to share with you, a before shot from late June 2011 and a current shot from about a month ago.

I am ecstatic of my success and I know my gramma would be very proud of me!

2011-10-06T19:11:00.001-04:00

35 pounds gone baby!

Apple Harvest Fest

2011-10-01T19:19:00.000-04:00

My hometown's fall fesitval started today. For some reason a lot of people that I know that went to school or worked with in the town HAVE to go, some of my family included. Not me, I don't understand the appeal, I guess I never did. In high school the extent of the festival for me really was marching in the parade.

I wonder why I just am not into it? Maybe its my introvert nature, don't know really. Certainly the thought of deep fried fair food has no appeal, although the famous apple fritters sound good, but I know they don't taste as good as they smell. I have worked too hard with my weight loss to gain some back over a day/weekend of fried delights

Don't wanna go

2011-09-12T15:06:00.000-04:00

I freely admit today that I don't wanna go..... back to work. I have a feeling that I am going to be blastes with work for at least the rest of the week. It has been so relaxing on vacation, even if I didn't do a lot.

I am wrapping up my last day of vacation until Thanksgiving and took mom out to lunch at Rainforest Cafe with a very small treat at Godiva. Brought some rich dark chocolate home and will be savoring it for the next week or 2 or 3.

I have been pretty quiet about it, but I started a wellness program at the end of July. As of today I have lost 26+ lbs. I am eating only when I get hungry and am eating SLOWLY. I am eating whatever I want and am doing a small amount of walking, but I do want to get more active- can only help the pounds and inches melt away! I feel great :)

The program I am doing is called Naturally Slim. The program is 10 weeks and I am in the last few weeks of the pilot program, and am VERY happy with the results. I had bloodwork done at the beginning of the program and will be doing another set of levels done to see if there is any change in cholesterol/triglicerides....

Time

2011-09-08T22:01:00.001-04:00

My aunt mentioned a very sad milestone today. Today marks 1 year since my grampa passed away. It is very bittersweet, he stayed with us longer than we all thought- everyday was a gift.

It just so happens that I am on vacation in the same place I was last year. I remember after saying my goodbyes and having a crying jag or 2, I was a little apprehensive about going away on vacation while he was slipping away, but I knew that he would insist that I go.

I remember that I was at the outlets in Kittery when I got the sad call. I just happened to be back there 2 days ago- almost the same location where I got the call. As I sat down and remembered, it was a sad moment, but peaceful too.

On Saturday my father's church will be saying a mass for my Grampa, my uncle who passed when I was 4, and my Gramma who passed away just 3 short months past. I will be sure to bring tissues this time. A family & friends dinner is to follow.

Time marches on, but memories of loved ones will last forever.

Special hugs go out to one of my best friends who recently lost a loved one of her own. Don't forget the special memories that you have of your family member.

Drip Drip Drip

2011-08-14T20:51:00.002-04:00

Listening to the rain dripping off of the living room windows. Today was a very good day if you are a plant or a water loving animal :) Tomorrow expected to be the same, then hopefully we'll have good weather for the week ?

Stay dry and listen to the peaceful rain pattering down outside.

Time flies

2011-08-14T17:17:00.003-04:00

I didn't think this much time had passed since my last post.
There has been lots of emotional stress this summer- both from family and work sides. I really need to develop more of a social life and meet someone- I guess that means that I have to actually go out- not something that I always want to do.

From the work side of things, this month has been very busy so far, this past week especially. I had 4 major pieces of work to get out, and 3 of them did, the 4th will be done by EOD tomorrow. I had a meltdown of sorts on Thursday over an email that had a tactless comment on it. I actually cried when I got home. Things were better after a walk, but the hormones were whacked out this week.

On a family front, I lost a dear loved one 2 months ago. On June 18th I lost my gramma. She had been ill for a few years and had taken a downward turn a few months back, but when the call came to go to the hospital to say my goodbyes, it came as a shock.

The whole family got the chance to be with her on her last day. When I got there, she was lying in her bed with a CPAP machine trying to help her breathe easier. As the members of the family poured in, the docs came around and explained what was/was not happening. Gramma was lucid even that morning, and she was clear on what she wanted- and it was time, she was tired and wanted to go home to my grampa who passed less than a year ago. My aunt, cousin, and I were the last ones to talk to gramma, and were the last ones to see her awake. She dozed much of the day. We were told that it would be soon, but no way of knowing when. I know I didn't want to leave while she was still with us, and apparently no one else did either. We scavenged in the cafe (that didn't seem open/stocked at all) at lunch. She had the anointing of the sick twice, once from the hospital chaplain, and once from her home parish. She passed quietly and peacefully in the the afternoon. Her wake and funeral were hard for me, lots of tears, but also lots of memories and family stories were shared.

I have been given the opportunity to buy her car from the estate. I cannot be gifted the car because the estate was left to her 3 kids, and is considered an asset. A fair price has to be offered for it to be acceptable in closing out the estate. I have been told it will be under market value, I will have to talk to Dad, who is the executor of the estate to nail down a price. I know how much I am willing to pay, I hope it will be in the ballpark of the price they are offering. I have been driving the car for the last month or so and I love it- I hope everything works out. I wonder if Gramma and Grampa would be pleased that the car may stay in the family. They were sometimes hard to figure out.

That is enough for now, time to start getting ready for the week ahead.

grrrrrrrrr

2011-07-06T17:46:00.002-04:00

I have been at my job now for 2 and a half months. I have a ton to learn- and its all learn as you go. The down side? I don't have a set 'mentor' and I am one of 6 people on my team- we are always busy right now. I feel bad when I have questions and I am pulling someone away from their work.

We had a new manager start a few weeks ago and she is still getting the lay of the land so to speek. There is a computer program that we use to track what work is assigned to us- so we can bill the right area..... I had to look over the ones assigned to me. I have 8- of which I was activley working on 3, one is upcoming, and 4 I had no knowledge of...

Bam! I felt completely blindsided. These 4 tasks were all started by a predecessor- none completed. If that wasn't bad enough, no one had thought to inform me of these unfinished projects. I now have to explain that they are new to me. One was started last Nov & never finished. I have a one on one meeting tomorrow with my boss and believe me, we will be talking about these.

I am very dissapointed about the person who let these slide or who chose not to do any thing else. Now I am going to be the responsible party. Grrrrrrrr

Thank you for listening to my rant. You may resume your day now!

2011-06-17T21:43:00.002-04:00

My new manager started work yesterday. She seems really nice & looks a little nervous with all she has to learn. We are in the same boat, but different sections :) I can't believe that I have been here for 2 months. Time has flown by- a friend of mine is in a different area, and said with our roles we have a 1-2 year learning curve.

I sat with my mentor today (my new manager sat in too) and she complimented me on how quickly I am picking up the tasks- made me a happy girl! I was given 2 'easy' projects to do when I first came on. The hard part was done and all I had to do was work on getting the corrections and new forms introduced to the IT folks for the next phase of work- these in fact have NOT been so easy- but its a very good thing.

I do love my job and feel blessed for my opportunity.

in awe

2011-06-06T20:37:00.002-04:00

This week I am house sitting and in charge of taking my niece to school before going to work. The munchkin slept over last night & even though she sleeps over my dad's house all the time, she pulled the I'm scared card- I let her share my bed (told her it was a one time special deal- and I wanted the excuse to cuddle!)

While she got a great night sleep, I did NOT. I went to sleep about 11pm and saw 11:25, 12:30, 2:00...... you get the idea. Alarm went off at 5:10. Hopped in the shower and got dressed before I woke her up. We were out the door about 7 am and I dropped her off a min or 2 later (school is just around the corner from my dads). Then came the fun ride into work. Did I mention that dad doesn't drink coffee, hence, no coffee maker here. I stopped at mc d's for a super fast eat & drive breakfast and a needed iced coffee.

Managed to get in the office for about 8 am and wanted a nap ALL day long.

I have to admit I never realized the crazy/chaotic schedules parents of young children have daily. I give all parents (married and single alike) a huge round of applause. I am in awe of the ease that you seem to show. Bless you all.

If you will now excuse me, I may take a nap finally.

R&R

2011-05-22T18:46:00.002-04:00

It's time for a little R & R this week. The option to wake up and relax for the day is awesome. The munchkin came over last night for an impromptu sleep over and after dropping her off, we had a day of sloth.... I mean relaxation.

Today's entertainment was brought to you by Netflix. Eureka marathon today :)

The rest of the week I will look to clean and get errands/shopping done, but I will enjoy the rest of today.

Don't forget to take some time and relax - it does a body good.

where has the time gone?

2011-04-25T20:05:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that it has been over a month since I last blogged. What's happened in the last month? Lets see...

In the last installment, I was on my way to my job interview. Well, 2 weeks passed with no word. I was just about to call the recruiter to get the status of things, and I got an email from the hiring manager.... Ladies and gentlemen, I got a second interview! This time it was with 2 of the ladies on the team. Also an early meeting gave me exposure to commuting to the city.... not too bad.

I was back to work and back to working on the offshore project I was working on. I got a call
from the recruiter- I GOT THE JOB!! 66 People applied & I emerged victorious :) I had 2 weeks until the new job started. While I tried to focus, I know I was distracted the first day and the last few days.

On the 15th, I had a fun me day- shopping in the am and a celebration in the evening. Earlier in the year, I was identified as being a winner of The Excellence Award. The award is only eligible to the top 5% of the operations area of our company. 250 countrywide out of 5000 people! We were treated to a night of celebration in the capitol city- open bar, catered dinner, and a night in a downtown hotel!

One of my best friends competed in her first mtn bike race and rocked!

