One day at a time...

Day 11

2010-11-11T23:53:00.000-05:00

Checking in with my Day 11 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Found 5 items to donate to the local free store.

Day 10

2010-11-10T23:53:00.000-05:00

Checking in with my Day 10 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Donated money to the local school baseball team.

To Do 11/10

2010-11-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

I missed yesterday, it was a busy day. I didn’t make a list but I did get a good amount of stuff done and spent some quality time with the hubby!

Another busy night, water aerobics and trying to get my hair cut if they can fit me in, so another short list.

To Do 11/10
1. 15 Minutes in the Kitchen
2. Flip Laundry
3. Put Away Clothes

Day 9

2010-11-09T23:46:00.000-05:00

Checking in with my Day 9 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Let the hubby do what he wanted when I really wanted to do what I wanted.

Day 8

2010-11-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

Checking in with my Day 8 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Made an effort to go talk to one of the Girl Scout grandparents who had a heart attack 3 weeks ago and let her know it was good to see her out.

Time?

2010-11-08T23:40:00.000-05:00

Are there really 24 hours in one day? That sounds like so many, I don’t think I get that many in mine. As normal I had a busy weekend and I wasn’t home for much if.

Friday night Dave and I went out to dinner, and did some shopping for a winter coat for me. We went to an Irish restaurant for dinner, and I was reminded why I don’t care for the place. It is so noisy, rather slow service, and I don’t really care for the food that much. It was nice to go out for dinner together though, so I guess I will take what I can get! The shopping trip wasn’t very productive - still no coat, and I was reminded why I hate to shop, it is so depressing!

Saturday morning was another early one. I met my GS Co-Leader and her daughter at the Middle School for the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, I have said for 5 years that I wanted to go and FINALLY made it to one. I wanted to try to support local groups since I know how hard it is to plan projects like those and not get a good turn out.

Next it was on to Sewing Clinic for the Girl Scouts, and the took the rest of the morning. We that many girls coming in and out it took us longer than we had planned, but the girls seemed to love it! We made pillowcases and each girl made one for herself and also one to donate to ConKerr Cancer - www.conkerrcancer.org so it was a win win project.

I went home to pack to leave to go to my parents and decided that I needed to do some work around the house. Put some clothes away, cleaned out the closet floor, did some laundry, twisted my ankle, pretty productive 45 minutes! Normally I would have just pakced and left and said I would do the rest later, but I am starting to see that there isn’t really a later most of the time, and if there is there is already things filling that time!

I dropped some donations off and headed off to my parents for a weekend of shopping, visiting family, cooking, cleaning, and more cooking! It was great to see my family from Iowa and also some extended family from Ohio that I hadn’t seen in a few years. But between being so busy and the time change I was asleep by 9 PM on Sunday night, so not much got done!

Tonight I have a Girl Scout meeting, so I am going to do another short list!
10/8 To Do List -
1. Flip laundry
2. 15 minutes in the kitchen
3. Update GS info before meeting

Day 7

2010-11-07T23:45:00.000-05:00

Checking in with my Day 7 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Made Cakeballs for my aunt. They are a pain to make, but she wanted to try them so I gave in!

Day 6

2010-11-06T23:45:00.000-04:00

Checking in with my Day 6 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Made Pillow Case for ConKerr Cancer with my Girl Scouts.

Day 5

2010-11-05T23:44:00.000-04:00

Checking in with my Day 5 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Donated trees on-line to the Ohio State Parks.

Hanging On

2010-11-04T15:52:00.000-04:00

I am hanging on to the wagon today, I don’t want to fall off, I have done good for 3 days and I need to stick with it.

Last night I almost didn’t go to water aerobics, I was in the parking lot and realized I had forgot to shave my legs. So I started to head home but decided that it wasn’t THAT bad, and I was just coming up with another excuse. So I went in, and had a great time! I am glad that I talked myself into going, I am feeling good today!

Of course, when I got home I was tired, but I did my To Do list. Yep - all 6 items! Go me!! If I won’t have had the short list and would have looked at my HUGE to do list I would have been overwhelmed and continued to sit there and watch TV, but I didn’t.

Tonight I have two meetings which means I won’t get home til 8:30, which doesn’t leave me much time. So I am going to keep my list short and simple so I can keep myself going.

1. Find earring and put them in my ears
2. 15 Minutes in the kitchen
3. Flip Laundry

Day 4

2010-11-04T12:55:00.002-04:00

Checking in with my Day 4 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

I read about The Glisson Family's adoption. By leaving a comment, $2 will be donated to the Glisson Family to help with adoption costs.

Day 3

2010-11-03T20:50:00.001-04:00

Checking in with my Day 3 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

I gave some leftover candy bars I had from a fundraiser that I didn't get sold to my co-workers, it has been a rough week!

Mind Over Matter

2010-11-03T11:11:00.000-04:00

I have heard this saying a LOT lately but this morning on the way to work it hit me for my situation. I look at the BIG picture and get overwhelmed and give up, I let my negative mind take control. If I can’t do it all and fix it I want to do nothing…and to say the least that isn’t getting me anywhere but upset. When I am upset I just want to ignore what is going on around me, which again only makes it worse.

Last night I know I had a busy evening ahead of me but I went into it with an open mind. I made a realistic plan and decided I would do my best. I went and voted - go me! I know this shouldn’t be a big deal, but normally I decide it will take to long or I won’t find a parking spot so I don’t go. I went home and flipped the laundry to check something off my to do list in the 30 minutes I had before my meeting. Then I went to the local Red Cross Club Red meeting, learned more about the group and made cards for Veteran’s. Then back home to see what all else I could get done. I looked at my list multiple times and just kept going, one thing at a time! I got 5 of the 6 items on my To Do List done last night, I was unable to put the suitcases in the car because my husband has HEAVY things in the trunk he needs to take out. I wish I could say I didn’t have to talk myself into doing those 5 things but I had to, but I DID IT! I made a list and stuck to it. Might not seem like a big deal to some people but it was to me! When I went to bed I was happy because while there was much more to do to I did get something DONE, and even a little more! If I can just keep going with this thought process I will slowly but surely get to a better plan mentally! On the way to work I was already trying to think of what was going to be on my list tonight, crazy!

I am going to start going back to water aerobics tonight and I am looking forward to that, except for the how out of shape I am going to be after 4 months of not going. I don’t know WHY but I have been making excuses not to go for the last 3 months, and I really do like going! So today is the day, I paid for the class yesterday, I have a bathing suit, and I have no plans tonight - which means I have NO excuse not to go! I know it will be worth it in the end but it is almost like the first time I went, will I know anyone, will I like the people if I don’t already know them?

To Do 11/3 Evening -
1. Get rings out and back on
2. 15 minutes in the kitchen
3. Flip Laundry - Maybe ONE day it will be done
4. Get e-mail to under 90
5. Journal ¼ of Avon Walk For Breast Cancer Book
6. Put summer clothes in a tub

Day 2

2010-11-02T21:48:00.001-04:00

Checking in with my Day 2 report for the 30 Days of Giving Challenge:

Tonight I helped the local Club Red (a YP group for the Red Cross) make cards to sent to military members, families, and veterans. I made 5 cards and as a group we made about 25cards.

I also went through my clothes to find 5 winter items to donate. I am good about donating things that are out of season, but this time I wanted to find items that can be used now.

Baby Steps

2010-11-02T15:22:00.000-04:00

I have to remind myself of this in many areas of my life, things didn’t get this way overnight and I can’t fix them overnight.

My house didn’t get messy overnight, that has been from years of me being gone for days and weeks at a time. From all of the things that I have to go along with all of my activities. From things that I thought I just had to have and had great ideas for. Now years later I am looking at them taking up space. I am slowly going through things, trying to decide what I really need to keep, and what I can part with. I can only go through a little at a time, but if I do a few each night I WILL be able to get it more organized and find what I need.

I didn’t become overweight overnight and it won’t come off that quick. I started trying to do better yesterday and I would like to say it wasn’t a good time, but really when is there a GOOD time to make a life change like that? There will always be some kind of treats that I will want, there will always be stress that I think food will help me get through, there will always be social events that involve food. So again, baby steps, moderation, do what I can each day. Plan ahead so I know options that are at least semi-healthy.

Getting caught up on my To Do List, this one seems never ending! I look at it and it overwhelms me and makes me not even want to look at it. I have tried to break it up to what is actually reasonable for a set time. Why I think I can get 12 things done in an evening AND cook dinner and get to bed early I don’t know. So tonight it’s going to be more realistic I think I am going to pick 6 things that are things that I can get done and ONLY do those things until they are done. I have a habit of finding other things that I decide I need to do and those get done but nothing the things on my list.

To Do List for 11/2 Evening -
1.Mail Card
2.Box up things to be shred and take to basement
3.Empty Suitcase
4.Put both suitcases in trunk of Car
5.Go through clothes and find at least 5 things to donate
6.Flip laundry

Day 1

2010-11-01T18:48:00.000-04:00

I saw this Challenge posted on a blog one day last week and thought it looked interesting, but didn’t really look more into it….until today. It’s the 30 Day Giving Challenge.

I am still looking for ideas, but I am not overly concerned about what “counts”. I want to think of others when I am doing my daily task it could be a card, collecting clothes to donate, giving of time, and anything else I can think of.

Today for my first day I am going to mail a card to a woman I know who is going to be having surgery later this week. Nothing major, but it is the little things that can mean a lot.

I hope to make a list of ideas so I am not trying to come up with something at the last minute and stressing about it. I would like to make this fun and enjoyable. Many times all of my “volunteering” is so stressful I don’t take the time to enjoy it.

Even if you don’t want to or think you can’t do this 30 Day Giving Challenge, take a few moments this month to Give Thanks an to help those who in some way are less fortunate than you.

November the "New" New Years

2010-11-01T10:38:00.000-04:00

Wow - It’s November! October was a crazy month for me and it FLEW by, which makes me sad because October is my favorite month - and November means cold and snow on the way - ICK!

October started off with a “family” vacation to Myrtle Beach. My parents and I drove down, my brother, SIL, and neice came over for different parts of the week as work would allow for them. It was the first time in 10 years-ish that my mom, dad, brother, and I had been on vacation together. It was a good time overall but would have been better if Dave would have had been able to take off work and go with.

Then I had cabin camping with the Girl Scouts, starting the campaign trail for the Jaycees (I am running for Community Development VP for 2011), a fun evening with friends, and then more meetings on Sunday.

And then I prepared for the BIG event of the month. Stacy, Jackie, and I went to Charlotte, NC for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This event was a year in the making - between training (which I didn’t do so well at) and raising the $1,800 that we EACH had to raise to be able to walk. The walk is UP TO 26.2 miles the 1st day and UP TO 13.1 miles the 2nd day. It was a WONDERFUL event and experience, and I would like to try do Chicago next year is I can find some people to go with me. I did 15.2 miles the 1st day and 13.1 on the 2nd day and was VERY happy with that!! The heat got to me, I don’t like heat or the sun and really didn’t train for that, but we live and learn!!

The week after the walk has been not so good. My feet got HUGE, between swelling and retaining water I was a mess, couldn’t fit in any of my shoes except my Crocs, and that was JUST barely! I had a head cold when I got back, and I normally don’t get sick! So I have been tired for a week, going to bed by 9:30 everynight, VERY unlike me! And to top it all off I got Pink Eye at the end of the week.

The last weekend of October didn’t really go as planned - Saturday started of in the Dr. office because of the Pink Eye, which then lead to the Pharmacy. Once I got home I didn’t really do much of anything that required energy - took a few naps - had a VERY lazy day! Then Sunday was the last stop on the campaign trail. WHEW - what a month!

Now I am looking at the schedule for the next two months and finishing out 2010. As always they are pretty busy with everything going on for the Holidays. I am trying to get in the mind set of this time of year is supposed to be FUN and I need to enjoy the things I am doing and living more for the moment. Many people I have talked to and blogs that I have read lately seem to be in the same mind set and are trying to gain more control back in their lives….it seems November 1st might be the new January 1st when it comes to “New Year Resolutions”.

Progressive Dinner

2010-03-20T23:45:00.000-04:00

So a few months ago, at the last Procrastinator’s Christmas Party, we decided to plan a few events for upcoming months. Last month was supposed to be Snow Tubing, which turned into appetizer and Wii night. This month was a Progressive Dinner Party! I had been looking forward to this for the last few weeks, good friends, good food, what more could you ask for??

The evening started with me going to Stacy and Jimmy’s, we decided why drive a bunch of cars around, then we went and picked up Jackie to head to John and Kristy’s. They had the appetizer portion of the meal, and had a variety of different appetizers for us to try. We had not eat to many though to pace ourselves!

Next stop was Stacy and Jimmy’s for soup. Now I am not a big soup fan, but I figured I would give it a whirl, and lucky me I ended up being the evening entertainment! Stacy had prepared two different soups – sweet and sour and chicken tortilla. I started with the sweet and sour soup. The broth was yummy, but the stuff in it tasted funny. It was TOFU!!!!! Yeah, NOT nice Stacy! It was a consistency thing, I didn’t care for it, so I ate around it. Next I tried the chicken tortilla soup, which was OK, but then I would out it had refried beans in it. YUCKO! I did survive, but not happily!

By this time it was like 8 at night and we headed to Jackie’s for the main meal. We all felt a little full by this point so she held off for a few before finishing up the final touches on dinner. She made chicken in the Crockpot and served it over noodles with garlic bread. It was VERY yummy, but was a Tastefully Simple mix that they no longer make L Hate when that happens!!!

And last, but not least, was my dessert. I had found the recipe on Facebook, but come to find out it was in the coupon section a few weeks ago and Jackie had saved the recipe because she thought it looked good! I was a little concerned about it because I didn’t realize how long it was going to take to make with all the cooling steps! But it turned out good and everyone seemed to like it, Jimmy even said I could make it again!!!

We played Wii for a few minutes before we decided to call it a night, everyone was tired and FULL from all the yummy food!! We decided that next time we would need to start earlier!!!

Welcome Back!

2009-12-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

We made it Charleston, SC tonight around 6:30. The drive wasn’t bad at all and the roads had all been cleaned, but you could see cars that didn’t make it so well through the snow storm of the weekend.

My goal was to leave by 6 AM, and we somehow left at 5:45, but had to go back home to look for Dave’s inhaler, oppps. (Which he didn’t find) We had to make a quick stop in Grove City to drop some things off at one a friend of Dave’s house and then on the road again.

We make it to South Bloomfield and we stopped at Mickey D’s to get some breakfast, and I took over the driving and drove the rest of the way down. Dave isn’t feeling to well, possibly the start of the cold like thing I had a few weeks again - YUCK!

We stopped in West Virginia at the Tamarack for about an hour. We walked around and looked at all the arts and crafts, bought a few things, had some lunch and hit the road again. They have a very nice eating area that is set up kind of like a cafeteria and you can pick what you want from the different stations. I think we will be stopping there again if we go though the area near a meal time!

We made it through Charlotte in good time and plenty before rush hour, unlike my parents who it at rush hour AGAIN!

We got here and got checked into our room with no problems, chilled for a few and then off we went. We needed to find another CVS to get a new inhaler for Dave before we did anything!

After we got the inhaler we headed down to downtown Charleston to see what we could find. I was a little sad to see not many Christmas decorations. We ended up going down by the water to take some pictures. We didn’t stay long as it was on the chilly side and I was hungry!

We ended up coming back to the area by the hotel and going to Carrabba’s and now we are back in the room relaxing from a long day!!

Tomorrow we get to see the family!!!

Baby Steps…

2009-12-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

Tonight I “started” my training for the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer next year! I joined the Y last week and tonight I went for something other than Water class!

I am sure the people there got a nice laugh out of me. I decided I was going to start trying to get some time in on the treadmill. Of course I haven’t used one in YEARS. And they never had this many buttons before! So I walked around it, away from it, back to it, almost left, decided not to. Finally I got it started…and walked for 15 minutes and then did the 3 minute cool down...for a total for .7 miles. Yes I know it wasn’t much, but it was a start. And I learned for next time - bring water and my Zune! They have a few TV’s with closed captioning but, I of course was standing in front of Sports Center - BLAH!!!

