Another

Three in one day! Wow! Got my list of things done I guess. It wasn't a very ambitious list. I really hate feeling crampy but my mood is back to normal.

The house smells yummy. The veggies are taking a bit longer than necessary to cook, but I'm in no rush. I ate a very late lunch today.

Today is Stephen King's birthday. Happy Day to my fellow Maineiac.

Why is my son doing his homework in MY room, using MY Macbook? I've offered to redecorate his room, getting him a desk and getting rid of the other bed. It makes it way too dark in there plus I can't stand it. I believe he is doing his homework in my room because I am in my room, trying to accomplish some written tasks, and he needs a study hall monitor. And he's using my MacBook because it is awesome and way better than any net book. Duh!!!

I really do not want to go to the staff meeting tomorrow. Not because they aren't fun. You know they are! It is just right smack in the middle of my day. 11-1. Gahhh! And every other week. Double gahhhh!

I LOVE red wine! All of it! My fave being a nice glass of Pinot noir. Followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Then comes merlot. I'm very excited for this year's beaujolais nouveau. It premiers in November, like it does every year. I'm currently enjoying a half glass of Pinot. My new wine goal for the upcoming year is to try to find a tolerable or should I say palatable white wine. I'm really not a fan unless it comes in the champagne variety. One I can handle is Ecco Domani's Pinot grigio. In my opinion, even a cheap red table wine can be good. It does not pay to go cheap with white wine. As far as grapes and grape juice go, I prefer white grapes. Always. Not sure why it is different with wine.

Okay, I think that is enough babbling for now. Tomorrow and Thursday will be so-so and back to work Friday. Blah. At least it probably won't be as bad as last Friday. Oh well. Que sera, sera.

Feeling Slightly Better

Took a nice drive to Jamestown for my CPR retrain, only to find out the times had been switched to another time. Ugh!!!! Now I have to take it on the 19th of October. The drive however has perked me up. It is 70 degrees out, not a cloud in the sky. The ocean is the bright sparkling blue that occurs with these fall skies.

I'm going to drop the baby and Kayla off at the lab and pick up a few groceries then pick them back up. It is certainly a beautiful day for a walk on the beach. Time to remember and to be thankful for our beautiful surroundings. It is so easy to take it for granted.

I'm very much looking forward to the roasted chicken dinner this evening.

Happy 5 Months, Bella!

I don't have a ton of time to blog this morning. If I were feeling more energetic I would be all done by now, but less energy=procrastination=even less energy.

So my list of things to do today consist of:
-shower
-get CPR retrained
-take baby to SCH for hopefully the last of the blood work
-pick up potatoes, onions, parsnips, carrots for tonights dinner
-cook tonight's dinner of roasted chicken and roasted veggies
-pick up Zach from football practice

I guess if I were in a better mood (not having my period) I would look at this list a bit differently, but because I am in this mood, I only want to see a list that says, stay in pajamas all day.

Unfortunately for me, tomorrow has a similar list.

I could look at the positive side of this bad mood. I made substantial headway in the reading I've found myself behind in. I DID get to wear my pajamas all day yesterday. I also got to spend some very quality time with Annabella. We finished up our day with two books and her falling asleep in my arms.

I don't want to be positive. I want to go back to bed and be resentful because I don't have a personal assistant to do all the things I don't want to do.

September 20, 2010

Some baby is 5 months old tomorrow! She will also be 22 weeks on the 22nd!

I have a busy week ahead but today I have nothing on the agenda. Oh sure, I had a mental list of what I hoped to accomplish today, but now I'm currently feeling blah. Went to bed with a headache, woke up with a headache. My period should start soon, judging from my horrible mood yesterday, not to mention the pimple I have on my chin.

However, coffee is slowly working its magic. I'm hoping to at least clean a little and finish organizing the house before winter sets in. I really want to repaint the ceiling and kitchen this autumn.

We're having real beef stroganoff tonight for dinner. Not the hamburger helper variety. Along with brown and serve rolls. I'm also making apple crisp for dessert. Thankfully, I bought all the groceries for this week's menu yesterday, for the second week in a row, so no time will be wasted today at the grocery store. I did forget the potatoes and parsnips for Wednesday night's roasted chicken and veggie dinner, but since tomorrow will be busy anyway with my CPR retrain and Bella's blood work, I will pick it up tomorrow.

Oh, and yesterday the sweetest little beagle mix (maybe Bassett hound) was sitting at our door. No collar. We asked the neighbors and nobody owns her, and she isn't from our neighborhood. We fed her and gave her fresh water. She met Sierra, who happened to not be so fond of her. There was zero aggression with Sierra or with food. Also no people or baby aggression. Assuming her health is okay, she'd make a wonderful pet. If only she were a he, she would have found her home yesterday! We all fell in love with her, but even though Sierra wouldn't hurt her, we all felt it would put more stress on Sierra, of whom we've expected a lot from lately. She's adjusted wonderfully to the baby and will become her best friend once the baby starts dropping food off her high chair! And she's had to share me with the baby. Not so crazy about that, but she's shown nothing but kindness towards Annabella. Not that she has a choice! The house isn't that big so we're all eyes on all the time.

September 15, 2010

Ugh! My blackberry screen is messing up. What started as a dead pixel on my screen that was the size of a period is now a line of about 20 dead pixels. My phone has not been dropped. It hasn't gotten wet. The only thing out of the ordinary is that I let my husband hold it for like 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure we have insurance on the phone anyway, but sorry, they are fixing it or giving me a new one. What good is having a blackberry if you can't use the screen? Technically, I have to keep the phone till next July or August, I think, but we both want the iPhone when it comes to Verizon. They usually offer buy one, get one deals, PLUS you can video chat with the iPhones! Super cool and will make our separate traveling times more bearable. Obviously, we could Skype if we wanted, but that is lame. Being able to have a phone conversation while seeing the other person without being tethered to a computer is awesome! Seriously, I remember being in like first grade and the teacher talking about how things will be in the future and these phones feel like that future! The only difference is that I envisioned these phones as wristwatch like devices. And I'd really hoped we'd be hovering above the road in our flying cars. We've pretty much accomplished all that our ancestors had envisioned for the future. Now is the time for us to dream about what the future of technology will be like for our great grandkids.

Think about it. We have t.v.s that hang on the wall, with the new led LCD ones being almost flat. We have video phones. We have the capability to eliminate the need for heavy textbooks, using quality book readers like the iPad, not the junk they're currently marketing in the form of Kindle, Nook, and the Sony book reader. Even the invention of the microwave is still huge. You never know how much you rely on it till it breaks. Can you imagine what our great greats would think if they could come visit for a day? Video games with almost lifelike reality. Interactive video games such as the Wii. Media streaming directly to our televisions, eliminating the need for the chunky push button cable box.

I dream of smart houses. A remote that controls everything or even a control room in the brain of the house. The master of the home sits in his chair in the brain room and sets temp controls, water usage, pool temps, switching to solar power when appropriate, setting the security system. All this technology exists, but is still pricey to the average homeowner.

Funny how the single most important invention/discovery for humankind is still penicillin.

Happy Anniversary!!!

It was actually yesterday. I was so happy to be able to spend the whole day with my husband. I needed that day. Unfortunately, our anniversary happened to fall on the one day that I was desperate for sleep. Consequently, we spent the first ten and last three of those hours in bed! I don't think we're complaining about that but I do think we'd have appreciated a little energy during our awake time.

We got lots of presents from each other. Most important to me was spending the day together.

I got the menu and grocery shopping done for this week. Huge save in time for me. Made for a long morning on Sunday but frees me up for the rest of the week. Tonight we're having baked Mac and cheese and Caesar salad. My Yankee candles are burning. I'm slowly getting the house straightened up. The windows are all opened. About 72 right now. Pretty darn perfect day. I was hoping to get some reading in, but I have to run Kayla to the store in a bit and drop off Zach to football practice. After that, it'll be almost time to get dinner prepped.

We got a bigger tv for the living room and hung up the previous living room tv on the wall in our room last night! I love it! 35 inches on the wall at the end of the bed.

Little Miss Bella-boo is 27 inches today. She is growing like crazy! She loves her Fisher Price jumperoo. Loves commercials on television. She loves her toys and loves snatching Sierra's tail when Sierra walks by. She has quite a funny personality already! She will be 5 months old next Tuesday! Her hair is thickening up and getting longer. She also has the cutest dimples when she smiles. She stares intently at you when you're eating your food yet isn't so crazy about her baby cereal and bananas. She's getting the hang of holding her own bottle and will probably start using a sippy cup in another month or two. She is getting more and more mobile every day. She scoots, pushes, or pulls her way across the room. Does get up on her knees trying to crawl, but we have hardwood floors, so we are thinking of getting an area rug for her to learn to crawl easier. This first year is flying right by. Very sad for us. Exciting for her!

9/12/10

Tomorrow is our anniversary! Excited to spend some time with my husband.

Right now I'm enjoying dinner, a movie, and a glass of wine. I'm incredibly thankful for the blessings in my life. I have a closet full of nice clothes. I have lots of shoes. Lots of books, music and other media. Just about every tech gadget available. A safe house to reside, in a very safe neighborhood. A beautiful ocean to look at every day.

What is most important to me though is my family. I have a perfect husband. Great kids. A wonderfully precious doggie. AND a little miss Annabella! I would not trade lives with anybody!

Pumpkin Lattes

Yum!!! A sure sign of the approaching holidays is DD's pumpkin latte. Kind of like seeing eggnog in the grocery stores. That will probably start happening soon, too!

Mitch gave me an early anniversary present. I received my newest Uggs. These ones are the new Bailey triplet in chestnut. Love them! And him! I already ordered his early anniversary present too. Fed Ex will probably deliver it on Tuesday since Monday is a holiday. But he probably already knows that since he checks the credit card statements and I do not. Which probably explains why I got an early present myself. Kind of sucks having both our names on everything, especially when he obsessively checks things. Isn't easy to plan a surprise.