I started my new job in the company- am now a Sr Business Analyst/ Forms Consultant. Easy description- I am part of a team that is responsible for maintenance of forms that come in an insurance policy packet. I don't want to jinx myself, but the commute has been averaging about 15 min and have been able to park in a lot right across the street to the building I work in.

My actual training kicks off tomorrow- along with 2.5 hrs of call in meetings. The fun begins.

Spring is finally starting to arrive- will be in the 70's this week!
Enjoy the sunshine :)

Is that Spring I see?

2011-03-15T20:33:00.002-04:00

I am looking forward to spring. To warmer days, sunshine, the miracle of new growth sprouting from the ground.

While we do not live in the tundra, we had a hefty few punches from mother nature in the span of about a month, and just buried us. There is still snow (mostly in the plowed 'mountains'), but it shrinks a bit day by day.

Last Friday, I had to go into Hartford for a few hours in the afternoon. When I came out, I really noticed that the sun was shining, and 'warm'. I enjoyed the drive home- even winding my way home through Hartford/West Hartford because I didn't want to sit on the highway.

When I got home, I parked and looked at the fence surrounding my patio.... guess what I saw?

any guesses????

How about day lilly shoots! They were sprouting up about 1-2 inches, but they screamed that spring is coming to me. Makes me a happy girl!

Exotic

2011-02-15T20:44:00.004-05:00

I am currently working very closely with 3 people from one of my company's vendor. They are world travellers and exotic in my eyes they are Indian. There are 2 men and one woman. They are extremely smart and challenge us every day, they are soft spoken, and I sometimes still don't understand everything that they say. Their work ethic is amazing. After our 8 hrs in the office, they go back to the hotel and work MORE. I really do enjoy working with them daily.

I think it is so interesting how interested we are in each other's cultures. While some of the group has been to the states before, none of us have been to India. We had a pizza lunch on Friday and were enthralled with the stories of the culture, the roles of men & women, the economic differences. Even the story of their trip over, a 4 hr flight to Dubai and then a 14 hr flight to the state was interesting to hear about. It has also been very interesting learining about the way they eat. No beef, no pork. Lots of fish, some chicken, and lots of vegetarian options. Oh yeah, and everything here is bland- they use SO much more spice.

I know it has to be frustrating at times- the lack of public transportation, some of the cultural and dietary differences. Outside of work, there is no rental car to hop in & drive around. In the town they are staying in, there is no public transportation save taxis. And that adds up fast. They do get rides to and from the office from the security guards here, but on their off times they are on their own. I do know that there are other folks at the company that are making sure that they go to different places, get taken to dinners, so that they don't just stay in their hotel. But it doesn't fill ALL the time. They have gone to the movies several times and shopping at the mall, you can only do that for so long.

Working so closely with these new friends, it hits home how sheltered we can become to others traditions, beliefs, and ways of life. It is an experience that I would not trade for anything.

A unique position....

2011-02-15T20:22:00.003-05:00

I am currently in a unique position at work. For the last few months I have been working with a fellow team member on creating new directions or procedures to some of the transactions that we process at work. These transactions just so happen to be in the transition, moving to a vendor rather than being processed in house; oh yeah, and the vendor is off shore.

And no, this does not mean that I am training my replacement..... at least for a long while.

The unique position I am in is being a subject matter expert. We eased into the training, not throwing the most complex work at them from the start. Well, at the start of week 3 of the training, it is now more difficult. These are procedures that I labored over for weeks and thought were comprehensive- holes were found. And this is after I went over each procedure with the leader of the project.

While we can't write down each and every scenario for these transactions, I had moments of panic. I have even asked myself, fhve I done anything right? While I know that I have done many things right, and that I could not have forseen some of these snags, you always have doubts.

I have been working with one of the vendors-S is a very smart cookie and a pleasure to work with - it has put my decision making on point. I am the first to admit, I have always looked to someone to affirm what I am thinking or wanting to do is the right thing. Now I have someone asking ME how things should be done.. I have to stop doubting my knowledge and just go with my decision. How did I know I was right for this role? That would be when we went over quality samples and I was correcting our in house quality specialist. It made me feel pretty damned good.

It will be interesting to see what the next 3 weeks will bring, and what will happen when we end up going back into our regular office.

This message is for...

2011-01-27T10:26:00.003-05:00

Hi, today is 1/27/2011 and guess what we got last night?? Another 10-14 inches of white stuff :)

Woke up at 6 and called the weatherline- open for normal business hours (the air turned shades of blue). Decided to hop in the shower and get ready. At 6:30 I got 2 calls - 1 to the house, 1 to the cell from the company. An automated message - personalized too- to advise that we had a delay :)

Made shoveling out the car AGAIN, not so bad

Happy Thursday

Charlie Brown!!!!!

2011-01-21T09:27:00.002-05:00

Took the day off as a birthday present to me. I don't work on my birthday, and since this year it is on a Saturday, I decided to take Friday off.

I awoke to a beautiful carpet of white out my window, about 4-5 inches of beautiful fluffy new snow :) Went outside to clean off the car and move it to a cleared spot so the plow could clean out more spaces. Thats when it happened....

What happened you ask?

Well, with the warmer temps of the last few days came snow melt, and the melt turns to sheets of ice. I was walking to mom's car on the plowed area and can you guess what happened?

I was at the back corner of the car when my feet went out from under me and did a complete Charlie Brown, coming down square on my tailbone then the back. My nice snow scraper/brush went flying against mom's car and snapped the brush off of the pole.

All I hear is.... hey, why did you throw the brush against my car?!! So, my response was, Do you see where I am!! Owie. She didn't even see me, let alone see that I was on the ground and sliding on the ice.

Got up slowly and limped my way to the dumpster where I threw away my snow brush :( Doesn't hurt too much while walking :)

After I got inside and divested myself of the coat, hat, boots, & mittens I went to sit on the couch and OWWWIIIEEEEE!

I feel like my butt broke, will be walking funny for a few days, and the klutz lives on!

snap crackle pop

2011-01-18T20:42:00.003-05:00

Mother Nature is unleashing herself at us this year. Since the beginning of the year (18 days ago) some parts of this state have received 4o plus inches of snow!

I remember the winter of 96 being like this, snow multiple times a week. Back then it was fun because I was still in high school. Snow= no school. Now it means get your butt to work, because my company does not close. The massive record setting snow we had last week had the company delay starting until 10 am. Really? All the other major companies had later start times and then closed before that time came, but not ours. Ok, no more of that, its in the past.

As I was taking my shower this morning, I was listening to the snap crackle pop sounds outside my window - the sleet had started. I figured if I left a little earlier that I might be able to score a spot in our small parking garage. That means no chipping my way into my car after work. The morning the ride in wasn't too bad, it was slow going (20 mph). I was able to score a nice spot in the garage (YES!!!!).

Ride home was wet, but the fun began when I got home. The plow came out during the afternoon and got rid of the snow, but the shine I saw was not good. The entire parking lot (minus the spaces because they didn't touch those) and all sidewalks were sheets of ice. I spinkled some icemelt on my step/stoop and let it work its magic.

The weathermen are all giddy over the upcoming storm on Frday. Really??? Come on Mother Nature, do you have to dump another 6+ inches on my day off?

the Globes

2011-01-16T21:12:00.003-05:00

I have to say, the Golden Globes is my favorite award show.... alcohol + no eating= great evening.

Just saw Annette Benning win an award.... did someone pull her out of bed? What bed head on both her and Al Pacino!
Tilda Swinton desperatley needs to embrace any color other than stark white...
Johnny Depp is looking good, LOVE the color of Claire Daines' dress- she said the inner 6 yr old had to have the hot pink dress :)
Did you see Carrie Underwood's dress, she just sparkled.
Missed some of the arrival show so I'll check out the dresses tomorrow online, am loving the bold colors!

Fun Friday

2011-01-14T20:31:00.002-05:00

Unplanned sleepover tonight!

Picked up the Munchkin from school today and her medicine from my dad's house. In true family tradition, she has her first ear infection. At almost 4 she is lucky to have withstood this long. My brother and I were NO strangers to the achey and popping ears. Hope she doesn't get them into adulthood like her auntie.

Moved her carseat to the middle seat in the car.... she is tall & skinny and no longer had any foot room. She is almost 30 lbs but I think it is time to get a booster for my car. We are thinking a tall booster because she is too young and sleepy for the backless ones.

Dinner was my niece's choice. I asked what she wanted.... hotdogs please. Stopped at Stop & Shop and picked up Hebrew National (my fav) they were on sale & reduced fat- double score!
A piece of cheese was scored from the deli and a fast run thru the store with random throw in items from the little one.

Batman and She-ra were the entertainment choices for the evening, by demand of the little one. Love her taste in cartoons.

Tomorrow will have a quick morning at home before meeting my brother in the late morning.

I love the unexpected sleepovers, and want to take advantage of them while she still likes it!

I think tonight is going to be an EARLY night because she wakes up way early :)

Snow?

2011-01-12T16:13:00.005-05:00

So I don't know if you heard, but it snowed in CT today. Just a minor storm really, just a dusting. See? There was no snow last night. Honest.

This led to an unplanned vacation/snow day because the company did not close. These photos were taken after 11am, just after the plow started to clear the driving lanes and about an hour after the office opened. See the black lump/car? That was mom's car. After cleaning the top of the car, the drifts came to mid thigh.

Pay no mind to the christmas wreath below... we are a little slow in taking the decorations down.... now have to wait for the snow to go away.

Ended up being a nice peaceful day. Parking lot still a wreck because the plow never cleared out any of the spots, so we all stayed where we were today.