I plan to go back on Friday night after our Girl Scout outing and try for 30 minutes….BABY STEPS will get there!!

We Reached the Destination!

2009-11-25T21:47:00.000-05:00

We got on the road at about 9 AM this morning, a little later than we expected but it worked out well. We got to Charleston about 11:30 and waited for Sarah to come and get us to follow her to the base and get signed in so we could get on base.

Stella has grown so much in the last 2.5 months!!

We went to their house and got settled in and then Mom, Sarah and I headed to Wendy’s to grab some lunch and then ended up at Wal-Mart for a few things.

We went back to the house and waited for Heith to get home from work.

I started making the chocolate pies and then we moved on to getting the shrimp ready for dinner. YUCK! I guess I should be happy I guess when he had them they had heads on them….ICK!!!

The neighbors and their kids came over and stayed until like 9….it was a BUSY place with lots of kids running everywhere and noisy!

I am ready for bed!!!

One Day Down

2009-11-24T21:46:00.000-05:00

My Mom and Dad picked me up at 9 AM this morning to start our Adventure to South Carolina. The day started with my mom calling to say they had gotten lost already. My apartment is NOT that hard to find. But they quickly got back in track and got me.

I went to put my three bags in the car and wasn’t sure if they would even fit in the trunk! My mom had SO much stuff to take down with us. Food for Thanksgiving, clothes people had given her to give to Stella, a trash can Sarah liked and left in Ohio, and a chainsaw….YES a chainsaw! I guess Sarah has a bush out front that she wants out. Everything did fit though!

There really isn’t a good way to get out of Ohio to 77. It is either rather out of the way or roads that at times are 2 lanes. This time we took 33 down to 77. Let’s just say Dad did NOT like this route. A lot of stopping and going slow in small towns.

About 3 o’clock Dad decides our goal is to drive THROUGH Charlotte and stop of the night. I pointed out to him that we would be hitting Charlotte at rush hour….but he was driving so we went ahead and did it. Let’s just say the last hour was HORRIBLE!!!! My Dad is NOT used to driving places and especially not in heavy traffic!

We are staying in a Holiday Inn for the night and just got back from a yummy dinner at Longhorn. My is getting ready to watch the season finale of Dancing with the Stars and I am going to get some sleep for the rest of our drive in the morning!

Holiday In Hand

2009-11-17T09:04:00.001-05:00

I signed up for Holiday In Hand class on-line this year and MUST follow through! Even though it was free I have to prove to myself that I can keep up and DO it!

Day 1 is about value and goals for the holiday season. This works well with the thoughts I have been having this year and conversations I have been having with friends and family members so I am excited!!

Assignment 1: Write your Values & Goals

Values -
Family, giving, gratitude, traditions, memories, friends

Goals -
* Focus on my family and spending more quality time with them
* Connect with friends and spend more quality time with them
* Complete Holiday in Hand class
* Make treats to give to family and friends
* Spend and evening having fun and going to see a lights display
* Find a way to give to those less fortunate
* Start the tradition of Dave and I exchanging stockings
* Get my Christmas cards out by December 1st so I don’t have to worry about them!

Today is Day 2 and I am just doing Day 1...so off to look at Day 2!!

Welcome Home!

2009-10-25T21:28:00.000-04:00

My Sunday morning started BRIGHT and early at 4:30 this morning! I know, I surprised myself with this insanity too!! I had said yes to helping with selling merchandise at the Columbus Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, after saying there was no way I was going to help since it was the morning after we got back. Too bad people know I can’t say NO when asked to help out!

I needed to be downtown by COSI at 6:30 AM to start setting up. You forget how dark it is that early in the morning until you are trying to set up tables and items and can’t see anything! We got everything set up and participants started to come and buy things. YEAH! I think we had a good amount of sales but not sure how it compared to years past. It is amazing to see all the PINK out there!!!

I worked the event until about Noon and I headed off to Hilliard to have lunch with Stacy and Jimmy. They had walked the event and stopped by to see if I wanted to meet them when I was done. We met at Red Robin and had a nice lunch and got to catch up. We ended up being there for a few HOURS! It had been awhile, so it was nice to have that time.

Then I was off to Meijer to look for large cupcake pans and liners to make cupcakes for my Girl Scout meeting tomorrow night. I was so happy I quickly found the pans I was looking for and they only cost $5 each! At Wal-Mart they had been $10 each…and I really wanted to get 2 of them!! AND I also found the liners I could use there (I couldn’t find them at Wal-Mart) so I got some of those also.

By the time I got home it was close to 6 PM and I needed to make 2 cake mixes of large cupcakes!!! It didn’t take too long and they turned out yummy so all is good! Now I just need to get them packaged up to take to the meeting tomorrow.

So not much of a recover from vacation day! Glad all of our laundry was done on vacation!!

Random Day

2009-10-22T22:42:00.001-04:00

Today was a rather random vacation day.

As most days we didn’t really have a plan when we left and ended up pulling off the road at a pull off by a bridge that I had seen multiple times and thought was neat and wanted to go get some pictures of. Dave decided that he was going to give some fishing a try in the area also. So he fished, I walked the trail and took some pictures. Then before we left I made him do a couple pictures of us on the bridge and down by the water.

We then started driving and looking for a place to pull over for some more fishing. I was going to leave him there and come back for him but I decided to just stay and sit in the car and read. Didn’t want to have to worry about turning around, coming back and finding him, etc.

We then came back to town to look for the Post Office and then back to the condo for spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

After dinner we relaxed for about an hour and then we decided to go walking through Gatlinburg.

We found The Village which has a lot of really cute stores to walk through, and even made a few more purchases! We stopped for a coffee and a carmel apple cider.

On the way back we stopped and listened to a live Bluegrass band for a few before we came back to the room for the evening.

Only one more day…and it is supposed to be rainy L Oh well we did have good weather for most of the time!!

Cades Cove

2009-10-21T23:06:00.001-04:00

This morning I got up bright and early at 7:30.WHAT is up with that. I am on vacation, I KNOW Dave will be sleeping in so WHY can't I? I watched some TV, made cinnamon rolls, realized I needed to shower, took a shower, watched some more TV and then Dave woke up. And I ended up taking a 30 minute nap!!

Yeah I know, me, nap, ODD! But it was nice!

We ended up leaving here around Noon, stopped by the Visitor Center, and decided that we wanted to head off to Cades Cove today. So off we went.

On the way we stopped at a pull off to take some pictures and check things out then we got back on the road.

We got to Cades Cove and before we started the loop we stopped to use the restroom and had our lunch. We took all of our stuff down and realized that all the picnic tables had been taken. So we sat on a log and had our lunch.

Dave wanted to head into the water to get some pictures, but found that the water was deeper than he thought so we left and started the loop.

It is a one way loop, that they said would take about 2-3 hours. There are a bunch of little pull off's on the way and we stopped at a few of those. We saw a few deer out in a field, I thought they

seemed a little on the small side from what we see in Ohio!

Towards the end of the loop we saw a rather large buck out in the field! We pulled off and took some pictures.and then Dave decided to head out into the field to the side of the deer to see if he could get a good picture. Well he did get some.and also got 2 Park Rangers coming out to visit him and another guy that had gone out to do the same time. The Rangers just asked them to get out of the field.

On the way back we stopped at The Sinks since we missed them on our way. And then headed back to the room.

We both just wanted to chill so we warmed up some BBQ pork sandwiches, saw the bear again and are just hanging out now.

A calm end to a calm day!

Out and About

2009-10-20T22:47:00.001-04:00

Today was Dave's pick and he decided he wanted to go to Oconaluftee which is at the OTHER side of the park!

So off we went this morning down the Newfound Gap Road. It was a VERY slow start out of Gatlinburg, the traffic was very backed up, but once we got on our way it went pretty fast, well as fast as you can when the speed limit was only 25 and 35 MPH.

We stopped at a few different road side stops on the way to take some pictures.

We arrived at Oconaluftee and it was gorgeous outside. Warm, sunny, blue skies, it was great! First we hit the gift shop and picked up a book on waterfalls and also our Christmas ornament.

I don't think we ever ended up on the actual trail there because Dave was, of course, drawn to the stream. Which worked out good we got some great pictures and it wasn't very busy.

Before we left we decided to go ahead and eat some lunch. We sat the chairs up behind the car in the parking lot and made out sandwiches and watchedthe people go by. It was a good time!!

Next we headed toward Cherokee to go to Mingo Falls. Can't say much about Mingo Falls because we never made it there!

We ended up going to Harrah's Casino to check it out. Dave hadn't been to a casino in 15-ish years so he wanted to see what it was like.

We ended up not even gambling while there.Yeah I know, weird, but that is us!!

We walked back to our car instead of taking the bus back and it was a nice stroll next to and over a stream.

We needed to make a stop and fill up the tank for a few reasons - we would be in the middle of the part in the evening/after dark, I wasn't really even sure how much gas we had as the gauge had been bouncing around all day. So Dave filled up the car and I went in looking for something to drink. I saw a pop called Cheerwine and mentioned it to Dave, who decided to pick up a

bottle. It was SOOOO good, so now I will be on the lookout for it!!

Next stop was Clingman Dome for sunset, but we got there VERY early! We decided not to go all the way up to the top but stop at the overlook by the parking lot. We set up the tripod and waited, and waited, and waited. We got to talk to some of the other people waiting for the sunset also.

It was beautiful and I am glad we did it, even if we only got a few pictures out of it!

Now the drive back wasn't as nice. We left before most of the people, which meant they all caught up with us on the LONG and DARK drive back. To say the least it was rather stressful and I was glad to be back!

We ended up going to Bubba Gumps for dinner. Dinner was yummy and the service was good. But the waiter for the table behind us drove us crazy! He spent more than half of our meal sitting talking to the table behind us. Story after story going on and on!! Ahhhh well, what can you do!

We walked around a little and came back home for the night around 9:30 and then the FUN began. We have been bear watching/tracking for awhile now. We have now seen 2 bears up close and personal. They are walking around outside out porch area and also in the hall in front of our door! Dave had to wait in the stairs area waiting for one to go the other way when he was coming back to from the parking garage as the bear was between the elevator and our door. I went to check it out when he called and the darn bear was right outside our door! Talk about an exciting end to a fun day!!!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-10-18T21:47:00.001-04:00

Today is our 1st Anniversary! I can't believe it has been a year already!!

And I am counting my blessings for how lucky we got on the weather, people thought it was chilly last year and it was in the low 60's. This year it was in the low 40's!!!!!

Being the good wife that I am I made Dave pancakes and sausages for breakfast to start his day. (I was up at 7:30-ish, he got up a little after 10.) We had decided yesterday to go to the Aquarium today since it was still supposed to be a on the cool side and the rest of the week it was

supposed to be a little warmer.

We walked down to the Aquarium and stopped at a few little shops on the way. WOW it is crazy how many little stores they have!! The Aquarium was nice, it had a really good glass "tunnel" to go through and we had a fun time taking pictures!

We then headed off to see if we could figure out where the restaurant was that I had picked to have dinner at. I had sent the address and phone number to Dave via an e-mail since my phone was dead and I wasn't planning to take it with me. What I didn't know was the e-mail I sent it from didn't really send because I am not on the RoadRunner network. Opppps!! I had looked at the map and THOUGHT it was near the aquarium so we kept looking. After about 30 minutes of wander we decided to head back to the hotel to get the correct info. On the way back we saw a Visitor's Center that included Gatlinburg and also The Great Smoky Mountains so we decided to

stop in. As we looked around we saw a phamphlet about the restaurant! Come to find out it was back the other way just past our hotel. So we headed back that way and decided to just do an early dinner.

We got to the restaurant about 3:30 and found out they opened at 4 and there was already a line. We decided to walk around to a few stores and then came back to wait for them to open. We went to Cherokee Grill which is part of a local "chain" of restaurants. We might have to try another one later in the week :)

We had a WONDERFUL meal including a great dessert! Our waitress was great, she took a picture of us, suggested that we take a picture in front of the fireplace (but that one didn't come out to good!) We decided to call it an early evening and head back to our "home for the week".

Dave got me 2 cards - one funny and one romantic and a gift card to REI and said that we would make a trip to Pennsylvania soon to actually go to the store!!

It was a WONDERFUL 1st Anniversary and start to our vacation!

We Made It!!!

2009-10-17T23:02:00.001-04:00

To Gatlinburg that is :)

We ended up leaving town about 11 AM. A little late for me, but I said I was just going to go with the flow and I did. Until I got a HORRIBLE headache and felt sick after being in the car as a passenger for 15 minutes. It might have been because I was trying to do Sudoku but I'm not sure.

I ended up going to sleep before we even got out of Columbus!! I woke up right before we got to Kentucky and to hear the "better" part of the OSU game!

I was OK the rest of the drive, but the most looking down I did was to check out Facebook every once and a while.

We stopped for lunch about 2:30 in Kentucky, and I think it was colder than we left home. The average all day was about 43 degrees - UGH!

We then stopped in a small town in TN to get some groceries at Wal-Mart. We got enough food for most of our meals to be in our room and sandwiches to take out with us when we go hiking.

Everything was going good for a 7 PM arrival..til we got to Sevierville!!

It took us about an hour to go 17 miles!!!!

I was driving at this time and it was horrible..slow and people going every which way. NOT happy!!

We finally got to our hotel about 8 PM and got checked it. Everything went well with check-in, which we had some worries about since it was a timeshare with a name change can at times cause problems.

As we checked in the woman told us that the last few nights a small bear had been coming to the area. Yep, from everything I have read there are is a good chance we should be seeing a bear.

Our room is great! It's very nice and even has a whirlpool tub!!

We got everything unpacked, put away, and now we are trying to decide what we want to do tomorrow!

Is it time to go home yet??

2009-10-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

This week at work is going SO slow! I think part of it is the gloomy weather, part of it is my work load is a little less for some reason, an the fianl part is I have thing at home I want to get DONE!!

We are leaving for vacation on Saturday AM and I am NOT ready yet. Yes I know it's only Thursday but I just feel behind, but I am making my lists so it should help a little. I guess somehow this week got busier than I thought it was going to be.

Monday - I had my Girl Scout meeting. Yet again it went pretty well. I was concerned going in, I had a headache already. But Kim was in charge which made it nice for me! She had a few crafts planned for the kids and they seemed to love them. They are putting together items to put in a basket to auction at a school raffle. The Brownies did colored/smelly salts for a bath and little bags of potpouri. The Juniors did soap. They carved old soap into smaller pieces to put into the big bars of soap. It was pretty cool and I have never done any of those things before! Next meeting - a birthday party theme! So now I am on to that. Got home and picked up a little bit but it was soon time for bed.

Tuesday - I went to Curves and then decided I really wanted Chinese. So I waited for Dave to get home to go there. We went in my car (I have been driving his) and start on our way and something wasn't right...it had a FLAT TIRE! UH! Just what we needed rgiht before leaving on vacation. So I freak out for a few and then when we got home and I calmed down when we rememebered we had a warranty on it and most likely the repair would be cheap or free.

Wednesday - I left work at 2 and went home and called AAA to have them change the tire. I figure we pay for it every year we should go ahead and use it instead of having Dave out there in the dark, rain, and cold. Then I went to Curves and left from there to make my 5 o'clock appt to get the tire looked at. It was just a nail in the tire. They patched it up and said it should be good to go. I ended up going to Panera so I could work on some paperwork and try to get some things done. Went to the Y to get a Program membership so I can take water aerobics. Found out I can't sign up for the class til Saturday though :( But I SHOULD be able to do it on-line. I sure hope so!!! went home and picked up the living room and ran the vaccum, much to the cats dismay. Just when they thought I was done I would turn it on again....hehehe. I went up to bed at 10 because I had been so darn tired all week!!!

Today - Well I can't decide what all I am going to do. I need to do a few different things but not sure how it is all going to work out....I just want to start getting our stuff ready so we aren't freaking out on Saturday AM!!!!

10/10/09 - 7/7/12

2009-10-11T15:19:00.000-04:00

101 Things in 1001 Days

I have seen this in different blogs a few times this year and I keep thinking it sounds interesting. But then I don't make the list. So I am finally doing it. Making the list was harder than I thought it would be!!!

