Another Year Gone...More Resolutions Not Met...Trying Again in 2009

Well, I had to do some digging through my archives to find my 2008 resolutions to provide an update...unfortunately most of them were not met. I will be posting my 2009 resolutions and hopefully will do much better this year.

First a recap on my 2008 Resolutions:
1. Spend more time with D. And this year we have a plan...date night every other week. (Started out good, didn't end that way...I took on too much this last semester.)

2. Meet deadlines better...I spent most of break working in an online class that I start teaching next week. (Did a little better with this, but the overload of work did not help make this easier or too successful.)

3. Spend more time with family and friends. (Once again, started out good but didn't end this way.)

4. Take better care of me, whether it's eating better, working out, or just having some 'down' time. (No down time...gained weight...not good at all.)

And now, for my 2009 Resolutions:

1. Study hard and pass Comprehensive Exams in May.
2. Get back in shape...I am currently at my highest weight ever! This last semester was stressful and I stress eat.
3. Spend more time with D and Soxy...at least pay them more attention when we are together.
4. Work harder at making my students learn how to learn instead of just sharing information.
5. Spend more time with family and friends--especially those not in my program.
6. Get to Virginia to meet the newest member of my family...she was born in June and I still haven't met her.

OK, I've showed you mine, leave a comment and show me yours. ;-)

Relief is on the way...Hopefully

My doctor came back into town earlier than I was told. Unfortunately, he still can't see me until Monday but has given me some hope in terms of different meds to try to make the migraine a bit more bearable until then. Of course, this means ringing in 2009 with sparkling grape juice as nerve blockers, muscle relaxants, and alcohol do not mix. Guess we know who our designated driver will be on New Year's Eve!

As I blog-surf it sounds like everyone had a fabulous Christmas and I am thrilled for that. Here's to a great beginning to 2009 for all!

Christmas Week Recap

Christmas had its ups and downs this year...luckily, the ups outweighed the downs.

Before we started our Christmas Eve festivities, D and I headed to mass. It seems our service was being broadcast on KDKA for the nation to hear. It was neat to be a part of that, as well as celebrate the True meaning of Christmas together.

Christmas Eve we spend with my Dad's side of the family. It was really fun and I got to spend quite a bit of time with my Godson...even though he was sick. I love Christmas Eve, it has been a family tradition since before I was born. We buy presents for the kids who haven't graduated from high school. They take turns opening presents and then the kids put on their own pageant...which is fun to watch. We chat and eat and get to spend time catching up with the entire family.

When we got home from my cousins' we exchanged our presents since Christmas Day is a lot of running around. Soxy loved her presents. I loved the beautiful bracelet D bought me and I believe that D was happy with his presents from me, also.

Christmas morning we packed the presents and Soxy in the car and headed to my parents first. After a nice breakfast of ham, eggs, and crepes we exchanged presents with my family. It was fun because Mom said all she wanted was money so D and I found a stocking and filled it with nickels. Mom loves to play the slot machines, especially the nickel machines. She couldn't imagine why her stocking was so heavy until she opened it.

After a great morning with my family, we loaded Soxy back into the car and headed down to D's parents. There I had to put together the green bean casserole and make the raisin sauce for the ham since neither could be made ahead of time.

Our neice and nephew had a great time opening presents. After all, they are 9 and 5 respectively. Barbies and trains filled the house. Around 9:00 that night we headed home with a sick doggie. Seems she ate way too much and we had to pull over so she could get sick. Bummer.

The next day D's family showed up at our place so that the girls could go see "Annie" at Heinz Hall. It was an incredible show. Afterwards we met the boys for dinner and then they headed home.

Like I said, it was a wonderful Christmas, for the most part. I wouldn't change most things...in fact, the only thing I would change would be that I have had a migraine since about 9:00 on Tuesday evening. My meds are barely taking the edge off and my doctor is out of town until Jan. 2nd.

Needless to say, as wonderful as Christmas was, there was a lot of noise and commotion everywhere we went. The migraine still has not gone away and I'm hoping that there is something that can be done quickly once my doctor is back in town.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday week!

Merry Christmas to You and Yours!

Merry Christmas to all of my readers and your families! Take a moment to remember the real meaning of the season!

Ready for the Holidays...

I think we are finally ready for the holidays! We had some folks over on Saturday and played games all evening...

I can't wait to see the family for Christmas. I am trying to get myself in the Christmas mood, but just can't seem to get there. Any thoughts of how to get myself into the holiday spirit?

Semester is Officially Over!

Thank goodness my semester is over and I have time to breathe and wrap up some Christmas preparations.

Somewhat literally...my cards are finally written, my decorating is done, but I still need to wrap all of my presents. They have been purchased since Black Friday, but I haven't had a chance to wrap them.

How are your holiday preparations coming?

Amazing Man (Rude Cactus) Doing Amazing Thing...Help Out Please

A fellow blogger, and friend, Chris at Rude Cactus, is providing an amazing gift to people who need help today. For every comment he receives 24 hours from when he posted his message, he will donate money to Fisher House. Please swing by his stie and leave a comment! He is an amazing man, husband, and father and...obviously cares about people. Please help him out, it will cost you nothing but a comment and you might discover a fabulous new blog.

No Longer Anonymous...

I've been found by a couple of my students. I don't know how they did it, but they have found my blog...

*waves* Hi guys!

Although I keep my work completely separate from my blog, I may have to figure out how to password protect certain posts in the future.