I am planning on sitting in the sun today. I pray the humidity is gone. I want to be able to sit outside and read and relax.

9/3/10

Officially the longest day at work ever! Significant health issues with a client, down three staff, and have manager and asst. manager on vacation. My friend Scott has worked 91 hours this week. I will have worked 47. That is 17 more than I want. Things are really not looking up in this department. Blech.

Took Zach to watch Earl role in. The really big waves aren't going to hit till around 8 pm. Everyone was down at the water. Kind of annoying. This is the last tourist-y weekend. Goodbye and good riddance! I've actually seen Nor'easters bring bigger waves and heavier rain and it is only us locals around to enjoy them.

Heatwave

I *think* this is supposed to be the last day of this heatwave, this heatwave, hopefully being the last of its kind for the year. Simply a crazy weather year this was. Real snow for the first time since moving to Rhode Island, and I was thankful for it! A MAJOR flood that still has Warwick Mall closed for renovations till Spring 2011. Not to mention leaving about 2000 people that worked at that mall, jobless. No rain at all really this summer. Would have been perfect if not for the month of July's 20+ days of 100 degree heat combined with high humidity and poor air quality. August brought us more of the same. Oh yeah, and I didn't mention last fall/early winter, but I recall still having beach days in November and December. Pictures to prove it!

A hurricane is coming! Actually it looks like Nantucket will bear the brunt. Too bad for them, but I believe we had a flood this year ourselves. Here on the southern coast of Rhode Island, we are expected to get winds in the 60-70mph range and storm surges of about 2-3 feet. Pretty mild actually, since I've seen winter storms around here cause more of a storm surge. Like the time I was at the stoplight and the wave crashed over the wall and dumped a heavy load of ocean water and foam onto my windshield, completely freaking me out because I wasn't expecting it. The kids and I love going to the beach during stormy weather, when the waves are huge. I could watch them for hours.

In other news, Bella-boo went to the hospital yesterday. After she woke up, her fever just kept rising. 103* is too high for me to just ride it out. Mitch and I were still thinking ears at this time. NOPE! A UTI, bless her little heart! Antibiotics were started and we're treating the fever with Tylenol and motrin, piggybacking them so she is in no more discomfort than she has to be. She still isn't eating much. She did suck down two bottles of pedialyte at the hospital. I was a nervous wreck yesterday but my friends and family helped me get through it. Being a Nonny is way scarier than just being a mom, I've discovered. My daughter did a fantastic job and she didn't get nervous at all except when I did about the high temp and I said, "okay, we are going to the emergency room.". Up till that point, we were planning on riding the illness out till her doctors appointment on Tuesday. Finally, I just decided I'd rather be told I was over-reacting than to have something be very wrong. Turns out, we did the right thing. The uti would have spread to a bladder infection or possibly even a kidney infection and we would have all been extremely miserable by Tuesday!

Good news, her immune system works and she weighs 15 pounds and is 26 inches long! She is otherwise an extremely healthy baby, the doctor said, and couldn't get over how alert she was. Doctors used to make the same observations of Zach when he was a baby. He was miserable being a baby. He was a big boy trapped in a baby's body, is the only way I can describe it. Bella is very much like her uncle in temperment and in activity. I actually think she surpasses Zach in activity at this age. The only good thing about this fever is that she finally wanted to cuddle.

I was playing peek a boo with her last night. She laughed two times when I would peek over the blanket. After that, she lifted up her end to find me herself, and then I was laughing! I was like, "you're cheating!". Another sign of genetic proof that she is her uncle's niece! He can't play a game without cheating! Definitely gonna get her signed up for gymnastics as soon as she can walk. They call it tumbling when they're real little. She is a little powerhouse of energy and we want her to use this energy for good and not evil! Poor Sierra!

Happy September!

My favorite month of the year because our anniversary is on the 13th. Not to mention, the weather is usually very dry a nd our beaches seem empty with just the locals on them. Ahhhhhhh, heavenly. I wait all year for this month.

Rhode Island has issued an air quality warning. Hmmmm, explains my burning and stinging eyes and burning lungs. Should have been issued yesterday. Maybe they should just step outside instead of reading scientific instruments! We are safe and sound in our little air-conditioned home.

The baby may have an ear infection. She started running a 101.3 temp yesterday. Slept most of the day. When she wasn't sleeping she was just kind of lethargic and whiny. No sign of cold or stomach upset. Her ear felt very warm to the touch. She moves none stop when she's feeling well, so to have her just want to cuddle, is a sure sign she's off. Technically, a fever of 101.3 warrants a trip to the ER for an infant, but having survived raising three of my own, I assured Kayla we could probably make it through the night. We got her comfortable and she slept through the night. Usually ear infections don't allow for that in my experience, so I am still hesitant to drag her to the ER, which also in my experience always turns out more traumatizing on my child than the actual illness. She has a doctors appointment next Tuesday. Obviously, if the fever is still on the high side, she is going to be seen today, but if it goes up and down today, we will treat her discomfort and just keep a close eye on her. There's no congestion at all, not even a hint of a runny nose, so I don't think it is any kind of flu. Four months is around the age the baby's own immune system starts kicking in, so they often will run a temp because their body is starting to fight germs on its own. This is actually a good healthy sign that her body is working like it is supposed to. She is 4 months and 11 days. Well into that phase. If it is an ear infection, but she's sleeping and eating and not screaming all night, then the doctor can decide on Tuesday if it is severe enough to be treated. My kids were not given many antibiotics, aside from penicillin for things like strep, and I'm trying to stress the importance of that to Kayla.

Still it is a bit scary. She is just a sweet baby and I don't like having her uncomfortable one bit. I just wish I could take it all away!

Weird Day

I slept horribly last night. Didn't even try to sleep in because really that is just setting me up to making this a trend. Tonight, I'm going to retire early. I will read for a bit, but I want my eyes closed by 10 the latest.

I got about 1/2 mile in this morning for my workout before I gave up. Even if it is going to be hot, I can usually manage to squeeze in 2 or 3 miles if it is early enough. I was out there at 8:30 am and halfway up the hill, my eyes were stinging from the extremely poor air quality. It was already 87 degrees by that point, with extreme humidity. Gah! Not fun. Now my lungs are congested from breathing that crap in.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow where Hurricane Earl is supposed to make land fall this weekend. Rhode Islanders and people on the Cape are hoping it goes by us. Currently it is a category four with 135 mph winds. Awesome. Earlier during the weekend, we had a severe high surf warning due to Tropical storm Danielle. Should make Labor Day weekend interesting to say the least.

My anniversary is in 13 days! Really feels like we've been together forever. Not in a bad way, just in a we know what we're thinking, gonna do, gonna say, kind of way. Last year was NYC. A carriage ride around Central Park and the VMAs. It was a magical night. That all followed the hugest of huge fights. Hmmm, marriage isn't dull that is for sure!

Ahhhhhhh

Just the baby and me for a few quick minutes. Zach has a football game. Hayley walked to the little store up the road to get us some snacks. Kayla went to the library to do some studying.

Bella is napping. She's been fed, bathed, played with and rocked to sleep. Sierra is next to me, while I blog. Listening to some iTunes and organizing my house. Things are coming together since I began my reorganization. I have little projects for my downtime when I have days off. Which I have plenty of!

Today I dusted. Swept. Mopped. Going through piles of old mail. Seriously wish I had a paper shredder for that. Candles are going. Incense burning. Walls bleached and wiped clean. Really just gearing up for flu season. 95+ degrees outside. I sat outside for about an hour and a half before it got way too hot. The air is going nicely and I even had to turn it down a little.

Sunday

It is 8:45am and I have the whole day ahead of me. Not sure what I want to do. A part of me wants to grab my bike and head over to Block Island on the ferry. Or spend the day at Beavertail in Jamestown, or head to Blue Beach. We haven't been there in two years. Or we could just spend the day at Our beach. Or I may just decide to lay in the sun here at home. Really depends on how hot it is going to get today. Supposed to be in the nineties the next few days. The problem? I really do not want to drive anywhere. I'm really done with traffic by the time I get a day off. Done with traffic lights, stop signs, people in the wrong lanes messing the flow up, moronic pedestrians and people that insist on driving below the speed limit. We all have places we want to be. Is it too much to ask for a driver to actually focus on driving and planning out their route before they venture out? That means looking at the road instead of talking on the phone. I have no problem with people who talk on phones and drive. I do. Just don't be in the wrong lane and expect the world to stop so you can rectify your mistake and STILL not put the phone down!

Plans?

Not really any fun plans. I had to drop Zach off early at school so he could catch his bus to go to his football game. First one of the season. He'll call around 1 to be picked up. I'm going to try to sit in the sun. It is supposed to be in the 90s all week. Awesome. 90+ degrees is too hot for laying in the sun. I'm going to the beach tomorrow and Monday.

Zach starts school on Tuesday. For once, I don't feel as if the summer flew by. I feel as if it kind of dragged on.

Friday, Friday

So glad today is done! Busy day at work all around. Glad I'm only there one day a week.

I took a lovely super hot bath with my Aveeno Lavender body wash. Relaxed a little. Having Asian chicken wraps for dinner. Now I'm going to cuddle with the baby, hen cozy up in bed with my book and hopefully be off into dreamland before 11. I'm having my period so going to bed early-ish is just what the doctor ordered.

I have chapped lips right now. Driving me crazy.

FYI: I'm NOT impressed with AT&T's 3G service for my iPad. Right now it is searching for the network. It does this most evenings around 6, 7, or 8ish PM. My cell service is Verizon. I will be sticking with Verizon because a little birdie told me that Verizon would be carrying iPhones this winter. Till then, I will be sticking with my Blackberry. And Verizon. AT&T, you suck!

