Hailey's Tails

Hailey, the drama queen

2009-02-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

Can I just tell you that I my dog has become a brat? She cries to get on the couch, she cries to turn the fireplace on, she spend minutes making her bed perfect. She doesn't like it when we are on the phone. I kid you not, the dog knows and she barks.

Her latest stunt is to sneak on to the bed when I am getting ready. I'll have a perfectly made bed and then realize that the dog is nowhere to be found. Then I look a little closer and realize that she is not just on the bed, but on top of all the pillows on the bed. Could it get any cushier?

I try to ignore her as much as possible, but her bark is really annoying. Another goal for 2009, unspoil the dog.

I'm Back, Baby

2009-02-27T08:20:00.000-08:00

I don't think anyone reads this blog, so it probably doesn't matter that I have not posted in over a year. That said, for 2009, I am resolving to get back into blogging.

The new love of my life...

2007-09-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

No, Hailey hasn't been replaced, but I do have a tender spot in my heart for her cousin Petey. He is an adorable bull dog. I wish I could keep him. Unfortunately my brother-in-law likes him as well. Here is a picture of Petey helping me pack after a recent trip to Michigan.

Here is another picture of Petey in his life jacket. The dog is definitely a boating-enthusiast, but unfortunately he can't swim.

TICKS!

2007-06-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Hailey spent the night at my parents while I was at a friend's all night bridal shower. It wasn't your typical bridal shower, but it was fun! Anyway, so I took the dog for a quick walk out to the edge of their property and then last night my husband found a deer tick on her!

Luckily with a little rubbing alcohol and a pair of tweezers the tick came off with no problem. Thank you K-9 Advantix! Hailey's like the dog in this commercial now.

New Hailey Pictures

2007-05-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some new Hailey pictures that my husband took.

Notice how speedy she is!
Here Hailey longs for her tennis ball

And I thought she was sooooo smart

2007-04-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

So I have a secret love for shows on Animal Planet, including a show called Breed All About It. Shameful, yes. Anyway, today they were talking about how smart this one breed was.

Now Hailey was never at the top of her class, but she wasn't lowest either. I thought she was pretty smart. Well, I searched for Dog Breed Intelligence List and found my answer. Hailey ranks number 49 out 79! That is so sad, especially considering a lot of numbers have several breeds listed after them

This is what the website has to say about Hailey:

Ranks 40 to 54
Average Working/Obedience Intelligence

Understanding of New Commands: 25 to 40 repetitions.

Obey First Command: 50% of the time or better.

I guess that's a pretty accurate description of Hailey's ability to do things. It took her at least 25 repetitions to learn lay down. I was disappointed however to learn that Hailey is the least intelligent of all her friends. Her border collie buddies are #1, my parents dog is #6 and even her new friend Hero, a westie ranks at #47. Although, I know how she feels. My above average ACT score was the lowest of all my friends, but they all got near perfect scores.

Yeah, Your Back Was Really Tight

2007-04-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

I had a massage today. I debated getting a massage. I hadn't had one in four years and my last experience wasn't so hot. The massage therapist kept telling me to relax, and I thought I was relaxed or that that's why I was going to see her! Since then, I haven't wanted to get another one, until today.

Anyway, so i went today for a massage. I had my option of having an all-over one done or having her focus on my upper back. I chose the latter. In retrospect, I think I chose wrong. She worked my back for at least 30 minutes. All those familiar aches and pains were worked out. I just kept thinking, this WILL FEEL GOOD WHEN YOU ARE DONE. Just breathe deeply.

I finally finished and I joked about how it went. The massage therapist said it was good I'd chosen to focus on my back becuase it was so tight and she had lost track of time. She told me to drink lots of water and warned me I might be sore on Sunday. Not the words I was hoping for.

I came home, took some advil, took a long hot bath and went to bed early. In retrospect, maybe I should've opted for a pedicure instead.

A pointless revelation

2007-04-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

So I started Hailey on her K9 Advantix this weekend and then I decided to put the cool reminder stickers in my calendar. On the stickers is a place for the dog's name. Now, I only have one dog, so it's not like I'm going to forget who the K9 Advantix is for, but I thought it'd be fun to write her name in anyway.

Then I discovered that when I write her name it looks like crap. I don't think I want to name my chidren a name that ends in "ey" unless I work on my penmanship.

Girl Scout Cookie Time

2007-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year folks, when the girl scout cookies are for sale. YUM! My only issue with girl scouts, and no I'm not going to go off on a rant like Andy Rooney of 20/20 did.

Why the different names? Where I grew up, the chocolate covered peanut butter cookies were Peanut Butter Patties. Where I live now (a whopping 25 miles away) they are Tag Alongs. Last night I was at a business 20 miles away (NW of my current home and N of my childhood home) and there the called them Peanut Butter Patties too. Just when I thought I'd gotten the whole name thing right and ask for Tag ALongs, the guys says "you mean Peanut Butter Patties?" DOH!

Here are the varieties:
Thin Mints (A Universal Name and loved by all)
Samoas/Carmel de Lites
Tag-Alongs/Peanut Butter Patties
Trefoils/Shortbread
Do-si-dos/Peanut Butter Sandwiches
All Abouts
Thanks-A-Lot
Cafe Cookies
Brownies
Cartwheels
Lemondaes

I understand that different bakeries make them, but in different names in the same metro area? I do have to admit Trefoils and Samoas are much more creative names that Shortbread Cookie and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie. Anyway, I still love them and am excited to eat them!

VALENTINR

2007-02-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

Get your own valentinr

The One Campaign

2007-02-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

At church yesterday, instead of a sermon from our pastor, we watched an interview of Bono done by Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church. It was very cool, I mean how often do you get to listen to U2 during church? The message was very thought-provoking and really made you want to get more involved. It really spurred me on to find more local opportunities to give my time and resources to. Here's part of the interview we watched.

The interview is part of a larger study on William Wilburforce and serving others. I really like my church, it really challenges me to be a better person.

My Rules/Goals/Guidelines for 2007

2007-01-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

I meant to post this over a week ago, but I've been busy. Instead of resolutions, I wanted to come up with something more concrete. So, I made a list of goals, guideslines and personal rules for the new year. Here they are!

10 Goals/Rules/Guidelines for 2007

1. Read my daily devotional (on a daily basis)
2. Count my points (WW ones that is)
3. Only watch TV shows that have been recorded to the DVR (this is tough and meant
to be a way to keep me from watching useless crap on TV)
4. Learn to sew (my mom bought me a sewing machine, so I need to learn how to use it)
5. Have a date night with my husband once a week
6. Have a date night/outing with a friend once a week
7. Work out 5 times a week (This would a goal as 5 times a week is a bit ambitious!)
8. Finish up all my projects I've started in 2006
9. Read at least one book a month (and try to alternate between fun chick lit and
real educational books)
10. Don't get mad at my husband just because he gets upset with me.

I have to comment on #10. Usually fights between my husband and I go something like this: I do something that upsets him, he gets upset, I get upset that he's upset with me. He gets mad at me. I cry.
So, I am trying to be better at this, because when I get upset with my husband, he just takes it in stride and not so personally. Plus, crying really sucks. Well, I did this the other night. It was amazing! Not only did I not cry, but DH felt really bad about getting mad at me and for several days told me (more so than usual)how much he appreciates me!

Skinny Jeans and other horrible trends

2007-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

So this fall when I first heard that leggings were in, I thought oh dear! Then there was all this talk about skinny jeans. Then there were these mini skirts that people were wearing over leggins. To top it all off, there were oversized sweaters meant to be worn with pants that appeared so tight they just might cut off your circulation *Shudders* What horrible, horrible ideas, right?

Well, I judged to quickly. I'd like to confess that I not only bought a pair of skinny jeans from Banana Republic (which are awesome, btw), but a pair of leggings that I wear with dresses or skirts.

I'm a slave to fashion

What Am I, 13 Again?

2006-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

I think I may be having some weird quarter life crisis (see my current obsession). Seriously, I don't know what is wrong with me. My husband got me tickets to the Christina Aguilera, PCD, and Danity Kane concert and I am SOO excited. His bosses' 13 and 11 year old daughters are going to the same concert.

Also in line with the concert would be my two new favorite songs. Fergalicious by Fergie and Wind it Up by Gwen Stefani.

I need help.