It was a good day, got to snuggle under blankets, next to the fire, napped, consumed hot cocoa and generally relaxed. Am re charged and ready for the rest of the week.

Did you have fun today?

TV addiction

2011-01-09T21:02:00.003-05:00

I was introduced to a new show btwn Christmas & New Years called Eureka. Yes, I know its not a new show and has been around for a few years; but being without cable for 20+ years means, lots of shows can be new to me.

If you have not heard of it, its a SciFi show about a town in Oregon called Eureka filled with science's best of the best who constantly push the boundries of science with hysterical and sometimes terrifying results. Bonafide geniuses fill the town, and there are a few'normals' to add to the mix. Some major leauge hotties on the show I have to admit!

The show sucked me in, and I just finished watching season 3.5- they are going to air season 4 this year sometime, so it will be a while until I can watch it.

2011-01-07T19:02:00.001-05:00

I have a beautiful snow globe outside my window :)

try something new

2011-01-01T21:11:00.005-05:00

I have had a small bread machine for a few years and today I decided to branch out and try something new with the machine. The machine has the capability not only for bread, but pizza and roll dough, pasta dough, cakes, cookie dough and even jam. Its a wonder.

Maddy and I decided to make pizza dough today. We measured and poured and waited an hour and 45 minutes. Thats when the fun began. I gathered the dough from the pan and put it on my floured cutting board. It was so satiny and light, have never felt anything like it- so much different from the dough in the bag from the stores. I stretched it out and put it on my pizza stone that was covered in cornmeal. We spread out bright red marinara sauce, sprinkled shredded cheese and Maddy put on the meatball slices.

In about 2 and a half hours from the time I started, we all enjoyed the crunchy pie. The crust was amazing. Will have to do this again, either on a day off, or trying the timer function, it goes up to 13 hrs.

Looks yummy doesn't it?

Happy 2011

2010-12-31T22:12:00.002-05:00

I am sitting on my couch gazing at the fireplace. The house looks like elves came and trashed. Fun was had. The munchkin had fun and crashed about an hour ago. We 'counted down' and had 'champagne'.
The entertainment of the evening was a few Batman movies. Once the little crashed, we out on Eureka, am working my way through season 1.
We had hors d'vores for noms and cake to celebrate the end of the year.

Hoping that 2011 will be a good year all the way around.

Happy New Year to all my friends and family, love you all!

Blonde moment

2010-12-31T15:38:00.002-05:00

blonde moment of the day:
Goal is to be at work at 7 am. Reset clock to wake up earlier.
Blonde moment: Setting the alarms for 5:35 & 5:50 PM

Yup, thats how I roll

2011 goals

2010-12-30T20:04:00.003-05:00

Every year I make a few resolutions (diet, debt) and each year they fall by the wayside.

I am telling the world that in 2011 I want to explore the corporate side of my company. I love the department I am in, but things have changed a lot this year; not just in my department. I think it is time to expand my horizons. There are fewer postings than there used to be, but I am going to look around.

I am going to start moving around more and eat healthier. Note, I am not saying the evil 4 letter word that starts with a D. One of the easier places to change is what I eat at work. Cafeteria eating is NOT the healthiest.

I want to put myself in a better spot finiancially in the upcoming year.

What kind of things do you want to accomplish next year?

Have a great New Year celebration, no matter what your plans.

Snow Globe effect

2010-12-26T18:01:00.003-05:00

Did you know there is a phenomena when it snows? It is the snow globe effect. The snow blankets all sound and looks like a mad elf is shaking globe for all its worth. Right now the driveway and courtyard are a pristine blanket of white. You can just hear the howl of the wind through the windows.

It is so beautiful, I am the first to admit that I want to be curled up in the living room in front of the fire & either watching the snow or movies!

The weathermen have predicted 10-20 inches of snow state wide and have the potential to be in the top 10 storms in the state's history. I am very glad that Christmas & Christmas Eve were snow free as the 2 locations were not snow friendly to drive in.

Chatted with a friend who lives a few hours away who is also enjoying the relaxation of the snow (I hope). I hope it stays nice & quiet for her for the next few days.

Time to grab a snack- cheese ball from yesterday & homemade cookies may do the trick. Only made 1 kind this year - peanut butter blossoms.

Go. Enjoy the peaceful world that comes only when it snows. Maybe even say a little prayer that you get one more day for your holiday weekend. Eh, can't hurt, right?

The year Kenny Loggins ruined Christmas

2010-12-22T12:04:00.001-05:00

I found this today and could NOT stop laughing, you have to check it out!

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/12/year-kenny-loggins-ruined-christmas.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Hyperbole-and-a-half+%28Hyperbole-And-A-Half%29

Santa was here!

2010-12-14T22:10:00.002-05:00

I have to admit, as we get older, the feeling of being amazed by Santa diminishes.

I had a wonderful surprise today, Santa came to the office!!!!!

I came into work same as always, logged on, went through my email and went to grab some breakfast.

I came back to my desk, and in front of me was a huge beautiful white poinsettia and a bag of gourmet chocolates with a card. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. I had the biggest smile on my face and felt a little giddy at the unexpected gift.

The gift was from a boss of mine that I am working on an internship with. I didn't even know that she was going to be in the office today.

Thank you again B, you made my day!

mashups... its whats for dinner

2010-11-22T22:47:00.002-05:00

Mom & I are famous for taking pantry, fridge & freezer ingredients and mixing/mashing them up into a workable dinner. Doesn't always pan out the way you expect.

Tonight however was a good mashup. No meat, a touch high in sodium, but a very workable dinner in a pinch.

Butternut Stuffing "Soup"

1 box Stove Top Cranberry Stuffing
2 boxes V8 Butternut Squash Soup (4 cups)
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli
1/3 cup broken pecans

Empty contents of stuffing box into casserole dish. Add contents of soup containers. Stir in vegetables and nuts.
Cook at 350 for 45 minutes till steaming. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Even have lunch for tomorrow.

Something Special

2010-11-12T10:51:00.005-05:00

I have been working hard on a special gift for one of my BFFs. She & her hubs are expecting a beautiful baby in the first part of next year. (I hope near my birthday!)

I have decided to make part of her gift for the wee one, and last night I am happy to say I have finished part 2. I have one more thing that I want to attempt, but if it doesn't work out, I am ok with that. (not a ususal response for me)

I would love to share photos, but that will have to wait until everything is done- when mommy & the wee one have the gift.

If only I could get labels- Made with love by "Auntie Cathy" (just kidding)

Enough being vauge. Happy Friday

Newport - good eats

2010-11-08T22:50:00.005-05:00

Last week I spent the week in Newport R.I. My family has a time share at Inn on the Harbor, right on Thames St. We had a harbor view, boat piers in front and other hotels on the side, not bad. Vacation was very relaxing and boy oh boy did I eat.

The great think about visiting after the season ends.... no crowds and great restaurant deals. Here are some of the places we went to last week.

The Red Parrot, Newport, RI

On Saturday night, we went across the st to Red Parrot. Had a window seat and laughed hysterically at some of the costumes we saw- togas, men in baby diapers, a crayon..... Had a really decent steak dinner and a drink called psychedelic iguana.

Sardella's, Newport RI

This Italian restaurant is much larger than it looks. Sardellas is a Newport staple and they have a deal 2 dinners + bottle of vino for $24. Meatballs w/ linguine, garlic bread, and Merlot... yummy!

Atlantic Beach Club, Newport/Middletown line, RI

Atlantic Beach Club is one of my favorites, we went twice this visit, we were lucky enough to hit restaurant week (started the day before we left). On wed night they have a special- all dinners (except lobsta) $12.95. Being a non-fish/seafood eater, of course I went for the fillet minion. SO tender, excellent dinner, and had key lime cheesecake for dessert. On Saturday afternoon, we went again (restaurant week) for lunch- this time 3 course lunch for $16- how can you go wrong? Cesar salad, Italian Steak Sandwich on chiabata bread, and pumpkin/chocolate bread pudding. I have a feeling, we'll be going next year too.

Ocean Cliff Hotel & Resort, Newport, RI

Ocean Cliff- Gorgeous hotel off of Ocean Drive that has a funky restaurant/bar called the Safari Room. Again had the $16 3 course lunch- NE clam chowder, roasted turkey/stuffing sandwich, and a truly excellent key lime pie. It may have been the best key lime I have had in a long time. The meal was not my favorite, but we had to go for the views and location.

The Grill at 41 North. Christie's Pier, Newport RI
This was by far the most expensive restaurant that we went to. I had a bit of sticker shock, steaks for $54 and the least expensive Merlot $74! Good thing for the restaurant week deal- 3 course dinner $30. (+$14 for a glass of wine). Had French onion soup (a bit of a disappointment), an amazing fillet minion with pumpkin mashed potatos, and a triple chocolate cup cake to round it out. The dining room was crazy elegant, this was my table (of course, no boats and at night) but a hell of a view. This restaurant was also the closest, right next door to the hotel. I heard rates at 41 north hotel go for $250-$1200 a night. Yeah, not in my budget!

After reading this, it should not come as a surprise I put on a couple of lbs (only 3) with all of these amazing meals. Now its time to take it back off.

I took some great photos of the crazy waves, I'll share more when I get them into the computer.

cany candy candy

2010-10-18T17:02:00.002-04:00

I have a problem, I am an adict... A candy corn adict. What is wrong with me? I think I just bought the 6th bag this fall, they all go to work... But still. This time they are all pumpkins.

Stoopid twitter chopped the original msg and makes no sense.

2010-10-14T09:15:00.001-04:00

I love fall!

Happy Friday!

2010-10-01T11:51:00.002-04:00

Today is a happy friday,

I have a short day.