I want nothing more than to go back in time a few days to my days off. I had trouble sleeping last night. It got too hot in the bedroom so I woke up and could not fall back to sleep for the longest time. I will not be able to sleep in tomorrow because I have to work and Saturday morning seems so far away and I think Zach mentioned he has a football game anyway, so he will probably need to be dropped off early. No chance of sleeping in on Sunday. Monday it is! I know, I know, I could have a crappy M-F job and never get to sleep in!

And just when life seems so...blah...little Miss Annabella gives me a smile or does something very cute to make me smile. Bella so wants Sierra to join her in her fun, but aside from a lick or two, Sierra just watches her from across the room. She is not jealous or any more protective of the baby than she is the rest of us. She's kind of ok, whatever about the whole baby thing. She does get nervous when the baby cries, but that is about the only time she acknowledges her existence Sierra is just such a good dog. She definitely knows how to go with the flow.

I gotta go jump in the shower. Kayla's boyfriend Mark has an interview in Newport at 10, which I'm taking him to. I have to be at Janice's at 2. Hayley has an interview on Friday at 1. Kayla's classes start soon. As soon as football is over, then Zach needs to get his driver's Ed done so he can get a job. He really wants one and will get hired very quickly. He's smart, good looking and presents well, has a good sense of humor, etc etc. He could have one now, but he needs to be focused on school. Football takes up so much of his free time and he is most definitely NOT an overachiever. This school year finds him in Algebra II, French I (because "he's done with the Spainards!"), chem and History and American lit. Should be an interesting year for Mr. Lazybones! He's hellbent on going to URI. It is an interesting enrollment. I personally not encountered one student that demonstrates any kind of intelligence whatsoever, yet my cousin Nick applied there a few years ago and didn't get accepted. Mind you, Nick was straight A student, just got accepted into med school kind of kid. So I guess I'm confused as to the acceptance process. Anyway, I'm not going to worry. Zach and Mitch have his life all figured out and he won't have to pay tuition in Rhode Island because of Mitch's job. And in two years, I get to move into a fancy condo in the city.

I STILL Don't Like Wednesdays

Even though I don't really work on Wednesdays anymore, the 2nd and last Wednesdays of every month are spent in three hour long staff meetings. The first Wednesday of every month is the three hour committee meeting that I attend. I get paid for the meetings so I guess it would be classified under work. I've been attending these meetings for three years and I believe there's only me and one other person that are original cast members of the ever changing group. The funny thing is, when I go over my notes from three years ago, we're talking about the SAME things!!! Super waste of time in my opinion.

It's days like this that I dream of a coffee/bookstore job but then I come back to reality when I remember that I'd have to deal with customers all day and I'm not a people person. And I'd make like 1/4 of what I make now. No thanks.

Tomorrow I'm buying my candles and hopefully will be in the vicinity of a Walmart so I can pick up one small tote for the last stack of books. I also need to plan out next weeks menu. Zach goes back to school on Tuesday and it will be very stressful the first week or two until we figure out his football practice/game schedule. By figure out, I mean what times I have to pick him up, when is Mitch picking him up, what days I absolutely can't get him, etc. So if I have a menu in place, I won't have to waste time trying to think up something to cook. It worked well for us last school year.

I have to drop off a movie in the Redbox. Hopefully pick out some new ones. There's slim pickings these days. That should change since the Blockbusters and Movie Galleries are all closed.

I suppose I have to get ready. This day has begun whether I wanted it to or not. I really enjoyed my last four days off and I'm sad to say goodbye to them.

Crap

I finished up two Yankee candles in two days. My last tall one will finish up today. I still have the two medium ones I bought two weekends ago with Mitch. Now is the time to buy. I just got a promotional coupon $10 off an order of $25, plus I can use it with the buy one get one 50% off. So two large candles for $35. I will order them online Thursday night. It is a flat rate $5 shipping fee, but it saves me gas and/or tolls going to Cranston or Newport.

Thursday with Janice, I need to pick up one more small tote for the books I have in the corner. These are books I haven't read. The books that I have read are going to the book donation drop off. I'm trying to free my place up. Put away a few baby items that seemed to just be taking up space more than actually being used. I can still get to them if I need to or if we want to switch them out.

We're in the final countdown of "newborn" phase. Bella is doing the military crawl and crab walk scoot to get to things. It'd be easier if we didn't have hardwood floors. Actually it is easier if she is barefoot; then she just slides around. However, she is getting very frustrated not being able to do more or move more efficiently. She gets her knees tucked under her pretty well and kind of dives for things. Like I said, we're on the downward slide of things. She's not interested in the newborn stuff. She's always had excellent head/neck control, even from birth, but she tires less easily now. Does well in her Bumbo seat. She's only in it about a half hour at a time, but she's content in it a little longer each day.

She will definitely be walking in a few short five months. Hayley walked at 9 months. Kayla was 10 months to the day. Can't remember when Zach officially walked because it seems like I carried him till he was twelve. Always his preferred mode of transportation. Being hauled around by his mommy. She definitely has more drive than the three of mine. Really wants to participate in things like a big girl. She is also fascinated by cellphones and my iPad. I have some first words sight apps for her, and all she has to do is touch the screen and it switches to a new flashcard. The computer also pronounces the word. It has animals, foods, baby toys, colors and shapes and letters. It is never too early to start the reading process. Of course she benefits from reading aloud cuddle time, too. I just want Nonny's girl to be very prepared for school. All of Bella's grandparents are willing to spring for all sorts of lessons and activities when the time is right. I started gymnastics at age three and I DO hope she loves the sport as much as I did, but I will survive if she likes soccer. I want her to find her own niche and discover what she likes, but I also want to encourage in her an appreciation for some finer things. We already started her off on the Boston Pops! When she's older, like early teens, I really dream about being able to include her on our travels, to Italy, Greece, Ireland. I'm gonna have lots of fun with this girl!

Today's Not Writing

Today was not spent writing really, though I did blog this morning. I finished my block project. It is fabulous. I will post pics of it soon. Other than that, I spent today grocery and household shopping. AND cleaning! It was a rainy day so I took advantage of it and cleaned the house.

The house looks organized again. The bathroom was scrubbed out and sanitized. Time to get back into anti-flu mode. I've also cleaned out the fridge. Always a nasty job. I washed the floors and febreezed the curtains and couches. Now my candles are burning and I have dinner simmering on the stove. Italian stew. I even slept in a little this morning. All in all, a very satisfying day!

I have one more corner to organize and then the house will be complete-ish. Once I sit down, I always see a million more things to clean or dust.

Not sure what I'm doing tomorrow. It is supposed to rain again. I'd like to catch up on reading and things along that line. It is so nice to have this rain. It is only in the seventy degree range. Feels nice. Did I mention this was a satisfying day?

My crafty mood paid off! I'm in love with the photo blocks I made. I ended up stopping at an unfinished wood furniture store and they had 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 wooden blocks for $.26. Can't beat that! They would have cost more at the craft store! I printed off baby pics of Bella, some letters that spell her name and bought some scrap booking paper in a print I could live with, and some Mod Podge. I am picking up some fine sandpaper today to finish the antiquing process. They are adorable as is, but I want them to have a more finished effect. I picked up a little mantle shelf kit for like $7 and the blocks look perfect on it. Assuming I'd had the supplies (the Mod Podge, foam brushes), this project would have cost $1.20. I also picked up some large photo blocks from the craft store. $5.99 a piece. Did the same with that only using just pictures. Cute, but I prefer to pay for my wood reasonably priced and not amped just because it is in this store.

Next up, I'm going to buy the wood ornament cut-outs and apply the same techniques and make ornaments using the kids pics, Sierra, etc., Christmas wrapping paper on the backs.

Exploring

I've been exploring lots of crafty and/or green blogs. I'm really into this Apartment Therapy bloggish kind of site. I subscribe to it on my Flipboard on my iPad. Anyway they usually feature creative people and what they've done to create a nice place using their small space. I think to qualify, it has to be under 1000 square feet. It has been fairly inspirational and features a lot more homes in my taste range, as opposed to the ones in home design mags, because really, who likes that? I also watch some crafting shows, so today I'm just brimming with crafty ideas.

I really like the idea of revamped thriftshop finds. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Also, one particular blog I'm starting to love, revamps clothes. She makes the CUTEST girl dresses out of t-shirts, old dresses, skirts, bandanas, vintage pillow cases, you get the drift. The dresses take 15 minutes to make. Of course it takes me that long to thread my machine! She also has a way of bringing new life to aging camisoles and tanks, because like skirts, their hems rise and fall drastically season to season!

I've ALWAYS been a clothes horse. That'll never change. I've also never liked seeing things I own on other people. It kind of loses its cool for me, when everyone has one. I'm not talking about staples. Obviously, leggings are in. It is fine for everyone to own a pair of black leggings. It is a trend staple that one should own. Plus they're super comfy no matter your size. I used to love the first day back to school after Christmas vaca to show off my new and hopefully unique clothes.

Gah! I can talk clothes all day! My point is, I'm excited about this new prospect.

Another Day

It is very nice out today. I'm running Hayley to the DMV and I have a meeting to discuss behavioral data for my latest job responsibilities. Fun fun. I'm pretty sure it is as simple as putting the updated copies in the permanent binders. What I really want to do today is get some sun, if it doesn't get stinking muggy out.