Current Obsession: Juicy Couture

2006-12-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know what my problem is, but I'm obsessed with this line. It's ridiculously expensive, but I don't care! I recently purchased my first Juicy tracksuit. Of course I can't find a picture of it online, but it is cute. It is dark blue with pink writing. On the back of the hoodie it says cupcake couture. It's cute, but ridiculous!
I also found a juicy tee at TJ Maxx. It says Juicy Prep! Here is a picture of the shirt I bought.

Somebody stop me.

Dangit!

2006-11-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

So, this weekend has been hectic. We painted two rooms in our house, I went into work on Friday and had to come in early today. It's only 10 am and I'm exhausted. Plus, I forgot to take my stoopid thyroid medicine AGAIN! To top it all off, I was moving furniture this morning (at work) and tore my dress. GRRR!

Hailey fought the cat and the cat won....

2006-11-24T06:18:00.000-08:00

Hailey went with us to my Grandparents yesterday. The farm is a very stimulating place for her, maybe too stimulating. I didn't want to bring her, but we were going to be gone too long, and felt like I had too. Anyway, Hailey played with the horses and did really well. She never sat down, which is a good thing today. She's very tired.

The day was going well, until Hailey caught a glimpse of my Aunt's cat. (My aunt lives with my grandparents) Hailey went nuts, the cat went nuts and my aunt freaked out. Luckily we got Hailey and the cat out in one piece. But she couldn't leave well enough alone, could she? Nope, the first chance Hailey had she was back upstairs looking for the cat. This time the cat was ready and scraped up Hailey pretty well. There was blood, people. Blood.

Luckily the cat was fine, so everybody wins. It was a very stressful event to an otherwise nice day.

Update: 50 Nifty United States

2006-11-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

Alabama (What a nice state motto)
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado (your owner can't drive worth sh*t)
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisianna
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts (Welcome to the Neighborhood!)
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey (Dude, your tabs are from 2002!)
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Virgina
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

and from our neighbor to the North:
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba (I hope you had fun at the Mall of America!)
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan

Other Plates of Interest:
Puerto Rico
Diplomat

State License Plates I Have Not Seen:
Hawaii (HAH! GOOD LUCK!)
Kentucky
Vermont
West Virginia

November 7th

2006-10-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

I cannot wait until election day is here. I'm so tired of my husband working crazy hours. I feel so bad for him, he doesn't go to bed until 1 or 2 AM and leaves by 6:30. It's horrible. Plus, I'm going crazy, because all I want is a little quality time with my DH. At least he comes home, right? Even if I don't really see him?

Sunday I had such a bad day and I was just hating his job. So, I decided that rather than have a pity party I am going to do three things before the election comes.

1. Exercise more. I had a pity party for myself last week and ate way too much. Exercise also makes you happy and skinny, which makes me happy.
2. If I'm going to be at home most of the night, then I'm having a glass of wine. It just makes everything a little more rosy.
3. Paint the bathroom. I just need to buy paint tape and I'm all set. Behr Distant Thunder - Here I Come!

I'm boring so I'm stealing ideas again

2006-10-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

One of my friends did a similar quiz on her blog. My husband is going to be so stoked when he hears the results of my quiz. I think that Tokyo is the only city outside the United States that he wants to visit.

What City Best Fits you??

TOKYOYou like to be in touch with the advanced and futuristic, you also like to be more advanced for your own good. you like to be in a mild place were it's quite crowded but then again secluded. You just like to explore the older culture mixed with the technology. you don't let things get in your way that why your determined and down to earth
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

This was one children's song I didn't expect a remake of...

2006-10-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

For years I've gottent this song stuck it in my head. I sing it to my husband more than I would care to admit. For those that don't know here is the song I'm talking about(I only ever sing the first verse):

Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them o'er your shoulder like a Continental Soldier?
Do your ears hang low?

Thanks to a new artist named Jibbs, this song has forever been changed. Here are the new lyrics:

Do yo chain hang low
Do it wobble to the flo
Do it shine in the light
Is it platinum, Is it gold
Could you throw it over ya shoulda
If ya hot, to make ya cold
Do your chain hang low

The first time I heard this song, I was all "OMG, it's my song", but then I heard the lyrics and I'm not nearly as enamored as I once was. I don't really have a point in writing this, I just thought I'd share that my favorite kids song is now been ghetto-ized.

You're On Notice!

2006-10-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a LONG time since I blogged (it's been busy!) but I was inspired to do this. I love Colbert! So here's my list!

1. Medicine I Have to Take: I am supposed to take a daily thyroid medicine and I forgot to, yesterday and today. I'm SO tired!
2. Boxelder Bugs: They are everywhere! Find a new home to invade!
3. Port-a-Pottys: They are gross, smelly and scary!
4. Cold: My office is SO cold, no amount of turning up the heat will help. I blame the cold for fostering my coffee addiction. I also blame the cold for not allowing me to wear cute things to work.
5. Washing the Floor: My least favorite chore. I hate it.
6. Snow in October: Really, does this need an explanation?
7.Chunky Shoes: They are so ugly. Seriously, they are. Chunky shoes are bringing some serious ugly to a person near you.
8. Gypsies: I found out my mother was pick-pocketed by a gypsy on their recent trip to Europe. Then the gypsies mooned my dad. They are on notice!

So it's been a while

2006-08-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. It's been a crazy few weeks. Mt grandma passed away, so that's tough. It's been a hard couple weeks. It has been hard, but it's also been a really neat time to spend with family. I am now even under more pressure to get my summer project done. It's tough though, my Grandma didn't always have complete directions and some of the cards are really faded. Hopefully, I'll get the main recipes entered and the ones I can't figure out won'y be the important ones.

I did decide that for Christmas everyone is getting the recipe book and since one of my Grandma's favorite recipes was a Lazy Daisy Cake, I'm going to buy everyone Daisy Cake Pans. So that's neat.

My one last thing is that I'm toying with the idea of getting a tattoo. I've lost almost 15 pounds, so I feel really good about my body and I think it might be a neat way to remember my Grandma. I don't have a clue as to what I'd do though. So, it'll probably just remain an idea.

My Quest Continues

2006-08-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, I know you all have been wondering, how many license plates has she seen now? That's right because so many people read my blog. Anyway, just to let the whole wide world know, I only have six more states to go!

I still need: Hawaii, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, & West Virginia.

Here's to hoping!

The cut that wouldn't heal

2006-07-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Over a week ago I cut myself while trying to slice a bagel. I sliced the bagel and my hand. Quite badly too. I was lucky I didn't cut into my hand any farther than I did. I received seven stitches and was on my way. The cut appeared to heal fine and I didn't have any problems with it.

So, I had my stitches removed today and my cut hasn't healed all the way. It totally looked like it had, but once the stitches were out, the skin just totally separated. It's certainly not a deep cut anymore, but after nine days, it is still an open wound.

My body reacted this way 15 years ago when I had a small mole removed on my back, I developed this weird football shaped scar. I'm thinking that's going to happen to my hand too. So, now in an effot to get my skin to grow together, I have my whole hand wrapped. Maybe restricting movement will help? Typing sans your thumb is tough. Thank goodness I'm taking most of tomorrow off.

I'm just praying I don't have to have a c-section someday. Can you imagine the scar and how long it'd take to heal? Ugh. At least I'm not squimish around blood and guts. I've got one thing going for me.

She did it again!

2006-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

I woke up in the middle of the night to discover Hailey curled up in a ball right next to me. Yay! She owed me after my brother came over and sat next to him all night, even crying when he wasn't giving her all his attention.

My cuddle bug might be back!

2006-07-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Last night, after a very long and exhausting walk, Hailey slept in the bed. VICTORY! I personally think she was just too tired to care and was going to sleep wherever I put her.

She is kind of a PITA, but after she threw up the other night and not knowing about it, I think that giving up a little part of the bed isn't such a bad trade off.

Now if she'd just stop running away when I call her name to sit by me on the couch.

Church

2006-07-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Churches are a fascinating thing. Being involved in a Bible-believing church is extremely important to me. I like our church. It's good. The people are nice. They have a passion for missions and a hear for an orphanage in Haiti. I've met some great friends, but it's not the best fit. Something just doesn't click. I don't know if anyone ever feels like they totally fit into a church, or maybe I am just weird and don't fit in anywhere.

I volunteer in the nursery twice a month and last week was asked to join a group at church that helps connect new people to small groups. I would have to cut back on nursery to do this. I'm just unsure. At the very least I am flattered to be considered. On one hand I have the opportunity to get more involved, but at the same time I'm wondering if this is the church I am supposed to be at.