10/10/09 - 7/7/12

Marriage & Family
1. "Date night" with Dave once a month (1/33)10/18/09,
2. Surprise my husband with a gift just because
3. See Dave's parents once a month (0/33)
4. Take my parents out for dinner at a nice restaurant
5. See Stella at least 4 times a year (0/10)
6. Do a puzzle with Dave

Mind, Body & Soul
7. Take multi-vitamins everyday for a month
8. Don't eat fast food for one week each month [0/15]
9. Eat dinner with the television off for one week
10. Personal
11. Get through one week a month without eating a single frozen lunch (1/33)
12. Complete some form of exercise at least 3 times per week (2/146)
13. Read 10 books (0/10)
14. Get a massage
15. Indulge in a few pedicures (0/5)
16. Buy a bike
17. Do a 5K Walk
18. Do a 10K Walk
19. Do Avon 2 Day Walk
20. Take water aerobics class - Starts 10/28/09
21. Get CPR certified
22. Run a mile outside without stopping.
23. Equip my car with an emergency kit

Home Is Where the Heart Is
24. Reorganize kitchen cabinets
25. Go through my Totes in storage; recycle, pitch, & donate [0/6]
26. Move
27. Have a yard sale each summer (0/3)
28. Get a new TV
29. Empty entire fridge, clean it, then put everything back in

All Work, No Play
30. Get a better job
31. Redo resume

Hit the Open Road and Explore
32. Go to Marblehead Lighthouse
33. Go Kayaking
34. Go canoeing
35. Take a day trip to a state park we have never been to and have a picnic
36. Visit a zoo other the Columbus
37. Travel to at least four different cities for weekend getaways/vacations (0/4) Gatlinburg 10/17/09
38. Visit Niagara Falls
39. Ride on a train to somewhere
40. Road Trip - 2 Nights, No Reservations
41. Go camping twice a summer (0/5)

I Love Food
42. Pick Apples
43. Try at least two new recipes a month (0/66) Oct 09 - Italian Subs
44. Take a cooking class
45. Eat at 5 new restaurants a year (0/15) 09 - Cherokee Grill, Bubba Gumps,
Smoky Mountain Brewery
46. For one week, make meals that can only be made with ingredients already
in our cupboards (excluding perishables-vegetables and dairy)
47. Make homemade pasta
48. Visit a Farmers Market 5 times (0/5)
60. Make homemade jam

Friends Are Forever
49. Send out Christmas Cards by December 1st (0/2)
50. Go to Amish country with the girls
51. Catch up with an old friend
52. Send birthday cards to all friends/family in 2010
53. Send 10 "Just Because" postcards to friends or family [0/10]

Pinching Pennies
54. Pay off 3 Credit Cards
55. Put $50 a month into savings [$0/$1650]
56. Put $1 in savings for every task completed [$0/$101]
57. Don't buy anything I don't need for a month (/3)

Pay It Forward
58. Donate blood
59. Clean out closet twice a year and donate old clothes to charity (0/6)
61. Mail packages to soldiers through Operation Baking Gals (0/6)
62. Do 15 random acts of kindness [0/15]
63. Volunteer for 5 separate charity events [0/5] 9/25/09 - Making Strides

Just for Fun
64. Watch a sunrise with Dave
65. Watch a sunset with Dave
66. Discover 5 geocoins [0/5]
67. Find 10 geocaches [0/10]
68. Make a geocache and hide it
69. Buy a Nintendo Wii
70. Go to a comedy show
71. Pick Strawberries each summer (0/3)
72. Attend a local theatre show
73. Go to a local museum
74. Go to a drive-in movie

Hobbies & Skills
75. Attend 2 MPEG events a year (0/5)
76. Do a wedding photobook
77. Blog at least 15 times per month (0/33)
78. Complete a Photography class
79. Tag all photos on computer
80. Learn to knit
81. Sew something
82. Make a quilt
83. Create a honeymoon digital scrapbook
84. Take a cake decorating class
85. Girl Scouts Earn Super Troop
86. Go camping with Girl Scouts
87. Be in a parade

Go Green
88. Start a compost pile
89. Start a rain barrel
90. Go with organic cleaners

Capture the Memories
91. Take 6 pictures of Dave and I a year (1/18)
92. Create photobook for each year (0/2)
93. Get pictures printed to put in frames and hang
94. Design a honeymoon album and get it printed

No More Procrastinating
95. Inventory all possession, put online with approximate replacement value
96. Get important papers in safe
97. Get a passport
98. Backup all photos on my harddrive to DVD

101 in 1001
99. Celebrate day 1001
100. Donate $5 to charity for every item on this list that I do not complete
101. Start a new 101 Things in 1001 Days list once this one is completed

Home More??

2009-10-10T21:09:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that a year ago at this time was finalizing plans for our wedding. I really do kinda miss it! Yes at time it was stressful but overall it was great. I love to plan events, and right now I don’t have one to plan so it makes me miss it even more! I have even been having wedding dreams again – HOW weird that??

I have been going through stuff trying to clean up and thin things out. I keep randomly finding things that remind me of it. Too bad I can’t find the paperwork from where we bought my rings! I need to get them cleaned, checked, and dipped and they won’t do it without that darn paperwork. ARGH!!!

This is just making me realize HOW much I need to get organized this winter. Now that I am home more it bugs me more. Time to get rid of some stuff and organize what is left to find easier. We had a yard sale in August and only brought back in 5 things and donated the rest and it only seemed to make a dent. So I am starting the boxes for Yard Sale 2010! How sad it that? But whatever it takes I guess!

Girls Night Out

2009-10-06T22:37:00.001-04:00

Tonight was out bi-monthly girls night out at Spaghetti Warehouse for their Mystery Dinner.

We don’t really MEAN for it to be a Girl’s Night Out, but for some reason we keep ending up with just us girls! But I am OK with that really, it makes for a fun and relaxing evening!

We go every other month because the Mystery Dinner portion runs for 2 months and we don’t want to miss a show!

We started going about 2 years ago and we have been going every month. It is normally Jackie and myself and whoever decides that they would like to join us.

We have gotten to know the actors that put on the show very well over the last few years so it is like going to see friends!

I can’t wait til the next show. I always like the Holiday show!!

First Brownie Outing

2009-10-03T20:08:00.000-04:00

This year I finally took the step and signed up to be a Brownie Go-Leader with the Girl Scouts. I have been thinking about it for a few years but this year actually did it! I am working with a group of 2nd and 3rd graders and at times helping with a group of Juniors which are 4th-6th graders. I like dealing with the littler girls better so far!

We have had 2 meetings and 2 Service Unit meetings so far, and today we went on our first outing! And so far I am having a good time and I think (HOPE) the girls are too!

We went to a local Corn Maze for the afternoon. They had a lot of different things for the kids to do and I think they could have stayed for a lot longer if we would have let them!

For the Maize I did end up with the 2 older girls who went, but it still went pretty well. We all went different ways we when we started….but somehow we ended up all coming out together in the end! After that we ended the day with a hayride and picking a pumpkin. The hayride was really boring really - I think we could have all skipped that part!

Small Town Baseball Fun

2009-09-01T22:17:00.000-04:00

The Columbus Clippers are playing in a brand new stadium this year and I have been wanting to go all summer. Somehow summer has almost slipped by us but I FINALLY mad it! Dave isn’t into baseball and didn’t want to go, so I went with Jackie and Kristi which was MUCH more fun!

We met at Kristi’s office to we only had to take one car down to pay for parking AND Kristi had tickets from work so we didn’t even had to pay to get in! We got there about an hour before the game actually started, but it worked out OK. We got familiar with the stadium and the location of all the different foods that we wanted. Nope it isn’t a simple everything in one location, each area had a different variety of items they offered.

To bad I forgot my camera because they had all kindsa random things I thought would be fun to have pictures of, as well as us girls having fun!

We watched the players get ready for the game, stretching pitching, decided which one we thought we should send Jackie after, you know all the normal before game fun! If it wouldn’t have been for the darn sun in my eyes when I looked over at the girls it would have been perfect!

The game was fun, but as I always say I think 7 innings is really enough for baseball, and it could be the 5th inning stretch. I have it ALL figured out!!

I was sadly rather excited to be able to have “Stadium” food. Hot Dogs, soft pretzel, and nachos. A lot f people like “Festival” food, I have been wanting “Stadium” food all summer!

The Clippers did end up winning, I think I was the good luck charm of the night!! It was a nice end of summer evening.

Time to go home

2009-06-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

We woke up this morning and all I could think was I don’t wanna go home!! This is the first time as an adult I have gone camping and NOT been ready go to home on the morning we leave. Since we had the whole day off work we decided that we would just take our time getting ready to go home.

We didn’t get up until like 7:30 - and that was only because the sun was baking us out of the tent.

We slowly started packing up, showering, making breakfast and all that.

Much to my surprise everything DID fit back in the car.

We left the campgrounds about Noon to head home.

We got home and pretty much unpacked the whole car before I had to leave for Relay Wrap Up. Go us! Normally I would have camping stuff in my car for days, weeks, maybe even months!!

And now my mind is drifting…and googling when and where we can go camping next!!!

Fun Evening

2009-06-16T09:04:00.000-04:00

Tonight was supposed to the LAST Relay For Life Fundraiser for this year that I was planning/taking part in. I was VERY excited. As much as I LOVE Relay I need a break. I know we can collect $$ til the end of August, but I am do ready to be done!

We had a Lia Sophia party planned at a local hotel. As of 10 AM this morning I just a handful of maybe’s but no Yep I’ll Be There’s. So after talking with Stacy we decided it was best to cancel it. We are looking into having it later this summer, maybe August when the new catalog comes out?!?

So what is a girl to do with an unexpected free evening? Why call Stacy and see if she wants to do Happy Hour at Uno’s of course!! Stacy had also been wanting to buy a camera but because she is SO dang busy keeps putting it off. So I figured Uno’s AND Best Buy all in one evening would be perfect! So off we went.

We had some yummy Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas and Pizza Skins at Uno’s for dinner. And of course some good conversation! We have been so busy lately we hadn’t had time to go out and enjoy our evening without it resolving around Relay or Jaycees.

Next stop was Best Buy! It was great - I got to play with cameras and someone else was buying! I had done some looking on-line at a few before we went so we really only LOOKED at 2 different ones. One I didn’t realize in my web looking was a Waterproof to 10 feet camera - I of course wanted one, til Stacy pointed out the chances of me actually going underwater!

She ended up getting a shiny new RED Cannon!! It is very cute, and has a ton of features!!!

So yet another SUCCESSFUL evening - yummy food, fun with a good friend, and a new camera!!!

Camping Day 2

2009-06-14T22:45:00.004-04:00

I really have NO clue what time we got up. I do know that Dave had showered, washed dishes, I had showered, cooked breakfast, ate breakfast, wash dishes again and was done and relaxing by 7:15 AM. Yea normally I can’t be out of the shower by 7:15!!

The happy point of the weekend was we had HOT water to shower with and NO line!! Yep that MADE the trip. Normally when we have gone camping it has been COLD and we only shower the first morning and then shower when we get home the next. But this time was so much better, the water was so hot I had to turn it down!

The people had we thought went to the wedding the night before - all dressed up again and leaving at 6:55 AM. Again - I have never seen people get so dressed up from a tent!

We had a VERY yummy breakfast – after a little panic that the power at our site wasn’t working. But Dave reset it and it was good to go! Dave made scrambled eggs, pancakes, and sausage link for breakfast – very yummy! At first I was concerned about the shake and pour pancakes, but they ended up being very good.

So what do you do at 7:15 on a Sunday while camping? Dave thinks fishing is a good start. I think reading and dozing in and out is the better option! And in my relax and go with the follow I don’t know much on timing for the rest of the day! I just know we went a BUNCH of different places.

Brandywine Falls - This was my pick, one of the reasons we picked the park to stay at. I have no clue how I even found out about this place but I have been looking at it on-line for months. This also added another National Park to my list! Brandywine Falls is part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We ended up not going down into the riverbed of the falls but had a great time! We walked to both of the main observation desks and looked around and took pictures for awhile. It was a very nice park, they had wood walkways and stairs up and down.

Blue Hen Falls - On our way out of Brandywine Falls I saw the words somewhere else on the map and decided we needed to go! So we looked it up online via the phone and found out where that one was. We learned that Dave’s GPS does work with coordinates! At this park it was more trail walking. Again we decided we didn’t want to go down in the riverbed but we did go to the top of the falls and took some pictures of smaller falls at the top.

After Blue Hen Falls it was Dave’s turn to pick our next stop, he wanted to go to Painesville he had been there for work MANY times but wanted to go for fun.

$2.10 large water - On the way to Painesville I needed to stop to use the restroom, so we stopped at a Mickey D’s so I could get a cheeseburger too. While I was in the rest room Dave went ahead and ordered me a sandwich, but I also wanted a water. So I ordered a large water and French fry, the cashier informed me that she could give me a free small water but anything bigger would be the same price as a soft drink, which was $2.10 for a large. Uhhhh, no thank you please cancel my order. I was NOT to happy, I think that is CRAZY – really $2.10 for water???

Some park in Painesville that had falls in the name but saw no falls - In keeping with our go with the flow theme we saw a park, it had Falls in the name. It was a down a bumpy dirt road, with lots of people pulled over fishing, playing in the water, and picnicking. We never found any waterfalls, but we had SO much fun. I couldn’t stop laughing for most of the drive. Boy oh boy does my car need a bath after that drive!

Some park in Painesville - Next was the other random park on the other side of the river. Dave wanted to do some fishing so I sat at a picnic table in the park and watched everyone . Dave didn’t catch any fish but I had a nice time watching a family come together for a picnic. A group of kids playing in the water. (To be young again!!) Another family going out in a canoe and kayak. It was nice to see families doing things together, that are free or cheap. Made me rethink some things….back to the basics!!

The beach - At this point Dave realized how close we are to Lake Erie and wanted to see if we could go see the water. So he got on the GPS and looked for a park, it ended up being Headlands Beach State Park, and it was very impressive. It was a HUGE beach, it was a very long walk to the water to say they least!! As we walked down we saw a lighthouse, which of course I wanted to go and see. We walked around for a little bit and then decided to see if we could drive down further on the beach and walk to the lighthouse. It was still a ways down the beach! We got to the end of the beach and thought there was a walkway out to the lighthouse – but NOPE, it was a bunch of broken up rocks and stuff and we BOTH decided that I was not going to be able to walk it. I am very clumsy and trip over my own two feet and didn’t want to end up in Lake Erie!! The walk back was HORRIBLE. It was hot, I was getting hot and tired, and I was bummed because I didn’t get to go out to the lighthouse. I was VERY excited when we got to the car!

Back to Camp – On the way back to our site we stopped by the Lodge and cottages at the park to see what they are like. Always good to know what is available if we go back! Then we had to stop by the Marina again to pick up some ice…and milkshakes! Dave wanted to go fishing again but we decided to start the fire first with what firewood we had left. He went fishing and I decided give pizza pies again. They turned out MUCH better tonight! I ended up laying in the tent and reading and relaxing again. When Dave got back we made s’mores, sat around the fire, and went to bed. Whew – what a LONG busy day?!?!

Will I Ever Learn?

2009-06-12T22:32:00.000-04:00

To not wait until the last minute to get ready and pack for trips?

We are going camping this weekend. We haven’t been since last August and to say the least we didn’t do a very good job or organizing things when we put it away. So I knew it was going to take some time – but MAN!

I started bugging Dave earlier this week to get stuff together, and he did dig some of it out on Monday night. Then Tuesday night he got the call that he needed to go out of town overnight for work. He ended up leaving Wednesday @ 5:15 AM and didn’t get back until Thursday night at about 11:15. So both of those nights ended up out the window!!

So tonight we started. I had gone on-line looking into what all we should be bring up and made up some list..in a spreadsheet of things needed to pack, so we started checking things off when we got home from work tonight.

The car is now half packed, we had to make a quick trip to Meijer to get a cooler and a few other things. The one we have been using for a few years is rusted with the handle up and won’t fit in my car!

Dave is working on getting the last of the things we can think of together – minus our clothes. That will be a tomorrow AM event. We aren’t planning to leave until 10-11 AM since we can’t check in til 3 and we are staying until Monday.