I have my iPad loaded with various news sources, which I read in my Flipboard app and in my Slate app. I also subscribe to various mags on my book reader apps. This is how I spend my mornings and evenings. Reading current events, tech trends, celebrity gossip, movie and book reviews and NY Times long reads. It got me to thinking about our current state of technology availability. I read somewhere this morning that the number of devices connected to the Internet are supposed to hit like 5 billion by the end of this month. Crazy. I can get my email in five different venues at least. My Blackberry, my Wii, the PS3, iPad, Macbook, iPod touch and Zach's PSP, and Mitch's Droid. Ok so that is 8. That's excluding net books and other laptops in this house. I'm really never not connected. Honestly, I think it can be a little overwhelming. I have music loaded on every device. Movies and podcasts. I'm all prepared for that day that I'm bored out of my mind or lost in the woods for a day or two, assuming I have a device. Except that day hasn't come. Even when I'm bored, there is always my blackberry, which texts, emails, IMs, calls(who does THAT), face books, tweets, blogs and is even loaded with Office. And I wonder why I'm exhausted after a day off.

This is precisely why I am dragging my feet about my 20th high school reunion this weekend. I already "see" everyone daily. We are minute by minute updated on all our lives. Need a prayer? Facebook. Need cheap car referrals, advice, services? Facebook. Somebody always knows somebody. Weight loss buddy? Done. New haircut reviews? Done. I get to Maine more often than I'd like sometimes, so I visit people face to face as my time allows. I don't feel like if I don't go that I will be missing anything. I highly doubt that I will be able to thoroughly catch up with everyone in my class in a day and to even think of trying overwhelms me. I think some people want to go if they have something to prove or if they were fat in high school and are now thin or what have you. I'm pretty much where I always expected I'd be at age 38. I have nothing to prove. I show my family off daily on facebook and my blog. I'm pretty much the same girl I was in high school, just better educated and probably a little bit nicer, though that's debatable. And my high school friends are in the same boat. We're all comfortably middle-class, except for Allen and his Jag convertible! Lucky duck! :) All have kids. All of us are educated.

I'm sure I'm going to be inundated with up to the minute pics, video calls complete with drunken "get here this minute! You JUST missed Billy fall off the bar stool!" pleas, video
play by plays throughout the day and evening, so I will certainly feel like I'm there.

Still More on NOT Writing

My last post developed a mind of its own! Happens when I'm passionate about a subject and learning processes are among those subjects.

My original post was going to be about my efficiency of NOT writing. Ugh! I need a writing office first and foremost. A place with little distraction, yet it needs to have everything I would need like: coffee maker, filters, creamer, sugar, coffee, snacks, microwave, mini fridge, electric tea kettle. Judy Blume has an amazing office retreat. Check out pics of it on her website. It is fabulous!!! I once passed a car in NY that had JBlum on the license plate. I think it was her but it was like a Honda CV or something. Judy Blume would have a way cooler car than that! But maybe she has obnoxious fans so she tries to blend in, but then why would she put Blume on her plate? So only her true, non-obnoxious fans would recognize her, and nod in her direction, knowing she needs her creative space so she can work her magic, of course!

Instead of writing, I've done a lot of reading about writing. And filing. And cleaning. And cleaning up my filing. I'm probably now the most organized person in my current field. Not necessarily a good thing. It isn't that difficult to stand out. What's that line? The one from Waiting, when the character Mitch says it is like being called the smartest kid with down syndrome. Completely inappropriate, especially considering my current job, but sort of true in this sense.

I spend a lot of time looking at people in my fine state of Rhode Island and comparing them to Family Guy characters. Instead of writing. I also do a lot of driving. It is impossible to get lost in this state. Every road eventually ends back on Rt 2. Trust me, I've tried!

My yard is a highway for the most wild animals I've ever seen in one area, which is saying something since I lived 35 years in Maine! I have deer, rabbits, birds, ticks (boo), coyote, raccoons, skunks, fisher cats, wild turkey, Canadian geese, and the occasional bear gets spotted in town. We also have great white sharks that summer here with the tourists. I wish they'd eat a few hundred. It's odd being so close to three major US cities (Providence, Boston and NYC) and be so rural. In Maine, you generally have to search for animals, but that's because their natural habitat is left mostly undisturbed.

Then of course, there is the fine Internet highway that is easy to get lost and sidetracked on. Everyone is a writer. Everyone is a critic. I was in a used bookstore the other day and found several books on Getting Your Songs Published. Huh? Is there a big market for this? It should have been titled Getting Your 'Getting Your Songs Published' Book Published!

Anyway, this post a huge digression from my current tasks at hand.

On NOT Writing

The summer is winding down here in Narragansett. Can't say I'm sorry to see the tourists go! September is the month us full-timers look forward to very much. Tourists gone, ocean all warm from the hot summer, our beaches are free again. You get the idea. It has been an odd summer though, which is another reason I'm glad it is on its way out. Pretty much hit the 100 degree mark every day in July. Being surrounded by ocean on three sides makes us humid all year round, but this summer was ridiculous. I did not work out or lay in the sun for most of the summer. Even while at the beach, most days were too hot to enjoy yourself, unless you stayed in the water the entire time, which is hard to do with a sleeping baby in the cabana.

Our major goal was to acclimate Bella to our seaside lifestyle as quickly as possible. She's been a trooper! Loves water, the colder the better! She was a perfect angel for our 24 hour 4th of July in Boston, even sleeping through the fireworks and cannon fire and most of the Boston Pops concert. I hope I've helped Kayla realize that you don't have to sit out on the fun just because you have a baby. I had three under the age of 4, and it didn't slow me down much. You just have to plan ahead. Where's the baby going to sleep, have enough diapers and wipes, food etc. Babies can sleep anywhere if they're comfy. Also we made sure there were enough hands to pass her off to if she were to get cranky, which she didn't. Worst case, we'd leave. I think babies respond positively to adults who seem like they have the situation under control. Babies sense fear, tension, anger and happy and calm. So back to the acclimating. She's been on every road trip this summer. Been on every day outing. Like I said, a real trooper.

Babies absorb everything at this age. Every new thing they see forms a new wrinkle on their brain. The more wrinkles you have, the smarter you are. That's why it is so important for the baby to be out of the house at least once a day. It improves vocabulary skills, which a lot parents don't think about as long as their kid is saying mama, dada. Well kindergarten comes fast and so many children end up seeing a speech pathologist the first few years of school because they have speech pattern problems or trouble with sequencing and comparisons/ contrasts, which is bigger, smaller, which part of the story comes first, etc. Reading to your baby is the number one thing you can do for her, but ensuring they are well socialized gives them a confident foot forward, as does talking to them constantly. I'm not an expert but I am an English teacher. Don't think we can't pick out the kids that sat in front of the television their first five years of life.

Attitude is Everything

I got a lot accomplished today, even though none of it was really for me! Janice had a doctors appointment and then some kind of advocacy meeting and then errands to run. I DO get paid for this. Rather nicely to boot, but today was supposed to be my day off. Days off are important to me so I can work on my writing and catch up on things here on the home front. Honestly though, if I'd been home, I'd probably mess around online and not accomplish much anyway!

So

It's been over 48 hours since I purchased anything from the Devil, so I should be able to post my review AND get a new book to read and review. Lesson: sometimes you have to get in bed with the Devil. Irony: this is a supposed Christian book publisher. Things that make you go hmmmm! I hate hypocrisy. Things start out good and well-intentioned and then greed takes over.

Don't get confused by the word. It means saying one thing and doing another. I don't pretend to be good or well-intentioned, because rarely am I. What I am not is a hypocrite. I'm a selfish person, I have about ten minutes of good in me for the random stranger in any given day, I can be shallow, but I'm NOT superficial, and I struggle daily with letting God lead my life. I'm pretty honest about this and I am who I am. God made me imperfectly, so when you see me doing something nice, it is because of Him, and He deserves all the credit!

Ok now I'm off to Booksneeze!

I'm up early. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep early, but I didn't look at the clock before I went to bed. I'm sure it was 9ish. Zachary has football practice till noon. Mitch is at work. I have to get the coffee brewing, my nails done and then run a few more errands. It appears the have rained during the night and I'm not seeing any sun at the moment, so maybe we will have a much needed rainy day.

I'm not feeling terribly creative this morning, writing career wise. Hopefully after some coffee that'll change. My goal for today is to work on some character sketches.

8/15/10

It was a nice time shopping today. We got two new Yankee candles. Autumn Leaves and Autumn Fruit. My house smells yummy. If I wasn't so tired, it might have been a better time shopping. I'll go back tomorrow to get my nails done and to pick up some groceries.

Now we're just relaxing at home, watching some movies and getting ready for dinner and some good wine.

Big Hugs.jpg

Such a sweet baby!

High-maintenance Coffee Maker

I must have the slowest coffee maker on the planet. I have a Krups duo coffee/espresso machine. Slow! Not sure if this a brand quirk or not, as I know someone else with this trouble, with a similar machine. If my timer setting worked, I wouldn't have to complain, as I could set the timer when I go to bed and have coffee ready when I wake up. I'm notorious for hanging onto appliances just because they still work and this one takes the cake! Any unsuspecting person could walk into my house and think they could just make a quick cup of coffee the usual way and they'd be wrong.

First, you have to decide how many cups you'll need. I usually make 8 or 10, but it could make 12 if it worked right. See, if you want 8 cups of coffee, you have to fill the carafe to the 9 cup line because it eats a cup of water EVERY time! I have no idea where this extra cup goes. Mr. Krups is thirsty. This is why I can't make 12 cups, because I have no more room in the carafe for that extra cup. If you don't add that extra cup, and make it the right way, you will be minus one cup than you put in, and it will be strong! For instance, if you fill it to the 8 thinking you'll get 8 in return, you're wrong I already mentioned its slow speed and faulty timer. It also needs special care when putting in the special #4 filters. I like to dab my finger in water and touch the rim of the filter once it is in place so as to adhere it, otherwise, a corner or whole side of it will flip down and now you have coffee grounds mixed in your coffee! And there are some mornings that I am in no mood for all this foreplay! So I then go to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks.