I've also had a really hard time getting to church the last couple weeks. I can totally get there to volunteer on Saturday nights, but I don't know what my problem is on Sundays!

So, this morning I listened to a sermon online from McLean Bible Church, where I used to attend in Virginia. I listened to a fascinating sermon this morning entitled "How to Keep America From Becoming Europe Spriitually" . First, I really connect with the pastor. Second, I love the church's view on reaching out to the community. They do so much, I love it. I didn't love the size. It's so big. Evidently a lot of people in the DC/MD/VA area feel similarly about MBC.

I've linked the sermon, because it's fascinating and explains a lot about the church. Some people hear of a church with 7000 people attending weekly and think it's ungodly. They view it as a means to reach more people. I totally respect that. So, enjoy Lon!

Coffee Rant

2006-07-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

1. Why is it so darn expensive? I want fancy latte's every day, but I can't.
2. How hard is it to put less ice in an iced latte? Seriously, I want my drink, not a cup of ice!
3. Why are all the good drinks so bad for me. I'm totally craving a sugary drink and I must resist!

That is all.

Evelyn Miller - In Memoriam

2006-06-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

A year ago tomorrow, marks the one year anniversary of Evelyn Miller's death. Evelyn was my friend's niece, a vibrant five year old, whose life was cut way too short.

On July 1, 2005 Evelyn was abducted from her home and murdered. Her body was found several days later. No arrests have been made for her murder, but the investigation is still on going.

Here are a few pictures of Evelyn that I got from her aunt. I just hope that in some small way this helps her memory live on.

Christmas 2003, Her Aunt asked her what she thought of all her gifts and a big thumbs up was her reply.

Playing Dress Up

Her she is as the flower girl in her Aunt's wedding

Evelyn and her Aunt

If you are interested in donating to Evelyn's Memorial Fund, here is the information:

Evelyn Miller Memorial Fund
First Security Bank & Trust
809 Clark St., PO Box 577
Charles City, IA 50616

Hailey Is No Longer A Cuddle Bug

2006-06-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since I came home from the farm (I milked a goat people!, Hailey seems to be upset with me. She still likes walks and loves to be petted, but has no interest in sitting on the couch with us or sleeping in our bed.

She'll go out of her way to find a place she can sleep in peace. Last night, I let her out and then I went upstairs, assuming she'd follow. Nope, she decided the couch downstairs was nicer. The night before she woke up in the middle of the night not to sleep in our bed, but to go sleep on the other couch.

Where has my cuddle-bug gone? It's like she's a teenager rebelling. She looks at me and with her eyes says "I don't need you" I miss her cuddly-ness.

Tag, I'm It

2006-06-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

7 Things I Want to Do Before I Die:
Travel abroad more (that's vague isn't it)
Get pregnant
Adopt a child
Feel like I've made a difference in someone's life
Something adventerous like parasailing, bungee jumping
Buy an expensive pair of shoes(I'm talking Manolos or Choos)
Love my husband more each day

7 Things I Can't Do:
Touch my tongue to my nose
Do a pull up
Sneeze quietly (you are lucky if you haven't heard me sneeze. It's so freaking loud)
Run more than a few miles
Intimidate others (I mean, come one, when I get angry, it's just funny)
Lose Faith
Forget that life is never easy (this is more of a "I don't ever want to do this")

7 Things That Attracted Me to My Partner
His eyes
He's cute
His kindness
He's smart
He's driven
His patientence
How he always wants wants best for us

7 Books I Read Over and Over
The Bible
The Notebook
Traveling Light
In the Grip of Grace
The Devil Wears Prada
The Nanny Diaries
Mere Christianity

7 Movies That I Love
The Story of Us (I love this one!)
Clue (He's a plant? I thought he was a fruit.)
Finding Nemo
The Princess Bride (Aaassss yooouuuu wiiiissshhhh!)
Ferris Buehler's Day Off (because watching Ben Stein in this movie is priceless)
You've Got Mail (it's so cute!)
Spellbound

The Mouse The Trap Killed

2006-06-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning, just as I was about to take Hailey for a walk, something by the fireplace got her attention. She just stared at the fireplace and wouldn't move. I had to force her to go on a walk. All Friday night she stared. My husband opened up the vent (it's a gas fireplace) and saw nothing. We assumed it was a fly and that we had a stupid, crazy dog.

I forced Hailey upstairs because I didn't want her to go crazy and my husband stayed downstairs. As he was working on his computer, what did he see? A MOUSE! It was sticking it's head out of the vents. He screamed like a little girl.

So we taped up the vent, bought a trap and withing two minutes *SNAP* the poor field mouse was dead. We then set about taping up the vent (from the inside), so that no more mice could get into our fireplace.

I found out our neighbors also have had mice. They are the cleanest people I know, so our mouse isn't our fault. Thank goodness. I am glad we aren't the only ones with a problem. My husband sees it the other way, he was hoping it was an isolated incident and unfortunately it was not.

At least we know if there is a mouse, Hailey will be on gaurd!

A New Hailey Pic

2006-06-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

At least I don't think this has been posted before. She lurves her bed.

Sad Day for Bully Breeds

2006-06-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just found out that the city of Denver (BOOO!) has inacted breed specific legislation banning pit bulls or dogs that look like pits within city limits. Which means if I lived in Denver, my sweet girl would get the boot and if I didn't give her away and the city found out I had her, they would kill her.

How could you kill sweet puppies like this?

City of Denver, you are on my sh*t list.

People of Bloggerland: May I Have Your Attention Please

2006-06-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Please don't post dirty sh*t on my blog.

Thank you, that is all.

I need a shirt that says

2006-06-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

1. Yes, you may pet her
2. It's a she
3. No, she's not a pitbull
4. She's a staffordshire bull terrier
5. She's about 18 months old
6. She's probably full grown, but we got her from a shelter, so we aren't 100% sure
7. Yes, she is very strong.
8. And for the kids: be careful, she likes to give lots of kisses.

My husband thought it'd be a great idea to bring the dog along with us to the hotel we stayed at this weekend. (sweet thought, but a huge PITA). Anyway, every time we took her out we were bombarded with questions and at least 10 people stopped us. Everyone from frat boys and biker guys to teenage girls and children.

Reason #14 Hailey is a cuddle-bug

2006-06-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

DH is traveling today, so he left at 5 am. This means that it is the perfect opportunity for Hailey to commandeer the bed. So, at around 6:30 I wake up, open my eyes and realize that the dog is laying horizontally on the bed just below the pillows and is resting her head on my shoulder and snoring in my ear.

So, I took the plunge

2006-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

After gaining an unmentionable amount of weight when I moved to Washington DC, I have been working to lose it since I moved back. I tried while I was in DC, but nothing seemed to work.

Anyway,up until three weeks ago, I'd lost about 10 pounds in a year. That's not that much. It's a big deal on my frame, but I still had a ways to go. Clearly, at my pace I wasn't going to be losing a lot of weight soon and I saw myself in some pictures and I looked bad.

So, I did it. I joined Weight Watchers. Ladies and Gentleman, I have lost five pounds in three weeks! I am so excited! I just had to share. The real trick will be continuing to lose weight.

I am just so happy that I'm under the weight I was in October 2003. Yay me!

A Handy-Dandy Website

2006-06-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, I started my summer project last week and in my spare time have been copying recipes into a word document. I knew this wasn't going to be so easy. Some of the recipe cards are faded, don't have complete directions, etc. However, I hvae found the Cook's Thesaurus.

This has been a very helpful website on more than one occasion as I had no idea what quick oats (similar to instant oatmeal) were or what oleo (margarine)was. Now, I do! Thanks Cook's Thesaurus!

Psalty

2006-06-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I was going to write a post about Psalty, the Singing Songbook. Then blogger ate my post. So, I'm going to try again.

Way back in the day, my church did Psalty musicals. Psalty is kind of a Barney/Wiggles type for the Christian world. Only for older kids, like grade school age. According to the website, Psalty is not just any song book. He's a kid's songbook who travels around the world telling kids about how much God loves them.

Psalty is great, but who funds his trips around the world? Maybe it's the DVD sales?

I really enjoyed Psalty musicals. The first one we did was called "A Heart to Change the World". I was Melody one of Psalty's Booklets (aka children).

I was the good booklet, unlike my sister, Harmony who was selfish and didn't want to shrae any of her food with poor needy children. She sang a song that went like this "I'll drink up all the punch and use the bowl to eat my lunch, why should I think about the world? I'm deliriously happy looking out for number one!"