I am darn impressed that they have managed to find my site, as I have tried and couldn't do it...many times...oh well, the younger ones are so much better at this technology stuff than us old folks (even though I was a Web designer for years).

Dinner One Table Away from the Steelers

It was so cool...tonight D and I went to dinner and as our food was served the wait staff was pulling tables together for a bigger party that was coming in. We were at a little Mexican restaurant in Wexford, PA and next thing we know 6 Steelers come in and sit down. It seems they were out celebrating a birthday. We decided to be cool and not bother them...but I had to share with the Blogosphere...at the table next to us were: Willie Colon, Trai Essex (it was his birthday), Justin Hartwig, Byron Leftwich, Ben Roethlisberger, & Kendall Simmons. It was Big Ben that I first recognized, but D recognized a couple of the others. It was a pretty cool brush with Pittsburgh fame!

Week in Review...and Technology Frustrations--UPDATED

I am so frustrated! Turns out the problem wasn't Blogger, but my network. D is on his way to get a new router for my laptop. It seems my laptop won't cooperate with our G router and is running on a B router and suddenly Blogger, Google, & Hotmail don't want to play nicely. So D is going to buy a new G router for me, such a good guy that I married. :-)

This week has been crazy! I am still grading papers...I should have my papers written by now, but the papers have sucked up my entire week. Looking for a TA for next semester, but not holding my breath. Sometimes it feels like my students forget everything they've learned after we are done with that chapter. It can be so FRUSTRATING!!

The beginning of the week was spent with papers, as well as the weekend, but Thursday and Friday were wonderful!!

On Thursday, D & I had my parents up for breakfast because dinner at both parents was at the same time...It was really nice to see them for Thanksgiving. Actually, it was just really nice to see them as my schedule is so crazy, my visits are few and far between, and I don't like that.

After breakfast, we loaded Soxy in the car and headed down to D's parents for dinner. We had a wonderful visit and ate way too much food...as is tradition on Thanksgiving, right? Then my sister-in-law and I sat on the floor going through the sales ads for Friday. She was getting online for her sales, while I was preparing for our annual Black Friday outing.

Tradition dictates that my cousins and I shop for Black Friday and that we don't just hit one or two stores. My cousins were troopers (and my sister-in-law) as they started at 4:00 in the morning. I live about an hour north of where we were shopping and left my house at 6:00. I met them at 7:00 and the fun began. We shopped, ate, shopped, ate, etc. etc. I finally came back home at 11:30 that night. However, except for D and Soxy, I am done shopping for Christmas. It was a marathon day, but my shopping is almost complete! :-)

Saturday D took me out to breakfast and we did a little bit of running around and then it was back to grading papers. I crawled into bed last night around 1:30 and still wasn't done grading. I am just about finished now and still have a ton of my own work to do.

I have a presentation to give in my Ethics class tomorrow night, revisions to my essay due in my PR class on Wednesday, lectures to prepare for this week, and my Ethics paper due next Monday, which I haven't even started yet. Needless to say, posting will be even more sparse this week.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and break from work (at least for a day or two).

Back to grading, preparing, writing...

New router acquired & installed!! I can now access everything even faster as I just got bumped from a 'B' router to a 'G' router! D's so good to me!

Hello!

I have been trying to post for the past several days, but Blogger was not playing nicely.

I am still grading papers and hope to be done today...so I can start on my own papers.

I am so glad this is my last semester of coursework...Next semester should go much better...I hope.

Things here are good, busy, but good. How are you doing?

I will post again shortly, but in the meantime, why don't you tell me your favorite Thanksgiving story...and then I'll share mine.

Home Sick...Time to Post

I thought I'd drop in and say Hello to anyone who still might be reading. I am curled up in bed with Soxy nursing some kind of illness...feels like the flu, but I received my flu shot 3 weeks ago.

Beth is having a birthday today...go send her some love. And, she's looking for names to share with her daughter, as Mia loves full names. She has a ton, but she could always keep them for a rainy day.

Things here have been calm. I'm writing papers and grading papers most of the time. D is just trying to be supportive as my last semester wraps up. Soxy is her usual playful self. I'm still loving my program and teaching, so hopefully this won't all be for naught once I am done.

Say Hi if you are still reading....it's always nice to know that I have people still reading.

Updates...In bullet form

- I finally was able to watch Obama's acceptance speech and McCain's concession speech. Both were very impressive. If McCain had spoke like that more often during the campaign, we might have had a closer race. I did keep up with the results on MSNBC, but I couldn't watch the speeches as I was grading essays.

- I am very proud of America in choosing the best candidate for the job.

- I am swamped with papers to grade and need to start writing my papers. The semester is wrapping up quickly and I have so much to do yet.

- They upped my meds on Tuesday. I am now taking 3 nerve-blockers & 3 muscle relxants a day. Needless to say, I am very tired all the time. That makes it hard to focus.

- I am going in for the nerve-block shots next week. I'm not thrilled about it, but hopefully this will get me off the meds and allow me to focus.

- D comes home from a 3-day business trip tonight. I'm happy!

- Have 2 classes to teach next semester and have a contract for a third, but I'm not sure what to do as I sit for exams in May.

- I need to get back into shape soon. I'm just not sure where to start...any thoughts?

And finally...How are you doing? I have been trying to keep up with blogs, but can't say I've been an active commentor or reader. Hopefully, I will get back to fun things soon.