I never want to give up my coffee habit. I have cut down on my latte/coffee expenses. We have learned how to brew our own coffee so it tastes even better than coffee shop versions. If I'm just staying home, I brew my own. I only buy coffee when I'm headed to work or running errands, as a special treat. Sometimes I even bring my own coffee from home because I prefer the taste now. Even when I'm back in Maine, the lattes I get from Ampersands don't taste as good as the lattes Mitch makes for me. I still visit Ampersands but it is for the memories and friendships. I spent 1998-2007 going to Ampersands every day. That is $11,497.50 they made from me in 9 years. It was worth that to keep me relatively sane. I would have had to spend a lot more on medications and therapy for a similar effect, I think.

On a different note, I organized my crap for work! Yippee!!! I am now using a larger binder than I've been using, with more room and an expandable file section that I have labeled for each client that I support. Room for my calendar and mileage sheets, as well as expenditures for work, receipts, etc. I don't care to carry a million different folders or use my car as my filing cabinet, like some of the people I work with. This folder has a handle so it has a briefcase like feel. If I out grow this one, then I will need to make some career decisions because really, I don't care that much about this one, to lug that much crap around, suggesting I do.

My Monday AND Friday!

Yes, that's right! Fridays are the only day of the work week that I work at the day program and have traditional 7-3 hours, so Fridays feel like Mondays in the morning, and come 3 o'clock, they become the actual Friday that they are. I even feel as exhausted as I do putting in a full week! Figure that out!

The day program zaps my creative energy so my guess is my blogging and career pursuits will be cut short today. I'm going to relax, eat some dinner, and crack open a bottle of wine. I will take a nice bath before bed, with my Aveeno lavender body wash and put on some comfy jammies and pop in my go to put-me-to-sleep comfort movie It's a Wonderful Life and put an end to this day.

Oh my gosh! I just looked at the clock! It is only 3:30! Oh my oh my oh my!

Ugh!

So my link to the review I wrote for the Devil (Amazon) is STILL not showing up on my site, which makes it difficult to verify with booksneeze.

It has been a long day! Took Janice to her appointment today in Providence, then ran some errands and picked up items for dinner. Spent my free time messing with that stupid Devil site. One more day. That is all I'll give them!

I have to officially work tomorrow. 7:30-3PM. I've basically been working 40+ hours in two days. Crazy, but oddly better than dragging it out all week. As soon as we hire more bodies, I will hopefully be only working about 30 hours. Salve Regina University starts back in September. I have committee meeting stuff going on, now that I'm a Safety Skills Trainer. Zach's football has started. And now, I get to maintain behavioral data for work. Lucky me. I desperately need to get back into my organizational swing. Plus I need to make time for writing! I'm going to put it on a big block calendar and see what blocks I can highlight for writing/reading, work, play and exercise.

Now, it is Bella time!

Review of Booksneeze

Okay before Booksneeze was Booksneeze, it was a cool publishing site that would send you a free book for you to read and then review on your blog. You read. You review. You blog about your read with a review and then they send you a new book! Cool. Except now they've teemed up with the Devil, Amazon.com. You have to post your review to your blog and now Amazon Typically I like Amazon, but in order to post a review, you have to have bought something from them. Hmmmmm, way to go for screwing up something cool! I have bought things from amazon, FYI, but to be forced to? I think I may be taking my business and reviews elsewhere.

Eric Wilson

I review books for Booksneeze and the latest book I've read was Field of Blood: Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy-Book 1 by Eric Wilson.

This book was very entertaining. Historically and biblically accurate, with vampire lore mixed in, Wilson takes the reader to Akeldama (Aramaic for field of blood) where some construction work is about to begin. This site also happens to be where Judas Iscariot, Jesus' disciple, reportedly took his own life, after betraying Jesus. It is also where the "souls" of the demons called Legion, are laying in wait for new hosts to invade.

The "souls" invade and excitement and horror ensue. I'm very much excited to read book two, and have passed this book on to perhaps the biggest vampire critics I know, my teenage daughters.

My iPad

I have been a proud owner of my iPad since July 28th, 2010. I'm going to attempt to give it a proper and honest review.

The packaging was neat and trim and PRETTY. Important first impression. Out of the box, still neat, trim, pretty and very lightweight! I could not wait to get playing! I want to mention I got the best of the best version. Complete with wifi AND 3G capabilities. Just shy of $1000. So imagine my surprise/horror when I turn it on and I only have iTunes on my dock. Say what?! Where's my, I don't know, EVERYTHING??? Not even a calendar. None of the stuff that my Macbook came loaded with when I bought it two years ago. All I got was a message screen saying I had to hook up my iPad to a computer with iTunes. Now, just imagine if I owned say, a Dell, and this Dell did not have iTunes. Maybe I use Limewire or whatever! So I would have to download the latest version of iTunes before my $1000 toy could be played with. Or God forbid, I didn't already own a computer. What then? Luckily for me, I own a computer. With iTunes. So it wasn't a complete backfire.

Other than some griping about what I had to do to set it up, I've had a wonderful experience. Most apps I've added are free. I have bought a couple. I love that I have Amazon's Kindle on this, as well as other book readers, so I can download books and magazines and read them wherever. I have friends that have the Sony book reader and a Kindle and this by far, beats the individual devices, which I will no longer have to purchase.

Things I don't like:
No files (would it kill them to give you a drop down menu that let's you create a new folder?)
No camera

I do want to point out that this toy was created for existing iPod Touch/iPhone users, who expressed that they would use their device for everything, if only it had a bigger screen, thus implying the iPad has everything.

I feel that Apple had a great opportunity to really take technology to a much higher level and instead basically enlarged the iPod Touch. This was an opportunity to offer a full computer with all the handy options of the iPod touch. Blowing all competition out of the universe! I am in love with my toy and can not imagine life without it now, but cell phone companies already offer net books with 3G and this could have been that WITH a touchscreen. A camera would have made the newest coolest thing ever (video calling) even better, because it is so much simpler than Skyping, or traditional webcam on messenger.

I also feel that Apple needs to do a better job of screening the developers of the apps they offer. With free apps, it isn't a huge deal, but if I'm sinking some cash into an app, it had better be all that it said it would be and offer excellent tech support. There are good guys/girls out there, that blow the competition away, but you have to find them In and around the d-bags just trying to rip people off!

All in all, I give my precious 4 1/2 stars out of 5. If Steven Jobs had been a tad more generous, or if he is willing to give me a marketing job and free lifetime upgrades, he'll get 5 stars! I'm sure he doesn't care because he already has my money!

Up Early

Up and in the shower before 8, so it feels early, but actually I was asleep before midnight, so that is almost 8 hours. I feel rested, which I haven't been able to say in a long while. Writing all day yesterday certainly helped my mood, as did not leaving my room except for bathroom or coffee runs. Not getting out of my pajamas was nice, too! I can't remember that last time I did that, excluding sweats or yoga pants. I'm talking real pajama bottoms.

Now I'm waiting for the coffee to brew. I have a few errands before picking up a client and heading to the Washington County Fair. The kids are tagging along for the excitement. That means we have to all be in the car by 11:30. I need to stop at the p.o. for a stamp. Mail that stupid letter. Pick up coffee filters, more coffee, so I have no surprises tomorrow morning.

It has been nice having these days off from work. Usually after I take a few days off, I end up feeling more tired from cramming everything into a few short days and stressed out about what will be waiting for me at work. I'm not sure what was so different about this time, except that I don't start my workweek now the morning after vacation. I don't meet with David till noon on my first day back. That is how it will be till I either get a schedule change or a new job.

The job hunt, or career hunt, I should say, is overwhelming. There are so many people out there that buy a laptop and call themselves writers. I thought hard about this last night, because really, I have written nothing as of late, except my blog. My creative writing days are long over. I haven't written anything of substance since Welch Everman died. I did post a nice obit for him on my blog in my archives. He's been gone about 5 years now. With his passing went my reluctant audience, my mentor, my friend, my professor, academic advisor, critic and favorite storyteller. BUT no more excuses! He would not have wanted me to take a five year break, because frankly I'm not talented enough to take any kind of break at all! He can still be a part of this process. He's in my head and his stories are a part of me.

To rectify the above, I have signed up to a few writing websites, mostly to feel pressure to write and to have a way to build my portfolio, but also to surround myself with writing peers and to get the feel for writing again. I spent a couple of hours on one site last night. I'm afraid there are more people on there that are professional time wasters than I could have imagined. A few serious folk, but mostly just a lot of people trying to do anything but write. I did find a site that suggested different exercises to improve writing technique, which I'm excited to work on. Basically character sketches, name banks, sentence structures, etc.

Time to get ready. I'm sitting here with a towel wrapped around my freshly washed hair.

IMG01509-20100810-1844.jpg

Intimidated?

IMG01508-20100810-1842.jpg

Nonny'sGirl.jpg

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

IMG01290-20100727-1827.jpg

Jamestown, RI

Techno Savvy

I may never Flickr again! I synched up my Blackberry so I can send MMS messages directly to the blog, which means I can post pics and video from my phone to the blog via the phone. No computer necessary. I may never use my digital camera again if remains this easy!!!

Latest of me.jpg

OMG! This actually works from my phone! Love technology!

IMG01295-20100727-1839.jpg

The cutest baby EVER! :)

Brown hair gold highlites
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable

I haven't flickr blogged in a lonnnnng time! Just trying it out again!

Okay Folks!