I on the other hand sang about wanting to change the world. See, I told you I was the good one!

The second musical we did was called Singsational Servants. In this one, I was Limburger, one of the Cheeses for Jesus. Here we learned about (duh) serving others. Also starring in this musical, was my dad as Risky Rat, Psalty's nemesis. The evil Risky Rat was trying to talk Charity Churchmouse into a shady recording contract.

The musicals were good times and I had a lot of fun doing them. I got to sing, dance (more like arm and leg movements to music) and wear fun costumes. The message in the musicals was good too.

However, I did not enjoy the music as much as GT and The Halo Express, now that was some good music.

Summer Project

2006-05-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, my Grandparents moved into a nursing home. So, my family has been going through a lot of their stuff to see what's worth saving.

I quickly took all of my grandma's recipes and three old cookbooks. That's the benefit of being the only female grandaughter. Outside of my mom and aunt, no one else cares about that stuff. My cousins were more concerned with the travel urinal my Grandfather had. Evidently they'll use it when they fish. I'm not buying it though. 14 year old boys shouldn't be trusted with something like that.

So, since I have all these newly acquired recipes, my self proclaimed summer project is to take all of my Grandmother's recipes and put them into a word document. I then plan on sending it to my family. Maybe if I'm ambitious, I'll have them bound and make a real cookbook.

I'd love to save all of my grandma's recipe cards, but I know they won't last. This way, I'll have a permanent record and the whole family can have her recipes. Then someday when my cousins and brother get married, I can give it to thier wives. Neat, huh? I think so.

Actually, what I am most excited about iso ne of the cookbooks I scored in the process. It is the Quamba Baptist Church Cookbook from 1982. It's a CLASSIC! It has a ton of my family's (other side though) recipes. I am so excited to have my own copy. It's got some great recipes from my aunts, great aunts, and cousins. Who knew you could be so excited about a cookbook?

Splat

2006-05-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned, probably ad naseum, that I live very near the country. This means that I when I drive to see some of my friends that the most direct route is through the middle of nowhere. I've never had a problem driving through the country, I actually really enjoy it. It's nice to see so much open space; it's really actually soothing. However, the most glaring problem of driving through the country is the bug splat. It's disgusting! It'd be one thing if I just got home and noticed bug guts all over my car, but no. These dang bugs have to splat so loud that I can hear it. YUCK!

pppbbbbttttt

2006-05-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Did you hear that? It was my brain farting.

Seriously. Last night I thought of something really cool (well, IMO at least) to write about and now? NOTHING. It's gone. Adios good idea! I was hoping that by opening blogger, that it would magically come back to me. Alas, no. Instead, you and I both have to be in suspense about what I was going to write about.

The stupid things people do

2006-05-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was at a local gas station on Saturday morning. I went inside to get cash and coffee. I then went up to the front to check out. I noticed the guy behind the counter had a plastic glove on his right hand. I thought "Hmm....that's strange, why a glove on one hand? Is he a Michael Jackson impersonator? Does he have an irrational fear that his right hand cannot touch money?" I gave him my twenty dollar bill and he gave me my change. As I was putting away everything in my purse, I saw why he had on the glove.

He was handling food!

Hot dog buns to be exact. DUDE! The gloves are pointless if you go touch dirty, germy money and then touch food again! EEW! So, don't buy gas staion hot dogs!

S.O.S.

2006-05-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Someone help me, it's unhealthy, for me to feel this way! I'm obsessed with this song by Rhianna.

Grey's Anatomy: Thoughts and Rumors

2006-05-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

OMG. The season finale of Grey's Anatomy last night was soooooo good. I can't wait for next season. This is such a great show. Although, I can't believe they klled Denny! (Everytime I think that, I think - OMG! THey killed Kenny!)

Who will Meredith choose? Will Addison discover her husband had sex with Mer? Will Dr. McSteamy come back to rescue Addison? If rumors are true, he will!

All I have to say is I will be very sad if this rumor about Dr. McSteamy isn't true. I *heart* him so.

Mefistofele

2006-05-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the Opera for the very first time! It was quuite exciting. In part, becuase the little black dress that I thought didn't fit anymore fit quite well!

Anyway, we saw the Theatre de la Juene Lune's production of Mefistofele. It was interesting because they made the opera quite modern. The set was very modern, as were the costumes. There was also a dog and a chicken in the performance.

The singing was amazing. I wish I could more accurately describe the Opera. It was so cool. I really want to go back to this theater. It has a really neat history. I found some picture of the performance thanks to the June Lune website, but they won't upload to blogger right now. So instead here is a link to pictures.

I hate the rain

2006-05-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

It makes me be in such a bad mood. I also hate shopping. I found the cutest dress for the opera tonight, and it was only $40! But then I realized I'd need new shoes and a new sweater to go with the dress. That'd bring the cost of the ensemble up to $130, which I just couldn't justify. So now I'm in a bad mood. Bah!

Fun Times at the DQ

2006-05-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

Last night my husband and I went all out for dinner. We went to Dairy Queen. Haha. While we were there we saw our friends who have a three year old and a 18 month old. They are fabulous kids. The three year old was eating a chocolate ice cream cone that was all over his face. Before they left, Hayden was supposed to say good bye. Instead he climbed up into our booth and gave us hugs. His mom apologized, as he was just supposed to say good bye. His dad piped in "we're working on boundaries"

After they left, I said to my husband. "Aren't their kids great? Aren't they cute and fun? Doesn't it make you want to have kids?"

My husband replied. "He (the three year old) had ice cream in his hair. In the hair on the back of his head." He then gave me the no way in h*ll look.

*sigh*

She's No Fraidy Cat

2006-05-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Last night, Hailey, my husband and I went on a walk last night. I couldn't believe how difficult she was to walk. She was pulling really hard, but I couldn't figure out why. All of a sudden I realized why. There, at 9:30pm was a cat standing in the brush. Hailey went crazy. The cat was all puffy and hissing. That, however, did not stop Hailey. She was ready to pounce, play and have fun with the cat, not matter how much hissing and batting that cat did. Finally the cat ran away. Hailey won! Victory!

Sunday Sermon Notes (a little late)

2006-05-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

"Finding Meaning" - Four Steps to Finding the Meaning of Life
Luke 24:13-34

He who has a "why" to live for can bear almost any "how" - Frederick Nietzsche

Walk

A good walk reveals whenn we have no adventure in our lives and how easy it is to drift apart from those we love. Taking walks (literally and spiritually) helps us to become closer to God. No matter what stage of life you are in, we should have adventure.

Read

Read the Bible, understand the Bible as a whole. You've got to see the big picture. Every Christian should read the Bible (the whole thing) several times in their life.

Eat

The Bible talks about eating a lot. The prodigal son returns home and a banquet is prepared. Banquets symbolize what God's plan for us to spend eternity with Him. We've all be invited, but have we accepted?

Breaking bread signifies a new creation. When we take part, we are being renewed.

Relax

We are not God. We can relax and trust in Him because he has everything in control. Trusting in Him is an act of obedience.

Warning: TMI

2006-05-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

Folks, I think I may be ovulating. I'm pretty sure I am. Anyway, this is good news becuase of the previous post. Who knew a little CM could brighten someone's day!

I'm Hip!

2006-05-03T19:50:00.001-07:00

My husband is so sweet! Today he brought me home this!

Now, not only will I be cute and hip with my fancy-schmancy phone, but I will also now have the ability to capture all those crazy moments I have always wanted. Like seeing the Gorton Fisherman in the grocery store or the kick *ss mullet I saw in Vegas. Soon, people of blogger land you will have more crazy photos!

D*mn Bug!

2006-05-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

I have the baby bug in a bad, bad way right now. I really need to volunteer in the nursery this weekend, because that usually gives me the fix. I sound like a freaking drug addict, don't I?

Anyway, I'm really struggling with waiting for another 19 months. (I so have the timer counting down in my head, I'm more obsessed than the Losties at this point)

DH is convinced (or he at least says it in a convincing tone) that I'm going to be a "fertile myrtle". HA! I just don't have that faith. I keep reminding him that in order to get pregnant, you actually have to be getting your period. Presently I'm somewhere around the six week mark this cycle.

I really want his optimism, and most days I do. Today just seems to be a bad day. I'm sure when the time comes it'll all be fine and even if it's not. It will all work out in the end. Right?

I just have to keep reminding myself of that, which, by the way is not an easy thing to do!