I am being treated to lunch at a great little restuarant as a thank you for a job well done.

It's raining again (well, maybe not so happy- heard that Heritage Pond is about 3 inches deep right now)

Munchkin is sleeping over tonight!

No immediate plans for the weeked :)

Why is Friday happy to you?

Still here

2010-09-23T10:25:00.002-04:00

Hi- I'm still here.

Have not had much to blog about in the last couple of weeks. The beginning of the month was way to much. (see last post).

My cousin & her hubs are up from SC with their pups for the next week or so. We are going have a small cemetey service Grampa while they are up here.

Watching munchkin this weekend, thinking maybe of an Essex train ride.... we'll have to see what the time/weather allows.

Maybe tonight I will go thru some of the pics I took on vacation & post some (depends on how they come out)

Someone is looking down on me. RIP Grampa 11/21/28 - 09/08/10

2010-09-11T22:12:00.006-04:00

I made the tough announcement earlier this week while on vacation, but I wanted to take a moment to write down my thoughts. On Wednesday September 8th, in the late afternoon, my Grampa went with God, he is now up in heaven with his son and family & will be watching over us.

I found his obituary on Friday, and reading it I learned wonderful things about my grampa. I am so proud of the man he was. Check this out...

"Richard J. "Dick" Marshall, 81, beloved husband of Mary Jane (Mulrooney) Marshall, died peacefully Wednesday, at his home with his family by his side. He was born November 21, 1928 in Schenectady, NY. Richard was a graduate of Fairfield University, Class of 1951, where he received his Bachelor of Special Studies Degree. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Staff Sergeant during the Korean Conflict. Dick spent his entire career in the Insurance Industry. After retiring after 30 years as Director for Royal Globe Insurance Company, he joined Frank B. Hall and Co. as a Vice President and Corporate Director, and retired after more than ten years as Senior Vice President. Dick was a member of and counter for St. Mary's Church in Simsbury, was an avid golfer, a member and Past President of the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association and Past President of the Stratton Forest Homeowners Association. He also was a volunteer driver for McLean's Meals on Wheels and an active volunteer with Boy Scout Troup #176. Dick was a car buff, having owned more than 67 cars over the years, but the one he most regretted trading in was his '65 Mustang Convertible. "

I knew that he had been in the service when he was younger, but I never knew what he did. I knew that he was an active member of his local RC Church. I also knew that he always worked in the insurance industry, but I never knew he went to such heights. I know he was proud that I was following in the family footsteps by also having a career in the insurance business. He mentioned several times that when he was younger, he had given great thought to starting up an insurance agency, and he wondered what would have happened if that had been fact. He didn't know that his (ex) daughter in law and granddaughter would both have careers in the same business. I have to wonder as well.

My grampa was a HUGE car buff. It was a family joke that when he bought a car, it would last only until time for the first major service. Another story -he went out for milk and came home with a new car. I remember a year where he had 3 different cars. My Grandma was exactly the opposite, she liked to keep and maintain her cars for years. He learned very quickly, that while he could trade in cars (as long as they were his), her car was to be left alone. When he got bored in retirement, he worked for local dealerships as a car swap driver. He would be the man picking your new car up from one dealer & driving down to the local dealer- oh how he loved that job.

That man had a giant sweet tooth. His sweets of choice for as long as I could remember were gingersnaps (with coffee or milk), homemade strawberry rhubarb pie, cake, and ice cream. He would routinely get gifts of homemade sweets from my stepmom that he hoarded like a miser & would say that it was all his.

He loved all his family and when my niece was born, he was over the moon with being a great grampa. He had the great honor last year of walking my cousin down the isle for her outdoor wedding. It also happened to co-incide with his 56th anniversary with my grandma. He joked and asked me if I was going to be walking down the isle any time soon. While I laughed it off, I do know that if and when I get married, I will be missing him.

Shortly before Christmas last year he got the news that he had a melanoma that metacised to his liver. He underwent chemo, and a few months later, a grim discovery that he now had lesions on the brain. Radiation followed. Since the beginning of the year we saw the ravages that the cancers were taking out on him. About a month ago we realized that he was stage 4 and untreatable. He was a-typical from the start- he didn't suffer or have horrendous pain that many other cancer patients have. I went to see him at home right before vacation and said my goodbyes and kissed him. I knew that time was getting short, and that this was going to be my last visit. I wanted my memories of my grampa to look like he always was, not the man that was confined to the hospital bed in his home. My last thoughts of my maternal grandpa was hard, he had Alzheimer's and I remember him weak, frail, and not knowing who we were. I wanted better memories of my paternal grandpa.

I love you grandpa, and I know that uncle John and cousin Johnny have already welcomed you home.

I see spots

2010-09-02T20:55:00.002-04:00

Fair warning- I got a little wordy

Every thursday since the start of the year I have been meeting my step mom and going for walks after work- inside or outside depending on the weather. Anyway earlier in the summer, I started riding my bike again ( maybe I should mention that it has been YEARS) since I rode. Can you say PAIN? The first ride was not so hot.

Fast forward 2 months. We decided to take a ride today in Farmington. My brother & niece came along for the ride. While I bring yoga capris and a tank to change into at work, I wasn't quite thinking it was going to be as hot as it was... Mid 90's and humid. We had an ambitious goal- riding from Farmington to Avon (Rte 44) and back. We came about a mile from that the first couple of rides. However the last 1/2 mile or so to Rte 44 severly kicked my ass. It is a decent hill that sneaks up on you. I down shifted to get the easier gears, but I was puffin. I made it to the top and we went down the hill towards the tunnel under 44. The tunnel was going to be our turn around point - Munchkin loves going thru tunnels. Well, on the other side of this lies a couple of benches & a picnic table. The other 2 kept on riding, but I needed a break. Got off the bike- wobbled a minute and sat on the bench, also thought it would be a good time to grab a drink of water. A couple of minutes passed & they came back, Patty was worried I fell- I said instead I just needed to recharge.

After we hopped back on the bikes, I powered up the hill on the other side of the tunnel. Well, I started to any way. My burst of energy was very fleeting, another damn hill. Got to the top of the biggest hill and had the pleasure of zooming down. At the bottom of the hill we have to cross a fairly busy road, but a break in the momentum was not appreciated. Why do you ask? Well, there is an itty bitty incline on the other side and I felt like I slammed into a mountain- 0 energy and the group was getting further and further ahead. I checked my mirror and noticed an ambulance behind me- (had a fleeting thought that someone called it for me- lol). I met up with the other 2 in the parking lot for the trail and said, "I'm spent". We decided to push on (plus we were still several miles away from the cars). We advanced to one of the 4 road crossings on the way back and as I rode up, Patty was giving my brother the keys to the car- he was going to head onto the car & give munchin a chance to get out of the carrier. Patty was going to ride back with me.

We went slower, and I kept telling myself that if it became too much, they could come back & pick me up. We chatted & rode, stopped for a couple of minutes where I went from bike to bench- for more water & to gather more oom ph. Before I knew it we were back to the parking lot. I got off the bike and walked it to the back of the car. Then the fun began.

My first inkling that I way over did it was the slightly woozy feeling- walked over to the bench & went PLOP- sat very heavily on the bench. Sipped my water, I knew guzzling it would not be good. Decided sitting straight up wasn't working so I leaned over- much better. A couple of minutes later I sat up- still woozy but I thought a bit better, but was apparently just waiting for woozy's cousin nausea to get there. Oh holy crap I felt shitty real fast. I almost wanted to get sick, just to make it go away. I was panicking at the thought of getting in the car & driving while feeling like this, so I knew I was going to stay there a bit. All the sudden sitting up was NOT good. I stretched out on the bench with my eyes closed & focused on just breathing & praying for a breeze to cool me down. Opened my eyes after a few minutes & saw little itty bitty dots in the sky- nope not back to normal yet. After about 5 minutes more I slowly got up and started walking around- slow, but progress. Finally, felt better. I felt bad that I didn't help load up the 3 bikes, but I knew I was in no condition to help.

As soon as I got home, a cool shower called- wonderful feeling. Now I am just really tired!

Ended up riding 9 miles in about an hour and 15 minutes in 90+ degree heat. I am spent, but so happy that the butt doesn't hurt!

2010-08-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

Happiness is a deep armchair and a cafe mocha and listening to the rain.

what a yarn

2010-08-18T22:46:00.004-04:00

I always seem to have yarn spawning in this house. From ideas of projects to new kinds of yarn in pretty colors, it is everywhere!

Slowly but surely I am finding patterns to use all of my yarn. So far we have a blanket, washcloths, and maybe a daring sweater to the mix.

I am working on a blanket right now for the munchkin using Lions Brand Homespun. Right now I have 3 colors (bubblegum, Hepplewhite white, and a sunny yellow). The yellow is actually over 3 yrs old. I had knit my very first blanket when the munchkin was still incubating. Her mommy somehow turned the blankie into a poncho... anyway, I had bought Lions Brand Homespun Baby for a steal and had 3 small skeins that I never used. I finally have a use now! I am thinking of having 4 yellow squares surrounded by the pink and all whip stitched in white. I am thinking of calling it the lemonade blankie. Photos will come when done. Right now I think I am about 1/3 done.

I have some cotton yarn in a vibrant red and variegated green (key lime) that I think I am going to knit up into cleaning washcloths.

I have some super soft yarn in off white and light yellow left over from a couple of blankets. Today I found the cutest pattern for a cardigan. The pattern called for cashmere, but one of the reviews made the sweater with the same yarn I have. I think that may be my next project.