Template Issues

Please bear with me as I am trying to pretty things up around here and am having some HTML issues. I will get it figured out soon, promise.

I voted!

Did you?

Overwhelmed!

I don't know why, but this semester is kicking my ass! I have 2 classes and a seminar, my normal course-load. I'm teaching 3, but 2 of them are the same, so prep work isn't bad. But I just feel completely overwhelmed and undermotivated. Is it possible to have "senioritis" in a PhD program?

Going Pink for October!

Yes, I know I'm a day early, but I wanted to 'revise' my blog for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and my Wednesday's are crazy. So for the next month "Therapy Failed" is going pink! Please click here to give a free mammogram to someone who may not be able to afford it!

Another Lame Weekend of Studying & Grading

To be honest, I am amazed that anyone stops by to read anymore. Even I'm bored with my life, and I'm living it. This weekend was another weekend of grading papers and working on my own assignments for my classes.

The highlight of the weekend was going to dinner with D and some of his friends from school. It was nice to see them again and catch up. We went to Bravo and I definitely ate too much...but it was yummy.

Don't get me wrong when I say I'm bored with my life. I love what I am studying and I love teaching...but it's tough to come up with anything interesting to say to those that aren't in my program. What I'm mostly bored with is the monotony of my life. I would love something random and radical to happen just to spice things up a bit. I'm not one for monotony...

I Have the BEST Husband

D knows I haven't been feeling too great with the neck/shoulder issue.
It also seems that I have picked up a head-cold...not a good combination.
I am buried in work this semester like never before and am feeling the stress.
This does not make for a very happy Krush...

However, I called on my way home from class last night to see if we needed anything. First, it was we're low on juice but don't worry about it tonight. And then, it was yeah, why don't you stop. So I stopped.

When I finally got home and opened the fridge to put the juice in, there were a dozen roses on the top shelf waiting for me...just because he knew I wasn't feeling good.

Is there any question that I have the BEST husband ever?!?!?! I love you D!!

1999-2007 A Little Better, but Not Much

Way back in July or August of 1999 I was in a pretty bad car accident, although at the time I was in shock and didn't feel the pain. After years of physical therapy, surgeries, and nerve-blocking injections, the pain is not much better. Seems I have part of my spinal cord / brain stem trapped in my spinal column. Also there is occipital nerve damage and severe muscular damage in my neck and shoulder. Today, I was back at my neurologist for my 6-month follow-up (yes still every 6 months after 8 years). He has prescribed muscle relaxants, steroids, and painkillers. Hopefully we will not need to do another round nerve-blocking treatments as I just had one a few months ago.

The doctors and others say I'm lucky to be alive, but sometimes I wonder if "lucky" is the right word. Damn it sucks to be in this much pain all the time and not even be 40 yet!

The only good thing about that accident is that my passenger was not injured. At least, there is no guilt because I have hurt someone else (even though I swear the accident was not my fault).

9/11/01 Please Remember

Please take a moment today to stop and remember those that were lost in this senseless act of violence! Think of the innocent lives tragically ended, those that went down fighting for the lives of others and all of the loved ones left behind.

I remember exactly where I was and every moment of that day and several after that. However, this post is not about my memories, but about those lost and those loved. Please take a moment of silence and pray for / remember them.

Also, if you fly an American flag, remember to fly it at half-mast in their honor.

Another Update in List Form

I'm starting to get in the swing of the semester. Here's an update, once again in list form:

- Soxy received a clean bill of health from the vet
- I'm already behind in my reading for my own classes
- I am enjoying the classes that I am teaching
- We are having so much fun with the Wii
- Hopefully by the end of the weekend we will have the Wii Fit
- I am attempting to use the same philosopher for both of my classes to cut down on my research
- D is enjoying being done with school and having time to do what he wants without studying
- not thrilled with my 12 hour days, but getting used to them, slowly

Not Quite There Yet...

Still not back into the swing of a schedule...here is proof:

1. Took a migraine pill last night and slept past the time I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch! AGAIN SO VERY SORRY!!

2. Had no cell phone number for said friend and had to call the restaurant.

3. Took taxes to be paid...forgot 2 of them, only paid one.

4. Just finished my presentation for my morning classes and still need to pull together my afternoon lecture.

5. Have decided that Aristotle and PowerPoint may not be the best combination.

6. Still have the migraine but refusing to take a pill so I don't sleep through my classes tomorrow.

7. Did little or no work on anything either Tuesday or Thursday...and these are my days to get work accomplished.

Hopefully my body & brain will kick into school mode with a schedule quickly or I'm screwed!! This is my last semester of coursework and I don't want to screw it up...any thoughts on how to get out of summer mode and back into a routine???

We have a Wii!

To celebrate D's graduation, I told him to choose the gaming system he wanted, as he kept looking at them and saying he didn't have time. Now that he's done with school, he should have more time to play. He picked the Wii because he thought we'd both play it. So far he's kicking my butt, however, I will get better.

School has started back up for me and it's already kicking my butt. Seems my wonderful MWF only schedule means I have to be at school (2 different campuses) from 9-9 on Monday and Wednesday and from 9-6 on Friday. Hopefully my Tuesday and Thursday down time will be more productive than today as I am still preparing my lectures for tomorrow.

How are you doing? Is anyone still reading??