This is huge! I'm posting after an incredibly long hiatus! I'm back and I promise more consistently! A little back story on the reasons behind the break. First Annabella was born! It has been an exciting 3 1/2 months having her around. Secondly, the drama for the most part is GONE from my life! My husband can be thanked for that. While I don't miss the drama of the single life, my life doesn't have the angst and excitement being single provided. I've struggled a bit with decisions. Either to let go of the blog completely, or create a new one, etc. True fact: I miss blogging. Tried writing a journal. Still going to maintain that for my innermost private thoughts that being married does no longer allow me to share with blogworld. For the record, hubby said I can write what I want, but I find myself censoring my own thoughts more out of respect for our life together. I could maintain a new blog, however I have been blogging since 2004 and I am very proud of that fact, and starting anew feels much akin to starting over. I've come to the conclusion that I have grown and so must the blog. Duh? Right? But understand, growing up=boring in my mind up till this point. I have been feeling like I have become a very boring individual as of late. My life has revolved around parenting, which is way more difficult with them aged 20, 19, and 16 than it has ever been. Trying to get them out of the house and on their own. HARD!!! What little time I have, I try to split with cleaning the house, cooking healthy tasteful meals, being a good Nonny, catching up on reading and FACEBOOK. I am a Facebook junkie. Make that a blackberry junkie. Make that a technology junkie! I'm addicted. I'm always online because my phone has the Internet with unlimited service, so I have no incentive not to be online. I can be reached by text, phone, IM, FB, or email instantaneously 24/7. It is like being in Times Square. Meaning, I feel like I do when I'm in Times Square. Alive. In the now. Part of life's inner workings. Sooooooo, all of this time wasting has left me needing more and more time to spend wasting. I realize this is a long paragraph but it IS all relevant to this paragraph.

My plans for the future of this blog will be career oriented and motivated, with a dash of family anecdotes as they come, and journaling Bella's growth and accomplishments. I hope to focus on my writing career, whether it be reviewing books, movies, music and techno gadgets, or just plain editing and proofreading. As always, I will continue to journal my relationship with Jesus as it plays out. I will continue to blog on my health pursuits, exercising, fad diets and latest work out gear. I also plan on scheduling my days. I currently work most of my 40 hours in just two days time. That leaves many days that need a more formal schedule. If I want to be a serious writer, then I need to get serious.

April 13, 2010

So Annabella is due a week from Saturday. The doctor said she was head down and had dropped into position. Locked + loaded as I like to say. Kayla is also dilated a bit. Any seasoned mom (having more than one pregnancy) knows all that means nothing. Some of us have been told the same things and gave birth two weeks later. Some of us were told oh you have plenty of wait yet, only to give birth two hours later! Little Bella will come when God says it is time. It is a unique time for her to be born. My entire family is still reeling from the loss of my grandfather. If anything good can be had from that loss, it is that it has brought us all back together. Little Bella has her entire family waiting for her arrival. My grandfather was so excited about her. My grandmother is still so sad. To others, she appears fine. I can see it in her eyes. She's here because she has to be. I know it takes time. I'm just not sure we'll ever get her back.
Ok this post took an unexpected turn. In other news, I am keeping up with my hour of cardio a day. We're continuing to improve our eating habits. I gave up red meat for Lent. Definitely cutting out all extra or hidden sodium and preservatives. It truly is amazing what the FDA let's you consume after a bit of research. Annabella will be all organic when she's with her Nonny.

After the baby is born, I'll go home. Give Kay a few days, then the following weekend I will pick up her and the baby to bring to RI for a bit. Kay has a few weeks off from work and her class. Plus I want her to rest while she can and help her get AB on a nice schedule. All three of mine slept thru the night. No pacifiers. Zach had a baby blankie. Zach STILL has BB. He sleeps under Zach's pillow. So many grandmothers don't get the opportunity to be so involved. I'm going to enjoy it. Kayla + Mark both feel I'm a great mom and welcome my help! I DO have to admit to having great kids!

Thoughts for Today

I can't stand when people subscribe to the "mommy's boy/daddy's girl" theory. They've clearly never attended any post-secondary child psych courses. By saying that, one is basically accepting that lack of a parental bond based on gender as an expected social norm.

My oldest daughter clearly prefers Mommy over Daddy. Hayley would prefer me as well, other than we are very much alike in attitude and honestly when she was a baby, her dad bore the brunt of the responsibility as Kayla was 17 months and was vocal about needing my attention. Zach has always been equally a mommy and daddy's boy.

I DO know Annabella will be MY girl! :)

April 8, 2010

Grouchy today. I slept well. Not sick. Just grouchy.

Yesterday was glorious outside. Today is chilly to me even though the sun is shining. Next week will be sunny but 60 and 70. I prefer 70 to 80. Summer is close but not quite here. Maybe that's why I'm grouchy. I'm not one with any amount of patience. I want summer and I want it now! I suppose I need to work on that.

Zach had a great golf day yesterday. So happy for him.

I suppose I should clean something. The house is in good shape. It is days like this that I let slide and then it is a disaster again.

Happy Easter!

Laying in the sun on this fine Easter day!

Hope everyone has a happy holiday! Remember He is RISEN! What a beautiful thing! Because of Him, I can be me, only a better more refined version.

Happy Happy April!

Ok so I'm working out on my recumbent bike and blogging on my phone, so excuse any typos or mis-spellings.

Baby shower this weekend. Grandmother's 80th b-day bash with all the fam. Minus Mitch and Zach.

RI made national news with our flooding of the Pawtuxet river. No big deal for us on the coastline. Minimal water but lots of rain. 20 mins north of us and there is about 3 feet of water on the roads. The kids and state employees got a "rain" day. A first foir them.

15 minutes to go on this thing. Then shower, tan and read my Bible. Have to catch up two days. Have the next 6 days off. Yay!

March 29, 2010

The rain is relentless. I don't mind really. It is a good day to stay in. The house was cleaned today. I didn't do a dang thing Sunday except stay in my pj's and play video games with the kids. Today I cleaned. Swept, dusted, organized, rearranged the kitchen, put the stuff going to Maine in the back of the car, talked to Meghan, my Aunt Teen and my daughter, picked up Hayley and Zach and dropped Hayley off at the library. Actually I'm surprised Hayley, Zach and I are functioning at all! We stayed up till 12:15 AM this morning playing Wii Sports. They got up on time for school and I was out of bed by 7:30 AM. No harm done I guess. We'll sleep great tonight! Sierra has slept all day! She sleeps through the night as well. I think she has confused herself as being a cat. Okay, I'm starting to hit a wall. Mitch will hopefully pick up Hayley on his way home from work. I'm gonna play some Wii golf and try to stay awake.

03/24/10

It is nice having 5 days off in a row. Kind of like a mini vacation.

Munching on some organic, raw almonds. YUM! Then I found out they aren't "really" raw. It is against the law to sell true raw almonds. These ones had to be pastureized, which. We know kills virtually any antioxident properties. Damn government. Let me make my own decisions please. Oh well, they are still full of potassium, no cholesterol, no sodium and low carb. Plus supports organic farming. Really not interested in supporting farmers who use pesticides. I think eventually, Americans will unite on this and force farmers to explore organic options. Anyway, all I can control is where MY consumer dollar is going. Cancer and autism is still on the rise and I feel the FDA needs to thoroughly investigate pesticides and artificial hormones AND the bad crap they add to vaccinations.

Tonight, we're having pulled pork sandwiches. I put the leftover pork shoulder in the crockpot and made a homemade bbq sauce. I can't believe how GREAT my sauce came out. I was going to use store bought, but I hate MSG and extra sodium. Headache city for me! I even have a few secret ingredients. I'd like to try it out at a county fair! Lol! Oh well, the house smells delicious!

My bathroom has been thoroughly de-scummed. Oh AND Mitch finally found that asshole dead mouse stinking up the joint. He was under the fridge. Making a nest. And met his death ala the fan! Haha you little jerk. You could have lived in my cupboard in complete harmony, but you got greedy. Unfortunately our resident bathroom spider succumbed to the harsh lysol mildew spray. Didn't mean to kill you, just the nasty germs that make people sick.

March 22, 2010

I wrote a post Saturday, but my Blackberry lost its mind just as I was getting ready to post.

So here I go with a more abbreviated version. Or should that read 'an abridged version'. Who cares.

So I've been baby browsing for Annabella. My daughter is a grandmother's dream. She has left all design options up to me as long as there is lots of pink. Wise on Kayla's part because she knows I have a far "finer" taste than Walmart or the horrid Burlington Coat Factory have to offer. Seriously, what they are peddling as quality is u-g-l-y. Not to mention, BCF is a store that offers factory seconds or thirds. I'm going to try Pottery Barn Kids to look at some crib blanket sets and design options. We're (Kayla and myself) are more into color as opposed to some lame animal print or theme. Definitely no animals, unless they are of the stuffed variety.

Also not impressed with department store stroller combos. Again with the horrid prints.
Baby shower is the Saturday of Easter weekend. I booked the conference room at the Hampton. Shannon and I will arrive a bit early to decorate and set up the food. Cakes are done by Allison. Should be quaint and tasteful, with about 25-30 people. Looking forward to seeing my baby. Will probably be the last time before she delivers. She has 5 weeks left. Annabella, or Bella as Mitch wants to call her, has an excellent head start on her library. Nonny's been stocking up on books for my sweet girl, not to mention Uncle Zach has his huge collection in storage, some of which were Mommy's and Aunt Hayley's. So we will pick her up a nice bookshelf and put all her books in it. Hopefully she'll love to read, considering who her grandmother is! :)

3/18/10

This cold is kind of kicking my butt. Slept ok last night with the aid of Nyquil. Still kind of wheezy and out of breath this morning when doing simple tasks like showering and getting dressed. Other than that, it is draining its way out of my system.

I desperately need my nails done tomorrow night. My manicurist will not be happy with the current state of affairs.

I'm sitting outside in the warm sun and fresh air, trying to let nature heal me. My dog just spilled my juice. Mitch spilled my juice two days ago. I wish they would settle down.

I'm going to tan this afternoon. Haven't been since last Friday. Feeling pale and pastey and sickly. Will be glad when early spring turns into early summer!!!

The birds are VERY noisy this morning. Doing a lot of fighting from what I can hear, sitting on the porch.