I am TRYing to be patient and go with the flow this weekend. A little less structure than I am used to…so we will see how it goes.

On Sunday we will be going to Brandywine Falls and a few other places in the NW Ohio region.

It should prove to be an interesting weekend!!

Culver’s Fundraiser

2009-06-09T22:46:00.000-04:00

For the last 5 months we have had a monthly fundraiser for the Relay For Life of Hilliard at different restaurants around town. This tonight we had our last one at Culver’s in Hilliard. It is a pretty good deal - we got 10% of all sales of the evening and all we had to do was spread the word and have a few people work as “runners”. As orders got done we got to take them out to the customers table or car if it was a drive up order. I am a big DORK and LOVED it! Not saying I would like to do it every day or for a living, but it was fun. PLUS we got to have someone at the door to accept donations!

The fundraiser lasted from 6 PM – 9 PM to cover the main dinner rush. It stayed pretty busy most of the night between people getting dinner and then also coming back to get dessert. We had about 9 volunteers throughout the evening to help.

At the end of the night we made $110 from sales and about $25 in donations/tips!! Compared to the other fundraisers we have held that was pretty good for it only covering a 3 hour time frame! AND we got to eat some yummy CHEESE CURDS and ice cream - a win win situation!!

Only one more fundraiser to go for this Relay season!!

Columbus Arts Festival

2009-06-08T22:08:00.000-04:00

This weekend was spent downtown Columbus at the Columbus Arts Festival working a Beer, Wine, and Pop booth to raise money for the Hilliard Jaycees. In years past we have worked the event for one day, but this year decided to do two days. To say the least it was two LONG days. We didn’t have enough people so Stacy and I both ended up working all day both days! Lucky for us the weather was very nice for the festival and we got to be under nice big tents so heat wasn’t too much of an issue!

We made our pay for the weekend but also got a little over $100 in tips! Pretty good for not being about to ask for them by putting a tip jar out!

The Arts Festival is always fun to people watch out, it brings out the biggest variety of people in festivals that we work. You have people dressed up with heels and dresses and suits - to people in town clothes with multiple colored hair! Our booth was pretty slow so we got to do A LOT of people watching.

I got to look at my favorite vendors items, he does black and white photography – and he had some of the places we are going to be going next week. I didn’t buy anything, his prices have gone WAY up in the last few years, and all the stuff I have bought from him is in a box labels home décor. That I keep adding to, but never have taken anything out of! I figure with all of Dave’s pictures if I am going to buy something it better be SPECIAL.

A day off

2009-06-05T15:16:00.000-04:00

The lovely company I work for is nice enough this year to give us an extra 10 days off - unpaid :( Today is one of those days, and I really have nothing to do today but get some things done around the house.

Last night I made a to do like for today, I ended up with about 29 items, including to go to lunch with Stacy - the highlight of the day! We ended up going to Boston’s Pizza in Marysville, it was pretty yummy, but the company was even better. Stacy has been sooo busy this year we don’t get to do that very often anymore, but only 3 weeks until she is done with her MBA program!!!

I decided I needed a Diet Coke from Mickey D’s on the way home. First she forgot to give me a straw, but I got that and was happily on my way home. Til I got to the stop light, the ding ding 2 cars in front of me stopped on a green light and then wouldn’t go right on red – and my cup went tumbling into the passenger floor! A WHOLE large Diet Coke :( Come to find out they had given me TWO cups which made the top part top heavy and it flipped. And YES I did go back and get another one. I had my heart set on one.

Now I am back to work around the house, doing laundry, cleaning some of the basement up, sending out reminders and invites about upcoming meetings and fundraisers for Jaycees and Relay! Not the most fun way to spend a day off, but very needed with everything else that has been/is going on lately!! Is it July yet??

Another New Experience

2009-06-03T21:16:00.000-04:00

Last night I tried another new things, and like normal stressed myself about it! We tie dyed our 2009 Jaycee chapter shirts!

We all thought that the other one knew what we needed to do. But really none of us had done this before or in over 15 years! We went to get started and learned you needed ½ cup salt for every color and we had planned to do 5 colors. That is A LOT of salt, so Stacy and I had to go and buy some more.

We got back and the fun started we started by putting our rubber bands on the shirts and picking our colors. I of course have to over think things – MAJORLY. So I ended up pretty much being on rinsing patrol.

I am sure that Jackie’s neighbors thought it was a little odd that a group of 30 and 40 year olds where out tie dying shirts at 9:30 at night!

I don’t have a finished project yet, but hopefully tomorrow night.

Happy New Year!

2009-06-01T18:06:00.001-04:00

Yes, I do know that it is June, and that our year starts in January. I have decided that this year I am going to start my “New Year” in June!!

The first 5 months of 2009 have not been the best. Not that they have been HORRIBLE, and I know it could have been much worse, but I want to start over!

For a few months now I have been saying my life would start to look a little better in June. So I am going to go with the positive and say things are going to be better starting in June - which happens to be today!!

Relay For Life is over! Well the event is but I still have some accounting fun to do with it, but now is the fun part, seeing our total raised go up!

Part of my “June New Year” is I do want to start blogging more. I think like 5 times a week would be a good thing - so that is going to be my goal!

I am also trying to get rid of some of this extra weight, I have been taking baby steps for almost a month now. Hopefully as I am home more it will help with that!

I am planning to take a cake decorating class in July - I started one a few years ago but didn’t like the teacher so well and didn’t continue. So I am going to give it a go again!

My main thought, is to find a nice Happy Medium!!!

HOT!!!

2009-04-25T10:03:00.000-04:00

So all I can say about today is HOT!

My mom had the lovely idea to take Stella my 3.5 year old niece to the Columbus Zoo today. She had called earlier in the week to see if I wanted to go and me who never looks at the forecast agreed. Well we ended up breaking the 2 main zoo with kids’ rules - 1. Don’t go when it is hot 2. Don’t go on a weekend.

I met them in Marysville and off we went to the zoo. We get there and mom sees that the Baby Elephant is on display from 11-1 and it was almost 11 so off we went. We got in the line and the signs said it would be about an hour. An hour with a 3.5 year old who had just sat in a car for 2 hours - I was worried. Luckily they had some different animals in line that you could look at and even pet some of them and the line did move rather fast. About 15 minutes out from seeing the elephant Stella decides she is hungry. Sooo mom talks a guy on the outside of the line into going to the pretzel booth and getting us a soft pretzel. That held them both over til we got through the line.

I have to say the baby elephant was rather cute! He was walking around following mom and even got away from mom’s side for a minute.

Then we went off to see the rest of the zoo. We saw the Sun Bear and then Stella decided she was hungry for lunch. Soooo off we went to the back of the zoo to get her some food. Of course she wants a hamburger and that the longest line there. So I go in line and the girls sat down. And I got to listen to the screaming kids AND parents. Really the kid is 2 - do you think they can make up their mind and then be quiet and still for 20 minutes. NOPE - so why yell? That is just MORE annoying to the rest of us. I can excuse kids being irrational - but the parents should know better, especially when it is the 4th kid!

Then we went off to the play area for Stella to play for awhile. At first she was scared of the big kids and climbing up to the top so we over to the smaller kid area. Then she got brave and climbed to the top!! After about 15 minute of playing we decided to head off to see some animals….but ended up at the Carousel. Mom and Stella rode and she seemed to have fun!

Off to see the Manatees - that was a packed short visit and then we all decided to head home.

On the way out we did see an alligator and Aunt Debbie’s favorite Pink Flamingo’s. Then it was time for the cotton candy hunt. The vendor that Stella thought had cotton candy didn’t L But the LAST booth on the way out did. YEA! I didn’t have to keep looking.

On the way out there was FINALLY wind - but it was blowing so hard poor little Stella was having problems walking. So I ended up carrying her to the car - which took us awhile to find! One of the ONLY times I don’t walk right to the car I came in.

I haven’t been so happy for AC in a long time!!!!

**Just in case you need an overview we saw 5 animals while at the zoo - I think that is RECORD low for me!!

Mom dropped me off and I ran to KMART to try and get a few more things during Super Double Coupons and then headed home!

We are in the middle of reorganizing the kitchen/dining area and couldn’t get in the kitchen so we ended up using a coupon and ordering pizza from Marco’s. We had never had their pizza before but it was a pleasant surprise! I think we will be ordering from there again in the future.

Then the bad part of the day that made me HOT again - our cable/DVR box started acting up, even worse than it had been. We couldn’t get cable through it; we couldn’t watch recorded shows, nothing. I was sooo angry we decided to get out of the house and headed to Marysville to use our Cold Stone Creamery gift certificates! YUMMMM-O!!! Birthday Cake Remix, need I say more!

So much for my slow nothing going on Saturday!!

Mrs. H

2009-02-13T21:12:00.000-05:00

5 days short of 4 months after we got married I have FINALLY changed my name at the bank! The whole name change has been a very slow process for me. I went to the SS office on Christmas Eve, but didn’t make it to the BMV before it closed, missed it by one minute! BUMMER!! So I went back to the BMV on New Year’s Eve to get my new DL. Now the bank was a whole different story. It isn’t close to work or home, they are only open last 5 PM on Fridays. Every time I was planning to go something came up. So I finally went tonight – GO ME! Of course the lady we talked to when we added Dave to the account in October gave me wrong info. Dave has to sign the paperwork for the account, so I have to mail it in after he signs it. But they let me cash my checks so I was happy!!

I met Dave at T.G.I. Friday’s for dinner after all the bank fun and sitting in traffic. They have a buy one entrée get one free coupon going on this month so we thought since we had other errands to run in the area and it would be late when we got home to we would give it a whirl. I haven’t been there in forever and we have never been together. The food was pretty good, but temp wise was VERY hot. Which made it hard to eat and annoying, but other than that it was good.

Well we are headed off to see my parents this weekend, so I better get a packing!

A happy medium…

2009-02-12T15:15:00.001-05:00

I would LOVE to find a Happy Medium in life. This is an ongoing issue for me. I can’t just KINDA do something I either want to go go go or do nothing. If I am involved in a group or project it is normally all of nothing. At times this is not very fulfilling for me, or causes problems in other parts of my life.

I am TRYING to find a happy medium, to not continue doing things that don’t make me happy - that I am just doing to do. This week I stepped down as Co-Chair of the Relay For Life Hilliard. I decided that is was causing me too much unhappiness and straining my relationships with others. I don’t want that to happen, as much as I love Relay - I love my friends even more. I am still going to be on the committee and help where I can. It might even end up being more work, but a change of dynamics. It was a hard decision but I do personally feel much better!

I am finding this problem when it comes to housework. I like to be all or nothing with that too. And since I know I will never get to the all point I just do not much of anything. This one I think will take a little more practice on. Since I am home more it is coming along….slowly!!! I just need to keep the thought it my head that it will eventually get to the point I want if I keep trying!!!

And I won’t even get STARTED on my “hobbies” issues. I want to do this, I want to do that. Everything I hear sounds like fun…if only we had the time, space and money for it all!! I just need to focus on a few things consistently.

I need to get back to the basics and a nice happy medium…

January BLAHS

2009-01-18T15:01:00.002-05:00

So far 2009 has not been off to the greatest start. On the 1st it was ER for Dave's bronchitis, then back to Urgent Care the next week for the same thing. He is feeling better now.

Our heat has been out for awhile now, but with heaters we had been doing pretty good...til it's been below freezing and 0 for a few days now it is kinda chilly. After a week of snow and cold I am SICK of it!

Thursday night my car broke down on the way home. Lucky for me it was close to home so Dave could get me and we got the car home. Had AAA come tow it to the repair shop. Yea that is a $750 breakdown!! Struts and springs and stuff.

Friday Dave got rear ended in the work van. He is OK just a little sore and the van just needs a new bumper.

Hello 2009!

2009-01-01T21:16:00.001-05:00

Well I hope that today isn’t a warning of how 2009 is going to go!

I made it up to see the ball drop last night - go me! And even got that first kiss of 2009 after being shocked when my nose touched Dave’s - OUCH! Then off to bed I went.

I was woke up at about 6:10 by Dave coughing. He got up to go downstairs to the couch to sleep, but I was woke up again about 6:18 to the sound of him getting sick. Yep that is how 2009 started.

I was then up til about 7:30 watching TV. And decided I needed a NAP! So back to bed I went and slept until about 11:30!!

Late morning and early afternoon was full of coughing by Dave, watching TV, cleaning the kitchen…then Dave decided he needed to head to the ER.

So we headed off to Dublin Methodist Hospital. It’s a new hospital, just opened last year so we thought would give it a whirl. It has ALL the bells and whistles and everyone there was very nice. It wasn’t very busy so we got to see the Dr. very quickly and everything moved very fast. Dave ended up with x-rays a breathing treatment and they sent us off with three prescriptions to get filled - he has bronchitis.

We went to Giant Eagle to get the prescriptions filled, but they closed at 3 and it was 4:15. Dangit! Missed out on those Fuelperks!! So we went across the street to Walgreen’s who was open til , YEAH!

So we have just been chilling since we got home. Dave had some food so he could take his meds, I have been watching TV and cleaning up the kitchen….somehow it willll all fit!!

Happy New Year!!!

It’s almost time…

2008-12-24T14:27:00.000-05:00

The calendar says December 24th, Christmas Eve, but it STILL doesn’t feel like it! It has been a busy week but still not feeling IT.

Monday night I went over to Kristi’s house to wrap presents for our adopted families. It took us a few hours to get them done since there was only 3 of us and 4 families to wrap for, but we had a good time! We also got all of the food we had collected over the past month together and separated it out for the families.

Tuesday I was suppose to go back to Kristi’s to deliver the food and presents - but the weather ruined my plans AGAIN! Again, lucky for me I have wonderful friends who stepped up and got everything delivered!! I ended up just coming home, making dinner, and making a list of all the things I needed to do on Wednesday.

I took today off initially so we could head home this afternoon. But things changed. Dave was supposed to have half a day off, but learned last week that he didn’t have enough vacation time to do it. So he will be home as soon as he can and hopes to have a light day. Dave and I are supposed to go to his parents for Christmas dinner tonight. Then we will head up to my parents.

I went this morning to the SS office to start the name change process. I got SO lucky! I walked in and there was NO one else there. So I was able to get in and out in under 10 minutes! I then went to get my new DL, but they closed at Noon and I walked in at 12:01. Dang rain that slowed me down on my way there. I will have to go back next week.

Now I am just sitting here waiting on Dave to get home. I have my clothes all packed and all of the gifts in the car ready to go.

Semi Productive

2008-12-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

I just am NOT in the holiday mood this year. I am not sure why not really. But I just don’t FEEL it.

To say the least this week was SEMI productive. I had a crappy week at work last week so Saturday I was taking the day to recover. And did NOTHING, but be crabby…I’ll admit it. But I couldn’t help it. I didn’t WANT to be crabby.

We went to go to the zoo at 830, but it started snow/ice/sleet on the way so we turned around. BUMMER.

Today I went to Kristi’s for the Gahanna Jaycees baking session for Cookies for Rookies. We bake cookies and other holiday treats and member deliver them to 6 fire stations on Christmas morning. We had a good time an made 4 different kinds of cookies.

After that we ventured out into the cold to head to Meijer to buy gifts and food for out Christmas Adopt A Families. Wow is it had to pick out toys for kids with no list of their likes. But we did it…and only went a little over budget.

When we came out it was COLD and WINDY. It was BAD!! I drove home and at point it was almost a white out on 270 and traffic was going 35 mph. NOT fun. Then I got on 71 and it was just windy.

Now I am just trying to warm up…and not think about the fact that it’s back to work tomorrow…but the co-worker is suppose to be bringing me cookies…that is a plus!!

Why make plans?

2008-12-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

When they never go the way you plan them!

I left work early today to go to Marion to pick up my camera from UPS. They close at 6. From work is should be about an hour drive, but with traffic I wasn’t sure if I would be able to. So I called it quits at 4:30. I got to the UPS place around 5:30..then I waiting in line while everyone mailed out their Christmas packages. I gave the very nice UPS woman my address and she brought out a box…from Duluth Trading Company. Um, Ms. UPS lady this is my husbands’ package, not the called and asked to be held. Oh..they probably held the wrong one then. GREAT. Oh my driver is expected to be back between 7:30 and 8 PM. WONDERFUL!