See, Blogging Isn't Evil

2006-05-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

My brother has a blog for class. When he first started the blog, he said this:

Today I start Blogging (by force) for my class Comm. Tech. I really did not want to start blogging this day, I would have preferred to go through my life with-out blogging, call me old-fashioned, hoping one day people would see the true damage blogging is causing to our society.

But today he has changed his tune! He has come over to the dark side of blogging. Hooray! Here is one of his latest posts.

I would like to say, that as this is my 20th blog post, I am getting into blogging more and will retract my first Blog post statement when I said that Blogging was a bad to society.

Just say YES to blogging!

Vegas, Baby!

2006-05-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I am home from fabulous Las Vegas. I was totally thinking that I would have all these interesting things to say about my trip, but I don't. So, instead I'm going to share the things I learned in Las Vegas.

1. Oh, how I appreciate the smoking bans in Minnesota. Seriously people, I could've gotten lung cancer from just walking around. People need to learn that cigarettes are nasty things that can kill you.
2. SEX, SEX, SEX. It's everywhere! Frankly, it's disgusting.
3. Yay Vegas for clean streets. I was very impressed.
4. OMG, the shopping is amazing. I nearly crapped in my pants when I saw a juicy couture store. A STORE! Not to mention the Ferragamo, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Kate Spade, Agent Provacatuer stores. It's enough to send a girl into cardiac arrest or debt.
5. Twisty escalators are freaking cool.
6. I thought Vegas would be filled with pretty people. Thankfully it wasn't. I actually felt good about myself. :)
7. Evidently, the Imperial Palace is the last of Hurrah's hotel/casino to go under a renovation. Let's just say it needs it.
8. There is a Hooter's hotel and casino. At least six guys on my tram got off there. Then the other guys wished them luck at finding a girl at their hotel. Hooter's hotel/casino equals one big sausage fest.
9. Vegas Weddings are not my style at all. Nuff said.
10. The Wynn Hotel is not all that it's cracked up to be. For the money they obviously spent, they could have done so much better.
11. They charge you up the *ss for everything at Vegas. $4 ATM fee, $5 for a small latte. It's fricking ridiculous.
12. The Bellagio is an amazing hotel. They have a gorgeous conservatory, a huge chocolate fountain, and it's just plain gorgeous.
13. I won a whopping $13.25! YAY for quarter slots!
14. I would like to think that I sent off a don't mess with me vibe. I really didn't want guys all up in my face this weekend and I succeeded!

That's all I have to say about Vegas right now.

Bud

2006-04-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

I've recently started watching Teachers on NBC. It's really funny. One of the teachers, Calvin, looked really familiar, but I couldn't place where I recognized him from. Then all of a sudden it dawned on me. Oh My Gosh, he is Kenny aka Bud from the Cosby show. Kenny is on TV again! So, here he is, I only wish I could find a pic of him as a kid.

Who Does Hailey Love

2006-04-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to wonder if the answer is me! This past weekend, I went shopping with my mom and so I brought her to their house. We walked up to the front door, but the door was locked. I then started to walk over to the garage door. I called Hailey. I punched in their code and the garage door started to open. It had not even opened a foot before Hailey ran towards the garage. Seeing as the door was hardly open, Hailey had to do a full belly crawl just to make it under the door.

She ran through the garage and up the stairs. She was just so excited to be at my parents because they have a big house she can run aroung in, lots of windows to look out, and an old dog to play with. She also gets lots of attention from other people and she a chance to sneak outside and tun through the Minnesota River Bluffs.

Clearly, my parents are much more interesting than my husband an I, which makes them much more worthy of her love of course.

WHY

2006-04-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

My neighbors are painting the inside of their garage blue. Robin's Egg Blue to be exact. I'm all for using fun colors to make your place your own, but your garage? Seriously, people.

I'm so delinquent

2006-04-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

I really feel bad, I've been so horrible about updating my blog. Part of it is because I've been so busy, on the other hand, I don't feel like I have had anything interesting to say.

As usual, my dog is a complete and utter attention whore. At Easter, she was the center of attention. She's been mouthy lately and is still waking up in the middle of the night. Ug.

In one week, I'm leaving for Las Vegas. *las vegas* Woo Hoo. I am very excited. I will be sure to post all the wild and crazy (yeah right) stories from the bachelorette party I'll be attending. Followed by a wedding, so I'm sure it'll be a fun weekend.

Maybe I'll have something interesting to post then. Until then, my apologies.

Sneaking Suspicion...

2006-04-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

That the person parked in the handicapped spot isn't really handicapped.

According to the state of Minnesota this is the criteria to be eligible for a disability plate/certificate

Disability License Plates

Disability license plates are issued to a person with a physical disability or to a custodial parent or guardian of a minor with a permanent disability.

A disabled person may only obtain one set of disability plates.

Fee: $15.50 ($7.00 license plate fee [$5.50 for single plate] plus an $8.50 service fee)

The application for disability plates must be completed and signed by the vehicle owner or primary driver and by one of the following: a licensed physician, physician's assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or chiropractor.

If you submit your application through your local motor vehicle office, you'll be issued a temporary permit to display until you receive your license plates.

I'm not trying to judge, (really I'm not), but I know the person driving this said car. I can see that she is physically and mentally with it. Now, she might be that person who is a guardian of someone with a disability. However, that person isn't with her today. So, she really shouldn't be using her handicapped sticker today. POOR TASTE LADY I KNOW! POOR TASTE!

State of Confusion

2006-04-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel at a loss for what to do? I'm feeling that way right now. I've recently been to the doctor three times. I've been diagnosed with something that probably won't affect me now, but might (probably, could, who knows) in a few years. I've really been struggling with what to do about it.

I met with the doctor today. It went surprisingly well. Without asking he went through all my labs, explained everything. He assured me he was treating other clients with this same problem, but if I wanted to I could be referred out. He told me that provided the medicine works, I should (theoretically) be normal from now on. I was generally pleased with how the meeting went. My doctor also thanked me for (essentially) not being crazy, hysterical or presenting him with obscure medical studies.

I want to believe him, but part of me doesn't. I'm also a little frustrated because I have this diagnosis, but only one of the symptoms. It just makes me mad about women's health issues in general. I wish they would put a little more effort into understanding the way a woman's body works.

So, what to do, what to do. I'm really leaning towards sticking with my doctor for now and then when and if this becomes a problem seek other treatment. Who knows. I'm still waiting for one more lab, maybe that will make a difference. *sigh* The joys of being ambivalent.

Update: Fifty Nifty United States

2006-04-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

From Thirteen Original Colonies. Here's my update on the 2006 License Plate Adventure.

This past December I was on vacation in Orlando, which in my opinion is the best place to play the license plate game. In just three days, I saw about 40 states. Since then I've been noticing out of state license plates a lot more. I decided I would list them today and I have a few comments about their owners. I'm going to add this list throughout 2006.

Alabama (What a nice state motto)
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado (your owner can't drive worth sh*t)
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisianna
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey (Dude, your tabs are from 2002!)
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Virgina
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
and from our neighbor to the North:
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba (I hope you had fun at the Mall of America!)
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan

11 Random Thoughts

2006-04-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

1. What is it like to be a trucker? As I was driving home a gazillion trucks were merging on to the freeway (eeks!). I thought that I wouldn't like to be driving a lot in the middle of the night. It doesn't seem fun. I suppose it has its advantages, but it's not for me.
2. I think I saw a dead body on the side of 1-94. That was creepy. There were several police hovering around a guy just laying on the side of the freeway, but no ambulances. WEIRD!
3. The neighbor's dog pooped in our yard AGAIN! I hate our effin' neighbors. I'm still figuring out if I should just pick it up and throw it away, pick it up and put it on their door step or just talk to them. I'm thinking option B.
4. We have four kongs in our house right now. Don't tell my husband. I know I should throw two of them away, but I can't.
5. Comcast sucks butt. Well actually they sucks schweaty balls, but that's neither here nor there. I've been less than impressed with their service lately.
6. Note to self if your tummy feels upset because of the brownie and ice cream you ate, don't try to fix it with chips. IT WON"T WORK!
7. I hate my doctor's office right now. Just thinking about them makes me mad.
8. I really need a good night's sleep tonight, so in other words: Hailey! STAY ASLEEP!
9. Thank goodness for spring. It was close to 60 degrees today and it's about time the weather was nice. I'm SO glad winter is over!
10. I love my friends. They are fabulous people. I don't know what I'd do without them.
11. I'm really impressed with my marital skills lately. DH and I have been getting along very well despite crazy lives. YAY US!