3/15/10

Now I have a cold. I feel yucky. Hayley passed her permit test. Cool for her! She'll be helping out with the driving soon. Zach has to take driver's ed now. Unfortunately his schedule is even more difficult to work around.

Tonight I'm making roasted chicken and roasted veggies (parsnips, potatoes, carrots and fresh green beans).

3/13/10

Mitch is sick with a cold. Hayley is completing her last weekend of driver's ed. Zachie starts golfing on April 1st. Kayla's baby shower is April 3rd. Easter is April 4th.

The weather is warm though. Spring is here!

3/11/10

I can't find my Bootcamp Booty dvd! I'm tired of looking. I'm also tired of that putrid smell. It isn't as bad as it was, but it is still there. Probably a dead mouse or bird or other rodent type creature that died in the wall. Sooooooo gross. I almost can't stand it.

Yesterday was a long day at work. I had a weird dream about Annabella. Kayla had her, but we couldn't find her at the hospital and one of the doctors said there was an emergency and they had to move her and didn't know if she was ok. So me, Mitch, Kayla and Grandpop, my grandfather whose been dead for 12 years, were all in the van driving to a different hospital to find her. We did and she was fine. Very cute too!

I guess I'm headed out for a jog around the neighborhood before it rains. Hopefully Hayley finds my dvd before this weekend. It is going to rain through Monday.

Itchy Eyes

I certainly have a love/hate relationship with early spring. Itchy eyes, puffy face, stuffy and or runny nose periodically throughout the day. Coughing and SNEEZING! Yet the sun and new earth smells are just so inviting! I can't stand the idea of wasting a day indoors when the weather is precipitation free. I actually don't mind precipitation under the right conditions. Evening snowstorms when you bundle up and go play in the snow, when you have nowhere to go the next day. Rain on hot hot hot days, when you just sit outside and wait for it to start falling.

Between Mitch and I, the kitchen got a semi-thorough cleaning. I'm talking behind the fridge, behind the stove, the sides of the stove once it was pulled out. I cleaned off the DUST and grime on top of the fridge 2 or 3 weeks ago. Still can't find the original source of the smell. Mitch thinks it is probably a dead mouse in the wall. So so so gross!

So my list making obsession is paying off. I make a menu usually two weeks at a time. Then I make a grocery list and we buy the items specifically for the menu. Sometimes we do our regular food shopping at the same time. Sometimes I like to wait till I'm hungry for that kind of shopping or we never get any good kind of snacking stuff. I'm a chips and dip, salsa, nacho cheese kind of girl. LOVE my afternoon snack items. Anyway, the menu is saving us time and probably money. Saving money on food isn't usually our driving motive, unless we've spent the last seven days dining out, which we've been known to do. But saving on the time we could spend together is. All those million little trips to the store chew up a big part of our after work evening time together. By the time one of us goes to the store, comes back, we start dinner and eat, we find we sit on the couch to catch up or just cuddle and we're asleep in less than a half hour. This makes us cranky and crazy. This seeing each other but not SEEING each other. Some real time together makes a HUGE difference in our moods and how we interact.

Anyway, I have about 15-20 good working recipes, that Mitch, Hayley and Zach have given a ten out of ten rating. I made a list of brand new recipes to try out on them. I was hoping to add at least a few more recipes to my repotoire, as I was getting bored cooking the same things over and over. Turns out, they loved all eight of the new recipes! So now, I can usually go about 20 days without repeating a meal, knowing it is nutritious and/or organic, and because all the items are all in the cupboard, meals are usually done by the time Mitch gets home from work. And I don't have to spend my days off from work running to the grocery store, roaming aisles, trying to figure out what we'll have for dinner.

A Smell...

Is coming from my kitchen area. I can't find it. Now Mitch tells me it could be a dead mouse. How effing gross is that? I am completely sickened and desperately wish I had kept Chloe (my cat).

New readers are welcomed always. It is just odd sometimes when somebody is specifically looking for something. Blame my over-reaction on past blog stalker issues. Um yeah, we all remember the debacle of 2007? I HATE censoring my thoughts on my blog and someday I will post a very uncensored response regarding that time.

Moving on...I need to get to the bottom of that smell!

What's the Date?

All I know is it's Monday. I have Mondays off, so they are typically glorious, even when the weather is off! Oh, today is the 8th. And the weather is PERFECT! Perfect for spring clean-up and laying in the sun! Once it starts getting too warm, you have to get up and jump in the pool/ocean/lake every 20-30 mins or so.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. We swung our clubs a little, picked up the grounds a little, ran to Walmart, sat in the sun, and ended our day with a sunset walk down on one of the private beaches.

This morning, I've been toying with the idea of heading to town or scarborough beach with Sierra for a walk and to read a little, while she chases the sea gulls. Then go tanning and come back here to sit in the sun. The kids both have meetings after school so I don't have to get them till 3:30ish. Maybe Mitch will get out a little early and can grab them on his way home.

All I know is, I really needed these last couple of beautiful, sunny, warm days. I've been kind of short with the people I love this past week. True, I'd been sick, and I'm never chipper when I'm sick, but things got a bit stressful and it made me cranky. Mitch and I have had a fairly drama free existence the last few months and I'm happy with status quo. I feel we've successfully settled in here in Narragansett. I truly feel this is home to me now and not like I'm living someone else's life. Anyway, it is spring and I always get a bit crazy around the time the clocks change. My anxiety just increases. It takes a few zen days at the beach to settle back into my skin.

3/6/10

It is soooooo warm out today! The best news is we'll have a whole week of this beautiful weather. I love days when you're just comfortable outside. Not too hot and certainly not cold! Laying in the sun tomorrow! YAY!!! Mitch and Zach will be doing yard work. Probably will head to the lighthouse side of town tonight to watch the sunset. LOVE my beach town!

Debating

On what I want to do with my time today. Obviously I am going tanning. I will probably just relax around the house.

My husband has not texted me yet today. Grrrrrrrr!

3/4/10

Yesterday was filled with horribleness, but it got better as the day wore on. Ultimately, all of the little crappy things seemed to happen within a quick succession of each other. It could have all been sooooo much worse and Mitch and I admitted that we've had a long stretch of GOOD blessings so we were due a crappy day.

The good news is everything worked out and we NEVER have to repeat that day again! The best news is that we are going to have a WARM spring weekend this upcoming one and hopefully some yard work will be accomplished!

Also, I had a great day in my new sneakers. I love the look of new sneakers on my feet. I feel like a grade school kid again, when EVERYONE had to have Nikes, and everyone would oooh and ahhh when someone would get a new pair.

Asics Experiment Update One

My first mile and a half in my new sneakers today. No blisters, no complaints. No tightness around any of my toes. My Nike Zooms are a bit more cushiony and definitely more lightweight, however they don't allow for lots of toe room and I even have very narrow feet. Asics scores in the fit department. I won't have a solid opinion till I put them to the true test...4 miles. If a shoe is going to give me trouble, it ALWAYS shows up before (in the case of a very bad shoe) or around mile 4.

I Hate Tuesdays

For a number of reasons. It means I go back to work on Wednesday. Boo! It means Mitch has to work late. Boo! It means Sierra has to spend seven hours alone. The only day of the week she's alone.

I DID however sit in the warm sun for about an hour. Caught up on all my reading. Cleaned and organized yesterday. My acai juice experiment is kicking in. The brand we bought is a bit pricey compared to regular juice prices, but it has concord grape, blueberry and cranberry juices. Not to mention the FIRST ingredient listed is acai puree. I'm also increasing my green tea intake. I'm up to about 30 oz per day. One or two cups of coffee and lots of water. I'm also not eating any red meat during Lent. The last two times I've had filet mignon, while delish, I've not felt good for DAYS after. I don't have trouble with hamburgers or ground beef in meals. Not sure why steaks, GOOD CUTS, are giving me so much trouble.

That's RIGHT

I have a book buying problem. New books. Used books. Old books. Library book sales. Audio books. And now even books downloaded to my Mobi Reader. I must be stopped! My husband is useless against my powers of persuasion!

Happy March!

Mitchie bought me new sneaks yesterday! I think I'm going to love them. I'm doing an Asics experiment. Typically I am a die-hard Nike fan for my jogging/exercising needs. For instance: LOVED my Reax. LOVED. Love my Nike Zooms just wish I got a size bigger. They are a narrow shoe and fit my foot like a glove, but when one runs, the foot tends to spread out and can even swell a full size in hot weather. But they are super comfy for work. Love to look at my shox but they go up too high in the back and cause listers/bleeding on the high side of my achilles tendon. Ok for work or running errands. My chuck taylors are white and I want to keep them that way. Only good for dry days. My Adidas running sneakers are a bit on the heavy side but I do wear them on the work out days that I want to give my feet a break from my other shoes.

I will keep you all posted on the Asics experiment because these shoes are not cheap! If you're going for looks, stick to the Nike or Converse genre. New Balance does NOT get my vote. I got the grey and yellow trail sneaks back when they were all the rage. Good hiking shoe, not appropriate for running and I think it was being marketed as a "trail runner". It is sturdy for hiking on sharp, rocky ground though. Never tried NB running shoes, as they are a bit geriatric for my taste!

2/26/10

So I got some pictures of my favorite "baby" of all time. My sweet Emily. Long-time blog friends will remember her from my Preschool teaching days in pics with Zach, who happened to think she was the most superest baby girl in the world and requested I have a baby just like her! Anyway, I'm not going to re-post recent pics of her on this because there are a lot of crazy people in the world and she's not my own child, therefore I am not making decisions about someone else's child. I will probably post them on FB or myspace at some point only because I KNOW everyone I've "friended" and my pages are private. Suffice it to say she is BEAUTIFUL. Still has the perfect little face! Long hair now. She's all grown up and in school and very smart!