So I called Dave…yelled for a few. Decided to drive home and get Dave and go back later. We decided to just be lazy and go out to dinner in Marion and then pick up the camera.

Got to Marion…and every restaurant we looked at had a long out the door! We ended up at Ralphie’s Sports Bar. The waitress dropped my glass of water, at least only a little of the FREEZING water got on me. The food wasn’t too bad.

Head back to the UPS building…it’s 8:05. Go back in to where the drivers check in…get to speak to another nice UPS woman. Oh, my package is STILL not here? He is 10-15 minutes away…wonderful. I will go sit in my cold car and wait.

8:15 I FINALLY got my camera….but was still in a crabby mood….not a good way to start the weekend!

Tick Tock Tick Tock

2008-12-17T14:37:00.002-05:00

A watched tracking number NEVER changes!

I ordered a new camera on Friday. A Canon XSi with 2 lenses. It was a HUGE splurge, but planned. My camera I have now I don’t get along with very wall.

So it is suppose to deliver today. It has to be signed for. I am hoping my neighbor sees Mister UPS and he lets her sign for my package. I WANT my camera!!

Off to continue stalking the UPS website……

Dang Ice!

2008-12-16T22:34:00.000-05:00

Bad weather always seems to come when I have places to be and things to do! Tonight I was supposed to go to a friends house to wrap present for our adopted family. Of course the weather peeps have been saying we are supposed to get bad weather yesterday and today, it did come yesterday, didn’t really look like we would get much today. But we did get was ICE. I HATE driving in icky weather but especially ice. So I called my friend who was on her way home…I didn’t even had to really say it and she said Carrie just go home. I can wrap the presents by myself, there is no reason for you to be out in this weather driving all around. Another reason I LOVE my friends and I am sooo lucky to have them.

So I came home and I am glad I did. Everyone I talked to said the roads weren’t the best and had some pretty bad accidents on them.

So instead I worked on Thank You cards and Christmas cards. I never found the darn return address stamp, so I ended up writing our name on ALL of the Thank You cards….and will probably write it on all the Christmas cards too. I have 7 Thank You cards left I think. I will mail the done ones in the AM and then finish up the Thank You’s and Christmas cards tomorrow night when I get home.

I will be soooo glad to get both of those DONE. We are already talking about next years Christmas cards and how we will have them done early…..we’ll see!

Busy Day

2008-12-15T22:29:00.001-05:00

Sunday was just as lazy if not more so than Saturday. But for some reason at 9 PM I thought I should be productive! So I worked on Thank You cards from the wedding. Yes I know we are behind in getting them done - my goal now is to get them done but the 18th…which is in less than 3 days.

Today was back to work, had to get caught up from being off on Friday. It wasn’t too bad really since this is out slower time of year. So that made me happy! After work I went shopping with Stacy and Jackie for our adopted family with the Hilliard Jaycees. We had a fun time shopping for things we thought the mom and little boy would like and need. After shopping we headed to Uno’s for Happy Hour - which I am hooked on because it is mini appetizers!! I don’t have to make up my mind, I can just order 2 J

On the way home I was on the phone with the Hilliard President Elect to try and get things started for next year….making work for myself!

I got home and Dave was signing the Thank You’s. I addressed the envelopes, now I need to get another book for stamps, put the card with its envelope and return address stamp the envelopes and we will be done…I think I can get them out on time YEAH!!!...and on to Christmas Cards…..UGH!!!!

And on a side note - I pulled out a piece of the stitch that had got lost in my leg…ICK!!!!!

Lazy Saturday

2008-12-13T23:53:00.000-05:00

Today was a true lazy Saturday. Between sleeping in, catching up on DVR shows, and napping we didn’t get up and ready to go until after 3 PM!!!

Then we headed up to my parents house to have dinner, make cookies, and go to Stella’s program tomorrow morning. Well that was the PLAN.

We went up and helped get dinner ready, had dinner, baked the cookies, and went to get stuff for lunch tomorrow. Then decided we needed to come home because Dave was having an asthma attack and he forgot this inhaler here.

Sooo we left my parents around 9:45 to head home….and here we are.

I am catching up on movies that taped tonight and getting ready to go to bed….it’s past my bedtime! Somehow doing nothing takes it all out of me!!

A Nice Day Off

2008-12-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

I took today off work to get some things done - change my name, do some Christmas shopping, and a HUGE list of other things. Well of course my day didn’t go as planned but I had a good day - so it was worth it!

I slept in til 8-ish, Dave was home on a conference call so it hard to sleep. I caught up on some e-mails, payed bills, caught up on some DVR, then left around 11:20 to go pick up my friend Ida.

Ida and I went to lunch at Applebee’s, it turned into a 3 hour lunch. It was nice to catch up with her since we don’t get to talk very often.

Then I TRIED to go to the Social Security office. Since lunch went a little long I knew I had a chance of not making it. I got to the area in time, but I couldn’t find the right building so…no name change today L I’ll try again next week.

I figured while I was waiting on Dave to get off work I could go and do some of my shopping. I went to CVS to get some items for Heith and Sarah’s basket, Bed Bath and Beyond to get some sheets for mom, and while I was there found some playing cards that my dad had asked me to buy for him to give to his friends.

When Dave got there we went to Dick’s to look for a coat for him, which we didn’t find but he did find some boots that he had been looking for. We ended up going to Red Robin for dinner and then to Best Buy to get a memory card for my new camera so I could use it when it gets here. And we still got home by 8:30-ish!!

So it was rather productive and fun day! Christmas shopping is almost done, except for my dad who is normally easy to buy for but this year it is NOT coming to me.

A New Month

2008-12-01T13:32:00.000-05:00

Wow, it’s December 1st, 2008. I have been in denial about this for more than a week, it couldn’t really be almost December and I really feel like November was the fastest month all year. It has really been SIX weeks since we got married? No way!

November was a rough month for me overall. I had a minor surgery on the 12th. Not sure how we got to the 12th so quickly, but I have a feeling it had to do with Drs. Appts, and again me being in denial that I was going to cut on! Things with the surgery went OK. It’s not cancer, which I never really thought it was, but it couldn’t be fixed. Sooo I have go see more Drs. next year to see what my options are and make a decision. I went to my parents’ house for 5 days to recover before coming back to the apartment with steps! That was kinda nice, small down life, nothing to do really, and no internet but good.

The recovery has been less painful than I thought it would be but more annoying. A week of not driving and having to have peeps bring me to and from work. I was so tired when I got home at night I just wanted to nap and catch up DVR. Sooo I was kinda anti-social.

We now have 3 cats again. Dave brought in one of the outside strays that had been sleeping under our porch; anyone who knows him….Project Kitten can now be called a success! She is in the house, playing with Guinness but still looking at us like HUMAN…why are YOU in OUR house?! She will come around eventually!!

Then there was Thanksgiving week - 2 nights of projects with the Gahanna Jaycees, but we provided meals to 4 families in need who where very thankful so it was nice.

Thanksgiving took us back to Ada again. We had our big meal at my Aunt Debbie’s house, which used to be my grandparents house. It will never be like it was, but it was easier than the first Christmas meal there without them. Dave and I ended up staying in Ada until Sunday morning. Our time off was filled with some shopping, too much food, shooting for Dave, too much food, and some napping. Again overall nice and calm….I needed that!!

So that is the quick month in review. We are now in December…let the fun begin!!!

I wanna.....

2008-11-06T14:32:00.000-05:00

...go on vacation. Yes I know I was just off work for 7 days for the wedding and Hocking Hills. Yes I had a good time - but it was too short! Dave and I haven’t been on “vacation” together in like 5 years. We had a sucha great time I am ready to go again! But we aren’t sure where we want to go! I have ideas, different places for different reasons, which only makes it harder to decide what we want to do so we can start planning!

The Florida Keys - I have wanted to go since I was 12. We went on a family vacation to Florida with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins. Somehow they got to go the Key’s and I didn’t. I think maybe I went to Disney and they didn’t? I don’t know. I just know I have wanted to go since then! Plus I would think it would very pretty sunrise/sunset. So that is another draw for me.
Outer Banks - I would like to go back again in the off season. I went in HS for my cousins wedding in October and thought it was pretty. Again I am thinking sunrise/sunset. We also have family in the area so we could see them too. I also went down once in the summer when I was in college with the fam, but overall it wasn’t much fun, it rained the whole time!!!
Yellowstone - Not sure where this one came from. I am blaming my mom! After we went thought a few of the National Parks last year on our Vegas adventures we started talking about going. Dave would like to go. Mom somehow things Dad might go?? Yea I am not seeing that really!
Disney - I wanna go back at Christmas decoration times! We also want to take Stella sometime. I am going to starting working on my mom on this trip now that the wedding is over.
Vegas - I know it, I like, there is a variety of things to do.
Cruise - I wanna go on one. Dave does not. So I am trying to talk some of the girls into going. We talked about next year. But I really don’t think it is going to be happening. But I thought I would add it to my list.

Many more….I am sure there are many more, but those are the ones that have been on my mind the last few days.

Time On My Hands

2008-11-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

I now think I have too much time on my hands. With the wedding over and most of my Jaycee responsibilities over, and Relay not in full swing yet I find myself doing nothing but watching TV. Don’t get me wrong, I have PLENTY of things I could so around the apartment, but no motivation to get it done. I find that I get a lot more done when I am busy than when I have time on my hands.

Tonight I am waiting to go back to the airport to pick up Dave, at 11:45 AM…ECK! I have things I keep thinking I could do but no, I just sit here and watch DVR shows. While trying to avoid the election mumbo jumbo!

So I am starting a to do list for myself for tomorrow, to see if maybe that will get me motivated to get a few things done. It’s a bunch of little things that I keep putting off….they are starting to add up!!!

BLAHday

2008-11-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

Today was a Monday, or BLAHday as I like to refer to it sometimes. It was a pretty boring day. I went to the dentist after work - which stressed me out all afternoon because I HATE the dentist! Just going makes me sick to my stomach, and once I got there I got the even “better” news - it was x-ray day. But lucky for me they are great to me and treat me like a little kid and pull someone else in to help do the x-rays. Overall it was an okay visit, no cavities so that is all good!

After that we had a Relay For Life committee meeting that went very well in my opinion. We had 3 new committee members at our meeting!!! So that is very good and will bring new blood to this event in 2009, I can’t wait! Now I just need to get BUSY with my to do and idea list!!!

What a boring day!!!

90210 is back…again!

2008-11-02T11:11:00.001-05:00

At work this week one of my co-workers mentioned that Time Warner got the CW channel back. Which means we got 90210 again! So this morning I am catching up on the episodes that I missed and set the DVR to start recording again this week. I know I am a dork - I know it - it’s okay!

So far that is the highlight of my day. I was looking forward to the extra hour of sleep from the time change. But my dear cat Guinness had other ideas…he decided to be a hunter last night and caught a bat…in the bedroom. So we woke up to this odd high pitch sound. Dave had to rescue the bat from Guinness and take it outside to free it. All of this meant all the lights in the apartment got turned on, and I was WIDE awake….for hours!!! I fell asleep and 30 minutes later Dave’s alarm went off, a little after that I fell back asleep and got another hour of sleep.

We had to leave by 7:45 so we could take Dave to the airport for his work trip to Florida. Yep the brat is off to Florida, but I don’t think there is going to be much time for fun. He has training during the day, a dinner, and then comes back on Tuesday evening.

So now I am trying to stay awake until I leave at 1 PM to go a baby shower for my old boss. And trying to figure out what I am going to get her for the shower. I never know what to get for baby showers, I always wanna go practical like lotion, shampoo, wipes, etc. BORING!!!!

A "relaxing" Saturday

2008-11-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

Wow, it’s November. I am really in denial!! I have decided to try the one month of blogging this month. I haven’t signed up at the site yet. But it is on my to do list - the ever growing one!!

Today we went and voted. They say we got lucky as our line was a little under 2 hours - for a 2nd time voter, how is THAT lucky?? But the weather was very nice to be standing outside so I know it could have been worse. The main reason we went today was because Dave will be out of town on Tuesday, so he needed to go before he leaves tomorrow…and we didn’t realize this til Thursday afternoon….opps!!!

We went to lunch at a local restaurant Bun’s which wasn’t the best experience there. I now remember why I had not been picking to go there. Dave’s food was cold in the middle, the rolls had been way over cooked, and service was kinda slow.

We then headed to Wal-Mart to buy some shelving units for the basement so we could start project “Get this place in order” - between all of our stuff, never really going through stuff when we moved here two years ago, all the new wedding stuff, and my free time – we have got to get on it!!

We came home and chilled for a little while and then started on the basement. Wow oh wow do we have a lot of “stuff”!! We have already taken 2 bags of trash out, which makes me happy!

We decided we needed to go get some cleaning supplies….so out we went…and I forgot the one thing I wanted - the paper towels!!! So now I will have to pick them up in the AM.

Overall not really an exciting day – but it is a start on my new project J

Honeymoon Day 2

2008-10-21T21:45:00.000-04:00

Tuesday we got up and got to Old Man’s Cave by 9:30 in the morning, taking the “scenic” route. Yes it was “scenic” but it was also kinda scary! Roads that seems to me to one lane roads, but weren’t! We were very happy to see very few cars in the parking lot. Normally we got on the weekend and the place is PACKED! We started down the trail and quickly realized there was NO water in the place!! A few placed had some sitting water but none in the normal places, no waterfalls, it was rather sad to say the least. But we kept going and went a few places we hadn’t been in years. It started out VERY cold and got a little better as the morning went on. I decided that maybe a T-Shirt and fleece shirt weren’t my best option in clothing! As we went down the trails it became more and more busy, and we saw a small bus from the Westerville Senior Center – decided against going down into the main area where all the people had gone and we headed to Cedar Falls.

As we started out at Cedar Falls a couple with 2 cute downs told us to not follow the signs to the parking lot on the way back that it was a hard train and much worse than the trip down – we decided to keep that in mind!! We had never really got to explore Cedar Falls before, the only time we had been before was at the end of a trail we had hiked down the first time we went to Hocking Hills years ago, and we were so tired we just wanted to be done! It was a lot of fun, and since there was no water anywhere we went off trail a few times and at times even on the old trail – I know bad us! It was very pretty down there and they had some nice photo ops!

We got done there and I was HUNGRY – but we needed a few things from Wal-Mart again so we went there and then we headed off to Kroger to get animal “feed”. Dave got a mix of corn, peanuts, and I am not sure what else to put out to try and bring the animals up. We headed back to the cabin, had a roast beef sandwich for lunch, followed by a nap!! We went out to Millstone for dinner, we had been there last time we went down and it was good so we went back! Food was yummy, but the service wasn’t as great this time. We took another scenic route home, past Lake Logan. After our different trips down there I am finally starting to get the hang of where we are going and how to connect the 2!

Tuesday evening we just chilled out, watched the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks in the yard.

Honeymoon Day 1

2008-10-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

Our day started out with unpacking the car from the wedding, repacking for our trip, and a costly trip to Costco. But we finally got out of Columbus a little before 3 PM, in our attempt to beat rush hour!

We arrived at our cabin at Pleasant Valley Cabins a little before 4 PM on Monday. When we got there we had been switched from Cabin 1 to Cabin 2, no biggie they are identical. As we checked in I was a little confused when the woman said we may want to back down the hill, silly me thought she meant when we were leaving, no she meant on our way UP the hill as we would need a “running” start. So Dave drove us up the hill, it was VERY bumpy and steep. The cabin was just as the pictures on the website, very cute and everything we could want. As we where unpacking Dave saw a wild turkey in the backyard, of course he didn’t have a camera with him and we never say one again. After unpacking we decided to chill out for a little while before we headed off to Wal-Mart to pick up food for the week. This lead to my first nap of the week!! I will say those couches are very comfy. After I got up we headed off to Wal-Mart to pick up some stuff and decided to just get a pre-bake pizza to make when we got back to the cabin. We got back to the cabin and decided to try out the hot tub before we had dinner. It was great!! It was rather chilly out but the warm water and beautiful stars where worth it!! I decided to start off the week with my domestic diva act and baked the pizza, but quickly learned the problem was there was no pizza cutter and the knives in the cabin weren’t the best! But it all worked out! We watched some more TV, I feel asleep, and Dave read his book.