Sad Face

2006-04-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Why a sad face? Because my makeup is running out and I really cannot justify spending money on the brands I want to right now. So, I'm left with the choice of looking like a crazy lady with no makeup on her face or spending too much money.

Right now I really want this Laura Mercier's Tinted Foundation. It's light and sheer and perfect. It really is. Then for all those small imperfections, I want this:Laura Mercier's Secret Camoflage, which I must add is truly camolfage for your skin.

There is about a dozen other things that I really want from Laura Mercier, but I'll just have to make do with out them.

I also wish I could buy more products from Stila andNars.

Maybe I'll be walking down the street and find a gift card to Nordstrom's or Sephora and then I can be like a kid in a candy store. Oh, wouldn't that be lovely.

Dog... you are getting on my last nerve!

2006-04-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I let you out last night for a reason; so that you wouldn't get up in the middle of the night. Also, with this whole daylight's savings thing, yeah, that meant you were supposed to sleep in. So rather than get a restful night's sleep, I was woken up three times and then remembered I had to go into the office early, so no Caribou for me today.

How Do They Do That?

2006-04-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

So, lately I have had a few friends go through some rough times, and I have really been amazed by the ones who handle their situation with grace and dignity and have the attitude that "God is bigger than the problem I'm facing. I'm going to trust in Him and trust that He has a plan for me".

I've been a little more than amazed by those folks, I've been a little envious. How do they do that? It's so unnatural. Which, in part is the beauty of it. However, it's a lot easier to be envious of those kind of people rather than to adopt that attitude yourself.

I've been thinking about having that attitude a lot, I even heard someone talking about that on the radio! This lady had really gone through a lot, and her attitude was not "why me?", but rather "why not me". I thought that was incredible.

So, I then resolved rather than be envious, that if hard times should come my way, I would have that attitude. I know it's not going to be easy, but I figure it's better than wallowing in self pity and bitterness.

Reason #17 Why I Love the Dog Park

2006-03-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hailey is so tired that she gives me that look that says,

"You mean I have to move? Seriously, you must be kidding. Did you see the workout I got today? There is no way in h*ll that I'm moving my butt off this couch"

I hate the Po-Po!

2006-03-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Seriously, they are evil!

I got a parking ticket about a month ago and had expired tabs. My fault for not noticing, but the state's fault for messing stuff up in the system and not sending me a reminder.

Then yesterday on the way home from Bo's birthday party I got pulled over. And, the amount the charge is ridiculous! Every fine starts at $100. I hate them all. Okay, I don't hate the police, I'm just very very mad at them right now.

How I Am Like A Dictator - According To My Husband

2006-03-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

I am like:

Saddam - because I go back on my word. (seriously, I think he means I changed my mind)
Stalin - I make my husband go out in the cold in the morning to take the dog out, much like Stalin made people go to the goulags in Siberia. (Because letting the dog is soooo like that)
Mao - I have so many rules, that I should have a book like Mao and I like to have pictures of myself up like Mao (Yup, that's me, the queen of rules)

You are codially invited to..

2006-03-21T18:38:00.000-08:00

A birthday party! Well, I suppose you the reader are not on the invite list, but Hailey is! She was invited to her first birthday party! She'll be joining some friends at the local dog park. Actually, she'll be joining one special friend in partciular. Her boyfriend Bo!

You may remember Bo from such posts and stories as Hailey has a humping problem and going to school with her boyfriend. (not actual post titles) Now Hailey just have to find the perfect gift. Ideas?

Um, why are you here?

2006-03-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

If you have to blindfold, muzzle and leash your dog at the dog park, maybe that should tell you that your dog doesn't belong at the dog park.

Digital Cable plus DVR equals Amazing!

2006-03-19T06:56:00.000-08:00

Last week we were solicited by Comcast. They were offering a special deal for four months. We could get digital cable and DVR for really cheap. So, my husband being the sucker for a good deal, agreed. Boy, am I glad he did! Not only do we have digital cable with channels like the Style Network and Fine Living, but we also have HBO! Seriously, we didn't know we'd be getting HBO! So, between the two of us, we've seen Entourage, Sopranos and Big Love. Well, most of Big Love as evidently the machine can only do one thing at a time, so my show was stopped, so that my dear husband could record Meet the Press.

It's a small price to pay for DVR!

Something I'm Proud Of

2006-03-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

(see what happens with a snow day? I do all sorts of crazy things like post a lot and change my blog)

Anyway, I was cleaning off my desktop and I saw a couple pictures. I work for an adoption agency. One thing we like to do at our agency is give our birth parents a small gift at the hospital. Personally, when i saw some of the donated gifts, I was disappointed. Seriously, the stuff that was donated was crap.

Because I believe that birth parents need to be esteemed for their sacrifice, I really wanted to up the quality level of our gifts. So, we had a party where women made memory boxes. The memory boxes are used to store pictures and momentos of one's child. It's a nice place to keep things that doesn't scream "baby".

So, here are a couple pictures of one of the boxes.

Change is Good

2006-03-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

So, once again i've updated the template to my blog. I'm still getting used to this one, but I like it for now. I'd love to learn how to make my own, but trying to figure HTML code makes me dizzy. I also really want to put a picture on my template, but I have no idea. This is the one I want. If anyone out their in blogland has any insight, I'd love the feedback!

Snowstorms

2006-03-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went to my brother's college to help him with some research for his senior paper. It was supposed to snow 5-8 inches tonight, but I didn't think it would start until later. Boy, was I wrong. As I was leaving the library, there were huge sticky flakes of snow falling down. Needless to say I was in for a rough drive home which leads me to:

You know you are in an awful snowstorm when:

You see a car in the ditch on it's side like this

Then you see a semi-truck overturned on the side of the road, which personally is the scariest for me. Seriously, those guys drive for a living and they get into an accident? How am I going to make it home?

Then a car passes you and as it does, sends so much snow on your windshield that you think it's going to break and you jump.

Finally, almost crash on several occassions.

Ahhhh, the joys of living in Minnesota in March.

Ugh, Sam's Club

2006-03-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

So, before becoming Supa-Hostess I had to suffer through quite the ordeal. This is what happened:

* Go to Sam's Club
* Get new card as old one was stolen with wallet
* Find out I have an outstanding check that never cleared because old checking account was closed
* Go to bank to withdraw $130
* Go to Sam's give them the money and start shopping
* Can't find the food thing I want
* Hear my name and realize I'm being paged. AT SAM'S CLUB
* Go to the Customer Service Desk
* Find out that oops, I have another outstanding check (D*mn, how many times did my husband go to "the club")
* Realize I didn't withdraw enough cash to pay for the second check
* Go to ATM
* Realize that I never changed the PIN and I have no idea what it is
* Go back to the Customer Service Desk, beg to pay for my items and promise that mu husband will come to pay the other bill
* Pay for my items, but not the flowers as I don't have enough money

Highlights of the trip include:
The Customer Service Rep asking if I had credit cards, like I was po'
Feeling stupid because I couldn't remember my PIN
Begging the Sam's Club lady to let me buy their stuff
Paying not one, but two service charges.

UGH!

Supa-Hostess

2006-03-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

I just finished hosting my first baby shower and I'm feeling mighty proud. We played some games, which in my opinion were really creative and thoughtful. The first was a name the baby animal game. The second one was a game where there were baby or new mom items in paper bags. The first letter of the item corresponded with one of the letter from "Babt Shower". Not only was a creative, but the new mom got to keep all the items, so, she got extra gifts!

I can't take credit for the idea of the game, but I did think of all the items. Our food was good, my house was cute and clean. Even Hailey was well behaved. Overall, I think I did a pretty darn good job.

Darn You Target!

2006-03-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

Target is Evil. That's right folks they are. You know why? Because everytime I walk in there I see a bazilion things that I need, er want. I *heart* Target

Right now I'm trying to figure out a way to justify buy the following:

Hooded bath towel for Hailey (not actual towel from Tar-jey, but it's close):

And an the accompaning bath set:

How do they know that I have to frequently bathe Hailey and that since I don't have a kid yet I still have the desire to treat her like one? Does it get any cuter than a hooded bath towel? I know her $1.48 clearance one works just fine, but man. I want this stuff!

Lights, Camera, Action!