Random, oh so very RANDOM, Thoughts

Because I haven't put up much of substance lately, I figured I'd do a quick run-down of life in bullet form:

- Soxy is doing much better...her follow-up to her surgery is Friday and we're expecting a clean bill of health.

- D is officially a graduate of the MBA Program!! So proud of him!

- My Aunt and Uncle were in to visit from New Mexico this past week...always great to see them because it is never often enough.

- Working on a baby afghan for their great-granddaughter who was born in June...I got a late start.

- Last week D and I accomplished a lot of projects around the house with a few being finished up this weekend, with D's parents help.

- Looking at a vacation over Spring Break in March before the fun of exams and the dissertation begins.

- I am starting my last semester of classes for my PhD. in two weeks!

- I am currently prepping to teach 3 classes at 2 different schools this semester and looking forward to all of them. Luckily, one is only 10 minutes from home.

- I started an exercise and nutrition routine (I refuse to say diet as I hope to keep it up) but was sidetracked last week and am now sick, but hope to start again soon.

- Those of you who know me or have been reading a while won't be near as shocked at this statement as those who don't know about my "medical" stories...my throat is currently bleeding and I am eating very soft foods and drinking lots of tea with honey right now...not exactly on the nutrition track.

- I have organized every room and closet in the house, minus the office, and love the fact that I can find things and stuff doesn't fall on my head whenever I open a closet door.

OK, your turn...in list form, what is going on with you?

What My Name Means...

What Kristin Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

What a Cute Little Guy

Here are pictures of my nephew/godson on the bench that I made him for his 1st birthday! I may be biased, but I think he is adorable!!

A Joke for Your Enjoyment

I received this via email and thought everyone could use a good laugh...

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Ireland asked the Priest beside her, "Father, may I ask a favor?"

"Of course my child. What may I do for you?"

"Well, I bought an expensive woman's electronic hair dryer for my mother's birthday that is unopened and well over the Customs limits, and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?"

The priest answered: "I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not lie."

"With your honest face, Father, no one will question you"

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her. The official asked, "Father, do you have anything to declare?"

"From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare."

The official thought this answer strange, so asked,"And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?"

"I have a marvelous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but which is, to date, unused."

Roaring with laughter, the official said, "Go ahead, Father." Next!

Beautiful Bride & Unique Wedding Experience

If you are Asian-American the wedding would probably not qualify as an unique experience. The bride was absolutely gorgeous and radiant in both her "American" wedding gown and "Traditional" wedding dress. We ate, and ate, and ate. It was a 10 course meal. We saw the blessing of the bride and groom and some "practical jokes" / games played with the two of them...D was even asked to participate.

It was an incredible experience and I am very glad we had the opportunity to be there for our friends' special day. It was explained that the bridal party started moving at 5:30 am and there were several ceremonies throughout the day. The banquet did not start until 8:30 which was the portion of the event we were invited to. I don't believe we stopped eating until 11:00 or so.

The food was absolutely wonderful but I wish we would've had more of a warning about the quantity so we wouldn't have eaten as much at the beginning of the evening.

Congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy marriage to the newlyweds!!

Soxy had Surgery Today

And she dealt with it better than I did. Soxy's eye hasn't been getting any better so we went to see the Vet Opthamologist...until this problem, I didn't even know there was such a thing...but I am glad there is.

The ulcer wasn't getting any better because she had an eyelash which was growing in toward her eye instead of out like it should. So they had to sedate her and remove the hair follicle so that it didn't grow back and cause problems later. While she was under they checked both eyelids and found a total of 4 eyelashes that could cause problems and removed them all.

She is back in a cone, but at least this one is smaller and perfectly clear, and completely knocked out from the anesthesia. I about had a complete meltdown, but luckily D took off work today for the appointment just in case I completely freaked out with what they told me...I am so glad he was there because I really would've melted down without him there to "talk me down".

Soxy has been sleeping a lot but otherwise seems to be doing well considering.

Tagged by Liberty

Thanks to Liberty I have been tagged for this meme...and only because it is Liberty will I play along.

The Rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours…
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them…
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

WARNING: I am an extremely boring person of late, so don't be surprised if you are bored.

My quirks:

1. Every morning after checking email, I go through my Blogroll and visit everyone's site on it to see what you are up to.

2. I have a specific order for doing the laundry...if I do it differently I forget to add something (i.e. fabric softener, OxyClean, etc.).

3. I spend 10-15 minutes every morning in bed with Soxy just talking to her and petting her. In our house this is called QPT (Quality Puppy Time).

4. In order to relax enough to fall asleep, I play solitaire on my Palm.

5. Even when I'm not on a schedule, I set one for myself or I will accomplish nothing.

6. The reason I never have 10 nice fingernails is that I use them as tools to open things. I know it's wrong, but I do it anyway.

Tagging:
Anyone willing to play along...leave me a comment or drop me an email so I can check it out.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was very nice. Friday I did some running around and purchased a bunch of items for my 'summer project' organizing the house. Once D got home I made dinner and we hung out.

Saturday, we left around 9:30 for the lake. After a quick stop at Starbucks we were off. We made the trip in just under 3 hours.

It was great to see everyone. It was especially fun playing with my Godson. He's already one. We went to Eddie's Grill for lunch and then hung out by the pool.

It was wonderful to be there for my cousin. He won the golf tournament for the first time!! He's only 3 months older than me so we grew up together...he's also the father of my Godson.

The drive home was uneventful and my Dad had stayed with Soxy for a couple of hours so she was sleeping when we got home.