T Minus 6 Days!

2008-10-12T18:44:00.001-04:00

Where did the last week go?

Monday - I had my first Relay For Life committee meeting. Not very exciting. It was only me, Stacy, and Meghan our ACS staff person. No one else showed L Hopefully that is not a sign of how the year will go. We had a good meeting overall though and got some ideas of out plans.

Tuesday - Mystery Dinner night at Spaghetti Warehouse! I love those things. We always have a good time - it is so much fun. And of course the food is very yummy.

Wednesday - Dave and I got off work early to go and get our marriage license!! Yep I was very excited, we finally got everything we needed and got it done! We also went to Dave’s parents house to pick up a present and to Costco to look for a few things….which we didn’t find. Dangit! But it was nice evening!

Thursday - FINALLY a night at home!! Tried to get caught up a on a few things, including my neglected DVR.

Friday –Dave and I went to Sam’s Cub to price some things. Headed over to The Container Store for a photo box that I was wanting. Walked around window shopping. To TJ Maxx and Dick’s Sporting. Then to Stacy’s to pick up some more of the wedding stuff that I needed to take to my parents.

Saturday – Off to Ada again, dropped off stuff, went to Lima for some more last minute shopping, you know the drill!

Today – Came back from Ada, started going through and trying to organize our wedding/shower presents. Had to return a few things and get everything for the cats to be on their own for a week with a quick visit from us. Overall….a pretty nice day!!!

This coming week we don’t have a lot planned. I am just happy about only working for 3 days!!! Yippy!!!

Less than 2 weeks!

2008-10-05T21:23:00.001-04:00

Wow - time sure does fly when you are getting married!! It looks like it has been a little over a week since I last updated this blog.

Last weekend I went to a Relay For Life Leadership Summit for $10,000 Team Captains and Chairs and Co-Chairs for next year’s events for all over Ohio. I love going to these things, they have some of the best trainings I have been to. They are fun, informative, and you get to hear ideas from all over the state. I also call it the one “perk” for chairing the event - because they pay for hotel rooms for a night since it’s a Friday night/Saturday thing! Stacy went also this year so it was cool to have someone else to share it with and room with. Let’s just say I order room service for the first time ever, and it was off the kids meal and in the end we didn’t pay for it. The service for the wasn’t the best!

Saturday afternoon and early evening I went to Stacy’s and we worked on wedding crafty projects. We made a photo frame card box for the reception. We then headed over to a party at our friends house and then back to Stacy’s I went. I stayed there so we could work on more wedding crafty projects along with making a to do list and trying to talk things through for what I wanted and needed. We did finish the monogrammed aisle runner and a nice long to do list!!

Last week I didn’t have a lot going on. I started tanning, Dave and I went out to dinner one night to get away from it all, I had a Relay meeting with a possible committee member, and get a good amount of wedding stuff done. I think we are very on schedule right now!

This weekend I went back to my parents place and got my hair done on Saturday morning and then we worked on more wedding stuff Saturday afternoon. Saturday night we watched the OSU game, which I feel asleep part way through!! But yea they won!!!

Today was cleaning the car, heading back home and then Dave and I went to Michael’s to buy a few more things for centerpieces and had to return a few things to Wal-Mart and pick up a few more things. But I got a lot off the to do list!!!

We are now at less than 2 weeks….almost to the point of I just want it to be here!!!

...stil trying to catch up...

2008-09-23T22:05:00.001-04:00

So it’s not a Thursday but it is a week since my last post.

Dress Fitting - Wednesday night Stacy and I went to our second dress fitting. Stacy’s is done and ready to go and mine just needs some beading put back on! Yea – one more thing down!! Stacy will just be picking them up the Wednesday before the wedding. Whew!!

Friday Night at Dave’s Parents – Friday night after work we went to Dave’s parents house to see his parents, his aunt who was leaving on Saturday, to see vacation pictures, and to get some apples they had picked. We had a good time but it got late quick and we forgot to take our apples with us!! So we’ll have to see about going back to get some so we can make some apple yumminess!

Harvest and Herb Festival – The big yearly festival in Ada was this weekend so I went to see my niece in the parade, it was her first time in a parade – yep, I am THAT aunt! After the parade I walked through quickly with my mom, talked to a couple of the girls I went to High School with and caught up with them for a few before we went shopping. We didn’t go through the whole festival, we had other things to do, no money to buy anything, and no where to put anything if we would buy it!!!

Shoes - I went home this weekend to pick up some stuff from my parents and my mom and I went shopping for wedding shoes. We walked in to the first store and as soon as we walked in I picked up a pair of shoes….and those are the ones I bought! Yes I did try on a few other pairs, but they are pretty much as close to what I was looking for as I could get. My mom also needed to get her shoes for the new dress she picked out. She got a pair but now has to get approval from her friend so she can keep them!

Zoo - Sunday after I got home from my parents Dave and I went to the zoo. It was HOT and we didn’t dress properly for it!! We stayed for a few hours and then headed off to do some quick wedding shopping. To say the least the zoo was PACKED - I think the busiest we have ever seen it. Dora the Explorer was there - 3-5 year old INSANITY!!!

Dr. Visit – I was at the Drs. office today for over 2 hours. WHEW – I was tired when I left! I will have to go back after the wedding for another MRI and a possible biopsy after that. I really don’t want to do anything that involves cutting until after the wedding. I have too much going on for ANY down time!!

Other News – We got our engagement prints back today!! So now to work on the rest of the crafty projects we have planned. RSVP’s are still coming in a few a day. One week til they are due! I have been busy with working on the ceremony, DJ paperwork, a day of timeline. My main to do tasks right now are finish up Thank You’s from my second shower, get music in order for the ceremony, and figure out how much alcohol to buy!! People keep asking how things are going…and I think they are going pretty good for 3.5 weeks out. Yea that is the scary part…LESS than a month!!!!

Delaware County Fair Take 2

2008-09-16T22:20:00.001-04:00

Dave and I went to the Delaware County Fair again tonight after work. We went over for the Rough Truck competition but made a few stops along the way. As we were on our way to get food we noticed a crowd at the small animal tent – so we went to check it out. A calf had JUST been born….like 10 minutes before we walked up!! It was very neat because we got to get within 2 feet of the calf while the mom was still cleaning him off. We stayed for around 15 minutes waiting on the calf to stand up but he never made it while we were there.

Then we headed off to get dinner - I am not really that into fair food…sad I know! We got Stromboli, as we end up doing every year - whoooo hoooo - go us!

Then off to the Rough Truck competition, we thought we would be late but we got to see all the trucks/cars! I was surprised but I really enjoyed!! I was surprised by the speed of some of the trucks on the course!

Then we went to head out and stopped to get a lemonade and funnel cake. Yea my version of fair food – lemonade!

We went the wrong way out to stop and check out the calf again on our way out L Guess we will have to go back later this week!!! Gotta love living within walking distance to the fair.

What a weekend!

2008-09-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

Why do I even make weekend plans on weekends I don’t have “plans”? This weekend was going to be fall cleaning weekend. Then I got this silly cold. Saturday I got not much of nothing done. Took a nap and then we headed over to the Delaware County Fair, and came home and went to bed!

The fair was good overall - very hot and sweaty - but fun! It’s nice to live in the town of the fair because you can go out for a few hours a few different days to see and do everything you want without having to be SOOOO tired and worn out! We went through most everything we wanted to see – animal barns, arts and crafts buildings, vendors trying to sell you stuff building. We like to look at all the items submitted for the photography competitions. And then we went to a few different places to try and get some pictures of animals and other fair fun! Too bad I can’t figure out why my pictures won’t add to posts L

I tried to watch part of the OSU game, but I was too tired and it was too depressing so I fell asleep. Dave was out talking to the neighbor and came in to see if I had took cold medicine or not - he could hear me coughing outside - opppps!

Today was another lazy day til the wind storm started. We decided we weren’t going to do anything outside. I went to go pick up some Mickey D’s while I was in line the computer system went down. So I got Subway and headed back home. Where Dave got ready and we headed off to the store, which we had to take the long way since there was a power line down over the railroad. Got way more than we went in for and headed home. Had to take another long way because the power line was still down. (we didn’t know it was a down power line time we got home, thought it was a car accident the first time) Got everything in and I check my phone. A missed call from Dave’s dad - kinda odd but I called him back. He wanted to talk to Dave so I went out and got him. His dad had been in an accident – a tree limb came down on this car. He was in the ER - it ended up only being some very deep bruises and some bleeding from the glass pieces hitting him - but no major cuts or injuries. He was still in the ER when he called so we went over to check on the house and let the dogs out. His dad got home after we had been there for a little while and seems to be doing well. Dave is going to go over tomorrow to help him clean up the limbs that are down in the yard. There aren’t a lot but he will need some help!!

It’s now 10:15 and Dave has broke out the NEW Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make something since all the fast food in town are without power. We are very lucky that we still have it!! I was ordered the whole way home that it went out while we were gone!

So nothing went as planned this weekend and I did get some much needed rest. Time to start another fun week. I have a meeting Monday night and a dress fitting on Wednesday - oh the joys!

Sneeze, Sneeze

2008-09-13T12:14:00.001-04:00

That is what I have been doing the last few days. I have caught a cold and even with rest I don’t seem to be getting better very quickly! I can’t seem to get enough energy/motivation to get anything done.

Last night we had a date night at the Laundromat - go us! We needed to wash all of our bedding and blankets for the upcoming cooler/cold weather. So off we went. That place was pretty busy for 7:30 on a Friday night! We got half of it started and had to wait on another machine to come open so I ran across the street and got us Mexican for dinner.

After we washed one of the comforters we had to wash it again, it seems to big even for their washer, I don’t get it. We had ran out of detergent so we bought some there. Dave said to get two boxes one for each of the wash cycles. Wellllll we ended up with bubbles EVERYWHERE!!!! The nice lady there told us to buy some fabric softener and it would get the bubbles out of the wash and they would clean up the rest of the bubbles. Every time we go there we learn something new I guess!!!

This morning now afternoon I am just hanging out. I finally got a shower but that is far as I have got today. So much for my fall cleaning weekend!!!

Not so normal week

2008-09-11T21:21:00.001-04:00

Well this week wasn’t a normal one for me! It started Monday morning - I had to be in Dublin by 7:15 AM to have ANOTHER MRI done. This time of my knee. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the first one - it as feet first and I only had to go halfway in. YEA! Tuesday I didn’t feel to good - stiff back, sore throat, headache = a sick day!! I slept in, took a nap, got a few little things done around the house. Wednesday I had to be back to the Drs. Office by 8 AM - to be told I need to go to yet ANOTHER dr. AHHHHHHH!!!!! I am not enjoying all of this!!!! Then that night I went to bed at 7:30 and slept til 6:30 this AM. Yea I should be all caught up on sleep!

Work has also been a changing….I have gotten more work so that means a little more stress and things to balance all day. Once I get more used to it I should be good it’s just the re-learning curve.

I’m glad it’s almost the weekend so I can relax and get caught up on some things around the apartment!!

Shower #2

2008-09-11T21:20:00.000-04:00

On Sunday Stacy, Jackie, and Dave’s Mom held a Bridal Shower for me at Jackie’s house. It was VERY nice!! There ended up being about 17 friends and family friends who came out to share in the fun. Stacy had some fun not overly showery games for us to have and had prizes not only for the guests but also for me!! That was a surprise! They had a nice spread of snacky yet filling foods for everyone to enjoy along with a very yummy cake!! Everyone spoiled us - we got a LOT of wonderful presents that we can’t wait to use!!! THANK YOU to everyone who came out to make this SUCH a special day for me!!!

Again I am reminded how lucky I am to have such great friends and family in my life!!!

Girls Weekend/Bachelorette Party

2008-09-11T18:17:00.000-04:00

Friday evening a group of my girl friends headed down to Hocking Hills for a weekend of relaxation and fun, and my bachelorette party on Saturday night at Bear Run Cabins. After many changes of plans Stacy and I left her house around 3:40 on Friday afternoon with her car PACKED!! We where the first 2 there and got familiar with our cabin, unloaded all of our stuff and had it put away before the next car got there with Kristy, then Michelle and Bethany arrived and last but not least Robin!

The cabin was VERY nice!!! It totally exceeded my expectations that’s for sure! The master bedroom that Stacy and I shared was the only room upstairs and had its own bathroom, a garden tub, and a nice king size bed. Plus had a LOT of room to hold all of our stuff. There was a hot tub on the back porch what we enjoyed on Friday night.

The only not so good things was storage for ALL the food we brought, we FILLED the fridge and had to bring a dresser out of a bedroom to put our non-perishables in. To say the least we had MORE than enough for the weekend and didn’t even end up cooking what we brought for dinner Saturday night.

Saturday we went for “hike” around the property we stayed at and then Robin and I continued down the road. It was nice because it was not a very busy area and was very relaxing. We went back to the cabin, watched the Buckeyes (two of the girls are OU alumni - ICK!!!), made some yummy lunch, took a nap and then went on a hayride that the owners of the cabin do nightly!!! When we got back it was Bachelorette party time – I did have a good time and my friends are true friends and kept things very tame!!!

Sunday we got up and had to pack up to leave by 11 – as it was check out time and we had to get back to Hilliard for my shower!

I think everyone had a very good time and we are looking forward to going back next year!!!

Thursdays??

2008-09-11T18:00:00.000-04:00

What is it about Thursday and me updating my blog? My goal is to update at least every other day for the next week!

The last week has been VERY busy!! Wedding invites out, girls weekend, bachelorette party, wedding shower, MRI, sick day, wedding stuff, doctors visit, and work craziness!!!

Wedding stuff of the week -
Last Thursday night after many things not going as I wanted them to the invites FINALLY got done (except about 6 that need to go out tonight) and mailed out on Friday after work!! YEA!!! I didn’t realize how happy I would be when they went postal. We have started to get our RSVP’s back already and so I need to start updating the spreadsheet to track the RSVP’s.

I ordered the flower girl dress today - again not as simple as I thought it would be! We had picked a dress…I kept forgetting to order it. So Wednesday I went to order the dress, and the site wouldn’t take the order…the e-mail to them wouldn’t work…and their phone number just kept ringing and ringing….NO answer. So I took that as a bad sign and started looking for another dress. I found one - went to order it and nothing would add to my cart. I e-mailed them and got a response this morning that the site had an issue yesterday and it was back up and running. So this morning I ordered the dress - and it SAYS that is was shipping today, so fingers crossed that it comes in the next could of weeks!!!! I ended up ordering - http://flowergirlprincess.com/product_info.php?products_id=464

RSVP’s have started to come in, yea! Makes it fun to check the mail every day, I’m sure there will be a decrease soon after the first responders are all in - but for now I will take it!!!

I have a start on the ceremony so I need to have Dave look over it this weekend to get one more thing confirmed!! I also need to work on making a to do, to buy, to confirm, etc.

Only a little over 5 weeks to go!!!!

End of Summer Fun

2008-09-08T13:10:00.001-04:00

I started out the weekend with no plans for Sunday and Monday, so I had all these plans for things we could get done. THEN Dave decided to go to Cabela’s with his friend Tom and Tom’s dad on Sunday and reminded me that that some hunting season opened Monday and he planned to go. The thought of sitting home alone and getting anything done over the two days was not looking good. So Sunday AM after I got up and moving I decided to head to Indian Lake to see the clan. I figured I really hadn’t got to see people that much over the summer, it felt like all of our trips ended up rushed. It ended up being a very relaxing and fun Sunday. I got there and we went on a golf cart ride, kids played in sprinklers, watched them ride their bikes, played fossball (sp??) with the older ones, went on a boat ride, had some pizza from Froggy’s, and just sat around and talked. Overall a wonderful last of “summer” day at the lake! I ended up taking my mom home and spending the night their, we worked on the final invite list. (yes I know I am WAY behind)Monday I came home early afternoon and just did a few things around the house and TRIED to work on the wedding invites. But that didn’t go as easy as planned and I ended up giving up for the day after a couple hours of fighting!!!