2006-03-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend we took Hailey to an open audition. Yup, we're attempting to pimp our our dog. We've even considered re-naming her "Meal Ticket". It seems that the obedience school we go to has a connection to a local photographer that does a lot of work with Target, 3M and some other companies. So, we decided to try our luck. She didn't sit very well, but luckily my teacher was there to vouch for her and even gushed about Hailey in front of the photographer. So, we'll see. I'm just hoping that she can make some money to pay for all the stuff she's wrecked.

Sweet Dreams are Made of These...

2006-03-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here watching the Oscars with Hailey. Well, Hailey isn't really watching the Oscars because a. she's a dog and b. she's asleep. Then, I hear this muffled bark. I look around half-wondering where that noise could be coming from. Then, I look down and realize it's Hailey, barking in her sleep. I had no idea that dogs even did that! I wonder if that means she's having a good or bad dream. Either way, it's one of the funniest things she's done to date.

New Things

2006-03-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

I have two new things to report:

1. My brother has a blog now. He has to have one for a class. It's called BU Hockey Manager.

2. It's that time of year when people start cleaning out thier closets and cabinets. They wonder how long something has been sitting in the fridge or why that glass figurine is still in the basement. So, in honor of the cleaning spirit, I've added some great cleaning/organizing links. Enjoy!

Points Suck!

2006-03-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

Like any other girl, I am just a wee bit obsessed with my weight. I would love to lose ten pounds, but I take pride that I lost ten pounds this last year. (YAY me!).

I have never tried weight watchers. I really thought I didn't need to. I honestly always thought I ate okay. Not super fabulous or crazy healthy, but good enough. Maybe not losing more weight should have clued me in that I was totally wrong.

So, yesterday, for kicks I decided to calculate how many points in an average day I ate. My food choices were: Special K Bar, Apple, Lean Cuisine, bottled frappucino, coffee, grilled cheese sandwich, an actual serving of chex mix and a medium bowl of super low fat ice cream. (Typing that out made me feel like a pig)

Anyway, I calculated the points for my food. I was two point over the target goal for someone to lose weight. MAN! I really didn't think I was that bad!

So, today I am being much better. Now, if I can only skip treats at small group!

Go Royals!

2006-03-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

As a graduate of Bethel College, I can't help but be happy when the athletics department does well. Normally, I don't care too much, but since my brother is part of the Men's Hockey Team it becomes a big deal. It's even a bigger deal now that my brother got me a very cool team sweatshirt. It's seriously the best sweatshirt I have ever owned.

Anyway, last night they beat Gustavus to advance to the second round of playoffs. Tomorrow night they will play St. Thomas. I hope we win!

And the Oscar Goes To....

2006-03-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Hailey! Tonight she won the best actress award. We were at class and we were doing sit stays tonight. She was sitting and just looking at the lady next to me. She just stared at this lady, ears back, tail wagging and giving her the saddest eyes ever. Seriously, it was like she was just begging to be brought home. Then we were doing recalls (where Hailey sits, I walk across the room and call her). Well, she sat very well and stayed very well, but then I had to call her. She moved as slow as molasses. It was literally like I had asked her to walk to her death. Of course we get outside and she moves just fine.

She knows how to milk it for an audience. Such a drama queen!

What Scares Me

2006-02-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

Port-a-Potties, Rent-a-John, Portable Toilets. Whatever you want to call them, that's fine. All I know is they scare the crap out of me.

Reason why they are scary number one:
I live in a new housing development with lots of construction and port-a-potties. When I take Hailey for a walk at night I have this irrational fear that a construction worker is going to jump out of one and attack me! I know this sounds stupid, but it true.

Reason why they are scary number two:
After seeing North Country, I now have a fear that while I'm in a port-a-potty that someone is going to try and tip it over. It'd be so horrible if that happened! Eew!

Reason why they are scary number three:
Port-a-potties are disgusting. I can't imagine how many germs are in them. I bet people have gotten crabs just walking in one before. Then there is all the poo and pee just sitting in there. DISGUSTING!

Running With the Big Dogs

2006-02-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the dog park with Hailey. It's one of the best things we've done for her. She was the smallest dog there, but that didn't bother her one bit. The park is fully enclosed and was great for the dogs. A couple dogs were a bit too aggressive, but most of them were okay. She sniffed a lot and made a few new friends. I wish we had a video camera, because she had so much fun.

It was so clear that we were the newbies. First, Hailey had on her vest. We took that off as soon as we got there because no other dog had on clothes. I had a bag of dog supplies. I was the only one. Next time, we aren't bringing so much stuff!

Then there was my husband. He was so worried about Hailey. It was really cute. He got nervous when she'd get rambunctious with other dogs and he chased her around the park. I was content to watch her from a distance and have the attitude of "she's a dog." Dogs bark at each other. Dogs smell each other's butts. Dogs don't sit to greet one another. By the end of our time at the park, we found a good balance. I wonder what this means about us as parents.

I have never seen her so tired. It is fabulous. We know have decided that we want to go to the dog park twice a week. I also loved that everyone fawned over her. It made me a proud doggy momma.

A Little Night Cap, Woulda Like That?

2006-02-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah baby. Tonight I experienced pure bliss. I took a bath and used some yummy products from Jaqua. Over the weekend I found one of their gift sets called Night Cap Beauty Treatment at Nordstrom Rack for $6! So tonight I indulged in a bath with white chocolate bath milk. I should have read the directions before the bath, because I used way too much bath milk. *sigh* Oh well. After the bath was finished I used the marshmallow cocoa body whip lotion. I smell like a smore. It is wunderbar. I am a huge fan of Jaqua, so it was really fun to indulge in their delicious body products.
I am feeling so relaxed right now. It's amazing how just taking 15 minutes can really change your whole evening. I feel like that girl in the commercial where everything is whirling around her and I am just sitting still. Well, that was me five minutes ago. Now Hailey jumped up on the couch and is licking her hoo-ha, so that kind of wrecked my mood. Those five minutes of peace were sure nice. I guess this is just a good excuse to take another bath.

Dr. McSteamy

2006-02-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

Oy my gosh. He is so hot. Please, Grey's Anatomy keep him on for a few more episodes. Please.

Fifty Nifty United States

2006-02-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

This past December I was on vacation in Orlando, which in my opinion is the best place to play the license plate game. In just three days, I saw about 40 states. Since then I've been noticing out of state license plates a lot more. I decided I would list them today and I have a few comments about their owners. I'm going to add this list throughout 2006.

Alabama (What a nice state motto)
Arizona
California
Colorado (your owner can't drive worth sh*t)
Delaware
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey (Dude, your tabs are from 2002!)
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Virgina
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
and from our neighbor to the North:
Manitoba (I hope you had fun at the Mall of America!)
Ontario
Saskatchewan

She Speaks!

2006-02-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

Our family recently purchased the Bow-Lingual Dog Translator. I first heard about it in Real Simple and then I bought it on eBay. In an effort to use the translator, we played with the oven mitt.
Hailey loves the oven mitt and barks at it a lot, so it's a great time to try the dog translator. I'm not sure what it is about the oven mitt, but she sure does think it's fun. Plus, my husband thinks it's a great game, so that way they get to play together.

Tonight she told us:
You're not so tough!
Come on play with me!
Watch out I might bite!

This afternoon when she was moody she told me:
Something's bothering me!
You're not paying attention to me!
I thought we had magic!

It's fun knowing what Hailey is "saying". the Bow-Lingual supposedely measures the emotion in Hailey's bark. I think it's about 70% accurate. Which is good enough for me. It's also enough to make my purchase worth it.

School is Cool

2006-02-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

We started obedience training again last night. We are now in level two. WOOHOO. Level two is way more intense than level one. Our instructor is really funny, which makes the class more fun. Our class is really big, which is kind of surprising. We have a "special needs" boxer in our class. He's really cute. He's the biggest boxer I have ever seen & his tongue hangs out of his mouth frequently. He is blind, but he does a great job in class. On the other hand, there is a really annoying collie. She's quite loud and rude during class.

Hailey did okay last night. She had a hard time sitting still and there was one technique that she just wouldn't do. Thankfully we had two options to get the same result. We worked on heel-off a little more today and I think she finally has the hang of it. The whole point of the moves was to get Hailey to get into the correct heeling position, which is right next to my left side.

The instructor commented that Hailey was "Stubborn, thick skilled, independent, I want to do it my way, I hate my gentle leader, then finished by saying "too bad your a dog"

He's inspired me to be the Queen B*tch in our house. I can still be as loving to my sweet girl, but when she misbehaves, I need to get a little tougher.