Unfortunately, we are still putting drops in her eyes and she feels the need to fight me every step of the way. Saturday night was so bad that I had an intense breathing attack that led to several "grey outs" according to D. Sunday morning I felt better, but not fabulous.

Sunday we did a bit of running around and went to breakfast. We got home just in time for me to meet Boston for coffee and to see "Sex and the City". Absolutely fabulous movie!! I couldn't imagine a better storyline for each of the girls.

I hope you all had a good weekend. Tell me what did you do fun over the weekend?

Leaving Tomorrow for the Lake

Between the weather and D's schedule we are going up to the lake to visit with my family. I am so happy I will get to see everyone and hopefully confirm my room for next year!

No Vacation for Me

I am totally bummed right now. As my family heads up to the lake for our annual trip, I am sitting at home. Why? Because the doctor's couldn't give me a date for the pacemaker surgery in time to hold my reservation. Hopefully, there will not be a problem getting the room for next year. I am hoping to drive up for Saturday afternoon, but that will depend on D's schedule and the weather forecast.

I spent a wonderful evening yesterday with my aunt and cousins. I was able to see some pictures from the wedding that I missed (also thanks to the pacemaker scheduling nightmare) and watch my newlywed cousin beam with newlywed happiness. It was a great night of girl-talk as my cousin's husbands did not come to visit with them and D was in school. I really wished they lived closer than Chicago and Florida so we could visit more often.

How Well Do You Know Me?

I made a quiz about myself...how well do you know me?

Weekend Recap

Friday we did a little running and grocery shopping for the weekend. We had to pick up corn, burgers, hot dogs, and a watermelon for the cookout that afternoon. By the time we got home and straightened the house partly, D's parents and our niece showed up. We had the cookout and then headed for the Zelienople fireworks. They had the Pittsburgh Philharmonic play prior to the fireworks. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our country's birthday! Saturday and Sunday were spent visiting and playing with our company. We also made fudge and chicken noodle soup. Today D is working from home because he had a tooth pulled last week and it didn't go so well so they put him on vicodin. I am attaching a video of the fireworks for you to enjoy!

Happy 3rd Anniversary D!

Three years ago today I made the best decision in my life...I married my best friend and the love of my life! I couldn't have even begun to imagine how wonderful life would be with you by my side. You give me wings to follow my dreams, but also know how to firmly ground me in reality when I need it. You have definitely changed the way I think about many things, i.e. how easily I used to spend money, and I believe I have opened your eyes to some things also. I am looking forward to a lifetime of happiness with you!

I love you for all that you are and all that you help me to be!!

Poor Soxy is Sick

Soxy has an eye infection. Unfortunately, she is rubbing at it with her front paws and they are afraid she might scratch her cornea. Therefore, they have put a cone on her (those terrible head braces)and she is running into everything. I feel so bad for her, but luckily it is only until Thursday morning. However, D and I will have fun trying to get drops into her eye also. Wish us luck!

Weekend Recap!

Friday was fabulous! I got my manicure and pedicure then window-shopped while my nails dried. I wasn't overly impressed with the manicure, but it was nice to be pampered for a little bit.

Then I came home and played with Soxy for a while before getting ready for dinner with D. The Wooden Angel was absolutely fabulous!! I had the prime rib and D had a blueberry-barbequed pork, it was delicious. The service was fabulous and the prices reasonable...we will definitely go back.

After dinner we came home and hung out with Soxy for a little bit before calling it a night.

On Saturday D took his car to the shop and I picked him up and we went to breakfast. After breakfast D went to Verizon to get a new cell phone and I dropped him off to get his truck as I had a bridal shower to attend.

It was a very nice shower and we had a very nice time especially since it was the first time most of us got to see the bride's new home. When I got home we waited out the storm and ran to Kohl's for a couple of things we needed while we had a discount.

Today we didn't do much of anything. I ran to the store this afternoon for some groceries and picked up things to do my own manicures since I wasn't thrilled with the one I received on Friday.

Today's Plan...

Seeing as it's my Birthday I have some special things planned for today:

At noon: manicure and pedicure (also pick up gift for bridal shower tomorrow)

Afternoon: relax with Soxy and chill out in front of the TV, no schoolwork today

7:30: D is taking me to dinner at The Wooden Angel...we keep wanting to try it so why not for my birthday? It's close to home and supposedly fabulous!

And, I was woke up this morning with kisses from Soxy! D is out of town so he called to say "Happy Birthday" but no kisses yet.

New Baby in the Family!!

Congratulations to my cousin and her husband as they just welcomed a daughter into the world...stats:

6/26/08 7:30 pm
7 lbs 13 oz

It seems like yesterday I was dancing at your wedding!!! You will be awesome parents!!! Love you both!

We will make our way to Virginia to meet her soon!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Finally Done!!

I am finally done with my German translation!!! It probably would've helped if the text I picked made sense to me in English, but at least I'm done with it now.

Weekend Recap / Sad News for the Entertainment World

I will start with the sad news I woke up to this morning--George Carlin died over the weekend. Yes, he was 71 years old, but it seemed to come out of nowhere; in fact we were listening to his comedy on XM for a lot of the ride to D's parents and back.

Weekend Recap:
Friday night was my reunion. It was great to see everyone and catch up. It was even fun for D as several of my classmates went to college with him or partied with his fraternity, so it was a bit of a reunion for him as well. D was nice enough to leave early so that I could stay until the end of the party and not worry about Soxy being alone for so long.