I know I have to pare down the yarn, but it is just so hard. I am trying to be better about only going to the craft stores when I have a specific project in mind.

Speaking of buying, I am waiting for a circular knitting needle set to come in. My company gave me a reward that I redeemed for an Amazon gift cert. I used it to get a 13 piece set of 40 inch bamboo circular needles. They should be in next week. This will be the first time I have used that kind of needle. Lets see how I like it. Now if I could only get cute stitch markers we would be in business.... will keep the eyes peeled.

randomness

2010-08-18T16:14:00.002-04:00

I should not be allowed to shop before I have eaten dinner. I am just dangerous. Last night I went to Target after work for a couple of things. I needed to stop at the pharmacy, and I decided while I was there I was going to pick up some stuff like shampoo/conditioner and the like. I knew I was going to get a box of unsalted butter because I had less than 1 tablespoon of it in the house and I forgot to get it at the grocery store this weekend. Not a bad list, I should have been out within 10-15 minutes tops. So how is that I gravitated to the food isles?

I managed to leave with 2 bags of goldfish- the S’mores adventures & cheddar, and Oreos….. What is wrong with me?!

At least I didn’t go completely insane (only a little).

Tonight is the weekly dinner with Munchkin & P. This week we are going up to Winsted because P is finally back to work!!!! I think pizza & garden salad is on the menu tonight, I have to go past Portabella’s Restaurant in New Hartford, I see a good meal tonight!

I think I may have started to crack. I walked past a co-worker today and said Happy Friday…the only problem, its NOT Friday, its Wednesday. Sigh…

Huzzah!

2010-08-13T22:21:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was a blast. A road trip with scenic drives of NJ and NY with debauchary smack in the middle!

Did you know that the Garden State & I -287 are not the same thing? LOL! My chicky in the box is not so sure, she had me take a nice long drive on Rte 80. I made a scenic drive of I-87 to I-84 on the way home to avoid hellacious traffic, what a wonderful ride!

I made my second journey to the land that time forgot, and by that I mean the New York Rennaisance Faire in Tuxedo NY. It is a fantasy, no other words can describe it. Anything goes and the goal of the day is fun!

There were throngs of excited fairgoers in garb and not, excited little princes/princesses dragging their parents from a shop to a show and back again, and baby dragons all around. Don't forget to toss in a couple of camels and exotic birds of prey. And you can't forget the marshmallow throwers- back to their old tricks.

This year I purchased the 3rd piece of garb, a floor length lavender skirt to complete my costume. A lady - not quite, but I am trying. I might pass off for a fair maiden......

The stores they have there are wonderful, from fantasy outfits, masks, all things piratical, fairy shops, to artisans and jewelers. The store with the best name is once again M'Lady's Panties.... is it pronounced M'Lady or Mmmm Lady's Panties? The debate continues.

The shows are very diverse and entertaining from a knife throwing show with father and son, a brave/mad man balancing flames on his head while juggling more fire, a chicken show, acrobatic/fire eating/stilt walker show, to of course the joust, and all things related to the Queen's court.

The ogre on the Kissing Brigde seemed to be MIA, but many smooches happened regardless :)

Our motley crew initiated/hazed/scarred a couple of new comers this year. I jest of course... It was great to meet The Ginger Pirate in person- a great guy and a hell of a photographer! Thanks for the photos by the way, I didn't think to take pictures this year. I think UConntam had a good time too, she beat me in time of getting garb together, she came in full garb.... one of the nicknames was Puss N Boots (it all went downhill from there)

The night before the faire, I stayed at Chez D in New Jersey. Had a wonderful time meeting the momma & grandmomma of one of my really good friends. How can you go wrong with dinner al fresco, bonfires, and breakfast in the garden?

Thanks everyone for the fantastic weekend! I know I am leaving things out, but this is the best I can do for now.

Splish Splash

2010-08-05T07:51:00.002-04:00

I love hearing the sound of rumbling thunder while I am laying in bed. Usually. But when it is a work day and I am woken up at 6 am, I start to wonder.

I questioned my sanity this morning as I was showering in another thunderstorm about 40 minutes later. Though about trying to outwait it, and then realized I could be sitting there a while.

I was warned about putting on shoes that could get wet so I could get through Heritage pond to my car. Armed with an umbrella and an armful of bags I make the walk/splash to the car. As soon as I neared the car the sky opened up AGAIN with downpours. Ok, time for the big umbrella. After a slow ride in to work switched umbrellas and splashed my way into the office.

As I am sitting here, I am listening to downpour of water on the roof above me. Man oh man it is coming down in sheets- sounds like a dull roar on the 3rd floor.

Am I the only one who gets a little freaked out taking a shower in a thunder storm?

curl up & dye

2010-07-25T23:18:00.003-04:00

Saturday I had my seasonal (?) appt with Katie at the salon. For the last 5+ yrs I have been highlighting my hair, and I love it! The blonde just makes my hair look better. I do however try and stretch the appointments as much as possible- usually about 3 times a year- at $100 a clip it still adds up although I know it's a great price. Its amazing, I get painted with blueberry blue goo, and it comes out a gorgeous color- happiness!

I so wanted my hair straightened yesterday, but with it being crazy hot/humid, it wasn't fair to straighten it- not to Katie who would spend about 45 min on it, or me. Like she said, it doesn't matter what kind of frizzproof claims the product may have, as soon as I sweat, the curls would come back.... se la vie, maybe I'll tackle it some weekend when I can devote 1+ hour doing it myself.

I don't know what Katie uses in my hair, but I can never duplicate the curls she can get- no curling irons or poodles were harmed. I swear.

Netflix & Wii

2010-07-25T23:12:00.002-04:00

Wow, I have to say, I love that I can sometimes get a wireless signal for the wii- it means I can watch netflix instantly.

Why only sometimes you ask? I have a secured network that is in my room, yet many times the signal is unavailable, I don't know if it is the problem with AT&T or if it is somehow my neighbor. It seems like his signal overrides the strength of mine and while I can use the desktop to get online, mom's laptiop & the wii cannot always connect.

Anyhoo, the neighbors were away this weekend so today I Od'ed on netflix- watch Man Vs Food and get grossed out.... and hungry. It like an accident, I just can't pull myself away. Found the first season of the A-Team, watched a couple of episodes this weekend. Tonight I started watching Rescue Me. I love this show, it makes me wish I had cable to watch it! I think I watched 7 episodes today- sucked me in, obviously didn't get much done today.

Rain rain,,,,,

2010-07-13T22:19:00.003-04:00

It started raining about 30 minutes before I left work today. Light rain- no big deal..... not for long. It's a good thing, we really needed the water.About 20 minutes after I got home, the skies opened up.

In the apt complex I live there are 5 buildings and most have courtyards at the insides of the building. Our courtyard has a wee problem with drainage when it downpours for any length of time, the good thing is that it does not last long.

I went to the front door & snapped this picture of some of the flooding we experience. The water was about 2 inches deep for the most part.

We had a few rumbles of thunder, but not a bad storm.

I decided tonight to get a workout in on the wii- got my workout clothes on and went downstairs to work out. I got in about 20-25 minutes and had fun with hula hoop and step class when the power went. The first time it blinked & was back on within a minute. I powered the wii back up and was just getting started w/ another step class session when the power went back out this time it didn't come back on.

I think it's amazing how used to ambient light from outside we are. Normally if all the lights are off in my apartment, I can still see to walk around. When the power went out, not only could I not see the hand in front of my face, I could not see to walk into the dining room and walked into my couch.... not one of my better moments.

When we have no electricity, I get antsy- I have to get out. A few winters back, we lost power and the expected outage time was 7-8 hrs- went to a hotel. Yes I know, the princess came out in full force. Tonight I decided to get in the car & went for a drive- 3 reasons- to see how widespread the outage was, moving air, & to charge my cell phone because using it like a flashlight is a great way to drain the battery. Got home about an hour ago and the power had come back on a few minutes before we got home.

As of now, all is well and am nice and cool thanks to the central a/c, and the alarm is set for the morning.

2010-07-03T22:26:00.002-04:00

I'm still here, just have not had the urge to update.

Personal life is boring as always, but am slammed and challenged at work which is a great thing.

In the last 3 weeks, have been put on projects, taken off a project, playing catch up and generally trying not to run away screaming from work.

Munchkin is overnighting it here and am getting a bit of me time now that she is sleeping.

I am off to bed too, I have a feeling tomorrow is an early wake up. Hmmm what to make for breakfast for us girls -- waffles maybe? I have 1/2 of a loaf of homemade bread made last night- maybe french toast?

Happy 4th, and stay cool.

Accountable

2010-05-04T22:32:00.004-04:00

So, I signed up for the Biggest Loser Club (BLC) online to help spur me into eating better and losing weight. I also made a weekly date after work with a walking buddy each Thursday. And while the walks have been awesome, the eating and holding my self accountable have not. I have not been recording my meals the way I should- meaning about only 25%.

I am trying to eat better, but I am taking the meals on the fly, meaning no planning ahead. This does not work for me. I think I have to plan out what I eat at least for 2 meals a day to make sure that I am eating healthier.

Since we have moved to the new building I am getting breakfast daily in the cafe and seems like lunch 3 days/week. Morning rut has become 2 eggs scrambled, bacon and a bagel. Not the best choice. Unfortunatley the thought of daily oatmeal does not appeal in the least.

The BLC provides a menu daily that you can edit or make your own meals. I am going to take a better look to see if these menus are something that actually appeals.

On the walking front, I am meeting my walking partner every thursday and we have been averaging btwn 2-3.3 miles each week. While that is a phenominal walk for the very sedentary me, I want to be more active, because I feel better already even with that little exercise.