Picture Whore

2006-02-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

Here are lots of pictures of Hailey, showing that Staffordshire Bull Terriers are the cutest dogs. :)

Two Things

2006-02-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

1. I forgot to share my "Oh man, I'm so old" moment. I was at the mall and went into Hollister & Co. to check out their Launa Beach tees. I asked one of the sales cleks where they were. She showed me where a couple different ones were and said "Here's the Team Kristen and Team LC ones. Do you know who they are?" I told her yes, I don't know if I was more perturbed (because hello! I watch LB all the time). or embarassed because now I look to old to watch those shows. Either way it was a moment,

2. I am sick. I threw up 5 or 6 times yesterday and had a really high fever. My fever brok this morning, but I just don't have the energy to go into work today. I have only eaten one piece of toast in the last 24 hours. I get exhausted going up the stairs. I don't think I could physically last all day. So, I'm home. I'm hoping that I will keep all my food down today.

I didn't think I was that unusual

2006-02-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

So I was at Victoria's Secret today (woohoo Valentiney's Day). They were pushing their credit cards hard today. They were showing me the coupon book that I could recieve if I only signed up today. I am not a fan of in store credit cards and I really don't need one. I told her quite honestly that I appreciated her asking me, but I didn't shop at Victoria's Secret enough to benefit from the rewards. She asked me "You mean you don't buy all your underwear here?" She was almost dumbfounded. I told her that I actually had another brand of underwear I preferred. She was speechless. She couldn't believe that someone would buy bras and underwear anywhere else.vvTHE HORROR! I buy my bras at a department store! THE WORLD IS GOING TO END. I am really glad I didn't tell her I have a bra from Target. She probably would've passed out from the shock.

100 Things

2006-02-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

I've been inspired by some of my friends to do one of these posts. My apologies if it is totally lame.

1. I've been married for two and half years
2. I love my husband very much
3. I rarely call my husband by his name, I usually call him one of several nicknames
4. I have a bad addiction to crappy MTV Shows
5. My favorite TV show is Project Runway
6. I embarass my husband with my choice in TV, as he is the kind that watches C-SPAN
7. Right now my dog won't stop whining because evidently I'm not paying enough attention to her. This happens multiple times a day.
8. Everyday, it's confirmed that my dog is a total attention whore
9. I work at a pregnancy care center
10. I raise money and run the office
11. I see way more teenage girls coming in our office then I ever thought I would
12. I love my job, even if at times it's heart-breaking because other days it is so encouraging.
13. I grew up in the subarbs
14. I live in the subarbs, and probably won't ever leave.
15. My laundry room has a pink wall
16. Technically the wall is called "tutti-fruiti"
17. I was in band (oh the horror!)
18. I played an instrument called the baritone
19. I was the only girl and it was a very educational experience
20. I learned that high school boys have no filters
21. At my job in DC, I learned that 25 year old boys have no filters
22. I know this because the "C" word was on our swear jar
23. Even though I grew up in MN, I have always hated hockey
24. Untl my brother started managing his colleges team.
25. Now, I really enjoy it.
26. Especially since I got a fancy team sweatshirt
27. I have an addiction to shoes
28. I just bought a cute pair of tennis shoe mules today for only $17!
29. I only have one brother
30. He is three years younger than me
31. My parents 45 minutes away.
32. In my opinion, t's almost the perfect distance
33. For me, the perfect distance would be 20-30 minutes
34. I live closer to Wisconsin than I do to Downtown St. Paul
35. I have one nephew
36. I take thyroid medicine every day for hypothyroidism
37. Sometimes when I cry, I start to hyperventilate
38. I think it's a symptom of my underlying tendancy to be anxious
39. As long as I don't let the stress get to me, I'm usually fine
40. My favorite store is Banana Republic
41. I spend too much money on Juicy Couture tees.
42. My favorite Juicy Couture tee says Juicy Drama Queen
43. I'm only a drama queen on occasion
44. I used to live in Virginia
45. I loved my neighborhood there
49. I could walk to a Crate and Barrel - does it get any better than that?
50. I did not like the cicadas in DC
51. My favorite season is fall
52. The only bad thing about fall is that is precedes winter
53. I think winter is too cold
54. I love makeup
55. My favorite brand is Laura Mercier, but it is spendy
56. My second favorite brand is Physician's Formula, which isn't as spendy
57. My favorite fast food meal is a cheeseburger and fruit/yogurt parfait from McDonalds
58. I really like Splenda
59. Whoever created it deserves a big hug
60. I like hugs
61. I like hershey's hugs even better
62. My favorite coffee drink is a white chocolate mint mocha
63. It is YUMMY
64. I really wanted to name Hailey Lola, but my DH said no
65. I can get another dog if Dh doesn't have to take care of it and we wait 4 more years to have kids
66. I think that is unreasonable
67. I just think Hailey would really like a sister
68. Cyndy Brucato has the fugliest dye job I have ever seen and I say that because I'm snarky
69. I think my husband spends too much time on his cell phone
70. I love pajamas
71. I just bought the Bow-Lingual Dog Translator
72. I have a really weird neighbor
73. My first job was a swim instructor
74. Almost every evening I come home, put pj pants, a cami, a hoodie, and my Ugg Mocs on
75. I love to be organized, but have a hard time cleaning at night
76. I recently got a Phillips Senseo Coffee Maker & it's fabulous
77. I wish I owned a Dyson
78. I think gas fireplaces are another great invention
79. My favorite ice cream is chocolate chip cookie dough
80. I have been to most of the Caribbean
81. My favorite island is Tobago
82. I went to Manhattan for my honeymoon
83. The nicest hotel I ever stayed in was the W in Chicago
84. I have a pink coat
85. I really need to take my boots to the shoe repair man
86. I'm typing on a Mac
87. Don't tell my husband, but I prefer a PC over a Mac
88. I think gerbera daisies are the friendliest flower
89. I always wanted to be on MTV's the Real World, but now I'm too old
90. My dog has a coach collar
91. I like to try new things, but I have a hard time choosing something new when i have an old favorite
92. I wish I had an expense account
93. My favorite furniture store is Room and Board
94. I go to a great church
95. I am part of a couples small grou
96. I volunteer in the nursery
97. Volunteering in the nursery gives me my baby fix
98. I can be materialistic
99. I'm working on that though
100. Most importantly, I am a Christian

Stoopid Dog

2006-02-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

So today I took Hailey for a run and it was a disaster. First, as we were running in the street, two little dogs (who coincidently live across the street and are extremely annoying) were on the sidewalk. I evidently didn't have a tight enough grip on her leash and she bowled me over, right in front of the other dog's owner. I landed on my hands, in the mud. BAH! Thankfully the other guy didn't laugh out loud.

Then we went to play with the labs who live down the street. On our way back to the path, Hailey pulled really hard and unsnapped her leash. How is that possible? She then took off after another dog. Great. Now I'm that chick. I caught her and profusely apologized to the other dog's owner.

Next as we are walking on the path, Hailey decides to poo. And not a nice poo either. A really slimy poo that I couldn't even pick up. GROSS!

so, my walk with the dog totally sucked. My husband is so taking care of her for the rest of the night.

I can't believe I'm watching this show

2006-01-31T20:14:00.000-08:00

Date My Mom. It's such a train wreck.

My Poor Husband

2006-01-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

My husband is on a two day trip to California. He left MN at 9:30pm and arrived in Southern California around 11:50pm. Then the following happened:

* Drive to the hotel, which according to DH was in the ghetto even though it was the Sheraton
* Get key to room
* Take "slow *ss" elevator up to room, try key and it doesn't work
* Go down to lobby and get new key
* Take "slow *ss* elevator up to room try key and it doesn't work
* Hear loud pounding from the inside of room. DH said he didn't remember even grabbing his bags, he booked it not
wanting to find out what was on the inside of his room
* Go downstairs, yell at front desk kid that someone is in his room
* Get upgraded to a suite
* Take "slow *ss" elevator up to suite
* Open door and see an unmade bed and towels on the floor and realize room hasn't been cleaned and it's 1:30 AM
* Call front desk, the tell him they'll send someone up immediately
* 15 minutes later just as DH is about to call front desk, two cleaning ladies come in
* "Rip manager a new one" that they aren't giving him a new room. Manager comps DH's room
* At 2:00 AM DH finally goes to bed
* DH wakes up at 4:30 am, as DH is still on CST.

Poor Guy! And he has to take the red eye home tonight.