Saturday Soxy had a vet appointment. D took her as I was too tired to get out of bed at 9:00 am. Then she came home and was tossed into the shower...not a good morning for her. After that, we took her for a walk and D came home and took a nap while I ran to Wally World for clip-on sunglasses for my new frames. Came home, wrapped our nephew's birthday presents and hit the road to Uniontown for nephew's birthday party. Soxy always goes with us. It was a wonderful afternoon/evening with D's family as always. Then it was off for our drive home.

Sunday we slept in fairly late...busy weekend for us both. Then while D cut the grass I straightened the house and unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. Then we ran to the store to get some ingredients for a new dish I was trying for dinner last night. D was making steaks on the grill, but we decided to use the Crock Pot for the side dishes and not turn the stove/oven on. I found a wonderful wild rice with apricots, cranberries, and raisins dish that was very tasty and summery to go with the steaks. It was more schoolwork for both of us and then off to bed because D had to work this morning.

Busy but wonderful weekend...How did you spend your weekend?

Reunion Recap

Last night I was able to catch up with many friends from school and reconnect with many that I had lost touch with recently. It was a fabulous time for all involved, as far as I can tell. I passed on my email and blog address to several people and hope that they will keep in touch. Just a few notes to some folks:

- Keri, I missed you last night and hope that you recover quickly from your surgery
- Chris, So great to catch up and reconnect. Let's try not to lose touch this time
- Keith & Sofia, CONGRATULATIONS! I am so happy you are engaged!!
- Kim, So great to catch up and see you again! Next time bring photos of your children
-Khristine, Good luck planning your wedding & wishing you a lifetime of happiness
- Chuck, Don't be a stranger. It's really bad when I can't even recognize someone who was one of my dearest friends in high school!

There are so many others I caught up with and can't list them all. The girls did a fabulous job of planning a great party for all of us to catch up at. Thank you ladies for doing a fabulous job!!

Today was our nephew's birthday party and that was great fun also.

Two Thoughts Related to My Reunion Tonight

1. Must rethink the outfit as the high today is only 70 and the reunion doesn't start until 7:00 tonight.

2. Going to be a completely different experience from the 10 year mainly because at the 10 year I took Firewalk and tonight D will be with me. Those that know or know stories of both will understand the differences in personalities and why this will be an entirely different experience. ;-)

Thanks for Voting / Good News from the Doctor

Thanks for voting...it looks as though my brown/coral herringbone pants, however the ivory silk t-shirt is not going to work as the fabric is sheer enough that you can see the scar from the surgery. Luckily, I have a short-sleeved coral, silk sweater from the same designer so that will work fabulously. And, to be honest, I love those pants.

I have been completely released from my doctor's care from the surgery! I can go back to my regular routine I'm so happy!

Hodge-Podge of a Post / Help Dress Me for 20th Reunion

I have several things to mention, but didn't want to do it in multiple posts:

1. I found an old written journal today...flipping through I finally found out what day I started blogging--January 16, 2003. I have been blogging for over 5 years. With so many crashes, domain changes, etc. I didn't have a clue, so I guess it was good I wrote it down. :-)

2. Contractors get on my last nerve. I am still waiting on one bid from 3 weeks ago and another said they would price out the work with and without plants because it may be cheaper for us to buy the plants ourselves. The only bid he sent was with plants, tough to compare since the other bid came in without plants.

3. I have decided to go to my 20th high school reunion on Friday night. The dress code is business casual and I'm stumped. I have 5 potential outfits, but need some input from the Internets...here are my choices (and if I can coerce D later, I will post pictures):
A. White short-sleeved blouse with navy blue/white pinstriped slacks; white sandals
B. Turquoise short-sleeved blouse with grey/turquoise striped slacks; no idea on shoes
C. Ivory silk t-shirt with black/ivory pinstriped slacks; black sandals
D. Ivory silk t-shirt with brown/coral herringbone slacks; brown sandals
E. White short-sleeved black/turquoise polka-dot blouse with black slacks; black sandals

Well, Internets help dress me for my reunion!!! I will definitely post photos of the winning outfit if I can't get photos of all of them for you to judge. The reunion is Friday night so I need to know by Friday noon so I can press and dress!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my readers & visitors!! I hope you were treated like Kings today.

A special wave to D's Dad as I know he checks the site occasionally! Happy Father's Day to my 2nd Dad!!

I would like to send a special Father's Day wish out to my godfather who is recovering from his surgery of last week. Here is wishing for a speedy and pain-free recovery! Lots of love!!

Success x2

My surgery went well. I was home by 4:30 and the surgery was at 11:30. They say it was a complete success.

My cousin also did really well and is recovering well. He is in a lot of pain, but the surgery was a complete success! He is expected to make a complete, albeit a longer, recovery. His surgery was much more extensive as they had to build him a bladder out of his small intestines to replace the bladder they removed. But he is doing fabulous.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers!

Busy but Wonderful Weekend

Our weekend actually started on Thursday with our niece's dance recital. She was wonderful and is becoming such a beautiful dancer, even at age 9. Her solo melted my heart as I really saw how grown-up she is becoming.

Friday was spent working on my German and general straightening around the house. Friday night D and I relaxed as we knew the fun had only just begun for the weekend.