I am taking a moment here to write that I am going to start holding myself more accountable starting NOW. Am still in the planning stages on how to accomplish it.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:50:00.007-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.
My day started off with sleeping in till about 9, a leisurely breakfast of soft scrambled eggs, toast and fruit, then the busy took over. We got together at the house in New Hartford for a pre party egg hunt for the girls (Munchkin & her friend L) This was the first time I saw her dress since we bought it months ago. Ain't it cute!

Just like last year, Munchkin proves she LOVES egg hunts and goes at it 150%. She blew past L on the hunt. After they gathered all the eggs, it was time to discover the treats inside- stamps, stickers, socks, flower seeds, and yes a little bit of chocolate :)

This year we had a new addition to the spring menu of ham, twice baked potatos, salad, glazed carrots, and ambrosia...... it is MEAT. Dad stepped up and decided that the day would not be complete without a gastronomic feast of pork. All things pork.

You have to forgive the squints- the deck is like the sahara in full sun at high noon and no shades today to boot. There is the new dish, getting it's final glaze.

Can you guess what it might be?

Have you ever heard of The Bacon Explosion? It is a dish like no other. Dad did a great job, and I had to try a little piece.

In between all of the eating we had fun with balloons- rocket, and the shaping kind- Target had a cool little kit I couldn't pass up. We also did a second easter egg hunt for the Munchkin leading to yet another basket of goodies. Best part was the adult annual Easter Beer hunt :)

Most of the family was able to come today, Liz & her hubby were sunning it up in SC and C was a bit under the weather. My brother invited his girlfriend A, who is such a great girl for him and a lovely person too!

Grampa did good today, just have to learn how to make him down that water better.

Towards the end of the day, we took a walk through the woods at Fox and Goose's wooded glen home looking for treasures and bunnies.

All in all a really good day!

work clothes

2010-03-27T13:08:00.003-04:00

Got the official email that when we move to the new office that jeans will no longer be accepted. CRAP!
Looking in my closet, I have 3 pairs of dress pants (one of which requires heels) and 2 pairs of casual chinos (both LB & happen to have carco style pockets) which I don't really wear anymore. Oh yeah, I do have a pair of Dockers that I just boght from Macy's. I am thinking of getting a couple more pairs of chinos because I am not really caring for the dress pants any more (they are like 5 yrs old).

I guess I have to do more shopping. I wish I liked the way I looked in skirts more, but that time will come.

Saint Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

If you are Irish, celebrate your heritage.
If you arn't Irish, you can be, at least for today!

Where is your green today?

2010-03-05T14:03:00.001-05:00

Lunch @ Cuckoo's Nest in Old Saybrook. Yum

Molly

2010-03-03T22:33:00.005-05:00

Meet Molly. She and two of her friends came to live with us yesterday.

After 5 LONG hours of wait, they arrived.

How beautiful is that!

I predict long naps to be coming in the future

pst: Molly is the couch....

Yawn!

2010-02-19T16:05:00.001-05:00

I have had such a problem focusing today! I don't know why I am dragging so much.

wait I DO know... it's because my dumb ass read a whole book last night- would not go to sleep till I read the WHOLE book!

I was uber productive earlier this week, and I gave myself a day to be less productive. Its never going to be a good day when you are dipping into the candy at 9am to stay awake- and I was still drinking my coffee!

I predict tonight will be an early night, my goal is to FILE MY TAXES!

Hey brain- repeat after me, no reading tonight!!

Knit one purl one.....

2010-02-08T22:00:00.001-05:00

I finished it! I finished off the blanket about a week ago, and I just finished the preemie hat tonight. I like how they came out, I still have to block them- hopefully they don't change too much. I have to thank my neice for my model, I think she is just the right size.

meh

2010-02-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

I don' t want to go walking after work today... tired and sugar crash is coming. But, have already agreed....

Will also try to not think about the face that both of my feet are hurting, maybe advil will take the hurt off.

Brain is leaking from the ears- did an astounding amount of work today, but the sugar and caffeine consumption started at 9:30 am to keep myself awake and somewhat focused.

meh

so cute

2010-01-24T22:07:00.004-05:00

I can finally say that I have been to Cheesecake Factory.
All I have to say is WOW!

I went on Friday afternoon with my mom for a birthday lunch. Each person decides where to eat for that special birthday meal.

The menu is insane and trying to figure out what to eat is almost impossible. You WILL NOT go home hungry. If you do it is through no fault of the restaurant.

We decided to get a delicious white bean hummus dip with flat bread as an app. We had a heads up that the portion sizes are massive, so we split an Asian Chicken Salad. We each ate a large plate full and had leftovers. Those leftovers were enough to overflow a large dinner plate. Made a decision to try the corn fritters they had as a small plate- not my fav.

Now of course you can't go without having cheesecake. But how do you choose bwtn 20+ flavors?? I was torn btwn 3, and made a split decision to get the Godiva chocolate one- OMG it was amazing.

It was cute, I got sung to and they gave my plate a special touch : )

Strength

2010-01-12T22:03:00.005-05:00

I blogged very briefly before about Grandpa. We got some devastating news after Christmas. Grandpa had a liver biopsy done before Christmas and we were waiting for baited breath for the results. His doc had an MRI done because they wanted to see where the Melanoma had metastasized to. The bad news is that it has spread to his liver.

The black and white is. Stage 4. Inoperable. Liver Cancer. No radiation. Chemo only. Doctor has said that without chemo he may have 6 months. Not an easy diagnosis to take for anyone.

I had a chance to talk w/Grandpa right after the diagnosis and he has decided to go for the chemo, he said what to I have to lose? We are very fortunate that he is completely a symptomatic with this insidious cancer- has not felt any pain or discomfort or problems which makes the diagnosis that much harder. He did say though that if this had come a year ago he would not have considered the chemo after seeing what it has done to friends and family.

Every family gathering is going to be doubly important this year. I am trying very hard not to over think or let the what ifs take over. I want to be strong.

Had a chance to hang out w/ dad for a bit tonight, he went to go see grandpa at home earlier tonight and said he is doing good but tired, said is taking more naps. Did you know chemotherapy comes in pill form now? Found out tonight that Grandpa is done with chemo until next month. Takes his chemo like a one a day vitamin. Lets hope its beneficial & that he doesn't need to go in for the chemo in liquid form. yet.

I am very proud of my grandpa for his strength and courage.

This photo is from my cousin's wedding in June 09

still thinking

2010-01-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking of a post about Grandpa, but not ready to put anything in writing yet.

For now, will remain busy at work and enjoy dinner tonight w/ the family

stress

2009-12-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

Heard some distressing and painful news about grandpa today. Only have bare minimum info at this time. Tomorrow he meets with the dr to find out how bad the news really is....

Blonde Moment

2009-12-15T20:40:00.004-05:00

Ladies & Gentlemen I hereby present THE Blonde Moment for 2009.

I was on my way home from work, I stopped at the local market to pick up dinner, and stopped at the gas station to fill up my tank for tomorrow's trip.

Here I am at the gas station, I get my $28 dollars worth, I have an impatient chicky in an SUV waiting for me to leave. I put the nozzle back and close up the gas door. And then I realized it...

I LOCKED MY KEYS IN THE DAMNED CAR!

Even better, the spares were on the front seat in my purse. Thank God the car was off and only the radio was on.

So who do you call when your AAA card is stuck in the car, and by miracle of all miracles, you have your cell phone actually on you?

You call Mom out in Newport RI, because you know she has her card & can get you what you need (other than coming down the rd w/ my 3rd key)

So now your car is blocking a pump at the gas station, and trying in vain to use the damned cell phone to call AAA. Of course they ask for my AAA number. I'm sorry, but it is in the effing car, I don't HAVE it! After a 5 minute conversation where I repeated myself a lot, I was told the timeframe that we all cringe over. "Ma'am (hate that), your tow truck driver will arrive within 45 mintues if not sooner."

Well damn, here goes my afternoon. Thank god the guys at the station were sweet. One tried to see if they could wedge the window down but to no avail. One thing you have to hand to Toyota, they built solid, even if it is base model.

I have to hand it to Farmington Motor Sports, they are fast. Within 5 minutes of getting off the phone, I get a call from them saying they are 5 minutes away. So the flatbed pulls up and a kid (I swear if he is over 21 it would be amazing) gets out with a kit to open the lock. He wedged open the door frame, put in an air wedge, then used a wire (about the size of a pencil) into the door frame and manages in less than 2 minutes to pop the lock. Hallelujah. As a thanks, I had to give him some butter cookies I brought extra to work today.

So you may ask yourself why I didn't call Farmington's finest??? I was advised by the station guys, they no longer use tools to open your window.... unless you consider a rock a tool. Apparently they don't want you to know how to jimmy the lock. (I don't know how much I believe, but I didn't want to chance it.)

So there you have it, my blonde moment of the year!

Weekend Plans

2009-12-12T00:27:00.002-05:00

In no particular order

-oil change & checking to see when they can replace my belts- I don't like to drive the incredible screeching car in the cold.... baby does not care for cold weather. Hope the bill won't be too bad. My wallet can't take a large bill.

- cleanup

-LAUNDRY so I have warm clothes for the weekend

- starting my year end assessment that's due on Tues.... nothing like procrastinating!

-getting ready for the cookie swap at work. 10 dozen cookies to be made by Mon night.... finally decided on spritz cookies ( really hope the cookie press works this time).

- shenanigans & fun w/ friends @ chele's holiday party

- FINALLY getting to see New Moon (one of the only ones yet to see it)

- getting a general packing list together- leaving for Newport RI on Wed hopefully for a few days away.