Fun with Friends

2008-09-04T11:42:00.001-04:00

Saturday night our friends had some people over for a cookout. I had a great time!! It was good to see friends that I haven’t seen in months, and their friends who I haven’t seen in a year! It was very relaxing we just sat round and talked and enjoyed the evening til the bugs came out!!

So for the record yes I DID ask my friend to have this gathering. Yes I have wonderful friends!! I always have a good time at her parties, she has a diverse group of friends and I love to hang out with them. Somehow things are always low key and fun - I hope for her too.

Since we don’t really have room to entertain in our too small apartment I frequently talk my friends into having people over. Normally I don’t even have to do much arm twisting to get them to do this. Yes I do feel kinda bad asking…but really I am doing it for the greater good…as all of our friends love getting together. Yes, that is what I keep telling myself J

I can’t wait til we get a bigger place where we can have people over!!! I am BIG on the house kick lately…but we have to get this whole wedding thing all wrapped up before we can start focusing on that. So 2009 is the year of house research….I can’t wait, even though I know it will be STRESSful.

Corn Festival

2008-08-30T14:40:00.001-04:00

Friday night Dave and I went to the Millersport Sweet Corn Festival to meet up with our friends Stacy, Jimmy, Robin, and Michelle. Stacy goes every year and Dave and I went a few years ago and had a great time. It’s a small town festival and all of the money the food vendors make is going for some charity/community organization. So the prices are reasonable and you don’t feel bad about where your money is going!! We got there a little after 7 and finally met you with our friends a little after 8 – we where late because of rain and traffic dang it!!

We had some corn of course and the fresh made doughnuts - still warm - yummmm-o!!!

The ride home was the not so fun part. As soon as we got out of the field aka parking lot it started to rain. As soon as we got out of traffic it started to POUR!!!! I hate driving in the rain - but yet again for the 2nd time in a week I was driving in the pouring rain. L But after some slow driving me made it home safely!!!!

Ice Cream By A Fire

2008-08-30T09:59:00.001-04:00

Yea I know it sounds weird, and I have to say I think it was a first for me! Tonight the Hilliard Jaycees had their monthly social but instead of going to a restaurant we had a cookout at Stacy and Jimmy’s place. I was soooo excited for this. We haven’t done something like this in awhile, and in years past we did this kind of thing all the time. It is a nice and relaxing time! So we started out with a cookout, and when everyone was done eating and it was getting dark out we decided to have our ice cream social part of the evening. While we were setting all that up someone started a fire in the fire pit since it was starting to get a little chilly for an August night. Wow did we have A LOT of ice cream toppings. Really it would have been ideal to have like different bowls to try a different item each time!! I had a great time just hanging out and eating yummy food!!! I can’t wait til we do it again!

Yea Me!!!

2008-08-30T09:52:00.000-04:00

So Monday night was Gahanna’s Jaycee meeting. I’ll be honest I was tired and wanted to go home instead of going to the meeting, but I went. And it was a good thing I did! At the end of the meeting we went over awards given out at the All-State that I missed because of my family shower. And I was given an award….one I am very excited about - Community VP of the Quarter!!!! Yep I’ll admit it…I am somewhat competitive in a kinda quiet at times way. So yea…I was rather excited - I was kinda bummed when Jimmy from Hilliard got it the 1st quarter.

The award was kind of a kick in the butt. It’s over half way through the year, I am rather busy with life and wedding planning. I have started to slack in my duties…I need to STOP that! So I hope that this will set me back on track as much as I can be with everything else going on.

Another nice weekend

2008-08-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

Wow I am not doing very good at this! No updates since Saturday, what a slacker!!! So I guess I’ll do a few catch up updates.

Friday -
Dave and I went to Cheesecake Factory; he is on a fish kick and likes the variety there. Then we went to Costco - where we went in for one thing, didn’t find it and still spent tooo much!!! But I did get a new geek stick to replace my injured one. Then to Bed Bath and Beyond because I wanted to register for some picture frames - I didn’t even THINK about it the first time.

Saturday -
We did next to nothing allll day! We finally left the house at 7 PM to go to dinner. Hoggy’s just opened up Delaware last week so Dave wanted to go there. I hadn’t eaten all day, there was a 45 minute wait, I said nope lets go somewhere else. We walked down to Ben’s and only had a 10 minute wait so that is where we ate. Things went well there and dinner was yummy so I was happy! Then off to the car wash for bath time for my car, it was very needed! It was 8:45 and we decided to go get ice cream. Now I know my favorite place quits serving food one hour before the close…no biggie, I would have thought they would be open til 10 since it was a Saturday night and it was 84 degrees out, nope - they close at 9…again no biggie it’s 11 til when we place our order - or ATTEMPTED to. They turn the shake machine off at quarter til. Okay - really, you are an ice cream place - I would THINK that would mean you serve ice cream and take orders for ice cream until you close. Soooo we had to go to the other ice cream place in town. Lucky for us they had later hours still!!! So I had a yummy shake with marshmallow fluff and choc syrup!!!!

Sunday -
We decided to go up to Mohican for the day. It was pretty relaxing day. Dave went walking in the water taking pictures, I wondered around land, we walked the trail for a little, drove around to different parts of the part, and I sat and watched kids play while Dave went fishing. It’s very fun to people watch at places like that. The variety of people, how they interact, how the kids interact. It was enjoyable til the rain came. We got in the car JUST as it started to POUR! Of course when we got out of the part I needed gas, so we go to the gas station and as soon as Dave starts to pump the gas the electricity went out. It wasn’t out for long and then we where good to go!

We got home and went to Hoggy’s for dinner, only a 15 minutes wait!! It was OK, the service wasn’t very good, I was over-charged, but they did try to make it better we got free cornbread and a $10 gift card to go back!

Addicted

2008-08-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

I am addicted to TV. Yes I know, it’s not a good thing. Busy or not - my shows must be DVR-ed. This is a time of year I don’t care for. Summer series are over but it’s still a month until the fall shows come on. I keep seeing ads for The Amazing Race while I am watching Big Brother. But it doesn’t come on for a month, I don’t think that is fair!! I just end up taping odd shows like Clean House, Deal or No Deal, old Cold Cases, whatever it takes to have something to watch.

I have always been one to NEED a TV on. For background noise, to fall asleep, to waste time, you know the drill!

This all stems from me freaking out about the noise my TV in the bedroom is making. I KNOW it’s on it’s last leg, one of these times it just isn’t going to turn on. I am worrying myself about how I am going to fall asleep with no TV when it dies. We want to get a new TV for the bedroom, just not yet.

Long time no update

2008-08-21T18:48:00.000-04:00

Wow! What a busy week we’ve had!!!

Friday -
I worked half a day.
Went to the “nerve” dr.
Came back home to pack and get Dave.
FINALLY got everything together and headed to Ada around 4.
Got to Ada a little after 5. Bun and Lucille weren’t in town yet.
Mom brought home 2 BBQ chicken dinners that she had already bought tickets for. YUMMO! I haven’t had one in years and was really wanting one!
Then we put in pre-bake pizza’s from Fat Jack’s. Another thing that I like and we haven’t had in a LONG time!!
Bun and Lucille got to town - YEA!!
Sat around for a few hours doing this and that.
Ended up making mint s for the shower – which involved up needing another trip to the store…opps! I had never done that before – was much easier than I thought it would be!! And we got the recipe (somewhere) for Dave.
We ended up going to bed around 12:30. Dave and I set up our tent in the back year since my mom was going to have a full house.
Julie, Ron and Allison ended up getting to town around 1:45 AM….I found out Saturday morning!

Saturday -
The fun begins!!
We got up rather early - it was COLD outside. Which worked out well since we started the shower rotation. 9 people are a lot of people to get through 1 shower!
After mom got up we started helping getting breakfast ready and as always shipping Dave off to the store. (Mom used the you are such a great SIL line)
Julie and I went uptown to drop balloons off to get blown up and picked out some flowers for the cemetery.
When we got back the house was in craziness!! Stella came down and her and Allison played. The boys where trying to figure out what they needed to go shooting. The rest was a blur to me!!
The girls headed down to Aunt Debbie’s to set up for the shower. Stacy joined up there.
After setting up Stacy and I decided to skip more craziness at mom’s house and went to Padrone’s for lunch. Yea!!!
Of course we ended up running late so I was running around the house like a crazy woman to get to the shower on time.
Went to the shower - it was a great time!! We had a good time visiting with people, had some nice low key games, and got a lot of very nice presents! Thought it was brought to everyone’s attention that Dave is the cook in our family!
Afterwards we went back to mom’s house – and the boys weren’t home yet!! So we put dinner together and sat out back to chill. Jenn came over and give me a shower gift - towels!!! Yea I am such a dork! Bath Sheets!!!
After dinner and more chilling and the boys coming home and Stacy and I worked on my Thank You’s. We got them all done!!!
Then we had a fire and some s’mores.
Whew!!! Went to bed around 11:30 - I was exhausted!!!!

Sunday -
Again up rather early cuz of the cold.
Everyone left for Iowa around 9 AM.
Stacy , Dave and I got the tent down and got ready to go.
We went to Indian Lake and my Uncle Mark took us on a nice fun, relaxing boat ride!!! It was great!!
We left there around 3 went to Dad’s for ice cream and headed home. I had a nice nap!
Went to Boston Pizza for dinner.
Came home and I was asleep by 7:15!!!

Monday -
Back to work - BLAH!!
Went to Stacy’s - Printed invites and RSVP’s for the wedding - Had a it’s reallllly happening moment!!!!
One step closer to having them done!!

Tuesday -
I was VERY productive.
Called and made an appt to get the car looked at
Called and scheduled another drs. Appt
Ordered a battery charger for my camera
Ordered labels for popcorn bags and address labels
Ordered an address stamp for RSVP’s and Thanks You’s
Ordered direction cards for invites
Went to Spaghetti Warehouse for mystery dinner with Jackie and Bethany

Wednesday -
Made a to do list and actually got a few things done!
Dave didn’t get home til after 10 L

Today -
Mailed the contract in to the new photographer!!!
Bought stamps for RSVP’s
Trying to get some things done again tonight….but not feeling to motivated now!!!
At least this entry gets one thing off my to do list!!

Doctors!!!

2008-08-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

I am sooo frustrated tonight! I had an MRI last month, when the dr. sent me for it she said she would review it and then tell me what kind of specialist I would need to go to. So I get the results in the mail – everything on it was fine but to schedule an appt to come in. So I called in and scheduled the appt. I went in this afternoon for a 5:15 appt. and didn’t see the dr. til 5:45 and then it was for all of 5 minutes to give me a name and number to call and schedule an appt. So an hour of my time and $20 of my money for what she could have told me over the phone!! And she doesn’t even know if she is in my insurance plan. So tomorrow I call to see if she is in my plan and try to schedule an appt with the specialist.

When I got home Dave went through the freeze and we made a list of all the food we have so we can try to make a meal plan for the next few weeks. We have a lot more in there than I thought we did!! Which is a good thing. We have dinner defrosting for tomorrow and we will pick meals for the days we are going to be home and go shopping for the finishing touches. A step in the right directions – now for a little more follow through.

I tried to watch the DVR of Sunday nights Big Brother….and it was 60 minutes!!! How annoying…good thing you can watch whole episodes on-line!!

Overall a pretty good and a semi-productive evening. I hope tomorrow stays in the same direction.

Christmas and a cookout

2008-08-12T15:19:00.000-04:00

Last night the Gahanna Jaycees held this project. Kristi had wanted to have a cookout on her new deck all year and last night was the night! We all gathered there for some oh so yummy good - hot dogs, hamburgers, mac & cheese, fresh green beans, shredded potato casserole, strawberry dessert, chocolate cake, and some froze cakes. Anyone who knows me or has heard me talk about food much knows how picky I am. I ate some of allll of this…yes way to much! And it was all yummy!! After dinner we made some Christmas bulbs for the chapter to sell next month in a flea market. We had clear balls that we put paint in and swirled around. It was a pretty fun time!!! Thanks Kristi for having us out!!!

I also picked up our tables runners last night too - another check!!!

Checks and Half Checks

2008-08-12T11:32:00.001-04:00

What a busy weekend we had!

Friday -
After work Dave and I went shopping and out to dinner. We started at Kohl’s; we went in looking for shoes for Dave and ended up with clothes and toys for Stella and socks for me. Then to Bath and Body Works, a store I am not overly fond of and Dave likes to spend money at, to get gifts for shower hostesses. We got that all finished up so that is check number one! We went to dinner at Cheesecake Factory at Polaris. The one at Polaris just opened in the last month and I don’t think people realize it’s open yet! Normally when you go to the one at Easton on a weekend you have an hour wait. We went at 6:30 on a Friday night and waited less than 3 minutes!! The service was great, the food was yummy, and we had strawberry shortcake for dessert - VERY YUMMY!!! Then we went to Target - where we got more stuff for Stella for her b-day and wrapping paper, gift bags, and cards for Stella and the shower gifts! - A little side rant here - the cost of wrapping paper, cards, gift bags, and tissue paper is INSANE!!! Now I remember why I normally do very BLAH wrapping. But for a girls 3rd b-day you have add a little Dora fun!!! Then with less than an hour til closing we headed to Jo-Ann’s to pick up bubbles and candles for the wedding. We had enough coupons for Dave and me to each get 2 items for 40% off so I took advantage of having him out and about! Last stop was Petsmart for cat food - ECK! Dave has decided to start giving the “kids” a special cat food for urinary tract issues….OUCH - that stuff is NOT cheap!!!

Saturday -
Let the fun start!! We where up and out the door by 9 - man where did all this stuff come from to take to my parents?!?! We got to the Old Barn Out Back a little after 10:30 and waited til 11 to meet with Rev. Jerry and go in for lunch. He was very nice and seemed easy to work with. So we booked him - Check number two!! After lunch Dave and I went to Faurot Park so he could see where I wanted to have the ceremony - he approved. Yea!!! Then off to Kohl’s to get shoes for him, Walgreens to pick some stuff up and Wal-Mart to get a few more things we forgot. I think we finally got to my parents house around 2:30-ish. We unloaded the car and Dave started putting together Stella’s dollhouse from my parents. We have found it is much easier and less stressful if we just put the stuff together for them and before she sees it! We napped a little and then helped mom get dinner ready. Aunt Debbie and Rodney came down to have dinner and cake with us. Once Stella got there all she wanted was presents. To stall we took her out to the pond to feed the ducks and then came back and opened presents and had cake. She was more interested in the new toys than cake so she played and played….for hours!! Then she got in the bath and went to bed and Dave, Mom and I went and sat by the fire and had pizza pies and s’mores! Overall a productive, busy, and fun day!!!

Sunday -
We bummed around, played with Stella, and got ready to go. We left around 2 in the afternoon to head to Dundee Michigan to get round 2 of engagement pictures taken. On the way there Dave realized the town we where going to was the home a Cabela’s…he was sad we didn’t go up earlier!!! We met with Kelly and quickly started on the pictures since it was threatening to rain any minute!! We got about an hour of pictures in finished up and then it started to rain. Kelly is working on out pictures this will and will be sending us a CD of the images this week or next. I really liked her and the way she worked with us and took a millllion pictures!!! Here is the half check - we got pictures taken, now we have to make a decision! We got done in time we got to go to Cabela’s for about 45 minutes before they closed - that store is HUGE!!!! We stopped at Applebee’s on the way out of town and got home around 10:30 PM. We where both BEAT!!!!!

Grumpy!

2008-08-08T15:59:00.000-04:00

I have been very grumpy the last few days! Dave has been working late the last 3 nights. This will be great when the OT comes in on his check!! We can really use that money at this point. But that means I have been hanging out at home by myself the last few nights. I have gotten some stuff done around the house. But really I don’t have much go to get anything done when I am home alone. I would rather watch TV and waste time! But then later I feel bad because I got nothing done.