Saturday we did some running around and finally picked up the new railing for the front porch...long story but it was ordered in March from one store and then cancelled and ordered a week ago from another store because the first one never came in.

Saturday night it was back down to Uniontown for our niece's 2nd recital. Once again she was wonderful. The only thing I hate about these recital's is that the high school auditorium is not air-conditioned and it was above 90 for both shows. Then it was back to the house to pick up Soxy, play karate with our nephew and drive back to Pittsburgh.

Sunday morning came early as we did not get to bed until close to 1:00 am on Saturday. Then it was up to go shopping with my sister-in-law and my cousin. We went up to Grove City Outlets and had a wonderful time. With my school and my cousin's 3 kids, we don't get a lot of time just to hang out as "the girls" anymore. We found some great deals and had a lot of fun. Then it was home to chill with D and Soxy before the final push for my German translation.

Also, on Wednesday please say prayers for my cousin as he is having surgery to remove his bladder because of cancer and they are rebuilding his bladder from his small intestines. Then on Thursday is my pacemaker replacement...I'm definitely more concerned about my cousin as he has never had surgery before. Prayers for us both, but especially him, are much appreciated.

How was your weekend?

Shorter Commute Makes Me Happy

After my meeting today, I found out that I will be teaching at the campus only 10 minutes from my house! I have two classes back-to-back on MWF so I don't even have to travel back and forth. I'm thrilled for this opportunity as it is a state university and may, *knocking on wood*, turn into something permanent when I'm done with my degree.

Friday Meme...on a Sunday

Borrowed from Kazoofus and Typical Momma...

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Working crazy hours at the best job I ever had and living my dream of working in advertising. Partying like a rock star with my 'family' from the agency.

Five things on my to-do list for today:
1. Get hair cut and highlighted
2. Go to niece's birthday party
3. Run to mall for sale on jeans (hopefully)
4. German translation
5. Spend some quality time with D and Soxy

My favorite snacks:
Chocolate; popcorn, strawberries

If I were a billionaire what would I do?
Pay off all debt for immediate family, travel, finish school without worrying about paying for it, whatever else struck my fancy

Places I've lived:
Pittsburgh, PA
South Park, PA
Wheeling, WV
Normal, IL (even if it was 4 days a week in a hotel)
Robinson Township, PA
Baden, PA

Jobs I've had: (You can tell I hadn't found my calling based on the number of jobs; also, I started working at 15 years old)
- waitress at catering place
- cashier at Foodland
- salesgirl at Hornes
- sales girl at high-end retail shop
- radio advertising sales and voice-over
- receptionist
- data entry
- radio promotions
- advertising account executive
- project manager
- usability engineer
- public relations assistant
- copywriter
- web mistress
- new business assistant
- interaction designer
- marketing manager
- senior business consultant
- senior internet consultant
- adjunct professor
- multimedia consultant
- freelance writer
- usability consultant

Who else should reveal not so revealing things about themselves?
Anyone who wants to!

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend and taking a moment to remember those who have died for our freedom.

We had some friends over yesterday for a cookout and game night. It was lots of fun. Today, my parents came over to help me stain the fence...we didn't get very far before the rain started and we had to stop. I went out once the rain stopped and tried to finish. Oops, didn't realize until I came back in completely exhausted that it was an ozone-action day and neither my father or myself are supposed to be out in this weather...could explain my 2-hour nap when I finally came in. Now D is on his way home, he actually had to go into work today, which was no fun for him.

How did you spend your weekend?

Pacemaker Surgery

Because I realized, via Chris' comment, that not everyone read my "About Me" on the old site, I should explain my last post. Not that I expected everyone to read it, but did realize I'd need to explain so as not to freak any more of my readers out.

This is not the original pacemaker surgery, but a replacement for the one that was inserted in 1996. I have a congenital heart problem that caused two open-heart surgeries before I was 8 years old and my pacemaker was put in when I was 26. I don't mind talking about it, and assumed that most of my readers knew about it. But you know what they say when you assume. ;-)

The Squeaky Wheel...

well, you know the rest. Anyway, I finally have a date, if not a time, for the pacemaker surgery. I will be in for the surgery on June 12th. This makes both the reunion and my cousin's wedding impossible, but at least the pacemaker will be taken care of. I feel bad about her wedding, but I was at the mercy of the surgeon's.

Amazing how you sometimes have to be a royal pain in the a** to get things done, especially when it comes to health issues.

Scheduling Nightmare

So, sometime in June I am going to have the pacemaker replaced. The problem is they haven't given me a date yet. The reason this is a problem is that I have other events in June I need to RSVP to:

- My cousin's wedding in Chicago
- My 20 year high school reunion

I have left 4-5 messages for my doctor and his secretary and no one is calling me back. And, since I must abide by their schedule, I can't RSVP to either event as the doctors and surgeons are in complete control right now. AUGH! And those that know me know I must always be in control...I hate this.

Summer Flu

I hate being sick in the summer. Especially when I felt fine yesterday. I woke up in the middle of the night freezing, then a few hours later sweating. Now I just ache all over (and I'm not sure what's from being sick and what's from my first workout in 9 months). And, I must say that dry heaves suck when you're drunk, but they are even worse when you are sick and everything hurts. And D is out of town for work tonight, so I have no one to pamper and take care of me either. Soxy has only one tool in her first aid kit...puppy kisses. They are great but she lays on top of me to give them. She is 54 lbs and my chest/lungs really hurt more than anything.