On that note, hard to believe my sweet Bailey-boo is 10! And Samantha Dawn will 11 in July!

On another note, what the heck is wrong with some babies these days? There are quite a few that are over a year old and still not walking or talking. All of mine were walking by 10 months, as did I according to my baby book. My girls were potty trained by a year and a half. Zach was 2 before we started the process but he was easier than the girls as I recall. Anyway, Jessy and I were talking about it the other day. We just personally have seen lots of parents lugging around toddlers who SHOULD be toddling!

Christmas lights

Whats wrong with Christmas lights in February? A lot of people leave them up year round. We will be the first ones on the block to have them up next Christmas.

I will take care of the lights this weekend. I have been meaning to for 3 weeks and everytime I went to, it snowed! I love the weather here! I'm excited about the spring, Jennifer loves the summer and going to the beach. She gets so excited on nice days, it makes me happy! Man, I love her! She is perfect!

February 25, 2010

I think I am going to take my husband plant shopping this weekend. I want two more hanging ones and some kind of indoor herb garden. I hope he and Zach can tackle the front porch and lawn at some point. (Christmas lights and wreath). The next ten days look mostly mild and rainy. Mid-forties to low fifties. Typical spring like weather. It would be nice to have at least one unseasonably WARM day this next month. Nothing like a top-down day in March!

2/24/10

I feel like crap! I have a sore throat, a headache and fever. On top of that I am having my period, so I am crampy and sore and tired. Not really grouchy. Just not feeling like I'm on top of my game.

I can't wait till this day is over.

I love her!

I just wanted to tell everyone that I love Mrs Jennifer Stone! I got home from work to a beautifully clean and well smelling home. Then she tried a new recipe and it turned out perfect like her. She does so much for me and I love her for it! I just wanted everyone to know how wonderful she is, if you already didn't know. I LOVE Mrs Jennifer Stone!

2/22/10

I started off today on a grouchy foot. After spending about 2 solid hours cleaning and de-cluttering I am starting to feel a little better. I appreciate the help that Mitch, Hayley and Zach give me around here, don't get me wrong, it's just little things they either just don't see or pretend not to. Such as: dust, cobwebs, the filth on top f the fridge, dust under the couches and chairs, tabletop clutter, cupboards that could be wiped down, etc.

I figure if I can get the living room, kitchen and bath in order, than this next weekend we can maybe work together to get the bedrooms done.

I also think I may forgo my expensive boots I wanted for Valentine's and get the new coffee and end tables Mitch and I looked at last fall.

Anyhow, floors are swept, mopped and vacuumed. Counters and tables cleaned and sanatized. House dusted. The top of the fridge cleaned. Stove degreased and scrubbed. Appliances washed and/or dusted. Candles are burning. Hopefully Mitch, Hayley and Zach come home to a fresh smelling home.

2/20/10

According to my up-to-the-minute weather satellite app on my smartphone, it is currentle warmer in Narragansett than Washington,DC. Caught up on some of my shows that I miss during the week. Zach is finally coming home. My stomach is making funny noises.

I LOVE Rhode Island!

...and NYC too, but am sooooooo glad to be home here in the wonderful, beautiful Ocean State! I will gladly live without palm trees to be surrounded by pretty, young, busy, young people. I love our ocean and our beach. I love that our bodies of water are BLUE! Everything down south is a nasty brown, except for the ocean. We have beautiful birds on our lawn all year. Only a few go further south than us. Absolutely NO buzzards that's for sure! I love that we get snow a few times every couple of years with some years in Narragansett getting none. I love that our town has a beer. I don't drink it but is cool! I love our beautiful fresh good tasting aquifer that is under our town that offers the best water to drink EVER! I love that Adam Sandler's character in Coneheads says Narragansett Rhode Island. I love that Rhode Islanders vacation in their own state! I love traveling and visiting other areas but love knowing that this is the place I pick. I don't have to stay because I was born here, or because I have a ton of family here, or because of work or price (we're the 4th most expensive state to live in in the US). I am here because this is where I feel most at home.

February 9, 2009

We're expecting big snow tonight and all through tomorrow and into tomorrow evening. Kind of exciting since we don't get a lot of it around here. We will spend the day shoveling and packing for Florida. We're leaving Thursday night. Can't wait to take lots of pics. I will have to get back in the habit of posting pics on my blog. Hard to believe I've been doing this thing since 2004. CRAZY to me that I've kept up with something for so long. I'm going to print it into book form and give it to the grandkids for future Jennerations!

The Droid

Ok, I would like to start by saying I had no Idea was I was getting into with this phone. My wonderful wife told me I had to get this phone because it was the latest and greatest thing ever and then she could shut everyone up that bragged about theirs because I had one. Well, now I own the DROID, let the fun begin!

First of all, it is called a "smart phone," right there I am in unchartered waters, smart and I are not synonymous! I have faired pretty well in week one figuring this amazing little piece of technology out. It only comes with a quick start guide, which is just enough information to get you in real trouble, but not enough to get you out. The first scare, How do I answer an incoming call? Luckily it was Zach calling and after his fourth attempt (he is persistent) I figured out you slid the green button over to answer the call not repeatedly push that same button. Second scare, OMG where are all my contacts! I went to place a phone call and all of my contacts were gone. The quick start guide does not address this (big surprise), The magical DROID manages its contacts through your gmail account which I had recently setup to be mobile! Well this means that I have to organize (another word that I am not synonymous with) my contacts in gmail into groups and stuff. Once I sorted this out and got my contacts back I found a button that allowed me to stop my gmail account from "syncing" my contacts. Interesting word choice "syncing", I have a "syncing" suspicion this will not be the only challenge I face.

Moving on, I will say that today I started to rule the world with my DROID! Yes that's right I have hooked up this wonderful contraption to my sexy wife's mac and with a few minor adjustments, We have the internet! She gives me zero credit for my technological wizardry, but she is happy in the bedroom so I don't care. I would rather her be happy with the latter than my budding nerdom! She is waiting for the secret service to come crashing into our house and take her computer because I unknowingly have tapped into some secure network. I'll keep you posted on that.

I would like to finish with a little love for my wife. If you didn't know this already, she is the most beautiful, wonderful, intelligent, sexy, loving, caring person in the whole world. I can't wait to go to Florida with her in Four Days.

Please comment it gets lonely writing with no feedback. Tell me I suck if you think so. (my wife will kill you if you do)

January 31, 2010

Goodbye January! I hate the month of January. It is always so long, so boring and so cold. February is one of my favorite months. Why? Because Valentine's Day is a special day in our home. Mitch and I spend absurd amounts of money on each other and LOVE IT. Some fancy stuff, lots of useless Valentine's stuff that we happen to love, like singing cards or stuffed animals that dance. We do this guilt free too because the day is for US. This year, we'll be celebrating in Florida! I am so excited for our mini-vacation. Really just under 5 days. But that is time with my husband. I have worked some overtime the last two weeks and MAN, I am so grateful that I only have to work part-time! Well, 36.5 hours isn't really part-time, but it is to me. I've worked 47 hours per week the last two weeks. I am feeling it now. I am cranky. SUPER CRANKY!

Not sure what we're getting each other for Valentine's Day. We pretty much have everything we want. My computer is still too new for a new one. We have every major video game/console under the sun. (Love my Wii, btw). We both have cars and car payments we're happy with. We're all set on the iPod front. All set on the high tech cell phone front. He loves his Droid and I, my blackberry. I was treated to a lovely Flip video camera two b-days ago and got a new digital camera last Christmas.

It is nice to not want something for once. I'm sure it won't last long, haha.

I mean, we still are looking at and dreaming of our future RV, but that won't be for Valentine's. Still dreaming of relocating to NYC in a few years, but I'm kind of settled here. I do love our beach town and we're only 2 1/2 hours from NYC. Not that big of a deal. We'd have to give up both cars to live in the city. That is a plus, I guess, except that I love that new car smell! LOL! It is intoxicating! If the subway cars smelled like that, there would be no doubt! Honestly, I can see us raising our child in either location. Beach, ocean, fresh air and the best water around (it's a fact, Rhode Island won the best tasting water in the US award), a great zoo, a couple of fabulous malls, and good schools. Or, the gorgeous Central Park, top of the line museums, ferry rides, subway rides, the Bronx zoo, broadway shows and some good schools if we looked hard enough, I'm sure.

ANYWAY, getting super excited for Annabelle's arrival! I will be renting a conference room in an area hotel in Bangor and have the baby shower at that location. Pretty central for all of Kayla's family and friends. Mitch and I are looking forward to spoiling this baby greatly!

Zach has changed his college plans. He is really serious about attending URI. (Good for us because then it will be free!) Hayley is going to CCRI in the fall and then transferring into Johnson and Wales (Miami campus)...though she may consider the Providence campus if all of her friends stay in this area!

Life is mostly perfect. Still not crazy about Mitch's fall schedule. Would love for us to have a job together, with him using his MBA and me being his secretary or something!

Right now, I am currently watching VH1 music countdown. Sipping a hot caramel latte. Blogging. Chatting with friends on my blackberry. Contemplating a new hair cut. Think I might want a smooth sleek bob. Who knows? Long hair has its advantages. Bad days, I can just pull it up. Feeling insecure? I can just hide behind it.

Mark (Kayla's boyfriend) is taking his Armed Services Entrance Exam tomorrow. Please send him some prayers. This would be huge for my baby and her baby and Mark.

Sierra update: still as goofy and lovable as ever! She only plays with her toys indoors and only if someone plays with her. She plays rough and it is hilarious to see my 15 year old son get scared! She would NEVER hurt anybody, but she is rough and FAST and when he goes in to grab one of her toys, she pounces on him and gets him every time. She usually licks him and manages to get her tongue in his mouth! I think only one time he managed to get the toy away from her!

1/19/10

Happy New Year I guess.

I miss blogging like I used to.