At lunch today Io went out to waste some time…and a WASTE of time it was! I went to the Goodwill store - the selection and items where BAD, the worst I have ever seen really. I want to Payless - they only have 2 styles in stock of dyeable dress shoes - both with over 3 inch heels. That isn’t going to work! Then off to Bath and Body Works - I forgot my coupon (the ONLY reason I was going) and then I looked and they don’t even have any kids stuff available right now. ARGH!!! What a waste of time. So all of the and I still had over 30 minutes left…so I went to Arby’s and hung out there while eating lunch….GRUMPY Carrie

Tonight we are supposed to go do some shopping and run some errands. That will be nice to get out of the house and attempt to have some fun for a little bit.

I want to go to JoAnn’s and use Dave so we can use more coupons to get a few small things. I would rather us both go and get 40% off two times than 20% of the total order. We have time and there isn’t anything we really need RIGHT now so it’ll work.

It’s going to be busy weekend - Meet with possible Reverend, Stella’s pre-birthday party, family fun time, more engagement pictures. But that will be a good number of checks off our list.

WHY?!?!

2008-08-05T14:32:00.000-04:00

Are things so difficult! I am having major photographer issues. We had our engagement photos taken the end of June. We got them back the first week of July. I didn’t like them. And it was JUST because of them being of Dave and me. They had bad lighting, one was blurry, there were only 10 to pick from, and they all looked the same! So I went back and forth for almost a month. Everyone I talked to said they didn’t turn out very good. I e-mailed the photographer last Friday with our concerns. I got a response on Saturday, but I didn’t think it was overly professional and she was a tad rude in it.

I have been looking for a different photographer for a few weeks. I think I might have found one. Dave and I need to go over things tonight and might be meeting her on Sunday! I am concerned about my wedding pictures if we stay with the current photographer. I looked at a new wedding on her website and again see blur and light issues. So we will see what we come up with. With our budget we can’t afford a lot but I do think this 2nd photographer has some good potential from what I have seen so far!

Last night Stacy and I went to our first fitting for our dresses. I think it went very well and I am looking forward to seeing my dress again in a little over a month!! I do need to buy some under the dress garments before we go back and see if I can find a bra that I like to wear and that doesn’t show when wearing the dress!!

I also got an e-mail from my aunt yesterday that she has started getting RSVP’s for my shower that my aunts are having for me in Ada on the 16th. I am getting excited to see everyone!! But I am kind of nervous. I don’t like to be the center of attention and having people look at me!!! I need to figure out what I am going to wear!!

I am currently working on the wording and stuff for the invites so Stacy and I can start printing them soon….time is going by TOO quick!!!

I Survived!!

2008-08-05T14:22:00.000-04:00

The camping trip that is! It was overall a good weekend.

Friday Night - Dave didn’t get home till about 6 PM so we finished packing up the last of our things - things I forgot or where to heavy for me to lift! And we headed off to Delaware State Park - which is only a few minutes from home. The longest part of the drive is from the main road BACK to the campsites - on average 10 minutes! As we started unpacking it started to rain - not sprinkles, not pouring - just a nice steady rain. Of course I forgot me pop up canopy so back on the road I went to get that from home. On my way back out of the park I did get to see 2 deer on the side of the road - which helped to calm me down SOME! I get the tent and sides and head back out. Unfortunately it was 7 PM by this time and I was HUNGRY, all I had to eat all day was sweets so I was shaky and not happy. So I ran through Mickey D’s for a light dinner. I get back to camp and I was in charge of dinner - pizza pies. This turned into a disaster (i.e. - Carrie’s breakdown of the weekend) and I was about to leave but my co-worker was camping next to us so I went and talked to her for most the night. I calmed down, had a s’more and headed back to our site to clean up the mess from dinner as the raccoons started to come out! And off to our tent I went. I slept OK - it was rather chilly/damp and we didn’t have a very big blanket.

Saturday -
We’ll Dave and I got up at 6:30, so we headed on home to shower and get this stuff to go to the range in the afternoon. We ended up being gone longer than expected going to Wal-Mart and Mickey D’s! We got back to camp around 9:30 and sat around and talked and cleaned up and then Stacy, Jimmy, Dave, Michelle and I headed off to the range. I hate guns!! But I did it - after Dave trying to get me to go for YEARS! We overall had a good time though. We enjoyed some yummy food - including some very yummy corn on the cob!!! And finished the night off with some Jell-O Shots, s’mores and drinks. Again - chilly and damp - but I survived!!!

Sunday -
We slept in til almost 9!!! Time to pack up - YUCK! I hate to pack up, it’s always HOT and who likes to pack up when you just get to look forward to going home! I had some bacon and sausage for b-fast. Dave and I packed up the car and where on our way hoe by 10:30-ish. We went home and napped for a loooong while and then when it started to cool off unpacked the car and took everything thing in the apartment.

Overall - a pretty successful and fun trip!!

Second Guessing

2008-08-01T12:14:00.002-04:00

AHHHHHHH...I am second guessing our choice in photographers. Okay I have been for a month. Since the day we got out proofs from our engagement session. After a month I have calmed down and sent an e-mail to her about my concerns.

Everyone who sees out engagement pictures sees something wrong with them. Many mention concern that she is the one doing our wedding photography. I keep hearing you can retake engagement pictures but you can’t re-do wedding pictures.

So now we will what her response is. I have been looking into other photographers and seeing about availability and pricing. Dang decisions!!!!

The Tent is Up!

2008-08-01T12:14:00.001-04:00

Yea!!!

We went to the campgrounds last night and set up our tent!! And we didn’t even argue, who know that could happen!

We also ran to Wal-Mart to pick up a few last minute things that I didn’t think of - batteries, bug spray, small flashlight for me, etc.

I picked up all the food we are supposed to take yesterday at lunch. All we need to do is load up the car when I get home and we are off! Yea!!! Hopefully this will make it a little more relaxing - until time to take it all down and bring it home.

DPL (Debt Proof Living) Summer Olympics

2008-07-30T13:56:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to get my (our) money under control for a few months. Okay more than 6. With trying to plan a wedding, Dave’s change in jobs, and a few other things I have let this get pushed to the side. It’s the little things that are killing me. I like to eat out - it’s VERY bad I know. But it’s so easy for me - stop on the way to work, run out at lunch to get a break from the office, get home late - order some pizza. This HAS to stop. I have to be accountable for my spending.

So today I went back to the Debt Proof Living website which I haven’t even looked at in MONTHS. The first post I see if about the DPL Summer Olympics. You have to start a personal financial project and complete it during the time of the Olympics. It’s a 17 day challenge - starting Friday August 8th - Sunday August 24th.

My project will be to eat out less.
Only spend $20 in 2 weeks on eating out/soda out. (I am addicted to Mickey D’s Diet Coke so I had to put a $$ amount on it. $1.07 a day adds up!)
Only eat out once for a dinner Dave or I pay for. (We are going to be going home to see the family 2 different times - if they are taking us out I am game!)
Plan out meals ahead for this time - make a list of items needed to prepare those meals and only buy what is needed at the store.

We have a good amount of things in the cabinets and freezer but have nothing in the fridge to use to make them! Milk, cheese, etc. We will get some free eggs from my parents so that will save us a little!!

Wish me luck!!

We’re going camping!

2008-07-30T13:55:00.000-04:00

We are going to go camping with our Hilliard Jaycees friends this weekend at Delaware State Park and I am pretty darn excited! I am looking forward to pizza pies, s’mores, and the wonderful smell of campfires!! And to make things even BETTER - it’s only 5 minutes from home so I am going to go home and shower J That makes things so much more tolerable!!

We went a few years ago and I had an OK time - but had the stress of making Saturday nights dinner - Grilled Chicken Breast, Corn on the Cob, and something else that I have blocked out of my mind! Anyone who knows me knows I think all this outdoors stuff sounds fun - but when I go to do it I can’t deal! I don’t like to sweat - ICK! This time I took the easy way out. I am in charge of Friday night dinner….pizza pies! This I can handle, and will be done before the weekend even really gets started!! So I can kickback and enjoy the rest of my time….as long as it doesn’t get toooo hot!

I am sure I will have some stories to tell on Monday!!

What a weekend...

2008-07-30T13:54:00.000-04:00

My weekend was supposed to be very simple and boring. Take the day off work on Friday and work the Jazz and Rib Festival and then just chill out the rest of the weekend around the apartment. I was going to clean some, work on wedding invitations. All of this got changed on Thursday night. I went home and our middle cat (who was the first one we got 5 years ago) was sick. He wasn’t really moving and just looked BAD. So off to the Vet we went. He had a urinary blockage. Let’s just say things didn’t go very well and we ended up having to put him to sleep on Saturday. It wasn’t good. He was Dave’s baby - but I still seem to be taking it very hard! Harder than I thought I would. So we pretty much bummed around the rest of the weekend.

Sunday we did go to one of the Delaware Preservation Park’s. It was a nice walk…Dave got some pretty good pictures.

Stop the World...

2008-07-24T09:13:00.000-04:00

I want to get off!

I go through this sometimes - just got overwhelmed for really no good reason!

Right now the main things I have going on are scheduling people to work and working the Jazz and Rib Festival this weekend. And of course wedding stuff - mainly invitations right now.

I have to admit - I was never a girl to have the dreams of a big wedding, or a wedding at all. And if we would have gotten married 5 years ago - we would have probably just done a destination wedding. But for some crazy reason in the last year I decided I wanted a wedding. This is very strange to many people who know me.

And really I didn't think it would be that bad. I love to plan events. But this whole things has taken on a life of it's own. I said I wanted a Simple Wedding. I have since learned (and been told numerous times) that the words Simple and Wedding really don't go together.

Since I never really had the thought of what I wanted my wedding to look like I am a little worried it is going to be very mis-match. But I have a few people trying to help me on that front to pull it all together.

My issue now is invitations. The FIRST thing I bought for the wedding. From Michael's - gotta love 50% off!!! Well when I did that I didn't think of think of things like accommodations and directions needing to be put in the invite. So now I am trying to figure out how to do all of this and pull it together so they all look right and match!!

So this has been my focus the last few days. And I am really not getting anywhere! I think today is the day....I am going to have to go beg a friend to see if she can help me!!

I love Panera!

2008-07-22T18:17:00.000-04:00

Since I got my laptop this year I think Panera is my new favorite place! (Until the Mickey D's in Ada opens) WiFi!!! I can get things done while I would normally be wasting time and shopping while waiting to go places.

What a busy weekend!
Friday - Went to work. At lunch I went and got the tags for my car renewed - I hate doing that. Next year I will do it early!! After work I went down to Indian Lake. We went on a boat ride, it was a perfect night! Not to hot not to cold to be on the lake. When we got back in we went to Froggy's for dinner. The place was PACKED! Tooo much for me. I don't are for large groups of people or loud noises. It was both.

Saturday - Mom and I went to meet meet the Day of Coordinator for the wedding and look at the reception site. Allison had some WONDERFUL ideas!! We also went to the park and found a few locations to have the ceremony. Then to lunch to go over flowers, set up, etc. It went very well - but I left with my head spinning!!!

Then mom and I went looking for a dress for her. We found one we both liked but she is afraid it isn't MOB enough..so we'll see if her friends approve! I hope so.

Then to Wal-Mart for a few items and back home. We met my dad and uncle at the Mexican restaurant in Ada. It was pretty good!! Nice to have some variety in town!

Then it was home to watch some TV....or in my case NAP! I napped for a little then up and talked to mom and uncle for awhile then finished the movie we had started.

Sunday - Bummed around then Jen came down to cut my hair the day went crazy from there. So I got my hair trimmed and headed home.

Yep after all of that I had to nap when I got back home again!!!

Overall a good and productive weekend. But now I have even more things I need to do. Well maybe not MORE but more brought to my attention!

MRI

2008-07-17T13:37:00.000-04:00

So yesterday I FINALLY went and had my MRI.

I was scheduled for it the end of May/start of June but I called and cancelled. I was looking into some insurance things which didn't really pan out. But I knew that a month ago and just kept putting it off. Last week the co-worker told me I needed to call and re-schedule. So I did. My nice dr. have me a small script for Valium since I freak out in small spaces pretty easy.

So I left work early yesterday and Dave and I headed down to the hospital. We went to the new hospital in Dublin that has only been open a few months. It was great! Everyone was VERY nice and helpful. (Even though we got there late)

I survived the MRI and should have results back in a few days. Then we will see where the dr. sends me next!

One more thing off my stress list for the week!

Now I Understand..

2008-07-16T21:09:00.000-04:00

What it is like to Blog. I have been a blog stalker for more years than I care to admit. I normally check a few everyday. When I go and check a blog and there is no new post - I'll admit I am kinda sad.

This week I have found myself multiple times saying I need to update my blog or oh yea - I could update my blog. But I never seem to get logged in and do it!

Saturday - Was a tiring, but fun and productive day!
*I got to Stacy's around 10 AM. We looked at some stuff on-line for the wedding.
*Picked out jewelry to order. (I am not going to order right now but I just wanted what I was going to order decided!)
*Went over the shower invite list.
*Went Culver's with Jimmy for lunch.
*Then the shopping marathon started!
*The Party Store - looking for invites for the wedding shower, didn't see any we liked but did find some plate's to buy for Stella's b-day party.
*The Popcorn Store was next. We tired a bunch of popcorn, figured out how much we are going to need to buy for the wedding...over 52 gallons!!! It was yummmy!
*Target - Added a few more things to the registry. Found invites for the shower that we liked. Just looked at bunch of stuff while enjoying our Watermelon Jolly Rancher Slurpee-thingy.
*Back to Stacy's to get JoAnn's coupons
*To JoAnn's - Got our frame and mat for the photo mat to sign. (and got an extra discount!!!) Ribbon for out bouquets. Paint for an aisle runner, and a few other random wedding things.
*To Wal-Mart - Not even sure why we went in there! But I did end up wondering the school supply aisle. I LOVE school supplies!! I got a new binder to try and get all the wedding stuff in one area...we'll see how that goes!!!
*To Jackie's to pick up pasta salad..picked up pizza...and FINALLY back to Stacy's at 10:55 PM!!!

So we got alot of wedding stuff done...but best of all. I got to spend a day having fun and spending time with Stacy!!!!

A few checks down - many more to go!

Yahoo! BB 10

2008-07-16T21:05:00.000-04:00

Yea! It is finally Big Brother time again :) Yes I know there was an extra season this winter/spring. But what would summer be without Big Brother? I am watching the 2nd episode on DVR right now. As of now just for her annoying factor I am ready for Remmy to go! I am not sure who I like the best yet. I normally takes me a few episodes to decide.

No I would never want to be on the show - not that social, and well they do ICKY and gross things!

ACK!

2008-07-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

So today has been wedding wedding wedding. I woke up to a dream about the wedding and NOTHING was done. Only 25 people showed up, it was in a SMALL room, we started an hour late and I had no aisle runner or programs. Sooo that made me start to make a list of what still needs done and what I need to buy.

*E-mail day of coordinator to set an appt to meet her. (Yes much to Dave's dismay I WANT one!! I would like to have a little less stress that day)

*I need a florist!! That is my main thing that is still not finalized. So I e-mailed a place today to see if he would give me a quote. I also sent pictures of what I want so hopefully it will go well. We meet with one florist 2 weeks ago but I am not sold on him yet. He was a little more than I wanted to pay. Yep I am cheap - but really I don't need that much so I don't think I am being THAT hard to deal with.

*I need to figure out invitations this weekend. See if I need to order anything.

*I need to buy a large frame/mat for guests to sign. And a few pens.

*I need to buy the aisle runner. And the items to paint on it. ( I NEED the monograms I ordered to come in!!!)

* The card box. Stuff is bought but needs put together.

*Engagement Pictures - They are taken. I e-mailed today to see if I can get them mailed to me (prints and CD). I am going to have to learn some photo editing to see if I can fix a few. I think we are also going to try and go take some more ourselves as I wasn't thrilled with the ones we got.

* Popcorn Buffet - I need to check bag size and see how much I am going to need to buy. Thanks Stacy for finding one of the bags I am looking out so I can see if it is too big or a good size!! Still need to do figure out the stickers to put on the bags.

*Programs - Need to see if I can do what I want with what we have....sometimes a small bridal party isn't a good thing!!

*Table Runners - I am buying some from a knottie. I should have all I need!!!

I love lists!!! I am trying to become more organized in my old age :)