Dry, warm, sunny weather would definitely help, but it's not in the forecast for quite a while. :-(

What Happens in Vegas...

This was a fabulously funny movie. It doesn't hurt that I just love Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher isn't bad to look at. Boston and I laughed alot during this movie. Then we headed off to grab Chinese food and a little shopping. If you get a chance check out this movie...and it's just funny enough for the guys to consider it a date movie, even though our husbands opted to let us go alone. :-)

Marriage Rumors

It amazes me how many people are against gay marriage by default. I think it should be allowed for anyone who wants to do it...although I do lean a bit more towards the civil union as I understand the religious arguments against it. However, hearing that Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are planning on getting married concerns me a bit...if we are going to give gay marriage / civil unions a chance, shouldn't we start with a celebrity couple that is more equally matched?

Also, this weekend is supposed to be the big Ashlee Simpson wedding...once again a celebrity wedding 'shrouded' in secrecy. I don't think that's the case, but why shouldn't celebrities be allowed to share such a special time with family and friends without the media swarming all over the place? Can't these people get one iota of privacy? I say good for them, and Beyonce & Jay-z for being able to keep this day about them and not the media and the rest of us.

Global Warming My A**

Unbelievable...it is May 14 and I am sick. I'm freezing, have a sore throat and ache all over. I had to cancel my 'play date' with my niece and nephews because I didn't want to get them sick. I have had my fireplace going all day while I sit here in my sweats shivering...with highs in the upper 50s for the next several days. I tend to think that global warming is a complete joke...kind of like Al Gore inventing the Internet. (Oh wait, isn't he the main spokesperson for global warming too?)

Mother's Day Weekend Recap!

I want to start by saying HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all those mothers who read my blog and to those who do the work of mother without the glory of the title.

Soxy woke me up with kisses for Mother's Day! Such a great way to start the day.

My Mother's Day preparations started on Friday afternoon. Once I realized that my cleaning lady wasn't returning my calls and therefore wasn't coming this week I had to clean my house as I was hosting a Mother's Day lunch for my family.

Now that I have cleaned my house, I will be looking for another cleaning lady. I was shocked at some of the things that she never dusted in my house. Then D came home and we relaxed on Friday evening.

Saturday was spent scrubbing floors on my hands and knees (hard work and I'm still sore). Then we did some running around and went grocery shopping for Sunday. That night D helped me make German potato salad and my berry salad for the lunch.

Sunday my family came over and we had the fanciest cookout ever. As it was raining and cold, we had our burgers and corn in the formal dining room on paper plates. It was fun and an easy clean up.

Once my family left, we cleaned up and then packed up the car and Soxy to drive down to D's family's house. On the trip down we discussed home projects we would like to accomplish. We had a wonderful visit with D's family and ate again. Amazingly, the scale shows that I have lost 3 pounds.

On the drive home we called Grandmother as it was too cold and windy for her to come to dinner. We have promised to take her out soon and spend some quality time with her. After all, the time spent is the most important.

Now, I need to get some work done on my translation and reading list this week. As the weather is not conducive for staining a fence right now.

How did you spend Mother's Day?

Mindless Week Going Well

Hi all...so I have spent the last four days doing nothing that required a lot of thought. There was one night where I went to a philosophy seminar, but otherwise I've planted flowers, did some shopping, and straightened the house up. I also spent a ton of time playing with Soxy and taking her for walks around the neighborhood.

What have you been doing?

Finals Over

Well, tonight I gave my last final of the semester tonight. Now I'm going to take a day or two and spend time with Soxy and Don before I get back to work tackling my German and my reading list for the summer. But I think my brain needs a break and I know my Soxy needs some attention!

Wish Me Luck

Tomorrow morning I am presenting the paper that I wrote with the head of our department. I am still finalizing the text. I could definitely use some smart vibes being sent my way at 9:30 am. I just hope I don't screw this up too bad, as it also reflects on him. Hopefully, we will be able to take feedback from tomorrow's panel and get this piece published.

1 Down, 1 To Go...Plus Other Projects--UPDATED

At this point in my life, I have marked off what is done and what I still need to tackle...but at least things are finally getting crossed off.

Well, I am typing this as my one paper is printing to be turned in at 3:00 today. Then I get to start the second paper which is due next Monday. If you are wondering why my Avatar has been at Stonehenge for the last few weeks, it is because the second paper will look at all the myths about Stonehenge.

Other projects include:
Article with the head of our program
Transcription of videos for a colleague
Grading final projects for all 3 classes I am teaching
My German translation, which I haven't started yet either

All of this needs to be completed by the end of the semester. The semester officially wraps up on May 5...I will be back on a regular basis after that.

How are you all doing?

Figured It Out

www.therapyfailed.com now points to this Website. It only took about a week to get it figured out. So all of my readers (3 of you, I think) don't need to search for me...I managed to point my domain to the right place.

Procrastination...

So, I have done some prettying up around here because I am doing my best to avoid working on any of the 3 projects I need to accomplish this weekend...and also avoid grading my students' work because I just am feeling burnt out and lazy. Unfortunately, everything is coming due, so I really just need to bite the bullet and forge ahead...if only knowing that made it happen.

How are you doing?

New Home for Therapy Failed

I have decided to move my blog to blogger because I'm tired of paying out the nose for hosting services. I hope everyone is able to find me at my new home. Please update your blogroll with my new address. Thanks!