- shopping- only have 1/2 my presents purchased.

All of that in 48 hrs, ambitious!!

2009-12-07T17:21:00.001-05:00

Joey Garlic's for dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:39:00.002-05:00

What am I thankful for this year?

I am thankful for my loving family.

I am thankful for my friends who would do anything for me and whom I would do anything for.

I am thankful I have a job that challenges me.

I am thankful that I have a roof over my head, food to eat, and a car to drive.

I am just thankful.

What are YOU thankful for this year?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are this year and remember that someone is always thinking of you and thankful that you are you.

2009-11-24T12:17:00.001-05:00

Is happy- christmas songs on the radio ! :-))

GRRR

2009-11-02T12:38:00.003-05:00

I have halloween photos, but will not have a chance to post them for a bit. My wireless router died on Saturday. Have to call AT&T to see if still under warrenty (doubtful). If not I have to start shopping. Has to be wireless because we have both the PC & the laptop. YAY

Happy almost halloween

2009-10-30T10:51:00.002-04:00

We dresed up at work today... can you guess who I am?

2009-10-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

So, I have been keeping track of what I have been eating for about 2 weeks- no diet started yet per sayu or exercise---- I know I have to start that too, but just being mindful of what I eat, I have managed to drop just over 5 lbs in 2 weeks- yay me!

Happy Thursday

2009-10-15T08:02:00.002-04:00

Time is flying past, its thursday and the middle of October already..... How did that happen. I caved and turned on the heat last night, but this time it is still on! Over the last week or so, I would turn on the heat in the evening and turn it off before going to bed, not this week, too chilly!

Have to remember to call maintenance to turn on my fireplace- I don't know how to do it myself. Have to also remember to call & complain to AT&T. I have a wireless router that we got about a yr ago, and over the last month, we are getting multiple daily errors and the internet is not available- can be as much as a 1/2 hour at a time. Frigging frustrating!

Bosses day is tomorrow- we are having snacks in the office (shocker, I know. Sometimes I think its all we do!), I have to figure out what to bring/make.

Enough procrastinating, time to buckle down to work, catcha later!

silly?

2009-10-07T22:26:00.001-04:00

Have an invite to a family party on 10/31... I know a family party, but my mom's side of the family doesn't get together nearly as often as we should.

invite says dress festive..... I checked out some websites to see what options I have out there in my budget; then mom had an idea.

If we end up going, how about as the newest team on The Biggest Loser? We can get the official shirts online and look the part.

Is that too corney???

2009-10-07T07:44:00.001-04:00

Drive into work SUCKED! Torrential downpour does not mix well with the highway

Advance warning pity post ahead........

2009-10-06T22:07:00.003-04:00

There are 3 little words that I don't like to say aloud. I AM FAT. Not just fat, but according to the medical field I am morbidly obese. I am 30 yrs old and I am on hypertension medication and have been for about 5 years. I have a sickeningly sedentary life style and I am finding myself scarily close to 300 lbs.

I have never been someone who know what it is like to be slender or skinny. I have always been fat- from elementry school on. I grew up in a culture centered around food. Food based rewards, comfort foods when you are sad/down, snacking when bored or watching TV, and had it drilled into my head that I had to clean my plate at meal times. Part of my family (mom & brother included) had superfast metabolisms when they were young (till about 20), so they could eat what ever they wanted & didn't have to worry about gaining. I ate the same way with a much different result.

I have come to the realization that I no longer like seeing photos of myself. I think I am skinnier than I am and I HATE to see how I really look to others. This summer my cousin got married and I thought it was a success that I was only in 2 of about 300 photos of the wedding/reception. I found a really pretty dress, but when I saw photos of me I hated them. There was the devil on my shoulder whispering that it would have been even better if I wasn't in any of them. Holiday photos with family, I stand at the back of the group trying to hide as much of me as I can. If I can, I try and avoid having photos taken of me. We had a department picnic last week and to avoid having my picture taken, I turned around at the last minute. This is not a healthy frame of mind, I realize that, but I can't help it sometimes.

I have tried many diets, but I don't have the sticking power I need. I tried and had decent success with Atkins, but it was hard- I have a huge addiction to carbs & bread products..... guess why Atkins didn't work. I tried a diet last year called the Flat Belly Diet and did ok, as long as I followed the pre planned meals to the T..... not so hot for me.

It's not as if I don't know what things to do, what things to eat- I am a smart person, but smarts does not translate- with me anyway- into eating how I should.

While I eat breakfast everyday, it is usually buying breakfast on the way to the office from either McDonalds or DD. We don't have a cafe in the building that I work in, so I bring my lunch daily- not always the healthiest choices. Over the last year, I have done an insane amout of eating out- and not caring how bad the food was for me that I was ordering. I am making an effort to eat at home more, but I don't have all together healthy options in the house all the time. I sadly admit, I don't cook much from scratch- sometimes it seems too much at the end of a long day at work.

I have a few fitness DVD's, resistance bands, a stability ball, yoga mat, light dumbells (5lbs) and a deck of yoga moves.... but do I use them right now? NO. Right now a gym membership will not be in the cards.

I am really not sure where to go from here. Even though I would qualify for gastric surgury (omg) that is not an option for me.

Things HAVE to change, starting today. I am going to commit myself to first start recording everything I eat. I am going do my darndest to also calculate the calories and such of what I eat. Once I have a true picture of how bad it is, I will have a starting point and will start the process of reversing the damage that I have inflicted on myself.

End of the pity post.

Rainy Night

2009-10-03T18:50:00.002-04:00

I am making a few extra bucks tonight and spending the evening with my best girl. Pat & his new girlfriend (major thumbs up be the way) decided to go out to dinner since the drive in wasn't going to happen.

I agreed to come babysit for a few hours.... real hardship- my munchkin, spending time w/ the family dog, and being able to watch the huge effing flat screen TV w/sat tv.... dad & step mom are out of town for the weekend.

Went shoe shopping today and got 2 pairs, 3 pairs of trouser socks, and a pair of pads for the balls of your feet all for $45. Ended up with 2 pairs of Mary Jane shoes... one is heels and one pair are flats that feel like sneakers. Not too shabby.

After the shopping excursion this morning, took mom out to lunch at Red Robin. It was good, but ate too much. Mom said this afternoon she wants a comfortable pair of slippers for christmas...... hmmm now comes the fun part. What kind to get her???

Maddy is calling and SpongeBob is singing in the background. Time to go. Have a good weekend everyone!

2009-10-01T13:05:00.001-04:00

It's cccold out for a picnic!

2009-09-25T09:46:00.001-04:00

At work, groovin to Jimmy Buffet :-D not a bad way to spend the morning.

2009-09-21T17:12:00.001-04:00

A no phones Momday! It's a first!

yum, I love the flavors of fall!

2009-09-20T09:50:00.003-04:00

I was paging thu a few magazines this weekend, and my mouth was watering!

(Better Homes & Gardens)
- Creamy Pumpkin Rice Pudding
- Pumpkin Black Bean Bake
- Pumpkin Puree
- Green Chile & Chicken Enchiladas
- Apple Glazed Pork Loaf
- Beer & Cheese Soup
- Butternut Squash Bisque
- Fireside Chili (had unexpected ingredients like Bittersweet chocolate & dried plums)
- Sweet Potato & Hominy Stew
- Carmel Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake
- Roasted Pork w/ Blackberry Sauce

(Taste of Home)
- Lime Tartlets
- Toffee Poke Cake - making that for work this week update: The cake rocked & got rave reviews and oh so simple to make :)
- Cinnamon Biscuit Peach Cobbler
- Omlette Croissants
- Lemon Chicken Tortellini
- Roasted Chicken Lasagna w/ Ricotta & Spinach
- Mexican Lasagna w/ Chicken, Corn & Black Beans
- Chipolte Sweet Potatoes
- Chicken Enchilada Bake
- Harvest Turkey Bread Salad
- Teriyaki Pineapple & Pork Chops

.... mmmm, now to decide what to try

Does it tempt you?????

Knitting project

2009-09-18T10:45:00.002-04:00

Found out this week that one of the bosses is expexting !!(she was preggers earlier this year but the babe wasn't meant to be) I am so happy to hear the great news

Anyhoo, am thinking of trying a project..... what do you think??

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90277AD.html?noImages=

2009-09-15T10:41:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine is haveing a milestone birthday next week, the big 4-0. She doesn't like cakes much, and can't eat dairy, making the surprise at work all that more difficult. I think we are going to decorate her cube, and have cheese/crackers and a small poke cake with coolwhip (gotta have some birthday tradition!)

M.I.A.

2009-09-11T23:30:00.002-04:00

So I have been a bit mia lately. I have been on vacation with no real computer access, then had the munchkin from yesterday afternoon until about 3 hours ago.

Last Friday I escaped, and went up to New Hampshire for a long holiday weekend. Stayed in Dover NH, cuz southern coastal Maine & NH Seacoast were too bloody expensive. Dover is only about 15-20 miles from Portsmouth, so it was a decent location.

Stayed at Homewood Suites and shared a 1 bedroom suite with mom. Real dishes in the kitchen, and in the breakfast area off the library, and a door to separate the kitchen/living room from the bedroom and bath areas. Overall a nice hotel but there were some glitches.... one day our room never got cleaned/ freshened, and of course when we got back housekeeping was gone for the day.

Generally my vacations are laid back (sometimes a bit too laid back and lacking plans). This time was no different. Saturday we went out on a drive, driving up Rte 1 in ME and taking back roads to see the coastline. Came across a state park Fort Mclary. It was right on the harbor and there were few people there, got to sit by the water, listen to the waves and watch the boats, very peaceful. It was off the beaten path, and I loved it!

Another day went to The Fells on lake Sunapee in NH. It was the summer home of the Hays family. Mr Hays was a friend to Lincoln prior to the presidency, and went on to be one of his secretaries after the election, Secretary of State, and then dignitary to England. He and another friend had purchased large brownstone homes across the street from The White House. These two homes were eventually combined to become the Hays-Adams hotel in Washington, DC where Obama stayed on the eve of the inauguration. Anyway, aside from the neat family history, we got to take a tour of the home and walked the beautiful gardens that overlook Lake Sunapee. The family once owned 1000 acres around the lake, they over the years whittled it down to 100+ that remain today. Wow.

We planned to head up to the Budweiser's plant in Merrimack because they were having picture day with the Clydesdales ( they are beautiful but HUGE animals). Kinda mixed up the dates and it was a day before we thought. Oh well, next time (maybe in the winter time w/snow on the ground??)

Spent an afternoon at York Beach, quiet and peaceful because it was the day AFTER Labor Day! Enjoyed the sun, sea, people watching and stayed sane.

Overall, it was a great quiet, peaceful, and relaxing getaway. Now I have to gear up for back to work on Mon.

2009-09-08T17:06:00.001-04:00

An enjoying a beautiful late afternoon at York Beach :-D

2009-08-31T07:19:00.001-04:00

Beautiful morning, and the sun is shining, Happy Monday

fun of the sun...burn

2009-08-27T15:06:00.002-04:00

Being a very pale/fair Irish girl, I am no stranger to the bright red sunburns that accompany many a sunny day. I have been known to get pink from a 10 minute walk, or arms red from a ride in the car. I remember being a jr in college and going to a summer UCMB council meeting, and getting sunburned on the drive over from the sunroof- the drive was only 45 minutes long!

Last weekend I went to a faire in the overcast and rain, and silly me did not use any sunscreen. Can you say hello sunburn (really only on the chest, due to the shirt I wore). I was almost maroon. Really sensative, and seatbelts, rough shirts, towels, and bathrobes hurt for a couple days.

Now comes the best part of the sunburn.... the peeling !!! I love to peel the skin from sunburns. ( I am a warped child, what can I say?) Last night I glanced down and saw a little bit of dead skin and just had to pick at it, and one little strip lead to another.. soon I had a bit done, but the itchies came back on the newly exposed skin. More aloe. At work today I got distracted and had to peel a bit more. its a compulsion! A few summers ago a cousin of mine got really roasted in the sun and literally was peeling everywhere. We had a family gathering, and we managed to really gross out my aunt, by my dad, my cousin and I all peeling just a bit of the dead skin- hey you can't reach the middle of your back or shoulders to do this! It was hysterical, she literally went EWWWW and ran away.

Am I the odd one for liking to peel the skin from sunburns? Do you??

Huzzah

2009-08-24T22:00:00.002-04:00

"Old Ded Bob had a farm ei-ei-oh, and on that farm he had a dyslexic cow ei-ei-oh. with a oom oom here, oom oom there, here an oom, there an oom, every where an oom oom..."

Sorry, I really had to do it! Here is a small recap of the weekend...

.... Went to the NY Ren Faire this weekend for the first time and loved it! Got to see the Ded Bob show again- sweet!
....bought the first piece of my ren faire costume (well 2nd, if you count the shirt). I bought a multi colored/flowered bodice. Now I am trying to think if I can make the rest of the outfit, or if I might have to buy it.
... the pub sing had nice eye candy.... dark swarthy sherrif's men in dripping wet black leather. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
... had a bit too much fun to drink and eat at the faire, the scale did not like me on Sunday!
... got major league sunburned in betweeen the downpours and thunder. All I can say is HOLY CRAP I'M ITCHY AND THE BURN HURTS LIKE HELL AROUND THE SHOULDERS!
... Sunday was a very lazy day, didn't shower and dress till noon!
... Saw Hitchhikers Guide to The Universe, it was funny!
... Made a small loaf of whole wheat bread (I love the smell of baking bread) & made a chicken salad with mayo, cranberries, pecans, and sage!
... Washed the still wet clothes from Saturday, but have to bleach the white shirt, it did't come completely clean.
... Emailed the company I bought the bodice from for care instructions... didn't think of it at the time... gotta love impulse purchases.

Saturday was much busier than Sunday, but I needed to lazy day.

Had to buy more aloe after work today. I realized that the red, tender skin does NOT like my bathrobe, or the seatbelt in my car, and it still itches like mad, but I can't scratch. I got a deal on 2 containers of aloe (one green and one is blue & has menthol). They feel good, but I still itch when they dry. Oh well, should be better in a few days!

Bring on the work week, vacation starts next friday.

I finshed it!

2009-08-19T22:09:00.003-04:00

I finally finished watching the first season of True Blood. Love it!!!

Anywhoo, taking my time and watching it, I caught things I might have missed. Did you catch the Storrs, CT reference by Jason's latest love??

Did you know mom was in the show? She is the sister that Rene/Drew strangled... I thought I heard it right, but wasn't sure on the last name until they showed Drew's picture. lol!

Emergency Preparedness

2009-08-19T11:20:00.002-04:00

OMFG it's hot outside for the fire drill :-)

Only at my company do you know about a fire drill before it happens. Yesterday the emergency coordinator went around to the folks on the evacuation team making sure they had all the necessary gear. This morning we get wind on the grapevine in my unit that we had a drill around 11am. Even knowing it was coming it made me jump- could be because the alarm is about 5 feet from me.

So now that the drill has come, and gone, I guess we are good for another 6-12 months.... or for a real emergency!

2009-08-15T20:01:00.001-04:00

Watching Bottle Shock & enjoying a bottle of merlot. Win!

2009-08-06T13:41:00.001-04:00

Read a story today- Sookie Stackhouse got engaged to Bill. IRL. I apparentley don't wnt 2 work 2day!

2009-08-04T12:28:00.002-04:00

feel like a marshmallow. Wanted to fall alseep in the masage chair, but there was too much noise in the cafe. The 2 masage therapists are really nice and are opening their own space in Bristol next month. As a way to build their client list, they gave out cards for a free introductory 30 minute massage that we can upgrade to an hour for $35.... I think I may be calling next month :)

I hope my work this afternoon doesn't turn the nice relaxed muscles into pretzels :)

I love FREE

2009-08-04T11:05:00.002-04:00

I get to enjoy a chair massage at lunch today, the best part about it.... its FREE! And they even came to the office. SWEET!

Vermont fun

2009-07-28T22:07:00.004-04:00

Maddy got to visit Santa's Land in Putney VT this weekend with Auntie and Meme (daddy had to work and pack for the move, so he stayed home). She is the 3rd generation, Meme, Auntie & Daddy all visited and played here as kids, and the best part, it looks just about the same as it did 20+ yrs ago. The park is geared towards little ones who want to sit on Santa's lap, feed the raindeer, see exotic animals, play on the slides, and ride the train and carnival rides that the park keeps on hand. The park has been open since 1957, and I hope it will be around for many years, to let the new generations have the delight and joy of seeing Santa's 'other' home. Here are some pics from the park.

This slide was FAST. Auntie and Maddy went down together on the wavy slide, riding on our magic (burlap) carpet!

Another Giveaway

2009-07-28T21:51:00.002-04:00

Decisions, decisions..... both would be sweet. Check it out

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SGCuKWEcV7U/Sm9-52nzu5I/AAAAAAAABaA/q1nazv2RH_Y/s1600-h/choose-your-own-giveaway.jpg

If you win, you get a choice of a preppy travel mug, or a tote/carryall

Make sure to mention who you heard it from, because if you enter and win and say you heard about it from me, we both win!

Contest ends at midnight Sunday August 2nd.

Quiet night

2009-07-27T22:00:00.002-04:00

Had a nice quiet night. Made veggie pasta for lunches for the next few days, had a couple of Hebrew National Reduced Fat hot dogs (I know) for dinner. Believe it or not they are really good and don't taste like a lighter version of the original. A bit later I curled up on the couch with my knitting and a big mug of sour cherry serenade tea... yum

I wonder how the pasta is going to taste. Take 1/2 a jar of Newman's Own Marinara, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 Vidalia onion, 1/2 yellow pepper, 1/2 orange pepper, 1 med zucchini, a dash of Italian seasoning and garlic. Cook the peppers and onions down, add the zucchini and sauce and can of tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes and pour over whole grain penne. Sounds yummy, hope it tastes the same!

Next up is to download photos from this weekend's VT adventure and say a prayer for Stellan. Pull thru little guy.

Say a prayer

2009-07-27T12:28:00.000-04:00

Please say a prayer for Stellan and his family. Things are looking very rough right now and they need all the prayers, love and support they can get.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/07/monday-morning-update.html

Gastronmic adventure

2009-07-22T22:00:00.003-04:00

Tried a new pizza joint for dinner. Well, not a new one, just new to me. It's an Irish restaurant Murphy's Brickhouse Pizza.

We were brave and ordered 2 pies, one familiar pie: pepperoni and onion. The other small pie is called The New Englander. The name is pretty innocuous, but the toppings are definitely unique.

What do you think of a white pie with baked ham, pie mix apples, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses on a sesame seed crust?

Yeah, I wondered what I was thinking after I ordered, but was really surprised. It was good!

2009-07-21T10:41:00.002-04:00

Having dinner tonight w/ Dad & Patty. Long overdue, I think the last time I saw them was the wedding.

Finally get to see pics of Italy & Greece, and get some good home cooking!

Dad's a bit down still from J's passing, I want to be able to put a smile on his face today :)